This morning before opening my Bible to John 12, I lit two of my new candles and poured myself a cup of coffee. It's quiet, it's dark outside, it's still and there is a wonderful fragrance filling the air. What a way to start out the day to a brand new week.
I'm in the process of reading through the book of John, paraphrasing as I jot down the "facts" from each chapter and then of course copying, word for word, the words spoken by Jesus. Once I complete the whole book, I hope to re-read the paraphrased notes so that I can try and remember all that happened.
As I began to read chapter 12, a thought came to mind, something I haven't thought about in a while and thought it noteworthy.
John 12:3- Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
What a display of gratitude for all Christ had done for her and her brother Lazarus whom He had just raised from the dead (Chapter 11).
As I sat here at this passage for a while I began to think about my life and whether or not it demonstrates the same affection and gratitude for HIM raising my own life from the dead. From what I read, this perfume was worth a year's wages, that's pretty expensive. You and I know there are 365 days in a year and in each day we are given breath to breathe and an opportunity to share Him with someone, to share what He's done in our lives by the way we live out our lives. This thought is not meant to heap condemnation on anyone but it's to serve as a reminder that though we can't physically place HIS nail-pierced feet in our lap, we can still wash them with our service to others, with praise and honor from our hearts and lips, with the fruit of the Spirit (don't hurry through these as you read them ) which is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control and from the choices we make that says to Him, we are pouring out ourselves in honor to YOU for everything YOU have done for us.
Things to think about...Do I pour out my life as an offering to Him? Do I share the joy of knowing Him by the way I live my life? Ask yourself, "How can I wash HIS feet today?"
Bless someone today by demonstrating your love for HIM! As you do, I'm sure He will find your offering as a sweet fragrance, filling all of heaven.
Have a great day!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Chapter 17-Go For It!
Whew, we made it, this is the last chapter of the book, "Fasting". It has been a great ride to share with you and the information answered a lot of my questions and I hope you can say the same.
Not sure what I'll blog about next but whatever it is, I pray it encourages you. Stay tuned! ;)
2 Pet. 1:10-11
Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you" (Josh. 3:5).
The Hebrew root for sanctify is qadhash, which is also the root for holy. God said, "I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy" (Lev. 11:44, NIV). Sanctification is the process of becoming holy in daily life; it is practicing purity and being set apart from the world and from sin. Sanctification is allowing the Holy Spirit to make us more like Jesus in what we do, in what we think, and in what we desire....if we are to see God do wonders in our midst, we must confront sin in our lives and live holy.
Fasting is an excellent means of sanctifying yourself.
Knowing God's Will
Sanctification is the key to being in God's will. As Paul said, "For this is the will of God, your sanctification" (1 Thes. 4:3). You cannot follow God's leading until you start where Paul said start.
It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. (1 Thes. 4:3-8, NIV)
Fasting will help you identify areas of hidden sin in your life.
Fasting is an essential means of sanctifying yourself, pulling yourself away from the world, and getting closer to God. Fasting allows you to filter your life and to set yourself apart to seek the Lord. Jesus prayed for us:
John 17:16-19
Fasting helps you discern between serving the lesh and serving the spirit.
Heb. 9:13-14
Why do we need to sanctify ourselves? We have no place in our hearts for pride. We have no place in our hearts for complacency. Do not let the blessings of the past interfere with the blessings of the future.
Ps. 51:10
We need a sanctification of motives. We need a sanctification of desires. We need a sanctification of attitudes. We need a sanctification of the right spirit. We need a sanctification of our flesh.
Heb. 3:12-13
While the leadership should certainly set an example in personal sanctification and holy living, it is the responsibility of every believer to "exhort" fellow believers. Exhort means to be abrasive with one another, to encourage one another, to push one another to live holy so that no one falls into temptation and ends up turning away from God.
Joshua 3:3-4
When you fast and sanctify yourself unto God, it moves you off the bank and into the miracles! There are too many people on the edge of what God is doing and not enough of us standing firmly in the middle of His will.
When your family sees you stepping off the edge of mere "Sunday-morning religion" and getting right into the middle of what God is doing, they will follow and find God's direction for their lives.
You should be attached to a local body of believers instead of just trying to find your own way. If ever there was a time when we needed to be crossing together, taking a firm, united stand against sin in this nation, it is now.
Circumcision speaks of sanctification of the flesh. It is cutting away dead things and hidden sins. You can look good publicly, raising your hands, giving your offerings, praying, and even fasting, but all the while hiding deadly sins. You are sanctified by the blood of Jesus when you first accept Him as your Lord and Savior, but over time, complacency and hidden sins can creep into your heart.
Gal. 5:19-26
Fasting sharpens the blade and sharpens the Word in your heart and in your mouth, allowing you to cut away the dead flesh and hidden sin as you set yourself apart from God.
God wants you to ask Him for things that are bigger than yourself!
What if you set yourself to diligently seek the Lord, sanctifying yourself with a fast and journey back to the spot where it all began--where He saved you, set you free, filled you with His Spirit, and called you out? I actually physically traveled to that spot, but if you cannot do that, you can go back mentally. You can recall the ancient landmark, that same simplicity, innocence and dedication with which you first responded to His voice.
Fasting will bring you into destiny. Fasting will bring you into alignment with God's plan for your life. Just as Joshua called the children of promise to sanctify themselves--I believe that, likewise, your "tomorrow" is just around the corner. God is going to do wonders in your life, leading you places you have never been before. Now is the time to fast, to seek God diligently, to sanctify yourself, to discern God's priorities, and to walk in His promises. Go for it!
I can mentally go back where I knelt down and invited Jesus into my heart but I can't go back physically. However, in March 1997, God began to work in my life and bring about some major change that I earnestly and sincerely sought Him for. I'm blessed to say that in September of this year, I will physically journey back to that very place and spot, for a personal retreat with Him and I know undoubtedly, I will not return the same. That, I believe, undoubtedly or unwaveringly. Is that a word? :)
You my friend have finished!!!! Put what you've learned to work because faith without works is DEAD!
Not sure what I'll blog about next but whatever it is, I pray it encourages you. Stay tuned! ;)
2 Pet. 1:10-11
Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you" (Josh. 3:5).
The Hebrew root for sanctify is qadhash, which is also the root for holy. God said, "I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy" (Lev. 11:44, NIV). Sanctification is the process of becoming holy in daily life; it is practicing purity and being set apart from the world and from sin. Sanctification is allowing the Holy Spirit to make us more like Jesus in what we do, in what we think, and in what we desire....if we are to see God do wonders in our midst, we must confront sin in our lives and live holy.
Fasting is an excellent means of sanctifying yourself.
Knowing God's Will
Sanctification is the key to being in God's will. As Paul said, "For this is the will of God, your sanctification" (1 Thes. 4:3). You cannot follow God's leading until you start where Paul said start.
It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit. (1 Thes. 4:3-8, NIV)
Fasting will help you identify areas of hidden sin in your life.
Fasting is an essential means of sanctifying yourself, pulling yourself away from the world, and getting closer to God. Fasting allows you to filter your life and to set yourself apart to seek the Lord. Jesus prayed for us:
John 17:16-19
Fasting helps you discern between serving the lesh and serving the spirit.
Heb. 9:13-14
Why do we need to sanctify ourselves? We have no place in our hearts for pride. We have no place in our hearts for complacency. Do not let the blessings of the past interfere with the blessings of the future.
Ps. 51:10
We need a sanctification of motives. We need a sanctification of desires. We need a sanctification of attitudes. We need a sanctification of the right spirit. We need a sanctification of our flesh.
Heb. 3:12-13
While the leadership should certainly set an example in personal sanctification and holy living, it is the responsibility of every believer to "exhort" fellow believers. Exhort means to be abrasive with one another, to encourage one another, to push one another to live holy so that no one falls into temptation and ends up turning away from God.
Joshua 3:3-4
When you fast and sanctify yourself unto God, it moves you off the bank and into the miracles! There are too many people on the edge of what God is doing and not enough of us standing firmly in the middle of His will.
When your family sees you stepping off the edge of mere "Sunday-morning religion" and getting right into the middle of what God is doing, they will follow and find God's direction for their lives.
You should be attached to a local body of believers instead of just trying to find your own way. If ever there was a time when we needed to be crossing together, taking a firm, united stand against sin in this nation, it is now.
