June 2010

I want to share something with you that hopefully may be helpful. When I dreamed and had to get up and turn on a light to write it down, it was very difficult for me since I was very sleepy, the light was bright and bothersome, and my hand didn’t want to write legibly, which made it almost impossible for me to read upon waking.

After praying about this, God directed me to buy a micro-recorder and to put different kinds of Velcro on the “On,” “Record,” and “Off” buttons so I could differentiate between them in the dark. I practiced the location of these buttons and learned their position until I could operate them with my eyes closed. Now, when I dream, all I have to do is reach for my recorder (without a light or getting up), push the buttons, speak my dream, and then go back to sleep. When I awaken in the morning, I can write the dream from my recorder.

I would also like to share a poem I recently read. Where do you see yourself in this?

‘The world, I thought, belonged to me—
Goods, gold and people, land and sea—
Where’er I walked beneath God’s sky
In those old days my word was ‘I.’

Years passed; there flashed my pathway near
The fragment of a vision dear;
My former word no more sufficed,
And what I said was—‘I and Christ”

But, O, the more I looked on Him,
His glory grew, while mine grew dim,
I shrank so small, He towered so high,
All I dared say was—‘Christ and I.’

Years more the vision held its place
And looked me steadily in the face;
I speak now in humbler tone,
And what I say is—‘Christ alone.’” -- Unknown

May this last stanza be your goal. By journeying through the CLU courses with God, this is the path to which He desires to lead us—the wonderful, blessed death to ourselves in exchange for the abundant, restful life in Christ, the Christ life—Christ living through us. His will for us is only good—the best. Do not be afraid to give yourself and your needs totally to Him, for He loves and cares for you.

I Didn’t Know What to Expect

Journaling Has Taken On a Completely Different Meaning
by
Pete Koroiveibau

When I started the course Communion with God in August of 2009, I didn’t really know what to expect; but one thing I knew--it was going to take a lot of work and time. From my previous seminary experience, I thought I would again have to grit my teeth and vow inwardly to do the course requirements just to get it over with while saying, “The quicker I’m done, the better it is.”

But this was not the case with this course. From the onset, God mapped out for me what He wanted me to achieve during this course. Even though the course work and reading were a requirement that I needed to fulfill, there was something else. With the load of everyday life and the duties that come with pastoring a church, it never really dawned on me what this was until I was about a quarter of the way through the course.

God has a way of getting His will done in our lives. Even when we are looking for it, it will take more than knowledge of the Word and the conviction of the heart to really, really see and understand what God wants to tell us. Journaling has never been my strong point. Writing, yes, but to journal about the daily life events was not my forte. Well, not until I began this course. I finally learned, and was completely amazed, at the excitement and the ease of hearing God speak to me by writing His words down on paper. Not only that, but every day, I would ask God about the day, the concerns I had, the problems I was encountering – the simplest of things – which when attended to satisfactorily, would “distinguish” whether the day was good, mediocre, or bad.

Journaling to me, after learning the basics of stillness, vision, and spontaneity, was something God used to open the door of understanding Him better. No longer was journaling a boring exercise. It has become a vibrant part of my calling, a necessity in my walk with God, and a vital part of my life!

Journaling has taken on a completely different meaning to me since it is no longer an exercise of trying to remember the details of what I had done, said, or thought. It is now what God speaks into my life in order to accomplish everything He wants me to do for His glory. My previous attitude and understanding of what I needed to do (based on how I had been brought up and what I had been taught), was completely revamped. Overhauled!

Now I live in the “selective work” mode because hearing God speak to me clearly as I have never experienced before, has ruled out all the guesswork in my life. In order to hear God, I have to be in total abandonment to His will, His Word has to be the center of my life, and I have to be obedient! What a blessing! What a joy! Glory to the Mighty and Wonderful name of Jesus!

As I have already related, my life has turned a somersault, for which I can never thank God, CLU, and Dr. King enough. I feel so alive when I stand to preach and teach His truths, and I’m always humbled of how good, great, and wonderful God is to me! I am honored to be used for His glory. God uses me to remind His people the importance of hearing Him in every situation.

I have always been comfortable worshipping God in tongues and being filled with the Holy Spirit. These are two of the most common ways I still myself before the Lord. The other is picturing Him in visions--sitting beside Him on a grassy knoll; walking with Him on the seashore; or riding on a boat with Him across the Sea of Galilee. In these visions, I always see myself with Him as an eight year-old. Sometimes, He playfully likes to tousle my hair or trickle water on me as we take a boat ride. What a joy it is to run up to Him and wrap my arms around Him!

Using vision in my life has completely changed my prayer life. This is also something that I am teaching at my church. When God gives me a word during our services, I am comfortable; for I have asked Him to give me His Word for the church. This has also improved our Tuesday night prayer meetings. Now, church members are more confident in crying out to God. For those who are experiencing this for the first time, they cannot stop talking about it in their excitement.

My perspective on Who God is and should be in my life, has changed dramatically. I ask myself, and others, “If we say that the Lord, He is God, why do we serve Him only in a half-hearted manner? If He is our God, and He is the One Who gives us life, breath, and everything else, why aren’t we spending our every waking hour trying to please Him? If He is the Lord of all, why is it that we don’t know His Word that testifies of Him (John 5:39-40) so that we can better appreciate His sovereignty, omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence”? I found the answer to these questions in CWG.

For me, or for anyone, who truly lives for God and loves Him above all else, we have to submit to Him in repentance and obedience, yield to Him as He directs our lives, and die daily to self as we seek Him for His glory and praise. The Lord has taught me that I no longer do the things I do because I’m required to do them, but I do them as He would have me do them.

My family has also seen the difference in my life as I share with them what God is doing and what He wants to do in my life. We are all excited for the days and years ahead as we give God glory in our lives. I am so grateful to God for having chosen to save me, for the privilege of being a part of His Body, and being able to serve others as He gives me opportunity. And I am grateful for my family, CLU, and Dr. King, whom He has brought into my life to enable me to serve Him in these last days. “Only one life ‘twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

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