Tag: fasting

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Raised from the Ashes: Lent – Day 27

“33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not on the side of God, but of men.”

 

Mark 8:33

Read Mark 8:27-9:1

Lent 2016 Daily Devotions-4

What Side Are You On?

Have you ever found yourself on the wrong side of an argument, when you knew you had to be right? I know I have. Sometimes we think we know what the right thing to do is only to realize we were wrong all along. None of us are right every time (though some think they are), but we can know what it takes to be right. This idea of thinking we know what’s right is really intensified in election years. It’s pretty obvious this year that all the Presidential candidates think they’re right. However, we must remember, there is only one truth, and they can’t all be telling it. But, how do we discern what’s right? Read on and I’ll tell you.

I often wonder if, before he met Jesus, Peter was one of those persons who thought he was always right. You know, sort of a Donald Trump personality. I don’t mean any offence if Trump’s your guy in this election, but I have noticed throughout his career that he’s brash guy who often speaks before he thinks. Scripture shows Peter as one with a brash, outspoken personality. He often spoke before he thought things through; that is until he met the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. In today’s gospel, Peter even thinks he knows better than Jesus. Ouch, that’s pretty bold. But, before we’re too hard on Peter, we often do the same thing, don’t we?

Life’s Ultimate Resource Tool

The only way to really know the right thing to do in life is to be led by the Holy Spirit. King David said in the Psalms, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Ps. 119:105). No matter what decisions we face in life, there is no better guide than the Bible; it is the ultimate topical resource tool; I challenge you to think of a topic or problem it doesn’t deal with in some way.

One of the things I love about Lent is spending more time in the study and devotion of God’s word. Often, Lent becomes a time of testing for me personally, on things that are of great importance to me. I dedicate my fasting, prayer and study to finding God’s truth for areas of concern in my life. Of course, we can and should do such things all year, not just in Lent, but I’m glad the church devotes a season to encouraging us to be intentional in such things.

As the season leading us to Easter, Lent is the perfect time for challenging ourselves to be sure we’re on the right side of things in our life. After all it is the power of Christ’s resurrection that empowers us to overcome all things.

How about you? Are you on the wrong side of something right now? Do you need power to discern right from wrong, to make the right decision, no matter how hard? Then, let the words of St. Paul in the Philippian letter be your prayer today, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,” (Phil. 3:10) When we die to Jesus, all things become possible. His divine, resurrecting power is the power that raises us from the ashes.

Grace & Peace for a Holy Lent,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

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Raised from the Ashes: Lent – Day 25

2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days, and have nothing to eat;

 

Mark 8:2

Read Mark 8:1-10

Lent 2016 Daily Devotions-4

Fast Until You’re Full

How goes your fast? We are 25 days into Lent, and some of you are fasting, I’m sure. Fasting is an often misunderstood discipline. If you are attempting to fast during these 40 days, always remember that, like He did on the four thousand people in the desert with him, Jesus has compassion on you.

Biblical fasting is always a fast from food for a period of time. Several in the Bible (Moses and Elijah), including Jesus, fasted forty days without food at all. That, is a supernatural fast and not what is meant by fasting as a spiritual discipline. However, a partial fast during a period of 40 days has always been a part of Christian practice. (If you can’t fast a meal for medical reasons, God knows your heart. Fast something else of significance to you)

The Real Purpose of Fasting

Fasting from food by giving up a meal at specific times or days, is probably the only time I recommend we set ourselves up for temptation. Whenever we try to deny ourselves something we are used to, Satan will tempt us with it; you can count on it. But, the whole purpose of fasting is to learn to resist our fleshly desires, and in exchange, connect more with what truly satisfies – the Bread of Life. No matter how tough it gets, don’t give up; fast until you’re full…full of Jesus.

Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6), and as He said, “…Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4). John also tells us Jesus is the “Word” of God. Jesus, is the very substance we must have to truly live life as it is meant to be lived.

The four thousand who followed Jesus those three days, without regard to food, were fasting from earthly bread, and living in communion with the very Bread of Life. But, Jesus knew they would soon need earthly food to sustain their physical strength, and so He had compassion on them; they received a miraculous feeding. And, He has compassion for you too. Don’t give up on your Lenten fast.

What miracles do you need? Are you tired of your fast? During Lent I find it helpful to re-focus my self on my purpose for fasting; to spend time with the Living Bread. Please know, Jesus has compassion on you too. He is waiting to bless and feed you with his presence. All you need to do is re-focus and draw new water from His well. His well never runs dry. And, no matter how dry you get, no matter how tired or used up you feel, He is always faithful to raise you from the ashes.

