God's word teaches us that there are spiritual battles that can only be won through a season of prayer and fasting. An example of this occurs in Mark 9. Immediatley after descending from the mountin where Jesus allowed Peter, James, and John to see a glimpse of His glory (We refer to this as the transfiguration), Jesus and the three reunited with the other disciples who were trying to cast out an evil spirit from a boy. They could not. Jesus could. The discples wondered why they couldn't. Jesus told them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting."
Prayer and fasting are humble declarations that there are things we can not do but God can. They express the fact that we love God more than the things of this world. They reveal our desire for God to move for His glory and for our good.
This past Tuesday (August 4th) we began 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting in anticipation of God moving mightily during our Crusade (September 13th-16). I am not asking that each of us fast everyday for 40 days but I am challenging our church that at least one of us will pray and fast on each day of the next 40 days. Fasting is primarily going without food for a given time to focus on God and plead for His power and presence in our church and community. Some may choose to fast the entire day they sign up for. Some may choose to fast for one meal, spending that time in prayer. Others may choose to fast from something other that food. For example, maybe some will choose to fast from the television or computer using that time to pray. Either way, I challenge each of us to committ to spend at least one of the next 40 days seeking the heart of God in prayer and fasting. (You may sign up for a day on the Lord's Supper table.) After all, some spiritual battles can only be won through prayer and fasting.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
No Fear
John 6:16-21
Fear grows when we are not walking with Jesus.
Fear grows when we do no accurately understand who Jesus is.
Fear subsides in the presence of Jesus.
Fear grows when we are not walking with Jesus.
Fear grows when we do no accurately understand who Jesus is.
Fear subsides in the presence of Jesus.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Feeding of the 5,000
John 6:1-15
God expects us to be aware of the needs around us.
Limited resources are never an excuse for not obeying God.
God always has the sufficient means to fulfill his purposes through His people.
We must be willing to offer God the little we have and trust that He will multiply it for His glory.
God expects us to be aware of the needs around us.
Limited resources are never an excuse for not obeying God.
God always has the sufficient means to fulfill his purposes through His people.
We must be willing to offer God the little we have and trust that He will multiply it for His glory.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
God's Great Desire for You
1. God desires to make Himself and His Son known to you through the evidence He has provided.
2. God desires that you embrace His Son Jesus as your Savior and Lord.
3. God desires that you serve Him with a heart that is enamored with Him.
2. God desires that you embrace His Son Jesus as your Savior and Lord.
3. God desires that you serve Him with a heart that is enamored with Him.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
The Solid Rock or the Sinking Sand
Matthew 7:24-27
Dads, no matter how of where you build your home, you will be pounded by the powerful and unexpected storms of this world.
Dads, building your home upon the foundation of Jesus and His Word gives you earthly stability.
Dads, building your home upon the foundation of Jesus and His Word gives you eternal security.
Dads, no matter how of where you build your home, you will be pounded by the powerful and unexpected storms of this world.
Dads, building your home upon the foundation of Jesus and His Word gives you earthly stability.
Dads, building your home upon the foundation of Jesus and His Word gives you eternal security.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
No Middle Ground
John 5:16-23
Jesus does not defend himself before the religious leaders but simply lays out four truths about himself. These truths remind us that their is no middle ground in our response to Jesus. We either bow to Him as Lord or reject Him entirely.
Jesus has God's prerogatives.
Jesus fulfills God's purposes.
Jesus has God's power.
Jesus is worthy of God's Praise
Jesus does not defend himself before the religious leaders but simply lays out four truths about himself. These truths remind us that their is no middle ground in our response to Jesus. We either bow to Him as Lord or reject Him entirely.
Jesus has God's prerogatives.
Jesus fulfills God's purposes.
Jesus has God's power.
Jesus is worthy of God's Praise
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
John 5:1-16
1. The Uniqueness of Jesus:
Jesus loves us, knows us, and has the power to heal us unlike anyone or anything else.
2. The Ugly Side of Religion:
When we put traditions of men above love for God and others, people become trapped in judgment instead of being freed by grace.
3. The Universal Need of Humanity:
Our greatest need is to be rescued from the penalty and power of sin by turning to Jesus in faith.
4. The Ungratefulness of our hearts:
After claiming to have experienced Jesus, are you preserving your personal reputation or exalting the Name of Jesus.
