Episode 83: The Nitty Gritty's of Fasting

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 fulfill your

commandments at every hour. O you.

Who enlightens the rationale 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.

Six days remaining to the end of our fast and for the.

Celebration of the. Crown of the Feasts, the holy

feast of the resurrection of our Lord from amongst the dead.

Those who have neglected this great fast, it's never too late.

Do it for these last remaining days.

Last remaining 6 days now. Often times when I would prepare

the congregation of the faithful for the Great fast, that is on

the Sunday entering the Great Lent or the Great Fast.

I would somewhat discount the nitty gritty aspects which

people would harp on or cling to pertaining to food.

Stressing and emphasizing that we need to be extra cautious and

alert when examining food products for fasting.

For example, reading the ingredients for each food broad

product to avoid any milk contents, any traces of cheese

or any dairy, etcetera, etcetera.

After all, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, praise me to His

name, teaches that it is not what goes into a man that

defiles men or defiles him, but rather what comes out in Matthew

Matthew 15 · chapter mention

chapter 15. However, however, today on this

podcast, in this episode, I would like to call myself out on

this and claim that I stand myself corrected after diligent

examination into the ACT of scrutinizing food products and

the deep intent behind it all. Why should we be extra cautious

now? I know it's not about food.

I know it's about depriving yourself from the pleasures of

the flesh and stopping from sinning.

But why should we be extra cautious when it comes to food

products? Well, since fasting is a process

of disciplining and subduing the body and its desires, that is

its evil desires and weaknesses, which are the target, the target

that Satan aims, his trickery and temptations, we must go

hard. We must go all out, and we must

go all the way. You see, when we are reminded in

the Holy Scriptures that Christ our Lord, our God our king, our

life giver and the forgiver of our sins, who had not known sin,

made himself to become sin in our place, that we would become

the righteousness of God in him. Second Corinthians chapter 5

2 Corinthians 5:2

verse 2. Paraphrase when we are convicted

if there is any such reaction these days, but giving it the

benefit of the doubt. When we are convicted by the

fact that Christ our Lord our King, our God our life giver and

the forgiver, our sins, stripped himself and took the form of a

servant and was in the form of the children of men, and was

found in fashion as a man, and he humbled himself and was

obedient unto death, even the death of being crucified.

Philippians chapter 2 verses 7 to 8 again for our sakes.

Philippians 2:7–8

And St. Theodore of Absustia, one of the

church fathers, comments on this and says by emptying by the word

emptying, the Holy Scripture signifies becoming of no

account. Just as in Corinthians, Paul

speaks of faith as if it has been made of no account or

emptied of significance if Christ be not raised. 1

Corinthians 1514 When we recall God's commandment to Adam in

Genesis chapter 2 verses 16 to 17 in the Garden of Eden, saying

Genesis 2:16–17

to him from all the trees that in paradise you shall eat from

the true of knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat from

it because in the day that you will eat from it, you will die

the death. And this was in order to keep a

relationship of love and obedience with God.

How about Romans chapter 8, verse 32, when it's rebuking us

Romans 8:32

with the fact that God did not show pity upon his son, but he

handed him over for the sake of all of us.

This is for us to reinstate us to one more time, justify us and

make us right, bring us into the righteousness of God.

You see, from these verses, beloved, we learn and are woken

up to the fact that the holiness to which you and I have been

called is not something to be taken lightly and carelessly,

but rather seriously in every way, in every shape and form,

including the scrutinizing of our food products during Lent,

which is again subduing the body.

We must accept that what God the Father did and continues to do

through God the Son, by God the Holy Spirit, by the power of God

the Holy Spirit was to and is to bring us and to keep us in

righteousness away from sin and separation from God.

Go back and re listen to those verses and read them again.

When we during the period of fasting are serious and nitty

grit at the food aspects of our Lent, we are portraying

seriousness about the subjection of the body and its deprivation

from all its desires and pleasures.

You see, we subdue the body to stir up the soul, to lust, to

yearn for the Lord in the night and the Spirit within us to rise

to His presence. According to Isaiah chapter 26,

Isaiah 26:9

verse 9. How?

