The Voice of God

One of the most frequent questions I get when people ask me about my call to ministry is about how God speaks to me. In my case I have been blessed to have actually "heard" words in my spirit, been guided by God's word, the godly counsel of others, etc. The method seems to vary with the situation. Others have had similar or even radically different experiences from mine. The only common factors I can find in these is the assurance that you feel when God speaks that it is definitely from Him and the confirmation you get when in hindsight you see what God has done through your obedience to His will.

This Sunday's video is a beautiful addition to the topic.



--Mandisa - God Speaking

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Freedom From Perfectionism

Good music has the ability to touch our souls like almost no other medium can. When I first heard this song several months ago God used it to speak to an area of my life I have always struggled with: perfectionism. It took several listens over a period of weeks before I could get through the whole song without choking up. I have been waiting for an official video version to come out before embedding it here, and so I am happy to announce the wait is over. I recommend that you first listen to it once through with your eyes closed, though, to catch the words and avoid being distracted by the images. If the video doesn't start immediately, try hitting the play button a couple more times as sometimes Yahoo has an advertisement in front that isn't working correctly. Enjoy.



--Francesca Battistelli - Free To Be Me

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Wake-up Call

I really should know better. I have been a Christian for over four decades. In that time I have had some amazing encounters with God. Promptings from the Holy Spirit that I have followed have led to people coming to Christ, successful ministries started, rescue from what would have been bad situations, etc. He has proven himself trustworthy time and time again, yet I still blow it far too many times when it comes to listening and obeying.

Case in point: I woke up suddenly this morning at 5:56 with the thought that my wife's alarm was not set for 6:30. No problem, I rationalized (big mistake!); if the alarm wasn't set I would just ask God to wake me up in another thirty minutes. Surely He would do such a little thing for me. After all, he loves us, and that way I wouldn't have to get out of bed and check the clock.

You can probably guess what happened. At 7:06 my wife sat bolt upright in bed and realized she was running late. And I, her supposedly loving husband, realized that by ignoring the Holy Spirit's quiet reminder that I was as responsible for her predicament as she was. Yes, she had neglected to set the alarm, but I had ignored my own wake-up call from God to help her out. So rather than having the satisfaction of knowing I had obeyed and ministered to my wife, instead I found myself apologizing both to her and to God. Aaargh!

As Christians we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, a supernatural link to the all-knowing Father. If that is not mind-blowing enough, the fact that He cares for us so much that He will prompt our hearts in the day-to-day little things as well as the larger issues should really cause our jaws to drop. He wants to lead us in the path that is best for us, every step of the way; we just have to be willing to listen and then follow.

So what is the moral of today's post? I guess it might be that in life you might not always remember details like setting your alarm clock, but you better not forget to pay close attention to God's wake-up calls.

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The Transformed Heart

We love others, we love everybody, we love our enemies, because He first loved us. . . And that is how the love of God melts down the unlovely heart in man, and begets in him the new creature, who is patient and humble and gentle and unselfish.

--from The Greatest Thing in the World by Henry Drummond

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Puzzle Pieces

Puzzle Pieces

All of us have a part to play.
We're each a piece to the puzzle
In God's holy plan.

Glimpses of blue sky
In a dark, dirty world,
We show His love to all.

But are we fitting into His purpose,
His divine call on our lives,
Or are we perhaps hanging out...

Where we don't belong?

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