‘Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?’ Zechariah 7:5–6 Suggested Further Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:19–22 Is it not true that some of you do not use the day of rest and the house … [Read more...]
God or self—which?
‘Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me? And when ye did eat, and when ye did drink, did not ye eat for yourselves, and drink for yourselves?’ Zechariah 7:5–6 Suggested Further Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:19–22 Is it not true that some of you do not use the day of rest and the house of prayer … [Read more...]
Fast-day service: An exposition of Daniel 9:1-19
Taken from brief exposition of Daniel 9:1-19 (This comment is on vv 10-15) Suggested Further Reading: Psalm 85 The prophet in his prayer pleads what God has done for them, as the reason why he should bare his arm; he tells how God delivered Israel out of Egypt; and he therefore prays that God would deliver them from their present trouble. And, my brethren, not Israel itself could boast a nobler history than we, measuring it by God’s … [Read more...]
The discipline of fasting
But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Matthew 6:17-18 Jesus assumes in this passage that His followers practice fasting. He says “when” you fast—not “if” you fast and then goes on to give these instructions. Fasting is a significant spiritual activity … [Read more...]
Fasting in Secret
Matthew 6:16–18 “When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face…. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (vv. 17–18). Before we look at Jesus’ teaching on fasting in today’s passage, we need to provide a few closing comments on the Lord’s Prayer, the prayer He has given to His disciples (Matt. 6:9–15). Most believers have prayed this prayer verbatim at some point, which is not inappropriate if it is said with thoughtful … [Read more...]
Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on My holy Mount [Zion]…
Joel 2 1BLOW THE trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on My holy Mount [Zion]. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of [the judgment of] the Lord is coming; it is close at hand-- 2A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and of thick mists and darkness, like the morning dawn spread upon the mountains; so there comes a [heathen, hostile] people numerous and mighty, the like of which has never been before and shall not … [Read more...]
Worship and Spiritual Warfare
From KHouse.Org WORSHIP AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE "Draw me, we will run after thee: the king hath brought me into his chambers: we will be glad and rejoice in thee, we will remember thy love more than wine: the upright love thee." - Song of Songs 1:4 If we are going to be true worshipers of God, more than ever before we need to be knowledgeable in the art of spiritual warfare. We need to know the enemy - his tactics and his ways. If we … [Read more...]
Put feet to your prayers
Isaiah 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke. Joshua 7:10-12 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up: wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned…. Neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. The hands which are sometimes lifted up in prayer, must … [Read more...]
Isaiah 58:13-14; Fasting Commentary [Part 4]; The Sanctification of the Sabbath; Nothing must be done that puts contempt upon the sabbath day, or looks like having mean thoughts of it, when God has so highly dignified it; Observe, The heritage of believers is what they shall not only be portioned with hereafter, but fed with now, fed with the hopes of it, and not flattered, fed with the earnests and foretastes of it; You may take God’s word for it, for He cannot lie nor deceive, what His mouth has spoken His hand will give, His hand will do, and not one iota or tittle of His good promise shall fall to the ground. B.C. 706
The Sanctification of the Sabbath. B. C. 706. Isaiah 58:13-14 13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: 14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of … [Read more...]