Worth Fighting For Blog

I came across this blog today and felt it was worth sharing with my friends.  This is a blog written by four teenagers who are taking a stand for unborn children in our world who do not have a voice of their own.  I found this site so inspiring, not only because of the stand they are taking but because they are the young people who will soon be the leaders of our world.  I thank God that we have young people who are willing to stand for His Truths and are not ashamed to do so.

Please take a moment to visit this blog - Worth Fighting For

In particular this post caught my eye - a poem written by a friend of one of the teenagers who writes for this blog and ministry.  Worth Fighting For: The Time for War

Nick Vujicic - Life Without Limbs

Sunday morning I had the privilege to hear Nick Vujicic speak at a local church. Amazing and inspiring! Intense and convicting!

Nick is a man who was born 26 years ago with no arms or legs and no explanation from the doctors as to why he was born that way. His parents were just told that he would not be able to do anything for himself and would be a burden to them and others for the rest of his life.
At a young age Nick prayed for the Lord to provide him with a miracle, to give him arms and legs. He promised God that if He gave him this miracle, he would travel the world telling others of how great our Creator is and of the miracle that the Lord did in his life. But as Nick said on Sunday, God chose not to give him his miracle, instead He chose to make Nick a miracle for thousands of others.

Nick now travels the world sharing the Love and Hope that are in Jesus Christ with others, but still without arms or legs. He tells others of how even when God does not change your circumstances, He is still with you and still loves you. He has other plans for you that are greater than anything you can imagine because many times those same circumstances you are trying to avoid, are the very best way for Him to show His Glory, Mercy, Grace, Love and Hope through you.

Nick shared on Sunday about the Peace he has in God, even when things are not going well. He shared about the love of Christ and how it can heal anyone if we just accept it. He talked of how even if we have it all together on the outside, it is all for nothing if we don’t have the Peace that comes with knowing our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is the inside that matters, not the outside.

When you see God using someone like Nick, who has no arms and legs, in such a might way, our excuses start to sound pretty lame. God can and will use us if we just choose to submit to Him and allow Him to lead our lives. Nick also made another good point. He said we often compare our circumstances to that of others so we can feel better. You know, things are bad for us but at least we have it better than so-and-so. But as Nick pointed out, that is just temporary peace – just us trying to mask the pain and hurt. The only true way to heal ourselves of whatever we are going through or will be going through is to have a relationship with God and allow Him to heal us from the inside out.

I highly encourage you to check out Nick’s ministry – Life Without Limbs. He has quite a few videos on the site which are very inspiring and are worth taking some time to view.

40 Days of Prayer & Fasting for our State and Nation

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and forgive their sins, and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

With the upcoming elections there is a prayer movement sweeping this nation. A friend of mine is part of the Governor's Prayer team. Beginning yesterday she started sending out prayers daily as part of the California 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting. I'm including the prayer sent today (Day2) below.

In addition she sent me a link to Pray the Vote 2008, which has a link to enroll if you are interested. They also have a link to the 40 Days to Pray the Vote which started today. You can sign up to be emailed the daily prayers.

Please consider joining us in the next 40 days to pray for our state(s) and our nation as the November elections draw closer.

* * * * * *

Prayer from Minister Joe Wright to Kansas Legislature in Topeka on January 23, 1996, it's even more relevant now.

Heavenly Father,

We come before You today to ask Your Forgiveness and seek Your direction and guidance.

We know Your Word says, ''Woe to those who call evil good,'' but that's exactly what we have done.

We have lost our Spiritual equilibrium and inverted our values.

We confess that; we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and called it pluralism;

We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism;

We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle;

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery;

We have neglected the needy and called it self preservation;

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare;

We have killed our unborn and called it choice;

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable;

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem;

We have abused power and called it political savvy;

We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition;

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression;

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; try us and see if there be some wicked way in us; cleanse us from every sin and set us free.

Guide and bless these men and women who have been put in office by the people of this state and who have been ordained by You, to govern this great state. Grant them your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of Your Will.

(Added by the sender: Lord, as we confess our sins honestly before you, we cry to you for mercy and ask you to put righteous men and women after your own heart in seats of authority in our land. See attached Prayer for Leaders after God's own heart.)

I ask in in the name of your Son, The Living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen

Chasing

My husband and I are attending a 6 week bible study with a small group called "One Month to Live" that is being sponsored by a local church (yes, I did say my husband and I!)

