A New Mission

So I am no longer fasting. It was going really well and I knew it would be great to go the distance, but I ended it so that I could commune with some friends. Eating together is a great ministry tool and a great way to bond with friends. We had an invite come up to eat with some friends at their house. I knew this would be a great way to minister to them. There are ways around it so I could have stayed on my fast, but I decided to end the fast.

I know the Lord is full of grace and that there was no shame in ending it. This was by far the longest I had ever gone. It's funny.
When you're fasting, you want to eat. But after this fast, I missed the times of hunger. Misty Edwards sings, "Hunger is the escort to the deeper things of You." I missed my times with the Lord

Interestingly enough, but not surprising, I've had some rough times since the fast ended. I have definitely come in contact with the world and it's lusts. I saw a picture on the morning I broke the fast of an angel taking a long pair of tongs and sticking them into my mouth and shoving it down into my stomach. He pulled out a small black circular object, a little larger than a golfball. It was filthy looking. It had the essence of something dark and evil. This really concerned me. I prayed about it but I didn't understand the picture.

Over the next few days, I realized that this ball represented two things. First, it represented me. It was the last remaining piece of "Josh Garner" that was left inside. Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." By removing this last remaining piece, I am becoming fully Christ's child.

Also, I believe this piece that is being removed is the world. We are not to be of the world. We are not to look at our time here as a time to plan our escape. The Lord has us here to be cities on hills. We are not to want us to be taken out of the world. But He was showing me that He wants the world taken out of me.

This picture was timely. I have had encounters with this world ever since then. I have constantly been praying this prayer, "Take the world out of me, Lord." Some times I chose the wrong path. But I keep praying that this picture would come true and that I would be crucified with Christ.