"Prepare to Hear from God"
Genesis 35:1-36:43
Matthew 12:1-21
Psalm 15:1-5
Proverbs 3:21-26
What is God telling you to do?
How easy is it to answer that question? It will be different for each one of us. So often I hear the answer. "I think he wants me to..." or, it's "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me." At times I've used those same answers myself.
What's with that? Do you think it's God's desire that we feel the need to decipher signs and circumstances to find his will?
We have a dilemma. We need to Live the DREAM. At the hub of the Balanced Christian Life is the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. True worship is obedience. Obedience to what? Obedience to what God is telling me to do. What's he telling me to do? "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me..."
In today's reading, the Lord calls Jacob to a place where he desires to talk to him.
"Move on to Bethel now, and settle there,' God said to Jacob, 'and build an altar to worship me - the God who appeared to you when you fled from you brother Esau.' So Jacob instructed all those in his household to destroy the idols they had brought with them, and to wash themselves and to put on fresh clothing. 'For we are going to Bethel,' he told them, 'and I will build an altar there...' Upon Jacob's arrival at Bethel, en route from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him once again and blessed him." Gen 35:1-3,9
Take note of what Jacob did to prepare himself and his people to hear from God. They got rid of their idols and put on fresh clothes.
We live in a day and age of God's mercy and grace. However, I think many have tainted their relationship with the Lord because of a misunderstanding of what that means. Some take the approach of "adding" Jesus to their life instead of "giving" him their life. What this looks like in practical terms is God's people walking around in dirty clothes and arms full of idols and wondering if the voice they're hearing is "God or me".
The difficulty in hearing his voice is not because he is not speaking. It's not because he doesn't want to speak. It's most often because I've not prepared myself to hear from him. I've allowed the noise of this world to drown out His voice. I've been close enough to sin to dirty my clothes.
Sleeping too long can be an idol. My comfort clouds my ears from his voice. Getting to bed earlier so I can get up earlier is a way that I can prepare myself to hear his voice. Limiting worldly influence is a huge part of it as well. If I spend all my time listening to news & commentary, I will begin to subtly develop a belief system based on the politics of man rather than scriptural principles.
So many times individuals have come to me not knowing the voice of God and not knowing what to do. My usual question to them is, "What's the last thing you KNOW he told you to do?" Usually there's an answer. Often it's something seemingly small and insignificant. "Then go there and do it."
We can't take a shortcut around this 'obedience' thing. We must obey to be his people. We must be able to hear his voice. Therefore, we must set aside idols, put on fresh clothes, and prepare to hear from him. It's HIS desire to speak to us.
A common misinterpretation is that we need to be "good enough" to meet with God. That's not correct. It's impossible for anyone to be "good enough", so there's no sense in that. We must simply be prepared. We need to consecrate ourselves. Be set apart. Be quiet.
Prepare to meet with God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Showing posts with label Hearing God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hearing God. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Saturday, August 13, 2011
8.13.11 "Knowing the Voice of God"
"Knowing the Voice of God"
Nehemiah 5:14-7:60
I Corinthians 8:1-13
Psalm 33:1-11
Proverbs 21:8-10
Ok, so you will carry the vision. (see DEVO 8.11.5) Now more than ever, you need to know the voice of God.
In Nehemiah 6, Sanballat, Tobiah & Geshem are out to get Nehemiah. The great vision of rebuilding the wall is near completion, so the enemies are stepping it up. They send a message to Nehemiah to meet them in a village. "But I realized they were plotting to kill me..." (6:2) The bad guys then begin to attack his character, his motives, and make a pretty good case for him meeting with them. Still he stands firm.
In Nehemiah 6:10-11, "A few days later I went to visit Shemaiah... for he said he was receiving a message from God. 'Let us hide in the Temple and bolt the door,' he exclaimed, 'for they are coming tonight to kill you.'"
What would you do in this instance? This "message from God" makes sense. It seems to fit in with the way things have gone. What does Nehemiah do?
6:11-13 "But I replied, 'Should I, the governor, run away from danger? And if I go into the Temple, not being a priest, I would forfeit my life. No, I won't do it!' Then I realized that God had not spoken to him, but Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him to scare me and make me sin by fleeing to the Temple; and then they would be able to accuse me." What discernment!
As we walk along the journey of carrying the vision God has placed on us, we have to grow past the point of knowing someone who knows the voice of God. We HAVE TO KNOW THE VOICE OF GOD. It's our natural reaction to go to others for advice, and Proverbs speaks of the value of many counselors, but as you carry vision, you have to KNOW GOD!
How do we get to know the voice of God? By walking in obedience. To be honest, you will learn his voice by stepping out, and finding out, "oops, that wasn't God, that was me". The next time you will know the difference. We have to be Empowered Through Biblical Training. You have to be in the word. Reading devotionals is great, but you have to get into the word and let God speak his word into your life. Nehemiah knew God's commands well enough to know that Shemaiah's "message" did not line up with God's commands.
Can you imagine the strength that comes from knowing God's voice? The wind and the waves become so small in comparison to knowing that no matter what storms arise, you are walking in obedience to the voice of God!
This next concept may be difficult for me to communicate, but here goes: The larger the vision, the greater the constraint to know the voice of God. As we mature in Christ, and he births greater vision and direction, the enemy will step up the attacks and attempts to confuse the communication lines. There will be more distractions. You may have heard the phrase, "Good is the enemy of Great". As you walk in greater intensity of obedience, you begin to realize the great danger of small compromise. The message Nehemiah received from Shemaiah appealed to his flesh. In a moment of weakness he could have done the wrong thing because it "made sense". But knowing the great call of God constrained him to avoid any level of compromise. Earlier his response to Sanballat & company was "I am doing a great work! Why should I stop to come and visit with you?" (6:3) His passion for the vision and constraint to follow God's direction kept compromise far from him.
God has a vision for you that is larger than you realize. His plans are incredible. The plan begins to be revealed to you as you walk in obedience (Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship). As you seek to intensify your focus on walking with God, you can see the increasing value of it. You then begin to understand that the things around that feed the flesh are not worth the cost of compromise. You begin to understand that watching something full of impurity on television begins to cloud your recognition of the voice of God. Then, when conflicting messages come, you don't know which way to turn.
Guarding the voices you allow into your life will greatly aid your recognition of God's voice. If you're willing to carry the vision, you must be willing to commit yourself to his voice. All of the elements of DREAM are necessary in this maturing process. Each element needs to grow in your life. Go through the checklist of DREAM today. How are you doing? Do you recognize what God is telling you right now? What "noise" in life is clouding his voice? How badly do you want to hear his voice?
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Nehemiah 5:14-7:60
I Corinthians 8:1-13
Psalm 33:1-11
Proverbs 21:8-10
Ok, so you will carry the vision. (see DEVO 8.11.5) Now more than ever, you need to know the voice of God.
In Nehemiah 6, Sanballat, Tobiah & Geshem are out to get Nehemiah. The great vision of rebuilding the wall is near completion, so the enemies are stepping it up. They send a message to Nehemiah to meet them in a village. "But I realized they were plotting to kill me..." (6:2) The bad guys then begin to attack his character, his motives, and make a pretty good case for him meeting with them. Still he stands firm.
In Nehemiah 6:10-11, "A few days later I went to visit Shemaiah... for he said he was receiving a message from God. 'Let us hide in the Temple and bolt the door,' he exclaimed, 'for they are coming tonight to kill you.'"
What would you do in this instance? This "message from God" makes sense. It seems to fit in with the way things have gone. What does Nehemiah do?
6:11-13 "But I replied, 'Should I, the governor, run away from danger? And if I go into the Temple, not being a priest, I would forfeit my life. No, I won't do it!' Then I realized that God had not spoken to him, but Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him to scare me and make me sin by fleeing to the Temple; and then they would be able to accuse me." What discernment!
As we walk along the journey of carrying the vision God has placed on us, we have to grow past the point of knowing someone who knows the voice of God. We HAVE TO KNOW THE VOICE OF GOD. It's our natural reaction to go to others for advice, and Proverbs speaks of the value of many counselors, but as you carry vision, you have to KNOW GOD!
How do we get to know the voice of God? By walking in obedience. To be honest, you will learn his voice by stepping out, and finding out, "oops, that wasn't God, that was me". The next time you will know the difference. We have to be Empowered Through Biblical Training. You have to be in the word. Reading devotionals is great, but you have to get into the word and let God speak his word into your life. Nehemiah knew God's commands well enough to know that Shemaiah's "message" did not line up with God's commands.
Can you imagine the strength that comes from knowing God's voice? The wind and the waves become so small in comparison to knowing that no matter what storms arise, you are walking in obedience to the voice of God!
This next concept may be difficult for me to communicate, but here goes: The larger the vision, the greater the constraint to know the voice of God. As we mature in Christ, and he births greater vision and direction, the enemy will step up the attacks and attempts to confuse the communication lines. There will be more distractions. You may have heard the phrase, "Good is the enemy of Great". As you walk in greater intensity of obedience, you begin to realize the great danger of small compromise. The message Nehemiah received from Shemaiah appealed to his flesh. In a moment of weakness he could have done the wrong thing because it "made sense". But knowing the great call of God constrained him to avoid any level of compromise. Earlier his response to Sanballat & company was "I am doing a great work! Why should I stop to come and visit with you?" (6:3) His passion for the vision and constraint to follow God's direction kept compromise far from him.
God has a vision for you that is larger than you realize. His plans are incredible. The plan begins to be revealed to you as you walk in obedience (Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship). As you seek to intensify your focus on walking with God, you can see the increasing value of it. You then begin to understand that the things around that feed the flesh are not worth the cost of compromise. You begin to understand that watching something full of impurity on television begins to cloud your recognition of the voice of God. Then, when conflicting messages come, you don't know which way to turn.
Guarding the voices you allow into your life will greatly aid your recognition of God's voice. If you're willing to carry the vision, you must be willing to commit yourself to his voice. All of the elements of DREAM are necessary in this maturing process. Each element needs to grow in your life. Go through the checklist of DREAM today. How are you doing? Do you recognize what God is telling you right now? What "noise" in life is clouding his voice? How badly do you want to hear his voice?
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, May 8, 2011
5.8.11 "Recognizing the Voice of God"
"Recognizing the Voice of God"
1 Samuel 2:22-4:22
John 5:24-47
Psalm 106:1-12
Proverbs 14:30-31
How does God speak to you? There have been times in my life where I've felt like I've sensed his voice loud and clear. There have been other times when I'm not sure. What is necessary in helping us find his voice?
I love the book of I Samuel. God has used many of these passages to transform my life. We read yesterday about Hannah and how she gave Samuel to the service of the Lord. Today in chapter 3 we read a story I remember hearing when I was just a kid. It's the story of God calling to Samuel.
"Meanwhile little Samuel was helping the Lord by assisting Eli. Messages from the Lord were very rare in those days, but one night after Eli had gone to bed... and Samuel was sleeping in the Temple near the Ark, the Lord called out, 'Samuel! Samuel!' 'Yes?' Samuel replied, 'What is it?' He jumped up and ran to Eli. 'Here I am. What do you want?' he asked.
"'I didn't call you,' Eli said. 'Go on back to bed.' So he did. Then the Lord called again, 'Samuel!' And again Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli. 'Yes?' he asked 'What do you need?' 'No, I didn't call you, my son,' Eli said. 'Go on back to bed.' (Samuel had never had a message from Jehovah before.)
"So now the Lord called the third time, and once more Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli. 'Yes?' he asked. 'What do you need?' Then Eli realized it was the Lord who had spoken to the child. So he said to Samuel, 'Go and lie down again, and if he calls again, say, "Yes, Lord, I'm listening."' So Samuel went back to bed.
"And the Lord came and called as before, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel replied, 'Yes, I'm listening.'" (I Sam. 3:1-10)
I probably didn't need to type in all 10 verses, but there's so much within the context of the story.
Look at verse 1. "Messages from the Lord were very rare in those days..." Why is that? Eli is the High Priest, and his two sons, Hophni & Phineas were living wicked lives. I Sam 2:22 says, "Eli was now very old, but he was aware of what was going on around him. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Temple."