The basic gist of the study is if you only had one month left to live, what would you regret about your life? What changes would you make in your life? Why don't we make those changes now?

This last week's topic was about Loving Completely and our discussion last night was very good and insightful. Part of the video we watched last night and then discussed included a short film which was made by the authors' son. I found this video to be very powerful. It refers to a parable Jesus told in the Bible which is very touching and powerful on its own.

Please enjoy and let God's unconditional love for you sink in.

Chasing by Ryan Shook

The Shack - My Review

I just finished reading The Shack by William P. Young. I will not give away any of the plot in my review here, but I do want to say that if I was told that I could only read one book for the rest of my life (other than the Bible) this book would be my choice.

When I was about halfway through the book, I described it to one of my friends by saying - "If you have put God in a box, this book will blow up that box." This past year has been a journey for me to get to know my Creator on a more intimate level. This book has done more to open my eyes to how God really sees us and wants to relate to us than any other book I have read.

I truly believe when this book was written the Lord was giving the inspiration and guiding the keystrokes. It will be a book I read at least once a year.

I had originally heard a little about this book and the story behind how it was published. This intrigued me. Then I had two individuals I respect who do NOT usually read fiction, recommend this book (one is a former pastor of mine and the other is an extremely gifted author). Then my uncle emailed me and told me I needed to read the book. So, I figured I needed to at least check it out. My life will not ever be the same and I will never view my relationship with the Lord the same.

No matter who you are, no matter your current beliefs, no matter what your walk with the Lord is right now (or isn't for that matter) I recommend you take the time to read this book and ask the Lord to open your heart to Him. I truly believe no matter who you are, you will find your life changed in some way.

If you want to check out more about the book you can visit the website - The Shack Book. Once you read it I would love to hear what you think. If you have already read it, please leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Why ProLife?

Randy Alcorn has written a book called Why Prolife? which I highly recommend. He is currently offering it in a free pdf downloadable file at his website Eternal Perspectives Ministry.

I highly recommend everyone download and read this, regardless of your current beliefs. In Randy's own words:

Though I'm a Christian, I don't make many arguements from the Bible in this book. (I've done that elsewhere.) The case I present is grounded in medical science and reliable psychological studies. These sources should be as credible to any truth-respecting agnostic as they are to Christians. Indeed, many non-Christians oppose abortion.

Edge of Eternity - book recommendation

I recently read a book called Edge of Eternity by Randy Alcorn. I happened to pick up this book because I had recently read his book Lord Foulgrin's Letters (I also recommend this) which is very similar to C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters. Basically he took the concept and elaborated a bit more (read his introduction in the book for more information on this).

It is a bit funny because I'm also currently reading a nonfiction book by Randy Alcorn called Heaven. This book is very enlightening and I highly recommend it. It is very large and goes into detail as to what scripture says about Heaven and what it will be like. Until reading it I had not realized how little I really thought about Heaven and how little I actually yearn and look forward to my time there. This is important since it is where I'm going to be spending eternity.

But I digress. Edge of Eternity reminded me of Pilgrim's Progress, but the walk being taken is not just the character's Christian walk. It includes the walk prior to becoming a Christian as well. The main character Nick Seagrave is a successful businessman who has recently lost his family due to his drive to succeed at all costs. One night he is caught in a storm and finds himself in a world unlike any he has known before. He finds himself walking a road that is between two realities, the reality of the Earth we know and the spiritual realm many of us rarely if ever give any thought to.

This book is a very good read that will make you think about your current walk in life, regardless of where you may be at this time. I finished the book in one weekend and highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for some good fiction that is thought provoking and will encourage you to dig deeper in your intimacy with the Lord.

Character of Daniel

I've mentioned a couple times, that I'm currently studying the book of Daniel right now. I plan to go to Esther next, but I'm still finding nuggets in Daniel. One of the men we consider an "elder" in our house church recently did a sermon at the local House of Prayer regading the character of Daniel.

I highly recommend downloading the podcast and listening to it. There are notes included as well. I think it is a great starting point for diving into Daniel. I believe they only keep the podcasts online for a few weeks though so you may want to download it now even if you can't listen right away.

