The Greatest Life Ever

One Hearing Aid that will Help You Hear the Voice of God

Last week I wrote about the benefits of listening for the voice of God.  This week I'm going to share how a person can listen for God to speak to them.  Believe it or not God has provided humanity with some holy hearing aids just for that purpose.

The first one is the LD 100 which stands for "Lectio Divina" and means divine reading.  This involves reading the bible as a letter written just for you instead of a book for everyone.  It involves a person reading the scriptures with their heart instead of their head.  It's about reading for formation instead of information.  Put another way, instead of a person trying to master the text the person let's the text master them.  This way a person reads chunks of scripture slowly, stopping to ponder words and phrases that stick out to them.  Instead of trying read as much scripture as possible and rushing through it a person savors the words pausing on those that seem to command their attention.

There are four questions that I like to use to help me listen for what God might be trying to say to me.  1) What is God telling me about God through these words?  2) What is God telling me about myself through this passage?  3) What is God trying to say to me right now through these words?  And 4), In light of this, one action I will take is?  Keep a notebook to journal in because you'll be surprised at what you hear from God just by wearing the LD 100.

The other day I reviewed a journal entry of mine dated January 31, 2009.  The passage I was reading was from 1 Chronicles chapter 1.  In this passage God asks King Solomon what he would like from him and Solomon says "wisdom" so he can lead the people of Israel.  Reading through chapter 1 I was reminded that God is all knowing and all powerful and that there is nothing that God can't do.  When I asked what is God telling me about myself I sensed God saying, "that I am very limited as a person."  What was God trying to say to me through 1 Chronicles?  That there is nothing that I lack that God can't provide and that if I was smart, I would ask God for wisdom to lead his people as well.  It was like God was saying, "Bryan, if you'll seek me and my wisdom you'll do more here than you ever thought."  In light of that, I changed my praying so that it included asking God for divine wisdom in pastoring his people.

What might God say to you?  Try the LD 100 and listen for what you've been missing all along.  Let me know how it works out for you.

Would you like to be better off?

Do you wish your life was better than it is?  Do you wish you could make better decisions?  Do you wish you knew what to do in a given situation?  Do you ever wish someone had told you the correct action take before making the wrong move? You can.

 

In Deuteronomy 15.15-20 the Israelites are on their journey to the Promised Land which represented a new start, a new life, hope for the people of God.  But, they had never been there before and didn’t have a Garmin handheld GPS unit that they could type in Cairo as their starting point and Jerusalem for their ending point and hit “route.”  The only way they would get where God wanted them to go would be to listen for the voice of God along the way and follow God’s directions.  If they listened and obeyed they would make it to the Promise Land and experience life.  If they neglected the voice of God they would end up settling somewhere else, settling for something less and find themselves in a mess. 

 

A theme that meanders through the pages of Deuteronomy like a creek is that those who listen for God will be better off than those who don’t.  Moses said the following to the Israelites, "...listen to his (God) voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life.." 

 

There's another passage of scripture that sounds very similar.  In Isaiah 55.3 God speaks to the people of Isarel again saying, “Incline your ear and come to me, hear that your soul may live.”

 

This should excite you and give you hope!  Do you know why?  They reveal that God wants to help you get to the Promise Land and remain in the Promise Land instead of watching you drift off course into a self imposed Exile. God wants to tell you what you and I need to know to experience the greatest life ever.  But, in order for that to occur we have to be willing to listen to what God has to say to us.

 

How does a person hear the voice of God?  That will be part of my next blog.

One way to Improve the Quality of Your Life?

Would you like to improve the quality of your life? If so, I think I can help. Simplify. Instead of assuming that life will be better if I can just add one more activity to it,or if I can achieve another rung in the corporate ladde, or by adding another to do to my to do list, or havinga host of New Year resolutions that have all ready been broken, think of the word "one".

Alot has been said over the years about having a personal mission statement and vision to guide your life. I have given hours and hours conversing with God about this. But today I thought that instead of trying to craft a catchy statement to guide my life that I should find a single word that I will rally around for the year. A one word purpose statement or mission. A sense of peace came over me as I thought about this.

I don't have my "one" word yet, but I have it narrowed down. The word "faithful" comes to mind. I want to be faithful to God, to my wife and children, and to my calling as a pastor.

The word "redemption" has been on my mind too. Sometime ago God spoke to me saying "that life is all about redemption". I want to remember that God has redeemed me. I want to redeem relationships. I want to let others knows of God's desire to redeem their lives.

