FAILURE IS NOT FINAL

Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. -- Deuteronomy 8:2-3

At the end of CST, everyone on Challenge staff agreed that one of the most difficult parts for us was choosing which candidates would not be offered officer positions for Challenge 2010. I find no joy in telling someone that they failed to achieve their goal. Perhaps that is because I know full well what it feels like to fail. I have failed many times at many things in my life. It is always painful – sometimes, very much so. The devil wants our failures to define us. He wants us to believe the lie that our failures are final. The truth of the matter is that failure is often the beginning of something awesome Christ is accomplishing in our lives. He frequently uses failure to mold us into the men of God and leaders of men that He wants us to be and as a means of bringing us into the fullness of life He intends for us.

Human beings have a tendency to give ourselves way too much credit for what happens to us. We also have a strong propensity to wrongly evaluate why things happen to us. This is especially true when it comes to failure. We tend to see failure as a curse. Yet, God regularly disguises blessings as curses. Consider the Israelites in Deuteronomy 8:2-18. Moses is addressing them right before they enter the Promised Land. He is instructing them to not to forget what they learned during their time in the wilderness, when God allowed them to fail repeatedly. In fact, their journey was an exercise in failure everyday for 40 years, because they were not ready for what He had in store for them. If they had been allowed to travel directly from Egypt to the Promised Land, instead of being forced to wander in the wilderness, the journey would’ve only taken 11 days. Talk about a complete failure! The Lord had much to teach them. Yet, verse 16 says that He used their time in the wilderness “so that in the end it would go well with them.” In other words, He was using failure to bless them. In that same way, God uses failure to bless us. This passage uses the lives and experiences of the Israelites as an example for us today to demonstrate several reasons why God uses failure to develop our character.

1. God uses failure to rid us of pride and teach us humility. On 18 different occasions, the Bible refers to the Israelite people as “stiff-necked.” Deuteronomy 9:7 even says they were rebellious against God every day they were in the wilderness. That is a lot of pride! Deuteronomy 8:2 shows the first reason God allowed His people to fail was to humble them. Humbleness is mentioned two more times throughout the passage. In the book of Proverbs, the need for humility is mentioned on three different occasions (11:2, 15:33, 18:12). Do you think God is trying to tell us something? In the words of Ron Dunn, a pastor I have learned much from, “You will never trust God until you have to. It is man’s nature to be independent and rely on our own means.” Young men, heed a warning I have had to learn the hard way: If you want to realize the purpose Christ has for you in this world, you must first purge yourself of pride and self-sufficiency. Otherwise, you may find yourself failing again and again until you do.

2. God uses failure to show us the deceptiveness, sinfulness and weakness of our heart. Jeremiah 17:9-10 says “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” God knew that the Israelites’ faith was not genuine and that it needed refined before they could enter the Promised Land. He wants us to understand the same thing about ourselves. To become full men of God we need to be refined by Him. That is the only way He can eliminate sin from our lives and make us dependent upon Him (Jeremiah 17:9, Zechariah 13:9). Unfortunately, refinement is a painful process. The Bible illustrates this by consistently using the phrase “refine them like silver.” Did you know that silver ore must be heated to 1,200 degrees Celsius in order to be refined into pure silver? That is a lot of heat! Failure is part of the refinement process. So expect to endure extreme discomfort as you become men of God. Every other man God chose to use mightily did. We, too, must learn to welcome failure as part of the refinement process and know that it is a “trial by fire” Christ uses to bring us into full godly manhood.

3. God uses failure to teach us that He alone is the source of our strength and life. Most everyone familiar with the Bible knows about the manna God provided the Israelites each day they were in the wilderness. This bread of heaven was a perfect food, meeting all of their nutritional needs. However, there is something else here that many of us fail to see. Take another look at Deuteronomy 8:3. God makes a point of saying that he caused them to hunger BEFORE he mentions feeding them. In other words, the God who feeds us is the same God who makes us hungry. Why would He do that? Because Christ wants us to realize we cannot do ANYTHING without Him! He is a jealous God and wants us to know beyond a shadow of doubt that He alone is the source of our strength and that we have a great need for Him. In Psalm 142, David says he is DESPERATE for God. That is a powerful word! Do you want God’s provision that much? Is your need for Him so great that you are desperate? For most of us, the answer is “no.” Therefore, God allows us to fail. He will let us continue in failure until we want Him so badly that we are willing to do WHATEVER He says and trust Him in ANY situation…until we cry out in desperation, “LORD PLEASE FEED ME!” And then He shows up. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” If God does not let us suffer failure we will never learn to fight hard enough or endure hardship long enough to truly seek Him with our whole heart.