The Character of End Times Daniel (podcast) - Juan Chapa

The Character of End Times Daniel (notes) - Juan Chapa

The more I read Daniel the more I realize how much we as Christians can learn from his life. The more I read, the greater my desire to become more like Daniel. This sermon has now made me want to go back through Daniel again and start looking for those characteristics that I see in his life that I would like in mine.

A Whisper of Grace

One of the ladies over at 1Peter3Living has started a blog for New Believers called A Whisper of Grace.

I'll let you read her testimony on her site, however I can tell you this site is definitely worth adding to your blogroll regardless of where you are in your walk with the Lord. She is very honest about where she is in her journey and the struggles she has faced. As she has come to know the Lord she has often been overwhelmed because she had no past experience with Christianity (was not raised in a Christian home). The purpose of her blog is to help other new believers find resources which compliment where they are currently in their walk without overwhelming, confusing or discouraging them.

However, even if you consider yourself a more "seasoned" Christian you will find this blog refreshing and relevant. Please take a look and drop Lizzie a note to encourage her. God's fingerprints are all over this blog!

Song of Solomon Study

As many of you may know from my previous posts - I've been on a journey recently to better understand God's love for me. The Word says we love Him because He first loved us. I know how much He loves me in my head. But at times that is all it is, just head knowledge.

I want to get it in my heart. I want to truly understand that He loves me no matter what I have or have not done. That does not give me an excuse for not reading my Bible, not praying, etc. However, I have trouble truly understanding that His love for me is not dependent on these things. Therefore, I live with shame and condemnation a lot.

Last week I started a study at RHOP on the Song of Solomon and I am so excited (and a bit scared!) about this. Last week while listening to the woman leading this study I started to "get it". I started to feel it in my heart, but without realizing it I would start to throw up a wall. It is a habit and it was causing a struggle in me through the whole lesson. Part of me wants to have the heart knowledge of how my Lord feels towards me, but part of me feels the need to protect myself. I know it is crazy but old habits and ways of thinking are hard to break.

I believe it is no mistake that the woman leading this had to postpone it from November to now. Right now this study and this understanding of how much the Lord loves me and cherishes me means more than ever before. God's timing is perfect.

So, if any of this is pulling at something in your heart. If you think this is something the Lord is also wanting to reveal to you, please join me. RHOP is making the handouts and the lessons available online. You can listen to the podcasts using iTunes (which is free - iTunes).

RHOP Podcasts (and handouts)

Song of Songs - Session 1
Bridal Paradigm Introduction Handout
Song of Songs Overview Notes
Discovering God's Heart - Session 1 Notes

I also have the RHOP podcast feed on my sidebar so you can see when the new sessions are posted.

Huckabee's answer re: Evolution

I have to say the more I see of this candidate the more I like him. This is a click where Mike Huckabee responds to a question that is asked of him regarding whether or not he believes in evolution. I thought he did a great job of answering the question. What do you think?



If you are interested in learning more about this Mike Huckabee visit his site. It has alot of good information regarding where he stands on issues.

Where are we in the Army?

I've started reading a book called The Final Quest by Rick Joyner. The first chapter is called The Hordes of Hell are Marching. In it Rick describes a dream/vision God gave him about the army of the Enemy. The first part of the chapter he describes the army of the Enemy and the rest of the chapter he describes the army of the Lord and the beginning of the fight between these two armies.

What is interesting is how Christians figure into the army of the enemy. Demons such as Rejection, Bitterness, Lust, etc are actually riding into battle on Christians and these Christians do not even realize it. Then behind the main army he describes little demons called Fear that are guarding prisoners. These prisoners are Christians who are marching along dejected and above them are flying vultures who are Depression who vomit on the prisoners. The really sad thing is these prisoners still have their weapons with them and could kill the little demons and vultures guarding them, but they actually think these things are messengers of God and believe they are marching in the army of the Lord, not the enemy.

Then he runs to the army of the Lord and sees Christians, many of whom do not have all their armor on, or in some cases have no armor at all. Many are wounded and are not bothering to cover their wounds with armor to protect them. Behind this army are more Christians who are frolicking and have no idea what is going on. When someone says something about the impending war they laugh and say the Lord would never let anything like that happen and they ignore the reality of what is happening around them.

Then the enemy attacks and their arrows of Accusation, Gossip, Slander & Faultfinding rain down on the army of the Lord. The vultures of depression come in and start taking away the wounded to become prisoners in the army of the enemy.

