# Lent



## Timemachine (Nov 25, 2008)

* What is Lent - A Time Set Aside*

Just as we set aside time to spiritually prepare for Christmas Day, it makes sense to set aside time to prepare for the two most important days of the Christian year. Lent is a time that offers us an opportunity to come to terms with the human condition we may spend the rest of the year running from and it brings our need for a Savior to the forefront. Like Advent, Lent is a time to open the doors of our hearts a little wider and understand our Lord a little deeper, so that when Good Friday and eventually Easter comes, it is not just another day at church but an opportunity to receive the overflowing of graces God has to offer.


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## DA REEL DADDY (Jun 7, 2005)

Hey timemachine that was a very inspirational post. thank you.


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## KeeperTX (Jul 8, 2013)

This so called lent period began with the false god Tammuz. It is not a biblical practice, but many believers will not bother to find out the origins of lent. Remember that our God is a consuming fire.

Ezekiel 8
13 And He said to me, â€œTurn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing.â€ 14 So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the Lordâ€™s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.

15 Then He said to me, â€œHave you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these.â€ 16 So He brought me into the inner court of the Lordâ€™s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east.

17 And He said to me, â€œHave you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence; then they have returned to provoke Me to anger. Indeed they put the branch to their nose. 18 Therefore I also will act in fury. My eye will not spare nor will I have pity; and though they cry in My ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.â€


Colossians 2
20 Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulationsâ€” 21 â€œDo not touch, do not taste, do not handle,â€ 22 which all concern things which perish with the usingâ€”according to the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.


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## tngbmt (May 30, 2004)

Jesus is Lord
He fasted for 40 days to set an example... I'm less than an unworthy speck of dust to question Him. if lent means anything other than walking in His steps as best we could, you need to seriously re-examine the reason

please read Paul's whole letter .. not an excerpt


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## DA REEL DADDY (Jun 7, 2005)

KeeperTX said:


> This so called lent period began with the false god Tammuz. It is not a biblical practice, but many believers will not bother to find out the origins of lent. Remember that our God is a consuming fire.
> 
> Ezekiel 8
> 13 And He said to me, â€œTurn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing.â€ 14 So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the Lordâ€™s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.
> ...


how are you comparing EZEKIEL 8 to Lent?

this is what Lent is FYI
nothing from Tammuz.

http://www.umc.org/what-we-believe/what-is-lent-and-why-does-it-last-forty-days

Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word _lencten_, which means "spring." The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin his ministry.
Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today, Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or to volunteer and give of themselves for others.
Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a "mini-Easter" and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the Resurrection.


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## KeeperTX (Jul 8, 2013)

*God's grace is a gift. It can't be earned.*



tngbmt said:


> Jesus is Lord
> He fasted for 40 days to set an example... I'm less than an unworthy speck of dust to question Him. if lent means anything other than walking in His steps as best we could, you need to seriously re-examine the reason
> 
> please read Paul's whole letter .. not an excerpt


I agree that Jesus is Lord and he is Lord of all. So we should obey his words. He clearly tells us in the bible that when we fast we should wash our face (this clearly conflicts with the ash wednesday practice of rubbing ash on your face) and we should fast discreetly so men will not know that we're fasting.

Your statement about walking in his steps seems to imply that we should also be crucified so we can walk in his steps as best as we can. Jesus never mentioned lent and neither is that word found anywhere in the bible.

I never said I didn't read all of Paul's letter. May the Lord Jesus Christ give us more understanding as we obey him and follow his commandments.


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## DA REEL DADDY (Jun 7, 2005)

KeeperTX said:


> I agree that Jesus is Lord and he is Lord of all. So we should obey his words. He clearly tells us in the bible that when we fast we should wash our face (this clearly conflicts with the ash wednesday practice of rubbing ash on your face) and we should fast discreetly so men will not know that we're fasting.
> 
> Your statement about walking in his steps seems to imply that we should also be crucified so we can walk in his steps as best as we can. Jesus never mentioned lent and neither is that word found anywhere in the bible.
> 
> I never said I didn't read all of Paul's letter. May the Lord Jesus Christ give us more understanding as we obey him and follow his commandments.


