Lent – Day 9

Just a few thoughts from the fast so far:

In regards to building my relationship with the Lord, on the plus side, I have been doing the bible studies as originally planned at http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/. This study I have been taking is an in-depth look at the Cross, and examples from the old testament that point to the meaning of the sacrifice made at the Calvary. While some has been review, there has also been a lot of good stuff presented. When I finish this study, I will write about some of the things that stood out to me. At the same time, my time in prayer has not improved. I know the reason for this… I have a high degree of pride. Not such that I am boastful around people, but in that I have been raised that you only ask for help when it is something beyond your ability to fix. God wants me to come to him in all things, yet I want to try and take care of these things, even the minor ones, on my own. I need to swallow my pride and truly turn to the Lord in all things.

In regards to the fast, I have had a couple of minor slips (I had a coke slushy at the movie the other day without really thinking about it before hand), but for the most part I have been doing well. On Sunday (when I could eat), after not eating for 4 days, food had a incredibly good taste. And so far I have lost 9.9 pounds.

Lent – Day 1

Well, with yesterday being Fat Tuesday, I tried to make it a point to enjoy those things that I was going to be giving up during this time. I really enjoy both Coke and Mt. Dew, so I made it a point to have a couple of these. I also ate some of my favorite foods. I had hoped to have a steak dinner last night, but my son was sick, so I had to settle for a BBQ Chicken pizza from Papa Johns.
I have thought more about what I plan to do during this period of Lent, and will list these now:

1. Soda – No Soda (none, zero, zip until Easter. My son has been telling me how bad soda is, so hopefully I will lose my desire for soda by Easter, and not return to is (or at least drastically cut back on my intake).
2. Drinks allowed Monday – Saturday: Fruit juices, some milk, occasional Hot Chocolate, water, tea.
3. Foods allowed Monday – Saturday: Almost none, but I will allow limited fruits (banana's, apples, grapes, etc), vegetables (I hate most vegetables, so I will have to be very hungry to partake of these). I will also allow soups (plain soups such as tomato, no soups with meats or noodles, etc).
4. Sundays: Will allow for intake of any food and drink (no soda). I must remember to east responsibly (no pigging out, but enjoy the food I do eat, and no snacks or junk food).
5. Bible Study – I will at a minimum do a daily bible study (The Cross at http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/) . I have taken courses at this site before. The average time to complete one study will range between 35-45 minutes. I also have a Reese Chronological Bible. I plan to start reading the New Testament in this bible (this bible put the events of the bible in chronological order).
6. Prayer – Make a point of spending more time in prayer.
7. Internet access – As a computer tech, I essential need to access the internet for work. Outside of work, the only time I will access the internet is to complete my studies at http://www.settingsaptivesfree.com/, Update the church website (I run the website for the church I attend) and for occasional needs such as looking up movie times (for family events and so forth). There is to be no internet access for simple "browsing" or wasting time.
8. 
   
   Television – I will continue to allow myself television in the morning (I check the weather and local events to make sure there are no road closings or school cancellations). In the evening, I will only allow myself to watch television when:
   1. My Bible studies are complete
   2. Someone is watching with me (thus as a family event)
   3. No one is home (thus Television is not taking me away from my family)
9. Listen to the Holy Spirit – As this time progresses, I need to make sure that I am listening to the Holy Spirit, and adjusting my life as directed by the Holy Spirit during this time (and work to make sure that I continue to listen to the Holy Spirit in the future).

I will share that I have taken part in Fasts before. I have done water only fasts (up to three days) and I did 18 days once with Juices only. I plan to approach the Lent days (Monday – Saturday) with the same mindset as when I did the juice fasts in the past. I hope that I am able to avoid all solid food during these days.
I must remember that the whole purpose in the is to place Christ front and center in my life. I have for too long done things my way. And my way doesn't work. The following are the goals I hope to achieve during this time:

1. 
   
   Greater relationship with Christ: My son and I often have disagreements. Many times I have told him that if he was living his life the way scripture told him to live, then he would not have any problems with his family. I need to follow that same advice. I hope to get my relationship with Christ in order, so that I am living as He wants me to live. If I do so, then I believe that the following will take place:
   1. Peace of mind knowing that I am truly living as Christ would want me to live.
   2. By living as Christ would want me to live, I can be a better example to my family
   3. Growth in relationship with my family.
2. 
   
