The Skinny on Fasting

Facts from this video. Other than the fact that it is great!

Fasting is not about losing weight. However it is one of the nice side benefits and the health benefits are untold.

Fasting from things other than food is a great idea. However the fast from food is significant in the spiritual realm of humbling ourselves.

Fasting: Many people have lots of Excuses not to do it!

Fasting: There is no room for Legalism. You do as God leads you to fast.

Fasting: It’s not about getting praise from people.

Fasting: Some people do complete fasts, no food. Some do Juice fasts, some do Daniel fasts. It is between you and God.

From a friend who is fasting 40 days along with me…

Hello my Brothers, Sisters, Friends, and Family.

It has now been a week and I wanted to keep you updated on this 40 day journey that I have embarked on.

After a couple of days the “hungry” sensation has left.  Physically I am not hungry, I am not having hunger pains.  It is very much like working through lunch and then looking up and saying it’s 2pm and time to eat.  So that physical nature of a rumbling belly has been gone now for several days.

Mentally (on food) for the most part everything is going well.  I will reach times in the day and think “its time to eat” and then I remind myself no not today.  Sometimes funny little smells will get you as an example [toast popping up and smelling up the room].  But I am really not in a struggle there either, as I walked into the church the other morning after a pancake and bacon breakfast and it did not bother me at all.  I would say there is still a struggle as “yes” I could eat, but I know I don’t have to.

Mentally in thought and perspective; I have really been thinking about how overrated food really is, and I am struggling on why any of us really feels the need to “have to eat or overeat”.  Which has been leading me beyond the thought of simple gluttony, but much deeper issues that the side effect is eating.  Is it boredom?  Is it self-esteem?  Is it depression?  Is it loneliness?  I have been looking at what most “diets” are about, especially those that are related to a group.  So far my thoughts have come to a place that we all need a “support group” and I am in prayer on how we can change our ways to be the church that helps people in these needs.  As I think it goes much deeper than Worship Services, Sunday School classes, Study Groups, or Witness and Out Reach, to me it has been overwhelming my thoughts that we are not Nurturing the needs of the world.  I have some more thoughts on this I call it Growth Groups, but for now I am going to continue to pray in this direction if you will join me on how the church can be transforming and appealing to the real needs of the world.  In simplicity help me pray for us to be the “Community” for and with each other.

Physically I have had many changes.  As of last night when I weighed I have lost 16 pounds (I jumped into this on a Word but I do know something about the body and as I remember a pound of fat holds over 3,000 calories so I am not starving).  I am sleeping better I wake up very refreshed and alert.  I actually feel more awake in the evenings or at least not tired.  My blood pressure has dropped 10 points.  My arms feel better.  I was concerned with my left leg as it still has not gained the muscle back from where I could not walk on it for 6 months, but it feels pretty good.  To tell the truth there has been swelling on my knee and pressure since the surgery the Dr said it may never go away, well over 90% of that swelling has gone away, and it did not hurt last night when I kneeled on it.  So far the physical gains from this Fast has been overwhelmingly great.  The things that have been negative has been that I had some headaches (2 nights) but ended after day 3.  I felt muscle soreness on the 3rd day but it passed on the 4th day.  My breath felt yucky for several days and some today.  My saliva has increased.  So physically I am doing great I actually feel much better today then I did a week ago.

Spiritually.  this area has been overwhelming.  Yes I began this journey asking for help to make it through these 40 days, and I know that I still need to give and get those prayers for me.  I feel God talking to me maybe more, I feel that I am seeing the Kingdom a little better.  Doing daily devotions and Bible readings is very revealing.  I feel that true “needs” of others I am seeing, with a path to better serve the world.  I am hurting, on how I will have the ability to reach the needs of the people.  So Spiritually it has been overwhelmingly wonderful.  I have not found the answers to many things, but I am getting the questions to seek answers and I am getting blessed with every breath.  Every week I say that “people need a kind, caring, and encouraging word, and whether they know it or not what everyone needs is Jesus, and God is sending you out to get the Word out”, well I am better seeing the true hurt of people and I think I am getting a handle on how to better show them Jesus.

All and all everything is going very well.  The journey is down to only a little over 5 weeks left.  I will keep you all in my prayers and I hope you will keep me in yours.

