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Palm Sunday The Passover And Jesus

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 13:24:31 -0500

This Sunday is Palm Sunday a day of celebration and of rememberance. It is also the time of the Jewish celebration of Passover.

It was the week of Passover for the Jews in Jerusalem and Judiah and the people were gathering from all of the nearby towns and villages to celebrate this High Holy Hebrew feast. This would be one Passover feast like none other, one the people would never forget.

Suddenly along comes this man Jesus whom some revered as a prophet, others revered as the Messiah, yet others especially Caiaphas the High priest, and King Herod, feared because of his popularity with the various peoples including many Jews and finally there was Pilate the governor of the area who represented Rome and all of its authority.

In fulfillment of one of the prophecies of the Hebrew prophets, Jesus is witnessed as entering the gates of Jerusalem riding a donkey. Suddenly the people recognize the prophecy and begin strewing upon the ground their robes while others gather palm branches a strew them to along the path Jesus take as he enters through the city gates into the city and up to the temple.

All the while, Jews and Gentiles and even Greeks, begin crying out "Hossana to the son of David: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest." "Hosanna blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord."

The people are acknowledging Jesus as a "Son of David" which fulfills the prophecy that the Messiah shall come out of the house of David and they are also declaring Jesus as the King over Israel, King of the Jews.

This triumphant entrance of Jesus was enough to convince Caiaphas, the pharisees, and scribes that not only was Jesus a threat to their peace with Rome, but also that Jesus was committing blasphemy declaring himself to be God, or at the least the son of God. In the eyes of the high priest Caiaphas, it was only a little time before Pilate turned the forces of Rome against Jerusalem to either prevent or quell an uprising by the Jewish peoples.

Jesus crucifixion served a dual purpose Caiaphas had a scapegoat to save the people of Jerusalem from Pilate, but most importantly Jesus fulfills the scriptural prophecies and proves himself the Messiah the Son of God, and man's redeemer for their sins.

The Peace That Jesus Gives

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 12:08:27 -0500

JOHN: 14:27; "Peace I leave with you; my peace, I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid." Here Jesus is telling his apostles that he is leaving them in peace, but he is also telling them that he is giving them a special peace his peace the peace of God. Jesus is telling them further, that with this peace there is no way that they will feel troubled or afraid, but will feel a tranquility they have never felt.

There is a certain peace and tranquility one feels at the end of a job well done. There is a certain peace one feels at the end of the day when one finally is able to relax after all of the turmoils one had to face during the day. But that kind of peace is fleeting and only lasts for a temporary period. But, there is a truly special peace one can attain when life is so hectic and filled with turmoil and you don't know what to do or which way to turn, when you turn to God and offer it up to Him completely asking God to deal with it all because you can't. Suddenly in your despair you are filled with a special peace, and then slowly everything seems to become more clear and fall into place and the impossible becomes possible and there is an end to that once dark tunnel and a bright light illuminating it. This is "Jesus Peace" working within you through the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Many times throughout the 4 Gospels Jesus tells his apostles that he must be sacrificed, die, and will be resurrected but each time he tries, either they do not hear what he is saying or the cannot understand him and even though Jesus maybe uses a parable to emphasise what he is trying to tell them, but still they can't get it and Jesus even gets frustrated with them for not understanding.

Finally, one day he is talking with his apostles and he is able to get through to them.

JOHN: 16: 25-31;

25"Though I have been speaking figuratively,

a time is coming

when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father.26In that day you will ask in my name.

I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf.27No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me

and have believed that I came from God.

28I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father."

29 Then Jesus' disciples said, "Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech.

30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe

that you came from God."

31"You believe at last!"Jesus answered."

Because Jesus had finally put their minds at peace, the apostles were finally able to comprehend the things that Jesus was saying to them. A further lesson is taught here to the apostles as Jesus explains that there will come a time that you will ask something in my name, but I will not have to intercede on your behalf, God the Father will simply grant it because you have loved me and have believed in me.

