Why Sundays are Special

In our culture, Sunday has lost some of its luster. The first day of the week is now popularly viewed as the “extra Saturday” of the weekend.

Christians recognize Sunday as a special day of fellowship and worship. Here are a few things that make it unique:

1. Jesus rose from the grave on a Sunday.

Jesus Christ was crucified on the Friday of Passover weekend, and on Sunday, the tomb where they laid Him was empty. The Bible says, “And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun. And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre? And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great. And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted. And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him” (Mark 16:2-6).

The most remarkable event in human history took place on that Sunday morning. From the day of Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples began to treat Sundays differently from the old Sabbath day (Saturday), and viewed it as a special day for His followers.

2. The church began on a Sunday.

About fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples gathered in Jerusalem and the Jewish feast of Pentecost was being observed. The Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles with power (as Jesus had foretold, see Mark 9:1 and Luke 24: 49), and the gospel of Christ was preached in its fullness for the first time. The details of this day are recounted in Acts 2, one of the pivotal chapters in Bible history. That Sunday was the day the Lord began adding “to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). Seeing that one of the greatest institutions known to man began on a Sunday, it should be no surprise that it would be observed as a day of spiritual significance.

3. The early Christians gathered to worship every Sunday.

The Bible describes how “upon the first day of the week, … the disciples came together to break bread” (Acts 20:7). And the apostles gave specific instructions about how to worship when they were assembled. Paul wrote: “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him” (I Cor. 16:1-2). Just as the Old Testament Sabbath day had been observed every seventh day (Saturday) (see Exodus 20:8), they set apart every first day of the week to honor Jesus Christ.

4. The first-century Christians looked forward to their times of fellowship every Sunday.

Because the day was special, the early Christians encouraged one another to attend the weekly assemblies as each Sunday drew closer. The Bible says: “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Heb. 10:24-25). They spurred one another on.

Perhaps the greatest reason Sundays are special is because Jesus is present in spirit with His disciples. He said: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20). We can be sure Jesus is with us on Sundays, if we assemble with His people for worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

People of the Bible: Samson

Samson was the strongest man in Scripture – in terms of sheer physical power. He had many weaknesses, however, most of which he did not initially recognize. He was able to provide ancient Israel some relief from Philistine oppression, but his weakness for wanting Philistine friends, including girlfriends, eventually led to his demise. He revealed the secret of the Nazarite vow, including unshorn hair, to Delilah, who betrayed him to some jealous Philistines. They cut his hair, and turned him into something like a carnival act.

At the lowest point in his life, Samson asked for God to give him strength so that he could complete his mission. The Bible says, “And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes” (Judges 16:28).

Like Samson, God is best able to empower us when we recognize our need for Him. A paradox of Scripture is that when we have recognized our deprivation without God’s strength, He will strengthen us, using His word, the fellowship of His people, our worship of Him, and His providence. Here are some of the passages which refer to that concept:

“O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee” (II Chron. 20:12).
“For the Lord will not cast off for ever: 32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies” (Lam. 3:31-32).
“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (II Cor. 12:7-10).
“For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you” (II Cor. 13:4).

The real source of Samson’s strength was his faith in God. The Heavenly Father can strengthen us once we recognize our weaknesses. God takes our faith and “out of weakness” makes us strong (Heb. 11:34).

Having a hard time in life right now? Perhaps the moment is arriving when you can experience God’s strength more fully.

Beatitudes in the Psalms

The biggest book in the Bible is Psalms. It has 150 chapters (each one is called a “psalm”) of poetic devotional material. It can take a bit of effort to become accustomed to reading from that book because most of them were originally lyrics for songs to be sung by God’s people in Old Testament times, the Israelites. It’s also challenging to keep the rhythm and rhyme intact when translating from one language, like Hebrew, to another, for us English, so we don’t get the same tone and timing that is in the original language. We can still pick up on the sentiment though – each writer was praising God for His greatness, or calling upon Him for His goodness and help.

Just like Jesus announced a series of “beatitudes” for His followers in Matthew 5:3-12, the book of Psalms also has a series of “Blessed” passages. If we “listen to the lyrics” of these Old Testament beatitudes, we can pick up on some important concepts for having a joyful life with God. Here are a few of them:

CHOICE OF FRIENDS: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful” (Psalm 1:1). That’s the opening verse of the Book of Psalms – it sets the tone for the next 149 chapters with the word “Blessed” – an “interjection, how happy!” (Olive Tree Enhanced Strong’s Dict.). Then it immediately unfolds one of the ways we can enjoy that kind of gladness with God – we learn the importance of recognizing problem-people before they entrap us in something too hard for us to get out of. Paul gave a similar bit of warning to the church at Corinth: “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals’” (1 Cor. 15:33, ESV). This doesn’t mean we can go around being unfriendly, but that we understand when we may need to “un-friend” someone we’ve gotten close to.

