A Vent About Lent

Whenever visiting the Washington, DC area, I usually stay with a friend who’s a retired government worker. Shortly after meeting Jim at Calvary Campground nearly thirteen years ago, he invited me to live at his home in Northern Virginia for a season. During that time, I got to lead him in receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Since then, we’ve gone to various church services and revival meetings together.

Jim is still a member of an Anglican Church that’s more traditional than I prefer. Nevertheless, I’ve gone to a few of their bible studies and other gatherings. This past Tuesday, we went to an all-you-can-eat pancake dinner. On our way there, I noticed a sign in front of a Methodist church doing the same thing. Soon I learned this is a tradition with some denominations the day before Ash Wednesday, which signifies the start of Lent.

The New Oxford American Dictionary defines Lent as “the period preceding Easter that in the Christian Church is devoted to fasting, abstinence, and penitence in commemoration of Christ's fasting in the wilderness.” The Lutheran church I attended as a child posted announcements in their bulletins such as “1st Sunday in Lent.” However, I don’t recall my family ever observing Ash Wednesday or Lent.

I know Christians who observe the original Jewish feasts. One can argue there is Biblical precedent for that. However, I don’t see anything like that for Lent. There are no commandments for the New Testament church to fast and pray over a specific period. Romans 14:5 says, “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind.”

Observing Lent can be a good thing if it helps a believer draw closer to the Lord without becoming a religious duty. One practice associated with it that I find degrading is someone marking their forehead with ashes on Ash Wednesday as a sign of penance. This promotes sin consciousness. Jesus already took the punishment we deserve. Christians need to have the mindset that once they repent, they can confidently walk as children of God.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9

Christmas Traditions vs. Truth

Christmas has many traditions associated with it. Unfortunately, there are religious ideas about the holiday without Biblical foundations. One reason for that is certain Christmas carols. For example, “The Little Drummer Boy” sings “I am a poor boy, too.” Jesus temporarily gave up heavenly riches but that doesn’t mean He was born poor. His stepfather Joseph had the resources to travel to Bethlehem and would’ve spent money on lodging if there was room for them at the inn. Meanwhile, a group of wise men brought treasures to the Messiah.

Speaking of which, most people assume there were three wise men as in the song “We Three Kings of Orient Are.” Matthew chapter 2 doesn’t mention the exact number of wise men but refers to three types of gifts they had: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Notice these gifts were presented to a “young Child”…not a baby. Verse 11 also mentions them coming “into the house”…not before a manger. Therefore, the wise men didn’t see Jesus at the same time as the shepherds as depicted in nativity scenes.

Another popular Christmas carol “Away in a Manger” contains the lyric “But little Lord Jesus no crying He makes.” Recently it occurred to me there is no Scriptural proof of that. I can’t imagine any baby not crying at all especially when he is hungry and needs his diaper changed.

This article isn’t intended to dampen your holiday but inspire you to study the Scriptures more for yourself. It’s important for believers to be Biblically correct when ministering to others especially regarding the reason for the season.

Have a Merry Christmas!

“Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.” - 1 Timothy 4:13

St. Peter and the Pearly Gates

Three days ago I took a road trip from Minneapolis to Sioux Falls, South Dakota with another evangelist. One of our pit stops was in St. Peter, Minnesota. The name of that city had me thinking about the proverbial belief of the apostle standing by the gates of heaven. This is based on some people’s interpretation of Matthew 16…

15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 

18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 

19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Jesus was actually talking about kingdom authority. The power of binding and loosing is available to every believer. One who is born again already has citizenship in heaven (Philippians 3:20) for God “…made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6)

Recorded testimonies of individuals who received glimpses of the other side refute the idea of people waiting in line to see if they made it through the Pearly Gates. Individuals not in right standing with the Lord immediately descended towards hell. Conversely, Jesse Duplantis said the first man he saw in heaven was Abraham (not Peter) in his book and video “Close Encounters of the God Kind." A friend of mine told me Kat Kerr has a similar testimony.

The term “Pearly Gates” originated from the description of the New Jerusalem that will be transplanted from heaven to earth after the Great White Throne Judgment. The first half of Revelation 21:21 says, “The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl.” As I heard another minister point out, “How would you like to see the size of that oyster?”

Regardless of who may be standing by the gates of heaven, one must know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to go through them. Are you ready for eternity?

“Those gates are the way into the presence of the Lord, and the godly enter there.” - Psalm 118:20 (TLB)

Upon This Rock

It’s important to study the Bible for yourself and not blindly accept everything a minister says from the pulpit. Wrong religious traditions have developed over the years due to people not rightly dividing the word of truth. For example, Catholics believe Peter was the first pope because of what Jesus said in Matthew 16:18…

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

The name Peter comes from the Greek word petros meaning “rock.” Because the next verse refer to Jesus giving “…the keys of the kingdom of heaven”, some people believe “St. Peter” is at the Pearly Gates deciding who gets in and who doesn’t. It’s true that God used this fisherman as a leader in the early days of the church. But Peter himself wrote in 1 Peter 2:4-8…

4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,

5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”

7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,”

8 and “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

Genesis 49:24 refers to the Messiah as “the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel.” Ephesians 2:20 says that the household of God is “…built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.” The apostles (including Peter) were simply “pieces of the rock.” There is only one "rock" we are to base our faith upon: Jesus Christ.

“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” - 1 Corinthians 3:11