Praying, Fasting, and giving to the Needy

[Lily Miller]

I light my candle so anyone looking will see it. A reason for doing that is these days, as it was in antiquity it is rare to see or hear of anything at all done in the name of Christ is happening, and when it does, there's always the population that believes it is of the Devil, even if they don't believe in a literal devil. That happened to Jesus. I will put it frankly:

Luke 11:33-36 (KJV)
33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.
35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.
36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

What difference is Jesus' performing miracles in secret, and doing them in full public view? None. The light is light, no hidden darkness. Light drives out darkness. This world needs more light. People need more good news from Christians.

The disciples wanted Jesus to go to Judea for the upcoming feast so folks could witness His deeds. Jesus didn't rebuke them for that request. Any display or telling strengthened their own ministry successes. Jesus declined because He knew the Jews were conspiring to kill Him. He sent them on, the men already doing His deeds in public. He went later under disguise, going secretly. But when the time came He let it all blaze up among his enemies, glorifying God.

The lesson Jesus taught was not to do good deeds just to be seen of men. They are to be done openly while not seeking pats on the back. The approval of witnesses glorifies God immediately among the truly appreciative. There are of course instances when a deed needs to be kept utterly secret from men, due to the need of the receiver for privacy. Of course those deeds are not told.

I've watched a wealthy man becoming quite benevolent openly for a few days around Christmas until criticism taught him to close his wallet. The blessed of him were thankful, but some rose up condemning him. Why condemn when perhaps the only issue is the man not receiving due reward from Jesus for a good deed? Isn't that between him and the Lord? The man received the smaller reward of knowing he did good things and wanted folks to know it. He was a teacher of the church program on financial security as provided by a radio finance guru who agrees with the scriptures about generosity. Most wealthy prefer to keep their wealth as secret as possible to avoid a flood of personal requests. Yes, while having no extra funds the poor can be lovers of mammon too! The people criticizing were known to be poor and struggling, but way too prideful, and loved money because they hated anyone that had riches. Read the Bible. People doing the least are the first to condemn whatever good is done the most. Hearing a first hand "boasting" as you put it offends because they do little or nothing at all. They want to keep their selfishness a secret among men like some rich want to cloak their wealth. Some very wealthy are in the same boat as the selfish poor. The difference is sometimes just the value of the car they arrive in, the shoes they wear, the jewelry, the "air" of superiority among both the poor and rich.

I am open about what I'm doing, finding most of my helps are impossible to be done in secret anyway. I will now share a 24 hour testimony even if it is called boasting. I think some here need to hear more boasting like Paul did. If these testimonies offend, then please stop reading this post.

A beloved church member was accused by a former wife of family child abuse for spanking, with no actual evidence of harm, then was put in jail on $100,000 bond. It would require posting bond of $10,000, plus co-signing with collateral. Nothing with a mortgage is accepted, only clear deed or title bound by the court. We waited for bail to drop into our ability to help. 5 months later it dropped to $25,000. His entire family was too poor to arrange the required cosign, unable to guarantee the full $25,000 should he skip the next court date. I contemplated "What price for a man's freedom?" in the courthouse conference room. I am white, he is black, something not pertaining to our friendship, but came to a very public issue. A NAACP representative was there, who could not find anyone with that much clear title equity and willing to risk it. The prison chaplain was at the end of his ability. The church policy prevents paying fees like that. It is too common for people skipping bond, which results in seizure of equity by auction of home or other resources if not paid to the court in full on time.

Eventually we discovered a plan to pay off one home loan so grandmother could put it up as a co-signer with an uncle. That happened that day through collections from church friends, even unbelieving friends, and family. But the $2,500 bail bondsman cash fee was not available. I then handed over a credit card, which surprisingly the bondsman could accept. Suddenly family members and witnesses had reason to glorify God, even the court baliff. My family and list of friends exploded yesterday. Our friend came home late at night last night. Already some family are taking out loans to repay my card.

Today we heard him testify of what happened in the jail. He became unofficial counselor to many men. Word got around that if you let him pray for you, you will probably go home the next day. Newly admitted men were typically panicked if not jailed before. Many were released within hours many times, and many professed Jesus in public there, attending daily Bible teaching by the chaplain. My friend now realizes the least he can do is volunteer with the jail chaplaincy, to help with Bible classes, and help families of incarcerated men and women. His is so far a story like that of Joseph in the Egyptian jail! Our prayer is there is still great reward for him, told or not.

