this may be fairly long, but i hope youll bear with me and read it all.
this one message changed my life, and got me back on track as i had been led away by the enemy of late to vain things.
ive been going through alot lately, and i dont mean to put all my burdens on you all, but i went and spent the night at my parents home for the last 2 nights, and on the first night i opened an old box, and in this old box i found some of the old letters i had written to the Lord years ago.... and just seeing them immediatly brought tears to my eyes becuase i remembered how furvent and excited i was, and i wanted that all back... but things of late have been beating me like an anvil, i feel like im red hot metal that God is burning and beating to get in shape...
but on one of the letters there was a scripture that i had once read, and God so ministered to me through it as i read it again.
isaiah 58.12-14
v12
and they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations ; and thou shall be called the repairers of the breach, the restorers of paths to dwell in.
v13
IF THOU TURN AWAY THY FOOT FROM THE SABBATH, FROM DOING THY PLEASURE ON MY HOLY DAY, AND CALL THE SABBATH A DELIGHT, THE HOLY OF THE LORD, HONOURABLE; AND SHALT HONOUR HIM, NOT DOING THINE OWN WAYS, NOR FINDING THYNE OWN PLEASURE, NOR SPEAKING THYNE OWN WORDS:
v14
then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, and i will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
and that just where im at.
i seem to be in this broken, destroyed waste land of life, but God reminded me of all the things ive been doing instead of honoring and obeying him.
God told me that if i would do what v13 says, hed restore me, and its becuase i havent done v13 that im here.
give up what we want to and have... to honor God. there are times when you dont seek your own enjoyment, but you remain faithful to him. and then, hell rebuild us, restore us, and give us the good things of life, cause us to even ride upon the high places of the earth. and as paul said in 1 timothy 6, God will give us all things richly, for us to enjoy.
man thats good to know, that we arent just here to do be slaves of God, but he wants us to enjoy life, and he desires to bless us, for no other reason except that he desires to see us enjoying life. God doesnt mind christians being rich, he just commands that even if you were poor you must be able to be happy and content in him, he doesnt mind us pleasing ourselves.
wealth is a great servant, but its a terrible master. God only says to not be concerned or consumed with things, and then hell give them to you.
see God is supposed to "give" us these things... we arent supposed to go and "take" them, by greed or desire.
lets read 1 timothy 6.17 together
"Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us just enough to make it by and get to heavon"
wait.... i lied. thats not what it said is it?
it said
"...nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.
to do what with? give away? to give to the poor? to send overseas? to give to the church? no..... to enjoy.
and we need to do those things... certianly.
but he also said he gave you a portion, for no other reason except your own enjoyment.
God wants us to be blessed! and live full, enjoyable, satisfying lives.
and if you dont believe that, you can argue with the book.
im sorry i got off topic,
but in isaiah 58, God said the people needed to go on a fast, and true fast, to get the sin out of their lives, and then he would hear them and restore them.
and i had my eyes opened what the true purpose and nature of a fast is.
God said in isaiah 58.5 that a fast is more than just affliction, sackloth and ashes... or to us that means a fast is more than just going without food.
becuase God asked "wilt thou call this a fast?"
becuase they were doing all the things.... but they werent dealing with or concerned about the open sin in their lives.
and God tells us the true nature of a fast in verse 6 and 7.
1. TO LOOSE THE BANDS OF WICKEDNESS.
2. TO UNDO THE HEAVY BURDENS.
3. AND LET THE OPPRESSED GO FREE.
4. AND THAT YE BREAKE EVERY YOKE.
5. TO DEAL FOOD TO THE HUNGRY.
6. TO BRING THE POOR INTO THY HOUSE.
7. COVER THE NAKED.
8. BE THERE FOR YOUR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD.
the point is to get SIN... out of our lives, and reach out to people.
if you watch too much tv and it hinders your walk with God, you dont need to fast food, you need to fast the tv and pray instead of watching tv.
if you cant get off the enternet, you dont need to fast food, you need to fast the enternet... if you are dealing with people wrongly and sinfully, you dont need to fast food, you need to right those wrongs and let those people go. if you are holding grudges... you need to go on a fast and let grudges go... its not so much food... its dealing with sin, in whatever area its in.
to break the yoke of sin, out of your life.
you need to go on a fast, and do something you dont usually do, something extra for someone else...
and remember reasons 5 thru 8.
reach out, and meet someones elses need. and God will reward you by meeting your needs. this is what a true biblical fast is all about.
there is a time to just go without wine, meat, and sweet bread... like daniel did for 21 days. but the main reasons and nature of a fast, is to purge us and beat us back into shape so we can more properly walk the straight and narrow.
and then, God will restore our broken places, and cause to us to be inriched with all things, for our enjoyment.
well amen, i wrote this hoping to somehow reach out and minister to someone, in my time of fasting. and i hope it was a blessing to you.
