The old rugged cross

One of my devotions today referenced this old-time hymn. I felt that I should post it...

1. On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
   The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
   And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
   For a world of lost sinners was slain.
   • Refrain:
     So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
     Till my trophies at last I lay down;
     I will cling to the old rugged cross,
     And exchange it some day for a crown.
2. Oh, that old rugged cross, so despised by the world,
   Has a wondrous attraction for me;
   For the dear Lamb of God left His glory above
   To bear it to dark Calvary.
3. In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,
   A wondrous beauty I see,
   For ’twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
   To pardon and sanctify me.
4. To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
   Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
   Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
   Where His glory forever I’ll share.

This speaks to me now...

Many Dreams
By Laura Ziesel
April 9, 2012


Scripture:
"For in many dreams and in many words there is emptiness. Rather, fear God." Ecclesiastes 5:7

Reflection:
Over the years, I've had many dreams about who I would be as an adult. I went to college in New York City, and I dreamed of staying there my whole life, learning every corner bakery and hidden treasure. But I've also dreamed of living a quiet life in the country, with my own gardens and chickens, becoming a pro at picking berries off the bushes. I've dreamed of being a lawyer, a teacher, and a business owner. I've dreamed of being married to a pastor, a city banker, and a cowboy. I've dreamed of having my kids young while I'm energetic, and I've dreamed of putting off kids until later in life. In short: my dreams have been many, and they often contradict one another.

Most of the big choices I've made in life have meant not only that I am saying, "Yes" to one thing, but also that I am saying, "No" to many other things. When I decided to follow Jesus, I effectively said goodbye to living for myself. When I married my husband, I said goodbye to my dreams that didn't include him. He's certainly not a cowboy! As I am now pregnant, I find myself starting to wonder what other dreams will never come true as I had imagined.

Because of this uncertainty about the future, I have been reminding myself a lot lately that my value as a person is not found in my ability to accomplish goals or make my dreams into a reality. My value is not in my life experiences, my diplomas, or my future brood of children. It's not in how well I bake a pie or know how to speak a foreign language. My value is entirely and completely in Christ.

I know that truth about my identity in Christ in my mind, but figuring out what that means has been more evasive. Lately, the phrase that brings it all to the surface has been, "Lord, am I enough?" When I ask him that, I crumble inside. I fear that I'm not enough. I want to become those romanticized images of a respected working woman, a joyful gardener, and a world traveler. This one life is not enough to accomplish everything I want to accomplish, everything that I think will make me joyful and fulfilled. There is only one me, and at all times, I want to be more than I currently am.

When I ask him, "Lord, am I enough?," graciously, and only because of the sacrifice of Christ, God always responds to me, "My dear child. You have always been enough for me. You are the one who is unsatisfied." And that is where I now sit, realizing that yet again, I am the one who has to let some of my dreams die. My dreams aren't God's dreams. God doesn't usually give me a preview of what he has dreamed for me. In the face of my many dreams, my selfish dreams and even the noble ones, God looks at me and asks, "The real question is, am I enough for you?" What he wants is that I would simply follow him and be content with being with him, wherever that is.

Prayer:
Gracious God, you have walked with so many men and women before me. You know how fickle the human heart is. Yet for some reason, you still want us, fickle hearts and all. Thank you for wanting me, for calling me to yourself, for dying so that I could be whole. Help me to surrender my dreams to you and to trust you with my future. Help me to be content in you, to find joy simply in spending time with you. And for all of my failures, I ask for your mercy. Amen.

Copied from - www.theredemptivepursuit.com

Liquid Fast - Week 3, Day 6 (Last Day)

The silence was pervasive. Like the ringing in your ears at the end of the concert, the silence is deafening. Like when the video streaming cuts out right at the climax of your favorite show, the anticipation vacuum was enormous.

Today I want us to put ourselves in the place of those followers, closest to Jesus, on that Saturday so many years ago. As you read the following passage, try to transport yourself to a place where you don't know the end of the story. Let your imagination open up a bit and attempt to feel what they must have been feeling.

Read these words like you were in the midst of the story . . .

Read & Feed:
"Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate's
permission, he came and took the body away. He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there."
- John 19:38-42

Journal:
Do you think Jesus' followers felt discouraged because, not only did their Great Teacher die, but their dreams of a better life died with Him? Or maybe they felt rejected and helpless because what they thought was true turned out to be a lie? Possibly they felt hopeless and weak because they couldn't stop the Romans and religious leaders from killing the truest person they'd ever met.

