PSALMS, HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS
In my quiet times this week I have been studying Colossians. Throughout Colossians, Paul focuses the readers to the supremacy of Christ contrasted with the emptiness of human philosophy. In the very beginning of the letter Paul reminds us that “by Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers of authority; all things were created by Him and for Him” (1:16). He continues in that chapter and the next to reiterate to us the freedom we have in Christ. Because of what Christ did for us on the cross, we are no longer held captive to the sinful desires of this world. Paul then transitions to a set of rules for Godly living. Since we are free in Christ, this does not give us free reign to live however we want. Instead, we are to live our lives under the power of the Holy Spirit in us which should produce, “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (3:12).
Paul continues with this thought in what is one of my most favorite passages of scripture in Colossians 3:15-17. Verse 16 has become one of my life verses. “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” (3:16). When Paul wrote concerning the word of Christ, he was specifically referring to the actual teaching of Christ, but by implication, he was including all of the Old Testament as well as the New Testament that they had at the time. When it comes to us, Paul is speaking of the entire word of God. Are you spending enough time in the word of God so that you are letting it “dwell in you richly”? We are also told to teach and admonish one another with the singing. It is interesting to me that Paul uses the terms that he does in verse 16. Some of the most important doctrines that we have as believers are held in our music. Just look at what we are singing this week in corporate worship and you will find such truths as God’s supremacy, God’s holiness, and our response through obedience. When Paul talks about “Psalms,” he is referring to the Old Testament Psalms, some of which may have been set to music by the church. “Psalms” could also describe a song newly composed for Christian Worship. A “hymn” was a song of praise used in celebration much like the Old Testament Psalms that praise God for all that He is. “Spiritual songs” describes a song that recounts the acts of God like the Psalms that praised God for what he had done. I challenge you now to look at everything we sing and put it through the Colossians 3 filter to see if it is worthy to be sung. I believe once you do, you will come to a realization or be reminded that what we do here at FBC Canton is exactly what God requires and makes God smile.
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. Since as one body you were called to peace.” (Colossians 3:15)
Aaron Hodges
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
IMITATING CHRIST'S HUMILITY
Imitating Christ’s Humility
Last weekend our youth had DNOW and the theme of the weekend was Imitate U. The theme passage that was used for the weekend was 1 Corinthians 11:1 where Paul tells the Corinthians to “imitate me as I imitate Christ.” Wow what a statement! This proclamation came from Paul once known as Saul the Persecutor. Paul describes himself in Philippians 3:5-6 as “circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews: in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church, as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.” Even with such an incredible pedigree, Paul was not talking about imitating his zealous, legalistic righteousness. Instead, Paul was focusing his readers in on being imitators of Christ. Instead of being arrogant and proud, Jesus Christ was the supreme example of humility. Is it just me or is that sometimes a very hard thing to imitate? We are too often like Paul in his before Christ days: arrogant, proud, boastful and full of ourselves. Too many times we as human beings are singing the song “It’s All About Me”. If we are truly to be imitators of Christ we must “take the very nature of a servant” (Phil. 2:7). We should always think of the needs of others before we consider of own needs. Jesus was the supreme example of this as he “humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on the cross” (Phil. 2:8)
Last week we looked at how the believer must love in order to have the power to understand the depth of Christ’s love. I think Paul is continuing that theme here in Philippians 2 by going even deeper into what loving really means. That self-sacrificing love tells us to put aside our desires and to take on the burden of servant hood as Christ did by “making himself nothing.” (Phil. 2:7) As you do this you will “shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.” (Phil. 2:15b-16a) This means that as you make yourself nothing, Christ will make you shine for His glory and He will get all the credit. So as we serve here at First Baptist Canton, let us serve the church and as we serve them, God will be glorified.
Soli Deo Gloria! To God be Glory!
Aaron Hodges
Last weekend our youth had DNOW and the theme of the weekend was Imitate U. The theme passage that was used for the weekend was 1 Corinthians 11:1 where Paul tells the Corinthians to “imitate me as I imitate Christ.” Wow what a statement! This proclamation came from Paul once known as Saul the Persecutor. Paul describes himself in Philippians 3:5-6 as “circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews: in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church, as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.” Even with such an incredible pedigree, Paul was not talking about imitating his zealous, legalistic righteousness. Instead, Paul was focusing his readers in on being imitators of Christ. Instead of being arrogant and proud, Jesus Christ was the supreme example of humility. Is it just me or is that sometimes a very hard thing to imitate? We are too often like Paul in his before Christ days: arrogant, proud, boastful and full of ourselves. Too many times we as human beings are singing the song “It’s All About Me”. If we are truly to be imitators of Christ we must “take the very nature of a servant” (Phil. 2:7). We should always think of the needs of others before we consider of own needs. Jesus was the supreme example of this as he “humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on the cross” (Phil. 2:8)
Last week we looked at how the believer must love in order to have the power to understand the depth of Christ’s love. I think Paul is continuing that theme here in Philippians 2 by going even deeper into what loving really means. That self-sacrificing love tells us to put aside our desires and to take on the burden of servant hood as Christ did by “making himself nothing.” (Phil. 2:7) As you do this you will “shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life.” (Phil. 2:15b-16a) This means that as you make yourself nothing, Christ will make you shine for His glory and He will get all the credit. So as we serve here at First Baptist Canton, let us serve the church and as we serve them, God will be glorified.
Soli Deo Gloria! To God be Glory!
Aaron Hodges
Monday, March 9, 2009
A Prayer for the Ephesians and a Prayer for you!
