October
– God's Voice Worldwide – From Dr. Mark Virkler Author
of Communion With God and President of Christian Leadership University Vision: To Saturate the World with
Communion With God
Pray
and Vote - November 5th Is a Key Day for the United States
- Joshua Virkler
In Congress, about 150 bills that have passed the House await votes in the
Senate. The subjects run the gamut of legislative business - anti-terrorism,
energy, organ donation, small business, the Internet, welfare and education
reform. Among them are several pro-life and family-friendly bills - most notably
the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which would make anyone charged with
assaulting a pregnant woman liable for the death of her child if it did not
survive; and the Child Custody Protection Act, which would make it a federal
offense to transport a minor across state lines to help her get an abortion in a
state that does not require parental notification. In addition, bans on partial
birth abortions and limitations on human cloning have been passed in the House
and are awaiting a Senate vote.
These bills passed the House with huge majorities, and have been promised a
signature by President Bush. However, they have not become law for one simple
reason: the liberal Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle won't allow them to be
voted on. Because many Christians have stood on the sidelines - our voter
turnout has plummeted 40% since 1992 - Daschle and his predecessors have been
allowed to wield this power over us. Unless Christians show up at the polls in
overwhelming numbers to support conservative Senators - and remove control of
the Senate from Tom Daschle's hands - these important pieces of legislation will
not become law, no matter who is in the White House or the House of
Representatives!
Please do what you can (pray, talk to friends, volunteer, etc.) to help ensure
that God is strongly represented at the voting booth this year. For a more
thorough discussion of this very important issue, please read the following
article from Focus on the Family's "Citizen Magazine" www.family.org/cforum/citizenmag/coverstory/a0022456.html.
Portions of this article are quoted here.
"Liberalism of the 21st century consists of a series of positions that are
not popular…You don't hear anybody running for office saying they're in favor
of gay marriage and unlimited pornography and suppressing the Pledge of
Allegiance. If you are an ideological liberal committed to those positions, you
can't expect a Congress or a president ever to deliver you victory, so you have
to go to the courts. That's what liberals do.
"They impose their views on the nation by circumventing the democratic
process and getting judges to impose on us a regime we did not vote for and do
not want and that no politician in his right mind is going to stand
behind."
Urgent
Prayer Alert to Shift the Judicial Branch in America
- Dutch Sheets
"We now have a godly president (one who prays and reads his Bible daily)
who is attempting to appoint wise, constitutionally sound, and righteous judges
to the bench. In an attempt to keep this from happening, those with other
ideologies on the Judiciary Committee of the Senate have begun an unprecedented
effort to block his appointments. They have the authority to do so and are
keeping his appointees from even getting to the entire Senate body to be voted
on. It is unprecedented in its scope and is most certainly spiritual in its
roots, though I'm sure those involved would not understand this. It is a
spiritual battle for the soul of this nation!
"What is God asking us, the Body of Christ, to do? First we must not allow
this to be first and foremost a political issue, i.e., Republican vs. Democrat.
Therefore, I am not asking you to pray that the Republicans regain control of
the Senate. I want my dear Democratic brothers and sisters to feel just as
peaceful in joining this prayer effort as I do my Republican ones. Let's
remember that our struggle is not against flesh and blood (see Ephesians 6:12).
"Let us simply pray that God shifts the judicial system of America,
including the removing of this blockade of godly judges in the Senate, in
whatever ways He chooses. Whether God changes the hearts and minds of those who
are causing the blockages, which is certainly preferable (we must always pray
with mercy and non-judgmental hearts for those in authority, even those with
whom we disagree) or due to hardness of heart removes their control, let's leave
that to His wisdom. This will enable all of us as believers, Democrats and
Republicans alike, to pray together for God's Kingdom to come and His will to be
done in this situation (see Matthew 6:10). Let's make prayer toward biblical
ideologies of truth and righteousness the issue, not a party affiliation.
"Having said this, however, I want to reiterate the seriousness of what I
feel. This judicial issue is a major key to determining whether revival or
further spiritual decline occurs for America. We will either see this 'gate'
properly restored or America will turn further away from God. Let's pray Isaiah
1:26: 'Then I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as
at the beginning; after that you will be called the city of righteousness, a
faithful city.'"
