Fasting

We are fasting as a faith community, in essence, setting apart a day to focus on what God is saying to us regarding a new meeting place. Scripture does not command Christians to fast. God does not require or demand it of Christians. At the same time, the Bible presents fasting as something that is good, profitable, and beneficial. The book of Acts records believers fasting before they made important decisions (Acts 13:2; 14:23). Fasting and prayer are often linked together (Luke 2:37; 5:33). Too often, the focus of fasting is on the lack of food. Instead, the purpose of fasting should be to take your eyes off the things of this world to focus completely on God. Fasting is a way to demonstrate to God, and to ourselves, that we are serious about our relationship with Him. Fasting helps us gain a new perspective and a renewed reliance upon God.

Although fasting in Scripture is almost always a fasting from food, there are other ways to fast. Anything given up temporarily in order to focus all our attention on God can be considered a fast (1 Corinthians 7:1-5). Fasting should be limited to a set time, especially when fasting from food. Extended periods of time without eating can be harmful to the body. Fasting is not intended to punish the flesh, but to redirect attention to God. Fasting should not be considered a “dieting method” either. The purpose of a biblical fast is not to lose weight, but rather to gain deeper fellowship with God. Anyone can fast, but some may not be able to fast from food (diabetics, for example). Everyone can temporarily give up something in order to draw closer to God.

By taking our eyes off the things of this world, we can more successfully turn our attention to Christ. Fasting is not a way to get God to do what we want. Fasting changes us, not God. Fasting is not a way to appear more spiritual than others. Fasting is to be done in a spirit of humility and a joyful attitude. Matthew 6:16-18 declares, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

Being Free

We don't really understand freedom. We don't. We often thing that freedom is getting to do what you want, when in fact that is truly the quickest path to bondage ever... I am free to use drugs- and get addicted. We need to realize that freedom is a functional freedom and a disciplined heart is true of freedom. We are truly free when our hearts are committed to fulfilling the design that God has for us as we are created to do. So you are now free to love by the power of God's spirit dwelling inside you. You are free to serve, reach out, and free not to do, free from the fleshly desires that make you do all the things you regret. That is freedom.

Galatians 5 ¹⁶So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. ¹⁷For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. ¹⁸But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
 ¹⁹The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
 ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. ²⁵Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

The Problem of Evil

Often times we look at evil as a an entity unto itself, with power and ability to punish at will. We forget that so often evil is a consequence of choice. The next question is then... Why give us choice God? Why should we be able to wield such a powerful tool? Because with choice comes good and love too. I now can choose to love God and choose to obey God and with that choice I too can choose to overcome evil with the Kingdom of God. We are faced with a huge responsibility, and a huge blessing,choice. Power placed in the hands of the wounded healers to heal, or to choose to harm.The only thing scarier than this is the idea of no choice. That we cannot participate in work of God, we are players on a stage, acting out our parts till the end of life comes. No true submission, no real buy in, no sacrifice to define worth, no willing love... that is too trajic to imagine.

To submit...

We struggle with submission. The idea of putting oneself under, or lowering our status for the sake of another. Oh, we struggle with the idea and with the practice that I am not the one in control. The definition is also interesting...
Submit

Pronunciation: \səb-ˈmit\

Function: verb

Inflected Form(s): sub·mit·ted; sub·mit·ting

Etymology: Middle English submitten, from Latin submittere to lower, submit, from sub- + mittere to send

Date: 14th century

transitive verb 1 a : to yield to governance or authority b : to subject to a condition, treatment, or operation submitted to analysis>
2 : to present or propose to another for review, consideration, or decision; also : to deliver formally <submitted my resignation>
3 : to put forward as an opinion or contention intransitive verb 1 a : to yield oneself to the authority or will of another : surrender b : to permit oneself to be subjected to something
2 : to defer to or consent to abide by the opinion or authority of another

To yield, to let another ahead, to give way, I like that, to give way. More to think about here...

Hebrews 12:9
Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!

How much more, Just some stuff to chew on.

Shalom

Holy Living = Wholly God's

1 Peter 1
  ¹³Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. ¹⁴As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

We often make the mistake of thinking of holiness as just behavior, when it is really so much more than that! The core of holiness is not found in the symptom of behavior but in the source of intimacy and relationship with God. We please what we love. We find joy in what we love. So the question of holiness is not, how well you behave? The question is what do you love the most? I am sure Peter had a flashback as he was dictating the passage above to the encounter with Jesus when Jesus asks "Do you love (agape- love unconditionally) me?" Peter replies "yes I love (phileo- love as brother) you feed my sheep'. Again Jesus asks "Do you love (agape- love unconditionally) me?" Peter replies "yes I love (phileo- love as brother) you feed my sheep'. Then the third time Jesus asks "Do you phileo me?" Peter cries and says, Jesus you're God and know all things you know I Phileo you... Feed my lambs."

