Monday, January 25, 2010

Fasting Weekly

Notes on Mike Bickle sermon
"Fast Weekly: Positioning Ourselves To Freely Receive More From God"

-> The Holy Spirit is preparing the church for the greatest revival/pressure in history
-we don't earn God by fasting
-Fasting positions ourself to receive, we don't "earn" anything
-the early church called for 2 days of fasting a week
-it's not radical -- christianity doesn't work the way God intended without fasting
Matt 6:17 > "when"
-"the father sees" - if He cares enough to put attention to something, you can assure yourself that it's important
-God responds > "He rewards"
Hebrew 6:11 > "you must believe He rewards"

Rewards (internal)
-allowing us to encounter Him on a new depth > changes our heart
-God enlarges our capacity to experience Him and feel Him in our Spirit!
-the grace of fasting -- there is divine help
-don't presume yesterday's victories and strength will be your strength today > ask God for help!
-God strengthens your resolve and determination to follow through!

-->8 Reasons for fasting in the Bible

1) Fast for increase of power of God in ministry
-disciples were praying for demon to leave. Jesus said, only by prayer and fasting.
-John the baptist
examples in history of revivals:
-John Wesley > insisted 2 days a week
"the man who never fasts is no more on the way to heaven than the man who never prays"
-John G. Lake > used in healing the sick more in church history than anyone else
-5 year period > 500,000 documented healings
-deeply connected fasting and prayer with power

2) Grow in prophetic revelation of end times
-Dan 10:12
-insight about generation when Lord returns
-Dan 9:3, 21 > Gabriel gives "skill" to understand God's plan
-If you have any ministry that prepares people for end times, fasting is VITAL! > 2 days a week
-You will not be prepared unless it's a regular thing in your life

3) Dreams and Visions
-Joel 2
-operate in prophetic anointing
-You will need supernatural grace to understand. Only done by fasting.

4) Fulfillment of God's promises
-it's not a guarantee, it's an invitation
-He's inviting us to respond to Him
-If we respond, it is a guarantee by fasting

5) Fasting to stop a crisis
-when there is no remedy for a nation, fasting is the only way
-God's vehicle for involvement is through fasting
-You're lining yourself up to God
ex. Hannah > crisis of barrenness
-pressed into God > God healed her and gave her the prophet Samuel
ex. Joel 2 > agricultural crisis and military crisis > fasted for remedy

There is an escalation of darkness in our world > CRISIS
-the greatest problem in our nation is the way our church compromises (passivity, letting go of essential truths, etc)
-it allows other crisis' to get worse! (abortion, slavery, all injustice)

6) Fasting for protection
-Esther fasted and prayed for protection
-we will need this in the days to come

7) Fasting for direction
(for life, ministry, family, etc)
-Acts 14 > Paul

8) Fasting to grow in our intimacy with God (internal)
-Matt 9:14-15 > the bridegroom fast
-to feel the desires God has for us and to desire more of God!
-John taught disciples to fast regularly (God calls him greatest man born of a woman)
-because Jesus was in their presence, there was no need for fasting. He said there is a day to come where it will be needed > Jesus will be "taken away"
-this nearness, you will not have but you will long for it when I am gone
-if you fast, you can have the nearness. you have to cry out for it.
-position your spirit. He will show us how He feels about us and we will have a greater desire for Him
-when you receive more, you will desire more!

--> 5 Rewards of Bridegroom Fast

1) leads to tenderizing of hearts
-softening to be able to FEEL His presence in a greater way
-more prophetic dreams

2) changes our desire
-positioning ourselves to get rid of any addictions we may have

3) increase of understanding

4) Makes body healthier

5) strengthens sense of identity
-more confidence, even in our weakness

--> 4 Types of Fasts

1) No food, just water
- the point is to change and encounter

2) Liquid fast (light liquids)
-not the same intensity
-helps sustain strength in hard seasons

3) Benedict fast > 1 meal a day
-takes longer to see affects of fasting, but still powerful when you get there

4) Absolute fast > no food or water for a day

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

New Found Appreciation

Can I just say....
I have a new found love for fruits and vegetables. They're nutritious and delicious :)

Since I've been on this fast of eating only pure fruits and veggies, I have experimented with some new things. It's really great to see that God is not only getting me closer to His heart... but also teaching me more about the wonderful food that He created Himself. Humans didn't have to mess with fruits and veggies one bit. They are God's creation entirely... which is why they work so well with our bodies.

Anywho... In lieu of this special occasion :)
I decided to share one of my "recipes" because I couldn't help but share it with other people. Yes, it's THAT good.

I bought a zucchini, cut off the ends and then cut it in pieces. I placed all of those on a oven sheet and sprinkled them with salt, pepper, and put a little bit of garlic on each one.
I baked them on 350 for about 15 minutes.

Then I put those in a bowl along with grape tomatoes and topped it with plain hummus.

VOILA. So easy, and so delish.

Not to mention, extremely healthy.

Oh, and I've been on a avocado kick too. Mix the inside of an avocado with chopped up tomatoes and dig in.

I could keep going and going. This is a great start for me to enjoy vegetables since I will be kicking gluten to the curb (mostly) after my fast.

Just wanted to share.

Now to leave you with a verse from Day 4:
2 Peter 3:10 "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and Godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming....but in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every efford to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him."

Monday, January 11, 2010

Blameless

So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, and with fasting, weeping and mourning - Dan 9:3


Our church now, Destiny, and our church to be, Bethany, are both calling church-wide times of fasting. Will and I wanted to take advantage of this because of how powerful it can be and how much the Lord will draw near to us when we do. This may very well be the biggest transitions that Will and I ever make, and fasting is really the only way to truly put down our flesh and earnestly seek out God's word over our lives. God specifically asks His people to do so in Joel 2:12.

Anyway, it's been great so far (Day 2) and I already feel a hunger for God that I've never felt before.

Jim said a good quote this weekend at church... "Fasting is not so you can try to get God to love you more, it's a way to draw deeper in love with the heart of God"

SO TRUE. There's things I learn during fasting about God that I normally would just pass right over.

So, Day 2... This is what I've been reading about...

I started reading Psalm 84:11 where it says "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless"

You know those times when you read the Bible and it's like it's the first time you've ever come across a word and you know that it's because of the Lord? Well, the word "blameless" looked like it was coming out of the page. I love it when this happens!

So, whenever that does happen, I go to www.blueletterbible.com and look up the particular word.
I came across awesome verses that all talk about walking blameless. If the Lord says that he withholds NOTHING from those whose walk is blameless... I better as HECK learn to walk blameless.

Many times, blameless is written as "committed" or "integrity" in different translations. I thought this was interesting. The Lord wants us to walk FULLY committed to Him as well as walk in integrity. It also says "above reproach" and "never perverse"

Another verse stuck out to me in Psalm 101:2 "I will be careful to lead a blameless life -- when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with a blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing."

This goes along with my conviction to watch TV and movies with things in it that don't glorify God. I feel like Christians, oftentimes, don't seek to always walk blameless in this way. They make excuses because they want to be entertained or they don't think that it's too bad.
I don't know about you, but there is no way that I would fully be committed to pursue God or keep my whole integrity while watching those awful things that defile the name of God. He tells us to do it for a reason.

Anyway, just wanted to share my revelation :)
I have tons of other verses, and would encourage you (if it's on your heart) to start asking God to make you blameless.

Phl 2:15 "so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world"

In order to be lights, we have to be willing to step out of the darkness. Don't be afraid to do so and take steps toward living above reproach. Christians were never created to look like the world.

Thanks for reading :)