Nutrisystem for my soul

My weight started creeping up in the past few years. I was okay with a ten extra pounds, frowned at fifteen, gasped when I jumped -- over night, seriously, I'm not kidding -- to twenty.

Then twenty-five... What is going on? I exercise. I watch emotional eating. But some days the struggle of writing drives me to the fridge.

Sandwiches and chips are my favorite meal. Finally, when I hit the "What?! No way!" weight, I decided to do something about it.

I lost weight on Weight Watchers before, but counting points wasn't working for me this time. I'd do fine for breakfast, falter through lunch and by dinner I gave up, unsure of how many points I'd eaten.

This summer I started the P90x workout. It was such a hard routine I thought, "If I'm going to work myself this hard, I'd best change my eating."

So, it's been a summer of changing up routines. I loved the quiet of shutting down blogging and social media. It's still hard to get back into it. While I love the cyber conversations, I discovered I loved treasuring myself. Social media can be a rude friend. We put ourselves out there -- "Guess what I'm doing?" and the world doesn't answer. "What am I, wood?"

So yeah...

Last night hubby and I talked with a friend about our country's current political, social, and spiritual climate. Less you deceive yourself that these are three separate entities, let me encourage you otherwise. They are very much related. There is no such thing as separation of church and state. They influence each other.

As we talked, this phrase came out as part of the conversation: "Get your soul in to subjection."

It pinned me to my chair. While not directed at me, I heard what the Spirit was saying.

"Rachel, you have a fat soul."

I've spent some of summer improving my physical condition. Some of the summer improving my spiritual condition. But if they were to be weighed and balanced, the physical would out weight the spiritual.

My heart sank. I've committed the grievous sins of the Pharisees. Caring more about the outside than the inside.

I saw my soul expand beyond my physical borders. I thought I was submitted and committed to the narrow walk with Jesus. But in that moment, I knew I was way more committed to my own wants, desires, comfort, needs and satisfaction than His will.

My soul was far from true subjection. I tell myself if God wants to take it all away, I'm fine with His choice. I want to live submitted to His Lordship. But last night, I knew I wasn't fine. Especially when it comes to the larger picture of my nation and my very way of life.

Hubby was so stirred, he had to escape to pray for a while.

We, as weak humans, are so navel gazing. So worried about our own souls we lose sight of the Main Thing. This is Jesus's world, and He's coming again to rule and reign. He is king! The Father's plan for Jesus will be accomplished and He'll do whatever He needs so the world comes to the knowledge of the truth.

If it comes down to Rachel Hauck living in peace and safety verses the reality of the Kingdom coming on earth like it is in heaven, the latter wins.

It's not that I think God chooses bad for me. No, not at all. He loves me! But He chooses to position me so that NOTHING has first affection and first place in my heart but the return and glorification of His son.

Jesus's return to take His rightful place is preeminent in the Father's heart. Jesus's obedience supersedes any thing I've every done. His return is the plan of heaven since the foundations of the earth.

Take that soul.

Remember when Jesus told His disciples He was going to be killed. Peter said, "No Lord, may it never be." Jesus rebuked him. Call him Satan. Why? Because Peter's mind was on his own heart, not the will of the Father.

Jesus death and resurrection defeated death and hell. One evil night for a glorious reward.

I am Peter in some ways. "No Lord." But my rebuke is the same as Peter's. "Your mind is not on the will of the Father."

And He's be right.

What can I do? What's the Nutrisystem for my fat soul? David wrote, "I humbled my soul with fasting." Paul admonished us to forget what lies behind and press forward to what lies ahead.

Time to fix my heart's gaze on Him. "Not to us, O Lord, but to YOUR name give glory."

Not to us... not to us.

Why Do We Fast?

Excellent words and insight from Hubby on fasting! I'm exhorted.

I am fasting today, and it’s helpful to know others have joined me in this commitment. I don’t like fasting; it isn’t easy, and I’m not always successful in my attempts, so I really appreciate your willingness to make such a sacrifice.

That being said, "Why are we doing this? What does it accomplish?" We can fast just because the bible says to, and accept by faith there are some intangible spiritual benefits, but that doesn’t motivate me much. The bible does give us some clues that I hope will encourage you.

As we look at a few verses, keep in mind the bible links fasting with prayer. It is assumed that both are working together in these passages.

Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. (Mat 9:14-15)

Jesus equates fasting with mourning, and specifically mourning His absence.

Fasting expresses our longing for Jesus just rule in the earth, our lamentation over sin and darkness that oppresses His creation.

In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said, “blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

When we pray with fasting, we’re partnering with Jesus, the great intercessor, who continually makes intercession for us. (Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25) We enter into mourning over the things that concern Him, and receive the comfort of intimacy with Him.

Contrast this attitude with the one we see in the world, both before God judged the earth with a flood, and again before His second coming to judge the earth again.

But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. (Mat 24:37-39)

In the last days the world will be satisfying their physical desires, unaware of what’s coming, but the church will be fasting and praying “come Lord Jesus,” longing for Christ’s righteous reign.

Fasting is a cry for justice.

In John chapter four, where Jesus meets the woman at the well, He tells His disciples His “food” is to do God’s will and finish the work. He was choosing to focus on the eternal over the merely earthly.

