Sermons

Fasting Part 1

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So Matthew chapter 17 and I will give you the verses in a short while verses 14 through 21 and this is our foundational scripture as we engage in prayers and fasting Matthew chapter 17 verses 14 through 21 the Bible sees and I’m reading from the king of the new king James version of the Bible you can follow me if you don’t have the Scripps on the screen and when they had come to the multitude a man came to him kneeling down to him and saying Lord have mercy on my son for he is an epileptic and suffering severely for he often falls into the fire and often into the water so I brought him to your disciples but they could not cure him then Jesus answered and said all faithless and perverse generation how long shall I be with you Bring him to me Jesus rebuke the demon and it came out of him and the child was killed from that very hour then disciples came to Jesus privately and said why couldn’t we not cast it out so Jesus said to them because of your unbelief for assuredly I say to you if you have faith as a mustard seed you will see or you will say to this mountain more from here to there and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you however this kind does not go out except my prayer and fasting amen may

God bless this word this is the story that is told of a young man who is suffering were from what would call epilepsy but what is another term for epilepsy in a modern world today there’s another word for it in the medical What time but I’m it’s it’s a condition that is a neural neurological it’s an inner brain cerebral that affect yes epileptic fit which makes makes makes it’s like an electric shock that goes through your back bone all the way to your brain and it’s it’s very disturbing it’s very graphic it’s it’s alarming to the family if you know a friend or loved one who suffers from it it will break your heart anytime to have a seizure or after that time I remember as a kid one of our neighbor used to do suffer from epilepsy this kid that I grew up with and would play soccer I just remember this one day out of the blue this kid fell in the middle of the field and they were forming at the mouth it was all man he broke our hearts we

will all cry and we didn’t know what to do with him or we should touch him and left him the way he was shaking the muscle spasm It was just you just you could it’s so heartbreaking this condition no the story is told when Jesus took three of his disciples and went to the high mountain to play then as he is praying he is transfigured his body be getting it become become so shiny like all the sun at noon noon and the three disciples were with him Peter James and John looking at that theater suggested that they stay on top of that mountain and build three tuk-tuk tents one for Jesus one for Moses and one for Elijah and Jesus song didn’t say anything but the voice came from heaven and says this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased you follow him don’t follow Moses not follow follow Elijah and these two disappears so much you can you can learn from this and just saw a big sermon itself and her and her They come down they find Jesus with the three up there and nine are down in the valley the three who are on the mountain to see Jesus the one who the ones were left in the valley they are in a conflict there in a fight there was a man there the same story in Matthew 17 he’s also told in my chapter 9 the

man who is down here is the one who brought the epileptic kid and I just described to you a few minutes ago what epilepsy looks like I have witnessed it firsthand so this man brought the key to Jesus is disciples that they would pray for him and drive out the demon that’s right to drive out to Dimond bowl let them in one go as soon as they see Jesus coming down from the mountain the father sees Jesus the crowds is Jesus the nine apostles see Jesus they all run to Jesus They come to Jesus you know the father comes in self and throws himself at the feet of Jesus Christ and he tells Jesus and I was just waiting there I brought my boy who is sick with epilepsy but this demonic thing that’s disturbing my son and his nine Fox they cannot kill my son could you do something what did Jesus do the Jesus apologize oh I do apologize you see these guys they don’t get it right now Jesus rebuke them he would build them that they were not able to provide the ceiling to this boy do you know the Hebrews chapter 713 Luza 86 Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever if he rebuilt them then he would rebook us today if we were unable to display his glory is power in our generation today we are the church of God Who represents Christ to people we are supposed to be the hands and the feet the mouth of God in this world policies that we are ambassadors of Jesus will represent Jesus and if Jesus rebuke them back then for not being able to operate in the power of God he was up here with us today for not being able

