Scripture: Isaiah 58, Matthew 6:1-18; 9:14-17, Acts 13:1-3
Types of Fasting (feel free to replace food with anything that will cost you comfort or pleasure):
Biblical Examples of Fasting
Suggested Reading:
Will you commit to fasting between now and Easter Sunday? Step 1 – Why Fast? Why are you fasting? Is it for spiritual renewal? For guidance? For healing? For the resolution of problems? Ask the Holy Spirit to clarify what He wants you to take away from this time. “One of the greatest spiritual benefits of fasting is becoming more attentive to God – becoming more aware of our own inadequacies and His adequacy, our own contingencies and His self-sufficiency – and listening to what He wants us to be and do.” - Elmer Towns Step 2 – Commit How long will you fast? What will you fast? How will you increase your time with God? How much time will you devote to pray and God’s Word? Step 3 – Accountability Who do you trust? Tell them about your fast, not to brag, but so they can hold you accountable. Give them permission to check in with you and see how the fast is going. Your Fasting Plan Write it down:
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“My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
Jesus Those are probably the most powerful words spoken by Jesus from the cross. They are also some of the words we might be able to most relate to. I know Job felt it, David felt it, and I know there are times I have felt it – abandoned or forsaken by God. But, how can that be? How can we feel that way when Jesus came to die on the cross for us? It just shouldn’t be! We typically feel that way when we experience or witness innocent suffering, when we or someone we know is the victim. It is in those painful moments we want to know why. Why did God allow that happen? Even if He didn’t cause it, He certainly could have stopped it? It is that inaction that often leaves us saying the same thing Jesus said – why have you forsaken me? I can understand our anger and frustration over the pain we often suffer as an innocent human, but to hear Jesus express those words is mind blowing to me. Then I realize Jesus, while divine, was also human. He had experienced the comforting presence of angels and the encouraging moments with His Father. He knew, better than we do, what His Father is capable of. Yet, His Father didn’t act. The Father didn’t spare Him the pain or the death of the cross. In that very hard reality we don’t have answers for our suffering but we have a God who suffers with us, who has joined us in our “victimization.” God isn’t watching from a distance, He is with us and angry right along with us. He too says, this isn’t how it is supposed to be! What we have to remember is the while the Cross is where we see the innocent One suffer and die while the Father doesn’t stop it, it is also the place where God the Father is making it right. It is a place for us to leave our anger and frustration, a place for us to let our pain die, and the place where we can see God is with us. Then when we are ready to let go and move with Jesus to the resurrection we can find new life and a new future. So, are you feeling like Jesus – forsaken and abandoned by God? Let’s God know about it. He can take our complaints. He will listen to our laments. But, don’t get mad and walk away, realize that He is with you in it. He is at working making all things new, making all things right. He did it with Jesus and He will do it with us. Hope is alive. Trusting in Jesus, Pastor Matt Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.
