CHAMPS!

To see Christ...

"There is a true story of a bridegroom, whose name is William Dike.  He had been blinded by an accident, when ten years of age.  But in spite of his handicap he went to university.  He won honors in the university.  He won honors in the university in Britain.  He also won a beautiful bride, whom he had never seen.  Shortly before his marriage, he submitted to an operation, and the climax came on the day of his wedding.  And in order to make it as climatic as possible he had the eye doctor, who had performed the operation, stand by his side on his wedding day.  And just before his bride was to come down the aisle, the eye doctor cut away the bandages from his eyes, and as she reached the front of the auditorium for the first time, his eyes looked up her.  And he looked into her eyes the first time he had ever seen her, and he said, “At last, at last.”  -S. Lewis Johnson

^{Beloved, live} looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus.

End the Fed?

Disney and Dollars

     Scrooge McDuck, Walt Disney's leading character in the show “Duck Tales,” was born in Scotland into a poor family of many generations. The first salary he ever acquired was made from a humble job as a shoe shiner. Scrooge eventually moved from Scotland to America and became a self-made millionaire because he was a smart risk-taker. In one episode of “Duck Tales,” Gyro—a genius inventor who also happens to be Scrooge's personal friend—creates a ray-gun which is able to duplicate any item he fires it at. Without Scrooge's knowledge, his mischievous nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, discover the machine and begin turning their insignificant piggy banks into endless supplies of money.

     Naturally, almost every character in the cartoon believes this is a groundbreaking invention that will make them incredibly wealthy, and change the world. Disney's animator's could have illustrated the excitement of these cartoon characters by drawing dollar signs in place of pupils in their eyes. To everyone's great surprise, however, Scrooge McDuck demands the machine must be destroyed immediately. Scrooge carefully explains that the more money they create, the less valuable the money already in existence will become. In other words, if money actually did grow on trees, it would become just as invaluable as the leaves that grow on its branches. Scrooge also warns that if this machine falls into the wrong hands it could potentially bring chaos to the world. This children's cartoon story, as silly as it might sound, provides for us a superb illustration of the dangers the Federal Reserve system poses to the economic welfare of the United States.

A Brief History of The Federal Reserve System

     The Federal Reserve began in 1913 during what has commonly been referred to as the “Progressive Era.” In a time in which the gold standard maintained a system of balance, banks could only risk so much money on what they loaned out. Gold, in a sense, acted as the key regulator even over the largest banks. However, over a long period of time various events occurred which pushed the creation of one central banking system that could perform actions commercial banks could not. Men like Jacob Schiff, head of Kuhn, Loeb, & Co., spoke in favor of American's adopting a European style central bank, claiming that the “country needed money to prevent... crisis.”¹ While speeches like Schiff's sparked curiosity, it would seem that the banking panic of 1907 was the strong thrust of force that moved government officials to flirt with the idea of adopting this type of monetary system.

     Two years later in 1909, President William Howard Taft personally endorsed the American adoption of a central bank, and influenced others through his endorsement. Even the Wall Street Journal ran a fourteen-part series on the benefits and need for a central bank in the United States.² In November 1910, the first drafting of the bill that would eventually become the “Federal Reserve Act” was written. The men who attended this meeting certainly were an interesting combination: Nelson Aldrich, Henry Davison, Paul Warburg, Frank Vanderlip, and A. Piatt Andrew.

     Aldrich was from the senate. Davison was a senior partner of J.P. Morgan, the banker. Warburg was a German advocate of central banking. Vanderlip was the VP of a large bank known as National City Bank. Andrew was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury to the President of the United Sates, William Howard Taft. Ron Paul notes “In this group, we find the essence of the Fed: powerful bankers with powerful government officials working together to have the nation's money system serve the interests, justified by economists there to provide the scientific gloss.”³ After some slight modifications were made to satisfy some protestors, the bill would eventually be passed and the Federal Reserve system we know today was born. Since that time, the FED—as it is often called—has played a major role throughout history in the economic status of our nation.

What is The Purpose of The Fed, Exactly?

     According to a publication of the board of governors over the Federal Reserve, the Fed was originally created, “to provide the nation with a safer, more flexible, and more stable monetary and financial system.⁴” What is its main means of doing so? How could we sum up the Fed's unique duties and abilities in one sentence? In the words of Ron Paul, “The Fed has one power that is unique to it alone: it enables the creation of money out of thin air.”⁵ Occasionally money will be created in incredibly vast amounts. Other times, it won't seem like much at all. Yet, just as Gyro's ray-gun duplicator, the Fed has the unique power to instantly make something out of nothing and to do it instantly. This concept is sometimes referred to as “Fiat money.” In other words, something that essentially comes from nothing as if God were creating all over again—if that helps to illustrate the point at all.