This is something that many Christians can sincerely attest to, and offer as truth. As a Christian, if you ask something in the name of Jesus, so long as it falls under the teachings of Jesus, without Jesus having to ask the Father on our behalf, God our Father will simply grant it to us, but be very careful what you ask for because you may get more than you asked for that might cause you difficulty or hardship.

I Will Not Apologize For Being Who I Am Or For Speaking The Truth

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 12:57:31 -0500

As an evangelist I see myself as a sort of modern day version of John The Baptist preparing others for the "Second Coming" of Christ Jesus. It is my priviledge and duty to share with others as directed by the Holy Spirit the teachings of God and Jesus.

Both as a Christian/Catholic, and, as a Christian Evangelist for God and Jesus, whether I am writing for God, or conversing with others, I am a very blunt, straightforward, man.

I tell it like it is. I don't hold back or pull my punches, in other words try to sugarcoat my thoughts or words when dealing with others, especially when sharing God's word with others. There is no grey area, and no room for second guessing. If God has said "Thou shalt not," then you better not do it. If God says do this or do that, then you'd better do it.

As an example: God says; "Thou shalt not bear false witness." In other words, don't lie. In God's eyes, a lie is a lie, is a lie. It violates one of God's "Ten Commandments". But the Catholic Church says that it is okay to tell a little "White Lie" so long as you do it to make someone feel good and not hurt them.

ie. I hate your sweater and think it ugly, but I tell you how great it looks, and how great it makes you look. In other words flattery is okay. Uh uh! sorry but a lie is a lie.

At times this can cause problems. Some may see me as insensitive, or, unyielding, maybe even confrontational. This is true especially when I am dealing with Roman Catholics, because there are some Roman Catholic policies, or rites, practices, or dogma, that I have questioned, and learned from reading the Holy Bible , are totally unscriptural yet still practiced.

When I witness these things happening I question the priests and the teachings and I also try to correct such happenings amongst my fellow parishoners. Maybe I should be keeping my mouth shut, but God through his Holy Spirit is telling me, "You have to speak up, you have to try and fix this." so I do.

To those whom I might offend, to those whose feelings I might hurt, because I have spoken the truth, as God wills me to do, all I can say to them is: "I'm sorry if you find the truth offensive, but the truth is the truth."

It is my duty as a servant for God to share that which he calls me to share. Some may hear it and welcome the correction. Some may have been thinking the same thing yet said nothing out of their own fears whatever they might be. Some may see me as a "False Prophet" spreading lies, some might see me as hypocritical like the pharisees during Jesus time. Some might welcome the good news as God's Holy teaching.

However I am received, so be it.

I am not here to win any popularity contest, but I am here to do God's will and to share God's teachings as God meant them to be. Jesus often upset and riled and even attacked the local pharisees and scribes, who eventually sought to trip him up so they could have an excuse to get rid of him. Caiaphas the chief priest sought any means to set Jesus up as a sacrifice so that Pilate would spare the Jewish people under Pilate's control. They needed a scapegoat and Jesus was it.

Ezekiel Prophecy Of The Rising Of The Dead

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:50:59 -0500

Our Lord through the Prophet Ezekiel delivers a prophecy concerning the end days and the resurrection of the dead at: EZEKIEL: 37: 12-14;

The Lord instructs: "Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am The Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people and brought you up out of your graves. And shall put my spirit in you and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I, The Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord."

Although Our Lord is speaking this through Ezekiel, to the people of Israel, of that time, Jesus Our Lord is actually referring to his second coming and the end times in this prophecy.

Prophetically Jesus is referring to the time when he will raise the dead and draw them to himself, and as well he will gather the righteous on earth to himself before the unrighteous along with satan, the anti-christ, and, the false prophets, are cast into the "Lake of Fire" for eternity. We are further told that death, and Hell will be cast into the Lake of fire.

This is Jesus second coming referred to by most Christians, or, as I like to see it, Jesus third coming, his birth being the first, his resurrection being the second, and the third, the one yet to come.

