Is it worth it?

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18

Hello Church! It’s day 19 of our fast and I know many are doing great with it and others are still having a hard time. Each year my family and I fast and each year we have a different experience. Some years God seems to give us special grace and the 21 days just fly by without any trouble at all. Then there are years when we wonder if God has forsaken us. Of course He hasn’t, yet the questions still come, “Why is this year so hard?”

This got me thinking about suffering. What is suffering all about and why do we go through it sometimes? When I was thinking about that I had a thought, “Everything I have comes to me through the suffering of someone else!” Really, is that true?

Look at the ring on your finger or the gold necklace you have, it didn’t just appear out of thin air. Someone had to dig deep into a mountain to find that gold and some people gave their lives in pursuit of that gold! There was suffering going on in that mine each and every day. They suffered so you and I can have a nice piece of jewelry. We benefited from the suffering of others.

What about the medicines that we take for granted that help us in our daily lives? Someone was in pain and discomfort before that medicine was around. Others allowed themselves to be used to test out the medicine. Their suffering benefitted us. Some of them suffered with no benefit to themselves at all.

What of the house you live in or the food (you will soon be able to eat) or the clothes on your back? Someone suffered for us to have these things. Then what can I say about our Salvation? Christ suffered so that you and I might be saved. He suffered and died so that you and I may have life and have a life worth living!

So here is what I want you to grab on to. No one suffers without someone else benefiting from it. Let me say it again, no one suffers without someone else benefiting from it. If you are having difficult times with this fast, don’t give up now because there is someone else that will benefit from it. It could be your family member that benefits, or your churches growth may benefit. It may be a mission work that you support where revival will break out. Your suffering will have benefit if not for you, then for others around you.

Here at Free Chapel OC, we have people that cannot fast due to health and work issues. Because they are part of our family there are people fasting for those who cannot fast themselves. Some are forfeiting without any benefit to themselves, suffering so others may benefit.

Your temporary discomfort will have long term benefits. So don’t quit now. Don’t stop short of your goal as you do not know what benefit it will have in the future.

“But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” I Peter 4:13

Gotta Change Some Things

Something truly miraculous is taking place around here at Free Chapel. The presence of the Lord is filling our services in a powerful way. I would like to share with you some thoughts from my personal prayer journal that I believe will help you in the days ahead.

A very interesting story is told in the book of Ezra. Israel is rebuilding its temple and the people are shouting and praising the Lord saying, “He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever.” In verse 12 the scripture shares that while many were shouting, the older generation was weeping.

But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy.

Ezra 3:12 (NIV)

In a moment when people should have been rejoicing they were weeping because they were still stuck in the past. I want to encourage you to start fresh out of this fast. Ask God to settle some issues so that you can rejoice in the current victory He is providing.

I guess what I’m saying is, you need to change some stuff. Regardless, of what miracles the Lord does, you will not be able to receive the victory unless you make some changes. That is what fasting is all about. Preparing ourselves and minds for what the Lord wants to do in our lives. Jesus said it this way “new wine won’t work in old wineskins”(Luke 5:37).

Your future can only be a good as what you are willing to change! What needs to be changed in your life for the rest of 2012? Ask the Lord to start that work while you are fasting. I believe that fasting accelerates victories. The choice is ours…just how much do we want to see miracles this year?

I am honored to be able to share again with you, fasting movement, and I pray that you finish this 21-day race faithfully as you keep your eyes on Jesus Christ.

Pastor Franklin in his book The Fasting Edge states, “The first thing you need to do is make up your mind that you are going to regain your edge” (pg 6).

One of the things that can happen to believers over time is that they become desensitized to the character, ways and voice of God. And many times the main reason for this can be traced to participation with the spirit of the world. In 1 John 5:19 it says, “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” I am blessed to have two children and I have learned that a productive method of putting them to sleep is by rocking (swaying) them to sleep. Thus, the same happens to believers when they begin to forget to “know” in their mind that they are of God and not of the world; the spirit of the world will sway you to sleep spiritually and you will lose your edge and so much more.

Pastor Franklin again says in The Fasting Edge, “What you feed your mind on matters…Fasting doesn’t just pertain to what you put in your stomach, but what you feed your soul and spirit as well” (pg 18).

