First of all let me say what an honor it has been to be partnered with the greatest institution in the history of the world…YOU…the body of Christ!!!! Truly when 2 or 3 touch and agree on anything He is in our presence. I believe this Fast has been a battle cry for the Holy Spirit to blanket the earth with His presence. I believe because of the obedience of Fasting and giving of our first fruits of 2010 to Christ that this is going to be a year of answered dreams & prayers.
These last 21 days have probably brought out the good, bad and ugly!!! I know for me there were days I thought “forget it, I’m throwing in the towel”, and there were other days I felt I could conquer the world. If there is one thing that I have learned about Fasting, it's that it gets the attention of the Lord and know matter how we feel.... He hears our cry.
There is a scripture that I want to share with you and I have highlighted some key points. I hope this encourages you to stay strong throughout the year. Acts 13:2-3 (message)… One day as they were worshiping God—they were also fasting as they waited for guidance—the Holy Spirit spoke: "Take Barnabas and Saul and commission them for the work I have called them to do." So they commissioned them. In that circle of intensity and obedience, of fasting and praying, they laid hands on their heads and sent them off.
Worshipping God – Although the Fast is ending our need for worship daily throughout the year is vital. I love that worship was the first thing mention. It’s as if the Lord is saying that fasting is a seed, but worship is what prepares the soil of our hearts to be ready for the seed to be sown. And after it’s sown worship continues to water that seed.
Fasting as they waited for guidance – The Bible says in Philippians 4:6, ”Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” It’s important that we wait. This year will most likely bring up’s and downs, but we must stand firm and allow God to be God…in EVERY situation. We see in this verse above that the Holy Spirit spoke after they waited. After all, Romans 5:6 tells us that He is never late, but always right on time!!! So let’s trust His lead.
Circle of Intensity and Obedience – Let’s just be real honest….21 days is a LONG time!!! I would have to say that making a choice to Fast & Pray for 21 days shows not only the Lord that you're serious and desperate for more Him, but it shows the Devil…YA AINT PLAYIN’!! (What's your greatest weapon?) Fasting is an act of obedience that the church forgets to teach these days. You made a choice this year. You joined the Circle of Intensity & Obedience!!! I know God will honor you.
Sent them off – So here we are. We have had a priceless word of encouragement everyday to keep us going these 21 days. It’s now time to stand on your own and know that you have equipped yourself for battle and are ready to face everything that comes your way, because you have sowed a seed of Fasting & Praying…and in due season at the right time that seed will flourish! TRUST THE SEED SOWN!!
I count it an honor to have served with you in this Journey!!! Let’s be faithful to worship at all times, and give the Lord the Honor, Glory & Praise He is due. As He answers prayers and works wonders the only way He can, be sure to proclaim His goodness to all who will hear. Have a blessed 2010!!
FATHER'S DAY IS JUNE 19.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
HARDSHIPS
1 Peter 4:12-13 (NIV)
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
Sometimes we have the notion that our Christian life is supposed to be free of trials, hardships and heartaches. In contrast, the Apostle Peter says that we shouldn’t be surprised at trials but should rather expect them. Why would we think that following Jesus exempts us from difficulties when He is the ultimate example of suffering? Jesus Himself told us, “In this world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). He knew that following Him in a world that has rejected Him would inevitably bring its share of trouble. But, He quickly added, “Take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
Fasting is one way we come to grips with both the reality of hardships in this life and the victory of Jesus over them. The voluntary, temporary hardship of fasting forces us to recognize that our life is rooted in something more eternal and greater than this world. It reminds us that our “participation in the sufferings of Christ” now is leading to a deeper joy and greater glory to come.
Prayer:
Lord, we take heart today because You have overcome the world. As weexperience a measure of hardship through fasting, help us to root our hope more deeply in our triumphant Savior, remembering that all our hardships here are “achieving for us an eternal weight of glory that far outweighs them all” (2 Corinthians 4:17). In Jesus’ name. Amen.
DAY 20 - "WATCH OUT FOR THE....MAILBOX!"
Luke 5:37-38 NLT
“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins,
spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins.”
“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins,
spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins.”
Through this fast I have experienced excitement, determination, strength and the mountain top. I have also experienced a dullness, heaviness, defeat and the valley. Much like a father teaching his son (or daughter) to ride a bicycle, he must let go. "Hold on daddy, don't let go....you still got me?!" Man I have cried that alot. There is always that comfort though, I may not can see Him, but I can hear him encouraging me all the way. I have learned that His instruction, His teaching is life changing. My Father is wanting to pour into me ALL that He has for me. But scripture says that He knows how much of that we can take. In pouring into us, the old must be removed....DAILY! Because He wants to renew me daily. He even let's me be apart of the renewing, so I can feel good about it too! Romans 12:2 says: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
He doesn't need my help, but like a great father, He let's me be apart of the renewing process.even though I might mess things up. He can fix it, and it will be better!
What about the old stuff...the old way of thinking....the old attitude.....the old habits and addictions.....the old outlook? He also taught me that old and new don't mix. Let me explain.
Luke 5:37-38 NLT
“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the new wine would burst the wineskins,
spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine must be stored in new wineskins.”
Two things that do not mix: new wine and old wineskins. The reason is simple: old wineskins cannot grow and stretch to hold the new wine. The new wine God wants to fill you with is expansive; it is a picture of God’s Spirit. It always brings an enlargement. A container that is dead, dry, stiff and shrinking back cannot be entrusted as a storehouse for God’s valued treasure. Our vessels must be prepared for the fresh, dynamic, living presence of God –
everything we do will flow from it. This preparation comes through prayer and fasting, producing a container that is ready for the new thing God wants to do. God’s new wine always changes us – it expands our faith, enlarges our purpose, and brings renewed vision.
Everything God does is expansive, He is not into shrinking wineskins – it is up to us to shed them. As we seek Him in this season, let’s shed the old wineskin and ask God to fully prepare our hearts for what’s to come.
What has caused you to shrink back in your expectation of what God wants to do in your life?
Are you ready to be expanded beyond recognition? That’s what God’s new wine will do in and through you. Pray the Lord will expand your life to glorify Him, giving you boldness to step out and be all and everything He desires you to be.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
ARE WE THERE YET?
Psalm 13:1-6
Have you ever been impatient with God? I have fought my fair share of Impatience. Impatience is a lifelong training ground. Even from a little child to the adult. Even to this day, when the family and I go on a trip. I will still hear from the back of the car "Are we there yet?!" Impatience....ever try to choose a register line at walmart or the grocery store? This line is a good line; it's going to move. But it doesn't, or somebody race infront of you. And I get so irritated.
It's one thing for us to be impatient with ourselves or with others. But when we become impatient with God, we should watch out! "How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul?" (vv. 1,2). Four times David asked, "How long?" We're so time conscious today. We have watches that show us split seconds. But what do we do with those split seconds? If we save three minutes by taking a shortcut, what significant thing will we accomplish with the three minutes we save?
We expect God to do what we want Him to do--and right now! But He doesn'talways act immediately. Abraham had to wait for 25 years after God's promise before Isaac was born. Isaac had to wait 20 years for his children. Joseph had to wait 13 years before he was set free and put on the throne. Moses had a wait of 80 years. You see, God's schedule is not the same as ours.
Sometimes He waits so that He can do more for us than we expect. When He heard that Lazarus was dying, our Lord waited until his friend's death before He came. But when He came, He brought a greater miracle and received greater glory. The hardest thing to do is to wait on the Lord. But we can if we will trust Him and rest on His Word. Some of your greatest blessings come with patience. When you must wait for God to act, you can be confident that He knows what is best for you and what will best glorify Him. Are you waiting for God to act on your behalf? Align with His timing and rest on the promises of His Word.
Have you ever been impatient with God? I have fought my fair share of Impatience. Impatience is a lifelong training ground. Even from a little child to the adult. Even to this day, when the family and I go on a trip. I will still hear from the back of the car "Are we there yet?!" Impatience....ever try to choose a register line at walmart or the grocery store? This line is a good line; it's going to move. But it doesn't, or somebody race infront of you. And I get so irritated.
It's one thing for us to be impatient with ourselves or with others. But when we become impatient with God, we should watch out! "How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul?" (vv. 1,2). Four times David asked, "How long?" We're so time conscious today. We have watches that show us split seconds. But what do we do with those split seconds? If we save three minutes by taking a shortcut, what significant thing will we accomplish with the three minutes we save?
We expect God to do what we want Him to do--and right now! But He doesn'talways act immediately. Abraham had to wait for 25 years after God's promise before Isaac was born. Isaac had to wait 20 years for his children. Joseph had to wait 13 years before he was set free and put on the throne. Moses had a wait of 80 years. You see, God's schedule is not the same as ours.
Sometimes He waits so that He can do more for us than we expect. When He heard that Lazarus was dying, our Lord waited until his friend's death before He came. But when He came, He brought a greater miracle and received greater glory. The hardest thing to do is to wait on the Lord. But we can if we will trust Him and rest on His Word. Some of your greatest blessings come with patience. When you must wait for God to act, you can be confident that He knows what is best for you and what will best glorify Him. Are you waiting for God to act on your behalf? Align with His timing and rest on the promises of His Word.
DAY 19 - "FEBRUARY"
In the years 1999-2005, Lance Armstrong was ready to begin a record breaking winning streak. An interviewer asked him what the most important lesson he learned has been. He answered with one word. “February.” Asked to clarify, he explained, “In the month of February no one is looking. No one is watching to see whether or not you do your exercises, how much time you spend on the bike. But what you do in February determines what you do in July. Only you and your trainer know about your February.” Everyone has some of those unknown Februarys in our lives - days of preparation when no one is watching - days that no one sees that determine ultimate outcomes.
It’s effortless to aspire to be a champion like Lance Armstrong, receiving their trophies and rewards. It’s not easy to follow their workout plan and persist with the will to become a champion. The daily discipline and the sacrifices to become a winner are easy to ignore. We all WANT to do it, but not all WILL do it.
If we would simply exercise the truth of James 2:14-17 and put “action to our beliefs” then our faith would begin to increase and our faith is what pleases God…which is the ultimate championship. This fast is our “February”- the time of the year that we apply Godly discipline in our lives so that we can set ourselves up for success in God’s eyes the rest of the year. My prayer during these last days of the fast is that I would not grow weary in doing good the rest of the year, but I would sustain the same beliefs and actions that I practiced during the fast. That I would continue to grow closer to God and continue to strive to make a difference in someone else’s life!
How was your “February”?
It’s effortless to aspire to be a champion like Lance Armstrong, receiving their trophies and rewards. It’s not easy to follow their workout plan and persist with the will to become a champion. The daily discipline and the sacrifices to become a winner are easy to ignore. We all WANT to do it, but not all WILL do it.
If we would simply exercise the truth of James 2:14-17 and put “action to our beliefs” then our faith would begin to increase and our faith is what pleases God…which is the ultimate championship. This fast is our “February”- the time of the year that we apply Godly discipline in our lives so that we can set ourselves up for success in God’s eyes the rest of the year. My prayer during these last days of the fast is that I would not grow weary in doing good the rest of the year, but I would sustain the same beliefs and actions that I practiced during the fast. That I would continue to grow closer to God and continue to strive to make a difference in someone else’s life!
How was your “February”?
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
PURE WORDS
Psalm 12:1-8
Ever feel deserted, alone in standing for what's right? This Psalm is for you! The emphasis in this psalm is on words, on speaking.
First, David speaks in prayer (vv. 1-3). Where are the godly? People today don't want to take a stand for the truth, but David stood for what is right. Sometimes we feel the faithful have disappeared--those who believe in prayer, giving and commitment. Today's generation doesn't believe in commitment, especially with our words. We hear so much empty talk, lies and flattery. Flattery is manipulative, not communicative. Sometimes it's called advertising or propmotion, but it's still flattery.
Second, the wicked speak in pride (v. 4). Never under estimate the power of speech. Jesus told the truth; His enemies argued. He gave words of life; they rejected Him. He came in love; they crucified Him. One of the evidences that a person is giving the truth of God's Word is that he is rejected. People don't want to hear truth unless they belong to truth (John 10:4).
Third, God speaks in promise (vv. 5,7). His words are pure, not empty lying (v. 6). But the words of the wicked will burn in the furnace. God's Word is precious, because it cost Jesus' life. It is proved (v. 6) and permanent (v. 7). He keeps His promises. God knows where His people are, and He helps them. "I will arise"; "I will protect"; "I can be trusted" (vv. 5-7). So much that is spoken in this world is untrue and empty talk. Be encouraged that God speaks in promise. His Word is pure and true. When you are surrounded by lies, rest on the promises of the Bible, God's Word!
Ever feel deserted, alone in standing for what's right? This Psalm is for you! The emphasis in this psalm is on words, on speaking.
First, David speaks in prayer (vv. 1-3). Where are the godly? People today don't want to take a stand for the truth, but David stood for what is right. Sometimes we feel the faithful have disappeared--those who believe in prayer, giving and commitment. Today's generation doesn't believe in commitment, especially with our words. We hear so much empty talk, lies and flattery. Flattery is manipulative, not communicative. Sometimes it's called advertising or propmotion, but it's still flattery.
Second, the wicked speak in pride (v. 4). Never under estimate the power of speech. Jesus told the truth; His enemies argued. He gave words of life; they rejected Him. He came in love; they crucified Him. One of the evidences that a person is giving the truth of God's Word is that he is rejected. People don't want to hear truth unless they belong to truth (John 10:4).
