Hunger, we’ve all experienced it. Nobody likes it. According to this Weight Watcher’s commercial, it’s like a small orange demon constantly tryin’ to “get ya”: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1ytP9oazCo).
Ok, if it’s all that bad, why would anyone, on purpose, bring it upon them self? Well, if you talk to many Christians they will tell you that fasting (willful abstinence from food) is one of the most spiritually beneficial experiences they’ve ever had.
Here are some of the Scriptural teachings about fasting…
THE SCRIPTURE:
But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.(Psa 35:13)
When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach.(Psa 69:10)
THE STUDY:
What is fasting?
The word “fasting” in the Bible is the translation of two different words. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated “fasting” means “to cover the mouth”. In the New Testament, the Greek word for “fasting” is describing a “willful lack of food”. When we view the concept of fasting, it is the idea that a person decides to allow their hunger to remain unsatisfied by not partaking of the desired food or drink.
Please under this… it is an extremely important point… any food desired, but willfully not partaken of, is a type of fast.
Notice in Daniel 1:8-13, the Israelite boys had chosen to fast specific flavorful items (king’s meat and wine) but they allowed themselves to partake of very bland food (pulse and water). Their hunger for tasty food was not satisfied even though they were partaking of nourishment. Much like a person desiring a steak is not satisfied by eating a boiled egg. If we are fasting, we can continue to eat food items as long as we do not satisfy the specific desire we are experiencing. ANYTIME WE REFUSE TO SATISFY A DESIRE OF OUR FLESH WE ARE FASTING.
What is the purpose of fasting?
Fasting is to help us learn to keep our flesh under control. Fasting is used to help us learn how to control our desires and not let them control us.
In our texts, fasting is described as “humbling my soul” (Psa 35:13) and “chastening my soul” (Psa 69:10). Both verses are using “soul” to describe our fleshly desires.
When we fast, we are saying to our fleshly desires:
”I control you! You do not control me!” (humbling our desires)
“I am going to discipline you and teach you to submit to my will!” (chastening our desires)
This is why in 1 Cor 7:5, fasting is done in conjunction with abstaining from marital relations (which involves fulfilling another type of fleshly desire.)
Why is fasting done in conjunction with prayer?
When we pray, we are to always pray in submission to our Heavenly Father’s will. This principle is clearly shown to us in Christ’s prayer before His arrest and crucifixion when He prayed…”O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. “ (Mat 26:39)
By fasting while in a season of prayer, we are constantly reminded of our need to place our fleshly desires second to that of our Lord’s will concerning the issue we are praying about. In every prayer, the intent of our heart should be “not my will, but thine be done”
Is Fasting For Today?
Fasting is not just an OT rite. It is to be practiced in our times as well. It is not to be stopped until the Lord comes back and takes His children to heaven with Him.
Note Mark 2:19-20…. “And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.”
When Christ was on the earth, the followers of Christ were not to fast, in recognition of their joy at their Lord being present with them. However, once Christ ascended to be with the Father, the fasting was to begin, and continue, until Christ is reunited with His disciples at the rapture.
This is why the churches fasted (following His ascension) at the sending of the missionaries (Acts 14:23 etc)
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
We are living in troublesome times. If you have any doubts, just listen to the news and you will realize many of the physical, political, economic and spiritual perils we all face in our country and the world.
Based on my previous series from Matt 24:, I have tried to explain why I believe we are living in the times immediately before the return of Christ. There is much to do for our Lord and, yet, there seems to be shrinking amount of time and workers getting the job done. There appears to be a very apathetic spirit entering the lives of Christians and churches these days.
It is time for Christians to begin fasting and praying for our country and the world. Pray and fast for the lost around us, it is very possible their time is running short. Pray and fast for one another, that the Lord might strengthen and protect each of us in these trying times.
And finally, as we pray, always make sure we are praying with a heart that is crying… “not my will, but thine be done”.
If there is anyone who has read this blog and has never submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ; maybe, you have never been able to say to God “not my will but thine be done.” The Lord has brought you to read this blog for a purpose. Perhaps, it was to awaken you to the spiritual need of your heart. It is not too late. There are Christians around this world fasting and praying for your salvation. You can begin to seek Christ by studying His Word. Read Peter’s sermon in Acts 4:8-12. There you will find what Christ has done for you so that you might be saved.
