F=Fast from impure or lustful thoughts. Ask God to change your mind.
E=(Encourage) Give someone an honest, specific compliment today
A=Admit any sins of the flesh. Example: overeating, lustful actions or thoughts.
S=(Scripture) 1 Peter 2:11; Ephesians 4:21-23; Romans 13:12-14
T=Thank God for breaking the bonds of sin (lustful thoughts, glutony, etc.); Trust God to meet all your needs.
Dear friends, your real home is not here on earth. You are strangers here. I ask you to keep away from all the sinful desires of the flesh. These things fight to get hold of your soul. (1 Peter 2:11; New Life Version)
Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. (Ephesians 4:21-23; New Living Translation)
The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. (Romans 13:12-14; New Living Translation)
ignitionblog.wordpress.com 
A new wardrobe. No doubt shopping for clothes may not be my most favorite activity. But there is something to be said about the attitude that comes with new threads.
Furthermore, if the rags I’m wearing are decaying on my body and leaving the stench of death everywhere I go, there is no doubt that a new clothing line is long overdue.
When I was in college, I had a favorite pair of parachute pants, that I would wear repeatedly. My wife likes to tease me about that, because although we were only friends at that time, she took notice of this frequently appearing piece of apparel (not in a good way). Does he wash those pants? What’s up with the MTWThF usage of the pants? Needless to say, the pants left an impression but did not impress.
My filthy rags, have become comfortable. It’s easy to “do what I have always done.” I have habits that linger out of laziness or lethargy. I put on the same wicked wardrobe day after day. But it is clear that these dirty clothes are not designed by GOD. They don’t impress, they depress.
Dear GOD please accept my filthy rags as my surrender to you. My attitude, my behavior, my desires stink. My fashion sense is horrible. Remove from me this wardrobe of darkness and immoral living.
In exchange, help me accept Your wardrobe of light and goodness. May Your presence surround me, envolope me, keep me warm and secure. May I be clothe with the royal robe of Your righteousness, may there be no question as to my linage.
Thank You for the Kingdom clothing that bears Your name. May the desires of my heart be identical to the Designer of my destiny. Amen.
Your real home is not here… It reminds me of the song I heard a long time ago: this world is not my home, I’m just passing through, my treasures are laid up, somewhere beyond the blue…
Something like that.
For my devotion I’m going through the epistles of Peter (I find him less complicated than Paul), he writes: “Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold… but with the precious blood of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:17-19). Even Peter refers to us here on this earth as sojourners, like the song I just mentioned.
Thinking of sojourning and the concept that our home is not on this world… I can relate. In August 2006 we (Iwan and me) came as newlyweds to this new and huge (even Wal-Mart was enormous compared to stores back home) country, having two suitcases each. This was truly not our home. But yet in the midst of all that, I am so thankful that we went (and are going) through that experience; it thought me not to rely on things, it thought me to keep my eyes heavenwards, like Paul encourages us to do in Hebrews 12:2, he writes, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
May we all have our eyes fixed upon Jesus as we prepare ourselves for moving to heaven, what a day that will be!
Blessings,
Linda
Another important song to consider…. “This is my Father’s World.” If I have my Adventist eschatology right, our final destination is here, on earth. Still doesn’t change the importance of the texts you list – the importance of holiness and total devotion to our Lord Jesus. I just think we send the wrong message when we say that this earth is not our final home when, in fact, it is. What’s more, it sends the wrong message to our youth and young adults about the importance of caring for this earth that God dearly loves and died to redeem.
I appreciate your comment about the importance of caring for this earth and that God created this planet and sent His Son to redeem His children.
My apologies for any mixed messages that might have been communicated – your point is well taken.
Something that I have been more and more convicted about is that we (Seventh-day Adventists) need to be IN the world – just not of it. I sense a gravitation away from the world, an isolation from, so that we (Adventists) are not influenced by the priorities of popular culture. I pray that we will become more & more engaged with “our world” so that Christ can be uplifted to those who are marginalized and hurting.
I noticed that you are very engaged in social justice issues (by your own blog and site). I want to affirm you and encourage you in that calling and bringing to light those things that we need to be engaged in, aware of, and working towards.
Blessings!
Carolyn, thank you for your generosity. What I have found tremendously helpful among the young adults in my congregation is the practice of simply opening the conversation about these issues without necessarily resolving them. I think both songs have great merit and the challenge of Christians living in this world is to hold these two together:
“This World Is Not My Home” and
“This Is My Father’s World”
Can we live with both? I think we have to. I believe in both, provided that the word “world” is defined differently for each. I love the tension between those two songs and I think our young people get it. It’s another way of saying what you so eloquently said in your comment above about being IN the world but not OF the world.
