WEBVTT 00:00.060 --> 00:06.700 So we're going to talk about prayer and fasting. We like to encourage everyone to pray and fast to start out the new year. 00:06.860 --> 00:20.380 It is a good time just to reboot spiritually, to grow spiritually, to move forward spiritually, to see what God has for us and what he's wanting to do. 00:22.720 --> 00:30.180 So the last week of December there, right before open heavens, a few days in December, a few days in January, 00:33.140 --> 00:39.560 we're encouraging prayer and fasting that week. If you want to meet here Monday, Tuesday, and Friday and Saturday, that's fine. 00:40.340 --> 00:45.540 If you don't, that's fine too, but set some time aside to pray and fast that week. 00:45.540 --> 00:52.860 And again, it doesn't have to be, you know, sometimes we get this all or nothing thing. 00:53.160 --> 01:01.420 And it's like, well, I'm either going to fast all week or I'm not going to do it at all. Fast a meal. Fast a day. 01:04.480 --> 01:11.680 It's not any more scripturally, it's not any more spiritual to fast three days than it is to fast one meal. 01:13.180 --> 01:19.980 When Jesus was at the well with the woman, he was fasting a meal, as far as we know. It was meal time. 01:21.320 --> 01:25.440 And apparently they expected him to eat, which means he probably had eaten earlier in the day. 01:25.920 --> 01:31.680 And now all of a sudden he's saying, I'm not hungry, I'm not eating, I've got bread that I don't need physical food. 01:33.040 --> 01:40.020 So it's, it's find a way to do some prayer and some fasting. And it's not a flesh thing that you got to be a hero. 01:41.240 --> 01:44.780 Well, I did this great wonderful thing. Well, then that was all about you anyway. 01:46.280 --> 01:52.600 Make it about God and do some prayer and some fasting. But most Christians don't like to pray and fast. 01:54.260 --> 01:59.880 I won't even ask for a show of hands of how many have prayed and fasted this last year at all. 02:01.440 --> 02:06.060 Because we might all get discouraged. Most Christians don't like to fast. 02:07.460 --> 02:12.160 We don't, a lot of times we don't understand it. We don't understand what it's for. 02:12.320 --> 02:19.540 We don't really want to understand it. We don't really want to know what it does because we don't like doing it. 02:22.100 --> 02:29.060 Just be honest. The flesh does not like to fast. It will scream and yell at you. 02:30.320 --> 02:38.900 If you ever want to hear the voice of your flesh just fast, after about a day it starts speaking up. 02:39.060 --> 02:46.160 But after about two or three days, all that, I'm going to die. I'm going to... 02:46.160 --> 02:49.060 All those thoughts, that's your flesh speaking to you. 02:49.540 --> 02:52.640 You'll learn to understand and hear its voice very clearly. 02:53.280 --> 02:55.240 But fasting is actually a love issue. 02:57.320 --> 03:01.620 Of course, if everything's fulfilled in love, then it has to be a love issue. 03:02.480 --> 03:04.540 But fasting is actually a love issue. 03:05.080 --> 03:10.000 And scripturally speaking, for us as Christians, fasting should come naturally. 03:12.560 --> 03:15.700 Even though it requires discipline, because the flesh doesn't want to go there. 03:16.860 --> 03:20.420 But as Christians, it should come naturally. 03:20.420 --> 03:28.280 A healthy well spirit will pull us toward fasting. 03:29.340 --> 03:31.300 It will pull us that direction. 03:32.560 --> 03:38.200 And if it's not happening to us, well, it doesn't mean we're going to hell, but it is something to be concerned about. 03:39.280 --> 03:45.520 And once I'm done explaining it this morning, that should make sense to you, hopefully, what I'm talking about. 03:45.520 --> 03:53.760 But as born again believers, our love for Jesus should draw us to fast from time to time. 03:54.400 --> 03:59.980 So Lord, I pray our hearts and our minds open to hear and see what this is about. 04:01.100 --> 04:04.680 It's not a job that we have to do to be good Christians. 04:05.640 --> 04:13.000 It's not something that is a spiritual exercise that we have to do in order to stay part of the church. 04:13.000 --> 04:16.940 This is a relationship thing between you and us. 04:18.940 --> 04:25.600 And I pray in Jesus' name that by your spirit you convince us of that this morning as we talk about this. 04:26.520 --> 04:29.120 In Jesus' name. Amen. 04:32.620 --> 04:35.560 So the big question is why pray and fast? 04:36.680 --> 04:40.860 The reference I'm going to give you here is found in these two verses also. 04:40.860 --> 04:47.960 But Matthew gives a unique perspective on this that the other two writers did not include. 04:48.840 --> 04:50.240 Matthew says it this way. 04:50.360 --> 04:55.600 Then the disciples of John came to Jesus inquiring, why is it that we in the Pharisees fast often 04:55.600 --> 05:00.800 that is abstained from food and drink as a regular religious exercise? 05:01.420 --> 05:03.560 But your disciples do not fast. 05:04.600 --> 05:09.160 So what's the deal? Why do we have to do this and your disciples don't? 05:10.340 --> 05:15.160 Jesus said, can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is still with them? 05:16.020 --> 05:20.000 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them and then they will fast. 05:20.640 --> 05:27.220 Now if you go to the other two gospels it will say can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is still with them? 05:27.760 --> 05:34.180 Matthew picked up on something different on the word Jesus used there for fasting. 05:35.360 --> 05:38.100 So he put it right in his gospel. 05:39.180 --> 05:43.340 Mourning and fasting are equated as equal here. 05:46.040 --> 05:54.100 Can people mourn the bridegroom when he's right here? 05:55.500 --> 06:01.400 The days will come he's gone then they will mourn or then they will fast. 06:01.400 --> 06:05.260 Mourning and fasting are equated as equal there in that verse. 06:05.960 --> 06:09.800 The word mourn means to grieve, to mourn, to sorrow. 06:15.740 --> 06:17.600 Do you ever get homesick for heaven? 06:23.740 --> 06:30.040 Towards like, man I could just leave this place. I just want to go home. 06:31.140 --> 06:34.580 I've had as much of this place as I want. 06:37.650 --> 06:44.570 Do you ever long and crave to be in the presence of God? 06:45.650 --> 06:51.810 You just long for it. You just crave it. You are so hungry. You're so desperate. 06:52.730 --> 06:56.550 You want that intimacy. You want that closeness. 06:59.550 --> 07:04.850 Paul said I consider everything garbage except knowing him. 07:05.670 --> 07:11.810 It's his whole goal. Does your heart ever burn to know him? 07:12.870 --> 07:19.210 I just want to know him. I want to understand him. 07:20.910 --> 07:26.810 I want to be like him. Does it ever rise up inside of you? 07:28.030 --> 07:35.330 Him. It's all about him. Here's one that's interesting. 07:36.550 --> 07:48.270 Do you ever find yourself grieving and apologizing to him for failing him? 07:53.040 --> 07:57.780 I am so sorry I messed that up. 07:59.240 --> 08:08.620 I am so sorry that I am not what you have paid for me to be. 08:15.870 --> 08:23.650 Because news flash none of us measure up to what he bought and paid for. 08:25.630 --> 08:30.170 We fail him daily. Daily. 08:33.870 --> 08:40.950 Does it ever rise up inside of you like my God? I feel so bad. I feel so bad. 08:40.950 --> 08:48.960 But it goes back to that little phrase. God, you know I tried. 08:50.500 --> 08:57.260 But I missed it. I messed it up. Does that ever rise up inside of us? 08:58.420 --> 09:04.080 Because see, that's love language. That's love language. 09:08.190 --> 09:22.830 If you're dating someone newly married, those kind of things that I just listed should just rise up inside of you. 09:25.310 --> 09:32.110 It's a sign of a good relationship. Honey, when you're getting home, I'm waiting for you. I want to be with you. 09:33.430 --> 09:39.930 That's a sign of a good relationship. You know what a sign of a bad relationship is? 09:40.770 --> 09:43.750 I hope she don't come home too soon because I don't want to hear the griping. 