Ash Wednesday and Lent

Tim McCoy’s comments:

When you saw this smeared ash on my ace what did you think? One of you said puzzlement.  One of you said humility.

In 1500 years of Christianity, and still in the orthodox denominations, Lent, starts with ASH Wednesday.

Why ashes?

Biblical societies relied very heavily on wood fires for heating and cooking, which meant that keeping ashes under control was a major housekeeping task. Imagine that there is a death in the family. A friend stopping by to pay their respects might gently say, “Did you know you have ashes on your face?”

So ashes became a sign of remorse, repentance, and mourning. Today someone might wear a black armband to signify that they are in mourning; back then people put ashes on their foreheads.

This was a witness to both the fellow members and those outside that an oath of obedience to God had been made.

To those who did not take the ashes, they felt convicted that God was invited into the lives of those who had the ashes. 

For us, who really exhibit naturally in our lives the presence of God, this uncomfortable feeling or comfort is like this scripture:

2 Cor 2:14 But thanks be to God who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and who makes known through us the fragrance that consists of the knowledge of him in every place. 15 For we are a sweet aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing - 16 to the latter an odor from death to death, but to the former a fragrance from life to life...

Purposefulness. 3 things...

1.  Finding God's will through total death to reserving judgment to yourself how God deals with your life… heightened awareness of God present.

2.  Finding faith and trust to be committed once and for all so that it is natural to speak out and to reach out to those around us.

3. Find community and restfully take your place. Fulfill your body part ministry naturally.

Be fully committed so that nothing prevents real responses. Not just an obligation.  Why do you do what you do?

Ashes on the forehead represent oneness with Christ: the odor of life or death.

Fast to find and do only Gods will. To belong wholly and only to God.

Lent is the name of the transition between winter and spring.  From death to life. We participate by fasting and prayer. By loosing the bondage. That's the fast He has called us to. 

Commit.

Lenten--reverence and awareness of the living God.

SIGNS TO KNOW THAT GOD 

IS SPEAKING TO US

Comments from last Wed. night men’s meeting:

Our faith grows when we hear Holy Spirit opening God’s Word to us, inspiring us to action. Part of our discussion Wed listed signs we know when God is speaking to us:

[using the letter “c” but in no particular order]

1. Uncovering something covered (we sense God revealing something, unveiling, opening it to us) The Greek word from which we get “apocalypse” Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ; and Romans 8:19

2. Continuing awareness of a particular thought no matter what else is going on or being said (staying present)

3. Clarity of mind or action—our “knower just knows”

4. Convicting feeling or thought (guilt or motivation to speak or act; confronting something in or outside of us)

5. Consoling sense of comfort or assurance as our heart turns toward God with love or desire

6. Calming peace, rest in our souls that we are being led by Holy Spirit (Rom 8:6, 14)

7. Confirming words or circumstances line up like buoys

8. Contrary or conflicting idea with our natural mind, our mood, resistance from the devil, or what we want; Or it may bring us into conflict with others and their desires or view or even their words (#7 and 8 conflict with each other so we need other “C’s” to confirm God’s will).

9. Accountability—God provides spiritual authority and direction to help confirm that we are hearing Him.

10. Community, communion or fellowship, corporeity means being a body; ”no man is an island” obeying a  word from God builds unity in the end

11. Consistent with God’s word and nature

12. Charismata Greek word in 1 Corinthians 12 for spiritual gifts like words of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, speaking in tongues, discernment of spirits, etc…

13. Courage, confidence to do what only is possible by God’s grace of faith, hope and love.

14. Calling God uses the above to call us to know Him, and to speak and do his will.

Please pick up a church directory for phone numbers and let us know if we can add your information or make a correction.

Choose from a number of different groups to study God’s Word pray and build relationships this Lent:

Weekly Wednesday night Men’s meeting:  Contact Pastor D or Richard about this is an open meeting at 7PM in the McAfee Library at CLC. Each week a different man brings a short Scripture or a chapter for us to meditate or contemplate quietly then share how God is present to us in His Word, or how God has been present to us that week.

Sunday morning adult class: 9:15 AM great discussion with Richard Lineberry, Mary Port and donuts and coffee 

Friday night women: Contact Mary Port or Wilma Cabaniss about this ladies group meeting two Fridays a month at Wilma Cabaniss

Young At Heart: Ask Dick or Karen Gale about this monthly meal (best food around) and for fellowship, singing and prayer.

NuThang: Ask Steven White, Kendra or John and Larissa Port about this young adult and older teenagers group meeting two Wednesday evenings a month.

Two bi-monthly Small Groups for Prayer, Sharing and building Caring Relationships

John and Mary Port lead a group two Wed nights a month at Vickie Hinkle’s

Robert and Linda Miller lead a group two Friday nights a month at their house

2012 God Present; pruning and producing: John 15:2

Fasting and Feasting

By William Arthur Ward

Lent should be more than a time of fasting. 

