Repentance IV
Repentance
In
honor of our Savior and Redeemer: Jesus Christ’s life, death, and resurrection,
let’s take some time to learn why some denominations and Christians observe
lent.
Lent and Easter Devotions from Bible Gateway
Many Christians use the weeks leading up to Easter
Sunday—called the season of Lent—to focus their
thoughts on Jesus through prayer, Bible reading, repentance, and acts of service.
To help you renew your focus on Jesus Christ during Lent,
we've put together this collection of Lent and Easter email devotionals—each
will walk you through the Easter season in a unique way. Select the devotional(s) you want to receive and fill out
the form below to sign up!
Lent (Latin: Quadragesima
- English: Fortieth) is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar of many Christian denominations
that begins on Ash Wednesday and covers a
period of approximately six weeks before Easter Day. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of
the believer through prayer, penance, repentance of sins, almsgiving, atonement and self-denial. This event, along with its pious customs are observed by
Christians in the Anglican, Reformed, Lutheran, Methodist, and Roman Catholic traditions.[1][2][3] Today, some Anabaptist and evangelical churches also observe
the Lenten season.[ from Wikipedia
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent in Western Christianity. It therefore occurs 46 days before Easter and can fall as early as February 4 or as late as March 10.
According to the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus Christ spent 40 days fasting in the desert, where he endured temptation by Satan.[1] Lent originated as a mirroring of this, fasting 40 days as preparation for Easter. Every Sunday was seen as a commemoration of the Sunday of Christ's resurrection and so as a feast day on which fasting was inappropriate. Accordingly, Christians fasted from Monday to Saturday (6 days) during 6 weeks and from Wednesday to Saturday (4 days) in the preceding week, thus making up the number of 40 days.[2]
Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting, not a feast day.
Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of blessing ashes made from branches blessed on the previous Palm Sunday, and placing them on the heads of participants to the accompaniment of the words
"Repent, and believe in the Gospel" or "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return".[3]
Ash Wednesday is observed by many Christian denominations, including Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Anglicans, and Presbyterians.[4] from Wikipedia
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.
Take some time to reflect upon your life.
Examine yourself to see if there is anything you need to repent of. Take some special time to pray. Take time to read and study the Word of God. Be
a Blessing to somebody.
Examine yourselves, whether ye
be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that
Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
Acts 2:38-39
King James Version (KJV)
38 Then
Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the
Holy Ghost.
39 For
the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off,
even as many as the Lord our God
shall call.
Matthew
6
5And when thou prayest, thou shalt
not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues
and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say
unto you, They have their reward.
6 But
thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy
door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in
secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But
when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that
they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be
not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have
need of, before ye ask him.
9 After
this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy
name.
10 Thy
kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give
us this day our daily bread.
12 And
forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
14 For
if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But
if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses.
16 Moreover
when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they
disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto
you, They have their reward.
17 But
thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
18 That
thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and
thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
19 Lay
not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt,
and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But
lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For
where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
The
season of Lent—to focus their thoughts on Jesus through prayer, Bible
reading, repentance,
and acts of service.
Let’s
remember to be doers of the word:
James 1:21-24
King James Version (KJV)
21 Wherefore
lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with
meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But
be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For
if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding
his natural face in a glass:
24 For
he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner
of man he was.
Announcement:
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In our next lesson, we’ll
continue to study the “preaching of John the Baptist” in Matthew 3:1-12,
focusing on verses 7-9. John's ministry was the preaching of
“Repentance". We’ll also take
a look at “bringing forth fruit meet for repentance”. (Jesus also began his
ministry by preaching "Repent" for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand.) We'll also take a look at some interesting history in this Study
on "Repentance".
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