Grace & Peace for a Holy Lent,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

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Raised from the Ashes: Lent – Day 23

 “6 Now these things are warnings for us, not to desire evil as they did.”

1 Cor. 10:6

Read 1 Cor. 10:1-13

Lent 2016 Daily Devotions-4

The Desires of the Heart

It is said that in tough times our true character is revealed. What we really desire in our hearts is what we really lean toward in difficult times. St. Paul reminded the Corinthians about the many ways the Israelites failed God after He delivered them from slavery. You would think being miraculously delivered from generations of bondage would give rise to a strong faith; a faith that wouldn’t backslide the minute things got tough. Not so with the Israelites, and sadly, not so with many peoples ever since. History has a sad way of repeating itself.

What about the desires of your heart? How often do you think about them? Many people get caught up in just existing from day to day. Pretty soon months turn into years and they haven’t thought about what they really desire for a very long time. All they can do is exist. If we don’t take time to fully admit to ourselves our true desires, and stay connected to them, we will drift through life without real purpose.

The Purpose of Life

The real purpose of the lives of humans hasn’t changed since we were created. We exist to glorify God through the way we live and love God, others, and His creation. But, that purpose must be passed on from one generation to the next. We aren’t born with a sense of that purpose. It is the role of godly parents and friends to teach us our purpose in life. And, the vehicle God chose through which to teach us is His church. It is as a community of people, called together with a common purpose to we discover who we are, and where we are going in this journey called life.

If we don’t know our true purpose in life, our desires will be shaped by the worldly influences around us. We see this lived out over and over again in the lives of the children of Israel. That is one of the many reasons the ancient church developed the season of Lent. Lent offers us a time for reflecting on who we are, and where we are going. In our times of prayer and fasting, our true desires are revealed. We must always concentrate on growing our desires after God’s heart.

Are You Repeating History?

The Apostle Paul knew the Corinthian people were going to drift back into their worldly culture, unless they had an anchor on which to hold. Knowing the history of God’s people, and the lessons learned were critical to spiritual formation of the Corinthians, and are still critical for us. History will repeat itself, if we don’t learn it’s lessons.

Perhaps, you have found yourself this Lent feeling burned from repeating past mistakes? As you take some time for meditation and prayer this season, look deep inside and discern your true desires in life. Think of it as a sort of spiritual checkup. If you don’t like what you see, remember, our God always promises to raise us from the ashes.

Grace & Peace for a Holy Lent,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

 

 

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Raised from the Ashes: Lent Day – 20

 

“2 If any one imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. 3 But if one loves God, one is known by him.”

 

 

1 Cor. 8:2-3

Read Cor. 8:1-13

Lent 2016 Daily Devotions-4

 

The Real Goal of Lent

Here, in St. Paul’s words to the Corinthians, we have the essence of our life in Christ. We are never as good and holy as we should be, and if we think we are, we have a long way to go. Holiness is best understood as an understanding of ourselves in proper relationship to God. The closer we get to Him, the less holy we feel. Or, as St. Paul says here, the more knowledge we think we have, the less we actually know.

Today we mark the mid-way point through Lent. By now, your choices for fasting and self-denial have probably become somewhat of a challenge to keep. I know yesterday I wanted something that I gave up so badly, my mind began to rationalize how it would be okay if I gave in just this once. At that point, I realized I was not growing closer to Jesus, but away from Him. I want to here His voice tell me, “I can do this”, not my voice saying, “I can’t do this.”

You see, we don’t grow closer to Jesus by giving up foods. Paul tells us in verse 8 that, “food will not commend us to God”; neither the eating nor abstaining is in itself holy. The heart is always what matters. God isn’t interested in our starving ourselves. However, He is interested in our learning to lay aside our own desires, for what He desires for us.

It’s All About Control

If, with the help of the Spirit, I cannot overcome my desire for a food I’ve vowed to God to deny myself for a time, how can I possibly avoid the greater temptations to sin? Food isn’t the issue; it’s all about what or who controls us. The church calls us to seasons of fasting, as during Lent, that through such disciplines we learn to hear the voice of God’s Spirit shaping our desires, rather than our own

During Lent we learn to know ourselves better. Our goal and our hope is that we discover our weaknesses, and in the process allow the Holy Spirit to mold us more and more in Christ’s likeness. In the process of such testing and learning, we can take comfort in the knowledge that the one who knows us best, loves us. And, His love isn’t conditioned on our response, or our passing the test of Lent perfectly. Rather, God’s love is with us no matter what. Whether we feel this Lent we are soaring with eagles, or if we feel we’ve already crashed and burned…He is always faithful to raise us from the ashes.