09:46.110 --> 09:55.670 You got a problem in your relationship. I long to just be with you. 09:59.080 --> 10:05.380 That's a sign of a good relationship. And it's not words. It's a longing that comes out of us. 10:06.240 --> 10:13.400 I want to just be with you. I want to be in your presence. And I'm so sorry for the things that I'm messing up. 10:15.180 --> 10:23.450 I'm so sorry. Sign of a bad relationship is rather than saying I'm so sorry for the things I messed up. 10:23.450 --> 10:31.750 Sign of a bad relationship is, well, if you would, yeah, you got a great marriage. 10:33.350 --> 10:41.900 If you would do this and you would stop doing that, I bet you're a real gem to live with. 10:46.820 --> 10:56.030 See, mourning for the presence of the bridegroom is love language. 10:58.850 --> 11:05.510 We don't long for more when we have it all. He says, how can they mourn? I'm right here. 11:06.390 --> 11:09.410 How can they mourn and long for more of me? I'm right here. 11:12.210 --> 11:18.910 But the day's coming, I won't be right here. Then they're going to mourn. 11:21.310 --> 11:27.830 Then they're going to mourn. The day's coming, they will get so homesick, they won't be hungry. 11:30.230 --> 11:43.030 They'll blow through a meal and it's like, I'm just not hungry. I'm just looking for the day Jesus comes back, fixes this, makes this right, changes things. 11:43.030 --> 11:48.010 See, that's what fasting flows out of from Jesus perspective. 11:49.070 --> 11:54.450 I've got a song here I want the guys to play just first verse in the chorus. And you can cue that up. 11:54.990 --> 11:58.990 And I picked this particular version of it. There's a number of versions out there. 11:59.490 --> 12:10.090 But I picked this particular one because when you listen to it, you can hear the spirit of this man crying out 12:11.970 --> 12:18.770 for his master, for his Lord. The others, it's like, well, they're singing it and it sounds nice, they're singing it nice. 12:20.770 --> 12:31.430 This guy, it's like, man, I'm pulling, I'm needing you, I'm wanting you. Just go ahead and play it. 12:32.330 --> 12:36.430 Ten o'clock last night I was going over some of this stuff. I hadn't had that song in mind yet. 12:36.430 --> 12:41.930 It popped in my mind so I listened to it. And I thought, wow, that fits really well. That's probably God. 12:43.130 --> 12:49.830 And I asked this question. I said, so what is the point of that song? And the Holy Spirit said, that's a love song. 12:52.370 --> 13:01.490 That's a love song. I thought, really? I said, show me. And he gave me a vision. 13:02.250 --> 13:12.410 He said, put it in this light. He said, and the vision he gave me was a young woman probably in her 20s, early 30s. 13:14.270 --> 13:25.690 She was in bed with two or three small children. And I immediately knew she's a military spouse. 13:28.090 --> 13:33.990 And he's gone. He might be gone for six months. He might be gone for a year. 13:36.750 --> 13:49.890 And the kids are sleeping. And she's holding them. And she's crying. I miss you so bad. Please come home. 13:51.030 --> 14:04.110 I need you. Please come home. I can't do this alone. Put that thought in your mind. Replay that. 14:04.590 --> 14:09.190 This is a love song to Jesus. On the physical level, your body hates it. 14:10.150 --> 14:14.550 Your body grieves. It can't eat its chocolate cake or its ice cream. 14:15.290 --> 14:22.610 After you fast a week or two, the things you don't even really like to eat, you begin to fantasize about. 14:24.710 --> 14:34.810 Like, oh man, to have some broccoli or some Brussels sprouts just soaked in butter. 14:38.390 --> 14:47.350 Your physical body mourns when you fast. On the emotional level, eating is a very emotional thing. 14:50.430 --> 14:55.990 It can cause us to overeat. It can cause us to eat the wrong things. It can cause us to spend too much at a restaurant. 14:56.930 --> 14:59.050 Why do you think they put pictures on that menu? 15:03.250 --> 15:08.110 It's to make you go, ah, that looks so good. That's an emotional. They're grabbing you. 15:10.230 --> 15:17.730 What about the spiritual level? Do you remember the excitement and the awe and the intensity you had 15:20.010 --> 15:26.190 when you just got saved or as a new believer those first weeks and months, sometimes even a year or two? 15:28.150 --> 15:39.510 The desire to know him, this new thing that had opened up to you, the freedom, the life, the excitement, the whole thing. 15:41.550 --> 15:55.170 Do you ever long for that again? Do you ever long for that first love? And I've heard people say, I've heard ministers say, 15:55.170 --> 16:06.430 well, when love matures, it loses that. That's garbage. When the flesh gets bored, it loses that. 16:08.030 --> 16:15.830 But true love is a longing and a thirsting and a hunger after the other person. 16:15.830 --> 16:28.590 It says that the Father God pants or breathes after us. He longs for us. He longs for that relationship. 16:30.070 --> 16:37.290 But spiritually, this world is such a wretched, such a miserable, such a corrupt, such an ungodly place 16:38.130 --> 16:50.510 that that stuff tries to get on us and pull us in. Man, you can't, you can't hang out with ungodly people 16:50.510 --> 16:55.710 for a whole day, whether it be at work or whatever, and go home and feel spiritually alive. 16:57.430 --> 17:14.940 You feel kind of like yuck God on you. It tries to cool us down towards God. Make us lukewarm. Make us cold. 17:15.980 --> 17:23.700 It's continually try to harden us, harden our heart. Continually try to get us to shrink back. 17:24.560 --> 17:32.360 Like Pastor Igor was praying, we're not shrinking back. This world, this world system tries to get us to shrink back, 17:32.660 --> 17:40.520 which goes perfectly with what Jesus gave further in that scripture. Could you, there we go, we're back. 17:41.640 --> 17:49.200 This is Jesus going on and explaining. No one puts a piece of cloth that has not been shrunk on an old garment. 17:49.700 --> 17:55.780 For such a patch, tears away from the garment and a worse rent or tears made. 17:56.140 --> 18:02.420 Verse 17, neither is new wine put into old wineskins, for if it is, the skins burst and are torn in pieces 18:02.420 --> 18:09.740 and the wine is spilled and the skins are ruined, but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, so both are preserved. 18:10.580 --> 18:15.660 You know what's really interesting about those two verses? One verse he's talking about shrinking and becoming smaller. 18:16.560 --> 18:26.060 Old garments shrunk. They get brittle, they get hard, which causes them to shrink down. 18:27.700 --> 18:35.580 Are we bigger spiritually today or are we shrunk down from what we used to be? 18:41.270 --> 18:46.170 Are we still as hot or hotter after the things of God? 18:46.950 --> 18:49.450 Or have we shrunk down? 18:50.630 --> 18:56.590 The shrinking down is part of letting this world system get down on us and in us. 18:59.460 --> 19:03.880 And what he's saying is if you're shrunk down, if you're spiritually struggling, 19:04.760 --> 19:15.480 example, man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 19:17.420 --> 19:21.960 Okay, now that word there is spoken word. That's Reema. That's not logos. 19:23.660 --> 19:26.980 When it says, give us this day our daily bread, Jesus said, pray that. 19:28.900 --> 19:33.160 And then later he said, by the way, you can't live on physical bread alone. 19:33.640 --> 19:36.340 You have to have the spoken word of God. 19:37.860 --> 19:38.660 Reema word. 19:40.220 --> 19:43.220 Not just reading the Bible, but it has to come to life. 19:43.220 --> 19:45.940 The Holy Spirit needs to speak to you. 19:46.920 --> 19:49.460 Or you're going to start starving and dying. 19:49.980 --> 19:51.660 When's the last time God spoke to you? 19:53.320 --> 19:54.760 Does he speak to you daily? 19:57.360 --> 19:59.480 Or are we shrinking down? 20:01.000 --> 20:03.480 Living way below what he has for us. 20:03.700 --> 20:08.420 He says, well, I can't take something brand new and put it on a person who shriveled up spiritually. 20:09.640 --> 20:10.760 I'll destroy him. 20:12.140 --> 20:13.500 I'll just rip their life apart. 