Every time I tell the story in post, I can’t help but laugh a lot. If you want to see me sharing this message, I do have a video of it here – https://revtrev.com/live-happy/never-fast-because-you-have-to/ Scroll to 9:24 to just hear the story I laugh at myself about.

How many of you have ever tried fasting from food?

Great. That’s great. I’d appreciate hearing your stories about your experience.

For everyone who doesn’t think they’ve never fasted from food, I’ve got news for you.

You’re wrong.

You do fast from food. You do it quite regularly in fact. You know what’s it like to go without food.

You want to know how I know?

What’s the most important meal of the day? What’s the first meal of every day?

Breakfast. That’s right. 

Ever wonder why we call it Break – Fast?

From the last meal in the evening to whatever time you break fast in the morning, you are regularly fasting from food. It’s part of your regular rhythm.

Congratulations. You’re more spiritual than you thought you knew.

The question becomes, “Do you want to fast for spiritual reasons?” Since we’ve already established it’s something you already do as a regular part of your rhythm.

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Do we need to fast?

Luke 5:33-35  New International Version (NIV)

They said to him, “John’s disciples often fast and pray, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating and drinking.”

 Jesus answered, “Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.”

Has Jesus died?

Is Jesus risen?

Has Jesus ascended and he sitting at the right hand of the Father?

The answer to all those is “yes”

So, is now the time to fast?

Let’s continue with the passage…

Luke 5:36-39 New International Version (NIV)

He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old.  And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.  And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’”

Now this passage has confused me since I was young. I usually read it and move on. This week I felt God say, “Time to dig it out.”

The reason it confused me is there is three time Jesus says “No one…”. The first and the last seemed to the old is better than the new. The one in the middle talks about new wine and I always thought the theme in scripture is that new wine is the best.

Behold I’m doing something new. Isaiah 43:19

But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” Acts 2:13

I had this idea in my head that new wine was something that needed to be cherished. It was a shame it spills out when the old wineskin bursts. If you’re wondering, I don’t drink wine.

I suddenly realized as I drew lines in my Bible that Jesus was more concerned with the old wineskin than he was about the new wine. “The old is better.”

He says this right after he says His disciples will fast when He’s gone.

Fasting is not for a bygone era. It’s for now. It’s for today. It’s for you. It’s for me. It’s for anyone who is a disciple of Jesus.

Never fast because you “have-to”. Fast because you “get-to”.

I’ve fasted because I “had-to”. The church I started out in as youth leader in had a tradition to fast for 3 days at the start of every year.  I fasted for those three days while I wasn’t the senior pastor, but still got paid to do some kind of work.  We’d gather to pray in the morning and evening.

And I endured the fast. It was will power and stubbornness and pride that kept me from eating food. I was cold. I had a headache from a lack of coffee. I was miserable and made everyone around me miserable.

And Isaiah 58:5-10 kept playing through my head…

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

“If you do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,

and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your night will become like the noonday.

— Isaiah 58:5-10 (NIV)

Some of you are struggling with habitual sin like lust.

Some of you are struggling with uncontrollable emotions like anger.

Some of you are struggling with bad habits like smoking.

Look at what verse 8 says…

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;

I have never seen someone struggling with habitual sin, uncontrollable emotions or bad habits not be healed when they fast with the right attitude.

I’m not talking about a “one and done” approach. I’m saying whenever I’ve known someone struggling with something in their Christian walk, and they make fasting part of their rhythm and seek God with their whole heart – their mind, emotions and action, I’ve never seen them continue to struggle.

Never fast because you “have-to”. Fast because you “get-to”.

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Jesus never commanded us to fast. He set it up as an expectation. 

Jesus said “When you fast” Matthew 6:16-18

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

There was never a command. There was certainly an expectation.

Never fast because you “have-to”. Fast because you “get-to”.

When I became the senior pastor, I asked a lot of silly questions. I was young. I took advantage of that. I think one of the first silly questions I asked before we got into the first Christmas season was, “Why do we fast in January?”

Some did it to “seek God for the year.” I think the most honest answer was, “To start the weight loss after Christmas.”

So I suggested, “Can we fast for a reason? Can we decide on something we know God wants us to do, then agree to fast and pray on that?”

