When? Tuesday Nights is Corporate Prayer in the Worship Centre Between 7 and 8pm.

             Every Thursday Wherever you are you are Welcome to Fast between 6am and 6pm.

Prayer and Fasting at Liberty.

Jesus said that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are blessed. He wasn’t saying that there is a virtue in being hungry. So what are we to make of fasting? Does it benefit us or give us an advantage in our prayer life?

Yes!  Let’s look at some of the benefits.

Johnson Frykholm states that fasting is about three things: attentiveness, compassion and freedom. Lets’ look at these.

1: Attentiveness.

We fast as preparation, cleansing and in order to turn away from distractions to gaze at our Lord.

We fast to confess sin.  Repentance and turning away from sin involve the body turning from sinful acts and desires.

According to Acts 9:9 Saul repented and realized that his seeing Jesus was a moment of such sacredness that he fasted for three days.

We fast for guidance. We also pray for the desires of our hearts and the good things God seeks to bless us with. John Piper states about certain people that “they were hungry enough for God’s leading that they wanted to say it with the hunger of their bodies and not just the hunger of their hearts.”

We fast for closer communion with God. Love and our realization that we lack the intimacy with God we desire cause us to fast so that our hearts would be pure and our attention would be directed to God.

Moses fasted for forty days Ex.34:28 before he conversed with and saw God on the mountain. From this we see that fasting is beneficial in helping us become attentive to God and, his kingdom and what he desires for our lives.

2. Compassion.

Isaiah 58 states ‘Is this not the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice.”

Isaiah said that fasting was a response to God’s response to the poor and to the presence of injustice.

The vision of the early church was one were there were ‘no poor amongst them’. To see that justice, salvation and deliverance ruled instead of poverty and oppression is our prophetic goal. We are called to live simply so that others can simply live. ‘If you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the need of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness’.

We pray and fast when others are sick or grieving.

We fast when others fail.  Moses fasted when Israel sinned and worshipped the golden calf. He was fired up with the holiness of God so he interceded for his people who worshipped false gods.

When we fast we do so in order that we can enter into the pain of others so that we will be more readily available to help those in need.

3: Freedom.

Prayer and fasting are significant when seeking, expressing, deepening, and confirming the resolutions of our hearts. We become more open to God’s will when our own desires are weakened. When our bellies are emptied we cry out to God to fill us. In this we become more dependent on him.

We fast to gain discipline over sinful habits. We live in a world where pleasure seeking is the norm. If the body won’t do what the spirit knows is right and good, then the body must be brought into line. If we do not recognize when our bodies respond to certain stimuli, like food, arousing billboards, etc. then we will not see the need for bodily discipline. In fasting the plea of the church is for grace, forgiveness and a reordering of the moral fabric of the community.

In fasting impurity is put to death, we present ourselves to God in order to be free to live out the life God has for us.

Fasting is a great tool in becoming free. There is no freedom without discipline.

Problems with Fasting.

Let’s take a look at some of the risks associated with fasting.

Fasting is not about battling the body, but disciplining the body so that it acts according to its original good design. The body was created good, and with healthy desires. Jesus was often accused of eating and drinking too much by religious hypocrites. Paul tells us to eat and drink to the glory of God.

The body is good, and extreme fasting can be very dangerous. Being kind to our bodies and accepting ourselves is good. Self-starvation weakens us, and hurts us. If you have certain health issues you should not fast. Talk to a health care provider if you are concerned.

We shouldn’t fast to manipulate God or others. It’s not about legalism, attention from others or trying to earn God’s love. It’s about seeking God and responding to His love.

Sometimes there are no immediate and noticeable benefits in fasting. Fasting is not a magical technique and sometimes the desires of our hearts, even when good, will not always be immediately fulfilled.

Communication with God and expressing devotion to him is the intent of fasting. Fasting creates a space for God, a space for prayer, a space for the poor and freedom from bad habits.

Our Fast.

You are invited to fast from food between 6 am and 6pm every Thursday. If you cannot fast from food you are welcome to fast from T.V., internet or anything that distracts us from God.

Fasting gives birth to prophets, she strengthens the powerful.

Fasting makes lawmakers wise.

She is a safeguard of a soul, a stabilizing companion to the body, a weapon for the brave, a discipline for champions.

