Episode 147: When you fast

In the name of the glorious Trinity, Father and Son and Holy

Spirit, forever Amen. Glory be to the everlasting

mercies which sent you to us, O Christ, the light of the world

and the life of all. Give us wisdom by Your law and

enlighten our impulses by Your knowledge.

Sanctify our souls by Your truth and grant that we may be

obedient to Your words and may fulfil Your commandments at

every hour. O You who enlightens the

rational with the knowledge of Your greatness, do enlight, O my

Lord, our thoughts, that we may meditate upon Your holy and

divine Scriptures at all times. O Lord of all, Father and Son

and Holy Spirit, forever. Amen.

And the Church has called her children to enter their

wilderness, to walk away from the hustle and the bustle of the

world and to go into solitude in fasting, in prayer, in

meditation, and reading the Holy Scriptures, reading the lives

and the biography of the holy Saints of our Lord, and

attending church, partaking in the Vespas, the prayers and the

Eucharistic service. And we do this because the

scriptures have commanded and the scriptures do teach that we

need to fast. Jesus says in Matthew chapter

Matthew 15 · chapter mention

15, I believe when you fast, that means you will fast.

Jesus told his disciples that one way of overcoming evil and

his force is to pray and fast, fast and pray.

Saint Paul writes to the husbands and wives that during

Lent, during fasting, during fasting, they should separate.

But if there's any temptation and there is the equality of

desire, they might they can come back together one more time.

The apostles fasted and the church for 2025 years is

teaching that we should fast. And most importantly, the Lent

or the fast that our Jesus established while on earth, He

went into, into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan, the

deceiver, and he was tempted, but he fasted.

What I'd like to do these weeks, these coming weeks, is to talk

about Lent, about fasting, and God willing, those who've never

fasted, who frown upon, upon fasting, that the Lord will

touch their heart, the Spirit will open their minds and their

hearts and they will offer the land, offer the fast.

Isaiah chapter 58, verses 6 to 11 is how we should fast.

Isaiah 58:6–11

So the title is When you fast. So Jesus said when you fast, we

are fasting now, but how do I fast?

You see, Saint John Chrysostom writes that fasting is a

medicine. Fasting is a tool, is a weapon,

is an armor. But if we don't know how to use

that, it could cause more damage, more grief.

When we don't know how to use our medication, we can cause

ourselves severe illness or death, overdose.

So fasting is a gift, is a tool, is a gracious provision of the

Lord that he has established and given us and and commanded us

and set us to do. But we need to know how we

should fast. In Isaiah chapter 58, we'll read

Isaiah 58 · chapter mention

from verses 6 to 11. I'm sorry.

We'll go from verse one and see that the Lord is commanding

this. Now some say Jesus has commanded

that when we fast, when we give arms, we should not blow horns

and we should not do them before men so that we may be seen.

So why is the church in the calendar or from the pulpit

calling out that there is a fast?

Well, here it is. Here's your here's your your

answer. Isaiah 58 verse one cry aloud,

spare not. He's telling Isaiah to cry

aloud. So the church cries aloud.

And that's why the church reminds, encourages, commands,

instructs her children that it is time for Lent.

It is that time of the year and not only during Lent.

Fasting can be offered to God at any time, any day, any week, any

month. But most importantly, the fast,

the great fast our Lord went through and and established the

church has canonized that every children, every child of the

Church, every son and daughter of the church must observe this

fast. If not, they need to be absolved

by the Church, not just Lord. I'm sorry I didn't do it.

No, they need to be absolved by the church.

And I promise during these weeks we'll talk about the proven

solution as well. Cry aloud.

See, God didn't say go and whisper to each one.

And you know, be careful that they don't.

It doesn't come out as though you're telling people to fast.

No, cry aloud. Spare not lift up your voice

like a trumpet, loud. Tell my people their

transgressions. So every priest has a microphone

on. You know we've got those

earpiece microphones, right? This is our trumpet last Sunday.

Every priest, every Bishop, Archbishop, His Holiness from

the pulpit cried out to the children of the church.

It is now Lent time. We are going to fast, offer a

fast and why do we fast? This is 123 tells us that how

our fast should be and the reason why we are offering our

fast. Number one, why Lift up your

voice like a trumpet. Tell my people their

transgressions and the House of Jacob their sins.

Because of our transgressions and our sins.

Our evil and sins. That's why we fast.

Sorry, What were you saying? Yeah, you're right.

So that means we should be fasting more often.

Yeah, I mean to that because of our sins and transgressions.

