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    Fasting Outside the Box: Fasting Guidelines for Beginners
    Fasting Outside the Box: Fasting Guidelines for Beginners
    Fasting Outside the Box: Fasting Guidelines for Beginners
    Ebook126 pages2 hours

    Fasting Outside the Box: Fasting Guidelines for Beginners

    By John K. Bankas

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    About this ebook

    If there is ever a chance to understand fasting once and for all and incorporated it into your spiritual life, Fasting Outside the Box will exceed your expectations and revolutionize your walk with God.

    The differentiation of fasting inside or outside the box is very thought-provoking as it reveals the contrast between ones motives and the condition of the heart. Fasting was commonplace with the early leaders of the Church and it is still one of the most impactful disciplines that draws us into a closer intimacy with God. Pastor Bankas maintains that fasting not only ignites the fire of our devotion and commitment to God but also intensifies and strengthens our prayer life.

    With great insight, he shows you how to
    Hang out with God
    Purify your heart
    Come near to God
    Receive the secret pearls of fasting
    Know why you should fast

    John Bankas leaves footprints wherever he goes. I see Fasting Outside the Box as a written expression and extension of this pastors love for everyone he meets. Here is a book that will definitely leave indelible footprints on your heart.
    Bruce D. Johnson, Superintendent of Redwood Christian Schools, Castro Valley, California.

    Fasting Outside the Box is born out of a consistent life of prayer and fasting led by Pastor John. He is not theorizing about fasting or writing about a vicarious experience he has had with it. This book describes a firsthand experience.
    Dada A. Daodu, Special Education Teacher; Technical Assistant, Kogi State, Nigeria.

    Fasting Outside the Box takes the fear and mystery out of fasting and gives a clear, step-by-step understanding of how fasting can benefit you, especially in developing an intimacy with God.
    Joy J. Zandona, final-year MAT student at Fuller Theological Seminary, California.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWestBow Press
    Release dateSep 12, 2012
    ISBN9781449755782
    Fasting Outside the Box: Fasting Guidelines for Beginners
    Author

    John K. Bankas

    John K. Bankas (M.Div., American Baptist Seminary of the West in Berkeley, California) has served as Dean of Student Ministry at SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary in Oakland and instructor of Strategies for Evangelism & Discipleship, Theology of Prayer, and Church Internship. He is Senior Pastor of Action Christian Center in Castro Valley, California, and is the author of other manuals such as Hanging Out With God, The Seven Basic Characteristics of Effective Christians, and The Theology of Fasting. John and his wife, Mary, live in Castro Valley, California, with their children, Lily and Michael.

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      Book preview

      Fasting Outside the Box - John K. Bankas

      Copyright © 2013 by John K. Bankas.

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      Bible Versions used in Fasting Outside the Box

      Good News Bible: Today’s English Version. New York: American Bible Society (1976).

      New American Standard Bible. Colorado Springs: International Bible Society, (1997).

      New International Version. Anaheim, CA: Foundation Press (1973).

      The Holy Bible, New King James Version. Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1982.

      The Message. Colorado Springs: Navpress (1993).

      WestBow Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

      WestBow Press

      A Division of Thomas Nelson

      1663 Liberty Drive

      Bloomington, IN 47403

      www.westbowpress.com

      1-(866) 928-1240

      Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

      Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

      ISBN: 978-1-4497-5576-8 (hc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4497-5577-5 (sc)

      ISBN: 978-1-4497-5578-2 (e)

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2012910387

      WestBow Press rev. date: 07/31/2013

      Contents

      Foreword by Supt. Bruce Johnson

      Preface

      Acknowledgments

      Chapter One

      The Royal Road of Intimacy!

      Hanging Out with God

      Fasting Inside the Box

      Chapter Two

      Fasting Insights

      Chapter Three

      Defining Fasting

      Normal Fast

      Absolute Fast

      Partial Fast

      Chapter Four

      The Theology of Fasting

      Submission to God (SB) — Obedience

      Purify Your Heart (PF) — Sincere and honest

      Lament, Mourn, and Weep (LM) — Remorsefulness

      Humility Before God (HT) — Yield your life to God

      Cleanse Your Hands (CH) — Blamelessness or Innocence

      Come Near to God (CN) — Intimacy with God

      Resist the Devil (RS) — Be strong in the Lord

      A Closer Look into Fasting

      Chapter Five

      The Secret Pearls of Fasting

      Chapter Six

      Biblical and Historical Insights on Fasting

      When Should I Fast?

