Strive For Sexual Purity

# 309 - Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 21:3 "Now therefore, what have you on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever can be found." 4 And the priest answered David and said, "There is no common bread on hand; but there is holy bread, if the young men have at least kept themselves from women." ( 1 Sam 21:3) David asks for bread for himself and his men. The priest had no ordinary bread on hand only that bread which was considered holy. This bread was, according to Levitical Law, reserved only for the priests. Le 24:9 "And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the offerings of the LORD made by fire, by a perpetual statute." This was serious business, and if we zoom ahead to 1Sa 22:10, we see that Ahimelech took the time to ask God if it would be all right to give David and his men this holy bread. "And he inquired of the LORD for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine." God said yes to this request, and Jesus would later use this very incident to make the point to the Pharisees that mercy triumphs over judgment. But, please note that God also gave a stipulation for the use of this bread. David and his men were to have had no recent sexual activity. Sexual purity matters to God and not just in the Old Testament. 1Co 6:13b says, “the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And in 1Th 4:2-5 we read, “for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;” And then in v7,8, “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.” Strive for sexual purity. It is the will of God, and was commanded by the Lord Jesus. Father, help us to control our illicit sexual passions.

Is It Ever Okay To Lie

# 308 - Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 21:2 So David said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, 'Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you.' And I have directed my young men to such and such a place. It's interesting, virtually every commentary I have read on this particular verse makes a big deal about David telling a lie. Yes he lied, but we are not given his motivation for lying. Did he lie to save his skin, or did he lie to protect the skin of Ahimelech? Think about it. What if David tells Ahimelech the truth? What if he says, “I am running from King Saul and I need you help?” Such truth telling in this instance would place Ahimelech in a great bind. Should he help David or remain loyal to Saul? I am inclined to believe that David lied for the sake of protecting Ahimelech. You see, Ahimelech was not the only one in the room. We are told that Doeg, one of Saul's loyal servants just happened to be present and David was aware of it! In 1 Sam 22:22 we read, “David said to Abiathar, "I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have caused the death of all the persons of your father's house.” David knew that Doeg would give a full report to Saul of these events, and in lying, he thought he could keep Ahimelech out of it. Unfortunately it didn't work out that way. This is not the only biblical example of people lying in an attempt to save the skin of others. The Hebrew midwives lied to Pharaoh's henchman in order to save the babies that Pharaoh had ordered to be killed. Rahab lied to save the necks of the Israeli spies. And what do you think that a German who was hiding a Jew would say to the Gestapo when they knocked on their door? “Hiding Jews? Why yes I am, you'll find them in the secret closet upstairs!” As Christians we should not lie, but sometimes, it may be necessary in an attempt to protect innocent life. Innocent is key here. You don't lie to protect the guilty. It is as Jesus said in Mt 10:16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. This verse pretty much sums up David's experience as he was running from Saul. It's a good rule for all of us to remember. Father give us the discernment that we need.

Being Merciful Even In Sticky Situations

# 307 - Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 21:1. Having finished the series on fasting, we return to our verse by verse exposition of 1 Samuel. “Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was afraid when he met David, and said to him, "Why are you alone, and no one is with you?" ( 1 Sam 21:1) This chapter is the beginning of the account of David fleeing from Saul. It was a very trying time for David. And as we shall see, trying times create desperate men who are capable of many things to save their skin. But trying times also give men the opportunity to be men of integrity and we will also see the integrity of David in the days ahead. God used these trying times for David as He uses them for us, to shape us into the children He wants us to be. Many of the blessed Psalms penned by David through the influence of the Holy Spirit were written from the trials he would face in the days ahead with the murderous Saul in pursuit, and those Psalms have served the Lord's children well throughout history as we deal with an enemy who is in hot pursuit of our souls as well. So we pick up the story with David on the lam. Jonathan has sent him off with an urgent warning, "Make haste, hurry, do not delay!" (1 Sam 20:38) The first place David heads to is Nob, which is called the city of the priests. This episode, by the way, was important enough to be cited in the New Testament by Jesus. There is a lesson in this incident that Jesus wanted us all to learn, and we'll get to that later. A quick lesson for us here today is that when we find ourselves in trial and turmoil, it is wise to head to fellow believers for counsel and prayer. David didn't just receive help from Ahimelech in the form of food and weaponry, but he also received intercessory prayer. 1Sa 22:10 tells us, "And he inquired of the LORD for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine." Sometimes, we are called upon to help other believers in a time of need. Sometimes we can even get caught in the middle of sticky situations, such as Ahimelech found himself. In such cases, error on the side of mercy as Ahimelech did. Pray for, and with those in dire straits, and seek to help them to the extent that you are able. Father, help us to overcome our fears, when it comes time to be merciful.

Why Jesus Is Better Than Elvis

# 306 - Lu 2:36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. In our text today we meet a widow named Anna. She was old. After 7 years of marriage her husband dies and for whatever reason she doesn't remarry. She has lived a long time without the physical intimacy of a husband. How did she handle this lack of intimacy? She prayed, she fasted, and she served God. Was she lonely? I’m sure she experienced times of loneliness. Was she alone? Never. And look what happened. Her praying and fasting and service to the Lord, literally brought Jesus to her door. (She pretty much lived in the temple!) And because she had fasted and prayed, she had become intimate with Jesus and His Word. And she used that intimacy to bless others, as a gifted prophetess (one who spoke of the things of God with others) I don’t think we can speak of intimacy with God too much. The human need for intimacy is great, but living in such a sin-sick world human intimacy more often than not fails. If and when it does, know with Anna, that there is an intimacy that will never fail. And know and believe that this intimacy can fulfill and can satisfy. Ps 107:9 says, “For He satisfies the longing soul.” This is an incredible verse. If we paraphrase it in the Hebrew, it would sound like this. God fills to overflowing the greedy soul. God alone satisfies the longing soul. Is there dissatisfaction in your life? Does God seem distant? Are you experiencing lukewarmness? Have you tried fasting? It’s one way that Jesus promises to show up at your door for the purpose of being more intimate with you. Dr. Tony Evans tells of the Elvis rage of the 70’s. The King of Rock and Roll would go on tour and people would camp out for days at the ticket office hoping not only for a seat, but a front row seat. You’re not going to touch his silk scarf in row ZZZ. He’s not going to come off the stage and put his arms around you and sing to you if you’re in the balcony. So these people would be willing to be inconvenienced by sleeping on a sidewalk, no matter what the weather for days just for the possibility of a front row seat near the king . Well, the King of Kings doesn’t shake his hips but he does shake the world. And He knows tender love, and He knows when you’re lonesome at night, but He will never allow you to be alone.  Elvis would pack up and leave after the concert, but Jesus says, I will never leave nor forsake you. Are you willing to be inconvenienced like those Elvis seekers. Are you willing to skip a meal or two in the discipline of fasting for the purpose of getting a front row seat with Jesus? Jas 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. And fasting is one way that we can use to draw near to Him. Father, there is such a lack of intimacy in our world today. Fill the lonely souls with Your love.  

Jesus Is At the Door. Step Away From the Table

# 305 - Would you like to be more intimate with God? Would you like Him to be more intimate with you? Have you tried fasting? We use to sing a song in worship that went like this: “knowing You Jesus, knowing You….there is no greater thing,” but do we really mean it? Do we really want intimacy with Him? When Jesus walked this earth, His disciples were blessed to have intimate face to face contact with Him, but what were they to do when He ascended into heaven? The answer is found in Mt 9:15, “And Jesus said to them, can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” Jesus was physically going to a place very distant from where the disciples were. How were His followers going to make it without Jesus right by their side? Well, we know that this was one of the purposes of sending the Holy Spirit, but according to this verse,  this intimacy would be enhanced by fasting. Does God seem distant to you? Do you sense that you are out of touch with Jesus? Have you tried fasting? Fasting is a bridge to the bridegroom, a tool that God has given us to maintain an ongoing connection with His Son in order to help us experience the only fulfilling intimacy that really matters. An intimacy with the truest lover of our souls.  How do we know when it’s time to fast in order to heighten our intimacy with the Lord? Well how about taking your spiritual temperature? Are you hot, cold, or lukewarm?  If we were honest, we would have to say that most of us experience periods of lukewarmness. But we can break out of these periods with fasting! Jesus speaks about this in Revelation chapter three. He wishes we were hot or cold, anything but lukewarm, and then he went on to describe the signs of lukewarmness. The chief sign being, self-sufficiency. “For you say I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing.” Rev 3:17 You may be self-sufficient, you may be experiencing the good life, but if you don’t have intimacy with Jesus, verily, verily, you have your reward. So Jesus in His desire to re-establish intimacy with you, stands at the door and knocks. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him and he with Me.” (Rev 3:20) Try and get this picture: The food is on the table, (untouched) but you have come to the point in your life that you are hungering for the only intimacy that satisfies, suddenly you hear a gentle knocking on the door. So you get up, you leave the food untouched, you fast. Look who shows up at the door. Jesus, and He says, invite me in, let’s break the fast and let’s eat. Let’s have fellowship, let’s be intimate. Father, give us a hunger for intimacy with You and hear our pleas through prayer and fasting.

