"DAILY BIBLE READING"

How To Make It A Habit


[To be successful in forming any good habit...]


I. WE NEED TO CREATE A "POSITIVE ADDICTION" TO DAILY BIBLE READING

A. WHAT IS A "POSITIVE ADDICTION"?
     
         A positive addiction is a habit which is:
            1) Good for you, either physically, mentally, or spiritually
            2) A source of pleasure and satisfaction
            3) One that should you neglect it, begins to give you "withdrawal pains"

B. WHY IS A "POSITIVE ADDICTION" TO DAILY BIBLE READING NECESSARY?

1. It will help you maintain the practice of reading the Bible
2. Should a few days go by without reading the Bible, the "discomfort" experienced will help motivate you to get "back on track"
3. Most people who have tried to read the Bible daily and did not keep it up...
         a. Are people who have never experienced a positive addiction to reading God's Word
         b. Rather than a pleasurable experience, it was a chore
         c. So when they fell behind in their goals, there was little motivation to catch up

[Having explained what I mean by "positive addiction", here are some thoughts on...]

II. HOW TO CREATE A "POSITIVE ADDICTION" FOR DAILY BIBLE READING

A. THE PRINCIPLES ARE THE SAME FOR CREATING ANY POSITIVE ADDICTION...
      1. You must make the experience a pleasurable one
         a. This is where many people fail when it comes to "exercise"
         b. Going about it the wrong way, the daily workouts are painful and miserable
         c. Therefore any excuse not to exercise prevents them from keeping it up
      2. The same applies to reading the Bible
         a. To many, they try to do too much too soon
         b. The experience soon becomes little more than "marking a checklist"

   B. SOME SUGGESTIONS...
      1. START SLOW, WITH SMALL GOALS
         a. Many try to start by reading through the Bible in one year
            1) An admirable goal, but most never make it past Exodus or Leviticus
            2) Before Bible reading has become a positive addiction, they run into difficult passages of Scripture
            3) They are like beginning joggers who try to run a mile the first time out
         b. I would recommend starting with making the New Testament a yearly goal
            1) This requires no more than a chapter a day
            2) The material is easier, more edifying at the outset   
         c. Once you have read the New Testament in a year a couple of times
            1) You might read through the Old Testament one year
            2) Then begin reading through the entire Bible each year
      2. BEGIN EACH SESSION WITH PRAYER
         a. Like that found in Ps 119:18:  "Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your Law."
         b. This puts us in the most receptive frame of mind - James 1:21
      3. READ SLOWLY, CAREFULLY
         a. This helps to prevent reading without comprehending what you read - Ps 1:1-2; 119:15-16
         b. Reading out loud at times, as though you were reading to someone else, can help to read this way
      4. MAKE USE OF BIBLE STUDY AIDS
         a. Especially a Bible dictionary, and Bible maps
         b. Don't observe the "pass over", passing over...
            1) Words you don't understand
            2) Names you don't know
            3) Places unfamiliar to you
         c. Every time you do, there is that much more of the Bible you
            don't understand, don't get anything out of it
         d. Take a moment to look them up in the references
      5. DISCUSS WHAT YOU READ WITH OTHERS
         a. Encourage others to follow the same program of reading
         b. Share your discoveries, the passages that encourage you
      6. READ WITH THE INTENTION TO DO WHAT IT SAYS
         a. Otherwise, you are wasting your time! - Ja 1:22-24
         b. The true joy comes in the application of God's Word (another "positive addiction" to develop) - Ja 1:25
      7. END EACH SESSION WITH PRAYER
         a. Like that expressed in Ps 119:5-6
         b. Or the one found in Ps 119:10-11

I have found that following these suggestions the practice of reading the Bible becomes one of great joy. - Ps 119:162
Done on a regular basis, a "positive addiction" for daily Bible reading quickly develops which helps you to keep up this wonderful habit.

I hope that in some way I have encouraged everyone...
   a. To begin if they have never done so
   b. To continue if they are doing so
   c. To try again if they tried in the past and failed
For there is so much to gain, and there is so much to lose!

Here are some scriptures for the next seven days that we can commit to reading together. Please hit the comment bottom at the end of this article and tell how God might be speaking to you. One way that God uses to sow scripture into our hearts is when we speak it out. Share what God is teaching you and another person may share something that brings a better understanding.

Day One - Acts 2:1-4,42-47
Day Two - Acts 4:8-15, 27-30
Day Three - Acts 6:1-7
Day Four - Acts 11:19-26
Day Five - Acts 13:1-5
Day Six - Acts 16:1-5
Day Seven - Acts 16:6-15

When You Don’t See God’s Hand

“But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself” Daniel 1:8

Is there really a God? Is He loving? Is He good? Is there a God I can turn to and trust? Am I crazy to believe “yes” to all these things?

When things are going fine in your life, you might not find it hard to believe in a God that is good and who loves you, but if something devastating has recently happened that makes you ask, “How could a loving God allow this?” Then you will understand Daniel’s story.

If you need some perspective and hope in your circumstances today, then you need to turn the channel and watch a couple scenes from Daniel’s life. Across all the pages of Scripture that detail his story from teenager to old man, you can write “Sovereignty at Work.” God was directing Daniel’s life—get this—whether Daniel saw it at the time or not.

So now you know where we’re going. Let me give you some context before we travel too far. Way back when He rescued His people from Egypt, God made it clear. “If you guys live the way I tell you to live and obey My commands, you’re gonna get blessed. But if you turn your back on Me and follow other gods, you’re gonna be in for a world of hurt.” Sadly, most people chose the latter and God allowed His own people to be judged. That’s what was happening when Daniel was a teenager. One bright day in Jerusalem, Daniel was captured in his enemy’s net and his world turned upside down.

