Fasting Worry by Tony Evans

 Fasting From Worry -

Every January at the church where I pastor we hold what is called a “Solemn Assembly.” This is one dedicated week where we come together as a congregation to fast, pray and commit our lives and our year to the Lord. There are no rules given for what a person can fast from. We simply ask that something be chosen between the person and the Lord, and that for one week, a fast occurs.

Some members fast from food, a meal, or even from chocolate. Other members give up watching television. While some give up social media. To fast is to let go of something in the physical realm in order to focus on something in the spiritual realm. I’ve heard countless testimonies of how fasting during the solemn assembly week at church has ushered in life transformations, rescued marriages and resurrected hope.

But it struck me recently how beneficial it might be if each of us chose to fast from something intangible as well. That could be fasting from worry. Or letting go of control. Or doing without critical thoughts, or even giving up doubt. Thus, each time whatever it is you chose to fast from sought to spark its light in your mind, you would simply remind yourself, “I’m fasting from worry right now, I can’t engage in that thought.”

Essentially, that’s what discovering how to trust in God’s providential care can do for you. The more you trust, the more you learn to let go of things such as worry, critical thoughts, doubt and a need for control.

People rarely like providence. People like to be in control.

It’s true. Only when providence is ushering us toward a seen result with visible rewards do we embrace providence. Why? Because we, as people, prefer autonomy. Providence precludes itself to God’s rule. When we understand and accept God’s providence, we are laying down our own paths, our own pursuits and our own maneuverings to try and get us where we feel we need to go. We are letting go. We don’t like to let go. But providence lifts our hand. Providence acknowledges that ultimately God is in control. He truly is. Will you rest in this truth?

How to Pray for the United States of America

How to Pray for the United States of America

Many are praying for the USA in general terms and many are praying for the President and our government. In 2014 during a time of prayer and fasting where our church joined other churches throughout California praying for our state and nation, the LORD expanded my understanding of how to pray for them. Today as I was praying He again expanded my understanding of how to pray. This is an outline with some explanation.

For those familiar with the history of the discovery, colonization and establishment as an independent nation you know that the United States is a nation that GOD established and called to be His Light and Salt to the world and too stand with Israel.

The land:

Just as the land of Israel was promised to Abraham and his descendents to show the world how to worship and serve GOD, the land of the USA was promised to those who came here looking for freedom to worship GOD without government or religious institutional control and domination. There are enemies of the land, those who destroy it for their own personal gain, those who hoard it for themselves to the exclusion of others, those who want to shelter it from its natural use as ordained by GOD in Genesis 1 & 2 and those who do not want it to be used by GOD for the purpose of His Kingdom through His Church.

Pray that GOD will restore the understanding of the value of the land and our responsibility before Him to use it and protect it.

The people:

From before the first European settlers until the return of Christ there has never been only those who serve GOD and His purposes living on this land. But as a whole those who established this nation were believers in GOD and His destiny for this land and nation. Today we have many groups who do not just disbelieve in GOD but are opposed to His purposes for this nation. But worse than that is the group that is actively seeking to see a one world government established over the whole world including the USA. They are actively undermining every aspect of our nation socially, politically, financially, morally and religiously. Every sector of our society is under attack social media, entertainment, business – financial, news – information, health – science, education, law enforcement, military, and industry.

Pray that GOD restores the moral values of the 10 Commandments to the hearts of the people.

The government:

From the beginning of our establishment as a nation governed by the people rather than by a select group there have been those opposed to that concept of government. There were those who wanted George Washington to be King of the United States, there were the Federalist who wanted all government to be centrally located and to make and enforce all the laws that applied to all the states and territories, there were the socialist who wanted a selected rather than an elected government. Today we still have the socialist and federalist groups who want to control the government and therefore every aspect of our lives. The democrats are the federalists of today and since they lost the Civil War they have been striving to gain full control of the government. Many of them have gone over to the socialist concept of government. Every government body (federal, state, county, city and municipal), organization, department and agency are under attack. Of those opposed to GOD’s will for our nation most of them knowingly support the anti-christ who will be the head of the one world government or the New World Order.

Pray that we will maintain our democratic republic form of government: by the people for the people based on the Constitution as written.

Pray for the Executive branch: President and Vice President and their families; for their advisors and every department and agency head that supports and reports to them.