Jesus fasted during the time in the desert didn't he?


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## tngbmt (May 30, 2004)

i am unworthy to even say that i tried (Jesus took some big steps)... i couldnt even imagine fasting for 2 days out of a week. failed miserably in the 1st 24 hrs and was looking forward to a midnight snack. as if the devil was tempting me at 10pm .. i found chicken pot pie in the fridge .. it was a struggle. 

Paul wrote this letter to remind us that the things we are doing as followers of Christ should not be because we were told it was acceptable (vice versa). Paul remind us the reason for our action should not be because we fear/follow a/any tradition/rule. i took ash on my forehead today not because the church told me to do it. i carry the ash on my forehead not because i am announcing 'look .. i fast'. it is all about the reason. if your life isnt about glorifying God then you need to slow down. it is not the outward appearance that matter (Jesus' comment on the washing ur face) it is the inward reason that u should be concerned with. 
ask urself .. did i do this to announce me or God/ glorify Him or me
thank you for that brief self examination of conscience .. the microwave just went 'ding'


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## RB II (Feb 26, 2009)

KeeperTX said:


> This so called lent period began with the false god Tammuz. It is not a biblical practice, but many believers will not bother to find out the origins of lent. Remember that our God is a consuming fire.
> 
> Ezekiel 8
> 13 And He said to me, â€œTurn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing.â€ 14 So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the Lordâ€™s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.
> ...


Not sure why you didnâ€™t start your own thread if you wanted to trash some beliefs with your negative comments. This one is about praise and worship for those who believe in Lent.


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## atcfisherman (Oct 5, 2006)

This is exactly why I stopped posting and reading this section. Many are awesome with their post, but there is always one or two modern day legalistic Pharisees who want to impose their beliefs on others and attack others beliefs. Some say one must be a member of their church and believe what they believe. Some believe baptism saves. Some believe faith saves. Some believe their denomination saves. Some believe God picks and chooses who He wants to save and send the rest to hell without a choice. 

Bottom line is Jesus Christ is God's one and only Son, who was born of the virgin Mary, lived a perfect life, died on a cross for the worlds sins, rose again bodily from the grave, ascended back to heaven and will one day return for His children. The questions are, do we individually follow Jesus Christ? Do we seek Him daily through His word, prayer and praise? 

It's all about the heart, not the laws.

BTW, I'm not even Catholic, but I know many Catholics who are true followers of Jesus Christ.


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## Duckchasr (Apr 27, 2011)

*Every Knee Will Bow*

*Really Lent should be everyday!*

Matthew 17:20-21 And He said to them, â€œBecause of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, â€˜Move from here to there,â€™ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. â€œBut this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.â€
*I'm not Catholic and at times I have questioned some of their practices, but the bottom line is only God knows our hearts and when the time comes we will INDIVIDUALLY be judged. 
*

I hate to see bickering on FFS. Please read the long article.