Well we all agreed God is not willing anyone should perish (2 Peter 3:9) we decide to pray for people’s salvation that our church family was praying for. I did up some cards and our church family filled them out with names and how we could pray. We still met for prayer in the morning and the evening and everyone took a stack of cards and everyone got prayed for at least twice everyday and I prayed for the cards several times a day because I was soaking before soaking was a thing.

As an aside, I think it was on the second day after our morning gathering that I had a thought pop into my head. “It’s been a long time since you personally led someone to the Lord” I said a quick prayer, “Lord, help me lead someone to you.”

I forgot about that prayer that afternoon. I got a call from someone in the Remand Centre who said, “I’d like it if someone could come talk to me about Jesus.”

This poor guy. Like I said, I had forgot about the prayer and I had calls like this before. I had been vetted and I put on list to visit people at the Remand Centre and I asked if he got my name from the list. He never saw a list. He found an ad in the yellow pages.

Our church never had an ad in the yellow pages. Still I didn’t put two and two together. I thought he was making it up.

I had people call me before and usually they wanted me to bring in cigarettes or money or a package from a friend of their’s. Pastors and lawyers are the only ones that didn’t get searched at the Remand Centre at that time. Lawyer’s briefcases got searched. Mine never did. So knowing all this and having been played a few times in the past I kept on looking for a loophole to not visit him.

“I’m not going to bring in any cigarettes for you.”

“I don’t want cigarettes, I want to talk about Jesus.”

“I know you can’t have money in there, I’m not bringing any for you.”

“I don’t want money. I need to know about Jesus.”

“I never bring packages that I haven’t seen wrapped myself.”

“Can you just come tell me about Jesus?”

I forgot about my prayer.

Our visit didn’t go any better. He had to prove to me that he wanted to be a Christian. It took a full hour before I was willing to let God sort out the details and I just led him in a prayer.

“Don’t think if you say a prayer I’ll be able to speak to a judge on your behalf.”

“I just need Jesus.”

“I need to see actions in keeping with repentance, I don’t think a prayer is a magic bullet.”

“I think Jesus will help me.”

The amazing thing was, even with all my skepticism, when I led him in the prayer, Holy Spirit came into that glass-walled room. His countenance completely changed.  And I remembered about my prayer.

Never fast because you “have-to”. Fast because you “get-to”.

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He was changed. He wanted a clean slate. He stared confessing to all the charges that were against him AND all the charges the police hadn’t charged him with but that he knew he was guilty of. He still had some problems, but wow. Things changed for him.

Oh yah, and those stacks of cards we were praying for… I kept them until the next year to see how many we needed to keep praying for. I piled answered prayers in one pile and keep praying and I can’t remember the numbers, but I remember the stacks – six inches answered, half and inch still needing prayer. We baptized a lot of people that year.

I was in tears looking over that answered stack because a lot of strangers I had been praying for had become friends. I got to baptize them. I got to see many filled with the Spirit. I got to watch them grow in the grace and knowledge of God.

Never fast because you “have-to”. Fast because you “get-to”.

When I heard Pastor Shawn was going on a 40 day fast I knew I had to pray about it. I’ve never gone on a full food fast for 40 days. I’ve done one for 21 days and I’ve done a Daniel Fast for 52 days. I wrote out a conversation with Him.

Me: It can’t be just to say I’ve done it.

God: You’re right.

Me: It can’t be something that is a distraction from what you’ve already told me to do.

God: It won’t be.

Me: But if I fast from food, will I be creative?

God: Is that your goal?

Me: No, but I’d like to get everything set up for Live LIGHT coaching and if I’m hungry I’ll really need to depend on you for coherent thoughts.

God: Is that a bad thing?

Me: No. I guess if I don’t get the coaching done it’s not as bad as not having your presence with me.

God: I want to be with you.

Me: And I don’t want to run ahead of you. Should I completely fast from food?

God: Will you completely fast from TV and social media?

Me: I want to. It’s simpler to cut things off.

God: Will cutting out food cut you off from your family?

Me: It could. But completely fasting is easier.

God: When have I  asked you to do the easy thing?

Me: I want to serve my family. I want to prepare supper in the evening and coffee in the morning.

God: How does fasting stop you serving?

Me: It makes it harder.

God: I haven’t created you for the easy. You’re imagined to imagine and created to create.

Me: I like that.

God: I know you do. I made you.

Me: So food, TV and social media…should I read through the Bible?

