Category: Colossians

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A Message of Hope

Watching old westerns on the movie channel, preachers are depicted the same way over and over again. Hell fire and brimstone – turn or burn – tellin’ folks that God’s judgin’ them and thar goin’ to hell. Boy, how many times have we see that not only on the silver screen but in our churches.

One thing I know for certain, you don’t have to tell a sinner he’s sinnin’ cuz he already knows that – the Holy Spirit will convict of sin. Paul put it this way in Romans 2.

“God has been kind to you. He has been very patient, waiting for you to change. But you think nothing of his kindness. Maybe you don’t understand that God is kind to you so that you will decide to change your lives.” Romans 2:4 CEV

Paul was preaching the Gospel of Christ – gospel means the “good news, nearly too good to be true news”. Good news is that God loves you and sent someone else to take your place of punishment so that you could live in right relationship with Him and enjoy all of His blessings.

“ All have sinned and are not good enough to share God’s divine greatness. 24 They are made right with God by his grace. This is a free gift. They are made right with God by being made free from sin through Jesus Christ.” Romans 3:23-24 ERV

I’ve had folks in the past tell me that I am always focusing on God’s love and his blessings and not making people responsible for their sin but I choose to focus on that because the sacrifice that Jesus made is so much greater.

Do we go on sinning – the Apostle Paul said “God forbid”. But if folks think that God’s mad at them and that “God’s gonna get ya for that” then why would they want to come to Him. When we’re focused on God’s great love, we aren’t going to want to do things that will shame Him.

“ So what should we do? Should we sin because we are under grace and not under law? Certainly not! ” Romans 6:15 ERV

“So I tell you, live the way the Spirit leads you. Then you will not do the evil things your sinful self wants.” Galatians 5:16 ERV

The people in our life don’t need to hear about their faults and shortcomings. They need to hear about God’s unconditional love – who am I kidding, I need to hear about God’s unconditional love.

That first sin of Adam in the garden brought sin into the world for all of us but Christ’s death on the cross brought us all into a place of grace – we simply need to receive it.

“So that one sin of Adam brought the punishment of death to all people. But in the same way, Christ did something so good that it makes all people right with God. And that brings them true life. 19 One man disobeyed God and many became sinners. But in the same way, one man obeyed God and many will be made right.” Romans 5: 18-19 ERV

The Father wants relationship not rules, sons not slaves, grace not groveling.

“ 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 2:9-10 NLV

Let God’s love be paramount in our lives and our actions today. Let’s bring a message of hope to our world!

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Clear Vision for the Future

I was remembering this morning what it was like being an eleven-year-old who couldn’t clearly see the blackboard from my desk in the classroom. It seemed like my vision had deteriorated in just a matter of weeks.

I went from getting A’s to C’s almost overnight. It was an observant teacher who told my mom she thought I needed my eyes checked. A trip to the optometrist revealed I was acutely nearsighted.

It’s hard to recall what was more troublesome, not being able to see clearly or being an pre-teen girl who now had to wear glasses, thick glasses. Choosing to see clearly won out over embarrassment.

Sitting here this morning an old hymn began filling my heart. This hymn was taken from a Irish poem in the 6th century and translated to English in the early 1900’s. It has to be read slowly to absorb the meaning because the old English can be hard to understand.

 “Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
all else be nought to me, save that thou art—
thou my best thought, by day or by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

2 Be thou my wisdom, and thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord;
thou my great Father; thine own may I be;
thou in me dwelling, and I one with thee.

3 High King of heaven, when victory is won,
may I reach heaven’s joys, bright heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.”

If we are truly seeking clarity for soul and spirit, we need to be focused on Christ. Day or night, waking or sleeping our minds can be filled with His word.

“God has raised you with Christ to a new life. So you should want more and more the things that belong to heaven. That is where Christ is now. He sits there at God’s right side. 2 So think about the good things that are there in heaven above. Do not think only about things that are on the earth. 3 Remember that your old nature has died. God is keeping your new life safe with Christ.” Colossians 3:1-3 EASY

“Always remember what is written in that book of law. Speak about that book and study it day and night. Then you can be sure to obey what is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything you do. 9 Remember, I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8-9 ERV

Some think of the Bible as being restrictive, filled with impossible demands and negative teachings. Not so!

Those people are vision impaired. The Bible is a love letter from a Father to His dearly loved children giving them instruction for success, joy, wisdom and courage.

“The Lord, your God, is with you. He is strong. He will save you. He will be very happy about you! He will quietly love you. He will sing, because he is so happy about you!” Zephaniah 3:17 EASY

As we go into the new year, may I suggest that we have our spiritual vision tested. Let the word of God bring life into focus so we can see the future clearly.

