Sunday, December 12, 2010

The Noticer

A marvellous work piece by Andy Andrews on the power of believing in a person and how by having a different view in life can change one’s destiny. The old folk character Mr Jones portrayed a loving concern Christ’s like personality that is getting extinct in today’s society and should be emulated by church leaders and clergies of today. Mr Jones helps few characters in the stories to see how life experiences at times can be learnt from the lives of great people and how husband-wife relationship should be although the today’s society would normally solved marital problems by choosing divorce but Mr Jones highlighted one’s perspective on how one views love differently. I highly recommend this book to be part of church library collection and should be read by every level of society, especially by one who feels that there is no more hope in this world but Christ came to solve that problem.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Fearless by Max Lucado


Fearless by Max Lucado


This is another exceptional piece of work by Max Lucado in which he shared his personal encounter with fear and goes on to the biblical perspective how we should view fear. Down to earth stories from different lifestyles and background, this will encourage one’s heart as they read throughout the book. The entire book theme is on how we can cling on to our Heavenly Father in overcoming the fears we encounter in everyday life. Most of the time we would use our limited human strength and knowledge to overcome fear, which only leads to further anxiety and confusion in life.


The story of his sibling as shared by Max speaks to my heart personally as it is something very real and can be experienced in our everyday life. Fear paralyses us easily when we focus much on it, instead on our Savior. Fear causes us to question the very reason of our existence on earth and thus it will even lead us to doubt God’s Sovereign power. The overall message of the book without a doubt really challenged my faith. What will I do when I face fear again in my life? Should I choose to focus on fear instead of getting on to His perspective about it through His Words and prayer? I personally recommend this book to everyone, especially new believers in Christ.


Publisher: Thomas Nelson (September 8, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0849921392
ISBN-13: 978-0849921391
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches

Friday, July 17, 2009

Kau Allah yang Kudus


Kau Allah yang Kudus


Do = F , 4/4
8 Beat
♪ = 79-83


Bb C/Bb
Kau Allah yang kudus
Am Dm
Kau Allah yang kudus
Gm C
Di tahta suci-Mu
F
Kami menyembah


Bb C/Bb
Nama-Mu disanjung
EÆ A/C# Dm
Kuasa-Mu nyata sempurna
Gm C F
Kami puja Engkau Raja Mulia

Music and lyrics : Sari Simorangkir
Music arrangement : Ucok Radjagukguk

Building Leaders: Blueprints for Developing Leadership at Every Level of Your Church


Building Leaders: Blueprints for Developing Leadership at Every Level of Your Church
Aubrey Malphurs and Will Mancini
Price:
$19.99
ISBN:
978-0-8010-9171-1
ISBN-10:
0-8010-9171-3
Dimensions:
6 x 9
Number of pages:
288
Carton Quantity:
44
Publication Date:
Feb. 04
Formats:
Paperback
email page
printer friendly page
request exam copy
How can a Christian leader empower others to lead?
A follow up to Aubrey Malphurs' Being Leaders, the groundbreaking Building Leaders provides a biblical blueprint for finding and developing leaders who will carry on and expand the work of your church. Countering the current leadership development crisis, this book is unique in helping leaders to grow other leaders in a local church context.


Worried that you don't have time to develop leaders? You're not alone. Tight budgets, small staffs, and endless administrative duties leave many pastors feeling overwhelmed. But without continually "giving the ministry away," churches miss the opportunity to double their efforts to reach the world for Christ.


Including a leadership development guide, thought-provoking questions, and surveys, Building Leaders will help your church design a unique leadership development model regardless of its size or budget.


Aubrey Malphurs (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is professor of pastoral ministries at Dallas Theological Seminary and president of the Malphurs Group. He engages in church consulting and training and is the author of numerous books, including Developing a Vision of Ministry in the Twenty-first Century.


Will Mancini (Th.M., Dallas Theological Seminary) is the founder and president of Auxano (visiontogrow.com), a church consulting ministry whose mission is to navigate church leaders through growth challenges and vision clarity.