From
England: A Pastor's Testimony
"I am leading a church plant near Manchester, England and have been
studying the Communion with God course on video and also reading the book of
that name. It has been extremely helpful to me in my personal relationship with
God, with journaling in particular being of invaluable assistance in my learning
to better hear His voice. I am convinced that this teaching is of the utmost
importance to the body of Christ.... I would like to make this teaching
available to our congregation."
CWG
Helps Even a "Prayer Junkie"!
- Andrew Steck
"This course [Communion with God] has brought me much closer to the Lord. I
am learning His ways as He leads and guides me. The more I dialogue with God the
more I want to read His Word. The more I meditate on His Word the more I want to
dialogue with Him. Above all, journaling has made me want to be used by Him for
the right reasons. Not out of fear, because I am striving to please Him, but
since I know His perfect love that casts out all fear, I want to be used to
bring glory to the One I love. I want to be used because it pleases the One Who
calls me 'beloved.'
"Communion with God has changed my life! Thank you so much, Dr. Virkler,
for this course. It has been such a blessing in my life. I will never be the
same again. I am telling all my friends how much going through the Communion
With God material has changed my life. I must sound to them like a
walking infomercial. God has done so much in the last six months. I'm about to
take twelve more credits now from CLU and I can't wait."
Of
Frogs and Hidden Things - Steve
Bydeley "Dream: I was in a spaceship, looking through a round window at
earth far below. I pointed toward Europe showing the Captain, a woman, where I
was born. As I pointed, the moon passed between us blocking the view. We moved
the ship to a point farther away so we could see it. It was time to eat and I
walked to the table of food where I saw one plate with a grotesque half-eaten
frog. I was intending to leave it in favor of another when I heard the captain
tell me to bring it, so I did. As I was walking away from the table I picked up
the frog and as I did so it squirted down onto my foot.
"Background: As I woke from this dream I understood the meaning and
the intent of this dream. Before I go there, let me explain something we are
learning about the way God sometimes uses dreams. We know from the Bible that He
has taken on the responsibility of transforming us into the image of Jesus. This
is a cooperative endeavor wherein He shows us an issue in our lives which He
wants to clean up and we then present that issue to Him to do so. God will not
force His will on us; He shows us an issue and leaves with us the responsibility
of laying it on His altar. There are many issues buried deep in our memories
which, though we are not cognitive of them, still affect our lives, our joy, and
our Christian walk. We are learning that He often uses dreams to show us these
hidden issues, thus enabling us to present them to Him. Let's now look at my
dream.
"Interpretation: I was born in the Netherlands (Europe) and that
dream caused me to remember a story my parents told of times and events during
World War II. One story was about the Allies coming through, freeing our nation.
One of the Allies was the French, who, I was told, also brought hygienic
problems such as head lice. As a child (passing moon), listening to those
stories, I had concluded that French people were dirty (grotesque frog). This
wrong conclusion was hidden in my heart and affecting my walk as a Christian
(squirted my foot). That attitude was not Christ-like and needed to be
corrected. Using that dream, the Holy Spirit (Captain) made me cognitive of that
issue, asking me to present it for removal from my life, bringing me one step
closer to being like Jesus.
"The Father's love and mercy toward us is more than we can imagine."
Steve and Dianne Bydeley are authors of the book Dream Dreams, as
well as a companion workbook, teacher's manual and seminar audiotapes. They
offer a 12-week Internet Dream Interpretation Mentoring course wherein you are
personally and confidentially coached through your dreams.
The Lord uses dreams to improve marriages, parenting skills, workplace
relationships, friendships, give encouragement, bring hope, etc. Steve and
Dianne lead seminars and workshops, bringing people into healing and a more
intimate relationship with God and others. Credits for the 12-week Internet
Dream Interpretation Mentoring practicum are available through CLU. Contact the
Bydeley's at info@lapstoneministries.org
and visit their website at www.lapstoneministries.org.
New
Spanish Translation of CWG Available Online
We have just posted a wonderful new Spanish translation of the Communion
With God Study Guide and the Communion With God Seminar Guide.
Both are available for free downloading at cwgministries.org/freebooks.
Spread the word to your Spanish-speaking friends!