Later in the chapter he describes the army of the Lord going to the Mountain of the Lord and climbing levels while fighting the enemy. The angels of Faith, Hope & Love encourage them and they grow stronger. He talks of the weapons of the Lord to be found on the different levels and about putting their swords (the Word of God) into the ground and tying themselves to it in order to anchor themselves while they shoot arrows down on the enemy.

I found this whole chapter so very interesting and it spoke to me quite a bit. I could see that the things he was describing are happening in our world. We just don't see it because we are so distracted by this world, we forget there is a spiritual world that is very active. It influences our lives whether we recognize it exists or not.

I also found myself throughout the chapter wondering which part of the army I was? Am I part of the army of the enemy being ridden by demons? Am I one of the prisoners being dragged down by depression, thinking that I'm marching with the Lord? Am I one of the individuals in the army of the Lord that is not fully armored and is already wounded and not trying to protect myself or allowing God to heal me?

This is just the first chapter of this short book. I'm going to read this first chapter again prior to continuing on. I've also started praying that the Lord will reveal to me where I am in these two armies. I'm praying He'll open my eyes to where I am and what I need to do in order to ensure I am part of the Lord's army and climbing His Mountain.

BibleMap.org

I've started this new thing called "Stumbling". While doing so I've come across the following website which I think it really cool and I'm adding to my resources on my sidebar.

Bible Map

You can choose any book of the Bible and chapter and see on a map where the passage is referencing. I have always loved maps (I used to draw maps of islands I would make up as a child and I also used to love drawing floorplans of our house!)

Check it out. It would be great for research, but also is just fun to play with.

If you want to see other great sites I've stumbled across click on the My StumbleUpon Page logo/link on the sidebar.

Pro-Life Sites

As some of you may noticed, the silent cries of aborted babies has been heavy on my heart lately. This is actually something that has been on my heart for many years. As I've become a mother myself (I have three little darlings) and miscarried once, this has become an even heavier burden for me.

I've been looking into different organizations/movements lately as I feel the Lord leading me to take a more active stand. I believe we should take a stand for the Lord, however we must be careful not to be "in your face" obnoxious. That never changes anyone's minds and in the end, the only real way to end abortion is not to change the laws, but to change people's hearts. (Don't get me wrong, I want the laws to change, but realistically I know this will not end the killing of innocent lives).

Here are some sites I've come across lately that I wanted to share with each of you which I will be adding to my sidebar.

Bound4Life
This is the movement I wrote about awhile back. It is a grassroots movement that does silent sieges and is actively praying for the Lord to end abortion and change people's hearts.

Operation Outcry
This is a project "to end legal abortion by exposing the truth about its devastating impact on women and families" They are dedicated to exposing what they believe are the two largest lies regarding abortion. That it is safe for women and that it is not a baby being aborted. They are working to accomplish this through prayer and the testimonies of mothers who have been affected by these lies. This is a project of the Justice Foundation. (Thank you Carla for this link!)

A Cry Without A Voice
This site is still under construction, but you can read more about it here until the site is up and running. This is led by a women named Rebecca Porter. Mothers who have aborted their babies choose a pair of baby shoes and attach a card of commemoration. These shoes have been on display in the US, Israel and Holland. When I read this page and saw the picture of the shoes and card Rebecca did for her son, I wept. We've been told so many lies about how abortion is a choice that harms nobody. We can't even begin to imagine the extent of the damage physically, emotionally and spiritually that is caused by this "choice".

Abort73
This is a bit more "in your face" than the other sites, but I'm listing it because it has some very valuable information regarding the truth behind abortion and what it really is. Please be aware there are some very graphic images and information on this site, however I think it is information we all really need to be aware of.

If you are aware of other noteworthy sites, please let me know. I'm going to start a "Choose Life" Resources section on my blog.

Expectations Kill Relationships

I usually don't just send my readers off somewhere else to read something, but a friend of mine shared this blog with me and the first post I came across touched me so much and I felt God speaking to me through it. So I just have to share it with all of you. Please read through the entire post.

Cup - Expectations kill relationships

(Thanks Julia!)

Free Bible Commentary Links

As promised I'm going to share a couple of my favorite sources for Free Bible Commentaries. This may come in very handy if you choose to do the one Bible Study I mentioned in my last post. I print out a chapter at a time and leave it in my notebook for my study time.

