21 – IT’S ON!

21

In the book of Daniel (Ch. 10), we find that Daniel fasted 3 weeks as God gave Him the Vision of world changing things to come. What if God is about to do a great work for HIS Glory and this is your opportunity to be His vessel, His tool for His Fame? Are you seeking God’s Vision for your life?

Prayer & Fasting:
Throughout His Word, God gives us illustrations of men and women seeking after Him in prayer & fasting, and the powerful way He responds to this simple, personal conversation & sacrifice to Him. The primary purpose of prayer & fasting is to re-focus & re-center our hearts, our desires, our affections, our purpose, possessions & abilities on God, our King of Kings & Lord of Lords!  …to replace something we desire with someone (God) whom we desire even more!  In doing so, we glorify God (Zechariah 7:5). Outer fasting is to lead to inner prayer, worship, and devotion.

In the Bible:

-Moses life was transformed while he was on a mountain fasting with God

-Elijah was transformed when God gave him strength for 40 days from a single meal

-David fasted when he was in trouble (Psalm 69).
-Jehoshaphat called a fast when the Moabites came up against him (2 Chronicles 20).
-Ezra fasted to ask for safe passage (Ezra 8:21).
-Esther would not go to the king unless a few fasted with her (Esther 4:16).
-Joel proclaimed a fast for backslidden Israel to repent and ward off disaster.
-Daniel Fasted and honored God rather than submitting to a corrupt system (Daniel 1).
-Jesus was empowered by prayer & fasting as He began His ministry and God inaugurated a change in time & eternity that revealed the power of His grace through salvation!
Hmmmm – any correlation with Prayer & Fasting…and God transforming lives?

God did many transformational works in countless lives through fasting!
Could yours be one of those lives?!

I don’t fully understand a lot of things…
-like how prayer affects eternal decrees,
how sacrifice & suffering produces character,
and why God blesses when we fast ….
But I do know,
…The next 21 days will transform your lives!

Greenbrier Church family, I am excited about what He has in store for each of us!

-Live reckless for my Jesus!

21 – Prayer & Fasting

21 begins in just a few days.

(Monday, March 8th – Sunday, March 28th)

My heart & prayer is that this time of prayer & fasting will be the beginning of a fresh, intimate relationship with you and Jesus Christ!  The beautiful & incredible reality is that He has invested himself fully to walk close to you…and the cross is proof of that.  Your  investment in this relationship through prayer & fasting over these 21 days can be huge!

What is fasting?

Webster’s dictionary states that a “fast” is “to eat sparingly or abstain from some foods.” Many people view fasting as a chance to diet or to give up something to please God, but this isn’t really what fasting is all about. In fact, it doesn’t even have to be food that you fast from. Fasting is an opportunity for us to remove some of the distractions that keep us from worshiping and hearing from God. It allows us to refocus our hearts and minds upon Him. It’s not about the What you “fast from”, it is about the Who you are fasting to – Jesus!

Why is Greenbrier Church doing a 21-day fast?

Many people include fasting as part of their regular walk with Jesus Christ. Fasting part of a day or an entire day each week can continually bring our focus back to God and can help us to learn about sacrifice and obedience. The Greenbrier Church 21 -Day Fast, however, is a concerted and intense time of seeking God together/corporately – as His united church, listening to His voice and humbling ourselves before Him. During this time, we choose to fast from what is distracting us so that we can seek His will and prepare ourselves for what He has in store for our lives individually and corporately as His church.

Scripture & Web Resources:

Isaiah 58:1-6, Nehemiah 9:1, Joel 2:12, Matthew 4:2

Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 9:14, Mark 2:18, Luke 2:37

Acts 13:2, Acts 14:23

Campus Crusade For Christ

How is prayer related to fasting?

In the Bible and in the church today, we often hear the phrase “prayer and fasting.” While fasting removes distractions from your life so that you can better hear God, you must communicate with God in order to hear from Him, just like in every other relationship. And that is what prayer is—talking and listening to God, plain and simple. During your fast, leverage the craving or desire for food/hobby/habit to remind you to pray & seek God.

What types of fasting can I do?

There are many options to choose from to participate in the 21-Day Fast. Traditionally, people give up certain types of food or all food. You might choose to do a Daniel Fast (primarily vegetables), a juice fast, or you might choose to give up some other food that has too great a hold on you, like sugar or caffeine….or chocolate (hit a nerve there, i’m sure). Other people choose to do a media fast, giving up TV, radio, Twitter or Facebook (…and some of you would prefer giving up food over this), …depending on what most distracts them from God. Regardless of what you choose, challenge yourself.  Spend some time in prayer, asking God what He would like you to do for the next 21 days.

21

Along with selecting the type of fast you will be participating in, it is also important to choose ahead of time the duration and extent of your fast. For example, are you planning to fast all 21 days,  or maybe even two days out of each week? Trust God to guide you knowing there will be a cost, otherwise there is no fast (ie. there is no cost in me “fasting from Liver or Fish for 21 days”  I could go a lifetime without them. ha!). Committing to a specific plan ahead of time and knowing how you’re planning to do it will help you in making the necessary preparations and will also help position you to finish strong.

