We have been talking about those who seek God’s mercy.  Now let us discover how we may obtain this mercy from God?  Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”  We want to start with considering the Lord Jesus Himself.  I want you to remember in your need for mercy, that you have a Savior in Heaven Who understands your dilemma. Jesus never did drugs, but he knows what it is like to have a craving that is almost overwhelming, a desire to escape reality. He knows what it is like to be tempted to go get drunk. He knows what it is like. Every temptation that we will ever face in our lives, Jesus faced a similar temptation, yet without ever yielding to sin.  How could God have mercy on a sinner except God take on the form of a sinner and endure what it is like to be a sinner? That is how Jesus can be our merciful and faithful high priest.  When you have need of mercy, you need to consider Jesus and run to that throne of grace.

Second, to receive mercy we must come boldly.  Hebrews 4:16 makes it clear, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” This phrase means “to approach frankly, bluntly, candidly, truthfully, and with confidence.” I know we all have certain “canned” prayers. If I asked you to pray for a meal, and you pray for the meal, chances are next week if I ask you to pray for a meal, it is going to sound very much like the prayer you said last week.  I am not being critical of those things at all, but when the Bible talks about coming boldly before the throne of grace, it means “to come with a transparent honesty.” This is a person who comes to God and says, “Life has brought me to the very end of my rope, and I’m losing my grip. I have no more mercy to give them. I need mercy from You, or I am not going to make it.”

I live on Riverside Boulevard, on the other side of Interstate 90 from our church.  There is a bridge there that I think they have been rebuilding for a hundred years now.  When you go eastbound on Riverside, there are signs up that say stay in right lane, lane closure ahead. When I get to McFarland Road, I have to get in the right-hand lane.  I am following the traffic laws and I am in the right lane, even though there is more traffic there.  Invariably, someone comes along in the left lane and tries to cut into my lane in front of me at the last second.  What is the natural reaction?  I want to give them a piece of my mind.  I want to lay on the horn.  I want to cut them off.  What do I do?  I flee to the throne of grace for more mercy!  I do not want to give them any mercy at all, but I need to. That is the way my life is…and the way your life is. This illustration my not seem like that big of a deal, but the truth is, there are always going to be people around us who need mercy and then need more mercy.

What do you do when you run out?  You stop and think about the wonderful Savior we have Who loves you in spite of who you are, or where you are and what you have done; and you go back to Him and you say, “I’m here, and I’ll admit to You that I don’t deserve anything from You but judgment, but I need a big dose of mercy today.” Come boldly to the throne of grace because the outcome is already settled; you can obtain mercy.  The word obtain means “to accept with amazement.” It is amazing that we can give mercy to others, but it is even more amazing that God extends mercy to us in the first place.

Let me close with this analogy.  We talked earlier about our tendency to loosen our grip and let things drift.  We have been offered “grace to help in time of need.”  This help is like taking a rope and tying our vessel tight to the moorings to stop our tendency to drift away.” When you come boldly before the throne of God’s grace, you will obtain mercy, you will find grace to wrap ropes tightly around your grip to help you stay tied to the moorings. So, where do we go when we run out of mercy? Go to Him. Go to that throne of grace, obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

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

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This past week I asked our International Director, Bro. Burks, to put together a list to help struggling chapters retain visitors in tough times. The list he provided is based on phone calls that he and his staff have fielded; discussions with successful directors; and several years of his own personal experience as an RU Director in Virginia.  The main focus of this week’s report is how to turn visitors into students. I trust that you will consider implementing these proven strategies in developing your God-given, extremely sensitive and important visitors into active, participating students.  It is the first step to achieving any hope of turning the addicted to the God’s support group—the local church!

Issue 1: The Friday Night Atmosphere!

The official itinerary is integral to creating an atmosphere that portrays a consistent message to every visitor. That message MUST contain the following key ingredients:

1. “No matter your struggles, we are an addiction program that can help you or your loved one.” This message usually takes place twice. Once in a profound statement of sorts in the tri-talk introduction and more importantly, and with definition, in the weekly New Beginnings class.
2. The New Beginnings group leader (who should be a type A, sold-out, RU promoter) should explain the success rate of local chapters of Reformers Unanimous all across America. Some chapters may be very small in attendance compared to others. Credibility will be established if you give them a glimpse of the success rate. Jay Griffin, a Director in Milford, Ohio tells me, “of the students that completed the Stronghold book in their chapter, they had a 93% success rate.” You can safely say there are over 20,000 people any given week attending an addiction program that use the RU materials.  Our RU program graduates simply succeed and that needs to be “hammered home.”  If not, doubt sets in to the validity of a church and Bible-based program in the minds of new students.
3. They should also reiterate this again when they make their mandatory visit on their visitors that week.  Yes! Mandatory visits are expected.  If you sense your New Beginnings class teacher is ineffective, you should replace him quickly. But until you can, the Director should make those visits instead to ensure the student can speak up about any mis-perceptions.

