What is Lent?

 

There are some religions that observe Lent during the Easter Season. But what is it and should we as Christians practice it?

I thought for today's devotion, we should take a look at it. To getting a better understanding of it and even perhaps to see if celebrating it, is for us. Please read on:

What is the meaning of Lent? How did it begin? Is it Biblical? And should we participate in it? gotquestions.org answers these questions:

Lent is a period of fasting, moderation, and self-denial traditionally observed by Catholics and some Protestant denominations. It begins with Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter Sunday. The length of the Lenten fast was established in the 4th century as 46 days (40 days, not counting Sundays). During Lent, participants eat sparingly or give up a particular food or habit. It’s not uncommon for people to give up smoking during Lent, or to swear off watching television or eating candy or telling lies. It’s six weeks of self-discipline.

Lent began as a way for Catholics to remind themselves of the value of repentance. The austerity of the Lenten season was seen as similar to how people in the Old Testament fasted and repented in sackcloth and ashes (Esther 4:1-3; Jeremiah 6:26; Daniel 9:3).

However, over the centuries Lenten observances have developed a much more "sacramental" value. Many Catholics believe that giving something up for Lent is a way to attain God’s blessing. But the Bible teaches that grace cannot be earned; grace is “the gift of righteousness” (Romans 5:17). Also, Jesus taught that fasting should be done discreetly: “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen” (Matthew 6:16-18). Jesus’ command to “wash your face” seems to conflict with the practice of rubbing ashes on one’s face on Ash Wednesday.

Fasting can be a good thing, and God is pleased when we repent of sinful habits. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with setting aside some time to focus on Jesus’ death and resurrection. However, repenting of sin is something we should be doing every day of the year, not just for the 46 days of Lent.

If a Christian wishes to observe Lent, he is free to do so. The key is to focus on repenting of sin and consecrating oneself to God. Lent should not be a time of boasting of one’s sacrifice or trying to earn God’s favor or increasing His love. God’s love for us could not be any greater than it already is.

(credit: gotquestions.org) 

My thoughts and opinions about Lent:

 It is a time of reflection and repentance. And while this is a good thing to do during Easter, shouldn't we be doing that more than one time a year? Maybe even every day?

Don't get me wrong and maybe I am missing the boat here, or a partial one at least. But I do feel it more necessary to try to always reflect on the sin in our lives and repentance for it.,while observing the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ in our lives. After all, the the Easter celebration is not about ourselves, but is about what He did for us

However, neither do I reject this practice or endorse it. It is an induvial decision that we as believers make before God.

I do believe that if we observe it, it should be a very serious time before God, and not just another tradition that we celebrate to show others of our own "holiness." Because we have no holiness apart from God. 

Thanks for coming by today, Friends. I hope this has been helpful if you have never practiced Lent and wanted to learn more about it. Have a blessed day until next we meet.

Why Celebrate Easter?

 Good afternoon, Friends. The Easter Season is upon us. For a lot of the world, that means family dinners, easter baskets, the easter bunny and just the fact that spring is on its way.

For those of us that are Christians, it means much, much more. Oh, the family dinners are great, and the easter bunny is fun. But why is it important to celebrate the spiritual aspect of it? And how do other "religions'" celebrate Easter? And are bunnies and baskets ok to add to the day?

I want to dive into those questions during this month to see where we land. Because not all celebrations are good when they come from some religions.  

I will start today asking this question:

Why do we celebrate Easter?

For this question, I went to my ole standby, gotquestions.org. And here is what they have to say about it:

Easter is celebrated in countries throughout the world. For some, the traditional festivities center on welcoming the spring season, whereas in other countries the festivities are more religious in tone. For many, Easter is simply a cultural holiday, a time to enjoy other people and eat festive food. Church attendance might be part of the Easter celebrations of many, even if such religious observance is not a regular part of their lives. For many Christians, Easter is a celebration joyfully anticipated throughout the year. It is often a time when those who don’t know Jesus Christ become curious about who He is. Easter is a time when it might feel easier to share the good news of the salvation He brings. It is also a corporate celebration of the reality of Jesus’ resurrection and the life we have in Him. Though we celebrate that reality all year long, Easter is a special time of remembering.

