After the Message: Reset

Thank you for joining us for After the Message.

To learn more about Celebration Church here in Orlando, you can follow us on social media under the handle at CelebrationOreml or visit our website at celebrationlowermell.org.

All right, let's roll.

Welcome to After the Message.

I'm your host.

I never do that, but my name is Nate, and uh I serve on staff here at Celebration Church in Orlando.

If you stumbled upon this podcast, welcome.

Uh we are glad that you are here.

Today I am joined by my friend, my brother, Vinny Costa.

Is that the correct pronunciation?

That's perfect.

Wow.

Your accent is getting better every day.

Bonja.

Bonja.

Bonja.

That's good.

Why don't you go ahead and uh I think every time you're on after the message, we should have you um do a greeting to our brothers and sisters in Brazil.

Sure.

So please.

Beautiful.

That was longer than the last one.

So next time you're on, it's probably gonna be like five minutes.

Probably.

You're just gonna keep talking.

It's because this time I just mentioned social media.

Like if you're listening to this, share with your friends.

You know what I'm saying?

Yeah, that's good.

How many um how how pr prevalent is English language in Brazil?

Um we studied it in our school, like, but it's basically very basic, very basic.

And everybody thinks they can speak, but when they come here to Disney or whatever, they realize they they don't do it.

Yeah.

Um it's like all you Americans when you say, Oh, I speak a little bit of Spanish, meaning I can say hola, you know what I'm saying?

Yeah.

You probably know more Spanish than most Americans.

Yeah, probably, yeah.

Because they're pretty similar, right?

Um But what's good, one more note one more note about that is everything we consume uh uh pop culture-wise is in English, right?

So the movies we watch, it's all in English with subtitles.

The songs we listen to, they're pretty much uh in English.

So we have contact with the language every day, even though we cannot speak properly or fluently.

Gotcha.

How does your mind does your mind think in Portuguese, basically?

And then you have like and then you have to or do you think in English sometimes?

Or like when I'm thinking to myself or when I'm on a conversation, in a conversation.

Either or uh no, I don't speak in Portuguese anymore.

Like right now I'm not translating in my mind gotcha what I wanted to say.

I just I just go ahead and think in English.

But when I'm uh I usually think in Portuguese when I'm not in a conversation, usually but yesterday, for example, I was having a conversation with my wife pretty pretty late at night, and I started that in Portuguese and I switched it to English, and I felt weird.

And my wife, she was just looking at me like, what the heck you're doing?

Um so right now it's a mix of both.

Yeah.

I'm dreaming in English now, really crazy, crazy.

Welcome.

And in my dreams, I sound stupid like I'm southing right now.

You do not sound stupid.

Uh, if you're new to After the Message, um we talk about the previous Sunday sermon and just kind of continue that conversation.

And um we hope it encourages you to do the same in your circles.

And right now you are finding us obviously uh at the beginning of 2021.

Well, it's not even almost the beginning really anymore.

We're halfway, pretty much halfway through January, which is crazy.

It's crazy.

Fine.

But uh annually every year at Celebration Church, we we participate in along with a lot of other churches, 21 days of prayer and fasting.

And uh the the kind of the the theme or or the thought process behind this year is particularly focused around resetting ourselves and and kind of almost a recentering, if you will, um, because there was just so much last year that that brought you know distraction and all that stuff, and uh obviously we're kind of getting in new rhythms and routines as human beings here on planet earth with pandemic and everything else going on.

So uh we kind of just want to intentionally speak about resetting and recentering, especially during this time of of prayer and fasting.

I I had no clue it was I don't know if it's a it's an American thing or if it's a church thing or it's in a Florida thing, but on social media I can see that there's a bunch of churches that are fasting right now with us why is that it's like a national season of fasting.

I guess so.

Oh, I see.

I don't know particularly I think I think a lot of churches that are in sort of the non-denominational um sector or you know affiliation, if you will.

Yep, you you you know, you kind of get to know those people from conferences and stuff like that, and there's obviously associations and uh relationships develop, so maybe it's just one of those things where like, hey, we're gonna join along with you.

I don't know exactly how it started off, but uh, you know, you and I were kind of talking earlier before this about how powerful, like, if we're all really taking this seriously and we're all you know focused on on this and for the right reasons, like how powerful it could be definitely for the country and the world.

And so what previously has been your experience with fasting and and and how is it how has it helped shape your walk with God?

Um, this is something that I've been doing for forever now.