     The main avenue used by the Fed to create money has been through the loans given out to citizens by commercial banks. The process usually goes something like this: a bank customer applies for a loan of any amount, in this case we'll say 1,000 dollars. After approving the loan, the bank will credit that amount of money to that person's account by “creating it,” according to the Economic Way of Thinking.⁶ Contrary to what the populace believes, banks do not take the money out of someone else's account. Soon after when the customer who received the loan for 1,000 dollars spends the money, the first bank will credit the funds to the person who now owns the rights to that money. Finally, the Federal Reserve will then credit the 1,000 dollars loaned out by the first bank to that same bank, and new money has been introduced and cycled into the economy. The process sounds simple and efficient, but what sort of potential problems does the existence of the Fed pose?

Five Potential Problems The Fed Poses to our Economy

     First, regardless of our stance on whether or not America needs a central banking system, it should be noted that the freedom by which Federal Reserve operates is quite troubling. Did you know if the head of the Fed wanted to, he could print 999 trillion dollars tomorrow without any explanation whatsoever? This isn't an exaggeration, it's actually true!  The Fed's influence over the economy is most certainly unparalleled. Its power knows no other equal. It has no accountability.  Skeptics may not be one-hundred percent committed to abolishing the Federal Reserve, but all of us should certainly be troubled by the Fed's absolute freedom to exercise its will without hindrance. As Ron Paul notes, “The fact that the Fed can create trillions of dollars and distribute them... without congressional oversight should shock us all.”⁷ The Fed even has the power to control interest rates, and to carry out any desire it has without providing a single reason to congress. It certainly is troubling to realize the immense power that has been placed in the hands of the Fed.

     If those who run it were ever to be blinded by their own opinions—which all of us are at some point!—they could easily throw the American economy into complete and utter chaos. Not only that, but the Fed's unchecked decisions have bearing upon not just our economy, but the entire world's. When the American economy fails, countries that we trade with will greatly suffer as well. When those countries suffer, other countries are thrown into turmoil. A single decision of poor judgment from the Fed could easily result in a domino effect of epic proportions.  Milton Friedman, Nobel Prize winning Economist, said it best:

Any system which gives so much power and so much discretion to a few men, [so] that mistakes excusable or not—can have such far reaching effects, is a bad system. It is a bad system to believers in freedom just because it gives a few men such power without any effective check by the body politic—this is the key political argument against an independent central bank.”

     Just like Gyro's duplicator gun—or a real gun, for that matter—it would only take pulling of a trigger, and instantly economies all over the world would take a deadly bullet to the heart. There's no telling what sort of pandemonium it could cause. No one man should have that much power. As Ron Paul states, “No single institution in society should have power this immense.”⁸ In this writer's opinion, the people of the United States, though they are unaware, live each day atop a sleeping volcano; ever so silent, incredibly lethal, and ready to explode at any moment without their knowing.

     Second, the Federal Reserve system gives an unfair advantage to large commercial banks. Banks are able to take risks that couldn't have been taken over 100 years ago. In 2008, when many large commercial banks and huge businesses were failing, the Federal Reserve created money for the purpose of saving these companies. To have given certain businesses free money because they have been deemed “too big to fail,” does not fit within the principles of a free market. Not only should we be free to succeed, but free to fail as well. In the end, the people who end up getting hit the hardest, unfortunately, are the poor. It's also not unfair, considering that the competing companies who might have become the next big company had their competition properly fallen from the race. For them, it's like fighting a battle against “zombie corporations” who simply can not die. It all results as simply a classic example of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

     Third, the Fed, though it is neither good nor evil, has the potential to be used in incredibly immoral ways. Just as the Apostle Paul once wrote, “the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil.”⁹ Those who love money—and we can safely assume that's a lot of people—could easily use the Fed for their own crooked desires. Some allege theories regarding conspiracy and deceit consuming the Fed. Whether or not these theories are true can not and will not be proven by this writer. That being said, it does not seem foolish at all to speculate that the future may see someone take advantage of this monetary system for their own selfish gain—if someone has not already taken advantage of it already in the past. We would be wise to steer clear of the dangerous and destructive road which leads toward the love of money. The Fed can easily act as that road. Therefore, this writer would conclude it is more than likely that the Federal Reserve will be taken advantage of at some point in its history. Many systems are taken advantage of. None, perhaps, more dangerous to all of us than the Federal Reserve.

     Fourth, the Fed has the potential to cloud any voter's judgment during presidential elections. It has shrewdly been observed that before election years the president in office will seek to provide an economic stimulus to the nation. He does this, naturally, out of a desire to boost his popularity just before debates, interviews, and the eventual votes take place. What most people are unaware of, though, is that he uses the Federal Reserve system to accomplish this. The stimulus is simply artificial.  Without providing any “real” economic growth, the president can easily influence the people to vote in his favor by requesting the Fed approve of his stimulus plan.

