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Meditations of a christizen (christian-citizen)upon today's topics. |
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I, Brother James, cultivated through my imagination 'The Word Courier's Journal'. It is but one of several literary efforts so conceived to include the "Word", the mind altering, eye opening, lifesaving Gospel of Jesus Christ into the everyday conversation on those things deemed relevant to readers. I and all other followers of the Lord are called to witness. Jesus said "Go therefore and teach all nations..." (see Matthew 28:19 KJV Holy Bible) Here lies my modest attempt to introduce the unknowing people to the Lord and immerse they who know Him in discussion with respect to His outlook on all that matters. |
| Is the Lord telling me something? Or is it coincidence? Who puts the co on the incidence? Considering that, the recent connection happening between fasting, the number 23 and me seem to be more than just happenstance. Fasting I first wrote about my annual birthday bash fast here in the ‘Word Courier’s Journal’ in 2012 some 15 years after its inception. I put pen to paper and struck keyboard letters to my laptop and wrote four blogs about fasting during 2012’s 40 day birthday bash fasting period. The annual ritual begins on a mid-late July Sunday and wraps up at 6 p.m. on the last Friday before my birthday or on a Friday birthday. Here, I fast from certain foods and drinks. I have done the dailey all food and drink fast before but not for 40 days straight. To make up for the limitations of my fasting ritual, I up my spiritual game in other areas. I step up observance of Tuesday and Friday all included fast called for by my church body. Also, I've usually increased upon my sometimes woeful prayer life during the fasting 40 days. Having said all this, I must remind readers that this is about more than abstaining from food and drink. It’s about subjecting the flesh so as to come to a more Christ like state of mind. This is about transforming from what we are to what the Lord desires us to be. The Holy Bible is replete with people and their breakthroughs by fasting. Queen Esther (Esther 4:15-17), King Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 20:3), and the people of Nineveh (Jonah 3:7-10) all bear witness to victories in which fasting played a part. Our Lord Jesus himself fasted in the wilderness (Matthew 4th chapter) in preparation for his ministry. And these are but a small sample of biblically recorded fasting. 23 The Sunday School lesson for July 23rd, 2023 which also happened to be this year's first day of my birthday bash fast spoke of fasting. I skimmed the lesson the night before. However, I didn’t pick up on these 23sh instances until we began class that Sunday morning. And of course the lesson was from Ezra 8:21-23. As such, I was moved to write this post. Ezra led a return of Hebrews back to Judah from captivity under the Persian monarch Artaxerxes. He had the king’s permission to go, yet he felt the need to petition God by prayer and fasting for safe passage. Given this, we spent the Sunday School hour talking about fasting and what it entails. Me This is the first time (as far as I can remember) that a lesson (or sermon)centered around fasting occurred on the first day of a birthday bash fast season. That is unique. I believe it’s also a not so subtle message from on high to do this fast right. |
| I don't do good because I'm nice. I do right because I'm good |
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