Fasting, Prayer, and the Holy Spirit

I woke up this morning and I believe the Lord quickened something to me, but I want to share something before I share that maybe, unless the Lord sits me down. And this is, it's in the amplified version, so I printed it out. This is in 1 Kings 1911 and it's about when the Lord appeared to Elijah and it says, "A hurricane went, a hurricane went, ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks before God, but God wasn't to be found in the wind. After the wind and earthquake, but God wasn't in the earthquake. After the earthquake fire, but God wasn't in the fire. And after the fire, a gentle and a quiet whisper." When Elijah heard the quiet voice, he muffled his face with his great cloak, went to the mouth of the cave and stood there and then a quiet voice asked, "So Elijah, now tell me, what are you doing here?" So this came to me, especially the part about the gentle and quiet whisper. And everybody here knows that in real-time Christianity, God wants to walk with us and talk with us. We need to hear his voice, don't we? For whatever we're going to do, because how are we going to go through life and we're just going by our own bootstraps. So the Lord quickened something to me this morning and I was, and I don't like getting up and I was talking to him. And so what I said was, is I'm really battling a lot of things right now. That's what I told the Lord. And he immediately answered me and said, "You are always going to be battling things." So I said, so I still wrestled with it. So I came here and I'm praying and I'm wanting to be glad of the Lord and what I do. And then we sang the song and then you'll see what I'm getting at. I love you, Lord. And he seemed to say immediately, "What more do you want?" So here I am getting up, trusting God to help me. And I heard something else last week. You know, I'm on YouTube and a lot of y'all are. There's devotionals in there and I've got songs I'll listen to. But I wanted to listen to some songs while I was driving. And there was a message there called, it was about the anointing. And y'all know when anybody gets up or we talk to one another, we really need the Holy Spirit to anoint us, don't we? There needs to be life in what's said, you just don't want relative truth that's not got the power and juice behind it. So this was about, I'm not going to go over the whole message, but it was a, it was a devotional, but it referred to a Scottish preacher. And there was a service that Sunday morning and he was in his office so they were through singing, so they told a couple of deacons to go get the minister's time to minister. So they went back there and they could hear him in there arguing with someone. He says, "I'm not going up there if you don't go with me, if you don't come out with me." And it went on for a while, so they went and said, "He's in there arguing with somebody and they're not coming out."

So he went back, they opened the door and just the preacher came out. So what it was about, he says, he was not going to get up behind the pulpit unless the Holy Spirit was there with him. That's important. So I'm hoping that's true right now Lord. So this is in John 21, it's verse 14 through 18. Now this was the, now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he had risen from the dead. So when they finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Sign of John, Simon, Son of John, do you love me more than these others do with total commitment and devotion?" He said to him, "Yes Lord, you know that I love you." And I referred a while ago, he sang the song, "I love you Lord." He said, "Yes Lord, do you know I love you with a deep personal affection as for a close friend?" Then Jesus said to him, "feed my lambs." Again, he said to him a second time, "Simon, Son of John, do you love me with total commitment and devotion?" He said to him, "Yes Lord, do you know that I love you with a deep personal affection and for a close friend?" Jesus said to him, "Shephard my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, Son of John, do you You love me with a deep personal affection for me. Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, "Do you really love me with a deep personal affections for a close friend?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you with a deep personal affection as for a close friend." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep." So this is just not for Peter, is it? I mean, we're called to as his people to love one another. And we need to -- we have a place in sharing Christ with one another, encouraging one another. And this comes to even things like, "You can say feed the sheeps. Can I feed the sheep or shepherd the sheep individually out here in a home? It's important that we can do that." Don't y'all agree with that?