Be thou my vision Lord of my heart!

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The Birth – The Life – The Eternal God

Merry Christmas to you all!

Twas the morning of Christmas and all through the house, the only creatures stirring are Dave & I.

The coffee is brewed, and my cup is full but not nearly as full as my heart which is overflowing with love and appreciation for each of my family and friends who are reading this non-rhyming message.

A world changing event transpired over 2000 years ago when the sky was filled with an angelic chorus. A baby born affected the whole human race by introducing unconditional love in human flesh to reconcile us to a perfect and merciful God the Father.

Our prayer for you and your families this morning is that you know Him personally and that you have allowed Him to change your life. This is the life He modeled and the life He gives to us.

“Now you are wearing a new life, a life that is new every day. You are growing in your understanding of the one who made you. You are becoming more and more like him. 11 In this new life it doesn’t matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, circumcised or not. It doesn’t matter if you speak a different language or even if you are a Scythian. It doesn’t matter if you are a slave or free. Christ is all that matters, and he is in all of you.

12 God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. 13 Don’t be angry with each other, but forgive each other. If you feel someone has wronged you, forgive them. Forgive others because the Lord forgave you. 14 Together with these things, the most important part of your new life is to love each other. Love is what holds everything together in perfect unity. 15 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.” Colossians 3:10-15

I woke up this morning thanking the Lord for coming as a baby, living a perfect sinless life as an example for us, dying in my place for sin and then rising to life again so that I could have new life in Him.

Christ is all that matters, and He lives in us!

“This is what God commands: that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ, and that we love each other as he commanded. 24 All who obey God’s commands live in God. And God lives in them. How do we know that God lives in us? We know because of the Spirit he gave us.” I John 3:23-24 ERV

May we all live a life reflecting Him and His great love!

Be merry for Christ is born!

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Forgotten – Forgiven

I saw an image similar to the one I’m using this morning on a friend’s FB page yesterday. I had never seen this verse like this before.

“For unto us a child is born, and unto us a Son is given.” The reason the Son came was to forgive!

As I lay in the dark this morning so many thoughts came swirling through my mind.

“In Christ, he chose us before the world was made. He chose us in love to be his holy people—people who could stand before him without any fault. 5 And before the world was made, God decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. This was what God wanted, and it pleased him to do it. ” Ephesians 1:4-5 ERV

In Christ we were chosen by God the Father before the world was made! In Christ, we can stand before the Father and He sees us as faultless. We are forgiven.

“And I will forgive the wrongs they have done, and I will not remember their sins.” Hebrews 8:12

“ Because we broke God’s laws, we owed a debt—a debt that listed all the rules we failed to follow. But God forgave us of that debt. He took it away and nailed it to the cross.” Colossians 2:14 ERV

“Christ died for us when we were unable to help ourselves. We were living against God, but at just the right time Christ died for us. 7 Very few people will die to save the life of someone else, even if it is for a good person. Someone might be willing to die for an especially good person. 8 But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us.” Romans 5:6-8 ERV

In God’s eyes I have no past. He has forgotten my failings, my sins. He sees me completely cleansed by the shed blood of Jesus.

“His love for his followers is as high above us as heaven is above the earth. 12 And he has taken our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west. 13 The Lord is as kind to his followers as a father is to his children.” Psalms 103:11-13 ERV

Completely cleansed, forever forgotten.

That’s the message of Christmas. “For unto us a child is born, and unto to us a Son is given.”

We are forgiven and our sins are forgotten because of Christ. His gift to us is forgiveness. I pray you have received it and are sharing this wonderful gift with others.

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A Pair of Socks

Last week Dave and I participated at a Christmas Party with our neighbors for the children in our community. This is an annual event that has hosted children for 30+ years.

All the children were so polite and grateful for their gifts and one pre-teen girl impacted me greatly. She had come to the fishing pond with her family. When she opened the bag that had been attached to the end of her line, she got so excited. I was standing close by, and she showed me her gift.

“Socks” she said. “I love socks. This is the best gift” and with that she reached out to me and gave me a huge, tight hug! She was holding back the tears as she giggled and kept repeating “I love socks”. It was the best gift.

You know that’s how I feel about God’s word.

When I’ve been emotionally wrestling with some problem or struggling in a situation and I pick up my Bible and the answer seems to jump off the page, I get so excited! I feel as though God put those verses there just for me.

It’s a wonderful gift.

