March 2008

CLU Student Newsletter

Thoughts
by
Dr. Karen Joy King

Just how important are our thoughts? I want to share a couple of real life examples of how powerful and effective our thoughts are. These examples were shared by a woman who wrote to Joyce Meyer (included in Joyce’s book Reduce Me to Love). Below is a condensed version of her experience with thoughts.

We need to choose our thoughts carefully because they affect us and those around us (even trees). When a negative thought lights upon our mind, we must recognize it is from satan and cast it out immediately lest it take root and cause all kinds of problems. We need to keep our minds renewed and filled with God’s word at all times so we can live a victorious, blessed life!



CLU Is On the Cutting Edge
by
Benny Shadwick

It seems to me that God is pouring His Holy Spirit out more and more upon the earth. The time to know Him is now because present world systems are passing away. Since education is rapidly and drastically changing, I believe that Christian Leadership University is positioned in the perfect way to hear from God and to be used by Him.

The first course one needs to take when starting at CLU is Communion With God which teaches the Lamad method of learning. This method teaches one how to hear the Holy Spirit’s voice in the education process. I had previously earned a Master’s Degree from a different seminary but wanted more Christian guidance.

While checking out Christian universities online, the LORD led me to CLU’s website. I was blown away, really blown away, by all that CLU had to offer! I enrolled in CLU and right away I experienced a very professional and caring staff. The LORD has used the CLU courses to speak to my heart and change my life.

I want to share a journal entry from the LORD I received while taking the Communion With God course. “Don’t worry about yesterday. Don’t fret about tomorrow. I care for you and I will take care of you. You are mine and I am yours. You are precious. Work diligently on this course. It is changing your life. It will cause a reaction that will change the lives of others. You care about others. You are learning that striving for Me is about learning to let go and listen to hear My voice. I AM going to make Myself known increasingly more to you if you will turn away from this world’s system. Obey and always listen for My voice. I AM always with you. My Spirit is in your heart. I have anointed you and given you the authority to speak in My behalf. You need to have a child’s faith and joy, but be a man.” Every CLU course teaches about hearing from the LORD and how to develop a deeper relationship with Him.

I recently graduated with the Doctor of Ministry degree from Christian Leadership University. While pursuing this degree, I was led to start a home church last September and to write my third book, My Home, His Church. This book is about the new move of God that is happening through the vehicle of home churches.

CLU gave me the knowledge and experience to go forward in new and exciting ways with the LORD. Since I am so pleased and excited about how God, through CLU, has changed my life, I am continuing to take more CLU courses even now after completing my Doctorate.

I once was a person who actually hated school but enjoyed learning. That may sound strange but traditional education is very rigid and the information presented is what you are required to learn. The CLU courses use a different approach which allows the Holy Spirit to be the Teacher and grants freedom to learn in deeper and more dramatic ways than ever before.

I believe CLU is on the cutting edge of what Christian students want and need for the future. The traditional seminary and education are antiquated and are quickly becoming obsolete. God is pouring out His Holy Spirit on the earth, and the Christian of today needs to be Spirit filled and ready to move quickly in the power of God if they desire to make a difference for the Kingdom.

Dr. Virkler and the other professors are very accessible as well as the auxiliary staff. They are all Spirit filled and want you to be successful because your success will advance the Kingdom of God. Shouldn’t that be the heartfelt desire of every believer in Jesus Christ?

By Learning to Hear God Through Communion With God, God Unshackled Me
By a CLU prisoner student
(Photo and name purposely withheld)

In September, I was told to get ready to be transferred to the county jail. Usually, I would have been terrified, but this time I wasn’t because I heard Jesus and saw a vision. In prison, there is no place to run, cry, or even think, so when the attorney spoke to me and told me I’d be going to court, for a moment I was very discouraged; but then God’s word began to flood my heart and comfort me. His peace came over me.

That night to further comfort me, God gave me a dream. In the dream, I was looking up to heaven and saw thick clouds rolling very fast. Then I saw a pure, blue sky with the sun shining brightly. Through this, God showed me that the storm was passing over and the clouds were the dust of God’s feet. I was excited for I knew God’s hand was in all this.

When I was taken to the jail, I saw men and women who had just been placed there. They were still in real clothes and crying because they wanted out. Seeing them brought back memories of when I first came to jail five years earlier. I was just like them, crying and wanting to get out. Now, I was able to sit there calmly and wanting nothing—totally content with Jesus!

