Fasting: A Hunger Strike Against Hell by Shane Idleman

you the message this morning the title is fasting over forks fasting over forks a hunger strike against hell is what I added there now the reason this is so important I believe a couple different reasons anytime you apply spiritual disciplines to your life it's like farming a farmer cannot control the growth of the the seed can he I explained this last week what we do is we sow the seed and we provide an environment for that seed to grow that's why spiritual disciplines are so important fasting praying worshiping reading the Word of God it's not something you just put on a checklist it's actually providing fertile soil for God to grow things in our lives that's what spiritual disciplines are and this message has been on my heart probably six months I've read about 15 books in that last in the last six months on this I've read a lot of scriptural resources I've spent a lot of time there's about seventy seven or so mentions of fasting and fasted or too fast in the Bible that I've looked at afraid about and it was even a hard night last night as excited to get here is 9 o'clock I can go to sleep 10 o'clock I can go to go to sleep 11 o'clock I can go sleep I'm like Lord what are you doing here there's something going on that I could just feel and I could sense because the devil doesn't like when you talk about him and he doesn't like when you talk about spiritual warfare and this is spiritual warfare when the Bible talks about pulling down strongholds you have something in your life that's a stronghold that your god I just can't get rid of this nobody in the nine am service right I know everybody most of us have something I mean you talk to somebody addicted to nicotine or sugar or caffeine or alcohol and it's it's it's a stronghold casting down arguments doubts against God how thoughts come in the enemy plants thoughts the only way you can overcome that is to prepare with spiritual the spiritual disciplines with the armor that we are to put on so fasting is very important and I was sleeping trying to sleep last night and wrestling not knowing what's going on it finally made sense when I dropped over the hill do you know what I saw on my way to church this morning 5:45 this morning let me show you all the way to the church parking lot and I thought what this is supposed to be a mentally people like why are you holding that up because God said I will never flood the earth again this is my sign to you and then in our arrogance in our blasphemous ways we'd use that against God in his face and there's a spiritual realm going on there there's a there's it's a spiritual attack the enemy is trying to do things inside track and and that's why we just stay the course and persevere and that's why I believe praying last night and fasting and God getting us ready some of us ready for spiritual warfare in a spiritual battle I'm going to talk about the next week or two the why the when and the how of fasting the reason is threefold why it's so important when do we do it and how do we do it and there's a message I gave on America and gluttony and on fasting and they're like ten twelve fourteen thousand views on YouTube and it's like so there's a hunger there because I thought there would be two or three right you know who wants to watch that but there's a desire there when we took the survey eighty-five percent of you wanted to participate in some type of corporate fest and that's what we I love about Westside is there's a hunger there and for me to avoid this topic I think would not be a good idea even though many people they'll say not fastings not for us anymore it's the old testament thing and we don't do that anymore well I would encourage you to show me one scripture that supports that the fact is there isn't anything and if Jesus himself began his ministry fasting we might want to consider what this means to our own lives so let's see this first let me just throw this out your fasting is seen throughout the entire Bible Matthew six Jesus said when you pray when you give when you fast luke 5:35 the NIV but the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them in those days they will fast now I could be wrong but I think we're still waiting for the bridegroom right and there's a waiting time there and fasting the reason they didn't fast the whole scripture of the context of the scripture is they said why do our disciples John the Baptist and your disciples of Jesus do not fast jesus said the bridegroom is here I'm here right now fasting was a time of mourning of repentance of this this heart-wrenching a seeking after God and being distant from him Jesus is saying I'm here the bridegroom is here but when the bridegroom leaves then they will fast Leonard Ravenhill said many years ago fifty years ago I think when there's something in the Bible that churches don't like they call it legalism isn't that true don't take a Sabbath anymore that's legalism don't worry about what you watch that's legalism don't act a certain way that's legalistic don't fast that's legal isn't a convenient right it's on everything we don't like to do we just put legalism over and I can tell when people when carnal Christians get mad at me they call me legalistic and I can send well here's 42 scriptures of support of this view I don't care that's legalistic see we need any time we don't want to do something we call legalism here's the thing about fasting the physical effects or is affected by the spiritual so the physical realm that we live in is affected by the spiritual realm so fasting has spiritual implications that fulfill themselves in the physical we realize we live in two realms right there's a spiritual there's a physical and I'm going to give some examples from primarily the Old Testament that I've given before when I talk about fasting but it's so important because we need reminders it's been six months the beginning of the year I have not talked about this maybe a little bit here and there and I'll try to wait until next year again how does that sound let's just get this out now Moses receive the Word of God after fasting so is there anything you need to receive from God the Lord I'm waiting for answers I need to receive something from you we need Direction King Jehoshaphat experienced victory after fasting do you need