Colossians: Week 1: Day 3

Colossians 1: 12 - 14

Prayer continued ...

If you are using the NIV translation, it will appear that we stopped mid sentence yesterday. Paul's sentences can be quite complicated! I would certainly hate to have to diagram some of them - and this is one of those that would challenge the best English students among us, of which I am not one!

Remember, Paul has prayed that these believers have the strength from God to be able to endure circumstances in their lives and to be patient with the people in their lives. He then adds that they joyfully (not begrudgingly!) give thanks to God. Is your prayer salted with thanksgiving? Do you keep you eyes open for the hand of God in your life so that you can immediately offer thanksgiving to Him? It takes practice ... daily ... moment by moment. It takes practice especially when circumstances or people are particularly trying and difficult. The lesson for you and I? PRACTICE!!!

Paul offers two reasons why this thanksgiving is natural and appropriate. The first is that God has given us a share in the inheritance with His Son. Remember, inheritance is always reserved for close family members. Remember - "adopted into the royal family"! God qualifies you - not your family tree, not your good behavior, not your own righteousness, not your church affiliation, not your race, your nationality, your bank account, your talents, etc. God does it. Never miss that!

The second reason that thanksgiving is the natural overflow of the believers heart is that God has placed us somewhere ... Paul shows us where. The KJV of this passage uses this language: "God has translated us" ... This is an interesting Greek word. It means "to bring over" and is the verb methistemi. According to Barclay "In the ancient world, when one empire won a victory over another, it was the custom to take the population of the defeated country and to transfer them lock, stock and barrel to some other land." This is the concept that Paul uses to describe what God has done for us. He has taken us, "lock, stock and barrel" from one place to another.

Look carefully at the place God has taken us, as believers ... where He has translated us ...

1. From darkness to light - Are you still groping around in the dark? You don't have to be. Neither do I. We can live in the light because Jesus is "the light of the world". (John 8:12) Walk in Jesus and you walk in the light. We don't have to stumble our way through life. We can see!

2. From slavery to freedom - Paul talks about redemption which is the word used in the ancient world for the emancipation of a slave. Without God we are all slaves to our fears, to our sins, to our own helplessness and to our faults. Jesus comes as the quintessential liberator! Are you free? Do you experience the freedom Christ offers in day to day living?

3. From condemnation to forgiveness - what indescribable joy fills our hearts when we fully accept and "feel" the forgiveness of God, being loved and accepted in spite of our past, our failure, our rebellions. Paul says in Romans 8:1 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Paul, with his sordid history of self-righteousness, of persecution, of assent to murder, hammers this point home! God translate us from condemnation to forgiveness. Praise God!

4. From the power of Satan to the power of God - a new kingdom is present for the people of God. A new ruler. A new domain.

How can our hearts not overflow with thanksgiving to this God! Believer, remind yourself day by day, even moment by moment, that THIS is where you now live! This is where the God of heaven has placed you!

And REJOICE!

Colossians: Week 1: Day 2

Colossians 1: 9 - 11

Do you pray for your children? Do you pray for your spouse? Do you pray for friends? How do you pray? The verses we are meditating on today are part of a splendid example of prayer. It gives us a model for praying for those that we love. As we examine this passage, I want to make it my own pattern for praying for my daughters, my husband, and even for myself.

Paul begins with the words, "for this reason". For what reason? The reason is the faith in Christ and the love for their fellowman that Paul knows mark these Colossian Christians. Because of those splendid "pillars" in their lives ... Paul then carries them tirelessly in prayer.

So, for what does Paul ask? He asks the most critically important things for them. And one can't help but notice that it is not for their health and prosperity. Paul asks that they be filled with the knowledge of the will of God through spiritual wisdom and understanding. I fear that we often pray for God to understand our will and conform to our wishes. We must learn this lesson! Because living out the will of God for our lives is the "one thing". Do you remember Curly in the movie "City Slickers" when he talked about the essence of life was the "one thing"? Well, the "one thing" is understanding and doing the will of God in our lives.

