Speak louder, Jesus!

Driving my five-year-old to school this week was quite an experience. For some reason, the "Little General" (our nickname for Joshua) was filled with theological questions. I don't know what it is about morning commutes that sparks creativity toward the Divine, but little Joshua's brain was going into overdrive. This morning was especially humorous. He asked me if the soldiers who killed Jesus went to heaven or hell? When I told him that I didn't know, he asked me how we know if we are going to heaven? I responded that only those who pay tithes go to heaven. Not really. I told him that everyone who knows Jesus goes to heaven, and those who don't know Jesus go to hell. "That's why," I said, "we have to make sure and tell everyone about Jesus." Then he asked me how we get to know Jesus. I answered that we know Jesus by reading the Bible and by praying. "When we pray," I said, "we are talking to Jesus." Joshua then asked, "How does Jesus talk to us?" ("Out of the mouth of babes") I told him that Jesus talks to us on the inside - in our heart and in our head. Then Joshua broke out with a loud voice, "Well I wish Jesus would talk louder because I can't hear Him!"
There are a lot of people who would agree with the Little General. Why doesn't God speak clearly to us? If He wants us to do His will then why is it that sometimes His will is not so clear to us? Certainly all of us have struggled at times with hearing the voice of God. We ask God to tell us what to do about important situations in our life, then we wait to hear His voice - seemingly to no avail. So why the silent treatment from God?
The answer is that God is not silent. He is speaking to us continually. He is not trying to hide His plans for you. The problem is not with God speaking to us, but with us listening to God.
First of all, God has already spoken to us clearly in the Bible. This is why we call the Bible the "Word of God." It is God's revelation of Himself to us and His plan for all of our lives. The Bible is our primary source of hearing from God because it is free of human error or emotions. Most of our answers for most of our situations can be found by searching the Scriptures for what God has already told us about our situation. We just have to take the time to listen (i.e. read).
There are times when we have specific situations where we need answers that may not be easy for us to locate in the Bible. In these times we need to find a quiet place and pray. One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to speak God's direction and wisdom into our lives. He lives inside us so He is there speaking to us in our conscience and in our hearts and minds all day long. If we never take the time to be still and listen then we will not be familiar with His voice. There are so many voices in the world speaking to us. The more time we spend in prayer and solitude the easier it is to recognize God's voice. Jesus said in John 10:4, that His sheep"follow Him because they know His voice." Do you know His voice?
I know that when I struggle to hear from God on an issue, it is usually because I am too busy to stop and listen to Him. Every time I find a solitary place and seek Him I find that I can hear His voice clearly.
So remember that God is not trying to hide His will from you. It's not a game where He wants you to try to solve the mystery. God is speaking to us all day every day through his Word and by his Spirit. Sometimes we just have to stop and listen.

WORDS

Last night was a very special night at the Lavender house. Last night Joshua learned how to read. It wasn't that he learned to read in one night. We've been working on this for six months! Every day we went over the sounds of letters and how they come together to form words. We memorized sight words and struggled night after night to get him to understand how to read. He didn't get it. Then, last night all the pieces came together for him and he got it!
We've been through this before. This is our third child that we taught how to read. For some reason, our experience didn't make this round any less frustrating. It's hard to understand how the brain works sometimes. Joshua is perhaps the brightest of our children at this age (5 years-old), yet he seemed to take the longest to learn to read. Each child is different and their learning styles so unique. When it comes to learning, one size does not fit all. This is an important revelation that all educators must understand. Anyway, last night, after months of foundation building, the light came on in Joshua's brain and suddenly he could see!
I'm just going to say this up front. There are few things in life as rewarding as watching someone learn how to read. I understand why my wife gives her life to teaching kids. When you see the light come on in their little head it sends electricity surging through your feel-good channels. Joshua was so excited! He went through the house reading words on books, boxes and even the walls! He kept saying, "I can read, Daddy! I can read!" I almost started crying. He couldn't sleep last night. He laid in bed with books open. I could hear him sounding out words in amazement. He finally got it! Now a whole new world is open before him.
The ability to read is the single most important tool in civilization. Illiteracy is followed by poverty, sickness and crime. Every civilization that advanced did so by educating their people. Is it any wonder that Jesus is called THE WORD?

PASTOR LANE'S FACEBOOK RULES

People come to me all the time with critical remarks about Facebook. Most of them are stories of marriages and families that are torn apart from inappropriate liaison's with the opposite sex. The truth is - I LOVE FACEBOOK. I find social networking to be a great tool for ministry and communication with friends, family and church. There are, however, inherent dangers in social media. Accordingly, I would like to propose a list of rules for Facebook that I think all of us would do well to follow. These rules can save us all a lot of headache and heartache. Here we go...
PASTOR LANE'S FACEBOOK RULES
(spiritual etiquette for social media)

1. KEEP IT LEFT-BRAINED. As much as possible, keep your emotions off the web and focus on the facts - just the facts.

2. NO REGRETS. There are two important rules to remember here: 1. Don't say anything you can't take back. 2. You can't take back anything you say. Everything you say in social media can (and will) be used against you (even in a court of law).

3. NO-NAME. Please don't use other peoples names without permission. Better yet, don't use other peoples names at all. And never post individual pictures of other people without their permission.

4. NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. Don't use Facebook to exploit your "fiends" for money. Sending continual advertisements and promotions for your business or other money-making schemes will soon get you de-friended.

5. I HAVE NO OPINION. Someone once said, "Opinions are like noses: everyone has one and they all small." Leave your opinions to yourself!

6. KEEP IT CLEAN. Stay clear of all sexual innuendos, corrupt communication, slander, and foul (or crude) language. Read Ephesians 4:29

7. PROTECT YOURSELF. Be very selective when putting personal information online, especially your birth date, address, telephone number and email. All of the information you put on your Facebook profile WILL BE STOLEN. Never click on advertising. When you do, you open yourself up to viruses and you will also find your email account flooded with unwanted spam. Never add people you don't know as your Facebook "friend." Think first before you type personal life information. For example, never write things like this: "Leaving for vacation today," or "I'm home all by myself today." If you do, you are inviting thieves and sexual predators to your home. And last bu not least, be very careful about posting children's pictures online. You would be amazed at just how many sick, perverted people are "seeking whom they may devour."

If you will follow these simple guidelines it will make your Facebook experience safer and more enjoyable.

You're welcome!