GLADNESS IN WORSHIP: “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of Thy countenance” (Psalm 89:15). The “festal shout” (ESV) refers to the atmosphere emanating from their gatherings to worship God. Of course, they wrestled with problems in that area – Malachi said many of them in his day had the attitude that it was “weariness” (Mal. 1:13) – but those who were “Blessed” were those who had the right outlook (e.g., John 4:24).

DOING WHAT’S RIGHT: “Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times” (Psalm 106:3). This principle is older than the saying “Honesty is the best policy” and is likely one of the reasons that proverb came about. It’s not always easy to do the right thing, but it is always best. Our attitude about our own integrity is so fragile that once it’s broken it’s difficult to repair. Live as if someone is watching every move you make – because Someone is.

CONFIDENCE FROM FOLLOWING SCRIPTURE: A dominant theme is Psalms is how glad we’ll be that we’ve founded our faith and life on Scripture: “Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that fears the LORD, that delights greatly in His commandments” (Psalm 112:1); “Blessed is every one that fears the LORD; that walks in His ways” (128:1); and the first verse of the Bible’s longest chapter – “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord” (119:1). “Have a” Bible, and “Have the Bible” (see John 17:17; I Peter 4:11)

PEACE FROM FORGIVENESS: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalm 32:1). Until we are convicted of the debt and darkness of sin, we cannot fully understand what this passage means. Jesus bring peace and joy for sinners (Rom. 5:1-2; 8:1).

People of the Bible: Stephen

Stephen was one of the first prominent members of the church of Christ in Jerusalem, and was also one of the first to die for being Jesus’ follower.

The primary text about Stephen is Acts 6 through 8. Consider three stages of his life as revealed in Scripture:

Stephen the Minister

We first read about Stephen as a servant in the church (Acts 6:1-7). From the beginning, Christianity has been about community and helping others. However, it is challenging to meet every need in the context of a variety of different demands and an array of personalities. It is no surprise that a problem arose, in which some Christian widows expressed criticism that they weren’t receiving fair attention from the church.

The apostles announced a solution: Select seven men who would be specially assigned to this task. Stephen is the first name mentioned on the list, and he is described as “full of faith and the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5). His name is Greek, which lets us know that he had a Grecian background, which would be helpful in addressing the situation.

Based on the other descriptions provided, we also know that Stephen had a good reputation in the community (6:3), was “full of the Holy Spirit” (6:3), and was capable of tending to the job at hand.

Like Jesus, Christians should be servants. Jesus said He came “to minister” (Mark 10:45), and He left us an example of humble service when He washed the disciples’ feet (John 13).

Stephen the Messenger

Next, we see Stephen as a spokesperson for the gospel (Acts 6:8-7:53). Stephen’s natural and supernatural abilities led him to a more public role in the church, particularly in leading Jews to Christ. Those who wanted to protect Judaism were disturbed that they were unable to rebut Stephen’s teachings (6:10).

The contention between Stephen and the Jews became so intense that some of the Jews paid witnesses to make false statements about him, and he was placed on trial for blasphemy (6:11-15).

Christianity is an aggressive religion. Jude said that we should be prepared to “contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude 3).

Despite the likely adverse consequences, Stephen delivered a powerful summary of God’s people under the Old Testament, and continued with a pointed application to his hearers (7:1-53). They were turning from God’s plan in the same way God’s people had in the past (7:51-53).

Stephen the Martyr

The crowd was furious with Stephen (Acts 7:54). In the face of death, Stephen remained committed to Christ and entrusted the keeping of his soul to Him (7:55-60).

Jesus promised us that if we were “faithful unto death,” He will give us a crown of life (Rev. 2:10). “Stephanos” in Greek means “crown.” Stephen was stoned to death, and was buried by some of the devout men in the church (8:2).

The event sparked intense persecution of the church by the Jews, including Saul. Paul never forgot the day Stephen died, later reminding the Lord that he guarded the robes of those who threw the stones at Stephen and didn’t do anything to help him (22:20). Stephen’s death became a catalyst for others to look to Jesus.

VBS 2017

Our one-day Vacation Bible School will be Saturday, June 24, 2017, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. We will have classes for youngsters and youth through sixth grade. Our subject will be The Beatitudes.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Matthew 5:3-12).

