As we looked into this discipline of tithing we heard loud and clear from God.

Malachi 3:10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

Challenge God on this? He said so. This is cool because God gives us permission, in fact, He commands us to test Him. What an opportunity to grow in faith. There is no way to lose here. God wouldn’t tell us to test Him if He wasn’t planning on passing. In fact, God is incapable of failure.

So, we took Him at His word. Individually, and corporately, we are testing Him. I asked the congregation if they were up to this tithing challenge. I said that if you are not in the habit of “Bringing the whole tithe into the storehouse (church),” we want to give you the opportunity to grow. Commit today to tithing for the next three months. If at any time you are not glad you are tithing, we will give you a full refund, no questions asked. If you don’t feel blessed by God, you can get out. Understand, that we don’t define blessing, God does, but we are leaving that to you. God says you will be blessed, and I don’t doubt you will recognize that blessing.

I asked anyone who was interested in this challenge to write the word “challenge” on their connect card and put it in the offering box. We had twelve families step up. I am so excited to see what God does in our lives. I can’t wait to hear the celebrations of God “pouring out so much blessing that you will not have room .”

I have been challenged or “invited” to fast in the past and I always have this great excuse. God didn’t invite me, you did. If God didn’t invite me, I’m not going to do it, and if you tell me I have to, that’s legalism.

Here’s the deal. God did invite me, in fact, He told me to fast. Scripture is full of fasting. There is almost an assumption that when you pray, it is accompanied by fasting.

• Fast is used 78 times in scripture.
• Moses, David, Elijah, Daniel, Anna, Paul, Barnabas, Esther, Jesus, and others all fasted.
• Jesus assumed His followers would fast. In Matthew 6:16, He says, “When you fast…”

He doesn’t say, “If you fast…” He doesn’t say, “If you decide this fasting thing is for you…” He expects us to fast. That was the realization for me. This isn’t legalism, its obedience. The fact is He told me to fast and I haven’t done it. I am waiting for His engraved, supernatural invitation to fast. The truth is I have more than that. He has told us to fast. Until I get His engraved, supernatural exemption, I must practice the discipline of fasting. I am confident that if I stick to this, He will turn it from a discipline to a desire.

God, I have used legalism as an excuse for disobedience. Please forgive me. Amen.

I fasted yesterday. I am processing today. My next blog will have my insights on the day.

As I mentioned this morning, we are encouraging all who are sensing that Holy Spirit “tug” to fast on Tuesday, either from food or all forms of media (TV, cell phones, ipods, newspapers, etc.) It is critical, however, that you seek the Lord for what He would have for you to do…this is NOT about doing what our spouse is doing or our best friend or the person in the row behind us. A fast begins, endures and ends in relationship with Jesus. Let us each keep our eyes fixed on HIM and not on those around us. He knows you better than you know yourself and He will direct you in to the kind of fast that will be best for you and will bring Him the greatest glory.

A couple practical thoughts – while there is a neat corporate dynamic in fasting together as a church, please don’t feel like it has to be Tuesday. Again, it’s not about the specific day or even the kind of fast you do. Most important is your heart’s posture as you enter in to the fast. Also, if you have serious health concerns (pregnant, nursing, diabetic), a food fast is probably not the wisest choice for you. To be sure, under normal circumstances and when done carefully, fasting is one of the healthiest things you can do for your body. However, for some, a food fast may not be an option. (When I have fasted from food, I have still allowed myself to drink 100% pure fruit juice [1 to 3 glasses/day]. This is especially helpful if you may be hypoglycemic. And, of course, drinks lots and lots of water!)

Depending on what kind of fast you are doing, it is important to do all you can to spend the time you would normally spend eating (or on the phone or reading the newspaper) in prayer and reading God’s word. Or perhaps you simply go for a walk and spend time praising and thanking God for as many things you can think of. If not fasting from media, put on some praise music and worship Him through song. The whole point is to redirect your time, your thoughts, your heart, your body towards God. Every one of us will still have to be about the business of our day, but during our fast, we are placing our complete trust in Christ, in a new way, that His strength and grace are sufficient for us.

If you happen to be thinking right now: “There is no way I can do this” then you are absolutely right! You can’t. But let me SHOUT as loudly as I can while typing that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Phil 4:13). I used to think I knew and believed that Scripture…and then I fasted. Now I know that I know that I know that I truly can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! He is an amazing, wonderful, powerful, faithful, strong, awesome, incredible God!! And He wants to pour Himself in to you…if you will empty yourself for Him.

Just a couple closing thoughts…if you are a reader, I cannot recommend strongly enough A Hunger for God: Desiring God through Fasting and Prayer by John Piper. It is simply outstanding. It wrecks me every time I read it – and I long for God anew all over again. (And there are lots of other great books on fasting I can recommend, as well, if anyone is interested.)