God: Why do you want to?

Me: To see if I can do it in 40 days.

God: You’ve done it in less. Why do you want to read through it now?

Me: It’s been a while since I’ve done it last and I want something to do when I normally sit and watch TV.

God: Can’t you create then?

Me: When I create too late at night my mind doesn’t settle down to sleep.

God: What’s too late at night?

Me: I’m not sure… I guess I can read the Bible for the last hour before bed and work on creating before that.

God: I want to commune with you. I don’t want you jumping through hoops I never set up. You’ll be in the Word even if you don’t check off a to-do list. Leave the do-list behind. This is about moving the rhythms of my grace and feeling my pleasure on you. Obey what I tell you, when I tell you and you’ll be blessed. Don’t cut off your family. 

Me: So no 40-days-through-the-Bible-checklist?

God: I’m not asking you to. You can if you want.

Never fast because you “have-to”. Fast because you “get-to”.

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I’m fasting 23 hours a day. I have one meal a day. During the week, it’s supper so I can have it with the family. On Friday mornings Karen and I have a breakfast date. On most Saturdays Kian and I go for breakfast. On Sunday afternoons we’re usually together with family.

So every day for 40 days I’m fasting. I’m not on a 40 day fast. It’s a strange way to do it. But it’s bringing amazing results in me.

God is nightly downloading nuggets in my brain for Live LIGHT Academy, how I need to arrange it and how God wants it marketed and it’s smarter than I am. I feel his pleasure and presence on me. 

Do you want to know what He gave me yesterday? I was reading Isaiah 58. My Bible has a lot of highlights and dates attached to these verses.

11 

The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
 – July 5, 2000

12 

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins
and will raise up the age-old foundations;
you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. – January 7, 2014

13 

“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your  own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,

14 

then you will find your joy in the Lord,
and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

I got so excited seeing what God said about the Sabbath. 

November 11, 2017 – I understood Luke 5:33-39 and see what you’ve given me Live LIGHT to do.

“You will be called Repairer of Broken Walls and Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.”

This has been a call on my live for as long as I can remember. I look to the ancient ways as much as I can. Live LIGHT is a discipleship plan I can never call a discipleship plan because the people I want to help disciple would never sign up for a discipleship plan. It’s about moving to your rhythms that include a practical sabbath. It’s about slowing busy Christians down so they can listen to the Father’s love and obey what You tell them to do.

Relying Daily on His Grace

I know fasting is not a matter of will power, it’s a matter of relying daily on His grace for me.

A couple Sundays ago I wrote this in my Journal.  It  was a weird experience.

In three more days I have 30 days to go. I can’t be thinking this way. I need to take every day as it’s own challenge. It’s Sunday, and it may be spiritual attack, or it could be the German Sausage I had for breakfast yesterday with Kian, but my body is whining.

I’m tired after a full night’s sleep that I basically passed out into. I couldn’t even form words to pray with Ray when Taiessa asked if we could all pray for him before his interview today. My tongue wouldn’t work. I’m not as tired as I was last night, but I am still tired after a solid 9 – 10 hours of sleep.

I licked some salt. I’m justifying having a banana for potassium. I decided to have a cup of coffee. I could really go for an apple.

We’re meeting my family for lunch and I want that to be my one meal for the day. My mind is saying, “Have a cheat day.” But this isn’t a diet or weight loss scheme, it’s a fast and I’d rather have Jesus in the day to day of my everyday. I don’t want this past week to be my new normal for the next month. I want more and more and more of you God.

I know what that means. I know you’ll show me things I’m blind to in myself. I know you’ll stir up things that I don’t want to see so you can heal them. I know it’s not necessarily going to be pleasant, but I didn’t sign up for pleasant, I signed up for you.

My stomach stopped growling and my eyes feel more awake. What the heck just happened?  Maybe it was a spiritual attack and as I turned to you, it went away?

Wow…that was amazing. Thank you Lord.

Never fast because you “have-to”. Fast because you “get-to”.

What have I learned the hard way about fasting ?

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1. Never fast without a reason.

 

There are six reasons people have chosen to go without food for a time in the Bible.

