True Fast

Have you ever fasted before the Lord? As our Nashville summer outreach team prepares for its 33 hour fast and fundraiser, I began think, "Why do we fast?" Why does God desire a fast? Is it simply a symbolic act of saying, "God you are more important food?" (that is saying a lot, food is pretty important in my life) Has a fast simply become another religious practice that really does not seem have a practical connection with our lives? or has it become a tool for fund raising? (such as World Vision's 30 hour famine and our church's 33 hour fast for outreach). The heading for Isaiah 58 in the NIV version says, "True Fasting". This chapter tells us that a fast has deeper purpose than simply humbling ourselves before God. (verse 3) It is not a tool for me to look holier than others by showing "humility" before others. (verse 5) God has chosen the fast "to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free..." (verse 6) In Luke 4:18, Jesus also declared his mission purposes , "...to release the oppressed.." The fast helps us to realign our lives with the mission of our Lord, Jesus.

Someone said, "We need to live simply so that others may simply live." (Not Jesus, but I read this in a book but I cannot think of the book right now) The fast is not simply a day of reflection on our needs, but it is a time of reflection and realigning our life practices to look more like followers of Jesus. The fast is lifestyle readjustment. It is a time when we share our food with the hungry, provide shelter, clothe the naked, and not to turn from the needs of our neighbor. (verse 7) In the midst of our own hectic lives, a fast allows us to reposition our lives, attitudes in thanksgiving to the Lord, so that we may live as Jesus lived, love others!

We ask for your prayers as 22 youth and 4 teachers begin their 33 hours of fasting. I pray that it will be a time of great thanksgiving. We will pick up garbage in the streets, we will cook, serve, and fellowship with the homeless, we will pray for our friends in Nashville. We will give our time, food, and money to the Lord. Joel 2:15 says, "declare a holy fast" and "afterward, I (God) will pour out my Spirit on all people." I believe this is the "Holy Fast" God is asking us to declare. Then He promises in Isaiah 58, "you will call and the Lord will answer, you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I."

Practical thought: Our youth group has try to have a "true Fast offering", We challenge our kids to fast from a drink ($1 to $4) or a meal (@$2 for school meal). I know what can $2 do? It is not what you do alone but what the body of God does together in unity. For us if everyone fasted and give it is over $200 a week..Close a $1000 a month... hmmm get the picture.. When we do little things in unity God can do great things through us. If you would like to fast and donate and join our outreach send checks payable to: KFPC 318 Stage Coach Trail Greensboro NC 27407.. We will be leaving for Nashville on June 30th