victory in any area right now Esther receive protection Elisha receive restoration Daniel experienced a supernatural Ezra received direction Nehemiah was strengthened joel offered the cure for god's judgement god's judgment was coming upon a nation Joel said returned to me God's has returned to me with fasting and weeping and mourning and I will return to you Jesus was empowered Paul confirmed his calling Cornelius was saved all after fasting now you can just call that a coincidence if you want but I'm not going there because it's a deeper relationship with God like an Elijah's case do you need some things restored in your marriage in your life your your sons your daughters is this something need to be restored or Daniels you need experience a supernatural and I don't mean some mystical weird thing right I mean do you want to experience God because I believe there's a difference between those who experienced God living in the fullness of the spirit and those who just come to church and participate and leave untouched by God I'm not sure what side of that you want to be on but I can tell you what side I want to be on I want to be on the excited that experiences God Ezra received direction Ezra is an interesting story he had to go and rebuild remember Nehemiah rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem Nehemiah Ezra went to rebuild the temple that was destroyed and he said God we we can't go and do this we're bringing all this gold and silver we can't do this unless we you bring us protection we're going to pray and we're going too fast for ourselves and for our little ones and God got them all the way there without any problems and the amaya was strengthened Joe offered the cure for judgment Jesus wasn't powered do you need to be empowered a Paul confirmed his calling when Paul was called he fasted he didn't stop by our Starbucks he fasted and waited on God now here's why this topic is so difficult I think for many people I've experienced the benefit so I'm jumping with joy inside wanting to share the benefits many of you are thinking oh my goodness that's the last thing I want to do is not eat something right I that doesn't sound fun and well it's not fun necessarily but the rewards far outweigh the cost remember what we've talked about for the pain of discipline or the pain of regret one or the other you're going to pain is your flesh cement and you can you you you because here's what happens I've talked about before but it bears repeating your flesh controls more than you think you wake up in the morning right get me Frappuccino Carmel maca whatever and while you're there get a big thing of donuts and then after church why not just keep going to in-and-out burger or McDonald's or the Western bacon double cheeseburger my favorite at Carl's jr. right let's just go there and now that we've blown all day stop and get that chocolate and that Twix bar and that's soda on your way home to perk you up again and why just finish it with a terrible dinner in the flesh and the foot the flesh is just controlling everything we do it this keeps poppin is there a reason you guys hear it - maybe I just put it back here okay maybe it's popping on my side but that's why the flesh is controlling so what fasting does it says no no no you're done you're done controlling I'm going to start crucifying you mortifying the flesh the Puritan authors would say two more to fly to to rebuke the flesh acts 13:2 in the NIV what and this is where this why I'm talking about fasting this is where we just left off while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting the Holy Spirit said now set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them so you have to wonder if they were not fasting if they were just in this gluttonous type of environment would have God have led them to the degree he has acts 14:23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and with prayer and fasting committed them to the Lord and whom they had put their trust the vast majorities of the heroes of the faith have fasted it's still very common in places like China and Korea for people to fast for Crick if you go outside of America fasting is very common and just just to let you know there's actually a place in South Korea not North Korea I don't know of any other one there because they worship a God there right the the ruler of that that that country that wants to take America out so you might want to pray and fast that God would judge them and judge him but this the South Korea there's one of the actually two largest church I think in the world seven eight hundred thousand members they have something called prayer Mountain and it's all they do is they go up to this mountain and they pray and fast for days the Middle East China the early Christians in China it's a place of fasting and prayer so here would be my struggle I can ignore a topic that people don't like and just tell us what we want to hear or I can delve into scripture read a lot on this get this and give you speak from my own personal experience for those who truly want to experience God John Wesley said I will not ordain a man unless he fast twice a week Wow legalistic right he's legalistic what he's doing is he's saying I would ordain a man who shows me he has control of his appetites rather than allowing his appetites to control him because if you have a man who is controlled by his appetites he cannot rule the church well it's impossible that's actually one of the qualifications of an elder is to be temperate in all things not addicted to certain things now when it comes to fasting there is a pendulum swing right the side that we've been talking about and nobody wants to do it so for Old Testament that's actually pretty convenient it sounds good I actually like that if that's your view I like your view the flesh likes your view that that's not for today but the the other side the pendulum swing is the fanatical side where it's more spiritual and you always pushing and you're always you know pushing people to do it and in their face and it becomes this workspace I'm more holy because I fast I'm more spiritual because I fast you don't fast like me and it says it becomes almost a work and a self focus a self appointed self exaltation but the pendulum swing is where it stops in the middle is right with the