By praying, fasting, reading the Holy Scriptures, attending

Church, if we are serious and nitpick in every aspect of our

flesh which will return to thus how much more than an extra

serious and intense will we be in every aspect of our

spirituality and relationship with God?

Now this all can be summed up in three very significance

significant points. Why do the above?

Why go to that discream? And again, the disc disclaimer

is it's not only about food. I understand, but we're talking

about how important the food factor is because many people

have their own philosophies. When fasting, I'm going to not

drink Coke. Oh wow, excellent.

Not drink Coke. But I'll have my fish and I'll

have my in and out and I'll have my burgers.

Why? Because the flesh wants that.

Well, what type of a fast is that?

Are you subduing the flesh? This all can be summed up in

three very significant points. Why we do this is because of

motive, intent, and purpose. The Holy Scriptures are precise

and clear that in all that we do, the motive should be to draw

near to God. The intent should be to please

God and the purpose should be to glorify God.

So let's apply what we've been discussing about our fast, the

nitty gritty details of our fast and mostly the food aspects.

Let's apply this number 1.1. Our motive in examining in depth

the ingredients of the food we consume during fasting, amongst

many other things which go without saying, should be to

draw us. Need to God.

Now you may say, how is that going to draw me new to God,

Rabi, when I pick up a a packet of chips and I'm reading the

ingredients to be cautious as to what I'm going to consume

because right now I'm fasting, I'm depriving my body.

How does that work then? Well, by being serious about

subduing our bodies to the Max, to provoke our soul to

spirituality by which and through which we can worship

God, according to John chapter 4, verse 24, This draws us

John 4:24

closer to the desire and the will of God #2.

Our intent behind examining deeply the ingredients of the

foods we consume during fasting should be to please God.

How does that please God? By being serious about subduing

our bodies to the Max, To provoke to stir up our soul to

spirituality, because of the righteousness of our commitment

level, at which God looks upon favorably and to which He will

say, well done, good and faithful servant, Matthew 2523.

We are then pleasing to God. Why?

Because these words of well done good and faithful servant

express satisfaction from our Lord when we go all the way.

Yes, when we do examine every food that we are going to

consume during Lent, and lastly, our purpose in examining in

depth the ingredients of the foods we consume during fasting

should be to glorify God as we have ascertained.

And if you ask how? Well, simply, when we fulfil

points one and two, we express and affirm the seriousness of

our concern towards our sinful nature and state, which sees us

deprived of the glory of God. Because as it stands and as

sinners we do not have our own glory and we surely lack

ascribing genuine glory to God. However, when we mourn and feel

sorrow for our sins and separation from God due to the

overwhelming empowerment of our fleshly desires and cry out, oh

Lord have mercy upon us sinners. God will be glorified by our

deeds which go to extremes. Beloved, again, we're talking

about examining the fruit products or depriving ourselves

from how many of our social aspects God will be glorified.

And that glory is our reply to God's gift of fasting to

overcome and to defeat Satan and sincerely worship him.

Our God and him we serve alone. So if you have been a little

laxed and complacent regarding the food aspects and elements of

fasting, because it's not about food or if it's not about food,

well why are we then abstaining from non fast food?

Why are we going total vegan? Well it is about food because

Christ fasted, God said to Adam do not eat.

Moses fasted for 40 days and 40 nights before he received the

commands. So it is about food.

So if you've been a little relaxed and complacent regarding

the food aspects and elements of fasting, do it this week and you

will see that though the body is weak, yet the Spirit is ready to

draw NI to God, to appease God, and to glorify God.

I know, I know, I know. Again, I know that fasting is

not merely going all out vegan. It's not merely about that, but

going all out vegan is a starting point.

To show remorse and discipline again.

To draw near to, to appease and to glorify God to whom be

praise, glory and honor, 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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detailed feedback, please visit our link in the show notes

linktr dot EE forward slash Double edged Sword Until next

time. God bless you all.