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.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
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...
Friday, July 31, 2009
Chapter 8- Rewarded Openly from "Fasting" by J. Franklin
Gen. 15:1
In the life of a believer, there should always be more private than public ministry to God. When you read about Jesus, you do not see Him praying in public nearly as much as you see Him praying in private....Out of these times in private devotion, public demonstrations of God's power would be poured forth in healings, raising the dead, abundance, and more. Victories are not won in public but in private. That is why fasting, whether corporately or individually, is a private discipline. Where there is little private discipline, there is little public reward.
Matt. 6:1, 2-4
Fasting is a sacrifice born out of expectancy. That is not to imply that fasting is a manipulative tool to get something from God, but a "reasonable service" (Rom. 12:1) that God rewards openly. Job went through a devastating trial and lost everything. Yet he prayed, he fasted, and he remained faithful to private devotion. Job said, "I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food" (Job 23:12, KJV). And God "restored Job's losses" and gave him "twice as much as he had before" (Job 42:10). The Bible also says that He "blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning" (v 42) and even gave him more sons and daughters.
Gen. 41:39-45
1 Kings 3:10-13
Dan. 6:1-4
Isa. 58:8
Fasting humbles you and brings clarity, even allowing you to get unforgiveness and bitterness out of your heart. Some people have tried and tried to truly forgive someone but have never been able to let the matter go. Begin a fast, and trust God to work that in your heart. Fasting helps you "spring clean" in a spiritual sense because it makes you sensitive to teh desires of the Lord. Unforgiveness, bitterness, and the like can all be linked to illnesses, fatigue, stress, and more.
When you fast and pray you should expect miracles to follow.
Fasting will also overcome sexual addictions and demonic powers. It will break great sin off people. In Matt. 17:21, Jesus said of that stubborn demon that "this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting," There's a phenominal story in the book of Judges, chapters 19-20, where fasting made the difference in a major battle against a people overcome with sexual perversion.
God will also target your children who are beng led off and destroyed by the enemy's devices.
Joel 2:28
Many times the rewards of fasting come after teh fast, though from time to time answers can come during the fast. Look at teh story of Hezekiah's son, Manasseh, who became king of Judah (2 Chron. 33:1-13).
Maybe you have rebellious children or sons and daughters whoa re committing fornication, but I'm telling you, fasting and praying will absolutely break those spirits off their lives.
Jentezen shared a story of one of his church members who had been praying for her son for 15 years. After his dad had killed himself he turned his back on God. 15 years later, he and his new wife who was a Budhists came to church right when her fast had ended and Jentezen had extended an altar call at which time, the two of them gave their hearts to Christ.
"Your Father...will Himself reward you openly" (Matt. 6:4). God does not lie. God is no respecter of persons. What He ahs done in our church, in the lives of our members, He will do for you when you set your heart to see Him through fasting.
Have a great weekend everyone!!!
In the life of a believer, there should always be more private than public ministry to God. When you read about Jesus, you do not see Him praying in public nearly as much as you see Him praying in private....Out of these times in private devotion, public demonstrations of God's power would be poured forth in healings, raising the dead, abundance, and more. Victories are not won in public but in private. That is why fasting, whether corporately or individually, is a private discipline. Where there is little private discipline, there is little public reward.
Matt. 6:1, 2-4
Fasting is a sacrifice born out of expectancy. That is not to imply that fasting is a manipulative tool to get something from God, but a "reasonable service" (Rom. 12:1) that God rewards openly. Job went through a devastating trial and lost everything. Yet he prayed, he fasted, and he remained faithful to private devotion. Job said, "I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food" (Job 23:12, KJV). And God "restored Job's losses" and gave him "twice as much as he had before" (Job 42:10). The Bible also says that He "blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning" (v 42) and even gave him more sons and daughters.
Gen. 41:39-45
1 Kings 3:10-13
Dan. 6:1-4
Isa. 58:8
Fasting humbles you and brings clarity, even allowing you to get unforgiveness and bitterness out of your heart. Some people have tried and tried to truly forgive someone but have never been able to let the matter go. Begin a fast, and trust God to work that in your heart. Fasting helps you "spring clean" in a spiritual sense because it makes you sensitive to teh desires of the Lord. Unforgiveness, bitterness, and the like can all be linked to illnesses, fatigue, stress, and more.
When you fast and pray you should expect miracles to follow.
Fasting will also overcome sexual addictions and demonic powers. It will break great sin off people. In Matt. 17:21, Jesus said of that stubborn demon that "this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting," There's a phenominal story in the book of Judges, chapters 19-20, where fasting made the difference in a major battle against a people overcome with sexual perversion.