I mean, God has a purpose and a plan for us. And here we are, and I believe what is a great awakening in this church as well, wouldn't y'all agree with that? God wants to stir us. He wants to use us. He has a purpose and a plan for our lives. So then it goes into this, and it says, and it had a little caption, and it says, "Our times are in his hands. I assure you most, I assure you, and most solemnly say to you, when you are younger, you dress yourself and walk wherever you wish. But when you grow old, you will stretch forth your hands and arms and someone else will dress you." And you know, I know we've -- man, how many times have y'all done like this, Lord, I need you to lead me, lead me by your Holy Spirit, too. And we're talking about, even in the community to be, reaching out to others where God would lead us. And the last part I really want to emphasize and care you where you do not wish to go. I remember Ricky Pope, this is probably three or four years ago, he said he was praying that the Lord would have him speak when he doesn't want to speak and to go where he does not want to go. I know this, this is not going to be long. I believe this, God has a plan and a purpose force in our homes with our families. I know there's prayers going on here. I mean, I'm listening to y'all, y'all are listening to me.

We are praying because what prayer can do, God can do. And we want to see God move on hearts, don't we? We want to see God not just lead us at Mercy Tree or Rachel's Refuge or if we get involved with more manna where the homeless people are, but in our community wherever because that's why we're here. Jesus said as the Father sent me, so send I you, and he came to seek and save that which is lost. That's it. And here's the thing, we're always going to be battling things. We're always going to be growing and going through things, but God wants to fill us with that anointing like that preacher wanted. I mean, as I start the day, we need to have that as we start the day, we don't know God might have us go to Walmart or somewhere, or just speak to us. And that small still voice, just like he spoke to me and said, you know, you're always going to be battling things, just to be able to reach out with the love of God that we have to share this with others, what we have with others. And I'm going to close with this. This is just something for prayer maybe, it's sort of off track, but prayer is important, prayer is vital. Y'all know prayers linked with fasting sometimes in the Bible? So this was probably-- and I've shared this with a few people, a few of the brethren. This was probably six weeks ago. Again, I went on YouTube to listen to some songs, and there was a message that caught my attention. Say, let's say the Lord, there's a quiet voice there.

And then the message is what you do when you think your Christian life is a failure. Wow, I might want to listen to that. Because there's where the battle gets in sometimes. But it was very encouraging. But what it closed with was he talked about prayer and fasting, and how fasting can be something that really not just accentuates prayer. But I mean, you look at the Lord fasted. He told the disciples, these only come out with prayer and fasting. We are facing challenges. Y'all, see, I mean young people are facing challenges. Homes are facing challenges. We need God, don't we? There's a little book I'm going to probably order. A couple of people have asked me about ordering some. It's a small book. I forgot the name of it. So I'm going to order some of those. And it has to do with fasting. ministry and prayer. So listen, I'm asked about our heads because I'm gonna sit down and we'll give this to the Lord. Father, I thank you for your great love today. I thank you for your Holy Spirit. I thank you that you're waking us up. We're coming out of the wilderness, leaning on our beloved, and we want to be your hands and feet extended in the world, Lord. We want to be salt and light. I know we're always going to be facing battles. There are always going to be things going on in our lives. We're going to be growing, but you're with us. You said in the world we're going to have trouble, face difficulty, so let that not stop us from sharing this treasure that's in this earth and vessel. I know Lord, when talking about fruit, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, and peace, but that's