Bible says that's why those who love fasting see it mentioned throughout scripture close to eighty times they see the enormous benefit the key is this the closer you draw to God the more you do for God if you leave here today leave here with that nugget the closer you draw to God the more you do for God so those most in this room I'm assuming want to do more for God Lord I want to show me this is personal familiar Lord show me what you want me to do show me what you've called me to do show me how I'm supposed to get involved here who can Who am I supposed to reach and Lord show me but that only begins to become real once we begin to fast and pray and worship then as the closer we draw to him the more he does through us Leonard Ravenhill also said how can you pull down strongholds of Satan if you don't even have the strength to turn off your television wow I could I could just sit down I think that would be it would be good enough right because he's he's how can we pull down strongholds of Satan because he we talk about it we want to do it but we can't we don't have the strength to turn off our television we don't even have the strength to say no I mean in and out has been calling me since 5:30 this morning it's just hello double-double French fries chocolate chip and it's just calls calls and it's just like no be quiet be quiet be quiet and it's just calling now people that guess I'll do a few disclaimers throughout the message it is not bad right we don't if the food's against food is wonderful especially if you consume it the way God created it too of life to the body to give energy to the body we consume that food and then that food B is assimilated and we use it for energy for building muscle for fighting disease all these kinds of things so it's wonderful so it really isn't about food it's whether food has you what what is controlling you if if there's no desire to fast and the body keeps winning I'm a guessing you're losing the battle in a lot of different areas if we can't subdue the flesh how are you going to say no to that video that comes up on your screen or how are you going to say no to that gossip that keeps whispering in your ear to go and gossip or that backbiting or that anger how you going to subdue those things if you can't even subdue the flesh in this area see it all is tied together everything is tied together John Owen he's a Puritan author about four or five hundred years ago I've got it's called the works of John Owen of the mortification of sin and believers I just love the strong words these guys they don't mess around I'm telling you right now if you read books hundreds of years ago they do not mess around they get right to the point crucify the flesh stop putting up with it be killing sin or sin be killing you I mean it's just now we're like I don't know might be Stu star come on let's just let's just bring in the soft little punches and the candy bars and the Seas candy and and just kind of be careful here where the Word of God is to let it loose let the lion out of the cage and let it do it let it do its work so he said and I'll interpret for you when I'm done the choicest believers who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin ought yet to make it their business all their days to be mortifying the indwelling power of sin what are you saying in a nutshell is if you are a believer and you have been freed from the condemning power of sin here's here's an interesting thing this will be this will be an eye-opener for many of you as a believer you have been freed from the condemning power of sin it doesn't condemn you anymore you it's you're not condemned to hell the ramifications the result you've been set free from that condemning power but then it's the question of well why in god's name is it still alive in me because see the influence hasn't left the power hasn't left so that's why he said believers who have been released from the condemning power of sin they should make it their business to to mortify indwelling power sin now because they've been set free every day they're going to fight against that influence and that's where that famous line comes from be killing sin or sin will be killing you every unclean thought or glance would be adultery as it could if it could think about that every covetous desire would be oppression if it could every thought of unbelief would be atheism if they could see that's what sin does sin gives you a thought and says if you if I could take you to the full end of this if I could take you to the full end of this I would bring that thought out to fruition so that's what sin is doing constantly it's like here's your thought take action on that thought keep taking action on that thought so I can bring you to death in this area here comes another thought take it take it thought run with it fulfill it now I'm going to keep leading you away from God that's what every day from the moment you wake up to when you go to sleep that sin is wanting to come in and do that that's why fasting is so important and I want to remind everybody this morning that you are not powerless you are not powerless you give power to either the flesh or the spirit and I read a shain I'm so powerless right now no you're not you actually have more power than you think you give whatever Paul says in Romans whatever you choose to obey becomes your master so you give the power to the spirit or you give the power to the flesh do you guys hear that okay so something's popping back there oh well it's probably going to happen from here on out let's J can fix it no pressure I'll fix it yeah I keep going away but it's pretty far now all right we'll try that another thing he said neglect of this duty to mortify causes the withering of the soul so in a nutshell if we don't want to mortify the flesh crucify the flesh it leads to the withering of the soul have you have you ever felt your soul wither go like this you you have it's that it's the withering of the so it's like god I miss you worship used to I used to love worship I used to love the Bible what's happening the soul is withering if we don't mortify the flesh and put it to death daily be crucifying the flesh daily James 4/5 says this that our spirit has envious yearnings did you know that the Holy Spirit in US has envious yearnings and that's a good envy he's