Fasting for Purpose

Click the link to read "Fasting for Purpose" by Jerry Theckston of Seattle.

Proclaiming the Year of the Lord's Favor

Notes from Elder Thompson's message on New Year's Day

Proclaiming the Year of the Lord's Favor

From Luke 4:18-19

1. We need to speak forth (proclaim) what God's Word says about us
2. This year will be filled with God's favor toward us
3. We will come to know God's love for us in it's fullness

Daniel Fast Additional Information

Why Are We Fasting Again?

Prayer

Col 3:23-24 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. (NKJ)

Heart of Why we Are Fasting

A. How many people want to Grow Spiritually?

1. Fasting is one concrete intentional way.

B. To:

1. unity

2. sanctify yourself, consecration

3. a fast that matches the desire- we want great things

4. cleansing- spiritually

5. openness to God

6. dedicate in thanksgiving to God and readiness to minister more

Members to Commit themselves to the vision and mission of BCC

Acts 13:3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. (NKJ)

Acts 14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. (KJV)

Dan 9:3-4 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, (NKJ)

Neh 9:1-2 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads.

Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. (NKJ)

A. Fasting- def.- “cover mouth,” or abstain.

1. The expression used in the Law was “humble your souls.” Implying the sacrifice of the personal will, which gives to fasting all its value.

2. The Christian Church- Fasting was frequently joined with prayer that the mind, unencumbered with earthly matter, might devote itself with less distraction to the contemplation of divine things.

B. Fasting disciplines your spirit, soul, and body.

1. It is practicing and exercising discipline that stops us from sinning, keeping yourself from sin, and practicing restraint.

2. If you can not turn down a French fry then how are you going to turn down fornication? If you can not alter your appetite, how are you going to alter your anger? Food has way too much of a fix on our flesh. It could be an area of fasting, but do you do it?

3. Matt 26:41- The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

4. Fasting disciplines you to nullify the works of the flesh and strengthens your spirit to produce the Character traits of the Fruit of the Spirit.

5. We must admit we need greater access to and any help possible to become more loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, self-controlled, humble, less stressed, less frustrated. God help us in here!

6. As Paul stated, I fast often, but my flesh still says, “hey is this necessary?, is there any other way?, can we modify this at all?”

Daniel Fast Information

Please Read the following for understanding the purpose of the Daniel Fast:

To all those in Rome (Ames and abroad) who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 1:7). I herald a shouting hello of Prayze of God to you all my beloved family of faith at BCC and those adjoined to us through Christ. This writing of notes or letter is to render a discourse to draw us closer to God by expounding upon practices in the BCC Corporate Daniel Fast 2012 and beginning the year setting our eyes upon Jesus. We embrace currently, with more developing to come, three messages or actions for momentum to “start” 2012.

A. We receive The Proclamation of 2012 as A Year of The Lord’s Favor! This was preached to us and we proclaim repeatedly, aloud, and often specifically these points from The Word of God in The Gospel of Luke 4:18-19 “TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, 19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD." This was spoken by Jesus HIMSELF here in Luke’s account as Christ read it from the prophet Isaiah 61:1-2.

In order to even hear this, then actually believe it, and grasp from it…

B. We must Rejoice to receive and anticipate good, better, increase, and change for growth in 2012 because we have our HOPE right Now! Clearly indisputably Jesus is our HOPE. First, Philippians 4:4 states, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” Briefly ponder the emphasis on Rejoicing, and then why does it write, “again I say, Rejoice. So let us simply do this. Then, 1 Corinthians 13:13 makes a thought provoking mention, “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” While Agape Charity Love is the intent, see the detail of NOW ABIDES… HOPE. Jesus is your and my only HOPE for anything good optimistically revealed in Colossians 1: 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Here is the application of message two, where there is a challenge to feel captive, blinded, or oppressed by difficulties in the past, Jesus Now Abides as our HOPE in us. I do not deny 2011, 2010 or perhaps before may recall shortcomings in self-limiting habits or seemingly unbreakable bad decision-making that depletes your prospect that things can ever change. The Good News is that God Created the changing of times and seasons to benefit us. Genesis 1:14 And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years. Therefore, Rejoice to receive 2012 with/in HOPE (belief, feeling, and/or desire of expected good) which is Christ in you, that Abides right Now in the transition of going into a new year that past things can change for good and growth.