If you have any questions feel free to contact me, or any Bible believing church in your area. I’m sure they will be more than happy to tell you more about our wonderful Christ and all He has done for us.
If you have any questions concerning this blog, or if you have a subject you would like discussed, please feel free to email me at settledinheaven@gmail.com. I will answer all emails via my blog, email, or both.
Follow my Squidoo Instructional Lens “Presenting God’s Grace”“The Solemn Obligation To Present the Doctrines of Grace to the Lost and Saved Alike”http://www.squidoo.com/presenting-gods-grace
May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”
Showing posts with label Psalms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalms. Show all posts
Monday, August 9, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
“I Need You, Like the Flowers Need the Rain” …
Today, we are surrounded by messages of “need”. TV commercials consistently say we “need” something… a new car, a new set of clothes, or a new computer. Our government would like us to think that we “need” all of it’s programs and spending; without them we would fall off the face of the planet, we are told.
But the classic example of the message of need is presented to us in the song by America entitled “I Need You” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk-7n1hdK3M). Speaking of one person’s need for another, the song says it is “like the flowers (that) need the rain”. Sounds serious to me, flowers can’t live without rain, you know.
As a young man, my father used to consistently remind me that there was a difference between a “need” and a “want”. Sorry to say, I didn’t see the wisdom in his words back then… it was only as I moved away from home that I began to see what he really meant. In many instances, what we have is a tendency to say something is a “need”, when in actuality it is only a “want”.
But what is even more perplexing is that we have one true need that is often overlooked or devalued.
It is as if our attention is drawn to these other false “needs”, causing us to ignore the most important need of our life…. The Lord Jesus Christ….
THE SCRIPTURE:
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.
(Psalms 68:19 kjv)
THE STUDY:
In the preceding verse we are given two very important reasons why we need Christ in our lives…. “He daily loadeth us with benefits” and “our salvation”.
First, let’s look at his “daily benefits” He gives to us. I can only speak for myself, but in my case, I am CONSTANTLY forgetting all that my Lord does for me on a daily basis. The food I have to eat, the roof over my head, my strength and health, my wonderful wife, even the very breath that I take comes from my Lord. How quickly do I forget these things. In the middle of my day, when I am wrapped up with the daily grind, how easy it is to forget His constant flow of blessings to me.
I may be busy at work and have to eat a late lunch and grumble about it. Next time, I should thank Him that I have food to eat and an appetite which allows me to enjoy the food. Or, how about when I am tired and cranky; I take my frustration out on my poor wife… I’m certainly not appreciating the Lord, or her, like I should be. As our verse said… He is daily LOADING us with His benefits (blessings). Thank you, Lord for all you do for me on a daily basis!
But there is another blessing He gives to us mentioned in our verse…. His salvation. “Salvation from what?”, you may ask. This is a very fair question. To help us answer this question, we need to understand what is meant by the term “salvation”. In this Psalm, the Hebrew word translated “salvation” simply means “to deliver from or to give the victory over”. Here, we are told that our Lord is the One who gives us deliverance from something. That “something” is sin.
Over the years, I have heard more definitions for sin than I can count (or remember). To me, the easy way I understand the meaning of “sin”, and it’s effect on our life, is by thinking of a blind man who stops to ask for directions. He is given a roadmap to guide him…. only one problem, he cannot begin to understand, read, or even see the map. He is in a horrible predicament. He has a set of instructions guiding him on the path he should take, but he cannot begin to follow those directions. Such is the sinfulness of man.
Because we are sinners from conception, we all are unable to please God of our own ability. Just like the blind man, we are in a terrible situation. God has given us His Word which contains His desires for our life, but without His grace, we cannot begin to follow them. For further study on our condition as sinners before God please study (Isa 64:6-7). To sum it up… apart from the Lord we are in horrible straits.
Does this mean we are in a hopeless situation? ABSOLUTELY NOT. This is where faith in our Lord Jesus Christ comes in. Once we understand our inability, our next step is to turn to Him and realize we are totally dependant upon Him to deliver us (or give us the victory over) our sinful condition. In other words WE NEED HIM to save us from our sins. By turning to Him, and trusting in Him, we receive the forgiveness of our sins and the ability to please Him with our lives.
