For Rick's birthday, I got the four of us rooms at the D'Rose Inn in Leakey, which is something of a biker hangout in the Hill Country. The plan was to head out tomorrow afternoon (Thursday), ride the back roads from Liberty Hill to Kerrville, down to Medina, and then over to Leakey. That would put us in the right spot to have an all day ride Friday, a morning ride Saturday, and be able to head back in plenty of time for the Valentine's Dinner at church Saturday evening.
Wednesday Devotional
Preparing for Revival: Why we fast Kings and commoners, priests and prophets, and cities and nations fasted in the Bible.
Why do we fast?
First, fasting is a matter of the heart. Joel 2:12 says “return to me with all your heart, with fasting.” This means fasting is an expression of wholeheartedness. It is us telling God we have fully come to him and we are fully committed to him. It is telling making it about God and not about the physical. Fasting is us showing God we have put the Kingdom ahead of our desires, and that his glory supersedes our purpose.
Second, fasting brings focus. Jeremiah 29:13 says “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Fasting helps us temper our desires and get rid of distractions. At the same time, we can be spiritually empowered. Fasting is to help bring spiritual clarity. It removes distractions so we can focus our intentions on prayer and seeking God’s will. Think about it…if you fast you become hungry! The hunger pangs are a reminder for you to turn towards God and give over to him whatever issue you are presenting or seeking. Fasting overshadows all the other distractions in our life and allows us to focus on one thing: seeking his will!
Finally, fasting brings humility. James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” By denying the worldly part of eating, we are firmly stating our full faith and trust is in God. As I have said before, we are accustomed to having enough. We cannot imagine being without, and we pridefully take full credit for the blessings in our life. Fasting reminds us that God is almighty, powerful, and the Wonderful Maker. It helps us realize how much he has blessed us.
Be prepared for renewal!
Today’s prayer:
Father God,
You are my provider. You are sufficient for all my needs. It is because of you that I live; you give me life! To know your wonderful riches is beyond my wildest imagination!
Lord of my life – I want to do your will, but so many times I fall short. Please show me how to live my life according to your will and not my own. I ask for wisdom, and I believe you will answer my prayer.
Lord, I want to know your glory! Allow me to worship you with prayer and fasting. I come before you – broken and needy – to know you and to seek your face. Thank you for loving me!
In the name of Jesus,
Amen.
Step 5 to fasting: Prepare through knowing why we fast. Read this passage from Isaiah and pray over the reasons listed here:
“Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD ?
"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?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
Isaiah 58:6-8, NIV
His grace is enough!
Pastor Michael
Preparing for Revival: Spiritual Preparation for Fasting
Preparing for revival is not just about getting dressed and showing up on time. Revival is about change, and we want to change from the inside out. If we truly want to change from the inside out, we must prepare from the inside out.
We are not accustomed to doing without. We live in times of plenty, and there are very few people who experience true hunger. This is the day and age of fast food and credit cards, and that means for most people there is usually a meal just around the next corner. There are those who sometimes do experience hunger and I certainly do not want to ignore their plight. Even this points to our need to rely on God. For the most part, hunger is transient at its worst.
Satan uses our prosperity against us. He has used the very blessings God has given us to distract us from the gaping holes we have in our lives. We have been conditioned to not ever lack for anything, and because of this we forget the hunger we are to have for God. We continue to pour junk into the gaps in our lives, only to realize there is only one thing that can truly fill us.
Fasting – allowing ourselves to feel physical hunger – helps us ignore life’s distractions so we can concentrate on God and his plans. Fasting allows us to let go of the gap-fillers and hold fast to the cross. Fasting brings focus.
In order to honor God through fasting, we must be prepared.
The first step to spiritual preparation is to spend time – devoted, one-on-one time – in prayer with God. Every fast in the Bible was accompanied by prayer. Fasting should never be done as a stand-alone method of worship. Instead, it should be done with a heart properly prepared through prayer.
The second step is to examine your heart and detect any unconfessed sin. Scripture records that God always requires His people to repent of their sins before He will hear their prayers. King David said:
Come and hear, all of you who reverence the Lord, and I will tell you what he did for me: For I cried to him for help, with praises ready on my tongue. He would not have listened if I had not confessed my sins. But he listened! He heard my prayer! He paid attention to it!
