21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Week 1

Nothing can survive, let alone thrive, without water.  Does your spiritual life show symptoms of dehydration? Is it brittle, lacking luster, fragile, or crumbling? Does it look good on the outside, but inwardly feel dry?  The answer is to this dehydration is simple and accessible; spend daily time in prayer, Bible reading, worship, and devotion with God.

What does it take to be relentless in our spiritual life? To abandon empty rituals and dry religion? To live the vibrant spiritual life that God has purchased for each of us?  The abundant life is found only through a relationship with Jesus Christ.   Are you willing to take 21 days to discover and embrace the “extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love?”

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?  Psalm 42:1-2, NIV

Week 1 Focus: Spiritual Health & Growth

• Sunday, Jan. 6: As you begin fasting, prayer that you would have a hunger for the things of God – His Word, His righteousness, His will. Matthew 5:6
• Monday, Jan. 7: Pray that we will be bold and faithful in this season of prayer, that God will raise up faithful intercessors and praying Jesus-followers. Joel 1:13-14; 2:12-18
• Tuesday, Jan. 8: Focus on repentance from sin and turning to holiness. Pray for corporate repentance of sin and that God’s righteousness would be a safeguard for our church. Isaiah 58; Psalm 51
• Wednesday, Jan. 9: Pray for Jesus-followers to grow in godly character, lay aside ungodly habits, and become spiritually mature; for sexual purity among pastors, leaders, Christians, and to guard against perversion, immorality, and sexual strongholds, broken marriages. Matthew 6:16-18; Ephesians 4:14-32
• Thursday, Jan. 10: Focus on the church community: that there would be a growing desire among Jesus-followers and within the church for relationships and “building one another up in love.” 1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12
• Friday, Jan. 11: Pray for the heart of worship personally and corporately as a church; that we would desire to make God smile, fear God and fear nothing else. Psalm 95 and 150
• Saturday, Jan 12: Pray that as Jesus-followers grow in maturity, they will give obediently and generously to God through the church; that there will be an abundance to advance the Cause of Christ. Malachi 3:6-18

GAINING PEACE in TROUBLED TIMES

(Excerpt taking from sermon in series Adventures of Everyman: a study in the Minor Prophets. Message on Book of Habakkuk- listen here)

What do we do in troubled, difficult times of suffering and hardship?

Habakkuk teaches us to PRAY BY FAITH!

In order to PRAY BY FAITH,

WE DISCOVER PEACE IN GOD’S GOODNESS

Habakkuk DISCOVERED peace in God’s GOODNESS through PRAYER.

Not just praying, but HOW he prayed. He spent time ALONE with GOD in PRAYER,

Habakkuk 1:2 (NIV), How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen?

Habakkuk 2:1 (NLT), I will climb up to my watchtower and stand at my guard post. There I will wait to see what the LORD says and how he will answer my complaint.

How prays like that? What sounds audacious to you, God hears as authenticity.

Each time Habakkuk prayed like this, those prayers are followed by a response,

Habakkuk 2:2 (NLT), Then the LORD said to me…

The timeless principles revealed in the conversation between Habakkuk and God.

Habakkuk TRUSTS in GOD'S GOODNESS:

Habakkuk 3:1, 2 (NIV), A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet… 2 LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day…

The METHOD of Discovering PEACE IN GOD’S GOODNESS THROUGH PRAYER that Habakkuk modeled is explained by Paul,

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV), Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Paul’s not instructing that feeling anxious is wrong. BUT that we can overcome those anxieties and deep moments of anguish through prayer.

Not just casual prayer, but a powerful, PEACE-producing prayer. How?

What did Habakkuk do and Paul instruct?

Step 1: PRAY- express request or concern to God. Tell God what you want him to do.

Step 2: THEN BEAR or PETITION. Tell God why you want him to do it. Petitioning is a desperate cry of explaining they why behind the what.

Lay open the fears, weights, burdens of life. God is not afraid of our anguish or despair. Lay it open before Him.

Not only pray to ask God for what you need, but explain to Him your worries and fears that lay under those requests.

When we SHARE our fears and anxieties with God, we will SURRENDER those to Him.

Habakkuk submitted His troubles and sorrow to God.

Step 3: PEACE- Then, in surrender and vulnerable SHARING, God gives us a gift of PEACE, 

Habakkuk 3:18-19 (NIV), …yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 2 The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. 

In surrender, we discover the PEACE IN GOD that Paul said is beyond all understanding. 

