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Are You Listening to God?

Dear First Prez Ohana,Loving the Word Worship Background

Remember the homework I gave you during my sermon on Sunday, March 24th? As you continue to fast this week (and even if you’re not fasting), I challenge you to do the homework I gave you about listening to God. I have no doubt that You will discover how many times the Lord has been speaking to you.

If you weren’t at the worship service this past Sunday, here’s the homework I gave:

  • Take some time to write down all the times you think God talked to you in the last month. Consider all the ways He may have tried to reach you to instruct, guide, bless, or correct you.
  • Slow down and make time for this list. You would see that God talks to us in a myriad of different wants, maybe even in ways we weren’t aware of (a Scripture verse, a song, a conversation you had, a recent email or note, or maybe through a time you or a loved one got healed).

Be alert. I think you might be stunned to see how God talks to you, if you just take the time to see how He is working in your life.

You might say, “But God doesn’t talk to me.”

Hey, that’s the point: He is talking to you and me. Maybe we have just been blind or deaf to His voice because of all the static in our lives.

Let me know how your homework turns out. Send me an e-mail (aloha@fpchawaii.org) or a letter. Or simply type in your comments in the box below so others can be encouraged by how the Lord has spoken to you.

Here’s to more God sightings this week.

Warmly,

Pastor Dan Chun

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Why Fast?

6a00d8341ca86d53ef0133f581ef1c970b-800wiBy now, the second week of the Daniel Fast, your body would have adjusted to your new food choices, and hopefully you are feeling closer to our Lord as you have gotten more regular with your prayer and Bible reading times. Below are a few quotes to further inspire you on this 21-day fasting commitment to the Lord:

“Fasting is abstaining from anything that hinders prayer.” (Andrew Bonar)

“Fasting enables us to tune out the world’s distractions and tune in to God.” (Stovall Weems)

“This Man (Jesus) suddenly remarks one day, ‘No one need fast while I am here.’ Who is this Man who remarks that His mere presence suspends all normal rules?’” (C.S. Lewis)

“Fasting helps express, deepen, and confirm the resolution that we are ready to sacrifice anything, even ourselves, to attain that we seek for the Kingdom of God.” (Andrew Murray)

“By fasting, the body learns to obey the soul; by praying the soul learns to command the body.” (William Secker)

“Fasting confirms our utter dependence on God by finding in Him a sustenance beyond food.” (Dallas Willard)

“When we pray and fast, we don’t do so to change God or His will; by praying and fasting we are the ones changed.” (Stovall Weems)

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On the Fast Track Again

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Dear First Prez Ohana,

It’s time for our annual 21-Day Daniel Fast, and I hope you will join us! This is the period we abstain from certain foods and drinks this Lenten season to deepen our relationship with Him.

The Daniel Fast is named after the prophet Daniel in the Bible, who chose to have only vegetables and water for ten days (as recorded in Daniel chapter 1) to set himself apart for God and from the ways of the Egyptians. He did a second fast (Daniel chapter 10) where he abstained from meat, choice foods, and wine for three full weeks to wait on the Lord to give him understanding for a message he had received from Him. It is from these recorded fasts that the Daniel Fast came about.

Our Daniel Fast theme for this year is DNA—Discipleship, Nutrition, Alpha—the three things we want our church to focus on for 2013 that will help us lead lives of service for God and other people.

Having done the Fast myself, I must admit that it is not easy. However, it is doable with a prayerful heart, a willingness to plan, and encouragement from others who are also on the Fast.

This site will give you the information you need to successfully carry out the Fast. We have 21 short devotionals written by some of our staff and church members to inspire you along the way. The first seven devotionals are on Discipleship, the next seven on Nutrition, and the last seven on Alpha (evangelism). Simply click on the tabs above to navigate through the pages.

We hope the Fast will help reset your spiritual compass, which can get rusty and out of whack because of things we do everyday, worries, and concerns. May it inspire you to all the more pursue Jesus who loves you more than you can ever imagine.

Warmly,

Pastor Dan Chun