Jan 26 — Renewal Through Influence and Inheritance

Isaiah 58:14 — Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord;

And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.

The mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Well, here we are, the last day of the fast.  Many people have shared how God has been working in their lives through the fast.  There have been challenges and victories.  Ground has been taken.  We have been on a journey together with God and have moved forward.  Philippians 3:16 says, “But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.” (NLT)  If we come out of the fast and simply return to our pre-fast existence, then we will lose that progress.  They key to this is found in a looking at this same verse in a literal translation from the original Greek: “but to what we have come -- by the same rule walk, the same thing think.” (YLT)  We cannot have had a internal experience and then just return to the way things were.  The work that God has done inside me must be walked out for me to keep it.  The work God has done inside me must now affect the way I think.  It is in the external expression of an internal transformation that we secure, stabilize and cement that work.  This is the working out of our salvation (Phil. 2:12-13) and the revealing of faith (Jas. 2:14-26).  We have been changed in this fast, now we need ourselves, each other and the whole world to see it.  God did not simply call us to fast for few days but to be transformed.

The true beauty of walking into the “then” of this fast is in delighting myself in the Lord.  Too often we approach Him with the thought of either what I want from Him or what He wants from me.  Walking in this new place of relationship with Him causes me to delight to be in His presence.  I come into the presence of the One who loves me most and whom I love most.  I delight to come into the presence of the one who loves me enough to discipline me into transformation.  I encounter the One who is Love, Light and Life and as I see Him I become like Him.

Victory!  Victory is ours!  He causes me to ride on the high hills of the earth with Him.  I do not operate as those who are trying to win because I have already won.  I do not have to strive to get somewhere that He causes me to arrive at.  In yieldedness to His will He is able to move me.  Riding in these high places will bring greater responsibility to me.  I will have to be willing to be stretched and grow into the place He would have me ride in.  Much is being given and much will be required.  Let us not shrink back from this place but with boldness enter into it knowing the where He calls us to He will equip us for.

He also provides us with our promised inheritance.  God’s promises are “yes” and “amen.”  His gifts and callings are without repentance.  He is willing to give us our inheritance, we must simply position ourselves to receive it.  Even in the process of receiving the promise of God we must grow and learn.  Israel entered the Promised Land that was their promised inheritance but had to take it.  We war not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers for the inheritance of God in the people of the earth.  There is an inheritance waiting for us to go and get it/them.  We do so from a position of victory.  Let’s go get it!

The fast is ending — the journey continues.  God bless you all!

[Also meditate on: Ps. 18:31-39, 100; Prov. 3:12; Amos 4:13; Mt. 28:18-20; Lk. 12:35-48; Eph. 1:15-23; Heb. 2:10-18]

Jan 25 — Renewal Through Community Restoration

Isaiah 58:10b-12 — Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,

And your darkness shall be as the noonday.

The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought,

And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden,

And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Those from among you Shall build the old waste places;

You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;

And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.

Have you ever been encouraged by new believers?  The freshness of new life in them is infectious.  The joy they have in discovering new things about God and His Kingdom daily.  The passion they have for the freedom and healing they have found.  The many questions they ask that keep you on your toes, having to know what you believe and why.  This is a joy that God desires us to be continually experiencing.  Yesterday we considered the revival God wants to bring to the church.  Today we look at what God wants to do for the community.

How the community is affected is through us, the church.  Jesus said we are salt and light.  Here God promises that our light will rise and shine.  We will be so bright that the darkness around us will be overwhelmed by it.  Too often we are worried about the darkness creeping in when we simply need to be the light we are supposed to be.  We will not only be able to bring light for those in darkness but also water for those in drought, strength for those who are weak and food for those who are starving.  Through what God is doing in and through us, the community is changed.  It is restored.

Lord, as You renew and revive us, let us not be selfish.  Your heart is to reconcile everyone to Yourself.  You desire that none should perish.  We are lights that are not to be hidden.  We are like rivers and gardens to nourish those around us.  Lord, we desire to be who You say we are.  Lord, make us so.

[Also meditate on: Mt. 5:13-16; Jn. 1:1-13, 3:16-17, 12:42-50; Phil. 2:12-16]

Jan 24 — Renewal Through Church Revival

Isaiah 58:8-9a — Then your light shall break forth like the morning,

Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you;

The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

Today we shift into our last theme for God’s Chosen Fast from Isaiah 58—renewal.  You could say that we’ve left the best ‘til last but that would not quite be right.  If everything we’ve done is to chase down renewal, or even revival, then we’ve missed the point of Isaiah 58.  We must not mistake the byproduct from the main product.  We are pursuing a relationship with God that is deep, honouring and transformative.  We are after God’s eye, not His hand.  We move from all that has been previously addressed to the “then,” the afterwards, the carry-through.

What is revival?  A history of revivals reveals a presence of God that is intense and intimate.  A presence that needs no propping up.  A presence that impacts the lives of all where God’s tangible presence is.  Revival begins with the church.  To “re-vive” something is to bring life to something that already had it.  A revived church has God’s life in abundance.

The promise of God in this passage is to have His light, healing, righteousness, glory and attention.  The light of God’s truth will burn away the darkness.  Healing will not be something that we pray continually for—it will arrive speedily.  His righteousness will literally be in others faces.  His glory will follow after us.  He will be so present with us that He will immediately hear us call out to Him.  What excitement to know that God has promised this revival!  How great it is to know God desires to dwell with His people in power.

Lord, we need Your revival but it can only be based on our having You.  Like Moses, we cannot settle for simply having angels and signs and wonders—we need You.  Lord, we embrace Your promise.  We know that You are bringing us into that promise and we will not settle for some nice piece of land on the wrong side of the Jordan.  Take us into the promise.

