TREAT OTHERS RIGHT

TREAT OTHERS RIGHT

Col. 4:1-2  You slave owners must be just and fair to your slaves.  Remember that you also have a Master--in heaven.  Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.  NLT

      The application of these verses for us today would be for those who are in positions of authority over others.  Whether it be in the church or in the public arena, believers have a responsibility before God to treat those under them in a God-honoring way.  Sometimes the pressures of the job we are in work against us.  There is the temptation to be demanding and unfair to others under us.  There is also the temptation to feed off of the power and authority we have and let it affect how we treat others.  How do we avoid mistreating others?  Paul offers us a couple ideas.

      First, we need to be a people of prayer.  In order to treat others right, we must stay right with God.  We must stay close to the Lord at all times.  We must come humbly before God and be willing to listen to Him.  We must learn from Him how we must conduct ourselves and then do it. 

       When we are close to the heart of God, we are going to be kind and gracious.  We are going to strive to help others bring out the best in them.  We are going to care for them as people and not look at them as just numbers to use.  We are going to strive to be honest and fair at all times.  We are going to deal with others out of our love for God.  Prayer changes how we treat one another and it is an absolute necessity if we want to be a people after God's own heart, regardless if we are in positions of authority or not.

       We are to pray with alert minds.  We are to be aware of the needs around us.  People are needy.  A godly leader is sensitive to people who are in need.  If people are hurting, there is an awareness and he prays for them.  He does what he can to minister to those in need.  He is compassionate and not judgmental.  And if you are not a leader, pray for those who are leaders and in authority over you.

      We are to be thankful.  Life offers some of us greater opportunities than others.  Some are blessed with good jobs that pay well.  A godly person does not take for granted his position in life; instead, he gives thanks to the Lord.  No one deserves the blessings of life and we should be grateful for the life we have.  No matter what our lot in life is, we are blessed.  There are a multitude of people who will never know the blessings you enjoy and take for granted.  Daily we ought to thank the Lord for His blessings, love and grace.  And, a grateful heart treats others well.  

PAYBACK IS COMING

PAYBACK IS COMING

Col. 3:25 But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites who can get away with evil.  NLT

        Everyone stands on equal ground before God.  He does not care who you are, what you do, what you have accomplished in life, what your wealth or influence may be, or what stature you may have with man.  Each one of us is personally responsible for how we live our lives.  No one will get away with sin.

      We must recognize and accept this truth.  We live in a day in which we put people on pedestals.  We are quick to ignore or condone sin in the lives of our leaders.  We seldom challenge them on how they are living out the faith.  We don’t like to stick our noses into other people’s personal lives and convince ourselves somehow that it’s none of our business. 

       Or, we may go to the other extreme and get way too nosey.  Some of us may always look for faults or sins to expose.  Some will hold leaders to a much higher standard than they themselves are living or are willing to live.

       God shows no favoritism.  We are all held up to the high standards of God’s Word.  No one will get away with anything.  We will reap what we sow as we stand before God in judgment.  We will be defenseless as we hear God tell us our destiny.  God knows the heart.  Each one will be judged on what He sees there. 

      Only those in whom Christ dwells will be found pleasing and acceptable to God and where Christ dwells there is righteousness and holiness lived out daily.

WORSHIP WHILE YOU WORK

WORSHIP WHILE YOU WORK

Col. 3:23-24 Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and the Master you are serving is Christ.   NLT

       Do you work hard for the Lord?  Do you put as much effort into your serving the Lord as you do serving yourself or others?  Most of us don’t.  We tend to not give the Lord our best effort.  We take our faith for granted and sort of coast along.

       Even if you do work hard at serving the Lord, do you do it out of duty or do you do it cheerfully?  Attitude is very important to the Lord.  He judges the motives of our hearts.  If we are not enjoying what we do for the Lord, what is the point of doing it?  No matter what we do in life, it is an act of worship before the Lord.  Whether we want to accept it or not, our living is a reflection of our faith.  If the Lord isn’t honored in what we do, then we need to re-examine our hearts.

       If we see our labors on earth as an act of worship, we will put our best foot forward and strive to do our best.  We should work hard and work with pride in what we do.  We should always strive to consider our work as being unto the Lord and not man.  Sometimes our labors are misunderstood by others and criticized, but if we are doing our best to honor and please the Lord, it doesn’t really matter.  Live and work passionately for the Lord and don’t worry about what others may say or think.