If Paul were in jail today WE would do the same. I doubt my reporting such a thing here would strip US of reward from God. I will not worry about that. WE didn't do what WE did to be seen by men. WE helped a good Christian WE have great confidence in go home. Meanwhile he can't resume his job until his case is cleared, thought to be too weak for a conviction. So OUR ministry is not done.

My prayer is that just one Christian will be pricked in the heart to do something by faith that results in glory to God. My flesh had told me to be sure to leave the credit cards at home that day, but I didn't comply. Hear the Spirit and do what He says. Don't do anything just to be seen of men. They would know it and soon forget it, learning nothing and not glorifying God.

Peace be with you brother, Listen to Jesus.

Peace and Blessings.

 

[Dovegiven]

Peace be with you brother, Listen to Jesus.

Peace and Blessings.

Peace be with you brother, Listen to Jesus.

Peace and Blessings.

Blessings to you too. Listen to Jesus, then do what He says, not being a hearer only. Exhort one another to do good works of righteousness that display faith to the glorying of God, preventing the hardening of hearts in these wicked times.

 

[Dovegiven]

I was meditating on all this all day.
What miracles, what works of Jesus were done in secret? Well, should I think they would simply have gone unknown if witnessed? Trick question.
John said they knew of enough of his works to fill a world of books.
When Jesus prayed, if anyone heard one, would it not be answered or honored? No reward for Jesus for praying in the hearing of anyone? Did He not teach to pray by praying?
Did Daniel lose his blessing by praying with windows open in defiance of the king's edict, heard by his enemies? Well, no. He rose to a position like Joseph did, saving Israeli from anihilation, aiding them to reenter the promised land.

Praying to be heard by men is of course not an activity Jesus will come back bearing a reward for. But is public prayer not answered or rewarded by God when the congregation asks someone for public prayer? I remember decades ago sweating from worrying I might be called upon. The more I learned about prayer, especially hearing men and women of God uttering, the better prepared I became. That sort of leadership helps keep someone from using prayer to tell God all their personal problems, which still happens sometimes among occasional visitors volunteering to pray.

Maybe that fear of doing anything for God while being seen by men is why so few do anything at all for God for any warm blooded human besides themselves. It's a reason why the offering plate often returns light, because fewer and fewer people see neighbors putting anything in but spare change at best. The result is sermons in abundance about tithing and offerings, and our needy missionaries waiting for support. They shouldn't have to live on their own like Paul chose to work his missions. So they are tempted to roll that check up in the fist and just peck the plate with fingernail to make that sound.

If I were to visit a church where nobody has seen anyone do any righteous deed, or testify of being used by God, I would have to suspect I am seated among religious corpses that died for absence of hope there is anything they can do without ending up in eternal poverty with no rewards from judgment of our deeds on earth. "Oh, we never tell what good deeds we have done, as we would lose our blessing." I've never heard that said),BTW. That attitude would be enough to mark Ichabod over it, meaning "The glory of God has departed". People who testify of wonderful works are usually excited, filled with glory, folks who are generous with time and money. No generous person can be generous in secret, especially if they are giving their body in good works. How should a new Christian figure out how to do that on that false condition of secrecy? They need exhortation from the congregation, hearing testimonies, real life stuff Christians are supposed to do besides sitting in jammies all day on social media looking for the joke of the day. Go to work or volunteer at least a few hours a day so you might find opportunity to encourage someone. There's a world of people unable to do these chats online, who have yet to meet a single Christian they could remember.

It's time to face up to false doctrines and stop living by them.

 

[Dave M]

one thing that strikes me, is fasting we sureley never nee to tell anyone about when we are fasting. But wouldn't it be great to tell people about how fasting has saved us from sin??

I share my storie of fasting and how it save me from a particular sin I was enslaved to all the time. I never told anyone I was fasting when I was fasting.

 

[Dave M]

Currently reading a book called "the The treasure Principle" by Randy Alcorn, if it was not for people like Randy humbly sharing stories of great givers for the Kingdom I doubt I would of learned about the Joy of giving. I read his book "money possessions and eternity" years back and it changed my whole life. Other then the bible it has been the most influential book I have ever read, it is a book on giving.

Matthew 5:16
"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

How are children going to learn to be givers if they dont have examples to follow??

 

[Dovegiven]

one thing that strikes me, is fasting we sureley never nee to tell anyone about when we are fasting. But wouldn't it be great to tell people about how fasting has saved us from sin??