Whether one believe in pre-great tribulation, or, post-great tribulation raising of the righteous believers and followers be they dead or living, Jesus promises us that the time and day will come prior to Jesus dealing with satan and his followers.

On a personal note: It is this writer's belief that the raising of the righteous will take place prior to the great tribulation, for it makes no sense for the righteous to be made to suffer the tribulations of the unrighteous. But that is just my personal way of understanding things.

Reborn Into A New YouThrough The Holy Spirit

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:26:24 -0500

Whether you want to hear this or not, and whether you choose to believe this or not.

You are a spirit being.

You were first created by God in His image, and God is Spirit. GENESIS: 1: 26-27;

Then one by one beginning with Adam, God places each of us into a physical human body. GENESIS: 2: 7;

True, in the case of Adam, God creates Adam from the dust of the earth, and then breathes life into him and places a soul within him, but from then on each child born of man receives life through its first breath, even though it is grown in the womb with a soul, a life force that enables it to grow and to learn and become the adult person it is to become.

God needed each spirit he created, to understand the difference between obedience and disobedience because of satan and his fall and the fall of his followers, and being placed into a human form allowed us to learn this lesson.

When we as spirit, in human form, begin our travel through life, we live in sin.

We continue to live in the flesh, in sin until such time as we choose to become re-born again in Christ Jesus and permit God's Holy Spirit to indwell us to live within us guiding and teaching us.

That instant, Jesus cleanses us from all of our sins, and we become spiritually dead to sin and reborn renewed spiritually re-instated as a child of God, as a brother to Jesus, and as a joint heir with Jesus to the kingdom of heaven.

Spiritually we are purified. Spiritually purified we are born anew in Christ.

ROMANS: 8: 9-17

9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature

but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.

And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,

he does not belong to Christ.

10 But if Christ is in you,

your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead

is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies

through his Spirit, who lives in you.

12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.

13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die;

but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body,

you will live,

14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God

are sons of God.

15 For you did not receive a spirit

that makes you a slave again to fear,

but you received the Spirit of sonship.

And by him we cry, ""Abba," Father."

16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit

that we are God's children.

17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs

--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

That is the lesson that the apostle Paul is teaching to the Christian followers of Rome as he goes throughout the various towns and cities carrying out the work of spreading the news of the Kingdom and the Gospel of Jesus to those who would become Christian in those days.

That same lesson is one of many lessons that we today, who seek to become followers of Jesus, to become Christian learn. It is this lesson that enables us to understand that though we are seen in the flesh, yet sinning, it is only our body that will die to that sin. Spiritually we are purified and spiritually once we physically die, instantly spiritually our purified spirit returns home to God as his child and God sees us as bretheren to Jesus.

During this Lenten season it is good that each Christian reminds themselves of this lesson as well as experiencing spiritually the suffering that Jesus experienced as he was accused, scouraged, and crucified all for our sakes.

It is these understandings that allow us spiritually to draw nearer to God as a Child of God. It is these understandings and learnings that allow us to fully understand just how important to God we are and how much God truly loves us and desires to have an intimate loving and familial relationship with each and everyone of us, if only we will permit it.

Roman Catholic Confession Is A Wrongful Unscriptural Doctrine and Rite

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:19:36 -0500

It's Lenten Season for Christians, commonly seen as a time of repentance, a time when one seeks to become sanctified, to become justified in the eyes of their creator and a time to reflect upon all of this and the part that Jesus Christ played in it.

Even though I was brought up in the Catholic Faith, when I see, when I know that some Catholic doctrine or policy or rite, is not in line with what Jesus teaches to his Christian apostles, and followers as one reads in the Holy Bible, I become compelled to bring this wrong teaching to God and then if God's will is that I write about it then I write under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, whatever message God desires to be conveyed to his people. This is one of those times and the Confession Rite of the Catholic Church is a topic God desires to be straightened out.

It is not the forgiveness of sins, but the cleansing from sin, that belongs solely to Jesus as God.

Any person can forgive sin, but only Jesus can cleanse you from your sins and sactify you.

