Numbers 6 is a clear definition of Old Testament fasting (in the context of the Nazirite vow). I like verse 21 which says:
"This is the law of the Nazirite who vows his offering to the Lord according to his separation, in addition to what else he can afford; according to his vow which he takes, so he shall do according to the law of his separation."
I've often related this verse to my own personal choice of fasting in the context of TVVT. We've decided to separate 3 days apart a week to fast and pray and seek the Lord, separated according to a vow we've made in our own hearts. Our offering is our time, our daily focuses (prayer, bible reading) and of course our heart posture towards the Lord. I've always wanted to give up more for the Lord or go harder or farther in the context of fasting and this verse also spurs me on to do that. "in addition to what else he can afford.." how much more can i afford to give up (in a worldly context) to make room for God in my life. How far will i take my consecration and really seek to be successful before the Lord? These are questions I often ask myself as i spur myself on to fast and pray and go harder for God. So now I’m asking all of us with TVVT how far on a personal level are we all willing to go?
So lets open our hearts before the Lord again this week, check our goals and our standard of fasting we've chosen before God and lets open our hearts to the Holy Spirit and ask Him to search us this week and reveal our hearts and move to help us become more like Jesus. Well have fun!!! Lets go hard and give what we can, taking ground in the natural and spiritual, violently moving forward to hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt 5:6)
If you have any questions or concerns or prayer requests e-mail me at: andrewgusztak@hotmail.com
God Bless you all!
-Drew
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
July 24-26
Here's a little sumthin sumthin...
John 2:9-10
9When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom,
10and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now."
Everything that Jesus does in this chapter is really significant to revealing Him as our Bridegroom God. These two verses especially jumped out at me when I read through this chapter again just a few days ago. Now I might be completely wrong, but I believe that these two verses explain the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a generation and it all comes through a place of intimacy and communing with the Holy Spirit.
The servants knowing (apart from basically everyone else, excluding maybe Mary and Jesus' disciples) the wine had once been water is my connection to the secret place and how God works with us apart from our every day activities. (also the act of obedience by the servants to fill the water pots and take some of the water to the headwaiter is another lesson, but I’m not going to go into that.) Then the headwaiter calls the bridegroom and acknowledges the good wine last, which in my mind signifies Jesus giving the Holy Spirit and in the last days allowing a greater outpouring on the last generation (us).
So how do i relate this to TVVT? Well I’d say its a huge encouragement to keep seeking the Lord in the secret place. And I believe this also ties right in with Joel 2: 28-29
28"It will come about after this
That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions.
29"Even on the male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
So lets pray and solidify Jesus as our Bridegroom in our hearts this week. The more you acknowledge Him in this way the quicker this will become a reality in your heart. Amen! God Bless!!!
-Drew
*e-mail me at andrewgusztak@hotmail.com with questions or concerns or prayer requests.
John 2:9-10
9When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom,
10and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now."
Everything that Jesus does in this chapter is really significant to revealing Him as our Bridegroom God. These two verses especially jumped out at me when I read through this chapter again just a few days ago. Now I might be completely wrong, but I believe that these two verses explain the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a generation and it all comes through a place of intimacy and communing with the Holy Spirit.
The servants knowing (apart from basically everyone else, excluding maybe Mary and Jesus' disciples) the wine had once been water is my connection to the secret place and how God works with us apart from our every day activities. (also the act of obedience by the servants to fill the water pots and take some of the water to the headwaiter is another lesson, but I’m not going to go into that.) Then the headwaiter calls the bridegroom and acknowledges the good wine last, which in my mind signifies Jesus giving the Holy Spirit and in the last days allowing a greater outpouring on the last generation (us).
So how do i relate this to TVVT? Well I’d say its a huge encouragement to keep seeking the Lord in the secret place. And I believe this also ties right in with Joel 2: 28-29
28"It will come about after this
That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions.
29"Even on the male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
So lets pray and solidify Jesus as our Bridegroom in our hearts this week. The more you acknowledge Him in this way the quicker this will become a reality in your heart. Amen! God Bless!!!
-Drew
*e-mail me at andrewgusztak@hotmail.com with questions or concerns or prayer requests.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
July 17-19
A few weeks back when i was with my family i was talking to them all about prophecy and basically just filling them in on how to prophecy and going to the Bible to read passages and learn on what the Word had to say on being prophetic. Anyways, my mom then wanted to try and get a word for everyone so she got Philippians 3:16 which was exactly what i need to hear at the time, and even now.
If this verse doesn't provoke you i don't know what will...
Philippians 3:16
however, let us keep living by the same standard to which we have attained.
This verse along with the verses preceding and following are very encouraging yet add a level of responsibility that should cause us to go back to our first love and seek the Lord in prayer and fasting.
So i'd encourage you to take a quick look at Philippians 3 and dive in to the deep and get some oil. Remember, your either moving forward with God or moving backward. As long as we are saying 'Yes' in our hearts and putting our best foot forward to seek Him throughout our day, He will move in our lives and take us higher. So get down with the Holy Spirit and pick His brain to find out whats on the Fathers heart for you this week, and how He wants to take you to a higher place. Stay at the natrual standard you've laid out for yourself through fasting/pray/quiet time with the Lord but remember He's got ya in His hand and He'll have His way no matter what. :)
-Drew
If this verse doesn't provoke you i don't know what will...
