Moments With God

I Thessalonians 4:1-12

As children of God we need to stand firm in our faith. We also need to walk in faith. We must live our lives in a manner that is pleasing and honoring to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our relationship with Jesus Christ and our love for Him must be most important in our lives. Hence, we must seek to please and glorify the Lord in all things. We must desire to be obedient to our Lord's every wish. Our motives, attitudes, and actions need to demonstrate the presence of the Lord in our lives.

We need to walk in holiness in our lives of faith. We must not be in control of our own lives. God must be in control of our lives. Our whole purpose for being on this earth is to please God and to bring glory and honor to His name. Our passion must be to increasingly grow in our desire to please the Lord. I Thessalonians 4:1 tells us, "Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more." God wants us to become increasingly sanctified or set apart for the Lord. He says to us, "You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (I Corinthians 6:19b-20) We must excel in holiness and passionately desire the Lord's presence in our lives. We need to desire the Lord more and more and desire the world less and less. We need to be striving for holiness in our lives because of our love for the Lord and because of our passionate desire to serve Him in all things.

Immorality was rampant in the Roman empire at the time the letter of I Thessalonians was written. The Apostle Paul was very concerned that the Thessalonian church would remain faithful and holy in this kind of environment. We also live in a very immoral society and world today. We need to be outraged by the temptations and lack of morality all around us. We must be very careful that we are not carried along by the immorality and philosophies of the world around us. Our lives as children of the Lord must be different than the lives of the worldly people around us. We must be carried along by the Lord and His wisdom and standards as revealed to us in His Holy Word. If we do not walk in the Lord's ways, there are always adverse consequences. Walking in the Lord's ways, however, always brings blessings. Paul said in I Thessalonians 4:6b-7, "The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life." The Lord calls His children to holiness. We are being disobedient to His will, if we are not striving to increasingly live in holiness.

In our walk of faith we must walk in holiness. We must also walk in harmony with our fellow believers. We must love our fellow believers in Christ, because we "have been taught by God to love each other." (I Thessalonians 4:9b) God instructs us to love our fellow believers and to live in harmony with them, and the Lord instructs us "to do so more and more." (I Thessalonians 4:10b) We must not let petty arguments or selfish motives interfere with our love for our fellow believers in Christ.

Finally, in our walk of faith we must also walk in honesty. "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." (I Thessalonians 4:11-12) We must be minding our own business and not deliberately stirring up trouble. We must be busy in the things of the Lord. The Lord will return someday. We want to be found busy in the things of the Lord and striving to live holy lives for Him.

I Thessalonians 3

"For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord." I Thessalonians 3:8

Many times there are people in our lives who are very special and dear to us, but they live far away from us. Sometimes this causes a longing in our hearts to see them. Often we have a deep concern for their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being; but we feel limited in what we can do to better interact with them.

Paul had a great love and concern for the Thessalonian church. Paul was longing to see if they still were standing firm in their faith. Paul was hindered from going to them, however, by distance and circumstances. Finally, Paul could stand it no longer; and he sent Timothy to check on the believers in the Thessalonian church. Paul was concerned that the persecution and trials they were suffering would make them discouraged and give up on their faith. Paul was concerned that they would be lured away by the devil, because they were going through these difficult times in their lives. Timothy came back with a good report about the Thessalonian church, however. Timothy reported to Paul about this church's "faith and love." (I Thessalonians 3:6) Timothy also told Paul that this church was "standing firm in the Lord." (I Thessalonians 3:8b)

We too must find ourselves "standing firm in the Lord" even in times of great difficulty. Trials and tests are not accidents. Rather they are divine appointments given to us from the Lord. Often trials and tests in our lives help us to grow spiritually, and they help us to become more like the Lord Jesus Christ. Trials and tests help us to depend on the Lord instead of ourselves and other people. If we stand firm in our faith in the midst of trials and tests, our lives will be wonderful testimonies of God's grace to others. To be able to stand firm in our faith we need to be deeply immersed in God's Word and prayer, and we need to grow and develop in our love relationship with our Lord.

