Matt 3:4; Luke 1:15
Fasting for influential Testimony.
A Congregational Testimony. A woman who attended a Christian church spread lies about its pastoral ministry and church integrity. The church’s board did not capitulate to her demands, but fasted once a week for the testimony of the church and the pastor. When the woman threatened to sue the church over alleged damages and the threatened suit was publicized in the local newspaper, the board thought its worst fears were now in the public domain and that God did not honour their fast. Then the board received letters from two other churches saying that the woman had done the same to them. In their case they settled her demands and paid her money. The newspaper printed the letters and the lawyer who had threatened to sue the church changed their mind and refused to represent the woman. The lawyer suggested the church had a legal complaint against her, but he could not get involved. The church board did not sue her, but fasted and prayed for the woman’s spiritual health.
“Christ lives in me”-Gal.2:20
This is the revelation of this time. The apostolic message. The citizens of the kingdom are waking up knowing that Christ is not only in heaven but Christ is in you. The world lived in darkness for a longtime before electricity came along but it I not that electricity has just come into being. It was always here. Men have discovered how to utilize it and bless themselves with it. Christ in me is the mystery of mysteries. Paul the apostle gave the gentiles the understanding of this mystery and the finality of all he knew. Jesus has the goal of revealing Himself in you, through you and to you. The church is His body. And if the TRUTH of this ever is clear this world will be a different place. If the ecclesia- the assembly of God’s people-realizes that they are the tangible, living, pulsating body-flesh and bones and blood and brain of Jesus Christ and that God is manifesting through each one every minute and is endeavoring to accomplish His will for the world through them and not through some other body then Christian service and responsibility will be understood.
Jesus operates through you. He does not operate independent of you. Man and God become united. This is the divine secret of the Christian life. The final end is that man may reveal God- Ga 1:15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother\’s womb, and called me by his grace, 16. To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: God wants residence in a man and a right of action in man’s whole being.
A man of God was visiting a devout Christian. When he arrived the other man said “I wrote a 24-page letter against you and if have received it you would not have been here. The preacher visiting laughed! This man who wrote the letter has been a Christian for 30 or 40 years and the preacher had spoken well of him to his wife as a wonderful Christian etc. but here was this man after all these years not realizing that the human nature can rise above the spirit and spoil the beauty of the life that is revealing God. God changes a man, energizes him and enlarges him until all our individuality and personality is of the nature and substance of God.
If this reality is to spread, we need to encourage ourselves that it can only spread faster than we think through the John the Baptist fast.
One of the most credible preachers of all time was the prophet who introduced Jesus to the world. From the experience of John, the Baptist, we discover how fasting can be a tool God uses to expand our sphere of influence as our testimony is established. At this is the ministry of the word session combined with prayer and fasting, pray that God will show to you how you can become “a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work” (2 Tim. 2:21).
Let God Extend Your Testimony
Christians are commanded to be testimonies to others as it is written: “You are the light of the world” (Matt 5:14-16). The John the Baptist s the chosen fast to extend the believers light in the world. The church we testified about in this message extend their testimony even in a bad situation. Have you wondered wat to do when everyone is speaking evil of you, when you did nothing, or your church, or your pastor, or your business or you fell out of favour with everyone. Have you noticed how no matter how many people Islam kills they continue to find sympathy from very strange quarters and they do this through fasting every year!
Unbelievers run away from us because they say “we know then in that church they will not allow us to sin”. They are not attracted to our godly lives –that is about to stop now! Amen. They criticize us and because our godly lives convict them of their own sinfulness, so they attack us. When we even try to influence them positively they persecute us. 1 Pet 3:16.
This is the key: – Isa 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? …. That thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rearguard…. This means that the believer’s testimony will extend beyond the physical limitations. The John the Baptist Fast enables us to ask God to reach out to those who know about us so our “righteousness” may have greater influence and our testimony becomes a prophetic voice repeating in the life of thousands around the world.
Our righteousness is not our own. We are given God’s righteousness. There may many people who do good distributing food, household things, cloths etc. to people around the world yet all that cannot compare to God’s standard of righteousness. We are told to extend what we do not have! 1Jn 1:7. Everything Christ did that was right is entered into my record and counted for me. Our good works – (Eph. 2:10; Rev. 19:8) must meet the standards of Christ. This fast is recommended for those who:- 1. are counted not as “one of the group” 2. whose job advancement is delayed because you will not cheat in the college; 3. those who will not inflate contract in a new position or those who will not promote evil in the community; 4. those who lose a sale because you will not sleep with the new customer, 5. those nurses who refuse to be used to test for the wrong things in the hospital by their founding doctor; 6. those who when you sent out for training you refuse to increase the cost of petrol 7. Allowances due like the others. Etc. There will be a critical spirit working against you but you can REVERSE THESE CRITICAL VOICES and attitudes of people blinded to your constructive contribution of your clean living and make you more influential.
Many people fast without result because they are not grieved with what grieves the heart of God. They are not moved at injustice and sin in the society.
John’s Life
John was an effective testimony in the land. Jesus said of him in Matt 11:11; John 1:7. His diet was a Nazarite diet. He was different from the average person on the street. He was spirit filled. (Luke 1:15). He was not there to build his ego Matt 11:11.
Directions Regarding the John the Baptist fast.
- Attach your diet or fast to your desired for influence. Many years ago, I travelled to Lagos every week to lecture at the International Bible Training Center, I always go fasting and praying. I was not earning any money for this trips but I was so committed to doing it. Fasting and prayer, driving and travelling is SACRIFICE. However, I did not count it anything I just did it. Then some years after I notice that all the students were draw to my person. I had to create counselling lines. It was just in 2014 that one of my students then told me in Ghana that: “Sir do you know we were always fasting before you come to class” I said “no”. The power of was working rewarding the effort. When Fullstature Missions International (FMI) started this student was the first to give me an international invitation to come birth the ministry in Ghana in 1994.
- Write the testimony you want. Areas of influence; people-any groups! the event you want to influence; and the place. John knew his purpose-John1:6-7. What is your purpose?
- Be a person who can make a vow and keep it. This is not a law- I fear someone may read this and think so. Act by faith in line with your desire. You cannot be like everyone. Num6:2-4.
- Your totality of life must conform to Christ. Your attitude toward sin; your dressing must honour Christ. Don’t draw a second look to yourself by the tightness or the skimpiness of your dress. Be smart in your dressing. Here is what a brother observed- “Every time I travelled to the US I discovered that when I dress well in suit everyone greets me yes Sir Yes sir, so I thought to myself so as a black person you can be respected. But contrary wise when I wore their type of dresses common for weather etc. I never stood out. I learnt my lesson.”
- You can live a fasted life.
- Taylor the fast to the problem you are addressing.
- When an issue concerning your Christian influence distresses you, you should fast immediately and specifically for those issues. Sometimes you cannot pin down the matter like a friend suddenly becomes distant or even estranged or stops coming to fellowship, it may be your children? You pray for insight. Pray for a strategy to dissolve the problem. Pray for power to do it. Pray for God to restore your influence. Reject ego trips: “Exalt me; Accept me; respect me” All that is trash! 8. Be sincere and know your limits as Christ gave to you.