More On Sexual Fasting

# 304 - Today we are continuing a look at sexual fasting and how it promotes intimacy with God and therefore intimacy with each other. So how does this work? What’s the connection between abstaining from physical intimacy and bringing God into the situation. Well, Scripture interprets Scripture. There are other examples of this kind of fasting in Scripture! In Exodus, God told Moses to prepare the people to DRAW NEAR to Him and we read in Ex. 19:15-17, “And he said to the people, be ready for the third day; DO NOT GO NEAR A WOMAN.” (God told Moses to call for a sexual fast among the people.) On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. (God was coming near) Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God.” This fast was part of a process to draw near to God and have them meet Him where they were at..   We see the same principle at work in the second chapter of Joel. God was calling the people to return to Him and one of the things He called on the people to do was engage in  sexual fasting.  (Joel 2:16) ”let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber” (In other words “put your intimacy on hold for a time!) This kind of fasting as with all other type of fasting invites the Lord into the situation, and in particular here in these passages and in 1 Corinthians 7, it is for the sake of increasing intimacy with the Lord, drawing near to Him  and consequently drawing nearer to each other. By the way chapter two of Joel speaks of a couple of other things that God promises to do when people return to Him.  (v25)”I will restore to you the years that the swarming locusts has eaten. (Intimacy that has been lost through selfish indifference, or a lack of understanding, or just plain familiarity with each other can be restored) This kind of fasting is designed to restore intimacy within the marriage. It’s a tool that God has given to His church because He longs to see intimacy modeled in His people because it reflects the intimacy He desires with all people. We talk much about having a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus, well this is one way of strengthening that bond. God is all for intimacy in families, but most of us have given up on it. Most of us have chosen to ignore this portion of Scripture because it’s too embarrassing to talk about it. But there it is. Right in the middle of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. Say, isn’t that the letter with the famous “love chapter?” You know, “Love is patient, kind, not envious, arrogant, or rude. It doesn’t insist on it’s own way, isn’t irritable or resentful. Doesn’t rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices in truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things.” It certainly is, and maybe if we would put our text into practice, God would give us the supernatural help we need to love like this and overcome our problems with intimacy.  God loves marriages and so ought we. Let’s use every weapon at our disposal to commit to them, maintain them, and strengthen them in the church today. Including the weapon of sexual fasting.

Sexual Fasting

# 303 - 1Co 7:1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote. It is well for a man not to touch a woman.  2 But because of the temptation to immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.  3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband.  4 For the wife does not rule over her own body, but the husband does; likewise the husband does not rule over his own body, but the wife does.  5 Do not refuse one another except perhaps by agreement for a season, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, lest Satan tempt you through lack of self-control. Today, we'll begin looking at the topic of sexual fasting. Remember the definition of fasting is “the deliberate abstaining from physical gratification in order to obtain a spiritual reward from the Father. It is a denial of the flesh in order to gain a response from the Spirit. In our text today, the Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul is not talking about abstaining from food, He’s talking about a sexual fast. Husbands and wives agreeing to abstain from intimate physical activity for a season (a prescribed time) in order to devote time to mutual prayer. Intimacy involves ALL aspects of the relationship in a marriage, including love, respect, commitment, communication, kindness, and unselfishness.  It is experienced in  emotional, spiritual, and physical closeness, which includes but is not limited to sex. I can feel some of the guys squirming already. Typically we men, are terrible at intimacy. Our idea of intimacy and warming up to someone is some sort of a grunt or maybe a handshake. But our wives deserve more than that, indeed they need more than that. It’s the way God has wired them. Women are wired for relational intimacy and men are wired for physical intimacy. Both husbands and wives need to grasp this and sexual fasting is a tool God has given us to help us in this arena. Unfortunately, it is seldom talked about in church. The purpose of sexual fasting is to deprive yourself of physical intimacy in order to gain spiritual intimacy with God and consequently, each other. How does that work? Well have you forgotten? It’s not just a husband and wife in a marriage, there’s a third party involved. Mal 2:15, “Did HE not make them one with a portion of the Spirit in their union” And so this mutual agreement for deprivation for a short time, in order to devote time to mutual prayer, is a way of praying to the third person in your marriage with your bodies, which have become one in marriage, telling God that intimacy with Him is more important than physical intimacy with each other. And don’t you know that marital intimacy, and all its different aspects will increase as your intimacy with God increases because marriage is God’s idea and has been since day one!  The purpose of sexual fasting then is to seek to regain and enhance all the aspects of intimacy that God intended to be present between a man and a woman, because marriage is to be a showcase of those same aspects of intimacy between believers and Christ. “Father help us to desire more intimacy with You.

See A Need? Sow To It!

# 302 - We've been talking about the fasting of deprivation. Every act of giving to others inevitably involves a withholding of something that could have been spent on you, it is a deprivation, a fast if you will, and God promises to respond in kind.  This kind of fast can involve time, money, or goods. Listen to the preacher in Ecclesiastes 11:1-4 and learn to give from what you have now, rather than waiting to give out of your surplus. Learn the lessons of sacrificial giving because they are in essence a fast. “Cast your bread upon the waters,” (What does bread do when it soaks in water? It expands) “for you will find it after many days, (The results may take time) “Give a portion to seven or even eight, (error on the side of generosity,  for instance, someone you know needs transportation, well, lend them your car, while you're at it, fill up the tank, and give them a gas card....be generous! And don't delay! If you see a need and you are able to help, go for it! “for you know not what disaster may happen on earth. If the clouds are full of rain they empty themselves on the earth and if a tree falls to the south or to the north in the place where the tree falls there it will lie. He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. In other words don’t let your present circumstances dictate your willingness to give to a need. Don’t wait for ideal conditions to be in place before you act. Do you have a need? Sow to it now! Do you see a need? Sow to it now! When you understand this principle of giving to a need, taking the little that you have and giving it to God, it’s like priming the pump. A pump won’t work unless it has a watertight seal. And if you take just a little water and pour it into the pump. It fills in the gaps around the seal and allows the pump to pull up the water from the spring below. God’s got some gaps He would like you to fill, some needs He wants to meet if you are willing to part with a little of what you have. Prime the pumps of heaven as you learn to give to a need from whatever you have in hand to meet the need. Let’s close with some biblical examples. Hannah, was barren, she fasted and prayed and vowed to give God the child if she became pregnant, and she gave birth to Samuel, but that’s not all, the Lord blessed her with three more sons and two daughters.  Ruth, without a husband, opener her heart to Naomi and became like a husband to her,  and God provided her a husband. The widow’s mite. She was down to her last cent, but gave to her need, and the Lord noticed. The boy with the lunch of fish and bread gave it to Jesus, and 5,000 were fed. No need to take inventory of your resources, that's what the widow of Zarephath did and she was gripped by fear.   Rather look for the need around you, and then give to it with whatever you are able, asking God to bless it. Father, help me to be generous to needs.

Sowing To A Need

# 301 – As we continue our look at biblical fasting, I want to spend some more time on the biblical account of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath. The widows fast could be called a fast of deprivation. She was willing to deprive herself of food for the sake of another (Elijah) Elijah asked her to make a SMALL biscuit for him, and then use the rest for herself. If she was willing to do this, he promised her that God would not only feed her, but her household (her kinfolk) as well until the end of the famine. The widow had a dire need. Do you have a dire need? Have you tried fasting. Have you tried withholding some sensual gratification in order for God to step in and supply? The widow gave up just a little out of her poverty and God blessed her. Dr. Tony Evans relates the story of a couple from his church who were living in a crowded apartment. They wanted to be able to move into their own home, but couldn’t afford it. So they decided to put this principle of giving to their need to work and trust God, by giving a “little” of what they had (their apartment) to Him. How did they do that? They purposed in their heart to have people over for dinner 2 times a month. That’s not a lot…..that’s a little. They didn’t have to do that, they were in a sense fasting their time and space to benefit others. While they did this they prayed that God would supply them with a home. To make a long story short, they wound up in a home three times the size of their apartment, paying less than they had paid for rent. You see they didn’t make the mistake that so many of us make. They didn’t wait for all their ducks to be in a row before they acted. They didn’t say, “When we finally get a house we will open it up for hospitality.” No they sowed to their need with the seed that they had in hand, and we would be wise to learn to do the same. Prov 11:25 says, “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered. Jesus said in Lk 6:38, “give, and it (The “it” is whatever you give) will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap,  Gal 6:9,10 says, “And let us not weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. So then as you have opportunity, (even though it’s a little biscuit, or a widow’s mite, or a tiny apartment) let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Eph 6:8, says, ““knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord.” (Eph 6:8) Do you get the picture? These are spiritual principles, spiritual truths, things to trust God for by acting on them. Every act of giving to others inevitably involves a withholding of something that could have been spent on you, it is a deprivation, a fast if you will and God promises to respond in kind.   Father, grant us the faith of the widow of Zarephath.

