Reflections on the Secret Place 2009

Secrets from the Fathers

host by James W. Goll | February 2009
1-877-200-1604 | www.encountersnetwork.com

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From the Desk of James W. Goll

Greetings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus,

The last couple of weeks we have sent to you a potent message that Bob Mumford gave from our Secrets from the Fathers Conference just a few short weeks ago. Many in attendance felt it was one of the very best conferences they have ever attended even if the temperature in Nashville dipped down into single digits. Oh My! So this week we are giving you a Review of the Secrets from the Fathers composed by Scott Cross, one of our EN Staff members.

In addition to Scott's reflections on the gathering, I wanted to share an outside perspective so I also asked Walt Meyer to write down the thoughts he had shared with me at the conference. Walt and his wonderful wife Julie Meyer minister around the world and at IHOP (International House of Prayer in KC). Julie had to minister somewhere that weekend but Walt felt led to come to the conference. His statement was, "I can honestly say that of the countless conferences I have been to; this was in the top 5 of all of them!" This impacted me as I know that Walt has seen and heard many great men and women of God share in many great gatherings. You will find his reflections below as well.

I have been on the road a good deal lately ministering in Bellingham and Everett, Washington and Phoenix, Arizona. I also just taped 12 new web shows for PrayerStorm. Thanks for all your prayers! This next week my travels will take me to the Anchorage, Alaska region for a Prophetic Conference.

I have also begun a new class on Tuesday nights called Deliverance from Darkness and continue my Wednesday afternoon class on Walking in the Supernatural. If you live in the region, it is not too late to attend these times of instruction. There is no registration fee as offerings are received. Tell others as there is plenty of room at our new facility at 225 Noah Drive in Franklin, TN.

Below you will find some of the messages of the Secrets from the Fathers Conference for those of you who would like to hear them first hand. We trust that they will bless you as they did those who were able to attend live.

Thanks for your love and support. It is an honor to walk with you!

Thanks Once Again!

James W. Goll

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Right click to download: Becoming a Father Pleaser, Part 1 Right click to download: Becoming a Father Pleaser, Part 2 This message was captured at the Secret Place Gathering 2009 in Nashville, TN. Bob Mumford shares the message of Becoming a Father Pleaser! This message is a timely and needed teaching in this hour. John 8:35 - Now a slave does not remain in a household permanently (forever); the son [of the house] does remain forever. The term Father-Pleaser should be understood in governmental context and, consequently, defined as: A person whose ultimate desire and purpose is to preserve and maximize the sense of Father’s manifest Presence and approval to walk in His favor at all times and under all circumstances. His Reward: In You, I am well-pleased! Downloading Instructions: To download these files "Right Click" on the Session title (colored in blue). Then click on "Save Target As". This will open a dialogue box where you can save this file to your computer for future use. By downloading these files rather than playing them through you media player in your browser window, more people will be able to access these each month without any additional cost to Encounters Network.

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Reflecting on the Secret Place Gathering...

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It was my great joy to be able to attend the "Secrets of the Fathers Conference" recently.  I grew up (in the 70's) on Bob Mumford tapes.  He is one of my favorite teachers and authors.  His honesty and tears and laughter brought a joy and comfort to my heart.  His compassion for the church and his insights for how we should continue on touched my heart and brought a new hope and encouraged me so very much.
 
R.T. Kendall was such a delight to hear and see.  His message on complete forgiveness was the best sermon on that topic that I have ever heard.  His ability to share from personal brokenness and personal victories were so powerful.  The large response from the congregation at the end of the message showed us all the need to pull out all roots of bitterness and walk in life with a pure heart.
 
Jack Taylor and Bob Jones are world class gifts to the Body of Christ.  They shared from their hearts with passion and humor and revelation.  James Goll did a great job in interviewing these men and the laughter and healing the conference brought to my heart will be unforgettable.  I can honestly say that of the countless conferences I have been at; this was in the top 5 of all of them!
 
The wisdom and humility and love for God and people that all these leaders showed us was noted in Heaven, I am sure.  The Father's heart was released in so many ways to us all.  Even the speakers seemed to be touched by the presence of the Lord at times. I am grateful to Encounters Network for hosting the conference and for the heart to honor these fathers in the faith.  The Lord is commanding a blessing for those who honor and contend for unity in the Body of Christ.
 
Blessings,

Walt Meyer
Kansas City, MO

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Romans 8: 14-16 Amplified version.
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
15 For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father!
16 The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God.

The theme of this Gathering, The Secret Place 2009 was Secrets from the Fathers. Being an employee of Encounters Network and a friend of James, I knew that James did not choose this theme lightly but instead he did so with purpose. But as much as I tried to embrace the theme I struggled to do so. Not because I do not want to honor the fathers and I do not value them and who they are but because there is a part of me that has bought into the American mindset of honoring and esteeming the youth and the zeal of the young. The attitude that the young have more value and youth is prized in America. Our culture often subtlely conveys that those of age and maturity are simply tolerated and endured until they die. Or at best many times the mature are given a token nod. And the wisdom of those who walked before us is seldom valued and sought after.