Sanctification from our sins takes place one time and one time only for once we ask Jesus thru faith to cleanse our spirit he does so once and for all time every sin in our life past present and future is forgiven and cleansed and we become sanctified and sealed by God's Holy Spirit. Yes you might and you will still sin as you go from day to day, but every sin is already cleansed away all one needs to do is to apologize to Jesus for having fallen, and promise Jesus to try harder not to do it again.

Roman Catholics from the age of about 7 years old, are taught to run to a priest to confess their sins to the priest believing that only a priest can cleanse them from their sins. As Catholics they are taught to believe that the priest is the only one that can forgive them their sins and cleanse them. This sort of teaching causes one to wonder. What did Jesus die for on the cross?

JOHN: 20:23; "Whose soever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them; and, whose soever sins ye retain they are retained." is the scripture the Catholic Church claims gives only priests the right and the power to hear someone confess their sins and to forgive those sins. This could not be farther from the truth.

Jesus does empower his apostles with this rite, but Jesus apostles were never ordained as priests, therefore the power and the right of forgiveness is not just theirs.

Jesus is the only one as God who has the right and the power to forgive sin from man. Being sinless and being the Son of God Jesus offered up himself as a perfect sacrifice receiving all of our sins. This act through his crucifixion empowers Jesus and only Jesus with the right and power to forgive someone their sins.

Granted the apostles as they went throughout the countries spreading the Gospel of the Lord listened to people confessing their wickedness and could forgive the wickedness in order to baptize the people as they repented, but even when an apostle forgave someone, it was conditional upon Jesus forgiveness too.

We all of us have the power to forgive someone their sins their wickedness. If we do not and cannot forgive our brother or sister, how can we ourselves expect Jesus to forgive us, since his teaching was and is to "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Before his crucifixion either Jesus or Father God had the power to cleanse a person and sanctify them from their sins. After the crucifixion, only Jesus is empowered with this right or power for he had become the perfect sacrifice for sin as ordained by God. God the Father relinquishes this power of forgiving and cleansing to purify to Jesus.

As Christians, all have the power to forgive our bretheren. We are obligated to do so simply because it is the right thing to do. To hold any sin against another means we risk impairing our chance to be cleansed by Jesus. We are further obligated as Christians to forgive, if for no other reason because than Jesus commands it and as a true Christian how can we go against the teachings of Christ Jesus the founder of Christianity and Christian love.

Any Catholic person that believes that by confessing their sins to a priest makes things alright in the eyes of God is wrong, for the priest can only intercede and ask Jesus to forgive us, and if this is the case then why do we need the priest to confess? Why do we not ask Jesus who ultimately has the power of cleansing us and purifying us and sactifying us? Can we not speak to God and Jesus for ourselves?

In closing I will state it again. No priest can sanctify you from your sins. Only Jesus has this power. No priest has the power to cleanse you from your sin, justifying, and purifying you, save Jesus who is "Chief Priest"

When the priest says to you: "I absolve you of your sin through the power of Jesus." the priest has no right to do so. He is not enpowered by Jesus to absolve you from anything. Only Jesus himself can absolve you and sanctify you. Jesus is "Chief Priest" over all, over priests and lay-persons alike.

Since a Catholic priest wields power in the teaching and forming of a child's mind and beliefs, it is imperative, that God's truth and not the church's misguided dogmatic doctrines are taught.

Almighty God Loves You

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:57:39 -0500

I CORINTHIANS: 10:13; "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful;he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

This is a fantastic lesson for any pastor to teach the congregation during Lenten Season.

Many people, both Born again Christian, and Non Christian alike have a tendency during bad and or difficult times to blame God suggesting that God is testing them, or God is punishing them.

But the truth of the matter is it is not God who is responsible for the hardship, it is not God punishing, for God is a God of "Love". God will never test us, but, as our Father, God will correct us and, in his correcting us, sometimes there must be harsh consequences, so that we as simple humans might learn from our mistakes.

