Fasting for Maturity
Luke 5:27 And after these things he
went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom:
and he said unto him, Follow
me. 28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.
No Jew would have witnessed to this man. He was one of the disreputable ones, a tax
collector. They collected taxes on
behalf of the despised Romans. We can’t
know what ran through his mind prior to Christ’s simply worded statement,
“Follow me,” but he may have been one of the most ready converts in
history. He was so ready for a life
change that he left all his considerable earnings and his job and followed
Jesus. Our first book of the New
covenant was written by this very man.
There are many in Christ today that say the leading of the
‘Spirit’ should be severely curtailed so we don’t fly off into a world of faith
supported by feelings alone. That is
partially true and partially false. Our
knowledge of scripture should be extensive and the foundation of all we
do. There is nothing more dangerous than
a prophet with limited Word knowledge and a fanciful imagination. Instead of being half of the foundation of
God, he or she becomes a joke of cosmic proportions flying off wherever their
imagination takes them. It is only
through the Word of God and the foundation of scripture that we can be accurate
and dependable prophets.
In this case we will also discover that Jesus completely
ignored tradition and cultural opinions and moved directly into what God was
about. People who led the religious life
of the Jews had great disdain for anyone who was ‘uneducated’ or ‘working for
the enemy.’ This particularly included
fishermen, tax collectors and shepherds…all persons Christ either called or had
his angels appear to when announcing his coming.
The religious establishment failed to keep their
responsibility of watching for the signs that heralded the Messiah but the poor
and uneducated were wildly enthusiastic about His coming. They not only were quick to accept Him, and
but for the one Zealot, Judas, those He called held onto their faith unto death
by Rome or the Jews. The only truly
educated one allowed by God was Saul / Paul.
The reason for this was simple.
He may have been attacking the church of Christ but He was sincere in
his faith. When he discovered that Jesus
was indeed the Messiah he left all to follow Him. Three quarters of the New Testament was
written by him and so the link to our Old Testament scriptures was preserved.
Luke 5:29 And Levi made him a great
feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of
others that sat down with them. 30 But
their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye
eat and drink with publicans and sinners?
Notice the scribes and Pharisees didn’t ask
why Jesus was with the sinners out of simple curiosity but due to jealousy and
irritation. They murmured against his
disciples and Him. The Jews even
murmured against Moses when he led Israel.
At one point they accused him of destroying the men who God Himself had
swallowed up in an earthquake for their sins (Numbers 16:41). God nearly destroyed the nation at that
moment. This time it would cost them a
minimum of 2000 years in the penalty box.
The truth is that we draw those in our
circle of influence along with us when we come to Christ. Some may not remain but some will. God often is able to save many more than just
the one soul you witness to. It also
shows Christ’s opinion of business owners who won’t serve those whose lifestyle
they don’t agree with. A well
established Christian business can have tremendous effect upon someone who is
sitting on the fence about their eternity.
As I have stated in other places, there is a huge difference between
being gracious to all men and winning a few and being a partaker or supporter
of their lifestyle.
Life in Christ requires great wisdom. Traditions that exclude everyone who is not
like us make it almost impossible to draw in new souls to the kingdom of
God. There can be a fine line between
supporting a sin, such as preparing an advertisement advocating a sinful
lifestyle and simply cutting those people off as being beyond the pale. If God loves them, so must we. If God is trying to save them, so must
we. Any other course makes us look like
judgmental angry barbarians. We ought to
love unconditionally, minister carefully and let our own lives be the epistle
that wins souls to God’s kingdom. We
can’t defend God’s Word. He must.
We can only share His love.
Luke 5:31 And Jesus answering said
unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
32 I came not to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance.
He was moving to the gentiles. The entire goal of the church was to reach
sinners. All gentiles were sinners.
Many churches in this country are missing
God either by placing homosexuals beyond God’s love which they are not, or by
accepting them as if they have every right to be fully represented in the
church. Both attitudes are wrong. The true sin of Homosexuality is PRIDE and a
refusal to put God’s purpose FIRST. I
don’t doubt that they have certain feelings or that those feelings come to many
of them early in life. I do know that
those feelings are a sin and to act on them goes against God’s Word. He will judge them. We need not support or agree with their sin
but we must love them with God’s love.
My flesh can want what it wants all day
long but it is up to my spirit and my redeemed and retaught mind to keep it
under control. Paul made it quite clear
that we are all drawn to sin of one sort or another (Romans 7:24-25). Scripture says that a righteous man falls
seven times (Proverbs 24:16), but he gets up again. Is that seven times in a lifetime? I don’t think so. It could be seven times in an hour or seven
times in a day or seven times in a week.
That it is seven times is a perfect number without end. Jesus said we should forgive seventy times
seven. Consider this when you judge
someone else whose sin just happens to be different from your own.
Thank God for repentance!
Luke 5:33 And they said unto him,
Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the
disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink? 34 And
he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bride chamber fast, while
the bridegroom is with them?
John was in prison and soon to be beheaded. His disciples fasted and prayed for his
release. It is unlikely that they knew
his time was over and that he had finished the course. As for the Pharisees, they had several
required fasts during the year and many fasted regularly on their own as well
(Luke 18:12). They fasted to serve God
and to see Israel shake off the Roman yoke.
