LIMITING GOD

TALK, TALK, TALK

Image courtesy of: www.Pixabay.com

TALK, TALK, TALK.

Do you really want people to hear what you have to say?

Perhaps some of us talk too much to be heard.

I know people who talk so much that we tend to let it go

in one ear and out the other.  Then latter they say, "I told

you..."  Of course they did.  But by then I had quit listening.

You have seen it happen.

You go to some meeting - perhaps church - and the speaker

simply will not quit talking.  You quit listening and looking

around, you see most of the others have quit listening too.

God's word has some good advice.

"Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, ... "

(James 1:19 RSV)  

"Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart

be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in

heaven, and you upon earth; therefore let you words

be few."

(Ecclesiastes 5:2 RSV)

"The more words, the more vanity,

and what is man the better?

(Ecclesiastes 6:11 RSV)

Enough said.

End of sermon.

OUT OF FOCUS

OUT OF FOCUS

I am not young, spry, strong, stable, and smart like you.

The photo above was taken hand held.

The photo below was taken with the same camera.  Of

the same object, in the same light, only a couple of 

minutes earlier.  BUT,  on a tripod.

THE DIFFERENCE IS HOLDING STILL.

Life is like that.

I know a "person" [Perhaps several] like that.  This 

person will not hold still long enough to truly hear.

Oh, this "person" says "Go on talking, I'm listening."

BUT,  latter it comes out that person did not hear 

what I was saying.  What this person was clearly

told, was totally unknown to them later.

Are we like that with life?

So engrossed with what we are doing, or want to

do, that we do not know where we are going?

God said;

"Be still, and know that I am God."

(Psalms 46:10 RSV)

"Be still before the Lord, and wait

patiently for him;"

.......

"Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil."

(Psalms 37:7 and 8 RSV)

Have you taken time to hold still and 

take stock of yourself to see where your

life is taking you??

ARE YOU LISTENING?

There is someone I have known for years.

We have a very good relationship that I want

  to continue.

However.

You know how life is.

This person has one annoying habit.

And has had it for as long as I can remember.

Were it not for this one annoying habit, 

this person would no doubt be perfect.

Well, almost.

We can be within talking distance of one another,

not even saying or doing anything. And all I have 

to do is open my mouth and start to say something.

I will not even have my first sentence finished 

until this person has "butted" in and started 

talking about who knows what.

Starting to talk is like waving a red flag

in front of a bull.

Now that's not too bad, but it can be several

times during the same conversation.   If you

can call a one sided conversation a conversation.

This only takes two or three times until I shut

up and do not even try to tell them what I started

too.

I suppose it was while thinking about this that 

the Lord let a thought come into my mind.

When God is trying to speak to me, do I start

talking to him instead of listening to him.

When the Holy Spirit is "trying" to minister

to me, do I start reciting my "give me" list?

"He who has an ear, 

let him hear what the Spirit says....."

(Revelation 3:22 GNT)

HOW IS YOUR LENS?

Off the shelf.

I have mentioned before, I am not a photographer.

But I enjoy playing with cameras.

But which camera to get??????

If you will look on ebay, where I have bought any

cameras bought since I was a kid, there are anywhere

from 56 to 60 THOUSAND cameras offered for sale.

And all with more megapixels than the other guy.

Storm is coming

I am indebted to Ken Rockwell, a professional photographer,

for an over looked truth.  The megapixels do not matter.

That is just a selling point.  What matters is the lens and sensor -

as far as the camera goes.   And even more importantly the

"Photographer".

If you are interested in photography, you would enjoy Ken's

site at:

www.kenrockwell.com

With this in mind I have followed up on some cameras where 

the image quality has actually deteriorated when they increased

the megapixels, or went to a "newer and better" camera.  Go 

figure.  No matter how many megapixes, if they see through

a poor lens - you get a poor picture.

You know, like using powerful binoculars or a telescope -

through a real dirty or distorted window.

Looking over the back fence

Consequently, I have been wanting to get an old, low

megapixel camera to play with.  But with a good lens.

