FASTING TODAY
There is nothing wrong with the occasional abstinence from food.
However, there is no requirement for Christians.
In the Old Testament, the rules laid down for the Jews, had relevance to specific purpose, (see: Lev. and Deut.), and were a precursor, for full understanding of the Righteous requirements of God (and were a foreshadow of The Perfect Sacrifice, Jesus). Remembering that the Jews were commissioned to take The Truth to the nations, these rules were needed, to cleans them, and to remind them!
Our Lord did comment to His disciples, (Matt. 17:21), when they could not cast out certain evil spirits, “this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting”, implying that fasting has special powers of strengthening. Jesus here was talking whilst on His special mission to Israel, “I come only to the lost sheep of Israel”, (Matt. 15:24), and was the pre-Kingdom Age. It is very likely that similar conditions will prevail when Israel is again “Ammi”, (My people), see: "Israel; My Firstborn son".
For now, Christians can occasionally fast, but it is not a requirement! It should never be for more than one day, (unless for medical reasons), because we have a duty to stay healthy for our witness, appearance, for family, and for our reputations as Christians.
There is real danger that individuals will weaken themselves physically, and damage their health. Also, the enemy, Satan, is continually looking for whatever way he can attack a person, so as to allow his spirits to affect, or in a non-Christian, to take possession! The Apostle Paul made it very clear that all food should be received with thanksgiving.
A real problem is that some groups advocate fasting. The groups in question look identical to genuine Christian groups! Some are called Pentecostal, others Charismatic, but they go under many titles. They have a number of common characteristics, they demand complete adherence to the leaders, to the exclusion of ones own mind; and in particular they state that if the person cannot perform miraculous acts, they are not saved! They base these teachings on "the signs following" of Acts 2, taking those events completely out of context. If a person questions these teachings, they invariably become aggressive, and even belligerent! Their teaching on fasting weakens the person to their will, and makes them easier to control, see: Charismatic Teaching:
An interesting indicator to the genuine seeker of Truth, is that women often are very active in these aberrant groups, and even hold positions of "ministry", which goes completely against Paul's teaching! 1Tim. 2:12, "but I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over a man, but to be in silence". Paul goes on to say that women's role is teaching women and children, and caring for their household.
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