Incomprehensible to have inner rest under such weights, troubles, or overwhelming circumstances. SUPERNATURAL!

Step 4: GUARDED- This PEACE will “will GUARD your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

“GUARD” means to “referee” In surrender, peace “governs” our heart and minds, like a referee calling fouls and keeping our thoughts, attitudes, and anxious heart from running out-of-bounds. He keeps us from getting derailed. Peace protects us IN GOD through trouble.

Who is a FOOL?

Excerpt from my notes in Sermon Series: Fool-Proofing Your Life- a Study of Proverbs

What is the PORTRAIT of a FOOL from teachings of Solomon in Proverbs?

The fool is the antithesis of a God-follower. While the Book of Proverbs, and the Bible as a whole use several words for “fool”, it must be understood that this individual isn’t just silly or goofy like the Three Stooges, but an actual menace- full of destruction, deceit, and death.

Fools can be recognized by the following characteristics:

1. Unruly- quick-tempered (12:16; 29:11), careless and swift speech (10:8,10,14; 12:23; 15:2; 18:2,7; 19:1), unrighteous (10:23; 14:9; 27:22); contentious (9:13; 18:6; 30:21-22; 29:9)
2. Unreliable- not trustworthy, not faithful or a person of their word (26:6-10), a liar (10:18; 14:8); lazy (1:32)
3. Unteachable- unwilling to listen to counsel or learn from others or even his own mistakes (1:7,22,29-32; 9:7-8; 14:6; 15:12; 17:10, 16; 24:7; 26:11); proud (21:24)

We are called to apply wisdom. Wisdom is ONLY found in the Fear of the LORD. To Fear God is to hate what is evil, love what is good, and to stand in reverent awe of God and His law.

Wisdom in SKILLFUL LIVING and the only way to AVOID playing the FOOL.

RESOLUTION-FREE LIVING. A call to being RELENTLESS in 2012

At the end of each year, we go through a New Year’s ritual. We evaluate the previous year, and set resolutions to change our habits and lifestyles.

Resolutions start with good intentions:
We set goals.  We make commitments.
We tell our friends. We start…

Then, as quickly as the new year begins, our resolve wanes. Busyness kicks in and old habits find new life.

What was once comfortable becomes comfortable again.

And what happens to our resolutions? We want and even intend to do what we couldn’t do in the past. Yet, new resolutions require new disciplines. We get tired. We experience setbacks, delays, and unanticipated obstacles.

We get busy. Daily life distracts us. Deadlines and demands zap our energy and quiet our enthusiasm.

Therefore, I’m calling for no more resolutions. 2012 will be RESOLUTION-FREE.

Let’s NOT make any more commitments with good intentions but no execution.

Let’s NOT recycle the same guilt, failures, and regrets into yet another year of broken promises, disappointments, and inadequacies.

At Lifehouse, our goal is to provide resources that will empower you to live RELENTLESSLY for God. We want to assist you in developing a vibrant relationship with Jesus by establishing a daily prayer time and reading through the Bible. We want to challenge you to give your talents, time, and treasures to the Cause of Christ, and to join this authentic community of Jesus followers called the Church.

What do you need in order to be RELENTLESS in 2012?

Join us THIS Sunday for a powerful call to a radical commitment to live relentlessly in 2012.

What do you want to be different about your life this time next year?


Are you willing to commit? Will you give God your all this year? 

Don't Do God's Plan on YOUR OWN. Lessons from 2011

Here's a hard lesson on how to avoid sabotaging God's plan in our life. Believe it or not, we can often be our own worst obstacle in fulfilling God's purposes through our lives.

When we've heard from God and have confirmation that God is speaking and leading, we often become so zealous that we can sabotage His desires.

Abram (who became Abraham) was given a clear promise from God - that from his old age he would have a son, and this son would be the father of nations.

In Genesis 16, we read the story of how Abram and his wife Sarai took this promise into their own hands. Sarai encouraged (what was she thinking) her husband to "go in to" her handmaiden Hagar, so that she could bare a child for the couple. Ishmael was the son of this attempt at self-fulfilling God's promise.

The result of self-fulfilling God's plan is an Ishmael. While Ishmael did become the father of nations, his people became a major problem to the promised nation of Israel. God did fulfill His promise through Abram and Sarai, by giving them a son in their old age. Isaac was born to Sarai and became the father of the Jacon (name changed to Israel) and Esau.

Psalm 127:1-2, "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."

Another biblical example is the burning bush of Moses and the parallel in John 15.