But Daniel’s captors were working a strategy. They singled out the best, young people—the All -American teenagers with the highest SAT scores and the ones voted MVP and Most Likely to Succeed (Daniel included)—and brought them to their capital city near modern-day Kuwait. They said, “We’re gonna brainwash these kids and teach them to lead our program.” So Daniel was given a foreign name, Belteshazzar, and was forced to learn a new language and culture. They even got a new diet.

Here’s where the story turns. Daniel 1:8 says, “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat.”

“But Daniel.” (I love the “buts” in the Bible.) Just when things were headed downhill, God found a person who would stand for Him. Daniel said, “My world just got rocked, but I’m all for God—I won’t do that thing that would dishonor Him.” (Read Daniel to understand why eating the king’s meat was such a big deal.)

Had Daniel decided what God was like by looking at his circumstances, he would have become a disillusioned, confused, angry young man. Ripped from his homeland, forced into slavery, most likely castrated to become a eunuch in the palace, Daniel still had his eyes on God. Don’t gloss over this like it’s some made-for-TV movie—this story is true in every detail. Imagine the suffering connected with his circumstances. Yet Daniel went through the fire . . . successfully. And you can too.

40-Day Spiritual Devotion

In the Shadow of His Greatness

As the Lenten season continues to move forward, we should remind ourselves of God’s Greatness and remember that it is “to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,” NKJV Eph 3:20-21 that His greatness is seen in us. But more importantly He is worthy of our praise.

The Compass is working on having an amazing history. If there was or is any goodness to be seen in the ministry of this church, (and I believe there is) it is only in the shadow of His Greatness. In the Old & New Testament we see His greatness in the lives He empowered and we are challenged and called into that greatness.

I want to invite you to continue your 40-day journey with me this Lenten Season to see what God will do. Moses spent 40 days with God and got the Ten Commandments, Twelve men took 40 days to explore Canaan and found the provision of God, Elijah traveled 40 days to meet with God and was refreshed, and Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights before He began His ministry and we all are the result of that ministry!

What will happen to us in this 40-day Devotion is for us to find out. But God is already eagerly waiting to spend time with each of us.

Remember we will end our journey together on April12th in worship. We will have a testimony time to celebrate all that God has done in us and through us. This is an important time in the life of The Compass. God is already at work.
Pastor Terrance☺

Prayer & Fasting

Jesus both taught and modeled fasting. After being anointed by the Holy Spirit, He was led into the wilderness to fast and pray for 40 days (Matthew 4:2). During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave specific instructions on how to fast (Matthew 6:16-18). Jesus knew the followers He addressed would fast. But what is the purpose of fasting in the life of the believer today? Here are some answers.

Showing Humility and Repentance

One reason we fast is to demonstrate humility before the sovereign Creator of the universe. God responds when we diligently and wholeheartedly seek Him (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Sometimes this involves confession and repentance from sin. This was the case of the Ninevites when Jonah reluctantly told them God was going to bring judgment upon them (Jonah 3:5,10), 50 they called a fast and repented of their sin. Fasting demonstrates humility by acknowledging our dependence on God. In Psalm 35, David laments his enemies' harsh treatment of him in contrast to how he cared for them when they were ill. He humbled his soul by fasting and praying for their recovery (Psalm 35:13).

Seeking God's Face More Fully

A second reason we fast is to respond to God's love toward us. It is as if we are saying to God, "Because You are righteous and holy, and loved me enough to send Jesus to die for my sins, I want to get to know You more intimately."
Jeremiah 29:13 says we will find God when we seek Him with all our hearts. We may want to take extra time to seek and praise God by missing a meal or abstaining from food for a day or more.
When we deliberately set aside time for fasting, we are showing we want to seek God.

Asking for Something You Desire

Sometimes we fast to demonstrate our sincerity to God concerning something we truly desire. Ezra proclaimed a fast to ask God to protect His people as they journeyed to Jerusalem from exile. God responded by leading them safely to Jerusalem, delivering them from their enemies and ambushes along the way (Ezra 8:21 31).
Although fasting may show our sincerity, it does not guarantee we will receive what we desire. Maybe our request is not within God's will, or we may be asking with the wrong motives. David fasted for seven days when God struck with illness the child Bathsheba conceived by David. David repented of his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. He humbled himself, fasted and prayed, but the child still died (2 Samuel 12:15-18).
Through fasting we can determine the sincerity and correctness of our requests.

Fasting to Know God's Will

Seeking God's will or direction is different from petitioning Him for something we desire. When the Israelites were in conflict with the tribe of Benjamin, they sought God's will through fasting. The entire army fasted until evening, and "the men of Israel asked the Lord, 'Shall we go out again and fight against our brother Benjamin, or shall we stop?"' (Judges 20:26-28).
Acts 13:1-3 implies that church leaders were seeking God's direction for their ministry through prayer and fasting. The Holy Spirit responded by saying, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." In both instances, people fasted and prayed to determine God's will.

What Does it Accomplish?

Spending time in prayer and fasting is not automatically effective in accomplishing the desires of those who fast. Fasting or no fasting, God only promises to answer our prayers when we ask according to His will. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him." In the prophet Isaiah's time, the people grumbled that they had fasted, yet God did not answer in the way they wanted (Isaiah 58:3-4). Isaiah responded by proclaiming that the external show of fasting and prayer, without the proper heart attitude, was futile (Isaiah 58:5-9).

