Media Meditation: Yoked

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There are two voices in the world today: The Voice of God and the Voice of the Enemy. The Voice of God can be compared to a soft whisper (1 Kings 19:12). The Voice of the Enemy can be compared to a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8). Humans are merely receivers of these two voices, and we act in accordance to the one we fill ourselves up with most. We were created to be vessels of God's glory; however, we have free choice and we can choose to be vessels of the Enemy's deceit (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Jesus tells us to take His yoke upon us (Matthew 11:29-30). A yoke is a tool used to team two oxen together so that they may work in the same effort. In the book of Job, when Job's wealth is assessed, the animals are individually counted except for his oxen. The oxen are always counted in pairs (Job 42:12).

A yoke signifies room for two -- a pair. If we are not completely yoked to Jesus, then the Enemy is gaining access as well. If we are not 100% sold out to Christ, we will find ourselves at any moment yoked to the kingdom of the Enemy. Sadly, we become lukewarm Christians tossed back and forth by the waves of our culture (Revelations 3:15-16) & (Ephesians 4:14).

How can we have the abundant (overflowing) life that God promises when we our allowing ourselves to be yoked to the Enemy? If we are yoked to the Enemy, we won't be able to fully sow a bountiful harvest because he will assuredly force us to either stop, get distracted or completely mess up the plowing. Our necks will become tired and covered with soars. Our backs will begin hurting, and we'll fall over in exhaustion. Only Jesus' yoke is light and easy to bear.

I think many of us deceive ourselves into thinking that we are just neutral. We are not fully committed to God, yet we think that we are not committed to the Enemy either. Sadly, this is not true. We are either yoked to the Kingdom of God or we are yoked to the Kingdom of the Enemy. There is no middle ground.

God knows that we will make mistakes, and we are given unmerited favor (grace) because of His love for us. But it is my earnest cry to the Lord that I be yoked to Him! I don't want to be a puppet for the Enemy. I don't want to look back to moments in my past and realize that I was used by the kingdom of the Enemy to do his awful bidding. I hate the enemy, and I want to claim victory over his schemes.

How can I do that? I can I make an effort to yoke myself to the Holy Spirit so that the times I'm used by the Enemy become less frequent?

I have to listen for the soft voice of God. Psalm 19 says that the voice of God is everywhere. It is in the heavens and the earth, and all of creation shouts His glory. But we can't hear God's soft whispers when we are consumed by the roars of the Enemy.

The Enemy is loud and his roar echoes through our mainstream culture, especially the different channels of media. I hear his lies shouting through the TV and screaming through the radio. His roar is pulsating through mainstream magazines and yelling through books. The Enemy deafens our ears with the Internet, and we forget what the glory of God looks like.

My desire is that Christians shut the Enemy up! We need to stop listening to him in our homes, in our cars, at our work and with our friends. Our ears are becoming accustomed to his lies and our children are finding comfort in his voice. Ask yourselves these questions:

1) What am I allowing to enter my house through the television? Is it yoked to the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of the Enemy?

2) What music am I listening to? Is it yoked to the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of the Enemy?

3) What magazines am I flipping through? Are they yoked to the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of the Enemy?

4) What books am I reading? Are they yoked to the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of the Enemy?

5) What am I consuming on the Internet? Is it yoked to the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of the Enemy?

Whose voice are we allowing to enter into our hearts, minds, souls? Is it a voice declaring God's the glory or the Enemy's?

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Media Meditation: Truth or Lies?

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When I was about 12 years old, my family and I went to Denali Park in Alaska. There was a beautiful glacier in the park that was roped off. However, many people were crossing under the ropes and climbing up the icy face of the frozen mountain.

I was excited! I wanted to climb a glacier. I ducked under the rope and began my trek up the slippery ice. As I started climbing, I realized that my t-shirt, jeans and Keds tennis shoes were not helping me. In fact, I kept slipping down the ice, and I almost fell into the deep blue ravines that cut through the glacier like giant bear claws.

I noticed other people were climbing the glacier with ease because they were prepared with climbing gear. They were focused and ready for the trials that they would face in order to experience the blessing of reaching the top.

I gave up trying to climb the glacier because I knew that I would never make it in my current state of helplessness. I missed out because I wasn't ready.

This memory reminds me of the abundant Christian life that God has planned for each of us. So many Christians want the blessings of God, but they are not ready to receive them. Living an abundant Christian life is riddled with trials and tests, and we must allow the Holy Spirit to equip us. Otherwise, we will slip down the ice and possibly fall into a ravine. We will be controlled with fear and frozen by our weaknesses.

