WHEN YOUR SEASON DAWNS

Pr. Geoffrey Kibombo

2 Kings 7:1 (NLT)

“Listen to this message from the Lord! This is what the Lord says: By this time tomorrow in the markets of Samaria, six quarts of choice flour will cost only one piece of silver, and twelve quarts of barley grain will cost only one piece of silver”

You may have promises or prophesies upon your life but none of them has come to fruition and you are wondering whether God has forgotten about you. When the circumstances of your life are viciously hard, unpleasant and sorrowful, do you ever find asking yourself whether God has forsaken you, or is angry with you? The answer is no. For God never forgets his children and his promises never fail (Joshua 21:45).

As a Christian you might have played your part, walked faithfully and, rightfully with God and done everything that needs to be done but your life situation isn’t that delightful.  As a result, you start to have questions in your life. And with every question that goes unanswered about delays and hard times in your life, it gives the devil a foothold in your heart. But delay is not denial and at the right time God will deal with you – your season, God’s timing. A number of God’s servants in the bible went through seasons of hardships and lack but in the end God was faithful till their fruition seasons. Let’s see what they did amidst their sorrowful situations to stay hopeful and faithful   

Finding Comfort in Distress

The bible tells of a man called Asaph, who worshiped God but questioned God when he saw the evil flourishing (Psalm 73). Asaph also had a lot of questions, doubts and pain but taught us how to conquer them and find comfort in times of distress (Psalm 77). He had promises upon his life and he even prayed for most of the powerful and great men in Israel. He questions God in Psalm 73:13 (GNT) “Is it for nothing, then, that I have kept myself pure and have not committed sin?”    

In other words he was asking if he had been born again for nothing. Am I sacrificing for nothing? Am I dedicated for nothing? Am I serving for nothing? Am I giving for nothing? Such are the questions believers have. Our service and trust in God is not for barter trade, however God is good to those who seek and serve Him. Sometimes when going through difficult times, people might ask you where your God is; but take courage and continue to serve and fellowship even when life is not rosy, and lack and struggle is the order of the day. With his soul crying and his mind cast in fear and doubt, Asaph looked beyond his sorrowful circumstances to the greatness of God and remembered his faithfulness and saving hand. He declares in Psalm 77:10-12 (NKJV)

And I said, “This is my anguish;
But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
11 I will remember the works of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
12 I will also meditate on all Your work,
And talk of Your deeds.

Some of you might be like Asaph right now - questioning God and his word. But just like Asaph, remember the years of the right hand Most High and all he has done for you, and allow his faithfulness and grace to fill you with comfort, peace and joy as you wait upon him to usher into your season – when you remember his goodness, you will be aware of his greatness

Don’t Stagger; Stay the Path

Luke 1:5-7(NKJV)  

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

Zacharias was a servant of God and he continued in his duties but was grieved since he had no child in his household. Despite of his situation, he made himself available for the work of God nonetheless. He was probably asked challenging questions about his life or where his God was. Zachariah kept the faith, stayed the path of Salvation and continued to serve, and while he was in the sanctuary serving, the angel of the Lord appeared to him with good news.  Luke 1:11-14 (NLT) says; 

While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 12 Zechariah was shaken and overwhelmed with fear when he saw him. 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. 14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,

If you are going through a similar situation; this is an encouragement for you to take courage and not get distracted from ministry. Continue in the work you have been called to do and at the right time God will meet you and cloth you with joy and gladness. Pray continuously and serve relentlessly

It’s Always Darker Before Dawn

Job 14:7-9 (HCSB)

“There is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its shoots will not die. 8 If its roots grow old in the ground and its stump starts to die in the soil, 9 the smell of water makes it thrive and produce twigs like a sapling.”