20:14.940 --> 20:17.060 So on verse 16 he's talking about shrinking. 20:17.760 --> 20:19.640 On verse 17 he's talking about expanding. 20:20.640 --> 20:23.640 Just the opposite. Neither is new wine put in old wineskins. 20:24.620 --> 20:26.900 That's a shrunk down, hardened up person. 20:27.160 --> 20:29.920 For it if it is, the skin bursts and tears it into pieces. 20:30.140 --> 20:31.540 Same concept as verse 16. 20:32.440 --> 20:35.000 But the wine is spilled and the wine is spilled, skins are ruined. 20:35.140 --> 20:38.360 But new wine is put into fresh wineskins so both are preserved. 20:40.500 --> 20:45.720 So for God to move in our life, he has to take that old shrunken cloth. 20:46.100 --> 20:53.260 He has to take that old dried up wine skin and put life back into it. Renew it. 20:57.610 --> 21:01.650 So that not only can we go back to the original size, 21:03.170 --> 21:07.390 he wants to pour in new wine that stretches us. 21:08.570 --> 21:09.930 Makes us fat. 21:09.930 --> 21:12.730 Do you know what the word anoint means? 21:14.790 --> 21:16.270 To be made fat. 21:18.370 --> 21:21.450 And we're not talking physically, we're talking spiritually. 21:22.570 --> 21:25.790 The word anoint means to make someone fat. 21:26.290 --> 21:27.630 Put that into that verse. 21:28.090 --> 21:34.030 He wants to pour an anointing into us that will enlarge us. 21:37.480 --> 21:38.380 New wineskin. 21:43.090 --> 21:44.390 So what's he saying? 21:46.230 --> 21:47.630 They asked him about fasting. 21:48.190 --> 21:49.870 He said they can't fast while I'm with them. 21:50.730 --> 21:52.530 I'll leave, then they'll fast. 21:55.230 --> 21:57.550 When they fast, this is what's going to happen. 22:01.060 --> 22:02.340 So what is he saying? 22:03.120 --> 22:05.480 What is Jesus' point on fasting? 22:06.280 --> 22:10.760 The things that he does in us when we fast, 22:11.140 --> 22:12.380 number one, verse 16, 22:13.280 --> 22:18.420 he will fix and patch what is broken and make it pliable again. 22:18.820 --> 22:21.000 He'll stop the shrinking. 22:23.180 --> 22:26.560 Not by giving us a bunch of rules, it comes out of the heart. 22:28.560 --> 22:30.220 I used to be hot after God. 22:30.340 --> 22:32.180 What did that look like for you? 22:32.180 --> 22:33.420 Everybody looks a little different. 22:33.540 --> 22:34.720 What did it look like for you? 22:36.000 --> 22:37.860 Well, I did this or I did that. 22:38.560 --> 22:40.380 I was so excited to get to church. 22:40.520 --> 22:43.380 I love to get in the Word and pray every morning. 22:43.840 --> 22:45.380 And I haven't done that for years. 22:48.560 --> 22:49.740 You're all shrunk up. 22:51.840 --> 22:53.060 You know what he's going to do? 22:53.580 --> 22:59.060 Through fasting, he's going to take that dried up thing 22:59.060 --> 23:01.120 and put life back into it 23:02.000 --> 23:05.760 so the desire comes back to you 23:06.740 --> 23:08.860 to do what you did at first. 23:09.460 --> 23:13.440 Remember that's what he told the church had lost their first love. 23:14.100 --> 23:19.360 He said, return and do the things you did at first. 23:21.800 --> 23:24.180 I need you to return to your first love. 23:29.060 --> 23:35.220 He's going to take that shrunken, shriveled thing 23:36.720 --> 23:38.960 that has reduced our spiritual world 23:38.960 --> 23:40.740 smaller and smaller and smaller. 23:41.040 --> 23:43.460 Our spiritual life less and less and less. 23:46.420 --> 23:49.260 And see, that is what he's talking about 23:49.260 --> 23:51.180 when he talks about the Laodicean church. 23:51.920 --> 23:53.860 How they thought they were doing so good 23:53.860 --> 23:56.080 because they were measuring everything in the physical realm. 23:56.780 --> 23:59.340 I got a nice house. I got a nice business. 23:59.580 --> 24:01.760 We got money. We can take vacations. 24:01.840 --> 24:05.060 And he says, you don't realize you're dying. 24:07.440 --> 24:10.540 You're wretched, poor, miserable. You're dying 24:12.320 --> 24:14.280 because we're measuring things physically. 24:14.800 --> 24:17.380 He wants us to measure things spiritually. 24:18.260 --> 24:20.560 And then the physical flows out of that. 24:21.540 --> 24:24.280 Shrunking down. What causes that? 24:24.280 --> 24:27.280 Wrong beliefs. Disappointments. 24:29.360 --> 24:31.740 Letdowns. Religion. 24:33.620 --> 24:35.760 Praying for something and it doesn't happen 24:35.760 --> 24:36.900 so you let your faith die. 24:38.920 --> 24:40.200 Bad experiences. 24:42.400 --> 24:43.180 Lost hope. 24:44.380 --> 24:45.480 What makes a marriage bad? 24:46.840 --> 24:47.700 Same stuff. 24:49.280 --> 24:51.280 Same stuff I just listed. 24:52.300 --> 24:52.880 Traditions. 24:55.260 --> 24:57.160 Traditions can shrink us up spiritually. 24:58.900 --> 25:01.560 Our willful sin. Our seared conscience. 25:07.320 --> 25:08.980 Fasting works to change that. 25:09.300 --> 25:12.540 And then it goes beyond that to revitalize us. 25:13.340 --> 25:14.040 Soften us. 25:16.560 --> 25:19.020 There is that one. I should have put it ahead sooner. 25:20.960 --> 25:23.220 There are the kind of things I was just talking about. 25:23.220 --> 25:26.220 Things that cause shrunken and shriveled. 25:27.940 --> 25:30.520 Our spiritual world gets smaller and smaller. 25:30.720 --> 25:33.640 We become less flexible. 25:34.020 --> 25:36.360 We become inflexible, unchangeable. 25:36.760 --> 25:39.060 Bless God, we know how this is supposed to be. 25:40.580 --> 25:43.660 It's all signs of you got shrunken cloth. 25:44.260 --> 25:45.340 It's gotten hard. 25:47.300 --> 25:49.540 Fasting works to revitalize that. 25:54.140 --> 25:57.360 Verse 17, the wine skin 25:57.360 --> 26:01.440 soften, renew what has become old, what's become hard, 26:01.640 --> 26:04.340 what's become inflexible, what's become brittle. 26:05.540 --> 26:07.300 Remember early in the relationship, 26:07.780 --> 26:08.940 honey, what would you like to do? 26:10.180 --> 26:11.220 Well, I don't know. 26:13.800 --> 26:16.080 And you'd work back and forth, figure it out. 26:20.610 --> 26:23.170 You watch these people have been married 30, 40 years. 26:25.930 --> 26:27.150 I wouldn't want to live with them either. 26:29.410 --> 26:30.210 Sitting in a restaurant. 26:30.510 --> 26:32.050 Well, I'm going to go to the car. I'm done. 26:32.950 --> 26:34.090 Well, I'm not done yet. 26:34.910 --> 26:36.370 Well, you come out when you're ready. 26:37.810 --> 26:39.470 And he gets up and he walks out. 26:42.110 --> 26:44.790 You feel like walking over, grabbing him by the back of the neck, 26:44.930 --> 26:46.430 dragging him back, sitting him down and said, 26:47.630 --> 26:49.310 you got to learn what it means to be a husband. 26:50.110 --> 26:52.670 This selfish thing you're living in right now, 26:54.110 --> 26:55.410 this ain't being a husband. 26:56.190 --> 26:58.170 You got no care for her whatsoever. 27:01.460 --> 27:03.720 They're coming across the parking lot in ice. 27:04.960 --> 27:06.500 And she's going like this. 27:07.920 --> 27:09.800 And he's just walking over here. 27:13.570 --> 27:15.810 You shrunken up, shriveled. 27:20.890 --> 27:22.490 There's no marriage left. 27:24.410 --> 27:27.390 God wants to revitalize that, soften that, 27:27.470 --> 27:29.150 that old brittle, hard heart. 27:33.450 --> 27:35.030 That inflexibility in us. 27:36.110 --> 27:38.490 He wants to soften it up, make it flexible again. 27:39.910 --> 27:42.210 Otherwise, when he pours in the power of the spirit 27:42.210 --> 27:44.450 and things begin to move in the spirit realm, 27:44.990 --> 27:48.050 it'll rip us apart in our thinking, in our thoughts, 27:48.390 --> 27:49.150 in our beliefs. 27:50.250 --> 27:52.590 There's a lot of people who don't like the moving in the spirit 27:52.590 --> 27:53.610 because they're afraid of it. 27:54.770 --> 27:56.890 You know what that is? That's a hard heart. 27:59.190 --> 28:00.930 Well, I don't want it to get weird. 