1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28
¹² Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. ¹³ Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.

There are people in our churches that work behind the scenes every Sunday and all during the week that make a service run smooth.  Seek them out and thank them.  Remember the person who cleans the toilet is just as important to a Sunday worship as the pastor.  

Our leaders also at times need to call us to task.  We screw up and step outside of scripture and these leaders, in love, have to correct our actions.  These men are doing the work of God.  I'd rather clean the toilet.  Respect these leaders and don't get bitter when they have to tell you, you're wrong.

¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.

Look around.  You are not the only one in church.  See what needs to be done.  Some sit on their butt and only need a nudge to get working.  Some are disruptive and I have found that putting them to work gives them the attention they crave.  Some need us to come along side and encourage them.

Get your head up and LOOK.

¹⁵ Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.

Encourage forgiveness.  It's so easy to plot revenge.

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

How does one rejoice always?  Pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances.  When I am grateful and keep in contact with God, my attitude is much better than when I don't.  Rejoicing comes easy when I walk in the Spirit.

¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. 

When you receive conviction or instruction that you know is from God, do it.  Do not let it go.

 ²⁰ Do not treat prophecies with contempt ²¹ but test them all; hold on to what is good, ²² reject every kind of evil.

Someone claims to have a word from God, test it. 

²³ May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

It is God who sanctifies us, God who keeps us and God who is faithful.  It's not about us.  It's about God.

²⁵ Brothers and sisters, pray for us.

Take a moment right now and pray for you pastors and elders and deacons.

²⁶ Greet all God’s people with a holy kiss.

Loved this verse as a teen.  Lot's of "holy" kissing greetings going on.

²⁷ I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers and sisters.

²⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

In this time most people could not read so this letter would be read aloud.  Today we can share God's word as most of our society can read.

May the grace or our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, ² for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

I think it was last year when the church leader had convinced his flock of the day and time of the resurrection.  He was wrong.  Only the Lord knows.  I like how the speaker at Men's Night Out put it last month.  In basket ball the guard has a shot clock.  He can dribble the ball right down to 1 second before 0 and take his shot.  We don't know when our time is up.  NOW is our time.  We have no guarantee of tomorrow.
 
⁴ But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. ⁵ You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. ⁶ So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. ⁹ For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. ¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

We are to be ready.  If we are always doing what the Lord expects, when he arrives we will be happy to see him.  I'm reminded of Saturday mornings when my parents would run errands and us kids would sneak in some cartoons while they were away.  We never knew when the would come and when the car eventually arrived we tried to get 2 hours of chores done in 30 seconds.  God has things for me to do as his follower.  I need to be doing them so that I am happy to see him when He comes. 

My the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.

I have been to several funerals in my 41 years.  One thing I notice about evangelical funerals, is the peace.  Oh yes there is loss, anguish, pain and grief.  After all a loved on has passed.  What is lacking at funerals of believers is the hopelessness.  We have a hope that this world does not have.

¹⁵ According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Imagine working at a cemetery.  All of a sudden BOOM many of the grave around you burst open and those who died before you are raised from the dead.  What I sight the will be.

  ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. 

Then it's our turn.  Up we go to meet Jesus in the air.  This is the rapture.  Where Jesus comes and removes us who believe from the earth as he is about to pour his wrath out on this world to shake people up and turn them toward him.  One day this blog will cover Revelation.

And so we will be with the Lord forever. 

I cried at this. Forever with the Lord.  In my youth I really thought heaven would be boring.  As I have grown in my faith, I realize that I will finally be alive and complete and I will be doing what I was created to do.

¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.

I take great encouragement.  As those of you who have read my blog for a while know my sister was taken by breast cancer.  She loved the Lord and she STILL loves Him, but she is loving him face to face.  Some day I will see her again.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit brothers and sisters. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. ² For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

The words in this book have the authority of Jesus.  That weighs heavy on me when I chose to sin.
 
³ It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; ⁴ that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, ⁵ not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; ⁶ and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. ⁷ For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. ⁸ Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

Sexual immorality is everywhere.  Very few films today can be seen without some sexual content.  We are not to live this way.  We're to be in control of our passions.  Verse 6 specifically warns us not to take advantage of our brothers or sisters in Christ in a sexual manner.  This is very important to me as I begin dating again.  Verse 8 again warns us, that to reject this instruction is to reject the word of God. I've made my share of mistakes.  I've confessed them and now I move forward.

