The Heart of Fasting

The fasts . . . will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth and peace. Zechariah 8:19

Hunger pangs gnawed at my nerves. My mentor had recommended fasting as a way to focus on God. But as the day wore on, I wondered: How did Jesus do this for forty days? I struggled to rely on the Holy Spirit for peace, strength, and patience. Especially patience.

If we’re physically able, fasting can teach us the importance of our spiritual food. As Jesus said, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Yet, as I learned firsthand, fasting on its own doesn’t necessarily draw us closer to God!

In fact, God once told His people through the prophet Zechariah that their practice of fasting was useless since it wasn’t leading to service for the poor. “Was it really for me that you fasted?” God asked pointedly (Zechariah 7:5).

God’s question revealed that the primary problem wasn’t their stomachs; it was their cold hearts. By continuing to serve themselves, they were failing to draw closer to God’s heart. So He urged them, “Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor” (vv. 9–10).

Our goal in any spiritual discipline is to draw closer to Jesus. As we grow in likeness to Him, we’ll gain a heart for those He loves.

By:  Tim Gustafson

Source: Our Daily Bread

Giving Our Souls a Tune Up

I’m smiling as I remember my dad’s best efforts to teach me how to give my ’67 Chevy a tune-up. 

That Chevy was the first car I ever owned, and my dad wanted me to learn a few things. I can honestly say that almost nothing I learned is helpful to car maintenance now. No one I know owns a timing light or changes their own spark plugs and filters. In fact, I don’t even know where the spark plugs are in my car today! Now, I drop my car off at the dealer when the “Maintenance Needed” light comes on. 

I’m smiling because there are more important lessons I learned from my dad’s advice. Dad helped me understand maintenance was important if I wanted to keep my car in good shape. In a lot of ways, my dad helped me write this blog post today. 

We understand our cars need maintenance. We spend the time and pay the cost because we don’t want to get stranded somewhere. We can apply that same principle to our souls as well. 

If your life is sluggish and not responding to God’s will, you might need a spiritual tune-up today. 

WHEN MAINTENANCE IS NEEDED 

It would be nice if something in our lives would flash with the words “Maintenance Needed” like our cars do today. We are a lot more like a ’67 Chevy. We have to notice the sluggishness, the slowness to start, and the “wrong noises” that indicate the need for a tune-up. My dad could just listen to engine noises and know there was a problem, and he usually knew how to fix it. 

It would be nice if there could be a “Maintenance Needed” light that would flash in our spiritual lives, but there are indicators:

• Has your witness grown sluggish? 

• Are you a little more difficult to “start” when the Spirit prompts you? 

• Is your prayer life making some strange noises . . . maybe a little too full of self-absorbed rattles and clunks instead of purring along? 

It’s better to fix the problems we notice than break down somewhere. 

God created our souls to run like a perfectly tuned engine: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). We are God’s possession and he wants to keep us running well. But, he also waits for us to respond to the warnings and bring our cars to the shop! 

THE DEALER HAS THE BEST SERVICE DEPARTMENT 

A lot of places can do routine maintenance. It’s fairly easy to find someone who can change wiper blades, replace an air filter, or rotate the tires. But, if something inside the engine is not working, we know the dealership has the most specialized care. 

We take our souls for weekly maintenance to church or Bible study each week. Don’t you notice how much easier it is to treat people with kindness and put others first after spending time in worship? We are cleaned up and running more smoothly after a helpful sermon and time of worship.  

Routine maintenance is essential to almost everything in life. Our souls were meant to run on “daily bread,” our time with God each day. If you are reading this blog post, you are probably someone who understands that we need to keep our souls maintained by the daily disciplines of Bible study and prayers. The daily maintenance means we can keep our lives running more smoothly, and Sundays are a great boost to our daily routines. But, there are times when things in life require more help than our routines provide.  

My car has a need for significant maintenance at certain mileage markers. It’s expensive, time-consuming, and rarely “good news.” But, I pay the price because it almost guarantees I will avoid the breakdowns. When the dealer tells me I need to do significant maintenance, I do it. 