4. God uses failure to enable us to empathize with others when they are in the midst of failure. I believe this is especially true if we are to be used as leaders , responsible for others under our care. At CST, I defined a godly leader as, “Someone who puts others ahead of himself, their interests ahead of his own and never acts selfishly. One who has the attitude of a servant and leads by example.” This is very easy to say… and very tough to live out. Therefore, God allows us to fail miserably in order to understand this concept intimately. He did this in one way or another with all of the great leaders in the Bible – David, Peter, Paul -- even Jesus (Isaiah 53). He spells it out again in 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” In the same way that training is about the people rather than the mission, so is leadership about knowing your men and looking out for their welfare. We cannot adequately understand another’s welfare until we ourselves have endured the pain of failure.

In conclusion, we need to understand that we will likely fail many times over in this life. This is not only normal, but also healthy. Failure is a tool God has used throughout the ages to mold men into His image. Just like the Israelites, every key leadership figure in the Bible had a wilderness experience. You will, too, if you desire to be used by God. Failure not only refines us, it helps us examine our lives. This “self-assessment” is essential to our character development because an unexamined life leads to great sin, which is inevitably followed by unnecessary hardship, pain and regret. Lastly, remember that failure is not final. It is merely a part of our transition into full godly manhood and servant leadership as Christ continues to accomplish His purpose in our lives (Philippians 1:6, Romans 8:28).

Hold the line ye future men of God!

Mike McFarland
2010 Guest Director

God Worthy

"We all with open face beholding . . . the glory of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18

Last weekend at CST we spoke often about role models. Many of the role models we spoke of were human. Humans break, grow old, or change. Sometimes we are disheartened, left looking for a new role to follow. Sometimes (by design) we are left as they role model. A servant of God must stand so much alone that he never knows he is alone. We have to get so used to it that we never know we are standing alone. "All men forsook me…notwithstanding the Lord stood with me" (2 Tim. 4:16-17). We must build our faith, not on the fading light, but on the light that never fails. When "big" men go we are sad, until we see that they are meant to go, the one thing that remains is looking in the face of God for ourselves. Take care to cultivate your relationship with God. Seek His face (His character) not His hands (what He can do for you). Allow nothing to keep you from looking God sternly in the face about yourself and about your doctrine, and every time you study, teach, or experience see that you look God in the face about things first, then the glory will remain all through. A Christian worker is one who perpetually looks in the face of God and then goes forth to talk to people. The characteristic of Christ’s ministry for which we are looking is the long-lasting glory. Keep in tune with God all the time.

How do I apply this? Check your passions. What drives you? "Wherefore we labor that…we may be accepted of Him." 2 Corinthians 5:9 It is arduous work to keep the master ambition in front. In other words we must keep the main thing the main thing. Hold yourself to the high ideal year in and year out. What is the high ideal? Is it winning souls or establishing churches or having revivals. NAY! You must appreciate being "accepted of Him." It is not lack of spiritual experience that leads to failure, but lack of laboring to keep the ideal right. So here is your homework. Once a week, take stock before God and see whether you are keeping your life up to the standard He wishes. As Challenge needs squad officers who do not need the approval of the recruits if he can catch the look of approval from the First Officer. So God needs Christian men who need no appreciation from this world if we can catch a glimpse of a boastful God.

Any ambition which is in the tiniest degree away from this central one of being "approved unto God" may end in our being castaways. Learn to discern where the ambition leads, and you will see why it is so necessary to live facing the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul says - "Lest my body should make me take another line, I am constantly watching so that I may bring it into subjection and keep it under." (1 Cor. 9:27.) I have to learn to relate everything to the master ambition, and to maintain it without any cessation. My worth to God in public is what I am in private. Is my master ambition to please Him and be acceptable to Him, or is it something less, no matter how noble?

