Let’s face it: Too many people do not want to know the truth because it costs something. “BUY the truth and sell it not,” the Word of God peels out like a whistle tooting the message that “It’s dinner time”! Are we deaf? If we aren’t, how do we buy the truth we need to make us whole? I believe we must take inventory to make sure that our hearts are “stocked up” with the Word of God:

#1. “Give and it shall be given to you, pressed down and RUNNING OVER.” (Luke 6: 38) This isn’t just about money. Do we give the words of life we’ve received, or do we keep them just for ourselves? Know that if we give them out,…. if we preach the word in season and out of season, we’ll be like a rushing river that never dries up,…. not a Dead Sea.

#2. Are we like Barnabas full of encouragement, letting others know the blessing they are to us and giving them a lift when they’re down through a word we’ve gotten in prayer for them?

#3. Are we thankful and make our thanks known when someone helps us, or are we like the nine ungrateful ones who Jesus healed that never came back to thank Him? I have known people who seemed to think they were owed a living. Oh, that we never become that way, but instead may we be ones who owe others love.

#4. Jesus went around doing good wherever He went. Have we made this a priority in our lives? He said that He came to minister, not be ministered to. How about us?

If we are not full of love and good works, why is that? I believe God’s chosen fast tells us in Isaiah 58: 6-14: “Is this not 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 you break every yoke?

Is it not to deal your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor that are cast out to your house? When you see the naked, that you cover him; and that you hide not yourself from your own flesh? THEN…. Yay, a whole bunch of wonderful “THEN”’s will be coming our way, and not only our way: THEN the people of the world will rejoice! Then…… Then…… Then……

I learned something today and am compelled to share it with you in case you are unaware that the translators of most of our Bibles OMITTED something crucial for the salvation of our souls. Paul referred to fasting and fastings in three separate scriptures, (II Cor. 6: 5, II Cor. 11: 27) and I Cor. 7: 5,) yet, they are not in seven of the Bibles that most Christians use. Thank God that they are in Strong’s Concordance (based on the King James version) and Young’s Literal translation, so the question is WHY have the other translations omitted “fasting” when it is clearly in the Greek original? That the devil led them to do this is obvious and lets us know it’s of great importance.

There are some who teach that fasting has been done away with, but look at I Cor. 7: 5  written to married couples: “Defraud not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your inconsistency.” It’s very clear that this scripture refers to literal fasting.

When the truth is removed from scripture, NO ONE can be set free. Jesus, Himself, said “This kind can not go out but by prayer and fasting.” (Matthew 17: 21) He was riled up that the disciples didn’t deliver the deaf and dumb child, and spoke some strong words about it: “O faithless and perverse generation, how long should I be with you? How long shall I suffer you?”

Can you hear it? Jesus EXPECTED them to do it, and NOW, He expects us to cast out demons through our prayers and fasting. Will we do it?…..Or will we turn a blind eye because we love our bellies too much? Brethren, This has been the missing key as to why so many in the body of Christ have been bound. I pray that God will give each of us grace and grant us His power to do what we’ve been called to do. THEN it shall be said of us:

“These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name they shall cast out devils; They shall speak with the new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (Mark 16- 16-18)

Just as I went to send this post out, the Lord let me know He wanted extra prayer over it. During the time I prayed in tongues, I was given a vision of Him giving out giant golden keys, one by one, to many, and let me know that His aroma will be smelled. Yay, instead of our having just the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, when we use our golden keys, we shall have the “fragrance” of the knowledge. Hallelujah!