10 Days to the Cross: Day 8
Ok, this is technically day 9, but I was under the weather last night and didn't have time to get this one posted:-) The Day 9 post will follow later this afternoon.
Crucifixion is an ugly and brutal way to die. Historians believe that the practice of crucifixion was first widely practiced by the Carthaginians. Carthage was Rome's mortal enemy. They fought a series of major conflicts in the 2nd and 3rd century B.C. for control of the Mediterranean. Rome won the wars, burned Carthage to the ground and even spread salt on the fields to make Carthage uninhabitable. It was a nasty conflict. The Carthaginians were renowned for cruelty. They sacrificed children to Molech, one of their gods, and they crucified slaves and political prisoners, perhaps even Roman prisoners.
Having been on the receiving end of Carthaginian terror, the Romans soon adopted crucifixion as a way to execute a criminal and send a message of intimidation to the rest of a community. After crushing Spartacus' slave revolt in 71 BC, the Roman general Crassus crucified 6,000 captured slaves, lining the Appian way, from Rome to Capua, with their crosses. Jesus was viewed by both the Jewish Sanhedrin and by the Roman authorities as a political threat. Their goal was not to execute him quietly. They wanted to intimidate people by his death.
Crucifixion is effective as a method of intimidation because it is agonizingly slow and cruel. Nailed by hands/wrists and feet to a cross shaped piece of wood, the condemned is left suspended in the air. The angle at which a crucifixion victim hangs makes it extremely difficult to breathe. A person in that position has to pull themselves up by their nailed hands in order to inhale. Eventually, worn out, they can no longer lift themselves and slowly suffocate or die of exhaustion. This process in most cases took hours, sometimes days to kill the victim. The Jewish historian Josephus writes of people being taken down from the cross after several hours and living.
Often, to hurry the execution along, the Romans would break the legs of the victim, eliminating their ability to draw themselves up to breathe. John records that the Romans soldiers broke the legs of the two criminals on either side of Jesus, but when they got to Jesus, he was already dead.
I've often wondered why Jesus died relatively so quickly. As I look at Scripture, I think that the emotional and spiritual trauma of the day had as much or more to do with Jesus death as the actual crucifixion. Isaiah tells us that he "took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows...The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." The weight of the sin of all humanity was placed on the shoulders of Jesus that day. Have you ever felt really convicted and miserable about your own sin, something you've done wrong? Imagine the heaviness you feel in that moment, multiplied a billion times over. I believe that is something like what Jesus was enduring as he hung there on the cross.
While the crucifixion was brutal, I believe that the spiritual dynamics of the day were far worse for Jesus. Could it be that the spiritual weight of our sin literally broke Christ's heart?
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
The Weight of the Cross
10 Days to the Cross: Day 7
Today's guest post is from Jeff Pitts
Today's guest post is from Jeff Pitts
The
Weight of the Cross
32 As they were going out, they
met a man from Cyrene, named
Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. Matthew 27:32
Was it just a case of wrong place at the wrong
time? Or quite possibly it was a divine place in God’s time. Either way, a man named Simon from the region
of Cyrene surely in town for the festivities of the Passover became the bearer
of the cross of Jesus.
My imagination takes me to Simon in a church
meeting some time later with possibly one of the disciples or a disciple of one
of the disciples. The teaching of that particular day is of the time Jesus said
“pick up your cross daily and follow me.”
Simon slowly raises his hand and says “I did that.” Surely with a quizzical look the
teacher asks Simon what he means.
He repeats “I took up the cross of Christ…and it was heavy.”
Outside of Jesus, Simon may be the only other
person who knows the actual weight of the cross of Christ. But the charge from Christ was for us
to take it up every day. The cross
is not as light as the one on the gold chain around our necks. It does not lay lightly like the one
stitched into the throw blanket on the end of the bed. The cross is challenging, difficult and
at times extremely heavy.
This brings me to this
statement of Jesus “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” The weight of daily taking the heavy cross that Jesus references
as light seems like a contradiction.
Here is why it is not. While
Simon carried the cross, Christ hung on it. He took the crown, He took the nails, He took the
cross. This one act makes
something incredibly heavy, light for you and me. Because he went to cross paid the price for you and me, for
all of our sins, the weight of the cross becomes something we can carry.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Guest Post - Tina Leslie
10 Days to the Cross - Day 6
Today's post is from Tina Leslie, our Dream Team Coordinator.
