January 6, 2011

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

“After David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died” Acts 13:36


Live Today so that “tomorrow’s” backward look on today will not be one of Regret

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

Think of your last mentally fully functioning days on earth. Now reflect on your life. Will you be able to say “I did God’s will in my own generation . . . .and now I can die in peace”?

Personally I look back on my life with a ton of regrets. I have lived God’s will poorly. However, I can also say that I have had the incredible, outrageous blessing of having been placed by God into His will for my life in a way that has superseded even my worst failures, sins, and mess-ups. God has placed this unworthy vessel into a worthy life purpose even though I’ve played this life out in unworthy ways.

I will die at peace with what God has done with me. I will not die at peace with what I have done. But that’s the Gospel. The former trumps the latter.

Perhaps this can be your prayer, “Lord, I offer all that I know of myself to all that I know of you . . . . . please use me where, when, and how You see fit. And in that I will find my peace. Amen”