Life without Jesus was lonely.

Life today without Jesus isn't much different.

As Christ Followers we know the end of the story. We know that tomorrow morning a few women in Jesus' inner circle would go back to the tomb and find that He was alive. We know that His promise of victory was dependable and true. We feel at peace because we know that Jesus is stronger than the grave. Our posture towards God is trusting and loving because we know what happens next in the story.

But what about the people in our lives today who don't know the rest of the story? For many of our family and friends this weekend is confusing because they are not totally sure why we celebrate the "defeat of our God on the cross." Some might even think we're foolish to celebrate what we do.

What could we do to help complete the end of the story for them? How could we help them see that the story does not need to end in confusion?

Tomorrow at Liquid, Pastor Tim is presenting the whole story for your friends. The Easter message of Hope will be explained vividly for our friends and family. You know what happens next in the story . . . what if you had someone with you tomorrow who doesn't fully understand the entire story. Imagine the transformation that will happen in them when they go from confusion to clarity!

GIG Post - "A willing heart" - SO GOOD!!

I had to post this in its entirety. So, so, good!

A Willing Heart
Gwen Smith

Today's Truth
"So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, 'Come back to God!'" (2 Corinthians 5:20, NLT)

Friend to Friend
My husband Brad went on a missions trip to Guatemala a few years ago. What he saw and experienced changed his life and increased his faith in a dramatic way. He was an eyewitness to the healing power of God. On that trip he prayed harder, believed more, and expected more from God each passing day—and as a result, God used their medical missions team as a conduit for miracles.
Do you ever find yourself doubting that God wants to move in and through your life? Have you ever felt like you've needed a faith-lift? Are there circumstances in your life that have left you feeling "unqualified" to be the voice of life to others? Do you want to experience God's strength and power in your average, ordinary days?

If so, then lean in, girlfriend, because what I'm about to share with you is a key to increasing the power of God in your life!
Hector, the founder of that Guatemalan ministry that Brad teamed up with on the missions trip, visited North Carolina, and my family and I went to hear him speak. When I heard him testify of the provision and power of God, my heart was stirred and my faith was boosted. But what moved me most was the story of the lesson he learned about his call after God led him to be a medical missionary.

Before he began the medical ministry that he devotes his life to now, Hector's main goal in life was to make lots of money. Back then he didn't even apologize for it. He was a Christian and figured that God could use his money to help others.

What happened to change the course of his life? Back in the late eighties, Hector and his wife joined a medical team on a trip to a mountain village. The team was blown away by what God did through them while they were there. On the four-hour drive back to the city, they worshipped and sang praises to God. As he worshipped and drove, Hector heard the Lord speak to his soul. This is what I've made you for: to medically treat my people, to pray for their healing, and to share the hope of Jesus with the hopeless and the lost.

Hector felt so overwhelmed that he pulled the truck over and told the team of his call from God to be a missionary doctor. They prayed over him, whooped it up in celebration, and then continued down the mountain with an even greater sense of purpose and excitement. Hector thought that God had called him to be a missionary because of his skills as a doctor. Later, he would think otherwise.

A few years into his work, while visiting a remote village, a woman with a large mass on her side came into their makeshift clinic. Her terrible pain was curbed only by her excitement that the medical team had come to help her. One glance at her tumor and Hector had a strong suspicion that it was malignant. Upon examining her further, Hector was convinced that she was terminal. He became very frustrated with God, to the extent that he didn't even want to share the gospel with her because he couldn't do anything to help her physically.

Hector sent up a few prayers of frustration, but felt God nudging him to share the gospel with this woman. So he reluctantly shared the good news of Jesus with her; and, to Hector's surprise, she wanted to be forgiven and place her faith in Jesus Christ! And as they sat on the floor of that makeshift med-center, this sweet woman trusted Jesus as her Savior. When they finished praying, the woman had a radiant smile and tears in her eyes. He hugged her and she began to cry.

"What happened?" Hector asked. "Why are you crying?"

"As we were praying," she said, "I felt a warmth that started on my head and spread to the tips of my toes." As she said this, she realized something had changed, and she screamed with delight, "My mass is gone! My pain is gone!"

Hector had her lie back down on his examining table. The tumor that had been there just minutes ago was gone. God had intervened. She was healed, both spiritually and physically!