Third, God speaks in promise (vv. 5,7). His words are pure, not empty lying (v. 6). But the words of the wicked will burn in the furnace. God's Word is precious, because it cost Jesus' life. It is proved (v. 6) and permanent (v. 7). He keeps His promises. God knows where His people are, and He helps them. "I will arise"; "I will protect"; "I can be trusted" (vv. 5-7). So much that is spoken in this world is untrue and empty talk. Be encouraged that God speaks in promise. His Word is pure and true. When you are surrounded by lies, rest on the promises of the Bible, God's Word!
DAY 18 - A RENEWED DEPENDENCE
"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching." - Hebrews 10:25
"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." - Hebrews 3:13
Here we are on Day 18! It is exciting to remember that as we fast, we are investing in something that will outlast us! There is always purpose in what we are doing - we are never just getting by when we are fasting and seeking God. Be encouraged by that today, and encourage others as they fast with you as the Bible exhorts us to do in the above Scriptures (Scriptures are found in the Bible....you need to read it!) Jesus had purpose even as He was dying - there was purpose down to the last moment! The late A.W. Tozer once said, "It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular. It is why he does it." Isn't that a reality check for our motives in fasting? Why are you still fasting at this point? It is important to maintain pure motives that are always filtered through the Holy Spirit as we participate in spiritual disciplines such as fasting.
As each of you know, the Holy Spirit is the key to success in any area you are involved in. This is certainly true of ministerial success. What we need in America is a renewed dependence on Spirit-empowered leadership. Expansion of the church is a work of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray that during this fast you are upholding your spiritual leaders in prayer. Continue to pray for them that God would pour out on them a fresh infilling of His Spirit!
I came across the following Scripture the other day, and I want to share with each of you:
"Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?" -Galatians 3:3
It is true that each of us began our walk with God by His choice, His action, His initiative. We must always remember that! If we drift from that place, we gut the gospel of its transforming and marvelous power. You and I never found God; He found us. It was not Him who was lost and was found - you and I were lost and He found us! Praise God for that! And I want to ask you a question: having started this fast with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? I pray not! Stay so dependent upon His Spirit every day as you consecrate yourself to His purposes! We need His power in our lives like never before. Training and education are stimulating, but the Spirit is where the power comes from. Principles help us stay in control, but the Spirit directs us to do what God wants us to do.
During this fast, we must remember the purpose of Spirit-baptism. It is solely for the enhancement of our witness; for the empowerment of service in God's Kingdom. Let's look at what the Scripture states:
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." - Acts 1:8
Tongues may be evidence of Spirit-baptism, but witness is essence. If we are baptized in His Spirit, we must be reaching out to others with the hope of Jesus Christ. So many today dismiss the existence of Spirit-baptism saying it ended with the death of the last apostle John. But I have a thought: if the Great Commission is still in charge, the power thereby to discharge this commission must still be available as well! God thank you for your Spirit!
Here is my prayer for each of you during these final days of this fast. It is not only a prayer for you individually but a prayer for the ministries and churches that you are part of as well.
"For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind." - 2 Tim. 1:7
The Spirit gives each of us the trilogy of power, love, and self-discipline. It is interesting to note that whenever a church is alive, all three of these components are present. These are the ABC's of ministry. Do these three mark the ministry you are a part of? Would you pray that God would make manifest power, love, and self-discipline in the ministry of His Church?
Scripture anticipated the days we are living in, when immorality would spread like cancer and the church would hold "to the outward form of godliness but deny its power" (2 Tim. 3:5). As leaders, as those seeking after God while fasting, we don't need new principles, ideas, or buildings. We need a renewed dependence on God!
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." - 2 Peter 1:3
Would you say this out loud with me according to 2 Peter 1:3? Say this,
"No matter what I am facing today, His power has given me everything I need! I have everything I need in Jesus' name!
Do you long for His presence? Are you seeking the baptism of His Spirit as a subsequent experience to your salvation? Do you really believe that He has given you everything you need for life and godliness? Are you living that way currently?
"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." - Hebrews 3:13
Here we are on Day 18! It is exciting to remember that as we fast, we are investing in something that will outlast us! There is always purpose in what we are doing - we are never just getting by when we are fasting and seeking God. Be encouraged by that today, and encourage others as they fast with you as the Bible exhorts us to do in the above Scriptures (Scriptures are found in the Bible....you need to read it!) Jesus had purpose even as He was dying - there was purpose down to the last moment! The late A.W. Tozer once said, "It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is sacred or secular. It is why he does it." Isn't that a reality check for our motives in fasting? Why are you still fasting at this point? It is important to maintain pure motives that are always filtered through the Holy Spirit as we participate in spiritual disciplines such as fasting.
As each of you know, the Holy Spirit is the key to success in any area you are involved in. This is certainly true of ministerial success. What we need in America is a renewed dependence on Spirit-empowered leadership. Expansion of the church is a work of God by the power of the Holy Spirit. I pray that during this fast you are upholding your spiritual leaders in prayer. Continue to pray for them that God would pour out on them a fresh infilling of His Spirit!
I came across the following Scripture the other day, and I want to share with each of you:
"Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh?" -Galatians 3:3
It is true that each of us began our walk with God by His choice, His action, His initiative. We must always remember that! If we drift from that place, we gut the gospel of its transforming and marvelous power. You and I never found God; He found us. It was not Him who was lost and was found - you and I were lost and He found us! Praise God for that! And I want to ask you a question: having started this fast with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? I pray not! Stay so dependent upon His Spirit every day as you consecrate yourself to His purposes! We need His power in our lives like never before. Training and education are stimulating, but the Spirit is where the power comes from. Principles help us stay in control, but the Spirit directs us to do what God wants us to do.
During this fast, we must remember the purpose of Spirit-baptism. It is solely for the enhancement of our witness; for the empowerment of service in God's Kingdom. Let's look at what the Scripture states:
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." - Acts 1:8
Tongues may be evidence of Spirit-baptism, but witness is essence. If we are baptized in His Spirit, we must be reaching out to others with the hope of Jesus Christ. So many today dismiss the existence of Spirit-baptism saying it ended with the death of the last apostle John. But I have a thought: if the Great Commission is still in charge, the power thereby to discharge this commission must still be available as well! God thank you for your Spirit!
Here is my prayer for each of you during these final days of this fast. It is not only a prayer for you individually but a prayer for the ministries and churches that you are part of as well.
"For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind." - 2 Tim. 1:7
The Spirit gives each of us the trilogy of power, love, and self-discipline. It is interesting to note that whenever a church is alive, all three of these components are present. These are the ABC's of ministry. Do these three mark the ministry you are a part of? Would you pray that God would make manifest power, love, and self-discipline in the ministry of His Church?
Scripture anticipated the days we are living in, when immorality would spread like cancer and the church would hold "to the outward form of godliness but deny its power" (2 Tim. 3:5). As leaders, as those seeking after God while fasting, we don't need new principles, ideas, or buildings. We need a renewed dependence on God!
"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." - 2 Peter 1:3
Would you say this out loud with me according to 2 Peter 1:3? Say this,
"No matter what I am facing today, His power has given me everything I need! I have everything I need in Jesus' name!
Do you long for His presence? Are you seeking the baptism of His Spirit as a subsequent experience to your salvation? Do you really believe that He has given you everything you need for life and godliness? Are you living that way currently?
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
THE ELIJAH COMPLEX
Psalm 12:1-8
Whenever you get the idea that you are the only one left who is godly,beware. That's how David was praying in Psalm 12. He said, "The godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men" (v. 1). I call this the Elijah complex. You will remember that Elijah had this problem (I Kings 19). He left his place of ministry, went out into the wilderness and sat down, pouting. God asked, "What are you doing here?" Elijah replied, "I'm the only godly one left, and they are trying to kill me." God said, "I have 7000 people waiting in line. I can pick any one of them to get My work done."
When you begin to think you're the only godly person, it quickly leads to pride. In this passage David refers to the sin of flattery (v. 2). Our world is filled with flattery. Sometimes it's called advertising or promotion, but it's still flattery. God doesn't flatter people. He tells the truth. Flattery is manipulation, not communication. It comes from adouble heart, from mixed motives. David said, "Unite my heart to fear Your name" (Ps. 86:11). Don't fall for flattery or flatter yourself into thinking you are the only godly one left.
Verse 6 tells us where to turn: "The words of the Lord are pure." Listening to your own words may lead to discouragement or pride. And the words of others may be flattery, lying or vanity. So listen to the Word of God and test everything you hear by it.
The godly person has not completely vanished from the earth. We'd be surprised to find where God has His people, waiting to accomplish His will. Others are waiting to stand with you and help you. Lay hold of God's Word. It has been tested and proved. You can trust it.
The remedy for discouragement is the Word of God. When you feed your heart and mind with its truth, you regain your perspective and find renewed strength. Feeling discouraged? Encourage yourself with the Word of God.
Whenever you get the idea that you are the only one left who is godly,beware. That's how David was praying in Psalm 12. He said, "The godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men" (v. 1). I call this the Elijah complex. You will remember that Elijah had this problem (I Kings 19). He left his place of ministry, went out into the wilderness and sat down, pouting. God asked, "What are you doing here?" Elijah replied, "I'm the only godly one left, and they are trying to kill me." God said, "I have 7000 people waiting in line. I can pick any one of them to get My work done."
When you begin to think you're the only godly person, it quickly leads to pride. In this passage David refers to the sin of flattery (v. 2). Our world is filled with flattery. Sometimes it's called advertising or promotion, but it's still flattery. God doesn't flatter people. He tells the truth. Flattery is manipulation, not communication. It comes from adouble heart, from mixed motives. David said, "Unite my heart to fear Your name" (Ps. 86:11). Don't fall for flattery or flatter yourself into thinking you are the only godly one left.
Verse 6 tells us where to turn: "The words of the Lord are pure." Listening to your own words may lead to discouragement or pride. And the words of others may be flattery, lying or vanity. So listen to the Word of God and test everything you hear by it.
The godly person has not completely vanished from the earth. We'd be surprised to find where God has His people, waiting to accomplish His will. Others are waiting to stand with you and help you. Lay hold of God's Word. It has been tested and proved. You can trust it.
The remedy for discouragement is the Word of God. When you feed your heart and mind with its truth, you regain your perspective and find renewed strength. Feeling discouraged? Encourage yourself with the Word of God.
DAY 17 - FACE TO FACE WITH THE DEVIL
Good day saints of God! There is a song called “It’s Gonna Be Worth It All” and it reminds me that our time of fasting and seeking God is going to be worth it all in the end. So keep on – the finish line is in sight; or for some should I say, the smell of food is approaching your nose. And some might even need to jump back in if you have struggled to the point of stopping. Now prepare your heart to hear what I feel led to share! You might even want to spend a moment in prayer asking God to help you hear what He wants to speak to you.
In Acts 16:17 it states, “To them I answered, ‘It is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man to destruction before the accused meets the accusers face to face, and has opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge against him.’” Pastor Jentezen Franklin in one of his recent sermons had as one of his points, this statement: “Expect the most direct combat with Satan when you are praying and fasting.” Often times this is true because we become engaged with the enemies of our soul that we have given, surrendered, allowed, or had open doors for them to take ground in our lives. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 26:2, “Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow...So a curse without cause shall not alight.” KJV says, “shall not come” without a cause. What this means is that curses and demonic bondages cannot just enter and rest on our life without a cause. Either something happened to us, it was something we did, or something that our ancestors did that caused a curse to come and begin to operate in our life. Examples of what I am saying are: an emotional trauma, holding unforgiveness, or family that was in the occult just to name three.
So in times of fasting and seeking God, the accused meets the accusers face to face. The accuser of the brethren is Satan and his demons (Revelation 12:10). This time of “Face-to-Face With the Devil” is so that the accused (you) has opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge against him. Meaning during this time of fasting, this face-to-face encounter with the enemies of your soul, is an opportunity! The Scripture said the accused (you) “has opportunity to answer.” This is an opportune time for many of you I am speaking to! Walk through this process I am sharing – take advantage of this OPPORTUNITY! Let me share how you answer the charge against you.
Jesus said, “Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison” (Matthew 5:25). Notice the progression of demonic influence in a person’s life if they do not QUICKLY take the opportunity when face-to-face with the adversary (on the way with him) – the progression is the judge, officer, and prison.
What many of us have tried to do is ignore the tormenting, accusing thoughts that the enemy constantly brings against us. But this is not what the Bible instructs us to do. As long as you do that, your conscience continues to be hindered from experiencing the freedom you have been provided for in Christ. This is why Jesus said “agree with the adversary.” Sometimes what the enemy is keeping before your mind is because a door was opened to the enemy. So you are to quickly agree that you are guilty, acknowledge your sin or what has happened to you – BUT DO NOT TRY AND IGNORE IT OR PUSH IT OUT OF YOUR MIND! God must work within reality or truth not in imagining something is not there, or that something did not happen to us, or that we did not open the door to the enemy to come in.