Today's post is from Tina Leslie, our Dream Team Coordinator.
Even if I knew that
tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.
- Martin Luther-
I can still remember the smile on their faces, sleepy eyes
from just being awakened, looking at baskets of goodies that we called our
resurrection baskets. The
excitement of knowing that the day was special and that the celebration was
just getting started would bring much joy. Dressed up in our Sunday best we were off to worship and to
celebrate the very center of our family, and of our hearts.
Even in the midst of a wonderful celebration, there is a
world full of heartache, chaos and confusion right around the corner. As Christians, we find ourselves planted
right smack dab in the middle of it and experience the same things that the rest
of the world does, or do we? I
look back and try to remember how many times we have been desperate for
answers, how many times we have needed provision, or how many times we have just
needed help? Too numerous to
count, I think. Even in the middle
of our difficulties though, God has called us to see and live things
differently. He has called us to walk it out by faith.
Before Jesus died on the cross, He had a conversation with
his disciples and gave them a promise.
“I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and
assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience
difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.” John 3:33 Message
Bible
Trusting God brings a steadfast and unwavering assurance
that whatever happens to us as Christians in this life, is in the hand of God. He will lead us through it, provide for
us, cover it and meet our needs. Now
that’s peace! We can be confident,
that no matter what takes place in our families, our relationships, our
finances, or our jobs, Jesus has it under control. Because He is triumphant so am I. Because He is victorious
so am I.
This crazy world that we live in calls good – bad and bad –
good. It’s a little mixed up right
now, but the cross that Jesus died on wasn’t just so we could meet and have
communion on Good Friday. The Sunday
morning celebration isn’t just to gather together in our Sunday best. It’s also a reminder that He went before
us and made a way, and though our life sometimes takes a hard turn, we have a
deep insurmountable peace that passes the understanding of the world and a
knowing that it’s going to be okay.
He truly has overcome this world.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Guest Post - Michael Holland
10 Days to the Cross: Day Four
I've asked our lead team members to share a personal reflection on the cross and what it means to them. Today's post comes from Michael Holland, our worship pastor.
The cross of Christ is a call to a new way of life; we are called to put to death our old ways, and in doing so, we are made new in his likeness through the loving sacrifice of Jesus. My encouragement to you this week is this, to take a closer look, to wade through the crowd and the noise and the mockers and the doubters to where the cross is. Just get into his presence, and you will see love like you have never known, and victory like you have never experienced!
I've asked our lead team members to share a personal reflection on the cross and what it means to them. Today's post comes from Michael Holland, our worship pastor.
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See
from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did
e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were
the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross;
Words: Isaac Watts, 1707. Music: Lowell Mason, 1824.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One of the most poignant and powerful hymns of all time,
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, has in it perhaps one of the greatest stanzas
in all worship literature. The final two lines of the hymn strike at the very
heart of what it means when we come face to face with the reality of the cross:
the love of Jesus, poured out for us as an offering to save our very souls demands a response, and not just any
response, but our lives!
We look to that cross today, faced with the same difficult
decision Jesus made almost 2,000 years ago: should we, for the sake of love,
give our lives to him as a sacrifice? Or do we find ourselves able to simply
walk away from what we have seen? If you have
walked away unchanged, I encourage you to take a closer look at what went on
that day when sorrow and love were pouring from the heart of God:
Romans 6:5-8 (NIV) “If we have been united with
him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his
resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the
body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to
sin--because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with
Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.”The cross of Christ is a call to a new way of life; we are called to put to death our old ways, and in doing so, we are made new in his likeness through the loving sacrifice of Jesus. My encouragement to you this week is this, to take a closer look, to wade through the crowd and the noise and the mockers and the doubters to where the cross is. Just get into his presence, and you will see love like you have never known, and victory like you have never experienced!
Friday, March 22, 2013
The Torn Curtain
10 Days to the Cross: Day Three
As Jesus was dying, the gospels tell us that there were strange and unusual things happening in Jerusalem. From noon until 3:00 pm, the area was plunged into darkness. Luke says that "the sun stopped shining." Matthew records that in the moment that Jesus died, around 3:00 pm, that there was a tremendous earthquake that caused rocks to split open and tombs around the city to become unsealed. The earthquake, or really the spiritual forces unleashed at the time of Jesus' death, were so powerful that there was a mass resurrection of godly people who had been dead. Matthew 27:53 - They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. The earthquake and loss of light were enough to convince the Roman officer and his battle hardened soldiers that something supernatural was happening.
