Pastor Mary Haley

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

“When we were children most of us were good friends with mystery. The world was full of it and we loved it. Then as we grew older we slowly accepted the indoctrination that mystery exists only to be solved. For many of us, mystery became an adversary; unknown became a weakness. The contemplative spiritual life is an ongoing reversal of this adjustment. It is a slow and sometimes painful process of becoming ‘as little children’ again in which we first make friends with mystery and finally fall in love again with it.” —Gerald G. May

Day 10: Fasting Avoidance
Many things in life can make us feel insecure and when that happens we usually have a default response. Sometimes we sit in a state of denial and shut-down. Sometimes we want to run, hide, or escape. Sometimes we choose comfort-eating. All the time, we are looking to achieve a feeling of control. What is your response when you feel insecure and your life seems like it’s heading out-of-control?

On Day 4, we explored the reasons for fasting uncertainty, because the unknown is so very challenging for our souls. Uncertainty is something we try to avoid; so, we do what we can for self-preservation. The mystery of God may leave us with a feeling of uncertainty.
Yet, friends, if faith was not necessary to navigate life, we would not need God. There has always and will always be a mystery associated with God, because the Infinite Lord of all creation desires a relationship with the finite human beings who are made from the dust of the earth. So, we must fast avoidance, because moving forward is the only direction God makes available in the Spirit.

Life is movement—a kind of dance—and God is the Lead Partner. We don’t know the steps of the dance—they are a mystery—but the One leading us through the dance, knows every step to keep us moving in synchrony with the music of the spheres. I have to trust my divine dance Partner and so do you. Don’t try to avoid the dance through the feelings of uncertainty in the challenges you face. If you try to avoid or control, you will hinder the work Christ seeks to do ‘in’ you.

In our passage today, Jesus has been preparing the disciples for his death. Judas does not like the direction things are going. He does not want to pick up his cross; he wants to lead a victory dance and thinks he knows a way. However, Judas goes about finding a way that leads to his death. He fulfills the first part of this gospel Scripture, “For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity] (Mat 16:25 AMP). We can have no other dance Partner than the Great I AM, so, love and trust Him!

John 13: 31-36 NLT
31 As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. 32 And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once. 33 Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

36 Simon Peter asked, “Lord, where are you going?”

And Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later.”

Prayer: Lord, it is a bit easier to dance with you in the Light of day than it is in the dark, but we desire to trust you and let you lead into the glorious transformation you have chosen for us. We fast avoidance and self-preserving maneuvers as an effort to shield our insecurity. Instead, we ask for courage and strength, hold onto you, and move to your sacred rhythm. In Jesus’ name.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

“No matter how we rationalize, God will sometimes seem unfair from the perspective of a person trapped in time…Not until history has run its course will we understand how ‘all things work together for good.” Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.”
—Philip Yancey

Day 9: Fasting Rationalism
Faith is believing and humbly acting like the Word of God is the Truth. Rationalization can involve giving reasons to justify an attitude or action even if we know in our conscience it is wrong—in this case rationalization is a defensive behavior. Rationalism is motivated by the ego [sense of self] in order to vindicate and make things being discussed seem reasonable. Yet, not all questions can be answered with logic or reason—the world that was created by God cannot be governed or judged merely by human reason and evidence. We cannot reason Christ’s pure love or justify our rebellion against it.

People can rationalize most anything; think about the attitude of ‘entitlement’—seen as a right and a sense of deserving special treatment. Presently, there are many human arguments rising based on those seeking to rationalize attitudes or actions, but biblically having an attitude of entitlement is the antithesis of humility, selflessness, or gratitude. We cannot reject the authority of our Creator, because our ego is demanding its own way. We cannot make sense of life without God’s perspective.

Today, we will fast rationalism for the sake of faith in God’s love, because not all things can be understood with the natural mind. Our souls can become stuck in the wrong mindsets if we think life should go according to human standards. For this reason, our minds must be washed and renewed by the Word of God (Ro 12:2).
In our passage today, Jesus knows Judas is going to betray him, because the Way Jesus is leading does not make sense to Judas’ sense of reason or logic. There will be times God’s ways will not make sense to us; that is when faith and revelation must take us further and deeper into the Truth. One day we will look back and understand things better.

