Fasting and the christian

One aspect of Christian life that is receiving new attention in these days, is fasting. Perhaps we need to listen once more to the Bible’s teaching about fasting.

It is not true that only Pharisees fast. Right through the Bible – also in the New Testament – fasting forms an important role in serving God. During the Reformation fasting was prominent. John Wesley (of the Methodist Church) even refused to ordain a minister who did not fast regularly.

When should a Christian fast?

John Calvin speaks about the Christian fast in Institute 1V:X11:14-18. He says one should fast for three reasons:

1. To avoid being controlled by the flesh (your sinful nature);

2. For prayer and meditation;

3. As part of repentance and confession of sins.

He stresses especially that a time of fasting and prayer should be called for whenever intercession for an important matter is needed.

John Wesley tells of a national day of prayer and fasting proclaimed by the King of England in 1756 because of an impending attack by France. The churches were filled to overflowing, for everybody realized the danger. Their prayers were answered, and the attack was averted.

Examples from the Bible

We often read of times of prayer and fasting in the Bible, e.g.

– when worshiping the Lord (Acts 13:2)
– when sending out missionaries (Acts 13:3);
– when elders were elected (Acts 14:23);
– when believers were in danger (Esther 4:16);
– when specific prayers were called for (Psalm 35:13).

In the Sermon on the Mount it is clear that Jesus expected his disciples to fast at times. In Matthew 6:16-18 He says, “and when you fast, do not put on a sad face as the hypocrites do…”

It is surprising to discover which Bible characters found it necessary to fast, e.g.:

Moses (Exodus 24:18);
David (Psalm 69:10);
Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:1-4);
Elijah (1 Kings 19:8);
Ezra (Ezra 8:21-23);  Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1:4);
Joel (Joel 2:15);
Anna (Luke 2:37);
Jesus (Matthew 4:2);
his disciples (Luke 5:35);
Paul (Acts 9:9)
and the Christian churches (Acts 14:23).

So we also read in the Didache, a Christian document written in the first century AD, that Christians of that period fasted every Wednesday and Friday.

How does one fast?

There are different ways of fasting:

1. By avoiding delicacies (Daniel 10:3);

2. By eating less than usual;

3. By avoiding all food, but drinking liquids (Luke 4:2);

4. By abstaining from all food and drink (Acts 9:9). (The latter is exceptional, since a normal human cannot live for more than three days without liquid intake.)

The Christian fast should not be confused with

– meal strikes for political purposes;
– a diet plan to lose weight;
– fasting for health, as has become the fashion lately.
Christian fasting is always combined with prayer, since fasting on its own does not have any value in God’s eyes (Joel 2:13; Isaiah 58:5; Colossians 2:23; Zechariah 7:5).

Fasting reveals to us what really controls our lives. It helps to keep the body under control (1 Corinthians 9:27) and helps us to avoid becoming addicted to anything (1 Corinthians 6:12).

In conclusion

The Christian fast is completely voluntary. It helps you to dedicate yourself completely to prayer. All who practice fasting testify to the value thereof.

If you wish to fast, you are recommended to start by skipping one meal, and later to abstain from food for 24 hours (supper to supper). If you are not very healthy you could also fast by just abstaining from rich foods and sweets.

Remember the main purpose of fasting : to have fellowship with God.

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May I go to see a witchdoctor?

There is nothing wrong in going to a herbalist. The church is against the witchdoctors who consult divining bones (ditaola). Who do they ask to show them what the problem is and who is responsible for the illness? Don’t they try to contact the ancestral spirits? God forbids this, because the devil also works in the realm of the spirits or “medemona” (evil spirits) and many are deceived in this way (read Deuteronomy 18:10-11; Isaiah 8:19-20).

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Speaking in tongues

You want to know whether speaking in tongues is allowed for Christians? I think the Bible says “yes”. Paul, the well known Christian leader of the New Testament says that he himself once used the gift of tongues (1 Corinthians 14:18).