saying I want you the spirit in us is it's like remember when you had kids if you're older now if you have kids daddy I want to spend time with you mommy I want to spend time with you Nana Papa whatever they call you I want to spend time with you that's the Holy Spirit within us he has the spirit has envious yearnings for more of God and what happens is besetting sin cuts off the power source the point I'm really getting at is fasting helps to mortify the deeds of the flesh because when you're fasting you're in control I'll tell you right now if you struggle with addiction sexual addiction any kind addiction you can minimize it completely by fasting because you take the power and the strength away from the flesh you just robbed the flesh of its strength and it begins to be submitted and jimsim bola I know many of you know who he is in Brooklyn the Brooklyn Tabernacle I was watching it in New York I was watching a wonderful video on obedience this week and he talked about he actually went to the electrical room in the Brooklyn Tabernacle in his huge room and he said if I pull this power if I pull this lever he'll cut off all electricity to the building and his parallel was with the Holy Spirit if we have besetting sin sin that we just leave and it stops that power source it stops God from moving in our lives be it's like a conduit that is blocked fasting begins to release that now I want to talk on this part the part since we're this part about fasting since we are on the topic the spiritual when it comes to fasting the spiritual is the priority but there are physical benefits now here's interesting thing about physical anytime we talk about the body we're like well that's not important well if it's not important then why are 90 percent of prayer requests about the physical things take this away from me this disease this ailment this depression this anxiety this addiction it's it's the so the spiritual is the priority but there are physical benefits when we fast did you know this that Jesus was the great physician what is a great physician - he heals our bodies James Morris said this and I would recommend a book it's called God's chosen fast there are multitudes there are multitudes of diseases which have their origin and fullness and might have their end and fasting many of you aren't aware of this but disease is actually fueled by the food we consume disease is fueled by the food we consume that food is either giving life to the body or it's giving death to the body my point is this is fasting has huge spiritual benefits that flow right into physical benefits as well for the body God wants us to clean this thing that we have been given I think have you ever seen a real dirty pool that you're not going to jump into but picture the body that's dirty blood the heart is working hard it's a very toxic environment so it's as green algae this dirty pool that's how many of us live and the body becomes sick and diseased if we had time we could talk about really what cancer is as cancer is cells that do not die instead they keep multiplying and multiplying and multiplying and multiplying and form tumors and they're finding that many things that cancer has has to survive off oxygen and food it has to so begins that's why they tie a lot of it in with sugar in it they're also finding that it can consume amino acids glutamine to be exact and precise but the cancer you actually fuel it sometimes by the foods we consume so if you begin to fast and withdraw the fuel source you'll begin to see amazing results in the body I just tell you from my own experience eyesight getting better joints feeling better energy coming back the vitality the way that we were designed how God designed us so not only the spiritual benefits but you have the physical benefits that come into mind now I think this is an important and very important to introduce fasting is not starving okay why are you starving yourself I'm not starving myself fasting is not starving it's nourishing it's raining our body of the excess here's a crash course real quick your body burns for energy glucose which when you eat it's converted to sugar that glucose is stored in the liver and the muscle to be used once that is depleted then it will be good to go to the fat and muscle storage for fuel the problem is we never get to that point so fasting you you begin to burn all the stored energy you have it's gone and then now the body begins to pull off of the tissue the dead cells the old things that need to go it's burning the fat it's burning some muscles burning old dead cells that are dying it's going to grab the disease I read a book a grape gave a great example if you're in a cabin in a snowstorm right you're using all the wood to stay alive what happens when the woods gone how good does that that wood couch and over that wood couch that wood out and sounds comfortable all but that big nice wood table you just made fork it for the kitchen or that nice those wood tables you just made for the living room guess where they're going in a matter of a or two in the fire in the fire you start the lesser items the wood the hay the stubble the newspaper and then you start to go to the greater items and throw that in the fire that's exactly how the body works you're not starving the body's pulling and using all this energy and getting read the dead waste you actually gone to a point of starvation once those resources of ran dry so it's not starvation it's actually it's very healthy for the body to start consuming these things I mean I could I could just amaze you at the amount of testimonies I've heard that tumors have shrunk God people had like this gross on their skin and different things it would disappear from fasting because the body start to consume the tissue and it gets fuel from wherever it can that's why you don't feel good because the toxins and the things are coming in and working in your mind and in your heart in your blood is trying to get rid of all this junk so the point is wonderful spiritual benefits wonderful physical benefits fasting doesn't replace a healthy lifestyle though it complements it did you catch that that was in one ear and out the next for some of you here's what many people do and then they try to fast oh I don't feel like fasting what did I barely get through and then they're back to the