There is power in confession James 5:16

16 Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.

The Message

 The Lord wantsus to be whole both spiritually, physically and emotionally and part of that process for complete healing.  How many people do you and I know that have allowed un-confessed sin and un-confessed.  This confession is so powerful for our lives, and in turn the lives of those that we are impacting on a regular basis. It will free us from our past and push us forward into the future.  But notice also that when confession takes place there is an additional advantage, and that is when we confess to the Lord we put ourselves in right relationship with our Master who in turn will allow us to be part of the solution in prayer. It is as the message says "something powerful to be reckoned with"   I want to encourage each one of you to live a life of confession and freedom from the past, asking God to allow our prayer lives to reach new heights of power as we come and stand rightly before the Lord.  Will you pray with me that God would move in and through us as we live a life of confession and wholeness.

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I am sorry that I have not been able to keep up with writing the past week. As many of you know last week was a difficult one and we were away in Ohio at the funeral of my sister-in-law,  Mardy.  I know that many of you have been praying for Dee and I and the entire family. I know that it is with the prayers that were offered that God gave great grace and help. One thingI also found out that I had never known about the time of fasting and prayer, was just how much it allows you to focus.  We didn't want to leave the fast for the reason that we felt we needed to be more focused and more open to meeting the needs of the family members and for working through all the dynamics of this tragedy.  God does come and sustain and help us when we focus in on Him and away from the things that often time cause us pain. He is a faithful Lord who hears the prayers of His people and knows what we need in the way of strength even before we ask Him.  Yet this time of turning aside and depending on God, of drawing closer and know Him more continues to be a source of incredible supply.  The Word of God says, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.  That is exactly what you and I are doing we are acknowledging the fact that God knows, helps, delivers, sustains, directs, provides, encourages, ministers all those who depend on Him.

     Now in this final week of the fast, let's push in.  I am going to ask each of you to continue to do what God has told you to.  If you are just joining the fast or if you have been fasting all along, now is a good time to allow the Lord to press us even closer to His heart.  I believe that God is speaking and He is moving in the lives and hearts of many people as you and I are drawing closer to Him.  What if He has even more that He wants to accomplish in the days to come that will only happen as we fast and pray.  There are things that are being purchased in the realm of the Spirit that will be seen in days to come as we put seek the face of our Lord and Master.  Thank you so much for all your prayers on our behalf, and thank you for your prayers and behalf of others.  Would you now join me in a fresh devotion to the Lord and ask Him to have full sway in our lives. I will do my best to get back to writing daily and hope you will grow along with us.  May God give you the best week of this New Year.   May we always be Together for Jesus

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22 The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord's doing, and it is wonderful to see.
24 This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:22-24

NLT

On a personal Note:  I would like to thank all those who are praying for us as Dee and the family we  walk through this week of grieving the loss of my wife's only sister.  We are praying that the Lord will give us grace and that He will use this time of  even of sorrow to bring friends and family members back to Jesus.

Today our scripture for the fast is found in the book of psalms talking about our Lord that was rejected by men but chosen by God. Even today many people are rejecting the grace that God offers and yet He will not stop doing everything He can to bring them to a knowledge  of the truth. Yet the psalmist goes on to say that this thing of Jesus becoming our cornerstone is a wonderful thing and it is marvelous in our eyes.  It is a wonderful thing to see the hand of God moving in our behalf even in spite of people God is still God and is still faithful to move and to transcend all the barriers that people try to put up against the truth.  His grace is wonderful, His power is wonderful, His mercies are wonderful.. 

That is why verse 24 proclaims that this is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.  We are to rejoice even on days that are difficult like these we are going through because we are rejoicing in Him.  His mercy that says that He transcends even moments of great grief because our hope remains in the cornerstone, Jesus.  We are praying for all of you as you are walking through this fast. Now on day 9^th day this drawing near, rejoice in His promise, rejoice that He is faithful and rejoice that this is the day, of God's favor and we are so thankful and choose to live our life in Joy.

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John 15:11

^ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

As we look forward to week two of our time of prayer and fasting we turn to the place of looking at one of the often overlooked disciplines that is to be a part of our life.  Joy is somethingthat should come along with the Christian life, and yet joy is something at times we are not very good at.