     Sadly, this serves only his own personal interests. In the long run he only creates inflation, and he does so in a terribly irresponsible manner. It doesn't seem right for the president to artificially boost the economy before his re-election campaign just so he can get more votes. The Fed states one of their duties is to be, “maintaining the stability of the financial system and containing systemic risk that may arise in financial markets.¹⁰” How does aiding the President by providing an artificial stimulation even come slightly close to fulfilling this duty? It doesn't.  And shouldn't the President be focusing on improving our nation rather than spending months working toward being re-elected as well as damaging our dollar's value in the process? We can be sure that even if the Fed did not exist he would most likely still dedicate his time toward being re-elected. At least we could eliminate the possibility of his causing inflation to boost his own public-image. That much in itself is important enough to be sought after.

     Lastly, the Fed, without a doubt, is the catalyst behind inflation. The irresponsible creation of money, just like in the “Duck Tales” episode, only makes money less valuable. It raises prices and makes the bare necessities harder to acquire for the middle class and poor people. If we define inflation as “an artificial increase in the supply of money and credit,¹¹” as Ron Paul does, then we must conclude that the Fed drives behind the wheel of inflation rates. In fact, the entire existence of the Fed's purpose is to generate more money.

     Toward the end of the “Duck Tales” episode, the created money begins to duplicate on its own without the use of the duplicator gun invented by Gyro. The city begins to crumble, and prices begin to soar through the roof.  Lollipops cost five-thousand dollars, and one scene shows a mother demanding her children stop dragging coins into the house stuck on the bottom of their shoes.  Luckily, the copies of the money begin to explode and cease to exist any longer. The city is saved and the duplicator machine is destroyed. Unfortunately, while this solution helped Disney writers provide a conclusion to the 20 minute children's cartoon episode, money will not just explode on its own in reality.

Solution And Conclusion

     So what should be done?  Paul says, “The Federal Reserve should be abolished because it is immoral, unconstitutional, impractical, promotes bad economics, and undermines liberty. Its destructive nature makes it a tool of tyrannical government.¹²” While this writer appreciated Ron Paul's data and his knowledge of economics, his views seem a bit extreme, especially in the area of wars and money.  Paul advocates what could only be described as economic pacifism. Nevertheless, our conclusion doesn't deal with Ron Paul, but with the Fed. This writer agrees with Dr. Albert Mohler, who says he prefers “a simple monetary system.¹³” For now, it doesn't seem like the Fed is going away any time soon.  So what kind of solutions could make the Fed better than it is now?  This writer, who overall is not a big fan of the Fed, could only think of one: accountability
     If some form of checks and balances was put into place the Federal Reserve would instantly gain credibility.  It might even be a system worth keeping. No other leader in the U.S. government has been granted as much power as the Fed's chairman. Isn't this country supposed to operate on a separation of powers?  It is this writer's conviction that, regardless of one's background, we must all recognize the unchecked power of the Fed must be removed. The absence of any accountability leaves open the door to an economic pandora's box. Almost all of the Fed's problems stem from its unchecked authority over money and interest rates.  Unconstitutional power is the root of its bad fruit.  It isn't entirely necessary that we "End The Fed," as many will say, but a sovereign central banking system will never be safe for any economy full of mere men.

1Ron Paul, End the Fed, (2009, Grand Central Publishing) p. 19.

2Ibid. p. 20.

3Ibid. p. 21.

4http://www.federalreserve.gov/pf/pf.htm

5Ron Paul, End the Fed, (2009, Grand Central Publishing) p. 6.

6Paul Heyne, Peter Boettke, David Prychitko, The Economic Way of Thinking, (2010, Prentice Hall) p. 346.

7Ron Paul, End the Fed, (2009, Grand Central Publishing) p. 12.

8Ibid. p. 13.

9The Holy Bible, (1995, New American Standard Bible) 1 Tim 6:10.

10http://www.federalreserve.gov/pf/pdf/pf_1.pdf#page=4

11Ron Paul, End the Fed, (2009, Grand Central Publishing) p. 15.

12Ron Paul, End the Fed, (2009, Grand Central Publishing) p. 104.

13Interview with Dr. Albert Mohler

See my Pt. ?

Did you know?...

The abbreviation "Pt." can stand for :

"Pacific Time zone"
"Pro tempore" (a Latin phrase meaning "for the time being")
"Physical training" (an abbreviation used commonly in the US military)
"Price Target"  (the price at which a stockholder is willing/is projected to sell their stock"
"Proverbs 31 Woman"  (OK--not really--that one was for my friend Thomas Unson)
"Part" (as in pt. 1, 2, and 3 of a story.  like harry potter)

In Units of Measurement
"Point" (as in promontory, a physical landmark, e.g. point loma, point dume, etc.)
"Pint" (as in a unit measuring volume)
"Point" (as in a measurement of the thickness of card stock)
"Prothrombin time" (a measurement of blood coagulation)
"Point" (as in a unit of measure used in typography)

In Science

"Platinum" (a chemical element)

"The Periodic Table" (yes, Angelica--if you're reading--this one's for you)

"Polythiophene" (again relating to chemistry)

"Transverse momentum" (relating to particle physics)

"Pressure and temperature" (in geology)

"Post-tensioned concrete" (something relating to structural engineering)