"Fruitful" is another word. I want my relationships with my wife and kids to produce fruit. I want my work and ministry to produce fruit in the lives of others. I want to be fruitful when it comes it sharing the good news associated with Jesus the Christ.

And of course there is the word "love." Jesus said there is nothing more important this side of heaven than love.

I felt a heavy load lift from my shoulders as I began to think of a one word mission statement for my life. And I suspect that could happen for you too.

What might be a word that you would want to build your life around this year? Take some time to think about it, talk about it with your friends and most importantly with the God of the universe who desires to converse with you.

I'd love to hear what some of your words are. If you feel comfortable send them on to me via the comment box or email me and maybe I'll include them in my post.

Prayer Wall for the people of Haiti

Category:Common Interest - Beliefs & CausesDescription:10thousanddoors.org invites the world to rethink church. See church not as a building, but as thousands of doors. Each door opening to a different experience of church. Experiences that share compassion, make a difference in lives, provide hope, and find common ground in addressing social issues. So that whoever knocks might find a journey to call their own. Would you come?Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors. The people of The United Methodist Church.Privacy Type:Open: All content is public.

via www.facebook.com

Voice your own prayer for the people of Haiti right here.

Transforming Lives in Haiti

via www.youtube.com

I invite you to make a difference in the lives of those devastated by the earthquake in Haiti.

The Better Life Begins with Better Praying

I apologize for not being more consistent with my blogging lately.  But over the last month I've been in the process of moving into a new home during the busiest time of year for me and the church. 

That being said, I have spent some time lately learning about prayer which is really just conversing with the Creator.  And I was reminded about a simple truth.  And that is that the better I become at praying the better my life seems to be.  Several observations came to my mind about praying.

PRAYER CHANGES LIVES

PRAYER CHANGES CIRCUMSTANCES

HISTORY BELONGS TO THE PRAY-ERS.

TOMORROW IS WON OR LOST BY THE WAY WE PRAY TODAY.

Here are some quotes I found on the internet the other day that I found encouraging and motivating.  I hope God may use them to jump start your prayer life like God did mine.

 

“Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks.”

- Philips Brookes

 

 “Prayer does not change God, but changes him who prays. “

- Soren Kierkegaard

“Prayer moves the hand that moves the universe.”  Unknown Source

 “Seven days without prayer makes one weak."  Unknown Source

 

“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” Saint Augustine  

 

“Bow, stubborn knees!”  - William Shakespeare

 

“I have so much to do that I spend several hours in prayer before I am able to do it.”  - John Wesley

    

“I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had absolutely no other place to go.” -- Abraham Lincoln

"Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?"

- Corrie Ten Boom

“When I pray, coincidences happen, and when I don't pray, they don't.” -William Temple

"God does nothing but by prayer, and everything with it." - John Wesley

 

"Most men pray for power, the strength to do things. Few people pray for love, the quality to be someone." - Robert Foster

"The greatest tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer, but unoffered prayer." - F.B. Meyer

"Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work."   - Oswald Chambers

 

"The reason why we obtain no more in prayer is because we expect no more. God usually answers us according to our own hearts." - Richard Alleine

 

If you’d like to learn more about the connection between better living and better praying and you’re in the Little Rock area join me on Wednesday nights at 6:30PM for “Feed Your Faith with Bryan and Nate”.  We’ll be studying and practicing how to become better pray-ers using the book Partners in Prayer by John Maxwell.  I’m also preaching a series from January 10 – February 7 titled Conversations with the Creator.  Part two is this week and it is titled “Help for Starting the Conversation.”

I'm Proud to be an Adulterer

Did that title capture your attention?  It made me feel very uneasy.  But from what I've seen on the news lately regarding Tiger Woods this doesn't seem to be too far off. Tiger Woods has admitted to infidelity and many have looked down on his behavior as they should.  And yet all these women Tiger had affairs with jump into the lime light wanting the world to know that they were the adulteress in the relationship as if it's not only okay, but somehow something worthy of stardom!  It makes me sick. Adultery is nothing to brag about.  Adultery is never acceptable. 

And to top it off, the Tiger's adulteress' have the gall to portray themselves as the victim much like Tiger's wife.  Give me a break!  They're not victims.  They got involved with Tiger knowing that he was already married.  They're part of the problem and they need to admit it.

In John chapter 8 of the Bible a woman caught in the act of adultery is brought before Jesus and asked what the Torah says should be done to the woman.  The Torah teaches that adultery is punishable by stoning the adulteress to death.  And they knew this.  Jesus however, not discounting what the Torah taught said, "He who is without sin may cast the first stone."  As they dropped their stones and walked away Jesus looked at the woman and said, "Is there no one to condemn you?  Then neither do I.  Go and sin no more." 