After you have examined yourself the test will come in the form of everyday life. The test will be the sixty seconds of every minute, and the sixty minutes of every hour, not our times of prayer and devotional meetings. "Though it tarry, wait for it." We cannot attain to a vision, we must live in the inspiration of it until it accomplishes itself. At the beginning we saw it but did not wait for it; we rushed off into practical work, and when the vision was fulfilled, we did not see it. Waiting for the vision that tarries is the test of our loyalty to God. Living in the light of what you have seen. Let God fling you out, and do not go until He does. If God sows you, you will bring forth fruit. It is essential to practice the walk of the feet in the light of the vision. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose imagination is stayed on Thee." Isaiah 26:3 Is your mind stayed on God or is it starved? The starvation of the mind is a source of exhaustion in a worker's life. If you have never used your mind to put yourself before God, begin to do it now. It is no use waiting for God to come; you must put your mind away from the face of idols and look unto Him and be saved. The mind is the greatest gift God has given us and it ought to be devoted entirely to Him. If you have been bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, it will be one of the greatest assets to faith when the time of trial comes, because your faith and the Spirit of God will work together. Learn to meditate on ideas worthy of God and your mind will never be at the mercy of your impulses, but will always be at the service of God. "We have sinned and fallen short, we have forgotten" - then put a boot knife to the throat of the thing that has lulled you to sleep. "God is not talking to me just now," but He ought to be. Remember Whose you are and Whom you serve. Provoke yourself by recollection and your affection for God will increase tenfold; your mind will not be starved any longer, but will be quick and enthusiastic, and your hope will be inexpressibly bright.

Men, Keep your mind fixed on Christ. Wait for the vision God is sharing with you. Stay God’s course. Be concerned with what matters to God.

Your worth to God in public is what you are in private.

Officer Stansbury, Program Director

ENEMY TACTICS

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:8-10

Anyone who has traveled internationally will admit that most Americans have a very easy life. We are surrounded by convenience and comfort, with lots of entertainment options to distract us from the important things in life. Perhaps that is why it is easy for many of us to overlook the fact that there is a war raging all around us. The war I refer to is not in Iraq, Afghanistan or some other third world country. It is one we cannot see but are, nonetheless, caught up in every day of our lives. It is the one against the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms that Paul refers to in Ephesians. It is the war that forces every human being to choose sides, with that choice determining where and how they will spend eternity. While the outcome of this war has already been decided and the Lord Jesus Christ the declared the eternal victor, the day that victory will be recognized and the enemy vanquished has not yet arrived. Until that time, the battles rage on. We, as men of God, are called to be warriors in this conflict. Yet, we often behave as if that is not the case. Our enemy, the devil, knows this… and capitalizes on it. He is a master of deception and brilliant tactician, who is filled with fury and highly effective at devouring those caught untrained, unaware or unprepared. Three of his most effective ploys are accusation, deception and isolation. We must learn to recognize and resist these tactics so that we may overcome them through the strength of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Revelation 12:10 calls satan the “accuser of the bretheren” and says that he “accuses them before God day and night.” Think about that. It means that the enemy finds this strategy so effective that he employs it every day. Why is that so? Because he knows that many of us have a difficult time truly accepting Christ’s forgiveness and grace. Also, as Mr. Stansbury pointed out in his last post, many of us have an identity crisis. If we don’t know who we are in Christ, we give the enemy a foothold to undermine us. Consequently, those accusations frequently discourage us and make us want to give up the fight. When that happens, we have become a casualty of war. The enemy has effectively removed us from the fight and we fail to advance the kingdom of God.

Deception is another favorite of the devil. So much so that, in John 8:44, Jesus calls him “the father of lies” and says that deception is his native tongue. Deception is powerful. From the time of Genesis, it has effectively hindered us from understanding God’s truth, deterred us from making good decisions, hampered us from realizing our true strength in Christ and, most of all, kept us from accomplishing the unique mission God has for each of us. When we are lied to, it causes to become distrustful and weakens our faith.