Fasting For Needs and Direction

# 300 – As we continue our look at biblical fasting, I want to spend some time on fasting to meet needs. I'm going to start be recalling the biblical account of Elijah being taken in and fed by the widow at Zarephath. You can read about it in 1 Kings 17. At first glance, we can look at this account of the widow and Elijah and ask, “what has this got to do with fasting? The word “fast” is nowhere to be found in the story. This is true, but the concept of fasting is cleverly hidden in the fact that the widow was willing to give up her last meal and trust God to come through and provide for her. This is the essence of fasting! In fasting we are telling God, “I am giving up on my own resources and looking to Your resources.!” In 1 Kings 17, Elijah had just told the wicked King Ahab, that God was going to judge him through drought. Drought means no rain, no rain means no crops, no crops means famine, famine means no food. Famines are mandatory fasts imposed by God. The God who has the first and last say in nature uses them to get our attention, just as He encourages us to fast to get His attention. Remember Mt 6:18? “That your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (You fast for God’s attention, not man’s) Now, Ahab wasn’t happy with Elijah. He didn’t want to hear the preacher telling him to change his ways, and the best way to silence somebody is do em’ in. So Elijah’s life was in danger, but God was way ahead of Ahab. He already had a pace of safety set aside for  him. So he tells Elijah to beat feet to the brook Cherith where he can hide out and he would  have water to drink and food catered in daily by the Crow Catering Service. Do we have a great God or what? I mean have you ever tried to command a crow? Did you ever try to tell a crow what to do. But God COMMANDED the crows to feed Elijah. Now, He could’ve commanded the chickadees to feed Elijah, but that would’ve meant birdseed, instead Elijah gets the steak and bread diet of the crow! But lo and behold eventually the brook dries up. Now what God? Well sometimes, God has to dry things up in our lives in order to get us to move on. Maybe things are drying up in your life even as I speak. Well, don’t panic, wait to hear from the Lord. Keep looking to Him and His Word. Pull still another fasting card if you have to, it was what Ezra did when he was wondering what to do. He said in Ezra 8:21, “Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a safe journey for ourselves, our children, and all our goods.” You see, fasting can also be used to ask God for direction in your life. Fasting for needs or fasting for direction. Whatever the case may be, we are admitting that our resources are used up and we need to rely on His! Father, thank You for the spiritual tool of fasting.

He Is Able

# 300 – Still more today on the role of fasting in conquering fear. Let's read from 2 Chronicles 20 beginning at v1: “After this the Moabites and Ammonites and with them some of the Meunites came against Jehoshaphat for battle. Some men came and told Jehoshaphat , “a great multitude is coming against you from Edom, from beyond the sea, they are in Hazazon-tamar (that is, Engedi) Then Jehoshaphat was afraid.”   He was what? Afraid. Great fear gripped Jehoshaphat! No wonder they called him, “jumpin' Jehosophat!” The enemies of Israel were far superior to his forces and they were coming after him and they were already at a nearby city, the deadline was looming. There was no running, no escaping.   What did this fear cause him to do? V3 - And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. It was this fasting that set his face to seek the Lord. It was fasting and prayer that caused God to intervene. It was the fasting that caused God to jump into his field of vision, it was fasting that allowed him to see God instead of the problem!   What happened to Jehoshaphat  and the Israelites after their fast. Incredibly, the armies of the Ammonites, Moabites, and Meunites destroyed each other, and by the time the Israelites arrived for the battle , “they looked to the horde and behold there were dead bodies on the ground.” (2 Chron 20:24.)  This is what God is able to do to your source of fear. He is able to scatter your fear like the dead bodies of the Ammorites And after this stunning victory Jehoshaphat addressed the people and said, "Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper." God is able! Just ask those who went through the Red Sea and saw the source of their fears drowned when the sea closed in over Pharaoh’s army.   Just ask Daniel, when the source of his fears had their mouths silenced and their jaws wired shut when he spent the night with his fears in the lions den.   Just ask Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego  when the source of their fears tried to turn up the heat in the fiery furnace. Just ask Peter, when his head was on the chopping block and the way out was opened up to him. What is He able to do in your life when fear grips you. I don’t know, I only know when it grips you to the point of immobilizing you, it’s time to fast. It’s time to call out to God, and say “I can’t, but You can!” In fasting you call God into the picture, and He stands between you and the source of your fears.   And His shadow alone is enough to scatter the enemy, and to give you the victory!

Fasting: The Spiritual Hand Grenade

# 299 – We are continuing a series on fasting. Today I want to talk further about fasting as a weapon against fear. Fear can give birth to very unhealthy obsessions, which can lead to addictions which we often use as a place to run to in order to escape our fears. When does fear grip you? Is it in the area of your finances? A relationship? A lack of a relationship? Some fear regarding loved ones? Is it the nagging health problem that you don’t want to go see the doctor about? Is it that new job you’re starting? It could be something as simple as standing in front of a class to give a speech, or going  to the dentist. Fear is fear. It is whatever it is that distracts you and paralyzes you. Whatever it is that  consumes you and adds stress to your life.   When you find yourself paralyzed, when you find yourself obsessed because of fear, it’s time to reach into the armory of weapons that God has put at your disposal and pull out the spiritual hand grenade of fasting, and let God scatter that enemy that has brought such fear into your life. Fear often comes with deadlines and ultimatums doesn’t it? A payment is due, a court date, is looming, that dentist appointment is tomorrow! What do you do? You do all you can do and then you fast. In the Book of Esther, the Jews were gripped with fear because an order had been given and a date set for their extermination.  Esther was gripped with fear because she was being called upon to stand up to the king. What did they do? They fasted!. Esther even called on others to fast on her behalf! Esther called for a fast because she knew she didn’t have the courage to do this alone. The heartcry of fasting is always, “God I can’t do this on my own, I need your help! This circumstance is too big for me to overcome. Fasting then turns our fear to faith. Dr. Tony Evans tells the story of the time that his church was meeting in a school. A couple of members of the school board got a bee in their bonnet about separation of church and state and decided to kick the church out of the school. The church, like Esther, asked for a special meeting with the school board to see if they would change their mind. Guess what the church did? They fasted and prayed. On the day of the meeting two of the members of the school board were late. They waited for them for over 45 minutes and finally went ahead with the meeting at which the board overturned it's decision and allowed the church to continue meeting. Guess what? It seems the two missing members were the two with the bees in their bonnets. It seems that they were hung up in a huge traffic snarl and couldn’t make any noise but the honking of their horns. Do you need God to allay any of your fears? Fast and pray! Let your fears harmlessly honk their horns, as you allow God to step in and take care of His business as you admit your need for Him in your situation through prayer and fasting. Father, help us with our fears today.

Fasting To Overcome Fear

# 298 – We are continuing a series on fasting. As we have seen, this spiritual discipline is not just for Old Testament believers, yet we can learn much about fasting from their example. Our next example will come from the Book of Esther. Some quick background on the situation in the Book of Esther. An order was issued by the king to exterminate all the Jews in the country on the 13th day of the 12th month. Imagine such an order given in our country today for all Christians to be annihilated on Dec.13th! Imagine the fear that would grip us! How did the Jews (the OT church) react? They fasted and prayed. Es 4: 3 And in every province where the king's command and decree arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes. There was a glimmer of hope for the Jews because the Jewess Esther was in the king's harem. Perhaps she could persuade the king to change the order. This was very risky for Esther and so she asked the people to fast on her behalf. Es 4:16 "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!" There was an atmosphere of fear among Esther and the people and they responded by fasting. Are you wrestling with fear right now? Have you told others about your situation? Have you asked them to fast and pray for you. Have you tried fasting yourself? Fear is a powerful emotion. If someone could bottle it and use it to make tires we wouldn’t need 4 wheel drive vehicles, because when fear gets a grip on you, it doesn’t let go easily does it?  Perhaps that’s why we find the phrase “fear not,” 80 times in Scripture.   But it’s one thing to say “fear not”  and quite another to be delivered from this paralyzing emotion, especially when you’re the one being gripped by fear!  You know what I’m talking about don’t you?  Fear that consumes your every waking moment. You can’t stop thinking about something impending in your life, something that is larger than you! In the next couple of days we will talk about fear and the weapon of fasting that God has provided for us to combat it! Father, help relieve our fears.

