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No coach in National Football League history achieved more success in less time than coach Vince Lombardi did during his nine seasons in Green Bay. He won five NFL championships, including Super Bowls I and II, and compiled a remarkable 89-29-4 regular-season record.
There is one speech he is famous for. Every year he would start with his famous speech: “This is a football.” He would point out all the basics of football like out of bounds, end zones, the actual football and more. He would remind them that the goal was to score points and keep the other team from scoring points. Can I do this with Prayer and Fasting? Fasting is present in the Bible in many places. There are more than 77 biblical references (Nehemiah 9:1, Esther 4:16, Daniel 9:3, Luke 2:37, Acts 10:30; Ezra 8:23). What is Fasting? In the Old Testament it is the Hebrew term, (tsuwm), and it simply means “to abstain from food.” In the New Testament the Greek term is (Nesteuo), and simply means “to abstain as a religious exercise, from food and drink.” Fasting in the Bible always has to do with the avoidance of food and drink… It is for a spiritual cause. There are many different fasts. Total Fast – All food and drinks (Medical supervision) Moses in Exodus 34 for 40 days Partial Fast – eating all vegetables and no meat for a period of time. Daniel and 3 Hebrew friends. Lay aside certain foods or drinks that are part of your normal diet. Normal Fast – avoiding all food items during a specific time period. Liquids are allowed. Jesus’ fast in Luke 4:1-2 is this. Selective Fast – Give up certain items that are a delicacy. Media/Entertainment Fast – abstaining from TV or media or internet, video games… This is not a diet. Losing weight can be an agony. It is not eliminating foods for health reasons. Although that happens. You are going without eating to seek God’s presence. It’s about hungering and thirsting for God. Going without food accompanied with Prayer. The body requires fuel to give it what it needs to function. Fuel comes in the form of food. God created an appetite in order to desire food. Food, therefore, satisfies our appetite and gives us strength. Eat like a king for breakfast, eat like a prince for lunch, and like a pauper for supper. A fast is a pre-determined length of time to accomplish a spiritual purpose. When you can’t get an answer to prayer, even though you have prayed continually – yet no answer – the Bible teaches us to try fasting and prayer. It demonstrates your sincerity to God. We are going to begin our Church Fast beginning on Saturday, February 1. This year we will have an event to kick it off. Come to the Worship Center at 4:30pm and we will spend an hour beginning our fast together on this first day. It can be a powerful time if you put your heart into it. Would you join us? There are many things to pray and fast for. We are living in a chaotic world that desperately needs Christians to get serious about fasting and praying for spiritual breakthrough. I look forward to seeing God move in a powerful way and open doors for us to walk through. Join us this Sunday night at 6pm for our night of worship in the Worship Center as we celebrate Believer’s Baptisms. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike
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Many of you have been following the news about the fires in and around Los Angeles County, California. In the midst of winds and dry conditions, these fires have roared across this area killing at least 25 people including some who died trying to prevent the fires from engulfing their home. At one point there were close to 200,000 people under evacuation orders as they tried to battle back the fires.
Many of you know of someone impacted by these fires. Neith Price, who used to attend our church, had to evacuate her apartment building and go live with her sister. If you would like to contact her, then you can call the church office to get her email or address to send a card to her. I don’t say this to diminish or downplay the physical affects and loss of life from the fire in California, but there are many fires raging today. Some just happen to be physical and we can see it. The enemy is actively stirring up chaos and confusion all around us. It is a matter of praying to the Heavenly Father to protect His people once again. Pray with me the prayer that Paul pens found in Ephesians 3:14-21 14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Let’s continue to believe that our God will make a way where there seems to be no way. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike P.S. Our Men’s Bible Study begins this Saturday at 7:00am – 8:15am. Join us as we seek the heart of God together. I love the story in Mark 5 that describes a woman who was desperate to touch the clothes of Jesus.
