Author Archives: Lummer Steve

God and your bod, Ministry

21 DAY DANIEL FAST – Part 2

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Faith is foundational to the Daniel Fast. STEP FOUR: PRAY TO PERCEIVE SIN’S ROLE IN POOR HEALTH –

Notice James 5:13-16:

• Sin is something related to the cause of sickness.
• Lack of health/healing may be the result of spiritual rebellion.
• Lack of health/healing may be due to sin of wrong intake, i.e. drugs, pornography.
• Repentance is linked to health according to James.
• Elders have a role in healing both spiritual and physical health.
• Sick people must desire to be well
• The anointing oil could mean
1. medicine for healing,
2. symbolic of the Holy Spirit, or
3. it could be baptism
• Prayer alone may not gain healing, faith is the major factor.
• In Greek there are several words for “sick”. James uses “Kanino”, which not only includes disease, but also means weak or weary.
• Attitude is important. James said, “are there any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.”

STEP FIVE: FAST AS A STATEMENT OF FAITH TO OTHERS
Daniel was making a statement of faith when he asked for only vegetables to eat and water to drink, then dared the overseer to compare the appearance of the four sons of Israel with the young men who ate the king’s food.

STEP SIX: LEARN THE EFFECTS OF THE FOOD YOU EAT

Why are some foods good for us, and other foods not? What does certain food do to your body? If we really knew, there would likely be some things we would never eat again.STEP SEVEN: YIELD ALL RESULTS TO GOD

Daniel said, “as you see fit, deal with your servants” (Dan. 1:13).

REMEMBER:

• The Daniel Fast will lead to spiritual insight. “to those four young men God gave knowledge”.
• The Daniel Fast is longer than one day. These young men fasted for ten days.
• The Daniel Fast is a partial fast. They ate, but only vegetables and water.
• The Daniel Fast requires abstinence from party or junk foods.
• There is no indication that they ever began to eat the king’s food.

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books I'm reading again

READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN 09′

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I love joining the millions that read God’s Word every year.

With a great new tool like this one it will make the reading over the next 365 days absolutly more accessable to us.

Join me in doing this! Here is a schedule for reading the entire Bible this year. It even includes choices for the plans, and you can pick from a whole bunch of translations. Here is a plan you can read on your cell phone. For you over-achievers, here is a schedule to read it through TWICE.

Let me know what you think of this.

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God and your bod, Ministry

OUR 21 DAY FAST – part 1

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I love this time of the year because its fresh and our church family joins together for a collective 21 day fast.

Sunday at mid-night our church family will begin our annual 21 day fast that will end on Sunday January 25th.

We will be following again this year the Daniel fast found in the Old Testament book of Daniel.

Here are just a few suggestions if you are interested in joining us on the adventure.

Our body is designed to heal itself. When a disease enters our body from bad dietary habits or from the outside, our bodies begin to fight it. Doctors, surgery, or medicines are most often designed to remove the source of the problem, but the healing is done by the body itself. Many common diseases are easily prevented with basic good nutrition and exercise habits.

 

STEP ONE: BE SPECIFIC
Daniel was not vague in his objection to the Babylonian diet. He defined the problem immediately.
1. The king’s food was against dietary laws.
2. Daniel and his friends had vowed against wine.
3. The king’s food had been offered up to idols/demons.

 

STEP TWO: FAST AS A SPIRITUAL COMMITMENT
The Daniel Fast involves a spiritual commitment to God. “Daniel proposed in his heart that he would not defile himself” (Dan. 1:8).

STEP THREE: REFLECT INNER DESIRE BY OUTER DISCIPLINE
Many people have an inner desire for better health, but they can’t discipline themselves to avoid junk food, and other foods that were not good for health. The physical health you seek from God may be more than an answer to prayer. Your physical health may be linked to any of the following factors:
a. Your food choices.
b. The level of your spiritual commitment as reflected in constant prayer during the fast.
c. Your time commitment. If you determine to fast for a certain time, keep it. For example, if you determine to fast 10 days, don’t stop on Day 9.
d. Your testimony commitment. Your fast is a statement of faith to God that you want Him to heal your body.

 

This is a three part blog. I will post the next four steps and a menu for the Daniel fast in upcoming blogs.

