Tag: hymns
Clothed with Christ
Scripture reading for June 23rd: Colossians 3, Psalm 125, Proverbs 1
Colossians 3: 12-17 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Paul had instructed the believers to put off certain worldly and destructive habits, attitudes and actions as one takes off dirty clothes. They were to put on, like a clean and beautiful outfit, Jesus Christ through repentance and faith. They were ‘beloved children’ of the Father, chosen by Him, to be filled with His Holy Spirit of adoption and bearing fruit of that Spirit. Holiness was not a pious term, but practices of obedience from a humble and now compassionate heart. Love, joy, peace, patience and forgiveness would flow from the new nature that they put on. God would change them from the inside out so that instead of worldly attitudes and division would flow songs and hymns and thanksgiving! Everything would be done thankfully in the Name of Jesus Christ!
Psalm 125: 2 “As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people, from this time forth and forevermore.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for surrounding me and filling me with Your Holy Spirit and love. Help me today to continue to put on my new, clean, and joyful clothing! My changed heart flows with thanksgiving and joy at Your grace. I can forgive others as I have been forgiven. I am made truly rich as Your child, clothed in Your righteousness by grace! Thank You Jesus for Your great gift of salvation!
Proverbs 1: 8-9 “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for you neck.”
God’s chosen ones!
Scripture reading for March 9th: Numbers 15-18, Psalm 113, Colossians 3
Colossians 3:12-16 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
As God’s chosen ones, we are chosen by God to be adopted into His forever family. God’s family is marked by peace and love and thankfulness. As direct result of the grace we receive in having our sins forgiven, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit Who brings God’s character into us. The Holy Spirit leads our spirits in thankfulness, forgiveness of others and joyful worship. He binds us together with other members of Christ’s chosen ones and we begin to spread the songs of redemption around the world. From the rising of the sun to its going down, God’s Name is being praised! Jesus Christ stands as the Chosen Authority from God Who is the Prince of Peace. All grumbling ceases and praise rises to bless His Name forevermore!
Psalm 113:1-3 “Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the Name of the Lord! Blessed be the Name of the Lord from this time forth and forevermore! From the rising of the sun to its setting, the Name of the Lord is to be praised!”
Prayer: Father God, I am humbled to be a part of Your ‘chosen ones’ through the gift of eternal life. In receiving the Holy Spirit, I put on the character of Christ Jesus and allow Your love to bind me close to Your heart and closer to each member of this praising company. Use me today to share the song of redemption through my words, attitudes and actions with those still grumbling against God.
Numbers 17:8-10 “On the next day Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold, the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds. Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the people of Israel. And they looked, and each man took his staff. And the Lord said to Moses, “Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony, to be kept as a sign for the rebels, that you may make an end of their grumblings against Me, lest they die.””
The Word Dwells Richly in Me!
Scripture reading for September 10th: Colossians 3, Psalm 31, Proverbs 27
Key Scriptures: Colossians 3:14-17 “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
God is Love. Love is a basic covering for those in Christ Jesus. When we live in love, there is harmony and peace in our hearts and between other believers. Thankfulness and faith go hand in hand and pleases God. We can easily be thankful when we let Christ’s unchanging Word dwell in our hearts and flow through us to inform our actions and to share with others. God’s Word is wisdom, melody of song, and rich instruction for hungry hearts.
Faith Confession: I am clothed with love as I am filled with the Holy Spirit. God’s peace fills my heart and I seek to allow the Word of God to dwell within me and come out of my life and mouth in thanksgiving, praise, and godly instruction in wisdom.
Psalm 31:19 “Oh, how abundant is Your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!”
Melodies of thankfulness!
Scripture reading for August 29th: Psalm 133-135 and Ephesians 5
Key Scriptures: Ephesians 5:18-21 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence to Christ.”
Hearts that are filled with the Holy Spirit flow with heavenly words and music. There is thankfulness flowing to God and others for what Christ Jesus has done, is doing and will do. There is respect and honor for other members of Christ’s Body, the Church. Saints don’t need wine to give them joy! The Holy Spirit overflows them with His provision!
Psalm 133:1,3 “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! . . . .It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forever more.”