Blessed be God who didn't turn away when I was praying, and didn't refuse me his kindness and love. (Psalm 66:16-20)
In your prayers, confess not only obvious sins, but less obvious ones as well. Remember there are two kinds of sin: the sins of commission (things we do against God’s will), and sin of omission (things we fail to do to that are God’s will). Our sin is usually part and parcel with worldly-mindedness, self-centeredness, spiritual indifference, and unwillingness to share your faith in Christ with others. Sin can also be failing to spend sufficient time in God's Word and in prayer, a poor relationship with your spouse, your children, your pastor, or other members of your church. Confess these things and commit to turning away from them and towards God.
Be prepared for renewal!
Today’s prayer:
Father God,
Your grace and beauty are beyond my comprehension! I cannot fathom the depth of your love, and I cannot begin to measure how much you love me. I desperately want to please you and honor you.
Lord, I need your forgiveness. I want to experience change in my life and I know sin can block revival. There are so many ways in which I fall short of your glory. I confess these things before you now, and I seek your help in turning away from them. Thank you for dying for me, and thank you for forgiving me.
Lord Jesus, I am ready for change. Help me prepare to receive your direction in my life. I ask for your inspiration as I seek you through fasting and prayer. Thank you for blessing me.
In the name of Jesus,
Amen.
Step 3 to fasting: Pray
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Step 4 to fasting: Confess and seek forgiveness
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
Tomorrow: Why we fast.
His grace is enough!
Pastor Michael
We all share a deep desire to be more intimate and more devoted to God. Like I mentioned yesterday, I believe we all love God, but we sometimes are not experiencing being in love with him. It often seems like there is something that gets in the way of that kind of heart-felt, devotional love. We all have the desire to give our hearts to Him, but this desire is often shared with desires for a lot of other stuff. As John Piper puts it, our decreased hunger for God is not because He is unsavory, but because we keep ourselves stuffed with other things. In other words, we are so full of food, entertainment, work, play, kids, school, friends, and life that we have no appetite left for God.
There is nothing wrong with all those things. It is not the big things that rob us of our hunger for God. It is the constant nibbling at the table of the world that leaves us so full that we have no appetite left for him! I run into this problem every Thanksgiving. I get excited about the family and the fellowship, but I really like the meal. All day long, I nibble and snack and when the main meal comes, I don’t really enjoy it.
In our lives, we are nibbling on work, family, computers, investing, TV, internet, gaming, sports, school, shopping, exercising, talking on the phone, home repair, and even our Christian walk. While all these are fine, taken together they can leave us so full that we have nothing left for God. Wouldn’t it be great to be so full of God we didn’t have room for the rest? Oh, to experience such fullness!
What a great reason to fast!
As we enter the final days before Revival, begin your preparation by being before God. Pray that God will remove barriers to your personal revival. Make a list of the changes you need in your life and pray over these tonight before you go to bed and again tomorrow when you wake up. Begin preparing for your fast on Friday by studying God’s word on fasting. I have included several Scriptures for you to read and a couple of points on getting ready for a fast. Tomorrow I will send out more devotional material aimed at helping each of us prepare for fasting and revival.
Today’s prayer:
Father God,
You are overwhelming and mighty. I cannot fathom the fullness of you. I know I have many things wrong in my life, and I need your forgiveness for so many things. Thank you for loving me enough to die for me, and thank you for your forgiveness.
Lord, I want to be empty before you. I want to experience a hunger for you like I have never experienced before. Jesus, I ask you to help me remove the distractions from my life so I can fully focus on your plan and your will for me.
Lord, I ask you to prepare my heart for you. I ask that you provide clear direction for me. Father, I want to honor you with fasting this Friday. Reveal your will to me in this. Help me seek your and experience your revelation and direction. I want to know you more, and I ask that you bless me as I prepare to be changed by you.
In the name of Jesus,
Amen.
Step 1 to fasting: Believe fasting and prayer work.
“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6
Step 2 to fasting: Identify your inspiration and write your specific reason down on a piece of paper. Pray over it and meditate on it. Allow God to convict you.
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
“There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.” Ezra 8:21
Tomorrow: Spiritual preparation for fasting.
His grace is enough!
Pastor Michael
They played the oddest game in high school football history last month down in Grapevine, Texas. It was Grapevine Faith vs. Gainesville State School and everything about it was upside down.
For instance, when Gainesville came out to take the field, the Faith fans made a 40-yard spirit line for them to run through. Did you hear that? The other team's fans?
They even made a banner for players to crash through at the end. It said, "Go Tornadoes!" Which is also weird, because Faith is the Lions.
It was rivers running uphill and cats petting dogs. More than 200 Faith fans sat on the Gainesville side and kept cheering the Gainesville players on - by name.
"I never in my life thought I'd hear people cheering for us to hit their kids," recalls Gainesville's QB and middle linebacker, Isaiah. "I wouldn't expect another parent to tell somebody to hit their kids. But they wanted us to!"