25 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, 26 and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. 28 For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” 29 And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Mark 5:25-29 The hemorrhaging woman was desperate. She was willing to take chances at being recognized as she pushed her way through the crowd because the only thing she cared about was touching Jesus. She was desperate for a healing. Have you been desperate lately? Desperate for a touch of the Master? Do you know that God is looking for desperate people to fill up with His Holy Spirit. In this New Year, I am wanting that for our church. Do you ever get tired of empty results? I would like to see the Lord revive His people once again. If you are on that pursuit, then I guarantee you are willing to do whatever it takes to get to Jesus. You won’t let anything, or anyone talk you out of it. Look at what the Psalmist wrote in Psalm 107:1-9 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble 3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. 4 Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in; 5 hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them. 6 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 7 He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in. 8 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! 9 For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things. God fills the hungry soul. When you seek God with this kind of focus, you trigger a spiritual windstorm. Changes tumble both in you and around you. Issues that simmered for years suddenly come to a head, demanding resolve. You are coming alive to God and His word daily feeds you and sustains you. The closeness of His presence intoxicates you. Revival is in your bones. Can I remind you what made the hemorrhaging woman desperate? Feeling out of control and knowing that without God I am not going to make it. Lord, remind me and those who are reading this that without you we are not going to thrive in 2025. Come Lord Jesus, come! Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike P.S. I look forward to meeting with the men this Saturday at 7:30am in the Family Life Center for our Men’s Legacy Breakfast. It will be good to be together! 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
This Scripture doesn’t promise us a life with no burdens. It promises rest when we put our burdens in God’s hands. We must set aside the time to put them in the hands of God instead of obsessing on the burdens. Daily time with the Lord puts things into proper perspective. Too often we give burdens rent free space in our head and find ourselves always thinking about them. In Verse 29 it mentions taking the Lord’s yoke and learning from Him. A yoke is a wooden bar harnessed to the necks of a pair of oxen to bring them under submission and have them walk in step with each other. In order to train younger oxen, farmers would often yoke them to older, experienced oxen. Taking up the Lord’s yoke is a second step in the process of rest that will go throughout your day. Too often we get relief but don’t continue to seek for a long-lasting solution. I have noticed a lot of pain and devastation this Christmas. From hearing the stories of many families driving through the mobile pantry, to people in our own congregation. This year will be the first holiday for many who have lost loved ones. The devastation of hearing the diagnosis of cancer at a young age, to fighting an infection that just wants to hang on longer and longer. There are many “burdens” that can discourage us. If you have been impacted by any of these things, I encourage you to get away with the Lord and allow rest to fill you up again and again. His resources are never ending. There is plenty available for us. My heart is full of joy when I think of how much our church has made an impact in our community. On Wednesday night last week many came together and sang Christmas carols to those who are not able to get out, those going through treatments and rehab, and several nursing homes. Then we came back to the Family Life Center and enjoyed fellowship and crafts. It was a wonderful evening. Then on Thursday we had our mobile pantry where we handed out 12,000 lbs. of food to 193 families which were made up of 478 individuals. It was a grace-filled, exciting time to serve alongside of each other. Thank you for all you do. Just think, I only mentioned the things we did together as a church. I know of many other things people are doing. I love my church! I am looking forward to Christmas Sunday and Christmas Eve services. Who are you inviting to come with you? Someone may be waiting for an invitation this Christmas. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike Can you hear Andy Williams singing the song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”
It's the most wonderful time of the year With the kids jingle belling And everyone telling you, "Be of good cheer!" It's the most wonderful time of the year It's the hap-happiest season of all With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings When friends come to call It's the hap-happiest season of all There'll be parties for hosting Marshmallows for toasting And caroling out in the snow There'll be scary ghost stories And tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago It is a great season to be in. Many opportunities to spread Christmas cheer to one and all. There are lots of fun parties and events to attend. We even have a Christmas Caroling event tonight at the church as we go out to different homes and nursing homes and love on people together. There was a phrase I used on Sunday I want to repeat here. Many times we get caught up in the scenes that we do not see the unseen. Did you know that there is a conflict going on in the Heavenly Realms? In the atmosphere where we cannot see yet we feel it many times. The conflict is stirred up by the enemy of our soul as he is battling for a place in our heart that will distract us from the truth of the matter. Satan is using us to get at God. The problems we face in the seen are rooted in the unseen or the spirit realm (Heavenly Realms). Satan knows he has lost, he just wants to convince us in the lie that he is victorious. Just like God has a plan for our lives, so does the devil. The devil’s goal is to distract us to the point of losing sight of what the truth is, the Truth found in God’s Word. I think many times the devil is content to be seen as a cartoon character so we won’t take him seriously. He has been watching your pattern and is pretty good at setting traps along the way. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 2 to be alert to the devil’s schemes in order that Satan might not outwit us. He gives us more food for thought when it comes to living a victorious life. Ephesians 6:10-12 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Always remember that you are to always be ready for an attack. Do not be mistaken as to who the enemy is. It is not the person you are thinking of. It is the devil himself. The way you are prepared for this battle is by staying in the Word and praying without ceasing. Surround yourself with those who are hungering and thirsting for righteousness. I pray that you will be protected in the days ahead and that your joy is centered on Christ, our foundation. Looking forward to Christmas Caroling tonight and our third Sunday of Advent on Sunday. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike Have you ever felt like you worked hard to get to where you needed to be only to find that all your efforts did not speed up the process of finding out that important thing you were working toward? Boy, that was a long sentence. For some reason this year, I have seen a lot of pain and disappointment. As we continue in this Christmas Advent season, I want to remind you that our timing isn’t what is best. Amid the waiting and expectation through Advent, wait on the Lord. Do not do it begrudgingly. Know that He will provide for you exactly what you need, right when you need it.
