There are times when God will speak to you and then be silent
for an extended period of time. Silence does not mean you have
been forsaken by God. It simply means that God has spoken,
and now is the time to allow the word that He spoke to germinate
and come to pass.

Silence is not the same as peace. Silence is the absence of
noise, but peace is the presence of God! While you are going
through "silent years," you should focus on inner peace.

Inner peace produces outward confidence in the face of negative
circumstances so that we can go forward in the assurance that
even though tribulation is coming against us, we are more
than conquerors over it!

The Greek word for peace actually describes a spiritual
equilibrium no matter whatever may seek to upset us. The
biblical meaning of peace never denotes the absence of trouble.
Peace is not the absence of negatives but the presence of
positives. God's peace is inward and spiritual and never
predicated by contrary circumstances or negative events.

Poverty, sickness, death nor debt can override internal peace!

Silent years should indicate a time of reflection, introspection
and listening. The quieter we become, the more we hear.
However, we cannot rush the silent years.

Silent years are times of transition. Transition is always
uncomfortable and appears to last forever. We must ENDURE the
silent years! Whenever you see the word endure, it means that
there is no short cut through it. It must be endured.
You cannot circumvent what must be endured.

We are told to ENDURE unto the end. (Matt. 24:13)
We are told to ENDURE persecution and tribulation. (II Th. 1:4-10)
We are told to ENDURE hardness. (II Tim. 2:1-3)
We are told to ENDURE affliction. (II Tim. 4:5)
We are told to ENDURE chastening. (Heb. 12:7)

The key to being able to ENDURE is to see the END (ENDure).

Now, here are some things for you to question during the silent
years:

Is my life really submitted to God?
Am I submitted at home, work, church and to the government?
Have I learned my lesson?
What is God trying to teach me?
Am I humble enough to be teachable?
Has the fruit of patience been sufficiently developed in me?
Do I still have an appetite for the world in me?
Did I properly respond to the last thing God told me to do?
Have I attained a deeper faith?
Is my attitude right toward God and others?
Am I harboring unforgiveness?
What am I becoming?
Have I sufficiently developed and matured as a person?
Have I taken the time to minister to the Lord? (Acts 13:2)

During your silent years you should:

1. Practice and develop your gifts. Study.
2. Clarify. Define goals. Reorder priorities.
3. Serve (even while you are hurting).
4. Trust God.
5. Pray

Your silent years should change your life! You should come out
as a new person! When you come out, you should have a new level
of:

1. Knowledge
2. Responsibility
3. Authority/Power
4. Faith
5. Trust

Remember, problems never come to last, they only come to pass!

~by Bishop Dale C. Bronner~

This morning I opened a package of blueberry muffin mix to
prepare for my grandson's breakfast. I was disappointed to find
that there was only one blueberry in the mix. I thought to
myself, now this is deceptive packaging.

Even though the package doesn't say "Blueberries Muffin Mix,"
you expect to find more than one blueberry to a package.

I suppose that somehow the machine that puts the blueberries in
the package didn't make much contact with this particular package.
He ate the one muffin with the blueberry in it and one half of
another, but he didn't eat the entire package that this teenage
boy usually eats. Later I tried to eat a muffin myself and
found that they were bland tasting.

As I thought about all this, I realized that many Christians are
just like that package of blueberry muffin mix. They have a
package that says Christian but inside there is very little
evidence of an encounter with Jesus Christ. They have deceptive
packaging, and their lives are bland and useless for the kingdom
of God.

I pondered whether to contact the makers of this muffin mix and
file a complaint but decided to just accept the lesson that God
gave.

"If you have deceptive packaging, you are a big disappointment
to those who expect you to be so much more, and no one will want
what you have."

Don't let your worries get the
best of you; remember, Moses started
out as a basket case.

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Some people are kind, polite, and
sweet-spirited until you try to sit in their pews.

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Many folks want to serve God,
but only as advisors.

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It is easier to preach ten sermons
than it is to live one.

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A hug is a great gift... one size fits all.
It can be given for any occasion and
it's easy to exchange.

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The good Lord didn't create anything
without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close.

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When you get to your wit's end,
you'll find God lives there.

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People are funny; they want the front
of the bus, the middle of the road, and
the back of the church.

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Opportunity may knock once, but temptation
bangs on your front door forever.

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Quit griping about your church;
if it was perfect, you couldn't belong.

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If the church wants a better pastor,
it only needs to pray for the one it has.

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God Himself does not propose to judge
a man until he is dead. So why should you?

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Some minds are like concrete
thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.

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Peace starts with a smile.

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I don't know why some people
change churches; what difference does
it make which one you stay home from?

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A lot of church members who are singing
"Standing on the Promises"
are just sitting on the premises.

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We were called to be witnesses,
not lawyers or judges.

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Be ye fishers of men.
You catch them - He'll clean them.

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Coincidence is when God
chooses to remain anonymous.

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Don't put a question mark
where God put a period.

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Don't wait for 6 strong men
to take you to church.

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Forbidden fruits create many jams.

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God doesn't call the qualified,
He qualifies the called.

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God grades on the cross, not the curve.

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God loves everyone, but probably prefers
"fruits of the spirit" over "religious nuts!"

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God promises a safe landing,
not a calm passage.

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He who angers you, controls you!

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If God is your Co-pilot - swap seats!

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Prayer:
Don't give God instructions -- just report for duty!

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The task ahead of us is never as
great as the Power behind us.

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The Will of God never takes you to
where the Grace of God will not protect you.

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We don't change the message,
the message changes us.

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You can tell how big a person is
by what it takes to discourage him.

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The best mathematical equation
I have ever seen:
1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.

Mary had a little Lamb,
His fleece was white as snow.
And everywhere that Mary went,
The Lamb was sure to go.

He followed her to school each day,
T'wasn't even in the rule.
It made the children laugh and play,
To have a Lamb at school.

And then the rules all changed one day,
Illegal it became;
To bring the Lamb of God to school,
Or even speak His Name!

Every day got worse and worse,
And days turned into years.
Instead of hearing children laugh,
We heard gun shots and tears.

What must we do to stop the crime,
That's in our schools today?
Let's let the Lamb come back to school,
And teach our kids to pray!

It is said that 86% of Canadian,
American & British people believe in God.
Why don't we just tell the other 14%
to be quiet and sit down????