In Medicine
"Patient" (like when we go to the doctor's office!)
"Physical Therapy"
"Pararosaniline-Toluidine" (a histological stain, "histos," or "ἱστός"; the greek word meaning "tissue," ergo: the study of tissues)
"Percutaneous" (a medical procedure)
"Mitochondrial permeability transition" (a disease)
"Pulmonary Hypertension" (basically reallllly high blood pressure. Leigh--or any other future nurses--I'm looking for you to correct me on this one if I'm mistaken.)
"Phyllodes tumor" (a breast tumor)

Places

"Palestinian territories"

"Petronas Towers" (a pair of towers in Malaysia)

"Park and Tilford Gardens" (a botanical garden in N. Vancouver)

"Palau Tiga" (an island in S. China Sea)

"Petah Tikva"  (a city in Israel)

"Port Townsend"  (a city in the state of Washington)

"Portugal"

Politics

"Partido dos Trabalhadores"  (a Brazilian political party)

"Parti des travailleurs" (a French political party)

"Partido del Trabajo" (a Mexican political party)

Miscellaneous!
"Pressure treated" (a type of wood)
"Petunidin" (a plant pigment)
"Peat"  (decayed vegetation soil)
"PT Cruiser"
"PT boat"
"Panorama Tools"
"Pro Tools" (a computer program)
".pt" (an internet top level domain name for Portugal.  i.e. www.facebook.pt )
"Pythagoras Theorem" (I remember this from geometry: a^2 + b^2 = c^2)
"Porcupine Tree" (a British rock band)
"Priston Tale"
"Prison Tycoon"
"Pokemon Platinum" (all these past three being video games)
"Prequel trilogy" (like star wars episodes 1, 2, and 3)
"Pro Tour" (like in skateboarding, or sports in general)
"Passing Tone"  (a term used in music theory)
"Portuguese Language"
"Perpetual traveler"
"Pandit" (as in the honorific title applied by Hindus to scholars)
"Capital Cargo International Airlines"  (I don't see how they do this one... oh well!)
"West Air Sweden"  (Oh, probably in a different language)
"Putnam Transit"  (a New York public bus system)
"Portugal Telecom"


How many of those random facts did you know?  Probably not too many...  In fact, my guess would be that most of you could probably count the number you knew on one hand.  How does any of this relate to the topic of humility?  SO GLAD YOU ASKED!  Yesterday I was studying the omniscience of God, the attribute which has often been defined by theologians as the attribute by which “God fully knows himself and all things actual and possible in one simple and eternal act.”  Meditating on this truth began to humble me. 


As I read, I began to ponder the infinite knowledge of God and--in contrast to God's perfect knowledge--how little I actually know.  It doesn't take long after reading a silly little list like the one above to realize theres so much I don't know, and yet, it's so easy for me to walk around with my head held high (metaphorically speaking), strutting internally as if "I know what's up!"  I struggle at times especially with becoming a "know it all"; how little I actually know!  What a wicked sin this is to see ourselves as knowing better than God.  I've never instructed God, have you?  No!  And yet so often I carry this attitude around with me as if I can teach Him a thing or two.  I know it sounds ridiculous--that's because it is--but it's the truth!  How irrational my thinking, tainted by sin, has become!  As Isaiah asked, "Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?" (Isaiah 40:14) Sometimes I think I'm the answer to this rhetorical question; oh how I have erred, Lord!  All knowledge You give is given as a privilege to lowly creatures; a precious gift!  I'm reminded of Your words to the Corinthian Church, and of Your words spoken through the prophet Isaiah...

"What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?" (1 Cor. 4:7b)

"For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, andrighteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.” (1 Cor. 1:26-31)

“But to this one I will look,

To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word."  (Isaish 66:2b)


I remember hearing C.J. Mahaney say, "if one desires to be humble, one must study the attributes of God."  I'm beginning to understand what he meant by that...  The very nature and person of the Creator brings humility to the the creatures He reveals His character to.


Well, loved ones, do you see my point? (or Pt.)  Haha :).  I hope and pray you would understand by God's grace, and that He would lead you to humility.  Let the knowledge of God's perfect and infinite knowledge leave you humbled.  As silly as it sounds, God knows all these "pt's" perfectly.  In fact, they are but a grain of sand in the infinite desert of his mind.  I must qualify that my language pales in comparison to the actual, but it's the best I can do.  Grace and peace, ya'll.
-zach  

Been trying to work on a sermon manuscript for several days now...  Looks like I've got a bad case of "writer's block" with better blocking technique than a 7 foot 350 pound all-pro lineman.   please pray for me...

A Biblical study on the disciple of fasting. (pt. 3)

Perhaps the most important question has been saved for the end:
Why should I fast?

