Arise!
March 3-5, 2023
Church Blog
A Healthy Church is Hardworking
Annual health screenings are vital to maintaining good health. Regular oil changes are necessary to keep a vehicle in good running order. Cleaning and maintenance play a large role in the longevity of a home. So many things in life cannot function properly without periodic evaluation to ensure proper operation. The same is true with individual and congregational spiritual health. Like a doctor runs tests to examine data indicating an individual’s level of health, so God’s Word furnishes us with…
A New Command
Just before His crucifixion, Jesus identified a key mark of discipleship. He gave what He called, “a new commandment” (John 13:34). It is a command to “love one another”, and He expressed, “by this all will know” who are His disciples (John 13:34-35). However, do we know what kind of love that is and do we demonstrate it? Even though the Old Testament Scriptures required a love for one’s neighbor as self- (Lev. 19:13,18), this new command is a call…
A New Song – John Haffner
Together with the many images presented in Revelation, we see songs of praise detailing the power of Jesus, the Lamb of God (Rev. 5:9; 14:3; 15:3-4). Such songs have always accompanied the salvation which God brings to His people (Ex. 15:1-21; Judges 5:1-31). The term “new song” is used multiple times in the Psalms, especially in relation to a time of deliverance (Ps. 33:3; 40:1-3; 96:1; 144:9-11; 149:1). Each fresh victory called for a song adapted to the occasion. Isaiah…
New Heavens and a New Earth – Allen Webster
At the invitation of the City of Jacksonville, Alabama, I led the invocation at a city council meeting. It was both enlightening and encouraging to see the wisdom and plans of the mayor and council members. They discussed such future decisions as where to build city fire and police departments and their training/correctional facilities, how to enforce community ordinances regarding noise and rental properties, city finance and senior citizen activities, and the promotion of city employees. They listened to citizen…