For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Rom 14:17) When we fast, we’re voluntarily choosing the surpassing pleasures of the Kingdom.

Fasting is a cry for the manifestation of the Kingdom.

Above all, returning to the first passage we read:

Fasting is a cry for the presence of Jesus, longing for the one we love!

Renaissance of Prayer

I'm in a renaissance of prayer. Coming home to the truth of it's power, necessity and purpose. I've gotten over the idea of perfect prayer, or tired prayer.

I've shoved aside the notion prayer is an ethereal experience that transcends heart, mind, will, emotions.

Prayer is work. It's warfare. Matthew 11:12 says this:

"And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize--a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion."]

Jesus is talking here. He's saying it is a precious prize to share in the kingdom of my Father. It should be sought with ardent zeal and hard work!

Prayer, fasting, giving, loving, holiness are the weapons of our zeal and exertion. They are the tools we used to assult and lay hold of the kingdom.

We think talking, preaching, lobbying, judging, living my some set of religious rules obtains the kingdom. But we are missing the mark. We wind up with greater measure of this world and it's vain philosphies.

Haven't we all known people who seem to be so spiritual yet their lives are so hard, ungraced, frustrated, or depressed?

We have to pull off life's road and wage war in the heavenlies with prayer and fasting, by loving others more than ourselves. We must set our hearts before His flames.

So, be violent about the things of God. Go for it. Desire a deeper life in God. Don't let the cares of this life snuff out your time with Him. Be ardent. Exert intensity toward Him. Fight the good fight. Don't surrender to your emotions, your circumstances, what others say about you, even how you physcially feel.

Believe what He says about you. Start with prayer and the Word. He will meet you. He will.

Not So Fast

From my hubby's brain:

Just wanted to remind everyone that we're in the middle of a national forty day season of fasting and prayer that ends with The Call Nashville on 7-7-07, so there is still plenty of time to participate.

I'm excited about the focus of the fast, a call for the church to repent and return to the pursuit of righteousness, and to no longer tolerate apathy and sin in our lives. There is a particular emphasis on overturning legal abortion in our land.

I was reading Isaiah 58 today because it describes God's attitude toward fasting. You should read it during this fast; it’s only fourteen verses. The first two verses really stood out to me.

"Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek Me daily, And delight to know My ways, As a nation that did righteousness, And did not forsake the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; They take delight in approaching God." (Isa 58:1-2)

Kind of scary, isn't it? There are some demonic strongholds that God won't throw down until the church partners with Him in prayer and repentance, and we can't effectively pray against things we're in agreement with by our actions.

Guess it's time to get serious.

Mid year check up, sorta

Okay, it's not exactly mid-year, but several things have been on my mind this week so I thought I'd post them now.

Last year, 2006, was a year of change. Our chuch changed it's name, Tony and I handed over the youth ministry, several of our friends moved far away, my mom sold her house and moved, my sister had a second little girl, our dog Jack died...

Those name just a few.

This year, as I look back on January through May, I sum it up with single words. Hard. Discouragement. Disappointment.

Several things happened early in the year that just felt like a spiral to me of disappointment - which lead to discouragement.

I felt a little lost. I repented of bad attitudes, of allowing myself to be discouraged. I was never depressed, just unsure of the future.

If we are not careful, a little discouragement or disappointment can knock us out of the game for a long time. Maybe even permanently. I do not want to be the walking wounded, or a needless casualty of war.

In the mean time, God is moving in our nation. Lou Engle called young people, as well as adults, to a 40 day fast to repent of the cultural down fall started by the Summer of Love 40 years ago in San Francisco.

On July 7, over a hundred thousand will gather in Nashville's Titan's stadium for twelve hours of prayer, concluding the fast, calling for God to bring revival to America, declaring we want to be married to Him again.

When I read The Call Nashville's mission statement and mandate from God, yes mandate, I wept. Every time I saw an update over email, my eyes watered.

I am so excited about what God is doing. Lou shared some incredible testimonies on a CD teaching, one involving Dr. Suess's "Horton Hears a Who."

Lou is also very active with his teams in praying against abortion. They are the ones God gave strategy to about the red duct tape over their mouths with the word LIFE. God also gave Lou an amazing metaphor of Horton Hears A Who and ending abortion in America.

He's the real deal, guys. Not some man coming up with a vision for himself, but encountering God through a sustained life of prayer and fasting.

Anyway, while we didn't feel called to go to Nashville, we decided to join the fast.

Day three and it's not going smoothly for me, but I have grace. And this morning I had a dream. God showed me my eyes were covered by dyed flat black hair, and my bangs covering my face.

Standing in our bathroom (literally, in the dream,) I said to my mother (Holy Spirit in this case,) "I can't see myself."

And that's how I've felt for several months. I don't have clear vision.

So, I told Tony and we prayed. I'm continuing to pray. "Clear vision, God, clear vision."

How's your year been? If it's been like mine, pray, do some fasting. Not easy, I know, but we have to start building some spiritual muscle church!

Mathew 11:12 says the kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent take it by force. That force is fasting and prayer.

Daniel moved the heavens with fasting and prayer. Moved the heavens! How much more a generation of wholehearted lovers of Jesus fasting and praying.

There you have my mid-year check up.