I've really been loving these passages recently. I just copied them over from BibleGateway.com.
2 Corinthians 5:11-6:2
11Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. 12We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. 13If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin[a] for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
1As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. 2For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you."[a] I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.
Psalm 138:3
3 When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted. :)
Pretty much unrelated to the above passages, the holiday (yes, I really do view it as a holiday) of Lent starts tomorrow. You giving anything up? I really, really recommend it. You may say, as do half the people I try to convince: "I'm not Catholic." Who cares? I know I don't and God doesn't either! ha So here's my soapbox. It's a good opportunity to build self-discipline as well as more reliance on the Holy Spirit to fill the void that you normally try to fill with something else. I don't know, maybe you are naturally one of those people who doesn't try to fill yourself with things or relationships, or situations and are always completely reliant on God. Just like the saying, "You cannot not communicate.", I believe you cannot not fill yourself. Whether you realize it or not, you are putting in or allowing things in which fill you and shape you to be the person you are. Jesus was intentional about what he filled himself with - the power of God's spirit - and part of his intentionality involved going without. (Example: fasting from food for 40 days - same length of time as Lent!) So my (and make no mistake, I may seem like a brilliant intellectual, :) but I'm not claiming to have the inside view on this anymore than any of you would) take on lent, is not so much about the giving up and emptying and beating yourself into the ground. It's more about giving up and emptying in order to be more intentional about being filled with the power of God. I'm not judging if you don't do lent, but it's been beneficial to me every year I've done it, so I like to share the love.
Have any of you guys tried the flavored folgers coffee? I'm drinking the chocolate silk blend right now and it is yummy.
3 comments:
I think I must be the Lent deputy, lol. I tell most people I come into contact with about it too because I think, like you said, that it's a really neat way to set aside a time during the year where you can enrich your life and create a more disciplined self. Instead of always giving something up, I try to add something in. This year I am adding in memorization of Scripture and praying specifically for one person or two people every day. I will be giving up "extras" and am looking forward to the change the Lord is going to do. I encourage all you Lentees (it's the name I came up with on my run for those of us who celebrate Lent) to tell your friends and hold strong -- you are growing to be more like Jesus when you do!!!
You're awesome. I'm feeling a little inspired to take part in Lent, but I'll have to think of how I'll do that. Maybe not complaining? That would be good. I think it's great that you encourage others to do it. I think that might be a cool way to spiritually reach out to non-Christians as well.
This girl will not be participating in lent this year for the first time since York. Lent is great though and if your church does a big Easter weekend program it makes the end of the season even more special. A couple of years ago at Meadowlark I did lent and then we had a Friday, Saturday, Sunday program at the church to really focus on the Easter season and it was amazing. Participating in lent before Easter weekend just gave the whole weekend so much more meaning and focus. I am curious to see what everyone participating is giving up.
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