Evaluating Our Lives In Lent

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

March 13, 2022

in Spritual Growth

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2nd Sunday of Lent
Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines
March 13, 2022

Readings: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
Philippians 3:17- 4:4
Luke 13:22-35

Many people are teaching that during the season of Lent, we should be downtrodden and crestfallen. But Lent is actually calling us to evaluate our lives that we cannot be without God, for He is our hope. We live in a world today that tells us to put our confidence in the ways of man. But if we observe the things that are happening in the world right now, there is a lot of shaking, things are unstable, even the prices of gas are going up every day. With God however, He will never fail us.

Today’s gospel is an awareness for us to follow God’s ways. It says that He was asked on why only a few will be saved. The answer was, that they should strive (the root word from the Hebrew meaning “agony”). But people by nature do not like to struggle, do not like to strive, do not like to go through conflict. We want the easy way out. It doesn’t work this way. One of our biggest weaknesses is that we do not even know or mission. Mark 13:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” The necessity to know that we are to build the kingdom of God. It further states that there will be a time that the doors will be shut. That even if we ask God to open the doors for us we would hear Him say, “I do not know you.” It’s easy to receive Christ’s offer, but are we living for Him? Or are we just “hearing” His word but not acting upon what we have heard? We’ve got to put on the armor of God as our defense. The challenge to us is, what are we doing with what God has given to us? Will we reject and not acknowledge His holiness and righteousness? Or are we going to act upon the gifts He has given us?

Some Pharisees came to Him and warned Him that Herod was going to kill Him. Jesus said in Luke 13:32 “Go tell the fox, look, I will keep driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day, I will reach my goal.” Jesus knew His mission. He knew His journey Jerusalem was chosen as the center to be a witness to the whole world. The children of Israel were a blessed people, yet they turned against God. Christ returned to Jerusalem to confront those who betrayed Him.

We are to be like Him. It’s our DNA. When we see Him, we will know Him because we will be like Him. May we not be counted among those who would knock on the door and hear God saying “I do not know you.” Worship is something we owe God. It is what is due to Him. More than a praise or a song, our very lives should be worship unto Him. “The Lord is my light and my salvation.” Do we accept this? He is our defense, the strength of our life. Who, shall we be afraid of? There are many things in the world that we do not really need. The first thing we should do upon waking up in the morning is to focus on God. Let not our minds be overly concerned on earthly things, but let us truly understand the price He has paid for us.