This Year Turn on Your Ears

The new year is the time to make resolutions, set goals and revisit life plans. It's the time to shed those extra pounds you put on during the holidays, get your finances back in shape and generally get your house in order. But in the midst of the normal fitness, financial and family goals we all set for ourselves as the calendar flips to 2010, let me suggest a spiritual goal that has the potential to kick your new year up to a whole new level.

This year, purpose to listen and respond to the still small Voice of Father God. It is amazing how often God speaks to us and we don't recognize it. God wants to take your life and elevate it to a whole new level of effectiveness, joy and divine purpose. The key is listening and acting.

We have all had the experience of someone who we normally don't see everyday coming to our mind out of the clear blue and then within a matter of days we run into them or hear news about them. Often we chalk this up to a coincidence, but more often then not, God is trying to talk to us. Usually He wants to use us to communicate His love and care to the person, other times He wants us to pray or even share a message from heaven with them.

These "impressions" generally come to us when we are thinking about something else entirely. One of the clues that God might be talking to us is that our mind is actually going in another direction and His Voice communicates something that is not in line with those thoughts. When we pause and say to ourselves, "that's weird", we should then ask the question, "Am I inspired to do something loving, caring or considerate for that person?" If the answer is "yes", then you should very quickly pick up the phone, write a card, get on your knees in prayer or jump in the car to go visit.

The great thing about this is that you can't go wrong. You see, loving on people is always a "God-thing". Even if you make a mistake and that particular impression was not actually God's Voice, but was the bad pizza from the night before, what's the worst that can happen? You have simply fulfilled God's commandment to love your neighbor. Not too bad.

And when you get it right, when it actually is a "God-thing," then look out! You will be amazed at the impact that a simple word of love and kindness can have when it is delivered on God's timing. Never underestimate how powerful of a tool you can be for heaven if you will only be willing to follow God's Spirit.

So this year, purpose to listen and obey. It will change everything.

Now, if you're not sure God speaks to you, my advice is this. First, make sure you have invited Him to! Tell God you want to follow Him and you want to hear Him speak to you. Ask Him to fill you with His Spirit so that His still small Voice can interrupt your agenda whenever He wants. Second, trust that He will speak! God promises you and I that when we are His children we will hear His voice (John 10:4). Finally, have fun seeing what God will do through you!

The pastors in Kings County would love to teach you more about how you can hear God's Voice and live at a higher level in 2010. Make a resolution to get you and your family in church this weekend and start the year out right!

How God Speaks

God speaks to us in a variety of ways and many times we are unaware of it. We must learn to be on the alert continually because if we are a people filled with the Spirit of God, then we must expect that His Spirit is going to guide and speak to us frequently. Because His methods are often quiet, they can often be mistaken for our own thoughts and are often disregarded, but if we begin to respond we often discover that those thoughts/impressions were not just random but Him speaking to us.

One of the ways that God talks to us is through impressions. Impressions are thoughts or "a sense that" which come into our minds or perceptions from the Spirit of God. These impressions are generally not directly in line with what we are thinking about at the time and as such often seem out of place.

Most of us have had the experience of someone coming to mind out of the clear blue and then running into them shortly thereafter or hearing some news about them. Very often these are not "stray thoughts" but impressions from God's Spirit. Often He wants us to pray for them, or more frequently, contact them and love on them.

The next time someone drops into your mind from out of nowhere, send them a note, pick up the phone or drop by and see them and just communicate your love and care for them. This doesn't have to be a "God told me to tell you" thing, it works really well just to say something simple like, "You came to my mind and I wanted to tell you that I appreciate your friendship and that God is on your side." And if it happens that it really was a stray thought, no big deal, but if it is a God thing (which you'll discover it is more often than not), you will find out that your simple contact was well worth it.

More to come....

Tiger's Transgressions Expensive

A recent study found that the financial impact on the companies that Tiger Woods was/is a sponsor for were affected negatively by the news of his infidelities. I guess there are repercussions for bad decisions.

Check the article and study out here.

Here Comes the New Year

for The Hanford Sentinel

Here it comes again. The New Year is just around the corner and with it have come all the reflective retrospectives of the past year and the cautiously hopeful forecasts of the coming year. Many have been anxious to bid adieu to 2009 and to its economic downturns, financial scandals and political and celebrity meltdowns. Uncertainty has been one of the main hallmarks of the year—uncertainty about job security, uncertainty about keeping the house, uncertainty about financial investments and retirement and uncertainty about what the future holds.

But now we stand on the brink and look to a new year. We stand at the door and knock on the door of the future and wonder if it will be any different. On the one hand we are anxious to cross the threshold between yesterday and tomorrow, and on the other we are hesitant to rush in with too much optimism lest the future be no different than the past. We have been disappointed before, dare we hope for a better tomorrow?

I believe that we can hope for a better tomorrow. More than that, we should believe that tomorrow will in fact be brighter and better. But this shouldn't be a blind hope. I am not suggesting wishful thinking or positive self-talk. This hope must be based on a firm and solid foundation that is unswayed by sagging economic indicators and lousy housing markets. This hope must be based on something that is solid no matter what the surrounding conditions may be.