Why does it matter so much? Paul then begins to enumerate "why" it matters. First he says that it allows us to live our lives worthy of the Name that we wear, worthy of wearing the Name of Christ. I desperately do not want to bring shame on the Name of Christ. So I must be filled with the knowledge of the will of God so that I can work it out in practical ways in my everyday living. Secondly, Paul says that this pleases God. I so want to please God - don't you? Not to earn anything ... can't be done. But because I love Him so! Thirdly, knowing and living out God's will allows me to bear fruit in my life - spiritual fruit - eternal fruit. Fruit-bearing is talked about alot in scripture, isn't it? It must matter - this maturing process - this growing into purpose. Fourth, it provides the power, the strength to live my life with endurance and patience. In English these two words seem very similar. When we check the Greek words, we find two different concepts. The first, the word translated "endurance" in the NIV, is the Greek word hopomone. This word has to do with the strenth to endure, to overcome circumstances. Life hits us hard through circumstance ... health, finances, loss, abandonment ... circumstances can be tough. We need the strength and power to live through, to overcome, the various circumstances that blow into our lives. The word translated "patience" in the NIV is the Greek word makrothumia. This word references people. Patience with the people in our lives. Do you have anyone in your life that requires patience from you? Stupid question isn't it!! We need the strength and power to live with patience with the people in our lives - those close to us and those we merely encounter.

These are the core needs in our lives. These are the core needs in our children's lives and our spouses lives and our fellow believers lives. Will you pray for them like this? Will I? In your notebook, write this prayer out - inserting the name/names that you want to include. Let it be your beginning place when you bring those loved ones before the throne of God.

Thank you, Lord, for giving Paul these words to instruct us in praying for those we love and for ourselves. Fill us with the knowledge of Your will through spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Colossians: Week 1: Day 1

Colossians 1: 1 - 8

I love the way Paul begins this letter. It is addressed to the "holy and faithful" in the city of Colosse. Paul's earlier letters were addressed to the "church" in _______. (1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians) But in these later letters, he shifts. (Romans, Colossians, Philippians and Ephesians) They are addressed to the faithful individuals in these churches. I am reminded of Jesus' parable of the Tares (Matthew 13:24 ff). The church is a collection of the faithful, the saints that are located in various locals - not necessarily the membership roster! Paul begins to focus his instructions and letters to the "church" as to the individuals who are holy and faithful. As you ask yourself the question, "Am I among that group?" Don't let the word "holy" make you nervous. Remember, when that word is applied to you and I it means the "set apart ones" - not the perfect ones - the ones that have accepted Christ as LORD. They have been made holy by God, not themselves. And their lives reflect that commitment and focus. That is what places you in that group.

Paul then goes on to give the essence of the Christian life - showing faith in Christ and love for your fellow man. (v 4) William Barclay calls these the "twin pillars of the Christian life." Faith is the full confidence, trust, belief that Jesus is the Son of God. It is demonstrated always by obedience. The love is agape - not the easier phileo (brotherly) love. It is the love that Christ demonstrated while He walked in the flesh. It is the love that we are to reflect to a fallen world. We must ask ourselves how these twin pillars are reflected in our own lives. That may be your focus for prayer today. Where do they come from? Paul tells us in verse 5 that they come from our hope - that complete confidence and expectation that God will do what He has promised.

Another lesson that speaks to me from this passage is in verse 6. The gospel (the Good News of the redemption available through Jesus) was growing and bearing fruit both around the world and among them. The gospel of Jesus Christ is truly "good news". And it is truth. It is universal. It is productive. It tells us of grace. Are you bearing fruit? Am I? Is your life different because of the gospel that lives in you? Are you growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord? Is the evidence of the life of the Spirit of God (fruit of the Spirit - Galatians 5:22) reflected in your life as you are growing older? That is my prayer for myself ... and my prayer for you as we walk together in the Lord.

Paul begins this letter with the salutation - grace and peace

Grace = God's favor bestowed so that sinful humans may enjoy the blessing of God Himself

Peace = wholeness and well-being in all aspects of life

So, my friends, as we begin this study .......... grace and peace!

Colossians: Study Guide

Let's begin! Our study will cover 6 weeks and will contain 3 sections for study and meditation each week. I am excited about exploring this little letter from Paul to the faithful believers in Colosse. I think there is MUCH we will discover that applies to us in this time and in your place.

Outline:

Week 1: Section 1: Colossians 1: 1 - 8
Section 2: Col 1: 9 - 11
Section 3: Col 1: 12 - 14

Week 2: Section 1: Col 1: 15 - 23
Section 2: Col 1: 15 - 23 (too much here for 1 day!)
Section 3: Col 1: 24 - 29

Week 3: Section 1: Col 2: 1 - 7
Section 2: Col 2: 8 - 23
Section 3: Col 2: 8 - 23 (again, too much!)

