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Remembering our Meeting
Our first gospel meeting as the Singing River church of Christ concluded Friday evening with Tommy Peeler. This past week was a return of the gospel meetings from a couple of years ago. We were blessed to have visitors from a variety of places. We were blessed by the men who led the singing and helped direct our hearts in praise and worship of our God. We were blessed by the men who led us in prayer. We were blessed to share in the fruit of our brother’s studies in the word of God. Tommy is an excellent student of the Word, and I am thankful for men, like him, who have dedicated so much of their lives to the study of God’s Word.
This past Sunday morning, our meeting began with a study from the book of Haggai. The Israelites had returned from Babylonian captivity and built back their “paneled houses,” but the house of the Lord stood desolate. Israel had “good excuses” for their failure to rebuild the Temple, but just as these excuses were not justified in Haggai’s day nor will they be acceptable in our day. We must keep God’s work as our greatest priority.
Tommy’s second lesson examined the greatness of our God from Isaiah 40. The majesty and glory of God is simply beyond our comprehension – “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span…” (40:12a). Where man may attempt to replace God with his own manmade idols or selfish pride, God’s glory will not be denied forever. Finally, the promise of the Lord toward all who are weary and tired gives us comfort in the midst of life’s storms.
On Sunday evening, we opened our Bibles to Jeremiah 42-43 and discussed Israel’s failure to listen to the Lord through Jeremiah. The people asked Jeremiah - “Where should we go?” Jeremiah told them to stay in the land, but being obstinate people they did not listen. They went to Egypt, despite Jeremiah’s warnings, and they paid the cost for their disobedience. Are we possibly guilty of doing the same thing in our lives? Do we listen, only to hear what we want, or do we listen to obey the will of God?
This past Monday evening, we journeyed back to the very beginning of where everything went wrong. If Genesis 3 had never occurred, then the Bible would have ended at Genesis 2, but the serpent tempted, Eve was deceived, and sin was committed. While man has continued to make his own choice in rebellion against God, there is a promise of salvation in Genesis 3. The language of sin was transformed into the language of salvation through Jesus Christ!
The sermon from Tuesday evening was a sober reminder of Jesus’ betrayal, trial, death, burial, and resurrection. One statement that stood out during Tommy’s lesson was – “Jesus did not go to the cross in weakness, but in spite of strength.” What an unbelievable thought! Jesus had all the power and right to end everything before the cross, but He faithfully submitted to the Father’s will and through Him we now have salvation and hope of eternity with Him.
On Wednesday evening, we opened our New Testaments to Acts 8 and discussed the conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch. We were reminded of God’s willingness to seek and to save those who were lost, even those traveling on a desert road. The Lord will always be found by those who seek after Him. This promise was manifested in the conversion of Zaccheus, the Eunuch, and Cornelius. It continues to be manifested in the conversion of everyone who seeks the truth as the Lord seeks for them to be saved. Praise God!
On Thursday evening, we took a journey through the 37th Psalm. This is a psalm of David concerning wisdom. The psalm contrasted the outcome of the righteous and the wicked. The wicked may seem to have the upper hand and are able to escape much of the trials experienced by the righteous, but in the end they will be cut off from the Lord. If the righteous will not quit, but continue to do good, then the Lord will give them the desires of their hearts. The desire of the righteous heart is not the things of this world, but rather to spend eternity in the presence of God.
Our final evening with Tommy was spent in the Old Testament, where he reminded us that – “…those who are with us are more than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16). It can be easy for the waves of life’s storms to overwhelm us, but the Bible is filled with individuals who were able to rise above their trials by the strength supplied by God. Gideon and his army of 300 men defeated the Midianites. David conquered the giant, Goliath. Jehoshaphat trusted in the Lord against the Ammonites, Edomites, and Moabites. Hezekiah found solace in the house of the Lord. Each of these men faced their enemies, not by their own strength, but by the strength supplied by God!
Our gospel meeting was a tremendous week of spiritual blessings and edification. We were blessed to have the Peeler’s with us for this past week. We were blessed to spend this time together as brothers and sisters in Christ. Let us not forget the lessons from this past week, but take time to meditate upon their truths and apply them in our daily lives. May God bless our efforts to grow from this past week of spiritual feasting!
