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The message this morning, the title is Fasting

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Over Forks, Fasting Over Forks, a hunger strike

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against hell, is what I added there.

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Now the reason this is so important, I

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believe a couple different reasons.

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Anytime you apply spiritual disciplines to your life,

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it's like farming.

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A farmer cannot control the growth of the

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seed, can he?

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I explained this last week.

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What we do is we sow the seed

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and we provide an environment for that seed

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to grow.

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That's why spiritual disciplines are so important.

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Fasting, praying, worshipping, reading the Word of God,

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it's not something you just put on a

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checklist.

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It's actually providing fertile soil for God to

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grow things in our lives.

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That's what spiritual disciplines are.

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This message has been on my heart probably

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six months.

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I've read about 15 books in the last

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six months on this.

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I've read a lot of scriptural resources.

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I've spent a lot of time, there's about

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77 or so mentions of fasting and fasted

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or to fast in the Bible that I've

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looked at, I've prayed about.

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It was even a hard night last night.

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I was excited to get here.

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It was 9 o'clock, I couldn't go

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to sleep.

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10 o'clock, I couldn't go to sleep.

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11 o'clock, I couldn't go to sleep.

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I'm like, Lord, what are you doing here?

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There's something going on that I could just

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feel and I could sense because the devil

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doesn't like when you talk about him and

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he doesn't like when you talk about spiritual

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warfare.

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And this is spiritual warfare.

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When the Bible talks about pulling down strongholds,

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do you have something in your life that's

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a stronghold that you're, God, I just can't

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get rid of this.

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Nobody in the 9 a.m. service, right?

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I know everybody, most of us have something.

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I mean, you talk to somebody addicted to

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nicotine or sugar or caffeine or alcohol and

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it's a stronghold.

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Casting down arguments, doubts against God, how thoughts

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come in, the enemy plants thoughts.

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The only way you can overcome that is

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to prepare with spiritual disciplines with the armor

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that we are to put on.

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So fasting is very important.

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And as I was sleeping, trying to sleep

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last night and wrestling, not knowing what's going

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on, it finally made sense when I dropped

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over the hill.

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Do you know what I saw on my

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way to church this morning, 545 this morning?

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Let me show you.

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All the way to the church parking lot.

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And I thought, well, this is supposed to

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be, people are like, why are you holding

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that up?

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Because God said, I will never flood the

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earth again.

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This is my sign to you.

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And then in our arrogance and our blasphemous

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ways, we use that against God in his

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face.

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And there's a spiritual realm going on.

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It's a spiritual attack.

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The enemy is trying to do things and

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sidetrack.

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And that's why we just stay the course

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and persevere.

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And that's why I believe praying last night

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and fasting and God getting us ready, some

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of us ready for spiritual warfare and a

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spiritual battle.

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I'm going to talk about in the next

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week or two the why, the when, and

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the how of fasting.

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The reason is threefold.

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Why it's so important, when do we do

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it, and how do we do it.

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And there's a message I gave on America

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and gluttony and on fasting, and they're like

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10, 12, 14,000 views on YouTube.

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And it's like, so there's a hunger there,

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because I thought there'd be two or three,

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right?

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You know, I mean, who wants to watch

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that?

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But there's a desire there.

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When we took the survey, 85% of

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you wanted to participate in some type of

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corporate fast.

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And that's what I love about Westside, is

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there's a hunger there.

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And for me to avoid this topic, I

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think, would not be a good idea.

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Even though many people, they'll say, fasting's not

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for us anymore.

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It's the Old Testament thing, and we don't

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do that anymore.

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Well, I would encourage you to show me

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one scripture that supports that.

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The fact is, there isn't anything.

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And if Jesus himself began his ministry fasting,

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we might want to consider what this means

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to our own lives.

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So let's see this.

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First, let me just throw this out here.

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Fasting is seen throughout the entire Bible.

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Matthew 6, Jesus said, when you pray, when

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you give, and when you fast.

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Luke 535, the NIV, but the time will

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come when the bridegroom will be taken from

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them.

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In those days, they will fast.

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Now, I could be wrong, but I think

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we're still waiting for the bridegroom, right?

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And there's a waiting time there.

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And fasting, the reason they didn't fast the

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whole scripture, the context of the scripture, is

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they said, why do our disciples, John the

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Baptist and your disciples of Jesus, do not

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fast?

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Jesus said, the bridegroom is here.

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I'm here right now.

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Fasting was a time of mourning, of repentance,

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of this heart-wrenching seeking after God and

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being distant from him.

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Jesus is saying, I'm here, the bridegroom is

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here, but when the bridegroom leaves, then they

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will fast.

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Leonard Ravenhill said many years ago, 50 years

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ago, I think, when there's something in the

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Bible that churches don't like, they call it

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legalism.

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Isn't that true?

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Don't take a Sabbath anymore, that's legalism.

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Don't worry about what you watch, that's legalism.

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Don't act a certain way, that's legalistic.

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Don't fast, that's legal.

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Isn't it convenient, right?

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It's on everything we don't like to do,

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we just put legalism over it.

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And I can tell when people, when carnal

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Christians get mad at me, they call me

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legalistic.

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And I can say, well, here's 42 scriptures

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that supported this view, I don't care, that's

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legalistic.

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See, anytime we don't want to do something,

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we call it legalism.

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Here's the thing about fasting, the physical affects

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or is affected by the spiritual.

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So the physical realm that we live in

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is affected by the spiritual realm.

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So fasting has spiritual implications that fulfill themselves

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in the physical.

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We realize we live in two realms, right?

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There's a spiritual, there's a physical.

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And I'm gonna give some examples from primarily

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the Old Testament that I've given before when

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I talk about fasting, but it's so important

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because we need reminders.

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It's been six months, the beginning of the

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year, I've not talked about this, maybe a

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little bit here and there, and I'll try

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to wait until next year again.

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How's that sound?

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Well, let's just get this out now.

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Moses received the Word of God after fasting.

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So is there anything you need to receive

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from God?

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Lord, I'm waiting for answers, I need to

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receive something from you.

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We need direction.

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King Jehoshaphat experienced victory after fasting.

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Do you need victory in any area right

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now?

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Esther received protection.

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Elisha received restoration.

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Daniel experienced the supernatural.

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Ezra received direction.

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Nehemiah was strengthened.

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Joel offered the cure for God's judgment.

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God's judgment was coming upon a nation.

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Joel said, return to me, God says, return

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to me with fasting and weeping and mourning

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and I will return to you.

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Jesus was empowered.

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Paul confirmed his calling.

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Cornelius was saved all after fasting.

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Now, you can just call that a coincidence

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if you want, but I'm not going there

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because it's a deeper relationship with God.

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Like in Elisha's case, do you need some

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things restored in your marriage, in your life,

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your sons, your daughters?

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Does something need to be restored?

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Or Daniel, do you need to experience the

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supernatural?

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And I don't mean some mystical weird thing,

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right?

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I mean, do you want to experience God?

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Because I believe there's a difference between those

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who experience God living in the fullness of

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the Spirit and those who just come to

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church and participate and leave untouched by God.

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I'm not sure what side of that you

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want to be on, but I can tell

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you what side I want to be on.

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I want to be on the side that

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experiences God.

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Ezra received direction.

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Ezra is an interesting story.

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He had to go and rebuild.

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Remember, Nehemiah rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem.

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Ezra went to rebuild the temple that was

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destroyed.

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And he said, God, we can't go and

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do this.

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We're bringing all this gold and silver.

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We can't do this unless you bring us

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protection.

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We're going to pray and we're going to

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fast for ourselves and for our little ones.

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And God got them all the way there

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without any problems.

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Nehemiah was strengthened.

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Joel offered the cure for judgment.

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Jesus was empowered.

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Do you need to be empowered?

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Paul confirmed his calling.

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When Paul was called, he fasted.

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He didn't stop by a Starbucks.

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He fasted and waited on God.

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Now here's why this topic is so difficult,

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I think, for many people.

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I've experienced the benefits, so I'm jumping with

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joy inside, wanting to share the benefits.

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Many of you are thinking, oh my goodness,

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that's the last thing I want to do,

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is not eat something.

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Right?

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That doesn't sound fun.

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Well, it's not fun, necessarily, but the rewards

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far outweigh the cost.

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Remember what we've talked about before, the pain

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of discipline or the pain of regret?

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One or the other you're going to pay,

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and as your flesh submits, and you can,

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you, you, because here's what happens.

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I've talked about before, but it bears repeating.

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Your flesh controls more than you think.

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You wake up in the morning, right?

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Get me Frappuccino, Caramel Maca, whatever, and while

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you're there, get a big thing of donuts,

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and then after church, why not just keep

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going to In-N-Out Burger or McDonald's

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or the Western Bacon Double Cheeseburger, my favorite,

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at Carl's Jr., right?

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Let's just go there, and now that we've

272
00:10:10,710 --> 00:10:12,870
blown all day, stop and get that chocolate

273
00:10:12,870 --> 00:10:15,050
and that Twix bar and that soda on

274
00:10:15,050 --> 00:10:16,470
your way home to perk you up again,

275
00:10:16,590 --> 00:10:18,850
and why just finish it with a terrible

276
00:10:18,850 --> 00:10:19,190
dinner?

277
00:10:19,810 --> 00:10:21,670
And the flesh, and the flesh is just

278
00:10:21,670 --> 00:10:24,370
controlling everything we do.

279
00:10:24,890 --> 00:10:25,830
This keeps popping.

280
00:10:25,910 --> 00:10:26,370
Is there a reason?

281
00:10:26,950 --> 00:10:27,690
You guys hear it too?

282
00:10:28,670 --> 00:10:29,750
Maybe I'll just put it back here.

283
00:10:29,830 --> 00:10:34,210
Okay, maybe it's popping on my side, but

284
00:10:34,210 --> 00:10:35,790
that's why the flesh is controlling.

285
00:10:35,970 --> 00:10:38,170
So what fasting does, it says, no, no,

286
00:10:38,310 --> 00:10:39,090
no, you're done.

287
00:10:39,590 --> 00:10:40,450
You're done controlling.

288
00:10:41,110 --> 00:10:45,130
I'm going to start crucifying you, mortifying the

289
00:10:45,130 --> 00:10:48,030
flesh, the Puritan authors would say, to mortify,

290
00:10:48,210 --> 00:10:50,070
to rebuke the flesh.

291
00:10:51,090 --> 00:10:54,250
Acts 13 to the NIV, and this is

292
00:10:54,250 --> 00:10:55,610
where, this is why I'm talking about fasting,

293
00:10:55,770 --> 00:10:57,150
this is where we just left off.

294
00:10:57,550 --> 00:11:00,690
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting,

295
00:11:01,430 --> 00:11:03,830
the Holy Spirit said, now set apart for

296
00:11:03,830 --> 00:11:05,810
me Barnabas and Saul for the work to

297
00:11:05,810 --> 00:11:07,210
which I have called them.

298
00:11:07,630 --> 00:11:09,230
So you have to wonder, if they were

299
00:11:09,230 --> 00:11:11,210
not fasting, if they were just in this

300
00:11:11,210 --> 00:11:14,210
gluttonous type of environment, would God have led

301
00:11:14,210 --> 00:11:15,650
them to the degree he has?

302
00:11:16,490 --> 00:11:19,530
Acts 14, 23, Paul and Barnabas appointed elders

303
00:11:19,530 --> 00:11:21,790
for them in each church and with prayer

304
00:11:21,790 --> 00:11:24,930
and fasting committed them to the Lord in

305
00:11:24,930 --> 00:11:26,310
whom they had put their trust.

306
00:11:26,970 --> 00:11:29,270
The vast majorities of the heroes of the

307
00:11:29,270 --> 00:11:30,890
faith have fasted.

308
00:11:31,310 --> 00:11:33,670
It's still very common in places like China

309
00:11:33,670 --> 00:11:35,650
and Korea for people to fast.

310
00:11:35,910 --> 00:11:38,650
If you go outside of America, fasting is

311
00:11:38,650 --> 00:11:39,290
very common.

312
00:11:40,190 --> 00:11:42,490
Just to let you know, there's actually a

313
00:11:42,490 --> 00:11:44,990
place in South Korea, not North Korea, I

314
00:11:44,990 --> 00:11:46,290
don't know of any of their one there,

315
00:11:46,810 --> 00:11:48,670
because they worship a God there, right?

316
00:11:48,810 --> 00:11:53,230
The ruler of that country that wants to

317
00:11:53,230 --> 00:11:54,150
take America out.

318
00:11:54,350 --> 00:11:55,710
So you might want to pray and fast

319
00:11:55,710 --> 00:11:57,870
that God would judge them and judge him.

320
00:11:58,570 --> 00:12:01,190
But this South Korea, there's one of the

321
00:12:01,190 --> 00:12:03,370
largest, actually it's the largest church I think

322
00:12:03,370 --> 00:12:05,570
in the world, seven, eight hundred thousand members.

