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Your Life Is Hidden with Christ in God

Hidden with Christ
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What a wonderful thought the apostle Paul presents. Those who are raised with Christ are said to have died, and now have a life hidden with Christ in God! In the rest of Colossians 3, the apostle goes on to tell us what that means in the life of the Christian.

Before we look at the life changes which must take place, Paul alludes to our entrance into Christ. His mention of a death and a resurrection is an allusion to the penitent believer’s baptism. Only those who have been baptized into Christ can be raised to life with Him (Romans 6:3-5). Until we are buried in the likeness of His death, we cannot be in the likeness of His resurrection.

Psalm 100 – The Lord, He is God

Psalm 100
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With just 5 verses, Psalm 100 is among the shortest in the Bible. However, the ability of a psalm to  encourage us in the faith is not determined by how much is written, but what is written. The five verses of this Psalm are packed with encouragement for the child of God.

1 Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
2 Serve the LORD with gladness; come before His presence with singing.
3 Know that the LORD, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

Psalm 148 and the Universal Call to Praise

praises
via Michael De Groot | Pixabay

As we look at the Psalms of David, certainly we see an element of praise to God in all of them. But in particular, the last five Psalms (146-150) emphasize the praises of God. In the 59 verses of these Psalms, the word “praise” appears 43 times. Needless to say, these are Psalms of praise!

Psalm 148 is of particular interest, for it is the basis one of my favourite hymns, “Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah,” the 1899 work of William J. Kirkpatrick.

The Psalm naturally divides into two sections, verses 1-6, praises to God from the heavens; and verses 7-14, praises to God from the earth. The Psalmist very emphatically reveals that everyone and everything should give praise to God. Let’s consider the Psalm today.

Him We Preach, Warning And Teaching Every Man

Preach
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As we read the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the church at Colosse, there are some interesting things to note about His work to preach the gospel to the lost.  In looking at just a few verses from the letter, we can learn a great deal about our responsibility to share our faith with others, and of the extent to which God’s people can affect the world, if we would do as God commands.

Every Creature Under Heaven

The extent of the work of the early church as recorded in Colossians 1:23 is simply wonderful! Paul wrote:

…if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. (Colossians 1:23)

Satan – The Father of Lies

Satan
via Martin Lyon | Pixabay.com

Jesus spoke with a crowd of religious leaders about who their father is. They tried to associate themselves with the patriarch Abraham, but Jesus said,

If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. (John 8:39)

Their claim to Abraham was based upon physical lineage, not obedience to God’s will. Jesus then affirmed, “You do the deeds of your father.” Whether they knew yet what He meant by this statement, we do not know, but they retorted,

We were not born of fornication; we have one Father – God.(John 8:41)

Happy New Year

Happy New Year
via Tham Nguyen | Pixabay.com

One of the most common greetings this time of year is “Happy New Year!” This sentiment has been shared from home to home through greeting cards, telephone messages, facebook and e-mail posts, etc.. Complete strangers passing each other by at the door of the bank or the grocery story will wish one another a “Happy New Year!” How great would it be if this same measure of friendliness were present the whole year round!

A few nights ago, a variety of New Year celebrations took place across the globe: the annual ball drop in Time Square, fireworks displays in China, local media sponsored concerts, etc.. We enjoyed a night of games, treats and a pre-midnight devotional with fellow Christians – a great way to begin a new year!

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