In this session, we look at a basic fundamental of life—fasting.

I am sure some of you would start to have question marks, popping up all over your head: “What do mean by fasting is a basic fundamental of life?”

As you know, fasting is going without food, and many of us see eating as a necessity of life.  How can something which is the direct opposite seem to be a fundamental necessity as well?

Dear friends, we are born again, to live a life in the spirit.  That takes effort, to move a life that is led by the body to become a life that is led by the spirit.

When we look at Luke 3:8, John the Baptist said: “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.  And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’  For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.”
Dear friends, I know that many of us may have a very good and strong assurance of our salvation, but yet we are warned in this passage.  Sometimes we may think that because we belong to church or because we have been attending church, fellowship and holy activities, we do not need to do anything else.  But today, John the Baptist’s message to the people at that time, and back to us, that we have to produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

Dear friends, I hope that today we can search ourselves, and truly evaluate our lives to check if we are producing fruit in keeping with repentance.

I have seen many believers struggling with living an abundant life, and that is because they were still living the life similar to what they had before.  They were still leading a life similar to what they had led before.

Dear friends, if we are born again, the illustration of the caterpillar turning to a butterfly, tells us that we will look different, the way we move will be different, the way we eat will be different, and even what we eat will be different.  That is why we need to fast.  Because our body is so used to a certain pattern, we do not expect just by praying a prayer of conversion, of belief in Christ, yet doing nothing to change our lives, we are still leading the same old life.

Dear friend, are we checking ourselves, to see if we are able to move beyond our former selves, to the new self that Jesus has prepared for us. Think about all the sins and struggles and things that pull you down and away from God.  Many of these are big hindrances and old habits, and you will know that breaking an old habit is really difficult.  In fact, it may take weeks, months, years, to do so.  And after we break an old habit, we should form a new one, and again it takes time and effort.  If you are not disciplined, you will not be able to form that new habit, you will not be able to lead that new life.

We see how the caterpillar has to go through a ‘pupa’ stage, to ‘die’ to its former self, before it can emerge as a butterfly.  Similarly we must bring the parts of our old self, that has not been transformed back to the pupa stage, back to being crucified at the cross, so that we can move away from that into the new life in the spirit that Jesus has given to us.  If we just look at the cross to see the sacrifice of the holy Son of God, to die for people such as us who are worthless, and yet his love for us is s great.  Are we not moved by God’s love for us?

Think about the new life that Jesus had come to die for us, that we might experience a new life of abundance.  And as new creatures in Christ, we will be able to live in communion with God!

Just think about that.  The reward is enough to motivate you to change.

I am sure many of our friends today go to the gym and they work out regularly.

One such friend I have, told me his story, that for him this regiment all started one day when he went for his medical check-up and realized that he was very close to death because his arteries were all severely clogged up.  When he realized that great danger, straight away, he changed his diet and lifestyle.  Instead of eating the way he used to eat, he went on a very lean diet and on juices that will help cut down the bad cholesterol level in his body.  And instead of just lazing at home, he started going to the gym and working out, and going for walks and runs.

Dear friends, if we see this as a reflection of our spiritual state, have we ever checked on our spiritual health?  Are we in a ‘danger zone’ in our spiritual health?

Then it is time for us to wake up!  It is time for us to fast and eat what is right!  It is time for us to exercise!

But such is the wake-up call that we need before we take drastic action! And such a drastic action includes a fast!
In Matt 4:1-4, Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

Dear friends, as we move from a bodily life into a spiritual life, we must also follow Jesus in fasting.  In changing our old habits to new ones, in changing our old cravings to new ones.  Instead of thinking that we have to eat and eat and eat, now we have to tell ourselves that as new creature, we have to feed and feed and feed on the word of God.
Fasting is a shedding of excesses in our life.  It is a spiritual discipline, that helps us move away from our usual patterns forcibly.  As we go without food, our body will send us hunger pangs to tell us to eat.  That is when we need discipline.  That is where we need discipline.  And discipline comes when we are strongly convicted that we have to do it.Let me share with you about the temptation of Jesus, but now we cross-reference with Gospel of Luke.  In Luke 4:1, Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.

Dear friends, I am sure many of us who are believers, have been baptized, both in the water and in the spirit.

Similarly, Jesus was baptized in the water by John the Baptist, and at that moment we know that John the Baptist saw a dove coming down upon Jesus, and we know that that was the Holy Spirit.

Similarly, we like Jesus, were baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit.

After his baptism, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, and in Luke 4:1, he was described to be full of the Holy Spirit.

But let us see what happened after his fasting and testing of forty days and forty nights in the wilderness.  Let us go to Luke 4:14.  Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
Dear friends, if you believe that you have been filled with the Holy Spirit, yet you feel like you are lacking in the power of the Spirit, then follow Jesus in being convicted and led by the Spirit to fast.

Pulling our bodies into the ‘death’ stage, into the ‘pupa’ stage, back to the cross, and emerging from that a new creature in Christ!

Dear friends, I tell you, if you are able to have the discipline to go through that, and do it as an act of faith to get close to God, God will honour you.  And like Jesus, you will come back in the power of the Holy Spirit!
Dear friends, if you want to lead the new victorious abundant life fast, fast!
As I speak, I am on the 29th day of a 40-day fast.  To be honest, this is my first 40-day fast from solid food.
I had only attempted 1 day and 3 days fast before, where I struggled with clarity of mind, and motivation to pray.
I have easily dismissed the 40-day fast as something written to show that Jesus is fully God. 
It is only when I understand that it is rather to show us that Jesus is also fully human, that I hear God's word in this passage, and obey it.
I have experienced the clarity of mind and the ability to pray more spiritually through this.
I have also discovered how when we fast, we can break off addictions, bad patterns of life, and the sins that entangles us.

We put out a fire by starving it of oxygen.  We heal an addiction by going completely off the substance in Cold Turkey.
Similarly, we are able break out of our sins by resolutely stopping, and fasting from all things that may entice our thoughts.

Dear friends, the kingdom of God is worth it.  It is worth all our earthly sacrifices.  God is testing us, that if we can see clearly, it is actually to give up garbage in exchange for treasure.

Let us pray.  Father God, we thank you because we know you love us.  And all the things you have revealed to us in your word, is actually good for us.  But yet we struggle because we struggle with understanding your love for us.  In understanding that your ways for us is always far better than the ways we have for ourselves.

Father, you have shown us in your word that we should fast—not whether we should fast but when we fast.  Father God, we pray that you help us in our faith, so that we are able to obey you.  And know that in all these steps that you have laid out for us, they are to help us in our spiritual journey with you and to help us transform from the former self to the new self. 

As we transform from our ‘caterpillar’ self to become the new ‘butterfly’ self for your glory, Father, we just pray that as we struggle to go through that stage of death, that season of fasting, open our eyes to see to know that you have the best for us.  And you are calling us to this for our good, just like Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to fast and to be tested by Satan.  Father, we know that we are also called into a test of our faith, and face temptations, but help us to be like Jesus and emerge victorious through your Holy Spirit.

Father, we give you thanks, because when we see through new eyes, we now know that the troubles that we may face in our life are actually sent our way, by you for our good.

Father, help us emerge victorious, through all these tests and training that you have given to us.  Help us emerge victorious for your glory.

Father, we pray enable us, empower us, help us, O Lord, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen!

I hope you have been blessed!

See you in the next session!