old habits again right all the junk all the garbage as if fasting is going to replace that it only complement sin and the reason I have a passion for this maybe some of you know some of you don't know is I've seen so many things cured by taking care of the body I just I just went to the hospital somebody has a golf sized cancer cell in their brain as you know that's not looking good and other people and struggling I mean struggling with anxiety and fear and depression and shame I can't and accounting people about ready to cry and have a nervous breakdown and I look at what they're consuming I'm like well no wonder you got to get rid of these things I don't want to I love my whatever so that's my hard not to upset people but these things have we shame pray I pray for this healing I pray for this stop eating 14 hotdogs a week right I got my heart's not in good shape I need healing in this area stop doing things that lead to that now I believe in healing I believe that God can heal and do certain things but I also believe that there are ramifications see we under we believe that all of our choices have consequences don't we but when it comes to food sometimes we think that doesn't apply but that doesn't apply to it on food but it does and I see so many people let me give you example the majority of people different states people that don't even go to this church that are struggling a well I better not say Casey's listening but a good friend of mine somewhere that way not a believer but it all all these people in so much medication and trying to what's going on like you might want to stop the thousand milligrams of caffeine today a day you're having the monster drinks and the Guara nut in the and the maja in the urban mottai and all these things are just they're killing you they're killing you there's stimulate well I don't want to stop that well then okay what what what can I can pray for you but see my point is we're we're actually bringing stuff in I mean who's going to drink a six-pack and think it doesn't affect them we know that does right why do we think other things don't apply so that's why my passion is I see so many people here so I guess the best word for it self-created illness in every case of course not and those people who don't like this message will use that against me he said this no I didn't I believe it some is hereditary some as a product of our environment some is just going to happen some is the demonic influence but many times many times what we're putting in affects us did you know that the it's called the I don't know forget to write the manual I don't want to say the diagnostic manual for mental disorders for evaluating mental disorders in patients that psychologists use they now have caffeine induced anxiety in their caffeine induced sleep deprived it it's a mental disorder but yeah we don't care that's all so it's frustrating that's why one of the most frustrating things for me I say here's what you need to do start eating better get a lot more water get to step out anything I don't want to pray for me though well I'm telling you I'm giving you wisdom because I've experienced a lot of this before I've never I've never experienced anxiety attacks to such a degree where you just want to scream you want to hit something you awareness this coming from it's called withdraw or it's called too much of something see we always want the prayer but not the obedience with God just take it away but I can involve any work and prayer and fasting is work and that's why we do it so enough of the physical I probably upset you enough but let's go back to this part about fasting fasting breaks bondage there's bondage in our life have you ever seen this let me just example for me then I need a second helping a sweets I can't say no to snacks between Mills our favorite addictive drinks right we are snagged on these things so fasting begins to break these things away from our lives you crave what you feed on you will crave what you feed on what we feed on we begin to crave when we want more of and more of now here's another disclaimer I knew I get to the other one fasting doesn't twist God's arm when the Bible talks about fasting it's not like God's IRI uncle you got me what do you want now how can I help you got me fasting does what it does is actually realigned your heart with God's it starts to you start to remove the clutter and way and it's amazing that's why it's art of picture now but after you've told your flesh no all day there's just there's this euphoria or a spiritual high for a lack of a better word this is being filled with the Holy Spirit that comes upon you that you just man that was worth it that was worth it the benefits are there so that's why there's so much difficulty in this area because the benefits come later not right away I mean many people think they say no to lunch and here's a new car out in their driveway it doesn't look like that it's a pressing and that's why we do it Joel 2:12 turn back to me with your whole heart with fasting and tears and morning turn back to me with your whole heart with tears and morning so it's realigning that's what fasting does it starves the flesh so my flesh is starved it's crucified because did you know this the more you feed the flesh the more it continues to grow in certain areas the majority of people I talk with who are store looked on hooked on pornography are also hooked on certain things is a consumption of meat and food and all this junk is just consuming all this and then they're consumed it's just it's all tied together everything in the body is tied together in this area so fasting does this it conquers both pride and passion both our pride is conquered and our passions are conquered not forever that's why I encourage it to be a lifestyle don't eat everyday of course not you take it to God and you pray and you ask him what he wants to do in your life and what's what's what he wants to do in this area specifically fasting also silence the silence is the voice of the flesh does your voice your flesh ever cry out give me give me give me give me give me give me give me and it begins to stop and silence that so is there a desire to resurrect dead prayers in your life here might be here's here this might be a reason to fast is there a desire in your life to resurrect dead prayers