Tag: Jesus

What Every Christian Should Know About Fasting

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Fasting is not an option. If you are a Christian, fasting should be part of your Christian walk. If you have never fasted, I highly suggest you do it. However, before your fast, there a few things you should know.

1. Not everyone is ready for 25 days on water.

When I was in my early 20’s, I could fast for three days (water only) with relative ease. But, my diet was also a wreck so I had extra fat reserves. Now that I’m healthier, older, thinner and have a child,  I’m ready to fall on the floor the second day of water fasting. My husband, on the other hand, could fast 25 days on water with ease, but he’s also a superhero which is another story. I felt guilt about my inability to fast for long periods until I watched Marilyn Hickey speak on fasting.  She explained that three day water fasts don’t work out well for her either, so she lives a fasted life. Each day she foregoes a meal or two. I made a commitment to live a fasted life.

2. A fast from television is NOT a Biblical fast.

With that said, everyone should fast from tv and technology because many people (including Christians) are addicted. However, Biblical fasts always involves food – it never involves entertainment.

3. When you fast you should avoid tv commercials.

The only thing that you’ll see on television during fasts are burgers and pizza. Also, people will invite you to birthday parties and dinner parties. A million people will call you at once to invite you to eat. This happens to me every time I fast. Don’t fall for it. Be socially prepared for fasting and prepare to turn invitations down because whatever you are doing for God is more important than what you were going to do with friends or family.

4. The devil will throw the kitchen sink at you when you fast.

My husband and I went on a forty day fast together several months ago, and the spiritual warfare was intense from day one!! It’s not uncommon to encounter spiritual warfare during a fast – be prepared – wear the armor of God. God knows you are fasting for His glory and He will help you.

5. Fasting breaks chains, demolishes strongholds, and it sets people free.

Fasting provides revelation – fasting can give you answers. Fasting is one of the most beautiful and powerful weapons God has given us. Use fasting to your advantage.

Difficult Season for You? Fast!

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Are things going a little crazy in your life? Are you dealing with confusion? Are you mentally or emotionally drained? If you are going through a difficult time – I have one recommendation – fast!

Fasting exposes the enemy.

I know what it’s like to be in a position where you are wondering “Why God?” “Why is this happening to me?” I know what it’s like to feel stuck. But, I also know that fasting brings answers.

Fasting brings revelation. Fasting brings understanding. Fasting opens your eyes and makes you more sensitive.

Whenever you deny something as essential as food to get closer to God, you become more sensitive to spiritual things and the voice of God. You receive revelation because you’re not focused on yourself – you are focused on Him; and when you’re focused on Him, wisdom and understanding come.

True story: my husband and I bought a beautiful bohemian rug for our living area. We spent a lot of time on the rug. We didn’t know that our rug was leaking dye. The skin is your largest organ and absorbs anything that you place on it – in this case, we were absorbing synthetic dye. We didn’t know it. We weren’t aware of what was happening to us.

For some reason, we felt compelled to go on a fast. During the fast, we discovered that the rug was leaking unbeknownst to us. There was a danger in our home that we were completely unaware of, and I am certain that fasting exposed the danger.

Fasting exposes danger, but it also reveals revelation.

I’ve experienced scenarios like this on more than one occasion, and I know that many, many other Christians have experienced the benefits and power of fasting.

Fasting provides direction, revelation and understanding but another key component of fasting is that it exposes the enemy. If you are going through a difficult season, fast and get answers. If you are enduring hardship, then fast, gain clarity, and get free.

Exodus 16 – Lessons in the Manna (Bible Study)

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In the Book of Exodus 16, we see the first instance of God providing food for the Israelites – manna to be exact. There are several lessons that I’ve learned about this particular chapter.

The first lesson in the manna is that we MUST trust God for our daily provision.

When God first provided the manna, the Lord gave specific instructions to gather what they needed for the day. Of course, not everyone listened to God’s instruction. Some people gathered enough for two days. The people who gathered for two days discovered that their manna had maggots in it. They couldn’t eat it. The lesson is that we have to trust God for our daily provision. When we try to provide for ourselves we fail – and by fail, I mean that we cannot rise to the competence of what God can provide for us when we trust in Him. We have what we need when we allow God to provide for us.

Only God can provide for us physically and spiritually. When a person tries to provide themselves with what they think they need spiritually – it’s called religion. Religion can do very little for a person’s soul. It’s far better to be spiritual than religious. Only the Holy Spirit can provide the spiritual abundance we need to sustain and strengthen us.

The second lesson in the manna is that what God graciously gives, we must industriously gather.