Um not only once in a year, but very often I do that because I understand it's just it's just part of my faith acts, let's put like this.

And also it's an understanding of Matthew chapter six, when uh Jesus says, When you fast, um and uh this when is very important because he never said if you it's more like well, I'm expecting you guys to do that.

So when you do it, so when we understand that, I think it's something that we can incorporate in our faith walk, not as a religious thing, but more like I think God wants me to do that because it will it will make a difference in our relationship in my own life.

So this is something I do very very often, regularly, regularly, yes.

Yeah.

Um I was kind of I was reading scripture and trying to f find other references to fasting.

And I'll ask you because you're the undercover theologian, there's not a ton of context or instruction or it there doesn't seem to be at least.

No, you're right.

We have well in the old testament we have a couple of passages.

We have two in in in uh Joel, and we have of course in the law.

Um they used to have one day uh for fasting every year, and we can definitely see that in Leviticus.

And then in Joel, we see the prophet saying, like encouraging people to uh uh to fast.

And then of course we have Jesus um talking about it and Paul talking about it a little bit.

But you're right, there's not a bunch of passages.

It seems like it was almost one of those things culturally where it was understood.

Like it was just it was accepted, like, yeah, I mean, fasting is a part of who we are.

People under when you s when you said it, people knew exactly what you were talking about.

It would be like today talking about if I were to say fast food, not as in like you're fasting food, but as in like McDonald's fast food.

You know, do time travel backwards and say, like, yeah, I had fast food the other day.

There would be no context, no understanding.

Like, what do you mean by that?

You know, so um it it it seems as though we don't have a ton of reference or context around it because it was culturally at the time it was more understood.

Is that kind of your assumption?

I think you're totally right.

And I one one thing that I think it it's it will like support your point is it was something so normal for then that Jesus mentioned, like, let me talk about this in a way that I want to bring you in a different perspective.

So when Jesus started talking about it, everybody knew what he was talking about.

It was not something new for then, it was new what he was saying about it, but everybody knew what fasting was.

Yeah.

Um so this is what's powerful, like they were doing something for centuries, and not now Jesus is just saying, Hey, I got it, but let's talk about this for a second, you know?

Yeah, I think for me it's it's it's uh relatively new, okay.

So for me, I've been doing honestly, just to be honest, uh uh along with the church when I first started coming to celebration four years ago, five years, six years ago now.

Wow, it's crazy.

But just learning learning what it is during this time really, and not so much you know, implement implementing it in my life other than this.

Um so I think this year I've actually been a little bit more intentional with trying to understand the process behind it, the the scripture, the history in scripture of why and how and and you know wanting to uh tap into the power of it, you know what I mean?

Um so yeah, it's it's been good for me uh previously, and and I'm kind of enjoying learning more about it as the years go on.

So um I think I think there's one thing sorry to interrupt.

No, please do when we read like Matthew 6, you can automatically see like three important things right there.

The the first one is what we mentioned before, Jesus saying, When you fast, so there's an expectation there.

It's not if, but it's when.

The second thing we can definitely see there is Jesus saying, So when you do this, make sure you do this and this and this.

So basically Jesus is saying, do it, but do it in a right way.

There is a right and a wrong way of doing this.

Because he says, Don't do like the hypocrite, what's the word?

Hypocrites, hypocrites, don't do like they they do.

So there's a wrong way of doing and a right way of doing.

I think that's the second thing we can see there in Matthew 6.

And the third thing we see at the uh the end of the verse there is Jesus saying, and this will be good for you.

So there is consequences.

So it's God's expectation for sure.

Point one, point two is there's a wrong and a right way of doing, and three, there's consequences, like you will get something th something from this.

Right.

Let's go ahead and talk about the right and wrong way then.

Well well, we can uh spend the next three hours talking about this, but uh briefly.

I well, I think we'll go back to the religious viny again.

See how this subject is all around my life.

If you were doing just because someone else told you to do it, this is wrong.

If you were doing just because you have to, this is wrong.

If you were doing just because you want to show other people you're doing, and I think that's the point what Jesus was telling right there.

When he says, when you do that, wash your wash your face and make sure people around you they don't know you're fasting.

And what Jesus is saying is he's not saying hide yourself, he's saying don't do that to get praise from men.

Exactly, out of your religion, out of your don't be a Pharisee, right?

Basically.

Yeah, don't show it off.

Don't show it off.

Yeah, of course.

If someone asks me, Are you fasting?

There's no problem of saying, Yes, I'm fasting.

Yeah, what are you doing?

