Philippians 1:27
[ Life Worthy of the Gospel ] Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel
Ephesians 4:3
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Ephesians 5:1
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children
Philippians 2:15
so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky
We call it 'love', don't we? When we put aside our interests, dreams and desires to pour ourselves, heart and soul, into our children. The beauty of God's providential design of the family, is that, it's supposed to work like that. No sacrifice is too great for our children. Countless hours, energy and resources spent on rearing our children to the best of our ability. Yet we happily toil, rarely complaining, taking our reward from the smile, the hug or the 'Thank you Dad' (or 'Mom') that comes as a result of the joy experienced by them at any given time. And even when that smile, hug or 'Thank you' doesn't materialize, we were supposed to do it any way, right? That's what parents do. The same is true in the other direction within the family unit. Children 'understand' when they can't always have what they want. They 'help' mom and dad when asked. They cling to mom and dad because mom and dad are all they have. Family.
The same is true at your job, isn't it? Generally speaking, a harmonious workplace, where everyone works toward the common goals of the organization, is a good place to work. A place where the goals of the organization are clearly delineated.make it easy to sacrifice your time and energy for the good of the company. Sure, a job is a job, but unity of purpose makes it easier
What then in the Body of Christ? How do we get the most out of the interaction within our 'church experience'? Harmony of purpose, unity of Spirit should be our goal, but what is our motivation? What should it be? Do we serve for fame or fortune. Do we esteem ourselves more than our brothers and sisters in Christ? Do we want to see our personal agenda played out, even if it would bring about some benefit to the 'Body'? No wonder we 'burn out', give up, loose hope and quit.
Beloved, Christ set the example. He looked forward and saw 'Joy' on the other side of suffering. He entreats us to do the same. His Word encourages us to look to a time in Eternity, when we will all stand in His Presence, casting our crowns and rewards before Him in Glory. Always remember: 'It's not about us, it's about Him". Find your place in the Body, set your heart on things above, let the 'mind of Christ' be in you, let his love strengthen you, let His Holy Spirit guide you. Put aside selfish motivations and desires and you will find strength for the journey. Be like Jesus.
.wb
1 Corinthians 13:1-8
1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for April 24, 2011: Go and Tell (Matthew 28)
John 10:17-19
17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
Romans 8:21-23
21 that[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.
In the space of time represented between last week’s lesson and this week’s lesson, a great many events transpired: the Triumphal Entry, His ‘Anointing’ in the home of Mary of Bethany, The Last supper, the betrayal and arrest of Jesus, His mock trial by the Pharisees and questioning by Pilate, the scourging and beating He endured, His sentencing and finally His crucifixion and burial. There was joy and pain, mystery and miracles, intrigue and revelation. And then there was the Resurrection. Jesus had foretold it, but even His closest friends couldn’t quite fathom it or what it’s impact would be on the entirety of human history from that day on. Jesus had promised that He would lay down His life and that He had the power to take it up again. How could they know? How could they ever have imagined?
Sunday morning, we will once again commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. He died ‘The King of the Jews’, but He rose with all Power and Authority given to Him. And He left us with a job to do: Go and Tell. Tell somebody, anybody, everybody about Jesus. When He rose, Hope Eternal rose. When He rose, Love Everlasting rose. When He rose, all of Creation took note, and is now anxiously awaiting His Return and the appearance of His beautiful bride: The Church. That’s you and I…. and everybody that gets the Message, the Good News, the Gospel. I don’t know when He’s coming, but I know He’s coming. Get ready and help others to get ready. Go and Tell. Have a Blessed Easter Sunday…
.wb
Revelation 19:6-8
6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
8 Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.”
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)
17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
Romans 8:21-23
21 that[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies.
In the space of time represented between last week’s lesson and this week’s lesson, a great many events transpired: the Triumphal Entry, His ‘Anointing’ in the home of Mary of Bethany, The Last supper, the betrayal and arrest of Jesus, His mock trial by the Pharisees and questioning by Pilate, the scourging and beating He endured, His sentencing and finally His crucifixion and burial. There was joy and pain, mystery and miracles, intrigue and revelation. And then there was the Resurrection. Jesus had foretold it, but even His closest friends couldn’t quite fathom it or what it’s impact would be on the entirety of human history from that day on. Jesus had promised that He would lay down His life and that He had the power to take it up again. How could they know? How could they ever have imagined?
