Cutting off distraction

Here I am in Ministry Placement time, basically what you might call a "job" here at the Honor Academy of the Ozarks, and I get to write a blog! I mean wow. Who knew that work could be so much, and productive! The HAO has really changed my life and I get to tell others about it while I am here. What an amazing opportunity.

Coming soon at the HAO is one our LTE's or Life Transforming Events. This LTE is the Fasting LTE and it allows us to give up our media, food, and segregate our time to the Lord. I'm so excited as this is my second time around. The first time I did this let's just say I was a tad bit unprepared. I basically complained for the first half of the three day event. HOWEVER, this time around it won't be so! I know that I have grown and gained  revelation about fasting since the last fast months ago. I am prepared. I believe I will receive.

Some of you may being saying to yourself, has he gone mad? By all means not eating, listening to music, or talking on your phone or computer might seem like pure torture to some of you, especially those from my generation, but trust me it's a liberating and glorious thing to cut off all distraction and only commune with Him! Many famous ministers, and one I particularly look up, Kenneth E. Hagin, said that fasted something all the time. Fasting is not restricted to just food, you can fast media, sugar, etc. When you fast you basically tell your flesh who is boss. You take away something that it enjoys and let God know that He is first place always and that you love Him. I mean, when I define it in this way, doesn't it seem not so bad?

Of course what I am doing is slightly more extreme than just not watching TV for an evening. But sometimes you may not be in the same place I am as an HAO intern. You may have a family that you must take care of so you cannot just seclude yourself to your bedroom where just you and the Lord are going to commune for the next 36 hours. You may have obligations, which is understandable. But let me encourage not to let yourself off the hook.

Let me lead you to a scripture, because we must always keep our lives in perspective with the Word. Mathew 6:16-18 states:

¹⁶ “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. ¹⁷ But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸ so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."^[a]

Now this is Jesus talking so we should ever so carefully pay attention to what the Master is saying about fasting.

What I would like to point out first is that He says, "when you fast". That means that as Christians we all should fast. This should trump any negative feelings you have on fasting.

Secondly, I would like you to notice what our attitudes should be through the fasting process. We should not appear to be fasting, in fact I've heard it put that no one should be able to tell a difference about you when you are and when you are not. This is important because their are rewards to putting your flesh under, and you don't want it to be people feeling sorry for you, because that is temporal and you would have suffered for nothing in the end.

Thirdly, you will get a reward! What I find amazing about it all is that if you keep it just between you and Him what you're doing, otherwise keeping your motive pure, He will reward you openly. Wow! Who doesn't want to be rewarded, and be an example of how God's Word worked in your life? Just think, your reward could lead someone to the Lord. That's rather exciting to me (so hard to describe in a blog but I'm trying to describe it well!!!).

In closing I would like say thanks to the Lord for leading me to the Honor Academy of the Ozarks and for all the leadership here that is willing to give their time and effort to pour into my life while I am here!