Couples Who Pray (Hardcover): The Most Intimate Act Between a Man and a Woman by Squire Rushnell and Louise DuArt | Book | Thomas Nelson | Publisher of Christian Products

Couples Who Pray (Hardcover): The Most Intimate Act Between a Man and a Woman by Squire Rushnell and Louise DuArt | Book | Thomas Nelson | Publisher of Christian Products

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Friday, July 10, 2009

When disappointments come my way, I look to God’s Word for answers


Maintaining a Positive Attitude by Lynette Hagin We often become disappointed and discouraged in life when things don’t work out the way we think they should. Perhaps the job promotion we were expecting didn’t come through; maybe our family or friends let us down. If we’re not careful, these disappointments will begin to sap our joy and we will begin to question God, asking why His plan for our life doesn’t seem to be unfolding. As Christians, we would like to think that we are immune from the challenges of life, but disappointments and hurts come to us all. When disappointments come my way, I look to God’s Word for answers. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” I like what The Amplified Bible says: “We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.” I have met so many Christians who are ready to give up the plan of God for their life. It seems that the enemy is having a heyday as he endeavors to destroy Christians and to cause them to live in defeat. Living a defeated life is not the plan of God for you. Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for good for them who love God. You might say, “All things are not working for good for me right now!” But God does have a plan for your life—a good plan! God had a plan for your life from the very moment you were created. The success of that plan depends on how well you follow the will of God. Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step]” (Amplified). Many people have the mistaken idea that if they are following God’s will and if God is directing their steps, they will have no problems on the road of life. In fact, whether or not they encounter problems is the gauge many people use in order to determine if they are in the will of God. Many Christians think that if they have few or no problems, they are in God’s will, but if they do have problems, it must mean that they are out of God’s will. However, it’s usually the other way around. Joseph is a great example of someone who could have questioned why things happened to him the way they did. He followed the plan of God for his life and yet life did not go well. His brothers despised him and devised a plan to get rid of him. I am sure that when Joseph’s brothers sold him as a slave he could have questioned, Why are things not working for my good? But instead of questioning God, Joseph maintained a positive attitude. One reason things do not ultimately work out for our good is because we develop a negative attitude along the way. Instead of praising God, we question God. Because Joseph kept the right attitude throughout his experiences, he was blessed and God prospered him—even in his captivity. What if Joseph had not kept the right attitudes? What if he had not continued to stay close to God? Then Joseph would not have been able to hear God’s voice or be used by God. If we had been in Joseph’s place, we might have given up. Many years came and went before Joseph’s dream came to pass, but he continued to trust God, no matter what happened in the meantime. It’s so important that we keep a positive attitude even in the tough times, the hard times, and the times when we are tempted to wonder, Are things going to work out for my good? In the hard times, we must maintain our relationship with our Heavenly Father. We must keep our faith in God and in His Word, believing that things truly will come to pass just as He promised. Right now you may be wondering, Are my steps being ordered of the Lord? Why are things not working as they should? I encourage you to keep a right attitude. Don’t let bitterness consume you; forgive your enemies; and don’t question God. You may not understand the path that God is taking you down right now, but know that all things work together for the good of them who love God. Trust in the Lord, and let Him guide you one step at a time.

WHY STUDY THE BIBLE?


WHY STUDY THE BIBLE?
Dr. Haddon Robinson

I’d like to challenge you to read the Bible. Now I realize of course that is probably not high on
your to-do list. In fact, if you’re a reader it may not be one of the books you plan to read this
year. But I’d still like to challenge you to do it, because I think you would get a great deal from
it for all kinds of reasons. You ought to study the Bible because it has such an impact upon
our lives, an impact we don’t realize.

It takes something like names—you know somebody by the name of Paul or James or
John or Abraham or David or Daniel—those are Bible names. They come out of the text of
Scriptures. Or if you have some friends who are women, it’s amazing how many of them have
gotten their names from the Bible: Esther, Sarah, Rebecca—you probably call her
Becky—Mary and Martha, Ruth. Now I know those women have gotten their names from their
late aunt or their grandmother, but trace it back and you end up in the Bible.
I mean, just on a little thing like names the Bible has had its influence. Or there are ways in
which we talk without realizing how much of the Bible we know. Have you ever heard
somebody talk about “the handwriting is on the wall”? It usually means there’s some dire
consequences out ahead. That came from the Bible, one of the corking good stories you find
in the Old Testament.

Or you see a beautiful garden and you say, “That’s an Eden.” Well that’s the name of the
first garden mentioned in the Bible. Or somebody does a deed for another person and they
say, “You know, he was really a good Samaritan.” It’s strange that we would use that, because
I doubt that you’ve ever bumped into a Samaritan, and what’s a good Samaritan? Well it
comes from a story Jesus told and that story was so powerful that it’s become part of the way
we think.

