“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” –Proverbs 4:23

photo by Marian

“The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few…pray ye therefore

the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.”  –Matthew 9:37-38

photo by Marian

"…My mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:
When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.
Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me."

Psalms 63:5-8

Photo via Flickr

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20 (KJV)

(photo via Flickr)

Libby Zellon, who works in the ATI Department at Headquarters, went to the WIT Conference as an Assistant to Paul and Jenny Speed.  The following is her testimony of the conference.

Have you ever experienced the presence of a Holy God? Have you ever realized that you were on sacred ground? Have you ever looked into the eyes of a hopeless person searching for love? As I was able to watch and examine the people surrounding me I was in awe. To see the people lost in darkness and death is something I can’t really describe. However, when I saw them embrace the light and freedom that comes along with it, it causes my mind to explode with thanksgiving. Our God is so good to rescue those lost in themselves.

What happened at the WIT conference is beyond description. God is amazing. He doesn’t need to prove it to me, but when He does it usually blows my mind. That is exactly what He did this past weekend. He allowed me to be a part of a movement of Him that was powerful-the movement of the WIT conference.

The WIT conference is not your typical marriage conference. It deals with the things that you normally don’t want to deal with. They are things that people would rather shove under the rug and forget about them. However, when people try to ignore this ugly beast of sin it usually ends up destroying families. The beast rises in many different ways and quickly shackles its victims. When these couples come they are bound and chained by their sin. They are trying to blame the other person for putting them in their bonds but miss the fact that they are they ones who allowed the chains to be placed on them. I watched couple after couple enter the auditorium that were oppressed and tormented. Couples entered the room apart from each other as if this invisible wall was standing firm between them.

Before the conference began we met in a room for a meeting that lasted about 3 ½ hours long. In the meeting all the table leaders met and shared amongst each other. They shared their hurts, fears, pain, tears, and allowed their masks to be torn off. They declared in that room that they would be wiling to go back to their past for the sake of freedom for others that would be attending. One proclaimed, “I will NOT stop! I will declare to the spiritual realm victory and freedom!”

Session after session Paul and Jenny Speed repeatedly opened up their ugly past to these couples, reliving the memories and visited each story with a yearning for those listening to find freedom. The power of the openness and brokenness was beyond human power. People often question the reality of ‘supernatural’ power at events such as this. What happened as they spoke was indeed supernatural. It’s almost like you could see freedom coming out of their speech and reaching into the lives of the people around them.

I will admit it was a hard thing to sit back and watch it happen. I wanted to go around and inject truth into these people’s lives. It was like looking at a person that was dying and wanting to just shoot them up with life. But we couldn’t do it; we couldn’t force it upon them. The people there had to choose life for themselves. There was one time I won’t forget for a long time. My parents attended and so I met them in the hallway as they were talking to another couple. This couple was entangled in darkness that they were totally unaware. I had the opportunity to speak to the man and drench him with perspective, life and love. Watching him react to all of those things was heart wrenching. The man broke and tears streamed down his face. It was a beautiful thing to see how Jesus love can be used in people to reach people. To be used by Him was so humbling; it caused me to weep for this man and wife that were struggling in the chains that were tearing them apart.

Please allow me to paint a picture of what freedom looked like at this conference. Imagine this man-once full of strength and honor is now sitting in a dark room looking haggard and shrouded in black. What once used to be a man that people looked to for guidance now was under the control of something more powerful. This power pulsed through his being, changing his appearance and glazing over his eyes. He was so manipulated by the power that he couldn’t even recognize that the people he had loved were now in pain and agony because he had given in to this power. The power is that of sin. It completely changed him inside and out to the point that it looks like he will never return to how he used to be. Suddenly another man in white steps in to the room. He starts speaking truth and life to this man. He commands the possessed man to look him in the eyes. The glazed eyes fight not to look, the strain is evident throughout his entire being. Finally they make contact-the Man that is full of light starts proclaiming that the man can be free. Suddenly, as the man accepts it, the darkness is bound and caste out of the room. Life rushes into his body and floods his soul. His eyes are lit with fire as he rises from the place he has been sitting in. He finally goes to his family and embraces them and is able to rise up again in the position of honor.

There are so many vivid images that will remain with me for a while. They are those of couples finally understanding pure love as they come together in communion, husbands drawing their wives close, and wives becoming beautiful from the freedom they have found. He made beautiful the ashes that were once there.