Dear Brothers and Sisters, As I was preparing to explore the next phase of what God has been revealing through Paul’s letter to the Romans this past week, I experienced a strong urging from the Holy Spirit to issue a call to prayer; particularly for breakthrough in God’s provision for the mission He wants us to engage that we call ‘The HOPE Project’. I shared this prompting in my heart with those present at our weekly gathering last Sunday 23rd June and there was a consensus about it and I was encouraged to spend time with Julie seeking greater clarity from God towards some genuine action. As we did this on Monday last, we started to sense that this call could be a catalyst for what we believe is a ‘paradigm’ shift in the way we pray as a church and in the way we experience the leadership of the Holy Spirit in the context of the flow of the empowering presence of Jesus. We firmly believe, (as the whole leadership team has for some time), that God wants to release ‘exceeding abundantly’ in terms of provision for the work. As Julie termed it, ‘we have been constricted for too long’ and as we faithfully step into a life and work in Christ like never before, we should seek and humbly anticipate – plentiful resources to flow from heaven. This is NOT a giving program designed to put greater pressure on the already amazing level of generous giving that this church family expresses week in and week out. It is recognition that God is doing something significant with us and through us as we commit together to be equipped for declaring, representing and demonstrating the kingdom of heaven in our spheres of involvement and influence and alongside this recognition is the acknowledgement that the current level of income won’t support it. On Pentecost Sunday, those who were present at our Café Church experienced the Holy Spirit’s presence moving to challenge us to bring our ‘first fruits’ of work and skill to the barn for a harvest. I explained that I couldn’t make ‘tents’ but that my tentmaking equivalent was music and presenting skills and that I would faithfully present my album of music (currently in production), as an offering that God can use to bless our mission funding. Like the five loaves and two fishes in the hands of Jesus, no one went without, all were satisfied AND there were leftovers that could be used to bless even more. We know from Romans 1 – 4 that those who absolutely yield to God’s gift (salvation through justification by faith) will be saved NO QUESTIONS ASKED and become God’s heaven empowered agents of Salvation – changing us all from God’s enemies to loved children – NOT only re-setting our broken covenant, but through us, re-setting the broken cosmos. We also know that our premise for the mission we refer to as ‘The HOPE Project’ is to ‘Seek first the kingdom of God AND His righteousness – and all these things shall be added’ These truths indicate the promise, the guarantee of a ‘COVENANT’ partnership with Jesus. Together, we need to discover what inheritance this covenant reveals and has been being revealed since the beginning as Deuteronomy 8 illuminates for us … ‘ 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.’ Let’s pray into this like never before. Let’s choose together to pray and fast for ‘breakthrough and provision’ for this mission work we are called to and as an outworking of that, prospering the workers also; the current ones and the ones that the Lord has yet to bring into our realm. In order to line this season up with the work and strategies of heaven, we only need to turn in our Bibles to Matthew Chapter 4 to see that the ‘Spirit led’ (4:1) Jesus into the desert to pray and fast for 40 Days prior to the commencement of His earthly ministry of declaring, representing and demonstrating the kingdom of God ON earth as it is in heaven. The following is week one of a daily prayer and devotional resource that I have compiled to help us pray together for this. It is 40 Days from tomorrow (July 1st) until the scheduled launch of the ‘Better Now’ music album on (August 10th). Whether you fast from food in some way OR fast from something that you could give up in order to pray more; please grab you bibles and join us in prayer and fasting and let’s trust God to both release resources AND to equip us for the work that needs to be done. Praying for Breakthrough & Provision for ‘The HOPE Project’ DAY ONE (Monday 1st July 2019) Scripture – 1 Samuel 2:7 (context chapter 1:1 to 2:11) Hannah sought the blessing of a son and so she made a ‘covenant’ with the Lord (1:11). In dedicating her son she kept her vow to God (1:27-28). In her prayer she expresses faith in God’s faithfulness to keep covenant. DAY TWO (Tuesday 2nd July 2019) Scripture – Matthew 6:33 (context is the whole of chapter 6) Jesus teaches His disciples the core values of humility and stewardship. He firmly establishes that all the resources we need are found as we engage heaven in and through our daily lives. Verse 33 is a key to His intent. DAY THREE (Wednesday 3rd July 2019) Scripture – Romans 3:21-25 (context chapter 1:32 to 4:25) In the framework of ‘covenant’ we are ‘acquitted’ – the price is paid (atonement) and the inheritance is accessible. God did the work. How can we engage and live this truth so those around us can also be ‘re-set’? DAY FOUR (Thursday 4th July 2019) Scripture – Jeremiah 17:14 (context from chapter 16 & cf. 2:13) The promise is from the beginning and still available through brokenness. DAY FIVE (Friday 5th July 2019) Scripture – Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (context is the whole of chapter 8) There are at least THREE (3) truths we need to take hold of and pray into. DAY SIX (Saturday 6th July 2019) Scripture – Luke 14:28-30 (context is Luke 14:25-35) Jesus seems like He is challenging us to use human wisdom to cost out our task BUT there is so much more here. (cf. Psalm 127) DAY SEVEN (Sunday 7th July 2019) Scripture – Isaiah 40:29 (context is whole of chapter 40) The prophet sees restoration of the ‘righteous’ clearly. Is breakthrough and provision an outworking of constantly re-aligning with Christ? PLEASE SHARE WITH US ANYTHING THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALS TO YOU Email anything that’s revealed to secretary@corrimalcommunitychurch.com.au The Call to Pray and Fast – A