F E B R U A R Y 5 2 6 LAST YEAR, I FELT THE LORD SAY TO ME THAT WE WOULD START 2017 WITH A FAST, BUT OF A DIFFERENT SORT. ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, WE WILL LAUNCH OUR THREE WEEK DANIEL FAST.
W H A T I S T H E D A N I E L F A S T? IF YOU HAVE READ THE BOOK OF DANIEL, THEN YOU WILL BE FAMILIAR WITH THE KEY ELEMENTS OF HIS STORY. DANIEL PRAYED FOR THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE ANGEL BROKE THROUGH THE HEAVENLY WAR THAT HAD BEEN INSTIGATED DUE TO THAT PRAYER. DANIEL 10:2-3, 12-13 AT THAT TIME I, DANIEL, MOURNED FOR THREE WEEKS. I ATE NO CHOICE FOOD; NO MEAT OR WINE TOUCHED MY LIPS; AND I USED NO LOTIONS AT ALL UNTIL THE THREE WEEKS WERE OVER THEN HE CONTINUED, DO NOT BE AFRAID, DANIEL. SINCE THE FIRST DAY THAT YOU SET YOUR MIND TO GAIN UNDERSTANDING AND TO HUMBLE YOURSELF BEFORE YOUR GOD, YOUR WORDS WERE HEARD, AND I HAVE COME IN RESPONSE TO THEM. BUT THE PRINCE OF THE PERSIAN KINGDOM RESISTED ME TWENTY-ONE DAYS. THEN MICHAEL, ONE OF THE CHIEF PRINCES, CAME TO HELP ME, BECAUSE I WAS DETAINED THERE WITH THE KING OF PERSIA.
T H E D A N I E L F A S T I S A T I M E F O R P R A Y E R MANY OF YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE, BUT 2016 SAW MANY OF OUR CCH FAMILY, PARTICULARLY WOMEN, FACE EXTREMELY UNUSUAL AND DIFFICULT PHYSICAL SICKNESSES. AS A CHURCH, WE ARE GOOD AT STANDING IN OUR PERSONAL AUTHORITY, RAISING THE SHIELD OF FAITH FOR OUR OWN HEALTH AND BLESSING. THIS FAST WILL BE A TIME FOR US TO STAND IN OUR COLLECTIVE AUTHORITY, RAISING THE SHIELD OF FAITH FOR OUR FAMILY AROUND US. I M PARTICULARLY CALLING OUR MEN TO PRAY BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN OUR WOMEN THAT HAVE TAKEN THE BRUNT OF THE ATTACK. WE ALSO WILL PRAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND FOR THE ROLE JESUS HAS CALLED CCH TO IN ENCOURAGING OTHER CHURCHES ABOUT US AND TO FAN A KINGDOM CULTURE FOR HORNSBY. AND FINALLY, WE WILL PRAY FOR OUR CCH RESOURCES AND FACILITIES TO ENABLE US TO BLESS THE COMMUNITY AROUND US. ONE OF THE REMARKABLE FEATURES OF DANIEL S STORY IS THAT HE WANTED TO REMAIN PURE IN THE MIDST OF THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY. DANIEL 1:8 BUT DANIEL RESOLVED NOT TO DEFILE HIMSELF WITH THE ROYAL FOOD AND WINE.
T H E D A N I E L F A S T I S A T I M E F O R P U R I T Y JESUS SAID TO SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. WE SPEAK A LOT ABOUT HIS KINGDOM. THIS IS A TIME NOW TO SEEK HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SEEK HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS? IT MEANS TO LOVE WHAT GOD LOVES. TO LOVE GOD SO MUCH THAT WHAT HE WANTS FOR US IS WHAT WE WANT FOR US. IT MEANS TO LOVE HIM SO MUCH THAT WE WOULD NEVER WANT TO GRIEVE HIM WITH OUR LIFE CHOICES. IT MEANS TO DROP OUR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LEGALISM, AND TO EMBRACE WITH LOVE AND COMPASSION, THOSE WHO STRUGGLE IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF LIFESTYLE AND CHOICE. DANIEL WAS CHOSEN TO BE EDUCATED IN THE BABYLONIAN SYSTEM TO EXERCISE A LEADERSHIP ROLE. WITHIN THAT FRAMEWORK, HE FACED THE CHALLENGE TO REMAIN TRUE TO THE FOOD LAWS THAT WERE SPECIFIC TO OLD TESTAMENT ISRAEL. INSTEAD OF THE ROYAL FOODS THAT WERE PART OF HIS PROVISION, HE OPTED TO EAT SIMPLE VEGETABLES. DANIEL 1:8, 11-12 BUT DANIEL RESOLVED NOT TO DEFILE HIMSELF WITH THE ROYAL FOOD AND WINE, AND HE ASKED THE CHIEF OFFICIAL FOR PERMISSION NOT TO DEFILE HIMSELF THIS WAY DANIEL THEN SAID TO THE GUARD WHOM THE CHIEF OFFICIAL HAD APPOINTED OVER DANIEL, HANANIAH, MISHAEL AND AZARIAH, PLEASE TEST YOUR SERVANTS FOR TEN DAYS: GIVE US NOTHING BUT VEGETABLES TO EAT AND WATER TO DRINK.