I share my storie of fasting and how it save me from a particular sin I was enslaved to all the time. I never told anyone I was fasting when I was fasting.

That's great if nobody noticed.

Fasting isn't nearly as popular as it used to be except for the very modern health fasts and diets. I've been in corporate church fasts that begin after some sermons teaching about it, and setting up goals for the church. That way it's assumed everyone is fasting. The last fast wasa week long for the 2016 election to be peaceful and safe especially for children, free of riots, and for everyone to remain in loving kindness with each other, and towards others that think differently. The only problem I knew of was candidate signs gone missing, which are an eyesore. Our goals were met.

As soon as your scriptural fast is over I think it's very valuable as a teaching tool, part of one's testimony. That way nobody is distracted by any suffering you might have experienced. There is no Bible rule prohibiting such a testimony, especially concerning answers to prayer, or even what words you prayed in secret. The idea is not to make your fasting appear to be a serious, painful sacrifice, similar to a video I saw on Nat. Geographic of men fasting in the streets somewhere in the world, each with a chain, whipping their own backs in repentance, bloody and looking like they had come out of a Nazi concentration camp.

We knew an evangelist, ministering a local ministry, fasted 40 days, water only, ending up in the hospital. He was a pitiful sight, not telling what he was up to, but appeared to be possibly dying. He was never in good health after that. His wife stayed by him through that, then divorced him. I would have liked to counsel him had we just known his plan. He was very trim to begin with, with no pounds to lose. I don't think it's a bad idea to let a doctor or trusted peer know your plan if there's any known health issue. Jesus fasted much, and those disciples had to know it when He passed up the meals.

 

[Lily Miller]

I was meditating on all this all day.
What miracles, what works of Jesus were done in secret? Well, should I think they would simply have gone unknown if witnessed? Trick question.
John said they knew of enough of his works to fill a world of books.
When Jesus prayed, if anyone heard one, would it not be answered or honored? No reward for Jesus for praying in the hearing of anyone? Did He not teach to pray by praying?
Did Daniel lose his blessing by praying with windows open in defiance of the king's edict, heard by his enemies? Well, no. He rose to a position like Joseph did, saving Israeli from anihilation, aiding them to reenter the promised land.

Praying to be heard by men is of course not an activity Jesus will come back bearing a reward for. But is public prayer not answered or rewarded by God when the congregation asks someone for public prayer? I remember decades ago sweating from worrying I might be called upon. The more I learned about prayer, especially hearing men and women of God uttering, the better prepared I became. That sort of leadership helps keep someone from using prayer to tell God all their personal problems, which still happens sometimes among occasional visitors volunteering to pray.

Maybe that fear of doing anything for God while being seen by men is why so few do anything at all for God for any warm blooded human besides themselves. It's a reason why the offering plate often returns light, because fewer and fewer people see neighbors putting anything in but spare change at best. The result is sermons in abundance about tithing and offerings, and our needy missionaries waiting for support. They shouldn't have to live on their own like Paul chose to work his missions. So they are tempted to roll that check up in the fist and just peck the plate with fingernail to make that sound.

If I were to visit a church where nobody has seen anyone do any righteous deed, or testify of being used by God, I would have to suspect I am seated among religious corpses that died for absence of hope there is anything they can do without ending up in eternal poverty with no rewards from judgment of our deeds on earth. "Oh, we never tell what good deeds we have done, as we would lose our blessing." I've never heard that said),BTW. That attitude would be enough to mark Ichabod over it, meaning "The glory of God has departed". People who testify of wonderful works are usually excited, filled with glory, folks who are generous with time and money. No generous person can be generous in secret, especially if they are giving their body in good works. How should a new Christian figure out how to do that on that false condition of secrecy? They need exhortation from the congregation, hearing testimonies, real life stuff Christians are supposed to do besides sitting in jammies all day on social media looking for the joke of the day. Go to work or volunteer at least a few hours a day so you might find opportunity to encourage someone. There's a world of people unable to do these chats online, who have yet to meet a single Christian they could remember.

It's time to face up to false doctrines and stop living by them.

I would like to say one thing to you brother, You keep trying to use the rest of the Bible to block out what Jesus said. We need to listen to Jesus not all of the others, he is our cornerstone and we need to bring it back to him...

Also just because “Jesus fasted much” does not mean that everyone praised Jesus for fasting and that Jesus walked into a room saying “look at me, I’m fasting”.