What you feed your soul and spirit matters! If you will read again “the fasting chapter” in the Bible “Isaiah 58″ I want to bring something to your attention. It speaks three times in a negative light against “pleasure” (V.3, 13). God has not called us to give ourselves over to pleasure, living for our own pleasure and desires but that we should “honor Him, not doing your own ways” (Isaiah 58:13).

And this is regarding more than just 21 days of fasting. Jesus said to follow Him you must take up your cross and die to your desires for pleasure and your own selfish will. (See Mark 8:34-35)

Consider the following:

James 4:3-4 – “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

James 5:5 – “You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury (indulgence); you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter.”

1 Timothy 5:6 – “But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.”

Philippians 2:20-21 – “For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.”

When you work this teaching out with the Spirit of God then and only then can God’s Light and Will clearly shine forth for you and the promises found in Isaiah 58 begin to spring forth. AND IT IS ALWAYS WORTH DYING TO SELFISH DESIRES SO THAT WE THEN CAN LIVE IN GOD’S BEST!!!!

This might not be what you want to hear on this day; but it is what the Bible teaches and what we all need!

God challenges and corrects those who are His and those whom He loves! That means this is also true encouragement – Biblically

from: http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/blog

REMEMBER

Why is it that we, as the people of God, are so forgetful? It seems that no matter how many times God shows up in our lives, we fail to remember His faithfulness. Maybe this is why we are repeatedly compared to sheep in the Scriptures. Sheep aren’t the brightest of creatures. One minute we’re crossing the Red Sea, which God has parted on our behalf, and the next we’re making a golden calf of false idol worship (Ok, maybe that was the Israelites, but you get the point). We are a forgetful people.

Whenever I read through the Scriptures, I find that God has to consistently remind His children of His faithfulness. Countless times God commands His people to write down testimonies of His goodness or build up memorials of events where God’s loyalty was proven. I believe God asked his people to create these reminders because He knew that we would eventually face circumstances where we would be tempted to doubt Him. In those moments of weakness or pain, it’s so easy to forget what God has repeatedly shown us to be true:

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.’” (Exodus 34:27) 

    “…The LORD said to Joshua, ‘Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan’…So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, ‘Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder…These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.’” (Joshua 4:1b-3b, 4-5a, 7b)

Throughout our 21-day fast, we have been taking communion often together as a church. Every time we partake in the elements, I can’t help but think of the command Jesus gave when He first shared communion with His disciples. As Jesus took the bread and the cup He said, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). We must remember that the bread and the cup, which we eat and drink of, are the very body and blood of our Savior.
I know many of us within the Church are facing trials of various kinds during this fast and I have just one word to say: remember. Remember Jesus. Remember His body that was broken and remember His blood that was shed. In the midst of the hardships, let us fix our eyes on the one who overcame the grave. Don’t lose hope or faith, but instead “…run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1b-2a). Let us stay focused and not lose sight of Jesus during the fast. In His name we shall overcome!

from:  http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/blog/

Delayed Answers

Have you ever felt like you were alone? Have you ever felt like you are offering prayers to God and He doesn’t hear you or maybe that he doesn’t even care? I wonder how Mary and Martha felt in John 11, when they sent word to Jesus that their brother, and His close personal friend was on his deathbed and He didn’t respond. In fact John 11:5-6 says,

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.”

Why would Jesus stay where He was because He loved them? Why wouldn’t He get up and run to where they were? Why didn’t He simply send a word and heal Lazarus like He did for the centurion’s servant?

God has a perfect plan for everything! Because Jesus loved Lazarus’ family, He let Lazarus die so that they could see a side of Him that they had never seen before! When we go through trials and tribulations God reveals Himself to us in ways that maybe He hasn’t previously.

I know God personally as my “Healer”! But I would have never had that opportunity had I not been sick. I also know God as my “Provider”, but I would have never known Him that way unless I had a need.

Don’t look at God’s delayed answers as a negative thing. Look at it as an opportunity to grow in your relationship with Him. When you hit hard times you can have one of two responses as seen in this story. You can run and fall at the feet of Jesus and worship Him like Mary did, or you can stay in the house with a bitter, sour attitude like Martha did.

I know for me although I did not understand why I was in a hospital bed, I worshipped God through it all and, on the other side of my sickness, I knew Him more intimately than I ever had before. I had a deeper appreciation for who He is!