Pray for the Legislative branch: Congress (Senators and Representatives) and their families.

In 2018 I heard a prophetic message that GOD had assigned an angel to every senator and representative to speak truth to them. Pray that they all have ears to hear the truth.

Pray for every agency and department head that supports and reports to them.

Pray for the Judicial branch: Supreme Court Justices, Federal Appeals Court Justices, Federal District Court Justices and their families.

Pray for the Governors and Lt. Governors of the states and territories and their families.

Pray for the county, city and municipal governments of every state and territory and their families.

Pray for every elected, appointed and hired person that works for any government agency or department and their families in the federal, state, county, city and municipal governments.

What to pray!

Pray that GOD exposes every liar, cheater, thief, those lacking morality, those lacking integrity and those who are opposed to GOD’s will for our nation.

Pray that as He exposes them and brings them to a place of repentance that they see and hear and repent.

Pray that He removes everyone who remains unrepentant and opposed to His will for our nation. That He removes and even destroys His enemies who want the anti-christ to reign over this nation.

Pray thanks that He has raised up men and women who want to serve Him and do His will by serving in our government at every level and that He establishes them where He wants them.

Revelation:

If you know the Bible you know that there will be a one world government run by the anti-christ. This must happen before Christ returns for His thousand year reign from Jerusalem. The anti-christ will reign over the world for 7 years but that does not mean that the USA has to be a subject state. If the Church in the USA truly repents of our sins, seeks GOD in prayer and fasting now we can maintain our position as a nation of GOD during the anti-christ reign.

Pray for GOD to expose the liars, cheaters, thieves, those who lack integrity, those who lack morality, those who teach false doctrine, wolfs in sheep’s clothing and those whose agenda is opposed to GOD’s will and brings them to repentance.

Pray that GOD removes the unrepentant and those who remain opposed to His will, because He has raised up men and women who want to serve Him and do His will.

Psalm 50

Psalm 50

CJB (emphasis mine)

Commentary by Bob Headrick

A psalm of Asaf:

The Mighty One, GOD, ADONAI, is speaking, summoning the world from east to west. Out of Tziyon, the perfection of beauty, GOD is shining forth. Our GOD is coming and not staying silent. With a fire devouring ahead of Him and a great storm raging around Him, He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, in order to judge His people. “Gather to Me My faithful, those who made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” The heavens proclaim His righteousness, for GOD Himself is judge.      (Selah)

“Listen My people, I Am speaking; Isra’el, I Am testifying against you, I, GOD, your GOD. I

Am not rebuking you for your sacrifices; your burnt offerings are always before Me. I have no need for a bull from your farm or for male goats from your pens; for all forest creatures are Mine already, as are the animals on a thousand hills; I know all the birds in the mountains; whatever moves in the fields is Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is mine, and everything in it. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Offer thanksgiving as your sacrifice to GOD, pay your vows to the Most High, and call on Me when you are in trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”

But to the wicked GOD says: “What right do you have to proclaim My Laws or take My Covenant on your lips, when you so hate to receive instruction and fling My Words behind you? When you see a thief, you join up with him, you throw in your lot with adulterers, you give your mouth free rein for evil and harness your tongue to deceit; you sit and speak against your kinsman, you slander your own mother’s son. When you do such things, should I stay silent? You may have thought I was just like you; but I will rebuke and indict you to your face. Consider this, you who forget GOD, or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to save you.”

“Whoever offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice honors Me; and to him who goes the right way I will show the salvation of GOD.”

What a great prophetic Word GOD gave Asaf! GOD says to put away our made up gods because He is our GOD! (vs. 1-2 & 7 & 21-22)

The first six verses are about who GOD is and His coming judgment, this is a warning not just for the nation of Israel but it is for all who make covenant with Him. Israel’s covenant was based on the Law and animal sacrifices which called for obedience of the soul and the body. They were required to keep the Law and make animal sacrifices to cover their sins; they were required to pay tithes of everything and to keep their vows to Him and each other. Our covenant is though Christ’s sacrifice of obedience to GOD. We are called to keep Jesus’ commandments, to tithe, to stop sinning, to die to ourself, to love one another, and many more.            (Selah they were not able to, just like we would not be able to without Christ in our life.) But, we are filled with His Spirit (Holy Spirit) and, “…the life we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of GOD, who loves us and gave Himself for us.” (Galatians 2:20 my paraphrase) We are called to live and obey in spirit, soul and body. (John 4:23-24 & 1 Corinthians 6:15-20)

