Category: Colossians

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The Power of Prayer

For the last several mornings a bit of my quiet time has had me reflecting on Daniel. When he was a young man, many from the nation of Israel had been taken captive and led away to Babylon.

There he was taken into the king’s palace and groomed to be a royal aid. Daniel remained faithful to the Lord and refused to serve any other gods. The Lord blessed Daniel for his faithfulness. The kings whom Daniel served, recognized his wisdom and promoted him, even over those who were citizens of the land.

The other advisors in the king’s palace were jealous of Daniel and tried to figure out a way to get rid of him. The only flaw they could find in Daniel’s character was his faithfulness to God. The advisor’s had the king draft a law which said anyone praying and worshipping anyone but the king would be sentenced to death in a den of lions. When the king realized he had sealed Daniel’s fate he was filled with remorse. But the law was the law and Daniel was sealed in the lion’s den.

“ So King Darius gave the order. They brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May the God you serve save you!” 17 A big rock was brought and put over the opening of the lions’ den. Then the king used his ring and put his seal on the rock. He also used the rings of his officials and put their seals on the rock. This showed that no one could move that rock and bring Daniel out of the lion’s den.” Daniel 6:16-17 ERV

“The next morning, King Darius got up just as it was getting light and ran to the lions’ den. 20 He was very worried. When he got to the lions’ den, he called to Daniel. He said, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God been able to save you from the lions? You always serve your God.”

21 Daniel answered, “King, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel to save me. The angel closed the lions’ mouths. The lions have not hurt me because my God knows I am innocent. I never did anything wrong to you, King.” Daniel 6:19-22 ERV

Daniel’s crime was prayer. God’s answer was deliverance. It was then and it still is now.

“So be humble under God’s powerful hand. Then he will lift you up when the right time comes. 7 Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you. 8 Control yourselves and be careful! The devil is your enemy, and he goes around like a roaring lion looking for someone to attack and eat. 9 Refuse to follow the devil. Stand strong in your faith.” I Peter 5:6-9 ERV

We have an enemy, the devil, and he is “like” a roaring lion, but he won’t defeat us or devour us if we stand our ground and remain faithful to the Lord. I like to say the devil is a toothless lion because Christ defeated him and stripped him of his powers.

“He defeated the rulers and powers of the spiritual world. With the cross he won the victory over them and led them away, as defeated and powerless prisoners for the whole world to see.” Colossians 2:15 ERV

The Lord closed the mouths of the lions for Daniel, and He will do the same for us. We have the power in prayer to resist the devil and he must flee!

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King of All

As I read through the verses in Ephesians 1 again this morning, I had this memory. It was from a scene in the movie, “Titanic”. Maybe you remember it too. Leonardo DeCaprio stood on the bow and yelled out “I am king of the world”.

That’s how I feel when I read verses throughout the New Testament like our final verses today.

“I pray that the great God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ may give you the wisdom of His Spirit. Then you will be able to understand the secrets about Him as you know Him better. 18 I pray that your hearts will be able to understand. I pray that you will know about the hope given by God’s call. I pray that you will see how great the things are that He has promised to those who belong to Him. 19 I pray that you will know how great His power is for those who have put their trust in Him. 20 It is the same power that raised Christ from the dead. This same power put Christ at God’s right side in heaven. 21 This place was given to Christ. It is much greater than any king or leader can have. No one else can have this place of honor and power. No one in this world or in the world to come can have such honor and power. 22 God has put all things under Christ’s power and has made Him to be the head leader over all things of the church. 23 The church is the body of Christ. It is filled by Him Who fills all things everywhere with Himself.” Ephesians 1:17-23 NLV

The power of God that we were discussing yesterday is the authority that Christ has in heaven – authority over ALL things. Nothing or no one has preeminence over Christ. He is ruler of this world and the world to come.

Now here’s what Paul wants us to understand. This authority and power that Christ has makes Him the head of the church, not a religious organization, but the church, those who believe in Christ. We become a collective body with Christ as our head.

As His body, He fills us with Himself – with His power and authority!

“I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth. 10 And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 ERV

We have everything we need because we are complete in Christ!

“May kindness and peace be yours from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness. Jesus was the first to conquer death, and he is the ruler of all earthly kings. Christ loves us, and by his blood he set us free from our sins.6 He lets us rule as kings and serve God his Father as priests. To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.” Revelation 1:5-6 CEV

The power and authority we have as believers in Christ is not of our own making. It is given to us by God Almighty. Jesus is our example of kingly authority. He never did anything for selfish gain; He never retaliated in anger; He never showed prejudice or favoritism.

He is a just and loving King. “I pray that you will know how great His power is for those who have put their trust in Him”. I pray that you will know this too; that we all will know by experience the great authority and power that God has for us.

