The Fast of Relief

Most of us know that fasting(abstaining from food/drink) is supposed to be something that followers of Jesus Christ are to do regularly for various reasons.

Matt 6:16-18,Matt 9:14-17,2 Cor 6:4-5
2 Cor 11:25-27,Matt 17:20-21
Acts 14:23,1 Cor 7:5

But how many of us have come across Isaiah 58, and know what fasting really is? Brethren, read through the passage and see the importance of it. Is our abstaining from food(or other “good deeds” for that matter) really accomplishing anything if we neglect what the Lord really wants from us, obedience. In Isaiah 58, the people of God were looking for God, were excited about God, did things for God, wanted to know His will, and heartily prayed a lot.(58:2)But still wondered why their “deeds” were not rewarded and it seemed that God was not listening or paying attention to it at all.(v 3)Israel believed that their acceptance by God was by their own works.They didn’t see that abstaining from food had nothing to do with what God wanted from them. And that they were fasting with the wrong motives, and not sorrowful; it was all a show (v 4,5). They were despising their neighbors and exploiting them. They were only thinking of themselves. True fasting is denial of self and the loving of others(God AND man). Hear the Lord:

Isa 58:6-7 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? 7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

How can we say we love God, who we don’t see, and yet not love our neighbor who we do see? Just “loving God” is not acceptable. (1John 4:7-21) Loving our neighbor IS loving God; it’s a package deal. We feign love for God if we neglect others and their needs. We are then liars. By this we will be judged. (Matt 25:31-46) whether we are sheep or goats; the obedient on the right(sheep), the liars on the left(goats). Did you deny yourself of daily comfort, so that you could relieve your neighbor in his affliction, his hunger, his lack of clothing, his lack of shelter? “Well done good and faithful servant“(Matt 25:21)….”Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” Did you turn from your brother’s need, when you had it in your hand to give or do? “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels“

Does it seem like your prayers are not being answered? And that your walk the Lord seems to be stagnant, though you are doing, doing, doing for the Lord? Examine yourself, and whether you are truly obeying Him or just going through the motions. When we truly obey and walk in love for God and our neighbor it is His delight to answer our needs and enlighten our eyes, and guide us in His will.(Isaiah 58:8-12)(1John 3:16-24)

(Isaish58:13-14) Resting in the Lord’s work should be our delight. We need to fast from our own works, our ways, our own idea of pleasure, and our own opinions. Esteem and relieve others first above ourselves. When we do that, we can then without pretense say “I Love God” (Matt 25:35-40)

 

The Killing Zone

From the comfort of my chair
As I sit with little care
A thought comes to mind
“How could I be so unkind?
Forgetting those our brethren
Also looking forward to the Kingdom of Heaven

As I fall down to my knees
“Father, help them please.
Endure the pain of torture
To remember their Hope so sure
And as men seek to take their life,
Remind them that Jesus did not fight back in strife

Prostrate on my face I now lie
“Make me worthy Lord also to die.
To suffer for Thy name
And bring thee glory not shame
Just like those thy saints in the killing zone
Patiently longing for their true home

 

Your Past, Your Present, Your Future

YOUR PAST

Reminisce -to look to the past, specifically the good memories

Remember Lots Wife. Luke 17:32

Genesis 19:17, 26 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed….But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Some of the “good” things we hold onto today.

• past achievments(highschool, college graduation, sports trophies, honorary degrees, beauty pageants etc.)
• childhood memories(school days, neighborhood hangouts, secret clubs etc.)
• our first “love”
• old friends
• material things(momentos, antiques,souvenirs of places we’ve gone)

Remember Israel? They weren’t content with what God had for them in their present time and circumstance.

Numbers 11:4-6 And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:
But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.

As His people the Lord doesn’t want us to remain in the past, longing for things, or relationships, or that “fuzzy warm feeling” we had, which only shows we are too comfortable in this world. Looking back to the “good ol’ days” shows we are not fit for the kingdom of God.

Luke 9:62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Looking back and longing for the past in any aspect of our life and not letting go of it or someone, will entangle us back into bondage, if we’ve ever gotten out of it that is.

2 Peter 2:20-22 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

We’ve escaped who we were before, we are not the same anymore. Why do we hang around those places, those things, those people, who are enemies of God and purposely want to drag you back into your old life. They don’t care, they just want their old friend back. There is a difference between giving them the gospel and sowing the truth into their life than just keeping company for carnal reasons.

1 Peter 4:1-4 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:

Take for example a true widow…

1Timothy 5:9-10 Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints’ feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.

She could easily, losing her husband, start a new life, get a new hairdo, new wardrobe, start traveling, going to parties etc

Like a young widow would…1 Timothy 5:11-13 

But she diligently, carefully seeks to do for others and not herself. Esteeming others better than herself. Philippians 2:3-4
The Lord is not pleased when we go back or long for the past things we’ve given up

Heb 10:38-39 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

Have you given up your past? Are you careful of what and who you have in your life?

YOUR PRESENT

What determines what we like? What we eat? What we wear? Where we live? How we talk? Much of humanity decides the things by what is in style or fashion, to say, or do, or wear. Do we follow what’s popular? Fashion or style is what other people are doing and how they are conforming to each other. Brethren, we are not to be stylish or “in fashion” in any manner of life. Why we do things should be determined by God’s will and not man’s whims.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Our body is not our own. We have given up every right to determine what is best for us; that’s what it means to be a living sacrifice.

1Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

If Jesus Christ our Lord had conformed to His age/era, He would have had an innumberable amount of “buddies”; people you hang around with to talk or chat about just carnal things and do carnal stuff. He left everything that came in the first 30 years of His life here on earth. He lost friends, a permanent residence(is there truly “no place like home” here on earth), familial relationships(His were forever from that point based on the spirit not on fleshly ties 2 Cor 5:16-17, Matt 12:46-50) Let us examine why we do the things we do, and why we know the people we keep company with.

YOUR FUTURE

What determines our decisions for the future? A ‘trend’ is how the world many times makes their decisions. They see what might happen and then just “go with the flow”. The stock market is one example of that. People buy and sell based on what might happen or “hope” is going to happen. But that is not how God wants us to determine how we see the future here on earth dealing with every day life..

James 4:13-15 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

We are not to worry about earthly matters. The Lord will provide if we seek first His kingdom.
Matt 6:19-21, 25-34

But there is one future we ARE to look to. Finish the race, attain the prize. Conforming to the image of Christ. The apostle Paul recognized the unprofitableness of our past achievments, relations, and “good” things. Let him be our example here. Christ was his example…Read Philippians 3:3-4:1

 

The Summation of All Things

In the beginning was the Word
And the Word created
A time had been appointed
His people would be liberated 

In human eyes a God so far away
One who expected much
But a chosen few
He revealed His plan as such:

Coming as a man, thru Jesus His Son
He humbled himself as nothing
In all points tempted
In every way suffering

He died a cruel death
As a payment for our sin
Bearing the shame upon His cross
Below a sign declaring Him Sovereign

Out of the tomb
He arose three days and nights later
Appearing to many
Who would be witnesses and propagators

Of the truth they would proclaim
Thinking nothing of their lives
Spreading the great news
Of Jesus the Christ

Now we come to today
Christ’s kingdom still growing
Longsuffering God has
His witnesses going and going

Into all the world
The message is the same
As when Jesus walked the earth
And for this reason he came:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Luke 4:18-19

Remember from the beginning,
God appointed His people to liberation?
All for God’s Glory!
That is the summation…