Januaryl, 1992„.The Portland Observer...Page 3
Portland Observer
RELIGION
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M allory
3908
of
C hrist
NE M A L L O R Y
AVENUE
BY MICHAEL LINDSEY
Dean Of North Portland Bibio College
The text f o r the Sunday School
lesson (International Series) fo r next
Sunday is Psalm84. Start the New Year
right, by taking yourselfand your whole
fa m ily to Sunday School and Worship
this week. A fa m ily with a foundation
in the Bible w ill be much better p re ­
pared f o r the pressures o f daily life
today.
How beautiful is your church build­
ing? Some o f us belong to churches
w ith spacious sanctuaries, padded pews
and stained glass windows. Others
worship in small storefronts, w ith
marginal heating systems and folding
chairs. I used to pastor a congregation
in the Albina area, in a building w ith
the latter description.
It is often pointed out that people
can worship God any place, even out in
the woods or along the river bank. I
have to question how many Sunday
fishermen really do take time to pray
and sing praises while they await the
big catch-and how many look to the
word o f God, the Bible, fo r instruction
in their daily lives. But truly a child o f
God can pray in solitude, and he should
(M att 6:6), as w ell as reading his Bible,
and singing hymns and spiritual songs
(Eph 5:19).
But that is not enough fo r the true
fo llo w er o f the Lord God. The Psalmist
in Psalm 84 reflects in his age, the
attitude we should all have about our
own place o f worship, whether it is a
cathedral or a storefront or a private
house. The Psalmist, w ith most o f the
faithful children o f Israel, was far
removed from Jerusalem, the city on
which the Lord had set his Name (Deut
12:5), and the Temple, the only proper
place o f worship o f Yahweh God. He
had to travel long miles, on special
occasions, to participate in worship with
the great pilg rim throngs. Even fo r
those in the nearby hills, the journey
was a sacrifice o f time and labor, to jo in
w ith th worshippers in the H oly City.
Nevertheless, the true worshipper
was eager to go and “ appear before the
We need volunteers interested in:
Bible Study
9:30 am .
Morning Worship
10:45 am .
M en’s Training Leadership
W om en’s Bible Class
I
Evening Worship
6:00 pm.
Attended nursery for all
services
Wednesday prayer meeting
A
Minister Gregory Fobbs
2. Fundraising
3. Community News Letter
5. Board Participation
Jim Werner
11300 N.E. Halsey, Suite 100
Portland, OR 97220
Residence: 503-771-6113
VANN & VANN
FU N ERA L
D IR E C T O R S
Family Owned and Operated
Since 1954
Serving the City of Portland
for over 37 years
In your hour of need
Vann &Vann are there to serve
and bible study
7:30 pm.
Radio Ministry Each Sunday, 11:00 AM - KBMS
288-1092
RESTORING
Cleodus Vann
NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY
503/281-2836
521 1 N. W illia m s P o r tla n d , O r. 9 7 2 1 7
ÿ a p ttsi (Hijnrclj
8101 N. Fiske Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97203
Church Phone: 2 8 9 -0 1 4 7
things life has to offer: here the Psalm­
ist proclaims, “ no good thing w ill he
[the Lord] w ithhold from them that
walk u prightly” (84:11; see also Ps
37:4; M a lt 5:6; 16:24-27).
What does all this mean fo r the
believers o f Jesus Christ? We have an
obligation put upon us, like the saints
o f ancient Israel, to seek out the limes
o f worship and to be consistent in that
worship. It is commanded to us, as w ell
as them (Heb 10:25). We don’ t have
physical temples for worship, where
the Lord has put his Name. B u t we
ourselves are now the temple o f the
H oly S pirit o f God, in both our in d iv id ­
ual bodies (1 C or 6:19) and our local
gatherings (3:16). When we take up
the “ whole armor o f G od” (Eph 6:11-
18), we are taking it up together, not
individually. An individual Christian,
standing apart from the congregations
o f God, cannot obey his commands fo r
corporate worship.
We also have an obligation to fin d
a church b o d y -a fa m ily o f b elieve rs-
and com m it ourselves to that group.
Unfortunately, some professing C hris­
tians today have a habit o f visitin g
around to many churches, tasting a
Baptist sermon, a Pentecostal testimony
service, special revival meetings eve­
rywhere. And they don’ t seek G od’ s
leading fo r the church he wants them to
attach themselves to. Such Christians
are easy targets fo r the spiritual Enemy
o f our souls, fo r few other believers
w ill know when they are under attack,
and they are accountable to no-one.
Is dial where you are today? Church
tasting makes fo r very shallow saints.
Find a church where the Bible is being
taught, and where the fe llow ship is
warm and genuine. The size o f the
building, and even the size o f the con­
gregation, is not all that important Then
find a place o f service fo r the L ord
Jesus through that church, in keeping
w ith your gifts, talents and interests.
