Questions a friend asks me. Today's is based in Matthew 18:10.

Matthew 18:10 NASB "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

• What are these angels doing in Matthew 18:10, do they guard children?

When I look at the notes in my Dake's bible I am referred to Psalm 34:7

Psalms 34:7 NASB The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, And rescues them.
So I can understand that angels operate on our behalf. But what does a child understand about fear for and of the Lord? They don't unless we indoctrinate them with the notion that God can kill them, which He can, but that is not the nature and character of God, and certainly would not explain the caring and compassion God has for children.

Knowing that God cares for children, then why would He allow such horrible things to happen to them, especially since there are angels assigned to them, just as they are assigned to us?
I am not sure I can answer this appropriately, as there are innocent children, on a daily basis, kidnapped, tortured, blown up, and they were nothing more than innocent victims. One of my friends read a statistic that said there were 200,000 children that go missing every year in America.

• Where then were these angels?

Perhaps God's plan surpasses our understanding and is, therefore, a part of this mystery.

In what other ways do angels surround us?

• In the case of Elijah and Gehazi, they were surrounded by the Syrian army. Gehazi was the only that seemed terribly concerned by this and cries to Elijah about the situation as though Elijah did not know.

2 Kings 6:15-17 NASB Now when the attendant of the man of God had risen early and gone out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was circling the city. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" (16) So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." (17) Then Elisha prayed and said, "O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." And the LORD opened the servant's eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

• On behalf of Daniel, an angel shut the mouths of the lions.

Daniel 6:22 NASB "My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as I was found innocent before Him; and also toward you, O king, I have committed no crime."

• The angel Gabriel came to deliver a message to Daniel and had to physically fight.

Daniel 10:13 CJB  The prince of the kingdom of Persia prevented me from coming for twenty-one days; but Mikha'el, one of the chief princes, came to assist me; so that I was no longer needed there with the kings of Persia.

• Angels are commissioned to work for us.

Hebrews 1:14 NASB Are they, not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?

• In the latter days (days which we may see.) Michael will stand up and deliver those whose name is found written in the book.

I can apply this to the church, or to the Jews in general. If I project the idea of latter days into the time of wrath, then it becomes those who are to be delivered because of their testimony. Sadly, for many, deliverance comes by the sword or some other form of death.
Daniel 12:1 CJB  "When that time comes, Mikha'el, the great prince who champions your people, will stand up; and there will be a time of distress unparalleled between the time they became a nation and that moment. At that time, your people will be delivered, everyone whose name is found written in the book.

• On our behalf

Psalms 91:11 CJB  for he will order his angels to care for you and guard you wherever you go.
The standard argument is, why then did He let me go through (insert the horror you experienced here?) The answer lies in God drawing your heart back to Him, and, should you survive it, making you the great witness that you are today.

• If God knows already who his heirs are, then why do we need angels to guard us, and how does play into fate/destiny vs free will?

The angels guard us because we are flimsy, weak, mortals, with an inherent genetic defect that drives us to sin. To prove my point the flood scenario depicts a pre-flood world left to its own devices, the world was filled with violence and every thought of man was evil.


Free will works in opposition to God most every time. Free will is overrated. And fate is an allusion to sin. God is in control, no matter what it looks like, and sometimes it looks like the bad guys just won.

Galatians 1:2-5. To settle all claims against him and to designate where he obtained this information on grace on mercy.

In verse one of this letter to the Galatians, we have Paul introducing himself. In so doing he spells out with one word, that he was sent by, and is a messenger of Jesus Christ and God the Father. That one word was apostolos – Apostle to us Gentiles. In proclaiming this he is immediately trying to settle all claims against him and to designate where he obtained this information on grace on mercy. To the skeptic (this tends to be religious folk,) there is much to argue over, especially since you may not have any concept of how or why God talks to us. With Paul, we have the dramatic incident where he was knocked to the ground and made blind. Jesus spoke to him and this could be the place where all his instructions and definitions began.

