Study the Word

Guest (Male): Pastor Thom Keller on Study the Word.

Pastor Thom Keller: All of these heroes of the faith fasted: Moses, David, Elijah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Anna, the disciples, the elders of the church in Antioch, the Roman centurion Cornelius in Acts chapter 10, the New Testament apostles including Paul, and Jesus himself fasted.

Guest (Male): In the practice of fasting, Nehemiah is joined by a long list of well-known people in the Bible, the first being Moses while on Mount Sinai. This is Study the Word, the radio ministry of Calvary Chapel Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Thank you for joining us. Today our Bible teacher Pastor Thom Keller will discuss the biblical historical account of fasting and a few other things as well. We're in Nehemiah chapter 1.

Pastor Thom Keller: Okay, we're going to launch off of Nehemiah this morning, Nehemiah chapter 1. If you need a Bible, if you raise your hand, they'll bring one to you. We will be looking at some other verses today. Are there any prayers that you've given up on? Maybe today's lesson will revive hope for some of those prayers that you have prayed for a long, long time. Let's start Nehemiah chapter 1, verse 1 to 4.

It says these are the memoirs of Nehemiah, son of Hacaliah. Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem. They said to me, things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace.

The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire. When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven. So let's begin by looking at the biblical historical account of fasting. All of these heroes of the faith fasted: Moses, David, Elijah, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Anna, the disciples, the elders of the church in Antioch, the Roman centurion Cornelius in Acts chapter 10, the New Testament apostles including Paul, and Jesus himself fasted.

During Jesus's day, regular fasting by the Jews appeared to have been a normal discipline that Jews followed. In Matthew 9, verse 14, we read this. Then John's disciples came and asked him, Jesus, how is it that we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not? And so John's disciples made it clear that the Pharisees fasted and John the Baptist's disciples fasted, but why do yours not?

Some people use this as a reason to say Jesus's disciples did not fast, but if you think about it, how could Jesus have answered this question? They said why do your disciples not fast? He could not say they do because he told them when you fast, do it in secret. He could not confirm that they do what he told them not to say publicly. And there are a lot of cases like that.

Jesus said, "Man, who made me judge over you?" when deciding an argument between the estate of two brothers. Well, he is judge over all the universe. He said, "Why do you call me good? Only God is good." He was God. On the road to Emmaus, when they explained what happened, he said, "What things?" So there are times where Jesus says something different, and you have to really look at what is going on in that scene.

In Luke 18, Luke 18:12 says, "I fast twice a week." This is a self-righteous Pharisee. "I fast twice a week and I give you a tenth of my income." Now, all that says is that for the self-righteous Pharisee, this was expected. They were expected to fast twice a week. And so there is little doubt that millions of Christians alive today fast on a regular basis, although you won't necessarily hear about it from them.

Why? Because of Jesus's teaching in Matthew 6. He said this, Jesus speaking, "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. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 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."

So here we discover a couple guidelines Jesus gives us concerning fasting. Number one is notice what he said. He doesn't say if you fast, he says when you fast, the assumption being that we do. Number two, he says don't make it obvious. Don't make a show of it. Don't make it known. Number three, anoint your head, wash your hair, so it will not appear to others as though you are fasting.

The point: try to hide it. If someone asks you if you want to go out for lunch, you don't go, "Oh, brother, oh, I'm fasting today. Oh, it's rough, it's rough. Yeah, I'm fasting today." No, you can say, "Yeah, I'll go out to lunch with you," right? You can fast another day. Or you can say, "I don't think so. Not today, maybe another time." But just keep it low-key.

It's along the lines of Jesus's other admonition about not telling others when we give. Matthew 6, verse 3: "But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Give your gifts in private, and your Father who sees everything will reward you." Same idea as that. And what are some reasons to fast? Fasting helps subject our bodies to our spirit.

Fasting is disciplining the body, mind, and spirit. Fasting is subordinating our flesh desires to our spirit desires. Fasting helps set priorities in our lives. Fasting is longing after God. And why should we fast? Well, we honor God by doing it. It helps humble ourselves. It brings repentance. It brings discernment. It brings deliverance from sinful bondage.