He is King of All!

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Everything’s New

I don’t know what the weather is like where you are, but our desert is getting a cleansing shower. It started midday yesterday and continued off and on through the night. About 4 this morning it increased in strength and seems to be setting in for a while.

I love the smell of the desert after a good rain. It doesn’t take long for the wild grasses and flowers to pop up and cover the desert floor with new life.

What a great example of God’s love! He showers us and we grow and blossom!

“Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better. 11 It doesn’t matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, or if you are circumcised or not. You may even be a barbarian or a Scythian, and you may be a slave or a free person. Yet Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

12 God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. 13 Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. 14 Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together.

15 Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. 16 Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 Whatever you say or do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, as you give thanks to God the Father because of him.” Colossians 3:10-17 CEV

These verses tell us God’s love is the same for all of us. It doesn’t matter what our nationality or social standing are, nor does it matter if we are enslaved or free; His love reaches out to make all of us new.

We are to let God’s love flow through us; we are to be kind, gentle, patient and forgiving. Whatever we say or do should represent the love that Christ has placed within us.

Just like the desert blossoms come to life after the rain, our lives should reflect the beauty of God’s love.

He makes everything new!

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Beginning Again

This will be my sixty-eighth new year. For many years I paid no attention to the changing year on the calendar. When I was a young teen it was an opportunity to stay up until midnight to watch the “new year come in”.

In my late 40’s I took on the attitude that the new year would come if I was awake or asleep and I would go to bed whenever but in my 50’s something changed. Not with the time I would go to bed but with my heart.

Some time within the first few days of the year, when family and friends have gone, Dave and I take communion. We dedicate ourselves, our home and the activities of the upcoming year to the Lord.

“In the beginning God”!

I can’t think of a better way to start anything than with the recognition that God, the Father, Jesus, the Son and the Holy Spirit need to be with me at the beginning of whatever it is I’m about to do.

“Before the world began, the Word was there. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was there with God in the beginning. 3 Everything was made through him, and nothing was made without him.” John 1:1-3 ERV

Christ, the Word, was with God, the Father, in the beginning and He desires to be with us in our beginnings. The beginning of life, schooling, careers, marriage, parenthood, a new year, a new day. Whatever has a beginning He desires to be first.

“Instead, desire first and foremost God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33 CEB

Maybe this is your fortieth or fiftieth new year but in all those years you have never really committed one to the Lord. This can be your first new year of dedication, seeking the Father’s purpose.

“God’s Son was before all else, and by him everything is held together. 18 He is the head of his body, which is the church. He is the very beginning, the first to be raised from death,
so that he would be above all others. 19 God himself was pleased to live fully in his Son. 20 And God was pleased for him to make peace by sacrificing his blood on the cross” Colossians 1:17-20 CEV

We have a new year before us, we are beginning again. None of us know what 2022 will be like but our Father does, and we can have confidence in Him and His love for us. Let’s begin again making Him our priority.

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Bah Humbug!

We’re only a few days into the Christmas season and I have noticed that some people are already behaving like they’ve lost their Christmas spirit.

It seems sad to me when there is so much to be thankful for; so much joy to share; so much love to experience. It’s not the “grinch” or “Scrooge” that are trying to steal the peace and joy that Christmas brings, plain and simple, it’s the enemy.

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” John 10:10 AMPC

I can understand how they get that way, but I also see it as an opportunity to share that treasure of light which God has placed within us. These people need an extra hug, a bigger smile, a kind word and an outpouring of love.

“I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth. 10 And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 ERV

But maybe, just maybe, it’s not the clerk in the store or the other shoppers that has already begun to feel stressed and grumpy. Could it be that it’s the face looking back at you from your bathroom mirror? What do we do when that’s where we find the problem?

“God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.” Galatians 5:22-23 CEV

Our lives should be a basket of good things. Sharing with others what Christ has done. If we find there is anything unkind or unloving about our attitudes, we need to purge it. One translation for the verse above say these qualities are the fruit of the Spirit, the Spirit of Christ and the true Spirit of Christmas.

“But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 CEV

Let’s make it our goal to squelch, defeat and destroy the bah humbug and let the true spirit of Christmas, the love of Christ, be evident in all we do!

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Completely Filled

and running over. That’s how my heart feels this morning!

Last weekend we had our oldest daughter and son-in-love here along with our oldest granddaughter. This weekend we have had our youngest daughter, our other son-in-love and three youngest grandchildren with us. Our son has called and sent a number of texts because it’s not possible for him to be with us.

Yes, completely filled and running over!

