STREAMS.

"Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, 'I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.'When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, 'Moses! Moses!'"

Exodus 3:1-4

If you're like me, you've probably heard this story more times than you can count. But I want to draw your attention to something the Lord recently highlighted to me that has really changed the way I interact with God.

Can you recall from this passage when God called to Moses?

It wasn't when Moses was shepherding the flock. It wasn't when God appeared in flames of fire. It wasn't as the bush was burning.

Look more closely at verse 4. God didn't call to Moses until Moses decided to go look at what God was doing. 

"When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look,
God called to him from within the bush, 'Moses! Moses!'" Exodus 3:4

God was waiting to see if Moses would turn away from what he was preoccupied with before He spoke.

I believe God does the same thing with us. 

He waits to see if we will turn our eyes towards Him. He waits to see if we will take our attention off of ourselves and fix it on Him. He waits to see if we will turn away from our current circumstances to pursue Him.

Do you want to know God's heart for you? Do you want to more fully understand what He is teaching you in this time? Do you desire to see your current situation as God sees it? Do you long to know why He has allowed this to happen?

Then turn away. 

He is waiting to speak to you. He is waiting to infuse your heart with hope, purpose, and vision. He has abundant resources available for you. He wants to comfort you and ease your pain.

But you must turn away and look for Him.

My challenge to you today is to view every circumstance, situation, blessing, and hardship as a burning bush opportunity. God is on the edge of His seat, bursting with things to say.

Will you turn away to listen?

Grace and Peace,

JP Hennessy, youth director

KINGDOM PRACTICALS.

God desires to speak and commune with all Christians. In fact, hearing His voice and communing with Him is an inherited priveledge every believer posseses because of our adoption through Jesus Christ.

But very few Christians live in tangible communion with God. Jesus, on the other hand, lived completely by His Father's voice. Regardless of where He was lead or how great the cost, Jesus listened and obeyed the Father.

The root of the issue in regards to hearing God's voice is abandonment. To what degree are you abandoned to God? If He told you to sell your car, would you? If He told you to move across the country, would you? If He told you to pray for the cashier at the grocery store, would you?

Most of us stop the flow of God's voice into our lives because of fear. We're afraid of what He might tell us. We're afraid that He might tell us our pirorities are out of line or we are carrying bitterness in our hearts. 

God's voice is Spirit and Truth and sharper than any two-edged sword. It will cut you deep and reveal the substance of your heart. But it is a healing incision! In His mercy He cuts away the cancerous sin so that we can live freely and fully.

A seasoned Indonesian missionary once gave a challenge revealing the level of abandonment needed to hear God's voice constantly and consistently: "You must live by the three A's: anything, anytime, anywhere."

Let us so abandon ourselves to God's leading that we will do anything He says, anytime He says it, no matter where we are.

Grace and Peace,

JP Hennessy, youth director

KINGDOM PRACTICALS.

Here's a brief list of discplines that I've found help me become more sensitive to God's voice. 

1. DWELL in His presence. Spending time in worship and prayerful scripture reading will help this.

2. FOCUS on God's purposes. Do not try to control God. Be expectant without expectations.

3. ASK continually. God desires to give us the Kingdom and like any parent, He loves persistence and passion.

4. GROW in love towards others. As you grow in love towards others, God will increasingly trust you with      prophetic words.

5. CHECK your body. Recognize that God may speak to you through any of your senses.

6. BECOME a lover of God's written word. If you love God's word and feed yourself with it, your sensitivity to  His voice will increase exponentially.

(If you desire more depth, check out Steve Thompson's book You May All Prophesy!)

Grace and Peace,

JP Hennessy