In the amazing celebration that followed, God spoke clearly to Hector's heart. God told him that He had all the power needed for the work He had called Hector to, and it had nothing to do with his medical training. God impressed on his heart that He didn't need Hector's skills or his knowledge; He had all of that covered. He just wanted him to go in His name.
You and I have that same opportunity every day. We have a chance to be a witness of God's healing love to a world of wounded hearts. Did God need my husband and the other volunteers to heal Guatemalan villagers, treat their physical wounds, and share the hope of Jesus with them? No. Did God move in the lives of the villagers because of their willingness to go in His name? You bet!

One of my favorite sayings is, "God doesn't call the equipped. He equips the called." If you are His, then you are called. Not because of who you are or what you can do, but because God can and will do His work through you.

Did God tell Jonah to go to Nineveh because Jonah was a great leader with amazing vision? No! Jonah proved to be quite wimpy. When Jonah finally made it to Nineveh, did God bring a great wave of repentance and restoration because of Jonah's rhetorical gifts? No! God stirred the hearts and changed the lives of hundreds of Ninevites because Jonah finally had the courage to speak God's words.

God wants to do something similar through you. He wants you to stop fighting Him on this and be willing to speak for Him so others can know the same healing and hope that you know. He wants to bring beauty up from the ashes of brokenness all around you.

Let's Pray
Heavenly Father, I'm so humbled that You would call me to anything. You have all the power needed for every job, yet you ask me to join you. Thank you, Lord. Please make my heart willing to say yes to everything you want me to do.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.

Now It's Your Turn
Do you have a willing heart? What is God calling you to do for Him? Spend a few moments in prayer and ask God to guide you and strengthen you for the task.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:11-21.

^11-14That keeps us vigilant, you can be sure. It's no light thing to know that we'll all one day stand in that place of Judgment. That's why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to face God. God alone knows how well we do this, but I hope you realize how much and deeply we care. We're not saying this to make ourselves look good to you. We just thought it would make you feel good, proud even, that we're on your side and not just nice to your face as so many people are. If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted overly serious, I did it for you. Christ's love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do.

A New Life

^14-15Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own.

^16-20Because of this decision we don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don't look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We're Christ's representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God's work of making things right between them. We're speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he's already a friend with you.

²¹How? you ask. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.

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Liquid Fast - Week 3, Day 5 (GOOD FRIDAY 2012)

Sacrificial Love

Hey guys! Pastor Ryan here ...

Today is Good Friday! It's the day we remember the greatest sacrifice, the darkest hour and the love that was poured out for the healing of this world. As I said yesterday, in order to get to the resurrection, we must journey through the crucifixion. Death brings forth life!

The Old Testament prophet, Isaiah, spoke of the this day hundreds of years prior to the crucifixion:

"... he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed." - 53:5

I encourage us to spend extra time today slowly reading through the Passion narratives in the Gospels. Pace with Christ... walk in his footsteps, and meet him on the cross!

Read & Feed: The Passion Narratives: Matthew 27; Mark 15; Luke 23; John 19

Journal: Spend time writing down your thoughts about this amazing sacrifice!

Jesus became obedient to the bizarre status of a "Suffering Servant." He was asked to drink the cup of wrath, which was to be poured out for the judgment over the nations of the earth due to sin. Wrath is not a popular term in many churches. God has righteous feelings for this world, and when people are abused, his indignation/wrath comes out! I have a hard time saying this, but this world deserves the wrath of God to be quite honest. The wages of sin is death. Nobody is guilt free!

In the scene at Gethsemane before he was sentenced to death, Jesus asked the LORD to take this "cup" from him: the cup of wrath! But he finished the prayer with, "not my will, but your will be done."

Jesus could have called down a legion of angles to wipe out the Roman Empire! But he chose to drink the cup of wrath. He chose the greatest form of love. He was beaten for you and for me. Christ becomes the perfect sacrifice who was slaughtered on our behalf. And, it is by his wounds that we are saved!

THAT IS HOW MUCH HE LOVES US!

We cannot forget this story. We have to speak of this story. This story is for the healing of the nations. It's about the peace that comes straight from our heavenly Father. The movement from orphans to sons, slavery to freedom ushers in a new movement of love in a dark world. Yes, this world is broken, indeed! But the LORD loves us way too much to keep it that way, which is why the life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ is imperative to our life stories today. He emptied himself so that we might be filled with the fullness of His love. Jesus died, so that we could live!