God cannot dwell where sin abounds. When we allow sin in our lives, it clouds his voice. If we are having trouble hearing God, we need to take the time to make sure we are pure before him. Disobedience causes us to disconnect from his voice. There are many times when I've talked to those who are trying to hear God and I'll ask them, "What's the last thing you KNOW he told you to do." They'll say what it is. It's often something very small. I then ask, "did you do it?" Their response is usually, "Well, no, but..."
It's like hanging up the phone to God and wondering why we can't hear him. It doesn't make any sense at all.
Also, take note of how Samuel is sleeping near the Ark. In the Old Testament, the Ark represents God's presence. To hear his voice, we need to put ourselves in a position of hearing him. We have noisy lives. Most people wake up to alarm clocks set to radio stations, (one morning Lisa's radio got accidently set to a mexican polka station... easy to get up that day!) Many have the TV on day & night, and there's rarely a chance for peace & quiet. There's no time set aside to be near "the Ark". There's no quieting of the heart to even give our ears a chance to hear him.
Probably what I think the main point of this story is, is the fact that Samuel had to LEARN to recognize the voice of God. He heard something, and it was Eli who told him how to recognize it. We need to teach one another how to hear the voice of God. When someone says, "God told me..." Ask how he told them. Not to discredit it, but to learn from it. For me, I've never heard an "audible" voice from God. I've never heard with my physical ears. But at the same time, I've felt an intense pressure in my chest, knowing it's his voice. No, not the heart attack kind of pressure, but a confident sense that my thoughts are not my own.
For me, when I hear his voice, it USUALLY is not a big thing. It's usually small. It often stems from something like, "you should call so-and-so to see how they're doing". It's even smaller than that sometimes. What I'm learning is that as I become obedient to those little things he does tell me, I am in a place to recognize in a greater way the "big" things he's telling me.
In the NIV I Sam. 3:19 says, "The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground." Hearing the voice of God and responding to it became a way of life to Samuel. That's the way I want to be. I want to want what God wants. I want to say what God wants me to say. I want to do what He wants me to do.
That can only happen as I learn to recognize his voice.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
1 Samuel 2:22-4:22
John 5:24-47
Psalm 106:1-12
Proverbs 14:30-31
How does God speak to you? There have been times in my life where I've felt like I've sensed his voice loud and clear. There have been other times when I'm not sure. What is necessary in helping us find his voice?
I love the book of I Samuel. God has used many of these passages to transform my life. We read yesterday about Hannah and how she gave Samuel to the service of the Lord. Today in chapter 3 we read a story I remember hearing when I was just a kid. It's the story of God calling to Samuel.
"Meanwhile little Samuel was helping the Lord by assisting Eli. Messages from the Lord were very rare in those days, but one night after Eli had gone to bed... and Samuel was sleeping in the Temple near the Ark, the Lord called out, 'Samuel! Samuel!' 'Yes?' Samuel replied, 'What is it?' He jumped up and ran to Eli. 'Here I am. What do you want?' he asked.
"'I didn't call you,' Eli said. 'Go on back to bed.' So he did. Then the Lord called again, 'Samuel!' And again Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli. 'Yes?' he asked 'What do you need?' 'No, I didn't call you, my son,' Eli said. 'Go on back to bed.' (Samuel had never had a message from Jehovah before.)
"So now the Lord called the third time, and once more Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli. 'Yes?' he asked. 'What do you need?' Then Eli realized it was the Lord who had spoken to the child. So he said to Samuel, 'Go and lie down again, and if he calls again, say, "Yes, Lord, I'm listening."' So Samuel went back to bed.
"And the Lord came and called as before, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel replied, 'Yes, I'm listening.'" (I Sam. 3:1-10)
I probably didn't need to type in all 10 verses, but there's so much within the context of the story.
Look at verse 1. "Messages from the Lord were very rare in those days..." Why is that? Eli is the High Priest, and his two sons, Hophni & Phineas were living wicked lives. I Sam 2:22 says, "Eli was now very old, but he was aware of what was going on around him. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Temple."
God cannot dwell where sin abounds. When we allow sin in our lives, it clouds his voice. If we are having trouble hearing God, we need to take the time to make sure we are pure before him. Disobedience causes us to disconnect from his voice. There are many times when I've talked to those who are trying to hear God and I'll ask them, "What's the last thing you KNOW he told you to do." They'll say what it is. It's often something very small. I then ask, "did you do it?" Their response is usually, "Well, no, but..."
It's like hanging up the phone to God and wondering why we can't hear him. It doesn't make any sense at all.
Also, take note of how Samuel is sleeping near the Ark. In the Old Testament, the Ark represents God's presence. To hear his voice, we need to put ourselves in a position of hearing him. We have noisy lives. Most people wake up to alarm clocks set to radio stations, (one morning Lisa's radio got accidently set to a mexican polka station... easy to get up that day!) Many have the TV on day & night, and there's rarely a chance for peace & quiet. There's no time set aside to be near "the Ark". There's no quieting of the heart to even give our ears a chance to hear him.
Probably what I think the main point of this story is, is the fact that Samuel had to LEARN to recognize the voice of God. He heard something, and it was Eli who told him how to recognize it. We need to teach one another how to hear the voice of God. When someone says, "God told me..." Ask how he told them. Not to discredit it, but to learn from it. For me, I've never heard an "audible" voice from God. I've never heard with my physical ears. But at the same time, I've felt an intense pressure in my chest, knowing it's his voice. No, not the heart attack kind of pressure, but a confident sense that my thoughts are not my own.
For me, when I hear his voice, it USUALLY is not a big thing. It's usually small. It often stems from something like, "you should call so-and-so to see how they're doing". It's even smaller than that sometimes. What I'm learning is that as I become obedient to those little things he does tell me, I am in a place to recognize in a greater way the "big" things he's telling me.
In the NIV I Sam. 3:19 says, "The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground." Hearing the voice of God and responding to it became a way of life to Samuel. That's the way I want to be. I want to want what God wants. I want to say what God wants me to say. I want to do what He wants me to do.
That can only happen as I learn to recognize his voice.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Friday, March 18, 2011
3.18.11 "The Message & the Desert"
"The Message & the Desert"
Numbers 26:52-28:15
Luke 3:1-22
Psalm 61:1-8
Proverbs 11:16-17
In his book, "A Heart Ablaze" John Bevere writes of the importance of Moses' encounter with the burning bush. "Had he not encountered the Lord... he would have been on a campaign to get them out of slavery and into their own land..." At first glance it may seem "WHAT? He WAS on a campaign getting them out of slavery!" That may be man's perception, but the truth is that he was bringing them to meet with God! That's a much higher priority.
Bevere makes the statement, "if we have a calling on our lives but have not allowed God to bring us to the back side of HIs desert to reveal Himself, we will seek to free people for the sake of freedom. But we need to free people for the purpose of coming to the One for whom we were created."
How do we apply this to our lives? We need to make sure that we subject our plans, good ideas, and even messages from the Lord to his refining process. If we don't do that, we end up with a "product" or message that is not exactly what God had intended it to be.
Let's look at a couple of the "deserts" mentioned today. In Numbers 26, they've done another census. verses 64-65 say, "Not one person in this entire census had been counted in the previous census taken in the wilderness of Sinai! For all who had been counted then had died, as the Lord had decreed when he said of them, 'They shall die in the wilderness.' The only exceptions were Caleb & Joshua."
What's the significance of that? The people who had been in Egypt did not submit themselves to the plan of God in the wilderness. There was time after time that they would rebel, complain, and compromise the plan of God. Many times it was because of concern for their own comfort. In this time of wilderness, had they trusted in God, sought his face more diligently, and allowed Him to refine them, they could have experienced the Promised Land. The only 2 that would see Egypt as well as the Promised Land would be Caleb & Joshua: the ones who trusted in the Lord. The Lord needed to refine the people.
In Luke 3 there's another wilderness. verse 1 says, "... a message came from God to John... as he was living out in the deserts." Sometimes it's in the wilderness where the message is received. Moses was in exile when he saw the burning bush. He got the message in a lonely place. John did as well. The message John had was incredibly impacting. Its importance was so great, it necessitated the refining of the wilderness.
John's message, as prophesied by Isaiah applies to us today: "Prepare a road for the Lord to travel on! Widen the pathway before him! Level the mountains! Fill up the valleys! Straighten the curves! Smooth out the ruts! And then all mankind shall see the Savior sent from God." (Luke 3:4-6)
We must clear a path for the Lord. We may all be in a different place in this process. Some may have no "message", or dream, or plan. Some may not realize they do. Others see a glimpse, and others may be chomping at the bit ready to dive ahead. But ALL must clear the path for God to do his work.
For some the path may need to be cleared to get the message, and for others the process of clearing the path will refine the message. What God places in our hearts is for more than we can understand or imagine. It is world-changing. We all have ruts & valleys, and curves that need to be refined in the presence of the Lord. They need to be refined in the wilderness.
It's a tough prayer to say: Lord refine me. The refining process is hot and can get ugly. Heaven forbid that we take the precious message the Lord has for us the wrong direction. We must seek his face. Though the desert will refine us, God is faithful to carry us through. "For wherever I am, though far away at the ends of the earth, i will cry to you for help. When my heart is faint and overwhelmed, lead me to the mighty, towering Rock of safety. For you are my refuge, a high tower where my enemies can never reach me." (Ps 61:2-3)
THEN all mankind shall see the Savior sent from God! That is what all this is about: to meet with God!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Numbers 26:52-28:15
Luke 3:1-22
Psalm 61:1-8
Proverbs 11:16-17
In his book, "A Heart Ablaze" John Bevere writes of the importance of Moses' encounter with the burning bush. "Had he not encountered the Lord... he would have been on a campaign to get them out of slavery and into their own land..." At first glance it may seem "WHAT? He WAS on a campaign getting them out of slavery!" That may be man's perception, but the truth is that he was bringing them to meet with God! That's a much higher priority.
Bevere makes the statement, "if we have a calling on our lives but have not allowed God to bring us to the back side of HIs desert to reveal Himself, we will seek to free people for the sake of freedom. But we need to free people for the purpose of coming to the One for whom we were created."
How do we apply this to our lives? We need to make sure that we subject our plans, good ideas, and even messages from the Lord to his refining process. If we don't do that, we end up with a "product" or message that is not exactly what God had intended it to be.
Let's look at a couple of the "deserts" mentioned today. In Numbers 26, they've done another census. verses 64-65 say, "Not one person in this entire census had been counted in the previous census taken in the wilderness of Sinai! For all who had been counted then had died, as the Lord had decreed when he said of them, 'They shall die in the wilderness.' The only exceptions were Caleb & Joshua."
What's the significance of that? The people who had been in Egypt did not submit themselves to the plan of God in the wilderness. There was time after time that they would rebel, complain, and compromise the plan of God. Many times it was because of concern for their own comfort. In this time of wilderness, had they trusted in God, sought his face more diligently, and allowed Him to refine them, they could have experienced the Promised Land. The only 2 that would see Egypt as well as the Promised Land would be Caleb & Joshua: the ones who trusted in the Lord. The Lord needed to refine the people.
In Luke 3 there's another wilderness. verse 1 says, "... a message came from God to John... as he was living out in the deserts." Sometimes it's in the wilderness where the message is received. Moses was in exile when he saw the burning bush. He got the message in a lonely place. John did as well. The message John had was incredibly impacting. Its importance was so great, it necessitated the refining of the wilderness.
John's message, as prophesied by Isaiah applies to us today: "Prepare a road for the Lord to travel on! Widen the pathway before him! Level the mountains! Fill up the valleys! Straighten the curves! Smooth out the ruts! And then all mankind shall see the Savior sent from God." (Luke 3:4-6)
We must clear a path for the Lord. We may all be in a different place in this process. Some may have no "message", or dream, or plan. Some may not realize they do. Others see a glimpse, and others may be chomping at the bit ready to dive ahead. But ALL must clear the path for God to do his work.
For some the path may need to be cleared to get the message, and for others the process of clearing the path will refine the message. What God places in our hearts is for more than we can understand or imagine. It is world-changing. We all have ruts & valleys, and curves that need to be refined in the presence of the Lord. They need to be refined in the wilderness.
