Pastor Dies Attempting 40 Day Jesus Fast

This is sad. It's also an example of why not understanding the Bible correctly can be very dangerous. This man attempted to fast from food and water for 40 days. Umm Jesus had water, He just ate no food. It's sad the man died though.


A Mozambican pastor has died after attempting to fast for 40 days, hoping to complete the same fast Jesus did in the Bible.

The BBC reported that Francisco Barajah, the founder of the Santa Trindade Evangelical Church, had gone 25 days without food or water at his death. As a result, he had lost so much weight he could not stand up. Relatives and members of his congregation urged him to go to the hospital, and he was later evacuated to a hospital in Beira. When he arrived, doctors deemed him in critical condition.

The post Pastor In Mozambique Dies After Trying To Complete 40-Day Fast That Jesus Was Said To Do In The Bible appeared first on Blavity.

The 39-year-old was diagnosed with acute anemia and failure of his digestive organs. Doctors tried to rehydrate him with serums, hoping it would help transition the pastor to liquid foods. But they were too late. He died Wednesday.

Barajah’s brother confirmed the pastor fasted but disagreed with the diagnosis.

“The truth is that my brother suffered from low blood pressure,” he said.

According to Insider, it’s unclear how long Barajah would have lasted without food or water. The longest time a human has gone without either is 18 days — an Australian teenager holds the world record after he was put in a holding cell and was forgotten by police in 1979.

Multiple reports of people losing their lives while attempting to emulate Christ’s 40-day fast have occurred. As the BBC noted, in 2015, a Zimbabwean man died after 30 days, and in 2006, a British coroner found a woman after 20 days of a similar fast in London.

Barajah was a valued member of his community. In addition to his work in the church, he was a French teacher in Messica, a town close to the Zimbabwe border.
 
This is sad. It's also an example of why not understanding the Bible correctly can be very dangerous. This man attempted to fast from food and water for 40 days. Umm Jesus had water, He just ate no food. It's sad the man died though.


A Mozambican pastor has died after attempting to fast for 40 days, hoping to complete the same fast Jesus did in the Bible.

The BBC reported that Francisco Barajah, the founder of the Santa Trindade Evangelical Church, had gone 25 days without food or water at his death. As a result, he had lost so much weight he could not stand up. Relatives and members of his congregation urged him to go to the hospital, and he was later evacuated to a hospital in Beira. When he arrived, doctors deemed him in critical condition.

The post Pastor In Mozambique Dies After Trying To Complete 40-Day Fast That Jesus Was Said To Do In The Bible appeared first on Blavity.

The 39-year-old was diagnosed with acute anemia and failure of his digestive organs. Doctors tried to rehydrate him with serums, hoping it would help transition the pastor to liquid foods. But they were too late. He died Wednesday.

Barajah’s brother confirmed the pastor fasted but disagreed with the diagnosis.

“The truth is that my brother suffered from low blood pressure,” he said.

According to Insider, it’s unclear how long Barajah would have lasted without food or water. The longest time a human has gone without either is 18 days — an Australian teenager holds the world record after he was put in a holding cell and was forgotten by police in 1979.

Multiple reports of people losing their lives while attempting to emulate Christ’s 40-day fast have occurred. As the BBC noted, in 2015, a Zimbabwean man died after 30 days, and in 2006, a British coroner found a woman after 20 days of a similar fast in London.

Barajah was a valued member of his community. In addition to his work in the church, he was a French teacher in Messica, a town close to the Zimbabwe border.
Are you aware that fasting is never shown in Scripture to be the means to heightened spiritual experience, visions, or special insight or awareness-as many mystics, including some Christian teachers claim????

Scripture does not command Christians to fast. God does not require or demand it of Christians. At the same time, the Bible presents fasting as something that is good, profitable, and beneficial if it is done correctely!
 
Wonder what the purpose of his fast was 😯?
We all have heard of people who believe that it will bring them closer to the Lord Jesus and the Father if they do physical penance, if they suffer in some similar way as He did.

Some believe extreme fasting is a form of purification that readies the person to receive His holy grace.

The attached article in the OP states:
… “Multiple reports of people losing their lives while attempting to emulate Christ’s 40-day fast have occurred. As the BBC noted, in 2015, a Zimbabwean man died after 30 days, and in 2006, a British coroner found a woman after 20 days of a similar fast in London.”