Pray: Father, we thank you for sending your Son as the perfect sacrifice for the world! Jesus, thank you for your ultimate sacrifice, and for showing us what it means to live a life of freedom. Help us receive you a new today. Give us the boldness and the love to spread this news to a world that is in need of your goodness and healing. We are grateful for you, and we love you from the bottom of our heart. Amen

********************************

Lord, You are calling me to express this same kind of sacrificial love to my brother and his fiancee and to Maria. I've received your forgiveness for the YEARS of neglect and avoidance of Brandon and Maria. However, I will not be under condemnation, nor will I allow seeming consequences to scar what can be a great future in You for both of them, for Anthony, Junior and his family, Alex and Tawana and her family, my mother and my father, and Jonathan and Kay. This is a family -- maybe Tawana will be part of it, maybe she won't. Your mighty will be done. For now, I'm gonna extend an olive branch, through your power. I will love my brother as I've been directed to in Your word. I will endeavor to lift him and all those concerned with him in prayer - especially over the next few months.

I speak holiness and blessing over Brandon and all those connected to him, in the mighty and precious name of Jesus. I loose healing, wholeness and a thirst and hunger for the things of God, for intimate relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I bind the enemy's attack upon Brandon and his attempt to use Brandon to cause pain and anguish to those connected to him. I bind, in the mighty name of Jesus, any demonic possession in Brandon - DEMONS FLEE, In Jesus' name! Lord God, the Spirit of You lives in me, and greater things am I able to do through the Spirit, as You mightily declared, so I stand on Your word and I believe that Brandon is set free! I thank You that You will move his heart to attend church, even this Sunday. I thank You for restoring his relationship with my mother and evidence of a changed heart and Life! I thank You for restoring his relationship with Anthony, Junior, Alex and above all Maria. I thank You for blessing and healing Tawana and keeping her and her grandchildren and her daughter. And I come to You, in the mighty name of Jesus, speaking LIFE over her daughter and I cancel the enemy's attack against her, keeping her addicted to drugs and under lock and key. In Jesus' name, she is loosed! from the ties of evil that bind her and set free to live for Christ! Even NOW, I give praise for all she has gone through and all that has come against her and offer You praise for the healing work that only You can do. I give You PRAISE, HONOR, and THANKSGIVING, for all the many wide roads that Brandon, Tawana, Maria, Junior, Alex, myself, Anthony, my mother, my father, and Kay have traveled over the course of our lives - thanking You that You have used each one for Your absolute PERFECT WILL AND PLAN for our lives. I declare, Lord God, in the name of Jesus, that change is afoot and that Your mighty power is working and effective even this very hour as we remember the great sacrifice, the scourging, the torment, and the painful death of our King Jesus! who laid down His life for us so that we can have ETERNAL life, and a life that is full and abundant here - a life of blessing, service and honor to our Father and to our fellow man. Lord, move, move, move in this family. Move, move, move as only You can.

MOVE!!!

In Jesus' name, I pray, AMEN.

Guilt

Is the Lord asking me to do something now?

What's been eating at me most right now is bonding more with my brother and accepting his marriage to a woman who I'm quite uncomfortable even thinking about getting to know because of the circumstances surrounding their relationship, combined with this being a decision that adds to all the pain my brother has caused my mother throughout his life -- and feeling incredibly guilty and ungodly that I feel that way. Wishing he would have worked things out with the woman he spent 25+ years with, who he helped raise her two older sons, and my nephew that they had together (that wasn't a perfect relationship either, but he apparently is still coming to her asking to come back - yes, this is my brother - and I believe Maria would if she thought he'd be up and up in the relationship and stop cheating). My mother has struggled with my brother all her life (his problems going through school, drug abuse & alcoholism, him abusing his relationship with her to get money for drugs, abandonment of his fellowship with other believers, etc.) and she's concerned, as am I, that this woman, who was verbally abusive and rough with my parents when she initially met them (burst into the house demanding that my parents tell her where my brother was), who is raising her jailed daughter's 4 small children, and possibly misusing the money that she receives for their care (and my brother helping her to do so), isn't right for him or my brother for her. It just seems like a train wreck. However, I have such guilt about not inviting her into my life and her children and supporting my brother in this. How can I call myself a Christian if I can't accept this situation and be loving and supportive? Is this unforgiveness? I don't hold a grudge - I don't have anything against her. I guess it's just because the situation...circumstances are so messy and our lives (my parent's and myself) are in a good, relatively quiet place, with me raising my son and being blessed to have my parents share in his upbringing because I live with them (and double blessing due to the circumstances of me being a single mom), that I'm afraid of the upheaval -- of this abrasive woman and her grandchildren running rough-shod over our lives, of my brother allowing it to happen , of them taking advantage of my parents when I eventually move out. I guess it's fear. And I know perfect love casts out all fear, so, clearly, I'm not expressing perfect love...