John 13:18-30 NLT Jesus Predicts His Betrayal
18 “I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfills the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats my food has turned against me.’[shared ‘life’ with me] 19 I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I am the Messiah [Lord]. 20 I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me.”
21 Now Jesus was deeply troubled,[in spirit] and he exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!”

22 The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he could mean. 23 The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table. 24 Simon Peter motioned to him to ask, “Who’s he talking about?” 25 So that disciple leaned over to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?”

26 Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl.” And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. 27 When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.” 28 None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant. 29 Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor. 30 So Judas left at once, going out into the night.

Prayer: Lord, when life does not make sense or we find ourselves with a lack of understanding rising within us, we will turn our attention to you, apply faith, and trustyou for the outcomes. We will take a stand against trying to rationalize things we simply cannot and will not understand until you reveal them. Help us to take on a humble, selfless, and grateful attitude, so our actions will bring honor and glory to your name. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

“I do not want to fix myself. I cannot fix myself. My natural fortitude served me well as a young believer and it was inevitable that I was habituated from birth to live in the power of self. But as I grow older in faith, I find that I am invited by the Spirit to learn to give up the project of moralism, of trying to fix myself by my spiritual efforts. Rather, I want to open more deeply to Christ’s work on the cross and the work of the Spirit
in my deep for my daily bread.” —-John H Coe

Day 8: Fasting Self-fixing

Crucifixion is about Christ doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves. We may think about the cross in light of salvation and a restored relationship with God, but although that is absolutely true, the cross provides so much more than a promise of our eternal home. Jesus took our sin and judgment upon himself, so we could really live on earth the life God intended from the beginning. We need help while we live each day in this fallen world. Humanity cannot fix the spiritual disconnect, nor can we fix our worldly wandering and selfish living. Without Christ, we will not choose self-denial as an option for the fixing we need.

So, we need to connect to Christ; to dwell with him. Only Christ can do “the fixing” in our hearts for us. Otherwise, we are trying to use the bandaid of human strength to fix the effects and consequences of a sinful curse waged against all humanity—the wages of sin lead to death (Ro 6:23). We cannot overcome death or “dead-living” in our human strength!

We must live each day in the powerful love and care of Almighty God. If we look at things with a divine perspective, every day is a miracle! Do you look at life that way? The disciples saw so many miracles done each day as they followed and traveled with Jesus. Spread before them every day were blessings w/miracles, as well as storms w/challenges. However, each day offered to provided the daily Bread every believer needed. Don’t run from the challenges or try to fix yourself, because Jesus will use the challenges to “fix” within each of us what you and I cannot see. A miracle of love!

Life requires the cross of self-denial; that’s when the blinders come off and we begin to see the Truth. Jesus is so patient with his disciples; he wants them to understand, so he consistently serves as their example. How the Lord treats his disciples, is how we should treat others—with humility and with a servant’s heart. Such a posture liberates a sticky soul and brings miraculous transformation.

John 13:8-17 NLT
8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”
Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”
9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”
10 Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet, to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”
12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

Prayer: Lord, today we fast self-fixing. We know our human efforts to change ourselves are done in vain. We are transformed only as we follow your example. Thank you for taking a humble posture and helping us understand our work as your servants. May we reveal in our lives the cleansing you alone can do within us. Your blessings are beautiful and we position ourselves in humility to receive them, today. Thank you for being our daily Bread! In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

“To endure the cross is not tragedy; it is the suffering which is the fruit of an exclusive allegiance to Jesus Christ. When it comes, it is not an accident, but a necessity.”
—Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Day 7: Fasting Your Weakness
Fasting is a spiritual discipline and over the past week, we have been encouraged to fast many different things. Today, we need to pray about fasting our human weaknesses [yes, we all have limitations] in exchange for something so much better—feasting on Grace. In Scripture, human weakness can mean a lack of physical, mental, or emotional strength. However, weakness can also be a source to promote growth in humility, dependence, and faith.

Jesus exemplified the discipline for fasting his weakness in exchange for the power of God; he had no trouble demonstrating the humble heart of a servant or the need for carrying the heavy cross of suffering. Love demands humility; love demands the cross of grace and self-denial. We may not like how that sounds, but we must realize our human strength is insufficient to live the abundant life in devotion to God. It is a wise choice to fast our weaknesses, because we have been promised Christ’s strength for the things he sends us to be and do. We don’t have to operate in our human weakness, we can call for God’s grace; it’s all we need (2 Cor 12:9-10). Such an amazingly fruitful trade!

In our passage from John today, Jesus demonstrates that servant’s heart that calls for our attention. Here is our Lord—Mighty in strength and mighty to save—and he humbles himself as the lowest of servants and reveals the strength of character Father God requires. Jesus loves, so we must humbly fast our weak love in order to feast on and share his pure agape—sacrificial love. It all comes down to who will sit on the throne of our hearts.

John 13:1-7 NTL Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
1 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this lesson on the humility and strength of Jesus. We can be weak, Lord, but you have promised to make us strong. We fast that weakness in exchange for your grace and power. Please help us to deny ourselves and pick up our cross, so we can follow you into abundant living. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

“We have never reaped such a harvest from any seed as from that which fell from our hands while tears were falling from our eyes.” —Charles H. Spurgeon

Day 6: Fasting the Inefficiency of Grief
Jesus understood and felt grief. He cried and wept. Let that soak in for a minute. John the Baptist, a precious person and part of Jesus’ family—someone who recognized the Lord’s purpose even before he was born—has been unjustly beheaded by Herod in order to satisfy corrupt unbelieving people. What does Jesus do when he gets the news? He goes to a solitary place to grieve the loss; he takes the necessary time to mourn and pray. Then, he shifts his focus back on the plan of his Father and sets his emotions toward acts of compassion for the salvation of others.

This world is temporal and we will face loss and death, but God’s Kingdom is eternal and the true home of hope for believers. The Kingdom of our Lord can be difficult to understand, because it is always about finding a place of surrender to the righteous plans and will of Father God in order to remain in peace and joy. Jesus is such an amazing example of this reality, because although his human side is dealing with wounded emotions and loss, he spends the necessary time in prayer-filled grief and then presses on to be the divine Light of salvation for others. He sticks close to the Father and remains fruitful during every level of transformation that will deliver him to the cross of God’s glorious plan.

Today, please remember God does not spare us grief. Therefore, we must give it time to do the necessary work in us. Jesus took time to grieve John’s death; to experience the release of what was in order to press on to what laid before him.

We have all experienced the grief of a loss. Sometimes we face grief by: The death of a loved one, a loss of relationship, loss of a job, a financial loss, and sometimes it is a loss through geographical distance. It is wise to honor the losses in our lives; death and grief transforms us. We are learning to look at life through Kingdom eyes.

Whatever loss you have faced, please remain focused on the lovely gathering of memories God has given you. There is no real timeline for grief; but, true healing comes through quiet reflective time and prayer. So, during this Lenten season, allow the Lord to help you “sit” with your sorrow, release your emotions, and then move you through it and into more of your precious future…because the Kingdom is before us and Jesus leads the Way.

John 12:44-50 NLT
44 Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. 45 For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. 47 I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. 48 But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. 49 I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. 50 And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”

Prayer: Lord, thank you for allowing us to experience time for our grief. Help us to look to you, Jesus, as the Author of our faith. May we invite the work of the Spirit to bring the necessary healing we need to and for our emotions. Please don’t allow us to let grief destroy our futures, but let it be a step to transform us and help see the temporal nature of this world and the many ways we can sow more seeds for the eternal salvation of those around us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be.” —C.S. Lewis

Day 5: Fasting Skepticism

Having questions about faith and our relationship with God is natural; believers are learning to walk in the ways of our Lord. We are going to have questions that need answers, so faith and love lead the way. Doubt is not being certain about something—a lack of knowledge so we ask questions—often with an emotional element involved. Skepticism is doubt but with a slightly belligerent attitude—unwillingness to believe—it demands proof backed up by much evidence.

