Theme for 2024: “WE’RE GOING HIGHER IN THE KINGDOM,”

BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: PHILIP. 3:13, 14 (KJV)

“WE’RE GOING HIGHER IN THE KINGDOM”

Those things which are behind are called “things,” and those things which are before are called “things” as well, therefore the word “things” is used in a way whereas that which is behind, or those things that we want to forget, the bad things are called “things,” and those things which are before, the things which we are pressing towards are called “things.” Obviously the “things” that are behind are not good things, therefore I conclude that the Apostle Paul is not saying forget “all” things that are behind, just those things that can’t go where we’re headed, just those things that are not conducive for the destiny that God have predestined for us, just the bad things that will hinder us from the prize of the upward call in Christ Jesus. Paul made priority the things that were before, the things which are conducive to his destiny. The reason why many miss the mark is because the things of God are not priority in their lives. 

LEST WE FORGET

There are some things that God don’t want us to forget, for instance, God don’t want us to forget where He brought us from, Deuteronomy 8:18 (KJV): ¹⁸  But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day. Xrf. the following:

Deuteronomy 4:9 (KJV) 
⁹  Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons.

Deuteronomy 4:23 (KJV) 
²³  Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.

Psalm 50:22 (KJV) 
²²  Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver.
 

Deuteronomy 8:2 (KJV) 
²  And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
 

Deuteronomy 8:11 (KJV) 
¹¹  Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day.

Deuteronomy 8:14 (KJV) 
¹⁴  Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

Deuteronomy 8:19 (KJV) 
¹⁹  And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.

God would have us to remember where we come from and who got us where we are today. “one thing” includes forgetting the negative past that would hinder us from reaching our destiny. Words that were spoken to us that hurt us, mistakes that we made that the enemy attempts to remind us of that does not line up with who God says we are, people who don’t have our best interest at heart, to forget the negative things people have done to us, lied on us, tear your reputation down, spread negative rumors, accused you of things you didn’t do, those things the Lord want us to forget. Then the “one thing” includes making God priority, a God-first mentality, not treating God like our side job. He’s not taking second place in our lives, Exodus 20:3 (KJV): ³  Thou shalt have no other gods before me. The Word teaches a God-first mentality, Matthew 6:33 (KJV): ³³  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Mark 12:29-31 (KJV) 
²⁹  And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 
³⁰  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 
³¹  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Proverbs 3:4-10 (KJV) 
⁴  So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 
⁵  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 
⁶  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. 
⁷  Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. 
⁸  It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. 
⁹  Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 
¹⁰  So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

Philippians 3:13-14 (KJV) 
¹³  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 
¹⁴  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Our priorities are all wrong when God is far down on our priority list. The “one thing” is first things first and first thing is our relationship with Him. If He is anywhere else besides first in our lives then we’ve got a problem and we need to get our priorities right. Sometimes as Christians we act like we don’t really believe what we say we believe, or that we don’t really know Him. If we believe God is who He says He is then our actions ought to reflect that. The Word of God gives example after example of those who believed in their God, Joseph, Daniel, David, Gideon, Jehoshaphat, yet we see ourselves as grasshoppers in our own eyes. The same God that delivered then is the same God today. He’s the same yesterday, today, and forever.

THE PRIZE

Hebrews 12:1-2 (KJV) 
¹  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 
²  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus, for the joy of souls saved, restoration of many back to relationship with God, for the joy of being glorified and restored back to His original glory with the Father, for the joy of mankind having a Savior, for the joy of sins forgiven, the plans and purposes of God for man being realized, salvation and peace to the world, Jesus endured the suffering of the cross, persecution, the wounds for our transgressions, the bruises for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was placed upon Him, because of a greater reward that permeated time to His now and compelled Him to it’s completion. He was highly exalted by the Father and given a name above every name. There’s an upward call from Heaven promising the people of God great reward in the kingdom. We’re going higher in the kingdom because the reward reaches back to our now to compel us on. Our destiny compels us forward. The question for us today is, and especially in this generation, do we believe God is who He says He is? Is He the God of the Bible or is He not, because there’s no way we can believe Him and settle for less than what belongs to us. The blessing about pressing toward the upward call is that the blessings are showering down upon us right now! Yes, there’s blessings when we get to glory, but we are loaded with benefits every day.