Isolation cuts straight to the core of a man. Loneliness is a very heavy weight. That is why prisons use solitary confinement as punishment. Even snipers and scouts are sent out in teams. The devil knows all of this very well and works hard to jam our communications with each other and with God. When we allow ourselves to become isolated it is easy to lose heart. We cannot encourage each other and, therefore, become susceptible to the enemy’s lies (Hebrews 3:13). When we live alone we fail to sharpen each other (Proverbs 27:17). When we keep our sins secret, we cannot prosper or find mercy (Proverbs 28:13). When we do not consistently communicate with God (pray), we are rendered powerless and ineffective (James 5:16). Our relationship with the Father is weakened and we are not able to receive His blessing.

So, how do you defend against these tactics? The bible instructs us in several places. The first step is stated clearly in 1 Corinthians 16:13 and again in 1 Peter 5:8: “Be on your guard” and “Be alert.” In other words, we need to recognize these attacks when they happen. This takes some practice, because these attacks play on our emotions and emotions are powerful. It is very important that we realize feelings are not fact and that we should never make an emotional decision, especially one that is based on worry or fear. The following are examples of a few lies that work especially well with most men: “You are so messed up that God will not forgive you. You are weak and inadequate. You don’t have what it takes. You have no clue what you are doing.” Sound familiar? I bet they do. So much so that just reading those words might even have a physical effect on some of you. At the very least, they can distract us from the truth if we are not prepared and do not recognize them as the lies that they are.

Once we are able to recognize an attack, the next step is to resist. There are several ways to do this. Ephesians 6:13-18 talks about the armor of God. A well-known passage that wonderfully summarizes how we should begin our resistance, it is a picture of a soldier preparing for war (No coincidence, in my opinion). Furthermore, the passage clearly states that the purpose of putting on the armor is to resist the devil’s schemes -- exactly what we are talking about here! Because every piece of armor has a distinct, important purpose and works together to fully protect us, I highly recommend you study the full passage. However, I want to focus on just three components here: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness and the sword of the spirit.

The belt of truth and breastplate of righteousness are the first parts of the armor mentioned. Think about the purpose of each of these. The belt holds the scabbard for the sword of the spirit (the Bible), as well as the armor for the lower vital areas. The breastplate covers your heart and lungs – the core of your being. To be righteous means to be free from guilt or sin. We have already been made righteous by Christ’s death on the cross. However, I believe this instruction to put on the breastplate of righteousness means we are to obey God. When we are obedient to God’s ways, then the devil has no way to accuse us. Truth exposes lies and the bible (sword of the spirit) shows us the truth. When we practice with our sword (i.e. study the Bible) regularly, then we will know exactly what passages and verses state the truth needed to expose the enemy’s deception. Again, I think it is helpful to provide examples:

ATTACK: “You are so messed up that God will never forgive you.”
DEFENSE: “If we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

ATTACK: “You are weak and inadequate.”
DEFENSE: “…My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness… For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

ATTACK: “You don’t have what it takes.”
DEFENSE: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13

ATTACK: “You have no clue what you are doing.”
DEFENSE: “It is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Philippians 2:13
“Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Are you starting to understand? As men of God, we must be on our guard, stand firm in the faith, be men of courage; be strong (1 Corinthians 16:13). If we rely on the strength of the Lord and the training he provides, we will overcome the evil one. When we learn to identify and expose the enemy’s lies, we can then resist the attack. When we live in community with other believers, pursuing relationships that involve openness, accountability and integrity and don’t allow ourselves to become isolated, then we can also strengthen, encourage and give hope to others when they come under attack. Remember, the enemy only attacks those who are advancing God’s kingdom. If you are making a difference you will take fire. Do not lose heart! Do not be afraid to engage the enemy! James 4:7 specifically says that the devil will flee if we resist him. Young men, I charge you today, LEARN TO RECOGNIZE AND RESIST! LEAD THE WAY! STAND FIRM! FINISH STRONG!

Praise be to Jesus Christ our Master and Commander,

Mike McFarland
Guest Director

Under the Circumstances

Challenge Dads, Specialists, and Recruits,

Welcome to April 2010. I invite you to join the Challenge Blog (http://teenpactchallenge.blogspot.com/). We are gearing up for Challenge 2010. Join us as we ready our spirits,minds, and bodies for an awesome season. Don't forget to register and be a part of the 2010 Father-Son Marksmanship Camp. See the blog or go to http://www.eventsbot.com/events/eb631749323 for details.