Hail To the Chief

# 297 – We are continuing a series on fasting. As we have seen, this spiritual discipline is not just for Old Testament believers, yet we can learn much about fasting from their example. We've been looking at Nehemiah's prayer and fast as found in Neh 1,2. We'll pick it up in Neh 2:3 and following: Nehemiah has found himself before the king. The time has come to make his request., and the first words out of Nehemiah's mouth were: “May the king live forever!” This is a term of respect for the office, and is the equivalent of “long live the king,” or here in America, “Hail to the chief” This respect for the office is why we address our letters to our president and our congressmen to “the honorable so and so.” Unfortunately many times we Christians leave out the honorable and just say, “you so and so.” We honor our leaders because of our understanding that all authorities come from God. He puts them in place and He removes them at His whim. Romans 13:1 says, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God. The person who grasps this truth knows that when when you talk to authorities, you are in a sense talking to God! After Nehemiah addresses the king with respect and explains to him how sad he is over the condition of Jerusalem, the king asks, “What do you request” Pay close attention to Nehemiah's answer in verses 4 and 5a. “ So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 And I said to the king,” There's no break in the action here! Petitioning God and petitioning the king is one and the same. Nehemiah didn't take a time out and say to the king, hold on while I say a prayer to God. No! He prayed to the God of heaven as he spoke to the king. You see when you petition the king you are in a sense petitioning God because as we have heard in Rom 13:1, the king is only there by the appointment of God.  We have such limited vision as it concerns the plans of God. We forget that the grand scheme of things is like a chess match and the king (good or bad) is nothing but God’s pawn. When we forget this, we get distracted from those things that really matter…..namely our spiritual growth. Spiritual growth that God desires for us in order to expand His kingdom.   The results of Nehemiah's right view of fasting, prayer, and governmental authority? Well he got a leave of absence to help rebuild Jerusalem. He got the kings protection to do the job, and he got all the supplies needed to complete the job! Pretty good deal for skipping lunch wouldn't you say? Fast and pray brothers and sisters, believing Eph 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen

A Great Example of Proper Fasting

# 296 – We are continuing a series on fasting. As we have seen, this spiritual discipline is not just for Old Testament believers, yet we can learn much about fasting from their example. We've been looking at Nehemiah's prayer and fast as found in Neh 1,2. The reward that Nehemiah sought from God through fasting, was the restoration of the church (the rebuilding of the walls and gates) and that he would find favor with the king (Government) He specifically asked God, “give success to Your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. (King Artaxerxes) (Neh 1:11) Nehemiah knew some things about God. He knew, “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. (Prov 21:1) and so he turned to the only One who was capable of manipulating the government. I'm amazed at how slow we are in the church to realize this. Oh, the time, energy, and money we waste trying to turn the heart of the king (government) on our own. Nehemiah had no PAC money. He didn't run a multi million dollar ad campaign. He didn't hire lobbyists. He humbled himself, fasted and prayed to the One who had the real power to do something about it. We complain about capitol hill, we gripe about the white house when official policies and laws are passed that fly in the face of biblical morality. We resort to unkind words and rants, but how come we never seem interested in following Nehemiah's example of dealing with the government? How come we never quietly fast and pray for the favor we desire from the king? Now let's pick it up in Nehemiah 2:1 “And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before. Key points here regarding fasting. We know that Nehemiah started his fast in the month of Chislev, now it is the month Nisan. For those of you who don't have a Jewish calendar handy...that's 4 months. Fasting brings results, but the timing of those results is in the hands of God. Therefore, it is often necessary to persevere in your fasting and prayer! It wasn't that he went without food for four months, he was the cup bearer! Part of his job was tasting food so the king wouldn't be poisoned! Rather he likely engaged in some sort of periodic targeted fasting involving some sort of a denial of his flesh. Remember our definition of fasting: “a denial of the flesh in order to gain a response from the Spirit.” Furthermore, Nehemiah had never been sad “in the presence of the king,” until this instance. He had never scrunched up his face and made a big deal about his fast: He was fasting in accordance with Jesus' instructions given in His Sermon on the Mount, “Do not be like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others, but when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in the secret place and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Stay tuned because Nehemiah, was about to be rewarded for his proper fasting. Father, help us to persevere in our fasting and prayer, trusting you for the results.

Fasting For Favor From Authorities

# 295 – We are continuing a series on fasting. As we have seen, this spiritual discipline is not just for Old Testament believers, yet we can learn much about fasting from their example. We've been looking at Nehemiah's prayer in conjunction with his fast. The prayer is found in Ne 1:5 -10, and we'll pick it up today in v8, “Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; 9 'but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.' 10 "Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. Here Nehemiah reminds God of His covenant promise to His church. When the church returns to God in humility and repentance, treasuring God's Words, God promises to restore it. This has always been the case with God's dealings with His people...the church. Then, he makes a plea that God would restore the people so that His redemptive work wouldn't be for nought. Let His church rise, rebuild the walls, restore the gates so that it would no longer be the laughing stock of the world.  It’s about God’s name being hallowed!   Finally, after (1) acknowledging the greatness of God, and (2) acknowledging God’s faithfulness, and (3) telling God that he is aware of the responsibilities of God’s people, then (4) confessing how far short they had fallen of their responsibilities,  and (5) reminding God of His promise toward the contrite people, and asking Him to intervene for His name’s sake, His glory, Nehemiah finally brings His request before God. This request was the focal point of his fast and prayer.   “give success to Your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. (King Artaxerxes) Nehemiah was simply asking for some forward movement in the project of rebuilding the walls. He had some ideas as to what he would need for the project, but he was going to first of all need the approval of Artaxerxes. So this fast served a twofold purpose. Nehemiah was fasting for the restoration of the church, and he was fasting to find favor with the government. The latter has been greatly overlooked in the church today. More on that next time. Father, thank You for this model from Nehemiah, let us put it into practice today!

Fasting the World Out of the Church

# 294 – We are continuing a series on fasting. As we have seen, this spiritual discipline is not just for Old Testament believers, yet we can learn much about fasting from their example. In the next couple of days, I want to spend some more time looking at the fast of Nehemiah. You can read about it in Nehemiah 1 and 2. Nehemiah was greatly bothered by the broken down walls and gates of Jerusalem (the church) He didn’t have to be bothered by that news. His faith was intact, he had a good job in the kings court many miles away. Why not just live his life as is. It’s not his concern! But it is! He rightly saw the church as his concern, and guess what? The Body of Christ is your concern, it is my concern!  There is a breach in the wall, the gates are down. The world has broken into the church! What will you do about it? Will you pass on lunch and pray?   His first step in fixing the problem was to go before the God of heaven. The God of the dispensary of grace and all things needful, and he prayed and fasted before Him.   Listen to his prayer as found in Neh 1:5-11: “And I said, O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God (everything in that opening line acknowledges that God is bigger than the problem!)  “who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments,  (next, Nehemiah let’s God know that he is very much aware of God's faithfulness to His Word. He is also aware of the responsibilities of God’s people. They are to love God and keep (treasure) His commandments.   Let (allow) Your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night. The mention of the ears and eyes of God link prayer and fasting. God hears the prayer, but He also sees the prayer of fasting. This prayer is with Nehemiah day and night!   Remember the sermon on the mount as it regards proper prayer and fasting? “And Your Father who SEES in secret will reward you.”  Nehemiah was simply stating the promise  expounded on by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.      He goes on to confess the sins of the church, “confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which WE have sinned against You. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept (treasured) the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded Your servant Moses..   Here Nehemiah acknowledges the sin of the people, but he makes it clear that he and his father’s generation are also guilty. Walls don’t fall down overnight, they deteriorate over time.  The reason the walls are broken down and the world has flooded the church, and the gates have been opened is because he, his father’s house, and all the people have gotten sloppy with the Word of God. Father, move us to mourn and fast for Your church when She is in shambles and rejoice when She is doing well.

Fasting For the Church

# 293 – We are continuing a series on fasting. As we have seen, this spiritual discipline is not just for Old Testament believers, yet we can learn much about fasting from their example. In the next couple of days, I want to spend some time looking at the fast of Nehemiah. You can read about this fast in the first two chapters of Nehemiah. As we go through this portion of Scripture, we will look at the reason for his fast, the prayer connected with his fast, and the results of his fast. First, a little background for you.. The Jews had been carried off into captivity by Babylon for 70 years. When Persia defeated Babylon, king  Cyrus allowed the Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild  the temple in the year 536 B.C.  Now they once again had a place to worship.   But they didn’t know how to worship, how to live if you will, and so a second wave of exiles returned led by a man named Ezra in 457 B.C. who had “set his heart to study the Law of the Lord and to do it and to teach His statutes and rules in Israel.” ( Ezra 7:10)   Evidently, Ezra’s message was not received whole-heartedly and by the year 444 B.C. the city (the church) was a mess. The believers, their religion, and by inference, their God had become a laughingstock to those around them,  and that’s where we pick up the story.   In Neh 1:3, we read that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and it's gates destroyed by fire.” What are city walls and gates for? Well, the walls are for protection from any and all enemies, and the gates are a way of controlling who enters the city and who doesn’t. And they were gone, broken down, burned with fire. The people of Jerusalem had no protection from the influences of the world.   In many ways, the church of Jesus Christ today has become like this city of Jerusalem. There is no separation between the world and the church, and who needs gates, when “all roads lead to God.”  How dare anyone insist that Jesus is the only way to salvation!   The church has become the influenced, rather than the influencer. The salt has lost it's saltiness. Look around people! The walls are down people. The gates are burned! Does this bother you? Does it bother you enough to give up dinner? Does it bother you enough to fast to invite the power of God into the situation? It bothered Nehemiah, look at verse 4.  “As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Father, open our eyes stir our hearts, come and help us rebuild the walls and gates of Your church.

