Growth What Is Lent?

[GodsGrace]

I believe every church practices the season of Lent in one form or another.
The RCC also celebrates Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent.
A cross is made on the forehead of the person, using ashes, as described below.
I like to attend this particular service because it is very meaningful and a nice testimony since it is
visible to all.

Here are some thoughts on why most churches celebrate Lent.

1. 
   
   
   
   
   1. Repent and believe in the gospel.
   
   Lent begins on Wednesday, approx. 40 days before Easter. It's approx. because it really is more than 40 days.
   It begins on Ash Wednesday (for the RCC) and ends on Holy Thursday. There are 5 Sundays in Lent, plus Palm Sunday and up to Holy Thursday.
   
   Ash Wednesday is very significant. Lent is a time to repent and turn toward God and deepen our relationship with Him.
   In the O.T., ashes were used to demonstrate repentence.
   
   Job 42:5-6
   Job repents in dust and ashes.
   
   Daniel 9:3
   To come closer to God, Daniel offered God prayer, supplications, fasting, sackcloth and ashes.
   
   And in the N.T., Jesus' words:
   
   Mathew 11:21
   He is reproaching the cities which did not repent although He performed many miracles there:
   Jesus says that if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
   
   
   So Ash Wednesday is symbolic to show that we are to repent of our sins. To remind us that God is gracious with all those who repent. It is a sign of a humble heart and a reminder to us that this earthly life is temporary.
   
   When the priest makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of the believer (in the RCC) he chooses between one of two verses:
   
   1. Genesis 3.19
   You are dust and to dust you shall return.
   
   2. Mark 1:15
   Repent and believe in the gospel.
   
   The ashes are made with the palms or olive branches of the preceding Palm Sunday, are blessed with holy water, and are perfumed with incense.
   
   
   2. 40 days to change.
   
   40 days are biblically indicative of a big change. In the case of Lent, the change should be in us.
   
   It rained 40 days and 40 nights and then a new world began and humanity was given a second chance.

The Hebrews spent 40 years in the Sinai Desert after being freed from slavery in Egypt by Moses.


Moses fasted for 40 days before going up Mt.. Sinai to receive the 10 Commandments.


Jesus spent 40 days in the desert before beginning his ministry, to confront satan and temptation.


3. Prepare your heart for the resurrection

At the time of Easter the 40 days should be used to prepare the heart for an important event...
The passion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
It could be the first time we come to Him. Or it could be a drawing closer. We could always contemplate our relationship with Him and make it better.


4. From a heart of stone to a heart of flesh

Ezekiel 36:26
"I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit in you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh."


God is telling the scattered Jews that He is going to wash them clean. He'll put a new heart in them. One made of flesh, one that wants the will of God and not the will of one's self.

He'll put a new spirit in us and make it possible to live according to God's commands.
"You will be my people, and I will be your God."

This happened when Jesus was the final sacrafice for our sins.


5. Present your bodies a living sacrifice.


Romans 12:1 New American Standard Bible (NASB)


12 "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."

This means to take your normal life, the life you live every day, and present it to God as a "living" sacrifice.
If we fix our attention on God, we will be transformed (Romans 12:2) as Jesus wanted when He gave the Sermon on the Mount in Mathew 5.


God wants the best for us, if we will follow Him.

So during Lent it might be a good idea to fast on Fridays, or eliminate meat, or candy for children, or perhaps children could be taught to do something special, like visit the elderly in a nursing home, or visit sick relatives.


6. To receive the joy of the Resurrection, we must experience the pain of Christ's passion.


To be truly happy with our salvation and with life, we must somehow feel the pain that Jesus experienced on the cross.
Not only physical pain, but also emotional and spiritual pain. His own, the Jews, had put Him to Death and understood Him not. On the cross He took upon Himself the sins of the world. He who knew no sin, BECAME sin for us. He experienced every type of pain, as we do.

Lent could be an opportunity to contemplate the above in a special way.



Walk till you Run
And don't look back
For HERE...I AM

U2 Unforgettable Fire

 

[Nathan]

I believe every church practices the season of Lent in one form or another.
The RCC also celebrates Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent.
A cross is made on the forehead of the person, using ashes, as described below.
I like to attend this particular service because it is very meaningful and a nice testimony since it is
visible to all.

Here are some thoughts on why most churches celebrate Lent.

1. 
   
   
   
   
   1. Repent and believe in the gospel.
   
   Lent begins on Wednesday, approx. 40 days before Easter. It's approx. because it really is more than 40 days.
   It begins on Ash Wednesday (for the RCC) and ends on Holy Thursday. There are 5 Sundays in Lent, plus Palm Sunday and up to Holy Thursday.
   