just not for us. This fruit is a tree of life. May we be willing to share, to go where we don't want to go and say what we don't want to say. I'm asking you to lead this church, not just this church, but I pray for the assembly in Lexington, like sitting in Jacksonville, light a fire in this Lord for your glory. Keep us close. God, may, I pray you grant each and every one of us a tender ear to hear voice when you would talk to us as individuals and we can be listening. Fill us with a spirit that we can act and move in faith in what you tell us to do. And what I've shared this morning, Lord, I came up here in faith, if there's anything in it that could be seeds that could help someone ask you to bless in Jesus name. I thank you, Lord, Amen. You know, I was just thinking when Joel was speaking about the prayer and fasting. He mentioned mercy, tree, the manner group, and the groups that were helping out. And I was thinking, you know, we're people of convenience. We don't mind helping mercy, tree. We don't mind helping all the people in India, but God wants us to be willing to go into the prisons, feed the homeless out of our own hands as well. We need to be very willing and able to get out of our convenience to do these prayers and these fastings. I'm talking to myself more than anybody else because I know I'm lacking. But the Lord wants us to have a vision of where He's taken us, of what He wants us to do. He'll put in our hands to do what we need to do. We just have to be willing. We need to hear that soft spirit of the wind as it comes by. The hurricanes that come by, and then we need to hear that soft quietness that God says. And most of the time we're gonna be in a quiet place when He does that. We're gonna be at the end of ourselves. We're gonna be hungry. We'll be thirsty. We'll probably have been fasting maybe spiritually as much as physically and prayerful. But I believe the Lord wants to speak to us individually. I was thinking about the housewarming there at Robin Linus today and other things that we're involved with. God's showing us He's got a plan. He's there with JP when the brother came out there and sat with him, warmed up his house and prayed with him. That meant something to him. I don't think JP saw it coming, but the Lord used it. Well, we can all be instantly in season if we're

just waiting on the Lord. And I just felt I'm talking to myself because I know I need this. I need it more than anything else. And I'm just asking, let's pray for one another. Let's encourage one another. You know, fasting is not a requirement. It's just an opportunity to get closer to the Lord. Prayer is not a convenient thing all the time, but it's the opportunity for Lord to get into our hearts and into our minds to help us help others. After all, we're here to spread the gospel to share the Word. And there's people out there that need it. The Lord will take us to them and He'll also bring them to us when we're ready. But we have to be willing to spend and be spent. We have to find that place that it's not a convenient thing to serve God. It's not an easy road, but it's a possibility. And there's joy and happiness. Help us just to be in the center Lord. I just thought I'd give that out Praise God I Appreciate Joel sharing what he did and all you know, it's it's not easy to exercise yourself You know when you get up and and share and you know all our services are going to be the same Nor should they be the same in fact when we start expecting things to go a certain way or a certain one to say a certain thing We're taking God's job and that's not our job Right and I think uh one of the things that did Joel was was talking about there was Exhortation is for let let's all of us continue to seek the Lord and walk humbly before him So that we can hear his voice and when we do we got something we can give to somebody else Would you all agree? and I um Joel mentioned that that uh That book that on fast and I I read it too and it was it was a real blessing, but you know the Let me I'm gonna read one statement. I actually I read it and I I took a note I'm not gonna read all my notes, but I'm just gonna read this one line from this Fasting then is a divine corrective to the pride of the human heart It is a discipline of the body with a tendency to humble the soul And but what does the lord dwell? Broken in contrite spirit and we're not naturally broken, you know, he has to pursue us and he does

You know, he he does break us, but then he heals us He brings us to himself and we start walking with him But there's still a tendency in our nature when we get up every single morning To have this this this flesh we this treasure dwells in the earthen vessel and the earthen vessel is still very corrupt. Is that correct? Uh, we need the holy spirit to um, you know, he has sealed us, but we need to be filled with him so that We have what it takes to help somebody else and that's been mentioned this morning about reaching out further And uh, you know, it's jesus is the one we have to offer It's jesus The treasure is in here, but one of the reasons he told us and the lord exhorted us to pray and ask for the holy spirit Because it was you know that guy that came to his friend at midnight and he said i don't have anything to offer Does anybody here have anything to offer anybody that's really worth anything from your flesh We don't we really don't but um, I was you know, I was thinking this morning as what was being shared about the account the uh, it's in luke chapter two I'm just gonna it's talking about it's talking about two people who were really looking to the lord and um This is right after jesus was born And his parents brought him to the temple to consecrate him And uh, you know that that period before the lord showed up was it I think it's referred to as the 400 years of silence where there's nothing going on I mean nothing no prophets. I guess after malachi so how do you in that situation Uh, I mean if you were in a Jew or you know those who were looking to the lord You've got no prophets or nothing But there's always been somebody and a remnant of people who are looking to god And the lord always honors that It doesn't matter how weak how small How young you are, you know mentioned mentioned this morning I had the same thought about the the lobes and the frishes a lot of times when we have even something the lord It seems quite small and that little boy he had five lobes and it said two small fishes, but you know what He gave what he had and god blessed and fed five thousand people and that amazing