Philippians 3:16
however, let us keep living by the same standard to which we have attained.
This verse along with the verses preceding and following are very encouraging yet add a level of responsibility that should cause us to go back to our first love and seek the Lord in prayer and fasting.
So i'd encourage you to take a quick look at Philippians 3 and dive in to the deep and get some oil. Remember, your either moving forward with God or moving backward. As long as we are saying 'Yes' in our hearts and putting our best foot forward to seek Him throughout our day, He will move in our lives and take us higher. So get down with the Holy Spirit and pick His brain to find out whats on the Fathers heart for you this week, and how He wants to take you to a higher place. Stay at the natrual standard you've laid out for yourself through fasting/pray/quiet time with the Lord but remember He's got ya in His hand and He'll have His way no matter what. :)
-Drew
Monday, July 9, 2007
July 10-12
This week for TVVT we will be switching our focus for the rest of the year.
Yes, this is still a fast, but we are going to be focusing more on time given to the Lord. I've said it before and I'll say it again: This is NOT about the fast...The verse that highlights TVVT is Matt 5:6
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
There are ways to get filled on God (getting oil) and a few that we focus on are communing with His Spirit and by getting down daily in the Word. If you add a bit of fasting to any of your methods of reaching God it totally helps spur on revelation and intimacy.
That is why we fast. So its not really about the fast, but the fast just helps us get there... so it is about the fast! hah.
Anyways, after saying all of that I just want to write and say that TVVT is now shifting from Fasting to Setting time apart for the Lord and fasting.
I'll give you mine and my brothers plan for this so you get a little heads up about what this looks like: On Tuesdays Wednesdays and Thursdays Stefan and I will spend our entire day in a quiet place dwelling on the Lord through prayer, time spent in the Word, playing music to God... those sorts of things. If we have work that day we work but as soon as we come home we hit that room and give the rest of the day to God. We cancel all social times and continually focus on God straight for 3 days.
We started this group at IHOP where we had tons of time to focus on God, so it made sense to just throw fasting in there to help it along, but now we have to take a step back and get down to square one where we realized that the time set apart is just as (if not more) important than the fast itself.
So we hope you can do with this what you will. Have fun this week. Make that schedule and Good luck with all that God has blessed you with!
-Drew
Ephesians 4:7 - But to each one of us grace was given accordingly to the measure of Christ's gift.
Yes, this is still a fast, but we are going to be focusing more on time given to the Lord. I've said it before and I'll say it again: This is NOT about the fast...The verse that highlights TVVT is Matt 5:6
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
There are ways to get filled on God (getting oil) and a few that we focus on are communing with His Spirit and by getting down daily in the Word. If you add a bit of fasting to any of your methods of reaching God it totally helps spur on revelation and intimacy.
That is why we fast. So its not really about the fast, but the fast just helps us get there... so it is about the fast! hah.
Anyways, after saying all of that I just want to write and say that TVVT is now shifting from Fasting to Setting time apart for the Lord and fasting.
I'll give you mine and my brothers plan for this so you get a little heads up about what this looks like: On Tuesdays Wednesdays and Thursdays Stefan and I will spend our entire day in a quiet place dwelling on the Lord through prayer, time spent in the Word, playing music to God... those sorts of things. If we have work that day we work but as soon as we come home we hit that room and give the rest of the day to God. We cancel all social times and continually focus on God straight for 3 days.
We started this group at IHOP where we had tons of time to focus on God, so it made sense to just throw fasting in there to help it along, but now we have to take a step back and get down to square one where we realized that the time set apart is just as (if not more) important than the fast itself.
So we hope you can do with this what you will. Have fun this week. Make that schedule and Good luck with all that God has blessed you with!
-Drew
Ephesians 4:7 - But to each one of us grace was given accordingly to the measure of Christ's gift.
Monday, July 2, 2007
July 3-5
Eph 4:1-3
1Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
The same way Paul implored the Ephesians to walk in such a way I'm gunna throw this verse out there and allow us TVVT'ers to do with it what we will... in other words lets get focused and take this bad boy to heart. I'd recommend everyone who's fasting this week to at some point go threw Eph 4-6. These 3 chapters have been a meditation focus of mine for about the last 4-5 months and I'd love to recommend them to anyone who had time to look into it.
So this week lets get down to business for 3 days and take extra time to run away with the Lord in fasting and prayer.
With Love:
-Drew
Ps. Lets make our prayer focus this week to be Family and Friends. Select a few people who you can bring before the Lord on a daily basis and lets contend for an in breaking of the Holy Spirit in a greater way in their lives and lets watch God move in our friends and family.
1Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
2with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
The same way Paul implored the Ephesians to walk in such a way I'm gunna throw this verse out there and allow us TVVT'ers to do with it what we will... in other words lets get focused and take this bad boy to heart. I'd recommend everyone who's fasting this week to at some point go threw Eph 4-6. These 3 chapters have been a meditation focus of mine for about the last 4-5 months and I'd love to recommend them to anyone who had time to look into it.
So this week lets get down to business for 3 days and take extra time to run away with the Lord in fasting and prayer.
With Love:
-Drew
Ps. Lets make our prayer focus this week to be Family and Friends. Select a few people who you can bring before the Lord on a daily basis and lets contend for an in breaking of the Holy Spirit in a greater way in their lives and lets watch God move in our friends and family.
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