   Ash Wednesday is very significant. Lent is a time to repent and turn toward God and deepen our relationship with Him.
   In the O.T., ashes were used to demonstrate repentence.
   
   Job 42:5-6
   Job repents in dust and ashes.
   
   Daniel 9:3
   To come closer to God, Daniel offered God prayer, supplications, fasting, sackcloth and ashes.
   
   And in the N.T., Jesus' words:
   
   Mathew 11:21
   He is reproaching the cities which did not repent although He performed many miracles there:
   Jesus says that if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
   
   
   So Ash Wednesday is symbolic to show that we are to repent of our sins. To remind us that God is gracious with all those who repent. It is a sign of a humble heart and a reminder to us that this earthly life is temporary.
   
   When the priest makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of the believer (in the RCC) he chooses between one of two verses:
   
   1. Genesis 3.19
   You are dust and to dust you shall return.
   
   2. Mark 1:15
   Repent and believe in the gospel.
   
   The ashes are made with the palms or olive branches of the preceding Palm Sunday, are blessed with holy water, and are perfumed with incense.
   
   
   2. 40 days to change.
   
   40 days are biblically indicative of a big change. In the case of Lent, the change should be in us.
   
   It rained 40 days and 40 nights and then a new world began and humanity was given a second chance.

The Hebrews spent 40 years in the Sinai Desert after being freed from slavery in Egypt by Moses.


Moses fasted for 40 days before going up Mt.. Sinai to receive the 10 Commandments.


Jesus spent 40 days in the desert before beginning his ministry, to confront satan and temptation.


3. Prepare your heart for the resurrection

At the time of Easter the 40 days should be used to prepare the heart for an important event...
The passion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
It could be the first time we come to Him. Or it could be a drawing closer. We could always contemplate our relationship with Him and make it better.


4. From a heart of stone to a heart of flesh

Ezekiel 36:26
"I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit in you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh."


God is telling the scattered Jews that He is going to wash them clean. He'll put a new heart in them. One made of flesh, one that wants the will of God and not the will of one's self.

He'll put a new spirit in us and make it possible to live according to God's commands.
"You will be my people, and I will be your God."

This happened when Jesus was the final sacrafice for our sins.


5. Present your bodies a living sacrifice.


Romans 12:1 New American Standard Bible (NASB)


12 "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."

This means to take your normal life, the life you live every day, and present it to God as a "living" sacrifice.
If we fix our attention on God, we will be transformed (Romans 12:2) as Jesus wanted when He gave the Sermon on the Mount in Mathew 5.


God wants the best for us, if we will follow Him.

So during Lent it might be a good idea to fast on Fridays, or eliminate meat, or candy for children, or perhaps children could be taught to do something special, like visit the elderly in a nursing home, or visit sick relatives.


6. To receive the joy of the Resurrection, we must experience the pain of Christ's passion.


To be truly happy with our salvation and with life, we must somehow feel the pain that Jesus experienced on the cross.
Not only physical pain, but also emotional and spiritual pain. His own, the Jews, had put Him to Death and understood Him not. On the cross He took upon Himself the sins of the world. He who knew no sin, BECAME sin for us. He experienced every type of pain, as we do.

Lent could be an opportunity to contemplate the above in a special way.



Walk till you Run
And don't look back
For HERE...I AM

U2 Unforgettable Fire

Interesting. I have never practiced anything that has to do with lent. I have been curious at times how and what people think when they do though.

One thing that caught my eye in your post is your comment on being happy with our salvation and life, by feeling the pain that Jesus experienced on the cross.

Do you think it is possible?

 

[Jim Parker]

I believe every church practices the season of Lent in one form or another.

Strict Orthodox Lenten Fast

The Lenten Fast
Great Lent is the longest and strictest fasting season of the year.

Week before Lent ("Cheesefare Week"): Meat and other animal products are prohibited, but eggs and dairy products are permitted, even on Wednesday and Friday.

First Week of Lent: Only two full meals are eaten during the first five days, on Wednesday and Friday after the Presanctified Liturgy. Nothing is eaten from Monday morning until Wednesday evening, the longest time without food in the Church year. (Few laymen keep these rules in their fullness). For the Wednesday and Friday meals, as for all weekdays in Lent, meat and animal products, fish, dairy products, wine and oil are avoided. On Saturday of the first week, the usual rule for Lenten Saturdays begins (see below).

Weekdays in the Second through Sixth Weeks: The strict fasting rule is kept every day: avoidance of meat, meat products, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil.

Saturdays and Sundays in the Second through Sixth Weeks: Wine and oil are permitted; otherwise the strict fasting rule is kept.

Holy Week: The Thursday evening meal is ideally the last meal taken until Pascha. At this meal, wine and oil are permitted. The Fast of Great and Holy Friday is the strictest fast day of the year: even those who have not kept a strict Lenten fast are strongly urged not to eat on this day. After St. Basil's Liturgy on Holy Saturday, a little wine and fruit may be taken for sustenance. The fast is sometimes broken on Saturday night after Resurrection Matins, or, at the latest, after the Divine Liturgy on Pascha.

Wine and oil are permitted on several feast days if they fall on a weekday during Lent. On Annunciation and Palm Sunday, fish is also permitted.

Why fast?
The fast is an exercise in discipline during which the person fasting intentionally subdues the demands of the "flesh" by refusing to submit to this most basic demand.
The purpose is to strengthen the believer in his ability to subdue those demands of the flesh which are contrary to the teaching of scripture; the "works of the flesh".

Also, one prays better on an empty stomach than on a full one. A full stomach tends to put me to sleep.

iakov the fool

 

[GodsGrace]

Interesting. I have never practiced anything that has to do with lent. I have been curious at times how and what people think when they do though.

One thing that caught my eye in your post is your comment on being happy with our salvation and life, by feeling the pain that Jesus experienced on the cross.

Do you think it is possible?

Nathan,
Is it possible to be happy? No.
I used the wrong word --- I meant "joy".

We can be happy with our salvation. We certainly shouldn't be sad about it!

But what I meant is that to feel the JOY of the resurrection, we also need to feel the passion of Christ.

I don't mean literally - I'm not a weird person.
I mean emotionally and spiritually.
To understand what Jesus might have felt that day and the night before.
To be betrayed by His own people (the pharisees, the san hedrin his own apostle and all those in attendance at the trial).

The Pharisees and the San Hedrin were His own in that THEY were supposed to lead people to God and uphold God's promises and teachings. Instead they kept people far from God and felt superior to them and ended up killing the One who had come to show them the right way.

So

We could be HAPPY with our salvation.
We could be JOYFUL with our life because God is a part of it.
(I don't know anyone who is truly happy with life...)

 

[iLOVE]

Lent is work base righteousness. Christ Jesus work is Finished and done. Galatians 2:16..for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. The sin of idolatry.
.

 

[GodsGrace]

Lent is work base righteousness. Christ Jesus work is Finished and done. Galatians 2:16..for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. The sin of idolatry.
.

Hi iLove,
I know where you're coming from.

But this "works" thing is making us lose a lot of what Christianity has for us.
It's good to honor God in many different ways and not call it works.

It's kind of like this: If we strip everything away, what's left?
We humans need something to latch on to.
Some think churches are not necessary.
How long do you think Christianity would have lasted without them?

You get out of life what you put into it.
You get out of Christianity what you put into it.

It's like a daily devotional, only more...
God doesn't mind when you glorify Him.


.

 

[iLOVE]

You get out of life what you put into it.
You get out of Christianity what you put into it.

Is that how grace works? My performance!

 

[GodsGrace]

Is that how grace works? My performance!

What is grace?
Grace belongs to God, not to us.
We ARE to perform.
Why? Are we to sin??
I know you don't think that.

So let's say you have a wife or girlfriend.
You have an established relationship.
Each is secure in the knowledge that they are loved.
Do you buy her flowers or candy on Valentine's Day?
Why or Why Not?
Is that Works?
Or is it showing your love for her??



.

 

[abide]

I believe every church practices the season of Lent in one form or another.
The RCC also celebrates Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of Lent.
A cross is made on the forehead of the person, using ashes, as described below.
I like to attend this particular service because it is very meaningful and a nice testimony since it is
visible to all.

Here are some thoughts on why most churches celebrate Lent.

1. 
   
   
   
   
   1. Repent and believe in the gospel.
   
   Lent begins on Wednesday, approx. 40 days before Easter. It's approx. because it really is more than 40 days.
   It begins on Ash Wednesday (for the RCC) and ends on Holy Thursday. There are 5 Sundays in Lent, plus Palm Sunday and up to Holy Thursday.
   
   Ash Wednesday is very significant. Lent is a time to repent and turn toward God and deepen our relationship with Him.
   In the O.T., ashes were used to demonstrate repentence.
   
   Job 42:5-6
   Job repents in dust and ashes.
   
   Daniel 9:3
   To come closer to God, Daniel offered God prayer, supplications, fasting, sackcloth and ashes.
   
