American abortion law is described as unique and the most permissive among democratic societies, primarily because it was established by judicial fiat through the Supreme Court rather than through legislative processes, in contrast to other nations. This situation is seen as a consequence of a deeper conflict rooted in differing worldviews.

Francis Schaeffer is highlighted as a pivotal figure who significantly influenced American evangelicals, particularly in solidifying their opposition to abortion. Schaeffer argued that societal issues like abortion are not isolated problems but stems from an underlying worldview, which he identified as the "material-energy, chance view of final reality." This perspective, which lacks a basis for the unique dignity of human life rooted in the image of God, inevitably leads to the devaluation of people, making practices like abortion seem logical.

The sources contend that this acceptance of abortion erodes the moral fabric of society, impacting individuals, families, and teaching violence as a means to solve problems. Addressing this deep-seated worldview battle requires more than just human intellectual or political efforts, which are seen as insufficient against such entrenched secular mindsets.

Instead, there is a strong emphasis on radical prayer and fasting as a crucial foundation for action. Fasting is presented as an expression of humility and desperate dependence on God, acknowledging human limitations while earnestly desiring and imploring God to act for His glory and bring about worldview breakthroughs that humans cannot achieve. The biblical example of Ezra, who fasted and prayed for protection instead of relying on military might, demonstrates God's sovereignty over kings and hearts and His responsiveness to humble entreaty, offering hope for transformation. The ultimate goal is to shift the culture to a point where abortion becomes "unthinkable", reflecting a changed worldview.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

Patreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed

The Holy Spirit is described as the essential bond that unites believers to Christ. This union is crucial because, according to the sources, without being joined to him, all that Christ suffered and did for salvation remains useless and of no value to individuals. The Spirit's "secret energy" enables believers to come to enjoy Christ and all his benefits, making them members of his body.

The principal work of the Holy Spirit is faith. Faith is highlighted as primary because it is by faith alone that the Spirit leads people into the light of the gospel and allows them to receive Christ. This faith is not a natural human capacity but a supernatural gift from God, originating solely from the Spirit. The Spirit functions as the "inner teacher" who ensures the promise of salvation penetrates the mind, providing the illumination needed to understand spiritual realities.

Christ himself was uniquely endowed with the Holy Spirit to be the minister and steward of God's liberality, distributing the Spirit's gifts to his people.

The Holy Spirit is known by various titles that reflect his diverse work in believers. He is called the "Spirit of sanctification" for setting apart, the "spirit of adoption" for testifying to God's fatherly love, the "guarantee and seal" for assuring salvation, "life" for bringing righteousness, "water" for cleansing and making fruitful, and "fire" for burning away vicious desires and kindling love for God. He is the source of heavenly riches and the means by which believers are ruled by divine power. Ultimately, the Spirit regenerates believers, making them new creatures and consecrating them as temples holy to God.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

Patreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed

The sources highlight that the main danger of fasting is spiritual, not physical, and it is possible to fast in a way that is very displeasing to the Lord and spiritually destructive. Jesus warned against fasting simply to be seen by other people, stating that this outward show receives its reward from others, not from God.

Isaiah 58 exposes fasting that is merely a religious veneer or sham, a hollow ritual despite outward appearances of devotion. God asks why people fast and humble themselves when they simultaneously seek their own pleasure in other areas, oppress their workers, and engage in quarrels and fights, even resorting to violence. Such fasting is unacceptable and prevents prayers from being heard on high because it lacks the true substance God desires.

This kind of fasting is dangerous because it becomes a substitute for righteous living and a religious cloak for allowing sins like harshness towards others, contentiousness at home or work, self-indulgence in various forms, or anger to continue. It's a camouflage for deeper issues like indifference and injustice, particularly towards the poor and afflicted, rather than a direct attack against one's own sin. If fasting leaves one's daily life unchanged in sin, it is like a bent reed, ridiculed by God.

The real test of authentic fasting lies in its ethical, practical, and relational accompaniments. How you treat people on Monday is presented as the test of the authenticity of your fasting on Sunday. A specific danger mentioned when serving the poor is becoming hard, caustic, and jaundiced, needing to fast from such cynical attitudes and contemptuous speech. Ultimately, a displeasing fast is rooted in a discrepancy between outward form and inward reality, failing to demonstrate genuine hunger for God or a commitment to holiness and love for others.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

Patreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed

Based on the sources, the core distinction between true religious affections (gracious affections) and false or self-serving affections lies in their foundation.

