Category: Colossians

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Formatted Correctly

Just a short time back I shared how God sees us as completely new when we accept the forgiveness that Christ provided for us on the cross. The Bible says that our past is gone, wiped clean, and we are completely new.

That’s a hard concept to grasp because we can remember our past and all of our failures so well.

Hard to imagine, that is, unless you have ever experienced a hard drive crash on your computer or, as I remembered this morning, a time when I had improperly formatted or failed to format a DVD disc.

I had been asked to make dvds of a memorial service. I tested the first two copies to make sure they were formatted correctly and then followed the same process for the others. Imagine my shock when a few days later I received an email telling me that several of the copies were blank.

What?

Our lives are a lot like that DVD when we come to Christ. Old things have passed away and all things have become new.

“You were dead, because you were sinful and were not God’s people. But God let Christ make you alive, when he forgave all our sins.14 God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14 CEV

Our sins were wiped out, removed – the disc is blank!! Here’s the great thing about God, He doesn’t leave us with a blank disc.

“This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord.I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:10-12 NIV

We have a promise that God, our loving heavenly Father, will write His word in our hearts. It is the leading of the Holy Spirit; giving us direction, encouraging us, correcting us, inspiring us, that makes the Word of God come alive in our lives. God puts the desire in our hearts to know Him and the way we get to know Him is through reading His letter to us. Those words will burn to our disc.

I remember when Dave & I were dating – it was a long distance relationship. I waited anxiously each day for his letters to arrive and when they did I’d read them over and over again. (In fact, I still have those letters and take time to read them occasionally.)

I looked for the parts that said he loved me and that he was coming to see me soon. Those words burned into my very being and I would excitedly tell my friends – “he’s coming, he’s coming”. I had his word on it and his words became life to me.

That’s the way God’s word is to me now. It burns indelibly into my heart!

Circumstances or time can’t steal what the Holy Spirit has written there.

I know that when I press “play” the disc won’t be blank. I pray today that you have God’s word burned onto your heart!

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Brand New

For the next couple of days we’ll be looking at the “new creation” that God has designed us to be. I have been asked a number of times “How can God love me and want to have a relationship with me after all I’ve done?”. The answer is simple. God sees us as new. He has chosen to forget our past and has given us a brand new life.

The Apostle Paul knew this was a hard truth to comprehend so he made it the central message in his writings. We are brand new – part of the body of Christ – and even if we are the skin on the bottom of the little toe we are still part of the body and that gives us relationship and authority…

“Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.” Ephesians 1:21-23 NLT

The head is the authority, the decision making or ruling part of the body. The power manifested through the decisions made by the head are valid for the whole body. Jesus took authority over principalities and powers and placed them under His feet. He defeated them when he died and rose again. If we are in the body, His body, then those powers are placed under our feet.

“Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead.  So, he is first in everything.19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20 and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.” Colossians 1:18-20 NLT

Christ, as the head, rules or directs the members of the body. The head makes the decisions that protect and provide for its wellbeing. Wisdom, spiritual insight, knowledge, and understanding come from the head.

“I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!” Ephesians 1:17-19 MSG

Take time to look at the example of Jesus’ life on earth.

How did He act; what did He do? It was all done through His body. The attributes that made Jesus, who He was, are available to us. He had victory over sin, sickness, emotional distress, and spiritual attacks. He moved in total obedience to God’s word; as His body we should be striving for this same commitment of pleasing the Father.

Our life in Christ is not about us doing something good enough to measure up, it’s about us allowing Him to lead, guide and gives us the strength! Christ invested His life to make us Brand New!

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New Identity

Have you ever wished you could go somewhere and start over? Go someplace where no one knows your past and its failures? A new identity offers a new start…

Let me tell you a story.

Years ago, I had the opportunity to help some friends prepare for a horse sale. The animals were delivered on a Sunday afternoon and were to be sold the following Saturday at an auction. Forty-three horses arrived but one in particular caught my eye. They were all frightened and unsettled from the fifteen-hundred-mile trip. Most were unfamiliar with human contact.

Up to this time, I had very little experience working with unbroke animals; in fact, I had none. On Tuesday morning, we began by bringing the yearlings out of their pens. This was the first time most of them had ever been on lead ropes or tied to a hitching rail. This one little colt was standing there shaking as I approached him; he was so scared.