Today I have two resources I use that I wanted to share. If you have others, please feel free to share.

e-Sword at http://www.e-sword.net/

This is actually a free Bible software program that you can download onto your computer. Once downloaded you can add Bible Commentaries and tons of other tools. There are certain versions and tools that do require payment, but you can get tons of stuff for no charge.

I like this tool because I have it on my laptop at all times. Therefore, if I am somewhere and do not have internet access I can still access this. You can also sent up a Bible reading schedule for yourself, take notes and highlight items directly in the program.

Study Light Free Commentaries at http://www.studylight.org/com/

This is a wonderful resource which includes many different commentaries. Each one listed has a short summary about the commentary. Once you choose one you can choose the book you want and then the chapter you are wanting. Some are verse by verse commentaries.

This is the resource I'm using alot right now for my study. I'm doing Romans and I've chosen two commentaries and print one chapter at a time to keep in the front pocket of my Study Note (Ang4him Romans Commentary) notebook.

As I mentioned, if you have any good resources for free bible commentaries, please share!

Bible Study

I'm back! But more importantly, today I want to finally take the time to share with you what I learned from the Mike Bickle CDs I had told you about. He recommended two different ways to study the Bible during the time you've scheduled for Study time. The key is to have a focus. Don't just flip/flop through the Bible and to whatever takes your fancy at the moment.

The first way is to read 10 chapters a day. Set aside 30 - 60 minutes at least in order to be able to read and focus on what you are reading. By doing this you can get through the New Testament once every month. Can you imagine what God could show you by reading the New Testament once a month?!

The second way is to study a book of the Bible, one at a time. Mike suggests choosing your top 10 books and determining an order. This enables you to focus. He calls this your "juicy" list. Then he suggests you find two commentaries. There are a lot of free commentaries online that you can use. (I'll share some I've found in one of my future posts). You don't have to be picky, these will just assist you along the way. Also, get a notebook. Basically when you are done you will have a commentary of your own. I'm labeling my notebooks "Ang4him Commentary of ____"

In order to get the most out of this you need your study time to be consistent and scheduled. Set your study times and protect them. (I'm still working on this but it gets easier with time).

1. Choose one paragraph/section at a time to read. Note: you will not get through a book quickly, however you will really be diving into God's Word and building a relationship with Him.

2. Read the commentaries on this section after you've read the section in the Bible. While reading the commentaries, highlight ideas that excite you.

3. Notebook -
a. list at the top the section you are reading (ie. Romans 1:1-7).
b. Title - write the Title for the section in your own words (these may be wordy at first, don't worry about it) - Don't use the commentary's title - think about it yourself!

4. Write notes from the commentary. Try to paraphrase the ideas you've highlighted in the commentaries. Or you can write them word for word. Writing things down helps us to absorb and focus on the ideas. Then write in your own words a summary of what the section is teaching you, what it is about, etc. Ask yourself who, what, where, when, how & why?

5. Journal/prayer: Ask the Lord to do to your life/heart what the passage speaks of (if applicable).

Both of these study methods appeal to me for different reasons. So I've decided to do both. Obviously trying to do both at once is too much, especially at first and I'm setting myself up to fail. So I'm going to alternate. I'll take a book of the Bible to study first (I've chosen Romans) then once I'm done, I'll switch to reading 10 chapters a day for a couple months. I'll let you know how it goes. If you decide to do one of these I'd love to hear from you.

I'll post a listing of free online commentaries in the next couple days.

40 Days for 40 Years

I received this email from a friend in my House Church and wanted to share it with all of you. It is a worldwide fast that will be starting the evening of June 28th through July 7th. I've not really fasted before so instead of a full blown fast I will be doing what is called a Daniel Fast. I've heard this described as just fruits and veggies and I've heard it described as a "sweets and meats" fast. I'll be doing the sweets and meats fast. I tell you this not to drawn your attention to me and my fasting but to encourage you to read the entire email which I'm posting here. Check out the websites listed as well to learn more about this. Then I encourage you to join in this fast. Our God is Awesome and I believe He has some amazing things awaiting us!