Circumcision speaks of sanctification of the flesh. It is cutting away dead things and hidden sins. You can look good publicly, raising your hands, giving your offerings, praying, and even fasting, but all the while hiding deadly sins. You are sanctified by the blood of Jesus when you first accept Him as your Lord and Savior, but over time, complacency and hidden sins can creep into your heart.
Gal. 5:19-26
Fasting sharpens the blade and sharpens the Word in your heart and in your mouth, allowing you to cut away the dead flesh and hidden sin as you set yourself apart from God.
God wants you to ask Him for things that are bigger than yourself!
What if you set yourself to diligently seek the Lord, sanctifying yourself with a fast and journey back to the spot where it all began--where He saved you, set you free, filled you with His Spirit, and called you out? I actually physically traveled to that spot, but if you cannot do that, you can go back mentally. You can recall the ancient landmark, that same simplicity, innocence and dedication with which you first responded to His voice.
Fasting will bring you into destiny. Fasting will bring you into alignment with God's plan for your life. Just as Joshua called the children of promise to sanctify themselves--I believe that, likewise, your "tomorrow" is just around the corner. God is going to do wonders in your life, leading you places you have never been before. Now is the time to fast, to seek God diligently, to sanctify yourself, to discern God's priorities, and to walk in His promises. Go for it!
I can mentally go back where I knelt down and invited Jesus into my heart but I can't go back physically. However, in March 1997, God began to work in my life and bring about some major change that I earnestly and sincerely sought Him for. I'm blessed to say that in September of this year, I will physically journey back to that very place and spot, for a personal retreat with Him and I know undoubtedly, I will not return the same. That, I believe, undoubtedly or unwaveringly. Is that a word? :)
You my friend have finished!!!! Put what you've learned to work because faith without works is DEAD!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Chapter 16-Seen but Not Heard from "Fasting" by J. Franklin
After this chapter, only one more to go and you have read directly from the book, "Fasting" by Jentezen Franklin. The stories and personal testimonies are really good, it's worth the purchase. The first passage to look up is...
2 Chron. 7:14-15
Though you do not fast to be cleansed of sin (the blood of Jesus is the only solution for sin), you should enter a fast seriously, having repented of any known sins. Fasting will even bring hidden things to the surface so you can repent.
When you fast your appearance should be normal, and you should not draw attention to your "affliction" of fasting through your actions, your treatment of others, or your temperament. Though your focus should be on your own needs, the needs of others should be on your heart as well. God said... Isa. 58:6-9
Matt. 5:14
...in our lives as children of God, our light will break forth and be apparent to others--I imagine much like the glow on the face of Moses when he descended the mountain after spending time with God.
The Lord says that when you fast, "your righteousness shall go before you" (Isa. 58:8).
Your faith, your right standing with God, will cause you to move into areas where you would not have moved if you had not fasted. Doors will open to you that were not opened before, and your influence will go out like ripples in a pond.
There are people whose lives can be forever made better because of your righteousness going forth with influence.
When you fast, Isaiah said, "The God of Israel will be your rear guard" (Isa. 52:12).
Isa. 54:17
...the devil wants fasting to remain the best-ket secret in the kingdom.
Isa. 58:10-12, KJV
In...situations you face that are just overwhelming and you don't know how to find your way through the darkness of obscurity and confusion, God will cause your light to shine on the path you are to take.
...another benefit of fasting: the Lord will guide you continually. Though the path before you may be obscure, when you fast and pray in faith, God will reward you and guide you. "Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it." (Isa. 30:21).
When you fast you begin to lay a spiritual foundation that not only affects your life, but God says you will also affect the generations to come after you. I don't just fast for myself; I fast for my children, my future grandchildren, and so on. I have laid a foundation through my devotion to God that He will build upon because He found an inroad to my family.
Fasting can end the demonic attack on your family. Fasting can break the generational curses. When you fast, you lay a new foundation of blessing that will be transferred over to your children and your children's children. "And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, teh Restorer of Streets to Dwell In." (Isa. 58:12)
Personal thought of mine after reading this chapter...
It should never be the reason we fast--to get something in return. It should stem as an act of obedience and a desire to know Him more intimately. Should HE decide to bless us because we fasted...that is gravy my friend!
2 Chron. 7:14-15
Though you do not fast to be cleansed of sin (the blood of Jesus is the only solution for sin), you should enter a fast seriously, having repented of any known sins. Fasting will even bring hidden things to the surface so you can repent.
When you fast your appearance should be normal, and you should not draw attention to your "affliction" of fasting through your actions, your treatment of others, or your temperament. Though your focus should be on your own needs, the needs of others should be on your heart as well. God said... Isa. 58:6-9
Matt. 5:14
...in our lives as children of God, our light will break forth and be apparent to others--I imagine much like the glow on the face of Moses when he descended the mountain after spending time with God.
The Lord says that when you fast, "your righteousness shall go before you" (Isa. 58:8).
Your faith, your right standing with God, will cause you to move into areas where you would not have moved if you had not fasted. Doors will open to you that were not opened before, and your influence will go out like ripples in a pond.
There are people whose lives can be forever made better because of your righteousness going forth with influence.
When you fast, Isaiah said, "The God of Israel will be your rear guard" (Isa. 52:12).
Isa. 54:17
...the devil wants fasting to remain the best-ket secret in the kingdom.
Isa. 58:10-12, KJV
In...situations you face that are just overwhelming and you don't know how to find your way through the darkness of obscurity and confusion, God will cause your light to shine on the path you are to take.
...another benefit of fasting: the Lord will guide you continually. Though the path before you may be obscure, when you fast and pray in faith, God will reward you and guide you. "Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it." (Isa. 30:21).
When you fast you begin to lay a spiritual foundation that not only affects your life, but God says you will also affect the generations to come after you. I don't just fast for myself; I fast for my children, my future grandchildren, and so on. I have laid a foundation through my devotion to God that He will build upon because He found an inroad to my family.
Fasting can end the demonic attack on your family. Fasting can break the generational curses. When you fast, you lay a new foundation of blessing that will be transferred over to your children and your children's children. "And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, teh Restorer of Streets to Dwell In." (Isa. 58:12)
Personal thought of mine after reading this chapter...
It should never be the reason we fast--to get something in return. It should stem as an act of obedience and a desire to know Him more intimately. Should HE decide to bless us because we fasted...that is gravy my friend!
Chapter 15-Is Your Blade Sharp Enough?
After this chapter, we only have two more and we've done the whole book! I hope this has been helpful to you and more importantly, with the Scriptures provided, I hope it has answered questions that you may have had regarding "Fasting."
Heb. 4:12
Dan. 1:9, 17 NASU
"In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth" (Dan. 10:2-3). The Hebrew word used here for "pleasant food" is lechem, or breads. So for 21-days, Daniel fasted all sweets, breads and meats, and drank only water.
It was soon after that fast when Daniel's encounter with teh angel of God took place along the Tigris River. Notice something very encouraging in what the angel told Daniel: his prayers had been heard in heaven from the very first day he started the fast (Dan. 10:12)!
The Daniel fast is probably one of the more common--and with good reason. It is one of the personal fasts recorded in the Bible that brought with it great favor from the Lord. For 21-days, you eat only vegetables and fruits and drink only water. No colas, burgers, Twinkies, meats, sweets, or bread. Like Daniel, it is time we set ourselves apart to seek the Lord and find understanding.
Eph. 6:10-17, NIV
Have you ever seen a military man try to fit into his uniform thirty years later? Usually, it won't even come close to buttoning down the front. When you're a soldier, you stay fit; you stay healthy, alert, and ready. Paul said we should live that way because the days are evil.
Moses fasted. Elijah fasted forty days. Paul fasted fourteen days. Jesus fasted forty days. If the children of God do not fast, how will we ever fit into the armor of God? How will we effectively wield the sword of the Spirit?
I want you to understand something: fasting and prayer sharpen the blade, which is the Word of God. When you fast, mealtimes often become study times. You become more keyed in to God's Word, and God begins to show you deeper truths. Daniel began to understand God's truths after fasting and getting alone with Him. Understanding comes from the study of God's Word!
When you fast and pray, you effectively sharpent the Word in your mouth. Instead of flippantly quoting Scripture, you now wield a powerful weapon with a powerful weapon with a razor-sharp edge that slashes the enemy when you speak.
