So why not come and join us. We’ll be meeting together at 7:45pm each evening. Meanwhile, here are some notes on prayer and fasting that one of our leaders sent out to our small group leaders this week.

WHY PRAY?

Prayer acknowledges that we have a relationship with Jesus, and because of this, we are able to respond to Him. Further, we come to Him through the communication of discussion, learning, and our relationship building (as in His Word and Spirit). The Discipline of Prayer comes down to our willingness and desire. We must have a yearning and desire to commune with our Lord and Saviour. The Spirit persuades us to be yielded, and inspires us to respond and seek Christ out so He can mould us, indwell us, motivate us, empower us, and shape us to His will—inside and out (Psalm 27:8). This requires us to see the importance of it, the duty we have to persevere in our faith, and the humility we are to put on (Psalm 65:2; Luke 11:1-13; 18:1-14; Heb. 11:6). To make this discipline work, we must use our passion to pursue Christ more and ourselves less (John 3:30). The question is, are we willing to respond to His calling to seek Him further as He first sought us out? The Discipline of Prayer is committing to a two-way communication between God, our Creator, and us! This does not happen overnight. It may take years to develop this discipline to become second nature, automatic, and continual. Normally, for most Christians, prayer is intermittently used for occasions when we want something, when we have the time, when we schedule it, and so forth. The Discipline of Prayer is normally scheduled, but it is so much more; it is an attitude that we put into practice. We still should do our scheduled prayer times but not let that be the only time! We do this not to just maintain our relationship with Christ, but to empower it further, to build it, and pursue Him totally and continually in a reverent attitude of prayer!

True prayer is not about the quantity of our words, but by the quality of our hearts, offered with a merciful spirit. Our prayers must be sincere, heartfelt, and real! The more time we spend in prayer, the more we will grow in our Christian formation. The point is to be sure we are not praying in circles with vain repetitions but with what is called brevity (brief and sincere), as we can cover more ground by focusing on praise for God and requests for others (Matt. 18:21-23; Col. 1:15-23; 1 Thess. 5:16-18; James 2:13).

WHY FAST?

Matthew 6: 16-18

When you take a look at our culture, fast food places on almost every corner and countless opportunities to eat whatever you wish, even a committed Christian may never consider Fasting. Yet, one of the classic, Christian aspects of growing deeper in the faith is Fasting.

 Our minds are cleared to seek Christ without distractions and interruptions. Even though we may feel distraction with our stomach aching and growling, we can more easily pour ourselves out to the Lord. This passage tells us that Fasting is important, but Jesus sternly warns of abusing it by using it for a show and tell game to draw attention to oneself, thus missing the real purpose, that of drawing close to God, and seeking His Will for your life and church. This passage is in the context of pleasing God, where Jesus places Fasting in the ranks of prayer, spiritual commitment, and trusting Him, making it a vital, if not paramount component of spirituality, of growing deeper in Christian formation/spiritual growth.

 When you fast: Jesus is assuming we will be following the Mosaic Law that required the Jews to Fast at least once annually. This was to be done on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:29-31). This was a Fasting of contrition, which means coming before God, having remorse for one’s sins, seeking His forgiveness, and pledging repentance, penance (following the requirements of the Law for atonement such as sacrifices of food or animal) and to not do them (sins) again.  Moses, Elijah, and Jesus all Fasted for 40 days!

 The Bible records that Fasting was not just for the super leaders, rather it was practiced by most, such as during the Judges (Jug. 20:26; 1 Kings 21:27).  Isaiah challenged the Jews, prior to their captivity, that their fasting was empty of purpose, pretentious, vain, and not pleasing to God, (Isa. 58) just as Jesus does here. Isaiah further expounded that because of their pious, fraudulent behaviour, they corrupted themselves, and that justice and virtue became absent in the land where God’s love, and rule was to be shown to the world. Such decadence led to their seventy-year captivity under the Babylonians.  John the Baptist Fasted regularly as a testimony to piety that was real, heartfelt, and pointed to God, not to himself (Matt. 3:11).  Paul listed Fasting among other things that proved he was a minister of Christ (1 Co 11:1; 2 Co 11:23-28). Put oil on your head and wash your face: Jews put ashes on their heads and wore sackcloth (from the Hebrew sack, a coarse cloth similar to burlap, dark in colour, and usually made of goat’s hair–a very cheap and itchy material) when Fasting. They did this to show their piety and reverence; however, it was usually a show, with no real meaning under that itchy material. What we are called to do now is maintain our regular appearance, as Fasting should not be done in a pretentious or showy way. Be sincere in your heart, not with your garments and looks!  Anointing your head in this context was the daily routine of hygiene. The Jews did not shower or bathe as we do (which was not a daily routine in western culture until the early 20th century, and still not in most parts of the world), but put olive oil on themselves, then scraped off the sweat and dirt. This kept them clean, and their skin smooth and sunburn free in their hot climate. When they Fasted, they did not anoint (clean) themselves (Dan. 10:3). Anointing can also mean rejoicing (Psalm 23:5; 45:7; 61:3; 104:15). In the New Testament, Fasting was practiced when one was faced with temptations (Jesus), in serving the Lord and beginning a new ministry (Antioch), and, when selecting and appointing elders (Galatia). The effects of Fasting with prayer when it is real and heartfelt is that it humbles us (Psalm 35:13), disciplines and corrects our wrong behaviours and thinking (Psalm 69:10), and even though we have grace, I believe when we are humble, God is more likely to respond to our prayers. (Ezra 8:21-23)!