In the Jewish culture, it is respectful to ask questions about faith; they believe God’s testimony [Word] is strong enough to be tried and tested. When we are talking about God, our questions can be as sacred as the answers. So ask your questions, God can and desires to bring revelation to you. Ask, seek, and knock and the door of understanding will be open (Mat 7:7-8).

Biblical faith requires muscles and we gain them through trials and testing. Sometimes when the Word of God hits our souls, we may need deeper understanding of how to apply it. Now, when we go through dark times of testing, we can definitely find ourselves questioning faith and how it is working in our lives. Faith is messy and sometimes at first glance it can seem confusing. Faith is acting like we believe the Word of God is Truth, so for our answers we need more of Jesus.

Today, we are going to fast skepticism, because our faith may just need more information to believe. Let’s acknowledge our faith is less than perfect. It’s ok. I am always reminded about the father who came to Jesus with his demon-possessed son looking for the healing the disciples could not bring him (Mark 9:18-22). Jesus replied to the man, “Anything is possible if a person believes” to which the man responds, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief” (Mark 23:23-24).

John 12:37-43 NLT The Unbelief of the People
37 But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him. 38 This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted:
“Lord, who has believed our message?
    To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?”
39 But the people couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said,
40 
“The Lord has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their hearts—
so that their eyes cannot see,
    and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
    and have me heal them.”

41 Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah’s glory. 42 Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. 43 For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping us, today, with our questions about faith and how you want us to live. We need clarity much of the time and because your holy Word is so deep and life changing it can overwhelm our present level of faith. Thank you for always being willing to help our unbelief; to listen to our sincere questions and requests for guidance. We love you, Jesus, and we need the Truth. We choose to fast skepticism. Continue to speak Truth to us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

You can’t blame things for being dark if the light bulbs aren’t working. So we’re complaining about the darkness when the bulbs aren’t working, and the Bible says that we are the light of the world. —Tony Evans

Day 4: Fasting Uncertainty

We tend to run from the unexpected or uncertain things in life; both the known and the unknown can tempt us to fear. When the way seems dark, we turn to the light, because we want to know and see what is coming. Yet, the ways of our Savior are always rather unexpected aren’t they? I mean think about all of the biblical characters who initially struggled with uncertainty as they made a journey with God. These were godly men and women who moved beyond the fear of the unknown by trusting God.

Sometimes the things we go through feels like Jesus is indifferent to our pain; this can lead us into the dark realm of uncertainty. We know God loves us, but our pain of loss screams for relief. Maybe our image of Jesus becomes a bit blurred when the Lord doesn’t conform to our expectations. We must resist the temptation to put the Lord in a box of our human understanding or we will lose our way. We cannot fully comprehend the supernatural with our natural minds, so God lovingly takes us, by the Spirit, one step at a time.

How good of God to bring us revelation, so we can grow in our knowledge of him. Keep in mind our transformation is God’s motivation; he will allow us to taste uncertainty so we will grow and mature. Believers can always engage in the Spirit and welcome the light or revelation of truth; we should be shining the Light and helping each other stay on the path all the time.

In our passage today, Jesus declares himself as the Light of the world and if we know him we will not need to walk in darkness and uncertainty. Jesus is not artificial light; he is the True Light and revelation of God who never leaves us or forsakes us. Because he lives in believers, we can walk confidently in the Light even in the dark.

So, let’s fast uncertainty by keeping our allegiance to God’s Word, maintaining our hunger for righteousness, and treasuring our true spiritual family who cares about all of our relationships with God. Blessings for your weekend!

John 12:29-36 NLT
29 When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.

30 Then Jesus told them, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. 32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” 33 He said this to indicate how he was going to die.

34 The crowd responded, “We understood from Scripture that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?”

35 Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. 36 Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”

After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.

