40 Days of Fasting

Pastors Louis and Lois have called a Corporate Fast for 40 days during Lent. Sundays are included in the 46-day Lenten season but are not included in the 40 days of fasting. Daily scripture for reading and meditation are included in the rear of your fasting booklet which explains, the "What is, Types, and Reasons for Fasting."

The Pastors are also challenging everyone to read all four (4) Gospels and the Book of Acts as you pray and fast.

Change your Mind - Change your Life!

Our "40 Days of Fasting" this year will commence with a 21-day Daniel Fast and should include fasting from "Wrong Thinking." You may access the Daniel Fast materials which will include foods to eat, foods to abstain fromt, and recipes you may cook with, by clicking on any of the Daniel Fast links on this page. The remainder of our fast may be a fast of your choosing.

To fast from "Wrong Thinking" is simply too fast a thought or to abstain from a thought. When most people think about the word fast or fasting, they think to abstain from food, but it simply means to abstain from something. Following are specific instructions on fasting or abstaining from a wrong thought.

Based on Jesus' statement in John 6:63, His words are spirit and they are life. If God's word is spirit and life then words that are opposite of God's Word are flesh.

However, most people believe you are in the flesh when you lust, fornicate, view pornography or commit adultery. But all those acts are the fruit of the flesh - in other words, they are the result of a thought life opposite of God's word. So, if you eliminate the root, which is the thought that is opposite of the word of God - then you will never have to worry about the fruit - which is the very act.

Hebrews 4:2 (NIV) - For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.

Scripturally, the human system can be defined as being comprised of a spirit (the real you) and a soul that is all housed in a body as stated in 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NIV) - May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Emphasis added)

The BODY is the physical flesh including the senses. The SOUL part of the human system makes up the mind, will and emotions of a person. The SPIRIT then, the real you - your 'spirit man' - is your direct interface with God.

1 Corinthians 6:17 (NIV) - But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

If your soul does not prosper, you will not prosper. For the Word of God to benefit you, your soul must prosper.

Galatians 5:17 (ESV) - For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

3 John 1:2 (NKJV) - Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in

health, just as your soul prospers.

The process of prospering your soul can be described as having three steps:
1. Removing the mind of the flesh
2. Controlling your thought life
3. Developing the mind of Christ

Step 1: Removing the mind of the flesh

A thought life that is based upon words that are opposite of God's is commonly referred to as being "carnal minded". Removing the "carnal mind", or the "mind of the flesh", is achieved by repeatedly loosing wrongful thoughts and binding yourself to the Word of God.

John 6:63 (NKJV) - It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.

2 Corinthians 10:4 (NIV) - The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

Strongholds can prevent you from properly receiving the Word of God. A stronghold is the protection, justification or argument that a person has erected to protect his right to a belief.

Do you have any strongholds in your life?

Try this acid test: areas in your life that lack perfect peace are areas that lack focus on or trust in God.

Wrongful thoughts and strongholds will manifest themselves in the natural or physical world as works of the "mind of the flesh". These works of the flesh are also known as "bad fruit".

Galatians 5:19-21 (ESV) - Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Emphasis added)

Trying to fix the manifested problem without dealing with the root cause is just managing bad fruit. The root of the problem must be dealt with for the bad fruit to be permanently destroyed. The mind of the flesh must be removed and the mind renewed.

It is therefore very important to guard your mind by protecting the thoughts and teaching of God. Demolishing these strongholds as well as capturing and neutralizing other wrongful thoughts are a key part to removing the mind of the flesh and controlling your thought life.

Step 2: Controlling your thought life

So how do you control your thought life? Glad you asked.

2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV) - We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (Emphasis added)

It is imperative that you learn to control your thought life. Controlling your thought life may sound like a daunting task, if not an overwhelming one, but it can be done. Like many other areas in life, it requires patience, practice, practice and did I mention practice?

The "40 Days of Fasting" is designed specifically to help you out with exercising this ability in order to assist you in creating a habit - a second nature - of protecting your mind by capturing a wrongful thought and transforming it to the mind of Christ.

Step 3: Developing the mind of Christ

Most believers agree logically with the Word but unfortunately do not exemplify having the "mind of Christ" in their day-to-day activity. This is because they have not yet developed the "mind of Christ" resulting from the renewing of their minds.

The following passages state a couple of truths that you need to be aware of:

Luke 6:45 (NIV) - The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. (Emphasis added)

Mark 11:23, 24 (NIV) - "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Emphasis added)

In light of this, consider the following:

A right or wrong thought is introduced ==> you ponder or meditate on the thought ==> the thought invokes your imagination ==> your heart is filled abundantly ==> from your heart words are spoken ==> what is spoken and believed is manifested

So how do you renew your mind to develop the "mind of Christ"?

1) Meditate on the Word.

Joshua 1:8 (NIV) - Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. (Emphasis added)

Ever worry about something? If you know how to worry, then you already know how to meditate. The Word of God is the favored method for Him to communicate with you. Note the activity of God in and around the persons in the Bible, then watch for His activity in your life.

2) Renew your mind.

Romans 12:2 (NIV) - Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Emphasis added)

Become convinced of God's desire to love and care about you. This is done by improving your relationship with the Lord. A poor relationship with God causes doubt that God can and will use His ability to help you. Build your relationship with God to strengthen your trust and faith in Him.

3) Repeat steps 1 and 2. Renewing your mind results in permanent change and allows the perfect will of God to be manifested in your life.