Showing posts with label Fasting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fasting. Show all posts

Tuesday, 23 April 2013

God Miraculously Heals Man of Stage 4 Bone Cancer


Rodney Thompson and Glenn Hicks
Rodney Thompson and Glenn Hicks
Doctors gave Glenn Hicks a “death date.” He was diagnosed with stage 3 bone cancer on Dec. 14. Six weeks later, the cancer had spread and advanced to stage 4.
According to the Enneking staging system for bone cancers, stage 3 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body. And according to the TNM staging system of bone cancer, stage 4 bone cancer means the disease has spread to the lungs.
Hicks knew he was dying. He was experiencing severe pain in his joints and bones. But as a resident of Faith Farm, a homeless ministry in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., he was not allowed to take narcotics to treat his pain.

Sunday, 7 April 2013

Getting Angelic Assistance

PERRY STONE

In Acts 27, the apostle Paul was a prisoner on a ship with 276 passengers onboard. Launching the voyage in the winter, the ship headed into a violent sea storm, called Euroclydon. The ship tossed like a leaf in the wind and was in danger of splitting into pieces. No stars or light from the moon was seen for many days, and because of the dangerous rocks and quicksand, it appeared that Paul and the passengers would drown in the murky waters.

Paul had been on an extended fast and was praying for God’s intervention. God released a heavenly messenger to bring Paul this encouraging Word:

“But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, ‘Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For there stood by me this night an angel of God to whom I belong and whom I serve, saying, “Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.”’” Acts 27:21-24

Thursday, 27 December 2012

Are You A God Chaser?

"But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; 
but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water 
springing up into everlasting life." -John 4:14
Woman at the Well
Are you a God Chaser? As we prepare our hearts and minds to dive into 2013, I find myself wondering how I can jump-start the New Year by immersing myself even deeper into the Lord.

Last month we talked about allowing our spiritual, emotional and physical batteries to run low. I promised that I would follow up this month with help for recharging ourselves through our ultimate Power Source - The Ever Present Spirit of God.

As the New Year quickly approaches, it seems fitting that we look at how we can begin the next year of our lives totally plugged-in to God, and going even deeper in Him than we ever have before.

Monday, 9 April 2012

The Very Thing Jesus is Against

by Pastor Colin S. Smith
Colin Smith
“Some people came and asked Jesus, ‘How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?’" Mark 2:18 (NIV)

The Old Testament specified one day a year when God called His people to fast—the Day of Atonement. The leaders of God’s people also called other occasional fasts, but the Pharisees had made fasting part of their regular routine. It appears that they fasted twice a week and encouraged others to do the same (Luke 18:12). So, the question to Jesus is “Why are your disciples not fasting?”

Fasting at a wedding

“Jesus answered, ‘How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them?’” Mark 2:19

Imagine fasting at a wedding! Picture the scene with me… We’ve all been to the ceremony and driven to the banqueting hall. We are seated round the tables and everyone settles as the father of the bride stands up to speak. To everyone’s surprise he looks quite miserable.

 I’m glad you are all here today on this important occasion. I expect some of you have been looking forward to a meal, but I have to tell you that we aren’t going to have any food today. We’re not going to have any music, and we’re not going to have any dancing.

Marriage is a serious business. And because it’s a serious business, we want to take it… seriously! We all fail in many in many ways, and so today I want us to spend some time in silence, examining our hearts. I want you to remember my daughter’s wedding as a day of repentance.”

We laugh because this is ridiculous! The whole point of a wedding is that it is a celebration! Jesus brings His friends into joy! This is not the time for fasting.

Turning blessings into burdens

“’Why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?’… Jesus said ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.’” Mark 2:24, 27

Mark tells us about a time when Jesus’ disciples picked a few ears of corn while they were walking beside a field on the Sabbath. You see, in the fourth commandment, God calls us to set aside one day in the week to rest from our work and to enjoy all that He done. That is a gift and a blessing from God.

But the Pharisees had turned the blessing into a burden, with an endless list of rules about what you could and could not do. In their eyes, pulling a few ears of corn was harvesting and that is work. Religious systems turns God’s blessing into a burden.

I meet many people who have had a bad experience of religion that alienated them from God. It was about rules and traditions that seem to have no point. It felt like a means of control exercised by people who have very little joy in their own lives.

Lifting heavy burdens

Do you see that this is the very thing that Jesus is against! He came to break the power of dead religion! He leads His disciples into joy. He lifts the heavy burdens of silly rules and stuffy traditions.

A Christ-centered church will be marked by joy. It will not be a place where the burdens of human rules and traditions are imposed but rather where they are lifted. When you see that, you may have a new interest in following Jesus.



This LifeKey is based on the message “Jesus Stirs Up Conflict,” by Pastor Colin S. Smith on September 30, 2007, from the series “The Gospel According to Jesus.”

http://www.lightsource.com/ministry/unlocking-the-bible/articles/the-very-thing-jesus-is-against-13255.html