So here is what it sounds like, “You devil(s) accusing me – you are right I fell, I sinned, or my family served you, or yes this was done to me.” This is the agreeing with the adversary that Jesus spoke of and is the complete opposite of the mentality that seeks just to ignore it or act like a hypocrite by putting on a fake mask and hiding what really took place. Oh – you didn’t think that is all we say and where we stop, “Did you?” Then we continue – BUT GOD – chose through Jesus Christ to provide the redemption for this area in my life that was opened to you. And now through the death of Jesus Christ and His shed blood, this area along with all my life has been bought back by God for His glory, purpose, and presence! Therefore, right now I am trusting, believing, and appropriating what God has freely done for me through Jesus Christ. Father God, I repent of the sin I have committed, or I repent on behalf of my ancestors and their generational sins, or I repent of holding unforgiveness towards those who did this to me. I ask that you wash me in the blood of Jesus Christ, and now I invite the Holy Spirit to be Lord over this area in my life and close the door that has been opened to the enemy. Therefore, I renounce you demon(s). You no longer have any legal accusations against me – they have been nailed to the cross and washed away by the blood of Jesus – and I command you now in the Name of Jesus Christ to leave my life immediately. Then give God all the praise and spend time worshipping Him and allowing the Holy Spirit to enforce the Lordship of Christ to that area in your life.
It is time for you to live with a clear conscious! You have the OPPRUTNITY to repent, get it washed by the blood, and then resist the devil and he will flee!!!!!!!!!!!! (James 4:7) Now it is time for you through this blog to put the overcoming seal on what just took place in your life – by the Word of your testimony (Revelation 12:11). What has God just done? What ground are you taking back in your life through the redemption of God found in Jesus Christ? What is God about to do in your life? May the Holy Spirit guide each of you!
In Acts 16:17 it states, “To them I answered, ‘It is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man to destruction before the accused meets the accusers face to face, and has opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge against him.’” Pastor Jentezen Franklin in one of his recent sermons had as one of his points, this statement: “Expect the most direct combat with Satan when you are praying and fasting.” Often times this is true because we become engaged with the enemies of our soul that we have given, surrendered, allowed, or had open doors for them to take ground in our lives. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 26:2, “Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow...So a curse without cause shall not alight.” KJV says, “shall not come” without a cause. What this means is that curses and demonic bondages cannot just enter and rest on our life without a cause. Either something happened to us, it was something we did, or something that our ancestors did that caused a curse to come and begin to operate in our life. Examples of what I am saying are: an emotional trauma, holding unforgiveness, or family that was in the occult just to name three.
So in times of fasting and seeking God, the accused meets the accusers face to face. The accuser of the brethren is Satan and his demons (Revelation 12:10). This time of “Face-to-Face With the Devil” is so that the accused (you) has opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge against him. Meaning during this time of fasting, this face-to-face encounter with the enemies of your soul, is an opportunity! The Scripture said the accused (you) “has opportunity to answer.” This is an opportune time for many of you I am speaking to! Walk through this process I am sharing – take advantage of this OPPORTUNITY! Let me share how you answer the charge against you.
Jesus said, “Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison” (Matthew 5:25). Notice the progression of demonic influence in a person’s life if they do not QUICKLY take the opportunity when face-to-face with the adversary (on the way with him) – the progression is the judge, officer, and prison.
What many of us have tried to do is ignore the tormenting, accusing thoughts that the enemy constantly brings against us. But this is not what the Bible instructs us to do. As long as you do that, your conscience continues to be hindered from experiencing the freedom you have been provided for in Christ. This is why Jesus said “agree with the adversary.” Sometimes what the enemy is keeping before your mind is because a door was opened to the enemy. So you are to quickly agree that you are guilty, acknowledge your sin or what has happened to you – BUT DO NOT TRY AND IGNORE IT OR PUSH IT OUT OF YOUR MIND! God must work within reality or truth not in imagining something is not there, or that something did not happen to us, or that we did not open the door to the enemy to come in.
So here is what it sounds like, “You devil(s) accusing me – you are right I fell, I sinned, or my family served you, or yes this was done to me.” This is the agreeing with the adversary that Jesus spoke of and is the complete opposite of the mentality that seeks just to ignore it or act like a hypocrite by putting on a fake mask and hiding what really took place. Oh – you didn’t think that is all we say and where we stop, “Did you?” Then we continue – BUT GOD – chose through Jesus Christ to provide the redemption for this area in my life that was opened to you. And now through the death of Jesus Christ and His shed blood, this area along with all my life has been bought back by God for His glory, purpose, and presence! Therefore, right now I am trusting, believing, and appropriating what God has freely done for me through Jesus Christ. Father God, I repent of the sin I have committed, or I repent on behalf of my ancestors and their generational sins, or I repent of holding unforgiveness towards those who did this to me. I ask that you wash me in the blood of Jesus Christ, and now I invite the Holy Spirit to be Lord over this area in my life and close the door that has been opened to the enemy. Therefore, I renounce you demon(s). You no longer have any legal accusations against me – they have been nailed to the cross and washed away by the blood of Jesus – and I command you now in the Name of Jesus Christ to leave my life immediately. Then give God all the praise and spend time worshipping Him and allowing the Holy Spirit to enforce the Lordship of Christ to that area in your life.
It is time for you to live with a clear conscious! You have the OPPRUTNITY to repent, get it washed by the blood, and then resist the devil and he will flee!!!!!!!!!!!! (James 4:7) Now it is time for you through this blog to put the overcoming seal on what just took place in your life – by the Word of your testimony (Revelation 12:11). What has God just done? What ground are you taking back in your life through the redemption of God found in Jesus Christ? What is God about to do in your life? May the Holy Spirit guide each of you!
Monday, January 25, 2010
WANT TO GET AWAY?
Psalm 11:1-7
Have you ever felt like running away? "In the Lord I put my trust; how can you say to my soul, 'Flee as a bird to your mountain'?" (v. 1). All of us have days when we feel like quitting. We throw up our hands and say, "That's it. I've had it, and I'm leaving." At times we do need to get away to rest and regain our perspective. Our Lord Jesus said to His disciples, "Let's just depart and rest a while." Vance Havner once remarked, "If you don't come apart and rest, you'll just come apart." But the psalmist was not talking about a vacation. "The wicked bend their bow"
(v. 2). He was saying, "The wicked are doing this and that. Let's get out of here and go to some mountain top and have church." Please don't get me wrong, we all need to disconnect sometimes, to just get away.....to breath. But what I believe the Lord is saying hear is. Running from your problems will thrust you into even more. When you feel like running or flying away, remember, God's throne is secure. The Lord is in His holy temple.
In a difficult time Isaiah looked up and saw the Lord on His throne, high and lifted up. In the Book of Revelation, John saw the Lord on His throne, and it gave him new courage. Don't flee to a mountain; flee to the throne of grace. When you feel like quitting or running away, remember that you can't run away from your troubles and you can't run away from yourself. The solution is not running away; it's running to. It's running to the throne of grace and finding grace to help in time of need. Those times when you feel like quitting can be times of great opportunity, for God uses your troubles to help you grow. When you feel like running away, claim your privilege as a child of God and approach the throne of grace. There you will find the personal and tailored help you need.
Have you ever felt like running away? "In the Lord I put my trust; how can you say to my soul, 'Flee as a bird to your mountain'?" (v. 1). All of us have days when we feel like quitting. We throw up our hands and say, "That's it. I've had it, and I'm leaving." At times we do need to get away to rest and regain our perspective. Our Lord Jesus said to His disciples, "Let's just depart and rest a while." Vance Havner once remarked, "If you don't come apart and rest, you'll just come apart." But the psalmist was not talking about a vacation. "The wicked bend their bow"
(v. 2). He was saying, "The wicked are doing this and that. Let's get out of here and go to some mountain top and have church." Please don't get me wrong, we all need to disconnect sometimes, to just get away.....to breath. But what I believe the Lord is saying hear is. Running from your problems will thrust you into even more. When you feel like running or flying away, remember, God's throne is secure. The Lord is in His holy temple.
In a difficult time Isaiah looked up and saw the Lord on His throne, high and lifted up. In the Book of Revelation, John saw the Lord on His throne, and it gave him new courage. Don't flee to a mountain; flee to the throne of grace. When you feel like quitting or running away, remember that you can't run away from your troubles and you can't run away from yourself. The solution is not running away; it's running to. It's running to the throne of grace and finding grace to help in time of need. Those times when you feel like quitting can be times of great opportunity, for God uses your troubles to help you grow. When you feel like running away, claim your privilege as a child of God and approach the throne of grace. There you will find the personal and tailored help you need.
DAY 16 - WAIT!
I want to share a testimony that blessed me.
Hello friends!! Hope you are doing well---and isn’t it great to know we are heading down the home stretch. I want to pass along a word that has been heavy on me during pretty much every fast I have done each January. That word is “WAIT”. Now I know that may not be the word you want to hear right now---but believe me when I tell you---it is the right word for this season you are in. Let me explain.
Right about now, some of you are just itching to get out there and go for it. But I truly believe that might be a mistake. The third year that I participated in this fast, I was in the middle of the writing process for my first book, Next Level Living. The research had been done---the thoughts were fresh---and I had everything set up to go, go, go!! On top of that, I had a February 28th deadline to get the manuscript in. So there I was, the first week of the fast was over---and I was ready in every way. Then came that word from the Lord---WAIT. In my spirit I know I heard the Lord tell me, “Do not write one word until this fast is over.” WOW!!! That was the LAST thing I wanted to hear. But, wait I did…and let me tell you, it was hard. But what it caused me to do over the next two weeks was to place my entire focus on Him. JUST Him.
Isn’t it funny how much we think our success or failure depends on US? Fact is, in ALL things---even writing a book, the timeless principle holds true---it is, “NOT by might and NOT by power…but by my Spirit says the Lord.” Oh, I could have written MY best---but the words that flew from my fingertips and onto that computer after the fast was over were not my own. And the success of the book, and the testimonies that have been given to me speak for itself. The things that happened that February---and the timing of some of the truths that ended up in the book, could not have happened had it been written one minute sooner.
Read Psalm 27:14---God is always working and moving on our behalf even when you don’t see it. And in this season---just know He is preparing the way for you---and that Sunday the 31st will be here before you know it. But for now---just for the ever so brief few days you have left on this fast---wait on Him---watch for Him---listen for Him---and draw near as never before. And don’t move out even one minute early. Focus is everything right now---place yours squarely into His perfect gaze---He has a few things left to say to you---to do in you---before you move out into all He has for you in 2010---the year of New Beginnings!!!
Hello friends!! Hope you are doing well---and isn’t it great to know we are heading down the home stretch. I want to pass along a word that has been heavy on me during pretty much every fast I have done each January. That word is “WAIT”. Now I know that may not be the word you want to hear right now---but believe me when I tell you---it is the right word for this season you are in. Let me explain.
Right about now, some of you are just itching to get out there and go for it. But I truly believe that might be a mistake. The third year that I participated in this fast, I was in the middle of the writing process for my first book, Next Level Living. The research had been done---the thoughts were fresh---and I had everything set up to go, go, go!! On top of that, I had a February 28th deadline to get the manuscript in. So there I was, the first week of the fast was over---and I was ready in every way. Then came that word from the Lord---WAIT. In my spirit I know I heard the Lord tell me, “Do not write one word until this fast is over.” WOW!!! That was the LAST thing I wanted to hear. But, wait I did…and let me tell you, it was hard. But what it caused me to do over the next two weeks was to place my entire focus on Him. JUST Him.
Isn’t it funny how much we think our success or failure depends on US? Fact is, in ALL things---even writing a book, the timeless principle holds true---it is, “NOT by might and NOT by power…but by my Spirit says the Lord.” Oh, I could have written MY best---but the words that flew from my fingertips and onto that computer after the fast was over were not my own. And the success of the book, and the testimonies that have been given to me speak for itself. The things that happened that February---and the timing of some of the truths that ended up in the book, could not have happened had it been written one minute sooner.
Read Psalm 27:14---God is always working and moving on our behalf even when you don’t see it. And in this season---just know He is preparing the way for you---and that Sunday the 31st will be here before you know it. But for now---just for the ever so brief few days you have left on this fast---wait on Him---watch for Him---listen for Him---and draw near as never before. And don’t move out even one minute early. Focus is everything right now---place yours squarely into His perfect gaze---He has a few things left to say to you---to do in you---before you move out into all He has for you in 2010---the year of New Beginnings!!!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
DAY 15 - ALIGNMENT
Matthew 6:10 KJV
“Thy kingdom come, They will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
We have all heard the phrase, “just like heaven on earth.” When Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, in Matthew 6:9-13, He provided some insight into what “heaven on earth” might look like. In reality, heaven is a place where God’s will reigns supreme. If we want to have a taste of heaven on earth, then our prayer should be like Jesus’: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done…” The purest motivation for our prayers is that God will be glorified and that His will would reign supreme in our lives, just like it does in heaven.
On a more personal level, we can pray that His will be unhindered in our own lives. Rather than imposing His will upon us, God gives us the choice to surrender to it with trust and gladness. As we yield to the Lordship of Christ over every area of our lives, we come into agreement with Him. We experience alignment with heaven and position ourselves to taste a little bit of heaven here on earth. His will then becomes what we desire and the thing we most seek after. We enter into the incredible adventure of participating in God’s plan to move His kingdom forward on the earth. This is where we find the most fulfilling and joyous life, but it all starts with one, personal “yes, Lord” on our part. "Yes Lord, Iam the One...this is the place...and NOW is the time!"
What does God’s will “on earth as it is in heaven” look like in your life? Do the desires of your heart line up with the will of God? As we seek God together, let’s pray as Jesus taught us, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.”
