Small Orthodox corner

[basics]

conon394,

Faith as it is written is a gift of God to all those that are born again of the Spirit of God drawn by Him to Jesus Christ now their Saviour and God.

[conon394]

conon394,

Faith as it is written is a gift of God to all those that are born again of the Spirit of God drawn by Him to Jesus Christ now their Saviour and God.

Faith is a human condition that resides in other religions and other versions of Christianity not just yours but I accept you are arrogant in this point.

[basics]

conon394,

Ephesians 4: 4-9 says that there is One Spirit, One Faith, One Baptism and One God so whatever anyone thinks is faith is not if one does not have the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. There's a good video by John MacArthur on the subject available on Youtube.

[conon394]

Ephesians 4: 4-9 says that there is One Spirit, One Faith, One Baptism and One God so whatever anyone thinks is faith is not if one does not have the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour. There's a good video by John MacArthur on the subject available on Youtube.

Your realize of course that is viewed externally no stronger than say the assertions of Quran.

[basics]

conon394,

The Koran is not Gospel based for it is a religion of double speak. You can kill but you cannot. You can rape but you cannot. You can lie but you cannot. You can cheat but you cannot. Islam is the most violent religion on the planet built on violence and nothing else. To even compare it to Christianity is stupid.

[Sir Adrian]

Sage advice on keeping the most important fast of the year.

[alhoon]

Sage advice on keeping the most important fast of the year.

The hardest part is doing fast with joy...

[basics]

We Baptists do not insist on fasting yet any Baptist who wants to do so may do so. The problem I see in other denominations is that fasting is another form of works to get saved, why? Because I don't believe that most if any have been born again of the Spririt of God and so are not Christian as Jesus Christ laid down. Now that may be a bit controversial yet how I see it from the Scriptures. The broken and contrite heart will always be the key to being born again which comes about by God revealing Jesus' sacrifice to them as a reminder of how deep in sin they are but it is Him alone Who saves regardless of what that sinner has done or not done.

[alhoon]

We Baptists do not insist on fasting yet any Baptist who wants to do so may do so. The problem I see in other denominations is that fasting is another form of works to get saved, why? Because I don't believe that most if any have been born again of the Spririt of God and so are not Christian as Jesus Christ laid down. Now that may be a bit controversial yet how I see it from the Scriptures. The broken and contrite heart will always be the key to being born again which comes about by God revealing Jesus' sacrifice to them as a reminder of how deep in sin they are but it is Him alone Who saves regardless of what that sinner has done or not done.

I will take 2000 years of theology and Tradition over the opinions of a few scholars in the last couple of centuries.

[basics]

alhoon,

What were these opinions?

[Sir Adrian]

We Baptists do not insist on fasting yet any Baptist who wants to do so may do so. The problem I see in other denominations is that fasting is another form of works to get saved, why? Because I don't believe that most if any have been born again of the Spririt of God and so are not Christian as Jesus Christ laid down. Now that may be a bit controversial yet how I see it from the Scriptures. The broken and contrite heart will always be the key to being born again which comes about by God revealing Jesus' sacrifice to them as a reminder of how deep in sin they are but it is Him alone Who saves regardless of what that sinner has done or not done.

[alhoon]

Adrian, hitting someone with a stick because they ask why we fast is not the Christian answer. Nor is accusing everything and everyone like this priest does. Also, someone saying "I don't want to be the reed and give in, I don't want worldly soft robes" when dressed in that robe doesn't come across very well, does he?

@Basics, we fast to limit our sin and to show our love to God. It is, as you said, part of Works. It is an act of faith. And we're not supposed to be judgy to those that don't fast.

This is, IMO, a much better explanation of the Fast. And after minute 16, you would see that we are not supposed to judge those that don't fast
https://youtu.be/XkbIOoAdhsc?t=82

[Sir Adrian]

It's pretty obvious that abbot Rafailo, who is by the way a very respected figure, did not mean to literally hit people with sticks.

[alhoon]

It's pretty obvious that abbot Rafailo, who is by the way a very respected figure, did not mean to literally hit people with sticks.