323
00:12:05,810 --> 00:12:09,110
They have something called Prayer Mountain and it's

324
00:12:09,110 --> 00:12:10,210
all they do is they go up to

325
00:12:10,210 --> 00:12:11,970
this mountain and they pray and fast for

326
00:12:11,970 --> 00:12:12,490
days.

327
00:12:13,630 --> 00:12:17,150
The Middle East, China, the early Christians in

328
00:12:17,150 --> 00:12:20,310
China, it's a place of fasting and prayer.

329
00:12:20,830 --> 00:12:21,970
So here would be my struggle.

330
00:12:22,130 --> 00:12:24,390
I can ignore a topic that people don't

331
00:12:24,390 --> 00:12:27,290
like and just tell us what we want

332
00:12:27,290 --> 00:12:29,390
to hear or I can delve into Scripture,

333
00:12:29,650 --> 00:12:31,150
read a lot on this, get this and

334
00:12:31,150 --> 00:12:33,490
give you, speak from my own personal experience

335
00:12:33,490 --> 00:12:36,650
for those who truly want to experience God.

336
00:12:37,450 --> 00:12:39,910
John Wesley said, I will not ordain a

337
00:12:39,910 --> 00:12:42,150
man unless he fasts twice a week.

338
00:12:43,910 --> 00:12:46,490
Wow, legalistic, right?

339
00:12:46,550 --> 00:12:47,330
He's legalistic.

340
00:12:47,650 --> 00:12:50,390
What he's doing is he's saying, I would

341
00:12:50,390 --> 00:12:52,830
ordain a man who shows me he has

342
00:12:52,830 --> 00:12:55,810
control of his appetites rather than allowing his

343
00:12:55,810 --> 00:12:57,350
appetites to control him.

344
00:12:57,510 --> 00:12:59,210
Because if you have a man who is

345
00:12:59,210 --> 00:13:02,330
controlled by his appetites, he cannot rule the

346
00:13:02,330 --> 00:13:02,910
church well.

347
00:13:04,870 --> 00:13:05,830
It's impossible.

348
00:13:06,010 --> 00:13:07,570
That's actually one of the qualifications of an

349
00:13:07,570 --> 00:13:09,510
elder, is to be temperate in all things,

350
00:13:09,590 --> 00:13:11,130
not addicted to certain things.

351
00:13:13,430 --> 00:13:15,210
Now when it comes to fasting, there is

352
00:13:15,210 --> 00:13:17,830
a pendulum swing, right?

353
00:13:18,210 --> 00:13:19,650
The side that we've been talking about and

354
00:13:19,650 --> 00:13:20,690
nobody wants to do it.

355
00:13:20,750 --> 00:13:22,810
So for Old Testament, that's actually pretty convenient,

356
00:13:22,990 --> 00:13:23,550
sounds good.

357
00:13:23,830 --> 00:13:24,910
I actually like that.

358
00:13:24,950 --> 00:13:26,330
If that's your view, I like your view.

359
00:13:27,050 --> 00:13:29,010
The flesh likes your view, but that's not

360
00:13:29,010 --> 00:13:29,530
for today.

361
00:13:30,070 --> 00:13:32,230
But the other side of the pendulum swing

362
00:13:32,230 --> 00:13:35,970
is the fanatical side, where it's more spiritual

363
00:13:35,970 --> 00:13:38,650
and you're always pushing and you're always, you

364
00:13:38,650 --> 00:13:40,270
know, pushing people to do it and in

365
00:13:40,270 --> 00:13:42,010
their face and it becomes this workspace.

366
00:13:42,390 --> 00:13:44,370
I'm more holy because I fast.

367
00:13:44,810 --> 00:13:46,630
I'm more spiritual because I fast.

368
00:13:46,750 --> 00:13:48,330
You don't fast like me and it's just,

369
00:13:48,530 --> 00:13:51,450
it becomes almost a work and a self

370
00:13:51,450 --> 00:13:54,490
-focus, a self, a point of self-exaltation.

371
00:13:54,790 --> 00:13:56,670
But the pendulum swing is where it stops

372
00:13:56,670 --> 00:13:58,050
in the middle, is right with the Bible

373
00:13:58,050 --> 00:13:58,570
says.

374
00:13:59,230 --> 00:14:02,370
That's why those who love fasting see it

375
00:14:02,370 --> 00:14:04,510
mentioned throughout Scripture close to 80 times.

376
00:14:04,630 --> 00:14:06,330
They see the enormous benefit.

377
00:14:07,430 --> 00:14:09,550
The key is this, the closer you draw

378
00:14:09,550 --> 00:14:11,650
to God, the more you do for God.

379
00:14:13,070 --> 00:14:15,070
If you leave here today, leave here with

380
00:14:15,070 --> 00:14:15,650
that nugget.

381
00:14:16,350 --> 00:14:18,590
The closer you draw to God, the more

382
00:14:18,590 --> 00:14:19,570
you do for God.

383
00:14:20,250 --> 00:14:22,210
So those, most in this room, I'm assuming,

384
00:14:22,330 --> 00:14:23,470
want to do more for God.

385
00:14:24,590 --> 00:14:27,310
Lord, I want to, show me, this is

386
00:14:27,310 --> 00:14:27,950
personally unfamiliar.

387
00:14:28,670 --> 00:14:30,650
Lord, show me what you want me to

388
00:14:30,650 --> 00:14:30,930
do.

389
00:14:31,850 --> 00:14:33,530
Show me what you've called me to do.

390
00:14:33,750 --> 00:14:35,730
Show me how I'm supposed to get involved

391
00:14:35,730 --> 00:14:35,990
here.

392
00:14:36,350 --> 00:14:38,190
Who can, who am I supposed to reach?

393
00:14:38,350 --> 00:14:39,770
And Lord, show me.

394
00:14:41,310 --> 00:14:45,370
But that only begins to become real once

395
00:14:45,370 --> 00:14:47,510
we begin to fast and pray and worship.

396
00:14:47,770 --> 00:14:49,990
Then the closer we draw to him, the

397
00:14:49,990 --> 00:14:51,450
more he does through us.

398
00:14:53,860 --> 00:14:55,800
Leonard Ravenhill also said, how can you pull

399
00:14:55,800 --> 00:14:57,960
down strongholds of Satan if you don't even

400
00:14:57,960 --> 00:14:59,740
have the strength to turn off your television?

401
00:15:03,740 --> 00:15:06,060
Wow, I could just sit down.

402
00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:09,100
I think that would be good enough, right?

403
00:15:09,300 --> 00:15:12,480
Because he's, how can we pull down strongholds

404
00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:12,780
of Satan?

405
00:15:12,900 --> 00:15:16,100
Because see, we talk about it, we want

406
00:15:16,100 --> 00:15:17,640
to do it, but we can't, we don't

407
00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:18,880
even have the strength to turn off our

408
00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:19,200
television.

409
00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:21,300
We don't even have the strength to say

410
00:15:21,300 --> 00:15:21,680
no.

411
00:15:22,540 --> 00:15:23,760
I mean, In-N-Out has been calling

412
00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:25,040
me since 530 this morning.

413
00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:28,820
It just keeps, hello, double, double, french fries,

414
00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:29,960
chocolate shit.

415
00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:32,120
I mean, it just calls, calls.

416
00:15:32,960 --> 00:15:35,040
And it's just like, no, be quiet, be

417
00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:36,180
quiet, be quiet.

418
00:15:36,500 --> 00:15:37,540
And it's just calling.

419
00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:40,140
Now, people, I guess I'll do a few

420
00:15:40,140 --> 00:15:41,300
disclaimers throughout the message.

421
00:15:42,260 --> 00:15:44,140
Food is not bad, right?

422
00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:48,220
We don't, food is wonderful, especially if you

423
00:15:48,220 --> 00:15:50,240
consume it the way God created it, to

424
00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:51,960
give life to the body, to give energy

425
00:15:51,960 --> 00:15:52,440
to the body.

426
00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:54,660
We consume that food, and then that food

427
00:15:54,660 --> 00:15:57,120
is assimilated, and we use it for energy,

428
00:15:57,240 --> 00:15:59,440
for building muscle, for fighting disease, all these

429
00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:00,000
kinds of things.

430
00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:00,880
So it's wonderful.

431
00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:03,060
So it really isn't about food, it's whether

432
00:16:03,060 --> 00:16:03,840
food has you.

433
00:16:04,780 --> 00:16:06,340
What is controlling you?

434
00:16:06,580 --> 00:16:09,620
If there's no desire to fast, and the

435
00:16:09,620 --> 00:16:13,980
body keeps winning, I'm guessing you're losing the

436
00:16:13,980 --> 00:16:15,700
battle in a lot of different areas.

437
00:16:16,580 --> 00:16:19,240
If we can't subdue the flesh, how are

438
00:16:19,240 --> 00:16:20,660
you going to say no to that video

439
00:16:20,660 --> 00:16:21,860
that comes up on your screen?

440
00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:23,640
Or how are you going to say no

441
00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:26,180
to that gossip that keeps whispering in your

442
00:16:26,180 --> 00:16:27,060
ear to go and gossip?

443
00:16:27,700 --> 00:16:29,880
Or that backbiting, or that anger?

444
00:16:29,980 --> 00:16:31,680
How are you going to subdue those things

445
00:16:31,680 --> 00:16:33,700
if you can't even subdue the flesh in

446
00:16:33,700 --> 00:16:34,260
this area?

447
00:16:34,620 --> 00:16:36,520
See, it all is tied together.

448
00:16:37,020 --> 00:16:38,300
Everything is tied together.

449
00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:42,200
John Owen, he's a Puritan author.

450
00:16:42,420 --> 00:16:44,520
About four or five hundred years ago, I've

451
00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:46,800
got, it's called the works of John Owen,

452
00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:49,960
of the mortification of sin and believers.

453
00:16:50,580 --> 00:16:52,260
I just love the strong words these guys,

454
00:16:52,340 --> 00:16:53,640
they don't mess around, I'm telling you right

455
00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:53,880
now.

456
00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:55,960
If you read books hundreds of years ago,

457
00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:57,580
they do not mess around.

458
00:16:57,840 --> 00:16:59,580
They get right to the point, crucify the

459
00:16:59,580 --> 00:17:01,140
flesh, stop putting up with it, be killing

460
00:17:01,140 --> 00:17:02,320
sin or sin be killing you.

461
00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:04,680
I mean, it's just, now we're like, I

462
00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:06,180
don't know, might be too strong.

463
00:17:06,619 --> 00:17:08,240
Come on, let's just, let's just bring in

464
00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:10,680
the soft little punches, and the candy bars,

465
00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:12,440
and the seized candy, and just kind of

466
00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,460
be careful here, where the Word of God

467
00:17:14,460 --> 00:17:15,500
is, let it loose.

468
00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:17,640
Let the lion out of the cage, and

469
00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:19,240
let it do its work.

470
00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:21,619
So he said, and I'll interpret for you

471
00:17:21,619 --> 00:17:25,260
when I'm done, the choicest believers who are

472
00:17:25,260 --> 00:17:28,480
assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin,

473
00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,680
ought yet to make it their business, all

474
00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:34,920
their days, to be mortifying the indwelling power

475
00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:35,500
of sin.

476
00:17:36,780 --> 00:17:39,020
What he's saying in a nutshell is, if

477
00:17:39,020 --> 00:17:41,600
you are a believer, and you have been

478
00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:44,620
freed from the condemning power of sin, here's

479
00:17:44,620 --> 00:17:45,420
the interesting thing.

480
00:17:45,820 --> 00:17:47,000
This will be, this will be an eye

481
00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:47,880
-opener for many of you.

482
00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:51,120
As a believer, you have been freed from

483
00:17:51,120 --> 00:17:53,140
the condemning power of sin.

484
00:17:54,100 --> 00:17:55,560
It doesn't condemn you anymore.

485
00:17:55,680 --> 00:17:57,160
You're not condemned to hell.

486
00:17:57,660 --> 00:18:00,800
The ramifications, the result, you've been set free

487
00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:02,860
from that condemning power.

488
00:18:03,780 --> 00:18:06,140
But then it's the question of, well, why

489
00:18:06,140 --> 00:18:09,160
in God's name is it still alive in

490
00:18:09,160 --> 00:18:09,320
me?

491
00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:12,900
Because see, the influence hasn't left.

492
00:18:13,460 --> 00:18:14,760
The power hasn't left.

493
00:18:15,140 --> 00:18:17,400
So that's why he said believers who've been

494
00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:20,340
released from the condemning power of sin, they

495
00:18:20,340 --> 00:18:23,880
should make it their business to to mortify

496
00:18:23,880 --> 00:18:25,280
indwelling power of sin.

497
00:18:25,340 --> 00:18:28,100
Now, because they've been set free, every day

498
00:18:28,100 --> 00:18:30,960
they're gonna fight against that influence.

499
00:18:31,700 --> 00:18:33,300
And that's where that famous line comes from,

500
00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:35,760
be killing sin or sin will be killing

501
00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:36,140
you.

502
00:18:36,820 --> 00:18:40,260
Every unclean thought or glance would be adultery

503
00:18:40,260 --> 00:18:40,880
if it could.