28:01.350 --> 28:04.750 Well, you're already weird because you're resisting God. 28:08.490 --> 28:11.210 God says we should lift our hands and praise Him. 28:11.310 --> 28:12.630 When's the last time you did that? 28:16.030 --> 28:18.350 When's the last time during a praise and worship service 28:18.350 --> 28:21.170 you got down in your knees and you lifted your hands 28:21.170 --> 28:22.410 and you honored God. 28:22.910 --> 28:25.210 Those are kneeling is a way of worship. 28:25.590 --> 28:27.090 Lifting hands is a way of worship. 28:27.370 --> 28:30.370 And speaking is another Hebrew word for a way of worship. 28:30.710 --> 28:31.930 When's the last time you did that? 28:35.010 --> 28:37.450 Some of us has been months or years. 28:39.030 --> 28:40.950 But we think we're okay spiritually. 28:42.390 --> 28:44.310 And the heart longing. 28:46.270 --> 28:47.370 The love. 28:48.770 --> 28:53.190 The relationship is dried up like an old prune. 28:55.010 --> 28:57.910 You say, well, how do I fix it? You fast. 28:59.330 --> 29:01.710 Because much of the problem is in the flesh. 29:03.410 --> 29:05.130 And it needs to be put under. 29:07.210 --> 29:08.430 It needs to be controlled. 29:12.010 --> 29:14.590 We're weak in faith, fear of man, 29:16.850 --> 29:18.450 unaccepting of new. We're just rigid. 29:18.650 --> 29:20.390 We're unchangeable. We're skeptical. 29:22.670 --> 29:25.170 And all those sins that we've lived with all these years, 29:25.310 --> 29:27.850 our heart is so calloused over. It doesn't even bother us anymore. 29:28.670 --> 29:30.990 To begin with, it's like, you know, it bothers me when I... 29:30.990 --> 29:33.350 I got to work on this, but we just kept doing it. 29:33.630 --> 29:34.970 After a while, it's like we think, 29:35.050 --> 29:36.630 well, maybe God must have got good with it 29:36.630 --> 29:38.410 because I'm not even bothered anymore 29:38.410 --> 29:39.890 when I keep doing that same old thing. 29:40.530 --> 29:41.610 No, you know what the difference is? 29:43.010 --> 29:47.110 Your heart calloused over so hard, there's no feeling left. 29:49.230 --> 29:53.130 It's not God saying, okay, I realize you're struggling with this area. 29:53.550 --> 29:55.490 I'm good with it. I won't bother you about it anymore. 29:56.410 --> 30:00.690 No, you're so hard, so rigid, so inflexible, 30:01.710 --> 30:03.390 the searing of your conscience, 30:05.030 --> 30:07.230 you can't feel the conviction anymore. 30:07.230 --> 30:07.930 Yes. 30:09.730 --> 30:11.950 How do you fix that? Fasting. 30:13.410 --> 30:13.930 Fasting. 30:16.010 --> 30:17.430 Prayer and fasting. 30:18.450 --> 30:20.890 Let's look at the Old Testament, what he talked about there. 30:22.090 --> 30:24.650 Why have we fasted, they say, and you do not see it? 30:24.710 --> 30:27.570 Well, they were all upset because they're complaining 30:27.570 --> 30:29.910 because they're fasting and God's not paying any attention. 30:30.950 --> 30:34.050 Why have we afflicted ourselves and you take no knowledge of it? 30:34.910 --> 30:37.910 Now, you got to cut these people's slack because they weren't even saved. 30:39.850 --> 30:42.570 You know, salvation hadn't been bought and paid for yet. 30:43.370 --> 30:48.750 They're just plain old, fleshly corrupt beings trying to do what God tells them to do. 30:49.750 --> 30:51.950 So sometimes when I listen to, you know, 30:53.350 --> 30:55.550 well, God, it's like a little kid saying, 30:55.570 --> 30:57.470 I took out the garbage, where's my reward? 30:58.050 --> 31:00.830 It's like, well, yeah, they weren't even saved. 31:02.190 --> 31:04.310 But let's go on, God's going to give them some advice. 31:05.750 --> 31:07.950 Behold, O Israel, on the day of your fast, 31:08.870 --> 31:11.010 when you should be grieving for your sins. 31:12.370 --> 31:14.750 See, that goes back to that phrase I said, 31:14.890 --> 31:17.830 when's the last time you said, oh God, I'm so sorry for failing you? 31:19.470 --> 31:20.490 I'm so sorry. 31:22.450 --> 31:23.670 Grieving for your sins. 31:24.930 --> 31:26.810 Because news, newsflash, 31:28.110 --> 31:29.730 we all sinned yesterday. 31:31.210 --> 31:33.110 Probably some of us today already. 31:44.990 --> 31:47.170 You find profit in your business, 31:47.290 --> 31:50.550 instead of stopping all work as the law implies you should do, 31:51.030 --> 31:53.830 you extort your hired servants the full amount of labor. 31:54.130 --> 31:57.610 So you're fasting, but you're not changing anything 31:57.610 --> 31:59.630 and how you're conducting your life 31:59.630 --> 32:01.090 and what you're doing is wrong. 32:01.090 --> 32:06.270 Verse 4, the facts are that you fast only for strife and debate 32:06.270 --> 32:08.190 and to smite with the fists and wickedness. 32:08.250 --> 32:10.290 So in other words, how you live when you're not fasting 32:10.290 --> 32:12.390 to when you are fasting, no difference. 32:13.430 --> 32:16.710 Fasting as you do today will not cause your voice to be heard on high. 32:18.250 --> 32:19.710 Huh, well that's interesting. 32:20.750 --> 32:23.170 Is such a fast as yours what I have chosen? 32:23.650 --> 32:26.750 A day for a man to humble himself with sorrow to his soul? 32:27.370 --> 32:30.690 Is true fasting merely mechanical? 32:31.190 --> 32:33.970 I love that, the way they amplified put that phrase in 32:33.970 --> 32:36.690 because that brings out what Jesus said, 32:37.930 --> 32:39.630 the days coming they will mourn. 32:39.750 --> 32:42.950 Mourning is not mechanical, mourning is a cry of the heart. 32:48.420 --> 32:51.000 Is it only to bow his head like a bullrush 32:51.000 --> 32:53.000 and spread sackcloth and ashes under him 32:53.000 --> 32:56.880 to indicate a condition of heart that he does not have? 32:57.000 --> 32:59.600 I'm going to do all the actions like I'm mourning 32:59.600 --> 33:01.480 but I really don't care. 33:02.720 --> 33:05.700 Will you call this a fast and acceptable day for the Lord? 33:06.880 --> 33:10.300 Verse 6, rather is this not the fast I have chosen? 33:12.900 --> 33:18.680 Now read this with the knowledge that Jesus gave us. 33:20.380 --> 33:23.280 Fasting is to change us. 33:24.820 --> 33:26.120 Remember, we just read that. 33:27.740 --> 33:31.480 Is this not the kind of fast I've chosen to loose the bonds of wickedness? 33:31.640 --> 33:34.060 In who? In us. 33:35.540 --> 33:39.940 To undo the bands of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free 33:39.940 --> 33:44.000 and that you break every enslaving yoke. 33:45.400 --> 33:48.960 Where does that happen? In us. 33:52.380 --> 33:55.700 When we change, our world changes. 33:56.620 --> 33:58.340 He's starting with us. 33:59.640 --> 34:03.820 If you read the Old Testament first and then go to what Jesus said 34:03.820 --> 34:06.040 and don't understand, Jesus said, 34:06.120 --> 34:09.820 fasting is to do something in you, the cloth, the wine skin. 34:10.020 --> 34:11.600 Fasting is to change you. 34:12.080 --> 34:14.260 If you read this without that knowledge, 34:16.280 --> 34:18.620 I believe that's where we get the thing of, 34:18.680 --> 34:22.920 well I'm going to fast and force other people to be free. 34:24.140 --> 34:30.020 I'm going to fast for my husband and he will have to be set free. 34:31.180 --> 34:33.580 If your husband will fast, he'll be set free. 34:34.600 --> 34:37.180 We can't force it on him because according to Jesus, 34:37.520 --> 34:40.340 fasting does the work in us, not them. 34:44.950 --> 34:46.290 So kind of keep that in mind. 34:46.450 --> 34:49.990 Verse 7, is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, bring homeless, 34:50.390 --> 34:52.570 pour into your house when you see the naked, 34:52.570 --> 34:56.830 that you cover him or that you hide not yourself from the needs of your own flesh and blood. 34:57.210 --> 35:01.350 Okay, so now I've even preached this and I can't say it's totally wrong 35:01.350 --> 35:02.930 but I'm leaning against it now. 35:04.230 --> 35:07.370 I've heard it, I've even mentioned it or preached it that 35:08.330 --> 35:10.190 different ways to fast. 35:11.150 --> 35:12.670 Dividing your bread with the hungry 35:13.690 --> 35:16.550 and bringing the homeless, pour into your house. 35:16.590 --> 35:17.670 That's a way to fast. 35:18.850 --> 35:20.550 Cover them when you see them naked. 