In The Zone, Part 2 "Skittles"

Today was a truly amazing day at Faith Chapel. The Lord moved among us, and His presence was felt by everyone present. I feel this is a direct result of our hunger and thirst after Him. By beginning the new year with prayer and fasting, we have captured God's attention. Let us continue to seek after Him.

Part two in our "In the Zone" stewardship series is entitled, "Skittles." And everyone present received a package of Skittles. We looked at a man of God who definitely lived in the zone, Elijah (1 Kings 17:1-10;17-24). Here's the outline from today's message.

Elijah's In the Zone Life...

1. Through obedience, there are always resources- 1 Kings 17:2-6

2. There is always an ample supply- 1 Kings 17:6; 13,14

3. It takes faith to live above a poverty mentality- 1 Kings 17:7,8

4 The supply can come from unlikely sources- 1 Kings 17:4

5. When one source dries up, another comes- 1 Kings 17:7

First Things First Principle...

1. The First Day- Gen. 1:28

2. The First Fruits- Josh. 6:17

3. The First Born- Ex. 13:2

4. The First of the Firstfruits- Ex. 23:19; Gen. 4:3; Pro. 3:9,10

First Things First, Tithing...

1. The tithe belongs to God- Mal. 3:8,9

2. The tithe is brought, not given- Mal. 3:10

3. The tithe equals 10% of your earnings and increase-

4. The tithe is brought to the church- Mal. 3:10

5. The tithe allows the church to accomplish its mission- Mal. 3:10

6. The tithe is not only an Old Testament practice-

7. The tithe reveals your heart- Mt. 6:21

Resource: "In the Zone" by Ed Young Jr.

Step to a Successful Fast

**Read Daniel chapter 1

STEP #1- BE SPECIFIC

Daniel was not vague in his objection to the Babylonian diet. He defined the problem immediately.

1. The king’s food was against dietary laws.

2. Daniel and his friends had vowed against wine.

3. The king’s food had been offered up to idols/demons.

STEP #2 - FAST AS A SPIRITUAL COMMITMENT Dan. 1:8

STEP #3- REFLECT INNER DESIRE BY OUTER DISCIPLINE
Many people have an inner desire for better health, but they can’t discipline themselves to avoid junk food, and other foods that are not good for health. The physical health you seek from God may be more than an answer to prayer. Your physical health may be linked to any of the following factors:

1. Your food choices
2. The level of your spiritual commitment as reflected in constant prayer during the fast.
3. Your time commitment. If you determine to fast for a certain time, keep it. For example, if you determine to fast 10 days, don’t stop on Day 9.
4. Your testimony commitment. Your fast is a statement of faith to God that you want Him to heal your body. Faith is foundational to the Daniel Fast.

STEP #4- PRAY TO PERCEIVE SIN’S ROLE IN POOR PHYSICAL & SPIRITUAL HEALTH

Read James 5:13-16

• Sin is something related to the cause of sickness.
• Lack of health/healing may be the result of spiritual rebellion.
• Lack of health/healing may be due to sin of wrong intake, i.e. drugs, pornography.
• Repentance is linked to health, according to James.
• Elders have a role in healing both spiritual and physical health.
• Sick people must desire to be well.
• The anointing oil could mean:

1. medicine for healing,
2. symbolic of the Holy Spirit, or
3. it could be baptism

• Prayer alone may not gain healing; faith is the major factor.
• In the Greek, there are several words for “sick”. James uses “kanino”, which not only includes disease, but also means weak or weary.
• Attitude is important. James said, “are there any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.”

STEP #5- FAST AS A STATEMENT OF FAITH TO OTHERS Daniel was making a statement of faith when he asked for only vegetables to eat and water to drink, then dared the overseer to compare the appearance of the four sons of Israel with the young men who ate the king’s food.

STEP #6- LEARN THE EFFECTS OF THE FOODS YOU EAT
Why are some foods good for us, and other foods not? What does certain food do to your body? If we really knew, there would likely be some things we would never eat again.

STEP #7- YIELD ALL RESULTS TO GOD
Daniel said, “as you see fit, deal with your servants” (Dan. 1:13).

REMEMBER:

• The Daniel Fast will lead to spiritual insight. “to those four young men God gave knowledge”.

• The Daniel Fast is longer than one day. These young men fasted for ten days.

• The Daniel Fast is a partial fast. They ate, but only vegetables, fruit and water.

• The Daniel Fast requires abstinence from party or junk foods.

• There is no indication that they ever began to eat the king’s food.


Resource- "Fasting For Spiritual Breakthrough: A Guide To Nine Biblical Fasts" by Elmer L. Towns.

The Preparation Continues

The six a.m. prayer has been refreshing and the Lord is definitely moving in my life. This week of preparation is absolutely essential to insure a quality fast. Cleansing your temple through repentance opens the door to hear God's voice more clearly, to be changed by His presence, and to gain a new perspective for His vantage point.

Today I went back to Psalm 51. Remembering that David had looked over the ledge of lust and entertained the thought until sin was fully conceived; he looks to the only source of true redemption-God. In verses two and three David say, "Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me."

What a reminder for us. If we are being honest, our transgressions and sin are always before us. Jeremiah says our "heart is desperately wicked above all things, who can know it." Every one of us fall short of the "glory of God." We can't meet the standard of God's holiness, and the only remedy for our sin is to repent. Turning to God and asking Him to "wash away all our iniquity." Only He can cleanse us from our shortcomings.

We can't take sin lightly in our lives. Today I was reminded of Hebrews 6:6 which tells us that once we have walked in the light of God's Word and continue to sin it's as though we are "crucifying the Lord all over again." Just the thought of me casually treating sin in my life and causing our Lord to be crucified all over again is heartbreaking and distressing. The Message version of this verse says, "Once people have seen the light, gotten a taste of heaven and been part of the work of the Holy Spirit, once they've personally experienced the sheer goodness of God's Word and the powers breaking in on us—if then they turn their backs on it, washing their hands of the whole thing, well, they can't start over as if nothing happened. That's impossible. Why, they've re-crucified Jesus! They've repudiated him in public!"

Let's be like David, a man after God's own heart, and take our sin to God in a serious manner. My prayer for all of us is, "Cleanse us, God, and wash away all our iniquity, Amen."

Daniel Fast Preparation

This is a week of preparation for our Daniel Fast starting next week. This is a time of prayerful reflection upon the Lord, and a time to be transparent and open before Him. I'm asking that each of you join with me in special times of prayer. The church will be open from 6:00am to 6:00pm for individual prayer. There will also be prayer requests scrolling up on the screens, including some missions requests.

For more information on our Daniel Fast, you can listen to my message from Sun., Jan. 3 entitled "Passageway to the Promise."

Spiritual preparation starts with repentance. I found myself in Psalm 51 today. I have read this passage many times, but today the first verse stood out to me. It states, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions." David wrote this psalm following the prophet Nathan's visit to him after committing adultery with Bathsheba. Reading the rest of the psalm, you feel and sense David's sorrow and grief. David knows where to turn after he has sinned. He knows the key to recovery from the depths of depravity and sin. David turns to God. But he doesn't just go to God, he acknowledges His "unfailing love," and "great compassion."

It hit me for the first time today. Repentance starts with going to God and then we begin to acknowledge His work of grace and loving conviction, bringing us to His love and compassion. Instead of being fearful, now we can enter into His presence knowing that His love and compassion toward us will always bring forgiveness. He was only waiting on us to come to Him and acknowledge our failures. With this confidence, we find ourselves free to confess everything the Lord brings to my mind. Walking in this truth today was liberating. Meditate on this passage for yourself and see what the Lord speaks to you.