Update from Todd

Check this out;  I intended to present an encouragement to the men Sat night on fasting this week from giving any defense for themselves throughout the week.  I wanted to point out how we are compulsive about defending ourselves and it is the reason we fail to repent.  Relational problems and nearly every other major issue in our lives is a result of at least one persons insistence on being right based on their own excuse for why they do what they do.  This temptation is even stronger when we are certain we are being either falsely accused or we are threatened to suffer loss as a result of the accusation.  Well, during the performance, one of the Christian riders was disqualified for taking too long to get out of the chutes.  He was furious and was fixin to insist on his rights.  I happened to be right there and was able to convince him to remain silent and walk away.  Immediately following the incidence they did an interview with the judge that made the call.  The judge said his grounds for making the call was that this man was cheating the bull.  So now we have a judgment made against this man that cost him more than I will take time to describe and it served a huge blow to his integrity as he was accused on national TV for cheating.  That night at Bible study, he along with 20 other bull riders accepted the call to go throughout the week without defending their position to anyone.  When confronted or questioned about anything they must hear what is being said and give no defense.  Well the very next day they asked this same man for an interview and he accepted.  When asked about the incidence he simply and humbly said he had not felt like he could get out on the bull but the judge has to make those kind of decisions.  When asked point blank if the judge made a good call or not he said "That is not my position to say."  I hope you can appreciate what this man did and how our Father has given him the grace to set an entirely different standard for how we as men should conduct ourselves. 

     If Jesus, the King of Glory, allowed false accusations to be made against him and be delivered unto death,  what makes us think we as his followers should insist on our own rights?  I know that even when I am confronted about something I know I did wrong, I still tend to offer all my excuses for why I did it.  I rarely will simply receive the correction and repent.  When we fast, we deny our flesh of something it craves.  Our flesh craves to justify itself for its actions.  This week we are committing ourselves to prayer and fasting from this desire.  I welcome you to join us for this fast.  Its not a fast from food.  It's a fast from giving a defense.

 

In service of the King,

 

Todd Pierce