We also need to be concerned about our fellow believer's physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Paul was unable to come to his fellow believers in the Thessalonian church, so he sent Timothy to them. Then he sent the letter of I Thessalonians to them. We must demonstrate this same kind of love to others, as Paul demonstrated to the Thessalonian church. We can even show this same kind of love to those who are living far away from us by sending letters, e-mails, and cards and by visiting them when we can. When Paul heard that the Thessalonian church was persevering in their faith he said, "For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord." (I Thessalonians 3:8) We need to have that same kind of concern for the spiritual welfare of others.

Finally, Paul prayed for the Thessalonian church. Paul's prayer for the Thessalonian church is found in I Thessalonians 3:12-13. Paul prayed, "May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May He strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all His holy ones." We also must pray for others even those who live great distances away from us. Our prayer for ourselves and others should be that our love for each other will increase and be overflowing. We also need to pray that we will grow in holiness, and that our heartfelt passion will be to serve and love the Lord. Our prayer for ourselves and others must be that we will always be found, "standing firm in the Lord," (I Thessalonians 3:8b) and that Jesus Christ will remain our only hope and purpose for time and eternity.

I Thessalonians 2:1-12

Paul's desire and prayer for the Thessalonian church was that they would receive the Lord Jesus as their Savior and Lord and that they would grow in spiritual maturity. Paul's passion and desire was that his life, testimony, and preaching would influence others for Christ. Our desire also must be that our actions, words, and attitudes will draw others to Christ.

As we seek to live our lives for Christ, we must be very certain that we are speaking and acting as men and women "approved by God." Our motives must not be to please people "but God, who tests our hearts." (I Thessalonians 2:4) In all our motives, actions, and attitudes we must be seeking to bring glory to the Lord. We must be also seeking to draw others to the Lord by our actions and words. Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ should be evident to all those around us. We must not seek to win a popularity contest according to the world's standards. Our passion should be to being glory to the Lord and to reflect the Lord Jesus in all areas of our lives. Our love relationship with the Lord should be so obvious in our lives that others will also be drawn to our Savior and Lord.

If we desire to live lives "approved by God" we must make certain that our lives are not motivated by greed or selfishness. We must demonstrate gentleness, kindness, and compassion towards others. We must be gentle and loving towards others and "like a mother caring for her little children." (I Thessalonians 2:7b) We must be willing to share our very lives with others, and we must strive to demonstrate a servant attitude towards others. By the example and words of our lives we must be "encouraging, comforting and urging" others "to live lives worthy of God." (I Thessalonians 2:12a) By our examples and words we must be drawing others to the Savior and towards spiritual maturity.

Finally, if we are going to live our lives "approved by God" our lives must be governed by a desire for purity and holiness. Our lives must be "holy, righteous, and blameless," and our lives must be based on the truth of the Word of God. (I Thessalonians 2:10) We must be striving to eradicate sin and behavior unbecoming to a child of God from our lives. We can and must do this through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We must be passionately seeking to make our lives "living sacrifices" for the Lord. (Romans 12:1) We must be living our lives in such a way that others will be attracted to Christ's kingdom and will grow in spiritual maturity. "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." (Romans12:11)

I Thessalonians 1

The book of I Thessalonians was written to encourage the believers in Thessalonica to remain steadfast in their faith in spite of the pagan society which was all around them. The First Epistle of Thessalonians is a call for Christ-centered living. I Thessalonians is a call for a radical transformation in our lives, because we belong to the Lord.

Paul saw much evidence of Christ-like living in the hearts and lives of the believers in the Thessalonian church. Paul said in I Thessalonians 1:2-3, "We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul knew that a working and fruit-bearing faith was true faith. Paul saw this in the Thessalonian believers, and he was thankful to God for them. Do others see Christ in our lives? Do others thank and praise the Lord because of the evidence of faith they see in our lives?

One characteristic that Paul mentioned in I Thessalonians 1:3 as a characteristic of true faith is "work produced by faith." True saving faith always results in holy living. We still continue to struggle with sin as believers in the Lord Jesus, but it must be our consuming passion to live lives which are pleasing to the Lord. Our relationship with our Lord must be primary in our life, and our relationship with the Lord must be shown in every area of our lives. We must have a passionate desire and love for the things of the Lord. We must have a passionate desire to bring about the fruit of obedience to our Lord in all areas of our lives.