Somebody has said that, “If you really tore the Bible out of all of literature, all of English
literature, the literature would fall apart.” Again and again there are references to the Bible. So
at least one reason you ought to read it is to be an intelligent, well-informed reader or
somebody who is perceptive about what’s going on in society. But there are better reasons
for reading the Bible than the fact that it’s had an impact on the culture.

You ought to read it because the Bible is not really a single book. It’s like a library; and
whatever your taste is in literature, you’ll find it in the Bible. For instance, do you like stories?
The Bible is filled with them. In fact, the major way that the biblical writers communicate their
ideas is through story. Their stories are as exciting as modern novels. There are stories in the
Bible about great temptation, the way people fell or the way people stood against it. Stories
in the Bible, this holy book, are about betrayal, murder, rape, robbery, adultery, broken
families, and the consequences. You read the Bible stories, and you’ll be amazed at how
relevant and up-to-date they are. Sure times have changed, but people haven’t.

Or if you walk through the library of the Bible, you’ll find poetry, a lot of poetry. Now the
poetry that you read in the Bible isn’t exactly like the poetry that we grew up with. At least the
poetry I knew as a youngster was rhymes: “Mary had a little lamb, it’s feet were full of soot,
and everywhere that Mary went, it’s sooty foot he put,” or something like that. Well that’s not
what we mean by poetry in the Bible.

Poetry in the Bible deals with images and deals with emotions, the kind of experience that
you’ve had. There’s a book right in the middle of the Bible filled with poetry. We call it Psalms.
It’s really a book of ancient hymns or poetry. Wherever you turn in that collection of Psalms,
there’s something that will reflect your experience. Some of those poems are rich and
exciting. The poet is trying to get hold of a feeling of upbeat-ness and triumph. Other poems
deal with depression and questions.

Some of those poems deal with a man who feels that he may have lost his faith. He’s
hanging onto it by his fingertips. And then there are other poems that are poems of a quiet
confidence. In this collection of poems we call the Psalms, the 23rd poem, the 23rd Psalm, is
one that people who don’t even read the Bible may know. David, the greatest king that Israel
ever had, sat down to write, and he said, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” When
David wrote that psalm, he was thinking of God as a Shepherd, but more interesting he was
thinking of himself as a sheep.

Now think about that. I don’t know of any king who would want to be represented by a
sheep. Kings like the image of a lion or a tiger, an eagle, even a vulture. But a sheep, so
defenseless, so dependent, everything a great king wouldn’t want to be. And yet in that poem
with that image he writes as a sheep about his shepherd. And that’s how you can understand
the psalm.

He says, “I shall not want, He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me besides
still waters.” He’s not talking about a picnic; he’s talking about the way a sheep is provided for
by its shepherd. He takes it to places of plenty and places of refreshment. All of that is to say
that one kind of literature you have is story, but the other kind is poetry.
Or there is another kind of a story in the Bible, we call them parables. Jesus told them. It
takes a great deal of genius to be able to construct a parable. A parable is a story that lies
alongside the truth, and you have to think about the parable, and then you have to think
about the truth and see what the relationship is.

One parable Jesus told is called the parable of the prodigal son. Robert Bridges, a
Unitarian and a literary critic, said that, “This is an absolutely flawless piece of work.” Rudyard
Kipling said, “It’s the greatest short story ever written.” You can see why. It’s a story that could
take place in your neighborhood. I mean on your street. Maybe even in your home. It’s about
a kid who had everything—good home, good parents—but he wouldn’t settle for that. He
didn’t want just a room of his own; he wanted a life of his own. And so he takes off to go to
the far country. You’ve known people like that haven’t you? And well there it is in Jesus’ story.
And because we can identify with it, we can understand what Jesus is saying.

And so the Bible is a book of different kinds of literature. Whatever you like in literature,
you’ll find in the Bible. But there’s something else. Not only has the Bible woven its way into
the fabric of our thought, not only is it a book of different kinds of literature, but even more
important, the Bible helps us understand what we would not understand by ourselves.
Have you even wondered about life, about the mess we’re in? The Bible deals with that
mess. It opens with a creation in which God says of His creation, “It’s good.” In fact, He says it
over and over again. “Yeah, that’s good.” And then when He makes men and women, He says,
“Oh, that’s very good.” Only two, three pages later, everything goes wrong, and within four
pages of the beginning you’ve got a young man who murders his brother, and the rest of the
Bible carries that out.