I was a little nervous myself, so I began praying for him and myself. My prayers brought peace to both of us. I asked the Lord to help him understand that I wasn’t going to hurt him. As I brushed his coat and combed his mane and tail, he began to relax and his fear diminished.

Over the next few days, I worked with him and the other horses daily. There were six of us working those forty-three beauties but this one was my favorite. By the time sale day came he looked elegant. He was bathed and groomed that morning and ended up being the high price yearling of the sale.

He had a new identity and value.

As I watched him change and develop the Lord reminded me of the change that takes place in the life of a believer as we grow in Him. He’s ever changing us into His likeness. He wants us to look like Him, after all, we are called the Body of Christ.

Only God could take a sinful creature and completely birth us into someone new who becomes a part of the body of Christ. We are new, old things are dead.

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.” II Corinthians 5:17 CEV

When we become new creatures in Christ God takes one sinful person, covers our sins with the blood of Jesus and we begin a whole new life.

A new identity.

Jesus is the head and we are His body. When believers first started going out in the world and telling the Good News of Jesus, they were called Christians because they were behaving like “little Christ-like ones”. They were acting in the same way they had seen Christ act. They had a new identity.

“And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.” Colossians 2:10 ERV

When we come to Christ our past is removed, we become part of the body of Christ and our new identity is in Him. Don’t let your past rule your life – in Him everything is new!

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Did You Know?

I had a professor in college that loved to start class with questions. “Do you know”, “did you realize”, “do you understand” were some of his favorites. We knew to pay attention to what was about to be said because we were going to learn something.

The Apostle Paul is good at asking the same kind of questions.

“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” I Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT

The temple in the Old Testament, a beautiful building, was divided into three sections: the outside court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. Everyone was allowed in the outer court. The Holy Place was reserved for the priests and then there was the most holy place, the Holy of Holies, where only the high priest went once a year to offer sacrifice for the sins of the nation of Israel. It was there that the glory of God dwelt. The power and glory of God was housed in the temple.

Something extremely exciting happened on the day of Jesus’ crucifixion; the veil which separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple was torn in half from the top and to the floor. The glory of God was no longer confined to a specially designated room. God’s glory was released to all who received Him.

      “Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart,” Matthew 27:50-51 NLT

When we follow Christ we are called the temple of the Holy Spirit. We have three worship areas also: spirit, soul, and body. Our spirit is the Holy of Holies where the fulness of God dwells. It is the part of us that is perfect and was created new when we received the gift of salvation.

“For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 NLT

      Our body is the outer court. The part that everyone can see. Our soul – our mind, will and emotions, is the Holy Place. It is here that we experience forgiveness and the peace that new life in Christ gives us. As we let God’s Word change our actions, our intents, and our desires our temple takes on God’s glory and likeness…

“For we work together with God. You are God’s field. You are God’s building also…16 Do you not know that you are a house of God and that the Holy Spirit lives in you? 17…God’s house is holy. You are the place where He lives.” I Corinthians 3:9-17 NLT

Do you know that you are God’s house? The Holy Spirit of God has chosen to live in us. He is the resident who makes our house special and furnishes us with the attributes of God’s character.

Did you know…

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Our Sure Victory

What if I told you that the enemy who works so hard to convince us to that we can’t handle things has already been defeated?…

Satan knows if we fight, he will be defeated. If we give up, he wins. No one likes to lose, especially Satan, but in truth he has already been defeated.

“He defeated the rulers and powers of the spiritual world. With the cross he won the victory over them and led them away, as defeated and powerless prisoners for the whole world to see.” Colossians 2:15 ERV

God has done everything to secure our victory. It is up to us to enforce that victory. How do we enforce the victory that God has given us so freely? We STAND on God’s word. We believe the promises He has given us are our irrevocable inheritance. We do not let Satan convince us that we aren’t saved, and we shouldn’t let him convince us that we are weak and without power.

“ So what should we say about this? If God is for us, no one can stand against us. And God is with us. 32 He even let his own Son suffer for us. God gave his Son for all of us. So now with Jesus, God will surely give us all things.” Romans 8:31-32 ERV

Long ago, God spoke to Moses and had him give this message to the nation of Israel, he reminded them of the promises that God had made to their ancestor Abraham. What God promised Abraham’s descendants is part of our inheritance too.

