By Ramesh C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard

Monday, October 06, 2008

Editors Note: The devotional has a background song  which can be heard if you use Internet Explorer.

SCRIPTURE:
^”Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, "How is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?" Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast." (Mark 2:18-20, NIV)

Observations:
I looked at words or phrases that were repeated!
1. Disciples: 3
2. Fasting: 4

Observations:
I asked myself who are the disciples mentioned here?
There are 3 types of disciples mentioned:

1. John’s disciples

2. Disciples of the Pharisees

3. Disciples of Jesus

Interpretations:
I asked myself what is significant about that?
I learned that the disciples of John and the Pharisees were doing something that the disciples of Jesus were not. This raised eyebrows among the people. John’s disciples and disciples of the Pharisees were fasting while the disciples of Jesus were not! The people had an issue with it.

Observations/Interpretations:
I asked myself the significance of the disciples not fasting?
What came to my mind is that fasting was done usually to get close to God. When people fasted, it was to seek God wholeheartedly and have their mind on God alone.

Other times, fasting also included simultaneous mourning for a particular situation that was going to occur. (For example: When Esther asked the Jewish people to fast and pray)

When the people asked Jesus why his disciples were not fasting Jesus answered, "How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.”

This statement of Jesus became so significant to me because as I thought along the lines of fasting being done to get closer to God, Jesus was telling the people that his disciples were already close to Him.

Previously, I learned that Jesus claimed to be God by His actions. Therefore, it is as if there was no need for them to fast at that time.

Jesus claimed to be the bridegroom and let the people know his disciples were his guests enjoying His favor. This was a time for them to be jolly and celebrating for they have the bridegroom with them.

Jesus also emphasizes there will come a time when the bridegroom will be taken away from them and on that day they will fast.

How true that is because Jesus was taken away from them in the Garden of Gethsemane. The disciples did mourn.

As I thought about Jesus’ last statement, it reminded me of the movie called “The Passion of the Christ”. It gives a vivid description of what Jesus went through for you and me in the last 12 hours when He was taken away from the disciples at the Garden of Gethsemane. You should try to  watch it.

Implications:
I saw important implications for my own life. Fasting should not become a ritual to do for the sake of doing or a discipline to keep for the sake of keeping. Fasting should be done to draw closer to the Lord Jesus Christ or seek His wisdom and counsel in situations  that are occurring in our lives.

Last year around this time, on a Monday, I decided to fast and go without food for 72-96 hours because my beloved dad who is with the Lord Jesus now was in the intensive care unit after suffering a cardiac arrest. I remember how the Lord Jesus had healed Lazarus from his dead condition and brought him back to life after 4 days.

I knew if Jesus wanted to restore my dad's condition that He would be able to do it. I prayed believing for God's intervention and redemption for my dad. By the Lord's grace even though my dad was not restored physically by the Lord, amazing miracles happened that he was able to live through a tracheotomy, dialysis, peg tube, and ventilator system (which he eventually came of) for  70 days. On his birthday he was moved out of the ICU unit.

Our family knew the Lord Jesus was working in our lives and my dad's lives. My mom was able to read my dad the New Testament everyday finishing the New Testament more than once at my dad's bedside.

I fasted as a sign of mourning and for God's intervention around this time last year. It also brought me closer to the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word supplanted in my heart filled me up.

A year later it is hard to think about this day but our dad is with our Lord Jesus Christ enjoying heaven compared to the pain he was in down here.

Jesus knew when the disciples would eventually fast but now was not the time because He was still with them and they could joyously enjoy His presence. We can enjoy Jesus' presence too because though He went to the cross to die for our sins shedding His precious cleansing blood to save us, He came back to life on the third day to give us Eternal Life. Our fasting should be a time to draw closer to the Lord Jesus as His Spirit leads us and guides us.

I ask you now dear friend, when does fasting become important in your life?
Dear friend, fasting should become important in our lives to draw us closer to the Lord, mourn the loss of a loved one, or wait upon the Lord for an important decision as Esther did. Fasting is so important to many Muslims that they would take 40 days to fast from sunset to sundown for Ramadan in the hopes of drawing close to God but even to fast one day can be challenging for many of us.

It should not be that way but our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Creator of the Universe who is God-incarnate should excite us to take time to fast. Jesus will be touched by our fasting when we do it for the right motives such as drawing closer to Him, seeking His wisdom in our lives, or mourning the condition of a loved one as the disciples did later on.

Jesus does not want  our fasting to be ritualistic but relational oriented. We should decide to fast for at least one day a week limiting ourselves to one meal for starters, not because we don't have any food to eat or are lazy to make anything but because we want that time to be focused on the Lord and in Him alone. When we go hungry, we can turn our mind towards the Lord for spiritual food and discernment instead of running to physical food.

Fasting can bring us closer to the Lord as we focus on the Lord during that time that we would normally use for eating. This can be a wonderful thing as we turn that time into prayer. I believe the Lord will show us things we did not know as we spend in that time!