Please forgive me for this rant. It's been killing me the last few days dealing with this. And all the devotions I've been receiving lately seem to be stomping on me about not accepting my brother's fiancee and the marriage and not doing what I need to do to be closer to my brother. I took an initial step of asking him out to dinner this weekend and tentatively asked him to church. Of course, my guilty conscience is like, you should tell him to also ask if his fiancee can join us...

Lord, deliver me from fear, please give me direction on how to deal with my brother and this situation. Please grant me peace of mind.

My other guilt -- an old friend and my misgivings/struggles with remaining in relationship with her. Lord, I need Your mind's eye. She's in my life and I don't see that changing. So, enable me to receive her into my life and my son's life with love and not dread. Dread is what I feel most of the time. Though, i'm sure there are folks who feel the same about me. I'm sure one of my other girlfriends dreads seeing an email from me. Maybe a particular co-worker at work, too. I know there are people that want to go in the other direction when I'm around. So, it's not particular to her. However, I can't do much with the heart of those who have issues with me, other than pray that you improve me in the areas that get on their nerves.

Lord, move my heart to a place of genuine care and concern. I love this woman, mainly because of our long history - but I don't really like her. I admire and respect her - but I simply don't like her. I don't get a 100% enjoyment being around her and dread her emails and phone calls. I dread having to spend time with her. I simply dread her.

I have to be honest, Lord. I need You in me to change this, because as I said, the situation is likely NOT gonna change, short of us going home to see you - and my prayer is that that does not come any time soon for either of us. So, something's gotta change in my heart to make this a mutually satisfying relationship. I want to look forward to seeing her, spending time with her, speaking to her, getting and email from her. I need you, Lord. I need you...

Liquid Fast - Week 3, Day 4

Sacrificial Service

Hey guys! Pastor Ryan here today...

As we posture our bodies, minds and heart toward the end of this season together, it's crucial that we engage the darkest hours along with our Messiah Jesus. Someone once told me that many Christians love to speedily jump ahead to the resurrection, which is the true hope for all creation! Yet, in order to get to the resurrection, we must journey through the crucifixion. Death brings forth life!

Jesus, the greatest Rabbi ever to walk the face of the earth sat down with his disciples for their final meal as a family on the night of his betrayal. This final Passover meal, in which Jesus would have re-enacted the long story of our great God who delivered the Hebrews from slavery, was different from any other night. Jesus mentioned that there would be trouble & heartache, and that his own disciples would abandon him. Confusion and questions lingered at the table as Jesus spoke of his body & blood being broken and poured out in the course of this mysterious meal.

Yet, the most bizarre turn of events, which foreshadowed what was to come, included a towel and a basin...

Read & Feed: John 13:1-17

Journal: So, what is greatness to Jesus?

Greatness is all about washing smelly feet! Washing his disciples feet was a foreshadowing of what was to come the next day when he would put his life on the cross for the sins of the world! There's no glory in it whatsoever! It's the last thing I would think of doing before a nasty death. Still, Jesus chose downward mobility. His story of greatness reaches its height both as a servant washing feet and as a suffering servant on that cruel Roman cross.

Let's challenge one another to identify with Christ on the road to the cross today. Washing feet is cleaning toilets. It's taking out your neighbor's trash, mowing their lawn or simply being inconvenienced with something you don't want to do! Washing feet is a sign that you "get it." This is the road less traveled. Yet, it's the road we are to take to freedom, love and true community. It's the road where we become like Jesus and die to self.

Which areas of your life do you need to "die to self" today?

How can you take the posture of a servant today at work, school or home?

Pray: Father, I thank you for sending your Son to show us the Way! Jesus, thank you for your sacrifice, and for showing us what it means to live a life of freedom. Help us to die to our flesh, and become more like you in every way. Give us the discipline to wash feet, be inconvenienced and love the way you loved today. Amen
************************************
So many messages about serving others. Doing what's hard. Not doing what the flesh wants.

