A Key to the Kingdom

Friends:

I'm going to Alaska, and as I prepare myself mentally, physically, spiritually . . . I decided to take on a fast. And today, I was revealed some things:

Fasting is a key that can bring us into kingdom living; it's a means of suffering for the Lord.  I mean, really, what's a few days without food when Jesus was beaten almost to the point of death for us? Fasting for a few days is like getting something in your eye and having it irritate you in comparison to what He went through.

So why fast? Well, some of the main points for fasting are to cleanse ourselves spiritually and to open up our spiritual eyes.  Fasting is basically telling your earthly body, "Hey . . . Christ Jesus is much stronger than you and your worldly desires and needs, so I'm going to rely on Him . . . not you."  We must put our flesh and worldly "strength" into submission/subjection to the Spirit (Matt. 4:4).  Fasting builds our Faith and makes it easier to hear God's voice.  When we fast, we should be seeking Him only and focusing on Him.  The more you do that and rely on Him for sustainability (He is the Rock after all . . why not build your foundation on that?) the more in tune you are going to get with Him.

Now, Matthew 6:16-18 tells us to fast secretly.  So y'all suppose I'm telling the blog-world a secret . . . and that's a no-no! Tsk tsk! Emily is not doing it right!  Well, I don't think that's really the point here.  I think in saying that we should fast in secret means that we should fast for the Lord and for Him only.  That's right.  You heard me.  Not for us- although we want to receive things from it- but completely for the Lord.  We should not boast around and make it a huge show for all of mankind that we are fasting.  We shouldn't go around struttin' our stuff saying, "Oh, woe me! I'm starving since I'm fasting. Look at me! I'm suffering!"  That sort of takes away from that intimate time between you and God and makes it a prideful act.  That isn't a pure motive.  That isn't a pure anything.  That would be you wanting to glorify yourself- a gain for yourself and not Christ.  Our heart attitudes must be right and pure in order to produce spiritual results!  You can't possibly have the right motives while continuing in your pride and expect to gain spiritual results (Jeremiah 14:10;12)!

People, how can a show all about you possibly be about God?

So that, my friends, is what it means (in my opinion) to fast in secret.  Sure, you can fast and not tell anyone.  There's really nothing wrong in that.  But again, I think the point is to not flaunt this intimate and spiritual time with the whole world.

And that's what I was shown today.  That is all my friends.

Many blessings and much love,

Emily