In John 4, Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman reveals a pivotal shift in worship. “The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:23). This statement revolutionizes the concept of worship.
It seems those who hate Israel have taken particular joy in using their holidays as opportunities to mount assaults against them—on days when they might be least suspecting and least prepared.
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True worship runs far deeper than any stylistic expression. It is not merely the sound we produce but the surrender we offer. Pastors, worship leaders, and all church leaders must recapture the biblical vision of worship.
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Paul adds a second reason for refusing to enroll younger widows in verse thirteen. While they are turning away from Christ (ἅµα δὲ), they are also learning to be idle (καὶ ἀργαὶ µανθάνουσιν).
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“I hate preaching holidays like Christmas and Easter,” he said. “Why?” I couldn’t fathom a Christian pastor ever uttering those words. “I have a hard time finding something new to say,” the pastor replied.
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What is defeat supposed to do in our lives as God’s people? How are we supposed to respond when we’ve been “crushed… to the ground”? Psalm 143 presents at least 4 things we ought to do.
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First, note that Paul views the creation account as history, as non-fiction; he accepts its historicity outright. Second, he determines the appropriate protocols for corporate worship, a contemporary morality, if you will, from that ancient historical account.
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It is a bit of a stretch to call John Boys (1571-1625) a Puritan. He was an Anglican cleric who was Dean of Canterbury Cathedral and a translator of the Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible of 1611. He was certainly evangelical in his sympathies and was held in high esteem by his contemporaries.
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Jesus shows us how to respond when sorrow presses heavily upon the soul. His experience in Gethsemane provides a pattern of faithful endurance that remains profoundly relevant for believers today.
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