It's Not Just One and Done

# 292 – We are continuing a series on fasting. As we have seen, this spiritual discipline is not just for Old Testament believers. Last time we talked about the role of fasting and moving mountains. A man had approached the disciples and asked them to cast the demon out of his boy. But they couldn't do it, and Jesus reminded them that they needed to fast and pray in order to tackle such a big mountain. The disciples were perplexed. Had they not just gone out and healed people of their diseases and cast out demons….why couldn’t they do it for this father and his boy? And the answer is your spiritual victories of yesterday are not going to give you victories over your mountains of today. You can’t dwell on your past laurels.   Oh, they should remind you of the power of God and what He can do when it is released in your life. But in the matter of spiritual disciplines, you don’t just give to the poor once and expect that to carry over for the rest of your life. You don’t engage in private prayer once and think you’re finished. You don’t just fast once for victory and then forget about it.   These are disciplines. They need to become a regular part of your spiritual life.   Far too often, we Christians try these spiritual disciplines for a little while and if we don’t get our desired results, we throw in the towel. Or we may decide that we can manage our mountains in our own strength. We decide to co-exist with them……..or we decide the fights over, friend….that is rebellion.   The children of Israel were denied entrance into the promised land because they didn’t believe God would help them conquer the giants of the land, and God called their refusal, “rebellion.” (Numbers 14:9)  Got a mountain that needs to be removed? Don’t throw in the towel. Keep at it.   If you’ve ever tried to bust down a concrete wall  with a sledgehammer, you know full well that it doesn’t come down with the first lick.  You gotta hit it repeatedly. Wham! Wham Wham! And pretty soon some chips begin to fly. Wham! Wham! Wham! Pretty soon a hairline crack will show up! Wham Wham! Wham! And eventually that whole wall, that whole mountain will come tumbling down!   That’s the way it is with these spiritual disciplines. Don’t give up folks. Get started and keep at it, until you get the breakthrough. Use the tools God has given you! Purpose in your heart to practice the discipline of fasting. Praying with your body, in order to call God into your situation. Father, forgive me for those times I weary, grant me a persistent attitude against the mountains in my life.

Mountain Moving Advice From Jesus

# 291 – We are continuing a series on fasting. As we have seen, this spiritual discipline is not just for Old Testament believers. Today, I want to continue to speak about moving mountains through fasting. Specifically looking at the account of the demon possessed boy in Mt 17:14-21, “ And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying,  15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.  16 "So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him."  17 Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me."  18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.  19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out? "  20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.  21 "However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." Look at this boy. He’s a mess! He is described here as one who experienced many seizures. He was subject to periods of crazy behavior. As we read on we see that this behavior was under control of  the demon that was residing in him.   Demons are under the control of the devil, and the devil is a murderer, and he was trying to kill this young boy by causing him to leap into fires and jumping into water. In  Mark’s account we find additional information, the boy was unable to speak, and was subject to convulsions, and evidently was unable to eat properly as he was described as wasting away.    So this family has been dealing with a suicidal child, with epileptic like symptoms, and an eating disorder. Not only that, but I tell you what. You jump into fires often enough and you are going to bear some scars.   This was the life of this father. Pulling his son out of the water and administering CPR, or taking him down to the burn center, or the eating disorder clinic, or another round with the plastic surgeons.  This was a huge mountain. A mountain that was removed by Jesus and He then passes along mountain removing advice to us. This kind only comes out by prayer and fasting.  It’s not about demanding that He fix the things in your life that are mountains. It’s about allowing Him to release His power through you as you believe His word concerning fasting. Work with Jesus ! Believe His words! Allow Him to remove the mountain or give you the strength to conquer it! Father thank You for the spiritual tool of fasting. Release Your power into lives that need it today.

Removed or Conquered

# 290 – We are continuing a series on fasting. As we have seen, this spiritual discipline is not just for Old Testament believers. Today, I want to continue to speak about moving mountains through fasting. You should know by now that God wants His people to be mountain movers! These mountains are to be taken figuratively not literally, and in that sense they mean obstacles. It's not that God cannot literally move mountains, of course He can, the extreme examples used by Jesus in the Gospels are given to us so that we may see, that literal mountain moving, and any other even lesser obstacles that need to be removed are not too difficult for God. Do you have mountains in your life right now? You know, those hindrances that seemingly won't budge? Those things that ever loom in your life. You can’t help thinking about them, worrying about them, and even though you may forget about them for a time as you get occupied with other things, when you look up, …..there they are again. They are like Mt. Ranier in Seattle, never far from sight. Sometimes it’s not just Mt Ranier, sometimes it’s the who stinking range. It’s not just Mt Ranier….it’s seems like the Himalayas.  These obstacles or mountains do nothing but take up space and time in your life that could better be spent on kingdom matters. That’s what the devil does with the mountains in your life. He puts them there to keep you preoccupied with fruitless distractions, but, ENTER GOD!  The Great Remover of Mountains.  God uses the mountains in your life for His glory, and He is more than able to remove them if that’s His will, or  more than able to conquer them in His name for His glory.   When Jesus came upon a blind man, His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" You see this blindness was a mountain in this man’s life.  3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. (Jn 9:2,3)   God was glorified as the mountain of blindness was removed from the man.  Still another time, a man brought his demon possessed son to the disciples. His boy often fell into the fire and into the water. Jesus cast out the demon and set the boy and his father free. Afterwards he told his disciples that this kind of demon only comes out by prayer and fasting. Just think of the mountain this demon possessed boy presented to his father through the years. Look what He told His disciples to do to remove that mountain. He told them to pray and fast. It is praying and fasting that invites the power of God into the situation. Invite Him into yours. When the power of God is unleashed there are two possible results for you and your mountain. It will either be removed or conquered. Either way, to the glory of God, it will no longer be an obstacle in your life.

Fasting To Move Mountains

# 289 – We are continuing a series on fasting. As we have seen, this spiritual discipline is not just for Old Testament believers. Today, I want to begin to speak about moving mountains through fasting. You should know by now that God wants His people to be mountain movers! Jesus said in Mr 11:23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. In Josh 14:12, we read of the request of 85 year old Caleb, "Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said." 85 years old and still desiring to conquer mountains in the name of the Lord! Mountain conquering is for the old and young alike! In Isa 40:4, we read, “Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; And in Zec 4:6,7 we read, “So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts. 7 'Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone With shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"'" Mountains cannot be removed without the help of God. It is not by our might or power but by the power of the Holy Spirit, and when we fast God releases His reward (His power) into the situation. The windows of heaven are opened and grace comes down like rain. When we fast, our body shouts to our situation with the words found in Zechariah, “Grace, grace to it! Father, I pray for those facing mountains today. Release Your grace into their situation.

Make Feeding Your Soul A Priority

# 288 – We are continuing a series on fasting. As we have seen, this spiritual discipline is not just for Old Testament believers.  In fasting, our soul’s cry trumps the cry of our belly. Fasting is a way of agreeing with God that our inner man is more important than our outer man. And our inner man is fed when we abstain from physical food for the right reasons.   Recall the Creation account. The body is nothing but dirt, but the soul has value beyond measure because God breathed into the dirt (Adam) and he became a living soul!  So our souls are of much more value than our bodies. Yet our refusal to fast and consequently feed our soul is a testimony about what our true priorities are.   The question for you and I is this. Are we willing to give up sensual gratification for the need and benefit of our souls and the furthering of the kingdom of God for His glory?   Have you ever skipped lunch in order to meet a deadline at work? Why did you do that? You did it because the deadline was more important to you than food itself.   Have you ever skipped a meal while maintaining a bedside vigil by a loved one? Why did you do that? Because that person meant more to you than food itself.   Or have you ever skipped eating for 12 hours in order to have a medical test or procedure done? Why? Because your health was more important to you than food itself!   In light of what God says about fasting, and in light of what He has done for us, and in light of His promised reward, why in the world are we so reluctant to give up food for just a small window of time for Him?    Is He less precious than a business deal, or a loved one, or our health? If so, we have our priorities way out of line.   Believe this promise of Jesus found in Mt 6:18 concerning your fast, “your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” Fast! Discipline yourself to abstain from satisfying your flesh for a set time in order to achieve a greater spiritual goal. Believe that God will reward those who fast properly!   How bad do you want His promised reward? How bad do you want His intervention in your crisis? Do you want it enough to give up dinner? So often, our idea of praying is making demands on God to get us out of our messes, and we never even bother to seek His rewards. Rewards that are promised when we give to the poor properly, when we pray properly, and when we fast properly.   Seek the rewards, don't wait for the messes, but if they come........fast! Father, help me to readjust the spiritual priorities in my life.

