Lent

But the time will come when the groom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. Mark 2:20

This is the season of Lent. Lent is defined as the “spring period of fasting in preparation for Easter; a penitential period extending from Ash Wednesday to Easter.” (Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary)

Jesus indicated in this passage of Scripture that the time was quickly coming when He would be taken captive and crucified. That would be a time of great distress for His followers. Who could eat when their heart was broken? It was only a few days (3 to be exact) after His crucifixion that He arose from the dead, conquering forever the curse of sin. Not long after that, He came to indwell His people in the person of the Holy Spirit, and the power for victorious living was ever present.

Lent seems to be the time of year when many folks who live like the Devil all the rest of the year, believe that by forsaking some “something” during this period, they will gain a little favor before God, and by the time Easter (I prefer “Resurrection Day”) rolls around He will be “in the mood” to overlook their sin and grant them some favor, hopefully a seat at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

I’ve got bad news. It doesn’t work that way. The Good News is that it doesn’t make any difference if you honor the Lenten season, or whether you practice some penance during the period of time set forth on the calendar, rather, your response to the death and resurrection of Christ makes all the difference. It may be that God is calling you from death to life, from darkness to light, from separation to reconciliation. Only you can know if that is happening in your experience.

We tend, as believers, to remain quiet regarding these matters believing it is not a good thing to offend those who might believe that there is some inherent value in such practices. But ignorance of God’s Word continues to exist because men and women who know the Truth remain silent and unwilling to bear the burden of rejection.

These days are a wonderful time to share the Good News. You don’t need to follow some activity introduced by religious men who profess a desire to somehow reach God. God has reached out to this World with His infinite llove. He chooses to call men and women to life in Christ Jesus. Whosoever will may come, and drink of the water of life, freely. That is Good News!