Sunday morning, we will once again commemorate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. He died ‘The King of the Jews’, but He rose with all Power and Authority given to Him. And He left us with a job to do: Go and Tell. Tell somebody, anybody, everybody about Jesus. When He rose, Hope Eternal rose. When He rose, Love Everlasting rose. When He rose, all of Creation took note, and is now anxiously awaiting His Return and the appearance of His beautiful bride: The Church. That’s you and I…. and everybody that gets the Message, the Good News, the Gospel. I don’t know when He’s coming, but I know He’s coming. Get ready and help others to get ready. Go and Tell. Have a Blessed Easter Sunday…
.wb
Revelation 19:6-8
6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
8 Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.”
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)
Friday, April 15, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for April 17, 2011: Praise the Lord (Mark 11:1-11)
John 2:23-24
23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.[a] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people.
2 Kings 9:12-13
12 …. Jehu said, “Here is what he told me: ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’”
13 They quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!”
Psalm 118:26-27
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
From the house of the LORD we bless you.[a]
27 The LORD is God,
and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up[b] to the horns of the altar.
Zechariah 9:9
[ The Coming of Zion’s King ] Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Matthew 21:14
14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.
"King me!" That's an expression used in the game of checkers when you have maneuvered one of your checkers through your opponents defense all the way to the other side of the board. When this happens, your opponent 'crowns' your checker by placing another of your checkers on top of the checker being 'King'ed' or promoted. Once crowned, this checker becomes a 'super checker', able to travel the distance of the board in a single move. A checker so 'crowned' puts the player at great advantage. A 'paradigm shift' takes place. The odds shift heavily in favor of the crowned competitor.
Jesus has traveled to Jerusalem before. Why is this trip different? For a moment, let's put ourselves in that present day’s environment, with no fore knowledge of the coming crucifixion, just for a moment. If you are one of Jesus' inner circle, or if you are just one of His followers, you know that the anticipation has been building for sometime now. Jesus is no stranger to the 'masses'. His preaching and His miracles have made Him a household name (John 2:23-24, John 5:1). John 2 tells us that many saw his miracles at Jerusalem three years earlier at Passover and believed on Him. From that earlier visit until today, Jesus had healed hundreds, fed thousands, ministered to whole regions. Make no mistake, He was very well known through out Judea. Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem… for Passover! What we may have missed was that thousands were converging on Jerusalem at this time, many of those thousands had not only heard of Jesus, but had long ago believed on Him… and they had been waiting… hoping.. praying that this young miracle worker would take hold of the mantle of ‘Messiah’ and make the nation of Israel great again. “Hosanna!”, they shouted. “It is time! Save us”, they demanded. Jesus, Himself, seems to be signaling that now is the time. He’s riding in on a colt, thus fulfilling the righteousness of scripture. By His actions, He demonstrates a willingness to finally.. finally accept His ‘Calling”. To finally step into His God appointed, anointed position as King of Israel.
Something magnificent is about to happen. Can’t you feel it? There’s a ‘certain sound’ from the heavens. It didn’t stop when the palm leaves stopped being waved. No it just grew and grew. Anticipation. Expectation. Something really big is about to take place. When faith is ignited by expectation, miracles break out. A woman with an issue grabbed His hem and was healed. A blind man cried out and was made to see. A man with a withered hand reached out .. and was made whole. Faith in action puts Heaven in motion. And now the multitudes are coalescing… around Jesus. The praise and excitement and anticipation has created a ‘presence’ that is tangible. The multitude feels it. Something is in the air.
Then, finally, the parade subsides, but the results are in place. ‘King’ Jesus has been ‘anointed’ for this most Holy event. He’s been ‘King’ed”. And now he makes His way to the Temple. But wait! Where is the expectation? The anticipation? His arrival at the Temple should have been heralded with the sound of the trumpet by the priests, the scribes, the religious hierarchy. It should not only have been a ‘Triumphal Entry’ into Jerusalem, but a triumphal arrival at the Temple… as King. But alas, it was not to be. That would have been a different plan. Not the Father’s plan. No, the Temple was quiet. Just some guards and the Levites on duty who were in charge of final preparations for this most Holy week. No one there was looking for a King, so Jesus just turned around and left.
