SPIRITUAL 'F A S T I N G'
OF BELIEVERS TODAY

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SPIRITUAL FASTING of believers today should be for them to SPREAD THE MESSAGE OF SALVATION, The True Gospel. This is quite different than the most common understanding of literal fasting, which is to abstain from food.

Gods description of fasting is found in the Old Testament book of Isaiah 58:6-7. There God describes the kind of fasting He has chosen, which can be directly related to His Salvation plan.

• GODS FASTING
  • SALVATION LINK

• Loose the chains of injustice.
  • "He has sent me to...Proclaim freedom for the prisoners." Luke 4:18.

• Untie the cords of the yoke.
  • "my burden is light." Matthew 11:30.

• Set the oppressed free.
  • "He has sent me to...release the oppressed." Luke 4:18.

• Break every yoke.
  • "My yoke is easy." Matthew 11:30.

• Share your food with the hungry.
  • Give them the Bread of Life. "I (Jesus) am the Bread of Life. He who comes to me will never go hungry." John 6:35.

• Provide the poor wanderer with shelter.
  • Tell them about Gods heavenly house. "We have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven." 2 Cor.5:1.

• Clothe the naked.
  • Clothe them with the cloth of salvation. "May your priests, O Lord God be clothed with salvation." 2 Chronicles 6:41.

Mark depicts that the FASTING OF TODAY SHOULD BE THE SPREADING OF THE SALVATION MESSAGE.

Mark 2:19-20

"But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them and on that day they will fast."

Mark was referring here to when Christ is crucified that the disciples and all believers would repent of their sins and proclaim the gospel. Jews believed that repentance implied both forsaking sin and fasting.

Then Jesus tells in three parables, the third is only found in the book of Luke, that the new fasting (Christ's) is different than the old fasting (John's).

1st. Parable -

Mark 2:21

"No one (John) sews a patch of unshrunk cloth (Christ's practices) on an old garment (Jews practices)."

Here Jesus is saying that John would not be foolish and place a piece of Christ's practice, not to fast till after resurrection, on a Jews garment, fasting.

2nd. Parable -

Mark 2:22

"No one (Jesus) pours new wine into old wineskins."

Here Jesus is saying the new covenant could not be included with the old covenant. Salvation CAN NOT be found by observing the Law (old covenant) and receiving the grace of God (new covenant). Only by God's grace do we receive salvation.

3rd. Parable -

Luke 5:39

"No one (John's Disciples) after drinking old wine wants the new, for the old is better."

The old wine, old covenant, the Law was tried and found to be good by John's Disciples. They can not be blamed if they are not anxious to taste the new wine, new covenant, the untried practices of Christ's Disciples.

Another tie between Fasting and Spreading the Gospel can be drawn from:

Joel 2:12;

"Return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning."

Here the prophet associates fasting with weeping. By spreading the Gospel we must declare to man that he is going to spend eternity in Hell for his sins if he does not repent. This is a sad piece of the Gospel and can be associated with weeping and sorrow.

Therefore; Spiritual Fasting of Believers today should include repentance and spreading the true Gospel.

Ephesians 2:8;

"For it is by GRACE that you have been SAVED, through FAITH...it is the GIFT of GOD, NOT by WORKS.

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