"How Do I Overcome Destructive Habits And Preserve My Life?" By: Dr. Shuffel P. Hepburn

How do I overcome destructive habits and preserve my life? That's the message. The text is taken from Isaiah 58.

Just after David was made king of the Israelites, the Philistines attacked Israel and twice the Lord gave Israel astounding victories over them. According to 2 Samuel 22:13, as the battle lines were drawn in one of those battles, David did what seems like a crazy thing. Something that seemed to make no sense at all, yet it is astonishingly powerful. The answer for your deliverance is gift wrapped in this powerful story.

The king was thirsty and he told his men that he longed for a drink of water from the well of Bethlehem. At this time the Philistines had charge of Bethlehem and thousands of their troops surrounded the city and the well at Bethlehem. But three of David's mightiest men risked their lives and broke through the line of the Philistines to get him a drink from that well. We have no idea how many of the enemy they killed to get that drink of water for the thirsty king. But we do know that the enemy could not stop them and could not prevent them from getting the water. They drew water from the well and brought it back to the king.

Incredibly David refused to drink the water even after they had risked their lives to get it. He sacrificed the water unto the Lord instead. He poured out the water as a drink offering unto the Lord. He said, "These men have sacrificed their lives for this water." And even though he was thirsty he did not think himself worthy of the sacrifice of their lives. So he fasted from the water, refusing to use it to quench his thirst. In one of those battles the Word of God says that the Lord broke through the Philistine army like water. And this is an awesome demonstration of the power of fasting from something that you want and even need very seriously. Self-denial will cause God's anointing and His great God's anointing and His great power to break forth in your favor. Here's how King David said his help came from the Lord He said, "The Lord has broken through my enemies before me just as water breaks through a dam."

Father we thank You for this Word today and pray Your blessing on it, oh God that You would give understanding and empower the listener to overcome those habits that have troubled them for many years. Oh God we call forth a victory for the listeners to this message, in the holy and the wonderful name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Many churches go on a 21-day fast during the month of January, almost like clockwork. Kicking off the new year with prayer and reflection is a great way to jumpstart the new season of life. A fast has tremendous power that will be useful to the believer in Christ for the entire year. And whether people join their church fast for the right reason or not there's no denying the power of fasting. Perhaps some do it to lose the weight that they gained by their out of control eating during the holidays. Well the Lord has shown me that living a fasted life instead is an even more powerful way of life and it brings loads of benefits to those who do so. To live a fasted life is a life of daily sacrifice, giving up your desires for the sake of others very often and for the sake of the gospel. The January fast is great but living a fasted life 12 months of the year is even greater.

Those who participate in a fast the correct way are doing something very powerful. Something that may even save their souls. For instance during the holiday season many give away the control that is essential in their walk with Christ. By this I mean that as they participate in the holiday celebrations, it is a time of eating drinking and partying. There are many who put aside their willpower and go along with the flow. They end up eating drinking and frolicking far more than they should have, and this is offensive to God. I also believe that these holiday times can be life-changing times in destructive ways because it is a time when some set out on the road to alcoholism, drug addiction or even sexual addiction and never get their lives back. But those who participate in the fast have an opportunity to take back the spiritual ground that they might have lost to the devil during the holiday time.

However there's something important that is often left out when fasting. Those who are fasting often fail to give away the meals that they abstain from to feed those who are hungry. Scripture advises us to feed the hungry, focus on prayer, focus on reflection and study of the Word when we fast. And this is the way to rule over the flesh and subjugate it to the will of God.

There is great power in living a fasted life 52 weeks of the year and making it a lifestyle change. In other words live a life of sacrifice. This way you never give up your power and you maintain the control of your life at all times. When we give up the control we give away the power which God has given to us. If we give it up Satan can take a hold of it and we may never get it back again. Look around you see many examples of this. There's a real danger here because Satan comes to steal kill and destroy and will take every advantage that we give to him.

According to Isaiah 58 the people of God were not fasting the right way so they got no benefit. They complained that the Lord had not seen their sacrifice and they said to Him that they had humbled themselves but the Lord had not noticed. And then He pointed out to them that their fault was in the way that they fasted. He told them that on the day of their fasting they did as they pleased, exploiting their workers. He said they also ended the fast in quarreling and strife and that they struck each other with their fists. He also accused them of merely going through the motion of bowing the head and lying in sackcloth and ashes. And then He explained the kind of fasting that He wanted from them. He demanded that they do things such as loosing the chains of injustice, setting the oppressed free, sharing their food with the hungry, providing shelter for the poor and clothing for the naked.

So here's how you perform this simple exercise that is guaranteed to help you get rid of destructive habits. It is suggested that you begin first not with the habit that you are trying to get rid of but with another habit that is not as destructive or not as compulsive for you. Start this process by giving up something that you really love but yet can control. Something like a type of food, drink, internet, TV, hobby etc. Then make a conscious decision to avoid one of these for a set number of days, or at various times, or do what David did pour it out, or give it to a needy person, or use your extra time to help someone. These can all be sacrifices unto the Lord. David was really practicing self-denial when he poured out the water.

