Christmas and the Nigerian condition (II)
It is the voluntary act of refraining from eating or drinking for a pre-set period of time. It is a way by which we can say to God that we are deeply upset or concerned about a specific situation (Esther 4:16). It spiritually mimics the act of mourning by giving expression to grief; in that, when we are faced with situations of great gravity we tend to lose our appetites. It is a God-given way for men to humble themselves (Psalm 35:13). It is a
Second, Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem, the City of David (cf. Lk. 2:1-7). He was not born in the palace of the Roman Governor Pilate, or of the Roman Prefect Herod or of the Jewish High Priest Caiaphas. Jesus came among us, not with power and might, but with the fragility and poverty of a little child. The remarkable lesson here is that God shows up in places where we least expect him: in the mangers of the Bethlehems of stench and misery, in the many Gethsemanes of tears, anguish, and hopelessness, in the many Golgothas of suffering and despair, and in the many Bethanys where tears fills the eyes of the bereaved. God shows up there in the poor, in the suffering, in the hopeless, in the destitute. He is waiting for you and for me.
Thus, celebrating Christmas means that we become the compassionate hands and feet of Jesus to people around us who are in dire need of love and mercy. We touch the flesh of the living Christ by serving the poor and the marginalised. We are the hands, the eyes, the ears, the mouth, and the legs of Jesus Christ, to minister to the hungry in need of the food of love, to the thirsty in need of the waters of hope, to the naked in need of the clothes of dignity, to the homeless in need of the shelter of compassion, to the sick in need of a doctor of grace, to the imprisoned in need of freedom from guilt. We Christians are the ones to show them the love of Jesus. A welcoming smile, an attentive gaze, a simple word, a pat on the back, and a listening ear, can change the life of someone forever. As Jesus said in the story about the Last Judgment: “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do unto me” (Matt. 25:40). This calls us each to
Fasting is not a way of making sure that God listens to you (Isaiah 58:5-12). He hears your prayer even when you are not fasting. Fasting is not an opportunity to show how “spiritual” you are (Matthew 6:16-18). Fasting is not a good way to lose weight!
Benefits Of Fasting - People who fasted and the results they obtained results.
Moses fasted, spent about forty days with God and obtained the Ten Commandments.
King Jehoshaphat and all Israel fasted when the Moabites and the Ammonites came against them in battle (2Chronicles 20). The Lord took over their battle. Their enemies turned and fought themselves until they all died. They went away with so much loot. You could say they had a tremendous breakthrough.
Ezra and the exiles obtained journey mercies and divine protection of their precious goods that they travelled with (Ezra 8:21).
Esther obtained courage to take a bold step that advanced her cause. After fasting, dare! Dare great things! Take a bold step. Don’t sit; move! Check out your applications. Go for bigger contracts.
She obtained favour before the king. Protocol was set aside for her. Greater favour will follow you after this fast. Her enemies were exposed and destroyed. Conspiracy was uncovered and destroyed. Death sentence was cancelled. Mass murder was averted. There was great deliverance. Dominion was restored. As you fast and pray, God will restore you to a position of dignity and dominion. do our part in building a society marked by equity and justice, where the needs of the poor are placed over and above the greed of a few.
Third, shepherds in the field watching their flock by night were the first people to be greeted with the angelic news of the birth of the Son of God (cf. Lk. 2:8-20). The shepherds were around when this astounding event in human history took place. They offered the hospitality and warmth of their manger to Mary and Joseph at a time when the weather was cold and unfriendly. Today, shepherds in Nigeria seem to represent the other side of shepherd-hood. We are all too familiar with the havoc wreaked in the body polity of our nation by rampaging armed herdsmen who not only destroy farmlands and livelihoods with their grazing cattle but also snuff life out of farmers and ravage whole communities that challenge their impunity. The sharp contrasts between the herdsmen who welcomed Jesus’ birth and today’s Nigerian herdsmen who are dealers in death and destruction calls us all, especially our government, to do something proactive to change the tide from hate to love, from death to life, from confrontation to dialogue, and from violence to peace.
Fourth, the news of the birth of Jesus brought some Wise Men from the East to Bethlehem. These sages, led by a guiding Star, came in search of the Prince of Prince, the Wisdom of the Ages (cf. Matt. 2:1-12). Their passionate restlessness in the quest for the God-child was fraught with a lot of difficulties and challenges but they never gave up the good fight. Today, many of our elders, statesmen and so-called sages in Nigeria have failed the younger generation. They neither possess wisdom nor search for it. They are bereft of truth and do not even want to seek it. They have misled us and plunged us into
Daniel fasted for 21 days (Daniel 10). His angel of blessing broke through to him. He obtained answers to his prayers. He received prophetic direction. Listen for divine direction as you fast and pray.
