All good stories begin that way… “once upon a time.” The now infamous testimony that is known as the “Steve Curington story” happened 14 years ago.  One of my mentors, Dr. Wendell Evans, always said, “Greatness is not measured by years, but by decades.”  Reformers Unanimous is now over 10 years old, but let me, as the International Director, share with you the “greatness of God” through this ministry in the past decade.

Once upon a time, on April 1, 1996, Reformers Unanimous began as a Bible study in the basement of North Love Baptist Church in Rockford, Illinois.  The pastor, Dr. Paul Kingsbury, asked Steve Curington to write a tract using his testimony. Six hundred of these tracts were given out following an evening service at this church.  The next day, the phone rang 17 times and has not stopped ringing since then! At that time, no one really knew what God had planned for this man and this ministry.  This small Bible study was growing into what is now the largest faith-based addictions program in the country.  This man with the amazing testimony was growing into the leader that God needed for addicts in America.

One of the greatest benefits of working daily near Bro. Curington is to hear him speak from his heart of the grace of God in developing this program and ministry.  Recently, Bro. Curington spoke of those early memories.  “In the early days of the RU class, I would get the students in a room and would lecture as I taught one of the Ten Principles.  Next I would preach to them, for the remainder of the evening, the truths that God was using to develop me. One day, I was visiting students to come back on Friday night, when I heard a student ask another student ‘isn’t that the place where that red head stands and yells for two hours?  I’m not going back there!’ That weekend I went with my family on a trip and I went into the woods with my Bible and begged God for clear direction for this program.  It was then that I noticed the trees that were around me.  Some were fallen on the ground, others leaning on live ones, some were tall, small, some were growing and others struggling, yet if they could talk what a great story they could tell.  That evening, God clearly gave me the format for Reformers.  If our students could talk – they could say something that would be beneficial to everyone involved, including them. God gave me the Talk, Talk, Talk format.”

Over the past fourteen years, the Reformers Unanimous program has been transformed through Spirit-led promptings just like the one mentioned above. God is growing a great ministry; and He isn’t finished!  Today, over 760 chapters have been started across America and in some foreign countries.  I am honored that God brought me to work in the ministry of Reformers Unanimous in its early stages.  Because of this, I have seen the hand of God in the growth of this ministry.

God has used this tool to reach more people for Christ than any of us could have ever imagined.  And the story is not over! Everyone knows that a good story ends with “and they all lived happily ever after.”  Hebrews 11, the great “hall of faith” in the Bible, ends with “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” The story has not ended for these great men and women of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11, because their story lives on.  Lives are continuing to be influenced by their lives, by their fruit.

So when will we end this great story?  Not until we are “caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (I Thess. 4:17) Until then, Reformers Unanimous will continue to grow, influence more lives, and reach more people with the only Truth that makes free.

Related posts:

1. RU Update This past week I asked our International Director, Bro. Burks,...
2. Tom Montena’s Testimony As a child, I went to several schools including...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Imagine that you’ve been invited to meet with the President of the United States in the Oval Office. You’d likely look forward to your appointment with great excitement. Now imagine that someone much more exciting – the God of the universe – wants to meet with you personally. This scenario is true; God really does want to meet with you, and He wants to do so every single day through a private quiet time alone.

I have had the privilege of traveling for several years, training good lay-people in local churches to start the Reformers Unanimous Addiction Program. I never teach on the “It’s Personal” Daily Journal without seeing many tears. I sense hearts being turned towards Him. Just yesterday, I received a call from a Pastor in Florida, where I had been a few weeks prior. He shared with me that the church members who were involved in their addiction outreach were experiencing revival! He contributed it to their participation in the RU Daily Journal. In fact, he told me how his wife, a 29-year old Christian, testified on Sunday night on the effect the journal was having in her own life. I can verify here testimony and place before you hundreds that would say the same thing. However, I wonder how many started journaling and stopped? I wonder how many more started but now, just pencil whip it, to “get it done”?

Keeping a journal allows the individual to review their thoughts, moments of clarity, and assist them in developing Spirit-led insight. Daily journaling is a very powerful tool to keep one in the reality of HIM. I often teach how the journal, when approached properly, will give you a “fresh” awareness of God’s presence in your life. Have you had one lately?