PRESS

Let’s talk about this word press, to pursue, to ensue after, to follow after, press toward, put forth effort, work toward, lock onto, focus on, be convinced of, be settled on, have your mind made up about and not allow anything or anybody to turn you around, no situation, no demon, not procrastination, weariness, flesh, laziness, enemies, no devil, no hinderance seen or unseen, no obstacle, deception, trick or lie, no trial, test, rain, wind, storm, flood, deceiver, accuser, no hater, tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword, nor death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall hinder us in our quest for the heavenly prize.

Luke 18:1-8 (KJV) 
¹  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 
²  Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 
³  And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 
⁴  And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 
⁵  Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 
⁶  And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 
⁷  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 
⁸  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

By her continual coming, v. 5. Jesus asks, “Will I find this kind of faith that takes, get what it wants, never quit, never give up, that is the evidence of things not seen, the title deed of what I’m hoping for, it’s why we’re going higher in the kingdom!”

Prayer Objectives and Prayer Schedule

1.   Prayer and fasting and getting before God and doing just what the 21 Day Consecration implies, setting ourselves apart in the Presence of the Lord, as a sanctified, consecrated people and allow the light from Heaven to shine upon our souls and lift up to God our needs, petitions, prayers, worship, communion, praise, & fellowship.

2.   Pray for the needs of others dear to us, and for people across the globe that there be peace, goodwill toward men.

3.   Every Monday night of the 21 Day Consecration we will have prayer for 1 hour from 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

4.   We encourage every Partner to spend at least 1 hour daily during the 21 Day Consecration in prayer, praise, and worship in the Presence of the Lord. Also, to take the opportunity to commune, fellowship, and enjoy intimate, personal time with God.

5.   After the 21 Day Consecration continue with healthy lifestyle changes, spiritual maturity, and giving of ourselves to the cause of Christ. 

GENERAL GUIDE

If you are taking any medication and are under doctor’s care, please check with your doctor before modifying your diet. Several days before fasting begin weaning away from caffeine products as these will cause headaches if in your system when fasting.

Prepare your body by slowly easing away from fried foods, eating late at night (while fasting don’t eat anything after 6:30 p.m.), and no sweets. Drink water before, during, and after fasting, and abstain from any unhealthy eating habits not only during the fast but maintain good eating habits after the fast as well. The 21-day consecration is a partial fast whereas water and some foods may be consumed as the Lord leads each individual person. I encourage everyone to drink plenty of water as your body detoxifies itself and goes into a type of hibernation during the fast. The following is only a suggestion and guide for the 21 day consecration. If for whatever reason you come off of the fast, regroup and get back in there. The rewards far outweigh the sacrifices.

WHY FAST? 

The very idea of someone actually fasting today seems strange to most Christians. They view fasting as being to extreme or fanatical and perhaps used this as a basis to instinctively oppose fasting. Why such negative attitudes to a practice that is obviously scriptural?

“I humbled my soul with fasting (Psalm 69:10)…Blessed are those who mourn (Matthew 5:4).” If humility is the basic ingredient of true holiness, the soil in which the graces flourish, shouldn’t we, like David, humble our souls with fasting. Behind many of our sins and personal failures—behind the many ills that infect our Church fellowships and clog the channels of Christian service—the clash of personalities and temperaments—the strife and division—lies that sinister pride of the human heart. “This was the guilt of your sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness,” Ezek. 16:49. God foresaw that pride and full feeding would be one of Israel’s pitfalls when they entered the land of promise. “God has led you these forty years in the wilderness,” Moses reminded them. “He humbled you and let you hunger…,” Deut. 8:2, 3. Now those days of discipline were over, and the land of plenty that they were about to possess would provide new temptations, so Moses went on to warn them, “Take heed…Lest, when you have eaten and art full…your heart be lifted up,” Deut. 8:1-14.

Fasting, then, is a divine corrective to the pride of the human heart. It is a discipline of the body with a tendency to humble the soul. “I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble (afflict) ourselves before our God,” Ezra 8:21; Is. 58:3. If, then, to the devout Israelite—fasting meant humbling, it also meant mourning. In Old Testament days it was practiced as a sign of mourning for the departed, 1 Sam. 31:13. It is associated with the rending of the garment and the wearing of sackcloth and ashes, Ezra 9:5. There is a natural sequence as we move from self-humbling to the mourning of repentance.

However, God wants to bring us beyond the place of mourning only for our personal sins, to where we are moved by the Spirit to mourn for the sins of the Church, nation, and even the world. God is searching the earth today for the Nehemiah’s who will weep, mourn, fast and pray for the walls that are broken down, and the gates that are destroyed by fire.

