Theology

 *28/02/2024* *40 DAYS FASTING AND PRAYERS* *MID WEEK SERVICE* TOPIC: *FASTING* Text: Isaiah 58:1-11 *Purpose and circumstances of a fast* - fasting should humble the body Isaiah 58:3;  Psalms 35:13 When David's enemies had been sick and in trouble, he had cared for them and prayed for them. He had grieved over their difficulty, fasting and wearing sackcloth as people in mourning did in those days. He had treated them as close friends and brothers and had felt the same sympathy for their sorrows as he would have felt when grieving for the death of his own mother. *©2024* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria ®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN Ibadan #* Powered by *JDIS*

 *25/02/2024* *40 DAYS FASTING AND PRAYERS* *ANOINTING HEALING AND COMMUNION SERVICE* TOPIC: *FASTING* Text: 1 Corinthians 7:4-5 INTRODUCTION Bible mentions denying yourself: - married persons may fast from sex for a time, by mutual consent, to pray. Paul stresses that marriage is partnership. Neither the husband nor the wife is independent, each has a responsibility to the other. Consequently neither should refuse to have sexual relations with the other. The only exception Paul allows is for brief periods when both partners agree to abstain from sex so that they can devote themselves to prayer. Both such periods must not be prolonged or Satan may use them to sow seeds of temptation. *©2024* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria ®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN Ibadan #* Powered by *JDIS*

 *21/02/2024* *40 DAYS FASTING AND PRAYERS* *MID WEEK SERVICE* TOPIC: *FASTING* Text: Daniel 10:3 INTRODUCTION Bible mentions denying yourself: - certain pleasant foods It was during the third year of Cyrus King of Persia (536 B.C) that Daniel was given his fourth and final vision, which occupies chapters 10, 11 and 12 of his book. The restoration and rebuilding of the temple had begun (Ezra 1-3), but enemies had forced it to stop (Ezra 4:4-5). News of this must have broken Daniel's heart and forced him to seek God's face afresh. He fasted and mourned, eating no tasty food, meat or wine and using no lotions for three weeks. *©2024* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria ®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN Ibadan #* Powered by *JDIS*

 *18/02/2024* *40 DAYS FASTING AND PRAYERS* *THIRD SUNDAY SERVICE* TOPIC: *FASTING* Text: Matthew 4:1-2 Luke 4:1-2 INTRODUCTION Bible mentions denying yourself: -food The order of the temptations differs between Matthew and Luke. Luke has the temptation about Jerusalem last, probably because Jerusalem is the place Jesus is headed for His decisive confrontation with Satan. Luke 13:32-35 In His temptation, Jesus demonstrated not only His ability to resist the devil, but also His allegiance to God. What Adam could not do. Jesus did. Where Israel had failed in the wilderness, Jesus succeeded. *©2024* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria ®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN Ibadan #* Powered by  *JDIS*

 *14/02/2024* *40 DAYS FASTING AND PRAYERS* *MID WEEK SERVICE* TOPIC: *FASTING* Text: Exodus 34:28 Deuteronomy 9:9 INTRODUCTION Bible mentions denying yourself: - food and water The period of  *forty days and forty nights* matched Moses' earlier pilgrimage to Sinai. Exodus 24:18 A person can survive without food for weeks . But no one can go without water for more than three or four days. If Moses drank no water for forty days, then we must view his continued existence as a miracle of the Lord. Is it possible that he was removed into a heavenly sphere for this long period of time? We are confident that God was able to sustain His servant in any way He pleased! *©2024* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria ®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN Ibadan #* Powered by  *JDIS*

 *11/02/2024* *SECOND SUNDAY SERVICE* TOPIC: *FASTING* Text: Mark 2:20 Luke 5:35 INTRODUCTION -Ordained for the church by Jesus II There is a series of accusations from the Pharisees about the lifestyle of Jesus and his followers and Jesus answers. The first charge is that they associate with the wrong kind of people. Luke 5:30 They should not eat and drink with social outcasts. Jesus responds that the sick are the ones who need him, and therefore, he as host invites sinners to eat with him. Luke 5:31-32 The second charge is that the disciple lifestyle is not serious enough. There is too much eating and drinking and not enough fasting and praying. Luke 5:33 Jesus says that fasting while proclaiming good news makes no sense than fasting at a wedding feast. It is unthinkable. Luke 5:34-35 *©2024* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria ®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN Ibadan#* Powered by *JDIS*

 *07/02/2024* *MID WEEK SERVICE* TOPIC: *FASTING* Text: Matthew 17:15-21 INTRODUCTION -Some demons only come out by prayer and fasting. Matthew 17:15-21 In this case, the epilepsy was caused by a demon Matthew 17:18 The disciples could not exorcise the demon because, they failed in faith. The power was there, but they had failed to appropriate it. *©2024* *Ecumenican Church Nigeria ®* Instagram: *@ecumenicanchurch* WhatsApp/Telegram: *+2348052366039* Email: *johnifesanya@gmail.com* *www.johnifesanya.blogspot.com* *#ECN Ibadan #* Powered by *JDIS*

 *04/02/2024* *THANKSGIVING SERVICE* TOPIC: *FASTING* Text: Mark 2:20 Luke 5:35 INTRODUCTION - Ordained for the Church by Jesus. Immediately after the controversy about feasting with sinners. Mark introduces a related controversy: why was Jesus not fasting with the righteous? In Jesus' day, people demonstrated their piety by engaging in regular weekly fasts. John the Baptist's disciples did this, and so did the Pharisees (Mark 2:18). The people who came to Jesus to inquire why his disciples did not observe this ritual are not identified, but they could very well have been Pharisees. Jesus' answer was to say that this was not the appropriate time for fasting (Mark 2:19), and he illustrated his point with analysis from wedding, patching clothes and storing wine (Mark 2:19,21-22) However, the appropriate time for fasting would soon come, when the bridegroom (obviously Jesus himself) would be taken from them. He was referring to the events related to his passion. *©2024* *Ecume