[Also meditate on: Ex. 33; Mk. 16:14-18; Jn. 17:20-23; 1 Cor. 2:1-5; 2 Cor. 3:4-11, 6:11-18; Gal. 3:1-6]

Jan 23 — Reverence of Speaking God's Words Instead of Our Own

Isaiah 58:13 — … Nor speaking your own words,

This is the last phrase in a verse of Scripture.  All together it goes: “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the Lord honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words.”  Speaking my own words dishonours the Lord.  Speaking my own words reveals the heart of a man, not the heart of God.  If I’m not careful, I can prophesy what is in my heart and not God’s.  There are times where someone is speaking the words of God but then their own heart/desires/flesh get involved and man’s words are added to God’s.  This actually corrupts or confuses what God is saying.  His words are holy and to be treated as such.

God does not want me to simply speak His words during a church service; He wants me as His ambassador at all times everywhere I go.  He wants me to be in tune with His heart and mind at all times.  I cannot assume that I am thinking His thoughts.  His thoughts are so high that I can only receive them as revelation.  I should not assume human logic and wisdom equates with God’s.  Grace is supposed to be imparted to people who hear me speak.  What I say is supposed to build people up in their most holy faith.

I desire the increase of God’s presence in my life and that of our church.  That increase in presence will bring with it an increase in pressure.  The increase in pressure will squeeze out everything that is in my heart.  I can hold off the things in my heart to appear better before others but that can only be done for so long, or a sudden increase in pressure due to circumstance can bring it out.  God promised me a new heart.  I have the Spirit of God living in me.  He’s cleaning out His temple at the deepest places so that any pressure might squeeze Him out my mouth and into the lives of others.

Lord, I want to speak Your words at all times.  I thank You for the opportunity to change.  You are offering a new mouth with my new heart.  Let me not make excuses for the things I say that do not reflect your knowledge, wisdom and heart.  I am Your ambassador, conveying the Kingdom of God to the kingdoms of this world.

[Also meditate on: Ps. 139:17-18; Prov. 16:23; Is. 55; Mt. 12:33-37; 1 Cor. 2:6-16; 2 Cor. 5:12-21; Eph. 4:25-32; Jude 16-22]

Jan 22 - An additional thought as the fast approaches its end

An additional thought for today — day 17 of the 21-day Isaiah 58 fast.

As I was praying today I came to understand how much I’m looking forward to Sunday morning. I also realized that the reason I’m anticipating Sunday morning is because I want a pancake from our 8:30-9:30am Break-Fast at the church. I’m also salivating at the various lunch choices that are running thought my mind. What hasn’t been on my mind enough is a celebration of all that God is doing in our lives as individuals and as a church. I’m looking forward to food; I should be looking forward to the breakthrough we have been fasting and praying for. Ok, this is a little more of a confession than simply a thought. This may simply be my own confession, but there might be one or two our there who are dealing with the same thing. I must not lose focus. I must not step down from the thoughts of heaven to the thoughts of earth. My diet will eventually change when the fast is over. The question is whether I will have changed by the time my diet does. Will our church be different than when it started? Have I simply been depriving myself of food or am I really fasting and praying. God has us all in a process, let’s not sidestep or lose step now but allow for a complete work of His Spirit.

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24-25, NKJV)

— Pastor Merril

Jan 22 — Reverence of Keeping the Holy from Becoming Common

Isaiah 58:13 — “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath,

From doing your pleasure on My holy day, And call the Sabbath a delight,

The holy day of the Lord honorable, And shall honor Him,
not doing your own ways,
 Nor finding your own pleasure, ...

It is God who establishes right from wrong, holy from unholy, order from disorder, honour from dishonour and righteousness from sin.  God set aside time for man to rest from labour and engage with Him.  When you’re invited to come to the King’s house for a day, it’s the King who decides how the day will be.  He may ask you to express your desires, but ultimately it is the King who decides what will be done.  We do not celebrate resting on the seventh day (literally the sabbath day of rest should be Saturday) but we do celebrate the Lord of the Sabbath’s resurrection on Sundays.  While we do not keep the Law, the principle of sabbath rest is something we should be aware of.  Jesus said the sabbath was created for man — God didn’t need rest, we did.  Doing God’s will by faith brings Him pleasure and ultimately leads to my pleasure, even if it doesn’t seem that way in the moment.  It’s pleasing my heavenly Father that should motivate my obedience to His will.

I dedicate myself, my children, my house, my stuff, my time to the Lord.  He receives those dedications … and then how do we treat what has been sanctified?  Are they still mine if I’ve dedicated them to God?  It’s one thing to dedicate something/someone to God; it’s many orders of magnitude greater when God sanctifies to Himself.  I must also not take what God has set aside as holy and trivialize it.  We are to honour/make weighty/bless what God has sanctified, otherwise we dishonour/make light/curse those things.  I may think that I dedicated myself to God but it is God who sanctifies.  I have not chosen God as much as God has chosen me … and He has chosen me to be holy even as He is holy.

“Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.  God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.” (1 Thess 5:23-24, NLT)

[Also meditate on: Is. 43:10-13; Mk. 2:23-3:6; Jn. 15:9-17; Eph. 1:3-6; Phil. 2:5-13; 1 Thess. 4:1-12; 2 Tim. 2:20-26; 1 Pe. 1:13-21]

Jan 21 — Reverence of Desiring God's Continual Presence

Isaiah 58:2e (NKJV) — … They take delight in approaching God.

Isaiah 58:2e (YLT) — The drawing near of God they desire:

“I love, I love Your presence.”  We sing it on Sunday mornings with lots of passion.  This is nothing new.  There are several psalms (Psalms 120-134) that are termed Psalms of Ascents.  There are different thoughts on what that means but one is that they were songs to sing while on the way to celebrate before God at His temple.  “In His presence is fullness of joy.”  In the context of all of verse 2 and the whole chapter, the question is why I delight to approach Him.  Is it self-seeking?  I may love His presence, but does He?  Does He delight in my approach?

