Many of you are participating in our annual fast. A corporate fast is different than a private fast. A private fast should be kept private as much as possible, whereas a corporate fast is shared with other believers or the church.

Daniel Fast Full Reference

Day 1-3

Starting today, you may experience some symptoms that you don’t normally have. For example, headaches are common. Cravings for candy, cookies, or fast food are common. Hang in there, these symptoms will last at least 3 days. Day 1,2, & 3 are by far, the hardest days.

Begin your day in prayer. You can pray without fasting but you cannot fast without praying. Pray when you crave candy. Pray when you crave a Big Mac. Pray when you crave Starbucks. Pray. Pray. Pray. This is important to your spiritual life. More prayer. More power. Less prayer. Less power.

Over the next few days, you will begin to notice you are spiritual aware. In other words, the things in the spirit are made clear. This is the beautiful thing about fasting.

Today, I did a full fast for the first two meals. In other words, no food at all. Our worship service this morning was powerful and God laid it on my heart to pray specifically for Pastor Gerardo Zuniga, a newly called Pastor who will flourish in 2012, Donny Anderson, and strong leader in our church, and all men in our church. God is calling men to lead their families and to lead in the church.

Our recent meal, and last meal of the day, consisted of, black-eyed peas and brussel sprouts. For desert we had a fruit plate (see photo).

A good friend of mine, Rabbi Marty Cohen gave me the recipe for the brussel sprouts. They are terrific (maybe because I was so hungry). In a freezer bag, place the brussel sprouts. Salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic powder. Mix in a few tablespoons of good olive oil. Shake in bag. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Place sprouts on cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Turn over and bake another 30 minutes until sprouts are almost black. This gives them a terrific taste. Enjoy.

Post your day one experience and share what God is doing in your life.

Blessings,

Pastor Mark Van Horn

mvh@rolh.org

www.rolh.org

River of Life HEB starts each year with a Daniel Fast.  It’s a time for us to fast and pray for 2012.  We anticipate this time of year as we grow closer to God, become sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and lift up the needs of our family, friends, & church.

God’s word makes it very clear that fasting should be a normal part of the Christian life.  Yet, many do not understand why or how.  This blog will assist you in a 21-Day Daniel Fast.  Visit our website at http://www.rolh.org and click the Blog Icon for more information and resources during your fast and prayer time.

4 Targets to Pray For While Fasting

1.  Revival - pray for revival in your personal life as well as River of Life.  Ask the Lord to transform, strengthen, and sustain you.  Ask him to make 2011 the best year of your entire life.

2.  Churches – pray for other local churches in our city.  Pray for pastors and staff members.  Pray for worship leaders.  Pray for unity and a great harvest to come to Hurst, Euless, Bedford, & the DFW area in 2011.

3.  HEB - pray for Hurst, Euless, & Bedford.  Pray that God would pour out a spirit of revival in our cities.  Pray that God would use our cities to glorify Him through the nations.

4.  Financial Breakthrough - pray to the Lord to provide for ROLH in 2012.  We have big plans for expansion and we need God’s provision.  Ask Him to provide for you and your family in 2012.  Ask Him to make you a good steward of God’s money.

Daniel Fast Overview

The Daniel Fast is a fast designed to connect us with God.  We will take the first 21 days of January to focus on Him and center ourselves our what God is doing in our church and our personal lives.

Fasting is expected for those who follow Christ.

Who

The entire church family of ROLH will be participating in the fast and we are asking you to join us as we seek God during this time of year.

When

January 1 – 21, 2012

What

The Daniel Fast is a partial fast, meaning we will eliminate some common things from our daily diet, but will have generous options available.  We will focus on eating fruits and vegetables that are pure and simple.  We have included a list of foods to eat and foods to avoid. *If you ave any known medical conditions or suspect such conditions, consult your doctor before beginning the fast.

