SmellingCoffee.com

... the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Christ in every place...

You are here: Home / Archives for Lent

Lent

Ash Wednesday and 3 Great Resources for Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday, a Christian holy day observed by many, but like Christmas and Easter, it’s not a Biblically required holiday.   In Western Christianity, Ash Wednesday marks the first day, of Lent, which begin 40 days prior to Easter (Sundays are not included in the count).

Many Christians prepare for Easter by spending these 40 days in fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. The purpose of Lent is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ – His Cross, His suffering and His sacrifice, His life, death, burial and resurrection.

Advent and Christmas turn us with expectant gratitude toward Jesus’s coming. But it is during the season of Lent and Easter that we appreciate why Jesus came – to pay for our sins through His own death on the Cross.

On Ash Wednesday, ashes (usually made from the previous year’s Palm Sunday’s palm branches burned) are placed on the foreheads of worshipers as a reminder of our mortality and sinfulness. The person who imposes the ashes quotes something like what God once said to Adam after he had sinned: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Gen 3:19). This is the bad news of our sinfulness but it prepares us to receive the good news of forgiveness through Jesus.

Jesus is about the cross.  And if we are about Jesus, then we, too, are to be about the cross.  So today and during the next days leading to Easter, lets turn our eyes and hearts toward Calvary.

How we do this and what we do will look completely different for each one of us.  In James 1:5 God promises that we can ask Him for wisdom and He will give it to us.  {Isn’t that awesome???}  So ask Him about you and Lent.  He will lead you.  Some years I’ve felt led to fast something during Lent.  Other years, I’ve actually added something – like spending extra time with the Lord in His Word.  Some feel led to work on a certain attitude or character trait during this season, and some commit to a special act of service. The purpose of these actions is to sharpen one’s understanding and remembrance of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice.  However, some don’t feel led to do observe Lent at all, and that’s ok, too.

If you are observing Lent, I want to share with you three wonderful resources that will for sure center you on Jesus during this special season.

3 GREAT resources for Lent. SmellingCoffee.com

1. Don’t have much time to read anything? Then LISTEN to this series on ReviveOurHearts.com  Offered by one of my favorite Bible teachers, Nancy Leigh DeMoss uses the the book, The Incomparable Christ by J. Oswald Sanders, and builds on the material each day. Last year, God used this series to draw many hearts toward Jesus.

I went through this book and series last year and was incredibly blessed!  However, you don’t have to read along in the book if you aren’t able at this time.  This series can also be found in podcast form.  Just look for Nancy Leigh Demoss, then The Incomparable Christ series.

This is what Nancy has to say about this series and why she led us through it:

Unfortunately, some of these special days in the Christian calendar that were once observed as holy days have now become holidays. As a result, we strip them of their meaning and their power and what they could mean in our lives.

So I think it helps us to be intentional about turning our thoughts and tuning our hearts to the reality and the meaning of these special days in the Christian calendar, and certainly there is none more special than that period of time that we celebrate as the Passion of Christ: Good Friday, Easter Sunday.

In my devotional time during the Lenten season, I read a classic book by J. Oswald Sanders called The Incomparable Christ. It has 36 short chapters, and I read those throughout this period. Each one of those chapters is on a different aspect of the person and the work of Christ.

This book really ministered to me. It was such a blessing. So I decided that this year I would encourage our listeners to read that book with me, to join me during the Lenten period, during these forty days leading up to Easter in a more concentrated way to focus on Christ.

So during this season we’re going to use Sanders’ book, The Incomparable Christ, as a track. I’m not going to actually read the book to you—you can do that for yourself—but I’m going to use the outline he uses about these different aspects of the life of Christ and follow them throughout these weeks leading up to Easter…

 To listen to these programs, you’ll find the links below.

The Incomparable Christ Programs in begin at this link on February 18, 2015 and run through March.
Also, for a PDF of the teaching schedule, click here.

You can download the book here:  The Incomparable Christ, by J. Oswald Sanders  (The e-version is around $5.)

