Good Morning!  Thank you for taking the time to read what I believe to be very good news!  Victory over sin is possible for the child of God.  We do not have to continue in sin.  God has made a way for His children, making us more than conquerors.  We come to the ministry of the Holy Spirit which allows us to become victorious Christians.  This can be accomplished in our personal, family, corporate, and church lives, through the ministry of the Spirit of God. In this series of blogs, we will look at the privileges of being a child of God and how it relates to living a victorious Christian life.  There are five privileges of being a child of God through the Spirit of adoption.  Today, we will discuss the importance of being adopted into the family of God and the first privilege of being a child of God; personal leadership of the Spirit of God in your life.

There is an amazingly powerful, encouraging, and motivating revelation which occurs when we realize that the Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of adoption.  Through Him we have been adopted into a new family-the family of God.  In John 14, Jesus encouraged His disciples as He went to Calvary saying, “I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you.” Comfortless in the New Testament is referred to as “orphanas”.  He will not leave us orphaned or without parents. The Holy Spirit of God is referred to in Romans 8:15 as the Spirit of adoption.  As such, He brings every born again saved person into the family of God.

The strategic placement of this “adoption” in Romans 8 reveals the realization that the kind of home we grew up in has an impact on our adult way of thinking.  Praise God for the blood of the cross which allows our past to be forgiven.  If any harmful or hurtful experiences exist, by God’s grace as we were forgiven, we’re given the opportunity to forgive those who hurt, neglected, abused, or abandoned us, providing us with freedom in our lives.  Thank God that we don’t have to be victims of our past.  The battlefields we face are often influenced by the caliber or character of the home in which we were raised.  However, God has great news which He reveals to us in Romans chapter 8.  He’s saying that through the mystery of the Spirit of adoption, no matter what our earthly family may have been like, we can be victors instead of victims due to our acceptance into a new family.  This adoption is not a right, but rather a great privilege, which can’t be earned or deserved.  When Christ takes us in, we’re not worth much.   As sinners by choice and nature, we’re given the love and acceptance of Christ, the finest of fathers.

We’re adopted into a new family, however if we don’t appropriate or appreciate the benefits of that adoption, we forfeit the privileges.  God chose us.  We can choose to appreciate that privilege or focus on the negative family experiences of our past and fail to take advantage of, or appropriate our adoption, due to a bitter spirit.  Privileges have to be appropriated if they are to become useful.  Regardless of your past, if you are saved, you’ve been adopted into a new family.  Jesus is the antithesis of your first father, the devil.  You are now in an absolutely perfect family.

The first privilege of being a child of God is receiving the personal leadership of the Spirit in your life.  The term “led” is used seventy one times in the New Testament.  It has a focus that is extremely important.  Its first usage is in Matthew 10:18, “Ye shall be brought before Governors and Kings.”   In Matthew 21:2 when Jesus sent His disciples for a donkey colt to ride into Jerusalem, He said, “…bring them unto me.” This phrase is used in the same way as “led” in Romans 8:14.  The Spirit of God in your life, as an adopted son or daughter of God, is not passive but very personal.  It is not general but specific, nor is it distant but rather up close.  The Spirit wants to move, lead, guide, and direct your life. When issues enter your life which are not readily dealt with using scripture, how does one know what to do?  God has given a heavenly Guide.  As we listen to the Spirit and seek to know His will, He will lead us in the right direction.  Christ was led in His public ministry by the Spirit of God as well as in His personal life.  In Matthew 4:1 Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.  Christ’s ministry, as He moved across Judea, Jerusalem, and Samaria, was directed by the Spirit placing Him in the right situations, with the right people and in the right positions to effectively deliver the gospel message. God also has a specific day by day walk and will for us.

