Know What You're Getting

Twice a year, my Honey and I do a three week Daniel Fast to focus on hearing from God in serving Him. A Daniel fast is not a full out fast where you abstain from all food but follows the dietary practices recorded in the Book of Daniel. We fast meats, sweets, breads, dairy, and anything that is not natural and healthy. We can have whole grains, legumes (beans), vegetables, and fruit. This is a healthy fast. My body deals with diabetes and I cannot do a full fast. The Daniel fast is awesome.

I have a book titled "What Would Jesus Eat?" No hamburgers and fries there, I assure you. It did not say Jesus was a vegetarian either. He ate natural, healthy foods, walked everywhere, got plenty of sunshine and nary a processed food product passed His lips. We would do well to follow His example.

There are a number of vegetarian products out there to replace meat. Some of which taste quite good. In fact, a regular breakfast for me includes a Spicy Black Bean (soy) Burger (it's a patty) topped with an egg. Protein, great taste and a satisfied tummy & tongue. I add salsa once and a while because it diminishes any salt cravings. It looks like meat, functions like meat but is completely meat free. It has 73% less fat than ground beef, only 120 calories, and 17% of my daily protein needs and well within my Daniel fast commitment. I eat this regularly, not just when fasting.

Why, you might be asking, am I sharing this with you? I said all that to say this, my Spicy Black Bean Burger looks, tastes and functions as real meat…it is made to appear as such to appeal, psychologically, to people. People may be choosing not to eat meat but they like their non-meat to look like it meat anyway. This same principle is happening in the world of faith and church, as well. People can build a building that looks like a church and sounds like a church but is not the real Church…not the Church Jesus came to build. Anyone can stand behind a pulpit, doesn't make them a minister preaching the Word of the Living God. That old saying, "If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck" does not hold true in all that looks and sounds like a church.

The Bible tells us to be on guard for false teachers are out there. I do not believe we are instructed to do so merely as a precaution. It's a threat to the Christian community and to humanity's eternal salvation. We should take this seriously. Entire denominations teach that Jesus is not the Son of God. This, Folks, constitutes an antichrist doctrine. We are told in 1 John that anyone denying the Lordship of Jesus is an antichrist. By definition in the original Greek, antichrist means someone that denies or opposes Jesus. We know Scripture tells of THE Antichrist to come in the last hour, but the word antichrist used in that context means 'false Messiah' and is a synonym of the original Greek word use which means 'denies or opposes Christ.'

I think it is imperative that we see these people as lost souls. They are ministered to by antichrists and they become antichrists. Can we, as Christians, sit by and watch from the bleachers while multitudes are spreading out like ants taking an antichrist message to the world, even to our own doorsteps? I think not! I think some righteous indignation is called for and a call to arms to stand up and refute that message loudly and often! Hey, my Spicy Black Bean Burger tastes good, I like it…..it's still not meat! These false teachers can make their false doctrines just as palatable…it still isn't the truth!

The difference? I do not believe my little black bean patties ARE meat. I am not deceived into thinking that. The words on the package clearly state exactly what goes into making them. People under the leadership of false teachers are spoon-fed lies and relish every bite. False teachers claim to be the real deal serving up an authentic message. It is a 'fast of the truth' and their people do not even know they are fasting.

FYI – my Honey and I usually do the Daniel Fast in January to kick off the new year but this year we will be in Costa Rica on a mission trip. We are fasting, instead, November 28^th thru December18th. Notice that is between Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas! If you'd like to join us on the fast, let us know so we can encourage one another. And, Honey…no matter how often you say it, ketchup is NOT a vegetable!