Later, I saw some of the girls with whom I had served time a couple of years ago. While serving together, they had hurt me deeply, but now we were able to talk. I told them about Jesus, prayer, and all He can do for us. Then I was moved to another cell. Since I was alone, I had time to meditate on scripture, pray, and sing.

Later, my attorney came and told me I could wear whatever clothes I wanted to during court, which was a miracle in itself because I usually had to go in prison clothes. He asked me what I’d like to wear. I replied, “A long dress and flat, black, shiny shoes!” He then calculated my size and left. How I praised the Lord that I was going to be able to wear nice clothes to court rather than my prison outfit!

When it was time to go to court, I was shackled with a chain wrapped around my waist and cuffs linked in the chain, which keeps my hands very close to my waist. Another chain was placed between my legs with cuffs around my ankles preventing me from taking regular steps. In this manner, I was led down some stairs to another room.

There I was uncuffed and allowed to try on four different dresses. I felt like a princess at Christmas time! After choosing a dress and putting on some nice black, shiny shoes, the guard again cuffed me, while apologizing for having to do so. I told him it was all right. He took me to a cell waiting room. I felt so good about being dressed up and praised the Lord again.

After being there for a while, the guard stepped in and said, “I am going to unshackle you. You look like a nice person who won’t do anything stupid. Don’t talk to anyone. Sit where you are told and come straight to me when you are dismissed.” I replied, “Okay.” As I sat there, I continued to talk to Father about feeling so good without being shackled and thanked Him.

The Holy Spirit began conversing with me, “Let your yes be yes and no no.” “What if they ask me a question that I can’t answer a straight yes or no?” “Answer it, but in your heart you must be able to say yes its true or no it’s not.” Then the door opened and the guard led me to the courtroom. Again the Holy Spirit spoke to me, “Do not swear at all.”

The judge came in and I couldn’t help but smile. Everybody else looked nervous, but I was very calm. Inside I was constantly talking to Jesus. The judge told me to raise my right hand and asked if I would swear to the truth. I replied, “No, Sir, I don’t swear, but I will tell you the truth.” He looked at me strangely, then asked, “Do you confirm?” I immediately tuned to the Holy Spirit, and He said, “Say yes.”

An attorney began asking me questions. As I answered with the Spirit’s prompting, I could see the “punch” was taken away from the D.A. Then it was the D.A’s turn to question me. He could hardly talk for stumbling over his words. I was about to answer one of his questions when the Spirit prompted me to not answer. I was amazed at how clearly I could hear the Spirit. I believe the D.A. saw an angel because he was lost for questions and actually began to speak on my behalf. He was the same D.A. who had sentenced me.

After a few more questions from the D.A., I was dismissed and taken back to the jail. I had to take off my nice clothes and dress in jail clothes again, but I danced, sang, and danced! “Jesus, You took the shackles off me.” As He comforted me again, I saw Him draw a heart in the sand and told me how much He loved me.

The next day, I was to be taken back to prison, but the transport officer forgot to pick me up, so I was rebooked and put back in jail. The girls, to whom I had witnessed upon arriving, said, “We hope you aren’t mad about staying a little longer because we prayed, like you taught us, so you could stay with us longer and teach us some more about God. Now we know that prayer really works!”

Even though I still have 13 months to go, I just want to thank CLU for being so kind by sending the books for Communion With God to study. I can now hear God’s voice! I can see visions and receive dreams with the interpretations! I now know how to look to Jesus instead of my problems, and God is using my life as a witness for Him!

CLU Student Creates a New Business
by
Josh Perez

I want to share with you a business endeavor the Lord led me into as a result of my schooling through Christian Leadership University. Almost two years ago while attending CLU, I also became a Certified Personal and Professional Coach and opened my own coaching practice (www.morphcoaching.com).

It was a combination of the courses Communion With God (I learned to hear the voice of God clearer); Fulfilling Your Financial Destiny, (got me to thinking about the gifts the Lord placed in me I could use to generate extra income); and Gifted to Succeed, (I learned how the five-fold ministry gifts are not just for church government, but are to be expressed in other professions as well). The book Roaring Lambs from this course also got me thinking about how I can impact the world outside of the church. Sometimes that is a hard thing for a pastor to do because of being in the church or Christian environment all the time.

Opening up the coaching practice gives me the opportunity not only to impact Christian's lives, but also the unsaved. I purposely did not promote it as a Christian life coaching practice because I want the unsaved to feel comfortable requesting my services and not be intimidated. Since God can do the impossible and is faithful, He is using me to not only coach the unsaved but also share the love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and salvation plan with them.