Fallacious Fasting

fasting

1. The act or practice of abstaining from or eating very little food.

2. A period of such abstention or self-denial.

3. To eat very little or abstain from certain foods, as a religious discipline.

During this year, Cathy and I have been fasting in a variety of ways.

We are not fasting as a religious or a superstitious exercise; hoping to gain God’s special attention, or to tip the invisible scales of blessing in our direction.

Our goal as a couple (and individually) is to deal with our hearts; which tends to want what it wants. We are longing to have a heart change as we long to be in deeper fellowship with Him.

And fasting things like sugar also has some health benefits such as feeling better and weight loss.

Individually, we have been noticing that when we stop eating something like anything made of sugar or fasting from social media, just how often we go to what we are giving up rather than to Him.

It has been amazing to me how often when my heart is wandering or feeling “blue” that my flesh longs for chocolate; rather than going to the LORD for His help.

It is my observation that too many people fast for wrong reasons. John Wesley said that “some have exalted religious fasting beyond all scripture and reason, and others have utterly disregarded it.”

Fasting is not to be thought of as a means of earning God’s favor or improving one’s status with God. The general purpose of it is to humble the soul before God.

The Bible asks the question in Zechariah 7:5-6 (NKJV):

“Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me—for Me? When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves?

So it is possible to fast and not really be doing it for the LORD.

My favorite (heart exposing) scripture on fasting is from Isaiah 58. The prophet Isaiah (speaking for the LORD) is explaining to the people how their fasting is wrong. They had been fasting with no apparent success in reaching their goals.

Sounds like you and me doesn’t it?

The LORD lovingly rebukes them in an effort to correct their wrong theology and to share His heart on how He wants them to seek His face in a fast.

My prayer is that as you read Isaiah 58 from the Message version of the Bible, your heart will be corrected in areas where (perhaps) you too have been off during your times of fasting.

Remember, the LORD “did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:17 NKJV)

Isaiah 58 

^1-3 “Shout! A full-throated shout!
    Hold nothing back—a trumpet-blast shout!
Tell My people what’s wrong with their lives,
    face my family Jacob with their sins!
They’re busy, busy, busy at worship,
    and love studying all about Me.
To all appearances they’re a nation of right-living people—
    law-abiding, God-honoring.
They ask Me, ‘What’s the right thing to do?’
    and love having Me on their side.
But they also complain,
    ‘Why do we fast and You don’t look our way?
    Why do we humble ourselves and You don’t even notice?’

^3-5 “Well, here’s why:

“The bottom line on your ‘fast days’ is profit.
    You drive your employees much too hard.
You fast, but at the same time you bicker and fight.
    You fast, but you swing a mean fist.
The kind of fasting you do
    won’t get your prayers off the ground.
Do you think this is the kind of fast day I’m after:
    a day to show off humility?
To put on a pious long face
    and parade around solemnly in black?
Do you call that fasting,
    a fast day that I, God, would like?

^6-9 “This is the kind of fast day I’m after:
    to break the chains of injustice,
    get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
    free the oppressed,
    cancel debts.
What I’m interested in seeing you do is:
    sharing your food with the hungry,
    inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
    putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
    being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
    and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
    The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
    You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’

^9-12 “If you get rid of unfair practices,
    quit blaming victims,
    quit gossiping about other people’s sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
    and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
    your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
    I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
    firm muscles, strong bones.
You’ll be like a well-watered garden,
    a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build a new,
    rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,
    restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
    make the community livable again.

^13-14 “If you watch your step on the Sabbath
    and don’t use My holy day for personal advantage,
If you treat the Sabbath as a day of joy,
    God’s holy day as a celebration,
If you honor it by refusing ‘business as usual,’
    making money, running here and there—
Then you’ll be free to enjoy God!
    Oh, I’ll make you ride high and soar above it all.
I’ll make you feast on the inheritance of your ancestor Jacob.”
    Yes! God says so!

The Message (MSG)

Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Fraudulent Freedom

This week we celebrate Independence Day, also referred to as the Fourth of July. It is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

July 4th has been celebrated with community festivities that range from fireworks, parades, concerts in the parks, water skiing shows to more intimate family gatherings and barbecues.

For many individuals who claim the USA as their homeland, it is a day to commemorate and celebrate freedom.

Freedom: the state of being free or at liberty rather than a state of being in confinement or under physical restraint, the exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc., the power to determine action without restraint.

And to some, a way to celebrate freedom means throwing off all restraints and drinking well past an “acceptable” level. In other words, throwing off all restrictions and doing “whatever” I want.

But is that really freedom? How is going so far past sensibility in any way freedom? Isn’t the fact that you are under control of a mood-altering substance proof that you are not walking in freedom but rather in bondage?

How is fulfilling every sexual desire freedom; especially when you must get drunk to do so?

This can’t be how our founding leaders meant for us to celebrate our independence; our freedom.

The Apostle Paul said; “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1).

Although he was referring to other bondages that the early church was adding to the Gospel message, this passage is applicable to those situations where we want to use our freedom as USA citizens to do what we want.

