MONUMENT OF FAITH CHURCH

Transcription

1 A Church Where Everybody Is Somebody and Jesus Is Lord MONUMENT OF FAITH CHURCH 900 Simmons Street Durham, NC January 6-27, 2019 Bishop Clarence Laney, Jr., DMin. Pastor

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3 QUIET TIME: If you don t already have an established daily quiet time with the Lord, then this is an excellent opportunity to do so. Starting your day with God is a habit that will support your faith and growing intimacy with the Lord. During your Daniel Fast, be sure to set a daily time to come before the Lord, to study God s Word and God s ways. How To Begin Spiritually Start with a clear personal goal in addition to our corporate goals. Be specific. Why are you fasting? Do you need direction, healing, restoration of marriage or family issues? Are you facing financial difficulties? Ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. Pray daily and read the Bible. Prepare spiritually by confessing your sins to God. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas of weakness. Forgive all who have offended you and ask forgiveness from those you may have offended (Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4; 17:3-4). Surrender your life fully to Jesus Christ and reject the worldly desires that try to hinder you (Romans 12:1-2). Remember that it is the attitude of a heart sincerely seeking God to which God responds with a blessing. May God greatly bless you as you fast. Scripture References for Fasting: Matthew 6:16-18, Matthew 9:14-15, Luke 18:9-14 FOODS TO INCLUDE DURING THE DANIEL FAST ALL FRUITS. These can be fresh, frozen or dried. Fruits include but are not limited to apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, guava, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon. ALL VEGETABLES. These can be fresh, frozen, or dried. Vegetables include but are not limited to artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, collard greens, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, parsley, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini. ALL WHOLE GRAINS. Including but not limited to whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, barley, grits, rice cakes and popcorn. ALL NUTS AND SEEDS. Including but not limited to sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, sesame. Also, nut butters including peanut butter without sugar. ALL LEGUMES. These can be canned or dried. Legumes include but are not limited to dried beans, pinto beans, green beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed peas, kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, and white beans.

4 ALL QUALITY OILS. Including but not limited to olive, canola, grape seed, peanut, and sesame. BEVERAGES. Water, 100% juices and herbal tea with no caffeine. OTHER. Tofu, vinegar, seasonings, sea salt, herbs, and spices. FOODS TO AVOID DURING THE DANIEL FAST ALL MEAT AND ANIMAL PRODUCTS. Including but not limited to beef, lamb, pork, fish and poultry. ALL DAIRY PRODUCTS. eggs. Including but not limited to milk, cheese, cream, butter, and ALL SWEETNERS. juice. Including but not limited to sugar, raw sugar, molasses, and cane ALL LEAVENED BREAD. Including Ezekiel bread (it contains yeast) and baked goods. ALL REFINED AND PROCESSED FOOD PRODUCTS. Including but not limited to artificial flavorings, food additives, chemicals, white rice, white flour, and foods that contain artificial preservatives. ALL DEEP FRIED FOODS. chips, etc. Including but not limited to potato chips, french fries, corn BEVERAGES. Coffee, tea, soda, alcohol, energy drinks or any other caffeine drinks. WORD OF CAUTION. Persons who have certain dietary restrictions are encouraged to consult their physician before beginning the Daniel Fast or any other food fast. In the event that a competent and certified physician advises against your participation in the Daniel Fast, you are asked to seek God s direction regarding the sacrifice that is appropriate for you so that you can be in agreement with your brothers and sisters in Christ who are participating in the Daniel Fast.. Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili Ingredients 2-28 oz, cans diced tomatoes (unsalted) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 3 large onions, diced fine 8 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press ¼ cup chili powder 2 tablespoons ground cumin oz. cans beans (black, pinto and/or kidney-drained and rinsed) 1 pinto and 1 kidney nice to have mix 2 tablespoons minced chipotle chile 2 cups frozen corn, thawed