Have you ever wondered how we got into the mess we’re in? For example, I think
everybody wants peace. I don’t know any leader who doesn’t say he wants peace. Everybody
wants peace, wants to bring peace. But, for less than 50 years in all of recorded history, we
have not had wars in which people killed each other, maimed each other.

Ever wonder: If everybody is so insistent that they want peace, why don’t we have it? The
Bible deals with that. The Bible tells us how we went wrong, and even more important, it tells
us how we can be made right. I don’t know who you are, but I suspect that you sense in
yourself an incompleteness. There are things you have done that nobody else may know
about, but you know about them and you wonder sometimes, if you had to stand before God
and give an account for the living of your days, how would you do it? All kinds of people have
wondered that.

The Bible answers that question. The Bible tells you not only about the mess we’re in, or
the mess you’re in personally, or I’m in, it tells us how in spite of that mess we can have a
relationship with the eternal God. Think of it, by the reading of this book and understanding
what it’s teaching, you can be joined to the timeless life of God.

Since that is true, I think you’d want to read this book, because it promises not only a
good life here, it promises eternal life in the ages to come. At any rate, those are some reasons
for reading this book, the Bible. And we’d like to help you with it. There are things about the
Bible that can be difficult. I mean, it was written 2,000, 3,000 years ago, and even though you
know the land in which it was written, Israel and what we call Iraq today, you know the map
will be the same. Maps don’t change.

But there are places that were called one thing then, called another thing now, so we
want to help you with that just to bring it up-to-date so that you don’t have to wonder about
strange names or strange places. We’ll do our best to sit beside you, try to anticipate your
questions and get you into the glorious experience of reading the greatest book that was
ever written, the Bible.

Don't Forget


“Be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt.” Deuteronomy 6:12

We all have little slips in our memory once in a while, right? I love the story about the guy who decided to do something about his increasing forgetfulness. This poor chap decided to attend a seminar on how to increase his ability to remember things. And, to his great delight, the seminar worked! A few weeks later he sat in his living room, chatting with a friend about his newly improved recall ability.

“You won’t believe it,” he gushed, “This memory seminar really has helped me remember things better. I have a whole new lease on life!”

“That’s great,” his friend replied. “How does it work?”

“Well, you simply think of a common object that helps you build a link to whatever you need to remember. If you can remember the common object, then you’ll remember the other object.”

“Wow!” said his friend. “You know, to be honest, my memory’s slipping a little. What’s the name of the seminar? I think I might sign up for it.”

“Okay,” the guy replied. “Let’s see, think of a flower with red petals . . . long stem . . . thorns . . . rose.” Then he yelled to his wife in the next room, “Hey, Rose, what was the name of that seminar I went to?”

In Deuteronomy 6:12, Moses is talking to the Israelites about the danger of memory loss when it comes to forgetting God. God’s people were standing on the edge of the Promised Land, ready to enter a land with great cities they did not build, houses full of good things they did not fill, and vast and lush vineyards they didn’t plant. And, as good as the prospect of all this prosperity was, there was a danger lurking under the blessing. Moses knew that in good times it’s easy to forget God. The people were in danger of forgetting that it was God who had given them this land flowing with milk and honey; forgetting that it was God who went before them in each battle; forgetting, in fact, that it was only through God’s gracious choice of them as His people that they were enjoying the blessings of their new home and country. And, when we forget God, we become unthankful, proud, and self-sufficient—the kinds of things that are offensive to the Giver of every good and perfect gift.

So the solution for Israel—and for that matter, for us—is keeping God in mind! The book of Deuteronomy is actually a memory seminar about God’s goodness to His people. Moses reminds the Israelites of the law that was given on Mount Sinai. He tracks the Israelites back over the ways God miraculously provided for them—battles won, food given, shoes that didn’t wear out—the list of God’s providing work is long.

So, here’s the lesson. Beware! When God is abundantly good to us we are in great danger. We are in danger because in good times it’s easy to forget God. It’s easy to be so consumed with the gifts that we forget the Giver! And if we do that, we end up worshiping the blessings and not the One who in His amazing grace has blessed us.

