However,
sometimes people fast for the wrong reasons;
using the wrong
dispensation;
for the wrong outcome,
but the purpose for fasting is very simple … putting down the flesh as
the
apostle Paul says
“For the flesh
(your flesh) lusteth
against the Spirit (God’s
indwelling Spirit called Holy Ghost),
and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the
one to the
other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
(Galatians 5:17)
Under the old
testament the soul was wedded to
the physical body, but
a Christian has his soul separated for the body of flesh (Colossian
2:11). In
either dispensation both the soul and the body are humbled with
fasting.
“Then came to
him the disciples of
John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy
disciples fast
not? And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the
bridechamber
mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come,
when the
bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.”
(Matthew
9:14-15)
Comment:
Being under
the kingdom of heaven dispensation this is not mandatory for
Christians. Of
course, as Christians are in Christ, they will want to fast to put down
the
flesh.
AGREEMENT
WITH THE LORD
“Now there
were in the church that was
at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that
was
called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought
up with
Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted
(first), the Holy
Ghost said (second), Separate me Barnabas and Saul for
the work
whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted
and prayed,
and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” (Acts 13:1-3)
“And when they
had ordained them
elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended
them to the Lord, on whom they believed.” (Acts 14:23)
Comment:
This
is not the same as fasting and praying to see how the Lord will
direct,
but fasting and praying after the event of being chosen, for agreement,
blessing
and future success in the Lord.
PAUL FASTED
OFTEN
“In
weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in
fastings
often, in cold and nakedness.”
(2 Corinthians 11:27)
Comment:
Paul practiced
fasting. There is a difference between hunger and fasting, with fasting
being
deliberate and for a purpose for the Lord.
EXCELLENT
MEDICAL
ADVICE
Gives the
physical
body a rest and slow down a racing mind. Furthermore, it is wonderful
for
spiritual reasons as it quietens down the lusts of the mind and flesh.
HUMBLES THE
SOUL against false witnesses
“False
witnesses did rise up;
they laid to my charge things that I knew not. They rewarded me evil
for good
to the spoiling of my soul. 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. I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or
brother: I
bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother. But in mine
adversity
they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects
gathered
themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me,
and ceased
not: With hypocritical mockers in feasts, they gnashed upon me with
their
teeth.” (Psalm 35:11-14,15-16)
Comment:
When others come against
you, fasting is a good way to
see what the Lord will do … “Your will, your way and your time Lord!”
Read
Numbers chapter 12 with Moses and Miriam.
CHASTENS THE
SOUL WITH FASTING
“Save me, O
God; for the waters are
come in unto my soul. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing:
I am
come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary of my
crying:
my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God. They that
hate me
without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would
destroy
me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that
which I
took not away. O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not
hid from
thee. Let not them that
wait on
thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake: let not those that
seek thee
be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel. Because for thy sake I have
borne
reproach; shame hath covered my face. I am become a stranger unto
my
brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children. For the zeal of thine
house
hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are
fallen
upon me. When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting,
that was
to my reproach. I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a
proverb to
them. They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of
the
drunkards.” (Psalm 69:1-4,5-8,9-12)
Comment:
My body says
give me … give me … and my flesh cries loudly in my ears but I have to
carefully listen to the voice of God. I am reminded how spiritually
poor I am
when my body controls me. Some
of the above is also a type and shadow of Christ to come.
KNEES GET
WEAK AND FLESH FAILS Psalm 109:24
“But do thou
for me, O GOD the Lord,
for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me. For I
am poor
and needy, and my heart is wounded within me. I am gone like the shadow
when it
declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust. My knees are weak
through
fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness. I became also a reproach unto
them:
when they looked upon me they shaked their heads. Help me, O LORD my
God: O
save me according to thy mercy: That they may know that this is thy
hand;
that thou, LORD, hast done it. Let them curse, but bless thou: when
they arise,
let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice. Let mine adversaries
be
clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own
confusion, as
with a mantle. I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I
will praise
him among the multitude. For he shall stand at the right hand of the
poor, to
save him from those that condemn his soul.” (Psalm 109:21-24,25-28,29-31)
Comment:
Anything
that weakens the flesh can’t be all bad, all the natural lusts and
desires. Spiritually
speaking, weakening the flesh is good!
FASTING BRINGS
RESULTS
“… there came
to him a certain man,
kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is
lunatick,
and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the
water.
And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
Then
Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long
shall I
be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. And
Jesus
rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured
from that
very hour. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why
could not
we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief:
for verily
I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall
say unto
this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and
nothing
shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not
out but by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17:14-17,18-21)
Comment:
A special
dispensation was given to the disciples for this to happen. This is not
necessarily given to Christians under Paul. Having said that, a
Christian can
fast and pray for those who are satanically affected, but the outcome
may not
be necessarily obtained.
GOD’S WORDS
BETTER
THAN FOOD.
“Neither have
I gone back from the
commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth
more than my
necessary food.” (Job 23:12)
Comment:
As Paul says
… with food and raiment he was content
(1 Timothy 6:8) but he could not
do
without the words of
the Lord.