What attracted Moses to the burning bush was that it burned but "was not consumed." It wasn't the fire, but the unquenchable fire. The fire burned because, instead of the bush being the source, the presence of God was the source of the fire.

Here's the KEY- if God is the source of the fire and purposes for our life, then we will "burn" will holy passion and purpose. The moment we become the source of the fire - harder work, longer hours, more energy, fleshly ambition - the fire will consume the source. If we're the source, we won't burn for long, will get "burned out." Trust me, no one is attracted to a heap of ash, but to people who are on fire but not consumed!

In John 15, Jesus teaches that a branch only produces fruit when it is attached to the vine, and apart from the vine it cannot bear any fruit, let alone sustain life. If we are to produce the fruit of righteous, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, along with the fruit of effective ministry, we MUST be connected to the life of God through personal relationship with Jesus.

Apart from constant connection with God, we will dry up, burn out, and birth Ishmaels. Don't try to fulfill God's purposes in your own strength.

Let's get back to a dependency on God and desperation to know Him and stay connected to Him.

21 Days of Fasting & Prayer to kick-off 2012

Jesus-followers, especially Lifehousers,

A CALL TO FASTING AND PRAYER!

At the end of each year, we Americans go through a New Year's ritual. We evaluate the previous year and set resolutions to change our habits and lifestyles. We make the same resolution we've made for years, each time failing to follow through with our commitments.

Resolutions start with good intentions, then as quickly as the new year begins, our resolve wanes. Then, we justify our lack of follow-through: the resolution was unrealistic, timing was bad, and our schedule had too many unexpected demands.

The same happens with our spiritual life. We intend to follow God, and really want to. But then life happens, and we don't follow through! Instead, we follow the crowd; we follow comfort; we follow the path of least resistance. The greatest obstacle to living relentlessly for God is everyday life: its challenges, conflicts and distractions.

For this reason, I'm calling all of our Ministry Partners to 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting, January 2-22. This is a call to be "RELENTLESS." This is a call to step away from the routine of everyday life and discover once and for all, "Am I following God because it's convenient and comfortable or because I truly believe He is the one cause worthy my full, relentless devotion?"

Follow this link to view or download our 21 Days Prayer & Fasting Guide. In it you'll find a weekly devotional, daily prayer focus, and schedule of corporate prayer gatherings.

This season of fasting and prayer, I guarantee this will be the most exciting, challenging, and intense time of the year--both for you individually, and for our entire church and community!

As always, thank you for your partnership with Lifehouse, faithfulness to Christ and His Church, and for taking the time to read this heartfelt message. Let's stop following the crowd and start following God relentlessly!

Fired Up,
Pastor Patrick

HOW TO HEAR FROM GOD! Top Lessons from 2011

Hearing from God is key to walking in God's design and purposes for our life.


Obviously, as a pastor, it's essential that I walk in the confidence that God is leading and directing me, our elders, and the vision of Lifehouse. Since God's plans are not always as clear as reading a roadmap, it is critical that we know how to hear from God. In 2011, we hit up against some obstacles in the course of leading the church that required that I, and the elders, hear from God. So, how do we do it (you know, hear from God)?

Here's as straight-forward a process as I know in hearing from God and discerning His will and plans for life and His Church:

1. Pray Daily. We can't expect God to lead if we're not regularly discuss life and matters with Him.
2. Dedicate and commit our days and ways to Him. Surrender our daily activity to God.
3. Read the Bible Daily. God leads and directs through His Word. As we read, study, meditate, memorize, and apply the Bible, it becomes alive in our hearts. God can speak directly through us reading His Word, and most often does.
4. Repentance. Clear disobedience to God will hinder His guidance and our sensitivity to His leadership in our hearts. Once we get sin out of the way, then we are more apt to hear the quiet voice of God.
5. Fasting and Prayer. There are times when I/ we need to quiet ourselves and the other appetites in our life, leverage them to focus on God, and seeking God by laying aside other distractions. During times when we most need to hear from God for the church, I set aside a day or days to fast and pray, and at times I invite the elders and even the pastoral team to join in. We pray for God to speak to us, direct us, and guide our decision making.
6. Confession and Reflection. During fasting and prayer, I have a 3-step process to hearing from God and discerning His direction: 1st- repeat and ask God to reveal any hidden sin that might be hindering His will in my life or the church; 2nd- lay down "our" agenda for God's plans, and I ask God if the direction we were planning to go is truly His desire; 3rd- ask, "is there a door that God has opened that I/ we have not walked through, so that is why He has not opened another?" At times, God opens a door, but since it's not the door we wanted or expected, we don't walk through. Meanwhile, God desires obedience. And He won't open another door, because He's waiting for our submission and obedience to His desires.
7. Confirmation. God will only confirm His desires through others- whether it's simple encouragement or a prophetic word or counsel. These words are never directional but ONLY conformational. We only listen if they match what God has already spoken into our hearts. If not we tuck them away, like Mary (mother of Jesus) did when she "pondered them in her heart."
8. Live Obediently. There are times when we don't necessarily hear a direction from God. What do we do in those moments? We do all of the above, then we trust and obey God, and follow Proverbs 3:5-6, and trust that God will direct our thoughts, decision-making, and actions. We believe that God does order our steps.