International House of Prayer (IHOP) - 40 Days for 40 Years

Fast & Pray

The Call

God TV

Email - 40 Days for 40 Years

God has graciously raised up Lou Engle to call America to a 40 day fast. Lou has mobilized thousands of leaders who are committed to this vision as well. All the major Christian TV networks are announcing it to get the word out - it is time for America to fast and pray as a nation. The article below, written by Lou, explains the urgency behind this initiative. The IHOP-KC family is standing with The Call and belivers during these 40 days. Please forward this to everyone you know who has a heart for America.

40 days for 40 years
by Lou Engle

There are moments in history when a door for massive change opens, and great revolutions for good or evil spring up in the vacuum created by these openings. In these historic moments key men and women and even entire generations risk everything to become the hinge of history, the pivotal point that determines which way the door will swing.

The rebellious generation of the 60’s seized its moment, and history crashed into the deep abyss of drug addiction, sexual immorality, hatred for authority, and a rejection of the law of God. 1967 was a culminating and defining moment in that rebellion. In 1967, 100,000 young people, aged 15-25 flocked to San Francisco to experience the hippie movement. This mass convergence was sparked by the hit song, San Francisco, (Wear a Flower in your Hair). Once there, they experimented with LSD, pot, casual sex and Eastern mysticism in what became known as the “Summer of Love.”

When these newly recruited Flower Children returned home at the end of the summer, they brought with them new styles and ideas, flooding the cities of the US and Europe with a message that opposed authority and scorned conservative morals. This counterculture rebellion was fueled by music and art, and it rapidly shifted global culture.

For 40 years we have been falling headlong into a black moral morass in America and all through the west. We are reaping the waves of destruction in every sector of our post Christian society. Can America survive another 40 years? We are declaring NO! A thousand times NO! Unless a massive spiritual shift occurs at this moment our children will live under an antichrist system and Godless enculturation that will bring about the demise of America, as we know it.

But God has a prescription for such a massive shift and it is revealed in the power of the great transitional 40-day fast. God in His sovereign control over the parade of history delivered the Israelites out of Egypt. Longing to release a moral code that would give foundations for righteousness, for time and eternity, God summoned Moses to a 40-day fast on Mount Sinai. In that fast all of history changed and the law of God was delivered from heaven to earth. And if America is going to return to God it must recover that law again as its foundation for truth.

Elijah, at the height of Jezebel’s cultic dominion over Israel fasted 40 days, broke the spell of Jezebel off of his own life and received a mandate to anoint the next generation. That fast unleashed a movement that toppled Jezebel’s regime of hell, which perpetrated the destruction of family, the killing of innocent children, the silencing of the voice of God’s people and the widespread culture of sexual immorality. The fruit of that fast culminated in the utter destruction of Baal worship in Israel.

Also in the fullness of time the glorious gospel era was born when Jesus fasted 40 days and those who sat in darkness saw a great light. Clearly the 40-day fast is heaven’s great transitional prescription, moving nations from failure to fulfillment of promise. Is it any surprise that when Jesus was to enter into His great sacrifice where death would be swallowed up in victory, Elijah and Moses appear with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration. All three of them were together as the 40-day fasters. They presided over the great transitions of history.

When the Israelites were poised to move into the Promise Land, spies were sent out for 40 days. When they returned carrying an evil report, a whole generation was infected with unbelief and they turned there back on the Promise Land. God’s sentence on that generation was, “And your sons shall be wanderers in the wilderness for 40 years and bear the brunt of your infidelity until your carcasses are consumed in the wilderness. According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land 40 days, for each day you shall bear your guilt one year, namely 40 years, and you shall know my rejection.” (Numbers 14:33-34) It was 40 years of judgment for 40 days failure.

Conversely the great prophet Ezekiel received a 40-day prayer assignment for a 40-year failure of Judah’s iniquity. “Lie again on your right side, then you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah, 40 days I have laid on you a day for each year.” (Ezekiel 4:6) It was clearly 40 days prayer for 40 years of failure.