Apostle Paul was accustomed to fasting often. He was delivered from ship wreck along with all other passengers. He received great revelations and contributed to over one third of the New Testament.
The Lord Jesus is on record to have fasted for forty days before commencing His ministry on earth. He overcame all the temptations of the enemy. His ministry was launched. His greatness began to unfold. Had a super successful ministry and obtained the power to do the will of God even when it was very difficult. God’s Promise in Isaiah 58 (NKJV) Isaiah 58:6-9, “Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? [7]Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? [8]Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward. [9]Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am….” Fasting when correctly done brings revival- Joel 1-2; Jonah 3:5 Some Practical Tips On Fasting Please consult your doctor if you are on medication know if you can embark on a fast. For instance you may not be allowed to fast if you are diabetic and you are on treatment.
You could miss one meal and spend the time praying. You could abstain from food several crises. The situation is so palpable that a famous Nigerian octogenarian once said that he and his contemporaries belong to Nigeria’s “wasted generation.” A nation that wants to grow cannot despise the wisdom of its elders who are custodians of history and memory, but when the elders have eaten sour grapes why would the children’s teeth not be set on edge? This is an invitation to the coming generation to map out a new path different from the way many of their elders have followed. The Wise Men from the East remain a powerful example of what can be achieved when we work with sincerity of purpose, with passion for good, with commitment and dedication to the right cause.
Fifth, at the centre of the entrance of Jesus into our human condition are two remarkable human beings - Mary His mother and Joseph His foster father - who are bearers and custodians of the incredible happening that forever changed the course of human history. In spite of the difficulties surrounding the birth of Jesus, they both held on to each other and remained steadfast. Even after the birth of Jesus, Herod’s anxiety regarding the birth of the newborn King reached paranoid level. His desire to do away with a little child he perceived to be a rival, led him to kill many children born at the time. However, Mary and Joseph obeyed the commandment of God and did for Jesus all that they were told to do (cf. Matt. 2:13-23). They remain symbols of poor people who trust God and walk the path of faith in the midst of the trials and difficulties of life.
Finally, with Jesus we see that every new child is a gift of God. The fact that God chose to come among us through the family means that the human family holds an important place in God’s plan for worldly redemption. In and/or drink for 24 hours, e.g. from 5pm on one day until 5pm the next day. You could abstain from food and/or drink for the day - i.e. from the time you get up until you go to bed. You could fast for a number of days. Paul Yongi Cho suggests that fasting for less than 3 days has no physical effect at all. In his church in Korea, he starts people off on three days and works up to ten days. Remember that we do not twist God’s arm by fasting for longer periods and so this is not necessarily a model to try to emulate immediately - however, Yongi Cho’s church is one of the largest in the world, with about a million members (starting from nothing at all!)! Remember. It is about grace! If you get hungry and eat, God still loves you!
What Should I Do About Fasting?
There really is power in fasting. We need to respond to God in this. Jesus assumed that His disciples would fast as a part of their normal life. If we would consider ourselves to be disciples, then perhaps we should be seeing fasting as a necessary part of Christian life. Let it be a normal part of your lifestyle. John Wesley had all of his Methodist ministers fasting twice a week! When we need guidance, when we need to repent, when we need to commit something to God, when we need to see a breakthrough in some area of our lives we need to fast and pray.
As you embark on a fast, may the Lord revive and reward you abundantly, in Jesus name!
Happy New Year! a culture where marriage has been bastardised and reduced to almost nothing, and where family values are rapidly going into extinction, the birth of Jesus into a human family calls us to reclaim the values of the family as a special dwelling place of God. Here, our government must pay special attention to homeless families and all those searching for a place to live. No one should be without a roof over his or her head. Christmas is also an invitation to protect and nurture life from its earliest beginnings to its natural end, in spite of the ‘culture of death’ that seems to hold sway all around us.
It is in the family that children learn the meaning of love, compassion, honesty, sacrifice, respect, hard work, forgiveness, decency and all the other virtues that make for a life of purpose. Parents have a responsibility to uphold the values of marriage and teach their children to do so. Many marriages are crashing today because young people have lost sight of the essentials and seem to focus on ephemeral excitements, temporary pleasures and fading euphoria. Christmas calls us to put the family on the path originally mapped out by God for humanity. Let us therefore make this Christmas season a veritable time to show love, visit our family and friends, speak words of peace to our neighbours, and learn to live in harmony with one another. Christmas is first and foremost a profoundly spiritual event. We need the joy and peace first of all in our hearts, and from our hearts the joy and peace of Christmas can radiate to others. As the fourteenth century English poet Alexander Pope says, “Christ may be born a thousand times in Bethlehem, but if he is not born in your heart, his birth has no meaning for you.”