“The Law of the Lord is perfect; it gives us new life. His teachings last forever, and they give wisdom to ordinary people. 8 The Lord’s instruction is right; it makes our hearts glad. His commands shine brightly, and they give us light…10 They are worth more than the finest gold and are sweeter than honey from a honeycomb.” Psalm 19:7-10 CEV

Like pure gold.

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.

“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

These are gifts that we all desire – peace, thankfulness, wisdom. A relationship with Christ brings the richness of these gifts to our lives.

God’s word will warm our hearts much better than a pair of socks warm our feet on a cold winter’s day. Let His word dwell in you.

Merry Christ – mas!

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Peace, Wonderful Peace

I want to go back a couple days to the reference I made on Jesus, Prince of Peace. In light of all that is going on around the world today there is definitely a need for the Prince of Peace.

Can you imagine being a shepherd, probably dosing off for the night when the entire night sky lit up? Talk about UFO’s – this was an invasion! No place to run, no place to hide and then came the message:

“That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. 9 All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord’s glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened. 10 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. 11 This very day in King David’s hometown a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. 12 You will know who he is, because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay.”

13 Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God. They said: 14 “Praise God in heaven! Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God.” Luke 2:8-14 CEV

Don’t be afraid – Peace!

Notice the words – all of a sudden, brightness flashed and suddenly there were more! This isn’t just a nice little story in a nice little book – these shepherds were real people, and they came face to face with angels. That would make the hair on the back of your neck stand up!

But their message is for us as well. What is it you’re facing – a bad medical report, a failing marriage, wayward children, financial failure, world unrest, the collapse of the future you had planned…

Then listen to what Jesus said

“But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and will remind you of what I said while I was with you.

27 I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give. It isn’t like the peace that this world can give. So don’t be worried or afraid.” John 14:26-27 CEV

and then just a bit later

““I have told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have troubles. But be brave! I have defeated the world!” John 16:33 ERV

and finally one of my favorites

“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.” Colossians 3:15 ERV

This morning as you are looking out on your world, be still and let the peace of God rule in your heart.

The Prince of Peace came to reign in our lives!

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With Us

I woke up several times during the night with these two words “with” and “among” going through my mind.

Last night we had been at a game night, and we were among a large group of people but we were sitting with only two of them. We could hear the conversations of those around us but we could personally interact with the two sitting across the table from us.

Do you know where I’m going with this?

“ All right then, the Lord himself will give you the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel (which means ‘God is with us’).” Isaiah 7:14 NLT

God is with us.

For thousands of years, God had been among His people revealing His character and His holiness. The occasions when He was with individuals is noteworthy. He was with the three young men who were thrown into the fiery furnace, He was with Daniel in the lions’ den and He was with David as he faced Goliath. He was with Joseph, Abraham, Noah and others.

And now, according to Isaiah’s prophecy, God was making Himself available to be with us through His Son.

“ All of this occurred to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet:

23 ‘Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded and took Mary as his wife.” Matthew 1:22-24 NLT

We have all been given a personal invitation to be with God. He chose us before the foundation of the world. Christ’s mission was to reconcile us with God.

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” Romans 3:23-24 NLT

“Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.” Colossians 1:22 NLT

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. 18 God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.” II Corinthians 5:17-18 CEV

Our heavenly Father knew that human efforts were not good enough to bring about reconciliation with Him. In His unconditional love for us He sent Jesus to provide the way for restored relationship.

Every day I am thankful for Immanuel – God with us. He will never leave us alone!

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Always Be Grateful

Father let my heart be filled with prayer and praise this day. Let me focus on You all that you have blessed me with. Let my eyes see as You see and let my mouth speak as You speak. Let my hands reach out as You reached out to me. I desire to be a living example of You in this world. In Jesus name, Amen.

This image hung in my mother’s home. It may have reminded her of her grandfather or her father, both of them were men who prayed fervently and so did their wives. They trusted God for everything, in everything. Their lives had one purpose to honor and glorified their Lord and Savior, Jesus.

My grandfather, who I never met, was nicknamed Preacher. He ran a gas station. He made sure that everyone who came to his station heard about Jesus. He was a good and godly man. I wish I had known him.

“Good people have good things saved in their hearts. That’s why they say good things. But those who are evil have hearts full of evil, and that’s why they say things that are evil. What people say with their mouths comes from what fills their hearts.” Luke 6:35 ERV

“Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.” Colossians 3:17 CEV

“Don’t let me do wrong on purpose, Lord, or let sin have control over my life. Then I will be innocent, and not guilty of some terrible fault. 14 Let my words and my thoughts be pleasing to you, Lord, because you are my mighty rock and my protector.” Psalm 19:13-14 CEV

Today I am thankful for those who have had a godly impact on my life. Those who taught me the truth of grace, the power of prayer and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

I pray that you have had some such wonderful people in your lives and that you are making an impact in the lives of others.