How

There are multiple online resources available on the Daniel Fast:

http://www.christ-web.com/missions/farho/daniel-fast

http://danielfast.wordpress.com

• Twice in the book of Daniel a fast is mentioned.  Once is for 21 days and the second for 10 days.  We are asking our congregation to join us in the 21 day fast but if circumstances won’t allow the full fast, we ask that you would set aside 10 days during the fast to join us in prayer and fasting.

Scriptures on Fasting

• Exodus 34:28
• Ezra 10:6
• Deuteronomy 9:18
• Esther 4:16
• 2 Samuel 12:16-17
• Psalms 35:13
• Nehemiah 1:4
• Psalms 69:10
• Ezra 8:2-23
• Isaiah 58:6
• Daniel 9:3
• Daniel 10:3
• Matthew 9:15
• Joel 2:15
• Luke 2:37
• Matthew 4:2
• Acts 13:3
• Matthew 6:16
• Acts 14:23

Foods to include in your Daniel Fast

Fruits

• Apples
• Apricots
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Berries (all kinds)
• Breadfruit
• Cantaloupe
• Cherries
• Coconuts
• Dates
• Figs
• Grapefruit
• Grapes
• Grenadines
• Guava
• Honeydew
• Kiwi
• Lemons
• Limes
• Mangoes
• Melons
• Mulberry
• Nectarines
• Oats
• Olives
• Oranges
• Papayas
• Peaches
• Pears
• Pineapples
• Plums
• Prunes
• Raisins
• Tangerines
• Watermelon

Vegetables

• Artichokes
• Asparagus
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Brussel sprouts
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Chili peppers
• Collard greens
• Corn
• Cucumbers
• Eggplant
• Garlic
• Ginger root
• Kale
• Leeks
• Lettuce
• Mushrooms
• Mustard greens
• Okra
• Onions
• Parsley
• Peppers
• Potatoes
• Radishes
• Rutabagas
• Scallions
• Spinach
• Sprouts
• Squashes
• Sweet potatoes
• Tomatoes
• Turnips
• Watercress
• Yams
• Zucchini

Legumes

• Dried beans
• Black beans
• Cannelloni
• Pinto beans
• Spit peas
• Lentils
• Back eyed peas
• Green peas
• Kidney beans
• Peanuts (includes natural peanut butter)
• Beans
• Lentils
• Lupines
• White peas

Seeds

• All nuts (raw, unsalted)
• Sprouts
• Ground flax
• Cashews
• Walnuts
• Sunflower
• Sesame
• Almonds
• Natural Almond Butter

Whole Grains

• Whole wheat
• Brown rice
• Millet
• Quinoa
• Oats
• Rolled Oats
• Plain oatmeal (not instant)
• Barley
• Grits (no butter)
• Whole wheat pasta
• Whole wheat tortillas
• Plain Rice cakes

Liquids

• Water (spring, distilled, filtered)
• Unsweetened Soy Milk
• Herbal (caffeine free) Tea
• 100% Fruit/Vegetable Juice (no added sugar)

Foods To Avoid:  Anything not listed above. Avoid deep-fried foods.  Avoid caffeine.  Avoid anything white (sugar, bread, rice).  Avoid salad dressings and use olive oil & lemon or lime as a substitute.

Thank you for joining us!  Check our blog often for more encouraging updates during the fast!

The Holy Spirit fell mightily by those attending the Azusa Street Revival in Las Angeles in the early 1900′s. 

The mission, led by William Seymour, took place in an old church building that had apartments upstairs and stable for horses below. 

The main emphasis of the meetings was the Gifts of the Spirit, in particular, speaking in tongues, a sign that believers were baptized in the Holy Spirit.  People were knocked out by the Holy Spirit.   There were also great miracles and healings. 

People came from everywhere to witness the power of God.  Some claim the meetings seemed to run themselves as Seymour spent much time in prayer.  Many who visited carried the “fire” back to their local congregations.  This started the modern Pentecostal movement. 

Here’s what the bible says about the Holy Spirit:

Acts 1:8 – “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;  and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

My prayer is that God will baptize us again in the Holy Spirit.  Let me know your thoughts!