Some were simply fasting for the consolation of Israel to arrive. They fasted to bring the Holy one. Luke
2:36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the
tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven
years from her virginity; 37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four
years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with
fastings and prayers night and day. 38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise
unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in
Jerusalem.
I love how it says that Anna came in that
very instant to give thanks to God and declare the Messiah. She was an early precursor of the New
Testament scripture which calls us to be instant, in season and out of season
(2 Timothy 4:2-3). This steadfastness
came from her much fasting and prayers.
Her announcement was not going to be well received coming from a woman
and bumping against the established way of doing things.
This scripture also raises a curious
question regarding married couples. 1
Corinthians 7 says:
4 The wife does not have
authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the
husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Stop
depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you
may devote yourselves to prayer,
and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack
of self-control.
There
is such a thing as being so spiritually minded that you can cause your mate to
stumble if you are not wise. If you know
you are not tempted but that your mate is you must protect your mate by
continuing your marital relations. In
Israel newlyweds were given a year long release from military or government service
so they might enjoy each other and
make sure the marriage bond was strong (Deuteronomy 24:5). What does this say of us in this country when
we send our newlyweds out to war a day after they are married? How about having women warriors who leave
their children behind and go to battle?
Who amongst them will remain to train
up the children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?
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.
We are the Bride of Christ. We
fast for the return of our bridegroom.
Women in Israel used to fast for the safe return of their
husbands from war. We fast because we
want Go to offer us the same protection and provision that our bridegroom
provided. We know Christ will return but
even He knew there was a need for the spiritual equivalent of a palace guard to
protect us when out of His presence. The
Holy Spirit fills that role. In John
16:13 it defines who and what He is. In
this case He is the one who fulfills Christ’s role in our lives and lends us
strength and direction. He does not
speak for Himself but for our head, Jesus.
In spite of the marvelous presence of the
Holy Spirit we are still to fast from time to time to preserve our vow and
consecration to Christ.
Luke 5:36 And he spake also a
parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if
otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of
the new agreeth not with the old.
Old material has already stabilized. After a lifetime our older and more mature
flesh should have stabilized. Our minds ought to be renewed by the Word of God
and no longer raging out against everything.
We should be people full of faith, grace, love and mercy and should
typify the fruit of the Spirit in all we do.
A church should never be filled with cranky church mothers and shifty
church preachers. While no person lives
without some flaws in their life and conduct, we should at the very least be a
model of integrity, propriety and grace.
New material has not stabilized and will
continue to change through many cleansings.
If the two are yoked together, sewn together or bound together they will
damage one another. Fasting provides
this maturing process an opportunity to proceed more rapidly. Flesh always tries to pull away, but spirit
remains firm. Well does 1 Timothy 5:22
say, “Lay hands suddenly on no man.” We
should never be quick to ordain or license or promote anyone. God promotes in His time and we must be well
aware of those times. If someone wishes to advance those times then they must
advance study, fasting and prayer.
Luke 5:37 And no man putteth new
wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be
spilled, and the bottles shall perish. 38 But new wine must be
put into new bottles; and both are preserved.
The old wine is preferred. If you try to put the new wine in an old,
established bottle it might burst from the energy and all the flavor and
mellowness of the old wine will be lost.
New wine is placed into a new bottle and it is seasoned inside and
out. As it matures its value is
multiplied many times.
A young man might become a pastor right out
of seminary but he is not ready for all that will come at him right away. If he has been in church his whole life and
has prepared himself for that position he may be somewhat ready but the more
mature wine will always have better answers, more honest empathy and deeper
wisdom. In the process of living our
rough edges are rubbed off and our wineskin is not quite as passionate and
driven to foolishness.
Wisdom is better than youth in a
leader. Faith is better than
passion. Knowledge is better than
strength. To obtain these things we need
to grow and mature. Fasting matures the
wine AND the skin. It speeds the
process. The old man and old woman don’t
take as many chances with their bodies.
They don’t jump at this and attack that.
They are more circumspect and show more thought. The young man and young woman are often
impatient and ready to race toward the finish line. It takes a wise pastor to lead these strong
stallions and young lions to maturity.
It takes one wiser yet to train them up in the gifts and responsibilities
of ministry while they are young enough to learn and feel full of promise.
39 No man also having
drunk old wine straightway desireth new: for he saith, The old is better.
Youth is exciting, passionate and fiery but it is maturity
that is truly desired. Wisdom, knowledge
and faith are greatest in the old wine skins.
I’ve never seen a young couple who ran off for a passionate life of sex,
drugs and excitement where someone didn’t wake up one day as a more mature
adult and ask, “What have I done.” New
wine might make you happy for a season but it lacks flavor, nuance and the
taste of a well aged treasure.
Finally, it is obvious that both are needed. Truth may be an absolute, but life and
maturity are a process. Youth and age
are needed, the one to add a bit of passion and a challenge and the other to
provide direction, wisdom and knowledge.
Making great wine is a process as well.
Bishop J
No comments:
Post a Comment