Prayer: Lord, when we struggle with uncertainty, we will cling to your Word because you have promised to lead us into victory. Help us eat from the Tree of Life and be satisfied with the fruit we are given. As we walk in obedience we have the Light we need. We look to you for grace. Please help us move beyond uncertainty and find we have stepped into a new level of our trust in the Truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

When Corrie Ten Boom was asked about her fame, she pointed to God’s plans. Her way of handling adulation was to take each compliment as a flower, and then gather them all in a bouquet and give them back to Jesus by saying,
“Here Lord, they belong to you.”

Day 3: Fasting Praise

Our human nature loves the attention of praise. Praise is like a warm hug for our emotions. However, we must remember the insatiable need for praise can become evil when we use it to exalt self—make it self-serving. The proper way to steward praise and the attention we gain is to remember all gifts come from God. When we receive praise, it is an opportunity to turn the attention back to God for his glory. In this way, we participate in increasing more people’s view of Jesus.

Corrie Ten Boom was a WWII holocaust surviver who never set her devotion for the Lord aside. Corrie, her father, and her sister Betsy lived in Holland where they hid and sheltered many Jews. Eventually, the Nazi’s captured them and they were taken to a concentration camp. Only Corrie survived the camp. She authored the book “The Hiding Place” and received great praise for her work and endurance on behalf of the Jews. She served as a great inspiration for many people during challenging times. She graciously accepted the praise, but continually redirected the praise back to the Lord knowing his love had kept her strong in the midst of her darkest days.

In our passage from the Gospel of John, Jesus told his disciples he would lay down his life in order to reveal God’s power over death, as well as his supernatural ability to give eternal life to all who would humble self and call upon his name. Jesus denied his desire for self and obeyed the plan of God for the praise and glory of the Father. His life was like a bouquet of praise that he handed to Father God. Now, we live, move, and have our being in Christ (Acts 17:28). So, each praise we receive can be gathered like a flower, and placed into a bouquet of praise for our precious Savior, Jesus.

Today, we will make an effort to fast praise by receiving it graciously and then redirecting it. We are not rejecting praise we are simply pointing to Jesus who is the One who genuinely deserves it. This world we live in needs to hear our heartfelt praise of the Lord.

John 12:20-28 NLT Jesus Predicts His Death
20 Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration 21 paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.” 22 Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus.

23 Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. 24 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. 25 Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. 26 Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

27 “Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! 28 Father, bring glory to your name.” [redirected praise]
Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.”

Prayer: Lord, we praise you, today. You are the Source of every good and perfect gift we have ever received; you have generously placed each gift within us. So today, we give you the praise you alone deserve. With every praise we receive, we will redirect it to you for your honor and glory. May the praise we redirect transform us and make us more like you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts
God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

Christian spirituality, the contemplative life, is not about us. It is about God. The great weakness of American spirituality is that it is all about us: fulfilling our potential, getting the blessings of God, expanding our influence, finding our gifts, getting a handle on principles by which we can get an edge over the competition. The more there is of us, the less there is of God.
—Eugene Peterson

Yesterday, our fast involved letting go of a wrong mindset that Lent is some kind of a project to make us better people. It is not. Salvation is a supernatural work that is not accomplished based on our efforts to make ourselves better people. Lent is about choosing to make a journey with Christ; to come into a place of devotion and communion based on our hunger for more of God. Different!

Day 2: Fasting Regrets
We are invited to walk with Jesus and His disciples through even the dark seasons of life. These are seasons we would rather avoid: grief, conflict, misunderstanding, betrayal, rejection, and pain. Our culture celebrates increase, but to enjoy a triumphal walk with Jesus means we must embrace decrease. Some stuff hiding in our souls has to be cut away by our skillful and righteous divine Surgeon. John the Baptist reminds us it is Jesus who must increase; therefore, as his disciples we must decrease (Jo 3:30). Decrease is about letting go. Regret is a bad root that will produce no righteous fruit. Decrease by giving Jesus your regrets.

