Colossians 1:24-27
Now I rejoice what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
God gave Paul a commission to do certain things, and He has done the same with each one of us. We are Christ’s servants, and we each have very specific jobs that God wants to do through us…
Christ is in us, the beautiful mystery that was withheld from previous generations, but now revealed through Jesus’ ministry. He is here, working in and through us, like never before. Not only should we praise God for that, but we should not ignore it, and rather take advantage of this gift!
Today’s picture would be the setting out on a mission, travelers with staff in hand, and a solid purpose. Reminds me of the fellowship of the ring, setting out with Gandalf—a strong wizard who could protect them and guide them. God has a purpose that He wants accomplished…and He wants us to do it, but He’s not sending us out alone, He’s coming with us to lead and guide us…
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
Thoughts of Yesterday
Something I thought of on the way to church yesterday is that Beauty and Love walk hand in hand. Love creates Beauty--in the case of God, and Love gives us as humans the eyes to see the Beauty God placed in everything and everyone...
April 6--Colossians
Colossians 1:21-23
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
We were God’s enemies in our minds… sin isn’t just stuff that we do or say, it’s very mental too. What things am I doing with my mind that are separating me from God? If our mind can become a separating factor in our relationship with God, how careful should we be of the things that we put into it, and on the things we do with it?
Thanks to God’s sacrifice, we are holy before God’s judgment—IF—we walk in faith, grow in faith, and do not give up hope in God’s grace, the promised forgiveness, and the love of the Savior.
A while back, one of my friends and I were having a God-talk down in the laundry room of Lowell Hall. Thoughts were one of the things that came up, and they pretended to pick up that part of my mind and throw it into one of the washers to be cleaned up. It’s a reminder to clean up my thoughts, and this passage reminds me that thoughts can really bar me from God. The other thing is to remember to walk in faith and to not give up hope.
Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
We were God’s enemies in our minds… sin isn’t just stuff that we do or say, it’s very mental too. What things am I doing with my mind that are separating me from God? If our mind can become a separating factor in our relationship with God, how careful should we be of the things that we put into it, and on the things we do with it?
Thanks to God’s sacrifice, we are holy before God’s judgment—IF—we walk in faith, grow in faith, and do not give up hope in God’s grace, the promised forgiveness, and the love of the Savior.
A while back, one of my friends and I were having a God-talk down in the laundry room of Lowell Hall. Thoughts were one of the things that came up, and they pretended to pick up that part of my mind and throw it into one of the washers to be cleaned up. It’s a reminder to clean up my thoughts, and this passage reminds me that thoughts can really bar me from God. The other thing is to remember to walk in faith and to not give up hope.
April 5--Colossians
Colossians 1:15-20
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.
Jesus is God, the Creator of all things. He is the master, the designer, the lover…the beginning and end, the LORD. Because of Him, everything is. Without Him, nothing would be.
He holds all things together—He keeps things going, the way they should be. He is the master, controller, the driving force for His purpose.
He has the supreme authority over everything, nothing can happen without His bidding, nothing can surprise Him—because He is the ultimate dictator, monarch, authority, master, leader, judge… everyone MUST get His permission to do something.
Everything has been reconciled to God, and peace has been bought with His blood… There is hope, for we who are lowly…
Despite how things appear, God is still in control. When things aren’t going so hot, or people seem to be suffering a ton… we must realize that God is still at large and can take care of things. Once we realize that it’s all in His hands, and lay our concerns down at His feet, we will have peace—for that worry and fear was never ours to carry in the first place because we are not in control.
The picture is someone kneeling before a king, their hands outstretched and palms up, head bent low. The king is at peace…the tears do not worry Him, though the hurting heart moves Him to compassion… The king comes down beside them and lays a hand on their shoulder, whispering softly in their ear. They slowly, with shaking muscles, remove from around their neck a heavy stone weight, and places it into His hands. He takes it with the most reverent care, and helps the person to their feet.
“It is in my hands, now. Do not fear. All things will work to my purpose.”
They nod slowly, wiping tears from their eyes…and the two embrace, the king’s strong arms enfolding the other, and His peace resonating in their heart.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.
Jesus is God, the Creator of all things. He is the master, the designer, the lover…the beginning and end, the LORD. Because of Him, everything is. Without Him, nothing would be.
He holds all things together—He keeps things going, the way they should be. He is the master, controller, the driving force for His purpose.
He has the supreme authority over everything, nothing can happen without His bidding, nothing can surprise Him—because He is the ultimate dictator, monarch, authority, master, leader, judge… everyone MUST get His permission to do something.
Everything has been reconciled to God, and peace has been bought with His blood… There is hope, for we who are lowly…
Despite how things appear, God is still in control. When things aren’t going so hot, or people seem to be suffering a ton… we must realize that God is still at large and can take care of things. Once we realize that it’s all in His hands, and lay our concerns down at His feet, we will have peace—for that worry and fear was never ours to carry in the first place because we are not in control.
The picture is someone kneeling before a king, their hands outstretched and palms up, head bent low. The king is at peace…the tears do not worry Him, though the hurting heart moves Him to compassion… The king comes down beside them and lays a hand on their shoulder, whispering softly in their ear. They slowly, with shaking muscles, remove from around their neck a heavy stone weight, and places it into His hands. He takes it with the most reverent care, and helps the person to their feet.
“It is in my hands, now. Do not fear. All things will work to my purpose.”