While the word Easter may have pagan origins and certain Easter traditions have absolutely nothing to do with the Bible, the real reason to celebrate Easter is to remember the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and to celebrate the reality of His resurrection.

Celebrating Easter is about rejoicing in the risen Christ. In the days leading up to Easter, we recount His horrific death on the cross. It is a death Jesus died willingly (Mark 10:45; John 10:18). He came to earth as a baby in order to live a perfect human life and one day die as the sacrifice for sin. At Easter time, generally on Good Friday, we remember His sacrifice and thank Him for it.

But it is not only Jesus’ death on the cross that is important. Jesus’ resurrection proclaims His victory over sin and death. Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried. Then He rose back to life, proving He is who He says He is and that He accomplished what He came to earth to accomplish. Jesus Christ is fully God, fully human, and our only Savior. It is because He is risen that we can trust in His sacrifice for our sins and receive new life in Him. His resurrection also demonstrates that His promise to resurrect us one day will come true.

The apostle Paul wrote, “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also” (1 Corinthians 15:3–8). It is this important reality that we pause to focus on and rejoice in at Easter.

Easter is the time to celebrate Jesus’ victory and to celebrate the new life He gives. All can have their sins forgiven and experience new life in Him if they will receive Him in faith. It is fitting that Easter occurs in the springtime. Much like spring is the time when new life grows after the death brought about by winter, so Jesus brings new life to those who were formerly dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1–10). The life Jesus brings is eternal. We celebrate the reality of His death and resurrection every day, and especially at Easter. We can trust Him and worship Him all year through because He is risen, (credit: gotquestions.org)

💖💖💖

Yes, celebrating Easter is much more than the pretty things that we use to decorate our homes, or send cards to those we want to wish a Happy Easter to. Without Jesus, and his death on the cross, there would be no real reason to celebrate it. Right?

However, there are many that don't celebrate it for what Jesus did for us. Who are they and what do they celebrate about it?

I may or may not be here tomorrow on the Feb.28th. However, I should be here on Thursday the 29th. We will start looking at celebrations without Christ.

Thanks for stopping by and may God's Glorius Grace abound in you.

Does the Goodness of God Really Run After Us?

 

Does He?  Read the following and then you decide:

I asked this question at gotquestions.org today and they referred me to this question:

Does God pursue us?

And here is their answer to that question:

The Bible commands human beings to pursue God and promises that, when we do, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13). But it also tells us that God is the initiator of those spiritual pursuits (Psalm 53:2; Romans 3:10–12). Jesus said that no one can come to Him unless the Father first draws them (John 6:44). Jesus told several parables that illustrate God’s pursuit of mankind. The entire Bible is the story of God pursuing us.

From the very beginning, God has pursued us. After Adam and Eve sinned, they did not run toward God; they ran away from Him, hiding among the trees of the garden (Genesis 3:8). But God pursued them: “The Lord God called to the man, ‘Where are you?’” (verse 9). It was the first missionary effort, as the Creator sought out His lost creatures. God has always had a heart of reconciliation.

Jesus used the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin (Luke 15:3–10) to teach that God pursues us. Jesus wanted us to understand the heart of God and that He knows each person intimately (Matthew 10:29–31; Psalm 139:13). Jesus’ mission on earth was to “seek and to save that which is lost” (Luke 19:10). To seek something is to pursue it. We pursue love, money, fame, and relationships because they are important things to us. God pursues us because we are important to Him, being created in His image (Genesis 1:27).

God’s passionate pursuit of us involved sending His beloved Son to die in our place (John 3:16–18; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 9:15). Because we could not reach Him through our own efforts, He reached down to us. He pursues us even when we are obstinate: to the Israelites, God said, “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’ All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations—a people who continually provoke me to my very face” (Isaiah 65:1–3).

