Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 5:33-35
5:33. Then they said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?"
5:34. And He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?
5:35. "But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days."
The time to fast is when there is separation between us and Jesus. It means as follows:
The purpose of fasting is to be one with Jesus. If we are one with Him, all our problems are finished.
The result of fasting is old men become new one.
There are two things that must be renewed as follows:
Luke 5:36-39
5:36. Then He spoke a parable to them: "No one puts a piece from a new garmenton an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.
5:37. "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.
5:38. "But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.
5:39. "And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.'"
We learn the first one namely the renewal of garment.
The renewal of garment is therenewal of behavior, outside things.
By fasting, we experience the renewal of garment that we wear the new garment namely right deedup to someday we wear the garment of bride to greet Jesus' second coming on the gorgeous clouds.
The things that must be renewed are as follows:
How do we experience the renewal of garment?
Matthew 22:11-12
22:11. "But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.
22:12. "So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.
The king asks "how did you come in here without a wedding garment?" It means teaching Word shows our sin and state and gives opportunitythat we confess and renew our garment.
If we are speechless, we keep our old garment and separate ourselves from God.
Up to the last second of our lives and peak of sin, God still gives us opportunity to confess our sin.
Luke 23:40-43
23:40. But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
23:41. "And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."
23:42. Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."
23:43. And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
If we confess our sin, the results are as follows:
God blesses us.
Luke 5:33-35
5:33. Then they said to Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but Yours eat and drink?"
5:34. And He said to them, "Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them?
5:35. "But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them; then they will fast in those days."
The time to fast is when there is separation between us and Jesus. It means as follows:
- When we face unfinished problems.
For example: when Jesus goes up to the mountain, the disciples face an epileptic at the foot of the mountain. - When Jesus ascends to the Heaven until He comes a second time.
The purpose of fasting is to be one with Jesus. If we are one with Him, all our problems are finished.
The result of fasting is old men become new one.
There are two things that must be renewed as follows:
- The renewal of garment (Luke 5:36).
- The renewal of wineskins (Luke 5:37-39)
Luke 5:36-39
5:36. Then He spoke a parable to them: "No one puts a piece from a new garmenton an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old.
5:37. "And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined.
5:38. "But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.
5:39. "And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, 'The old is better.'"
We learn the first one namely the renewal of garment.
The renewal of garment is therenewal of behavior, outside things.
By fasting, we experience the renewal of garment that we wear the new garment namely right deedup to someday we wear the garment of bride to greet Jesus' second coming on the gorgeous clouds.
The things that must be renewed are as follows:
- The filthy garment.
Zechariah 3:1-3
3:1. Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.
3:2. And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?"
3:3. Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.
The filthy garment is spotted garment of ministry.
Jude 1:11-12
1:11. Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaamfor profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah
1:12. These are spotsin your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots;
The spot of Cain: wickedness (envy, spite, hatred) and laziness.
The spot of Balaam: looking for profit, worshiping and serving to God to chase physical things.
The spot of Korah: rebelliousness, grumble, intense craving and egoism (serving but loathing manna namely shepherding word because of chasing flesh thing).
Numbers 11:4-6
11:4. Now the mixed multitudewho were among them yielded to intense craving; so the children of Israel also wept again and said: "Who will give us meat to eat?
11:5. "We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic;
11:6. "but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!"
Numbers 11:33-34
11:33. But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was aroused against the people, and the LORD struck the people with a very great plague.
11:34. So he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had yielded to craving.
Although they get meat, they cannot enjoy it but perish forever. - The old garment(patchwork clothing)
It means fall and rise in sin. If we keep patchwork clothing, in process of time it will be torn, so we get naked and live like dog and swine, namely to live in sin but be shameless and feel great.
How do we experience the renewal of garment?
Matthew 22:11-12
22:11. "But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.
22:12. "So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.
The king asks "how did you come in here without a wedding garment?" It means teaching Word shows our sin and state and gives opportunitythat we confess and renew our garment.
If we are speechless, we keep our old garment and separate ourselves from God.
Up to the last second of our lives and peak of sin, God still gives us opportunity to confess our sin.
Luke 23:40-43
23:40. But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
23:41. "And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong."
23:42. Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."
23:43. And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
If we confess our sin, the results are as follows:
- We receive remission from God. We may serve Him, have robe of service and our lives start to be beautiful.
- Jesus is able to help usand finish our problem up to the impossible one. The power of King cannot be limited by anything.
Psalms 5:1
5:1. Give ear to my words, O LORD, Consider my meditation. - God changes curse atmosphere into Paradise atmosphere.
Fear of flesh becomes fear of God. If Jesus comes a second time, we will be changed to be as glorious as Him and clothed in clean bright fine linen. It is started from being obedient.
Revelation 19:6-9
19:6. And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
19:7. "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."
19:8. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
19:9. Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'"And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
God blesses us.