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The distant rising sun was only just peeking up upon the cool, The frosty Northwoods Conference Center frost blanketed morning as our group of 20 arose early Tuesday morning. A tinge of excitement was in the air as we began this Journey in the Northwoods. In fulfillment of Christ’s Command to ‘Seek Ye First,’ each one spent a season of time with the Master. The second Journey had begun aright.

As the week would move on, the hand of God and His still small voice were manifested to not a few in our midst. Searching our hearts, together, as a team Through the leadership of Chad Paine & James Staddon, guided by the Holy Spirit, we embarked upon an incredible journey into our hearts with the ever pure candle of the Lord, searching all our inward parts (Prov. 20:27). We discovered just how deceitfully wicked our hearts truly are (Jer. 17:9).

Northwoods Waterscape The blessing of one of accord that comes through confessing our faults one to another was present the very first session when Chad lead the group in a time of praising the Lord followed by a season of confessing any and all competing affections. Revelations 2:4 bears a stark warning to the church for losing their first love. Competing affections can be discerned through honestly evaluating the true delights of our heart. For “where our treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matt. 6:21).”

Further study lead us to discern whether or not 6 bad hearts The rising sunwere present in our life (murmuring, fearful, adulterous, deceitful, uncircumcised, & prideful hearts). Through such soul searching questions as the following, we realized the true� wickedness of our hearts & thereby our need for the Holy Spirit and the all cleansing Word of God:

- Do you complain about frustrating situations, rather than ask God to bless the people involved with needed qualities and creative solutions?

- Do you refrain from prayerfully and lovingly confronting friends who violate Godly standards?

- Do you spend more time with temporal things than eternal?

- Do you secretly desire “forbidden fruit?”

- Do you have hidden sin that you are afraid to confess?

- Do you envy those you think are more attractive or talented?

Reflections of creation- Do you enjoy telling people of the failures and troubles that others are experiencing, thus making you look good?

This was followed with beginning a powerful study on 12 good hearts every Christian should develop (clean, pure, wise, broken, tender, meek, circumcised, large, faithful, perfect, sound, and merry hearts).

Members of this Journey to the heart walked away with a greater desire to seek the face of Jesus, Walking in sunlighta recognition of their need to conduct regular heart checks, and a keen awareness of the true condition of their hearts.

Lives were touched as the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit worked in our midst. God was truly glorified and we stand in awe of His powerful doings to those who humbly submit themselves to His grace.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 29th, 2008 at 8:43 am and is filed under Ministry Reports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.