*God Will Judge Our Motives And Intents*

Theodore Mawuli Kwaku Viwotor


_ 2 _









*Why do you go to church? Why do you give to others? Why do you want to be a Pastor, Prophet, Evangelist or any other office holder in the church or any other institution? Why do you want to marry that man or woman? Why do you want to go to school? Why do you want to hold a political office?*
When you are able to answer these questions genuinely (honestly before God), you will begin to understand a very important thing in our lives or the reason behind what we do on this earth.
Underneath every action we take on this earth are intents and motives; there is always a reason for doing everything we do on this earth. On the face value we are able to detect the reasons behind people's actions or based on what they tell us. However, it takes only God to determine or see the true motives and intents that drive our actions. Remember that, motives and intents are the bedrocks on which our actions rest.
Bible says in Proverbs 16: 2 that, â€œAll a person's ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the LORDâ€. This means that, what we see openly that looks right before us may not after all be right before God. In other words, there are things men do on this earth that are acceptable to all, but because the motives behind them are wrong, it may not be acceptable to God.
There are many people in jail today whose intents and motives were genuine but their actions were misjudged. God shall surely vindicate such people at His own time.
God doesn't limit His judgement to actions, but rather He extends it to our motives and intents that are hidden from the view of humans. That is why the Bible further admonishes us not to judge others but leave everything to God who gives the right judgement based on an impartial assessment of motives, intents and actions. 1 Corinthians 4:5 says: â€œTherefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.â€
Talking about motives and intents brings us to the Church of today. All over the churches, we have Christians fighting to be placed in a position or another; some church leaders even go to the extent of paying bribes to be given some positions in the church. Why would they want to go to the extent of doing that to be given such positions? A careful look at their actions could lead us a bit into the motives behind those actions or desires. Some of them are not fighting for such positions in order to serve, even though that is always the catch-phrase. Many are craving for such positions in the church clearly because of the privileges that come with them and the avenue it creates for them to show off or make some money. (I am limiting this to the church because that is where God's judgement would begin from and that is where God is expecting His people to learn and do the right thing).
It is a pity that there are fights and internal conflicts in our churches today and one can easily trace the cause to motives and intents. Many Christians have suddenly forgotten why they were called into Christ's fold and are now more interested in worldly things than things that would secure them heavenly treasures. That is why we are just fighting for positions, congregations, privileges and the rest. If we truly want to serve God in the church with a very genuine heart filled with good motives and intents, we would all be content with whatever position or role is given to us.
"And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.â€ 1 Chronicles 28:9. Those were the words of David to Solomon. The most important part of David's charge to his son is that God searches the heart to find out its thoughts (intents). If we all would take this warning seriously, our Christian walk would be easier and more importantly our entry into Heaven would be more guaranteed.
Many Christians behave as if God is just like any human being- limited only to what any other person sees or knows. We pretend to man and God and think we are too smart. Instead of being genuine before God who sees and knows all, we come into His church with wrong motives and intents, creating confusion and destroying God's work.
It is very interesting to see how everybody wants to be a prophet in the church today. Sincerely, some of the so-called prophets may be forcing themselves to be prophets because it is the ministry en vogue at the moment; it is charismatic and perhaps good at making one rich quick.
On the Day of Judgment, we shall be surprised to see how God would disapprove of many people who may have headed big congregations and made very good names for themselves just because the motive for leading is not to serve but to make a name for themselves, make money or achieve other things that are selfish.
God rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6) so we need to seek Him diligently without pretence. Let every other person do the wrong thing but purpose in your heart to be genuine to Him, making your motives and intents clean and clear.
God is looking for people who would serve Him with a clean heart in truth and in spirit. Nothing can be hidden from Him who sees the depth of every heart. It is in our interest to be genuine to God so that we receive the right reward.
Whatever you do on this earth will be subjected to judgment, be it hidden or open. So, â€œlet us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water,â€ Hebrews 10:22.
Dear ones, God is watching all that we do and will judge our motives and intents; therefore, let us continually weigh the reasons behind our actions and ensure that they are in tune with God's Word.
He rewards genuine service even when no one else sees what we are doing. Watch your motives and intents so they don't lead you astray for you can't outsmart God.
May God grant us the grace to be genuine before Him in all our dealings with Him and our neighbors. 
_Theodore Mawuli Kwaku Viwotor Is The Head Of The Pastoral Team Of The Church Of Philadelphia International, Dansoman Near The Police Station._
_He Can Be Reached Through: [email protected]_


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## KeeperTX (Jul 8, 2013)

*Do we love our neighbor enough to tell them the truth?*

My post was not intended to offend but to merely bring out truth into the light. If somebody wants the truth, they merely have to do a little research to discover that what I stated is factual & true. Yet if somebody would rather just go along without questioning, then no research is necessary. As believers we are to love truth & hold on to what is true. We all will one day give an account for every word, action, and lack of action.

I will not get into a debate about the subject matter because the information has already been presented. Now whoever reads it has a choice to make.


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## pocjetty (Sep 12, 2014)

KeeperTX said:


> My post was not intended to offend but to merely bring out truth into the light. If somebody wants the truth, they merely have to do a little research to discover that what I stated is factual & true. Yet if somebody would rather just go along without questioning, then no research is necessary. As believers we are to love truth & hold on to what is true. We all will one day give an account for every word, action, and lack of action.
> 
> I will not get into a debate about the subject matter because the information has already been presented. Now whoever reads it has a choice to make.