THE APPETITE
IS NOT FILLED
“All the
labour of a man is for his mouth, and yet the
appetite is not filled.” (Ecclesiastes
6:7)
Comment:
Physical food
feeds the flesh but fasting does the opposite.
WHOSE GOD IS
THEIR BELLY
Brethren, be
followers together of me,
and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many
walk, of
whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they
are the
enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose
God is
their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind
earthly things.”
(Philippians 3:17-19)
Comment:
Dear Reader,
is the belly your God?
FASTING
LOOSENS
THE BANDS OF WICKEDNESS, UNDOES HEAVY BURDENS, SETS THE OPPRESSED FREE,
BREAKS
EVERY YOKE.
“Wherefore
have we fasted, say they,
and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou
takest no
knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact
all your
labours. Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite
with the
fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make
your voice
to be heard on high. Is
it such a
fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to
bow down
his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
wilt thou
call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? 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? 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?” (Isaiah 58:3-6,7)
Comment:
Break
smoking, lust, TV watching … everything!
REWARDS TO BE
HAD FROM GOD TO THOSE
WHO WILL FAST
“Blessed are
they which do hunger
and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matthew
5:6)
Comment:
Want more of
God? Then hunger and
thirst after his word, put down the flesh and be filled with waiting on
the
Lord.
WHEN YE FAST,
BE NOT, AS THE
HYPOCRITES
“Moreover when
ye fast, be not, as
the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their
faces, that
they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have
their
reward. But
thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That
thou appear
not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret:
and thy
Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew
6:16-18)
Comment:
In other
words, keep it to yourself.
Let your rewards not be of this earth. Let God reward you openly in his
way,
his will and his time.
ADVICE
TO HUSBANDS AND WIVES
“Defraud ye
not one the other, except it be
with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting
and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you
not for your incontinency.” (1Corinthians 7:5)
Comment:
This means
that a husband and wife should not deprive each other of a physical
coming
together, except by mutual agreement and consent. Sometimes physical
union
between husband and wife is not possible for a time. To help them
through this
time, fasting and prayer is suggested in case either of them is tempted
to look
outside of the marriage.
PAUL’S
OWN CHRISTIAN WALK
“In weariness
and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and
nakedness.”
(2 Corinthians 11:27)
Comment:
Paul took
everything to the Lord for direction and answers regarding
many issues.
FOR
FLESHY CHURCHES … all churches
“But in all things approving ourselves as the
ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in
distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in
watchings,
in fastings;” (2 Corinthians
6:4-5)
Comment:
The
Corinthian church was having enormous problems with their sins. They
were a
fleshy church and needed to put the flesh down by fasting. Indeed,
their flesh
was stronger than God’s Spirit.
“For the
flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and
these
are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things
that ye
would.” (Gal 5:17)
ARE THERE SET
TIMES FAST? LENGTH?
No. Lent and
church festivals and observances, while good in theory, are not in
Paul’s
writings of Romans to Philemon. These are simply man-made events from
the Roman
Catholic church. They can mean nothing and can be very deceptive.
Many Roman
Catholics and other unsaved people religiously fast at Lent. It means
nothing
and in fact, gives a false sense of security that they are following
the rules
and regulations of the church, hoping it gets them favour with God.
This is the
danger that people start to put their faith in these events and can
become very
self-righteous and proud. Many think that this, and other ceremonies,
will get
them a place in heaven when they die.
SHOULD A
CHRISTIAN FAST?
Paul does
not dictate to anyone or church that they should fast, but Christians
follow
Paul and the benefits that come from fasting (1 Corinthians 11:1). A
Christian
can live in self deception, but fasting can be God’s way to break this
sin.
FASTING IS TO
BE LEFT UP TO THE
INDIVIDUAL.
Looking at
how ‘big’ some people are, fasting would certainly be an option for
these
people, to help them focus on spiritual things rather than their
worldly lust
for food. Some Christians are just so fleshy, they could easily forego
a meal
or two for spiritual purposes.
PEOPLE FAST
FOR SELFISH REASONS
“Then came the
word of the LORD of
hosts unto me, saying, Speak unto all the people of the land, and to
the
priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and
seventh month,
even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And
when ye
did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and
drink for
yourselves? Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried
by the
former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and
the cities
thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?”
(Zechariah
7:1-4,5-7)
Comment:
People can
fast for selfish reasons hoping
to get the things they want by forcing God’s hands.
CONCLUSION:
1. Fasting is a voluntary
thing for saved
people (Acts 16:31) … to show the Lord how serious you are about
things.
2. Fasting is a tool for God
to use his way and his
reasons … and having done all … patiently and humbly wait.
3. Having presented
your case to
God, humbly pray like Christ “Not my will Father, but your
will, your
way, your time” (Matthew 26:42; Luke 22:42)
Harley
Hitchcock
November 2023
www.
AustralianBibleMinistries
.com
A guide to understanding:
1 Corinthians
