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SPECIAL INVITE:

We have entered into our 21 day fast today January 9, 2022. Praise the Lord who has brought us to this day. We want to invite you, your churches, and ministries to explore and pray about joining this 21 day time of fasting and seeking the Lord. One thing the Lord showed me today is that fasting is an act of humility before the Lord and when we humble ourselves He will lift us up. 
How shall we fast? As you know there are many ways to fast - but essential to all true fast is humbling oneself to seek the face of God in prayer, in worship and in the Word. 

The Word says in Psalm 27:8
8 When Thou saidst, “Seek ye My face,” my heart said unto Thee, “Thy face, Lord, will I seek.”

Do you want successes in 2022? Do you want the favor of God to rest upon you? Do you want to draw near to Jesus and have Him draw near to you? Then consider honoring Him in a time of fasting, praise and prayer and getting into His amazing Word. 
He spoke to my heart this year 2022 - "Pursue Me Like You Did Your First Love!" I shared with Pastor Kashif how when I was a very young missionary God connected me to the young lady who would become my wife of now 37 years. The problem was that she lived on the other side of the country of Honduras. This meant that I had to pursue her. I often arose at 2 am to walk the dark streets of my village alone and at risk for 1/2 mile to get to the bus station. Then I would ride the bus for 8 hours in just the hopes of being able to spend some time visiting her and her family. Often I would arrive and she would be out of town as there were no phones in my village and I would have to get back on the bus and travel back across the country alone and sad. We dated like this for over 2 years and I went to see her about twice a month. I had to pay for food, buses, hotels, taxi's and then if we actually went on a date I had to pay for that also. I didn't think twice about it friend because that is what one who is in love and pursuing the love of his life does. 
"Are you pursing ME like that?" ask Jesus. I will let you answer that for yourself, but as for me and my house we will seek and serve the Lord and we will pursue Him as our first love. 
A revelation on fasting that works for me and makes things more simple. I follow the Daniel Fast typically but it means this to me: For 21 days I will not partake of bread, meat or sweets. This simplifies it for me. If it is bread, or meat or sweets then I'll forego it to seek the Lord in humility, prayer, worship and in His Word. If it works for you also then great. If not then let the Lord lead you as to how you might fast in a way that honors Him, be it skipping one meal, sunup to sunset, etc. The Lord will lead you. 

That's it friends. This Sunday, January 9th we kicked off the new year with our annual fast. This is the perfect opportunity to refresh our hearts and minds. There will be thousands of others across the globe joining in community as we fast together. Let 2022 be the year that we all seek God like never before. I don't know what 2022 will bring exactly but I know who I am pursuing and who stands with me just like He stood with Paul, right next to him in prison. 

And this, about 28 years after Jesus' crucifixion, death, resurrection and ascension into heaven.

 "The following night, the Lord stood by [Paul] and said, “Have courage! For as you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” Acts 23:11

Much love in the Lord, 
Pastor Jedidiah