The 40 Days of Lent-does not include Sundays because they are days of celebrating the Resurrection of Christ.
II Corinthians 13:5~
"Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?...unless indeed you are disqualified."
Examine yourself...what is in your heart?
Jesus did not open soup kitchens or feed the homeless, but He fed the multitude...He denied Himself and sacrificed of Himself...He fasted and prayed...and we should also spend time in "self-examination".
"Jesus isn't concerned about what we are giving up...but what is going on in our hearts"...
"Lent is a call from God to look at what is important in your life...and what are you going to do about it?"
Reflect on the suffering of Jesus in light of our own personal sinfulness...give up our sinful attitudes...
Lent is an attitude of honesty, humility, before God.
Matthew 15:8
"These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
and honor Me with their lips,
but their heart is far from Me."
What is your heart saying to you today?
Will you stand firm on what Jesus has taught you?
Can you get excited about Jesus?
(Sermon notes from First United Methodist Church, Interlachen, FL, Pastor A.C. Myers, 2/18/2018)
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I started writing this post early this morning before I heard the news about Rev. Billy Graham's passing into heaven today. My first thought was what a celebration must be going on in heaven today...I told my husband that I wished I could have been there to witness the excitement when Billy Graham entered heaven's gates! And do you know what my hubby told me? He said that there will be just as much excitement in heaven on the day that I enter those gates as well...I told him I didn't think so. Not me...my life is no comparison to Billy Graham's life. I haven't led thousands and thousands of people to Jesus over more than seventy years of faithful service to the Lord...
but the Bible says in Psalm 116:15
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints"...
We are all precious in His sight...
and when we repented of our sins and accepted Jesus as our Savior, the Bible says there was much rejoicing in heaven...
"I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."
Luke 15:7
Can you imagine how many people are in heaven today because of the faithful witness of one man, Billy Graham? Imagine how much rejoicing there has been in heaven throughout the years when those thousands of people repented of their sins and believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior! So, I guess the celebration has been going on for years and years and years...and it isn't over yet. Because of his faithful witness, that message continues on through the lives of many people who are still sharing the Gospel with others...it will go on for generation after generation.
"Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents..." Luke 15:10
Back to the original thought of this post:
Examine Yourself...
II Corinthians 13:5~
"Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?...unless indeed you are disqualified."
Be sure you are in the faith...have you truly repented and accepted God's free gift of salvation through faith in His Son Jesus Christ?
II Corinthians 6:2
"For He says:
In an acceptable time I have heard you,
and in the day of salvation I have helped you."
"Behold, Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
None of us knows how long we may have on this earth. Billy Graham had almost 100 years and he lived the majority of those years serving God and winning lost souls to Christ.
We need to examine ourselves while there is yet time and be sure of our own salvation...it's not too late to cause a little rejoicing in heaven...
What a beautiful post, Pam. Thank you for sharing about Lent and how we should view it...a time of self-examination. I loved your hubby's answer to you about the rejoicing in heaven because of Billy Graham's passing. It is so true and I love the Scripture verses you shared to back it up. Have a wonderful day today.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dianna. What a day yesterday was...Somehow I feel like Christ's return is even nearer...
DeleteWhat a very insightful hubby you have...I had never thought that there'd be a celebration in heaven just for me...wow! Reverend Billy Graham, such a man of faith and faithfulness!
ReplyDeleteIt is a wonderful thought that there will be as much rejoicing when we arrive as others. Rev Graham was so faithful to his calling and he will be very busy meeting all those he led to Jesus when we was on earth!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful post and reflection, Pam. This quote really speaks to me: "Jesus isn't concerned about what we are giving up...but what is going on in our hearts"... I believe this. He knows your heart and mine and there will indeed be a celebration in Heaven one day for us, I'm sure of it!
ReplyDeleteLove to read your thought. Thank you. I am reading Billy Graham's book: Nearing home, in Dutch. I have read it in 2013 But now I am reading it again. It is such a precious book for me.
ReplyDeletePam, thank you for the reminder that Lent is a time of self-examination and preparation for celebrating Easter. Oh how Heaven rejoiced when Billy Graham entered into glory. I can only imagine how many people were in line to greet him--knowing they were there because of him. There likely is a celebration for each new person who enters Heaven's gates--just like angels rejoice when each person comes to salvation in Jesus.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Examine ourselves . . . Oh, so necessary, and Lent is the perfect time to do so. How I loved Billy Graham! I love the photo you shared of him here with that amazing, and true, quote of his. He is more alive than ever before, and Heaven is rejoicing!
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Pamela!
Thank you all for your wonderful commments. Today my thought was how Billy Graham himself must have felt to finally see Jesus face to face...what a humbling, beautiful,magnificent meeting that must have been. I know Billy Graham would be the one doing the worshiping...I imagine he would fall at Jesus' feet , weeping and praising God to be "finally home." "What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see, and I meet Him face to face, the One who saved me by His grace..." "What a day, glorious day that will be..."
ReplyDeleteI love what your hubby said about you/us entering the gates of heaven. We tend to forget that He loves us all equally. What I think He may of said to Dr. Graham was, well done my good and faithful servant.
ReplyDeleteI like that his message was simple.
ReplyDelete"I told my husband that I wished I could have been there to witness the excitement when Billy Graham entered heaven's gates! And do you know what my hubby told me? He said that there will be just as much excitement in heaven on the day that I enter those gates as well...I told him I didn't think so. Not me...my life is no comparison to Billy Graham's life. I haven't led thousands and thousands of people to Jesus over more than seventy years of faithful service to the Lord..."
I wrote a story once about a painter who would tear down his work if he made even one mistake and throw it into the fire. An angel in Heaven would get it and hang it in Heaven. All of his imperfect work was famous there. :) Ok, that is not biblical, it's fiction, but I like to think people are known in Heaven for small, good things. When you arrive, maybe they will say, "Pamela is here! Pamela who smiled at Susan that day she was sad and it cheered her up." Then everyone will cheer and come to meet you. Hmm...I don't know who Susan is. I just made that up. It would be funny if you really did that.
A lovely post and tribute to Rev. Graham. I heard on the news he was going to have lunch with a friend on the day he passed. The friend was saying he thought the Lord must have wanted to have lunch with him instead. :-D
I love your little stories. Please be sure to tell me when you publish a book as I would love to have a copy for my library...(and to read, of course!!). You just have a real way with "words"...blessings dear friend...you are a blessing to me.
DeleteThank you, Pamela!
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