His leadership, often times, may not make a lot of sense.  It will always run contrary to your flesh, but you’ve been adopted and have within you a perfect leader.  God wants to be part of everything you do.  He’s not some potted plant inside of our lives.  May we not resist the Holy Spirit, but rather yield and listen to His direction specifically in our lives.  In the next two selections in this series on privileges of being a child of God, we’ll discuss the second and third privileges; consistent undying love, compassion, and protection of God, as well as the assurance we belong to the Lord.  Serve God with your life today!  There are great benefits on the other side.

Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!

Dr. Paul A. Kingsbury

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See that ye refuse not him that speaketh.  For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: (Hebrews 12:25)

Our topic for the past two weeks has been on the importance of “listening.” As mentioned previously, our Father in heaven speaks to us in four distinct ways.  So far, we have discussed two of those ways: through the blood of Christ and through His Word.  Today, we will discuss the third way in which God speaks to us.

Remember, bad things happen when we do not pay attention. This concept of listening is not just hearing; the idea is listening with the full intention of heeding what is said.

The third way in which God speaks to us is through His Spirit. Hebrews 3:7-8 says, “Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts.” Often, we get so busy in our lives, that we do not take time to listen to God.  We do not allow Him to speak to our hearts.  In all of the action and activity of life, we must carve out, on a regular basis, quiet time where we can listen to God.  Before we launch out to face the adversity and pressure of the day, we need to allow Him to speak to us.  Every child of God has the internal voice of the Spirit of God speaking.  That voice is the voice of the Author of the Scripture.  He will take the Word and apply it to our lives, if we will heed His voice.

The Holy Spirit makes application of what we read and hear, and helps us interpret the Scriptures correctly.  It is miraculous that God takes the same Bible and applies it to the individual lives of millions of believers all around the world.

All of us, regardless of how long we have been saved and what our spiritual maturity level is, have different struggles and issues and problems that we are facing.  God also knows what problems we will face in the future.

Many times, people have said to me, “Pastor Kingsbury, something I heard from God last Sunday really helped me this week.”  That was the Spirit applying the Word to someone’s heart in advance to prepare them for adversity.  If you are so busy, with so much activity going on, that you cannot take time to prepare your heart for the Spirit to teach you what you need to learn, you are going to miss out on His training and the benefit of His encouragement and teaching to help you live the Christian life.

Listen to Him today!  If you have not already, STOP!  Slow down and listen to His Spirit.  Hear Him and heed what He tells you to do.  Have YOU talked to Him today?

Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!
Dr. Paul A. Kingsbury

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TODAY IS CRASH THE SERVER DAY at http://www.store.reformu.com!  We hope you’re excited, as we are bounding with excitement about the NEW Reformers Unanimous E-store that will be available for you by 6 am today! We have never offered such deep discounts on our retail products as this launch will offer.  Directors need not be concerned that customers will be temporarily buying at cheaper prices than chapters because we will have incentives for you in the coming days as well—up to and including a brand new supporting chapter web store that will function so much better than our current site.

Again, this new site will be MUCH faster, include better search functions, and boast a much improved navigation system to help addicts and apathetic Christians find products which could surely improve their relationship with Christ.  Whether the need is recovery or relationship, we seek to be a catalyst for growth in the lives of all we are privileged to reach.

Please join us on this special day for CRASH THE SERVER day!  We want to see MANY students, leaders, directors, pastors, and others visit our site today (http://www.store.reformu.com).  We anticipate so many visitors that we literally crash our new host’s server!  What a testimony that will be to the people we have partnered with to host this site!  They will surely be shocked to see such a celebration for products that honor, support, and promote the life that is Jesus Christ.

While you are there, of course, your purchase could not be more needed for us as an organization; and we pray even more helpful to you as an individual.  We do not seek to be booksellers; we seek to be bounty speakers!  We hope to help others understand the bounty that comes from escaping the bondage of ungodliness and worldly lusts, covenanting with other believers to live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world—YES!  It is indeed possible; NO! This is not just possible, but it is more than probable to those who will live godly IN Christ Jesus.  (If you haven’t yet visited, again, the site is http://www.store.reformu.com.  You can also click on the recovery E-Store link at http://www.reformu.com.)