Verses 3-6 speak of His awesome presence and authority to judge. (Study Revelation 11-21)

Verses 7-15, emphasize that GOD was more interested in obedience than sacrifice because there is nothing we can give Him. Everything that exists He made, it is His and He does with it as He pleases. Since Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the Law and took the punishment for sin upon Himself by His sacrifice; there is only obedience left. That does not mean that obedience is not sacrificial, it certainly will be, just study the Words of Jesus in the gospels. Another misconception is that we do not have to keep or obey the Law – wrong! Jesus fulfilled the Law but He did not do away with the Law, He said that nothing of the Law would pass away but that heaven and earth would. Heaven and earth have not passed away so neither has the Law. He did do away with the religious requirements of obedience and called us to joyfully obey His commands. He paid the price now there is no longer an animal sacrifice to cover our sins, we only have to ask for forgiveness and live in repentance by the Blood (sacrifice) and Spirit of Christ (Savior). His eternal Blood washes away our sins and His Spirit teaches us how to live the new life we have in Jesus the Christ. There are no exceptions and there will be no excuses! We must stop sinning and live according to GOD’s will for our life.

In verses 16-22 GOD speaks directly to sinners in Israel; since Israel is the first Church (not a type or shadow) He also speaks to today’s believers in Christ. There is much sin in the Church and GOD is telling us that in His judgment there will be no one to deliver us if we are sinning. Those who interpret His word for their own benefit and those who teach false doctrines, those who are religious rather than in a relationship are sinning as much as the thief and adulterer. Asking for forgiveness of sins is only half the process of salvation, the first requirement is to believe in our heart that Jesus is the Son of GOD and Savior of the world, then to confess with our mouth that He is and that we believe in Him as Savior. Then the second part is to stop sinning and live our life fulfilling GOD’s call for us, the one He gave us in our mother’s womb.

Asaf closes with the LORD’s admonition that “Whoever offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice honors Me, and to those who live the right way, I will show My Gift of Salvation.” (Vs. 23 my paraphrase) Jesus told us that the way to GOD’s Kingdom is narrow and that few find it. Be one of the few, do not be distracted by the cares of life or the issues of the world, they do not lead to life. Only death to self and obedience to Christ lead to life and that is eternal life. Jesus said, “That eternal life is to know the One True GOD and Jesus Christ whom He sent.” (John 17:3 my paraphrase)

February 8, 2019

It’s a call to the Church to pray without ceasing!

By Adam Shaw | Fox News 2/17/2019

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., unveiled her much-touted “Green New Deal” on Thursday -- a package of far-reaching, big-government proposals like health care for all, federal job guarantees and a push to eliminate U.S. carbon emissions -- but it’s already receiving shade from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“It will be one of several or maybe many suggestions that we receive,” Pelosi told Politico on Wednesday. “The green dream or whatever they call it, nobody knows what it is, but they’re for it right?”

Pelosi took a more conciliatory tone on Thursday, saying: “Quite frankly, I haven’t seen it, but I do know it’s enthusiastic and we welcome all the enthusiasm that is out there.” She also named Democratic members to serve on the new Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, but Ocasio-Cortez was not one of those members.

By Lydia Moynihan Published February 07, 2019 

GREEN RAW DEAL? - In what may be the most far-reaching proposal to ever be considered in Congress, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., unveiled her "Green New Deal" on Thursday -- a government-led overhaul of virtually every aspect of American life that would guarantee a host of taxpayer-covered benefits for all and phase out fossil fuels ... However the freshman lawmaker sparked confusion when she seemingly contradicted herself in a span of twelve hours on the nature of the government's role in the massive plan.

Ocasio-Cortez's office says the plan would aim to make air travel obsolete, upgrade or replace every building in America to ensure energy efficiency and give economic security even to those "unwilling" to work. The proposal, which calls for a massive package of big-government proposals including health care for all, quickly picked up the backing of major 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls including Sens. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Cory Booker, D-N.J. -- who all co-sponsored the resolution.

This column originally appeared in The Washington Times. 2/17/2019

Tammy Bruce, president of Independent Women’s Voice, is a radio talk-show host, New York Times best-selling author and Fox News political contributor.