Yet another characteristic of true faith mentioned in I Thessalonians 1:3 is "labor prompted by love." We must love God and others to the point of exhaustion. This kind of love in not necessarily a sentimental feelings type of love, but it is a love produced by the Holy Spirit. Love sometimes involves hard work and perseverance. I Corinthians 13 reminds us that sacrificial love does not always come naturally. Love is patient and kind. Love is not envious, proud, or self-seeking. Love is not rude or easily angered. It certainly does not keep a checklist of the wrongs committed against us by others. God's sacrificial love requires the Holy Spirit's help and involves perseverance and hard work.

A third characteristic of true faith mentioned in I Thessalonians 1:3 is "endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." True faith proves itself by patience and perseverance. God's children can be patient and persevere in their faith; because they have the certainty that they belong to their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for time and for eternity. Because of this blessed certainty they can endure and persevere even in difficult times in their lives. God's children can remain steadfast and patient in their faith even under pressure. This is because they rest their lives in the Lord Jesus Christ, and know they are secure in Him.

We were chosen by the Lord to live for His glory. The Lord has called us to changed lives, and He has called us to be imitators of the Lord Jesus Christ. (I Thessalonians 1:6) We must reflect the Lord and His character in both pleasant and difficult times in our lives. Our lives must become "a model" to all our fellow believers and also to those who do not know the Lord. (I Thessalonians 1:7) May we be such good examples of perseverance in love, joy, and peace that our faith will be evident to those all around us. May others see the power of the Holy Spirit and Christ-like character in our lives. May others know that our lives have been touched and changed by our Lord and by His presence in our lives!

Job 42:1-3 "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know."

On August 16 I had my second session of chemotherapy in my fight against my breast cancer. I have experienced some tiredness again this time after the chemo treatment, but the nausea has been much better this time. It has been quite minimal. They tried a stronger anti nausea prescription which although expensive seemed to help significantly. I saw the dr. and had a lab test also before the chemo session started on the 16th, so it took a good chunk of my day. The chemotherapy session alone takes at least three hours. The session itself is not an unpleasant ordeal, as one just sits in an easy chair while the liquid medicines are going into one intravenously. I have what I consider some good news. The dr. told me on the 16th that my tumor had shrunk about 25% after my first chemo session on July 27th. My next chemo session is scheduled for Sept. 6 in the morning.

Please continue to pray. Please pray also that I will always be submissive to God's plan for me. After questioning God's ways Job finally said to God in Job 42:1-3 "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know." God's way and His timing is always good even when we do not understand.

Allow me to also paraphrase Psalm 91 to fit my situation today. I, who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. He will surely save me from many unforeseen things. He will cover me with His feathers, and under His wings I will find refuge; His faithfulness will be my shield and rampart. I will not fear the terrors of night or day in spite of this disease of cancer. The Lord will be with me. If I make the Most High my dwelling-even the Lord who is my refuge-then no ultimate spiritual or eternal harm will befall me. For He will command His angels concerning me to guard me in all my ways; they will lift me up in their hands. "Because she loves me," says the Lord, " I will rescue her; I will protect her, for she acknowledges my name. She will call upon me, and I will answer her; I will be with her in this trouble, and will deliver her and honor her with abundant life will I satisfy her and show her my salvation."

Lamentations 3:18-33

We have the certainty of the Lord's faithfulness and love even in the harshest of circumstances. In the Old Testament book of Lamentations the author is lamenting or mourning the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. He was also mourning the capture and exile of God's people of that day. All this came about because of the sinful choices made by God's people. We also experience adverse consequences for sinful or wrong choices in our lives. Even in these difficult circumstances brought on by our own actions and choices, however, the Lord remains loving and compassionate to us.

