Living the Journey

In April of 2010 I went on a Journey to the Heart, where I dealt with many issues of the heart and learned a lot about who I am in Christ. One of the things I learned about, was that God wants us to share our faith with others instead of keeping it to ourselves. Since a very young age, I kept my faith to myself—mainly because of my reserved nature. In fact, I used that as an excuse. When I went on the Journey, I realized how weak that excuse was. I was basically blaming God for making me “shy” and telling Him that’s why I couldn’t share the Gospel with others. The truth of the matter was that I was scared to take a chance; scared to do something in faith.

After the Journey to the Heart, when I came back home, I started seeking to reverse my past weakness and start sharing the Gospel with others. When that didn’t happen as soon and as easily as I had expected, I was tempted to get discouraged. But instead, I remembered that God will only use us when we’re “hot”. Last week, I was asked by a leader at our church to lead devotions at our weekly staff meeting. I felt led to talk about Revelation 3:15,16 and I was making the point that God will only use us as long as we are spiritually “hot”. So in order to practice what I preach, I made an effort the rest of the week to remain usable and “hot” for God.

The very next day, I was at my church when I saw four kids, around 8-10, playing around in the fountain. It turns out that they were from nearby apartments and had never heard about God’s plan for salvation. When I asked them to get out of the fountain, they asked me what the empty tomb (a replica of the tomb Jesus was supposedly buried in) was for. So I had the amazing opportunity to share the story of Jesus’ life, death, burial and resurrection with them. And after I finished telling them about the way to be saved, they all wanted to ask Jesus to be their Savior! It blew me away that God could use me to impact those kids’ lives!

What also blew me away is that I did none of this on my own. When I put aside my weakness in speaking to others about God, I was able to be used by God to advance His Kingdom! God says in Exodus 4:12 “I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.” Regardless of the fact that I did not know what to say, God spoke through my mouth to those boys. When I rendered myself usable for God, only then was I able to share with those boys.

~ Luke
April 2010 Guys Journey

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What am I going to do with my life? This may be a question going through your mind right now. It had been ringing in my head since before I was 12!

I wanted to do what God wanted me to do, but I let God know that there were a few things I’d never do, even if He asked me! Not surprisingly, for the next 5 years I didn’t hear a thing from God about what I should do.

Then, sitting at the 2005 Sacramento ATI Conference, “Total Surrender for Total Success,” I finally did what God had wanted me to do all along—surrender everything to Him. Walking out of that auditorium, I could feel God’s pleasure.

Then I just “happened” to walk right up to the Oak Brook College of Law booth. The person handed me some information. I said, “Thanks”, and kept on going. Later that same night, I just “happened” to meet two awesome Christian guys who just “happened” to be Oak Brook College students. On the 35-hour drive home, God revealed to me that He had given me a dream: Law and Government Policy.

I was so excited to start that first year! After some initial challenges, I figured I had it cased with a few A’s on midterms. I was glad God had led me into Oak Brook, but I figured I could take it from there. That pride deadened me to God’s conviction in my life. By the time I got to finals, I was one very (over)confident law student. But when the grades came back, my pride was crushed. I began to hear God’s gentle convictions again, and I began to obey.

I had limited my relationship with God to “finding God’s will” instead of actually finding God Himself. Realizing how much I’d missed out on, I now wanted to seek and know God Himself. So after taking the First-Year-Law-Students-Exam (a mini bar exam), I came to the Journey. And I met with God! Continuing in my relationship with Him, God directed me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Strange things happened. I got a full-time job and my grades improved, big time!

So God has used Oak Brook College of Law in my life already. Now, getting set to take the bar exam in less than a year, I look out and see that God continues to use OBCL in the lives of the graduates, as they practice in many different fields in jurisdictions across America and even in Canada.

So what are you going to do with your life? Have you totally surrendered yourself to God, allowing Him to reveal all the blessings He has for you? If you have, check out Oak Brook College and talk to God about it. OBCL may be in His plan for you!

~ Marty
November 2007 Journey

For more information on the Oak Brook College of Law, check out this post on the Family Support Link.

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Have you ever stopped and looked around at the furnishings of a room and remembered that all these things are temporal? Think of the time and money that have gone into things like cars, clothes, food or entertainment. Even the laptop I’m typing on this very minute cost a good deal of money and yet, no matter how well I try to care for it, it will eventually break down.

None of the things that are tangible around us will last; we did not take them into this world, and it is certain we cannot bring them out. Everything will be destroyed… except three things: the Word of God, the deeds done in the body and the souls of men. If these three things, then, are the only ones that will last through Eternity, surely we should give them the utmost priority in our lives!

Young ladies in southeastern South Dakota have chosen to do this by working together to give the Word of God first place in their hearts! Together as a team we are studying to show ourselves approved unto God, equipping ourselves with answers straight from the Bible so we can answer those who ask us of the hope they see in our lives. We are exhorting and edifying one another and exalting God’s Word as the instruction manual for how to live our lives.

How are we doing this? By setting up Scripture Memory Challenges, girls as young as 7 years old are motivated to memorizing chapters of Scripture by themselves, with sisters, mothers or friends. I have rejoiced to see the diligence and perseverance that have been exercised and the encouragement that has been passed around as some, when goals were set before them, go above and beyond what they previously were unsure that they could do.