Fasting knocks over temptations, anoints for godliness.

She is a companion for sobriety, the crafter of a sound mind.

In wars she fights bravely, in peace she teaches tranquility.

She sanctifies the Nazirite, and she perfects the priest.

-Basil of Caesarea

A Few Words on Prayer.

In prayer we enter into relationship with the Trinity. We enter into communion with Our Father, Our Lord, and Our Counselor. The more we prayer the more intimacy we find with God.

In prayer we enter into unity with each other. We meet as the beloved friends to cry Holy, Holy, Holy to our God. In prayer God reminds us of his sweet forgiveness. We seek healing and we find comfort.

In prayer we seek the heart of God, the prophetic vision he has for His church and for our lives. In prayer God puts to death our selfishness and we grow in virtue.

Day 38

Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 8:1-9:9 – The Temple of God

Scripture: 1 Kings 8:62-66

Observation:

King Solomon along with all of Israel has built the temple of God. Finally after hundreds of years there is a permanent dwelling place for God. The importance of this according to the Israelites is that finally God will have a dwelling place amongst them. The temple is a permanent structure that symbolizes that God is forever with them. When you read the text you cannot help but hear the excitement and reverence the Israelites have towards this building and for God.

Application:

So what exactly does this building of the temple and the dedication of it have to do with our lives. We can quickly just read this as history and move on, but I believe God is teaching us something through this story. The thing that pops out to me most about this story is the excitement and reverence the people have to this temple. Although the building is spectacular their awe is not at the building structure, it is at the understanding that the presence of God will be dwelling there. The Israelites are excited to have the presence of God with them.

I believe we are to be like the Israelites and be excited about the presence of God! No longer do we need to go to a building to know God is there but we know that through Jesus sacrifice we have God with us always. Today with excitement and reverence acknowledge that God is in the temple and that temple is His people! He is with us today, lets live like it!

Prayer:

Father, forgive us for our lack of reverence to who you are. You are almighty God the Creator of heaven and earth. Today help us to be like the Israelites. We love you and need you. Guide us today in all we do. Amen

Day 37, Life Journal Essential 100 Challenge

Today’s Reading: 1 Kings 2 - 3:28

Scripture: “I ask that you give me a heart that understands, so I can rule the people in the right way and will know the difference between right and wrong. Otherwise, it is impossible to rule this great people of yours.” 1 Kings 3:9 (New Century Version)

Observation: In chapter 2, we learned that David is dying and about to pass on the baton to his son Solomon as his successor. David’s advice to Solomon is to “Be a good and strong leader” and “Obey the LORD his God.” if he does he will be successful (vv.2-3). Solomon was about twenty years old when he was crowned king of Israel - a young man who is inexperienced in leading God’s people. He’s about to take a huge responsibility to govern Israel - spiritually, culturally, militarily and economically. Solomon did the right thing when he humbled himself before the LORD, the God of his forefathers, and asked HIM for wisdom - not desiring more wealth nor power. And the LORD was pleased with him. Solomon, with his right attitude and good intentions got his prayer answered plus a lot more (v.13). Wow!

Application: God is pleased with us when we humble ourselves before Him and knowing that we cannot make it without Him. Whatever challenges we have right now or in the future we can have God’s wisdom when we ask of Him – He freely gives it – He is a generous God! (James 1:5; also read James 4:6)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your generosity over my life and my family. You have been our Provider from the very beginning and you never run out. I continually seek what you want for me and may your will be done in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise”. (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7 NIV)

junn

Day 36, Life Journal Essential 100 Challenge

Follow the S.O.A.P method for bible journaling and you’re ready to go!

Todays’s Reading: 2 Samuel 11:1-12:25

Theme: David & Bathsheba

SCRIPTURE: 2 Samuel 11:2 “One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,”

OBSERVATION: David’s serious failures and judgements on David are recorded in Chapters 11-24. This account of David’s sins and the tragedies in his personal and family life serves as a serious example and warning for the believer.

Later on in scripture we find the Holy Spirit speaking to the apostle Paul saying, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warning for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come” (1 Corinthians 10:11) so we should take every precaution not to desire evil things, act immorally or test the Lord (1 Co 10:6-9).