This portion of the verse can also be translated to indicate that the people of God want Him to draw near.  It would fit with the previous part where we want Him to come pass judgements.  There are times I want God to come near so that in His presence I will be healed, delivered or renewed.  The Orthodox Jewish Bible says that they seem eager for revival.  God’s tangible presence coming near is a definite component for a revival.  Do I seek a revival so that His Name might be given due status and glory?  Do I seek a revival so that I can be proved right?  All of the sacrifices and ridicule I have endured will then seem worth it because of a revival.  However, then a revival becomes about my name and not His.

Either way, whether approaching Him or wanting Him to approach us, what do I expect from the presence of God?  How do I expect God to manifest Himself?  If I expect Him to make me feel loved and lovely, will I accept His holy, terrible, fearful presence?  Most encounters with the presence of God involve falling on your face.  Even seeing Jesus in His glory can cause you to fall down as though dead.  We need the presence of God but we have to accept His appearance as He wants it to be.

Lord, I seek to draw near to You and that You would draw near to me.  I have loved encountering Your presence but also realize I know nothing of the fullness of Your presence.  I need a revival for Your Name’s sake.  The world needs to encounter Your tangible presence and it starts with me having that encounter.  Forgive me for thinking what I have experienced is something greater than it is.  We seek Your presence and Your glory.  Come Lord Jesus.

[Also meditate on: Ps. 16:11; Ez. 1; Mt. 17:1-8; Jn. 5:1-16; 1 Co. 1:26-31; Jas. 4:7-10; Rev. 1:12-18]

Jan 20 — Reverence of Seeking God's Justice

Isaiah 58:2d (NKJV) — … They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; …

Isaiah 58:2d (NASB) — … They ask Me for just decisions ...

It’s a good thing to ask for God’s justice to be done.  Righteous decisions are important.  Problems can arise when what we think is God’s justice is not happening.  I can be upset when I look for God to me on my side (which is always just ;-) ) and discover He’s on His own side.  I get angry about something and believe I am righteous but discover I am not only angry but sinning in it.  Even when I am right in looking to God for just decisions, am I interested for His sake or my own?  When I ask for His just decisions, I need to be asking that His Name would be exalted in them.  I need to seek justice for His glory.

God is righteous in all His ways and all His decisions.  His Word is true and He never lies.  The choice is before me to believe His Word or believe my circumstances.  The choice is before me to walk by sight or walk by faith.  I must trust Him — there is really no other choice.  He has brought true justice to my heart in Christ.  Jesus has called me to express the justice of the Cross to the world.

Lord, help me to know Your justice when I struggle to understand it.  Jesus, I believe; help my unbelief.  You are worthy to be trusted.  Forgive me when I don’t trust You and Your justice.  There is much in the world that seems unjust.  I will not stop praying for Your justice.  I know that for all, Justice will someday be served.

[Also meditate on: Deu. 32:1-4; Jos. 5:13-15; Rom. 12:19; Eph. 4:26; Jas. 1:19-20]

Jan 19 — Reverence of Obeying God's Commands

Isaiah 58:2c (NKJV) — … As a nation that did righteousness,

And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. …

Isaiah 58:2c (NLT) — They act like a righteous nation

that would never abandon the laws of its God.

I’m fasting but is this simply my journey?  I’m seeking God but am I alone?  I need breakthrough but is this about me only?  It’s time to remember that this is not a personal fast … Freedom Centre is fasting.  God has called us to fast and pray.  I can become so focussed on what God is doing in me that I forget that He is doing this in us.  The sins I repent of is not just my own but ours.  The sins others repent of are not just their own but ours.  The declarations I make are our declarations.  The verse says “as a nation” but it could also be translated as “people.”  We are a body — connected to one another in ways not seen by the natural eye.  We live in a culture that likes to offload blame.  No one likes to take responsibility for others.  Jesus said our greatest witness of being His is that we love one another.  Love one another with the unconditional love of God — a love that lays down its life for another.

Jesus also said that if I love Him I will do what He commands/asks of me.  I can try my best to look like an acceptable Christian according to the standard of those around me, but how am I doing standing face-to-face with Jesus?  I can “act like a righteous” person and compare myself with others to impress myself, but is God impressed?  We can “act like a righteous” church/people and compare ourselves with other churches, but is God impressed?  God is not impressed by our “act” but is seeking hearts that are fully committed to Him.  Acting compensates for the part of my/our life that isn’t fully committed to Him.  Acting gives the appearance of godliness but denies the very power of God to transform lives.  He has given us everything we need for life and godliness, so we my persevere to enter into everything He has for us and no longer make excuses for them.

Lord, may we firstly repent of repenting too much.  Too often have we simply come before You to seek forgiveness and say we repent but it was an act.  We have not changed, so we have not repented.  We cannot change ourselves but You have given us everything we need.  I can choose to partake of Your nature, to walk in Your Spirit, to have an eternal existence; or I can choose to partake of a nature that is dead, to walk in the fallenness of the flesh, to have an earthly existence.  Lord, today I choose You.  Lord, as I make choices, remind me of the connection I have to Your body.  I am also we.  May You get all of the glory You deserve from The Freedom Centre as we truly experience and live out of Your power and nature today.

[Also meditate on: Mk. 8:34-38; Jn. 13:34-35; Gal. 6:1-10; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 2 Pe. 1:2-15; 1 Jn. 5:1-5]

Jan 18 — Reverence of Knowing God's Ways

Isaiah 58:2b — … And delight to know My ways, ...

It is good to know God’s ways.  It’s better to know God and walk in His ways.  There’s a certain sense of satisfaction in discovering God’s ways.  I can become proud of what I know.  I can search to know God in ways that others don’t so that I might elevate myself.  I fell good when I win an argument with someone about the things of God … but how much of God did they actually gain from me.  Knowledge can puff me up but true love is not puffed up.  True knowledge of God will bring glory to God.

God wants us to know Him.  In the end, it is much more important that God knows me than how much I know about God.  The true way to know God’s ways is to walk in them.  This can be a journey filled with mistakes and stumbles but I get to know Him and be known by Him as I walk the path with Him.  Knowing God’s way means walking His path.  For God, knowledge is practical … so it should be for me.