I could probably write a blog about each of these. If I get strong feedback, I will! Let me know.

ASK YOURSELF: 

How can I adjust my disciplines to clearly hear God's desires and will for my life?

In what area of my life do I need to trust and obey God and follow through on what He has already spoken?

St Patrick Part 3- Living the best life possible

Check out the video trailer for the sermon:



Listen to the message here.

Too often, we see rules and laws as stealing the best in life- telling us what we can't eat and all the fun we can't have. AND in the Name of God...

The Bible seems a like a mountain of laws, rules, civil codes, from hygiene, food care, clothing, home care, medical practices, what foods to eat, not eat, sexual practice and morality. These seem so legalistic!

Jesus actually said the same thing about the religiously leaders who added to God's Law...

Read Matthew 23:25-28 (NIV)

Jesus was challenging these religious leaders that God's Law was not about religious observance but total moral renewal. The Law wasn't about appearances (what can be seen) but the heart.

The goal wasn’t to “cover up” rottenness OR to look religious, but something deeper.

God wants to clean deep parts of our lives. Then, why all the civil law and commands to be holy? How does this apply to my life TODAY?

Read Leviticus 11:43-44 (NIV). The word "consecrate" is to chose an ordinary thing, and set it apart for special purpose.

We are called to Be Set Apart

Read Deuteronomy 26:16, 19, (NIV). God's Law comes from His desire to set apart this nation as His special, chosen people to show all people what is best. His Law is from His love and relationships with Israel.

Be Set Apart for Your Well-Being


Read Deuteronomy 26:17-18, (NIV).

Law of God was for their best- to enjoy, embrace life NOT to prevent them from best. God gave the Law for their well-bring, to instruct them how to live healthy lives and have honorable relationships. This civil law prevented wide spread disease, outbreaks of plagues, sickness.

Observance of law made them different and distinguishable.

SO? God's Law is for OUR well-being. The Bible is not restricting us, but teaching us how to live for our own well-being. We think we know what’s best, but we must be willing to trust that God knows best, then obey Him by FAITH.

When we obey God's Law, we are noticeably different and distinguishable without the devastation and destruction that comes from sin.

Be Set Apart for Your Wholeness

Read Deuteronomy 26:16, (NIV).
The Law is about heart issues not appearance issues. Jesus corrected Pharisees since they missed point.
The Bible is not about behaviors- trying to make people look holy. BUT to lead people to wholeness in their BODY, SOUL, HEART- whole being.

However, the Law cannot make someone whole, anymore than a traffic sign can make someone drive safely. it can only exposes disobedience.

Therefore, the Bible is not about conformity but consecration.
Read Romans 7:19-8:3 (NIV). The Law isn’t bad. It actually is a reflection of God and His character.
BUT the Law does reveal that we cannot live up to it to experience the best wholeness God offers.

Jesus taught that wholeness doesn’t come from being perfect in the law (impossible), but by having a whole heart. Only God can make the heart whole- restore life and offer true wholeness.

Thus, faith in Jesus is an inner-work: see 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV).

When we give God full access and invite Him to clean up our insides rather than just change some of our behavior, an amazing transformation occurs. What we once were gives way to the new life that God intended for us to have. We are cleansed from the inside.

Not only are we cleansed but the inner wholeness begins to spring out of us, just like the filth and vile once did.

We can’t keep anything hidden- whether evil or good. It will come out. When we allow Jesus to transform our hidden shame, the new joy, life, and hope that begins exists will emerge.

Stop Trying to Save Face

My confession- I've done it. When I fall or do something dumb or humiliate myself. I try to recover. Pick myself up and act like nothing happened. Never mind that there is blood dripping down my need or that I really did just trip over my own feet. The higher the stakes, the higher the tendency to "save face".

