Jer 1:4 This is what GOD said:
Jer 1:5 “Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you: A prophet to the nations– that’s what I had in mind for you.”
Most of the time it is ourselves that hinder ourselves. For some reason we tend to believe what others have spent a time speaking into us, whether true or not. Peter J Daniels wrote a book* where he told his 2nd grade teacher she was wrong about him. While I was reading it I kept thinking I sure hope this woman is already dead, because this would embarrass her to death. The point of the book is this; don’t let others tell you who you are, or what you will become.
Empty yourself, of everything you know isn’t true. Be the person who God is constantly reminding you, you are. The person He has made you to be. He whispers it in your soul. It may sound like you for God isn’t going to use words that are not in your vocabulary. He’s not going to speak to you in Russian if you don’t know the language, and if it is something that is positive, loving, uplifting and lines up with God’s word then it can’t be the devil speaking that inside you. Why doesn’t God use his own voice to speak to you? Well, for one, it would probably scare you, and two, you are not Moses standing barefoot next to a burning bush.
The best way to hear God is one, learn His voice. That means invite him to speak to you, and pray that when he does you will know it is him. Secondly get in a habit of getting quiet. For me that is sometimes when I am in the car. I turn off the music, which at times bothers me, because I enjoy singing. I’m good at it. No, really I am. On more than one occasion people at a stop light will roll up their window because they just can’t take the awesomeness any longer. Know the kind of things God would speak to you. You do this by reading His word, you know the “Bible”.
Yes there are times God will speak to you through another person, but you will know when that is happening because it will feel very familiar. Why is that? Because most likely His Spirit has been whispering similar words to you for a while. Mothers, fathers, teachers, friends, please be careful of the words you speak into someone else, especially a child, for they just might be listening.
Touching a life is one of the most special things we, as humans, can ever do. In the first book I wrote, “Authentic Ministry” (now in the process of being re-written because I tried to write it like my favorite author Max Lucado, and God whispered to me one day, “I already have a Max Lucado, write in your voice.”), so it is not out yet, but I wrote a whole chapter about touching lives, one of my favorite subjects.
I’m writing this week’s blog from the hospital. It’s okay, because I’m not the one admitted, although some would argue that I should be, or is that, “committed”? Anyway, I am a proud grandpa of my first grandchild. Eleanor (Ellie) was born Thursday evening, but her birth was a journey in itself.
I was part of a group of people once that was setting out to accomplish a certain task. We had several meetings before we left so we could get to know each other and to have a clear understanding of what our goal was and what it was not. Everything went great, with no hints of a future issue until we got to our destination. We no more hit the ground when one individual became someone they didn’t reveal beforehand. The next thing we started realizing is this one individual had their own agenda and goals. Worse yet, as they went about to achieve their goals they hurt others on the team by being rude, condescending, and hurtful. I wanted to ask them, “Just who do you think you are?”
I just spent a week in Ndola, Zambia. If one just drives through some of the poorer communities, as we did, you are filled with guilt, compassion, and sorrow. We in America think we know how fortunate we are, but until you see firsthand how others on the same planet live you really don’t know the depth of our fortune.
By the end of our week some tears were shed as we c
elebrated God together and said our goodbyes. A lot had been accomplished as we visited each church of the seven in Fubuku. As we led a bible study in spiritual gifts, as we “tried” to stucco a mill house, and as we moved most of the 3000 concrete blocks into positions so those who did know what they were doing could put them in place. As we did some home visits to those who were HIV positive, or the widow who was raising 10 orphans on her own. This group of God believing, God fearing Zambians find ways to survive, not just
We feel our goal of building relationships was accomplished. We even gave them a 
picture of a person from my church section with their name, so they could pray for them. Then likewise we took their pictures holding up the photo of the one they selected. The response to this was overwhelming. They stood in a line, some for 30 minutes waiting for their turn to be photographed.
I just watched the movie, “The Martian”. Well written movies usually inspire me to write, so here I go. I am on my way to Zambia. Right now I am somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean. 41,000 feet up in the air. The outside temperature is -85.0F. At least that is what flight status is telling me. Just watching the movie makes me aware there is a lot that could go wrong, but I have hope that we will arrive at our final destination.
The story of Jesus’ death is not a new story to most of us. We’ve heard it so many times in so many ways. Whether you first heard it at a church, or saw a version of it at the movies, or heard someone tell you the story through your television. Perhaps you just heard it again this week as Christians, Disciples of Christ, celebrated Easter. I’m not going to retell it here, but I would like to share the part of His story that means the most to me.
brady, mark a. 