Keep Looking Up
Today’s Passage – Colossians 1 – 4; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click hereto view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 61 – 65; Proverbs 13)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Matthew 6:33
Read the 1213 Evening and Morning devotion from the late Charles Spurgeon.
“1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4)
The background information for Colossians and Philemon both involve the church at Colosse. Philemon was a member of the church there and even opened up his home as a meeting place for the church. The two letters are very different in their purpose. Colossians is written to a church and is both doctrinal as well as practical. Philemon is very personal, written primarily to encourage reconciliation between Onesimus, who was a runaway servant from Colosse who was gloriously saved in Rome, and Philemon. Both of these letters deal with the same geographical area and the same people.
It is apparent from the text (Colossians 1:4; 1:9; 2:1) that Paul had never been to the city of Colosse, which is strange because it is not too far from Ephesus (about 100 or so miles) where Paul spent 3 years. (Acts 20:31) Interestingly the name Colosse appears only once in the entire Bible. (Colossians 1:2) Even more interesting is that the nearby city of Laodicea is named five times in this letter.
Colosse was located in Asia Minor in an area known as Phrygia. It is about 100 or so miles east of Ephesus, and about 100 or so miles north of the Mediterranean Sea. It was 10 miles from Laodicea, and 13 miles from Hierapolis, which are both mentioned in the letter. Both of these cities were to receive this letter to the church at Colosse and also share a letter back to Colosse that was written to Laodicea. (Colossians 4:16)
At one time Colosse was an important city with a large population. It was located in an area that connected the markets of the Far East with the markets of Europe. It was known for a particular kind of purple wool called colossinus that was in demand around the world. As time went on, however, Laodicea became the prominent city and Colosse eventually faded off the scene. Only ruins are left today of both cities. It is probable that both cities were eventually destroyed by a series of earthquakes.
Thoughts from the Passage
- The Letter is Focused on Believers
First of all, we see that this is written to believers: “if ye then be risen with Christ.” Positionally, Christians are seen as crucified with Christ (“for ye are dead” – v. 3) and have also identified with Him in His resurrection:
- Believers Need to Be Focused on Heaven
- A Heavenly Focused Believer Conforms to the Will of God
Notice in the remaining verses that believers are to “mortify” (Νεκρώσατε from νεκρόω – nekroō, meaning to make dead or deprive of power) some things (vs. 5 – 7).
1 fornication
2 uncleanness – mortal impurity
3 inordinate affection – translated vile affection in Romans 1:26, homosexuality
4 evil concupiscence – lust
5 covetousness, which is idolatry:
They are also to “put off” (ἀπόθεσθε from ἀποτίθημι – apotithēmi, meaning to lay aside or cast off) some things (vs. 8 – 11). The things that we are to remove are things that are inconsistent with who we are in Christ and what we will be in Heaven. Paul is merely stating that if you will not see these characteristics and sinful actions in Heaven, you should strive to get rid of them now. You can do these things because when you were saved, “9b … you have put off the old man with his deeds. “10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” (Colossians 3:9b – 10)
1 anger
2 wrath
3 malice – depravity, maliciousness, wickedness
4 blasphemy
5 filthy communication – vile conversation
6 lying
We are not only supposed to get rid of some things, we are also to replace them with some heavenly things. Vs. 12 – 17 tell us that we are to “put on” (Ἐνδύσασθε from ἐνδύω – endyō, which has the idea of putting on clothing or wearing something) some things.
1 bowels of mercies – mercy, compassion
2 kindness
3 humbleness of mind
4 meekness
5. longsuffering
6. forbearing one another
7 forgiving one another
8 charity
9 let peace rule (v. 15)
10 let the Word dwell in you (v. 16)
11 sing the songs of God (v. 16)
12 do all in the name of Christ (v. 17)
Supporting Verses:
“17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
“1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
The Saturday Morning Post – Zombies
Today’s Passage – Colossians 1 – 4; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click hereto view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 61 – 65; Proverbs 13)
Read the 1213 Evening and Morning devotion from the late Charles Spurgeon.
“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 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. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (Colossians 3:1-17)
Good morning. According to the dictionary, a zombie is a dead body that has been reanimated by a power or spell. You see them every day. They walk the earth just like you and I, going about their business. The spell, and the power, and their business are called sin. Zombies go about their business of committing acts of anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication from their mouth, and lying. Sometimes the living can be like zombies: they do the same things that zombies do. Yes, even though they are called Christians, and are made alive by the Holy Spirit living inside them, they can still do the works of Zombies: acts of anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, etc.