1. An environment of transparency is needed during the first and second talks for this program to be effective. If a student comes to a chapter and the church members are perceived as perfect people without problems, it will be an immediate turn-off to potential students. I cannot stress the importance of everyone on our leadership teams viewing ourselves as student’s first, servants second, and teachers third. By our own participation in all aspects of the program and curriculum, it will create an example for students to follow.

Issue 2: We must remember that Reformers Unanimous is a milk ministry, and avoid serving strong meat.

1. It is necessary to remember that Reformers Unanimous deals with heart issues and not issues of outward conformity. We should avoid discussing hot-topic issues that would be considered strong meat and stick to the modus operandi that we are here to turn their hearts toward the Lord. Standards, for the most part are for the leadership staff to know and follow but not teach as part of RU training.  Of course, some exceptions may apply; but if so, we encourage individual coaching over entire class teaching. When faced with a student who is newer and inquisitive of such things as listed in number one above, a leader should use phrases such as, “That’s a good question, see me after class and we’ll talk about that, but right now let’s stay focused on issues we faced this week in our recovery.” Or perhaps even the phrase, “That’s a great question, let me give you some verses after class to look into that,” in order to turn the conversation in a right direction.
2. Directors should avoid attacking Christian or political figures or denominations and their leaders on Friday night. This will only tear down any influence that you may have in their life, especially those who are new.  Warning the flock is the responsibility of the Pastor, not the RU leaders.
3. It is good for the Director to occasionally remind the students that as their attendance increases, so does the chance that they will hear truths which may take as offensive. Encourage them to allow God to use inside persuasion of His Spirit and the outside pressure of the Word and authority to guide them in right truth.

Issue 3: Reactivate the 2-3-4 Plan and ensure that it is happening every single week.

1. Again, I repeat that every first-time visitor should get a visit by the director or the New Beginnings class leader before the next Friday night. I can remember those early days inviting students, from Friday night, on Saturday afternoon to come on Sunday morning to the second class and taking them to lunch with me on my dime to encourage them to return the next Friday. I had more students join our church as a result of this than any other.
2. One big mistake is the transition between the Beginner’s class and the challenge groups. It should be understood that every person that walks through the door is in the New Beginnings, or Beginners, class and are an active part of the 2-3-4 Plan. I have heard of 2 options to make sure this happens. The first is that the burden is on the Beginner’s Class leadership and Director to make sure the 2-3-4 Plan is implemented on every visitor until they get in a group. The second option is to assign every first time visitor on their second wee, to a group, whether they return or not. The leader will actively pursue them for their class. It is often true that a student doesn’t care what we know until they know that we care.  A visit shows you care.
3. Use the RU official FastTrack software to track the 2-3-4 Plan properly and hold each leader accountable to the calls, postcards, and visits every single week. If a student misses several weeks in a row, and receives no contact from the leadership, the enemy will plant seeds of doubt that we don’t care and are not concerned about their recovery. Please be sure to communicate quarterly to inactive students.

Issue 4: Encourage curriculum participation for every student.

1. 1. The best way to encourage students to do challenges is for the leadership to have completed challenges.
   2. If a student seems to be resistant in doing challenges, it is time for that leader to meet with them privately and find out the root cause. If they have memory problems or get stuck on particular challenges, then creatively find a way to shorten or go around those challenges to keep a student motivated and participating.
   3. Have a dynamic award ceremony. If the award ceremony is not exciting it may come across as something childish for a brand new student. This is a time we praise our students for doing what is right. It can be extremely profitable and a motivational technique in keeping visitors who never get good news.  Have all students come up front to get their awards and have them stay until awards are completed and a final applause is given.  Encourage participation to those still seated who may not be progressing but sensing conviction as a result.  Be careful not to condemn.
   4. If you cannot have an exciting awards ceremony every week, postpone it some weeks or have it faithfully every two weeks.

Issue 5: During the third talk, the director’s message from the Nevertheless I Live Textbook should be relevant to the struggles people face while in their addiction.