   And in the N.T., Jesus' words:
   
   Mathew 11:21
   He is reproaching the cities which did not repent although He performed many miracles there:
   Jesus says that if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes.
   
   
   So Ash Wednesday is symbolic to show that we are to repent of our sins. To remind us that God is gracious with all those who repent. It is a sign of a humble heart and a reminder to us that this earthly life is temporary.
   
   When the priest makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of the believer (in the RCC) he chooses between one of two verses:
   
   1. Genesis 3.19
   You are dust and to dust you shall return.
   
   2. Mark 1:15
   Repent and believe in the gospel.
   
   The ashes are made with the palms or olive branches of the preceding Palm Sunday, are blessed with holy water, and are perfumed with incense.
   
   
   2. 40 days to change.
   
   40 days are biblically indicative of a big change. In the case of Lent, the change should be in us.
   
   It rained 40 days and 40 nights and then a new world began and humanity was given a second chance.

The Hebrews spent 40 years in the Sinai Desert after being freed from slavery in Egypt by Moses.


Moses fasted for 40 days before going up Mt.. Sinai to receive the 10 Commandments.


Jesus spent 40 days in the desert before beginning his ministry, to confront satan and temptation.


3. Prepare your heart for the resurrection

At the time of Easter the 40 days should be used to prepare the heart for an important event...
The passion and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
It could be the first time we come to Him. Or it could be a drawing closer. We could always contemplate our relationship with Him and make it better.


4. From a heart of stone to a heart of flesh

Ezekiel 36:26
"I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit in you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh."


God is telling the scattered Jews that He is going to wash them clean. He'll put a new heart in them. One made of flesh, one that wants the will of God and not the will of one's self.

He'll put a new spirit in us and make it possible to live according to God's commands.
"You will be my people, and I will be your God."

This happened when Jesus was the final sacrafice for our sins.


5. Present your bodies a living sacrifice.


Romans 12:1 New American Standard Bible (NASB)


12 "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."

This means to take your normal life, the life you live every day, and present it to God as a "living" sacrifice.
If we fix our attention on God, we will be transformed (Romans 12:2) as Jesus wanted when He gave the Sermon on the Mount in Mathew 5.


God wants the best for us, if we will follow Him.

So during Lent it might be a good idea to fast on Fridays, or eliminate meat, or candy for children, or perhaps children could be taught to do something special, like visit the elderly in a nursing home, or visit sick relatives.


6. To receive the joy of the Resurrection, we must experience the pain of Christ's passion.


To be truly happy with our salvation and with life, we must somehow feel the pain that Jesus experienced on the cross.
Not only physical pain, but also emotional and spiritual pain. His own, the Jews, had put Him to Death and understood Him not. On the cross He took upon Himself the sins of the world. He who knew no sin, BECAME sin for us. He experienced every type of pain, as we do.

Lent could be an opportunity to contemplate the above in a special way.



Walk till you Run
And don't look back
For HERE...I AM

U2 Unforgettable Fire

My church does not keep Lent and I like it like that. Customs die hard I
always wonder why the early new testament never celebrated these kinds of customs obviously they were not Christian ones.
The apostles knew what Christians should be involved in.

I personally find it uneasy observing customs that are associated with pagan god and with people worship these gods. Just my take.
Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal: Buddhist Ash ...
Ash Wednesday & Lent 2017: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy ...

THESE CUSTOMS WERE CELEBRATED LONG BEFORE THE CHRISTIAN ERA.

 

[GodsGrace]

My church does not keep Lent and I like it like that. Customs die hard I
always wonder why the early new testament never celebrated these kinds of customs obviously they were not Christian ones.
The apostles knew what Christians should be involved in.

I personally find it uneasy observing customs that are associated with pagan god and with people worship these gods. Just my take.
Wisdom Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal: Buddhist Ash ...
Ash Wednesday & Lent 2017: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know | Heavy ...

Hi Abide
There's something really messed up (technically) with your thread so I'm not sure how to answer.

Everything I posted is biblically based.
I think the cross on the forehead is a great testimony.

You posted a link that shows yound people getting ashes. I think this is wonderful.

I don't quite see the pagan ritual here.
You could clarify if you wish.

 

[abide]

Hi Abide
There's something really messed up (technically) with your thread so I'm not sure how to answer.

Everything I posted is biblically based.
I think the cross on the forehead is a great testimony.

You posted a link that shows yound people getting ashes. I think this is wonderful.

I don't quite see the pagan ritual here.
You could clarify if you wish.