“Thy kingdom come, They will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
We have all heard the phrase, “just like heaven on earth.” When Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, in Matthew 6:9-13, He provided some insight into what “heaven on earth” might look like. In reality, heaven is a place where God’s will reigns supreme. If we want to have a taste of heaven on earth, then our prayer should be like Jesus’: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done…” The purest motivation for our prayers is that God will be glorified and that His will would reign supreme in our lives, just like it does in heaven.
On a more personal level, we can pray that His will be unhindered in our own lives. Rather than imposing His will upon us, God gives us the choice to surrender to it with trust and gladness. As we yield to the Lordship of Christ over every area of our lives, we come into agreement with Him. We experience alignment with heaven and position ourselves to taste a little bit of heaven here on earth. His will then becomes what we desire and the thing we most seek after. We enter into the incredible adventure of participating in God’s plan to move His kingdom forward on the earth. This is where we find the most fulfilling and joyous life, but it all starts with one, personal “yes, Lord” on our part. "Yes Lord, Iam the One...this is the place...and NOW is the time!"
What does God’s will “on earth as it is in heaven” look like in your life? Do the desires of your heart line up with the will of God? As we seek God together, let’s pray as Jesus taught us, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.”
Friday, January 22, 2010
THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM
Psalm 10:12-18
David cried out and said, "God, You've got to take care of the situation." For several years Saul had been pursuing him. At one point David compared himself to a flea that was being chased. Saul's problem was that he was listening to liars in his court. Those who wanted Saul's favor were saying, "David wants your crown. He wants your throne. David said this, and David did that." They lied about him, and he could do nothing about it.
We have little control over the circumstances of life. We can't control the weather or the economy, and we can't control what other people say about or do to us. There is only one area where we have control--we can rule the kingdom inside. The heart of every problem is the problem in the heart. Once we get to that throne room inside us and let God take over, we don't have to worry about others.
David prayed in verse 12, "Arise, O Lord! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble." The word humble is a key word. What is humility? Is it thinking poorly of ourselves? No, humility is simply not thinking of ourselves at all. Humility means admitting that I cannot handle my problem by myself. God is going to have to handle it by working in me and through me and for me. But before God can work for me or through me He has to work in me.
If you want to get on top of your circumstances, get beneath the feet of the Lord. Humble yourself, and He'll lift you up. We cannot control the circumstances of life, nor can we avoid them. But we can take a humble attitude toward God. He takes a special interest in us and will help us handle our circumstances. Have you examined the throne room inside lately? Are you willing to let God work in you and through you to accomplish His purposes? (2 Chronicles 7:14)
David cried out and said, "God, You've got to take care of the situation." For several years Saul had been pursuing him. At one point David compared himself to a flea that was being chased. Saul's problem was that he was listening to liars in his court. Those who wanted Saul's favor were saying, "David wants your crown. He wants your throne. David said this, and David did that." They lied about him, and he could do nothing about it.
We have little control over the circumstances of life. We can't control the weather or the economy, and we can't control what other people say about or do to us. There is only one area where we have control--we can rule the kingdom inside. The heart of every problem is the problem in the heart. Once we get to that throne room inside us and let God take over, we don't have to worry about others.
David prayed in verse 12, "Arise, O Lord! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble." The word humble is a key word. What is humility? Is it thinking poorly of ourselves? No, humility is simply not thinking of ourselves at all. Humility means admitting that I cannot handle my problem by myself. God is going to have to handle it by working in me and through me and for me. But before God can work for me or through me He has to work in me.
If you want to get on top of your circumstances, get beneath the feet of the Lord. Humble yourself, and He'll lift you up. We cannot control the circumstances of life, nor can we avoid them. But we can take a humble attitude toward God. He takes a special interest in us and will help us handle our circumstances. Have you examined the throne room inside lately? Are you willing to let God work in you and through you to accomplish His purposes? (2 Chronicles 7:14)
DAY 13 - CULTIVATING SPIRITUAL HUNGER
Mark 1:12-13
12 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13 And He was there in the
wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels
ministered to Him.
Even Jesus disconnected from the world to fast and pray. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke speak of Jesus in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. They also describe other times Jesus pulled away from the demands of the crowds, His ministry and even His closest friends to pray.
There are times that we, too, need to pull away from the things of the world and focus on God. “The things of the world” can certainly include more than just food. In fact, in our world, it is more likely to be television, movies, Facebook, Twitter, cell phones and internet that keep us “tuned in” to the world. None of these things are wrong in and of themselves, but they are avenues for a mental and spiritual “crowd” to gather around us and drown out
the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit.
Fasting is a means of disconnecting from the distractions of daily life and consciously choosing to bring God into greater focus. Giving up physical nourishment is the first step in engaging that process. If you think about it, though, we nourish our souls as well as our bodies. We do so through reading, talking, socializing, playing and leisure. When we fill our souls up with all those things, we don’t feel a hunger for God.
During this time of fasting, we are sure to feel physical hunger, but let’s be intentional about cultivating spiritual hunger as well. Let’s draw away from the crowds, and lay aside for a season the activities we use to nourish our souls. Instead let’s allow ourselves to enter a state of spiritual hunger – a hunger for righteousness. Jesus said that being spiritually hungry is a blessed state, because we can be sure of being filled with food that truly satisfies our deepest needs.
(Matthew 5:6)
During this time, you will find that being still before the Lord will set you in a place of increased strength, peace and hunger for God. Are you disconnected from the things that nourish your body and soul? What do you need to deny yourself so that this can be a powerful time in your life?
12 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13 And He was there in the
wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels
ministered to Him.
Even Jesus disconnected from the world to fast and pray. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke speak of Jesus in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights. They also describe other times Jesus pulled away from the demands of the crowds, His ministry and even His closest friends to pray.
There are times that we, too, need to pull away from the things of the world and focus on God. “The things of the world” can certainly include more than just food. In fact, in our world, it is more likely to be television, movies, Facebook, Twitter, cell phones and internet that keep us “tuned in” to the world. None of these things are wrong in and of themselves, but they are avenues for a mental and spiritual “crowd” to gather around us and drown out
the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit.
Fasting is a means of disconnecting from the distractions of daily life and consciously choosing to bring God into greater focus. Giving up physical nourishment is the first step in engaging that process. If you think about it, though, we nourish our souls as well as our bodies. We do so through reading, talking, socializing, playing and leisure. When we fill our souls up with all those things, we don’t feel a hunger for God.
During this time of fasting, we are sure to feel physical hunger, but let’s be intentional about cultivating spiritual hunger as well. Let’s draw away from the crowds, and lay aside for a season the activities we use to nourish our souls. Instead let’s allow ourselves to enter a state of spiritual hunger – a hunger for righteousness. Jesus said that being spiritually hungry is a blessed state, because we can be sure of being filled with food that truly satisfies our deepest needs.
(Matthew 5:6)
During this time, you will find that being still before the Lord will set you in a place of increased strength, peace and hunger for God. Are you disconnected from the things that nourish your body and soul? What do you need to deny yourself so that this can be a powerful time in your life?
Thursday, January 21, 2010
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Ephesians 6:12 (NIV)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
We are engaged in relentless spiritual warfare. Our tendency as human beings is to assess our opponents by what we see with our eyes, which leads us to think that other people are the problem. But this verse warns us about lashing out against
human opponents as though they are the real enemy. Our realopponents are unseen and intangible—but they are powerful, persistent, fierce and determined to draw blood.
Against them only spiritual weapons will prove superior. Of course the primary weapon is the blood of Jesus shed on the cross for us. In 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 we also learn that “though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”
Fasting is also a forceful and effective spiritual weapon. God has given us authority to wield it and victory over our enemies often depends on praying and fasting persistently. Are there strongholds of jealousy, pride, unforgiveness or addiction in your life? The Bible tells us that with weapons like fasting and prayer, we can demolish these strongholds.
Prayer:
God, help us direct our attacks against the real enemy, Satan and his forces, not toward people we might perceive to be the problem. Through prayer and fasting give us strength and wisdom to be the warriors you have called us to be, to use the weapons you have given us and defeat these enemies. We give You thanks for the victory we have in You through the cross of Christ. In His name. Amen.
DAY 12 - PRAYING BOLDLY
I Kings 18:36 KJV
And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant…”
The sacrifice referenced above was a declaration that Elijah was a servant of the Most High God. Elijah belonged to God, and he represented God to the people. However, Elijah’s boldness was not a result of who he was; it was the result of knowing God! As children of God under the new covenant of Jesus, we don’t have to be timid or fearful when coming to God in prayer. We can approach God boldly. The Amplified Bible puts it like this: Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well timed help, coming just when we need it]. Hebrews 4:16 AMP
It’s hard to imagine taking a fearless, confident, bold attitude when coming before God in prayer. Yet this is exactly what we are admonished to do! God has already settled the issue of our access to Him, but we can be assured, our access is not because of our own righteousness. It’s because of what Jesus did on the cross. We can come to the throne in such outrageous boldness because Jesus was outrageously righteous! When we pray, we come to God in the authority of Jesus’ name, and we can be confident that we will find grace, mercy and perfectly-timed help.
Do you approach God with timidity of confidence? Seek God boldly today knowing you are fully forgiven and Jesus has made you righteous. When you approach God in prayer, seek a fresh revelation of who He is in your life.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
YEARNING FOR GOD
There's a song by Shane & Shane called “Yearn” . If you haven’t heard it before, I’d like to encourage you to listen to it before the end of the fast.
It’s a simple prayer that merely says, “Lord I want to yearn for you. I want to burn with passion over you....and only you...Lord I want to yearn”.
Sure, we’ll joyfully enter into a time of passionate worship and prayer on a Sunday morning when the worship team is singing the right song, and even on a Wednesday night. Or how about on the days when the Sun rises precisely when we’d like it to and we wake up on the “right side of the bed”? It’s slightly easier to enter into a moment of selfless worship unto our God when the moments and situations are right, isn’t it? But what about the days when it seems as though our stomachs are screaming at us because of the fast; maybe you’re somewhat discouraged because you’re not having the experience you’d hoped for during this fast; or maybe nothing is necessarily wrong, we’re merely not in the mood to worship...
My very simple question to you is this: “Do you YEARN for the living God? The initial and immediate answer to that simplistic question is, “Of course I do!”
But do we truly YEARN for our God?...
During this fast I’ve been paying a lot of attention to the Psalms, and as I do I attempt to think as David thought. “As a deer pant and thirsts for streams of water, so my soul longs for you O God. My soul thirsts for God. The living God. When can I go and meet with God?"
(Psalms 42:1-2)
I don’t question for a moment that we all love to enter into the presence of God with passionate worship…..but do we yearn for Him? Are we ok with not taking time out of our day to sit down with the living God? Are we truly ok with waiting until a Sunday morning or Wednesday night to step into His presence? I’m not talking about the moments when you’re day has lacked any and all enjoyable moments and you hear that perfect song that just warms your heart as you lift up your hands in worship and thank God!
…Do we YEARN for God?”
One thing I’ve come to realize during the fast is this: A true yearning for God knows no past, or present circumstance. That’s not implying that those circumstances are non-existent, it merely implies that no circumstance will have a hindrance on the praise I give my God. The increase/decrease of the intensity or severity of our circumstances should have no affect to the intensity of our worship unto God.
I believe a wonderful example of that type of yearning and worship is displayed in Job 1:20-21: At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised"
Do we yearn for God?
My prayer not only for myself, but for you as well, is that we would develop a craving for God beyond what we thought was possible; that our hearts would ache until we have encountered God....that in the midst of difficult times – whether big or small - our yearning for Almighty God would stir up a zeal and passion that would cause us to cry out in utter worship at all times – regardless of our circumstances.
God give us a yearning for you. Burn within us a passion that can never be subsided. God, that we would not become complacent or content in our relationship with you, but that ever day we would seek to chase after you with more passion and zeal than the day before. Let our yearning for you overflow out of our hearts and into the lives of others.
It’s a simple prayer that merely says, “Lord I want to yearn for you. I want to burn with passion over you....and only you...Lord I want to yearn”.
Sure, we’ll joyfully enter into a time of passionate worship and prayer on a Sunday morning when the worship team is singing the right song, and even on a Wednesday night. Or how about on the days when the Sun rises precisely when we’d like it to and we wake up on the “right side of the bed”? It’s slightly easier to enter into a moment of selfless worship unto our God when the moments and situations are right, isn’t it? But what about the days when it seems as though our stomachs are screaming at us because of the fast; maybe you’re somewhat discouraged because you’re not having the experience you’d hoped for during this fast; or maybe nothing is necessarily wrong, we’re merely not in the mood to worship...
My very simple question to you is this: “Do you YEARN for the living God? The initial and immediate answer to that simplistic question is, “Of course I do!”
But do we truly YEARN for our God?...
During this fast I’ve been paying a lot of attention to the Psalms, and as I do I attempt to think as David thought. “As a deer pant and thirsts for streams of water, so my soul longs for you O God. My soul thirsts for God. The living God. When can I go and meet with God?"
(Psalms 42:1-2)
I don’t question for a moment that we all love to enter into the presence of God with passionate worship…..but do we yearn for Him? Are we ok with not taking time out of our day to sit down with the living God? Are we truly ok with waiting until a Sunday morning or Wednesday night to step into His presence? I’m not talking about the moments when you’re day has lacked any and all enjoyable moments and you hear that perfect song that just warms your heart as you lift up your hands in worship and thank God!
…Do we YEARN for God?”