   Control of eating/weight loss: My weight issues cause the following:
   1. Lack of self control (gluttony) hinders my witnessing, by being a bad example to others, and affecting my self confidence to witness.
   2. Lack of energy prevents me from being all I can be for my family.
3. Gaining time: By getting away from my television and internet "addictions", I will gain time, Time for the family, time to do other things I know need to be done, and more time for prayer and study.
4. 
   
   Restoration:
   1. Restoring my relationship with God
   2. Restoring my relationship with my family

Anyone who reads this, please keep my in prayer during this time.

Lent

What is Lent? Well, according to Websters 1828 Dictionary, lent is:

The quadragesimal fast, or fast of forty days observed by the christian church before Easter, the festival of our Savior's resurrection. It begins at Ash Wednesday, and continues till Easter.

Okay, I guess that's right, but while normally Websters can make things clear to me, I am still in the dark. I am not Catholic, but I married into a Catholic family. Of course I am not aware of any of them actually doing anything for Lent, so I I'm not sure I can get a good answer from them either. Thus I did as I so often do, and turned to the internet. After doing a few Google searches, I came across a website (http://www.wilstar.com/holidays/lent.htm) that gave me some good, quick and clear answers. I will give a brief summery from what I have gathered:

The highlight of the year for Christians is Easter, the day when our Lord rose from the dead. Lent is a forty-day season of preparation for Easter. Lent always begins on a Wednesday, called Ash Wednesday.

Why 40 days? Because, Jesus fasted and was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days. Lent, then, is our time of fasting, prayer, temptation and repentance. Lent is not required anywhere in scriptures, but it has been a custom, which Christians have practiced for most of the last two thousand years.

In many languages, the word "Lent" actually means "fast." This is where the custom of giving up something for Lent originated.

However, just to confuse things, Lent is actually 46 days rather than 40 days. Why? Because the 40 days of Lent are supposed to be days of fasting, which means days of discipline and self-restraint. But Sunday, the Lord's Day, should never be a day of fasting, but a day of celebration! So each Sunday we suspend our Lenten disciplines and celebrate. Lent is 40 "fasting" days spread out over a total of 46 days beginning on Ash Wednesday.

The focus of Lent was always threefold:

1. It was a time to prepare new converts for baptism through intensive classes and instruction.
   
2. It was a time for long-standing Christians to review their lives and renew their commitment to Jesus Christ.
   
3. It was a time for backsliders to be restored to the faith.
   

In every case, it is a time for serious, disciplined self-examination, a time spent in intensive prayer and repentance before the cross of Calvary.

To represent the dark and serious business of Lent, one custom has been to strip the sanctuary of all flowers, candles, and colors during Lent. This custom helps us to turn inward and examine ourselves, even as it reminds us of the dark and colorless Sabbath day when Jesus lay dead in the tomb.

Put simply, Lent is a time to examine ourselves carefully. Here are some questions upon which you might pray and meditate during Lent:

• Am I sharing gladly what I have with others, especially the stranger and the poor?
  
• Do I have a gracious and patient attitude with others, especially those who irritate me?
  
• Do I feel the power of connection to God and the church in corporate worship?
  
• How is my devotional and prayer life progressing? Am I listening to God more and complaining less? Is it time for a change or a growth in my Bible study and prayer life?
  
• What are the lurking sin problems, which still plague me?
  
• Am I as thoughtful and forgiving of family as others, or do I take my frustrations out on them?
  
• Do I speak up for the maligned and oppressed, or do I remain silent in order to remain popular?
  

So what does all this mean to me? Well, it gives me a guideline, a starting point for something that I have needed to do for a long time now. You see, I hold to the view of "Once saved, Always saved", so I don't question my salvation, but I do question how healthy my relationship with the Lord is. There was a time when I wanted to go into the ministry, but the Lord has shown me that I am not ready for this. Paul writes to Timothy regarding the Qualifications of being a minister. One of these is that a minister must have his household in order, as how can a minister expect to lead a congregation when he can't lead his own home. There are many problems taking place at home. No, there are no plans of divorce or anything like that, but there are nonetheless many issues that show me I am not yet ready for ministry (on a side note though, this last Sunday, due to bad weather, I was given the chance to fill in and teach Sunday school class at church, which tells me that the Lord does still have plans for me). As such, I plan to take the spirit of Lent as described above and apply it to my life, starting on Wednesday (02/17/10) thru Easter (4/04/10).

What do I hope to gain from this? I have quite a list, which I will share with anyone reading this.

• Rebuild my relationship with God.
  
• Get back into a routine of Bible study. One way that I am going to do this is by going to Setting Captives Free (http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/) and doing their online study titled "the Cross". This is a Bible study course designed to help you get focused on Christ. This is a 60 day course, so it will be going on after Lent actually ends, but hopefully by the end to Lent, I will be in the habit of setting aside time to have personal bible study.
  
