HE can speak through you too...

as i said GOD speaks to us is through gifted teachers.

back a few years ago we took a sunday off after our district assembly and we went to two churches on that morning. the first church we went to, the pastor had been one of my senior pastors, i had worked for him in two different churches.

and it was great to hear him speak that sunday morning but as he came down to the end of his message, he asked brett, my son who was still in college at the time to come up and tell his story of how he had given up being at the air force academy, playing on the varsity baseball team to accept a call to preach, of the defining moment that he had at a chaplain's retreat as he had listened to his chaplain speak. GOD spoke through his chapline to him.

GOD also spoke through brett that sunday morning to me. HE saidm what if you had just decided to go on home and take the scenic route but not go to church. brett wouldn’t have had the opportunity to share his story. HE reinforced in me through brett my need to be faithful.

the bible says GOD gives us gifted pastors and teachers to communicate HIS word. i've had many people tell me when i was a pastor, "after today's message, pastor bill, i felt like you've been reading my mail or reading my thoughts."

listen, that’s not me. that’s GOD. so i pray. i say, "GOD, you know what these people need. you know where they are living, you know what is going on in their lives, in their homes. show me what to share, what to study." and HE does. that is my same prayer I pray everyday as I sit down and share with you here on the front porch.

am i saying that GOD speaks through me? i have no doubt about it! i'm amazed by it and i don't deserve it but i have no doubt about it.

and the truth is if you're a believer, GOD speaks through you. many times you don't even know it.

how many times, if you could go back over your life, a friend has come to you for counsel or you've said something that was a real turning point thing, a defining moment in that person's life? you didn't think twice about it. it was just an idea that popped into your mind. where do you think it came from? GOD was speaking through you. if you are a CHRISTian, GOD often speaks through you and you don't even know it.

just a thought from the front porch…