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Lesson 35 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course 17

considered it necessary to FAST OFTEN -- even and reward YEHOVAH God has prepared for us
in the face of the trials and afflictions he if we NEGLECT TO UTILIZE this vital tool!
constantly endured -- to maintain the SPIRIT-
UAL STRENGTH necessary to serve and obey Follow YEHOVAH’s Directions -- You
YEHOVAH God. Won’t “Starve”!
2. Did the “Gentile” (Israelite), Corne-
lius, obviously fast quite often? Acts 10:1-2, Some few who have never fasted are
30-32. Was he therefore selected by YEHOVAH FEARFUL of fasting. Their dilemma occurs
God to be the first “Gentile” of the House of because of a misunderstanding of the word
Israel to receive the gospel and the holy spirit? “fast.” They confuse fasting with “starvation”!
Acts 10:34, 44-45 and 11:18. This is a totally wrong concept. Fasting is NOT
COMMENT: Cornelius lived such a life STARVATION!
of service and overcoming before YEHOVAH When you fast your body automatically
God, that the apostle Peter was sent to him to cuts in and utilizes a reserve fuel supply. You
expound the gospel of the Kingdom and BAP- need not worry about starvation when fasting.
TIZE him and his repentant family. It is most Most people use this false scare as an EXCUSE
significant that Cornelius had been praying and for NOT fasting.
FASTING when YEHOVAH decided to send There is not one single case recorded in
Peter. the Bible of a person dying as a result of fasting
3. Have we seen that the prophet Daniel as YEHOVAH directed. But there are many
CHASTENED himself a great deal by fasting recorded examples of people who would have
OFTEN? Daniel 9:3 and 10:2-3. been SAVED if they had fasted!
COMMENT: We have seen that fasting There is no excuse or reason for anyone
played a vital part in the lives of those YEHO- in NORMAL GOOD HEALTH to be fearful of
VAH used down through history. From these fasting. YEHOVAH hasn’t commanded you to
examples, the principle we should apply in do anything that’s harmful to your body if you’re
determining how often to fast should be based in GOOD HEALTH TO BEGIN WITH! (How-
upon the NEEDS IN OUR LIVES. ever, if you want to fast, but have a health
The PURPOSE of fasting, as it is amply problem which might be aggravated by fasting --
demonstrated in YEHOVAH’s Word, is not to such as DIABETES -- be sure to get expert ad-
punish ourselves as a form of penance, but to vice before fasting.)
HUMBLE ourselves and DRAW CLOSER TO Fasting is not intended to get your mind
YEHOVAH IN PRAYER! Therefore we should on yourself and how you might “starve” to
fast FREQUENTLY enough and LONG enough death! The idea is ridiculous. Rather, get your
to keep ourselves CLOSE TO YEHOVAH GOD mind OFF YOUR FEARS AND ON THE
-- in the vital spiritual condition that will enable POWER OF THE CREATOR GOD! DON’T
us to overcome and endure to the end. BE AFRAID TO FAST!
Everyone of us wants to live the vital, Now here are some perfectly NORMAL
progressive and growing SPIRITUAL life of a REACTIONS in your body which you can
dedicated Christian. Therefore the Messiah has expect to experience while fasting -- reactions
placed fasting at our disposal as a vital tool and which are GOOD FOR YOU.
key to overcoming. The most common sensation experi-
Fasting should become a VERY REAL enced when one first begins fasting is the
PART OF OUR LIVES! churning of the stomach. But this will stop after a
We can fall short of the tremendous goal short time. The stomach is merely doing some
ADJUSTING since it isn’t receiving any food.

Why Christians Should Fast