Thanks again!
I just want to affirm the recent turn of this conversation. I’ve seen far too many of my friends attend mountain top spiritual weekends and then get lost in the intangible haze of trying to surrender everything.
Spiritual life is not a vacuum and I would suggest that one way that the self changes permanently comes by changing the social realities of the least of these. See Matt, Mark, Luke and even John. : )
the more we “get” the idea of NOT living in a vacuum the better we will be – thanks, alex and ryan for your encouragement and comments. there are so many opportunities that we pass by – continue to prod us to turn our heads to notice what is all around us.
Too bad that former NY Governor Eliot Spitzer didn’t get this blog post some months/years ago.
What I have appreciated so much about this FEAST is the call to a deep, honest look at self. I’ve also appreciated the component of having the opportunity to post responding comments for it is here that we can reply to what is hitting us.
Today I was preaching on one of our college campuses and my heart breaks on behalf of young adults who are steeped into sin and addiction in their lives. As I fast from impure thoughts and lusts it is my prayer that the chains that Satan has bound so many young adults with will be broken. That our church will become a safe place for people to find hope, community, acceptance, forgiveness, power, life and victory. That instead of putting on a facade like a spiritual-politician, we can remove the masks and get raw and real. Jesus have mercy on those of us who stand in the gap to represent you in the pulpit for the times where we have been fake.
I long for the spirit to renew. Not only me, not only my church, but also my world. If indeed GOD has redeemed us, then our eternity has already begun. May we with new eyes, live very present.
This world, this environment, these things, these talents, these relationships, these moments, are opportunities to express Kingdom values. May I be mindful not to squander, not to pollute, not to treat anyone or thing as “disposable.”
May Jesus be glorified by how I value His world.
I am amazed and ecstatic about the conversation in these comments. It is tangible proof that the Kingdom exists now, here, in the hearts of fellow believers and pastors. If you were needing some hope, it’s right here. Isn’t it awesome that while we get to spend 1,000 years in perfect but temporary digs, God will be renovating this pad for our benefit? He’s not just planning to flip the property, He’s going down to the foundations. He will not only purify the earth but recreate it, a nice parallel to what He will do with my mind. Praise God and His Son and the Comforter.
May my sense of home transcend place and space. May my sense of Home reside in Him Who longs for me to at home in His Presence. This world is not my home, but I’m not just passing through. I live to bring a little bit of “up there,” “down here.”
Create in me a clean heart, O Lord!! May I continue to let this FEAST lead me closer to you. Thank you for the promise of a world made new, for my heart made new.
This world, in its current state, has nothing for me… All the glitz, glamour, etc. offer only a temporary state of happiness, but it leaves you feeling guilty afterwards. Is that what we want or do we want something much more??
Do I want this world?? Yes, I do, but let me explain… After the 1000 years in Heaven, Earth will be our final place, but it will not be what we know it to be today… it will return to its Edenic (dont know if thats a word) form with all nature in perfect harmony. I imagine to be luscious green and rivers as clear as glass flowing through the beautifully manicured landscape with different types of flowers and hills with gentle slopes and wide open spaces doing whatever we want from running around to playing with all sorts of animals… I dont know about you, but I’m not looking forward to the streets paved of gold or the pearly gates, although, it would be awesome… I’m looking forward to establishing life on the New Earth, in its new untarnished & recreated state as it will serve as the capital to the entire universe…
Lord, allow me to always stay in your paths and never desiring the pleasures of this world… let me be like Moses as it states in Hebrews 11:24-26 “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.”
Change my mind Lord GOD. Let my brain feed on the things You deem worthy. May you purge evil and recreate purity in my thoughts. Make Your thoughts my own. Amen.
my first thought when i read the F for today, “whew, an easy day after yesterday, thank goodness!” then i read further to the spirit of the FEAST, fast from any sins of the flesh, any overindulgence–overeating, overspending, etc. and suddenly, it once again hits home! it is so easy to be seduced by the temporary pleasures of this life! i pray God will bring to my mind the sins of the flesh in my life and illuminate my heart with his transforming grace!! i will spend this day reflecting on the joy that my hope is in heaven! and my “earthly” friends will see His transformation in my life and want it for their own!
Dear Lord please help me to guard my thoughts. Take out my feelings of jealousy and envy. Help me not to be indulged to my evil and selfish desire. May in whatever I do – eat, drink, speak, & think, will give glory to your name. Amen!