Prayer: Lord, thank You for the infilling of the Holy Spirit and songs of joy in my heart. Let that river flow in love and unity for the brothers and sisters and let it reach out to the lost to show them Your glory. Amen.
Thankful for a song in my heart!
Scripture reading for December 6th: Philippians 3-4, Colossians 1-3
Key Scriptures: Colossians 3:15-17 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Paul, writing to the Colossians, reminded this church family of their need to rest in the peace of their Savior, Jesus. This rest would result in a thankful spirit and as the Word of Christ richly indwelt them, they would sing songs, hymns and spiritual songs to God! Their whole life would be a concert of thankful worship through meditation on God’s Word! This would resound into eternity as we live with Christ forever!
Rejoicing in God’s Word: “I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” (Psalm 119:11) “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. . . Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His Name.” (Psalm 100:1-2,4)
Living well in evil days!
Scripture reading for December 1st: Ephesians 1-6
Ephesians contains amazing spiritual truth and insight for those in Christ’s church. There is a wealth of encouragement and some fantastic prayers that lift us into the realm of God. The simple Gospel is explained in Ephesians 2:8-11 in an easily understandable form. The church and it’s purposes are laid out in Ephesians 4:1-16. Following that, there are practical instructions for wise living for those in Christ. I have often used these chapters in counseling others over the years I have ministered. The last chapter helps us with spiritual warfare and the armor of God. We are in a battle against wicked forces in the heavenly realm!
“Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:15-20
The only way to live wisely in these evil days is to be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit! This is not a one-time experience of speaking in tongues or an emotional high at a Christian meeting. It is a personal relationship with God the Holy Spirit. As we live full of the Holy Spirit, we live a life of worship. We do this when we are alone with God and when we are around others. When we are filled with the Spirit, we speak graciously to others. Our speech is pleasing and in harmony with the Spirit of God.
Our speech is to be filled with thanksgiving to God the Father for everything. We realize that everything we have is from God. Our strength and health, as well as our material possessions, are gifts. We are blessed by our relationship with God and realize all the blessing of being in Christ! (Ephesians 1:3-12) Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs come from our hearts as we are filled with thanksgiving!
Wise Living When Days Are Evil!
Scripture reading for December 1st: Ephesians 1-6
Ephesians is one of my favorite letters from God through Paul. It contains amazing spiritual truth and insight for those in Christ’s church. There is a wealth of encouragement and some fantastic prayers that lift us into the realm of God. The simple Gospel is explained in Ephesians 2:8-11 in an easily understandable form. The church and it’s purposes are laid out in Ephesians 4:1-16. Following that, there are practical instructions for wise living for those in Christ. I have often used these chapters in counseling others over the years I have ministered. The last chapter helps us with spiritual warfare and the armor of God. We are all in a battle against wicked forces in the heavenly realm.
“Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:15-20
The only way to live wisely in these evil days is to be continuously filled with the Holy Spirit! This is not a one-time experience of speaking in tongues or an emotional high at a Christian meeting. It is a personal relationship with God the Holy Spirit. As we live full of the Holy Spirit, we live a life of worship. We do this when we are alone with God and when we are around others. When we are filled with the Spirit, we speak graciously to others. Our speech is pleasing and in harmony with the Spirit of God.
Our speech is to be filled with thanksgiving to God the Father for everything. We realize that everything we have is from God. Our strength and health, as well as our material possessions, are gifts. We are blessed by our relationship with God and realize all the blessing of being in Christ! (Ephesians 1:3-12) Christ is the reason for all that we have and we bubble over with thanksgiving and melodious speech. Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs come from our hearts as we are filled with thanksgiving!
This is the secret to wise living in evil days! Ask the Lord to fill you afresh with the Holy Spirit today! Begin your day with worship! Read some Psalms like 96-100! Sing a spiritual song of love, thanksgiving to the Lord from your heart! Decide to speak in harmony with the Holy Spirit to everyone you meet today! What a difference! You will make the most of every opportunity! May God unveil all the spiritual blessing that are yours today in Christ Jesus! Let all who are in Christ be “being filled with the Holy Spirit!”