December 14, 2015

The Psalm of the Word (Part 22): Praise

The Psalm of the Word

Let my cry come before You, O Lord;
Give me understanding according to Your word.

Let my supplication come before You;
Deliver me according to Your word.

Let my lips utter praise,
For You teach me Your statutes.

Let my tongue sing of Your word,
For all Your commandments are righteousness.

Let Your hand be ready to help me,
For I have chosen Your precepts.

I long for Your salvation, O Lord,
And Your law is my delight.

Let my soul live that it may praise You,
And let Your ordinances help me.

I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant,
For I do not forget Your commandments.

(Psalm 119:169-176)

This final stanza focuses on the need to praise God because of His word. We noticed this point a little bit in the previous lesson. The thoughts expressed in these verses are a fitting conclusion to the psalm and our study of it. Given all that we have learned about God’s word, we should praise Him.
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October 19, 2015

The Psalm of the Word (Part 14): Guidance

The Psalm of the Word

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.

I have sworn and I will confirm it,
That I will keep Your righteous ordinances.

I am exceedingly afflicted;
Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.

O accept the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord,
And teach me Your ordinances.

My life is continually in my hand,
Yet I do not forget Your law.

The wicked have laid a snare for me,
Yet I have not gone astray from Your precepts.

I have inherited Your testimonies forever,
For they are the joy of my heart.

I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes
Forever, even to the end.

(Psalm 119:105-112)

Many people wonder why we are here and where we are going. The word of God provides the answers for us and guides us in the path we should go.
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October 13, 2015

Worship in Spirit and Truth

John 4:24

Worshiping God is one of the great privileges we have as His people. However, we must understand that He does not need our worship. Paul told the Athenians on Mars Hill that God “does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things” (Acts 17:24-25). Yet He does desire our worship. Jesus said, “The Father seeks [people] to be His worshipers” (John 4:23). However, just because God seeks worshipers does not mean that He will accept just any worship that men might offer to Him.

When Jesus was traveling from Judea to Galilee, He stopped to rest beside a well in Samaria (John 4:1-6). While He was there, a Samaritan woman came to draw water from the well and Jesus asked her for a drink (John 4:7). This was an unusual request – it even surprised the woman – since “Jews have no dealings with Samaritans” (John 4:9). But this conversation led to an important discussion about worship. It was a lesson needed by the Samaritans, the Jews, and also by us today.

After the woman perceived Jesus to be a prophet (John 4:19), she mentioned the difference between the worship of the Jews and the Samaritans to see what Jesus had to say about it. Jesus’ answer came down to this statement: “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24).
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August 18, 2015

Do Not Exceed What Is Written

Hand on Bible

“Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other” (1 Corinthians 4:6).

Paul had to address several problems in his first letter to Corinth. One had to do with the brethren elevating men and regarding them as more important than they were. The apostle used himself and Apollos as an example in order to teach them “not to exceed what is written.” His warning was for them to not go beyond the limits of what God’s word allows. This principle is found throughout the letter. In this article, we will consider some points that Paul addressed in this letter in order to teach us – or remind us – not to exceed what is written and go beyond the boundaries of God’s word.
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August 4, 2015

Do This First

Number One

In every area of life, there are certain things that must be done first before something else can be done (e.g., you must put your socks on first before putting on your shoes). That does not mean that the secondary action is less important, but the sequence is.

Sometimes, the order in which we do certain tasks are of necessity. The wise man said, “Prepare your work outside and make it ready for yourself in the field; afterwards, then, build your house” (Proverbs 24:27). Housing is important, but if the planting is not done at the time to plant, there will be no harvest. The house will be useless if one does not have food to eat.

Other times, the order in which actions are to be carried out is of divine decree. Jesus said, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). If one is baptized before he believes, he has not done what Jesus said he must do to be saved. One must believe first, then be baptized in order to be saved.

Matthew recorded a few times in which Jesus taught that something must be done first before something else could be done. In this article, I want us to notice what Jesus said on these occasions and see what lessons we can learn.
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January 21, 2015

Why Being Non-Denominational Is Not Good Enough

Church steeple

In the past, more emphasis was placed upon one’s denominational affiliation. But for many today, this is less important. This shift in mindset has given rise to the number of “non-denominational” churches we see in the religious world.

For years, faithful brethren have rightly condemned denominationalism. So is the trend toward non-denominationalism a good thing? Maybe not. Why not? Simply being non-denominational is not good enough.

The church in Sardis was a dead church, though they had a reputation that they were alive. Jesus said to them, “I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead” (Revelation 3:1). This shows us that a church can seem to be good in the eyes of men, but in the eyes of the Lord, their status is completely different. In the eyes of many, “non-denominational” churches look appealing. But like the church in Sardis, many of these churches simply do not measure up to the Lord’s standard.
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June 11, 2014

Why Do We Meet on Sunday Evening?

Empty church building

I recently read an article about the declining number of churches having a second worship service on Sunday evening (Whatever Happened to Sunday Evening Services?). The article mentioned several possible reasons for the decline – too demanding for busy families, too difficult for “pastors” to prepare two sermons each week, lack of attendance/interest by the members, etc.

Though the article was written from a denominational perspective, the discussion of this trend is also helpful for us in the Lord’s church. Often, God’s people follow the trends of the religious world around them. Even if we ignore current trends of eliminating the Sunday evening service, it is generally true that attendance is lower on Sunday evening than on Sunday morning in the majority of local churches. The reasons why Sunday evening services are in decline among the denominational world are often the same reasons why churches quit meeting on Sunday evening or why Christians simply choose not to attend the evening service. So in this article, I want to briefly discuss seven reasons why we assemble on Sunday evenings.
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