As we approach any cross-road during our return trek back to heaven and God, if we but listen to God's Holy Spirit, it will instruct us which path is the right one, just as satan will try to nudge us down his bath to destruction. If we choose to listen to the Holy Spirit we can avoid the hardships and sufferings, otherwise we will stumble and fall as we try to tackle satan's path.

Satan on the other hand relishes in throwing stumbling block in our bath to righteousness. Satan takes great joy in causing hardships in our lives, just to see if we will turn to him, or stay loyal to God.

Yes just like JOB, God permits these tests in our lives, to test our faith.

Yes God could block and stop these tests in our lives, but then we would not learn and grow, and we as humans would have no way to prove satan wrong.

Personally, I, as child of God, as an evangelist for God, I look a a hardship as what it is, a training tool, for every hardship set out by satan is yet another way for almighty God "My Father" to teach me how to deal with satan and glorify God by listening to the Holy Spirit and following his guidance.

I see punishment or suffering as God correcting me for not listening to the Holy Spirit and following the path set by the Holy Spirit to guide me through the "Mine Field" layed by satan to try and make my life more difficult, more complicated, as satan tries to switch me over to him and his path to spiritual destruction.

Becoming Born Again In Christ Jesus

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:17:45 -0600

In Paul's second letter to the Corinthian, Paul through Jesus teaches the people the following:

II CORRINTHIANS:5: 17-19;

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself, by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation."

What Paul is saying to the people of Corinth is that if you have by your faith, and your belief agreed to join yourself with Christ Jesus, believeing Jesus to have ransomed you from your sinfulness through his crucifixion, then in effect you are no longer your old sinful self in the eyes of God but born again through the cleansing of the blood and water of Christ that flowed from his wounds.

In verses 20 and 21 Paul goes on to explain to us and to the people of Corinth that Almighty God desires to have a close and intimate relationship with each and everyone of us, but he can not do so as long as we live in a state of sinfulness. Therefore for us to have a relationship with God we must be made righteous and the only way to become righteous is for us to be reconciled to God through Christ, as Christ is the only one God made sinless and whom God asked to become sin for us, so that through Christ Jesus we can become righteous and justified in the eyes of God.

This message becomes extremely important to all would be Christians who would choose to become baptized, especially during this Lenten season as baptism in Christ, as Paul points out is the only way that man can become reconcilled to God by being cleansed of their sinfulness. Most Christian denominations wait until Holy Week, the week before the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday to baptize the newly faithful and welcome them into the fold, although baptism can be performed for any person at any time.

Satan Tempts God's Son, Jesus

Sat, 02 Mar 2013 12:24:33 -0600

Both in the Gospels of Matthew: 4: 1-10; and Luke: 4: 1-13;

These two writers give a mirrored version of Jesus having been baptized by John the Baptist, leaving John at the river Jordan, and being filled with the Holy Spirit, heading off into the wilderness, lead by the Holy Spirit for a period of 40 days and 40 nights. We are told by both writers that Jesus fasted during this period of 40 days and nights eating nothing.

Were Jesus a mere mortal, a mere human being, this would be seen as a tremendous achievement, for no human can possibly survive more than 7 days in the desert under the scorching heat of the sun without food. What we do not consider though, is that Jesus, though in human form, is also God, God in the second person of the Holy Trinity, and, as both writers tell us, Jesus as he wanders off into the desert is filled with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus being God, although in human for, would have no need for food to sustain him physically be it for 40 days or for 40 years. He is God, so the time period of 40 days is irrelevent. Jesus being God, had no need for sustenance by food or water for that matter.

Both writers Matthew and Luke, then go on to relate how Jesus is tempted by Lucifer, Satan, the devil. This is a curious situation. Satan knows God recognizes God. Satan also knows and recognizes Jesus as God, yet Satan tries to tempt God against himself.

Satan's first thought is to test Jesus hunger as a possible weakness. Satan proves how truly stupid he really is, suggesting to Jesus that if he is truly God's Son, he could command stone to become bread.

