SB Right – 2 Column

Day Seven of God’s Creation

The Bible states that God completed His creation, rested on the seventh day, and sanctified it (Genesis 2: 1-3). Does God rest because he is tired? Not. The Bible proves that God, the Creator of all things, never fainted or was tired. He does not slumber nor sleep (Isaiah 40:28, Psalm 121: 2-4). If God is not worn or tired, then why is he resting?

First, God wants to see and enjoy the results of His creation (Revelation 4:11). Have you ever painted a picture or completed a project that you want to experience? Most of us spend time looking at and evaluating the results after the work is done.

Just like someone who enjoys a work of art or a completed project, a Creator with all creativity enjoys his creation in pure condition.

God’s example shows that we must enjoy the fruits of His work. He encourages us to do what we have to do with all our strength. God gives us the goodness of the results of our hard work to be enjoyed. That is our part of this life. God provides us with the work of His hands for joy and fulfillment (Ecclesiastes 5:18).

Enjoying the results of His creation is not the only reason God rested on the seventh day. God uses it as an example for humans; He sanctified it for humankind (Mark 2:27); God states the separation between work and rest. The principle of separation and protection of God applies even on rest days.

The sabbath day of rest is a foreshadowing of resting in Jesus Christ. It is an example for believers in Christ Jesus.

How do Christians know that God provides rest? The covenant that God made with the believers is the proof of God’s provision for rest.

In the Covenant that God made with his followers, he guaranteed several things, (Hebrews 8: 10-12):

First, God ensures that he will put his laws into our hearts and our minds. This means that Christ’s follower does not have to strive to learn about God and his ways. If he seeks the Lord with all his heart through God’s word, the Bible, God will reveal himself in surprising ways.

Second, He states that those who believe in Him will be His people, and He will be their Lord. This means that Christ has separated them His special blessing. He will never leave them or forsake them; He pays attention to their prayers, and He watches over them. They are His people and the apple of His eye.

Third, He stated that all of his followers would know him from the smallest to the biggest. Christians don’t need someone to mediate between him and Christ; Christ Himself will teach it through the Holy Spirit. He shows one of His children; He will explain all His children, believers only need to search for Him diligently through His word.

Finally, He states that he will be compassionate to the believer, and will not count his sins against him. Christians freed from sin and guilt; Christians can celebrate their salvation without the burden of sin.

Those who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior can enter God’s rest. Faith in Jesus Christ, his redemptive work on the cross, and His resurrection from death are enough to please God. Christian are not required to do great jobs to please God. Simple obedience is all that needed of the believer. The Christian freed from the burden of producing his works of righteousness. Jesus Christ has secured the believer’s sanctification for him.

Resting in Christ does not end in this world. Jesus gives his followers a glimpse into heaven itself to reveal the rest that he provides after death. (Luke 16:19-31) Those who die in Christ are taken to Abraham’s bosom to be comforted. Departure for the Christian is not a fearful thing.

Those believers in Christ who have gone before us are being wholly comforted. There is no pain or suffering for the believer in Christ. God continues his principle of separation and protection, even in the death of a believer.

Resting in Christ frees people from the fear of death and things from this world (Hebrews 2: 14-15). Resting in Christ means that God never leaves or forsakes him. He is forever safe. But the real rest in God is knowing that Christ provides everything we need for this world and things to come. Whatever trials we face, whatever burdens we carry, Christ is there to comfort and share those burdens. Resting in Christ is the only way to real joy and fulfillment.

Day Six of God’s Creation

Day Six of God’s Creation

The sixth day of God’s creation begins with the creation of wild animals on earth. (Genesis 1: 24-25) Again God announced that all things would appear in their kind. There is no blurring of lines with God.

The witness of God’s creation is around us; crosses of various types cannot have offspring. The best example of this fact is mules. Mules are crosses between horses and donkeys; they cannot reproduce and give birth to children. God’s Word applies today as usual.

This is the sixth day that God declared that he made man in his image, in his likeness. (Genesis 1: 26-31) On the first day, God revealed the triune nature by identifying himself as “a deep face” (Father), “the Spirit of God,” (the Holy Spirit), and “the face of the waters” (Jesus Christ, Son God). He also created man as a trinity with body, soul, and spirit. Honor can create in the image of God!

