Are You Talking to Me, God? (Part 1)

Deacon Tim is always instructing me in the ways of God, especially those life events that seem so, well, ungodly.  Where's God in all the bad stuff?  Deacon Tim contends that God is right there, using those things for our benefit.  If you don't want to believe Deacon Tim, I understand, but there is that little Bible verse that says, "All things work together for good for them that love the Lord."  The tricky thing, though, is figuring out what God is saying to us in those less-than-perfect situations and people.  In this podcast, we lay the groundwork for this topic of discernment, and Deacon Tim promises that he has more to say in the coming weeks.  Please send this podcast to a friend in the midst of one of those rough spots in life!

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Comments

I think more then 3 people are listening :).
You are being guided and believe it or not Deacon Tim you actually ARE telling people what they are being call to. Keep listening to the Spirit and He will keep using you for good!

[Deacon Tim]

Thanks for the encouragement! We hope and pray that we are being of help to our listeners. It's hard to know what issues to address.

[Steve K]

Tim and Cyndi,
I really enjoyed the podcast on discernment. In recent years I've had to discern a number of important things in my life. Listening to God in my thoughts, friends, spiritual directors and signs He makes happen have helped me a great deal. I used to get very frustrated while in prayer and my mind would wander to unrelated thoughts but lately have opened that channel for God to speak to me.

I will forward your broadcast to a friend of mine who is discerning an important decision regarding his vocation. I look forward to listening to more on this topic from you and Tim.

Your brother in Christ,
Steve K

[Barb]

Well, throw me for a loop!!
This podcast reminds me of the Joseph story - what was meant for evil, God redeemed and used for His glory. He is in the midst of our troubled and weary minds/situations and usually looking back we see His hand of grace and mercy. But in the middle of it - questions, doubts, sleepless nights! Maybe when I'm near the end of this life I'll finally rest and be a peace in every situation.
I would love to have a button for my blog that says I LISTEN TO TWOEDGETALK. SO SHOULD YOU.

[Cyndi]

We have the best listeners! I've learned many things this week, both from these comments and the emails I have received from you Two Edge Talkers! I think God has me do this just for the blessings I receive!

Peace be with you!
Cyndi

[Dave]

http://web.mac.com/davemoody/iWeb/blog137/blog 137/C691FCBF-6033-40C5-8ECB-59D66D6EF167.html

Tim, I've included the above link to a post I wrote several weeks ago on Mother Theresa and the nature of faith and belief. I hope it is helpful and of some use to you. Also, I'm including a prayer by a Serbian Orthodox priest- that exemplifies to me, someone who 'got' what David was talking about in Samuel. One who was completely surrendered to the will of God, captivated by his Word, and being Christ's servant in impossible circumstances. I found this through Frederica Mathewes-Green. It continues to humble me, reminding me how far I have to go, and the terrible grace God uses to shape his children so that they are fit to occupy heaven with him. I'm far more like David's guard- "lets just get it over with now and lop of some heads!"

Thanks you guys, for bearing faithful witness to the surpassing greatness of our Triune God of grace. May He richly bless you and yours.
in Christ,
dm

A prayer by St. Nikolai Velimirovic, a Serbian Orthodox bishop of the last century, who opposed Naziism and was eventually taken to Dachau. In this prayer he no doubt has in mind personal enemies, rather than national ones; the prayer is not intended as a guide for political and military decisions.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.
Enemies have driven me into Your embrace more than friends have. Friends have bound me to earth, enemies have loosed me from earth and have demolished all my aspirations in the world.
Enemies have made me a stranger in worldly realms and an extraneous inhabitant of the world. Just as a hunted animal finds safer shelter than an unhunted animal does, so have I, persecuted by enemies, found the safest sanctuary, having ensconced myself beneath Your tabernacle, where neither friends nor enemies can slay my soul. Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.
They, rather than I, have confessed my sins before the world.
They have punished me, whenever I have hesitated to punish myself
They have tormented me, whenever I have tried to flee torments.
They have scolded me, whenever I have flattered myself
They have spat upon me, whenever I have filled myself with arrogance.
Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.
Whenever I have made myself wise, they have called me foolish.
Whenever I have made myself mighty, they have mocked me as though I were a dwarf.
Whenever I have wanted to lead people, they have shoved me into the background.
Whenever I have rushed to enrich myself, they have prevented me with an iron hand.
Whenever I thought that I would sleep peacefully, they have wakened me from sleep.
Whenever I have tried to build a home for a long and tranquil life, they have demolished it and driven me out.
Truly, enemies have cut me loose from the world and have stretched out my hands to the hem of Your garment.
Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.
Bless them and multiply them; multiply them and make them even more bitterly against me:
so that my fleeing to You may have no return;
so that all hope in men may be scattered like cobwebs;
so that absolute serenity may begin to reign in my soul;
so that my heart may become the grave of my two evil twins: arrogance and anger;
so that I might amass all my treasure in heaven;
ah, so that I may for once be freed from self-deception, which has entangled me in the dreadful web of illusory life.
Enemies have taught me to know what hardly anyone knows, that a person has no enemies in the world except himself.
One hates his enemies only when he fails to realize that they are not enemies, but cruel friends.
It is truly difficult for me to say who has done me more good and who has done me more evil in the world: friends or enemies.
Therefore bless, O Lord, both my friends and my enemies.
A slave curses enemies, for he does not understand. But a son blesses them, for he understands.
For a son knows that his enemies cannot touch his life. Therefore he freely steps among them and prays to God for them.
Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.
Green
www.frederica.com

-------------------
J. David Moody
Pastor, Trinity Presbyterian Church
blog 137

“If you believe what you like in the gospels, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.” St. Augustine

[Cyndi]

Thanks, Dave.....he had emailed this to me, but I asked him to copy and paste to the blog. That prayer for your enemies could change the world.

Dave's link to his Mother Teresa post didn't work, but click on his name, and scroll down a bit and it's called "The Long Dark Night of the Soul." Please read it - it's a very poignant post!

[weippebrort]

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