2.  This is the best book – one I try to read at least every other year – either at the beginning of the year or during the Lenten season… or whenever I can work it in… The Calvary Road by Roy Hessian.

In need of Spiritual Revival? Walk with Jesus down "The Calvary Road" by Roy Hessian. SmellingCoffee.com

This book is small but powerful…Something to ponder, not plow through at a fast pace.  It has changed the way I view myself, my sin, my Savior, and I’m so grateful that the Lord brought it to me through a vibrant Christian woman over ten years ago.  There are phrases from this book that I use in my prayer life on a daily basis.  It’s a treasure!

A testimony from the author’s own words about what he learned and the God-honoring principles he shares in this little book:

.…I was enabled to give up trying to fit things into my doctrinal scheme, and come humbly to the Cross for cleansing from my own personal sins. It was like beginning my Christian life all over again…And it has been an altogether new chapter in my life since then.  It has meant, however, that I have had to choose constantly to die to the big “I,” that Jesus might be all, and constantly to come to Him for cleansing in His precious Blood.

If this sounds like something you desire for your own life, you can obtain a FREE copy the book through Amazon here,

OR you can download the PDF version for FREE here. {The PDF version can be opened and read on your electronic readers, or in ibooks, or on your computer, or printed out to hold in your hands. 🙂 }

AND… if you want to get the MOST from this study, for around $3.99 you can purchase (in book form or in e-book form) The Calvary Road Study Guide-Workbook (linked here). It has brought a whole new dimension to studying through this book and to the piercing of the secret places of my heart with God’s Word.  OR, this is a different, but FREE  Study Guide to go along with each portion of the book.


3.  Here is a NEW resource from my friend, ArabahJoy.com – Praying the Promises of the Cross.
I’ve purchased mine and it’s what I’ll be using during this 2016 Lenten season. I’m really looking forward to it, btw!! 🙂

Arabah says:

Over the past year I’ve experienced firsthand how powerful the one little spiritual discipline of praying these [God’s] promises can be.  And I want you to see what can happen in your life too.

So you are invited to join a community-wide 40 Days of Praying the Promises of the Cross Challenge!
==========

This BRAND NEW challenge is simple. For the next 40 days, pray just one Christ-centered promise a day.

That’s it.

Oh, and be prepared for a spiritual awakening because it’s headed your way!

#LifeChanging!

I don’t know what you are facing right now or where you are spiritually, but I invite you to join me and pray ONE promise a day for 40 days and see how God transforms your day… your family… your life.

AND…We’ve prepared a special prayer journal to help you pray the promises of God!

Edited in 2018 to add: She has now published this as a workbook that you can hold in your hand!  You can get her new book here.

Praying the Promises of the Cross includes:

– 40 ALL NEW Scriptures in a Quick Start Guide
– Instructions on How to Pray Promises from God’s Word
– 40 Daily mini-devotionals
– 40 beautifully designed and fully customized prayer journal pages for you to journal your thoughts and prayers
– blank journal pages for you to individualize as you like

Praying the Promises of the Cross was carefully designed to help take the guess work out of praying promises.

Arabah Joy also has a Praying the Promises for Children.  You can get it and her other downloadable resources here.

I invite you to grab the Promises book on Amazon and/OR  join the BRAND NEW prayer challenge TODAY. The Prayer challenge is FREE!  Just head over to ArabahJoy.com and you’ll find it under “What Happens When a Woman Prays God’s Promises.”  You can begin right now and see for yourself how this one little discipline can transform your life.

 

Biblegateway.com also has several free options for daily emailed devotions for Lent.   So many other resources are out there just a google search away. And of course, we already have the Best Resource available to us – Jesus Christ Himself, who is The Word.  Whatever it is that we do between now and Easter, whether or not we formally observe Lent, let’s all remember that we are people of the cross, and not take salvation for granted.

A blessed Ash Wednesday to you all, dear friends~

signature

 

 

PS: Don’t want to miss another Smelling Coffee blog post? Just enter your address below.