Why is Christ the One we must turn to and place our faith in? It is because He is the One who died for us, taking our sin upon Himself that we might be saved. (please see Roms 4:24-5:2 for more info)
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
Yep, “just like the flowers need the rain”, we truly need Him, not only for our physical well-being, but for our spiritual salvation as well. We can all agree with these words: “Without me (Christ) ye can do nothing”… but… “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (John 15:5, Phil 4:13). Let’s turn to Him and receive His salvation and forgiveness and then, every day, be thankful and praise Him for all He has done for us!
May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”
But the classic example of the message of need is presented to us in the song by America entitled “I Need You” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk-7n1hdK3M). Speaking of one person’s need for another, the song says it is “like the flowers (that) need the rain”. Sounds serious to me, flowers can’t live without rain, you know.
As a young man, my father used to consistently remind me that there was a difference between a “need” and a “want”. Sorry to say, I didn’t see the wisdom in his words back then… it was only as I moved away from home that I began to see what he really meant. In many instances, what we have is a tendency to say something is a “need”, when in actuality it is only a “want”.
But what is even more perplexing is that we have one true need that is often overlooked or devalued.
It is as if our attention is drawn to these other false “needs”, causing us to ignore the most important need of our life…. The Lord Jesus Christ….
THE SCRIPTURE:
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.
(Psalms 68:19 kjv)
THE STUDY:
In the preceding verse we are given two very important reasons why we need Christ in our lives…. “He daily loadeth us with benefits” and “our salvation”.
First, let’s look at his “daily benefits” He gives to us. I can only speak for myself, but in my case, I am CONSTANTLY forgetting all that my Lord does for me on a daily basis. The food I have to eat, the roof over my head, my strength and health, my wonderful wife, even the very breath that I take comes from my Lord. How quickly do I forget these things. In the middle of my day, when I am wrapped up with the daily grind, how easy it is to forget His constant flow of blessings to me.
I may be busy at work and have to eat a late lunch and grumble about it. Next time, I should thank Him that I have food to eat and an appetite which allows me to enjoy the food. Or, how about when I am tired and cranky; I take my frustration out on my poor wife… I’m certainly not appreciating the Lord, or her, like I should be. As our verse said… He is daily LOADING us with His benefits (blessings). Thank you, Lord for all you do for me on a daily basis!
But there is another blessing He gives to us mentioned in our verse…. His salvation. “Salvation from what?”, you may ask. This is a very fair question. To help us answer this question, we need to understand what is meant by the term “salvation”. In this Psalm, the Hebrew word translated “salvation” simply means “to deliver from or to give the victory over”. Here, we are told that our Lord is the One who gives us deliverance from something. That “something” is sin.
Over the years, I have heard more definitions for sin than I can count (or remember). To me, the easy way I understand the meaning of “sin”, and it’s effect on our life, is by thinking of a blind man who stops to ask for directions. He is given a roadmap to guide him…. only one problem, he cannot begin to understand, read, or even see the map. He is in a horrible predicament. He has a set of instructions guiding him on the path he should take, but he cannot begin to follow those directions. Such is the sinfulness of man.
Because we are sinners from conception, we all are unable to please God of our own ability. Just like the blind man, we are in a terrible situation. God has given us His Word which contains His desires for our life, but without His grace, we cannot begin to follow them. For further study on our condition as sinners before God please study (Isa 64:6-7). To sum it up… apart from the Lord we are in horrible straits.
Does this mean we are in a hopeless situation? ABSOLUTELY NOT. This is where faith in our Lord Jesus Christ comes in. Once we understand our inability, our next step is to turn to Him and realize we are totally dependant upon Him to deliver us (or give us the victory over) our sinful condition. In other words WE NEED HIM to save us from our sins. By turning to Him, and trusting in Him, we receive the forgiveness of our sins and the ability to please Him with our lives.