      We need to always keep in mind that the ultimate reward of our labors is in heaven and not on earth.  Whatever rewards we get on earth are temporary and very fleeting; the rewards in heaven are eternal and forever satisfying.  It is far better to work with heaven in mind instead of whatever reward man may give you.  Give of your best to the Master and great will be your reward in heaven.

REPRESENTATIVE OF CHRIST

REPRESENTATIVE OF CHRIST

Col. 3:17 And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father.  NLT

       Whether we like it or not, everything we say and do represents Christ in some way.  We either present Christ to others in a positive light or a negative light.  What we do and say matters a great deal.  We need to take an honest look at how we portray Christ to the world. 

      I believe one of the reasons why so many are turned off by Christ is that they don’t see much of Christ in those who profess to believe in Him.  Being in Christ is not reserved for our Sunday meetings.  We represent Christ every day all day long.  It is imperative for Jesus’ sake for the body of Christ to take more care about how they live in the world.  People who need the Lord need a people who live well for the Lord in every area of their lives. 

      People notice how we live.  They listen to what we say and if there is a discrepancy between the two, they are quick to judge us and turn off our message.  People will jump at the chance to justify themselves and their unbelief.  It matters a great deal how we come across to others as children of God. 

       Our hearts should be so enamored by Christ that they are filled with thanksgiving and praise to God, our Father, for His wondrous plan of salvation and the workings of His grace in us.  Gratitude is an attitude that is befitting for the child of God.  It is what we are if we are truly living in Christ.

CHRIST'S WORD IN YOU

CHRIST’S WORD IN YOU

Col. 3:16 Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.  NLT

      You don't have to do it, you know. You don't have to let the words of Christ live in your heart. You can act like a fool and ignore what the Lord has to say. You don't have to live the way Christ instructs us to live. You don't have to teach the ways of Christ. There are a ton of other things out there you can offer people rather than the truth. Man is full of ideas as to how we should live and deal with life's issues. No, you don't have to let the words of Christ live in your heart and influence your thinking.

      However, you will find out that only the words of Christ are worth the investment of life. They are rich because only Jesus can change the heart of man. Only the words of Jesus can make a man wise. Only the ways of Jesus work in making life worth the living.

     Don't waste your time and energy chasing after the ways of the world. Instead, lift up your voice and praise the Lord. Sing back to Him His Word. Sing songs that build you up and draw you to Him. Sing songs of praise with a thankful heart. Be discerning in the songs you sing. Not all songs are worthy to be sung. Sing those songs which build you up and edify your soul. Worship the Lord today with a thankful heart for He is THE way, truth and life and He has chosen to live in YOU.

LOVING GRACE

LOVING GRACE

Col. 3:12-14 Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony. NLT

       Hear what the Word is saying to us today. Listen and understand it. God chose you in Christ because He loves you and He chose you to be holy. Do you know for a fact today that God loves you? How do you know it? What difference does it make for you to know it? Are you a holy person? What is there about you that verifies that it is true what you think about yourself?

      Holiness is a life lived apart from sin, a life that strives to submit to and obey the standards of God as revealed in His Word. Some of the characteristics of holy living are found in today's verses. Take another look at them. Do they describe who you are? You may not have it altogether, but you should see some of them in you. How you treat others is a good barometer on how you are doing. If you are growing into a holy person, you will have a compassionate heart that treats people with kindness and love. Your first response to others will be that of love. You will not let anything they do or say keep you from loving them.

      If you find it hard to love someone, you will flee to the Lord and ask Him to love them through you. He will change your heart into a heart of love if you will let Him. You cannot consistently pray for the good of someone without the Lord giving you a heart of love for them. You cannot become who the Lord wants you to be, and created you to be in Him, until you do.

      Love is what binds us together and love can only be found at the foot of the cross. Jesus takes away all that keeps us from loving each other and binds us together in perfect harmony. When we don't get along it's because we haven't lingered at Calvary long enough for it to impact our souls.

       God commands us to be a holy people characterized by loving grace towards others.  He treated us that way and demands that we pass it on to others.

