taken
There are three major events in Jesus’ life that most Christian churches commemorate with special services: Christmas, celebrating Jesus’ incarnation and birth; Good Friday, commemorating His crucifixion and death; and Easter Sunday,celebrating His resurrection—His coming back from the dead. Some churches include Pentecost Sunday as the church’s birthday. There is, however, one important event that is forgotten by most Christians: Ascension Day—the day Jesus was taken into heaven. For some reason, our Lord’s return to heaven is not given the prominence in the church that it deserves.
marked
Ash Wednesday is commemorated 40 days before Good Friday. The officiating minister marks the forehead of each person with ashes in the sign of the cross. Putting ashes on oneself signifies repentance and remorse for sins (Job 42:6; Luke 10:13). The minister applying the ashes says, “You were made from dust, and to dust you will return” (Genesis 3:19), or “Repent of your sins and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15).
April 2, 2012
What are you doing this week to reflect on Jesus’ passion?
February 27, 2012
What does Lent mean to you? In what ways do you acknowledge it?
good friday
1 Corinthians 11: 23 – 25: “I pass on to you what I received from the Lord Himself. On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then He broke it in pieces and said, ‘This is My body, which is given for you. Do this to remember Me.’ In…
silence of God
She sits alone in her room—dark circles under her eyes, tears running down her cheeks. Since her teenage years, God has been her fulfillment, but her heart still has gaps—empty places, hollow spaces, unmet longings. And she has prayed, oh how she has prayed for God to give her the desires of her heart. Or to take them away. One…
seeing easter
My son Wyatt is only 5, but being typically male, he still has a bit of an issue with commitment. He told me, "I believe in God, but I'm waiting to make my choice about loving Him until I see Him."
Wyatt's hesitation does make sense. He wants to know what God is like before he trusts Him—and in Wyatt's…
worship and the cross
This video, the gift of worship, has a potent message about what worship is and what it is not. The featured song, Sweetly Broken by Jeremy Riddle, points us to the cross . . . and to a place of brokenness before Jesus. As Gordon Borror and Ron Allen have written, "Worship is an active response in which we declare God’s worth."…