Lord, forgive me where I have sought to know Your ways without wanting to walk them.  Forgive me for wanting to seem wise in the eyes of others but in doing so missed true wisdom.  Lord, help me to truly know Your ways and to delight in learning them.  Give me the courage to walk the paths you set before me.  Some lessons are easier and some more difficult but if Your on the path, I want to walk with You … because I want to truly know You.  Thank You that there is grace and joy in the journey.

[Also meditate on: 2 Sam. 22:29-31; 1 Kings 8:54-61; Job 42:1-6; Prov. 1:7, 5:21; Is. 53:1-6; John 14:6; 1 Cor. 1:20-31, 8:1-3; Heb. 10:19-25; 1 John 2:1-6]

Jan 17 — Reverence of Daily Relationship

Isaiah 58:2a — Yet they seek Me daily, ...

Today we move from the righteousness theme to reverence.  It’s not that righteousness isn’t about revering God but we will now examine the ways we approach our relationship with Him.  The link between righteousness and reverence will be considered in two days.  Today the perspective shifts to focus on how we live our relationship with God.  We considered righteousness first because God’s focus in the Isaiah 58 fast was in bringing out attention to treating each other correctly in honouring Him.  Now we must think about how we treat God.

I like having good habits.  Good habits help me to do what I need to do with less thought and effort.  Such habits can include bathing/showering, brushing teeth, doing laundry, going to the gym, worship and prayer.  Good habits can also trip me up in my relationship with God because I do it with “less thought and effort.”  At this point, I’m just going through the motions.  I’ve sung the song during worship, but as much as my mouth was moving and singing the words, my thoughts were elsewhere.  My singing; my prayer; my offering: all can be done without actually investing myself in approaching God.  In which case, I never approached Him at all.  I just showed up with my body but left the rest of me behind.

I can also treat my daily approach to God as duty.  Somehow it’s simply my end of the deal in seeking Him daily … and, because I have considered it so, God owes me for showing up.  I’m doing my job and He has to pay me.  Sure, there are days when it’s a complete joy to approach the Lord.  There are times when devotion or desperation draw me to His presence.  However, when it becomes duty/work/obligation/tradition, then my heart can expect things from God.  My relationship with God is just that: a personal relationship.  He’s fully invested in that relationship and loves me unconditionally; I need to be fully invested in this relationship also without expectation that He will do something for me.  A daily relationship with God always pays off, but I can’t look for the payoff or I’m just using the relationship … and, God’s not naive.

Lord, forgive me where I’ve just gone through the motions.  Forgive me where I’ve daily approached You because I want something from meeting with You instead of wanting to deepen my relationship with You.  I’ve been selfish in our relationship and I repent.  I’ve been lazy in our relationship and I repent.  I look forward to daily approaching You with a heart of worship.  Let all the benefits of our relationship simply be fringe benefits because I am focussed on loving You.

[Also meditate on: Ps. 40:6-8, 51:14-17; Is. 29:13; Acts 2:46-47; Rom. 4:1-4; Titus 3:4-8]

Jan 16 — Righteousness of Healing the Broken

Isaiah 58:10a — If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul, ...

We considered feeding the hungry four days ago.  Then God talked about sharing our bread; now God says we have to extend our souls.  Obviously there is something more than physical hunger that God is pointing to.  The Hebrew root word for “hungry” has the implication of having an large empty space in our stomach.  He is speaking to the empty space in people’s souls.  Instead of the Bread of Heaven from four days ago, now the food will come from us.  We will have to extend ourselves—literally bring it out of ourselves.  There is spiritual fruit that I am supposed to  be putting out on my branches.  Those that feel unlovable should be able to eat of love at my side.  Those who are troubled should be able to eat of peace.  There is so much fruit that I am supposed to be producing and extending to those hungry for the Spirit of God.  The fruit is not to be so high off the ground that people cannot reach it.  I am supposed to extend myself.  This will cost me.  This is part of the sacrifice of praise to my God.

Their souls may also be afflicted.  The Hebrew word means bowed down, humbled, downcast, or even depressed.  It’s a person experiencing brokenness.  God has anointed me with His Spirit.  That anointing is for the healing of broken hearts.  God supplies the bandages but I must apply them.  God supplies the disinfectant and soothing oil but I must apply it.  God supplies His Spirit but I must respond to His leading.  He calls me to satisfy the afflicted soul but I am way to interested in my own satisfaction to deal with another’s.  I’m too interested in my own apparent brokenness when God calls me to worry about others’ because He was already broken for me.  The very things that I desire (in the rest of verse 10 through verse 12) will be satisfied if I will respond to Him in ministering to others—satisfying their souls.

Lord, forgive me for my selfishness and laziness.  You left heaven and I will hardly leave my favourite TV show to serve others.  Lord, keep my attention on You, the One who has shown us the Way.  Forgive us, for we have been fed with the richness of Your table but have not shared it.  Lord, help me to see my neighbour and love that person.  Lord, reveal to me the abundance of Your provision in my own life so that I might share it with others.  May I offer You the sacrifice of praise today!

[Also meditate on:  Ps. 42, 63:1-5; Is. 61:1-3; Lk. 10:25-27, 12:13-21; Gal. 5:22-23; Heb. 12:1-3]

Jan 15 — Righteousness of Removing Condemnation & Vain Speech

Isaiah 58:9b — If you take away the yoke from your midst,

The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,

Jesus said that His yoke was easy.  There are yokes people can try to throw on us that are anything but easy.  Shame or scorn would be one of those.  Shame is one of the most disheartening things a person can face.  Shame is the obvious spot you cannot wash out.  Too many people feel like they are disgraced — persona non grata — separated from grace.  If there is no grace for me, then what hope is there?  If grace is not possible for me, why should I even try, or work at, my relationship with God or others?  This is not about avoiding feelings of guilt for sinning or the ways I fall short in how I walk my relationship out with God and others.  This is not about deceiving myself into thinking God is not concerned with my sin.  This is about not feeling like I am beyond help or hope.

