FASTING ISAIAH 58:68

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FASTINGISAIAH 586-8

• Kingsville Church of Christ
• June 10, 2007

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Isaiah 586-8

• 6Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to
  loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy
  burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and
  that ye break every yoke? 7Is it not to deal thy
  bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor
  that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest
  the naked, that thou cover him and that thou
  hide not thyself from thine own flesh?  8Then
  shall thy light break forth as the morning, and
  thine health shall spring forth speedily and thy
  righteousness shall go before thee the glory of
  the LORD shall be thy reward.

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FASTING ISAIAH 586-8

• THE APOSTLES FAST - TO LOOSE THE BONDS OF
  WICKEDNESS
• Isa. 586
• "Is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose
  the bands of wickedness
• Matt. 1714 - 20   The apostles were faced with a
  boy under the control of  an evil spirit

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Matt. 1714-20

• 14And when they were come to the multitude, there
  came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him,
  and saying, 15Lord, have mercy on my son for he
  is lunatick, and sore vexed for ofttimes he
  falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
  16And I brought him to thy disciples, and they
  could not cure him. 17Then Jesus answered and
  said, O faithless and perverse generation, how
  long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer
  you? bring him hither to me. 18And Jesus rebuked
  the devil and he departed out of him and the
  child was cured from that very hour. 19Then came
  the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could
  not we cast him out? 20And Jesus said unto them,
  Because of your unbelief for verily I say unto
  you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed,
  ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to
  yonder place and it shall remove and nothing
  shall be impossible unto you.

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FASTING ISAIAH 586-8

• THE APOSTLES FAST - TO LOOSE THE BONDS OF
  WICKEDNESS
• Isa. 586
• "Is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose
  the bands of wickedness
• Matt. 1714 - 20   The apostles were faced with a
  boy under the control of  an evil spirit
• Matt 1721
• "Howebit this kind goeth not out but by prayer
  and fasting.
• Just like him, people today may be under the
  control of a sinful influence or  an addiction.

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FASTING ISAIAH 586-8

• THE EZRA FAST  TO SOLVE PROBLEMS
• Isa. 566  
• Is not this  the fast I have chosen to undo the
  heavy burdens
• Ezra 821 - 23   Ezra was ashamed to require of
  the king a band of soldiers - but he needed the
  right way for themselves, their little ones and
  their substance.

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Ezra 821-23

• 21Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of
  Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our
  God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for
  our little ones, and for all our substance. 22For
  I was ashamed to require of the king a band of
  soldiers and horsemen to help us against the
  enemy in the way because we had spoken unto the
  king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all
  them for good that seek him but his power and
  his wrath is against all them that forsake him.
  23So we fasted and besought our God for this and
  he was intreated of us.

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FASTING ISAIAH 586-8

• THE EZRA FAST  TO SOLVE PROBLEMS
• Isa. 566  
• Is not this  the fast I have chosen to undo the
  heavy burdens
• Ezra 821 - 23   Ezra was ashamed to require of
  the king a band of soldiers - but he needed the
  right way for themselves, their little ones and
  their substance.
• Perhaps some of us are facing a problem, in the
  family, at work, etc. and just don't know how to
  handle it.

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FASTING ISAIAH 586-8

• THE SAMUEL FAST  TO BRING ABOUT REPENTANCE
• Isa. 586
• "Is not this the fast I have chosen to let the
  oppressed go free
• I Sam. 76
• "When they had assembled at Mizpah, they drew
  water and poured it out before the Lord and
  fasted on that day, and said there, We have
  sinned against the Lord.
• Jonah Chapt. 3 - The people of Nineveh from the
  king to theanimals were to fast for 40 days
  because of their sins
• There are people who are under oppression - but
  it isn't poverty or some authoritarian government
  - it is sin

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FASTING ISAIAH 586-8

• THE ELIJAH FAST  TO SOLVE EMOTIONAL MENTAL
  PROBLEMS
• Isa. 586  
• "Is not his the fast I have chosen to break every
  yoke
• I Kings 198  Elijah was struggling with being
  discouraged and depressed

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I Kings 198

•  And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in
  the strength of that meat forty days and forty
  nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

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FASTING ISAIAH 586-8

• THE ELIJAH FAST  TO SOLVE EMOTIONAL MENTAL
  PROBLEMS
• Isa. 586  
• "Is not his the fast I have chosen to break every
  yoke
• I Kings 198  Elijah was struggling with being
  discouraged and depressed
• Many today struggle with emotional problems,
  dipression and discouragement.

