Good Ash Wednesday dear friends.
Today is the first day of a forty-day journey we call Lent. "Borrowed" from our Catholic brothers and sisters, we use the forty days as a journey of preparation for the "Super Bowl" of Christianity, Holy Week and all that Christ suffered and did for us.
At our church today from 11 until 1 we will be having Imposition of Ashes for those who come by Lowman Chapel. It will be a quiet time of prayer and reflection and if you so desire you can have ashes or oil imposed on your forehead.
At 5:30 this afternoon our Youth are meeting in the kitchen of the Activity Building. F.A.I.T.H. Pizza is on the menu and the kids and I will be making pizzas as we discuss Ash Wednesday and Lent.
Then at 7 p.m. in our Sanctuary we will have our Ash Wednesday worship service.
Please make plans to be with us during this time of preparation.
Here is today's text:
"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" Matthew 4:1-11
Lent is marked by most as a time to "give up" something. What we shoulde be doing is fasting. Fasting is abstaining from food or some physical nourishment and replacing it with a spiritual discipline such as prayer or Bible reading or devotional time. Fasting is used to show that we "do not live by bread alone" as Jesus modeled in today's text. Jesus fasted for forty days. That means that Jesus gave up food for forty days and nights. During that whole time Jesus was in prayer, reflection and preparation for his earthly ministry. Those forty days paved the way for Him to overcome all that would come against Him.
In the same way we should be abstaining in our own way for spiritual growth and good. Direct your prayers for God to reveal in your spirit what you should be doing for God's good in your life, your home, your workplace, and your church. Some do "fast" in giving up sweets, or Cokes, or cigarettes or drinking, etc. And that's good, but have you considered giving up criticism, gossip, tearing people down, and general all around negativity? I believe that would bless your life more especially if you think of something critical about someone, you give it up, and instead of saying anything to a friend you share a prayer in favor of that person asking God to bless that individual. Can you imagine what good would come your way and his/hers?
As you fast, also take up God in your life!
PRAYER: Loving God of the Journey, help me today start these forty days in a way that glorifies You. Help me to abstain from the bad and help me to take up the good. Let the physical side be nourished by the spiritual. This can only happen with Your help. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
Today is the first day of a forty-day journey we call Lent. "Borrowed" from our Catholic brothers and sisters, we use the forty days as a journey of preparation for the "Super Bowl" of Christianity, Holy Week and all that Christ suffered and did for us.
At our church today from 11 until 1 we will be having Imposition of Ashes for those who come by Lowman Chapel. It will be a quiet time of prayer and reflection and if you so desire you can have ashes or oil imposed on your forehead.
At 5:30 this afternoon our Youth are meeting in the kitchen of the Activity Building. F.A.I.T.H. Pizza is on the menu and the kids and I will be making pizzas as we discuss Ash Wednesday and Lent.
Then at 7 p.m. in our Sanctuary we will have our Ash Wednesday worship service.
Please make plans to be with us during this time of preparation.
Here is today's text:
"Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread." But he answered, "It is written, 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, 'He will command his angels concerning you,' and 'On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.'" Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for it is written, 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.'" Matthew 4:1-11
Lent is marked by most as a time to "give up" something. What we shoulde be doing is fasting. Fasting is abstaining from food or some physical nourishment and replacing it with a spiritual discipline such as prayer or Bible reading or devotional time. Fasting is used to show that we "do not live by bread alone" as Jesus modeled in today's text. Jesus fasted for forty days. That means that Jesus gave up food for forty days and nights. During that whole time Jesus was in prayer, reflection and preparation for his earthly ministry. Those forty days paved the way for Him to overcome all that would come against Him.
In the same way we should be abstaining in our own way for spiritual growth and good. Direct your prayers for God to reveal in your spirit what you should be doing for God's good in your life, your home, your workplace, and your church. Some do "fast" in giving up sweets, or Cokes, or cigarettes or drinking, etc. And that's good, but have you considered giving up criticism, gossip, tearing people down, and general all around negativity? I believe that would bless your life more especially if you think of something critical about someone, you give it up, and instead of saying anything to a friend you share a prayer in favor of that person asking God to bless that individual. Can you imagine what good would come your way and his/hers?
As you fast, also take up God in your life!
PRAYER: Loving God of the Journey, help me today start these forty days in a way that glorifies You. Help me to abstain from the bad and help me to take up the good. Let the physical side be nourished by the spiritual. This can only happen with Your help. I ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
e.v.