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

(Be sure to check your inbox for a note from me and to verify your email address.) No spam, I promise… Only encouraging words of Faith, Family, Food, Fun, and Living Life brewed in the fragrance of the knowledge of Jesus Christ in every place. 🙂

People of the Cross & Lent

It’s the season of Lent, the Christian season of preparation before Easter. In Western Christianity, Ash Wednesday marks the first day, or the start of the Lenten days, which begins 40 days prior to Easter (Sundays are not included in the count).
 

Being the Baptist girl that I am, I didn’t grow up observing Lent.  In fact, I just learned of this season’s specialness not too many years ago.  Each year I do a little more research on it and gather resources that help me learn to observe the Lenten season.  (If you’re like me and are not too sure about Lent, see toward the bottom of this post for more info and some FREE resources.)

Basically, Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ – His Cross, His suffering and His sacrifice, His life, death, burial and resurrection.

Lent and Easter are all about the Cross… which leads me to deeply ponder

The People of the Cross

It’s been heaviest on my mind and heart lately – the most recent Christian Martyrs – who were killed for being “People of the Cross.”

I just can’t get that phrase out of my mind – especially as we enter this Lenten season.  People of the Cross.  Isn’t that what all of us are if we claim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior?  Yet how many of us (me included!) complain about or dread or congratulate ourselves on our meager sacrifice during this 40 something day period leading up to Easter??? Oh Lord, forgive us!

I can hardly comprehend it, but this isn’t the first or the last time that God-honoring people will be put to death for being called by His name.  Though our government is failing to call it what it is, these latest souls join with centuries of courageous others who chose to bow the knee to Jesus Christ in this life, trading their very breath for a Martyr’s crown to lay at His feet in Heaven.

And then we (me included!) think we are so pious because we are giving up sugar for 40 days? Or TV? Or Facebook?  Oh Lord, have mercy on our weak souls!

People of the Cross… That’s what we are.  And I don’t doubt for a moment that many of us, when put to the test, would choose to die for our faith.  God would give us the courage to do so if the time came.  Because, after all, we know what blessings lie ahead for us.

But the question burning in my soul right now is this: As People of the Cross who would be willing to die for our Savior, are we just as willing to live for Him too?

Jesus said in Matthew 16:24

 “Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also].” (AMP)

The NLT puts it this way:

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.”

And look at the Message’s version of this verse(s)

24-26 Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?”

Oh my friends, the question the Lord keeps driving deep inside my heart and mind of late is “Am I really living as a Person of the Cross?”  Not in my outward persona where others might be able to answer that question for me… but in the inward person of my own heart where only the Lord and I see… Am I really living and thinking and loving and trusting and obeying as a Person of the Cross?

This could be the most precious Lenten season of our lives if, during the season where we turn toward the Cross, we would choose to become People of the Cross.  In our everyday lives and choices with our time, money, mouths, bodies, homes, talents, possessions… I believe that the Lord is calling us all – offering us an invitation wherever it is that we live, and in whatever it is that we do – to gladly and gratefully take up the cross to follow Him.

Dearest friends, will you and I choose to live as People of the Cross?
A men – So be it, Lord Jesus!

signature

 

 

 

 

A little bit about Lent.

Being the Baptist girl that I am, I didn’t grow up observing Lent.  In fact, I just learned of this season’s specialness not too many years ago.  Each year I do a little more research on it and gather resources that help one observe the Lenten season.

Last year our family observed Epiphany from December 26 through Mardi Gras.  (See this Smelling Coffee post for a better explanation.) The Epiphany season of seeking and finding Jesus offers a sweet time of fellowship and intimacy with the Lord and a wonderful way to begin the year with hearts and minds focused on Jesus.

But from fellowship and intimacy with our Holy God, inevitably comes the realization of our sins.  And that’s where Ash Wednesday comes in, and where Lent picks up, leading us to the blessed celebration of Easter.