Pastor Mark Van Horn

River of Life HEB

www.rolh.org

After long reflection I’ve decided that my wife made a good deal when she got me. I tell her so often but she’s not as convinced as I am.

I will admit, though, that I’m the “almost perfect” husband. The perfect husband does all that I do plus foot rubs. I’m not into foot rubs. I’ll massage her back for 30-60 seconds but I don’t do feet.
I really don’t know why. My wife has very clean and nice feet, much cleaner and nicer than mine. (They smell better, too)

I don’t ask her to rub mine, though.

These days it seems that to be romantic you have to think of an out-of-this world way to ask her to marry you at the beginning. My boys and son-in-law did this much better than me. And then afterwards you have to rub her feet. I don’t know who came up with these ideas or why (I suspect that the perpetrator wasn’t male), but I strike out on both fronts.

Though I’m not good at rubbing feet I’m great at tickling feet. Unfortunately, that doesn’t get me many romantic points. If I’m not careful it gets me kicked.

Doesn’t keep me from being an almost perfect husband, though. If you don’t believe it just ask me.

Nevertheless, when I look at Jesus and see that he washed the disciples’ feet, I feel a little guilty.

Some have preached that Jesus did this to show how humble He is. I’m not sure. It’s not very humble to do something just to show how humble you are, is it?

No, I think there was a much more practical reason. These guys had been walking in sandals on dirty streets with dogs and maybe village chickens and who knows what else.

The Bible says that during the evening meal Jesus got up and started to wash their feet. Can I suggest a radical reason that Jesus did this?

It was because their feet were dirty.

I wonder sometimes if the smell didn’t get to him and he said to himself, “If I don’t wash those feet I’m not going to be able to eat.” Probably not, but it might have been part of the reason. Who knows?

Jesus showed them what to do when there was a room full of dirty feet.

“When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.  Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:12-17, NIV)

Ah!

So, if I want to be blessed I better find some feet and get to washing them?

How?

Find a need and fill it. Do it as if you’re doing it for someone you love with your whole heart.

Once I was with my dad shortly before his death. He was mostly unaware of what was going on around him. Occasionally he’d throw up. Ever since I was I kid seeing someone else throw up has made me want to get sick, too.

Not this time. As I helped daddy in his weakness and cleaned his mouth afterwards I was thankful. Because I live so far away I hadn’t been with him much and I was thankful for the chance to help someone who had given me life and taken care of me all those years.

Our attitude makes all the difference when we’re washing feet.

“Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:15, NIV)

We need to be washing feet.

That’s all very good. I’m in agreement. The Lord said we were to wash each others’ feet.

He didn’t say anything about rubbing them, though.

David Porter – Missionary

Our daughter’s family was visiting us this week.  She’s got a tribe of boys aged three to ten and there’s no lack of energy in the house when they’re around.

I smiled one day, when three-year old Jesse started to howl and cry about something in the other room.  His mama didn’t evenlook up from what she was doing.  A wised mother has to be able to intrepret cries or she’ll be up and own fifty times a day, you see.

Some howls say, “Come quick, I’m really scared that somethign really bad is gong to happen.”  That’s a mover.

Others say, “Come I’m really hurt–or at least I think I am.”  You move then also.

And still others say, “Come here and beat the life out of my brother, please.  He’s irritating me!”  Jesse’s howl fell into this last category.

I wonder if the Lord has our “howls” down pat.

With us there’s the, “I’m so tired of this, why don’t you do something?” howl.

There’s the, “Why do all the good things always happen to him?” howl.

And there’s the, “Lord, I’m scared, I’m hurt.  If you don’t come quickly I’ve really and truly had it.”

Guess which one is more likely to get a response.

Don’t be afraid to “howl” if you need to.  That’s not dumb.  Just make sure that you’re “barking” for the right reaons, becauswe the Lord knows you better than you know you.  And there are right reaons and there are definitely times to call out for help.