Types of Fasts

While preparing for your fast, it is important to choose ahead of time what type of fast you will participate in. Not only will this help with making the necessary preparations to implement your plan, but as you commit to a specific fast ahead of time, and know how you’re going to do it, you will position yourself to finish strong. Choosing your fasting plan is a very personal decision. We are all at different places in our walk with God and a “fast” is not about comparison or competition. There is nothing more “inherently spiritual” about one type of fast as opposed to another. Your personal fast should present a level of challenge to it, but know your body, know your options, and most importantly, seek God in prayer about this and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do. Do not let what you eat or do not eat become the focus of your fast. This is a time to disconnect enough with your regular patterns and habits in order to connect closer to God.

Listed below, are some options and variations of different types of fasts you can choose to engage in. As you read over the information provided here, please consider how it applies to your circumstances and convictions. Fasting from foods does require reasonable precautions. If you have any health concerns, please consult your physician prior to beginning your fast – especially if you are taking medication, have a chronic condition, or if you are pregnant or nursing.

Specific Food or Activity Fast

This type of fast refers to omitting a specific item(s), activity or habit from your time of prayer and fasting. For example, you may choose to eliminate red meat, processed or fast food, or sweets. It could also involve fasting from an activity or habit, such as Electronics (television, Wii/PS3/Gaming, etc…) or social media (twitter, Facebook, Blogging, etc…).

Daniel Fast

The Daniel fast is a great model to follow that proves to be extremely effective for spiritual focus, bodily discipline and purification in the body and soul. It is probably one of the most commonly referred to types of fasts, however within the term “Daniel Fast”, there is room for broad interpretation. In the book of Daniel, we find two different times where Daniel fasted, once in Daniel 1 and again in Daniel 10. Daniel 1 states that he ate vegetables and water, and in Daniel 10, while the passage does not give a specific list of foods that Daniel ate, it does state that Daniel ate no rich (or choice) foods as well as no meat or wine. So based on these two verses, we can see that either of these, or any variations in between constitutes a fast. Again, there is nothing “inherently spiritual” about one type of fast as opposed to another. It is important to seek God in prayer and follow what the Holy Spirit leads you to do.

Here are some links that provide some suggestions of what a Daniel fast can look like as well as some recipe options.
Daniel Fast – Kerri Weems
Daniel Fast – Ed Young
Daniel Fast – Jentezen Franklin
Daniel Fast - Ron Lagerquist

Daniel-Fast.com – Susan Gregory

Juice Fast

A juice fast is when no solid food is consumed and instead involves the intake of vegetable juices, fruit juices and water.

Juice Fasting - Ron Lagerquist
Juice Fasting – About.com
Fasting Made Easy – Dr. Don Colbert

Water Fast

A water fast is eating no foods and drinking no liquids except water for a period of time. Extreme precautions should be taken with a water fast and should be done under the direction supervision and monitoring of your physician.

Water Fasting – Ron Lagerquist

Total Fast

A total fast is where nothing – neither liquid, solid food or even water is consumed for a period of time. We do not recommend total fasting as this can be very dangerous to your health. Attempting to go without water especially, for any period of time can be extremely harmful to the body.

Duration and Extent of Your Fast

21 is intentionally designed to be flexible. As with choosing what type of fast you will be undertaking, it is important to also decide ahead of time how long you will be fasting and to what extent you will be fasting. Some people may choose to fast at one level all 21 days or culminate with a special 3 day fast at the end. Others choose to fast one week out of the 21 days, or even fast once or twice a week throughout the 21 day period. This is a personal decision and one that should be prayerfully considered.

Information compiled/edited: Greg Surratt, Dino Rizo & Chuck Gordon

Marriage Counseling

“If your back hurts, see a back doctor. If marriage hurts, see a biblical counselor! 35 years ago it saved my marriage. DONT WAIT. GO!”  Rick Warren (Feb. 2010) – Author of “Purpose Driven Life”

Since our “When Marriage Stinks” message series at Greenbrier Church, I have received many phone calls, e-mails and requests for counseling!  I have assisted some couples or individuals (-hope I didn’t mess anyone up!), yet many more I have referred out to some Incredible Christ-Based Counselors…and I am still seeing God work Miracles in some of those marriages!  Let me go on record as saying; “THANK YOU!!”  …to those, in the midst of their pain, anger, hurt, disappointment – who have been brave enough, bold enough, wise enough to allow God to speak into your marriage through Godly counsel – you are heroes and i am proud of you!  Even more, Jesus is honored by your willingness to risk it all …even though some had all but given up hope/divorce papers in hand!

Now, to those struggling in marriage, even to the point of giving up – GET HELP!  It is available, but no one can help unless you take the steps and ask/call/e-mail!  But if you are too embarrassed or too lazy to get help: Know i am praying for you… but i pity you!  Doing nothing while your marriage needlessly crumbles is not only allowing satan destroy the beautiful creation God designed, you are helping him.