I will be the first to admit that my patience grows thin from time to time. Especially when it comes to finding out the result of tests or the conclusion of something that may change the trajectory of my future. I think we can learn from Mary, the mother of Jesus. “And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her” Luke 1:38. Imagine being Mary, the one chosen to birth Jesus, our Lord. I don’t believe she understood all the implications for her life that were down the road, but she humbly submitted to the will of God. She trusted that He would be with her no matter the impact. I am certain that I need to work on that level of trust in my life. What are you going through that you have a hard time letting go of? Allow this Advent Season to prepare you for what God is going to bring you. He knows what He’s doing! This Sunday will be the 2nd Sunday of Advent. We will be experiencing communion together in the service. A great reminder that the Manger prepared the way for the Cross. Come with great anticipation as our Emmanuel comes to lead us into the promised future. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike Matthew 25:34-40
34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Many of you have served others in the name of Jesus and did not even think of the depth in which you served. To think that you served the King of kings in that very moment. That isn’t why you served so graciously, you served because you couldn’t help it. I want to mention an opportunity coming up to serve some families just down the street from our church. On Sunday, December 1, at 2:00pm, we are going to meet in the parking lot south of the gym, and head out to the hotels with our “Red Bag Ministry.” We will be reaching out to our Haitian families and offer an opportunity to pray with them at 3:30pm on the premises. Many of those families are living in fear because they don’t know what the future holds. We want to serve them as Jesus calls us to. If you would like to bring wrapped candy, cutie mandarin oranges, and Little Debbie Cakes, then we will use those to stuff our Red Bags with goodies along with some Gospel Tracts and an invitation to join us for Christmas Advent services and our Christmas Eve services. You can drop those off in the destinated basket in the Foyer. Let us know if you want to help prepare the bags on Saturday, November 30 from 9-11am. Pray for us as we prepare to minister in the Name of Jesus! Have I told you lately that I love my church? Let’s work together to see a great harvest and many answers to prayers. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike Matthew 16:24
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Jesus ultimately said, “If you want to be close to me then let me give you the key. Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me.” It’s an invitation to go deep with Jesus. I want to break those two ideas apart - deny yourself, then take up your cross. Taking up your cross has to do, in part, with crucifying sinful desires. Often, we avoid the cross because we’re repulsed by the idea of suffering. Denying yourself or self-denial is the deliberate denial of healthy appetites for the sake of increasing the pace of our pursuit. Self-denial could include things like fasting from food, drink, or media. It could be getting up earlier than normal to pray, spending less money when you can afford something more expensive. You get the idea. None of these things are sinful. Practiced in moderation and wisdom, they can be gifts of God that we can enjoy. Sometimes these choices are made to not just survive in life but thrive and experience Jesus at a whole new level. Have you ever done that before? It’s worth it all to bask in the presence of a holy God and experience all His best. Let’s look at some of the results of a life that is lived for Christ while getting in the rhythm of denying the pull of the world. In Luke 15, the prodigal son came to his senses from lack of food. He was lost in the world system that surrounded him. It was all about him. Luke 15:17 17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! He had to starve in order to see. Voluntary fasting has a similar way of helping us regain our spiritual focus. We can actually see better. But it doesn’t stop there. Self-denial will help us to hear better. Answers, guidance, direction, insight – all seem to flow more freely in context to grace empowered self-denial. Often when fasting, a weakness sensation will come across your body. But in the midst of the weakness, you might access greater grace. Look what Paul says, 2 Corinthians 12:9 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Did you see it? The power of Christ will rest upon you. That’s where I want to spend my time. It is so inviting to do this where no one else is around. All for the glory of God. I must decrease so He will increase. When was the last time you denied yourself for the sake of Christ? Begin to plan your next time. What are you waiting for, an invitation? Ok, I invite you to this intentional act of doing without so God can pour into you. It was so good to be with our church family for the Harvest Dinner. Let me remind you to bring peanut butter and jelly for the Salvation Army. Boxes are in the foyer through Sunday. Thank you again for being a generous church. I pray that your day will be spent in the presence of the Lord today. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike Last Sunday, I was able to see the hand of God at work in our midst as I traveled to Columbus to be with the Springer family. Kyle Springer went home to be with the Lord in the afternoon. It is difficult to see a young man who loved the Lord so much, leave this earth at such a young age and cross over to be with the Lord for eternity. I understand that if we looked at it from heaven’s perspective, we would be looking at it completely different. It is going to be hard to move forward without Kyle here with us physically. I can see him sitting in the overflow of the church on Sundays past. We have no doubt that Kyle is with the Lord even now. Look what the Psalmist reminds us of.
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Psalm 46:1-3 We are reminded that God is with us during the hurts and uncertainty of life. We have seen His hand at work in so many ways. Kyle will be missed by so many but we know he is with His Savior. Please remember the Springer family in your prayers these days ahead as they visit with people during the viewing on Friday and funeral on Saturday. I believe we are going to learn even more how much of an impact Kyle had on so many people. I want to remind you to plan on joining us for our Harvest Dinner on Sunday at 5:30pm in the Family Life Center. It will be a good time of fellowship with the church family and a time to learn about the many ways our church is reaching out to so many people as we are trusting God to bring forth a good harvest in the upcoming days. It is always good to gather together and be thankful. Looking forward to being with all of our families. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike I just landed in Dallas, Texas, and have I ever told you that my lifespan would be shortened by many years if I lived in a city like this? Getting from point A to B is pretty challenging when you are not familiar with the area, drive in horrendous traffic, and drive in the late, dark night. That is not a very good combination. But I have arrived at my destination and am ready to go to bed.
Today I want to look at Jesus’ prayer in the garden as He asked three of the disciples to sit outside the garden while He went into pray. Three times he found the disciples sleeping while He was pouring His heart out to God. He pleaded with them to stay awake and pray so He would not enter into temptation. Jesus was deeply grieved as He considered the wrath of God that would be poured out on Him as He bore the sins of the world on the cross. Let’s look at what He prayed. 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” Matthew 26:42 The third time Jesus went back to pray after finding the disciples asleep, He prayed the same thing again. Keep in mind that Judas had already put in motion the plan to hand Him over to the religious leaders and betray Him. While carrying around the agony of taking our sin and being betrayed by His inner circle, Jesus’ first choice was for the Father to take this cup from Him. The weight was heavy and His burden wasn’t light. But wanting to do the will of the Father trumped His own will. Wanting to do what the Father wills should always be first and foremost over any other possible choices. As a matter of fact, the cup could not be passed on until Jesus took a drink. Within that cup was the sin of the world and the pain being betrayed by His closest. Are you willing to drink the cup? There are times when it would be more convenient to follow “my will” rather than the Lord’s. My mind races to the times when I followed “my will.” Lord, forgive me for the self-centered choices I have made in my past. Help me to choose “your will” no matter how difficult the road. This Sunday, during our worship service, we will be taking communion together. Let’s prepare our hearts even now as we show the Lord our devotion to “His will” in our daily choices. May God be ever present as you seek Him with all your heart and soul. I love being with my church. I can’t wait to get back in Findlay, Ohio, and be in a familiar place. Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike |
Rev. Mike McClurgSenior Pastor, Findlay First Church of the Nazarene Archives
March 2020
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