Eating Is Meant For Us Fasting Is Meant For God

# 287 – We are continuing a series on fasting. What does it mean to “fast?” Fasting is the deliberate abstaining from physical gratification in order to obtain a spiritual reward from the Father. It is a denial of the flesh in order to gain a response from the Spirit.  I like that latter definition because it doesn’t restrict fasting to mere food.   In fact, we shall see that there is even such a thing as sexual fasting, and by inference we can say that fasting is denial of anything that brings momentary pleasure to the flesh. Giving up TV, watching the Packers,  golf,  whatever your flesh would miss if it didn’t have it.   Personally, I would recommend starting with food simply because Jesus said, that “man does not live by bread alone” and fasting from food is a great way to drive that point home.    Let’s see if we can dig up some spiritual principles as related to fasting. In Zech 7:5,6 we find two rhetorical questions, questions with obvious answers. When you understand this, it will help you understand what is being said here by God through the prophet Zechariah.    “Say to all the people of the land and the priests. When you fasted and mourned in the fifth month and in the seventh for these seventy years was it for ME you fasted? (The obvious answer is “yes, God we fast for You!) .”And when you eat and when you drink, do you not eat for yourselves and drink for yourselves? (The obvious answer is, “yes, we eat and drink for ourselves.”     You can’t eat for someone else other than yourself.  Now I don’t mean that I can’t clean up my wife's plate at the restaurant, I mean I can’t eat on her behalf. She does not benefit physically in any way at all based on what I eat.  She receives no nutrients from that cheese omelet I had this morning. I eat to satisfy my flesh, my belly, not hers “Do you not eat and drink for yourselves?   Eating and drinking is to satisfy our selves. But in fasting, we cease to eat in order to satisfy God. As eating is meant for us, fasting is meant for God. “Was it for Me you fasted?” It should be, if not, verily verily I say you have your reward.   Food satisfies, pleases, and energizes our bodies. Proper fasting satisfies and pleases God and it energizes Him on our behalf. This is His “reward” spoken of in Mt 6: 18. And when the disciples wanted to know why they couldn’t deliver a certain boy from a demon Jesus said in  Mr 9:29 "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." It is prayer and fasting that energizes God on our behalf, in order to enhance our spiritual performance and bring glory to Him. Father, let us fast, and let You be glorified.

You May Be Mocked, But Fast Anyway

# 286 – We are continuing a series on fasting. This spiritual discipline that is connected with promise of blessing from the Lord is widely neglected in the church today. We have this tendency to think that fasting was an Old Testament things for prophets with sackcloth’s over their bodies and ashes over their heads. As we pointed out last time, this is simply not true. Jesus point blank states that His followers WILL fast. (See Mt 6:17, and Mt 9:15) Many times in the Old Testament, fasting was quite public, this seems to fly in the face of our Lord's New Testament admonition to keep it between ourselves and God, but it seems that these public fasts were undertaken for the welfare of the people at large, rather than individuals. One thing you should know when fasting and that is people will mock what you are doing. They will try to convince you that what you are doing is silly. In Psalm 69:10-13 we read, “When I wept and humbled my soul with fasting it became my reproach. When I made sackcloth my clothing I became a byword to them. I am the talk of the gate and the drunkards make songs about me.” Imagine that, people singing mocking songs about a a man desperately trying to hear from God. I wonder how the song went? I once knew a man from Judah, who tried to do without foodah. He thought it was neat, to give up his meat, but we think it's a lot of hooyah. But seriously the devil will use any means he can to discourage a fast, because he knows what a powerful tool it is. The uninformed think the spiritual disciplines of praying, giving to the poor, and fasting are silly...well, let me encourage you, purpose in your heart to practice them anyway, because each discipline mentioned in the sermon on the mount comes with a promised reward from God. Listen to how the psalmist answers his mockers. He says in v13, “But as for me, my prayer is to you O Lord.”  You see, he fasted with the right motivation. He fasted for God alone. He was saying, “Lord, this fast is for you, not for them. And by the way, we can say, according to this verse, that fasting is a form of praying.  In fact all three of these spiritual disciplines are forms of prayer. We pray with our hands through our acts of mercy giving to the poor. We pray with our lips by vocalizing our prayers, and we pray with our body when we deprive it for a season, asking God to act on our behalf with His promised reward. Father, help me to overcome the taunts and doubts that the evil one brings my way. Grant me the resolve to practice spiritual disciplines.

Just Doing What Is Expected Of Us

# 285 – Today, we start a series on fasting. As we have already seen, fasting is a spiritual discipline that is expected of the followers of Christ. In the sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “when” you fast, and another time He told His disciples that they would fast in the period of time between His ascension and His glorious return. Let's start out by looking first at Jesus' instructions for a fast. He had just covered the other disciplines associated with His followers, namely praying and giving to the poor, and both of these were to be done secretly. That is, they are to be something between you and God. It is the same with fasting. Mt 6:16-18 says, “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 17 "But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 "so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Now, it's nearly impossible to do all these things secretly. My family knows that I get up early, go into my office, close the door and pray. My banker and church financial secretary know what I give to the poor, and my wife and family have a sneaking suspicion that when I'm not at the supper table...I'm fasting. The point is, God does not want us to make a big show of it to others, as if these things make us “super-spiritual” compared to others. I've got news for you, doing something that is expected of you, (praying, giving to the poor, and fasting) does not make you super spiritual. However, after each one of these disciplines is mentioned by Jesus in the sermon on the mount, He says, “the Father will reward you.” Imagine that! The God of the universe who holds all things in His hands will impart blessing to His children when exercising these disciplines with the proper attitude! So....what are we waiting for? Father, how sweet and benevolent You are. Rewarding us for doing things that are expected of us! Thank You.

Fasting Part 1

# 284 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 20:34-39, “So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had treated him shamefully. 35 And so it was, in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad was with him. 36 Then he said to his lad, "Now run, find the arrows which I shoot." As the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 When the lad had come to the place where the arrow was which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried out after the lad and said, "Is not the arrow beyond you?" 38 And Jonathan cried out after the lad, "Make haste, hurry, do not delay!" So Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows and came back to his master. 39 But the lad did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew of the matter. (1 Sam 20:34-39) Jonathan carries on his conversation with David through the lad, even adding some extra words of warning to David, “make haste, hurry, do not delay.” I think of those who have been called to minister the gospel in the church today. The Lord speak to us through them, just as Jonathan spoke to David through the lad. These ministers of today ought to have the same sense of urgency as they bring the gospel to the masses. “Make haste, hurry, do not delay,” your soul is in grave danger without Jesus! Receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior now! Today is the day of your salvation! Something else that strikes me about Jonathan's actions at the table. He rose from the table in fierce anger and refused to eat the entire second day of the feast. The Bible has a word for refusing to eat....it's called fasting. Fasting is one of the greatest spiritual tools that the Lord has provided for His church, and in fact is one of the distinguishing marks of a follower of Christ. Jesus said to His followers in Mt 6:16, “when you fast,” Such a statement coupled with His remark that after He departed from this earth His disciples WILL fast, ((Mt 9:15) indicates to me that this discipline is expected of you and I. In the days ahead, I will be spending some time teaching on this powerful Christian discipline, praying it will have an impact on you and more importantly in God's kingdom.

Life Begins At Conception

# 283 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 20:30b-33, “ Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? 31 "For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. Now therefore, send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die." 32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, "Why should he be killed? What has he done?" 33 Then Saul cast a spear at him to kill him, by which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to kill David. (1 Sam 20:30b-33) This so bizarre. In one breath Saul pleads with his son to think about his future and then in the next moment, in a fit of rage over what Saul perceives as a hopeless situation, he casts a spear at his own son, fully intent on killing him. This fit of rage was triggered by a great question from Jonathan. He simply wanted to know what David's crime was. Saul had no answer and his only response was to lash out at the one asking the question that went right to the heart. It's a question that right to lifers have been asking from the get-go, and it usually causes the same kind of reaction. Here's the question: “Name the crime of the unborn child. What has he or she done to deserve death? Did the unborn child engage in an illicit sex act? Did the unborn child rape? Name the crime and I will be the first one to come alongside and demand justice. Oh, but you say, that unborn child is not really alive.” Really. Think this through. The Bible says that we are CONCEIVED in sin. Sinners from conception on. The Bible also says the wages of sin is death. How is it possible to execute a death sentence on someone who is not alive? Life begins at conception! Listen, if you have committed this sin. Don't handle it like Saul. Don't lash out. Rather lash yourself to the cross and the mercy of Jesus, because there is no sin that He didn't die for. No sin that He will not forgive. Confess your sin and receive His forgiveness and healing.