OUR NEW NATURE

OUR NEW NATURE

Col. 3:9-10 Don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old evil nature and all its wicked deeds. In its place, you have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you.  NLT

      What have you taken off? What difference has the Gospel you profess to believe in made in your life? What don't you do that you did before?  What do you do now that you didn’t do before?  What attitudes do you have now that you didn't have before about life and people? The reality is that if nothing noticeable has changed in you, then what you believe with your head is not what you believe in your heart. When Jesus is in us, we no longer can live in sin or maintain sinful attitudes. He won't let us. His Spirit convicts us of sin and moves us to confess sin and change.

      In the place of our old way of life, Jesus gives us a brand-new life. It is a life built on the foundation of godliness. It is a life that never quits becoming more like God in character. It is a life that is never satisfied with what is, but is aware of the need for constant growth and change. When Jesus lives within us, we have a constant hunger and thirst for more of His life. We want who He is to be who we are.

      Let the Lord renew your heart today by striving to learn more and more about Him in all His glory and honor as God within you.  The old you has to go and the new you has to be your new norm. 

      It may take a while, in fact, the transformation into the new you will not be done until you get to heaven, but if you are indeed a child of God, progress will be seen in you and you will feel it.

PUT TO DEATH

PUT TO DEATH

Col. 3:5-6  So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.  Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires.  Don't be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry.  God's terrible anger will come upon those who do such things.  NLT

     Putting to death is to no longer let sinful things be a part of who you are.  It is no longer living under the influence of sinful desires.  It is refusing to participate in sinful things or practices.  It is walking away from sinful temptations.  It is squelching sinful desires.  It is changing the course of our natural way to live and instead strive to live to honor and please God.

      There are many things that the world deems to be good.  There are many things that appeal to us and cause us to want them.  We need to keep our desires under control.  When what the world offers us become the driving force in our lives, it's greed.  It causes us to want the world's offerings more than we do a healthy relationship with God.  It is sin and we must be concerned about this.  If we are not careful, we will develop greater priorities in life than God.  We will be led away from God and into sin.

      Paul warns us that those who do not put away from them their sinful desires and greed will face God's wrath.  God will not fight for our allegiance; He lets us choose whether or not we will serve Him and love Him more than anyone, or anything, else in life.  You cannot love the Lord and hang onto worldly desires or participate in worldly activities.  You cannot love Him and desire something else more than Him.  God commands all of our heart’s loyalties.  We cannot live in Christ with earthly attachments.

       Do not be lulled to sleep thinking God will not exercise wrath against those who live ungodly lives.  He is holy and will NEVER let that which is ungodly near Him.  The hammer will come down on everyone who lives in sin instead of Christ’s righteousness.

DO YOUR PART

DO YOUR PART

Col. 3:5a So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.  NLT

      Notice, we have a responsibility to put out the life of sin in us.  We have to do our part if we are going to live in victory.  God does not take away from us our desires.  We still tend to want to sin and we must gain control over those desires.  We must stand up to temptation and say no to it.  We must resist the urge to pursue the things on earth that draw us away from God. 

     In order for us to be strong enough to put to death our sinful desires, we must take control over what we do in life.  We must be students of God’s Word, which means we become more than casual readers of it.  We must read the Word with a need and desire to learn its hidden treasures.  We must be disciplined enough to spend daily time in it.  We must be willing to listen to what it says and seek to apply it to our living.  The more we study the Word, the stronger our faith becomes.

      We must also put into practice what we learn.  Knowledge alone does the soul no good.  We must keep striving to develop the kind of life God says we should be living.  Becoming holy in practice should always be our goal.

       Strength of faith is found on our knees.  We must discipline ourselves to be a people of prayer.  It takes more than a casual thought to be a people of prayer.  We need to discipline ourselves to wait before the Lord, spending quality time with Him on a consistent basis.  Sunday morning prayer time in church is not going to cut it.  Daily we need to spend time alone with the Lord, sitting at His feet, waiting before Him.

       It is the strong in faith who will be able to put to death the sinful, earthly things that attract us and lure us away from God.   

      Satan is lurking, waiting for an opportunity to attack and devour you.  Do your part and work out your salvation and you will be able to resist him and live in victory.

WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND?

WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND?

Col. 3:1-2 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God's right hand in the place of honor and power. Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth.  NLT

       One of the biggest reasons why there is such shallowness in our spiritual lives is that we have allowed our thoughts to be dominated by earthly things. We are primarily concerned by the things we find on earth. We thrive on the rewards found in the world and pursue the earthly pleasures available to us. We listen to the many voices of the world to the point where we scarcely hear the voice of God.

