.  Living Hope Fellowship Church....Sermons by the Pastor 

SANCTIFIED FAST

by Pastor Kevin Badgley

            James 5:16 says, “. . . The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” 

            Elijah was a man just like you and me, and was subject to the same troubles, needs, lusts, strengths and weaknesses.  James 5:17 says, “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”  James 5:18 says, “And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”  There is fruit in the earth, but it takes rain to bring it forth. 

            The first New Testament Christians cast out devils, healed the sick, the blind were made to see, and the deaf were made to hear.  The sinner was compelled to come in.  They brought the preacher in not to preach the funeral, but to raise the dead!  They turned the world upside down, and God called that a moderate revival. 

            Joel 2:23 says, “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.” 

            Rain brings life back to the earth, a quickening, moisture and sustenance.  It causes the earth to bring forth its fruit.  You have no idea what is in that dirt, what is hidden in the ground.  All the seeds are scattered and laying there waiting. 

When Elijah prayed there came a rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.  You have no idea what is fixing to come out of the ground, what is fixing to come from the North, South, East, and West.  We must have the rain to make revival come alive.  God is still on the throne.  God help us to PRAY.

Folks, we’ve worked the soil, and planted, and now we need some RAIN.  If we don’t get some rain, all the fertilizer in the world will not grow a harvest unto God.  We need a move of God that will compel the sinner and the backslider, the cold and unbelieving to come to God.  God help us to PRAY.

Think about people who are impossible to get to.  Think about the hard headed, the unbelieving, and the brutal, abusive people.  Think about those who have mocked and scoffed for years.  You think God has cut them off, but when this move of God comes, God is going to save some impossible people.  The anointing that is coming will bring life.  When the latter rain comes and catches them, that seed is going to grow up and drive the devil out.   The Holy Ghost anointing of God, which God says is the latter rain, rains on them, they will be saying, “What must I do to be saved?”  They will be grabbing you by the collar, not to tune you up, but to beg you how to get saved.

The former rain was for seed time, and the latter rain is for harvest.  If we pray, God will send us the latter rain. 

That is what it is going to take in order for the church to rapture away.  It is going to take the latter rain anointing on the dry ground so the plants will come up and prosper and bring many people into the kingdom before that great and terrible day of the Lord come. 

The seed of the kingdom of God is the Word of God, and it is already sown in many hearts, but we need to pray that it will be quickened and made alive.  2 Corinthians 3:6 says, “Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.”

God wants to heal the sick, cast out devils, and open the eyes of the blind, so we have to get radical.  Romans 13:11 says, “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”

God is going to bring a mighty revival.  Joel 2:15-17 says, “Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:  Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.  Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them. . . .”

You can read all of Isaiah, Chapter 58, which gives us details about acceptable fasts unto the Lord.  When God’s people fast and pray, God will move.  Isaiah 58:5-6 says, “Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?  Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?”

Fasting humbles us.  2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear. . . .”  Then He will forgive and heal.  Joel 2:18 says, “Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people.”  He will have mercy.

After this takes place, Joel 2:21 says, “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.”  Verse 22 says, “Be not afraid. . . .”

Verse 23 says, “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.”  The first month is Abib, the month of deliverance. 

Joel 2:24 says, “And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.”  People are going to be slain out all over the place, and there will be plenty of anointing.  Many have wasted their lives, but Joel 2:25 says, “And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten. . . .”  If you want this promise, you have to meet the conditions. 

What about your family?  Joel 2:28-29 says, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:  And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.”  Servants are anybody. 

Joel 2:30 says, “And I will shew wonders. . . .”  Joel 2:31 says, “. . . before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.”  We are going to see all of these things before the Lord comes.  This is one reason why I preach there is going to be a great revival right before the rapture. 

Few Christians fast to sanctify themselves to the Lord.  David said in Psalm 69:10, “When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting. . . .”  When you come to a crossroads, and nothing seems to be working, and carnality seems to creep up and just take you over, try fasting to the Lord.  Sometimes it is impossible to go any further until there is a break through from God. 

Isaiah 10:27 says, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.”  It will never be reconnected. 

Joel 2:32 says, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered. . . .”