⁹ Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. ¹⁰ And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, ¹¹ and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life:

Love more.  No matter how much you think you love there is always room for more.

 You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, ¹² so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Convicting that I read these words after balancing my check book and checking my credit card statement.  I was shocked to see what I'd charged with the intent of paying it next check.  The is not enough money in the checkbook to pay the credit card.  I've become dependent on the card this past month.  No more.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you spirit brothers and sisters.  Amen.

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13

1 Thessalonians 3:6-13
⁶ But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. 

What is my reputation as a Christian?  What is yours?

⁷ Therefore, brothers and sisters, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. ⁸ For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. ⁹ How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? 

My friend, Steve, is not perfect and he'll be the first to tell you that. Yet his faith encourages me and helps me to stand. How he handles the word of God and how he makes every effort to live each day to the glory of God is encouraging.  Even when he makes mistakes he shares how God uses them to change him for God's glory.

¹⁰ Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.

I need to pray for my christian friends more.  I just don't.  I especially need to pray for my children much much more.

¹¹ Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. ¹² May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. ¹³ May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Do you notice the genuine love here?  It's been a theme throughout this entire book so far.  Real affection that shows in word and in deed.  How much to we love our brothers and sisters in Christ?  I really enjoy the blessing in verses 12 and 13.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:5

1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:5
¹⁷ But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. ¹⁸ For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan blocked our way. ¹⁹ For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? ²⁰ Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

There will be things we want to do in life that Satan will block us.  Mind the fact that he can only do what God allows.  In Job, Satan was allowed to take everything he owned and make him very ill, but God held back Satan and did not allow him to take Job's life.  We are no different.  The important thing is how we react.  Keep praying.  Keep faithful.

3 So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. ² We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, ³ so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. For you know quite well that we are destined for them. ⁴ In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know. ⁵ For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain.

Timothy was sent to comfort the Thessalonian church and to remind them that the trials Paul was in were expected.

We too must expect trials.  The christian walk is not all roses and sunshine.  Sadly in America we have tried to stuff God and Jesus into our American Dream.  What should have been done was the American dream should have been filtered through the will of God. 

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 2:7b-16

1 Thessalonians 2:7-16
Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, ⁸ so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. ⁹ Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

How hard do we work for the gospel?  How hard do we serve others?  Do we even know how hard our pastor, elders and teachers in our local churches work for us?

¹⁰ You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. ¹¹ For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, ¹² encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

Are we holy, righteous and blameless among our brothers and sisters in Christ?  Do we encourage and comfort?  Do we urge our brothers and sisters to live a life worthy of God?

¹³ And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.

When our pastors preach, do we treat his words a the word of God?  Do we allow God's word to work in us?


¹⁴ For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews ¹⁵ who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out.

Are we willing to suffer for the gospel?

They displease God and are hostile to everyone ¹⁶ in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

I know I want God's wrath to come upon my enemies now and not later.  But our God wants all to come to him so he waits.  However he will not wait for ever and when he comes I feel sorry for those who are not ready. 2 Peter 3:8-10

Not many answers today.  I just passed along the questions that came to my mind as I read the word.  You need to privately answer those between you and God.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 2:1-7a

1 Thessalonians 2:1-7
You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. ² We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.

Despite some very public opposition to Christianity, we really do not face much opposition to the gospel here in America yet.  Yet we are always too busy to share Christ. 

³ For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.

It's and election year.  How refreshing it would be if everyone on the political trail spoke this way.  But that is of the world.  Imagine every Christian checked their motives before they spoke.

⁴ On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. 

The word entrusted carries meaning for me that I find hard to put into words.  In the movie Dances with Wolves, the medicine man, Kicking Bird, entrusts the well being of his family to, Lt John Dunbar.  It's the feeling of being given something of great value to care for.

We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. ⁵ You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. ⁶ We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. ⁷ Instead, we were like young children among you.

I have a friend that I love to watch him worship.  He has an audience of one and that is God.  In the same manner when we share the gospel the only approval we need seek is from God.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 1

1 Thessalonians 1
Paul, Silas and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.

How much grace do we extend to people.  Do we come to them in peace orso wrapped up in ourselves that we come to them in pieces?

² We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. ³ We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

God is the giver of everything we have.  Do we thank Him?  Do we thank Him for the people he has brought into our lives.  Do we there work and thank Him for the labor they do?

