During two separate times of prayer I realized two things that I believe are important for us to understand: the first being the fact that God is the only constant in our lives. No matter what's going on around us, or how we may feel, or what people may think of us, God never changes. His love for us never stops, His desire for us to prosper in life never lessens, His thoughts about us don't vacillate. What wonderful and comforting truths we can keep in our hearts and remind ourselves of during life's challenges. Another realization was that because we are His, whatever is not of Him (behaviors or thoughts that are not rooted in love) should not be of us. His Word comes to illuminate and remove all that is insistent on remaining hidden. Praise be to God for developing and maturing us as we continue walking with Him.

One of the definitions of limit is the final, utmost, or furthest boundary or point as to extent, amount, continuance, procedure, etc. There have been times when I have limited God and expected Him to speak only through certain people or have thought "that's not God" when something supernatural happens (healing for example) in a place I'm not familiar with, among people I don't know and/or in a way I haven't seen. In our most recent class what struck me is how asinine it is for me to do that as it was being addressed. God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. The Creator of our existence and there is so much that I have yet to experience and come to know about Him. My finite mind is no match for the One who is infinite. Just because His mode of operation may be "new" to me, is no cause for skepticism. May we be a people that choose to praise instead of ponder whenever and however He comes to provide us with His love.

Apostle spoke about hearing God's Voice in our October 1st class and it both excited and comforted me. Hebrews 12:9 says that God is the "...Father of spirits." That word father really means originator. God is spirit and because we were created by and came from Him (similar to the fact that we were created by and came from our natural fathers), that makes us spirit beings. This goes for everyone, saved or unsaved, as we are all God's creation. Because we are spirit beings, this means we are able to hear His Voice as He speaks spirit to spirit. That knowing, intuition or sense about one thing or another we get either during or after a situation or event is God's Voice.

For example, several years back I was going down one of the main roads here in New Haven and just before we were about to take a left turn, I had a feeling that we should continue going straight but I kept it to myself. Once we took that left turn we saw that the street had been blocked off. That was God speaking to me in that moment.

After this teaching Apostle said "...God that was you telling me where I should've been, now I'm going to depend on you to tell me where I should be."

In retrospect, He has been speaking to me all my life as He has been with all of us. Because we know our parent's voices better than anyone else's, how much more should we know, trust and obey the Voice of the One who created us from the very beginning? Are His promises not to protect us from harm and guide us down the right path?

A relationship takes two people. In a marriage, when there's a decision that needs to be made, the opinions of both parties are heard and valued and in the end one spouse can and/or will speak on behalf of both her or himself and their husband or wife when the choice has been made clear. In having a relationship with the Lord, however, His Word is what takes precedence over the opinions of man as that is what will yield the greatest result not only for ourselves, but for all that are potentially involved. When we learn to remove our opinions or our "I think..." statements from discussions and listen for what He is saying, that's when forward motion is made.

Accomplishment or fulfillment? The world system says the more things (tangible materials) you have, the happier you are or become. Climbing the ladder at the business you work for, crossing the finish line at school and receiving your diploma, buying that house or car you've always dreamed of. What happens if or when you lose all of those things? When the business goes under? When you have to sell the house or the car because you can no longer afford it? When the diploma you worked so hard for doesn't get you that dream job because there was someone a little more qualified than you? Though we may be able to attain all these things, and it's not necessarily bad to want nice things, but when those things become the source of ones happiness, there's a problem. I've heard stories of people having all the success in the world yet they still feel alone. Why? How? There's no real sense of fulfillment. Having a relationship with the Lord is what brings a fulfillment to our lives that goes beyond that accomplishment. Peace, joy and love are constants and we're able to impact those we come across each day because we carry it in our hearts. They may not be tangible, but, when they are felt within they radiate through conversation and actions that are remembered even after time has passed.

In today's society it's very easy for us (specifically the younger generation) to get caught up in steps and formulas. At least where we are in New England, there's such an emphasis on intellect and being knowledgeable. Now there's nothing wrong with that as we all should be learning, but where is the relationship? He is a living God that we worship, we praise, we live for. Jesus is not a concept.

There was a question asked to us, "Outside of the church what people group can we reach?" In times past, there has been teachings on staying away from those who are in the world when in the scriptures Jesus did the exact opposite. We have been learning when it comes to dealing with the world, its not the PEOPLE, we are dealing with the SYSTEM. Thus, A system deals with the way we think. Furthermore, the way we think will be the way we live and develop a culture. If we still are drawn to darkness then we there must be a real deliverance that must take place in us in order to reach those who are in darkness.We are people are of light. What does it mean to be light? That means we can SEE what is around us.

I like how you brought that up, Renee. Especially in this day and age, it's easy to get wrapped up in things that really are not that important. As Christians, The Lord is always speaking and / or working in us. How is it be possible to be born-again and not be connected? Many will understand this from the perspective of an individual. Fellowship also keeps us connected. I believe we are always looking for some outside sign or wonder when, in reality, God reveals Himself to us face-to-face when we are in fellowship. And just not is it important, but when we are in a place of fellowship the Blood Of Jesus cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

A little more than a week ago a question was posed to a few of us. That question was: What song were you singing today? During the hustle and bustle of the day, it's possible for us to be so wrapped up in the task that's in front of us that we may feel "disconnected" from the Lord and we may become frustrated because we aren't hearing from Him. We know that He is always speaking so then we have to ask ourselves: what have I done (or haven't done) today that's caused for there to be distance between myself and the Lord and has made it hard for me to hear?

To have a song in your heart for the Lord on a consistent day to day basis is one way that helps us to stay connected and close so that we're able to hear Him. An important lesson I've learned is that though I may have a song, what the Lord wants to reveal to me may not happen right away and it's up to me to stick with it until it's been opened.

In having a relationship with the Lord, we are to understand that He is the one that leads. His wisdom is far greater than we could ever comprehend and because He is our Heavenly Father, we are guided by His Word and trust that His direction will not only benefit our lives, but the lives of those we encounter and those thereafter.

Proverbs 3:6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His Will in all that you do and He will show you which path to take. (NLT)