Grace & Peace for a Holy Lent,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

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Raised from the Ashes: Lent, Day – 16

“But it is good for me to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge.”

Psalm 73:28

Read Psalm 73

Lent 2016 Daily Devotions-4

The Chameleon

People are like Chameleons; we have a tendency to start looking like our surroundings. That’s why Lent is so important. We need strategic times when we spend more time with God. If we’re not careful we can get so busy in our daily life that we go through a whole day without spending any time with the Lord. One day leads to another and before long, we can find ourselves surrounded by desert and ruin. Then, we wonder where God is. The truth is God never moved, we were just spending too much time with the world.

Psalm 73 tells us that like the Chameleon, we too can choose to look like the world, because they seem to be successful and safe. The Chameleon is driven to change his colors by fear; it feels it must adapt to survive. The Psalmist said he, “nearly slipped” into the patterns of the worldly and wicked. He envied their prosperity (Vs. 2,3). The call to a Lenten spirituality is designed to keep us from falling. When we build into our lives, daily times of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving we are spending more time with God, and concentrating on growing our faith, not our worldly reputations.

Rhythms for Life

The Christian calendar offers a rhythm for us to connect with. Lent and Advent are seasons designed to help us reflect on our lives through increased repentance, prayer and fasting. They are seasons of rest and renewal. These two seasons prepare us to better celebrate the high spiritual days of Easter and Christmas, to celebrate the living God who has come among us. Then, there are other seasons such as Pentecost and Ordinary Time in which we allow the grace received in our times of renewal to grow even deeper roots for our spiritual lives.

Unlike the Chameleon, we don’t need to fear. God is our refuge and Lent is truly a season of refuge. We need to run to our God, to hide in his cross, to become more like Him not the world. We need to walk with Him through the desert allowing Christ to nourish and nurture our weary souls. Are you dry, and thirsty? Come to the water of life. Come to the spring that never runs dry. Won’t you reflect for a few moments today on the desert you may be journeying through? As you do, know that you are not alone. God is always near. In the desert we often dry up and turn to ash, but when we draw near to God, his living water raises us from the ashes.

Grace & Peace for a Holy Lent,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

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Raised from the Ashes: Lent – Day 15

“O God, why have you utterly cast us off?
why is your wrath so hot against the sheep of your pasture?”

 

Psalm 74:1

Read Psalm 74

Lent 2016 Daily Devotions-4

 

 

Why?

 

 

‘Why’ is the most common question in all of life. It’s asked by toddlers, teenagers, and adults over and over. I guess you could say the question of why is asked because people are so inquisitive and wish to learn. However, in reality, the answers to most all our ‘why’ questions are obvious, but we ask anyway. Perhaps we don’t want to believe the answer we know?

 

Of all people, the toddler has the right to ask why; the child needs to learn. But, for the rest of us we’ve learned many things the hard way already, and don’t like the answers we’ve received. So, we ask why. Why did things turn out like this? Why did this or that happen? And, the really big one – why God? Why did YOU let this happen?

 

Lent Is Also for Contemplation

Another part of the Lenten season is setting aside time for meditation and contemplation. We need contemplative times in our lives to reflect on the way things are. We need to reflect in order to discern what God would have us learn. In our ‘why’ questions, we often blame God for things that are our fault. To realize and accept our own fault is to see the need to change, and sadly that’s often our last alternative.

 

Won’t you spend some time in contemplation today? Contemplation is the companion of prayer. Thursday is a day for remembering Jesus’ contemplative, prayerful time in the garden. In many ways, the season of Lent is our garden of Gethsemane. We are asking God to shape us after His will through our disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

 

God Always Answers

 

The psalmist often asked God why, because he didn’t want to admit that the problems he faced were consequences of his own sinful choices. It’s okay to ask God why. In fact, it’s a natural reaction in an attempt to understand one’s circumstances. If we are truly searching for answers, we can trust God to lead us to them. We can trust God to lead us deep into our own conscience to see how we have gone astray. Then, we can see the real question is not, “Why God?” but, “Why me?”. Why did I make those choices? And, most importantly, when we have humbled ourselves and repented of our sin…we can trust God to raise us from the ashes.

 

Grace & Peace for a Holy Lent,

 

Pastor Brad

 

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

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Raised from the Ashes: Lent – Day 14

Lent 2016 Daily Devotions-4

“Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?”

1 Cor. 6:7b

Read 1 Cor. 5:9-6:10

 

Why Not?