Week 4: Section 1: Col 3: 1 - 4
Section 2: Col 3: 5 - 11
Section 3: Col 3: 12 - 17

Week 5: Section 1: Col 3: 18 - 4:1
Section 2: Col 4: 2 - 4
Section 3: Col 4: 5 - 6

Week 6: Section 1: Col 4: 7 - 9 and Philemon
Section 2: Col 4: 10 - 13 and Acts 13:13; 15: 36 - 41
Section 3: Col 4: 14 - 18

For this study, I think the following format will prove useful. Plan to use a journal or some form of notebook for taking your own notes and making observations. I plan to have 2 sections in my notebook. The first will be for notes to myself as I do the weekly study. As you read and reflect on each section, ask yourself these questions: 1) What do I learn from these verses? and 2) How do I apply that lesson in my life right now? The second will be for 2 lists. One list will carry the title: "What do I learn about my Lord Jesus Christ?" As you do your daily study, whenever you find a phrase or a descriptor of Jesus, add it to your list. The next list will carry the title: "What do I learn about eveyday living as a faithful disciple of Christ?" Add phrases or instructions from Paul to these believers when he tells them how to live as disciples. Bring those instructions into our time and into your own life.

My prayer for us as we begin: Our Lord, fill us with the knowledge of Your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding that we may live lives worthy of our LORD and that we may please Him. We desire to bear fruit and to grow in knowledge of You. (Col 1: 9 - 10)

Colossians: Preview

Welcome to our online study of Colossians. I am looking forward to spending some concentrated time listening to Paul as he writes to this church in Colosse. We, too, need to hear the things that he is telling them. My goal in this particular study is found in Paul's prayer in 1: 9 - 10: that we also may "be filled with the knowledge of God's will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding ... that we may please Him and bear fruit in every good work ..."

A little history:
Colosse had been described as "a great city of Phrygia", but by Paul's time had been surpassed by its neighbors, Laodicea and Hierapolis. The church in this city most likely began when Ephaphras, one of Paul's coworkers, brought the gospel to Colosse. It consisted mostly of Gentile Christians and flourished until it began to struggle with false teachers who introduced different heresies that confused these new believers. Commentators are not sure what all the heresies were. They make educated "guesses" from Paul's comments in the letter. The possibilities are:
1. Ceremonialism - strict rules about kinds of permissible food and drink, festivals, etc.
2. Asceticism - abusing the body to gain some kind of purity
3. Angel worship
4. Deprecation of Christ - questioning Christ's position and power
5. Secret Knowledge - knowledge of Christ is not enough - other "mysteries" needed
6. Reliance on human wisdom and tradition - beginnings of the gnostic heresy
(This list is from Navigator's LifeChange Study on Colossians)

Epaphras seeks Paul's help to deal with the false teachings. Paul was in prison in Rome and, therefore, could not visit the church in Colosse himself. When Paul hears of the false teachings that are running rampant in and around this body of believers, he sits down to pen his thoughts and instructions and encouragement to these Christians. It is somewhere between 60 - 64 AD.

As we begin ... your "assignment" is to read Colossians several times over the next 2 weeks. The specific lessons will begin following Memorial Day, May 26. Our format will be similar to the one we used in the "I Saw the Lord" study. After the overview reading, we will focus on a few verses at a time, listening for lessons (what is the text "saying") and identifying personal applications (what will I do about what this text is "saying"). As always, your comments and sharing of lessons learned are welcomed and valued.

May God bless our study of His Word ...
May the Holy Spirit guide and teach us ...
And may we grow to know our Lord Jesus more intimately.

God Speaks to the Church: Lesson 5; Section 2

The reading for today is Revelation 4 - 5. If you have not yet done so, read these 2 chapters (out loud if possible!) Then come back ...



My desire is that we close this study as we began it ... looking at our Lord Jesus Christ. John, in the spirit, appears to be so limited by language as he described to his readers the scene before him. What impresses you most? Two things stand out to me most vividly.



1. I am stunned by the splendor of the scene. My mind has a hard time grasping the sweep, the majesty and the colors as John works to describe it. This is glory - indescribable glory! Do you remember when Jesus was praying in John 17 right before His walk to the cross? He says, "And now Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began." As you read Revelation 4 & 5, you had a glimpse into the world where Jesus had been before He subjected Himself to flesh. I think He was ready to go "home"! Paul tells us in Philippians 2: 6 - 7:

"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in himan likeness."