It’s important to me that our children and grandchildren always know they are welcome in our home, no matter where it is. This morning I was thinking of all the wonderful things that have happened in the years we have lived in this home. The birth of three grandchildren, one great granddaughter, the love and laughter of friends, along with some tears of sadness because of those we have lost. So many memories!

My heart is completely filled! Anything more is overflow!

Isn’t it amazing how the Father desires to fill our lives in the same way? He wants to enjoy the many benefits that He has designed for us – He wants our lives completely filled with His love, joy, strength, peace, hope. He yearns for us to live fulfilled and content in His presence.

“Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other. With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.” Colossians 3:16 CEV

He came to bring us fullness.

“ A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” John 10:10 CEV

“ You will show me the way of life. Being with You is to be full of joy. In Your right hand there is happiness forever.” Psalm 16:11 NLV

“Praise the Lord; praise God our savior!  For each day he carries us in his arms. Interlude
20 Our God is a God who saves! The Sovereign Lord rescues us from death.” Psalm 68:19-20 NLT

Completely filled and overflowing with the expressions and outpouring of God’s love!

“You treat me to a feast, while my enemies watch. You honor me as your guest, and you fill my cup until it overflows. 6 Your kindness and love will always be with me each day of my life, and I will live forever in your house, Lord.” Psalm 23:5-6 CEV

I pray that each day we recognize the ways the Father pours out His love!

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Handwriting on the Wall

This morning I was looking for a document in my “documents” folder when I came across a picture I had taken when Dave and I visited the Petrified Forest this summer.

Petroglyphs are some of the earliest forms of communication. Unfortunately, it’s a language I do not speak. But it’s a language God has always understood.

“One evening, King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his highest officials, and he drank wine with them. 2 He got drunk and ordered his servants to bring in the gold and silver cups his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. Belshazzar wanted the cups, so that he and all his wives and officials could drink from them.

3-4 When the gold cups were brought in, everyone at the banquet drank from them and praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. 5 Suddenly a human hand was seen writing on the plaster wall of the palace. The hand was just behind the lampstand, and the king could see it writing….25-28 The words written there are mene, which means “numbered,” tekel, which means “weighed,” and parsin, which means “divided.” God has numbered the days of your kingdom and has brought it to an end. He has weighed you on his balance scales, and you fall short of what it takes to be king. So God has divided your kingdom between the Medes and the Persians.” Daniel 5 CEV

I encourage you to read the whole chapter of Daniel 5. King Belshazzar defied the Lord and defiled the sacred items of the Temple. The Lord got his attention by writing on the wall at Belshazzar’s party.

Handwriting on the wall.

Each one of us have been subject to the “handwriting on the wall”. All of our sins were written down as an accusation against us, very similar to a list of charges that are read before the judge in a court room. However, the handwriting against us has been blotted out – removed completely.

“Having cancelled and blotted out and wiped away the handwriting of the note (bond) with its legal decrees and demands which was in force and stood against us (hostile to us). This [note with its regulations, decrees, and demands] He set aside and cleared completely out of our way by nailing it to [His] cross.

15 [God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross].” Colossians 2:14-15 AMPC

The handwriting against us was nailed to the cross and wiped away. The blood that Jesus shed for us, covered our sins and cleansed us. Through His death, Christ defeated satan and his powers and we now share in His triumph!

Now, there’s something to be grateful for. All of my sins were nailed to the cross and because of His death I am forgiven…so are you!

We are no longer subject to the handwriting on the wall.

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Clean Air

For the last few days Dave has been talking to me about filters for our truck; fuel filters, oil filters, air filters.  I’ve learned a lot and have also spent time on the internet looking for the best prices on the best filters.

So, what do filters have to do with you and me?

Dave explained to me that these newer vehicles give you a reading that tells you how much “life” is left in your current filters and when that is exhausted the systems of our truck will work less efficiently and when some of them are used up the truck could stop running. Yikes!

But that really isn’t so uncommon. Several months ago while I was vacuuming, my vacuum just quit. I went to the shed and got my old vacuum and finished the job. I asked Dave to look at the one that quit on me.  He asked me to show him the filters. Oh, my goodness, they were completely clogged. Without the proper air flow, clean air, my vacuum was overheating and shut down.

Aren’t we the same way?

With all the fires we’ve had, the air quality was pretty poor, and it made it hard to breathe. There are advisories that tell us not to do anything outside that is strenuous because of it. During pollen season, many of us have to deal with runny noses and shortness of breath.

Spiritually, we operate the same way.  Adam was just a clump of dust until God breathed the breath of life into him.

