Tuesday, April 29, 2008

April 29-31

This is going to be my last post on this TVVT blog.
I've decided to take all of my fasting off the record and pursue a different mentality of fasting.
Yes i will still be fasting 3 days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but our fasting team that we had is mostly over and done with and, when it starts up again one day, i feel the adequate cultivation in the Spirit and in the natural (this blog/ people going hard after fasting and righteousness) has been fulfilled.
So with that i just want to say, bless you if you've run onto this site. Feel free to read through posts of this blog, use the material for your own good. If you like something and want to make it your own just take it!
Prayer and Fasting is so important to our walks with Christ. Learn it! Live it! Cultivate a long history in fasting with the Lord. Voluntary weakeners pays off, the Lord is searching even now for humble people who will allow Him to work in/through their life.
God Bless!!
-Drew
e-mail:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

April 22-24

Connecting the dots...

In this fast group we use on Matt 5:6 as our focus verse:

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."

I want to just throw it out there and say that God is the righteousness this verse is focusing on. How could we as sinful beings ever hope to say that we are righteous? We can have righteousness take hold in our hearts and manifest in our lives but apart from God, Who causes that to happen, we are not righteous.
So what does it mean to hunger and thirst after righteousness? It means to burn to be more like God. Hungering after God is a gift that He gives us to increase Himself in our lives. He tweaks our hearts and causes us to run to Him.
So what should my response be if im burning to know more of God or if i'm wanting and willing to act upon the way i feel towards Him?
Well there are many things you can do, but im going to highlight something out of Matt 9:14-15

14Then the disciples of John came to Him, asking, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?"
15And Jesus said to them, "The attendance of the bridegroom cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast."

Mourning after Jesus is longing for God in our lives. We all have a God shaped hole in our heart that only He can fill. Nothing else will satisfy. What happens when we come to grips with ourselves and actually want to do something about the longing for God that we have? Well Jesus invites us to fast.
I believe the best way to increase hungering for Jesus (the word, prayer, dwelling with His Spirit) is to fast. and i also believe it should be the next step in the relationship. Jesus said "But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast." Those days are upon us, its now that fasting and longing for righteousness and Jesus apply to our lives.
So i'd invite anyone who strolls upon this page or who regularly reads and even fasts to 'sign up' again this week and take time to fast and pray and really seek the Lords heart either on this topic or on another area of your walk that He has placed on your heart. I want to hunger and thirst after Jesus, i want to be lovesick for my Bridegroom. Fasting a little or a lot won't change the fact that God wants to satisfy. He'll meet us all where we are and give grace to those who seek Him. Lets just take things in stride this week and press in. Don't be shy.
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or
check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.
God Bless!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

April 15-17

Matt 6:19-21

19Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal;
21for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

A few things about this:

-Jesus straight up tells us not to store up treasures on earth. As a lover of God i want to take this seriously and do what He says.
-Then He tells us that our hearts will belong to heaven (the kingdom of heaven) if we store our treasures up there.

So how does one store up treasures in heaven?
Well Jesus tells us in the verses just before these how someone can receive treasures in heaven.
3 main ways listed in chapter 6 are, giving to the poor, praying and fasting.

Jesus says that God will reward us if we follow through with these things in our lives.
These rewards are treasures in heaven.
Not only will we store treasures in heaven and be rich when we get there but also our hearts will be at a place where these 3 things are important to our daily lives, and if we would actually go hard after giving to the poor, praying in the closet and fasting we would live a life that is 'other than' and we'd live as those whose hearts are in another world and whose minds are focused on something 'above'. Who "waists" their money just giving it to people who don't deserve it and didn't work for it? Who gives up time to go away and be alone to pray? Who doesn't eat!? WHO DOES THAT?!
Well we should! Lets live extravagant lives and build upon these things and make them realities in our minds and hearts. Lets get our hearts up there in heaven and lets be strangers in the earth. Lets not conform to the day in day out nonsense that the world has to offer.
Lets fast and get there together!
Amen!
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or
check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.
God Bless!

Monday, April 7, 2008

April 7-9

Its the GBF! (Global Bridegroom Fast)
Lets join with saints all over the earth in a 3 day fast to encounter our Bridegroom Jesus Christ in an increased way and touch His heart through prayer and fasting to usher in the coming Kingdom of God.
http://ihop.org/Group/Group.aspx?id=19844
God Bless!
-Drew

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

April 1-3

Colossians 3:17

17Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

This is a hard reality to deal with. Doing everything in the name of Jesus and always with a spirit of thankfulness towards God, even when we don't want too or when things around us aren't going our way. Its important to get this understanding in our grid and to really contend to get it in our hearts and minds. It seems so easy to just get mad or frustrated or jealous and to totally forget that Gods perfect leadership is at hand in our lives. Its always important to give thanks to God in every situation. He's always at work for His and our good in our lives. So praise Him! If we put Jesus first in all we do and keep His praise in our hearts through thankfulness we can start on a road to greater understanding of this verse and of our Lord. Things like this don't happen over night but they happen one day at a time. One word, one deed at a time.
Fasting and praying this into our understanding seems like a great idea this week. Feel free to join in, or feel free to pursue the Lord in your own way. Having a focused lifestyle is so important when we run after the Lord. Fasting can totally help us in this pursuit.
If you have questions email me (Drew) at:
mewithoutdrew@gmail.com
or
check out the Dec 18-21 2007 post.
God Bless!