This question is deeply connected to what has already been discussed as far as our motives for fasting are concerned.  (If you haven't already, see pt. 1 and 2)  That being said, there are a lot of reasons for why we should fast.  One source I read said the purposes believers should engage in fasting are, 

• To demonstrate their satisfaction in God. (Matthew 4:4) 
• To humble themselves before God. (Daniel 9:3) 
• To request God’s help. (2 Samuel 12:16; Esther 4:16; Ezra 8:23) 
• To seek God’s will. (Acts 13:2-3) 
• To turn from sin. (Jonah 3:5-10)
• To worship God without distractions. (Luke 2:36-38) 

When we engage in fasting, we disengage in what we would normally engage in frequently (eating), and to use that time to seek the Lord earnestly in prayer. Fasting, in fact, is never seen apart from the act of prayer in all the Bible.  That's quite a statement, I know, but you can take it to the bank, cause it's the truth. 

As one has pastor has said, “You can engage in prayer without fasting, but you can never fast apart from engaging in prayer.” 

Prayer always accompanies fasting, and the ultimate purpose in the end is to seek God.  When you fast, perhaps make a list of things or people that you feel the Lord is leading you to pray for. It's helpful to have a list because sometimes you'll just sit there for 20 minutes and really not pray anything.  It's difficult sometimes when we sit there not knowing what to pray.  Sometimes we can be so full of sorrow and confusion that we don't even know what to say.  One encouraging truth to remember is that the Bible teaches that even when we don't know what to pray the Holy Spirit is praying on our behalf.

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.  And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God." (Romans 8:26-27)

What a blessing, right? The Spirit actually prays on our behalf. (v. 26) And When God, the Holy Spirit, prays to God, the Father, He always says, "Yes!" Because the Spirit prays in accordance with the will of God.  (v. 27)

In conclusion, whether it's because of sin, for guidance, or for help, or just to be with the Lord, fasting is to be Christ-centered. It's all about Christ in the end, not about us.  In the book of Mark, chapter two, a group of scribes approached Jesus who was reclining at the table in Matthew's home.  They began to ridicule Jesus, because they had noticed that while their disciples fasted, and even John the Baptist's disciples fasted, the disciples of Jesus did no such thing.  I close with the words of Jesus, in response to the scribes question as to why His disciples were not fasting, 

“And Jesus said to them,

'While the bridegroom is with them,

the attendants of the bridegroom cannot fast, can they? 

So long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 

But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, 

and then they will fast in that day.'"  

(Mark 2:19-20)

Loved ones, Jesus' disciples had no need to fast at this moment because Christ, the bridegroom, was with them!--and nobody fasts at a wedding!  And so, the disciples of Jesus had no need to fast because Christ, the God of the universe, had made his dwelling among them.  


Since Jesus spoke these words, much has happened.  He was crucified for sinners, died and was buried, but raised to life on the third day.  After this He ascended to heaven.  In other words, the bridegroom has since then been taken away, but just as He left, so He will return.  And when He comes back, He will judge this world.  All those who are in Christ will be found righteous because of all that He has accomplished through his death and resurrection, but all those who do not know the Lord will be forever in torment.  Do you know this Jesus, who will return, my reader?  Give heed to these words, stranger, for they are not my own.  They are, rather, the Words of God, that today is the day to turn from your sins, today is the day of salvation. Come and to cling to the precious Lord Jesus.  Forsake this life and be done with this world!  For all who turn will be counted forgiven, but all who are found with sin will be thrown into the eternal lake of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  As it has so wisely been said, 

"Only one life; 

'twill soon be past.  

Only what's done 

For Christ will last."

Christ is coming back, loved ones!  Christ is coming back!  And when our Lord returns we won't have to fast any longer, for He will make His dwelling place among us!  We will not fast, rather; we will feast!  For there will be nothing to mourn over after Jesus does away with pain and wipes away every tear.  There will nothing to repent of because Christ will glorify us and make us like Him.  There will be nothing to seek after, because the One we've sought after all along will finally be with us, face to face.  Oh, for that day!  Let it come soon, Lord!  Let all the people of God say, "Amen!  Amen!"  Let all His chosen children sing out, "Hallelujah!  Bless the Lord!"  Let all we Saints of Christ look forward and persevere until that day!--that faithful day, in which we will finally be home.

Grace and peace, Saints!

zach

A Biblical survey on the discipline of fasting. (Pt. 2)

Are we as Christians ever commanded to fast in the Bible?  

As far as Christians being commanded to fast, interestingly, the only command to fast in all the Bible was given not to Christians, but to Israel in the Old Testament. (See Leviticus 16:29-31) No where do we find a “post-cross” command from God to fast.

Let's just look briefly at the OT text in which God commands Israel to fast. It's found in Leviticus 16, verses 29-31, and in these verses God commands the people of Israel to “afflict themselves,” or “humble themselves,” which in the Hebrew text implies the act of abstaining from food. God commands this to be done once a year in observance of the day of atonement, a day in which the high priest would go into the temple of Israel and enter the “holy of holies” (a place that was only entered once a year on this day). 

