Category Archives: Lent

A MAN OF SORROWS

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” Isaiah 53:3 Why did God allow this to happen?  … Continue reading

Posted in death, Lent, Salvation, sin | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

WHAT IS MY VALUE?

According to US Government statistics, the average monetary value of a human life is ten million dollars. If you factor in inflation, you can kick that up another million or two. How do “they” come up with this number? It … Continue reading

Posted in forgiveness, Jesus, Lent, Salvation, SELF ESTEEM | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

WHO AM I?

I love musical theatre. One of my favorites is “Les Misérables,” by Victor Hugo. Hugo lived in a time of great turmoil. The French Revolution was in its early development. People were living in poverty while their rulers partied the … Continue reading

Posted in Lent, redemption, Salvation, sin | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

TIME FOR A TIME OUT?

Having spent the last three years in and out of isolation, most of us are not crazy about timeouts. If you’ve been recovering from a long illness, you don’t want to hear that you should relax and take it easy … Continue reading

Posted in aging, anxiety, depression, Encouragement, Lent | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

PROPHECY FULFILLED . . .

There was no question as to who Jesus was. He fulfilled every prophecy ever written about Him. He spoke with authority, He did miracles, He left His home in Heaven and took on the form of man, He died on … Continue reading

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WASH ME CLEAN

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could power wash our souls and make them clean? If only  we could wash away the ugliness within us – the evil thoughts, the anger that infests our soul – the fears and anxieties … Continue reading

Posted in aging, Lent | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

WILDERNESS TIME . . .

Some of the most important events in the Bible take place in the desert.  Moses led the nation of Israel through a desert wilderness for 40 years.  Abraham sent Hagar and her son into the wilderness with hardly enough food … Continue reading

Posted in Jesus, Lent, repentance | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

COMPUNCTION JUNCTION

The word, “compunction,” isn’t one that we use in daily conversation, but it’s really a cool word. It’s a synonym for “Repentance.” This word originated from the Latin verb, “compungere,” meaning “prick sharply.”  We all have a conscience, whether we … Continue reading

Posted in forgiveness, Lent, repentance, sin | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

EAT, DRINK & BE MERRY?

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could simply hit the reset button and start over with an absolutely clean slate? It seems to be the way we handle things today. When something stops doing what it’s supposed to do, we … Continue reading

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. . . AND JESUS WEPT

They had arrived outside the city of Jerusalem. Jesus and His band of brothers made the journey for the annual Passover celebration. They were tired from the long journey, but Jesus was well aware of what would soon come to … Continue reading

Posted in Christ's passion, Jesus, Lent | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

KING OF KINGS & LORD OF LORDS

The people crowded across the expanse just surrounding the Mount of Olives. Jesus would give His final instructions to those who claimed to be His followers. The place was covered with thousands of men and even more women and children. … Continue reading

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THE LAST DAYS OF JESUS

Jesus spent His final days talking to his disciples about what was about to soon take place. It had to be difficult for them to understand. They knew His purpose here on earth, but why did He have to die? … Continue reading

Posted in Faith, Heaven, Jesus, Lent | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

FORGIVE US THIS DAY

When bruised and injured we do fall, before our Father’s throneAnd look upon the lamb once slain for all sins to atone,Our pain is nothing next to His, our wounds are all but naught.The blood He shed, His torturous death … Continue reading

Posted in Art & Poetry by Paul & Kathy Boecher, Lent | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

WHAT IF YOU KNEW WHEN YOU WERE GOING TO DIE?

If I knew the exact time, day, year and hour when I would die, I certainly would be in preparation mode. At my age, I should have thought about things like wills, final wishes for my funeral, songs I wanted … Continue reading

Posted in death, Jesus, Lent | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

HE WAS CREATING QUITE A STIR

The leaders of the church were becoming uneasy. Who was this man who claimed to be from God? They knew what was written about the foretold king. He was supposed to finally release them from their oppression. He was going … Continue reading

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BORN AGAIN OR REBORN?

I’m amazed by the extraordinary stories of how people come to faith in God. Many of them have been extremely inspirational and demonstrate the zeal of their faith. My story is different. Some might even find it boring. I’m a … Continue reading

Posted in grace, Lent | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A MASTER STORYTELLER

The parables of Jesus are recorded in the first three books of the New Testament. There were countless stories that Jesus used to illustrate something He was trying to teach those who came to hear His words. He was a … Continue reading

Posted in Lent, parables, Salvation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

MELTING IN FEAR

The image above depicts what our landscape looked like a couple days ago. Within just a short period of time a snowfall of six inches, added to what was already on the ground. In just another short span most of … Continue reading

Posted in fear, Jesus, Lent, war | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

RAINY DAYS & MONDAYS

“Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;Thy fate is the common fate of all,Into each life some rain must fall”― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow As a child I used to think of rainy days … Continue reading

Posted in aging, America, Lent, storms | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

THE POTTER & THE CLAY

It’s hard to imagine ourselves as a lifeless piece of clay or dead mass of rock, but when you see the final result – it’s an amazing piece of imagery.  We are in the Master’s hand.  He takes us and shapes … Continue reading

Posted in America, creation, Encouragement, Lent | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments