God's Righteous Attentiveness - By Ben Palmer

God's Righteous Attentiveness - By Ben Palmer

Praise of God's righteous judgement weaves a common thread between Psalms 7 and 9. God saves the righteous, and those who champion His cause find comfort in this (Psalm 9:9-10). In Psalm 7, David leans heavily on this characteristic of God in a request to be delivered from his enemies. David comes to God in this psalm with a clear conscience even going so far as to call judgement upon himself “if I have repaid my friend with evil or plundered my enemy without cause” (Psalm 7:4, ESV). Let us ask ourselves if we also could so confidently extol the righteous judgement of God. I believe David prayed so powerfully partly because he continually repented and kept his conduct honorable before God and people. As a result, he could genuinely appeal to the righteous judgement of God.  If we also live for the Lord, then we can more genuinely and effectively “give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness” and “sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High” (Psalm 7:17, ESV).

Praying For The Oppressed And The Oppressors? - Genesis 18:22-33 - By Cameron Piner

Praying For The Oppressed And The Oppressors? - Genesis 18:22-33 - By Cameron Piner

Gen. 18:22-33 is one of the first recorded “prayers” in the Bible. However, it is not what we’d typically refer to as a “prayer.” It is really more of a dialogue between God (through angels) & Abraham. Nevertheless, Abraham is talking to God and is interceding, much like is done in many of the prayers in scripture. Abraham intercedes for his nephew Lot, but also for the rest of the people in Sodom.

Love's Quest

Love's Quest

“Now, therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight.” (Exodus 33:13)

If our search for God is inspired by real love, we will not rest until we have come to know Him as He truly is

The Fool's Temper (3)

The Fool's Temper (3)

Last week we observed how “the fool” of Proverbs is slow to hear and quick to speak.  The imprudence of his heart is most evident when he opens his mouth.  In addition to being wanton in his speech, the fool also fails to restrain his temper.  Today we will observe how he violates the third principle of James 1:19.  Not only is he slow to hear and quick to speak, but also quick to anger…

The Fool's Speech (2)

The Fool's Speech (2)

Last week we were introduced to “the fool.”  Solomon mentions this character over 60 times throughout the book of Proverbs.  We observed the numerous warnings against the fool’s pride and resistance to correction.  If we want to develop wise behavior, we must avoid these attitudes.  We must humble ourselves and open our hearts to receive instruction.

The heart of a fool will show itself in many different ways.  Those who fail to guard their heart from folly will not guard their mouth, eyes, or feet either (Prov 4:23-27).  We will observe these expressions of folly throughout the next few weeks.  In this article we will discuss the speech of the fool…

The Fool's Pride (1)

The Fool's Pride (1)

The book of Proverbs was written for the one who wants “to receive instruction in wise behavior” (Prov 1:2).  In order to develop wise behavior, however, it is important to avoid foolish behavior.  A large portion of Solomon’s instructions warn us against the snare of folly.  “The fool” is a prominent character in Proverbs, mentioned over 60 times…

Effective Bible Classes (11)

Effective Bible Classes (11)

In addition to improving the worship and edification of our assemblies, we need to evaluate the effectiveness of our Bible classes. The principles we have considered regarding the assembly of the church must also be applied to the distributed effort of edification in each classroom. While preaching and teaching in the public assembly is vital to our spiritual growth, there is also a need for instruction in a more personal setting (Acts 20:20). Saints at different stages of spiritual growth and with different roles in the body have unique needs when it comes to spiritual nourishment (Tit 2:1-10). Separating into Bible classes is an opportunity to address these needs more directly. In this article we will discuss the distinct purpose of our Bible class period and evaluate how we can most effectively use this time for the edification of the body…

Keep The Lord in the Lord's Supper (10)

Keep The Lord in the Lord's Supper (10)

As much as the religious world gets hyped up about Christmas and Easter, the Lord’s Supper is the only divinely instituted celebration found in the New Testament. As the exclusive memorial of the Lord’s church, we should be impressed with its importance in our assemblies. Everything we need to be reminded of as Christians is encapsulated in this sacrificial meal. We must push, therefore, not so much to keep Christ in Christmas, but to keep the Lord in the Lord’s Supper…

Effective Song Worship (9)

Effective Song Worship (9)

As in all aspects of our assembly, effective song worship is something that takes serious forethought and diligent preparation. Blending our voices and joining our hearts together in a way that will be uplifting and God-glorifying is not an easy or mindless task. Song leaders must work hard to be purposeful in their song selection and guide each hymn in a way that will best emphasize its message. Each member in the pews must engage their hearts in the words they are singing and participate in a way that will be most encouraging to the brethren around them…

Effective Public Prayer (8)

Effective Public Prayer (8)

Another aspect of our assemblies we need to evaluate is the practice of public prayer. The early church devoted themselves continually to prayer (Acts 2:42), sometimes gathering solely for this purpose (Acts 12:5, 12). While the scriptures often emphasize the need for personal and private prayer (Matt 6:5-6), there is also great value in communicating our thanksgivings and petitions as a family to our Father in heaven…