There is an important second question and that is: How must the gifts of the Holy Spirit be used in the congregation? Please read 1 Corinthians, chapters 12, 13 and 14 very carefully. In those chapters Paul deals with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and gives special attention to the gift of speaking in tongues. I want to stress the following main points on the subject:

1. Be thankful and humble for whatever gift has been given to you. It is a gift from God. You do not deserve it. Therefore you cannot be filled with pride because you possess it (1 Corinthians 12:7).

2. The whole congregation must share the benefit of the gift which you have received (1 Corinthians 12:7). Not only you must benefit from it, but it must strengthen and build the whole congregation (1 Corinthians 14:4; 1 Corinthians 4:12, 26).

3. You must not cause division and strife within the congregation by your gift or gifts (1 Corinthians 12:25).

4. Everybody does not receive the same gift. The Holy Spirit gives different gifts to God’s children, as he wishes to do. (1 Corinthians 12:11). Therefore no one must regard himself, because of his gift, more important than another who has not received the same gift as he did (1 Corinthians 12:21).

5. The greatest gift of all is love (1 Corinthians 12:31 and 1 Corinthians 13).

6. Speaking in tongues is mostly used in prayer when we speak to God, and not so much when we speak to others like in a sermon (1 Corinthians 14:2, 14).

7. Speaking in tongues must always be accompanied by interpretation so that everybody who listens can understand what is said (1 Corinthians 14:13).

8. Speaking in tongues is intended for private use when I am in my prayer closet, and not so much for use in the congregation (1 Corinthians 14:18-19).

9. Speaking in tongues is, according to Paul, not the best way to reach an unbeliever with the Gospel of Jesus (1 Corinthians 14:23-24).

10. Speaking in tongues must never dominate the activities in any service or company of believers (1 Corinthians 14:27).

11. My speaking in tongues must never confuse the listeners (1 Corinthians 14:33).

May the Lord bless you and give you a gift with which you can help to build the Lord’s congregation.

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How long did God take to create the world?

You ask how long God took to create the earth. This is a question we cannot answer with absolute certainty. The first chapter of Genesis tells us that God created the world in 6 days. Some people say that that means 6 days of 24 hours each as we know them today and this is quite possible. God is all-powerful and can do anything. On the 7th day God rested and gave us the example of having one day in seven, set aside for rest from ordinary work and to worship the Lord.

Other people say that the six days spoken of, represent stages – larger periods of even millions of years when God created the world in an orderly way. They point out that the sun and moon which we use for telling the time was only created on the fourth day. Time is not relevant to God (1 Peter 3:8). His seventh day has not yet ended.

The important thing for us to remember is that every part of the creation was God’s direct work. There is no suggestion in the Bible that things developed on their own.

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What is inherited sin?

Inherited sin (original sin) is that sinful nature and corruption with which every human being is born (Psalm 51:7). It is the guilt and depravity of sin which is the result of the disobedience of Adam and Eve. The Bible speaks a lot about it, and we all experience it in our lives. We can see it in the fact that it is easier, even for a small child, to do wrong than to do good. People sometimes ask: “But why are we kept responsible for the sin of Adam?” We do agree that the answer to such a question is not an easy one. There are, however, a few things that can help us to try and understand this mystery.

1. Adam was our mutual ancestor and natural father (Acts 17:26).

But he was more than that. He was our representative before God. When he sinned, it affected all his descendents. Please stop here, open your Bible and read carefully what Paul had to say about this subject in Romans 5:12-21. The key text is verse 12 “Sin came into the world through one man, and his sin brought death with it. As a result, death has spread to the whole human race because everyone has sinned” (Good News English translation).

2. Inherited sin is an undisputable proof of the unity of the human race although it is split up in different nations.

(See Genesis 11:4-9). We must confess that human understanding cannot grasp everything. But according to the Bible, there is a mysterious unity between Adam and every person born, between Adam and you and me also. The result is described in Romans 3:23.

