September 2009

CLU Student Newsletter

Life Changes Through CWG
by
Mark M. Smith

Throughout the Communion with God course, numerous changes, revelations, and confirmations took place in my life. Learning to recognize the voice of God has been eye-opening and rewarding to me. This course has changed my approach to challenges; how I lead my family; and my role at work. Hearing the voice of God has now become the standard of everything I do.

One of the most important revelations occurring during this course was the understanding of Hab. 2:1, 2 “I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, and how I may reply when I am reproved. . . .” Even though I had heard and read this passage many times, I didn’t understand it until taking this course.

As I began to understand this scripture, I looked over past and present situations with the understanding that it is important to stand still and seek God’s direction prior to moving forward. I have made many hasty decisions and then had to ask, “Where did I go wrong?” Now I understand that I was acting on my own without allowing God to speak His will to me.

Recently, my wife and I faced a challenging financial situation. Since we were both clueless on how to take care of it, I prayed all week about it. As payday approached, I sat in front of the computer doing our budget. When I finished adding everything to the budget that had to be paid, I went online to pay my tithe while asking God to bless it and to help us with this financial situation. Then, I heard God’s voice tell me, “Submit the tithe, close the computer without paying anything else, and go to work.”

At first, I was a little hesitant; however, I obeyed. Midway through the day, I received a call from my wife stating that a co-worker had come to her saying that God had told him to bless her with a certain amount of money. It was exactly the amount we needed for our financial challenge (Praise God!). This really increased my confidence in hearing God by learning to stand still.

The second portion of this scripture, “And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me,” helped me to understand that it is not always a “voice” that I will hear from God, but He also communicates His will to me through visions and dreams. Before when I had dreams, I just pushed them off as “just a dream.” Now God has made me aware of the importance of acting upon these dreams and asking Him to translate them for me.

My confidence grew again when God spoke to me through a vision a few weeks ago. While in the gym working out one morning, suddenly my best friend’s face appeared in my mind (we live 1800 miles apart). Initially, I passed this off as just me thinking about my friend. However, the vision became stronger as I continued to work out. Finally, I stopped and called him. When he answered the phone, he said, “I was just about to call you.” Then he explained some of his business challenges and asked me to pray for him. When I hung up, I really felt that God used this as another way of assuring me that if I will stand still and look for what He is saying in vision, that I will hear His voice more and more as I practice the four keys taught in this course.

During the course, I also became aware of the many times I have prayed with an idol in my heart and the danger in which I have previously placed myself (and my family) by praying this way. Many times I have prayed, “Lord, give me this job; Lord, provide me this vehicle; Lord, give me this and give me that!” As I look back on those prayers, I now see why things went so badly for me. The answers weren’t blessings as I had thought.

Because I was praying with a preconceived outcome, I understand that I was focused on what I thought was best and not God’s will. The story of Balaam helped me see where I have angered God and have repented for praying with idols. This has completely changed the way I approach prayer. Now when I pray, I become quiet and ask His will for the situation.

In addition to learning how to avoid praying with an idol in my heart, I have gained an understanding on how to intercede for others in prayer. In the past, I would put too much thought into what I should pray for, what outcome should be, etc. Now I focus my eyes on Jesus and visualize Him approaching the person for whom I am interceding. This has made interceding comfortable for me. The Communion with God course has truly blessed me!

God Sends the Right Things
by
Brenda K. Savella

God sends the right things into our lives at the right times even though it may not always appear to be so at the moment. As Solomon suggests, “There is an appointed time for everything” (Eccl. 3:1). I first began the Communion with God graduate course in late October and managed to keep up with the first few lessons until my mother’s health failed in November.

I tried to maintain all my responsibilities and spend evenings and weekends with her at my sister’s home, but I began to lose ground. Life suddenly became surreal the last week of November when she was admitted to hospital. At the same time, my health became compromised. When we lost my mother the middle of December, my health collapsed, and I was unable to continue with the course. A ‘dark night of the soul’ slowly descended upon me. Some influential Christian thinkers believe that we are amiss if we fail to develop a theology for the dark night; however, when we pass through such a time, theology does not necessarily help or heal. Only the presence, love and mercy of God are able to carry us through the ‘valley of shadows.’

I was numb with grief and despair and too ill to resume the course. Nevertheless, in January 2009, there slowly arose in my spirit a supernatural determination to go on. It was not personal ambition; I did not have the strength in myself to do it. It has been a slow journey, but I have felt the quiet, inner whisper of the Holy Spirit as He urged me along. The road has seemed long, the assignments daunting, but God Himself has lifted me up on wings and given me courage and strength day by day. Now, almost at the end of this phase of the journey, as I reflect back, I have learned so much and am grateful. I wonder what would have happened to me without this course. I understand more deeply how God works with us. He does not push us, but walks with us and teaches as we are ready to learn. He carries us when we cannot walk.

The use of vision was very new to me. Because of improper uses of the imagination connected to the New Age I witnessed in graduate school, I was skeptical about its use. Although I tend to be an avid dreamer, I did not really understand how to access vision. I have repented for this rejection of vision, and this is the area in which I received the most growth.

I have begun to ‘see’ Scripture in a new way. As I read Proverbs chapter one, for example, I saw a very clear picture of ‘Wisdom’. She was a beautiful, graceful, elegant woman attired in a simple dress. Her long hair was pulled back into a neat bun at the base of her neck. She stretched forth her hand and called out to be heard. She gave warnings not to reject God’s wisdom. In the guided journaling with Dr. Virkler, I found it easier to access vision. I have sat on a bench by the Sea of Galilee with Him and have walked arm in arm with Him. It was a little strange at first, but comforting. I now am convinced of the value of vision and need to keep on practicing it. The four keys help me to access vision as I tune to the Holy Spirit’s flow.

Another area of significant learning is Biblical meditation. Because of my background in counseling psychology, I did not want to deal with the issue of meditation as I understood it to be part of New Age practices that were introduced in my training program. This course helped me to look at meditation as the use of both brain hemispheres surrendered to God for Him to fill. I am practicing the use of Biblical mediation to deepen my understanding of God through Scripture as I continue to read through the Bible again.

This course has deepened me spiritually, has clarified issues, and has opened up new avenues of learning. I look at life differently and understand my relationship with God in a new way. My life is in transition right now, but the Lord and I walk together on this spiritual journey. I hear Him calling me to rest in Him and to trust Him. The one true desire of my heart is to know the Voice of God and to obey Him. Recently, I heard the Holy Spirit whisper, “Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah Shemmah, Jehovah Jireh”. God is revealing Himself to me as my Provider, my Banner (His banner over me is love), and One Who is present with me! There is now light in the ‘dark night of my soul’ and pockets of joy.

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