We definitely have an aversion to suffering in our culture. I know, nobody should want to suffer, right? Only a masochist would choose to suffer, right? Perhaps, but what of the person who chooses to suffer for the right reasons? The Corinthian people were doing what many in our world today are doing; they avoided suffering or being wronged at all cost. The truth is, there is cost at which it is better to suffer or be wronged. The question is, how do we know when it’s best to choose to suffer or be wronged?

In Lent, we choose to suffer in a very small way. We choose to deny ourselves some thing or activity we would otherwise indulge in, as a matter of discipline. Such discipline is to help us grow in resistance to temptation. But, that is a very small way of suffering. In just about every other way, we here in Western culture have done our best to eliminate suffering.

Have We Gone Too Far?

We have medical care that tries to eliminate or minimize suffering. We have passed laws that allow us to sue others when we feel their actions have caused pain and suffering. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not against medical care. I think it is given to us as the healing hand of God for our time. And, I’m not against laws and courts designed to protect innocent people. However, in our culture, we seem to have taken the problem St. Paul addressed with the Corinthians to a whole new level.

Our society encourages us to fight back no matter what. People sue other people for the wrongs they feel, far too easily. And too often, this is true among those who are in the church. If Jesus is our model for living, we shouldn’t we be doing a lot more turning the cheek and being willing to be wronged? St. Paul asked the question – why not be wrong? Why is it so important that we right every wrong

For me, a great part of my Lenten journey is learning to identify opportunities to become more Christ like through humility. I’m still a long way from where I need to be on the Humility Scale, but I’m thankful for the journey.

My Prayer for Your Journey

I hope your journey is giving you cause to practice your faith in ways that challenge you. While I pray nothing of harm comes to you, I also pray that the hurts and heartaches that are germane to our fallen world will give you hope to say with St. Paul…why not? Why not suffer and let it grow your character? After all, Romans 8:17 tells us we are heirs with Christ, if we suffer with Him. Why not let yourself be wronged rather than take vengeance? After all, vengeance is the Lord’s (Rom. 12:19). Why not let yourself die…and be raised from the ashes?

Grace & Peace for a Holy Lent,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

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Raised from the Ashes: Lent, Day – 13

 

“So will I always sing the praise of your Name, and day by day I will fulfill my vows.”

Psalm 61:8

Read Psalm 61:1-8

Lent 2016 Daily Devotions-4

How Are You Doing?

As we are now in the second full week of Lent, some of you may be growing weary of your discipline. There is something exhilarating about beginning a journey like the Lenten fast. However, there is also something exhausting in the daily temptation to do what we have said we will not do. If you’re new to Lenten fasting and self-denial, this may be particularly true for you.

I remember one Lent when I gave up coffee, eggs, and desserts in the same season. Now for a coffee addict like me, that alone seemed a suicidal goal. Did I mention how much I love eggs? Eggs are, and always have been a part of my morning regimen. I couldn’t even imagine the idea of not eating eggs for 40 days! And desserts, well that seemed difficult around my birthday (which always falls in Lent), but I wasn’t nearly as addicted to desserts as I was to coffee and eggs.

Looking back, I realize I was completely misguided in my understanding of the purpose of a Lenten fast. I thought the purpose was to prove how strong I could be in my resolve to deny myself such pleasures. I thought I was somehow more holy for doing so. Did I mention I was a very young adult at that time? Oh well, no matter, I would probably fail at such an attempt even today in my mid 50’s. That is, I would fail if I attempted it for the wrong reason.

Always Remember

We must always remember our purpose for Lenten fasting and self-denial – to learn to surrender what we desire, for what God desires for us. If we can’t do that with food, how will we do it with the great things of God’s will that He desires for us?

God is not interested in our starving ourselves. However, He is interested in the surrender of our will to His for every detail in life. What better way to practice our surrender to God than through self-denial? The Psalmist says the only way to keep a vow to God (our Lenten fasts count as a vow) is to fulfill it day by day in praise to Him (Vs. 8).

How Are You Doing?

Today is day 13. How are you doing? If you’ve failed, don’t give up. As in all of life, so it is in Lent. Our God is always ready to give us another chance, to lift us up and set us back on a high place…to raise us from the ashes.

Grace & Peace for a Holy Lent,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

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Raised form the Ashes: Lent Day – 12

Lent 2016 Daily Devotions-4

“For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.”

1 Cor. 4:20

Read 1 Cor. 4:8-21

Cheap Talk

Talk is cheap, unless of course that talk gets you in trouble, then it could prove very expensive. I think that proverbial saying says what St. Paul was telling the Corinthians. The great Apostle was a spiritual father to the Corinthians (Vs. 15), and as such had earned the right to talk to them straight about their spiritual lives.