Notice that Jesus encouraged the disciples in chapter 15 to obey His commands and love one another so that the Joy of Jesus would be completely and totally full in them. There is a clear correlation between our obedience and our joy. As we fill our lives with the presence and the purposes of the Lord, there is a clear dying to ourselves and a clear giving away of the things that so easily entangle us. Obedience to the Lord's commands means falling deeper in love with the Lord and leaving the life that allows sins to be our desire. Today as we start this second week of the fast we do so with a fresh understanding and confidence of the Joy that the Lord has for us.  Like I have said before the Joy that Jesus gives is not conditional, but is constant.  Jesus knows all about or lives, He understands what things we are going through and He is still the one who brings Joy into every day.  I will be praying with you this week that the Lord Himself will give you a spirit of Joy as you walk towards the Master. This truth is especially important as we allow the Lord to help us through difficult times. "The joy of the Lord is our strength" Nehemiah 8:10

On a Personal Note: Please pray for my wife Dee and her family. This afternoon we received a phone call that Dee's sister Mardy had died from a blood clot.  We covet your prayers in the upcoming week and beyond

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Let us take an assessment so far of the fist six days of this time of prayer and fasting.  We can do so by asking ourselves some questions that will refocus us during this time.

•1.    Am I setting aside a sufficient amount of time to meet with God? We do not want to waste these days so if you are findingyour life still hurried, slow it down and set time apart with God.  He is really thrilled that you are turning to Him during these days and is believing for some greater things in the two weeks that remain>

•2.    What is the Lord already saying to me?  It might be very good for you to sit down and write out at this point the things that HE is already speaking and to rejoice in that

•3.    Am I finding my heart is open to respond when He speaks?  It is one thing to hear but is certainly another thing to respond. James writes that we should be doers of the word and not just hearers.

•4.    Am I finding myself irritable or is the Holy Spirit allowing me to keep any attitudes or irritations under His care?  It is often possible that even in the midst of fasting and prayer that we allow self to creep in.  If we can encourage you to allow Him to take that away.  A big part of the spiritual discipline of fasting is simply to humble yourself before God.

•5.    How is this time of drawing near to God affecting others around me?  Sometimes people will not understand but often times they will be able to see a marked difference in you that really is a glory to God and a way that people can see Christ in and through you.

•6.    Am I embracing this time of prayer and fasting with Joy?  This is a very important question.  Remember that we are not doing this to get points or to gain some level of piety we are doing this to grow deeper with God and in turn gain a level of growth with the Lord that will transcend these 21 days of concentrated effort.  Remember "The Joy of the Lord is our Strength

As you take time to look over these questions and to answer them.  I am sure that God will speak new and even greater things into your life.  May the Lord allow us to even focus more on Him and His voice during the next two weeks of the fast.  The Lord is encouraged by every step we take towards Him.

24 You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win.
25 All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally.
26 I don't know about you, but I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me!
27 I'm staying alert and in top condition. I'm not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.

The Message

I Corinthians 9:24-27

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Really as the Master said these two commandments sum up all of the Law and also give us the boundaries for our life.  Usually about five or six days into any time of fasting and prayer, your body begins to go through certain changes. Your routine has changed and if you are fasting food or adjusting what you are taking in your body may not be used to it.  Certain things that we take for granted like chewing seem to suddenly come to the forefront.  Your body has been very used to living with sugars and sweets and does not easily adjust to going without. But that really is part of the beauty of a time of spiritual fasting and prayer. It is a constant reminder as to what the goal of the fast is.  Not to see if we can do it, but to take steps even difficult steps at times to knowing and loving God more and more. If Jesus said that it is the greatest commandment than we are to fully love him without any hesitation and holding nothing back.  When you are in love with someone, you just want to spend time with them, you have no desire to be anywhere else doing anything else, and it is almost like you are living for love.  That really is what Jesus is saying, Love God because He is your life, Love God because He is what will sustain you more than food more than fortune more than passing fame. As we are setting aside time to meet with the God who loves and is in fact Love, we can enter into a deeper love relationship with the Lord and by doing so actually please Him. With all my heart, soul, and mind, from the very depths of who we are we say to the living God have you way in me, we say I love you.  All the these that God wants us to do can be summed up in four words.  Love God, Love People.   If we love the Lord with all of our heart and minds and life there is no doubt that we will love others who are also loved by God.  So on this fifth day of the fasting remember that when we are seeking the face of God and surrendering other things that at times can get in the way. Please don't forget to do it for Love.