The priest would enter and then slaughter an animal to make atonement on behalf of the nation's sins against the Lord. The priest would intercede on behalf of Israel and ask the Lord to grant all the people forgiveness, himself included. And the people would fast, as they prayed to the Lord, mourning over their sin. 

The day of atonement is now a thing of the past for Israel because of Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross, and there's no actual command to observe a “post-cross” day where a high-priest intercedes on Israel's behalf. The book of Hebrews says Christ is our great high-priest, interceding on behalf of his people, and that He has already paid and atoned for the sins of His children, namely, everyone and anyone who repents and believes the gospel. (See Hebrews 7:23-27. Hebrews 10:1-2). The book of Hebrews, by the way, is all about how Christ is the superior prophet, the superior sacrifice, the superior high-priest, the superior intercessor etc. Sorry, I know this may be a whole lot to swallow, but I just want to be thorough.

So the Israelites would fast and repent during this day and would remember all the Lord had done for them. Taking it back to Christians fasting now: if Christ has already atoned for our sins, should we still fast? And if we're never actually commanded to fast in the New Testament, then should we do it? 

Well, just because the Bible only commanded fasting before the Messiah had purchased his children by dying on the cross, that doesn't mean we as New Testament saints shouldn't fast. In fact, fasting is a wonderful discipline that every Christian should engage in! One source I read said, “The Bible presents fasting as something that is good, profitable, and beneficial... The book of Acts records believers fasting before they made important decisions (Acts 13:2, 14:23.)” 

Fasting is basically assumed in the life of the believer.  As we wait for Christ to come back, we mourn, we repent, and we seek the Lord earnestly for guidance before He returns.  Jesus Himself even assumes that times will come when those who follow him will engage in fasting.  (See Matthew 6:18-22) 

When should I fast?  This is probably the most interesting study I've encountered related to fasting.  Fasting is arguably always a spontaneous act in the scriptures, meaning it isn't planned. It's usually done in response to something life-altering.  For example: 

•  Paul fasted for three days after he saw the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus.  

•  Moses ends up staying on Mount Sinai for forty days when he met with the Lord.  During this time he ate and drank nothing.  

•  Esther tells the people to fast for three days and three nights, unplanned mind you, and to pray on her behalf. 

•  Jehoshaphat  spontaneously calls all the people of the land to fast upon learning of an invasion against Judah.  

•  The King of Nineveh proclaimed a national fast to be taken by all the people in immediate response to the preaching of Jonah.  

•  David fasted without planning upon learning his child, born of Bathsheba, had been struck ill by the Lord.  The Bible says that plead with God on behalf of the child, and spent the whole night laying face down on the ground.  He didn't eat anything.

•  Nehemiah, in Nehemiah 1, learns that there is a remnant remaining in Jerusalem, but that they are in great distress, and the walls of the city are broken down.  The text says that "when hearing these words", Nehemiah wept for days, prayed, and fasted.

•  King Darius fasts after Daniel is thrown into the Lions den.  Daniel 6:18 says, "Then the king went off to his palace and spent the night fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his sleep fled from him."  Darius was so overwhelmed by his own foolish leadership, that he couldn't even eat, nor could he sleep.
• There was only one fast I had trouble classifying as spontaneous; the 40 day fast of Jesus Christ.  It's doesn't roll of my tongue well to say God does anything spontaneously, whereas man doesn't know his left foot from his right in terms of where he's heading.  So I would classify this fast as an exception, only because Jesus is God, and He knows everything that's going to happen before it happens!  Still, one could argue His fast is immediate and unplanned in that immediately after He's baptized He's simply led by the Spirit into the wilderness, and begins to fast.  (See Matthew 4:1-2) 

It's definitely a very interesting phenomenom that the body naturally responds to the heart of an individual.  Have you ever heard that someone you loved had just died, and afterward had absolutely no desire to eat?  That was a type of fasting, my friend.  Your body and heart were saying that it wasn't the time to eat, but to mourn.  By the way, I use the word, "type," because Biblical fasting should always involve prayer and seeking God.  In essence, though, even non-believers at times will engage in this most basic form of fasting.  


You may have had that experience when confronting individuals over sin, or even when being confronted yourself.  Perhaps you wanted to help restore another brother or sister by telling them them to turn from their sin and return to Christ.  But the conversation wasn't seeming to go well, because they were making it clear to you that they didn't want to let go of their sin.

It's in those moments that the food on our plates seems just completely undesirable to us.  You don't want to eat your burrito (as much as you like burritos), and you don't want to drink your soda.  It all just seemed pointless.  It's as if the food has suddenly become diseased, decayed, or dirty.  It goes from a plate of something delicious, to a plate of dirt.  There's no way you could possibly enjoy it, because at that moment all you want really is to cry.  You feel mournful, wanting to be alone, away from people and from food, and to spend time simply weeping while crying out to the Lord.  Have you ever felt that way?  That was fasting, my friend.