to operate in the power of God say we are children of God we should get to a place where the world tries to have what we have but there is something about us that sets us apart that attracts the world Jesus calls us a city that is built upon the hill but everybody tries to runs to Jesus calls us the salt of the earth and the light of the world in such a way that when things don’t go right in the world the world has to Run to the church and say what can we do see in the book of Malachi chapter 3 I believe or chapter to chapter 2 verse 1803 verse 18 it says you shall see the difference between those who serve me and those who don’t serve me if the world is going down with some thing me as a child of God I should be going down with the same thing that the worlds going down with IHOP to be the light that shines what is it is in the book of Galatians chapter 1 verse five Jesus appear to save us from this generation yes I do believe that there’s gonna be a day that we will be all on the other side in Beulah land in glory land industries of Gold and fitness no death but I’m on right now we’re supposed to walk in the power of God

right now and I am now I have no excuse for not walking in the power of God it’s not OK for you a son of God a child of God to look at all the promises in the word of God and none of them are operating in your life what promises are you talking about sir about Mark chapter 16 verse 17 which says this song so follow those who believe in me in my name to drive out demons you are the child of God you should be able to drive out demons how about the one that said this aspect new towns it’s not OK for you a child of God just said I don’t believe in that speaking tongue thing no you should you must policies in the book of first coming to the shop the 13 verse one he says pursue the desire of spiritual gifts and you saying that you also believe in prophecy Prophecy I thought you believe in the grace of God we are it’s the grace that enables us to prophesy you know there’s so many false prophets around I just don’t want to even try that if you truly believe that the false prophets what makes you believe the false prophets it’s because you believe they are good profits then then where are the good profit going to emerge from if

you want a child of God can show us the way the father came to Jesus and he said I broke my soul you know about my son to the south of the unable to heal him in Jesus and say oh I do apologize man can I take you out to Starbucks for coffee what what can we do to clean this mess up man I do apologize man I’m so sorry no Jesus did not apologize for the Bible says here a book down Jesus rebuke them God should rebook me the inland out for all the times that I have seen people say go back and are people afraid of us want to go by and I am I was unable to demonstrate the power of God I don’t know about which God you serve but the one I serve is still the same yesterday today and forever what he did yesterday he still able to do today so he brought the sun to Jesus and Jesus look at the disciples and he sees you perverse generation ye faithless perverse generation how long shall I be with you bring me the sun when they brought the son to Bible studies as soon as the boy said face-to-face to Christ he started convulsing I start a forming at the mouth the demon in the boy threw the man down And the boys starting to form at the mouth and he’s he’s he’s second in the Bible says in my chapter 9 the boy appeared as though he was dead he said that is a powerful scripture and he should encourage

all of us here who are believe in God who are trusting God for a better things for a breakthrough for a full greater tomorrow for powerful ministry for great display of God’s power that sometimes before it gets better it gets worse and that if it’s it looks like it’s worse for you today it’s not the last word for the last report or the first report is not always the last one when they brought the boy to Jesus he was alive as soon as he saw Jesus he started convulsing he crumbled on the ground and he found the mouth and he came to a standstill as though he was dead it’s almost like Jesus Made it worse if you are going through something hard my brother or my sister and the more you pray the worse it gets it’s not time for you to quit it’s an indication that it’s working the devil sometimes is like a mad dog like a bad rambunctious my dog this is my dog and you get you know get you an object and you throw at this dog too scared to say no things may open to this dog is the dog would run the other way away from you oh now you have

excited the dog is going to the sand on you worse than it was before but which ever way if a dog is running away from you or running told you I’m a dog I’m talking about not a good dogs of my dogs that are coming this way that means you hit the first time do you get the picture there’s a Mad dog here a bulldog it’s a crazy dog everybody wants to shoot that thing Getting out of the neighborhood right and it was about to talk to you grabbed you a rock in self-defense and you hit that thing enough that thing is now so mad and it’s coming on it’s an indication that you hate it you are praying you’re praying in the more you pray it gets worse and gets worse that means your prayers are working you really hit it right what do you do do you turn your back and run the other way no no you stand your ground and you say in the name of Jesus get the out of my way in the book of Genesis chapter 28 I love the passage so much it’s the story of a chapter chapter 32 when Jacob is fighting with this guy in the night Jacob is fighting with the star in the Bible says he fuck this man until they break don’t quit fight until daybreak do you know what the daybreak means It means the night is over now I can see the light in the Bible says whipping me into a format for night but joy comes in the morning and I tell you springs of life church it’s time that you fight until you see daybreak don’t quit in your school don’t quit in your marriage don’t quit in your career don’t quit and ministry until you see daybreak and that thing told Jacob let me go jack off said no I’m not gonna let you go because I’m the one who tells you win this fight