God provides, but we must do our part too. We can’t sit idly by and do nothing. Faith without works is dead. We are co-laborers with Christ. We have a role to play, and it’s easy to become unbalanced – some people rely on themselves completely and have lots of work without faith – and others have faith and no works. You have to trust God completely and solely, but God expects you to do your part. We must pray, seek His Face, listen to His voice, walk in obedience and love, and make good decisions. God expects us to choose blessings and life. God provides everything we need to live a godly life, and He has equipped us for the work that He’s called us to do, however, let’s not forget that we have a role that we must fulfill. As God provides, we must be industrious in using what He has provided.

The third lesson in the manna is that when you honor God’s Word, He provides everything you need for the following day.

God told the people to gather twice as much on the sixth day so that they could rest on the seventh. Once the Sabbath day arrived, some people went out into the fields expecting to find manna to gather. But, there was no manna. However, because of God’s instructions to gather twice as much on day six, the people still had provision. The Israelites were learning that God prepares a person for their future when they are obedient to Him and listen to His instructions. The Matthew Henry’s Commentary says this; none are ever losers by serving God.

The final lesson in Exodus 16, is that Christ, Himself is the True Manna.

Yeshua calls Himself the Bread of Life, and indeed, He is. Manna sustained the Israelites for many years, and they had all the nourishment that they needed. If you’ve ever studied nutrition, then you know that the body needs many vitamins and minerals to function. Whenever there is any deficiency of any kind, illness and sickness creep in. A deficiency in any vitamin or mineral will cause symptoms.  For example, if you’re feeling fatigued you might be lacking vitamin D; or if you’re cold all the time, there might be an iron deficiency. However, the Israelites were healthy and strong – Scripture says there was none feeble among them. The manna had everything they needed to stay strong and healthy – and so it is with Christ – He is everything we need! Everything we need is in Yeshua – He is the Bread of Life, the True Manna.

Tithing Your Time

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Giving isn’t a command – it’s encouraged. And it’s encouraged with good reason because when we give, it transforms us. We evolve into better people when we are generous and unselfish. The doctrine of tithing often focuses on money, but another area that we often overlook is time. While being generous with our money transforms us; giving our time is also transformative.

Many years ago after getting my first “real” job in a corporate environment, God showed me that He wanted me to tithe. I soon realized that money wasn’t the only area of my life that I needed to surrender to God. Time was a part of my life that I had kept entirely to myself. I went to church on Sundays, but God wanted more for me. And so, I began the habit of tithing my time. There are so many different ways to tithe your time, but below are just a few.

Serve in your church – if there are areas of ministry where your church needs help, jump in. Many churches need help with the children’s ministry, or perhaps the church is looking for volunteers who are willing to pray for others or greet visitors at the door. Church is an excellent place to tithe your time.

Volunteer – Homeless shelters, foster homes, crisis centers, hospitals, libraries, and many other places need volunteers. We are all put on earth to help each other. Helping others fulfills our purpose, and is a beautiful way to tithe our time.

Give God the first of your day – In the Old Testament, the Israelites were commanded to give a tenth. Before they paid workers, bought property, or did anything else, they tithed. You can tithe the first of your day by dedicating your mornings to God. When you wake up in the morning before you do anything else, pray.

4 Beliefs You Need to Ditch if You Want to Be Happy

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Happiness experts all agree that it’s not what you have that makes you happy, but rather what you do and who you know. Despite evidence that things don’t make us happy, people still reach for stuff as if it might bring some joy to their lives. But the idea that stuff makes us happy isn’t the only belief that holds people back from happiness. There are a few other beliefs that keep people in a place of discontentment. Below are four beliefs that you need to ditch if you want to be happy.

The belief that you aren’t good enough. Low self-esteem and feelings of unworthiness bring unhappiness. In scripture, Satan is referred to as the “Accuser of the brethren.” He is a finger-pointer who attempts to bring shame and condemnation into the life of God’s children. If you want to be happy, you can’t live under condemnation. Instead, you must live in freedom, believing that the grace of God is sufficient for your weakness.

The belief that you aren’t loved. God loves you. You are loved. You are cherished by Him. You are not forgotten. We were created to be social creatures, and we are designed for relationships and love – so it is perfectly natural to yearn for love, approval, and acceptance. Thankfully, God loves, approves and accepts us.

The belief that your life needs to be perfect for you to be happy. Life will never be perfect. There will always be messes, bumps in the road, psychological fires to put out, and missteps. No one has a perfect life. If you wait for your life to be perfect before you choose happiness, then you’ll be waiting all your life. Choose to be happy even when life is a mess because perfection is unrealistic.

The belief that a bad past holds sway over your future. When people have a bad past, they are often fearful that their future has already been written, and that it won’t work out for their good. But scripture says the opposite: Romans 8:28 states that all things work together for the good to them that love God, and are called according to His purpose. Do you love God? Are you called to His purpose? Then things will work out for you, and your past has no sway over your future.