ISN'T FASTING "A WORK"? Antinomians call every act of obedience to the scriptures "a work". ******EMAIL FROM A READER IN RESPONSE TO ONE OF THE EMAILS TO THE JESUS-IS-LORD MAILING LIST******* ----- Original Message ----- From: To: Sent: Wednesday, April 03, 2002 12:29 PM Subject: Re: Sanctify a fast > But isn't fasting a work which you say the Bible says > have no value in our salvation? And if so, a person > who is saved doesn't have to worry about doing it, > correct? > > A concerned christian ********MY RESPONSE*********** From: To: Subject: Re: Sanctify a fast Date: Wednesday, April 03, 2002 7:22 PM Dear Friend: You call fasting a work. You should be concerned. You've obviously come under the teaching of antinomians (and perhaps dispensationalists). If you think Jesus will be your Saviour while Satan will be your lord, please see http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/lordship.htm. You've been instructed under a false gospel that turns the grace of God into lasciviousness. The devil does not mind you having a Bible and he does not mind you reading it as long as you don't read it right. A false teacher has taught you to turn the grace of God into lasciviousness AND NOW when you are challenged to know the Lord on another level, you call it "a work". Great deception and total misunderstanding of what the gospel of Jesus Christ does to a person. Ask the Lord to clear your mind of the cobwebs and THEN start reading the New Testament looking for what it really says. Emails like yours are EXACTLY why I included this section in the email you reference. Please look at it a few times and read the book of Romans with clear eyeballs. Nobody wants to believe that they are deceived, but most people are. Here is a segment from the email you just responded to-- ***** "I'm just resting." ****** Every once in a while, I'll get an email from somebody saying "I'm just resting." That says to me that person is lazy. Jesus said just the opposite in Luke 13:24, "STRIVE to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." People are playing and the antinomians are out in full force spreading their false gospel that Jesus will be your Saviour without being your Lord. When a person is "converted" under such a false gospel, they think you are a heretick when you say, "I love the Lord and I love working His works". They'll tell you that you are working for your salvation. Salvation is a free gift, but hallelujah, if a person has really been saved it makes a difference in your life. Not to mention you will work it out because the Bible says to do so (Phil 2:12). When you are saved, you become a new creature, your whole outlook is different. Those that don't know this need to read Romans in its entirety to understand salvation and chapters 6, 7, and 8 to see the fruits of it. Serving the Lord is a pleasure and a thing greatly desired and sought after by those that love Him. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and He is the one that moves me to do the works--and I like it. The more I talk about Jesus, the more I like it. All this is the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in my eyes. What I am is not by man's power nor is it by man's might, but it is by the Spirit of the Lord. Zechariah 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, NOT BY MIGHT, NOR BY POWER, BUT BY MY SPIRIT, SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS. 4:7 WHO ART THOU, O GREAT MOUNTAIN? BEFORE ZERUBBABEL THOU SHALT BECOME A PLAIN... for Jesus' sake, tracy -- http://www.jesus-is-lord.com ...I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD. And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house. Ezekiel 2:4, 6 **THE EMAIL TO WHICH THE READER WAS RESPONDING** > --- Jesus Christ is the Only Way to God > wrote: > > Dear CHRISTIAN Friends: > > > > Greetings in the name of the ONLY wise God and > > Saviour Jesus Christ. > > > > ********FASTING************* > > > > As some of you may know, I fast at least once a week > > ( http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/fasting.htm ). I do > > it because I need > > help of God and I must keep under my body and bring > > it into subjection. > > > > > > About a year and a half ago, I thought to myself, > > "I'm not going to fast > > next week." Well, I ended up not going to church > > that Sunday but when > > my husband came home he told me that this lady I had > > met one time at a > > funeral came to church and asked him to tell me to > > fast two days that > > week for her son! I had to smile because the Lord > > was letting me know > > that the regular fast was needful. > > > > I need POWER to live for Jesus and fasting is one > > discipline in the > > believer's arsenal. You can't even cast out certain > > devils without > > prayer AND FASTING (Matthew 17:21). You can't wait > > until that foul > > spirit comes up on you and then start fasting. You > > have to ALREADY have > > power. Thank you Jesus for my King James Bible. > > The NIV, et al. take > > out "fasting and prayer". > > > > The Lord Jesus said His followers would fast-- > > > > Luke 5:35 But the days will come, when the > > bridegroom shall be taken > > away from them, and then SHALL they fast in those > > days. > > > > **********SANCTIFY A FAST********** > > > > In my prayer closet, it came into my mind to do a > > ten day fast. I > > usually fast one or two days. The flesh did not > > necessarily want to > > think about ten days and I hedged. But I started > > thinking, "I say I > > want victory and