5 Directions Pour canned tomatoes in food processor (with juice) and pulse until slightly chunky. Heat oil in large pan; add onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, ¼ teaspoon sea salt and cook until onions are softened and lightly browned (10-15 minutes) Turn off heat and stir in tomatoes. Transfer tomato mixture to slow cooker and stir in the beans and chipotles. Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours. Stir in corn just before serving Sweet Potato Sticks Ingredients 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon paprika 8 sweet potatoes, sliced lengthwise into quarters Dash sea salt Directions Preheat oven to 400º. Lightly grease baking sheet with olive oil. In large bowl, mix olive oil and paprika. Add potato sticks and stir by hand to coat. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake 40 minutes in the preheated oven. (8 servings). 2 ½ tablespoons paprika 2 tablespoons sea salt 2 tablespoons garlic powder 1 tablespoon black pepper 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano 1 tablespoon dried thyme Special Seasoning Ingredients Directions Place all ingredients into a small bowl. Thoroughly mix with a whisk. Store your Special Seasoning in an airtight jar or container. Snack Ideas Almonds Dried fruit including apricots Apples dipped in nut butter Sliced fruit Veggies Popped popcorn Trail mix with nuts, raisins, sunflower seeds, coconut pieces and dried fruit Fruit kabobs Frozen fruit including grapes, blueberries, strawberries and bananas Hummus with vegetables

6 The Bible talks about fasting in both the New and Old Testaments. We read about Nehemiah fasting and praying for the children of Israel because they were in a time of trouble. Daniel fasted and prayed for three weeks drawing nearer to God. David fasted and prayed in a time of personal repentance. Paul and Barnabas fasted and prayed before presenting leaders in the church. There s a close relationship between fasting and praying because fasting is a time for you to draw nearer to God. Spending time with God in prayer allows us to hear from him and discern things that may be troubling us. Jesus spent 40 days in the desert fasting and praying before going into ministry because he knew that it was important. How much more should we follow his example and fast the things that demand so much of our attention? What s a Financial Fast? The Bible doesn t limit fasting only to food and drinks. Anything that can be given up temporarily so that we can focus our full attention on God can be viewed as a fast. Paul references how a husband and wife might abstain from being together for a time (yes, sexually) so they can devote themselves to prayer. So while the Bible doesn t have a section devoted to a Financial Fast, I think the principles can be applied to our finances. There isn t a lot of specific material to guide Christians in a financial fast, which is why I wanted to cover it here. Financial fasting isn t meant to be easy or unintentional it involves denying yourself so that you can refocus your reliance on Christ. How to Fast with Your Finances In holding to the principles of fasting that we see in the Bible, I think we can fast financially by practicing the following: Identify necessities and luxuries If you already have a budget, this may be a little easier for you to do. Take some time to really focus your expenses on the things that you have to pay for items like your house payment, term life insurance, food, etc. If you can go without it (be honest with yourself eating out, itunes music, going to the movies, etc) list it as a luxury and do your best to go without purchasing it during your financial fast. The financial fast is not meant to keep you from enjoying the things you already own. It s a practice in contentment and reliance on God to be our provider. Resist the temptation to purchase luxuries This is the difficult part of the financial fast. It s so easy to justify small (and sometimes large) purchases for convenience sake or because we feel that we deserve it. Yes, I m talking about the afternoon trip to the vending machine, the morning Starbucks, and the $1 Redbox movie. The point of a financial fast is to help us to use our money with purpose and to avoid irrational purchases that only inflate our standard of living. It s challenging and you will notice the sacrifices which is the point of the financial fast. Focus on contentment, thankfulness, and giving While you re making these financial sacrifices, take a moment to reflect on all that God has blessed

7 you with and learn to be content with what you have. Don t be tempted to complain about what you can t buy during the financial fast. Instead, be thankful for all the things you do have. You may start to see a few extra dollars because of the drop in your spending habits. This is a great thing and should be used as a way to cultivate a spirit of giving. Use the extra funds to bless a ministry in your church, help a friend in need, provide for a family that needs support, or any way that you feel God leading you to give. Grow in prayer Throughout your financial fast, prayer should be at the cornerstone of all your decisions. Yes, as Christians we should engage with God as much as possible but fasting should involve a focused time of prayer to seek God s will and His direction in your life. If there was one verse to guide your financial fast, I think it would be this: Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? Hebrews 13:5-6 NIV A financial fast is your declaration of freedom from money and acknowledgment of your dependence on God. Whether you practice a financial fast for three days or three weeks, I think it can help you grow spiritually and further your desire to give freely. Quotes from Michelle Singletary 21-Day Financial Fast You can have earthly riches, but you can still be poor spiritually. To sum it up: Discipline + Self-denial = Cents for the Kingdom! to increase my wealth I had to decrease my wants. God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19). That s a promise you can rely on. Joseph relied on his faith to save even when times were plentiful. Year after year he stored up grain. He never wavered from his task, even when the grain was overflowing.

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