I don’t believe that deliberately damaging the body brings us closer to the Lord in any way, the opposite if anything, but that is my view.
 
We all have heard of people who believe that it will bring them closer to the Lord Jesus and the Father if they do physical penance, if they suffer in some similar way as He did.

Some believe extreme fasting is a form of purification that readies the person to receive His holy grace.

The attached article in the OP states:
… “Multiple reports of people losing their lives while attempting to emulate Christ’s 40-day fast have occurred. As the BBC noted, in 2015, a Zimbabwean man died after 30 days, and in 2006, a British coroner found a woman after 20 days of a similar fast in London.”

I don’t believe that deliberately damaging the body brings us closer to the Lord in any way, the opposite if anything, but that is my view.
Well, it could be said that such extremes do bring them close to the Lord. Because it kills them.
 
Wonder what the purpose of his fast was 😯?
Well, I’ve often wondered how cult leaders can supposedly get away with persuading all the followers to follow them and one thing that pops up is that they believe they are just like Jesus or a reincarnation of Jesus. I hope I’m wrong.
Some of them do believe they are Jesus. It’s sad. Maybe not this guy, but others.
 
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Well, I’ve often wondered how cult leaders can supposedly get away with persuading all the followers to follow them and one thing that pops up is that they believe they are just like Jesus or a reincarnation of Jesus. I hope I’m wrong.
Some of them do believe they are Jesus. It’s sad. Maybe not this guy, but others.
Yup, and brainwashing. Preying on people's vulnerabilities.
 
Are you aware that fasting is never shown in Scripture to be the means to heightened spiritual experience, visions, or special insight or awareness-as many mystics, including some Christian teachers claim????

Scripture does not command Christians to fast. God does not require or demand it of Christians. At the same time, the Bible presents fasting as something that is good, profitable, and beneficial if it is done correctely!
Exactly! I agree. It's something that is optional. 👍
 
Are you aware that fasting is never shown in Scripture to be the means to heightened spiritual experience, visions, or special insight or awareness-as many mystics, including some Christian teachers claim????

Scripture does not command Christians to fast. God does not require or demand it of Christians. At the same time, the Bible presents fasting as something that is good, profitable, and beneficial if it is done correctely!
This pastor's story reminds me of this true story where the parents withheld the child's insulin because they believed he had been healed and the kid died.

 
Are you aware that fasting is never shown in Scripture to be the means to heightened spiritual experience, visions, or special insight or awareness-as many mystics, including some Christian teachers claim???? Scripture does not command Christians to fast. God does not require or demand it of Christians. At the same time, the Bible presents fasting as something that is good, profitable, and beneficial if it is done correctely!
Fasting is in scripture and serves as God wills. Sadly the pastor didn't realize what going without water for 40 days would cost him. God rest his soul.

Isaiah 58:3-7

It is IN Scripture but it is not a direction or a command to do so.

Hello Major and ButterflyJones;

Good teaching points from your posts and both are mentioned in Scripture.

1. Jesus taught, but did not command about fasting to God. When a believer is led to a time of abstinence from food as he/she devotes themself to seek God. One of the purposes is to deny our flesh and focus more on strengthening our spirits. Teaching is KEY because many Christians have heard of fasting but do not completely understand from the Scriptures.

2. God does not command us to fast but when we do it is a very humbling and major time focused between Him and His servant. When God sees our fast is heartfelt He will reveal His end result. Personal examples;

Years ago I studied fasting by my former pastor. Because I am a diabetic my fasting to abstain from food and time could not emulate Jesus' 40 day fast.

I remember 3 times I was led to fast, just between God and me. It resulted in the direction of my marriage, pastoral ministry and where God needed me most. I feel these were reasonable and the prompting of the Holy Spirit led me with the wisdom of my pastor.

I'm sorry Pastor Barajah from Mozambique died after attempting to 40 day fast as Jesus did. I don't know enough of his background to make a judgment call but this should be a lesson for (all) disciples who seek to learn more about the discipline of fasting in Scripture, including wisdom needed to apply this humbling experience.

God bless you all and your families.
 
I'm confused a bit whether a fast means abstaining from food AND water?
Surely you need water and can't go three days without it?

If I recall Jesus was hungry when he did his 40 day fast but never said he was thirsty.
 
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