Something we seem to overlook when considering who Paul was. He tells us when he went by the name Saul, that he was a rising star among the ranks of the Pharisees; he was well versed in the law and the prophets, and, he was so zealous for the religious tradition of the Jews, that he went around arresting, torturing, and having many followers of this new “religion” -believers in Jesus Christ, imprisoned or killed. [You can find this testimony in the 26^th chapter of the book of Acts.] In Acts 7:58.59, Saul/Paul held the cloak of those who stoned Stephen to death.

You might wonder how someone so deeply invested in rules and tradition could find anything that looked like grace and mercy in the books of the law, and yet, these very books became the basis for our freedom.

In Matthew, we see Jesus, quite successfully standing his ground with the adversary, Satan by quoting portions of the Law back to Satan. If the law, this oppressive collection of writings we like to control people with, could bring peace, freedom, and a momentary respite from Satan's onslaught, then couldn't it do that for us? Perhaps this understanding will give you a greater insight into words like this: “Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.”

With that let's dive into Galatians again.

Galatians 1:2-5 NASB and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: 3) Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4) who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5) to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.

• "and all the brethren who are with me"

Acts 16:6 NASB They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;

It was on Paul's second great missionary tour, about A.D. 51, that, he in company with Silas and Timothy, passed through from Lycaonia in Phrygia and Galatia, and planted the seeds of the Christian faith (Act_16:6). From The People's New Testament (B. W. Johnson)

This region then called Galatia is now modern-day Turkey

A piece of evidence we have for who these brethren were comes from Acts 18 where we see Priscilla and Aquilla. Having spent some time in Ephesus he may have picked up some followers there, and there is always Dr. Luke to record everything.

Acts 18:23 NASB And having spent some time there, he left and passed successively through the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

• "To the churches of Galatia"

As we saw in our example from Acts 16, Paul was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia Minor, the region called Galatia.

• "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,"

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible tells us to look at his comments on Romans 1:7 where Paul uses similar terminology.

Romans 1:7 EMTV To all those who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace to you - χαρις υμιν; May you be partakers of the Divine favor, the source whence every blessing is derived.” “..the several acceptations of this word grace which occur in the sacred writings.”

When I look up this word grace in the Word Study Dictionary I get a rather extensive definition. I only included 1-4, but I made the lettering of the things I thought applied most directly. I gave you the large paragraphs as there are things in there that can add to your understanding. [I apologize as it makes this post so long.]

1. The word χαριν signifies in general favor or benevolence, but especially that favor which is powerful and active and loads its objects with benefits. Luke_1:30: Fear not, Mary, thou hast found Favor, χαριν, with God. Luke_2:40: And the child grew - and the Grace of God, χαρις θεου, the favor of God was upon him. Luke_1:52: And Jesus increased in Favor, χαριτι Grace, with God and man. Act_2:47: Having Favor, χαριν, Grace, with all the people. Act_4:33: And great Grace, χαρις, Favor, was upon them all. The apostles were at that time in universal favor with the multitude. In this sense, the word occurs in a great variety of places, both in the Old and New Testaments.

2. Hence it is often used for the blessing which it dispenses; for, if God be favourably disposed towards a person, his beneficent acts, in that person’s behalf, will be a necessary consequence of such favor. John_1:14: Full of Grace and truth; accomplished in all spiritual blessings. John_1:16: And Grace upon Grace: he who is full of the most excellent blessings, confers them liberally on all believers. Act_11:23: When he had seen the Grace of God, i.e. had the fullest evidence that they were richly endowed with heavenly gifts. 1Co_1:4: For the Grace of God which is given you - the Divine blessings conferred upon you. 2Co_9:8: God is able to make all Grace abound toward you; i.e. to enrich you with every benediction. This is also a very common acceptation of the word; and in this sense the word grace or favor is now generally understood among religious people. The grace of God meaning with them some Divine or spiritual blessing communicated.

