The Primate of the Church of the Lord Worldwide, and the World Council of Churches (WCC) President for Africa, His Holiness, Most Revd Dr Rufus Okikiola Olubiyi Ositelu has urged all and sundry to hearken unto the Word of God which has been written on the tablets of our hearts with the Spirit of the living God as the 2023 Lenten season commences.
The Primate in a statement released on his Aladura Patriarch Facebook page and titled “Lenten Season 2023” admonished all to remember that Jesus Christ is the reason for the season.
He urged everyone to turn away from sin and back to God.
His statement read:
Beloved,
Welcome to the Lenten Season starting on Ash-Wednesday, 22nd February, 2023.
Lent is the forty day period before Easter, excluding Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. (the day before Easter Sunday.
Fast and Abstinence
It is a traditional doctrine of Christian spirituality that a constituent part of repentance, of turning away from sin and back to God, includes some form of penance, without which the Christian is unlikely to remain on the narrow path and be saved (Jeremiah 18:11, 25:5; Ezekiel 18:30, 33:11-15; Joel 2:12; Matthew 3:2; 4:17; Acts 2:38).
Jesus Christ Himself said that His disciples would fast once He had departed (Luke 5:35).
The general law of penance, therefore, is part of the law of God for man.
Let us therefore, hearken unto the Word of God which has been written on the tablets of our hearts with the Spirit of the living God (2.Corinthians 3:3), and let us set our hearts on things above, where Christ Jesus is seated at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1). For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21).
But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to people that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen, and your Heavenly Father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (Matthew 6:17).
This is your year of Supernatural Breakthrough.
Remember, Jesus is the reason for the season.
HAPPY LENTEN SEASON!
His Holiness, Dr Rufus Okikiola OSITELU