Fasting Journal Day 7 – March 1st, 2010

Day 7 was a good day as far as feeling great and healthy. it was a hard day because I was busy with meetings most of the day and did not get much time for study and reading. Physically I am doing great and I am still not hungry. I am sleeping better than ever and would do well with a nap every few hours. I really wanted to eat tonight when Misty fixed beef and bean burritos but I can honestly say it was a lust for food and not hunger. I keep reminding myself that my hunger for God and His blessing should and is commanded to be stronger than my hunger for food. I appreciate your prayers.

Many people in the church have come with questions about fasting and I am glad. I am glad because I believe as Christians we have missed one of the disciplines that God gave to us and therefore we have missed the blessing that God has for us. We must go back to the bible and study what His Word says about fasting. It is biblical folks and as much a part of the Christian life as prayer or at least it should be.

God is good and I am looking forward to Pentecost Sunday.

Ronnie

This Day In The Life of Your Pastor – March 1st, 2010

1. God is @ work all around Holston Conference in awesome ways and I just want to praise Him http://myloc.me/4ltbV about 11 hours ago via UberTwitter

2. 1st time I have been able to watch Law and Order in 6 months. Love this show! http://myloc.me/4lmFX about 12 hours ago via UberTwitter

3. headed home to be with the family,no media until the kids go to bed about 17 hours ago via web

4. In church leadership meeting http://myloc.me/4kUEI about 19 hours ago via UberTwitter

5. RT @RevMSlaughter: Greek words for martyr and witness come from the same root word. Hmmm… #changeworld http://myloc.me/4kLin about 22 hours ago via UberTwitter

6. headed to Wytheville for a meeting @ the District Office about 22 hours ago via web

7. “Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you: love, prayer, and forgiveness.” ~H. Jackson Brown, Jr. about 22 hours ago via web

8. praying for Aaron Willard this morning about 21 hours ago via web

9. cleaning up clutter in the office about 22 hours ago via web

10. Headed to the office about 23 hours ago via vlingo

11. too many Christ followers live life settling for where they are. about 24 hours ago via web

12. The Kind of Fast God has Chosen « Imagebearer’s Weblog: http://bit.ly/atvIRB via @addthis 4:57 AM Mar 1st via web

13. “In just a little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay.” Hberews 10:36 3:47 AM Mar 1st via web

14. 40/50/90/3000 Devotional: Day 7- March 1st, 2010 « Imagebearer’s Weblog: http://bit.ly/9c76Gt via @addthis 3:36 AM Mar 1st via web

15. Men’s Bible Study this coming Tuesday, March 2nd, at 6:30, OOTB. 3:19 AM Mar 1st via web

16. Resolutions for Annual Conference: Submission deadline is today/March 1. Send to sheilaknowles@holston.org. 3:17 AM Mar 1st via web

17. Evangelism & Witness – Ministries – Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church: http://bit.ly/cK5vkm via @addthis 3:10 AM Mar 1st via web

18. 40 Days of Prayer – Day 7 – March 01, 2010 « Our Willing Hands: http://bit.ly/cYz1Qb via @addthis 3:07 AM Mar 1st via web

19. Praying for Ray and Laura as they prepare to go on mission, God is at work 2:59 AM Mar 1st via web

Day 61-90 Days to read the New Testament (TNIV)

Hebrews 11

Faith in Action

¹ Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. ² This is what the ancients were commended for.

³ By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

⁴ By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

⁵ By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” ^[a] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

⁷ By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

⁸ By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. ⁹ By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. ¹¹ And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she ^[b] considered him faithful who had made the promise. ¹² And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

¹³ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. ¹⁴ People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, ¹⁸ even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” ^{[c] 19} Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

²⁰ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.

²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

²² By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.

²³ By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. ²⁵ He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. ²⁷ By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

²⁹ By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.

³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.

³¹ By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. ^[d]

³² And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, ³⁴ quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. ³⁵ Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. ³⁶ Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. ³⁷ They were put to death by stoning; ^[e] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— ³⁸ the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.

