“Fast for Famine” is not just giving up a meal,
or something in your life on a daily or weekly basis.
Let’s not just give it up but let’s also give it to those who are in need.
In Matthew 5:3-10, the Beatitudes Jesus teaches his followers the path to a better life. We have the choice to receive this blessing by embracing the
attitude adjustments that will lead to the way of blessedness.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,…
This “blessing” opens the door to divine rewards here and now, for they will be filled. As we recognize our spiritual hunger and thirst for God in our lives, God will reward us and fill us with his love, his presence and his power.
2700 years ago, God chose an ordinary guy, a shepherd named Amos to challenge the people of Israel to be accountable for the way they lived. It was time to give up their idols, to stop being religious and sincerely turn back to God or suffer the consequences.
2000 years ago, God chose to come himself. Jesus warned the people of his time to choose their reward for the way they lived out their lives.
Today, Jesus asks us to do the same…
As followers of Jesus we live out our faith through spiritual disciplines such as praying, fasting and giving. Fasting is a spiritual discipline that helps us to draw nearer to God by intentional giving up something physical to spiritually make room for God in our lives. Fasting is part of our faith, a way in which we demonstrate our love for God. But scripture clearly tells us that God wants us to show him our love by also making a difference in this world. James 2:15-17 challenges us to do something with our faith, “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead”
We are called to be the body of Christ in the world through our actions as well as our faith. “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18
A “fast” can be more than just a personal spiritual experience of faith but should have a real impact in God’s world. We have an opportunity as the church of Jesus Christ to transform the world. Alone it’s a task that seems impossible…and alone it is. Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." Mark 10:27 So together we stand in the power of the Holy Spirit along with other followers we can make a real difference this year.
One day we will all stand before Jesus. In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus tells us how we will be held accountable for how we treated the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the naked, the prisoners, and the strangers in our world.
Today, we can stand together and make a difference in a real and tangible way.
Let’s stand together and raise an Offering, as we give the amount of your fast each week toward helping our brothers and sisters, especially the children who hunger and thirst in Darfur, Africa. We stand together with other faithful followers in this effort to make a difference in God’s world, in Darfur, in Jesus’ name.
God bless you and fill you!
Pastor Themo
Mark your offering SUDAN PROJECT
and send it:
Sudan Project C/O:
St. George Island United Methodist Church
(SGIUMC)
201 E. Gulf Beach Drive
St. George Island Fl. 32328