Now for the adjuring specifics and way of wisdom to approach our Corporate Daniel Fast that causes you to “be found pleasing The LORD” in your fasting.

C. Our BCC Corporate Daniel Fast 2012. I would like to invite every1one to join together in this Fast in it’s entirety of all and/or in any participating way provided and available to you. Each one of us can find some way to participate because of the liberty of Jesus has given us and because our whole intent is for God’s good in our BCC church body and your personal spiritual growth. I realize we need focus, written material, scriptural support, food specifics, Godly guidance, social relational encouragement to continue in our commitment, and Christ centered goals in front of us. I will attempt to address and provide these answers as well as along our twenty one, three week journey.

1. Please understand that there is much enlightening resources today available upon the subject of Daniel Fasts- books, articles, audio series and sermons, web sites, and even recipe books all dedicated to the subject, research, and spiritual advancement. Some authors may differ from others and therefore I commit this wisdom toward our journey. Please remember that we are not trying to become fasting experts nor win approval with God because we “do” it so right or exact. We fast to purposefully take actions to set ourselves apart to posture ourselves before God in agreement with others to draw close to God consciously knowing it within ourselves. Sister Ana has said to nearly every caller please ask and ultimately be led by The Holy Spirit Who will bring you peace and agreement in your soul for specific eating decisions and/or ingredients. I restate what I ministered years ago regarding food fasting or any fast for that matter, “fasting is more spiritual than physical.”

2. Read the Message I am including as an attachment or another link that I treached to answer many of the questions that arise. The title was “Why Are we Fasting Again?

3. Daniel Fast 2012 is focused upon these three directives.

a. Unity in BCC, Unity in Ames Community of Christ, Unity and Accord in The Kingdom of God worldwide Body of Christ, and a measurable reality of Jesus Christ in our lives and The Father’s Love emanating from HIS ppl.

Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! Psalm 133:1

bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:2b-3

Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 1 Peter 3:8

Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Colossians 3:14

Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves ; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, Philippians 2:1-6

The Message Bible says it this way…1 If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care - 2 then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. 3 Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. 4 Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. 5 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.

b. Prayer, Prayer, Prayer…. prayer. I have recently read and seen above four time the New Testament letters states be “Devoted” to prayer, and in my research increasing more and more using different phrases and words to make a lifestyle of intentional prayer. Something more than transitional prayer from here to there, or asking for needs, or even prayer requests, but a devotion to diligently spend relationship and difference making on earth prayer. I earnestly and honestly am testifying that even after mature Christians have felt a sense of accomplishment through fervent effectual prayer and proclaiming in prayer that God leads me and others right back to “prayer” is the central most need in our and others lives and for others more than anything else we can do for ppl. Jesus is and has been the “Doer” of good in our lives, what we become, our needs, circumstances, and situations. Please rise and lift up in new elevations and depths of Prayer during our Daniel Fast.

c. Seek, Find, and Discipline from The LORD. Prioritize areas in your personal life that you recognize contribute to transforming your life for good, a hope, favorably, and live life and it more abundantly in the manifestation of righteousness, peace, and joy in The Holy Ghost. I believe when you pray and spend time in the Daniel’s Fast that Christ will Reveal to you and you will know it in your spirit and soul that these are areas of needed God’s Grace. Through these things your life would be greatly advanced in the promises of God. Examples like decade long need to forgive, wrath stemmed from anger and irritability, pride and ego, stewardship in finances, health lifestyle decisions to change, a reading The Word regularly…ect.