HOMECOMING - A-Spiritual-Re-Awakening

PRAYERS

Welcome to this site. My prayer is that you take a look at the site and as you do, let the Holy Spirit speak to your heart and reveal what God wants you to discover. (in Jesus' name)

God tells us that if we see a brother (or sister) in need we should do that which is within our means to help. Prayer is always within our means but we never know what doors Father may open through them. Should you desire prayer for anything (healing, direction, etc.) or if you want supportive prayer along with your own please feel free to e-mail that request to sharbu3@gmail.com and be assured that there are others who will be praying with or for you.

In this blog, I share what the Lord shares with me. I reference scripture a lot in support of what is being said. I realize that what is in each entry is NOT a complete 'word' on what is being said, but is rather enough information to stimulate our spirits to dig deeper (remember the Bereans Acts 17:10-11) thereby gaining a fuller understanding for ourselves.

At the end of each post are the options to share, forward or make a comment. Click 'comment' to respond. Let us know if you like, don't like or are helped by what you read. Comments can be made or read by anyone. All you have to do is select the "comment" at he end of the entry.

Saturday, August 26, 2023

8-26-2023 Why do we Fast?

Weaken Submit

As I read Isaiah chapter 58, Father had me focus on several verses, but also had me read the whole chapter to fully understand what was happening.

The first four verses speak of how Israel fasts and prays and honors the Sabbath, but as they do, it is for their own satisfaction. They ‘do’ the right things, but for the wrong reasons, personal gain. Then they wonder why God does not hear them.

Father starts explaining “His” fast in verse 5. First, He asks us to afflict our soul. That is to anah (H6031) deal harshly with, weaken or – submit – totally to Him.

Then to bow down as a bulrush (in the wind). Bulrush comes from the Hebrew gome (H1573) the papyrus plant which is very absorbent, and gome comes from gama (H1572) which is to absorb, drink, swallow. When we fast, we are to completely absorb ourselves in the Lord to take in what He wants us to know.

Father then says we should spread sackcloth, sprinkle it with ashes then ‘have a seat’. The word used for Sackcloth is saq (H8042) which is a porous cloth (like a burlap bag) so water can pass through, not spoiling any grain which it might contain. It is also used for mourning (showing remorse). The ashes (epher H665) carries the connotation of ashes being strewn around. I is also akin to apher (H666) which is using ashes as a covering (literally pouring them over oneself). We should cover ourselves in submission and receive a cleansing form the Lord as all the negatives in our lives wash down, to and through the sackcloth with nothing sticking (stays) to us as it passes on. Isaiah asks that if we fast in this way, is it acceptable to the Lord? Total submission, total surrender.

Then Father asks “isn’t this the fast I have chosen” (v6)? It will loose the bands of wickedness and unload our heavy burdens. All who are oppressed shall be set free and yokes shall be broken. So what does fasting do? We are freed from the sin that has us bound!

Should we feed the hungry? Take into our homes the castaways? Should we give clothing to the naked? Hide ourselves from our own flesh (that is not yielding to fleshly desires)? I think this is being honest with ourselves, who we are and not pretending we’re something that we are not. And a desire to help others to be free of their bonds. To me, that means cleansing our sins as we fast being totally honest, totally open with the Lord. Shedding the undesirable so the ‘new man’ can emerge and so, then, we might be able to help others.

So then what happens? The light will come on and we shall see as (just like) the rising sun brings light to the world, we will see the answer to that which we are fasting. We will heal quicker and our righteousness (in Jesus) will walk before us. Our reward? The glory of the Lord (v8) will lead our way.

Once we’ve cleansed ourselves and are living as Father intended, THEN He will hear us and answer our call. We cry, He will say “Here I Am”, when you have shed the yoke holding you down, quit pointing your finger (accusing others) and setting aside all prideful speaking (v9).

When our compassion urges us to feed the hungry and satisfy the needs of those afflicted, then the light will come out of nowhere and make the darkness of night like the noonday sun (V10).” There is no greater love than for a man to lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). That is when we consider the welfare of others ahead of own.

Isaiah continues with God’s promises that He will always guide us. In times of drought He will satisfy our soul. We will be fully prepared for what comes our way. We shall be like a garden, fed by springs of water that do no fail (v11).

We shall be called that (he/she) who repairs things broken and our offspring shall rebuild the wastelands. We shall raise up a foundation for many generations and restore places where people can live safely (v12).

If you turn your foot which has strayed from the Sabbath, quit doing your ow pleasures on the Holy days and (now) call the Sabbath a delight, acknowledge that that which is holy of the Lord and that which honorable, as you honor Him, not seeking your own pleasures (what’s in it for me) nor seeking you own desires or speaking you own words (speaking your own mind, your words not considering their impact (v13).

Then delight yourself in the Lord and I will cause you to ride upon high places of the earth and feed you with the heritage of Jacob’s father ((Isaac)(v14). What was Jacob’s heritage? Canaan, the ‘promised land (Exod. 3:8).

Keep in mind that the Jews knew how to all the right things – even when their heart turned from the Lord.

Today, are we any different? Do we know what the bible says and impress people with our knowledge? But where is our heart? Are we content in delivering the Word of God or do we expect “Great preaching, brother!”, praises and compliments? Do we truly love God above all else (Mark 12:29-31)? Are friendly with those in our fellowship but ignore all others? Are we truly concerned about our brothers and sisters in the Lord, much less our ‘neighbors’? Paul tells us to ‘edify’ those around us (Rom. 14:19) and that means all with whom we come in contact. Treating each of them with dignity and respect.

