Hey Valley,
As mentioned yesterday, I would like to invite you to fast and pray with me on Good Friday, and here is why:
Every year the Easter season is an incredible opportunity to reach out to our community and invite people to consider Jesus. This year with everyone stuck at home, I believe there is an even greater opportunity. This past week Valley has over 2800 Facebook interactions with people. I saw my friends and family that I know who do not trust Jesus tune into our live stream. What an opportunity!
With that in mind, on Good Friday, I am going to fast until we share in communion at our 6 pm live-stream. During that fast, I will be praying:
For God to draw specific people to himself.
For God to use our service to demonstrate how good Jesus is and how desperately we all need him as our Savior.
For an end to the COVID-19 pandemic and for God to care for all those impacted in various ways. I
For my own life, that I will be more faithful, more aware of my sin and more readily repentant.
Now here is the deal, fasting is not a magic trick we play on God. Fasting does not manipulate God so he is forced to do what we want.
Instead, fasting is a way of making us more aware of our dependence upon God and our weakness as created beings. It moves us to pray more every time we feel our stomach grumble. It also serves as a sign of repentance, as we show God we are turning toward him instead of the things of this world. Now, I know not everyone can fast. For some, this would medically be unwise. If that is you, simply be wise and do what you can to give your attention to God.
So, for those who can, I hope you will join me! If you have any questions, just shoot me an email.
Loving people toward Jesus,
Mike
PS, I received these recipes from one of our Elders if you are interested in making your own unleavened bread for Friday.
Or another one, from a friend of a friend of a friend...
This recipe is very simple. It makes a lot, depending on how big you make the crackers. I halved the recipe when I made it.
1 c. flour
1/4 c. water.
Mix together and roll out thinly. I cut them into about 1”X3/4” pieces. I added a dash of salt. You might want to sprinkle salt on top too. Bake at 250 degrees for at least 20 minutes.