⁴ For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, ⁵ because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. ⁶ You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. ⁷ And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. ⁸ The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, ⁹ for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.
  

When people see us as Christians they need to see that we are different.  They need to see our words are from the Holy Spirit and come with conviction.  Our lives should be ones that people want to emulate.  Then they in turn tell others what they have learned from us. This is how the gospel is meant to spread.  Sadly most Christians are so much like the world that our message is voided as hypocrisy and just ignored.

Be different.  Be that one others want to follow.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Colossians 4

Colossians 4
Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

This is NOT saying that slavery is right or good.  It's reminding them that God is watching.  It's the same reminder to us.  We need to treat those under us fairly.

² Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ³ And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ⁴ Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

Everyday, I get up and a I blog my Bible study and throughout the day I will send up popcorn prayers...if I remember.  I'm rarely ever being watchful for thing that may trip me up and I'm usually only thankful on those days that I take the time to look around at what I have and what God has done.

I also need to pray more for our church pastors, elders, missionaries, deacons and teachers as they proclaim the gospel.  


This blog I sometimes call my devotions.  It's time I set aside to break into God's word.  I need to devote some time to prayer. 


⁵ Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. ⁶ Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

Everyone we meet is an opportunity to share our faith.  Don't waste the chance to speak to others.

⁷ Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. ⁸ I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. ⁹ He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.
¹⁰ My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) ¹¹ Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. ¹² Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. ¹³ I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. ¹⁴ Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. ¹⁵ Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.
¹⁶ After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.
¹⁷ Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.”
¹⁸ I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

I'm reminded of the Christmas letters I receive most every year.  One parent will send greeting from all the family and share a bit about what the person is up to.  I get that family feel here as well.  All of us as Christians are the family of God.

The grace of of Lord Jesus Christ with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Colossians 3:18-25

Colossians 3:18-25
¹⁸ Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

A wife is to submit as is fitting to the Lord.  A lord controls every aspect of you life.  You have no rights with a lord.  Our Lord Jesus Christ submitted to the Father.  That is your standard.

¹⁹ Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

 Why are men told to love their wives?  We won't do it without instruction.  We are men and used to being harsh in a harsh world.  Ephesians 5:25-32 has greater detail in how we are to treat our wives.  Christ is our standard too.  We're to love our wives as he loved the church.  His love will be the standard by which our love is measured.

²⁰ Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

 As a child I learned this verse in the King James.  The last phrase in that translation said "for this is right".  I constantly tell my children when they complain about life at mom's that scripture does not say obey "when you 'think' they are right".  It's not about what you want to do or what you think you should do.  It's about obeying God and he says obey your parents.  There are no qualifier or loop holes.  

Reminder that if you parent demands you do something you know to be wrong such as stealing or immorality, I encourage you to tell someone what is going on.

²¹ Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

Some dads think it is funny to frustrate their children.  I get frustrated when I see Jimmy Kimble encourage parents to lie to their kids and tape the sadness and frustration so that he and his audience can laugh.  As a dad your kids need you to be their rock here on Earth the points them to your ROCK in Jesus Christ.  Once trust is broken it can take years to rebuild.

²² Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, ²⁴ since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. ²⁵ Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.

Most of us are not slaves.  We just feel like it some times.  We do have employers and supervisors and leads and team members.  Don't just do your job when you are being seen.  Do it all the time for the glory of God.  He is always watching.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Colossians 3:1-17

Colossians 3:1-17
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

This world offers so much that I forget this is not my home and my final resting place is with God in heaven. This does not mean I cannot enjoy the live and this world that God has given me.  However, I must not forget the creator while I enjoy the things he has created.
 
⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. ⁷ You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.

I don't put them in a closet or in a box under your bed.  I don't try God and when things get rough and my faith is weak, pull our my pet sins.  These are part of my past.  God hates sin and his wrath is against it. My old life must be put to death.

⁸ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

This is tough for me.  Especially when driving.

⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ¹¹ Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Society thinks lying is a good thing.  Lying cuts to the core and invalidates our walk with Christ.  If we share Christ and our faith, yet we are found to be a liar, our credibility is gone.

When we put on the new self, we become like Christ.  There is no difference between us.

¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Once you put to death your old life you fill the void with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. These will not be perfected over night.