 

[abide]

Hi Abide
There's something really messed up (technically) with your thread so I'm not sure how to answer.

Everything I posted is biblically based.
I think the cross on the forehead is a great testimony.

You posted a link that shows yound people getting ashes. I think this is wonderful.

I don't quite see the pagan ritual here.
You could clarify if you wish.

biblically based.:neutral scripture and verse please
I edited my post.

 

[GodsGrace]

biblically based.:neutral scripture and verse please
I edited my post.

All the scripture is already there!
What scripture do you want???

 

[abide]

All the scripture is already there!
What scripture do you want???

I tend to make my decision on what the early apostles taught in the new testament. and I still follow the maxim in Jer 10.2-4
Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

Imagine people giving up X for Lent and then go back to do it. If is wrong why pick it up again.
I became a member of the Anglican church when I was 14 and left when I was 15 the whole
ritualistic crazy and nonsensical customs I just could not fathom.

 

[GodsGrace]

I tend to make my decision on what the early apostles taught in the new testament. and I still follow the maxim in Jer 10.2-4
Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

Imagine people giving up X for Lent and then go back to do it. If is wrong why pick it up again.
I became a member of the Anglican church when I was 14 and left when I was 15 the whole
ritualistic crazy and nonsensical customs I just could not fathom.

Hi Abide,
Most churches DO observe Lent in one way or another.
I was listing some ways that some churches observe it.
There is also something called Shoul Wednesday, but there would be so much to say it would take hours of time.

I wouldn't say anything I listed is nonsensical.
And certainly not heathenistic.

It's good to give the glory to God and to observe special days and occasions.
Should we stop going to church on Sunday because it was a pagan holiday or even Christmas, for that matter?

As to giving up something for lent...and then going back to it.
I explained why it's done. To teach children and adults that we are to give ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. To learn that our body is not the most important thing and that it belongs to God. To teach some kind of self-control. It's long to get into, but you must get the idea.

It's good, especially for kids, to have something to hold on to. Sometimes this something could be a ritual that they remember. However, I must say, that if the "ritual" is not explained, it will be of little value.

 

[abide]

Hi Abide,
Most churches DO observe Lent in one way or another.
I was listing some ways that some churches observe it.
There is also something called Shoul Wednesday, but there would be so much to say it would take hours of time.

I wouldn't say anything I listed is nonsensical.
And certainly not heathenistic.

It's good to give the glory to God and to observe special days and occasions.
Should we stop going to church on Sunday because it was a pagan holiday or even Christmas, for that matter?

As to giving up something for lent...and then going back to it.
I explained why it's done. To teach children and adults that we are to give ourselves as a living sacrifice to God. To learn that our body is not the most important thing and that it belongs to God. To teach some kind of self-control. It's long to get into, but you must get the idea.

It's good, especially for kids, to have something to hold on to. Sometimes this something could be a ritual that they remember. However, I must say, that if the "ritual" is not explained, it will be of little value.

I understand what you are saying but I have stopped observing these since I was 14 and I have no intention of following these customs.

There are annual holy days mentioned in the bible.

ANNUAL HOLY DAY CALENDAR
The Church in the Wilderness - 1

The bible believing Christians were persecuted and they refused to keep Lent, Christmas, Easter etc.

I prefer to stick to the bible. What I believe and observe must come from the bible even though it may seem strange. I never tried to follow a crowd.

Anyway the study of ancient church history is a wonderful subject.

Telling the truth has always been dangerous. Throughout recorded history, many good people have been murdered, incarcerated, committed to mental institutions, lost jobs, family, friends, homes, belongings, and been harassed to the point of staying quiet. Robert Lee

 

[JohnDB]

This area here is the buckle on the Bible Belt.
There are those who show up for work with ashes on their foreheads. Others are clueless.
Baptist and Church of Christ (the two biggest groups here) don't celebrate Lent. The Catholics and Methodist do. We also have several Egyptian Orthodox churches in the area who also practice Lent. The Egyptians are complaining about all their fasts. They only get 50 days a year that they actually get to eat meat. But usually they go along with Lent if they don't follow the others.

Giving up something like coffee or tea or meat for Lent is common.

Those who poke fun at those who practice Lent... Well we notice those guys. We remember. We don't let things like that slide even if we seem to keep quiet. There are years after that which the higher ups have questions about promotions and opportunities to hand out. In this area...The mockers pay.

I wish that the Baptists had picked up the practice. It's a good one. Maybe not one as involved as the Catholic Church does. But the occasional sign on the foreheads of believers...One of ashes turning into a gold seal. Hmmm....Just thinking.