The scripture further says, “Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off,” Acts 13:3. Not a social tea but a consecrated fast marked the first missionary valedictory. Later in this chapter we see these men appointing elders in every Church, with prayer and fasting, Acts 14:23, and also the local leaders consecrated to their holy office.

Are the leaders of the Churches today set apart in a solemn season of prayer and fasting? If not perhaps this is one reason why office in the Church is so often lightly taken up, loosely held, and readily tossed aside when difficulties or differences emerge.

“When you give alms …When you pray…When you fast…Matt. 6:2, 5, 16. In speaking about giving, praying and fasting, Jesus warned His hearers of the futility of practicing piety before men to be seen by them. Equally important He did not say, “If you pray,” as though praying were optional, but when you pray. Neither did Jesus say, “If you fast,” as though fasting were something that disciples might or might not be led to do, or as though it only applied to a select few. He stated unambiguously, categorically and without qualification to the mass of His disciples, “When you fast.” 

It is significant that the Lord dealt with fasting as a spiritual excise distinct from praying. Though fasting and praying are often linked in scripture and in experiences, this is not necessarily the case. On the contrary, fasting stands on it’s own grounds and on occasion serve a spiritual purpose all it’s own. Just as there may be praying without fasting, so there may at times be fasting, truly acceptable to God, without praying…at least in the sense of intercession.

There is no mention of prayer accompanying the fast we read of in Esther. Because one is not able to give oneself to prayer for the whole of a fast does not mean that the period not accompanied by specific prayer is devoid of spiritual value.

The time is now. If you have been brought low through personal defeat; if there is a call in your soul to a deeper purifying, to a renewed consecration; if there is the challenge of some new task for which you feel ill-equipped—then it is time to inquire of God whether He would have you separate yourself unto Him in fasting.

“When the bridegroom is taken from them…then they will fast,” Matt. 9:15. God is determined to have a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle, a bride fit for His beloved Son. It is imperative that we rediscover one of the lost secrets of the early Church, the power that is released through the truly biblical practice of fasting unto God. May those prophetic words, “Then will they fast,” be finally fulfilled in this generation. It will be a fasting and praying Church that will hear the thrilling cry, “Behold, the Bridegroom!” Tears shall then be wiped away, and the fast be followed by the feast at the marriage supper of the Lamb. And so it is.

TYLES OF FASTS

The Normal Fast (or Common Fast)

“He fasted forty days and forty nights and afterward he was hungry,” Matt. 4:2. Jesus fasted…and afterwards He was hungry. It meant abstaining from all food, solid or liquid, but not from water. We are told “He ate nothing,” Lk. 4:2, but not that He drank nothing. Afterwards it says “He was hungry,” but not that He was thirsty. Though thirst pangs are more intense than those of hunger, satan tempted Him to eat, but not to drink. This all suggests that the fast was abstaining from food, but not from water. In fact, the human body could not survive forty days without water apart from being supernaturally sustained.

There is nothing to suggest that true fasting involves abstaining from sleep. God may call us to do this for very short periods, such as giving up a night’s sleep. Paul speaks of “watching” as distinct from fasting, 2 Cor. 6:5. If abstaining from sleep was essential to fasting, no long fast would ever be possible, apart from supernatural intervention. The body craves sleep even before water, and is bound to succumb sooner or later, and the fast will be broken involuntarily.

There is a strong inference in 1 Cor. 7:3-5 that the true fast for married persons includes abstaining also from marital relations, but this must be by mutual consent.

The Normal Fast, then, involved abstaining from all forms of food, but not from water, and must be distinguished from any other type fast.

The emphasis here is upon restriction of diet rather than complete abstention. Daniel sought the Lord for understanding of the vision God had given him. “In those days I, Daniel, was mourning for three weeks. I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks,” Dan. 10:2, 3. The partial fast allows a great many variations which yields blessings and benefits. There is a method of living exclusively on one type of food for the duration of the fast. The partial fast is of great value, especially where circumstances make it impossible or inconvenient to undertake a normal fast. Certainly, it requires no less self-discipline. It can be used as a stepping-stone to the normal fast for those who have never fasted before or those with special medical situations.

Seek God for guidance if you have health challenges. It is very important to ensure this spiritual practice characterizes the fast that God has chosen. Ask yourself the following question:

Did I anoint my head and wash my face that I appear not unto men to fast, but unto my Father, which seeth in secret?

Am I confident that this desire to fast is God-given? Would He have me undertake a normal or just a partial fast?

Are my motives right? Is there any hidden desire to impress others?