35:20.550 --> 35:22.250 Give them clothes, that's a way to fast. 35:23.090 --> 35:25.990 And that you hide not yourself from the needs of your own flesh and blood. 35:26.130 --> 35:28.150 Take care of your children, take care of your family. 35:28.430 --> 35:29.470 It's a way of fasting. 35:30.950 --> 35:32.930 Well, if you read the Old Testament first, 35:34.170 --> 35:36.710 then it sounds like these are all different ways of fasting 35:36.710 --> 35:39.430 except for the fact the word fast means to abstain from food. 35:42.690 --> 35:45.270 But if you read Jesus first 35:46.010 --> 35:49.690 and say when we fast it changes us, 35:50.650 --> 35:52.230 when we're changed 35:53.750 --> 35:57.110 then we're willing to divide our bread with the hungry 35:57.690 --> 35:59.650 where before we probably weren't. 36:00.910 --> 36:02.330 Fasting changed that. 36:03.170 --> 36:05.530 We're willing to do something for the homeless. 36:06.830 --> 36:09.270 Where before all we would do is criticize them. 36:09.950 --> 36:12.590 They just get out there and get a job and blah blah blah blah blah. 36:13.810 --> 36:16.910 Fasting will change it to we're actually willing to do something. 36:17.570 --> 36:19.250 We're willing to give clothes. 36:19.450 --> 36:23.190 We're willing to do something to make sure our family is taken care of. 36:25.590 --> 36:29.490 Fasting changes us which changes how we live. 36:33.690 --> 36:37.970 Fasting changes us which changes how we live. 36:41.790 --> 36:42.670 Next verse. 36:43.150 --> 36:46.070 Behold, O Israel, on the day of your fast 36:46.070 --> 36:48.410 when you should be grieving for your sins 36:49.670 --> 36:51.510 you find profit in your business. 36:53.010 --> 36:54.090 We read this already. 36:54.290 --> 36:55.530 Instead of stopping all your work 36:55.530 --> 36:57.030 you just go on as normal 36:57.030 --> 36:58.770 but you're just going without a meal 36:58.770 --> 37:00.990 and you're looking like you're doing the right thing 37:00.990 --> 37:03.090 and it's not coming out of your heart. 37:04.690 --> 37:06.810 He said this is the fast I've chosen 37:06.810 --> 37:08.390 which we read that already. 37:08.910 --> 37:10.190 Verse 6 and 7. 37:11.470 --> 37:13.330 Divide your bread for the hungry and so forth. 37:17.370 --> 37:22.810 Fasting is not a mechanical rote we do 37:22.810 --> 37:27.110 to earn credit or a star with God. 37:31.710 --> 37:33.190 Well, I'm going to fast 37:34.090 --> 37:37.170 and then God has to do things in my life. 37:37.830 --> 37:40.650 It's not the motive for fasting according to Jesus. 37:42.510 --> 37:45.650 The motive for fasting is I want more of him. 37:47.870 --> 37:48.730 That's the motive. 37:49.530 --> 37:50.730 Otherwise, you know what we're doing? 37:50.890 --> 37:51.710 We're messing with grace. 37:53.970 --> 37:55.870 Well, I'm going to fast for three days 37:55.870 --> 37:57.330 then you watch God move. 37:57.590 --> 37:58.450 What are you telling me? 37:58.570 --> 37:59.170 You earned it now? 38:00.610 --> 38:02.850 Now you're good enough because you fasted? 38:05.030 --> 38:07.450 Do you know why things change after we fast? 38:08.770 --> 38:10.190 Because we changed. 38:12.550 --> 38:13.590 We changed. 38:14.630 --> 38:17.750 All of a sudden those areas that were hindering us 38:17.750 --> 38:20.290 God goes in there and he starts ripping them apart 38:20.290 --> 38:21.370 and ripping them out. 38:21.710 --> 38:24.230 And pretty soon we have the ability 38:24.230 --> 38:26.330 to operate in the spiritual things 38:26.330 --> 38:28.470 that we didn't have before we fasted. 38:28.570 --> 38:31.070 And we think it was our physical effort 38:31.070 --> 38:32.330 that made it happen. 38:32.490 --> 38:34.570 Where in reality it wasn't. 38:34.790 --> 38:37.590 It was the change that God did in us 38:37.590 --> 38:38.750 while we were fasting 38:38.750 --> 38:41.830 that broke the yoke, opened the bondages 38:41.830 --> 38:44.270 and let the spirit begin to flow. 38:45.510 --> 38:46.870 There's a huge difference. 38:49.290 --> 38:53.470 And I'm getting over a little run 38:53.470 --> 38:55.690 the flu had at me in the cough 38:56.670 --> 38:58.190 so I don't want to bark at you. 39:03.060 --> 39:04.560 So I'll put it in my cheek 39:05.840 --> 39:07.640 so that you don't think it's snuff. 39:18.320 --> 39:20.000 Fasting changes us 39:20.000 --> 39:21.600 to be a different person. 39:23.140 --> 39:25.480 You say, well, how do you know that for a fact? 39:25.620 --> 39:27.160 Why should I go through the hassle of it? 39:27.360 --> 39:28.640 It's hard. I know it's hard. 39:30.680 --> 39:31.760 It'll change us. 39:33.340 --> 39:34.620 That's why we need to do it. 39:36.220 --> 39:37.420 What will it do in me? 39:39.380 --> 39:41.360 Well, I'll show you what it will do in us, 39:41.400 --> 39:44.900 but that actually is not the best question. 39:47.280 --> 39:48.840 Fasting should be coming from 39:48.840 --> 39:51.240 I need more of God. I need wisdom. 39:51.460 --> 39:52.820 I need God to help me. 39:52.900 --> 39:54.260 I want intimacy with God. 39:54.600 --> 39:57.380 Why are you not speaking to me anymore? 39:57.820 --> 39:58.980 Why does the word, 39:59.780 --> 40:00.920 why does praise and worship, 40:01.100 --> 40:03.100 why do these things not excite me anymore? 40:03.320 --> 40:04.620 Why am I so critical? 40:04.880 --> 40:06.300 Why am I so judgmental? 40:06.520 --> 40:08.120 I need more of God. 40:08.600 --> 40:10.180 That's the motive for fasting. 40:11.020 --> 40:13.440 You're mourning over the loss 40:13.440 --> 40:14.980 of what you should have. 40:15.320 --> 40:17.320 Religion says, oh, you're fine. 40:17.320 --> 40:17.560 You're fine. 40:19.080 --> 40:20.440 How long have you been living for the Lord? 40:20.580 --> 40:22.980 40 years? Yeah, you're doing great. 40:23.080 --> 40:24.680 Everybody's crusty and crabby 40:24.680 --> 40:26.300 after 40 years of living for God. 40:27.840 --> 40:28.920 You're fine. 40:33.260 --> 40:35.500 That's why we don't even entertain fasting. 40:36.220 --> 40:38.200 We don't even entertain mourning 40:38.200 --> 40:39.580 for what we should have. 40:40.100 --> 40:41.860 God, what's wrong with me? 40:42.620 --> 40:44.560 I don't even cross our lips. 40:45.540 --> 40:47.420 Because we think we're fine. 40:48.820 --> 40:50.540 Because religion, tradition, 40:52.180 --> 40:53.940 the standards that were set, 40:54.320 --> 40:55.360 say we're fine. 40:56.100 --> 40:57.800 But yet if you'll really stop 40:57.800 --> 40:58.820 and take a look inward, 40:58.980 --> 41:00.400 we're not where we should be, 41:00.480 --> 41:03.060 and we know we're not where we should be. 41:04.640 --> 41:05.960 And then Christians will say, 41:06.240 --> 41:07.860 well, I know I'm not where I should be. 41:07.960 --> 41:08.880 Why aren't you? 41:11.360 --> 41:13.000 I mean, just stop and think about that statement. 41:13.120 --> 41:14.540 Well, I know I'm not what I should be. 41:14.820 --> 41:15.860 And what are you doing about it? 41:17.500 --> 41:19.580 You think God's happy with us when we say, 41:19.660 --> 41:21.480 God, I know I'm not doing what you want me to do, 41:21.540 --> 41:23.220 but it's the way it is, I guess. 41:23.620 --> 41:24.180 Get over it. 41:26.020 --> 41:27.540 That's basically what we're saying. 41:28.900 --> 41:30.400 Could you do better as a Christian? 41:30.580 --> 41:32.320 Oh, absolutely. I could do things. 41:32.460 --> 41:33.920 But why aren't you doing it better then? 41:37.380 --> 41:39.300 Because you're living tradition and religion, 41:39.620 --> 41:40.240 not relationship. 41:42.480 --> 41:44.140 You're living like that bad marriage. 41:46.320 --> 41:48.340 Honey, I thought we paid this bill off already. 41:48.460 --> 41:49.340 Why is it overdue? 41:50.520 --> 41:51.320 Give me that. 41:53.900 --> 41:54.860 Mind your own business. 41:55.080 --> 41:55.760 I'll take care of that. 41:55.840 --> 41:57.700 Oh, you're just a gem to be married to. 41:59.800 --> 42:01.020 Krabby crossed the old. 42:05.880 --> 42:07.220 Ever crossed your mind to say, 42:07.280 --> 42:08.720 honey, I'm sorry I forgot that. 42:08.920 --> 42:10.640 I got busy and I overlooked it. 42:10.700 --> 42:12.580 I'm sorry. I'll take care of it. 42:12.680 --> 42:13.140 I'm sorry, honey. 