God, who created everything in a different order, gave humans domination over everything on earth. He includes fish, poultry, and creatures on earth. Man does not get dominance because of the process of natural selection because he develops a thumb or other ridiculous explanation. God controlled him. A man was created to rule the earth under God’s grace and direction.

God provided everything that humans and animals need to survive before he created humans. He created the earth and the sea, he offered the atmosphere, he provided light and heat, and he provided food for all beings. There is nothing left for chance. The structure and order of the universe prove that the creation of the world is a planned and structured event. A kind Creator provides all things.

The principle of God’s separation and protection is evident everywhere in creation. God even states that nothing can be added to or taken from God’s creation (Ecclesiastes 3:14). It is fascinating to note that science agrees with the Bible. The First Law of Thermodynamics supports the fact that nothing can be added to or taken from creation; energy can shift in chemical processes, but it cannot be made or destroyed.

God’s final statement about His creation is that it is extraordinary, and I fully agree. (Not that God needs my approval.)

Day Five of God’s Creation

Day Five of God’s Creation

Creation of fish and birds

On the fifth day of creation, God created fish and poultry. He created animals to fill the ocean and fly in the air. (Genesis 1: 20-23) God then told them to be fruitful and multiply in the sea and on earth. God even provides creatures with the means to multiply on the earth.

Here again, God states that all things must reproduce according to their types. God places a separation between each animal species.

When I was writing this article, I thought of an old joke that was popular when I was a child.

Question: What do you get when you cross and elephants with leeches?
Answer: Big sucker!

Some jokes are funny, and some are not so funny, but in reality, if animals can cross species lines, the confusion will be very significant. God, who is the God of Order, has created everything in an orderly manner. He is not a problem writer. The principle of God’s separation and protection even applies to animals.

Separation and Protection

Another interesting fact that is worth noting is that God made the difference between the high horizon called heaven (outer space), which created on the second day of creation and the open heaven horizon (or earth’s atmosphere), which built on the fifth day. Creation day. God separates backgrounds from each other to protect the earth and its creatures. The principle of God’s separation and protection proven in the creation of the earth’s atmosphere.

Remember that the Bible was written thousands of years before man’s ability to make a clear distinction between atmosphere and space. These simple verses show the extraordinary intelligence that worked in the planning, creation, and provision of the universe long before man’s ability to make these differences.

Other Creation Facts in the Bible

Facts about God’s amazing creation seen throughout the Bible. Examples of other creative effects:

The Bible shows the use of subatomic material in creation. (Hebrews 11: 3) The Bible reveals the Jet stream centuries before man’s ability to make such a difference. (Ecclesiastes 1: 6) The list of scientifically observable Bible facts is endless.

Conclusion

God gives us much concrete evidence of its existence and its provision for His creation. The truth of God’s word, the Bible, is evident all around us if we will only seek it wholeheartedly.

Day Four of God’s Creation

Day Four of God’s Creation

Man’s Time

The Bible states that the fourth day of creation is the day God created the sun and moon and stars. (Genesis 1: 14-19) They are placed on the horizon of heaven and given signs, seasons, days, and years. This is the fourth day of creation that God created human time. (Remember that one day the Lord is a thousand human years. (II Peter 3: 8) The Bible also states that God arranges the lamps in the sky to rule day and night.

It is interesting to note that the Bible, from the beginning, stated that the sun and moon and stars would affect human time. Earth’s rotation for days; the position of the earth to the sun for the seasons; Earth’s orbit has been around the sun for years; lunar orbit to give light at night on earth; the moon phase for months; the position of the stars in their season. All of these things started before the human ability to distinguish them scientifically. These things did not happen by accident. It is a program of events created by a loving God.

An allegory

Not only did God through Jesus Christ create the physical universe, but he also, in his great wisdom, used his creation to reveal himself. God uses the sun and moon as allegories for Christ and his followers.

Just as God’s love through Christ (the Light in Genesis 1: 3) shines on the earth, so the real sun shines directly on the surface. It is the Light of Christ that expresses God’s love and concern for humanity. The Light of Christ draws people to God that they, through Christ, can have eternal life.

