{"id":16094,"date":"2026-03-31T19:07:39","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T00:07:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/?p=16094"},"modified":"2026-04-04T19:31:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T00:31:10","slug":"the-yoke-in-isaiah-58","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/16094\/the-yoke-in-isaiah-58\/","title":{"rendered":"The Yoke in Isaiah 58"},"content":{"rendered":"

John,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0This past Saturday, I had Faith on my mind, like we all did!\u00a0 I was thinking about how Luis was fasting and praying for Faith.\u00a0\u00a0The verse,\u00a0“this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting,” came to mind, so I went and read in Matthew 17 where that verse is found.\u00a0\u00a0It is the story where Jesus casts the demon out of the epileptic man after the disciples were unable to do it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 This morning, I was led to read the Thought for the Morning (3-30) which was a question, “How is the fasting that Jesus accepts?” (https:\/\/goingtojesus.com\/gtj_thoughts.html?tname=tfm03-30<\/a><\/span>)\u00a0\u00a0You responded that fasting is in the Spirit, and when\u00a0fasting\u00a0is done physically, oftentimes, it is for show or purely in the flesh.\u00a0\u00a0In the response, you also referenced the story that I mentioned above in Matthew 17.\u00a0\u00a0You also mentioned that the kind of fasting that Jesus accepts is in Isaiah 58.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 After reading the Thought for the Morning about fasting, I went on to read Isaiah 58.\u00a0\u00a0I knew that you always taught us that is where the true fast is described.\u00a0\u00a0I began to read Isaiah 58 and started to read it as a checklist.\u00a0\u00a0What is it that we haven’t done that could help bring about Faith’s healing?\u00a0\u00a0I know that we have asked that question as a body, “God, what is it that you want us to do? or change? or not do?”\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0After describing the true fast in verse 8, it says “Then shall your light break forth as the dawn, and your healing shall spring forth quickly…”\u00a0\u00a0And in verse 9, “Then you shall call and Jehovah will answer.\u00a0\u00a0You shall cry for help, and He will say, ‘Here I am!’ \u2013 if you do these things: put away from the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, provide freely for the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul.”<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 Many times throughout this chapter, it speaks of the “yoke”.\u00a0 I see that as something that is oppressive, correct?\u00a0\u00a0For example, the ceremonies that you would find in Christianity.\u00a0\u00a0I feel like we have “put away” those yokes from the midst of us.\u00a0\u00a0What other things are considered “yokes”?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 I don’t know what else it is that I am asking, except to tell you the rabbit holes that Jesus has led me through the past couple of days.\u00a0\u00a0I just felt that it was the right thing to write my thoughts and questions to you.\u00a0\u00a0I know that we all have been searching for answers concerning Faith’s healing.\u00a0\u00a0We all want her made completely whole!<\/span><\/p>\n

Love,<\/span><\/p>\n

Carrie<\/span><\/p>\n

==========<\/span><\/p>\n

Hi Carrie,<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0The yoke to which Isaiah refers is one’s will, which self-willed people would place around the necks of others so that they do what they want those folk to do.\u00a0 Part of the true fast is to refrain from doing that.\u00a0 Some people are accomplished at manipulating others to do their will, and they are miserable if others do not do what they want them to do.\u00a0 But if you maintain peace in your soul even when others, especially those you love, do not do as you know that God wants \u2013 and you want \u2013 them to do, then you are fasting from something God wants you to fast from: self-will.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Those who walk in the Spirit allow others the same liberty that Christ allows us all: the liberty to choose to be wrong and to do wrong if that is what we want (but there will be consequences).\u00a0 Jesus said his yoke was easy and his burden, light, and he invites us to put that precious yoke around our necks.\u00a0 He does not force us to do so, but if we do take that yoke upon us, he gives us his peace and makes us happy.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 I hope that answers your question.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Pastor John<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

==========<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 Yes, this was helpful!\u00a0\u00a0Thank you!\u00a0\u00a0The way that the Bible verses and Thought for the Morning lined up, I could feel there was gold in this.\u00a0\u00a0I needed your help to find it!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 I loved what you said this morning, too, about how this also applies to our relationship between God and us.\u00a0\u00a0Do we want our way more than we want God\u2019s way?\u00a0\u00a0Can we stay happy and have peace if things don\u2019t go the way that we<\/em>\u00a0think they should go?\u00a0\u00a0Can we trust God that He has our best in mind?\u00a0\u00a0It is all for our good!<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0 I also loved what you said about having an attitude of a servant.\u00a0\u00a0The servant\u2019s only concern is what the master wants or thinks.\u00a0\u00a0We can\u2019t even squabble with other servants about what they think.\u00a0\u00a0It is ALL about the Master.<\/span><\/p>\n

Carrie<\/span><\/p>\n

==========<\/span><\/p>\n

Pastor John<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I love this so much.\u00a0 Jesus and I have been talking about this recently.\u00a0 I had to stop the other day and wonder out loud to him why I feel such peace right now.\u00a0 I almost feel lifted out of myself.\u00a0 Jesus told me it\u2019s because I trust him now.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I actually had to pause and think about whether that was true when he said it.\u00a0 I told Jesus I didn\u2019t even know when that happened.\u00a0 And I also know he did it.\u00a0 Somewhere in the middle of me worrying myself to death, Jesus fixed something in me that has been broken since childhood \u2014 and I didn\u2019t even know he did it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what Jesus is going to do for Jerry, for Faith, or for any of us, but I do know this: I have an incredible peace inside, and I trust Him.\u00a0 I trust Jesus with all of it.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Love,<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Beth<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

John, \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0This past Saturday, I had Faith on my mind, like we all did!\u00a0 I was thinking about how Luis was fasting and praying for Faith.\u00a0\u00a0The verse,\u00a0“this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting,” came to mind, so I went and read in Matthew 17 where that verse is found.\u00a0\u00a0It […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-qa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16094"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16094"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16094\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16101,"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16094\/revisions\/16101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16094"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pastorjohnshouse.com\/mailbag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}