If you know that someone has given up something very valuable for you, the thought drifts through the mind that you must be incredibly valuable to that someone! It is in the reading of passages like Revelation 1 and 4 and 5 that we begin to grasp just how much Jesus gave up for us. How could it be? We know ourselves ... but that is our Jesus, our Lord. And that is how much He desires us to be with Him. I want to shout to the heavens Paul's words from Romans 11:33 "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!"

2. Secondly, I am impressed with the scenes of worship in these chapters. Once again we see that worship is truly all about God. I love the worship song "The Heart of Worship" and am particularly moved every time I hear or sing the line "I'm sorry Lord for the things I've made it." I so passionately agree with that line. I am sorry for the way we have turned worship into forms and styles and traditions and things that are comfortable and things that I like, etc. And it is to be all about God. The worship in heaven that we can glimpse in Revelation 4 & 5 is a splendid illustration of the "heart of worship" - and it is "All About God"!

As we close this study ... remember that as Jesus speaks to the Church ... He speaks to you and I. My prayer for you is that you (and I!) have "an ear to hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Do you have an ear to hear such things? What did Jesus say directly to you as you walked through these 7 messages? Act on it my friends! Do the repenting when necessary. What needs to be "overcome" in your own life? We can be "overcomers" through the Spirit of the living God.

Let's join with the four living creatures in heaven and never stop saying ...

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is and is to come.

(There will be a summer study through this blog ... the next post will give timing and subject matter.)

God Speaks to the Church: Lesson 5; Section 1

We have made it to the last of the seven churches, Laodicea. Let me give you a little history of the city before you read. Laodicea was a wealthy area. There was fertile pasture land around the city that boasted great flocks of sheep. This made it the greatest center for the woollen industry in that time. The area was notorious for earthquakes and Laodicea suffered a devastating one in 60AD. However, her wealth and independence allowed her to recover and rebuild without any financial help from Rome. Laodicea was wealthy, proud and independent.

From: The Navigator Study on Revelation
"Laodicea was known throughout the Roman world of its time for three things: its banks, which even Cicero recommended for exchanging money; its linen and wool industry, which produced cloth and carpets, especially from the glossy black wool of sheep reared in the area; its medical school and widely famed medicines, notable among which was an eye-ointment."

The major problem in Laodicea was a lack of any good, fresh water supply. So water had to be diverted from the neighboring cities of Hierapolis and Colosse. There were hot springs at Hierapolis known for their medicinal value and fresh, cold springs in Colosse. By the time the waters had been diverted to Laodicea, those waters were neither hot nor cold ... often undrinkable.

With that in mind, read Revelation 3: 14 - 22 carefully, looking for any commendation, any reproof and any warnings or instructions from the Lord. Then come back!

What a sad state of affairs existed in the church in Laodicea. It seems to be a collection of people who were proud and confident in themselves and their great city - and it was all an illusion. I suspect they even dressed very well! In our Lord's analysis of this group ... He exposes the illusion of each of the things of which they were so proud. And tells them boldly that without Him, they are nothing. Lip service, pride in accomplishments, material wealth ... all worthless without Christ.

And so He tells them that He is right there ... waiting ... to be "invited" into this church. The Lord will never force Himself on a person or a church. He will never force an individual or a church to live submitted to His Lordship. But He is ready ... He is able ... He is waiting to be invited in so that regenerated life, abundant life, His life can flow in and through.

John R. W. Stott says of this church: "Perhaps none of the seven letters is more appropriate to the twentieth-century church than this. It describes vividly the respectable, sentimental, nominal, skin-deep religiosity which is so widespread among us today. Our Christianity is flabby and anemic. We appear to have taken a lukewarm bath of religion."

I think we can see the same tendency as we have entered the twenty-first century. So the call is clear ... for me ... for you ... for our churches. Open the door! Invite Christ in - both in your life and your fellowship! Bow to Him! Put on His righteousness as your robes, His person as your wealth, and His remedy for your healing!

You may have been a church member for a long time and never deliberately asked Jesus to invade your life with His presence. If you have not done so ... why not? If you have ... refresh your commitment to His rule in your life right now. What is at stake? Life. And the right to sit with Him on His throne. Now - there's a promise!!

We have one remaining lesson in this study. I do not want to close it with the tepid taste of Laodicea in our mouth. So we will take one more look at the Lord through the next two chapters of Revelation ... Revelation 4 - 5.