January 9 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 20-22
• Matthew 7:15-29
• Psalms 9:1-12
• Proverbs 2:16-22

The Lord kept his word and did for Sarah exactly what he had promised. She became pregnant, and she gave birth to a son for Abraham in his old age. This happened at just the time God had said it would. – Genesis 21:1-2

At just the right time, William Autrey leaped down from a New York subway station onto the train tracks. With a train heading toward him, he moved a man—who had fallen onto the tracks while having a seizure—into the middle of the tracks and laid over him. The train drove right over the top of them… but they were safe! William was not too early and he wasn’t too late… he was right on time!

So today, we see God keeping His promise to Abraham and Sarah at just the time God had planned. God is always punctual for the time He sets. He shows up at just the right time! The answer may not come at the time we set… but it will always come at the time He sets! It’s what you and I do between the time that God gives the promise and the set time that He fulfills the promise that really matters!

Here are a couple helps for you as you are waiting for God’s “just the right time” for your promise to become a reality!

Remember what He has told you!

We see God lovingly reminding Abraham that He had not forgotten His covenant promise to him. The Lord has graciously reminded me of what He has promised for Mount Hope Church and Renee and me personally. But I also love to remind myself and go over those words the Lord has spoken to my heart by the Holy Spirit and His written Word! Take time to go over the prophetic words God has spoken over your life.

Be more concerned with what you are becoming.

Abraham waited years for the promise from God to become a reality, but during that time he was becoming a man of faith. Someone put it so well when they said, “You don’t make great men of faith overnight. It takes years of God’s work in them, years of almost mundane trusting in God.” Know that during this current season, God is focused on what you are becoming!

Ask God to open your eyes and give you a glimpse of your future.

Today in Genesis 21:15-20, we see that God opened up Hagar’s eyes and she saw a well of water she had not seen before. May the Lord open your eyes to see what you had not seen before—your great future in Him! I pray you activate your eyes of faith to see the well God has provided for you.

Happy Fasting,

Pastor Kevin

January 8 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 18:16-33
• Genesis 19
• Matthew 6:25-34
• Matthew 7:1-14
• Psalms 8:1-9
• Proverbs 2:6-15

The other men turned and headed toward Sodom, but the Lord remained with Abraham. When the Lord finished his conversation with Abraham, he went on his way… Genesis 18:22, 33

I love the picture of God remaining with Abraham. Why? There was a conversation He wanted to have with Abraham. Can you see God and Abraham sitting down over a cup of coffee, having a conversation? Did you know that God wants to have a conversation with you? It’s true! There are some specific things about your day that God wants to talk to you about. There are some things about your future that God wants to talk with you about. Here are a couple keys to making the most of your conversations with God.

Seek the Lord… continually!

Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him (Psalm 105:4). The word “seek” means to beat down a path into His presence every day… continually! The secret place was never meant for occasional visits. You and I were meant to press into God’s presence and live our whole lives there.

Be Persistent.

Jesus said to keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7). As a young boy with a paper route, I learned the value of being persistent and not giving up every Friday when it was collection day. It didn’t take long to figure out that people didn’t want to pay their bill, but if I kept knocking, eventually they would come to the door. When it comes to prayer, the Lord invites you and me to have an attitude that refuses to give up.

Ask.

I know that sounds so simple. Yes, God knows everything. He knows what you need, but we are expected to ask. Here is a secret I have learned when having conversations with God – communicate with God as your heavenly Father. See Him as the great Dad that He is. Talk to Him that way. Listen to Him that way. Obey Him that way! Jesus said, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:11).

Happy Fasting,

Pastor Kevin

January 7 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 16-18:1-15
• Matthew 6:1-24
• Psalms 7:1-17
• Proverbs 2:1-5

Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” – Genesis 16:13

In today’s scripture reading, we find Hagar who probably felt like she was invisible to the Lord. She found herself in a mess, treated unfairly, thrown into the middle of something she didn’t ask for. Have you ever felt like God must not see you? That for some reason He is not seeing your hurt or difficulty? If so, you are not alone. Hagar felt like God did not see her, but the truth is God saw her, knew what was going on, and knew what she didn’t know – she was pregnant with a son.

The truth is God sees you, too. He is aware of what you are going through. He knows what you don’t know—the dream you are pregnant with. And he knows what’s in store for your future. You see today… He sees your tomorrow. Be encouraged, my friend, God sees you! What happens when you begin to know God as the One who sees you?

You know that when you pray to your Father in private, He rewards you openly!

But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you (Matthew 6:6)! Speaking of fasting, Jesus said, “And your Father who sees everything will reward you” (Matthew 6:18).

You know that God sees and knows exactly what you need.

Your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him (Matthew 6:8).

You know you walk in divine protection with God as your shield.