The author of Lamentations said in Lamentations 3:18, "My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the Lord." The author of Lamentations went on to say in Lamentations 3:20b, "my soul is downcast within me." Have you ever felt like the author of Lamentations? Have you ever felt completely discouraged and without hope? Have you ever felt like everything was crashing down around you? When we begin to feel like the author of Lamentations felt we are beginning to focus on ourselves instead of on the Lord. The truth of the matter is that there is always the certainty of the Lord's presence even in the worst of circumstances. It is not necessary for our circumstances to change to experience the Lord's joy and peace in our hearts and lives. We just need to take our focus off ourselves and our problems, and focus on the Lord.

This is exactly what the author of Lamentations began to do in Lamentations 3:21-23. He said, "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." When we are feeling discouraged by a difficult set of circumstances in our lives, we must "call to mind" the Lord's love for us and the Lord's awesome promises in His Holy Word. The Lord's river of mercy and love never runs dry. People, material possessions and our own resources will often fail us. The Lord, however, will never fail us! We can put our trust in the Lord because of His great love and His faithfulness to us. No matter what is going on in our lives, we can trust the Lord! In fact, the Lord's love and faithfulness is "new every morning." We experience His love and faithfulness moment by moment and day by day. The Lord is loving and compassionate to His children and always walks beside them with His protecting love and faithfulness. How precious it is to awaken each morning knowing that the Lord will be walking beside us each day, as we face the daily stresses and challenges. "And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)

We can put our trust in the Lord in the most difficult of circumstances because of His love and faithfulness. We can also put our trust in the Lord, because He is our portion or inheritance. Lamentations 3:24 says, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him." We, as His children, have the promise of His protecting love in our lives. We also have an eternal inheritance and future in the Lord. Thus we can "wait" on the Lord. Waiting on the Lord means we are resting our entire trust in the Lord for time and eternity. We can trust completely in the Lord's "unfailing love," (Lamentations 3:32b) Praise His name!

Lamentations 3:18-33

"I don't understand, Lord. You have been faithful to me in numerous times of difficulty in the past. This latest trial in my life seems a bit overwhelming, however, Lord. Was not dealing with the emotional stress of my husband's disabling neurological disease enough, Lord? Did I have to receive a diagnosis of breast cancer also?" Such have been some of the thoughts and prayers running through my mind since my diagnosis of breast cancer on July 18, 2007.

Of one thing I am certain, however. Even though I do not always understand His ways, my Lord does not make mistakes. I can count on His promises in His Holy Word, His eternal love for me, and His infinite wisdom. I can count on these things when "my soul is downcast within me" (Lamentations 3:20b) as well as on days when everything seems to be good in my world. "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great in Your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:21-23) One other thing of which I am certain also is that I have nothing or no one else I can cling to but the Lord. He alone can be and is able to be "my portion" and my "hope." I must "wait for Him" to work out His plan in my life. (Lamentations 3:24-25)

I also believe that somehow God can make "a place of springs" out of the deep valleys of life. He indeed also is the only One but the capable One to help us proceed from "strength to strength" in facing life's huge hurdles. (Psalm 84:6-7) What possible "place of springs" could I have already seen from this cancer? I have seen the overwhelming support, love, and prayers of God's people. It also has been a time for family members to more freely express their love verbally and tangibly. Further, it has been a time to simplify and prioritize my life. Finally, it has been a time to begin to reflect once again on my relationship with my Lord. Do I see all these things in my mind as a fair exchange for the cancer? To be honest the answer to that question would have to be "No." My God, however, is infinitely wiser than I am.

At the time of this writing I have passed one difficult bump to be followed by many more difficult bumps on the road in my fight against this cancer. I have had one chemotherapy treatment out of four treatments. This is to be followed by surgery and then more chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Please pray for my husband, me, and my extended family as we take this trip together.

Colossians 4

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." Colossians 4:2

Life can become very hectic and busy at times. Sometimes our schedules can get so packed with activities that we feel as if our heads are spinning. Spending time with the Lord in His Holy Word and in prayer, however, must be at the top of our list of things we do each day. Nothing spiritually worthwhile can be accomplished in our lives without the help of the Lord and without the power of prayer. In Colossians 4:2 we are told to devote ourselves to prayer. Not only should we set aside a special time each day for prayer and the reading of our Bibles, but we also need to have an attitude of prayer throughout the day. We need to have a constant awareness of the Lord's presence with us each and every moment of the day.

