What Exactly is Lent?

They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.     Isaiah 40:31 KJV

So you might ask, “What exactly is Lent? Great question! Well, in general, Lent is the time from Ash Wednesday until either the Wednesday before Easter, Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday depending on what tradition you follow. You also might wonder why, since there is no record of anyone in the Bible observing this roughly 40-day period, why should we? For starters, it is never a bad idea to set aside special times for seeking God’s will and purpose. We call it, “Waiting on the Lord” and waiting comes with God’s promise of strength and renewal. Some people may choose to fast certain foods or commit to special acts of service, during these weeks. However, you choose to honor the season, the most important thing of all is to focus on Jesus. For me personally it brings me back to the excitement of my first months of faith in Jesus (Which just happened to be on Easter Sunday!) I come to each morning’s quiet time with an open-heart asking Jesus for a brand-new insight into His word and for His will for that day. Instead of racing ahead or lagging behind in my devotional readings I need to slow down so I can hear what God is saying. Walking with Jesus will lead us along the path that He has chosen. Following the path, He chooses will bring us to His destination for our life. My prayer is that during these weeks of Lent we will see with fresh eyes the miracles of Jesus, the table of His Last Supper, the Cross, the empty grave and most of all our Risen Lord!

Extraordinary – Amazing Love!

Psalm 103:11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him – 17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,

Part of the mystery of God’s love is that His love stretches beyond our horizon. We celebrate, sing about how God loves us – no matter what we have done. But His love is also eternal -loving our children, our grandchildren our neighbors and even our enemies. God’s love is more than just passionate emotion, it is a dynamic power stirring everything and everyone it touches into action. God’s love forms planets and feeds the hungry. The love of Jesus transforms water into wine and murderers of Christians, like the Apostle Paul into messengers and martyrs for the faith. With Ash Wednesday, being this week often we consider what things we will give up for Lent. Maybe we should consider not what we will give up, but what we will give. What we will dare in order to express the amazing, unfathomable and powerful love of Jesus Christ?

I hope you will enjoy this recording of Amazing Love from the Keswick Convention 2019 as much as I did. – No special effects – just lots of pretty ordinary people singing their hearts out about the extraordinary and amazing love of Jesus! Have a wonderful week everyone and a blessed beginning of Lent!

Greatest Love Story/Video

Romans 5:7-8 ESV For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Today may be Valentine’s Day but if we are looking forward just three days we will find Ash Wednesday this coming week. What better way to celebrate the beginning of Lent than to celebrate the love of God for us. I pray you will be blessed as we begin our journey towards Easter!