Fast Fridays: 30 Minutes for God: Difference between revisions

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- Michael
- Michael
== Friday, Sept 15: Typology ==
What do we Christians make of the Old Testament? There are various approaches to it across denominations, but there can be only one basic understanding, which comes from the Lord himself in [https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/5?17 Matthew 5:17]:<blockquote>“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill."</blockquote>Much to discuss there, especially given the larger context of the verse in the Beatitudes. However we can take directly from it the notion of "typology" -- that the Old Testament "prefigures" Christ who "fulfills" it.
We will review a few examples of New Testament ("New Covenant") fulfillment, starting, as we touched upon briefly


== Friday, Sept 6: Intercession ==
== Friday, Sept 6: Intercession ==
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In the OT, the coming of the Messiah is illustrated frequently through birth pains. So God wants us to associate ''travail'' with birth, both literally and figuratively, and, as always, towards the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.  This is why in John 16:21, Jesus refers to the “hour” of birth which brings pain and subsequent joy.
In the OT, the coming of the Messiah is illustrated frequently through birth pains. So God wants us to associate ''travail'' with birth, both literally and figuratively, and, as always, towards the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.  This is why in John 16:21, Jesus refers to the “hour” of birth which brings pain and subsequent joy.


What Justin has wonderfully done here is to bring up this notion of travail and the pains and joys of birth as we pray, with St. Paul’s  teachings, for our friends and family to open their hearts and minds to the Lord.</blockquote>
What Justin has wonderfully done here is to bring up this notion of travail and the pains and joys of birth as we pray, with St. Paul’s  teachings, for our friends and family to open their hearts and minds to the Lord.</blockquote>We also discussed briefly something that David had emailed after the prior week about how one's struggles with the devil is not external but an internal fight. And so it has been from the beginning of the fallen world, when Adam, priest, prophet and king, fails his duty as king by allowing the serpent into the garden in the first place.


== Friday, Aug 30: Staying faithful in a sinful world ==
== Friday, Aug 30: Staying faithful in a sinful world ==