Are you or someone you know involved in adulteress relationship?  If you want to experience the greatest life ever, you'll want to break the affair off now before it's too late and repent of your behavior and ask Jesus for forgiveness.  The sooner this is done the sooner you and others will be able to experience freedom and new life. 

Maybe it's Time to Build Fences like Jesus did

I came across something the other day that made me think about fences and how they are used to keep someone or something separated.  Fences are barriers that keep neighbors apart or people from interacting with each other.  Fences are self imposed obstacles of separation.  And when used in conversation "fence" is typically used in a negative fashion.  "We need to tear down those fences that keep us from..."  I've been a proponent of tearing down fences that get in the way of sharing the love of God with others.  But, I'm also a proponent for building fences as well.

Constructing fences actually helps me to live a better life.  Now, I'm not talking about going out with post hole diggers, a sack of concrete, a wheel barrow and a post.  I'm referring to fence building Jesus style. The Jewish Rabbi's and other teachers built "fences" around the Torah and it's commandments to help keep them from breaking the commandments.  "Fences" are like the warning track on a baseball field that tells an outfielder that he or she is getting close to the wall and if they're not careful will run into it and maybe even hurt themselves. "Fences" were designed to help people live a holy life by warning them that they were getting close to committing sin.  "Fences" were tools for holiness and righteousness.

One well known example of fence building involves Jesus.  In Matthew 5:27 Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’  And then he goes on in verse 28, "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."  

This is fence building Jesus style.  What Jesus has done here is build a fence to help trip one up before adultery is actually committed.  In Jewish style he was saying that if you've thought about another women you are getting close to running into the wall.  To avoid committing adultery it helps not too think about it.  "If one stays far away from sin by not crossing the boundary line, then one will not transgress a commandment." (Meet the Rabbis, Brad Young, pg. 208)  As such the Jewish Rabbi's would create a series of fences or reminders designed to keep a person from committing sin.

I suspect that there is an area in everyone's life where building a fence could be very beneficial.  What might that be for you?  Identify a sin that you struggle with the most in your life and then ask the Holy Spirit to help you set up a series of fences that would help keep you from crossing the line.  It really will make for a better life.

How Does this Happen?

I don't know how it happens.  It sneaks up on just about everyone I know.  One day your life in Christ is hot and growing and the next day you wake up and you realize that you're limping along.  Has that ever happened to you?  It happens to me. 

There have been plenty of times when my spiritual life was smok'in.  I was tight with Christ and doing the work he called me to.  I couldn't wait to get up early in the morning with my cup of coffee, a bible and my Lord.  I could spend an hour plus with my Rabbi and Master and think it had only been a few minutes.  And then it happens.  I begin to focus more and more on the work for Christ that I somehow drift away from Christ.  Does that make sense?  I get so busy with the work of the ministry that I find little time to be with the one who called me to the very ministry I'm engaged in.  How ironic that I could ever become so busy doing the work of Christ that I don't have time for Christ himself. 

I'm at a point where I have to ReThink how I'm using my time and make some adjustments.  How about you?

I Don't Get No Respect - God

Rodney Dangerfield is one of Jay Leno's favorite comedians.  When I think of Dangerfield I think of his one liner jokes that begin with the phrase, "I don't get no respect..." and then he goes on tell explain what he means with a joke.  He can be very funny as well as very crass.  But, that's beside the point. 

God has brought to my attention that there are times He feels like Rodney Dangerfield in that He doesn't get the respect He should from those who worship Him.  For example I've heard young and old alike in the church respond to something with, "Oh my God!" or "God!"  And most recently with the texting craze some will txt "OMFG!"   For those who don't text much, "OMFG" has several connotations to it.  The watered down version is "Oh my freakin God".  

The bible says in Exodus 20:7 “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." (NRSV)

More and more I appreciate our Jewish heritage in this regard.  God's name is so holy that they can not spell it out completely and if it's written down, it can not be removed or erased.  The name of God is so sacred that it's not even pronounced.  Instead of referring to God as YHWH or Yahweh during prayer they call God Adonai.  And if they want to reference YHWH in a coversation with another they will use the word "Hashem" which means "the Name." 

How do you use the name of God?  Have you used it in an unworthy manner?  If so, then why not take two little steps to rectify it?  First, ask God to forgive you for using Hashem in an unworthy manner.  And secondly, invite the Holy Spirit to work in your heart to enable you to be obedient to this command from God's Torah from now on. 

Doing this will help you to have the best life ever.

May you be covered by the dust of The Rabbi, Jesus.