It's a new year and God is ready to give new revelations. I have had a few lately myself that I want to share with you. First of all, "Fasting"....we've all heard of fasting, right? Well, I certainly have, but I never gave it much serious thought until this week. My sister, Terri, decided to go on a 21 day fast as she listened to Pastor Jimmy preach at Trinity Fellowship on her ipod. When I talked to her about four days into her fast, I had no idea what she was doing, but I heard a different person on the phone talking back to me. For the first time in a long time, I heard hope, and energy and determination like I'd never heard from her before! But more than that, I heard what I'd prayed for many years: that she know how much God loved her and deeply desired to have her whole heart for Himself! The conversation was so moving, that I read the book on Fasting by Jentezen Franklin that night and the next morning.
Since February 23, 2003, when I completely surrendered my life to Jesus, I have never understood with such revelation the importance of fasting to my spiritual life. Let me make myself clear about one thing: I'm not talking about having to "do" something in order to be in better standing with God. I'm talking about sacrificing something (food) in order to draw near to God in a more intimate way than ever before. When I first surrendered my life, I could not get enough of the Word, growing spiritually and spending time with Jesus in prayer...He truly became the love of my life. But as time went on and I married, it seemed the things of this world had pushed Him out of First position in my life, yet I yearned to have that intimacy I had with Him in 2003. For me, fasting has been the piece of the puzzle for that very thing.
Most of my Walk, I have fought off the devil regarding sin and I seemed to be in a constant state of "seeking forgiveness." Last night, at Life Group, another light bulb went off, which may seem so elementary to most, but I had no idea how cunningly the devil had deceived me about this issue: When Jesus died on the cross, He died for all my sins, past, present AND future! Now, I knew that in my head, but for some reason last night it registered clearly in my heart: It is finished! Forgiveness has already been given to me IN FULL! I don't have to keep asking God for forgiveness over and over, or even when I sin again, (which I will, unfortunately.) Forgiveness was completed for every person on the cross. As Andrew Womack says, It isn't because of murder, stealing, lying, adultery, etc. that will cause people to perish in hell...no, those sins have already been forgiven....It is because people choose not to believe in Jesus Christ that will send them to hell.
I've never doubted that my salvation was in jeopardy because of my sins, but the enemy sure had a way of continuing to subtly condemn me whenever I made a mistake, even if I did ask for forgiveness. The devil is a master deceiver and that is his specialty. He just got called out on the carpet last night though!
I realize some of this stuff is so Christianity 101, but it seems God has a way of giving us revelation about a certain issue that we may still be in bondage too. He wants nothing more than for us to be FREE! Free of everything! Condemnation, guilt, shame, sadness, fear, everything! I don't know if I will ever grasp, this side of Heaven, how much God loves me, but I'm a little bit closer today. He only asks that we believe in Jesus as the Savior. That's not too much to ask, now is it? Considering all the benefits that come from believing?
"This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son
as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
I John 4:10
