Written by bruce r. mills for “God’s group” @ www.Godsmanforever.com
“God’s Love, and Our Boldly Singing in Church”
Ephesians 5:18-20… And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, (ESV)
As I sit here thinking how to open this post about the relationship of the love of Christ in our hearts…and our absolute need to boldly sing out in church when a praise song is being sung…I am listening to a musical video being sung by Brenton Brown – “Hallelujah Your Love is amazing”… I urge everyone to stop right here and click on the link in 1. below, and listen to this toe taping, amazing song about God’s love filling our hearts, making us sing to the Lord without reservation…
The key words in this song urging me to write this days post, come from the Chorus:
“Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Your love makes me sing
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Your love makes me sing”
I know from my own personal experience…that when I walk into church, preparing my heart for the next few hours…that it is of upmost importance to pray to the Lord to search my heart…and bring to my mind any sins I must confess before Him, to be filled with the Holy Spirit… The Apostle John pens this, in…
1 John 1:9… If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (ESV)
This confession of sins is not a matter of seeking God’s approval, or to earn His favor… We already have that as “born again” Christians… It is a matter of being obedient to the Holy Spirit’s urge to denounce sin, in favor of walking by faith in and by the power of the Holy Spirit…
I started asking God to search my heart as I pray, after seeing David ask God to do the same, in…
Psalm 139:23-24… Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (ESV)
When the “born again” Christian has any known sin/sins residing within their heart…when they pray for forgiveness, the Holy Spirit should be revealing their sins… By confessing sins with godly sorrow, and a repentant and contrite heart…they should be filled once again with the full power of the Holy Spirit…
We as Christians will never lose the Holy Spirit…but our heart cannot be harboring sin along with the Holy Spirit, and allow us to be in what I call “sweet fellowship” with the Lord… Our fellowship with the Lord will be hindered at the very least, and I believe broken, if we have no intention of confessing our sins before the Lord… We see the Apostle Paul give us this command in the opening scripture (Ephesians 5:18-20), when he tells us to… “be filled with the Spirit “…
It is the full power of the Holy Spirit overtaking any of my own thoughts, worries, cares, or fears…that fills my heart with the unbridled love of Christ… This fullness of Christ’s love in us, is clearly seen…when the Apostle John calls it “perfect love“, when he pens this, in…
1 John 4:18… There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (ESV)
Now that my sins have been confessed before the Lord…and my heart is filled with the love of Christ…I am totally submitted to allowing the Holy Spirit to take total control my heart, mind, soul. and body… I am ready to eagerly hear scripture…sing praise songs…and allow the Word and the words of these songs to energize my voice into singing praises to my Lord…
It is indeed the Word of God, that is written on your heart and mind that the Holy Spirit will bring to your soul, to allow you…no, to urge you, to sing praises to the Lord… This is why it is so important for all Christians to spend time feeding their spirit every day on God’s Word, like Jesus tells us in…
Matthew 4:4 (and again in Luke 4:4)… But he answered, “It is written “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (ESV)
We see a definite similarity to a changed heart, just like the opening scripture in…Ephesians 5:18-20…when the Apostle Paul pens this, in…
Colossians 3:16… Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (ESV)
When we are in “sweet fellowship” with the Lord…with our heart filled with the love of Christ…we are Walking in the Spirit, as the Apostle Paul pens, in…
Galatians 5:16… But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. (ESV)
My friends, as you remain “filled with the Spirit“, not only will you be blessed by boldly singing praises to the Lord…your mind will be focused on hearing and understanding scripture that is read… This is called the illumination of scripture by the Holy Spirit… And when the sermon is preached…the Holy Spirit will help you better understand what is being taught by your pastor…and you are more likely to apply what is taught through revelation from the Word, to your life… (See 2. below, for an excellent description of what the biblical doctrine of the illumination of scripture is, and how we obtain it)…
This is how I prepare myself to allow God’s richest blessings to empower me, through allowing the Holy Spirit to take charge of my life !!
Gracious God and heavenly Father…I thank You and praise You for Your precious Word…and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit You have given me to enrich my relationship I have with You… I pray Father, that my testimony of how I prepare for church, will help others be able to sing praises to You, instead of standing there allowing their own flesh to control their heart, mind and soul… I pray for this ability for all of us to submit our lives to You…in Jesus’ most precious name and for His sake…Amen…
Blessings in Christ, bruce
References:
-
-
P.S. If you are not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ?? Here is the truth for this most important days writing, about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ… https://godsmanforever.com/2016/12/19/the-gospel-of-our-lord-jesus-christ-12182016-written-by-bruce-r-mills/
Picture credit: https://www.google.com/search?q=picture+singing+praises+to+God&rlz=1C1VFKB_enUS610US619&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwid-qv_oYDZAhXHUd8KHQ4OBIcQsAQIKw&biw=1262&bih=774#imgrc=-7JVQPr-ZNgx1M:
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
About Godsmanforever
I present posts about God's Word, with a personal focus on how God's grace is received through saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ... Sinners must understand and obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ... See this link for more...
https://godsmanforever.com/2014/10/26/the-truth-about-sin-10262014-by-bruce-reposted-from-7112013/
God's group 