Lord, help me. I know I can be extremely self-focused. Even this morning getting mad at Jonathan for moving the comb. Not hearing your still small voice when you warn me about things. If my eyes weren't always so much on what I WANT rather than what it is that You want me to do, my life wouldn't be in such disarray. Lord, I don't want to be in this place a year from now. I long to be in a more disciplined, more giving, servant-hearted place. Show me how. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Words of wisdom from Arthur Blessitt

This is the man who carried a 45 lb, 12-foot cross across 7 continents, into 53 war zones, for 38, 201 miles and into 315 nations. What was the greatest lesson he learned?

To ask God two questions every day: Where do You want me to go? And who do You want me to reach?

Sobering...

Lord, help me to get there. Maybe that's not my specific call - but I know You desire Your children to reach out to the lost, the hungry, the homeless. Show me how You want me to specifically do that -- how You need me to do that.

I'm quite sick thinking about this woman that Brandon is marrying. It's hard for me to contemplate reaching out to her in any way. Their lives are such a mess. I hate the idea of causing that kind of disruption in my parent's lives when Brandon's choices have given them - especially my mother so much grief -- my desire is to pray and wait and hope that the right decisions are made -- and that above all, Brandon returns to you. If this is the woman for him, may they come together in a more healthy and whole way -- not this way. Not this fractured needy way. Lord -- move their hearts to You. Move their hearts to You.

Liquid Fast - Week 3, Day 3

Happy Wednesday from Pastor Tim!

Today is the FINAL DAY of our 3-day Liquid Fast... hurray, you're almost there!
We're only a few days away from celebrating Easter-- but the road Jesus travelled was marked with hardship & suffering. Your fast today will help you identify with what Jesus went through to bring salvation to us!

A reminder that we're fasting from sun up to sundown today. Together we will:

- Avoid solid food
- Drink only water or natural juices (fruit or vegetable)
- No coffee, soda, or alcohol
- Come together at 7:30pm tonight for Prayer & Worship!

// READ & FEED: This morning, read Isaiah 58 in which God describes his favorite kind of fast.
(Hint: it's NOT about food!)

// JOURNAL: In Isaiah 58, God's people ask, "Why have we fasted and you have not seen it?" What is God's answer in verses 3-4?

In essence, God's people ruined their fast through their exploitation of the poor, lack of love, and selfish behavior: "You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high."

By contrast, God then outlines the kind of fasting He does value:

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?" (Isaiah 58:6)

Justice & compassion are the main dishes on God's menu!

Sadly, signs of injustice in our world-- economic, political, and racial-- are all around us.
Every day, we see the poor taken advantage of by the rich.
People crushed by egomaniacal dictators.
Racial & ethnic strife infect our world like a virus.

In the middle of this, God encourages us to "loose the chains of injustice..."
to clothe the naked & feed the hungry. (v 7)

Q: Do you hunger for justice?

Remember: Fasting is meant to be a weapon!
To give you the strength to do battle in God's name. For God's cause.

God's deepest desire in this world is that His children
would defend the weak & powerless.

Who is on the fringe in your world? What can you do to protect, serve,
and speak for those who lack a voice?


// PRAY: As you sip water today, invite God's Spirit to show you a simple way you can
bring justice or show compassion to someone at your work, community, or school, who lacks influence. God's put you in their life for a reason-- to use your strength to serve them!

I contacted Brandon today. He just called back. Trying to set up dinner with him this weekend. Invited him to church on Sunday, but he was reluctant. So, Lord, work in his heart between now and Saturday - the likely day we'll get together for dinner. In terms of his fiancee - well, I need You, Lord, to work in me the courage to be in relationship with her. My heart simply doesn't believe this is the best choice for either of them. I'm unable to support their upcoming marriage at this time. Lord, if You see it being a blessing rather than a curse for Brandon, than change my heart. For now, my prayer is for his eyes to be opened and that he come back to you to find the fulfillment and satisfaction that he thinks he is finding in this woman or in any substances that he might be using. Turn him back to You, Lord.

And turn, turn, turn Kay back to You, Lord. Open his heart to desire intimate, abiding relationship with You. Knock him down like you did Paul on the Damascus road. Demand his attention, Lord. Call him to You.

Move Bill's heart toward repentance - Bill, Kay, Brandon, my Father, my mother, myself - we all need to turn our hearts toward You and lean upon You for what we keep looking for elsewhere. Help my parents move towards wholeness in marriage and forgiveness. Restore the years that the Locusts have stolen. Provide Bill with a good paying job and above ALL the ability to gleefully accept your free gift of salvation.