504
00:18:42,380 --> 00:18:43,120
If it could.

505
00:18:43,540 --> 00:18:44,220
Think about that.

506
00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:47,260
Every covetous desire would be oppression if it

507
00:18:47,260 --> 00:18:47,500
could.

508
00:18:47,860 --> 00:18:51,080
Every thought of unbelief would be atheism if

509
00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:51,780
it could.

510
00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:53,440
See, that's what sin does.

511
00:18:53,540 --> 00:18:55,120
Sin gives you a thought and says, if

512
00:18:55,120 --> 00:18:57,460
you, if I could take you to the

513
00:18:57,460 --> 00:19:00,100
full end of this, if I could take

514
00:19:00,100 --> 00:19:01,540
you the full end of this, I would

515
00:19:01,540 --> 00:19:03,520
bring that thought out to fruition.

516
00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:06,580
So that's what sin is doing constantly.

517
00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:09,240
It's like, here's your thought, take action on

518
00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:11,160
that thought, keep taking action on that thought

519
00:19:11,160 --> 00:19:12,600
so I can bring you to death in

520
00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:13,100
this area.

521
00:19:13,340 --> 00:19:15,480
Here comes another thought, take it, take that

522
00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:17,100
thought, run with it, fulfill it.

523
00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:19,760
Now I'm gonna keep leading you away from

524
00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:20,100
God.

525
00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:21,980
That's why every day from the moment you

526
00:19:21,980 --> 00:19:24,800
wake up to when you go to sleep,

527
00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:27,140
that sin is wanting to come in and

528
00:19:27,140 --> 00:19:27,580
do that.

529
00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:30,220
That's why fasting is so important.

530
00:19:30,900 --> 00:19:32,760
And I want to remind everybody this morning

531
00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:34,220
that you are not powerless.

532
00:19:35,540 --> 00:19:36,800
You are not powerless.

533
00:19:37,020 --> 00:19:39,020
You give power to either the flesh or

534
00:19:39,020 --> 00:19:39,500
the spirit.

535
00:19:41,340 --> 00:19:42,940
And I write, Shane, I'm so powerless right

536
00:19:42,940 --> 00:19:43,120
now.

537
00:19:43,180 --> 00:19:43,860
No, you're not.

538
00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,020
You actually have more power than you think.

539
00:19:46,700 --> 00:19:49,100
You give whatever, Paul says in Romans, whatever

540
00:19:49,100 --> 00:19:51,100
you choose to obey becomes your master.

541
00:19:51,900 --> 00:19:54,480
So you give the power to the spirit

542
00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:56,340
or you give the power to the flesh.

543
00:19:56,700 --> 00:19:57,400
Do you guys hear that?

544
00:19:57,820 --> 00:19:59,560
Okay, so something's popping back there.

545
00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:02,180
Oh well, it's probably gonna happen from here

546
00:20:02,180 --> 00:20:02,940
on out.

547
00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:04,540
Unless Jake can fix it.

548
00:20:05,380 --> 00:20:06,300
No pressure.

549
00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:08,800
I'll fix it.

550
00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:10,480
Yeah, I keep pulling it away, but it's

551
00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:11,140
pretty far now.

552
00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:12,420
All right, we'll try that.

553
00:20:13,660 --> 00:20:15,980
Another thing he said, neglect of this duty

554
00:20:15,980 --> 00:20:19,620
to mortify causes the withering of the soul.

555
00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:23,420
So in a nutshell, if we don't want

556
00:20:23,420 --> 00:20:26,100
to mortify the flesh, crucify the flesh, it

557
00:20:26,100 --> 00:20:27,940
leads to the withering of the soul.

558
00:20:28,120 --> 00:20:29,740
Have you ever felt your soul wither?

559
00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:31,080
Go like this.

560
00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:32,700
You have.

561
00:20:33,120 --> 00:20:34,900
It's that, it's the withering of the soul.

562
00:20:35,060 --> 00:20:36,600
It's like, God, I miss you.

563
00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:40,460
Worship used to, I used to love worship.

564
00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:41,720
I used to love the Bible.

565
00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:42,640
What's happening?

566
00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:44,280
The soul is withering.

567
00:20:44,500 --> 00:20:46,960
If we don't mortify the flesh and put

568
00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:51,420
it to death daily, be crucifying the flesh

569
00:20:51,420 --> 00:20:51,760
daily.

570
00:20:51,940 --> 00:20:54,960
James 4, 5 says this, that our spirit

571
00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:56,700
has envious yearnings.

572
00:20:56,960 --> 00:20:57,760
Did you know that?

573
00:20:58,340 --> 00:21:01,740
The Holy Spirit in us has envious yearnings,

574
00:21:02,100 --> 00:21:03,100
and that's a good envy.

575
00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:05,720
He's saying, I want you.

576
00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:09,560
The Spirit in us is, it's like, do

577
00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:10,420
you remember when you had kids?

578
00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:11,780
If you're older now, if you have kids,

579
00:21:12,180 --> 00:21:14,720
Daddy, I want to spend time with you.

580
00:21:15,460 --> 00:21:17,540
Mommy, I want to spend time with you.

581
00:21:17,820 --> 00:21:20,120
Nana, Papa, whatever they call you, I want

582
00:21:20,120 --> 00:21:21,240
to spend time with you.

583
00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:22,480
That's the Holy Spirit within us.

584
00:21:22,620 --> 00:21:25,720
He has, the Spirit has envious yearnings for

585
00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:29,640
more of God, and what happens is besetting

586
00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:31,560
sin cuts off the power source.

587
00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:33,420
The point I'm really getting at is, is

588
00:21:33,420 --> 00:21:37,100
fasting helps to mortify the deeds of the

589
00:21:37,100 --> 00:21:40,320
flesh, because when you're fasting, you're in control.

590
00:21:40,740 --> 00:21:42,020
I'll tell you right now, if you struggle

591
00:21:42,020 --> 00:21:44,080
with addiction, sexual addiction, any kind of addiction,

592
00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:47,620
you can minimize it completely by fasting, because

593
00:21:47,620 --> 00:21:49,840
you take the power and the strength away

594
00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:50,760
from the flesh.

595
00:21:51,680 --> 00:21:54,520
You just rob the flesh of its strength,

596
00:21:54,860 --> 00:21:56,740
and it begins to be submitted.

597
00:21:57,400 --> 00:22:00,100
And Jim Cimbala, I know many of you

598
00:22:00,100 --> 00:22:01,980
know who he is in the Brooklyn Tabernacle.

599
00:22:02,120 --> 00:22:03,100
I was watching it in New York.

600
00:22:03,180 --> 00:22:05,460
I was watching a wonderful video on obedience

601
00:22:05,460 --> 00:22:08,000
this week, and he talked about, he actually

602
00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:10,420
went to the electrical room in the Brooklyn

603
00:22:10,420 --> 00:22:12,860
Tabernacle, a huge room, and he said, if

604
00:22:12,860 --> 00:22:15,160
I pull this power, if I pull this

605
00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:17,400
lever, it'll cut off all electricity to the

606
00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:17,720
building.

607
00:22:18,480 --> 00:22:20,800
And his parallel was with the Holy Spirit.

608
00:22:21,340 --> 00:22:24,240
If we are besetting sin, sin that we

609
00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:28,260
just leave, and it stops that power source,

610
00:22:28,780 --> 00:22:31,720
it stops God from moving in our lives.

611
00:22:32,660 --> 00:22:34,900
It's like a conduit that is blocked.

612
00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:37,560
Fasting begins to release that.

613
00:22:39,260 --> 00:22:40,580
Now I want to talk on this part,

614
00:22:40,660 --> 00:22:44,900
this part about fasting, since we are on

615
00:22:44,900 --> 00:22:45,340
the topic.

616
00:22:46,100 --> 00:22:47,940
The spiritual, when it comes to fasting, the

617
00:22:47,940 --> 00:22:50,720
spiritual is the priority, but there are physical

618
00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:51,300
benefits.

619
00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:56,360
Now here's an interesting thing about physical.

620
00:22:56,460 --> 00:22:57,780
Anytime we talk about the body, we're like,

621
00:22:57,840 --> 00:22:58,580
well that's not important.

622
00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:00,220
Well if it's not important, then why are

623
00:23:00,220 --> 00:23:01,820
90% of the prayer requests about the

624
00:23:01,820 --> 00:23:02,540
physical things?

625
00:23:03,220 --> 00:23:05,560
Take this away from me, this disease, this

626
00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:07,880
ailment, this depression, this anxiety, this addiction.

627
00:23:09,380 --> 00:23:11,720
So the spiritual is the priority, but there

628
00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:14,620
are physical benefits when we fast.

629
00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:15,900
Did you know this?

630
00:23:15,900 --> 00:23:18,600
That Jesus was the great physician?

631
00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:19,960
What does a great physician do?

632
00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:21,480
He heals our bodies.

633
00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:24,920
James Morris said this, and I would recommend

634
00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:27,000
a book, it's called God's Chosen Fast.

635
00:23:27,700 --> 00:23:31,800
There are multitudes, there are multitudes of diseases

636
00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:36,040
which have their origin in fullness, and might

637
00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:37,740
have their end in fasting.

638
00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:41,020
Many of you aren't aware of this, but

639
00:23:41,020 --> 00:23:44,340
disease is actually fueled by the food we

640
00:23:44,340 --> 00:23:44,900
consume.

641
00:23:46,870 --> 00:23:50,790
Disease is fueled by the food we consume.

642
00:23:51,430 --> 00:23:53,410
That food is either giving life to the

643
00:23:53,410 --> 00:23:55,470
body, or it's giving death to the body.

644
00:23:55,990 --> 00:23:59,650
My point of this is fasting has huge

645
00:23:59,650 --> 00:24:04,010
spiritual benefits that flow right into physical benefits

646
00:24:04,010 --> 00:24:05,290
as well for the body.

647
00:24:05,630 --> 00:24:08,670
God wants us to clean this thing that

648
00:24:08,670 --> 00:24:09,590
we have been given.

649
00:24:10,590 --> 00:24:11,790
I think, have you ever seen a real

650
00:24:11,790 --> 00:24:14,510
dirty pool that you're not going to jump

651
00:24:14,510 --> 00:24:14,950
into?

652
00:24:15,550 --> 00:24:18,010
But picture the body, that's dirty blood, the

653
00:24:18,010 --> 00:24:20,330
heart is working hard, it's a very toxic

654
00:24:20,330 --> 00:24:21,130
environment.

655
00:24:21,710 --> 00:24:23,830
So it's this green algae, this dirty pool,

656
00:24:23,890 --> 00:24:25,270
that's how many of us live.

657
00:24:25,730 --> 00:24:29,370
And the body becomes sick and diseased, and

658
00:24:29,370 --> 00:24:30,530
if we had time we could talk about

659
00:24:30,530 --> 00:24:33,390
really what cancer is, is cancer is cells

660
00:24:33,390 --> 00:24:34,390
that do not die.

661
00:24:35,190 --> 00:24:38,350
Instead they keep multiplying and multiplying and multiplying

662
00:24:38,350 --> 00:24:40,130
and multiplying and form tumors.

663
00:24:40,830 --> 00:24:42,930
And they're finding that many things, that cancer

664
00:24:42,930 --> 00:24:45,470
has to survive off oxygen and food.

665
00:24:46,090 --> 00:24:46,710
It has to.

666
00:24:47,830 --> 00:24:49,410
So it begins, that's why they tie a

667
00:24:49,410 --> 00:24:50,910
lot of it in with sugar, and they're

668
00:24:50,910 --> 00:24:53,270
also finding that it can consume amino acids,

669
00:24:53,410 --> 00:24:55,430
glutamine to be exact and precise.

670
00:24:55,690 --> 00:24:58,470
But the cancer, you actually fuel it sometimes

671
00:24:58,470 --> 00:24:59,970
by the foods we consume.

672
00:25:00,410 --> 00:25:02,390
So if you begin to fast and withdraw

673
00:25:02,390 --> 00:25:05,850
the fuel source, you'll begin to see amazing

674
00:25:05,850 --> 00:25:06,730
results in the body.

675
00:25:06,810 --> 00:25:07,970
I can just tell you from my own

676
00:25:07,970 --> 00:25:12,290
experience, eyesight getting better, joints feeling better, energy

677
00:25:12,290 --> 00:25:15,410
coming back, the vitality, the way that we

678
00:25:15,410 --> 00:25:18,750
were designed, how God designed us.

679
00:25:19,110 --> 00:25:20,950
So not only the spiritual benefits, but you

680
00:25:20,950 --> 00:25:23,070
have the physical benefits that come into mind.

681
00:25:23,750 --> 00:25:26,510
Now I think this is important, very important

682
00:25:26,510 --> 00:25:27,970
to introduce.

683
00:25:29,310 --> 00:25:33,030
Fasting is not starving, okay?

684
00:25:33,610 --> 00:25:34,890
Why are you starving yourself?

685
00:25:35,170 --> 00:25:36,610
I'm not starving myself.

