Bible Study Authorities Don't Want You To Know About The Power of Fasting

[jasonc]

Jesus said these words, " I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is Righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me (John 5:30). Matthew 4:1-2 said Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to fast, which means He did not use His will to fast.

Are you led by the Holy Spirit to fast (the Fathers will)? Or are you fasting without being led by the Holy Spirit (your own will) which is iniquity?

Why are arguing this,this a goal post change ,so I guess because I see a homeless guy ,and i can't help him But pray ,that's a sin?
If fasting is like that in that a great and mighty need is to be met only,by God,church growth ,soul winning ,heakong etc,and the pastor decides to present it to the church because he saw it,unless he hears it from,the Lord in,words its a sin.God simply can and does unction men to act according His will.

Case in point ,I, decide. To read the church member a dress book.I note that few live in Oslo,I notice all the utility customers that I mentioned that I know them from.I remember things about the homes,complaints etc,decide that my oddity is bothersome,yet one week later pastor mentions his vision for the church is to have members from Oslo,,to tie in the church having been from Oslo,for Oslo,.

Thus my,thought was without this knowledge to tell him we need more from Oslo in,the church . that's the Spirit

 

[iLOVE]

Why are arguing this,this a goal post change ,so I guess because I see a homeless guy ,and i can't help him But pray ,that's a sin?
If fasting is like that in that a great and mighty need is to be met only,by God,church growth ,soul winning ,heakong etc,and the pastor decides to present it to the church because he saw it,unless he hears it from,the Lord in,words its a sin.God simply can and does unction men to act according His will.

Case in point ,I, decide. To read the church member a dress book.I note that few live in Oslo,I notice all the utility customers that I mentioned that I know them from.I remember things about the homes,complaints etc,decide that my oddity is bothersome,yet one week later pastor mentions his vision for the church is to have members from Oslo,,to tie in the church having been from Oslo,for Oslo,.

Thus my,thought was without this knowledge to tell him we need more from Oslo in,the church . that's the Spirit

"We must choose to live our lives according to the Spirit, in which we practice righteousness rather than walk after the lustful desires of our flesh."

JLB

Whosoever will. Amen

 

[jasonc]

"We must choose to live our lives according to the Spirit, in which we practice righteousness rather than walk after the lustful desires of our flesh."

JLB

Whosoever will. Amen

If jlb another mod didn't post this ,I ask,what is your problem with the idea of anyone who desires to seek,petition ,God in,this o
God ordained method,its not laid out how many times,when and what day,only,what and why you ought to fast and a general guide given at that.

Where has anyone suggested to the contrary ?

 

[iLOVE]

If jlb another mod didn't post this ,I ask,what is your problem with the idea of anyone who desires to seek,petition ,God in,this o
God ordained method,its not laid out how many times,when and what day,only,what and why you ought to fast and a general guide given at that.

Where has anyone suggested to the contrary ?

Anything and everything that is not Faith in Christ and the Finished Work at Calvary is Law. It doesn't make a difference how scriptural those Christian disciplines may be. It is Law! The Temple (Ours) is built only by Grace through Faith in Christ and Him Crucified.

 

[jasonc]

Ok,we are finished .that is true but no one implied anything you implied ,frankly,why and what do you intend to continue with that as I have nothing more to add.?

 

[iLOVE]

Matthew 7:21-23
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.


22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?


23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Question for anyone? Why did Jesus tell these people who thought they where Christians at the Great White Throne Judgement that their works (including fasting which is bibical) in His Name is iniquity? Also, why is His Way narrow and only a few find it? Matthew 7:13-14

 

[for_his_glory]

Actually I believe He did back in Leviticus 16:29-31
29 And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:

30 For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord.

31 It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.../

To afflict our soul means to fast.

The seventh month being Tishri on the tenth day was the day of atonement (Yom Kippur). This is what Leviticus chapter 16 is all about as being the preparation of the high priest and bringing in the sacrifices for the atonement of the Priest, Tabernacle and the Jews. There is no mention of the word fast, but to only afflict the soul as humbling themselves before God outside the Tabernacle. This was an ordinance that once a year on that designated month and day that every Jew was to deny them self and do no work no matter native or foreigner residing among them because on that one day out of the year atonement was made for the Jews to cleanse them from sin. It was a sabbath day of rest as they were to afflict their souls, not there physical body.

Through Christ there is no more sacrifice for sin as He is not going to keep sacrificing Himself once a year, but we do come before Him in prayer with humbleness of heart which is the fast that Isaiah taught in Isaiah Chapter 58.

Isaiah Chapter 58 teaches us about what the fast is as we humble ourselves before the Lord. In Matthew 6:16-18 Jesus teaches the basic principles of fasting as He says, when we fast and not if we fast, so yes we are to fast, but not by how man teaches that we abstain from whatever we want to give up as in food, drink, electronics or whatever.

In Exodus 34:28 Moses went without food and water for forty days and forty nights, but does not use the word fast when he went up My Sinai before God, just as Jesus did in Matthew 4:1, 2 but does use the word fast, but in both instances the Spirit of God kept them during that time.

A human can go more than three weeks without food as long as they are properly hydrated. A human body can only go without water for around three days before it starts shutting down.

 

[for_his_glory]

Fasting has been used for therapeutically since at least the 5th century BC when Greek physician Hippocrates recommended abstinence from food and drink for patients who exhibited certain symptoms of illness.

Neither God or Jesus taught that fasting was abstaining from food and drink as this comes only by man teaching it to be so in religion as it is not found in the Bible.

2 Samuel 3:35 David chose to abstain from food and drink as it was a sign of his grief when Abner was murdered

1 Kings 19:8 Elijah fasted forty days as he chose to abstain from food and drink before speaking to God

Daniel 10:2-6 Daniel mourned for three weeks and chose to abstain from food and drink

Every fast mentioned in the Bible where food and drink was abstained from was by choice, not by God's command to abstain from food and drink. The fast that Isaiah taught is the command of God as Jesus taught us how to fast when we fast, not if we fast.

 

[iLOVE]

Every fast mentioned in the Bible where food and drink was abstained from was by choice

What about when Jesus fasted for 40 days and night? Was it a choice or did the Holy Spirit lead Him to do this?

 

[for_his_glory]

What about when Jesus fasted for 40 days and night? Was it a choice or did the Holy Spirit lead Him to do this?

Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.

Jesus was only led up of the Spirit into the wilderness. The Spirit did not lead Him to go without food or drink. To say that the Spirit did would be adding to scripture.

 

[iLOVE]

Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.

Jesus was only led up of the Spirit into the wilderness. The Spirit did not lead Him to go without food or drink. To say that the Spirit did would be adding to scripture.

Jesus said these words, " I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is Righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me (John 5:30). Matthew 4:1-2 said Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to fast, which means He did not use His will to fast.

 

[Edward]

So Jesus fasted those 40 days as a man doing what He knew would please God. I'll buy that.

Ya know, I've heard several testimonies over time where people who had got to visit heaven...saw Christian Prayers going up from earth to Heaven, and the way it sounded it was way cool and evident to them that, prayers do more than we realize when we pray...in the spiritual realm I mean. We usually don't see any effects of our prayers in this natural realm, but in the Kingdom...it is a huge thing and we just don't know it.

Along these lines, I also heard a message once or thrice that when we fast, it is as effective if not more so than even prayer is. When we fast, it opens doors in heaven and allows so much to happen that if we had a clue how much, that we'd all want to fast more.

 

[jasonc]

If the early church fasted,why wouldn't or shouldn't we?

 

[Edward]

If the early church fasted,why wouldn't or shouldn't we?

That's how I feel about it. We know we should and that it does help. Us if we are drawing closer to God, or someone else if we are led to fast for another person.

I was considering a Daniel fast before, 21 days. with the thought that perhaps later on some time maybe I could do a 40 day fast...and long story short, the Lord told me not to. Even for 21 days at that time. Said I should keep up my strength and do a shorter fast and perhaps a longer one later...that He would let me know. I feel like I could do a 21 day fast. My longest has been a seven day fast with only water and my medication. At the end of it, I didn't feel overly hungry and felt like I could have gone longer.

My understanding is that, it's not a command like a commandment we have to fast. If you don't then you wont lose your salvation or anything bad...but that after all is said and done and we're in heaven, that we will regret not having fasted more than we did...because it will be revealed to us just how much help it is to the Kingdom! ----

 

[for_his_glory]

Jesus said these words, " I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is Righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me (John 5:30). Matthew 4:1-2 said Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to fast, which means He did not use His will to fast.

Matthew 4:1 says, Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

* tempted of the devil, does not say anything about the Spirit leading Him to fast, but to be temped of the devil.

Vs 2 says, And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.

*and when he had fasted. He chose to abstain from food and drink as He remained in God's will as He endured all the temptations the devil would entice Him with. After all He went through in the wilderness then He was hungry.