Lent is the Christian season of preparation before Easter. In Western Christianity, Ash Wednesday marks the first day, or the start of the season of Lent, which begins 40 days prior to Easter (Sundays are not included in the count).

 

Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ – his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection.

 
The Bible does not mention the custom of Lent, however, the practice of repentance and mourning in ashes is found in 2 Samuel 13:19; Esther 4:1; Job 2:8; Daniel 9:3; and Matthew 11:21.
 
 
 

 

How Can We Observe Lent?  (This is straight from the BibleGateway.com)

 
There’s no Scriptural requirement to observe Lent—ultimately, it’s just the six week lead-up to Easter Sunday in the church calendar—but many Christians find it helpful and inspirational to observe the Lent season in some way. Generally speaking, when people observe Lent, they commit to a spiritual activity—prayer, Bible reading, reflection, self-denial, service, etc.—that will sharpen their understanding of Jesus Christ’s own sacrifice as described in the Bible’s account of the first Easter.
 
The question of whether or not to observe Lent is a personal one with no “right” or “wrong” answer. But if you’re thinking about participating, here are a few ideas to consider.
 

 

1. Prayer

Prayer is one of the core activities of the Christian life; the Bible commands us to pray continually and assures us of the efficacy of our prayers. Jesus himself took time on the night of his arrest to call out to his Father in prayer. Prayer is thus an understandably popular activity during the Lent season.
 
When committing to pray over an extended period of time, it might help to choose a theme around which to center your prayers. Consider the following possible prayer “projects” to follow over the course of Lent:
 
Pray for each member of your family, asking God to bless, challenge, and protect each individual.
As above, but extend your prayers to include the members of your church, neighborhood, or other community. Find a phone directory or other listing of the members of your community, and each day pray for the next person on the list.
Pray for your “enemies”—the people who confound, frustrate, and oppose you! And pray for yourself as well, that you would show your enemies the same grace that Christ showed to his.
Pray for a different country each day during Lent. A few minutes on Wikipedia can give you a basic overview of the challenges facing any particular country. Pray also for missionaries and Christian communities in each country, whether they live in freedom or face daily persecution for their faith.
With a bit of thinking, and perhaps consultation with your pastor or church leaders, you can probably come up with a long list of people and situations that need prayer, both in your local community and across the globe.
 

 

2. Service

Acts of service, particularly to help the underprivileged and others isolated from mainstream society, have always been at the core of Christian ethics. What acts of service could you perform during Lent?
 
Cook meals, run errands, and offer a helping hand to a person or family in your community that needs assistance with day-to-day tasks. If you can’t think of anyone who needs this kind of help, your pastor or church leadership can almost certainly identify people for whom “small-scale” help like this would be a literal godsend.
 
Donate food, money, or time to a local homeless shelter, battered women’s shelter, children’s hospital, or another organization that ministers directly to the hurting.
 
Go out of your way to (anonymously, if possible) do something nice for a person in your neighborhood or community. Shovel your neighbor’s driveway when it snows; give a financially struggling family you know a gift card for gas and groceries; host dinner for that family you’ve been meaning to meet but haven’t yet.
 
Identify a missionary family ministering abroad and support them with letters, donations, and/or prayer.
 

 

3. Scripture Reading

 
We talk a lot about the value of reading God’s Word here at Bible Gateway. There are few activities you can undertake that will bring you closer to God than to spend time regularly—every day, if possible—reading His Word. God’s hope for His children is that they will “remember my words with your whole being. Write them down and tie them to your hands as a sign; tie them on your foreheads to remind you.”
 
Reading the Bible regularly is important, but like any good habit, it takes a bit of work to realize and is not without a few early obstacles. But Lent is the perfect time to commit to making Scripture reading a daily practice, no matter how many times you may have tried and failed to do so in the past.
 