Here’s a scoop for you: The so-called “Green New Deal,” onto which 70 leading Democrats have signed, doesn’t exist. Like a salesman parked at a corner hawking a small bottle filled with a mystery substance that will cure everything from insomnia to cancer, the Democratic Party is promoting a fraud-work quilt promising a cure for all.

In reality, this hoax targeting the liberal base, GenXers and progressives, is nothing more than an elaborate Get Out the Vote organizing effort. As a former community organizer, I respect that work when it’s about real proposals, actual legislation and serious ideas.

Yet, courtesy of a letter being sent by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York to Democratic colleagues in the House of Representatives, we now know that there is no package of implementable ideas or policy. What they do have is a press release word salad of platitudes, slogans and talking points.

PELOSI THROWS SHADE AS GREEN NEW DEAL UNVEILED: ‘GREEN DREAM OR WHATEVER THEY CALL IT’

Bloomberg reported on the letter, with a revealing headline: “Ocasio-Cortez begins to sketch out details of ‘Green New Deal.’ ” That confirms the thing Democrats, including Sens. Kamala D. Harris of California and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, have endorsed isn’t even formulated yet. As Winston Churchill might note, it’s a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. It would be more honest to call it the “Green New Hoax.”

Bloomberg’s first paragraph outlining Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s “blueprint” is at least honest: “Environmental legislation dubbed a ‘Green New Deal’ and championed by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has drawn widespread attention -- despite the fact that no one really knows for sure what it is.”

No one knows, because it doesn’t exist.

”‘Next week, we plan to release a resolution that outlines the scope and scale of the Green New Deal,’ according to a letter the New York Democrat sent to colleagues. ‘In it, we call for a national, social, industrial and economic mobilization at a scale not seen since World War II,’ ” Bloomberg reported. “Goals laid out in the letter include reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions ‘through a fair and just transition for all communities and workers,’ creating millions of ‘good, high-wage jobs’ while ensuring prosperity and economic security for all, and investment in infrastructure and industry.”

Sounds like a cultural revolution to me. What’s the “fair and just transition for all communities” she’s talking about? Vague enough to be modeled on Pol Pot or Chairman Mao Zedong or maybe just Martha Stewart. Who knows, and that’s the point.

“The resolution will also call for clean air and water, climate resiliency, healthy food, access to nature and ‘a sustainable environment for all for generations to come,’ according to the letter. Lastly, the Green New Deal will ‘promote justice and equity by preventing current and repairing historic oppression to frontline and vulnerable communities,” the newswire reported.

Further proof of the lack of seriousness is this outrageous pitching of “protecting vulnerable communities,” as the young woman in front of this charade has said nothing in opposition to her party moving in several states to legitimize infanticide.

In December 2018, in a story about the genesis of the scheme, the New Yorker magazine inadvertently exposed the real agenda.

“Sunrise, founded a year and a half ago by a dozen or so twentysomethings, began its campaign for the Green New Deal last month, when two hundred activists occupied Nancy Pelosi’s office a week after the midterm elections. The movement has allied with the incoming congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. … Inside Luther Place Memorial Church, cheers erupted as activists unfurled a yellow and black ‘green new deal now’ banner from the balcony. The crowd hushed as the first speaker, Varshini Prakash, came to the microphone. Prakash … is one of Sunrise’s co-founders. She later told me that a highlight of her activism career was when she participated in a musical disruption of a Trump administration panel at the United Nations climate conference in Bonn, in 2017…” the New Yorker reported.

Included in its coverage is this comment from Ms. Prakash, who also happened to be a guest of Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts at the State of the Union address: “‘Our strategy for 2019 is going to be continuing this momentum to build the people power and the political power to make a Green New Deal a political inevitability in America,’ Prakash told me. ‘In 2020, we, along with our partners, are going to be attempting to build the largest youth political force this country has ever seen.’ “

Further, the New Yorker reported that the founders of “Sunrise” met through groups such as Occupy Wall Street and Black Lives Matter.

The Sunrise Movement’s website makes it clear -- its members are all about organizing at the local level, highlighting their goal to “Build our movement in every corner of the country so we can reach the millions of young people who are scared about climate and keep building support for a Green New Deal.” Which, as we now know, is an apparition.

