Category Archives: Christianity
Saturday Soup for the Soul
For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I Cor. 5:7b-8
9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:9-11
20 Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. I Cor. 15:20-22
Inspiring Lives From Church History: Hesychius 300AD
People have been living and dying for Christ for over 2000 years and history is full of wonderful examples of men and women who followed Christ faithfully. We can learn a lot from studying their lives. Yet, there is something truly compelling about those who suffer for Him and pay the ultimate price for their faith.
When I read the historical record of what some of these ancient brothers and sisters went through, it challenges me deeply. I often wonder how I would respond in such situations. I guess we won’t ever know unless and until we find ourselves in the same place. The one thing I can say with certainty is that Read the rest of this entry
Are You Running from God in The Valley of Transformation?
During the 1996 Superbowl, Nissan launched its now famous “Life is A Journey, Enjoy the Ride” advertising campaign. In the two-minute spot, a young boy finds himself in an underground garage, where a mysterious man shows him some old cars. As the boy begins to leave, the old man offers him a parting word of sage advice: (You have to say this with a thick Japanese accent for the full effect) “Remember….Life is a journey. Enjoy…..the ride.”
Of course the commercial was designed to sell Nissan’s, so people could “enjoy the ride” in a nice car! It had a different impact on one young pastor who was watching.
I paused to reflect on my life and the journey I was on Read the rest of this entry
Inspiring Lives From Church History
People have been living and dying for Christ for over 2000 years and history is full of wonderful examples of men and women who followed Christ faithfully. We can learn a lot from studying their lives. Yet, there is something truly compelling about those who suffer for Him and pay the ultimate price for their faith.
When I read the historical record of what some of these ancient brothers and sisters went through, it challenges me deeply. I often wonder how I would respond in such situations. I guess we won’t ever know unless and until we find ourselves in the same place. The one thing I can say with certainty is that these accounts inspire me to live for Christ. That is why today, we are beginning a new series. In it, we will highlight men and women who suffered for Christ, because of their faith. They won’t be long posts, so you should be able to read them in less than 5 minutes. My Prayer is that they will cause you to reflect on your own life and faith, inspiring you follow Him more deeply.
Today, we will read about Mark, the Bishop of Arethusa (361 AD)
Mark, Bishop of Arethusa, suffered for his faith in Christ under the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363). By order of the emperor Constantine, St Mark had once destroyed a pagan temple and built a Christian church.
When Julian came to the throne, he persecuted Christians and tried to Read the rest of this entry
Holy Week Prayers: Saturday
Holy Saturday:
O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on his holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Don Francisco’s “He’s Alive” Live Video
This song, was a big hit back in the day. Every time I ever heard it, it moved me! I still does today. Check out the live video of Don Francisco’s “He’s Alive” below. I hope it encourages you this Easter weekend.
Jim
Were You There? I Was
I came across this sermon back in the early 90’s. Each month, Preaching Today send me a tape of an exceptional sermon. When I put this one in the old tape deck and started listening, I was immediately drawn into the story of Jesus on the way to the cross and Simon of Cyrene. By the end of the message, I had been reduced to a weeping young pastor marveling at the scene of The Cross.Were You There?
| With emotional brush strokes of dramatic narrative, Dr. Marshall’s gripping account of Simon of Cyrene meeting Jesus on His way to the Crucifixion puts the listener at the very foot of the Cross. After experiencing this message, there is no longer any doubt about the answer to that famous question: We were all there. (Preached on March 9, 1944) |
Whatever Happened To This Message of The Cross
In honor of Good Friday, we are re-posting the very first article published at Not For Itching Ears…
The sign said, “Now serving Starbucks coffee!”
It was the late 90’s and the premium coffee craze was taking the country by storm. Everyone who liked coffee LOVED Starbucks or soon would. So it wasn’t surprising that some business would be utilizing the brand name to promote what they were doing. It made pretty good sense. It would not have fazed me a single bit if any other company was doing it. However, this massive sign was hung in front of a local evangelical Christian church. The message was crystal clear: “Come to our service on Sunday, we have free Starbucks coffee!”
With the arrival of the church growth movement and the seeker-sensitive ministry focus it birthed.. Read the rest of this entry
Holy Week Prayer: Good Friday
Good Friday Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Holy Week Prayers: Maudy Thursday
“Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”
Holy Week Prayer: Wednesday
Wednesday in Holy Week Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
A Must Read Book For Worship Leaders and Pastors: Discover The Mystery of Faith
NotForItchingEars.com was born out of my utter frustration with, and sincere love for, the evangelical church. Having visited congregation after congregation and reading many studies, I knew something was wrong.
I spent a considerable amount of time pleading with the pastors and leaders of the church at large to come back to the ancient path. I challenged many worship leaders to re-think the worship services they led.
The response of many in the worship leading community was less than enthusiastic. Most people just wanted me to Read the rest of this entry
Christian Bloggers of the World…We Need Your Help!
I have a hunch, a hypothesis, a gut feeling. That is, that singing in church is not as important to most of us who attend regularly. We don’t dislike singing, and are not theologically opposed to it. However, most of us, I propose, don’t give it as much weight as our worship leaders or senior leadership do.
That has been what I have observed in congregation after congregation that I have visited in the past 4 years. These polls are an unscientific way of trying to get a more objective view. The answers to some of these polls has been rather eye-opening, and seem to confirm my gut feelings. I will be spending time writing about what I have learned as a result in the not too distant future.
I need more answers to these questions, and so I am putting a link to our polls in this post. Please feel free to use them in your own blog posts. The results are available for all to see, and you can use the gathered information for any observations you would like to make. The more votes we get, the better understanding we will have.
So here are the links:
What Are the Two LEAST Important Elements of Corporate Worship for YOU Personally? http://poll.fm/45vog
Do You Think We Spend Too Much Time Singing In Church? http://poll.fm/45rag
What Would You Do If Your Church Eliminated Singing from the Service? http://poll.fm/31app
What is the Most Important Element of Corporate Worship for You Personally? http://poll.fm/2hazg
What one thing would you like to see changed in the American Church? http://poll.fm/2ga0u
Holy Week Prayers: Tuesday
Tuesday in Holy Week O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Daily Prayers For Holy Week
Daily Prayers for Holy Week
[EDITOR’S NOTE: These prayers are taken from the contemporary wording of the Book of Common Prayer. The U.S. online version can be found HERE.]
Monday in Holy Week Almighty God, whose dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other that the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Tuesday in Holy Week O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Wednesday in Holy Week Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Maundy Thursday Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood: Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life; and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Good Friday Almighty God, we pray you graciously to behold this your family, for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be betrayed, and given into the hands of sinners, and to suffer death upon the cross; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Holy Saturday O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on his holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Originally posted over at Glenn Packiams Blog: http://glennpackiam.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/04/daily-prayers-for-holy-week.html
Check out Glenn’s Fantastic Book, which we HIGHLY recommend: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0781410436/gpackiamc-20
Looking for a Cross-centered, Gospel drenched Song for Corporate Communion? Try this…
Looking for a cross-centered, gospel rich song to be used during communion?
Consider using a song I discovered a few years ago. It is called “The Gospel Song”, written by Drew Jones and Bob Kauflin of Sovereign Grace Ministries. It is one of the simplest, most concise wording of the gospel in song form that I know of. Let us know if you like it by taking the poll or leaving a comment.
The Gospel Song
Holy God, in love became
Perfect man to bear my blame
On the cross He took my sin
By His death I live again
The Gospel Song
You can find a free guitar chord chart by following this link to Sovereign Grace Ministries.
Not For Itching Ears 