Today, we will fast regrets. What steals your strength? Regrets can suffocate hope and dreams, because it is a type of self-punishment. We must stop feeding regrets, because God’s mercies are “new every morning (Lam 3:23). Jesus is in the process of making everything new, even while we learn from the mistakes of our past (Rev 21:5).

When we first come to Christ, life is new while at the same time being all together mysterious. We are instantaneously engrafted into the righteous Branch of Christ in order to partake and feast from the roots of his righteousness to produce fruit. Yet, we still have this sinful nature that is learning to decrease. Hindsight helps us learn from the poor endings of our past. Regret is destructive, injures our souls, and works to stop our journey. Do not give regret space. Let it go…and feast on the new beginnings Jesus died to give you.

Jesus’ triumphant entry is about a new beginning in the glorious salvation of God. Receive it and proclaim, “Praise God!”

John 12:12-19 NLT Jesus’ Triumphant Entry
12 The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors 13 took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted,

“Praise God!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hail to the King of Israel!”
14 Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said:
15 
“Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem.
Look, your King is coming,
    riding on a donkey’s colt.”

16 His disciples didn’t understand at the time that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. But after Jesus entered into his glory, they remembered what had happened and realized that these things had been written about him.
17 Many in the crowd had seen Jesus call Lazarus from the tomb, raising him from the dead, and they were telling others about it. 18 That was the reason so many went out to meet him—because they had heard about this miraculous sign. 19 Then the Pharisees said to each other, “There’s nothing we can do. Look, everyone has gone after him!”

Prayer: Lord, when it comes to your love, we must love ourselves the way you love us. You desire to spiritually and surgically rescue us from the darkness of our past that tries to suffocate our souls. Otherwise, we will focus inward, loose our strength, and worship self. In recognizing our weakness in this area, we ask you to radiate your Light of Truth as we worship you. Help us see this fast of regret as a way to follow you into our best life walking by the Spirit and into your amazing Grace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

From Sticky Souls to Transformed Hearts

God’s command—from the glorious clouds overshadowing the Transfiguration of Jesus in the gospels—reminds us: when we listen and do whatever the Son of God says he will lead us from barrenness due to selfish living into righteous fruit-producing living for the glory of God.  Self cannot satisfy self.  We must hunger for God.

This is basically our journey for Lent, because sinful attitudes and actions try to stick to our souls and destroy our Life with God.  Jesus wants us to produce righteous fruit that bring glory to our King’s rule and reign.

Day 1: Ash Wednesday

“Christian spirituality is not a life project for becoming a better person.”
Eugene Peterson

As a culture, we are suffocating in self, so giving up chocolate or social media for Lent is not going to lead us into awe over Christ’s death and resurrection. God desires for us to grow and develop in spiritual maturity. He cares about what we are becoming as his sons and daughters. Faith is about the surrender of our souls—and our souls can be sticky with selfishness that crave the gratification of ungodly desires, indifference toward unhealthy attitudes or actions, and the greedy acquisition of unlimited possessions. None of these things will grow and intensify our communion with God. So, we are going to set aside the next forty days to honor the Lord our Savior.

Lent is not a project, it is an experiential journey with the Savior. So, in our reading today from the Gospel of John please put yourself as an observer in the story. Note there is Judas sitting in the presence of Christ—a selfish and greedy thief with a sticky soul who pretends to be a disciple of Christ who cares for the poor. Now contrast the deceptive Judas with Mary the worshiper who comes to the Savior with selfless devotion and an extravagant gift of perfume with which to bless him. Your senses are alive with the fragrance of Mary’s worship. She pushes through the veil into the holy place with the Lord. She is determined to remain in this place with her Christ. Will you remain in his presence today?

John 12:1-11 Jesus Anointed at Bethany
1 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. 3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.

4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5 “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” 6 Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself.

7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

9 When all the people heard of Jesus’ arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead. 10 Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too, 11 for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them and believed in Jesus.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your generous love and grace. Please forgive our greedy inclinations and lead us into worship. Help us remain with you, today.