That's why I deeply appreciate the role model in Bible of the life of David. In 2 Samuel 6, he models for a key principle in life and leadership about how we need to stop trying to save face.

Here's some context- David has recently taken over as king of Israel after long run for his life from his predecessor and father-in-law, King Saul. David has also decide to bring the "ark of the Covenant" (the place where God's presence resided for the nation of Israel) into the capital city of Jerusalem. They brought the ark in with great festivities, religious pomp, sacrifices, and celebration. After celebrating, David came home to his wife...

Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!” 2 Samuel 6:20.

She saw David's worship and love for God as a vulgar humiliation before the people. He was supposed to act dignified and regal. How much pressure do we get to act and perform in a certain matter? How often have we allowed expectations to change our attitude of worship?

David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. 2 Samuel 6:21.

His response- "I don't serve you or obey what anyone else thinks. I exist to honor God." Who are we trying impress? We will worship them.

"I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.” 2 Samuel 6:22.

David is willing to be humiliated in the sight of God. No one does this to him, but he willingly recognizes that he is nothing before God, and considers it a privilege to worship God.

David also deeply understands that when a person humbles themselves before God, then God honors them. When we are willing to be humiliated before God, only then can God use us to bring Him great glory. Since, only then can God trust us to not attempt to take the glory or desire attention. We read this principle many times by several authors- Job 22:29; Ps. 138:6; Prov. 3:34; Matt. 23:12; James 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5.

When we give glory to God and are willingly humiliated before God, interestingly we gain honor and are viewed with greater respect.

How the Enemy Attacks- Plot 1

The enemy doesn't want God's purposes to prevail, and if you are following and serving God and His purposes than you are a target of the enemy's attacks. Examining the narrative of Ezra and Nehemiah, we discover several strategies the enemy of our soul uses to attempt to destroy God's destiny and purposes in and through our lives.

PLOT 1

When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, 2 they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, 
“Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.” Ezra 4:1-2 (NIV).

The enemy of God in your life will first try to befriend you and flatter you.

The plot of Satan is to distract you through ungodly alliances and the facade of friendship. However, he is plotting to destroy God's purposes in your life and to prevent you from continuing in the work of God.

How? The enemy will do the following:

1. claim to be like you and share your love for God and His work,
2. flatter you with praise and affirm your efforts,
3. publicly express these sentiments for others to hear, so that others will be persuade and possibly persuade you.

How did Zerubbabel recognize this tactic and first plot of the enemy?

But Zerubbabel, Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, 

“You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.” Ezra 4:3 (NIV).

These wise and discerning God-fearers and God-followers saw past their enemies words to the fruit of their intentions. They recognized that their enemies did NOT serve God but had other gods- false gods.

Application: are you being lured away from doing God's work through enticing offers of "friends"? Is flattery distracting you from God's best and greatest purpose for your life? Are these "friends" serving God or do they have false gods of power, politics, pride, and/ or the purse (money)? If those who are appealing to you claim to worship God but worship another god then they are being used by the enemy to plot against you.

Anytime someone attempts something great for God and takes a step of faith, the enemy will set a trap for them by trying to sweeten the offer to stay where you offer. Sometimes that's a pay raise, new or better opportunity, friends or family getting upset. But every time, it's also an attempt to keep you back from following God.

Resetting Your Default Mode

Maybe it's a bad habit, an attitude, a fear or worry. Maybe it's going back to an old relationship or replaying a bad memory. Maybe you revel in a past regret or that mental recording of what 'someone' once said to you.

We all have a default mode.

In crisis, stress, or discouragement, we often revert back to our default mode. Uncertainty, spiritual dryness, and loneliness can all trigger our default mode.

And it needs to be reset.

Computers and most electronics  have this safety, emergency feature 'reset default' to factory settings. At times, in crisis or ruts, we must reset our default mode. Once we realize that our default patterns are not God-pleasing, we invite God to conform our will and transform our thinking to a default mode of WORSHIP and PRAYER.

Who Does God Promote? Lessons from 2 Samuel

Humility is probably a lot like Margret Thatcher's description of being a lady,

"If you have to tell someone you are, you are not!"

"Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up," James 4:10. And the opposite is also true, "God resists the proud" (1 Peter 5:5) and "Pride comes before destruction," (Proverbs 16:18).