But one does need a cause -- preferably one that is malleable and pushes all the right emotional buttons. No one asked former President Obama for specifics of his “hope and change” plan, and we all know how that worked out. Now the same leftists trust you won’t ask for specifics as they plan the next round of wrecking your life.

What Is Our Warfare?

What Is Our Warfare?

Jesus told us to watch and pray; to watch (know) the signs of our time and to pray for the LORD of the harvest to send in workers.

Jesus told us to seek, to ask and to knock: to seek the righteousness of GOD and His Kingdom, to seek His will for us and ours as it is in Heaven; Jesus told us to ask (pray) for wisdom, knowledge, discernment and understanding, to ask for His will to be done in the earth as it is in Heaven; Jesus told us to knock so doors will be opened to us to do the works of His Kingdom in the earth.

Jesus told us to build our life on Him, the Chief cornerstone and the foundation of our faith with the Keys of His Kingdom: Jesus Christ the Son of GOD and Messiah (Savior) of Humanity.

Jesus told us to be the salt and light of His Kingdom where we live and work.

Jesus told us to resist the gates of hell.

Jesus told us to love one another and obey His commandments so the world would know we were His disciples.

Jesus told us to preach the gospel to all the world, to lay hands on the sick and see them recover, to cast out demons, to raise the dead and to make disciples of the nations.

Paul told us to stand fast in the liberty with which Christ has made us free.

Paul told us to put on the armor of GOD.

Paul told us to pray without ceasing, to rejoice always and to be thankful in all things.

Paul told us to resist the devil.

Paul told us our warfare is not against flesh and blood but principalities, powers and rulers of darkness; that the weapons (prayer, fasting and obedience) of our warfare are powerful for pulling down spiritual strongholds.

Paul told us to think (meditate) on things that are above and not below, on that which is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of a good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy.

Paul told us to know the power of Jesus’ resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering and to be conformed to His death.

Paul told us to keep our bodies (the temples of Holy Spirit) pure and holy.

Peter told us to be sober and vigilant.

Peter told us to resist the devil.

Peter told us to be steadfast in faith.

James told us to submit to GOD.

James told us to resist the devil.

James told us to ask GOD for wisdom.

James told us to balance our faith with our works of GOD.

John told us to love one another.

John told us to not sin.

John told us obey Christ’s commandments.

John told us to seek the will of GOD.

John told us to pray for sinners.

Jude told us to contend earnestly for the faith that was delivered to the saints (us).

Jude told us to build ourselves up in our holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping ourselves in love, looking for the mercy of GOD, having compassion on some and saving others.

Jesus, Peter, James, John and Paul all told us to endure to the end the trials of life, persecutions of the faith, and temptations of the flesh with joy and thanksgiving.

Jesus, Peter, James, John and Paul all told us to not sin (hating, lying, cheating, immorality, evil deeds, lust, lacking integrity, etc.), to be holy and to do the works of the Father in the earth.

Jesus, Peter, James, John and Paul all told us to not be religious but to be obedient to the will of GOD.

All of these are the weapons of our warfare because our warfare is against our flesh, against the world and against spiritual powers; all of which have been defeated by Jesus Christ and His victory given to those who believe in Him and call on His name in faith; being obedient to the will of our Heavenly Father in the earth as it is in Heaven.

Crime Does Not Pay!

Crime Does Not Pay!

Do you want to know why criminals are the way they are or why crime does not pay?

“For the leader. By David, the servant of ADONAI!

Crime speaks to the wicked, I perceive this in my heart; before his eyes there is no fear of GOD. For, the way he sees it, crimes makes his life easy – that is, until his wrongdoings are discovered; then, he is hated. His words are wrong and deceitful; he has stopped being wise and doing good. He devises trouble as he lies in bed; so set is he in his own way that he doesn’t hate evil…Don’t let the foot of the proud tread on me or the hands of the wicked drive me away. There they lie fallen, those evil doers, flung down and unable to arise.” Psalm 36 1-5 & 12-13 CJB

Now this is not about those who commit a crime in a moment of desperation like those in Proverbs 6:30-31 CJB, “A thief is not despised if he steals only to satisfy his appetite when hungry; but even he, if caught, must pay back sevenfold; he may have to give up all the wealth he owns.”

This is why crime does not pay!