deny yourself

day 2 of lent, actually.
i think lent is not solely a christian act, but just an act of sacrifice for discipline, practiced by catholics as well...
k dont quote me on any of that.

but anyway, lent, according to Wikipedia, is the 40-day long season of prayer and fasting which leads up to Easter, and the Resurrection of our savior. the 40 days, representing the 40 days of Jesus who fasted and prayed in the wilderness just after being baptized and acknowledged in front of everyone that he is God's one and only son, sent and loved.

if you don't already know, the act of fasting, as defined by me, is giving up something, or sacrificing something whether a habit, or an item, or actually i cant properly explain this, but giving up something that hinders you, or distracts you, or something you claim that you 'need', or even just giving up something to acknowledge that nothing in this world can satisfy, or bring joy in your life, or sustain you, except for the power and love of God.

my personally motto is this. 'if you feel like you can't give it up, it probably means you should give it up', otherwise there'd be a lot of excuses and compromising and such, but for many people i know, they are partaking in this time of lent and giving things up, whether it be swearing, msn, facebook, tv shows, movies, shopping, pornography, meat, games, music, brand names and status symbols, spending money on food, or even driving/getting driven when walking would suffice.

for myself, i am fasting instant messaging, both msn, and gchat, as well as raptors games on tv/online, as well as basketball highlights on tv/online, all of which i always find myself getting distracted by and wasting so much time with.
by giving these things up, the idea is to free up time, especially time that normally would've been wasted or just less productively allocated, and use that time to spend with God, and devote more towards God, whether it be praying and meditating, or reading the bible, or worshipping in some way, the idea is to use this time to cast down these things and idols and get closer and more intimate with God. i am also trying to rid myself of saying and using offensive terms in my normal course of speaking, more specifically terms that really shouldn't be used.

the common fast back in the day was food, and not eating. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness without food and water, and when it comes to fasting things of the physical realm, such as food, we, as humans, will naturally start feeling hunger pains and such. the hope is that when times of hunger emerge and arise, one can deny itself, and deny one's own flesh and body, but to be obedient to it's spiritual being, in an attempt to control and heighten the spiritual self, and letting the physical self diminish to achieve the intimacy with God that He offers, and that we desperately need to fill us.

here is a passage from the book of James.i have found that it often speaks of encouragement and perseverance to help us get through times of trials and temptations. the latter portion of the passage speaks of truth and a simple yet challenging call for 'anyone who considers themselves religious'. in other words, if we consider ourselves lovers and followers of Jesus Christ, this is part of the deal. 

James 1

 ¹James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
      To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
      Greetings.

Trials and Temptations

 ²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. ⁶But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

 ⁹The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. ¹⁰But the one who is rich should take pride in his low position, because he will pass away like a wild flower. ¹¹For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich man will fade away even while he goes about his business.

 ¹²Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

 ¹³When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. ¹⁵Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

 ¹⁶Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. ¹⁷Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ¹⁸He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Listening and Doing

 ¹⁹My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. ²¹Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

 ²²Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

 ²⁶If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. ²⁷Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

good luck to all of you, who are going through this season of lent, may you be strengthened and may the power of the Holy Spirit be dwelling in you all to truly liberate you from sin, temptation, and from the physical world, and bring you into a life of love, peace, purity, and intimacy with our Father above.



maranatha, until the Lord returns....