No worries. Jesus didn’t come to the Temple to be received as King. His arrival at the Temple judged it and the religious system that it had come to represent. Jesus turned around and left. This wouldn’t be His last time at the Temple this week and yes, He would assume His place of authority at the Temple, if only for a few brief moments (Matt.21:14). Then He would turn His attention to His real purpose for being in Jerusalem, to be… the Passover Lamb and He would turn His attention to His planned and eventual destination…. Golgotha… and the cross. His vision was larger than a Temple and a nation. His vision was for all of mankind, you and I included. The multitude that met Him that day in Jerusalem couldn’t imagine what would transpire over the next several days and yet they were an integral part of the process. In any other setting, the sacrificing of the Passover lamb would have inspired … Worship. However, on this blessed occasion, inspired, expectant Worship heralded the arrival of … the Lamb of God. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!
.wb
Hebrews 12:2
…. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
1 Peter 2:24
24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
Psalm 118:22-23
22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
23 the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.[a] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people.
2 Kings 9:12-13
12 …. Jehu said, “Here is what he told me: ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’”
13 They quickly took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, “Jehu is king!”
Psalm 118:26-27
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
From the house of the LORD we bless you.[a]
27 The LORD is God,
and he has made his light shine on us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up[b] to the horns of the altar.
Zechariah 9:9
[ The Coming of Zion’s King ] Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Matthew 21:14
14 The blind and the lame came to him at the temple, and he healed them.
"King me!" That's an expression used in the game of checkers when you have maneuvered one of your checkers through your opponents defense all the way to the other side of the board. When this happens, your opponent 'crowns' your checker by placing another of your checkers on top of the checker being 'King'ed' or promoted. Once crowned, this checker becomes a 'super checker', able to travel the distance of the board in a single move. A checker so 'crowned' puts the player at great advantage. A 'paradigm shift' takes place. The odds shift heavily in favor of the crowned competitor.
Jesus has traveled to Jerusalem before. Why is this trip different? For a moment, let's put ourselves in that present day’s environment, with no fore knowledge of the coming crucifixion, just for a moment. If you are one of Jesus' inner circle, or if you are just one of His followers, you know that the anticipation has been building for sometime now. Jesus is no stranger to the 'masses'. His preaching and His miracles have made Him a household name (John 2:23-24, John 5:1). John 2 tells us that many saw his miracles at Jerusalem three years earlier at Passover and believed on Him. From that earlier visit until today, Jesus had healed hundreds, fed thousands, ministered to whole regions. Make no mistake, He was very well known through out Judea. Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem… for Passover! What we may have missed was that thousands were converging on Jerusalem at this time, many of those thousands had not only heard of Jesus, but had long ago believed on Him… and they had been waiting… hoping.. praying that this young miracle worker would take hold of the mantle of ‘Messiah’ and make the nation of Israel great again. “Hosanna!”, they shouted. “It is time! Save us”, they demanded. Jesus, Himself, seems to be signaling that now is the time. He’s riding in on a colt, thus fulfilling the righteousness of scripture. By His actions, He demonstrates a willingness to finally.. finally accept His ‘Calling”. To finally step into His God appointed, anointed position as King of Israel.
Something magnificent is about to happen. Can’t you feel it? There’s a ‘certain sound’ from the heavens. It didn’t stop when the palm leaves stopped being waved. No it just grew and grew. Anticipation. Expectation. Something really big is about to take place. When faith is ignited by expectation, miracles break out. A woman with an issue grabbed His hem and was healed. A blind man cried out and was made to see. A man with a withered hand reached out .. and was made whole. Faith in action puts Heaven in motion. And now the multitudes are coalescing… around Jesus. The praise and excitement and anticipation has created a ‘presence’ that is tangible. The multitude feels it. Something is in the air.