We see holiness as unattainable, and without sin. Yet in this conversation we see obedience, love, and growth as the way to holiness. I know God is very aware of our sin... that's why He sent Jesus. So if the sin is no surprise and our short comings are no surprise let's love God and become like the thing we love, taking off the things that get in the way of a true relationship with God.

Just some thoughts,
Peace

Hope re-visited

Sunday we started the book of 1st Peter, and talked about the idea that God is more concerned with the state of our soul and not the comfort of our situation.
1 Peter 1 
³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, ⁵who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. ⁷These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. ⁸Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

We seem to notice hope more when we need it and when things are hard we need it so much more! That just says a lot about the value we put on comfort. We treasure what we have here in this world now and have no value in what God has for us in eternity.

In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, ⁵who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trial

We seem to think it idealistic to say my hope is in heaven, yet, that is exactly what we signed up for. So let me ask the question... Do you hold on and hope in the things here and now and hope less in the things to come? If we see things in a future promise that God will fulfill the things that are here today, good & bad seem much smaller.

Shalom,
Rick

Prayer - V - Pressing in...

The word Intercession has a couple of Greek roots depending on how it is used but there is a consistent theme across the meanings.  First we find, “a lighting upon, meeting with; a conversation; a petition”. This is a technical term for approaching a king, and so for approaching God in “intercession;” it is rendered “prayer” (i.e., seeking the presence and hearing of God on behalf of others).  As I prayed about what to share, the Lord brought back to my mind the story in Mark 2 of Jesus at Capernaum.
If you recall the story you realize that in Mark 2:12, after the debate with the “teachers of the law”, that this man was healed but what I want to deal with real quickly is the process that got this paralyzed man to deliverance and how it relates to intercessory prayer.
First let’s deal with the issue of where Jesus was in relation to where the man was who was lying on the mat.  The four men saw their paralyzed friend and got the Denali, loaded the man in the back and drove from wherever they were to Jesus right?  No, they walked with this man on a mat.  No one knows how much he weighed but it doesn’t say it was a paralyzed boy so we can assume this was a full grown man.  We don’t know how far they had to walk either but if by the time they got there it was standing room only; it’s safe to assume the walk wasn’t around the corner.  One challenge with intercessory prayer is the lack of energy to pray.  Statistics say now that most people can attest to being overextended and the Barana Group reports that Christians are just as overwhelmed as those who don’t claim the faith.  From the time I leave for work till I get home is roughly 10-12 hours a day.  Now if I got home and chilled that would be one thing but I have two kids, a baby and an 8 year old and my wife works at night…think I’m done working when I get home?  Somebody is reading this and saying, “You think that’s something, try walking in my shoes” and that’s my point.  To even get to the place of prayer we have to press.
Next Jesus was inside of a house and people were crowding in around him.  One of the best analogies I can think of is going to the hottest club back in the day when a celebrity was in town.  Maybe you didn’t do clubs but the atmosphere would be crowded from the inside out.  The club had a fire code and at a point when they reached capacity, no one was admitted until someone left.  Now if it was the hot star of the day, you waited outside until someone left…however long that took.  I imagine the same was true for Jesus.  The crowds came for the miracles.  Let’s be honest, people had needs and once their need was met they listened but what brought many to the house was their ailments and they were not going anywhere until their issue was resolved.

Truthfully couldn’t you pray all day about your laundry list of issues?  When someone comes to you with their stuff your noble heart truly desires to pray for them but if you don’t take a moment to pray right then or write it down to pray later the chances are…you’ll forget because of all your stuff.  Sally sits in the cube next to you and just got laid off…at first you want to pray for her but then reality hits, that you could be next.  “I love you Sally but Jesus cause them to passover my cube cause I can’t hardly pay my mortgage now and I got a car payment, the electric is due, I gotta get the plumbing fixed and Johnny needs shoes and….”  That’s the reality.  Once we press pass our tiredness, we have to press past self focus.
Finally the men realized that standing outside was getting no where so they carried the man on top of the roof and began to tear up the roof of the house to lower the man in.  Wow!  Let’s visualize for a moment.  Everyone is in line and these four cats decide to go up the side of the house.  Can’t you imagine, “Hey, what are y’all doing?  Don’t go butting in line?” What about from the house as they were tearing the roof off, “What is that?  Are you crazy?”  Even in the midst of prayer you have to battle the adversary.  He’s bringing more issues and more challenges to distract you and that is when you must keep your face like a flint.

What I got from this story is the fact that if we are going to be effective in praying for one another we must take the time to make a concerted effort to reach the goal.  It is not going to be easy but we need to care enough about someone else that our own issues take a back seat.  Remember, the end result is that the four men were successful and their friend’s issue was resolved.  They were fervent in effort and God honored their press!