The power of silence.I have thought about it...I have tried to see how it works. it really is amazing, in the stillness of complete and utter silence you can hear so clearly. I know that it maybe has been different for people to not be constantly hearing my voice, but what have I to offer except the words that Jesus wants to pour out of my mouth. In order to know what those words are you have to go to the silent place with Him, it is where He speaks the clearest. Sigh..I have yet to be able to fully grasp this concept much less live this out. It is a most certainly a work in progress.

Go and listen to Him- He will speak.

Whew! God is so good all the time. Every day His mercies are new. I know that each and every day He is refining me and revealing more and more. I don’t know if most of you know about where I am staying at and what it is about. I am at the head quarters of the Institute in Basic Life Principles. Instead of explaining it just go to their website-maybe one day I will feel like telling you my view point of what the ministry means to me, but for now that should suffice. Every morning during the week we have staff meeting. Breakfast is now being served at 7:30 and the meeting starts at a quarter of 8. Mr. Gothard usually speaks in the mornings to us unless there is a guest or delegation in. The training lasts till about 9 (sometimes a bit shorter). The past week and now even starting into this week Mr. Gothard has been sharing a lot about the commands of Christ and also about the lies of the Enemy. God has been speaking directly to me each day-it has been so powerful. We are encouraged to take notes during the time Mr. Gothard is speaking (we are even provided with ‘meeting note’ paperJ..o boy!) Anyways, once I get my nots back form last week I hope to be able to put them together in some readable form so I can post them.
On Sunday the pastor taught about Passionately Obeying. We must obey for the right reasons-out of pure love-we must do it to show love.
Some ways that we are able to love one another is in deed and truth. Obedience is the key to the fulfillment of loving one another. When we are obedient we are engrafting truth, becoming confident before God, and we will gain an assurance that whatever we ask we shall receive. And even though we fail time and time again, He still desires us.
1 John 3:10-24

Training yourself to do something that you have never done before is a hard thing to do. God has been showing me things that I need to train myself in. Things like those in Titus 2- reverent, self controlled, kind, and pure. It takes time for those to become part of your life if they had not been there before. He gives grace to those that are humble and are willing to recognize that they can't do it on their own.

Something else that has been really powerful is that during the week we had the Speeds here. Paul and Jenny Speed - a husband and wife that is being used by God to reveal truth to couples and young adults. This truth is that of being open and broken before God and others. The topic one day was about believing the lies of the Enemy. I had heard this by them before last year at the Big Sandy conference. However, sometimes there are times when you JUST hear some one and you don't REALLY listen. As they spoke I knew God was wanting to talk to me and have me listen. I struggled with it the entire day. I knew I was believing a lie from Satan, but I couldn't pin point it. I was so frustrated and upset with myself. That night God told me what it was. It was like a dam broke in my life and it was so clear as to what the lie was. The entire night was spent listening God and letting Him replace that lie with truth. It took all the next day to be able to grasp all that He had been revealing to me. I know whom I have believed in and I am persuaded that He is able. "Freedom comes when you stop viewing yourself as a victim" Jenny Speed believed this to be very true. I thought about it for a while and I can see how it is true. If you start speaking life and telling yourself that in Jesus there is no condemnation and that 'he whom that Son sets free is free INDEED' you will be able to look past your circumstances and start living that out. But, if you continue to believe the lie that you will never be free and keep having pity parties for yourself, you most certainly will never know true freedom.

All in all it has been a week of learning, falling and getting up again, and letting God point out all the areas He wants. It is not easy, but who said taking up a cross is easy? "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me: Matt 16:24

Fear.

It strikes into the heart of almost every person. You can't deny it, you have felt it before. This cold, icy feeling encompasses you and you know exactly what it is-fear. It may be the dark, spiders, heights, or death that constricts your mind. You feel dread and despair as you let it come over you.

That is just it-you let it take over you. You allow it to run your life and open the door for it to settle in.

Do not let the Enemy be able to snag a foothold in your life. He has come to steal, kill and destroy. He will stop at nothing in order to fulfill his calling. Do not open the door and shake hands with him next time he knocks.

How can you keep yourself guarded from this? Each fear (fear of evil,death,rejection,ect) can be traced to a root and is based on a belief system of your heart. In order for your heart to be protected you must guard it with truth. Instill His words into your heart and believe them. Speak life and allow it to saturate your life. Be so engulfed in His words that when the Enemy comes a knockin' you won't even give him a second glance. Be strong and be of good courage. Do not fear, for Jesus has not given us the spirit of fear but of a sound mind and love!