It's a tough prayer to say: Lord refine me. The refining process is hot and can get ugly. Heaven forbid that we take the precious message the Lord has for us the wrong direction. We must seek his face. Though the desert will refine us, God is faithful to carry us through. "For wherever I am, though far away at the ends of the earth, i will cry to you for help. When my heart is faint and overwhelmed, lead me to the mighty, towering Rock of safety. For you are my refuge, a high tower where my enemies can never reach me." (Ps 61:2-3)
THEN all mankind shall see the Savior sent from God! That is what all this is about: to meet with God!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Friday, February 11, 2011
2.11.11 "Don't Take Another Step"
"Don't Take Another Step"
Exodus 32:1-33:23
Matthew 26:69-27:14
Psalm 33:1-11
Proverbs 8:33-36
Moses has been up on Mount Saini receiving the 10 commandments. It was taking a while, so the people got impatient, and decided to create their own god in the form of an idol. Needless to say, that didn't go over to well with God. In Exodus 33:3, the Lord tells Moses, "Go up to this land that flows with milk and honey. But I will not travel among you, for you are a stubborn and rebellious people. If i did, I would surely destroy you along the way."
In Verse 15 it says, "For Moses had said, 'If you aren't going with us, don't let us move a step from this place. If you don't go with us, who will ever know that I and my people have found favor with you, and that we are different from any other people upon the face of the earth?'"
I love to tell the story about when my daughter was little. We would stand at the edge of the driveway and "practice" not going into the street. If she would step over the line, she would get in trouble. I wanted to train her that it was not safe to step into the street without holding my hand. She was very good at this. I'll never forget that first time on a Wednesday night she ran across the church driveway without thinking. Thankfully there were no cars coming, but I'll never forget the awful feeling I had as I watched her run out on her own into danger.
I imagine that's the way the Lord feels when we "run out" in our own strength. I'm sure his heart breaks to see our ignorance about the danger that we put ourselves in. Sure, there may not be a car coming at the moment, but that almost makes it worse. We start to think, "Hey, I can do this on my own." Our hearts become more independent, and we walk outside of the covering of God. We don't hold his hand.
Just as Moses prayed, I need to depend on the Lord. In this age of grace and blessing, it can be easy to begin to move in my own strength. The world around me needs to see me living in the favor of the Lord. They need to see that we're different.
The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is a life moving with the Lord. Staying in his Word trains us to hear his voice. Walking with him equips us to fulfill our Mission to Reach Our World for Christ. Each day we need to cry out to God to walk with us, to hold our hand.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Exodus 32:1-33:23
Matthew 26:69-27:14
Psalm 33:1-11
Proverbs 8:33-36
Moses has been up on Mount Saini receiving the 10 commandments. It was taking a while, so the people got impatient, and decided to create their own god in the form of an idol. Needless to say, that didn't go over to well with God. In Exodus 33:3, the Lord tells Moses, "Go up to this land that flows with milk and honey. But I will not travel among you, for you are a stubborn and rebellious people. If i did, I would surely destroy you along the way."
In Verse 15 it says, "For Moses had said, 'If you aren't going with us, don't let us move a step from this place. If you don't go with us, who will ever know that I and my people have found favor with you, and that we are different from any other people upon the face of the earth?'"
I love to tell the story about when my daughter was little. We would stand at the edge of the driveway and "practice" not going into the street. If she would step over the line, she would get in trouble. I wanted to train her that it was not safe to step into the street without holding my hand. She was very good at this. I'll never forget that first time on a Wednesday night she ran across the church driveway without thinking. Thankfully there were no cars coming, but I'll never forget the awful feeling I had as I watched her run out on her own into danger.
I imagine that's the way the Lord feels when we "run out" in our own strength. I'm sure his heart breaks to see our ignorance about the danger that we put ourselves in. Sure, there may not be a car coming at the moment, but that almost makes it worse. We start to think, "Hey, I can do this on my own." Our hearts become more independent, and we walk outside of the covering of God. We don't hold his hand.
Just as Moses prayed, I need to depend on the Lord. In this age of grace and blessing, it can be easy to begin to move in my own strength. The world around me needs to see me living in the favor of the Lord. They need to see that we're different.
The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship is a life moving with the Lord. Staying in his Word trains us to hear his voice. Walking with him equips us to fulfill our Mission to Reach Our World for Christ. Each day we need to cry out to God to walk with us, to hold our hand.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Monday, January 17, 2011
1.17.11 "Prepare to Hear from God"
"Prepare to Hear from God"
Genesis 35:1-36:43
Matthew 12:1-21
Psalm 15:1-5
Proverbs 3:21-26
What is God telling you to do?
How easy is it to answer that question? It will be different for each one of us. So often I hear the answer. "I think he wants me to..." or, it's "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me." At times I've used those same answers myself.
What's with that? Do you think it's God's desire that we feel the need to decipher signs and circumstances to find his will?
We have a dilemma. We need to Live the DREAM. At the hub of the Balanced Christian Life is the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. True worship is obedience. Obedience to what? Obedience to what God is telling me to do. What's he telling me to do? "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me..."
In today's reading, the Lord calls Jacob to a place where he desires to talk to him.
"Move on to Bethel now, and settle there,' God said to Jacob, 'and build an altar to worship me - the God who appeared to you when you fled from you brother Esau.' So Jacob instructed all those in his household to destroy the idols they had brought with them, and to wash themselves and to put on fresh clothing. 'For we are going to Bethel,' he told them, 'and I will build an altar there...' Upon Jacob's arrival at Bethel, en route from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him once again and blessed him." Gen 35:1-3,9
Take note of what Jacob did to prepare himself and his people to hear from God. They got rid of their idols and put on fresh clothes.
We live in a day and age of God's mercy and grace. However, I think many have tainted their relationship with the Lord because of a misunderstanding of what that means. Some take the approach of "adding" Jesus to their life instead of "giving" him their life. What this looks like in practical terms is God's people walking around in dirty clothes and arms full of idols and wondering if the voice they're hearing is "God or me".
The difficulty in hearing his voice is not because he is not speaking. It's not because he doesn't want to speak. It's most often because I've not prepared myself to hear from him. I've allowed the noise of this world to drown out His voice. I've been close enough to sin to dirty my clothes.
Sleeping too long can be an idol. My comfort clouds my ears from his voice. Getting to bed earlier so I can get up earlier is a way that I can prepare myself to hear his voice. Limiting worldly influence is a huge part of it as well. If I spend all my time listening to news & commentary, I will begin to subtly develop a belief system based on the politics of man rather than scriptural principles.
So many times individuals have come to me not knowing the voice of God and not knowing what to do. My usual question to them is, "What's the last thing you KNOW he told you to do?" Usually there's an answer. Often it's something seemingly small and insignificant. "Then go there and do it."
We can't take a shortcut around this 'obedience' thing. We must obey to be his people. We must be able to hear his voice. Therefore, we must set aside idols, put on fresh clothes, and prepare to hear from him. It's HIS desire to speak to us.
A common misinterpretation is that we need to be "good enough" to meet with God. That's not correct. It's impossible for anyone to be "good enough", so there's no sense in that. We must simply be prepared. We need to consecrate ourselves. Be set apart. Be quiet.
Prepare to meet with God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Genesis 35:1-36:43
Matthew 12:1-21
Psalm 15:1-5
Proverbs 3:21-26
What is God telling you to do?
How easy is it to answer that question? It will be different for each one of us. So often I hear the answer. "I think he wants me to..." or, it's "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me." At times I've used those same answers myself.
What's with that? Do you think it's God's desire that we feel the need to decipher signs and circumstances to find his will?
We have a dilemma. We need to Live the DREAM. At the hub of the Balanced Christian Life is the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. True worship is obedience. Obedience to what? Obedience to what God is telling me to do. What's he telling me to do? "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me..."
In today's reading, the Lord calls Jacob to a place where he desires to talk to him.
"Move on to Bethel now, and settle there,' God said to Jacob, 'and build an altar to worship me - the God who appeared to you when you fled from you brother Esau.' So Jacob instructed all those in his household to destroy the idols they had brought with them, and to wash themselves and to put on fresh clothing. 'For we are going to Bethel,' he told them, 'and I will build an altar there...' Upon Jacob's arrival at Bethel, en route from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him once again and blessed him." Gen 35:1-3,9
Take note of what Jacob did to prepare himself and his people to hear from God. They got rid of their idols and put on fresh clothes.
We live in a day and age of God's mercy and grace. However, I think many have tainted their relationship with the Lord because of a misunderstanding of what that means. Some take the approach of "adding" Jesus to their life instead of "giving" him their life. What this looks like in practical terms is God's people walking around in dirty clothes and arms full of idols and wondering if the voice they're hearing is "God or me".
The difficulty in hearing his voice is not because he is not speaking. It's not because he doesn't want to speak. It's most often because I've not prepared myself to hear from him. I've allowed the noise of this world to drown out His voice. I've been close enough to sin to dirty my clothes.
Sleeping too long can be an idol. My comfort clouds my ears from his voice. Getting to bed earlier so I can get up earlier is a way that I can prepare myself to hear his voice. Limiting worldly influence is a huge part of it as well. If I spend all my time listening to news & commentary, I will begin to subtly develop a belief system based on the politics of man rather than scriptural principles.
So many times individuals have come to me not knowing the voice of God and not knowing what to do. My usual question to them is, "What's the last thing you KNOW he told you to do?" Usually there's an answer. Often it's something seemingly small and insignificant. "Then go there and do it."
We can't take a shortcut around this 'obedience' thing. We must obey to be his people. We must be able to hear his voice. Therefore, we must set aside idols, put on fresh clothes, and prepare to hear from him. It's HIS desire to speak to us.
A common misinterpretation is that we need to be "good enough" to meet with God. That's not correct. It's impossible for anyone to be "good enough", so there's no sense in that. We must simply be prepared. We need to consecrate ourselves. Be set apart. Be quiet.
Prepare to meet with God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
Pastor Greg Lathe
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Thursday, December 9, 2010
12.9.10 "Positioned to Hear"
"Positioned to Hear"
Joel 1:1-3:21
Revelation 1:1-20
Psalm 128:1-6
Proverbs 29:18
"I was on the island of Patmos, exiled for preaching the Word of God, and for telling what I knew about Jesus Christ. It was the Lord's Day and I was worshiping, when suddenly I heard a loud voice behind me, a voice that sounded like a trumpet blast".
This is a familiar scripture. I'm sure you've heard it many times. I know I have. What struck me is something that we all need to remember. We never know when God is going to speak to us, but we need to be in a position to hear him.
John is on this prison island in exile. Yet that doesn't change the fact that he is worshiping the Lord on the Lord's Day. In fleshly reason, it's easy to say, "you know what, John, you've had it rough. You deserve to skip church today...." Yet, on the Lord's Day, he's worshiping the Lord.
Too often we create an excuse for our lack of discipline in time with the Lord. "I'm tired, I'm too busy..." We skip time in God's house, We skip our morning devotions. Of course it's for "good reason". I'm sure God understands...
And then we wonder why we don't hear from God. We wonder why there's no revelation. Empowered Through Biblical Training is a Discipline. Discipline prepares us to be where we need to be when God needs to speak to us and to use us. I'm sure it's sad from God's perspective to have something he really desires to place in our heart, and i'm too busy & I run out the door. What he wanted to show me would greatly equip me for the day. Then I struggle through the day in my own strength. Then when I get home, I blame Him for how bad it went.
When I was in college, I heard a great analogy from this little missionary lady from Napal. Her name was Pam Seward. She told of how the Napali government was given a satellite dish for communications. The way it works is that a motor on the dish moves it to follow wherever the satellite went. Well they were happy to have received this for free, but they began thinking that if they used it too much it may wear out & they would have to fix it. So they decided to turn the motor off when they weren't using it. You can guess what happened. When they'd fire it up, it spent way more energy trying to search out the satellite. It would have been so much more efficient to keep it in tune with the satellite all the time.
The same is true for us. we need to daily be in tune with the voice of the Holy Spirit. Then we can clearly recognize the still small voice whenever and wherever it speaks. He's often telling us very simple practical steps that when obeyed, have the potential to change the world.