Well, I'm doing this, this.

That's not wrong.

What's wrong is you, you know, showing being arrogant, saying, Look at me, I'm fasting, I fast all the time, kind of like you said earlier, I fast all the time.

Exactly.

So wrong.

Um, but I think that's that's what Jesus is trying to say to communicate.

Um, the wrong way of doing it is doing out of your real just just as a religion, um one more religion thing, you know.

Yeah, just going through the motions.

Exactly.

Just doing it because that's what you've always done, or doing it because well they do it, I guess I should do it.

So and one more thing, it's please interrupt me again.

Go ahead.

It should it should be it should be ob should be obvious for everybody, and I think it is, but also understanding that a wrong way of fasting is just stop eating because this is diet, this is not fasting, right?

Fasting is not something only uh physical, meaning uh it's not only stop eating, there's a spiritual right thing attached to this.

Right, let's get into that.

Which is uh uh well basically my understanding is uh two things basically.

One, when you're fasting, you you are not when you you have time basically everything you feed grows, right?

Everything you feed grows.

Um if you if every day you you have hours, minutes, or whatever, set it apart so you can feed your flesh, your body, or sure whatever.

So you have breakfast in the morning, you have lunch, you have dinner.

Second lunch, second lunch, you have you know, you have the McDonald's 3 a.m.

Yes if you were me like me.

Um but you when you're you when you're hungry, you stop everything you're doing to give your body food.

When you're fasting that, when you are not feeding your body, you have a gap in time, let's put that way, or you have a free time to focus on feeding your spirit, something that we are not uh we don't focus on that uh very often.

Actually, a lot of people just focus on that on a Sunday.

Not good, not good.

So that's that's I think that's the very first perspective.

When you're fasting, naturally you have more time to feed your spirit.

So instead of having having lunch, take that 20 minutes to pray, to worship, to do uh an spiritual thing that will feed your spirit.

And the second aspect of this, of course, is when you're fasting and praying, you are giving food to your spirit, you are feeding your spirit, and it makes it more strong.

I think Galatians chapter 5 is pretty clear about this.

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

There is a war happening between flesh and spirit all the time.

Flesh and spirit.

Your spirit wants to go to church, your flesh wants to watch the book near uh game or whatever.

Your spirit wants to, you know, pray and be closer to God, and your flesh wants to watch the voice.

I don't even know if that's still on air.

I think it is.

Okay.

So that's this war is happening every every day, every hour of our day.

When you are feeding your spirit, your spirit is getting more robust, more strong to defeat the flesh.

And uh this is what fasting does.

You are making your spirit stronger, you are sharpening uh your relationship with God in a way that will be easier for you to defeat your flesh.

Well, the opposite is also true.

If you are not feeding your spirit, you're only feeding your flesh every time the war comes up, the battle comes up, your flesh, your flesh will always uh win.

Um because you're giving food, you're feeding your flesh every day.

So, yeah, so when I think about fasting, I always think about okay, so when I'm fasting, I have more time to practice my spiritual exercises, which is prayer, worship, whatever, reading my Bible, one aspect.

Second is when I'm fasting, I'm giving food, I'm feeding my spirit, and it this is making me a better Christian, a better follower, a a better warrior against my flesh.

Yeah, which is you know, one one of Pastor Key's points was you know, fasting gives us strength.

And and I think that's what he's alluding to there is kind of like you said, you know, if you're your spiritual muscles, if you will, you're working those out and you're strengthening those in order to to be able to to be a better follower and to and to combat the things of this world, particularly yourself, you know.

So I think that's a great a great way to look at it as exercise.

Um and I think also, you know, anytime's a good time, but I think right now is a great time being at the beginning of the year, and obviously the the turning of the calendar isn't some magical thing that just like you know bad things stop because it's a new year, you know, there's no magic to the turning of a calendar, but I think in our minds it helps us be a a beginning to a new season, I guess.

Yep.

And kind of you know, kind of along the theme of let's reset some things.

Maybe we can't control everything that's going on in the world, but we can at least have a little bit of say over how we're gonna view it and how we're gonna live our lives.

Yes.

So um, one of the other points that he made, and I want to get your uh opinion on is you know, fasting can give us clarity.

Um kind of what's been your experience in that in your life, or or how you view that, or maybe even an example of that for you?

What what what does that mean?

It gives us clarity.

I well, I think what it means again, it's not a magical Harry Potter thing.

It's more like, okay, I'm fasting, so my spirit is stronger.

