Good morning and welcome in today. Today I’m going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to ask you a question.
What are some of the things that you really enjoy to have regularly each day?
Some people may like a really good black cup of coffee while others really enjoy chocolate chip cookies. I would enjoy sailing practically everyday if the wind was up and others prefer to get on their motorcycle and go for a little cruise in the evening. Even with modern-day electronics there are plenty of kids who really like to get home after school and use their game station online.
When you are incapable of saying no to certain things during your day occasionally, there is a good chance that you might be addicted to it. It doesn’t matter what it is, food, entertainment, or even playing games.
Addiction is a condition in which a person is unable to stop using a substance or engaging in a certain behavior. Many people associate fasting with only food or water, but you can practice self denial in just about any aspect of your life to show our Lord Jesus Christ how thankful we are for what he has given us freely to enjoy and to show Him that our love for Him is stronger than anything on this Earth.
For example, a man and a wife can abstain from sexual relationships during their marriage for a certain period of time so that they can dedicate themselves to prayer and fasting. Fasting sexual relationships with your spouse must be agreed beforehand, otherwise you would be denying your spouse their marital rights to your body.
Whatever it is that you may choose to fast simply reveals that it is not in control of you and you are not addicted to it. When you fast it shows that you are in control by bringing your body into subjection to you.
Practicing self-denial or fasting regularly in your life for Christ’s sake is a very good Spiritual quality to possess as long as you make sure that nobody knows about it and keep it a secret between you and God because He will reward you openly.
Moses, Elijah and Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. Fasting shows God a motivated seeking heart. In the following passage they were seeking Christ so much that they hadn’t eaten in days.
Matt 15:29-38
29 And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.
30 And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus’ feet; and he healed them:
31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.
32 Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.
33 And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?
34 And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes.
35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.
36 And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full.
38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
God has freely given us all things to enjoy but our love for Jesus has to be greater than anything found upon this Earth. We need to be capable of giving things up for a season no matter how much we enjoy it. This is to show our Lord that he is our first and greatest love.
1 John 2:15-17
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
I have known people who are so addicted to nicotine that they couldn’t possibly go a day without it. It had such a strong hold on them that they eventually had to completely abstain from it.
On the other hand I’ve known people who like coffee so much that they couldn’t possibly go a day without it. That is what the definition for what true addiction is. Addiction is a condition in which a person is unable to stop using a substance or engaging in a certain behavior. In regards to eating, the scriptures refer to certain people whose God is their gut. Self-denial is the ability to be able to say no to certain things that you enjoy, whatever it may be, but there are certain addictions that are good to possess every single day in our lives.
1 Cor 16:15
15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
That’s the kind of addiction that you never want to lose!
Let’s think about those things for today and Lord willing I’ll talk to you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.❤
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Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 