We are more desperate for the Lord than we realize. Every day we need to take the time to hear from God. It shouldn't be optional. It's vital to do this to discover and become who God created us to be. The "revelation" may not happen the first day, the first week, or when we want it. But, regardless, we need to be in position to hear him no matter the circumstance.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Joel 1:1-3:21
Revelation 1:1-20
Psalm 128:1-6
Proverbs 29:18
"I was on the island of Patmos, exiled for preaching the Word of God, and for telling what I knew about Jesus Christ. It was the Lord's Day and I was worshiping, when suddenly I heard a loud voice behind me, a voice that sounded like a trumpet blast".
This is a familiar scripture. I'm sure you've heard it many times. I know I have. What struck me is something that we all need to remember. We never know when God is going to speak to us, but we need to be in a position to hear him.
John is on this prison island in exile. Yet that doesn't change the fact that he is worshiping the Lord on the Lord's Day. In fleshly reason, it's easy to say, "you know what, John, you've had it rough. You deserve to skip church today...." Yet, on the Lord's Day, he's worshiping the Lord.
Too often we create an excuse for our lack of discipline in time with the Lord. "I'm tired, I'm too busy..." We skip time in God's house, We skip our morning devotions. Of course it's for "good reason". I'm sure God understands...
And then we wonder why we don't hear from God. We wonder why there's no revelation. Empowered Through Biblical Training is a Discipline. Discipline prepares us to be where we need to be when God needs to speak to us and to use us. I'm sure it's sad from God's perspective to have something he really desires to place in our heart, and i'm too busy & I run out the door. What he wanted to show me would greatly equip me for the day. Then I struggle through the day in my own strength. Then when I get home, I blame Him for how bad it went.
When I was in college, I heard a great analogy from this little missionary lady from Napal. Her name was Pam Seward. She told of how the Napali government was given a satellite dish for communications. The way it works is that a motor on the dish moves it to follow wherever the satellite went. Well they were happy to have received this for free, but they began thinking that if they used it too much it may wear out & they would have to fix it. So they decided to turn the motor off when they weren't using it. You can guess what happened. When they'd fire it up, it spent way more energy trying to search out the satellite. It would have been so much more efficient to keep it in tune with the satellite all the time.
The same is true for us. we need to daily be in tune with the voice of the Holy Spirit. Then we can clearly recognize the still small voice whenever and wherever it speaks. He's often telling us very simple practical steps that when obeyed, have the potential to change the world.
We are more desperate for the Lord than we realize. Every day we need to take the time to hear from God. It shouldn't be optional. It's vital to do this to discover and become who God created us to be. The "revelation" may not happen the first day, the first week, or when we want it. But, regardless, we need to be in position to hear him no matter the circumstance.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
10.20.10 "If You Don't Believe it, Tear it Out!"
"If You Don't Believe it, Tear it Out!"
Jeremiah 35:1-36:32
I Timothy 5:1-25
Psalm 89:14-37
Proverbs 25:25-27
When I was a student at North Central Bible College (Now called North Central University), we had daily chapel services. One of the professors was speaking one day, and as he read a few scriptures, he'd tear the page right out of his bible and he crumpled it up and threw it on the floor. His message was very clear. If you don't believe it, you could just as well tear it out. (I should mention that we later found out that the professor had put another book inside his bible and was ripping out those pages, not destroying the bible!)
I was reminded of that sermon as I read Jeremiah 36. "This word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 'Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now. Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, each of them will turn from his wicked way; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin."
Jeremiah then dictates all the words to Baruch who writes them on a scroll. Baruch then reads them before the people and ultimately the scroll is brought before King Jehoiakim. "It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment, with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe's knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. Even though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them." Jer. 36:22-25
The King orders the arrest of Jeremiah and Baruch, but the Lord hides them. Then the Lord says to Jeremiah, "Take another scroll and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim King of Judah burned up. (Jer.36:28) In Verse 32 it says, "So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch... and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them."
There are several things to think about from this portion of scripture:
1. Think of God's love. The whole purpose of his commands are that "Perhaps when the people hear... each of them will turn from his wicked way... then I will forgive." (36:3). God's word empowers us for repentance!
2. Think of the obedience of Jeremiah. To write down ALL the words the Lord had spoken to him! He knew this would ultimately get him into trouble, yet he did it. It was a lot of work.
3. Think of his faithfulness in spite of the results. After all his work, the scroll had been burned up. How many of us would say, "Sorry God, your idea didn't work! I'm not going there again!"
4. One of the more convicting thoughts is this: Think of the king. Sitting at the comfort of his fire, hearing the word of God, deciding not to heed it, and throwing it into the fire. How does that apply to us? How many times am I hearing the word of the Lord, and for one reason or another I choose not to follow, apply, or obey what I just heard? Maybe I've heard it so much I've become numb to it. What I am in essence doing is tearing it out and throwing it into the fire of my comfort. How tragic. Now God will have to speak it again. With more words than the time before!
Let the Word of God reach you today. Don't tear it out. Let it equip you for repentance. Let it transform you!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Jeremiah 35:1-36:32
I Timothy 5:1-25
Psalm 89:14-37
Proverbs 25:25-27
When I was a student at North Central Bible College (Now called North Central University), we had daily chapel services. One of the professors was speaking one day, and as he read a few scriptures, he'd tear the page right out of his bible and he crumpled it up and threw it on the floor. His message was very clear. If you don't believe it, you could just as well tear it out. (I should mention that we later found out that the professor had put another book inside his bible and was ripping out those pages, not destroying the bible!)
I was reminded of that sermon as I read Jeremiah 36. "This word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 'Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now. Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, each of them will turn from his wicked way; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin."
Jeremiah then dictates all the words to Baruch who writes them on a scroll. Baruch then reads them before the people and ultimately the scroll is brought before King Jehoiakim. "It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment, with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe's knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. Even though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them." Jer. 36:22-25
The King orders the arrest of Jeremiah and Baruch, but the Lord hides them. Then the Lord says to Jeremiah, "Take another scroll and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim King of Judah burned up. (Jer.36:28) In Verse 32 it says, "So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch... and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them."
There are several things to think about from this portion of scripture:
1. Think of God's love. The whole purpose of his commands are that "Perhaps when the people hear... each of them will turn from his wicked way... then I will forgive." (36:3). God's word empowers us for repentance!
2. Think of the obedience of Jeremiah. To write down ALL the words the Lord had spoken to him! He knew this would ultimately get him into trouble, yet he did it. It was a lot of work.
3. Think of his faithfulness in spite of the results. After all his work, the scroll had been burned up. How many of us would say, "Sorry God, your idea didn't work! I'm not going there again!"
4. One of the more convicting thoughts is this: Think of the king. Sitting at the comfort of his fire, hearing the word of God, deciding not to heed it, and throwing it into the fire. How does that apply to us? How many times am I hearing the word of the Lord, and for one reason or another I choose not to follow, apply, or obey what I just heard? Maybe I've heard it so much I've become numb to it. What I am in essence doing is tearing it out and throwing it into the fire of my comfort. How tragic. Now God will have to speak it again. With more words than the time before!
Let the Word of God reach you today. Don't tear it out. Let it equip you for repentance. Let it transform you!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, October 3, 2010
10.3.10 "Simple Words"
"Simple Words"
Jeremiah 1:1-2:30
Philippians 4:1-23
Psalm 75:1-10
Proverbs 24:17-20
Have you ever had what someone said to you linger in your mind? "Have you lost weight?" "You look really good in that color..." Sometimes the most simple words or phrases can have a profound and lasting impact. "Why don't you give up. you know you're not good enough." "Looks like you could use some exercise..." "I'm disappointed in you."
Often our life is directed and motivated by the simple words we've heard. I think the choices we make depend on which words we choose to dwell on.
As I was reading the first chapter of Jeremiah this morning, there were some phrases that stood out from the scriptures. Each phrase caused me to pause and meditate on the impact and meaning. I would encourage you to spend time considering the words of the Lord today.
"I knew you..."
"I formed you..."
"I set you apart and appointed you..."
"go wherever I send you"
"say whatever I tell you."
"I will be with you and will protect you."
"I have put my words in your mouth."
"I appoint you to stand up..."
"I am watching..."
"I will certainly carry out all my plans..."
"I am calling"
"I, the Lord, have spoken"
"Get up..."
"Prepare for action..."
"Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say..."
"Do not be afraid..."
"I have made you strong..."
"You will stand..."
"I am with you..."
"I will take care of you..."
"I, the Lord, have spoken!"
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Jeremiah 1:1-2:30
Philippians 4:1-23
Psalm 75:1-10
Proverbs 24:17-20
Have you ever had what someone said to you linger in your mind? "Have you lost weight?" "You look really good in that color..." Sometimes the most simple words or phrases can have a profound and lasting impact. "Why don't you give up. you know you're not good enough." "Looks like you could use some exercise..." "I'm disappointed in you."
Often our life is directed and motivated by the simple words we've heard. I think the choices we make depend on which words we choose to dwell on.
As I was reading the first chapter of Jeremiah this morning, there were some phrases that stood out from the scriptures. Each phrase caused me to pause and meditate on the impact and meaning. I would encourage you to spend time considering the words of the Lord today.
"I knew you..."
"I formed you..."
"I set you apart and appointed you..."
"go wherever I send you"
"say whatever I tell you."
"I will be with you and will protect you."
"I have put my words in your mouth."
"I appoint you to stand up..."
"I am watching..."
"I will certainly carry out all my plans..."
"I am calling"
"I, the Lord, have spoken"
"Get up..."
"Prepare for action..."
"Go out and tell them everything I tell you to say..."
"Do not be afraid..."
"I have made you strong..."
"You will stand..."
"I am with you..."
"I will take care of you..."
"I, the Lord, have spoken!"
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Saturday, September 18, 2010
9.18.10 "The Plans We Make"
"The Plans We Make"
Isaiah 28:14-30:11
Galatians 3:23-4:31
Psalms 62:1-12
Proverbs 23:19-21
"Number 5 Alive!" If you're a product of the 80's you remember the line from Short Circuit. It's where a robot short circuits & develops a mind and personality of it's own. Many a movie have been made about man's creation coming to life. Frankenstein and many others. Most of the time, it's with disastrous results.
Isaiah 29:15 says, "Woe to those who try to hide their plans from God, who try to keep him in the dark concerning what they do! 'God can't see us,' they say to themselves. 'He doesn't know what is going on!'"
Doesn't that sound like the way many people live? Unfortunately, that's how some Christians live. We make moves to get close to God, but then we still make OUR plans. Want to know how God feels about this? Look how Isaiah describes it in verse 16: "How stupid can they be! Isn't he, the Potter, greater than you, the jars he makes? Will you say to him, 'He didn't make us'? Does a machine call its inventor dumb?"
How simple we are sometimes to think that we can make our own way without God being a part of the process. Why do we do that? Sometimes we feel God directing us to do something, and we agree on our terms. Ok, I'll obey, but first I'm going to do this, and get this, and buy this, or wait until this.... We have all these plans that we've made on our own, and we've not let the Lord be a part of the process.
Lisa and I have always had busy lives, but there was a time years ago when Lisa and I were working 4 jobs between us. We were having a good time, and things were going well, but everyone was saying, "You guys are crazy! How can you do this?" etc. Well one night we sat down and decided we were going to determine what direction we were going to take. We had lists of pros & cons, and were going to work it all out. Good plan, right? Actually, we became very frustrated in the process. What God spoke to us during that moment was, "Are you saying I can't give you the strength to do what I've called you to do?" Needless to say, we knew the answer: Do His plan, not ours. We had one more year of that unbelievable schedule, but we knew we were in God's hands, and in his plan, and a year later he gave us clear direction.
When it comes to finding direction from the Lord, often we like to talk to a bunch of people before waiting on God. Isaiah 30:1-2 addresses that. "Woe to my rebellious children, says the Lord; you ask advice from everyone but me, and decide to do what I don't want you to do. You yoke yourselves with unbelievers, thus piling up your sins. For without consulting me you have gone down to Egypt to find aid and have put your trust in Pharaoh for his protection."
WE know & love Jeremiah 29:11 - "for I know the plans I have for you..." We know that there is a plan and direction for our lives. Why then do we try to figure it out on our own? We need to rest in him, trust in him, rely on him, wait for him, and obey him. There's no other way to live in peace.