We must never become weary of spending time in prayer and in God's Word; but we must be passionate, steadfast and watchful in our prayer lives. We must never discontinue our prayer times with the Lord. We must pray earnestly that we will grow in our personal relationship with the Lord. We must pray earnestly that we will grow in our ability to reflect Jesus in our lives and that we will grow in practical holiness. Colossians 4:5 tells us that we must also pray that we will "be wise" in the manner in which we act towards those who are not believers in the Lord Jesus. We must "make the most of every opportunity" to let our lives shine for the Lord. The only way we can do that is through the power of prayer. Nothing worth while can be accomplished in Jesus' name without prayer. In addition to this we may and must come to the Lord with all of our needs. The Lord welcomes us with His open arms and is willing to meet our every need. Finally, we must always express our praise and thanks to the Lord through our prayers.

We must not only pray for ourselves, but we must also pray for others. Little is known of Epaphras spoken of in Colossians 4:12. He apparently was a servant of the Lord who had completely yielded his life to the Lord. Epaphras also seemed to have been a man of prayer. He "was always wrestling in prayer" for the Colossian Christians. God had laid the Colossian Christians on his heart, and Epaphras considered it his joy and service to pray for them. Epaphras prayed that they would "stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured." We too can have a prayer ministry for others. We like Epaphras can pray that those individuals on our prayer list will grow in spiritual maturity and that they will "stand firm in all the will of God." We can pray for others when they are going through difficult times that they will be "fully assured" of God's precious promises to always be with them.

We need to pray about everything. Are we or someone we know in need of healing? We need to pray! Are we or someone we know going through a time of physical or emotional pain? We need to pray! Are we or someone we know weighed down with a past failure? We need to pray! Have we or someone we know sinned? We need to pray! Is there some problem in our lives or in someone else's life that seems beyond human ability to remedy? Take it to the Lord in prayer! "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer." (I Peter 3:12a)

Colossians 3

We as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have died to sin through Christ's death on the cross. We have been transferred from Satan's kingdom to Christ's kingdom. Our old sinful nature still tempts us to sin, however, and we need to do all we can to rid our lives of sin. We can begin to do this by setting our "hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God." We need to set our hearts and "minds on things above, not on earthly things." (Colossians 3:1-2) We must remember that our citizenship is in heaven and not on this earth. Our lives on this earth are very brief and transitory in comparison to eternity. Because we are united to the Lord, the living Christ, we are raised to a new life in Him. Our new lives in Christ must be lived out in practical righteousness in our daily walk in this world. We need to reflect Jesus in our lives and in our actions and speech. Our affections must be centered on the Lord and not on earthly things or earthly relationships. We must never forget that our purpose for being on this earth is to bring glory and praise to our Lord. For we died to sin through His death and now our new lives in Christ are "hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:3b)

When Christ returns some day we will be with the Lord Jesus Christ forever! Because of this blessed certainty of being with the Lord forever and because we are "hidden with Christ in God," we can and must seek to rid our lives of whatever is sinful. Colossians 3:5a tells us that we must "put to death" anything in our lives that belongs to our "earthly nature. We must "put to death" anything that belongs to our unregenerate state before we knew Jesus as our Savior and Lord. Colossians 3:9-10 reminds us that we must take off the "old self" of sin, evil desires, and self-absorption; and we must "put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." As God's precious and chosen people we must clothe ourselves "with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Colossians 3:12) We must seek to be godly and holy in all areas of our lives. We must also seek to be patient with other people's faults and sins, and we must be forgiving. The Lord forgave us of all our many sins. We need to be willing to forgive others for the sins they commit against us also. The magnitude of our sins forgiven by the Lord far outweighs any wrong things others may commit against us. Finally, Colossians 3:14b tells us "over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."

We also need to allow Christ's peace to rule in our hearts and lives. We were called to Christ's peace in our lives. We can have peace with God, peace with each other, and peace in our own souls. We can have Christ's peace no matter what is going on in our world around us, because His peace is not dependent on circumstances! When the Lord rules in our lives and hearts we can have a peace that the world can not understand! Peace and security is found only in Jesus Christ. It is His gift to us, His children!