Why is Christ the One we must turn to and place our faith in? It is because He is the One who died for us, taking our sin upon Himself that we might be saved. (please see Roms 4:24-5:2 for more info)
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
Yep, “just like the flowers need the rain”, we truly need Him, not only for our physical well-being, but for our spiritual salvation as well. We can all agree with these words: “Without me (Christ) ye can do nothing”… but… “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (John 15:5, Phil 4:13). Let’s turn to Him and receive His salvation and forgiveness and then, every day, be thankful and praise Him for all He has done for us!
May the Lord bless your study of His Word. Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”
Friday, April 30, 2010
Is It God or Is It Memorex?
“Is it live or is it Memorex?” For those of us old enough to remember, these are very familiar words from a series of Memorex commercials shown in the 70s and 80s. (To refresh your memory, you can watch one on youtube…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bkt8Dwzl6Sg) In these commercials, famous singers from the day would shatter crystal wine glasses with their voice alone. The question would then be asked “was it live or was it Memorex?”. Memorex claimed that you couldn’t tell the difference between a live voice and one recorded on their audio tape. They said that the recordings stored on their tapes would be more accurate and they would last for a longer period of time than their competitors.
Memorex isn’t the only one that is in the business of recording words…. Our Lord recorded His Words and then went far beyond what Memorex attempted to do. What Memorex claimed, Our God perfected… The Lord recorded His Word that will exist unchanged for an eternity! He did this for us, that we might know His mind and see Him more clearly…
THE SCRIPTURE:
For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants.
(Psalms 119:89-91 kjv)
THE STUDY:
Why should we take time to read, study and meditate on God’s Word? We have this question answered for us in the preceding verses.
Please notice in vs 89 we have a clear declaration of the permanence of God’s Word. This truth is brought out to us in two phrases… “for ever” and “settled”.
Let’s look at the last phrase first. To be “settled” means “to have a firm foundation placed under something so that it cannot be moved, shaken, or altered”. In other words, the Lord has completed His Word and it will not change. He has settled on it.
For example, if we have a big decision to make we may take some time to decide the best course to take. Once we have made our decision, we say, we have”settled the issue.” In other words, we have decided on it, and have put it to rest in our minds. Our conclusion will not change.
Likewise, the Lord, who dwells in heaven, has “settled on” His Word. He has proclaimed it through the Godly men of old… He has decided on it…. it is now settled and it will not change.
Praise God, we can trust in His never changing Word! When times get tough and we feel like there is no hope left for us, turn to God’s Word knowing that He, and His Word, never fails.
Now let’s look at our first phrase. “Forever” simply means “without end”. Have you ever spent anytime at the ocean side? When you look out over the ocean you can see no end to it. It seems to continue on forever. Scientists, as they look into the heavens, tell us that they cannot see the limits to the vast area we call outer space. These examples of “seeing no end”, show us the definition of the Hebrew word for “forever”. This word is defined as “seeing the vanishing point”.
The Lord has established His Word and we cannot see an end to it… we can be assured that no matter how long time exists, the Word will exist and be relevant to our lives… there is no limit to His Word or the keeping of it. Yes dear friend, because of these truths even our eternal existence can be entrusted to our Lord and His Word.
Vs 90-91 give us an earthly example of the permanence of His Word… the physical creation we see all around us. The Lord created the earth… it continues to exist. All of His living and nonliving creation continues on. This pictures for us the continuity of His Word. Because God decrees that His creation will proceed… it does. No if, ands, or buts about it.
Every morning, as we awaken from our sleep, and see nature all around us, it should remind us that, just as His creation exists for another day… so to does His faithful Word. He is so good to us supplying us with a wonderful world to live on, with a never-failing revelation from Him to live by! .
Finally, please notice the reason why the earth continues to exist….it’s because the Lord has ordained (decreed or said) that it would. How powerful is God’s Word! He simply speaks and it is done. He spoke the world into existence (Genesis 1:), likewise He calmed the sea during a massive windstorm, simply using His Word (Mark 4:39-41), His Word even raised a dead man to life (John 11:43-44). This same powerful word is the Bible…. it is one in the same.
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
We have the gracious privilege of being able to hold, read and most importantly, rely upon this Word for our eternal salvation and instructions for our day to day walk of life.