but um So but 400 years of silence and these both these people are elderly and they're in the temple But joseph and mary brings jesus and he's a little baby I guess just eight days old or so and they're bringing bring him in there to consecrate him Let me see uh Yeah, this is in first uh 22 When the time came for the purification rights required by the law of mose's joseph and mary took him To to jerusalem to present him to the lord It is written in the law of the lord every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the lord And to offer sacrifice and keeping with that which is said in the law a pair of doves or two young pigeons Now there was a man in jerusalem called simian who was righteous and devout It seems devout the lord He truly does reward those who earnestly seek him You know it it uh when he talks about a prayer of faith, you know How much effect do our prayers have when we offer them up before God? It can change our whole community, our county. The Lord can do so much with so little because when we're looking to Him, He gives us just what we need Him when He gives us something. It's also for somebody else. Thank God for that. Okay, he was a devout, he was devout and he was waiting for the consolation of Israel and here we go and the Holy Spirit was on Him. It had been revealed to Him by the Holy Spirit that He would not die before He had seen the Lord's Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, He went into the temple courts and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for Him what the custom of the Lord required, Simeon took Him in His arms and praised God saying, Sovereign Lord, as you have promised you may now dismiss your servant in peace for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared in the sight of all nations, a light for the revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel. Praise God, how would He have possibly known that if He hadn't been seeking God? And I mean you think about Jesus, Jesus had said nothing of a little baby. I think, aren't you glad that He came in the form He came in so that He could be tempted in all points like as we are? The depths of what Jesus has done for us is incredible. But there He was eight or nine days old and this man knows who He is.

He was His faith toward God and looking to God because of His devoutness in Him seeking God. I believe that He knew that. Let's go down to verse I guess it's 36. There was also a prophet Anna, the daughter of Pinewell of the tribe of Asher. She was very old and she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage and then was a widow until she was 84. But this is what it says about this lady. I mean her name is Anna and this is I mean it's recorded in the Bible what she did. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day fasting and praying, coming up to Him at that very moment. How in order should she come up at that very moment? She was being led as Lord. She gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. And you know there's little examples like that in the Bible but they're they're really there for a purpose. You know when we when we continue to seek God and I'll be that was one of the exhortations of what Joel was saying. We live in a momentous time. I believe the Lord is doing something in our midst. He is waking us up to the reality of how much we need Him. We need Him afresh every day and it's only by Him meeting with us and us coming near to God and Him coming near to us that it is fresh. We need the fresh mourning of the Holy Spirit and each one of our lives personally and collectively as we move forward we're going to see the Lord do more. He's going to open doors that we can never open and I see Him open indoors. I'm just so thankful that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever and if He told us to keep seeking does He mean that? Knock and keep on knocking. If you do the door will be opened and there's a hurt and dying world you know out there. Joel mentioned I think listening to a devotion. He mentioned one to me I guess it was last Friday and it was Brother Carter Conlon and he was he was getting to go preach it a summit and he said the only only title I got for my message is if and he was referring to Solomon's prayer you know if my people who are called my by name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face I'll be heard of them. What do you say would do would come and heal our land but there are a good number of godly men who are actually concerned for our country. You know there's a lot of times in my life growing up I thought man there's no hope for this country but God can do what no other power can do and the thing that the Lord most I believe us to be most interested in is us and our personal walk with him to the point to where when he does have us speak to that one person or this person over there or go and do what we wouldn't even choose to do let's just say this we lift our hand and say Lord lead me and you know what he will and when we're in that place of humility and