686
00:25:38,110 --> 00:25:41,230
Fasting is not starving, it's nourishing, it's ridding

687
00:25:41,230 --> 00:25:42,770
our body of the excess.

688
00:25:43,410 --> 00:25:45,750
Here's a crash course, real quick.

689
00:25:46,250 --> 00:25:50,530
Your body burns for energy glucose, which when

690
00:25:50,530 --> 00:25:52,170
you eat, it's converted to sugar.

691
00:25:52,390 --> 00:25:54,150
That glucose is stored in the liver and

692
00:25:54,150 --> 00:25:55,410
the muscle to be used.

693
00:25:55,990 --> 00:25:58,290
Once that is depleted, then it will begin

694
00:25:58,290 --> 00:26:00,130
to go to the fat and muscle storage

695
00:26:00,130 --> 00:26:00,650
for fuel.

696
00:26:00,930 --> 00:26:02,330
The problem is we never get to that

697
00:26:02,330 --> 00:26:02,730
point.

698
00:26:03,330 --> 00:26:06,950
So fasting, you begin to burn all the

699
00:26:06,950 --> 00:26:09,750
stored energy you have, it's gone, and then

700
00:26:09,750 --> 00:26:12,430
now the body begins to pull off of

701
00:26:12,430 --> 00:26:15,610
the tissue, the dead cells, the old things

702
00:26:15,610 --> 00:26:16,410
that need to go.

703
00:26:16,730 --> 00:26:19,010
It's burning the fat, it's burning some muscle,

704
00:26:19,130 --> 00:26:21,190
it's burning old dead cells that are dying,

705
00:26:21,510 --> 00:26:23,030
it's going to grab the disease.

706
00:26:23,710 --> 00:26:25,430
I read a book, it gave a great

707
00:26:25,430 --> 00:26:27,230
example of if you're in a cabin in

708
00:26:27,230 --> 00:26:28,650
a snowstorm, right?

709
00:26:28,650 --> 00:26:30,750
You're using all the wood to stay alive,

710
00:26:31,150 --> 00:26:32,570
but what happens when the wood's gone?

711
00:26:33,590 --> 00:26:37,250
How good does that wood couch, or that

712
00:26:37,250 --> 00:26:39,690
wood couch, that doesn't sound comfortable at all,

713
00:26:39,850 --> 00:26:41,770
but that big nice wood table you just

714
00:26:41,770 --> 00:26:44,910
made for the kitchen, or that nice, those

715
00:26:44,910 --> 00:26:46,550
wood tables you just made for the living

716
00:26:46,550 --> 00:26:48,250
room, guess where they're going in a matter

717
00:26:48,250 --> 00:26:48,890
of a day or two?

718
00:26:49,470 --> 00:26:51,650
In the fire, in the fire.

719
00:26:51,790 --> 00:26:54,390
You start the lesser items, the wood, the

720
00:26:54,390 --> 00:26:56,490
hay, the stubble, the newspaper, and then you

721
00:26:56,490 --> 00:26:58,170
start to go to the greater items and

722
00:26:58,170 --> 00:26:59,110
throw that in the fire.

723
00:26:59,210 --> 00:27:00,950
That's exactly how the body works.

724
00:27:01,050 --> 00:27:02,130
You're not starving.

725
00:27:02,630 --> 00:27:05,030
The body's pulling and using all this energy

726
00:27:05,030 --> 00:27:06,510
and getting rid of the dead waste.

727
00:27:06,870 --> 00:27:08,770
You actually go into a point of starvation

728
00:27:08,770 --> 00:27:10,790
once those resources have ran dry.

729
00:27:11,470 --> 00:27:12,530
So it's not starvation.

730
00:27:13,190 --> 00:27:14,870
It's actually, it's very healthy for the body

731
00:27:14,870 --> 00:27:16,410
to start consuming these things.

732
00:27:16,790 --> 00:27:18,630
I mean, I could, I could just amaze

733
00:27:18,630 --> 00:27:20,310
you with the amount of testimonies I've heard

734
00:27:20,310 --> 00:27:21,690
that tumors have shrunk.

735
00:27:21,830 --> 00:27:24,350
God, people had like, just gross on their

736
00:27:24,350 --> 00:27:25,950
skin and different things that would disappear from

737
00:27:25,950 --> 00:27:28,290
fasting because the body would start to consume

738
00:27:28,290 --> 00:27:30,490
the tissue and it gets fuel from wherever

739
00:27:30,490 --> 00:27:31,010
it can.

740
00:27:31,230 --> 00:27:33,470
That's why you don't feel good, because the

741
00:27:33,470 --> 00:27:35,870
toxins and the things are coming in and

742
00:27:35,870 --> 00:27:38,150
working in your mind and in your heart

743
00:27:38,150 --> 00:27:39,350
and your blood is trying to get rid

744
00:27:39,350 --> 00:27:40,510
of all this junk.

745
00:27:41,090 --> 00:27:43,910
So the point is, wonderful spiritual benefits, wonderful

746
00:27:43,910 --> 00:27:45,250
physical benefits.

747
00:27:47,700 --> 00:27:50,360
Fasting doesn't replace a healthy lifestyle, though it

748
00:27:50,360 --> 00:27:51,220
complements it.

749
00:27:53,820 --> 00:27:54,600
Did you catch that?

750
00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:55,780
That was in one ear and out the

751
00:27:55,780 --> 00:27:56,580
next for some of you.

752
00:27:57,180 --> 00:27:58,300
Here's what many people do.

753
00:27:59,860 --> 00:28:01,360
And then they try to fast.

754
00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:02,400
Oh, I don't feel like fasting.

755
00:28:03,300 --> 00:28:04,700
Or they barely get through and then they're

756
00:28:04,700 --> 00:28:06,100
back to the old habits again.

757
00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:07,780
Right?

758
00:28:07,860 --> 00:28:09,140
All the junk, all the garbage.

759
00:28:09,300 --> 00:28:10,680
And it's if fasting is going to replace

760
00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:10,960
that.

761
00:28:11,340 --> 00:28:12,840
It only complements it.

762
00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:16,380
And the reason I have a passion for

763
00:28:16,380 --> 00:28:18,320
this, maybe some of you know, some of

764
00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:21,540
you don't know, is I've seen so many

765
00:28:21,540 --> 00:28:24,580
things cured by taking care of the body.

766
00:28:25,780 --> 00:28:27,380
I just, I just went to the hospital.

767
00:28:27,480 --> 00:28:30,400
Somebody has a golf-size cancer cell in

768
00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:30,860
their brain.

769
00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:35,320
And as you know, that's not looking good.

770
00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:38,300
And other people are struggling.

771
00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:42,160
I mean, struggling with anxiety and fear and

772
00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:42,680
depression.

773
00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:44,260
And Shane, I can't.

774
00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:46,420
And counseling people, they're about ready to cry

775
00:28:46,420 --> 00:28:47,480
and have a nervous breakdown.

776
00:28:47,860 --> 00:28:49,420
And I look at what they're consuming.

777
00:28:49,540 --> 00:28:51,080
I'm like, well, no wonder.

778
00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:53,040
You've got to get rid of these things.

779
00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:53,880
I don't want to.

780
00:28:53,980 --> 00:28:56,300
I love my whatever.

781
00:28:57,260 --> 00:28:58,380
So, see, that's my heart.

782
00:28:58,480 --> 00:28:59,560
It's not to upset people.

783
00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:01,460
But these things have...

784
00:29:01,460 --> 00:29:02,140
Shane, pray.

785
00:29:02,260 --> 00:29:03,120
I pray for this healing.

786
00:29:03,220 --> 00:29:03,860
I pray for this.

787
00:29:04,540 --> 00:29:06,320
Stop eating 14 hot dogs a week.

788
00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:08,080
Right?

789
00:29:08,180 --> 00:29:09,320
I get my heart's not in good shape.

790
00:29:09,380 --> 00:29:10,380
I need healing in this area.

791
00:29:10,860 --> 00:29:13,380
Stop doing things that lead to that.

792
00:29:13,860 --> 00:29:15,000
Now, I believe in healing.

793
00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:16,600
I believe that God can heal and do

794
00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:17,060
certain things.

795
00:29:17,100 --> 00:29:19,440
But I also believe that there are ramifications.

796
00:29:20,140 --> 00:29:22,540
See, we believe that all of our choices

797
00:29:22,540 --> 00:29:24,020
have consequences, don't we?

798
00:29:24,620 --> 00:29:26,280
But when it comes to food, sometimes we

799
00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:27,220
think that doesn't apply.

800
00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:30,240
But that doesn't apply to it on food.

801
00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:30,860
But it does.

802
00:29:30,980 --> 00:29:31,980
And I see so many people.

803
00:29:32,240 --> 00:29:33,080
Let me give you an example.

804
00:29:33,220 --> 00:29:37,340
The majority of people, different states, people that

805
00:29:37,340 --> 00:29:39,340
don't even go to this church, that are

806
00:29:39,920 --> 00:29:40,300
struggling.

807
00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:42,160
Well, I better not say it in case

808
00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:42,580
he's listening.

809
00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:44,120
But a good friend of mine somewhere that

810
00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:44,340
way.

811
00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:46,340
Not a believer.

812
00:29:46,980 --> 00:29:50,400
But all these people are on so much

813
00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:52,220
medication and trying to...

814
00:29:52,220 --> 00:29:52,780
What's going on?

815
00:29:52,860 --> 00:29:55,480
Like, you might want to stop the thousand

816
00:29:55,480 --> 00:29:56,820
milligrams of caffeine a day.

817
00:29:57,380 --> 00:29:58,340
A day you're having.

818
00:29:58,380 --> 00:29:59,520
The monster drinks.

819
00:29:59,940 --> 00:30:00,720
And the guar nut.

820
00:30:01,060 --> 00:30:02,400
And the ma hong.

821
00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:03,260
And the herba mate.

822
00:30:03,660 --> 00:30:05,300
And all these things are just...

823
00:30:05,300 --> 00:30:06,240
They're killing you.

824
00:30:06,860 --> 00:30:07,760
They're killing you.

825
00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:08,760
They're stimulating.

826
00:30:08,860 --> 00:30:09,780
Well, I don't want to stop that.

827
00:30:09,900 --> 00:30:11,780
Well then, what can I...

828
00:30:11,780 --> 00:30:12,720
I can pray for you.

829
00:30:13,100 --> 00:30:15,920
But see, my point is, we're actually bringing

830
00:30:15,920 --> 00:30:16,920
stuff in.

831
00:30:17,400 --> 00:30:18,700
I mean, who's gonna drink a six-pack

832
00:30:18,700 --> 00:30:19,860
and think it doesn't affect them?

833
00:30:20,380 --> 00:30:21,360
We know that does.

834
00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:22,140
Right?

835
00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:24,340
Why do we think other things don't apply?

836
00:30:25,300 --> 00:30:26,920
So that's why my passion is...

837
00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:28,100
I see so many people...

838
00:30:28,100 --> 00:30:29,380
Here's, I guess, the best word for it.

839
00:30:29,740 --> 00:30:31,340
Self-created illness.

840
00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:34,780
In every case, of course not.

841
00:30:35,420 --> 00:30:36,760
And those people who don't like this message

842
00:30:36,760 --> 00:30:38,360
will use that against me.

843
00:30:38,500 --> 00:30:39,280
He said this.

844
00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:40,160
No, I didn't.

845
00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:42,040
I believe that some is hereditary.

846
00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:43,540
Some is a product of our environment.

847
00:30:43,700 --> 00:30:44,800
Some is just gonna happen.

848
00:30:44,920 --> 00:30:46,060
Some is a demonic influence.

849
00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:50,460
But many times, many times, what we're putting

850
00:30:50,460 --> 00:30:52,240
in affects us.

851
00:30:52,660 --> 00:30:53,940
Did you know that the...

852
00:30:53,940 --> 00:30:54,580
It's called the...

853
00:30:54,580 --> 00:30:55,460
I don't know if I get it right.

854
00:30:55,560 --> 00:30:56,920
The manual...

855
00:30:56,920 --> 00:30:58,000
I don't even want to say it.

856
00:30:58,600 --> 00:31:02,000
The Diagnostic Manual for Mental Disorders.

857
00:31:03,340 --> 00:31:06,480
For evaluating mental disorders in patients that psychologists

858
00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:06,880
use.

859
00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:10,240
They now have caffeine-induced anxiety in there.

860
00:31:10,420 --> 00:31:12,100
Caffeine-induced sleep deprivation.

861
00:31:12,300 --> 00:31:13,020
They have it.

862
00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:14,120
It's a mental disorder.

863
00:31:14,980 --> 00:31:15,920
But yet we don't care.

864
00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:17,200
That's what's also...

865
00:31:17,200 --> 00:31:17,960
It's frustrating.

866
00:31:18,260 --> 00:31:19,880
That's probably one of the most frustrating things

867
00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:20,100
for me.

868
00:31:20,180 --> 00:31:21,200
I say, here's what you need to do.

869
00:31:21,380 --> 00:31:22,260
Start eating better.