As time goes on you will find it easier to abstain from the thing that you've chosen to use in this first exercise. Each time you do this kind of fasting you will be gaining strength. Taking back your willpower and causing your inner man to know that you are in control of your appetites, and your desires. In other words you will be slowly taking back the power that you'd given away to the devil. Soon you will begin to believe in your heart that you really can do all things through Christ who strengthens. You will soon begin developing confidence that you can even do without that destructive habit that has been wreaking havoc in your life for so long. And this tells you that it is now a good time to turn your efforts toward this destructive habit that you really want to get rid of.

When we deny ourselves pleasures we're actually strengthening our walk in Christ. We're taking control of our life. I have discovered that when we pull back from something that we find great pleasure in, it causes us to walk in a greater anointing. Now this message is not for those who are greedy for power. It is not for those in the world who want to be number one. And it is not for any who are seeking fame. But rather this message is for the simple humble man or woman of God who have a passionate desire to please Him. This word is foolishness to those who are trapped by the things of the world and have no genuine interest in pleasing the Lord.

When David poured out the water he was also invoking the presence and the power of God to help them in the battle. And he understood the power of God in a way that very few have discovered even today. He made a conscious decision to deny his flesh something essential in order to please God. Something that he was really hot for and really needed. All of a sudden I am sure he felt a surge of God's power in his entire being and he began to really feel as if he could do all things through Christ who strengthens him. His confidence was contagious and it spread to his entire army. This my friend is spiritual power and is far greater than physical power.

The things that the people of the world are splurging on every day, celebrating every day, talking about it in their conversations and taking great pleasure in. They are actually the weaker and useless things that life has to offer us. Too often we are so caught up in them that we cannot see how they block the flow of God's awesome power into your life. All day long those on the TV, radio, the YouTubes and the Facebooks are boasting about these useless things. And because we have this insatiable hunger for the things of the flesh, we find that advertisers are manipulating us. They're causing us to spend time and money on that which cannot satisfy.

So self-denial my friend is the act of giving up something that you enjoy participating in. It is the act of denying yourself the pleasure that you could get from something that is pleasurable. And Jesus Christ told us, "If anyone desires to come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. Therefore we must be willing to put aside self-interests and take up our cross and follow after Christ daily. We will need to express a willingness to endure whatever may come with the turf. And walking with Christ, believing His every Word, and bending your will to follow the examples that He set for us, even if this involves suffering or death.

1 Peter 4:1 tells us that since Jesus Christ suffered for us in the flesh and we are followers of Him. We should arm ourselves with the same mind that He had. And if we suffer in the flesh for the sake of Jesus Christ, then we cease from sin, is what the Word of God tells us. Then Colossians 3 goes on to say that when we came to Christ we died and actually no longer live because our life is now swallowed up in Christ Jesus our Lord. When Christ appears again we will have a new life. And this is the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to give us a new life and a new hope.

Here are the Isaiah 58:6 rewards that the Lord promises us will break out upon us if we fast the way He wants us to fast. He promises that number one, our light would break forth as the morning. In other words we would be like a shining star for the Lord. Secondly, our healing shall spring forth swiftly. In addition our righteousness shall go before us. In addition to that it says that the glory of the Lord will be our rear guard. In other words it will follow us. Then we shall call upon the Lord and He will answer us. However He says that these things will only happen if we take away the yoke of oppression, which means if we stop treating people poorly and unkindly. If we stop speaking wickedness and pointing fingers at each other. And if we feed the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, which means provide physical, emotional, and spiritual comfort to others. Then and only then the Word of God tells us will our light be as bright as it is at noon time. And this means that our witness and the Word of God that we share will become believable. Heaven will look down and smile at you. Your great faith will be pleasing unto the Lord. And on that great day He will say, "Well done my good and faithful servant." And surely my friend the Lord will bring a great reward for you. God bless and keep you in Jesus mighty name, amen.

You've been listening to this message and perhaps you do not know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and would like to make that commitment today. As usual we want to give you that opportunity. Please engage your heart and say this prayer after me. The prayer of faith will save you:

-Father I am a sinner.

-I am sorry for all my sins.

-Dear Lord I crave Your forgiveness.

-Thank You Lord for Your patience and for Your forgiveness.

-Today I invite Jesus Christ into my heart.

-Dear Lord Jesus make my heart your home.

-And please give me the Holy Spirit to lead me into all truth.

-I mark this day because this is the day that I give You the key to my heart and I now belong to You forever.

-Thank You Lord for saving my soul, amen.

Welcome friend to the body of believers in Christ. We are all here awaiting the return of the Good Master. In the meantime we encourage you to become water baptized as quickly as possible. Let your pastor know that you've committed your life and you want to be baptized.

Begin reading the word of God every day. Begin in the book of John then go to Matthew, Mark and Luke, it is your daily food, reading audibly as often as possible, because faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Pray daily, attend at your local church and one glad morning the Savior will come and receive us all unto Himself. And we shall indeed forever be with the Lord. God bless and keep you in Jesus mighty name, amen.