Jesus said that every sin is forgivable except “blaspheming the Holy Spirit.”  We tend to get hung up on the one that can’t be forgiven instead of the fact everything else can be.  It’s like the one tree in the garden of Eden that cannot be eaten from when everything else is fine.  And yet, we are tempted to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  When I point the finger at others, what tree am I eating from?  When I point the finger at myself, what tree am I eating from?  When I allow others to impact me when they point their finger at me, what tree am I eating from?  I need to eat from the Tree of Life.  I need to share the fruit of the Tree of Life.  I need to know there is grace from God and share God’s grace.

Vain/empty/wicked speech also comes from eating the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  It’s not simply the pointing of the finger in their face; it’s how I talk about them behind their back.  It’s how I argue points of the Law instead of the truths of grace.  They are empty words that neither exalt God nor elevate people.  God takes me out of the miry clay and sets my feet upon a rock; how does my speech reveal that?  Do I speak in such a way as to keep people mired in the clay of their earthly existence or do I speak words that will draw them into the presence of God so that He can bring them out?  If I speak mire to myself, how can I speak otherwise to others.  I love my neighbour in the same way that I love myself.  I must speak the truth in love to myself and others.  Not just the truth but love.  Jesus came full of truth and grace.

Lord, may I be a conveyor of Your grace.  May my speech and actions convey Your love.  Help me to live in the light of Your love and grace, otherwise I will not be able to bring it to others.

[Also meditate on: Ps. 40:1-8; Mark 3:28-29; John 1:14-17; Eph. 4:11-16; 2 Tim. 2:14-16; Titus 3:9; Jas. 2:8-13]

Jan 14 — Righteousness of Clothing the Naked

Isaiah 58:7c — … When you see the naked, that you cover him,

And not hide yourself from your own flesh?

Well, this can seem pretty straightforward.  It’s even easier outside at -40 degrees to understand that exposed skin needs to be covered.  However, we don’t usually walk around in a -40 environment and what is considered naked has shifted over time.  “Who told you that you were naked?”  That’s God’s question to Adam and Eve.  The question that may need to be asked today is, “Didn’t anyone tell you that you were naked?”  Society’s concept of nakedness  has shifted over time.  In November 2012, San Francisco city council passed a bylaw banning public nudity because it was getting too much even for their residents and business owners.  Helping people cover themselves is much easier when they want to be covered.  We should be donating clothes to clothing banks, like the one we have at the church.  I should be concerned that people adequately clothe themselves.

After sin entered, Adam and Eve covered themselves and then God arranged to cover them.  God even demanded that priests not “go commando” when serving before Him but that they wear linen underwear/trousers.  God gave clear instructions in Leviticus 18 as to not being naked inappropriately.  The Bible even says that God will clothe us when we get to heaven.  The concept of mankind somehow returning to some naked Garden of Eden is an unbiblical one.  There are appropriate and inappropriate levels of exposure between people.  This is not only true about the physical but also on the soulish and spiritual levels.

Nakedness is to be covered.  Shem and Japheth covered Noah’s nakedness without looking.  It says they took a garment and it doesn’t say where they got it from.  They could have taken off something of their own (not getting naked but exposing some of their own flesh) to cover their father with.  We are not to be like Ham, who joked about and uncovered/exposed his father’s nakedness.  How easily do I joke and uncover someone else’s nakedness?  Not necessarily their physical nakedness but aspects of their life that should remain private.  Do I expose others so that I can feel better about myself, or do I cover them so that they can become better?  Will I have enough love for those I meet to cover the nakedness of their sins?  Jesus didn’t expose the woman “caught in the act of adultery” but covered her and gave her the grace to change her life.  Ultimately, Jesus became naked on the Cross so that our nakedness could be completely covered for eternity.

Lord, may I have Your love that covers.  Reveal to me my own nakedness and the ways you cover it.  Help me not to be ashamed of or to shame others for their nakedness but help me to find ways of covering it and bringing healing.  May I care more for others nakedness than I do about inconveniencing myself to cover it.  For those that don’t understand their nakedness, I ask that by Your Spirit you would reveal it to them so that they might be covered.

[Also meditate on: Gen. 9:20-23; Lev. 18:6-18; John 8:1-11; Jas. 5:19-20; 1 Peter 4:7-10; Rev. 3:18, 19:6-8]

Jan 13 — Righteousness of Housing the Homeless

Isaiah 58:7b — … And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; …

Shelter in Canada is a necessity—especially in winter.  The natural elements get harsh and can be harmful or even deadly.  Thank God for levels of government and organizations that work to provide shelter for those who do not have it.  There are opportunities to be involved with shelters, Habitat for Humanity or other groups that help house “the poor who are cast out.”  I need to be open to hearing God call me to open my house to others in ways that may be inconvenient and uncomfortable.  I must be careful not to judge their situation.  Jesus did not condemn the leper (who was to be cast out) but reached out to heal and make whole.  James said true religion involves helping the orphan and the widow.  If I were to look into the hearts of those who live on the streets, wouldn’t they all be orphans?

Homelessness is a sad word.  A common saying used to be, “Home is where the heart is.”  The orphan has no home to attach their heart to.  Many people do not truly have the kind of family that God intended.  Jesus may not have had a consistent place to lay His head, but He knew who His Father was and who His family was.  Do I really know God as my Father?  Have I allowed Him to touch every area of my heart with His love so that there is no vestige of the orphan remaining?  I have the great opportunity to offer relationship with the heavenly Father to those I meet.  I can start with welcoming everyone to God’s house and His family on a Sunday morning.  I can invite people to my home for a meal.  I could make my house a home for others, even if they don’t live there.