“ The Lord God took a handful of soil and made a man. God breathed life into the man, and the man started breathing.” Genesis 2:7 CEV

Jesus spent forty days with his disciples after his resurrection before He ascended to heaven, and He did something very similar to what the Father did in the garden. He breathed on his disciples, a breath of life, imparting to them the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

“After Jesus had greeted them again, he said, “I am sending you, just as the Father has sent me.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:21-22 CEV

The winds of life get dirty. They blow pollutants into the air we breathe – anger, jealousy, discontentment, wrong thinking. We need to keep our filters clean so we can operate at full capacity – no overheating or restricted operation.

“ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 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.” Colossians 3:8-10 NIV

When we’re having trouble breathing clean air it may be time to have the Holy Spirit clean our filters so that we can operate at the maximum capacity that God created for us.

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Redemption

Sometimes we, Christians, use words the rest of the world doesn’t really understand. I think redemption is one of those. Redemption, in its simplest terms, means to buy back; to purchase something that had originally been yours and had been lost.

That’s exactly what happened to the human race.  God had created man in His image and His desire was to have a loving relationship with us. Adam disobeyed God and that relationship was broken. Sin entered and the communion between God and mankind was interrupted. But the good news is God immediately put a plan into motion that would restore the relationship which had been lost – redemption.

“ Adam disobeyed God and caused many others to be sinners. But Jesus obeyed him and will make many people acceptable to God.” Romans 5:19 CEV

We discussed yesterday how precious and valuable we are to the Father. He would go to any length, and He did, to see that we were redeemed. His love for us is unconditional and His grace is unfathomable. He sees us with a pure and loving heart.

“No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. 8 But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.

9 But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life’s blood, we will also be kept safe from God’s anger.” Romans 5:7-9 CEV

I was once again overwhelmed by the absolute love of God in my morning reading. The Apostle Paul had such a grasp on God’s love and grace that he included the message of the good news, the Gospel, in everyone of his letters. 

He was a man who knew the Scriptures. He was devout in his religious commitment, but he was misguided in his actions. He pursued the Christians, he had them arrested, imprisoned and persecuted. He even had a place at the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. God changed his heart, and his life was changed. He was redeemed and that became his message.

“[The Father] has delivered and  drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 In Whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins.” Colossians 1:13-14 AMP

The Father saw each and everyone of us down through time and He loved us. He put the plan of redemption in place. Christ willing gave His life to pay the price of our sins and that dear friend is the price that purchased our redemption.

“ Christ purchased our freedom [redeeming us] from the curse (doom) of the Law [and its condemnation] by [Himself] becoming a curse for us, for it is written [in the Scriptures], Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (is crucified);” Galatians 3:13 AMP

We have been redeemed!

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More of God, Less of Me

Have you ever wondered if your life has any measurable significance?  I have!

I’m a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, friend and teacher. My experiences haven’t shaped society, nor have I ever invented a gadget that would make life better for millions of people.

However, I’m an ordinary person who tells others about Jesus and his amazing love.  I tell them about the Father, who is gracious, loving and kind.  He desires to have a relationship with us, a relationship of trust, love and forgiveness; He desires to protect and provide for his children. And I love to tell folks about the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit, who is our comforter, our counselor and our advocate.

Ordinary people have changed our world!

Moses was born to parents who lived as slaves in the land of Egypt and he was used by God to deliver over one million Israelites and lead them to what is now called the land of Israel.

Rahab was a harlot, that’s what the Bible says about her, and she hid some spies and was instrumental in the invasion of country by those Israelites.

Gideon was a timid man who was afraid of the marauding hordes and hid in his father’s shed to thrash wheat. He was the seventh son of a seventh son. He had no place of importance but he and 300 men were used by God to defeat a king and his armies.

Esther was an orphan and a refugee. She was raised by her uncle. No one of significance yet she became the queen of Persia and saved her people from annihilation. She was born “for such a time as this”.

John the Baptist, was an early day mountain man. He lived in caves, wore clothing man from camel’s hair and ate locust and honey. He lived of the land. Not quite the advance man that you would pick for the King of Kings but that’s what he did.

Saul, who became the Apostle Paul, was a religious zealot. He hobnobbed with the social and religious elites.  He was well educated and rose to a prominent place in society. But his stand for Christ and the message of redemption caused him to lose it all. He called all the accolades “dung”.

All of these people changed the world, although they may not have known it at the time. They were ordinary but when God called them to a task they accepted His calling. They lived a life of more of God, less of me.

“Don’t let anyone fool you by using senseless arguments. These arguments may sound wise, but they are only human teachings. They come from the powers of this world and not from Christ. 9 God lives fully in Christ. 10 And you are fully grown because you belong to Christ, who is over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:8-10 CEV

God has an extraordinary plan for each of our lives. We are complete in Him. We just need to be willing to let Him reveal it through us.

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