“All of you are God’s children because of your faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And when you were baptized, it was as though you had put on Christ in the same way you put on new clothes. 28 Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman. 29 So if you belong to Christ, you are now part of Abraham’s family, and you will be given what God has promised.” Galatians 3:26-29 CEV

These are some of God’s blessings to the nation of Israel:

“Be faithful in obeying the Lord your God…And the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. 2 All these good things will come upon you if you will obey the Lord your God. 3 Good will come to you in the city, and good will come to you in the country. 4 Good will come to your children, and the fruit of your ground, and the young of your animals…6 Good will come to you when you come in, and when you go out.  7 “The Lord will cause you to win the battles against those who fight against you…8 The Lord will send good upon you in your store-houses and in all your work. He will bring good to you in the land the Lord your God gives you. 9 The Lord will make you a holy nation to Himself, as He promised you. But you must keep the Laws of the Lord your God and walk in His ways…12 The Lord will open for you His good store-house, the heavens. He will give rain to your land at the right time. He will bring good to all the work you do. You will give to many nations. But you will not use anything that belongs to them. 13 The Lord will make you the head and not the tail. If you listen to the Laws of the Lord your God which I tell you today and be careful to obey them, you will only be above and not below.” Deuteronomy 28:1-13 NLV

These blessings to the nation of Israel are for us as well. They are our inheritance. When we obey God’s word we have His assurance of victory!

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A New Family

Today I will continue with our teaching on “Sons of God”. I am confident of this very thing, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever”. I will keep my eyes on Him and follow His leading.

Now let’s continue.

      “He has made you able to have what he has promised to give all his holy people, who live in the light. 13 God made us free from the power of darkness. And he brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son. 14 The Son paid the price to make us free. In him we have forgiveness of our sins.” Colossians 1:13-14 ERV

When a child is adopted, they are chosen above all others. The parents saw the child and chose them to be their own. The child is accepted and loved. Loved unconditionally, shortcomings and faults included. They are special and desired by the parents.

That should tell us something about our Heavenly Father. He looked across the span of eternity and desired to be our Father. He made the greatest sacrifice a father could make to receive us into His family. He sent His only Son to pay the price for our adoption.

Jesus had been with God, the Father, from the beginning of time.  Because of His sacrifice many sons and daughters have been added to God’s family. The price Jesus paid was great. He made the ultimate sacrifice. He did this so we could be the adopted sons and daughters of God.

“God knew from the beginning who would put their trust in Him. So, He chose them and made them to be like His Son. Christ was first and all those who belong to God are His brothers.” Romans 8:29 NLV

Our Father has given us all of heaven’s blessings. He has provided so much for us, far more than anything we could ever imagine or dream. He wants to give the best to His kids and to put all He has at our disposal.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in heaven.” Ephesians 1:3 ERV

“God is able to do much more than we ask or think through His power working in us. 21 May we see His shining-greatness in the church. May all people in all time honor Christ Jesus. Let it be so.” Ephesians 3:20-21 NLV

This is one of the first things He promised to give us as His children.

“Even you who are bad know how to give good things to your children. So surely your heavenly Father knows how to give the Holy Spirit to the people who ask him.” Luke 11:13 ERV

“But the Helper will teach you everything and cause you to remember all that I told you. This Helper is the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name.” John 14:26 ERV

Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as a good gift. A gift from the Father.  The Holy Spirit was sent to help us. He is also called the Comforter, and by definition, that means counsellor, intercessor, advocate, strengthener and standby. He intercedes for us.

This verse also says the Holy Spirit will remind us of all things Jesus spoke and He will teach us all things. When the Holy Spirit comes to our aid, He reminds us of God’s Word and instructs us on how to show our love to the Father.

  • We have been chosen by God, the Father. He wants us to be a part of His family. Let’s honor Him by showing His love to the world.
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All That Glitters

The last few days I have been thinking alot about where we are in life. Not just our physical location, although that adds to it, but more about our sense of well-being. We’ve been retired for a number of years and life is good.

When we were younger and our children were small I used to imagine going to the grocery store and being able to buy what I needed and some of what I wanted without using a calculator to keep track of my total. That was my idea of being rich.