Love King David's example of God-centered humility in 2 Samuel 6. He dances and "humiliates" himself before God in celebration and worship. His wife Michal, scorns him by sarcastically saying,

“With what honor the king of Israel acted today! You took off your clothes in front of the servant girls of your officers like one who takes off his clothes without shame!” (2 Samuel 6:20, NCV).

But David wasn't worried about impressing his wife, or other ladies on the street, or his kingdom or constituency. David was worshipping to an audience of One, trying to impress only God,

“I did it in the presence of the LORD."

David understood that humility before God is our act of worship, and that humility before God doesn't mean thinking little of ourselves, but thinking more of others, and having a right understanding of who we really are in His sight.

David also profoundly stated,

"So I will celebrate in the presence of the LORD. Maybe I will lose even more honor, and maybe I will be brought down in my own opinion, but the girls you talk about will honor me!”


God exalts those who humble themselves before Him. Others will honor those who are not ashamed to be humiliated before God.

Who are you trying to impress? Whose attention are you trying to catch? With whom are you most afraid to loose honor?

Faith VS Fear

It would make great reality TV, but no one would sign up to have their faith tested. Would you be a contestant on Faith versus Fear? Here are some indicators of how you'd be tested.

You might be controlled by fear if you think:

• Ambition: The journey of a thousand miles sometimes ends very, very badly.
• Despair: It's always darkest just before it goes pitch black.
• Limitations: Until you spread your wings, you'll have no idea how far you can walk.
  
• Mistakes: It could be that the purpose of your life is only to serve as a warning to others.
• Wishes: When you wish upon a falling star, your dreams can come true. Unless it's really a meteorite hurtling to the Earth which will destroy all life. Then you're pretty much hosed no matter what you wish for. Unless it's death by meteor.
• Potential: Not everyone gets to be an astronaut when they grow up.
  

The above were taken from www.despair.com. Now, you know I have a dry sense of humor.

HOWEVER:

• Faith knows that darkness, pain, hurt, and hardship are the pathway to greater revelation of who God is and how He works in and through our lives.
• Faith sees those moments, not as an end BUT as the front end of a miracle.
• Faith sees risk through the eyes of God's power and Spirit, which is limitless and all powerful.
• Faith chooses to believe rather than plunge into fear, worry, and doubt. 
• Faith wrestles with deep emotions of anguish, fear, doubt, frustration, and despair BUT is not overtaken by them. How? Not through self-inspiration, but through TRUST in God. Faith allows God to overcome through us.
• While fear worries, faith prays!
• Faith does not look to God to avoid suffering BUT to discover my joy in Christ goes deeper than suffering, lack, or hurt.
• Faith does not ask for comfort BUT learns that Jesus-followers have a peace that surpasses all discomfort in this lifetime.

Okay, not preaching, just explaining from personal experience. Maybe we've all been entered into the reality show of life called "Faith versus Fear".

What are your faith vs. fear stories?

How and why we fast

Welcome to 2011 and the start to the 21 Days of Fasting and Prayer!

I get lots of questions about why and how to fast during this time, so I figured I'd address a few of them here. Please download and read the flyer/ schedule that we've provided for the church here.

Why we fast?

• It's a biblical mandate and a basic discipline of Jesus-followers. Throughout the Bible many key figures fasted (Moses, David, Esther, Daniel, Nehemiah), and namely Jesus fasted for 40 days before He began His formal ministry. The apostles and Jesus-followers of the early Church followed Jesus' example and fasted regularly (see Acts 13:2-3).


• We fast to leverage our natural appetites as an alarm to keep focused attention on God during a season of prayer. In essence, every time I get hungry, it's a reminder to pray and meditate on God's Word and continue to seek His face.

Why 21 days or any other length of time?

• Our 21 day fast is taken from the example of Daniel when he was fasting for breakthrough from God (Daniel 10:2-3).


• There is nothing sacred about 21 days or 7 or 40, but there are biblical examples of each.


• The point isn't to see how long a person can go without food, but to seek God and cry out to Him in desperation for our own needs, but more importantly, for the needs of the Church, our community, and our nation, even the earth.


• At Lifehouse, we do a 21 day fast from the model of Daniel- claiming breakthrough from God for the spiritual needs of our community and asking God's blessing over the Church of this region.


• Honestly, I personally started fasting to kick-off each year when I was in Bible college. First, I fasted 3 days, then a week the next year. After 10 years of fasting personally, I decided to lead our church in this discipline to start each New Year.

How do we fast? What kind of fast do we do?