The benefit of keeping God in mind is that it keeps our hearts grateful, appropriately humble, and delighted in our God for His goodness to us. Believe me, delighting in Him beats being consumed by the stuff that He has given us.

Memory lapses in our daily routines may be normal for us. But remembering God’s goodness in our lives is something we can’t afford to forget!

YOUR JOURNEY…

  • Take some time to write out what God has done for you. Let it be an exercise in remembering His goodness and grace in your life!
  • While we can rejoice in the fact that God forgives and forgets the sins that we confess before Him, it’s sometimes helpful for us to remember just how much He has forgiven us. We are, as Paul said, examples of God’s “unlimited patience” (1 Timothy 1:16).
  • How does remembering what God has done for you personally affect the way that you will live your life today?

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Experiences in Theology by Jurgen Moltmann

Review
"It will challenge and stimulate a whole generation of theologians to work at theology in different and more comprehensive ways.” -- M. Douglas Meeks, Vanderbilt Divinity School

“[Moltmann's systematic work] thrives on the cutting edge of Christian theology…." -- M. Douglas Meeks, Vanderbilt Divinity School

Product Description
Theology always has been (and is for Moltmann) not an abstract or otherworldly endeavor but one nourished by, and responsive to, experiences in and with life itself. In this volume, the final in his series of systematic “contributions” to theology, Moltmann looks ahead from the landmarks of his own theological journey. He searches out those intersections of his own life with contemporary events that have kindled and impelled his theological thinking (part 1). The perspective of hope, the central moment in Moltmann’s thought, is freshly explained, while other basic theological themes and concepts are developed and interrelated (part 2).

But more than that, Moltmann uses these theological tinders to spark the flames of the chief directions in liberating theological thought today—black, Latin American, Minjung, and feminist theologies —(part 3) and the central motif of Trinity (part 4).

This volume not only introduces Moltmann’s theology, it also utilizes the contemporary religious and political scene to incite ones own theological reflection.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 420 pages
  • Publisher: Augsburg Fortress Publishers; First Printing edition (November 1, 2000)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0800632672
  • ISBN-13: 978-0800632670
  • Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.4 x 1.2 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

7 Basic Steps to Fasting and Prayer by Bill Bright of Campus Crusade for Christ

I believe the power of fasting as it relates to prayer is the spiritual atomic bomb that our Lord has given us to destroy the strongholds of evil and usher in a great revival and spiritual harvest
around the world. Increasingly I have been gripped with a growing sense of urgency to call upon God to send revival to our beloved country. In the spring and summer of 1994, I had a growing conviction that God wanted me to fast and pray for forty days for revival in America and for the fulfillment of theGreat Commission in obedience to our Lord's command.

At first I questioned, "Is this truly God's call for me?" Forty days was a long time to go without
solid food. But with each passing day, His call grew stronger and more clear. Finally, I was
convinced. God was calling me to fast, and He would not make such a call without a specific
reason or purpose. With this conviction, I entered my fast with excitement and expectancy
mounting in my heart, praying, "Lord, what do you want me to do?"

I believe such a long fast was a sovereign call of God because of the magnitude of the sins of
America and of the Church. The Lord impressed that upon my heart, as well as the urgent need
to help accelerate the fulfillment of the Great Commission in this generation.As I began my fast, I was not sure I could continue for forty days. But my confidence was in the Lord to help me. Each day His presence encouraged me to continue. The longer I fasted, the more I sensed the presence of the Lord. The Holy Spirit refreshed my soul and spirit, and I experienced the joy of the Lord as seldom before. Biblical truths leaped at me from the pages of God's Word. My faith soared as I humbled myself and cried out to God and rejoiced in His presence.

This proved to be the most important forty days of my life. As I waited upon the Lord, the Holy
Spirit gave me the assurance that America and much of the world will, before the end of the year
2000, experience a great spiritual awakening. This divine visit from heaven will kindle the greatest spiritual harvest in the history of the Church. But before God comes in revival power, the Holy Spirit will call millions of God's people to repent, fast, and pray in the spirit of 2 Chronicles 7:14: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

The scope of this revival depends on how believers in America and the rest of the world respond
to this call. I have spent fifty years studying God's Word and listening to His voice, and His
message could not have been more clear. This handy reference guide, Seven Basic Steps to Successful Fasting and Prayer, will help make your time with the Lord more spiritually rewarding. I encourage you to keep it with you during your fast and refer to it often because it gives easy-to-follow suggestions on how to begin your fast, what to do while you fast, and how to end your fast properly. During my forty-day fast, God impressed me to pray that two million Christians in North America will fast for forty days by the end of the year 2000, and pray for national and worldwide revival and for the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Prayerfully consider this challenge.

