The Sacrifice of Fasting

     Mark 2:19,20  "The time will come when the bridegroom will go away and then will my disciples fast."
     Why do we fast? Are we trying to gain favor with God?  Are we trying to get His attention?
      These are wrong reasons to fast.  Are we just trying to deny ourselves something for the sake of denying ourselves? are we doing it to be seen of men?
     Jesus Christ wants our full devotion and we willingly give it to Him because we are awestruck with the one who has given us life.  There are many ways we can fast: denying food, pleasure, entertainment, sports,news, etc...  Basically anything that can rob us of our time with God can be avoided for a given time of fasting.
     If we are going to fast, don't just deny yourself something but in its place fill it with God:  prayer, singing, etc...  Fasting is a great avenue for disciplining yourself to trust in God, and a small way you can sacrifice your desires to Him.

Hotter than hell?

     What are we thinking when we say "It is hotter than hell"?  Hell is hot, really hot.  The smell is of sulfur and brimstone.  What a rancid, rotten place. While we are definitely under a heat wave, to say we are hotter than hell is an overstatement.  Hell is prepared for the devil and his angels specifically and though the lost (those without God) will go there  it was not designed for them.  Imagine with me hell for a minute.... there is an escape.  The sacrifice has been made through Jesus, (God) giving himself for the sins of the whole world.  If we reject this, it is clear, how can we escape this judgment. 
      How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
Heb 2:3 (KJV)
      Hope for the ages,  Jesus Christ is our only hope.  Trust him for your salvation and the fires of hell will not touch your garments.  A joyous reunion will await for you with your redeemer in Heaven.
     Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Acts 4:12 (KJV)
     God is a God of love, and that is why He has made a way of escape.
     God is Holy and that is why sin cannot enter into His presence in Heaven.

The Sacrifice Of Prayer

     Does prayer ever come easy?  Is it easy to talk to someone you can't always see, feel or hear?  The answer is no!
     Prayer is something we need to condition ourselves for.  The wickedness of our heart needs to be abolished before we can approach the throne of God with the boldness that comes through having our sins forgiven through the atonement of the blood of Jesus Christ.
     Prayer is the avenue by which we can approach the throne of God with reverence in our hearts for His Holy Name.  Prayer is not just throwing a few petitions out there hoping He will hear and answer, but rather, fervently asking Him in His name for His glory and His alone.
     Hope for the world is hinged on the prayer of the faithful coupled with the action that follows a heart with a burden for the lost.
     Persistence in prayer is rewarding  to those who have prayed when it seemed no one was listening.  God promises us He will hear us but how He answers us is totally up to Him.  Instead of giving up we need to persist realizing our needs and our utter hopelessness without Him.
     Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Ephesians 6:18 (KJV)

The Sacrifice of Obedience

• 1 Samuel 15

     Trusting in Jesus for everything in your life will bring you to obedience to the Laws of God.  It will be a sacrifice on our part because it doesn't come naturally to us.  In order to find out what exactly we are to obey we must look to the Bible as it is the revealed Word of God.  God's commands that we are to obey are all found within its pages and we must read it and study it to find them so we can apply them to our lives.
     Denial of one's self-will is important for true obedience to take place.  We can reform our ways to make it appear as though we are obedient to God, but if it doesn't come from our hearts our obedience is forced and our religion has become ascetic.
     God wants willingness on our behalf to fall in with His designed plan for our lives and for the entire world.  Our response will impact more people than just ourselves.

tightrope walking

     Nick Wallenda recently walked across the Niagara Falls.  The falls created their own winds, a mist that continuously settled around him.  He had to focus on what he was doing so he would not fall off the cable that was his stability.  As he walked across the cable swayed under him seeming to the watchers to be treacherous.
     Life is like a tightrope with you walking across the thin cable that sways under your steps, and the constant "wind" and "mist" would hamper your progress unless you retain your focus on Jesus Christ.  Any other focus would be disastrous to you and would result in your demise.

Keep Jesus In Your Focus

and

All Will Be Well!

Sacrifice of Discipline

     Our flesh has a bent toward wickedness thus our natural tendency is to do evil.  Many people do not recognize this tendency and think they are "good", but we all go against the established laws that God has set up for our protection.
     Disciplining yourself to avoid wickedness is a sacrifice your flesh will have to make. We cannot expect to indulge in the pleasures of this world and receive intimate fellowship with a holy God.
     We must learn to discipline ourselves in every area of our lives.  The act of making a life-long sacrifice must be a discipline that comes out of a heart of love.  If we are following Jesus Christ, we are his disciples and are learning His disciplines.
     When we discipline ourselves we are training ourselves to do things that do not come natural for a wicked man (person without Jesus Christ) to do.  The disciplines of Jesus Christ are living a life of sacrifice to Him, and godliness which can then be broken down into smaller areas.
     Godliness will uphold a life of purity, mercy, and faith that is stretched yet firm in the Lord, etc....  To be honest, discipline and sacrifice go hand in hand and cannot really be separated.
     It takes real discipline to offer yourself as a living sacrifice to God.

Sacrifice of Praise

-Hebrews 13:15
     It will not be a sacrifice unless it comes from our heart.  We can say words, sing songs or whatever, but that is all it will be unless our love for God has moved us to praising His name.
     If we are truly moved by our love for God, we will praise Him even under pressures that try to rob us of our peace.  The sacrifice of our praise is not determined by our circumstances, but by love.
-Hosea 14:2
     Instead of sacrificing calves upon the altars of Israel, we now can give the sacrifice of our lips or praise whenever-wherever you want.

PTL

The Lord alone 

is

Worthy of

our

Praise!