Bro. Fowler has placed our entire line of books written by Bro. Curington, Dr. Kingsbury, and Dr. Crabb at the LOWEST PRICE EVER.  We will also offer huge discounts on the highly-effective addiction recovery kit and Christian discipleship curriculum as well as all of our CD’s, MP3, and DVDs!   These are unbeatable savings on nearly every item that you may not want to miss.

Basic Information for our Customers: If you already have an account with RU, we should have successfully transferred all of your account information.  Just login with your email address; and for your password, please use your last name combined with your billing zip code.(example: fowler61104) You can change your password after you login.  If you have any trouble logging in or experience any other technical problems, do not hesitate to contact Will Fowler at estore@reformu.com or 815-986-0460 ext. 133.

Come check out the new store today and feel free to pass this on to your friends and students before the special prices expire on May 31.  Thank you for your support and friendship to our ministry.  We can only pray we are as helpful to you as you have been to us.  God bless and keep you!

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MIRACLE MANSION – GRAND OPENING!

We are excited to announce the Grand Opening of the new Reformers Unanimous Women’s School of Discipleship (Lord willing) on Mother’s Day, May 9^th.  This facility is nearing completion of a full renovation.  With the help of our men, this home has been transformed into a “Miracle Mansion.”

The 24,000 square foot building includes facilities for up to 70 women, a full commercial kitchen, large dining area and devotional room, a chapel, a beautiful courtyard, offices for staff of Reformers Unanimous, and a magnificent great room.

This new home will initially allow us to increase our bed availability to 20 additional women.  This presents us with a unique situation of having an excess of available beds that could be used to help a women you know that may need our home.  It is our desire to see those beds filled as quickly as possible and we are asking if you have a lady who needs our help!

If you know of anyone that has need of our Women’s Discipleship home we would like to encourage you to have them contact our office.    In an effort to reach capacity, we are offering an introductory rate of $370 per month for each qualified candidate.  That is a 50% reduction in cost for the only RU Residential Discipleship Program in America!  Again, this is a temporary offer that will last for the length of the program for the next 20 qualified applicants.

Benjamin Luedke, our Dean of Admissions, will be available to work with anyone that is interested in obtaining a bed in this beautiful new facility.  He may be contacted by phone at (815) 986-0460 Ext. 115 or by email at luedke@reformu.com.

THE 2010 INTERNATIONAL TRAINING CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOPS

SEPTEMBER 27-30

We cannot underestimate the need in America for the ministry of Reformers Unanimous.  This is not the time to back down and hibernate and hope something gets better.  This is a time to seize the moment!  I truly sense our time here on earth is very limited.  I want to be found more than just faithful to the end.  I want to be found faithful to the end, while fighting the enemy!

This year we will be focusing our preaching services, teaching workshops and writing materials on Agape Love—the love the Father had for the Son, the Son for us, and the love we were told by Christ in which to continue.  “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love” (John 15:9).  We have taught in previous conferences the value of the Hid-IN-Life™.  This Spirit-filled life is a life lived IN Christ.  But how does one remain IN Christ?  By perfecting agape love into every aspect of our life.  And how do we do that?  By obedience to His Word and our walk.   1 John 2:5  tells us, “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”

