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Deep Waters 'Deep Calleth Unto Deep ' -The place to go for Ministry discussions. Please keep it civil. Remember to discuss the issues, not each other.


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Old 02-02-2013, 06:13 AM
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Sheila Sheila is offline
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Fasting Questions?

Could we have misunderstood the reasons for fasting and what God actually wanted to achieve by having us fast? Was it a dual lesson?

To me fasting would have more to do with resisting sin and temptations than in not eating. Meaning to fast from one's sins. The more we remove ourselves from sin and temptation the easier it becomes to resist it and never repeat it. Then it becomes easy to teach what we learned. To fast from sin and pray seems like it makes more sense to me than to do away with eating. To starve yourself seems like it would only bring delusions. I know I'm ignorant about fasting and probably wrong about these things, but why on earth would doing without food have anything to do with serving God?

But what does this "not eating" food mean? Why did people in the Bible "not eat?" We find a clue in Leviticus 16:29. This verse says that fasting is synonymous with "afflicting one's soul." We gain some insight here about how the Hebrews viewed fasting. Fasting is more than just "afflicting one's body". It is "afflicting one's soul." In other words, fasting in the Hebrew mind is something my soul participates in. Fasting is denying my self. Fasting is "afflicting one's soul" -- an act of self-denial.

Isn't it better to deny one's sins than to deny one food to eat? Maybe God used fasting as a way to teach obedience and compliance. But what good to keep the sin and remove the food?
Yeshua Bless You
Matthew 9:14-15(does this mean sin no more? It IS what it means to me.) The disciples did not fast--they had already been cleansed from sin.
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Old 02-02-2013, 06:17 AM
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Michael The Disciple Michael The Disciple is offline
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Re: Fasting Questions?

Jesus and the apostles taught fasting from food. But you are otherwise right. It is learning to deny self. And he does not accept sin along with fasting. We are to defeat sin at any and all costs according to Jesus.
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Old 02-02-2013, 06:28 AM
LifeUncommon LifeUncommon is offline
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Re: Fasting Questions?

You don't have to pick one or the other - ideally one is both fasting and regularly avoiding son. Fasting has soul involvement - I don't see how it cannot.
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Old 02-02-2013, 08:31 AM
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Re: Fasting Questions?

Gleaned from my studies and understanding, many don't understand the reason behind fasting, thinking that to fast will get answers from God. Or should I say one fast when one wants something from God, ie healing, provisions, etc. The fact is this is and was not the reason for fasting. Fasting brings one closer to God simply by self denial. One of the greatest self denials is eating. It is the basic need of the body over anything else. When one denies him/herself, for a period of time, they are more sensitive to the spiritual relm. Therefor they are more inclined to become closer to God. At the same time this includes all the spirit relm. As we know when Christ fasted it was at the end of this time satan came to him and tempted him.

That being said there are many studies on fasting, that one should study before endevering on a long fast. It should never be for the novice.
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Old 02-02-2013, 08:41 AM
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navygoat1998 navygoat1998 is offline
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Re: Fasting Questions?

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Originally Posted by Godsdrummer View Post
Gleaned from my studies and understanding, many don't understand the reason behind fasting, thinking that to fast will get answers from God. Or should I say one fast when one wants something from God, ie healing, provisions, etc. The fact is this is and was not the reason for fasting. Fasting brings one closer to God simply by self denial. One of the greatest self denials is eating. It is the basic need of the body over anything else. When one denies him/herself, for a period of time, they are more sensitive to the spiritual relm. Therefor they are more inclined to become closer to God. At the same time this includes all the spirit relm. As we know when Christ fasted it was at the end of this time satan came to him and tempted him.

That being said there are many studies on fasting, that one should study before endevering on a long fast. It should never be for the novice.
I always understood fasting as not to change the mind of God but to change our mind towards God.
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Scripture is its own interpreter. Nothing can cut a diamond but a diamond. Nothing can interpret Scripture but Scripture" Thomas Watson.
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Old 02-02-2013, 02:09 PM
stephenroehm stephenroehm is offline
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Re: Fasting Questions?

This is the best explanation of fasting that I've found:

"Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God."

"'Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?'"

"Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high."

"Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD?"

"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?"

"Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.'"

"If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday."

"And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in." Isaiah 58:1-12
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Old 02-02-2013, 02:27 PM
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Re: Fasting Questions?

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Originally Posted by navygoat1998 View Post
I always understood fasting as not to change the mind of God but to change our mind towards God.
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Old 02-02-2013, 03:15 PM
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Sheila Sheila is offline
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Re: Fasting Questions?

Quote:
Originally Posted by stephenroehm View Post
This is the best explanation of fasting that I've found:

"Cry aloud; do not hold back; lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God."

"'Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?'"

"Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high."

"Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD?"

"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?"

"Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.'"

"If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday."

"And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in." Isaiah 58:1-12

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. You answered my questions. Amen
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