And even though Faith walloped them 33-14, the Gainesville kids were so happy that after the game they gave head coach Mark Williams a sideline squirt-bottle shower like he'd just won state. Gotta be the first Gatorade bath in history for an 0-9 coach.
But then you saw the 12 uniformed officers escorting the 14 Gainesville players off the field and two and two started to make four. They lined the players up in groups of five-handcuffs ready in their back pockets – and marched them to the team bus. That's because Gainesville is a maximum-security correctional facility 75 miles north of Dallas. Every game it plays is on the road.
This all started when Faith's head coach, Kris Hogan, wanted to do something kind for the Gainesville team. Faith had never played Gainesville, but he already knew the score. After all, Faith was 7-2 going into the game, Gainesville 0-8 with 2 TDs all year. Faith has 70 kids, 11 coaches, the latest equipment and involved parents. Gainesville has a lot of kids with convictions for drugs, assault and robbery-many of whose families had disowned them – wearing seven-year-old shoulder pads and ancient helmets.
So Hogan had this idea. What if half of our fans-for one night only – cheered for the other team? He sent out an email asking the Faithful to do just that. "Here's the message I want you to send:" Hogan wrote. "You are just as valuable as any other person on planet Earth."
Some people were naturally confused. One Faith player walked into Hogan's office and asked, "Coach, why are we doing this?"And Hogan said, "Imagine if you didn't have a home life. Imagine if everybody had pretty much given up on you. Now imagine what it would mean for hundreds of people to suddenly believe in you."
Next thing you know, the Gainesville Tornadoes were turning around on their bench to see something they never had before. Hundreds of fans. And actual cheerleaders!"
I thought maybe they were confused," said Alex, a Gainesville lineman (only first names are released by the prison). "
They started yelling 'DEE-fense!' when their team had the ball. I said, 'What? Why they cheerin' for us?'"
It was a strange experience for boys who most people cross the street to avoid. "We can tell people are a little afraid of us when we come to the games," says Gerald, a lineman who will wind up doing more than three years. "You can see it in their eyes. They're lookin' at us like we're criminals. But these people, they were yellin' for us! By our names!"
Maybe it figures that Gainesville played better than it had all season, scoring the game's last two touchdowns. Of course, this might be because Hogan put his third-string nose guard at safety and his third-string cornerback at defensive end. Still.
After the game, both teams gathered in the middle of the field to pray and that's when Isaiah surprised everybody by asking to lead. "We had no idea what the kid was going to say," remembers Coach Hogan. But Isaiah said this:
"Lord, I don't know how this happened, so I don't know how to say thank You, but I never would've known there was so many people in the world that cared about us."
And it was a good thing everybody's heads were bowed because they might've seen Hogan wiping away tears.
As the Tornadoes walked back to their bus under guard, they each were handed a bag for the ride home - a burger, some fries, a soda, some candy, a Bible and an encouraging letter from a Faith player.
The Gainesville coach saw Hogan, grabbed him hard by the shoulders and said, "You'll never know what your people did for these kids tonight. You'll never, ever know."
And as the bus pulled away, all the Gainesville players crammed to one side and pressed their hands to the window, staring at these people they'd never met before, watching their waves and smiles disappearing into the night.
Anyway, with the economy six feet under and Christmas running on about three and a half reindeer, it's nice to know that one of the best presents you can give is still absolutely free.
Hope.
Thanks to Clyde Davis for forwarding this to me...its a great time to have a little perspective!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! If you are like me, you have put on your “fat pants” in great expectations of overeating and are making plans to see family and friends. Perhaps your day will be one of quiet relaxation. Whatever your plans, I want you to think about this: While it is okay to be thankful for what we have, we should be more thankful for Who we have!
I had the opportunity to see the sunrise this morning and I was reminded once again of our Risen Savior. We have so much to be thankful for in Him and I want to encourage you today to concentrate on the good things. The sermon this week will be from Colossians 1 and Paul tells us that we are to be thankful for the faith, love and hope we have in Christ Jesus. We are to hold to the Truth we have in Him and nothing else. Paul tells us to be joyful always, pray continuously and give thanks in all circumstances. Together, we have so much…we have God in our lives, Jesus for our salvation, each other to help us through the tough times and a plan to make real change happen. God is Good!
I am specifically thankful for each of you and God’s providence for bringing us together. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday. That reminds me…if you are traveling, don’t use that as an excuse to miss church. Find a church where ever you are and worship with them. What a blessing to you and to them!