Growing Up Spiritually

1. In Ephesians chapter 4 Paul talks about us growing unto a perfect (mature) person.
This word perfect means REACHING MATURITY!

2. According to Ephesians Chapter 4:14, one who is still a spiritual child is: tossed to and fro, carried away by every wind of doctrine, deceived by humanities craftiness and deceit

3. There is a similarity between spiritual development and physical development! 1 Peter 2:2, 1 John 2:13, Eph 4:15

4. Three Comparative aspects of Spiritual Growth and Development to Natural Growth ARE Development are:
1. Babyhood
2. Childhood
3. Adulthood

Mature Christians are responsible for those in the babyhood stage of Christian development.

STUDY THESE TRAITS AND STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT:

BABYHOOD: ~1Peter 2:2, Mark 10:15-16
IGNORANCE
INNOCENCE
IRRITABLILITY

CHILDHOOD: ~Ephesians 4:14, 1 Cor 13:11
UNSTEADINESS
TALKATIVENESS
CURIOSITY

ADULTHOOD: (Maturity) ~1 Jn 2:14, Heb 5:12-14
ABILITY TO RECOGNIZE GOD AT WORK
DEADNESS TO CENSURE AND PRAISE
ESTEEMING EARTHLY THINGS LIGHTLY

How to you Monitor/Measure Spiritual Growth?

THE SUPER SEVEN (Dr. Keith Matthews)
On a 10 point scale, 10 being high, do the following, then use this as a basis
for prayer and reflection. In available, share with your lay pastor, and make a plan to grow.

____ Rate your life witness as fact (not words)
____ Rate your life in the area of confident, expectant prayer.
____ Rate your life as a conduit of God’s power.
____ Rate your basic confidence & faith in God in all things.
____ Rate your level of freedom from worry, anxiety, and fear.
____ Rate your level of mercy and compassion for those in pain or suffering injustice.
____ Rate your committed participation and service to the body of Christ.

Or… Develop Your own list based on your churches core values (the behaviors or fruit that you want to see in the life of a fully-devoted follower of Christ)

Soul Food

People often ask me if I have a life verse.

If I do, it is Jeremiah 15:16, “Your words were found and I ate them, and your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart.” It's kind of my testimony. I was going nowhere in a hurry and I found this book God wrote and began to feast on it like a soldier devouring his last meal. When the Word of God is absent from my life my heart is hungry. When I feast on the Bread of Life, my heart overflows with joy.

I experience that reality of Scripture's power on a weekly basis. I have the privilege of standing before people with God's Word in my mouth and seeing the incredible impact that it makes. I see the truth penetrate people's hearts, grip their minds, move their emotions, and, best of all, engage their wills toward permanent change. God's Word is not only the tool of our conversion but it is also the tool of our transformation. It confronts us and convicts us about our true need.

I can personally testify to the power of God's truth when I've invited it to penetrate my heart, driving indifference and complacency from my soul. Long before I proclaim God's Word in our church service, I sit alone with His Word and invite God to change me, to grip me with the reality that He is speaking. I ask Him to fill my heart with faith as I focus on His words and to accomplish His purpose in me as Isaiah 55:10 promises. God is faithful to His Word and we who place ourselves in the flow of that unceasing work are the continual benefactors.

You want that kind of joy for yourself, don't you? Here's three ways you can feed your soul on God's Word:

READ IT: So that you don't miss the power of what you are reading, savor God's Word like you would your favorite dessert—take a bite or two, then put your spoon down. Don't rush. If you read it for twelve minutes each day, or one and a half hours per week, you could finish reading the Bible in a year, and you will be so incredibly blessed you will want to start all over again the next year.

As for where to start, begin in the gospel of John. Read it slowly and every time you see the word believe, underline it and ask yourself: Believe what? Be interactive like this with every book of the Bible. Pray before you begin reading each time. Ask the Lord to open your mind and heart to His truth and then believe that He will. Don't lie down when you read —the Bible is not a magazine or a novel. Give Scripture the respect it deserves.

QUESTION IT: Here are some prompts I use; over time, you can develop your own. What portion of my reading stands out to me? Why? • Is there an example for me to follow? • Is there an error for me to avoid? • Is there a duty for me to perform? • Is there any promise for me to claim? • Is there a sin for me to confess?

PLAN IT: Keep your commitment to God's Word going by making a plan how you can apply what you're learning. Take notes; when the Spirit convicts you of a sin, have a strategy to deal with it. The results will amaze you. I have never in my life picked up the Word of God with the phone unplugged and the door shut and given it my focus and my faith in a diligent way when it hasn't fed me with a new spiritual vitality. So if you're feeling a little spiritually famished today, I know what's going on. You need to get back into the Word of God. In its pages, God has provided all that is sufficient for godly living:
Ask God to renew your appetite for the book He wrote. It will take discipline to get into a daily pattern, but pure delight will keep you there. Ask yourself, “Is God's Word a priority in my life?” Even though I'm extremely committed to the Bible, I always have to come back to that question and never let anything crowd out the priority of Scripture in my life. I need to read it, I need to study it, I need to memorize it, I need to meditate upon it. It's not enough to just talk about it at church. If you're struggling or worried or don't know how to get victory over some temptation, get back into God's Word. It's food for your soul and the tool by which God will accomplish His work in you.