You do understand that "Tammuz" is the name of a month in the Jewish Calendar? Yes, it goes back to the Assyrian god Tammuz, but that is about the only thing you said that isn't twisted and wrong. How about this? You worship on Sunday, right? Well Sun-Day is a name that comes from "pagan" worship. Sun-Day, Moon-Day, Odin's-Day (Wedden), Thor's-Day, Frey's-Day, and Saturn-Day. By your logic, worshipping on Sun-Day is a pagan rite.

Find the person who told you that story, and get them to prove to you that they are at least somewhat fluent in Hebrew and Koine Greek, as well as having a decent understanding of Latin. If not, then they learned the story the same way you did; they heard it and never questioned it, because it confirmed something they already wanted to believe.

Lent is a tradition, not a sacrament. It dates back to the Council of Nicea, but long before that people observed days of preparation before the celebration of Easter. In its current form, it is intended to be a time of repentance, which is a change of the heart. There is NOTHING wrong with that, just like there was nothing wrong with eating meat sacrificed to idols. It didn't matter where the meat had been. And it doesn't matter what else may or may not have been done on the same dates as Lent, somewhere in history. What matters is what is in the heart - which is EXACTLY what Jesus meant when he told the Pharisees to "wash the inside of the cup".

If someone is spending time focusing on repentance, it is a good thing. And if they choose to observe a tradition of fasting, without anything else in their hearts, they are guilty of nothing. That ultimatum you issued at the end of your story? "Woe to you, blind guides!"

Bonus: The New Testament word that is translated into "repentance" is the Greek word "metanoia" which means, literally, "to change after considering". Repentance isn't penitence, it is about reflection and a change of heart. There is no requirement for it to be painful.


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## atcfisherman (Oct 5, 2006)

Good post pocjetty ^^^^

Unfortunately the Pharisees are still around today. They hide behind their rituals, behind the though that "if one doesn't believe how they do, they are wrong", or "you must do A), B), C), D), etc etc to be saved and do it in their church.

They fail to see Jesus is only concerned about the heart and soul of people.


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## pocjetty (Sep 12, 2014)

atcfisherman said:


> Good post pocjetty ^^^^
> 
> Unfortunately the Pharisees are still around today. They hide behind their rituals, behind the though that "if one doesn't believe how they do, they are wrong", or "you must do A), B), C), D), etc etc to be saved and do it in their church.
> 
> They fail to see Jesus is only concerned about the heart and soul of people.


Make no mistake. I'm as guilty as anyone else. More so, because I'm a teacher, and I fail at the very things I have the audacity to try and teach about. The conversation about Lent was something I know a bit about. The rest of the time, I mostly try not to stumble into someone else and cause them to fall.


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## atcfisherman (Oct 5, 2006)

^^^

I agree! I feel like the worst of sinners and even the apostle Paul said that with all that he did. When I see my sin and what He did on the cross for me, I am humbled beyond measure and see how my "goodness" is still as filthy rags. Praise God for His provided salvation.


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## KeeperTX (Jul 8, 2013)

I donâ€™t just worship God on Sunday. He is worthy to be worshipped every single day.


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## tngbmt (May 30, 2004)

it baffles me why religion requires so much clarification to a point that it need the worshiper's justification of his action to define his faith or be ridiculed because of it. did we not say that God sees into the heart of every man, He knows you before you were born. surely He sees how fallible i am and He forgives me. i dont need the wisdom of solomon to tell me how to worship, i dont need jonah to tell me to repent. i definitely wont need hislop's book to define my faith.

my comfort is in knowing that He is all i need.


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## atcfisherman (Oct 5, 2006)

tngbmt said:


> it baffles me why religion requires so much clarification to a point that it need the worshiper's justification of his action to define his faith or be ridiculed because of it. did we not say that God sees into the heart of every man, He knows you before you were born. surely He sees how fallible i am and He forgives me. i dont need the wisdom of solomon to tell me how to worship, i dont need jonah to tell me to repent. i definitely wont need hislop's book to define my faith.
> 
> my comfort is in knowing that He is all i need.


Amen!


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