As you read the letters to the Corinthian church, you will see the church struggled in about every way imaginable, and you will hear Paul’s straight talk as he tells them the truth in love. They stopped maturing in their faith and fell into many sins. Such a state was a detriment not only to their own lives but to the witness of the church to effect change in the culture around them.

Can We Change from Our Sinful Ways?

St. Paul reminded them, as he sent Timothy to minister on his behalf, that they hadn’t received the gospel just to continue in their sins, but to be changed. The gospel is the power of God to save (Rom 1:16), and not just save “in” our sin, but to save us “from” our sin (Matt. 1:21). The New Testament continually calls us to a life above sin, both in the words of Jesus, and the Apostles. Perhaps the best example is Jesus’ words to the woman at the well as he tells her, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.” (John 8:11)

Sometimes we think our Lenten journey will help us learn to avoid sin, by spending more time in prayer and fasting. While I’m sure our resolve to avoid sin is strengthened through such Lenten disciplines as prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, we must remember that that is not the object of Lent. The object of our Lenten journey is to grow closer to Christ. The answer to losing our desire for sin (which is innate in our fallen nature), is growing more in love with our Savior.

The people of the Corinth church needed to be reminded of how much Jesus loved them, and just how his death, resurrection, and gift of the Spirit was to deliver them from the dominion of sin. It wasn’t enough for then to just say they believed (Cheap Talk), and to continue living unchanged, and it’s not okay for us either. We must live in the kingdom power that not only saves, but transforms.

Lent is a part of our spiritual tool box given to us by the church to help effect our transformation into Christ’s likeness. When we pray, fast and do works of mercy we imitate the Apostles who imitated Christ. Paul knew his life was to provide a living example for the people to follow. So too, we want to imitate the lives of the saints who’ve gone before us, as we ultimately conform our lives to the imitation of Christ. The closer we grow to Jesus Christ, the more He transforms us. His transformation will indeed, raise us from the ashes.

Grace & Peace for a Holy Lent,

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger & thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6

 

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Raised form the Ashes: Lent – Day 8

Lent – Wednesday, Day 8

“ For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

1 Cor. 3:11

Read 1 Cor. 2:14-3:15

Lent 2016 Daily Devotions-4

Be Careful How You Build

I’ve always admired those who could draw up a plan to build something and then do it, and do it well. I tried to build a wooden kneeling bench for prayer when I was a teenager. It seemed a simple task at first. I carefully drew a picture of what I wanted it to look like when done. Then, I set about finding the right materials and to make measurements for each cut, of each piece of wood. However, I quickly realized it was much harder than I expected. There were several things that didn’t seem to work as I tried to assemble the pieces. I didn’t know how to make all the pieces fit just right, which should come as no surprise considering I’d never had a woodworking class in my life. As a result, the bench when done, although recognizable when done, was not sturdy or comfortable.

I was building the bench on a poor foundation. Actually, it was more like no foundation, considering my lack of gifts, skills and training in such things. Life is a lot like my kneeling bench experience. Without the proper foundation, life, while recognizable as such, will not be sturdy or comfortable. Jesus Christ is the only foundation for life as it is meant to be lived. You can build with another foundation, like your own self, or that of another person, but it will eventually fail you.

Our Responsibility

Every generation is responsible to pass the faith of Jesus Christ on to the next, being careful to build on the foundation that is Jesus. The people of the Corinthian church were getting off track. As they grew, they had the right foundation but were not using the best building materials. They started out with gold and silver, and somewhere along the way settled for wood and straw.

How many of our lives are like that? We started out with the right foundation – faith in Christ. However, along the way we ended up substituting the wrong building materials, and we’re not even sure how or when we did it. It’s easy to do if we aren’t diligent about what we’re doing. Maybe we’ve traded authentic worship for false worship, or perhaps we’ve settled for the desires of our flesh rather than the hard work of rooting our desires in the will of God.

This is why Lent is my favorite season of the year. It’s like a 40-day spiritual check up to be sure my foundation is secure, to be sure I’m building with the right materials. Through extra times of fasting, prayer, and works of mercy, we can better listen for the gentle voice of Jesus calling us to correct our course, and bring us back onto a secure foundation

All Will Be Revealed

Are you listening? Jesus is calling to each of us in these days of Lent. Let us therefore, as St. Paul has said, “take care how we build”. In the end of days, how we built will be revealed; Paul tells us fire will reveal it. That which was built poorly will burn and be consumed. But, the good news is Jesus always raises His own from the ashes.

Grace & Peace for a Holy Lent

Pastor Brad

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6