3. It is sometimes taken for the whole of the Christian religion, as being the grandest possible display of God’s favor to a lost, ruined world: and in this sense it appears to be used, John_1:17: For the Law was given by Moses; but Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ: where the term Grace is evidently opposed to Law; the latter meaning the Mosaic, the other the Christian, dispensation. Act_13:43: Barnabas persuaded them to continue in the Grace of God; i.e. to hold fast their profession of the religion of Christ. Rom_6:14: Ye are not under the Law, but under Grace - ye are no longer under obligation to fulfill the Mosaic precepts, but are under the Christian dispensation. See also Rom_6:15; and see 2Co_1:12; 2Co_6:1; Gal_1:6; Col_1:6; 2Ti_2:1, Titus_2:11: The Grace of God, that bringeth salvation unto all men, hath appeared. The Jewish religion was restricted in its benefits to a few; but the Christian religion proposes the salvation of all men; and the author of it has become a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Heb_12:15: Looking diligently lest any man fall from the Grace of God - lest any man apostatize from the Christian religion, and the blessings of pardon and holiness which he has received through it. 1Pe_5:12: This is the true Grace of God wherein ye stand - the Christian religion which ye have received is the genuine religion of God.

4. It signifies all the blessings and benefits which Christ has purchased, and which he gives to true believers, both in time and eternity. See Rom_5:15, Rom_5:17, where the grace of God is opposed to death; i.e. to all the wretchedness and misery brought into the world by Adam’s transgression. 1Co_16:23: The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all - May every blessing purchased by Christ’s passion and death be the portion of you all. Gal_5:4: Ye are fallen from Grace - ye have lost the blessings of the Gospel by submitting to circumcision.

J. Vernon McGee tells us, This is Paul's formal greeting that he used in most of his epistles. The word grace (charis) in this verse was the gentile form of greeting in that day, while peace (shalom) was the religious greeting of the Jews.

Many commentaries state something similar when they say; this was a standard greeting for Paul; evidence for the commonality of his greeting is demonstrated in his letters as he opened with this statement five times. While that is evidently true, this was anything but a typical statement to Paul. He had learned what grace was, and it was probably something he had little to no concept of before his conversion.

We sing songs with the phrases like, I once was lost, but now I am found, and, who saved a wretch like me. The comprehension of what you were before you accepted His grace can often be the driving force in the impact you now want to make on others.

• Verse 4. “who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age,”

The greeting, deemed so common, included the name, Jesus Christ. In this case, Paul includes a brief definition of what Jesus did for us.

He gave Himself for our sins … that in itself sounds great but it is not compulsory to live here on this earth. Varying translations convey different implications and meaning; for example:

The Amplified Classic version tells us – [That it is Jesus] Who gave (yielded) Himself up [to atone] for our sins [and to save and sanctify us], in order to rescue and deliver us from this present wicked age and world order, in accordance with the will and purpose and plan of our God and Father-

The idea of “in order to,” leaves the door open to some choosing not to partake in this rescuing.

The American Standard Version conveys the idea that He might. “who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil world, according to the will of our God and Father:”

This in no way means that deliverance is merely something at God's whim. No, the effort has been for all and available to all. Clearly, not all choose to accept deliverance. This is the case with many of the Jewish people.

The majority of translations use the word might. I understand that God desires to rescue. If it is within His capabilities to save us, why doesn't He just do it? The answer is because He has never circumvented a human's free will, and we have a choice.

In speaking to Joshua, he said, choose you this day whom you will serve. You can find this in Joshua 24:15.