A Prayer for the Ephesians and a Prayer for You
I am now reading Ephesians for my quiet time. I was reading chapter 3 on Saturday morning and came across the most wonderful prayer that Paul prayed for the Ephesians. Paul is probably under house arrest when he is writing. He begins the chapter by saying “for this reason.” The reasons are explained in the previous verses. Basically in the previous verses Paul is explaining how the Gentiles who were once far away from God, but because of the blood of Christ, now have the right to be “fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s family.” This is still true today! Because of what Christ has done for us through the cross we have the privilege of being included in the family of God. Praise be to God for the victory through Jesus Christ!
Paul then strays away from his original thought and discusses the “mystery”. Here the word “mystery” refers to the private plan of God, which in Ephesians related primarily to the unification of the Jews and Gentiles in the new body, the church. In verse 14, Paul gets back on track when he prays for the Ephesians. This is an incredibly jam packed prayer. Oh to have someone pray this over me daily! I pray this over you as I type this; that Christ will “dwell in your hearts through faith.”
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work in us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Praying for you,
Aaron Hodges
I am now reading Ephesians for my quiet time. I was reading chapter 3 on Saturday morning and came across the most wonderful prayer that Paul prayed for the Ephesians. Paul is probably under house arrest when he is writing. He begins the chapter by saying “for this reason.” The reasons are explained in the previous verses. Basically in the previous verses Paul is explaining how the Gentiles who were once far away from God, but because of the blood of Christ, now have the right to be “fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s family.” This is still true today! Because of what Christ has done for us through the cross we have the privilege of being included in the family of God. Praise be to God for the victory through Jesus Christ!
Paul then strays away from his original thought and discusses the “mystery”. Here the word “mystery” refers to the private plan of God, which in Ephesians related primarily to the unification of the Jews and Gentiles in the new body, the church. In verse 14, Paul gets back on track when he prays for the Ephesians. This is an incredibly jam packed prayer. Oh to have someone pray this over me daily! I pray this over you as I type this; that Christ will “dwell in your hearts through faith.”
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work in us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Praying for you,
Aaron Hodges
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
ONLY ONE GOSPEL
Only One Gospel
Currently in my Sunday School class, we are learning about leaving a legacy. Part of the discussion on Sunday focused on the fact that the world has an agenda to leave a legacy to our families. This legacy is not the legacy that we want for our families. So why aren’t we more concerned about the legacy we are leaving? In my quiet times this week, I read in Galatians chapter 1 about Paul chastising the Galatians about their turning away from the gospel of Christ. “I marvel (am astonished) that you are turning away (deserting) so soon (easily) from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is really no gospel at all…” The “different gospel” refers to the Judaizers perversion of the true gospel. They were adding Old Testament standards as prerequisites for salvation. This was an act that said it was Christ plus something else. The scripture is very clear on this issue. The Gospel of Christ is Christ plus NOTHING. The world is producing a gospel of its own that is definitely not of Christ. The world will have you believe that their way is better than Christ. How often do we find ourselves drawn into the gospel of selfishness? How often do we find ourselves following a gospel of self-gratification? How often recently have we found ourselves following the gospel of doom and hopelessness that the world is promoting?
What is the gospel of Christ that Paul is speaking of here? Simply stated, it is Christ crucified, buried, risen, and coming again. Why then do we sing songs like “At the Cross” and “Happy Day”? Because these songs preach nothing other than Christ and He crucified. Check out the first verse of “Happy Day”: “The greatest day in history, death is beaten, You have rescued me. Sing it out, Jesus is alive! Empty cross and empty grave; life eternal, You have won the day! Sing it out, Jesus Is Alive!” We must proclaim this message to FBC. We have the responsibility to proclaim this message because we do not know how many in our very own fellowship are still unaware of the Gospel of Christ. What a wonderful privilege to be used by God to proclaim the true gospel of Christ!
SHOUT IT OUT! JESUS IS ALIVE!
Aaron Hodges
Currently in my Sunday School class, we are learning about leaving a legacy. Part of the discussion on Sunday focused on the fact that the world has an agenda to leave a legacy to our families. This legacy is not the legacy that we want for our families. So why aren’t we more concerned about the legacy we are leaving? In my quiet times this week, I read in Galatians chapter 1 about Paul chastising the Galatians about their turning away from the gospel of Christ. “I marvel (am astonished) that you are turning away (deserting) so soon (easily) from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is really no gospel at all…” The “different gospel” refers to the Judaizers perversion of the true gospel. They were adding Old Testament standards as prerequisites for salvation. This was an act that said it was Christ plus something else. The scripture is very clear on this issue. The Gospel of Christ is Christ plus NOTHING. The world is producing a gospel of its own that is definitely not of Christ. The world will have you believe that their way is better than Christ. How often do we find ourselves drawn into the gospel of selfishness? How often do we find ourselves following a gospel of self-gratification? How often recently have we found ourselves following the gospel of doom and hopelessness that the world is promoting?
What is the gospel of Christ that Paul is speaking of here? Simply stated, it is Christ crucified, buried, risen, and coming again. Why then do we sing songs like “At the Cross” and “Happy Day”? Because these songs preach nothing other than Christ and He crucified. Check out the first verse of “Happy Day”: “The greatest day in history, death is beaten, You have rescued me. Sing it out, Jesus is alive! Empty cross and empty grave; life eternal, You have won the day! Sing it out, Jesus Is Alive!” We must proclaim this message to FBC. We have the responsibility to proclaim this message because we do not know how many in our very own fellowship are still unaware of the Gospel of Christ. What a wonderful privilege to be used by God to proclaim the true gospel of Christ!
SHOUT IT OUT! JESUS IS ALIVE!
Aaron Hodges
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