This Morning's Celebration Service Was Wonderful

Believing it to be the Lord's Leading, I changed the normal Sunday Morning Service a little!
Basically, the Word is being sandwiched with Worship and time is being made for testimonies and a call to prayer!
Even though today was Super Bowl Sunday, Rogue River Assembly of God responded beautifully to the challenge of prayer and fasting...
Here's a little notes from this morning's message:

In a small mid western town, predominantly conservative, a new tavern was being built. A local church started a campain to block the the bar from opening with petitions and prayers.
Work progressed, however, right up until the week before opening, when a lightning strike hit the bar and it burned to the ground. After the fir, the church folks were pretty smug, until the bar owner sued the church on the grounds that the church members were utlitmately responsible for the destruction of his building, either through direct or indirect actions or means. In its reply to the lawsuit, the church vehemently denied all responsiblity or any connection to the property loss. When the case made it's way into court and to the preliminary hearing, the judge looked over the paperwork and commented, "I don't know how I'm going to decide this, But as it appears fromt the paperwork, we have a bar owner that believes in the power of prayer and an entire church congregation that doesn't."

I did a little review of our new sermon series: Does Jesus Go To church
And spoke of what the Lord had taught me at network intermission
One of the things that stuck in my head from Jeff Lucas' teaching is
HOLINESS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HATE

This week I believe the Lord is calling us to a special week of prayer and fasting
2 Chronicles 7:14
A very familiar verse for most of us but let the Spirit open your eyes to it in a fresh way today:
If my People
Who are called by my name
Will humble themselves and pray
And seek my face
And turn from their wicked ways
Then will I hear from heaven
And will forgive their sins
And will heal their land

Dr. Lou Diaz once went on a 40 day fast
This was his prayer
I hope it challenges you as it did me:
Lord Jesus, my purpose in fasting is to earnestly pray for spiritual awakening for the CHURCH, especially our church, and for the fulfillment of your Great Commission. I am not using this time as a kind of hunger strike that compels you to do my bidding. I yield myself to you, desiring to know your will and to live in line with it. Yes, I want to express my love and worship to you. Yes, I want to humble myself before you. Yes, I want to express repentance for anything you reveal to me. Yes, I want to overcome temptation and dedicate myself to you. Yes, I want deliverance and protection.
Deep down iside of me there is a longing to break through a barrier of inconsistency about spiritual disciplines to a character-building consistency that seeks your face and knows your presence, power and peace, on a higher plane than at present. I want to be a Christian who fully lives out my faith. I want to maximize my relationship and partnership with my wife. I want to nurture my children in the way of the LORD, that they may know you and love you and serve you. I want you to be glorified in my life. I want to be the spiritual leader you want me to be. I want to be avessel fit for noble purposes, useful to you. I want to see your bride beautiful and your body healthily functioning. I love your church, and I want her to be all you want her to be. I love the lost, and I want them to have an opportunity to know your great salvation. This is why I am fasting and praying...

Mabye your listening to me speak of prayer and fasting
And it feels out of reach
Too hard, maybe even impossible because of your health
I definitely would not recommend a diabetic to go on a food fast
But fasting is so much more than going without food
During this week the Lord has convicted me to fast from junkfood and television
Maybe the Lord is convicting you to fast coffee Or soda or cigarettes or soapoperas or video games...
I’m thinking He wants you to fast your vice
Let him fill in the blank for your circumstance
I will give you a little clue, God doesn’t usually convict our hearts to the need of fasting vegetables... I’ve tried it, fasting carrots doesn’t impress Jesus

I've heard people confess, I don't know how to pray
OR worse, I've heard people within the church accuse others of not knowing how to pray
THIS IS A FARCE
If you know how to talk, you know how to pray
Prayer is simply talking to God
You do not have to use THEE AND THOU
Best place to begin is the prayer Jesus taught his disciples: Our Father who art in heaven...

The church will be open everyday this week at 6pm for prayer
That time you usually spend eating dinner could end up being a time of spiritual breakthrough
And I know I’ve said it a million times:
there’s something about praying in the sanctuary,
getting away from the distractions of your home,
worshipping (my mother or I will be at the piano),
Remembering and thanking Jesus for the gospel (Bob and Pat Sitze prepare communion)
opening your bible,
being encouraged by the sound of others prayers around you...
OH GOD BAPTIZE YOUR CHURCH IN THE HOLY SPIRIT AGAIN