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Showing posts with the label control

Is the “Daniel Fast” Really a Fast?

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Many Christians are starting 2025 by fasting of varying lengths. Some ministers who I respect recommend fasting no more than three days. Yet, I’ve heard testimonies of people who had supernatural encounters during longer fasts. Jesus Himself did a 40-day fast before starting His earthly ministry. There are also debates as to what defines a fast. Some pastors encourage their congregations to do partial fasts by skipping a meal or two. Others endorse what’s called a “Daniel fast.” That involves abstaining from selected foods like Daniel did while the Israelites were held in Babylon. In Daniel Chapter 1, the prophet and his friends only had vegetables to eat and water to drink for ten days. What was the result? 15   And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king’s delicacies.   16  Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave the...

Fat City

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At the Lutheran church I attended during my childhood, comic strips from the local newspaper were posted on a bulletin board. One I remember was Hägar the Horrible sitting at a table with his first mate Lucky Eddie. They had the following conversation: Eddie: “Is gluttony a sin?” Hägar: “Is it fun?” Eddie: “I think so.” Hägar: “It’s a sin.” Of course, God is not against us having fun. 1 Timothy 6:17 says He “...gives us richly all things to enjoy.” That would include food. But like most other things, eating can be abused when done in excess. Scripture has a few things to say about those who eat too much: “So that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah (which means ‘graves of gluttony’) because there they buried the people who had craved meat from Egypt.” - Numbers 11:34 (NLT) “But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; You grew fat, you grew thick, you are obese! Then he forsook God who made him, and scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation.” - Deuteronomy 32:15 “Do not mix with w...

God Is In Control?

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How many times have you heard the cliché “God is in control”? Songs have been written about it including the like-titled Christian hit by Twila Paris that won a 1995 Dove Award. Another one called “You Are in Control” I heard many times at the Brownsville Revival in Pensacola, Florida.  Some Christians believe the Lord orchestrates every detail of a person’s life. Calvinists like to quote Romans 8:29-30, which talk about people being “predestined.” It would behoove Calvinists to read the previous verse. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Notice this promise doesn’t apply to everyone but to those who love God . Man has free will and can choose to follow his own devices (Jeremiah 18:12). Therefore, he is responsible for his actions and cannot use the old Flip Wilson excuse “the devil made me do it.” Numerous Scriptures talk about self-control. Galatians 5:23 lists tha...

A Moral Problem

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Matt Post at the Capitol Last month’s school shooting in Parkland, Florida that killed 17 people has not only triggered more calls for gun control but students leaving classes in protest. As part of the nationwide walkouts this past Wednesday, students gave speeches outside the U.S. Capitol alongside Democratic lawmakers. A video of the speech made by Matthew Post (no relation to me) has gone viral. This high school senior from Maryland declared, “We have a moral problem in this country…The adults have failed us. This is in our hands now. And if any elected official gets in our way, we will vote them out.” I can sympathize with Matt’s anger and frustration but don’t agree with how he and others like him are reacting. Matt threatened to “shame our national policy leaders into protecting us.” No politician is perfect but we are supposed to honor and pray for those in authority . Many young people nowadays don’t respect their elders. Voting out certain elected officials is a...

A Biblical Viewpoint on Bearing Arms

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Whenever a mass shooting takes place, there is increased talk in the media about gun control. That is happening again following the recent tragedy in Las Vegas, Nevada. From two 32nd story hotel windows, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock used automatic weapons to fire upon a crowd gathered for a country music concert. 59 people died and over 500 others were wounded. This surpassed last year’s Orlando nightclub massacre as the deadliest shooting by a lone gunman in U.S. history. Back in 2012, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend before committing suicide hours later at the team’s practice facility. The next night during a nationally televised football game, NBC Sportscaster Bob Costas stated, “If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins [Belcher’s girlfriend] would both be alive today.” Some Americans think taking guns out of public hands will reduce the amount of murders in this country. One of my Facebook friends posted th...