Colossians 3:17

December 2, 2011

“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Paul is not telling us anything we don’t already know right here, he is simply reminding us that all we do is for the Lord.  Sometimes we can forget amongst the mundane tasks we do day to day that it is for the Lord, not to get a thank you from anyone but to show God’s love through our service to others.  All we do should be an act of giving back to God and more wholly submitting our lives to Him.  it is like our lives are a service of gratitude for the sacrifice that was made on the cross for our sins that we might have eternal life and dwell with our heavenly Father in Heaven. 

Colossians 3:16

December 1, 2011

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

I feel like this goes back to what Pastor Don was teaching about the heart of David and the fact that he realized there was absolutely nothing he could do as an individual to fight Goliath.  We need to move aside and let the words of Christ flow freely through us.  We are essentially worthless for the kingdom of heaven if we cannot move aside and empty ourselves of us and be filled with the Holy Spirit.  In order to be effective in what we do, we have to have our whole lives centered upon Christ.  The wholly submitted life can be used in unfathomable ways by God.  In all walks of our lives we need to allow the words of Christ just flow through us and He will give us the words to teach, comfort, and counsel.

In applying this I will pray that the Lord will continue to weed out areas in my life that are hindering me from being used to my full potential.

Colossians 3:15

November 30, 2011

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”

I’ve watched division on an issue split a church almost right down the middle.  I don’t necessarily know every little detail, but I do know that it was unnecessary in the way it happened.  In the process there was no unity or peace.  Both sides wanted essentially the same thing; to gain souls for the kingdom of heaven.  Unfortunately one party had a different way of doing things and taught some pretty “unique” doctrine.  For me it was an example of what the body of Christ isn’t.  There isn’t much peace with the Body within the world either; IMAGINE THAT, we humans managed to mess something else up.  There are hundreds of different denominations and so many different types of churches to choose from it’s almost easier to pick out wedding details.  Above all though there should be no bickering or fighting within the Body, “…’Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.’” Matthew 12:25.  Without peace and unity within a congregation we make the devil’s job of deceit and division ridiculously easy. 

In applying this I will pray for wisdom and discernment in picking my battles, especially with the ones that arise within the body.

Colossians 3:14

November 29, 2011

“But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”

Love is one thing that every human being wants, it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from everybody just wants to feel loved.  People strive for it, spend their whole lives looking for that acceptance and feeling of want.  Love is essentially super glue that bonds all things together.  If a congregation has love for one another and is genuinely concerned about another brother or sister’s wellbeing an individual would be able to fellowship amongst those in the body and experience this love firsthand.  Love is an action, I know it sounds pretty clique but it is a way of life, not just an action.  We should live out our lives loving all that we might most appropriately represent Christ and the Church. 

In applying this I will look for more opportunities to commit acts of kindness and pray for a deeper love that I might be a better example of the love that Jesus shows us.

Colossians 3:13

November 28, 2011

“bearing with one another, and forgiving one another; even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do.”

As Christians we are supposed to settle all matters among ourselves without making it public as there is always possibility of marring someone’s reputation.  We are human and there will be issues that arise amongst a body of believers, and it seems like Paul addresses that in just about every one of his’ epistles.  Instead of following through and seeking official judgment on a wrongdoing from a court or other form of resolving an issue, we are instructed to simply just forgive those just as Christ did with us.  I’m sure the punishment that Christ took for us is incomparable to the minute issue that someone flippantly dissed your coffee making skills.  Unfortunately for some unknown reason, this is probably the one of the harder things to do for humans.  Natural inclination when wronged is for us to immediately take whatever actions we deem necessary to make the perpetrator pay.  Instead we need to look to the cross and remember what Jesus did for us so that we might have the freedom to do it for another. 

Acts 1:8

November 18, 2011

“But you shall receive power when the Hole Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

This is such a big ideal that seems to always be forgotten.  In the church today there is not a big emphasis put on missions, however; when there is emphasis it seems as though it is put on foreign missions and every one forgets the missions’ field that is right outside the doors of the church.  Jesus even says to the apostles to start where they are in preaching the gospel and work their way out amongst the world.  Why should the modern church be any different?  I believe that a bigger priority should be put on reaching the lost that are right outside your front door.  I do believe people are called to full time foreign missions’, but I just don’t see the importance put on domestic mission that it deserves…everyone should hear the good news.

In applying this I will never forget that anywhere I go is my missions’ field and someone doesn’t have to be going to a foreign country to make an impact.

Acts 1:7

November 17, 2011

“And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.’”

Unfortunately this is often the answer we hear from our Heavenly Father when we grow impatient with a matter or situation in our life.  It is not for us to know all the Father has in store for us; we are just called to be faithful; if we knew everything that would transpire in our lifetime it wouldn’t take faith to walk out a Christian life.  It would just be the most boring life if we knew exactly everything that would transpire every single day.  Not to sound morbid, but there would be absolutely no reason to live.  All we would be is glorified robots.  We are called to walk by faith and not by sight; it isn’t necessarily beneficial to know all the Lord has in store all the time.