No, we were never meant to live in bondage, but freedom; that is why we fought the war and wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776. We knew that we were created to be free.

We knew that we were not supposed to be held in any bondages.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:2)

TRUTH is what sets us free; not drugs or alcohol.

Jesus said; “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)

JESUS is what sets us freedom; not debauchery.

“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

We were meant to be free.

 

God has a sovereign plan and purpose for your life. But you won’t find it by numbing your senses or abusing your body. Instead, it will be by the supernatural direction of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit calls out to each of us; “Stop. Look. Listen! Wrong way! Detour! Change your direction! You’re on the wrong road  that leads to bondage; not freedom!”

God helps you go another direction and gets you back heading where He wants you to be.

The Holy Spirit has been given to help us change our minds and convict us of where we are going the wrong direction. 1 John 1:8-10 says;

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”

Do you desire to be free, but you are not sure how to?

Let me ask you a question; has there been a moment in your life when you acknowledged and admitted your sin and then by faith received the Lord Jesus Christ? If not, you can today. Your life can be changed. Your sins can be forgiven. You can live a new life. You can have the assurance that if you died at this moment, you would go to heaven. Will you receive Him as your Savior?

My prayer is that this 4^th of July you start to walk in that freedom

Need some help: Call 1-888-NEED HIM; someone is waiting and wanting to help you and get back going the right direction.

All Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

I’m An Excellent Driver

I remember when I first learned to drive. The year was around 1976 and in order to be able to get your driver’s license, you had to take lessons that included both behind the wheel and in a classroom.

The best lesson that I learned in the classroom was that I “needed to leave myself an out”.

What the instructor meant by that was to always be asking; “If the car in front of me does thus and so, where would I go?” In other words, always be looking for a safe way to avoid an accident.

Even today when I drive I can still hear my instructor’s voce saying; If you remember nothing else; remember to leave yourself an out”.

The rest of the class was a blur except for being told we had the option to not watch the 1959 Highway safety Film; “Signal 30” if we didn’t want to.

 “Signal 30” is the legendary "shock" driving safety film featuring numerous scenes of mutilated cars and injured/dead people and a voiceover lacking in compassion. Produced in cooperation with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and shown to millions of young drivers for over 40 years. It contained many disturbing scenes of violent deaths and accident scenes; as well as cries of crash victims on soundtrack. It brought the point home to most of the students; as well as probably scaring some of them out of driving until they were much older!

The “behind-the-wheel” lessons were a trip in themselves. I went through a local agency that provides an instructor who comes to your house and takes you out four times on both city roads and on the freeway. The cars had brakes on both the driver’s and passenger’s side of the car.

When I got in the instructor’s car, he told me to “start the car, back it up, and drive down the block.” When I told him that I didn’t know how to start the car, let alone drive it; he laughed at me, saying that all kids my age know how to do that.

I told him that I didn’t and that was why we were paying him to teach me how to drive. He shook his head, stating that I must not be telling truth, and proceeded to show me how to start the car.

I gently put the car in reverse as I stomped down on the gas pedal, sending the car (almost) into the pond across the road from our house. The instructor in turn stomped on the brake pedal, sending me (almost) through the rear window of the car. My mom laughed at me as she stood watching from the living room amusing herself with my predicament. Just what you want to see…

Realizing that I had been telling the truth, the instructor took time to instruct me on how to gently step on the gas. I put the car in drive and went down the block; swerving from side to side until I learned how to drive straight.

When we got to the first corner, I took it as widely as humanly possible without going over the curb. Once again, my instructor gave instructions to this pre-novice driver on how to take a corner all the while digging his fingernails deeper into the dashboard in front of him.

After three or four corners (all taken quite widely I must say), he asked me to pull over; which I did. When we came to a stop, he opened the glove box which contained a small drug store of antacids; liquid and tablets. He proceeded to both drink and eat some as he told me to not take this personally, because the student before me had given him the ulcer. He said that I was the better driver.

We drove around a bit and then went home. I was grateful that it was only the two of us in the car because sometimes there may be several students in the car at the same time; each taking their turn individually. I guess this was the old method of safe driving through peer pressure.

I am happy to report that the next three times behind the wheel went better; except he kept taking the antacids. He left me with some instructions; “study hard for the written test and try to strike up a conversation for the behind the wheel test” …he said that this would help me and the other person to be relaxed.

When I took the behind the wheel test, I tried to be friendly by asking the person who was giving me the test about how he was doing, his family, etc. He barked at me that his wife had just divorced him, his kids didn’t like him, and he didn’t want me to say anything; mumbling something derogatory about the instructor who gave me such stupid advice.

Despite everyone’s attempt to sabotage my efforts and my own feelings of inadequacy, I passed both the written and behind the wheel the first attempt with flying colors. I was issued a license to drive a motor vehicle.

My real test came a few days later when my dad, myself, and two of my brothers went to the BWCA. After packing up the family’s Ford LTD Station wagon, my dad tossed me the keys and said that I could drive.

Scared, I told him that I hadn’t ever driven a station wagon (let along one filled with people, camping gear, and two canoes on top); I had only driven a compact car with one other person inside!

