SOMETIMES THOUGHTLESS IS A BETTER MINDSET

THIS LEAVES ME SPEECHLESS! I admit sometimes I’d like to be thoughtless as well. “For be sure of this: that no person practicing sexual vice or impurity in thought or in life, or one who is covetous [who has lustful desire for the property of others and is greedy for gain]– for he [in effect] is an idolater–has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5:5‬ ‭AMPC‬‬ “IN THOUGHT OR IN LIFE” When I read these words they hit me hard - right between the eyes of my heart. I have a wandering mind. Sometimes it wanders to restricted areas. It’s a constant battle. The only answer to the affliction of illicit thoughts entering my mind is God’s Word. We all have a past life that we need to be healed and delivered from. Delivered means we stop engaging in the destructive thoughts or actions we were doing. We will continue to have problems if we rely only on deliverance and never get healed. Deliverance stops the habit, but healing removes the cause of the habit. Martin Luther was a famous dude who said something like this: “Thoughts are like birds. They will come and land in your head. Don’t let them make a nest.” When your thoughts begin to run amiss and afoul of the purity of God’s Love, act immediately. Open His Word and divert the flow of your thoughts into Living Waters. Allowing immoral thoughts to flow freely will lead to a tidal wave of sin and a mindflood that separates you from God. Renew your mind in Christ. Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody. Jesus loves you and so do we. #thinkChrist #openGodsWord #ywap4Truth #ywap4God #JLYASDW

Why Would A Fast Be A Bright Spot In My Life?

     

         The 21 Day YWAP Fast 2020 begins tomorrow on January 6th. The YWAP Directors are joining corporately and individually with folks from all over the world as we seek to get closer to God in a new year. We find that energizing and exciting! Why? Because God shows up when people humble themselves and go the extra mile to know Him. Speaking to and hearing from God is filling your heart with cool beans! That creates a bright spot in my soul!
          Fasting can be undertaken in many ways. This is about fasting and food. It’s like saying, “My appetite for God will become greater than my appetite for food. We’re talking about spiritual sustenance in the face of physical abstinence. Our relationship with God is usually filled with requests when we need something. Fasting is more of a response than a request. We’re responding to the call of God’s Spirit to be in communion with Him.
          There are many fasting plans that you can follow, but this is a personal choice. The YWAP Fast 2020 follows a type of “Daniel Fast.” Daniel was a dude in the Bible who fasted for 21 days seeking God. Here’s what it says in ‭‭Daniel‬ ‭10:2-3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬,

“In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.”

A Daniel Fast is pretty much about eating fruits and veggies with no treats. We usually drink water, juices and broth to wash down the greens, reds, purples and browns. You will eat less and pray more.
          When Daniel fasted, he mourned (felt sad) about the bad moral character of  the whole country where he lived. In humility, he identified himself as equal in responsibility for what was happening. He repented (expressed remorse and a desire for change) and asked God to touch him and the nation. You may have heard the story about Daniel in the lions den. Some bad guys were jealous of Daniel and the gifts that God had given him. They cooked up an evil plan for him to be eaten by lions. Daniel spent the night with those sharp toothed kitty cats unharmed. You could make the case that God called those lions to fast from eating Daniel! What happened to the bad guys? Let’s just say the lions ended their fast when they took Daniel’s place in the den. (Lesson here: you sow what you reap.) 
          This YWAP Fast follows what Daniel did to follow hard after God. We want to get so close to God that His Word becomes a lamp for our feet showing us which way to walk. We join other people and churches in unity and the communion of shared responsibility.
          Every day on our fast we’ll write about our experience as we respond to God. Eventually the story will be chronicled into a book. We’ve previously written about fasting in a book called,
The YWAP Fast 21 Days of Seeking Answers From God There are YWAP programs we’re working on that we won’t continue unless He shows us the most excellent way of finishing what we’re starting. Responding to God’s call to fast is an answer in itself. He adds to our lives the things we need to accomplish His purposes as we respond to His call.

 “But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.” Matthew‬ ‭6:33‬ ‭AMP‬‬

          Please feel free to join us either in prayer or fasting or both. Hopefully if you belong to a church they’ve  already begun or about to start fasting for this New Year. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask. We’re not experts on anything, but we’re wise enough (sometimes) to lean on God for the answers. Together, we’ll figure out how to do and be God’s best.
          Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.

 

I’M NOT AFRAID TO DIE Part II

Years ago I played basketball with some friends in a 3 on 3 tournament called the Gus Macker. It was a blast and we had some success, but most importantly we got to spend time together as friends. When you registered, they measured your height. This always caused me some anxiety because I've always heard that we shrink as we get older. I was afraid of shrinking!

If you read "I'm Not Afraid To Die Part I", you read about my Incredible Shrinking Grandma. She lived to be almost 103 yrs. old and the family believed she shrunk every year. She was pretty short the last time I saw her standing.

As a kid I mocked Bible stories. I never understood that Jesus spoke in parables or that God uses many metaphors and analogies to teach us Truth. It took me years of measuring my own importance before I realized that life is not all about me. Shrinking is okay when you esteem others as more important than yourself.

The older and shorter Gram got, the more she raised the importance of God in her life. She put others above her self. The Word of God says: "He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." John 3:30, NLT. Those are words from John The Baptist as he spoke about Jesus. Here's my paraphrase of what i think he means: "Don't follow me. Follow Jesus. My words are only meant to point you to follow Christ. I can fade away, but Jesus is with you forever when you accept him."

I still play basketball although nobody measures me before a game anymore. (I do stretch at the gym hoping I can maintain my 6'.5" - yes that's point five inches over six foot!) The game of life is not about me - it's about being a Game-Changer for Christ. I should be living in such a way that my self-importance shrinks as Jesus becomes greater, evidenced through my words and actions.

Being afraid to die is like being afraid to shrink. You can't avoid either one, but you can look at them from God's perspective. He wants to die now so we can live eternally later in heaven. He wants us to shrink now so selfish pride won't raise us up until we fall in to hell.

God has ordained the years of our lives in our physical bodies. He made a way through Jesus to live without death, fear, pain, suffering or abuse. Nope, I'm not afraid of death and I don't measure myself anymore. My future is secure in Christ.

Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.

Jesus loves you and so do we.

#ywap4God #JLYASDW

Friday November 15, 2019

9:23 AM MST

"I do not live anymore—it is Christ living in me.

I still live in my body,

but I live by faith in the Son of God.

He loved me and gave himself to save me."

Galatians 2:20 ICB

"You yourselves heard me say,

‘I am not the Christ.

I am only the one God sent to prepare the way for him.’

The bride belongs only to the bridegroom.

The friend who helps the bridegroom

waits and listens for him.

He is glad when he hears the bridegroom’s voice.

That is the same pleasure I have.

And my time of joy is now here.

He must become greater.

And I must become less important.

“The One who comes from above

is greater than all.

He who is from the earth

belongs to the earth and

talks about things on the earth.

But the One who comes from heaven

is greater than all."

John 3:28-31 ICB