God will also target your children who are beng led off and destroyed by the enemy's devices.
Joel 2:28
Many times the rewards of fasting come after teh fast, though from time to time answers can come during the fast. Look at teh story of Hezekiah's son, Manasseh, who became king of Judah (2 Chron. 33:1-13).
Maybe you have rebellious children or sons and daughters whoa re committing fornication, but I'm telling you, fasting and praying will absolutely break those spirits off their lives.
Jentezen shared a story of one of his church members who had been praying for her son for 15 years. After his dad had killed himself he turned his back on God. 15 years later, he and his new wife who was a Budhists came to church right when her fast had ended and Jentezen had extended an altar call at which time, the two of them gave their hearts to Christ.
"Your Father...will Himself reward you openly" (Matt. 6:4). God does not lie. God is no respecter of persons. What He ahs done in our church, in the lives of our members, He will do for you when you set your heart to see Him through fasting.
Have a great weekend everyone!!!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
"Come, and you will see."
This morning while reading John 1:35-42 something pretty exciting occurred to me.
I've been reading how that John is pointing others to Jesus. He isn't spending a lot of time giving history about himself, he simply answers questions very briefly in Chapter 1. He spent more time elaborating on who Jesus is. I shared with a wonderful group of ladies last night that I feel we should always make HIM a part of our introductions when sharing things about ourselves to those who don't know us that well. That's a whole other blog posting.
In vs 35 it says the next day John was there "again"(in Bethany). Being in the right place is as important as doing the right thing. If we're not, we missing out. It was there when John saw the Lord passing by, he pointed his two disciples to Christ, "Look, the Lamb of God."
Bringing their attention to Jesus, they then followed Jesus. Not only did Jesus see them following Him, HE recognized it. He asked them, "What do you want?" I just loved that. I've personally answered this same question just recently when it was brought to my attention in a Bible study. The story goes on to say that they, the two disciples answered HIM with, "Where are you staying?" Jesus replied, "Come, and you will see." Guess what? They did just what He said, they went. In turn, He did what He said He would do, He showed them. They spent the day together. He invites us to come so we CAN see. It's that simple. We just have to take the time to spend with Him. They took a whole day. I had to ask myself, when was the last time I took my day off and just spent it with HIM?
Later in vs 40, Andrew followed John's example, which is something I too should do, and went to find his brother Simon so he could tell him about the Messiah. Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Of course verse 42 tells us that Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas. No introduction was necessary. Jesus knew who he was, who we are and at that point, Jesus changed Simon's name. Christ always brings about change.
I pray that I will be contagious in telling others about Him. I pray that what I do and say points others to Him. I pray that I will follow Him daily. He said, "Come, and you will see." I don't want to miss out on a thing He wants to show me and I won't if I give Him my time.
Lord, help me to follow YOU, wherever, doing whatever! I want to "come and see!"
I've been reading how that John is pointing others to Jesus. He isn't spending a lot of time giving history about himself, he simply answers questions very briefly in Chapter 1. He spent more time elaborating on who Jesus is. I shared with a wonderful group of ladies last night that I feel we should always make HIM a part of our introductions when sharing things about ourselves to those who don't know us that well. That's a whole other blog posting.
In vs 35 it says the next day John was there "again"(in Bethany). Being in the right place is as important as doing the right thing. If we're not, we missing out. It was there when John saw the Lord passing by, he pointed his two disciples to Christ, "Look, the Lamb of God."
Bringing their attention to Jesus, they then followed Jesus. Not only did Jesus see them following Him, HE recognized it. He asked them, "What do you want?" I just loved that. I've personally answered this same question just recently when it was brought to my attention in a Bible study. The story goes on to say that they, the two disciples answered HIM with, "Where are you staying?" Jesus replied, "Come, and you will see." Guess what? They did just what He said, they went. In turn, He did what He said He would do, He showed them. They spent the day together. He invites us to come so we CAN see. It's that simple. We just have to take the time to spend with Him. They took a whole day. I had to ask myself, when was the last time I took my day off and just spent it with HIM?
Later in vs 40, Andrew followed John's example, which is something I too should do, and went to find his brother Simon so he could tell him about the Messiah. Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Of course verse 42 tells us that Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas. No introduction was necessary. Jesus knew who he was, who we are and at that point, Jesus changed Simon's name. Christ always brings about change.
I pray that I will be contagious in telling others about Him. I pray that what I do and say points others to Him. I pray that I will follow Him daily. He said, "Come, and you will see." I don't want to miss out on a thing He wants to show me and I won't if I give Him my time.