All the delight found in filling your life with God's Word is out in front of you; all of it promising greater joy, greater fulfillment, greater maturity, greater delight. Choose to make God's Word a priority and you'll be able to say like David, “Oh, how I love your law, it is my meditation all the day.” (Psalm 119:97)

Bread of Life

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry." John 6:35

What emboldens you to take action? If someone were about to harm my family I would be moved to take action. If I saw a baby in need I would be motivated to take action. I believe that the Word of God is catalyst for us to take action. As we seek after God through His Holy Word we ought to be moved in to action. It's the stirring of the Holy Spirit!

There is much more to your Bible Study for Spiritual Growth than just reading and responding to scriptures. If you really want to grow in the Lord, you will have to make a commitment to yourself that you will seek Him - even when it is not convenient.

God loves you, and He wants more for you. But, God operates in covenants and promises. To receive a promise you read in the Word of God, you can't just know it. You have to meditate on it until it becomes a part of who you are.

BLESSED is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly,
...But his delight and desire
are in the law of the Lord,
and on His law
(the precepts, the instructions,
the teachings of God)
he habitually meditates
(ponders & studies)
by day and by night.
-Psalms 1:1,2 (Amplified)

Do you delight in the teachings and instructions of God? Do they bring you joy and peace as you think on them throughout the day? That is what happens when they become a part of you.

The Lord promises you:
I love those who love me,
and those who seek me early
and diligently shall find me.
-Proverbs 8:17 (Amplified)

It is only through making time to find Him daily that you will become the Christian you know you are pre-destined to be. Now, I must warn you. There is a dangerous epidemic plaguing much of the Body of Christ today. It is called Spiritual Complacency. Don't let it infect you. For some reason, as Christians, we get satisfied with where we are in God. We assume that since we have followed God for X number of years, we don't need a Bible study for Spiritual Growth. We are as spiritually mature as we are going to get.

Well, Beloved, I have exciting news for you. No matter where you are in the Lord,

...if from there you will seek
(inquire for and require as necessity)
the Lord your God,
you will find Him
if you [truly]seek Him
with all your heart [and mind] and soul and life.
-Deuteronomy 4:29 (Amplified)

Every Step Forward

By Dr. James MacDonald (This is a pastor that I listen to often. I was moved by what he has written here and offer it to you.)


Every good step you’ve made in your spiritual life has been a step of humility.

Isn’t that right? Think about the seasons of growth you’ve experienced in your walk with Christ—those times when your faith went to the next level. Those seasons are marked by a sincere brokenness before God that opens our hearts to a genuine transformational encounter with the living Christ.

If you can point to a time when you came to Jesus for salvation, you know what humility is. On that day you said, “God, I need You. I need Your grace. I need Your forgiveness. There’s nothing in myself that can earn Your favor, I need what You’re offering.”

That’s humility. You can’t have a passionate, persevering relationship with Christ without it. You need to have the capacity, first to submit yourself to God, then submit yourself to the difficult circumstances of life to experience the full joy God intends for you to know. God will often use the painful circumstances of life to soften our hearts and to bring us to the point of brokenness to bow before Him. In those circumstances, humility looks like this: “Lord, You’re in control. You’ve allowed this for a reason. What do you want to teach me?” God loves that moment when you’re like, “Tell me what are You trying to teach me—I want to learn it. I want whatever it is You have for me.” If you lack wisdom, ask. “I want to learn something new in this, God. I don’t want to keep aching over the same stuff over and over! What is it, Lord?” There’s humility in that. And in that place, God will give you grace.

Humility stands empty-handed before God. No demands, no requests. In seasons like this, all we can do is fall into the embrace of our loving Savior and find Him to be enough. Humility says “no” to the clamoring voice of our flesh, “no” to the pride and self-confidence that has made us so restless and unhappy for so long.

I’ll say it again, every step forward is a step of humility.

Will I live a proud or a humble life? Hebrews 3 and 4 tells us all about Jesus . . . how He humbled Himself, how faithful He is. His model runs counter-culture to our world that wants to be on top . . . first. We want to stand out, but Jesus made Himself nothing. Now, there will be a day when every knee will bow before the Lord, but in God’s program, humility comes before exaltation.

If it’s true (and it is) that every step forward in your Christian life is a step of humility, then it’s also true that every step of pride is a step backward. We need God to help us experience an overwhelming sense of our own personal sinfulness and to bow our heads before Him daily. Through His strength alone, let’s get this pride problem dealt with. If this is your desire, then pray along with me,

Father, we humble ourselves before You. In bowing our heads and our hearts, we’re saying something—we’re saying that You are God and we are not. You are the ruler; we are nothing. You are everything. Lord, there’s great joy in that. How much misery in our lives has come from asserting ourselves and proving ourselves? Forgive us for the lost opportunities to live for you because of our own pride. Strip us now of anything that promotes ourselves and fill us with Your Spirit.

Might the example of Christ stir within us a fresh desire to live lives of humility. Help us to see the joy and freedom found in that secret place. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

60-60 Experiment

Starting the 60-60 Experiment:

For the next 60 days, try to stay in a continuous, honest conversation with God, willing to do his will moment by moment.

Set a watch or alarm to beep every 60 minutes, and put up sticky notes & reminders around you home, car & office, as a reminder to stay connected.

Try to turn your thoughts back to God all throughout the day, as often as you can. This simple conscious contact with God isn't easy, but it's all you have to do - everything else will begin to fall into place over time. Even if you're not yet convinced this is true, try it. Every 60 minutes, stop and recall "God is with me right now..." and let that propel you to ask God "Show me your will this next moment. I want to be willing to do your will as an act of love toward you."

