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Glory to Jesus Christ!
Today we have the fourth Sunday of the Lent. And we have heard the Epistle (Hebrews VI:13-20), that God always keeps His promises, even if they seem to be impossible for keeping. And they are being kept even till nowadays, that not only one generation could see that God always keeps His promises, but a lot of generations. God's promise is that the God's Kingdom will be build. We can see that He is building it, notice those positive changes which are happenning even in our country.
Also we have read in the Gospel (Mark, ²Õ:17-31 ), that one father asked Jesus for help, because his son had the unclean spirit, which we called epilepsy now. This unclean spirit had often cast the boy into fire and into water, to kill him. So, the son was so uncontrolled that he foamed and grinded his teeth and becomes rigid, we can see the epilepsy.
This situation from the Jesus' Christ life gives us the opportunity to understand that we should get ready to enter the God's Kingdom and to know how to protect ourselves from those evil spirits, which live in us. These spirits can show themselves not always in such clear form as that boy had. It can be some inclination for some sorts of sins.
We have heard in the parable, that when the Lord came to people, the father of the boy with an unclean spirit appealed to Him and said: "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute? So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." And he answered them, "Oh faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you?" These Jesus words were not about evil spirits, which were in that boy, they were about His Apostles. Because He was tired of Apostles' lack of faith, even if they tried to do everything He taught them.
And the Lord healed that boy, He said to than evil spirit: "You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him?" It convulsed him terribly, and some people even thought that he is already dead. But God took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. And father saw that the boy was not mad any more, that his eyes were not possessed of an evil spirit, but humane and he praised God.
Look, you can take a lot of lessons for yourselves. Even from that part when Apostles asked: "Why could we not cast it out?" And the Lord said that this kind of spirit is strong and it cannot be driven out by anything but God's name. And there also should be fast and prayer. So, the Lord kept the fast and prayed. He did it rather often. And during the Lent we must understand that the fast and the prayer help us to clean our soul from all evil spirits, which are inside us. During the fast we have the chance to be cleaned from spirits, which disturb us, which stop us from the spiritual growth, which do not let us become good, kind, not to offend that, who love us and to make good things on this Earth.
Together with that, you should take one more important lesson from this parable: "All things are possible for one who believes." This was the answer to the father of that boy with an unclean spirit. And that father said: "I believe; help my unbelief!" Do you hear how he came out of that situation, because he was not sure that he had full faith, which Jesus was talking about? He said: "...help my unbelief!" And then Jesus decided to save his son from that unclean spirit, which lived in him. But that spirit was expressed very obviously in the person. We can see, that his man is really has the unclean spirit, that the person is ill, that everything is not good. There are people, who have evil spirit, but it is expressed not clearly and sometimes we think that this person is good, as he/she can hide this evil spirit. Do you understand?
If we have anger, if we have the bursts of aggression, if we have slyness, if we do not believe God's words, God Himself - these all are the manifestations of evil spirit in us. After that the different kinds of the sins are showed: laziness and so on, so on. This all is the work of evil spirit in us. So, we should ask: "Oh, God, help us." -appeal to Him for help constantly. During the Lent you must keep the fast and pray, because the Lent will end soon. And if you want to keep the fast after the Lent, this will be not allowed to do, because the church forbids, even excommunicates such people. It is not good to keep the fast when there is no fast. Because we all are glad together with Jesus Christ that He raised from the dead and that person is sad, the bad spirit in him is sad, because Jesus rose from the dead. Do you understand? The soul of this person is connected with evil spirit. So, I really ask you, be careful, that you do not have such desires. And keep the fast now, fast improves health and soul. You have such chance now - use it.
Everything, what has happened in Jesus Christ life is the example for us. The example how we should live. This is the system, which gives answers to many secrets, problems. If we do not solve them, we will not go that road, which will lead us to welfare, salvation, happiness. Because if person is with God, he/she is happy. Glorify God to elevate to the Heavens, thank Him for everything. When the person is not with God, he/she feels sad, has sorrowful face and loses heart. You should understand that when you lose your heart it is the death sin, because devil can capture your soul. Understand, that Church, serving to God and fast are always connected with understanding of God's Truth, God's happiness, even if it is invisible. We do not show it, but we have it in our heart, in our eyes, because God's Angels surround us and the soul does not feel even very big trials, big grief, which happens sometimes: the betrayal of the relatives or something like that. Because when God's Angels are near us, they always give the happiness and no grief. And I there are no Angels near, the person try to look like very religious person; he/she even does not smile. If a person can't smile it means that he had the aura of black angels near him, and it is difficult for him even to breath.
The person, who glorifies God, tries to do everything how Christ has taught, to be in joy with God, in love. And the fast for such a person is gladness. If the trials happen, they are for his/her spiritual growth. God's people, Christians have strong grand spirit, they are the brave builders. When they leave their bodies they go in the God's Kingdom. So, let's try to be those Christians, whom Christ wants to see us. That God could build the Kingdom of Father God, the Kingdom of the justice and love through us. This time is coming.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
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Apostle (Hebrews, 6:13-20):
6
13 For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no
one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself,
14 saying, "Surely I will bless you and multiply you."
15 And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the
promise.
16 For people swear by something greater than themselves, and
in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.
17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs
of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it
with an oath,
18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is
impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong
encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.
19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a
hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,
20 where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having
become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.
Gospel (Ìark, 9:17-31):
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17 And someone from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I
brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute.
18 And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he
foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to
cast it out, and they were not able."
19 And he answered them, "O faithless generation, how long am
I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me."
20 And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw
him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled
about, foaming at the mouth.
21 And Jesus asked his father, "How long has this been
happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood.
22 And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to
destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help
us."
23 And Jesus said to him, "If you can'! All things are
possible for one who believes."
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I
believe; help my unbelief!"
25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he
rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You mute and deaf spirit, I
command you, come out of him and never enter him again."
26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it came
out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, "He is
dead."
27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he
arose.
28 And when he had entered the house, his disciples asked him
privately, "Why could we not cast it out?"
29 And he said to them, "This kind cannot be driven out by
anything but prayer."
30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he
did not want anyone to know,
31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The
Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will
kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise."
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