Justin Chandler: AGAIN WITH THE MEDIA FAST

AGAIN WITH THE MEDIA FAST

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One of the constants in ministry for me has been my desire to make fasting a part of THEFACTORY. This comes both from personal experience in fasting for me, as well as a commitment to fasting in ministry by my friend, David Perkins (and the tribe of comrades he has formed). Knowing that, the question always becomes, what kind of fast? Normal fast. Partial fast. Full fast. Daniel fast. In each of these cases, whenever I would fast, it became more about the food than it did about dedicating that time with God (which is the WHOLE POINT!). I would wonder what I'm going to eat, when I would eat next or try not to think about how much I want to eat.

When I stumbled upon the Media Fast, it seemed like the perfect fit. I can eat all I want to, but that which consumes good portions of my day is now replaced exclusively with Christ. The Media Fast works like this:

No TV or media connected with it (DVDs, video games, satellite / cable, etc.)
No internet, unless job or school related
Limited use of cell phone (low text, web browsing, social media use)
Worship music only
The Bible and books about Jesus

Here is what I found when I fasted in this way. You think about Jesus. Often. Food isn't an issue. What you find is that you have A LOT of time in a day and you can do A LOT in that day when you aren't busying yourself with other things. So why fast?

I felt especially burdened this year for the lack we have had in reaching our city. There are 20,000 junior high and high school students in the area. The Church isn't coming anywhere close. Two things were needed. Two things were necessary. Prayer. Fasting. It seemed necessary to the early Church (read the book of Acts. Period.). We began August 1st with this in mind:

We pray and fast for a move of God in our generation.

We pray and fast for our city.

We pray and fast for our family.

We pray and fast for our friends.

We pray and fast for our schools.

The Fast would last until the day a student returned to school. After days and weeks of committing to prayer, fasting and worshipping of Jesus, when students returned to their school, the mission of Christ would be before their eyes. Today, students from our youth ministry are entering their school for the first time. I have no doubts they are seeing their friends in a new perspective and hearing the words of God "the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." We're here to work.

I notice a dichotomy in ministry these days. There is the desire to reach people, but the sheepishness to want to be big. Due to some ministerial pursuits of accolades and fame associated with their size, there is a stigma attached to all who want to be big. That we all come in the name of notoriety and fame. But we do want to be big! Not for our sake, but because there are 20,000 teenagers and most of them are not attending a local church. We want to be big because there are a lot of people. We want to be big because each of us is fulfilling the mission Christ gave to us.

There is a field behind our church which we own. It has a lot of space. I want to see it filled with students because our students are reaching their friends. I want to see it filled because there is no space to contain it. If Peter can preach one sermon and reach 3,000, (COME ON SOMEBODY!!!!), then surely we have it it in us to do the same.

Media Fast. Move of God in this generation. Field.