What are my spiritual objectives in this fast? Personal sanctification or consecration? Intercession? What special burdens? Divine intervention, guidance, blessing? The Spirit’s fullness for self or others? To loose the captives?

Do my objectives tend to be self-centered? Is my desire for personal blessing balanced by genuine concern for others? Am I looking not only to my own interests, but also to the interests of others?

Am I determined above all else to minister to the Lord in this fast?

Do not start with a long period fast unless you are very, very, very sure God has called you to do this. The body grows accustomed to fasting by degrees, and God does not usually ask us to run before we have begun to crawl. Start with a partial fast, or fast one day until supper. Next time extend the fast until retiring, breaking it with just a light meal or fruit only. When you can manage a one day fast without feeling faint or famished, not hungry, you will be ready to increase the number of days.

When you have designated a time to fast do not indulge yourself by overeating in an effort to ease the fast. If the fast is for more than one day it is a good idea to have fresh fruit on the last day before fasting. This ensures that the last meal left in the bowl is fruit, which breaks down easier than other food residues. This aids in the cleansing and elimination process.

Satan is well aware of the value and power of fasting, so he will do everything to get you to break your fast launching every attack he can. Discouragement is one of his weapons. Guard against it by maintaining a spirit of praise and thanksgiving. Read through Ephesians chp. 6 and avail yourself of the whole armor of God. Make use especially of the shield of faith to quench all his flaming darts. Use the sword of the Spirit, and tell satan, “It is written…greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world.”

This information is not given as the rules and regulations that govern fasting, but only in an ongoing effort to keep in alignment with the word that says seek wisdom and understanding in all things.

To break a fast of only a day or two presents no problem. It is most important, however, that we should understand the rights and wrongs of breaking longer fasts and to avoid considerable pain and discomfort. During prolonged fasts the stomach has been slowly shrinking, so that by the end of the fast it has nothing like it’s previous capacity for food, and the smallest quantity of food makes one feel surprisingly full. Secondly, the organs in the body that are usually engaged in assimilating food goes in to a kind of sleep which becomes deeper and deeper as the fast is prolonged. Because of these two facts, the utmost care should be exercised as to how much you eat, what you eat, and how you eat it. The stomach must be given time to return to normal size. The digestive organs also must be gently and progressively caressed into wakefulness and efficient activity. It may be a good idea to break your fast with fruit or vegetable juices. Many say citrus fruit juices are best. This may well be the case in lands where oranges and grapefruits are picked ripe.  But where they are imported the fruit is picked unripe and the juice can often be too acidic for many stomachs. Apple, tomato or grape juices are possible alternatives, or pure citrus juices canned. Start at first with a small quantity.

Fresh salads (without dressing), homemade vegetable soups (no fat), and cooked vegetables may then be included in the diet, always starting with a little of everything and building up gradually. A little crisp bread or toasted whole-wheat bread with a scraping of butter may next be eaten with the meals, but cakes, pastries and cookies should be avoided. Go very steady on the starchy foods at this stage. Protein is best introduced first in the form of cheese, eggs or nuts, with fish, and meat last of all. Just how quickly you increase your diet in variety and quantity depends on the length of your fast and how you find the body succeeds in coping.

It is of the utmost importance that the food be eaten slowly, and chewed very well, that it is reduced to liquid at swallowing. At the first sensation of fullness in the stomach you should stop, even if you haven’t completed your portion. Discomfort following a meal should be regarded as a signal to ease off, and if necessary, miss the next meal.

It is important to rest as much as possible during this period so as to let the body concentrate on the business of digestion and assimilation. To sum it up, watch your quantities, eat slowly and chew well, stop at the first warning sign. Rest as much as possible. Don’t try to do too much too soon.

Give thought and prayer to your future diet and eating habits. Try not to return to the old ways of overeating, eating between meals, or eating the wrong foods.

Finally, you cannot afford to relax spiritually during this breaking of your fast period, for the thief will still be on the prowl. Beware of talking about your fast that your fasting may be in secret, as Christ commanded. This should be a time of consolation, when you get right through prayer on matters that God has revealed to you.

You should begin to see the fruit of this time set apart for God, with blessings rebounding not only on your own head but also on those for whom you have been interceding. Thus, like your Lord and Master, return from your fasting wilderness “in the power of the Spirit,” expecting that the works of and the graces of Christ will manifest in you, as they were in Him.

“Truly, truly I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son,” Jn. 14:12, 13.

Answers to Practical Questions

For more information about the Theme for 2022, call the Calvary Christian Center at 912-261-0725.