Friend, we all have been separated from God because of the bad things we have done!

There are those of you that may say that you are a pretty good person and your good deeds can cover over the bad deeds you have done. Some of you may even say that your fasting for the Lord's sake will save you because God will see that as a good thing.

Friend, God loves you so much and at the same time is still HOLY! God in His Holiness cannot allow sin to enter into His presence no matter how many times you fast to draw close to God. Fasting should be done after we already have a relationship with Jesus Christ but not as a means to gain brownie points to be saved.

Friend fasting will not save you or I. John's disciples and the Pharisees disciples put so much emphasis on fasting that Jesus had to explain to them that His disciples got it which they did not. His disciples had Jesus with them to be drawn close to Him and have a relationship with Him. Fasting did not save them or will not save anyone.

It may feel good to fast making you feel that you have accomplished something or even a good deed but friend all our good deeds are like filthy rags to the Lord. If they are filthy rags that should show us that what our bad deeds will look like to the Lord.

That being the case, we cannot erase the bad deeds we have done by fasting or any other means apart from the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the personal relationship we have with Christ alone the hope of glory and redemption for the Salvation of all mankind that turns to Him.

The bad news is that 99.9% of good deeds will not cover the 00.1% of bad deed you have done. In God's eyes, you are still wicked with no way out. Allowing sin into His presence will pollute Heaven and God will not do that. It is like having to drink 99.9% of water that is polluted with 00.1% of cyanide.

Would you drink the water if someone told you that it had cyanide in it?

If you are honest, you would not want to drink that water because to you it has been polluted.

The Good News is that God loved us so much that He provided a way out for us so we can come into His presence and not pollute heaven. God sent His only begotten Son into this world to redeem it so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have Everlasting Life. God did not send Jesus Christ into this world to condemn it but to save it.

Yes, friend Jesus came into this world and died on the cross of Calvary to redeem you and me. His blood was shed to become the antidote for the deadly virus known as sin. When we accept the cleansing blood of Jesus to wipe away our sin, we are acknowledging that we cannot save ourselves by the good works we have done but we are saved because of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ imparted in our lives to save us when He came back on the third day to give Eternal Life to all those that turn to Him.

Now when God sees us, He sees Christ's cleansing blood covering over our sins and His judgment will pass over us. We can enter Heaven because we are saved by His grace through faith and not of works lest anyone boast!

Fasting is a means to draw closer to Jesus Christ once we are saved but not as a means to get saved. Saving our lives from Eternal flames has been done by Christ on the cross for all those that would receive His redemption and the ransom He paid.

May you find a time to fast to bring you closer to the Lord Jesus Christ knowing fasting allows Savior's Truth, involving nurture greatly!

“Fasting Allows Savior's Truth Involving Nurture Greatly! (F.A.S.T.I.N.G)”/When does fasting become important in your life?”

Prayer:
I thank you so much Jesus for teaching me about fasting. I want to thank you for loving us so much that you went to the cross to die for our sins shedding your precious cleansing blood for us. Thank you for coming back to life to save us as we seek you! Oh Lord, please help us to live for you and serve you all the days of our lives. Thank you for saving us by your grace through faith. Help us to fast to draw closer to you Jesus and seek your wisdom. Thank you so much Jesus. Thank you for your Word and what you teach us. Help us to remember the principles in your Word. Thank you so much Jesus. Thank you for the opportunity to draw closer to you.  In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

ANALOGY OF INVITING PEOPLE TO THE GREAT PHYSICIAN:

We are like an ambulance taking sick people to the hospital. People are dying and there is an emergency because of an epidemic virus. The ambulance takes the initiative to go to the place people are dying and bring them to the hospital. They are not dead yet but there is no time to wait. The ambulance needs to get to the hospital for that virus to be treated. The virus has infected the mind, body, and soul spreading rapidly. You and I cannot do anything to heal our friends of this virus except be the AMBULANCE taking them to the HOSPITAL where the GREAT PHYSICIAN waits.

Once at the hospital, there is a GREAT PHYSICIAN that waits. The sick are gathered from all corners of the earth and come to this hospital.  This hospital is called CALVARY OF SALVATION and the EMERGENCY WARD is called GOLGOTHA.

The GREAT PHYSICIAN is not like other doctors who can only treat patients with  physical ailments but this GREAT PHYSICIAN is much more and knows He has to stay 72 HOURS for every dying person there to be healed.

He knows what He has to do! This GREAT PHYSICIAN knew that only His BLOOD can wipe away this epidemic VIRUS, so for you and me He went to the blood transfusion room where people were about to die. There He lay down on the bed  made of wood.

The surgeons walk into the room. They turn this GREAT PHYSICIAN on His back.  Instead of using an IV, a WHIP with sharp glass, etc is used to draw out the BLOOD from the GREAT PHYSICIAN'S back! It does not stop there but to elevate the head on the bed of wood, a CROWN OF THORNS is used which draws more BLOOD.