Have you received the salvation from your sins that the Lord so graciously gives? If not, please begin to read more about His salvation in His Word. Great places to start would be Romans 3:19-31 and John 3:10-21, in both these passages our Lord makes the necessity of salvation very clear to us, as well as the way of salvation which is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And for those of us who are saved, let’s not take His Word for granted. Everyday, let’s appreciate His Word, read, study, and meditate on it, so that we can be “equipped fully unto all good works” ( 2 Tim 3:14-17)
May the Lord bless your study of His Word.
Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”
Memorex isn’t the only one that is in the business of recording words…. Our Lord recorded His Words and then went far beyond what Memorex attempted to do. What Memorex claimed, Our God perfected… The Lord recorded His Word that will exist unchanged for an eternity! He did this for us, that we might know His mind and see Him more clearly…
THE SCRIPTURE:
For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants.
(Psalms 119:89-91 kjv)
THE STUDY:
Why should we take time to read, study and meditate on God’s Word? We have this question answered for us in the preceding verses.
Please notice in vs 89 we have a clear declaration of the permanence of God’s Word. This truth is brought out to us in two phrases… “for ever” and “settled”.
Let’s look at the last phrase first. To be “settled” means “to have a firm foundation placed under something so that it cannot be moved, shaken, or altered”. In other words, the Lord has completed His Word and it will not change. He has settled on it.
For example, if we have a big decision to make we may take some time to decide the best course to take. Once we have made our decision, we say, we have”settled the issue.” In other words, we have decided on it, and have put it to rest in our minds. Our conclusion will not change.
Likewise, the Lord, who dwells in heaven, has “settled on” His Word. He has proclaimed it through the Godly men of old… He has decided on it…. it is now settled and it will not change.
Praise God, we can trust in His never changing Word! When times get tough and we feel like there is no hope left for us, turn to God’s Word knowing that He, and His Word, never fails.
Now let’s look at our first phrase. “Forever” simply means “without end”. Have you ever spent anytime at the ocean side? When you look out over the ocean you can see no end to it. It seems to continue on forever. Scientists, as they look into the heavens, tell us that they cannot see the limits to the vast area we call outer space. These examples of “seeing no end”, show us the definition of the Hebrew word for “forever”. This word is defined as “seeing the vanishing point”.
The Lord has established His Word and we cannot see an end to it… we can be assured that no matter how long time exists, the Word will exist and be relevant to our lives… there is no limit to His Word or the keeping of it. Yes dear friend, because of these truths even our eternal existence can be entrusted to our Lord and His Word.
Vs 90-91 give us an earthly example of the permanence of His Word… the physical creation we see all around us. The Lord created the earth… it continues to exist. All of His living and nonliving creation continues on. This pictures for us the continuity of His Word. Because God decrees that His creation will proceed… it does. No if, ands, or buts about it.
Every morning, as we awaken from our sleep, and see nature all around us, it should remind us that, just as His creation exists for another day… so to does His faithful Word. He is so good to us supplying us with a wonderful world to live on, with a never-failing revelation from Him to live by! .
Finally, please notice the reason why the earth continues to exist….it’s because the Lord has ordained (decreed or said) that it would. How powerful is God’s Word! He simply speaks and it is done. He spoke the world into existence (Genesis 1:), likewise He calmed the sea during a massive windstorm, simply using His Word (Mark 4:39-41), His Word even raised a dead man to life (John 11:43-44). This same powerful word is the Bible…. it is one in the same.
THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION:
We have the gracious privilege of being able to hold, read and most importantly, rely upon this Word for our eternal salvation and instructions for our day to day walk of life.
Have you received the salvation from your sins that the Lord so graciously gives? If not, please begin to read more about His salvation in His Word. Great places to start would be Romans 3:19-31 and John 3:10-21, in both these passages our Lord makes the necessity of salvation very clear to us, as well as the way of salvation which is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And for those of us who are saved, let’s not take His Word for granted. Everyday, let’s appreciate His Word, read, study, and meditate on it, so that we can be “equipped fully unto all good works” ( 2 Tim 3:14-17)
May the Lord bless your study of His Word.
Like God’s Word… may your soul’s salvation and your life’s faithfulness be “Settled in Heaven.”
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