Join us for your own spiritual breakthrough.

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Ministry

NEW SERIES NEW YEAR

I will be starting a new series of messages this Sunday to kick off the new year entitled  “Do The New.”

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While it is important to have a grip on our history, we cannot allow our history to have a grip on us or let the old hinder the new and the fresh . 

For many of us this is a constant challenge.

Jesus teaches us in Luke 5 the importance of Doing the New.

He told them this parable: “No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37 And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. 38 No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. 39 And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, ‘The old is better.’ ” Luke 5:36-39 (niv)

Tomas Jefferson said, ” I like the dreams of the future more than the history of the past.”

I also agree with Laura Palmer’s advice, “don’t waste today regretting yesterday instead of making a memory for tomorrow.

I am really looking forward to the new adventure God has for us in 2009.

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new years

The Two faced God “Janis”

Typically the week between Christmas and New Years are a week of reflection and future casting for me.

So right now I am in REFLECTION MODE reading my past blogs for 2008.

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As I get closer to the new year I will shift into vision mode. 

I love reading about ancient Greek and Roman mythology.

January is named after the Roman god Janus who was unusual because he had two faces.

The mythical god had two faces, one looking forward and one looking backward, which symbolised that he had the gift to see both past and future.
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I am Looking forward to looking back and forward this week.

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Life experiences, Ministry

A GREAT OFFERING SUNDAY!

Sunday  we had an unusual but meaningful gift placed in the offering bucket.

One of our outdoor guys brought an offering  to bless the ministry.

Nick has been a elk  and deer hunter most of his life and this year he was blessed again.

He wanted to share the bounty with us and so here are some pics of the elk and deer offering he brought.

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“And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’: it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire. ”  Leviticus 2:3 (kjv)

I will never forget last Sunday’s love gift…and I will bless our family with it soon on the grill.

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outdoors

“Surroundings”

Saturday afternoon a few friends met up at High Desert Hunt Club for some fantastic

Arizona  pheasant hunting.

My son-in-law Adam works a couple days a week at High Desert Hunt Club and he treated us to some excellent outdoor fun.

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Harry Polly brought his two sons with him. Interestingly travis had just flown in from Chicago that morning. He told us that when he left Chicago they had a ton of snow and it was 11 degrees.

You talk about a change of environement and surroundings. The boys had a great day of just being out of the city.

Here are some pics of some of the hunt clubs 4000 acres located here in north central Arizona.

The upper agua fria river

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Yes, these are wagons you can actually use on the ranch.

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There is plenty of water in the southwest … but you just have to look for it.

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The the field is full of wildlife.

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Thanks to the good folks at High Desert Hunt Club for a great afternoon.

http://www.ymcahighdeserthuntclub.org/

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books I'm reading again

IS LIFE GOING THE WAY YOU PLANNED?

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I read this book to the entire church every Sunday before Christmas and the kidos sit up on the platform while the congregation looks on.

The story begins with three little trees growing on a mountaintop. Each has a dream. The first wants to be beautiful and hold marvelous treasures. The second hopes to be the strongest ship carrying kings across the seas. The third never wants to be cut down. She dreams only to grow tall and point people to heaven.

The years pass and the three trees grow tall and strong. Three lumerjacks come and cut them down. The first two are initially excited, but then disappointed as they are turned into less than they had hoped. The first is built into a feedbox for animals. The second a small fishing boat. The third tree is simply cut into planks and left in a pile. They’re dreams are all but forgotten until one night a young mother lays her newborn baby in the manger. That tree knows he hold the greatest treasure of all. Then the small fishing boat watches a weary traveler calm the stormy sea. He knows he holds the King of heaven and earth. Finally, the third tree is taken from the pile to form a cross. She feels ugly and ashamed when a man’s hands and feet are nailed to her. But when the earth trembled on the third day, she knew “God’s love had changed everything. It had made the first tree beautiful … the second tree strong … And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God.”
I love the simple story. It reminds us that God always gives us our desires, but sometimes they materialize in ways drastically different than we imagined.

GET THIS BOOK NO MATTER YOUR AGE.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Join us this Sunday at 10:00 A.M.for the reading of the Tale Of Three Trees.

http://www.discoveryprescott.com

Steve

 

 

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