Um I'm investing more time in my relationship with God.

Um, my focus is not on things on this earth, or at least it's it's being res reset reset it by the the fasting.

So now I can hear God's voice um clearly.

I can uh understand the Bible clearly.

This is for sure uh something that it's it's something that I have experienced um not not understanding with my mind, but with my heart, like having revelations of the word, it happens very frequent frequently with me when I'm fasting, because my spirit is more aware of the spiritual stuff.

Right.

Um so I think that's what he means.

It it's not like just because you're fasting, you'll have more clarity, but but because you're fasting, you are making your spirit stronger, and this will g will give you more clarity to spiritual uh things.

But also what you were sharing with me uh before this conversation, I think it's totally true.

I think you should share with with everybody about even what we what we what we oh how it affects yeah yeah because we are we of course we we we that that there's a phrase in the South American theology I don't know if you guys are familiarized with this but we we always say say that we are a spirit we have a soul and we live in a body so we are the three of right we we we are not one we are the three we are three uh as God wow like God so there is when you're fasting is not only you're not affecting only your spirit there's a thing that happens in your body of course in your soul of course and in your spirit and you were talking a little bit about that first of all the spirit soul body thing I've never looked at thought about it that way but it's almost like a a representation of God.

Totally when it's like the Trinity totally when when God says in um in uh Genesis chapter one twenty six if I'm not wrong um I'll make let's make the men like like cars in our image what's the term in English it's in our image in our image I don't think necessarily that God meant that God that the man will look like God it's more like we are three we are father spirit and son the men will be three as well which is body soul in in um spirit yeah that's good sorry I'm just I'm just kind of thinking through that I've never really thought of it in those terms but anyways back to the point of so what I was just kind of talking to Vinny about was a lot of times we compartmentalize our life we have this we have this the soul the spiritual side of it we have the physical side of it the mental side of it when in reality God created us to be to to be um all of these things work together is basically what I'm saying they're all in correlation they're all in cohesion so when when you do something with the physical it is it affects the spiritual it affects the mental vice versa so true fasting is not only just this some mystical spiritual ritual it's even scientifically proven that what you put in your body affects your mood it affects your behavior it affects the way that you think about things so I believe that God in his wisdom introduces fasting because God knows his creation and he knows that this is a great way to get maybe things out of your body you know detox if you will you know have the physical be able to impact the spiritual so again they're hand in hand they're not separate so what we do in one affects the other so that's kind of what I was talking about and I think I think especially in the modern American diet fasting can have such a profound impact in a couple ways a because we're not eating crap that we normally do and B we worship food yes my my that's so good we worship food we we think about it all the time and don't get me wrong folks the Bible has is clear about feasting enjoying what God's creation I mean the Garden of Eden was designed with delicious food in mind okay so there's nothing wrong with that we're not denouncing that what I am saying though is we place abundant emphasis on your food you're right and so to refocus and make food not the attention in the center and make God that attention and center I think fasting helps helps us do that.

You're so right while you were talking I uh I remember uh what Paul said to uh Timothy um I think second Timothy um Paul goes take care of yourself and the doctrine but it's it's it's funny how how Paul puts take care of yourself before he mentioned the doc the doctrine.

And what it and if we think about this and if we think about that we are tree sorry three not one what Paul is saying to Timothy is take care of yourself meaning your body take care of yourself meaning your soul take care of yourself meaning your spirit and everything it's is intertwined.

Definitely um there is this I don't remember his name anymore very very hard name but but he was from Scotland this guy um and he was he was one of those guys that surrendered a hundred percent his life to Christ and to preach the gospel to the others and he died when he was 29 years old because of like how much he he was not sleeping he was not eating he was not doing anything and uh when he was about to die uh that's why he said God gave me a horse and a message that I have a message to to preach but I killed the horse and it's this is funny because he was like giving food to his spirit but he was not taking care taking care of the body so he killed the body now he cannot carry out his mission.

So how important this is and we we see all around like people telling us you need to take care of your body it's even one of my resolutions for 2021 like my body I look like I'm 60 years old.

Um so I have this George Clooney project in 2021 the George Clooney project because I saw a picture of George Clooney a couple days ago when he was 15 terrible man really ugly and now that he's 60 whatever he looks gorgeous.

