A Gentle Whisper

1 Kings 19:11-13 - The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

It takes intense focus to hear a “gentle whisper.”  You have to ignore the distractions and really lean in and listen to hear what is being said.  You have to allow the person who is whispering to come close and get into your personal space.  This is how God often speaks to us. 

The problem is that we have so many things competing for our attention.  There is so much noise in our lives…so many distractions.  Each morning, when the alarm clock sounds, we’re off to the races.  From morning coffee to midnight snack, our schedules are blinding.  Our focus has shifted from the reality of God’s presence to the circumstances of the world we in which we live.  We are not willing to quiet our lives…to really lean in and listen to His voice.  When he does speak we often can’t hear His voice.  We do not make ourselves available to Him, yet we expect Him to do what we want, when we want it done (like God is our mystical genie in a bottle).  However, we are not willing to do what He wants, when he wants it done.  We have ignored Him, but in our moment of crisis we wonder where he is.  The sad truth is that He never left us, but we left him. Unfortunately, many of us have turned our back on Him and are running from His purpose in our lives.

Can you hear His voice amidst the noise as he asks, “What are you doing here”? 

Can you hear Him as he is calling you to turn your heart back to Him, to shift your focus to His voice, and to make Him and His purpose for your life the priority?

John 10:27 - “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me.”

I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO SPEAK : CONFESSIONS OF A PASTOR

I have a confession to make.  I’m terrified to speak in public.  I always have been.  As a matter of fact, up until my junior year of high school, I would skip school on the days that I had to give a speech in class.  I chose to take a zero rather than to humiliate myself in front of all of those people.  I knew the moment I stood in front of the class and opened my mouth, that I would be an imposter; spouting off about things I really knew nothing about.   I eventually learned to make my way through those times, though the fear really never went away.  As a matter of fact, if you had told me that one day I would stand before hundreds of people each week to teach about Jesus, I probably would’ve punched you in the face...seriously.

I have another confession to make.  I’m still terrified.  I feel like on any given Sunday, everyone is going to see me as a fraud; someone who doesn’t know enough and who isn’t worthy enough to be used by God, let alone to lead the church.  Maybe I’m using this as just a form of therapy, but even though I have always been thrust into positions of leadership, I'm very apprehensive about leading.  As a matter of fact, great leaders easily intimidate me.  Around them, I feel like a poser.

Why do I say all of this?  What’s the point? 

The point is that I’m not alone.  Throughout the course of human history, God has chosen to use people just like me.  Each week I have to remind myself of this fact.

In Exodus 4:10, Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.”

In Jeremiah 1:6, Jeremiah responded to the Lord’s call by saying, “I do not know how to speak…”

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:1-3, “When I first came to you, dear brothers and sisters, I didn’t use lofty words and impressive wisdom to tell you God’s secret plan…I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling.”

Like me, do you have fears about being used by God?  Do you feel like you’re not worthy or that you’ll never know enough? The fact of the matter is that you’re in great company and you’re perfect for the job.  You see, God desires to use people who couldn’t otherwise or wouldn’t otherwise do certain things, because that way there’s no mistaking it’s Him.  It’s in our weakness that we begin to operate within His power.

Paul goes on to concede in v. 4-5, “Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.” 

It’s time that we begin to recognize and operate within his power.  In doing so, we become living proof of God’s grace and purpose.  We become an illustration of hope for those who desperately need God to work in their own lives.

Will you allow yourself to be used by God today?

D: It is Written - A Slumdog Review

1 Corinthians 13:13 – “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

In the movie Slumdog Millionaire, an impoverished young man named Jamal Malik, from the slums of Mumbai, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire.” The film opens with Jamal on the verge of winning 20 million Rupees, and on suspicion of cheating; he is arrested, interrogated and tortured. Throughout his interrogation Jamal shares the story of his journey, and how it has led him to his answers. As his tale unfolds, it is apparent that both destiny and love have led him to this moment.

Jamal’s journey begins with the violent death of his mother, leaving him orphaned along with his older brother, Salim, to survive the slums of Mumbai. A girl named Latika, to whom Jamal forms an inseparable bond, joins them on their journey. Through an unfortunate turn of events, the boys are separated from Latika, who would spend the next several years of her life in bondage to the criminal element in Mumbai. However, Jamal never forgets Latika and is unrelenting in his search for her.

One of the most interesting dynamics in the film is the contrast between the brothers, Jamal and Salim. While they are on a seemingly similar journey, they take vastly different paths. Jamal seems to maintain some semblance of character at each turn of life, while Salim continuously compromises his character by making bad decisions. Jamal’s determination and love for Latika sustains him. Conversely, Salim’s greed, and lust for control and power continues to lead him down a much darker path.

Jamal’s love for Latika and faith in his brother propels the major theme in the film, which is hope. Hope to overcome a life of struggle, hope for a life of purpose driven by love, hope for a happy ending. As it often does, the elements of love, faith, and hope lead to redemption. This is reflected in the triumphant closing song, “Jai Ho,” which is translated from Hindi as “Victory”... Perfect closing for a film that illustrates unfailing love, the triumph of hope and the victory of the underdog.

Want to be inspired? Watch this film.

RISE 2009

On Sunday, May 31, ACC did not meet for their regular worship service. Instead, we exercised our faith by serving our community through various mission projects. We had a great turnout and it was exciting to see people worshipping through serving. It's a truly beautiful thing to see God working in the lives of the people of ACC. A big thank you goes out to all who participated. You rock!