Awaken City Church

Awaken City Church….. “Awakened Hearts Loving Our City”

We only have one more day to reach out to our friends and invite them to our public launch tomorrow morning. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you think about who to invite. In light of the current condition of our economy and all the uncertainty in our country, this could be the best time to invite the unchurched. You see, unchurched people are most likely to come to church when they are in trouble, under tension, or in transition. And we have the awesome privilege to be part of God’s redemptive purposes unfolding in their lives! I am reminded of what Jesus said in Matthew’s Gospel.

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matt. 9:36-39

People are looking for answers and searching hard for hope! If that is true then the responsibility is ours, the workers! May God empower each of us with all that we need to be effective as those who have been called to re-present Jesus to the world!

Why Fast? While Jesus was here on the earth he devoted much of his time to teaching the disciples the principles of the Kingdom of God. Three of these principles are found in the Matthew 6. Jesus said, “When you give,” and “When you pray,” and “When you fast.” He made it clear that fasting, like giving and praying, was a normal part of the Christian life. Remember, Jesus set the example for us when he fasted for 40 days before he started his public ministry. There is something about fasting that empowers us as believers, just like it empowered Jesus, to release supernatural ministry. Again, our goal is not to put our best foot forward to see what we can do. Our goal is to fully surrender to see all that God can do through a people that are fully devoted! If we will stop long enough and just listen to the deeper cry of our hearts, we become aware of the deep desire within all of us to see the impossibilities of men bow to the matchless name of Jesus!

As I have mentioned in recent updates, our desire is that everyone participate at some level. Obviously, that decision is between you and God, but again, we want full participation! To get the most out of this fast you should do something that would be considered a sacrifice. Remember, fasting is not to mistaken for spiritual dieting! Fasting is refraining from something for a spiritual purpose. Fasting brings us into a deeper, more intimate and powerful relationship with God. One last thought about fasting: Fasting could be the one most overlooked secret resource that we as believers have. There are some things that only fasting can release (see Matt. 17:14-21). As we launch Awaken City Church I want the full release of ALL that God has for us.

I have chosen to do the Daniel Fast, however there are a number of options to choose from. Please look over some of former updates if you need some ideas about what you should fast.

I can’t wait until tomorrow! Remember, doors open at 10:00 and our service starts at 10:30!

Until All Have Heard!