We are in the home stretch in our fast only two days left.  I hope we all have grown closer to the Lord during our time of dedication to Lord.  In these last few days remain strong in your commitment God will meet you in your faithfulness.  What has God been impressing you to do to walk in his favor this year, to walk in his double portion this year.  Today we taught to obtain favor here is a brief outline.

I. The first way that favor is unleashed in your life is by, “ you’re desire for wisdom!”                                                       
II. Secondly, Diligence creates favor!                                                                                                                                    
III.Thirdly,An understanding heart attracts favor.                                                             IV. Fourth, appropriate and right words often generate favor from those around you.                                                                                                                                                                                      V. Fifth, Humility generates favor.                                                                                        VI. Sixth, An uncommon skill or anointing often creates favor!                                                                                                  
VII. Repentance brings favor!                                                                                               VIII.  Last, favor increases when you associate with people of integrity!                                                                          

Today we are on day seventeen we are almost ahve there only four days left.  What have you learned about yourself during the fast?  What has God been speaking to you?  Do you you think you have a closer relationship with God? As you have been doing the readings, have the scriptures come alive to you?  Here is an ouline of what we shared in service last night. 

^{PSALM 41:1-3}

¹ Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
² The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.
³ The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.
⁴ I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.

^{1.                The Lord will deliver him in time of  trouble   No one is immune to hard times. But God has promised to deliver us in our greatest hour of need when we live in obedience to his commands.
2.               The Lord Will preserve him  This promise means the Lord will watch over and keep you.  What an assurance that is for us in these uncertain times we live in.
3.               And keep him alive    addition to keeping you alive I believe this also means that God will keep your marriage alive, your family, your hopes and dreams alive.
4.               And He will be blessed on the earth  If you want to be blessed in your finances, on the job, and with your resources consider the poor
5.               You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies  Satan wants to destroy you and your family, but God has promised divine protection to those who reach to those in need
6.               The Lord will strengthen him on his bed of illness    Imagine God’s strength in your life even as you age God will renew those who are care for the weak
7.               You will sustain him on his sickbed  This is a promise of healing power in our lives when we care for the poor}

 

                                                                         

Today is day thirteen of our spiritual journey into a deeper relationship with God. Do the best you can to keep up with our bible reading.  If you are finding it difficult to do, just start reading the passage for the day and read as much as you can.  Today's reading is Acts 21:29-Romans 6:3.  Yesterday a lot of people were not in church due to illness.  So I thought I would put up an outline for all to see. 
Living In The Favor of The Lord
WHERE DO I BEGIN?  Psalm 92:1-2
If we want to live in the favor of the we need first to change our attitude to one of gratitude.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving. (Psalm 100:4)                                       
1. Begin to keep a record of the Good things in your life.
I often talk to people who think they have nothing to be thankful for, who evaluate their lives only in terms of what they don't have.
Instead, make it a point to itemize every good thing in your life. If you have to start with the most basic things, then start with the most basic things: you have a pulse, you're breathing, you're here today.
2.  Start and close each day with a time of thanksgiving to God.
Pslams 92:1-2  1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; 2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night...
3. Express Gratitude to the people you interact with .
First-Living in the Favor of the Lord through Prayer.
Second-Living in the Favor of the Lord through Faith.
Third-Living in the Favor of the Lord through Obedience.
Fourth-Living in the Favor of the Lord through Patience.








 

Today is day 10 we are almost halfway through our journey of faith.  Jentezen Franklin states that one of things things the enemy hates about fasting is persistence.  After we get beyond the first few days of the enemies' lies telling us we will not make it.  The resistance becomes less.  When you are praying and fasting your persistence breaks resistance.  It brings you to a place where you can feel  God move powerfully in your life. Fasting not only positions you to feel God;  but it also positions you for Him to hear your heart's cry.  The passage I would like you to think about is John 15:4-5
 ⁴“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
⁵“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
This passage is teaches us that if we what to have success in or life the kind of success that God what for us if we want God's will and His best for us we must abide in Him. 
This is much more than having a salvation experience the word for abide is the Greek word "meno" it means to dwell with, in a intimate sense, to have a deep abiding communion with Him one that permeates all our life.  A relationship that extends beyond the "Sunday worship experience" it is when we allow Him to dwell with us in all our everyday experiences.
Tomorrow's reading is Acts 1:12-11:6

Today is day seven keep water with you at all time.  Rest and relax as much as possible, continue to pray and meditate and listen Holy Spirit.  How are you dealing with the temptation of hunger, what is the fast teaching you about the strength of your will. What can you learn from the fast that will help you deal with other temptations you in daily life.  If you can learn to resist food something you must have you use the new found strength of will to help you resist the daily temptations we face.  Allow the word of God to nourish your soul and body.

Sorry, I din't get a post up yesterday but with Church and a ministry meeting with Aposle Tony I Got in late.  Yesterday our reading was Marl 11:21-Luke 3:14 if there are any questions just let me know.  I would suggest that you take a look at the healing of Bartimaeus when he needed a touch from Jesus he wouldn't let anyone or anything come between him and his encounter with Jesus. To often we allow life or people or circumstances to come between us and our encounter with Jesus. 
Today is day 6 remember to spend time in prayer and meditaion, as your body continues to detoxify you will begin to notice your senses begin to heighten in the natural.  In the spiritual you should begin to notice a greater ability to preceive the voice of the Holy Spirit and His gentle prodding in your daily life. Today the passage I would like to highlight is Luke 6:46-49  ⁴⁶“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? ⁴⁷“Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: ⁴⁸he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. ⁴⁹“But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”
Take note of the words of Jesus why do you call me Lord and do not things I say.  What Jesus' is saying here that giving Him mere lip service not good enough.  If we truly believe He is our savior and Lord, And that He is who said He was and fail to do what He has instucted us to do in His word and by His Spirit the at best we are decieved at worse we are fools.  Let us all as endeavor to draw near to Jesus in the next 21 days remember that Jesus is more concerned about what we do than what we say.  I am not saying that we should not watch what we say.  Remember the words of the psalmist in psalm 19:14   Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

Today is day four our our fast in the natural you may feel hunger pangs and be a little more tired than usual.  Make sure you drink plenty of water and be sensitive to what your body is saying to you.  It may me necessary to curtail your physical activity a little.  On the spiritual side you may begin to notice an increased sesitivy to the Holy Spirit in your daily activities.  Make sure to spend ample time in the word and in meditation, as this will not only draw you closer to God, it can become a source of sustance.  Today I would like us to meditate on the passage found in Mark 4:35-41
³⁵On that day, when evening came, He said^* to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” ³⁶Leaving the crowd, they took^* Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. ³⁷And there arose^* a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up.
³⁸Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke^* Him and said^* to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. ⁴⁰And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? How is it that you have no faith?” ⁴¹They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
The lesson for us to learn from this passage is that it does not matter how great or severe the storm of life is that we are facing, it is not beyond the scope of Jesus's power and authority.  We must only come to him in faith and ask for his help.