A recent phone call into my office by a student who attended an RU broke my heart.  I began to feel his pain for help but having not received it at a local chapter in which he had placed his initial hope by attendance. At this particular chapter, the director has chosen to preach sermons lasting sixty minutes while pupils fall asleep (these were his words). When I suggested he purchase our Nevertheless I Live syllabus for his own learning, his words were, “If the director of my chapter would have used this text book and taught it from his heart I know I would have gotten the help I need.” Directors, I would rather you have a 25 minute message from the RU Textbook and share 5 minutes of your heart to help the addicted every week than have you present profound truths that challenge your most matured students but lose your beginners. With the RU Friday night class being live streamed in Rockford and available for download later, there should be no excuse for each of you men to fine-tune your teaching and preaching skills by listening to the Founder and President every week in Rockford.  Brother Curington has now taught through the textbook 9 times in 14 years.  He is currently on a pace that will take him two years to go through it once.  It’s getting more relevant each year, not less.  That’s God…not the outline or the teacher.

Other Suggestions:

1.) Read something from the Founder of RU every day.  Have you experienced the blessing of Today I Lay, Umbrella Fella or his newest book on Peace?  They are relevant for YOU to be relevant to them.

2.) Read or listen on MP3 to the whole chapter that you’re teaching every Friday night that you are teaching it.  If a chapter takes three weeks, read that chapter three times (once weekly).  Then prepare days before you preach that chapter portion.   Use second talk in order to distribute and collect 2-3-4 plans and to encourage students.  A five minute refresher before you preach would be helpful at that time too.

3.) Ask God to give you wisdom on how to effectively present the Hidden Life message to your people.

4.) Always give an invitation for salvation and spiritual development.

Many chapters are successfully getting visitors weekly through the “Battle is ON” outreach, along with other techniques they have found successful. If you struggle to get visitors, please, call our office today! (815-986-0460) If your struggle is to keep them, then heed these listed checkpoints.

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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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How does the Hid-N-Life relate to my affections? If I appropriate my identity in Christ by faith, I need to also cooperate with God’s Spirit as He “restores my soul.” This process of renewal in the mind, will, and emotions (Romans 12:1-2) depends on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

An aspect of this renewal that has been impressed upon me lately is that of renewing the affections. If Christ is my life, I will delight in that which HE delights. My affections will be directed to what is valuable to Him.

How prone the flesh is to delight in the sensual and carnal desires of this fallen world. I recently heard a great definition to help identify present day idols in the lives of 20^th century Christians. One simple question will reveal unhealthy delights. How would you respond if it is taken from you? Idols are a very real addiction in our society today. This should be no surprise to us as it is in the list Paul gave us for the manifestations of the flesh. James rebuked the early Christians for following after their own lust or pleasures (James 4:1-3). Why else would John need to caution us in his first epistle? 1John 2:15-16, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” This delight to have, be and do can be changed by the inside persuasion of a new spirit as well as the Spirit of God.

The true believer has the blessing of a regenerated human spirit – “the new man” (Colossians 3:10). We have been made partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). Yet the soul is still vulnerable to the forces of the world, the flesh, and the devil. “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;” 1 Peter 2:11.

When the Lord Jesus is functioning as my LORD and LIFE, He will redirect my AFFECTIONS. What should we delight in?

“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

(Psalm 37:4)

Delight in God’s perfect will –  “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8)

Delight in the Word of God – “I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.”

(Psalm 119:162)

Delight in God’s moral principles – “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:”

(Romams 7:22)

Delight in God’s comfort – “In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.”

(Psalm 94:19)

Delight in the Second Coming –  “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”

(1Peter 1:13)

Delight in the blessing of eternal fellowship with God – “Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

(Psalm 16:11)

Evan Hopkins wrote, “We shall seek what we love and delight in. It is where our treasure is that our heart will be also. ‘Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is nothing upon earth I desire beside Thee.’ What are the things we are seeking? It is those things that are filling our thoughts and attracting our affections. It is upon these we set our wills and concentrate our energies. It is not difficult to seek what we love.

Will we ask God to search our heart and redirect our affections to where they belong?

Our Father, we confess that our affections tend to get misdirected as we live by sight instead of by faith. Illumine us so that we will set our hearts on things above, where Christ, Who is our life, is seated with You. Continually restore our soul by redirecting our affections to what is eternally worthy. Amen.

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Christianity without Christ is Boring!

II Corinthians 11:3, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

The other day my wife and I were discussing the alarming rate at which we have noticed people dropping out of ministry and even out of local churches altogether. There are many excuses that people give for the dropout rate; however, I believe that much of it boils down to the fact that people are sick of “going through the motions” of a dead religion. How frustrating it is to try and start a car when the tank is on empty or trying to use a flashlight with the wrong type of battery. We need more people around to show them that Jesus Christ is alive! They need to realize the power of God living within them!