If it helps I have an analogy that came to me one day. Imagine that the earth is a great big adoption agency. God comes down, looks around at all the people, and knows immediately that He must have them all. In order to do that He pays the ultimate price, which happens to be the blood of His only son, who gave His life voluntarily, knowing full well the implications and ramifications, but the Son, and the Father, knew that the end result would be so glorious, that Jesus paid with His own blood. Having signed the adoption papers He loudly calls for everyone to jump in the truck. (There was a time when we could fill the back of the truck full of people and go off to town.) Some come quickly, while others take their time deciding if this comfortable life at the adoption agency isn't better. One young kid with purple hair, says okay, but I don't take out the trash. He quickly learns that there are responsibilities and that this new found life and the grace associated with it, does not give us license to act irresponsibly. Unfortunately, because of deception, life's hurts, misunderstandings forced upon them by others, or just their unwillingness to change, a few do not get into the truck. For us, the truck is an analogy of our trip we will someday make to heaven when He calls His church back home to Himself. The payment, of course, was the price for Adam's transgression, blood. The adoption agency is this planet we live on. If you understand the story of Adam's transgression, then you know that Adam, by his actions, signed the earth away to a fallen and mutinous angel named Lucifer.

Our life here is not to try and win back a conquered earth, as it will be restored by fire. Our job is to tell people that this God who paid the price for us, has our best interests in mind. If you understood His character, and most of us don't, then you would tell people that His goals are based in salvation, and since you have come to understand His love for you, then convey that.

Odd, how salvation means something different to everyone. Oh sure, there are similarities in every life story, but in the end, our stories are all as individual as we are. Most of the time, we can easily just call these struggles life. For me, I would say that the damage I have sustained has shown its ugly head through a need to feel useful. Some have seen the gifts or capabilities I have but the door has never fully opened, as far as I can tell, and therefore I am not teaching. Others, see nothing but the damage my past has caused, and though our life and relationship with Christ are entrenched in a God who has paid the price for our damage (past, present, and future) some will never let you get beyond your mistakes. God has forgiven and forgotten your mistakes; try to center your thinking around that.

• Verse 5 really needs no explanation and can stand on it own. “ to whom be the glory forevermore. Amen.”

One of the occasional topics at church is worship. 

In worship, I try to recognize that it is to God that all glory belongs. But, in worship, God, through the Holy Spirit, tries to show me that same glory, now resting in me. 

How do I know that? 

I know that because the Word of God has taught me that in accepting Jesus Christ, I have come to be “in Him.” 

If I am in Him, then wouldn't His glory rest upon me as well? 

You would think so, and yet, it seems that is rarely the case. Perhaps, we just don't realize it. 

My notes as I prepared to teach on the Discipline of Fasting by Richard Foster.

I had been asked by my pastor to teach a couple of sessions out of one of the books from which he was yet to pick. When he named off the potential authors, I cringed internally as my pastor can turn anything into legalism. He settled on The Discipline of Fasting by Richard Foster.

Considering my understanding of discipline and the belt my father used to administer that obedience, my stomach was turning. Add to that a verbal image portrayed by the pastor, in which he told us that the shepherd would snap the leg of the sheep which kept running astray. I can't remember anything about that story that would help to give it a redeeming quality. However, in relating this story to a friend recently, I pointed out how it was the shepherd's purpose and intent to sale unblemished lambs to the surrounding Jewish community, a necessity for sacrifices. Having broken the lamb's leg, it was now a cripple and unable to survive on its own. The shepherd was now responsible for this offending little one and would have to carry it to water, food, and set it down to do its normal business as all lambs do. In the process of holding and caring for this lamb, the shepherd and the lamb build a tight bond, one in which the lamb becomes fondly and permanently attached to the shepherd. I image that the shepherd could develop a strong attachment for that particular sheep. You should not have to dig that deep to figure out that the shepherd is Jesus in the larger picture, and, the pastor in the smaller picture. We are the "offending" sheep. I can remember thinking that this is not the God that I have come to know, and, I did not want this pastor to ever get that close to me, and yet he has. Most recently, he asked me to lead this book study.

Under the pretense of discussing the lesson that I was to teach, the pastor asked me a question that he did not want an answer to. The question was: Why do you teach on Eschatology so much, and where do you get your conclusions. (I suppose it is important to note that pastor has never heard me speak, nor does he know what I teach, therefore these questions were really based upon things I shared with him personally in a previous meeting.)