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FASTING ISAIAH 586-8

•  THE WIDOW'S FAST  TO PROVIDE FOR THE PHYSICAL
  NEEDS OF OTHERS.
• Isa. 587
• " Is not this the fast I have chosen to deal thy
  breadto the hungry, and bring the poor that are
  cast out to thyhouse, and when you see him
  naked cover him
• We can fast and take the food or money we would
  spend on the food and give to the hungry.

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FASTING ISAIAH 586-8

• THE PAUL FAST  TO MAKE LIVE-CHANGING DECISIONS
• Isa. 588
• "then shall thy light break forth as the morning
• Acts 99  Saul (Paul) fasted for three days.  He
  was faced with a major decision that would change
  everything his livelihood, his career, his
  place in society

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Acts 99

• And he was three days without sight, and neither
  did eat nor drink.

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FASTING ISAIAH 586-8

• THE PAUL FAST  TO MAKE LIVE-CHANGING DECISIONS
• Isa. 588
• "then shall thy light break forth as the morning
• Acts 99  Saul (Paul) fasted for three days.  He
  was faced with a major decision that would change
  everything his livelihood, his career, his
  place in society
• We face major decisions - who to marry, where to
  live, what to do for a career, what medical
  treatement do we take  - and obeying the gospel.

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FASTING ISAIAH 586-8

• THE DANIEL FAST  FOR PHYSICAL HEALTH AND HEALING
• Isa. 588
• "and thine health shall spring forth speedily
• Daniel and his friends would not eat the king's
  food Because of their special diet God made
  them stronger they were the "cream of the crop"
  in the king's court.
• We pray for the sick but do we fast as well?  I
  am not saying that fasting will make God do
  whatever we want, but it will certainly show him
  we are serious.

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FASTING ISAIAH 586-8

•  JOHN THE BAPTIST FAST  FOR YOUR TESTIMONY
• Isa. 588  
• "and thy righteousness shall go before thee
• Luke 115  John would drink no wine or strong
  drink and the power of his testimony prepared the
  way for Jesus to begin his earthly ministry.

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Luke 115

• For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord,
  and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink
  and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even
  from his mother's womb.

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FASTING ISAIAH 586-8

•  JOHN THE BAPTIST FAST  FOR YOUR TESTIMONY
• Isa. 588  
• "and thy righteousness shall go before thee
• Luke 115  John would drink no wine or strong
  drink and the power of his testimony prepared the
  way for Jesus to begin his earthly ministry.
• We may have tried to reach others with the gospel
  but have not had the results we hoped for.  We
  need to do our part and leave the results to God.
   But, is part of our effort fasting?

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FASTING ISAIAH 586-8

• THE ESTHER FAST  FOR PROTECTION FROM THE EVIL
  ONE
• Isa. 588  
• "the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward
• Ester was challenged to come before the King on
  behalf of her people -  the Jews.  Even though
  she was his wife she could have been put to
  death.
• Esther 416  
• "Go gather together all the Jews who are in Susa,
  and fast for me.  Do not eat or drink for three
  days, night or day.  I and my maids will fast as
  you do. When this is done, I will go to the king,
  even though it is against the law.  And if I
  perish, I perish.
• We are in a life's battle.  There are two sides -
  a physical side and a spiritual side.

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FASTING ISAIAH 586-8

• WAYS WE CAN FAST
• Normal fast - go without food and drink for a
  period of time
• John Wesley fast - eat only bread and water
• Modified fast - eat only fruit and vegetables
• Fast from things that occupy time - television,
  video games, computer time, reading newspaper -
  anything that occupies a portion of our time  AND
  use that time in prayer or bible study

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FASTINGISAIAH 586-8

• Kingsville Church of Christ
• June 10, 2007