When should you fast, then?  These may be perhaps the most mystical words you'll ever hear come out of my mouth, but here we go: when should I fast, you ask?  My answer: you'll know when the time comes.  You just will.  None of the examples listed above planned to fast, they just knew it was time to fast when whatever the circumstances were had arisen.  I don't think I'm shooting in the dark here.  And I don't believe I'm stepping into the left-field of "theological liberalism."  (It'd be hard to do that with just a minority view on fasting, but you get my point)  From what I've honestly deduced from scripture, the season to fast will be simply be impressed upon believers by the Holy Spirit.  He will simply lead us to fast.  You're welcome to disagree, but if you do please share.  I would like to hear your response, provided it contains Biblical support.  I just want to know and understand what God's Word has to say.  That's all.

The obvious question then arises regarding planned fasts.  Is it ok for me to plan a one day fast once a month, and to hold myself to keeping to that goal?  Or is it alright for my Church to plan a corporate fast once a year as an entire body?  Can I set aside a time during the year specifically for fasting?  Yes, you can.  All those things are good and completely fine.  While planned fasts are not the norm, I don't think there is anything anti-biblical about them.  It's always good to seek the Lord through prayer and through fasting.  The real question, however, isn't whether or not you should do these things, but why you do them.  How does your fasting relate your motives in the first place?  Why are you planning to fast?  Do you fast once a month because it makes you feel like God sees that practice and now owes you something?  Is the attitude at your Church, "Look at how holy we are!", because they do a fast together once a year?  Do you fast every now and then to "shed a few pounds and, oh yeah, because I can seek God, but the weight loss thing is cool too?"  The answers to questions like these will determine whether you should follow through with the fast or not.  And loved ones, be honest. Please be honest.  God is not a fool, that He should be deceived.  You can fool everyone else but you can't fool God who searches the heart.  Be honest, beloved.


In closing, allow me to provide for you a brief caveat in relation to all these things.  Remember this, beloved: following Christ is never something that should become routine and mechanical.  Do that and you'll just be another Tin Man from "The Wizard of Oz"--all machine, but no heart.  I think we have too many "Tin Man Christians" filling our Churches today.  Loving Christ isn't a chore, beloved, it's a delight.  The same should be true of our disciplines.  We don't pray for the sake of prayer, but rather for communion with the Lord.  We don't fast for the sake of simply fasting, but to draw near to God.  Examine your motives in all of your disciplines, beloved, and ask yourself, "Do I desire the nearness of the Lord in my heart?"  "Do I long for the Creator's guidance as I strive to honor and obey Him?"  God doesn't want your worthless sacrafices, beloved, He wants your heart.  Give your time, life, and worship to the Lord, not so He'll do something for you, but because of all He's already done at the cross.  In Christ alone, loved ones.

zach

A Biblical study on the discipline of fasting. (Pt. 1)

I thought the size of this entry might be overwhelming...  So I've split it into three separate entries.  I'll begin this first entry with a question.  Do you have a proper understanding of the discipline of fasting?  Can you support your understanding Biblically?  What is fasting, exactly?  Where are we commanded to fast in the Bible?  These are just some of the questions I see many believers giving somewhat poor answers to.  We desperately need to have a Biblical perspective when it comes to the topic of fasting.  You say, "Well, sure.  We desperately need to have a Biblical perspective when it comes to any topic of Theology," and I would agree.  But fasting may very well be the most neglected and often misunderstood spiritual discipline in all the Bible.  This story of one believer's experience of fasting can shed some light on this hypothesis. 

 "I've fasted on several occasions; and nothing happened.  I just got hungry...  Several years ago I heard a couple of pastors discussing fasting.  On their recommendation I tried my first fast.  They said it was commanded in the Bible and should be practiced by every Christian...  I decided to try it.  All I could think about was how hungry I was.  I said to myself, 'If I ever get through this day, I'll never try this again.'  I don't think that day of fasting helped me one bit."  (Andy Anderson, Fasting Changed My Life)

I think many of us have the same perspective on fasting as this individual.  We can see, then, that there's a need for proper understanding in this area.  Now, this won't be exhaustive, meaning there will still be much to cover that I have left untouched, but here's just a few questions to consider concerning the discipline of fasting...


What is fasting?  The NT word for fasting is the word "nesteia" which is a compound of “ne”, a negative prefix, and "esthio" which means "to eat." So literally when you fast, you are engaged in the act of refraining from eating food. Normally in scripture it's a complete cutting out of food, although there are some modified instances where only certain foods are eaten. Even when you look at our english word, “breakfast”, the etymology of the word makes a little more sense. After all, breakfast is normally when you “break” your “fast”, because you haven't eaten for roughly eight or nine hours (due to your sleep.) 

