So, I'll just give a quick update about this last week of lectures. The topic was Lordship and we had an incredible speaker: Mark Parker. He's from New Zealand and is a great man of God. The lectures were incredible, which actually might be an understatement. He first emphasized the importance of repentance and how much we need to do it as Christians. Not because we're getting "saved again" every time, but because it's good practice and it makes us right with God and makes us aware of what we're doing wrong and how we can change it. Another big point he made was just about pure obedience and devotion to Christ as our number one. One really cool thing he said was that God uses the natural to bring the super. Supernatural. Cool, hey? In all honesty, there was so much that we talked about this week that I can't put it in an "orderly" order if that makes any sense at all, so I'm just kinda scatter my thoughts all over this blog for you to read ;)
As I was looking through my notes, I saw the word "KINGDOM" written in bold about 5 or 6 times, so I'm thinking that was an important word to me during this week. God's kingdom is here on earth and it's in each one of us and I'm so excited to see what God is going to do in and through us! Also I wrote down KINGDOM=BEAUTY. That's the truth, hey? So good. Another thing he said so much during the week was to "Follow Him, fix your eyes on Him, and remember your baptism". That was super cool as well. Oh, one thing I learned this week that we each have a spirit, a soul, and a body. (Well, obviously I knew about the body, but I always thought that the spirit and the soul were the same thing). The spirit is intuition, communion, conscience, identity, value, destiny. The soul is mind, will, emotions, personhood and ability to relate. The body is for food, defense, reproduction, and the ability to love and serve. So, that was cool to learn. Also, everybody, ALL AUTHORITY IS IN JESUS! And then the last thing that really hit me was that I have to relinquish my rights because really, I have none. So, yeah.
The last day was a day of, um, I guess I'd say amazingness. We started out the day in a circle outside just reading scripture and praying, and the people who thought they had a hard time hearing God's voice got in the middle and the rest of the people walked around us and prayed that God would totally just reveal himself to us that day. So that was cool. Since our speaker is from New Zealand, he introduced us to a Kiwi tradition called "hongi". It's a greeting you do and basically you just do like an eskimo kiss kind of. You grab one hand and then with the other you put your hand on the back of the other's head and then touch noses. So, he had us get in a line and then I started off the line and went around to everyone and did it which was kind of awkward but really cool. It was just a way to start off the day with closeness and love with our brothers and sisters. Then we went inside our lecture room and it was all decorated with a cross and stuff and it was sweet. And then we just worshipped our brains out for a while and people prayed for healing over one another and some people got healed from like back pains and such.And people were crying and just enjoying the Lord's goodness. Then after worship, we got in a circle and just shared a story of thankfulness to what God has done in our lives. That was sweet. Then after that we worshipped some more and then the day before he had told us to bring a random physical object with us and see if God had anything to tell us or others through it. So I brought an empty water bottle and I felt God was telling me that He was just going to overflow me with His Holy Spirit. Some other people brought like string, a loaf of bread, flowers, books, etc. So we just had a time of praying and asking God what He wanted to show us that day. Then after that we went into a time of offering God things in our lives. So everyone one at a time went up to the cross and shared with each other what thing they were giving up to God. I gave up my life essentially, so I brought my scrapbook from home which contained pictures of friends,family, memories, travel, etc and then I gave up my purity ring which obviously symbolizes purity but I wasn't giving up my purity. I was giving up my desire to be married one day and have children, because really I just want to do what God wants for my life. Some people gave up passports (just figuratively, don't worry haha), pictures, letters, clothes, shoes, hair straighteners, etc. A lot of people gave away clothes and food and stuff to other people which was amazing. One girl gave up her hair (meaning she cut a TON of it off) because she felt that she was idolizing her self image and putting that before God. She looks so beautiful now. So, that was really powerful. Then we had a quick break for lunch and after that we came back and did "guilt offerings". So basically people got up and shared again just sins in their lives and what they needed to give to God and a lot of people asked for forgiveness from everyone and then we went to the cross and prayed between us and God. A lot of people shared incredibly deep and personal things that was so beautiful because they were vulnerable and really wanted to turn from their ways. I really respect everyone here so much more now BECAUSE they shared things they struggled with and its just so amazing how much freedom it brought. After that, we broke up into groups of guys and girls and just prayed for each other. Then we had some more worship, and after that, people put things in a bucket, like letters from exes, pictures, books, and different things they needed to completely give God and repent from and we burned it all! While we burned it, we sang a few worship songs as a group which was cool. After that, we went back inside and worshipped while the leaders anointed each other with oil and then they came around and anointed the students and the Holy Spirit just filled us up completely. It was amazing. After that, we got into 4 lines facing back to back without knowing who was behind us and Mark asked us to ask God for a word and then turn around and tell the person behind us. Then we did the same after we switched people and asked God for a picture for the person and then shared it. That was sweet. So, prophesy is a pretty powerful thing and God uses it to edify the body of believers and it's incredible. After that, we ate dinner together and shared back what we learned and then worshipped our hearts out again and then that was the end! It was incredible day full or worship, prophesy, laughing, praying, crying, fellowshipping, and loving! God really spoke to me and touched my heart in a very personal way.
This morning we found out the 3rd location and it's Bangladesh! So cool. I'm still deciding between Amsterdam/Latvia/Moldova, Thailand, and then this one. If you guys want to pray that I'd pick the one I'm supposed to go to, that'd be amazing!
Ok, that's it. Sorry it's so long but God is SO GOOD!
Love you and miss you heaps.
XOXO,
Laura
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