Jesus walked among the people He loved and lamented their spiritual stubbornness: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing” (Matthew 23:37). He had come in the flesh to pursue those He’d created, but they rejected Him (John 1:11–13). God’s message of redemption has gone out to the whole world. He has thrown open the doors of salvation, and whoever will may come (John 3:16; 12:46; Romans 1:16).

Through His followers, Jesus has continued to pursue men and women of every era, nation, tribe, and tongue (Revelation 5:9; Acts 2:38–39). His last words to the disciples were instructions for carrying out the work He had begun: “You will be my witnesses . . . to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Ever since, Jesus’ followers have continued to go into all the world, spreading the good news that God is pursuing a relationship with them.

God continues to pursue those who have trusted in Christ for salvation. Through His indwelling Holy Spirit, God comforts (James 4:8), corrects (2 Timothy 3:16), and compels His children to obey His Word. He disciplines us as part of His work in conforming us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29; Hebrews 12:5–7). He pursues a deeper commitment from us, because it is only as we abide in Him and He in us that we can bear much fruit for His kingdom (John 15:1–8). His pursuit is for our good. There is no greater honor in the universe than being the objects of the Lord God Almighty’s pursuit. (credit: gotquestions.org)

💖💖💖

 

Some of us know from even that old childhood dinner prayer, that God is great, God is good. And there are many verses in the Bible that acknowledge God's goodness. 

The psalmist David knew this as in the 23rd Psalm:

Surely Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life....

Praise God that His mercy and his goodness does follow us. Even at our worst, He doesn't leave us to flounder alone in deep waters where we cannot be rescued. 

No, he will rescue us and bring us to a good ending

Because He is good,

Thanks for coming by Friends.

May you know God's peace,

today,

and everyday

The Goodness of God

A few months ago, I learned a new song that the Worship Team at my church taught us. It came to my mind this morning much like every day as I am up starting my day.  Maybe you have heard it or sing it as well. If not, I encourage you to look for it online and learn itm. I want to share its message here though, because some days, it has helped me just get through the day when I can sing it back to God. 

Goodness of God

Bethel Music, Jenn Johnson

I love You, Lord
Oh Your mercy never fails me
All my days
I've been held in Your hands
From the moment that I wake up
Until I lay my head
Oh I will sing of the goodness of God

All my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh I will sing of the goodness of God

I love Your voice
You have led me through the fire
In the darkest night
You are close like no other
I've known You as a Father
I've known You as a friend
I have lived in the goodness of God
Oh

And all my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh I will sing of the goodness of God

Yeah yeah yeah
'Cause Your goodness is running, it's running after me
Your goodness is running, it's running after me
With my life laid down, I'm surrendered now, I give You everything
Your goodness is running, it's running after me

Your goodness is running, it's running after me
Your goodness is running, it's running after me
With my life laid down, I'm surrendered now, I give You everything
Your goodness is running, it keeps running after me

All my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh I will sing of the goodness of God
I'm gonna sing, I'm gonna sing

And all my life You have been faithful
All my life You have been so so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh I will sing of the goodness of God
I'm gonna sing of the goodness of God

Songwriters: Jason Ingram, Brian Johnson, Ed Cash, Ben Fielding, Jenn Johnson. For non-commercial use only.

Friends, if we have been truly saved, no matter how much we slip up or get away from our Father, I believe he will run after us until we turn back to Him. He loves us that much! We can look to the parable of Jesus, our Shepard that went out to bring the lost sheep back to the fold. He doesn't have to do that. But then He didn't have to die for us either. But because we sometimes can be as stupid as sheep are, to wonder away from those taking care of him, so is Jesus who will come after us when we wonder away from Him.

Want more proof from God's Word? Come back tomorrow for it. In the meantime, have a blessed day!

 

Why Does God Love Me?

Even though some of us have grown up in a Christian home that taught the bible, our own view of it can be less than real Christianity. Because we are teens during that time, and maybe things of the Bible aren't real to us yet.

One example was that when I heard of Jesus and that He died on the cross for our sin, well I could accept that. However, I would think away the thoughts of how horrific an event it had been for him. 