Just as the earth can block the moonlight, so the light of a Christian can be prevented by things in this world. Christians do not have their intelligence. He must reflect the love of Christ. He cannot do anything without Christ. (John 15: 5) The light of the Christian (his testimony of Christ before men) must always pay homage to the Father in Heaven through Christ. (Matthew 5: 14-16)

Just as moonlight can block the earth, so also the light of Christians can be hindered by things that exist in this world. The deception of wealth, the pride of life, the desires of the eyes, and the desires of the flesh can all cause Christian joy, fellowship with God, and people’s testimony to diminish.

The Christian should remember that just as the moon’s position to the sun doesn’t change, so also the Christian’s belief in Christ doesn’t change. Salvation depends on God’s grace through Christ’s sacrifice. Nothing can add, and nothing can take from him. (John 10: 28-29)

God’s creation is truly amazing.

Day Three of God’s Creation

Day Three of God’s Creation

God’s Word, the Bible, tells us that God gathered all the water under the sky to one place. He then separated the dry land from the sea. The water he called the ocean, and the dry land he called the Earth. (Genesis 1: 9-13) Here again, is the principle of God’s separation and protection.

Example of Daily Creation

Incredibly, God shows examples of His creation every day. What is the standard? Give birth. Childbirth is a perfect example of God’s creation and the principle of separation and protection. Just as water separated from the water on the second day of creation, so also bodily fluids are separated from baby fluids during the baby’s growth in the womb. The fluid sac surrounding the baby separates and protects the baby.

Just as water separated from the Earth, so does a baby, separated from its fluid pouch during childbirth.

Every day, throughout the world, the Lord bears witness to us about His marvelous creation. It is truly amazing to me that God touched every family on Earth with this witness of creation. God showed himself to humanity in many surprising ways if we would only seek Him.

Another example of separation

Also, on the third day, God decided that plants would produce seeds according to their kind. Again the principle of separation of God is clear. Hybrids show the belief that plants reproduce according to their nature. Hybrid plants, (cross-breeding plants), cannot produce printable seeds. That’s why seedless grapes don’t have seeds. That is why hybrid wheat seeds cannot be replanted and grown.

By keeping plants separated according to type, God allows us to recognize edible plants from edible plants, building materials from non-building materials. The principle of separation and protection applies even to plants.

A Universe Ordered

It is truly extraordinary that God provided for humans before he even created. God’s Word is valid today and proven. Nothing is done by chance, everything planned and made in order.
 
If we look, we can see the glory of God shown around us. God states that “it’s good,” at the end of the third day of creation, and I tend to believe it. God’s creation is truly amazing.

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Keys to Effective Christian Life – Prayer and Fasting

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Keys to Effective Christian Life – Prayer and Fasting

Prayer is indeed a powerful thing, for it brings us into contact with God. However, if you desire to see your prayer life, take a quantum leap, add fasting to it.
Those who spend time fasting and praying will attest to the fact that things which they had prayed about, actually manifested after they applied the spiritual principle of fasting. Fasting works.

Many religions in the world are involved in fasting with various types. However, fasting for Christians is somewhat different. Religious people fast to get God’s attention, and they try to get a position with God. Fasting Christians to uphold our position bought through the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Fasting is abstinence from food for a specific period, while the attention given to seeking God, through His Word and prayer. It is not just staying away from food, but rather, it is using the time we would have been engaged in the temporary to seek the eternal. In other words, fasting, God’s way, is not just, not eating. It is using the time to pray.

There are various kinds of fast spoken of in The Holy Bible:

We can engage in a personal fast, which is a personal decision to seek God by this means.

Then again, we can engage in a proclaimed fast, which is fasting as a group, a local church body, or even a nation before Almighty God.

Then there are varied manners we can use in fasting. We can do a total fast, which is no eating, and only the drinking of water. Alternatively, we can engage in a partial fast, which is the putting aside of certain foods of pleasure for a particular period.

As it pertains to the time and length of the fast, it is dependent upon what kind of fast you engage in. For instance, with a personal fast, the person fasting determines the length of the fast. When it comes to a proclaimed fast among others, the length of the fast may be decided by the pastor, if it is a local church body, or by the leader of the group.