If you're sensing frustration in your life regarding direction, make sure you are not trying to make plans on your own. Make sure you are moving in a direction God has pointed you toward. "Hey, this looks like a good idea..." leads to trouble most of the time. Instead of saying, "I'm going to head out in this direction unless God tells me different...", maybe we should say like Jehosaphat, "We don't know what to do but our eyes are on you." (2 Chr. 20:12)
We need to live God-directed lives. Obedience is the focus of a Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. To be obedient, we need to hear his voice. To hear his voice, we need to stop talking and planning, and wait on him.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Isaiah 28:14-30:11
Galatians 3:23-4:31
Psalms 62:1-12
Proverbs 23:19-21
"Number 5 Alive!" If you're a product of the 80's you remember the line from Short Circuit. It's where a robot short circuits & develops a mind and personality of it's own. Many a movie have been made about man's creation coming to life. Frankenstein and many others. Most of the time, it's with disastrous results.
Isaiah 29:15 says, "Woe to those who try to hide their plans from God, who try to keep him in the dark concerning what they do! 'God can't see us,' they say to themselves. 'He doesn't know what is going on!'"
Doesn't that sound like the way many people live? Unfortunately, that's how some Christians live. We make moves to get close to God, but then we still make OUR plans. Want to know how God feels about this? Look how Isaiah describes it in verse 16: "How stupid can they be! Isn't he, the Potter, greater than you, the jars he makes? Will you say to him, 'He didn't make us'? Does a machine call its inventor dumb?"
How simple we are sometimes to think that we can make our own way without God being a part of the process. Why do we do that? Sometimes we feel God directing us to do something, and we agree on our terms. Ok, I'll obey, but first I'm going to do this, and get this, and buy this, or wait until this.... We have all these plans that we've made on our own, and we've not let the Lord be a part of the process.
Lisa and I have always had busy lives, but there was a time years ago when Lisa and I were working 4 jobs between us. We were having a good time, and things were going well, but everyone was saying, "You guys are crazy! How can you do this?" etc. Well one night we sat down and decided we were going to determine what direction we were going to take. We had lists of pros & cons, and were going to work it all out. Good plan, right? Actually, we became very frustrated in the process. What God spoke to us during that moment was, "Are you saying I can't give you the strength to do what I've called you to do?" Needless to say, we knew the answer: Do His plan, not ours. We had one more year of that unbelievable schedule, but we knew we were in God's hands, and in his plan, and a year later he gave us clear direction.
When it comes to finding direction from the Lord, often we like to talk to a bunch of people before waiting on God. Isaiah 30:1-2 addresses that. "Woe to my rebellious children, says the Lord; you ask advice from everyone but me, and decide to do what I don't want you to do. You yoke yourselves with unbelievers, thus piling up your sins. For without consulting me you have gone down to Egypt to find aid and have put your trust in Pharaoh for his protection."
WE know & love Jeremiah 29:11 - "for I know the plans I have for you..." We know that there is a plan and direction for our lives. Why then do we try to figure it out on our own? We need to rest in him, trust in him, rely on him, wait for him, and obey him. There's no other way to live in peace.
If you're sensing frustration in your life regarding direction, make sure you are not trying to make plans on your own. Make sure you are moving in a direction God has pointed you toward. "Hey, this looks like a good idea..." leads to trouble most of the time. Instead of saying, "I'm going to head out in this direction unless God tells me different...", maybe we should say like Jehosaphat, "We don't know what to do but our eyes are on you." (2 Chr. 20:12)
We need to live God-directed lives. Obedience is the focus of a Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. To be obedient, we need to hear his voice. To hear his voice, we need to stop talking and planning, and wait on him.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Saturday, May 8, 2010
5.8.10 "Recognizing the Voice of God"
"Recognizing the Voice of God"
1 Samuel 2:22-4:22
John 5:24-47
Psalm 106:1-12
Proverbs 14:30-31
How does God speak to you? There have been times in my life where I've felt like I've sensed his voice loud and clear. There have been other times when I'm not sure. What is necessary in helping us find his voice?
I love the book of I Samuel. God has used many of these passages to transform my life. We read yesterday about Hannah and how she gave Samuel to the service of the Lord. Today in chapter 3 we read a story I remember hearing when I was just a kid. It's the story of God calling to Samuel.
"Meanwhile little Samuel was helping the Lord by assisting Eli. Messages from the Lord were very rare in those days, but one night after Eli had gone to bed... and Samuel was sleeping in the Temple near the Ark, the Lord called out, 'Samuel! Samuel!' 'Yes?' Samuel replied, 'What is it?' He jumped up and ran to Eli. 'Here I am. What do you want?' he asked.
"'I didn't call you,' Eli said. 'Go on back to bed.' So he did. Then the Lord called again, 'Samuel!' And again Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli. 'Yes?' he asked 'What do you need?' 'No, I didn't call you, my son,' Eli said. 'Go on back to bed.' (Samuel had never had a message from Jehovah before.)
"So now the Lord called the third time, and once more Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli. 'Yes?' he asked. 'What do you need?' Then Eli realized it was the Lord who had spoken to the child. So he said to Samuel, 'Go and lie down again, and if he calls again, say, "Yes, Lord, I'm listening."' So Samuel went back to bed.
"And the Lord came and called as before, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel replied, 'Yes, I'm listening.'" (I Sam. 3:1-10)
I probably didn't need to type in all 10 verses, but there's so much within the context of the story.
Look at verse 1. "Messages from the Lord were very rare in those days..." Why is that? Eli is the High Priest, and his two sons, Hophni & Phineas were living wicked lives. I Sam 2:22 says, "Eli was now very old, but he was aware of what was going on around him. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Temple."
God cannot dwell where sin abounds. When we allow sin in our lives, it clouds his voice. If we are having trouble hearing God, we need to take the time to make sure we are pure before him. Disobedience causes us to disconnect from his voice. There are many times when I've talked to those who are trying to hear God and I'll ask them, "What's the last thing you KNOW he told you to do." They'll say what it is. It's often something very small. I then ask, "did you do it?" Their response is usually, "Well, no, but..."
It's like hanging up the phone to God and wondering why we can't hear him. It doesn't make any sense at all.
Also, take note of how Samuel is sleeping near the Ark. In the Old Testament, the Ark represents God's presence. To hear his voice, we need to put ourselves in a position of hearing him. We have noisy lives. Most people wake up to alarm clocks set to radio stations, (one morning Lisa's radio got accidently set to a mexican polka station... easy to get up that day!) Many have the TV on day & night, and there's rarely a chance for peace & quiet. There's no time set aside to be near "the Ark". There's no quieting of the heart to even give our ears a chance to hear him.
Probably what I think the main point of this story is, is the fact that Samuel had to LEARN to recognize the voice of God. He heard something, and it was Eli who told him how to recognize it. We need to teach one another how to hear the voice of God. When someone says, "God told me..." Ask how he told them. Not to discredit it, but to learn from it. For me, I've never heard an "audible" voice from God. I've never heard with my physical ears. But at the same time, I've felt an intense pressure in my chest, knowing it's his voice. No, not the heart attack kind of pressure, but a confident sense that my thoughts are not my own.
For me, when I hear his voice, it USUALLY is not a big thing. It's usually small. It often stems from something like, "you should call so-and-so to see how they're doing". It's even smaller than that sometimes. What I'm learning is that as I become obedient to those little things he does tell me, I am in a place to recognize in a greater way the "big" things he's telling me.
In the NIV I Sam. 3:19 says, "The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground." Hearing the voice of God and responding to it became a way of life to Samuel. That's the way I want to be. I want to want what God wants. I want to say what God wants me to say. I want to do what He wants me to do.
That can only happen as I learn to recognize his voice.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
1 Samuel 2:22-4:22
John 5:24-47
Psalm 106:1-12
Proverbs 14:30-31
How does God speak to you? There have been times in my life where I've felt like I've sensed his voice loud and clear. There have been other times when I'm not sure. What is necessary in helping us find his voice?
I love the book of I Samuel. God has used many of these passages to transform my life. We read yesterday about Hannah and how she gave Samuel to the service of the Lord. Today in chapter 3 we read a story I remember hearing when I was just a kid. It's the story of God calling to Samuel.
"Meanwhile little Samuel was helping the Lord by assisting Eli. Messages from the Lord were very rare in those days, but one night after Eli had gone to bed... and Samuel was sleeping in the Temple near the Ark, the Lord called out, 'Samuel! Samuel!' 'Yes?' Samuel replied, 'What is it?' He jumped up and ran to Eli. 'Here I am. What do you want?' he asked.
"'I didn't call you,' Eli said. 'Go on back to bed.' So he did. Then the Lord called again, 'Samuel!' And again Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli. 'Yes?' he asked 'What do you need?' 'No, I didn't call you, my son,' Eli said. 'Go on back to bed.' (Samuel had never had a message from Jehovah before.)
"So now the Lord called the third time, and once more Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli. 'Yes?' he asked. 'What do you need?' Then Eli realized it was the Lord who had spoken to the child. So he said to Samuel, 'Go and lie down again, and if he calls again, say, "Yes, Lord, I'm listening."' So Samuel went back to bed.
"And the Lord came and called as before, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel replied, 'Yes, I'm listening.'" (I Sam. 3:1-10)
I probably didn't need to type in all 10 verses, but there's so much within the context of the story.
Look at verse 1. "Messages from the Lord were very rare in those days..." Why is that? Eli is the High Priest, and his two sons, Hophni & Phineas were living wicked lives. I Sam 2:22 says, "Eli was now very old, but he was aware of what was going on around him. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Temple."
God cannot dwell where sin abounds. When we allow sin in our lives, it clouds his voice. If we are having trouble hearing God, we need to take the time to make sure we are pure before him. Disobedience causes us to disconnect from his voice. There are many times when I've talked to those who are trying to hear God and I'll ask them, "What's the last thing you KNOW he told you to do." They'll say what it is. It's often something very small. I then ask, "did you do it?" Their response is usually, "Well, no, but..."
It's like hanging up the phone to God and wondering why we can't hear him. It doesn't make any sense at all.
Also, take note of how Samuel is sleeping near the Ark. In the Old Testament, the Ark represents God's presence. To hear his voice, we need to put ourselves in a position of hearing him. We have noisy lives. Most people wake up to alarm clocks set to radio stations, (one morning Lisa's radio got accidently set to a mexican polka station... easy to get up that day!) Many have the TV on day & night, and there's rarely a chance for peace & quiet. There's no time set aside to be near "the Ark". There's no quieting of the heart to even give our ears a chance to hear him.
Probably what I think the main point of this story is, is the fact that Samuel had to LEARN to recognize the voice of God. He heard something, and it was Eli who told him how to recognize it. We need to teach one another how to hear the voice of God. When someone says, "God told me..." Ask how he told them. Not to discredit it, but to learn from it. For me, I've never heard an "audible" voice from God. I've never heard with my physical ears. But at the same time, I've felt an intense pressure in my chest, knowing it's his voice. No, not the heart attack kind of pressure, but a confident sense that my thoughts are not my own.
For me, when I hear his voice, it USUALLY is not a big thing. It's usually small. It often stems from something like, "you should call so-and-so to see how they're doing". It's even smaller than that sometimes. What I'm learning is that as I become obedient to those little things he does tell me, I am in a place to recognize in a greater way the "big" things he's telling me.
In the NIV I Sam. 3:19 says, "The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground." Hearing the voice of God and responding to it became a way of life to Samuel. That's the way I want to be. I want to want what God wants. I want to say what God wants me to say. I want to do what He wants me to do.
That can only happen as I learn to recognize his voice.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, April 11, 2010
4.11.10 "The Great Adventure"
"The Great Adventure!"
Joshua 3:1-4:24
Luke 14:7-35
Psalm 80:1-19
Proverbs 12:27-28
God has a unique plan for each one of us. Our experiences, giftings, and passions are as diverse as our fingerprints. The one thing that we all share however, is the fact that God has big plans for every one of us. There is a Promised Land of potential that he has prepared for our lives. Whether we realize it or not, the name of the Promised Land is not "Mediocrity".
Pause to take a moment to consider how close you are to the Lord right now.
Is there anything between you and your relationship with him?
Are you as close as you've ever been?
