Topic(s): Worship

Worship is the:

• Assembling of the saints of the Lord,
• On the day of the Lord,
• Around the table of the Lord,
• To commemorate the death of the Lord,
• To listen to the word of the Lord,
• To cast an offering into the treasury of the Lord,
• For the work of the Lord,
• To lift up voices in praise to the Lord

And, to bow heads in prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving unto the Lord. —via The Compass, Crossville (TN) church of Christ

“For the Father seeketh such to worship him.”—John 4:23

He Maketh No Mistake

Topic(s): Faith, God

My Father’s way may twist and turn,
My heart may throb and ache,
But in my soul I’m glad I know,
He maketh no mistake.

My cherished plans may go astray,
My hopes may fade away,
But still I’ll trust my Lord to lead,
For He doth know the way.

Tho’ night be dark and it may seem
That day will never break;
I’ll pin my faith, my all in Him,
He maketh no mistake.

There’s so much now I cannot see,
My eyesight’s far too dim;
But come what may, I’ll simply trust,
And leave it all to Him.

For by and by the mist will lift
And plain it all He’ll make,
Through all the way, tho’ dark to me,
He made not one mistake.

“He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”—Psalm 23:3

Isaiah, “Woe!”

Topic(s): Evangelism, Sin

The prophet Isaiah pronounced six “woes” upon the nation of Israel, recorded for us in Isaiah 5. He pronounced “Woe unto them that . . .”

• place their value in property instead of in God (Isaiah 5:8–10).
• live for partying and drinking (Isaiah 5:11–13).
• live for iniquity and vanity (Isaiah 5:18–19).
• call evil good, and good evil (Isaiah 5:20).
• are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight (Isaiah 5:21).
• are mighty to drink wine and mingle strong drink (Isaiah 5:22).

Much of what Isaiah denounced makes up the social character of today’s world. People live to accumulate wealth, to indulge their fleshly desires, to rationalize their sinful behavior, and are beyond anyone telling them what to do.

Isaiah was not a very popular preacher. (That tends to happen when you preach against people’s sin.) Recently a preacher was arrested for a “hate crime” and his religious organization’s tax-exempt status was revoked because he took a public stand against homosexuality.

Sometimes there are church members who want the preaching to be positive and uplifting, without the necessary balance of reproof and correction. Preachers who tickle people’s ears and never preach against sin will often gather a following to themselves, but do their listeners a vile injustice. A sick or dying person would be offended by a doctor who said, “Go home, everything is fine.” A naked and hungry person is offended if he was told, “Be warmed and filled” but no help is given (cf. James 2:16). It is beyond unjust—it is the height of hypocrisy for one to call himself God’s messenger and refuse to address people’s sin.

Preachers are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). They must “reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:2). So please do not be angry with me when this preacher brings messages about the sin that is all around us and the temptations that we encounter every day. Forget about the messenger and focus in on the truth of the messages from the word of God. Remember that God truly loves us and He wants us for His own. Let us despise evil and cling to what is good, in order that we might share in the blessings of salvation and a life of goodness in Jesus Christ our Lord. —Roger Wright

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”—2 Timothy 4:2

Proud Rooster

Topic(s): Humor

A minister had just finished an excellent dinner at the home of a congregation member, when he saw a rooster come strutting through the yard.

“That’s certainly a proud-looking rooster,” the minister commented.

“Yes, sir,” replied the farmer. “He has reason to be proud—one of his sons just entered the ministry!”