God is able to prepare our hearts for an amazing adventure with Him through meditation. Joshua 1.8 (NIV) reads, "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." We must mediate on God's truth, so that we can stand firm on His promises. Otherwise, we are doomed to failure.

Meditation is the filling of our hearts with either truth or lies. One of the biggest sources of meditation today is found through media. Christians need to be diligent about weeding out the many lies that pour out of media. Those lies make us vulnerable to the Enemy and keep us fearful, distracted and disinterested in crossing over to the abundant Christian life.

We only have one life. We need to make the best of it. Let us focus our hearts on God's truth and make our way up the glacier to His amazing blessings. It will be difficult, but it will be the thrill of a lifetime. . . guaranteed!

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Internet Cafe: Talking with God

I allow each of my boys to pray at night as they are lying in bed. My youngest boy is three and my oldest is five. The youngest one usually prays and his older brother then follows. At first my youngest boy didn’t want to pray because he was embarrassed. He didn’t pray like his older brother, and I think that made him self-conscious. However, I encouraged him without any pressured expectations, and he started to pray now and then.

One night, my youngest son jumped into praying. He prayed for juice, toys, cookies, popcorn, etc. I could hear my oldest son snickering under his breath. When my youngest son said, “Amen,” I kissed him and went over to my oldest son’s bed.

I whispered in his ear, “You used to pray like that. He will get better and better as he practices. Let’s not make fun of him, okay?”

Read the rest at Internet Cafe!




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Fast to Feast- Day 7

In ten hours, my seven day fast will be complete. I will wake up tomorrow and enjoy a small steaming mug of soy chai tea, cantaloupe and raisins. This has been one of the most difficult and most rewarding weeks of my life. All I can say is that God is good!

During the first two days of fasting, I knew I was doing something wrong. I think I was in grin-and-bear-it mode. By the the third day I was so hungry, and the only thing that I could do was pray. I started talking to God, and His overwhelming love and power filled my spirit. Jesus says, " You're blessed when you're ravenously hungry. Then you're ready for the Messianic meal" (Luke 6.18 The Message). I definitely was ready to feast from the Lord!

After God spoke to me powerfully, I remembered Jesus saying to the disciples after He had shown mercy to the woman at the well, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about" (John 4.32b NIV). I had to ask myself, "What do I crave more? My food or my God?"

I read in my one year Bible, The Message/Remix Pause Bible, a few days into my fast the following verses from Amos Chapter 4:

6"You know, don't you, that I'm the One
who emptied your pantries and cleaned out your cupboards,
Who left you hungry and standing in bread lines?
But you never got hungry for me. You continued to ignore me."
God's Decree.

7-8"Yes, and I'm the One who stopped the rains
three months short of harvest.
I'd make it rain on one village
but not on another.
I'd make it rain on one field
but not on another—and that one would dry up.
People would stagger from village to village
crazed for water and never quenching their thirst.
But you never got thirsty for me.
You ignored me."
God's Decree.

I want to hunger and thirst for God more than anything else. Only then will I live the abundant life that He has planned for me. During my fast, God showed me many things. I allowed Him to expose those sins that were hidden away and forgotten about. They were deep within my heart, awaiting a time to destroy my God-given purpose. They needed to be weeded out, so that I could draw closer to Him.

The biggest sin was my disbelief. I realized that I believed in God only about 90%. I still clung to my 10% of disbelief just in case God was unable to prove Himself to me. God has given me many promises, and I was holding out my total commitment until those promises came true. I wanted my wedding feast before I took the effort to walk by faith to the wedding hall. I didn't want to be a fool, but I know now that I was the fool for not comprehending the power and might of our God.

My fast also enlarged my capacity to handle the burden that comes with blessings. You can't have one without the other. Jesus says, "From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked" (Luke 12.48b). Therefore, if I want an abundant life with Jesus and have blessings poured into my life, I need the capacity to handle the responsibilities that go hand in hand.

A Christian who is being blessed is a Christian who is sacrificing for the kingdom of God. Salvation comes by faith, but blessings come by obedience. And God wants us to be 100% obedient to His will, so that He can pour out His blessings. What I've discovered is that our little acts of obedience are nothing compared to the blessings waiting for us, but we must make sure that our motive is right. We are obedient because we love God, and He blesses us because He loves us. This is a beautiful picture of serving, not bartering.

I felt like the woman in 2 Kings 4.1-7. This woman poured out from her emptiness, and God's supernatural power continued to flow. By day four I felt physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually depleted, but God filled me with His strength, joy, love, mercy and everything else I needed. God always provided when I lookd to Him for help. I was completely dependent on God to help me finish my fast, and He showed Himself as my Great Sustainer.

"Father, thank You for helping me through this fast. Bless my life and make me strong so I can handle the weight of those blessings. In Jesus's name, amen."


Fast to Feast- Day 1
Fast to Feast- Day 2
Fast to Feast- Day 3
Fast to Feast- Day 4
Fast to Feast- Day 5
Fast to Feast- Day 6


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Fast to Feast- Day 6

Below is an excellent article titled Fasting Tips by Lou Engle of The Call. His ministry is focused on helping Christians embrace a lifestyle of prayer and fasting. This article can be also found here.


With this call to enter into extended fasts, we must prepare ourselves adequately so that the fast can honor God and fulfill its purpose. Here are some items to help and encourage you.

1. Seek advice and permission before the fast. Seek medical advice before the fast, especially if you have any existing medical concerns or conditions. If you are under 18 years of age, discuss your desire to fast with your parents. Spiritual covering, submission and unity are important factors when fasting. Discuss your plans with your youth leader and/or church leaders. Remember, fasting is an attitude of the heart! Ask them if they would consider fasting with you!

2. Fast and pray in order to humble yourself and purify your worship. In fasting we are not trying to get something from God, but rather seeking to realign our hearts' affections with His. In fasting we can more readily say, "We love you Lord, more than anything in the world." Lust of any kind is perverted worship, but fasting enables us to cleanse the sanctuary of our hearts from every other rival.

3. Don't boast about your fast. Let people know you won't be eating, if you need to. (Matthew 6:16-18).

4. Do the fast with someone else. Two are better than one! We encourage parents and kids to consider fasting together. Several generations fasting together has a powerful impact!

5. Have a clear target for prayer focus. Without a vision (a clear, prophetic prayer goal) the people perish. During a fast, I have four or five prayer goals that are clearly articulated. When I'm not deeply motivated by a clear goal, I usually fast until break-fast! Write down your vision, so you can run with it. (Habukkuk 2:2)

6. Make your commitment and determine the length. You can fast in many different ways...a media fast from TV, movies, and video games. You may want to fast from one meal a day, one whole day, three days or more. Fast Forward is modeled on the 40 day fast. Pray and ask God what He will give you faith for as far as the length of time. He is the author and finisher of your faith and faith is what makes it possible to please him.

* A Daniel fast, with vegetables and water, is good for those carrying a heavy workload (like moms and students). Fasting "meats and sweets" can be done by athletes who can get protein from other food sources.

* A fruit or vegetable juice fast allows you to enter into fasting but still gives enough energy to function. Many people have done a 40-day juice fast. Out of consideration for their health and metabolism, I would encourage teenagers to use juice and protein drinks to sustain them. If you have sugar sensitivities or problems, consult your physician before attempting this fast.

* A water-only fast has been done by many people. We would not encourage this without strong medical supervision, particularly for youth. This is a very difficult fast, but very effective. Depending on your weight and metabolism, you can go forty days on water alone.

* A total fast is without water. Do Not go beyond three days without water. Discuss your plans with your doctor, youth leader and/or church leaders and parents. We do not encourage this type of fast without specific confirmation from the Lord through your parents and church leadership.

7. Prepare physically. Two days before you fast, limit your intake of food to fruit and vegetables. Fruit is a natural cleanser and easy to digest. Stop drinking coffee before the fast. Drink lots of water to help your body detoxify. Prepare yourself for mental discomforts such as impatience, crankiness and anxiety. Expect physical discomforts. You may experience dizziness, headaches and different kinds of pains. The headaches are not a sign to stop fasting. Your body is working to cleanse itself of impurities.

8. Take time to pray and read the Word. This may seem obvious, but busyness and distractions can keep you from devotions. Reading books with testimonies of victories gained through fasting will encourage you. Changing History through Prayer and Fasting by Derek Prince, Fast Forward by Lou Engle and God's Chosen Fast by Arthur Wallis.

9. Expect to hear God's voice in the Word, dreams, visions and revelations. Daniel prepared himself to receive revelation through fasting (Daniel10:1,2). There is a fasting reward (Matt. 6:18) Some time ago, a Malaysian brother shared how during a forty day fast he was "caught up into the heavens." After the fast, he took a team into the interior of Borneo and saw a dead woman raised and revival broke out in the village.

10. Prepare for opposition. On the day of your fast you can bet donuts will be at the office or in class. Your spouse (or your mom) will suddenly be inspired to cook your favorite meals. Press through. Many times you may feel more tension build at home. My fasts are just as difficult for my wife as for me. Satan tempted Jesus on the fast, and we must expect the same. Discouragement may come in like a flood, but recognize the source and take your stand on the victory of Christ.

11. If you fail, don't give in to condemnation. The "to fast or not to fast" dilemma can be a major tool of the enemy. Even though you may fail several times, God always extends grace. Once, I gave up on a fast and snuck some yogurt and chips. The next day an intercessor came to me and said, "I saw you in a dream and you were supposed to be fasting, but you were eating yogurt and chips." It was pretty good motivation to start again!

12. Feel free to rest a lot and to continue to exercise with supervision.

13. Breakthroughs often come after a fast, not during it. Do not listen to the lie that nothing is happening. It is my conviction that every fast done in faith will be rewarded.

14. Break the fast slowly, over several days with fruit juice or light soups. On a light juice fast or a water fast your digestive system shuts down. This can be dangerous if you eat too much too soon. Break the fast with several days of diluted, non-acidic juice, then regular juice, followed by fruit and vegetables. On one of my early water fasts, I broke it too quickly and almost needed hospitalization.

Be careful! May thousands of young men and women fast as God leads them. May they find a greater intimacy with God the Father. May they be used in the greatest revival we have ever seen. Let two generations arise and fulfill this divine mandate! We have taught our children how to feast and play. Now it is time to teach them how to fast and pray!

Fast to Feast- Day 1
Fast to Feast- Day 2
Fast to Feast- Day 3
Fast to Feast- Day 4
Fast to Feast- Day 5
Fast to Feast- Day 7


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Fast to Feast- Day 5

Matthew 22.10-14 NIV - "So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are invited, but few are chosen."

Please notice that the King's servants invited both "good" and "bad" people to partake in the wedding feast. The "good" people are Christians who have had their sins forgiven because they've accepted Jesus as their savor. The "bad" people have not had their sins forgiven, so they are accountable to all the bad they have done. Otherwise, we would all be bad "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard" (Romans 3.23 NIV). We all are bad compared to the holiness and perfection of God.

Therefore, both Christians and non-Christians are feasting at the earthly banquet. I believe it is the earthly banquet because the King hasn't entered yet -- Jesus has not yet come to claim His rightful throne on earth. God loves all people, but I know from reading His Word that He can only forge a relationship with those who have been forgiven from their sins. Humans can not reach a Holy God within their own unrighteousness. After the fall from Eden, humans had to have a sacrifice that would take the debt of their sins. The first sacrifice was the animal skins used to clothe Adam and Eve. Our 100% perfect God cannot can even look at anything that has sin, unless He looks through the lens of a sacrifice that wipes away the debt.

Since Jesus is our present day sacrifice, God looks through His blood in order to fellowship with us. So if God can fellowship with us, and He is glad we set our minds to make it to His beautiful wedding banquet, wouldn't it make sense that He would prefer to bless us more than the people who do not fellowship with Him because their sins are not erased? I believe that if Christians were willing to give even a fraction of obedience and sacrifice to God, He would take our fraction and bless it abundantly. God is the creator of the Universe. He sets the stars in the sky and puts the planets in motion. He is able to do wondrous works on our behalf. He holds all of the world's resources in His hands.

Christians don't need to be the smartest, most elegant, most attractive, most skilled, most charismatic to achieve an abundant life. All we have to do is stay faithful to our God, and He will direct all the blessings our way. It doesn't matter how much everyone else knows, how pretty they are, how well they are liked. If God had a choice to bless a Christian or non-Christian, He would totally jump at the chance to bless the Christian! Why? Because we love Him and we strive to live out His purpose for our life! We made it to the wedding feast, and God wants to give us His very best because we are His children and brothers and sisters to His son, Jesus! If we could just give God our love, He would willingly Give us all that we ask according to His will.

What happens when the King arrives to the wedding banquet? He starts to sort out the Christians from the non-Christians. The earthly banquet is over, and the eternal banquet is about to begin. The King looks through the guest and sees some not wearing the wedding clothes. I believe the wedding clothes are symbolic of the clothing of righteousness given to us by our savior, Jesus Christ. He clothes us in His righteousness. Obviously, non-Christians were allowed to take from the wedding feast! But, they can not stay for the eternal wedding feast because they are not wearing their wedding clothes.

