Four Ways God Speaks to You

Four Ways God Speaks to You By Rick Warren — May 5, 2018 “God does speak — sometimes one way and sometimes another — even though people may not understand it” (Job 33:14 NCV). A lot of us think we’re too busy to listen for God’s response. But we have to take the time to tune in and listen, because God is speaking. Job 33:14 says, “God does speak — sometimes one way and sometimes another — even though people may not understand it” (NCV). The question is, “How do I understand it? How do I tune in so that I can hear God’s voice?" Here are four of the channels that God uses: 1. God speaks to us through the Bible. It’s your guidebook for life. It shows you the right step to take. That is why you need to read God’s Word every day. If you’re not having a daily quiet time and reading the Bible, God is getting a busy signal when he wants to speak to you. You have to keep a constant connection, because God’s will is found in God’s Word. 2. God speaks to us through teachers. Have you ever been in a church service and felt like the teacher was delivering a direct message from God to you? There’s no way I or any other teacher could figure out exactly what to say to meet every need. But God knows. So before every service I pray, “God, you know the people and the needs out there. Give me the right things to say.” Somehow, in the way only he can, God uses my teaching and the teaching of other pastors to meet the needs of people who are listening. 3. God speaks to us through impressions. There are two extremes to this. One extreme is the rationalist who believes no impression can be from God; it all has to be logical. At the other extreme is the mystical belief that every impression is from God. You need to get in the middle and realize that for an impression to be from God, it has to match God’s Word. 4. God speaks to us through our circumstances. If you’re going to live a life of significance, God has to make constant course corrections, and one way he does that is through the circumstances that come into your life. When you start to listen to God through circumstances, impressions, teachers, or the Bible, sometimes he’s going to lead you in ways that you don’t understand. Hang in there! Following God is not always easy, but it will reap more blessing in your life than you can imagine. http://pastorrick.com/devotional/english%2ffour-ways-god-speaks-to-you2?roi=echo7-32990862266-52697024-8ba5be7e84b399521fa322e4b774e45a&

Two Steps to knowing God's will

Two Steps to Knowing God’s Will

By Rick Warren — May 4, 2018

“If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him” (James 1:5 TLB). If you want to know God’s will, you need to do a couple of things: 1. Admit that you need guidance. We don’t really like to admit when we’re confused. Men especially don’t like to do this! It’s not in my nature to say, “Hey! I’m lost!” and stop and ask for directions. That’s why, when it comes to knowing God’s will, it takes some real courage to admit that we’re confused and need direction. Psalm 25:9 says, “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way” (NIV). If you’re arrogant and think you’ve got it all figured out, God’s going to say, “Be my guest. Go for it!” I’ve had people tell me, “I’ve been a Christian for 20 years, and I’ve never felt God guiding me.” My response? Maybe it’s because you’ve never admitted that you need it. You go to work assuming that you know what to do without praying about it. You make financial decisions all the time without praying about them. You make vacation plans without praying about them. You make career decisions without praying about them. If you’re single, you go out on a date without praying about it. You think you know, but you might want to stop and admit that you need guidance, because it’s the first step in getting God’s will for your life. 2. Ask God in faith for directions. The Bible says in James 1:5-6, “If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to tell you, for a doubtful mind will be as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind” (TLB). Notice there are two keys to knowing God’s wisdom. First, you’ve got to ask the right person: God. You don’t ask your manicurist, your bartender, or some other “reliable” authority like a radio talk show host. You have to ask the right person! Then you ask with the right attitude: expecting God to answer. Have you ever asked God to lead you, but you didn’t really expect him to? Sure you have. That’s why you never got anything from it. You must ask with the expectation of an answer. God honors faith, and he promises wisdom for the next step of your life. http://pastorrick.com/devotional/english%2ftwo-steps-to-knowing-god-s-will2?roi=echo7-32981036481-52687618-ba8f67778c288c7edb066ef68902b3b0&

What Is Your Daily Bread?

When Jesus says we’re to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” he’s talking about far more than just bread. In fact, the Bible tells us that bread represents four things.

