The picture you see above is the glass door of one of our Church Families homes. They sent me this picture through text Sunday night. Being quarantined at home Arianna and Lilly found something creative to do. They used glass art paint and painted their front door. I think it is beautiful and so inviting. This reminded me of one of the scripture verses that I have been pondering on for several weeks now. Psalm 90:1 “Lord, through all the generations you have been our home!”

Psalm 90 is entitled a Prayer of Moses. Here he is giving God praise for being the dwelling-place-the refuge-the help in all generations.

This prayer of Moses was written during the 40 years of the Israelites desert wanderings due to their lack of trust and unfaithfulness. But even then, God was their refuge and their home.

If you are a child of God, then you are at home in God. He is your comfort and your place of safety. Even amid crisis and uncertainty, inside the door you are sheltered in God.

Look at the beautiful door again. It says,

“Jesus is Life” Wow!, what a witness to their neighbors.  Yes, the only way to Life, is through Jesus Christ.  God gives us eternal life in His Son. He did this out of Love.

I come to the end of this season of fasting.  Earlier in the year I was greatly impacted by a testimony that George Wood shared about the founding of the Assemblies of God churches in Springfield, Missouri.  Amanda Benedict was one of the early participants in the Pentecostal movement. Though she was already 60 years old, and had served the Lord with distinction in rescue home for girls in Chicago, when she arrived in Springfield she set her heart upon receiving the Holy Spirit and being a part of a world-wide revival.  She decided to pray and fasting for one year, eating only bread and water.

There are times of fasting in which you hit the wall.  The wall comes more frequently if you allow yourself to think about what you are doing.  On day 11 I celebrated and felt great.  I was half way!  Then on the next day I got up and could barely move and thought “Oh no I have 10 more days?!?!?!”  You just have to learn to rely upon the Lord to keep you busy and mentally focused upon the task of getting through the day.

I also see that as I grow closer to the end of the fast that my mind and body are preparing to eat.  I have looked up menus for coming off a fast—none of them are appetizing.  Mostly juices and steamed vegetables.  Absolutely no meat for at least four days, some say a week, others question why you eat meat in the first place.  Needless to say my mind and body is trying to be ready.  This creates tension however in the body.  My body craves food intensely and its cravings are sometimes overwhelming.  It is not pain as such as it is a deep anxiety, a deep longing for something that is missing.

Expansion of the Kingdom comes through sacrifice.   The greatest move of the Spirit that I experienced in Russia came after a time of an intense Daniel fast in 1998.  Healings and salvations were common place and the Word of God came alive to me as never before. In 2009 after years of sowing in fields in China revival came.  Over 13 years I had traveled multiple times in China each time after I had spent time fasting with the Lord. Fasting is about Kingdom expansion.

 Many people ask why I fast and I don’t truly have a good answer except that it seems that fasting works for me.  God works more in my life during and after a fast, than if I don’t fast.  I don’t think everyone is called to the same level of fasting that I am.  But I would contend that you should have some seasons of the year where you demonstrate to God that He is more important than food, or entertainment, or comfort.  This fasting helps us break out of spiritual ruts and malaise.  It wins the victory over the darkness and oppression of the enemy.  Fasting and prayer just works.

Recently I was confronted with a ministry challenge that reminded me that I desperately needed the Lord’s help in order to accomplish what I had to do.  He gave to me the verse,“I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).  I memorized that verse as a child and quoted it many times to myself and to others.  It has a tendency to become a cliche-something we quote but never truly experience.  Yet over the past few weeks I have experienced the strength of Christ daily.  I needed his strength and he supplied.  I needed his comfort and he was there.  I needed his wisdom and he spoke to me.  I can do what God has called me to do, because he has given the strength to do it.