Attention Pt. 3

May 26, 2009- The Lord uses distractions to get our ATTENTION, He uses mentors to get our ATTENTION, and He uses another great way to get our ATTENTION and that is the way of DIVINE INTERVENTION.Judges 6:11-7:25 tells a story of God gaining the ATTENTION of a young man named Gideon. Gideon finds himself hiding to do his chores as the nation of Israel is being oppressed by the Midianites, and the situation looks pretty grim...But God sends an angel to Gideon,to let Gideon know that He will use him to defeat the Midianites and relieve Israel. In gaining his ATTENTION, God shows Gideon a few things that I find interesting...

1. He shows Gideon who he truly is- vs.12 the angel calls Gideon a mighty man of valor. Now Gideon didn't think He had the right guy for the job. We might think the same thing, but if God says we will, we can, we shall, then you better bank on that. He will watch over His word to perform it.
2. He shows Gideon what He needs- chapter 7 Gideon started with 22,000, then 10,000, but God shaved the number of men down to 300 before He said Gideon had his army. Why? Because God was showing Gideon what he needed.
3. He shows Himself mighty- 7:19 God finally has Gideons ATTENTION and he is ready to move into battle, when God tells him the weapons he will use(clay pots & trumpets) There is no way to win a battle with those weapons unless God shows Himself mighty. But that is what happens and the nation of Israel is freed from the oppression of the Midianites.

So how is God trying to get our ATTENTION? Will we recognize it when He does. My prayer is that I be ready and my ATTENTION span be increased for the tasks God has for me and for you.

Attention Pt. 2

May 22, 2009- The Lord uses distractions to get our attention of course but I want to look at a couple of other ways He does this as well. In a world that wars and economic turmoil constantly hold our attention, the Lord is saying to us, "WAKE UP". He is trying to get our attention to show us that He should be the focus, that He is in control, and that if we give Him our undivided attention, He will show us that sin is the ultimate problem, and that He has a formula to stop it dead! Just look at the cross. So, here's another way He uses to get our attention...


2. He uses mentors to teach us to focus- ( 1Samuel 3) Samuel, while living in the temple heard a voice calling to him in the night. It was the Lord calling to him. He said, "Here I am", and ran to Eli. Why? Because the word of the Lord had not been revealed to him yet.

Many times we look to our mentors to explain to us what God is saying. We are off base in this. Samuel heard what the Lord said just fine, he just didn't know it was the Lord speaking. That's what we need discernment about. Are we hearing from the Lord? How do we test that? When we establish when it is the Lord speaking, we will know His voice, and another we will not follow. So we need men and women of God to teach us, not so much what the Lord is saying to us, but how to know when the Lord speaks to us.
So who is in your life to play the role of Eli? God is using those mentors to get our attention, and we truly need to listen up.

Attention Pt.I

May 20, 2009- When I was younger, it was very hard to get my attention. My focus was on things I considered very important(like a video game or a phone call to the love of my life) and to place attention on anything else was an unneeded distraction. The same is true today, only now it is God trying to get my attention. And you know what? I really try to listen. Is He trying to get yours? I think so. I think He is trying to get our attention to let us know what we need to do. The problem is, we are distracted by other things, and if we're not careful we'll miss it. Here are 3 ways I think God tries to get our attention and like these examples, we need to listen...

1. With a distraction- In Exodus 3 Moses is just walking along when God sets a bush on fire to get his attention. Moses didn't have any doubt seeing God in the distraction and listening to His instruction. So, is God using a distraction to get your attention. What is it He's trying to tell you? Chances are, He will show you a few things about yourself that you weren't aware of previously...

• He will show you your potential- He asked Moses, " What is that in your hand"? Moses said, " a staff" . God will show us our potential and our strengths. Whether it's in the form of a staff( that would be a staff on the job, your not Bruce Lee) a friend, or a talent, God will show us our strengths to encourage us that we are empowered to do the job.
• He will give us instruction- He gave Moses specific instruction as to what He would have Him do. Many times we think God hasn't given us instruction when in actuality, we haven't even paid attention to the distraction.
  

Chances are God is using a distraction right now in life to get your attention. He didn't place the distraction there, but He will use it to get your attention, to show you the task, and how He has prepared you to handle it...

City Church

May 17, 2009- This is the final product! Great week.

Xtreme church makeover

May 15, 2009-

Alexander solution

May 13, 2009- Sometimes in life we are faced with things that seem too tough to accomplish. This, I have to admit, happened to me this past week. We are doing a MAJOR EXTREME CHURCH MAKEOVER, and I have really been overwhelmed with doing this in the frame of one week. But, I saw a great example of how to handle this.
The example happened around 333 AD. There was a country in the area of Asia Minor, ran by king Gordius. Gordius, was a poor farmer, who became king because he fulfilled a prophecy by driving a wagon into town(some way to become king, huh?)Anyway, he made a shrine with the knot that he hitched his cart with. This knot became famous. It was known as the Gordian Knot, and it was said that whoever untied the knot would be the king of Asia. In 333 AD, Alexander the Great came into town, and when faced with the challenge, he simply pulled out his sword and cut the knot in half. His tactic was honored and he became king.
You see, he didn't face the challenge through normal perspective, he changed the rules. And sometimes that is what we need to do. Things might seem impossible, but by changing the rules a little, the whole game changes, and the impossible becomes possible.

Abiding

May 1, 2009- This has been a crazy week for Meg and I. Sunday night we were in a car accident. It seems that from there a chain of unfortunate events have taken place. Those were definite distractions to our every day life, but I think they were needed because the results shook us both to the very core and have rekindled a fire in our life. Let me try to explain.We both ran to the first place any Christian runs when something bad happens.THE BIBLE. Sounds really good and spiritual huh? Well check this out. While reading Psalms 91 I was convicted by just two very small words. Verse 1 says,"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide in the shadow of the Almighty". Two words really touched me, Dwells and Abide. They mean virtually the same thing( to remain stable or fixed in a state or to continue in a place), but to dwell implies your mind matches you geography. That is my problem so many times. I treat my dwelling with God the same as staying in a hotel. I want the bed made, the air just right, and snacks and drinks available, as well as room service. But to abide is not temporary, it's eternal. And just as it is in my Home, I must maintain the place of residence. I must make the bed, I must create the environment. It's my responsibility to maintain the relationship. If I dwell, then I abide...