870
00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:23,140
Get a lot more water.

871
00:31:23,220 --> 00:31:23,940
Get the stuff out of you.

872
00:31:24,020 --> 00:31:24,700
I don't want to.

873
00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:26,660
Pray for me though.

874
00:31:29,450 --> 00:31:30,290
I'm telling you.

875
00:31:30,330 --> 00:31:31,310
I'm giving you wisdom.

876
00:31:32,610 --> 00:31:34,510
Because I've experienced a lot of this before.

877
00:31:34,630 --> 00:31:38,410
I've never experienced anxiety attacks to such a

878
00:31:38,410 --> 00:31:39,830
degree where you just want to scream.

879
00:31:39,950 --> 00:31:40,750
You want to hit something.

880
00:31:40,930 --> 00:31:42,150
Where is this coming from?

881
00:31:42,170 --> 00:31:42,950
It's called withdrawal.

882
00:31:43,750 --> 00:31:45,290
Or it's called too much of something.

883
00:31:45,950 --> 00:31:47,650
See, we always want the prayer but not

884
00:31:47,650 --> 00:31:48,210
the obedience.

885
00:31:50,230 --> 00:31:51,790
God just take it away but it's not

886
00:31:51,790 --> 00:31:52,750
gonna involve any work.

887
00:31:53,010 --> 00:31:54,950
And prayer and fasting is work.

888
00:31:55,030 --> 00:31:56,250
And that's why we do it.

889
00:31:57,330 --> 00:31:58,450
So enough off the physical.

890
00:31:58,630 --> 00:31:59,650
I probably upset you enough.

891
00:32:00,750 --> 00:32:02,430
But let's go back to this part about

892
00:32:02,430 --> 00:32:02,850
fasting.

893
00:32:03,130 --> 00:32:04,850
Fasting breaks bondage.

894
00:32:05,550 --> 00:32:06,950
There's bondage in our life.

895
00:32:07,090 --> 00:32:07,810
Have you ever seen this?

896
00:32:07,870 --> 00:32:08,450
Let me just...

897
00:32:08,450 --> 00:32:09,610
Example for me then.

898
00:32:10,010 --> 00:32:11,430
I need a second helping.

899
00:32:12,250 --> 00:32:13,730
Sweets I can't say no to.

900
00:32:13,730 --> 00:32:15,210
Snacks between meals.

901
00:32:15,610 --> 00:32:17,590
Our favorite addictive drinks, right?

902
00:32:17,830 --> 00:32:19,770
We are snagged on these things.

903
00:32:20,090 --> 00:32:22,910
So fasting begins to break these things away

904
00:32:22,910 --> 00:32:23,790
from our lives.

905
00:32:24,930 --> 00:32:26,530
You crave what you feed on.

906
00:32:27,690 --> 00:32:30,390
You will crave what you feed on.

907
00:32:31,010 --> 00:32:32,750
What we feed on we begin to crave

908
00:32:32,750 --> 00:32:34,590
and we want more of and more of.

909
00:32:36,350 --> 00:32:37,390
Now here's another disclaimer.

910
00:32:42,870 --> 00:32:44,790
I the Bible talks about fasting.

911
00:32:45,250 --> 00:32:47,170
It's not like God's like, all right, uncle.

912
00:32:47,730 --> 00:32:48,330
You got me.

913
00:32:48,410 --> 00:32:49,190
What do you want now?

914
00:32:49,890 --> 00:32:50,690
How can I help?

915
00:32:50,890 --> 00:32:51,430
You got me.

916
00:32:52,210 --> 00:32:53,010
Fasting does...

917
00:32:53,010 --> 00:32:54,850
What it does is it actually realigns your

918
00:32:54,850 --> 00:32:56,870
heart with God's.

919
00:32:58,270 --> 00:32:59,310
It starts to...

920
00:32:59,310 --> 00:33:00,950
You start to remove the clutter.

921
00:33:01,450 --> 00:33:02,410
And it's amazing.

922
00:33:02,690 --> 00:33:04,150
That's why it's hard to picture now.

923
00:33:04,430 --> 00:33:06,270
But after you've told your flesh no all

924
00:33:06,270 --> 00:33:10,090
day, there's this euphoria or a spiritual high

925
00:33:10,090 --> 00:33:11,370
for a lack of a better word.

926
00:33:11,690 --> 00:33:14,690
This being filled with the Holy Spirit that

927
00:33:14,690 --> 00:33:16,830
comes upon you that you just, man, that

928
00:33:16,830 --> 00:33:17,490
was worth it.

929
00:33:18,310 --> 00:33:19,390
That was worth it.

930
00:33:19,950 --> 00:33:20,910
The benefits are there.

931
00:33:21,010 --> 00:33:23,850
So that's why there's so much difficulty in

932
00:33:23,850 --> 00:33:26,330
this area because the benefits come later, not

933
00:33:26,330 --> 00:33:27,010
right away.

934
00:33:28,150 --> 00:33:29,530
I mean, many people think they say no

935
00:33:29,530 --> 00:33:30,990
to lunch and then here's a new car

936
00:33:30,990 --> 00:33:31,670
out in their driveway.

937
00:33:34,180 --> 00:33:35,700
It doesn't work like that.

938
00:33:36,100 --> 00:33:37,220
It's a pressing in.

939
00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:38,360
That's why we do it.

940
00:33:38,740 --> 00:33:41,700
Joel 2.12. Turn back to me with

941
00:33:41,700 --> 00:33:45,380
your whole heart, with fasting and tears and

942
00:33:45,380 --> 00:33:45,840
mourning.

943
00:33:46,540 --> 00:33:48,480
Turn back to me with your whole heart,

944
00:33:48,860 --> 00:33:49,980
with tears and mourning.

945
00:33:50,100 --> 00:33:51,180
So it's realigning.

946
00:33:51,780 --> 00:33:52,760
That's what fasting does.

947
00:33:52,880 --> 00:33:54,460
It starves the flesh.

948
00:33:54,940 --> 00:33:56,460
So my flesh is starved.

949
00:33:56,540 --> 00:33:57,080
It's crucified.

950
00:33:57,360 --> 00:33:58,500
Because did you know this?

951
00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:01,620
The more you feed the flesh, the more

952
00:34:01,620 --> 00:34:03,420
it continues to grow in certain areas.

953
00:34:03,860 --> 00:34:05,820
The majority of people I talk with who

954
00:34:05,820 --> 00:34:10,580
are hooked on, hooked on pornography are also

955
00:34:10,580 --> 00:34:12,580
hooked on certain things.

956
00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:15,620
It's the consumption of meat and food and

957
00:34:15,620 --> 00:34:16,659
all this junk.

958
00:34:16,780 --> 00:34:18,520
They're just consuming all this and then they're

959
00:34:18,520 --> 00:34:18,860
consumed.

960
00:34:19,120 --> 00:34:20,540
It's all tied together.

961
00:34:21,260 --> 00:34:23,159
Everything in the body is tied together in

962
00:34:23,159 --> 00:34:23,659
this area.

963
00:34:24,540 --> 00:34:26,719
So fasting does this.

964
00:34:26,780 --> 00:34:28,920
It conquers both pride and passion.

965
00:34:29,679 --> 00:34:32,719
Both our pride is conquered and our passions

966
00:34:32,719 --> 00:34:33,500
are conquered.

967
00:34:34,120 --> 00:34:34,800
Not forever.

968
00:34:35,199 --> 00:34:36,679
That's why I encourage it to be a

969
00:34:36,679 --> 00:34:37,300
lifestyle.

970
00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:39,300
Don't eat every day?

971
00:34:39,420 --> 00:34:40,040
Of course not.

972
00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:42,159
You take it to God and you pray

973
00:34:42,159 --> 00:34:44,100
and you ask him what he wants to

974
00:34:44,100 --> 00:34:47,219
do in your life and what he wants

975
00:34:47,219 --> 00:34:49,300
to do in this area specifically.

976
00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:54,179
Fasting also silences the voice of the flesh.

977
00:34:55,719 --> 00:34:57,580
Does your voice, your flesh ever cry out?

978
00:34:58,420 --> 00:35:00,240
Give me, give me, give me, give me,

979
00:35:00,340 --> 00:35:01,700
give me, give me, give me, give me.

980
00:35:01,860 --> 00:35:04,600
And it begins to stop and silence that.

981
00:35:07,100 --> 00:35:09,560
So is there a desire to resurrect dead

982
00:35:09,560 --> 00:35:11,560
prayers in your life?

983
00:35:13,620 --> 00:35:15,840
This might be a reason to fast.

984
00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:18,940
Is there a desire in your life to

985
00:35:18,940 --> 00:35:20,460
resurrect dead prayers?

986
00:35:23,860 --> 00:35:25,100
You know what a dead prayer is, right?

987
00:35:25,140 --> 00:35:26,260
The Lord is not going to do that

988
00:35:26,260 --> 00:35:26,600
anymore.

989
00:35:26,980 --> 00:35:28,780
It's beyond his grip now.

990
00:35:28,860 --> 00:35:30,180
I think I've done too much damage.

991
00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:32,740
But if you want to resurrect those dead

992
00:35:32,740 --> 00:35:34,660
prayers, bring them back to life again.

993
00:35:34,760 --> 00:35:37,480
God says, I will restore the years that

994
00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:39,240
the enemy has taken from you if you

995
00:35:39,240 --> 00:35:41,380
begin to pray and fast again.

996
00:35:41,580 --> 00:35:43,860
I wonder how many miracles aren't done because

997
00:35:43,860 --> 00:35:45,800
we don't we don't pray and fast and

998
00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:47,060
seek God hard enough.

999
00:35:48,060 --> 00:35:50,100
And I'm not talking about works, but there's

1000
00:35:50,100 --> 00:35:51,340
a fervency there.

1001
00:35:51,520 --> 00:35:53,100
And I don't mean to put people down

1002
00:35:53,100 --> 00:35:54,320
when I talk about this, but I've seen

1003
00:35:54,320 --> 00:35:54,740
parents.

1004
00:35:54,820 --> 00:35:56,640
I've talked to parents and praying for their

1005
00:35:56,640 --> 00:35:57,780
prodigal son or daughter.

1006
00:35:57,880 --> 00:35:58,760
They're in a bad spot.

1007
00:35:58,840 --> 00:35:59,580
They're hooked on heroin.

1008
00:35:59,660 --> 00:36:01,140
I can't even get the parents to fast.

1009
00:36:01,720 --> 00:36:02,740
Oh no, that's too hard.

1010
00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:04,480
I'm hypoglycemic.

1011
00:36:04,820 --> 00:36:06,240
You see, I had all excuses.

1012
00:36:06,600 --> 00:36:08,060
I was borderline hypoglycemic.

1013
00:36:08,160 --> 00:36:08,800
I can never fast.

1014
00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:10,820
Come to find out, it's no problem.

1015
00:36:11,360 --> 00:36:12,680
I'm gonna die by day two.

1016
00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:14,780
No, I didn't die by day two.

1017
00:36:15,320 --> 00:36:17,820
It's just, and there's, let me interject this

1018
00:36:17,820 --> 00:36:17,960
too.

1019
00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:19,740
There's a learning about this too.

1020
00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:20,820
You don't just say, okay, I'm gonna stop

1021
00:36:20,820 --> 00:36:21,040
eating.

1022
00:36:22,460 --> 00:36:23,340
There's a hunger there.

1023
00:36:23,420 --> 00:36:24,140
Lord, show me.

1024
00:36:24,220 --> 00:36:25,580
What do I need to remove from my

1025
00:36:25,580 --> 00:36:25,880
life?

1026
00:36:26,080 --> 00:36:27,180
What is triggering?

1027
00:36:27,340 --> 00:36:28,280
What is pulling me down?

1028
00:36:28,340 --> 00:36:30,300
I can hopefully walk through that in the

1029
00:36:30,300 --> 00:36:31,600
next week or so.

1030
00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:34,980
I think attendance might decrease, but for those

1031
00:36:34,980 --> 00:36:37,300
who are interested, I'm gonna give you some

1032
00:36:37,300 --> 00:36:38,380
practical example.

1033
00:36:41,230 --> 00:36:42,910
The desire to resurrect dead prayers.

1034
00:36:42,990 --> 00:36:45,330
And I was thinking this week, where's the

1035
00:36:45,330 --> 00:36:48,010
faith of David these days?

1036
00:36:48,550 --> 00:36:51,330
Who would grab a slingshot and go out

1037
00:36:51,330 --> 00:36:54,130
and fight a giant and say, who is

1038
00:36:54,130 --> 00:36:57,990
this uncircumcised Philistine who's going to deny our

1039
00:36:57,990 --> 00:36:58,430
God?

1040
00:36:58,770 --> 00:37:00,010
Who's gonna mock our God?

1041
00:37:00,130 --> 00:37:00,870
Let me at him.

1042
00:37:00,930 --> 00:37:01,670
Where's the faith?

1043
00:37:01,830 --> 00:37:02,710
Where's that faith?

1044
00:37:03,170 --> 00:37:04,550
Where's the faith of Daniel?