God, even Jesus as the Son of God, had no need for food to sustain himself.

Jesus replies rightly so that "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God."

Satan's second temptation of Jesus is wealth and power as satan reveals to Jesus all of the various empires and their wealth. He tells Jesus that all of these empires and kingdoms and their wealth were given to Satan, and that He, satan would give them to Jesus, if only Jesus would fall down and worship Satan, turning his back on God.

Here Satan displays his arrogance and his ability to lie and deceive as he tries to tell God, tell Jesus that all of this wealth, all of this power all of these empires have been given to satan and that they are his to give to whom ever he so chooses, when infact they all belong to God and not to satan.

Satan is reminded that God and only God is worthy of worship and that all wealth, all power is but an illusion.

Satan's third test of Jesus is to dare Jesus to throw himself off the top of the temple of Jerusalem stating to Jesus that if Jesus is whom he claims to be, that by doing this by jumping off God would send down angels to catch jesus, to rescue Jesus from danger.

For the third and last time that we know of, Satan is told that God cannot be and must not be tempted nor tested and Satan is ordered to leave.

Satan illustrates to us in these writings, his true stupidity and errogance, and his ability to lie and deceive as through just these three recorded attempts recorded by both apostles we see Satan trying to turn God against himself. Not a smart move!

It is through these attempts by satan, we can see just how twisted a liar and murderer satan can become trying to trick God, in the form of the second person of the trinity, Jesus to go against himself.

Later in the Gospel of Matthew at MATTHEW: 12: 24-28 we are reminded by matthew of the facts that Jesus is God, the Son of God incarnate, when Jesus addresses the Pharisees, who accuse Jesus of being Be el ze bub, for his casting out of demons.

As we move through the Lenten season, as well as when we move through our daily lives we should be remembering the teachings from these portions of scripture and checking ourselves to make certain that we do not stumble as Satan tried to get Jesus to stumble.

Lent And The Lenten Season, The Truth

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 11:20:54 -0600

Lent or the Lenten Season is purely a product of the Roman Catholic Religion.

It is not Christian, nor, is there any Holy Scripture in either the Hebrew texts, the Old Testament of the Holy Bible or in the Greek texts of the New Testament which include the Gospels pertaining directly to Jesus and the Letters of the Apostles to the various newly established area churches, as well as the Apostole's Epistles.

This said, then why does the Lenten season even exist?

There is absolutely no Christian significance to the 40 days of Lent and the Lenten period.

Lent is viewed by the Roman Catholics, as a period in time a period of 40 days prior to the feast of the Hebrew/Jewish celebration of "Passover" celebrated by Jesus and all Jews, back in the day, as well as now. It includes right up to the Thursday evening when Jesus is handed over to be tried and crucified.

Roman Catholics also seek to tie the period of lent to the 40 days and nights spent by Jesus in the desert after his baptism by John at the Jordan, during which Jesus was tempted by satan and proved himself worthy of being seen and recognized as the son of God, as we are told in the scriptures.

Passover is a Jewish/Hebrew Celebration that takes place near the last week of March, or the first weeks of April in celebration of rememberance for the night that the angel of death passed over the homes of the Hebrew slaves under the thumb of Pharoah, in Egypt, killing the first born of all Egypt, allowing for the freedom of the Hebrews enslaved by Pharoah to be led by Moses out towards the Promised Land of God.

The Roman Catholic's Lent has become a time of reflection and rememberance, a time for repentance, penance, a time for purging and fasting, 40 days prior to the day that Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey and is harolded by the Jewish people in Jerusalem as the "King of the Jews" giving the High Priest Caiaphas the ammunition he required to set Jesus up as a sacrificial lamb for the Hebrew people, the Jews.

For Christians, though, there is no scripture that can liturgically link this lenten period to Christianity and Christian beliefs or practices, Lent for the Christian is a time of drawing near, drawing nearer to the scriptures, drawing nearer to God and drawing nearer to Jesus, as Jesus draws nearer and nearer to his time of suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection, without which Christianity could not and would not exist.