{"id":7688,"date":"2024-03-12T06:01:05","date_gmt":"2024-03-12T06:01:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/?p=7688"},"modified":"2024-03-12T06:02:15","modified_gmt":"2024-03-12T06:02:15","slug":"the-consequences-of-what-if","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/the-consequences-of-what-if\/","title":{"rendered":"The Consequences of \u201cWhat if\u201d!"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Consequences of \u201cWhat if\u201d!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many are harmed by the concept of \u201cWhat if\u201d and doing something that is forbidden and condemned by God. For instance, some say \u201cwhat if I do not fast,\u201d defying the order of fasting and refuse to abstain from food and beverages consumption. There are others as well who decline to be blessed by the Holy Cross saying \u201cwhat if I do not kiss the Cross.\u201d The numbers of people who do not attend Church saying \u201cwhat if I do no go to Church\u201d are not few. Those miss out all of the prayers, praising, sanctification, and attendance of Divine Liturgy in Partaking the Eucharist (eating the Holy Flesh and drinking of The Holy Son) for soul salvation and eternal life.<\/p>\n

The Wise King Solomon in his proverb says, \u201cDo not remove the ancient landmark sign Which your fathers have set.\u201d The sign signifies the order and tradition. The landmark is religion. Thus when the wise King say, \u201cDo no remove the ancient landmark sign which your fathers have set\u201d, he meant \u201cdo not remove your religion\u2019s order; its\u2019 sign and its tradition. (Proverb 22:28)<\/p>\n

Fasting is Biblical. Prophets have fasted which we know as \u201cThe Prophets\u2019 fast\u201d in faith and hope of Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to be born from human; Holy Mother Saint Virgin Mary for the salvation of us. The disciples of Christ have fasted the \u201cApostle\u2019s Fast,\u201d in fulfilling His order in teaching the Gospel and change people from gentiles to the pupil of God through baptism. \u201cAnd Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, \u201cAll authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.\u201d (Matthew 28:18-19)<\/p>\n

We fast the seven chronical fasts based on the bible, the tradition of our fore fathers and the Liturgy of the Church. But then, why ask like \u201cwhat if I do not fast,\u201d as if doing a good or the right thing. This kind of person is benefiting his body but not the soul.<\/p>\n

The Apostle Saint Paul\u2019s epistle for the Philippians states \u201cFor many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.\u201d (Philippians 3:18) We are losing our virtue by making the \u201cwhat if\u201d notion as an excuse and disobeying the order of God. Is it though by food that man inherits Kingdom of Heaven? Or does food and drink enrich us to God?<\/p>\n

Saint Paul consults us like this:\u201d But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.\u201d (1 Corinthians 8:8) So, if food does not keep us close to God and if we do not profit by eating, do we not have to make fasting our virtue?<\/p>\n

Saint Paul\u2019s message to the Christians of Romans states like this: \u201cfor the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.\u201d (Romans 14:19)<\/p>\n

What Saint Paul meant when he said, \u201cfor the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking\u201d is first the truth about are devoid of inhering God\u2019s Kingdom by food and drink. Second, what he called the \u201cKingdom of God\u201d is the gospel. If we are to perform, keep and live by the Gospel, it enriches us to God\u2019s Kingdom.<\/p>\n

The other is the truth about God\u2019s Kingdom being happiness and peace by The Holy Spirit but not by food and drink. It teaches and preaches faith, hope and love but not the consumption of food and drink. Third, he is telling us that Gospel does not dwell on or incarnates with personhood that only consumes nutrition.<\/p>\n

Observing these three notions and say \u201cGod\u2019s Kingdom is not by food and drinks but happiness and peace by Holy Spirit\u201d we have submitted our personhood to Christ. It is God we have to please in our entire life. If we eat and drink, we are satisfying our body. But if we pray, fast, do prostration and give alms, we make God happy.<\/p>\n

In Saint Paul\u2019s epistle to the Hebrews, there are the following words. \u201cRemember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them.\u201d (Hebrew 13:7-9)<\/p>\n