Genuine spiritual affections are primarily founded on the transcendently excellent and amiable nature of divine things as they are themselves. This means true saints love God, Christ, and divine truths for their inherent beauty, glory, and supreme loveliness. This apprehension and love for God's inherent excellence first draws the heart to Him, prior to any consideration of personal interest or happiness. God is the lowest foundation for the true saint.

In contrast, affections arising from self-serving motivations are founded primarily on self-love and a conceived relation divine things bear to self, or self-interest. This type of affection stems from a focus on benefits received or depended on, or an opinion of God's favor towards oneself as the first cause. This cannot be a truly gracious and spiritual love because self-love is a natural principle.

This difference in foundation manifests in various affections:

• Love: True love is for God's inherent nature; self-love based "love" is for conceived benefits or favor.
• Gratitude: Gracious gratitude arises from a prior love for God's excellence, seeing His goodness as part of His nature; natural gratitude is a response to kindness that suits self-love, existing even without true love for the benefactor.
• Joy: A true saint's joy is primarily in the divine beauty of things as they are in themselves. A hypocrite's joy is in himself, delighting in his own privilege, happiness, or experiences.

For true saints, their affections begin with God. For hypocrites, they begin with self. True self-knowledge, seeing one's own sinfulness, purifies true affections because they are founded outside of self, while it would destroy false affections built on self-conceit and perceived merit.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

Patreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed

Drawing on the sources, fasting, often combined with prayer and worship, is presented as a significant spiritual discipline with the potential to impact the course of history. A key biblical example is the church in Antioch, where leaders were fasting and worshiping when the Holy Spirit directed them to set apart Barnabas and Saul for missionary work. This launchpad moment led to Paul's journeys and the spread of Christianity.

History is filled with other examples where fasting accompanied significant events, such as Jehoshaphat's deliverance from invasion, Nehemiah rebuilding Jerusalem, Esther saving her people, and the rapid growth of churches in South Korea. Figures like Jonathan Edwards, David Brainerd, and Thomas Shepard are highlighted for their emphasis on prayer and fasting as a path to spiritual vitality and revival.

Fasting is seen as a way to express deep hunger for God's will and leading, showing that God is valued more than physical needs. However, the sources offer crucial cautions: fasting is not a guaranteed formula or a mechanical key to force God's hand or unlock revival. It must be done with genuine humility and repentance, not just as an outward ritual. We are warned against naive admiration of individuals, misapplying Scripture (like 2 Chronicles 7:14), and uncritically accepting subjective impressions without discernment. Revival is ultimately viewed as an act of God's free and sovereign grace. The call is for a renewed interest in fasting, tempered with careful discernment and rooted in a true hunger for God himself.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

Patreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed

Many people find it difficult to believe or seek to increase their faith. The sources suggest a practical, common-sense approach to this. The most direct way to believe is simply to do it at once, obeying the clear gospel command, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Evasion by questions and quibbles is unproductive.

If difficulties arise, take them before God in prayer. Tell the "great Father" what puzzles you and beg the Holy Spirit to solve the question and lead you into truth. The divine explanation of hard points of Scripture will satisfy the true seeker.

Frequent and earnest hearing of the gospel message is also key, as "Faith cometh by hearing." Hearing the truth often, especially attentively, can lead to belief through the Holy Spirit's work. Ensure you hear the gospel itself and not things designed to cause doubt.

Consider the testimony of others who have been saved, pardoned, and changed. Listening to those who have "tried the word of God, and proved it" and seeing their joy and peace can demonstrate the reality of faith and gently lead you to believe. This is considered one of God's ways of helping us to faith.

Note the authority upon which you are commanded to believe. This authority is not human but comes directly from God himself, providing a strong warrant for trusting Jesus.

Think over what you are to believe—that Jesus suffered for sinners and can save all who trust Him. This is a "most blessed" and "divine truth." Also, think upon the person of Jesus Christ—who He is and what He did. Doubting Him is seen as "cruelty" and making Him a "liar," prompting the question, "How can you disbelieve?"

If other methods fail, the issue may be prejudice or pride, rooted in rebellion against God. The final step is to submit yourself to God, giving up your proud will. Yielding makes believing in your Saviour easy. The Holy Spirit's work is essential in bringing one to believe.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

Patreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed

Christian fasting is presented primarily as a physical expression of heart-hunger for the coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus himself connected fasting to the time after he, the Bridegroom, was taken away from his disciples, signifying a longing for his return. It serves as a future-oriented counterpart to the Lord's Supper, which remembers his past work; fasting expresses the aching in our hearts because, while celebrating his first coming, we keenly feel his physical absence now.

