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We started this series several weeks ago and are now just able to get back to it. The first idea was simple, the bible is often referred to as a how-to guide or better a book of instructions and my thought was, how many men read the instructions?

Today we will look at the “Book of Promises”. This I very well cannot argue with. From Genesis to Revelation, the bible is laiden with promise after promise. Some good Deut. 28:1-14 for example has promises that are VERY GOOD, while 15-68 of the same chapter of Deut. has promises that I would not wish on my worst enemy.

So to refer to the bible as a book of promises is a good thing. Or is it?

How many of you have been promised things in your lifetime, by parents, friends, teachers, bosses or jobs, only to walk away with a sad face and nothing to show for it. So how easy is it to believe God whom you cannot see, when the very father or teacher or friend whom you can see could not keep a promise to save their life? Is this why it is so hard to believe David when he says, “THE LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack.”, a verse whose meaning and translation is so powerful. The Lord is MY Shepherd, He is my caretaker, and I dont lack, I dont have a want or need that goes unfulfilled; yet, daily we seem to go with those things that we want and need.

Are you receiving the promises? Do you believe that you will have ALL that you are promised?

So how will you refer to the bible?

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I would imagine that since the bible became the popular tool for growth, literature, and major discussion and debate people have attempted to make analogies or links between the bible and books we use in our everyday lives. In my quite time today I began to ponder several of those comparisons and dissect them, well OK it wasn’t me but the Holy Spirit, here is what we came up with.

There is the ever popular, ever religious, and cliche “How-To Guide”, then there is “The Book of Promises, then something i never thought about until today “The Wish Book” and lastly there is my absolute favorite “The Lifestyle Guide”. Lets take them in this very order, we will start with “The How-To Book”.

When you think of How-To, you think of Home Depot, the bike you got your daughter for Christmas with the instructions in Chinese and German, but now English. You think about how you hate to read directions to put anything together. “Just give me the picture, and I will go from there”, we have all said it. (I’m speaking to the men here) Granted the Bible could be considered a How-To manual, I guess rather than plumbing you might look up healing, or rather then which way do the handle bars go and what size bolt and nut do I use, you might look for instructions on how to pray.

Think about this one thing for a moment, how many men do you know who read the instructions? For anything? If we change our perception of the bible, which would probably be easier than getting any man to read the directions “before” he starts the project, would men be more prone to read the bible?

If it was the TV Guide would they pick it up? If we called it something other than an “The Basic Instructions for Basic Living E_____” (not sure what the “e” stands for) that men would take notice of it, open and find truth in it.

The next time your husband, father, brother, son, nephew or male friend decides to put something together or fix something, watch how long it takes before he grabs the instructions, that is if he ever grabs for them. Then ask yourself, this very same question, When have you known any man to “read the instructions” of anything?

Next will be “The Book of Promises”

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The days are starting to run together.

And can I just say that the enemy is not excited at all about my commitment to this fast, to my desire for a renewed and deeper intimacy with my God, and the result of this 40 day period. He has reared his ugly head on day two and I laughed!!!

Not one of hose shallow, well that was kind of funny laughs, but a deep gut laugh, the one where you almost use it on your self.

Let me get to today!!! Or well Sunday.

We had our first Sunday service. Since the inception of the ministry we had been having service on Saturday, so today was special. Mind you none of us really knew what to do with ourselves on Saturday, it seemed as if we had an extra day in the week.

Not only was it our first Sunday Service but we had our first baptism and it was GRAND!!!

I will have pictures this week! We did it old school style, in the lake, Lake Lanier to be exact!

I am learning a few things about my body as well. Fasting can bring up some issues you didn’t know you had, but I am always glad to learn anything about the one and only body I will have on this side of Glory!

Until tomorrow, I hope everyone has an awesomely blessed week, and remember God said He will never leave you nor forsake you, so no matter what it looks like, feels like, or what you are doing, He is right there with you!!!

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I have fasted for a week, a day or two, but 40 days???

After an interesting day like yesterday, there was a moment during my quite time where God called on me to fast, to wake up at 6am and spend at least the first hour of my day with Him, if not more.

My goals:

1) total surrender of my will for His Perfect Will (Mat 26:39)

2) clarity, direction and strategy for the building of His ministry (Psa 37:23)

3) instruction for personal finance growth (Isa 48:17) and debt cancellation (Romans 13:8)

4) to better understand who God has called me to be and what He has called me to do (Joshua 1:1)

I hope to be able to give insight to the growth, and most importantly to the brokenness felt during this time of fasting. To be naked before God, and transparent before man is my desire, as i increase daily in favor with both!!!

AMEN!

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