1. Bread represents the necessities of life.This is the economy of God. God says, “I supply it. You gather it.” When you pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” it doesn’t mean you sit on the couch and wait for God to throw you money. You’ve got to work! Even the Israelites had to go out and pick up the manna. Work is a part of God’s purpose for your life. It builds character. Proverbs 14:23 says, “Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table” (MSG).
2. Bread represents God’s Word. The Bible is spiritual food. Bread is a symbol for Scripture. The Bible says, “People do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3b NLT, second edition). When the children of Israel were walking to the Promised Land, God dropped manna from Heaven for the people to pick up because they had nothing to eat. God gave them this bread to teach them that people need more than bread for their life. Real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. You don’t just need physical nourishment; you also need spiritual nourishment.
3. Bread represents God’s family and fellowship. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:16, “Is the bread which we break not a sharing in the body of Christ?” (AMP) Bread is a metaphor for the family of God. You need God’s people in your life! Whether or not you have a physical family, God wants you to be part of his family that will last forever — the Church. It is to be a place of fellowship.
4. Bread represents salvation. Jesus chose bread to represent his sacrifice in communion. Every time we eat the bread and drink the wine or juice, it is a reminder of how much God loves us and the sacrifice he made so that we can go to Heaven.

Whatever your need is — physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual — God will take care of it if you will depend on him. Pray today, “Give us this day our daily bread,” and trust God to provide for you in every way.

http://rickwarren.org/devotional 

God Is Waiting for You to Ask

God is the source of everything. Everything you see in the world and everything you can’t see in the world and in the universe, God made. He’s the source of every good thing in the universe.

As you depend on God as your source for everything, there are four truths you need to remember.

First, everything is a gift from God. Nothing you have, have you earned. It’s all a gift of God’s grace. If God didn’t want to give it, you wouldn’t have it.

The Bible tells us in James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above” (NIV). That’s why the Lord’s Prayer in this third phrase starts with the word “give.” “Give us this day our daily bread.” Why? Because it is a gift. You can’t earn it.

Second, there’s nothing you need that God can’t provide. You don’t know what you’re going to need the rest of this year. But whatever it is, God has the power to supply it.

The Bible says this in Philippians 4:19: “. . . My God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (NIV). Glorious resources means as lavish as only God can lavish. God has unlimited resources.

Third, God wants to give you everything you need. Matthew 7:11says, “If you ... know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11 NIV) God wants to meet your need.

And, here’s the fourth thing: He’s waiting on you.

If you have needs in your life that are not being met, it’s not God’s fault. You’re not waiting on God. He’s waiting on you! The problem is not that God doesn’t want to meet your need; the problem is that you never ask him for it. James 4:2 says, “. . . You do not have because you do not ask God.”

poppy

tomato

http://rickwarren.org/devotional 

Prayer

How many times in our life have we “Made a deal with God?”  We pray prayers similar to this, “God heal me of this sickness and I will do this for you…”  “God help me find my perfect mate and I will do this for you...”  “God help me find the right job so that I may be able to pay my bills and I will do this for you….”  I know many of us have prayed prayers similar to this because we think we can bargain with Almighty God.  What we must quickly realize is that God doesn’t need anything from us.  He has everything.  He owns everything.  He knows everything.  Us trying to bargain with God is like an ant trying to bargain with a human being.  That ant can’t offer us anything of use.  It can make us better or make us want to make a deal with it.  No, God is too big to bargain with His creation.  Instead, the way we receive from the Lord is simply by delighting in Him.  The Bible declares in Psalms 37:4 “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” (Psalm 91:9-11) (Isaiah 26:3-4)

How do we delight in the Lord?  We do so by giving God thanks for our many blessings.  We do so by giving God Praise for His many interventions in our life.  We delight in God when we sing unto Him with Thanksgiving for never leaving us nor forsaking us.  When we approach God in this manner I believe every desire that is within our hearts will be gladly given because we understood this truth that God is not a dealmaker, but He is a lover of our souls.  When we love Him a mere portion as much as He loves us we will see our life elevate in ways that we can’t even think or imagine for ourselves.  The Bible declares in 1 John 5:14-15 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us whatever we ask we know that we have what we asked of Him.” (Psalm 31:23-24) (Psalm 28:6-8)

Be encouraged to reevaluate how you are approaching the Lord.  Do you only pray when you want something?  Do you only seek the Lord when you have a problem or a trial that you need help with?  That should not be.  Praying should be a continuous practice.  We should be in communion with the Lord throughout our day each and every day that we are blessed enough to have.  God loves us with an undeserved and gracious love.  He is merciful to us even when we don’t deserve mercy.  That kind of love is incomprehensible in our own minds, but yet still exists and is extended to all of humanity who will reach out and accept God’s love, grace and mercy.  Call upon the Lord my friend.  Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart! (Psalm 118:4-6) (1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

I hope this message inspires and challenges your heart to never call upon the Lord trying to make a deal, but rather seek Him earnestly giving praise and thanks for all that He has graciously given you.