Letter of Exhortation from Graeme Dear Brothers and Sisters, As I was preparing to explore the next phase of what God has been revealing through Paul’s letter to the Romans this past week, I experienced a strong urging from the Holy Spirit to issue a call to prayer; particularly for breakthrough in God’s provision for the mission He wants us to engage that we call ‘The HOPE Project’. I shared this prompting in my heart with those present at our weekly gathering last Sunday 23rd June and there was a consensus about it and I was encouraged to spend time with Julie seeking greater clarity from God towards some genuine action. As we did this on Monday last, we started to sense that this call could be a catalyst for what we believe is a ‘paradigm’ shift in the way we pray as a church and in the way we experience the leadership of the Holy Spirit in the context of the flow of the empowering presence of Jesus. We firmly believe, (as the whole leadership team has for some time), that God wants to release ‘exceeding abundantly’ in terms of provision for the work. As Julie termed it, ‘we have been constricted for too long’ and as we faithfully step into a life and work in Christ like never before, we should seek and humbly anticipate – plentiful resources to flow from heaven. This is NOT a giving program designed to put greater pressure on the already amazing level of generous giving that this church family expresses week in and week out. It is recognition that God is doing something significant with us and through us as we commit together to be equipped for declaring, representing and demonstrating the kingdom of heaven in our spheres of involvement and influence and alongside this recognition is the acknowledgement that the current level of income won’t support it. On Pentecost Sunday, those who were present at our Café Church experienced the Holy Spirit’s presence moving to challenge us to bring our ‘first fruits’ of work and skill to the barn for a harvest. I explained that I couldn’t make ‘tents’ but that my tentmaking equivalent was music and presenting skills and that I would faithfully present my album of music (currently in production), as an offering that God can use to bless our mission funding. Like the five loaves and two fishes in the hands of Jesus, no one went without, all were satisfied AND there were leftovers that could be used to bless even more. We know from Romans 1 – 4 that those who absolutely yield to God’s gift (salvation through justification by faith) will be saved NO QUESTIONS ASKED and become God’s heaven empowered agents of Salvation – changing us all from God’s enemies to loved children – NOT only re-setting our broken covenant, but through us, re-setting the broken cosmos. We also know that our premise for the mission we refer to as ‘The HOPE Project’ is to ‘Seek first the kingdom of God AND His righteousness – and all these things shall be added’ These truths indicate the promise, the guarantee of a ‘COVENANT’ partnership with Jesus. Together, we need to discover what inheritance this covenant reveals and has been being revealed since the beginning as Deuteronomy 8 illuminates for us … ‘ 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.’ Let’s pray into this like never before. Let’s choose together to pray and fast for ‘breakthrough and provision’ for this mission work we are called to and as an outworking of that, prospering the workers also; the current ones and the ones that the Lord has yet to bring into our realm. In order to line this season up with the work and strategies of heaven, we only need to turn in our Bibles to Matthew Chapter 4 to see that the ‘Spirit led’ (4:1) Jesus into the desert to pray and fast for 40 Days prior to the commencement of His earthly ministry of declaring, representing and demonstrating the kingdom of God ON earth as it is in heaven. The following is week one of a daily prayer and devotional resource that I have compiled to help us pray together for this. It is 40 Days from tomorrow (July 1st) until the scheduled launch of the ‘Better Now’ music album on (August 10th). Whether you fast from food in some way OR fast from something that you could give up in order to pray more; please grab you bibles and join us in prayer and fasting and let’s trust God to both release resources AND to equip us for the work that needs to be done. Praying for Breakthrough & Provision for ‘The HOPE Project’ DAY ONE (Monday 1st July 2019) Scripture – 1 Samuel 2:7 (context chapter 1:1 to 2:11) Hannah sought the blessing of a son and so she made a ‘covenant’ with the Lord (1:11). In dedicating her son she kept her vow to God (1:27-28). In her prayer she expresses faith in God’s faithfulness to keep covenant. DAY TWO (Tuesday 2nd July 2019) Scripture – Matthew 6:33 (context is the whole of chapter 6) Jesus teaches His disciples the core values of humility and stewardship. He firmly establishes that all the resources we need are found as we engage heaven in and through our daily lives. Verse 33 is a key to His intent. DAY THREE (Wednesday 3rd July 2019) Scripture – Romans 3:21-25 (context chapter 1:32 to 4:25) In the framework of ‘covenant’ we are ‘acquitted’ – the price is paid (atonement) and the inheritance is accessible. God did the work. How can we engage and live this truth so those around us can also be ‘re-set’? DAY FOUR (Thursday 4th July 2019) Scripture – Jeremiah 17:14 (context from chapter 16 & cf. 2:13) The promise is from the beginning and still available through brokenness. DAY FIVE (Friday 5th July 2019) Scripture – Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (context is the whole of chapter 8) There are at least THREE (3) truths we need to take hold of and pray into. DAY SIX (Saturday 6th July 2019) Scripture – Luke 14:28-30 (context is Luke 14:25-35) Jesus seems like He is challenging us to use human wisdom to cost out our task BUT there is so much more here. (cf. Psalm 127) DAY SEVEN (Sunday 7th July 2019) Scripture – Isaiah 40:29 (context is whole of chapter 40) The prophet sees restoration of the ‘righteous’ clearly. Is breakthrough and provision an outworking of constantly re-aligning with Christ? PLEASE SHARE WITH US ANYTHING THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALS TO YOU[/su_note]
The Call to Pray and Fast – A Letter of Exhortation from Graeme