Our Dealer knows what is needed in our lives. He manufactured us and knows what is necessary to keep us running. It is good to know we need regular maintenance and care for our souls that way. But, when was the last time you submitted your soul for the more complete work, the work that only the dealer can accomplish? 

That kind of maintenance will come at a cost. It will cost you more time and effort and will be more of a sacrifice than just a Sunday morning service or daily devotions. When is the last time you left your regular routine to spend a significant time away with the Lord?  

If things aren’t running smoothly in your life, it could be time to take more time and submit your life to the One who created it.  

Jesus was preaching, healing, and creating a great stir in the synagogues. The Pharisees had begun to take notice of him and Luke wrote that “they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus” (Luke 6:11). Jesus, our example, knew he needed God’s divine wisdom and help. Luke writes, “In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God” (v. 12).  

Even as I type those words I feel a sense of conviction. When last did I retreat from the world and my daily routines to spend an extended amount of time with God? 

Is it time for the “extended maintenance?” 

The dealer/manufacturer will need us for more time in order to do more work, and it will require a greater cost. But, have you ever noticed how much better your car runs after those times of maintenance? Our souls will experience greater benefits as well. 

ONE CAR WILL LAST A LIFETIME 

I’m not sure how many cars I will drive in my lifetime. I was in my forties when I bought my first new car. I kept it a decade, did all the suggested maintenance, and it never did break down. I’m now driving my second version of that car! My ’67 Chevy will always be dear to my heart because it was my first car and I worked hard to be able to buy it. But, I’m glad I can drive a better car these days, and I am careful to take good care of it.  

We only have one soul because that is all we will ever need. The first choice we ever made was to allow Jesus to buy our souls back for God, from the world. But, for the rest of our lives, we will choose to maintain what Jesus bought and has promised to continue to make new. 

We have been given one life, but it is all we need if it is eternal. I’m so glad I exchanged my old ’67 Chevy for something better. I’m glad I exchanged my old life for something better as well. My soul is eternal, and I want it to run as well as possible on earth and in heaven. I’m glad for the warning lights that remind me when maintenance is needed. It’s good to know life will run more smoothly with his care. 

The Apostle Paul wrote, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). One day these cars of ours will roll through the pearly gates and we will realize they are “maintenance free.” 

Until then, we need help from our mechanic. He is waiting to care for our souls. Do you need to do some routine maintenance or schedule an extended visit? He is always at work and always able to get you back on the road.  

But, we also have a lot to look forward to. One day when our journey is complete, it will feel great to pull into the garage, see my dad and my Dad, and know I am safely and forever, home!

By: Janet Denison

Source: Foundations With Janet

What Does Christmas Mean?

Starbucks has a Christmas Blend coffee, I-Hop has Christmas pancakes, Blockbuster has Christmas movies and Macy’s has a Christmas parade, Christmas PJs, Christmas decorations and a Christmas sale.  You won’t find the word “Christmas” in your Bible but you will see the word everywhere else you look today.  The word literally means a “Christ mass”. Mass was a time when the church participated in the Lord’s Supper, remembering Christ’s sacrifice at Easter. (Another word that isn’t in your Bible.)  That time of worship and remembrance is a Christ mass.  I wonder how many people know what the word Christmas really means?  I wonder how many people will celebrate Christmas with its original intent?  Will you?

It is hard to keep up with the changing definitions in our world today.  One school got in trouble for changing the lyrics of “Deck the Halls“. The children were having trouble with the giggles while singing, “Don we now our gay apparel”.  When the teacher changed the word “gay” to something else it made the national news.  The word awesome is used less often now.  My children used that word the way I used the words cool or groovy.  None of us were talking about the size, temperature or texture of a situation.  And when my dad worked at IBM, a computer chip would have meant someone had knocked a piece of metal off the outside of the massive, card-reading machine in the large room next door.  I’m grateful that brilliant person created a new meaning for the word chip!  The definition of words will probably keep changing, but never fear, there is probably going to be an app for your phone soon that will help you keep up.  (If you had said the word “app” a few years ago, people would probably have expected you to say “excuse me” right after.)