power...do I want it enough to go > > without food for ten > > days?" The answer came back a resounding "Yes!" and > > now I am looking > > forward to it. A phrase kept coming to my mind, "He > > that hath suffered > > in the flesh hath ceased from sin." I was finishing > > up I Peter the > > other night and saw that this is where that phrase > > came from-- > > > > I Peter 4:1 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered > > for us in the flesh, > > arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: FOR HE > > THAT HATH SUFFERED IN > > THE FLESH HATH CEASED FROM SIN; > > 4:2 That he no longer should live the rest of his > > time in the flesh to > > the lusts of men, BUT TO THE WILL OF GOD. > > > > When you put your flesh down, when you suffer for > > Jesus' sake, you get > > stronger. I am accustomed to saying "No," to the > > flesh through fasting > > and that same ability to say "No," carries over to > > any sin or temptation > > that comes my way. Hebrews 2:10 says that the Lord > > Jesus was made > > PERFECT THROUGH SUFFERINGS. > > > > Everyone cannot understand what I am saying. I'm > > not telling you to > > become a papist and get yourself a flagellation > > whip. The Bible doesn't > > tell you to do that and we know that according to II > > Timothy 2:5 that a > > man is NOT crowned except he strive LAWFULLY (in > > accordance with the > > word of God). But he that hath an ear to hear, LET > > HIM HEAR. > > > > **********A TWO-FOLD CORD********** > > > > I mentioned the fast to my sister-in-law at our > > weekly Bible study and a > > few days later she said she wanted to do it too. We > > want to keep going > > further into the holy place where the Lord is. > > > > To me, it is time for some Elijah type faith and > > exploits. Forget about > > "the Crystal Cathedral", TBN, church financial > > seminars, fried chicken > > and lazy days. I feel like a salmon. The salmon is > > a fish that will go > > upstream, jump up waterfalls, swim over rocks, go > > past hungry bears, > > etc. to get back to its birthplace so that it can > > lay its eggs. It will > > endure all type of hardship to get to its goal. God > > made it that way so > > we can learn from it. In the name of Jesus, I'll go > > against all that is > > of the world (including the apostasized church) in > > order to get to Mount > > Zion, the city of the living God. I want to know as > > much about the Lord > > as I can right now. Jesus is my focus, not the > > hellivision, newspaper, > > the ball game or any such strange thing. > > > > Some amazing things have been happening to me since > > November of 1999 and > > the journey continues. Anyone that hath an ear to > > hear, is invited to > > join this fast if they feel the Lord calling them to > > it. We'll begin on > > April 25, 2002 (if the Lord will, I'll be alive and > > able). For those > > that will consider this fast, talk to Jesus about > > it. The Lord takes > > vows very seriously and it is BETTER not to vow than > > to vow and not pay. > > If you are going to fast, go for it, if you are > > shaky, don't do it. > > > > Ecclesiastes 5:4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, > > defer not to pay it; > > for he hath no pleasure in FOOLS: PAY that which > > thou hast vowed. > > 5:5 BETTER is it that thou shouldest not vow, than > > that thou shouldest > > vow and not pay. > > 5:6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; > > neither say thou > > before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore > > should God be angry at > > thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands? > > > > *******WHY DO YOU GIVE UP THE CHOW?********** > > > > A fast is not about absence of food, but about > > presenting yourself to > > the Lord in leanness of soul. You testify that your > > god is not in your > > belly. Out of weakness you are looking for power. > > Please see > > http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/fasting.htm for why I > > fast. For this > > upcoming fast, I've made a list of things that I > > desire of the Lord and > > that I want Him to remember during this fast. Not > > least of all is that > > the King would revive His people in the midst of the > > years. The > > institutional church looks almost nothing like the > > book of Acts. > > > > Jeremiah 2:21 Yet I HAD PLANTED THEE A NOBLE VINE, > > WHOLLY A RIGHT SEED: > > HOW THEN ART THOU TURNED INTO THE DEGENERATE PLANT > > OF A STRANGE VINE > > UNTO ME? > > > > People want to be saved, Jesus said the fields are > > white unto the > > harvest, but if they go into most churches what will > > they find? A few > > jokes, game nights, Christmas cantatas? Will they > > find Jesus? The > > POWER of the Lord to witness of Him? I shall pray > > to the Lord about > > this grievous situation. I will pray to the Lord of > > the harvest that He > > will send forth labourers into His harvest. I am > > fasting for this. > > > > I also pray that the Lord will save. I pray that > > the Lord will > > strengthen His people and open their eyes to any > > deceptions they are > > involved in. I pray that we would magnify His name > > and doctrine. I am > > also asking for victory and knowledge in my own life > > so that I can be a > > better handmaiden of the Lord. I am talking about > > things like governing > > the tongue, UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF SUBJECTION, > > understanding > === message truncated === > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax > http://taxes.yahoo.com/