An Anger Management Issue

# 281 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 20:27-30, “And it happened the next day, the second day of the month, that David's place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, "Why has the son of Jesse not come to eat, either yesterday or today?" 28 So Jonathan answered Saul, "David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem. 29 "And he said, 'Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me get away and see my brothers.' Therefore he has not come to the king's table." 30 Then Saul's anger was aroused against Jonathan, and he said to him, "You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? (1 Sam 20:27-30) Well, this is a delicate passage to handle on a family oriented radio station. After hearing Jonathan's report concerning David, Saul blows his top. He has been suspecting a developing sense of loyalty in Jonathan towards David, and this excuse for David's absence given by Jonathan was the last straw. In a fit of anger he says things that should never be spoken of another, especially to one's own child. We have a similar expression today for “son of a perverse rebellious woman,” but I for one, with the help of God, refuse to say it. Eph 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” He goes on to speak of Jonathan's mothers nakedness in a way that suggests he is sorry that Jonathan was ever born! These are hurtful inexcusable words spoken by angry, selfish people.and typical for those who are susceptible to fits of rage. I'm going to be point blank here. If you have ever spoken to another in this tone, you have an anger management issue. Get help now before the anger festers and grows and you do more damage to others and yourself. James 1:19,20 says, Be “slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” Father help those with anger issues, grant them a new spirit of humility that opens the door to Your grace in their lives.

Take Care Of It Before You Come To Table

# 281 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 20:24-26 Then David hid in the field. And when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat the feast. 25 Now the king sat on his seat, as at other times, on a seat by the wall. And Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David's place was empty. 26 Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, "Something has happened to him; he is unclean, surely he is unclean." (1 Sam 20:24-26) Saul isn't overly concerned about David's absence on the first day of the feast. Knowing David and His love for the Lord, it is likely David had experienced some sort of accidental ceremonial uncleanness and out of obedience to the Lord, he would have to take care of it before he feasted,: Le 7:20 says, “'But the person who eats the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, while he is unclean, that person shall be cut off from his people.” It's ironic that while Saul is thinking that David is ceremonially unclean, he is unceremoniously unclean in his own heart which is murderously envious of David. The fact is, Saul should not be present at this feast until he has taken care of the sin of envy in his own heart. Jesus said in Mt 5:23 "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 "leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. We observe one feast in the New Testament church. The Lord's Supper, and if there is uncleanness in our hearts we ought to take care of it before we sit at table. 1Co 5:8 says, “Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Do you have ought against a brother or sister? Take care of it before you come to table. Father, guard my heart from any malice or wickedness toward others. And if it shows up, give me the fortitude and humility to meet my brother at the cross.

Go Forth

# 280 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 20:20-23 "Then I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target; 21 "and there I will send a lad, saying, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I expressly say to him, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you; get them and come' -then, as the LORD lives, there is safety for you and no harm. 22 "But if I say thus to the young man, 'Look, the arrows are beyond you' -go your way, for the LORD has sent you away. 23 "And as for the matter which you and I have spoken of, indeed the LORD be between you and me forever." (1 Sam 20:20-23) Jonathan has come up with a plan to convey a message of safety or grave danger to David. David was to hide in this field on the third day and wait for Jonathan to come to him with the news. If Saul meant to do David harm, Jonathan would shoot the arrows beyond David, if the coast was clear, he would shoot the arrows short. Why the elaborate plan of secrecy? I believe there is some symbolism involved here. The three arrows are symbolic of the word of God going forth to conquer in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. There is an instance in the 6th chapter of Revelation that speaks of the first rider on the white horse going forth with a bow “conquering and to conquer.” It is the proclamation of the Word of God (the Gospel) that does the conquering, for it goes right to the heart. Heb 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” So Jonathan sends David off from the stone of Ezel (which means, the stone of departure) with a reminder to go forth with the arrows of the Word of God, relying on God and His word to bring him the victory over Saul who personifies the devil. This is exactly what Jesus did when He departed. He charged His disciples to go forth in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit preaching the message of the Gospel. Mt 28:19says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. And in Mark 16:15,16, “"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. The strategy hasn't changed, let us go and do the same. Father, You have armed us with a special message of mercy and grace, let us go forth shooting the arrows of the gospel, in the power of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Jesus' Desire To Connect To Us

# 278 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 20:17-19, “Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul. 18 Then Jonathan said to David, "Tomorrow is the New Moon; and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty. 19 "And when you have stayed three days, go down quickly and come to the place where you hid on the day of the deed; and remain by the stone Ezel. (1 Sam 20:17-19) Charles Spurgeon writes concerning this passage “Which is the “he” and which is the “him” referred to in this verse? Is the “he” David, and the “him” Jonathan; or is the “him” David, and the’ “he” Jonathan! There is the same indefiniteness in the second text, there is a kind of mixing up of the pronouns; and I like that, because a true friend or a true lover is one’s other self; the two persons are so closely joined to one another that they have become one. So our blessed Lord Jesus, who has linked himself with us by many strong ties, would have us link ourselves with him by many ties also." ....Spurgeon I love this commentary because of the picture it paints of the relationship between us and Jesus. Jonathan, like us, always in need of assurances of the love of Christ toward us. And so he asks David to vow again, to give him further assurances, and David is more than happy to oblige. Just as Christ is happy to oblige us with assurances of His desire to be one with us. He does this through His Word of course and through the cross. Who could not look at the cross and not understand the depth of His love for us. But He uses other means as well that seek to give us powerful assurances. There is baptism where we are “buried with Him and raised to new life.” And through which we have literally “put on Christ!” Ga 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Then there is the Lord's Supper where He brings His body and blood to us where among other things our faith is strengthened as we pause and remember what He did for us on the cross. Yes as Spurgeon notes, the Lord Jesus has linked himself to us by many ties,” Revel in them and may they strengthen your faith today. Father, thank You for the numerous ways You seek to assure us of Your unfailing love.

God's Covenant of Mercy

# 277 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 20:14-16, "And you shall not only show me the kindness of the LORD while I still live, that I may not die; 15 "but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the LORD has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth." 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "Let the LORD require it at the hand of David's enemies." (1 Sam 20:14-16) It was customary in these days that when a king was dethroned, his offspring was also killed so that they would not be a threat to the new king. Jonathan knew that and so he sought to make a solemn covenant with David, that would protect him from any retaliation. Jonathan knew that if Saul answered roughly against David, it was game on. It would be David's house versus Saul's house, and I think he knew by now that the Lord was on David's side. He had an inkling about who would win this battle. So Jonathan seeks to make a covenant with David, if indeed, there would be a struggle between the two families, he asks that David would show the same kind of mercy toward him and his offspring, that God shows to His covenanted people. What is this mercy? A quick definition of mercy is “not getting what we deserve.” Saul's murderous intent toward David was deserving of retaliation, just as our rebellion against God is deserving of retaliation, but God in His mercy covenants with us through faith in Jesus Christ, and we do not get what we deserve. And if David were to break this covenant of mercy against Jonathan and his family, Jonathan is calling on the Lord to deal with David in like fashion. Hear the Good News! God will never break His covenant with His people (those who have faith in Jesus). Now hear the bad news. “If we break the covenant, (that is depart from the faith by ceasing to trust in Jesus, we will be “cut off” from the kindness of God, but we have no one to blame but ourselves for it is our unbelief that does the cutting off....the breaking of the covenant. More Good News! God keeps the door open for our return. If you have broken covenant with God, return today! Father Thank You for Your mercy through Jesus Christ. May You help me to guard my faith.

Communing With God In Nature

# 276 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 20:10-13, “Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me, or what if your father answers you roughly?" 11 And Jonathan said to David, "Come, and let us go out into the field." So both of them went out into the field. 12 Then Jonathan said to David: "The LORD God of Israel is witness! When I have sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and indeed there is good toward David, and I do not send to you and tell you, 13 "may the LORD do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do you evil, then I will report it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And the LORD be with you as He has been with my father. (1 Sam 20:10-13) In our reading today, I want to zero in on where Jonathan took David to explain his plan and make the covenant. They went to an open field. In this field, it was just Jonathan, David, and the Lord. There is something special about communing with God in His creation. As you look around and take in your surroundings, Psalm 19:1,2 comes to mind: “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. 2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.” Recently I was blessed to be a part of a men's prayer retreat at Camp Luwisimo in Wild Rose Wisconsin. At this camp there is a hill you can walk up, and at the top of the hill is a cross. It's an amazing place because you really don't realize how high up you are until you reach the top and turn around. The view almost takes your breath away and I'm told you can see five counties from this one particular spot. Add to that the beautiful Wisconsin fall colors and, well, you get the idea. When I'm in an open field, or in the midst of a forest, when I think of God, I cannot help but consider how small I am in relation to all of His creation. This always puts things in their proper perspective for me as I wonder with the psalmist, “who am I God, that You are mindful of me. Father, thank You for Your marvelous creation.