In the Holy Bible, some people fasted from in the morning to six in the evening. Then some fasted, like in the days of Queen Esther, for three days. The Lord Jesus Christ fasted for forty days. Daniel did a partial fast for twenty-one days. There is no strict rule as to how long you may fast. It depends upon how you seem led by the Holy Spirit.

The main thing about fasting is that the purpose of the fast must be established before you begin the fast. What is the reason you desire to fast before the Lord?

You can fast:

  1. To spend more time drawing closer to the Lord.
  2. To pray concerning a particular situation or circumstance.
  3. To experience a breakthrough from an ungodly habit, addiction, or problem.
  4. To become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
  5. To cast out demons.
  6. To seek God for the gifts and manifestations of the Spirit.
  7. To be filled with more of God.
  8. To find God’s plan and purpose for your life.
  9. To discipline the flesh, enforcing its spiritual position of mortification.
  10. To change an atmosphere.
  11. To get answers from the Lord concerning a particular situation.
  12. To bolster your faith in God for the miraculous.

Fasting is an effective way to approach God. Fantastic help for hungry Christians who want to seek God. Jesus taught us how we should fast. Invaluable tools help us become stronger in God.
I believe that the church should give more time to fasting and prayer before the Lord. Even if it is a partial fast, or only from six in the morning to six in the evening, we should engage in this spiritual activity called fasting. We can always work our way up.

But if the truth be known, we can come to a place of desperation, where we need God to give us an answer, or where we just get more hungry for His will, plan and purpose for our lives, that we literally abandon food for a period of time as we seek the Face of God until His power and presence fills and floods our lives. In times like these, we need to fast and pray.

Do you want God’s will for your life? Are you praying about it? Then, if you are not hearing what He is saying to your Spirit, maybe you should add the next part of the power-twins and begin to fast.

Just a word of caution: If you are on medication, please seek your doctor concerning what kind of fast you may be able to practice.

Daniel Fast FAQ

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Daniel Fast FAQ

Are you new to spiritual fasting? Are you considering this powerful spiritual discipline for your faith walk?

I’ve used spiritual fasting several times over my 30+ years as a Christian, including several times of partial fasting using the Daniel Fast. I started writing about the benefits of fasting back in December 2007. What I didn’t know is that thousands of other followers of Jesus Christ are now entering into the powerful discipline of prayer and fasting. Moreover, many have chosen the Daniel Fast for an extended fasting method. However, now, they needed to know what to do. What foods are okay, and which ones must eliminate during the Daniel Fast?

A partial list of foods for the Daniel Fast had published in Elmer L. Town’s book titled Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough. However, while the list was helpful, it wasn’t complete. Consequently, those who wanted to do the Daniel Fast with integrity had lots of questions. The new Daniel Fast blog seemed the natural place to get their answers.

After answering hundreds and hundreds of questions, I decided to rewrite the food list to make it more complete. It didn’t change the practice at all. It just was more thorough and eliminated almost all the questions on people’s minds about what they could and could not eat during the Daniel Fast.

So if you have questions now, I encourage you to check out the Daniel Fast Blog (see the link at the end of this article), and I guess that most of your questions will answer. If you still have a question, feel free to ask by leaving a comment.

However, some questions still seem to leave people scratching their heads! So I will list the five most frequently asked questions about the Daniel Fast.