Then, finally, the parade subsides, but the results are in place. ‘King’ Jesus has been ‘anointed’ for this most Holy event. He’s been ‘King’ed”. And now he makes His way to the Temple. But wait! Where is the expectation? The anticipation? His arrival at the Temple should have been heralded with the sound of the trumpet by the priests, the scribes, the religious hierarchy. It should not only have been a ‘Triumphal Entry’ into Jerusalem, but a triumphal arrival at the Temple… as King. But alas, it was not to be. That would have been a different plan. Not the Father’s plan. No, the Temple was quiet. Just some guards and the Levites on duty who were in charge of final preparations for this most Holy week. No one there was looking for a King, so Jesus just turned around and left.
No worries. Jesus didn’t come to the Temple to be received as King. His arrival at the Temple judged it and the religious system that it had come to represent. Jesus turned around and left. This wouldn’t be His last time at the Temple this week and yes, He would assume His place of authority at the Temple, if only for a few brief moments (Matt.21:14). Then He would turn His attention to His real purpose for being in Jerusalem, to be… the Passover Lamb and He would turn His attention to His planned and eventual destination…. Golgotha… and the cross. His vision was larger than a Temple and a nation. His vision was for all of mankind, you and I included. The multitude that met Him that day in Jerusalem couldn’t imagine what would transpire over the next several days and yet they were an integral part of the process. In any other setting, the sacrificing of the Passover lamb would have inspired … Worship. However, on this blessed occasion, inspired, expectant Worship heralded the arrival of … the Lamb of God. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!
.wb
Hebrews 12:2
…. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
1 Peter 2:24
24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”
Psalm 118:22-23
22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
23 the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for April 10, 2011: Remember the Warnings (Jude 17-25)
John 13:34
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
2 Corinthians 13:11
[ Final Greetings ] Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
1 Peter 1:22
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.
Just a few points about this week’s lesson. Jude is warning his followers in the strongest terms about false believers from within the Church and scoffers outside of Her. He reminds them of the teaching of the Apostles. In doing so, he exemplifies the kind of leader that Paul has encouraged Timothy towards in the lessons of previous weeks. You see, Jude, as the (half) brother of the Lord Jesus, could have claimed some lofty position of leadership and prestige in the fledgling Church, but he defers to the Apostles of the Lord, those men chosen by the Lord personally to lead his Church after His Ascension. Good leadership recognizes and honors authority. Jude’s followers could easily distinguish the false teachers and preachers in the church by looking at the model he was exemplifying.
I’m reminded of how (so I’ve heard) people who handle money are taught to recognize counterfeit bills. The main emphasis in these classes is to teach the students how to recognize the genuine article. When they completely understand how to recognize and identify real currency, they won’t be fooled by the counterfeit. The same is true for the believer: focus on the authentic in Christ and counterfeits will be easy to recognize.
Jude says ‘Remember the warnings of the Apostles’. Read the word. Remember Jesus. Remember what the Bible teaches. Next he tells them to build themselves up by praying in the Spirit. Draw closer to Jesus. Never bad advice. Dwell in the secret place in Christ. Abide, Live, Thrive in the shelter and shadow of His mighty wings. Abide is in Him, He cannot lose you out of His grasp. Abide in His love. Finally, Jude tells his followers to show mercy. In all things show mercy and compassion. Flee from sin, but not necessarily from the sinner. Encourage one another, strengthen the weak, and ‘love’ the devil off of those who are held captive by sin, who have fallen away from the body of believers.
Jude ends his letter with a doxology that I’ve heard dozens, if not hundreds of times: ‘Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.’ (and Amen! It’s OK to shout right here, I always do :)) Be blessed. Enjoy the lesson.
wb
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
2 Corinthians 13:11
[ Final Greetings ] Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
1 Peter 1:22
Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.
Just a few points about this week’s lesson. Jude is warning his followers in the strongest terms about false believers from within the Church and scoffers outside of Her. He reminds them of the teaching of the Apostles. In doing so, he exemplifies the kind of leader that Paul has encouraged Timothy towards in the lessons of previous weeks. You see, Jude, as the (half) brother of the Lord Jesus, could have claimed some lofty position of leadership and prestige in the fledgling Church, but he defers to the Apostles of the Lord, those men chosen by the Lord personally to lead his Church after His Ascension. Good leadership recognizes and honors authority. Jude’s followers could easily distinguish the false teachers and preachers in the church by looking at the model he was exemplifying.