One thing I’ve come to realize during the fast is this: A true yearning for God knows no past, or present circumstance. That’s not implying that those circumstances are non-existent, it merely implies that no circumstance will have a hindrance on the praise I give my God. The increase/decrease of the intensity or severity of our circumstances should have no affect to the intensity of our worship unto God.
I believe a wonderful example of that type of yearning and worship is displayed in Job 1:20-21: At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised"
Do we yearn for God?
My prayer not only for myself, but for you as well, is that we would develop a craving for God beyond what we thought was possible; that our hearts would ache until we have encountered God....that in the midst of difficult times – whether big or small - our yearning for Almighty God would stir up a zeal and passion that would cause us to cry out in utter worship at all times – regardless of our circumstances.
God give us a yearning for you. Burn within us a passion that can never be subsided. God, that we would not become complacent or content in our relationship with you, but that ever day we would seek to chase after you with more passion and zeal than the day before. Let our yearning for you overflow out of our hearts and into the lives of others.
DAY 11 -YES....NO....? PRAYER AND THE PROCESS
I Kings 18:43b-44 NLT
43 …Seven times Elijah told him to go out and look. 44 Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.” Then Elijah
shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, “Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t
hurry, the rain will stop you!”
“How do I know God is going to say yes to my prayers?” This is a common question many people have as they seek to have a confident prayer life. However it’s important to recognize that prayer is not just about the answer, but it’s also about glorifying God in the process of waiting for the answer. It is our responsibility to check our motives and believe God hears us; it is through the process of prayer that God prepares us for the answer He brings.
We see an example of the process of prayer in the story of Elijah in I Kings 18. Elijah climbed to the top of the mountain to pray for rain to come. As he waited for the rain, he continued to pray, believing God would answer. When he finally saw a small cloud, he told Ahab to “get ready” because the rain was coming. Elijah knew what to pray for, and God heard him the first time he prayed, but there was preparation that needed to take place in order to receive the answer to his prayer.
It is no mistake that God waited until Elijah had prayed seven times before He answered. In the Bible, seven is the number of completion. In this account, seven represents the completion of God’s process in that time of prayer. God does not want merely to answer our prayers; He wants to spend time with us to prepare us for the answer that will come. Many times we want to skip over the process involved in engaging God in prayer as we wait for our answer. But it is this very process that works maturity in us and prepares us for the answers our prayers bring.
(James 1:4)
What prayers in your life are still awaiting an answer? Throughout the remainder of the
fast, thank God for His process at work in your life and trust Him. You will find out, it's more than just "yes" or "no".
43 …Seven times Elijah told him to go out and look. 44 Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.” Then Elijah
shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, “Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t
hurry, the rain will stop you!”
“How do I know God is going to say yes to my prayers?” This is a common question many people have as they seek to have a confident prayer life. However it’s important to recognize that prayer is not just about the answer, but it’s also about glorifying God in the process of waiting for the answer. It is our responsibility to check our motives and believe God hears us; it is through the process of prayer that God prepares us for the answer He brings.
We see an example of the process of prayer in the story of Elijah in I Kings 18. Elijah climbed to the top of the mountain to pray for rain to come. As he waited for the rain, he continued to pray, believing God would answer. When he finally saw a small cloud, he told Ahab to “get ready” because the rain was coming. Elijah knew what to pray for, and God heard him the first time he prayed, but there was preparation that needed to take place in order to receive the answer to his prayer.
It is no mistake that God waited until Elijah had prayed seven times before He answered. In the Bible, seven is the number of completion. In this account, seven represents the completion of God’s process in that time of prayer. God does not want merely to answer our prayers; He wants to spend time with us to prepare us for the answer that will come. Many times we want to skip over the process involved in engaging God in prayer as we wait for our answer. But it is this very process that works maturity in us and prepares us for the answers our prayers bring.
(James 1:4)
What prayers in your life are still awaiting an answer? Throughout the remainder of the
fast, thank God for His process at work in your life and trust Him. You will find out, it's more than just "yes" or "no".
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
TESTIMONY TIME!
Here's another testimony of how God is moving in lives during this fast. If you would like to share your testimony, I want to hear it and share it. Email me at pastorbobby@cableone.net
Revelations 12:11, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
Let's be sure to let the whole world know what the Lord has done for us, and is doing for us. Let’s arm others with the weapon of our testimonies!!!
Revelations 12:11, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.
First things first, in order to grab the ears of an almighty God, you must first approach Him with humility. This scripture has given life to me this year and the reason being is because of an email that I just received a few days ago from my mom. (Gotta love a praying Mama!) She sent me an email of everything that she fasted for last year and the results of those prayers. I don’t have time to get into everything, but it literally blew my mind when I began to read 2 pages of praise report after praise report of things that I had no idea were even on her Fast. She was so detailed in the areas that she was praying for and the Lord did the rest. Secondly, my wife and I were praying for major move in a certain area of our life. Here’s the thing…the answer didn’t come until December 26th. Almost the end of the year, but faithfully the Lord answered our prayer.
The reason I chose this verse today is to say YOU CAN MAKE IT, and YOU WILL OVERCOME! Sometimes it takes knowing that if the Lord can do it for someone else, then he can surely do it for me. The items that my mom fasted for were major items…family members marriage to be restored and return back to the Lord…for the Lord to heal my sister of a life-threatening illness…for a major breakthrough in the area of finances. Those are three areas that probably encompass the majority of most prayers. Family/marriage, Healing & Finances. BE SPECIFIC!
The Lord is for you not against you. YES!! That Marriage was restored and now the whole family has turned back to the Lord…children and all, and serving in the church. YES! The Lord healed my sister of what the doctor’s thought was cancer. YES! The Lord restored finances to my parents that were seemingly lost because of the economy.
I have simply stopped by today to arm you with a weapon...MY TESTIMONY! Overcoming is a 2 part process.
1. For us to overcome we must first recognize that without Jesus Christ and the blood He shed for us at Calvary we would be powerless against Satan.
2. Romans 10:17, “so then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” By hearing the testimonies of others it builds your faith in knowing that we serve a loving, living God who is madly in love with His children and wants the best for them.
You have to remember that these 21 days of killing your flesh is literally laying a foundation for your Faith to prevail in 2010. The answers may not come right away, but trust that the Lord is hearing your prayers, sees every tear and knows every situation.
IN HIS TIME
Psalm 9:13-16
Have you ever looked at a beautiful rose and watched it slowly blossom day after day? Have you ever tried to help it open? If you try, you might kill it. God makes everything beautiful in His time. He causes everything to straighten out and line up according to His schedule. If you have a problem in your life with a person or a circumstance, rely on God to resolve it. "'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord" (Rom.12:19). One of the worst things we can do is to take judgment into our own hands. The psalmist tells us in these verses, "Let God be the judge, the jury and the prosecuting attorney. He knows more about this than you do." The psalmist assures us that, in His time, God will catch those who are doing wrong. The nations will fall into the pit they have made. Sinners who have laid nets in the pathway will get caught in those nets. "The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands" (v. 16). It encourages me to know that I don't have to devote my time or energy, even my inward concern, to wondering what's going to happen to all the evil in the world. God is going to take care of it. Of course, we as Christians should do our part to make this a better world. We are the salt of the earth; we are the light of the world. But we've been called to do something even more wonderful--to tell these wicked people that they don't have to go to hell. We have the privilege of witnessing to them and letting them know that they can be saved. Yes, let God be the Judge. Your job today is to be a witness. Has someone wronged you recently? Resist the urge to judge that person. Instead, pray that God might use you to reach them.
Have you ever looked at a beautiful rose and watched it slowly blossom day after day? Have you ever tried to help it open? If you try, you might kill it. God makes everything beautiful in His time. He causes everything to straighten out and line up according to His schedule. If you have a problem in your life with a person or a circumstance, rely on God to resolve it. "'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord" (Rom.12:19). One of the worst things we can do is to take judgment into our own hands. The psalmist tells us in these verses, "Let God be the judge, the jury and the prosecuting attorney. He knows more about this than you do." The psalmist assures us that, in His time, God will catch those who are doing wrong. The nations will fall into the pit they have made. Sinners who have laid nets in the pathway will get caught in those nets. "The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands" (v. 16). It encourages me to know that I don't have to devote my time or energy, even my inward concern, to wondering what's going to happen to all the evil in the world. God is going to take care of it. Of course, we as Christians should do our part to make this a better world. We are the salt of the earth; we are the light of the world. But we've been called to do something even more wonderful--to tell these wicked people that they don't have to go to hell. We have the privilege of witnessing to them and letting them know that they can be saved. Yes, let God be the Judge. Your job today is to be a witness. Has someone wronged you recently? Resist the urge to judge that person. Instead, pray that God might use you to reach them.
DAY 10 - UNWAVERING FAITH
James 1:6 KJV
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering….
What do you expect when you pray? When we pray with earnest expectation, we are exercising our faith. The earnest prayer of righteous people produces powerful results, and the most earnest prayers come from us recognizing our need for God.
There can be a natural tendency to shrink back when praying for the seemingly impossible, but we must remember that nothing is impossible with God. If we know the promises that God has given us, and understand His character and the principles by which He works, we can pray with confidence and trust Him for the answer. What has caused you to waiver in your expectation with God? James reminds us that faith and wavering are actually contradictory – he says “nothing wavering”. Know that God never wavers in His love for you. You can trust Him completely.
James 1:6 KJV
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering….
What are you trusting God for in this season?
How can you line up your expectations with the Word of God when you pray?
Find promises in His Word that answer your need and write them down today.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering….
What do you expect when you pray? When we pray with earnest expectation, we are exercising our faith. The earnest prayer of righteous people produces powerful results, and the most earnest prayers come from us recognizing our need for God.
There can be a natural tendency to shrink back when praying for the seemingly impossible, but we must remember that nothing is impossible with God. If we know the promises that God has given us, and understand His character and the principles by which He works, we can pray with confidence and trust Him for the answer. What has caused you to waiver in your expectation with God? James reminds us that faith and wavering are actually contradictory – he says “nothing wavering”. Know that God never wavers in His love for you. You can trust Him completely.
James 1:6 KJV
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering….
What are you trusting God for in this season?
How can you line up your expectations with the Word of God when you pray?
Find promises in His Word that answer your need and write them down today.
Monday, January 18, 2010
GREATEST INSURANCE POLICY
Psalm 9:7-12
This passage teaches a great truth: The safest and strongest protection we have is the name of the Lord. "And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You" (v.10). As I read those words, I'm reminded that God forsook His Son for us. Jesus said from the cross, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27:46). Has it ever occurred to you that the only person God ever really forsook was His own Son? "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all" (Rom. 8:32). Because He did this, we can be sure He will never forsake us for the sake of His Son. The Father loves His Son and says to Him, "You have died for these people. I will never forsake them." God's promise to us is "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb. 13:5). "Lo, I am with you always" was our Lord's last statement in the Gospel of Matthew (28:20).
The safest place in all the world is in the will of God, and the safest protection in all the world is the name of God. When you know His name, you know His nature. His names and titles reveal His nature. They tell us who He is and what He can do. For example, He is Jehovah, the God who makes covenants. He is the Lord, the sovereign king. He is Jesus, the Savior. Each name He bears is a blessing He bestows on us.
Are you getting to know God? "And those who know Your name (who know God's nature) will put their trust in You" (v. 10). The better you know God, the more you will trust Him. The more you trust Him, the better you will get to know Him--an exciting and enriching experience. One of the great experiences of the Christian life is the personal relationship we enjoy with our God. To trust God is to seek Him (Isa.55:6). Today, seek Him with a desire to know Him better.
This passage teaches a great truth: The safest and strongest protection we have is the name of the Lord. "And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You" (v.10). As I read those words, I'm reminded that God forsook His Son for us. Jesus said from the cross, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matt. 27:46). Has it ever occurred to you that the only person God ever really forsook was His own Son? "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all" (Rom. 8:32). Because He did this, we can be sure He will never forsake us for the sake of His Son. The Father loves His Son and says to Him, "You have died for these people. I will never forsake them." God's promise to us is "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb. 13:5). "Lo, I am with you always" was our Lord's last statement in the Gospel of Matthew (28:20).
The safest place in all the world is in the will of God, and the safest protection in all the world is the name of God. When you know His name, you know His nature. His names and titles reveal His nature. They tell us who He is and what He can do. For example, He is Jehovah, the God who makes covenants. He is the Lord, the sovereign king. He is Jesus, the Savior. Each name He bears is a blessing He bestows on us.
Are you getting to know God? "And those who know Your name (who know God's nature) will put their trust in You" (v. 10). The better you know God, the more you will trust Him. The more you trust Him, the better you will get to know Him--an exciting and enriching experience. One of the great experiences of the Christian life is the personal relationship we enjoy with our God. To trust God is to seek Him (Isa.55:6). Today, seek Him with a desire to know Him better.
DAY 9 - CLEAN HOUSE
Romans 8:5-6
5 For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those
who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death,
but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Have you ever looked up at your ceiling fan blades or in the deep recesses of your couch cushions and noticed the filth that builds up over time? Even though we might clean on a regular basis, there are times when we need to go…a little deeper. We realize that what appeared to be clean on the surface was in all actuality, quite filthy.
The same thing can happen spiritually. As we go about our daily lives, there are things that can build up over time. Even if we regularly worship, pray and read our Bible, the different pressures and cares of this world can quietly build up, and end up consuming our lives. Without even realizing it, we can lose our peace, our joy, and our passion for the things of God. Our service to God, which used to fill us with life and excitement, becomes a duty that we must fulfill.
