"In prayer you shall perceive ... the way out of every situation that has no exit." 
                                                                                                           - Medjugorje March 28, 1985

"Do novenas of fasting and renunciation so that satan be far from you and grace be around you"                                                                                                             -  Medjugorje July 25, 2005

Did you wonder about Sunday's gospel reading regarding John the Baptist (Matthew 11:2-11)? Interestingly again today, Heaven has deigned that the world’s most studied gospel is a related passage from John 5:33-36.

John the Baptist was sitting in prison because he had spoken openly about King Herod living adulterously with his brother's wife.

That one biblical reality should make us think about what an incredible gift free speech is!

But back then, there was no way you could say that about King Herod and NOT expect to be killed. The only reason he wasn’t killed was because the king was … sort of intrigued by John. Herod’s wicked queen would have killed him much earlier if she had her way. She was the ambitious Jezebel who had jumped ship for a more powerful husband. (As you all know, she finally had her way by having John beheaded.) 

As John sat in prison he still longed to proclaim the Messiah. He had said of himself, quoting Isaiah, that he was not the Messiah, but only that he was the “voice crying out in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord.”  John had spoken in very urgent terms about repentance, for the Lord had His winnowing fan in His hand and “the chaff will be burned with unquenchable fire.” Any tree not bearing fruit would be cut down.  To John, judgment day seemed imminent. Malachi 3 says, “Lo, I send my messenger before me,’ and what comes after that is the Day of the Lord: “But who will endure His coming…He is like the refiner’s fire, the fuller’s lye…purifying the sons of Levi, etc.  

Now, previously, the Holy Spirit had spoken through John and proclaimed, “There goes the Lamb of God.”  John had also seen the Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove at His baptism, which was the sign John was to receive that Jesus was the Messiah. Hundreds also heard the voice of the Father speak from Heaven as John baptized Jesus as the dove descended upon the Savior. Those who experienced this extraordinary moment were forever changed. But what of the multitudes who had not been there that day? How could John impact them from prison?  Perhaps even John’s own disciples at the prison had doubts as to who Jesus was if they had not been present for the baptism?

Pause for a second to think about the generations of Jewish boys and men who had studied and poured over scriptures. Both John and Jesus knew who Jesus was and that John the Baptist was the voice quoted in Isaiah … but the Baptist had an unquenchable thirst for others to know the good news. So John sent two of his disciples with the question from his prison cell to Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we wait for another?” However Jesus answered the question, John knew Jesus’ words would help convince his disciples that Jesus was the Messiah if they had any doubts. 

“Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.”

Imagine being one of those disciples now walking for miles back to the Baptist, reflecting on the words of Jesus. It seems likely the question would have arisen between them, “Who else has ever been able to claim such things?”

Compare that to Sunday's first reading in Isaiah 35 which says:

Here is your God, he comes with vindication; with divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing. 

Keep loving and listening to John the Baptist given all he has to teach. One day, God willing, we will get to meet him in heaven.

One last thing, this week are the winter Ember days, so consider fasting an extra day tomorrow on very simple foods-perhaps bread only. Your sacrifice impacts the Kingdom of God immeasurably!

Why We Fast – Our Core Fasting Intentions

1) For the Holy Spirit to reign down upon America renewing our land as the Christian, capitalist meritocracy we were founded to be.

2) For the protection of our police, firefighters, military and their families from harm and that the Lord bless their courageous generosity on our behalf one hundredfold.

3) For the protection of the families who fast with us, and for God’s blessings of abundance upon them and that true to His word, we will be able to witness that He prospered us in famine.

Would you like to learn more about fasting?

We maintain a repository of ideas and information we have learned over the last decade while fasting weekly for America. From scientific studies on the benefits of fasting, to the differences between intermittent dieting vs intermittent fasting, to scriptural references regarding the power of fasting to the history of first century Christians who stated believers are obligated to fast weekly, we hope you will find numerous insights with our free resource located here.

Together let us also implore Heaven while fasting for intentions you have highlighted:

4) For Mike Lindell who is putting himself on the front lines suing over the election fraud that has taken place and for all of the warriors who are stepping up around the nation to fight for the gospel – May The Father cover them in the blood of our savior,  protect them and their families from evil and bring victory to their endeavors.

5) For priests, ministers and all who aspire to lead others to the Lord, that the Holy Spirit will reign down upon them as at Pentecost filling them to overflowing with an understanding of what the Lord wants, courage and the desire to preach what He would have them preach and protection and strength from all evil that comes against them. 

6) For the Americans jailed after January 6th who were admitted to the Capitol building by the police, and who were not found to have destroyed any property at the capitol yet who have been held captive ever since on our own soil - That God's Spirit will move quickly to bring justice back to this land by freeing them while enlightening Americans how to bring God's justice back to our nation.

Who We Are