"Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord." (Colossians 4:7)
Even if you can't pronounce his name correctly, you can clearly see he was a man of integrity and led by the Holy Spirit. He was special to Paul- a true friend...he was loyal, committed, dedicated- he worked alongside others for the glory of God. It is my desire for someone to say about me:
"Emily is a dear sister, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord." May we make it our goal to please Him! (2 Cor. 5:9a).
Monday, July 14, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Pour on the salt!
"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Colossians 4:6)
This passage said to season your conversation with salt…but it also said in the Old Testament to season all of your offerings to God. ("...add salt to all your offerings..." Lev. 2:13). Our speech is considered an offering to God…we need to see it as that. What kind of offering do you present with your words? Is it pleasing to Him? Our mouths and our words can be harmful or helpful…we need to see our conversation as an offering unto God. Seasoning it with salt...enhancing others...just as salt enhances the flavor of food, we want to enhance others’ walk with Christ. We can do that by using our words to build up others- not to tear them down. "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer" (Psalm 19:14).
This passage said to season your conversation with salt…but it also said in the Old Testament to season all of your offerings to God. ("...add salt to all your offerings..." Lev. 2:13). Our speech is considered an offering to God…we need to see it as that. What kind of offering do you present with your words? Is it pleasing to Him? Our mouths and our words can be harmful or helpful…we need to see our conversation as an offering unto God. Seasoning it with salt...enhancing others...just as salt enhances the flavor of food, we want to enhance others’ walk with Christ. We can do that by using our words to build up others- not to tear them down. "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer" (Psalm 19:14).
Saturday, July 5, 2008
...being watchful...
Colossians 4:2a- "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful..."
Do we pray with great expectations? Do we expect the unexpected? If not, why not? We should! "For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37). In this passage, Paul exhorts us to be WATCHFUL...to watch out for what God is doing. Don't have faithless prayers- our God is BIG! Faith and prayer go hand in hand. However the Lord decides to answer our prayers- it is for the best (Romans 8:28), and remember...our God can do ANYTHING!
Do we pray with great expectations? Do we expect the unexpected? If not, why not? We should! "For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37). In this passage, Paul exhorts us to be WATCHFUL...to watch out for what God is doing. Don't have faithless prayers- our God is BIG! Faith and prayer go hand in hand. However the Lord decides to answer our prayers- it is for the best (Romans 8:28), and remember...our God can do ANYTHING!
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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