Are you planning on getting closer?
Is there anything keeping you from getting closer?
As is illustrated in the journey of the Israelites, our adventure with Christ does not stop at salvation. We don't just "get out of Egypt" so we can wander around in the wilderness of mediocrity. We have a purpose and a direction that God has laid out for us. We must pursue it.
What's it going to take to get there?
Moses has died, and Joshua is now leading the people. they are getting ready to cross the Jordan. "'You have never before been where we are going now...' Then Joshua told the people to purify themselves. 'For tomorrow,' he said, 'the Lord will do a great miracle.'" (Jos. 3:4-5)
God does not want me to spend my life in a surface relationship with him. He doesn't want me to waste time repeating tests and recycling frustrations. He wants to bring me into a powerful and purposeful relationship with him to experience the full potential of his promise. Why? Not for my benefit, but so that he can make his name great in the world around me.
What are we to do in preparation for this adventure? We must purify ourselves. Consecration is a prerequisite of the miraculous experience. We must prepare for battle. We must keep the "radio" of our spirit tuned to the voice of God. To fill our lives with worldliness and self-gratification creates a broken signal.
I received a voicemail at the church that someone had left at 2:30 in the morning. "Pastor Greg, this is (static) could you call me as soon as (static)? I (static) need to talk to you. my number is 41...(static)." He was calling from a cell phone, and the connection was unclear. I was REALLY worried and was really praying for this guy. It's not usually good news if you're getting a call at that time of day. As it turned out it wasn't a crisis, he just works 3rd shift.
But when there's sin in our life, we put static in our communication with God. We can't hear his voice clearly. We must make sure to get the good "coverage" of a sinless life.
There is a price in following Christ, but it is worth it! "And no one can be my disciple who does not carry his own cross and follow me." (Luke 14:26)
We need to be so sensitive to the Holy Spirit that we hear clear directions in the smallest of things. When we respond in faithfulness to these little things, we will KNOW the voice of God so we don't have to doubt when God directs us to say, "Be Healed!"
We need to count the cost, consecrate ourselves, and prepare to experience the miracles God has laid out for us. We need to prepare for the journey of this Great Adventure!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Joshua 3:1-4:24
Luke 14:7-35
Psalm 80:1-19
Proverbs 12:27-28
God has a unique plan for each one of us. Our experiences, giftings, and passions are as diverse as our fingerprints. The one thing that we all share however, is the fact that God has big plans for every one of us. There is a Promised Land of potential that he has prepared for our lives. Whether we realize it or not, the name of the Promised Land is not "Mediocrity".
Pause to take a moment to consider how close you are to the Lord right now.
Is there anything between you and your relationship with him?
Are you as close as you've ever been?
Are you planning on getting closer?
Is there anything keeping you from getting closer?
As is illustrated in the journey of the Israelites, our adventure with Christ does not stop at salvation. We don't just "get out of Egypt" so we can wander around in the wilderness of mediocrity. We have a purpose and a direction that God has laid out for us. We must pursue it.
What's it going to take to get there?
Moses has died, and Joshua is now leading the people. they are getting ready to cross the Jordan. "'You have never before been where we are going now...' Then Joshua told the people to purify themselves. 'For tomorrow,' he said, 'the Lord will do a great miracle.'" (Jos. 3:4-5)
God does not want me to spend my life in a surface relationship with him. He doesn't want me to waste time repeating tests and recycling frustrations. He wants to bring me into a powerful and purposeful relationship with him to experience the full potential of his promise. Why? Not for my benefit, but so that he can make his name great in the world around me.
What are we to do in preparation for this adventure? We must purify ourselves. Consecration is a prerequisite of the miraculous experience. We must prepare for battle. We must keep the "radio" of our spirit tuned to the voice of God. To fill our lives with worldliness and self-gratification creates a broken signal.
I received a voicemail at the church that someone had left at 2:30 in the morning. "Pastor Greg, this is (static) could you call me as soon as (static)? I (static) need to talk to you. my number is 41...(static)." He was calling from a cell phone, and the connection was unclear. I was REALLY worried and was really praying for this guy. It's not usually good news if you're getting a call at that time of day. As it turned out it wasn't a crisis, he just works 3rd shift.
But when there's sin in our life, we put static in our communication with God. We can't hear his voice clearly. We must make sure to get the good "coverage" of a sinless life.
There is a price in following Christ, but it is worth it! "And no one can be my disciple who does not carry his own cross and follow me." (Luke 14:26)
We need to be so sensitive to the Holy Spirit that we hear clear directions in the smallest of things. When we respond in faithfulness to these little things, we will KNOW the voice of God so we don't have to doubt when God directs us to say, "Be Healed!"
We need to count the cost, consecrate ourselves, and prepare to experience the miracles God has laid out for us. We need to prepare for the journey of this Great Adventure!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Friday, February 19, 2010
2.19.10 "What kind of dirt are you?"
"What kind of dirt are you?"
Leviticus 7:28-9:6
Mark 3:31-4:25
Psalm 37:12-29
Proverbs 10:5
"And be sure to put into practice what you hear. The more you do this, the more you will understand what I tell you." Mark 4:24
In today's reading in Mark, Jesus tells the story of the farmer who sows seed. We know that the seed lands in different places. 1. path (which the birds ate) 2. shallow soil (grew quickly, but roots weren't deep enough) 3. among thorns (which caused seed to produce no grain) 4. Good soil (which produced great crops)
We can often hear parables or familiar bible passages and we kind of nod in acknowledgment of their point & move on, but we really should take the time to pause and evaluate "what does this mean for my life?"
Let's look at a few points we need to take away from this parable.
-Each of us are dirt. The Word of God has been planted in us. The question then remains, "Which kind of dirt am I?
1. The footpath. verse 15 says, "The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message only to have Satan come at once and take it away." What happens when you hear the word of the Lord? Is your mind so well worn by worldly influence that the voice of God is snatched from your hearing?
2. The rocky soil. "The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word." (Mark 4:16-17) This doesn't describe someone living the balanced Christian life, it's someone living the "emotional" Christian life. There are tears at the altar, and jumping during the exciting worship, but because of lack of roots, it's the waves of trial that cause them to lose what they have. Are your roots deep? Are you connected to the Body of Christ in such a way that you can weather the storms of persecution?
3. The thorny soil. "The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced." (4:18-19) So many times I hear the stories of those who are "too busy" working or wrapped up in other concerns to do what God has gifted them to do. Some are paralyzed by worries and insecurities, and others are lulled to ineffectiveness by the lure of the illusion that things will be less busy "soon". God's message is crowded out.
4. The good soil. "And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!" There's one way to tell if you're good soil. Are you producing fruit? If not, what's the problem? What's holding you back?
Hosea 10:12 says "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you."
It's your job to keep your soil in good condition. Only God can bring about a fruitful harvest in your life, but he has promised that if you care for your soil, he will do it.
Be GOOD dirt!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Leviticus 7:28-9:6
Mark 3:31-4:25
Psalm 37:12-29
Proverbs 10:5
"And be sure to put into practice what you hear. The more you do this, the more you will understand what I tell you." Mark 4:24
In today's reading in Mark, Jesus tells the story of the farmer who sows seed. We know that the seed lands in different places. 1. path (which the birds ate) 2. shallow soil (grew quickly, but roots weren't deep enough) 3. among thorns (which caused seed to produce no grain) 4. Good soil (which produced great crops)
We can often hear parables or familiar bible passages and we kind of nod in acknowledgment of their point & move on, but we really should take the time to pause and evaluate "what does this mean for my life?"
Let's look at a few points we need to take away from this parable.
-Each of us are dirt. The Word of God has been planted in us. The question then remains, "Which kind of dirt am I?
1. The footpath. verse 15 says, "The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message only to have Satan come at once and take it away." What happens when you hear the word of the Lord? Is your mind so well worn by worldly influence that the voice of God is snatched from your hearing?
2. The rocky soil. "The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word." (Mark 4:16-17) This doesn't describe someone living the balanced Christian life, it's someone living the "emotional" Christian life. There are tears at the altar, and jumping during the exciting worship, but because of lack of roots, it's the waves of trial that cause them to lose what they have. Are your roots deep? Are you connected to the Body of Christ in such a way that you can weather the storms of persecution?
3. The thorny soil. "The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced." (4:18-19) So many times I hear the stories of those who are "too busy" working or wrapped up in other concerns to do what God has gifted them to do. Some are paralyzed by worries and insecurities, and others are lulled to ineffectiveness by the lure of the illusion that things will be less busy "soon". God's message is crowded out.
4. The good soil. "And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!" There's one way to tell if you're good soil. Are you producing fruit? If not, what's the problem? What's holding you back?
Hosea 10:12 says "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you."
It's your job to keep your soil in good condition. Only God can bring about a fruitful harvest in your life, but he has promised that if you care for your soil, he will do it.
Be GOOD dirt!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Sunday, January 17, 2010
1.17.10 "Prepare to Hear from God"
"Prepare to Hear from God"
Genesis 35:1-36:43
Matthew 12:1-21
Psalm 15:1-5
Proverbs 3:21-26
What is God telling you to do?
How easy is it to answer that question? It will be different for each one of us. So often I hear the answer. "I think he wants me to..." or, it's "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me." At times I've used those same answers myself.
What's with that? Do you think it's God's desire that we feel the need to decipher signs and circumstances to find his will?
We have a dilemma. We need to Live the DREAM. At the hub of the Balanced Christian Life is the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. True worship is obedience. Obedience to what? Obedience to what God is telling me to do. What's he telling me to do? "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me..."
In today's reading, the Lord calls Jacob to a place where he desires to talk to him.
"Move on to Bethel now, and settle there,' God said to Jacob, 'and build an altar to worship me - the God who appeared to you when you fled from you brother Esau.' So Jacob instructed all those in his household to destroy the idols they had brought with them, and to wash themselves and to put on fresh clothing. 'For we are going to Bethel,' he told them, 'and I will build an altar there...' Upon Jacob's arrival at Bethel, en route from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him once again and blessed him." Gen 35:1-3,9
Take note of what Jacob did to prepare himself and his people to hear from God. They got rid of their idols and put on fresh clothes.
We live in a day and age of God's mercy and grace. However, I think many have tainted their relationship with the Lord because of a misunderstanding of what that means. I mentioned yesterday about "adding" Jesus to your life instead of "giving" him your life. What this looks like in practical terms is God's people walking around in dirty clothes and arms full of idols and wondering if the voice they're hearing is "God or me".
The difficulty in hearing his voice is not because he is not speaking. It's not because he doesn't want to speak. It's most often because I've not prepared myself to hear from him. I've allowed the noise of this world to drown out His voice. I've been close enough to sin to dirty my clothes.
Sleeping too long can be an idol. My comfort clouds my ears from his voice. Getting to bed earlier so I can get up earlier is a way that I can prepare myself to hear his voice. Limiting worldly influence is a huge part of it as well. If I spend all my time listening to news & commentary, I will begin to subtly develop a belief system based on the politics of man rather than scriptural principles.
So many times individuals have come to me not knowing the voice of God and not knowing what to do. My usual question to them is, "What's the last thing you KNOW he told you to do?" Usually there's an answer. Often it's something seemingly small and insignificant. "Then go there and do it."
We can't take a shortcut around this 'obedience' thing. We must obey to be his people. We must be able to hear his voice. Therefore, we must set aside idols, put on fresh clothes, and prepare to hear from him. It's HIS desire to speak to us.
A common misinterpretation is that we need to be "good enough" to meet with God. That's not correct. It's impossible for anyone to be "good enough", so there's no sense in that. We must simply be prepared. We need to consecrate ourselves. Be set apart. Be quiet.
Prepare to meet with God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Genesis 35:1-36:43
Matthew 12:1-21
Psalm 15:1-5
Proverbs 3:21-26
What is God telling you to do?
How easy is it to answer that question? It will be different for each one of us. So often I hear the answer. "I think he wants me to..." or, it's "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me." At times I've used those same answers myself.
What's with that? Do you think it's God's desire that we feel the need to decipher signs and circumstances to find his will?
We have a dilemma. We need to Live the DREAM. At the hub of the Balanced Christian Life is the Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship. True worship is obedience. Obedience to what? Obedience to what God is telling me to do. What's he telling me to do? "I don't know. I can't tell if it's God or just me..."