you know a dead prayer is right Lord is not going to do that anymore it's beyond his grip now I think I've done too much damage but if you want to resurrect those dead prayers bring them back to life again God says I will restore the years that the enemy has taken from you if you begin to pray and fast again I wonder how many miracles aren't done because we don't we don't pray and fast and seek God hard hard enough and I'm not talking about works but there's a fervent seed there and and I don't mean to put people now when I talk about this but I've seen parents I've talked to parents and praying for the prodigal son or daughter they're in a bad spot they're hooked on heroin I came get the parents too fast that's too hard I'm hypoglycemic I'm gonna die I had all excuses I was borderline hypoglycemic I can never fast come to find out it's no problem I'm going to die by day to know in I don't didn't die by day too it's just and there's there's let me interject the soup there's a learning about this too you don't just say on camera stop eating there's there's a there's a hunger there Lord show me what do I need to remove from my life what is triggering what is pulling me down I can hopefully walk through that in the next in the next week or so I think attendance might decrease but for those who are interested I'm going to give you some practical example the desire to resurrect dead prayers and I was thinking this week where where is the faith of David these days who would grab a slingshot and go out and fight a giant and say who is this uncircumcised Philistine who's going to deny our God who's going to mock our God let me add him where's the faith where's that faith where's the faith of Daniel when was the last time you said put me in the lion's den I'll be fine or he said I'm going to keep praying to my God we're going to kill you Daniel if you don't I don't care where's the the face of Elijah Elisha who came across all these false prophets of Bel he came to fight and he said let the God who answers by fire let him be God and God answered by the faith of these men the faith of the women in the Bible Esther or a Rebekah you see where's that faith today many times here's the problem faith is often tied to fasting and prayer and worship the greater the devotion in these areas the greater the faith I mean a person doesn't just wake up right a person doesn't just wake up one day and have tremendous faith it's built it's just staying through the challenges of life so here's what you consider why to fast is there a desire to resurrect dead prayers in your life as a dream died in your life has is there something you thought God was going to do but he has not done or something you thought was going to happen your family or resurrecting dead prayers and it's time to fast is there a stronghold that has been gripping your life is there a stronghold something that has been gripping your life fasting begins a process of relief now here's the mistake many people make too they fast for a little bit in the sale it's still there let me remind you that it's a battle this is a spiritual battle we persevere and sometimes it's it takes a while to weaken the flesh it's a wrestling there's a there's a persevering before the flesh finally says okay enough enough that's why we're considering fasting now in the next week or so I'm going to talk about when to fast how to fast but I want to ask you to commit today and pray for direction and begin formulating a plan i if it were me I would begin by cleaning house what is God talking to what is he speaking to you right now about are there certain habits with whether it's everything we've just talked about sugar caffeine alcohol addicted things and begin to wean off of those things I would tell anybody who has a high level of caffeine have half and then half half and half half half half half half and wean off get down because withdrawals will be hell they will be held trustee pray for heaven pray for heaven release but plan on hell and you begin to get your body because it to try to fast okay I'm just going to stop fasting well that means you're going to stop fasting from caffeine and sugar alcohol craving all these things you're going to you're just going to get you are going to get hit with tons of withdrawals and toxicity and and you get begin to clean house begin to remove those things because now I can go into a day faster to day fast and just have water I mean I can just get through it's not not a big deal but a couple years ago Wow two hours with no caffeine you're like going to lose it right that's the people I have to have Mike whatever in the morning I don't mean to make this such a big point but it's affecting the lives of a lot of people and you don't realize it it's affecting the temper and the anger I see parents going off on their children and abusing their children I see people getting angry and yelling and screaming all these roid rages or roid ragers as steroids Road rages there's both that happens too but you see all these you see all the effects of it and all the testimonies we get from people being set free of these things it makes me a little bit passionate wouldn't you be I mean you see how these things play a role in our lives so I would begin by cleaning house and beginning okay maybe removing okay Lord I'm going to go without lunch today I'm not going to have lunch at 11:00 or 12:00 or 1:00 or 2:00 or 3:00 I'm just going to have water and I'm going to seek you I'm going to pray because you don't just pass the fast you you turn that time into seeking God and you watch how the flesh will fight you but it's that you're taking that first step in the right direction and I truly believe somebody new to this who's cleaning house and it was going to give up lunch and just say Lord I want to I want to I want to follow you in this area I believe personally I believe that God is going to honor that just the same as a person who does two days or three days who has longer history with it because the hearts right he's always going after heart because you can have somebody on a week or two or three three weeks worth of fasting and they become spiritually proud and they lose the entire benefit and you have somebody is just trying to not have lunch and got to filling them with the spirit what's the difference always the heart