So fasting, therefore, is the act of abstaining for a certain time from all or specific foods to seek the Lord.  I say all this (about eating) because some people engage in practices in which they refrain from watching TV, or using the internet, so they can seek God in prayer and they'll call it “fasting.” In reality it's not fasting, in the literal sense.  Paul does talk, however, about married couples that may at times abstain from sex to seek the Lord in prayer, and then return to engaging in sexual activity.  (1 Cor. 7:5).  Besides this instance, which is open to debate, the Bible only shows fasting distinctly as the abstinence of food.  Regardless, I believe if the person's intention is to give more time to prayer and to seek God than that's always a good thing.  I wouldn't get on their case over the fact that I believe it's technically not a "fast" to refrain from watching TV.  I would, however, get on someone's case who actually was abstaining from food but whose heart was completely in the wrong place.  This leads me to my second point.

What should our motive be in fasting? Motives will always show the heart of an individual.  Therefore, our motives in fasting should always be examined because, quite frankly, some people fast a lot but for all the wrong reasons!  Their fasting is essentially worthless.  So you have to ask yourself, "Why am I fasting?"  Fasting incorrectly is like using a razor to remove plaque from your teeth; it's not a good idea, it's not going to be of much benefit to you, and is just going to end up doing you more harm than good in the end.  So with that being said, here's a couple questions to consider before or during fasting: 

• Am I fasting to lose weight?  Weight loss is certainly most easily achieved by fasting, that's sure enough.  Weight loss, though, shouldn't be our goal in fasting.  Ironically, I think it's the number one reason people fast.  If you want to lose weight, there's a universal chap stick out there called superglue.  Combine that with a bit of exercise and voilà!--there you have it, folks.

• Am I fasting to show everyone else how “spiritual” I am?  Everyone's eyes are sure to be on you when you announce to the world that you are so faithfully seeking the Lord by not eating, and everyone else should just admire you.  Loved ones, we are no more spiritual with food in our stomachs than we are without!  Please be extra careful to avoid this pitfall.  Please, beloved.  This approach to fasting is especially dangerous.  In fact, Jesus actually warns against this hypocritical view of fasting in Matthew 6:18-22, when he says to not fast as some do--only seeking to draw attention to themselves.

• Am I fasting because I think God will owe me something afterward?  Some people think that if they fast the Lord will be forced to give them something they want. It's as if you're paying your dues to the Lord by refraining from food, and after your done God owes you something. That's not the case, because God doesn't ever owe us anything. The same principle would apply to giving money as well. When we give, we give with a cheerful heart out of love for God, not expecting anything to be given back in return. Just like the way a father and mother feed and care for their children, not expecting anything back in return. We often fast, and give, believing God now owes us something.

•  Am I fasting to earn God's saving favor?  Perhaps the most dangerous motive a person can have in fasting, however, is when he or she takes the previous motive one-step further, and believes the act of fasting will somehow earn them eternal favor before God. That's an especially dangerous motive, because it's completely contrary to the gospel of Christ. It's a "false-gospel", if you will, to believe fasting earns one favor before God. Christ alone redeems and saves sinners--not fasting.  Nobody fasts their way to heaven, loved ones.  The "fast track" to heaven is a fast track to hell.  Allow me to elaborate more on this last point, because it's certainly crucial to understand.

Other religions engage in fasting too, but their fast means nothing to God. For example, Muslims engage in the discipline of fasting during “Ramadan”, which they observe once a year, to keep one of their “five pillars.” Essentially they believe its part of the process you engage in as you earn favor before “Allah,” and so ultimately to enter heaven one must fast. Now, we're not Muslims, and nor do we believe Allah to be god, but I think there's a tendency for some Christian's to engage in fasting because they think it will earn them brownie points with the true God. They're kind of like these Muslims in their mentality.

They think, in essence, God will grant them grace because they've afflicted themselves and so he'll take notice of them because of their good deed. This isn't true. The Bible teaches that our good deeds are as "period stained rags" before God, which is pretty darn disgusting (see Isaiah 64:6). Christ taught the complete opposite of the "good deeds gospel", and earning one's own favor before God. Christ taught that no one can earn grace, (or brownie points) before God. That's why it's called grace after all, right?  He taught that all have sinned, and that there is none righteous, and that no amount of prayer, or fasting, or good-deeds could ever deliver anyone from God's judgment. 

Essentially when it comes down to it we stand before Christ asking Him, “Lord, what can I do to be saved from God's judgment toward sinners? Can I pray? Can I fast? I can fast for a really long time!--just let me know how long is necessary.” Christ, in turn, then replies by saying, “No. No amount of praying, giving, fasting, or anything else you try will earn you favor before my Father. He demands perfection." (Matthew 5:48)

God's demand is perfection, but "nobody's perfect," as the saying goes. But Jesus has come and accomplished that which we could never accomplish. And through His death and resurrection on the cross, taking our place, He have saved us from that judgment.  Through faith and repentance, that is, turning from our sin, we get the benefits.  And now, when the Father looks at you and I, He see's His good works, and His righteous deeds, and His perfect life. 

So, in closing: abstaining from food doesn't grant me any more favor with God than wearing a Michael Jordan jersey makes me Michael Jordan.  So we do not fast to earn favor before God. Because Christ has already accomplished all that grants us grace from God on the cross, when he said, “It is finished.”

Grace and peace, saints.
zach