"Genuine Fasting" (Isaiah 58:1-12)

Genuine Fasting 

Isaiah 58:1-12

During Lent, many people fast for 40 days. These days there are many kinds of fasting. However, many people misunderstand what the true fasting means.
There is real fasting and misplaced fasting.

Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the judgment of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments; they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers.

Isaiah 58:2-3 ESV

True fasting is about emptying yourself. Some Christians believe that more suffering is more glorifying to God. Fasting is not about suffering or experiencing pain. 

True fasting is about emptying ourselves and our desires. Coming before God in fasting is good when we lay down our desires and greed before God. 

To fast to satisfy our religious desires or obligations is not true fasting. It is misplaced fasting.

The same is true when people fast to gain blessings or satisfy their desires.  

We might have to sacrifice our own comfort or desires. This is something Christians need to do, but to suffer needlessly is not what God wants us to do.

 Once we empty ourselves of our desires and fill up with Jesus, we can experience God more. 

“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?

Isaiah 58:6 ESV

Verse 6 tells us what God wants a fast to be. Living our life as best as we can live is what genuine fasting is about. Our daily life should be like this. 

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

Isaiah 58:7 ESV

Verse 7 tells us that we should love our neighbor as well. We need to share either those who are in need. We have to share what we have. We cannot turn away from our own family. We need to take care of our family and not sacrifice them. Loving our family is as important as loving the church.  

Fasting should not be used to fulfill religious duties. Use fasting to practice emptying ourselves by laying down our thoughts, desires, logic before God and fill ourselves with love of God and practice it then God will listen to you. This is what will happen after true fasting.

Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,

Isaiah 58:8-9 ESV

2023-02-26 Worship Songs

Hosanna 호산나

Amazing Grace -My Chains Are Gone 나 같은 죄인 살리신

Lord I Lift Your Name On High 주의 이름 높이며

"The Reason for Wilderness" (Deuteronomy 8:1-4)

 Deuteronomy 8:1-4

God put the Israelites in the desert for forty years after rescuing them from Egypt. The Israelites could have gone through the Philistine territory to arrive at Canaan earlier. So why not let them arrive earlier.

We have to go through suffering and hardships. It is a truth shared by all. Being a Christian does not exempt us from hardships, and we endure these tough times for different reasons.

And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.

Deuteronomy 8:2 ESV

We have not yet been perfectly transformed and still need training just as the Israelites needed training. They had to develop their faith and spirituality. God needs to make us humble. This is because an arrogant person cannot fully accept God as their creator and savior.

God gave food and water when the Israelites were humble and submitted to God. When the they were proud and felt entitled to food or water, God showed them their true relationship to God. The result was the Israelites better understood that they could not live without God.

Even though we may profess and truly believe in God, we might need to be humbled by God. Our relationship sometimes needs to be shaken so we understand what has happened. 

But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 4:4 ESV

And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 8:3 ESV

God also needed to give a message. In fact, we need to hear the messages of God. We are taught that God's word is our bread. Without the word of God, we will starve. His word will guide us and sustain us.

Not only do we need to know God's word, we need to practice it. God needs to test us to see if we would keep his commands. We can study and talk about God's word, but if we do not practice it, we are fake followers. 

Our spiritual battles can only be won if we follow God's commands. God knows what is best for us and wants to train us to succeed and do what is right and pleasing to Him.

When we are going through difficult times, we can be assured that God is with us and wants us to be humble and rely on Him. Let us draw closer to Him in the good times and the bad.

2023-02-19 Worship Songs

Mighty To Save 내 주는 구원의 주

You're Worthy of My Praise 경배하리 내 온 맘 다해

There Is Power In The Name Of Jesus 주 이름 큰 능력 있도다

78 There Is Power In The Name Of Jesus

There Is Power In The Name Of Jesus

CCLI Song # 649800 Noel Richards 

Verse 1

There is power in the name of Jesus

We believe in His name

We have called on the name of Jesus

We are saved we are saved

 

At His name the demons flee

At His name captives are freed

For there is no other name that is higher

Than Jesus

 

Verse 2

There is power in the name of Jesus

Like a sword in our hands

We declare in the name of Jesus

We shall stand we shall stand

 

At His name God's enemies

Shall be crushed beneath our feet

For there is no other name that is higher

Than Jesus

 

At His name God's enemies

Shall be crushed beneath our feet

For there is no other name that is higher

Than Jesus

 

For there is no other name that is higher

Than Jesus

 

Jesus

Jesus

(Repeat Jesus)

There is power in the name of Jesus

주 이름 큰 능력 있도다

There is power in the name of Jesus

We believe in His name

주 이름 큰 능력 있도다

난 믿네 그 이름

We have called on the name of Jesus

We are saved we are saved

예수의 그 이름 부를 때

새 생명 얻었네

At His name the demons flee

At His name captives are freed

마귀는 떠나가고

갇힌 자 자유케 해

For there is no other name that is higher

Than Jesus

모든 이름 보다 더 높은 이름

주 예수

There is power in the name of Jesus

Like a sword in our hands

주 이름 큰 능력 있도다

예리한 검처럼

We declare in the name of Jesus

We shall stand we shall stand

예수의 그 이름 외치며

일어나 나가세

At His name God's enemies

Shall be crushed beneath our feet

원수는 주 발 앞에

무너져 떠나가네

For there is no other name that is higher

Than Jesus

모든 이름 보다 더 높은 이름

주 예수

At His name God's enemies

Shall be crushed beneath our feet

원수는 주 발 앞에

무너져 떠나가네

For there is no other name that is higher

Than Jesus

모든 이름 보다 더 높은 이름

주 예수

For there is no other name that is higher

Than Jesus

모든 이름 보다 더 높은 이름

주 예수

'Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus

'Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus 

CCLI Song # 22609

Louisa M. R. Stead | William James Kirkpatrick

• © Words: Public Domain
• Music: Public Domain

Verse 1

‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus

Just to take Him at His word;

Just to rest upon His promise,

Just to know, “Thus saith the Lord.”

 

Chorus

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!

How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er!

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!

O for grace to trust Him more!

 

Verse 4

I’m so glad I learned to trust Him,

Precious Jesus, Savior, friend;

And I know that He is with me,

Will be with me to the end.

Chorus 

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!

How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er!

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!

O for grace to trust Him more!

(2X)

 

O for grace to trust Him more!