How do we hear the voice of the Lord?

Job 33:14
For God does speak– now one way, now another– though man may not perceive it.
 
We all are wired differently. How one person hears maybe quite different to how someone else hears. It all about perception. How we perceive, hear according to our history, passion, social adjustments / growth, spiritual maturity, and emotional stability  /makeup.

All hear by Faith.
Rom 12:6 NAS Every man has a measure of faith…

Faith is the inevitable consequence of hearing God’s voice. James Ryle

Jesus our example:
Jesus had amazing faith and the ability to see (seeing is hearing) what the Father was doing.

John 5:19 NAS
Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing ; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.

Jn 8:28; Jn 12:49; Jn 14:10; Jn 14:12

That God speaks today is an issue forever settled on the authority of the Scripture and validated in the lives of countless men and women throughout the world. God is light and will reveal Himself to anyone who will look; God is love and will communicate to anyone who will listen…
James Ryle Hippo In The Garden

Rom 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. (NAS)

Heb 1:1-2 NASB
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.

Heb 2:1-4
Heb 4 Today if you hear His voice…respond in faith.

 1. God Speaks Through Scripture…
The Word of God. it stands alone as the final authority for all revelation. Our first thought should be…Does what I am hearing line up with the nature and character of God revealed through His Word?

He speaks to us on two levels through the Bible.
1. Historical Truth… the main and the plain. Undeniable instruction. Principles and precepts that apply today. i.e.  Having a renewed mind is the will of God.

• Romans 12:2 (NASB)

  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
  

2. Personal Revelation… living words to our hearts as we read.Points us to Jesus, the Father, through the Holy Spirit. (See John 13 – 16 to glean what the Holy Spirit’s role is. i.e. He will guide us into all truth… etc.)

Don’t try to force what you are reading into your life…If it is revelation to your heart and life it will fit. Usually what you are reading will be a confirmation or as a precept, concept to help you grow. 

This week I read about renewing of the mind. I was curious and intuitively knew I needed to investigate this concept further. I searched for thought connected passages. As a result of my search, I discovered the Holy Spirit has a major role in renewing my mind. Therefore, I am now leaning into the Holy Spirit asking Him to renew me in the spirit of my mind. I am also reading three books to help me grasp the concept,

Three safeguards…
a. Is it Relevant to my situation without attempting to make it fit?
b. Does it bring Revelation or Clarity to my situation?
c. Is it Redemptive or bring me and others closer to Jesus and to His Church?


 

Thoughts in the night. The process of change.

Thoughts in the night.

I met with a wonderful group of leaders recently. They are in process. They have been looking at their strengths and weaknesses. They are asking questions. They are also writing, dreaming, re-adjusting beginning to see what could be. They are in transition. In our meeting I mentioned I saw a couple of pictures of where they were in the process: I saw a person who had pulled a bow string back in preparation ready to let an arrow fly.

Another picture: They were like a wave pulling away from shore, building up, gathering energy, getting ready to move forward and release the energy back upon the shore. 

The action of pulling back, zooming out, is a good  and valuable season. They had been meeting together and had written four great thoughts concerning their transition into their new future and destiny.
  Transition and change tips:

Focusing upon who you are becoming... leads people. 
Focusing and reacting to who you are not... drives people.

Focusing on who you are, who you are created to be is so important. Hitting to your strength is often how personal and corporate growth is achieved. Every person, every group is different. We are all unique and gifted. We have strengths and weaknesses. We all have talents and abilities that we must steward. If you are a leading leader you have gifts found in people to steward. (That is another post for another day.)

We all have a unique identity as sons and daughters. Our identity is discovered, developed and deepened in our secret place. We are who our Father tells us we are. We reflect who were are by our words, actions, and attitudes. We are in process.

Change, transition is important. However, strong change and courage to change should flow out of the foundational principle of knowing who you are, whose you are, and who you are called to be. This is true as an individual and as a church.

This thought, "Being secure in who you are and whose you are", is so important, especially during the process of change, or transition within the context of community.  

Questions to ponder and discuss: 

Who are we? 
What is our strength?
What are we attempting to accomplish? 
Is where we are going, and who we are becoming flow out of who we are?
What is our history, from the perspective of what have we accomplished positively?
What was our initial vision for our city? Is it still relevant? 
How does our community define us? 
Are we still who our community defines us to be? If so, why so? If not, why not?
As leaders have we successfully shifted the language of vision and mission from I, my... to we together? 
Why are we changing? 
Why are we shifting? 
How are we going to begin change, shift? 
When do we launch the shift?
What's our process?

Other questions
Does change flow from our confidence of being who we are together(relationship)?
Do our people know their focused purpose? 
Are people secure in their personal identity as an individual, and as a group together?
If you are the main leader do people trust you?