Y o u ’ ll find the reality o f Christian life ,
and the jo y o f growing in grace and the
knowledge o f our lovely Savior, Jesus
C h ris t
District Agent, 19 Years Service
1. Community Service
Please call Rose Marie Davis @ 281-8976 any time.
5:00 pm.
f
L ord ’ ’ three times a year (Exod 34:23-
24), fo r these were times o f great cele­
bration, fellow ship, and (most o f a ll)
exalting the great Name o f Yahweh
(the LO R D ) among the surrounding
nations. Look at the emotional de­
scription o f the worshipper: his “ soul
longeth, yea, even fainteth,” his “ flesh
crieth o ut” (Ps 84:2), he envies the
small birds which can dw ell in the
Temple court all year (84:3). The
“ tabernacles” (84:1) may refer to ear­
lie r times, when Israel worshipped the
Lord around a portable tent o f meeting.
But clearly the later verses refer to the
permanent Temple, w ith courts and a
“ house,” or building.
W hy this place o f worship? Be­
cause the Lord was there-he had spe­
cific a lly commanded his people to
worship him there and only there. His
presence was seen, and felt, and expe­
rienced there. And his people came
together there, and united in heart to
worship him there.
Often it wasn’ t an easy journey;
some came through wilderness areas,
or risked robbers and swindlers along
the LO R D God o f hosts, the God o f
Jacob (Israel), and saw his protection
and salvation at work. Some whose
hearts were not so dedicated to the Lord
would not make the trip; they would
stay home and worship God in their
own way, even using pagan ritual. And
they would miss the jo y o f truly know ­
ing the Lord.
The Psalmist had his priorities
straight: “ A day in thy courts is better
than a thousand [somewhere else], I
had rather be a doorkeeper in the hobuse
o f my God, than to dw ell in t fv tents o f
wickedness” (84:10). Given me choice,
he knew he was better o ff worshipping
the Lord than doing anything else. We
would call it a strategic investment o f
one’ s life. The Psalmist knew he was
better o ff in the low liest place o f serv­
ice, serving the true God, than liv in g in
relative ease, serving him self. The
Bible repeatedly promises that the per­
son who gives him self to the Lord w ith ­
out reserve, w ill receive a ll the best
ThePrudentiali^>
Volunteers Needed
Interested in Community Development in Northeast Portland? The
Northeast Genesis Project needs your help!
SUNDAY SCHEDULE
2 Timothy 1:3-4
An Antidote For ‘Church Tasting’
Attention... Attention... Special Announcement...
A ll alumnus o f the Albina Sports Program, Albina Roadrunners, ASP A ll-C om ers’ Summer Track Meets or ASP
Golden Ball Programs, from 1961 to 1991, are hereby requested to call 284-8828 or 280-5100 (ask for: Leon M cKenzie)
or call 284-0418 (ask for: Jon “ Hammer” Richardson) or write A lbina Youth Inc., P.O. Box 55483, Pordand, OR 97238.
A special event is being planned to honor M r. P hillip Walden. We need to hear from as many persons as possible
by the 15th o f January 1992. Please call or w rite as soon as possible concerning this very important upcoming event. Call
today!
C hurch
Scripture o f the
Study Phone: 2 8 9 -1 9 11
M allory Avenue
Christian Church
D
i s c i p
l e
s
o f
C
h
r is t
God's Presence promises
Power through Jesus Christ In
G ood Times and Bad Times
Adottfiecu / P&3
Sunday Service
10:45
Sunday School
9:30
Bible Study
6:00
Evening Service
7:00 P.M.
Pastor. R ev Ja m e s C E. F a u lk n e r
Themes W hatever you're going to do
fo r th e Lord, do it now
A Teaching Church With A Reaching Ministry
Dr. James E. Martin. Senior Pastor
I Peter lv.11
Church Office 116 N.E. Schuyler,
Sunday School
Morning Worship
Tuesday Bible
Study and Prayer
Inter-racial Congregation
WE ARE MOVING
SUNDAY SERVICES
TO
Stone Tower Church,
N.E. Sandy Blvd. & 3Oth
Worship Services 8:00 AM. & 11:00 A.M.
Church School 9:30 AM. to 10:30 A.M.
Bible Study. Wednesdays, 116 N.E.Schuyler
10:30 A.M. and 6:30 P.M.
Radio Ministry each Sunday. 8:00 A.M.-KBMS
"Come to me all you who ore
weary and heavy laden and I
will give you rest”
9:45am
11:00am
7:30pm
MT OLIVET BAPTIST
CHURCH
Denise fí. Bell. Pastor
126 N.E. Alberto t Portland, OR 97211 t (503) 288-5173
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