Simply by missing some meals and setting your heart on understanding by studying God's Word, you please God, you release beauty for ashes and joy for mourning, and the garment of praise defeats the spirit of heaviness. Your praise goes forth and scatteres the enemy, you develop patience, you come in line with God's priorities, you loose angelic messengers, and you find God's right way for you and protection for your little ones. When are we going to take dominion back from King Stomach and seek diligently after teh kingdom of God in this way?
America has greatlysinned against God through abortion, homosexuality, adultery, rampant pornography, and fornication. We have no fear of God, and America is rapidlly becoming a pagan nation. Our only hope is to humble ourselves in fasting and prayer.
Daniel's fast and visitation from the angel is recorded in Daniel 10. Throughout chapter 9, Daniel cries out to the Lord on behalf of all Israel, saying over and over, "We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and rebelled...we have sinned against you" (vv. 5, 11). Daniel identified with the sin of his nation, though we see no sin that Daniel himself had committed.
We are living in importantly days and in important times. This book contains multiple testimonies of people who have received tremendous personal reward and blessing over just a few years because they teamed up with one church, one ministry here in America that corporately fasts and prays. Thankfully, churches across this country are coming to understand the importance of fasting and humbling ourselves before God.
We can humble ourselves and pray and seek His face and expect Him to hear from heaven and heal our land (2 Chron. 7:14). He heard Daniel on the very first day!
The enemy thinks you are weaker when you fast. He will try to convince you that you are dying without food--but you are not. God is preparing to breathe life into your situation to open a door to His promises.
Continual Prayer
Fasting is not a means to promote yourself. The greatest thing fasting will do for you will be to break down all of the stuff that accumulates from this world that blocks you from clear communion with the Father.
...when you are on a prolonged fast, you are praying continually. You have to make time to get away and pray, whether you feel like it or not. Fasting in and of itself is a continual prayer to God. You are praying 24-hours a day when you are fasting. If you have been fasting all day, you've been fasting all day.
Jesus said, "When you pray...when you fast...when you give..." (Matt. 6). He expects those who follow Him to do these things whether feeling a special leading or not. These things should be part of every believer's life.
When I (Jentezen) first started, I didn't start with 21-days. I just did three days, and then I built up to seven days, and then to 21-days. What I have done recently is a total fast for seven days in January and then a total fast for three days each month from February to December. That is a total of forty days over the course of a year.
As you fast, target your unsaved loved ones in prayer. Create a "hit list" of people you want to see saved. It is good to be very specific in your prayers during a fast. What is the one most critical thing you want God to do in your life? God told Habakkuk to "write the vision and make it plain" (Hab. 2:2). I dare you to write down the names of those you want to see saved, and when you fast and pray, call those names out to God. As we have seen evidenced here at Free Chapel, I believe you too will see breakthroughs like you never dreamed!
If you let it, your flesh will take over and rule your life. That is why times of fasting are so crucial to your walk with God. Fasting helps you establish dominion and authority over your flesh. "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a mand sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Gal. 6:7-9). Keep your armor fit and your bldde sharp!
Heb. 4:12
Dan. 1:9, 17 NASU
"In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth" (Dan. 10:2-3). The Hebrew word used here for "pleasant food" is lechem, or breads. So for 21-days, Daniel fasted all sweets, breads and meats, and drank only water.
It was soon after that fast when Daniel's encounter with teh angel of God took place along the Tigris River. Notice something very encouraging in what the angel told Daniel: his prayers had been heard in heaven from the very first day he started the fast (Dan. 10:12)!
The Daniel fast is probably one of the more common--and with good reason. It is one of the personal fasts recorded in the Bible that brought with it great favor from the Lord. For 21-days, you eat only vegetables and fruits and drink only water. No colas, burgers, Twinkies, meats, sweets, or bread. Like Daniel, it is time we set ourselves apart to seek the Lord and find understanding.
Eph. 6:10-17, NIV
Have you ever seen a military man try to fit into his uniform thirty years later? Usually, it won't even come close to buttoning down the front. When you're a soldier, you stay fit; you stay healthy, alert, and ready. Paul said we should live that way because the days are evil.
Moses fasted. Elijah fasted forty days. Paul fasted fourteen days. Jesus fasted forty days. If the children of God do not fast, how will we ever fit into the armor of God? How will we effectively wield the sword of the Spirit?
I want you to understand something: fasting and prayer sharpen the blade, which is the Word of God. When you fast, mealtimes often become study times. You become more keyed in to God's Word, and God begins to show you deeper truths. Daniel began to understand God's truths after fasting and getting alone with Him. Understanding comes from the study of God's Word!
When you fast and pray, you effectively sharpent the Word in your mouth. Instead of flippantly quoting Scripture, you now wield a powerful weapon with a powerful weapon with a razor-sharp edge that slashes the enemy when you speak.
Simply by missing some meals and setting your heart on understanding by studying God's Word, you please God, you release beauty for ashes and joy for mourning, and the garment of praise defeats the spirit of heaviness. Your praise goes forth and scatteres the enemy, you develop patience, you come in line with God's priorities, you loose angelic messengers, and you find God's right way for you and protection for your little ones. When are we going to take dominion back from King Stomach and seek diligently after teh kingdom of God in this way?
America has greatlysinned against God through abortion, homosexuality, adultery, rampant pornography, and fornication. We have no fear of God, and America is rapidlly becoming a pagan nation. Our only hope is to humble ourselves in fasting and prayer.
Daniel's fast and visitation from the angel is recorded in Daniel 10. Throughout chapter 9, Daniel cries out to the Lord on behalf of all Israel, saying over and over, "We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and rebelled...we have sinned against you" (vv. 5, 11). Daniel identified with the sin of his nation, though we see no sin that Daniel himself had committed.
We are living in importantly days and in important times. This book contains multiple testimonies of people who have received tremendous personal reward and blessing over just a few years because they teamed up with one church, one ministry here in America that corporately fasts and prays. Thankfully, churches across this country are coming to understand the importance of fasting and humbling ourselves before God.
We can humble ourselves and pray and seek His face and expect Him to hear from heaven and heal our land (2 Chron. 7:14). He heard Daniel on the very first day!
The enemy thinks you are weaker when you fast. He will try to convince you that you are dying without food--but you are not. God is preparing to breathe life into your situation to open a door to His promises.
Continual Prayer
Fasting is not a means to promote yourself. The greatest thing fasting will do for you will be to break down all of the stuff that accumulates from this world that blocks you from clear communion with the Father.
...when you are on a prolonged fast, you are praying continually. You have to make time to get away and pray, whether you feel like it or not. Fasting in and of itself is a continual prayer to God. You are praying 24-hours a day when you are fasting. If you have been fasting all day, you've been fasting all day.
Jesus said, "When you pray...when you fast...when you give..." (Matt. 6). He expects those who follow Him to do these things whether feeling a special leading or not. These things should be part of every believer's life.
When I (Jentezen) first started, I didn't start with 21-days. I just did three days, and then I built up to seven days, and then to 21-days. What I have done recently is a total fast for seven days in January and then a total fast for three days each month from February to December. That is a total of forty days over the course of a year.
As you fast, target your unsaved loved ones in prayer. Create a "hit list" of people you want to see saved. It is good to be very specific in your prayers during a fast. What is the one most critical thing you want God to do in your life? God told Habakkuk to "write the vision and make it plain" (Hab. 2:2). I dare you to write down the names of those you want to see saved, and when you fast and pray, call those names out to God. As we have seen evidenced here at Free Chapel, I believe you too will see breakthroughs like you never dreamed!
If you let it, your flesh will take over and rule your life. That is why times of fasting are so crucial to your walk with God. Fasting helps you establish dominion and authority over your flesh. "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a mand sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart" (Gal. 6:7-9). Keep your armor fit and your bldde sharp!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Chapter 14-For the Little Ones from "Fasting" by J. Franklin
It's hard to believe we are already on chapter 14 and there's only 17 chapters in the whole book. I actually finished the book last night so that I could begin reading, "Life's Healing Choices."
By now you all know that everything in italics is directly from the book so go ahead and open your Bible to Ps. 48:12-14, the passages are a MUST! ;)
Ezra 8:21-23, KJV
We fast because we need to know the right way for our lives.
We do not need to be confused as to our future or the choices before us. Fast, seek His face, and have faith that He will guide you. It is biblical to fast and seek God for the right direction for your life.
Fasting with prayer just seems to open a different frequency in God's ear!
The Unblushables
I ask you, who is fasting for the protection of our little ones in this age?