My mind flashed to my past experiences with others watching me drive and I looked for a way out. What if I get in an accident or lose my way or have one of the canoes fall off the top?

He looked at me and said; “It’s a long trip and you will have plenty of time to learn how to drive the bigger car. You will do just fine. I’m going to take a nap.” And with that he proceeded to get into the rear of the car along with my next younger brother Joe (who had also gotten his license the same time as I did) and settled in for the long trip.

I climbed into the driver’s seat where my older brother Rick would join me up front to be my navigator. The car looked about the size of an eighteen-wheeler! I slowly backed the car out of the drive way (noticing that my dad had already closed his eyes) and headed out towards the BWCA.

It took me awhile, but (very quickly) I was OK with driving the car. What my dad hadn’t told me was that the smaller cars that I had driven were older and didn’t handle as well. This LTD was newer and had features such as power steering and power brakes and a better stereo system.

That trip is when I really learned how to drive; not the classroom, my practice times, or my behind the wheel instruction. It was this trip when I had time to go through the process of fearing I would crash to trust that I really could drive.

My confidence came from a dad who was sitting behind me in the car if I needed him. He may have gone to sleep, but he was still within reach; and he had left me my older brother to be my navigator.

King Solomon wrote to his son;

“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” (Proverbs 16:24)

“The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook.” (Proverbs 18:4)

My dad knew that (sometimes) the best way to learn is to toss someone the keys and tell them; “It’s a long trip and you will have plenty of time to learn how to drive the bigger car. You will do just fine. I’m going to take a nap.”

Even greater than the encouragement I received from my dad is the encouragement that I receive from my Heavenly Father that I can make it. At times it may seem that He is absent (or asleep), but He is nearer than I will ever know this side of Heaven.

At the Right Place…

It was one of those mornings when I was wondering what my purpose was. I wanted God’s will for my life. I had spent the morning in an extended time seeking the Lord and reading, due to an illness that kept me away from church.

My soul had been seeking direction for the next steps in my life and my heart was being examined to deal with my sins of commission as well as omission. My spirit felt washed as I went through waves of responding to what the Holy Spirit was doing in my life.

Was I really doing what God had created me to do? Was I spending my days in ways that honored Him? These were the questions in my mind as I paced the floor in my home office.

I thought of a comment that someone recently said to me; he had called me a ‘man of God’. I may be a minister but I don’t see myself as a man of God.

I am a child of God and I am a sinner who is saved by His grace… “sola gratia” (through God’s favor or grace alone) which means that God loves, forgives, and saves us not because of who we are or what we do, but because of the work of Christ. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ that is received “sola fide” (through faith alone). 

I continued to read and pray and ponder and let the Holy Spirit continue to bring up the dross that had been lodged in my heart. I responded to sin that was brought to my attention by confessing, asking for, and receiving His forgiveness.

I asked how I got to place where I was at; physically, emotionally, occupationally, as well as my state of life.

I recalled all the dreams and thoughts that I had when I was in Bible School responding to the call on my life to preach. I recalled when hands were laid upon me in 1990 to be a deacon in our local church. And then, over the next few years I was ordained as an elder and then as a pastor.

What had happened to that passion that I had when I set out to respond to the Lord’s call?

Again, I asked how I got to place where I was at; physically, emotionally, occupationally, as well as my state of life.

Just then, I heard an unusual noise so I searched the room to find out where it was coming from.  I narrowed it down to the place where I had been literally standing. The noise was coming out of the place where our boiler tank is located.

I opened the cover to discover that the tank was making noise because water in the tank was low; almost empty

NOTE: We have an “open” water heater system and the open tank is located on the third floor of our home; which is the same location as my office. Each month water is manually added to the tank rather than automatically as in “closed” water heater system. Without adding water, the system will not have enough to fill the radiators and heating system will not heat properly and you get a cold house…so it is very important to keep the levels checked each month during the heating season

As I went and got some buckets of water to fill up the tank, I realized that I had been at the right place that I was supposed to be that day. In fact, I was literally at the exact place because if I had not been where I was at, then I wouldn’t have heard the noise, etc. etc…

Often, we pray for the Lord’s will in our lives but miss the forest for the trees. Meaning, we simply can’t believe that His purpose for our lives may be simpler that we think it is.

We, like His disciples, want to be used by Him and assume what that means; oftentimes jockeying for positions and titles as we seek His perfect will.

But the fact is, His will is much simpler than we understand even though He said it in plainly in His Word, the Bible. In John 6 I find at least two things that are the will of God for your life and mine.

First of all, “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.” (John 6:39)

Secondly, “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:40)

Once again, I had to admit that I was where I was supposed to be. That He was working all things together for good because I did love Him and because I was called according to His purpose, and that I was predestined to be conformed to His image (See Romans 8:28-29) according to His purpose. 

Once again, I had to admit and be grateful that He was doing a work to bring revival in my life and would be faithful to complete that which He started (See Philippians 1:6 and Jude 1:24).

Once again, I had to admit that I had been at the right place.

Once again, I surrendered as clay to the hands of the Potter.