Keeping Our Hearts Pure

One of the Beatitudes emphasizes the importance of maintaining a godly conscience: “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). To cultivate that kind of freedom from corruption or inappropriate desire, consider these questions Fletcher of Madeley reflected on nightly:

Did I awake spiritual, and was I watchful in keeping my mind from wandering this morning when I was rising?
Have I this day got nearer to God in times of prayer, or have I given way to a lazy, idle spirit?
Has my faith been weakened by unwatchfulness, or quickened by diligence this day?
Have I this day walked by faith and eyed God in all things?
Have I denied myself in all unkind words and thoughts? Have I delighted in seeing others preferred before me?
Have I made the most of my precious time, as far as I had light, strength, and opportunity?
Have I kept the issues of my heart in the means of grace, so as to profit by them?
What have I done this day for the souls and bodies of God’s dear saints?
Have I laid out anything to please myself when I might have saved the money for the cause of God?
Have I governed well my tongue this day, remembering that “in a multitude of words there wanteth not sin”?
In how many instances have I denied myself this day?
Do my life and conversation adorn the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Going Right When Others Go Wrong

Friends and family are some of life’s greatest blessings. We enjoy a special bond with them, and share good times and bad times together. However, these relationships also present unique challenges.

From a spiritual standpoint, Satan utilizes every means possible to gain an advantage. It should be no surprise that one of the avenues used to interfere with our spiritual wellbeing would be through the influence of those who are closest to us. No one is perfect, and even though we may respect and care about others very much, they can make mistakes, give misguided advice, or approve of ideas that may not be accurate or acceptable to God.

One of the most important qualities a person can develop is the capacity to do what is right even though everyone else isn’t. Jesus taught, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26-27).

The Bible contains several passages challenging us to be careful when those who are close to us exert pressure to pull us away from God’s plan for our lives:

Exodus 23:2 – Don’t follow the crowd, especially when it is chasing evil.
Deuteronomy 13:6-8 – Don’t follow others when they worship other gods.
Psalm 1:1 – Be careful about hanging around with those who have evil attitudes and ideas.
Proverbs 1:10-15 – Don’t listen when others try to persuade you to engage in inappropriate behavior.
John 18:15-27 – Trying to blend in with those are do not share your faith in Christ can tempt you to deny your faith.
I Corinthians 15:33 – Listening to those who doubt God and His message can weaken our faith.
Galatians 2:9-13 – No matter how conscientious we may usually be, we can be affected by the ideas of our friends and associates.
Galatians 6:1 – When we are attempting to help a friend with a spiritual problem, we should remember that we are also susceptible to the influence of sin.
Matthew 7:13-14 – When making decisions about which path to take in life, our choices should be determined by considering where the path will lead, and not with the direction that others may be going.

Overcoming Disadvantages

It’s easy to look at what others have, and then to focus on what we don’t have, and to develop the idea that nothing is worth the effort because of our disadvantages.

Does success ever come easy, though?

While visiting in the office of a successful business woman who had a very stressful job, I noticed a plaque on her wall which read: “The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.”

Choose to have faith in God, and depend on Him. With His help, disadvantages can be turned into points of strength.

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. . . . Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus. . . .” (II Cor. 4:8-9, 14a).

The Whole Armor of God

One of the strengths of the Roman army was in its highly developed battle gear. Each piece of the soldier’s armament and weaponry served a well-thought out purpose. In Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul uses each item of the soldier’s assigned equipment to urge us to be prepared – with God’s help – for temptations or trials.

The Sphere of the Aggression

The field of battle in the Christian life is a spiritual one. Paul explained in verses 10-13 that we are engaged in a conflict with unseen forces of the non-physical realm.

Ephesians 6:10-13 (NKJV) – “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

Peter also used the analogy of military conflict to describe the temptation to sin: “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul” (I Peter 2:11, KJV). “War” is from the Greek term for “serving as a soldier” (Vines).

The Strength of His Armor

The Lord strengthens us (verse 10) by making available seven specific blessings and characteristics which we may call upon to aid us, which Paul likens to pieces of the Roman soldier’s armament:

Ephesians 6:14-20 (NKJV) – “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

We must “put on the whole armor of God” to stand against the devil during challenging moments.

