The Absurdity of Going Back... The X Factor Devotional - Day Fourteen - January 28, 2010

“Are you so foolish?  After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?”
Galatians 3:3

On Thursday, August 1, 1985, a room full of America’s top intelligence officials were gathered outside the office of the director of the CIA for a farewell reception of a retiring colleague.  However, the topic was not about the retiree.  Whispers were flying around the room that the highest ranking KGB agent, Vitally Sergeyevich Yurchenko, had defected.  He was most important because he was in charge of all KGB operations in the United States and Canada.  Now, he would be able to provide extremely important information about Soviet spies in America.

After presenting himself to the American Embassy in Rome, he was quickly flown to the United States in a military plane.  Once in the U.S., he was taken to a “safe house” in northern Virginia where he was interrogated for hours and provided very sensitive information.

The most startling and amazing part of this story took place three months later on November 2nd.  Yurchenko had been spurned by a girlfriend in Canada and was growing increasingly impatient with his situation.  During the evening he persuaded the CIA agent assigned to him to take him to Georgetown for dinner and a movie.  During dinner Yurchenko asked the agent, “What would you do if I got up and walked off?  Would you shoot me?”  The CIA agent replied, “We don’t shoot defectors.”  Yurchenko countered, “I will be back in 15 to 20 minutes, if I am not, it is not your fault.”  With that he walked out of the restaurant and presented himself to the Russian Embassy where he un-defected.

The world watched in amazement a few days later as this man boarded a Russian Aeroflot jet, stopping briefly on the boarding steps to wave good-bye to freedom.  He then returned to the confines of communism.  Why would anybody who had enjoyed freedom return to communism?  Yet that which amazes us in the political arena is met with the same acceptance in the spiritual arena.  Why would anyone who has tasted the freedom stemming from the grace of God return to the confines of legalism regulating that relationship?  What kind of relationship do you have with the God of grace?  Have you came close to defecting?

Prayer Focus: Pray we will continue to live our Christian lives in the Spirit and not by our own human effort.  Ask the God of grace to help you deepen your relationship with Him by you submitting daily to His Holy Spirit.  Open your eyes to what you have in Christ… don’t even consider going back to your pre-Christ days!

Fasting Update - WOW, WOW!

The 21 Day Fast is just a week underway and NUMEROUS people are growing in their faith. Here is the rundown!

Approximately 450 people are involved in some fasting endeavor.

20 people are doing the full-on 21 Day Daniel Fast. Most are fasting from all meat, bread, sweets (including coffee, caffeine, soda, etc) and anything else that most of us find enjoyable to consume. :)

115 people chose at least one full day to fast completely from everything but water (including 2 children). This number also includes a few duplicates as some are fasting more than one day. Regardless, this should produce some amazing results over the next three weeks as most every day has at least four or five people fasting for themselves to get closer to God, for Impact, and for unchurched people to get saved at our Easter Series, "It's Personal".

An additional 334 people are fasting from various things for various time periods over the next 21 days. This includes 92 children who are fasting for 21 days from 'something.' It could be sweets, 'fast food,' video games, technology, etc. Some adults are fasting for 21 days in several areas of their life as well. For instance, my kids are fasting from desert for 21 days - WOW! And my daughter is fasting from sweets as well (with just one slip-up so far with her grandparents... it's hard to say 'no' to root beer floats).

The point is, some 450 people are growing in their faith, stretching their comfort level, going deeper, and prayingfor our church and its ministry to the unchurched. (This even includes about a dozen prison inmates from Folsom who are joining us in the fast.)

May the fires of evangelism remain WHITE HOT at Impact. May YOU continue to reach OUT as people are more receptive than ever to a word about God! These are amazing times we're living in... be a part of it!

If you haven't checked out the site yet, head to Impact's 21 Day Fast site... print out the CALENDAR and read the daily verses and prayer requests for the 21 days. You can also find recipes, FQA's, food guidelines, etc. God is doing something supernatural here. Don't miss out!

21 Day Daniel Fast... WOW!

This is it kids - the 21 Day Daniel Fast began yesterday. For me and my wife, it all began Friday morning. I gotta tell ya, I am looking forward to a gigantic Mt Dew big gulp at the end of this thing... like maybe 6am on the Friday 3 weeks from now.

I am truly amazed and blown away by the response from the people of Impact. I am honored and priveleged to serve alongside so many people of faith.

Here's the deal though... can you imagine what God is going to do throughout the next three weeks and beyond? Seriously! This is going to be absolutely amazing. People are seeking God, praying for lost people to come to Christ during our Easter series, "It's Personal," and they're going deeper in their own walks.

Be watching for stats this week on just how many people are doing the 21 Day Daniel Fast, one-day complete fasts, and miscellaneous fasting from all sorts of things over the next three weeks.

You Go God!

I Want To Go Deeper

We've all heard it. You might have said it. I have talked about it.

"I WANT TO GO DEEPER!"

Perry Noble is the pastor at Newspring Church in Anderson, SC. He is pretty outspoken and I like his style. If you have ever thought this, said this, or heard someone say this - you really MUST go check out Perry's Blog about "You Are Not Deep Enough" - you'll love it... or hate it. Either way, I hope you read it.