Under the Circumstances

Ever caught yourself saying, "I am fine, under the circumstances"? Well, what are you doing under there? Jude verse 24…God is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy. Notice that God is doing all the action here. He is able, He keeps you, He presents you. Get out of His way and let Him have His way. If we will do these things then we will be able to say…"Nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." (Romans 8:37) Read the surrounding verses. At Challenge we ask the question, Who are you? We also have recently added the question "whose are you"? Here in Romans is a more full answer. There is power for us if we would just tap into it. So many of us have an identity crisis. Here is our identity. This is who we are or at least who God intends us to be.

Consider the surfer. The ominous wave that distresses the ordinary swimmer produces in the surfer the exhilaration of going clean through the pipeline. Apply that to your own circumstances, these very things - tribulation, distress, persecution, produce in us this super-joy; they are not things to fight. We are more than conquerors through Him in all these things, not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. The saint knows the joy of the Lord because of tribulation, not in the escape from it. - "I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation," says Paul.

You have heard me say, ‘Like Ester, you are where you are, when you are, and who you are for a reason.’ If this is true then God is ready willing and able to use you…NOW! But don’t’ take my word for it. Find some confirmation. By listening to His servants only, we demonstrate how little we trust God. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we fear or doubt God Himself should speak to us. Why are we so terrified? Perhaps because we realize that when God speaks, one of two things must happen. One - we must do the thing we hear, for God is not a man that He should lie. Two - we must tell God we will not obey Him. On the other hand, if we only listen to man, we have the prerogative to believe the word or deed is not imperative. Mans word or deed could simply be just that, "your own idea". Do not shy away from God’s truth. So find the confirmation of my words to you in Ester. God's word to you.

Are you ready? Here’s some practical advice. Listen to God. Do it innocently like Samuel. "Speak; for thy servant hears." (1 Samuel 3:10) In addition to listening innocently, listen often. We men have a tendency to take one victory and assume that we can do the rest on our own. Stay in close relationship with God. I show God that I neither love nor respect Him by my indiscernible heart and mind towards what He says. Have you disobeyed your LORD this week? If you had realized a command came form Jesus, you would not have consciously disobeyed it; but most of us show such disrespect to God that we do not even hear what He says. He speaks to you through your parents, your pastor, your Bible reading times, your prayer life. Listen. I encourage you to stop missing the mark.

In a future letter I will speak to you about a Righteous Revolution. This letter will speak about a need to be bold, and impact this world…turn it upside down for Christ. In order for this future letter to be meaningful, you will need to know who you are. You will need to understand your identity. The destiny of your spiritual life is in such identification with Jesus Christ that you always hear God, and you know that God always hears you (John 11:41). If I am united with Jesus Christ, I hear God. Be not distracted. Hear Him all the time. What hinders you from hearing? At Challenge Staff Training we learn some powerful tools to help us listen...even prepare to listen. The things that hinder your ability to hear are distractions. It is not that you will not hear God, but you are not devoted in the right place. What are you devoted to? To things, to service, to convictions. The child attitude is always, "Speak, Lord, for your servant hears." If you have not cultivated this devotion of hearing, you can only hear God's voice at certain times; at other times you’re consumed with things - things which you say you must do, and you become deaf to Him. You must live the life of a child. Have you heard God's voice today? If not, why not?

"What I tell you in darkness, those speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ears that preach ye upon the housetops." Matthew 10:27

At 0300 hours on a 20,000 feet ridge in the Hindu Kush Mountains, my 20-man team was in our hide sites waiting for contact with the enemy. The night was black as pitch. My natural eye site was useless and therefore my sense of hearing and my sense of smell were heightened. We lay silent, we listen to discern movement, numbers, speed, direction. At times God puts us through the discipline of darkness to teach us how to hear Him. We are put into the shadow of God's hand until we learn to hear Him. Be aware of the situations where God puts you into darkness. When you are there keep your mouth shut. Are you in the dark just now in your circumstances or in your life with God? Then remain quiet. If you open your mouth in the dark, you will talk over the words you should her. Darkness is the time to listen. The most important thing to do is not talk to other people about it; not to read books to find out the reason of the darkness. The most important thing is but to listen and to heed. Sometimes, if you talk to other people, you cannot hear what God is saying. When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you get into the light.