Before you fast, I encourage you to read my book, The Coming Revival: America's Call to Fast,
Pray, and "Seek God's Face." It will help equip you for the coming spiritual awakening.

How to Begin Your Fast

How you begin and conduct your fast will largely determine your success. By following these
seven basic steps to fasting, you will make your time with the Lord more meaningful and
spiritually rewarding.

STEP 1: Set Your Objective

Why are you fasting? Is it for spiritual renewal, for guidance, for healing, for the resolution of
problems, for special grace to handle a difficult situation? Ask the Holy Spirit to clarify His leading
and objectives for your prayer fast. This will enable you to pray more specifically and strategically.

Through fasting and prayer we humble ourselves before God so the Holy Spirit will stir our souls,
awaken our churches, and heal our land according to 2 Chronicles 7:14. Make this a priority in
your fasting.

STEP 2: Make Your Commitment

Pray about the kind of fast you should undertake. Jesus implied that all of His followers should
fast (Matthew 6:16-18; 9:14,15) For Him it was a matter of when believers would fast, not if they
would do it. Before you fast, decide the following up front:* How long you will fast - one meal, one
day, a week, several weeks, forty days (Beginners should start slowly, building up to longer
fasts.)
* The type of fast God wants you to undertake (such as water only, or water and juices;
what kinds of juices you will drink and how often)
* What physical or social activities you will restrict
* How much time each day you will devote to prayer and God's Word
Making these commitments ahead of time will help you sustain your fast when physical
temptations and life's pressures tempt you to abandon it.

STEP 3: Prepare Yourself Spiritually

The very foundation of fasting and prayer is repentance. Unconfessed sin will hinder your
prayers. Here are several things you can do to prepare your heart:
* Ask God to help you make a comprehensive list of your sins.
* Confess every sin that the Holy Spirit calls to your remembrance and accept God's
forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
* Seek forgiveness from all whom you have offended, and forgive all who have hurt you
(Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4; 17:3,4).
* Make restitution as the Holy Spirit leads you.
* Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit according to His command in Ephesians 5:18
and His promise in 1 John 5:14,15.
* Surrender your life fully to Jesus Christ as your Lord and Master; refuse to obey your
worldly nature (Romans 12:1,2).
* Meditate on the attributes of God, His love, sovereignty, power, wisdom, faithfulness,
grace, compassion, and others (Psalm 48:9,10; 103:1-8. 11-13).
* Begin your time of fasting and prayer with an expectant heart (Hebrews 11:6).
* Do not underestimate spiritual opposition. Satan sometimes intensifies the natural battle
between body and spirit (Galatians 5:16,17).

STEP 4: Prepare Yourself Physically

Fasting requires reasonable precautions. Consult your physician first, especially if you take
prescription medication or have a chronic ailment. Some persons should never fast without
professional supervision.
Physical preparation makes the drastic change in your eating routine a little easier so that you
can turn your full attention to the Lord in prayer.
* Do not rush into your fast.
* Prepare your body. Eat smaller meals before starting a fast. Avoid high-fat and sugary
foods.
* Eat raw fruit and vegetables for two days before starting a fast.
While You Fast
Your time of fasting and prayer has come. You are abstaining from all solid foods and have
begun to seek the Lord. Here are some helpful suggestions to consider:
* Avoid drugs, even natural herbal drugs and homeopathic remedies. Medication should
be withdrawn only with your physician's supervision.
* Limit your activity.
* Exercise only moderately. Walk one to three miles each day if convenient and
comfortable.
* Rest as much as your schedule will permit.
* Prepare yourself for temporary mental discomforts, such as impatience, crankiness, and
anxiety.
* Expect some physical discomforts, especially on the second day. You may have fleeting
hunger pains, dizziness, or the "blahs." Withdrawal from caffeine and sugar may cause
headaches. Physical annoyances may also include weakness, tiredness, or
sleeplessness.
The first two or three days are usually the hardest. As you continue to fast, you will likely
experience a sense of well-being both physically and spiritually. However, should you feel hunger
pains, increase your liquid intake.