seeking his face we're going to hear what he has to say and we're going to have something much more than what we can come up with is because what we can come up with is nothing but he is everything he's the one who supplies our needs and you know he's he's a water in the desert people need to be healed spiritually you know and he's still doing that he is the same yesterday I believe the Lord wants all of us to take this personally and to seek him because he has more. He has more for us and he has more that he wants to do for others. I just praise him. Amen. This has been good this morning. I appreciate it. You know, we always talk about just having to let the Lord lead. You know, I'm thinking about coming to service this morning. Steve Talbert, it texted me this morning that he wasn't feeling good. So as we were about driving it to the service, I told Beth, I said, "Oh, yeah, Steve's not there today." So Kena will probably have to lead this thing today. She said, "Well, Phil's gone. Can he going to be playing piano?" I said, "Oh, man." I said, "I wonder if Reed's going to be there." I said, "I met Reed back there about a minute before Lee. I got up. I said, "Brother, one of us is going to have to be instant out of season because God's going to have to help us here because our regular people are here. But you know what? God helps us in our weakness, doesn't he?" And he's not what he says. He helps us in our weakness, and he supplies, you know, what we need. So I just thank him for that.

But I was thinking about what Joel started with, about, you know, us hearing that voice and God speaking to us, being able to just speak like he did to Elijah, you know, just that simple, small voice that said something to him. Well, first of all, you just said, "What are you doing here?" Well, what he was doing there, and I'll say it, condemning Lee because we've all done it. It's kind of all the way to himself, Penny, and some defeat, you know, and some hopelessness as well. Well, just what Steve said. So that's what he was exactly what he was saying. It's all over for this country. There's nobody left that even wants to serve God. He was ready to give up. But God spoke that small, small, still voice to him, and it wasn't just to encourage him. It was that. But it wasn't just general encouragement. It was to then give him specific things to go do. In other words, take this encouragement, take this faith. But then I've got things I want you to go do in that faith, and in the strength of that encouragement, go do this, go anoint this person, go do this. So it's like, you know, get up off your face where you are here and go do the things I've been putting before you to do. And he wants to be able to speak that encouragement to us and lead us. And I was thinking about a scripture we know in Hebrews 12, it's just the first verse. You don't have to turn there because we all know it, probably quoted by heart, most of us. But it's talking about coming out of chapter 11 where it talked about all these people, what they had done through faith, just simple obedience, just taking what God said, obeying and moving and how God worked through those testimonies and did so many things. And in the start of chapter 12, he says, "Therefore, since we're surrounded by such

a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and here's what came to me, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." And the reason that particularly came to my mind is because, you know, you talk about the Lord speaking in that voice, and like you spoke to Joel about, you're always going to be battling stuff, you know, that happens, God speaks lots of different ways. Sometimes it might be through a scripture, it just comes to our mind. It's like dead on what we need in that moment, or it might be a song that we hear, it might be something a brother or sister says to us, it might be something from the pulpit. It's all kind of ways God speaks, but it always resonates when it's Him. You know, it really, there's something that resonates with you because it's right what you need when you need it. And I was remembered a time God spoke to me, referenced in this scripture, and I don't even remember the specifics of it, but it was some day that just hadn't gone great as far as I was concerned. It hadn't been a great day, things didn't happen the way I wanted or whatever. And I remember being, I think I was probably getting ready to go to bed fixing the coffee at the end of the evening or something, but I remember thinking, man, this was not the day that I wanted. I remember having that specific thought, and just that quick God spoke in that small still voice, it's very simple, but it just resonates, it hits, you know, and He said, no, but it was the one that was marked out for you. He speaks in simple little ways like that, and just how precious that is to know that He wants to lead, He wants to encourage, and specifically thinking about this, this image of running a race that He has marked out for us. You know, we're all running our individual races, times like this, you know, our paths kind of converge, and we're running, you know, side by side here for a little bit, but when we leave here, those paths are going to diverge again, and we've got things that we're all going to be doing, areas that we're in, and people we're going to contact, and things we need to do.