It doesn’t matter what injustice is thrown at you. God is watching and He is a shield to those whose hearts are true and right (Psalm 7:9-10).

I pray for you, my friend, that you, too, will know God as the One who sees you, the Father who looks at you with affection and determination in His eyes.

Happy Fasting,

Pastor Kevin

January 6 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 13:5-18; 14-15
• Matthew 5:27-48
• Psalms 6:1-10
• Proverbs 1:29-33

Martin Luther said, “Scripture is the manger in which Christ lies. As a mother goes to a cradle to find her baby, so the Christian goes to the Bible to find Jesus!”

Every day as we read God’s Word, we are discovering treasures… and the greatest treasure is Jesus Himself! The other day I was asked, “What’s the most important word in the Bible?” It’s hard to pick one word, so here are my top three that we discover in our Bible reading today.

NEAR

It’s who you are near that can make or break you. That was Lot’s story. Lot moved his tents to a place near Sodom and settled among the cities of the plain (Genesis 13:12-13), and it cost him his wife. Who are you placing yourself near? Who you surround yourself with makes a huge impact on your entire life and future. I want to encourage you to make a decision to draw near to God this year. Like Noah, let’s choose to walk in close fellowship with God.

BELIEVE

We read today that Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith (Genesis 15:6). Jesus said some amazing things about the power of believing:

• Because you believed, it has happened (Matthew 8:13).
• Anything is possible if a person believes (Mark 9:23).
• This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one He has sent (John 6:29).

Martin Luther said, “Faith is the ‘yes’ of the heart.” Faith says “yes” to everything God says. If God says it, faith says, “I believe it!” You cannot even be saved without believing.

LISTEN

But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm (Proverbs 1:33). “Listen” implies obedience. The child that is not listening to their parents is the child that is not obeying them. So here is the secret – listen and obey! Did you hear what was promised for the person who would listen? They will live in peace—they will be untroubled! Hey, in a world that is full of troubled people, to be untroubled sounds pretty good!

I pray today for you, my friend, that 2017 will be a year of you being near the heart of God. I pray that you walk in a new realm of blessing—because you dared to believe! And I pray that the Holy Spirit will give you ears to hear His voice… that your life this year would be ever listening.

Love ya,

Pastor Kevin

January 5 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 11 – 13:1-4
• Matthew 5:1-26
• Psalms 5:1-12
• Proverbs 1:24-28

He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there. Genesis 11:31

There he built another altar and dedicated it to the Lord, and he worshiped the Lord. Genesis 12:8

One of the first things we learn about Abraham is that when he was traveling with his father to the land of Canaan, they stopped at Haran and settled there. This may seem insignificant, but it’s never a small thing to settle. Why settle for less than God’s best for your life?

Is there an area of your life where you have stopped and settled? Maybe you have settled for an ordinary life when God’s best is an extraordinary life. Or perhaps you have settled for a distant, lame relationship with God when you could have a relationship that is supernatural and full of life.

Too many people settle for less than what God has called them to live. They settle for a life filled with business, things, noise, activity… when the Lord calls us to a life of worship. As we read about this great father of our faith, Abraham, there’s one thing you can’t miss – he was a worshiper. You’ll read about his conversations with God, about building altars of worship, about his thankfulness.

True worship is an outward expression of the inward reality of your love for God. I pray that during our 21 days of prayer and fasting this month, the inward reality of your love for God becomes an outward expression of a lifetime of worship!

Happy Fasting,

Pastor Kevin

January 4 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 8-10
• Matthew 4:12-25
• Psalms 4:1-8
• Proverbs 1:20-23

This time the dove returned to him in the evening with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Then Noah knew that the floodwaters were almost gone. Genesis 8:11

After over eight months in the ark, Noah sent out a dove to see if it could find a place to land. He wanted to know if his long time in the ark was about over. Is there something you’ve been going through that you would like to be over? All you need to see is a small olive branch.

When Pastor Billy Burke was at Mount Hope Church, he taught from this passage of scripture and pointed out the fact that when Noah saw the olive leaf in the bird’s beak, then he knew! He didn’t have to see the dry ground. He didn’t have to see an absence of water. All he needed was to see the olive leaf, and at that moment he knew the promise was on its way! He knew that what God had promised was about to arrive!

What has the Lord promised you? Healing in your body? Provision for your family? Here’s the bigger question: can you see an olive branch? You don’t have to see the entire answer fulfilled to have hope. All you have to do is see something small and you can take that as an olive branch! Then just as Noah knew that the floodwaters were almost gone, you can know that the season you have been going through is almost gone!

Father, I pray that you will allow my friend to see an olive branch. Show them something small that will let them know that something big and good is coming their way soon!

