Hungry but what for?

I have recently been challenged by fasting. What is it really all about? Was it just for the Jews in a different era?

In my search for truth on this subject I have discovered that many doctors who have no faith have started to recommend regular fasting as being healthy and prolonging life. I guess God knew what He was doing when He encouraged us to fast.

Fasting is not a way of twisting God's arm or heart to give us something we really want or think we need. It is a way of helping us focus on the "real bread of life." Jesus said, "I am the bread of life." As we leave food for a period we often are able to focus so much more on the spiritual and hear more clearly from God. Our lives stop being about feeding the flesh and start being about feeding the spirit.

Strongholds in our life suddenly lose their strength to hold us back. We can experience a new fruitfulness in our devotional and ministry life.

It is yet another example of the "Upside Down kingdom." The world says eat loads and be strong. God says when you are strong in the flesh you are weak. Seek Me before food.

In these days more than others in my short lifetime I feel having a hunger for God is more important than food, money, status or the thoughts of others. If regular fasting helps develop that hunger, count me in!

I strongly recommend you begin your own fasting adventure. Beware of a couple of pitfalls though before you start your own fasting experiences.

• Understand that God can NOT love you anymore. Fasting will not make God love you any more for its impossible for Him to do so. He loves you as if you are the only person on the planet.
• We are saved by the precious blood of Jesus and not by works. Fasting wont get you into heaven!
• Legalism kills the spirit. Fasting is great if your heart is to know God's more.
• If you have physical health issues consult your doctor. You may well be surprised what he says.

Please share your experiences of fasting for others to be blessed...............

The results in the past few months in my life? I have a deep inner joy that I would trade for nothing. I have seen ministry bare fruit that was not happening for a long time. Fear has no stronghold over my life. Thank you Jesus.

Are we winning?

Last night there were something like 1200-1300 people gathered in the Royal Highland Show ground praising God and giving generously to "Heart for Haiti".

At the same time a youth event called Powerpoint was happening in the citycentre with other 200 "youth".

So on Friday the 11th June we had over 1500 people praising God and praying on a Friday night on the very day that the World Cup began.

This represents only about 0.3% of our Edinburgh population. However if you were at the Royal Highland Show ground as I was, you might have thought that good times have arrived. Four awesome, album selling, worship leaders. Christians expressing their interest and care in foreign mission. Speakers full of passion talking about the heart of God.

Reflecting on the event the day after; I want to steal a phase from the long forgotten "Gordon Brown." He often spoke about the "green shoots" of recovery. I have seen many signs of those recently in Edinburgh. More testimonies of people experiencing a "born again" experience. In the last seven years a good number of new church plants that have been established and have survived. Pastors actually talking to each other and starting to have a Kingdom view and not just a vision for them and theirs.

So to answer my question "Are we winning?" If winning is more people knowing there is a God who cares and chosing to worship Him, then I think we are making steady progress. My heart would be to see many of the bible believing churches start to gather together to pray. Imagine if God's people really desired God's purposes for Edinburgh. Could Scotland's capital once again become the city of Godly preachers? Could the land of the book have a real message for a modern world today? Could we begin to send more missionaries to foreign lands that any other nation again? With God it is possible. Who are you believing today?

What is worth fighting for?

This week I have heard of so many situations where people are at war with each other. Their reasons seem so silly when we remember we are eternal being on a Real Mission with a commission from a REAL God!

As I ponder back over my life I think how silly I was to lose relationship with someone in order to be "Right." Is it an age thing or Christian Maturity?

The Jesus I claim to follow said I must die to self. I must become less so that He can become more. It's another opposite to the world view that says, "YOU HAVE RIGHTS! YOU MUST BE HEARD." Folks, I believe that is rubbish. As we make it first priority to live as Jesus would have us live we start to experience life, and life in all its fulness.

Oh how easily we are robbed of a blessing by our need to be right or recognised. Who are we out to impress? God sees every little thing we do! That's scary and also a great comfort to me. Scary because I often make bad choices. A comfort because its His job to look after "my rights" or not as He chooses.

Friends, keep relationship were ever possible. The evil one loves to divide and pick us off one by one. Remember scripture tells us today we only know in part. So before we go to war lets be sure the cost of winning is not a lot less than the cost of not winning. Lets be willing to be wrong, misunderstood and forgotten about in order that His purposes can be achieved without "our rights" getting in the way.

Prayer: Lord, Help me be focused on the Real Mission. Help my attitude be the same as Jesus who demonstrated humility in every earthly step He took.