How can we get rid of the zombie in us? Take the advice given in verses 16 and 17…
“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. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (Colossians 3:16-17)
Peace!
Posted in Devotions by Pastor Ted Stahl with 1 comment.
The Mind of Christ
Today’s Passage – Philippians 1 – 4 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read –Psalms 56 – 60; Proverbs 12)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 61:1 – 3
Read the “1212 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from today’s passage – “Follow You?” & “Striving Together“
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” (Philippians 2:5)
“For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16)
I just want to jot down a quick thought from the Scriptures this morning that I hope will be a blessing to you. Jesus is God. As God, He is equal with the Father in everything. Jesus is omniscient, meaning that there is nothing that He does not know. There is nothing that escapes His mind, unless He chooses to not remember it. Here in our text, the Bible is not referring to omniscience, but rather it is referring to Christ’s attitude. He had the mind of a servant; not the knowledge of a servant, but the humility of a servant. As God, He could have demanded that all of humanity bow the knee to Him. He also could have demanded that every creature in the universe should serve His every desire. But that is not what He did, is it?
It is funny how little, sinful man who is by nature a lowly servant, and has no right to boast at all, is always trying to magnify himself; trying to make himself look better in the eyes of other men. Yet Jesus, who deserves all of the glory, humbled Himself, even unto death. Why, because He loves us. If He demonstrated His love through a form of humility, ought not we do the same thing. We are so full of ourselves. God tells us here that we should have the same mind, the same humble attitude that Christ demonstrated when He came to this earth to be born of a woman, to live a selfless life of service to men, and finally to die a horrible death on the cross in order to atone for your sins and mine.
“And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:44-45)
“Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” (John 13:13-17)
Posted in Thoughts from Philippians by Phil Erickson with 4 comments.
Grow Up
Today’s Passages – Ephesians 4 – 6 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 51 – 55; Proverbs 11)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 55:17
Read the “1211 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:” (Ephesians 4:13-15)
“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:1)
“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.” (Hebrews 5:12)
One of the many problems with the modern concept of Christianity in our world today, is that it is producing very immature Christians. At one time the churches of America understood that they had a responsibility to teach and preach sound Bible doctrine. Unfortunately, in most of our churches the Bible has been replaced with entertainment and in some cases the Word of God has been almost removed altogether. If you were to travel back in time to the first half of the 20th century you would see that mostly all Bible believing churches had multiple opportunities for the people to come to the House of God in order to learn Truth. Gradually, as the years passed, sermon lengths became shorter and whole services were eliminated. It is rare to find an evangelical church with Sunday School for adults or evening services on Sunday, or Bible studies / Prayer Meetings during the week. It is no wonder that our country is rapidly deteriorating when God’s people are feeding sparsely on Jello and Tapioca, instead of meat. It is also not surprising that Christians are dropping like flies into all kinds of immorality when they are not taking in enough spiritual nourishment to strengthen them against the wiles of the Devil.
This lack of Bible can also be seen in our homes. There used to be such a thing as “a family altar” and family devotions. There was a time when it would not be uncommon for Christian fathers and mothers to read the Bible with their children. It was not at all unusual for a mom to insist that her children get up out of bed a little earlier so that they could spend some time in the Word of God before they faced the day. Now, we are too busy finding out what all our friends are doing on Facebook, or perhaps we are engrossed in the latest immoral sitcom on television. Shame on us. We are producing a bunch of weak, baby Christians who could not possibly be strong enough to carry the torch to the next generation.
In our passage today we see that God gave us all that we need in order to grow and mature in the faith. Notice vs. 11 – 12:
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” (Ephesians 4:11-12)
God gave us pastors and teachers but unfortunately they are too busy trying to please a carnal group of people instead preaching the Word of God. I heard recently of a pastor of a church (that was once a fundamental Baptist church) who went to a football game on a Sunday morning instead of going to his pulpit. He got his wife to fill in for him. Shame on that pastor, and shame on that church for not firing him.
We need to get back to the basics, back to the Bible. We need to get rid of all of the technology that is supposed to be helping us so much, get rid of the social media, the filth on television, the mindless video games and internet surfing, and get back to “study[ing] to show [ourselves] approved unto God, [workmen] that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” And our churches need to get back to filling their services with sound doctrine, and lots of it. We are losing the battle. Few are getting saved today because our lights are too dim and our salt has lost its savor. We need to wake up and go back to what worked before we completely lose this generation.