Today, fasting has all but disappeared from regular Christian discipline. We have more media availability for preaching that ever before, yet sin and repentance are seldom preached.
Today, our little ones are exposed to every kind of perversion and danger with a click of a button--be it TV, Internet, cell phones, or just a stroll through the local mall.
Jer. 6:15-16, NIV
In an age where gay and lesbian experimentation is considered normal on campuses, when oral sex and every type of perversion imaginable is just winked at (kids call that "technical virginity" now), when sexual affairs before and after marriage are totally acceptable, our little ones are positioned to be an unblushable generation. Already they are becoming so familiar with sin that when they see immodest filth, they giggle when they should instead blush and turn away.
We need to learn to trust the reliability of Scripture when things get crazy.
We have the opportunity to stand up like Ezra, to declare a holy fast for our children (Ezra 8:21), and to seek the Lord for the right way to lead this generation.
God's promises are your "gauges" when teh storm of life rages.
James 4:6-10, NIV
I want you to understand that you are not "twisting God's arm" when you go on a fast. You are not going to make God do anything He does not want to do. What you are actually doing is positioning yourself and preparing your heart for what is to come. If you are willing to seek Him, He will be willing to give.
Any time you fast, it is a hunger strike against hell. Fasting is an extreme in-your-face statement to the devil--that same deceiver who used food to tempt Adam and Ever to sin.
When we fast, we are effectively going on a hunger strike against hell to say, "Loose those who are bound by deception, lies, alcohol, drugs, pornography, false religion, etc!"
It is time for parents to stand up like Ezra and fast, seeking God for His right way and for His protection over this generation. Our little ones are waiting.
Have a great day everyone!
By now you all know that everything in italics is directly from the book so go ahead and open your Bible to Ps. 48:12-14, the passages are a MUST! ;)
Ezra 8:21-23, KJV
We fast because we need to know the right way for our lives.
We do not need to be confused as to our future or the choices before us. Fast, seek His face, and have faith that He will guide you. It is biblical to fast and seek God for the right direction for your life.
Fasting with prayer just seems to open a different frequency in God's ear!
The Unblushables
I ask you, who is fasting for the protection of our little ones in this age?
Today, fasting has all but disappeared from regular Christian discipline. We have more media availability for preaching that ever before, yet sin and repentance are seldom preached.
Today, our little ones are exposed to every kind of perversion and danger with a click of a button--be it TV, Internet, cell phones, or just a stroll through the local mall.
Jer. 6:15-16, NIV
In an age where gay and lesbian experimentation is considered normal on campuses, when oral sex and every type of perversion imaginable is just winked at (kids call that "technical virginity" now), when sexual affairs before and after marriage are totally acceptable, our little ones are positioned to be an unblushable generation. Already they are becoming so familiar with sin that when they see immodest filth, they giggle when they should instead blush and turn away.
We need to learn to trust the reliability of Scripture when things get crazy.
We have the opportunity to stand up like Ezra, to declare a holy fast for our children (Ezra 8:21), and to seek the Lord for the right way to lead this generation.
God's promises are your "gauges" when teh storm of life rages.
James 4:6-10, NIV
I want you to understand that you are not "twisting God's arm" when you go on a fast. You are not going to make God do anything He does not want to do. What you are actually doing is positioning yourself and preparing your heart for what is to come. If you are willing to seek Him, He will be willing to give.
Any time you fast, it is a hunger strike against hell. Fasting is an extreme in-your-face statement to the devil--that same deceiver who used food to tempt Adam and Ever to sin.
When we fast, we are effectively going on a hunger strike against hell to say, "Loose those who are bound by deception, lies, alcohol, drugs, pornography, false religion, etc!"
It is time for parents to stand up like Ezra and fast, seeking God for His right way and for His protection over this generation. Our little ones are waiting.
Have a great day everyone!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Chapter 13- God's Priorities from "Fasting" by J. Franklin
Rom. 8:27-28
It seems unnecessary to begin this chapter by pointing out how God's priorities are seldom our priorities.
Isa. 55:9, NIV
How do we free ourselves from our own desires in order to know His will? Well, I can tell you from firsthand experience that fasting causes you to take that sword of God's Word and separate what you "want" from what you "need."
There is no higher authority that to know the heart of God for a situation you are facing.
Heb. 4:11-13
Fasting, praying and feeding on the Word of God puts that sword in your hand and positions you to discern the difference between your thoughts and God's thoughts.
Acts 10:30-31
Cornelius was fasting and praying. He was diligently seeking God when that angel came to tell him that his diligence was about to be greatly rewarded. Fasting puts you in the mainstream of God's priorities.
Exodus 13:11-12
Throughout Scriptures, God makes it clear that the firsts--firstlings of flocks, firstfruits of harvest, firstborn males of families--all belong to Him.
Go Vertical
People want and need to be connected in relationships. That need to be connected is evidenced in the church by home groups and a greater emphasis on community. While that is good, if we're not careful, we can become too horizontally focused and not sufficiently vertically focused. Church right now, for the most part in the Western world, particularly in America, is all about me;" I want my needs met. Bless me; teach me; help me." While those are legitimate needs and desires, we must keep in mind that the cross has two beams: one is horizontal, but the other is vertical.
Fasting turns your priorities more vertical and more in line with God's desires.
Matt. 21:12-13
That doesn't mean that when you fast, you don't have specific needs and desires of your own for which you are seeking God. Indeed, you should fast for a specific purpose. However, I believe that as you continue on a prolonged fast, the true cry of your heart becomes; "More of You, God, and less of me." When you put Him first, all else is added.
1 Thes. 5:23
God's priority is concern for you spirit first, your soul second, and your body third. We get that totally backward, always focusing on our bodies first and our spirits last.
"Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?" (Matt. 6:25)
According to God's principle of "first things," what you put first will order the rest. When you put your spirit first, you serve the things of the Holy Spirit rather than teh desires of the flesh. As a result, your mind, will, emotions, as well as your physical body and health will fall in line according to the Spirit's leading.
Rom. 8:13
Another area that too frequently becomes out of order has to do with reconciliation and public worship.
Matt. 5:23
First be reconciled. God desires our public and corporate worship. However, those public acts of worship do not fix our private acts of strife, contention, and unforgiveness.
Fasting allows the Holy Spirit to come in...He can begin to dig up stuff that needs to come out of your spirit. You have to get out that first offense you stored up years ago, and sometimes, you will have to dig for a long time.
What else does the Lord expect us to keep first?
Matt. 23:25-26
Jesus was teaching the people to obey the laws of God taught by the Pharisees, but He instructed the crowd not to do as the Pharisees did. They had gone overboard into legalism, and in their extremes, had gotten things out of order.
Fasting will cause you to get the crud out, cleaning the inside, which will then make the outside clean.
Matt. 7:1-5
Before you will be ready to perceive wrong in someone else's life, you first need to do a little self-examination of your own life. Hypocrisy is judging somebody else when there is something worse going on in you.
Gal. 6:1-3
Sometimes we need to remember that someone may be out of joint, but they are not out of the body of Christ. When saints get out of joint, they need tender hands. They need trained hands to reset and restore them.
Matt. 6:31-33, NIV
Luke 21:34, KJV
What would your answer be if the Lord asked you, "Do you remember the last time you were lovesick for Me?" When we are so lovesick for our first love, fasting is easy.
So I ask you, do you remember the last time you walked away from a meal because you were so preoccupied with your first love that the food was of no interest? Have you experienced seasons when it felt like the Bridegroom was distant? You just don't sense His presence as close as yo once did. You have no heart for worship and you lack the excitement and childlike enthusiasm you once had for spiritual things. Perhaps it is time to stop the busyness of your everyday life and declare a fast, a season of lovesickness to restore the passion of your first love back to its proper place in your life. When you fast, everything slows down. The days seem longer. The nights seem longer, but in teh quietness of seeking, you will find Him whom your heart desires.
WOW, sure does put things in perspective, huh?
It seems unnecessary to begin this chapter by pointing out how God's priorities are seldom our priorities.
Isa. 55:9, NIV
How do we free ourselves from our own desires in order to know His will? Well, I can tell you from firsthand experience that fasting causes you to take that sword of God's Word and separate what you "want" from what you "need."
There is no higher authority that to know the heart of God for a situation you are facing.
Heb. 4:11-13
Fasting, praying and feeding on the Word of God puts that sword in your hand and positions you to discern the difference between your thoughts and God's thoughts.