As the head is elevated, the GREAT PHYSICIAN's hands are stretched wide on the wooden bed. Then the feet are bound together. This is done for the BLOOD transfusion to begin. Instead of using an IV, NAILS and a HAMMER is used. The NAILS are pounded through the hands into the wooden bed with a HAMMER so the BLOOD flows and that BLOOD is saved. The NAILS are pounded through the feet into the wooden bed with a HAMMER so more BLOOD flows and that BLOOD is saved. As the BLOOD continues to flow from the GREAT PHYSICIAN's body, the GREAT PHYSICIAN flat lines. Then the surgeons insert a SPEAR into the heart to make sure all the BLOOD is out. All the BLOOD is out!

Now, the GREAT PHYSICIAN is moved into the JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA MORGUE being guarded by security.

Now the CALVARY OF SALVATION hospital has a BLOOD DONOR whose BLOOD can be used to save everyone there from this EPIDEMIC VIRUS. 

Those dying need to be taken there to receive the BLOOD transfusion that is available. However, the BLOOD will not be forced upon those dying! THE PUREST RED ANTIDOTE is only given to those that are willing to receive the BLOOD TRANSFUSION so they could LIVE.

All that accept the BLOOD are being CLEANSED of this EPIDEMIC VIRUS in their system that is infecting the mind, body, and soul.  This BLOOD goes into the dying person's mind, body, and soul and eats away at the virus cleaning them and making them pure. This VIRUS is known as SIN. The BLOOD is the PRECIOUS CLEANSING BLOOD OF THE GREAT PHYSICIAN, JESUS CHRIST.

The WOODEN BED is the CROSS OF CHRIST where the dying need to be led too.

72 HOURS LATER, there is a commotion at the JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA MORGUE. THE GREAT PHYSICIAN is not there anymore and the ANGELS that visit tell loved ones who came there, that THE GREAT PHYSICIAN IS ALIVE and will save all that come to Him.

It is true even to this day, for all that come to the HOSPITAL OF CALVARY come to realize that His CLEANSING BLOOD shed on the WOODEN BED (CROSS) will never run out. Anyone infected who wants to be healed of their sickness can accept what Jesus did for them and be covered in His precious CLEANSING BLOOD.

I have done that friend and know that at the foot of the cross where Jesus died shedding His precious cleansing blood for my sin and the sins of the world, I can find forgiveness and grace.

Thanks be to God that Christ's death on the cross was temporary to remove all His precious cleansing blood for our sake but after He was buried, Jesus came back to life to save.

To this day, all who call on the Name of the Lord will be saved when they acknowledge what Jesus Christ has done for them and what He can do for them.

Friend, Jesus loves you so much and if you were the only one living on earth, Jesus would have done the same for you. What I shared with you was an analogy but in real life it has happened. Jesus went to the cross for you and me and His precious cleansing blood was shed so you and I could have life. Jesus came back to life 72 hours later and is alive but His blood continues to heal people on every corner of the earth to those that accept Him.

You can invite the GREAT PHYSICIAN right now as you make this your prayer.

Dear Jesus, thank you for healing the paralytic after forgiving his sins. You set him free to go home. I want to be free. I don’t know everything about you. I still have a lot of questions. What I do know is that you died on the cross for my sins. When it comes to sin, I am a paralytic Oh Lord. I am infected with this deadly disease known as sin. I am not perfect but a sinner who needs your cleansing blood to clean me of my sin. I confess to you my sin and repent of my sin. I know you have forgiven me when you died on the cross. I want to accept that forgiveness. Thank you for shedding your cleansing precious blood for me. You were nailed to the cross because of me. It is like I actually held the hammer and pounded the nails so I could be free. Thank you for willingly dying for me Jesus. Thank you for taking the shame and pain for me. Thank you for doing that to set me free. I come to the cross and ask you for your healing in my life. Thank you for the power of your Blood to redeem humanity. Thank you for coming back to life to save us and give us Eternal Life as we yield to you. Your blood can heal us where we are. I love you Jesus. I want you Jesus. Even with my questions, I come to you now and accept you into my heart. Please Jesus come into my heart and make my heart your home. Give me a transfusion of change. Live in me Jesus and I will live for you and serve you the rest of the days of my life. I thank you Jesus for coming into my heart and making my heart your home. Thank you for living in me Jesus. I acknowledge you now as my Lord and Personal Savior. Please be the Lord and Savior of my life. Thank you for being my Lord and Personal Savior Jesus and because of what you have done for me when God looks at me, He now sees me covered in your blood and His judgment passes over me. Thank you that you have heard my prayer and answered me. Thank you for being with me Lord. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit. Thank you Jesus I now belong to you and never need to be alone! You will always be with me and have given me Salvation.  In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!

May my spoken words and unspoken thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)