Begin the experiment and see if this isn't the path to a far more satisfying life.



Get a Spiritual Running Partner?

Just like athletes who train to reach physical goals, we need spiritual training partners to provide encouragement, pacing, and motivation for our spiritual goals. A running partner is another person who I can trust with my struggles and concerns, as well as my dreams and goals. We encourage each other to become all God intends us to be.

A running partner is another person (or couple of people) who I am willing to learn to entrust with my deepest concerns, spiritual struggles, and sins, as well as dreams, successes, and plans to grow.

Together, we'll agree to walk together for a season in complete honesty to help each other grow spiritually to be more like Christ. Like exercise partners, we are running with each other along a spiritual path. The purpose of running together is to provide the encouragement, pacing, and motivation we all need to keep running toward wholeness.

We are agreeing to listen, to care, to pray for one another, to point out patterns we see, and to urge each other to keep moving forward in growth to become all God intended us to be.

The goal is to think, live, and act more and more like Jesus would if he were living my life, working at my job, and in my relationships.


Who Should I Look For?

A person you already trust who is part of your church (best for the long-term) or from outside your church.
Husbands and wives can be partners, but often it is difficult to get detached feedback because of proximity and affect on each other.
You can have more than one running partner, but be careful not to spread yourself too thin.

How Does it Work?

Agree to “run together” for a defined period of time. (take it in short bursts so nobody feels stuck)
Set a time and place to meet or have a phone appointment weekly, and agree to meet face-to-face at least monthly.
Take turns asking each other the “How Are You Running” questions. Let the conversation go where the Holy Spirit leads. Pay attention to upholding the “Rules of Running.” We suggest you re-read the rules before each meeting as a reminder.

Rules of Running

Accept and encourage as often as possible.
Ask questions often; give advice once with permission.
Give reproof or correction only when absolutely necessary.
Never give judgment.
Always protect confidentiality.

“How Are You Running” Questions

What do you think God is trying to do in your life right now?
How have you experienced the fruits of the Spirit lately (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control)?
How have you treated those you do life with?
What sin have you been conscious of this week?
If there’s one area you need to focus on to better love God, love people, build character, or be the body (Christ’s Church), what would it be?
What’s one thing you will intentionally do to take steps of growth in this area?
Have you said the “last 10%” or have you held back today?

"60-60 Experiment" from the book Soul Revolution

Tuesday Meal Fast, July 15th

Acts 9:10-12
10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.”

As you can see I have added a verse to our scripture for this week. Over the pass couple of weeks I have found my focus on vision. It seem as if God says been saying to me that I should call us to remember the vision. Our vision has the greatest importance to what God is calling us to. It is important to remember that we are striving to be intentionally multi-ethnic. We want our worship to reflect the that diversity. Most of all we want to see people receive Christ as their Lord and Savior. As you read the Acts text and some of the text below. Enter a time of prayer remembering our vision. Visions like ours only come by dependence on God and intentional work by us. I have placed list of items at the bottom to focus your prayer time around.

OUR VISION NEEDS FAITH...
1. Faith in the power of the gospel
a. To save souls - Ro 1:16-17
b. To produce souls that have been born again - 1 Pe 1:22-25
2. Faith in the power of the Lord
a. To open doors for His prepared servants - 1 Co 16:8-9; Re 3:8
b. To empower His servants wanting to do His will - Ph 4:13; Ep 3:16,20

OUR VISION NEEDS BOLDNESS...
1. A virtue displayed often by the early Christians - Ac 4:13; 9:27; 13:46; 14:3; 19:8; 28:31
2. For which they prayed and solicited prayers - Ac 4:29,30; Ep 6:19-20
3. A boldness based upon our hope in Christ - 2 Co 3:12
4. To say what needs to be said, when it needs to be said, despite the circumstances - 1 Th 2:2

OUR VISION NEEDS PERSISTENCE...
1. Not losing heart, for we shall reap in due time - Ga 6:9
2. Always abounding, knowing that our labor is not in vain - 1 Co15:58

-- Many visions are never realized because people give up too soon!

Prayer Focus
1) Musicians that can help us reflect the diversity that we seek.
2) A team of volunteers that can work with Jr. & Sr. high young people.
3) People with the heart for children ministry to be added to the team.
4) Latino persons that desire to worship in a multi- ethnic setting.
5) Hmong persons that desire to worship in a multi- ethnic setting.

Tuesday Meal Fast, July 1st

Joel 2:27-28

27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God and there is none else. And my people shall never again be put to shame. 28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

God had abundantly blessed Judah, but the people had taken God and His blessings for granted. Their faith had degenerated into an empty formalism and their lives into moral decadence. "Under divine inspiration Joel told the people that the locust plague was a warning of a greater judgment that was imminent unless they repented and returned to full fellowship with God. If they did, God would abundantly pardon them, restore the health of the land, and give them again the elements needed to offer the sacrifices. The ceremonial system was designed to express a heart relationship with God. By their sin they had forfeited any right to religious ceremony"

The above words come from Al Maxey who is commenting on this minor prophet. As I read his word it made me stop and think about the ways in which I may be take God and His blessings for granted. Have I in any way reduced my relationship with God down to empty formalism? This is not the place that i desire my relationship with God to be. I do not want anything in my life to hinder what God is trying to in my life or with ministry of The Compass.

So here are my questions for you as you consider this scripture during your meal fast.
1) Are you taking God for granted?
2) What are the areas in your life that you need to repent of?
3) Could any of your actions be hindering the ministry of The Compass?