I'm having a hard time forgiving someone, but here I'm instructed to forgive as the Lord forgave me.  I know he has never withheld his forgiveness.  I did forgive this person, but I keep taking it back.  The Lord is the standard.

Love creates unity.  Without love...true love not the romantic notion modern society has created...is the only way to have unity.

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

I don't believe peace is possible without thankfulness.  Every conflict that ever was involved someone not thankful for what they have and wanting more.  The peace of Christ makes us content with what we have.

¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Do you sing?  I did not ask "can" you sing, but "do".  Admonish does not always mean a negative either.  We grow together and encourage each other with a song in our heart to God.

¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

I was having a hard time focusing on school today.  These words have helped me focus.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Colossians 2:16-23

Colossians 2:16-23
¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

How God was to be worshiped was spelled out in very specific ways under the law.  Now in Christ we have freedom to worship without ritual or formality.  Yes our churches have structure during worship as God is not a god of chaos.  Just don't elevate your worship style to a level of "the only way" and don't allow others to do the same to you.

¹⁸ Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. ¹⁹ They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

These are "spiritual" people who live their lives based on their personal experience and not on the word of God.  In reality they are not spiritual at all and have no real connection with God.

²⁰ Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ²¹ “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? ²² These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. ²³ Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

So many people want nothing to do with Christianity because many organized religions have become just a list of rules.  We died with Christ.  That's it. We don't need any rules to save us.

Please note that Paul is NOT talking about rulers and authorities.  He is speaking of those who want to add rules and restrictions to faith.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Colossians 2:1-15

Colossians 2:1-15
I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. ² My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴ I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. ⁵ For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

When Paul says he is contending, I believe he is speaking of prayer.  And it's not just a, "Dear God be with those people and meet their needs.", type of prayer.  How many Christians do we know go through their day:

• Discouraged in heart?   
• Have no sense of unity or belonging?
• Have a shallow understanding of the riches of God?
• Have no clue of the wisdom and knowledge of God?

Paul prayed that they would know these things so that when a fraud came along they would know it.

I take two things from this paragraph. I need to pray MORE and I need to pray BETTER.

⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

How did we receive Christ? We received him by faith.  Live in faith.  He is our source and as we get to know him, thankfulness will flow.  It will be automatic.

⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

We accepted Christ on faith. There is no intellectual side of faith. It's not something you can prove through science.  Therefore don't let someone talk you out of what know and believe.

⁹ For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. ¹¹ In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, ¹² having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Jesus is fully God.  He is in charge.  Just as real circumcision cuts off flesh, Jesus spiritually cut us off from our flesh.  Victory over our flesh is ours.  It's just that many of us like certain sins and don't want victory or we believe our problem is just too big.

¹³ When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, ¹⁴ having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. 
We were dead.  We ARE alive.  We are forgiven.  We are debt free.  Our enemy is unarmed. Is there a smile on you face yet?

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Colossians 1:24-29

Colossians 1:24-29
²⁴ Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.

Paul was willing to suffer for the gospel and for those who had received the gospel.  I reflect on the pastors, elders and teachers I have had in the past.  Most if not all would echo the words of Paul.  I could see it in their face, their attitude and their walk.  

Applying to me: Am I willing to suffer? I have a feeling the church in America is about to find out.

²⁵ I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— ²⁶ the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. ²⁷ To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

God does not do random. God had a mystery.  He chose a man and sent him to reveal that mystery to people he had already chosen.  Not just to the Jew, but the Gentile as well. If you are not Jewish, you are a Gentile.  Because you are reading this, God included you in the revelation of that mystery. Meditate on that awesome privilege.

²⁸ He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. ²⁹ To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

Paul gave everything he had from Christ to proclaim the gospel, (Christ's sinless life.  His death for our sins.  His resurrection from the dead.), so that those of us who believe can be presented to God as mature or complete.

So how do I approach ministry?  Is my focus presenting people to God mature?  Do I use the power of Christ in me or do I use my own wisdom and understanding?  I encourage you to search your motives and goals as well.

Galatians 6:¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Colossians 1:15-23

Colossians 1:15-23
¹⁵ The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
  
Jesus is equal to God.  It was he who spoke all of creation into existence.  Even rulers were created by God.  Which is why, even though I have no love for the current administration, I am careful speaking out in public.

¹⁷ He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 

If Jesus stopped being God, everything in all creation would just fall apart.

¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

How well would my body function if I did not have a head?  I'm not positive, but I believe "firstborn from among the dead" is referring to his resurrection.  Though Jesus had raise others from the dead, he was the first to do it of his own will.

¹⁹ For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Everything that God is resides in Jesus. That is why Jesus was able to die for our sins and bring us back into fellowship with God.

²¹ Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. ²² But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— ²³ if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

I have not heard any reports from any of battlefields where our enemy showed us the way to victory and reconciliation to them.  Enemies wish to conquer each other.  Even though we were Christ's enemies, he died for us so that we can be holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation. Think on that gift.  Satan can whisper in you ear all day the things you've done wrong, yet in God's eyes you are free.

Continue in you faith.  Don't walk away.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen. -Gal. 6:18

Colossians 1:1-14

Colossians 1:1-14
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

² To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

Written by Paul to God's holy people at Colossae.  I notice Paul called them faithful.  If my mentor was to write me a letter, would I be called faithful?  And once again we see the grace and peace from God bestowed upon these people.  I hope that none of us now that we understand God's grace will ever just read past these greetings and not ponder the grace God has given.

³ We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴ because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— ⁵ the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel ⁶ that has come to you.

The faith and hope we have in Christ should make a difference in our lives.  Enough that people will notice and be talking about us.  

In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. ⁷ You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, ⁸ and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

"In the same way...".  What way?  Verses 3-6a tells us.  Word of mouth.  These Christian's were different and had a love for one another that others noticed and they wanted in.  These people then shared the gospel with others just as Epaphras shared it with them.

⁹ For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you.

I need to continue to pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ. 

 We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, ¹⁰ so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, ¹² and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

This is my prayer for my children and my brothers and sisters in Christ.  If there is someone who you want to pray for and don't know what to pray, this is a great prayer.  I want to start praying this for my children.

¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

We have been rescued, redeemed and forgiven.  Think on these wonderful gifts from our God.

Galatians 6:18
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Galatians 6

Galatians 6
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

People misuse Matthew 7:1, "Judge not, or you too will be judged.", as a way to avoid being confronted for their sin.  The neglect the rest of that same passage that instructs us how to approach a brother in sin and warns us to check ourselves first.  

Here we see another warning.  If you see a brother involved in sin that you too have a weakness for, be careful.  Their confession may tempt you to sin as well.

² Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 

Talk with one another.  Venting is good.  To the listener...shut up and listen.  Don't try to solve the problem.  Encourage.  Share scripture.  Lift one another up.  Sometimes just being there is enough.

³ If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. ⁴ Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, ⁵ for each one should carry their own load. ⁶ Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.

As we grow in our walk with God compare yourself today with the way you were last week, last month and last year.  Don't compare yourself with our brother.  The Holy Spirit may deal with him at a different pace.  If God does bring victory, by all means share it with your teachers, pastors and elders.
 
⁷ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. ⁸ Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

God not only sees what you do,but he knows the why.  He cannot be duped by smooth talking.  Remember that God knew you would do that thing before the foundation of the world and yet he chose to save you out of His grace, so be honest. 

You life will turn out the way you plant it.  If you play in traffic, it's not God's fault you got hit by a car.  Feed your spirit with the Word and let it grow within you.

⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

It is our job to be faithful.  God will provide the harvest in His time.

¹¹ See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!

Paul usually dictated his letters.  Perhaps the message in this letter was so important that Paul did not want to wait for a scribe.  This verse has also lead some scholars to believe that Paul's thorn in the flesh was poor eyesight.

¹² Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. ¹³ Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh.

These people wanted Christians to follow a law they did not keep themselves just so they can feel better about themselves.

¹⁴ May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.

It's not anything that I do.  It's all about what Jesus did.

¹⁶ Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God.
¹⁷ From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
¹⁸ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Paul had been beaten many times for his faith.  His body showed the scars.  He's lived his faith and did not want his integrity challenged any more.

I usually close my blog with God Bless.  I have now found a new sign off.

Galatians 6:18

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.

Galatians 5:13-26

Galatians 5:13-26
¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. ¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Too many Christians use their freedom as a license to sin.  They ignore God's standards and when conviction comes they confess but they don't repent and do it again and again.  Our freedom was not given to us to indulge in our wants and greeds, but to free us to serve.  Christians fighting among themselves destroys our testimony, but will destroy our ministry and eventually one another.