We also must have a thankful heart and a heart that is full of praise for the Lord. Because of all He has done for us we must live our lives in gratitude to Him. Colossians 3:17 tells us "whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Whatever we do must be done for the glory of God. Our love for the Lord must show in our relationships in our family, in our work, and in all areas of our lives. Our love for the Lord must show in our thoughts, attitudes, and in our actions. Colossians 3:24b says to us, "It is the Lord Christ you are serving." We must be putting off our old sin natures and clothing ourselves in our new lives in Christ. It must become our passion and our joy to bring glory and praise to the Lord in all areas of our lives!

Colossians 2

It was Paul's heartfelt desire that all the Colossian believers and all believers in Christ Jesus everywhere would reflect Jesus in their lives. Paul's desire was that they would practice their faith in their attitudes and actions.

Paul's first desire was that Christians would "be encouraged in heart." (Colossians 2:2a  God does not want us to become discouraged in our walk and life lived for Him. Life tends to have many obstacles and difficulties at times, but we belong to the Lord for time and eternity. Therefore, we need not become discouraged! If we are daily spending time in God's Word and resting in His promises, we can "be encouraged in heart" no matter what our circumstances. The secret to a joyful life is resting in Christ Jesus "in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:3) We must get our wisdom for living from the Lord through His Word. The world's "wisdom" may often sound logical and good, but it will fail us every time. The Lord's wisdom may be laughed at by the world, but His wisdom will never fail us!

It was also Paul's desire and is God's desire for us that we do not just receive the Lord Jesus as our Savior. We also must grow in our faith. We need to practice as well as possess our faith. In order to do this we need to grow in our personal love relationship with the Lord. We need to "continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith." (Colossians 2:6b-7a) We need to "live in Him." We need to have an intimate, living, and spiritual relationship with the Lord. Through this intimate spiritual union with Christ we need to be growing in our faith every day. We also need to be "rooted" in Him. Just like a plant can not grow well without deep roots, we too can not grow spiritually without being deeply rooted and foundationed in the Lord. Just as a plant reaches down through its roots to the source of its needed supply of nutrients, so we need to find our source of strength in the Lord alone. We need to be deeply "rooted" in the Lord. One way we can do this is by daily feeding on the Word of God. We also need to be "built up" in Christ. We need to be "built up" into Christ's likeness. We must increasingly be reflecting Christ-like attitudes and actions in our lives. To be able to do this we must be "strengthened in the faith." Jesus Christ must be our source of strength in all things. We must not depend on human resources for our strength. We must depend on the Lord alone.

Finally, we also need to be "overflowing with thankfulness" in our lives. (Colossians 2:7b) Jesus Christ is God Himself. "In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ." (Colossians 2:9-10a) In Christ you and I have been given everything we need for time and eternity! Our sins have been forgiven and we have been "raised with Him" through our faith "in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead." (Colossians 2:12b) We are alive in Christ and have a totally new life in Him! Now we must seek to be truly living in Christ, rooted and foundationed in Him, and built up and strengthened in Him. Our hearts must be overflowing with thankfulness to Him, and this thankfulness must show in our lives. We must in thankfulness seek to live our lives for His glory!

Colossians 1:15-29

Jesus Christ is supreme and pre-eminent in all things. Jesus is pre-eminent in His revelation of God to us. Jesus Christ is God Himself. "He is the image of the invisible God." (Colossians 1:15a) God is invisible; but Christ, the eternal Son of God, also became man. Jesus Christ, as God and man, reveals God to us.

Jesus Christ, who is God Himself, is also pre-eminent in all of creation. "For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:16-17) Everything was created by Jesus Christ and was made for His glory. The Lord Jesus Christ also continues to sustain all of His creation by His mighty power and control!

Jesus Christ is also pre-eminent in the church. He is the head of the church. He is the beginning and foundation of the church. By His death and resurrection He is "the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy." (Colossians 1:18b) It was Jesus Christ who saved us from eternal death in hell by His atoning sacrifice on the cross. He made us to be at peace with God and no longer separated from God by our sins. Jesus Christ did this "through His blood, shed on the cross." (Colossians 1:20b) Once we were enemies of God. But now because of Christ's death we are "holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation." (Colossians 1:22b) We now have a righteous and holy standing before God because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross! When God looks at us He sees Christ's righteousness and not our sins!