• Overcome personal sins. There are those "besetting sins" that I constantly battle with. One example is weight. There have been many times when my weight has prevented me from doing all I could, either for God (as when I have been on missions trips). There are also times when my weight has kept me from being my best with my family (either I'm too tired or in a bad mood because of my weight). These "besetting sins" need to be put under control so they no longer come between me and my relationship with God or my family. As such, I plan to follow my understanding of fasting during Lent. I will primarily consume juices and soups, but will also allow myself some fruits and vegetables Monday – Saturday. Sundays I will eat normal meals (but eat "wisely, not as a glutton).
  
• Other areas I need to restrict is cutting back on television viewing and internet browsing. Way too much time is wasted in these activities (and all too often one can get drawn into areas they should avoid anyway), focusing this time gained into doing things with my family or in prayer and meditation with God.
  
• Read my Bible more!!!
  

During this time of Lent, I will be using this blog as a journal of my experiences and thoughts during Lent. I pray that this will lead me to where I need to be, and will be a help to others.

We the People - Ray Stevens

Music that matches my views!!!


Diet Update:
Starting weight: 270
Current Weight: 267
Total loss: 3 pounds

Turning to God from idols

For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God; (1 Thessalonians 1:9 KJV)

In various other books written by the Apostle Paul, Paul writes in order to correct actions or to answer questions those churches had. In 1^st Thessalonians Chapter 1, Paul writes to praise theThessalonian people. They are overcoming. They are growing in their walk with the Lord, and in verse 9 he shows us how this is being done: the people have turned to God from their idols. Notice it is not the other way around: The people did not turn from their idols, but rather they turned to God.

Idolatry is a sin, and it is easy to turn from sin. WHAT? Did I really say that? Yes. The problem is that we often turn from one sin to another sin. How often do we hear about one who has stopped drinking, but takes up smoking? Or stops smoking but gains weight because they are now over eating? All too often, when we turn from one sin, we sink into another darker sin. For instance, if you read about King David in 2nd Samuel Chapter 11, we find that David should have been off to war. Instead, David sends Joab and the troops, while David himself "tarries" in Jerusalem. I'm sure that David thought he had valid reason to lag behind. He was the king. He could have thought that he deserved some time off from battle. Perhaps, by resting, he felt he would be refreshed, being a better leader in the times to come. But scripture doesn't tell us how David felt. Scripture cuts to the chase – David tarried. Tarried means that David chose to delay, to wait behind, to procrastinate. How many of us have not done this before. And while we may not want to call that a sin, we often don't see things the way God sees things.

David procrastinates. By doing so David sees Bathsheba, This leads to David falling prey to lust in his mind for Bathsheba. That lust turns into adultery, which next leads to the planning and finally murder of Bathsheba's husband Uriah. At any point had David turned to God, this downward spiral would have been broken. Instead, David turns from one sin to another, sinking deeper and deeper.

The Thessalonians were turning to God. Turning to God first will automatically keep you from other sins.

In a previous post (The Vomit of your sins…), I address this topic, and at that time I mentioned that we often fall back into our sins (Psalms 26:11). The only way we can stop the cycle, to stop either turning form one sin to a deeper, darker sin, or returning to the same "pet" sins that we favor, is to turn to God.

Normally Christmas time is one of my favorite times of the year, but this year was not, at least not in regards to how I felt things should have been at home. But that is when I remembered IT. IT happened again. It took problems with my family to remind me that it was not about what I wanted Christmas to be like (a quiet day at home with the family, opening gifts, watching videos and such), but that I needed to be keeping HIM first in my sights.

I need to remember that I need to keep Jesus first. Jesus can fix all my problems, but Jesus is not some little genie that I can pull out and command to fix my problems. Only when I am walking with Him will things be right. Jesus is going to make things right for me, but this takes place only when I am in perfect fellowship with Him, doing as He commands, following His directions, being in God's will. When I am in harmony with his plans for me, in the proper fellowship with Him, all other troubles with either work out, not seem so large, or I will have the understanding to know that what I believe is a problem is not truly an issue.

I need to turn to God. I need to do this first for my family, but also for my health and testimony. Whenever I get depressed, instead of turning to God, I often turn to food. I had originally hoped to maintain my weight over the holidays, and then start a diet. Instead, when problems arose, I turned to food, and as of this morning I weight 270. No more. I must put God first. I must turn to him rather than to food for comfort from my other cares and concerns.