After every time of darkness there comes a mixture of delight and humiliation. The exhilaration comes from hearing God speak. What about the humiliation? Why the mixed emotion? Answer – why did it take such a long time to hear from God? How slow are we to understand God? He gives you the gift of humiliation that brings the softness of heart that will always listen to God. James 1:2-4, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Cultivate your relationship with God. Take time to listen to Him. Learn to listen. Capitalize on the situation you are in. Be reminded of who you are and whose you are. Then when in the light, make the impact God has designed.

God is good. Find out for yourself.

Challenge Program Director, Bruce Stansbury

Dates For Basic/ Extreme 2010/ Details included.

Gentlemen,
Here are the dates and info for Basic:
Oct 4-8

This year Challenge Basic will be held at Fort Benning Georgia. We have an exciting program planned that will focus you on being the leader God wants you to be. Opportunities you will receive at Basic include:

Rappelling conducted by the Warrior Training Center
Land Navigation on the 4th Ranger Battalions NAV course
Firearms instruction from the Army Marksmanship Unit
Run the Army Ranger Confidence and Obstacle courses at the Warrior Training Center
Learn the Challenge Values: Duty, Courage, Humility, Strength, Godly, Faithful, Teamwork, Discipleship, Sacrifice, Leadership

In todays world, we need men capable of leading confidently under pressure and stress. Challenge Basic helps teach you the skills you need to execute and complete your daily missions.

Come join us as at Fort Benning Georgia, home of the Infantry, Airborne and Army Rangers and learn skills you need to impact your world for Christ! “...that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Philippians 1: 27

And for Extreme:

Oct 13-18

After completing Basic, continue your Challenge experience by attending Extreme. Challenge Extreme will be conducted this year in the jungle and swamp of an undisclosed U.S. Military Base. The emphasis during Extreme is to continue the development of the Specialist leadership reaction skills. You must be capable of operating effectively under conditions of extreme mental and physical stress. Challenge Extreme makes this happen through practical exercises in Task- Force level operations in a jungle/swamp environment.
As a Specialist at Extreme you will learn:

• Small boat operations
• Expedient stream crossings
• Three gun Action Shooting
• Skills needed to survive and operate in a jungle/swamp environment.

You will also learn how to lead your team to execute and complete missions in a real-life scenario taken from todays headlines.

Our world needs the self-sacrificing leadership you receive at Extreme.
Come join your brothers in Christ and receive practical training that will prepare you for wherever God may send you!

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.” I Timothy 6:12 “ And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. “ II Timothy 2:2

Speaker Info: Mike McFarland will be with us for both weeks www.teenpact.com/uploads/McFarland Challenge picture bio(1).pdf


**ROOM AND BOARD BETWEEN BASIC AND EXTREME**
There will be a place and food provided for the specialists staying in between Basic and Extreme. It will be optional and not mandatory. Let Executive Officer Joseph Schalchlin know that you will be needing this by contacting him at tpchallenge@gmail.com . There will be an extra $95 charge for this to cover the costs, so bring your money with you.

That's About it,

And so in the undying words of Challenge Specialist Stephen Boyd, "Press On"

Officer Phillips

The Breastplate Of Saint Patrick/ Happy Saint Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick was a very strong christian, early in life he was captured and made a slave. He escaped and returned to his homeland, while he was there someone shared the Gospel with him. He was so inspired that he went back to the land where he was a slave to share the gospel. Incredible!!!! A special shoutout to all the irish who read this blog. You know who you are, (Mike Powers) Happy Saint Patrick day. Eat lots of corned beef, cabbage and soda bread.

Here is the Prayer or "Breasplate" of saint Patrick





I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock.

I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.

Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.

I love all the old tyme language.
So as Stephen Boyd Says,
"Press On"
Officer Phillips

LIFE TO THE FULLEST

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is men who have come alive.” -- Gil Bailie

It’s funny to me how God sometimes decides to go a totally different direction than what I expect. He did that with this post. I had already finished most of the preparation for a different topic and was just about to write the final version when I decided to read Officer Stansbury’s last post one more time. As I did, I was profoundly struck by three phrases in his message. The first was “Don’t be constrained by your experience.” Next, to the Challenge Dads he wrote, “We have experienced a life of abuse and worry.” Finally, he said, “Dare (emphasis mine) to have a meaningful relationship with the creator of the universe.” Now, I had already read the post … several times. But, this time was different. I felt like God was using these phrases to get my attention in a big way. When I prayed and asked Him about it, He immediately reminded me of a line in the McFarland creed: Live life to the fullest. It comes directly from the words of Jesus in John 10:10: "The thief comes only to kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” While every line in my personal creed is intentional and purposeful, I especially love this one. Let me explain why.

Years ago, I was headed down a very bad path. I was already a Christian, but had not been trained to deal with adversity. When it came, I became distracted, discouraged and lost focus. Satan seized the opportunity to convince me to believe several lies about myself. I didn’t think I could measure up and lost hope. As a result, I gave up, checked out and went my own way. In the process, I made some very bad and very costly decisions -- decisions that caused deep and immense pain for many people in my life. It was as if I left my post, allowing the enemy to enter my base and detonate a massive bomb. I deserved to lose everything good in my life and thought I had. But, in His immense mercy and grace, God saw fit to choose otherwise. He started by allowing me to see the devastation I had caused. When I did, I turned my heart back to Him. I accepted full responsibility for my actions, repented and asked for His forgiveness. I submitted myself to Him completely and fully. And then He began to move…in a big way. Soon after, I discovered John 10:10 and feel like Christ revealed the depth of its meaning to me.

When I first read it, the word "full" stood out to me so I looked it up in Webster’s Dictionary. Boy, was I surprised! There were 20 different definitions for this seemingly simple little word! I was also astounded by many of these definitions as I considered how they applied to the life that Christ describes in John 10:10. Here are just a few of them:

Full (adj.): 1. Complete especially in detail, number, or duration. 2. Having all distinguishing characteristics: enjoying all authorized rights and privileges. 3. Not lacking in any essential. 4. Being at the height of development. 5. Rich in experience. 6. Large enough to satisfy. 7. Completely occupied especially with a thought or plan. 8. Possessing a rich or pronounced quality.

Wow! Is that not exciting! It reminds me again of the second part of James 1:4 which states, “…so that we may become mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Of course, let’s not forget that the verse begins by stating, “Perseverance must finish its work …”. The operative word here is perseverance. Webster defines perseverance as “The act of persevering.” The word “persevere” is an action verb with three definitions: 1. To persist in anything undertaken. 2. Maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement. 3. Continue steadfastly.

Do you get the picture yet? God loves us so much that he wants to give us a life of great adventure! However, the Bible also makes it clear that a full life is NOT an easy, safe one with guarantees or clear, timely answers. The full life our Lord intends for us is one that requires obedience, faith and trust in Him without demanding to know why things are happening, regardless of how hard or painful they might be. Satan knows about this full life and hates it. He does everything possible to stop a man from completing the mission Christ has for him, because he knows that God calls men to lead the way in this world. Mr. Stansbury was right. We should not let our fears or past adverse experiences constrain us. Instead, we should dare to have a meaningful relationship with the creator of the universe and be constrained only by the love of Christ. That is a truly full life.

Those years ago God redeemed me. Here and now I testify that He has poured out His love on me and graciously granted me a FULL LIFE. It is not without pain, struggle, uncertainty or hardship. It is also not without immense peace, joy, laughter, adventure and contentment. I would not trade it for any other. Young men, I encourage you to avoid wasted years that will leave only needless pain and regret. Rather, choose to seek Christ with your whole heart. Obey Him completely and trust Him in all circumstances so that you can realize the full life He has in store for you. As John Elderedge so aptly puts it in his book The Way of the Wild At Heart, “Don’t choose safety over the opportunity to come alive…. Life is not a problem to be solved; it is an adventure to be lived! Embrace risk! Love with abandon. Stop waiting for others to love you first.”

Now, I encourage you to go live life to the fullest!!!!

Mike McFarland
2010 Guest Director