End of day twenty-one, the last day
It has been a long fast. Tomorrow I am going to write down all my observations and see where it has all led me.
The cramping, the coldness I feel constantly, the runny nose, the hunger pangs, the digestive system problems, the light headedness, all these I believe were ultimately worth it.
I feel a closeness to God I haven’t felt in a while. I am able to pray longer and maybe a little more deeply. And there were some things told me and that I have seen that were worth it.
All in all, I am glad I am finishing and I am glad I started.
It has made my church a little wary and afraid of me. Every church wants a pastor that fasts and prays, but one who fasts and prays for three solid weeks is a little beyond their pale.
I am going to continue the weight loss. I need to lose another 30 pounds at least. The fifty that I lost during this fast were a total surprise. The last long fast I went on, thirty days total, did not yield nearly this much weight. Of course, I was younger at the time. That may be why. I do not know. And I do not care. I was entirely too overweight to begin with and now I still am, just not as much.
I look forward to reemerging as a member of the dining community. My meals are going to be small and easy for a while, lest I die. Oatmeal tomorrow morning, then stir fry for supper. Something in between, maybe crackers and cheese. I bought some sale Valentine’s Day candy yesterday on sale. I may have some of that.
I do know that I will strive to never eat as much as I have eaten in the past. That is my weight problem. I eat just entirely too much.
I have not necessarily enjoyed this fast, but I am glad I went on it. May God be forever praised in my life.
Father God, I ask for power in my life and in the life of my church. Give us grace and strength to grow more strongly in you. Grant our denomination and the church in general your strength and power to take your name to the world. Give us unity. Thank you for this time of fasting and prayer. I praise you. Amen.
Showing posts with label the last day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the last day. Show all posts
Monday, February 21, 2011
day twenty-one of the fast, the last day
Day twenty-one of the fast, the last day
Unity is our prayer today. But I do not limit this prayer to unity and focus for just the Foursquare Church. Part of my problem has always been that I am a kingdom guy. I have always seen things in a larger light than sometimes people in my denominations have. That is why I had to leave the Church of Christ. I could no longer look at the church in such a limited perspective. We are all children of God in Christ Jesus. We all serve him.
That is why the apostle Paul said what he said in 1 Corinthians 12:3 above. You agree with me that Jesus is Lord and we are one. Everything else is commentary.
So many churches cannot realize that. They see themselves as the receptacles of the grace of God and defenders of the faith. All others are holders of false doctrine and out to destroy. Even many Pentecostals see themselves that way, even though God has poured out his Spirit on just about every denomination in the world.
Even Episcopalians – who have no real backbone when it comes to living with the world – and Catholics – whom many see as the mortal enemy of Protestantism – have received the blessing.
I was reading a history of the Assemblies of God that mentioned their dismay at the outpouring of the Spirit on the Episcopal and Catholic church back in the 1960’s. They knew it was real, just as it had happened to them, but that was not the way they wanted. So many of them resisted it, standing athwart God’s will shouting Stop!
But it happened anyway. Then there was the Jesus People, then the great charismatic move of the early 90’s, of which I was a part.
The church is bigger than her parts. When we realize that, we begin our move towards unity. Unity is not uniting under our idea. Unity is uniting under God’s idea. When we realize that, we attain unity.
I will admit, though, I like the Foursquare Church’s idea of the gospel, that is why I became a part of it. I had been in isolationist church churches too long to join another, and I looked hard before I became a part of it. It is not perfect and there are many flaws, but after all, we are all flawed. And we still serve.
Father God, I ask for unity in the world. I know that it seems presumptuous for one man to ask something that so many have asked, but I do anyway. Give us unity and give us strength in it. Move your sovereign will over this world and bring them to you. Thank you for the Foursquare Church and for my participation in it. Bless them and keep them. Thank you also for your presence in my fast. I praise you. Amen.
Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3)Today we pray for unity and focus of mission for The Foursquare Church (that the Lord will speak to us clearly during these days of His will, purpose and plans).
Unity is our prayer today. But I do not limit this prayer to unity and focus for just the Foursquare Church. Part of my problem has always been that I am a kingdom guy. I have always seen things in a larger light than sometimes people in my denominations have. That is why I had to leave the Church of Christ. I could no longer look at the church in such a limited perspective. We are all children of God in Christ Jesus. We all serve him.
That is why the apostle Paul said what he said in 1 Corinthians 12:3 above. You agree with me that Jesus is Lord and we are one. Everything else is commentary.
So many churches cannot realize that. They see themselves as the receptacles of the grace of God and defenders of the faith. All others are holders of false doctrine and out to destroy. Even many Pentecostals see themselves that way, even though God has poured out his Spirit on just about every denomination in the world.
Even Episcopalians – who have no real backbone when it comes to living with the world – and Catholics – whom many see as the mortal enemy of Protestantism – have received the blessing.
I was reading a history of the Assemblies of God that mentioned their dismay at the outpouring of the Spirit on the Episcopal and Catholic church back in the 1960’s. They knew it was real, just as it had happened to them, but that was not the way they wanted. So many of them resisted it, standing athwart God’s will shouting Stop!
But it happened anyway. Then there was the Jesus People, then the great charismatic move of the early 90’s, of which I was a part.
The church is bigger than her parts. When we realize that, we begin our move towards unity. Unity is not uniting under our idea. Unity is uniting under God’s idea. When we realize that, we attain unity.
I will admit, though, I like the Foursquare Church’s idea of the gospel, that is why I became a part of it. I had been in isolationist church churches too long to join another, and I looked hard before I became a part of it. It is not perfect and there are many flaws, but after all, we are all flawed. And we still serve.
Father God, I ask for unity in the world. I know that it seems presumptuous for one man to ask something that so many have asked, but I do anyway. Give us unity and give us strength in it. Move your sovereign will over this world and bring them to you. Thank you for the Foursquare Church and for my participation in it. Bless them and keep them. Thank you also for your presence in my fast. I praise you. Amen.
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