Mamas–and God–want you to ask for help when you need it.

As a matter of fact, stop a minute and think of what you’ve been crying about recently.  Do you think God’s heart is moved for that?  (“why do you bless her liek that?  Look at poor me!  Ah, ooooooh!  Ooooh, ooooh, oooooooooooo?!”  (That’s supposed to sound like a coyte baying at the moon.))

Why don’t you cry out and say this?  “This poor man cried and the Lord heard him.  Let me tell you about it.  I know I’m in a touch time now but the Lord helped me then.  He’ll help me today, too!”

That’s kind of “howl of praise” isn’t it?

“In my distress I called to the LORD;  I cried to my God for help.  From his temple he heard my voice;  my cry came before him, into his ears.  The earth trembled and quaked …16 He reached down from on high and took hodl fo me;  he drew me out of deep waters.  He rescued me from my powerful eneny, from my foes, who were too strong for me.  They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORDC was my support.  He brought me out into a spacious place;  he rescued me because he delighted in my (Ps. 34:6, 7, 16-19, NIV)

Take a minute to share a time when you cried out to the Lord.

David Porter, Missionary, and writer of www.DavidsCoffeeStains.com

Psalm 109 (NIV)

On Sunday, special United States forces were sent to a compound in Pakistan where they found Bin Laden.  He is the well-known leader of al-Qaeda terrorist group.  On this day, he became a victim of his own evil ways.

His death is a victory for freedom loving nations around the world.  We know he was the master-mind behind diabolical attacks including one close to our hearts on 9/11.  We pray his organization will be crippled so there will be greater peace throughout the world.

May terrorists throughout the world understand that their deeds will not go unpunished.  They will be found.  They will be punished. 

It’s interesting to note that on May 1, 1945 the death of Adolph Hitler was announced.  Exactly 66 years later another evil leader has died.  The number of man is “6″. 

We are ever grateful for the U.S. Military, intelligence, our friends in the middle east who helped stop this mad man. 

 ¹ My God, whom I praise,
   do not remain silent,
² for people who are wicked and deceitful
   have opened their mouths against me;
   they have spoken against me with lying tongues.
³ With words of hatred they surround me;
   they attack me without cause.
⁴ In return for my friendship they accuse me,
   but I am a man of prayer.
⁵ They repay me evil for good,
   and hatred for my friendship.

 ⁶ Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy;
   let an accuser stand at his right hand.
⁷ When he is tried, let him be found guilty,
   and may his prayers condemn him.
⁸ May his days be few;
   may another take his place of leadership.
⁹ May his children be fatherless
   and his wife a widow.
¹⁰ May his children be wandering beggars;
   may they be driven^[a] from their ruined homes.
¹¹ May a creditor seize all he has;
   may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
¹² May no one extend kindness to him
   or take pity on his fatherless children.
¹³ May his descendants be cut off,
   their names blotted out from the next generation.
¹⁴ May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD;
   may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
¹⁵ May their sins always remain before the LORD,
   that he may blot out their name from the earth.

 ¹⁶ For he never thought of doing a kindness,
   but hounded to death the poor
   and the needy and the brokenhearted.
¹⁷ He loved to pronounce a curse—
   may it come back on him.
He found no pleasure in blessing—
   may it be far from him.
¹⁸ He wore cursing as his garment;
   it entered into his body like water,
   into his bones like oil.
¹⁹ May it be like a cloak wrapped about him,
   like a belt tied forever around him.
²⁰ May this be the LORD’s payment to my accusers,
   to those who speak evil of me.

 ²¹ But you, Sovereign LORD,
   help me for your name’s sake;
   out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.
²² For I am poor and needy,
   and my heart is wounded within me.
²³ I fade away like an evening shadow;
   I am shaken off like a locust.
²⁴ My knees give way from fasting;
   my body is thin and gaunt.
²⁵ I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
   when they see me, they shake their heads.