God revealed Himself to Mary, Martha and Lazarus, like only very few have experienced Him before. Because God loves us so much, He allows us to go through hard times that drive us to our knees in prayer. We can’t control the situation, but we can control how we respond.

As you continue to fast and pray during these 21 days, just remember that God is on His way! The answer may not come when you want it, but it will always happen according to His time and plan, and there is nothing better than that!

from: http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/blog

IF

Hello fasting friends and family, it is day 12 of the Fast and you are almost there, Praise the Lord!!! When I think about the word “IF” I think about a choice that I have to make, I remember when my mother use to tell me when I was a little boy that if I would finish my homework . . . then I could go out to play. As we look at our world today and we know that the world is facing many challenges today, economic downturn, sickness, disease and leaders who compromise their character and integrity.

We are indeed in need of some answers, and while on this fast the Lord impress upon my  heart this passage of Scripture 2 Chronicles 7:14. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Oh how we need this in America and all over the world, where revival comes into the hearts of the people and then it will come to our churches as well. On this fast, I hope that the Holy Spirit has gotten your attention to the things of the Father and renew a burning passion for Him again. Let’s look at that verse again and break it down:  

• We must be His People (We must be born again, Sons and Daughters of the Most High.)
• Humble ourselves (Fasting brings true humility and our need for the Father.)
• Turn from Sin (We must Obey God and walk after the spirit.)
• Pray, and Go after Him like never before (Much Prayer, Much Power)
• He will hear and forgive and Heal the Land (God’s prescription for spiritual sickness)

So on this fast and for the rest of the year, I pray that you get this in your spirit to get a burden for your brothers and sisters who do not know the Lord, pray for your Pastors, Leaders and for the Body of Christ to walk in Unity . . . and watch the Lord fulfill His promise to us. May the Lord Bless and keep you and bring Healing to this land.

from: http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/blog

Don’t Give Up!

Do you find yourself wanting to cheat on your fast?  I mean you are over half way through and foods you would have never even thought of before now seem irresistible.  As I continue with my fast I find myself anticipating the end.  It’s like you begin counting down the days left until you can sink your teeth into that juicy steak or eat that big piece of cake.  You begin planning the first meal you’ll have after the fast and it makes you want to go ahead and “cheat.”  BUT DON’T! Don’t give up.  Don’t give in.  However, if you have found yourself “cheating,” just get back on board with your fast and keep faithful until the end.  You can do it even if you feel like giving up.

God has told us to run our race in such a way as to win.  “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may obtain it.” 1 Cor. 9:24.  We can win the prize and finish this race.  There are many times when we don’t want to wait for our breakthrough, but if we will just hold fast and wait on Him we will see our answer.  God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

I love chapter 2 in Pastor Franklin’s book, “The Fasting Edge” where he talks about the power of a made up mind.  When we have set in our heart and made up our mind that we will not give up on our fast and that we will finish this fast then we will see that we truly can complete this fast.  And the rewards we will see are truly worth the sacrifice.  If we keep seeking God, we will find Him and find ourselves in a new level of intimacy with God.

I am making up my mind to focus on God more than I ever have.  I have felt that this is an incredibly important fast and it is time for Christians to draw closer to the Lord.  We need to lean on God and find our place so close to Him that we lay our head on His chest, so to speak, like John.  I desire to walk with God in my life and that is my focus on this fast.  I want to experience the power of God in my life like never before.  I have come to realize that I am nothing without Him.  I can’t have a successful marriage, be a good parent or have a successful career without Him.  I need Him more than I ever have to help me in every aspect of my life.  I believe if we seek after Him with our whole heart we will find Him and know Him in a more intimate way through this fast.

Join with us here at Free Chapel to seek a closer walk with God.  I believe we will see God answer our prayers we are fasting for, but I also believe we will see Him in a new way, hear His voice in a new way and draw closer to Him through this fast. 

from: http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/blog

The Love Fast

Hello fasting community!  It is Day 10 of our 21-day fast, and we are right on the cusp of the halfway mark. As I have been fasting, the Lord has placed upon my heart the idea of a “Love Fast.” Let me share with you the meaning of this. The scriptures I would like us to look at are found in the book of Matthew. 

     Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?”