Fasting is the deep cleaning that helps us take our mind off of the things of this world and instead have a refreshed focus on the things of the Spirit. It is an incredibly effective way to get into the nooks and crannies of our soul and bring all those dusty old habits, broken mindsets and rusty attitudes out into the light of God’s truth. In fasting and prayer, our service to God returns to something we want to do rather than something we have to do.
As you pray and fast today, ask God to show you any areas where you could use
a refreshed spiritual focus. Like David, in Psalm 51:10-12, pray that God will
cleanse your heart, renew your spirit, and restore the joy of your salvation.
Pray with confidence, knowing that He wants to fill you with His life and peace.
5 For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those
who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death,
but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Have you ever looked up at your ceiling fan blades or in the deep recesses of your couch cushions and noticed the filth that builds up over time? Even though we might clean on a regular basis, there are times when we need to go…a little deeper. We realize that what appeared to be clean on the surface was in all actuality, quite filthy.
The same thing can happen spiritually. As we go about our daily lives, there are things that can build up over time. Even if we regularly worship, pray and read our Bible, the different pressures and cares of this world can quietly build up, and end up consuming our lives. Without even realizing it, we can lose our peace, our joy, and our passion for the things of God. Our service to God, which used to fill us with life and excitement, becomes a duty that we must fulfill.
Fasting is the deep cleaning that helps us take our mind off of the things of this world and instead have a refreshed focus on the things of the Spirit. It is an incredibly effective way to get into the nooks and crannies of our soul and bring all those dusty old habits, broken mindsets and rusty attitudes out into the light of God’s truth. In fasting and prayer, our service to God returns to something we want to do rather than something we have to do.
As you pray and fast today, ask God to show you any areas where you could use
a refreshed spiritual focus. Like David, in Psalm 51:10-12, pray that God will
cleanse your heart, renew your spirit, and restore the joy of your salvation.
Pray with confidence, knowing that He wants to fill you with His life and peace.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
STAY FOCUSED
As we begin this second week, I want to remind you to stay focused on your plan.
Bring your dreams and visions for yourself and for your family before God.
Don’t let up in your commitment to prayer and reading His word during the fast…continue to push yourself and God’s ear will turn to you as He honors those who sacrifice for and honor Him.
Bring your dreams and visions for yourself and for your family before God.
Don’t let up in your commitment to prayer and reading His word during the fast…continue to push yourself and God’s ear will turn to you as He honors those who sacrifice for and honor Him.
HEAR HIM
Matthew 17:5b, 8 NLT
5 “This is My dearly loved Son, who brings Me great joy, Listen to Him”….
8 And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.
On the Mount of Transfiguration three disciples had an experience that showed us the Father’s plan for a New Covenant. Jesus took Peter, James and John up to the top of a mountain where He was transfigured into His glorified state. Up until this point, they related to God through the law (Moses), or through the prophets (Elijah). After the vision, Peter eagerly offered to erect three tabernacles – one for each. Then a loud voice from Heaven was heard saying, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to Him”. When the disciples looked
up, they saw only Jesus.
On the mountain, God made it clear that we would only discover His pleasure by following Jesus. God’s grace is freely given to those who have received new life in Him. Sometimes though, there are areas of our lives where we do not fully embrace God’s grace. There may be circumstances or areas where we still try to earn our way to the Father. You cannot earn God’s pleasure, but you can walk in it as you follow Jesus Christ. As you seek God today, seek Him for a greater revelation of Jesus in your heart; for only then are you reminded that you are a beloved
child of God. He finds pleasure in you.
How does understanding the New Covenant of grace change the focus of your fast?
As you pray and seek after God, let His be the loudest voice you hear.
5 “This is My dearly loved Son, who brings Me great joy, Listen to Him”….
8 And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.
On the Mount of Transfiguration three disciples had an experience that showed us the Father’s plan for a New Covenant. Jesus took Peter, James and John up to the top of a mountain where He was transfigured into His glorified state. Up until this point, they related to God through the law (Moses), or through the prophets (Elijah). After the vision, Peter eagerly offered to erect three tabernacles – one for each. Then a loud voice from Heaven was heard saying, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to Him”. When the disciples looked
up, they saw only Jesus.
On the mountain, God made it clear that we would only discover His pleasure by following Jesus. God’s grace is freely given to those who have received new life in Him. Sometimes though, there are areas of our lives where we do not fully embrace God’s grace. There may be circumstances or areas where we still try to earn our way to the Father. You cannot earn God’s pleasure, but you can walk in it as you follow Jesus Christ. As you seek God today, seek Him for a greater revelation of Jesus in your heart; for only then are you reminded that you are a beloved
child of God. He finds pleasure in you.
How does understanding the New Covenant of grace change the focus of your fast?
As you pray and seek after God, let His be the loudest voice you hear.
DAY 8 - YOUR SONG OF VICTORY
Psalm 9:1-6, Psalm 9 is a great victory psalm. "I will praise You, O Lord, with mywhole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works" (v. 1). Notice the universals in that verse--"my whole heart" and "all Your marvelous works."I must confess that there are times when I don't praise the Lord with my whole heart. At times I've stood in the worship service singing a great song of praise--but not with my whole heart. The best way to have victory is to praise the Lord wholeheartedly.
Granted, there are times when it's hard to praise Him. Think of Paul and Silas in prison (Acts 16:16-34). They had been humiliated. Their rights had been stripped away from them. Their bodieswere hurting. Yet they were wholeheartedly praising the Lord. God can healyour broken heart if you give Him all the pieces. He'll put it backtogether again and give you wholehearted praise.
Don't praise God only about circumstances; praise Him for who He is. "I will be glad and rejoice in You" (v. 2). Maybe you can't rejoice in your circumstances or in the way you feel. Maybe you can't even rejoice in the plans that are made for today, but you always can rejoice in the Lord (Phil. 4:4). You can rejoice in the Lord today because He is worthy of your praise. "I will be glad and rejoice inYou; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High" (v. 2).
The thrust of this psalm is simply this: If your cause is right, God is on your side. He is on His throne, and He is administering His world the way He wants to. David didn't quite understand all that God was doing, but he knew that God knew what He was doing. So when your cause is right, you can praise the Lord, even in the midst of apparent defeat. When God is on the throne, everything turns out all right.
If your life is broken right now, be encouraged that God knows what is going on in your life and will restore you. Until He does, rejoice in Him and praise His name.
Granted, there are times when it's hard to praise Him. Think of Paul and Silas in prison (Acts 16:16-34). They had been humiliated. Their rights had been stripped away from them. Their bodieswere hurting. Yet they were wholeheartedly praising the Lord. God can healyour broken heart if you give Him all the pieces. He'll put it backtogether again and give you wholehearted praise.
Don't praise God only about circumstances; praise Him for who He is. "I will be glad and rejoice in You" (v. 2). Maybe you can't rejoice in your circumstances or in the way you feel. Maybe you can't even rejoice in the plans that are made for today, but you always can rejoice in the Lord (Phil. 4:4). You can rejoice in the Lord today because He is worthy of your praise. "I will be glad and rejoice inYou; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High" (v. 2).
The thrust of this psalm is simply this: If your cause is right, God is on your side. He is on His throne, and He is administering His world the way He wants to. David didn't quite understand all that God was doing, but he knew that God knew what He was doing. So when your cause is right, you can praise the Lord, even in the midst of apparent defeat. When God is on the throne, everything turns out all right.
If your life is broken right now, be encouraged that God knows what is going on in your life and will restore you. Until He does, rejoice in Him and praise His name.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
DAY SEVEN - FERVENT PRAYER
James 5:16b
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Fervency speaks of our level of intensity, passion and persistence. Many times, we can lose our passion in prayer or stop praying for certain things altogether because we lose heart or give up. But God invites us to keep thembefore Him and trust Him for an answer in His time.
(Matthew 7:7-11)
The Old Testament prophet, Elijah, practiced a lifestyle of fervent, intense prayer and he witnessed incredible miracles in his lifetime as a result. In 1 Kings 17:17-24, we read of a woman whose only son became ill and died. When Elijah heard the news he quickly took action and did what he knew best – he fervently cried out to God. Elijah fully believed that God could bring the boy back to life, and he didn’t pray just once. It is recorded that he prayed three times for the boy’s soul to return to him. He prayed fervently, repeatedly and he wasn’t going to give up. Verse 22 reads, “then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.”
Elijah’s prayer was answered through his persistence and fervency. God hears your prayers as well and will bring an answer in His perfect timing. But don’t be discouraged or disheartened if the answer is not exactly what you expected. Commit to praying to God with passion and persistence, trusting the answer will come in God’s perfect way and in His perfect timing.
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Fervency speaks of our level of intensity, passion and persistence. Many times, we can lose our passion in prayer or stop praying for certain things altogether because we lose heart or give up. But God invites us to keep thembefore Him and trust Him for an answer in His time.
(Matthew 7:7-11)
The Old Testament prophet, Elijah, practiced a lifestyle of fervent, intense prayer and he witnessed incredible miracles in his lifetime as a result. In 1 Kings 17:17-24, we read of a woman whose only son became ill and died. When Elijah heard the news he quickly took action and did what he knew best – he fervently cried out to God. Elijah fully believed that God could bring the boy back to life, and he didn’t pray just once. It is recorded that he prayed three times for the boy’s soul to return to him. He prayed fervently, repeatedly and he wasn’t going to give up. Verse 22 reads, “then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.”
Elijah’s prayer was answered through his persistence and fervency. God hears your prayers as well and will bring an answer in His perfect timing. But don’t be discouraged or disheartened if the answer is not exactly what you expected. Commit to praying to God with passion and persistence, trusting the answer will come in God’s perfect way and in His perfect timing.
Friday, January 15, 2010
KING OF THE MOUNTAIN
Read Psalm 8:1-9
Anybody remember playing "King of the Mountain" when you were a kid? Question, what's your mountain? (Mark 11:33). You are called to be king over that mountain.
Who are you? Charles Darwin said man is an animal. Sigmund Freud taught that man is a spoiled child. Karl Marx believed man is an economic factor. But the Bible says God has a much higher calling for man. God wants us to be kings; He wants us to reign in life.
In Psalm 8 we see three (3) different kings exemplified in Adam, Jesus and David.
First, God the Father created us to be kings (Gen. 1:26-28). God gave Adam dominion over the earth. We are created in the image of God with a mind, heart, will and spirit. But sin has marred God's image in man. His mind can't think God's thoughts; his emotions are wrapped up in sin; his will is rebellious, and his spirit is dead.
Second, God the Son redeemed us to be kings. The tragedy of man's rejecting Christ as Savior is that he goes through life as a slave, not a king. Because of his rebellion, man lost his dominion. But Christ's death, Resurrection and Ascension regained what Adam lost--and much more (Rom. 5). Our Lord is reigning today, and we will someday reign with Him.
Third, God the Holy Spirit anointed us to live as kings. Our kingship comes from God. The power of His Spirit gave David the strength to kill Goliath. We are either a king or a slave; either we will reign as kings, or sin will reign in our lives.
God never intended that we live like slaves but that we live like kings and reign over our circumstances and feelings. Trust Christ as Savior to reign in your life.
Do you find yourself a slave to a particular circumstance or emotion? Because of the sacrifice of Christ, we need no longer live as slaves in this world. Claim the power of God's Spirit and live as a king.
Anybody remember playing "King of the Mountain" when you were a kid? Question, what's your mountain? (Mark 11:33). You are called to be king over that mountain.
Who are you? Charles Darwin said man is an animal. Sigmund Freud taught that man is a spoiled child. Karl Marx believed man is an economic factor. But the Bible says God has a much higher calling for man. God wants us to be kings; He wants us to reign in life.
In Psalm 8 we see three (3) different kings exemplified in Adam, Jesus and David.
First, God the Father created us to be kings (Gen. 1:26-28). God gave Adam dominion over the earth. We are created in the image of God with a mind, heart, will and spirit. But sin has marred God's image in man. His mind can't think God's thoughts; his emotions are wrapped up in sin; his will is rebellious, and his spirit is dead.
Second, God the Son redeemed us to be kings. The tragedy of man's rejecting Christ as Savior is that he goes through life as a slave, not a king. Because of his rebellion, man lost his dominion. But Christ's death, Resurrection and Ascension regained what Adam lost--and much more (Rom. 5). Our Lord is reigning today, and we will someday reign with Him.
Third, God the Holy Spirit anointed us to live as kings. Our kingship comes from God. The power of His Spirit gave David the strength to kill Goliath. We are either a king or a slave; either we will reign as kings, or sin will reign in our lives.
God never intended that we live like slaves but that we live like kings and reign over our circumstances and feelings. Trust Christ as Savior to reign in your life.
Do you find yourself a slave to a particular circumstance or emotion? Because of the sacrifice of Christ, we need no longer live as slaves in this world. Claim the power of God's Spirit and live as a king.
DAY 6 - RELIANCE ON GOD
Romans 7:18-20 NLT
18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is
right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong,
but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong, it is sin living in me that does it.
There’s an internal war that often wages within each and every one of us. Paul describes this so well here in Romans 7 – we desire to do the right thing, but in our own efforts, we don’t have the power to and we mess up.
The good news is that we don’t have to rely on our own strength to make right decisions. We don’t have to be dominated by our sinful nature and end up doing the things we don’t want to do. But the only way we can live this kind of life is by yielding to the Holy Spirit and relying on the strength of Jesus Christ, not our own.