  1. Honey is a natural food, so can I use it as a sweetener on the Daniel Fast? No, all sweeteners are not allowed on the Daniel Fast. In Daniel 10, the prophet notes that “he ate no precious food, ate no meat, and drank no wine.” Honey would have been considered precious during that time. Also, going without sweet foods is part of the fasting experience of withholding food for spiritual purposes.
  2. Can I drink tea on the Daniel Fast? No, tea and coffee (including any substitutes) are not allowed on the Daniel Fast. For the purists, water is the only acceptable beverage, while some people drink 100% fruit and vegetable juice. It’s most likely that Daniel drank only water.
  3. What about people with special dietary needs. How do they do the Daniel Fast? Teens, women who are pregnant, diabetics, athletes, and others who may need special diets should check with their health providers before starting any fast, including the Daniel Fast. However, most health providers will find the Daniel Fast an excellent way to eat since it includes all vegetables, all fruits, all whole grains, no sugar, no alcohol, no caffeine, and no animal products. You might be instructed to add chicken or fish into the mix, which would be fine for a special needs diet. Remember, there is no power in the foods themselves, but rather fasting is consecrating yourself to the Lord so that you can focus on Him in a more specific and real way. So if your health provider wants you to add animal protein into the diet, then you can still have a successful fast.
  4. How about corn chips and tortillas? When you read through the blog, you will find that I am always encouraging people to READ THE LABEL so they can see the ingredients in the prepared foods. I was amazed the first time I read the list of chemicals in prepared tortillas! Corn chips are usually deep-fried, and all deep-fried and processed foods are not allowed during the Daniel Fast. However, there is a recipe on the blog for natural tortillas, and it’s easy to use this same recipe to make your chips — the tortillas made from whole wheat flour, olive oil, salt, and water. You can easily substitute finely ground cornmeal. The tortillas are then “fried” in a dry pan with little or no oil.
  5. What about cramping in my legs and my stomach? If cramping persists and you sense a concern, be sure to contact your health professional. The cramping is most likely a symptom of your body detoxing! The typical diet packed with sugar, caffeine, and chemicals. So when these eliminated, the body is a little confused and responds with cramps. The best remedy is to drink lots of water (the best detox there is), increase your vitamin C, and eat extra bananas and cantaloupe until the cramping subsides. This usually ends in a few days. Headaches are also prevalent, typically a symptom of caffeine withdrawal.

Fasting Effect

Fasting Effect

Is fasting part of your diet regimen? Have you considered the effects of fasting? Maybe fasting is related to your religion? True fasting is the free action of abstaining from food intake for a specified period. Some individuals or groups consider partial fasting by abstaining from certain foods or meat. However, complete fasting will distance itself from all food. The term “fasting” generally offers connotations that exceed several days. However, in the medical world, a person can be considered fasting if they abstain from food for eight to twelve hours because of that many fasting nights with medical terms. Giving the body time to digest all the food that has been digested generally takes eight hours or more to be considered fasting.

When fasting, most people do not consider the influence on the body outside of the potential for weight loss. Because weight loss is a desirable goal in American culture, the immediate effect of fasting from weight loss usually welcomed. What people don’t consider is what’s happening in the brain and the invisible parts of the body. Glucose is the body’s primary fuel source. Glucose can be found in food sugars and also carbohydrates. If a person is fasting (total fasting), he does not consume sugar or carbs. In this case, the body’s natural resources kick in, and the brain tells the body to look for glycogen in the body. Glycogen is a molecule which is a form of energy that is created and stored mainly in the liver and muscles. In general, there are higher glycogen concentrations in the liver than in tissues. After eating, including carbohydrates, glucose levels increase in the body. Ultimately, insulin stimulates enzymes and glucose is then added to glycogen, and the liver absorbs more glucose than it should release.

After the meal has digested, the body’s glucose levels start to fall, there is less insulin output, and glycogen reserves must be tapped. So, for example, fasting glucose levels do not rise from food intake. So, when energy is needed, the body looks for stored glycogen which the body breaks down and turns into glucose to fuel the body. Because more time passes during fasting, blood sugar levels drop below average, which stimulates the breakdown of glycogen. Low blood sugar levels can cause anything from just feeling unwell to seizures, fainting or fainting, the potential for brain damage or even death. In general, there are no worries in the first few days of fasting because the body only reacts naturally by switching to fat reserves as fuel vs. continuing to feed the muscles.

There are additional problems that arise if a person is fasting for a long time and are taking certain medications (amphetamine poisoning). There is a certain point that there are no or little fat reserves to rely on. The body will give increased encouragement to people who fast at that point and usually people who fast will cancel the fast. If fasting not broken, the body will turn to protein for fuel when the starvation process begins. Fasting has an effect on hair loss at this time. Besides, people can experience cardiac arrhythmias or even kidney failure.

Researchers have found that by reducing calorie intake, individuals can benefit by having less chance of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain immune disorders. However, without complete knowledge of what is happening in the body and brain, specific fasting can hurt the individual. Also, there are certain conditions that someone might not know such as anorexia that might not allow them to give up on the body’s impulses during the process of starvation. Therefore, it recommended that the fasting diet be carried out based on strict doctor consultation.

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