Seven Fasts of the Bible

Comment

Comment by JB on May 18, 2014 at 9:27pm

Bro. Camm, if you will notice, first of all, the living bible is a paraphrased version, not a translation of the Greek, or Hebrew. In other words it is nothing more than you or I giving our opinion of what is being said, or it is just conjecture based on someone's ambition to write their thoughts, nothing to support their opinions. Also you said

In the Living bible Matthew 17:21 says: But this kind of demon won't leave UNLESS you have prayed and gone without food. 

Please tell me, what on earth, going without food have to do with anything? Sacrifice!!!?

According to 2Pet.1:2-3, He "God" has given, "past tense" to us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him..., If we don't know what we should pray for "as we ought" we pray in the Spirit "tongues in our case" to get the knowledge we need to do the intercession for the saints according to His "God's" will. But having the mind of Christ, we usually can discern what needs to be done. That intercession will be our interceding between the man and his adversary, not between God and man, Jesus has already made that intercession for us, now we have access to the throne of Grace through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Quote!

In the translation you have quoted it alSo says that This kind( of demon) goeth not out BUT BY PRAYER AND FASTING.

Where does it say "this kind of demon?" It is talking about the reason they couldn't cast out the demon, and unbelief is what prayer and fasting will get out of them. Not the demon. Why is it that so many people will have a preconceived idea that it is talking about the demon, and not their unbelief??

This kind of teaching will bring people back under the law of works, but the promises of God to Abraham, was given 430 years before the law was ever given. So we are under Grace, not of works.

Colossians 2:14-23  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

It would be interesting to know where you are getting this teaching.

JB

Comment by Camm on May 18, 2014 at 5:29pm

Hi JB,

Thanks for your reply. It is true that unbelief was their real problem, but Jesus did not forbid fasting in He reply to them.

In the Living bible Matthew 17:21 says: But this kind of demon won't leave UNLESS you have prayed and gone without food.

In the translation you have quoted it alSo says that This kind( of demon) goeth not out BUT BY PRAYER AND FASTING.

In both cases Jesus says that to cast out specific types of demons, you must have "belief in the power of God" and you may pray and fast before attempting to cast out this type of demon.

In another account in the book of Acts it records that while they were fasting and praying, the Holy Spirit told them to separate out Barnabas and Saul for the work I have chosen for them.

In this account I think that fasting and prayer drew the congregation into a space where their surrounding atmosphere and worries were replaced with a spiritual atmosphere where they were able to come closer to God and to hear His still small voice.

The result was the beginning of both apostles missionary journeys.

Comment by JB on May 18, 2014 at 2:08pm

Matthew 17:19-20-21  Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Why couldn't  they cast him out? Because of their unbelief ! To build faith in God's Word, we need to read and meditate in the Word of God "the bible" because faith cometh by hearing and hearing comes by the Word of God. Fasting does not move God, fasting is a way for mankind to seperate himself from being so caught-up in this world that he can't hear God speaking to  him.

The fasting for the new creation "those that are born again" is doing the work that Jesus was doing while here on earth. We don't fast now to make our voice to be heard on high, Read Isa 58:4-7

The fast that He has chosen for us to do, is to loose the bands of wickedness, undo the heavey 

Isaiah 58:4-7  Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

So how can we do this if we don't have the faith to do it? So what we need to fast and pray for; is not to cast out the demon, but to get the doubt and unbelief out so we can cast him out, because with a wavering faith, we can do nothing, Right? Ja.1:6. When we feel we are obligated to fast to get something from God, then we are under a works based acceptance to God, and not under grace. Our performance is not to be holy, or accepted of God, but our performance is based on who we are in Christ.

Wouold like to go on, but must go for now.

PS Fasting is a form of sacrifice, and in Psa. 51:16  It says, For thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it....

Blessings,

JB 

Comment by Camm on May 17, 2014 at 9:58pm

@ JB,

U said to read the NT because all that is needed is provided there. I agree with you, that is why Jesus specifically told His disciples that the reason they could not cast out the demons in a particular person was because "they needed to fast and pray" to be able to cast out that particular type of demon.
Many people in the NT church know how to pray and do it regularly, but few have learnt that fasting is also required to achieve a higher closeness with the Lord and to become attuned to His plans and purposes for your individual and corporate lives.
Finally I cannot find any scripture in the NT where any of the writers (under the anointing of the Holy Spirit) said that fasting was no longer needed.
if you have found those scriptures (confirmed in 2 or 3 places) then please let me know.

Comment by JB on May 17, 2014 at 9:51pm

Maybe it would be a good idea to read the new testament. Everything I need for life and godliness, has already been supplied. 2Pet.1:2-3