1045
00:37:04,690 --> 00:37:06,030
When was the last time you said, put

1046
00:37:06,030 --> 00:37:07,270
me in the lion's den, I'll be fine.

1047
00:37:09,010 --> 00:37:10,690
Or he said, I'm gonna keep praying to

1048
00:37:10,690 --> 00:37:11,070
my God.

1049
00:37:11,150 --> 00:37:12,450
We're gonna kill you, Daniel, if you don't.

1050
00:37:12,510 --> 00:37:13,050
I don't care.

1051
00:37:15,130 --> 00:37:17,890
Where's the faith of Elisha?

1052
00:37:19,290 --> 00:37:22,430
Elisha, who came across all these false prophets

1053
00:37:22,430 --> 00:37:22,930
of Baal.

1054
00:37:23,190 --> 00:37:24,290
He came to fight them.

1055
00:37:24,350 --> 00:37:25,850
He said, let the God who answers by

1056
00:37:25,850 --> 00:37:28,010
fire, let him be God.

1057
00:37:29,370 --> 00:37:31,530
And God answered by the faith of these

1058
00:37:31,530 --> 00:37:33,070
men, the faith of the women in the

1059
00:37:33,070 --> 00:37:33,290
Bible.

1060
00:37:33,430 --> 00:37:37,250
Esther or Rebecca, you see, where's that faith

1061
00:37:37,250 --> 00:37:37,690
today?

1062
00:37:38,810 --> 00:37:40,130
Many times here's the problem.

1063
00:37:41,150 --> 00:37:44,890
Faith is often tied to fasting and prayer

1064
00:37:44,890 --> 00:37:45,790
and worship.

1065
00:37:46,590 --> 00:37:48,970
The greater the devotion in these areas, the

1066
00:37:48,970 --> 00:37:49,890
greater the faith.

1067
00:37:50,810 --> 00:37:52,730
I mean, a person doesn't just wake up,

1068
00:37:52,850 --> 00:37:53,090
right?

1069
00:37:53,570 --> 00:37:55,490
A person doesn't just wake up one day

1070
00:37:55,490 --> 00:37:57,030
and have tremendous faith.

1071
00:37:58,270 --> 00:38:01,290
It's built, it's sustained through the challenges of

1072
00:38:01,290 --> 00:38:01,710
life.

1073
00:38:04,390 --> 00:38:06,590
So here's what I want you to consider.

1074
00:38:06,770 --> 00:38:07,350
Why to fast?

1075
00:38:07,450 --> 00:38:09,470
Is there a desire to resurrect dead prayers

1076
00:38:09,470 --> 00:38:10,150
in your life?

1077
00:38:10,570 --> 00:38:13,170
Has a dream died in your life?

1078
00:38:13,970 --> 00:38:15,870
Is there something you thought God was going

1079
00:38:15,870 --> 00:38:17,110
to do but he has not done?

1080
00:38:17,750 --> 00:38:19,210
Or something you thought was going to happen

1081
00:38:19,210 --> 00:38:19,890
in your family?

1082
00:38:20,090 --> 00:38:22,870
Or resurrecting dead prayers and it's time to

1083
00:38:22,870 --> 00:38:23,290
fast.

1084
00:38:23,930 --> 00:38:26,330
Is there a stronghold that has been gripping

1085
00:38:26,330 --> 00:38:27,630
your life?

1086
00:38:28,390 --> 00:38:31,230
Is there a stronghold, something that has been

1087
00:38:31,230 --> 00:38:32,570
gripping your life?

1088
00:38:34,350 --> 00:38:36,490
Fasting begins a process of relief.

1089
00:38:37,650 --> 00:38:39,550
Now here's the mistake many people make too.

1090
00:38:39,670 --> 00:38:41,290
They fast for a little bit and they

1091
00:38:41,290 --> 00:38:42,210
say, oh it's still there.

1092
00:38:42,930 --> 00:38:44,430
Let me remind you that it's a battle.

1093
00:38:45,690 --> 00:38:47,250
This is a spiritual battle.

1094
00:38:48,010 --> 00:38:51,790
We persevere and sometimes it takes a while

1095
00:38:51,790 --> 00:38:53,170
to weaken the flesh.

1096
00:38:54,030 --> 00:38:55,050
It's a wrestling.

1097
00:38:55,770 --> 00:38:58,250
There's a persevering before the flesh finally says,

1098
00:38:58,490 --> 00:39:00,090
okay enough, enough.

1099
00:39:01,490 --> 00:39:03,350
That's why we're considering fasting.

1100
00:39:04,510 --> 00:39:05,950
Now in the next week or so I'm

1101
00:39:05,950 --> 00:39:07,310
going to talk about when to fast, how

1102
00:39:07,310 --> 00:39:09,510
to fast, but I want to ask you

1103
00:39:09,510 --> 00:39:11,550
to commit today and pray for direction and

1104
00:39:11,550 --> 00:39:13,070
begin formulating a plan.

1105
00:39:13,770 --> 00:39:15,410
If it were me, I would begin by

1106
00:39:15,410 --> 00:39:16,370
cleaning house.

1107
00:39:17,030 --> 00:39:18,910
What is God talking to you, what is

1108
00:39:18,910 --> 00:39:20,570
he speaking to you right now about?

1109
00:39:20,630 --> 00:39:23,610
Are there certain habits, whether it's everything we've

1110
00:39:23,610 --> 00:39:27,630
just talked about, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, addictive things,

1111
00:39:27,950 --> 00:39:29,770
and begin to wean off of those things.

1112
00:39:29,850 --> 00:39:31,130
I would tell anybody who has a high

1113
00:39:31,130 --> 00:39:32,910
level of caffeine, have half and then have

1114
00:39:32,910 --> 00:39:34,750
half and have half, have half, have half,

1115
00:39:34,910 --> 00:39:37,350
and wean off, get down because withdrawals will

1116
00:39:37,350 --> 00:39:37,830
be hell.

1117
00:39:39,030 --> 00:39:39,730
They will be hell.

1118
00:39:39,890 --> 00:39:41,010
Trust me, pray for heaven.

1119
00:39:41,510 --> 00:39:44,950
Pray for heaven, release, but plan on hell

1120
00:39:44,950 --> 00:39:46,970
and you begin to get your body because

1121
00:39:46,970 --> 00:39:49,450
to try to fast, okay I'm just gonna

1122
00:39:49,450 --> 00:39:50,130
stop fasting.

1123
00:39:50,250 --> 00:39:51,690
Well that means you're gonna stop fasting from

1124
00:39:51,690 --> 00:39:57,490
caffeine and sugar, alcohol, craving, all these things

1125
00:39:57,490 --> 00:39:59,530
you're gonna, you're just gonna, you are gonna

1126
00:39:59,530 --> 00:40:02,470
get hit with tons of withdrawals and toxicity

1127
00:40:02,470 --> 00:40:05,790
and you begin to clean house, begin to

1128
00:40:05,790 --> 00:40:08,370
remove those things because now I can go

1129
00:40:08,370 --> 00:40:09,790
into a day fast or a two-day

1130
00:40:09,790 --> 00:40:11,030
fast and just have water.

1131
00:40:11,810 --> 00:40:13,230
I mean I can just get through it.

1132
00:40:13,290 --> 00:40:15,470
It's not a big deal, but a couple

1133
00:40:15,470 --> 00:40:20,330
years ago, wow, two hours with no caffeine,

1134
00:40:20,470 --> 00:40:21,750
you're like gonna lose it, right?

1135
00:40:22,430 --> 00:40:23,590
That's what people, I have to have my

1136
00:40:23,590 --> 00:40:24,450
whatever in the morning.

1137
00:40:24,510 --> 00:40:25,610
I don't mean to make this such a

1138
00:40:25,610 --> 00:40:28,210
big point, but it's affecting the lives of

1139
00:40:28,210 --> 00:40:30,210
a lot of people and you don't realize

1140
00:40:30,210 --> 00:40:30,470
it.

1141
00:40:30,550 --> 00:40:32,990
It's affecting the temper and the anger.

1142
00:40:33,170 --> 00:40:35,110
I see parents going off on their children

1143
00:40:35,110 --> 00:40:36,430
and abusing their children.

1144
00:40:36,790 --> 00:40:39,030
I see people getting angry and yelling and

1145
00:40:39,030 --> 00:40:41,610
screaming, all these roid rages or roid rages,

1146
00:40:41,750 --> 00:40:42,260
that's steroids.

1147
00:40:43,160 --> 00:40:45,960
Road rages, there's both, that happens too, but

1148
00:40:45,960 --> 00:40:47,280
you see all these, you see all the

1149
00:40:47,280 --> 00:40:49,980
effects of it and all the testimonies we

1150
00:40:49,980 --> 00:40:51,740
get from people being set free of these

1151
00:40:51,740 --> 00:40:51,920
things.

1152
00:40:51,980 --> 00:40:53,560
It makes me a little bit passionate, wouldn't

1153
00:40:53,560 --> 00:40:53,880
you be?

1154
00:40:54,580 --> 00:40:56,440
I mean you see how these things play

1155
00:40:56,440 --> 00:40:57,740
a role in our lives.

1156
00:40:58,280 --> 00:41:00,820
So I would begin by cleaning house and

1157
00:41:00,820 --> 00:41:03,320
beginning, okay, maybe removing, okay, Lord I'm gonna

1158
00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:04,660
go without lunch today.

1159
00:41:05,320 --> 00:41:06,800
I'm not gonna have lunch at 11 or

1160
00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:07,960
12 or 1 or 2 or 3.

1161
00:41:08,020 --> 00:41:09,560
I'm just gonna have water and I'm gonna

1162
00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:10,200
seek you.

1163
00:41:10,300 --> 00:41:11,860
I'm gonna pray because you don't just fast

1164
00:41:11,860 --> 00:41:14,880
a fast, you turn that time into seeking

1165
00:41:14,880 --> 00:41:17,380
God and you watch how the flesh will

1166
00:41:17,380 --> 00:41:21,380
fight you, but you're taking that first step

1167
00:41:21,380 --> 00:41:23,180
in the right direction and I truly believe

1168
00:41:23,180 --> 00:41:27,020
somebody new to this who's cleaning house and

1169
00:41:27,020 --> 00:41:29,220
was gonna give up lunch and just say,

1170
00:41:29,260 --> 00:41:31,600
Lord I want to follow you in this

1171
00:41:31,600 --> 00:41:34,060
area, I believe, personally I believe, that God

1172
00:41:34,060 --> 00:41:35,560
is gonna honor that just the same as

1173
00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:37,500
a person who does two days or three

1174
00:41:37,500 --> 00:41:39,580
days, who has longer history with it because

1175
00:41:39,580 --> 00:41:40,360
the heart's right.

1176
00:41:40,700 --> 00:41:42,000
He's always going after the heart because you

1177
00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:44,340
can have somebody on a week or two

1178
00:41:44,340 --> 00:41:46,280
or three, three weeks worth of fasting and

1179
00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:48,780
they become spiritually proud and they lose the

1180
00:41:48,780 --> 00:41:51,560
entire benefit and you have somebody who's just

1181
00:41:51,560 --> 00:41:53,500
trying to not have lunch and God's filling

1182
00:41:53,500 --> 00:41:54,260
them with the Spirit.

1183
00:41:54,680 --> 00:41:55,340
What's the difference?

1184
00:41:55,460 --> 00:41:56,380
Always the heart.

1185
00:41:57,040 --> 00:41:58,000
Always the heart.

1186
00:41:58,540 --> 00:42:00,800
Now there is something to talk about duration

1187
00:42:00,800 --> 00:42:03,440
because I believe the longer you go the

1188
00:42:03,440 --> 00:42:05,760
more you can subdue the flesh and the

1189
00:42:05,760 --> 00:42:07,760
flesh is subdued and it takes a while.

1190
00:42:08,300 --> 00:42:09,820
I mean still I look at Jesus going

1191
00:42:09,820 --> 00:42:11,620
40 days and I'm like I can't even

1192
00:42:11,620 --> 00:42:12,240
fathom that.

1193
00:42:13,500 --> 00:42:16,120
I mean it's amazing and there are people

1194
00:42:16,120 --> 00:42:16,660
that do that.

1195
00:42:16,800 --> 00:42:18,680
There are people that go a significant amount

1196
00:42:18,680 --> 00:42:20,820
of time and it's not to earn brownie

1197
00:42:20,820 --> 00:42:21,240
points.

1198
00:42:21,340 --> 00:42:22,460
You actually get to a point where you

1199
00:42:22,460 --> 00:42:24,340
don't want to eat anymore and the body

1200
00:42:24,340 --> 00:42:27,020
adjusts and it begins to burn different things

1201
00:42:27,020 --> 00:42:29,080
for fuel instead the glucose and the glycogen

1202
00:42:29,080 --> 00:42:29,880
that has been stored.

1203
00:42:30,100 --> 00:42:32,080
It's amazing concept of how the body works

1204
00:42:32,080 --> 00:42:33,540
and actually the more I read about how

1205
00:42:33,540 --> 00:42:34,740
the body works the more I say God

1206
00:42:34,740 --> 00:42:38,300
this is so amazing and I had an

1207
00:42:38,300 --> 00:42:39,300
interesting thought this week.

1208
00:42:40,940 --> 00:42:42,640
I don't know if we were supposed to

1209
00:42:42,640 --> 00:42:44,860
eat every three hours right?

1210
00:42:45,020 --> 00:42:45,300
Got to eat.

1211
00:42:45,380 --> 00:42:45,880
Got to stop by there.

1212
00:42:45,940 --> 00:42:46,860
Got something on every corner.

1213
00:42:46,980 --> 00:42:49,540
I think for thousands of years they put

1214
00:42:49,540 --> 00:42:51,660
some nuts and some figs and something and

1215
00:42:51,660 --> 00:42:54,420
just walk for three miles to the next

1216
00:42:54,420 --> 00:42:56,840
town and then food was the body was

1217
00:42:56,840 --> 00:42:58,980
was built so it could go more than

1218
00:42:58,980 --> 00:43:00,720
three hours without food.

1219
00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:02,340
My kids crack me up it's been three

1220
00:43:02,340 --> 00:43:03,160
hours they're starving.

1221
00:43:04,400 --> 00:43:05,900
I'm starving I have to eat.

1222
00:43:05,960 --> 00:43:06,740
No you don't.

1223
00:43:07,020 --> 00:43:09,120
No you don't and then you know and

1224
00:43:09,120 --> 00:43:10,400
the people like oh you're being mean to

1225
00:43:10,400 --> 00:43:11,080
them.

1226
00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:13,520
Really?

1227
00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:15,100
So you're gonna teach them to go that

1228
00:43:15,100 --> 00:43:16,780
fulfill that desire every time they get it

1229
00:43:16,780 --> 00:43:18,060
and then they start to control you right?

1230
00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:21,540
There's the ice cream truck coming down the

1231
00:43:21,540 --> 00:43:23,480
street and they begin to and and so

1232
00:43:23,480 --> 00:43:25,260
but we think we're starving we think we're

1233
00:43:25,260 --> 00:43:25,780
gonna die.

1234
00:43:26,740 --> 00:43:29,520
Now the third disclaimer there are medical conditions

1235
00:43:29,520 --> 00:43:30,460
right?

1236
00:43:30,660 --> 00:43:34,440
Especially there's like diabetes and nursing moms who

1237
00:43:34,440 --> 00:43:35,880
are getting the energy to their I mean

1238
00:43:35,880 --> 00:43:37,320
there's you got to use wisdom in these

1239
00:43:37,320 --> 00:43:38,720
areas and I can steer you in the

1240
00:43:38,720 --> 00:43:41,300
right direction with with books and things but

1241
00:43:41,300 --> 00:43:43,020
I would be care just take it to

1242
00:43:43,020 --> 00:43:45,500
God because I hid behind the excuse of

1243
00:43:45,500 --> 00:43:49,480
borderline hypoglycemia is what I had and what

1244
00:43:49,480 --> 00:43:51,260
happened if I didn't eat like say three

1245
00:43:51,260 --> 00:43:52,820
or four hours and would go work out

1246
00:43:52,820 --> 00:43:55,000
or try something I get really faint and

1247
00:43:55,000 --> 00:43:56,620
I'd have to have something.

1248
00:43:57,220 --> 00:43:58,640
Well come to find out I was addicted

1249
00:43:58,640 --> 00:43:59,220
to sugar.

1250
00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:01,540
I was having sugar all day so after

1251
00:44:01,540 --> 00:44:03,640
three or four hours of no sugar that's

1252
00:44:03,640 --> 00:44:04,480
why I feel that way.

1253
00:44:05,380 --> 00:44:06,760
Now how can I for example I ate

1254
00:44:06,760 --> 00:44:08,880
yesterday and I'll eat again tonight 24 hours

1255
00:44:08,880 --> 00:44:10,980
just water I feel great there's no I

1256
00:44:10,980 --> 00:44:14,600
don't know weirdness and and but five years

1257
00:44:14,600 --> 00:44:16,580
ago I couldn't go three or four hours

1258
00:44:16,580 --> 00:44:17,920
I got to eat something my blood sugar

1259
00:44:17,920 --> 00:44:20,360
is dropping and that can be valid sometimes

1260
00:44:20,360 --> 00:44:22,020
but just be careful because it can also

1261
00:44:22,020 --> 00:44:25,040
be an excuse to hide an addiction that

1262
00:44:25,040 --> 00:44:26,880
is causing all of that.

1263
00:44:27,320 --> 00:44:29,520
Not to mention 600 milligrams of caffeine didn't

1264
00:44:29,520 --> 00:44:32,660
help things so here's closing for all you

1265
00:44:32,660 --> 00:44:34,180
convicted I'm getting off this point.

1266
00:44:35,500 --> 00:44:36,980
Discernment here's my closing point.

1267
00:44:37,220 --> 00:44:39,320
Discernment is one of our greatest challenges.

1268
00:44:39,660 --> 00:44:40,220
Do you agree?

1269
00:44:41,040 --> 00:44:42,820
What spirit is this?

1270
00:44:43,260 --> 00:44:44,160
God is this you?

1271
00:44:46,570 --> 00:44:47,950
Come on guys don't leave me hanging here.

1272
00:44:48,090 --> 00:44:49,370
Do I just deal with this just me?

1273
00:44:50,190 --> 00:44:50,850
No I know.

1274
00:44:51,090 --> 00:44:52,850
God is this you or is this the

1275
00:44:52,850 --> 00:44:53,830
enemy or is this me?

1276
00:44:54,330 --> 00:44:56,270
Now some things are clear right but Lord

1277
00:44:56,270 --> 00:44:58,710
is this God causing you let's say from

1278
00:44:58,710 --> 00:45:01,970
take a different job or to reach out

1279
00:45:01,970 --> 00:45:04,050
to somebody in a certain way or to

1280
00:45:04,050 --> 00:45:07,850
move or to with your kids and how

1281
00:45:07,850 --> 00:45:09,410
to I mean I've got something right now

1282
00:45:09,410 --> 00:45:10,770
I'm praying about Lord I don't know what

1283
00:45:10,770 --> 00:45:12,670
to do with this I don't know what

1284
00:45:12,670 --> 00:45:14,510
are you telling me to do this or

1285
00:45:14,510 --> 00:45:16,430
you know this is a you know interesting

1286
00:45:16,430 --> 00:45:20,510
thing well here's what fasting does it will

1287
00:45:20,510 --> 00:45:24,010
heighten your spiritual discernment if I've noticed anything

1288
00:45:24,010 --> 00:45:26,750
it's this you can walk with much more

1289
00:45:26,750 --> 00:45:30,550
clarity because the flesh is starved ulterior motives

1290
00:45:30,550 --> 00:45:32,550
are put at bay and you begin to

1291
00:45:32,550 --> 00:45:35,050
sense what God's will is if you're if

1292
00:45:35,050 --> 00:45:38,470
you're feeling rushed confused anxious and you're going

1293
00:45:38,470 --> 00:45:41,570
to react then hold tight that's not often

1294
00:45:41,570 --> 00:45:44,910
the voice of God if you feel that

1295
00:45:44,910 --> 00:45:46,290
if I feel that way I usually back

1296
00:45:46,290 --> 00:45:47,430
off and I say hold on I gotta

1297
00:45:47,430 --> 00:45:49,230
wait and it happens at church saying we

1298
00:45:49,230 --> 00:45:50,510
need an answer we need an answer what

1299
00:45:50,510 --> 00:45:51,370
are we gonna do what are we gonna

1300
00:45:51,370 --> 00:45:53,550
do I don't know we're gonna wait I

1301
00:45:53,550 --> 00:45:57,430
don't like that answer like right now right

1302
00:45:57,430 --> 00:45:58,570
I told you we're praying about what to

1303
00:45:58,570 --> 00:46:01,550
do with Wednesday nights right do we do

1304
00:46:01,550 --> 00:46:02,970
we build the youth group and now that

1305
00:46:02,970 --> 00:46:04,910
one is growing and do we have studies

1306
00:46:04,910 --> 00:46:06,550
it's like and people are like shame we

1307
00:46:06,550 --> 00:46:08,050
need to know I mean September's gonna be

1308
00:46:08,050 --> 00:46:09,130
here before we know it I said I

1309
00:46:09,130 --> 00:46:11,210
don't know so I can tell you I

1310
00:46:11,210 --> 00:46:12,690
might not we might not know until a

1311
00:46:12,690 --> 00:46:15,850
week before September 21st what that's impossible no

1312
00:46:15,850 --> 00:46:17,430
we might I'm not gonna be rushed or

1313
00:46:17,430 --> 00:46:20,170
pushed into things okay we need to make

1314
00:46:20,170 --> 00:46:22,010
a decision to make a decision I mean

1315
00:46:22,010 --> 00:46:24,730
that's how the enemy works and he'll do

1316
00:46:24,730 --> 00:46:25,830
it in your own life with your job

1317
00:46:25,830 --> 00:46:26,650
I got to make it to see you

1318
00:46:26,650 --> 00:46:27,570
got to do this you got to push

1319
00:46:27,570 --> 00:46:29,050
you got to push your anxious you're a

1320
00:46:29,050 --> 00:46:30,470
lot look I don't know what to do

1321
00:46:30,470 --> 00:46:34,210
just stop and even fast sometimes I'll take

1322
00:46:34,210 --> 00:46:36,950
a drive to the atrophy or just West

1323
00:46:36,950 --> 00:46:38,230
as far as I can go and just

1324
00:46:38,230 --> 00:46:41,150
pray and meditate and like not eat and

1325
00:46:41,150 --> 00:46:44,390
and just and the clarity becomes crystal clear

1326
00:46:44,390 --> 00:46:46,790
many times now here's the other thing if

1327
00:46:46,790 --> 00:46:48,570
it doesn't become clear then you have peace

1328
00:46:48,570 --> 00:46:50,550
about waiting you're like you know I'm just

1329
00:46:50,550 --> 00:46:52,290
gonna wait I feel so much peace and

1330
00:46:52,290 --> 00:46:54,650
just waiting and the enemy hates when you

1331
00:46:54,650 --> 00:46:57,230
wait because how the enemy moves is he

1332
00:46:57,230 --> 00:47:00,530
moves through pushing you that angry email that

1333
00:47:00,530 --> 00:47:03,010
angry phone call that angry lashing out that

1334
00:47:03,010 --> 00:47:05,090
bad decision it's he's wanting you to move

1335
00:47:05,090 --> 00:47:06,690
so when you just say I'm standing still

1336
00:47:06,690 --> 00:47:11,350
what can he do stand still and see

1337
00:47:11,350 --> 00:47:14,070
the salvation of the Lord having done all

1338
00:47:14,070 --> 00:47:19,670
stand spiritual discernment just this last week I

1339
00:47:19,670 --> 00:47:21,930
read that a 17 year old Dutch girl

1340
00:47:21,930 --> 00:47:26,010
died on Monday during a bungee jump miss

1341
00:47:26,010 --> 00:47:30,170
out she misheard the instructions and jumped when

1342
00:47:30,170 --> 00:47:33,370
he said no jump on the Spanish and

1343
00:47:33,370 --> 00:47:35,570
one of the Spanish instructors on the bridge

1344
00:47:35,570 --> 00:47:38,190
when the teenager plunged 40 meters to her

1345
00:47:38,190 --> 00:47:40,930
death told the police that the girl jumped

1346
00:47:40,930 --> 00:47:43,490
before her harness was clipped to the bungee

1347
00:47:43,490 --> 00:47:49,240
cord an instructor told the Spanish television channel

1348
00:47:49,240 --> 00:47:52,900
our TV that she had said no John

1349
00:47:52,900 --> 00:47:55,000
no John I'm trying to get it right

1350
00:47:55,000 --> 00:47:57,540
but the girl may have misheard and thought

1351
00:47:57,540 --> 00:48:03,050
she said now jump now jump and I

1352
00:48:03,050 --> 00:48:06,930
thought my god that's spiritual discernment how many

1353
00:48:06,930 --> 00:48:10,090
of us are hearing don't jump God's saying

1354
00:48:10,090 --> 00:48:13,230
don't jump don't and it worked but we're

1355
00:48:13,230 --> 00:48:17,350
hearing now jump now do it now the

1356
00:48:17,350 --> 00:48:19,430
the need I believe in this day and

1357
00:48:19,430 --> 00:48:23,250
age the need to suppress the flesh and

1358
00:48:23,250 --> 00:48:25,350
to conquer the flesh and mortify the flesh

1359
00:48:25,350 --> 00:48:26,590
you will you will lose some of the

1360
00:48:26,590 --> 00:48:29,270
battles let me tell you right now you

1361
00:48:29,270 --> 00:48:32,430
will but it's not about winning every single

1362
00:48:32,430 --> 00:48:34,330
victory it's about the heart in the right

1363
00:48:34,330 --> 00:48:36,550
direction saying Lord I fell in this area

1364
00:48:36,550 --> 00:48:38,590
I mean I remember I preached one time

1365
00:48:38,590 --> 00:48:40,390
I used to go and travel for like

1366
00:48:40,390 --> 00:48:42,170
Calvary chapels they'd help me preach at North