Another man who waited upon God was Job. The bible says there was no man like him. Amidst all the suffering and pain and grief, job kept the faith – pain and grief should never replace your belief and faith in God (Job 1:20) and during lack and hard times, ask God to give the grace to affirm his sovereignty (Psalm 63:3). And when you stay the path, God will restore all and wipe away your tears (Job 42)

If your situation seems grim, but you still have hope in the Lord, and his word is cast into good soil (heart) and watered with faith, then one day it will sprout and bear fruit. If you have waited upon God and still have the promises upon your life, remain hopeful because God’s word always comes to pass. The Jews faced such a situation, they received a word from the servant of God - Elisha and were ushered into a new season of abundance. 2 Kings 7:16 (NKJV) says;

“Then the people went out and plundered the tents of the Syrians. So a seah of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord.

There are situations that surround you and you feel like there is no way out, but you are not the first to go through this. There have been others before you. So do not lose hope. If you are still standing and as God lives, a time will come when the tree stump that had dried will sprout again.

The message from God in the scripture above came at a time when Israel was faced with famine and the Jews resorted to eating dove’s dung because there was no hope left for them yet had many promises upon their lives (Exodus 23). The bible encourages us that amidst famine we shall be fed by God. The Israelites had promises to have a good life. The bible says in Psalms 103:5 (KJV) that;

“God satisfies thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagles.”

The Israelites had all these promises but a time came when they had lost all hope as if they had no covenant upon their lives. Even though such challenges happen to us, and we have not seen God’s promises come to pass in our lives, Elisha’s message is an encouragement to us as well, that at the right time God will save us and wipe away all our tears.

Israel came to a point when they had no food but they waited upon God for provision. In present day this scripture would mean that you may not have the ability today but a time will come, when you will afford what you could not afford before – a new season. Every time you patiently and faithfully wait upon God, he transforms the situation and wipes away your tears. And that is why you should have faith in God, His word and servants.

Hope in a Hopeless Situation

What Elisha calls tomorrow is the dawn of a new season of abundance and entering into God’s promises. Even though there was widespread famine in all of Judea, take note that Elisha is not talking about abundance of food in all of Judea but those Samaria - meaning he was speaking to a particular type of people – those in the right place. And those that believe and have faith in God and his servants. Not like one of the king’s servants who doubted the possibility of what had been spoken (2 Kings 7:2) and indeed he never lived to enjoy the abundance (2 Kings 7:17). So if you believe and have faith in His word, God will raise the standard, and transform the situation

Continue to wait patiently on God and tomorrow what you desire will be affordable. But keep in mind that this will happen only at the gates of those that wait upon God. There are people that God does such things for - his children, so just wait patiently on him and have faith in his word.

Lepers for Liberation

God used an amazing way to ensure that his word, as delivered to the Israelites comes to pass. We see how this happens with the lepers when you read further (2 Kings 7:3-10). Leprosy was a curse in Israel (Leviticus 13). It was like sin and all who had leprosy were given bells such that when the bell rung it was a signal that there was a leaper in that path and you would need to use a different road. Lepers in Israel were seen as outcasts but God used them to bring forth his word. 

There is a time for eating pigeon droppings, but when that time elapses, a new season dawns when you have variety to choose from. Even through hard times, just keep your eyes on Jesus, don't let your belief and faith be contaminated by lack. Let not the devil discourage and distract you. Remember there is still hope for the tree even though the tree stump seems dry but as long as there is water in the soil, it will sprout and bear fruit.

When your season of abundance and blessings dawns, you will be like those who dream. When God returned the captivity of Zion, the bible says in Psalm 126:1-2 (ESV) that;

“When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and tongue with shouts of joy”

Whatever word comes from the mouth of God accomplishes the Maker's desire and purpose (Isaiah 55:10-11). Do not lose faith in the word of God. So take courage, for no situation is permanent – seasons come and go, so take heart and let your hands be strong until God deals with you (Ezekiel 22:14). God can use a way that you have never thought of to fulfill his word - He works in many ways that we cannot fathom. Be hopeful, believe God and his word, and have faith in his servants. Stay the path and at the right time God will turn your mourning into joy. For a day will dawn when God will usher you into a season of joy, abundance and blessings

NUMBER YOUR DAYS

Pr. Geoffrey Kibombo

Psalms 90:12 (TLB)

“Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should.”