 ²⁶ Help me, LORD my God;
   save me according to your unfailing love.
²⁷ Let them know that it is your hand,
   that you, LORD, have done it.
²⁸ While they curse, may you bless;
   may those who attack me be put to shame,
   but may your servant rejoice.
²⁹ May my accusers be clothed with disgrace
   and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.

 ³⁰ With my mouth I will greatly extol the LORD;
   in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him.
³¹ For he stands at the right hand of the needy,
   to save their lives from those who would condemn them.

 Pastor Mark Van Horn

I’ve been asked recently why we are doing this event called “Spring Awakening”.  First, let me tell you about the event.  It is on Saturday, April 9, at 7 pm.  We will host a live band, Barry McDaniels and the River Band.  Then we will top it off by hearing an amazing story from Duche’ Bradley.  Duche’ is the former body guard for Jennifer Lopez.  He has an amazing story of how God got his attention and how he turned his life back to God.

http://www.rolh.org/springawakening2011.htm

There are 3 main reasons why we are sponsering Spring Awaking

1.  Souls – this is the number one reason we are doing this event.  God has called each one of us to share his light to a dark world.  It’s our repsonsibility to invite people to this event.  I once saw a movie with a catchy tag line, “If you build it they will come”.  This is so far from the truth.  If you build it they will NOT come!  Here is the truth, “If you build it, invite them, they will come”.  This is the truth.  People are waiting for you to invite them.  Just ask.

2.  Souls – the second reasons we are doing this event is souls.  The second is like the first.  Souls.  What we have and do on this earth is temporal.  What we do for God is eternal.  

3.  Souls - just like the first two reasons, the third reason we are doing Spring Awakening is for souls.  It’s the most important thing we can do.  How much value do you put on a soul?  What’s the cost?  Is it $100, or $1,000, or $1,000,000?  We are investing in the kingdom!  It’s eternal folks! 

Let’s do this thang!

Blessings,

Pastor Mark Van Horn

http://www.rolh.org

I read recently about a ten year old boy who decided to study “judo”, even though he had been in a terrible car accident and had lost his left arm.  The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master.  After three months of training, the teacher had only taught him one move.  The boy asked his teacher if he shouldn’t be learning more moves.  The teacher assured him, “This is the only move you will ever need to know”.

Several months later, the teacher took the boy to his first tournament.  Amazingly, this young boy won his first two matches.  The third match he was in was much more difficult.  His opponent charged.  The boy made his one move that he knew and won the match.

 Now the young boy was in the finals.  His opponent was bigger, stronger and much more experienced.  All could see that the boy appeared to be “overmatched”.  The referee called a time-out because he was afraid that the boy might get hurt.  But his teacher said, “No, let him continue.”

After the match resumed, his opponent made a very critical mistake by being off guard.  Immediately the young ten year old boy (with no left arm), made his move to pin him.  The young boy won the tournament.  He was now the “Champion”.

As they were traveling back home, the young boy and his judo teacher discussed every move in all of his matches.  At last the boy asked, “Teacher, how in the world did I win this tournament with only one move?”  The teacher answered, “You won for only two reasons.”

“You’ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of Judo.  And secondly – the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left  arm”.  Of course, the young boy had lost his left arm in that accident.

The young boy’s biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.

Do you remember when Paul prayed very hard for God to remove what he called a “thorn in the flesh?”  God said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness” 2 Cor. 12:9.  Remember that the next time you feel weak and inadequate.  Don’t forget what Paul said, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  2 Cor. 12:10

This post brought to you by Rev. G. W. Van Horn – a guest writer at River of Life HEB.

Tired of seeing your money go down the toilet?  Here are 10 tips to managing your money.  Start getting into a money-saving mindset!  These are in no particular order.

1)  Develop a budget.  If you get paid twice a month, have two budgets.  If you get paid once a week, then develop a budget that you can stick to.

2)  Track your spending.  This will help you see where your money is going and you can make adjustments along the way.

3)  Instead of charging, find ways to pay cash.  In many cases, this means waiting. 