      We will never grow into a godly people until we accept our actions and take responsibility for them. We must understand that in order to be the people whom God created us to be in Christ, we must get our priorities straight.

      As children of God, we must retrain ourselves to set our sights on the realities of heaven. We must learn all we can about Christ and heaven. We must keep our thoughts focused on what is before us, not on what is around us or behind us. We are not citizens of earth; we are citizens of heaven. We invest our lives in the things of heaven, not the things on earth.

      The more into Christ we become, the less attachment we will have for the things here on earth. Only when we become heaven-minded do we find ourselves and something worth living for.

      Christ is in heaven seated at God’s right hand, watching over and sustaining creation, working to make and keep us holy, and preparing a place for us in heaven.  Think on these things for a life worth living for.

SATAN DISARMED

SATAN DISARMED

Col. 2:14-15 He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross. In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross of Christ.  NLT

      Make no mistake about it; God knows our sin and will hold us responsible for it.  No one gets away with sin.  No one.  But, when we humble ourselves before Christ, admit our sins, and seek His forgiveness, God destroys all the evidence.  He puts on the cross our just punishment.  He forever washes away our sins.  We no longer are condemned to die for our sins; instead, we are given new life in Christ. 

      In Christ, we are freed from the hold Satan has on us.  He is rendered powerless.  He may nag us to death, but He cannot lead us unwittingly into God’s judgment.  We are given in Christ the power to live a life that is pleasing and acceptable to God.  We no longer are victims; we are victors in Christ. 

      At Calvary Jesus publicly put to shame all the forces of evil.  He put Satan in His place.  He forever is known as the enemy of God; the object of His wrath.  Satan, and all those who are his, are doomed to spend eternity in hell.  There is no hope for him or any who would reject the love of Christ and follow him.

      In Christ, all of our sins are gone.  We inherit the righteousness and holiness of Christ.  Forgotten is the condemnation we deserved for our sins.  We now have eternal life in Christ.  We will someday be in the presence of God with Him if we do not get weary and give up the good fight.  In Christ, we will not faint; we will make it home.  Satan is disarmed; it is about time we lived like it.

CHRIST IS LORD

CHRIST IS LORD

Col. 2:9-10 For in Christ the fullness of God lives in a human body, and you are complete through your union with Christ. He is the Lord over every ruler and authority in the universe.  NLT

      The fullness of God lives in Christ.  There is nothing of God lacking in Christ.  All that God is, Christ is.  He is fully God who lived on earth in bodily form.  Jesus is able to do all things, for He is God.

     What Jesus does for us to save us is complete, there is nothing lacking in our salvation.  We are made acceptable to God.  There is nothing else Jesus can or needs to do to make us presentable to God.  We can with confidence approach God in Christ without fear of being harmed because of our sinfulness.  Jesus makes us righteous and holy before God. 

      In order for us to be able to continue to be safe as we approach God, we must stay connected to Christ.  If we ever stray from Christ and attempt to approach God, we will be rejected by Him.  He will not allow us near Him with sinful hearts.  He is merciful and does not immediately condemn us, but neither does He waver in His refusal to allow sin into His presence.  Only in Christ can we draw near to God.  It is imperative that we understand this truth.  We must never allow sin to draw us away from Christ’s protective care. 

      Jesus stands alone in His power and authority.  He is ruler over all things and every authority on earth.  They were made by Him and for Him.  He has no equal.  He is in control of all created things.  He is the only reason why we are still here.  He has the authority to save or not save our souls.  He knows our hearts and saves all those who sincerely come to Him for salvation.  All who are in Christ please God and shall live with Him forever and ever. 

TELL EVERYONE

TELL EVERYONE

Col. 1:28-29 So everywhere we go, we tell everyone about Christ. We warn them and teach them with all the wisdom God has given us, for we want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship with Christ. I work very hard at this, as I depend on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.  NLT

      We are part of the persona of Christ.  Everywhere we go we are telling people about Christ by the way we live our lives.  What we say and do sends a strong message about who Christ is.  It is imperative that we live so that Christ will be seen for who He really is.

