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A “Heavenly” Conversation?
Did you know there is a Ouija, or spirit, board for Christians? Yep, that’s right. It was brought to my attention a few days ago. This board is called the “Holy Spirit Board” and it promises to connect you straight to Heaven so you can chat with Jesus. It also promises it will not contact demons or anything else that’s evil. Suuuure. When I first heard about it, I wanted to cry. Then I read the reviews. It saddened me even more. Several of the reviewers claimed to have spoken directly with Jesus when using this board, and that He had answered their prayers. Some of you may be asking…
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Christ, Our Priceless Treasure
Treasure Christ. I heard this phrase when we started attending our current church two and a half years ago. At first, I didn’t give much thought to the phrase, but then I kept hearing it in sermons and other teachings. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that that’s what we Christians should be doing. Let me clarify, I’m sure if you ask any Christian if they treasure Christ, they’ll probably reply “Yes, absolutely!” I know I would have. But, if you looked at my life, it didn’t necessarily reflect it. You may have been able to tell that I loved Jesus, but I’m not so sure…
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Have We No Love?
This past week, the world focused on the missing tourists who were diving down to see the Titanic ruins. As it became clear they did not survive the trip due to a tragic accident, humanity’s ugliness was on full display in comments sections across the Internet. People who never met the victims judged and mocked them, some saying they deserved to die. Why? Because they were rich? These people were loved by someone. They were husbands, fathers, sons, and brothers. Yet, instead of mourning with the families, or at least showing respect towards them, complete strangers deemed the victims guilty of some supposed crime against humanity and praised their deaths.…
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Holy Week: Resurrection Sunday
A Day of Joy As the sun began to rise, the group of women walked towards Jesus’s tomb. Carrying spices they had put together, they hoped to anoint His body in the grave. They wondered how they would roll the heavy stone away to gain entrance into the tomb. They more than likely didn’t know Pilate, at the request of the Pharisees, had placed guards at Jesus’s tomb. Once they arrived, their lives changed forever. An angel descended from Heaven and rolled the stone away. The guards, stricken by fear, fainted like dead men. The angel invited the women in to show them the most marvelous sight: an empty tomb.…
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Holy Week: Good Friday
A Day of Lament “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” – Jesus (John 14:6) Weakened by the brutal flogging He received from the Romans, Jesus was unable to bear the weight of the cross as He walked to Golgotha. He, however, was able to bear the weight of the world’s sins while on the cross. The wrath He bore brought forgiveness. His death brought life. The hate from the religious leaders and those who mocked Him didn’t diminish His love for them. He asked forgiveness for them because He knew they were blind to what they were doing.…
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Holy Week: Maundy Thursday
A Perfect Love It is now Thursday. Jesus knows His time to “depart out of this world to the Father” (see John 13:1) has arrived. Though Christ’s love for us is displayed on the cross, He also exhibited it for His disciples and for us that night before His arrest. Though all four Gospels share the story of that Thursday, I will focus on John’s telling of the story. Please read John 13 – 17 for the full story. Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet Before sitting down for the Passover feast, Jesus washed the disciples’ feet. Normally, a servant or the wife of the host would wash the guest’s feet,…
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Holy Week: Holy Wednesday
A Tale of Two Attitudes Two days before Passover, a dinner was given for Jesus at Simon the Leper’s home. A woman approached Jesus with a flask full of nard ointment and she poured it on His head. The disciples were offended because the ointment could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus told them she did a beautiful thing. He also told them they could help the poor at any time, but they wouldn’t always have Him with them (Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9). (NOTE: each Gospel tells a story of a woman anointing Jesus. The Gospels of Matthew and Mark tell the same story. The…
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Holy Week: Holy Tuesday
Holy Teaching As mentioned in Monday’s post, one of the activities Jesus did throughout the week was to teach in the Temple. He shared parables and illustrations, teaching His audience about the Kingdom of Heaven and the great commandments. He also faced the religious leaders who were asking Him questions, not to learn, but to trap Him with His words. Of course, Jesus knew what they were plotting. Each time He was confronted, His answers left the leaders and the crowd astonished, to the point the leaders finally stopped asking questions. Considering the Gospels only mention Jesus appearing to His disciples and various groups of people after His resurrection, we…
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Holy Week: Holy Monday
Cleansing the Temple The specifics as to what happened each day beginning Holy Monday through Holy Wednesday are not detailed by the hour or sometimes even the day; however, there is enough information to discern what Jesus and His disciples did during this time. Jesus taught in the Temple, healed people, and faced the religious leaders. The one action that stands out though is the cleansing of the Temple. This wasn’t the first time Jesus cleansed the Temple. In John 2:13-22, Jesus cleansed the Temple at the beginning of His ministry. At that time, Jesus, using a whip of cords, chased the merchants out of the Temple and overturned the…
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Holy Week: Palm Sunday
A Misunderstood Plan Crowded with travelers, the city of Jerusalem bustled with activity as everyone prepared for the Passover feast later that week. Suddenly, a boisterous crowd entered the city shouting and rejoicing and laying cloaks and palm branches on the ground in front of a man riding a baby donkey. People stopped what they were doing and hurried to see what was happening. When asked what was going on, the crowd excitedly proclaimed that the man on the donkey was the prophet Jesus. This would be known as the Triumphal Entry. The crowd that followed Jesus to Jerusalem was a combination of disciples (not just the 12, but others…