Posted in Thoughts from Ephesians by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Saved to Good Works – Not By Good Works
Today’s Passages – Ephesians 1 – 3; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 46 – 50; Proverbs 10)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Isaiah 40:31
Read the “1210 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” – (Ephesians 2:8-10)
These verses in Ephesians are perhaps among the most familiar in the Bible. We often use vs. 8 – 9 to convince people that salvation is not through our good works but solely though the grace of God, which is available only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace has been defined as unmerited favor, or more simply put, it is receiving something that we do not deserve. What a wonderful truth it is to know that our salvation is not dependent upon our good works, which are totally insufficient and fall miserably short of the mark. As the verse teaches, salvation comes solely through the free gift of God’s grace. Jesus paid the total price for our sins when He died on the cross and now makes salvation available to anyone who will simply receive Him by faith.
However, just because works are not acceptable as payment for our sins, it doesn’t mean that we should not “work” for the Lord after we are saved. Verse 10, which is not quoted nearly as often as vs. 8 & 9, teaches very plainly that God has ordained that we should work for Him after salvation. God has a specific plan for each one of His children. He has something for all of us to do. Our job is to determine what God’s will is for our lives and then do it. There are lots of opportunities for service within a local church.
Are you working for the Lord doing His ordained tasks? If not, you need to get busy:)
Posted in Thoughts from Ephesians by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Don’t Shoot the Messenger
Today’s Passages – Galatians 4 – 6; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read –Psalm 41 – 45; Proverbs 9)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 48:1 & 2
Read the “1209 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” – (Galatians 4:16)
As I read verse 15, I thought of the phrase, “Don’t Shoot The Messenger”. I looked back in the blog archives and discovered that I have used that phrase as the title to two other posts derived from two different passages. It seems that men of God throughout the Bible have had trouble being negatively received by the people they are ministering to.
In this morning’s passage, Paul is trying to straighten out the problem of legalism in the churches of Galatia. They apparently were trying to mix New Testament Christianity with the Old Testament Law. By doing so, they were adding to salvation by grace through faith, making it a salvation of works. Paul explained to them that if they were going to try to keep the Law, they had better do it perfectly, which, of course, is an impossibility. We are not saved by keeping the Law, and we are certainly not kept by keeping the Law. Salvation comes through faith in Christ, and our Christian life is to be a walk of faith.
The point I am trying to make here in this post, however, is that the Christians in Galatia were very fond of Paul until he started preaching something that went contrary with what they were doing. They had been influenced by some people who were corrupting their thinking. Paul was merely trying to get them back on the right path, but the people didn’t want to hear it. Instead of searching the Scriptures as the Bereans did, and listening to the truth, the people were stubbornly holding on to their false doctrine; and Paul became the bad guy.
I have had this type of thing happen to me in the ministry. I have had people who at one time loved me, later turn on me and become an enemy. Usually it was because there was something in their lives that was inconsistent with the teaching of the Bible and the will of God. Instead of fixing the problem, they decided to get mad at the messenger. I understand that doctors sometimes experience this same scenario. They are just reporting the truth revealed through their examination. They didn’t cause the problem, but somehow they end up with the blame.
Let’s stop blaming the messengers that God sends into our lives. If the messenger is telling us the truth, then we must face it. We really ought to thank those who are being honest enough with us to help us by telling us what we really don’t want to hear. But how can we get help if we don’t know the truth. Don’t shoot the messenger.
Read the other two “Dont’ Shoot The Messenger” posts from 2 Chronicles 16 and 1 Kings 18
Posted in Thoughts From Galatians by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
We Are Free
Today’s Passages – Galatians 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 36 – 40; Proverbs 8)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 47:1
Read the “1208 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “The Schoolmaster“
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” (Galatians 2:16)
The letter to the Galatians was one of the earliest of the epistles written by the Apostle Paul through the inspiration of the God. In the very early church, there was evidently a problem with legalism. Legalism is the attempt to put people who are saved by faith back under the law. I need to explain here exactly what I mean by “under the law”. In Old Testament days the people of God (the Jews) lived according to the law of Moses which contained three different types of laws: civil law (government), which helped them live in a peaceful society; moral law, which taught them what was right and wrong, morally speaking; and ceremonial law, which were the particular laws that had to do with their system of worship. These ceremonial laws legislated their holy days, their assemblies, and their feasts, etc. The Jews created a system of rules that was impossible for anybody to keep perfectly. That’s why Paul says later in this letter to the Galatians that the law was our “schoolmaster”, in that it taught us that we were sinners in need of mercy. Christ is the only man who perfectly fulfilled all of the law, meaning He never was guilty of violating any command of God in any of the three categories.