A couple of things I missed in This Week at Fellowship. First, we are trying something a little different this Sunday. We are moving Steve Adam’s Sunday School class into the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary Class will meet every Sunday at 9:45 am and will be encouraged to grow and grow. This class will be an alternative for adult Bible study. Also, December 14 is our Adult Choir Christmas Cantata in both services.
See you Sunday – remember…it is Southern Gospel Sunday…wear the pearl snaps! Sunday night is our Campfire Worship service with hot dogs and ‘Smores. Bring a chair and a friend!
I love you all…may God Bless You!
Pastor Michael
Throughout the Bible, God brought revival and renewal when the people were willing to change. We have been talking about revival for months and have been preparing for it through prayer, discipleship and evangelism. We see the beginnings of revival occurring around us and in our church. We just have to look at the changed lives and people giving their lives to Jesus to see God is at work in Liberty Hill!
This weekend, we are taking revival to the community and we are desperately seeking God to bring renewal…not just to Fellowship Baptist (revival has been here for some time), but to our homes, our community and our nation. If we really expect revival and change to occur, we must follow Biblical principles to effect change.
First, there must be a vision for renewal and revival. Fellowship Baptist has been praying and seeking revival for years. The spirit and desire for change and renewal has been here for some time and God has been preparing us for His good works.
Second, we must confess. Confess your shortcomings to God. Name them. Allow yourself to grieve those things that separate you from Him. Turn from those things and recognize that God can overcome all things.
Third, we must be willing to change. Even this morning, I see people changing their lives to move closer to God. I see new activities to reach people. I watched in wonder last night as our Youth swarmed neighborhoods and passed out fliers and talk to people about revival. What an awesome sight to watch these kids walk up to perfect strangers and begin talking to them about church! We are willing to change and change has begun to occur!
Fourth, we have to earnestly pray with conviction and lift our voices with expectation! In our Sunday morning messages, we have discussed prayer and preparation for several months. You have been encouraged to devote time to being alone with God. I pray you have been praying for God’s revelation to come upon you. I trust you are being faithful in setting aside time to be still and know he is God. Now is the time! Pray for change, pray for revival!
Fifth, the people fasted. We see the connection throughout the Bible. Whenever a person or a group of people had a deep spiritual need, needed protection, or were crying out to God for revival, they prayed and fasted. Last Sunday, I called for the church to enter a daylight fast for Friday, September 5. I challenged you to spiritually prepare to fast through prayer and seeking God’s will for your fast. I challenged you to make a list of needs and people to pray for during your fast. Are you ready?
Here are the rules to fasting: there are no rules. Fasting is a matter of the heart and is a relationship between you and God. I have challenged you to abstain from solid foods from 6:00 am until 6:00 pm on Friday. As you experience hunger, rejoice that God is your sole provider! As you experience discomfort, find a quiet place to pray your list of needs and people.
Hopefully you have been preparing all week and have been reducing your diet already. If not, no big deal. Remember – we rely on God to see us through.
Eat a salad tonight…nothing heavy. When you wake up in the morning, pray with God to help you through the day. Concentrate on the purpose of your fast. Pray the list of names and needs. Prepare for your day just as you always do. (Read Matthew 6:16-18).
Every time you think about fasting (and you will…it might even occupy most of your thoughts) lift a silent prayer to God and smile because of His strength and His providence. Thank Him for allowing you to worship Him in this way.
As the day goes on, you will several experiences. First, there will be several times when you are tempted to “break the fast” early. Hold strong! Remember who it is that tempts us and rebuke him! You will find that as lunchtime comes and goes, you will experience hunger but it will subside. Drink TONS AND GALLONS of water! Have a soda or a sports drink. Smile to everyone. Share a kind word with everyone you meet.
When you can, slip away for alone time with God. Listen to His moving. Feel His providence. Think your prayer to Him. Name names, identify needs, confess sins. As you near the end of your fast, pray in victory! Claim that God has heard your petitions and His Spirit is already moving in the people and needs you brought to Him.
When your fast ends, enjoy a salad…nothing big, nothing heavy. Rejoice in the pleasure food brings and recognize it as a gift from God.
Remember, fasting is between you and God. Follow Jesus’ example and do your fasting in secret, except for prayer partners who are supporting you through your fast:
Matthew 6:16-18 "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. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so 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.”
Fall onto God’s promises during your fast:
Isaiah 58:6-10 "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?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness [a] will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
"If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.
Finally, believe God is faithful and prayer and fasting are sweet worship to Him. Believe God hears our prayers and answers them.
James 1:2-6 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
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