John 19:25-27 When I was a freshman in high school I was back stage at an event just hanging out, one of the only freshmen there. I watched as an upperclassman started to harass another boy who was just standing there reading a book. He knocked the book out of his hands and continued to taunt him. The boy never said a word and then suddenly got punched in the face for no reason. His response was to just pick up his book. It was terrible. I know there are many today who feel like life has been just like that – a punch in the face for no reason. Many have experienced a tremendous amount of pain and trauma in life, not because of anything they have done, but because of what has been done to them. There are a lot of victims in our world. A lot of people who have been sinned-against. I want you to know – God sees you and knows you. I also want you to know you don't have to stay the victim! We often stand at the foot of the cross of Jesus and shout, “Jesus, save me, the sinner!” But, we forget that right next to us is Mary who is shouting, “Jesus, save yourself and me – the victims!” You see the cross of Jesus isn’t just about the sinner but also about the sinned-against. It is there the victim (Jesus who was innocent Himself) dies. It is there Jesus makes sure the victim (Mary) is cared for. It is also there Jesus forgives the one killing Him. Too many of us stay at the cross though – we stay the victim. We let that define us and dictate our life and our decisions. But, Mary doesn't stay the victim and neither does Jesus. Because a few days later we have the resurrection. The victim has become the victory. The one who died has become the survivor! The cross is where Jesus entered into our suffering and we entered into His. The cross is where we unite with Him in death and the tomb is where we unite with Him in resurrection. The cross is a place for victims and the resurrection the hope of victory. “This is the hope of the gospel. There is hope beyond victimization, and the woundedness that it causes. There is real hope of genuine healing. And in this, the saving message of the cross becomes just as powerful for the sinned-against as it is for the sinner. New birth is offered to all. The resurrection does not undo the death of Jesus, just as it does not undo spiritual, psychological, and emotional “deaths” of the sinned-against. But the resurrection does offer new life and redemption as the declarative Word over sin, pain, violence, and abuse.” (The Backside Of The Cross – Diane Leclerc and Brent Peterson) I pray you find hope and healing from the pain caused by others in your life and that you realize Jesus died and rose again for the sinner as well as the sinned-against. In Christ, Pastor Matt Some of the seed fell among the weeds, and the weeds grew up with it and choked it.
Luke 8:7 What is a weed? Do you know the difference between weeds and not weeds? Sometimes it is hard to tell and it is usually left up to the person who is in charge of the garden to determine what is a weed and what isn’t. We had some people helping us pull weeds in Agape Village once and they pulled all the strawberry plants up – a weed to those who don’t know. So, what is a weed? The word used in this passage for weed is actually thorns. Israel has lots of thorns and prickly plants. When you are walking around in sandals most of the time, you definitely don’t want any thorns around. Officially a weed is any plant considered undesirable in a particular situation, growing where it conflicts with human preferences, needs, or goals. In this parable, however, the weeds aren’t up for debate or left to a matter of human opinion. The weeds Jesus is talking about are anything in our life (according to Jesus that can be the cares, riches, and pleasures of this life) that conflicts with God’s preferences, expectations, or goals for us. The problem with those kinds of weeds is that we can easily justify them. We can also think we can control them, that we are stronger. But, in the end we are not. Those weeds we let grow in our life, the ones we have justified, actually choke us out and destroy the Truth God has for us. What are you letting grow in your life that is choking out the Truth of God? What is hindering your walk with Him? What is stopping you from maturing and producing the kind of fruit God created you to produce? Weeds can be anything. Sin is always a big weed – one we need to get rid of. By sin I mean anything that goes against God’s Word, any act of disobedience – either doing what you shouldn’t or not doing what you should. There are also weeds that can be harder to recognize – relationships, habits, attitudes, behaviors, and even some of the things we ‘enjoy.’ If we truly want to live a life of victory and bear good fruit then we have to get rid of the weeds. Ready to pull some weeds? Ask God to show you what needs to go and do what you need to do to get it out of your life. Looking for weeds with you, Pastor Matt A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it.
