Category Archives: Sacrifice

The Friday that was Good

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Good Friday everyone. This is the Friday that was Good. Blessed be the Name of the Lord! Thank you Jesus for Calvary! Thank you for the cross. And even though it’s a couple of days away, I am so thankful He didn’t stay in the tomb. It is empty!!

You can read my other posts on Holy Week here, here, here, here and here. Please come back tomorrow and Resurrection Morning (before or after church!) for our final conclusion. 

“And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last. Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” Mark 15:37, 38 NKJV.

The veil in the Temple separated the Holy Place from the Holiest of Holies. Only the High Priest could even enter the Holiest of Holies, no one else was allowed. Inside was the Ark of the Covenant, which held the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s rod that budded, and Manna. The High Priest could only go into the Holiest of Holies once a year to roll away the sins of the people for another 365 days. (Day of Atonement)

This Holiest of Holies represented the presence of God.

The Israelites could not approach God for themselves. They had to have others to plead for their sins.

But everything changed on the Friday that was Good.

It is a Holy Friday and with good reason! We cannot talk of the Cross without realizing there was a Holy God, a Good God, paying the price.

Look at all that was going on in the spirit world when Jesus was dying. 

When Jesus took His last and final breath, the earth shook violently, thunder rolled and a magnificent thing happened in the Temple. The massive curtain, which, according to Jewish historical descriptions, was approximately 30 feet wide, 60 feet high and three inches thick, was impossible for man to rip apart! It was said that it took 300 priests just to wash it. That’s big.

That veil separated man from God’s presence. So when God literally tore it into two pieces, from the top to the bottom, it was very significant.

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2.

When Jesus died, things changed forever. We could now enter that Holy Place, God’s Presence, all by ourselves. Without fear!

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh…” Hebrews 10:19-20.

Now the priests were no longer the only ones who could WORSHIP!

Worship was now for everyone.

Do you realize what that means?

We are able to worship the Savior personally, have a living relationship with the One who hung on the cross!

And…it gets better.

We  can, and should, worship God anywhere! 

  • In a church, yes, please worship Him there!
  • Out in the woods? Worship Him!
  • Walking down the road? Worship Him!
  • Driving in your car? Worship Him!
  • About to have a meal? Worship!
  • Breathing today? Worship, worship, worship!

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16.

Because of Calvary, because of “It is finished”, we have direct access to Jesus Christ.

Don’t be discouraged today if you are quarantined on this Friday that is Good. Rejoice because the veil was torn and wherever WE are, HE is!

Friday is Good because without Friday there would be no Resurrection Sunday. Join me tomorrow as we anticipate the Risen Savior.

Kingdom2

The Sword of the Spirit: Pick it up!

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The Sword of the Spirit: Pick it up! Today is the final piece of armor and it is of utmost importance; it is the Sword of the Spirit; the Word of God! You can read all of our posts since January 1 here. But we are far from finished; we will continue with a fasting devotion every day for the rest of the month. Stay with me!

“…and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Ephesians 6:17-18

This last piece completed the Armor of God that we are to put on every day but it is not something you wear like the other items, it is something you take up and is used offensively or defensively.

Remember, Paul’s analogy of the Armor of God was taken from the Roman soldiers armor, one he saw every day in the prison where he was writing.

The Roman soldier carried a two-edged sword which was easier to penetrate and easier to cut and easier to wound or kill the enemy. It was a smaller sword, more like a dagger, and the soldier would have carried it with him at all times.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The soldier was equipped with all his armor fitted and put on in the right place, every day.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

Then, he takes up that sword. And like the Roman soldier, the child of God takes up that Word, that Living and Active Word of God that is sharper than any double edged sword!

Matthew Henry says so aptly what I cannot and it is so good: “It…makes a soul that has been a long time of a proud spirit to be humble, of a perverse spirit to be meek and obedient. Those sinful habits that have become as it were natural to the soul, and rooted deeply in it, and become in a manner one with it, are separated and cut off by this sword. It cuts off ignorance from the understanding, rebellion from the will, and enmity from the mind, which, when carnal, is enmity itself against God.

