Fasting and Prayer

Acts 13:1-2 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said



Notice that these five men were corporately fasting and praying. They were seeking God's will. Then God spoke. Prayer and fasting is what we, the church, should be doing. These men were "ministering to the Lord and fasting." It seems to be a forgotten discipline in our day. Why?

Alarming circumstances brought Jehoshaphat to proclaim a fast for all Judah (2 Chron. 20:3).

Look what Esther did.
Esther 4:15-16 15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, 16 "Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish."

Jesus launched His ministry with fasting.

Fasting and prayer deepens our desire for God and His will. I believe fasting quiets the flesh so we can focus on God and the things of the Spirit. As we so humble ourselves before a holy God, the Holy Spirit deepens our love and hunger for God...for the lost...and for His church.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled" (Matt. 5:6).

Worth the listen and viewing

I Will follow Him

The Impossible Gospel

This is the first paragraph of my new book. The proceeds from the sale of this book will go to those who will attend Pathways in January, to help with the cost of this 12 week class. Want a copy? Call me at 805-226-9670, or leave a comment with your name and address, or go to Amazon.com. $10.00



What I'm about to say will be impossible for you or any human being to understand. But I think I need to qualify this statement. Let me state the premise of this book. Scriptural truth is impossible for the fallen human mind to comprehend or understand (1 Cor. 1:18). By one's own intellect, human beings cannot grasp the truths contained in Scripture. Not only will you not understand, you will think it foolishness to varying degrees. Why? Scripture truth, the Bible, which would also include the gospel, can only be understood by the human mind and intellect through the miraculous work, and intervention of the God's Holy Spirit. It's foolishness to the unbeliever. If this is true, it has profound implications for us and to the church in our era....theo-logical implications.

The Holy Spirit's Love

It's interesting what Salvation does in a persons life. When the Spirit enters a life many things begin to happen. What Donna and I experienced was our old friends eventually did not desire our company at the their "parties" any longer...fine by us. Even stranger for me were the people who I thought were strange (church goers), all of a sudden were not strange. I liked them...I loved them. It's amazing what the Holy Spirit does in that respect.

The same thing happened to the apostle Paul. Those he hated, those he was trying to destroy, after the Spirit entered into him, he loved. It happened within three days. "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren" (1 John 3:14). The fruit of the Spirit is love (Gal. 5:22). Love is powerful. It's Christ's love in us. It overlooks a multitude of sins...doesn't seek it's own way...it's kind (1 Cor. 13). May we let the love of Christ control us (2 Cor. 5:14).

Religious Freedom?

Joe, the Believer