The back yard

Because grandpa likes to play, I bought a camera off ebay

for $9.99 to take these pictures.  [The lighting is poor on each

of these images.  Even the outside images.  A storm was coming.

It was overcast and the sun was not up yet.  But I was in a hurry.]

It is the cheapest digital camera I have ever owned.   It is very low on
 megapixels, 2 (two) if you are counting, but, supposed to have a
good lens.  (We will see.  But beginning to doubt this lens.)  It will
 not be any good for wall maurals or life size portraits.  If that is your
goal - go buy a hand full of  megapixels.

Small dead fly.

Incidentally, the fly is still dead.

But what about your lens?  Your personal lens?

Your "lens" will effet how you see everything.

Distorted or clearly.

God said,

"The eyes are like a lamp for the body.  If your eyes

are sound, you whole body will be full of light:

but if your eyes are no good, your body will be

in darkness.  So if the light in you is darkness,

how terribly  dark it will be!

(Matthew 6:22,23 GNB)

God often refers to our ability to comprehend, or
understand, as seeing with our eyes.  For example
Jesus said,

"This people will listen and listen, but not
understand; they will look and look, but not see,
because their minds are dull, and they have stopped

up their ears and have closed their eyes..."

(Matthew 13:14, 15 GNB)

They look, but will not snap the shutter.

"How clearly the sky reveals God's glory!

How plainly it shows what he has done!"

(Psalms 19:1 GNB)

Does it register with you that this old world

and the heavens are the work of GOD?

Or has God's enemy clouded up your lens

so that you cannot see that we are all the

work of God?

HEARING FROM GOD

HEY! Be quiet. I can't
hear.

You have either said it,
or had it yelled at you.
When you want to hear
something you quit talking.
You do, don't you.
 Or you may turn off an appliance
or lower the volume on the T.V. You minimize any
distracting noise or influence you can so you can hear.

In an upholstery shop in Pomona, California I saw
a sign that said, "You can't learn anything while
you are talking." That is still true today.

The Scriptures say,
There is "a time to keep silence, and a time to
speak;" -Ecclesiastes 3:7 RSV

We all know about the speaking out part. At
least about the things we are interested in.
And that we should for the Lord. But do we
know how to be silent - so we can hear?

The most powerful church service I was ever in
was in one of the local churches. The
visiting evangelist was there with a musical team.
The presence of God was so real and close you could
feel it. You did not want to move or do any
thing that would disturb the way God was working
in our midst.

When the evangelist finished he turned it over
to the local pastor. Even the pastor was moved. The
pastor appreciated the service so much that he spent
the next 20 minutes telling how much he
appreciated the service.

He killed it. Literally killed the service dead. You
could not have killed it any "deader" with a shot
gun. The time to be silent was lost. The moving
of God's Spirit was gone.

I do not know how many services I have been in
where the preacher preaches a great sermon. Then
kills it himself.
He preaches till the sermon is finished. He knows it.
The congregation knows it. God knows it.
But he is enjoying preaching. Especially if the Holy
Spirit has been moving. He does not want to stop.
So he goes on and on killing his own sermon and the
moving of God.

Currently I attend one of those churches where
for some unfathomable reason they think some body's
mouth has to be going all the time. Numbers of times
the Holy Spirit has been ministering to me. But
some one thinks they have to say something. Maybe
in between the verses of a song or just at a pause. And
it quenches the working of the Spirit.

Jim Cymbala said it so well when he said,
"We must quickly be delivered from the delusion
that someone always has to be talking, teaching,
'sharing' or singing; that to keep the crowd interested
we have got to keep things 'moving' lest there be a
lull where God might actually draw us out of
ourselves into real spiritual communion."
-From, Whatever Happened To The Prayer Meeting?
in July 2009 Herald of His Coming, page 3.

God said, "Be still, and know that I am God."
-Psalms 46:10. RSV
Even for Elijah the Spirit of God did not minister
to him in the earthquake or the fire. But in "a
still small voice."

With God's help I want to quiet down and listen
for his "still small voice". How about you?