If agape love is not being shed abroad in our hearts, we are not perfecting His love to those we’ve been called to reach.  It is our obedience that sheds and spreads agape love throughout every important aspect of life—work, ministry, family, evangelism.  Our focus will not be centered on expressing agape love to our students alone, but rather, learning to MAINTAIN AGAPE LOVE toward those whom God intends to help us help our students, but sometimes seem to get in the way of us truly helping them.  The apathetic middle men and women can be your RU workers or servers, fellow church members, key staff on your team, fellow students or even your or their own family members and spouses.  How can we reach hurting people, when those who are supposed to love them with us hurt them with a wrong love (selfish love) or worse yet, are selfishly UN-loving?  Those in the middle should never fiddle with those who know so little…but they do!  And the reason is because, so often, those in the middle (between you and your students) fail to understand God’s agape love.  And if we are not careful, we will sense this misunderstanding in their own personal development to be disloyalty, apathy, disunity, laziness, or many other untoward things.  If the devil can get us to find fault in those who help or even hurt our students, then he can create tension in every team.  This ought not to be, because in the work of the Lord, EVERYBODY is a trainee—everyone is a DISCIPLE!

We have three people groups:

1. The loving – Agape – who love in the Spirit using His agape love and strive to continue therein.
2. The reciprocal self-loving – Phileo – who love in the soul. This is a sacrificial human love that brings with it expectations in return.  It is not evil.  It is human.
3. Finally, there is a most flawed love being administered in some of today’s ministries – Eros – who express love selfishly, is expressed by the body for the gratification of the soul.

Eros is often considered only to be an erotic love.  Though the word is not primarily sexual, it is used in words that have sexual or pornographic connotations; however, it is not the only way this love is improperly expressed.  Eros is the mother of all sins, as it was the love that led Eve to eat forbidden fruit.  Eros can be described as “a desire or intention to possess, acquire or control.”  That sounds like a description of the thief!  Its appetite is aroused by the attractive qualities of its object.  It is that which is loved for only one reason—personal satisfaction.  In church work, it would be expressing affectionate feelings with intention of selfish gratifications.  Eros seeks exceptions and is determined to exploit every personal advantage.  It can create plausible demands and is increasingly clever in use of Bible verses to make excuses for itself.  Eros has the acquired ability to be noticed and observed.  Its characteristic is to scheme unrelentingly and without relief, depending upon its ability to out-talk and out-smart others.   Eros is competitive and self-promoting in that it takes the credit for ideas, opportunities and suggestions of other people. Eros (which is often translated evil or lawlessness in the Bible) is egocentric and centered in itself, even using God’s name and reputation as a means to its own end.  It’s often used in the Old Testament as the word iniquity.  It is a power or force that must be purged, not forgiven.  They have a form of godliness in their love, but they deny the power thereof, which is an agape love.  Can you sense how this love has permeated His churches? Eros, having been so disgustingly and openly used in the world, is now disguising itself secretly in the lives of many believers who simply seek selfish gain through an improper work they commit to be doing on behalf of the Lord.  When you follow agape love to its destination, you always find God through Christ—Who is Agape incarnate.  When you follow phileo love to its fullest extent, you will always find man, looking to be appreciated or accepted.  But when you follow eros love to the center of its vortex, you will always find Satan seizing control of the believer or possession of the unbeliever.

Thus, we will not only focus this year on an agape love for the unloved or the unlovable – but rather, the Un-Loving!  Our conference will focus on this theme with the following subtheme:

The Way is Agape!

“Loving the Un-Loving—Empathy for those bound in Apathy!”

Mark your Calendars!  See you there!

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Good Monday Morning!  Let’s continue to look over this subject of mercy.  What exactly brings a person to realize their need to seek God’s mercy?  Last week, we discussed the motivation of the healthy fear of God; and the motivation of the Word of God.  What else can motivate us to seek God’s mercy?

Christians who seek God’s mercy are conscious of the presence of God.  Hebrews 4:13 says, “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” There is no clothing that can cover your nakedness from the Lord. He sees you the way you really are.  A Christian who is motivated and moved to come to God’s throne and say, “God, I need mercy” is inevitably a believer who has been confronted by the omnipresence of God. Do we personally understand that God is everywhere?  He is “personally” everywhere so much that he lives inside the believer.  That is what makes us a holy Temple unto the Lord; God living inside of us. When we lose consciousness of that, that He’s watching us (He knows us intimately), we lose sight of how much we need mercy. But, when I know He is looking at me and sees me just as I really am, it motivates me to go to His throne of grace and ask for His mercy because I know that what He sees is not always good.