Surely God had taken the pain from Him. After all, God was His Father. Right! Why would His Father make Him go through all that without some relief?  (Of course, God did not make Jesus do it. Jesus did it because He loved us.)

Those were some of my own ways of understanding of it. Of course, they were very false. 

But even in my 40s, having had 4 children and raising them in church, I struggled with God's love for me. I didn't think he really loved me all that much. I still had not grasped that love fully enough to understand that Jesus dying on the cross had much to do with His love for me than any other thought that I could understand. 

Eventually however, I did come to understand why He did what He did. He did it because He loved me. He loved the world so much that he died for it so that we can be forgiven and spend eternity with Him. 

I read a devotion today from LOVE NOTES that goes in to why God loves us. I have copied and pasted it here for you. Please read on. 

Why Does He Love Us?

 

“I don’t need to struggle for His love,” the young woman said, tears streaming down her face.

I was living in Budapest, Hungary, and I had just given a seminar to a group of Hungarian women. I started in Genesis and went through Revelation, explaining mankind's repeated rebellion and God's repeated forgiveness and love.

 

When I was done, this woman began weeping because - for the first time in her life - she realized the beauty of God's love.

Another woman looked at me with wonder and gratefulness and asked gently and reverently, “Why does He love us?” 

 

I had to tell her that I didn't know. There's no human explanation for God's love. It's unreasonable, unexplainable, beyond perfect.

 

He doesn’t love us because we are deserving. He loves us even though we aren’t.

God “does not treat us as our sins deserve” but loves us “while we [are] still sinners” (Psalm 103:10; Romans 5:8).

These women blessed me with their questions. It made me remember when I first understood what Jesus had done for me on the cross. 

 

I don't ever want to take God's love for granted. 

 

If you feel the same, let's memorize 1 John 3:1 and recite it every morning when we get out of bed!

 

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

------------------

💖💖💖

As for myself, really getting my heart to the place where I knew without a doubt, that God does love me, came when an intense reading of all scripture that had to do with His love. 

We need only to believe God's Word to understand and take it by faith, to accept it. 

I no longer doubt or fear. He is with me no matter what is going on. And whether I am having a good day or a not so good day, He is there loving me, just the same. 

Thanks for coming by today, my friends. I apologize for not being here the last few days. First that virus hit and then I just got busy on some other things that needed my attention. I would just like to ask prayer for myself and family.  We are not going through anything that would be classified as an emergency, but it has given us some anxiety. But also, God is working in it, and I know that the outcome will be from Him. 

And why do I believe that? It's because I know that He loves us!!! (Romans 8;28)

Again, thanks for coming by, and have a blessed evening

What is a Parrot Good for Anyway?

 I ran across a funny story this morning and I had to share it. It doesn't have anything to do with God or how we should be living in Him. Or even how to deal with the crazy things going on in our world and life.

No, it is just a funny story that may lift your spirits this morning as you are getting up or around to start your day. So here goes:

Three sons left home, went out on their own and prospered. Getting back together, they discussed the gifts they were able to give their elderly Mother. The first said, "I built a big house for our Mother. "The second said, "I sent her a Mercedes with a driver.". "The third smiled and said, "I've got you both beat. You remember how Mom enjoyed reading the Bible? And you know she can't see very well anymore. I sent her a remarkable parrot that recites the entire Bible. It took Elders in the church 12 years to teach him. He's one of a kind. Mama just has to name the chapter and verse, and the parrot recites it Soon thereafter, Mom sent out her letters of thanks, "Milton," she wrote one son, "the house you built is so huge. I live in only one room, but I have to clean the whole house. "Gerald," she wrote to another, "I am too old to travel any more. My eyesight isn't what it used to be. I stay most of the time at home, so I rarely use the Mercedes. And the driver is so rude!""Dearest Donald," she wrote to her third son, "you have the good sense to know what your Mother likes. The chicken was delicious!"

(Credit: Three sons left home, went out on their own and... - Unijokes.com)

So, there you go, Friends. I hope you got a chuckle out of it to get your day going. Have a blessed day, and thanks for stopping by

Withhold no good from them.....

