TLF

BELIEVERS CONDUCT (Part Ten).

Colossians 3:20-21KJV
[20]Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
[21]Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

Children are not left out of the scene. They Must obey their parents in All things. It's pleasing to the Lord. When your parents correct you, keep quiet! Don't talk back! Some children even have the audacity to insult the one who gave birth to them. If you are acting this way, you are behaving carnal. You have no right under heaven to insult them, rather you should seek for avenues to honour them,

Ephesians 6:1-3KJV
[1]Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
[2]Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
[3]That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

The apostle Paul was quoting one of the ten commandments here [Exodus 20:12]!

Now understand that the motive behind honouring your parents should be pure. You don't honour them ONLY because you want it to be well with you, or so that you'll live long on earth. You honour them because that's your nature, that's how you ought to behave as a new creature! You honour and respect them because it is already WELL with you In Christ. In the New covenant, "we don't do things to become (or get blessed)....", "we DO Because we ARE already blessed...". I hope you understand ?

Children (no matter what age) as long as your parents are still alive, you are a child to them, so you must Learn to honour them, obey them, if you are a working class guy/lady , set aside a part of your income to honour them, visit them, know what's going on with them... that's how to honour them!

Fathers, don't provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Ensure you bring them up in the way of the Lord,

Ephesians 6:4KJV
[4]And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

When you bring them up this way, be sure they would be good representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ, they will follow God's plan for their lives. And also don't forget not to spare the rod as you bring them up. Don't be too cool to s***k them when they act headstrong sometimes, it's for their own benefit,

Proverbs 13:24KJV
[24]He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

Proverbs 29:17KJV
[17]Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.

Fathers must Learn to rule well in their homes ,

1 Timothy 3:4KJV
[4]One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity.

The context of this speaks of what is expected of anyone who desires the office of a bishop, but I believe all Fathers should act this way!

The grace to act on the word is already in you , just act the word.

Children obey your parents.
Fathers don't deliberately provoke your children.
Teach them Christ
Don't over pamper them
Be stern if you need to
Mothers too must see that they bring up the children as well.
Let's ensure Jesus is glorified in our homes.
People should enter our homes and see the love of Christ expressed in it!

We conclude tomorrow...

Be blessed always..

BELIEVERS CONDUCT (Part eight).

Colossians 3:17KJV
[17]And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

We have been doing a brief explanation of Colossians chapter three , because therein lies how we who are saints must conduct ourselves. Let's move on to verse 17 (our text for today). Which says "whatsoever we do in word or deed must be done in the name of the Lord Jesus.." "in the name" speaks of our identification with Christ at His resurrection. Hence, we must walk, talk, and act with this consciousness always,

Romans 6:4KJV
[4]Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

We walk in the newness of life.
When we conduct ourselves like this, it brings glory to God.

The next words in that text says ..."giving thanks to God the Father by Him".

This should be the lifestyle of every new creature. You are already made a true worshipper in Christ. You don't need to start looking for rules and regulations to worship God in spirit and in truth. Let's see something quickly here ...

John 4:23-24KJV
[23]But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
[24]God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

"In spirit and in truth" are not two things. The word "and" here means "kai" in the Greek translation, which means "indeed", or "which is". So it should read "In the Spirit WHICH IS the truth.

The word "true worshippers" appears only once in the New testament and this is God's work in salvation. Notice , that its the Father who "seeks" them? This seeking connotes desiring men to be saved. He wants to make men "true worshippers"!

1Timothy 2:4KJV
[4]Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

2Peter 3:9KJV
[9]The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

That's why He gave us the ministry of "reconciliation",
2Corinthians 5:19KJV
[19]And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.

The word "worship" appears 64times or more in the New testament and it means "to reverence", "to prostrate", "to kneel" "make obeisance" , it also means "prayer" "singing songs that glorifies the Father, His son" , "our service to God" etc. Please understand that No man can make himself a true worshipper! To become one, you'd have to be saved, and this means to be in Christ, or in the Spirit, and when this happens , then you'd have the liberty to worship God in the Spirit which is the Truth!

Philippians 3:3KJV
[3]For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

We worship God in the Spirit , we rejoice in Christ, we praise God, we raise our hands in adoration, we kneel down, we fall flat on our faces, this is continuous... You have not knelt down in your spirit, or raised your hands in the Spirit realm, you'd have to do it in the physical continuously,

Hebrews 13:15KJV
[15]By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

Learn to praise God , thank Him for His love and grace towards you in Christ, thank Him for what He is doing and He will yet do. Sing songs of thanksgiving both in the Spirit and your understanding. That's how true worshippers conduct themselves , and you are already made one!

We continue tomorrow.

Blessed!

BELIEVERS CONDUCT (Part Seven).

Colossians 3:16KJV
[16]Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

The apostle Paul was very specific in his instruction to the Colossians. He said ... "let the word of Christ dwell in you to richly"''. Not just any kind of word, or teaching or doctrine, but that which satisfactorily reveals Christ Jesus.

Recall what He told them in chapter two.

Colossians 2:1-8KJV
[1]For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
[2]That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ.

Notice, He wanted them have precise understanding of the doctrine of Christ... not just any kind of messages!

Let's read on,

[3]In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
[4]And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

He didn't want any man to deceive them with other kinds of teachings.

[5]For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
[6]As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
[7]Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Notice again ?

He wanted them to be rooted and built up in Christ AS THEY HAVE BEEN TAUGHT! They were taught CHRIST, not laws, not rules, not regulations, or personal revelations, BUT CHRIST!

Next verse,
[8]Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Philosophy , vain deceit, tradition of the world ... all these are from men who corrupt the word of Christ ... he asks them to be careful of such men!

You get it now right?

So "the word of Christ" in Colossians 3:16 would speak of the doctrine of Christ!

The word of Christ should dwell in us abundantly in all wisdom so we can be able to teach and admonish one another in psalms , hymns and spiritual songs. Our songs must be instructive, it must be christoscentric, it must also "admonish" (this means to "warn" and "caution")!

When you get a proper understanding of the Doctrine of Christ it will change everything you do, including the kind of songs you sing!

To get our message on psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, send us a personal message, we'll share it with you!

Give yourself to reading the word
Give yourself to studying the word
Give yourself to meditating on the word
Give yourself to Christ-focused teachings.
Give yourself to reading materials that explains Jesus clearly and plainly.
This will make the word of Christ dwell in you richly!

We continue tomorrow...

You have a blessed day.