The year 2019 is winding up and we need to thank God for it been a year of remembrance and reward; and the last quarter is going to be a resurrection season. You should therefore learn to speak positively to the situations that come your way; if you are facing a challenge, you should speak to that situation and assure it that in due time God will lift you up, because God fulfills His word. The bible says in Luke 1:37 (AMPC) that; 
“For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment.”

There are things we are expected to do to cause what God has spoken in our lives to come to pass, and we can’t do them unless we know them. David said in Psalms 90:12 (EXB) that; “Teach us [Make us know] how short our lives really are [to count our days]……..”

You need to understand what it means for you to number your days, so that you can be able to put them to good use. Our Rhema word this year is – a year of remembrance and reward; God has timelines and when the right time comes, he sermons the book of remembrance. Therefore if you want the year to go well for you, you need to sit and examine your life; if you want to realise your blessings and win the battles ahead, you will need to appraise and examine what was working against you in the previous year including the failures you encountered so that you are able to go through 2019 victoriously and realise the promises you have received from the Lord. The scripture in Psalm 90 above means that if you want to see the blessings out of the few days God has given you, you need to do what is required of you by your Creator; the few years you have to live should be beneficial - to magnify Christ and further His kingdom and thus no single minute should be wasted.

You should number your days first by a self evaluating your past or background - examine your past challenges and things you excelled at and take note of them. Once you identify the challenges, weaknesses and failures then you will be in position to know what to fight against. What did you fail at in the past? What are your weaknesses? What conquers you?

God spoke words of blessings in Genesis 15:13-14 (AMPC) 
“And [God] said to Abram, Know positively that your descendants will be strangers dwelling as temporary residents in a land that is not theirs [Egypt], and they will be slaves there and will be afflicted and oppressed for 400 years. 14 But I will bring judgment on that nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with great possessions.”

God spoke of the years ahead in which Abram’s descendants would realize blessings; that they would be taken into captivity for 400 years but after this they would come out blessed. And the nation that had oppressed them would instead become a blessing in their lives; however, they wasted 30 years and therefore increased their time in captivity by another thirty years. Exodus 12:40-41(TLB) narrates; 
“The sons of Jacob and their descendants had lived in Egypt 430 years, and it was on the last day of the 430th year that all of Jehovah’s people left the land.”

One of the things that led them into the excess years is that they didn’t number their days. This year we do not have any days to waste and in order to achieve this, we need to learn to number our days. How can you ensure that you do not waste the years or the words that have been spoken in your life?

Be Pastored and Have a Local Church

1 Samuel 17:55-58 (AMP) 
“When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner the captain of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” And Abner answered, “By your life, O king, I do not know.” 56 The king said, “Ask whose son the young man is.” 57 When David returned from killing [Goliath] the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 Saul asked him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”

The first thing we need to do is to put things right. We need to sit under the leadership of a spiritual father - Pastor. A couple of Christians do not belong to any specific local church. Much as you find churches filled with believers, a number of them are not pastored - don't have a local church. This is because they are spiritual vagabonds; they are constantly on the move from church to church, fellowship to fellowship without being rooted anywhere - you must be pastored and belong to a local church, that is one of the secrets you need to know and it reduces on some of the problems you may face ahead. Many problems we face are as a result of not being pastored – we do not have spiritual fathers who nurture, edify, mentor, and guide us. You have got to submit to someone under the anointing, you need a spiritual parent who will speak in your life. Some of the funny habits and behaviors people have are a result of not belonging anywhere. Keep in mind that there is victory you can attain depending on your home church.