As you pray today and wait to hear from God. Please pray for God's continual direction of our ministry together. Hold up the need for our weekly location. As well we need God to provide Kingdom Labors so that we can do the work that our Lord has set before us. As always if you have any comments or feel God pressing anything on you about our ministry please use the comment button below. May God bless you during this fast.

Tuesday Meal Fast, June 17th

Zephaniah 3:16-17 


16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: 
 “Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak. 
17 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

I prefer explaining this text as the calm silent joy in the possession of the object of one's love, too great for words to express: just as God after the six days of creation rested with silent satisfaction in His work, for "behold it was very good" (Genesis 1:31, 2:2). So the parallel clause by contrast expresses the joy, not kept silent as this, but uttered in "singing."

He will rejoice over you with joy, He will not only be well pleased with you, upon your repentance and reformation, He will take you into His favor, but He will take a complacency in you, as the bridegroom does in his bride, or the bride in her ornaments, Isaiah 62:3-5. The conversion of sinners and the consolation of saints are the joy of angels, for they are the joy of God him-self.

Where are the places in your life that you know God has been singing over you and the places you need God to sing over you? What other insight has God shown you in this scripture? Feel free to send a comment back to me.

The reason for our time of fasting (weather you do a meal fast or an all day fast) for June and July is to direct our time of prayer towards our needs. Here are some of our needs:
1) We need a gifted person to lead our children's ministry for the long term.
2) We need more labors that can continue to help us grow and equip people for the work that God has for us.
3) We need our location locked down as we look towards September and the start of our weekly worship services.

Wake Up and Draw Near

“Let us then draw the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” Hebrews 4:16

It is a great thing to know that we don’t need to wake God up since the God who watches over us neither slumbers nor sleeps Psalm 121:3! In reality, we’re the ones who need to wake up. We need to wake up to the truth that we are not as capable as we think we are to deal with life’s challenges; that our wisdom and instincts are flawed; that trying to manage life by the seat of our pants usually gets us into a heap of trouble.

So, thankfully, the writer to the Hebrews assures us that we can come to Jesus with what the text literally says is “unstaggering confidence”—confidence that He understands our plight and is ready to help us in our time of need. And, in case you’re wondering how He will help you in your time of need, think about His grace that will help you endure, His mercy, His power to overcome, His wisdom to show you the way. And don’t forget His calming presence and His peace that passes understanding in the midst of life’s storms. They are all available for the asking!

So, next time you are overwhelmed with life and don’t know what to do, take a little advice from my friend Eloise: wake Him up! And don’t wait until He is your last resort. You’ll get exhausted and disheartened if you try to bail out your boat all by yourself!

There is an old song that people sing in churches. It goes, “I need thee, Oh, I need thee! Every hour I need thee! Oh, bless me now my Savior, I come to thee.” You’ll need Him sometime—probably today—so make that the theme song of your life.

YOUR JOURNEY…
Would you say that Jesus is your first option when life gets in your face? Or is He your last resort?

What specific steps can you take toward being aware of God’s presence and desire to step in and help you?

At least once today, plan to intentionally call on God. Ask for His wisdom to know what to do and His grace to do it in a way that would be pleasing to Him. Make it a daily!

This has been adapted from some recent reading.

PRAYER & FASTING

Jesus both taught and modeled fasting. After being anointed by the Holy Spirit, He was led into the wilderness to fast and pray for 40 days (Matthew 4:2). During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave specific instructions on how to fast (Matthew 6:16-18). Jesus knew the followers He addressed would fast. But what is the purpose of fasting in the life of the believer today? Here are some answers.

Showing Humility and Repentance

One reason we fast is to demonstrate humility before the sovereign Creator of the universe. God responds when we diligently and wholeheartedly seek Him (2 Chronicles 7:14). Sometimes this involves confession and repentance from sin. This was the case of the Ninevites when Jonah reluctantly told them God was going to bring judgment upon them (Jonah 3:5,10), 50 they called a fast and repented of their sin. Fasting demonstrates humility by acknowledging our dependence on God. In Psalm 35, David laments his enemies' harsh treatment of him in contrast to how he cared for them when they were ill. He humbled his soul by fasting and praying for their recovery (Psalm 35:13).

Seeking God's Face More Fully

A second reason we fast is to respond to God's love toward us. It is as if we are saying to God, "Because You are righteous and holy, and loved me enough to send Jesus to die for my sins, I want to get to know You more intimately."
Jeremiah 29:13 says we will find God when we seek Him with all our hearts. We may want to take extra time to seek and praise God by missing a meal or abstaining from food for a day or more.
When we deliberately set aside time for fasting, we are showing we want to seek God.

Asking for Something You Desire

Sometimes we fast to demonstrate our sincerity to God concerning something we truly desire. Ezra proclaimed a fast to ask God to protect His people as they journeyed to Jerusalem from exile. God responded by leading them safely to Jerusalem, delivering them from their enemies and ambushes along the way (Ezra 8:21 31). Although fasting may show our sincerity, it does not guarantee we will receive what we desire. Maybe our request is not within God's will, or we may be asking with the wrong motives. David fasted for seven days when God struck with illness the child Bathsheba conceived by David. David repented of his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. He humbled himself, fasted and prayed, but the child still died (2 Samuel 12:15-18).

Through fasting we can determine the sincerity and correctness of our requests.