It is a comfort to know that, should the freedom of owning our own Bibles ever be taken away from us, in this little corner of the world, we still would not lose books of the Bible including Proverbs, Romans, James, Philippians, and I and II Thessalonians, due to motivated memorizers.

See what can be accomplished when Christians embrace high expectations and join arm in arm to meet them? We are a big family in the Lord—a team—laboring together, rejoicing together, reaping together. God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path—and now it is hid in our hearts to be a continual source of doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness that we may be thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might
not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11).

~ Emily
http://everythoughtcaptive.blogspot.com
September 2009 Journey

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Pastor LaFaurie has seen God work in incredibly powerful ways through the young people of His church who came to one accord on a Journey to the Heart. In this 15-minute video, he shares some of these stories.

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I was boarding a plane to return home from a month-long stay at Headquarters. Although I was tired and down-hearted, I was convinced that God would use what I had learned to minister to others, but I was not prepared for how quickly He planned to do this!

During the flight I sat next to a 16-year-old girl who had begun a friendly conversation just minutes after we were in the air. When she began to talk of religion, I asked her, “Marta, do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?” After assuring me that she did, she went on to tell me of her Lutheran upbringing and her belief that she had been saved pretty much all her life.

At this point, I could feel my mind working and coming up with Scriptures to debate with her . . . until the Holy Spirit stopped my own efforts and reminded me that the way around the natural intellect was not to argue with my own understanding, but to rely on the wisdom of His Spirit and the power of His Word to do the work. So, I prayed for wisdom and for a way to reach her.

We found common ground in our love for writing, and with the Lord’s help, I was able to take her to Romans and we discussed many passages that dealt with some of her wrong belief system. I encouraged her to use her talents for God; and  that topic led our conversation to the subject of repentance.

By now we were both leaning over in our seats, and I could see that she was truly open and listening. Silently praising the Lord as I spoke, I explained to her the process of how we repeat the sin we committed in Adam everyday, and how we must live with the constant attitude of repentance before God. I gave her a list of our symptoms that we need to repent, and she accepted this with gladness and began to read it right away.

I told Marta to keep in touch with me, and my heart whispered a prayer for her rebirth as we parted ways in the airport.

How I did rejoice that evening, as I contemplated the great privilege that had been afforded me! It was so encouraging to think that if we will only watch and be willing, the Father will give us ways to shine His light and pass on the truth we have been given.

~ Chrissy
November 2009 Journey

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Manila, Philippines - February 2010

“Let the little children come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of Heaven” ~Matthew 19:14

Today Lon and I watched as the young men in the ministry program here in Manila, worked with children that have been rescued from the street. The children here are resilient; nothing scares them. Not foreigners, not having their picture taken, high fives are given in abundance, and hugs and kisses are quite accepted. So much is their trust and literal hunger, it’s almost friendship from the start.

While they are in no way naïve, they are in a lot of ways still innocent. They smile, they laugh, they play, they even hug and love on you as if you were an older sibling or maybe even a parent. There is nothing shy about them but at the same time, they are not forward. In fact there is a quietness or maturity in their life that is quite lacking in your normal tender naïve youth.

I sat in the hot room, sweat dripping down my back, perspiration forming a moist coat over my body, watching, as the young men told a story, talked about Valentines day and led the children in singing, closing the time of ministry with juice and cookies, all the while smiling and sharing out of the abundance of their needs having been met.

I’ve heard it said by missionaries “We don’t preach love, we show love”. This is what these guys do. They show love. It’s a small amount of time a money invested, but it’s a priceless gift to these children.

It’s been an unforgettable experience meeting these children and getting just a tiny glimpse into their lives.

Iloilo, Philippines – February 2010

“He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep” ~ John 21:17

In the past four days, I have spoken 6 times and had one radio interview and I saw Jesus again tonight. I spoke to a group of girls and as I shared how God had met me in a very hard and painful emotional situation, I saw tears form in a girl’s eyes and knew that somehow, what I had said touched her heart and that God was using my vulnerability to do a work in her life.

I continued speaking and as I finished I witnessed Christ reaching out and healing three other girl’s hearts. It was awkward being vulnerable, it was uncomfortable and it was humbling, but it was Christ. Oh that I could see Him in this way more often.

Taitung, Taiwan – February 2010

“And whoever gives these little ones only a cup of cold water, in my name, assuredly I say unto you, he shall by no means lose his reward”  ~ Matthew 10:42

I saw Jesus again today; it was beautiful. I saw Him in the way the modern adulterous woman was forgiven and given new life. I saw Him in the care the nannies gave the babies of these women. I saw Him in the life of one woman, or girl really, whose baby was due today. I held these babies and whispered prayers over them. I told them they were loved, I watched them respond to my touch and to my voice. I saw beautiful innocence, and absolute trust. I received smiles, and coo’s in return.

In short, I saw Christ, and it touched me. This made my heart cry and my vision blur. My heart grew and my worldview changed; my view of Christ was enlarged. In ways, it was painful, but in others it was a blessing. The whole of it was a good and a perfect gift from God.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world…” I saw Christ and my heart broke. I saw Christ and I was humbled. I saw Christ and experienced complete trust. I lived out a part of “For God so Loved” that I had never known before. I received a good and perfect gift from God.

Brooke E. Martens

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If you are interested in taking part in an overseas ministry trip, visit the Institute in Basic Life Principles’ Global Encounters web site or email globalencounters@iblp.org.

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