On a Personal Note:  I wanted to thank you for your prayers yesterday for my sister in law Mardy Regal.  Things did not go as we had hoped.  The Doctors tell us that the cancer has spread to other parts of her abdomen and the prognosis is not a good one.  We are trusting God for the days ahead.  Please pray for Mardy and her family for great comfort and peace that Jesus brings even in the midst of suffering. And that God will be the source on which they all lean.  Also please pray for my wife Dee as she of course is grieving and hurting over the news and praying about others who will be greatly affected.  We appreciate your prayers during this time.  There are things we will not understand until we see Jesus, and this will be one of them. However we are asking the Lord to give us the daily provision for each day.  Thanks again for your prayers.

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"Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -His good, pleasing and perfect will. "

So begins the 12 chapter of the book of Romans.  Paul is making an appeal to each of us that we are to give ourselves completely to God, as an expression of worship. This does not merely mean when things are easy or when we are expected to be religious due to some predetermined time or expression, but we are to be a living gift to God on a continual basis.   Notice that these two verse our really our step towards God, we are the one who is to offer ourselves, we are the one who is to stop conforming to the world's pattern, we are the one who have to offer from a willing heart our everything.  There are many things that we depend on God to do, we expect Him to lead us and He will as long as we give over the control of our life to Him. 

I am praying with you that the Lord who is more than able to show us His will for our lives, will do that in new and greater ways during this time of prayer and fasting.  Already we are seeing in the lives of many people a willingness to surrender and to give up  our selves so that God may take over more and more of us.  We are thrilled to see people taking new steps towards the Lord.  Let us all make it an act of worship, a praise to the Lord, not to ourselves.

Usually about 4 or five days into a time of corporate fasting one will begin to feel tired as their body adjust to a new way of doing things. No matter what you have decided to surrender to God, I am asking you to look up again and see His hand leading and directing so that we can keep our eyes on the Goal which is, Jesus First, Jesus Last, Jesus all the time.  You are doing great keep going after God.

On a personal note: I would like to ask you to pray today for my sister-in-law, Mardy Regal.  She is going in for major surgery today to deal with stomach cancer that was detected prior to Christmas.  The Doctors have all seen a problem with a heart issue as well that will have to be dealt with in the future .  Please pray with us for God's strength and favor. We are praying that the Doctors will find a far better scenario today than they expect.  We know God is able and Dee and I appreciate so much you praying with us.  Thank you for your prayers. We are Believing and Trusting God.

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John 10:10 gives us a description of the life that the Lord longs to give us, look with me for a moment at the last part of that verse from a few different versions.

 I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

KJV

I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.

The Message

but I came to give life-life in all its fullness.

NCV

 I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

NIV

This life that Jesus offers those who will follow Him is a life of completeness and fullness.  It is not a life filled with stuff that will take are fancy for a few days or months, but it is a life that has eternal implications.  It is hard for us to grasp just how great this life really is until we look at it with some objectivity.  First, it is a life not led by sin, but set free by grace.  That in itself is enough of a freedom to understand that God is so wonderfully and powerfully  freeing us from the weight of guilt and shame.  Second, it is a life of love. God pouring His love over us constantly reminding us that He is so in love with us that we are never alone, never abandoned and never on our own. Third it is a life that is directed by God.  Our thoughts turn towards different things our, actions speak about different interests, the investments of our times and our abilities now take on a whole new emphasis, we stop living for the temporary and we start living for the eternal.  Fourth, it is a life full of adventures and new surprises.  God has a way of growing us in this life as we say yes to this life of abundance.

Now I want to say that I have not arrived, like Paul we have not attained it all yet , but we are pressing on to this life of fullness.  We are choosing to go after this life that is better we could have ever dreamed of.  On this third day of our time of prayer and fasting we look to God and smile and say, that's the life we want.  The one You have for us. Thanks for being faithful, thanks for pushing us all closer to that life by saying yes to Jesus. 

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In the book of Exodus chapter 3 we find one of the great moments of all of scripture.  It is the account where Moses who is tending sheep in a nowhere place in the desert meets God.  Here is what it says, "There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. ^ So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight-why the bush does not burn up."

^When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"

And Moses said, "Here I am."

^ "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."

Today in the second day of our corporate time of prayer and fasting we are making a statement about our willingness to Turn Aside from our lives and the distractions that we face and meet with God.  Look a little closer with me at this encounter.  First see that after Moses had blown it in Egypt and had murdered an Egyptian, God had not forgotten him. In fact God arranged this encounter. There is no sign in this context that Moses was looking for God, but there is an obvious sign that God was looking for Moses.  God was drawing Moses back to Him and to the life that God had planned out for Moses.  We are the same way.  We must remember that God wants us so much more than we even want Him.  He has arranged this time of encounter, He is the one that is drawing us from within the burning bush, He is the one who is saying I am calling your name will you here it?   That is really exciting stuff as we say to the Lord I see you, I hear you calling me closer to you. 

The second area that should not be overlooked in this encounter is that fact that when Moses turned aside and heard God speak from the burning bush, Moses responded and said "Here I am" something supernatural takes place.  The next words that God tells Moses are this, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is Holy Ground" Wow!  This moment with God, this place with God becomes a Holy point of God speaking with Moses and not only setting the ground as Holy, but also setting apart Moses as Holy.  We don't easily associate our lives with God's Holiness, but God does.  Every time we will turn aside, every time we will surrender, every time we will say yes to His voice it becomes a Holy Thing.  So here on the second day of our corporate fast, a time where we are asking God to give us the life we've always wanted. During this time that we are turning aside to meet with God,   I have a word for you, "Take off your shoes, you are on Holy Ground."

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I just want to say to all of those who are starting this time of Prayer and Fasting with us, May God bless you and give you the desire of all of our hearts, which is Jesus. We are anticipating the transformation that will take place in our lives as we Turn Aside and allow God to Transform us and to direct us.  Each day of the fast on this blog we will be sharing together encouragementand looking at the scripture verse that we are going through together as a church body, We trust that it will be another resource of your fast that we can keep focus on the goal.

The scripture verse for today is found in Philippians 3:13,14, I really like how the message Bible says it:

"Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward-to Jesus.
 I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back."

The Message

 Like the Apostle Paul who wrote the book of Philippians we do not count ourselves as experts at this Christian life, In fact one of the reasons why we are fasting is to say to the Lord have complete access into every facet of my being, have your way in me.  Primarily because we can see and feel that we have not "arrived" and that we do not have it all together.  It really is a freeing thing to confess to God our need of Him and our need to allow Him to take over right at the start of the Fast.  Notice like the Apostle says that our goal is Jesus who is beaconing us  onward.  I get the view here of a friend who is compelling us to come closer to Him.  To know Him and to understand that there is more transformation to come. You can almost see Jesus who with a great big smile is saying, You can do it!  Remember that our Goal is Jesus and nothing else.  Not religious piety or to be seen by others, by to allow the Lord to be our all in all.  The Word of God also says that we should, "fix our eyes on Jesus" that is what we are doing in this fast and asking Him to transform us and to give us the life we've always wanted.

One last thing about this passage.  In order to receive more of His life it is often important to give up things from our past that have held us hostage.  All of us have failed, like Paul we can say we are the chief of sinners, but we have been forgiven and part of the life that He gives is one of forgiveness and grace to walk in freedom from our past.  Don't look  back to our failures, look forward to our future with Jesus.  The upward call of God, our life with Him now, and all that it will contain.  I am looking forward to this journey with you as each day we look at scriptures that will speak to our hearts from the Word of God, so please check in on a regular basis.  I am praying for each one of you as you read this blog that it will be a source of encouragement on the path.  May God bless you with new hope and determination as we together go after our goal, Jesus!

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