Episode 5: Rogation of the Ninevites

In the name of the Glorious Trinity.

Father and Son and Holy Spirit forever.

Amen. Glory be to the Everlasting

mercies which sent you on to us. Oh Christ, the light of the

world and the life of all give us wisdom by a 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 make

fulfill your Commandments at every hour.

O you who enlightens the rationale with the knowledge of

your greatness? Do Enlighten oh my Lord are

thought that we may meditate upon your holy and divine

scriptures at all times. Lord of all Father and Son and

Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

Hello again, beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ and

Friends. Welcome one more time to the

podcast Ministry of the saint, various mar'ied, a parish of the

Assyrian Church of the East double-edged sword pertaining to

the holy Life, Giving and Living Word of God.

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feedback, we truly appreciate. Dated, I'm very much encouraged.

I was telling my brother Stephen and sister Audrina.

I was always told during my Ministries that I speak too

much. And I preach too long, but I was

always told to shorten my sermons, but the tables have

turned glory be to God. That many of you have suggested

that these these series should be a little bit longer that

should go a little bit longer, I'm Asha, Antoine, they can end

one said, Robbie extended another five minutes and that

will be the duration from my Home to work.

So that as soon as I get to work, I can then begin my day

being being, what is it pumped up being energized by the word

of God? Well, God bless you show.

This is for you. And for all those who want these

to be a little bit longer, I mean, you know, the the podcast

message is not all going to be the same length.

So long as the message is given effectively and we apply it into

our lives. That's the most important thing

is application. This is not a an Session.

This is not a lesson that we just learn and then we just

learn it so that we can just simply pass a test.

This is a, a Ministry where we actually apply, what we learn,

what we hear in our lives so that we can glorify God and and

continue that that Holy pleasing, holy meaning set apart

life-giving pleasing path of at to our Lord and our Savior Jesus

Christ. Today is a Special day in the

calendar of the Assyrian Church of the East and the execs,

eglise ecclesiastical calendar of the Church of the East, being

the Commandments commencement of the rotation of the ninevites

bar. All time Nevaeh.

I'm not going to go too much into the story.

But when we read the the the Book of Jonah in the Old

Testament, we understand and we learned that the ninevites had

displeased God. They are naughty very a human or

a reaction. With their Lifestyles and God it

had. So displeased God that he came

to a decision or conclusion that he was going to destroy the city

of Nineveh, but our Lord being such a gracious.

God, such a loving God. Such a merciful god.

Did not please in destroying. He sent Jonah, a foreigner, a

Jew, a Hebrew. He sent him to the university to

preach repentance. And Jonah didn't do that when

Anna got to Nineveh. He didn't say repent.

He said God's going to destroy your city.

I think it was a little bit more on the side of seeing Nineveh

destroyed but you know, no one can interfere, no one can affect

the love and mercy of God. So we can sometimes and we do

that sometimes, you know, we want to stand in the way of God,

shewing, mercy and love, and compassion and Grace to those

who are sinners. You know, sometimes we don't, we

don't feel it's right, I don't think it's right well, who are

you? Are we to interfere into God's

most glorious and perfect ways? In any case, the king of the

city, all of Nineveh actually the king gets off his throne and

sits on sackcloth but Ma, you know that idiom we say, but my

Brasher asthma Nolan but my be sure, that means Ash on your

head. You know, that pertains to what

this is when someone when they King said on sack sack cloth and

was morning. It was as though he had no hope.

So, when we tell people, but my bricio, we are actually, we are

actually meaning, or we are, what is it in telling that you

have? No hope.

But there is always hope with God and the ninevites prayer and

supplication, and beseeching. You know, the the, The Vespers,

the prayers of the, the rotation of the ninevites are The

readings are amazing. You know, we read in one of the

one of the readings that the children, the infants were

crying to the parents and the mother saying.

Mother or let's let's put this way.

Mum. When is it going to happen?

When is God going to destroy? Why is this happening?

You know when when Jonah was envious and was a little bit cut

because God spared me in a way, the king of Nineveh says to him.

Why are you so upset? We also are people.

We are, we are human beings. Why aren't you rejoicing that

your God? And their God has spared Us.