Father, I need to truly know You as my heavenly Father in the deepest parts of my heart.  If I still have the heart of an orphan, I do not have the fullness of Your heart to offer to the orphans that walk this world.  Help me to see the homeless.  Help me have a heart for the orphan.  Let me not invest money in orphanages overseas without investing my life in the orphanage that you desire our church to be.  Show me practical ways every day to reach out to the homeless with Your love.
[Also meditate on: Ps. 127:1; Mt. 12:46-50, 25:31-36; Luke 9:57-58, 15:11-32; ; John 19:25-27; Rom. 12:9-13; Jas. 1:22-27; 1 John 3:1-3]

Jan 12 — Righteousness of Feeding the Hungry

Isaiah 58:7a — Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, …

Mmmmm, bread.  For those who are fasting it, its smell is very enticing.  Bake bread in a house and its sweet smell is everywhere.  Bread is often thought of as a staple food — a routine food that is part of everybody's diet.  It is something everyone needs for life.

We do participate in this as a church.  We are a depot for the Edmonton Food Bank and we gather together food items for those who do not have a Food Bank hamper.  Usually, the biggest portion to our Bread and Veggie Basket is the breads.  We recognize that the hungry need to be fed.  We do not try to assess why they are hungry or who is more or less needy; we simply provide food for those who will come.

There is often a greater need though.  Physical hunger can be the result of inner hunger.  Haven’t you ever done emotional eating?  We provide more than bread and groceries during the week.  Pastor Merril shares life-thoughts from the Bible.  Jesus said He was the Bread that has come down from heaven and that if you ate of His bread you would never be hungry again.  It’s this inner hunger that we have the answer for.  An inner hunger that, if satisfied by Jesus, can provide the power for them to possibly overcome their physical hunger needs. 

The hungry are more than those who access social agencies.  I need to recognize those who are hungry in their souls & spirits.  The starving can be wearing Armani suits just as much as clothing from Walmart or Goodwill.  I need to allow God to show me other’s hearts, for God looks on the heart, but am I willing to feel with His heart for them?  Am I willing to feel the broken heart of God for their starvation, even when they walk around unaware of it?  Will I judge people who may have wronged me or others because of their inner starvation or will I offer them the Bread of heaven?  How will I interact with everyone I meet today — will I offer them the solution for their hunger?

Lord, I thank you that You are the Bread of heaven who has come down to the earth.  Thank You for giving me Your Bread to eat.  Lord, I confess that I have not always seen people as you see them.  I have ignored the hungry.  I have even been satisfied to help those who are physically hungry while leaving them to starve in their souls.  I have eaten at Your table; I have filled my soul on Your Bread; and yet, I have not shared.  Forgive me Lord.  Lord, today help me to see the starving and offer them Bread.  Let everyone I meet smell the sweet scent of Your Bread and let them be attracted to You so that I might give You to them.

[Also meditate on: Neh. 9:15-17; SS 2:4-5; Is. 55:1-7; Mt. 5:6, 6:31-33; John 6:26-35]

Jan 11 — Righteousness of Removing Oppression

Isaiah 58:6b — … To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?

There are many oppressed people in the world.  Oppression can come governments, businesses, organizations, groups and individuals.  The Hebrew word for oppression means to crush.  People often feel crushed when they are oppressed.  They feel like they cannot come out of it.  It is like a yoke placed around your neck that you cannot get free from.  Sometimes people who have been oppressed become oppressors.  If an oppressed person comes out from under their oppression by the same means of crushing others, then they have not really come out from under it.  It is like a yoke around their neck that keeps them bound to it.

Jesus came to free and heal those who are oppressed.  Most Israelites were looking for a Messiah who would free them from the oppression of the Romans.  Jesus came to free us all from the oppression of the devil.  People are crushed under the weight of sin.  They are slaves to it—yoked to it.  Sin is an oppression that the devil brought to mankind.  Then, the devil uses the Law, which was good, to oppress us with shame over sin.  The Law could not cleans man but was to lead us to Christ so we could be freed.

That oppression was also evident in the religious leaders of the time of the Gospels.  That oppression even tried to creep into the church.  Jesus had an anointing to break the yoke of slavery to sin and the Law.  Jesus brought true freedom from oppression.  This is how Christians all over the world can walk in freedom even when the world and the devil try to oppress them.  They know they belong to the Kingdom of God, which is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

I have been set free from the power of oppression.  The anointing of God has broken my yoke of sin and of shame.  I did not overcome it by oppression but Jesus overcame it by the power of His grace, love and mercy.  I no longer live under the oppression of the law of sin and death.  As I walk in His anointing, as I walk in the Spirit, I walk in complete freedom.

Lord, help me to see that oppression, wherever it is on the earth, is unrighteous and unjust before your eyes.  Also show me how I can be daily involved in freeing the oppressed.  Show me any ways in which I walk in the oppression sin and legalism and free me.  Show me any way I bring oppression to others through sin and legalism.  Lord, may I freely be healed of oppression and freely minister healing to others so that Your Kingdom is evident in my life.

[Also meditate on: Is. 10:27; Mt. 10:7-8; 11:25-30; Luke 4:18-19; Acts 10:38, 15:10,23-29; Rom. 6:15-23, 14:17; Gal 5:1-2]

Jan 10 - Righteousness of Removing People’s Guilt

Isaiah 58:6a — Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness,

To undo the heavy burdens, ...

We now move from repenting for our unrighteousness to connecting with His righteousness.  Repentance is not simply asking God’s forgiveness but involves a change.  Repentance cannot simply be about “turning away from” but must include “turning towards.”  We must remember that we do not have an earned righteousness but one that is the result of what Jesus did.  So, as we look at righteousness, we must see it partly as the joining together of faith and works.  We must see it as the nature, character and heart of God being expressed through us.  He has given us His heart and we need to be connecting with it and acting on it.

Another thought as we engage with these verses is to go beyond the obvious.  While the Lord is expressing practical action we must not miss out on deeper meanings contained in them.  It may be that I/we do not have the ability for direct application but there may be other means by which the heart of God can be expressed.  There can be other ways to minister what God is pointing out.  Some ideas for doing this will be in the devotionals but we should all be listening to the Holy Spirit speak to us about how we can daily allow His righteousness to be expressed through us.