Our righteous standing in Christ, however, must also be increasingly shown in practical holiness in our lives. We need to increasingly grow in our faith and in our love and obedience to the Lord. We must increasingly grow in our desire to reflect Jesus in our lives. We must increasingly grow in our desire to rid our lives of sinful attitudes and actions. We also must persevere in our faith and continue in our faith "firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel." (Colossians 1:23a) Christ must become pre-eminent in every area of our lives. Our lives must be built on the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing in our lives should come before the Lord. In order for this to happen we must spend time each day in prayer and Bible reading. We also must be submissive to the Lord's working in our lives even in difficult times.

There is no greater joy than having Christ in the center of our lives and living our lives totally devoted to Him. Nothing on this earth can compare to the joy of belonging to the Lord! To us, His children, He has chosen to reveal His "glorious riches" which is Christ living in us, "the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:27b) Our salvation in Christ, His presence and protection in our lives, and an eternal future with the Lord are all ours in Christ! In thankfulness let us truly make Him Lord over every area of our lives! Jesus Christ already has supremacy and glory in all things. May our lives reflect His glory!

Colossians 1:9-14

Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. We are filthy in our own sins and can do nothing to bridge the gap between God and ourselves. We can do nothing to even contribute to our salvation. We stand in holiness before God only because of Jesus' atoning blood on the cross. As a redeemed child of God, however, we now need to also grow in practical holiness in our lives. In our Scripture passage today, Paul prayed for the Colossian Christians. Paul prayed for practical holiness in their lives. Paul's prayer in Colossians 1:9-14 is a beautiful example of the type of prayer we should pray for ourselves and for others.

Paul prayed that the Colossian believers would be filled with the knowledge of God's will and purpose. Paul's prayer was that their understanding of God's will and purpose for them would come through God's "spiritual wisdom and understanding." (Colossians 1:9b) Godly knowledge must not just be a possession of facts. Rather Godly knowledge involves a practical change in our lives. Godly knowledge results in a change in our attitudes. Godly knowledge, understanding, and wisdom in our lives involves our giving up our selfish "me" centered attitudes and being clothed with Christ-like attitudes.

Godly knowledge also involves Christ-like actions in our lives. Paul continued to pray for the Colossian believers in Colossians 1:10-11a. Paul prayed that they would "live a life worthy of the Lord" and that they would "please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might." This must be our prayer and passion also! Our lives must be lived not for ourselves, but for the glory of God. This is the purpose for which we were created. Our lives must show spiritual fruit and evidence that we belong to the Lord. The only way this can happen is if we are "growing in the knowledge of God." We can only live for the Lord if we are immersing ourselves in His Holy Word, and we are seeking the Lord and His will with all our hearts. Our lives can also only be lived for the Lord through His power residing in us. As believers we have in our possession the Lord's resurrection power in us! This resurrection power gives us the potential and power to live for the Lord! As believers, however, we must make the conscious and willing choice to walk in Christ-like attitudes and actions.

Paul also prayed that the Colossian believers would be strengthened with God's power and might, so that they would "have great endurance and patience." (Colossians 1:11b) God's power in us is sufficient for us to prevail in patience even during those very difficult times in our lives. We have God's power in us to not only endure these difficult times with gritted teeth, but we can even go through these times with a joyful and thankful heart. We can in all things have hearts filled with joy and praise, because we belong to the Lord for time and eternity!

As children of God we "share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:12b-14) Jesus Christ has rescued us from the "dominion of darkness" and sin. Christ has delivered us from Satan's kingdom to His kingdom of righteousness. He has done this for a purpose, however, and that purpose is so we can live as trophies of His grace and for His glory. God has given us His resurrection power to live for Him. It must be our choice and responsibility, however, to resist sin and the devil and to pursue His holiness and His will in our lives. May it be our consuming passion to live for the Lord! May it be our consuming passion to grow in practical holiness in our lives!