In any case I think what the the two messages we learn from the

rotation of the ninevites, the fasting of the ninevites and In

Jonah, we will earn an example, a perfect example of the genuine

sincere repentance that. We must offer to Repentance is

not just promising God, that I'm not going to do this anymore

Turning Away. Meaning repentance is in remorse

with tears. You notice these are the same

King, David, who in some three or four, I believe it says that

I wet my pillow. That means I soaked my pillow

with my tears because of his sin.

So when we feel remorse, when we, when our heart is truly, Lee

at a stage where it wants to repent, it moves the whole body,

it moves, our emotion to tears where we come and come to the

Lord with tears and ask him for repentance.

You know, there are gation of the ninevites is a conclusion.

An example, an actual reality of what we read in the second book

of The Chronicles chapter 47 verse 14.

And this is the shuttle version. This is the Aramaic Bible in

English. And my people upon whom my name

is called shall be broken. That means humbled, and they

will pray and they will beg from before before me.

That means that will beg before me and they will return from

their evil ways return. There's repentance to return to

turn around 180 degrees. Also I shall hear from heaven

and I shall forgive their sins and I shall heal their land.

I If This truly pertains to the act of the ninevites and the

second truth and amazing and encouraging message, we will

learn from this is the Lord's gracious Mercy.

The Lord hears, our prayers beloved.

And I always see the story of the ninevites was not a Once

Upon a Time. In far, far land was at La La

Land. No, it actually happened.

There were people on the Earth. They were called Nineveh.

As they were the Assyrians. They were our forefathers, who

like us today. Had displeased God.

Now, they didn't give up, give up, they didn't, they didn't

give up. Hope they he did.

To a stranger. That's the example of repentance

heeding to anyone. Anyone who comes and says to us

and encourages us and warns us that we must turn our way

regardless of who the person is they heeded to that and they

repented and repeat after repenting, they saved their

land. Repentance brings salvation to

Seoul. Now I'm not talking about

salvation when the Lord returns and Once and for all saves us

for from Eternal damnation and death.

I'm talking about our daily life to save my soul from getting to

that point, getting to that day where the Lord God forbid will

say to us away from me, workers of evil, I did not know you.

So as we begin our fast and let me tell you that, it is a an

Apostolic Canon. If I Say it is an Apostolic law.

It was decreed in one of the Holy Synod switch was presided

by the late. His Holiness Mardi Gras that the

members of the Assyrian Church of the East must Must fast for

three days. Just as the great lent is an

Apostolic Canon, we must fast now, what I want to do today is

give you some hint. How do we fast?

What do I do? Okay, today's Monday is a just

not eating food is is fasting just you know, only pertaining

to what I eat and what I drink will?

No it's not. Let me give you a hint.

Many people say I've never fasted.

How do I Again fast. Well, why don't you do this one

day? Just today, Monday, we wake up

in the morning. We pray.

We confess that we are the ninevites today that the Nineveh

is where we live in whichever country.

It is our heart can be that Nineveh that has been defiled

and it stinks Dreadful stench. As we say, in the, in the Divine

Liturgy, we come to the Lord and we confess that we Have to be

naughty and we have displeased you Lord, hear my prayer.

Now what I encourage people to do on the first day is before we

even ask God to forgive before asking God that he may

strengthen us and that you know, the last day.

All the young ladies come to church on a Wednesday.

They go home. They do the pool caen.

I don't know what they say in English spoken.

Pokin, you know, you Seven thumb, scoops of pork, run you

eat? Let me tell you what's in that

and then apparently when you sleep and you dream that someone

some guys going to come and give you a glass of water.

Then that guy is going to be your future husband.

Of course, you're going to be thirsty because you've had salt.

There's salt. There's I don't know what else

is important. Of course, if you eat salt,

you're going to be thirsty. In any case.

Let's it's a beautiful tradition and you.

You know, some people have actually testify that.

Yeah, let me give you an example.

My wife now, I don't know if she's just saying that to make

me feel good. But any case, my wife said that

when she did the porkin, I gave her a letter.

So it wasn't a glass of water. I apparently came to a dream and

gave her a letter. And here we are married for 30

years. So the potion worked actually,

but no, it's not. All about all about Putin.

The first day, I encourage people, I encourage you to fast

and I'll tell you. We fast is to pray to the Lord

that he may make us worthy to also fast because truly fasting

is a gracious gift of the Holy Spirit.

Now if people ask you, why do you fast?

There's a very simple answer to that because Jesus fasted It's

not wwjd it's w-i ad what I am doing, why?

Because Jesus fasted, Jesus baptized, I will baptized Jesus.