David’s experience shows us how far a person may fall when he or she turns away from God. Although David repented of his sins and received god’s forgiveness there were consequences to his sinful actions. God did not excuse David’s sins saying that he was only human and therefore his sins were mere weaknesses or human failures. No, David made poor choices that not only affected his future but the lives of his family and generations to come.

APPLICATION: This story is a strong reminder to all of us that there are consequences to sin. The correct response to sin is to repent with a humble heart and spirit before Christ and He will provide His grace. There are consequences to sin however, without sincere repentance the consequences of sin would be eternal condemnation.

Good reminder that in the middle of life choices, don’t just look at the appearance of beauty- look beneath the surface and search for righteousness!

PRAYER: Thank you Lord, for the beauty in your great creation. May I have insight into righteousness and for things that please you rather than things that please in the moment. Thank you for your grace and protection to keep our eyes fixed on you, Amen.

Dave

Day 33

Today’s Reading – 1 Samuel 16:1-18:16

Scripture: Samuel 17:28

A Paraphrase of the Scene.

Eliab: “David your just a ninety pound weakling who has spent most of his time reading bed time stories to sheep. What makes you think you can defeat Goliath? That’s like Justin Bieber trying to send the Incredible Hulk to his room.”

David: “Hey man, if Moses could take down an entire army(Exodus 17:11) by high-fiving the air, then obviously the Lord can use me to defeat one guy.”

Eliab: “Don’t be so full of yourself! I’m the oldest and it’s my right to be Saul’s replacement”.

David: “Yeah I ask myself ‘Why me?’, but in the end it comes down to God using the weak things in order to show the world that He is the saviour and that the powerful are not truly in control”.

Eliab: “Whatever, you’re only going down there to watch. I’ll make you some pop-corn. By the way who is going to watch your little flock of sheep while your attending the show? You know the wolves will get to them.”

David: “I gotta go. See you my brother.”

Obseravtion.

David is a young man, maybe still in his teens, and not the obvious choice to be made king and the one person in Israel to defeat the massive giant Goliath. This aggravates his oldest brother to no end, and in his jealousy Eliab does what he can to bring David to despair. However it is not human tradition, custom or the surface evaluations of the seemingly wisest people that makes David the right candidate for the job. It is God who has looked into the heart of David, and it is God who has chosen to make his glory known by using this weak thing to humiliate the powerful and violent Philistine.

Application:

There are times in our lives when God decides to bless us so that we may be a blessing to others, and so that he can reveal his majesty and his love to ourselves and the people around us. On occasion there will be those people who refuse to celebrate our joys with them. Envious hearts can try speaking death into us and the blessed circumstances we find ourselves in. They may tempt us to remain in the old pastures that we resided in instead of encouraging us to move forward to the new holy spaces God has prepared for us. In those times it is wise to pray for good hearts to surround us with high fives and words of life. Above all else it is essential to remember that Jesus is for us and that the hugest hand that exists high-fives us and sheilds us. When we are sons and daughters of the living God then we are anointed and called for his purposes!!

Prayer:

Lord we pray that you would give us a renewed vision of who we are. You love us and have created us with special qualities and special plans for our lives. Thank you that you have anointed us. Jesus, carry us in the warm sweater of your love. Amen.

k.t.

Day 31

Today’s Reading – 1 Samuel 1:1-3:21

Scripture: Samuel 3:1-10

Observation:

Samuel is just a boy; he was brought to the temple and offered to God as a living sacrifice. Samuel was to live out his life as a servant to the Lord. We see that in that day the word of the Lord was rare and there were not many visions. Eli the head priest was the religious leader of Israel in that day and Samuel was serving under him.

Although they lived in the temple around godly rituals and holy ornaments the voice of God was still foreign. Three times God speaks to the boy and each time Samuel runs to Eli looking for instruction. Two times Eli misunderstands what is happening and send to boy back to bed. Upon the third time we see that Eli had clued in and instructed Samuel to response to the Lord and hear his message.