42:14.760 --> 42:16.320 I would never apologize to her. 42:16.320 --> 42:17.120 That's your problem. 42:19.660 --> 42:20.620 That's your problem. 42:21.300 --> 42:22.400 Your heart is so hard. 42:27.580 --> 42:29.640 Fasting will change us from being ungodly 42:29.640 --> 42:30.560 to being more godly. 42:32.140 --> 42:34.560 The supernatural things that are supposed to be flowing 42:34.560 --> 42:35.980 in our life will begin happening. 42:36.160 --> 42:38.660 Our hard heart will soften like the cloth. 42:39.520 --> 42:40.840 Like the wine skin. 42:41.740 --> 42:42.700 Will be made new. 42:44.660 --> 42:45.480 Reading on. 42:46.100 --> 42:47.260 You say, what's it going to do for me? 42:48.700 --> 42:51.200 Then shall your light break forth 42:51.200 --> 42:52.360 like in the morning. 42:54.380 --> 42:56.460 You know why some people are spiritually weak? 42:58.100 --> 42:59.640 How can you tell if you're spiritually weak? 43:00.340 --> 43:01.880 When you pray, nothing happens. 43:04.980 --> 43:06.140 You're probably starving 43:06.140 --> 43:07.840 because you haven't been in the Word for months. 43:09.460 --> 43:11.460 Why read my verse for the day? 43:14.560 --> 43:16.660 Okay, well let's put that into the physical. 43:17.780 --> 43:19.620 Here's your piece of broccoli for the day. 43:19.880 --> 43:21.300 You don't need any more than that. 43:22.500 --> 43:24.220 If you get hungry, it's on you. 43:25.960 --> 43:27.700 Here's your french fry for the day. 43:29.040 --> 43:30.440 How long would we last 43:30.440 --> 43:31.680 and we'd be starving to death? 43:33.200 --> 43:34.820 Well I read my verse for the day. 43:36.340 --> 43:38.740 I'm not talking just about the logos word. 43:38.820 --> 43:40.640 I'm talking about you're in the word enough 43:40.640 --> 43:43.020 that the Holy Spirit actually begins to speak to you. 43:43.420 --> 43:46.200 Man does not live by bread alone 43:46.200 --> 43:49.360 but by every word that is spoken. 43:49.620 --> 43:51.960 Reema, the Holy Spirit speaking to us. 43:53.220 --> 43:55.440 You know why a lot of times for Christians 43:56.380 --> 43:59.400 our life has no effect on people around us. 43:59.480 --> 44:02.120 Our light is not breaking forth on anybody. 44:03.950 --> 44:05.100 We refuse to fast. 44:07.970 --> 44:09.220 We refuse to change. 44:11.120 --> 44:12.480 And fasting would change us. 44:13.340 --> 44:15.000 Your healing in your restoration 44:15.000 --> 44:17.560 and the power of your new life 44:17.560 --> 44:20.540 shall spring forth speedily. 44:21.760 --> 44:24.520 Well I don't know, I've prayed and I've asked 44:24.520 --> 44:27.120 and I've done things to get healed 44:27.120 --> 44:28.260 and I'm still not healed. 44:33.270 --> 44:34.550 Have you fasted? 44:37.570 --> 44:39.190 You know I'm not going into this part 44:39.190 --> 44:41.390 but there's a ton of information online 44:42.190 --> 44:45.570 how that fasting heals people. 44:47.150 --> 44:47.550 Physically. 44:48.650 --> 44:49.870 Nothing to do with God. 44:51.090 --> 44:52.370 It just doesn't work in us. 44:52.390 --> 44:55.310 I had a friend who was dying of liver disease. 44:55.770 --> 44:59.830 He had diabetes and numerous things. 45:00.810 --> 45:02.150 And the doctor told him, he said, 45:02.170 --> 45:03.650 I'm giving you six months to live. 45:06.230 --> 45:07.950 He said, well he was overweight 45:07.950 --> 45:09.910 and his body was just a mess. 45:11.210 --> 45:12.330 And he went home and he thought, 45:12.370 --> 45:13.090 I ain't going to do that. 45:13.090 --> 45:18.950 He wanted this whole pile of medicines. 45:19.910 --> 45:20.910 He said, I ain't going to do that. 45:20.970 --> 45:22.070 So he started searching online 45:22.070 --> 45:23.970 and he discovered some doctors telling him 45:23.970 --> 45:25.350 you can reverse all that with fasting. 45:26.450 --> 45:30.150 He went on a 72-day fast. 45:31.610 --> 45:33.730 He fasted for 72 days. 45:35.450 --> 45:37.010 He went back to the doctor. 45:37.350 --> 45:38.330 He said, check everything again. 45:40.770 --> 45:42.070 Everything was gone. 45:43.510 --> 45:44.770 Diabetes was gone. 45:45.350 --> 45:48.210 His liver had no signs of a problem whatsoever. 45:49.050 --> 45:52.650 The bodily totally restored itself 45:53.730 --> 45:54.870 through fasting. 45:56.170 --> 45:57.770 Which makes perfect sense. 45:58.730 --> 46:00.250 He said, you're healing. 46:00.730 --> 46:02.290 You're restoration. You're no life. 46:02.430 --> 46:04.150 We'll spring forward if you fast. 46:05.210 --> 46:06.570 Sometimes we don't get healed 46:06.570 --> 46:08.570 because we're just plain don't fast. 46:10.010 --> 46:10.910 Your righteousness, 46:12.270 --> 46:13.470 rightness, justice, 46:14.330 --> 46:15.790 right relationship with God 46:15.790 --> 46:17.790 shall go before you. 46:18.130 --> 46:19.110 Peace and prosperity. 46:19.950 --> 46:21.350 These things come by fasting. 46:22.710 --> 46:23.830 And the glory of the Lord 46:23.830 --> 46:25.030 shall be your rear guard. 46:25.830 --> 46:28.330 We many times live our life 46:28.330 --> 46:30.450 out of the protection of God 46:30.450 --> 46:33.150 because we haven't fasted in years. 46:35.190 --> 46:37.790 Fasting produces our rear guard. 46:38.150 --> 46:40.170 Nothing's going to sneak up on me 46:40.170 --> 46:40.970 and get me. 46:42.330 --> 46:43.790 I'm protected by God. 46:44.490 --> 46:44.570 Why? 46:45.230 --> 46:46.030 Because I'm fasting. 46:47.450 --> 46:48.650 Then you will call 46:49.070 --> 46:50.190 and the Lord will answer. 46:52.190 --> 46:53.230 Oh, pastor. 46:53.930 --> 46:55.070 Does that mean that 46:55.070 --> 46:57.050 he'd actually answer some of my prayers? 46:57.170 --> 46:57.910 I don't know. Try it. 46:57.950 --> 46:58.610 You might be surprised. 47:00.530 --> 47:01.690 Try some fasting. 47:03.230 --> 47:04.350 Well, it doesn't seem like 47:04.350 --> 47:05.610 he answers some of my prayers. 47:06.510 --> 47:07.970 Certain areas he doesn't answer. 47:07.970 --> 47:08.670 Try fasting. 47:09.930 --> 47:12.010 God, I need you 47:12.010 --> 47:13.950 to work in my life 47:13.950 --> 47:14.970 in this area. 47:15.450 --> 47:17.970 I pray and it seems like 47:17.970 --> 47:19.470 nothing happens. 47:20.710 --> 47:22.210 Let that rise up 47:22.210 --> 47:23.730 in a grief and in a mourning 47:23.730 --> 47:24.390 of God. 47:24.510 --> 47:25.490 I know it's bought and paid for. 47:25.610 --> 47:26.290 Your word says so. 47:27.330 --> 47:28.090 I need it. 47:30.930 --> 47:32.850 Then you shall call 47:32.850 --> 47:34.290 and the Lord will answer. 47:35.070 --> 47:36.070 You shall cry 47:36.070 --> 47:37.090 and he shall say, 47:37.430 --> 47:38.310 here I am. 47:38.650 --> 47:39.710 Well, I can't hear his voice. 47:39.970 --> 47:40.530 Try fasting. 47:41.510 --> 47:43.090 Because then you shall cry 47:43.090 --> 47:44.030 and he shall say, 47:44.430 --> 47:45.210 here I am. 47:45.290 --> 47:46.070 Oh, you're going to hear him. 47:47.090 --> 47:47.310 Ooh. 47:51.920 --> 47:52.820 If you take away 47:52.820 --> 47:53.520 from your midst 47:53.520 --> 47:54.820 the yoke of oppression. 47:55.020 --> 47:55.600 In other words, 47:55.940 --> 47:57.580 quit living so ungodly. 47:58.940 --> 47:59.860 Verse 10. 48:00.360 --> 48:01.780 And if you pour out that which 48:01.780 --> 48:03.640 you sustain your own life 48:03.640 --> 48:04.980 for the hungry and satisfy 48:05.620 --> 48:07.360 the need of the afflicted. 48:07.360 --> 48:09.440 In other words, let fasting 48:09.440 --> 48:11.160 change how you live. 48:11.680 --> 48:13.240 Then your light will rise 48:13.240 --> 48:13.820 in darkness. 48:14.280 --> 48:15.960 Your obscurity and gloom 48:15.960 --> 48:17.860 will become like the noon day. 48:18.160 --> 48:19.780 Now you will begin to affect 48:19.780 --> 48:20.740 the world for God. 48:22.420 --> 48:24.120 And the Lord shall guide 48:24.120 --> 48:25.460 you continually, 48:26.500 --> 48:27.680 led by the spirit, 48:28.360 --> 48:29.960 and satisfy you 48:29.960 --> 48:30.460 and drought, 48:31.020 --> 48:32.140 and in dry places, 48:33.360 --> 48:34.660 you're going to be drought proof. 