DANIEL FAST DAY EIGHT

We have begun our second week of the fast.  How are you doing?  I am amazed at how many meetings I have around food.  It is no wonder it is so easy for me to gain weight.  God has given me the strength to stay committed even with that big piece of cheese cake sitting in front of me.  I will have to add that Debbie has really helped me to be successful.  It has also helped to have someone to pray with me as well.

Do you have anyone praying with you on the fast?  Even though Daniel prayed alone, he also had friends who shared his faith, at his side.  In fact, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi were some pretty good guys to hang around with, especially during a fast.  Some of you are doing this fast alone.  Find someone else who is on it and take some time to pray with them.   We also have some great times of prayer built into the week on Thursday morning at 6:30am and Sunday at 8:00am.  You can also pray in your Life Group or find a prayer partner.  Let's encourage one another.

ENCOURAGEMENT FROM GOD'S WORD

(Hebrews 10:22-24)  "let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. {23} Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. {24} And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

Keep humbling yourself and seeking God.
Pastor Bill

DANIEL FAST DAY FIVE

We are coming to the end of our first week.  What has God been saying to you?  Have you set aside some time just to listen to God?  While you might lose some weight during this fast, the goal is to SEEK GOD.  You may have a healthier diet than normal, but the goal is to SEEK GOD.  You may even save some money on food, but the goal is to SEEK GOD.

Please read Ephesians 3:14-21 some time today.  In the middle of Paul's prayer for the Ephesians he prays that they, "may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ."  I pray that this would be true for you today.  Do we "grasp" how incredible the love of God is for us?  It is "Amazing Grace."

I was going to post a Recipe of the Day on each blog.  However, there are so many recipes on the two websites that I have previously mentioned that I am simply going to note them again.  If you find a recipe that you really like and want me to post it, I will be glad to do that.  The two websites that I have noted previously are below.

God bless you as you continue to SEEK GOD.

http://daniel-fast.com/
http://thosewhohunger.blogspot.com/

Daniel Fast Day Four

How has your prayer time been with the Lord.  We just had a wonderful time this morning at the Thursday Prayer time.  If you are available, you would be welcome to join us at 6:30am.  The next time is Sunday at 8:00am to 8:45am.

GOD'S WORD FOR TODAY
(Daniel 10:2-3)  "At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks. {3} I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over."

Yesterday I reminded you that our Daniel Fast is about connecting with God through PRAYER.  Look at the attitude Daniel had as he prayed.  This is a time of self sacrificing so that we can get even closer to the Lord.  Daniel actually was mourning.  Perhaps we should mourn for our sins and the sins of our nation.  I imagine that God mourns over the sins we all get caught up in.  His heart must break as He watches His children suffer because of choices we make.

Don't try to be too comfortable in your fast.  You may miss some of the sweetness of what God wants to give to you.  I pray that God will continue to help us humble ourselves and seek Him.

DANIEL FAST DAY THREE

One of the most important things to remember when doing a fast is to drink lots of water.  Not only is this part of the body cleansing itself, it is also important refreshment and necessary for hydration.  In fact, drinking water aids in the hunger pains and reduces the headaches that can come especially when one has stopped using caffeine.

Even more important than water is the reminder that the fast is about connecting with God.  Be careful not to get so focused on the foods you are eating (or the ones you are missing) that you forget to PRAY.  Let the fast remind you to pray and seek God. Seek Him by setting deliberate time to listen to His Word.  Seek Him by confessing your sins and by being silent with Him in prayer.

Our fast is about increasing our hunger for God.  Jesus said "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."  Matthew 5:6

Another great site with lots of recipes and resources
I love the address of this site and how it relates to today's Scripture.  If you are looking for a good way to make oatmeal, consider the recipe on this site for Fall Harvest Oatmeal with Cinnamon Baked Apples.

DANIEL FAST DAY TWO

We are really early in our fast, but one key word stands out to me today.  The word is "purify."  As I was thinking about our desire to simply seek God, it seemed like God was saying "purify."  Think about the promise that God has given us in James 4:8 "Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

God wants us to confess our sins to Him.  He promises in I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."  Let's keep this as the focus of our prayers as we go through this fast.

Debbie made us a great dish of vegetables yesterday.  When I asked her for the recipe, she said that it was just vegetables cooked in a little olive oil.  To be more exact, she sliced onions, garlic, zucchini, potatoes, broccoli and mixed them with oregano in the olive oil.  Wow! I could even taste the oregano.

Let me know how you are doing in this fast and what God shows you.  Remember to purify yourself as you think about food that you want to eat.  This is a time of purifying our body and our souls.
God Bless you as you seek the Lord.
Pastor Bill

Great Link with lots of resources and recipes

DANIEL FAST DAY ONE

As we begin this time of prayer and fasting, I am convinced that God has something special in store for us.  God has called us to this time to humble ourselves and seek Him.  It was so obvious to me yesterday during worship as we learned about the ministry of Plurlife.  God has called some incredible people to go minister to kids attending Raves.  The thousands of young people looking for Purity, Love, Unity and Respect at these horrible events could  be overwhelming if it weren't for the realization that God loves each one of them.

I thank God for Colleen and Rob and the ministry they are doing.  WOW!!

God will meet us in this time if we seek Him.

Colossians 3:1-4:
Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.  Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.  For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.  And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all of His glory!

RECIPE OF THE DAY:
Quick and Zesty Veggie Pasta
2 cups of Veggie Rotini
Thinly slice 2 medium red potatoes
Thinly slice 2 medium carrots
Slice 1½ red onion
1½ pablano pepper
Garlic Salt Pepper
Boil pasta in water for 10-12 minutes or until soft, sauté veggies the same time.
Add pasta to veggies.

God is Listening!

Even in our most troublesome times when we think that God is silent, He is listening.  God hears our cries and our complaints.  He is listening.

I wonder if we understand how special this fact is?  God is listening!  He is not eavesdropping on our conversations.  He is listening to our concerns and He cares.  He lovingly invites us to cast our cares on Him because He cares about us.

When you are troubled, do you take time to listen to God?  So often we just get upset.  We may cry out and tell God what we want but we often forget to stop and listen. 

God is listening and He wants to speak truth into our lives.  I wonder if we would do better by listening more to Him rather than having Him do all the listening.


God is listening!