We read in 1 Samuel 17 that after David killed Goliath, King Saul asked whose son David was. Saul did not ask about David’s might or his experience at war but who his father was. Saul wanted to know David’s origin. Just like the same way you carry yourself in life, it’s a reflection of where and how you were raised.

There are some blessings in life we shall not be able to attain unless we belong to a local church. Even for the Israelites land was distributed in order of the different tribes. Joshua 14:1-2 (MSG) says; 
“Here are the inheritance allotments that the People of Israel received in the land of Canaan. Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the heads of the family clans made the allotments. Each inheritance was assigned by lot to the nine and a half tribes, just as God had commanded Moses.”

Every church is a clan and the pastor represents a particular clan; each pastor was equipped in a unique way in which he will release the blessings for his clan or tribe. We learn from the scripture above that every Israelite received according to his clan

Every church represents a clan and each clan has a portion of blessings assigned to its Pastor. There are certain blessings you will not realize unless if you belong to a local church. In other words you should be under a particular anointing or governed by a certain covenant - the covenant which you belong is able to lead you into your blessing. You need to be pastored and guided in your local church. The 12 clans of Israel each had a designated source of blessings. If you do not belong to any clan then you would not benefit from that clan’s blessings.

There are blessings and victories that you will not be able to attain until you are under a covenant. In the Mosaic covenant we learn that in the battle against the Amalekites, whenever Moses’ hands went down, the Israelites would fire their arrows amiss and vice versa. The bible says in Exodus 17:11-13 (NLT) that; 
“As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage.  12 Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. 13 As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle.”

Many times we make excuses and blame our failures on the past years, however, each year has its promise and we must partake of that promise. There are promises that will not wait for the year to end, and so you should correct your mistakes, look unto God and activate your faith in order to enter into them - one way to ensure this is by belonging to a local church and accepting to be taught and guided by the servant of God – Pastor; however some people seek their own guidance but the bible says in Psalms 23: 1-3 (AMPC) that; 
“The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield me], I shall not lack. 2 He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. 3 He refreshes and restores my life (myself); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.” 

Many people face challenges in life because they are not guided; naturally sheep are short-sighted and can’t see far, that is why they need a pastor who is foresighted to lead them to greener pastures. Secondly a pastor has a rod – to guide the sheep and a staff – to chase away lions and bears. God is going to perfect that which he spoke in our lives but what will make all this possible is if we are guided by those he appointed to lead us – to be pastored is to be led

You should therefore be under a covenant if you desire to succeed. There are problems you will face because you are influenced by each and anybody or church. A person who submits under someone is covered and protected, therefore stop wandering and sit down. Have a local church and spiritual father.

Mend Your Walk With the Lord

2 Corinthians 4:16 (EXB) 
“Though our physical body [outer person] is becoming older and weaker [decaying; being destroyed], our spirit inside us [inner (person)] is made new [being renewed] every day.”

The second thing you need to do is to work on your relationship with God. Once you do this, you will have started to number your days and thus none will be wasted. We have many promises upon our lives but one thing that has the saving hand of God is our unhealthy spiritual lives; we are disobedient, filled with hatred and jealousy, we steal the tithe, sow discord among our friends and do many other things contrary to what governs God’s kingdom; we say we love God but don’t love his servants or follow his instructions which is total hypocrisy – you can’t love the King and don’t love His kingdom. Renew your relationship with God. We are speaking of new things in the physical yet our relationship with God is tainted and thus needs to be renewed - repent and walk uprightly. This is a new year and our mindsets and character should be renewed to bear that of Christ. Some people misinterpret their close relationship with their pastors or being close to the anointing and think it’s the same with the Lord

Every day we renew our spiritual lives – we confess our sins ask for forgiveness and forgive those who have hurt us. Guilt, bitterness and resentment will only contaminate you. Isaiah 59:2 (NLT) warns; 
“It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore.”