• There are several different ways to fast: Daniel's fast (meats and sweets), media fast (give up TV, recreational internet, movies, etc), all food, liquids only, water only, and sunrise to sunset liquid only (standard Jewish method).


• There is no right way if your heart is right. The point is to use your appetite(s) as a reminder to focus your attention on God.


• This is a great opportunity to build new habits and kick old ones, so consider fasting TV, video games, or some food that you no isn't good for you.


• If you haven't fasted before, I'd recommend not going 21 days with liquids only, especially if you have a physically demanding job.


• Consider fasting your favorite meal of the day, or fast meats and sweets. I ask our leadership team to do a media fast during this time (it keeps us focused on God and not filling our minds with unnecessary trash).


• There is nothing "holy" or super-spiritual about a more extreme fast. I personally do a liquid only fast for these 21 days, but part of my reason is that I'm so thick, that it probably takes this much time for me to recalibrate, get refocused on God, and clear away all the junk that's built up over the past few months.


• IMPORTANT: this is NOT an effective weight loss plan. Do not fast to loose weight, trust me, you'll gain most the weight you loose back quickly, unless your are establishing good habits during the fast.

My recommendations:

• Fast one meal per day and set consistent prayer times each day and start reading through the Bible.


• If you are able, consider a liquid only fast for a few days during the week.


• Come to corporate prayer times at 6-7am and 7-8pm. Praying with other passionate Jesus-followers will both challenge and encourage your prayer life and focus.

Let's see what God does as we humble ourselves and seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways. Let's pray that God heals our land and transforms our communities!

Roller Coaster Living

Confession: Laura likes roller coasters more than I do. I enjoy them, but would rather do something else crazy, and honestly, I try to act like I'm enjoying the ride a whole lot more than I actually am.

Confession: I've lived the roller coaster life and don't enjoy that either. And unfortunately, so have you. And we don't enjoy watching other people live this way- roller coaster attitude, roller coaster marriages, and a roller coaster spiritual life.

You don't enjoy it either, even when you're life is swirling around on the track. Here's what roller coaster living sounds like:

• in love with their spouse one day, and ready to kill each other the next.
• happy about their weekend, then miserable on Monday afternoon.
• use words to bless, and then using such colorful language that you'd make a sailor blush, and mothers are plugging their kids' ears.
• speak of godly things in one conversation, and then tell a dirty joke.

This is partly the human condition. We battle between feeding our spirit and our flesh. We battle, as Christians, with being instantaneously made "perfect" in Christ's righteousness at the moment of salvation, and yet we are being "perfected" through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.

That part I completely understand. But I find the roller coaster life exhausting and unacceptable! Maturity, especially in the Christian life, means that we are becoming more consistent and stable. My directive, GROW UP! If you're loving your spouse one moment, and mistreating them the next- STOP IT! If you're words bless and curse, ask God to transform your vocabulary. If you're spiritual life looks more like this guy attached to the roller coaster track than a mountain path, SEEK GOD!

The apostle James challenges us in James 3:4-18 to be wise with "wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."

Hope this serves as a word of encouragement rather than correction. I feel the same tension and roller coaster ride. I'm just prayerfully submitting myself in humility before God to be transformed and unstrap from the tracks of my sin-nature.

are you ready?

The other day I decided to swim again as part of my work out routine. I was excited, because I love swimming and missed being in the water. Since I'd been training for the marathon, I put all my focus into running instead.

Enthusiastically, I got to the gym and through on my shorts only to discover that I had no goggles with me. In fast, my goggles broke over the summer. But, undeterred I jump in the pool and swam in the highly- chlorinated water for a mile. Then, I spent the rest of the day rubbing my eyes and explaining to everyone I met with that I wasn't, as it may appear, hungover.

Fortunately, I'm a fast learner. Today, I remembered my new pair of goggles when I left for the pool!

Like I shared yesterday in my sermon, we must ready ourselves for battle before we get into the thick of it. Put on the armor before you need it, not after the bullets are zipping by your head.

Life is a battle, the enemy of our souls is out to destroy us.

Are you ready for the battle today? Or are you jumping in the deep end without goggles? Are you racing into the week ready for battle?

My challenge to all of us: SOLDIER UP!

Tested through Fire

Regardless of what's happening around us, God is using every situation, challenge, stress point, and trial to grow us into Christ- likeness.

I know that I've personally been on the anvil of His craftsmanship, and can see how the many challenges, hardships, and trials are being used by God to "crush" me so that I will become less so He can become more in my life.