      We are part of the proclamation of Christ.  We have been given a very clear and strong message of God’s redeeming love.  We must warn and teach others about Christ and His ways.  Where people will spend eternity may very well hinge on whether or not we obey the Lord and share our faith with them.  God gives us wisdom so that we will know what to say when it is time to speak out, so if we fail to share the Gospel message, it is disobedience; it is sin.  Speak frequently about Christ and our redemption to everyone you can and if words fail you, let your life speak for you.  The Gospel does no one any good if it is not freely shared.  It must be seen in action and heard. 

       It should be our heart’s desire to present to God souls ready for the Kingdom of God.  If we have God’s love governing our hearts, we will long to help others be prepared for heaven.  Love compels us to promote healthy relationships with Christ.

      It’s not an easy thing to do and it requires a lot of work on our part to be a help and not a hindrance to the faith of others.  We can do it if we are dependent on Christ’s power and not our own.  Let us commit ourselves to the task for the glory of Christ.

ENEMIES NO MORE

ENEMIES NO MORE

Col. 1:22b You were his enemies separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.  NLT

      You were an enemy of God.  Your evil thoughts and actions kept you separated from Him.  No one can claim otherwise.  We were born into sin and stayed in our sins until we opened up our hearts to Christ.  If you haven't done that yet, you are still a sinner, an enemy of God.  If you have turned to Christ and sought His forgiveness for your sins, you are now a friend of God.  It's not something you have done; it's what Christ has done for you.

     Jesus died on the cross for our sins.  God took on our humanity, lived a sinless life on earth, went to the cross of Calvary, took our sins, guilt, and shame upon His own heart, and died for our sins so that He could bring us into the presence of God.  When Jesus died, He broke down all the barriers that keep us from God.  He went back to heaven and now serves there as our way to God, our righteousness, holiness, intercessor, and advocate.  In Christ, we are made holy and blameless, able to draw near to God.  In Christ, and only in Christ, are we able to stand before God without fault.

      Do not let Satan deceive you.  If you are living a sinful life, you are an enemy of God.  It makes no difference at all if you once professed faith in Him; if you are not living a life that reflects your profession, you are an enemy of God.

      We are then compelled to stay in close fellowship with Christ.  We must strive to let Him always be Lord of our lives.  We must stand guard over our souls and quickly confess our sins to Him when we do sin, and we do.  We must stay in God's Word so that we will recognize our sins.  We must understand our constant need to live in Christ.  Otherwise, we will not be able to draw near to God.  We cannot approach God on our own; our sins keep us away from Him; we need Jesus.

JESUS, OUR FRIEND

JESUS, OUR FRIEND

Col. 1:21b-22 You were his enemies separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.  NLT

       How many friends do you have now who once went out of their way to make your life miserable? Maybe they said things that were hurtful or damaging to you. Maybe they did things to you or against you that made your life miserable. Or, maybe there were people that you had preconceived notions about because of their race, social, or economic class that you shut out of your life without getting to know them who are now your friends. Can you identify some people in your life like that?

       If so, what happened to make them now your friends? How did you overcome your negative impressions or feelings about them to get to know them well enough to now call them your friends? Was it an easy process?

       Friendships happen in the heart. We open up ourselves and let others in. We listen with our hearts to what others are saying. We accept people for who they are and not for who we think they are. We reach out and strive to build a relationship built on trust. We learn not to listen to what we hear others say about them and instead learn to know them. The process takes time and investment of our hearts.

       While friendships can be developed without Christ in the mix, they are made much easier with His help, especially when it involves those whom we might call our enemies. Jesus makes the heart right with God so that we can relate to others in a godly way. He enables us to listen with our hearts instead of our heads. He melts down our defenses and strips down our self-righteousness. He gives us hearts of compassion that embrace all people.

      If you have people in your life whom you cannot call your friends, I challenge you today to draw near to Christ and let Him change your heart and mind attitudes towards them. Let Him work in you to fill your heart with His love for them. Let Him move you to pray for them. Let Him help you to have the heart of God for them. Who knows? You just might find an awesome new friend in your life! 

RECONCILED

RECONCILED

Col. 1:19-21a For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and by him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross. This includes you who were once so far away from God. NLT

       God in all His fullness lived in Christ when Christ lived on earth. Jesus was the fleshly embodiment of God. He limited himself to life on earth and would not display all of His godliness while here, but it does not change who He is. Jesus is God and God is Jesus. There is no difference whatsoever between the two.