The Apostle did not say, \u201cYour heart shall be preserved by food and drink\u201d but \u201cBy the grace of God.\u201d what he called \u201cThe grace of God\u201d is Gospel. And His words \u201cYour Heart shall be preserved by \u201cThe Law of Gospel\u201d indicates those who eat or drink did not benefit spiritually and have become their own slave of the belly.<\/p>\n

Certainly, Saint Paul have said, \u201cAll things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.\u201d (1 Corinthians 6:12) t When he says, \u201cAll things are lawful for me,\u201d he is speaking of the free will. Every person has his\/her own free will and using that, he\/she do righteous or sin. We worship God in our own free will but not because He force us. The saying, \u201cBehold, I have presented to you fire and water. Raise your hand to your will,\u201d is for the indication of \u201cYou have free will.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Saint Paul did not seize by saying \u201cAll things are lawful for me.\u201d He has also said, \u201cbut all things are not helpful.\u201d So, those who consider themselves as smart people, have ignored \u201cnot helpful\u201d and only hold on to \u201cAll things are lawful for me.\u201d Those with conscience mind shall not leave out the unhelpful and say, \u201cAll things are lawful for me\u201d and do the harmful.<\/p>\n

The stories in the bible about those who deified the Law and order of God and endure severe punishment, are the precise examples of our topic. The story of Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit and sent out of heaven for misery and pain on earth (Genesis 2:16): Chain presenting unaccepted scarification for God and killing his brother Abel and be punished by God (Genesis 4:9-11); Lot\u2019s wife deifying the order of God and becoming the pillar of salt (Genesis 19:1-26); Esau selling his birthright to Jacob for soup and lose his blessing (Genesis 25:34); Korah, Dathan, and Abiram who led a rebellion against Prophet Moses and Aaron which God also punished when He caused the ground to split open beneath their feet swallowing them and their families (Numbers 11:6, Joshua 6:18); Achan who stole garment, 200 shekels of silver and a wedge of gold during the battel of Israel and Jericho defying the instruction of God, stoned to death alongside his families (Joshua 6:17-19,7:1,20); Nadab and Abihu, ordained for in a seven- day ritual, disobeying the order of God who were destroyed (Leviticus 10:1-7); Hophni and Phinehas, appropriating the best portion for themselves and having sexual relations with the sanctuary serving women, who died in one day in the battel filed (1 Samuel 4:1-22); King Uzziah unfaithfully entering the temple to burn the incense on the altar, and struck with stained skin (2 Chronicles 26:1-17); The people of Beth Shemesh who desired to see he Ark of the covenant and God struck them dead in their attempt (1 Samuel 6:1-19); King Saul\u2019s disobedience of the Lord\u2019s words (1 Samuel 10:5); King Belshazzar\u2019s arrogance and Godlessness (Daniel 5:1-31); Sons Sceva\u2019s attempt to exorcise a demon from a man in the town of Ephesus by using the name of Jesus but forced to flee the house naked (Acts 19:13-17); The spouses Ananias and Sapphira holding back the portion of the money which they received from a sale of some land and both dying at the feet of Saint Peter (Acts 5:1-8); are biblical stories exemplary for those who endure severe punishment by negligently assuming to do what they please saying \u201cwhat if.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brethren, our Lord God made the Law and order for us to be good, true and live in His safeguards. All the things He created and made are for the good and better of us. Thus, we shall accept all His teachings, laws and order for us to be right and live the true life.<\/p>\n

May God\u2019s safeguard does not live us, Amen!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many are harmed by the concept of \u201cWhat if\u201d and doing something that is forbidden and condemned by God. For instance, some say \u201cwhat if I do not fast,\u201d defying the order of fasting and refuse to abstain from food and beverages consumption. There are others as well who decline to be blessed by the Holy Cross saying \u201cwhat if I do not kiss the Cross.\u201d The numbers of people who do not attend Church saying \u201cwhat if I do no go to Church\u201d are not few. Those miss out all of the prayers, praising, sanctification, and attendance of Divine Liturgy in Partaking the Eucharist (eating the Holy Flesh and drinking of The Holy Son) for soul salvation and eternal life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7688"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7688"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7688\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7690,"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7688\/revisions\/7690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eotcmk.org\/e\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}