At the time of the earthquake, something else took place in Jerusalem at the Temple. The Temple was the center of Jewish worship. In the inner most part of the temple was a room called the Holy of Holies. The ark of the covenant was kept in this room and the room was sealed off from the rest of the building by a thick curtain. Only the high priest could enter the room, and only once a year, on the Day of Atonement. On that day he would sprinkle the blood of a sacrifice on the "mercy seat" of the ark, making atonement for the sin of the people. The Holy of Holies was the place where God's presence dwelt on earth.
In the moment that the final breath left Jesus' body, the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the building was torn in two. The Holy place was opened. God was sending us a message that because of Jesus, the way into his presence was now open for us. No longer was their a need to satisfy the debt of our sin. Jesus had paid the final bill. Because of Him, now nothing can stand in the way of our being reconciled to God.
Hebrews 10:19-23
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
While the curtain in the temple was torn open and Jesus made the way for us to draw near to God, I've found that over the years, people erect all sorts of "curtains" between themselves and God in their own minds. We allow shame, unforgiveness, fear, feelings of inadequacy and all sorts of things to keep us from approaching God. As we go on this journey to the cross, don't let that be you. Remember that because of what Jesus did, the way is open for you to know the God of the Universe. Don't back off. Instead, draw near to Him.
As Jesus was dying, the gospels tell us that there were strange and unusual things happening in Jerusalem. From noon until 3:00 pm, the area was plunged into darkness. Luke says that "the sun stopped shining." Matthew records that in the moment that Jesus died, around 3:00 pm, that there was a tremendous earthquake that caused rocks to split open and tombs around the city to become unsealed. The earthquake, or really the spiritual forces unleashed at the time of Jesus' death, were so powerful that there was a mass resurrection of godly people who had been dead. Matthew 27:53 - They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. The earthquake and loss of light were enough to convince the Roman officer and his battle hardened soldiers that something supernatural was happening.
At the time of the earthquake, something else took place in Jerusalem at the Temple. The Temple was the center of Jewish worship. In the inner most part of the temple was a room called the Holy of Holies. The ark of the covenant was kept in this room and the room was sealed off from the rest of the building by a thick curtain. Only the high priest could enter the room, and only once a year, on the Day of Atonement. On that day he would sprinkle the blood of a sacrifice on the "mercy seat" of the ark, making atonement for the sin of the people. The Holy of Holies was the place where God's presence dwelt on earth.
In the moment that the final breath left Jesus' body, the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the building was torn in two. The Holy place was opened. God was sending us a message that because of Jesus, the way into his presence was now open for us. No longer was their a need to satisfy the debt of our sin. Jesus had paid the final bill. Because of Him, now nothing can stand in the way of our being reconciled to God.
Hebrews 10:19-23
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
While the curtain in the temple was torn open and Jesus made the way for us to draw near to God, I've found that over the years, people erect all sorts of "curtains" between themselves and God in their own minds. We allow shame, unforgiveness, fear, feelings of inadequacy and all sorts of things to keep us from approaching God. As we go on this journey to the cross, don't let that be you. Remember that because of what Jesus did, the way is open for you to know the God of the Universe. Don't back off. Instead, draw near to Him.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
The Purpose of the Cross
10 Days to the Cross - Day Two
It's a late post tonight on our second day of Ten Days to the Cross.
One of the questions I often asked myself as a younger follower of Jesus was "why did Jesus have to die?" I think it's a question that deserves some thought as we reflect on Christ's crucifixion.
The crucifixion of Jesus was in God's plan from the beginning of time. Revelation 13:8 tells us that the Lamb, Jesus, was slain from the creation of the world. In other words, God had destined the crucifixion before Adam and Eve ever fell in the Garden. God knew that having been created with a free will, we would wander outside of the boundary that he established for our protection. Adam and Eve were going to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The result of Adam and Eve's sin and disobedience was death. Physical and spiritual death. The spiritual death came immediately in their moment of sin. Their eyes were open and they felt shame for the first time. Physical death began in that moment as well, but it took a long time to work it's final end in Adam or Eve. Actually, the first thing to die after the fall was an animal, whom God killed and used to clothe Adam and Eve. The death of that animal to cover the shame of the first two humans was a precursor to God's plan to deal with sin and shame for all eternity.