Fasting to Know God's Will

Seeking God's will or direction is different from petitioning Him for something we desire. When the Israelites were in conflict with the tribe of Benjamin, they sought God's will through fasting. The entire army fasted until evening, and "the men of Israel asked the Lord, 'Shall we go out again and fight against our brother Benjamin, or shall we stop?"' (Judges 20:26-28).
Acts 13:1-3 implies that church leaders were seeking God's direction for their ministry through prayer and fasting. The Holy Spirit responded by saying, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." In both instances, people fasted and prayed to determine God's will.

What Does it Accomplish? 


Spending time in prayer and fasting is not automatically effective in accomplishing the desires of those who fast. Fasting or no fasting, God only promises to answer our prayers when we ask according to His will. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him." In the prophet Isaiah's time, the people grumbled that they had fasted, yet God did not answer in the way they wanted (Isaiah 58:3-4). Isaiah responded by proclaiming that the external show of fasting and prayer, without the proper heart attitude, was futile (Isaiah 58:5-9).

Easter Service

800 Minutes of Prayer

As Easter quickly comes this week I want to bring before you a challenge. I do not want to let Easter go by without giving attention to praying for people that God would have us reach as a fellowship. So the challenge is this. Bringing forth eight hundred minutes of prayer for our service, for our community and for our selves. You may ask how can we pull off eight hundred minutes of prayer in the next few days. I am glad you asked. We have about 40 people committed to our launch team. If every person commits to praying just ten minutes this week focusing in on what I stated above and invite one person to do the same with them we would reach the eight hundred minutes.

There some people reading this who are not a part of the launch team but would love to commit to this time of prayer with us. I want to invite you to do so. I only ask that you use the comments button below and let me know how many minutes you are covering. I would love to see us go over a thousand minutes.

Please use Colossians 1:9-15 to help lead you in this time of prayer. It will not lead you in a way that you may think but I believe the results of hearing what Paul has to say about prayer will help us grow.

Pray that we discern God's Will
Notice that Paul's first request is this: I ask that "God fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding." The word "fill" means to be completely filled or totally controlled. The word for knowledge is the normal Greek word for knowledge with a prefix that intensifies the meaning. Paul's primary concern is not for physical health, material prosperity, effective witnessing, or a greater experience of spiritual gifts. Paul's first and primary concern is that the Colossians come to love and understand God and submit to His will.

When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane He sought to submit to the will of the Father. Many of us have turned this around. We spend our time pleading with God that MY will would be done. We want God to give us what WE want. We want Him to see the wisdom of our desires. Some even proclaim that praying, "Thy will be done" is a weak prayer. All I can say to such nonsense is, "tell that to Jesus."

We come to understand God's will as we come to understand God. In our marriage relationships we very often can tell you what our spouse will say to a certain request. How can we do this? We have come to understand our mate. We know what they like and don't like. We have a good idea of what their "will" is. The same is true of God.
We understand his plan and purpose in life as we come to know Him in the Bible, through prayer and through our obedience. Paul prays that the Colossians would not be satisfied with a superficial relationship with God. He prays that they would continue to build a relationship with Him until they understand what God is doing and why.

Pray that we DO God's Will
Paul does not only pray that the Colossians are able to discern God's will. He prays also that they might have the power to DO God's will. In verse 10 we read that Paul prayed that they might understand "in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way." Paul is not praying just that we might be more knowledgeable . . .He is praying that we might learn more about God so that we will live more faithfully before Him. As one wise person said, "you can be a master of theology and a failure at living."

Paul is seeking balance in the lives of these young Christians. He prays that they might understand . . . and when they have understood, that they might live on the basis of that understanding.
Do you see how much different the content of this prayer is from the prayers we often pray? When you pray for others are you "aiming low?" Are you asking the Lord for superficial things and neglecting the greater things? Are you focusing on the temporary and neglecting the eternal? Dare we spend all our time focusing on the body and no time focusing on the soul?

The Goodness of God

Many people live their lives with little regard to the goodness of God. They are unaware of how gracious God has been and is willing to be toward them. So I wonder if you have given much thought to the goodness of God...? All the blessings He bestows on us.

One passage of Scripture that ought to give us pause is the one written in Romans 2:4-11, in which Paul expounds upon "The Goodness Of God." From verse 4, we can glean some important things about...

THE NATURE OF HIS GOODNESS

HIS RICHES...
1. He is rich in grace - Ephesians 1:7
2. He is rich in mercy - Ephesians 2:4
3. He is rich in supplying need - Ph 4:19
4. He is rich in giving things to enjoy - 1 Ti 6:17
5. He is rich in the strength He provides the believer - Ephesias 3:16,21

HIS LONGSUFFERING...
1. "Longsuffering" this describes "a slowness in avenging wrath"
2. We see God suffering long...
a. In the days of Noah, prior to the flood - cf. 1 Peter 3:20
b. In our present day, prior to the Day of Judgment - 2 Peter 3:9-15a

The Psalmist summarizes well the nature of God's goodness: "But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth." (Psalms 86:15). As we return to our text in Romans, we are told of...


THE PURPOSE OF HIS GOODNESS

SHOULD LEAD US TO REPENTANCE...
1. God's goodness is intended to cause humanity to repent - Roman 2:4
2. Based on Paul's description of repentance elsewhere, God's goodness should produce...
a. Godly sorrow which leads to repentance - 2 Co 7:9-10
b. A change of mind (the actual meaning of metanoia, repentance)
c. A turn from sin to God (as evidence of repentance) - 2 Co 7:10-11

SHOULD LEAD US TO DO WHAT IS GOOD...
1. As just described, an indication of true repentance - 2 Corinthians 7:11
2. As later described in our text, it should lead to doing good...
Seeking glory, honor, immortality - Romans 2:7b
1) Glory and honor that will come at the revelation of Jesus Christ - cf. 1 Pe 1:7; 2 Co 4:16-18
2) Immortality (incorruption) that will be given at the same time - 1 Co 15:51-54

So here’s the deal, "eternal life" will be given to those who are properly motivated by God's goodness to repent and do good (Romans 2:7). Our call is to display His glory in such a way that we live worthy of the eternal life given to us by way of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We need to always be thinking about turning our thoughts toward this idea of the mercy of God, to recognize immediately that mercy is entirely the result of and the effect of God’s goodness. It comes not from any other cause, nor any other source, nor from any other reason, except from God’s own goodness.