Luke 8:5 How often do you walk the same path? We probably do it far more often than we realize. I know my dogs do, they have walked and run the same path in my backyard enough that they have killed the grass. They have created a trail through the grass. I see the same thing in some places around the church as people cut through the grass heading home – they wear it out they walk the same direction so much. Animals do it in the woods, we call them game trails. Paths are everywhere in life and we tend to always walk the same ones. Jesus told a parable about a sower who was spreading some seed. Some of that seed fell along the path. Jesus said the seed is the Word of God and the devil was able to steal it from those on this well beaten path before they were able to allow it to do a work in them – before they could be saved. It struck me, how many times do I walk the same path trampling right over the Word God has for me, leaving it for the devil to devout? We walk these paths because they are easy, comfortable, and known. They lead us in a direction with little effort or even though – we just have to stay on the path. The crowd is in front of us walking the same path – so might as well follow along. The thing is, these paths become a distraction and often don’t lead us in a good direction, especially if we are trampling God’s Word while we walk them. These paths could easily represent the busyness and distractions in life. All the things, the sin, that keeps us from seeing and hear the Lord. So long as we stay in it or on it, we keep trampling over the seed God has cast before us. Would you join me in slowing down, looking around, and perhaps getting off the well beaten path so we can better hear and see the Word of God? I don’t know about you, but I want to stop trampling God’s Word and start living in it. Walking with you, Pastor Matt From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 4:17 Repent!! A strong word – a challenging command. It can come off as judgmental and condescending. Who are you to tell me to repent, not like you are any better than me!? When we hear that – repent – it conjures up many different responses and feelings in all of us. But, that was part of the main message Jesus preached – repent! I want you to read it and hear it in light of the rest of Jesus’ ministry and message. He didn’t walk around shouting at sinners to repent all the time. He didn’t stand in judgment over “those” people. In fact most of what Jesus did was simply invite people to get to know Him, to be with Him, and to follow Him. Jesus did way more inviting than judging. So, when you read that verse above read it as invitation to live the Kingdom Way. In accepting the invitation to live in the Kingdom you will have to repent. Choosing to live this way means you have to repent – to leave some things behind. You’ll have to leave sin behind. You’ll have to leave yourself behind – you can’t be in charge in the Kingdom. In the Kingdom God is King and life is lived His way. But, what you leave behind will pale in comparison to what lies ahead. Jesus used parables to describe what the Kingdom is like and once taught an entire lesson on what Kingdom life looks like (The Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 5-7). He describes it as the greatest treasure you will ever find, a place where you will find safety and refuge, a place of forgiveness, a place of compassion, a place of love, and most importantly a place of redemption. To accept this invitation to enter into Kingdom living doesn’t mean you have to wait to experience it. It is an invitation to begin living this life today. He wants you to follow Him and He will help you learn to live the Kingdom Way in every aspect of your life. Through the power of Holy Spirit you will begin to be transformed into a Kingdom Citizen. Which means all the Kingdom has to offer can be yours. Are you ready to repent and live in the Kingdom? Ready to follow Jesus into this new way of life? Just say yes, and follow Him. Follow Him With You, Pastor Matt Luke 5:1-11:
One day Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, great crowds pressed in on Him to listen to the Word of God….So He sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there. When He had finished speaking He said to Simon…. When I was in high school I played basketball. Sometimes the crowds that came to watch us were small and there were times when those crowds were pretty big. But, no matter the size of the crowd I always looked for the same couple of faces and wanted to know where they were sitting – my parents. I wanted to know where they were so I could see their reaction after my phenomenal play (ha!). On this day Jesus was preaching to a large crowd. It was so big He had to get into a boat in the sea to have space to talk. He got into Simon’s boat and shared the Word of God. What strikes me is that when He was done He spoke directly to Simon. In the midst of the crowd of people He knew the frustration Simon was experiencing and the lack of fish they caught. So, He took time to be with Simon and then invited Simon, James, and John to come follow Him. Out of that big crowd He knew where they were and what they were going through. God is in the midst of an even bigger crowd today – every human on the planet. Out of that big crowd God knows your name and knows exactly what you are going through. Out of that big crowd He is extending you a personal invitation to come follow Him – to catch more fish! Think about that – out of the big crowd of people you are the one God is looking for! I know Jesus performed a miracle here by helping Simon and his crew catch more fish than the net could carry. But, the fact that Jesus took time to get to know and care about Simon specifically is just as miraculous. It shows how much He cares for us. Know today that God cares about you – He knows where you are – He knows what you are going through. He wants a relationship with you. He wants you to cast your net in the right place – to live your life the right and best way. Listen to His voice and say yes to His invitation to come follow Him. You won’t regret it. Praying for you! Pastor Matt “Whoever drinks of the water I (Jesus) give them will never be thirsty again. The water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 4:14 When was the last time you took a different route home or to the store – just for a change of scenery? I’ve done it – just to mix it up. Jesus was on a journey to Galilee and decided to go an unusual way – through Samaria. It was there that He found a well and sat by it, because He was thirsty. While sitting there a Samaritan woman came to get some water and the two had a conversation that would totally transform her life. Jesus revealed Himself to her as the Messiah and she believed. She went home and told everyone about Him. Then they came out and they too believed. An entire town was changed just because Jesus went a different way. Life transformation doesn’t have to take much – it just has to take a willingness to go a different way. Jesus is ready and waiting to meet you there too. He is just waiting to have that conversation with you – to tell you about the water He has to offer you, the life you could live. We are all creatures of habit and it is easy to get stuck in our ways, but what happens if you take a chance and go a different way. Just maybe you will meet Jesus by the well and your life will never be the same. So, where are you headed? Are you willing to try a different direction? Ready to hang out with Jesus and drink the water He has to give you? Praying we all go the way Jesus is leading and that we meet Him along the way! Pastor Matt So Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon.