Yet they seek me daily. So we need to seek the Lord

during our Lent. That is one reason that we need

to fast through fasting. We are seeking God.

We are seeking God's righteousness, God's judgement,

God's ways. Yet they seek me daily and

delight to know my ways. We want to know the ways of the

Lord. That's why you listen to these

podcasts. That's why you listen to sermons

that are posted. You go to church, you go to

Bible studies because you know want to know the ways, you want

to learn the ways and the judgments of God.

As a nation that did righteousness and did not

forsake the ordinance of their God, we strive.

We strive to become righteous, to become a nation that will not

forsake the commandments of God. We want to draw near to God.

That's why we are fasting, drawing near to God.

They ask of me the ordinance of justice.

They take delight in approaching God.

So we want to know God's righteous judgement and we want

to approach God to be healed by him, to be connected to him, to

be connected to the source of life, the source of forgiveness

and compassion and mercy and grace and love and strength.

That's why we are fasting, because you know why we have

forfeited those throughout disobedience to the Lord.

You know, Jesus said to Satan, it is not by food alone that God

may and may live, but but what proceeds from the mouth of God?

Go back to what Adam and Eve did.

God commanded them not to eat. There's the word of God, but

they were disobedient and they died spiritually.

Disobedience is when we do not adhere to God's commandments, to

God's voice and words. Then we've distant ourselves

from the source of light, which is life, which is God Himself,

and we're spiritually dead. Why have we fasted, they say,

and you have not seen. Why have we afflicted our souls?

And yet, and you take no notice. There it is.

These people, the Israelites, were fasting, but obviously it

was to no effect. Going back to what Saint John

Chrysostom says and writes in his homily, fasting is a

medicine that needs to be taken according to the prescription of

he who has prescribed it, which is Jesus Christ our Lord, Praise

and glory be to His name. How should we fast for God to be

pleased? How should we fast?

How are we to offer our fast during this time of land and

this is now? You need to be careful.

Stop your washing of the dishes, stop your vacuuming, Pull to one

side and listen. This is how we should offer our

fast so that it appeases God. When it appeases God, it doesn't

exalt God and magnify God. No, He's exalted.

He's magnified. When it appeases Him, He is

appeased. And then He will have mercy upon

us and He will forgive our sins and He will strengthen us, and

He will help us to get rid of all the addictions, the

addictions, the demons, the demons that are ruling our life,

our minds, our hearts, and our desires and our will.

We have fasted, they say, and you have not seen.

Why have we afflicted our souls? And you take no notice.

In fact, in the day of your fast, you find pleasure and

exploit all laborers in the day of your fasting.

This is what you're doing. You're doing your own will.

You're using your free will that I gave you in a defilement way

and in a defilement matter, as opposed to offering it to God as

a sweet odor of instance. Your free will, you do what you

please during your fast. You're still cussing, you're

still on that porn site, you're still watching those those

glamorous videos. You're still posting on social

media to, to glamorize yourself to, to parade yourself.

You're still posting yourself. You know your, your songs of,

of, of cussing and, and, and, and those songs that are

inappropriate for man to see. You're still posting videos that

are just irrelevant, just useless.

You're still hating. You continue to hate.

You continue to quarrel. You continue to to, you know,

stop yourself from showing love and grace and mercy to others.

That's what you're doing during your land.

That's why I'm not appeased. We need to know what God wants

from us, what God has requested and commanded us to do in order

to do it during our Lent. Not only during Lent, but beyond

that. Beloved, in fact, the day of the

fast, you find your pleasure and exploit all your labourers.

Indeed, you fast for strife and debate and to strike with the

first of wickedness. I want to go back.

You exploit all your labourers, so those who have business and

those who have employees don't exploit them, at least during

this. Let if you're fasting and you're

still duping your employees and you're harsh and you're not kind

to them, you're not merciful to them and you're actually

deceiting and you're defrauding them.

Well, let me tell you my dear brother and sister, your fast is

null and void before God. The Scripture is talking, not

Jenna, that's picture Scripture is talking indeed.

You fast for strife and debate and to strike with the first of

wickedness, enmity, posting derogative posts against one

another, always trying to bring down one another.

Don't have the heart, the humility, the love of Christ in

our heart to walk up to someone who is, who is.

Maybe you know, you know, 'cause me a bit of grief to say You

know what my brother, I want to forgive you and not having the

courage and the love of Christ to go up to someone and say I'm

sorry. What for what I said and what I

did. I'm sorry.

You're right. I couldn't see myself.