A BETTER PRAYER

One man, too inebriated to drive, was walking home along railroad tracks when his foot suddenly became stuck. He pulled and tugged, but could not free it from the tracks.

Then he heard a noise and turned around to see an oncoming train. In a panic, he prayed. “Dear God, please get my foot out of these tracks and I'll stop drinking.”

Nothing happened.

With the speeding train closer, he tried again. “Oh, Lord, get my foot out of these tracks and I'll stop drinking AND I'll quit cheating on my wife!”

Still nothing, and now the train was just seconds away.

He tried one last time. “Lord, if you get my foot out of the tracks, I'll quit drinking, cheating, AND... I'll become a minister!”

Suddenly his foot shot out of the tracks and he dove out of the way of the passing train. Dusting himself off, he looked toward Heaven and said, “Never mind, Lord, I got it out myself.”

Does that kind of prayer sound familiar? How often are prayers, even when one is not in a state of emergency, concerned only about physical needs -- health and safety?

Like you, I know what it is to be afraid. I'm afraid of accidental injury, dismemberment or death. I've been afraid of a pending medical diagnosis. There must be a million different faces to the fears of life.

I'm tempted at these times to hope for, and pray for, a way to avoid the danger ahead. I want to be safe, secure and healthy. But none of us is always safe, secure or healthy. So, I, too, have come to see that the better prayer is for courage to face whatever life may bring. And in some place deep inside me, I am not only convinced that the courage will come and not fail me, but that it will be enough. Always enough.

Read and meditate on these scriptures:

Philippians 4:4-7 “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Psalm 105:1-5 “O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon His name: make known His deeds among the people. Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him: talk ye of all His wondrous works. Glory ye in His Holy Name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD, and His strength: seek His face evermore. Remember His marvellous works that He hath done; His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth.”

Psalm 139:17-18 “How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with Thee.”

Jeremiah 29:11-13 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.”

Psalm 107:6-9 “Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses. And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”

http://www.godswork.org

St Peter Sq

Rose garden at Assisi

At Assisi

Doing God's Work

So many times in life we want to be right, we want to be the winner, we want to be ahead of everyone else.  What we must realize and recognize is that God’s system of promotion is exactly the opposite of this world’s system.  The Lord Jesus declares in Mark 10:43-44 “...Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.”  The Bible also says that God sees everything that is done openly and in secret and He will reward us according to our works.  That means we must show someone love when all they have shown us is hate, it means to turn the other cheek when all we want to do is hit back, it means that we go the extra mile to be a blessing even when that one is not deserving of it.  What we do openly and in secret God knows about and sees and we will be rewarded in like manner. (Matthew 6:1-18) (Matthew 5:38-48)

No matter our position in life we should remember the words of the Lord.  In order to be first we must place ourselves last.  Humbling ourselves before God and others shows our meekness, our love, our care and our wish to see others becoming better, wiser and stronger because of our help and assistance.  I think of Joseph who stayed faithful to God no matter how wronged he was throughout his life.  He was sold into slavery by his own brothers, he was lied about by Potiphar’s wife and wrongfully sent to prison for many years, but one day seeing Joseph’s faithfulness throughout his life, God gave Pharaoh a dream that no man could interpret except Joseph and when he in humility interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, Joseph was made second in command of all of Egypt.  He went from the prison to the Palace in a single day.  That’s what happens to those who humble themselves.  That’s what happens to those who placed themselves last knowing that God will be there to vindicate them, to promote them, to elevate their life to Heights that they never thought would be possible. (Mark 9:33-44) (Genesis 41:8-46)

Be encouraged to be a follower of the words of the Lord.  Listen to what the Bible declares in 1 Peter 5:6-7 “Humble yourselves therefore under the Mighty Hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time:  Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you.”  Don’t lose heart the next time someone does you wrong.  Don’t feel like getting vengeance because God says vengeance is mine I will repay them.  Let God be God and you do what He commands of you.  Be a faithful servant of the Lord and you will see God be your advocate, your vindicator, your Palace placer.  When we do what is right even when we find it so tough to do, God will honor our faithfulness.  God will redeem us, He will strengthen us, He will encourage our hearts and make us know that our life will be used for good no matter how hard the enemy is trying to use it for bad. (Romans 12:19-21) (Hebrews 10:22-25)

Stay strong in the Lord, be faithful until the end knowing that God will never leave us nor forsake us.  He is faithful to the end.  Let us always be the same with Him.