Application:

It is interesting that although Samuel was LIVING in the temple and serving the Lord as was required, the Bible is in clear that Samuel at this point did not know the Lord and the word of the Lord had not been revealed to him. That is quite a wake up call!  Just because we are involved in church and do the duties of a ‘Christian’ and we know God, doesn’t mean we are always close enough to hear Him call our name.  We must know (be in relationship with the savior) to understand His voice. I wonder if sometimes we hear the voice of God but mistake it for emotion, just a thought or something I once heard. God maybe speaking to us more then we know but we are missing out because we don’t know our Saviors voice. Today try and listen for the voice of God in your life and then answer as Samuel did, “SPEAK FOR YOUR SERVANT IS LISTENING”. The question is, ARE WE?

Prayer:

Lord, help us to not only hear your voice but listen to what you are saying. God we are your people and we desire to know you. In our busy lives help us to stop and listen for your leadership. Holy Spirit, speak because I am is listening.

Day 28: Reading: Judges 6:1-7:25 “Gideon defeats the Midianites”

SCRIPTURE:

“Sir,” Gideon replied, “if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?  And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about?  Didn’t they say, ‘The Lord brought us up out of Egypt’?  But now the Lord has abandoned us and handed us over to the Midianites.”  Judges 6:13 (NLT)

OBSERVATION:

This question Gideon asks is one that I (and I’m sure every believer has) had many times “WHY”.  If the Lord is with me then why has this bad thing happened.  I’m not a theologist by any means, nor do I know the Bible word for word but I’m sure that no where in the Bible does the Lord promise that as a follower of Christ we would never have to endure pain or suffering.  Each situation is different no matter the reason why something has happened - the Lord has a plan.  The first verse in this reading stated, “The Isrealites did evil in the Lord’s sight.  So the Lord handed them over to the Midianites for seven years.” So that statement offers indication as to why they were suffering - the Isrealites “did evil” they were did not follow Gods instruction and as a result suffered great hardship.  This is a reminder to me that being obedient to God’s word has a direct impact on the outcome of my life.

Even though Gideon may have felt that the Lord had abandoned them, He never did (nor does He ever abandon us).  Sometimes like an earthly father that allows his child to suffer in order to learn a lesson our Heavenly Father does the same.  When I think about this scene over the seven years, I picture our Heavenly Father looking down at His children and hurting to see them suffer; but waiting patiently (for seven years) for them to remember Him.  When they finally cry out to the Lord, He scolds them a little bit and reminds them of what He has done, and what He asked of them (v. 8-11) and then He sets the plan into action to set them free.

APPLICATION:

There are many lessons from this scripture reading that I can apply in a practical way to my life.  What stands out the most is - OBEDIENCE - the importance of following God’s instruction, and living a life that is pleasing to Him.  I also want to remember that God has never and will never abandon me!  Even when I face the most difficult of circumstance I have to not lose sight of the fact that my Heavenly Father is waiting for me to cry out and seek Him to meet my needs.

PRAYER:

God I thank you for your patience with me and I’m thankful God that as I continue to stumble you will always be there for me.  I pray that I will be disciplined in my pursuit to hear your voice and recognize the plan you have for my life so that I can follow where You lead.  God help me to not be swayed or distracted by the things of this world and help me to remain focused on You.  Thank you Father, Amen!

Nina C

Today’s Reading : Judges 2:6 - 3:6

Scripture: Judges 2:10-19 (NCV)

…. 11 So they did what the Lord said was wrong…. 12 They quit following the Lord… who had brought them out of Egypt…. 13 The Israelites quit following the Lord and worshiped Baal and Ashtoreth. 14 The Lord was angry with the people of Israel, so he handed them over to robbers who took their possessions. He let their enemies who lived around them defeat them; they could not protect themselves. 15 When the Israelites went out to fight, they always lost, because the Lord was not with them. The Lord had sworn to them this would happen. So the Israelites suffered very much. 16 Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the LORD’s commands. 18 Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

Observation:

The Israelite people who had seen all the wonders that God did had already died. And now a new generation of their people have grown up – those who did not know the LORD or what He had done for them. The people of Israel, even with God’s warnings not to disobey His instructions, did what was evil in His eyes. They did what was wrong and quit following the Lord. They made God very angry. Because of this, they suffered the consequences of their wrong decisions just as God had warned them will happen.

