Tag: Sacred

“Lent?”

Path Without End

20200410_185021 I mean no disrespect in the things I am about to say concerning Lent, but in all honesty, for Protestants, I just don’t get it? And even the Catholics have so watered down the event from its original form that it cast major shadows over its validity to begin with. It’s just another tradition of man, not even officially recognized until 325 AD. A lot of changes occurred with the church during the time of Roman Emperor Constantine, who was not saved, but a pagan man at least until his death. This also cast a great shadow over it. Why was the church so influenced by him?

Some like to say the Apostles started Lent, but our Bible, and all early church writings do not support that, so why do they try to make it look that way? I’m not saying it can’t be useful, because anytime someone truly fast and prays to God, it is good. However, there is no Biblical foundation for this. It’s another man made tradition by the early Catholic church like praying to Mary. In its original form it had very strict fasting rules that proved to be unrealistic for the average person living in the real world.

I can’t imagine every year facing 40 days of only one meal a day and no meat, fish, eggs, or butter. Every year! I mean, I can see a person possibly doing such a thing when led of God to do so, but every year? Do you realize how quickly a year passes? So it was one of the World Wars, I forget which, but I guess they began watering it way down, until today it can be almost anything. Again, not that God does not honor any person who sincerely seeks him, but we already have a BEAUTIFUL event of the Lord’s Supper, Passover, Days of unleavened bread, and Communion that is definitely supported by the early church fathers, and our Bible, and is actually connected to our Lord’s crucifixion! We fail to live a true Passover for this thing called Lent? I just don’t get it?

Why have we embraced a very watered down Catholic man made tradition not supported by our Bible or early church fathers, connected to Constantine and a path that led to the Dark Ages, and completely short changed the most sacred and beautiful event of our Lord’s Supper and Passover?

Jesus fasting 40 days in the wilderness did not happen during his last days before the cross. There is no connection whatsoever, and yet someone creates this Lent, connects it to our Lord’s crucifixion, and causes confusion concerning what the early church actually did on that holy three day period. The Lord’s Supper and his Passover ought to be the most sacred event of our calendar year! Most Christians don’t even know that for the Jew, it was also a New Years event! So if I am now a child of Abraham, I’d rather claim that as my New Years rather than January 1st when the world celebrates, because I am not of this world!

How have we gotten to this watered down place in church history? Last night my wife and I enjoyed a beautiful Lord’s Supper Passover meal in our home. We had prayers, food, worship, fellowship, and began our New Year in a powerful way already giving God first place for another year. As we progressed through the 4 cups and the 3 Matzah breads, we were reminded of every aspect of what our Lord did for us in saving us from slavery to SIN. And now today, as I wait for the celebration of my Lord’s resurrection, I am still in the Days of unleavened bread, and it’s a beautiful thing.

We are no longer under LAW. I don’t have to do the Days of unleavened bread, but I like doing it. I don’t do the full 10 days. I do what I feel God leading me to. I have a few days after the Passover meal where I think about getting SIN out of my life, just like I have to intentionally avoid leaven in my foods if I am to practice this. It makes me think. It makes me think about what my Lord did for me, and how I want to love him more and serve him better. During this time I pray for more of God’s help, more of the Holy Spirit in me, setting me free from my selfish ways, worldly ways, sinful ways. Again, it’s a beautiful thing, and I could do it even if a world war was going on.

I really think the church needs to get back to more of what the early church showed us to do, not these traditions of man. I also believe God allowed the persecution to scatter the church and it was not until then that you see God’s full will for his church. The very first church that kept growing bigger and bigger in those first chapters of Acts was just God’s launching pad for what it was to become. And for almost 300 years it fought to remain that way, until pressure from Rome bishops, a carnal Constantine, and lots of government favor started us down a path to the Dark Ages. And then we Protestants finally came out! OR DID WE?