Happy Fasting,

Pastor Kevin

January 3 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 5-7
• Matthew 3:7-4:11
• Psalms 3:1-8
• Proverbs 1:10-19

When God created human beings, he made them to be like himself. Genesis 5:1

This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. Genesis 6:9

I love those words: “close fellowship!” That’s how God describes the potential of your relationship with Him. As we enter into a new year, why not determine you are going after the experience of God’s best—close fellowship?

A few years ago Renee and I were at a restaurant and I was blown away with how big the menu was… it was huge! It was like reading a novel, but inside that menu was everything that was available to me. I want to encourage you that close fellowship with God is on the menu for you. Enoch walked in close fellowship with God. Noah walked in close fellowship with God, and you can, too!

When you walk in close fellowship with God, you get the inside scoop on what He is up to. Before something bursts on the scene, God tells you about it. God told Noah about His plans to judge the earth and rescue mankind and invited him to be in the middle of what He was doing. When you walk in close fellowship with God, you catch His heart. Today in our Bible reading, we see Jesus walking in close fellowship with the Father when He heard Him say:

“This is my dearly loved son, who brings me great joy!” Matthew 3:17

When you walk close to God, you are able to hear His heart for you, His thoughts about you, His plans for you – and that, my friend, is life-changing! I pray that one of the results of this season of prayer and fasting will be that you begin to walk in close fellowship with God – a closer, more intimate relationship with the One True Living God!

Happy Fasting,

Pastor Kevin

January 2 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 3-4
• Matthew 2:13-3:6
• Psalms 2:1-12
• Proverbs 1:7-9

Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master. Genesis 4:7

These are the first recorded words that God had to say about sin and its ugly nature. Sin is a control freak. Sin is always eager to control you – your thoughts, words, actions, and ultimately, your destiny. Your response to sin is never supposed to be passive. God said to subdue sin; instead of letting it become your master, you must become its master!

The question is how in the world do you pull that off? Is there a sin in your life that you want to be free from? That’s where Jesus steps into the picture! Just a few days ago we celebrated Christmas – the birth of God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Do you remember why Jesus came as a little baby? Why He stepped out of Heaven to move into your neighborhood? The angel Gabriel declared to Joseph these words:

“And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

Here’s the Good Part

Jesus came to save you from your sins! And here’s the thing about sin… everybody has the sin problem. Everybody is in need of a savior! While we were still sinners, unable to save ourselves from the sin that so eagerly wants to have us, Jesus stepped in and did for us what we could not do for ourselves.

Bob Sorge in his book, Secrets of the Secret Place, said that the presence of God will be like radiation therapy that kills the sin cancer on the inside of us! The effect of radiation from the sun is not felt at first; you don’t notice until later that you have a sunburn. So the presence of God has a powerful effect on sin in your life! As you spend time with Jesus during this season of prayer and fasting, I want to encourage you that every time you meet with Jesus, He’s working in you. The Holy Spirit is transforming you more and more into His image and likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18). He’s doing something on the inside of you that you could not do for yourself!

Love you and happy fasting,

Pastor Kevin

January 1 – Bible reading for today from the One Year Bible:

• Genesis 1-2
• Matthew 1-2:12
• Psalms 1:1-6
• Proverbs 1:1-6

Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Genesis 1:3

In the beginning of the Bible you read these words over and over again: “Then God said.” There is such power in God’s voice that when He speaks, things happen! Something is created, something shifts, and there is activity where there was inactivity. I want to encourage you at the beginning of the year—God is still speaking! There is power in His voice. Have you heard from the Lord lately? Has He spoken a word to your heart? What promise has He spoken to you? You can be sure that when He speaks… things will happen!

Probably one of the most important words in the Bible is “listen.” Oh, that we would determine to listen more to the Lord this year. I want to live out this year in such a way that I’m “ever listening” for His voice. At the birth of Jesus that we read about today in Matthew, we see Joseph listening to the angel and then obeying. What’s your secret to thrive in 2017? Here it is: Listen and Obey!

There are some things that God wants to speak to you about this year—over your life, your family, and your future. There are some action steps He has for you to take. The secret to your abundance this year will not be found in your overwork but in your overflow. It’s the overflow of your relationship with Jesus. It’s hearing His voice and then acting on it!

I pray for you, my friend, that during the next 21 days of fasting and prayer you will become increasingly sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. 2017 is your year to stress less and listen more! It’s your listening and the obedience that follows that will bring about extraordinary fruitfulness—as you will see!

Have a GREAT day!
Pastor Kevin

Check out these resources so you can experience the physical and spiritual benefits that fasting has to offer:

• The Miracle Results of Fasting Class: Tuesdays, January 3 & 10 at Gilead Healing Center, 7:00-8:30pm. Discover different types of fasts that can transform your life and relationship with God to the next level.
• Nutritional Cleanse and Detox packages are available at Gilead Healing Center. Call (517) 319-5818 for more information about how you can jump start your health in 2017!