Now when God says in the New Testament that we are no longer “under the law,” and that we have been freed from the bondage of sin and the law, He is not saying that we are free to commit moral sin, or that we are free to break the laws that government creates in order to keep the peace, unless, of course, those man-made rules disagree with God’s rules. We are, however, free from all of the ceremonial laws that the Jews lived by, and there were a whole lot of them. By the way, not being “under the law” also means that we have been freed (saved) from the penalty of not keeping the law. The people of Galatia were “bewitched” into attempting to combine the doctrine of salvation through faith alone with the keeping of the Jewish law. By doing so, they just frustrated the concept of grace. Christ fulfilled the law, and He died for us who could not keep the law. We are free! Free from the penalty of sin; free from the bondage of a myriad of rules and regulations that are impossible to live by anyway; and free to love and serve God according to the dictates of our own consciences and understanding of God.
I feel compelled to make one final comment here. The term “legalism” has often been used in reference to standards and convictions. I am not a “legalist” if I have a personal standard in my life that I believe God is pleased with. Having some Biblically based guidelines in my life to live by does not make me a legalist, unless I believe that adhering to these rules somehow saves me. I am not saved by how I live my life, but I do try to live a life that glorifies God because I am saved.
Posted in Thoughts From Galatians by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Help Wanted – Ministry Positions Available
Today’s Passages – 2 Corinthians 11 – 13; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read –Psalms 31 – 35; Proverbs 7)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Proverbs 3:5 & 6
Read a previous post from this passage – “Do You Pass the Test“
“Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.” – (2 Corinthians 11:22-30)
“And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.” – (2 Corinthians 12:15)
Are you looking for a job? Do you want to make lots of money, live in a spacious, comfortable home, drive a fancy car? Are you looking for something that will not require a lot of your time and energy, but will yield great financial benefits? Do you require a good health insurance package, including dental and optical? Do you desire a great retirement package that will allow you to retire early with enough income to live comfortably? Then don’t apply for this job.
Welcome to the ministry. Paul the apostle was perhaps the greatest Christian that ever lived, but look what his earthly benefit package included: rejection, beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, hunger; and long, thankless hours. The ministry is not something that you do because of what you will get from it in this life. Those who surrender to God’s call to ministry will more often than not, know a life of sacrifice and struggle. Don’t misunderstand me, the ministry does have it’s great moments, and there is a good deal of satisfaction knowing that you are making an eternal difference; but the fact remains that if it is earthly rewards that you are looking for, you will most likely not get them in the ministry.
However, the ministry does provide the best eternal retirement package there is. Those who sacrifice for the Lord here on earth, will receive an abundant return for their investment in Heaven; and those benefits will last a lot longer than any earthly retirement package.
In spite of all the negatives that Paul had to endure, however, he would not have traded places with anyone else in the world. He couldn’t do anything else; and he learned to be content with whatever the will of God provided for him. As much as I often gripe about some of the aspects of the ministry, I don’t think that I could be happy doing anything else either. True happiness and joy is being in the center of the will of God, wherever that leads you.
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Corinthians by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
The Saturday Morning Post – How To Have A Happy Holiday
Today’s Passages – 2 Corinthians 6 – 10 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read –Psalms 26 – 30; Proverbs 6)
Read the “1206 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” (2Corinthians 6:1-10)
Good morning. If you happen to drive past Germania Cemetery, on Moss Mills Road, tell Melissa, “Happy Birthday!”: she’s 50 today. On February 16, 2012, at 1:15 am Thursday, Cervical Cancer took her to her new home: Heaven. My wife remarked today that many people do not seem to be in a ‘Christmas Spirit’. We just finished with Thanksgiving, and I was thankful for God’s salvation, and a Heaven. Early in 2014, my brother went home to be with the Lord. Shortly after that, my Uncle Frankie joined him there. All this was evident around the Thanksgiving table. Our group is shrinking in size. But we can still be happy knowing that the separation from loved ones is only for a season. Let me give you three ways to have happy holidays…
1) Have JOY (Jesus, Others, You).