STEP 5: Put Yourself on a Schedule

For maximum spiritual benefit, set aside ample time to be alone with the Lord. Listen for His
leading. The more time you spend with Him, the more meaningful your fast will be.
Morning
• Begin your day in praise and worship.
* Read and meditate on God's Word, preferably on your knees.
* Invite the Holy Spirit to work in you to will and to so His good pleasure according to
Philippians 2:13.
* Invite God to use you. Ask Him to show you how to influence your world, your family,
your church, your community, your country, and beyond.
* Pray for His vision for your life and empowerment to do His will.
• Noon
* Return to prayer and God's Word.
* Take a short prayer walk.
* Spend time in intercessory prayer for your community's and nation's leaders, for the
world's unreached millions, for your family or special needs.
• Evening
* Get alone for an unhurried time of "seeking His face."
* If others are fasting with you, meet together for prayer.
* Avoid television or any other distraction that may dampen your spiritual focus.
When possible, begin and end each day on your knees with your spouse for a brief time of praise
and thanksgiving to God. Longer periods of time with our Lord in prayer and study of His Word
are often better spent alone.
A dietary routine is vital as well. Dr. Julio C. Ruibal - a nutritionist, pastor, and specialist in fasting
and prayer - suggests a daily schedule and list of juices you may find useful and satisfying.
Modify this schedule and the drinks you take to suit your circumstances and tastes.
5 a.m. - 8 a.m.
Fruit juices, preferably freshly squeezed or blended and diluted in 50 percent distilled
water if the fruit is acid. Apple, pear, grapefruit, papaya, watermelon, or other fruit juices
are generally preferred. If you cannot do you own juicing, buy juices without sugar or
additives.
10:30 a.m. – noon
Fresh vegetable juice made from lettuce, celery, and carrots in three equal parts.
2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Herb tea with a drop of honey. Avoid black tea or any tea with caffeine.
6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Broth made from boiling potatoes, celery, and carrots with no salt. After boiling about half
an hour, pour the water into a container and drink it.
Tips on Juice Fasting
* Drinking fruit juice will decrease your hunger pains and give your some natural sugar
energy. The taste and lift will motivate and strengthen you to continue.
* The best juices are made from fresh watermelon, lemons, grapes, apples, cabbage,
beets, carrots, celery, or leafy green vegetables. In cold weather, you may enjoy a warm
vegetable broth.
* Mix acidic juices (orange and tomato) with water for your stomach's
sake.
* Avoid caffeinated drinks. And avoid chewing gum or mints, even if your
breath is bad. They stimulate digestive action in your stomach.
Breaking Your Fast
When your designated time for fasting is finished, you will begin to eat again. But how you break
your fast is extremely important for your physical and spiritual well-being.

STEP 6: End Your Fast Gradually

Begin eating gradually. Do not eat solid foods immediately after your fast. Suddenly reintroducing
solid food to your stomach and digestive tract will likely have negative, even dangerous,
consequences. Try several smaller meals or snacks each day. If you end your fast gradually, the
beneficial physical and spiritual effects will result in continued good health.
Here are some suggestions to help you end your fast properly:
* Break an extended water fast with fruit such as watermelon.
* While continuing to drink fruit or vegetable juices, add the following:
-First day: Add a raw salad.
-Second day: Add baked or boiled potato, no butter or seasoning.
-Third day: Add a steamed vegetable. Thereafter: Begin to reintroduce your normal diet.
* Gradually return to regular eating with several small snacks during the first few days.
Start with a little soup and fresh fruit is such as watermelon and cantaloupe. Advance to a
few tablespoons of solid foods such as raw fruits and vegetables or a raw salad and
baked potato.
A Final Word

STEP 7: Expect Results

If you sincerely humble yourself before the Lord, repent, pray, and seek God's face; if you
consistently meditate on His Word, you will experience a heightened awareness of His presence
(John 14:21). The Lord will give you fresh, new spiritual insights. Your confidence and faith in
God will be
strengthened. You will feel mentally, spiritually, and physically refreshed. You will see answers to
your prayers.

A single fast, however, is not a spiritual cure-all. Just as we need fresh in fillings of the Holy Spirit
daily, we also need new times of fasting before God. A 24-hour fast each week has been greatly
rewarding to many Christians.
It takes time to build your spiritual fasting muscles. If you fail to make it through your first fast, do not be discouraged. You may have tried to fast too long the first time out, or your may need to
strengthen your understanding and resolve. As soon as possible, undertake another fast until you
do succeed. God will honor you for your faithfulness.
I encourage you to join me in fasting and prayer again and again until we truly experience revival
in our homes, our churches, our beloved nation, and throughout the world.