When Jesus fasted 40 days and was tempted of the devil he quoted from the book of Deuteronomy saying, “It is written man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” And again, “You shall not tempt the Lord thy God” and again, “You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only shall you worship.” Jesus in His victory over Satan was quoting the book of Deuteronomy, the portion of scripture delivered by Moses to the generation who failed in the desert. Jesus in His 40-day fast was clearly identifying with that passage of scripture and that generation that came out of Egypt. As an intercessor in His 40-day fast he was fulfilling what a generation had failed in for 40 years. 40 years are up! Could the church of America in a 40-day fast deliver a nation out of a 40-year curse? We have scriptural precedent to believe for such a turning! Therefore, we are trumpeting a call to 40 days of fasting like Moses, like Elijah, like Ezekiel, and like Jesus. We must cry for mercy for 40 days of prayer with fasting for the past 40 years of inquiry, divorcing God in America, embracing a culture of sexual immorality, hedonism, materialism, abortion, and the rejection of Christ in the public place. But we are also calling for 40 days of fasting and prayer for the greatest outbreak of the kingdom power, in signs and wonders, and spiritual awakening in America that will collide with this present darkness and topple its cultural dominion over our people. Thousands went on 40-day fasts in 1946 and in 1947 the great healing revivals broke out. In 1948 the latter rain outpourings began. Bill Bright and Billy Graham’s ministries were born at the same time, and Israel became a nation. Could it be that the 40-day fast preceded this explosion of power by the Spirit. After Jesus’ 40-day fast the scripture says He returned in the power of the Spirit. Yes the promise of Joel 2:28 is that after the fast I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh…

40 years ago in 1967 the Jesus Movement broke out, a youth revival starting on the streets that swept across the country, exploding in college campuses and coffee houses. People were being saved everywhere. Now 40 years later we are crying, do it again God, way beyond the Jesus movement!

In 1967, in a war and obviously by the supernatural hand of God, Jerusalem was taken and once again brought under the control of the state of Israel. This was a monumental signpost in the shifting of eras. The dispensation of the times of the Gentiles was now beginning to shift to the times when Jerusalem will become the last days focus for God’s activity in the earth. For 40 days we are joining Israel in a 40-day fast crying out to God that they would see there Messiah and that they would begin to receive their greatest spiritual awakening since the days of the Apostles.

Brothers and sisters moments like these come only once in a lifetime. To miss such a moment could be to miss the purpose of God for a generation. The generation that refused to cross over the Jordan did not know that they had only one day to make the decision, and missing that day meant 40 years in the desert.

Even now we are receiving reports that other countries are calling 40-day fasts. Could we be in a Global 40-day season of fasting like Jesus to see a global outbreak of light when great darkness is covering the earth? Beginning the evening of May 28 we are calling 2 generations to 40 days of fasting and prayer culminating on July 6 to prepare us for 7-7-07, the perfection of time, in a massive national gathering of fasting, intercession, repentance, and worship declaring we want to remarry the Lord. We want to cross over into the promise land of national revival. We want to break this 40-year curse.

May thousands seek God in water, juice, and Daniel fasts from May 28-July 6 in preparation for The Call Nashville on 7-7-07 (a national solemn assembly).

What would happen in America if for 40 days we sealed the electronic cultural sewer that flows nightly into our living rooms and spent our strength seeking the Lord? What if tens of thousands of fathers and mothers across our nation fasted for 40 days repenting and cleansing themselves of inward toleration of sexual immorality, pornography, addiction to food and entertainment, and materialism? What if they prayed daily for their spiritual and physical children to see them converted to Christ and freed from rebellion, from addictions, depression, and suicide? What if the young generation fasted for 40 days to be cleansed from lust, media addiction, rebellion toward there parents, believing that a double portion of the Holy Spirit would come upon there lives?

Moses fasted 40 days and mentored a spiritual son named Joshua, which means the Lord saves. Elijah fasted 40 days and threw his mantle on a double portion son Elisha, which means the Lord saves. And John the Baptist fasted in the desert and prepared the way for a double portion son named Jesus, which means the Lord saves. Jesus fasted 40 days and unleashed the apostolic glory of the eternal Son of God into the earth. What If we are preparing a generation for the greatest day of salvation in history? And so, what if tens of thousands of both generations fast together and gather on 7-7-07 for The Call Nashville in LP Field, to cry out to God in a Joel 2 moment for great national returning to the Lord?

The parade of history has brought us into a profound generational landmark, and a great vacuum has opened again. If the church does not seize this moment Muslims will! Antichrist rage will! Sexual perversion will! Anarchy will! But now is the time for key men and women, even an entire generation to risk everything to become the hinge of history, the pivotal point which determines which way the door will swing in America and in the nations of the earth. Its 40 Days or 40 Years! Seize the Day!

We will be launching this fast with a worldwide simulcast on God TV on May 26th.