I would rather be a Christian than anything I know. Being able to live the very life of Jesus Christ on earth, right here and right now, and tap into the limitless resources of his Deity to accomplish only those purposes designed by almighty God is the most exciting life anyone can live.

It is exciting to work in a ministry that exposes the hidden life to so many different kinds of people, especially those that participate in one of our conferences, or listen to a tape or a book that explains this hidden life in Christ. At first, the hearer is often bewildered by what they hear, and many times it seems to go right over their head. Then slowly, they come to a moment of truth where it becomes so obviously clear. You can watch their faces as if the proverbial light bulb came on. They begin to see the truths of the crucified Christian life and realize how profound they are; yet simple, thus making them simply profound.

Paul expressed a grave concern to the church at Corinthians regarding this process of understanding the crucified Christian life. He even called it a fear that he had. The context of 2 Corinthians 11, Paul had just compared the church to a virgin, soon to be presented as a bride to her Redeemer, yet he was reminded of how the first woman, Eve, was deceived by a tempter, and led astray from walking with God to knowing about God.

II Corinthians 11:3, “But I fear (alarmed that it would happen again), lest by any means (no limit to gain a result), as the serpent beguiled Eve (to adapt temptation to a person’s character or circumstances) through his subtilty (trickery), so your mind should be corrupted (your thoughts should be perverted) from the simplicity that is in Christ (a single hearted devotedness to Him).

Paul was anxiously concerned that nothing in their lives should detract from the simplicity that was in Christ. That simplicity is found in Galatians 2:20, particularly in the phrase, “yet not I” I am also inclined that many Christians today believe they can have a relationship with the Lord by what they do for Him in the local church. Their mind has been “perverted”, that is to have an intended meaning altered, misrepresented, and corrupted. When the mind is corrupt, it is manifested by the affections being alienated from the proper object and the soul is filled with its own purposes and desires. The end result is our heart is alienated from not only the Source but the power gained from that Source. We’ll never have a relationship with Him because of what we do; we’ll only have a relationship with Him because of what He did. I also witness those who minister to people with the idea that they’re a good Christian if they do “these things” and the Christian life/discipleship is based on an outward appearance instead of an inward relationship. The utmost need in every ministry and in every outreach and in every denomination is to rediscover the Lord Jesus Christ and the Person of His indwelling Presence within the believer.

Today we can encounter the living, risen Lord who shares His life with us on our way to Heaven … so that He may accomplish through us what He began to do in His own physical body 2,000 years ago. What a fantastic privilege! Today allow that phrase ring in your heart, “yet not I” and experience the abundant life instead of a redundant life.

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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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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.

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Jeremiah 29:14, “And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.”

About halfway through my program at the Women’s School of Discipleship, my daughter would hardly speak to me. If she did, it was to be obedient; but not because she wanted to. It was exactly what I deserved. Though she is my step-daughter, I had begged God for her and a great relationship with her, to the point of there being no difference that she was really not my child. I had become so ungrateful for what God had given me. I had thrown away what God gave me.

To say I came here willingly or that I wanted to stay in the Women’s Home would be a BIG lie. So when I read this verse the words driven and captive really grabbed me. I took this verse to God and asked for her back. After this I got to spend the entire summer with my daughter, and God knit our hearts together once again.

So…last Saturday, I went with Erika to take her daughter, Tabi, to Midway airport. On the way there I told her how earlier that week I had to make a decision about something before we left for work, and I wasn’t really sure if I had made the right one. In times like these, I always ask God to give me a sign to show me it will be fine. I prefer to see a cardinal. So, on the way to work that day on the shuttle a cardinal flew right up to my window and away! Praise God, it was what I needed.

In the van, I couldn’t help but look at Erika and remember when just a year ago we were praying and asking for our daughters back. We talked about that and praised God for what He has done for us. Our summer with our daughters has been an answer to our prayers.

But, that is not all!  When we got to Midway airport, right in front of the entrance to the concourse is a huge pointillism sculpture hanging from the ceiling. It is a sculpture of a cardinal!! It was amazing. And right in the middle of it is a tiny white bird.

I’m so thankful God to spend the entire summer with my daughter, and she is now in bible college! I’m thankful to God for the opportunity for giving me a place to be driven to and be captive in order to get a relationship with God!! I don’t want to ever take advantage of what God has given me ever again. Thank you God a thousand times over!!

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