Put your sorrow into perspective. Start with Jesus. We thank God on Thanksgiving for all the love He has given us throughout the year…
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
We celebrate Christmas. Yeah! Santa Clause! No! Emanuel, God in the flesh, Jesus’ birthday. We thank God for sending us His only begotten Son…
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
On Resurrection Sunday (Easter), we celebrate Jesus’ sacrifice, thank God for the love He showed us, allowing His Son to die on a cross, and shed His precious blood for us…
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” (Romans 5:8-9)
We should be thankful, not only on those special days, but every day of the year. If we keep our focus on the One who gives us every breath we breath, our lives will start coming into perspective. JOY: Jesus first, and then others.
One thing we learned from our dwindling table, is that life is short: compared to eternity, our life is just a breath. Do you really have time for petty quarrels with family and friends? You don’t know how much time you or they have left on this earth; is it worth it? No. Go bake some cookies and be reconciled with them…
“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” (Matthew 5:21-24)
Jesus first, others second, then you. And what do you think our attitude should be? Jesus was our example. Shouldn’t we be more like Jesus who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed (1Peter 2:24). Paul vowed…
“And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.” (2Corinthians 12:15)
If you are saved, your not going to Hell. Why do little things bother us so much? We need JOY: Jesus, others, then you. So…
1) Have JOY.
2) Have Peace.
Jesus said…
“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:26-27)
Some may have been praying for Melissa’s recovery: that God would heal her from the Cervical Cancer. Thank you for your prayers for they were answered. Like I said, my daughter is 50 today. When she was 8 years old, she was afflicted with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. She underwent several joint replacements which gave her some relief from the pain. But the drugs she was taking affected her bones. When her head started slipping down on here spine, the doctor told us it would be a 4 hour operation. Ten hours later, the doctor told us she would be okay. He was able to wire her head so it would not slip. The reason it took 6 hours longer: every time he went to place a wire, a piece of her vertebrae would break off. Melissa was no stranger to pain. After almost thirty years of dealing with the pain of Arthritis, and the Cervical Cancer, God finally healed her by taking her home. Now she is alive and well, no more aches and pains. She is with her Saviour: the Lord Jesus Christ. And in perfect condition: even better than new! We can have peace through all this… but… we still miss her. And that brings us to…
3) Have Faith.
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1Thessalonians 4:13-18)
It’s only for a season, and then we’ll get to see Melissa again. So Have JOY, Have Peace, Have Faith, and you will have a happy holiday!
Peace! (Jesus IS the reason for the season.)
Posted in Devotions by Pastor Ted Stahl with 2 comments.
Are You Blind?
Today’s Passages – 2 Corinthians 1 – 5 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 21 – 25; Proverbs 5)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Psalm 34:1 – 4
Read the “1205 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage – “What’s New About You?” and “Ambassadors for Christ“
“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” – (2 Corinthians 4:3-4)
I remember one time I was walking in a store, kind of in my own little world, when I turned and accidentally bumped into someone. In their frustration, they asked me: “Are you blind?”. I guess I was. I mean I wasn’t paying attention, I was too busy focusing on other things that I just didn’t see the person I bumped into. Many years ago something similar happened to me. I was going along, living my life, when all of a sudden a light bulb clicked on in my heart and mind, and I saw for the first time that I was a lost sinner in need of a Savior. I had been in that condition for a very long time, but I just didn’t see it. I didn’t get it. I didn’t understand it. Someone once said that light is to the eyes what understanding is to the mind; and although I had been a lost sinner for my whole life, I didn’t realize it until God opened my understanding to the Truth.
There are a lot of people out in this dark world who are lost in their sins. The god of this world (Satan) has them blindfolded. They are either deceived because of their religion, or distracted due to their pursuit of power, possessions, and pleasures; but they simply do not recognize their lost condition. Jesus talked about this:
“For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” – (Matthew 13:15)
The Bible tells us that Israel is blind (at least for now) to the fact that their Messiah has already come:
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” – (Romans 11:25)
These people are not less intelligent than those who have been saved, and neither are they worse sinners than Christians; they are just blind. I have some friends and family members that are blind to this truth, but what can I do about it?
1 I can pray – God will have to open their eyes to the Truth. I must pray that they will be able to see the truth of the gospel before it is eternally too late.
2 I can continue to proclaim the truth. Satan is busy deceiving and distracting. I need to be busy proclaiming. I need to figure out ways to get people to listen to the Word of God. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)
3 I can persist – There were many people who were trying get me to see Christ before my eyes were opened. They never gave up on me. They kept preaching to me, and praying for me, until finally it all sunk in. I must not give up on the people I love, either. I am not sure whether or not they will all come to a saving knowledge of Christ, but I am confident that some will. I need to keep at it, for their sakes.
Posted in Thoughts from 2 Corinthians by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.