When we confess Jesus Christ as Lord and savior, we are confessing that He has come in the flesh (1 John 4:2) and that He is exactly who He says He is. Our Lord and Savior! As we love God, we discover that He truly loves us and because He loves us, He hears us! When one truly does not love, He has no part in God. Why? Because God is love! We love because God first loved us (1 John 4:1-11).

We love because we are made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27) and God is love! Image is the Hebrew word tselem (H6754) and means a phantom, illusion or resemblance, ergo a representative or image. God is Spirit (John 4:24) but we are flesh, made of the earth (Gen. 2:7). So, how are we made in the image of God. Back to 1^st John. God is love and we love because we are the image of love so as we love others, we express our imagery of the Father.

So why do we fast? So we can be true exponents of God’s love. We also discover as we pursue this image we are changed into a new beginning – each day!

Amen

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THE FIRST STEP

Luke chapter 15 relates the story of a son who took his portion of the inheritance, left home and ‘did his own thing’. He found ‘friends’ in his new surroundings, partied and basically did whatever he felt like doing. His money ran out, his ‘friends’ disappeared and he came upon some very hard times. He finally came to his senses realizing the error of his ways and decided to go back home and tell his father how sorry he was for having left hoping that his father would receive him back into the homestead, not as a son but at least as a servant. His father did more than that. Even though his son had squandered his inheritance dad threw a big party to welcome his son back home where he belonged. Once he was lost but now he's saved.

If we knew Jesus and walked away (for whatever the reason) Homecoming is about coming back into fellowship with the Creator of the universe and re-establishing a relationship with Him. Even if we never truly ever knew Jesus, Homecoming is learning how to fellowship with the everlasting God and securing our eternity by establishing that relationship with Him.

If we never truly ever knew Jesus, our first step is to do just that by giving Him our hearts and lives.

We have to recognize that we have not been not operating in God’s will and done things contrary to the operation of His love. God is love and everything He does or stands for is based in His true love.

When Adam & Eve disobeyed God and fell out of His fellowship by eating the ‘fruit of the knowledge of good and evil', God promised them that He would provide a way that man could come back into His (God’s) fellowship.

He re-enforced this with Abraham by using his son Isaac as an example and then reminding Israel through all the prophets of the coming Messiah.

Finally, the time was right and God found a righteous woman whom he would bless with the bringing of His Son into this world. Everything was just one big void so God had nothing to work with except His Word. So, in the beginning God spoke everything into existence. God spoke and the Holy Ghost put God’s Word into action creating everything that is. God then put His Word into Mary’s womb and as the bible says ‘she was with child of the Holy Ghost (Matt. chapter 2). The Greek word used for 'of' carries the connotation ‘about’ or ‘spontaneously happening’, like she wasn’t pregnant, now she is – boom! Jesus had to be born of this world (via Mary) so He could legitimately deliver us from the world but Jesus’ Father is God so even though He is born into this world, He is not bound by the ways of this world. We believe, as the bible says ‘Jesus is born of a virgin’ but He is the Son of God.

We believe that Jesus pleased the Father as He lived in this world for 30 years as He found favor with God and man.

The last 3 ½ years of His life (here on earth), Jesus spent teaching His disciples and those who would listen, the ways of God, the Father.

Then at the end of that 3 ½ year ministry, He was arrested by the Jewish leadership (yielded Himself to them), turned over to Pontius Pilate for crucifixion which Pilate, though reservedly, obliged the Jewish leaders and did so. Jesus (willingly) was crucified and died on the cross. My understanding is that at death, if the body is punctured, water mixed with blood will come out, confirming death. Spiritually, for us the shed blood is for the atonement of our sins and our sin nature and the water represents our cleansing. Jesus died on the cross taking my sins away (and yours) and was buried.

We believe that on the third day Jesus arose from the grave, alive and well and ministered to His disciples for another 40 days.

After which He ascended back into Heaven (from whence He came) and is preparing a place in eternity for all those who believe and He is coming back for us so we can be with Him throughout all eternity.

We believe this with all our hearts, confess our sins (by speaking them out), repenting our part in doing those things against God’s will, with our voices speak out thanks for what Jesus has done for us and invite Him into our hearts and lives determining to live our lives for Him from now on.

When we pray the ‘sinner’s prayer, don’t mince with a formula of words but rather cover the points and mean it:

Jesus is God, Messiah, Savior

He shed His blood cleansing us of our sin nature and all those individual sins we have ever committed

We need to confess those sins (speak them out loud to God) and repent of those sins (be truly sorry we committed them)

He died on the cross then rose from the dead on the third day giving us access to the Father through His actions

Determine (dedicate our lives) to live for Him by keeping His commandment which is learning about and living in His love.

He will come back for us so we can be with Him throughout all eternity.

If we have known Jesus but have ‘slid away’

Repent of and confess our sins (as with the prodigal son)

Receive God’s forgiveness. Isaiah tells us once we’ve repented God puts those sins behind His back. Should we do any less?

Determine (make the decision) to live for Him by keeping His commandment which is learning about and living in His love.

Once we've taken this first step, that is to connect or reconnect with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, then hold on because everything we experience from that point on is an experience in growth in our life. Everything becomes a stepping stone in our life to help us to grow closer to and and stronger in our relationship with God that we may magnify and glorify His Holy Name in all that we say and do and impact the lives of those around us.

A long time ago Father shared with me that I (we) can walk as close to Him as we dare. It is our choice. How close do we dare?

When the time is come, may we all re-unite in God’s wondrous kingdom.

PRAYERS

Saturday, August 26, 2023

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