1. Bereavement (1 Chronicles 10:11-12; 2 Samuel 1:11-12; 3:31-35)

2 . Distress (Esther 4:3; 1 Samuel 1:7, 20:34; 1 Kings 21:4-6; Psalms 109:24; Daniel 6:18; Acts 27:33)

3. Penitence (1 Samuel 7:5-6; Nehemiah 9:1-3; Daniel 9:3-6, 20; Joel 1:13-14,

2:12-15; Jonah 3:5-9)

4. Seeking God’s Intervention (2 Samuel 12:15-17; 2 Chronicles 20:2-4; Ezra

8:21; Esther 4:15-16; Psalms 35:13-14)

5 . Seeking Guidance (Judges 20:26-28; Deuteronomy 9:9; Daniel 9:1-3, 20-

23; 10:1-2; Acts 13:1)

6. Indicating Earnestness (Acts 23:12-13)

Never fast because you “have-to”. Fast because you “get-to”.

2. Never fast with the wrong attitude.

• Humility (Psalms 35:13; 1 Kings 21:27-29; Ezra 8:21; Psalms 69:10)
• Repentance (1 Samuel 7:6; Nehemiah 9:1-3; Joel 1:13-14; 2:12-15)
• Worship (Acts 13:2; Luke 2:37)
• Prayer (Nehemiah 1:4; Ezra 8:21-23; Psalms 35:13; Daniel 9:3; Matthew 17:20; Luke 2:37, 5:33; Acts 13:3, 14:23; 1 Corinthians 7:3-5)

That makes a fast enjoyable.

Never fast because you “have-to”. Fast because you “get-to”.

3.  Walk before you run.

Start with a partial fast for 24 hours.

Going from lunch to lunch is a good choice. It means you wouldn’t eat two meals. Attempt this once a week for several weeks.

At the start you’ll be intrigued with the physical aspects of your experience, but don’t

let that make you miss the attitude of your heart. You can go about the regular activities, but inwardly you’ll be turning each task into a sacred ministry to God. Break your fast with a light meal of fruits and vegetables and celebrate what God is teaching you.

After two or three weeks, try a normal 24-hour fast.

Drink only water, in healthy amounts. You’ll probably feel some hunger pangs or discomfort before the time is up. Don’t worry; you’re not starving. Your stomach has been trained to expect food a certain times.

Take the time you use to eat to spend more time with God. But don’t ignore your family. Don’t call attention to your self when you fast, Jesus was clear about that.

Only those who need to know should know when you’re fasting. There are far greater rewards to fasting than having people impressed at you for doing it.

When you’ve had success at fasting 24 hours, move onto a thirty-six hour fast and after that ask God if he wants you to go on longer fast.

Three to ten days is a time period that can have a significant impact on the course of your life. Forty days fast have been known to be even more transformation.

I have a friend who regularly fasts a day a week. He’s in a busy church and the only time he can find is from Sunday lunch to Monday lunch. I’m really interested in doing something like that. I don’t want to lose the closeness I feel again with God.

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4. Get grace from God and Give grace to yourself.

Paul wrote a lot of things we all have to remember. This is one of them:

 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
1 Corinthians 15:10 New International Version (NIV)

I’ve failed 24 hour fasts. How do you fail? You give up.

I’ve completed 3 day fasts and gorged myself on hamburgers – once – that will never happen again.

I’ve changed a 52 day Daniel fast from a spiritual exercise to a weight loss program – and been disappointed.

But when I recognize His grace towards me and I give grace to myself, everything changes.

• And I’ve had times of great closeness with God.
• I’ve had visitations experiences I can’t explain and I don’t have theology for.
• I’ve heard His still-small voice so clear and so loud.
• When I feel that will power coming up, I know it will fail and so I’m learning to start thanking God for His grace.

Never fast because you “have-to”. Fast because you “get-to”.

You’ll never know the blessing you can have fasting, when you hide behind excuses. Whatever your schedule, whatever your dietary needs, you can fast to draw closer to God. If you’re diabetic, stick to your meal plan more closely than you normally do.  Seek God as to how He wants you to fast, and stick to it.

Fast to draw closer to God.

Fast to get amazing experiences by following His leading.

Fast to overcome habitual sin, controlling attitudes and bad habits.

Fasting is for today. Fasting is for you. Never fast because you have-to. Fast because you get to.

Can I pray for you?

Lord, you said we’d seek you and find you when we seek you with all of our heart. That means our emotions, our minds and our wills need to be seeking you. Give us all the grace to seek you and find you. Call us deeper Lord.