The “bonds of wickedness” and “heavy burdens” are referred to in many commentaries as unjust bonds.  People were using the legal system through contracts and/or high interest to bring others into bondage.  People were being tricked through shady deals and left in guilt and shame and the short end of the stick.  I may not have people that I’ve bound up through litigation, are there relationships where I am a user?  Have I arranged things in a relationship where I win or get the best out of it?  Am I fasting for something I can get out of my relationship with God or am I fasting so God can gain the best me?

Another way of looking at the “bonds of wickedness” is the way in which guilt and condemnation have bound people up because of their sin.  Jesus recognized this importance when he addressed the lame man’s sin first as his friends lowered him though the roof.  When we don’t forgive people, there is a kind of prison we put them in, along with ourselves.  Is there anyone I have not forgiven?  Do I have vengeance in my heart when Jesus didn’t seek vengeance upon me but died for me?  Am I willing to pay the price for someone else’s sin, just like Jesus did for me?  I have the ministry of reconciliation and need to freely give what I have received.

Lord, help me to be one who breaks the chains of people’s guilt.  May I easily express Your heart of forgiveness.  Your righteousness and justice is what I want expressed through my life.  All those who were heavily burdened were to come to you and find lightness; may everyone who comes to me find the same.  Lord, reveal to me any time I am becoming a user in any relationship, including with You.  May I express Your life and liberty to everyone I meet.

[Also meditate on: Ps. 124:7; Matt. 18:15-35; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 6:37, 11:4; John 20:23; Rom. 8:1-4; 2 Cor. 5:16-21; Gal. 2:20; Jas. 1:19]

Jan 9 - Repentance for Religiosity instead of Relationship with God

Isaiah 58:5 — Is it a fast that I have chosen A day for a man to afflict his soul?
Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes?
Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the Lord?

What do you mean Lord?  I thought I was doing this Christian life correctly.  I’ve read in the Bible how people repented in sackcloth and ashes.  I’ve not only read about bowing your head down but have bowed my head before You.  I have a list in my heart of the things that You are pleased with.  I know You have been pleased with how I have engaged with You in the past.  You have been pleased with my actions in repentance, worship and service.  What do you mean that it is not acceptable this time?

How easily I fall into the rut of religiosity.  I do my times of reading the Bible, worship and prayer in the same way every day.  I have a specific place that I sit in the sanctuary on Sunday mornings.  Everyone knows when I am worshipping on Sunday morning because they all know where I stand and what I do.  God was pleased with me when I shouted the first time we sang “You Won’t Relent,” surely that’s what He wants from me every time we sing it.  God healed that person when I prayed that certain way: that must be how He wants me to pray for everyone wanting healing.  There must be a routine, a formula, for how I live my Christian life in a pleasing manner to God.

We no longer live under the law but under grace.  Ritual has never been in the heart of God for us; relationship is what he has wanted from the beginning.  Israel’s biblical victories have not been by formula but were accomplished in the way God desired in each incident.  They had to listen to the Lord and respond to His direction.  Obedience is better than ritual sacrifice.  How often have I tried to accomplish something or see God move by re-enacting something, as if it was some magical incantation.  How often have I substituted ritual for relationship and thought I was pleasing God?

Lord, forgive my laziness in our relationship.  I know it takes time and effort for me to know You and yet I have fallen short.  I admit that I can have a difficult time understanding You and Your ways because You are a dynamic, creative relational God.  Your ways are higher than my ways and your thoughts higher than my thoughts.  And yet You want me to have your mind.  Lord, increase my faith and help me to think, pray, worship and act in faith, for this is the only way I can please you.

[Also meditate on: Is. 55:6-11; Mark 7:1-14; Gal. 3:1-9; Heb. 8:7-13; 10:19-25; 11:6]

Jan 8 - Repentance for Selfishness, Quarrelsomeness & Rightness

Isaiah 58:3-4 — ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen?
Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’
In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers.
Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness.
You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high.

God continues the thought from the previous verse moving from self-righteousness to selfishness.  The “why” question is asked.  What is my motive for fasting?  Am I trying to change God and my circumstances or is this about bringing Him glory and changing me?

I must recognize the failing from the time of creation — selfishness.  Our culture encourages us to think about self: self-improvement, self-made, self-assured, self-respect, self-worth, self-aware, and self-esteem.  While growing in these areas can be good, I must also be conscious of them leading to being self-focused, self-absorbed, and self-serving.  Jesus did not come to be served but to serve.  I must embrace the fullness of God’s love by embodying it by laying down my life and finding His.  True love is selfless.

The need to be right or considered right and of having my own way is also selfish.  I like to win the argument; even at the expense of God’s righteousness and justice.  I can even couch an argument inside religious or seemingly righteous overtones when my true motive is actually to win for my sake and not actually to see God win the other person.  I can claim right motives before man, but God looks on the heart with the intensity of His holiness.  How easily am I engaged in a debate or argument?  How easily do I try to manipulate through intellectual strength, emotional leverage or political savvy?

Lord, we have answered Your call to fast.  This is for You and for Your glory.  Forgive me where I have selfishly sought Your approval, provision or power.  Forgive me where I have tried to manipulate You or others to achieve my goals.  Help me to see any root of selfishness within me and by Your grace to remove it.  By Your Spirit, which is united with my spirit, bring true humility to my soul so that I might express it through my actions.

[Also meditate on: Prov. 17:14; 18:2; Rom. 12:9-16; 1 Cor. 13:4-7; Eph. 4:1-6; 2 Tim. 2:20-26; Titus 3:9-11; Jas. 3:13-18]

Jan 7 - Repentance for Self-righteousness & Pride

Isaiah 58:2 — Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways,
As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God.
They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God.

Well, this list seems nice.  It looks like a check-list for successful Christian existence.  How does this fit with something to repent of?  The problem is that it is a check-list.  Its notches in someone’s spiritual gun-belt.  Its the sense of getting spiritual “Brownie points” with God.