is over tell everything that is tormenting you this fight is not over when you say it’s over it’s over when I say it’s over keep your foot on the devils neck until they break he brought the sun to Jesus and it seems like it’s worse and Jesus just rebuke that thing that thing left anyway the boys happy and all that in later on in the evening check back to Jesus All right all right that was a good thing thank you for saving my bacon out there you did a good thing but why didn’t we drive out the demon out of this boy Jesus said to them let’s let’s look at that chapter 17 verse 19 then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said why could we not cast it out so Jesus say to them because of your unbelief for assuredly I say to you if you have faith as a mustard seed you will say to this mountain move from here to there and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you how ever this kind what kind just got kind of wet and I’ll come on this is a good church house where are you now kind of demon it only goes out except by prayer and fasting no Does a demon leave because you’re playing your fast no what makes a demon live is the mission of the name of how do we know that because he sees these signs will follow those who believe in my name they will drive out demons not by fasting and prayers they will drive out demons most people that I know and you probably know some of them are you probably have experience this the only fast when the devil is at work which is after me or you know in most cases on people say that which is after me those which is not which is after them if you turned around there’s no which the only which was after them is themselves and their own shadow is something scary it’s a little dark and soon as I move that thing moves come on it’s yourself when you quit moving nothing quits yeah It’s you it’s fasting it’s not to get the devil out of your your life fasting is to get

unbelief out of the way no let’s track back a little bit let’s come back here what made it impossible for the disciples to not drive the demon it was not the size of the demon no it was not the size of the demon it was not how long the demon had been in the person what made it hard for them to drive out the demon was there on unbelief what created the unbelief is when the father brought the kid to them they saw the kids shaking and forming at the mouth and it just made them realize you know what we may try best but rather this is desperate and now Jesus told them that unbelief that made it impossible for you to drive How to demon can be dealt with in prayers and fasting so when we pray and we fast like we will fast it’s not for the devil it’s for ourselves praying and fasting is dealing with ourselves it’s not dealing with the devil know let me ask you a question when you fast and you prayed that God begin to love you more what does God you love you anyway what does God love you anyway because you’re fast no because he is love not because you’re fast let’s say you don’t pray and you don’t fast will that stop God from ministering to you so your relationship with God is not based on your prayers and your fasting it’s your self if you don’t pray and you don’t fast God will still continue Move in your

life in fact think about it my friend when we pray do we move God why God God’s already moved before we even prayed he said before you even thought of it your father knew of it before you prayed he’s already answered you if he’s in chapter 1 verse three says Blessed be God the father follow Jesus who has what blessed us with all spiritual blessings so little brother came to get super it’s not at the time that God blesses him it’s a good time that he begins to exercise his face this morning about a manual as he was giving a short exultation during prayer he was talking about sometimes when we go through warfare we go to high thyme I’ll face gets impacted negatively in the Bible sees in first Peter through the time the Lord is still able to establish Shoe that you may come out on the other other end of the of this journey better and perfect and not let me show you some thing now I’m fasting in the old testament the way it was done and what it’s done in the new testament is different most when you see people in Old Testament fasting they did not fast because of unbelief they did not fast to drive the devil out usually they fasted because the word defeated when they were in trouble when they had trouble then they went into fast if I let me go with you to the book of second Samuel chapter 12 verses 15 and 17 and let me show you something a second Samuel chapter 12 second Samuel chapter 12 is already on the screen Look at verse 15 and 17 let me show you one time in the Bible in the Old Testament when some a man did something wrong and why he fasted then Nathan departed to his house and the Lord strike the child that you were always wife both David