3. But the Bible has good news for us.

The Gospel contains a positive message which tells us a wonderful story. It says: There is the same unity between us and the Lord Jesus Christ, as the one between us and Adam. Paul spoke about it in Romans 5:17: “It is true that through the sin of one man (Adam) death began to rule because of that one man. But how much greater is the result of what was done by one man, Jesus Christ! 18: So then, as the one sin condemned all mankind, in the same way the one righteous act (when Christ died for mankind on the cross) sets all mankind free and gives them life. 19: And just as all people were made sinners as the result of the disobedience of one man (Adam), in the same way they will all be put right with God as the result of the obedience of one man” (Jesus Christ).

But now we must understand this clearly. Only those who accept Jesus as their Saviour are saved. People who rejects Christ, remain under the curse of sin.

Now stop and read 1 Corinthians 5:22 and do what 1 John 1:9 says, turn to John 3:16 and John 1:12 and believe it with your whole heart.

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Will I become sick if I don’t have sex?

Young people often ask questions about things others have told them. Some of the questions are about the consequences of not having sex before a certain age. They have been told that they will become insane, that some or other disease will attack them, that their genital organs will deteriorate and become useless etc.

The source of all such information is, of course, the devil and his powers. To practice sex outside marriage is a sin against God and young people’s own future, and is the source of much unhappiness in the world.

The first thing we must always remember is that the devil’s work is to destroy and to lie, and to ruin people’s lives. One of his main purposes is to destroy the moral life of God’s people on earth. And when someone refuses to act contrary to the law of God and for example, not have sex before they are married, he uses even friends to tell such lies (Read John 8:44).

No! there is no medical evidence that abstaining from sex will harm anybody physically and psychologically. The genital organs won’t shrink or be harmed in any way. Be assured – it is true!

But having sex before marriage, and with anybody who is willing, is very – very dangerous. Besides the psychological consequences because of a guilty conscience, a person may contract different kinds of venereal diseases, amongst others, the dreaded killer disease called AIDS, which is spreading rapidly according to recent reports. It is the cause of very many social problems and unhappiness.

So please don’t believe the Devil and his disciples. God knows quite well what He does when He says: Do not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14).

Read 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8.

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Is organized Sunday sports sin?

When God first gave the Sabbath to the people, it was for rest after six days of work and for an opportunity to put aside all usual activities in order to worship the Lord. Man needs that day in order to be built op and strengthened for the week ahead. If we disregard it and go on doing the things that are part of our everyday living, we will lose out spiritually, that is, if we are true Christians.

However, when Jesus was on earth, the Pharisees had made the Sabbath into a day with so many rules, that the real reason for its existence was lost and people were not worshipping God properly at all. That is why he was often in trouble with the authorities (Luke 13:10-17; John 5:18). It is also why He said that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath (Mark 2:23-28).

So we need to think very carefully about what we should do with our Sundays. To be so concerned about what is right and what is wrong, that we do not give the time to God and enjoy worshipping Him, is as bad as making it just like any other day. It should be a day when we meet together with other Christians for worship and for serving God, but each person should have his conscience clear before God about time for relaxation which will be of help to him in his Christian life.

If whatever you do on Sunday troubles your concience, you should not do it, for anything that makes you doubt, is wrong for you (Romans 14:23).

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The right use of sex

Is it a sin to have sex before marriage? Yes it is, for whatever reason you do it. Sex is a gift of God. For many years in some societies, young people were taught that sex is a dirty, ugly thing, and many young girls went into marriage with a fear of sex. This was done mainly to stop young people from having sex before marriage. But it was a wrong way to teach young people. Often they were forbidden to even speak of it. Sex, in the right place, is not sinful. When God gave Eve to Adam, that was the first marriage and it was a joyful thing for them to be united in this way.

Later, when sin came into the world, it spoiled the purity of marriage as it spoiled everything else and through the years until our time things have got worse and worse, until sex has been made into an ugly thing by the way people have treated it.

It is wrong to have sex before marriage because it is a gift and privilege which must go with the responsibility of two people committing themselves to each other for life, to be faithful to each other and have a family that can be secure with both parents.

If young people have sex for pleasure, even if they love each other, they often end that relationship and go their separate ways. But because sex is not only physical, it can cause deep hurts mentally and spiritually too. Part of you remains behind (1 Corinthians 6:16). And if people have more than one relationship of this kind there is the risk of disease, like AIDS, as well.