We have received several offers from individuals around the world to translate
our books into various languages. We appreciate each and every offer. If you
would like to volunteer to translate any of our materials, please contact Mark
Virkler at drvirkler@cluonline.com.
Spirit-Led
Reasoning Explored - Mark
Virkler
"Having investigated everything carefully, I have laid it out in
consecutive order" spoke one left-brain individual named Luke as he wrote
the gospel (Lk. 1:1-3). For those of us who are left-brain, there is a valid and
honorable use of the analytical reasoning capacity that God has given to us. It
allows us to do careful investigation, to establish accurate data, to structure
it in meaningful ways, and to see important relationships between various
things. Luke surely modeled a clear lineal teaching style, as did Paul, the
author of Hebrews, and others.
However, Luke did not use just careful investigation alone when he wrote his
gospel, for we are told, "All Scripture is inspired by God…" (II
Tim. 3:16). Holy Spirit inspiration was working along with Luke's careful
analytical investigation. This, I believe, is the proper use of the left brain:
allowing the Holy Spirit to guide my mind in its analysis, study, reflections,
and conclusions. I call it "Spirit-led reason." It is my reasoning
capacity being guided by the Holy Spirit.
I have learned to sense the Holy Spirit as "flow," because the Bible
declares that out of my innermost being will flow…(Jn. 7:37-39). The Bible
also connects pictures with Spirit-led reasoning (Is. 1:18). Therefore, I ask
the Holy Spirit to guide my reasoning capacity, and I tune to flowing pictures
and flowing thoughts as I carefully reason through an issue.
At the same time, I am continually checking to ensure that peace remains in my
heart throughout the process. If I lose peace and move into unrest in my heart,
then I believe I have slipped off the divine track and am following my own path.
In that case, I go back to where I last experienced peace and start again from
there. I focus again on those pictures and those flowing thoughts, then I move
on again, following peace, flow, and pictures, as I reason carefully and
thoroughly. This, for me, is "Spirit-led reason." This is the gift God
has given me as a left-brain person who has learned to yield my reasoning
capacity as a living sacrifice to my Lord and Savior.
A Dream Showing My Need to Honor My Reasoning Capacity
(9-18-02)
In the dream, my brother Henry, Dad, and Mom were with me. Henry was insisting
that I must pay him a royalty on the Communion With God Study Guide
I had written, because he had acted as a counselor to me in the writing of it. I
was shocked in disbelief and objected strongly. However, Mom and Dad fully
agreed with Henry.
The next day I shared the dream with my daughter Charity and then journaled
about it. Following is what the Lord spoke to me.
"Mark, Charity is right in that this is a subjective dream and Henry
represents a part of you. He represents the rational, analytical part of you,
that part which thinks and reasons carefully.
"That part of you has been a great service to you over the years. It has
kept you and now balances you, and is one of the gifts that has allowed you to
accomplish so much. So do not despise it. Do not put it down, for it is My gift
to you. It is a divine gift which has strengthened you and your ministry. It is
My cherished gift to you. It is not to be despised, but it is to be honored,
even as the imaginative and intuitive are to be honored by the right brainer and
presented to Me to fill, so is the analytical to be cherished and honored by you
and presented to Me to fill. It is not evil; it is a gift, especially when given
to Me to fill. Yes, alone, it can bring forth destruction, but when presented to
Me it is a wonderful gift to the world, which is what your ministry is and has
been to the world, and will continue to be.
"So do not dishonor or look down upon that which I have created, but
instead honor and cherish it, for it is part of you and part of My gifts to you
and My working out through you.
"That is why the dream showed that you would pay a tithe to Henry, for the
tithe is a way of honoring another. The dream spoke, saying you must honor the
analytical capacity I have placed within you.
"You have taught that the capacities of both right and left hemispheres are
to be presented to Me. Neither is to be disdained, but both are to be honored
and both are to be esteemed and both are to be presented to Me.
"Cultures have struggled to find this balance and to honor people of both
hemispheres. People have been killed by the thousands because they did not line
up with their particular culture's bent. However, a day is now coming when both
kinds of people will be honored and both will be valued and both will be taught
to present their natural giftedness to Me to fill and to flow through."