and it became an egg became ill they therefore pleaded with God for the child and David did what tested and he went in and lay all night to the ground so the elders of his house arose and went to him to raise them up from the ground but he would not know did he eat food with them you can read the story do you know the story here it’s a king David you remember that he committed adultery with another man’s wife which is awesome one of the Commandments in the Old Testament says that Shawna commit adultery he did it and the lady became pregnant when she became pregnant He tried his best to hide the story but yet it still came out so the baby that was conceived became ill at that point David felt so sorry said wait a second baby is innocent I am the one who made the same if somebody should be punished they should they should be me so what did David do because of the same he committed he went into a time of fasting but the Lord will forgive him and the Lord will heal the child did God heal the child know the child that in fact the prayer the DVD during this time is also recording go inside with me to look at some shop to 51 that sounds chapter 51 this is the prayer the day we did when he was fasting see what he sees have mercy upon me or God according to your love and kindness according to the multitude of that or if your tender mercies blot out my transgressions wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse Send me from myself for acknowledge my transgressions and my son is always before me against you you only have I send and then this evil in your site that you may be found just when you speak and blameless when your judge behold I was brought forth in iniquity and then see my mother and save me hold you desire

truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part of in the hidden part you will make me to know wisdom purge me with his up or hi supply don’t know who cares about what that word is anyway and I shall be clean make me hate to hear joy and gladness to the bones you have broken me rejoice hide your face from my sins in blood out all my negative create in me a clean heart O God can a child of God today Craig pray like this do not cost me away from your presence can a child of God pray like this Why because he promised you but I will never so you can’t ask this David could pray like this but not you do not take your Holy Spirit from me can you put it on why he promised you and you know the best part of this is this Jesus said you are in me I am in you we are in the father and the father is in us then he can as don’t take your spirit away from me this is how do used to play an old testament one day fast and it’s because they committed the sun today when you come in and let’s say you made a mistake you may you send do you have to fast forgot to forgive you know what do you do you recognize you did wrong you’re sorry about it and you walk away from it and the best thing actually is when you recognize Lord I did wrong and I thank you that you have open my eyes Have not given me the power not to read to do it again next time I’ll see you from a far and I’ll go the other way now go with me to the book of Joel Joel in the Ultima JOEL Joel will Joelle look how do use the fast in the face devil does not motivate me to fast I don’t fast because innocent people that’s profound a simple when you get a profound this is how to use the fast in all the snow we don’t fast like that

the long-term to me with all your heart with whipping I was more turn to the Lord your God for his gracious and merciful slow to anger then end of great time Less and he relates from doing harm who knows if he will turn in relent and leave a blessing behind him a grain of offspring in the drink offering for the Lord your God blow the trumpet in Zion consecrate a fast elders gather the children and nursing babes let the bride groom go out from his chamber and the bride from her dressing room let the priesthood minister to the Lord with between the porch and the altar let them say spiritual people oh Lord do not give your heritage to learn to approach the nations should roll over there why should they say did God say still captures the spirit of the Old Testament what prompted people into fasting was because we need to come back Can you hold this for me please I’ll deal with the children of Israel is I’ve been going this way and God’s gone that way that’s been here I left got here and then I went to throw sand dollar tree and all prostitution now by fasting I’m coming back to the Lord that’s why the bastard but in the New Testament that’s not how God operates in the New Testament God doesn’t stay here and wait for you until you come back to him in the New Testament Jesus says you are in me I am in you I’m tempted to show me the scripture in Ephesians chapter 3 says we are already raised and we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places in the New Testament wherever you go God is always there with you Can you display for me the scripture psalms chapter 139 starting from verse six this is a prophetic outlook he was saying how God will treat us in the new testament see what he says such knowledge is too high too wonderful for me it’s hard I cannot even a 10 onto it to the knowledge of the new testament for the Man from the old testament it was too hot for seven weather so I go from your spirit all winter chalet fleet from your presence this man