Christians who seek God’s mercy are conscious that they need mercy first before they can extend mercy to others.  Hebrews 4:14 says, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God.” When we offer mercy to people who do not deserve it, there is a tendency for us to start feeling sorry for ourselves. There’s a tendency to get disgusted with them and say, “You know what, I’m just tired of this. I’ve given you mercy and given you mercy, and I’m tired. I don’t have any more to give.” You cannot buy mercy at Wal-Mart or the grocery store. The only place to get it is from God. When you go to God because you need mercy to give to other people, it reminds you of the fact that you really need mercy for you. When you run out of mercy for others, it is because you have lost sight of your need for mercy from God.

Finally, the person who seeks God’s mercy is conscious of the fact that without it they will “lose their grip.” Hebrews 4:14 says, “let us hold fast our profession.” The idea behind this is that of our losing grip on the rope that is keeping us moored from drifting away.  You can drift just imperceptibly. You do not notice it; it happens slowly. That is the analogy that is used here; that we can lose our grip on that which moors us.  Your profession is the testimony of your Christian life.  Our covenant we have made with God was when we confessed that we belong to Him.  Now, we are conscious of the fact that we are losing our grip on that testimony.  This motivates us to turn to the Lord Jesus and to seek His help.

Turn to God, my friend! Do you seek God’s mercy today?  It is available, my friend, for his mercies “are new every morning.” Next week, we will discover how to “obtain” this mercy from God.  May we all seek God’s mercy!

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Dear RU Nation

MANUFACTURE RECALL:  Here at Adversity University, we have come to EXPECT bad things to happen for the good reason of glorifying God in all we do and say.  It has become our expectation that whatever could go wrong…should go wrong! And for that we glorify Him.  So it came as no surprise when our new awards vendor called and RECALLED our recently received name badges that had been on backorder for so long.   The claim was “faulty glue” on the first 1,000 of 5,000 received.  We have no way of knowing which ones went out that were faulty; but if you have name badges with pins falling off relatively easily, please do two things.  First – call us for replacement badges.  We are expecting a new shipment (to come within next few days) which will meet our product quality expectations.  Secondly -  glorify God with us in being chosen by Him to endure difficulty through a another “pop quiz” at Adversity University.

2010 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE:  Adversity University XI.  Mark your calendars for September 27-30, 2010, for another exciting RU international conference! You won’t want to miss this year’s crucial teaching.  As we develop our ministries through seasons of change and times of disappointment, we want to clearly pronounce that the only successful form of ministry is and always will be an expression of the fruit of the Spirit – love.  Join us this year for “The Way IS Agape”. Experiencing, enjoying, and understanding God’s agape love is the “first love” that we ought to never leave as our ministries become taxed with difficulty.  Directors, this is the year to bring you students and leaders , more so than any other; for your love for them can only be matched by the love they could bestow upon others on His behalf.  Nearly 100 educational sessions on effective outreach (evangelism), in-reach (discipleship), up-reach (worship) and down-reach (Spiritual empowerment) will be offered.

REFORMERS UNANIMOUS SCHOOLS OF DISCIPLESHIP—MAJOR OPPORTUNITY!  We thank the Lord for the churches who have helped us influence more people with the curriculum of RU by opening their very own discipleship homes patterned after our program in Rockford, Illinois.  If your church is interested in a ministry such as this for your community, we are here to help.  Whether you need help with your business model, ideas for finding affordable housing, staff training or advice, we stand by to stand with you.