We see this foreshadowing carried throughout the Old Testament. When Abraham sacrifices Isaac, a ram is given by God to die in Isaacs place. At the Passover, the blood of lambs was placed on the doorposts of all the houses of Israel and the angel of death passed over their homes, sparing them while taking the firstborn of all of Egypt. When the Levitical system was established, a system of animal sacrifice was instituted as a means for people to atone for their sin (Leviticus 17:11). All of these sacrifices were pointing to God's ultimate plan.
All the blood of countless millions of sheep and bulls could never satisfy the debt of our sin. The only sacrifice that could satisfy that debt was the life of Jesus. Jesus, the son of God and the son of man, who had lived a perfect and sinless life for 33 years, was put to death to atone for our sin. Isaiah 53, written hundreds of years before Christ, prophecies about his sacrifice.
Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge (or knowledge of him) my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
It was God's will to crush Jesus and to make him an offering to cover our guilt. But by knowing Him, we can be made right with God. That's powerful stuff.
It's a late post tonight on our second day of Ten Days to the Cross.
One of the questions I often asked myself as a younger follower of Jesus was "why did Jesus have to die?" I think it's a question that deserves some thought as we reflect on Christ's crucifixion.
The crucifixion of Jesus was in God's plan from the beginning of time. Revelation 13:8 tells us that the Lamb, Jesus, was slain from the creation of the world. In other words, God had destined the crucifixion before Adam and Eve ever fell in the Garden. God knew that having been created with a free will, we would wander outside of the boundary that he established for our protection. Adam and Eve were going to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The result of Adam and Eve's sin and disobedience was death. Physical and spiritual death. The spiritual death came immediately in their moment of sin. Their eyes were open and they felt shame for the first time. Physical death began in that moment as well, but it took a long time to work it's final end in Adam or Eve. Actually, the first thing to die after the fall was an animal, whom God killed and used to clothe Adam and Eve. The death of that animal to cover the shame of the first two humans was a precursor to God's plan to deal with sin and shame for all eternity.
We see this foreshadowing carried throughout the Old Testament. When Abraham sacrifices Isaac, a ram is given by God to die in Isaacs place. At the Passover, the blood of lambs was placed on the doorposts of all the houses of Israel and the angel of death passed over their homes, sparing them while taking the firstborn of all of Egypt. When the Levitical system was established, a system of animal sacrifice was instituted as a means for people to atone for their sin (Leviticus 17:11). All of these sacrifices were pointing to God's ultimate plan.
All the blood of countless millions of sheep and bulls could never satisfy the debt of our sin. The only sacrifice that could satisfy that debt was the life of Jesus. Jesus, the son of God and the son of man, who had lived a perfect and sinless life for 33 years, was put to death to atone for our sin. Isaiah 53, written hundreds of years before Christ, prophecies about his sacrifice.
Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge (or knowledge of him) my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
It was God's will to crush Jesus and to make him an offering to cover our guilt. But by knowing Him, we can be made right with God. That's powerful stuff.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
The Setting of the Crucifixion
10 Days to the Cross - Day One
Today is the first day on our 10 Days to the Cross journey. One of the LifeGate lead team will be posting a reflection on the crucifixion of Jesus once a day between now and Good Friday. Our goal is to help you to focus on Jesus and what he did for you on the cross almost two thousand years ago.
I wanted to begin our journey today by sharing some about the setting of the crucifixion. The Bible gives us a number of clues about where Jesus was crucified. All four gospels record that he was crucified outside of the Jerusalem at a place called Golgotha. The Gospel of John tells us that where Jesus was crucified there was a garden containing an new, unused tomb. Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be buried in a wealthy area.
In November of 2011 I was able to go to Israel on a 10 day tour / working trip with my Dad. The highlight of that trip for me, and really one of the highlights of my life, was a visit to the Garden Tomb. The Garden Tomb is one probable site of Jesus' burial. It lies next to a rock outcropping which is in the shape of a skull. It is outside the ancient city walls. And it is next to the Damascus Road, a highly traveled thoroughfare in Jesus' day.