I also imagined a time when I would be able to go all week without doing laundry because we would still have plenty of clothes to wear. Enough socks and underwear to last the week. Yes, according to my own standards we are rich. Those are the insignificant things in life.

These are the things that now fill my life with richness. God’s love and goodness never ends. Our children and grandchildren love us. Our friends do too. Our home is comfortable. We are healthy, we can travel in our RV. We are content. We have joy. Our lives are richly blessed!

“Devotion to God is, in fact, a way for people to be very rich, but only if it makes them satisfied with what they have.” I Timothy 6:6 ERV

What things in life make you feel rich?

Conversations that are rich with laughter. The presence of family and friends. Surviving 2020 with health and home intact.

“Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking. It is for peace that you were chosen to be together in one body. And always be thankful. 16 Let the teaching of Christ live inside you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 Everything you say and everything you do should be done for Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.” Colossians 3:15-17 ERV

Let’s put it this way. When Christ, who is the word, dwells in us we become rich in wisdom. Wisdom is a commodity that money can’t buy but dwelling in the Word makes wisdom available.

“Wisdom is worth much more than gold. Understanding is worth much more than silver.”
Proverbs 16:16 ERV

“Yes, the Scriptures say, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disappointed.” 12 It says this because there is no difference between those who are Jews and those who are not. The same Lord is the Lord of all people. And he richly blesses everyone who looks to him for help. 13 Yes, “everyone who trusts in the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:11-13 ERV

These gifts that we all desire – peace, thankfulness, wisdom, help. A relationship with Christ, the Word, brings the richness of these gifts to our lives. We are rich with God’s goodness.

Merry Christ – mas!

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Nothing To Brag About

We live in a reputation driven society. Companies spend billions each year on advertising, making sure they have the right image for their product.

Celebrities are given huge endorsements. The best production companies are hired. Constant attention is placed on positioning of those on-line searches. Reputation means everything – drink the right product, wear the right clothes, drive the right car, support the right candidate, play for the right team. The list is endless.

But, what about you and me? I know me and I really have done nothing to brag about, I won’t be asked for my public opinion or endorsement.

I’m kind of like Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tree.

So were the shepherds on that eventful night when the angels filled the sky. Shepherds had a poor reputation in their society at best. They were considered the lowest of the blue collar workers, rogues, and liars but God… God saw them as men who would be faithful to spread the message that His Son had been born!

“The angels went from the shepherds back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see what has happened. The Lord has told us about this.’ 16 They went fast and found Mary and Joseph. They found the Baby lying in a place where cattle are fed. 17 When they saw the Child, they told what the angel said about Him. 18 All who heard it were surprised at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary hid all these words in her heart. She thought about them much. 20 The shepherds went back full of joy. They thanked God for all they had heard and seen. It happened as the angel had told them.” Luke 2:15-20 NLV

How do you see yourself today? Are you someone who has struggled most of your life with relationships and careers? Do others look down on you because of your education or lack thereof? Maybe you’ve done some stupid stuff and it has caused people not to trust you or you have wounded and broken relationships. Well, God has a message and a plan for your life. He is willing to use you to touch others.

The Bible is filled with people of low reputation who were used by God. Fishermen, shepherds, slaves, prisoners, prostitutes, tax collectors, children, a divorcee, murderers. People you and I probably wouldn’t invite to dinner but God used them all and not only did He use them, He saw them as valuable.

Jesus gave us His reputation and His place in heaven to reach us with His love.

“Jesus has always been as God is. But He did not hold to His rights as God. 7 He put aside everything that belonged to Him and made Himself the same as a servant who is owned by someone. He became human by being born as a man. 8 After He became a man, He gave up His important place and obeyed by dying on a cross.” Philippians 2:6-8 NLV

He died for you and me. He brought us new life and completely blotted out all the old garbage; our past is gone, never to be remembered.

“God decided to let his people know just how rich and glorious that truth is. That secret truth, which is for all people, is that Christ lives in you, his people. He is our hope for glory.” Colossians 1:27 ERV

The splendor and the glory of Christmas is not in the tinsel, the lights, the trees; it’s not in the messengers (that includes us) but it’s in the message of the manger and the Son of God laid aside His reputation to become Immanuel, God with us.

Now that’s something to brag about!