They nod slowly, wiping tears from their eyes…and the two embrace, the king’s strong arms enfolding the other, and His peace resonating in their heart.
April 4--Colossians
Colossians 1: 9-14
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened in all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Paul and those he was with prayed daily for these people, even though they didn’t see them very often and even though they didn’t know what was going on… they kept praying, every single day for them.
He prayed for them to know God’s will, and to be spiritually wise and understand things.
I think it’s interesting how Paul said that they prayed IN ORDER THAT they may live a life worthy of the Lord, and please God. Does that mean that, had Paul not been praying, that they wouldn’t have lived lives quite as worthy or pleasing? Just how important does that mean our prayers for others are?
A life that is worthy and pleasing to God
Bears fruit
Grows in knowledge about God
Endures patiently with God’s strength
Is full of joy and gratefulness to the Father
The word-picture would be a plant, rooted in prayer, with leaves of knowledge, endurance, and grateful joy, and bearing fruit.
I have been struck again by how important prayer is to the lives of others, and need to remember to pray even more. Also, I need to check my life against those four points of what a life worthy and pleasing to God looks like.
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened in all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Paul and those he was with prayed daily for these people, even though they didn’t see them very often and even though they didn’t know what was going on… they kept praying, every single day for them.
He prayed for them to know God’s will, and to be spiritually wise and understand things.
I think it’s interesting how Paul said that they prayed IN ORDER THAT they may live a life worthy of the Lord, and please God. Does that mean that, had Paul not been praying, that they wouldn’t have lived lives quite as worthy or pleasing? Just how important does that mean our prayers for others are?
A life that is worthy and pleasing to God
Bears fruit
Grows in knowledge about God
Endures patiently with God’s strength
Is full of joy and gratefulness to the Father
The word-picture would be a plant, rooted in prayer, with leaves of knowledge, endurance, and grateful joy, and bearing fruit.
I have been struck again by how important prayer is to the lives of others, and need to remember to pray even more. Also, I need to check my life against those four points of what a life worthy and pleasing to God looks like.
April 3--Colossians
Colossians 1:5-8
The faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the Word of Truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the spirit.
The gospel of our restoration to relationship in Christ started working in their hearts since the very first day they heard and understood. That relationship with Christ has not grown stagnant, but is growing and bearing fruit—y’like how those two are together—grow=you bear fruit as a result.
Even though Paul is this amazing minister, he doesn’t work alone—he has dear fellow servants that he works with.
Epaphras didn’t keep to himself what God was doing in the lives of those he was ministering to, but he told others—especially those he was working in tandem with.
The word picture I can think of is two hands clutching an apple. We don’t work alone, we don’t serve God alone—there is more than one (hence the two hands). We don’t keep what God has blessed us with to ourselves, but we share it with others (hence them being together cupped around the apple). And finally, when we are growing in Christ we will be bearing fruit. Share that fruit with others—grow together! It’s all about relationships—both vertical and horizontal.
The faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the Word of Truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the spirit.
The gospel of our restoration to relationship in Christ started working in their hearts since the very first day they heard and understood. That relationship with Christ has not grown stagnant, but is growing and bearing fruit—y’like how those two are together—grow=you bear fruit as a result.
Even though Paul is this amazing minister, he doesn’t work alone—he has dear fellow servants that he works with.
Epaphras didn’t keep to himself what God was doing in the lives of those he was ministering to, but he told others—especially those he was working in tandem with.
The word picture I can think of is two hands clutching an apple. We don’t work alone, we don’t serve God alone—there is more than one (hence the two hands). We don’t keep what God has blessed us with to ourselves, but we share it with others (hence them being together cupped around the apple). And finally, when we are growing in Christ we will be bearing fruit. Share that fruit with others—grow together! It’s all about relationships—both vertical and horizontal.
April 2--Colossians
Colossians 1:1-4
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints.
God…meet me here. Touch me in my very core. I surrender my time here to whatever you want me to learn. Let me hear you speak in my heart…not just my head.
The brothers were pure and consistent, and kept their word.
Paul thanked God for them, didn’t just intercede for them, but gave thanks for the good things God was doing in their lives and in his life through them
Paul didn’t say if he prayed, or that he would, he said that he did pray for them
Paul had heard of their faith—couldn’t have been hiding it for him to hear a ways away…noticeable faith.
They loved, and their love was not just for a few of the saints, or for the ones they liked, but the love they had was for all of the saints, consistently.
Love out loud—that means to love so that others notice, let the candle be put on a lampstand, be pure and consistent in my love, love everyone, not just those I like. Pray for others, and thank God for the good things others—even those I don’t like—are doing in my life and pray for them.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse: Grace and peace to you from God our Father.
We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints.
God…meet me here. Touch me in my very core. I surrender my time here to whatever you want me to learn. Let me hear you speak in my heart…not just my head.
The brothers were pure and consistent, and kept their word.
Paul thanked God for them, didn’t just intercede for them, but gave thanks for the good things God was doing in their lives and in his life through them
Paul didn’t say if he prayed, or that he would, he said that he did pray for them
Paul had heard of their faith—couldn’t have been hiding it for him to hear a ways away…noticeable faith.
They loved, and their love was not just for a few of the saints, or for the ones they liked, but the love they had was for all of the saints, consistently.
Love out loud—that means to love so that others notice, let the candle be put on a lampstand, be pure and consistent in my love, love everyone, not just those I like. Pray for others, and thank God for the good things others—even those I don’t like—are doing in my life and pray for them.
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