One of the things that made my visit to the Garden Tomb area so impacting was being able to get a sense of the setting in which Jesus spent those critical hours on the cross. If you're like me, you've heard about the crucifixion your whole life. But you may not have really spent time thinking about what really happened that day. Here are some of my thoughts about the place where Jesus was crucified.
The Crucifixion Was Very Public - The Romans didn't execute people in private. They killed people to make a point. Jesus' crucifixion site would have been near one of the main roads leading in and out of town. Potentially tens of thousands of people would have passed by and seen him hanging in between two criminals, with a placard over his head mocking him as "King of the Jews."
The Crucifixion Happened in a Place of Death - Golgotha means "The Place of the Skull." The backdrop to the cross was a rocky outcropping in the shape of a skull. Some scholars believe that this was a Jewish execution site even before the time of the Romans. Yet even in a place that reeked of death, Jesus, by his death, won the ultimate victory.
The Crucifixion Was Humiliating - The manner in which Jesus was executed was intended to maximize his humiliation. He was stripped of his clothing. People mocked him and jeered at him. Isaiah tells us that he was like a man from whom people hide their faces. No doubt many people turned away, not able to look at him, as he hung dying there on the cross. I'm going to talk more about this in a later blog, but I often have wondered if the emotional trauma of the crucifixion wasn't just as bad as the physical trauma that Jesus endured.
I'll be back tomorrow to share some about the purpose of the cross. Why did Jesus have to die?
Today is the first day on our 10 Days to the Cross journey. One of the LifeGate lead team will be posting a reflection on the crucifixion of Jesus once a day between now and Good Friday. Our goal is to help you to focus on Jesus and what he did for you on the cross almost two thousand years ago.
I wanted to begin our journey today by sharing some about the setting of the crucifixion. The Bible gives us a number of clues about where Jesus was crucified. All four gospels record that he was crucified outside of the Jerusalem at a place called Golgotha. The Gospel of John tells us that where Jesus was crucified there was a garden containing an new, unused tomb. Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be buried in a wealthy area.
In November of 2011 I was able to go to Israel on a 10 day tour / working trip with my Dad. The highlight of that trip for me, and really one of the highlights of my life, was a visit to the Garden Tomb. The Garden Tomb is one probable site of Jesus' burial. It lies next to a rock outcropping which is in the shape of a skull. It is outside the ancient city walls. And it is next to the Damascus Road, a highly traveled thoroughfare in Jesus' day.
One of the things that made my visit to the Garden Tomb area so impacting was being able to get a sense of the setting in which Jesus spent those critical hours on the cross. If you're like me, you've heard about the crucifixion your whole life. But you may not have really spent time thinking about what really happened that day. Here are some of my thoughts about the place where Jesus was crucified.
The Crucifixion Was Very Public - The Romans didn't execute people in private. They killed people to make a point. Jesus' crucifixion site would have been near one of the main roads leading in and out of town. Potentially tens of thousands of people would have passed by and seen him hanging in between two criminals, with a placard over his head mocking him as "King of the Jews." The Crucifixion Happened in a Place of Death - Golgotha means "The Place of the Skull." The backdrop to the cross was a rocky outcropping in the shape of a skull. Some scholars believe that this was a Jewish execution site even before the time of the Romans. Yet even in a place that reeked of death, Jesus, by his death, won the ultimate victory.
The Crucifixion Was Humiliating - The manner in which Jesus was executed was intended to maximize his humiliation. He was stripped of his clothing. People mocked him and jeered at him. Isaiah tells us that he was like a man from whom people hide their faces. No doubt many people turned away, not able to look at him, as he hung dying there on the cross. I'm going to talk more about this in a later blog, but I often have wondered if the emotional trauma of the crucifixion wasn't just as bad as the physical trauma that Jesus endured.
I'll be back tomorrow to share some about the purpose of the cross. Why did Jesus have to die?
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
10 Days to the Cross
Tomorrow we kick off a ten day journey at LifeGate Church. We are calling it 10 Days to the Cross. From Wednesday, March 20 - Good Friday, March 29 we are inviting those who call LifeGate their home to join with our leadership team in a 10 day period of fasting and prayer leading up to Easter weekend. We are going to conclude the 10 Days to the Cross journey with a Good Friday worship and communion service.
