Who Are You Listening To? (Part 1)

The voices are many.  Everywhere we turn people and things are vying for our attention.  The electronic age of instant communication, information, and entertainment has a firm grip on our attention and many find themselves listening to the voices of the world rather than the voice of God.  God has been communicating and speaking with His people since the beginning of creation. In the Old Testament He spoke through prophets, kings, and certain individuals.  In the New Testament God communicates with us through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.  The issue isn't whether or not God is speaking, the issue is are we listening?  Our ears are tuned to whatever holds our heart and minds.  If this world is our main focus, we will hear its messages.  However, if our hearts are set on Christ, we will take time to quietly listen for His guidance and instruction.  The sad thing is many people have never learned to discern His voice.  In this post I want to share with you ten (10) reasons why people don't listen to God.

1.  They Don't Have A Relationship With Him

As I have said in the past it's all about relationship. Being a Christian isn't about a list of do's and don't's.  It's about having a relationship with God the Father and with His Son Jesus.  When Christ is the most important relationship we have we will listen and give attention to Him because we listen and give attention to those things or people we care most about.

2.  They Don't Expect The Lord To Speak To Them

If we don't expect God to speak to us, then it's unlikely we will ever hear Him when He does. God wants to speak to you.  In fact it would be inconsistent with His character not to since He desires to guide us throughout our lives.

3.  The Message Of The World Drowns Out God's Voice

The world is pulling at us from every direction!  In fact, we are surrounded by a cacophony of noise that can draw our attention away from what we hold dear.  Events are happening all around us and it is impossible to “pay attention” to everything.  In fact the din almost makes it impossible to pay attention to what is important to us, and that should be God's voice.  To solve this problem, we must reject the ways and voices of the world and seek to know what is going on in the mind of God.

4.  People Are Too Busy

Busyness defines our culture.  We have so many things to do that God gets pushed to the end of the list.  We must find time for God because if we don't spend time with the Lord, we will never be tuned to His voice.

5.  They May Fear The Message

Fear is the opposite of faith.  When we aren't acting in faith it's often because we are afraid to hear what the Lord has to say to us.  We fear He may ask of us something we don't want to do.  God will never ask more of us more than what we are able to handle.  Through His grace and power we can do whatever He asks.

6.  A Poor Self Image Causes Them To Doubt That God Would Speak To Them

It's unfortunate, but people who struggle with self esteem issues don't realize how precious they are in God's eyes and how much He desires to communicate with them.  It's time we realize who we are in Christ and what we can do through Him.

7.  They Have Neglected Reading And Meditating On The Bible

If you ever want to be able to hear God's voice then you cannot neglect His Word.  Ignoring the Scriptures increases worldly thinking while decreasing a desire to hear from the Lord through His Word.

8.  Some People Have A Rebellious Spirit

Some simply do not listen to God, because they have rebellion in their heart.  They try to satisfy the emptiness in their souls with the pleasures of sin rather than God.  And we know that the pleasures of sin are only for a season (Hebrews 11:25), but the pleasures of God for an eternity (Psalm 16:11)!

9.  They Are Deceived By The Sounds Of The World

Often times people don't listen to God because they have their hearts and minds so tuned to what the world offers that they have no interest in hearing from the Lord.  You can't listen to both the world and God.  One must take preeminence.

10.  Sin Has Prevented Them From Hearing God

Sin is always an obstacle to clearly hearing the voice of God.  Anytime believers harbor sin in their lives, it blocks their spiritual ability to hear from God.

Don't allow any of these reasons to be present in your life.  God wants to communicate with you. Are you ready to allow Him to speak with you?

-- Pastor Temple

The Church's Greatest Need (Part 3)

In the past two posts I've made the case that the greatest need of the church is for it to experience a continual move of God.  And I have encouraged all of us to begin to ask God where we might be missing it and what are we doing that we shouldn't be doing or what are we not doing that we should be doing.  In this post I want to focus on the latter and what our responsibility is in a continual move of God.

1. Prayer

I know some people don't see the importance of prayer, but prayer is absolutely necessary for any moving of God.  "...the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16). For the church to experience a continual move of God daily prayer is imperative.  It is also necessary for us to pray in the Spirit.  This type of prayer is a direct line to God without any interference.  Prayer changes things...it changes us first and then it changes other things.