Both goodness and greatness meet in God.

The True Meaning of Christmas

Romans 5:1 - Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

We live in a sinful world and I’m sure that sometimes there isn’t peace in our relationships, on our jobs or in the communities that we live in. I know that there can even be discord in the church at one time or another that can cause relationships to be strained. I know that when you have kids there isn’t always peace in the house. Sometimes the ideas kids have clash with their parents, but sometimes kids just make a lot of noise in the house. Sometimes even between husband and wife there is a lack of peace.

The truth is that at one point we were all at war with God. There's still evidence of it. If we think, while we're listening to God's Word in a sermon or somewhere else, "this is boring," or "what does this have to do with me?" When we fail to take time to hear what God has to say, then we are at war with God. God wants us to hear what he has to say.

But when He came on the scene, Jesus Christ stepped in between God and us and made peace. This is the peace that the angels spoke about to the shepherds and this is the peace that Paul wrote about to the Christians in Rome. "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." This is the peace that we have because Jesus Christ came to this earth on that first Christmas and lived a perfect life in our place and suffered the punishment we deserved for all of our conflicts with God.

We should understand this peace that we have with God. No matter what other conflicts we may have in our lives, we have peace with God. When we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior, our conflict with God is no more. Now we no longer suffer with any of the conflicts we may have on this earth, but we enjoy peace in our relationship with God.

What about people that are lost? Our call is to get them to understand that, as they trust that Jesus Christ has made peace between them and God and they too get to enjoy that peace with God now. There is no Christmas that we celebrate the birth of Christ that we shouldn’t also remember sharing the gift of Christ. The receiving and sharing of Christ are one and the same. We should not do one without the other.

So may you enjoy the peace given by the birth and work of Christ. I pray that God will bring someone across your path to share the gift that you so enjoy.

Our First Service

This past Sunday on the 16th of December The Compass embarked on the journey that God has set before us. After months of meeting people, sharing our vision and planning for this day it was great to see God bring it together. I believe that we have put our stamp on this ministry. God is calling us to be more then a fellowship of believers. I believe He is calling us to be true ministers of His gospel. As we gathered for prayer before the service I told everyone that this would be a ministry that has not come to play but come to pray, has not come to play but come to praise and that we have not come to play but come to proclaim. There is much work still to do and our sights are set on our Lord and what He desires for us to do in the community that He has set us in. We are looking forward to our next service, which is on January 13th 2008. Our prayer is that people will return and that we would see people from the community as well. We are so thankful for all the people that came out to support us.

The Vision of the Compass

At our launch team meeting this past Sunday we took a look at our vision and studied some scripture to reenforce why we are being called to bring this vision into reality. It is important to not only have a vision but to also have an understanding of how you will live out the vision. Please take some time to read through our vision and our understanding of how we will live it out.

The vision of The Compass is an urban, multi-ethnic, relevant, holistic, and Christ-centered community that would serve as one part of an overall vision of Christian Community Development in the city of St. Paul; calling and equipping the people of the city in a holistic manner to be set free from the things of this world that can hold us in bondage. In Christ Jesus there is freedom. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty” II Corinthians 3:17 We're not aiming for another religious activity, but an authentic pursuit of Christ and the power and purpose He can bring to each of our lives. And really, T H A T I S C H U R C H! Not pews and pulpits, but people committed to a vital, g r o w in g relationship with J e s u s C h r i s t and one another.

Liberated people bring liberation to people!

As liberated people we will live this vision out by:

1. Building conviction about diversity
a. Biblically: people must know why biblically we should have multicultural churches (see Rev. 7:9-12; Acts 6:1-7; 11:19-26; 13:1-3; Matt. 28:19-20; Eph. 2:14-22; Gal. 3:26-28).
b. Strategically: the urban reality is multicultural and the church must not lag behind the world’s diversity but, instead, demonstrate a healthy model of unity in diversity in Christ to the world.

2. Affirming diversity as part of the church’s identity and vision
a. Through messages: the pastor must speak about it frequently in his messages.
b. Through planning: diversity usually doesn’t just happen; there must be intentionality in our plans to grow as a diverse church.
c. Through worship, outreach, and ministries: worship should be enriched by elements from diverse cultures, and ministries should be developed or refined to be sensitive to concerns of diverse cultures.

3. Building a multicultural leadership team and staff
a. Pray for God to direct you to the people of other cultures he has to grow and serve with you.
b. Pursue those people, challenging them with your vision and their role in it.
c. Disciple/Train them to grow and serve with you.

4. Enjoying progress and anticipate problems
a. Celebrate diversity: it’s a foretaste of heaven that we can relish right here and now!
b. Evaluate dynamics: be alert to how people are interacting on deeper levels.
c. Learn to identify warning signals: factions, undercurrents, and "mysterious disappearances."
d. Facilitate communication: an ongoing need to not only solve problems but maximize what God intends diversity to be.