God is faithful and because of this He has already given all of us an opportunity to be well in life, so ensure that you do not waste any of your years in salvation; work on your relationship with Him because he never forgets his children. If you have a good relationship with Him, then He will never forget you: He assures us in Isaiah 49:15 (GNT) that; 
“Can a woman forget her own baby and not love the child she bore? Even if a mother should forget her child, I will never forget you.”

A right standing with God is a core element in our lives – with Him in us, we are guided and there is no wastage of time.

Your blessing is not far from you. However just like the Israelites, grumbling will yield wasted years. It does not necessarily take a year or month for God to reward you or resurrect whatever is dead in your life, he can do that in a day, but your relationship with Him is going to contribute to this. The bible says in Proverbs 8:20-21 (NASB) that; 
“I walk in the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice, 21 To endow those who love me with wealth, that I may fill their treasuries." 
His pathway is one of righteousness, so if you have not constructed or prepared it, where will you meet God to give you what he promised in 2019? By asking God to teach him to number his days, David knew that its only God who can orient and guide him so that he can live purposefully according to God’s will without wasting time.

Many will blame the wasted years on God complaining that he has not blessed them yet it they played a big part to that effect. The Israelites wasted 30 years and God was not responsible for that wasted time. Ensure not to waste even one month in 2019. Ask God to teach you to number your days and take the necessary measures to work on your relationship with Him.

Therefore in consideration of His promises, if you still behold the polluted character and mindset of 2018, your problems will instead increase, but if you want God's promises or prophesies to manifest in your life; if you want to be remembered and rewarded; if you want the Resurrecting King to resurrect the dead thing in your life, then your Salvation life should be renewed and match the likeness of God.

New anointing is poured into a new wine-skin, because new anointing in an old wine-skin is a problem, and that is why your relationship with God should also be renewed every day. The bible says in Matthew 9:16-17 (NLT) that; 
“Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before. 17 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”

Ask God to teach you to number your days to avoid wasting years in Christianity. Know your failures and start working on your diabolical deeds and character; there are many things you will discover you have not done right - review and rectify your life; for this will help you be victorious. Number your days so that this year and beyond you do not have any wasted years.

Let God teach you to number your days so you can put them to good use.

FASTING - REND YOUR HEART

Pr. James Victor Lubwama

Joel 2:12-13 (AMP)

“Even now,” says the Lord, “Turn and come to Me with all your heart [in genuine repentance], with fasting and weeping and mourning [until every barrier is removed and the broken fellowship is restored]; 13 Rip your heart to pieces [in sorrow and contrition] and not your garments.” Now return [in repentance] to the Lord your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving-kindness [faithful to His covenant with His people]; and He relents [His sentence of] evil [when His people genuinely repent].”     

Fasting is very beneficial to Christians but many are not aware of this. During spiritual fasting, the believer's focus is removed from the physical things of this world and intensely concentrated on God. Great men of faith such as Moses, Elijah, Daniel, Paul and Jesus Himself fasted (Daniel 9:3, Mathew 4:2, Exodus 34:28, 1 Kings 19) so that they might draw closer to God. 

Fasting is an exceptional measure designed to express your desire for God and discontent in a fallen world - its a hunger and yearning for God. It is for those not satisfied with the status quo; for those who want more of God's presence; for those who feel truly desperate for God. Fasting, like all other pillars of Christianity isn’t for the self-sufficient and those who feel they have it all together, no, it’s for the poor in spirit, for the meek and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness and God's presence.   

Christian fasting means privately and occasionally choosing to go without food for some special period of time, whether a day or three or thirty in view of some specific spiritual purpose. However, there is a problem of how we view fasting today. If the perspective is on abstinence of food, then fasting is some mere duty to perform and only the iron-willed among us can put this discipline into practice, but if we are awakened to see fasting for the joy it can bring, as a means of God’s grace to strengthen and sharpen Godly affections and draw us close to Him, then we will find ourselves holding a powerful pillar for enriching our enjoyment of Jesus. 

