Thursday, March 12, 2015

3/16/15 -Special Edition: EASTER @ FORD CENTER

EASTER @ FORD CENTER
We are less than one month away from Easter at the Ford Center!  This is one of the two ‘holy-days’ in the calendar year that we celebrate BIG time.  Easter is the day we unite to witness with our presence and testify with our voices that ‘Jesus lives!’  We assemble to celebrate the most important truth of our Christian faith: the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

I just read an article that quoted seven ‘famous’ atheists about why they were not believers.  You can’t imagine the mindless [“The fool has said in his heart there is no God.” Psalm 14:1] comments from such pseudo-theologians as Brad Pitt and Cameron Diaz.   One quote from the article was, “There is no proof!”  But, of course there is undeniable proof!  In Acts 1:3 we read, “… Jesus showed Himself alive after his passion [crucifixion] and gave them [people] convincing proofs that He was alive.  He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God.”  The miracle of Easter has never been credibly undermined.  That is why it has endured for twenty-one centuries.  It is true!  The greatest mystery of the ages is: “What ever happened to the slain body of Jesus of Nazareth?”  And the only reliable answer is, “He has risen.  He has risen indeed!”  If you won’t/can’t believe it, if you think Jesus is just an ordinary man, you are on your own in this life and alone forever in the life to come by your choice.  If you believe it, it will change your heart, your character and your destiny. 

Because Jesus rose from the dead, Paul writes, “… sin, guilt and death are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ.  Thank God!” [The Message]  This is the best news ever and it is worth celebrating.  With this in mind here is how you can get ready to celebrate Easter @ Crossroads:

 1] PRAY!  And look at these opportunities…
           - Prayer prompts during Holy Week [the week before Easter]
            -Holy Tuesday – 2 Prayer Meetings in the Student Theater
                        7-8 PM & 8-9 PM
            -Holy Thursday – 2 Prayer Meetings in the Student Theater
                        7-8 PM & 8-9 PM
            -Prayer Room open during Holy Week – CH 103
            -Good Friday - Prayer Walk at the Ford Center
                        5-5:30 PM

2] Make plans now to attend at the Ford Center, Sunday, April 5th at 10 AM. [Come at 9:30 AM for music that will make ‘the hair stand up on the back of your neck.’]

3] Invite a friend, neighbor, coworker or family member.  Pray about whom you will invite and let me know whom you’re planning to bring…at kidleman@cccgo.com.  These names will become part of a larger prayer list for our elders and pastors between now and then.

4] Sign up to help.  An event of this magnitude is a huge challenge, which means there are plenty of opportunities to help make it happen.  Register at the Connection Center this weekend…

Let’s make Easter 2015, our 48th anniversary as a church, a dynamic demonstration of Christian unity and community outreach! 

Pray with me…Father God, we have confessed with our mouths that Jesus is Lord.  We believe in our hearts that You raised Him from the dead.  So, we receive Your salvation.  We know we cannot achieve it.  By grace, through faith we belong to You for time and eternity and we thank you.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Blessings,
Pastor Ken


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