In today's reading, the Lord calls Jacob to a place where he desires to talk to him.
"Move on to Bethel now, and settle there,' God said to Jacob, 'and build an altar to worship me - the God who appeared to you when you fled from you brother Esau.' So Jacob instructed all those in his household to destroy the idols they had brought with them, and to wash themselves and to put on fresh clothing. 'For we are going to Bethel,' he told them, 'and I will build an altar there...' Upon Jacob's arrival at Bethel, en route from Paddan-aram, God appeared to him once again and blessed him." Gen 35:1-3,9
Take note of what Jacob did to prepare himself and his people to hear from God. They got rid of their idols and put on fresh clothes.
We live in a day and age of God's mercy and grace. However, I think many have tainted their relationship with the Lord because of a misunderstanding of what that means. I mentioned yesterday about "adding" Jesus to your life instead of "giving" him your life. What this looks like in practical terms is God's people walking around in dirty clothes and arms full of idols and wondering if the voice they're hearing is "God or me".
The difficulty in hearing his voice is not because he is not speaking. It's not because he doesn't want to speak. It's most often because I've not prepared myself to hear from him. I've allowed the noise of this world to drown out His voice. I've been close enough to sin to dirty my clothes.
Sleeping too long can be an idol. My comfort clouds my ears from his voice. Getting to bed earlier so I can get up earlier is a way that I can prepare myself to hear his voice. Limiting worldly influence is a huge part of it as well. If I spend all my time listening to news & commentary, I will begin to subtly develop a belief system based on the politics of man rather than scriptural principles.
So many times individuals have come to me not knowing the voice of God and not knowing what to do. My usual question to them is, "What's the last thing you KNOW he told you to do?" Usually there's an answer. Often it's something seemingly small and insignificant. "Then go there and do it."
We can't take a shortcut around this 'obedience' thing. We must obey to be his people. We must be able to hear his voice. Therefore, we must set aside idols, put on fresh clothes, and prepare to hear from him. It's HIS desire to speak to us.
A common misinterpretation is that we need to be "good enough" to meet with God. That's not correct. It's impossible for anyone to be "good enough", so there's no sense in that. We must simply be prepared. We need to consecrate ourselves. Be set apart. Be quiet.
Prepare to meet with God.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Thursday, August 13, 2009
8.13.9 "Knowing the Voice of God"
"Knowing the Voice of God"
Nehemiah 5:14-7:60
I Corinthians 8:1-13
Psalm 33:1-11
Proverbs 21:8-10
Ok, so you will carry the vision. (see DEVO 8.11.5) Now more than ever, you need to know the voice of God.
In Nehemiah 6, Sanballat, Tobiah & Geshem are out to get Nehemiah. The great vision of rebuilding the wall is near completion, so the enemies are stepping it up. They send a message to Nehemiah to meet them in a village. "But I realized they were plotting to kill me..." (6:2) The bad guys then begin to attack his character, his motives, and make a pretty good case for him meeting with them. Still he stands firm.
In Nehemiah 6:10-11, "A few days later I went to visit Shemaiah... for he said he was receiving a message from God. 'Let us hide in the Temple and bolt the door,' he exclaimed, 'for they are coming tonight to kill you.'"
What would you do in this instance? This "message from God" makes sense. It seems to fit in with the way things have gone. What does Nehemiah do?
6:11-13 "But I replied, 'Should I, the governor, run away from danger? And if I go into the Temple, not being a priest, I would forfeit my life. No, I won't do it!' Then I realized that God had not spoken to him, but Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him to scare me and make me sin by fleeing to the Temple; and then they would be able to accuse me." What discernment!
As we walk along the journey of carrying the vision God has placed on us, we have to grow past the point of knowing someone who knows the voice of God. We HAVE TO KNOW THE VOICE OF GOD. It's our natural reaction to go to others for advice, and Proverbs speaks of the value of many counselors, but as you carry vision, you have to KNOW GOD!
How do we get to know the voice of God? By walking in obedience. To be honest, you will learn his voice by stepping out, and finding out, "oops, that wasn't God, that was me". The next time you will know the difference. We have to be Empowered Through Biblical Training. You have to be in the word. Reading devotionals is great, but you have to get into the word and let God speak his word into your life. Nehemiah knew God's commands well enough to know that Shemaiah's "message" did not line up with God's commands.
Can you imagine the strength that comes from knowing God's voice? The wind and the waves become so small in comparison to knowing that no matter what storms arise, you are walking in obedience to the voice of God!
This next concept may be difficult for me to communicate, but here goes: The larger the vision, the greater the constraint to know the voice of God. As we mature in Christ, and he births greater vision and direction, the enemy will step up the attacks and attempts to confuse the communication lines. There will be more distractions. You may have heard the phrase, "Good is the enemy of Great". As you walk in greater intensity of obedience, you begin to realize the great danger of small compromise. The message Nehemiah received from Shemaiah appealed to his flesh. In a moment of weakness he could have done the wrong thing because it "made sense". But knowing the great call of God constrained him to avoid any level of compromise. Earlier his response to Sanballat & company was "I am doing a great work! Why should I stop to come and visit with you?" (6:3) His passion for the vision and constraint to follow God's direction kept compromise far from him.
God has a vision for you that is larger than you realize. His plans are incredible. The plan begins to be revealed to you as you walk in obedience (Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship). As you seek to intensify your focus on walking with God, you can see the increasing value of it. You then begin to understand that the things around that feed the flesh are not worth the cost of compromise. You begin to understand that watching something full of impurity on television begins to cloud your recognition of the voice of God. Then, when conflicting messages come, you don't know which way to turn.
Guarding the voices you allow into your life will greatly aid your recognition of God's voice. If you're willing to carry the vision, you must be willing to commit yourself to his voice. All of the elements of DREAM are necessary in this maturing process. Each element needs to grow in your life. Go through the checklist of DREAM today. How are you doing? Do you recognize what God is telling you right now? What "noise" in life is clouding his voice? How badly do you want to hear his voice?
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Nehemiah 5:14-7:60
I Corinthians 8:1-13
Psalm 33:1-11
Proverbs 21:8-10
Ok, so you will carry the vision. (see DEVO 8.11.5) Now more than ever, you need to know the voice of God.
In Nehemiah 6, Sanballat, Tobiah & Geshem are out to get Nehemiah. The great vision of rebuilding the wall is near completion, so the enemies are stepping it up. They send a message to Nehemiah to meet them in a village. "But I realized they were plotting to kill me..." (6:2) The bad guys then begin to attack his character, his motives, and make a pretty good case for him meeting with them. Still he stands firm.
In Nehemiah 6:10-11, "A few days later I went to visit Shemaiah... for he said he was receiving a message from God. 'Let us hide in the Temple and bolt the door,' he exclaimed, 'for they are coming tonight to kill you.'"
What would you do in this instance? This "message from God" makes sense. It seems to fit in with the way things have gone. What does Nehemiah do?
6:11-13 "But I replied, 'Should I, the governor, run away from danger? And if I go into the Temple, not being a priest, I would forfeit my life. No, I won't do it!' Then I realized that God had not spoken to him, but Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him to scare me and make me sin by fleeing to the Temple; and then they would be able to accuse me." What discernment!
As we walk along the journey of carrying the vision God has placed on us, we have to grow past the point of knowing someone who knows the voice of God. We HAVE TO KNOW THE VOICE OF GOD. It's our natural reaction to go to others for advice, and Proverbs speaks of the value of many counselors, but as you carry vision, you have to KNOW GOD!
How do we get to know the voice of God? By walking in obedience. To be honest, you will learn his voice by stepping out, and finding out, "oops, that wasn't God, that was me". The next time you will know the difference. We have to be Empowered Through Biblical Training. You have to be in the word. Reading devotionals is great, but you have to get into the word and let God speak his word into your life. Nehemiah knew God's commands well enough to know that Shemaiah's "message" did not line up with God's commands.
Can you imagine the strength that comes from knowing God's voice? The wind and the waves become so small in comparison to knowing that no matter what storms arise, you are walking in obedience to the voice of God!
This next concept may be difficult for me to communicate, but here goes: The larger the vision, the greater the constraint to know the voice of God. As we mature in Christ, and he births greater vision and direction, the enemy will step up the attacks and attempts to confuse the communication lines. There will be more distractions. You may have heard the phrase, "Good is the enemy of Great". As you walk in greater intensity of obedience, you begin to realize the great danger of small compromise. The message Nehemiah received from Shemaiah appealed to his flesh. In a moment of weakness he could have done the wrong thing because it "made sense". But knowing the great call of God constrained him to avoid any level of compromise. Earlier his response to Sanballat & company was "I am doing a great work! Why should I stop to come and visit with you?" (6:3) His passion for the vision and constraint to follow God's direction kept compromise far from him.
God has a vision for you that is larger than you realize. His plans are incredible. The plan begins to be revealed to you as you walk in obedience (Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship). As you seek to intensify your focus on walking with God, you can see the increasing value of it. You then begin to understand that the things around that feed the flesh are not worth the cost of compromise. You begin to understand that watching something full of impurity on television begins to cloud your recognition of the voice of God. Then, when conflicting messages come, you don't know which way to turn.
Guarding the voices you allow into your life will greatly aid your recognition of God's voice. If you're willing to carry the vision, you must be willing to commit yourself to his voice. All of the elements of DREAM are necessary in this maturing process. Each element needs to grow in your life. Go through the checklist of DREAM today. How are you doing? Do you recognize what God is telling you right now? What "noise" in life is clouding his voice? How badly do you want to hear his voice?
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
7.1.9 "A Validation or a Test"
"A Validation or a Test"
2 Kings 18:13 - 19:37
Acts 21:1-17
Psalm 149:1-9
Proverbs 18:8
Have you ever been in a position where you wonder if something on your heart was of God? Or have you ever thought you were moving in the will of God, but through circumstances you really began to doubt whether this was of God or not?
Paul is in an interesting dilemma in Acts 21. In 21:4 it says, "We went ashore, found the local believers and stayed with them a week. These disciples warned Paul -- the Holy spirit prophesying through them -- not to go on to Jerusalem." in 21:10 a man named Agabus with the gift of prophecy took Paul's belt and said "The Holy Spirit declares, "so shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jews in Jerusalem & turned over to the Romans." verse 12 says, "Hearing this, all of us - the local believers and his traveling companions - begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem."
So, you're Paul what do you do? These are your friends... your trusted spiritual companions. These are believers. This must not be of God, right? Scripture says there is wisdom in Godly council...
So how do you know???
Bruce Wilkinson has a great training series called "The Vision of the Leader". One of the main things he speaks of is the difference between a "validation" of a vision, and a "test" of a vision. We went through this teaching as a staff, and Pastor Dennis summed it up best when he said, "A validation is to see if God is in the vision, and a test is to see if YOU are!"
When we receive direction from the Lord, there is a sequence of the birthing of this vision that we all go through. Many times, though, we get really mixed up in the difference between a validation of the vision and the test. Being able to recognize the difference can help us greatly to weed through the noise of life and walk confidently in obedience to God's direction.
Remember we are "EMPOWERED through Biblical Training". If we were to only look at Acts 21, we would think that "It doesn't make a difference what others say, I can do things my way... Paul is a mature believer, and I want to be one, so that's what I will do." Zoom out a bit. Look at Acts 20.
These prophecies are NOT inconsistent with what God has ALREADY spoken to Paul. Acts 20:22-23, "And now I am going to Jerusalem, drawn there irresistibly by the Holy spirit, not knowing what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit has told me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead."
Many of us would do as the believers around Paul were doing: "There's going to be trouble, so God must not be in this." When in fact, their prophecy of the trial further VALIDATED that what was on Paul's heart WAS of God. As they're urging Paul "Don't Go!" in his mind he's thinking, "God, you are awesome."
Now is the test part. We know God is in it. Is Paul? Everyone around him is telling him what his flesh wants to hear: "you don't have to go through this." What's his response? What would yours be?
Is Paul in the Vision? Acts 21:13, "But he said, 'Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! For I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem, but also to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.'"