God brings the non-Christians to judgment. They are His children, but they never took time to know Him and their sins are still visible because they have no wedding clothes to cover them. The King asks them why they are not wearing the wedding clothes (righteousness of Jesus), and they have no excuse -- they are silent. I'm sure regret and shame is running through their minds. And because they have not taken on the righteousness of Jesus, they are unable to dwell with God. They must live for eternity without God, and any place that does not have God is hell.

The last sentence of the parable reads, "For many are invited, but few are chosen." We are living out the earthly wedding banquet at this very moment. And there are many non-believers relishing in God's feast, yet they do not praise Him, they do not credit Him and they do not love Him. However, there are only a few believers enjoying the feast. Why is that? Why aren't more Christians living the abundant life that God wants them to live? Why aren't we the headliners? Why aren't we the most successful at whatever we do? Why aren't we the ones setting the trends, instead of the trends setting us? It seems that many of us our going with a cultural flow that leads away from the Holy Life and towards the Common Life.

Fast and pray to God, and earnestly seek the Holy Life. Wrestle with God until He blesses you, and He most certainly will.

Fast to Feast- Day 1
Fast to Feast- Day 2
Fast to Feast- Day 3
Fast to Feast- Day 4
Fast to Feast- Day 6
Fast to Feast- Day 7


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Fast to Feast - Day 4

Matthew 22.6-9 "The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find. Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ "

God says that He offers us blessings and curses (Deuteronomy 30:19). We choose blessings when we accepts Jesus' sacrifice for our sins and stay obedient to God's commands and the Holy Spirit's leading. If we don't follow God's commands and the Holy Spirit's leading, our lives become tangled with the sins of this world, and we experience a life of curses. Praise God, though, that Christians who have at least received salvation will not suffer eternal punishment for their sins. Jesus' grace covers all who have reached out to Him.

So what happens when people who have accepted Jesus into their hearts reject the commands of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit? Who gets to eat their portion of the feast? Who gets their seat at the earthly banquet that reflects the heavenly one?

Once the wedding planner finds out that His invited guest will not come to His banquet, He tells his servants, "The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see."

The banquet is ready to go. God has created all life to be a beautiful picture of Him. He is not going to diminish His majesty simply because the invited did not show up. So what does God do, He opens the banquet to everyone willing to come.

God's willingness to allow non-Christians to partake in His feast is also illustrated in another parable Jesus told about the Kingdom of God. Somehow weeds started growing in the wheat that God planted, and the servants wanted to know if they should pull them out. But God said, “No," he replied, "you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.”

God has a specific plan for our earthly kingdom (wedding banquet), and every detail must be executed. If Christians are unwilling to fulfill their God-given purposes, He will have to use others to do His will. God can either use people as His tool or as His servant. The tool receives only earthly blessings, but the servant receives earthly and heavenly blessings.

This fact is seen several times in the Bible:

In 2 Chronicles 36.22 God swayed the heart of King Cyrus to allow the Israelites to return home, in order to fulfill the plan He foretold through Jeremiah.

In Nehemiah 2.6 God used King Artaxerxes to help Nehemiah rebuild Jerusalem, in order to redeem His chosen people.

In Daniel 1:46 God illustrated His glory to King Nebuchadnezzar, and the selfish king claimed God's glory.

None of these kings were godly men. They probably had worldly feast of every sin imaginable, yet God used them in order to achieve His master plan. Though these men partook in God's amazing banquet on this earth, they will not be allowed to enter into the eternal banquet. They were used as tools, not as servants.

If we as Christians are not saying yes to God's invitation to come, He must use others to fulfill His "Kingdom Come" for this earth. Our disobedience will not diminish His design.

It is crucial that we earnestly seek God about our intended and abundant role in this thing we call life. Fasting starts the journey. Jesus did not start His divine purpose (ministry) until after He had fasted.

"In the closing of chapter of the Book of Hebrews, the writer tell us, "Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith" (Heb. 13:7, NIV). As I asked before, if our Lord fasted, why would we think that we should not fast? There is no record of Jesus ever healing anyone until He returned from the forty days of fasting that launched His earthly ministry. Jesus said we would do even greater works than He had done, because He was returning to the Father. If Jesus did not begin to minister before fasting, how can we?" -- Jentezen Franklin in his book, Fasting

Fast to Feast- Day 1
Fast to Feast- Day 2
Fast to Feast- Day 3
Fast to Feast- Day 5
Fast to Feast- Day 6
Fast to Feast- Day 7



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