The Scriptures include many forms of fasting; personal and communal, public and private, regular and occasional, partial and absolute. Typically, fasting is a Christian’s voluntary abstinence from food for spiritual purposes and these may include;

- Expressing repentance and returning to God (1 Samuel 7:6; Joel 2:13; Jonah 3:5–8)

- Seeking God’s guidance (Judges 20:26; Acts 14:23, Acts 13:1-3)

- Expressing grief (1 Samuel 31:13, 2 Samuel 1:11-12)

- Seeking deliverance or protection (2 Chronicles 20:3-4; Ezra 8:21–23)

- Humbling oneself before God (1 Kings 21:27–29, Psalm 35:13)

- Expressing concern for the work of God (Nehemiah 1:3-4; Daniel 9:1-3)

- Expressing love and worship to God (Luke 2:36-37)

Initiated By The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is in charge of fasting and will usher you into the same just as He led Jesus into the wilderness to fast. Mathew 4:1-2 (NASB) says; 
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.” 

The Holy Spirit is therefore the one to guide you if you are going to fast – when and how many days to do so; thus take note that not every problem is accompanied by fasting. What makes fasting such a core pillar of Christianity is its ability, with the help of the Holy Spirit to focus our feelings and their expression toward God. That is why fasting walks arm in arm with prayer because fasting without prayer is likened to hunger strike. 

If you are going into fasting, the Holy Spirit will guide you and will write the duration of the fast on your heart, because our heart is like a writing board. In the Old Testament, God wrote the Ten Commandments on stone tablets and gave them to Moses; however, Moses had anger management issues - had no self-control, such that when he came down from the mountain and saw what the people had done, he was enraged and threw down the stone tablets smashing them at the foot of the mountain (Exodus 32:19). 

In another instance, the prophet Jeremiah prophesied of a new covenant where God will write His laws on our hearts. Jeremiah 31:33 (GNT) says; 

“The new covenant that I will make with the people of Israel will be this: I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 

Your heart is a board where the Holy Spirit writes His instructions and you can sense it once He does so – by way of conviction.

Heart vs. Mind

If God is to work through you, He does not communicate to your mind but your heart; that is why when God puts a message on your heart and you start to consult people or your mind, you end up making excuses which results in disobedience. Giving excuses is the first step to disobedience and disobedience gives birth to rebellion which is likened to a sin of witchcraft (1 Samuel 15:23). 

The mind is always doubtful of God’s word, however, we should remember that God’s ways are not our ways and His plans are not our plans; which is why you should not let your mind lead you astray: So because of the corruptness of the mind, God chose to dwell in the heart and not the mind (Ephesians 3:17). When God ministers to you it is through the heart and you should make no mistake to consult the mind. The mind only supplements after you already know what you need to do; it is not the planner but it helps you during execution. 

Whenever God speaks and you simply obey, you will eat the good of the land – obedience unlocks blessings. The bible says in Isaiah 1:18-19 (NIV) that; 

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord.“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land.”  

If you want to eat the good of the land, you have got to be obedient by heeding the conviction of the Holy Spirit in your heart because whenever God plans to speak to you, he will use your heart not mind. The devil however, is in the world and whenever he wants to confuse you, he uses the eyes and the ears; he causes you to focus on facts - either your history or current situation; you tend to only see tough situations, discouraging delays, impossibilities, gigantic challenges and, past failures and you end up afraid and terrified. For the devil also uses fear to distract and enslave people, but with faith in God and His word we know we can have a victorious and purposeful future, but where the devil uses fear and facts, God counters with faith and truth respectively

Fasting Changes You, It Doesn't Change God!

When we announce a period of fasting, the focus should be on realigning our lives to God, and to practice the other pillars of Christianity which include; prayer, reading the bible, fellowship, praise, worship and giving. Fasting does not change God; it changes you, because God changes not; for He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8, Malachi 3:6). Fasting is not the price for what you want. What you want was already paid for at Calvary. Jesus paid it all, but it prepares you for a blessing - it puts you in the right position to see God. 