I’m reminded of how (so I’ve heard) people who handle money are taught to recognize counterfeit bills. The main emphasis in these classes is to teach the students how to recognize the genuine article. When they completely understand how to recognize and identify real currency, they won’t be fooled by the counterfeit. The same is true for the believer: focus on the authentic in Christ and counterfeits will be easy to recognize.
Jude says ‘Remember the warnings of the Apostles’. Read the word. Remember Jesus. Remember what the Bible teaches. Next he tells them to build themselves up by praying in the Spirit. Draw closer to Jesus. Never bad advice. Dwell in the secret place in Christ. Abide, Live, Thrive in the shelter and shadow of His mighty wings. Abide is in Him, He cannot lose you out of His grasp. Abide in His love. Finally, Jude tells his followers to show mercy. In all things show mercy and compassion. Flee from sin, but not necessarily from the sinner. Encourage one another, strengthen the weak, and ‘love’ the devil off of those who are held captive by sin, who have fallen away from the body of believers.
Jude ends his letter with a doxology that I’ve heard dozens, if not hundreds of times: ‘Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.’ (and Amen! It’s OK to shout right here, I always do :)) Be blessed. Enjoy the lesson.
wb
Friday, April 8, 2011
A Poem by my Brother...
FIGHTING WITH THE DEVIL.
by Kevin Bigham on Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 8:02am
PART ONE... In my dreams at night as i sleep an evil presence lurks my soul he seeks. He goes by many names Satan, Samael, Lucifer, Amun. I go by one, Gods son. His very presence instills fear from within, But i have faith so i just grin. He tells me join him and be free to live life as i choose. Thanks but no thanks i reply too much to lose. He Promises in the palm of his hand he holds my salvation but i refuse to yield to temptation. He's desperate now he even bequeaths me his throne promising that one day i will rule. I fire back Amun i already have a king and i was meant to play the role of the son so let's wrap this up i think we are done. He cries that he loves me Kevin i offered you the world where did i fail? I say don't worry about that, The Devil is in the details... KB
by Kevin Bigham on Sunday, April 3, 2011 at 8:02am
PART ONE... In my dreams at night as i sleep an evil presence lurks my soul he seeks. He goes by many names Satan, Samael, Lucifer, Amun. I go by one, Gods son. His very presence instills fear from within, But i have faith so i just grin. He tells me join him and be free to live life as i choose. Thanks but no thanks i reply too much to lose. He Promises in the palm of his hand he holds my salvation but i refuse to yield to temptation. He's desperate now he even bequeaths me his throne promising that one day i will rule. I fire back Amun i already have a king and i was meant to play the role of the son so let's wrap this up i think we are done. He cries that he loves me Kevin i offered you the world where did i fail? I say don't worry about that, The Devil is in the details... KB
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Sunday School Lesson for April 3, 2011: Remember Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:8-19)
2 Timothy 2:15
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Acts 16:25
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
Ephesians 5:19
speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,
Colossians 3:16
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Once upon a time, Paul, the Apostle and Silas, his friend and co-laborer in the gospel were thrown in jail. Paul and Silas encouraged themselves by singing and praising God. The Bible records: that as they were singing, a violent earthquake occurred, the prison was shaken and the prison doors were opened (they probably fell off). Paul took this event to heart. Singing spiritual songs and hymns, making melodies in his heart to the Lord were an integral part of his ministry. He encouraged himself in times of trouble. He encouraged and taught the doctrine of Christ to others through song and He encouraged his followers to do the same. Finally, he recorded many of these hymns or passages from them in his letters, which have been recorded to the present day in the Canon of Scripture. I don’t imagine that Paul had the best singing voice. Scripture tells us that he wasn’t the most ‘attractive’ person to look at, but it seems that Paul didn’t have any problem warming up his ‘pipes’ and breaking off a verse or two, sometimes in mid sermon, to drive home a point about what he was preaching: Jesus. Including the passage below (2 Tim.2:11-13) along with the three passages I’ve included below, I count seven passages from Paul that were probably drawn from early Church hymns. In addition, I count several passages in Revelations that may have been drawn from early hymns.