      It pleased God to live His life on earth for a season. God did not take on human life reluctantly or begrudgingly. It was something He chose to do and it brought Him pleasure to do it.

     While on earth, God made everything right. Sin had distorted, divided, and destroyed the life that God had intended man to enjoy on earth. Everything and everyone was a mess. There was no way for man to live in peace with God and enjoy the blessings of God upon him. Jesus took care of the problem we had created by our disobedience. He restored the way to fellowship with God. He gave us a peace with God that the world can never understand.

      Through His death on the cross, all people now have access to God. No one is without hope. If we want to be restored to a right relationship with God, we can be. No one is beyond the reach of God's love. Jesus forgives the sins of all who come to Him in faith, trusting in Him alone for forgiveness.

       Even though no one deserves God's forgiveness, for everyone is guilty of sin and deserves an eternity spent in hell, all are forgiven who come to the cross, confesses their sins, and trusts in Christ as their Savior and Lord.  Jesus does the impossible; He reconciles sinful man with holy God.

CHRIST IS THE HEAD

CHRIST IS THE HEAD

Col. 1:18 Christ is the head of the church, which is his body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, so he is first in everything.  NLT

      Do not be confused about this. Christ is the head of the Church. No one can take away from Jesus that which is rightfully His. No one has the authority to run the church except Jesus. No one has the authority to set himself up over others and act as if everything revolves around him. Christ is the head of the church---not the pastor, not the lay leaders, not the powerful, nor the rich. Christ does not need help on knowing how to run the Church. Therefore, we must all submit to Him and let Him run things. How do we do that?

      Jesus made it very clear that His house is a house of prayer. In all things, we unite our hearts together in prayer. We pray for one another continuously. We all need to pray. We pray that the Lord will keep each of our hearts pure and focused on Him. We pray for strength to resist the temptation to put ourselves, or others, as head of the church body. We pray that those who lead us will do so through prayer, submission to Christ, and love. We pray that the body of Christ will not be driven by jealousy or envy because we have different functions in the body. We pray together that we will never lose sight of the fact that Jesus is our head and each one of us is an essential part of His body.

       Jesus is THE way and anyone who tries to lead without Christ leading him will lead the church away from God, not towards Him.  Without His input and instructions, we will lose our way and no longer be a spiritual impactor in the community or world.

       Are you praying consistently over and with your church family? Are you praying for your spiritual leaders, as well as those who follow them? Nothing of eternal worth will be accomplished through the church until we are united as one on our knees before God's throne.

THE GREATNESS OF CHRIST

THE GREATNESS OF CHRIST

Col. 1:15-17 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see---kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together.  NLT

       Do not minimize the greatness of Christ. Pause and think about these things. This same Jesus who saves us is God our ruler and creator of all things. He is God and beside Him, there is no equal. He has absolute authority over all things we see and don't see. He holds everything together, both great and small, and if He were to remove His hand from His creation, nothing would remain in place or in order.

       Have you ever stopped to consider how interdependent creation is? Everything God has created has a purpose and a place. Every detail of God's creation exists for the whole. We may not know why every detailed part of creation is necessary, but God does and in His wisdom, He put it in its place to fulfill its purpose.

      Jesus is the embodiment of God in the flesh so that we can better understand Him, His great love, and our purpose and place in created life. Jesus has made God known to us. He is the majestic glory of God. He has all power and authority over creation. Don't minimize for one moment the greatness of Christ and take Him for granted. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is absolute in His power and authority over all things. He alone has the right to be worshiped and served. Every knee will bow before Him and proclaim Him Lord.

       Our worship of Christ today is our preparation for worship throughout eternity. The more we worship Him now, the better prepared we will be for eternity.   The more we feast on creation, the work of Christ at Calvary for our salvation, and His work on our behalf now in heaven, the more our hearts swell up in praise and adoration. 

       If we were to focus more on Christ we would be less prone to get down and depressed by the world we live in.  Don’t take our Lord for granted.  Begin and end each day thinking about these things.

PRAYER WORKS

PRAYER WORKS

Col. 1:9  So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you.  We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom.  NLT

      There are several important things we need to focus on in this verse.  First, Paul told the Colosse church that he (and his companions) continued to pray for the church.  It wasn't a one-time deal, or even a short time deal.  The church at Colosse was on Paul's heart and he kept praying for her.  I suspect that things would be quite different in most of our churches and lives if we were to not give up praying for one another.

       Paul asked the Lord to give the church a complete understanding of what God wanted to do in their lives.  So many of us are simply confused about what the Lord wants to do in and through our lives.  We need to work on understanding the work of God in us.  We need to stay out of the Lord's way and let Him do His work in us.  We need to be able to see measurable changes in our lives.  We need to understand that the Lord is with us; He is always at work in us to make us holy servants.

      Paul also asked the Lord to make the church wise with spiritual wisdom.  He wanted them to be able to rightly apply God's Word to their lives.  He wanted them to think and act Biblically.  He wanted them to live by what was right before God as they lived amongst man. 

       Paul prayed from his heart of love and his utmost confidence in God’s ability to hear and answer prayer.  He knew from personal experience that prayer works.  He lived close to the heart of God and it showed in his concern for others and what he prayed for them.  His only goal for the church was for them to take hold of their faith and grow in it.  He wanted them to grasp the truth, live it and share it.  He had a true pastor’s heart for the church.

      We ought to pray this prayer for ourselves and for those we fellowship with.  I believe that the Church is spiritually deficient when it comes to asking the Lord to help us become who we ought to be in Christ.  We won't get much better on our own; we need the Lord's help and prayer is the key.

PAUL'S GODLY EXAMPLE

PAUL’S GODLY EXAMPLE

Col. 1:9  So we have continued praying for you ever since we first heard about you.  We ask God to give you a complete understanding of what he wants to do in your lives, and we ask him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom.  NLT

      The Apostle Paul was my kind of a godly leader.  He had a real interest in, and compassion for, the Church.  He was very strong on developing godly character in people.  He did his very best to promote holiness in the Church.  He encouraged people to stand up for Christ and to stand strong against evil. 

      Paul was a man of prayer.  We find him praying for the Colosse church.  His interest in the spiritual development and well-being of the body of Christ came from his prayers for them.  We cannot expect to love others if we don't ever pray for them.  In fact, we can't love others without prayer and we can't pray without loving others. 

      Paul asked God to give the church a complete understanding of His will for their lives and to make them spiritually wise.  God's will can be many different things, but the bottom line is God wants us to be holy before Him.  There are many different things that must happen for us to be, and stay holy.  It is imperative that we discover them and put them into practice in our daily living.

      Spiritual wisdom doesn't just happen.  It takes a fully surrendered and humbled heart before God.  It takes spending much time in God's Word and prayer.  It takes applying to life the things God makes known to us through His Word.  It takes time, work and patience to know how to apply Biblical truth to life.  There has to be a real desire to make it happen before it happens.

       It is my prayer for you that you have a complete understanding of God's will for you and that you become wise with spiritual wisdom.

SUFFICIENT GIFTS

SUFFICIENT GIFTS

Phil. 4:18-19 At the moment I have all I need---more than I need! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling aroma to God and pleases him. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Now glory be to God our Father forever and ever. Amen.  NLT

      Gifts given in love are a sweet-smelling aroma to God and He is pleased with them. Gifts can be anything we have that another person doesn't. Whenever we use what we have to bless others, it is a gift. Gifts are given to please others. Worthwhile gifts come from the heart and require thought and effort on our part. You can usually tell when a gift is given insincerely.

      When gifts are given, they should be received with thanksgiving. There is nothing crueler to the giver of gifts than to have his gifts scorned or rejected. We must learn how to accept gifts with thankful hearts.

       God blesses those who give cheerfully out of hearts of love. He will take care of all of our needs from the abundance and richness of His resources that are made available to us in Christ Jesus our Lord. God will never let a giver who pleases Him go without what he needs in life. Never.

       Gifts are never given to be hoarded. Use what you need and pass it on so others can be blessed too. Gifts are given so that we might serve the Lord with them. He blesses those who bless others with their gifts. When we bless others with our gifts, we are investing in eternal life, both ours and theirs.

       Whatever gifts you have been given, use them wisely and lovingly for the glory and honor of our Lord.  And, thank the Lord for the gifts He provides.  No one deserves anything but judgment from God so when He graciously gives, we need to not take it for granted and give Him thanks for the gifts given.