Church Blog (Page 16)

We should pray because we are commanded to always pray – 1 Thess. 5:16-18 16 Rejoice always; 17 pray without ceasing; 18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Here we have Paul commanding us to pray without ceasing. As believers, we need to constantly pray because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. When we don’t pray, we are sinning against our Lord and just shows that we are not…

We pray because we are commanded to This is arguably the clearest reason why we pray. We pray out of obedience. And this is not something that we do once in a while; we are commanded to pray consistently: “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). However, there are many more additional reasons why prayer is important. We pray to glorify God Prayer provides a way to ascribe glory to God and express our adoration to the Lord as we reflect…

Evangelism Now Compared to the Old Testament God has revealed himself and worked through his people differently in each dispensation. In the Old Testament, Israel, through the keeping of the Levitical law, was a light to the nations. All who wished to follow Yahweh came to them. God through the prophet Isaiah spoke, “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22). There is still only…

Genesis 1, John 1 – Power God created the world with His spoken word.God’s word is powerful and contained in scripture, so we must read it. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – Profitability   Scripture is the breathed out word of God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. We need to read the word, so we can be adequate and equipped for every good work. Joshua 1:8 – Proximity We are commanded not to let…

Since the very moment man received the word of God, in the form of the 10 commandments, God commanded that it should not “depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it (Josh 1:8).” When the Israelites received the commandments, they are constantly told to “Remember,” “Do not forget,” “keep all His statutes and His commandments (Deut6:2),” “diligently keep them…

All throughout Jesus’ life and ministry, he prayed (Heb 5:7). He often retreated from the crowds (Luke 6:12), got up early in the mornings (Mark 1:35), and even spent his final night before his death in prayer (Matt 26:39). He modeled it for all believers, and as imitators of Him, we ought to do it ourselves. The second reason is because God’s word commands us to do so. Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer…

The reason we pray is to build a personal relationship with God. God desires us to have intimate relationship with him and we in turn communicate to him through prayers. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven…” Prayer allows us to confess our sins which leads to repentance. God also invites us to talk to…

Prayer is the means of intercession between God and man. The Israelites prayed to God through the temple and priests; now, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit and Christ intercedes for us. When dedicating the temple Solomon prayed, “.. have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O LORD my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before you, that your eyes may be open day or night…

The first reason is we are commanded to evangelize. Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:19- 20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” We are instructed to make disciples of all nations by baptizing and teaching all that Jesus commanded. We are…

To have a heart of compassion for the lost like Christ Mark 2:17 – Christ came to heal the sick and call sinners Matthew 9:36 – Christ had compassion for the lost Matthew 9:37 – Laborers for the harvest is few while the harvest is plentiful   To Obey Christ’s Command   Matthew 28:19-20 – Jesus commissioned the disciples to go and evangelize   To carry out the roles given to us by Christ Mark 4:14 – Sower of Seeds…

Evangelism Now Compared to the Old Testament God has revealed himself and worked through his people differently in each dispensation. In the Old Testament, Israel, through the keeping of the Levitical law, was a light to the nations. All who wished to follow Yahweh came to them. God through the prophet Isaiah spoke, “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:22). There is still only…

Reading the Word of God is important because… The Word makes sure that we are right with the Lord. In Hebrews 4:12-13, the Word, which is sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrates and judges the condition of our hearts. It assesses our thoughts and intentions to make sure it is aligned with God’s will and truths, and not deceived by our sinful desires and rationalization. Verse 12 is an encouragement to a believer because the Lord has given us His…