But He has marked that path out for us, and that is so encouraging to know that we don't have to figure it all out, we just have to move in faith and trust Him that He's going to speak to us all along the way. And I thought about this, turn over to John 10, if you would, it's where he was talking about, it's the passage about the good shepherd, but it really came to my mind this morning. Yeah, he's talking about the, you know, anyone who climbs up some other way is a thief and a robber just at the beginning of chapter 10 of John, but he says, you know, the one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out. And when he has brought out all of his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. And it's sometimes going to be places. Maybe we wouldn't want to go Sometimes that race that's marked out for us might be it might be like well, I don't want to go that way Lord I don't know what's over there I've never been that way before or I don't want to go that way that that's not the best part of town or I don't want to go that way because that goes right by the house of that person that I'll get along with and we have issues I don't want to go that I don't know what it is But I know this if he marked it out for us did he not promise he was going to work all things together for the good of them That love him and we tend to think of that you know as he's going to work things for my good And he is but the things he works in us isn't the purpose of that to give that good out to others to share it He might be some work in some things in our lives that are for the good of other people that we don't even understand why yet But he's going to work for their good too because he's he's seeking his law sheep He the the good shepherd knows those sheep and they will hear his voice some of them haven't heard it yet But as we pray and we yield these vessels let him lead us they'll come a time when God will give opportunity And we'll be able to show them something in our lives speak a word and they will hear his voice because his sheep hear his voice And so I don't know that just came to me this morning thinking about God speaking to me like that And I can relate to Elijah of you know You've got all kind of other things going on and God's just simple word comes and it's like boom Get stop obsessing about all that just do what I've put before you

I want you to do this and do that but we never have to blaze that trail the good shepherd He calls out his sheep and he goes ahead of them He leads the way on that path that he's already marked out That takes a lot of the fear and anxiety of having to worry about what's down that road or how to figure it out Takes all that away because we can just follow the ship or so God give us that that listening ear to hear that voice In the scripture I didn't want to get up here either, but This is a scripture. We all know about art and that's Proverbs 3 Properly to fill with wise sayings and things that the Lord wants us to exercise so in In Proverbs it says trust in the Lord with all of your heart and Lean not unto your own understanding And it says in all your ways and say some of it or sometimes or whatever there's all there and All your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your past I Recommend this is done first thing in the morning when you get up. I try to do it and most time I do do it and I don't know if I listen to that voice all the time when he's trying to tell me which way to go But that's what he wants us to do and Steve alluded to it You know it says in scriptures Jesus said without me you can do nothing. So it just stands to reason that we need him and And the way he promised In scripture is if we ask for his spirit, he'll give it to us The scripture says if we being evil know how to give good gifts and to our children How much more shall our Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them to ask? We can't do anything in ourselves, but within we can do all things Praise God it's been good this morning. How did I? Just had a thought I'd share Southern Luke for 14 verse 16. I know y'all heard this but I'll just share this

I'll read a little bit of this it says a man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations When the banquet was ready he sent his servant to tell the guests come the banquet is ready You know it stood out to me right there Who did he send out to do to do this work that he was trying to do? He sent a server now aren't we guys serve to do his work? I just thought about it when I read that but they all Begin making excuses one said I have just bought a field and must inspect it Please excuse me. Another said I just bought five pairs of oxen and I want to try them out Please excuse me. Another said I just got married so I can't come The servant who we've talked about earlier. They were sent out return and told his master What they had said his master was furious and said Go quickly into the streets and Allie allies of the town and invite the poor the crippled the blind in the lane comfort zone a little bit there, the, you know, the day to reach those that are his, you know, when I read this to you notice the servant, he never complained about where he was being sent, did he? He just did what the master said and that's what he did. I thought I was really good. Says go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled in the blind and the lame. After the servant had done this, he reported there is still room for more. So as master said, go out into the country lanes and behind the heads and urge anyone you find to come so that the house will be full. That was something else that I noticed there when I was reading this, it said, it wasn't just going out and by he could, but the Lord had the Lord had a purpose that he wanted his house before. He didn't want it to be half empty or anything. It says from, it says the house will be full for none of those. I, at first by body would get even in small taste of the banquet, but I was just thankful, you know, that, you know, we do play a