Considering that he never gave me the chance to refute his assertions I will defend my actions now. I teach on end times and eschatology because (1.) I have always wanted to understand. (2.) Having sat under a false teacher for about three years, during which time, he would focus on one thing for as much as six months. I would make notes and then go home and research his assertions to find out if they are in scripture; I could rarely find anything he claimed to be the truth. (3.) Having spent the majority of my life in churches, I became thoroughly disgusted with religion. The solution was to take my bible and read it for myself. I started doing this with a strong determination in 2007 when I started working for a building materials store. I cannot remember a day when I did not spend at least 30 to 45 minutes each day reading and writing. In writing I would make notes; challenge what I read, and ask God questions. Not surprisingly, God began to speak to me. In addition to reading my bible, I ran across an author named Joel Richardson. He had written a book called the Islamic Antichrist. After reading that book the bible just started to come alive; there was not a book of the Bible that gave me trouble after that. My friends, perhaps sarcastically, began to call me the expert on end times things. I don't buy into that, but I am not afraid to answer questions, although some questions require a little research.

As to the concept of only teaching on Eschatology, my pastor, was himself in a semi-retirement, as I taught for almost a year on the book of John at another church.
So, with that introduction, I was supposed to lead the group discussion on Chapter 4, The Discipline of Fasting this last Wednesday. When I walked into the room pastor is the only one there. He had taken the seat at the center of the table, and I could not help but notice that he had notes on the same topic. An aspect I failed to mention, I gave him a copy of my notes, to which he blurted out, you can't teach this, it's too much. Again, he had no interest in asking my intent. He repeatedly said he was worried about what I was going to say and would I offend everyone. Apparently, he took actions into his own hands and pushed me out; blindsided, I said nothing. 

Here is what I believe I would have taught.
On the subject of Fasting, can I speak from experience?
Yes, but for only three days.

In the second paragraph of chapter 4, Richard Foster tells us one of the reasons why there is a disregard of fasting.
“With the decline of the inward reality of the Christian faith, an increasing tendency to stress the only thing left, the outward form, developed.” Foster goes on to say, “And whenever there is a form devoid of spiritual power, the law will take over because law always carries with it a sense of security and manipulative power. Hence, fasting was subjected to the most rigid regulations and practiced with extreme self-mortification and flagellation.”

There is another aspect of this world that has distracted us from fasting, and that is Hedonism. Hedonism, according to the dictionary, is the pursuit of pleasure - sensual self-indulgence. It is the ethical theory that pleasure (in the sense of the satisfaction of desires) is the highest good and proper aim of human life.
Food falls into this category.

It almost sounds like I am advocating the law. However, operating under the law or laws is not what we are trying to convey.
Jesus, speaking to men under the law, said in Matthew 6:16-18

"Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17) "But you when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 18) so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. [NASB]

As Richard Foster explains, “these words of Jesus do not constitute a command. Jesus was giving instruction on the proper exercise of a common practice of his day.”

When we start to emphasize a discipline, a common argument heard within the church might be, we are not under the law and therefore have no clear mandate to fast. And yet, Richard Foster makes a good point when he says, “Our freedom in the gospel, however, does not mean license; it means opportunity. Since there are no laws to bind us, we are then free to fast on any day.”

Then what Biblical direction and encouragement do we have?
Jonah – The prophet eventually delivers a prophetic word to a hated people, hoping that they will be destroyed by God. God, however, had other plans.

Jonah 3:4-10 NASB Then Jonah began to go through the city one day's walk; and he cried out and said, "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown." 5) Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. 6) When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes. 7) He issued a proclamation and it said, "In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. 8) "But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. 9) "Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish." 10) When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.

Richard Foster told us of Britain in 1756. The King of Britain called for a day of solemn prayer and fasting because of a threatened invasion by the French. John Wesley tells us "that every church in the city was more than full, and a solemn seriousness sat on every face." That invasion wrote Wesley in one of his footnotes, was averted.