¹⁶ So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

These verses have never been more true to me then in the past two years since I started this blog.  Just a look at the dates of this blog and you can see when I was walking in the Spirit and when I was off on my own doing "more important" stuff.  When my life does not lineup with scripture, that's the last place I want to go because I know conviction lies there. 

The hymn TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS, has the phrase, "and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace".  This has proven true in my life.  When I do a daily Bible study and I am in the word regularly, the things I found so fascinating suddenly become unimportant in the light of pleasing God.

¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

To a different degree each of us may still struggle with one or two of these and that is something for you to continue working out with God as the Holy Spirit convicts.  If you have a lifestyle that matches any of these, I strongly suggest you examine yourself. 

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

When we accept Christ's payment for our sin the Holy Spirit comes to live within us.  The fruit he will bring forth in our lives is about.  One does not plant an apple seed and eat apples the next day.  The tree has to grow and over time...HIS TIME...we will bear fruit.  Each of these attributes should begin to show itself in varying degrees in our lives.  We need to continue to study and allow these to grown within our lives.


²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

I envision marching in formation here.  Think of a local parade.  Certain groups have no structure and they are just a mob going down the street.  But other groups are all left right in sync. Am I in sync with the spirit today?  Are you?

Conceit comes from pride.  If all the good things listed above are fruit of the Spirit, then they are not of me or you and therefore there is no place for pride.  Also there is no place for us to envy another person's walk or to criticize another for their slow progress.  The Spirit is the one controlling the process.

God Bless.

Galatians 5:1-12

Galatians 5:1-12
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

It's election time and there are many people who are talking about our eroding freedoms here in America. As a Christian you have been set free.  Don't willingly go back to being a slave.
 
² Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.

Once you start down the path of works and earning you salvation, then Christ's death on the cross will never be enough for you.  Forever you will be adding to salvation.

  ³ Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. ⁴ You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵ For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

I believe this is harder for men to grasp than women.  Men are action centered where women understand grace more as they have the maternal instinct. Faith is hard because it requires us to wait on God and believe. I know I want results NOW! However God's righteousness will come through the Spirit in HIS time.

⁷ You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? ⁸ That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you.

It's no how we begin the race.  Get rid of the distractions or those who pull you away from God.  If you are alive, the race is not over.  It's not to late to finish well.

  ⁹ “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” ¹⁰ I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty.

It does not take a lot of corruption to completely pollute ones life. The analogy of brownies was shared with me.  If I mixed all the ingredients together and just before putting it in the oven I added a teaspoon from the cat box would you eat my brownies?  I mean it's just a little bit.  So it is with corruption in our lives.

God will punish those who lead Christians astray.  That is why I said "I don't know" yesterday.  I do not want to lead anyone away from Christ.

  ¹¹ Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. ¹² As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

 Paul was annoyed that these agitators were saying he preached circumcision. If circumcision is required for Salvation then Christ sacrifice is void.  He was so annoyed that he wished this group with emasculate themselves.  I think he was hoping they wouldn't breed.

Don't add to Christ.  He died for sin and it is enough.

God Bless.

Galatians 4:21-31

Galatians 4:21-31
²¹ Tell me, you who want to be under the law, are you not aware of what the law says? ²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman. ²³ His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh, but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.

Abraham did not like God's time table so he rushed into things and had a son with his slave. Then God fulfilled his promise in the way he'd originally planned.  I think of my life right now and the decisions that need to be made.  I have two choices, God's plan or mine.

²⁴ These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants.

 Even when we screw things up God's plan comes through.  Abraham's impatience and all the concequences that came with it was still used by God as an example.

 One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written:

“Be glad, barren woman,
    you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
    you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
    than of her who has a husband.”

I'd say self explanatory but that's not true. I'm scratching my head for a commentary here. When in doubt shut up.  So I just used all these words to say "I don't know."

²⁸ Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise. ²⁹ At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. ³⁰ But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”

There are consequences for sin. We can accept forgiveness and there will be condemnation or eternal punishment, but you will have to deal with the results here on earth.  Parents don't like to see their children fight, yet the son born of sin tormented the son born of God's will.  So God told Abraham to send them away.  Think about the gut wrenching ordeal of sending one's own flesh and blood away.


³¹ Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.

If we are followers of Christ, we are children of Sarah because we are part of the promise given to Abraham.

God Bless.