1. The Uniqueness of Jesus:
Jesus loves us, knows us, and has the power to heal us unlike anyone or anything else.
2. The Ugly Side of Religion:
When we put traditions of men above love for God and others, people become trapped in judgment instead of being freed by grace.
3. The Universal Need of Humanity:
Our greatest need is to be rescued from the penalty and power of sin by turning to Jesus in faith.
4. The Ungratefulness of our hearts:
After claiming to have experienced Jesus, are you preserving your personal reputation or exalting the Name of Jesus.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Lessons From A Desperate Father
When a Desperate Season Strikes
John 4:43-54
1. Seasons of Desperation can terrorize anyone at anytime.
Scripture says he was a Royal Official. In some way he served, Herod Antipas who was tetrarch of Galilee. Antipas was the son of Herod the Great who attempted to kill Jesus at his birth. Antipas had John the Baptist killed. Since this man served Antipas, he was probably a man of power, privilege, and means. Still, none of this meant anything we it came to preventing this season of desperation from coming upon him. None of this could save his son. He was completely hopeless.
We will all experience the pain of this fallen world. And often times this world hits us not as a gentle wave but as typhoon. We are desperate, gasping for the air we need to go on. Feeling utterly hopeless and despite the fact for most of our life we are in control, we now are helpless. None of are immune to such seasons of desperation. Maybe you are their now, a sick child, financial crisis, relationships are falling apart. That is where this man was. You are not alone. This season does not mean you are not alone. God loves you still. If you are there too, I hope you will learn what he wants to teach you today.
2. Seasons of Desperation can turn us to Jesus.
This man had nowhere to turn. He probably had access to the best doctors of the day. They couldn’t help. He had heard about Jesus and the rumor that Jesus was a prophet or possibly the Messiah. Having nowhere else to turn, the man takes the 20 mile journey uphill to Cana. When your desperate and your desperation involves your child, you will do anything. He had nowhere else to turn so he had to turn to Jesus. The text pictures this man, pleading over and over again with Jesus to heal his son before he dies. Not once but continually.
One of the ways that God can use desperate times is by turning back to himself. I have seen that one of two things happen when desperation strikes, people either turn from God in anger or turn to God for help. You got nowhere else to turn, turn to Jesus! Cry out to God.
3. Seasons of Desperation can teach us about genuine faith.
Jesus statement seems harsh but he makes a point not to this man but to every person present. Our faith in the fact that Jesus loves us and is the all powerful Son of God who is worthy of adoration must not be grounded in whether or not He works in the way we think he should. He loves us no matter how he chooses to work. Jesus looks at the crowd and confronts the fact that they are more attracted to his signs and wonders than they are to Him. Jesus ask a question, do you just want a miracle or do you want Me? God can do anything he chooses, but however he chooses to act, will you love Him still. Jesus is more interested in bring us salvation than He is wowing us with His signs.
God may choose to pour out the blessing of an obvious miracle in your life. I pray he does. I pray for healing that doctors can bring. I pray for reconciliation that counselors can’t bring. I pray for release from addictions that 12 step programs can’t bring. And I pray that when it happens that it is obvious that it was God who did it. But, more importantly, even if God chooses to work in the midst of your desperate situation differently, I pray that you would have genuine faith in HIm. That you would want Him more than you would want His miracle.
4. Seasons of Desperation can lead us to trust in the promises of God.
Again, the man says come. Jesus says go. Come heal my son dies. Jesus says go your son lives. How amazing that promise of Jesus must have been. And here is the best part. The man believed him. He took Jesus at His word.
Do you? Find God’s promise and believe it no matter how desperate life becomes around you, believe the promise of God! Romans 8:28 Jeremiah 29:11
5. Seasons of Desperation will cease but our faith in Jesus must not.
The man returns home and the hope that Jesus’ promise brought him becomes reality. He son was healed the moment Jesus gave the promise. Then he believed. The belief of verse 50 is different than the belief verse 53. The belief of 50 was belief in Jesus ability to heal. The belief is verse 53 was saving faith, a belief that Jesus is the Son of God and a commitment of his life to Jesus. He led his family to this type of faith. He made sure that it was Jesus, God’s Son, the Savior of the world who healed his Son but more than that, saved His family from something much worse than an illness that leads to physical death, sin which leads to physical death. He kept the faith even after the desperate time past and he led others to faith as well.