Read and meditate on these scriptures:

Romans 12:10-16 “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another...”

Galatians 6:9-10 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

Matthew 5:8-12 Jesus says “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

Romans 15:1-4 “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not Himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on Me. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.”

http://www.Godswork.org

Pope audience while I visited Vatican on 19/4/16

carry the cross with year of mercy logo towards St Peter Basilica

God is our refuge and strength

It is a great comfort to know that no matter what may come our way and no matter how tough our struggles may be that God is still by our side.  No matter how hard the storms rage around us and no matter how defeated we may feel at times we can still call upon the Lord and ask for His protection, His comfort, His strengthening and His peace that surpasses all understanding.  So many people today feel all alone.  They believe that there is no one in their corner helping them to fight through the trials and challenges in their life.  What we should always keep in mind is that God will not leave our side.  The Bible declares in Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”  The Bible says He is a present help which means that He is an on time God.  We don’t need to worry about what the future holds as long as we trust in the One Who holds our future. (Philippians 4:6-7) (2 Corinthians 1:3-6)

We can rest in God’s provision and we can trust that all things will work together for our good in the end.  No matter how many obstacles may be trying to discourage our hearts or make us want to give up we must dig our heels in and have an unwavering spirit knowing that victory lies just ahead of those obstacles.  We must believe that goodness awaits us.  We must trust that God will use every trial and challenge to make us better, wiser and stronger than we were before it.  When we stay confident in His ability through us amazing things can happen.  We just have to get past the feeling discouraged and defeated stage so that we may see ourselves as God sees us, mighty warriors for Christ. (Romans 8:28)

Always remember that the Lord has equipped us to do great and mighty things, but we must believe it for ourselves and see ourselves as worthy enough to be used by God to make a lasting impact that will be remembered far longer than we can ever think or imagine ourselves. (Jeremiah 1:4-10)

I hope this message strengthens and encourages your heart to know that God will always send you simple signals to let you know that you are not forgotten and that He will always be by your side because of your unwavering trust in Him.

A THOUSAND BUTTERFLIES

I have always loved butterflies. I think I must have gotten it from my Mom. When I was a boy she used to take a break from working in her flower garden just to watch these delicate winged beauties fly from blossom to blossom. After my Mom passed away I told my daughter many times that if her Grandma ever wanted to check up on her that she would probably just hop a ride on the back of a butterfly to do so. The amazing thing is that the more I would say it the more the butterflies would dance gracefully in the air around us when we walked outside. I would always smile and silently tell my Mom how much I loved her as they fluttered by.

This year I have seen more butterflies than ever before. I think my Mom must have gathered a thousand, invisible, angel riders to join her in watching over me. It is so glorious seeing all these butterflies floating on the breezes whenever I go out. I know that it is just my Mom’s wonderful way of letting me know that she loves me, that she is looking out for me, and that she along with so many others are helping me as I travel down the road of my life.

It is so good to know that my Mom is still with me in my heart, mind, and soul. It is so blissful to feel her presence as I do my best to give love, spread joy, and make this world a better place. It is so wonderful to realize that a thousand angels are cheering me on as I strive to do what God wants me to do and go where God wants me to go. It is so peaceful knowing that this life I am living is a part of something far greater than myself.

As you go down the road of your life then always remember that you are not alone. God and His angels are always with you. They are watching you, helping you, and cheering you on as you love, give, and live. They are delighting in your every effort to do good and make this world a better place. And sometimes they are even riding unseen on the backs of a thousand butterflies.

By Joseph J. Mazzella

Read and meditate on these scriptures:

Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.”

Psalm 3:4-8 “I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and He heard me out of His holy hill. Selah. I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about. Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God: for thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone; thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongeth unto the LORD: Thy blessing is upon Thy people. Selah.”

Psalm 34:1-5 “I will bless the LORD at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto Him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.”

Psalm 16:8-11 “I have set the LORD always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

Isaiah 26:3-4 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.” 

All of these scriptures can be found in the King James Version Bible.

Today's Selected Poem: APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAVE
Click here to read ---  http://www.Godswork.org/enpoem2.htm

Today's Selected Testimony: OUT OF DARKNESS
Click here to read ---  http://www.Godswork.org/testimony103.htm

In Christ’s Service,

Dwayne Savaya
God’s Work Ministry

http://www.godswork.org/