The Mercy of Church Discipline

# 275 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 20:8,9, "Therefore you shall deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. Nevertheless, if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?" 9 But Jonathan said, "Far be it from you! For if I knew certainly that evil was determined by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you?" (1 Sam 20:8,9) David has a plan by which he feels he can determine Saul's intentions toward him and he plays his covenant card with Jonathan to carry it out. This covenant was mentioned back in 1 Sam 18:3, and it was a solemn oath that sealed a relationship of mutual kindness. David was telling Jonathan that if he desired to be kind toward him, he would go through with the plan and thereby find out his father's true intentions. But if Jonathan suspects any iniquity in David, that is, any scheming against Saul to take his throne, then he invited Jonathan to kill him himself. This brief exchange here between David and Jonathan reminds me of church discipline. As brothers and sisters in Christ, individual congregations are in a covenant relationship of mutual kindness with each other and with Jesus. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we ought to be like David and willing to place ourselves at the mercy of those we are in fellowship with. And David is saying here that if there be any iniquity (sin, that he refuses to repent of) Jonathan has his permission to slay him now. In terms of church discipline, that is the equivalent of cutting the unrepentant off from the congregation through ex-communication. It is better for the congregation (Jonathan) to do this, than to wait for God to have to do it on the Last Day, when there is no opportunity for repentance. And Jonathon's reply ought to be echoed by every congregation when a member has strayed from the truth. If we are aware of a brother or sister caught up in sin, shouldn't we tell that individual that they are in immortal danger from the Father if they don't change their ways? Father, thank You for providing us with guidelines to restore erring brothers and sisters. Help us to exercise this kind of restorative love and mercy in the church today.

Celebrating the Goodness of God

# 274 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 20:4-8a, “So Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you yourself desire, I will do it for you." 5 And David said to Jonathan, "Indeed tomorrow is the New Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may hide in the field until the third day at evening. 6 "If your father misses me at all, then say, 'David earnestly asked permission of me that he might run over to Bethlehem, his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.' 7 "If he says thus: 'It is well,' your servant will be safe. But if he is very angry, then be sure that evil is determined by him. 8 "Therefore you shall deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. (1 Sam 20:4-8a) David has a plan to find out what Saul's intentions are toward him. He knows what they are, but he wants his bosom buddy Jonathan to know too. His plan is simple, there is a full moon tomorrow (the beginning of the month) and this was a time that God has commanded families to gather and celebrate with a meal. Nu 10:10 "Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the LORD your God." What a wonderful practice! Getting together with your extended family to celebrate the goodness of God! It's certainly not commanded anymore, but it sounds to me like a good idea. For the most part, we Americans have gotten too busy and we have put such family gatherings on the back burner. One of the things I appreciate about the immigrants who come to our land is how they seem to appreciate these kinds of gatherings much more than we do. Our park systems are very often booked on Saturdays and Sundays with extended family gatherings where music, food, and good times abound. Wouldn't it be great if we would recapture that spirit in our Americanized families? And wouldn't it be great to gather with family to not only celebrate each other, but to make it a point to spend time thanking and praising God who has brought us this far? Reminding each other of the goodness of God is always a good idea. God, You are so good, help us to learn to celebrate that goodness!

Yea Though I Walk Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death

# 273 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 20:1-3, “Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and went and said to Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?" 2 So Jonathan said to him, "By no means! You shall not die! Indeed, my father will do nothing either great or small without first telling me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!" 3 Then David took an oath again, and said, "Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, 'Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.' But truly, as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death." )1 Sam 20:1-3) While Saul has been taken over by the Spirit of God, David has an opportunity to escape and he heads back to the palace for counsel from his best friend Jonathan. Good advice for all of us. When the heat is on, go to a trusted brother or sister, someone who will tell you the truth, not just what you want to hear. Jonathan can't bring himself to completely mistrust his father. He was there when his father swore that he would not hurt David. (1 Sam 19:6) But David's personal experience with Saul's mood swings tells David differently. Then David utters a truth that we would all do well to learn: “there is but a step between me and death." There is not a single person that knows when their time on earth is over. Oh the devil, (personified here by Saul) ever seeks to slay us, but the final say is in the hands of the Lord. Ps 139:16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. Yes, there is but a step between each one of us and death, but one of the wonderful promises concerning this dilemma is found in the 23rd Psalm. Ps 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. In David's time the shepherds were very familiar with the wadi's. These are dry riverbeds that could turn into instant death traps when flood waters raged. Death was a step away in the wadi or valley, and that's the way it is for all of us. But in this Psalm we find that we need not fear, for God is with us calming our fears, giving us reassurance of our final destination through faith in Jesus. Father help us all to number our days, and rest in the assurances of Your promises to us through Jesus Christ.

When the Government Gets A Little Uppity

# 272 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 19:22-24, “Then he also went to Ramah, and came to the great well that is at Sechu. So he asked, and said, "Where are Samuel and David?" And someone said, "Indeed they are at Naioth in Ramah." 23 So he went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 And he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?" (1 Sam 19:22-24) All of Saul's messengers had been put under the influence of the Holy Spirit and were not able to apprehend David, so Saul takes it upon himself to do the job. However on the way to Naioth the Spirit of God completely takes over Saul. Suddenly the man who was going to kill David is caught up in an ecstatic bubbling over of the wonderful works of God. Not only that but he is obliged by the Spirit to remove his clothes. Now, before you start a new religion of dancing around naked before the Lord, understand that this likely meant that Saul only removed those outer garments that would identify him as king. Here, the King of kings was asserting Himself over Saul and letting him know who was the real King. David was going to be the next king and the King of kings was going to protect him until it was time for him to assume the office. God is Sovereign, and is able to do as He pleases. Even the most hard-hearted can be putty in His hands to serve His purposes. I am reminded of a certain King named Nebuchadnezzar who God drove from men and caused to eat grass: Da 4:33 That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws. Yes, The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. (Prov 21:1) Take heart from this truth and don't get so bent out of shape when the government gets a little uppity. God sees, He knows, petition Him and let Him take care of it.

Speaking in Tongues

# 271 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 19:18-21, “So David fled and escaped, and went to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth. 19 Now it was told Saul, saying, "Take note, David is at Naioth in Ramah!" 20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David. And when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as leader over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. 21 And when Saul was told, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. Then Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also. Saul hears that David is with Samuel at Naioth. Naioth was the location of Samuel's school of prophets. Evidently this was a very charismatic group. Since they made a very visible display of the presence of the Spirit of God. The word “prophesied here means to “cause to bubble up, to pour forth words abundantly, under the influence of divine power. This is something that God does, it's not something that man conjures up, although the devil and man may try to imitate it. The true test of any prophetic ecstasy is always, “does it conform to the Word of God?” When the disciples were overwhelmed with the Spirit of God on that Day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, what did they speak? They spoke of the “wonderful works of God.” The disciples in Jerusalem and the messengers of Saul, had no say in the matter. God simply overwhelmed them with His Spirit and they spoke “as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance.” God made them willing vessels, who then yielded their unruly tongues completely to Him. These prophetic ecstasies were given as signs to Saul. His messengers sent to apprehend David were turned into God's messengers, and the message should have been clear to Saul. Keep your hands off David. These same prophetic ecstasies ought to be signs to us as well. Signs that remind us to yield our unruly tongues to God. If we would spend more time speaking of the wonderful works of God, we wouldn't have time to speak evil of others. Father, help me to be more willing to submit my speech to You, in Jesus Name, Amen

Euthanasia and Abortion

# 270 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 19:13-17, “And Michal took an image and laid it in the bed, put a cover of goats' hair for his head, and covered it with clothes. 14 So when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick." 15 Then Saul sent the messengers back to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him." 16 And when the messengers had come in, there was the image in the bed, with a cover of goats' hair for his head. 17 Then Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me like this, and sent my enemy away, so that he has escaped?" And Michal answered Saul, "He said to me, 'Let me go! Why should I kill you?'" (1 Sam 19:13-17) Michal was afraid of her father and so she lies to him for her own protection. But she loved David and took these extra measures to give her husband a little extra time to make his getaway. The old “dummy in the bed trick” worked and bought David some valuable time. But let us not miss just how depraved Saul really is. He doesn't order his men to go back and kill David. Rather he orders them to bring the sick and defenseless David to him bed and all so that he may personally slay him. Who would do such a thing? Who would take a defenseless person in the sanctuary of a bed and kill them? My friend, the day is coming, indeed in many places is already here when such killings will be commonplace in the land. Euthanasia will be the rule rather than the exception as health care costs rise and life will be measured by one's ability to contribute to society. If you can't contribute and it becomes too costly to provide health measures.....well, goodbye. The stage was set for euthanasia by the acceptance of still another deadly practice, namely legalized abortion. In abortion the baby snug in the bed of its mother's womb is eliminated, because like Saul the devil has beguiled us and caused us to believe the lie that we are in charge of life rather than God. Beloved, if you have fallen for this delusion, please remember that there is no sin that Jesus didn't pay for. No sin that God will not forgive. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Father for give us for our national sin of abortion and free those who are struggling with guilt.