Not every chapter can be blessed with what God has given North Love Baptist Church and its RU headquarters.  Our beautiful facilities and trained staff and teaching grant your students an opportunity to experience residential discipleship with a quality that is hard to duplicate anywhere—to God be the glory!  As well, we are fortunate to be able to do so at a price much lower than secular or social treatment.  Though we cannot afford to be a completely free program like others who operate out of apartments or houses using limited staff, we also understand we also cannot possibly offer help to every single person RU reaches with the current size of the headquarters’ facilities.  This has allowed us to be blessed to send students to churches who stand in the gap with their smaller, but still effective discipleship houses.  Personally, I think there could be an RU patterned home in every state in America and every one of them could be kept full!  That’s how great the need is for our low cost option or other’s no cost option.

With that said, we still want the Rockford RU to remain the first option for your student’s intense discipleship.  We feel strongly in our residency discipleship program’s success rate.  We are pleased to report our program success has grown even more effective over the course of the last 18 months.  Our recent survey of grads or parents of grads reports increase of those experiencing victory in Christ over their addiction from 82% to 87%.  Equally high numbers (plus or minus a few percentage points) report being faithful to church and in a right relationship with their family.  God has been so good to these grads who have continued in the things that they have learned.

*****With the opening of the new ladies’ home, allowing us to move our graduate program into the Mulberry facility, Rockford can now open more beds for both men and women and reduce our overall operating costs.  This is a much needed relief for us and also gives us the ability to offer something we have wished for so long.  For those chapters or churches who love or prefer the Rockford Schools of Discipleship and would like to send someone here for FREE, I have a new funding system that will allow each chapter that qualifies to have a FREE scholarship to the men’s and women’s home (that’s two scholarships) available to them at all times.  That’s right FREE!  If you are interested in this, please email me at weneedu@reformu.com or call me personally to discuss.  I will only be offering twenty church scholarships.  We already have two churches who have qualified and have students attending for free right now!  Call my secretary, Beth, at extension 100 and tell her you’re interested in the Church Scholarship Program for more details*******

WOMAN’S PROGRAM LAUNCH:  After 18 months of reconstruction, our men’s schools of discipleship have nearly completed our R.U.T.H. Home.  As with any church-based building project, we have faced many difficult circumstances and much resistance.  Through it all, our testimonies remained strong and God’s glory and many miracles were enjoyed.  We thank God for these hard working men who worked this project at less than one third of every bid we had.  Though our men had to work through capital raising slowdowns and city and architect squabbling, their abilities and resolve have saved tens of thousands of dollars. This good stewardship has been blessed by God in many ways.  Effective April 1^st, we will begin taking applicants for this new home and have decided to increase our occupancy from 25 girls to 40 as God provides.  With a recent graduation bringing us down to 20 girls, we are going to use a limited time special to help us fill this beautiful building with precious and needy ladies.  Please be advised that we are offering a 50% scholarship to the first 20 applicants who screen successfully for our program.  If there is anyone in your RU ministry, church or family who has needs or has contemplated entering our program, now is the time to make every effort to get them here.  We hope this offer will be met with the enthusiasm necessary to stimulate your students to give residency discipleship a legitimate part of their lives for long lasting benefit.

Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!
Steven Curington
Watch our Friday Night Class Live at 7 p.m. tonight!  Click Here

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The last two weeks of my life have proven to me that the program of Reformers Unanimous and the leaders therein are truly a vessel that God uses to bring people to have a close personal walk with Jesus Christ.

Since I came back to Tennessee I have not missed a church day. I have attended 4 different churches. God has allowed me to share my testimony in front of a couple of large crowds (Something that I alone could never do, but the Holy Spirit inside me allowed me to do.) Last Friday night I was over at my Aunts house getting ready to go to the RU at Franklin Road Baptist Church. We arrived there at 15 minutes till 7 p.m. My dad was in the parking lot waiting for me to get there. My dad was interested in the RU program. Praise God! My dad attended his first RU that night. What a miracle. I never would have imagined my father going to an RU..