That is the great thing about trusting in God. He is not challenged by what challenges us. He delights in taking difficult circumstances and transforming them into divine victory celebrations. With God, "how pleasant it is to see a new day dawning" (Ecclesiastes 11:7 NLT). Peter reminds us that we can "cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7 NKJV). In Him we are more than conquerors and able to face whatever the world may throw our way (Romans 8:37 NKJV).

So whatever 2010 may hold for our country economically—be it a quick recovery or a downward spiral—if we put our eyes firmly on Him, we can be assured that He will keep care of us. This is one of the things that gets missed frequently in media and political circles. The solutions to challenges as vast as those confronting our world today are rarely found in human wisdom. That's why even the best thinkers in the world are constantly proved wrong.

The moment we put our faith in human wisdom, we have misplaced our trust. Human wisdom is great, but God's wisdom is best. So when it comes to the new year, believe the best, not because it will make you feel better (even though it will) but because when you trust in God, it will be better!

The pastors in Kings County would love to talk to you more about the good things God has in store for you this year. Why don't you plan on shifting your thinking this year and focus on the One who is always solid and secure?

New Experiment: Dynamas Testing Online

I spent a little time yesterday and today prepping a small website dedicated to the Dynamas personality tool. Dynamas is a scaled down and oh-so-thankfully-simple version of the Birkman personality indicator. Birkman is an world-renowned tool for such things as personality identification, job matching, stress reactions and more. Dynamas takes all that and distills it down in such a way that it can be simply understood without a certified coach (which is required for the full Birkman).

Anways, check out the site.

http://www.yourpersonalityinsight.com

If your interested in using this tool for yourself, your spouse or your team, feel free to contact me for more information.

Some Truths from 1 Timothy 2

1 Timothy 2:3-6
This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.

I love these verses. In them we see:

• God's desire is that all people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He does not want some to be destroyed and some to be saved. He wants everyone to be in heaven with him.


• Jesus is the mediator between God and man. For anyone to get into heaven, the sacrifice of Jesus is necessary and sufficient.


• Jesus died for all humankind, not just for some. There might be some that reject Jesus' sacrifice, but that will be their decision.

Gifts that Last

for The Sentinel


Remember the words the Lord Jesus himself said, "There is more happiness in giving than in receiving." Acts 20:35 GN

The Christmas season, according to what the television tells me, is all about getting great deals on stuff. Some of this stuff I will need to buy for others and some I will keep for myself. But ultimately it is about buying stuff in order to make me and others happy.

The problem with this is that it's a lie. Christmas is not about buying stuff. Christmas is about giving stuff. And you don't have to buy stuff and go into debt in order to give stuff. The truth of it is, the best stuff to give is usually not physical stuff anyway. The best stuff is to give of the resources that you have in and of yourself.

Inside of each of us are precious resources that God has given us. We can give of those resources or we can hoard them for ourselves. If George Mueller is right that "God judges what we give by what we keep," then we would be much wiser if we chose to invest in our family and friends by giving them of the rich resources that we have.

What are these resources? Really, there are too many to list, but a few that none of us should go very long without investing into others are love, words and energy.

First, LOVE. It seems almost too obvious to mention, but love is one of the best gifts you can give to your family and friends this season. Scripture says that God loved us while we were still sinners. What that means is that love is not about performance. It is not a reward for good behavior. It is not a resource that we use as a tool to make people do what we want.

Love is the constant decision to not judge, not withdraw and not lash out in retaliation. It is the choice to continue to love that family member that always says the wrong thing at family gatherings, always drinks too much and continues to make a mess of their life. It is the recognition that our job is not to try and control people, but to demonstrate that they are valuable because they too are made in God's image and are His children.

Second, WORDS. The book of Proverbs says that the tongue has the power of life and death. All of us have been marked by words in our life—some words have breathed life and possibility into our situation and others have chilled us to the core and left us bleeding and broken. Words are a precious gift that we can give to others. They cost us very little, but a word spoken at the right time and in the right tone can heal relationships, inspire confidence and break the power of hopelessness.

Third, ENERGY. You and I have the ability to invest ourselves emotionally, physically and spiritually in people's lives. When we are there to listen and give the best of ourselves, we bring our energy to the table. Our energy is like a flame that warms and brings light to others. It may be the decision to get down on the floor and wrestle with the kids, to sit down and give time to your spouse or just making sure that you are there when you friend needs you. Your energy is a life force that can be used as an investment into people's lives.

So this Christmas make the choice to give of yourself. I believe what you will discover is that when you give of your resources, you are actually investing in the future. So who do you need to stop judging and start loving? Who needs to hear your words of life and acceptance? Who needs to receive your gift of energy?

This weekend the pastors of Kings County would love to share with you the greatest gift of all—the gift the Father gave to us of His Son Jesus. Why don't you give a gift to your family that could alter their destiny forever and take them to church this weekend? It just might change your experience of Christmas, and your life.