No doubt some of you who are reading this are thinking "what in the world is fasting." In its most basic definition, fasting is doing without something in order to focus on God. There are several types of fasting mentioned in the Bible. Most of them involve doing without food for a set period of time. Moses, David and Jesus all did without food. Daniel gave up meat and sweets and other stuff, only eating certain veggies and fruits for 21 days.
John Wesley reportedly said that "A Christian who doesn't fast will no more go to heaven than a Christian who doesn't pray." I'm not sure if that is true, but I do know that fasting is a critical spiritual discipline that so many of us miss out on.
A couple of things happen when you fast. First, when you deny your fleshly needs in order to seek God, your sinful nature gets a slap down. As you do that you find that your desire for the things of God gets more intense. Jesus said "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled." Second, supernatural things happen in your life. Fasting can be like pouring gasoline on the fire of your prayers. Jesus told his disciples that there were some demonic forces that could only be broken by fasting and prayer. Daniel received an angelic visitation and answer to prayer after a 21 day fast. I personally have had some unbelievable answers to prayer during and immediately after periods of fasting.
As a church we are not requiring that anyone participate in this fast. This is a totally voluntary thing. If you do decide to join us on this journey, we want you to ask God what He wants you to do. For some of us, it may be a good idea to spend the next 10 days unplugged from media. For others, maybe you will feel called to skip a meal and spend that time in prayer. Just be obedient to what God puts in your heart to do and follow through.
Our goal in this 10 day period is twofold. First, we want you all to grow in your personal spiritual walk with Jesus. As we focus on our relationship with Him leading up to Good Friday and Easter I think you will see some serious growth as a disciple of Jesus. Second, we want to be prepared as a church for what God is going to do on Easter and over the following weeks. We believe that in the next few weeks a lot of people that we don't even know yet will be connecting with LifeGate and experiencing the whole new way of life that only Jesus can give.
To help and encourage you through the fast, our lead team will be posting a blog per day on this site. We'll be talking about what the Cross and Easter mean to us. We'll be sharing some video and reflections from Pastor Ashley's trip to Israel. And we will be giving you some practical encouragement on your fasting journey.
No doubt some of you who are reading this are thinking "what in the world is fasting." In its most basic definition, fasting is doing without something in order to focus on God. There are several types of fasting mentioned in the Bible. Most of them involve doing without food for a set period of time. Moses, David and Jesus all did without food. Daniel gave up meat and sweets and other stuff, only eating certain veggies and fruits for 21 days.
John Wesley reportedly said that "A Christian who doesn't fast will no more go to heaven than a Christian who doesn't pray." I'm not sure if that is true, but I do know that fasting is a critical spiritual discipline that so many of us miss out on.
A couple of things happen when you fast. First, when you deny your fleshly needs in order to seek God, your sinful nature gets a slap down. As you do that you find that your desire for the things of God gets more intense. Jesus said "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they will be filled." Second, supernatural things happen in your life. Fasting can be like pouring gasoline on the fire of your prayers. Jesus told his disciples that there were some demonic forces that could only be broken by fasting and prayer. Daniel received an angelic visitation and answer to prayer after a 21 day fast. I personally have had some unbelievable answers to prayer during and immediately after periods of fasting.
As a church we are not requiring that anyone participate in this fast. This is a totally voluntary thing. If you do decide to join us on this journey, we want you to ask God what He wants you to do. For some of us, it may be a good idea to spend the next 10 days unplugged from media. For others, maybe you will feel called to skip a meal and spend that time in prayer. Just be obedient to what God puts in your heart to do and follow through.
Our goal in this 10 day period is twofold. First, we want you all to grow in your personal spiritual walk with Jesus. As we focus on our relationship with Him leading up to Good Friday and Easter I think you will see some serious growth as a disciple of Jesus. Second, we want to be prepared as a church for what God is going to do on Easter and over the following weeks. We believe that in the next few weeks a lot of people that we don't even know yet will be connecting with LifeGate and experiencing the whole new way of life that only Jesus can give.
To help and encourage you through the fast, our lead team will be posting a blog per day on this site. We'll be talking about what the Cross and Easter mean to us. We'll be sharing some video and reflections from Pastor Ashley's trip to Israel. And we will be giving you some practical encouragement on your fasting journey.
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