always the heart now there is something to talk about duration because I believe the longer you go the more you can subdue the flesh and the flesh is subdued and it takes a while I mean still I look at Jesus going forty days and I'm like I can't even fathom that I mean it's amazing and there are people to do that there are people that go a significant amount of time and it's not to earn brownie points you actually get to a point where you don't want to eat anymore and the body adjusts and it begins to burn different things for fuel and said the glucose and the glycogen that has been stored it's amazing concept how the body works and actually the more I read about how the body works the more say God is this is so amazing and I had an interesting thought this week I don't know if we were supposed to eat every three hours right got it got stopped by there got someone every corner I think for thousands of years they put some nuts and some figs and something and just walk for three miles to the next town and then food was the body was was built so it could go more than three hours without food my kids cracking me up it's been three hours they're starving my starving a house to eat no you don't know you don't and you know and if you like oh you're being mean to them brutally so you're going to teach them to go that fulfill that desire every time they get it then they start to control you right there's the mic there's the ice-cream truck ending in a minute coming down the street and they begin to end and so but we think we're starving we think we're going to die now the third disclaimer there are medical conditions right we're especially there's like diabetes and nursing moms who are getting the energy to their I mean there's you got to use wisdom in these areas and I can steer you in the right direction with with books and things but I would be care just take it to God because I hid behind the excuse of borderline hypoglycemia is what I had and what happened if I didn't eat say three or four hours and would go work out or try something I get really faint and I have to have something well come to find out I was addicted to sugar as having sugar all day so after three or four hours of no sugar that's why I feel that way now how can I forget my ate yesterday and I'll eat again tonight 24 hours just water I feel great there's no I don't know weirdness and and and but five years ago I couldn't go three or four hours I got to eat something my blood Sugar's dropping and that can be valid sometimes but just be careful because it can also be an excuse to hide an addiction that is causing all of that not to mention 600 milligrams of caffeine didn't help things so here's closing for all you convicted I'm getting off this point discernment here's my closing point discernment is one of our greatest challenges do you agree what spirit is this God is this you come on guys don't leave me hanging you out this just me now I know God is this you or is this the enemy or is this me now some things are clear right but Lord has just got causing you let's say from a take a different job or to reach out to somebody in a certain way or to move or to with your kids on how to I mean I've got something right now I'm praying about Lord I don't know what to do with this I don't know what are you telling me to do this or you know this is a you know interesting thing well here's what fasting does it will heighten your spiritual discernment if I've noticed anything it's this you can walk with much more clarity because the flesh is starved ulterior motives are put at bay and you begin to sense what God's will is if you're if you're feeling rushed confused anxious and you're going to react then hold tight that's not often the voice of God if you feel that if I feel that way I usually back off and I said hold on I get away it happens at church and we need an answer we need an answer what are we going to do what are we going to do I don't know we're going to wait I don't like that answer like right now right wait oh you were praying about what to do with Wednesday night right do we build the youth group and now that one is growing and do we have studies it's like and people are like the same we need to know I mean September is going to be here before we know it I don't know so I can tell you I might not we might not know until a week before September 21st one what that's impossible no we might I'm not going to be rushed or pushed into things okay we need to make a decision to make a decision I mean that's how the enemy works and he'll do it in your own life with your job I got to make it to see you guys do this you got to push you got to push you're anxious here look I don't know what to do just stop and even fast sometimes I'll take a drive to doubt you pee or just West as far as I can go and just pray and meditate and like not eat and and just and the clarity becomes crystal clear many times now here's the other thing if it doesn't become clear then you have peace about waiting like you know I'm just going to wait I feel so much peace and just way eating and the enemy hates when you wait because how the enemy moves as he moves through pushing you that angry email that angry phone call that angry lashing out that bad decision it's he's wanting you to move so when you just say I'm standing still what can he do stand still and see the salvation of the Lord having done all stand spiritual discernment just as last week I read that a 17 year old Dutch girl died on Monday during a bungee jump miss out she misheard the instructions and jumped when he said no jump on the Spanish and one of the Spanish instructors on the bridge when the teenager plunged 40 meters to her death told the police that the girl jumped before her harness was clipped to the bungee cord an instructor told the Spanish television channel RTVE that she had said no John no John I'm trying to get it right but the girl may have misheard and thought she said now jump now jump and I thought my god that spiritual discernment how many of us are hearing don't jump God saying don't John don't and then we're but we're hearing now John now do it now the the need I believe in this day and age the need to suppress the flesh and to conquer the flesh and mortify the flesh you will you will lose some of the battles let me tell you right now