'Sound Words' Tagged Posts (Page 22)

Hannah’s Prayer We often fail to pray until we feel a desperate need even though we have the privilege of constant access to God. Many times, our desperation is the result of our own poor decisions. In such cases it is indeed appropriate to appeal to God. Simon was told to repent and to pray for forgiveness. (Acts 8:22) We must understand and accept that forgiveness does not usually mean escaping consequence. “For what credit is it if, when you…

Prayer Prayer is a powerful form of communication. The power of prayer does not come from the language in which it is spoken. The power of prayer does not come from the eloquence of the speaker. The power of prayer lies in the relationship between man and God. It is only God to whom it is permissible to pray, and only God has the power to answer prayer. God conversed directly with Adam in the Garden of Eden. One such…

SOUND WORDS, JUNE 27, 2021 It is pure coincidence that as I pen this article my own daughter is diligently preparing for her pending marriage. Few roles in life create as much anxiety or as much excitement as that of being a bride. The analogy of the church as a bride begins early in the New Testament. John the Baptist refers to himself as the friend of the bridegroom. He was obviously referring to Jesus. “You yourselves bear me witness,…

The Church is a Body The church is compared to the human body. A body is the physical structure or form of a human that includes bone, flesh, and organs. These intricate components are assembled in such a way to give the body strength and flexibility. King David marveled at the human form and rightly praised its designer. “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.…

The Church Has Been Purchased The church, the body of faithful believers in God, is unique in that God has adopted us to be His children. The apostle Paul addressed the saints at Ephesus and cited their spiritual blessings in Christ. As saints, they were chosen to be holy and blameless. He mentions their adoption by God. It was by Christ that they were made acceptable. Christ also afforded them redemption and forgiveness of sins. These blessings were not miraculous,…

The Church is the “Called Out” The church, in its simplest form, is an assembly of persons. If fact, the root meaning of assembly is “called out”. That could be any group of citizens called out from their homes into a public meeting. God has issued a calling for believers. We are called to be saints in one body of believers. To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to…

The Christian is a Priest A priest is a religious leader with the authority to perform rites or rituals. Priests offer sacrifices and communicate with Deity. We most often associate priesthood with the Mosaic Law. Under the Mosaic Law, priests were authorized to burn incense, make certain sacrifices, and anoint persons or objects for holy purposes (Numbers 4:16). They even acted as medical examiners (Leviticus 14). The role of priest predates the law of Moses. Offerings were made to God…

The Christian is a Steward A steward is one who is charged with the responsibility to supervise or keep an organization or a possession. A steward does not own that which is placed under their supervision rather, they are entrusted with this duty by the rightful owner. In Matthew 20:8, the steward of a vineyard had the responsibility to gather and pay the workers their daily wage, others oversaw households. Regardless of assigned responsibility the primary qualification of a steward…