This is not the end.  It is the beginning.

Most of us have been focusing our prayer, scripture reading, and fasting over the last 21 days.  We are focusing it on our personal consecration to God.  We want to hear God clearly and distinctly.  We want TO BE the person He originally created for us to be.  Today, is the last day of the 21 day fast.

However, it is the beginning of living a ‘new normal’.  From this day, we will live in a new flow of life.  I highly encourage you all to pick a day a week or a day a month to fast throughout 2017.  Make time every day to read your scripture and speak to God.  Dedicate your week to God by making church on Sunday a priority.  Before you get paid each cycle, set a certain percentage aside for God.  Find other people that you can connect to on a regular basis about prayer and life.

Living in this discipline will sow thousands of fruit-bearing seeds in your life.  It will change the atmosphere of each day.  It will tip the balance in your favor.  It will influence your family, co-workers, neighbors, and everyone else you are around.

Sunday, we will be giving you the tools to find your specific ministry.  We will help you see how you can make it fit into several different spots in your life.  Living in this calling will bring fulfillment beyond anything else the world can provide.

Let’s do this!

Robin

Today, I received a powerful email from a young man in our congregation. He told me all about his journey over the last 19 days.  So many ups and downs and challenges and victories.

He brought up a good point.  At first, the fast seemed like it wasn’t doing anything. It was too minor and there wasn’t really a struggle or sacrifice.  Then, he increased his level of fasting to include many other things and everything begin to shift.

As I read it, something dawned on me.  The fast was working even when it was a ‘minor fast’.  When he felt the conviction of needing to increase the fast…that was God talking to Him!  That was the beginning of the messages that he would receive over the next 18 days.  He had a chance right then to obey the voice of God and increase the level of the fast or disobey God and continue the way he started (or give up all together).

The main point to all this is that God’s voice is a…still, small voice.  It whispers direction to us. It is so sensitive.  It often sounds like our own internal voice.  When we fast and pray, we start discern that voice and recognize that it is truly God speaking and not simply.

1 Kings 19:11-13 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. 13And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 

This tells of our Elijah received the convicting/correcting voice of God.  It wasn’t in the BIG things of life. It was in the low whisper.  Prayer and Fasting removes our distraction so we can hear the still small whisper.  Learn his voice. Listen for His voice. When you hear it, Respond to his voice.  Then, follow after his voice.  When this happens it makes all the effort and discipline seem like nothing at all. It rewards far beyond anything we fasted from.

All for now,

Robin