It should also be a joyous season of feasting.  Lent is a time to fast from certain things and to feast on others.  It is a season in which we should:

Fast from judging others; feast on the Christ indwelling them.
Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the unity of all life.
Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the reality of light.
Fast from thoughts of illness; feast on the healing power of God.
Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify.
Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger; feast on patience.
Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism.
Fast from worry; feast on divine order.
Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation.
Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives.
Fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayer.
Fast from hostility; feast on non-resistance.
Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.
Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal Truth.
Fast from discouragement; feast on hope.
Fast from facts that depress; feast on verities that uplift.
Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiasm.
Fast from suspicion; feast on truth.
Fast from thoughts that weaken; feast on promises that inspire.
Fast from shadows of sorrow; feast on the sunlight of serenity.
Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence.
Fast from problems that overwhelm; feast on prayer that undergirds.

Fruit, More Fruit and Much Fruit
By Richard Lineberry

I am the vine.  You are the branches. 
Jesus, John 15:5

 

The picture of the Vine that Jesus gives is rich in information that we need if we want to have productive lives.  The first lesson is UNITY.  Everything must be in right relationship to everything else if the vine is to produce as intended.

Branches cannot be disconnected from their source of energy or they will wither and die.  That’s why Jesus says, “Abide in me,” and “Apart from Me you can do nothing.”  He is our power source.  What God orders, He pays for.  If we think we can accomplish spiritual growth apart from His program, we deceive ourselves.  His Body, like the human body, can only work properly if each system and organ is functioning for the sake of the whole.  The connection between parts of the vine is a living one.  No outside force makes it all happen.  No human wisdom attaches us to the Lord.  Even my best ideas how life should be lived don’t produce spiritual fruit unless He blesses it.

The goal of all of this union is to produce the fruit the vinedresser (God) expects.  Fruit may be the “fruit of the Spirit,” (Gal. 5).  It is reproducing the life of Christ and all He does through us.  We are a continuation of His ministry on earth.  Fruit is increase.  Fruit is always greater than the seed from which it came.  When Peter preached his first sermon on the Day of Pentecost, 3,000 people were added to the Vine.  Later, 5,000 more came in.  That’s increase! 

The vinedresser knows how to keep the vine healthy.  He removes excess leaves and redirects energy to the fruit.  He prunes away unproductive parts so that branches revive and bear greater increase with time.  That means God redirects us and removes unnecessary activities from us so that we produce what we were planted for originally.

God does the work as He chooses.  Our job is to center on Him.  Jesus’ command, “Abide in Me,” is our job.  Do we want to grow in every way God has planted us for?  Abide in Him.  Do we want to see the life of Christ available  for others to taste and see?  Abiding in our source can only make that happen.  Live in Him.  Learn His ways.  Ask for His will to be done.  If difficulties come, don’t think that life outside the Vine is better.  Remain in Him.  Abundant life is there.

Bold Prayer
By Richard Lineberry

Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find;
knock and it shall be opened to you.
Jesus, Matthew 7:7

Jesus wants us to learn to pray effectively.  He is as interested in getting answers for us as we are.  Seeking God is not to be done with an “if it’s not too much trouble” approach.  It is God that has invited us into His presence so we don’t need to apologize for it.  Bold prayer doesn’t mean that we talk to God roughly or irreverently demand things but with boldness of faith in His goodness and desire to give us things that we need and that will glorify Him.

“Asking, seeking, and knocking” also demonstrates a process.  Processes take time and patience.  My prayers have often lacked this continuity.  Often trials last so long, I doubted His willingness to help.  Sometimes, I’ve felt my prayers were a futile act of trying to talk God into doing something that He didn’t want to do.  My strength, that is, only lasted through the asking stage into part of the seeking stage but then even if the door was opened, I was too worn out to enter in.

The key I learned starts like this.  I know that God is interested in my need and wants to draw me unto Himself.  His Spirit is constantly hovering, leading and wanting to take me into His presence.  I make my request known to God.  I wait on answers.  I ask Him to give me His perception (wisdom) about what I am praying for.  I ask the question, “What are You saying?” rather than “What are You doing?”  The seeking part is not so much to keep God reminded as it is for me to trust and listen for how He is directing my next steps.  It is the Holy Spirit that supplies the power of persistence, not my own ego strength. 

Praying is so that God’s will be done in us.  That means my motives and goals must be open for change.  The change, of course, is for our betterment.  He knows our needs even before we do and wants the best for us.  He knows how to shine light on our darkness and give us wisdom over and above the tactics of things that will keep us from Him.  Never cease praying!