Christians should work hard to remember the real meaning of Christmas.  Our culture keeps trying to redefine it for us – but Christians should be redefining it for them!  The Christmas holiday belongs to the church, not Starbucks or Macys.  Christmas isn’t a blend of coffee or a season for department stores to reach their annual profits.  Are things too far gone?  Will the church ever be able to return the holiday to its original meaning?  That depends on you.  Yes you.  Just you.

Don’t focus on the big picture, focus on your mirror.  Does the person reflected above your bathroom sink understand the real meaning of Christmas?  If so, then rejoice – and find one other person each day and share what you know.  If everyone who reads this blog will do that, we will literally redefine the word “Christmas” before Macy’s holds their parade next year.  Imagine the streets of New York City lined with people singing Christmas hymns and worshiping Christ!

How do you share the real meaning of Christmas with someone else?  I like to explain the season by remembering the name, often associated with Christ, this time of the year.  “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” which means “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). The real meaning of Christmas is this…God came to this earth to dwell with us so that one day, we could go to heaven and dwell with him there.  Christmas means God is with you, forever.  And for those who may be reading this that have not yet placed their faith in Christ, you can meet Jesus today, and Immanuel can be with you too!

Pray for the chance to redefine someone’s holiday today, but first pray that Immanuel redefines Christmas for you.   Then, if God leads you, forward this blog to someone who needs to know the real meaning of Christmas.  And I’ll see you next year at the parade!

Written By: Janet Dennison

Source: Foundations with Janet Dennison

Fourth Sunday of Advent

The fourth and final Sunday of Advent in 2022 will be on Sunday, December 18th. Advent is the season in which believers eagerly anticipate the celebration of Christ’s birth. Reading, prayer, and reflection are ways we can cultivate a sense of holy anticipation this Advent. The fourth Sunday of Advent we meditate on the peace that Jesus brings our hearts and our world. Scripture is the place we can find the promises of God. Let us meditate on these truths and allow them to comfort our hearts this Advent season!

2 Thessalonians 3:16 says, “Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.”

This week we focus our hearts on the “Lord of peace” who came down from heaven in the form of a baby. God knows that we are in a constant battle against fear! Fear wants to cripple us, to push us to react rather than carefully respond, and fear steals our joy. God has given us the gift of peace so we can live joy-filled lives!

Over this Advent, would you pray that God’s unexplainable peace would be evident in your heart and home. This year we all have faced so much chaos and uncertainty. God’s peace is something we need to grab tightly onto more than ever. May God’s spirit transform the days leading up to Christmas into a time to joyfully await our King!

Written by: Amanda Idleman

Source: crosswalk.com

Third Sunday of Advent

The third Sunday of Advent in 2022 will be on Sunday, December 11th. There is so much comfort to be found in the practice of pausing to read, pray, and reflect over the course of the Advent season in which believers eagerly anticipate the celebration of Christ’s birth. The third Sunday of Advent gives us the opportunity to prepare in our hearts a sense of holy anticipation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus as well as for his promised second coming. We can study the Scriptures as a reminder of the ways God has been faithful to us through the fulfillment of prophecy—and find hope in the promises of God that are laid out in his Word.

The third Sunday of Advent we are invited to reflect on the joy we have access to because of our faith in Jesus. One of the defining characteristics of Christ-followers is their joyful demeanor. Let’s not allow the struggles of this year steal from the great joy we have because of Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-5 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”

Over this Advent, would you pray that the joy of the Lord would be evident in your heart and home? May God’s spirit transform the days leading up to Christmas into a time of holy anticipation; preparing our hearts, as we joyfully await the chance to celebrate the arrival of our king.

Written By: Amanda Idleman

Source: Crosswalk.com