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6 Hope of Israel Ministries BIBLE Correspondence Course Lesson 35

spirit and in Heaven -- the disciples followed the
teaching of the Messiah and FASTED OFTEN
to become SPIRITUALLY CLOSER to YEHO-
VAH God.
The Messiah’s clear-cut and concise
teaching applies to all of his spirit-begotten
children today since they are still fleshly mortal
beings. Yeshua’s teaching reveals that fasting is
the way a physical human being can truly
HUMBLE himself and really DRAW CLOSE to
YEHOVAH God in prayer!
4. After his resurrection, what ORDER
did the Messiah give his Ecclesias? Matthew
28:18-19. Did he command his apostles to
TEACH ALL THINGS he had commanded
THEM to do? Verse 20. Haven’t we just seen
that the Messiah taught them to fast?
COMMENT: Since the Messiah does
not change (Hebrews 13:8), his commands to
the early Ecclesias also apply to all Christians
through the centuries! He expects Christians
today to worship the ever-living God in the
SAME WAY. THEREFORE YEHOVAH GOD Old city of Damascus, Syria, with Roman wall. It
EXPECTS HIS SPIRIT-BEGOTTEN CHIL- was in ancient Damascus that the blinded apos-
DREN TO FAST TODAY! tle Paul spent three days fasting and praying to
YEHOVAH God.
Example of the Early Ecclesias

The early New Testament Ecclesias of 2. After YEHOVAH God sent Ananias
YEHOVAH God was a FASTING church. And to Paul so he might receive his sight, did Paul
it was filled with SPIRITUAL POWER! Let’s show his willingness and desire to humbly obey
look at the example YEHOVAH’s early YEHOVAH God by BURYING his old sinful
Ecclesias set for us today. way of life in the waters of baptism? Acts
1. When the Messiah struck down the 9:17-18.
apostle Paul (who was then Saul) on the road to 3. Did Paul later command Christians to
Damascus, did Paul spend the next three days FOLLOW his EXAMPLES of Christian living
FASTING? Acts 9:8-9. Did he also spend this in the EXACT MANNER he followed the
time PRAYING? Verses 10-11. examples set by the Messiah? I Corinthians
COMMENT: A most DRAMATIC 11:1 and Philippians 3:16-17. Did Paul CON-
CHANGE was taking place in Paul’s life. This TINUE to follow the Messiah’s example by
was the time of Paul’s CONVERSION! HE fasting often? II Corinthians 11:27.
WAS crying out to YEHOVAH God with ALL COMMENT: Paul himself set an
of his being while he fasted. PAUL WAS EXAMPLE in spiritual fasting for the Ecclesias
HUMBLING himself before YEHOVAH by of YEHOVAH God. In recounting his harrow-
FASTING, and PRAYING for His mercy and ing experiences as a minister of YEHOVAH
forgiveness! God, he related that he was in “countless

Why Christians Should Fast