My lenten journey - temption of Christ

The Temptation of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11)
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."

Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test."

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."

Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only."

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Can you imagine be tempting by the Devil? Going 40 days without food??

We are faced everyday with numerous temptations. How we handle those temptations, helps define our relationship with Christ. Our lenten sacrifice is a wonderful offering to the Lord. He loves the fact that we are not doing things we normally do, to please Him. Granted, we should do it every day, not just during lent. This year, so far it's been a challenge, but it's so worth it.

Hebrews 11

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.This is what the ancients were commended for.

By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead. By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away.

For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.

By faith Abraham, even though he was past age—and Sarah herself was barren—was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise. And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.

People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.

By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.

By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king's anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.

Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them.

They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised.

God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Lent cont.

So I have been thinking more and more about lent. What should I give up? Should I give up anything? What to do!! Everything I thought about giving up are things that I should be giving up anyways: pop, chocolate, eating out, etc. So is that really a sacrifice?

Then I started thinking (thanks to inspiration from the boy on this one), instead of giving up something, should I devote more time to God? Reading the bible more, praying more...you know stuff that counts. I'm sure that God appreciates the sacrifice of giving up pop, but don't you think he would really enjoy US spending more time with HIM? But then I was thinking, ok so Lent, I'm more devoted to God, then what happens after Easter? Nothing should happen, my devotion should just keep growing. Right?

The real challenge is taking time out in our crazy lives to spend time with our heavenly Father. It shouldn't be that hard, right?

Lent

The season of lent is just a week away, do you know what you're giving up? Every year, I try to think about something that will be a challenge. Something, that will make me think about why I am giving something up. It's my personal sacrifice to God. I know that some don't believe you need to give up anything and others don't share what they've given up. But it's time to start thinking about what all Jesus did for us, more-so what God sacrificed for us, His son.

According to Wikipedia (gotta love it!)
The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer — through prayer, penitence, almsgiving and self-denial — for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events linked to the Passion of Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Some just shrug off lent like any other holiday, but others really focus on it. It can be a great experience. I encourage you to try something new this year for lent.

Many parts, one body

Lately, this verse has been coming to mind: 1. Corinthians 12:12-26

12The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by[c] one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

14Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

If you think about it, we are all part of one body, the body of Christ. A few weeks back our priest asked us during the homily, what would we say if someone asked us "why are you a Catholic? why are you a Christian?" It made me think. Why are we a part of God's body?

Last year, I joined the Catholic church. Not because it was the thing to do, but because I wanted to. I loved and still love the church I was going to, it just happened to be a Catholic church. It just felt right. Like God was telling me, this is where I was suppose to be.

Growing up, no one ever explained to me why I was a Methodist, why I was attending that church. It wasn't till I started questioning myself that I understood. I was attending a church because my parents and family attended the church. When I went off to college, I started to attend other churches, to find my place.

God really bless me by leading me to the my current church. And the good thing is, is that I decided to attend and join the church on my own. I spent 8 months taking classes with no one ever forcing me to join...it just happened. I feel at peace with my decision.

What about you? Why are you a Christian? Why do you attend the church you are currently attending? What lead you there?