you will but it's not about winning every single victory it's about the heart in the right direction saying lord I fell in this area I mean I remember I preached one time it was to go and travel for like Calvary chapel's they'd help me preach at north edwards hatchapee to Mecca or Temecula maybe Hesperia and they would just help me travel I preached when a pastor was out and I was doing so good man I was fasting I felt the fire of God and I just couldn't do it I got it was night I couldn't sleep and I just took right I don't even know what was there Dorito chips and all this I felt terrible I almost couldn't sleep as I got him so I I couldn't sleep well I just upset it felt like a letdown I wanted to do this so bad I went in the parking lot of the church and I could hear the worship through the doors it was open and my heart just started Johanna's worshipping and God thank you so much and just or whatever you can do and now I'll never forget that sermon my goodness I mean fire fell people were coming to the altar before I was even done and men are crying the women holding them marriages are restored boom boom boom boom boom boom boom right then like how did that happen I just but wait a minute see I was basing it off works and works and works and if like now there's nothing wrong with fasting and holding that line but when I said god I blew it and I didn't just have a Dorito chip I mean it was a bag or two in the chocolate bar whatever is in the hotel it was like and but then the heart was right again and God said now you say now you know my grace and my mercy you can never play me as a puppet master that you control me you don't control me and he and I there's been times I've told Tony this before and we talked about it and I fasted and four day or two enough knoweth and then the sermons is dead because he I don't control God I'm not pulling his strings and telling him what to do sometimes you'll say see you're trusting too much and that you're trusting too much and that I will rain down fire when I want to rain down fire I'm going to bring grace I'm gonna bring mercy and you submit to me so he's taught me through all this alcohol tell my dad sermons done why that's a soul weekend I like I should have just had Starbucks and a big donut Krispy Kreme you know what what was that about but see then it comes back to the pride in the spirit like I was going to make God do something however I know that God will honor that often the that's why I actually started fasting five years ago is because I wanted to go to the pulpit just just just drained of hungry and food and it the sermons were Trent changed I mean I loved it and I couldn't I don't like to preach on a full stomach or even a little bit and as I can see how God can use it but don't put them in a box don't think this is some little formula genie in the bottle three days of fasting here's what I get it's all about drawing us closer to God and as you tell the flesh 30 times a day shut your mouth you say it from the pulpit it's okay I shut your mouth just you you be go back to sleep that's a yeah yesterday my son's an all-star baseball we went to a game and of course the snack bars open like a pepper bellies and hotdogs and I'm just like just shut up be quiet flesh go back to sleep just be quiet you're not and then I got home I told my I feel so good I'm ready to preach and I couldn't sleep right so there's that there's an honoring of that but the flesh you have to begin to tell it because then you can say when you click on your email hi I'm 21 you want to see my pictures delete because you just told it be quiet and then when somebody something happens and that might your flesh might gravitate towards you you have the peace and being filled the Spirit of God and I tell my wife I say I'm looking at four pictures of the American flag and these pictures came up about this girl in a bikini or something like what is this you know I'm being transparent and saying hey here's the and you put the flesh in submission you're honest and open and transparent so that's what fasting does it helps the body actually it helps you control the body instead of the body controlling you that's why we do it it's it's not it's not to be a hyper spiritual it's not to be in good favor with God it's not to be real holy and above everybody else it's not and that's why Jesus said when you fast oh there he goes when you fast act like you're not fasting put oil on your head don't we taught this oh man man I'm brother I'm fasting today everywhere you go right going to crazy autos I just see the heart attack and a plate on those things and it's and you going I can't have and I'm just fasting brother would you like this no and fasting and you go around and it becomes this spiritual that's why many times people don't know they didn't know at the baseball field you know I don't walk in on fasting is I know I don't want a pepper belly is that Fritos and chili and cheese on it because can you just can you take I won't gonna move my feet though I'll tell you that right now I'll go down at the end of the grass where nobody's at with just my kids in my life like get away from all that right because you're all so inundated with it too so it was going in a whole different direction this is why we fast I'm going to close with this scripture Isaiah I love this verse 40 chapter 40 verse 20 and have you not known have you not heard the everlasting God the Lord the creator of the ends of the earth he never faints nor is He weary his understanding is unsearchable he gives power to the weak fasting is humbling yourself and it's weakening yourself and that and not only physically but spiritually and it's funny even though your weak spirits physically you're strengthened spiritually you're weak you're weak physically in your strength and spiritually so he gives power to the weak young men shall utterly fall but those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up wins like eagles they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint you

Channel: SermonIndex.net

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Keywords: Revival, Character Of God, Free Sermons, Video Sermons, Jesus Christ, What Is The Gospel, SermonIndex, What Is The Truth, Shane Idleman

Id: gWuBflYlDMM

Length: 54min 52sec (3292 seconds)

Published: Mon Jul 03 2017