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STMYM
St.MYM is an Eritrean Tewhado Orthodox Church affiliated website designed to explain, defend and spread the Orthodox faith, it’s religious ritual and rites, dogma, answers moral, social, cultural and spiritual questions from the Tewahdo Orthodox perspective in a logical, spiritual , biblical and orthodoxy way especially for diaspora grownup faithful and also for all who shall seek the true Christian faith that Our Lord and savior Jesus Christ left for the Apostles.
The fifth week of Great Lent theme is based on the teaching Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ about His second coming [Math 24]. In Our Church, the second coming of our Lord is central Christian teaching [i.e., like Mystery of Holy Trinity, Incarnation ..], because it is the focus of our future hope. The church, in all its wisdom, puts these readings in the middle of Great Lent. It is also at the end of the church calendar year to emphasize the end of the world and the second coming of Jesus. The primary purpose is to prepare and teach the faithful to be ready and keep the watch....Our Church has put this critical reminder day about Judgment so that we might not be lazy in our attentiveness and lose the big picture- Heaven.It is time to think deeply about what God has done to bring to us to Him? What price did He pay to make us whole while we consistently reject and disobey Him? It is time to think and realize what would lead to the persistent rejection of God’s call! It is always our choice to determine where we end up- hell or Heaven. God has already chosen a place for all of us, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” [1 Corinthians 2:9]
The second temptation was an attack on the soul, in which the devil tells our Lord, Jesus Christ to jump, thus defying the laws of gravity, and find out if God would be true to His word, true faith believes and trusts God by doing what He says. He uses the word of God after deviating it. Satan used this temptation to spread uncertainty when walking with God by faith. The devil says to Jesus, “If You are the Son of God.” Satan says to us, “If you are smart…if you are beautiful…if you are talented -- he set us by puffing us up to ourselves and think we don’t need anyone or anything to depend on, especially God.
Few people stop to think about temptation. Some may not recognize temptation when it comes. Our Lord and Savior, has done what a noble teacher does to his disciples. Rather than solely tell the disciples in words, He shows them practically what is expected of them/us to be holy. “Jesus, our leader, allowed himself to be tempted so as to teach His children how to fight”[St. Augustine]. Temptation comes in many different ways - but surely- that knows this- that the tempter is always the devil. He is an opponent who never ceases to resist us, as the apostle says (1Pet. 5:8) “Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour.”. Temptation is an opportunity that allows us to choose God’s will instead of sin - which builds up and grows into the character of Christ-like. Our savior was tempted the same way and became victorious by quoting the Scripture for all occasions of temptation. He left us practical lessons on how to use the scripture rightly and fight back the devil when tempted [Be careful. The devil knows the bible too]. The lesson here is that the reality of Satan, who is the source of temptation and the power of God’s Word as a shield to turn away the temptation. Our Lord through his life left us that through fasting, patience, meekness covered with the Word and grace of Our God, we could disentangle ourselves from the slavery of the unholy spirit (addiction/ bad behavior/and e.t.c) [(Mat. 17:21, Mark.9:2)].
Fasting is not just abstaining from meat; it is a way of showing God our love, obedience, and trust in Him. Secondly, it is a means of fighting and overcoming evil spirits, lust, and creating a strong relationship with God. It is a thing that we do to attain spiritual gifts, and as such, fasting by itself does not take us anywhere or make us righteous. It must be done with prayer, love, patience, and persistence.
Fasting is not just abstaining from meat; it is a way of showing God our love, obedience, and trust in Him. Secondly, it is a means of fighting and overcoming evil spirits, lust, and creating a strong relationship with God. It is a thing that we do to attain spiritual gifts, and as such, fasting by itself does not take us anywhere or make us righteous. It must be done with prayer, love, patience, and persistence.