Today's Verse: Colossians 3:17 (ESV)
And swhatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, tgiving thanks to God the Father through him.
s ver. 23; 1 Cor. 10:31
t ch. 1:12; 4:2; See Eph. 5:20
In the third chapter of his Epistle to the Colossians, Paul teaches that spirituality is not something that one goes outside of the world to get, but, according to The Teacher's Commentary, it is living the life that God prepares for us in the world, in intimate union with Jesus. The Bible Exposition Commentary reminds us that, as Christians, we bear the name of Christ: we belong to Him. And everything that we do should be done to glorify His name.
Today's Comments: If we decide to do something not in the name of Christ, we are, in fact committing sin. We are not honoring God, as we are commanded to do. And, doing things in Jesus' name may mean that we may have to suffer derision or persecution. There are some times where we may be given a choice between following laws, rules, or regulations which we know to be contrary to what God has taught us. My blog entry of April 17, 2009 concerning Nora Sterry discusses this prospect.
On the other hand, the name of Jesus also comforts us and gives us purpose in life. God is the focus of our worship, and therefore he should be the focus of our life. We should live our lives according to the teaching of Jesus, and when we sometimes fail, we are comforted by calling on His name. The hymn below was written by a bedridden invalid just four years before her death. And it reminds us that even invalids can minister to us. Just consider my wife, Norma, who I talked about in my blog on September 18th of this year.
"I will never forget Marge’s (Marge Avery) reply to Norma when Norma asked why people from church needed to visit and minister to her instead of taking care of the things that they needed to do at home. Marge’s reply was that Norma was needed to teach them how minister."
If we truly love our neighbor, then we need to minister to him or her--- in the name of Jesus. As Christians, it is our responsibility to bring the light of Christ to the world. And we can only do that in His name.
Hymn of the Day:
Take the name of Jesus with you,
child of sorrow and of woe;
it will joy and comfort give you—
Take it, then, where’er you go.
Take the name of Jesus ever,
as a shield from ev’ry snare;
if temptations round you gather,
breathe that holy name in prayer.
O the precious name of Jesus!
How it thrills our souls with joy,
when His loving arms receive us
and His songs our tongues employ!
At the name of Jesus bowing,
falling prostrate at His feet,
King of kings in heav’n we’ll crown Him
when our journey is complete.
Chorus: Precious name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of heaven.
Osbeck, Kenneth W.: Amazing Grace : 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Kregel Publications, 1990, S. 39
And swhatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, tgiving thanks to God the Father through him.
s ver. 23; 1 Cor. 10:31
t ch. 1:12; 4:2; See Eph. 5:20
In the third chapter of his Epistle to the Colossians, Paul teaches that spirituality is not something that one goes outside of the world to get, but, according to The Teacher's Commentary, it is living the life that God prepares for us in the world, in intimate union with Jesus. The Bible Exposition Commentary reminds us that, as Christians, we bear the name of Christ: we belong to Him. And everything that we do should be done to glorify His name.
Today's Comments: If we decide to do something not in the name of Christ, we are, in fact committing sin. We are not honoring God, as we are commanded to do. And, doing things in Jesus' name may mean that we may have to suffer derision or persecution. There are some times where we may be given a choice between following laws, rules, or regulations which we know to be contrary to what God has taught us. My blog entry of April 17, 2009 concerning Nora Sterry discusses this prospect.
On the other hand, the name of Jesus also comforts us and gives us purpose in life. God is the focus of our worship, and therefore he should be the focus of our life. We should live our lives according to the teaching of Jesus, and when we sometimes fail, we are comforted by calling on His name. The hymn below was written by a bedridden invalid just four years before her death. And it reminds us that even invalids can minister to us. Just consider my wife, Norma, who I talked about in my blog on September 18th of this year.
"I will never forget Marge’s (Marge Avery) reply to Norma when Norma asked why people from church needed to visit and minister to her instead of taking care of the things that they needed to do at home. Marge’s reply was that Norma was needed to teach them how minister."
If we truly love our neighbor, then we need to minister to him or her--- in the name of Jesus. As Christians, it is our responsibility to bring the light of Christ to the world. And we can only do that in His name.
Hymn of the Day:
Take the name of Jesus with you,
child of sorrow and of woe;
it will joy and comfort give you—
Take it, then, where’er you go.
Take the name of Jesus ever,
as a shield from ev’ry snare;
if temptations round you gather,
breathe that holy name in prayer.
O the precious name of Jesus!
How it thrills our souls with joy,
when His loving arms receive us
and His songs our tongues employ!
At the name of Jesus bowing,
falling prostrate at His feet,
King of kings in heav’n we’ll crown Him
when our journey is complete.
Chorus: Precious name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of heaven.
Osbeck, Kenneth W.: Amazing Grace : 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions. Grand Rapids, Mich. : Kregel Publications, 1990, S. 39
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