major part in reaching people and I'm thankful, you know, that it's not anything that we can work up. It's just like it's been said this morning, we can totally rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us day by day is God not interested in reaching the lost. We saying that song this morning, this blood, I'll tell you what, the blood, not only a cover for me, but it was covered for the loss that he's ready to bring into the sheet fold. Praise God. Praise the Lord. It's good to be here this morning. I had a brief little thought as Danny was talking there. You know, as we, as we do by face, step into some, these things that God's calling us to stepping out, not just doing church, but being active members in our community and being his servants as we go out. I wonder when, I'm just, it doesn't say so maybe it's wrong to speculate, but I'm just trying to put myself in the shoes of that servant at first. So he's like, all right, Lord, you said go out, get these people. They got an invitation. They're supposed to come back with me. We're going to have dinner. And then they all said now. And so he's got to go back home to the master and like, they're not coming. I bet he was a little bit reserved at first, like, you know, that didn't go as planned. Why not? You said they're invited. They're supposed to show up. We have dinner. Everything's happy. And that's not what happened, is it? You know, but there was a greater plan, you know? And so I just, that was a brief thought. I'm going to read the scripture. If I may hear, it is Isaiah 58, as Joel spoke some this morning about fasting. I was part of it came to remember it's here. I don't know how much I'm going to say about it. I'm just going to read it here. So this is the Lord talking to Isaiah, I believe here. Cry loudly and do not hold back. Raise your voice like a

trumpet and declare to my people their wrongdoing and to the house of Jacob their sins. This is what the Lord says. Yet they seek me day by day and delight to know my ways as a nation that has done righteousness and has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. They ask me for just decisions. They delight in the nearness of God. But then this question, why have we fasted and you do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and you do not notice? Behold on the day of your fast, you find your desire and oppress all your workers. Behold you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like you have done today to make your voice heard on high. Is it a fast like this that I choose a day for a person to humble himself? Is it for bowing one's head like a read and for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast even an acceptable day to the Lord? And this is what stood out to me here. Is this not the fast that I choose to release the bonds of wickedness to undo the ropes of the yoke and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? Is it not to break the bread with the hungry to bring the homeless poor into your home? When you see the naked to cover him, this one stood out to me. I don't know if I interpret it right, but and not to hide yourself from your own flesh. So you know, see somebody naked, you cover him. Well, what about you? How close are you right now? That maybe I'm interpret wrong. I was like, you know, it says to examine ourselves and also what deal with the beam on our own eye before the other person spec. Then your light will break out like the dawn and your recovery will spring up quickly and your righteousness will go before the glory of Then you will call and the Lord will answer.

You will cry for help and he will say, here I am. If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and the speaking wickedness. And if you offer yourself to the hungry and satisfy the need of the afflicted, then your light will rise in the darkness and your gloom will become like midday. And the Lord will continually guide you and satisfy your desire in scorched places and give you strength to your bones and you will be like a watered garden and the spring of water whose waters do not fail. Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins. You will raise up the age-old foundations and you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restore of the streets in which to dwell. I know there's some deep old language there but I don't know, I appreciate how the Lord you do at first. He said, look, he didn't necessarily just condemn his people in the sense that they were doing the things they thought they knew to do, right? But I think he wants to get down to the nitty gritty of our heart and say, are you fasting just so things can get better or so, you know, are we seeking the Holy Spirit because we really want it or do we want to just see some action that looks like God? That's a good question to ask, honestly. I want to see the actions of God, but I want it because it's God's will, not because my nature can tend to thrive on signs and wonders.

I'm gonna stop, I might ramble here, but do with that script or what you mean. [BLANK_AUDIO]