In applying this I will not always try to live my life in the future and just charge the place I am in life right now.

Acts 1:6

November 16, 2011

“Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’”

We always have to know every little detail.  It is ideal for our whole day, week, or even life to be planned out ahead of time.  We ask God a thousand questions and get angry when the answer isn’t to our liking or expectations.  We can’t always demand timing from God.  Sometimes it is just in our best interest to go with the flow of everyday live and not always worry about what the future holds.  Matthew 6:25 says, “’Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?’”

In applying this I will strive to become content with where the Lord has me and not always inquire of the things of tomorrow.

Acts 1:5

November 15, 2011

“for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

John the Baptist went before Jesus and told of our Savior and baptized those who believed.  We are also here to come before the second coming of Christ, and share His’ story and the gift of salvation and eternal life with all.  With all the technological advances and all these new forms of communication that have come out, we have no excuse for not sharing the gospel with those who have not yet accepted God’s gift of eternal life.

In applying this I will not become slack in this situation and continue to share with friends who are still walking in sin.

Acts 1:4

November 14, 2011

“And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;”

Like the early church we are sometimes also told to wait.  Wait for what?  Wait for our Father’s timing which just so happens to be completely different from ours.  He has a completely different view of the world than we do, He knows the guy that is going to cut us off in traffic, what neighborhood it’s in front of, and He even knows the choice words we will utter under our breath out of frustration.  Knowing that, I’m much more comfortable trusting His discernment and judgment concerning timing, or anything else for that matter.  Living in such a fast paced society it really is hard to wait, but it is always better than rushing in prematurely and doing things our way.  That is a recipe to fail miserably. 

I know I do not want to fail by any stretch of the imagination, so; in applying this I will continued to pray for God’s continued direction in my life and not get frustrated because I don’t witness a clear cut path.

Proverbs 31:7

November 11, 2011

“Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.”

Those in misery and hopeless situations often do not see a way out unless it happens to be by the bottle.  I really do not understand why Bathsheba seemingly condones the use of intoxicating beverage to ease the pain of those suffering.  It almost seems as though she looks down upon those in such a situation and says because Solomon is better than those people he shouldn’t be taking apart of those actions.  Which reminds me of what Pastor G and Margaret have been reiterating all week, “Because we are Christians, we have the freedom to not drink”.  Not saying we are better than those who have yet to accept God’s gift of eternal life, but we have a freedom they do not have.  We are not enslaved by the snares and traps of addictions that litter this world with broken marriages, friendships, and lives.  We have been purchased by the blood of Christ and all these worldly practices no longer have a grip on us. 

In applying this I will never allow anything to possess my life in the form of an addiction seeing as it will only hinder my walk with God.

Proverbs 31:6

November 10, 2011

“Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitter of heart.”

The only people in a society who should be administered strong drink are those who are dying or are experiencing intense pain.  It should not be used as a solution for people to irresponsibly “escape” their problems.  Unfortunately that is what it is most commonly used for today, people look upon it as a way to get away from their issues in life…NEWS FLASH…those problems are still there the next day!  We, as Christians, especially should not partake of alcohol for this purpose, but we also should not be partaking in such a degree that a significant level of impairment sets in.  We should never run from our problems or try to cover them up, they will only become more daunting and difficult to face.  God will never give us something we cannot handle, we never have to run from our problems and we can take peace in that fact.

In applying this I will never attempt to run from my problems in life and through prayer and God’s help I will be able to handle anything that is put on my plate.  Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Proverbs 31:5

November 9, 2011

“Lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the justice of all the afflicted.”

As one consumes an alcoholic beverage, first the judgment is to go flying out the window, next is the basic motor skills, and then stuff such as vision impairment.  When the judgment of an authority figure goes whack, the standard of living for those who are governed under the leader who chooses to be given to alcohol goes straight to the gutter.  Those in a position of leadership should not be given to strong drink.  It is stumbling to most and is just downright irresponsible.  If a leader is to drink and be drunk they are bound to go that much quicker to their demise.  They find themselves in situations that they would have never gotten in if they would have been of a sober mind. 

In applying this I will pray for discernment and wisdom in all actions I commit that I might not give way to compromise in any area of my life.

Proverbs 31:4

November 7, 2011

“It is not for Kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Nor for princes intoxicating drink;”

Well the age old debate of whether or not Christians should be able to drink seems to be settled here.  However, the text specifies that royalty should not drink alcoholic beverages.  I personally do not see a problem with Christians drinking an alcoholic beverage; it is definitely a touchy subject that is debated by people on both sides of the spectrum until faces turn blue.  We do have certain freedoms in Christ, but we need to be sensitive to what might cause another watching us to stumble.  I don’t see it a wise decision to go hit the bars and have to call a cab just because you aren’t responsible enough to control your intake of a substance.  I believe the decision should be left to an individual and not one verse in the Bible, because that would lead to seeming contradictions.  The decision should be taken into consideration of all those around who might be watching you. 

In applying this I will be sure to pray and think about the people who might be watching me or who I might cause to stumble in my actions that I take every day.