The sources argue that the absence of regular fasting for the Lord's return in the modern church is a witness to our satisfaction with the presence of the world and the absence of the Lord. Fasting poses the question, "How hungry are we for him to come?" This longing for his appearing is seen as a test of authentic faith, echoing the early church's constant cry, "Maranatha", meaning "Our Lord, come!" Fasting is like an exclamation point to this prayer.

Beyond expressing existing hunger, fasting is described as also assisting spiritual hunger. By pushing back physical appetites, it helps overcome the "sensualizing" of the soul that can hinder our longing for Christ's return. This eager expectation for his coming is not passive; it is directly linked to world evangelization. Because the gospel must be preached to all nations before the end comes, a genuine longing for Christ's return motivates believers to "bend every effort" to take the gospel into all the world. Fasting, combined with prayer, is seen as a vital tool, even a "fearsome missionary weapon," in this task. Ultimately, fasting is a tangible way to say, "This much, O Lord, we want you to return!"

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

Patreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed

Carl Lundquist, who served for nearly thirty years as president of Bethel College and Seminary, dedicated significant energy in the last decade of his life to fostering personal spiritual devotion and the disciplines of the Christian life. As part of this focus, he established what he called the "Evangelical Order of the Burning Heart."

The purpose of the "Burning Heart" was to cultivate and encourage a deeper, more authentic relationship with God among believers. Lundquist used this initiative to send out a periodic letter offering inspiration, and it also facilitated retreats focused on spiritual disciplines.

Lundquist's own serious consideration of fasting as a discipline began after visiting Dr. Joon Gon Kim in Seoul, Korea, and hearing about his extensive 40-day fasts for God's work. This encounter prompted Lundquist to reflect on the intensity of spiritual hunger. Later in his ministry, Lundquist found a modified fast to be very helpful. Instead of taking his lunch break, he would go to a prayer room to spend the time in fellowship with God and prayer, consciously forfeiting his physical meal. He described learning a personal dimension of Jesus' statement, "I have had meat to eat ye know not of," finding a "kind of feast in fellowship with Jesus." This practice was an illustration of the Father rewarding him for seeking God in secret, a principle from Matthew 6:16-18 that deeply resonated with him. The "Evangelical Order of the Burning Heart" embodied this call to intensely Godward living, emphasizing the pursuit of God Himself as the true reward.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

Patreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed

This exposition of Psalm 5 describes the soul's journey towards God, beginning with a spiritual cry from the heart that is understood by God's omnipresence, not a physical ear. The prayer addresses God as the Trinity, One God in three distinct persons, with the Son specifically called the King.

The path to seeing God is hindered by the "night" of sins and iniquity, including malignity, lying, homicide, and craftiness. These acts prevent the soul from sustaining the light of truth, leaving the unrighteous unable to abide before God's eyes. God abominates the man of blood and the crafty, treating them like the disinherited. Lying is particularly condemned as saying "that which is not," the opposite of truth, and is said to slay the soul. God's justice in punishing is distinct from man returning evil for evil; God lets the wicked fall by their own choices and drives them out from His presence, likened to diseased eyes unable to bear light.

The desired state is the "morning," when the darkness of sin is past, allowing the soul to see God. This requires "standing" by God, meaning not seeking happiness in earthly pleasures ("lying down"). The goal is to enter God's house, which is the Temple identified with believers, signifying a state of perfection. Progress towards this state involves worshipping in fear, but at perfection, perfect love casts out fear. This state is a reward of eternal exultation and glory, where the just are inhabited by God through His grace and good will.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

Patreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed

Fasting serves as a profound spiritual discipline that primarily tests what is in our heart. By voluntarily giving up food, we create a physical hunger that brings our deeper desires and dependencies to the surface, revealing what controls us and what we truly value and trust. It is a testing ground to see what we are most hungry for—food or God, and where we find our deepest satisfaction—in God or in his gifts.

Jesus began his ministry with a forty-day fast because he was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. Fasting was both preparation for and an integral part of his testing, allowing his heart to be probed. This was also a deliberate act of identification with Israel's wilderness experience, facing hunger and testing as they did. Through fasting, Jesus demonstrated his perfect reliance on God and triumphed over Satan by showing that he lived by every word from God's mouth, not just bread.

The weakness and hunger experienced in fasting highlights our need for God and makes His power and goodness more precious. It's a way of saying, "Not by bread alone, but by you, Lord," signifying a reliance more on God than on physical provisions. When fasting reveals a heart aligned with God, it strikes a mighty blow against Satan. Fasting helps fight against worldly desires and serves as a "hungry handmaid of faith," assisting us in relying on God and maintaining a soul-satisfying vision of Him.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

Patreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed