Jeremy Linn's identity is in Christ not NBA basketball video...

Fasting, the lost discipline...

The past few weeks I have been asking some young men to join me in fasting 1 time a week for 24 hours.  This fast has been a fast from food.  One would think that my stomach was a spoiled child not getting what it wanted during these recent fasts.  And honestly, that is what my stomach is most of the time- a spoiled little child.  In Matthew 6:16 Jesus says to His disciples, "When you fast..." The assumption He has for his disciples is that they fast.  This verb is a present subjunctive active. This means that fasting is to be done continuously not a one time event. Now, as I reflect on my 29 years of being a child of God, my life certainly has not been characterized as a continuously fasting one.  Fasting to me is like prayer. I get it. Christians are to pray and fast. I do not pretent to know how prayer or fasting works. All I know is that when I pray and fast God tends to work in my life.  So if you have not fasted recently, why not give it a try.  You could go from dinner to dinner and skip breakfast and lunch. Instead of eating, slip away and spend extended time in prayer and in His Word.  This week I actually did this and studied Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."  I have read this verse many times in my life but this week, it came alive to me.  The verse means that we are blessed or happy when we continually hunger and continually thirst for righteousness. Now during my short fast, I realized how the only thing I really hunger and thirst for is my next meal.  So I was challenged to think about hungering and thirsting after righteousness. I realized that often I do not hunger and thirst after righteousness.  One of the reasons I don't hunger and thirst is because my spiritual senses can become dull without even know it.  Like the frog in the kettle.  One of the primary sources of my dulling spiritual senses occurs because I have watched excessive TV and lacked time in studying the Bible.  How is your hunger and thirst for righteousness today?  The last part of the verse is  the result of hungering and thirsting after righteousness:  "for they shall be satisfied."  This is what we all want isn't ?  We want to be satisfied. So we try all the world has to offer and it over promises and under delivers.  As I have fasted these past few weeks, I have been exposed of how little this is true in my life and as a result, my motivation for hungering and thirsting has increased. Why not give it a try?  Why not do a little fast this week?  Who knows, God just might work in your life!

Dealing with the doldrums of February...

We are currently in the doldrums of dreary February in sunless southwest Ohio.  Most people I have been interacting with lately have lacked motivation and desire to do much of anything.  This includes me. I feel tired and unmotivated. So, what do you do when you don't feel like doing much of anything?  First, I would recommend moving towards God by faith in prayer. James 4:8 says, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."   By faith move towards God. Be honest with how you are feeling.   He desires to reward those who continually seek Him whether you feel like it or not. (Hebrews 11:6)  Secondly, move towards a friend.  I normally want friends to read my mind and know what is going on in my life. But the reality is that my friends cannot read my mind and are just as busy as I am. So, I move towards my friends by faith.  Genesis 2:18  says, "It is not good for man to be alone."  Third, make decisions to do what you know is good regardless of how you feel because without faith it is impossible to please Him. (Heb. 11:6)  I really think that one of the most significant truths I have ever learned is how to make decisions by faith whether I feel like doing them or not.  Just this morning,  I had a thought to do the dishes for my wife. But I had no feelings about serving her at all. But as I reflected on how much this ministers to my wife, I served her by faith. Lastly, renew your mind with this reality: "In Your presence is fullness of Joy, at Your right hand are pleasures for evermore." (Psalm 16:11b) Are these principles a guarantee you will get out of the doldrums?  Nope... But, let's let the doldrums of February be instructive in how to walk by faith, not by feelings!!  For when we learn this basic truth, we have a chance to finish well.   

The Small Decisions

What should I do for the summer?  How you answer this question could change your life.
 Check out this video:

Check out summer projects with CRU:http://gosummerproject.com/