Lee.
this one message changed my life, and got me back on track as i had been led away by the enemy of late to vain things.
ive been going through alot lately, and i dont mean to put all my burdens on you all, but i went and spent the night at my parents home for the last 2 nights, and on the first night i opened an old box, and in this old box i found some of the old letters i had written to the Lord years ago.... and just seeing them immediatly brought tears to my eyes becuase i remembered how furvent and excited i was, and i wanted that all back... but things of late have been beating me like an anvil, i feel like im red hot metal that God is burning and beating to get in shape...
but on one of the letters there was a scripture that i had once read, and God so ministered to me through it as i read it again.
isaiah 58.12-14
v12
and they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations ; and thou shall be called the repairers of the breach, the restorers of paths to dwell in.
v13
IF THOU TURN AWAY THY FOOT FROM THE SABBATH, FROM DOING THY PLEASURE ON MY HOLY DAY, AND CALL THE SABBATH A DELIGHT, THE HOLY OF THE LORD, HONOURABLE; AND SHALT HONOUR HIM, NOT DOING THINE OWN WAYS, NOR FINDING THYNE OWN PLEASURE, NOR SPEAKING THYNE OWN WORDS:
v14
then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord, and i will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
and that just where im at.
i seem to be in this broken, destroyed waste land of life, but God reminded me of all the things ive been doing instead of honoring and obeying him.
God told me that if i would do what v13 says, hed restore me, and its becuase i havent done v13 that im here.
give up what we want to and have... to honor God. there are times when you dont seek your own enjoyment, but you remain faithful to him. and then, hell rebuild us, restore us, and give us the good things of life, cause us to even ride upon the high places of the earth. and as paul said in 1 timothy 6, God will give us all things richly, for us to enjoy.
man thats good to know, that we arent just here to do be slaves of God, but he wants us to enjoy life, and he desires to bless us, for no other reason except that he desires to see us enjoying life. God doesnt mind christians being rich, he just commands that even if you were poor you must be able to be happy and content in him, he doesnt mind us pleasing ourselves.
wealth is a great servant, but its a terrible master. God only says to not be concerned or consumed with things, and then hell give them to you.
see God is supposed to "give" us these things... we arent supposed to go and "take" them, by greed or desire.
lets read 1 timothy 6.17 together
"Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us just enough to make it by and get to heavon"
wait.... i lied. thats not what it said is it?
it said
"...nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.
to do what with? give away? to give to the poor? to send overseas? to give to the church? no..... to enjoy.
and we need to do those things... certianly.
but he also said he gave you a portion, for no other reason except your own enjoyment.
God wants us to be blessed! and live full, enjoyable, satisfying lives.
and if you dont believe that, you can argue with the book.
im sorry i got off topic,
but in isaiah 58, God said the people needed to go on a fast, and true fast, to get the sin out of their lives, and then he would hear them and restore them.
and i had my eyes opened what the true purpose and nature of a fast is.
God said in isaiah 58.5 that a fast is more than just affliction, sackloth and ashes... or to us that means a fast is more than just going without food.
becuase God asked "wilt thou call this a fast?"
becuase they were doing all the things.... but they werent dealing with or concerned about the open sin in their lives.
and God tells us the true nature of a fast in verse 6 and 7.
1. TO LOOSE THE BANDS OF WICKEDNESS.
2. TO UNDO THE HEAVY BURDENS.
3. AND LET THE OPPRESSED GO FREE.
4. AND THAT YE BREAKE EVERY YOKE.
5. TO DEAL FOOD TO THE HUNGRY.
6. TO BRING THE POOR INTO THY HOUSE.
7. COVER THE NAKED.
8. BE THERE FOR YOUR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD.
the point is to get SIN... out of our lives, and reach out to people.
if you watch too much tv and it hinders your walk with God, you dont need to fast food, you need to fast the tv and pray instead of watching tv.
if you cant get off the enternet, you dont need to fast food, you need to fast the enternet... if you are dealing with people wrongly and sinfully, you dont need to fast food, you need to right those wrongs and let those people go. if you are holding grudges... you need to go on a fast and let grudges go... its not so much food... its dealing with sin, in whatever area its in.
to break the yoke of sin, out of your life.
you need to go on a fast, and do something you dont usually do, something extra for someone else...
and remember reasons 5 thru 8.
reach out, and meet someones elses need. and God will reward you by meeting your needs. this is what a true biblical fast is all about.
there is a time to just go without wine, meat, and sweet bread... like daniel did for 21 days. but the main reasons and nature of a fast, is to purge us and beat us back into shape so we can more properly walk the straight and narrow.
and then, God will restore our broken places, and cause to us to be inriched with all things, for our enjoyment.
well amen, i wrote this hoping to somehow reach out and minister to someone, in my time of fasting. and i hope it was a blessing to you.
Lee.
Awesome post my brother! 