1367
00:48:42,170 --> 00:48:45,910
Edwards that should be Temecula Temecula maybe Hesperia

1368
00:48:45,910 --> 00:48:47,290
and they would just have me travel I

1369
00:48:47,290 --> 00:48:49,610
preached when a pastor was out and I

1370
00:48:49,610 --> 00:48:51,890
was doing so good now I was fasting

1371
00:48:51,890 --> 00:48:54,010
I felt the fire of God and I

1372
00:48:54,010 --> 00:48:56,050
just couldn't do it I got it was

1373
00:48:56,050 --> 00:48:58,970
night I couldn't sleep and I just right

1374
00:48:58,970 --> 00:49:00,010
yeah I don't even know what was their

1375
00:49:00,010 --> 00:49:01,490
Dorito chips and all this and I felt

1376
00:49:01,490 --> 00:49:04,690
terrible I almost couldn't sleep I was like

1377
00:49:04,690 --> 00:49:07,510
God I'm so I couldn't sleep well I

1378
00:49:07,510 --> 00:49:11,730
just upset it felt like a letdown I'm

1379
00:49:11,730 --> 00:49:13,050
like I wanted to do this so bad

1380
00:49:13,050 --> 00:49:14,150
I went in the parking lot of the

1381
00:49:14,150 --> 00:49:15,430
church and I could hear the worship through

1382
00:49:15,430 --> 00:49:17,650
the doors that was open and my heart

1383
00:49:17,650 --> 00:49:19,590
just started to haul is worshiping and God

1384
00:49:19,590 --> 00:49:21,610
thank you so much and just or whatever

1385
00:49:21,610 --> 00:49:25,030
you can do and that I'll never forget

1386
00:49:25,030 --> 00:49:29,270
that sermon my goodness I mean fire fell

1387
00:49:29,270 --> 00:49:31,230
people were coming to the altar before I

1388
00:49:31,230 --> 00:49:34,170
was even done and men are crying the

1389
00:49:34,170 --> 00:49:36,410
women are holding them marriages are restored boom

1390
00:49:36,410 --> 00:49:38,650
boom boom boom boom boom right then like

1391
00:49:38,650 --> 00:49:42,150
how did that happen I just but wait

1392
00:49:42,150 --> 00:49:43,490
a minute see I was basing it off

1393
00:49:43,490 --> 00:49:45,530
works and works and works and if I

1394
00:49:45,530 --> 00:49:47,850
now there's nothing wrong with fasting and holding

1395
00:49:47,850 --> 00:49:49,670
that line but when I said God I

1396
00:49:49,670 --> 00:49:52,170
blew it and I didn't just have a

1397
00:49:52,170 --> 00:49:53,550
Dorito chip I mean it was a bag

1398
00:49:53,550 --> 00:49:55,030
or two in the chocolate bar whatever was

1399
00:49:55,030 --> 00:49:57,250
in the hotel it was like and but

1400
00:49:57,250 --> 00:49:59,090
then the heart was right again and God

1401
00:49:59,090 --> 00:50:01,170
said now you shame now you know my

1402
00:50:01,170 --> 00:50:03,410
grace and my mercy you can never play

1403
00:50:03,410 --> 00:50:06,090
me as a puppet master that you control

1404
00:50:06,090 --> 00:50:08,290
me you don't control me any and I

1405
00:50:08,290 --> 00:50:10,250
there's been times I've told Tony this before

1406
00:50:10,250 --> 00:50:13,630
and we talked about it and I fasted

1407
00:50:13,630 --> 00:50:15,370
and for a day or two and my

1408
00:50:15,370 --> 00:50:19,950
wife and then the sermons is dead because

1409
00:50:19,950 --> 00:50:24,450
see I don't control God I'm not pulling

1410
00:50:24,450 --> 00:50:25,970
his strings and telling him what to do

1411
00:50:25,970 --> 00:50:28,350
he sometimes he'll say see you're trusting too

1412
00:50:28,350 --> 00:50:31,510
much in that you're trusting too much in

1413
00:50:31,510 --> 00:50:33,250
that I will rain down fire when I

1414
00:50:33,250 --> 00:50:35,230
want to rain down fire I'm gonna bring

1415
00:50:35,230 --> 00:50:37,270
grace I'm gonna bring mercy and you submit

1416
00:50:37,270 --> 00:50:39,490
to me so he's taught me through all

1417
00:50:39,490 --> 00:50:40,370
this I'll go home and tell my wife

1418
00:50:40,370 --> 00:50:42,390
that sermon stuck why did I fast all

1419
00:50:42,390 --> 00:50:45,010
weekend I know I should have just had

1420
00:50:45,010 --> 00:50:48,030
Starbucks and a big donut Krispy Kreme you

1421
00:50:48,030 --> 00:50:51,150
know what what was that about but see

1422
00:50:51,150 --> 00:50:53,190
then it comes back to the pride and

1423
00:50:53,190 --> 00:50:55,090
the spirit like I was gonna make God

1424
00:50:55,090 --> 00:50:58,430
do something however I know that God will

1425
00:50:58,430 --> 00:51:01,030
honor that often that's why I actually started

1426
00:51:01,030 --> 00:51:03,050
fasting five years ago is because I wanted

1427
00:51:03,050 --> 00:51:05,330
to go to the pulpit just just just

1428
00:51:05,330 --> 00:51:08,310
drained of hungry and food and and in

1429
00:51:08,310 --> 00:51:11,090
the sermons were changed I mean I loved

1430
00:51:11,090 --> 00:51:12,570
it and I couldn't I don't like to

1431
00:51:12,570 --> 00:51:13,930
preach on a full stomach or even a

1432
00:51:13,930 --> 00:51:15,330
little bit and as I can see how

1433
00:51:15,330 --> 00:51:16,590
God can use it but don't put them

1434
00:51:16,590 --> 00:51:18,450
in a box don't think this is some

1435
00:51:18,450 --> 00:51:20,250
little formula genie in the bottle three days

1436
00:51:20,250 --> 00:51:22,190
of fasting here's what I get it's all

1437
00:51:22,190 --> 00:51:24,890
about drawing us closer to God and as

1438
00:51:24,890 --> 00:51:27,170
you tell the flesh 30 times a day

1439
00:51:27,170 --> 00:51:29,750
shut your mouth you can say it from

1440
00:51:29,750 --> 00:51:33,170
the pulpits okay I just shut your mouth

1441
00:51:33,170 --> 00:51:35,690
just you go back to sleep that's a

1442
00:51:35,690 --> 00:51:37,930
yeah yesterday my son's an all-star baseball

1443
00:51:37,930 --> 00:51:40,490
and we went to a game and of

1444
00:51:40,490 --> 00:51:45,010
course the snack bars open like pepper bellies

1445
00:51:45,010 --> 00:51:46,930
and hot dogs I'm just like just shut

1446
00:51:46,930 --> 00:51:49,530
up be quiet flesh go back to sleep

1447
00:51:49,530 --> 00:51:51,610
just be quiet you're not and then I

1448
00:51:51,610 --> 00:51:52,850
got home I told my I feel so

1449
00:51:52,850 --> 00:51:54,130
good I'm ready to preach and I couldn't

1450
00:51:54,130 --> 00:51:56,650
sleep right so there's a there's an honoring

1451
00:51:56,650 --> 00:51:58,670
of that but the flesh you have to

1452
00:51:58,670 --> 00:52:00,810
begin to tell it because then you can

1453
00:52:00,810 --> 00:52:02,670
say when you click on your email hi

1454
00:52:02,670 --> 00:52:04,050
I'm 21 you want to see my pictures

1455
00:52:04,050 --> 00:52:08,010
delete because you just told it be quiet

1456
00:52:08,010 --> 00:52:11,030
and then when somebody it's something happens and

1457
00:52:11,030 --> 00:52:13,050
that might your flesh might gravitate towards you

1458
00:52:13,050 --> 00:52:14,590
you have the peace and being filled the

1459
00:52:14,590 --> 00:52:17,170
Spirit of God and I tell my wife

1460
00:52:17,170 --> 00:52:19,410
I say I'm looking for pictures of the

1461
00:52:19,410 --> 00:52:21,370
American flag and these pictures came up about

1462
00:52:21,370 --> 00:52:22,710
this girl in a bikini or something like

1463
00:52:22,710 --> 00:52:24,950
what is this you know I'm being transparent

1464
00:52:24,950 --> 00:52:26,670
and saying hey here's the and you put

1465
00:52:26,670 --> 00:52:29,270
the flesh in submission you're honest and open

1466
00:52:29,270 --> 00:52:32,130
and transparent so that's what fasting does it

1467
00:52:32,130 --> 00:52:35,130
helps the body actually it helps you control

1468
00:52:35,130 --> 00:52:38,430
the body instead of the body controlling you

1469
00:52:38,430 --> 00:52:41,850
that's why we do it it's it's not

1470
00:52:41,850 --> 00:52:44,190
it's not to be a hyper spiritual it's

1471
00:52:44,190 --> 00:52:46,250
not to be in good favor with God

1472
00:52:46,250 --> 00:52:48,290
it's not to be real holy and above

1473
00:52:48,290 --> 00:52:50,450
everybody else it's not and that's why Jesus

1474
00:52:50,450 --> 00:52:52,250
said when you fast oh there he goes

1475
00:52:52,250 --> 00:52:55,610
when you fast act like you're not fasting

1476
00:52:55,610 --> 00:52:58,350
put oil on your head don't it's not

1477
00:52:58,350 --> 00:53:00,750
this oh man man brother I'm fasting today

1478
00:53:00,750 --> 00:53:03,490
everywhere you go right going to crazy Otto's

1479
00:53:08,070 --> 00:53:10,250
I just see the heart attack and the

1480
00:53:10,250 --> 00:53:12,830
plate on those things and it's and you're

1481
00:53:12,830 --> 00:53:14,870
going I can't have it I'm just fasting

1482
00:53:14,870 --> 00:53:17,350
brother would you like this no I'm fasting

1483
00:53:17,350 --> 00:53:19,730
and you go around and it becomes this

1484
00:53:19,730 --> 00:53:21,890
spirituality that's why many times people don't know

1485
00:53:21,890 --> 00:53:24,030
they didn't know what the baseball field you

1486
00:53:24,030 --> 00:53:25,710
know I don't oh I can't I'm fasting

1487
00:53:25,710 --> 00:53:28,030
no I don't want a pepper belly is

1488
00:53:28,030 --> 00:53:30,050
that Fritos and chili and cheese on it

1489
00:53:30,050 --> 00:53:33,050
it's can you just can you take I

1490
00:53:33,050 --> 00:53:34,470
will go move my seat though I'll tell

1491
00:53:34,470 --> 00:53:35,790
you that right now I'll go down at

1492
00:53:35,790 --> 00:53:37,230
the end of the grass where nobody's at

1493
00:53:37,230 --> 00:53:39,310
with just my kids to my wife like

1494
00:53:39,310 --> 00:53:41,450
get away from all that right because you're

1495
00:53:41,450 --> 00:53:44,030
also inundated with it too so this is

1496
00:53:44,030 --> 00:53:48,050
going in a whole different direction this is

1497
00:53:48,050 --> 00:53:49,710
why we fast I'm gonna close with this

1498
00:53:49,710 --> 00:53:54,070
scripture Isaiah I love this verse 40 chapter

1499
00:53:54,070 --> 00:53:56,610
40 verse 28 have you not known have

1500
00:53:56,610 --> 00:53:59,110
you not heard the everlasting God the Lord

1501
00:53:59,110 --> 00:54:00,690
the creator of the ends of the earth

1502
00:54:00,690 --> 00:54:03,250
he never faints nor is he weary his

1503
00:54:03,250 --> 00:54:06,990
understanding is unsearchable he gives power to the

1504
00:54:06,990 --> 00:54:11,410
weak fasting is humbling yourself and it's weakening

1505
00:54:11,410 --> 00:54:13,730
yourself in that and not only physically but

1506
00:54:13,730 --> 00:54:16,590
spiritually and it's funny even though you're weak

1507
00:54:16,590 --> 00:54:20,230
spirits physically you're strengthened spiritually you're weak you're

1508
00:54:20,230 --> 00:54:23,010
weak physically and your strength and spiritually so

1509
00:54:23,010 --> 00:54:26,550
he gives power to the weak young men

1510
00:54:26,550 --> 00:54:29,050
shall utterly fall but those who wait upon

1511
00:54:29,050 --> 00:54:31,110
the Lord shall renew their strength they shall

1512
00:54:31,110 --> 00:54:33,470
mount up wings like eagles they shall run

1513
00:54:33,470 --> 00:54:35,710
and not be weary they shall walk and

1514
00:54:35,710 --> 00:54:36,950
not faint