So then, music seems to have played a important role in the formation of the Church. And God, it seems, used music and hymns to preach, teach and further the glorious Gospel of His Precious Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. In essence, Paul sung, and God was in the song. Same thing today: we sing, and God will show up. And if He shows up, He’ll show out. Keep yourself in His company this week. Hum a hymn. He’ll be in it. He’ll show up. He inhabits the praise of His people, the saints. Selah.
Blessings,
.wb
(I really was going to go in a different direction w/ this lesson, but God redirected me. After all, the theme for this quarter is ‘Worship’ :))
Psalm 22:3
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
Psalm 8:2
Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
Who is the blessed and only Potentate
the King of kings and Lord of Lords.
Who alone hath immortality,
dwelling in light unapproachable.
Whom no man hath seen, nor can see,
To whom be honour
and power eternal. Amen 1Tim.6;15-16
He was revealed in the flesh
was vindicated by the Spirit
was seen by angels;
Preached among the Gentiles
believed on in the world
and taken up into glory. 1Tim.3;16
Who being in the very form of God,
did not consider it an object of rapine
To be on equality with God
but emptying Himself
Taking on a Bondman’s form
taking His place in likeness figure of man
He humbled Himself
and became obedient unto death
and even the death of the cross
Wherefore also God highly exalted Him
and granted Him a Name
that is above every name
That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow
of heavenly and earthly and infernal
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
To God the Father’s glory. Philip. 2;6-11.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
Acts 16:25
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
Ephesians 5:19
speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,
Colossians 3:16
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Once upon a time, Paul, the Apostle and Silas, his friend and co-laborer in the gospel were thrown in jail. Paul and Silas encouraged themselves by singing and praising God. The Bible records: that as they were singing, a violent earthquake occurred, the prison was shaken and the prison doors were opened (they probably fell off). Paul took this event to heart. Singing spiritual songs and hymns, making melodies in his heart to the Lord were an integral part of his ministry. He encouraged himself in times of trouble. He encouraged and taught the doctrine of Christ to others through song and He encouraged his followers to do the same. Finally, he recorded many of these hymns or passages from them in his letters, which have been recorded to the present day in the Canon of Scripture. I don’t imagine that Paul had the best singing voice. Scripture tells us that he wasn’t the most ‘attractive’ person to look at, but it seems that Paul didn’t have any problem warming up his ‘pipes’ and breaking off a verse or two, sometimes in mid sermon, to drive home a point about what he was preaching: Jesus. Including the passage below (2 Tim.2:11-13) along with the three passages I’ve included below, I count seven passages from Paul that were probably drawn from early Church hymns. In addition, I count several passages in Revelations that may have been drawn from early hymns.
So then, music seems to have played a important role in the formation of the Church. And God, it seems, used music and hymns to preach, teach and further the glorious Gospel of His Precious Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. In essence, Paul sung, and God was in the song. Same thing today: we sing, and God will show up. And if He shows up, He’ll show out. Keep yourself in His company this week. Hum a hymn. He’ll be in it. He’ll show up. He inhabits the praise of His people, the saints. Selah.
Blessings,
.wb
(I really was going to go in a different direction w/ this lesson, but God redirected me. After all, the theme for this quarter is ‘Worship’ :))
Psalm 22:3
But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.
Psalm 8:2
Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.
Who is the blessed and only Potentate
the King of kings and Lord of Lords.
Who alone hath immortality,
dwelling in light unapproachable.
Whom no man hath seen, nor can see,
To whom be honour
and power eternal. Amen 1Tim.6;15-16
He was revealed in the flesh
was vindicated by the Spirit
was seen by angels;
Preached among the Gentiles
believed on in the world
and taken up into glory. 1Tim.3;16
Who being in the very form of God,
did not consider it an object of rapine
To be on equality with God
but emptying Himself
Taking on a Bondman’s form
taking His place in likeness figure of man
He humbled Himself
and became obedient unto death
and even the death of the cross
Wherefore also God highly exalted Him
and granted Him a Name
that is above every name
That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow
of heavenly and earthly and infernal
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord
To God the Father’s glory. Philip. 2;6-11.
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