 We should Fast and persist in prayer whenever we are truly seeking Him and His help, just as it is modelled in the Scriptures (Luke 18:1-8). Such situations would include difficult temptations, when sending out missionaries, when choosing leaders, seeking the start of a new ministry or direction, or a serious illness of a loved one, to name a few reasons. Individuals, a small group, or the entire congregation can practice Fasting.  Fasting was meant to draw one near to God. Thus, if it is only for show, or only to keep one away from pleasures, with no purpose behind it, it is empty and foolish!

 Fasting also meant removing themselves from any pleasure– even their work in some cases. Hence, it could be manipulated to enable one to avoid responsibilities! Although Daniel did this sincerely, most did this to appear more pious than they were. Some did not drink water either. However, this was very unhealthy. Some did what is called ascetic (severe) fasting that was meant to wear themselves down, as some Monks did in the Middle Ages. This is unbiblical and dangerous. Should Christians Fast today? The answer is a big, YES!!! Keep in mind that Jesus, Himself, Fasted (Luke 4:1-2)! He assumed His disciples would Fast, as He said when, not if (Mt 6:16-17; 9:14-15)! When Fasting is done properly, it will glorify and please God! Fasting includes prayer, and seeking God’s Will (Matt. 17:20-21)!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-16115799

Did you know that the lateste statistics suggest that 1 in 5 children in Milton Keynes is living in poverty? That is a horrifying statistic in for a city that is seeminly affluent.

We accept donations to Foodbank here. So if you’d like to help by donating tinned or dried food, please get in touch.

Hard on the heels of the conference, we spotted this article on the BBC news site:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15140518

New Life Church is part of a group of churches in Milton Keynes that runs a Foodbank service. We’ve definitely seen an increase in people coming to us for emergency food supplies. As well as handing out food, we are also a collection point for food donations, so if you can help – no matter how little or how much – do get in touch.

Forty of our teenagers were at newday, having a great time with thousands of other young people. It is absolutely true that they want to build strong communities that care for one another rather than rioting and destroying property. Thank you Guardian for showing that not all the youth of Britain should be painted with the same brush. And thank you to the many thousands of youth group leaders around the country who are working hard to help young people find out what gifts and talents they have and to realise that they are valuable and appreciated members of society.

We love our youth. Many of them have a lot of problems to deal with in life, but they are focused on making a positive contribution. Go The Edge!

If you live in Milton Keynes, the Edge youth group meets on Fridays during term-times at The Ridgeway Centre. Check out our website for more information: www.newlifenorth.org.uk

They will be doing a 260-mile sponsored challenge using gym equipment. Plus there will be a cafe with home made cakes, a bouncy castle, games and stalls galore. We are hoping the local fire brigade may have one of their big red engines on display, and the local farmers market is coming to set up for the afternoon so there will be tasty treats to pick for tea.

All funds will go towards the youth attending newday, a fabulous week-long camp in Norfolk during which they get chance to go out and work in the community, tidying gardens, clearing litter and such like. Plus it is a great opportunity to experience life under canvas and to work together as a team, cooking, cleaning and hopefully having fun and laughs too.

The day is nicknamed ‘newday or busy’. Please come and support these great bunch of youth. And join in the fun!

Two others were baptised as well. It has been an exciting year so far, with the baptistry in regular use!

After the service we continued the Father’s Day celebration with a Sausage Sizzle. Praise God for the warm dry weather (and for the great sausages from a local butcher). The kids had a great time on a giant bouncy castle, and there was a hotly contested tug-of-war and some very competitive field hockey.

Our next Sunday social is a picnic after the celebration on Sunday 17 July. Why not come along?

The Reason for God by Tim Keller

Counterfeit Gods – also by Tim Keller

A young girl from our youth group returned from the weekend away with another story. She has been lactose-intolerant and was missing out on all the hot chocolate milky drinks. She was prayed for and has not had any symptoms since.

Another lady has seen a spate of ankle and feet injuries healed. It began when a friend missed the bottom step of a flight of stars and wrung her ankle. She was limping in the evening so S. prayed and the pain went. Encouraged S. prayed for another friend with a foot injury. That was healed. And so it has gone on. S. now has six stories to tell of people she has prayed for who have reported healings.

We are really encouraged by all our Father is doing today. Our faith is growing and there is a real excitement when we gather to pray. If you are reading this and you are unwell or have an injury, why not come along next Sunday? The next miracle could happen to you.

• I won’t be held captive by the world’s standards of “Me” and “Now” and stuff that will not satisfy or last.
• I won’t get sucked into more debt, more jealousy for what I don’t have and don’t need.
• I will use money as God has commanded, and I will keep giving even more as He moves my heart, even if it means I have less for life’s luxuries.
• I will ensure I do not love money, or put the pursuit of more money ahead of pursuing Him.
• I will work hard at the job God has given me to glorify Him. If as a result I am rewarded more, I will give more to the needy. If I don’t have a job, (when I’m not looking for a job), I will give a serious amount of my time for building his kingdom, blessing others.
• I will give out of all that God has given me, and as I use well (multiply) what he has given me, anticipate God giving me more for His glory!
• I will recognise and remind myself of all that God has given me, and know that he has given me masses of stuff to bless people inside the church and outside the church with. I pray that I will, out of love, stir myself into action to give abundantly out of the abundance that he has blessed me with.

Frank’s talk (and most of our regular Sunday morning talks) can be downloaded from our main website:

www.newlifenorth.org.uk