I would really, really love to hear from you – please, if you have any questions, any thoughts – if you’d like to share your experiences or perhaps any great books you’ve read – dialogue here on the blog. Email me. Call me. Catch me at church. Jody, too!! Let’s allow this time to be a time of learning and encouragement. There is absolutely a time to fast “in secret” as best we can, but fasting to be seen and to be seen fasting are two very different things. As always, it comes back to the motivation of our hearts.

Above all, seek Christ. Trust Christ. Pursue Christ. It may just be one small step at a time…but as you learn to trust Him, you’ll find yourself jumping with abandon! He is so worthy!! Be glorified in us, Lord!! This much, we hunger for You!!

Jody and I will be fasting with and praying for you!

As a man, I read that and think, “I want to make that list.” Can you imagine sitting around that dinner table and sharing those stories? I believe that somewhere in every man is the desire to be considered a mighty man. I also believe that most men haven’t a clue how to get there. I am convinced that men have a need to fight. How else do you explain the popularity of movies and video games that put us in the middle of the battle? Why is the market for these almost exclusively male? Who is watching Ultimate Fighting Championships? Men, 18-30, make up the entire market for this sport where spectators watch two guys beat the daylights out of each other. Can I just say for the record I respect these athletes. They are trained and conditioned to an amazing level. There is something inside me that draws me to watch, and then there is something inside me that makes me wonder how I could ever watch that.

This generation of men has become spectators watching someone else’s battle. David’s Mighty Men had their own battle to fight. More importantly, they had a cause worth battling for. Some combination of Kingdom, freedom, and family motivated them to do incredible things. We need to uncover that Kingdom-sized cause in our lives and share it with our sons. What is worth getting in the ring for? Is it your marriage, your family, your mission, your ministry?

Until we do, we will continue to be a weak, disengaged generation. We can either man-up or hide. You can recognize hiding by the way we turn out the lights and fight wars on the TV screen, put on a shirt that reads “Tapout” and convince ourselves that we would stand a chance in the octagon, or douse ourselves in perfume with a manly name like Axe in hopes that people will be confused and miss the fact that we are not we seem.

Exodus 4 22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son,  23 and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’”                                                                                                                                                                24 At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him.  25 But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said.  26 So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)

This short passage seems to be just dropped in the middle of the story of Moses, representing the Almighty God, coming before Pharaoh to demand freedom for the Israelites. Clearly, God has a reason for every word of Scripture, so what’s up here?

I see God giving an example to Moses and Moses missing the meaning. God says, “I want my sons to worship me.” Pharaoh refuses to give them that opportunity. Then I look at Moses. Apparently, his son was not circumcised. Without getting too far into that discussion, circumcision was a requirement for the Israelites. If they wanted to be God’s people, they had to step up and get this done. It was dad’s responsibility to see to it. Like Pharaoh, Moses had denied his son the opportunity to worship God. God doesn’t appreciate that.

Thankfully, Zipporah bailed him out. Unfortunately, I think we allow our wives to bail us out too often. I thank God that I have a great wife who will do that, but I can’t deny my responsibility to provide opportunity for my kids to worship the Almighty God. I will answer for that one day. I don’t want God to go “verse 24″ on me!

 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

 There is a difference between doing all the things a “good” Christian does – and truly abiding in Christ.

 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

 If I am truly abiding in Christ, then I am having genuine communion and fellowship with Him. I will hear His voice – and I will know what He has for me to do. I want to do all the “good works” that God has prepared in advance for me to do! Because I know that when I am doing what HE has designed me to do, then I will be doing it under His power and anointing. If I’m doing more…if I’m doing things that are good ideas to me, even with good intentions…but they are not the things He has prepared for me to do, then I’ll be doing them in my own strength and power. IF there’s any fruit at all, we can be sure that it will be fruit that won’t last. I don’t want to spend my time toiling for fruit that won’t last! I don’t want to expend all my energies doing things that He never intended for me to do – even “good” things! Nor do I want to miss the things He has for me to do – I want to bear fruit! I want the blessings that come from following after Him in obedience and faith.

If I’m not abiding in Christ, then there’s no way for me to know. Christ is everything! Everything always, ALWAYS comes back to my relationship with Him. By not abiding in Christ, I’m missing out on all I was created to be…I’m forfeiting blessing…I’m probably draining myself of precious time, energy, and joy…I’m probably not bearing the “much fruit” that He prepared in advance for me to bear (as I do the good works He prepared in advance for me to do).

 Are you abiding in Christ? Do you know what it means to abide in Christ? If not, please don’t be afraid to ask! Please don’t be afraid to do whatever it takes to get to that place. There’s no greater place to be; no other way to bear fruit in His name and for His glory.

I know, let’s get them all together, dress them up in a zillion dollars worth of fancy clothes and let them tell each other how wonderful and significant they are while the rest of us watch. Surely, that will leave them feeling validated and worthwhile.

