Christian Worker (Page 16)
In The Know – Bill Burk
The phrase, “In the know” means “in possession of information which is not generally known.” When it comes to the blessings we have in Jesus, the Lord wants us to know what we have. In other words, he wants us to understand what being “in Christ” means and the privileges that go along with it. The first fourteen verses of Ephesians chapter one speak of some of the things we now have in the Lord. We have been blessed (1:3);…
Confess Your Faults One To Another – Johnie Scaggs, Jr.
James said, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (Jas 5:16). What does it mean to “confess your faults (sin)?” And to whom should we confess our sins? These are questions that have a biblical answer. It is becoming a trend among those who use Facebook and other media outlets to lay out one’s whole life history for the world to…
Peter’s Wife’s Mother – Ronnie Scherffius
“And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.” (Luke 4:38-39) Each of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, & Luke) records the occasion of Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law. A quick glance may leave one with the impression that the record is simply…
Perspective
The Christian life is one of ultimate victory and yet it is not without its pains. We live in a wicked world full of difficulties which affect us in many ways. Be it economic uncertainty, wicked leadership, death and disease, the scorn of unbelievers, or any number of challenges which can easily produce fear, doubt, and uncertainty within us, we will struggle. And yet, as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed;…
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,…
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,…
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…
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 —…