So I was like okay I'm gonna that's that's my project for 2021 take care of my body of course it's important take care of our soul of course it's important read a good book definitely go watch something funny great go you know travel around great we take care of of our soul but we also need to take care of our spirit not only spirit not only body not only soul the three of them and um I think the fasting helps us uh with this yeah yeah I agree sorry I just can't get over the George Clooney project it should be like this needs to be like an a a new podcast and a website and oh my gosh there bro if we had a website I would definitely post the picture I saw when George Clooney was 15 years old man not even the same guy interesting and now he's he looks amazing so that's that's what I wanted for for my 2021 I've been not a good I've been not taking care of my body as I should of course I'm a hundred percent responsible for that but uh I blame America because that was a that was I that was what I was about to say is how much is attributed that to your recent uh living in the United States well I come on well I don't want to blame yeah yeah but it's harder I think it is and I think I mentioned to you this before but the refills this is killing it's the refills it is man if you go to McDonald's in Brazil you'll buy a coke and if it's median that's why you buy it it is what it is drink wise because you drink everything in three seconds you'll have no coke to drink no coke with your burger exactly here it's more like I'm gonna drink this before I get it before I get it and then I'll have another one this is crazy man it's great it's uh it's a great analogy for fasting because it just says it almost says like do we don't need exuberant amount we can survive let's refocus let's reset exactly we can survive on on on much less than what we normally do and also one more thing I wanna I wanna call it out here is the price of things this is ridiculous like you cannot sell like a Mac chicken for one dollar because it will make me buy 10 because it's so cheap it should be four dollars and then I will go okay I'm gonna buy two okay oh man so ridiculous yeah if you were if you are listening to this and you live in Colombia does that I know that this doesn't make sense for you but when you come to America you will see what I'm talking about.

Absolutely you'll see it and which kind of goes back to my point is just the the fascination I mean we have we have networks about food.

We have a food network that's 247 it's about food and you know there's a a restaurant every hundred feet in America and and so a lot of it is a lot of our time and attention and and energy and stuff is is derived from food instead of I feel like when I've when I've done the 21 days of prayer and fasting I've experienced more joy to be honest with you.

Like I've been I've I've just had more uh organic joy joy of the Lord is my strength says the Bible so um and I think a lot of it just has to do with I'm not really thinking about man what's uh you know what am I having for dinner today I'm just I'm having whatever the fast I'm on which I usually do Daniel it's like I'm having fruits and vegetables you know what I mean or whatever.

My wife obviously Jennifer is a little bit more um what would you say she's the cook so she's more intentional about it.

So I try and tell her every year like don't worry about me just do whatever you want like I'll be fine.

I'll eat cashews or something.

But my wife loves a good meal so and it's funny like well I usually don't do Danielle I usually do meals.

So right now what I've been doing is I eat one meal a day one meal a day.

Okay and I'm basically I'm I'm having lunch every day so by at 9 p.m I'm starving of course and man back to our what fasting can do for your body or your soul I'm starving at 9 p.m but when I go to my bed I sleep like a baby because I usually have dinner at 11 and then I go to bed at 1 still full and I wake up a lot of times in the middle of the night it is what it is but now during the fasting season I'm like I'm I'm sleeping like my daughter disclaimer if you go to Vinny and Julie's house for dinner you will be eating 11 10 30 is early.

If you're eating at 10 10 30 that's early yes I remember Jen and I coming over there to eat dinner and I was ready for bed but you guys are just getting dinner on the table yes you're right you're right and uh one more thing I will I would love to mention um it was in 2006 I was in this internship uh ministry school full time and um they challenged uh challenged us to fasting for four days um and it was the first time I was fasting like four days straight just water and at the time I was sick um the problem is how what's the name of the the disease in English maybe I'll say in Portuguese and you will have like a click uh hypoglycemia does that communicate something uh glycemia like hypoglycemia hypoglycemia yes exactly I was diagnosed with that so basically I I couldn't stay on the fast for four days because I would just have a crisis or something so on the first day I I said hey God you know physically naturally speaking I cannot do this but I'm gonna fast and I I wanna feed my spirit I wanna grow in faith and I'm gonna pray and you will you will heal you will you will do something and that's what I did I fasted four days no issues and I ne I've never had that issue again wow since 2006.

Wow um it was not the fasting though it was because my faith was in a different level my faith was a different level as a consequence of my fasting yeah it was not the fasting that healed me God healed me healed me because I I prayed about it with so much faith so much confidence and I was full of faith because I was feeding my spirit I think some a phrase that I love and I always I always uh say when we talk about this subject is the fasting doesn't change God it changes me and um God's still the same right but it changes me it gives me more faith it makes me more generous um it makes me more aware of people around me it makes me more aware of scripture and and uh you know so if we knew how important and how powerful that is we would we would do it more frequently and with more intentionality I I believe.