Thank you for for revealing to me my inner person.

I couldn't see it because sometimes Satan covers the mind,

the eyes and the the conscience Even so that I can't even be

attentive and to change. Thank you for that.

But constantly debating and to strike with the fist of

wickedness again, to hurt someone, whether it's physical,

whether it's financial, whether it's emotional, psychological,

constantly wanting to perform wickedness.

And you will not fast as you do do this day to make your voice

heard on high, to always be known, to always be seen.

No, no, no, there is no exaltation during fasting.

Beloved Christ, praise and glory be to His name when he was

captured. You know the Fathers say that

from the time Christ was captured, He was known to be

dead. That's why when you count on the

third day, he rose. That's how some of the fathers

are counting the third day that Jesus was resurrected.

Like a sheave to the Shearer. He did not raise his voice.

He did not cry out. No, humble yourself, you know,

maybe, maybe be quiet on the social media during this time

of, of, of Lent. You don't need to show me what

you're doing at school, you know, or at school doing my

maths. Thank you.

God bless you. What do I need to know?

Why do I need to tell me something that is, that is

profitable for me? You know, John chapter 3, verse

John 3:16

16 for God. So love the world.

God loves you. Well, thank you for that.

Maybe we should be quiet and not be seen on social media during

Lent. I'm not saying go and delete

your Facebook and no, no, no, no, just be just just let's just

start focusing. Not, you know, let's go back,

not even posting scripture for Iraq.

Post it for yourself, in your heart, in your mind.

Live it. Live it and be a living example

of that Scripture, not a post on Instagram or Twitter.

Do people still use Twitter, Steve?

They do. X.

Oh, sorry, X. All right.

No, no, let's be quiet. You know, it says to make your

voice heard on high. No, I don't want to be heard.

I don't want to be seen unless it's something that is very

important, that is to glorify God, to glorify God.

But first I must live it. First I must experience it.

Indeed, you fast for strife and debate, and to strike with the

feast of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this

day to make your voice heard on high.

Is this the fast that I have chosen?

Now, God speaking, is this the fast that I have chosen?

A day for man to afflict his soul.

I don't like this version, but in any case, we'll keep going.

A day for a man to afflict his soul.

Is it to bow down? OK, I'm sorry.

You know, it should be. This is the fast that I have

chosen. This is the fast it says.

Is it a fast that I have chosen? No, no, no.

This is a fast that I have chosen, says God.

A day for a man to afflict his soul.

Humility. Humble yourself.

How do you humble your soul when your body is so active into, you

know, fulfilling the desires, the passions?

How do you do that? No, by fasting.

You take control of your body. You discipline the body of the

desires of the flesh so that the soul will be alive, so that your

soul will be afflicted in mourning, because your body now

realizes that this, what I do, how I conduct myself, is an

abomination to the Lord. Your soul will start grieving.

You know when you grieve with the soul, that's when the

repentance come, Not only physically, when you're grieve

with the soul, that's when repentance come.

That's the grieve that is hitting home to move you because

the soul is the life. The soul continues.

It's the life, and when you grieve the soul, then the life

comes back. Then the body starts being

obedient to the soul, and how to the nourishment of the spiritual

food, obedient to the Word of God, the precepts of God.

This is the fast that I have chosen a day for a man to

afflict his soul. It is to bow down his head like

I bull rush or a a walking a Canyon walking cane Kabbalah who

hangs their heads down those who are shame.

You know I hung my head in shame to be shame, to be ashamed of

what we have done, to truly be moved and be shamed to the point

where Lord I am not worthy to lift up my face to you, but have

mercy on me. A Sinner like the Sinner who

approached the temple of God, beat his breast, didn't lift up

his face his head, beat his breast and said, Lord have mercy

on me. A Sinner, That's how we fast

going out and doing your thing, going to restaurants and having

a drink, having a hookah and enjoying yourself.

Ha, ha, ha, ha. Joking around a little bit of,

you know, the, the the techno or the I'm all the music in the

background. That's not being ashamed.

When you're ashamed, you lock yourself in your room, right

Until someone comes and says it's OK, it's OK, don't worry.

Yeah, but I didn't want to do, you know, when the kids do

something wrong, they they'll go into the room and say it's OK.

Yeah, but I didn't do that. I shouldn't have done that.

That's OK. See, we learn from children

that's hanging your your head down like a walking stick, being

ashamed of what we've done. Like the prodigal son, when he

returned, he didn't return and demand forgiveness.

Just pray and God will forgive you.