On Sunday, September 16th, 2001, the pews in American churches were packed. A week later a few less. A few weeks later, attendance was back to normal. In human nature we call out to God when we are desperate and have nowhere else to turn. God doesn’t mind that, in fact he will use anything to turn us to him. The question is will our belief be a saving faith, a faith that remains even when the desperation passes?
John 4:43-54
1. Seasons of Desperation can terrorize anyone at anytime.
Scripture says he was a Royal Official. In some way he served, Herod Antipas who was tetrarch of Galilee. Antipas was the son of Herod the Great who attempted to kill Jesus at his birth. Antipas had John the Baptist killed. Since this man served Antipas, he was probably a man of power, privilege, and means. Still, none of this meant anything we it came to preventing this season of desperation from coming upon him. None of this could save his son. He was completely hopeless.
We will all experience the pain of this fallen world. And often times this world hits us not as a gentle wave but as typhoon. We are desperate, gasping for the air we need to go on. Feeling utterly hopeless and despite the fact for most of our life we are in control, we now are helpless. None of are immune to such seasons of desperation. Maybe you are their now, a sick child, financial crisis, relationships are falling apart. That is where this man was. You are not alone. This season does not mean you are not alone. God loves you still. If you are there too, I hope you will learn what he wants to teach you today.
2. Seasons of Desperation can turn us to Jesus.
This man had nowhere to turn. He probably had access to the best doctors of the day. They couldn’t help. He had heard about Jesus and the rumor that Jesus was a prophet or possibly the Messiah. Having nowhere else to turn, the man takes the 20 mile journey uphill to Cana. When your desperate and your desperation involves your child, you will do anything. He had nowhere else to turn so he had to turn to Jesus. The text pictures this man, pleading over and over again with Jesus to heal his son before he dies. Not once but continually.
One of the ways that God can use desperate times is by turning back to himself. I have seen that one of two things happen when desperation strikes, people either turn from God in anger or turn to God for help. You got nowhere else to turn, turn to Jesus! Cry out to God.
3. Seasons of Desperation can teach us about genuine faith.
Jesus statement seems harsh but he makes a point not to this man but to every person present. Our faith in the fact that Jesus loves us and is the all powerful Son of God who is worthy of adoration must not be grounded in whether or not He works in the way we think he should. He loves us no matter how he chooses to work. Jesus looks at the crowd and confronts the fact that they are more attracted to his signs and wonders than they are to Him. Jesus ask a question, do you just want a miracle or do you want Me? God can do anything he chooses, but however he chooses to act, will you love Him still. Jesus is more interested in bring us salvation than He is wowing us with His signs.
God may choose to pour out the blessing of an obvious miracle in your life. I pray he does. I pray for healing that doctors can bring. I pray for reconciliation that counselors can’t bring. I pray for release from addictions that 12 step programs can’t bring. And I pray that when it happens that it is obvious that it was God who did it. But, more importantly, even if God chooses to work in the midst of your desperate situation differently, I pray that you would have genuine faith in HIm. That you would want Him more than you would want His miracle.
4. Seasons of Desperation can lead us to trust in the promises of God.
Again, the man says come. Jesus says go. Come heal my son dies. Jesus says go your son lives. How amazing that promise of Jesus must have been. And here is the best part. The man believed him. He took Jesus at His word.
Do you? Find God’s promise and believe it no matter how desperate life becomes around you, believe the promise of God! Romans 8:28 Jeremiah 29:11
5. Seasons of Desperation will cease but our faith in Jesus must not.
The man returns home and the hope that Jesus’ promise brought him becomes reality. He son was healed the moment Jesus gave the promise. Then he believed. The belief of verse 50 is different than the belief verse 53. The belief of 50 was belief in Jesus ability to heal. The belief is verse 53 was saving faith, a belief that Jesus is the Son of God and a commitment of his life to Jesus. He led his family to this type of faith. He made sure that it was Jesus, God’s Son, the Savior of the world who healed his Son but more than that, saved His family from something much worse than an illness that leads to physical death, sin which leads to physical death. He kept the faith even after the desperate time past and he led others to faith as well.
On Sunday, September 16th, 2001, the pews in American churches were packed. A week later a few less. A few weeks later, attendance was back to normal. In human nature we call out to God when we are desperate and have nowhere else to turn. God doesn’t mind that, in fact he will use anything to turn us to him. The question is will our belief be a saving faith, a faith that remains even when the desperation passes?
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