If you practice Lent in a sincere and real way, I can see benefit there, but have you ever truly studied the beauty of what God already has for us in the Passover? Do you know the Apostles taught the early church to continue these meals, the Lord’s Supper, the Passover, and fellowship meals? It now took on a Christian form, but you find it in early church writings, Polycarp the disciple of John, and the Apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians chapter 11. There is much evidence of it. Even the Catholic church historians recognize it. It’s there. It’s beautiful. It’s real. It’s still for today. I invite you to see it for yourself. All you got to do is some digging for truth. It’s there. May God bless you in your journey.

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This was our 3rd year of having Passover and every year gets better as we learn more. My Matzah turned out the best yet this year! Even my wife agreed. Next year we hope to add some bitter herbs and honor our Lord even more, every year. But do not forget as you’re going about your busy day, our Lord was in the belly of the earth, his body in a cold tomb, this day. Let us always remember this most sacred event, and take none of it for granted. Be blessed in our Lord forever, as we follow Him.

 

A Final Word about Skywalker / Star Wars Part V

Path Without End

I waited for a whole year to see what was going to happen as Rey stood there on that island, Luke having finally been found, and there she stands holding that legendary light sabre out to him. 

That’s where they left me hanging for a whole year! This should have been a sacred moment! I was stuck in that sacred moment for 365 days! And when that year finally passed, and I sat there in the theater seat anticipating what I was about to see? What I waited a whole year to see! I did not expect Skywalker to treat that which was sacred as a profane thing! He cast it over his shoulder as if it disgusted him; as if it meant nothing! He cast it over the cliff as if to say goodbye to bad rubbish! And though we all laughed in surprise in that moment, after deeper contemplation, it was such a disappointing revelation of the mindset and spiritual condition of our hero.

Have we lost our sense of the sacred? Is the Lord’s Supper grain and grapes, or bread and wine? Are we still in a covenant of one Sabbath day a week, or has all become holy unto the Lord?

When did Jesus have Church? All the time! Where did Jesus have Church? Everywhere he went! And what does this reveal? Everything we do as unto the Lord is holy and sacred! And what does this mean? Cease from your own works and enter the Lord’s rest! A Sabbath!

“Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find REST for your souls.”  Matt. 11:29

And what is the Sabbath day? A day of ceasing from “our” works to REST in Him! This is the life of FAITH we have been called to. It’s an ancient way in a modern day, but are we taught of the Lord? Have we grasped it?

I love what Brian Zahnd points out that the Lord’s Supper is not grapes and grain, but it is bread and wine. In other words, two products of which the involvement of man is required to produce, thereby signifying all that we do can become holy and sacred when we do it as unto the Lord. And we are called to play our part!

When was the last time you cracked open your light sabre and truly studied it? It’s after midnight, do you know where your Bible is? I hope you do. I hope you realize you have the power to transform the secular into the sacred, and bring beauty out of ashes, blessings out of curses.

Have we lost our sense of the sacred? Has God’s word become mundane to us? I am of the Skywalker generation, and this “Rey” is new to me, but what I saw of Luke in this last film left a bad taste in my mouth. If there is a new thing happening in the earth, I may be old now, but I still want to be a part of it.

The two disciples walking on the road to Emmaus did not realize what God was doing in the earth until Christ broke the bread and then suddenly disappeared, leaving behind “sacred bread on the table”. Jesus left them with a revelation of bread on the table! Not ordinary grain, but sacred bread! Then their eyes were opened and they simply had to run and go tell!

We have spent some time drawing analogies from our newest Star War episode. I hope you have enjoyed it. Who knows what they are about to do when Episode Nine comes out? We have our new hero in Rey, and probably some others we are about to meet. Lets hope they have a taste for the new wine, an ancient way in a modern time, because our old heroes seem to be worn out and dying off. But we are cut from a different cloth! Proverbs 4:18 >

“The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”

I hope you will take the time to go back over all 5 parts of our Star Wars Series, because I believe they have much to contemplate, and should not be cast casually over our shoulder as if a profane thing. Especially in this day we find ourself living.

Each of us can make a difference if we catch the revelation of living in the sacred. Ceasing from our own works, we enter His. We REST in Him, and walk on water. Amen.