Welcome to my birth-month, March! Yipeee!!! My birthday is in 12 days, and I'm excited. I'm never too old not to get excited about my birthday, so let the gifts roll in pleasseee... lol. May this month be a blessed and fruitful month, may we never miss a good opportunity and may peace fill our hearts and homes, amen.
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| Courtesy:catholic.org |
Today is Ash Wednesday in the Christian calendar, the first day of the Lenten season, a period when Christians commemorate the 40 days and nights that Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness before he embarked on his mission on earth.
Now, orthodox Christians observe the season with fasting and abstinence, prayers and almsgiving, a period of sober reflection. There is also the use of ash to on the face of the congregation to signify man's mortality and that from dust we came, and to dust we shall return.  |
| courtesy:harvestgainesville.org |
During lent, some of us fast, abstain from food and alcohol, some even sex for a period of time as a sign of observing the lenten season. However, I know that the Bible has some guidelines to fasting, it is not just about abstaining from food, alcohol and sex. I mean, people that want to lose weight abstain from food and alcohol, and people who are 'boo-less' abstain from sex too, lol, but that doesn't mean they're fasting, does it?
To my fellow Christians, the Bible in the book of Prophet Isaiah chapter 58, verses 3-7 says: ‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with a wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a person to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a reed, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the Lord? “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?'
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| courtesy:faithgateway.com |
Also, in the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mathew, chapter 6, verses 16-18, it says: “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."
However, these days we announce our fast to all and sundry, someone gets invited to a meal out of courtesy, rather than say 'thank you' politely and leave it at that, he/she adds 'I'm fasting, so I cannot eat'. Who asked you?? We say we fast but the acts of wickedness we perpetrate during that fast will even shock the devil himself. It's not surprising to hear a woman say to someone who provoked her: 'thank your God I'm fasting, if not I would have dealt with you!'. Ha!! and we want God to hearken to our requests?? I think one of the reasons why we fast and pray and nothing happens is that we don't even do it the right way.
Some women and men (especially women) deny their husbands sex for days, weeks and months because they believe they're fasting, forgetting that the Bible in 1st Corinthians 7:5 says: 'Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.' The key word here is 'by agreement', meaning that if you want to fast and abstain from sex and your husband or wife says no, you should not do it, right?. How many people do this? Yet we wonder why we don't receive when we ask? Isn't it saddening and futile to know that we abstained from food and said all that prayer to no avail? If you believe in the Bible as the word of God, you don't get to pick and choose.
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| Courtesy: stsharbel.org |
Now we're in Lenten season, and feel obliged to fast because our churches say we should; know that fasting doesn't take you to heaven. We should move beyond church rituals to true Christianity, showing love, humility, honesty, and all those virtues exhibited by Christ while he was on earth. When you're fasting but you harbour wickedness in your heart, know that you are wasting your time. I don't want to hear 'I'm fasting', 'my church is fasting', etc. biko; let it be between you and God. Let people see true Christianity in your attitude and character everyday, not just during lent. If you've any medical condition that prohibits fasting for hours, please don't form Voltron and believe you must fast because your church says you should; God whom your fasting should be to already knows you have such condition. Don't say God made your sickness worse after fasting, and say He doesn't answer prayers. God still answers prayers, ask for the right reasons, do things to bring glory to His name, not to merely fulfil a religious ritual.
Enjoy your day and be kind to one another(in Ellen's voice😊).
Peace...
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