(To Coincide with Fasting Prayer Service Session III)
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 2:9-10
2:9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I knowthe blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but area synagogue of Satan.
2:10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw someof you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
The condition of congregation in Smyrna is in tribulation, poverty, blasphemy. They experience the flesh suffering together with Jesus (cross experience). It is like our condition in fasting prayer.
Matthew 6:17
6:17 But you, when you fast, anoint your headand wash your face,
The right signs of fasting are as follows:
The right fasting is giving opportunity widely to the Word of God in anointing of Holy Spirit (the Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword) to purify our heart and mind from all evil and uncleanness will so we can see God.
Matthew 5:8
5:8 Blessed arethe pure in heart, for they shall see God.
We can trust, entrust ourselves fully to God, and only hope for His mercy and power.
The functions of fasting prayer are as follows:
God blesses us.
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Revelation 2:9-10
2:9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I knowthe blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but area synagogue of Satan.
2:10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw someof you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
The condition of congregation in Smyrna is in tribulation, poverty, blasphemy. They experience the flesh suffering together with Jesus (cross experience). It is like our condition in fasting prayer.
Matthew 6:17
6:17 But you, when you fast, anoint your headand wash your face,
The right signs of fasting are as follows:
- ‘Wash your face’means the heart is purified by the Word of God.
- ‘Anoint your head’ means our mind is anointed by Holy Spirit.
The right fasting is giving opportunity widely to the Word of God in anointing of Holy Spirit (the Word that is sharper than any two-edged sword) to purify our heart and mind from all evil and uncleanness will so we can see God.
Matthew 5:8
5:8 Blessed arethe pure in heart, for they shall see God.
We can trust, entrust ourselves fully to God, and only hope for His mercy and power.
The functions of fasting prayer are as follows:
- Facing the temptations in wilderness of world[Matthew 4:1-11].
There are three kinds of temptation in wilderness as follows:- Temptations in physical sidesuch as economy, study, health, work, et cetera.
Satan makes every physical thing become impossible. It is like changing stones to become bread so we do not obey the Word, but lose the salvation. Through fasting prayer, we struggle until admit that we live from Word of God.
Matthew 4:3-4
4:3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
The power of Word of God is able to give life physically in the midst of impossibilities and the eternal life. - Temptation about the ministry.
Matthew 4:5-6
4:5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,
4:6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘intheirhands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
Satan gives obstacle, stumbling rock, and persecution to make us unfaithful and leave the ministry. Through fasting prayer we struggle to win over those things so we can be faithful and fervent in ministry until the end line. The service and ministry is the only activity in the world that leads us to the throne of Heaven. - Temptation about worship prayer.
Matthew 4:8-10
4:8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
4:9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
4:10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lordyour God, and Him only you shall serve.’”
Satan uses the world with its influence to tie the servant of God to love the world. It means disobeying God or worshiping Satan and one will perish. Through fasting prayer, we struggle to be free from the influence of the world and experience the life renewal so we can obey God or worship Him.
- Temptations in physical sidesuch as economy, study, health, work, et cetera.
- Facing the epilepsy that is destroying the marriage and children.
Matthew 17:14-15, 21
17:14 And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying,
17:15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water.
17:21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
Mark 9:25-26
9:25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it: “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”
9:26 Then the spiritcried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.”
The cause of spiritual epilepsy are deaf and mute spirit.
The deaf spiritmeans one does not want to listen or obey the true teaching Word but refuses Him.
The mute spiritmeans one cannot say right and good words.
The result is he lives in blindness, evil sin (quarrel, violence in marriage), and uncleanness sin (eating-drinking, and marrying-being given in marriage).
Through fasting prayer, we struggle for our ears and mouth to become good. The ears are able listen and obey the Word. The mouth is able to say right and good words. Then, God makes everything good.
Mark 7:37
7:37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.” - Doing the special duty from God, which is spreading the true teaching Word or the Bride Tiding to saved people in the temple of God so they can be shepherded well and enter the ministry of the building of the perfect body of Christ.
Acts 13:2-3, 5
13:2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
13:3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent themaway.
13:5 And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as theirassistant.
Do not refuse the revival of God because there is no change anymore to enter the building of the perfect body of Christ, or else you enter the building of the Babylon that will be destroyed.
The obstacles to enter the building of the perfect body of Christ are as follows:- Bar-Jesus, describing the false prophet and Antichrist.
Acts 13:6-10
13:6 Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name wasBar-Jesus,
13:7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.
13:8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
13:9 Then Saul, who also is calledPaul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him
13:10 and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, youson of the devil, youenemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?
The false prophets are with false teaching, lie, gossip, et cetera.
Antichrist refers to the bond of money. The will of money makes stingy (cannot give) and greedy (taking other’s). - The Proconsulrefers to busy man.
Many times the busy world makes us cannot serve and ministry God. Only the authority of Jesus as the High Priest with the power of sword of Word and intercession prayer that are able to call us in the midst of busy world so we can be employed by Him in the building of His body.
Matthew 4:18-20
4:18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.
4:19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
4:20 They immediately left theirnets and followed Him.
Casting a netmeans testifying about good news or the gospel of Word to call sinners so they can believe in Jesus, be saved and blessed by God.
Testifying about Bride Tiding or the teaching Word is choosing the saved people so they can enter the ministry of the building of the perfect body of Christ.
Pulling a netmeans inviting or helping others to enter the building of the body of Christ.
Matthew 4:21
4:21 Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the sonof Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them,
Mending a netmeans if we actively cast and pull a net, God will mend everything that is not yet fixed in our physical life (all problems are solved by Him) and spiritual one (every sin is finished) until we are perfect like Him.
Matthew 6:18
6:18 so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who isin the secret place;and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
In fasting prayer, we can see God and He sees us. On the cross Jesus is struggling to mend everything that is not yet fixed in our life. - Bar-Jesus, describing the false prophet and Antichrist.
God blesses us.