2.  Learn To Bring Your Body Under Subjection

Our body can be our biggest enemy if it isn't brought under subjection.  Paul states in 1 Corinthians 9:27 that "...I keep my body, and bring it into subjection..."  You see we are not our own.  We have been bought with a price and we are to glorify God in our body and spirit which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:20).

3.  Spending More Time With God

For the most part, it's never someone's intention to "drift away" from God.  But it happens.  And it usually happens when we get too busy and fail to spend the proper amount of time with God.  To have a relationship with God you must spend quality time with Him and not just time when "you need Him."  Relationship with God is everything and it must be based on love, dedication, commitment, and selfishness.

4.  Recognizing What Should Be Most Important In Our Lives

If we aren't careful our priorities easily get out of whack to the place where the things that are most important get pushed way down on the priority list.  God, family, and ministry should be top priority in our lives.  If we want to see a continual move of God in the church then God must be at the top of our priorities.

5.  Discovering Our Calling In The Body Of Christ And Pursuing It

God has given you an assignment, and He has perfectly equipped you to accomplish that assignment.  You were put on earth to make a contribution not to just consume resources!  We are here to be givers not takers.  Regardless of your vocation you are called to full time Christian service.  This Christian service isn't optional.  It doesn't make any difference who you are, God wants to use you.

6.  Staying On Guard At All Times

One thing is for certain, we have an enemy!  He is the devil and he is like a roaring lion going about seeking whom he can devour (1 Peter 5:7-9).  It is important that we be conscious at all times because satan has us in his cross hairs!  We have to be ready at all times to engage in spiritual battle with this enemy.

I have always discovered that the closer I get to God, the more I love Him, want to serve Him, listen to Him, and do His work.  If we allow ourselves to grow cold in the Lord those things will always be secondary.  Begin today with a renewed commitment to accept your responsibility to usher in the continual move of God!

-- Pastor Temple

The Church's Greatest Need (Part 2)

As I established in Part 1 of this post, the greatest need of the church is for it to experience a continual move of God!  Unfortunately Satan has come up with many ways to try and prevent this from happening.  In this post I want to share  with you four hindrances to a move of God and the two ingredients necessary for the church to see God move.

Hindrances To A Move Of God

1.  Lack of Unity -- If the church ever wants to see a true move of God, then there must be godly unity among the believers.  And godly unity begins with being unified with Christ.  We can't be unified with one another, until we are unified with Christ.  "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." (Psalm 133:1).  Unity among believers is not everyone thinking the same about everything, but it is every believer focusing in on Christ and what He thinks, what He wants and then us responding by doing exactly what Christ says.  The greatest move of God in the church was in the book of Acts where the people were in "one mind and one accord." (Acts 2:1-4; 4:32;5:12).  There is great power in unity.

2.  Lack of a Real Relationship With God -- Let's be honest, there are many people who attend "church" who do not have a "real relationship" with God.  They attend out of habit or duty and God or "religion" is a separate compartment from the rest of their life.  Let me ask you this question: "What kind of relationship would you have with your spouse if you spent the same amount of time with them as you do with God?"  For many the answer would be not very good! To have a real relationship with anyone, including God, you must spend quality time with them. Relationships don't just happen, you have to make them happen and the relationship isn't based on works, but love, dedication, commitment, unselfishness and being totally sold out to God.

3.  Selfishness -- Selfishness is so deceptive yet it is so rampant and is one of the greatest sins in the church.  If we would come to church as givers and not takers our whole view and concept on what should happen in a service would change.  The church has been deceived into thinking that God will move and we don't have to do anything.  We have sacrificed unity, relationship, compassion and hearing the voice of God for selfishness and it isn't working.  It is time we repent of our selfishness and see ourselves as servants of God ready to be givers rather than takers.

4.  Lack of Compassion -- When we don't have a relationship with God, we cannot move with compassion.  If you will assess where you are in your compassion, you will know where you are in relationship with God.  Compassion always gravitates towards the needs of others.  When we lose our vision and compassion for souls, for the hurting, sick, etc. we have lost our relationship with God.  Jesus set the example and showed us the way of compassion.  We are to follow His example.

Two Ingredients Important To A Move Of God

1.  Prayer -- "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14). When the church commits to prayer, that's when we will see a true move of God!

2.  Praise and Worship -- The move of God is often ushered in on praise and worship.  The Psalmist declared: "Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord!" (Psalm 150:6). When we are committed to praise and worship of the Almighty God we will see His power and presence!

-- Pastor Temple