Because this is a topic close to our hearts, we at Bible Gateway have put together a number of resources you might find helpful in kickstarting a Bible reading habit. Take a look at our collection of Bible reading plans—note particularly the Readings for Lent and Easter and Read the Gospels in 40 Days reading plans, both of which are particularly appropriate for Lent. Each of these reading plans organizes the text of the Bible into manageable daily readings and is a good way to pace yourself as you make Bible reading a part of your daily routine. Note that several of these reading plans are available via email, including the brand-new Readings for Lent and Easter from The Voice.
 
However you go about it, you’ll never regret spending more time in Scripture, and the Lenten season presents an excellent opportunity to finally make it happen.
 

 

4. Self-denial

The concept of self-denial is also central to Christian faith. Christians are called to refrain not just from thoughts and activities that are spiritually harmful, but from anything that is not beneficial to themselves and others; and to focus instead on what is true and praiseworthy.
 
As with other Lent observances, this is something Christians are expected to practice throughout the year, not just during Lent or holiday seasons. But for many Christians, Lent is a good opportunity to re-examine their lives to identify what unhelpful habits ought to be cut off.
 
But beyond refraining from indulging bad habits during Lent, many Christians choose to voluntarily deny themselves a particular activity or habit not because it’s spiritual harmful, but because the practice of self-denial echoes and calls attention to the Christian duty to consider our needs and desires less important than other people’s. The small pain of missing a comfortable daily habit reminds us of the real hardship experienced by Christ and the countless believers throughout history who have faced trials and deprivation on account of their faith.
 
So what sort of things might you consider “giving up” for Lent? For starters, Lent is as good a time as any to get serious about cutting off any spiritually unhealthy practices that have crept into your life. Beyond that, you can give up anything for Lent, big or small—anything from coffee to TV to fast food to internet use—as long as it’s something whose absence you will feel. The daily reminder of sacrifice, however small it may seem, is part of the Lent experience.
 

 

Beyond Lent and Easter

One of the wonderful things about Lent observances is that they have a way of sticking. If you stick to something for six straight weeks, chances are it’s well on its way to becoming a meaningful and healthy habit. You may reach the end of Lent to find that your Lenten acts of kindness have permanently changed your attitude about service; or that you really can live without a habit that had once seemed integral to your life; or that spending time in prayer now feels like such a natural part of your life that your day just wouldn’t feel right without it.
 
However you observe Lent, and even if you don’t, we hope that the journey to Easter is an opportunity for you to consider how your actions and attitudes echo (or don’t echo) those of Jesus Christ. And as Easter approaches, may you find yourself drawn closer and closer to the Savior to whom we are reconciled.
 
 
 

Even though the Lenten Season started on Wednesday, there is still plenty of time to participate and turn our hearts toward the cross!   I’ve gathered a few FREE resources and devotionals to do just that during these days before Easter.

1.  Bible Gateway offers 5 different FREE devotional resources that will be emailed straight to your inbox each day.

An eclectic mix of Scripture passages and reflections to help you think through and apply the message of Easter. Begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18.

Journey to Easter with 22 short, daily inspirational reflections from pastor and author Mel Lawrenz. Begins on March 15.

Discover the true meaning of Easter with this week-long daily devotional written by beloved author Max Lucado. Begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18.

A devotional journey with WW2 pastor and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer that will both challenge and encourage you throughout the Lenten season. Begins as soon as you sign up.

Read a daily Scripture passage chosen to focus your heart and mind on the message of Easter. Visit our reading plans page to sign up.

How easy is that?  You can sign up here.

2.  Journey to the Cross – Daily Readings for Lent, compiled and published in e-book form by The Gospel Coalition.  This download is FREE and can be opened on a variety of readers.  Click here for the book.

3.  The Bible.  There are a ton of wonderful resources that will help turn our hearts toward the cross – but the most vibrant one remains God’s rich Word.  Pray and ponder your way through the book of John or Matthew or Mark or Luke during this season.  Ask the Holy Spirit to be your Teacher and get to know your Savior more intimately by following in His footsteps over the next month and a half.  This post will give you a jump start and help in How to Study the Bible. 🙂

 

A blessed season of the Cross to each of you~

signature