“No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. “Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the LORD will protect you from behind. Then when you call, the LORD will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply. “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. [Isaiah 58.6-10]
There is not just one topic of importance in the passage above, but TWO very important topics to consider.
First, the obvious point is that of fasting. There is a right way and a wrong was to fast. Fasting according to any other protocol than that declared to be 'right' here is useless. If we discussed nothing else here but this, it would be enough. However, there is another important subject that needs to be discussed...
The last sentence of the passage above is, I will say, critical. When, at whatever point, we get fasting right, something amazing happens. We become beacons of light! Why is this important? Because light is the beginning of everything that is good... read Genesis 1 and see it! If we stopped here it would be enough - however, there is more that needs to be considered if we are to understand clearly...
Yesterday I mentioned a passage of scripture from John 9.1-3:
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. ” [John 9.1-3]
But today, I want to add the following two verses (underlined below) that, unless we understand Jesus from the prophecies about Him in Isaiah, we risk missing their importance altogether and perhaps even naively adopting incorrect doctrines about miracles being limited to Jesus' ministry on earth:
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” [John 9.1-5]
I believe the urgency of Jesus' message above is not one of time, but one of commission. The "night coming" is the omission of correct devotion to God - the omission of fasting the right way - yielding no light (darkness), yielding no miracles - yielding no power. The urgency is to fast correctly! The urgency to is to keep the creative power of God and His light generating for the world to see! If we are to be like Jesus - if He was truly our example - then we are to bring light to the world JUST AS HE DID! WE MUST SEE THAT WHILE WE ARE HERE IN THE WORLD, WE TOO (LIKE JESUS OUR EXAMPLE) ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD!
Our fasting then will bring glory to God in the healing of the nations! We will do the works of Jesus! Sin will no longer stop the power of God because Jesus in us is undeterred by sin! It won't matter "who sinned" - it will only matter who repents and believes! Those who believe - and are obedient to faith (repentant for unbelief) - will demonstrate God's power - will shine His light upon all. This is the glory of God!
The "night coming" then, I believe is the apathy of man. In particular, it is the apathy of so-called Christians. Really though, a true believer shines the light of God - it is the trademark of a true believer. Darkness then cannot actually be found in a true believer. If we are in darkness and do not shine the light of God, we are not His.
May the LORD God help us to see clearly - to correctly evaluate ourselves - to repent for unbelief - and to respond quickly and obediently to faith and the works that demonstrate that faith!
Father, I want to shine Your light for all to see. But I know there is a way for that to happen - I know it does not just happen because I want it to...
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. ” [John 9.1-3]
But today, I want to add the following two verses (underlined below) that, unless we understand Jesus from the prophecies about Him in Isaiah, we risk missing their importance altogether and perhaps even naively adopting incorrect doctrines about miracles being limited to Jesus' ministry on earth:
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” [John 9.1-5]
I believe the urgency of Jesus' message above is not one of time, but one of commission. The "night coming" is the omission of correct devotion to God - the omission of fasting the right way - yielding no light (darkness), yielding no miracles - yielding no power. The urgency is to fast correctly! The urgency to is to keep the creative power of God and His light generating for the world to see! If we are to be like Jesus - if He was truly our example - then we are to bring light to the world JUST AS HE DID! WE MUST SEE THAT WHILE WE ARE HERE IN THE WORLD, WE TOO (LIKE JESUS OUR EXAMPLE) ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD!
Our fasting then will bring glory to God in the healing of the nations! We will do the works of Jesus! Sin will no longer stop the power of God because Jesus in us is undeterred by sin! It won't matter "who sinned" - it will only matter who repents and believes! Those who believe - and are obedient to faith (repentant for unbelief) - will demonstrate God's power - will shine His light upon all. This is the glory of God!
The "night coming" then, I believe is the apathy of man. In particular, it is the apathy of so-called Christians. Really though, a true believer shines the light of God - it is the trademark of a true believer. Darkness then cannot actually be found in a true believer. If we are in darkness and do not shine the light of God, we are not His.
May the LORD God help us to see clearly - to correctly evaluate ourselves - to repent for unbelief - and to respond quickly and obediently to faith and the works that demonstrate that faith!
Father, I want to shine Your light for all to see. But I know there is a way for that to happen - I know it does not just happen because I want it to...
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