That burn in your throat; that rolling fire in your belly demanding that you feed it more food, signals fasting as a means of grace. Not until we voluntarily embrace the pain of an empty stomach do we see how much our bellies have become idols; but in that gnawing ache of growing hunger is the engine of fasting, generating the reminder to bend our craving for food towards God and enhance a thirst for Jesus - its saying, this much, I need you God. 

Rend Your Heart

As the Message version puts it in Joel 2:13 (MSG) that; 
“Change your life, not just your clothes. Come back to God, your God……..”

Tearing of clothes was a sign of fasting done by the Israelites in those days. They would tear their linen robes and put on sackcloth made of goatskin as a constant reminder of their fasting. The prophet urged them to rend or tear their hearts not clothes, because the custom of tearing clothes had been turned into a religious affair; they would tear their clothes, but their hearts were not repentant. In the period of fasting God expects you to examine your heart – ways, thoughts, character and motive and repent of anything that He hates.

Some religions tend to observe righteous acts during their fasting period; they endeavor to lead a life of good acts during that period as if it’s the way to heaven but immediately after that period, they turn back to their wicked ways. Jesus said in John 14:6 (NKJV) that; 
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  

We are not saved by good acts, we are saved for good acts – to do the will of God; we are saved by accepting Jesus as our Lord and personal Saviour and He only is our one way ticket to heaven. For heaven is not the default afterlife destination of every human being except those that become born-again! 
Jesus taught us in Matthew 5:20 (AMP) that; “For I say to you that unless your righteousness (uprightness, moral essence) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”  

Your righteousness – right standing with God, should not be periodical but thorough all your life. You should not be standing right with God only during the fasting period but this period should help you to grower spiritually, stand firm and strong in your salvation and draw closer to God.

Examine Yourself

During fasting, you must change, but how do you change? No one knows you better than yourself and no one can look into your heart apart from God. You will change not if you don’t examine self; that is why during this period one must desire to change – tear your heart and repent of your sins and transgressions. In knowing yourself, God desires for you to fully surrender all that which is not upright so that He can give you the strength and grace to stand in Salvation; fasting helps you to streamline your spiritual life.

As we fast, we do not only repent of our sins but put in place everything else that is distorted spiritually because when the devil comes to steal, he doesn’t steal all at once, but one thing at a time; he may steal your faith and prayer life and leave you with other pillars like fellowship, fasting and giving; therefore your life must be all balanced, you must check your and ensure that devil has no foothold in your life.

The pillar of fasting requires us to repent of our sins, and re-examine that which has put you away from the first love (Isaiah 58:3-8). What had deteriorated within you? Was it reading the bible? Was it praying? Or was it giving? Jesus told the Jews in Matthew 15:8-9 (NIV) that; 
“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules” 

God honours heart service not lip service, thus rend your heart and remove all that is unrighteous; repent of whatever had chased away the Holy Spirit so that you can have the presence of God back in your life, and as you do so with a repentant heart, you will draw close to God. James 4:8 (AMP) says; 
“Come close to God [with a contrite heart] and He will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; and purify your [unfaithful] hearts, you double-minded [people].”  

When you have given your life to Christ and, He demands of any pillars such as; fasting for a particular number of days and when he does, you should be able to do so without grumbling. The Salvation life is a life of obedience not convenience; we do as instructed by the Holy Spirit even when it’s not convenient for us. It’s about dedicating and fully surrendering your life to Jesus – for when you give your life, that’s when you find it and, when you stop obsessing over what you want, that’s when you can find what you purposefully need.   

In this period of fasting, tear your heart, fully surrender your life to God (not parts of your life) and seek him wholeheartedly because when we draw close to Him, He will also draw close to you (James 4:8-10).