Spiritual Sundays- True Fasting

Sabbath Rest Scripture
1 "Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Tell my people Israel of their sins! 2 Yet they act so pious! They come to the Temple every day and seem delighted to hear my laws. You would almost think this was a righteous nation that would never abandon its God. They love to make a show of coming to me and asking me to take action on their behalf.
3 'We have fasted before you!' they say. 'Why aren't you impressed? We have done much penance, and you don't even notice it!' "I will tell you why! It's because you are living for yourselves even while you are fasting. You keep right on oppressing your workers. 4 What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. 5 You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like a blade of grass in the wind. You dress in sackcloth and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the LORD? 6 "No, the kind of fasting I want calls you to free those who are wrongly imprisoned and to stop oppressing those who work for you. Treat them fairly and give them what they earn. 7 I want you to share your food with the hungry and to welcome poor wanderers into your homes. Give
clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
8 "If you do these things, your salvation will come like the dawn. Yes, your healing will come quickly. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind. 9 Then when you call, the LORD will answer. 'Yes, I am here,' he will quickly reply. "Stop oppressing the helpless and stop making false accusations and spreading vicious rumors! 10 Feed the hungry and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as day. 11 The LORD will guide you continually, watering your life when you are dry and keeping you healthy, too. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. 12 Your children will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as the people who rebuild their walls and cities.
13 "Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don't pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the LORD's holy day. Honor the LORD in everything you do, and don't follow your own desires or talk idly. If you do this, 14 the LORD will be your delight. I will give you great honor and give you your full share of the inheritance I promised to Jacob, your ancestor. I, the LORD, have spoken!" Isaiah 58

Sabbath Reflection
What are your thoughts as you read the Lord’s definition of fasting?
How different is God’s thoughts on fasting than the world’s/than your own?
Why was God displeased with the Israelites fasting? Why might He be displeased with your fasting?
Whom does God call you to serve?
What will God do if you fast according to His guidance?
Why do you think God included keeping the Sabbath Holy with these instructions about fasting?
What will you change today as you seek to be obedient to God’s instructions to keep the Sabbath Holy?

Sabbath Prayer
Father God I give thanks for your word. Thank you for instructing me, though I may find it easier to give up food than to seek and serve those in need I ask for your help. Help me to no longer close my eyes to the hungry and homeless. Help me to
share my many clothes with those who have none. Help me not to take the easy way out and just drop off clothes and those things which you have so graciously bless me at the nearest thrift store, but help me Father God to find the nearest shelter or Church Clothes closet, better yet Father God help me to find the person who stands in need. Father when I eat today help me to remember there are many with nothing, and Lord those meals I am fasting to show penance let me give those meals to someone who knows true hunger. Lord as you pour out Your wonderful blessing on me help me to remember I am blessed to be a blessings to others. Let me share my blessing with those You place in my path. Father God help me to reflect Jesus today by moving outside of myself and reaching out in love and compassion. Help me Lord to be as generous in my giving as You were in giving Jesus the Christ for me. I love You Lord and help me to show my love by being obedient to your word, that my fasting will be pleasing in Your sight. Lord Thy God help me to keep this Sabbath Day holy and look to Your interests rather than my own. Help me to delight in this glorious day and share your goodness with praise and worship in community and in my quiet time. Jesus in Your precious and loving Name I pray. Amen!


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Spiritual Sundays---Redeemed

Sabbath Scripture
O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life. Lamentations 3:58

Sabbath Prayer
O Lord thy God, the time draws close where I move to remember all You have done for my soul, You O lord have redeemed me. Prepare me O Father by speaking to my heart and to my soul those things You would have me to do to reflect my gratefulness for Your Passion. You willingly suffered and endured for my salvation, may I freely give back to You by living holy and righteously that Your Name be glorified, Father God help me make this my passion. Jesus in Your Name I pray.

