RE-LENT-LESS REMIX

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Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. ² For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. Matt. 4:1-2 NLT

TIS THE SEASON.....that on the social media-sphere that you will see devout believers of the gamut of sects stating " pray for me as I will be......" giving up something for LENT.   I personally can only remember once in my life that I found myself practicing this ritual, and it was for all the wrong reasons.   While in prayer today, something's were revealed to me that I couldn't wait to blog about.   It even caused me to post a tickler on my FACEBOOK page stating that this blog was to come...so here goes "something":

When JESUS fasted it wasn't to simply prove something to the FATHER,  but a time of trial and temptation where He fully entrusted himself to be nourished by God's Word.   When we do it....we have to ask ourselves first of all is this just a ritual or truly a reasonable sacrifice.   I'd love to hang out on reasonable...because I tend to believe that giving up soft drinks, chocolate, alcohol, smoking, and TV while any and either can be admirable.... I don't think one angel, or GOD for that matter is moved or are marveling at our pedestrian "sacrifice" if you could even call it a sacrifice.

I submit, and suggest to you the following that may not only get the very attention of our GOD, but also...may dramatically aid in the work of the SPIRIT creating in each of us a clean heart and renewing a right spirit, HIS SPIRIT in each of us.

Phil. 3:1-8 (MSG) If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand.
^5-8 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion

SO WHAT AM I SAYING? Instead of giving up the trivial things like many other are doing, and instead experiencing a true LENTAL experience....try these:

1)  GIVE UP ARGUING for 40 days....whether that's arguing with your spouse, your boss, your children, neighbor, or the youngster behind the cash register that is tired, has an attitude and is willing to take you there if you LET them.   This one alone might be WAAAAY too much, especially for those of you that like to ARGUE.   Last I checked....this is a behavior that JESUS never modeled, and it's never even encouraged in scripture.

2) LOVE EACH OTHER (be DEEP SPIRITED FRIENDS) .....I dare you.  I dare you to first engage in story swapping simply to find out enough intel so that you know how to love the people you encounter. AGAIN it's not giving up your cup of JAVA JOY, but it's challenging enough that you may feel like you are being crucified...which in reality we all could stand to DIE to our FLESH much more than we do.

3) DON'T PUSH or SWEET TALK YOUR WAY TO THE TOP.  Ouch...in our dog eat dog and survival of the fittest culture...some of you are in trouble right now for this.   Seriously what would it look like for you to for the next 40 days to go to work with the attitude of MAKING EVERYONE around you BETTER by ENCOURAGING them  in their giftedness, and you staying off the EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES pages.   This may prove extremely difficult for those of you pending a job loss, or shift......how about TRUSTING GOD for the next 40 days regarding your job, and simply work it as if you are working FOR HIM.

4) THINK OF YOURSELF THE WAY CHRIST THOUGHT OF HIMSELF.....nobody said it better than Him, "I came to serve not to be served."  Has it ever been said of you that, " You have a servant's heart?"  If not, chances are it's because you don't.   Again if the purposes of LENT practices are to get us to pay homage to the sacrifice HE went through for us, in our practices shouldn't it be to become more LIKE (minded) Him?

Here are a few extra outside the bounds of the text:

5) For 40 days, in other words a month and almost two weeks COMMITT to going to ONE CHURCH.  (This is for those that don't have one, or have been serial looking for one)  Churches are not for your viewing or entertainment pleasure so please put your consumer comments in the Wal-Mart suggestion box, not in the offering basket.   The point of your going is multifaceted:  OBEDIENCE to CHRIST, OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST, and most importantly OBEDIENCE to CHRIST.   You maybe laughing or maybe you're not.....the point is you have gifts any small, medium, or large church could use.   They don't have a have a ________________________ program....maybe that's where you come in at.  

6) What if for 40 days you actually led your family in devotions EACH EVENING?  Another thing CHRIST would love to see each of us do more consistently.   After all if HIS SPIRIT is really alive in you, trust me....unrestricted there'd be some amazing revelations each night in His Word.

7)  GIVE for 40 Days.....forGIVE those that have offended, wounded, disappointed...etc.   Not put yourself under the bus they drive, but release yourself from being embittered because they are broken too.  GIVE to the T or of the T.  Meaning your time spend some time being or discipling/mentoring someone.   Give of your talents (we are all gifted in some way) not just to the church, but at your kids school, in your neighborhood, or somewhere where there is a need.   GIVE of your TITHE....In Malachi GOD asks us to TEST HIM, TRY HIM out....and what if you planted yourself at a church, and simply for a month and a half tested GOD on you GIVING your TRUE TITHE?  I know for some of you that's not a challenge as you are faithful, but for MANY others sure they drop in a dollar here, or something there.....but you can't ask GOD to keep HIS PROMISES if you aren't being fully obedient to the challenge. 

So before you rush to tell me you're offended, or you'll stick to your forsaking to delight in things you have every intention on re-committing to in 38 days or so....consider this: Are you simply starving yourself of things that you'll spend the next 38 days counting down until you can delight in them again, or will the next 38 days radically change your heart & mind in a manner that will attract others to the Christ that gave up much more than coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, etc. just so that you could exist.    HAPPY RE-LENTING  #LGLP365