Hey folks,
This Sunday will be Christmas Day. I know it will be a very busy time. You will have visitors and meals to prepare and gifts to open. But… let’s not forget it is Jesus birthday. In that spirit we will be having a special Christmas service that morning beginning at 11:00. We will sing carols and I will be teaching a simple message about why Christmas is so important. It will be evangelistic and I encourage you to bring all your family and friends. The service will be over by 12:00. Hope to see you there.
Have a Merry Christmas,
Brother Jesse
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. Luke 2:1-20
Greetings saints,
With the end of the year upon us, it is time to prepare ourselves for the coming of the new. Over the last few years, churches across America have been spending the first 21 days of the year in a special time of prayer and fasting. If you are not planning to do so I want you to consider it. It is not only a time of spiritual strengthening for you and your congregation but it is a time of united prayer by the Body of Christ that surely pleases God. Many churches opt for the Daniel fast and ask that their congregations fast in whatever way they feel led during the twenty one day period (only vegetables, fruit and water are consumed on the Daniel fast). In my church family, some fasted coffee, television and the internet among other things. Our fasting emphasis this year begins on January 8th but you may start whenever is best for you.
In light of this, I want to share some principles on prayer and fasting over the next few weeks.
Fasting Part 1
A much neglected but clearly taught practice in both the Old and New Testaments is the spiritual discipline of fasting. Here are some examples of those who fasted in the Bible:
“ Moses fasted for forty days twice (Deut. 9:9,18).
“ Joshua after Ai (Josh. 7:6).
“ All Israel (Judges 20:26; 1 Sam. 7:6, 12).
“ David before he was crowned, when his child was sick and because of the sins of the people.
“ Jehoshaphat and Judah (2 Chron. 20:17).
“ Elijah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel all fasted.
“ Fasting was an important part of the strategy of the early church and its leaders.
“ Paul fasted in every church (Acts 14:23).
Throughout the history of the church there was an emphasis on fasting. Luther, Calvin, Knox, Wesley, Edwards, Finney and Moody all made fasting a regular part of their lives and did so whenever there was difficulty or resistance in their ministries.
Fasting is still God’s chosen way to deepen and strengthen prayer. Fasting is a form of self-denial for spiritual purposes (Ps. 35:14). It is deliberate abstinence from some or all food (or any legitimate fleshly need) for the purpose of becoming stronger spiritually and advancing the work of the Kingdom of God. It can also be applied to sleep, fellowship and marital relations. It always includes prayer.
It requires a deeper level of commitment and sacrifice. It is the result of spiritual hunger, a determination to intercede effectively and whenever the need to engage in more intense spiritual warfare presents itself.
The cross, self-sacrifice, self-denial and fasting are interrelated. Fasting is the spirit of:
“ Putting God first
“ Seeking God’s Kingdom first
“ Putting priority on God’s will and eternal goals
“ Taking up your cross daily and following Christ
“ Self-surrender and total commitment
“ The crucified life
In the coming days I will be sending the second part of this series on fasting.
For the Kingdom,
Brother Jesse
Longtime ALF member Claude “Bud” Steadman went to his eternal reward this past week. He took ill suddenly at home and was transported by ambulance to Florida Hospital – Deland where the staff made a heroic effort to revive him. He is now with his beloved daughter Tammy in the presence of the Father.
His funeral will be next Monday November 8th at 11:00 am in the Methodist Cemetery in Pierson. Rev. Howard Cox will officiate. Breyers Funeral Home (Astor) is in charge of the arrangements. You can contact Yvonne at 749-3196 if you wish to offer condolences.
Please pray for the family.
Brother Jesse
Just for fun:
- Santa lives at the North Pole. Jesus lives everywhere.
- Santa rides in a sleigh. Jesus rides on the wind and walks on the water.
- Santa comes once a year. Jesus is an ever present help.
- Santa comes down your chimney. Jesus stands at your door of your heart and knocks.
- Santa fills your stockings with goodies. Jesus supplies all your needs.
- You have to wait in line to see Santa. Jesus is as close as the mention of His name.
- Santa lets you sit in his lap. Jesus holds you in His hands.
- Santa has a belly like a bowl of jelly. Jesus has a heart of love.
- Santa”s little helpers makes new toys. Jesus makes new lives.
- Santa puts gifts under your tree. Jesus became our gift and died on a tree.
But the embarrassing thing right here is that we have no one to blame for our spiritual impotence. We have not half a chance that anyone will believe us for transferring to another the guilt of our criminal stagnation. We cannot blame the devil for this impasse, because Jesus said, “I give unto you power .. . over all the power of the enemy.” We cannot blame our enemies, because the Word says, “We are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” We cannot blame the weapons combined against us, because we have “the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” We dare not and cannot blame God, because He has said, “Ask, and it shall be given you.” We cannot say that the supply lines have run out, because the Book says, “All things are yours.” It looks as if we have run out of scapegoats! As a wise man said, “The fault, dear Brutus, is within ourselves.”
We may call prayerlessness neglect, or lack of spiritual appetite, or loss of vision. But that which matters is what God calls it. In I Samuel 12:23 God calls prayerlessness sin: “God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you.” Prayerlessness is disobedience, for God’s command is that men ought al-ways to pray and not to faint. To be prayerless is to fail God, for He says, “Ask of me.” Prayerlessness is sin.
Once again I say that at God’s judgment bar we believers are going to be embarrassed, for as Dr. A. W. Tozer mentioned recently, “We are not only going to be judged for what we have done; we are going to be judged for what we could have done.” That hurts. Oh what we could have done! Oh the sacrifice we could have made, the prayers we could have offered. the tears for the lost we could have shed, the souls we could have won to Christ! There are resources in God that we believers have never touched; there is wealth. spiritual wealth in God that we have never discovered; there is power in God that we have left untapped—all because we have been faithless and unbelieving.
In the place of prayer, the soul has aspirations which are sanctified and set aflame and, what is more, kept aflame. Do you wonder that the devil strives with might and main with all that is reasonable—and all that is unreasonable too—to keep us from this soul-hearing, soul-seeing, soul-activating place of prayer?
Leonard Ravenhill in Revival Praying
Billy and Bridgett Carouthers will be dedicating their baby daughter Lillyan Brielle on Sunday morning November 6th.
Our fifth Sunday services continue to expand as more churches come on board. Community Christian Assembly and Inglesia Missionera (I’m sure I misspelled that) are now going to be joining us. That is a total of five churches coming together in Christian unity to celebrate Jesus and His love. This month it will be held at CCA in Pierson beginning at 6 PM. We will be having a meal afterwards. All are invited.