Acts 10:30-31
Cornelius was fasting and praying. He was diligently seeking God when that angel came to tell him that his diligence was about to be greatly rewarded. Fasting puts you in the mainstream of God's priorities.
Exodus 13:11-12
Throughout Scriptures, God makes it clear that the firsts--firstlings of flocks, firstfruits of harvest, firstborn males of families--all belong to Him.
Go Vertical
People want and need to be connected in relationships. That need to be connected is evidenced in the church by home groups and a greater emphasis on community. While that is good, if we're not careful, we can become too horizontally focused and not sufficiently vertically focused. Church right now, for the most part in the Western world, particularly in America, is all about me;" I want my needs met. Bless me; teach me; help me." While those are legitimate needs and desires, we must keep in mind that the cross has two beams: one is horizontal, but the other is vertical.
Fasting turns your priorities more vertical and more in line with God's desires.
Matt. 21:12-13
That doesn't mean that when you fast, you don't have specific needs and desires of your own for which you are seeking God. Indeed, you should fast for a specific purpose. However, I believe that as you continue on a prolonged fast, the true cry of your heart becomes; "More of You, God, and less of me." When you put Him first, all else is added.
1 Thes. 5:23
God's priority is concern for you spirit first, your soul second, and your body third. We get that totally backward, always focusing on our bodies first and our spirits last.
"Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?" (Matt. 6:25)
According to God's principle of "first things," what you put first will order the rest. When you put your spirit first, you serve the things of the Holy Spirit rather than teh desires of the flesh. As a result, your mind, will, emotions, as well as your physical body and health will fall in line according to the Spirit's leading.
Rom. 8:13
Another area that too frequently becomes out of order has to do with reconciliation and public worship.
Matt. 5:23
First be reconciled. God desires our public and corporate worship. However, those public acts of worship do not fix our private acts of strife, contention, and unforgiveness.
Fasting allows the Holy Spirit to come in...He can begin to dig up stuff that needs to come out of your spirit. You have to get out that first offense you stored up years ago, and sometimes, you will have to dig for a long time.
What else does the Lord expect us to keep first?
Matt. 23:25-26
Jesus was teaching the people to obey the laws of God taught by the Pharisees, but He instructed the crowd not to do as the Pharisees did. They had gone overboard into legalism, and in their extremes, had gotten things out of order.
Fasting will cause you to get the crud out, cleaning the inside, which will then make the outside clean.
Matt. 7:1-5
Before you will be ready to perceive wrong in someone else's life, you first need to do a little self-examination of your own life. Hypocrisy is judging somebody else when there is something worse going on in you.
Gal. 6:1-3
Sometimes we need to remember that someone may be out of joint, but they are not out of the body of Christ. When saints get out of joint, they need tender hands. They need trained hands to reset and restore them.
Matt. 6:31-33, NIV
Luke 21:34, KJV
What would your answer be if the Lord asked you, "Do you remember the last time you were lovesick for Me?" When we are so lovesick for our first love, fasting is easy.
So I ask you, do you remember the last time you walked away from a meal because you were so preoccupied with your first love that the food was of no interest? Have you experienced seasons when it felt like the Bridegroom was distant? You just don't sense His presence as close as yo once did. You have no heart for worship and you lack the excitement and childlike enthusiasm you once had for spiritual things. Perhaps it is time to stop the busyness of your everyday life and declare a fast, a season of lovesickness to restore the passion of your first love back to its proper place in your life. When you fast, everything slows down. The days seem longer. The nights seem longer, but in teh quietness of seeking, you will find Him whom your heart desires.
WOW, sure does put things in perspective, huh?
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Chapter 12-Fasting, Faith and Patience "Fasting" by Jentezen Franklin
Sorry for the delay in Chapter 12. I started it yesterday but was unable to finish it before I had to get on with the day. Don't forget to READ THE PASSAGES PROVIDED and if you are just joining in on the blog, everything in italics is coming directly from this book. I decided to do this since everyone doesn't have time to read a whole book and for those who are interested in learning more about fasting.
Col. 1:10-12
The mountains you face seem so big, but you take that tiny seed of faith, plant it into that mountain, and wait. Faith and patience must go together.
I've heard people say they just couldn't make it past a day or so on a fast because they got discouraged. They listened to their flesh instead of continuing in faith and felt worse than when they started. What happened to walking by faith and not by sight?
Matt. 17:20, NIV
I encourage you to meditate on this scritpure for a while and not just pass over it as familiar territory. People facing major obstacles usually believe they need "great faith" to overcome them, but that isn't what Jesus said. He said "nothing" would be impossible to us--not if we had great faith--but if we had faith like the smallest seed.
We need to stop measuring our faith by the size of the problem.
When Pepeter tried to walk on water, he made it only a few steps because he took his eyes off Jesus and fear dragged him down.
Matt. 14:31
Heb. 13:7, NIV
As I asked before, if our Lord fasted, why would we think that we should not fast? There is no record of Jesus ever healing anyone until He returned from the 40 days of fating that launched His earthly ministry...If Jesus did not begin to minister before fasting, how can we?
There may be times when you are fasting and praying and standing in faith, yet you still do not sense that anything is happened. There's no "sprout" showing through the dirt.
Ps. 35:13-14, 27-28 (In this psalm, David had not yet received an answer to his prayer, yet he was able to wait in faith, proclaiming the praises of God.)
The Lord will reward your diligence; His delight is in the prosperity--the wholeness--of His children.
Do not let the enemy drag you down with discouragement. Remember, God gives you the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Sometimes you will not feel like praying when you are fasting, but pray anyway. You will be amazed how God will show up and it will be like all of heaven has come down and glory has filled your soul.
Heb. 11:1
Remember the faith of Abraham? It was credited to him as righteousness--because He believed God.
When you believe God for something, you are exercising faith, which pleases Him? Are you dreaming the dreams of God for your life and your family? Are you believing Him for those things--those evidences to come to pass?
Col. 1:10-12
The mountains you face seem so big, but you take that tiny seed of faith, plant it into that mountain, and wait. Faith and patience must go together.
I've heard people say they just couldn't make it past a day or so on a fast because they got discouraged. They listened to their flesh instead of continuing in faith and felt worse than when they started. What happened to walking by faith and not by sight?
Matt. 17:20, NIV
I encourage you to meditate on this scritpure for a while and not just pass over it as familiar territory. People facing major obstacles usually believe they need "great faith" to overcome them, but that isn't what Jesus said. He said "nothing" would be impossible to us--not if we had great faith--but if we had faith like the smallest seed.
We need to stop measuring our faith by the size of the problem.
When Pepeter tried to walk on water, he made it only a few steps because he took his eyes off Jesus and fear dragged him down.
Matt. 14:31
Heb. 13:7, NIV
As I asked before, if our Lord fasted, why would we think that we should not fast? There is no record of Jesus ever healing anyone until He returned from the 40 days of fating that launched His earthly ministry...If Jesus did not begin to minister before fasting, how can we?
There may be times when you are fasting and praying and standing in faith, yet you still do not sense that anything is happened. There's no "sprout" showing through the dirt.
Ps. 35:13-14, 27-28 (In this psalm, David had not yet received an answer to his prayer, yet he was able to wait in faith, proclaiming the praises of God.)
The Lord will reward your diligence; His delight is in the prosperity--the wholeness--of His children.
Do not let the enemy drag you down with discouragement. Remember, God gives you the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Sometimes you will not feel like praying when you are fasting, but pray anyway. You will be amazed how God will show up and it will be like all of heaven has come down and glory has filled your soul.
Heb. 11:1
Remember the faith of Abraham? It was credited to him as righteousness--because He believed God.
When you believe God for something, you are exercising faith, which pleases Him? Are you dreaming the dreams of God for your life and your family? Are you believing Him for those things--those evidences to come to pass?
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Chapter 11-Garment of Praise - "Fasting" by J. Franklin
I wish I could write this whole chapter but time will not permit. He shares some wonderful stories. I'm trying to keep the focus on the principle of fasting, itself. Don't forget if you are just joining the blog...read the passages. They are not up for discussion...it is what it is and says what it means! These are notes taken directly out of Jentezen's book, everything in italics.
Ps. 121:1-4
When you are on a fast, you usually do not feel like celebrating. It is a time to press into God, to seek Him, and forsake the things of the flesh. Within hours of beginning a fast, you may find that food is the first thing on your mind (right before your stomach begins to growl).
