“New Orleans becomes the center of the party scene when it comes to the end of February, as Mardi Gras, which means “Fat Tuesday” in French, comes to one last hurrah. Now like most things, this is associated with “Christian” beginnings, but I believe the word “Christian” is as watered down as “Love!” It is traditionally the time from January Sixth to the day before Ash Wednesday and marks the last day of “gluttony” before the Forty days of Lent, which signifies the fasting of Jesus time in the desert, before He was tempted by Satan. I have never been to New Orleans during this time nor would I ever, but from pictures and videos it seems like a time of drinking, partying and as the French say, Laissez les bons temps rouler ("Let the good times roll") Women showing their breasts date back to Eighteen Eighty Nine for beads which seems odd but then again what is odd anymore, and only confirms that there is nothing new under the sun!”
Luke wrote in Chapter Four,
“And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.” (ESV)
This wasn’t a lesson for us to follow, and try and replicate, by giving up "food, drink, or carnal things," and Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit, not alone, and not on a whim to give something up for Forty Days. He was tempted the whole time by the devil, and after the forty days, Jesus was hungry. The devil came at Jesus when He was physically drained, and said in verse three,
"The devil said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” (NET)
This is how the enemy works, first knowing Jesus was hungry, he tell Jesus, IF. Like the devil was trying to challenge or put doubt in Jesus, If you are God then change this stone to bread, because you are hungry. Jesus had just gone forty days without food, so it should have worked. Many people blame everything on the devil, instead of our own sin, or think that we too are super like God and can battle things on our own, but we should be like Jesus, in the Word, in prayer, but most of all in the Spirit. Listen to what Jesus responds in verse four,
Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone.’” (NET)
Luke is quoting Deuteronomy Eight Three that says,
"So He humbled you by making you hungry and then feeding you with unfamiliar manna. He did this to teach you that humankind cannot live by bread alone, but also by everything that comes from the Lord’s mouth." (NET)
It isn't about just giving up something for forty days for a tradition of a religion, but about living and breathing God's word daily and doing what God has commanded us to with everything that comes from the Lord's mouth, and that is HIS WHOLE WORD.
Jesus was about to embark on a Three and a half year journey of ministry that would not only change the world, but reset the relationship God had had with man in the garden. He didn’t give up soda and still talk and treat people badly, He didn’t give up meat on Fridays' and still hate His brothers, but He was in prayer and emptying Himself of self, though God, to be humbled to God the Father thru the Holy Spirit.
Eating and partying the night before “Ash Wednesday” (another man made tradition) is like going on a drug binge before heading to rehab, or eating a sixteen ounce steak before heart surgery, it doesn’t work that way. We should be fasting regularly and in prayer at all times and in every situation as Paul says in Ephesians Six,
“praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints (elect)” (ESV)
For God, it is a matter of the heart, and being conformed to His will. It is not about abstaining from something for a period of time, for an outward appearance, or to please man, is never what God has desired. So my question is not about what you believe about Lent and this period, but where is your heart and how are you living in conjunction of what God wants of you. The forty days in the Bible is always a time of testing, a trial, or a probation, so to think we gave something up, but our hearts never changed is not understanding the significance of dying to self and taking up our cross daily.
It reminds me of a song by Vineyard that I really love singing and playing,
“Take My Mind” “Holiness holiness is what I long for; Holiness is what I need; Holiness holiness is what You want from me: Faithfulness; Righteousness: Chorus: Take my heart and form it; Take my mind transform it; Take my will conform it; To Yours to Yours oh Lord!”
May this be our prayer daily to understand it is all about Jesus and all about not letting the temptations of the world or the ways of the world, blinds us to the ways of Jesus..” Jose Barajas
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