Lord, this third day of fasting is a desperate one -- I've not been perfect at all in my words and my attitude. Please forgive me. However, don't ignore the desperation - the cry of my heart for these people. THEY NEED YOU. We NEED You.

Move, Lord, Move!

Knock. Knock. Is Anybody there?

Three great posts from Girlfriends in God, Sharon Jaynes:
http://click.lists.biblegateway.com/?qs=cc4df3cfffdeddecd8d8295d67db920931634036cbb36bb8207f6a8c43f9e19f
http://click.lists.biblegateway.com/?qs=f7403ffb7057cb07b35dce78f745b26c68b4fd203e6b89e9b0844e279c3c0acb
http://click.lists.biblegateway.com/?qs=d9059e394ae18b071255c1ce28f138849d2e17f8e879ed1d1f5f56929139a262

And the Lord's word to me this morning when I asked of Him what to do: Let me love you.

Please Lord, let that be enough...

And then the Lord leads me to read this Sharon Jaynes entry on 4.4.12 - Is God Enough?
http://sharonjaynes.com/is-god-enough/

Yes, He is...

Liquid Fast - Week 3, Day 2

Do Not Lose Heart

Hi guys!! Pastor Dave here.

Continuing along with yesterday's theme, as we look at 2 Corinthians 4, we come across this phrase again, "Therefore, we do not lose heart". The Apostle Paul claims to know a way out. Is he clueless or does he have a magical formula? To fully appreciate the weight of his words, you need to have some idea of what his life had been like. Paul had an encounter with something beyond the walls of this world and ever since then, things have grown extremely difficult. In his own words, he has...

"been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received... forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move.... I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food." 2 Corinthians 11:23-27

You get the picture. His life has been hard. It has been war. He has even fasted.

In response to this, my mind asks, so how Paul, how? How did you survive let alone not lose heart? As we walk together through this last week of our fast, take time to look at your personal struggles and reasons for fasting and ask this question... How do I not lose heart?

READ and FEED: Read 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

JOURNAL: What is Paul saying? What does "Look at what you cannot see" mean to us? Initially, this doesn't sound helpful. In fact, it sounds confusing. Actually, Paul is asking us to "see" differently than we usually do. In Ephesians 1, Paul says this, "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened." Paul is asking us to appreciate one of the great truths of the Bible: we live in two worlds- or more accurately, in one world with two parts, the one that we can see, and the other that we cannot. We are urged, for our good, for the sake of not losing heart, to understand that the unseen world is, in fact, vastly more significant and more real than the world we can see with our eyes.

If you are like me, a lot of what weighs me down and causes me to lose heart are the things I can see; the work that isn't done, the money that isn't available, and the problems that aren't resolved. Although it may not feel like it today, the Apostle Paul speaks out of experience, that these troubles will help achieve for us an eternal glory that far outweighs what we are experiencing today. In fact, someday in heaven, the benefits from persevering through these challenges will make them look light and momentary.

PRAY: Ask God to help you see with the eyes of your heart today, to focus on the more significant things that are not seen... to believe that God has something better for you in the future... and to have the courage to not lose heart.

Liquid Fast - Week 3, Day 1

Do Not Lose Heart

Hi guys!! Pastor Dave here as we start Easter week.

One of my favorite chapters in the Bible, begins ... "Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart." The last phrase consistently grabs my attention. Who knows how to not "lose heart"? I'm all ears because so often I do lose heart. It can happen so quickly and so frequently!

Some of you have been fasting for two weeks, reading the daily emails, praying each day but still you have not seen any significant breakthroughs. I imagine you are tempted to be discouraged and to give up. In fact, for some of you, life seems to have gotten worse rather than better. The intensity with which you ask increases... How do I not lose heart?

READ and FEED: 2 Corinthians 4:1-9

JOURNAL: What helps the Apostle Paul to not lose heart is being reminded of what God has provided for us through Jesus Christ. Verse 6 says, "God has made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." The glory...the kavod... of God shines in our hearts. When God first created the world, it was completely dark and God commanded the light to shine. Now, when God saves us and makes us new creations, God Himself shines into our hearts. How much more personal is this second creation!