T H E D A N I E L F A S T I S A T I M E F O R S I M P L E F O O D FOR THREE WEEKS, GO WITHOUT ROYAL FOODS. SIMPLIFY YOUR REGULAR DIET. FOLLOW DANIEL S EXAMPLE. ROYAL FOODS ARE RICH FOODS, SPICY FOODS. DANIEL ATE PLAIN FOOD. THAT S WHAT THE DANIEL FAST IS. PLAIN. SIMPLE BREAKFASTS. SIMPLE LUNCHES. SIMPLE DINNERS. NO DESSERTS. NO DRINKS, JUST WATER. THE KEY IS SIMPLE. HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTED FOODS WHOLE GRAINS (BROWN RICE, OATS, BARLEY, ETC); LEGUMES (BEANS, PEAS, LENTILS, ETC); FRESH FRUIT; FRESH VEGETABLES; SEEDS, NUTS, SPROUTS; WATER HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTED FOODS TO AVOID MEAT; FRIED FOODS; CAFFEINE; SOFT DRINKS; ALCOHOL; PRESERVATIVES AND ADDITIVES; REFINED SUGAR AND SWEETENERS; WHITE FLOUR DANIEL SET HIMSELF APART ALONG WITH HIS FRIENDS. THEY EACH KNEW WHAT THE OTHER WAS SEEKING FROM GOD. IN DECEMBER LAST YEAR, I DID THIS FAST. THE THING I DISCOVERED IS THAT BECAUSE MY LIFESTYLE IS TYPICALLY SIMPLE ANYWAY, I ENDED UP FORGETTING THAT I WAS FASTING. MY MEALS WERE ONLY SLIGHTLY ALTERED SO THERE WAS LITTLE THAT KEPT ME FOCUSSED ON WHAT I WAS DOING. WE CANNOT DO THIS FAST IN ISOLATION BUT NEED EACH OTHER TO MAINTAIN OUR DIRECTION.
T H E D A N I E L F A S T I S A T H E P R A C T I C A L S T I M E T O S H A R E W I T H C H R I S T I A N F R I E N D S EACH DAY, GO TO THE COMMUNITY CHURCH HORNSBY AND CCH REDROOM FACEBOOK GROUPS. SHARE YOUR DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS WITH THE REST OF US. POST A BIBLE VERSE WITH WHAT GOD IS SAYING TO US THROUGH IT. SHARE YOUR DEVOTIONS. AND SEE WHAT GOD IS SAYING TO OTHERS IN OUR CHURCH FAMILY. LAUNCH SUNDAY 5 FEBRUARY EACH DAY EAT SIMPLY EACH DAY SHARE YOUR DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS ONLINE EACH DAY PRAY FOR OUR CHURCH, THAT WE WOULD BE IN HEALTH PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY, SPIRITUALLY. PRAY ALSO FOR OUR FACILITIES AND RESOURCES, THAT WE WOULD BE A BLESSING TO OUR COMMUNITY AND TO CHURCHES AROUND THE COUNTRY. EACH DAY PRAY FOR HORNSBY, THAT THE KINGDOM WOULD TRANSFORM OUR CULTURE EMPOWERED WEDNESDAY 22 FEBRUARY, 8:00PM @ THE BRIDGE (IF YOU RE HUNGRY FOR MORE OF GOD IF YOU RE GRATEFUL FOR ALL HE S DONE IF YOU WANT TO BE EMPOWERED TO LIVE THE LIFE OF FAITH JESUS CALLS YOU TO COME EXPECTANT AS WE DRAW THE FAST TO AN END.) END SUNDAY 26 FEBRUARY