     And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

Matthew 9:14-15

     So we read that Jesus is being questioned why the Pharisees and the disciples of John fast, and yet the disciples of Jesus are not fasting. Upon first reading this, if I was a disciple of John, and were fasting, I too would probably feel like I would have a bone to pick since fasting can be a tough undertaking.  But the idea of a “Love Fast” is presented in the reply of Jesus. He simply answers, how can one mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them. What He was saying is, why should His disciples mourn and fast when they were in the presence of God himself?  Then Jesus goes on to say:

“But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

     Jesus is saying that there will come a time for mourning and fasting. And that time is when we are not in the presence of God. Now we can just think that Jesus is talking about His ascension to Heaven, but I believe Jesus was also referring to the spiritual. We should love God’s presence so much that any time it is no longer in our lives – or if we feel our relationship with Him is fading – or simply if we desire more of Him – it should cause us to mourn and fast. This is why Jesus says we fast:  to get His presence back in our lives. We must come to a point in our lives that we love the presence of God so much that we will lay down whatever it takes to have it.

     Maybe you are reading this today and realize that you are not as close to God as you once were. Maybe you feel His presence in your life, but desire a deeper relationship.  By joining us in our Church-Wide Fast, you are on the right track.  You are on your “Love Fast.”

from: http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/blog

Talking Behind Your Back

It is day 9. By now people are starting to see that you’re not eating. Your friends invited you to dinner and you have turned them down . . . twice now. It’s your Aunt’s birthday and your custom is to be first in line for the hot wings and now you just passed on cake that someone tried to hand you.

Eyes are starting to raise and questions are being asked. People are talking behind your back. “I don’t understand why anyone would do that!” “Oh it’s a religious thing!” “Do they think they’re better than us?” All who practice fasting come across this in their journey.

So I started thinking, “What are people saying behind my back?” One thing is sure. My actions give them the material they talk about. So as Bonnie Raitt sang, “Let’s give them something to talk about!”

I Peter 2:12 “Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by [your] good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.” The Apostle Peter is telling us to give our unbelieving neighbor something to talk about. Our actions will be the conversation at the dinner table, at the water cooler, and at the hair dresser. Some of what they say will be wrong because they don’t understand what we’re doing. But Peter said that on the day God decides to visit, the right words will be spoken.

There’s an account of David before he became King over Israel in 1 Samuel. It tells us of a ‘God Visit’ in David’s life. You understand it is God who promotes you; it is God who gives you favor and it is God that has a plan to use you in His Kingdom.

As people talked behind David’s back they listed six things about him. 1 Samuel 16:17, 18 “And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring [him] to me.  Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, [that is] cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD [is] with him. “

They said David was:

a. CUNNING IN PLAYING

‘Cunning’ means to have knowledge of a thing. In David’s case it was his ability to play a musical instrument. David was a player! He was skilled at the harp. As you have been fasting, is there something that God has been telling you to dig into? There is knowledge that He wants to give you. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” Hosea 4:6. “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest”. – Benjamin Franklin

b. A MIGHTY VALIANT MAN

‘Mighty’ means having the energy and the ability to perform the job ahead of you. Are you a person that is able to get the job done? At work are you a slacker; at home do you procrastinate? Do people refer to you as ‘Lazy’ or as the ‘Can Do’ person? ‘Valiant’ speaks of your virtue, being upright, having integrity and being fit for the task. Exodus 18:25 “And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.”

c. A MAN OF WAR

That was a strange thing for them to say because David had not been in battle. Maybe God put those words in their mouth? He knows what is inside of you! You have talents and abilities that you are not aware of. It was true about David; he was a man victorious in his battles! Fasting will get you ready for the fight and you are already victorious. If you conquer your hunger you can have victory over every kind of fleshly battle.

d. PRUDENT IN MATTERS

‘Prudent’ means to stand apart, to be intelligent and skillful, intelligent with speech, eloquent with your words, able to put sentences together. You can stand and express yourself without hesitation. When it comes to ‘Matters’, you can take care of business and handle the day-by-day affairs. When a job has to get done, is the management talking behind your back saying, “I think they can do it right and do it on time”.

e. A COMELY PERSON

‘Comely’ refers to your . . . appearance, your dress, your presentation. It is funny but people treat you differently when you wear a suit. Something happened to David’s appearance because when we first see him he is ‘ruddy.’ Yes, God will take you in your ‘ruddy’ condition, but He refuses to leave you that way. He knows you are going to be standing before Kings and Presidents one day, so you better get the presentation down and have your suit ready when you get that call.

f. THE LORD IS WITH HIM

God was on David’s side and David was on God’s side. For without Him, we can do nothing.

