Thursday, 24 April 2008

I read James 1 this morning.

Lord thank you for speaking to me through others yesterday.  It is good to be quiet at times.  I will listen again today for the whispers of your spirit.  I specifically ask for wisdom concerning Your great church, may I hear you rightly in the Holy Scriptures.  I claim this wisdom by Your word in James 1:5.

Father, please grant your wisdom to Cathy, Bishop Wills, and the UMC during general conference.  May they have hearts, minds, and bodies strong with Your strength.  I offer Your words back to you as a prayer.

James 1:19-25

19 My dear brothers and sisters, always be willing to listen and slow to speak. Do not become angry easily,20 because anger will not help you live the right kind of life God wants.21 So put out of your life every evil thing and every kind of wrong. Then in gentleness accept God’s teaching that is planted in your hearts, which can save you.

 22 Do what God’s teaching says; when you only listen and do nothing, you are fooling yourselves.23 Those who hear God’s teaching and do nothing are like people who look at themselves in a mirror.24 They see their faces and then go away and quickly forget what they looked like.25 But the truly happy people are those who carefully study God’s perfect law that makes people free, and they continue to study it. They do not forget what they heard, but they obey what God’s teaching says. Those who do this will be made happy.

Amen.

Wednesday, 23 April 2008

Today I need to listen.  Listen to people. Listen to things.  Listen to the Holy Spirit.

Tuesday, 22 April 2008

Lectionary Thoughts on Acts 17.22-31: What did Paul think of his preaching in Acts? « Ramblings from Red Rose

Today I read from Acts and 1Corinthians.

If you follow the link above you will see Will’s post and my comment below.

I am very bad about wanting to study rather than doing.  It comes more naturally and is less risky to my pride.  I think Jesus picked fishermen instead of church scholars so they would have less of a tendency to analyze and would be more likely to get to it.  Lord, please help me to “Just do it” more often.

Yes, I realize the irony of drawing that comclusion from the theological disection of scriptures.

Monday, 21 April 2008

I read Psalm 104 today.

How do I seek the whispers of the Holy Spirit?

I must listen.

To listen I must be still.

Being still is intentional not natural.

This sounds like seeking.

Seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened.

 

Daddy, I am knocking.  I seek your Spirit that I may be your servant and do Your will not mine.

Sunday, 20 April 2008

Today I read Psalm 104 again and “Organic Church”.

God is huge.  If I am following Him there is nothing to fear.  This must mean the fear does not come from His Spirit.  God just looks at the earth and it shakes.  May I act like I serve such a God.

Friday, 18 April 2008

I read Psalm 104 and “Organic Church”

Today I must wait on the Lord.  (Psalm 27:14)

I must wait on the Holy Spirit.  (Acts 1:4)

I must wait so I do not leave Jesus waiting for me.

Lord, God, Father, Creator, Light, please take our strength and replace it with yours; please send your Spirit to us that we may follow you;  Please live in us.

Sunday, 06 April 2008

Today I read Psalm 104.  I missed 103 so that will be tomorrow.

104 is one of the creation Psalms.  It talks about the creation of everything by God.  I was at a small group training given by Bishop Wills.  He talked about our plans being too big in the short term and too small in the long term.  That got me wondering to what “our plans” refers.  To me it means the plans or direction that I get, filtered by my own discernment, from the Holy Spirit.  This filter is a function of my idea or perception of God.

After reading Psalm 104 I believe my perception of God is usually way too small.  This leads me to filter out direction from the Spirit that is too big.  Donald Miller talks about our stories.  An example he uses is a young female friend of his that started Blood Water Mission.  The Holy Ghost showed her the vision of fresh, clean water for everyone on the African continent.  That vision is too big for a human, but not for God.  That is what makes for a good story.

Lord, forgive me for putting you in a small box and make me aware of the whispers of your Holy Spirit.  Let me not filter your vision.  All glory to you.