January 5, 2011

This Week’s Reading
Acts 12:25 – 13:52

“Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit . . . . .John Mark went with them as their assistant.” Acts 13:4-5

Join God Where He Sends You

NOTE: I invite each of you to consider fasting in some way between Jan. 9 and Jan. 30.

Fasting is giving up some food for some period of time for the purpose of directing your hunger toward God and to experience God’s “satisfying” you in new ways.

As a church our prayer will be “God give us a hunger for the salvation of others”. Your personal prayer requests will vary based on your circumstances.

Below is a website with lots of information on fasting that will help you know how to proceed (you don’t have buy any of their stuff!!).

I do expect that many of you will experience significant spiritual breakthroughs.

http://www.jentezenfranklin.org/fasting


Pastor’s Reflections

The church in Antioch was the first missionary sending body ever in the history of the world!

Through worship, prayer, gathering together, listening, fasting and waiting, the believers discerned that they needed to send certain of their leaders into the rest of the world. I imagine one person standing up and saying,

“I can’t believe I’m sensing this but I think we’ve got to sent Paul and
Barnabus. I have no idea how we’ll do without them, but I think the Lord is
telling them to go”

Then another speaks up and agrees, then another, and the whole gathering is amazed at the unanimity that can exist when all are praying and fasting and waiting together. They all heard the one voice of God’s Spirit.

Interestingly no one mentioned that John Mark was supposed to go even though he went anyway. And he’s the one who quit the journey early on. Was his addition to the trip a “man-made” decision as opposed to a spirit-led one?

Lessons? Wait, seek unanimity, especially as a married couple. It’s one of the best ways to know that the Lord is guiding you. A good rule is if you don’t have unanimity, don’t. Someone is not hearing from God. Another good way to know if the guidance is from God is if the guidance not only feels good, but it is also hard.