Five-day fast

As part of our final week of the 2022 January Daniel fast, I wanted to reach for more.  Brandi and I went to dinner together last Friday, and then fasted from food (only water and herbal tea) for five days, breaking the fast with dinner on Wednesday night.  Generally, I felt like I had more strength than I remember having last year, until day five.  Starting around the middle of day three, I felt like I had a greater sensitivity to spiritual things.

I shared these verses with our church as we finish the corporate fast this week.

Hebrews 11:6 TPT

And without faith living within us it would be impossible to please God. For we come to God in faith knowing that he is real and that he rewards the faith of those who passionately seek him.

One of the main realizations that I had during my five-day fast is that we are gaining by fasting is eternal and infinitely more valuable than the temporary things we choose to fast from.

2 Corinthians 4:17‭-‬18 TPT

We view our slight, short-lived troubles in the light of eternity. We see our difficulties as the substance that produces for us an eternal, weighty glory far beyond all comparison, because we don't focus our attention on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but the unseen realm is eternal.

Father, thank you for your promise to be found by those who seek you wholeheartedly.  Thank you for the opportunity to pursue greater depths of your love and goodness.  Jesus, thank you for your example of living.  Holy Spirit, thank you for your constant presence and the opportunity to be more attentive to your presence through fasting.  I love you.

Don't worry

"This is why I tell you to never be worried about your life, for all that you need will be provided, such as food, water, clothing—everything your body needs. Isn't there more to your life than a meal? Isn't your body more than clothing? ... "So above all, constantly chase after the realm of God's kingdom and the righteousness that proceeds from him. Then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly. Refuse to worry about tomorrow, but deal with each challenge that comes your way, one day at a time. Tomorrow will take care of itself."

Matthew 6:25‭, ‬33‭-‬34 TPT

I don't think I know how to do this.

Father, please help me.  I love you.

Two trees and three kinds of people

On Sunday, I listened to some teaching by Chris Blackaby about the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and he explained that the consequence of death by the path of evil is somewhat obvious, but the consequence of death by the path of good works (i.e., self righteousness or religion) is slower and less obvious, but death, nonetheless.  

This is sobering.  There are so many people who consider themselves "Christians", but actually, they are walking down a path of religion to death.

I think the roots of religion are very deep in my heart, strangling the growth of Christ in me.  Religion has exacted of me a strict behavior modification.  But religion is of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and religion is fundamentally incapable of yielding the fruit of the Spirit in my heart.

And I realized that much of my anger/frustration is an artifact of my mindsets and heartsets that are based in the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil: justice, fairness, and perfectionism.  These thought patterns generally lead to either a path of self-righteousness/arrogance or self-criticism/condemnation.  Either of those paths spills over into criticism of other people.  None of this is of the Father.

So, I need Jesus to set me free from religion and overflow me with kindness, which is of the Tree of Life.  I want to be in the third category of people, walking in life, freedom, grace, and mercy with the Father.

Father, you are good.  You are gooder than I think or can imagine.  Jesus, please deliver me from religion.  I want to walk in life with you.  Abundant life.  Holy Spirit, please overflow me with kindness.

Jesus' 40 day fast

Beau and I had a good conversation about fasting.

Previously, I thought that Jesus had to starve His body for 40 days to weaken Himself from "superhuman/hero" level down to "normal human" level so that the temptation would be legitimate and representative of humanity.

However, now I see the 40 days of fasting as an intentional time of focusing on the Father and the Spirit and deemphasizing the desires of the body.

God doesn't love us more if we fast, and He doesn't love us less if we don't.  I'm fasting because I am strengthening my spirit and soul by prioritizing my spiritual will over the desires of the flesh.

Father, thank you for this opportunity to prioritize my desire to seek you.  Jesus', thank you for your example. Holy Spirit, thank you for your power and encouragement.  Help me break free from worldliness and religion and instead walk powerfully in faith and love.  I love you.

2022 kindness

I am continuing to focus on a word for a year, and I am continuing with the next fruit of the spirit: kindness.

Galatians 5:22‭-‬23 NIV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. ...

I briefly studied the difference between kindness and goodness, and to summarize, it seems that goodness is an attribute of your moral quality, whereas kindness is an attribute of the way you treat other people.

I also decided to repeat the four-course Scripture meal plan again this year.

In comparing Psalm 1, Proverbs 1, Matthew 1, and Acts 1 this morning, I was impressed by several points.  

First, Solomon was a king of Israel by birth of the lineage of David, but Jesus is rightfully king of Israel by adoption into the lineage of Joseph who was of the line of David.  Spiritually, we are sons and daughters of God, so we are spiritual kings and queens, and God wants us to advance His kingdom on earth.  The King's domain begins with our hearts and flows from there.  I need to do a better job realizing this for myself and teaching this to my children.

Second, the Kingdom of Christ is apolitical.  Jesus did not rely on political affiliations to accomplish His mission.  And having recently read Revelation, political power is associated with the kingdom of Babylon, not the Kingdom of Christ. So many people think that one political affiliation or another is more or less "Christian", but these mindsets are illusions.  They are tragically deceived.  

Third, to be planted by a stream of water is to abide in Christ and enjoy the fellowship, fruit, and power of the Holy Spirit.  Life apart from Holy Spirit is only religion, not faith.  I want to see increasing measures of spiritual fruit and power in my life as evidence of His abiding presence.  This is Kingdom life.

Father, I praise you for being good AND kind.  Jesus, I want you to be the center of my life, not tangential.  Help me focus clearly on your Kingdom, and expose deceptions of worldliness that I think is Kingdom life.  Holy Spirit, please plunge me deeper into your transformation.  Please help me keep in step with you, moment by moment.  I love you.