Posts Tagged ‘ Church ’
If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
John 13:14, ESV
Love your neighbor, especially your brothers and sisters in Christ, by serving them, as Christ has done.
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:15, ESV
Our hope in Christ gives us peace. A thankful heart amplifies that peace. Regular fellowship with the Church amplifies our thankfulness.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
Ephesians 6:11, ESV
The Deceiver wants us to fail, turn from God, and lead others astray.
But God is our defender, equipping us with all we need through His Word, Holy Spirit, and each other as the saints of God.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
1 Corinthians 13:1 ESV
Everything we do and say should glorify God and draw others to Him. If what we say and do only scares people away and/or distracts from God, we may not be acting in love.
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.
Colossians 3:16, ESV
We read, memorize, and live out Scripture, because by it the Holy Spirit moves through us to lift each other up in Christ in wisdom and thankfulness and through conversations and singing God’s truth.
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
Matthew 18:20, ESV
Not merely about having church, Jesus is telling us that He is with us as we call out sin, encourage repentance and change, and draw each other closer to Himself.
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
2 Timothy 3:12-13, ESV
We need each other – with the Bible and the Holy Spirit – to encourage each other to hold to the truth of Scripture. Too many today will try to lead us astray and mock us for staying true to God.
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works
Hebrews 10:24, ESV
Love God, love people, love the Church.
How?
Grow in godliness as we spur and encourage each other – with Scripture, prayer, and sacrifice – to love on this fallen world.
We are finishing up our advent series, first shared five years ago!
It is now the fourth week of Advent! (See the last three weeks’ devotional thoughts here (and here) and here (and here) and here (and here).)
Again, Advent is a time to remember our Lord’s first coming as we look forward to His imminent return.
So, let us prepare hearts for encountering the Lord!
There is a slight twist today in presentation, as well, as we prepare for Christmas!
O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!
At first we are reminded that sometimes life is going well.
Then we are reminded that sometimes life is hard.
Life seems perfect and flawless.
Or we are dealing with an illness, a tragedy, or the loss of a loved one.
The answer, in any circumstance good or bad, is to fall on our knees and acknowledge that we need a Savior, to seek the God who came to save us from our sin and suffering by coming to us as an infant, the weakest of all things.
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O’er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
The Light of the world calls us to Himself, and only the wise heed His call. Only the wise understand that He truly understands all of our hurts and needs and can help us because He has been through it all.
And He deserves our adoration and worship.
Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
It is not only our trials and pains which he helps, but He has called us to love all other people.
We not only see our need for salvation from sin and God’s wrath, we see our need for His love to fill our hearts, to treat our friends, enemies, and strangers alike as brothers and sisters, with love and compassion.
And for ever we shall worship Him and declare His awesomeness!
For He has come to save and will come again a final time to fully redeem His own, and that is the full promise of the gospel!
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
Revelation 22:20-21, ESV
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands
Revelation 7:9, ESV
We share the gospel because God loves all people, and we cannot comprehend all the ways the various cultures and personalities will worship Jesus in complete unison.
Oh, what a worship service that will be!
a simple man of God 