Januaryl, 1992„.The Portland Observer...Page 3
Portland Observer
RELIGION
Portland Observer encourages our readers to write
letters to the editor in response to any articles
we publish.
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
For Best Results
Advertise in the Observer