THE SINGING IN THE WORSHIP

By

Shelby G. Floyd

“The Singing in the Worship,” is the topic of our lesson. In the worship of the Heartland congregation our singing is outstanding. Everyone is encouraged to continue to sing praises to God with all of your heart. It has been said,

“One of the advantages of pure congregational singing
Is that you can join in whether you have a voice or not.
The disadvantage is that your neighbor can do the same.”
–Charles Dudley Warner

All Christians are commanded to sing whether we have a great voice or not. Everyone can “sing and make melody in your heart to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:19). This is good and acceptable and pleasing in God’s sight. Continue reading “THE SINGING IN THE WORSHIP”

THE STIGMA OF THE CROSS

By

Shelby G. Floyd

cross3

In the days of Christ, the apostles and the church he established, the cross bore a stigma of being the most shameful way to die. It was symbolic of great suffering and ignominious death. In the Old Testament writings, the death of Christ was prophesied by Isaiah and many of the prophets:

Isaiah 53:4-5
Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.
ESV

Thus Isaiah graphically depicts the despicable, degrading and humiliating beating and death of Christ upon the cross. Continue reading “THE STIGMA OF THE CROSS”

THE COMMUNION OF THE LORD

By

Shelby G. Floyd

lords-supper-oct06-18-728

When Paul wrote the first letter to the Corinthians in about A. D. 59, the observance of the Lord’s Supper was a well-established practice upon the first day of each week. The inspired apostle Paul had delivered unto the Corinthians the same teaching on the Lord’s Supper which he had received of the Lord:

“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11: 23-26).

Continue reading “THE COMMUNION OF THE LORD”