Living the Journey

I wanted to come to the Journey to the Heart so that I could get to know Jesus more intimately. What I didn’t realize is that God wanted to know me and He desired to pursue relationship with me. I had been meditating on this verse in the beginning of the week: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24). I asked the Lord to remove anything from my life that would hinder me from being completely free to love Him with my whole heart.

Sure enough, the Spirit of God spoke to me and pointed out to me the things that I needed to make right. I have returned home with a list from God of people I need to ask forgiveness from, things I need to talk to my parents about, and other people I need to talk to. Now I am discovering how to walk in the light, have a clear conscience, and to be a mighty man of God.

More than that, the Lord is revealing Himself to me in ways I could not have imagined. He is opening up my eyes to His word and showing me insights by His Spirit. I am learning how to communicate with Jesus and how to recognize His voice. It wasn’t until I went to a quiet place and honestly opened myself to the Lord that I began to hear from Him. He answered my questions and responded to my requests. And above all, I found a God who wanted me and wanted to fellowship with me.

Now I am learning what it means to live in Christ; exchanging His life for mine. I no longer live for Christ, but Christ is my life. I am asking Him to live in me and through me to accomplish His will and His purposes. Instead of trying so hard to be a Christian, I am trusting Christ to be my all in all. Now God can do through me what I think is impossible because He is free to be all that He is. As I die, Christ lives.

God used “Journey to the Heart” to rekindle my relationship with Him. I am encouraged to daily meditate on His word and seek His face. Thank you, Jesus!

~ Timothy
July 2008 Guys Journey

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When I first arrived at the Journey, I felt pretty out of touch with God. I wasn’t spending time in His Word and I thought God would never speak to me. I also was listening to rock music and watching a lot of worldly movies as well as struggling with impure thoughts. I was walking with the world and not like a Christian. I tried reading the Bible more but the cares of the world were always choking it out.

I had to surrender the desire for the approval of the world as well as the pleasures of sin. I have to chose the narrow way. God doesn’t want me to look like the world. I decided to give up movies and music of the world and all competing affections that came between between me and God.

I heard from God on this Journey. God revealed to me that I needed to be spending significantly more time in His Word. How can I witness to other people if I don’t even have my own salvation nailed down and confirmed with scripture? God can’t speak to me unless I am listening.

Overall, I had a great Journey and God blessed our time. Thank you!

~ Ryan
June 2008 Guys’ Journey

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A Painful Memory

In December 1964, after completing nine and a half months of service in Vietnam, I arrived at Travis Air Force Base in Bolero, CA. It was Christmas Eve, and I was anxious see my wife and be home for Christmas.

As I left the base to catch a bus, a group of war protesters threw rotten fruit and eggs at us, calling us baby-killers. I wanted to break their heads but was restrained by the military police. I was deeply crushed because there seemed to be no appreciation back at home for the soldiers who were sacrificing their lives for their country. This caused me to become very bitter.

An Explosion of Anger

In 1971 in Globe, AZ, I was driving up a narrow street on a steep hill when I was met by someone in another vehicle on my side of the road. The road was too steep to back up so he began to curse me and give naughty waves.

In anger, I got out of my truck and walked up to his car. He quickly locked the doors and rolled up the windows. I grabbed the door handle and pulled it right off the car. My next thought was to smash the window with the handle, break his head with it, and then drag him out through the window. I could see the terror in his eyes.

But in that instant, God spoke to my heart and told me to stop. Somehow, I controlled my anger, apologized, and got back in my truck. After that incident, I realized I had a serious problem with anger. Yet instead of properly dealing with it, I only sank deeper into my bitterness, anger, and depression, fighting suicidal and violent thoughts.

Freedom from Bitterness

Early in 1975, I attended the Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts Seminar in Fort Worth, TX after hearing the testimony of an alumnus. Mr. Bill Gothard talked about one area in which I knew I needed tremendous help—overcoming bitterness.

Through the teachings about Jesus Christ and His power to reconstruct lives, I was able to overcome bitterness and forgive the offensive war protesters, as well as a nation who I felt had betrayed all Vietnam War veterans. There is now healing instead of hurt.

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I was lacking a closeness to God in a lot of ways. I was not feeling His presence and would read the Scriptures just to read it and and say I had done so. Because of my lack of closeness to God, I was not hearing His voice through the Scriptures or by the Holy Spirit. I tried to focus on what I was reading and asked God to show me something from His Word, but would get distracted with this or that.

I started to hear God’s voice when I began to get things cleared up with Him and those around me and for the first time I really felt His powerful comforting presence when all was confessed and forgiven. I have a real joy in my heart for the first time that I can think of. I have a greater desire to memorize God’s Word and to hide it in my heart, that I might not sin against God. I am free from the guilt and bitterness that weighed me down from hearing God’s voice for a long time!

~ Matthew
June 2008 Guys’ Journey

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When my parents asked me to come to the Journey to the Heart, I really did not want to come. I had been building walls between myself and my father. I also was not yielding my whole life to God.

The very first day in the Northwoods God really spoke to me and I gave my whole life to Him. God has truly given me freedom in this area of submitting myself to Him. I thank God for parents that were willing to send me to this wonderful program.

~ Thomas
June 2008 Guys Journey

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I had begun to go into depression. I realized that I couldn’t hear God’s voice anymore. Bit by bit, I lost my desire to even try to make a difference. I didn’t want to wake up and face another day of pain…

…The result of the Journey was life changing. God revealed to me the reason why I was depressed and also how to deal with it. I now have answers.

~ Cullen
March 2008 Guys’ Journey

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