I mean, God does forgive, but how do you pray?

The medicine of forgiveness, of repentance, If you don't use it

right, it will cause you more grief.

But you know what? Well, I did it.

So, yeah, just forgive me. You know?

No, you come with a contrite spirit.

You. You hang your head and say,

Father, I have sinned before heaven and earth and before you.

Forgive me, for I am not worthy. I am not worthy.

You know, I saw a video of someone who's saying, you know,

these, these philosophies, I don't know.

They can't, it can't be spiritual talk.

It's not, it's not inspired by the Holy Spirit.

They claim it is, but it's not. It's an evil spirit.

It's an evil spirit. If you keep saying and claim

that you're a Sinner, it means Jesus failed.

Are you serious? When we sin, it's not God

causing us to sin so he didn't fail.

When we sin, it is us. We are the ones that are

disobedient. And what did Jesus say?

Blessed are those who mourn. Mourn for what?

For their grandfather, For their great great grandfather?

For their dog pooey who died, who passed on?

No mourning, remorse, blessed are they, Jesus said St.

James writes if you claim that you're not a Sinner, you're a

liar. If you say that I do not sin,

you're a liar. There's a sin.

So don't listen to these, you know, as I said, everyone, you

know, it's, it's free for all. Now, you know, go live and get

the clicks and please prescribe and write a comment and like so

that you can start making money, right?

Don't be fazed by these. Don't be drawn by these.

Just switch in the name of Jesus Christ block.

I don't want these types of ridiculous preaching.

Oh, but he's saying Jesus, Sophie, if I if I start, you

know, you know, who was it? Who's saying just as God says,

make these stones to be bred. Where was that?

Where was that? What was that song, Steven, when

they all sang because there was famine.

We are the world rivals for Ethiopia.

Who was it? Who was it?

Yeah, sorry. No, Billy.

No, not Billy Joel. That's the anyway, anyway, he

said and as God said, make this staunch to be to turn to bread.

Satan said that, you fool. God didn't say that.

So your God is Satan. Yes, it is the God of Hollywood.

The evil your God is Satan, because Satan was tempting Jesus

and said turn these stones into bread.

God didn't say that. No.

And you see, you see, just because we're raising money,

it's a charitable work. Oh, these people are so good

people. They're evil.

They're evil people. And you see what's happening

now? I don't want to go into that

now. They're evil people, right?

Just because you do charity doesn't mean you're a Christian.

I've always said you're born in a garage doesn't make you a car

right. Not all who call me Lord Lord

will enter the Kingdom of heaven.

So just because someone you know sings or mentions the word God

doesn't mean that person is a God fearing God loving person.

And if they are well they got it wrong.

God didn't say turn these stones into bread.

Satan said to bow down that his head like a bulrush and to

spread out sackcloth and ashes, just like the king of Nineveh.

He took off his crown and his splendid clothing and he sat on

sackcloth, meaning, Oh my, where am I?

The depth of darkness during Lent.

We can't be who high in during Lent.

You know, one person said, can I have a glass of wine during

Lent? No.

Why we drink wine. Well, no, that's the blood of

Christ. By the way, we taste wine, yes,

but we believe it's the blood of Christ.

And secondly, why do you want to drink a glass?

You know, wine makes man's heart glad.

Well, you're not supposed to be glad during Lent.

It's a contrite spirit. And to spread out sackcloth and

ashes. Would you call this fast an

acceptable day to the Lord? Is this not the fast that I have

chosen to lose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy

burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every

yoke? Is it not to share your bread

with Hungary and that you bring to your house a poor who are

cast out when you see the naked, that you cover them?

Jesus. See, Jesus said these things,

didn't he when you saw me, Nate? Well, Lord, when did we see you

naked? We saw you hungry.

He's quoting from here. So fasting.

And what is this? What is this pertaining to?

Fasting? So don't dare tell me that we

don't need to fast. And as I said, I'll, I'll, I'll,

I'll put the challenge on on double edged sword.

Find me in the scripture where it says do not fast.

I'll break my fast when you when you tell me immediately.

And as I said in my English service, an English service last

Sunday, I'll take a selfie at double double with a double

double in my hand. But there's no such thing.

Don't be deceived. You don't want to fast.

Don't take people down. You're going down.

Don't take people down with you. When you see the naked that you

cover him and you not hide yourself from your own flesh,

then your light shall break forth like the morning break.

All the bondage, whatever you have been captured by, whatever

you've caught others by, let it go.

