THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD

i am more convinced than ever that fasting must be part of every Christians lifestyle. Along with prayer and being in God's Word, fasting is, i believe, the most life transforming form of worship we can partake in. God is transforming my life before my very eyes. Showing me the riches he has for me, revealing His Son Jesus to me from glory to glory. Amen. It is impossible in the natural to know the things of God and what He wants to share with us unless we are developing our relationship with him consistently and intimately through prayer, His word and fasting. There is a place he meets with us and we dwell in His presence that can only be reached in total sacrifice to Him. Fasting has brought the presence of God into my life like never before.

FAST..nesteuo in the Greek..to fast, to abstain from food. Christ taught the need of simplicity and purity of motive.

God is not going to force us to fast, he wants us to choose for ourselves. Just like we must choose His Son. Do we want to go deeper in our relationship with Him? Do we want all he has for us? If so, try a dedicated time of prayer, the Word and fasting and see what God has for you.

i am not talking about giving up chocolate or your favorite TV show for 40 days. i am talking about only having water and juice for extended periods of time. Start slow, a few days and work up to more. God will be with you and reveal himself to you. Do not be discouraged, press through to the victory Jesus has won for us all.

The word glory has many meanings in reference to our God. His glory shines brighter than the sun. The revelation of God's glory to us is when He reveals his nature and acts to us that we may be changed. It is when he reveals his character to the righteous so we may grow into who we are in Him. It is through this glory we are being brought into the likeness of Christ. Into his presence where he reveals his will for our lives.

"But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18

i remind you that the Spirit of the Lord dwells in pure heart of the believer and allows us to be in the power of His presence. How often we forget His presence and walk in the world under our own power. Why?

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" 1 Corinthians 3:16

My last two fasts have been very revealing in the way God works and what his word says. For example when Jesus fasted forty days and forty nights before beginning his ministry here on earth, Satan came to tempt him AFTER his fast.

"Then was Jesus led up of the spirit unto the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights he was afterward an hungered. And when the tempter came to him he said, if thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread." Matthew 4:1-3

God has been revealing himself to me AFTER my fasts. In a weak and vulnerable state, in prayer and his word, his presence is greatest. Amen

For God to reveal himself to us, our hearts have got to be prepared. The revelation of Jesus Christ is the greatest thing that can happen to us in this life. He will not dwell in an impure heart. Fasting, with prayer and His word, purifies our hearts, lets holiness live in us, prepares us for his presence. Then we are responsible for what he gives us, for ourselves, our families, for the lost. How much will we let Jesus be Lord of our lives?

THE GREATER THE REVELATION, THE GREATER THE RESPONSIBILITY. Amen.

"And that servant which knew his lord's will and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required and to whom men have committed much, of him they will add the more." Luke 12:47-48