Look up the word fasting in the New Testament, and you will find instances such as this:

Matthew 17:21 Where Jesus said, "..this kind (of demon) does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

Whether the act of fasting makes you fearless, gives you power, or perhaps an insight into what is going on in peoples lives, or merely the knowledge that God has your back, I don't know. What gave the disciples the skills or abilities to cast out demons; perhaps Jesus had been schooling them in prayer and fasting. The evidence for this comes from Mark's gospel, chapter 6, where we see Jesus sending out the disciples with the instructions that they had power over unclean spirits. What we don't see is the fasting. However, we can safely assume that those who went out were equipped by example, for upon their return, they reported that the demons responded to their commands.

Mark 6:13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

Luke 10:17 KJV And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

Acts 13:2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

While fasting may have been a standard within the Jewish community from which they came, it still played a part in the clarity of decision, and prophetic word, that caused Barnabas and Saul to be sent out.

I want to point out 1 Corinthians 7:5 independently because translations have become part of the problem as we try to understand and perhaps integrate fasting back into our lives. The context of the verse is an admonition for marriages. In this case, the separation, perhaps under the guise of fasting (a Jewish tradition,) has been used to deprive the other of some relational aspect of the marriage. Paul, who knew too well that this takes place, instructed that in doing such, with the intent of punishing the other, opens the door to Satan because of their lack of self-control. Self-control? Yes, as this would push you to overflow your own rivers banks into areas that you should not go. The problem is that you do not get the word fasting when you use most newer translations.

1 Corinthians 7:5 NASB “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.”

The King James version, as well as several literal translations, used the word fasting.

From the Word Study Dictionary - The Greek word is nēsteía; to fast. A fasting, fast, abstinence from eating, generally for want of food (2Co_6:5; 2Co_11:27). In a religious sense of the private fastings of the Jews (Mat_17:21; Mar_9:29 [TR]; Luk_2:37) to which great merit was attributed, the Pharisees practiced often, sometimes twice a week (cf. Luk_18:12; Sept.: Isa_58:3 ff.; Dan_9:3). In their longer fastings, they abstained only from better kinds of food. The Jews used to call such a fast "The great annual public fast of the great Day of Atonement" which occurred in the month Tisri, corresponding to the new moon of October.

Now, look at the KJV which did include the word fasting.

1 Corinthians 7:5 KJV Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

The point is that we do have an example of fasting in the New Testament, although with a negative spin.

Richard Foster, under the heading of “The Purpose of Fasting” states, “It is sobering to realize that the very first statement Jesus made about fasting dealt with the question of motive.” We are given Matthew 6:16-18

"Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17) "But you when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 18) so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. NASB

Foster goes on to say, Fasting must forever center on God.

• It must be God initiated, and God ordained.
• Every other purpose must be subservient to God.

"Our avoidance of fasting has much to do with the condition of the heart; the heart, therefore, needs to be firmly fixed before you go there." There are secondary purposes in fasting, and fasting, according to Foster, reveals the things that control us. We are very good at covering up what is inside of us. We do it with food and other “good” things, but in fasting these things surface. If pride controls us, it will be revealed almost immediately."
Things you might expect to find:

• Anger
• bitterness
• jealousy
• strife
• fear

If they are within, they will surface during fasting. Foster explains, “At first we will rationalize that our anger is due to our hunger; then we will realize that are angry because the spirit of anger is within us. We can rejoice even with this knowledge as we know that healing is available through the power of Christ."

Concerning direction and instruction, few passages speak more clearly than Isaiah 58:1-14
Yes, I get it, the generalized idea is that the Old Testament represents the law, and some act as though it should be avoided, but do not forget that our freedom sets us free to fast. It is not, therefore, a law to us, but an addition to our lives which are increasingly beset with troubles. I might also add that fasting is a tool and a weapon, as we are that thing that restrains in the last days, and if fasting assists in that battle, then so be it (Amen.)

2 Thessalonians 2:7 AMPC For the mystery of lawlessness (that hidden principle of rebellion against constituted authority) is already at work in the world, [but it is] restrained only until he who restrains is taken out of the way.