He did call for us to judge those that ask why we fast. His stance is much more combative and he didn't explain why we fast. All in all, what this priest said was that we should rant when people mock us or ask us why we fast and insult them them back.
Thus, his answer was NOT why we fast nor he said we should explain why we do it.

[basics]

alhoon,

After my last posting I went into google to see what all the fuss was about and have come to the conclusion as one writer put it that fasting was giving up something that one usually takes for granted such as worldly things. Now as a born again Christian I have given up things that sometimes were a struggle to do and still struggle to do so that everyday I battle with my old self to keep on the narrow path. To me the most important days of the year are Christmas and Easter which I celebrate by eating a good meal accompanied with a nice drink so I would like to hear from anyone who goes without these things on these two most important days? By the way I don't consume much if any alcohol as a McDonalds chocolate milk shake is my favourite drink but only when my wife takes me.

[alhoon]

We also have good meals in Christmas and Easter and there's no fasting for a week afterwards. We fast on the way to Easter and Christmas.

[basics]

alhoon,

As a born again Christian one is always fasting to keep being Godly so whether on the way or after it shouldn't make any difference as the struggle must go on. So, how many days before do you fast and what extra do you hold back from?

[alhoon]

alhoon,

As a born again Christian one is always fasting to keep being Godly so whether on the way or after it shouldn't make any difference as the struggle must go on. So, how many days before do you fast and what extra do you hold back from?

We are supposed to more or less be in a vegeterian diet for 40 days before Christmas and Easter, and for two weeks before some other major Orthodox Christian holidays. On top of those, we're supposed to fast all Wednesdays and Fridays. There are a few exceptions, like 25th March where we eat fish etc.
However, this fasting is not mandatory; pregnant women are not supposed to fast. Same with sick people.
The foods we're asked to abstain from are (in order) meat, animal products (eggs, butter, yogurt, cheese, etc), fish (not shellfish) and for the asketics (or some important days of fasting) wine and oil.

Personally, I don't do the large periods of Fasting, nor I go all the way. I do try to fast Wednesdays and Fridays and a few days before Christmas and Easter. Personally, I don't abstain from oil and fish (but I rarely eat fish anyway).
This year, I will try to fast the entire week before Easter. It won't be easy for me and I hope I can manage.

[basics]

alhoon,

When Jesus cried out from the cross, " It is finished," what did that mean? It meant that every drop of blood He had shed covered all them for whom He died meaning their sins past, present and future could never agasin be brought to their account for being a once only Sacrifice it covered all time. So, if not fasting is a sin, that sin has been washed away by His blood. Indeed in the Book to the Hebrews the Father states that for them washed in the blood, He never remembers them as having been sinners such was the Power of the Blood. Fasting is not a requisite for salvation yet clearly it is a way to get closer to God if one is born again of the Spirit of God. So, as I see it fasting is a personal thing which one can do any time if one feels the need.

[Sir Adrian]

No basics, it does not mean that. Salvation is not a switch you can flick and presto you get a get out of jail free card for doing anything you want. You will account for all that you did in this life, all the good you did, all the evil you did, all the good you failed to do and the evil you refused to do.

I mean the bible is extremely clear on this. See James 2:14-26 and Matthew 7:15-27

We are supposed to more or less be in a vegeterian diet for 40 days before Christmas and Easter, and for two weeks before some other major Orthodox Christian holidays. On top of those, we're supposed to fast all Wednesdays and Fridays. There are a few exceptions, like 25th March where we eat fish etc.
However, this fasting is not mandatory; pregnant women are not supposed to fast. Same with sick people.
The foods we're asked to abstain from are (in order) meat, animal products (eggs, butter, yogurt, cheese, etc), fish (not shellfish) and for the asketics (or some important days of fasting) wine and oil.

Personally, I don't do the large periods of Fasting, nor I go all the way. I do try to fast Wednesdays and Fridays and a few days before Christmas and Easter. Personally, I don't abstain from oil and fish (but I rarely eat fish anyway).
This year, I will try to fast the entire week before Easter. It won't be easy for me and I hope I can manage.

Fasting is a lot more than just being a vegetarian for half the year. It's about praying more, striving to commit less sins, giving away half the food you would normally eat (or spending less on food and giving the money) and struggling with your own wickedness.