Satan wants to destroy us with error, so we need to be girded with truth (v. 14). The Galatians had been “bewitched” (Gal. 3:1) into following “another gospel” (Gal. 1:6-9). Satan had deceived them into believing that the distorted gospel they had been listening to was better than the original. He is described as the “father of lies” (John 8:44), because deception is his primary method of attack. There will be those who are deceived into believing a lie because they do not love the truth (II Thess. 2:10-12). To protect ourselves, we must know and follow the truth (John 7:17; 8:32, 36).
Satan wants us to fail to do what is right, so we need the “breastplate of righteousness” (v. 14). John declared that “all unrighteousness is sin” (I John 5:17). Satan wants us to be indifferent to doing right. But it is just as bad to fail to do what is right as it is to do what is wrong. To know the good thing to do, but not to do it, is sin (James 4:17).
Satan wants to keep men from the power of the gospel, therefore we ought to be “shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (v. 15). God’s power works through the gospel message. The gospel is “God’s power unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). The devil wants to prevent this this power from being realized in someone’s life. We ought to be ready to take the good news of Jesus Christ into all the world (Mark 16:15, 16). By grasping the gospel of Christ, we will be equipped to walk upon any kind of path with Him: “Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name” (Psalm 86:11, KJV).
Satan is hurling fiery darts at the hearts of the self-dependent, so we need to bear the shield of faith (v. 16). We should “walk by faith, and not by sight” (II Cor. 5:7). Satan’s “flaming arrows” are “poisoned with faith-destroyers.” He wants to destroy our faith by filling our minds with doubts. He could say, “There is no need to pray. God doesn’t answer prayer anyway.” He might declare, “The Bible is an old book and it’s too hard to understand. Why should you waste time studying it?” And he could smirk, “The church is full of hypocrites. Why should you get involved? No one notices when you try to do good.” The shield of faith protects us from such doubts. Confidence in God’s promises enables us to overcome any foe (I John 5:4).
Satan works to cause us to doubt our relationship with God, therefore we need assurance of salvation (v. 17). This “helmet of salvation” is our confidence of salvation. God wants us to be saved and to be assured of our salvation. John said we can know that we have eternal life (I John 5:13). If we walk in the light, we will have fellowship with him and also be assured of continued fellowship when this life is over. We will enjoy eternal life when our earthly lives have concluded (Mark 10:28- 30). Examine yourself (II Cor. 13:5). Are you sure of your salvation? We are able to endure the devil’s attacks when we know the Lord and are assured of our standing with Him (II Tim. 1:12; I John 2:3).
We need the sword of the Spirit because Satan cannot defend against it (v. 17). Instead of directly operating upon the hearts of sinners or saints, the Holy Spirit uses the word of God to both convict of sin and guide men to heaven. As a sword, the word of God is our weapon in battling Satan. Jesus used it victoriously in His trial by the devil (Matt. 4:1-11). We too can use it when we study it, learn its true meaning, and properly apply it to our lives (II Tim. 2:15). God’s word has power (Heb. 4:12-13).
We need to pray, because the devil turns and runs when we draw close to God. Roman soldiers usually marched in silence, but when about to enter battle would use their shields as a type of megaphone for the “barritus,” a “harsh, intermittent roar” (Tacitus). Christians may call upon God for His aid at any time (I Thess. 5:17; I Peter 5:7). James wrote, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded” (James 4:7-8, KJV).

In facing the daily battles of life, the Lord offers us strength and protection. Will you accept His offer?

The Lord’s Righteousness

Jeremiah prophesied that the Messiah would provide our way to stand right with God: “In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jer. 23:6).

First, Jesus portrayed righteousness. Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would be a warrior against evil: “For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance [for] clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke” (Isaiah 59:17). Indeed, Jesus was the epitome of living righteously. He withstood the devil’s temptations like no other (see Matt. 4:1-11). Peter emphasized that Jesus “did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” (I Peter 2:21). He is the only man who never sinned (Heb. 4:15). He “knew no sin” (II Cor. 5:21) and was “separate from sinners” (Heb. 7:26, cf. Luke 23:47).

Second, Jesus proclaimed righteousness. Not self-righteousness (Matt. 23:28; Luke 5:32, 18:9; Prov. 30:12; Rom. 10:3), but a conviction that without Him we are nothing (John 14:6, 15:5; Phil. 3:9). He followed Scripture to “fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15).

Third, Jesus provides righteousness. His obedience (on our behalf) enables us to claim His righteousness (Rom. 5:19). Paul explained, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (II Cor. 5:21). He supplies righteousness (Rom. 3:26, 4:5; I Cor. 1:30). We can be “dressed in His righteousness alone,” if we are humbly obedient to Him (Titus 3:5; Acts 10:35).