A man came up to me after the first service last week and he said, "I struggled with anger for 38 years. I tried everything. I went to counseling. I tried everything I could." And he said, "I fasted, and three days into my fast, I felt something break in heaven, and I haven't struggled with anger since then." It destroys strongholds of doubt. It can increase confidence and effectiveness in your prayer life.

God can use it to bring revelation to you, and he can use it to bring revival, both personal and corporate. We said this before, but if you have a medical condition or you're dealing with an eating disorder, please check with your physician to make sure fasting is safe for you. With eating disorders, there's little aim to actually engage with God. Food is used to medicate, to control horizontally, and repress emotion.

Christian fasting and discipline is about feasting on and engaging with God vertically. That's the difference. Another type of alternative fasting could be a media fast. We talked about this especially with eating disorders because so many times our poor self-image and insecurities stem from using the world as a mirror rather than seeing ourselves through God's eyes. Jonathan Edwards, many of you know that name, was a man used by God during the First Great Awakening.

I've read that he preached in a weak, squeaking, monotone voice and held his tiny manuscript so close to his face that people could not see his expression. And when he preached the famous sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" in his weak, squeaking, monotone voice, people had to strain to hear him. It is said that he preached that sermon so powerfully but without energy, without eloquence, without theatrics.

It was said that as Edwards preached that sermon, strong men gripped the pews as if they felt themselves falling into hell. But for three days before he preached that sermon, Edwards did not eat. Claiming New England for Christ was the only thing that mattered to him. Prayer was important to him. Food was not. Nothing distracted him. He finally rose from his knees and made his way to the pulpit.

It was said he was so weak he could barely prop himself up. And before he even opened his mouth, great conviction had already fallen on the congregation. That is a power of prayer and fasting. Edwards wrote this: "One thing more I would like to mention concerning fasting and prayer, wherein I think there has been a neglect of this by ministers. And although they recommend and much insist on the duty of secret prayer in their preaching, there is so little said about secret fasting."

"It is a duty recommended by our Savior to his followers, just in like manner as secret prayer." He continues, "It seems to me fasting to be a duty that all professing Christians should practice, and frequently practice. There are many occasions of both spiritual and temporal nature that properly require it. And there are many particular mercies we desire for ourselves or friends that it would be proper in this manner to seek of God."

Strong admonition to our church today. So what are some things you will discover once you start fasting? Well, number one, you will discover that after one or two days, around that point, your hunger goes away and won't return until starvation sets in. Number two, your tongue will get white, and that's evidence that you're giving off impurities. You'll get bad breath. Number three, over long fasts, your urine will get dark or even black.

And that's because your body is giving off toxins that it's held onto for many, many years. Number four, you will have diminished energy. Number five, you will be clearer thinking. This is true. Oxygen that would have been diverted to your digestive system to break down food is available to your mind, to your brain, and so you can think better. Six, you will find yourself less haughty, prideful, and even better than that, others will find that about you as well.

Seven, you will be more focused in your prayer time and Bible reading. Number eight, you will be more focused, attentive, and less distracted in general. And then I just added it here. People say, "What about water? Is it water only, liquids only?" When I fast, I drink coffee because I have to. I need to. So I'm just telling you what I drink. I try not to drink things with calories, but I do drink other than water.

And add this. Beyond the spiritual benefits, which are many and primary, there are also significant medical benefits associated with fasting. Dr. Sinkay, who has been researching fasts since 1976, says this. Number one, fasting promotes detoxification. As a body breaks down fat reserves, it mobilizes and eliminates stored toxins. Two, fasting gives the digestive system a much-needed rest. After fasting, both digestion and elimination are invigorated.

Number three, fasting promotes the resolution of inflammatory processes such as rheumatoid arthritis. Number four, fasting quiets allergic reactions, including asthma and hay fever. Number five, fasting promotes a drying up of abnormal fluid accumulation, such as edema in the ankles and legs and swelling in the abdomen. Number six, fasting can help correct high blood pressure without drugs. Fasting will normalize blood pressure, and in the vast majority of cases, the blood pressure will remain low after the fast if the person follows a health-supporting diet and lifestyle.