Mark 11:11 How would you respond if someone came into your home and took a close look around? What kind of things do you think they would see? What things would you try to hide? What would embarrass you if they saw it? This must have been how some of the folks felt when Jesus showed up to the temple and did His “inspection.” There were plenty of things that Jesus did see – sacrifices, worship, conversations, buying, selling, and trading. On the surface all these things looked great. What wasn’t good was the things just below the surface, hiding out of plain site. Jesus entered the temple that day and saw people being taken advantage of. Many had shown up to take care of important business. Like paying the temple tax, offering sacrifices, and worshiping God. But, instead of helping people do that, corruption had taken root. Greed had set in. People were being taken advantage of in their moment of need and charged exuberant prices. The temple wasn’t filled with a sweet aroma to God, instead it was the stench of greed. In response Jesus threw over the tables and chased the people out. He got rid of the greed and corruption. He cleansed the temple so it could become the place God intended it to be. A place where people could find peace, forgiveness, and hope. Jesus came to confront this corruption in the temple. But, more importantly He has come to confront sin and corruption in our own lives. Paul tells us that we are God’s temple. If we are God’s temple then Jesus has come and is taking a look around. What are the things in your life He needs to throw out? Are you willing to let Him get rid of the corruption and sin in your hear? He Is Risen! Pastor Matt Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
John 13:3-5 The story of Jesus with His disciples at the last super has always intrigued me. I find it fascinating that Jesus treated Judas the same as the rest even though He knew Judas had betrayed Him. He offered everyone a place at the table, offered them all grace, and served all of them the same from Peter who was always overzealous to Judas who wasn’t fully one of them. I think it is a wonderful picture of how God works in our lives today. God is always with us, all of us, offering us a place at His table. He offers each of us grace and despite the sin in our lives loves us, even to the point of death, even death on a cross. He is truly relentless in His pursuit of us. Before the disciples ate their meal Jesus did something amazing. He washed their feet. This was a job that was only for a slave to perform. The fact that Jesus was doing it was astonishing. Peter was the only one brave enough to push back – Jesus you can’t wash my feet! But, Jesus knew this was exactly what Peter and all the others needed. They need to be refreshed, the be touched up a bit. They had spent 3 years with Jesus going from city to city and had no doubt picked up some dirt along the way. So, Jesus set out to remove it. While He was washing away literal dirt, what He was alluding to was the fact that soon He would was away the spiritual dirt as well. Something we all need throughout our lives. Today, sit with Jesus at His table and let Him wash your feet. Let Him refresh you. Let Him cleanse you. It is, after all, what He came to do. In Christ, Pastor Matt |
AuthorPastor Matt Huff leads Portland Central Nazarene Church. He loves being in ministry and seeing lives transformed by the power of Christ. Archives
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