Fasting Challenge and Some Tips
November 18, 2010 by Ben Griffin
I’ve heard some great feedback from you all as we fast together. God is answering prayers. God is challenging people. And God is bringing clarity.
Over the last few days we received a good number of questions about the details of the fast. ”What can I eat?” ”What shouldn’t I eat?” ”Is it okay if there is salt on this?” or “How do I manage this with my kids?”
Let me answer all of those with one challenge.
- Remember the reason for the fast-
I as your pastor am more concerned and impressed that you are taking time to seek out God and surrender to Him than I am by the details of the specific level of your fast. Some people or Level One, Two or Three. Most people are making up their own levels. 1.5 or 3.5 or the supposed Level 4 fast.
I want to encourage you to continue with the commitment you’ve made for the express purpose for which it was made: To seek God.
So, what does that mean? If you find yourself more worried about the details of what to eat and it’s teaching your kids more about diet than God. Then listen, teaching them to seek God is MORE important than creating a diet of legalism. However, my hope is that you will identify an adjusted diet even for your kids that will be used as an aid to teach them to depend on and seek God.
Fasting is NOT easy. Even the Daniel Fast. But in so denying our physical appetites, and our caffeine fixes we pray that our spiritual appetite would be awakened. Let every hunger pain or habitual look in the cupboard for something sweet remind you to seek the Lord’s face.
As you continue to hunger and thirst for all those things you’re currently deprived of I pray that it would increase your hunger and thirst for the things of God.
Tapping a deeper well
November 18, 2010 by Ben Griffin
I said on Sunday that I would post a webisode on angels to fill in the gaps we didn’t get to in Hebrews chapter one. As I’ve continued to drill into the Scriptures on the topic I think that one webisode simply won’t suffice. I’ve decided to take a little more time to prepare and therefore to create a series of webisode teachings on angels.
Watch for them to start rolling out on a weekly basis throughout the month of December. Thanks for your patience, I think it will be well worth it.
NovemberFast
November 4, 2010 by Brian Smith
Seeking God’s direction for our church and our lives we are inviting you to fast and pray with us for 10 days starting Monday November 15 and ending at the break ofday on Thursday November 25th (Thanksgiving).
We will be doing what is called a Daniel Fast. That is fasting in the same way thatDaniel did (Daniel 10:3).
“All that time I had eaten no rich food. No meat or wine crossed my lips,and I used no fragrant lotions until those three weeks had passed.”
Click here to check out all the recipes, tips & suggestions that are being posted daily!
The Daniel Fast is a partial fast, which means that it is not a fast of starvation but of elimination. We eliminate certain items from out diet to intentionally focus our hearts and attention on our God. Recognizing that there are a variety of dietary needs among us (including children and health related dietary needs)we have identified 3 levels of participation.
Levels of participation
Level ONE:
Eat nothing but raw fruit, vegetables and nuts. Drink nothing but water.*
Level TWO:
(recommended for most people)
Avoid all meat and animal products. Diet consists of unsweetened andunpreserved grains, vegetable, fruit, nuts, spices and herbs.
Level THREE:
Same as 2nd degree but allows for dairy products and eggs. If you have any known medical conditions or suspect such conditions, consult your doctor before beginning the fast.
Never see it the same again (2 of 3)
October 28, 2010 by Ben Griffin
From FLAT to FULL
This is week two in a mini-blog series on life changing Biblical insights. Last week I wrote about one concept then showed a litany of places in the Scripture that speak about it.
This week’s focus is on one passage and one VERY powerful truth.
Many of us grew up with a “flat” understanding of God. It was presented as knowledge that should be internalized, memorized and regurgitated on command. We learned facts and principles that looked good on paper but seemed to have little impact on our lives. The truth was there. The word was there. But we had a flat understanding of God.
The same was true of the Pharisees whom Jesus is talking with in John 5:39-40.
39 “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! 40 Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.
These are men who could recite entire books of the Bible from memory. Yet, Jesus says to them, “You don’t know anything if you don’t know me.” In fact, multiple times in the New Testament Jesus tells the religious leaders of the day, these VERY well learned men, that they don’t know their Scriptures. The words are nothing if not for Him. The words are empty if not seen as being about him. They have no power and only flat truth.
When seen through him. When he begins to leap off of the page. When the truth of him is NOT merely seen as something to be learned but rather as C.S. Lewis says, a truth by which we see everything else. Then it moves from being flat to full. When you see him at the center of it all you begin to notice that through him you see everything else anew.
He is the treasure. He is the fullness. He is the fulfillment. He is the way, the truth and the life.
I know many of us know “about” him. But, let me ask you, are you beginning to see Him for the fullness that he is?
How Can We Bless God?
October 22, 2010 by Brian Smith
We are all familiar with what it means to be blessed by God. When God blesses man it’s obvious; man is strengthened, lifted up and basically better off than they were before. The Old Testament is full of God blessing his people (and many times the people find a way to screw it up…sound familiar?). Abram is changed to Abraham because God promises to bless him and make a great nation out of him.
There are also many examples of blessings between men. Jacob received Isaac’s blessing (which made Esau pretty upset…and rightly so!), parents give their blessing to their children when they get married, and on and on…
So while I was diggin’ for a new tune for worship I heard a track off of Griffin’s playlist that really caught my ear but I had to do some research before I could fully understand what it meant and ultimately before we present it before the church. The song is ‘Bless Your Name’ and the chorus sings out; ‘Holy, God of glory open up the heavenly gates as we bless your name’
Wait a second….how can I; a sinful wretch bless the God of the universe?! Since God is the utmost of perfection how can we bestow blessing on him? Read on to see how Scripture illustrates how we can ‘bless’ God…
Deuteronomy 8:10 And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.
In this verse the word “bless” is identical to “thank” or “gratefully recognize as the giver of blessing.”
Psalm 96:2-3 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
To ‘bless’ in this scripture means to joyfully announce all these good things about God.
So we can bless God and we should! We should be shouting out thanks and praise to his holy name everyday. Pour out your blessing upon and him and declare holy God of glory!
Oh and here’s the song….enjoy! And if you like it; buy it!