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A Different Thanksgiving

Are your plans for Thanksgiving dinner a little different this year? My oldest daughter and I have been talking about this for a couple of weeks.

We’ll be eating outside, using paper plates and a large portion of the baking/serving dishes will be disposable. Hand sanitizer will be readily available and we will limit those in the kitchen helping with meal prep. We are so thankful that we live in a climate that will accomodate an outdoor celebration without being bundled in down coats and wool scarves.

Who knew that there was Thanksgiving scented hand sanitizer?

I will not let the obvious alterations to our Thanksgiving gathering cause me to lose sight of the reason for the day. Having come through devastatingly harsh winter conditions, forging relationships with a people foreign to them, reminded of the loss of life to young and old, the Pilgrims stopped to give thanks.

They recognized that without God’s grace and mercy they all could have met their end in that small colony. They braved the elements of this new and strange land. Against overwhelming odds they had survived. Their lives – their hardships and struggles – became the foundation of endurance for our nation.

They were thankful! When comparing our hardships to theirs, we, too, should be thankful!

We, who have relationship with Christ, have a strong foundation. Ours is a foundation of faith that will support us and give us strength in the most trying of times.

“As you have put your trust in Christ Jesus the Lord to save you from the punishment of sin, now let Him lead you in every step. 7 Have your roots planted deep in Christ. Grow in Him. Get your strength from Him. Let Him make you strong in the faith as you have been taught. Your life should be full of thanks to Him.

8 Be careful that no one changes your mind and faith by much learning and big sounding ideas. Those things are what men dream up. They are always trying to make new religions. These leave out Christ. 9 For Christ is not only God-like, He is God in human flesh. 10 When you have Christ, you are complete. He is the head over all leaders and powers.” Colossians 2:6-10 NLV

As followers of Christ we have a hope and a strength that comes from our trust in God. As the verse above says “let Him lead you in every step”. We face the same circumstances that the rest of the world does but with a different resolve. Our dependence is in God. Our hope is anchored in Him and His word.

There is much to be thankful for this year!

As we pass around the hand sanitizer before we pass the rolls, let’s give thanks that through Christ our lives have been cleansed from sin and our hearts are kept free from fear because we have our foundation in Him.

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A Good Thing

For as long as I can remember the focus of November has been thankfulness.

For the last thirty days I have made gratitude the central theme of my morning writings. I will continue to do so throughout the rest of this month. Each day seems to bring little, and some not so little, changes to our life’s plans that could cause us to grumble and complain.

So, let’s lift our sights and look for all the good things.

“It is good to praise the Lord. God Most High, it is good to praise your name. 2 It is good to sing about your love in the morning and about your faithfulness at night.” Psalm 92:1-2 ERV

It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord!

Here’s a short list of things to be thankful for, I’m sure you can think of many more.

  1. Thank the Father for his love and protection.
  2. If you have a job, be thankful.
  3. If you drive safely to work and home each day, be thankful.
  4. If your children arrive home from school each day, be thankful.
  5. If you have enough money in your purse for groceries, be thankful.
  6. If your house is warm and your clothes are adequate, be thankful!

“Tell the Lord how thankful you are, because he is kind and always merciful…5 When I was really hurting, I prayed to the Lord. He answered my prayer, and took my worries away. 6 The Lord is on my side, and I am not afraid of what others can do to me. 7 With the Lord on my side, I will defeat all of my hateful enemies. 8 It is better to trust the Lord for protection than to trust anyone else” Psalm 118:1-8 CEV

Outside of my relationship with the Lord, the best “good thing” in my life is the friendships I have been blessed with. Family and those who should be family. Relationships require work. There are challenges – opportunities to grow, times to be forgiven and times to forgive. Times of laughter and of heartache and tears. The “good thing” of relationships is the love shared.

“Try to understand other people. Forgive each other. If you have something against someone, forgive him. That is the way the Lord forgave you. 14 And to all these things, you must add love. Love holds everything and everybody together and makes all these good things perfect. 15 Let the peace of Christ have power over your hearts. You were chosen as a part of His body. Always be thankful.” Colossians 3:13-15 NLV

Yesterday brought disappointments and there will be more to come. We get to choose what we focus on. I choose the good things!

I will give thanks to the Lord for all the wonderful blessings in my life!

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