Matt. 5:4
Isaiah 61:2-3
Are there "burnt out" experiences in your life--ugly reminders of past hurts and failed dreams? Don't throw away the ashes. God will give you beauty for ashes. He will give you the anointing of His presence, which is the oil of joy for your mourning.
Fasting Breaks the Spirit of Heaviness
The spirit of heaviness has to do with despondency, depression, and oppression. Americans use drinking, smoking, drugs, medications, overeating, and other harmful behaviors to try to lift the spirit of heaviness. Instead of looking for more stuff to put into our bodies to east the pain, we should fast and seek the God who gives us a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that afflicts so many.
Heaviness drains worship out of your life. God desires our praise more than our mere church attendance. That is not to say we should forsake assembling together as a corporate body. But our times together, just as our times alone, should be to glorify and praise our aswesome, mighty God. Praise pushes back the enemy!
2 Chron. 20:2-3, 12,14,17, 20-22
Jehoshaphat could have died under the spirit of heaviness. The scriptures says that he "feared," but he only paused a moment there. He immediately set himself and all the people of Judah to seek the Lord through fasting and prayer.
There is power in corporate fasting and power in corporate praise! It is time to exchange ashes for beautiful, mourning for joy, and a garment of heaviness for a garment of praise.
What Eating Accomplishes
A friend called me just as we were about to begin the corporate fast. To my surprise he said, "I feel so sorry for you." He actually felt sorry for me because I was about to lay down food for the joy of seeking the Lord for twenty-one days. I replied, "Don't feel sorry for me. In fact, I feel sorry for you." Then I challenged him: "I'll make a deal with you. God ahead and eat your food for the next twenty-one days. We will compare notes at the end of the year to see if the food you ate accomplished for you what fasting for the next 21-days accomplished for me." As evidenced in Daniel 1:15, eating does not accomplish what fasting does.
No matter what is going on in your life right now, you can set yourself to fasting and praying to seek the God who sees you as having great worth. Don't believe the lies of the enemy. Don't sink further under the spirit of heaviness. God has a garment of praise for you. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. As you fast, you will begin to see yourself through His eyes.
I want me a garment of praise, don't you?!
Be blessed and have a wonderful day.
Ps. 121:1-4
When you are on a fast, you usually do not feel like celebrating. It is a time to press into God, to seek Him, and forsake the things of the flesh. Within hours of beginning a fast, you may find that food is the first thing on your mind (right before your stomach begins to growl).
Matt. 5:4
Isaiah 61:2-3
Are there "burnt out" experiences in your life--ugly reminders of past hurts and failed dreams? Don't throw away the ashes. God will give you beauty for ashes. He will give you the anointing of His presence, which is the oil of joy for your mourning.
Fasting Breaks the Spirit of Heaviness
The spirit of heaviness has to do with despondency, depression, and oppression. Americans use drinking, smoking, drugs, medications, overeating, and other harmful behaviors to try to lift the spirit of heaviness. Instead of looking for more stuff to put into our bodies to east the pain, we should fast and seek the God who gives us a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that afflicts so many.
Heaviness drains worship out of your life. God desires our praise more than our mere church attendance. That is not to say we should forsake assembling together as a corporate body. But our times together, just as our times alone, should be to glorify and praise our aswesome, mighty God. Praise pushes back the enemy!
2 Chron. 20:2-3, 12,14,17, 20-22
Jehoshaphat could have died under the spirit of heaviness. The scriptures says that he "feared," but he only paused a moment there. He immediately set himself and all the people of Judah to seek the Lord through fasting and prayer.
There is power in corporate fasting and power in corporate praise! It is time to exchange ashes for beautiful, mourning for joy, and a garment of heaviness for a garment of praise.
What Eating Accomplishes
A friend called me just as we were about to begin the corporate fast. To my surprise he said, "I feel so sorry for you." He actually felt sorry for me because I was about to lay down food for the joy of seeking the Lord for twenty-one days. I replied, "Don't feel sorry for me. In fact, I feel sorry for you." Then I challenged him: "I'll make a deal with you. God ahead and eat your food for the next twenty-one days. We will compare notes at the end of the year to see if the food you ate accomplished for you what fasting for the next 21-days accomplished for me." As evidenced in Daniel 1:15, eating does not accomplish what fasting does.
No matter what is going on in your life right now, you can set yourself to fasting and praying to seek the God who sees you as having great worth. Don't believe the lies of the enemy. Don't sink further under the spirit of heaviness. God has a garment of praise for you. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. As you fast, you will begin to see yourself through His eyes.
I want me a garment of praise, don't you?!
Be blessed and have a wonderful day.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Chapter 10-He Pleased God from "Fasting" by J. Franklin
Heb. 11:39-40
I have found that hungering and thirsting for God brings with it a much greater reward than satisfying the temporary hunger I may be experiencing in my body.
Anna..."a widow of about 84 years (of age), who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day" (Luke 2:37). That just goes to show you that you are never too old to fast. Anna had a hunger for God's Word that was greater than her hunger for food, and her faithfulness in fasting prepared her for what was about to happen.
After Jesus' birth, Joseph and Mary brought their tiny infant to the temple to be dedicated as the firstborn Son...Anna saw Him and instantly gave thanks to God. She then began telling all who looked for the redemption of Israel about the tiny baby who was the long-awaited Messiah (Luke 2:38). Imagine that--a new calling on her life at 84-years old!
Although fasting doesn't get any easier with age, it does get easier with grace. When the Holy Spirit calls you to fast, He is preparing you for what is ahead. Fasting requires faith. As Jesus said, "Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matt. 5:6, KJV)
Believe God
Heb. 11:1, 5-6 (KJV)
Gen. 5:22 says that Enoch "walked with God" for 300 years! Notice that Enoch did not try to please people. In fact, Jude records that Enoch prophesied in a manner that would have made him very unpopular with the party crowd (Jude 14-15). Enoch's primary concern was walking in faith, which is what pleases God. According to Heb. 11:6, it is reasonable to say that Enoch came to God, he believed God, he diligently sough God, and he was rewarded.
If you want to please God, believe God. Take Him at His Word.
"We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego walked by faith and not by sight. The three of them joined Daniel in his initial fast from the king's delicacies. Think about what they saw on their way into that furnace. It had been heated seven times hotter than normal. If they had walked by sight, they would have said, "Today we shall surely be ashes." Instead, by faith, they walked on saying, "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from teh burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king" (Dan. 3:17). Faith is the evidence of things unseen.
Hunger for the Word
Where does the kind of faith that enables you to look at God and believe His Word no matter how grave your circumstances may appear come from?
"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17) See Amp version!
It is by hearing God's Word, by hearing the preaching of the gospel, that faith increases. There is something about getting in a church where the anointing flows and you hear the Word of God preached. Faith comes when you hear a man or woman of God preach the Word without compromise to all who will listen. That is the birthplace of faith.
Too many Christians find that they are malnourished in the Word but well fed on the world, and they live defeated lives as a result. God's Word to Adam and Eve was, "In the day that you eat of it you will surely die" (Gen. 2:17). Yet Eve acted on teh wisdom of the world that was spoken by the serpent instead of walking away in faith that God's Word was true.
Jesus was tempted by the same voice that had so cunningly whispered to Eve. Yet Jesus responded, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4). What had Jesus heard just before beginning that time of fasting?
Matt. 3:17, KJV
The Word of God sustained Him through 40-days and nights without food.
How I wish the body of Christ today had that same kind of hunger for God's Word. We need to understand Jesus's words when He said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away" (Mark 13:31)
1 Sam. 17:34-35
Diligence
We must diligently feed on God's Word. Sometimes the best thing we can possibly do is starve our flesh and feed our spirit through a fast. Fasting helps you separate what you want from what you need.
...fasting allows you many opportunities to diligently seek the Lord! You dilgently seek Him when everyone else is going out to teh movies, drinking sodas, and eating popcorn and you choose to stay home to be with teh Lord because you just have to hear from Him.
It comes when you're at work and everyone else is having burgers, fries, and shakes for lunch, but you are having bottled water! Diligence is when you come home from a long, hard day at work, and all you have had all day is water, yet you separate yourself from teh dinner table to feed on the Word.
To be diligent is to be persistent. It means to work hard in doing something and refusing to stop.
