Mark Twain in chapter five of his book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, wrote of Tom at a church service: The service began with a list of announcements which he thought would go on “to the crack of doom.” He talked about the prayer which was generous in its detail and he resented it whenever anything new was added in. The preacher’s sermon “droned along [so] monotonously… and was so prosy that many a head began to nod.
This reminds us of what happens when we come together to worship. The announcements are a little long, the songs aren’t to our liking, the preacher is a little boring. Some of us even do things to keep ourselves awake. We are at a different time. Forty years ago people didn’t ask, why do I have to go to church (worship)? Things have changed, culturally and intellectually so that we look at life a little differently. Sunday morning is now seen as a time to relax. If we don’t like the way things are where we presently worship, we will look for a place where things are the way we want them to be. Most people when they think about worship do not think about it as essential or the most critical thing they will do during the week.
We come together every Lord’s Day to be in the presence of God. Even though it may not look like much, and even when we don’t leave with a feeling of excitement, what happens during worship is of great importance because this is where we approach Mount Zion and we offer our praise to the One who is worthy of all praise. May we never as Christians take this opportunity in a light manner!
“If you lose self-control everything will fall.” - John Wooden,
How many signs would have been sufficient for them to believe? Jesus had already performed a number of miracles there in Capernaum (i.e. a man in the synagogue with an unclean spirit (Mark 1), Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1), the sick and demon possessed (Mark 1), Centurion’s servant (Matt. 8)) What is necessary for us to believe?
To say that God's power is amazing is an understatement. Our words and mental capacities can not fathom the power of our Creator. By just reading through the Bible it…
If Jesus was to appear today, which group would you be apart of? The group that would bow down and praise Him or the group that would want to crucify Him?
The apostle John wrote in 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”
As we talk about being the hands of Jesus, someone might be misled to think that we intend for Christians to do the impossible. There were quite a bit of things Jesus did that we are not capable of doing.
We must seek to be gentle people, even in the most trying times. Not because we are weak or cowardly, but because we are humble, we have placed our strength under God's control.
Do we want Christ's gifts without the Cross? Do we seek to use Him instead of asking Him to use us as He sees fit? If He does not rule over all of my life then He is not truly my King.
Hands can carry out work that will receive God’s blessing and approval.
The heart of Jesus will only begin to develop in our lives as the Holy Spirit causes His fruit to grow within us. Would you say that you are someone who is faithful? Can those around you depend on you, can they trust you, are you reliable? Would God consider you as someone who is faithful?