Those appointments with God should be a source of great joy for you. But unfortunately, quiet times can sometimes seem too intimidating to schedule or maintain regularly. Here are some ways you can enjoy your appointments with God; I can promise you they will be more enjoyable than with any President:

* Seek God Himself rather than anything He might give you. Know that God will meet you where you are and reveal much about Himself to you if you’re sincerely seeking Him.
* Listen carefully for God’s voice, which you’ll recognize better and better the more time you spend with Him. Wait expectantly in silence for a while for the Holy Spirit to speak. Resist the outside pressure and listen for the inside persuasion.
* Write down your thoughts, feelings, and prayers in the journal during your quiet time to more clearly express them. Read through your Journal often.
* Think about how much God loves you, and expect to be blessed as a result of spending time with Him. View your quiet times as cherished meetings with someone you love.
* Realize that the more time you spend with God, the greater the intimacy you’ll develop with Him. Although the idea of a daily quiet time might seem awkward at first because you might not know what to say or how to recognize God’s voice; after a while, you’ll look forward to the appointment because it will be like meeting with your best friend.
* Listen to the Daily Journal CD again. I promise you there are parts you have forgotten. This will refresh your look at particular section in your journal time.
* Set aside a consistent time every day to meet with God. Choose a time at which you’re most alert and can block out distractions. I believe God always ask us for the “first.” He made it plain to give him the first fruits of our income, the first day of the week, etc. Many times, the mentors from the pages of God’s Word spoke of the first part of the day.
* Designate a special place in which you can meet privately with God. The place can be either indoors or outdoors, such as a home office or in the woods. I suggest you have several places, as to eliminate all excuses. If you are traveling like I do extensively, look for a place as soon as you are at the location you will be sleeping. Prepare to go there when you awake.

Remember: the best evidence of the value of a Quiet Time is remembering the day you skipped it.

Have a wonderful day IN the Lord!
Benjamin R. Burks

Related posts:

1. 8 Ways to Improve Your Quiet Time with God “A consistent quiet time eliminates 95% of temptations!” Imagine that...
2. Listen To Your Teacher See that ye refuse not him that speaketh.  For if...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Imagine that you’ve been invited to meet with the President of the United States in the Oval Office. You’d likely look forward to your appointment with great excitement. Now imagine that someone much more exciting – the God of the universe – wants to meet with you personally. This scenario is true; God really does want to meet with you, and He wants to do so every single day through a private quiet time alone.

I have had the privilege of traveling for several years, training good lay-people in local churches to start the Reformers Unanimous Addiction Program. I never teach on the “It’s Personal” Daily Journal without seeing many tears. I sense hearts being turned towards Him. Just yesterday, I received a call from a Pastor in Florida, where I had been a few weeks prior. He shared with me that the church members who were involved in their addiction outreach were experiencing revival! He contributed it to their participation in the RU Daily Journal. In fact, he told me how his wife, a 29-year old Christian, testified on Sunday night on the effect the journal was having in her own life. I can verify here testimony and place before you hundreds that would say the same thing. However, I wonder how many started journaling and stopped? I wonder how many more started but now, just pencil whip it, to “get it done”?

Keeping a journal allows the individual to review their thoughts, moments of clarity, and assist them in developing Spirit-led insight. Daily journaling is a very powerful tool to keep one in the reality of HIM. I often teach how the journal, when approached properly, will give you a “fresh” awareness of God’s presence in your life. Have you had one lately?

Those appointments with God should be a source of great joy for you. But unfortunately, quiet times can sometimes seem too intimidating to schedule or maintain regularly. Here are some ways you can enjoy your appointments with God; I can promise you they will be more enjoyable than with any President:

1. Seek God Himself rather than anything He might give you. Know that God will meet you where you are and reveal much about Himself to you if you’re sincerely seeking Him.
2. Listen carefully for God’s voice, which you’ll recognize better and better the more time you spend with Him. Wait expectantly in silence for a while for the Holy Spirit to speak. Resist the outside pressure and listen for the inside persuasion.
3. Write down your thoughts, feelings, and prayers in the journal during your quiet time to more clearly express them. Read through your Journal often.
4. Think about how much God loves you, and expect to be blessed as a result of spending time with Him. View your quiet times as cherished meetings with someone you love.
5. Realize that the more time you spend with God, the greater the intimacy you’ll develop with Him. Although the idea of a daily quiet time might seem awkward at first because you might not know what to say or how to recognize God’s voice; after a while, you’ll look forward to the appointment because it will be like meeting with your best friend.
6. Listen to the Daily Journal CD again. I promise you there are parts you have forgotten. This will refresh your look at particular section in your journal time.
7. Set aside a consistent time every day to meet with God. Choose a time at which you’re most alert and can block out distractions. I believe God always ask us for the “first.” He made it plain to give him the first fruits of our income, the first day of the week, etc. Many times, the mentors from the pages of God’s Word spoke of the first part of the day.
8. Designate a special place in which you can meet privately with God. The place can be either indoors or outdoors, such as a home office or in the woods. I suggest you have several places, as to eliminate all excuses. If you are traveling like I do extensively, look for a place as soon as you are at the location you will be sleeping. Prepare to go there when you awake.

Remember: the best evidence of the value of a Quiet Time is remembering the day you skipped it.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.