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The Season of Lent
Ted Olsen writes for the magazine Christianity Today. A friend of his asked him, “What did you give up for Lent?” Olsen wrote, “I had grown up in Baptist and other conservative evangelical churches, so my friend’s question held no meaning. I figured it was like a second chance at a New Year’s Resolution for those who had already abandoned theirs. Even around here at the Christianity Today Inc. offices, where Christian History is based, it seems that Ash Wednesday passed with little notice. There were just as many donut trays by the coffee pots, and just as many hamburgers in the lunch room. That’s surprising, especially since Lent is…
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Major Feasts and Christian Parallels
The Jews celebrated 8-9 major feasts that are mentioned in the Bible. (“8” or “9” depends on if you put Passover together with the Feast of Unleavened Bread.) They still do today with the addition of a few more minor feasts. The modern nation of Israel has added several national days of remembrance too. However, most of the major feasts come out of the Old Testament. Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread Passover: Ex. 12:1-14; Lev. 23:5; Num. 9:1-14; Num. 28:16; Deut. 16:1-7 Unleavened Bread: Ex. 12:15-20; Ex. 13:3-10; Lev. 23:6-8; Num. 28:17-25; Deut. 16:3,4,8 Passover: Commemorated God’s deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt. Jews still observe the Passover meal.…
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Come to the Water
What is Spiritual Dryness? We’re going to talk today about spiritual dryness that you just can’t shake. We all have times when we feel spiritually dry because we haven’t spent any time with God. If we ignore prayer and Bible reading then of course we’re going to feel spiritually dry. Once we start back again with prayer and Bible reading then the problem will be over. But then there are the times that you are doing everything that you know how to do – and you still feel as spiritually dry as a bone. You don’t feel God’s presence, you don’t have joy, your prayers hit the ceiling and bounce…