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Completely Committed

You may be familiar with this cute little story about some farm animals.

They lived on the farm of a wonderfully kind man, Farmer Brown. One morning the animals got to talking as farm animals often do and decided they would like to do something nice for Farmer Brown.

Finally, they thought they had devised a good plan. They would make a hearty breakfast for Farmer Brown. The chicken clucked, “I will bring the eggs”. The cow mooed, “I will provide the milk and the butter”. The pig was silent for quite some time and then he grunted, “A hearty breakfast is something you both can participate in without much effort but for me it’s a complete commitment”.

That’s how it is for me when I read God’s word. I have vowed to be completely committed. Situations and circumstances test that resolve. Do I compromise my integrity? Do I give in to fear or let doubt take over, removing me from my stand on God’s word? Or do I remain true to my resolve and stand completely committed?

This is the answer I found in Psalms this morning.

“Your word is a lamp that gives light wherever I walk. 106 Your laws are fair, and I have given my word to respect them all. 107 I am in terrible pain! Save me, Lord, as you have promised. 108 Accept my offerings of praise and teach me your laws. 109 I never forget your teachings, although my life is always in danger. 110 Some merciless people are trying to trap me, but I never turn my back on your teachings. 111 They will always be my most prized possession and my source of joy. 112 I have made up my mind to obey your laws forever, no matter what.’ Psalm 119:105-112 CEV

I don’t know what kind of danger the psalmist was experiencing, nor have I ever felt my life was in danger from merciless people but many around the world have. Everyday Christians in other countries are being persecuted and tortured because of their faith; many have died rather than deny Christ.

I want my resolve to be “I have made up my mind to obey your laws forever, no matter what”.

“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.” Colossians 2:6-7 NLV

I don’t just want to participate in my walk with Christ; I want to be completely committed.

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Power of Prayer

The Apostle Paul was a not only a preacher, but he was also a great writer of encouraging letters, and a man committed to prayer.

This morning, I want to share two of his prayers with you. They are prayers that have stood strong for thousands of years. They are prayers that have the power to change our lives.

I’m praying these prayers for you.

“… He also told us about the love you have from the Spirit. 9 Since the day we heard these things about you, we have continued praying for you. This is what we pray:

that God will make you completely sure of what he wants by giving you all the wisdom and spiritual understanding you need; 10 that this will help you live in a way that brings honor to the Lord and pleases him in every way; that your life will produce good works of every kind and that you will grow in your knowledge of God; 11 that God will strengthen you with his own great power, so that you will be patient and not give up when troubles come.

Then you will be happy 12 and give thanks to the Father. 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.

15 No one can see God,
    but the Son is exactly like God.
    He rules over everything that has been made.
16 Through his power all things were made:
    things in heaven and on earth, seen and not seen—
all spiritual rulers, lords, powers, and authorities.
    Everything was made through him and for him.

17 The Son was there before anything was made.
    And all things continue because of him.
18 He is the head of the body, which is the church.
    He is the beginning of everything else.
And he is the first among all who will be raised from death.
    So in everything he is most important.

19 God was pleased for all of himself to live in the Son.
20     And through him, God was happy to bring all things back to himself again—
    things on earth and things in heaven.
God made peace by using the blood sacrifice of his Son on the cross.

21 At one time you were separated from God. You were his enemies in your minds, because the evil you did was against him. 22 But now he has made you his friends again. He did this by the death Christ suffered while he was in his body. He did it so that he could present you to himself as people who are holy, blameless, and without anything that would make you guilty before him. 23 And that is what will happen if you continue to believe in the Good News you heard. You must remain strong and sure in your faith. You must not let anything cause you to give up the hope that became yours when you heard the Good News. That same Good News has been told to everyone on earth, and that’s the work that I, Paul, was given to do.” Colossians 1:8-23 ERV

And now add to it this prayer from Ephesians:

“ So I bow in prayer before the Father. 15 Every family in heaven and on earth gets its true name from him. 16 I ask the Father with his great glory to give you the power to be strong in your spirits. He will give you that strength through his Spirit. 17 I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.

20 With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. 21 To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:14-21 ERV

In prayer we tap into God’s power. Through prayer lives change, our lives change, by the power of God.

If you feel awkward and unable to find the “right” words in prayer, pray the ones above. Trust God and His great love. He will give you the wisdom and spiritual understanding you need for each day. His power working in you will be more than you can even imagine.

There is real power in prayer!

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