If some of the above questions are not answered the foundation for change is shaky at best, and the road to change will be a difficult one. 

If the questions are not clearly answered and processed over time, (over time is the central thought) on different relational levels (staff, key leaders, key people and your community of faith) there could be trouble ahead.

Dialogue(conversation between two or more people) is Needed 
This is who we are. This is why we are changing. This is what we are changing. This is how we are going to enter into change. This is when we are beginning to implement change.  

These thoughts help the process, especially answering the big Why? question.

I met a pastor from Ireland. People told me he made a major decision when he first arrived. He knew they(his little flock) needed to focus the first five years on becoming who they were, and who they were called to be, then and only then launch new initiatives. He knew and understood the value and the process of change and the importance having something relationally authentic to give away. Now years later they are blessing their city and their world in a big way. They are currently revisiting identity, being brave and having courage to press forward. He took his time and laid a really good foundation.

One great leader said something I'll never forget, "Never, ever, bring people out of a current vision and mission, unless you have clear understanding of where you want to go and have a process to nurture people into a new season of vision, mission and change."

Write the vision, make it plain so that the reader may read, embrace the vision, and run with it. Habakkuk 2:2 My paraphrase

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish NASB. 

Where there is no clear, prophetic vision, people run in circles, become discouraged, lose heart and become aimless. My paraphrase.

Wise leaders make a plan, and make a plan to make where they are heading, plain. Bowen

Making the vision plain is part of the process. Before the change is launched, wise leaders make a plan, and make a plan to make it plain.

Why does moving into something new take time? Answer: people are involved.
 
Some people are fast processors... they hear, understand and are ready to shift.

Some people are visual learners... they need to see the big picture, or paint the picture in their imagination of what the change looks like and why.  

Other people are internal processors... they need time hear, to think, reflect, ponder and understand. 

Some people are verbal processors... they need time to talk and be listened to.

Some people just hate change.

The process takes time. Rule of thumb: The greater the change, the longer the process. Our decisions to change, and more importantly, how we enact change does determine our destiny. 

Thoughts in the night are wonderful to ponder. Hopefully you pay attention to your thoughts in the night. They may be important sign posts for your life.

Missional community

Missional Community

                     I wrote this in 2009 still true.

Len Sweet once said, 'the most at risk

leadership skill is inspired imagination.'

Inspired imagination begins with the end in mind. Thinking 'What would our community, church look like if?'

In the early days of serving the city of Cincinnati, Cincy Vineyard leaders often dreamed with inspired imagination. What would it look like if we served cold drinks to drivers stuck in long lines on a hot day? What would it look like if we delivered turkey dinners to the less-served of our community the weekend before thanksgiving? What would it look like if we create a place where the less-served could receive practical care? 

Their dreaming provoked action.

Their inspired imagination continues to this day. Their creative spark is spreading the good news, demonstrated in practical ways, all over their city and into the world. 

Paul spoke about 'people being of one mind, being of one heart, of one spirit, intent on one purpose.' 

True community is formed when people choose to live life on mission, and begin to actively give themselves to pursue their vision...together. 

Community is living life forward, moving toward a common purpose. 

Philippians 2 Message. Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.

 If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: 

Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. 

Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. 

Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. 

Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. 

Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.

He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. 

When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. 

It was an incredibly humbling process. 

He didn’t claim special privileges. 

Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.

Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all, to the glorious honor of God the Father.

The purpose?

Perhaps, it's seeking to fulfill the Great Commission...together.

Perhaps, it is a group of friends who are consistently thinking, 'How can we help people within our sphere of influence take their next step toward Jesus Christ?' 

Five friends... 
We don't know much about them. They were friends. Four of them were healthy, one wasn't.

He was bed ridden, needed healing.
Five friends heard about Jesus.
They heard he was healing the sick, performing miracles, and He was teaching how to live life within the Kingdom of God.

We don't know how far they had to carry their friend, we just know that they were intent, focused on one purpose... to bring their friend to Jesus no matter the cost.

Five friends decided to move toward Jesus... together.
 
Someone had to find the directions to the house.
 

Someone had the foresight to bring ropes... just in case. 

When they arrived they noticed the crowd was huge. Many people were pressing in to hear the words of Jesus. At some point they realized they couldn't gain access.

They formed a new plan. The roof.

They pressed through the crowd and found a way to the roof. Determined, they parted the roof, tied ropes to their fiends mat and cautiously lowered him to the floor.
 
Their friend was healed.

The walk home was probably pretty exciting.

The principle: True community is formed when people are determined to move toward their common purpose... together... envisioned, on mission.