Entering into Silence

I find myself quite a motormouth at times, actually most of the time. It is not that I cannot listen, it is just the fact that I love to communicate with people and letting them know what is happening in my life. God loves it when we talk with him, but also he has much that he wishes to communicate to us as well. This week at TREK, we have been focused on "Hearing God's Voice". We have had many sessions about how we can get in tune with the Spirit and how the Holy Spirit knows all things and even the depths of God. We have been given ears that WILL hear from God, we just need to cast our burdens aside and listen intently to HIM.

All of these sessions have been in preparation for a 48 hour silent retreat we are taking part in starting Thursday afternoon. It is going to be a time where we will be in silence with each other and also before the Almighty God. We are only allowed to use and carry around is the Bible and our journals, no internet, no phones, no technology, just open ears ready to listen. It is going to be a challenge but I am very excited to come before the LORD of LORDS and humble myself quietly before Him. It seems like a long time to not speak to others, but I am looking forward to spend my time talking to the big man upstairs.

⁴ The Lord GOD has given me
   the tongue of those who are taught,
that I may know how to sustain with a word
   him who is weary.
Morning by morning he awakens;
   he awakens my ear
   to hear as those who are taught.
⁵ The Lord GOD has opened my ear,
   and I was not rebellious;
   I turned not backward.-Isaiah 50:4-5
Prayer Requests:
 2nd Assignment Location, 48hr silent retreat, finances, team unity, intimacy with God, ears to hear
Blessings,
Mitch

An Intimate God

Love is something that everyone is seeking for, everyone is waiting for that certain person that is going to fill this void in their heart. Well to all of those who are reading this, you should be pretty excited with the news I have for you...your true first love is waiting for you too. Jesus CHRIST is and HAS to be our first love and our deepest desire as we live here on earth. He is waiting for us with arms open wide, a love that has always existed, "In this love, not that we loved God but that HE loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins"- 1 John 4:10. Often I feel that we neglect to remember this PROMISE that he has made with us, He loved us first. He wants us to be so close to him and we can trust and know that our love with him will never fail.

This week has been one of so many new experiences, new people, a new home and a renewing of my faith with Christ Jesus our Lord. We have had so many sessions throughout this week and everyone makes me leave with more to praise for God. We learned about the basis of what MB Mission really is, risk taking obedience, God in finances, communication, the Gospel of Mark just to name a few. The two sessions we had today were with Pastor David Manuel and we learned all about God's love for us and how we NEED to love him back and all of this was backed up with numerous scriptural support...lets just say I could have listened to God speak through David so much longer.

I feel two major things that GOD wants me to focus on in faith right now and that is getting up and following Him and deepening my love/intimacy with him. I have never prayed and been so focused on God it seems ever in my life. With my team we are learning about listening to God and I am finding myself just stretching my arms out and desiring for God to speak to me and He does. Through prayer, worship, reading and silence I have been able to feel the presence of our LORD and striving for a more intimate relationship with Him. A new way I have started to focus on God is through starting to memorize the book of James. It forces me to depend on Him and His words that have been written to fulfill my spirit. I can feel Him moving and my words or posts will never be able to explain to relaxation that I find with God my Saviour and the knowledge that our love will never be broken.
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39
Prayer Requests: Intimacy with God, finances (there is a link at the bottom if you would like to donate), team bonding, spiritual awakening, assignment location

Thank you so much for all your support, Blessings!
Mitch