Christian Worker (Page 10)
A Righteous Branch (Jeremiah 23:5-6) – Steven Lloyd
The prophet Jeremiah foretold the coming doom of Judah and Jerusalem, and lived to see the words of his prophecy fulfilled. Judah’s problems began early. When seen from a bird’s eye view, one strand of the Story the Bible tells can be summarized in this fashion. God begins by ruling and reigning over His creation as King. The Psalmist affirms that “The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever” (Ps. 29:10). Psalm 10:16 affirms,…
A Plea of Desperation and a Prayer of Dependence – Trent Kennedy
The second half of Psalm 42 begins with a prayer to God. In calling upon God, the psalmist uses the possessive pronoun “my.” It seems that he still has an unwavering faith in God to do what he is asking (cf. Jas. 1:6-8). When his personal pep talk in verse 5 did not ease his pain, notice where the writer turns, to God. This is the only proper perspective. In times of distress people need to turn to God. There…
Why no Instruments? – Clay Bond
The Psalmist declared, “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker” (Psa. 95:6). One of the greatest privileges we have as God’s creatures is that of kissing toward our Creator in the reverential adoration called “worship.” When we engage in this great blessing, it should be our utmost desire to approach God in sincerity (Josh. 24:14; John 4:24) and to worship Him with our “whole heart” (Psa. 9:1; 111:1; 138:1). The failure…
Training our Children – Matt Gibson
Much information has been written on the subject of children. Although much information is available, we need the Bible for direction and doctrine. Children are precious souls needing to be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4). The world’s smallest school is the home. Proverbs 1:8-9 states, “My son hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother. For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head,…
I Want to Pray… Like the Early Church – Ronnie Scherffius
Prayer is a privilege. Indeed, prayer is a spiritual blessing enjoyed by those who are in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:11-18; 3:12; cf. Heb. 14:14-16; 10:19-22). We are assured that “the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are upon unto their prayers” (1 Pet. 3:12; cf. John 9:31; Ps. 65:2; Pro. 15:8, 29). How comforting to know that when we approach our heavenly Father, He will both hear and regard our words. And yet, if there…
I Want to Pray… Like Paul – John Hafner
God has blessed us by revealing and preserving certain prayers in the scriptures. These accounts enlighten and encourage those who will carefully examine them. Paul’s prayer recorded for us in Ephesians 3:14-21 summarizes many of the core ideas of the book and provides a midpoint for this letter. Paul’s writing to the Ephesians splits nicely into two sections—the first three chapters focus on the beauty of the church and the last three chapters focus on the duty of the church.…
I Want to Pray… Like Hannah – Cody Kilgore
The Psalmist said, “He gives the barren woman a home; making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the Lord” (Ps 113:9). In 1 Samuel, we are introduced to Hannah, a woman of God who is deeply afflicted by the fact that her womb is closed by the Lord (1 Sam 1:5,10). As a result, she would carry her supplications and anxieties to the Lord; she prayed for a son, one whom she could devote to the service of the…
I Want to Pray… Like Jesus – Dave Rogers
If we count the three times Jesus addressed the Father from the cross, there are ten New Testament examples of Jesus praying. His example clearly impressed His disciples, since it motivated them to ask, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). The most detailed example of Jesus praying is in John 17, often described as His “high priestly” prayer. This particular prayer — offered after Judas departed the last supper, but before our Lord and His disciples reached Gethsemane —…
Concerning Prayer
Prayer is a marvelous privilege granted to the people of God (1 Pet. 3:12), and yet it is one of the more neglected tools in our spiritual toolbox. Every Christian should desire to learn more about prayer so that we may excel in this great spiritual discipline. First Timothy 2:1-7 is one of many passages that will help us in that endeavor. Consider five brief points concerning prayer from this context. First, Paul emphasizes the importance of prayer in the…
Transformed Consideration – Kevin W. Rhodes
Christianity should change you in the deepest and most profound ways possible. It should reshape your worldview until it becomes your worldview. It should change your temperament, creating balance and perspective. It should change your relationships by affecting all your associations and interactions. It should change your life so much that every thought, every word, and every action is first informed by your Christianity. But all of this depends on having the proper view of Christ and what He Himself…
Transformed Fellowship (2) – John Garza
Throughout the book of Colossians, we learn that we are “complete in Christ” (Col. 2:10), and certainly, this is to be the goal of every Christian. Does this mean that you and I are to be exactly alike in every way? In other words, should we expect every mature Christian to be duplicates of another in ability and service? Certainly not (1 Cor. 12:12-31; Eph. 4:16). Being in the fellowship of the body (partnership; participation; partakers) means that each will…
Transformed Fellowship (1) – Kevin Cauley
God said regarding Adam in Genesis 2:18, “It is not good that man should be alone.” Not only was the Lord concerned for Adam, but he was planning for the future as well. God told Adam and Eve “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28). He wanted a world with relationships. Jesus understood this principle when He sent His disciples out in twos (Mark 6:7). Having fellow laborers creates comradery and provides a source of…