is talking about what happens in the New Testament he sees what the child of God looks like I’m a child of God is saying here you are saying where can I run away from the spirit of God where can I how can I run away from the presence of God I remember when I started before I came across the word of God in the word of grace the way we used to pray when they ask My brothers assistors let us now get ready to enter the presence of God we are going to enter God’s presence right now music give us let us into the presence of God the reason it’s because we used to think of ourselves as if we’re still in the old testament in the Old Testament the presence of God was in a coffin in an ark in a box in a tent so the children of Israel would go and Internet presents but in the New Testament the presence of God is not in a temple it’s not in this building here in the presence of God it’s in you in the New Testament and you cannot run away from his spirit that’s what he says here where can I run from your spirit where can I flee from your presence what’s the next verse saying if I sign into the heaven you are there if I make my bed in hell got a back off behold you are there Look at that scripture again if you go to heaven and it with you if even if I go to hell if I tell you a few things here you think I’ll pass and you are not giving me a license to act like a fool does speak to that detail but you are the child of God God does not leave you if you are truly saved you cannot lose your salvation sometimes we forget who we are in Christ we listen to peoples foolish dreams and visions like this one foolish

dream that I heard the Lord had calm the trumpet had blown the rapture of the church had taken place and most churches were left only a few people went to heaven it’s not a Bible teaches no cool tell that you are safe but Alex He says even if I go to hell you are there with me that’s how they used to fast in the Old Testament but in the New Testament we don’t fast like that what I’m trying to say is that there’s a difference between the way people approach God in the Old Testament and the New Testament and Old Testament people fast and only window in trouble when you go to the book of Daniel and I’m not gonna go there it’s up to nine we see the Daniel fast for 21 days why was he fasting he was confessing the symptoms of his people he was confessing he was pleading with God please forgive all people today we cannot fast to ask God to forgive America father our president Donald Trump has talked so much but please forgive him no we don’t do that why because Jesus has already said his blood what do you pray for President Trump or not guess who is praying for Donald Trump 24 seven cries At the right hand of the father he is the population of us and not only ours but for the entire world we can’t gather together now we want to pray for America and confess the sins of America know that’s what Daniel Daniel Daniel did that because Daniel leave before the cross of gold guitar but there was a man on the cross to say father forgive them for they know not what they do but we don’t

pray and remember that Isaac says that’s what I just realized in my family my ancestors used to practice idol worship in the end they killed each other and is it just all kinds of nasty things that may have happened even exist so the Lord the prophet of God has given me a revelation that Isaac the reason why you have seen this and this and that it’s because 200 years ago your great great grandfather and kill somebody and the demons are claiming you that’s nonsense that’s nonsense Yes that’s nonsense why because God will not hold you accountable to the scene of that man but in the New Testament when we’re fast we are springs off liked it and we will fast when we fast it’s because we are preparing ourselves that’s chapter 2 let’s read verses 40 through 47 and with many other words he testified and exerted them saying be saved from this perverse generation then those who gladly receive this word were baptized that day about 3000 3000 souls were added to them and they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship in breaking of bread and in prayers I want to stop right there notice how did the early church the grill the Bible sees they continued in doctrine and apostles doctrine in fellowship breaking the bread and in prayers now think about springs of life church One of the stress of this church is doctrine we are big on teaching doctrine can you agree with me with that last class cell group I’m in we’re gonna make sure that you’re going to get the word one way or another teaching teaching teaching that’s good second thing that we have done and we will fellowship

and breaking of bread the banquet I don’t teach we eat together we celebrate but notice that that’s not all that needs to be done breaking of bread and employers so springs of life church enjoy and then in February How far out are community activities was the love is in the air banquet and in March the highlight is fasting and prayers in an April the children are going to do something good for the church and more is coming every month this year every month will have a highlight but for the month of March we’re gonna stay here it’s prayers and fasting know you can pray by yourself that’s fine there is also a place for us as a body to pray together and that’s what we are going to be doing this man to man if you stand on your feet I can finally release you