As we roll into a new year of sharing the “too good to be true news”, we feel compelled to reach deeper into the Love of the Father, Holy Spirit, and the Son. This means we are going to examine some of the common teachings of the religion of Christianity. In the next few months we will likely explore new “what if’s”, who the Holy Spirit really is, and shake some of the rules or laws being taught that don’t line up with the Gospel. Our intention isn’t to cause gnashing of the teeth, even though we are comfortable with the reality we likely will. Our intention is to grow deeper into the Love of the Trinity, and to share His Grace and Mercy with the boldness only possible through the revelation of how much we are loved.

“Our ministry declares that Jesus did not act independently of God. Christ is proof that God reconciled the total cosmos to himself. Deity and humanity embraced in Christ; the fallen state of mankind was deleted; their trespasses would no longer count against them! God has placed this message in us. He now announces his friendship with every individual from within us!” (2 Corinthians 5:19 MBT)

Fasting is one of these so called religious cornerstones in Christianity. Who told you to fast? Did Jesus tell you to fast? Do you have to fast to get closer to God? And What if Fasting isn’t part of the New Covenant and we are now able to party in love, favor, and kindness?

Depending on which translation you read, fasting is mentioned no more than 3 times in any of the New Testament Epistles and in one verse in just 2 of the 4 Gospels. It’s interesting to note that in many translations fasting is not in any Epistle and is not in any of the original manuscripts of the Gospels. Our only conclusion, Jesus didn’t say “this kind can only come out by prayer and fasting” in Mark 9:29 and Matthew 17:21. So, why was it added?

These verses were added by early translators, who translated the original Greek and Hebrew into Latin. Many people today believe these verses benefit Christians, some even claim it gives security to their faith. Others, including Katy and I, believe they were added for a number of reasons that all stem from the desire to add our works to Christ’s completion of the Law. The idea of Fasting is contrary to Christ’s fulfillment of the Old Covenant. Katy and I believe the concept of “I have to prove my love to God to receive His blessings” has been (and is currently being) taught in many churches for several generations, and we know this teaching has caused many to struggle and feel overwhelmed at times. The fear that we need to be pleasing to God is real, but it is not true. He is pleased with all of mankind. He loves you! The good news of Love is essentially why we don’t need to fast, beg, or plead with God. Jesus never told us to fast. Early translators who had been swayed by the philosophies of man told you to.

“Our daily life is now the extension of the Passover celebration; feasting on sustained innocence! The old sin conscious-system, the leaven-mind set, is replaced with an understanding of our unleavened innocence, just like when a diamond is scrutinized in the rays of the sun to confirm its flawless integrity.” (1 Corinthians 5:8 MBT)

“Make sure that you become no one’s victim through empty philosophical intellectualism and meaningless speculations, molded in traditions and repetitions according to mankind’s cosmic codes and superstitions and not consistent with Christ.” (Colossians 2:8 MBT)

Any teaching saying we need to do anything to get closer to God, when lined up with the truth “He will never leave us” (Hebrews 13:5) makes this idea seem sort of whacky. You don’t need to do anything to get closer to God, because He will never leave you. Your Father loves you without restrictions and He will never abandon you.

“And I will agree with the Father to give you another close companion to be with you in such an intimate way that my immediate presence will be fully perceived by you within the timeless zone of the ages! Your eternal companion is the Spirit of truth who cannot be grasped by the world since their visual horizon is veiled and they are not able to understand what they cannot see. But you know because you are already acquainted with the Spirit in me and this same Spirit will reside within you.” (John 14:16-17 MBT) The Holy Spirit lives in all of us, Hallelujah!

The baptism, our complete immersion of the Holy Spirit, provides us with a permanent high speed connection to our Father, giving us the ability to feast on God’s perfect Love. “The many members of the same body do not divide the oneness of the individual. The various gifts and workings of the Spirit of Christ find a beautiful similitude taken from the mutual dependence of the numerous parts of the human body. All the parts unite harmoniously into one whole. The Spirit of Christ is one Spirit; although their workings in each one of us may seem different there is no distraction from their oneness in us. For in one spirit we are all immersed into one body; Jew and Gentile alike, whether we were slave or free is no longer relevant, we are all saturated in one spirit. We are drinking from the same fountain.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13 MBT) With the Spirit residing in us we are able to drink from the fountain of life that lives inside of each of us. This gift is one of the gifts for all ages. Our hearts echo His creation, and echo the love of the Trinity.

Jesus will never divorce you! “At no time will you be orphaned or abandoned by me; I come to abide face to face with you.” (John 14:18 MBT) The magic lies in the undiluted Gospel. The Gospel of Love, Grace, and Mercy. We are His children, He is well pleased with you, He desires your joy to be full, He loves you without conditions, and He has loved you from the foundations of the world. The Son has reconciled the entire world from the wrong belief that had kept mankind from experiencing His Glory. The Holy Spirit has been given to us reminding us of the Fathers Love, but also Her Love and the Son’s unwavering love for all of us.

“Jesus is what God believes about you! In him the righteousness of God is on display in such a way that everyone may be equally persuaded about what God believes about them, regardless of who they are; there is no distinction.” (Romans 3:22 MBT)

The New Covenant is clear, the only fasting that will benefit us is staying away from the deception of the Devil, the idea or beliefs that came from eating from the “tree of good and evil.” All of mankind is loved by God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Son. As Katy and I grow in this perfect union, naturally things will change. The layers of wrong beliefs that have crept into our hearts since early child hood will be evicted and replaced with the goodness of God.

“I desire for you to realize what the Father has always envisioned for you, so that you may know the magnitude of his intent and be dynamically reinforced in your inner being by the Spirit of God. This will ignite your faith to fully grasp the reality of the indwelling Christ. You are rooted and founded in love. Love is your invisible inner source, just like the root system of a tree and the foundation of a building. Love is your reservoir of super human strength which causes you to see everyone equally sanctified in the context of the limitless extent of love’s breadth and length and the extremities of its dimensions in depth and height. I desire for you to become intimately acquainted with the love of Christ on the deepest possible level; far beyond the reach of a mere academic, intellectual grasp. Within the scope of this equation God finds the ultimate expression of himself in you. We celebrate him who supercharges us powerfully from within. Our biggest request or most amazing dream cannot match the extravagant proportion of his thoughts towards us. He is both the author and conclusion of the glory on display in the ecclesia, mirrored in Christ Jesus. The encore continues throughout every generation, not only in this age but also in the countless ages to come. Amen!” (Ephesians 3:16-21 MBT)

Blessings

Kurt and Katy

MBT= Mirror Bible Translation