September 27, 2010 Listening to God 1

That you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life, and He will give you many years in the land He swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Good Monday Morning, my dear brothers and sisters, and we here at the Southern Location of the North Pole are getting some very much needed rain. It is just a beautiful rain. Last week we talked about talking to God, and now it is time to find out why we should listen to Him. Monday is the day we pray for our leaders and while you are praying for them, please pray about who you are going to vote for in November, ask God to help you with this. Folks, it is time we take America back for God, it is time we invite Him in, instead of throwing Him out of places. It is time to get back to God in all we do... and someone please yell out AMEN...

New on the prayer list today is Dianne Ritchie, wife of the late Mike Ritchie and owner of Ritchie Bus Lines. Dianne is starting chemo for Pancreatic Cancer. This request sent in by our dear prayer warrior James "Spike" Michaud. Add her in your prayers with Kathleen and Ron who we have been praying for to be healed from cancer.

Vicki is improving but is still in a lot of pain from her surgery, she had tubes pulled but still has stiches to come out. She is thanking God for His healing power and thanking all of you for praying for her. Zach came out of the coma yesterday and smiled at his father and today he is listed as fair condition. Zack was one of the two boys who were injured weeks ago and has been in a coma since.

Brothers and sisters, this coming Sunday is "World Wide Communion" Sunday in Christian Churches. So this week as we look at Listen to God, I would like to serve Communion on Friday, so let's start today to prepare our minds and bodies for this. Maybe as you remember you can take some juice to work with you, and maybe some paper cups. Take also some bread and then on Friday ask others to join us. Communion is special for me, and I know people on this line who for one reason or another right now do not get to church, mostly because of age and health, and they really enjoy the communion. Ok, time to listen to God...

Listening to God 1: Deuteronomy 30:20 - That you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the Lord is your life, and He will give you many years in the land He swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (NIV)

1 Samuel 3:8 - The Lord called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Hear I am; you called me." Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening." (NIV)

How often have we, and I am using the word we because we includes me, and I fit this example... How often have we talked to God, prayed our hearts out to Him and then just sort of did not listen to hear His answer? Guilty, I am, Guilty, I am. But wait a minute, do we just need to listen for God to speak to us after we have prayed or talked to Him? No, we need to listen for God to call on us to do things for Him or just when He wants to talk to us. Yes, folks, there are times when God might just want to get in touch with us, and do you think He is going to call you on the phone or send you a text message, or a fax? I think not. Take a look at the scriptures that God pointed me to this morning, and first let me say this, when God points me to a scripture or points your pastor to a scripture, that is God talking to us. God is not a screamer like some people we all know. God is not going to yell at you and for sure is not going to cuss you out. But He will speak to you. I wonder if when God speaks and we do not listen, does He think nobody is home and how might He mean that? I have heard that term used when a person seems to be "lost in space" so to speak, has an empty head.

In Deuteronomy 30:20 it tells us to listen to the Lord for the Lord is your life. The Lord is our life, folks. If the Lord is our life we really do need to be listening to Him, and I think we all agree on this. Then we see in the book of Samuel that God is calling Samuel... Samuel! Samuel! and then Samuel tells God, go ahead and speak for your servant is listening. Now I don't know about you but I am very proud, very happy and also very, very blessed to be called a servant of God.
As you go through this day, see if you can tell when God is talking to You. I tell you that God will talk to you each day and if you do not hear Him as he speaks to your heart then you are not paying attention. LISTEN FOR HIM, AND THEN LISTEN TO HIM. Do you see the difference there folks? First listen for Him to talk to you, and then listen to Him to hear what He is telling you. He might be asking you to do something for Him, He might be telling you of a danger that is going to happen, He might be just telling you to have a blessed day and that He will be walking the day with You.

God does not speak to us like this, but maybe He should... I had a tad bit of trouble talking in class when I was in school, would you believe that, I sometimes had trouble and just talked out. I had one teacher who would yell, DANNY, SHUT UP AND LISTEN... Sometimes I wish God would yell at me once in a while, I might do better at listening. Anyway, let's talk to God and then today, and please let me know this, today try and hear God speak to your heart, listen to Him. Then share it with us.

Dear God, open our ears and our hearts to hear You this day. We are good at asking You for things and stuff but we are not listening to You for what You are saying to us. Help us, Lord. And Lord, this is the day we pray for our leaders and pray for those who protect us, so please, Lord, bless them and bless our military and our police and fire fighters. And Lord, please watch over Dianne Ritchie and heal her from cancer, and Lord, it was good to hear from Ronald, and Lord, he, regardless of his cancer, is on fire for You. Keep him going, Lord, and Lord, touch also Kathleen who is also on fire for You even as she deals with serious cancer. Talk to me today, Lord, and open my heart to listen. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Now go forth, sharing your blessings and listen to God and also listening to others. Do you know we learn more when we listen than when we speak? Love ya, Pastor Dan.

Carry The Light Ministries Inc.
16 Dewalt Drive
Mechanicsburg, Pa. 17050
Phones and of course you may call on us.
Home 717 691 8200 Pastor's cell 717 991 0754 Dolores' Cell 717 991 0763

Be blessed