Application:

God loves His people. He is faithful and will never break His covenant with them. This thought is so comforting to me because I know I have a God who will not give up on me. But at the same time, this passage reminds me that no one can play with God. We will reap what we sow. I need to take GOD and His Word seriously. (“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” [Galatians 6:7-8 NIV])

Prayer:

Lord, help me, by your Spirit, to live not to please my sinful nature but to please You. Thank you for your faithfulness to me.

tet

Day 22: Reading “The Golden Calf”

SCRIPTURE:

“…Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them…  But Moses tried to pacify the Lord his God….So the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people.”  Exodus 32:9-14

OBSERVATION:

In this reading I could not just focus on one verse, it was the entire passage above that spoke to me.  It is clear that having a prayer focused life and being in relationship with God has a positive impact not only on our individual lives but on the lives of others as well.  Moses the same man who earlier in the chapter was so hard on himself for not being a good public speaker; and was so afraid that he would not know what to say to the Pharaoh speaks so passionately to the Lord.  Multiple times Moses told the Lord that he was not capable, and now in the passage above I see how Moses has been transformed.  His words are so well put together and he knows exactly what to say.  He reminds the Lord of how he has just rescued his people, and how the Egyptians will scorn Him if he slaughtered these people after rescuing them, Moses also reminds God of His promise to Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob.  His prayers persuade God to change his mind.

APPLICATION:

Strong relationships and trust are built on communication.  I recognize from this scripture that I need to spend more time communicating with God…not just praying wishful things but really taking the time to speak to Him about every area of life, and more importantly taking the time to listen to His instruction.

PRAYER:

God help me to stay focused on building my relationship with you so that I can grow spiritually.  I pray that you use me for your greatness and to bring your name glory.  In Jesus’ name, amen!

Nina

Today’s Reading: Exodus 19-20:21

Scripture: Exodus 20:3-4a

Observation:

God is setting up His code for the Israelites to live by. We see in today’s reading that God creates this big multiple day event. He just freed them from slavery in Egypt. Now before they begin to build and establish their culture and foundation as a people, God gives them guidance on how this nation will be formed. The great part about this passage is that not only is God giving them guidelines for the sake of rules, He is creating a irrevocable promise, a covenant between the Israelites and Himself. He says, ‘these are the rules, if you want the blessing I desire to give you, you have to follow this code. ‘ God knows that left to our own devices if we were blessed without restrictions, we will self destruct! Just take a look at the majority of lottery winners! The Ten Commandments focus on ten different moral issues.  At first glance we can read these commands and say, “of course I live by them”. If we stop and truly begin to study the text and examine our lives we may begin to see that we do compromise in little areas.

Application:

At first glance these commands seem the simplest of all. Most of us are Christians; we don’t have idols or other gods. We wouldn’t think of stealing or killing some one.  And when the grass looks greener in our neighbours yard, we chalk it up as more expensive fertilizer that is killing the environment, not greed and envy.  In Matthew 22:36 the religious leaders of the day tried to trick Jesus.  They asked, “which is the greatest commandment of the law?” Now this is when Jesus broke the law down for us.  He said,

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself.”

In this instant Jesus shows us that the first four commandments in Exodus is about loving God, the last six are about loving others. He continues to break it down by saying in Matthew 5:17 that if your even THINK in your mind angry thoughts about another person, it is like you have committed murder.  If you even THINK about another person lustfully, you have committed adultery in your mind and heart. With this in mind, have you kept all of the commands God has given to us?

Now I know that we cannot be perfect in everything that we do until the day we are in heaven, but are we loving God with everything and loving others like we love ourselves? Do we really expect Jesus to hear our prayers and bless our lives when we live them angry and envious of others.  Take stock of your life.  Where are you breaking the commandments in your heart and mind.  That car you’ve always wanted and they don’t deserve to drive it.  That house that is just out of your financial reach, but you will work 24/7 to obtain it, no matter what the cost.  That new outfit at the mall, upkeep of our image. Where is God placed? Where are other people we pass everyday placed?

Prayer:

God, I’m sorry I have forgotten You in my daily life. I am sorry that I have spent my time and energy on how to ‘get ahead’ and not on how to follow you and your guidelines.  Help me to put You first in my life.  My desire is to follow Your commands so that I am blessed.  I want to love others with the same intense and protective love that I love myself with. I need you.

Alex