This sword divides between the joints and the marrow, the most secret, close, and intimate parts of the body; this sword can cut off the lusts of the flesh as well as the lusts of the mind, and make men willing to undergo the sharpest operation for the mortifying of sin….The word will turn the inside of a sinner out, and let him see all that is in his heart.

So, you might ask, what does all of this have to do with fasting? When we fast, we are spending extra time in prayer and reading of the Word. We are making effort to be with God and come closer to Him and hear His voice. Fasting clears our minds and our hearts and allows us to hear what He would say to us, what the Word is speaking and how it affects us as His children. Jesus said some things can not even happen without fasting and prayer!

It isn’t necessarily that you receive new power or more power, you already have it with the Holy Spirit living inside of you. It’s just that, because of the denying of the flesh, you are recognizing what you have and are activating it by taking up that Sword every day. Then, when you need it, it is active, it is living, it is ready for whatever comes your way!

Finally, Paul’s description of the Armor of God doesn’t really end with the Sword of the Spirit. “and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” He continues in the same sentence that we should be praying at all times and for those around us. Fasting, with prayer, makes our spiritual vision come alive and we start seeing the needs of others around us and awaken to things happening in the spirit world. And if we have that Sword in our hands, that Word of God in our hearts, we will be well equipped to do the work Jesus has us to do.

Come back tomorrow for another fasting devotion as we look at what NOT to do when fasting! 

 
 

Need your own copy of The Daniel Fast, A Devotional? Get it on Amazon by clicking here!

When Ye Fast: Shield of Faith

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When Ye Fast: Shield of Faith. How is your faith today? It takes faith to fast. There has to be a reason for you to go without food, or go without certain foods, maybe even social media. Sometimes people find it much more difficult to go without Facebook for a full day than to fast three meals in a row! Today we are looking at the shield of faith. You can read all the other posts here, here, here and here.

We fast because of our faith. Learning to trust God, we believe in Him and His ways. We want to be more like Him and draw closer to the God of our salvation.

We also fast to increase our faith. When we are denying ourselves certain things that we love, or even think we can’t live without, we are telling God that He is more important to us than these things. Fasting clears our minds and hearts so there is more room for the things of God and His Word. When we begin to empty our lives of things that get in the way of our spiritual walk and replace them with the spiritual, it can’t help but increase our faith! Fasting strengthens us.

Ephesians 6:16 “…above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ” 

The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians from prison. He knew the Roman soldier well and he knew their armor well. The Roman shield, also known as the scutum, had a big metal knob in the middle called a boss. This shield was about three and a half feet tall and approximately three feet wide! They could thwart an attack and protect themselves from the fiery arrows that were being catapulted their way.

When we take up our shield of faith, and allow our faith to be active, then that faith will become our defense to the attacks of the enemy. A sure fire way to increase your faith is through prayer and fasting. Fasting will draw you closer to your God and you will be able to see things you didn’t see before. He will give you wisdom that only comes from spending time with Him; strongholds will be broken and you will be strengthened. But…

We don’t fast to get things.

We don’t fast to manipulate God.

We don’t fast to be seen or look spiritual.

Sometimes, when under attack, then they would close ranks and form a rectangle; their testudo, this was known as a tortoise formation. The soldiers on the outside would make a wall and those in the middle would lift their shields over their heads and keep them from getting pummeled from the air. Working together, they were unstoppable; they were protected and strengthened for the battle!

If your church is participating in a corporate fast, what a blessing! To fast with others who believe and desire to know the Lord better will increase your faith. There is strength in numbers and when an entire church fasts and prays, then you will see a difference; it might even encourage you to fast on a regular basis!

Take up that shield of faith today, know you are protected from the attacks of the enemy. Be encouraged knowing that you have a host of brothers and sisters that are doing the same. Together you can see walls come down!

Do you have your copy of my easy-to-read Fasting Devotional? Don’t let the title fool you! It is a 21 day devotion for ANY FAST. Each day is an example of someone in the Bible who fasted, some for the wrong reason as well, and what we can glean from them. Inside the book, you will also find Daniel Fast recipes! Available at Amazon.com