Do It All In The Name Of The Lord Jesus

COLOSSIANS 3:16-17
“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. And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
”‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭NKJV‬
‬https://bible.com/bible/114/col.3.16-17.NKJ

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Early Christians had access to the old Testament Scriptures and freely used it, but they didn't have the New Testament or any other Christian books to study. Their stories and teachings about Christ were memorized and passed on from person to person. Sometimes the Scriptures were set to music, which helped them to memorise them and so music became an important part of Christian worship and education.
Thankful people can worship wholeheartedly, gratitude opens our hearts to God's peace and enables us to put on love.
We believers need the message about Christ to fill our lives, like it is vital spiritual food, filling us to the full on a daily basis.
Our physical bodies need a balanced and healthy intake of food to fuel us, to keep us strong and keep us healthy.
In the same way, believers need a balanced and healthy intake of spiritual food everyday, that we grow in our knowledge and faith into mature and healthy Christians, with strength to stand firm in our faith whatever the enemy throws at us.
We get our spiritual food by teaching and counselling each other, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts, attending our churches, learning together and joining together, singing praises to God.
Unlike early Christians, we have the New Testament and many Christian books to study, so use them, but in all of these things, we must test the spirit behind them to know that they are of God.
Therefore, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.”
‭‭I John‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
It's good to join a small study group, that you can learn together in greater detail from the bible weekly.
But be sure to test and approve everything you take in.
Not every church is of God, for much was put together by the likes of the Pharisees and has been corrupted.
The truth is, much of the old religious church has been dismantled, and Christ is building His Church the way He wants it.
As in the Jesus days, gathering was in homes and is returning to the homes.
But some churches are holding on, they believe the old is better (LUKE 3:37-39). They may feel good, but if it’s not Christ church, however good it feels, it will profit you nothing.
“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.) And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭4‬, ‭6‬-‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
Spiritual junk food is not healthy, though it is much available through TV and the media. It implants all kinds of false religious doctrines, lies and deceptions, of all kinds into one’s mind. It is poison to your soul.
Doctrines are so often the “doctored word of God,”
Knowledge comes from teaching and study, but understanding can only come from God.
For, “their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.”
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
Religion blinds the heart, but through relationship with Christ, the vail is taken away.
Therefore, be careful of the false prophets and those pushing proper gander and calling it news.
Keep away from them and use the time to read from your bible daily and praise God with a thankful heart for everything He does and provides for you.
Ask for understanding and pay attention to the way you live your lives, being determined that whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ, bringing honor to Christ in every aspect and activity of your daily life.
Serving God is not simply working for the Lord, it is working with Him in every aspect of life according to His will not yours.
We believers have a habit if doing our own thing and calling it service.
Putting together our own projects, plans, and schedules, fuelled by the lust of the flesh, with hope that God is with us.
Don’t be deceived by your deceitful heart, and we all have one (JEREMIAH 17:9), it is a part of the flesh and is determined to satisfy it lust, such as selfish ambitions, and all the lust of the flesh.
My beloved, we can do nothing good in self.
Therefore, we must let go of our own agendas and submit to Gods.
The truth is, Jesus is the head, and as individual parts of His body, we must submit to His will, His plans and His purposes.
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬-‭26‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
As a Christian, you must represent Christ at all times, wherever you go and in whatever you say or do.
What impression do people have of Christ when they see or talk with you?
It's that impression that brings or pushes unbelievers closer or further away from Christ.
But the truth is, true worship is far more than singing songs to the Lord. We show our true colours in our actions and attitudes of every day living.
Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭9:23-27‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.