This is the man that hasn’t had a drink since my graduation. He no longer argues with my mother. He prays to God every day. My heavenly father has delivered my dad from his habitual sin in a big way. I found out today that my dad started reading the RU N Touch magazine 4 months ago. That led him to start watching our RU that is livestreamed out of Rockford every Friday night. My dad is familiar with the bible. (He never moved it 18 inches into his heart).

I went to church this morning with my Mom, Dad, Grandmother for the first time since I was Baptized January of 2002. Praise God!

My parents have been hurting financially since they both lost their job earlier this year. Last Tuesday they got a call from someone saying that they were going to extend their unemployment for 6 more months.

On, Friday they got a call from a lady saying that she was sending a check for $1100 dollars that was owed to them. My parents did not know what to think. They knew what to say though – Praise God! My heavenly father is providing for my family in an incredible way. This is incredible. On Saturday as hard as this may be to believe, my father received a check for $276. He broke out in tears.

My father is more joyful now than I believe he has ever been in his life. On Sunday we had our Family Christmas get Together. It was the best one we have had in 20 years. The Holy Spirit is present in my family now and it is incredible to see.

Thank each and every one of you so much for every prayer. Thank you for the last 7 months of my life. I always thought that I wanted my life back… Hah, God gave me new life. I look forward to a day when I can return to Rockford and work in Full Time Ministry.

I want everyone out that was as hopeless as I was to experience the Modern Day Miracle – Reformer Unanimous. Every please have a safe and joyful Christmas. May a peace be in your heart that last longer than the 24 hours that encompass Christmas Day.

Sincerely
Cliff Williams

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I am simply awestruck at the Lord’s demonstration of goodness to us at this year’s RUI Conference and Workshops! Though the economy left some people unable to attend, the presence of God’s Spirit was certainly not lacking! It has been the aggregate consensus that the quality of this year’s preaching, teaching, testimonies, exhortation, and fellowship exceeded that of all previous years. This can only be attributed to one thing-God’s continued favor upon the ministry of Reformers Unanimous. Below are some of the many highlights from Adversity University 2009:

Over 650 paid delegates attended the conference! With the added members of North Love Baptist Church, there were over 1,000 people present at each evening service.

Over 130 workshops taught by the best RU pastors, directors, and leaders in America! Many different topics with new ideas to strengthen your walk with God and help you to disciple those whom God brings to you through Reformers Unanimous.

Over 1,200 people at Envision the Vision XI! Our annual formal banquet is the highlight of our conference. With a great meal, fancy atmosphere, God-honoring music, and the preaching of Dr. David Gibbs, Jr, this event will not soon be forgotten! $129,000 was raised for the “Recovery of Recovery” as we remembered the “right hand of the most High” while watching a power-packed video of transformed lives and miracles.

Over 50 Classic Cars were to be on the church property on opening day, but with the first cold front of the season visiting us on this day, only 1 car was able to come…but praise the Lord, the driver and owner stayed for the evening service and trusted Christ as Saviour!

With addictions to pornography and prescription drugs invading our country and our churches, we received incredible medical and spiritual insight on these topics from Dr. George Crabb during a morning session. This session was a favorite to many!

Touching music from the JoyBelles! A favorite of every conference, the JoyBelles touched our hearts once again! Their newest release was made available at the conference, entitled, “We Have Jesus”. This year, the entire Women’s School of Discipleship blessed us in song at the Envision the Vision Banquet.

The Grand Finale proved to be an event that will go down in history! The first ever, International “Live” 1st Talk – with testimonies from students, directors, pastors, and many others of the incredible life-changing results of Reformers Unanimous with all glory given to God above!

Our third annual Alumni Luncheon had a record high attendance – over 250 people attended this great time of food and fellowship as RUI Schools of Discipleship Alumni came back to Rockford to give God glory for what He has done in their lives.