Appendix

How to Experience and Maintain Personal Revival

1. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any unconfessed sin in your life.
2. Seek forgiveness from all whom you have offended, and forgive all who have hurt you. Make
restitution where God leads.
3. Examine your motives in every word and deed. Ask the Lord to search and cleanse your heart
daily.
4. Ask the Holy Spirit to guard your walk against complacency and mediocrity.
5. Praise and give thanks to God continually in all ways on all days, regardless of your
circumstances.
6. Refuse to obey your carnal (worldly) nature (Galatians 5:16,17).
7. Surrender your life to Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. Develop utter dependence on Him
with total submission and humility.
8. Study the attributes of God.
9. Hunger and thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6).
10. Love God with all of your heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37).
11. Appropriate the continual fullness and control of the Holy Spirit by faith on the basis of God's
command (Ephesians 5:18) and promise (1John 5:14,15).
12. Read, study, meditate on, and memorize God's holy, inspired, inerrant Word daily (Colossians
3:16).
13. Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
14. Fast and pray one 24-hour period each week. Prayerfully consider becoming one of the two
million Christians who will fast for forty days before the end of the year 2000.
15. Seek to share Christ daily as a way of life.
16. Determine to live a holy, godly life of obedience and faith.
17. Start or join a home or church Bible study group that emphasizes revival and a holy life.

Six Vital Questions About Prayer

Q: What Is Prayer?
Simply put, prayer is communicating with God. Real prayer is expressing our devotion to our
heavenly Father, inviting Him to talk to us as we talk to Him.

Q: Who Can Pray?
Anyone can pray, but only those who walk in faith and obedience to Christ can expect to receive
answers to their prayers.
Contact with God begins when we receive Jesus into our lives as Savior and Lord (John 14:6).
Praying with a clean heart is also vital to successful prayer. We cannot expect God to answer our
prayers if there is any unconfessed sin in our life or if we are harboring an unforgiving spirit
(Psalm 66:18; Mark 11:25). For God to answer our prayers, we must have a believing heart and
ask according to His will (Matthew 9:29; 21:22; 1 John 5:14,15).

Q: Why Are We to Pray?
God's Word commands us to pray (Luke 18:1; Acts 6:4; Mark 14:38; Philippians 4:6; Colossians
4:2; 1 Timothy 2:1,2).
We pray to have fellowship with God, receive spiritual nurture and strength to live a victorious life,
and maintain boldness for a vital witness for Christ.
Prayer releases God's great power to change the course of nature, people, and nations.

Q: To Whom Do We Pray?
We pray to the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
when we pray to the Father, our prayers are accepted by Jesus Christ and interpreted to God the
Father by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26, 27,34).

Q: When Should We Pray?
God's Word commands us to "Pray continually" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We can be in prayer
throughout the day, expressing and demonstrating our devotion to God as we go about our daily
tasks.

It is not always necessary to be on our knees, or even in a quiet room to pray. God wants us to
be in touch with Him constantly wherever we are. We can pray in the car, while washing the
dishes, or while walking down the street.

Q: What Should We Include in Our Prayers?
Although prayer cannot be reduced to a formula, certain basic elements should be included in our
communication with God: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication (ACTS).

A-Adoration
To adore God is to worship and praise Him, to honor and exalt Him in our heart and mind and
with our lips.

C-Confession
When our discipline of prayer begins with adoration, the Holy Spirit has opportunity to reveal any
sin in our life that needs to be confessed.

T-Thanksgiving
An attitude of thanksgiving to God, for who He is and for the benefits we enjoy because we
belong to Him, enables us to recognize that He controls all things - not just the blessings, but the
problems and adversities as well. As we approach God with a thankful heart, He becomes strong
on our behalf.

S-Supplication
Supplication includes petition for our own needs and intercession for others. Pray that your inner
person may be renewed, always sensitive to and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Pray for others -
your spouse, your children, your parents, neighbors, and friends; our nation and those in authority over us. Pray for the salvation of souls, for a daily opportunity to introduce others to Christ and to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and for the fulfillment of the Great Commission.