Pastor Mickey

Seven Examples of Fasting in the Bible-- Although the Bible doesn’t give a direct command on this issue, examples of fasting appear in both the Old and the New Testaments. One of the most telling passages in which fasting is mentioned is Matthew  6:16 , where Jesus is teaching His disciples basic principles of godly living. When speaking on fasting, He begins with, “ When  you fast,” not “ If  you fast.” Jesus’ words imply that fasting will be a regular practice in His followers’ lives. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his book  The Cost of Discipleship , said, “Jesus takes it for granted that His disciples will observe the pious custom of fasting. Strict exercise of self-control is an essential feature of the Christian life. Such customs have only one purpose — to make the disciples more ready and cheerful to accomplish those things which God would have done.” Fasting prepares you for the works God has ordained fo r you to do. Wesley Duewel, a twentieth-century writ...

Centuries ago an agnostic king of France was discussing philosophy and religion with his royal court counselor. After numerous arguments were presented by the Christian advisor in favor of the position that God had revealed Himself in the Holy Scriptures, the king finally demanded that his counselor prove to him that God existed in an argument using only two words. The counselor replied, "The Jews!" In those two words the counselor summed up one of the most miraculous demonstrations of God's supernatural intervention in human history. The survival and prospering of the Jewish people during thousands of years of brutal persecution, pogroms, and the tragedy of six million Jews massacred in Hitler's Holocaust is a mysterious miracle unparalleled in history. Each of the mighty empires of the past - Assyria, Egypt, Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome - who conquered Israel and carried her Jewish citizens into slavery have themselves turned to dust. Yet th...

We Are All Trophies of God’s grace! John 11:43, 44 “When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.       Jesus said to them, " Take off the grave clothes and let him go." A great part of Jesus’ earthly ministry was His association with His disciples.  He encouraged them to be involved in ministry... He worked while they watched, then encouraged them to work while He watched.  `Cast your nets on the other side…Prepare the upper room for the Last Supper.  Peter, James and John went to Gethsemane with Him to `watch and pray’… Pass out the loaves and fishes… Peter was invited to walk on the water.’ He invites our participation with Him.  We can’t change the sinful hearts or proud spirits of men, but we are commissioned to proclaim the Gospel message to a lost and dying world.  We are to be Hi...

Five Principles about the Father’s House from Luke 15 -  1.   Forgiveness - Sandals placed on his feet were symbolic of freedom as a son of the Master.  Slaves were forced to live without shoes.  In Christ, we are `no longer slaves, but sons and daughters of God’ 2.   Restoration - Ring on his finger symbolizes royalty.  He was saying, `listen you don’t have to enter the family at some lesser rank, but your position is restored to you as heir in my Kingdom.  Too many Christians have relegated themselves to work in the back forty somewhere, while the King says come and eat at my table, you are my child!  Don’t let the past be a whipping post !  “There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.  Romans 8:1 3.   Worship- `Let’s celebrate with a feast’. The angels of Heaven rejoice when one lost sheep comes back to the fold. “We had to celebrate, for your brother who was dead is alive..He was...

If every person really thought about the legacy he or she would leave behind, perhaps his or her life would be lived quite differently. The brevity of life is a humbling thought. Every day people come and people go. This is the drama of the human experience. The people we remember are those who have taken the time and applied the effort to make a contribution that will outlive them. Proverbs 13:22 reads, "A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children..." (NIV) Far too many men in modern society have been tagged irresponsible, negligent and uncaring. Maybe we need to be taught certain principles that can cause us to change, rather than merely point out where we are inadequate or fall short. In studying this important subject (that is, on the meaning of fatherhood), I found that the word pater (in Greek) translated father is from a root word signifying: "A Nourisher, Protector, and Upholder. " Wait a minute! You mean that the word father ...

The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step ”.  When Neil Armstrong landed on the moon in the historic NASA space project, he declared, “One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.”  History is filled with stories of adventurers, men and women who dared to dream; who dared to explore and discover.  We love to read of dreamers, navigators, conquerors, who often not knowing what the future held, launched into the unknown to fight battles, slay dragons and win victories! In 1952, Sir Edmund Hillary spoke to an auditorium filled with students and teachers about his failure to climb Mt. Everest.  He stepped to the edge of the platform and pointing at the image of the mountain on a map, said, “You’ve beaten me this time, but next time I’ll beat you because you’ve grown all you’re going to grow, and I’m still growing.”  The next year, 1953, Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first men to conquer Mount Everest after 25 years of failure by ...