As you are fasting and reading these blogs, thoughts are coming into your mind. They are areas the Lord wants you to focus on and pray about. People are going to talk. We cannot stop that, but we can give them things to talk about behind our backs. Remember the Lord has your back!

from: http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/blog

Fasting Blog Day 8

Fasting Movement! Good to be fasting together again as we beseech the mercies of God! I pray Day 8 will be a new beginning for many of you. A new entrance into God’s realm of miracles and His kingdom come!

One of the statements in Pastor Franklin’s book, The Fasting Edge, that really impacted and stood out to me was, “Fasting is the spiritual ‘Drano’ that unclogs the flow of the living water in our soul” (p. 17). I am sure you are like me and have many things that you desire to have unclogged in your life, in your family, on your job and within your world of influence.

But we need to remember that it is on the other side of the “unclogging” that we experience the living water flowing again into our soul and the other areas of our life.

I have throughout my years of fasting experienced a common denominator, and it is this: The enemy shows up. Also, the junk that has caused the clogs come to the surface!

Maybe you are new to fasting and you were expecting to just immediately experience the miracle, the breakthrough, the awesome manifestation of God’s presence in your life; and you haven’t and are discouraged. Well I want to encourage you. The fact that the enemy shows up, the fact that issues that have clogged the breakthrough have revealed themselves is evidence that the Spirit of God is creating the climate for faith in the provisions of God’s Word to be cultivated, matured, expressed and established.

First, we must deal with the clogs. We must face the places we have allowed the enemy to intimidate us and keep us from God’s promises. We must face the insufficiencies in our character that keep us from experiencing God’s best. This is why the enemy and those areas show up. So that you can get the rock of God’s Word in your hand and face that Goliath by faith in Christ and see the clog removed once and for all!  Pastor Franklin on page 19 in The Fasting Edge states regarding God, “He’s going to tear down who you used to be as He raises you up to become who you were meant to be, who you were born to be!

Many people do not embrace the prophetic anointing of God today because it is sent first to “root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down” so that God can then “build and plant.” (See Jeremiah 1:10)

That is why fasting is not easy. BUT THAT IS EXACTLY WAY FASTING IS SUCH A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE PROCESSED AND PREPARED BY GOD FOR WHAT YOU ARE BELIEVING FOR!!!!!!!!

Can I assure you, better yet can God’s Word assure you, that if you will face the clogs and allow some tearing down to take place that God will then raise up and build what you are believing for!! Hallelujah!! That gets me excited!!! That gets me open to the confronting, convicting and challenging Word of God and the finger of His Holy Spirit in my life! (See Heb 4:12, 2 Tim 3:16, Luke 11:20)

Lastly, as you have read in previous blogs, Pastor Franklin has perceived we need to “EXPECT MIRACLES.” Let me tell you why the process I described above is so important and necessary: BECAUSE IT REMOVES ANY HINDRANCES AND HELPS CREATE THE FAITH NEEDED TO RECEIVE THE MIRACLES!!!!

And let me tell you why the miracles are so important: THEY REVEAL GOD’S GLORY. Just like the miracles of Jesus and His cross and resurrection reveal the Glory of God . . . so do other miracles. And let me tell you why the glory being revealed is so important: THAT IS WHAT CAN BRING UNITY (ONENESS) IN THE BODY OF CHRIST (See John 17:22). And let me tell you why Unity is so important: IT CAUSES THE WORLD TO BELIEVE THAT THE FATHER SENT JESUS (See John 17:21; Acts 5:12-13, Acts 2:43, 47). And let me tell you one of the major factors of maintaining that Unity: BY LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER! (See John 13:35; Acts 2:44-45)

Miracles actually cause the body of Christ to come into unity. Miracles only reveal and disperse the religious; they bring together those hungry for actually following Jesus Christ! (See Acts 5:12-17) The miracle of Jesus’ death and resurrection demonstrating that He is the Christ, the Son of Living God, is the foundation for all believers’ unity; but miracles increase the manifestation of that unity within the body of Christ! SO EXPECT MIRACLES! See you on the other side where the miracles are! Blessings!