48:36.700 --> 48:37.900 We don't know where the 48:37.900 --> 48:38.640 economy is going. 48:38.840 --> 48:39.960 Well, then you should start fasting 48:40.960 --> 48:42.220 because fasting will make you 48:42.220 --> 48:42.720 drought proof. 48:46.440 --> 48:47.520 And your bones 48:48.080 --> 48:49.160 will be strong. 48:51.200 --> 48:52.400 There's a lot of our health 48:52.400 --> 48:53.620 comes out of our bones. 48:54.280 --> 48:54.800 The bone marrow. 48:56.340 --> 48:58.300 And you shall be like a water garden, 48:58.500 --> 48:59.300 a spring of water 48:59.840 --> 49:02.140 whose waters fail not. 49:03.700 --> 49:04.980 Well, I just feel dry 49:04.980 --> 49:06.220 and empty. Start fasting. 49:08.300 --> 49:09.120 Go to God 49:09.120 --> 49:10.900 and say go for the right reason. 49:11.320 --> 49:13.040 God, you're the vine. 49:13.200 --> 49:13.700 I'm the branch. 49:14.780 --> 49:16.720 This thing should be flowing through me and it's not. 49:17.860 --> 49:19.260 I need you to fix that. 49:20.520 --> 49:21.620 And start fasting. 49:22.980 --> 49:24.100 And your ancient ruins 49:24.100 --> 49:24.900 shall be rebuilt. 49:25.060 --> 49:26.460 This is all generational stuff 49:26.460 --> 49:27.840 that's kind of go through your family. 49:28.380 --> 49:30.140 And your ancient rules shall be rebuilt 49:30.140 --> 49:31.340 and you shall raise up foundation 49:31.340 --> 49:32.860 of buildings that have laid waste 49:32.860 --> 49:34.080 for many generations. 49:34.800 --> 49:36.560 And you shall be called repair of the breach, 49:36.720 --> 49:38.660 restore of the streets to dwell in. 49:41.620 --> 49:43.020 Get me changed 49:43.020 --> 49:44.980 and now I can change 49:44.980 --> 49:46.540 what's happening in my lineage. 49:47.540 --> 49:49.720 Why fast? Because it changes us. 49:50.580 --> 49:52.380 And the supernatural begins 49:52.380 --> 49:54.380 changing around us 49:54.380 --> 49:55.360 because it begins flowing 49:55.360 --> 49:56.880 through us differently. 49:58.700 --> 49:59.700 Our theme 49:59.700 --> 50:01.220 for the open heavens this year 50:01.220 --> 50:03.400 was that we put out to all the speakers is this. 50:04.940 --> 50:05.800 As the last 50:05.800 --> 50:06.540 day's church 50:07.140 --> 50:09.120 living in the layer to see an age 50:10.840 --> 50:11.620 what do you 50:11.620 --> 50:13.640 see them as the speaker? What do you see 50:13.640 --> 50:15.660 the church in America is needing right now? 50:17.500 --> 50:19.220 What does the Lord emphasizing 50:19.220 --> 50:20.580 needs to be done 50:21.440 --> 50:22.500 in the church 50:23.220 --> 50:23.920 right now? 50:30.250 --> 50:31.930 One of the things, if I were going to answer 50:31.930 --> 50:34.210 the question, one of the things that rises 50:34.210 --> 50:34.850 up in me 50:37.090 --> 50:37.630 is 50:40.690 --> 50:41.870 most of the American 50:41.870 --> 50:42.390 Christians 50:43.770 --> 50:45.750 and I can throw myself into this too 50:49.040 --> 50:51.260 we want what Jesus can 50:51.260 --> 50:52.480 do for us 50:53.340 --> 50:54.960 but we don't necessarily 50:54.960 --> 50:56.100 want Jesus. 50:59.040 --> 51:01.240 We want him to heal us. We want him to 51:01.240 --> 51:03.080 provide for us. We want him to give us wisdom. 51:03.620 --> 51:05.320 We want him to do 51:05.320 --> 51:07.160 supernatural things in our life. We want him 51:07.160 --> 51:08.980 to fix our marriage. We want him to take care 51:08.980 --> 51:11.160 of our children. We want him. We want him. We want 51:11.160 --> 51:11.340 him. 51:13.640 --> 51:15.340 What if he wouldn't do any 51:15.340 --> 51:16.580 of this stuff for us? 51:16.800 --> 51:18.180 Would you still want him? 51:22.520 --> 51:23.360 Do we want 51:23.360 --> 51:24.740 him just because of what he does? 51:25.940 --> 51:27.240 Or do we want him 51:27.240 --> 51:28.560 because of who he is? 51:30.260 --> 51:31.680 Do you know what I just described 51:31.680 --> 51:33.540 to you? First love. 51:36.820 --> 51:39.120 What are some of the characteristics of that 51:39.120 --> 51:39.720 first love? 51:41.760 --> 51:42.880 Love is blind. 51:45.420 --> 51:47.120 It is. It really is. 51:48.420 --> 51:50.980 When you're growing and learning 51:50.980 --> 51:52.380 to love somebody 51:53.180 --> 51:55.100 you will trust them 51:55.100 --> 51:56.360 with all your heart 51:57.400 --> 51:58.940 with all your life 51:58.940 --> 52:00.980 with all your mind 52:00.980 --> 52:02.640 with all your strength. Trust in the Lord 52:02.640 --> 52:04.160 with all your heart, soul, mind and strength 52:05.340 --> 52:06.580 Proverbs 3.5 52:08.760 --> 52:09.800 You'll trust them. 52:11.080 --> 52:12.840 Now in the human sense that can go 52:12.840 --> 52:14.500 bad because others are looking in going 52:14.500 --> 52:15.840 what in the world are they? 52:16.580 --> 52:18.960 Love's got to be blind man. This woman 52:18.960 --> 52:21.000 is a problem and he just trusts 52:21.000 --> 52:21.400 her. 52:23.240 --> 52:24.560 Well the point is this 52:24.560 --> 52:26.320 to return to our first love 52:26.320 --> 52:28.460 we have to return to that blind trust 52:29.900 --> 52:30.900 when we're continually 52:30.900 --> 52:32.060 questioning Jesus 52:32.060 --> 52:34.160 why did you do this? Why is this happening in life? 52:34.300 --> 52:35.500 God, what are you doing? What are you doing? 52:35.600 --> 52:36.640 You've lost your first love 52:40.810 --> 52:42.790 because you're actually trying to take the blame 52:42.790 --> 52:43.730 and put it on him 52:45.890 --> 52:46.970 like a bad marriage 52:49.830 --> 52:51.410 there is not once 52:51.410 --> 52:53.470 he ever has or ever will 52:54.030 --> 52:54.830 fail us 52:57.110 --> 52:57.910 quit questioning 52:57.910 --> 52:59.810 and distrusting him 53:00.370 --> 53:02.050 that's a loss of first love 53:03.610 --> 53:06.070 first love, people who are in that first love 53:06.070 --> 53:08.070 they are looking forward to the future 53:08.070 --> 53:10.150 with excitement and anticipation 53:13.030 --> 53:14.690 it's why they get up in the morning 53:16.070 --> 53:18.030 it's why they don't go to bed at night 53:20.610 --> 53:21.790 they'll spend hours 53:21.790 --> 53:22.990 with this person 53:23.770 --> 53:26.230 because life is going to be so great together 53:26.230 --> 53:28.090 that's a quality of first love 53:34.780 --> 53:36.660 don't tell me, I know we were younger then 53:37.920 --> 53:39.400 but don't tell me that 53:39.400 --> 53:41.420 you weren't tired sometimes 53:42.720 --> 53:44.180 when she said could you come over 53:44.180 --> 53:45.560 and spend some time with me 53:46.940 --> 53:47.720 and you're going 53:49.600 --> 53:51.460 I just put in a 12-hour day 53:53.120 --> 53:54.280 I'll be right there 53:56.500 --> 53:59.460 because you had to? No, actually you wanted to 54:02.040 --> 54:02.400 no 54:02.400 --> 54:03.420 now at the end of the day 54:03.420 --> 54:05.140 the Lord taps us on the shoulder 54:05.140 --> 54:07.460 and says could you spend a little time with me before you go to bed 54:08.420 --> 54:10.520 do you have any idea what you're asking me to do? 54:12.280 --> 54:13.000 I'm exhausted 54:14.020 --> 54:15.000 I'll talk to you tomorrow 54:17.040 --> 54:18.720 that's not a sign of first love 54:20.600 --> 54:21.520 first love is 54:22.780 --> 54:23.780 yeah, I'm tired 54:23.780 --> 54:24.340 but I'm there 54:25.200 --> 54:26.140 I'll do it for you 54:31.240 --> 54:33.360 there's many characteristics of first love 54:33.360 --> 54:34.620 that are acted out 54:34.620 --> 54:35.660 that's why he told 54:36.200 --> 54:37.160 the church 54:37.160 --> 54:39.620 return back to your first love 54:39.620 --> 54:41.620 and do the things you did at first 54:51.240 --> 54:52.420 just close your eyes 54:52.420 --> 54:54.400 and let this question sink in 54:57.320 --> 55:00.400 are we as hot after God as we used to be? 55:01.600 --> 55:03.400 if not, we've grown lukewarm 55:04.840 --> 55:06.340 are we as passionate 55:06.340 --> 55:08.740 about the things of God 55:08.740 --> 55:09.800 as we used to