The incredible treasure of Jesus Christ is in our fragile bodies, called "jars of clay" in this passage. These "jars of clay" limit us and make us vulnerable, but because of Jesus we know that,


Even though we are--
-Hard pressed on every side
-Perplexed
-Persecuted
-Struck Down
We are not--
-Crushed
-In Despair
-Abandoned
-Destroyed

PRAY: As you pray today, ask God to help you see the light of the knowledge of the glory...the kavod... of God which is in every one of us who believes in Jesus Christ. Ask Him for the courage to not lose heart by being reminded that He is with you despite the difficult and discouraging situations you may be facing today.

Liquid Fast - Week 2, Day 7

Be A Lion Killer

Hi everyone! Pastor Randy here!

Would you like to go on a Safari and hunt a Lion? If you are like me, Safari yes, hunt a lion, No! When it comes to experiencing a lion, I'll stick to the zoo. Bars, glass wall, AND a moat is what I need between me and the "King of the Jungle."

In 2 Samuel 23:20 & 21 we read about Benaiah the son of Jehoiada who on a snowy day chased a lion into a pit and killed it. Wow, now that's what I'm talking about!!!! I love stories that have a tough guy who conquers insurmountable odds. Movies like Gladiator, Braveheart, The Patriot, - Rudy, Miracle on Ice, really get me going. I want to be like Maximus, William Wallace, and Benaiah.

You and I face "lions" every day, we are bombarded by choices, circumstances, decisions and challenges that seem out of control and impossible to win. Sometimes we need to just let God do the fighting. And yet, there are times when it is possible to embrace a little Benaiah and with God's help chase a lion into a pit and kill it. There is a pattern in scripture; times where God appears silent until the odds are impossible. And yet God intervenes usually in the nick of time. Today we are going to look at one such story of Gods intervention and provision. We are going to learn how to kill lions!

Read & Feed: Judges 7:1-23. Pay close attention to v. 2.

² The LORD said to Gideon, “You have too many men. I cannot deliver Midian into their hands, or Israel would boast against me, ‘My own strength has saved me.’

Journal: Spend some time in quiet meditation before you journal on this subject. Put on a worship CD and just spend a few minutes worshiping God.

As you journal today you may already be aware of a "lions" in your life that you need to take into the pit and do battle/fight. They could be things you have yet to surrender to Christ. It could be a relationship challenge (marriage, children, family, work, friends). It could be that there are habits or activities that are getting in the way of your pursuit of Christ. Today write a prayer to God on one of these items. Honestly tell Him your challenges, ask for His wisdom and help. And then put your pen down and listen, and allow God to speak to you. Jot down the thoughts that come to your mind. When a scripture verse comes to mind, write it down, look it up and read it. Often God chooses to speak to you through His Word. Bottom Line is that God is a God who loves doing the Impossible! And He sometimes invites us to challenge impossible odds so He can show/demonstrate His Power. What seems impossible to you right now? Get ready to fight! God will fight with you.

Lord, God, I'm ever perplexed about work, home, calling. I can't get it clear whether I'm hearing from You - whether the scripture and devotions are speaking to my confusion and that you are bringing me clarity through them - or if it's just my flesh, and the enemy is using it to get me into a really bad situation financially. I want to do whatever work you place in my hands as unto You, yet I continue to struggle in doing that through what is a VERY privileged position at IBM. To give 8 solid hours of effort and to be a servant to my team, our project, the company and its customers. I need Your wisdom. I need Your direction.

Then there is the desire in my heart to be a stay-at-home mom - and yet, there is no real evidence in my life of the ability to do that - I barely can make a partial meal per week for my family. So, is that just a fleshly desire, or is it real - a true, real need?

And with stay-at-home motherhood, there is my hope for a family and home for me and Jonathan - completed with a Godly husband and father to Jonathan. Is that a foolish request, since I do have a family here with my parents, my nephew, my brother and other family and friends. Am I just being greedy?

And calling -- what is my calling? Is it truly to stay at IBM and finish that and raise Jonathan. Is it Jakin Sanctuary Foundation? Is it the writing I believe I'm to do? Lord help me to understand.

Strangely, the only thing that came to mind is eHarmony. I vowed never to do on-line dating again. Though was re-considering in light of VerRonda's sister's happy result. However, had reservations: am I truly ready, what man would be interested in a 44 year old woman with a infant?

However, I will join for a month. If it's Your will, I suppose You have someone for me and me for Him. And possibly in it will be the resolution of all my other concerns...