Monday, January 9, 2017

Fasting Day 1 - A Note to my Church Family

Hello sweet church family.

21 Day Prayer and Fasting, Day 1.  It was a dozy.  No.  I mean, seriously, a dozy.

Let me hand you the short version.  Child #1 - experiencing some health issues - crashed Billy's newly restored car in to a light pole.  Yea, you read it right.

Child #2 - got to DIA only to discover that her flight was delayed.  5 hours.  Causing her to arrive home at 3:30 am and missing her ride to school (which is 1.5 hours away).

Question:  Have you ever put a child on an airplane unsure if current health conditions warrant medical attention instead?

Ever imagined your daughter sleeping on the floor of an airport 24 hours away, hoping she'll find a ride in the morning?  Done all this while hungry and denying your physical senses?

Well, let's just say I was already a little shaky then when Eli and I walked into our Chinese cooking class and he puked on the neighbors floor.

Here's a picture of us still on the floor at DIA at 10:30 pm.



Someone told me today - we must be on the right track.  The push back and all.

What about you?  Sitting here at the end of Day #2...here's a picture of my back yard.  Hurricane force winds trashed it.  Nice.



Have you had a little push back as well?

Honestly, I don't know if all this means we are on the right track.  I do know it's NOT a sign that we are on the wrong one.

In this season, I find myself pouring over the book of Matthew.  As I read about the birth of Jesus and the fulfillment of prophecy, I put these words in my journal:

Word for 2017

God has been at work long before January 1, 2017.  He's been at work for a long, long time actually.

Fulfilled:  I am complete in Jesus, and find myself in the middle of something that's already going on.  Open my eyes and my mind Lord to all that is.  We are neither accidental nor incidental.  We are in the right place.  We've arrived at just the right time.

ReImagine Church, we are neither accidental nor incidental.  We are in the right place.  We've arrived at just the right time.  Push back and all.

On the day John was to baptize Jesus, Jesus said, "Do it.  God's work, putting things right all these centuries, is coming together right now in this baptism" (Matthew 3).

Incase you didn't know, all this work of God is Him putting things right.

God himself was so pleased by Jesus humble obedience he spoke aloud, "This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life".

Jesus had a moment.  Seems to me, a breakthrough moment.  Where His calling, His identity, His pure unadulterated awesomeness was affirmed in front of others by none other than the voice of God himself.  His caring father stepped in to speak a clear, magnificent word that this is right. Clearly, that should be a sign to all the rest of us that he was on the right track.

And, yet, the very NEXT thing that happened was Jesus being LED BY GOD into the WILDERNESS to be given a TEST.  And, the test would be administered by none other than Satan.  No warm and fuzzy there.  Seriously, go read it for yourself.

Bottom line - you can be right smack dab in the middle of God's will and be in the wilderness and all that applies...lonely, barren, desolate, broke, aimless, tired, thirsty, wanting, broken...you get my point.

Jesus did something in the wilderness before he was tested.  He prepared for the test.  He prepared by FASTING.

And, as we corporately prepare for the year ahead, by fasting together, know that you aren't alone.  We are standing before the altar - crying out to God on your behalf - on behalf of your family, your finances, your hearts, and your callings.  You are soooooooo not alone.

Trust.  Trust Him.  You are where you need to be.  Alive to God.  Filled with His Spirit.  Listening to His voice.  Pressing in.  Ignoring distractions.  Refusing to be denied.

You can't be left behind.  He's got you.

From the darkness comes a light.....