He KNEW what he was called to do. At the surface, it would seem that the attempt by the believers would send him off course, but in reality, it served to only refine him, and to seal God's purpose in his heart.
It's important that as we mature in Christ, we begin to recognize the difference between a validation and a test. This comes as we grow in living the DREAM.
I feel the need for a disclaimer:
I want to be cautious here, and remind you that in living the DREAM we are pursuing the BALANCED Christian Life. As I look through this teaching I'm concerned that some may use this to go OUT of balance, and do their OWN thing. Remember the principles behind DREAM: Obedience, Submission, Discipline, Responsibility and Purpose. Paul did not walk away from any of these things in following God. He did not forsake "Relationships Devoted to Unity". in verse 15, they left for Jerusalem TOGETHER. Make sure that we are using this checklist as we increase in the recognition of the voice of God in our life.
In what God has called you to do, make sure that first GOD is in it, and understand that there will be tests to come to determine if YOU are in it!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
2 Kings 18:13 - 19:37
Acts 21:1-17
Psalm 149:1-9
Proverbs 18:8
Have you ever been in a position where you wonder if something on your heart was of God? Or have you ever thought you were moving in the will of God, but through circumstances you really began to doubt whether this was of God or not?
Paul is in an interesting dilemma in Acts 21. In 21:4 it says, "We went ashore, found the local believers and stayed with them a week. These disciples warned Paul -- the Holy spirit prophesying through them -- not to go on to Jerusalem." in 21:10 a man named Agabus with the gift of prophecy took Paul's belt and said "The Holy Spirit declares, "so shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jews in Jerusalem & turned over to the Romans." verse 12 says, "Hearing this, all of us - the local believers and his traveling companions - begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem."
So, you're Paul what do you do? These are your friends... your trusted spiritual companions. These are believers. This must not be of God, right? Scripture says there is wisdom in Godly council...
So how do you know???
Bruce Wilkinson has a great training series called "The Vision of the Leader". One of the main things he speaks of is the difference between a "validation" of a vision, and a "test" of a vision. We went through this teaching as a staff, and Pastor Dennis summed it up best when he said, "A validation is to see if God is in the vision, and a test is to see if YOU are!"
When we receive direction from the Lord, there is a sequence of the birthing of this vision that we all go through. Many times, though, we get really mixed up in the difference between a validation of the vision and the test. Being able to recognize the difference can help us greatly to weed through the noise of life and walk confidently in obedience to God's direction.
Remember we are "EMPOWERED through Biblical Training". If we were to only look at Acts 21, we would think that "It doesn't make a difference what others say, I can do things my way... Paul is a mature believer, and I want to be one, so that's what I will do." Zoom out a bit. Look at Acts 20.
These prophecies are NOT inconsistent with what God has ALREADY spoken to Paul. Acts 20:22-23, "And now I am going to Jerusalem, drawn there irresistibly by the Holy spirit, not knowing what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit has told me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead."
Many of us would do as the believers around Paul were doing: "There's going to be trouble, so God must not be in this." When in fact, their prophecy of the trial further VALIDATED that what was on Paul's heart WAS of God. As they're urging Paul "Don't Go!" in his mind he's thinking, "God, you are awesome."
Now is the test part. We know God is in it. Is Paul? Everyone around him is telling him what his flesh wants to hear: "you don't have to go through this." What's his response? What would yours be?
Is Paul in the Vision? Acts 21:13, "But he said, 'Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! For I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem, but also to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.'"
He KNEW what he was called to do. At the surface, it would seem that the attempt by the believers would send him off course, but in reality, it served to only refine him, and to seal God's purpose in his heart.
It's important that as we mature in Christ, we begin to recognize the difference between a validation and a test. This comes as we grow in living the DREAM.
I feel the need for a disclaimer:
I want to be cautious here, and remind you that in living the DREAM we are pursuing the BALANCED Christian Life. As I look through this teaching I'm concerned that some may use this to go OUT of balance, and do their OWN thing. Remember the principles behind DREAM: Obedience, Submission, Discipline, Responsibility and Purpose. Paul did not walk away from any of these things in following God. He did not forsake "Relationships Devoted to Unity". in verse 15, they left for Jerusalem TOGETHER. Make sure that we are using this checklist as we increase in the recognition of the voice of God in our life.
In what God has called you to do, make sure that first GOD is in it, and understand that there will be tests to come to determine if YOU are in it!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
Friday, May 8, 2009
5.8.9 "Recognizing the Voice of God"
"Recognizing the Voice of God"
1 Samuel 2:22-4:22
John 5:24-47
Psalm 106:1-12
Proverbs 14:30-31
How does God speak to you? There have been times in my life where I've felt like I've sensed his voice loud and clear. There have been other times when I'm not sure. What is necessary in helping us find his voice?
I love the book of I Samuel. God has used many of these passages to transform my life. We read yesterday about Hannah and how she gave Samuel to the service of the Lord. Today in chapter 3 we read a story I remember hearing when I was just a kid. It's the story of God calling to Samuel.
"Meanwhile little Samuel was helping the Lord by assisting Eli. Messages from the Lord were very rare in those days, but one night after Eli had gone to bed... and Samuel was sleeping in the Temple near the Ark, the Lord called out, 'Samuel! Samuel!' 'Yes?' Samuel replied, 'What is it?' He jumped up and ran to Eli. 'Here I am. What do you want?' he asked.
"'I didn't call you,' Eli said. 'Go on back to bed.' So he did. Then the Lord called again, 'Samuel!' And again Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli. 'Yes?' he asked 'What do you need?' 'No, I didn't call you, my son,' Eli said. 'Go on back to bed.' (Samuel had never had a message from Jehovah before.)
"So now the Lord called the third time, and once more Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli. 'Yes?' he asked. 'What do you need?' Then Eli realized it was the Lord who had spoken to the child. So he said to Samuel, 'Go and lie down again, and if he calls again, say, "Yes, Lord, I'm listening."' So Samuel went back to bed.
"And the Lord came and called as before, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel replied, 'Yes, I'm listening.'" (I Sam. 3:1-10)
I probably didn't need to type in all 10 verses, but there's so much within the context of the story.
Look at verse 1. "Messages from the Lord were very rare in those days..." Why is that? Eli is the High Priest, and his two sons, Hophni & Phineas were living wicked lives. I Sam 2:22 says, "Eli was now very old, but he was aware of what was going on around him. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Temple."
God cannot dwell where sin abounds. When we allow sin in our lives, it clouds his voice. If we are having trouble hearing God, we need to take the time to make sure we are pure before him. Disobedience causes us to disconnect from his voice. There are many times when I've talked to those who are trying to hear God and I'll ask them, "What's the last thing you KNOW he told you to do." They'll say what it is. It's often something very small. I then ask, "did you do it?" Their response is usually, "Well, no, but..."
It's like hanging up the phone to God and wondering why we can't hear him. It doesn't make any sense at all.
Also, take note of how Samuel is sleeping near the Ark. In the Old Testament, the Ark represents God's presence. To hear his voice, we need to put ourselves in a position of hearing him. We have noisy lives. Most people wake up to alarm clocks set to radio stations, (one morning Lisa's radio got accidently set to a mexican polka station... easy to get up that day!) Many have the TV on day & night, and there's rarely a chance for peace & quiet. There's no time set aside to be near "the Ark". There's no quieting of the heart to even give our ears a chance to hear him.
Probably what I think the main point of this story is, is the fact that Samuel had to LEARN to recognize the voice of God. He heard something, and it was Eli who told him how to recognize it. We need to teach one another how to hear the voice of God. When someone says, "God told me..." Ask how he told them. Not to discredit it, but to learn from it. For me, I've never heard an "audible" voice from God. I've never heard with my physical ears. But at the same time, I've felt an intense pressure in my chest, knowing it's his voice. (Not the heart attack kind of pressure!)
For me, when I hear his voice, it USUALLY is not a big thing. It's usually small. It often stems from something like, "you should call so-and-so to see how they're doing". It's even smaller than that sometimes. What I'm learning is that as I become obedient to those little things he does tell me, I am in a place to recognize in a greater way the "big" things he's telling me.
In the NIV I Sam. 3:19 says, "The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground." Hearing the voice of God and responding to it became a way of life to Samuel. That's the way I want to be. I want to want what God wants. I want to say what God wants me to say. I want to do what He wants me to do.
That can only happen as I learn to recognize his voice.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
1 Samuel 2:22-4:22
John 5:24-47
Psalm 106:1-12
Proverbs 14:30-31
How does God speak to you? There have been times in my life where I've felt like I've sensed his voice loud and clear. There have been other times when I'm not sure. What is necessary in helping us find his voice?
I love the book of I Samuel. God has used many of these passages to transform my life. We read yesterday about Hannah and how she gave Samuel to the service of the Lord. Today in chapter 3 we read a story I remember hearing when I was just a kid. It's the story of God calling to Samuel.
"Meanwhile little Samuel was helping the Lord by assisting Eli. Messages from the Lord were very rare in those days, but one night after Eli had gone to bed... and Samuel was sleeping in the Temple near the Ark, the Lord called out, 'Samuel! Samuel!' 'Yes?' Samuel replied, 'What is it?' He jumped up and ran to Eli. 'Here I am. What do you want?' he asked.
"'I didn't call you,' Eli said. 'Go on back to bed.' So he did. Then the Lord called again, 'Samuel!' And again Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli. 'Yes?' he asked 'What do you need?' 'No, I didn't call you, my son,' Eli said. 'Go on back to bed.' (Samuel had never had a message from Jehovah before.)
"So now the Lord called the third time, and once more Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli. 'Yes?' he asked. 'What do you need?' Then Eli realized it was the Lord who had spoken to the child. So he said to Samuel, 'Go and lie down again, and if he calls again, say, "Yes, Lord, I'm listening."' So Samuel went back to bed.
"And the Lord came and called as before, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel replied, 'Yes, I'm listening.'" (I Sam. 3:1-10)
I probably didn't need to type in all 10 verses, but there's so much within the context of the story.
Look at verse 1. "Messages from the Lord were very rare in those days..." Why is that? Eli is the High Priest, and his two sons, Hophni & Phineas were living wicked lives. I Sam 2:22 says, "Eli was now very old, but he was aware of what was going on around him. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Temple."
God cannot dwell where sin abounds. When we allow sin in our lives, it clouds his voice. If we are having trouble hearing God, we need to take the time to make sure we are pure before him. Disobedience causes us to disconnect from his voice. There are many times when I've talked to those who are trying to hear God and I'll ask them, "What's the last thing you KNOW he told you to do." They'll say what it is. It's often something very small. I then ask, "did you do it?" Their response is usually, "Well, no, but..."
It's like hanging up the phone to God and wondering why we can't hear him. It doesn't make any sense at all.
Also, take note of how Samuel is sleeping near the Ark. In the Old Testament, the Ark represents God's presence. To hear his voice, we need to put ourselves in a position of hearing him. We have noisy lives. Most people wake up to alarm clocks set to radio stations, (one morning Lisa's radio got accidently set to a mexican polka station... easy to get up that day!) Many have the TV on day & night, and there's rarely a chance for peace & quiet. There's no time set aside to be near "the Ark". There's no quieting of the heart to even give our ears a chance to hear him.
Probably what I think the main point of this story is, is the fact that Samuel had to LEARN to recognize the voice of God. He heard something, and it was Eli who told him how to recognize it. We need to teach one another how to hear the voice of God. When someone says, "God told me..." Ask how he told them. Not to discredit it, but to learn from it. For me, I've never heard an "audible" voice from God. I've never heard with my physical ears. But at the same time, I've felt an intense pressure in my chest, knowing it's his voice. (Not the heart attack kind of pressure!)
For me, when I hear his voice, it USUALLY is not a big thing. It's usually small. It often stems from something like, "you should call so-and-so to see how they're doing". It's even smaller than that sometimes. What I'm learning is that as I become obedient to those little things he does tell me, I am in a place to recognize in a greater way the "big" things he's telling me.
In the NIV I Sam. 3:19 says, "The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground." Hearing the voice of God and responding to it became a way of life to Samuel. That's the way I want to be. I want to want what God wants. I want to say what God wants me to say. I want to do what He wants me to do.
That can only happen as I learn to recognize his voice.
Through the Power of the Spirit,
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P Greg
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