I am convinced that this is the faith-filled church, standing against the enemies onslaughts. You do not have to look far to see how this is playing out around you. On a daily basis, our freedoms are progressively being stripped away, even to the point where your thoughts, expressed on social media, can and will be used against you. All someone has to do is say, that offends me, and you can find yourself in handcuffs for hate speech. Can you see why we need every arrow in our quivers; fasting is one of those arrows, and, as you will see from Isaiah, it is a powerful one.

Isaiah 58:5, in the NASB, begins with:
"Is it a fast like this which I choose,
a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it for bowing one's head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed?
Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD? 6)
"Is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

The word flesh means just that in the Hebrew but can also mean blood relations. Albert Barnes commentary explains, To hide oneself from them may denote either, first, to be ashamed of them on account of their poverty or humble rank in life; or, secondly, to withhold from them the just supply of their needs.

Values and benefits of Fasting (from Foster's book.)
Fasting helps us keep our balance in life. “How easily we begin to allow non-essentials to take precedence in our lives. How quickly we crave things, we do not need until we are enslaved by them.” Paul wrote, “All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything” 1 Cor. 6:12.
Foster again, “Our human cravings and desires are like rivers that tend to overflow their banks; fasting helps keep them in their proper channels.” Others, according to Foster, have written that fasting gives us an increased effectiveness in intercessory prayer.

• Guidance in decisions
• Increased concentration
• Physical well being

Let's camp here for a minute. What do we ingest in our bodies? A few ingredients from an instant macaroni and cheese product: Glyceral monostearate; Calcium carbonate; Sodium triphosphate; Sodium phosphate, and medium chain triglycerides. Perhaps the occasional purging of some of these cryptic products would be a benefit to us.

• RevelationIn this case, Revelation is primarily referring to Godly insights, but it could mean other things as well.

The Practice of Fasting
We are admonished by Foster to walk before we run. With that said, I cannot imagine trying to take on a water or juice fast for seven days, while continuing to work as a high voltage electrical worker. Having fasted for three days, I know how those three days felt. On day two, I can assure you that no one needed to be around me; and on day three, I was so weak I felt like all I could do was lie in bed and rest; everything exhausted me. In no way was I in any condition to deal with the outside world, let alone my wife.

Could I accomplish much if I merely fasted a meal? With purpose, of course, I could. I do it frequently with television and now the cell phone. You have to keep in mind that the body is, as Foster puts it, like a spoiled child, and a spoiled child does not need indulgence. So, perhaps then, you can understand Paul a little better when he says, “I pommel my body and subdue it. 1 Cor. 9:27.
Foster states, "If family obligations permit it, devote the time you would normally use eating to meditation and prayer."

Let me end with some wisdom from Richard Foster.
“Although the physical aspects of fasting intrigue us, we must never forget that the major work of scriptural fasting is in the realm of the spirit. What goes on spiritually is much more important than what is happening bodily. You will be engaging in spiritual warfare that will necessitate using all the weapons of Ephesians 6.” Foster goes on to say, “I do not want to leave the impression that all fasting is a heavy spiritual struggle.”

“Fasting can bring breakthroughs in the spiritual realm that will never happen in any other way.”
We all seem to understand that Jesus would get alone, in the garden, apparently for the purposes of finding the nature, and character of the Father; and to, commune with Him. In so doing he could come to know the Father's heart. Some would argue that Jesus, whose relationship with the Father has always been, would have known the Father's heart already, and merely drawn from that knowledge. The problem with that is that we forget that Jesus set aside the glory he had with the Father to become a man. Another way of putting this, Jesus willingly stripped himself of heaven's advantages and continued to remain in that state, as a man. That would mean He had to sort this out, just as we have to. He had one small advantage that we don't have, no Monday night football to distract him.
While changing the world around us is a good thing, I need to seek to learn His voice. You see, in Proverbs, we are told that wisdom cries aloud in the streets. The impression I get from that is, the Holy Spirit/the Father is talking all the time. If I am not hearing Him, then I need to get in tune.