Fasting – praying – repenting and turning to God. Forty days before Yom Kippur, the Day of Forgiveness, we are reminded that we need forgiveness for transgressing any commandment of Holy Scripture; for our sins, i.e., for disobeying any authority and for unjust actions. There are many types of fasting. Daniel's Fast, Ezekiel's Fast, 40 days without... But what does Ezekiel's Fast mean? You can find explanations and a recipe here.
"Do not be scared" means not to be afraid and is a frequently recurring message in the Bible, especially in connection with the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Messiah. The phrase expresses a call to show courage and confidence in the future rather than being guided by fear or suffering, and motivates us to take new paths and live in accordance with God's will. Remember: "God is with me; I will not be afraid." (Psalm 118:6; Isaiah 41:10)
God calls us: Prepare yourselves! The end of all things has come near. Therefore be sober and discerning in prayer." (1 Peter 4:7) Time continues to drag on, and people, including Christians, are still asleep. We see the signs described in Matthew 24, but we want to close our minds. Jesus warned: "Therefore watch, for you do not know the day or the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." (Matthew 25:13) Fill your lamps with enough oil. Fill yourselves with the Holy Spirit.