There is nothing I can do to earn God’s favour.  I will fall into the trap of demanding from God as I believe He owes me for the way I live.  I will fall into the pit of judgement when I start comparing my walk before God with that of others.  The justice I seek is not God’s but my own.  My self-righteousness disconnects me from the truth and magnitude of God’s grace and mercy towards me and others.

The Orthodox Jewish Bible translates the last part of this verse as, “they seem eager for kirvat Elohim (getting close to G-d, revival).”  How long have I cried out to God for revival?  How many prayers have been prayed; songs of worship have been sung; revivals have been studied; and fasts have been undertaken, and yet I still have not seen revival?  For who’s sake do I seek revival?  Is this for God’s glory or my sense of accomplishment?  Will a revival prove something about my walk with God or will it simply reveal God?

Lord, forgive my self-righteousness and pride.  Remove all deception from my heart that would allow me a sense of entitlement and demand.  Let me not compare myself with others on this earth but reveal Yourself to me that I might know true humility.

[Also meditate on: 2 Chron. 7:14; Prov. 11:2, 16:18; Dan. 4:34-37; Col. 2:16-19; 1 John 2:15-17]

Jan 6 - Repentance for Rebellion and Missing the Mark

Isaiah 58:1 — Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet;
Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.

Fasting and prayer should begin with repentance—Holy Spirit conviction, personal and corporate confession and significant conversion and/or correction.  I will not be focussing on repentance here but would recommend you listen to my message on repentance available in the media section of the church’s website.  As we begin with repentance, we will need to understand the importance and difference between personal and group repentance.  The message series during this fast is “God’s Chosen Fast” and will have all the major themes covered during our time of fasting and prayer.

We begin our journey through Isaiah 58 with God calling us to repent for “transgressions” and “sins.”  The Hebrew word for “transgressions” can also be translated as rebellion or revolt.  To rebel is defined as “to reject, resist, or rise in arms against one's government or ruler.” (dictionary.com)  While I may seldom openly rebel against God, how often do I reject His counsel or resist Him.  Even the slightest resistance is rejecting His Lordship of my life.  I transgress my authority when I take on His as opposed to Him delegating authority to me.  My resistance reveals a root of rebellion that must be removed.  Jesus never resisted the direction of His Father and neither should I … even if it lead me to a cross.

The Hebrew word for “sins” is rooted in the idea of missing the mark or way.  In the New Testament, the Greek word “hamartia” also means missing the mark and is often translated as sin.  How often have I sought after my own way?  Followers of Christ were first called “people of the way” but it is Jesus’ way that must be followed.  This repentance is more about how I missed the mark than it is about missing it.  The Lord has provided all I need for life and godliness.  He is holy and the Holy Spirit resides in me and He calls me to be holy.  He has given me His Word as a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path.  So, my missing the mark is not about my inability but about my self-will interfering with His ability.

God says that I am to be challenged about this with a loud voice like a trumpet.  I tend to hush and minimize my sin.  God wants to highlight it.  His interest is not in condemning me for my sins but in convicting me to the point of repentance.  If I minimize my transgression and sin, then it cannot be completely uprooted.  Today I will face it with courage and boldness and the power of the Holy Spirit!

Lord, forgive my rebellion and missing the mark.  Reveal all self-will and resistance to You.  Help me not to minimize sin but search me and try me and see if there is any wicked way in me.  Lead me in Your everlasting way as I embark on this fast and take me to the centre of your mark for this time in my life.

[Also meditate on: Prov. 14:14, 16:2; Is. 53:6; Heb. 3:11-15]

A note from our pastor...

Have you ever watched races that happen in an oval?  Horse races, bike races, dog races, car races — all having movement and excitement but inevitably all ending up where they started.  In the end, the winning is more about the excitement and entertainment than it is about accomplishment.  Yes, the winner receives a prize and money was exchanged so people could be distracted for a while … but, in the grand scheme of things, nothing was accomplished.  Has going to church seemed like this at times?  I’m sure that the Israelites must have felt this as they travelled through the wilderness for forty years.

God is calling His church break out of the oval we seem to get ourselves in.  The oval can be different for each person but the circuit seems largely the same.  It can be the oval of routine Christian experience, where you simply are doing what you or your family has always done.  It can be the oval of expectation, where we don’t expect anything different from God in our lives.  The oval can even be in our relationship with God, where we haven’t really spoken with Him about anything new in a while (even though He may want to … have we even listened?).  I’m not interested in a 2013 that is the same as 2012, 2011, 2010, 1999, 1989, 1977, 1965, 1894, 1768 ….  God is also interested in a fresh, new, vibrant relationship with His church. 

Fasting is a means to break out of the oval.  It is not some magic formula for change.  It isn’t some combination to the vault of God’s provision.  Fasting is something by which we acknowledge and experience God as the only source of all things pertaining to life for us.  While food is certainly essential to life, other forms of fasting are acceptable when you are stepping away from something that seems to be essential to your life.  It may be television, social media, coffee or sports.  However, the focus of fasting is not in what you are being deprived of but in Jesus, who is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).  This is also seen in Jesus’ challenge that those who are fasting should look like they are experiencing life and not death (Matt. 6:16-18). 

Prayer must be a part of the fast for it to be about moving into greater life in Christ.  Without prayer, a fast is simply about denial.  So, for this fast the church will be open for prayer each night of the fast at 7:00.  We will be praying through themes in Isaiah 58 — the chapter often known as “God’s Chosen Fast.”  I will be providing a brief thought/message on each day of the fast and it will reflect the prayer theme for that day.  These thoughts will be accessible on the church website (www.freedomcentre.org) or on the church Facebook page.  At each evening prayer there will be music (live or recorded) but the focus will remain on relating to and responding to God as He leads us through this Isaiah 58 fast. 

I anticipate that we will all look different by the end of the fast.  Following Jesus in this way will change us.  As we continue to see Him more clearly, we become more like Him (2 Cor. 3:18; 1 John 3:2).  I look forward to seeing you as often as you can from January 6 to 26.

Journeying with you,
Pastor Merril