Seven, fasting helps to overcome bad habits and addictions. Listen, many people have overcome tobacco and alcohol addiction by fasting and even drug addiction. Fasting rapidly dissipates the craving for nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, and other drugs. A Dr. Balcon found that T-cells—if you know T-cells are killer cells, they are what goes after infections in your body—Dr. Balcon found that T-cells retreat into food-rich bone marrow during a fast and suddenly become supercharged when they return from the bone marrow.

Dr. Longo, who is a professor of gerontology and biological science at USC, says that high levels of the growth hormone IGF-1 appear to lead to accelerated aging and related diseases. When IGF-1 levels are reduced in mice, the mice can expect to live 40% longer, equivalent to a human life expectancy of 120, but most importantly in better health. When I read that, I instantly thought of Anna in Luke chapter 2.

It says, "Now there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, who had lived with her husband seven years from her virginity. And this woman was a widow of about 84 years, who did not depart from the temple but served God with fastings and prayers night and day." If you add all those years up, it comes to about 105 years old. Night and day, she served God in the temple, praying and fasting.

Dr. Longo goes on and says this: "The reason for this longevity is that with these levels of growth hormone reduced, our bodies switch over from producing growth cells and instead focus on producing cells that repair the body. This is why when a person gets very ill, they lose their appetite. So when the illness occurs, the body instinctively works to reduce these levels of IGF-1 in order to focus on repairing the body by producing T-cells."

Dr. Longo says, "As levels of IGF-1 hormone drop, repair genes appear to get switched on." And fasting helps with epilepsy. A 1920 Columbia University study found that seizures were dramatically reduced in epileptics who fasted. And as a result of these findings, many hospitals adopted fasting as a treatment for epilepsy. However, when the drug industry formulated anti-convulsant drugs in the '30s, the fasting remedy was abandoned.

But the research is still there proving fasting's effectiveness for epilepsy. In the Science Daily journal, December 2012, it says children with persistent and drug-resistant seizures treated with a high-fat, low-carb diet may get an added therapeutic benefit from periodic fasting, according to a Johns Hopkins children's study. The results suggest that fasting does not merely intensify the therapeutic effects of the ketogenic diet but may actually represent an entirely new way to change the metabolism of children with epilepsy, says lead investigator Adam Hartman, who is a pediatric neurologist at Johns Hopkins.

Another benefit noted by Dr. Longo is out of a new animal study, which suggests that fasting might improve the outcome for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Catherine Hepstead echoes that saying fasting might not only protect human cells against damage from chemo, but it could also make the treatments more deadly to cancer cells. Scientific American magazine reported this: "A new study found that mice with cancer fasting prior to chemotherapy often led to more tumor shrinkage than chemo alone."

"And in some cases, the combination apparently eliminated certain kinds of cancer. This fasting-chemo combo, researchers suggest, could extend the lives of advanced-stage cancer patients by both retarding tumor progression and reducing side effects," they noted in their study. And fasting has other neurological benefits. Mark Mattson, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins, says this: "A multicultural clinical trial at the University of Toronto in April found that 220 healthy non-obese adults who maintained a calorie-restricted diet for two years showed signs of improving memory and a battery of cognitive tests."

Mattson concludes: "We are at a transition point where we could soon consider adding information about intermittent fasting to medical school curricula alongside standard advice about healthy diets and exercise." And listen to how science now confirms the benefit of fasting exactly two days a week, as the Jews have been doing for over 2,000 years and as the Christian church has been practicing for 2,000 years: fasting two days a week.

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine published a paper where they reviewed multiple strategies for fasting in order to determine the best and most beneficial and effective fasting schedule. The results: two nearly equal options as far as benefit. Number one is a time-restricted fast, seven days a week. Eat at noon, dinner no later than 8:00 p.m., and no food in between, which gives you a 16-hour fast each day. Do that seven days a week.

That's one way. Or option two is to fast two days a week. Isn't that interesting? That's what they found. A woman last week came up to me and said that she had had diabetes. Eating only two meals a day, seven days a week, she lost 60 pounds, lost her desire for sweets, is no longer diabetic, and doesn't have to pay $300 a month for meds. So as we conclude this section on medical benefits associated with fasting, here is a concise outline of some of the medical benefits.