Let bygones be bygones. Pick up the phone during Lent

and say, listen, dear sister, dear brother, let me talk to

you. You know, I've never mentioned

this, but I will. You know, unfortunately, there

comes a time where families are broken, where there is divorces.

Unfortunately, it grieves the church divorce.

Why do you have to be enemies? Why?

Oh, oh, husband, for 15 years, your wife was your wife was

your, your pride and your, your, your, you know, the crown of

your head. And then when you divorce, you

want to tell the world that your bride, your wife was a a no good

person. Why do that?

Why? That happens in Assyrians a lot.

That happens in Assyrians a lot. Why become enemies?

Pick up the phone and say, listen, we've separated.

OK, fine, let's go. OK, we've divorced.

The kids are happy. Thank God for that.

You know, let's just, let's just be humane, let's be humane.

Let's not be enemies. Let's just pray for one another.

Let's just continue to pray. Maybe the Lord will change our

minds and change our hearts. But as soon as there is a

separation, my beloved sisters, as soon as there is a

separation, the posts start coming up.

What you're parading that you're now separated.

You're now ready to be married because you don't understand

what marriage is during Lent. These are the the evil deeds

that we need to do away with. Do away with friendship.

Brothers. Sisters, let it go.

Pick up the phone, brother. Honey, why have we?

Why have we spoken for the past two years?

What happened? We shared the same womb.

We share the same womb. All right.

I'm sorry if I've done something wrong.

Yes, it is me. Be humble yourself to admit

fault, guilt. It is me.

Pray for me, brother. But please, I need you.

I need your love. This is not just a a brotherly

Christian brotherly love. This is a blood.

This is a womb established brotherly love.

We have vice versa, friends, relatives, neighbors, neighbors.

You don't talk to your neighbor because one day she threw a a

cigarette butt over the over the forgive.

Forgive this old dream. Now you may be chuckling at

this, but this is what God is saying.

You have court cases, you have lawsuits because your brother

paid you $10 less from the estate of your father.

Forget it, go and forgive because at the end of the day

you can get your 10 million and he will get his $10.

Vice versa at the end of the day you know where you'll take that,

that 6 foot grave that's all that's where we end up, that's

where we end up but beyond that is to face the Lord.

The Lord someone said to you Boo, well forget it.

That person was didn't know what he was saying.

That's what God is saying. That's how we are.

We are to fast beloved, bringing strangers into our house.

Yes, sometimes it's not realistic.

You don't know if that stranger is a murderer.

You don't know you're not going to go first do a credit check on

or what is it? The police check background

check and say, oh, OK, no, well, how about just picking up

someone off the street, picking up someone off the street who's

sitting, who's sleeping in the streets and say, listen,

brother, sister, today I'm going to set you up.

I'm going to book you in a, in a motel with shelter so you can

have a shower, you can have a, a bed to sleeping for five days,

for two days, for three days, whatever.

I'll bring you some food, change of clothes, some toiletries so

that you can have a shower and refresh yourself this in the

name of Jesus Christ and don't go and blow horns.

And I did this and I did that. Let me close up with this and I

think I've shared it with you. We did this as a, as a group, as

a, as brothers and sisters. We went out and fed the

homeless. And I'm not, you know, this is

not not bragging. God knows my heart.

So this man come up to us and said, OK, you gave me food, but

where am I going to sleep tonight?

We said, well, you know what? Yeah, sorry to hear that and

just drove off. The late Subdeacon Sean Toma,

God rest his soul, looked at me while the driver was driving

away. We were in a bus.

He said, Robbie, this person just reached out to us for

shelter and Jesus said I was a stranger and you took me in.

And when they said, when he said, when you do for one of

these divines, we turn around and we went and found that

person and we booked him in our motel.

It was difficult, but we didn't. Glory to God, please don't for

one second think that this is this is out of pride.

It's just an example. It's just an example, right?

That's how we need to be during our land, beloved, and even

beyond that. But Christ teaches us in Matthew

2531 to 46 when you fast, He also gives us some commandments.

And we're going to talk about this next week.

And during these episodes, we're going to talk about the

absolution. So maybe some of you out there

would like to be absolved officially and properly,

doctrinally, liturgically, according to the tradition and

the canons of the law. And we'll talk about that during

the end of Lent. So may the Lord accept your

prayers and your supplication and your fasting continue.

The enemy will intensify, but you have victory with Jesus

Christ. Praise and glory be to His name

now and at all times and forever.

Amen. We hope you enjoyed this week's

message. Please don't forget to rate and

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Until next time, God bless you all.