Treasure the one you once couldn’t wait to see …who made your palms sweaty …who took your breath away …who made you laugh when no one else could …the one Jesus gave you as His most precious gift apart from salvation – your forever best friend!  It’s not too late!  Know that I count it a privilege when people trust me and our staff enough to allow us to be a part of getting them headed toward hope.  Call or e-mail us if we can help!

For everyone married, because your spouse deserves more love than you can ever give them (for putting up with you – uh huh!) …even more, for Jesus fame in our marriages, let’s live out Ephesians 5:25-33: (emphasis mine -  v. 25 & 33)

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰for we are members of his body. ³¹“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” ³²This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

-Live reckless for my Jesus!

Be The ONE

This past Sunday morning at Greenbrier Church, worship was flat out phenomenal!  It was one of those times for me where it was such a huge honor to speak in the middle of the worship service, yet an overwhelming challenge…wanting to honor God the way He was honoring us with His obvious presence!   During the message i  shared a glimpse of the incredible tension i live with.  As God sent John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-6) as “A voice of ONE calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him “ …i believe (NO! Let me rephrase that…) – I KNOW that HE, Jesus Christ, our Savior, Lord and King is calling YOU and I to “Be The ONE” in this generation!  It is our privilege and our responsibility to prepare the way for Jesus!  It is our privilege and responsibility to “Lead Others To Follow Jesus” – Just as John the baptist did!

The Tension:

Each week i see you- the individual faces of our incredible Greenbrier Church body!  I know many of your names, but even that is getting harder as we continue growing ….but i know your faces and care dearly for you as the shepherd of this awesome flock!  We are so blessed with those we are reaching for Jesus, the number of adults and children we are seeing sell out to Christ and be baptized…the marriages being transformed….the lives eternally changed!

AT THE SAME TIME ….i see the empty seats next to you.  For every empty seat in both services, there are easily 500 in this community do NOT know my Jesus and have no church connection at all!  How can we reach them?  Why are we not distressed at not reaching them?  We MUST reach them….as God so loved YOU that you were reached for His Fame!

The Challenge:

-what i am asking EACH Person at Greenbrier to pray daily, beginning this week:

“My Jesus, Who is the ONE that you want me to “Be The ONE” and lead to YOU Jesus – This Week?” As God brings that person to mind, trust the Holy Spirit & obey God (ie. quit making excuses as to why God wouldn’t have you reach them), and Be The ONE in their life to either tell them about your Jesus or INVITE THEM to join you this Sunday at Greenbrier Church.

We have to reach them!  We Must give them Jesus!  We are called to prepare the way!   Let’s do this for His Fame!!!

BE THE ONE!

FLOURESCENT LIGHT – John 1:9

My Agenda: To equip and challenge YOU to spend Life Transforming time with Jesus daily (see the original blog: GOD TIME – The Beginning).  Reading these will mess some of you up because you will realize that I, like you, am a messed up wretched sinner… pursuing a radical Savior -  JESUS!   By sharing part of my daily time with my Jesus with you , I hope & pray this will ignite you to pursue HIM yourself all the more!   -That you realize how easy it can be for you to let God’s Word…His Voice…His Holy Spirit…speak DIRECTLY TO YOU! Challenge: Read…then you take the steps to begin your own time at Jesus feet in His Word!

“SOAP“:  S – Scripture; O – Observation; A – Application; P – Prayer

FLOURESCENT LIGHT

S – John 1:9 “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world”

O – A LOT of imitation/false/pretend lights are already in the world trying to gain our attention.  Satan even masquerades as an “angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14).  How easy it is to get captivated by false light …seduced by the appearance of light that is ultimately like a bug zapper…drawing/luring us in with that which is appealing yet is purely destructive.  JESUS is the light that gives light & life to every man.  There is NO OTHER True light!  Once you see the true light, you know the imitation. Your Spirit tells you.   Just as you know the difference between flourescent & sunlight, you can see the difference here.   BUT, sometimes we stay in darkness so long, we get comfortable/adjusted to/adapted to fake light.  Once we take our eyes off the true light long enough, we begin to settle for false light.

A - I believe God gave me months of an office with neon-green walls and flourescent lights to make me disdain them both.  UHG!  After a few hours at my desk, i had to go outside.  It was like my eyes/my body craved sunlight. It was bad!  In the same way spiritually, may i never get complacent and lose sight of the greatest light – the hope – the joy – the brightness of Jesus!  As a friend did me a huge favor and painted over my neon green walls, my world began to change.  I still have the flourescent light, which i’ll deal with…for now since i have a window that allows a glimpse of real light to permeate the room.

P - Father, protect me from substitutes!  Protect me from following or even adapting to false lights – whether people, possessions, ideologies, or even church ruts.  Protect me from all that is false.  Captivate me with nothing less than THE Light that gives light to every man.

Oswald Chambers: February 2 – “Beware of competing calls once the call of God grips you.”