Sabbath Learning
The soul is rebellious, full of pride and seeks to have it own way. It cries for peace, joy, love, comfort, relationship and yet it often turns from the very One who can answer the cry. This is just what the nation of Israel did, they rebelled against God, forgot His commandments and He judge them. Even earlier there were two who had fellowship with God, who experienced His peace, joy and love up close in a way that few have been given the opportunity to know. Adam Eve and the Israelites gave away control of their souls and walked in disobedience. The result God judged them and their souls couldn’t handle it. Adam and Eve blamed the crafty serpent and the Israelites blamed Moses, at the time of Lamentations they blamed their forefathers and said they were suffering for their sins. Whom do we blame when we are walking in disobedience, when we forget those commands God has given us to protect and guide us. The easiest and most acceptable answer is that crafty serpent; the devil. We give him too much credit; truly it is our own rebellious soul we should look. Lord I don’t want to admit or accept I still walk in rebellion in spite of all I know of You and in spite of all You have done for me. Lord I don’t want to accept my soul still wants to have it own way. The truth is the soul will always want to have it own way. A greater truth, God will always look upon our sin and judge us guilty; He has no choice for He is holy. Therefore God had to give us a way to stay in fellowship with Him. He had to develop a plan which would answer our souls’ cry. He searched and in His great wisdom knew He was the only answer and He prepared the way; Jesus. Jesus made us the center of His life. He followed every command from the Father and made us free. We became His passion and He didn’t waver, all the way to Calvary He walked to redemption.

Sabbath Reflection
“Only a nail-scarred hand could pay the debt that sets us free. We are redeemed.”

What does Jesus nail scarred hands mean to you?
What does living redeemed mean to you.
What changes do you need to make to begin living as passionately for Christ as He lived and died for you?

Application
This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Many will put ashes on their foreheads to show they belong to Christ. Many will move into a period of fasting. Consider what your ashes will be, move your ashes from your forehead and bring them to life. What will your ashes look like on you? If you are moving into a period of fasting determine where you want to be at the end of your fast. Identify the steps you need to take to get you there. Daily implement the steps.

Prayer of Change
Father God I no longer want to walk in ritualistic ways, engaging in activities because it sounds Christian. Lord I want to reflect Your holiness in my life please lead me to the place where I become real rather than ritualistic and my actions will reflect true change. Father let me see those places in my life which need Your touch. Father You are my Helper, help me to fast from those things which do not bring You glory. Help me to move the ashes from my forehead and put them in my heart where You will be reflected in all my ways, lead me to holiness. Father as I take this journey to see Calvary, Your passion for me and the world draw me closer, and bring me to Your Holy Temple renewed, refreshed, restored and resurrected with a passion to walk redeemed that You will be glorified. Jesus in Your Name I pray. Amen


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Spiritual Sundays-Giving Thanks- Part 2

God calls us to give thanks in all things, even in the midst of the not so good times. It is not easy to give thanks when we are in the midst of sadness, sorrows, pain, losses, depression, illness or any type of crisis. In spite of the fact this may appear hard, God says we can do it. He even gave us an example of how to give thanks when we are going through. Let us look to Joseph who was able to give thanks in spite of his circumstances and see what advice we can gleam from his life.

Joseph was sold into slavery, taken from the people he knew and loved, from his father’s care and placed in a foreign country because of jealousy. How could one not be angry and bitter, full of hate? Joseph was not. We can imagine Joseph was confused about how he got into such a predicament; he had not done anything to deserve such punishment. Joseph kept focused on God, he gave thanks to God by continuing to walk upright and faithfully. Joseph teaches us no matter our situation we are not to take our eyes off God and we are to continue to do what is right in God’s eyes. He didn’t compromise his beliefs as demonstrated by his encounter with Potiphar’s wife, he didn’t dishonor his God. Joseph didn’t give Satan any kind of foothold into his life and because He kept God the centered, God gave him His favor, Joseph was successful in all he did. Again we can imagine this strengthen Joseph and kept him with an attitude of thanksgivings and kept him looking up rather than at his situation.

Could life get any worst for Joseph, yes he was thrown into prison because he chose not to disrespect his earthly master and more importantly his heavenly Master. Joseph refused to sin against God and found himself in prison, less freedom but not less opportunity to praise and give thanks to God. God continued to show Joseph his faithful love and Joseph responded to this love by giving God the glory for his gifts and his success. Even when it appeared Joseph wouldn’t be remembered and freed from his prison life he continued down the same path of trusting in and waiting on God. His thankful waiting resulted in not only his release from prison but promotion to the second highest office in the land. In this office Joseph was able to reunite with his family. Though Joseph was still hurting from the treatment of his brothers but he was able to give thanks through his pain by developing an attitude of forgiveness. He looked to God and saw His righteous hand in his life and knew God has set him on a path which would help him to save his family. Joseph’s ability to give thanks in the midst of trouble, trails, loses, lies, forgetfulness resulted in his being able to rejoice over the goodness of God.

