Moses:
Since we had so much discussion the other day on fasting, I have been listening to these two sermons on it for the last month (again and again, I find that I catch various aspects of the topic each timeI hear it). It provided me with a good understanding of what God looks for in our fasting and the meaning via His Word.... I do agree that not many Christians know the meaning of fasting, and now I know more and will probably fast when troubled with grief, fear, and other situations where I am in despare and need to seek God's mercy with fasting...
I attached the link to McArthur's website directing you to the two sermons below.. If you have time, take a listen, it is quite time consuming, but, would we rather spend time watching TV or doing crossword, reading news paper or Listening to God speaking to us? hahahahahaha
Pray that this is helpful to you all.....
http://www.gty.org/Resources/
http://www.gty.org/Resources/
Please note that you can chose to Listen, Download as MP3 or just Read it..
Excellent sermons on fasting. I agree with MacArthur. Some quotes from him:
ReplyDeleteSo that fasting never occurs in a vacuum. It never occurs biblically without a corollary. There is a reason to humble yourself in that manner. There is a reason to deny yourself in that manner. There
is a reason to inflict yourself in that manner and the reason is a consuming one. So that fasting is almost not something you choose to do, but something you cannot avoid.
But there's a place for fasting beloved, the right place. And if you don't fast, I don't want you to run out and start fasting to get spiritual. I want you to ask God to give you the kind of a compassionate heart that'll make you care so much about sorrowful things in your life and the lives of others, about the
need for the divine deliverance that only God can bring, about sin in your life and the sins of others that the lamentation and the need for protection and the humiliation, no matter whether it's in your
case or the case of somebody else will drive you to the point of concern, the point of compassion where it will cause you to focus away from the things of the world, even as routine as eating.
God has given us every good thing to enjoy. Beloved enjoy it. But when you're in a spiritual struggle and you're consumed with the things of God, know this, that it's right to abstain from those things to continue your concentration and your focus on that which is spiritual and divine. God help us to be
more sensitive so that fasting in its truest sense can be a part of our lives.