More and more in recent weeks, the Lord has impressed upon me the need to give to people in need and so I have been doing that. But as I look around, there are so many needs. So many hurting people. And so my question is, "But who do I give to. "Because I can't possibly give to all. 

Maybe we can't give to every need that comes our way. Maybe we don't have a monetary gift to give but can give in other ways. 

God will bless us in whatever way we can do.

The story I am about to share, starts off with a need, and ends with one too. I am copying it from another site, but I believe it is this kind of situation that God wants us to do for other people.

Apples

A few years ago, a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases in hand, moving quickly through the airport terminal, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly missed boarding. All but one! He paused, took a deep breath, quickly assessed the situation -- and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then, he returned to the terminal where the apples were still all over the terminal floor. The man was glad he did. The 16-year-old girl running the stand, he discovered, was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, all the while helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the rushing crowd swirled about her, no one stopping and no one caring for her plight. No one else, that is. The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised. These he set aside in another basket. When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay?" She nodded through her tears. "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly," he said. As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister..." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?" He stopped in mid-stride, and he wondered, stunned by the words. Then slowly, he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning in his soul: "Are you Jesus?"

💗💗💗

In this story, we notice that he does not answer her question of, "Are you Jesus." Hopefully, his answer would have been no. Hopefully, he would have explained something along the lines of, "But Jesus loves you. "

We do not give to get something from God. We should not listen to those that expect God to make them wealthy.

We are to give with a cheerful heart.

We are not to announce what we give to get attention. 

The girl in the story had a need. She needed to sell her apples and when they were knocked over, then she needed help retrieving them. And because it was the fault of the man whose accident caused it, he repaid her for those that were damaged.

Jesus probably would have healed her blindness. The man couldn't do that so he did what he could.

Just as what Jesus asks of us:

 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in power of thine hand to do it. Proverbs 3:27

 

Thanks for spending a few minutes with me today, Friends. Have a blessed evening coming up from wherever you are. 

Throw Out That Rotten Fruit!

 

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they areravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, of figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Mathew 7:15-20

Most of us have heard in church that we are not to judge others. (Mathew 7:1-2) And I certainly agree with that. Because we never know where a person has come from in life, that makes them who they are. 

However, we can judge the "bad fruit" in life that may come our way. But who are the wolves that produce the bad fruit that we should have nothing to do with?

Maybe we attend church meetings and can't be sure who is and who isn't.

Jesus stated it clearly in this passage. They are the false prophets that we may be listening to. They are also called the wolves in sheep clothing that Jesus warned us about.

In some of my blogs I have mentioned a few of them. Such as:

Kennth Copeland, Jesse Duplantis, and Joyce Meyers to name just a very few. But do not doubt, they are all over the world. And there are many more. We need to watch out for these people who blaspheme God and Jesus with their ridiculous teachings and so-called prophesies and for our money and or to have power over us. They want us to think they are the ones hearing from God and therefore much higher in the spiritual realm then we, or to sell us their products so that we might learn how to do what they are doing. And they are rich because of what they are doing. At the expense of even the people that would give their last dollar in order to receive some blessing. 

And some of them proudly proclaim the fact that they are rich. To watch them do that, it is very sickening. 

The gospel of Jesus Christ has been sabotaged and replaced by these wolves.

Most claim that if you do not send a tithe to them, God cannot and will not bless you. And they may even ask for a dollar amount.

I haven't been able to just lay this subject down, Friends. Too much is at stake. The rapture of the church is too close now more then ever before. And many people will be led right into hell by these people. I have done quite a bit of study on it. and continue to.

 However, I plan to try to do my next post on something that is more lighthearted. Life does need something like that at times. Some times it is just nice to get away from the doom and gloom of the things happening in the world. But not for long. 

Thanks for coming by today and remember to try always to listen to those that produce...... 

good fruit

In the meantime, have a wonderful and peaceful rest of your day! God Bless you and yours.