I wanted a heart that honored these Great Men of God but I had to fight to find it! I am so glad I did, but what I discovered was not the Secrets from the Fathers but the Lives of the Sons! I saw true Sons of God having walked through the fire and been found true. No matter what trials, tribulation and testing they had passed through, this they knew…But God!
 
For 3 days I heard story after story of God’s Love, Faithfulness, Goodness, Grace, Mercy and Kindness and how no matter what they had experienced …But God! As Father showed his Greatness to His sons! I did not so much learn the secrets from the fathers but I learned from the lives of each of these Sons of God.  
 
Jack Taylor opened by asking his son Tim to come and lead in prayer “for the fathers heart to break over this crowd tonight…” A picture of a Father and a Son, “…no longer servants in the house but sons.” Jack spoke on the two sons of a father; he titled it The Parable of a Loving Father, from Luke 15. He went on to say “I believe that fathers are going come and are going to love. So that those that are on the trash heap, put there by the church to protect its reputation, will come forth and be in the headlines and be on the frontlines and will be used mightily of God.” As he shared, the loving heart of the Father came through His son, and the grace of God the Father touched the hearts of all who were there. Jack’s teaching on the Father and sons spoke to and about both sons, that we all are sons of God (regardless of gender) and He is our loving Father. But God…first loved us!  
 
R.T. Kendall was the Senior Minister of Westminster Chapel from Feb. 1st, 1977 until Feb. 1st, 2002. Since I had never been exposed to him, I was unsure what to expect. Would he be British, with a stiff upper lip or was he American? Would he be the stereotype I was expecting? NO!!! Luke 6:27-31 was his opening scripture: 27"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you. And then verses 35&36: 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

RT told us a story of hurt and the darkest hour that he and his wife had walked through while in London. During this time a good and dear friend told him “You must forgive them!” RT shared on how to walk in the ways of Jesus’ love, to love your enemies and forgive them! Out of this time in their life came the book Total Forgiveness. He spoke of our need to live a life of total forgiveness towards those who have hurt us! He modeled the loving heart of Father as he taught us about forgiveness. But God…Forgave us our sins through Christ Jesus.
 
Bob Jones was a welcomed addition to our speakers. I had never heard him speak in person and only recorded once or twice. So I was looking forward to hearing this great man of God share what was on his heart. He was so simply deep in sharing his heart and the Heart of the Father that I was taken back. He made things simple and complex at the same time, I think much like Jesus did when he was on earth. I understood him and what he was saying, I think? In the times of sharing I could feel the Father's kind wisdom, it was not harsh or hard but was bathed in the Loving Kindness of a father sharing the Wisdom of the Father! But God…gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Our other guest speaker was Bob Mumford, I knew of Bob from the 70’s via the discipleship movement, and have some friends who knew him and walked with him over the years. I knew their love for this man of God and I trusted my friend’s judgment, but I had some experience with the aftermath of the discipleship movement and was not sure what to expect or if I wanted to drink from that well. What I saw, experienced and heard was a man full of compassion, grace and mercy with a heart so big and full of love that I was moved tears maybe more times then he was, and Bob cries a lot. I saw a son/father who loved deeply and had a compassionate heart for the Sons of God and his sons.
 
His message Father Pleaser is one of the top five messages I have ever heard and the most impacting in this season of my life. I feel it was a needed and timely word for Nashville. Bob poured out his/His heart over us and showed us how to become a Father Pleaser. This was not a teaching about being a man pleaser. But rather it was all about being a person whose ultimate desire and purpose is to preserve and maximize the sense of Father’s manifest Presence and approval and to walk in His favor at all times and under all circumstances. He shared how the journey will look if you want to become a Father pleaser: Infant – Child – Trained Child – Kingdom citizen – Priest/King – Ambassador – Father Pleaser!

A statement that Bob made has impacted me deeply, “An ambassador needs to have one single and solitary purpose - to become a Father Pleaser!” It is not about me! It’s all about Him. It’s not my kingdom! It’s not what I can build or what another man can build, it’s about what He wants. Many are building their own castles in His kingdom and think that it pleases Him…and may never realize what really pleases the Father. I found that I was literally undone when Bob finished sharing. I was not sure I could complete my staff responsibilities of closing and tearing down the conference as I felt I had just heard my Father's heart spoken from a humble, compassionate, loving father! But God… is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.

Even today as I began to listen to the sessions again, I found myself being moved and stirred. I found that I wanted to drink again and again from the wells that these great men of God brought and taste the cool and cleansing water the flows. I am forever changed and hope to finish as a true son of God! I encourage each of you to partake of this gathering through the CD albums below.

Scott A. Cross
EN Staff Member

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