Studies discovered that intermittent fasting augments associative spatial and working memory in animals as well as verbal memory in adults. Blood pressure and resting heart rate are just two of the cardiovascular factors improved through intermittent fasting. Young men that fast for 16 hours—there's that 16 hours again—lost fat while maintaining muscle mass, while mice who maintain alternative-day fasting displayed superior running endurance.

In animal studies, intermittent fasting prevented obesity. Six short studies of obese adults show that intermittent fasting is effective for weight loss. And tissue damage: in animals, intermittent fasting limits tissue damage and improves surgical outcomes. That's from Johns Hopkins research. So how does today's lesson apply to me? Well, first again, a disclaimer. If you have underlying medical conditions or you struggle with eating disorders, before you fast, please check with your healthcare provider.

Secondly, God won't love you more if you fast. He won't love you more. You don't have to walk through that door. You don't have to go through that discipline of fasting. But what I wanted to do this morning is share reasons why you just might want to begin. So let me close with Jonathan Edwards's thoughts on fasting one more time. He said fasting is a duty recommended by our Savior to his followers, just in like manner as secret prayer.

"It seems to me fasting to be a duty," Edwards again, "that all professing Christians should practice, and frequently practice. There are many occasions of both a spiritual and temporal nature that properly require it, and there are many particular mercies we desire for ourselves or friends that it would be proper in this manner to seek of God." So again, folks, please listen carefully what I say next. Fasting really could change your life.

It could. It could change the outcome of your prayers. It could change the outcome of spiritual warfare you've been doing. Make it more effective. Does scripture support that? Absolutely. But you need to act on this. This is all on you. It will require your own self-discipline to follow through. I have said this before, but I think this is so profound. In almost every area of life, we get mentors, tutors, supervisors that help discipline us, make us do those things we need to do in order to be successful.

Imagine how poorly a company would run if there would be no supervisors, no managers. Think what that would look like. And yet in our spiritual journey, we don't get that person. You get a person on a Sunday morning, a Bible study leader, in your own devotional time you read, and the Lord prompts you to do certain things. But nobody comes and checks up on you if you're doing it. That all comes down to you.

The most important area of your whole life, your spiritual disciplines, your spiritual life, comes down to you doing those things you need to do in order to stay connected to God. And this is one of those areas. It all comes down to you. And you probably won't get another lesson on this for another 10 years. In fact, when's the last time you heard an in-depth teaching on fasting?

I checked, and the last time I taught on this was February of 2013, almost nine years ago. And in my first 40 years of being in a church, I never heard a message on fasting. So are you willing to commit yourself to purposing to add fasting to your spiritual discipline? I received an email from someone who was listening online, and this is what he wrote. "We have been having heavy emotional issues with our adult children."

"It reached a point where I feared we would never see my son or grandchildren again. I have been praying for some time, but after listening to Sunday's message, I decided to fast and pray. God is so good. Even before I was completed with the day's fast, I saw a complete turnaround in my son's attitude. It was like something had a hold of his heart and then let go. After a long discussion, we are closer now than ever before. Praise God and thank you for your teaching."

How many more stories are there like this in this congregation if we just would take this discipline seriously? Is this something that you're willing to commit to God to purpose to try to begin this practice and discipline?

Guest (Male): Thanks for joining us today for Study the Word with Pastor Thom Keller. We're in the book of Nehemiah right now. Hey, to give this a second listen, either go to our website at ccleb.com or visit our YouTube page. Subscribe to our channel at Calvary Chapel Lebanon, and you can watch our services live or on demand. We can also send you a CD copy if you'll call 717-273-5633.

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Hey, let me also give you our mailing address: Study the Word, 740 Willow Street, Lebanon, Pennsylvania 17046. We hope you can join us for a Sunday service. For more information or to watch the live stream, visit ccleb.com or again, go to our YouTube channel at Calvary Chapel Lebanon. We'll cover some more ground in Nehemiah next time on Study the Word with Pastor Thom Keller. This program is furnished on this station by Calvary Chapel Lebanon, Pennsylvania.