The RUI Bookstore was a popular place to shop with over 50 new recovery and discipleship products. Among the favorites were: the long-awaited Kidz Club Life-saving Lesson Plans, newly sized and designed handbills with testimonies, specially designed Reformers Institutional Program (RIP) Brochure, new books by Dr. Paul Kingsbury, Steve Curington, and Dr. George Crabb (see details below).

Preparing for Peace: Overcoming Strife Through the Peace of the Hid-N-Life
Do you ever wonder how some Christians can remain so calm amidst the most trying of circumstances? Do you feel as if no matter how hard you try or even the harder you try, the more you lose your peace? If so, you join the vast majority of Christians who with well-intentioned motives try harder but never really seem to do better. Peace in trials, tribulations, tumults, and temptation continually elude them.
The primary source of turmoil and strife in our lives is our enemy Satan. In this power packed book, Bro. Steve Curington shows that peace is one of the ultimate weapons when faced with Spiritual Warfare. This book clearly demonstrates how to gain (and equally important, maintain) peace with God, ourselves, and others while glorifying the Lord through supernatural serenity in the face of adversity.
Click Here to learn more or Purchase.

Mercy & Truth: God’s Perfect Blend for Balance
Balance is nothing more than a perpetual effort of correcting imbalances. Whether it is in work or play, spending or giving, service or rest, giving or taking, God can give us balance. One often overlooked balance is in our interpersonal treatment of the people who regularly disappoint us. We are to respond to the mistakes of others with a perfected balance of mercy and truth! Unfortunately, most of us have a penchant for one over the other. Some love mercy (not giving someone what they deserve); others demand truth (boldly proclaiming things strongly held to be right).
In Mercy and Truth, Dr. Paul Kingsbury teaches us that absent of utilizing God’s loving mercy, we will become hardened and un-compassionate toward the fallen. Likewise, without truth, we will be ineffective in transitioning people from positions of instability to standing firm. Favoring one over the other is a false balance. But by embracing this balance of mercy plus truth, we will be empowered to look over transgressions while simultaneously expressing what is strongly held to be right to the transgressor. Doing so out of a heart of love, we will see our perpetrators purged of their iniquity, and we will be granted favor with God and man (Proverbs 16:6 and 3:3,4).
Click Here to learn more or Purchase.

Scorn of Porn: A Wrong Prescription for Sexual Addiction
Pornography addiction is truly an “elephant in the pews” of most churches today. Fully 50% of Christian men struggle with addiction to pornography as well 30% of pastors and Christian women. Some of the most faithful attendees of churches find this addiction hopeless and have failed to conquer their addiction to pornography and other sexual behaviors. Dr. George Crabb’s genuine compassion and extensive knowledge on the medical and spiritual aspects of this debilitating addiction shine through as he explains step-by-step how to be free from pornography forever.

This book helps the individual understand:
How they became involved in this destructive behavior;
The depth of their present involvement;
The consequences of their involvement; but more importantly, the healing process and the freedom that can transpire in their life as they follow the program found in this book that is set forth in the RU curriculum which is based on the Bible.
Click Here to learn more or Purchase

If you were with us, I want to thank you personally for joining us this year; it means very much to me and to all of us here in Rockford to be able to fellowship with you. It was a beautiful, uplifting, and encouraging experience – I am so glad you were there! If you were not able to attend, I hope this blog “wets your appetite” to want to be with us next year!

Join us for Adversity University 2010….and learn how you can become better fishers of men!

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Let me give you a few ideas that will help you as a director reach, teach and meet every desire your Pastor has for you in this ministry.
1. Use the Daily Journal yourself. This is imperative if it is going to come out in your messages. They will be fed the best food from your overflow time with God.
2. Do a challenge each week.
3. Read something Bro. Curington has written every week.
4. Develop your staff daily. Do something to encourage one of them every day.
5. Develop students weekly.
6. Sometime during the week, spend the length of your class time in prayer alone with God asking for His wisdom.

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1. Using the Forum to Reach Addicts Let me encourage each of you to not be guilty...

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