Was challenged and encouraged by a verse a friend sent me today, (1 Peter 1:6-8, NLT):

"So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.

What is Meekness?

Jesus called himself gentle and meek. Does meekness mean weakness? Was Jesus weak?

Best word picture for "meekness" is velvet covered steal. A gentle strength. A soft but unwavering firmness.

We are called to be meek, and can be meek, because we trust God alone to be our defense, our advocate, and we believe that He does look out for us. When we are fully surrendered to Him, we can have meek confidence that He will protect us, vindicate us, provide for us.

Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. 9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. Isaiah 58:8-9

Love the picture that God is my rear guard. He's looking out for me.

Charles Stanley stated, "God takes full responsibility for those who are fully devoted to Him."

We don't have to fight or defend ourselves.

I'm learning to walk in meekness, and leave my concerns, worries, fears, stresses with God. Guess I'm better off with God looking out for His Kingdom and His servants than for me to try to do that job. He's a little bigger, stronger, wiser, and more powerful.

Does what upsets me upset God?

I was jogging recently and thinking and stressing about a few issues that were upsetting me. So, I did what any God-fearing, super-spiritual pastor would do- I complained about them to God. I let Him know what was upsetting me and why and then asked Him to fix them. Sounds good and right?

While I was praying, er... complaining, a thought (maybe the Holy Spirit) struck me,

"Does what upsets me upset God?" Doh! That hurt. Do the things that stress me out, preoccupy my thoughts, attention, and energy also upset God? Is God sad over the things that make me sad?

Then, an even more disruptive thought raced through my mind like a run-away train about to dramatically change my day,

"Do the things that upset God also upset me? Or do I even think about the things that upset God?"

Maybe you're thinking, "God, upset?" Yes, certainly there are plenty of examples biblically of things that upset, anger, preoccupy the attention of God. Want just a few? People going to hell. Care for the orphans and the widows. The health and beauty (holiness) of the Church (Bride of Christ). Yea, those things are important and should be on my mind and when they are not given proper attention or care, they should upset me.

So, what I'm praying now, "God, break my heart with the things that break yours. Upset me with the things that upset you. And remove from my awareness or conscious thinking worries and stress of this life that matter little in the scope of eternity."

Are the things that upset you also upsetting God? Do they matter for eternity?

Are the things that break God's heart also breaking your heart?

Everyone wants a miracle BUT...

few want to be in a miracle- requiring situation. We like miraculous healing, provision, protection, wisdom, and strength. But how many of us are willing to allow God to place us in situations of that require such miraculous breakthrough.

We read the Bible with the end of the story in mind, but for those who lived it, they were desperate and in need of God's power. Put yourself in these situations, could you have handled them as these biblical heroes did?

• Moses and Israelites were cornered between the Red Sea and the charging Egyptian army BEFORE the Sea was parted (Exodus 14),
• Israelites were wandering in the desert, Elijah was enduring a famine, a widow was about to eat her last meal, and 5000 men were hungry BEFORE God supplied an abundance of food (Exodus 16; 1 Kings 17; Matthew 14)
• Daniel broke the law against prayer, was thrown into a den of lions BEFORE he saw God's protection (Daniel 6),
• Gideon has challenged by God to narrow his vastly outnumbered army down to 300 men against the Midianites that were as vast as locust over the valley BEFORE God used them to deliver Israel from their siege (Judges 6),
• Elisha and Gehazi were surrounded by a vast army of Arameans BEFORE God sent chariots of fire to destroy the opposing army (2 Kings 7),
• Early Jesus-followers endured persecution, beatings, martyrdome, running for their lives BEFORE the gospel spread throughout all the regions surrounding Jerusalem and Asia Minor (Acts 8:1-8).

Curious as to why you might be in a difficult situation, enduring hardship, suffering?

• For Israel in Judges 7:1-4, God "stacked the deck" against them so that they wouldn't take credit for the victory but so that God would get ALL the glory. Are we giving glory to God in our situations and with our victories?
• In 2 Kings 7:15-17, Elisha prayed that Gehazi's eyes would be opened to see spiritually that "those who were with us are more than those who are with them". Maybe God wants you to see with spiritual eyes rather than with eyes of doubt and fear?
• In Acts 8:1-8, the persecution and suffering was necessary to scatter the believers and spread the God News of the Gospel to the "ends of the Earth". How can we grow through hard times?

In each situation, obedience is required before the miracle comes. And always, God wants the Glory for His miraculous power.