Weekly Devotional

“He came as a witness, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him” John 1:7. As we study the church, we see in 1 Corinthians 12:18 that God arranges the members in the body—as He chooses! He is a sovereign God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and He alone unfolds His own plan. So, He has created each of us uniquely for a unique purpose. Like snowflakes, no two of us are alike! Just as Abraham, Moses, David, and Mary were unique in their service to Him, so is John’s as “a witness, to bear witness to the light.” How difficult it must have been … what temperament he must have had … to bask in the coming light and yet deny being the long-awaited Christ, Elijah, or Prophet. Instead, like a herald who is of no importance running before a king’s chariot would alert everyone of the potentate’s approach, John, quoting the Isaiah, said he was “the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’” Why? “That all might believe through him.” How much like John are we who are only worthless jars of clay and not the incredible treasure that is inside? We too, like John, are witnesses to the light that all might believe in Him.

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“Long may he live; may gold of Sheba be given to him! May prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all the day!” Psalm 72:15. The last verse of this psalm suggesting that this is what David prayed before he stepped out of public life as he made his son king, this nevertheless is one of two psalms that bears Solomon’s name in the superscription. It is a prayer that hopes the best for the one who would be the initial fulfillment of the house that God promised to build David (2 Samuel 7). Only through the Spirit could David know some details, such as the visit from the queen of Sheba visiting Solomon to hear his wisdom and the lavish gifts that she would bear (1 Kings 10). And only through the Spirit could the messianic implications for Jesus' righteous reign, enduring character, compassion, longevity, and concluding desire that “the whole earth be filled with his glory!” be fulfilled. A. F. Kirkpatrick has referred to this psalm as giving “the splendid vision of a perfect ruler.” How blessed we are to live in such a time when we can look back at God’s plan for our salvation that He had been unfolding since the world began and understand this psalm’s meaning.

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Attention:  36th Street Members

Our website contains much useful information for you as a member of the 36th street congregation.  We are updating and improving www.36thstreetchurch.com on an ongoing basis.

In order for you to take advantage of the full (members-only) benefits of the site, you need to set up a personal account on the site.  It's easy to do - just go to the homepage of the website and click on the 'MEMBERS' tab and select 'REGISTER' from the drop-down menu.  You will need to complete the form there and set up a username and password.  Your request will be forwarded to a web administrator, who will review the form and set you up in the system.

We encourage you to access the website and see how it can benefit you.