1 Corinthians 13:7

November 4, 2011

“bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

When we love it is not appropriate for us to cancel someone because they did something deserving.  I feel like this verse is kind of a continued definition of longsuffering.  We should bear any wrongdoing that someone can dish out at us.  Paul also throws endures as the last attribute to clearly reinforce the importance of longsuffering through love.  I believe this is one of the most important characteristics of love; just for the mere fact that is alluded to at least three times in this explanation of love given by Paul.  Also, with long suffering we are able to persevere in sharing the gospel and not allow our discouragements stop us from fulfilling the great commission presented to us in Matthew 28, and run the race with endurance that Paul speaks of in Hebrews 12.

In applying this I will pray for God to give me a loving heart and the strength to carry out these attributes listed by Paul.

1 Corinthians 13:6

November 3, 2011

“does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;”

As Christians who emulate Christ and model our lives after the example He set, we should never take part or condone unrighteousness.  It is contrary to what pleases God and is ultimately a pathway to destruction.  I believe this one characteristic of what love is not is the first rung in the ladder of backsliding.  It is very subtle, how easy is it to laugh at someone getting a hard time for how they dress or their nationality.  This is a form of “rejoicing in iniquity” but is so subtle and easy to do.  This is usually something we do without even thinking and we eventually hurt someone or cause someone to stumble because we laughed at that joke that happened to be completely inappropriate or harmful to an individual’s emotions.

In applying this I will pray that God will give me a sensitive and discerning heart with even the smallest acts of unrighteousness that occur in day to day circumstances.

1 Corinthians 13:5

November 2, 2011

“does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;”

As Paul continues his description of agape love we see some of the most common human tendencies in the “do not do list”.  These are all things that we do without thinking about it; treat people rudely, we seek self-satisfaction by any means necessary, and how many times do we allow ourselves to be provoked and think evil thoughts against those who wrong us.  Sometimes we need to go through overhauls in our lives in order to live according to the template provided for us in the Bible.  All these characteristics that Paul says love is not are natural human tendencies.  These are issues that Paul saw that the church in Corinth needed to be absolved and addressed.  There are often places in my own life that I often see that need to be renovated, and this renovation is only going to be able to be done through prayer and asking for a renewed heart.

In applying this I will continue to pray for God to help me to work on certain flaws in my life by softening my heart.

1 Corinthians 13:4

November 1, 2011

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;”

Paul is giving us the attributes of love and, basically; a guideline on how to behave and interact with other believers.  We are supposed to love all and Paul goes through in chapter 13 of 1 Corinthians and lists the characteristics of love so that we might know when our actions are out of line.  When we love someone, we are kind to them, allow them to get on our nerves without disowning them if you will.  Love does not get a big head; it stays humble in the midst of our greatest triumphs and will not be given to pride. Because we are called to love one another we should attempt to make the closest resemblance as possible to this through our lives, by exercising kindness, self-control, and meekness.

In applying this I will pray for a renewed heart and that I might be made sensitive to these characteristics when they are not acted out in my life.

Luke 17:10

October 27, 2011

“So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what was our duty to do.’”

There it is, our template on how to remain humble when we receive recognition for the things that we are required to do.  It should be our goal for the Lord to receive the praise for all we do.  Not the other way around, we shouldn’t take praise for the things the Lord allows us to do through Him.  When recognized for out works we need to simple say that, “We are unprofitable servants.  We have done what was out duty to do.”  Although we all want to get recognized for stuff we are required to do, it’s not our place at all.  We are alive for one reason, to glorify God in all we do; not glorify ourselves through the things that we think we have done with our own strength.

In applying this I will give the glory for the things He allows me to do through the strength He has given me.

Luke 17:9

October 26, 2011

“Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him?  I think not.”

I had to chuckle when I read this verse.  How often do I think I should receive thanks and praise for doing something that is required of us by God.  How did we get such a foolish inclination as humans to do things thinking we should get praised for them?  We are called to be servants to all, never once do we see Jesus, the example we strive to live our lives like, complain about not being thanked or going out of His way to get people to notice the “good things” He does.  In fact he preaches against it.  In Matthew 6:3-4 Jesus says, “But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and you Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”  He is referring to the Pharisees who would make known their good works and seek recognition.  Unfortunately we are still steeped in this error of ways which is clearly not condoned by our Savior.

In applying this I will do something for someone today without anyone knowing and not seek recognition.

Luke 17:8

October 25, 2011

“But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’?”

No employee in their right mind would ever expect the CEO of the company they work for to walk up to their cubicle and tell them to leave work and come out to eat lunch with the higher up.  This is unheard of.  Employees are expected to do their whole job for the entire day not get to sneak away for lunch.  Likewise Jesus is asking what master would prepare food for their servant for when they came in from the field.  We also are required to fulfill the great commission and make disciples of all the nations.  Jesus said He won’t return until every ear has heard the good news.  Our work isn’t over until the great commission is fulfilled, that is when we are able to sit and rest and partake with our Father in Heaven.

In applying this I will continue to talk to friends I have been pouring into about our Heavenly Father and His gift to us, and that they can partake of this gift also.