Lent

[Colin Stolzer]

We spend one hour a week watching television. We don't have cable,a nd only watch one show a week. We are devoting that time to prayer and meditation.

Just a quick question, what are you going to do after the 40 days is up, are you going to continue to leave the TV turned off and draw closer to God, or do you plan to turn it back on?

C

[JerryNumbers]

And the woman said, "For 40 days I will give up all my soap operas, but I will record all of them and get caught back up within a week of the ending of 40 days of lent." :roll

[PreacherBen]

Problems with Lint? Ooooh, you said Lent, sorry. :tum

[no name joe]

Just a quick question, what are you going to do after the 40 days is up, are you going to continue to leave the TV turned off and draw closer to God, or do you plan to turn it back on?

C

IT depends. In the past, I've given up things permantently. Other times I have not. On this one, I will see what happnes. Right now, I'm inclined to turn it off for good.

[JerryNumbers]

Lint, lent, what's the difference, both are troublesome. Aren't they?

[Colin Stolzer]

IT depends. In the past, I've given up things permantently. Other times I have not. On this one, I will see what happnes. Right now, I'm inclined to turn it off for good.

So in the past you have gone 40 days without something and drawn closer to God in that time, but when that time ended you put a stumbling block right back in the place it had been before the 40 days. Interesting. I would think that if the point of this is to draw closer to God you would just remove the item from your life permanently.

C

[brosmith]

So in the past you have gone 40 days without something and drawn closer to God in that time, but when that time ended you put a stumbling block right back in the place it had been before the 40 days. Interesting. I would think that if the point of this is to draw closer to God you would just remove the item from your life permanently. C

It's only 1 hour a week of TV watching. It can't be that big of a stumbling block. :hide

[pneu-engine]

It's only 1 hour a week of TV watching. It can't be that big of a stumbling block. :hide

It depends what program that one hour of TV is.

[no name joe]

So in the past you have gone 40 days without something and drawn closer to God in that time, but when that time ended you put a stumbling block right back in the place it had been before the 40 days. Interesting. I would think that if the point of this is to draw closer to God you would just remove the item from your life permanently.

C

Many times, I don't give up something that is necessarily a stumbling block. One year, for example, I did not read the newspaper or check the news on the internet during the 40 days. Instead, I set aside that time for extra prayer and meditation to think about the ressurection of Christ.

Lent is a symbolic time. It is symbolic of the 40 days Jesus spend fasting in the wilderness to seek the Father's will and draw from the Father's strength prior to embarking on his public ministry. Lent is a 40 day time of special preparation for the celebration of the ressurection of Christ. It is a time of special prayer and meditation. Yes we should pray and seek to grow close to God all of the time, but Lent is special because Easter is fast approaching.

No, an hour of television a week is not a stumbling block. But it is a show I really love (Lost). I thought it best to spend that hour thinking about Jesus' death, burrial and ressurection. Yes, I do that other times as well, but as Jesus' 40 day fast was a special time, this too is a special time devoted for one purpose.

[JerryNumbers]

Sounds & smell like self punishment to atone for ones sins, if you should not watch it during lent, you should not watch it before nor after lent. And of course more than 90% of the junk on TV is not fit to enter the mind of one who is following God.

The object of a child of God's life is said quite well in these verses.

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Its not to be a 40 day thing, but a every day thing. That is living a sacrifice for Christ every day, the symbolic stuff & the law was for teaching, we now have God's instruction Book, we ought to live by it ALL the time, not on special occasions.

If you have to give up something for 40 days to prove your self to God or those who might be observing your life, them you need to take a trip back to Betel.

[no name joe]

Sounds & smell like self punishment to atone for ones sins, if you should not watch it during lent, you should not watch it before nor after lent. And of course more than 90% of the junk on TV is not fit to enter the mind of one who is following God.

The object of a child of God's life is said quite well in these verses.

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Its not to be a 40 day thing, but a every day thing. That is living a sacrifice for Christ every day, the symbolic stuff & the law was for teaching, we now have God's instruction Book, we ought to live by it ALL the time, not on special occasions.

If you have to give up something for 40 days to prove your self to God or those who might be observing your life, them you need to take a trip back to Betel.

No, it has nothing to do with self punishment. It has everything to do with seeking God and during the time leading up to our special celebration of his ressurection, to prepare my heart and mind for that celebration. I do not understand all the negative vibes I am getting here. I am truly baffled.

I know that in the current events topics, I am often a dissenter, but with this thread, I am merely trying to encourage other believers to grow in Christ, and was hoping to be inspired by reading what other people do to prepare for Easter. I guess I am wrong.

I do not need this junk about what I am doing is wrong when what I am doing is seeking to deepen my relationshiop with God. If you folks cannot see that and do not do the same in your own lives, I feel sorry for you. There is nothing magical about Lent, but it certainly helps with self discipline and can help deepen ones walk with God. It has nothing to do to prove myself to God. It has everything with trying to evaluate my life, and trying to put myself in a situation where I might best hear from God. It is a wonderful spiritual exercise.

If people are trying to do that, they should get nothing but encouragement. I was trying to start a discussion that would be uplifting and encouraging to help build one another up. Instead, I get damnation for trying to strengthen my walk with God. Go figure.

[HappyChristian]

No, it has nothing to do with self punishment. It has everything to do with seeking God and during the time leading up to our special celebration of his ressurection, to prepare my heart and mind for that celebration. I do not understand all the negative vibes I am getting here. I am truly baffled.

I know that in the current events topics, I am often a dissenter, but with this thread, I am merely trying to encourage other believers to grow in Christ, and was hoping to be inspired by reading what other people do to prepare for Easter. I guess I am wrong.

I do not need this junk about what I am doing is wrong when what I am doing is seeking to deepen my relationshiop with God. If you folks cannot see that and do not do the same in your own lives, I feel sorry for you. There is nothing magical about Lent, but it certainly helps with self discipline and can help deepen ones walk with God. It has nothing to do to prove myself to God. It has everything with trying to evaluate my life, and trying to put myself in a situation where I might best hear from God. It is a wonderful spiritual exercise.

If people are trying to do that, they should get nothing but encouragement. I was trying to start a discussion that would be uplifting and encouraging to help build one another up. Instead, I get damnation for trying to strengthen my walk with God. Go figure.

As I said in earlier posts, we don't observe Lent. But I do think your desire to strenthen your relationship with the Lord is a good thing.

[no name joe]

As I said in earlier posts' date=' we don't observe Lent. But I do think your desire to strenthen your relationship with the Lord is a good thing.[/quote']

Non of that was directed at you. I don't have a problem with people not observing Lent. I do have a problem with some attacking me for one of the disciplines that I practice and find to be beneficial for my spiritual walk.

[HappyChristian]

I knew that it wasn't. Gotta say - when you said you only watch 1 hour of tv, that kind of impressed me! Very few people who have televisions can control it to that extent!

[no name joe]

Well, we don't have cable (turned it off 3 years ago), and only pick up our 1 local station..ABC. Not much is on, so it is really easy for me. I am hooked on one show, Lost, which is fantastic. But I decided to give it up to spend that time focussing and preparing for Easter. Not a big sacrifice I know, but the extra time in prayer, Bible reading and meditation is very good.