For all information on the 40-day fast and The Call Nashville please visit www.fastandpray.com and www.thecall.com.

Living a Focused Life

As I mentioned before, I listened to some CDs on my way to and back from Washington State. One that made a huge impact on me was a talk given by Mike Bickle from IHOP (International House of Prayer) in Kansas City.

He was talking about how in order to accomplish the things we want to in life, we must focus our lives on those things. It won't just happen by accident. Now, don't get me wrong, we still need to lean on God, trust Him and follow Him. However, He is not going to just throw blessings your way if you just sit on your tush wasting away your time all day long.

Mike suggests you put together a schedule for your week. He redoes his every few months based on things going on in his life. We have 168 hours in a week and we need to determine how we are going to spend them. Now it is a given that emergencies will come up and God will lead you to things you've not planned. However that is not what happens the majority of the time. If we don't determine what we are going to do with that time, someone else will for us and it will probably be wasted. Mike suggests if you are able to keep to your schedule even 80% of the time you are doing good and will see things start happening in your life.

He has been doing this for quite a few years now and schedules his time by 15 minute increments. For now I'm going to do mine in 1 hour increments.

The four important things he suggests we all schedule into our lives are

• Relationship Time (family & friends),
• Rest Time (sleeping and just relaxing at times),
• Study Time (Bible Study) and
• Prayer Time.

The second CD I had got into some suggestions he had for your Study Time and I'll share that with you in a separate post.

The point of this is to get your life focused on what is truely important and what you want to do with your life. If you say you want to live your life for God and be a blessing to your family, then you need to ensure your life reflects that. Don't take this to the extreme where you get legalistic about keeping your schedule. It is okay to deter from it, especially if that detour is prompted by God. This is just a way to ensure you are focusing your time in a way that reflects what you say your values are.

I'm going to be putting together a schedule for myself and working to keep it. Even if I'm not able to get to the 80% I think I'll still see changes in my life and my relationships that are important to me. Will you try with me?

If you are interested in teachings by Mike Bickle you can visit the IHOP site. Here is the one that includes the things I'm talking about Power of a Focused Life.

Something to Think About - (There were Two Trees)

On Easter Sunday, my family had dinner with my aunt and uncle who live only 7 miles from us, but who we do not see as often as I would like. While there, they gave me a small book by Rick Joyner which they've been reading. They said it was affecting their lives and thought I might be interested in it. The title of the books is There Were Two Trees in the Garden.

It has been a couple weeks now and I've realized this is a very powerful book. I've been reading it quite a bit but have not gotten past the first chapter yet. It has so much in it that I am trying to absorb and really pray and think on, that I've read this first chapter about five times now.

I'll definitely be doing a review on my Ang4him Reviews page when I'm done, but in the meantime I wanted to share a few excerpts from the first chapter.

"The Bible is a most precious and wonderful gift from the Lord to His people, but it was not meant to take the place of the Lord Himself or the Spirit whom He sent. The Bible is a means, not an end. Knowing the Book of the Lord is not our primary goal, but rather to know the Lord of the Book. As wonderful a gift as the Bible is, it is not God. If it supplants the place of the Lord in our lives, it has actually become an idol."

This really got me to thinking. It is good to pursue knowledge of God, especially through His Word, but it is very easy lose sight of the real reason why we do this. We should be doing it not to gain more knowledge for the sake of knowledge or to build ourselves up, but to deepen our relationship with the Lord.

This chapter goes into what the two trees in the garden were and what they represented. It warns of us losing sight of God and getting too hung up in the Law. We look at how the Pharisees acted during Jesus' time and will condem them for legalism, however we've done the same thing in many ways. We are just as guilty of taking God's Word and losing sight of Him. We start to give more focus to the rules and traditions than to the relationship we were made for.

There is a ditch on either side of the path of life. On one side there is legalism. On the other side is lawlessness. Both lead to death. If we tend to be reactionary, we will usually react to one of these ditches too much so that we end up in the one on the other side. God's answer to lawlessness is not legalism, but rather the cross. If we seek to be justified by the works of the Law, we are turning our backs on God's provision - the cross. If we turn from legalism without going to the cross, we will end up in lawlessness, one of the greatest evils to come upon the world in the last days.

Maybe these excerpts will give you some food for thought and for prayer. I'll be starting chapter two soon and will probably be sharing more, if the rest of the books is anything like the first chapter.