So, although the Bible teaches that sex is a gift of God, that is only for couples within marriage. If it is used in any other way, it is immoral and sinful. Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and also 15-18.

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How can I become a Sunday school teacher?

We are very glad to hear that you wish to help young people to follow the way of the Lord. The Lord has laid an important burden on your heart.

If you wish to lead young people as a Sunday school teacher, you need to improve your Bible knowledge. Therefore continue with your Bible study. We shall try to help you with that as far as possible.

It is also important that your life should agree with your words, for children learn more by example than by talking. A child is quick to see when your words and deeds do not agree.

Go to your pastor and tell him of the desire on your heart. There is usually a great need for Sunday school teachers, but you will have to show the church leaders that you are a suitable person who can be trusted to lead children to Christ.

Many churches have prepared Sunday school lessons to help teachers. If your church does not have such lessons, you can buy them with colorful pictures from:

Child Evangelism Fellowship
57a Pienaar Street
SOMERSET-WEST
7130

or

The Manager
CLF Publishers
P O Box 19
BLOEMFONTEIN
9300

Please tell them your language, because the lessons are available in different languages.

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Is it sin?

This question is regularly being asked by our young people. Is it sin? – whether we are speaking of dancing, smoking, jeans for ladies, horseracing, gambling or something else. The answer is to test each of those things against the principles of the Word of God, so that we can know.

Before we come to the tests of the Bible, first of all you have to answer a few important questions:

1. Are you already a true child of God? If not, you don’t have to read further. Everything that you do, even your “best actions are filthy through and through” before God (Isaiah 64:6). And the holiest life does not count before God if we haven’t received Jesus Christ first of all (1 John 5:10-12).

2. Are you willing to be obedient? If you are not willing to be convinced by God – you do not need to read any further. But if you are willing to do the will of God, please read on.

3. Is this matter mentioned in the Bible? If the Bible clearly talks about this matter (e.g. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Exodus 20:1-17), it is not necessary to use the following ten tests. Then we already know whether it is right or wrong.

Are you still doubtful? Let us see what God says in the Bible. Everything that we do, should pass the following ten tests. Anything that does not pass all the tests, should not be in the life of a Christian. Do not do it. There are better things to do.

Ten tests whereby a christian can clarify the question, “May I do it, or not?”

1. Do I wish to do it to God’s glory? “Well, whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do it all for God’s glory.” (1 Corinthians 10:31; also see Colossians 3:23).

2. Is it a hindrance in my spiritual life? “So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us.” (Hebrew 12:1; also read Matthew 18:8-9).

3. Does this lead to sin? “But now I tell you: anyone who looks at a woman and wants to possess her is guilty of committing adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28; also see Romans 13:14).

4. In whose company will I do this thing? “Do not be fooled. Bad companions ruin good character.” (1 Corinthians 15:33; also see Psalm 1:1-2).

5. Do I lead others into temptation by doing this thing? “So then, if food makes my brother sin, I will never eat meat again, so as not to make my brother fall into sin.” (1 Corinthians 8:13).

6. Does it help me to win others to Christ? “While working with the Jews, I live like a Jew in order to win them… So I become all things to all people, that I may save some of them by whatever means are possible.” (1 Corinthians 9:20-27).

7. Am I sure that this thing is not sin? “Anything that is not based on faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23).

8. What is the end result of doing this thing? “A tree is known by the kind of fruit it bears.” (Matthew 12:33; also see James 3:10-12; 2 Corinthians 6:17).

9. What would Jesus have done in my place? “Be obedient to God, and do not allow your lives to be shaped by those desires you had when you were still ignorant. Instead, be holy in all that you do, just as God who called you is holy. The Scripture says: `Be holy because I am holy'” (1 Peter 1:14-16).

10. Do I help a weaker brother by doing this thing? “We who are strong in the faith ought to help the weak to carry their burdens. We should not please ourselves.” (Romans 15:1).

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