      Who Should Fast?

      Children and Fasting

      Pregnancy and Fasting

      Sex and Fasting

      Sickness and Fasting

      Chapter Seven

      The Practicum of Fasting

      A Seven-Day Fasting Schedule

      Endorsements

      References

      Author Biography

      Dedication

      To Mary, my wife, Lily and Michael, my children, and Patsy Friday, Dilys Anku, and Marilyn Escoto, my spiritual mothers:

      The unfailing bond you have with me has resulted in this harvest in the hands of many precious souls!

      To the Reader

      Fasting Outside the Box is not in any way a scientific document.

      It is, however, a biblical and spiritual message that contains practical insights revolving principally around faith and intimacy with God. For that matter, it is vital that you consult your physician before you proceed with fasting if you are medically challenged in any fashion.

      Every individual needs revolution, inner division, overthrow of the existing order, and renewal . . . Individual self-reflection, return of the individual to the ground of human nature, to his own deepest being with its individual and social destiny—here is the beginning of a cure for that blindness which reigns at the present hour! ¹

      Foreword

      Eleanor Roosevelt said it best: Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart. Pastor John Bankas is such a man. He leaves footprints wherever he goes. I see Fasting Outside the Box as a written expression and extension of this pastor’s love for everyone he meets. Fasting Outside the Box will definitely leave indelible footprints in your heart.

      I remember one of the first times our paths crossed. I was so impressed with this man of faith and his commitment to serve our Lord Jesus Christ with everything he has been entrusted with by God. A wonderful husband, marvelous father, and godly brother in Jesus, Pastor John can now add Christian author to his list of achievements for God’s kingdom.

      Early on in our friendship, John Bankas shared his story with me. I immediately encouraged him to record this story so others could share the blessing I received. His personal walk and dedication are the kind of witness that never grows old or stale. He is truly a man of God who desires for himself and others a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ that will result in our living a victorious life.

      Fasting Outside the Box simplifies a very challenging topic. You will receive suggestions for making your fasting meaningful and the tools to impact your own life and the lives of others through practicing this discipline.

      Soon after our conversion to our Lord Jesus Christ, we practice several spiritual disciplines, including daily reading of his word, meditation upon his word, and prayer throughout the day. Fasting is a discipline that needs to be taught and caught early in one’s spiritual walk. Pastor Bankas’ work is much more than a how-to book. Fasting Outside the Box answers such the questions as to why one should consider fasting and what should one expect from fasting. His research into the biblical history of fasting, woven throughout Fasting Outside the Box, would be a worthy study by itself.

      Fasting was commonplace with the early leaders of his church, and it is still one of the great disciplines that draws us into a closer intimacy with Jesus. Unfortunately, fasting is used by many today as a way to lose weight or cleanse the body, rather than as a primary tool to draw us closer to God. This work is written, in part, to guide us into what we should do, rather than what we could do.

      Pastor Bankas maintains that fasting not only ignites the fire of our devotion and commitment to God, but also intensifies and strengthens our prayer life. This statement does not need explanation, as he meticulously illustrates how fasting can become part of one’s worship of our Lord Jesus Christ with a memorable study of this discipline throughout the ages.

      The documentation of the history and ramifications of fasting clearly illustrates that man did not devise this discipline. God created fasting in order for his creation to draw us closer to him.

      The differentiation of fasting inside or outside the box is very thought-provoking, as it reveals the contrast between one’s motives and the condition of the heart. As with so many challenges of being a believer in our Lord Jesus Christ, fasting is an adventure in getting to know our Creator and Savior in a much deeper way.

      I personally appreciate how the various unknowns of fasting are addressed. I learned much on such topics as fear, intimacy, and the difference between fasting offensively and defensively. The basic subjects are also covered, including who should fast, how long we should fast, what is required of us, and what our expectations should be before, during, and after fasting. Pastor Bankas goes to great lengths to address every conceivable question one may have about fasting and provides a practical study guide for the person who is considering the discipline of fasting

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