John 12:43 - For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

I’ll just cut to the chase. You will NEVER be satisfied unless you are pursuing Christ. If you are chasing fame, there is alway someone out in front of you raising the bar. If you are chasing money or a lifestyle, there is alway someone out in front raising the bar. Things of this world are always moving targets. You think just a little more will get you there, but you never arrive. Jesus is the only rock solid, never changing goal worth pursuing. Satisfaction comes in Him alone.

Genesis 22:6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together,

You can’t help but see the parallels between this story of sacrifice and the story of Jesus’ sacrifice. The father preparing to sacrifice His only Son. The Son willingly carrying the wood on which He would be sacrificed.

I was allowing that to sink in as I continued reading.

Genesis 22:7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” 
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. 
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

The question fell on me for the first time. How old was Isaac? I couldn’t find an answer, but there are pieces I could put together. He knew what sacrifice looked like. He could reason in his mind that something was missing. We know that Abraham was 100+ years old. Knowing Abraham’s age and knowing what we do about Isaac, it seems apparent to me that Isaac, when he realized what was going on, could have either resisted the old man or run away from him. He didn’t. Why?

I have always celebrated Abraham’s obedience in this extraordinary story, but what about Isaac? His obedience to his father mirrored Abraham’s obedience to his Father. Like father like son. Like Father like Son.

On the heels of Mark’s sermon this past Sunday about being joy-filled in these anxious times, I was struck as I read this verse this morning. Daniel had many dreams and visions while in exile in Babylon. After one particularly disturbing one, the Bible said he was “exhausted and lay ill for several days.” It even says that he was “appalled by the vision,” because “it was beyond understanding.”

It sounds like maybe…even if not for very long…he was a little anxious, a little stressed out by what the Lord was revealing to him. Now, please don’t get me wrong; I certainly don’t want to add anything that the Scriptures don’t specifically say. But, I’ve got to believe, that, despite the fact that Daniel was a man of great faith and wisdom, he was…human. And, so, I’m thinking that just like you and me, there were times that he really had to get his thoughts and emotions under control. It seems like this was one of those times. He was so overwhelmed by what the future held that he got physically ill – exhausted. Sick and tired! That’s definitely what a lot of stress can do to a person.

But, then the Word says that he “got up and went about the king’s business.” Sometimes, when I hear about all that’s going on in the world and in our own country; when I listen to what people are predicting as they look at economic trends; when I consider that at any moment, I could get a phone call that will turn my life upside-down, I could very easily be sucked in to a pit of despair, fear, and anxiety. And I think to myself: “What’s happening? What’s in store for my kids? What on earth can I do? What difference can I even make? Should I prepare? How?! What if…what if…what if…” And on and on my thoughts could go. How easy it is to spiral out of control.

But you know what? That’s just what the Enemy is hoping for. He’s doing all he can to “kill, steal, and destroy” our faith and hope and effectiveness. If he can take us out of the game by convincing us that we might as well give up and run for cover, he’s already won. 

We can’t stop living! We can’t stop celebrating and rejoicing in all that God has done and in all that He is doing and in all that He will do! We can’t stop living lives of faith and trust and hope and love! We’ve got to get up and be about the King’s business! Maybe I can’t and won’t impact nations, but I can bless my neighbor. Maybe there are times of loss and sorrow and persecution ahead, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t stop and plant flowers today – or bake a batch of cookies – or take a walk. And yes, I do believe that those are all things that the Lord wants us to do and enjoy! He came to give us LIFE and life abundant! (John 10:10) We cannot miss out on the life we have to live today, because we are so full of worry and anxiety about tomorrow.

My kids are hardly ever stressed out or worried. I love that. I love that they are able to trust and rest – I love that they are able to fully embrace each day without thought of tomorrow. They look to their Dad and I with complete faith that if we say so, everything will be alright. Jesus said I am to be like a little child, and He promises that with Him, everything will be alright. So, no worries! We can “get up and be about the King’s business!”

Anyway, I just read and reread a quote in Primal. Batterson quotes an author named Gary Thomas:

“Thinking about eternity helps us retrieve [perspective]. I’m reminded of this every year when I figure my taxes. During the year, I rejoice at the paychecks and extra income, and sometimes I flinch when I write out the tithe and offering. I do my best to be a joyful giver, but I confess it is not always easy, especially when there are perceived needs and wants.

At the end of the year, however, all of that changes. As I’m figuring my tax liability, I wince at every source of income and rejoice with every tithe and offering check – more income means more tax, but every offering and tithe means less tax. Everything is turned upside down, or perhaps, more appropriately, right side up.

I suspect judgement day will be like that.”

What a perspective. Here on earth, I like to have things. I celebrate when I receive. I celebrate what I keep, what I save. In heaven, I will celebrate that which I gave away. The things (and money)I kept had temporary implications. The things (and money) I gave away have eternal implications.

Keep it and celebrate for a few years or maybe decades, or give it away and celebrate forever. Which should I choose?

Matthew 6:19-21

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.