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!
No one, no thing, no circumstance of life can harm the man or woman of God. If you believe that, you can relax and you can stop worrying that someone…
The same God who revealed Himself to Moses in the wilderness of Midian still lives and reigns today. He is Lord of heaven and earth - there is no one…
The Christian life is a beautiful thing. As a matter of fact, there is nothing on earth that can compare with it. But there is a reaction which comes to…
Are you growing in your faith? Have you asked God to help your unbelief? If you are not growing in your faith then you cannot and will not reach your…
In What we have come to call the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addressed the people of His day and told them they were two things: "you are the salt…
Many of us have a book with the words "Holy Bible" as the title in our homes. It is a book with divine strengths. God breathed it. It is set…
The fifty men who were sons of the prophets pleaded with Elisha for permission to go search for Elijah. Elisha sought to discourage them but they persisted. Finally, he relented…
Near the end of his life, King David gave a solemn charge to his son Solomon pertaining to the building of the temple. (1 Chronicles 28:1-10) A Particular note are…
Finally, we are going to examine how Jesus teaches us to make peace with enemies who show animosity because we are Christians or simply personal dislike for other reasons. Enemies…
What motivates you? Different people are motivated by different things: Financial reward, the challenge of whatever it may be, recognition by others, personal satisfaction (the satisfaction of accomplishment). For those…