Lord, help me to follow YOU, wherever, doing whatever! I want to "come and see!"
Chapter 7-You Shall be Filled- Fasthing by J. Franklin
I hope you guys are learning a lot from this book. I certainly am. Here are the notes I took directly from J. Franklin's book on Fasting. Don't forget to look up the examples he supplies for us via scripture. That is the most important part of all we read.
Matt. 4:4
In Colbert's book Toxic Relief, he states, "We may be actually starving from a nutritional standpoint, while at the same time becoming grossly obese...Sadly, we really are digging our graves with our forks and knives!"
In that sense, it is easy to see how our physical lives again parallel our spiritual lives. We can become overnourished on a hefty diet of church programs and activities, religious structure, and traditions of men and yet be severely undernourished when it comes to the deeper things of God.
Matt. 5:6
When you begin to develop a hunger for the deeper things of God, He will fill you.
Hungry in Flesh...Hungry in Spirit
Hungry people are desperate people, and they are hungry for more of God than they have ever had. They are breaking out of religious rules, regulations, and traditional thinking and breaking through to more of His presence, more of His power to turn situations around, more of His healing power, and more of His miracle-working power! Only Jesus satisfies that hunger!
Fasting stirs a hunger in your spirit that goes deeper than the temporary hunger you experience in your flesh. When you hunger for God, He will fill you.
Matt. 8:5-13
In this day, God is saying, "I'm looking for somebody who wants something. I'm looking for somebody who will do more than show up, but they will hunger for that which I want to place in them!"
Matt. 12:1-8
...when you hunger for more, you will receive more. God will break all the religious rules for you. When you hunger for God, He will break the rules of man and cause His favor to come on your life.
Anybody can be normal. Normal is overrated. Someone has to say, "But I want more! Lord, I'm hungry! I'm going to have to push tradition aside! I'm going to have to push religious rules aside! I'm going to have to push all of the rituals aside because I'm starving to death, and I just can't do 'church as usual' any longer." My suggestion is to begin pushing the plate aside. Show God that you are serious. We must get to the place where we are desperate for God again. We must begin to desire Him more than food or drink. Let us be filled with the Bread of Life instead of the refuse of religion. Begin to make fasting a regular discipline, and see how GOd answers your hunger!
Are you hungry for more of Him? Are you desperate for more of Him? Are you at a point in your life where you feel stuck, discouraged, just wandering around from place to place, need some answers to some questions, need some emptiness filled, ETC? If so, why not add fasting to your prayers? Anybody?
Matt. 4:4
In Colbert's book Toxic Relief, he states, "We may be actually starving from a nutritional standpoint, while at the same time becoming grossly obese...Sadly, we really are digging our graves with our forks and knives!"
In that sense, it is easy to see how our physical lives again parallel our spiritual lives. We can become overnourished on a hefty diet of church programs and activities, religious structure, and traditions of men and yet be severely undernourished when it comes to the deeper things of God.
Matt. 5:6
When you begin to develop a hunger for the deeper things of God, He will fill you.
Hungry in Flesh...Hungry in Spirit
Hungry people are desperate people, and they are hungry for more of God than they have ever had. They are breaking out of religious rules, regulations, and traditional thinking and breaking through to more of His presence, more of His power to turn situations around, more of His healing power, and more of His miracle-working power! Only Jesus satisfies that hunger!
Fasting stirs a hunger in your spirit that goes deeper than the temporary hunger you experience in your flesh. When you hunger for God, He will fill you.
Matt. 8:5-13
In this day, God is saying, "I'm looking for somebody who wants something. I'm looking for somebody who will do more than show up, but they will hunger for that which I want to place in them!"
Matt. 12:1-8
...when you hunger for more, you will receive more. God will break all the religious rules for you. When you hunger for God, He will break the rules of man and cause His favor to come on your life.
Anybody can be normal. Normal is overrated. Someone has to say, "But I want more! Lord, I'm hungry! I'm going to have to push tradition aside! I'm going to have to push religious rules aside! I'm going to have to push all of the rituals aside because I'm starving to death, and I just can't do 'church as usual' any longer." My suggestion is to begin pushing the plate aside. Show God that you are serious. We must get to the place where we are desperate for God again. We must begin to desire Him more than food or drink. Let us be filled with the Bread of Life instead of the refuse of religion. Begin to make fasting a regular discipline, and see how GOd answers your hunger!
Are you hungry for more of Him? Are you desperate for more of Him? Are you at a point in your life where you feel stuck, discouraged, just wandering around from place to place, need some answers to some questions, need some emptiness filled, ETC? If so, why not add fasting to your prayers? Anybody?
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