Forgave I will forgive Jesus wept over over the state of the

Fallen state of mankind. I will weep when I am in in sin

and I am in a fallen state. So fasting, the first day, let

this be our prayer. For today, Lord God I am daring

as Doran to do what you did. Jesus Christ, you had no sin.

You set this example, but I am not worthy for I am so miserable

in my sinned and Fallen State. Help me forgive me except or

permit me. Make me worthy to offer these

fast for you. Let that be our first that lets

fast. The and beseech, the Lord that

he was make us worthy to fast because of our dreadfulness the

next day on a Tuesday. We come back and we fast again

and that's when we begin confessing our sins to the Lord

knowing that what we ask from God, he will grant.

God has granted us the worthiness to fast on Tuesday.

Tomorrow, we come back and we again wake up and we offer the

fussing this time. We say Lord, Now I'm going to

actually confess and and not that you need to be told my

weaknesses, you know, before I open my mouth, but I'm going to

confess my weaknesses. My foolishness.

Lord, forgive me on the Wednesday, we come back and we

thank God, thank you, Lord, for making me worthy to offer this

fast. Thank you, Lord, for hearing my

prayers and my supplications. Lord, now I asked that you reply

and returned by Wait mind the the ambulances and the fire

engines and we have the neighbor's dog to sometimes.

Busker is name is. So here it is either.

So mind is these are gonna this is gonna happen every now and

then this is Turlock. This is my dad a parish so I

don't be distracted by that. So the fourth day on the

Wednesday, we come back and we say Lord, thank you for hearing

my prayers. Thank you for permitting me.

Allowing me, making me worthy to fast.

Thank you. For hearing my prayers and

petitions and my confession and my admission Lord, I ask that

you reply. And Thursday is the first day of

Thanksgiving. I'm sure she would call Bogota

where we have service and we come together as a church and we

thank God for hearing our prayers and our supplications,

how do I fast if it's your first time, you know, even if you

offer an hour of fasting, just one hour wholeheartedly, but the

right way of fasting is this, we wake up in the morning, we

abstain fasting means abstaining, Mbita not just not

eating meat and ice cream and cheese.

Fasting is abstaining. We wake up in the morning, we

pray, we offer our fasting at our abstinence now, some go till

12:00 in the afternoon. Some go till 3:00 in the

afternoon, some fast until The Vespers evening prayers.

And then they break their fast with one meal.

Our forefathers used to fast. This is the the Great Lengths

for 50 days they would abstain from food until Vespers that is

sundown. And when they would break their

fast, they would break it with a glass of water and some dried

bread. And then after that, they would

pray and thank God for replenishing them for for

nourishing them. So you do this, it's up to you

how long you want to abstain from.

But when you, when you, when you break your abstinence your

yourse Alma, make sure you break it on fasting food.

No, dairy products, total. What I call vegan, Total vegan.

Okay. But most importantly, beloved

most importantly let us fast from our evil doings you know

Christians fast their entire lives.

Whether you you withhold meat from your mouth or not, we're

supposed to be fasting for our entire life so that we prepare

ourselves for The Rush of the reception of Our Lord From

Heaven, fasting, from Evil fasting, from sin, fasting from

transgressions, Fasting from this worldly lust, so that when

the Lord returns, we are ready to accept our Lord.

So today is the first day, there is vespers in, in the evenings,

in the churches tomorrow, I believe in Saint Seiya mother

Church. There is also the the

celebration of the Liturgy, every everyday Monday, Tuesday,

and Wednesday. But yes, do that begin.

Your fast fasting is amazing. It puts you in that mindset.

You're focusing not so much on your body, you know, the the the

the spirit is willing Jesus says, but the body is weak but

during fasting we weaken the body and we make the spirit to

be alive and and willing as as always and through that and only

through that way. We can please our heavenly

father and overcome our battles with the Enemy.

Who is Satan? Who's always like a roaring lion

st. Peter says, devouring ready to

devour? So.

I pray for you and I ask that, you know, those who are going to

offer their fasting, all those who are offering their their

fasting during this period of rotation, I'll happily may the

Lord, accept me the Lord strengthen you beseech, the Lord

is gracious strength so that you can overcome.

And once we do we glorify our heavenly father, always what we

always do. We do for the glory of God and

the salvation of our Souls, praise and glory, be to His holy

name now and not all times and forever and ever.

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