When life throws us a curve ball, we can’t lose hope we must continue to give God glory and thanks. “In all things give thank to God for this is His will for you through Christ Jesus”. Ephesians 5:20

Step to giving thanks regardless of our circumstances.

• Remain focus on God; keep Him at the center of your life. Look up and not at your circumstances. “Abraham didn't focus on his own impotence and say, "It's hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child." Nor did he survey Sarah's decades of infertility and give up.” Romans 4:19 (the Message)

• Continue to walk righteously and faithfully. “this means that God’s holy people must endure persecution patiently and remain faithful. Revelation 13:10b (NLT)

• Do not compromise your beliefs. “So leave the corruption and compromise; leave it for good," says God. "Don't link up with those who will pollute you. I want you all for myself. 2 Corinthians 7:17 (The Message)

• Do not dishonor God. “Give honor to the LORD for the glory of his name. Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.” Psalm 29:2 (NLT)

Don’t give Satan a foothold into your life. Shut him out quickly. “And "don't sin by letting anger gain control over you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil. : Ephesians 4:26-27

• Keep an attitude of thanksgiving; look at the good in your situation. If you can see no good, see God’s goodness. “They will declare, "The LORD is just! He is my rock! There is nothing but goodness in him!" Psalm 92:15 (NLT)

• Continue to use the gifts God has blessed you with and give Him glory for those gifts. "I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God." 2Timothy 1:6 (NIV)

• Refuse to sin. “Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God. Romans 6:13 (NLT)

• Know God is directing your path, don’t forget He has a plan and purpose for your life. “But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me. If you keep to my path, I will reveal to you the salvation of God." Psalm 50:23 (NLT)

• Remember God’s timing is not the same as yours. His timing is always right and it will always come. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the LORD comes to the rescue each time. Psalm 34:19 (NLT)

• Remember God sees ahead and is preparing the way and preparing you. “The LORD will work out his plans for my life – for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don't abandon me, for you made me. Psalm138:8 (NLT)

• Be forgiving. “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.” Matthew 6:14 (NLT)

Know waiting on God will result in you being able to rejoice in His goodness. “ But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. “ Isaiah 40:31 (KJ)

• See God’s righteousness in the midst of troubles and draw your strength from Him. “They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness.” Psalm 89:16 (NLT)

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Sabbath Rest-Spiritual Sunday Giving Thanks Part 1

Reflection
Life is made of moments of goodness, peace, joy, love, happiness and laughter. God pours out His compassion upon us in many ways and He takes great pleasure in doing so. These moments we rejoice and we lift joyful hearts in praise. God takes us to the mountain top and we feel loved and highly favored. Giving thanks is not a problem, we are jubilant in recognizing God as Almighty, Powerful, Sovereign, Wonderful, Trustworthy and Loving. We sing high praises to His Holy Name. This is how it should be; we should always recognize and praise God for His blessings and care of us. The question becomes can we offer this same praise when life meets us with pain, sorrow, lost, hurt, discouragement, sickness, sadness, hate, and tears? How obedient to God’s word are we during these moments. I think it becomes more important to lift God’s name in praise during these times of valley experiences. It is in these moments we discover who we really are in Christ. A true believer, following the path God has set before us whatever it may consist of. Are we willing to carrying the cross not knowing the distance but with each step praising and giving thanks to God Almighty, all Powerful, Sovereign, Wonderful, Trustworthy and Loving?

No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Deeper Reflection

Do you consistently give thanks to God when life is good?
Do you recognize His blessings in your life?
How do you handle life when it meets you with troubles?
Do you lift God in praise during these times? Is your heart truly thankful when life is not what you desire?

Deeper Still

Ephesians 5:19-20
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Daniel 6:10
Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.

Psalm 69:30
I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

Praying the scriptures

Father God. Life does not always bring our hearts’ desire. It brings pain and sorrow, sickness and disappointments. During these times Lord let us not forget all your benefits; let us lift your Name in high praise offering you thanksgiving whatever the circumstance. Lord we trust You and know You work everything for our good, so we offer you thanks whatever the cross for this is Your will for all who belong to Christ Jesus. Jesus in Your sweet Name we pray. Amen

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