<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Mark 7;6-8<div><br></div><div><b>6. &nbsp;And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;</b></div><div><b>7. &nbsp;in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’</b></div><div><b>8. &nbsp;You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.”</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Is it possible that the Churches today wrongly&nbsp;teach that the season of Lent,&nbsp;(in the Church year calendar, a period of 40 days before&nbsp;Easter) <u>must</u>&nbsp;be observed&nbsp;by fasting, (both liturgically and physically)? &nbsp;Is this also an example of <i>“leaving the commandment of God, and holding fast to the tradition of men.” </i>?</div><div><br></div><div>Scripture declares, <i>“Rejoice in the Lord, <u>always</u>, again I will say, Rejoice.” &nbsp;</i>(Philippians 4;4). And, <i>“Praise the LORD! &nbsp;Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament!” &nbsp;</i>(Psalm 150;1)</div><div><br></div><div>Yet, in our churches, it is taught that during Lent, the churches are to ‘omit’ the “Hymn of Praise” and the use of the word ‘Alleluia’, also the “Gloria In Excelsis” as well as in other parts of the church’s liturgies.<span></span></div><div>Further, Believers are often encouraged to physically fast during Lent, denying themselves candy or meat or some other pleasure.</div><div><br></div><div>We must remember that such traditions are not commanded by God in the Bible. &nbsp;Fasting cannot be imposed outwardly upon us by anyone, it must be inspired by the Holy Spirit, first&nbsp;in the heart.</div><div><br></div><div>We are free in Christ to observe church traditions,&nbsp;but it is not sin if we do not. &nbsp;If a congregation should still choose to sing the “Hymn of Praise” or use the word, ‘Alleluia’ during Lent, they are free in Christ&nbsp;to do so, even during Lent. &nbsp;It would not be&nbsp;sin.</div><div><br></div><div>What tradition&nbsp;is, is a valuable teaching method, and hopefully a good&nbsp;witness&nbsp;to the world,&nbsp;that is all. &nbsp;Is the Church really in sorrow and grief? &nbsp;No, She is with Mary the mother of Jesus, always ‘magnifying the Lord’&nbsp;and in Her spirit forever&nbsp;‘rejoices in God our Savior.’</div><div><br></div><div>The Sundays in Lent are not counted as part of the 40&nbsp;days of Lent. &nbsp;We are continually in God’s mercy, love, and grace. &nbsp;Christ is now ascended to the Right Hand of (all power) the Father, and is filling his Bride the Church. &nbsp;This can never be a sorrowful thing. &nbsp;This is forever our joy, in Whom we rejoice, magnifying Him. &nbsp;Every Sunday is Easter for the Church, for we have been raised with Him in our baptism into Christ.</div><div><br></div><div>Having said all this, liturgical and physical fasting is certainly not sin for the Church. &nbsp;She is free in Christ to use these things to inform the Church, but we may not elevate such practices to a status of Law, or declare failure to observe them&nbsp;sinful.</div><div><br></div><div>We cannot impose grieving, or sorrow upon anyone. &nbsp;These&nbsp;belong to the work of the Holy Spirit, individually in each Believer’s heart. &nbsp;As an act of witness to each other and the world, we are free to do these things. &nbsp;When we observe them rightly,&nbsp;then they become instructional and evangelical, but, they can <u>not be demanded of anyone.</u>&nbsp; Further, we should not consider those who do not practice such observations as sinning.</div><div><br></div><div><i>“Therefore let no one pass judgement on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a sabbath. &nbsp;These are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. &nbsp;Let no one disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions,&nbsp;puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.”</i></div><div>(Colossians 2;16-19)<i>&nbsp;</i></div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, deliver us from pride which looks down on others who do not follow our traditions.</div><div>Deliver us also from believing failure to fast during Lent is sin. &nbsp;Finally, grant us&nbsp;to right&nbsp;worship of&nbsp;You in Spirit and in Truth (in Christ). &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</div><div><br></div><div>A final thought: &nbsp;instead of giving up something for 40 days during Lent only to go back to it after Easter,&nbsp;why not instead&nbsp;give up a bad habit permanently, in honor of our calling into holiness by our Lord. &nbsp;Or, why not use Lent as a time to institute a good discipline such as daily reading Scripture, and after Lent, continue!</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><i><br></i></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><div><br></div><div><br><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Mark 7;6-8
6.  And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;7.  in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’8.  You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.”
Is it possible that the Churches today wrongly teach that the season of Lent, (in the Church year calendar, a period of 40 days before Easter) must be observed by fasting, (both liturgically and physically)?  Is this also an example of “leaving the commandment of God, and holding fast to the tradition of men.” ?
Scripture declares, “Rejoice in the Lord, always, again I will say, Rejoice.”  (Philippians 4;4). And, “Praise the LORD!  Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament!”  (Psalm 150;1)
Yet, in our churches, it is taught that during Lent, the churches are to ‘omit’ the “Hymn of Praise” and the use of the word ‘Alleluia’, also the “Gloria In Excelsis” as well as in other parts of the church’s liturgies.Further, Believers are often encouraged to physically fast during Lent, denying themselves candy or meat or some other pleasure.
We must remember that such traditions are not commanded by God in the Bible.  Fasting cannot be imposed outwardly upon us by anyone, it must be inspired by the Holy Spirit, first in the heart.
We are free in Christ to observe church traditions, but it is not sin if we do not.  If a congregation should still choose to sing the “Hymn of Praise” or use the word, ‘Alleluia’ during Lent, they are free in Christ to do so, even during Lent.  It would not be sin.
What tradition is, is a valuable teaching method, and hopefully a good witness to the world, that is all.  Is the Church really in sorrow and grief?  No, She is with Mary the mother of Jesus, always ‘magnifying the Lord’ and in Her spirit forever ‘rejoices in God our Savior.’
The Sundays in Lent are not counted as part of the 40 days of Lent.  We are continually in God’s mercy, love, and grace.  Christ is now ascended to the Right Hand of (all power) the Father, and is filling his Bride the Church.  This can never be a sorrowful thing.  This is forever our joy, in Whom we rejoice, magnifying Him.  Every Sunday is Easter for the Church, for we have been raised with Him in our baptism into Christ.
Having said all this, liturgical and physical fasting is certainly not sin for the Church.  She is free in Christ to use these things to inform the Church, but we may not elevate such practices to a status of Law, or declare failure to observe them sinful.
We cannot impose grieving, or sorrow upon anyone.  These belong to the work of the Holy Spirit, individually in each Believer’s heart.  As an act of witness to each other and the world, we are free to do these things.  When we observe them rightly, then they become instructional and evangelical, but, they can not be demanded of anyone.  Further, we should not consider those who do not practice such observations as sinning.
“Therefore let no one pass judgement on you in questions of food and drink or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a sabbath.  These are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.  Let no one disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.”(Colossians 2;16-19) 
Prayer:  Merciful Father, deliver us from pride which looks down on others who do not follow our traditions.Deliver us also from believing failure to fast during Lent is sin.  Finally, grant us to right worship of You in Spirit and in Truth (in Christ).  In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”
A final thought:  instead of giving up something for 40 days during Lent only to go back to it after Easter, why not instead give up a bad habit permanently, in honor of our calling into holiness by our Lord.  Or, why not use Lent as a time to institute a good discipline such as daily reading Scripture, and after Lent, continue!









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