4)  Go on a “spend” fast.  Thats right, pick a week and just tell yourself you’re not going to spend $1 this week.  It works.

5)  Shop with a list.  And, stick to it!  This prevents you from buying on impulse.  Go in, get what you need, and go out!

6)  Always pay more than the minimum on your credit cards.  Paying the minimum could take you 20+ years to pay it off.  Your goal should be to have zero debt on your credit cards.

7)  Save.  You should have at least 3 months of savings.  This way, if a disaster strikes your family, you’re prepared for at least 3 months.

8)  Use coupons.  Use coupons and check for local grocery store / department store / drug store savings.  This could save you big bucks. 

9)  Remove expensive habits.  Instead of going to Starbucks every day, go once a week. 

10)  Always put God first!  This is the most important money managing tip you can have.

Let us know your thoughts!

Pastor Mark Van Horn

River of Life HEB

http://www.rolh.org

Todays contribution comes for David Porter.  David is a  long acquantaince, freind and missionary in France.  He’s right on.  Enjoy.

“I’m Going To Win the Lottery!” ?

Lately there’s been an advertisement on the television here in France for the lottery. One couple wins and takes a trip around the world. Another man buys a big house and car with his winnings and still another one purchases the business he works for (but keeps his boss). You see what happens when you win the lottery!

Yeah!

The eminent “philosopher” P.T. Barnum once said something tremendously insightful, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” The cartoon cat, Garfield, wisely observed, “It’s amazing some of the things that people would rather have than money.” A lottery ticket for example.

Chances of winning the lottery rank right up there with receiving a personal email from the Man in the Moon. Yet people spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year hoping to win the lottery.

And there are a lot of happy winners of the lottery—the sponsors mostly. They grin widely as the suckers—excuse me—“players” line up.

Justin Wilson once told the story of a man who raffled off a dead mule. No one knew it was dead, though, except the owner. He sold 400 tickets at $2 a ticket. Minus $20 for printing the tickets and $50 for the original price of the mule before he died, the lottery sponsor made $730 on his project.

“Bet you made a lot of people mad,” someone observed.

“No, just one. And I gave him his money back.”

Humans play the lottery because they love to hope.

There’s at least three kinds of hope. There’s wild and crazy hope. People don’t pay $5 to win the lottery. They pay $5 to hope like crazy. And at the end all they had was the thrill of hoping a minute and the worthless lottery ticket in their hand.

This kind of hope can eventually sour you on the hoping business.

Then there’s hard-work hope. These people want to accomplish something in life so they put everything they have into it. Their body sweats, they deprive themselves to reach their goal, but during the whole process they’re buoyed by the image of what they hope to accomplish.

This is a lot more substantial than the lottery. Says the New York Times in a New Year’s Eve editorial, “Who can live without fresh intentions, new purposes? Who does not welcome a chance to start over, if only on a new page of the calendar? Life goes on, but it goes on so much better with hope and renewal and recommitment.”

Then there’s God-based hope. Hope in this case is joined at the hip with faith. This is not an “I-hope-I-win-the-lottery” hope or an “I-hope-I-catch-some-fish” hope. It goes beyond a “work hard for your dreams” hope.

It’s a powerful conviction in the center of us that God’s promises are true.

He’s promised forgiveness of sins so I repent and put my confidence in Jesus.
He’s promised eternal life and I’m living down here with the conviction that something even better is on the way.
He’s promised to come back and I live my life, influenced by the promise.
He’s promised to take care of me so when I’m in need I turn to Him with my whole heart and present my needs to Him.

He promised He would never leave me or forsake me so I have hope, even in the darkest situations.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 15:13, NIV)

“Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!” writes Eugene Peterson in the Message.

Hope in Christ is even more tangible and powerful than hard-working human hope, though these two are often linked and honestly, where you find hope in Christ you find a hand-working “hoper” living his life with the joy of what he will receive.

And hope in the lottery?

If you believe in that I’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn that I’d like to sell you.