be 55:11.180 --> 55:12.980 if not, we've grown lukewarm 55:12.980 --> 55:13.960 maybe even cold 55:19.420 --> 55:20.380 does our heart 55:21.040 --> 55:22.820 and spirit light up 55:22.820 --> 55:23.960 and burn within us 55:23.960 --> 55:25.780 when we get into the presence of God 55:27.460 --> 55:28.520 like it used to 55:36.860 --> 55:38.920 do we go out of our way 55:41.560 --> 55:42.760 to please him 55:47.740 --> 55:49.400 do we go out of our way 55:49.400 --> 55:51.700 to get in a position where we hear his voice 56:00.990 --> 56:03.150 see, these are all things of first love 56:06.110 --> 56:08.810 and if we've experienced them 56:08.810 --> 56:09.990 but lost them 56:11.470 --> 56:12.450 then we've 56:12.450 --> 56:14.570 backslid, we've gone back into lukewarmness 56:15.130 --> 56:16.290 maybe even coldness 56:27.000 --> 56:29.360 that's when things in our Christian life 56:30.180 --> 56:31.080 quit working 56:33.020 --> 56:36.060 you say, why would he stop doing things for me 56:36.060 --> 56:37.680 and threw me and in me 56:37.680 --> 56:40.320 because if he takes a new piece of cloth 56:40.320 --> 56:41.980 and tries to apply it 56:41.980 --> 56:43.320 to your temple 56:44.760 --> 56:46.560 it's going to rip everything apart 56:46.560 --> 56:48.900 because your temple has become hard 56:48.900 --> 56:50.880 and rigid and shrunken down 56:52.780 --> 56:54.420 he wants to 56:54.420 --> 56:56.340 through fasting in large 56:56.340 --> 56:58.200 you soften up the wine 56:58.200 --> 57:00.000 skin again so it can stretch 57:00.000 --> 57:01.160 so it can grow 57:02.660 --> 57:04.260 and this isn't a physical 57:04.260 --> 57:10.220 Bicycle mechanical fasting. This is a God I am needing more of you. 57:11.760 --> 57:15.860 I am desperate for more of you. 57:33.580 --> 57:41.840 I had a lady in Colorado tell me this. She said, Pastor, when it comes to noon, I'm going to get up and I'm going to walk out. 57:43.060 --> 57:46.620 Every time you go past noon, I'm going to get up and I'm going to walk out. 57:49.240 --> 57:54.520 I said, why? Because I don't see any reason why we should stay there any longer. 58:03.020 --> 58:11.530 She ended up in divorce, ended up having physical ailments and problems, 58:15.290 --> 58:20.110 ended up losing good relationship with most of her family. 58:24.790 --> 58:33.630 You know why that was? You say, Pastor, would if she not had that happen, had she stayed in church after 12? 58:33.990 --> 58:42.310 No, I can't guarantee that. But you know what? That stubborn, I'm going to get up and leave and do my own thing, 58:42.410 --> 58:47.190 is why everything went to trash in her life. 58:49.990 --> 58:53.750 That woman needed to pray and fast and get a new heart. 58:55.490 --> 59:01.490 A heart that was willing to serve, a heart that was willing to love, a heart that was willing to pour in, 59:01.670 --> 59:06.050 not just boss around. She was really good at bossing and barking out orders. 59:08.030 --> 59:13.210 But she didn't know how to serve very well. She didn't know how to pour into somebody in love. 59:14.250 --> 59:19.830 And one little indicator was, Pastor, when 12 o'clock comes, I'm going out that door. 59:20.650 --> 59:23.210 I'm just making a statement to you to let you know. 59:26.700 --> 59:29.660 Well, that's years and years ago now. 59:33.060 --> 59:38.780 I bet the whole farm she does not connect her attitude with, 59:39.360 --> 59:47.460 I will not do anything beyond what I think I should do to the wreckage that followed her in her life. 59:47.560 --> 59:49.680 I bet she doesn't connect those two at all. 59:50.180 --> 59:55.300 She doesn't understand why the wreckage followed her life the way it did. 59:57.160 --> 01:00:00.000 Looking in from the outside, I can say that was a heart problem. 01:00:01.680 --> 01:00:05.960 She had a hard, calloused, seared, conscious heart. 01:00:08.220 --> 01:00:11.840 She needed to do some fasting and let God change her. 01:00:12.500 --> 01:00:17.920 Because if she would have been changed, what followed her in life would have changed. 01:00:18.460 --> 01:00:23.860 There's the whole reason for fasting. The whole reason. 01:00:25.540 --> 01:00:29.680 God wants to pour so much through us in life. 01:00:32.800 --> 01:00:37.940 But when we don't even mourn for his presence, we don't even long for intimacy with him. 01:00:38.000 --> 01:00:41.040 We don't even miss him. We can go all week long. 01:00:41.540 --> 01:00:44.780 And nothing rises up inside of us that says, 01:00:44.980 --> 01:00:50.400 Man, I would just love to get in the presence of Jesus right now. 01:00:51.400 --> 01:00:53.640 I miss it. I'm longing for it. 01:00:53.760 --> 01:00:56.340 We can go week after week and it's like it doesn't matter to us. 01:00:57.940 --> 01:01:02.260 That's that shrunken garment, hard, inflexible. 01:01:02.760 --> 01:01:06.720 That's that wine skin that has shriveled up and has no movement left. 01:01:09.040 --> 01:01:13.320 You say, well, what do I do if I can't, if I don't really want to fast? 01:01:14.640 --> 01:01:17.940 Then go to him and say, God, I'm so bad off. 01:01:18.660 --> 01:01:20.540 I don't even really want to do this. 01:01:21.140 --> 01:01:25.360 But I'm going to start mechanically and I'm asking you to change my heart enough 01:01:25.360 --> 01:01:30.700 that I even want to, that it begins pulling on me 01:01:30.700 --> 01:01:33.880 that something inside of me says, I just want to please him. 01:01:33.900 --> 01:01:37.440 I want to be closer to him. I want to draw into his presence. 01:01:37.860 --> 01:01:45.840 I want him to be satisfied with me, to know me, to understand me, 01:01:46.060 --> 01:01:49.880 to see me, to work in me. I want that. 01:01:54.820 --> 01:01:57.820 Then just go and say, God, I know I should, 01:01:57.980 --> 01:02:00.380 but I could really give a rip about this whole prayer and fasting thing. 01:02:01.280 --> 01:02:02.360 I could care less. 01:02:03.320 --> 01:02:06.060 But I know I should. It's just an indication. 01:02:06.440 --> 01:02:10.640 I'm that bad off. I'm that cold. I'm that hard. 01:02:11.320 --> 01:02:13.800 I'm that shriveled up, that shrunken. 01:02:16.500 --> 01:02:20.540 I'm asking you, as I mechanically step out and do this, 01:02:20.540 --> 01:02:22.060 change my heart. 01:02:24.960 --> 01:02:27.000 Change my heart. Change who I am. 01:02:29.120 --> 01:02:32.840 And he will, and the desire will come, the longing will come. 01:02:35.160 --> 01:02:37.700 So I want us just to end this service very simply. 01:02:37.880 --> 01:02:39.900 This is between you and God. 01:02:42.940 --> 01:02:45.880 I can't lay hands on you and change your heart. 01:02:46.940 --> 01:02:48.520 Only God can change your heart. 01:02:51.920 --> 01:02:55.200 And before we walk out that door, I want us to take a few minutes. 01:02:57.460 --> 01:02:59.320 Some of us need to come to the front. 01:03:00.140 --> 01:03:01.140 We need to bow our knee. 01:03:03.060 --> 01:03:06.160 Not just physically, but in our heart. 01:03:06.540 --> 01:03:10.080 We need to bow our knee and say, God, I submit and I surrender. 01:03:11.600 --> 01:03:16.960 You know, the Lord showed me what he wants for the stage platform area in the new building. 01:03:17.960 --> 01:03:19.680 And it may look a little bit odd. 01:03:20.680 --> 01:03:22.380 I won't try to describe it to you. 01:03:22.880 --> 01:03:27.800 But it has a place about this height where people can gum and kneel. 01:03:28.020 --> 01:03:29.700 He just showed me a picture of it. It was like a vision. 01:03:30.940 --> 01:03:32.700 And I said, why would we want that? 01:03:33.700 --> 01:03:36.740 He says, because people need to learn how to bow the knee. 01:03:44.080 --> 01:03:45.880 We need to learn how to surrender. 01:03:48.780 --> 01:03:54.500 And sometimes the platform or what we call the altar at the front of the church is a good place 01:03:54.500 --> 01:03:57.240 to make a physical statement of God. 01:03:57.420 --> 01:03:59.420 I'm coming and I'm bowing the knee. 01:03:59.600 --> 01:04:03.400 I'm acknowledging you as Almighty God in every area of my life. 01:04:03.420 --> 01:04:04.360 And I surrender at all.