Faith is progressive. Faith never gets into a bad situation and says, "I'm just going to sit here and die. It's over." Faith never stands in teh desert, having a pity party with everything drying up around it. You walk by faith. You don't stand still, drowning in your misery.
When you get into battles, you have to keep saying, "I will move forward."
Reward
God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6), which means HE has already laid up rewards for you in heaven. The Bible tells us that if we seek, we will find.
He shares many testimonies of those members in his church who began their year out with the 21-day fast.
One year, at the end of the 21-day fast, a couple walked up to me and handed me a bundle of official papers. Puzzled, I opened them up to see the word DISMISSED stamped in bold black letters. After that, I read the words, The Superior Court of Gwinnett County, State of Georgia, Final Judgment and Decree of Divorce." The couple standing before me had been struggling in their marriage for a year, but during that fast, the season of setting everything else aside and diligently seeking God, a miracle happened! Unity replaced division, and the divorce was dismissed. The devil thought he'd racked up another statisticfor Christian divorces--but God is a rewarder!
The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came that we might have life more abundantly (John 10:10). He rewards all who diligently seek Him in faith, because faith is what pleases God.
Are you finding it hard NOT to fast every day that you read an entry?
I have found that hungering and thirsting for God brings with it a much greater reward than satisfying the temporary hunger I may be experiencing in my body.
Anna..."a widow of about 84 years (of age), who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day" (Luke 2:37). That just goes to show you that you are never too old to fast. Anna had a hunger for God's Word that was greater than her hunger for food, and her faithfulness in fasting prepared her for what was about to happen.
After Jesus' birth, Joseph and Mary brought their tiny infant to the temple to be dedicated as the firstborn Son...Anna saw Him and instantly gave thanks to God. She then began telling all who looked for the redemption of Israel about the tiny baby who was the long-awaited Messiah (Luke 2:38). Imagine that--a new calling on her life at 84-years old!
Although fasting doesn't get any easier with age, it does get easier with grace. When the Holy Spirit calls you to fast, He is preparing you for what is ahead. Fasting requires faith. As Jesus said, "Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matt. 5:6, KJV)
Believe God
Heb. 11:1, 5-6 (KJV)
Gen. 5:22 says that Enoch "walked with God" for 300 years! Notice that Enoch did not try to please people. In fact, Jude records that Enoch prophesied in a manner that would have made him very unpopular with the party crowd (Jude 14-15). Enoch's primary concern was walking in faith, which is what pleases God. According to Heb. 11:6, it is reasonable to say that Enoch came to God, he believed God, he diligently sough God, and he was rewarded.
If you want to please God, believe God. Take Him at His Word.
"We walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7). Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego walked by faith and not by sight. The three of them joined Daniel in his initial fast from the king's delicacies. Think about what they saw on their way into that furnace. It had been heated seven times hotter than normal. If they had walked by sight, they would have said, "Today we shall surely be ashes." Instead, by faith, they walked on saying, "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from teh burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king" (Dan. 3:17). Faith is the evidence of things unseen.
Hunger for the Word
Where does the kind of faith that enables you to look at God and believe His Word no matter how grave your circumstances may appear come from?
"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17) See Amp version!
It is by hearing God's Word, by hearing the preaching of the gospel, that faith increases. There is something about getting in a church where the anointing flows and you hear the Word of God preached. Faith comes when you hear a man or woman of God preach the Word without compromise to all who will listen. That is the birthplace of faith.
Too many Christians find that they are malnourished in the Word but well fed on the world, and they live defeated lives as a result. God's Word to Adam and Eve was, "In the day that you eat of it you will surely die" (Gen. 2:17). Yet Eve acted on teh wisdom of the world that was spoken by the serpent instead of walking away in faith that God's Word was true.
Jesus was tempted by the same voice that had so cunningly whispered to Eve. Yet Jesus responded, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4). What had Jesus heard just before beginning that time of fasting?
Matt. 3:17, KJV
The Word of God sustained Him through 40-days and nights without food.
How I wish the body of Christ today had that same kind of hunger for God's Word. We need to understand Jesus's words when He said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away" (Mark 13:31)
1 Sam. 17:34-35
Diligence
We must diligently feed on God's Word. Sometimes the best thing we can possibly do is starve our flesh and feed our spirit through a fast. Fasting helps you separate what you want from what you need.
...fasting allows you many opportunities to diligently seek the Lord! You dilgently seek Him when everyone else is going out to teh movies, drinking sodas, and eating popcorn and you choose to stay home to be with teh Lord because you just have to hear from Him.
It comes when you're at work and everyone else is having burgers, fries, and shakes for lunch, but you are having bottled water! Diligence is when you come home from a long, hard day at work, and all you have had all day is water, yet you separate yourself from teh dinner table to feed on the Word.
To be diligent is to be persistent. It means to work hard in doing something and refusing to stop.
Faith is progressive. Faith never gets into a bad situation and says, "I'm just going to sit here and die. It's over." Faith never stands in teh desert, having a pity party with everything drying up around it. You walk by faith. You don't stand still, drowning in your misery.
When you get into battles, you have to keep saying, "I will move forward."
Reward
God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6), which means HE has already laid up rewards for you in heaven. The Bible tells us that if we seek, we will find.
He shares many testimonies of those members in his church who began their year out with the 21-day fast.
One year, at the end of the 21-day fast, a couple walked up to me and handed me a bundle of official papers. Puzzled, I opened them up to see the word DISMISSED stamped in bold black letters. After that, I read the words, The Superior Court of Gwinnett County, State of Georgia, Final Judgment and Decree of Divorce." The couple standing before me had been struggling in their marriage for a year, but during that fast, the season of setting everything else aside and diligently seeking God, a miracle happened! Unity replaced division, and the divorce was dismissed. The devil thought he'd racked up another statisticfor Christian divorces--but God is a rewarder!
The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy, but Jesus came that we might have life more abundantly (John 10:10). He rewards all who diligently seek Him in faith, because faith is what pleases God.
Are you finding it hard NOT to fast every day that you read an entry?
Section 2-Opening a Door to God's Promises- "Fasting" by J.Franklin
We are beginning Section 2 today (pg. 109 of 237). Please be sure and read the scriptures that I list. In the passages is where we'll find truth, strength and direction for our lives. Reminder...what is in "italics" is coming directly from this book.
Why Is It So Hard?
It is still amazing to me that food was teh enticement used to cause Adam and Eve to sin, resulting in the fall of mankind. I find it equally interesting that Jesus began His earthly ministry--to redeem us from sin--by abstaining from food.
Matt. 3:16-4:11
The first thing Jesus felt in His earthly ministry for you and me was hunger. The last thing that He felt on this earth was thirst as the Lord of glory hung dying on a cruel cross, according to John 19:28.
Why does the body of Christ have such a hard time with the discipline of fasting?
Matt. 4:3 (KJV)
The enemy tried repeatedly to cause Jesus to focus on the desire for food rather than on the assignment and the purposes of the Father, but Jesus knew that the sanctification is an essential key to opening a door of God's blessings.
I was 18 years old when I went on my first complete 21-day fast. It was one of the most difficult things I had ever done. Fasting is never easy. Jesus understands the difficulty of depriving ourselves of food. In Heb. 4:15 we read, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." He also provides strength for us to overcome temptation in Heb. 4:16. "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Before the next paragraph, (I'm paraphrasing here) Jentezen explains why he feels that giving up TV, computer games, Internet, etc. is not really a fast. This may be controversial to some. I'm not trying to start a fight of any kind so I chose to leave it out. He feels if those things are interfering with your prayer life or with your study of God's Word or your ministering to the needs of others, it's good to put them aside but he doesn't feel that it is "fasting."
When you fast, you abstain from food for spiritual purposes. Fasting is doing without food for a period of time, which generally causes you to leave the commotion of normal activity. Part of the sacrifice of fasting, seeking God, and studying His Word is that normal activity fades into the background.
There are wrong reasons to fast. You do not fast to obtain merit with God or to get rid of sin. However, fasting will begin to bring to the surface any areas of compromise in your life and make you more aware of any sin in your own life so you can repent.
Fasting is not a Christian diet. You should not fast to lose weight, although weight loss is a normal side effect. Unless you put prayer with your fasting, there is no need to fast. When you fast, you focus on prayer and on God's Word.
A fast is not an opportunity to show others how deeply spiritual you are, but an opportunity to focus on the needs of others. The world hunger movement has a program called "Let it Growl," a world hunger and awareness fast. During this fast, when participants feel the hunger pangs rise up and their stomachs begin to growl, they remember that one-third of the people in this world go to bed with that same feeling every night because they have no food.
When you enter into a fast at the beginning of the year with the body of Christ, you link up with thousands of people all over the world who also begin the New Year with a fast. One person fasting is powerful, but when a group of people begin to fast, it is multiplied strength! It is multiplied power!
You have been deceived if you believe Christians are not supposed to fast. God expects every one of us to fast--not just some of us. In Matt. 6 HE names 3 things that Christians do: "When you pray..." "When you give..." and "When you fast."
Matt. 6:31-33
You can always find a reason not to fast, so you have to make up your mind that you are going to do it, and everything else will take care of itself. If you will determine to set apart the first days of the year to fast, you will set the course for the entire coming year, and God will add blessings to your life all year long. Just as you set the course of your day by meeting with god in the first hours, the same is true of dedicating the first days of the year to fasting.
Since we don't know who all is participating in these blog entries, will you just stop and pray for yourself and all those who are reading this, asking God to give us wisdom concerning fasting and with the desire to be obedient to fast?
Have a wonderful day!
Why Is It So Hard?
It is still amazing to me that food was teh enticement used to cause Adam and Eve to sin, resulting in the fall of mankind. I find it equally interesting that Jesus began His earthly ministry--to redeem us from sin--by abstaining from food.
Matt. 3:16-4:11
The first thing Jesus felt in His earthly ministry for you and me was hunger. The last thing that He felt on this earth was thirst as the Lord of glory hung dying on a cruel cross, according to John 19:28.
Why does the body of Christ have such a hard time with the discipline of fasting?
Matt. 4:3 (KJV)
The enemy tried repeatedly to cause Jesus to focus on the desire for food rather than on the assignment and the purposes of the Father, but Jesus knew that the sanctification is an essential key to opening a door of God's blessings.
I was 18 years old when I went on my first complete 21-day fast. It was one of the most difficult things I had ever done. Fasting is never easy. Jesus understands the difficulty of depriving ourselves of food. In Heb. 4:15 we read, "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." He also provides strength for us to overcome temptation in Heb. 4:16. "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
Before the next paragraph, (I'm paraphrasing here) Jentezen explains why he feels that giving up TV, computer games, Internet, etc. is not really a fast. This may be controversial to some. I'm not trying to start a fight of any kind so I chose to leave it out. He feels if those things are interfering with your prayer life or with your study of God's Word or your ministering to the needs of others, it's good to put them aside but he doesn't feel that it is "fasting."
When you fast, you abstain from food for spiritual purposes. Fasting is doing without food for a period of time, which generally causes you to leave the commotion of normal activity. Part of the sacrifice of fasting, seeking God, and studying His Word is that normal activity fades into the background.
There are wrong reasons to fast. You do not fast to obtain merit with God or to get rid of sin. However, fasting will begin to bring to the surface any areas of compromise in your life and make you more aware of any sin in your own life so you can repent.
Fasting is not a Christian diet. You should not fast to lose weight, although weight loss is a normal side effect. Unless you put prayer with your fasting, there is no need to fast. When you fast, you focus on prayer and on God's Word.
A fast is not an opportunity to show others how deeply spiritual you are, but an opportunity to focus on the needs of others. The world hunger movement has a program called "Let it Growl," a world hunger and awareness fast. During this fast, when participants feel the hunger pangs rise up and their stomachs begin to growl, they remember that one-third of the people in this world go to bed with that same feeling every night because they have no food.
When you enter into a fast at the beginning of the year with the body of Christ, you link up with thousands of people all over the world who also begin the New Year with a fast. One person fasting is powerful, but when a group of people begin to fast, it is multiplied strength! It is multiplied power!
You have been deceived if you believe Christians are not supposed to fast. God expects every one of us to fast--not just some of us. In Matt. 6 HE names 3 things that Christians do: "When you pray..." "When you give..." and "When you fast."
Matt. 6:31-33
You can always find a reason not to fast, so you have to make up your mind that you are going to do it, and everything else will take care of itself. If you will determine to set apart the first days of the year to fast, you will set the course for the entire coming year, and God will add blessings to your life all year long. Just as you set the course of your day by meeting with god in the first hours, the same is true of dedicating the first days of the year to fasting.
Since we don't know who all is participating in these blog entries, will you just stop and pray for yourself and all those who are reading this, asking God to give us wisdom concerning fasting and with the desire to be obedient to fast?
Have a wonderful day!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Chapter 9-Nothing Shall be Impossible---It Works! "Fasting" by J. Franklin
I hope everyone had a great weekend!
This chapter mostly consisted of stories from the members of the church where Jentezen pastors, who have participated in the 21-day fast and have testified about the miracles in their lives. I did say, "miracles", which is not a word we hear much about today but are obvious in the lives of those I read about this morning. Here are some other things he pointed out.
Ps. 69:30-32
Fasting will bring your life and your ministry to others out of obscurity.
Fasting makes your more sensitive to the timing and voice of the Holy Spirit. Fasting does such a work in your life that the lost are often drawn to you and to what God is doing. It's not that we manipulate God through our words forcing His hand. Fasting simply breaks you and brings your faith to a new level.
...I hope that I have been able to clear up the misconceptions about what fasting is--and what it is not--and why it is a discipline that should not be missing in the life of any believer. It is a vital part of that three-fold cord of normal Christian duties that Jesus outlined in Matt. 6: giving, praying, and fasting. It cleanses your body and promotes health in many practical ways. It brings you into a deeper relationship with teh Lord than can be enjoyed through routine religion. Don't wait for a good time. As God pointed out, there just isn't one. You are not too young or too old. After all, Anna was a prophetess who was in her eighties when she worshiped day and night, fasting and praying (Luke 2:37).
If you are ready to bring supernatural blessings into your life and release the power of God to overcome any situation, begin today making the discipline of fasting a part of your life. You will be greatly rewarded!
My thoughts...
We are getting ready to go into Section 2- "Opening a Door to God's Promises" and for those of you who are reading and following along, should you decide to fast over something, for a certain period of time, etc., please journal and then after your time of fasting...share with others what God has taught you, what you've experienced, etc. I've come to realize that "fasting" isn't an option in the life of a believer. I wonder what would happen in our lives, our homes, our churches, our families if we simply humbled ourselves and fasted for just more of Him. I wonder what we would break free from. I wonder about our senses being heightened which would make us more aware of His presence in our lives. I wonder...
This chapter mostly consisted of stories from the members of the church where Jentezen pastors, who have participated in the 21-day fast and have testified about the miracles in their lives. I did say, "miracles", which is not a word we hear much about today but are obvious in the lives of those I read about this morning. Here are some other things he pointed out.
Ps. 69:30-32
Fasting will bring your life and your ministry to others out of obscurity.
Fasting makes your more sensitive to the timing and voice of the Holy Spirit. Fasting does such a work in your life that the lost are often drawn to you and to what God is doing. It's not that we manipulate God through our words forcing His hand. Fasting simply breaks you and brings your faith to a new level.
...I hope that I have been able to clear up the misconceptions about what fasting is--and what it is not--and why it is a discipline that should not be missing in the life of any believer. It is a vital part of that three-fold cord of normal Christian duties that Jesus outlined in Matt. 6: giving, praying, and fasting. It cleanses your body and promotes health in many practical ways. It brings you into a deeper relationship with teh Lord than can be enjoyed through routine religion. Don't wait for a good time. As God pointed out, there just isn't one. You are not too young or too old. After all, Anna was a prophetess who was in her eighties when she worshiped day and night, fasting and praying (Luke 2:37).
If you are ready to bring supernatural blessings into your life and release the power of God to overcome any situation, begin today making the discipline of fasting a part of your life. You will be greatly rewarded!
My thoughts...
We are getting ready to go into Section 2- "Opening a Door to God's Promises" and for those of you who are reading and following along, should you decide to fast over something, for a certain period of time, etc., please journal and then after your time of fasting...share with others what God has taught you, what you've experienced, etc. I've come to realize that "fasting" isn't an option in the life of a believer. I wonder what would happen in our lives, our homes, our churches, our families if we simply humbled ourselves and fasted for just more of Him. I wonder what we would break free from. I wonder about our senses being heightened which would make us more aware of His presence in our lives. I wonder...
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