When we’re facing struggles, we must rely on God’s power alive within us through the Holy Spirit. When we are born again, the Holy Spirit resides in us and places in us the desire to do what is pleasing to God. (Hebrews 10:16) The Holy Spirit always wants to do what is right. He always wants to uphold the perfect will of God, pleasing the Father in every way. It is our job to lay down our stubborn fleshly will and yield to the will of God. In that moment,
the Holy Spirit will be there to help us in our time of need. Instead of trusting in our own strength, let’s learn to yield to and become totally reliant upon the Holy Spirit.
Are there areas in your life causing an internal struggle?
Make a decision today that you will yield to the Holy Spirit and lean on His
strength, not your own, to overcome obstacles of sin and selfishness in your life.
Surrender and release those areas to God, knowing He will help you.
18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is
right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong,
but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong, it is sin living in me that does it.
There’s an internal war that often wages within each and every one of us. Paul describes this so well here in Romans 7 – we desire to do the right thing, but in our own efforts, we don’t have the power to and we mess up.
The good news is that we don’t have to rely on our own strength to make right decisions. We don’t have to be dominated by our sinful nature and end up doing the things we don’t want to do. But the only way we can live this kind of life is by yielding to the Holy Spirit and relying on the strength of Jesus Christ, not our own.
When we’re facing struggles, we must rely on God’s power alive within us through the Holy Spirit. When we are born again, the Holy Spirit resides in us and places in us the desire to do what is pleasing to God. (Hebrews 10:16) The Holy Spirit always wants to do what is right. He always wants to uphold the perfect will of God, pleasing the Father in every way. It is our job to lay down our stubborn fleshly will and yield to the will of God. In that moment,
the Holy Spirit will be there to help us in our time of need. Instead of trusting in our own strength, let’s learn to yield to and become totally reliant upon the Holy Spirit.
Are there areas in your life causing an internal struggle?
Make a decision today that you will yield to the Holy Spirit and lean on His
strength, not your own, to overcome obstacles of sin and selfishness in your life.
Surrender and release those areas to God, knowing He will help you.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
SURRENDER
I want to share a testimony with you that I believe will inspire, motivative and encourage you.
"It is so different for me this year, and I have to admit---I did not look forward to it. I have heard so many of you say that you could not wait---and that was my experience the first few years---but this year, all I could remember is how hard it was. This year something amazing happened to me. Can I be transparent for a minute? I kinda went being dragged into it by my commitment to the church and to my role as a leader. I know that does not sound very spiritual---but it is the truth. But then, by day 2---I found myself isolated and deeply into His word…and felt like I was being given a day with just Him---Just me and Jesus. And it was amazing. Instantly I was humbled and amazed. And here is what I have come to understand about THIS fast. This time, I did not enter in, seeking after Him---this time HE SOUGHT ME! And He has been speaking to me each day, and it is amazing. I have been brought to tears…and have stood in awe in His presence. "
I am again reminded, that even when we don’t feel like doing something, when we do it because it is the right thing to do, there is an obedience principle that kicks in, and things in the spirit realm kick in, and our obedience activates a whole series of events that we would have missed had we not submitted. It is so amazing that throughout ALL my searching of the scriptures---and my life experiences, that everything comes back to one word: SURRENDER. And that is what this fast is about for me, in many different kinds of ways, and while food is one of them, it is just the tip of the iceberg this year.
What about you---how does that word ring with you---SURRENDER? What do YOU need to surrender---what are you holding onto that you need to give to Him? Who is that PERSON that you need to give to Him? What piece of gold are you hiding under your tent? Can’t wait to read your responses and to see HIS story play out in your life the next 15 days or so!!
"It is so different for me this year, and I have to admit---I did not look forward to it. I have heard so many of you say that you could not wait---and that was my experience the first few years---but this year, all I could remember is how hard it was. This year something amazing happened to me. Can I be transparent for a minute? I kinda went being dragged into it by my commitment to the church and to my role as a leader. I know that does not sound very spiritual---but it is the truth. But then, by day 2---I found myself isolated and deeply into His word…and felt like I was being given a day with just Him---Just me and Jesus. And it was amazing. Instantly I was humbled and amazed. And here is what I have come to understand about THIS fast. This time, I did not enter in, seeking after Him---this time HE SOUGHT ME! And He has been speaking to me each day, and it is amazing. I have been brought to tears…and have stood in awe in His presence. "
I am again reminded, that even when we don’t feel like doing something, when we do it because it is the right thing to do, there is an obedience principle that kicks in, and things in the spirit realm kick in, and our obedience activates a whole series of events that we would have missed had we not submitted. It is so amazing that throughout ALL my searching of the scriptures---and my life experiences, that everything comes back to one word: SURRENDER. And that is what this fast is about for me, in many different kinds of ways, and while food is one of them, it is just the tip of the iceberg this year.
What about you---how does that word ring with you---SURRENDER? What do YOU need to surrender---what are you holding onto that you need to give to Him? Who is that PERSON that you need to give to Him? What piece of gold are you hiding under your tent? Can’t wait to read your responses and to see HIS story play out in your life the next 15 days or so!!
DAY 5 - WHEN GRACE COMES DOWN
John 1:17 NIV
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you could see God for who He really is? What would He say about the state of humanity? About religion? About our own propensity toward sin? There is no need to wonder about what God is like because to know Him, we have only to look at Jesus. In Jesus we have received grace, but there is even something more that we have received. We have received truth.
The kind of truth John is talking about in this passage is not a list of laws and rules such as were given to Moses. Make no mistake; the revelation of God through the word of the law was glorious. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai after receiving the commandments, his face shone so brightly with the glory of God that he had to wear a veil. But the word of the law cannot compare with the word of life that has been revealed through Jesus Christ!
In John 1:18, we are told that no one – not even Moses – had ever seen God. But Jesus has not only seen God; He is God. The truth that John is speaking about is a clear and unveiled vision of the true nature of God. When we try to look at God through the lens of legalism and religion, it is like looking at Him through a veil. Only when we see Him though Jesus Christ can we truly get a glimpse into His heart. It is from a state of grace, not legalism, that we will find real and lasting transformation. (2 Corinthians 3:7-18)
Have you been looking at God through the veil of legalism and religion?
In Jesus, we see the full revelation of the nature of God – His love and holiness, mercy and justice, compassion and power all perfectly and beautifully expressed. Pray that the Holy Spirit will help you see God through the eyes of grace and truth given to us in Jesus Christ.
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you could see God for who He really is? What would He say about the state of humanity? About religion? About our own propensity toward sin? There is no need to wonder about what God is like because to know Him, we have only to look at Jesus. In Jesus we have received grace, but there is even something more that we have received. We have received truth.
The kind of truth John is talking about in this passage is not a list of laws and rules such as were given to Moses. Make no mistake; the revelation of God through the word of the law was glorious. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai after receiving the commandments, his face shone so brightly with the glory of God that he had to wear a veil. But the word of the law cannot compare with the word of life that has been revealed through Jesus Christ!
In John 1:18, we are told that no one – not even Moses – had ever seen God. But Jesus has not only seen God; He is God. The truth that John is speaking about is a clear and unveiled vision of the true nature of God. When we try to look at God through the lens of legalism and religion, it is like looking at Him through a veil. Only when we see Him though Jesus Christ can we truly get a glimpse into His heart. It is from a state of grace, not legalism, that we will find real and lasting transformation. (2 Corinthians 3:7-18)
Have you been looking at God through the veil of legalism and religion?
In Jesus, we see the full revelation of the nature of God – His love and holiness, mercy and justice, compassion and power all perfectly and beautifully expressed. Pray that the Holy Spirit will help you see God through the eyes of grace and truth given to us in Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
A REVELATION
"And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him." - Acts 5:32
As we are on this journey together fasting over these next few weeks, I am so encouraged by this Scripture. What excites me about this Scripture is its promise. I have seen so many people passively wait for the Spirit to imbue and endue them. This week I gained a new perspective from it: each new act of obedience will always bring a new baptism of His Spirit and love! As we obey the Lord in fasting (Matt. 6), He promises a fresh baptism of His Spirit. Oh how we need that!
We need a baptism of His Spirit in this New Year. We must allow love to be perfected in our lives through simple obedience, like fasting. Sin does not destroy God's love, it frustrates it; but as we combine our hearts together and walk in obedience, He promises to give us His Holy Spirit.
Each of us over the next month must empty ourselves of selfish ambition. It is time for us to hold up our emptied vessels to be filled with the grace of God. I pray that you are experiencing a fresh baptism as you obey Him during this fast!
Share with everyone your thoughts below in the comment section. How have you experienced a fresh baptism of His Spirit in these first four days of the fast? What new revelation has God given to you as you’ve sought Him in His Word? In what areas of your life do you need His wisdom that only comes from revelation?
DAY FOUR - AGREEMENT WITH GOD
Amos 3:3
Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
In the heart of every believer is the desire to walk closely with God. We know that He too desires a close relationship with each one of us. A key to having a strong level of spiritual intimacy with God is living in agreement with His will for our lives. In Genesis 5:22, we read of Enoch and see that his life modeled a long journey, walking consistently with God. The Bible says, “Enoch walked with God 300 years…” Enoch lived a powerful life. He was a man that walked in agreement with God’s will and lived a life pleasing to God. (Hebrews 11:5b)
It is one thing to know God’s will for our lives; it’s another to live in agreement with His will. In order to enjoy the best life that God has for us, we must first understand that God does not change, but we sometimes must. Let’s earnestly seek to know and agree with God’s will for our lives. The level of our agreement with God will determine the degree of closeness in our walk with Him.
Fasting can be a truly spiritual uplifting experience, but only if it’s done for the right reasons…then it produces the right results. It’s a “When” and “Then” proposition. When you fast and pray for the right reason(s) your light will break forth like the dawn and healing will quickly appear (Is. 58:8). Fasting makes our hearts more attentive to God. It’s amazing how much time you have on your hands if you’re not eating, preparing, cleaning up after supper, watching TV, or engaged in other endeavors. Fasting is the most powerful spiritual discipline of all the Christian disciplines. The Holy Spirit can transform your life through fasting and prayer.
Pray today that we can walk in agreement with God and enjoy the life that He desires us to have in Christ.
Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?
In the heart of every believer is the desire to walk closely with God. We know that He too desires a close relationship with each one of us. A key to having a strong level of spiritual intimacy with God is living in agreement with His will for our lives. In Genesis 5:22, we read of Enoch and see that his life modeled a long journey, walking consistently with God. The Bible says, “Enoch walked with God 300 years…” Enoch lived a powerful life. He was a man that walked in agreement with God’s will and lived a life pleasing to God. (Hebrews 11:5b)
It is one thing to know God’s will for our lives; it’s another to live in agreement with His will. In order to enjoy the best life that God has for us, we must first understand that God does not change, but we sometimes must. Let’s earnestly seek to know and agree with God’s will for our lives. The level of our agreement with God will determine the degree of closeness in our walk with Him.
Fasting can be a truly spiritual uplifting experience, but only if it’s done for the right reasons…then it produces the right results. It’s a “When” and “Then” proposition. When you fast and pray for the right reason(s) your light will break forth like the dawn and healing will quickly appear (Is. 58:8). Fasting makes our hearts more attentive to God. It’s amazing how much time you have on your hands if you’re not eating, preparing, cleaning up after supper, watching TV, or engaged in other endeavors. Fasting is the most powerful spiritual discipline of all the Christian disciplines. The Holy Spirit can transform your life through fasting and prayer.
Pray today that we can walk in agreement with God and enjoy the life that He desires us to have in Christ.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
DESIRE - DUTY - DESPERATION
Day three of our most crucial time in 2010. What will these 21 days of devotion to God bring for us? I don't believe we can know the depth of what we will receive! Protection in 2010. Direction. Deliverance. The list goes on according to each personal circumstance. I know as Christians we have God's protection and guidance. But consider this... God's word consistently speaks of diligence; it speaks of seeking the Lord. The word says, “Well done” to the one who does the most with what he has been given. How could we have God's grace available to us to fast for 21 days and yet be lazy like the man given one talent in Matthew 25:26.
How could we not use that grace as a weapon to fight our adversary for our family, and for the advancement of God's kingdom?
I know for myself that I would not risk losing what this fast will bring for my family. In Ezra 8:21-23, he proclaimed a fast just before journeying to Jerusalem, to humble himself and the people before God and ask Him for a safe journey for his children and his people. And God answered their prayer! It is my greatest desire for my family, my wife and my three wonderful sons, to have a safe journey this year, to have divine protection, and to walk in an authority that tells the enemy, “No!” I am fasting not only for protection, but also for direction in our daily lives, for my sons in school, their relationships and choices. And as pastor, I seek these very things for the children, students and parents, placing a covering over the families of Yorkville Heights!
I also believe it is our duty to fast. I would certainly rather give up my life and consumption of food for 21 days in order to gain life and divine blessings obtained in no other way, just as the boy in Matthew 17:21 received his deliverance. “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” – notice, in no other way.
