Thursday, June 19, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
hee-hee...so, did you rush to your calendars and make sure we were still in the month of June? well...no worries- you haven't gone crazy- we are not in November, but we are always to be in the season of thanksgiving. I was reading Colossians 3:15-17, and I noticed how many times Paul mentions for us to be thankful. Check it out... "And be thankful" (vs. 15)..."with gratitude in our hearts to God" (vs. 16)... "giving thanks to God the Father..."(vs. 17). See a pattern here? We are continually to live a life of thanksgiving in the Name of the Lord Jesus (vs. 17). He states it pretty simply in verse 15..."And be thankful." period. 3 word sentence. It doesn't get more clear than that, folks. My parents came to visit this past weekend, and they truly live out this instruction- they are very thankful people. Their joy and thankfulness are contagious. I praise the Lord for them- I THANK the Lord for them!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
False Accusations
Towards the end of my Bible study this morning (in my favorite "Bible-study-spot"...the tan comfy chair, Bible, laptop, coffee), I was working on the application part of the Colossians text I was studying. Well...I'm not sure how I got to this next thought- but, I started thinking...
When Jesus was on the earth, many people falsely accused Him of things- such as not being the Son of God, working by Beelzebub (prince of demons), questioning His authority, etc... I thought to myself, "Well, I would never falsely accuse God of anything- He's GOD!" But, then, I began to search my heart...a word popped in my mind- "TRUST". Do, I truly trust Him? In everything? When I don't trust Him with the details of my day and my future, I am basically telling Him that He can't handle it. I'm questioning His authority- I'm saying, "God, I don't think this situation is on Your radar..." I'm falsely accusing Him. ooh- conviction...Lord, help me to trust You. You have my whole life on Your radar screen. You know...You see...help me to believe. If I trust You with eternal salvation, I can trust You with my everyday life.
When Jesus was on the earth, many people falsely accused Him of things- such as not being the Son of God, working by Beelzebub (prince of demons), questioning His authority, etc... I thought to myself, "Well, I would never falsely accuse God of anything- He's GOD!" But, then, I began to search my heart...a word popped in my mind- "TRUST". Do, I truly trust Him? In everything? When I don't trust Him with the details of my day and my future, I am basically telling Him that He can't handle it. I'm questioning His authority- I'm saying, "God, I don't think this situation is on Your radar..." I'm falsely accusing Him. ooh- conviction...Lord, help me to trust You. You have my whole life on Your radar screen. You know...You see...help me to believe. If I trust You with eternal salvation, I can trust You with my everyday life.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Put to death
"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these the wrath of God is coming."
Colossians 3:5-6
I consider myself to be a positive, upbeat person. (I was even a part of an Optimist Club as a teenager...and my dad was the President! and I'm not joking!) So, sometimes, these are the kinds of uncomfortable verses many of us may want to skim or skip over- you know- the "death", "sexual immorality", "idolatry", or "wrath" type verses. But, heaven forbid that we would do such a thing. Sin is real. Sin is rampant. God's wrath is real. We see the consequences of sin everyday. How do we stop the downward spiral of morality? By... PUTTING TO DEATH those things which are against God's will. I thought about this instruction given by Paul in verse 5- "Put to death". We need to kill sin. It is not good enough to let it rest, for it will wake up again. It can have no breath in it- no life- no chance of revival. We have to starve sin to death. How? By not feeding our minds and hearts with the nastiness of this world. (examples: bad movies, suggestive TV shows, worldly magazines, questionable internet sites, foolish company, etc.) In order to put sin to death, unplug all possible forms of life-support. This is the ONLY way you will be successful in following Paul's instructions in Colossians 3:1-2, "...set your hearts on things above...set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."
Colossians 3:5-6
I consider myself to be a positive, upbeat person. (I was even a part of an Optimist Club as a teenager...and my dad was the President! and I'm not joking!) So, sometimes, these are the kinds of uncomfortable verses many of us may want to skim or skip over- you know- the "death", "sexual immorality", "idolatry", or "wrath" type verses. But, heaven forbid that we would do such a thing. Sin is real. Sin is rampant. God's wrath is real. We see the consequences of sin everyday. How do we stop the downward spiral of morality? By... PUTTING TO DEATH those things which are against God's will. I thought about this instruction given by Paul in verse 5- "Put to death". We need to kill sin. It is not good enough to let it rest, for it will wake up again. It can have no breath in it- no life- no chance of revival. We have to starve sin to death. How? By not feeding our minds and hearts with the nastiness of this world. (examples: bad movies, suggestive TV shows, worldly magazines, questionable internet sites, foolish company, etc.) In order to put sin to death, unplug all possible forms of life-support. This is the ONLY way you will be successful in following Paul's instructions in Colossians 3:1-2, "...set your hearts on things above...set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."
Monday, June 2, 2008
A Secure Refuge
"...your life is now hidden with Christ in God..." Colossians 3:3
This morning I was just reflecting on this verse...what protection, what safety, what a Refuge!! Think about it...as a believers in Jesus, we can be confident in our firm foundation and our hiding place. First of all, we are WITH Christ. Not just near or close to Him, but we are WITH Him. In addition to that, we are IN God. Not beside Him or one step away...no! We are IN Him. Our Abba, our Father, protects us by hiding our lives with Him- in Him. Now THAT is security! Who is like the Lord? (Psalm 89:8) No one! No one else can offer this level of protection and this quality of refuge. Be confident in knowing that He watches over you.
This morning I was just reflecting on this verse...what protection, what safety, what a Refuge!! Think about it...as a believers in Jesus, we can be confident in our firm foundation and our hiding place. First of all, we are WITH Christ. Not just near or close to Him, but we are WITH Him. In addition to that, we are IN God. Not beside Him or one step away...no! We are IN Him. Our Abba, our Father, protects us by hiding our lives with Him- in Him. Now THAT is security! Who is like the Lord? (Psalm 89:8) No one! No one else can offer this level of protection and this quality of refuge. Be confident in knowing that He watches over you.
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