Get Ready to Encounter

A few weeks ago our missions team to Zambia prepared to set out en-convoy to the village of Mongu where The Zambia mission project runs from. From

Mongu village they would then launch into other remote villages to help put up a church building, reach out to the villagers and let them know of the love of Christ! As we prayed for them we knew that they would have many different encounters which would be part of the journey and indeed they came back filled with stories of Adventurous Encounters with Elephants, people and more importantly how each one encountered God as they made the journey for this important mission. The key thing most of them realised is that while they thought they were on a journey to go and help others and help spread the gospel, they did not realise how the most impactful part of journey would be how God would direct and shape encounters with His very presence and how these God encounters would be life transforming and empowering first to them and then for others that they would subsequently encounter thereafter.

As I listened to their amazing stories and encounters, I thought back to how they actually started off their journey with an encounter at a fuel station in Melkbos, where they not only fuelled their cars but got some early morning breakfast as well as encountering God in Prayer with others who had gathered to send them off on their mission.

They thus were fuelled spiritually through prayer and could confidently launch out towards this adventure and encounter-filled mission. It was only after they not only received physical fuelling but also spiritual fuel that they could set off.

While we may not all have the opportunity to travel to distant lands on mission, I know that each one of us has a journey that we traverse which is akin to the mission trip our team has just come back from. As believers in Christ we are all on a mission and collectively as the Church We have been commissioned to share the good news of Christ with others as well as be the hands of feet for Christ in discipling and loving God's people wherever we may be.

As a Church our lead Pastors take seriously how we Start off the year by ensuring that our first month of the year is spent by first encountering God in prayer and fasting so that we can be fuelled spiritually for the journey ahead. And just like how our team to Zambia would have had to not only fuel their cars at the beginning of their journey, they would have to stop along the way to refresh and refuel. And so we too as a church take time to Reset, Refresh and Refuel at the halfway mark of the year by doing a week of Prayer and fasting.

We are intentional about such a time of fasting because we know the importance of drawing close to God and making sure that we remain in alignment with his will over our lives and his direction to our journey. This week as we take time to deliberately engage with God by prioritising our engagement with him above food or our other usual activities like social media or other forms of entertainment, let us be mindful that God desires to lead our way to success and the best way that we can let God lead us is by ensuring that we encounter him and let him fill us with his Holy Spirit and prepare us for what lies ahead.

As a Church we shall be meeting every evening of the week days; Monday 24th July to Friday 28th July at 7pm at our respective locations for amazing times of worship and prayer. We shall the be going into the weekend and finishing off the Fasting week on Sunday the 30th of July at an Encounter service at the 6pm service at Table View.

Reflect:

On this the first day of the Prayer and fasting week, Take time to express your desire of God by

1. Reaching out to God in Prayer and asking him to be your sustenance in view of the time of Fasting that lies ahead. Keep praying throughout the day as this allows you to remain focused - Remember Prayer is talking to God so you can indeed talk to him within your heart while you work or are at school.

2. Receive God's life giving word by spending intentional time in reading God's Word throughout the day at a set interval.

3. Refuse to be distracted by engaging in worship when you find yourself being drawn towards the things you have chosen to fast from this week. As you turn to worship God will give to a stronger determination to keep focused as you encounter himm in worship

4. Resolve to Seek him whole heartedly and as you do Seek him you shall find him and when you find him you shall be Amazed at how much he has already prepared for your encounter with him.

Scripture Reflection:

Jeremiah 29 13-14

If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. 14I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. . .”

2 Chronicles 15:1-2

Then the Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded, 2and he went out to meet King Asa as he was returning from the battle. “Listen to me, Asa!” he shouted. “Listen, all you people of Judah and Benjamin! The Lord will stay with you as long as you stay with him! Whenever you seek him, you will find him. But if you abandon him, he will abandon you.