³⁹ These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. ⁴⁰ God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Hebrews 12

¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

God Disciplines His Children

⁴ In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ⁵ And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as children? It says,
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,

⁶ because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child.” ^[f]

⁷ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? ⁸ If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate children at all. ⁹ Moreover, we have all had parents who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! ¹⁰ Our parents disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. ¹¹ No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

¹² Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. ¹³ “Make level paths for your feet,” ^[g] so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Warning and Encouragement

¹⁴ Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. ¹⁵ See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. ¹⁶ See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. ¹⁷ Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.

The Mountain of Fear and the Mountain of Joy

¹⁸ You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; ¹⁹ to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, ²⁰ because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” ^{[h] 21} The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.” ^[i]

²² But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, ²³ to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, ²⁴ to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

²⁵ See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? ²⁶ At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” ^{[j] 27} The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain.

²⁸ Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, ²⁹ for our “God is a consuming fire.” ^[k]

Hebrews 13

Concluding Exhortations

¹ Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. ² Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. ³ Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

⁴ Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. ⁵ Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
“Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.” ^[l]

⁶ So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can human beings do to me?” ^[m

⁷ Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

⁹ Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace, not by the eating of ceremonial foods, which is of no benefit to those who observe such rituals. ¹⁰ We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.

¹¹ The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. ¹² And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. ¹³ Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore. ¹⁴ For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.

¹⁵ Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. ¹⁶ And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

¹⁷ Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

¹⁸ Pray for us. We are sure that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way. ¹⁹ I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.

Benediction and Final Greetings

²⁰ Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, ²¹ equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

²² Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly.

²³ I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.

²⁴ Greet all your leaders and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy send you their greetings.

²⁵ Grace be with you all.

40/50/90/3000 Devotional: Day 8- March 2nd, 2010

Day 8 – March 02, 2010
Make the most of every opportunity. Is God calling you to a deeper life of prayer?

Romans 12:5
In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

As we participate in the 50 Golden Days of Evangelism, we emphasize the need of prayer for individuals
and for the church as a whole. In so doing, my mind takes me back to an illustration that Henry Blackaby
shares in the Bible study Experiencing God, Knowing and Doing the Will of God. On the topic of “God’s
Will and the Church,” Blackaby speaks of how God uniquely equips the church so that body functions
effectively as a whole. Henry Blackaby speaks of a woman in one of the former pastorates as a knee of
the church body, meaning that Ivah Bates was an effective prayer warrior. Interestingly enough, it took a
while for Ivah Bates to realize how God had gifted her for the body. She had tried hospital visitation, but
Henry Blackaby discovered that those she visited were usually a bit depressed or downcast after her
visits. Visiting with her a few times, it became obvious to Pastor Blackaby what the problem was: Ms.
Bates always seemed to relate to the patient some terrible outcome of someone she knew who had had the
same symptoms as the patient. Try as they did to work with Ivah and teach her better visitation
conversation, she never became an effective visitor. However, the church was able to help Ivah Bates
identify and utilize the gift that God had given her, and that gift was her prayer life. The church
recognized the effectiveness of Ivah Bates’ prayer life.
So it became the practice of those in the church to bring to Ms. Bates any of their concerns. Even the high
school and college students would bring to Ivah the names of those that they would be sharing faith with
and at what times they expecting to be doing so. Here is one of those examples.
So a student named Wayne said to Ivah, “Next Tuesday I will be witnessing to Doug, would you pray for
me?” Ivah agreed. She dropped everything and began to pray over the noon hour while Wayne was
witnessing. She did that every time the students told her what they were doing. Only the “hand” was
touching the campus, but the whole body was fitly joined together. Each part functioned where God put it,
so that the hand could be effective.
About three months later, a young man came down the aisle during the invitation. He was trusting the
Lord. I said to the congregation, “This is Doug. He has just become a Christian.” I looked over at Ivah
and she was deeply moved and weeping. She had never met Doug, but she had prayed for him for three
months.
Who won Doug to the Lord? The body did! (page 162)

During our 50 Golden Days of Evangelism, we must be a people of ardent prayer. Undoubtedly there are
certain people among us who are especially gifted in this area of prayer as is illustrated in Ivah Bates’
life. Could you be such a person? Is God calling you to a deeper life of prayer? We are reminded, “The
effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16b

Submitted by: Rev. Ty Harrison – Sr. Pastor, First UMC, Hillsville, VA