Why would we risk forfeiting the great things God will release by completing this 21 day fast? What regret we would have if we could see the breakthroughs and blessings that could have been ours. Some of us may be having a difficult day today, wondering, “I don't know if I can do this.” We can, and we will! Let me encourage you... In Matthew 25:14 notice the servants were “given” the talents from their master. It was not from their own resources. God's grace, His supernatural ability to fast, has been “given” to us to fast these 21 days. It is not in our own strength. Do not deny yourself and your family the use of this powerful weapon available. And on Day 21, when we have used our Master's given grace to go further spiritually, to protect our families, to receive breakthroughs, especially in situations of desperation, we, too, will hear, “Well done” by our Father – AND – will receive many things and share in God's reward! Matthew 25:21
May we all desperately and dutifully desire Him through fasting and prayer, and receive all He has for us!
How could we not use that grace as a weapon to fight our adversary for our family, and for the advancement of God's kingdom?
I know for myself that I would not risk losing what this fast will bring for my family. In Ezra 8:21-23, he proclaimed a fast just before journeying to Jerusalem, to humble himself and the people before God and ask Him for a safe journey for his children and his people. And God answered their prayer! It is my greatest desire for my family, my wife and my three wonderful sons, to have a safe journey this year, to have divine protection, and to walk in an authority that tells the enemy, “No!” I am fasting not only for protection, but also for direction in our daily lives, for my sons in school, their relationships and choices. And as pastor, I seek these very things for the children, students and parents, placing a covering over the families of Yorkville Heights!
I also believe it is our duty to fast. I would certainly rather give up my life and consumption of food for 21 days in order to gain life and divine blessings obtained in no other way, just as the boy in Matthew 17:21 received his deliverance. “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” – notice, in no other way.
Why would we risk forfeiting the great things God will release by completing this 21 day fast? What regret we would have if we could see the breakthroughs and blessings that could have been ours. Some of us may be having a difficult day today, wondering, “I don't know if I can do this.” We can, and we will! Let me encourage you... In Matthew 25:14 notice the servants were “given” the talents from their master. It was not from their own resources. God's grace, His supernatural ability to fast, has been “given” to us to fast these 21 days. It is not in our own strength. Do not deny yourself and your family the use of this powerful weapon available. And on Day 21, when we have used our Master's given grace to go further spiritually, to protect our families, to receive breakthroughs, especially in situations of desperation, we, too, will hear, “Well done” by our Father – AND – will receive many things and share in God's reward! Matthew 25:21
May we all desperately and dutifully desire Him through fasting and prayer, and receive all He has for us!
DAY 3 - FASTING REMOVES UNBELIEF
Matthew 17:18-21
18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, that if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there’, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
When we pray and fast, we don’t do so to change God or His will. By praying and fasting, we are the ones changed. Coming into alignment with God helps us curb our doubts and fears. When we pray and fast, the thing that leaves -- the thing that “goes out”-- is our unbelief. It is when we have faith to believe, that we can pray with confidence and know that “nothing will be impossible” as we live to bring glory to God.
Ask God to strengthen our hearts to fully believe Him and believe His word. It is okay to recognize and acknowledge if you struggle with unbelief. It’s the first step in allowing God to strengthen your faith and bring you into alignment with His plan for your life.
What is it that you need faith to believe for?
Align yourself with God’s Word and will during this fast. Release your unbelief.
Pray with confidence, knowing “nothing will be impossible for you"
Note: When you fast your body detoxifies, eliminating toxins from your system. This can cause mild discomfort such as headaches and irritability during withdrawal from caffeine and sugars. And naturally, you will have hunger pains. Limit your activity and exercise moderately. Take time to rest. Fasting brings about miraculous results. You are following Jesus' example when you fast. Spend time listening to praise and worship. Pray as often as you can throughout the day. Get away from the normal distractions as much as possible and keep your heart and mind set on seeking God's face.
18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, that if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there’, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
When we pray and fast, we don’t do so to change God or His will. By praying and fasting, we are the ones changed. Coming into alignment with God helps us curb our doubts and fears. When we pray and fast, the thing that leaves -- the thing that “goes out”-- is our unbelief. It is when we have faith to believe, that we can pray with confidence and know that “nothing will be impossible” as we live to bring glory to God.
Ask God to strengthen our hearts to fully believe Him and believe His word. It is okay to recognize and acknowledge if you struggle with unbelief. It’s the first step in allowing God to strengthen your faith and bring you into alignment with His plan for your life.
What is it that you need faith to believe for?
Align yourself with God’s Word and will during this fast. Release your unbelief.
Pray with confidence, knowing “nothing will be impossible for you"
Note: When you fast your body detoxifies, eliminating toxins from your system. This can cause mild discomfort such as headaches and irritability during withdrawal from caffeine and sugars. And naturally, you will have hunger pains. Limit your activity and exercise moderately. Take time to rest. Fasting brings about miraculous results. You are following Jesus' example when you fast. Spend time listening to praise and worship. Pray as often as you can throughout the day. Get away from the normal distractions as much as possible and keep your heart and mind set on seeking God's face.
Monday, January 11, 2010
DAY 2 - TUNE IN
John 10:27
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
Have you ever been searching for a radio station only to be frustrated by finding static rather than music? You then focus to fine tune the dial again, and suddenly you hear a clear signal. The fact is, the signal always existed on the airwaves; the only difference is that now you have adjusted your tuner to the right frequency.
In our hectic lives, there are so many signals bombarding our senses that it can become difficult to distinguish God’s voice from the deafening “static noise” of life. Fasting enables us to tune out the world’s distractions and tune in to God. As we fast, we deny our flesh. When we deny our flesh, we become more in tune to the Holy Spirit and can hear God’s voice more clearly. If you truly listen for God’s voice, you will hear it. When you hear it, it will build faith within you.
If you desire to tune out the static of life and really tune into the voice of God, come to Him first and foremost with ears that are willing to listen and a heart that is ready to obey what he says. (Psalm 34:18, Isaiah 66:2) The more we practice being in His presence, the clearer and more recognizable His voice becomes. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10:27
In this time of fasting, what is your mind tuned to? What distractions do you need to remove
so that you can focus on God? Prepare your heart to hear the voice of God, and ask God to
help you remove distractions that keep you from focusing on Him and hearing Him clearly.
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
Have you ever been searching for a radio station only to be frustrated by finding static rather than music? You then focus to fine tune the dial again, and suddenly you hear a clear signal. The fact is, the signal always existed on the airwaves; the only difference is that now you have adjusted your tuner to the right frequency.
In our hectic lives, there are so many signals bombarding our senses that it can become difficult to distinguish God’s voice from the deafening “static noise” of life. Fasting enables us to tune out the world’s distractions and tune in to God. As we fast, we deny our flesh. When we deny our flesh, we become more in tune to the Holy Spirit and can hear God’s voice more clearly. If you truly listen for God’s voice, you will hear it. When you hear it, it will build faith within you.
If you desire to tune out the static of life and really tune into the voice of God, come to Him first and foremost with ears that are willing to listen and a heart that is ready to obey what he says. (Psalm 34:18, Isaiah 66:2) The more we practice being in His presence, the clearer and more recognizable His voice becomes. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10:27
In this time of fasting, what is your mind tuned to? What distractions do you need to remove
so that you can focus on God? Prepare your heart to hear the voice of God, and ask God to
help you remove distractions that keep you from focusing on Him and hearing Him clearly.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
DAY 1 - RETURN TO ME
Joel 2:12 NIV
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping
and mourning."
If one were to look at the kind of fasting that took place in the Old Testament, it would be easy to assume that the reason for fasting is to gain forgiveness. In the book of Joel, the Israelites had wandered far from God, and their sinfulness had resulted in famine and pestilence in the land. Through the prophet Joel, God called them to repentance, ordering them to declare a sacrificial fast that along with mourning and weeping, would show God the sincerity of their repentance. In return, the prophet said, perhaps God would, “turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing.”
Such a fast of repentance is seen under the Old Covenant time and again, because under the Old Covenant man had to rely on his works and sacrifices to avert the wrath of God. But under the New Covenant, we don’t have to fast for forgiveness. Every wrong we have done and will do was forgiven at the cross, and when we accept Christ, we walk under a New Covenant of grace and forgiveness! We don’t have to fast, weep and mourn to convince God of our sincere repentance or to avert His wrath. I Thessalonians 5:9 tells us that, “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” So then, why do we, as people under a New Covenant, need to set aside special times devoted to fasting and prayer?
As we walk with God, there are times that we feel far from Him or disconnected. Joel’s words resonate with us who live in a context of grace – “return to me with all your heart.” There are times we realize that, though we have chosen to follow Jesus, the flame of our love for him has grown cold. It is during these times we can return to God with our whole heart, put aside the distractions of the world and focus solely on loving Him. Your time spent in prayer each day of the fast can result in a new richness, a rewarding connection with the Father. No matter where
you are on your journey with Jesus, you can always take a step closer towards Him.
Joel 2:12 NIV “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning."
As we begin this time of prayer and fasting, let’s turn our hearts toward God.
Make a commitment to seek God daily. Pray that your love for Christ will be increased
and your passion for Him will be reignited over the next 21 days.
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping
and mourning."
If one were to look at the kind of fasting that took place in the Old Testament, it would be easy to assume that the reason for fasting is to gain forgiveness. In the book of Joel, the Israelites had wandered far from God, and their sinfulness had resulted in famine and pestilence in the land. Through the prophet Joel, God called them to repentance, ordering them to declare a sacrificial fast that along with mourning and weeping, would show God the sincerity of their repentance. In return, the prophet said, perhaps God would, “turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing.”
Such a fast of repentance is seen under the Old Covenant time and again, because under the Old Covenant man had to rely on his works and sacrifices to avert the wrath of God. But under the New Covenant, we don’t have to fast for forgiveness. Every wrong we have done and will do was forgiven at the cross, and when we accept Christ, we walk under a New Covenant of grace and forgiveness! We don’t have to fast, weep and mourn to convince God of our sincere repentance or to avert His wrath. I Thessalonians 5:9 tells us that, “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” So then, why do we, as people under a New Covenant, need to set aside special times devoted to fasting and prayer?
As we walk with God, there are times that we feel far from Him or disconnected. Joel’s words resonate with us who live in a context of grace – “return to me with all your heart.” There are times we realize that, though we have chosen to follow Jesus, the flame of our love for him has grown cold. It is during these times we can return to God with our whole heart, put aside the distractions of the world and focus solely on loving Him. Your time spent in prayer each day of the fast can result in a new richness, a rewarding connection with the Father. No matter where
you are on your journey with Jesus, you can always take a step closer towards Him.
Joel 2:12 NIV “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning."
As we begin this time of prayer and fasting, let’s turn our hearts toward God.
Make a commitment to seek God daily. Pray that your love for Christ will be increased
and your passion for Him will be reignited over the next 21 days.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
FASTING KILLS ME....LET'S GO!
I am having a difficult time expressing just how expectant I am for God to do an incredible work in our lives in 2010 - there is such a deep seeded expectation in my heart, and I feel that as we come together in this 21 day fast, this will set the course for all that God is going to do this year! To prepare ourselves for His work, we desperately need an infusion of His strength and wisdom as we begin this new decade. I believe this happens as we fast.“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” – Isaiah 40:31.
I am praying that in 2010 as you join with us in fasting, obeying the Word of God and listening to the Holy Spirit's leading, you will have the wisdom to know every step you need to take in the days ahead. All you have to do is obey God's instructions, and He guarantees you blessing and provision even in difficult times. But if you try to take another approach, there is no guarantee for you to claim. This next year, we, as His people, must do what God says if we want to be assured of His divine blessing and protection!
What is it that you desperately need God to do in your life through this fast? In what areas of your life do you need His direction? Fasting brings humility and direction.
What has been your experience with fasting in the past and how can that testimony encourage and strengthen others as they are gearing up for the fast? Share with everyone your thoughts below in the comment section. We are fasting together! Today begins the first day of the best days of the rest of your life – let’s go!
I am praying that in 2010 as you join with us in fasting, obeying the Word of God and listening to the Holy Spirit's leading, you will have the wisdom to know every step you need to take in the days ahead. All you have to do is obey God's instructions, and He guarantees you blessing and provision even in difficult times. But if you try to take another approach, there is no guarantee for you to claim. This next year, we, as His people, must do what God says if we want to be assured of His divine blessing and protection!
What is it that you desperately need God to do in your life through this fast? In what areas of your life do you need His direction? Fasting brings humility and direction.
What has been your experience with fasting in the past and how can that testimony encourage and strengthen others as they are gearing up for the fast? Share with everyone your thoughts below in the comment section. We are fasting together! Today begins the first day of the best days of the rest of your life – let’s go!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
State Women's Conference
DON'T MISS YOUR MOMENT!
Register now for the State Women's Conference in Jackson, MS. Judy Jacobs will be the guest speaker with a Chris Allen leading in worship. Conference is scheduled for March 26 & 27 at the MS Church of God Campgrounds. Cost is $45.00 and is due February 21. Sign up in the foyer at church.
Monday, January 4, 2010
GREATER IN 2010
The word God has given me for 2010, "GREATER!", Greater Expectancy, Greater Worship, Greater Battles, Greater Victories. There are a lot more "Greaters" ahead. Jesus said we will do GREATER works (John 14:12). I serve a Great God, and He has blessed His people with Greatness! IT'S TIME TO WALK IN IT!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year
2010 has arrived and to some it's just another day, to some it's a time to make changes to their appearances or health, and to others it's a time to reflect on the past and sincerely decide to make a life change.
I encourage you to be a part of our 21 Day Corporate Fast beginning January 10. What better way to make a life change than to seek God for His direction and the path He chooses for you to take.
Our prayer is that this is your best year yet.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)