Yeah I I think the I think this goes back to the beginning of the conversation with the flesh, you know, ourselves our sinful nature warring with our spirit yep our desire to do right and our desire to honor God so I guess the question is I think it takes intentionality and discipline and a decision at the beginning but I think once you once you see the fruit of that it's almost it it's it can become a desire.

You know what I mean?

Definitely yes and I guess I want to know for myself but you know also people listening I want to know from your experience you you say that you've you do this throughout the year and you don't try it's not just like a one time thing you know what what is the what is the catalyst for your fast is it do you have rhythms or is there are there things that happen or do you just go man I need to fast like what what sparks that it's more like I want to fast you just want to I just want to it's more like I wanna I'm not satisfied with my relationship with God right now.

I want more more of what what does that mean?

More of understanding more of understanding more of um clarity more of um more of intimacy intimacy that's the word yeah that's the word so I feel I feel that very often so it's not necessarily just like God I need you to do something it's more so like God I don't feel close right now so I'm I'm going to fast in order to strengthen my spirit so that I feel closer to you.

Exactly and also I always do that when I realize how miserable I am as a human being because back to the battle thing between flesh and and spirit if I am feeding my flesh it will produce um the consequences of feeding my are worldly desires natural exactly it's natural desires which Galatians 5 will list in but if I'm feeding my spirit out of that will will brought the fruit of spirit right so very often when I realize man Vini you were you were you were a mess man you are a mess you need to grow in all these areas I usually fast because I wanna I wanna make space to feed my spirit and let God produce produces inside of me the fruit the fruit of his spirit that's good.

One more thing before we go can you try to ex explain and it it just brought to my attention because we're speaking about fasting and praying like your your prayer rhythms or your prayer just to help someone who maybe is unsure how to pray like how like how do you talk to God is basically what I'm asking.

I talk to God always in this real in this perspective of son and father.

The way I talk with God is the same exact way I talk with my dad of course I I have my devotional every day which is pretty much late at night not in the mornings because it works for me.

So I I separate a time during my day to spend with God but I also in communication with him through throughout my entire um day.

So I'm in the middle of the work and I remind of Josh Garrison is a keyboard uh in a worship I don't know why God brought brought it into my mind or even if I don't even know if it's God but I stopped a second and I pray a little prayer uh for him or when I see something I pray about it when I think about my daughter I pray about it and sometimes when I say I pray about it it's more like God bless Serena right now whatever whatever she is boom yeah it's not like Heavenly Father I'm you know it's yeah yeah yeah it's it's Lord thank you for Serena I pray that you would bless her today.

Exactly yeah so I'm praying throughout my day a lot of times but of course I have my devotional time and it's always through the this perspective son and um father father so I feel free to be so inappropriate I feel I can say whatever and I'm just counting with God grace to look at me and say you don't even know what you're talking about.

You don't even know um but I always it's fun it's it's a conversation it's definitely you know and I and I always have the same when I'm doing my devotional I always have the same reason of prayer so I always start telling him everything he is to me and then I always give thanks and then I always talk about this is the reason um I worship I give thanks and then I open my heart I just tell him everything I've been dealing with and then I just present my my petitions if I can say that word for me and for the others and that's it.

Yeah and of course and that's my again my my uh my faith um practice let's put that way I pray a lot in tongues through throughout my day as well and that's what I believe for me um So, yeah, I do I do that as as well.

It's the epitome of pray without ceasing.

That's what the Bible means.

I remember being a kid and reading that and being like, man, what when else am I gonna do other stuff if I have to pray the entire but it's just more so of an open line of communication.

Exactly.

Being able to at the drop of a hat talk to God and receive from Him as well.

Exactly.

It's not necessarily 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Exactly.

I just realized that the space heater has been on this entire time.

So I hope that's not in the audio.

I don't think it will be, but uh, if it is, oh well folks will understand.

They will understand, but the spirit of the Lord is so heavy on this podcast, I don't even think that they'll notice until they get to the end and I mention it.

Oh my gosh.

Thanks for coming on, Vinny.

Thank you.

And uh just a piece of advice of everybody who is listening.

Whatever you're fasting, don't fast listening after the message.

That's right.

Amen.

Thank you for joining us for After the Message.

To learn more about Celebration Church here in Orlando, you can follow us on social media under the handle at Celebration ORL or visit our website at celebrationorl.org.