Cover Me, Lord!

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I concluded my reading in Ephesians, the "Eat" part of Go, Eat Peaches and Cream; and here are my reflections.

Along with the problems of husbands and wives in marriages, the church in Ephesus had problems shared with Paul about parents and children. Paul knew the ideal is to have good parents in the life of every child. And the ideal is for those who have children to be good parents. The reality is that not every father or mother is good all the time, and some parents shouldn't be parents. But Paul reminds us of the Commandment that says we are to honor our father and mother; and this being the first commandment with a promise: "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth." Paul goes further in saying parents should not exasperate their children, but instead should strive to instruct them in the ways of the Lord.

The next part of the passage is set in the sad context of slavery, with instructions for good behavior between slaves and masters and vice-versa. The takeaway verse would be the one that applies to all people today, for us to work wholeheartedly in all we do, as if we were doing it for the Lord.

The powerful comparison to real armor comes in this chapter; much quoted and preached, The Armor of God speaks true even today. Believed to be inspired by the Roman soldier keeping watch over Paul as he wrote this letter, the words have guided many people for many centuries with its instruction.

We are called to be strong in the Lord. The Lord's power and protection is available to those who call for it, especially as we confront the battles of life, some involving the battles we do against the devil, for Paul saw the devil as a real foe, and a wicked one at that; to win such battles we need the armor of God.

Here are those key verses and areas we should protect: Truth should be the belt that guards our waist and loins, meaning those areas most susceptible to the desires of the flesh. It is God's truth that should guide our thinking as to consequences and outcomes if we do give in. Righteousness should protect our hearts; our love should be pure and righteous for all people as should be our desires of the heart. The gospel of peace covering our feet meaning it should guide us to places where we can share good news. Faith should be the shield that protects us from all attacks of doubt and despair thrown at us by the devil. And the ever present thought and reality of our salvation should protect our minds and guide our thoughts. Our offense against such attacks comes from staying and studying the word of God on which we should rely daily and often. And our prayer life should be as much a part of our lives as our breathing. We should have a prayer life that never ceases and should include, as Paul says, "all prayers and requests, praying for all believers here and everywhere."

EAT TO YOUR FILL PRAYER: Cover me, Lord. Bless me to be a blessing. In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Wives and Husbands

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My readings in Ephesians started with chapter 5, verse 22 to verse 33. A very popular portion of this epistle. Not!

As Paul addresses issues and problems facing the church in Ephesus, he gets to the question of marriage and some of the realities sometimes encountered in it. The church has always had in it either a very active, church-going and God-Believing wife with a non-active, nonbeliever husband; and a husband who was also very involved in the life of the church, but married to a nonbeliever, non-churchgoer. Paul seeks to encourage those with the view he believes is best in those cases, and best for the work of Christ: A shared ministry view, if possible, between the two for the good of Christ's work. Love should be key, as well as respect, where the issues and challenges of the marriage be seen as central to their spiritual lives. Paul wanted the church to be a model of service where Christ is the head of the body of believers. Wives are urged to respect and support the work and role of the husband, and vice-versa. In some homes, the reality is that the wife is the head of the home in spiritual matters, and husbands should respect that.

Husbands were urged to love their wives. The kind of love important for this relationship is the love that builds up and cleanses each in the marriage. The man who marries should of his wife in a positive, caring way; attending to his wife's needs, seeing that she is deprived of nothing. Christ, Paul reminds us, cares and provides for the church. And Paul shares a reminder from Genesis 2:24, where Adam takes Eve as his wife, and ends the passage with these words: "This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you must also love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."

EAT-TO-YOUR-FILL PRAYER: Loving God, for the institution of marriage, we are thankful and blessed. We pray for healthy, strong marriages, and we lift up those marriages where struggle and discord are realities; bless them, too, Loving God. Those those marriages found within the church we pray they be ones that glorify You. May each one in the marriage love, honor, and cherish the other, as You, Loving God, do the church. We pray that You make love real, genuine, and spirit-filled so that in each problem and challenge faced by these marriages be done in a way that give You honor and praise. May each home truly be a worship center and mission site; where all who reside there might be involved in worship, study, and service to You and Yours. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Live a Life that Pleases God

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My readings in the Epistle to the Ephesians continues with a reading in 5:1-21

The greatest joy for a parent or grandparent, is when a child or grandchild, tries to imitate something that parent/grandparent does. In my case, it was a grandson that too to wearing pens in his t-shirt or in his shirt pocket, just like Grandpa. Another, my granddaughter, had her mother buy a black journal which she presented to me, "As you new preaching book, Grandpa!" Imagine, then, the joy of God when we seek to imitate Him. The greatest imitation God expects from us is to be people that love like God, who love without condition and without exceptions.

Our lives should also please God, with our seeking to be holy and pure before Him. It is very difficult because, like the people of Ephesus, we find distractions and temptations at every turn. The writer warns we should avoid even a hint of sexual immorality, or greed; these things are not pleasing to God. Our conversations with all people should be those that edify the work we seek to do for the Lord - empty words used to deceive others have no room in Christ's work. Our obedience to God should be our only goal.

We should remember that our life in Christ is to reflect Christ's light on us. When we were pulled out of the darkness of sin, we leave those sins in the past. When we awoke out of our sins, we found ourselves living in light - the light of Christ shining on us; making us that attraction to others to come join in faith.

We should live wise lives, taking every opportunity to please God and help bring others into the relationship with God they should have. Foolishness or bad choices will only get us into trouble. Trying to seek comfort or answers in substances, such as alcohol or drugs, will result in emptiness. Our aim is to seek the power and peace of the Holy Spirit.

For all believers, music praise to God should be part of our daily living, seeking always in song and praise, to give thanks to God in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, working together for the betterment of the world.

EAT-TO-YOUR FILL PRAYER: Loving God, loud and clear is the message that we find in this passage, to find ways to imitate and please You. This then, is my prayer: Guide me to obedience, faithfulness, and fruitfulness. Help me to be nonstop in my praise to You. I give you thanks for all things in the name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

Sensitivity or Sensuality?

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Our readings in Ephesians continued this morning in chapter 4, from verse 17 to 32; here are my thoughts:

Our life in Christ should be a new life always; each and every day. It should be a holy, pure, and completely dedicated to God, life. Our daily prayers should be to ask God to help us leave behind our old self behind, seeking new understanding and attachment to God. We should choose sensitivity to the spiritual things, and renounce our having chosen sensuality. We should let Christ lead us to a place and point of surrender of lust, for we know when we were once there it only made us desire it more and more; and that is not a way to live!

Our having come to Christ Jesus was a coming to life in Him and receiving from Him the fullness of His truth. Our surrender to Jesus meant our turning over to Him all of our negative and evil things of our past, and seeking to be truly new in Him. We need a new life in righteousness and holiness.

In our relationships with each other, we should exhibit the same things as we should towards Christ like honesty and commitment. We are all in this together and we are all a part of the body of Christ.

If we get angry, it should not be a sinful anger and we should let the anger go down with the sun; sleeping on anger makes for a terrible bed. We should not take what is not ours. We should be productive members of society, caring and sharing all to make life better for all.

Our words should speak life and build others up. We should not grieve the Holy Spirit, for it was in the Holy Spirit that we were sealed, marked and ready for the day of redemption.

A checklist of unnecessary baggage for our life journey: bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and malice.

A checklist of necessary and wanted things for this journey: Kindness, compassion, mercy, and forgiveness towards others.

EAT-TO-YOUR-FILL PRAYER: Awesome God, let me truly live an exemplary life in which I bring honor and glory to You. Help me die again to self, especially the wretched self that I once was. Let me instead be one who seeks to build up others, and one who brings others to Your love. This I pray in Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.

Seeking Unity in Christ Jesus

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My reading this morning was in Ephesians 4:1-16 and these are my reflections:

Paul believed the greatest witness of the Church was its unity under and with Christ. This is the greatest witness we can give to those outside the Church that we do indeed believe we are one in Christ. And part of what keeps us together is the gift of God's grace given to us through Jesus Christ. This grace came as a working gift; we are called to live a life worthy of our calling, and that gift of grace makes it possible. It is grace that helps us be humble. It is God's grace that lets us be gentle with one another; patient and loving with each other. Through us should run the bond of peace, reminding us that there is one body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, on God and Father of us all. We are all under God, who is in us all.

It was the gift of grace that set us apart with different roles and responsibilities as Paul says, some as apostles, those who learn and do the work of a disciple and go to make other new disciples; some as evangelists, those who go and tell others the good news about God's love in any and every setting they can; some as pastors, those who tend the flocks in churches, caring for and loving the faithful, but seeking those outside the flock to come and be a part of the work as well; some as teachers, who help the pastor in teaching and leading the faithful to mature in the faith - all with the goal of getting God's people ready to do works of service for those not yet in the body of Christ.

The goal of unity should also be maturity. We cannot stay in our faith content in thinking we know and do enough; no, we should mature into wisdom and service, building up daily the body of Christ.

EAT-TO-YOUR FILL PRAYER: Loving God, let me live a life worthy of Your call upon me. Let my life reflect humility and gentleness, seeking unity in You. Whatever my role and responsibility, let it be done in the grace You shared with me. Help me to grow and mature in You - help me to prepare all around me for works of service. This I pray in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen!

Come and Know!

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This morning's reading was from Ephesians 3:1-21:

Through the gift of reading and studying God's Word, we are blessed in knowing how some, like Paul, received special insight into the mysteries of Christ Jesus. We read how Paul was one, like Peter, to understand that God wanted all people, Gentiles included, to know they mattered to God, and were heirs along with the Jews, in the promise of Jesus (read Acts 10).

Though Paul considered himself least among all of God's people, he knows that he was called to preach because of God's grace, and even now, while imprisoned, he was still a recipient of that grace, which he used to share these words found in this chapter of his epistle. Paul understood his role as preacher to be the one who shared with all who would hear him, the wonderful, immeasurable riches of Christ Jesus. He knew that folks needed someone to preach to them how the Good News was meant for them, and that, through Jesus Christ, we all have access to God, free and clear. Paul wanted all to be always encouraged in their faith.

Paul was a man of prayer, kneeling daily before God, asking for others. He set a model for our prayer life, in which we should pray for all people, especially those inside and outside the church. Paul recognized the power of God and so should we; knowing that for Paul, God was so awesome he says, "from Whom all in heaven and on earth derive their name," and he asked that all believers be strengthened with power through the Holy Spirit living in them. We, too, should pray this for ourselves and for those in our lives. Paul prayed that Christ would indeed dwell in their hearts through faith. His desire was to see believers rooted and established in love, with power to truly understand how awesome was the love of God for them and us. Paul said it was beyond measure; so high, so wide, and long, and deep, that we cannot begin to understand it. One preacher once said it was like coming to the ocean with an empty soda can and trying to fill it with water from the ocean and believing we had enough in that can to truly understand the awesomeness of the oceans. We should pray and live so that all honor and glory be given to God who is at work in us.

EAT-TO-YOUR-FILL PRAYER: For those called to be your preachers and teachers, loving God, fill with Your grace. For those called to be servants of Your kingdom, also fill with Your grace so that the work to which they were called be made plain and clear: That You love us all through Jesus Christ, Whom we preach and share as we live. May our prayers be prayers of faith and hope asking that we might make clear the awesomeness of God's love. That love is higher, deeper, wider, and longer than we can ever imagine. To You, loving God, be all honor and glory, amen.

The Divisions Are Gone

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Good Sunday morning to you all. This comes from reading Ephesians 2:11-22:

In life we sometimes encounter situations or people who exclude others, sometimes us, because of this or that, and we're just expected to receive those exclusions as the way things are. Sadly, these exclusions sometimes occur in the realm of religion where groups have been formed, and this one group does not like or allow other groups to interact or belong to the first group. One such division occurred in the early church, where some people came to faith in God through Jesus Christ, and those already in faith were Jews and believed these new Christians had to become Jews in order to have this new faith. They argued the Covenant between God and them was not theirs unless they too, submitted to the practice of circumcision. Paul argues this division has been erased through Christ on the cross, with the flesh of Christ taking care of, and erasing that demand on the flesh of new believers.

"Christ is our peace," Paul writes and has made the two divisions one. The barrier and dividing wall of hostility has been destroyed by Jesus, and a new humanity has been established. We, who were once far, are now near; and those who were near, now have peace. So, terms such as foreigner or alien have no place in this new humanity of faith, for we are all now citizens of the kingdom of God, and members of God's own household. The foundation of this home has been built on the foundation of the teachings and work of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus as the chief cornerstone, joining the whole building together as a temple in the Lord. And in Christ Jesus, we too, are being built up to become the dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.

EAT-TO-YOUR-FILL PRAYER: Loving God, for the work and sacrifice of Christ Jesus, we are thankful. For all He did, we are blessed. We pray that whatever divisions or exclusions remain here on the earth established against us be destroyed. Please forgive us for the ones we have tried to set up, or for the kingdoms we have established apart and away from Yours. Instead, let us be truly the dwelling place for You and may we bring You honor and glory. In Christ Jesus we pray, amen.

Coming Alive in Jesus Christ

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Not too many of us like to take trips to the graveyard, but this passage from Ephesians 2:1-10 does just that; a journey back to when we were dead in Christ. We had no idea Who Jesus was or what Jesus could do. We were content in our sins and our giving in to sinful cravings and the transgressions we were committing against God and others. Yet, Paul says, it was while we were dead that we came alive in, and through, Jesus Christ; the product of God's prevenient grace at work in our lives, seeking us and inviting us to life. It was that grace that brought us to that point where we said yes to new life, yes to a spiritual life, and yes to Jesus Christ. At that point of our surrendering our all to Jesus, justifying grace was at work, removing our sin, and making us new and alive in Jesus Christ, helping us to die to the old nature. The reign and rule of the prince of the air was taken away. We were brought to newness of life by grace, and Paul says that twice, in verse 5b, and again in verse 8; we can boast not on our power or works, we boast only in the power of God through Jesus, to do what was done to save and renew us.

Our new life has taken us to the heavenly realms, the spiritual realms, where we have a seat next to Christ Jesus. Again, all of this, the work and gift of grace, not by our own doing, not by works, for all the credit, honor and glory, belongs to God. However flawed Satan may tell us we still are, rebuke him, and remind him and ourselves, that we are still God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works to fulfill God's plan for us.

EAT-TO-YOUR FILL PRAYER: Loving God, as thoughts may sometimes take us back to painful or sinful memories, our present reality is right here, right now, with You. Allow those journeys to remind us only of Your awesome grace which lifted us from there to get us here, this new life in Christ Jesus, and dead to the trespasses and sins of long ago. Thank You for Your awesome grace that works even now to remove our sin and leads and guides us to new places in which I can give witness to what You can do in all lives. I praise You and love You, and lift this prayer of faith and thanksgiving in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior, amen.

Eat!

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Okay, I know it's dangerous to put such a command as "eat" in a title, especially at this hour of the day, but as I continue my readings of "Go, Eat Peaches and Cream" - Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, I am at Ephesians - Eat!

Like most of the epistles credited to Paul, this one begins with a salutation and a greeting. I was prompted to wonder and ask, What is your signature greeting? Do you still write letters? If so, do you include a standard greeting to friends and loved ones? What signature greeting are you known for?

In my early days of ministry, once upon a time, there were these magical and mysterious machines known as typewriters. With this contraption, one could write letters. One had to be careful in the production of letters, for a mistype had to be corrected with a magical potion known as Liquid Paper, which would smell horrible and you would dab this potion over the unwanted letter or word. You would then huff and puff until it dried the mistake and you would type over it with the proper letter or word. But I receive letters from other pastors, usually in positions of leadership that usually began with "Dear" or "Esteemed", and usually in Spanish. It was the line after that that intrigued me in some letters, for the writer would share something along the lines of the Pauline greeting found in this epistle: "May the grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you." Some would add, "and yours," or "is my prayer." This greeting would set the tone of the letter in a positive way.

This letter to the Ephesians has as its greeting: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. What a tone this greeting sets before us! As the writer greets the audience, the desire is to share God's never-ending grace. It is also meant to share a desire for peace, not in the absence of conflict way, but a desire for a general well-being in the life of the reader; and all this shared in the name of God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ," the writer was writing to believers from the standpoint of a believer.

The letter contains a praise offering to God and Jesus Christ, whom the writer knows to be the source of all good things. He is thankful among all things for the gifts of redemption and forgiveness. All working together to reconcile all things and all people under the leadership of Jesus Christ, a "deposit" of the coming of even greater things, our inheritance of the fullness of life here, and the coming life with Jesus for all eternity.

EAT-TO-YOUR-CONTENT PRAYER: Loving God, for Your grace we are so thankful; for peace in our hearts we also give thanks; for the Gospel which freed us from sin, we thank You. Let us be blameless in Your sight, and let us work together to reconcile all people and all things under Christ Jesus. This is our prayer, amen.

The Secret of Being Content

This morning I finished my readings in the Epistle to the Philippians. The closing of this letter is very powerful, and I want to share what I received from it this morning.

I came across a phrase that made me ask these two questions:

How often do we pray for those whose names are in the book of life?

How often do we pray for those whose names are not yet in the book of life?

Truly a prayer worth praying right now!

Paul shares a reminder for our work and lives: Rejoice in the Lord always. He said it again: Rejoice! (Nothing worse than sour patch Christians! Smiling Christians bless others). In all that we do for the Lord should be done in gentleness. We should know that whatever we do, wherever we go, the Lord is with us, near to us. We should not be anxious nor worried about what we were called to do, but we should tackle everything in prayer and petition, with thankful hearts as we present to the Lord our requests. Through prayer and faithful worship, the peace of God, which goes beyond human comprehension, will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

One of the best guides to our work and lives being blessed is to have an attitude focused on these things: True things, or the truth that came to us as we entered into relationship with Jesus Christ. Someone posted a short video on how Kris Kristofferson came to write the song, "Why Me, Lord?" His explanation of God moving in his life towards truth is very touching and compelling. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tA7E7pbUws). We should think on noble things- the work that has blessed someone. The things that are right, pure, whatever is lovely and admirable - anything that is excellent or praiseworthy-think about those things so all that we have been taught by our mentors in the faith, we should do, and God's peace will be with us.

We should be thankful for those who have supported and blessed our ministry. There are those who have shared prayers, calls, emails, visits, food, gifts, money, with us - these should be in our prayers, and we should express our gratitude towards them as well.

As we walk with Christ, we should do so with contentment, regardless of the circumstances. Like Paul, we should know what it is to be in need, as well as to have plenty. Paul knew the secret of being content in any and all circumstances, whether well-fed, or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. And the verse which ranks among my all-time favorites: I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. This, I believe, was Paul's "secret" for being content in all things.

As we close our time of study and prayer today and all days, we should say, "To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever, Amen." Remember we have at our disposal, all spiritual riches from whence God will meet all our needs.

PHIL-ME-UP PRAYER: May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with our spirit now and always, amen.

Press On!

To enter into a relationship with God through Jesus Christ may mean a loss of previous status, position, employment, or reputation. Paul, upon surrounding to Jesus, lost all of those things, but found something much more valuable, life in abundance; a life lived in righteousness. I read recently of a pop singer in England, who in the 1980's, in March, recorded his first and biggest (and maybe only) hit. By August, he had one million dollars in the bank. He was a married man, and upon receiving their first child, he walked away from the fame and future earnings of his career, to be a better husband and father to his child. Much in the same way, we, when we find in Christ Jesus, the perspective of righteousness, all things of earth pale to the brightness of a life lived in Christ. We, like Paul, will want to know more and receive more of that which blesses our relationship with God. Paul writes, "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in this death, and somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead (3:10-11).

We should press on looking forward to what we can be and do, for the good of God's work here on the earth. We too, seek to win the prize for which God called us in this life as believers. God will make clear our path through prayer and worship, as we join in following the example of Jesus.

PHIL-ME-UP PRAYER: Loving God, I do not want to live as one of your enemies, for those who are opposed to You will find only destruction. I seek not to serve a god based on my stomach, nor seek shame. I seek to glorify You and to become a better citizen of Heaven, for I eagerly await Your return, standing firm in You. Let me be a friend to all who seek Jesus. This I pray in Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.

Who has blessed you?

As I read in Philippians 2:19-3:6, here are my thoughts:

There are those in our lives whom we have been blessed in knowing, whose witness, and work have inspired and encouraged us to keep our faith. These were the ones who have shown genuine interest in us, caring for us, and praying for us. These are the ones whose live were impacted by the presence and power of Jesus in them; and we sought to be like them, as we care for and bless others.

For Paul, Timothy was a son in the Lord, that is, one who came to faith in Jesus Christ because of Paul's work and influence, and whose love and relationship blessed Paul much like that of a son with his father. The other one mentioned by name is Epaphroditus, a worker from Philippi sent to care for Paul during his imprisonment. During his stay with Paul, he fell ill and almost died, but Paul gives glory to God for the healing that came to Epaphroditus, that allowed him to continue to work alongside Paul. Paul planned to send Eppy back to Philippi so that this might bless that church.

Who are we blessing? Who has come to faith in Jesus because Jesus was real in us? If the answer right now is no one, we need to start reflect on how we are living - what is our witness? Are we those who serve others, seeking to care for their needs? Or, can people see that we're in it only for ourselves?

PHIL-ME-UP PRAYER: Loving God, let me rejoice in You. Help me to stay strong in You and Your word. Help me to worship You guided by Your Holy Spirit and help me stay focused on spiritual things. Our heritage or pedigree matter not, if we do not have a relationship with You. Help that relationship make new relationships with those who need our blessing. May we be ones known as those who have blessed others to new or stronger faith. This we pray in Christ Jesus our Lord, amen.

Name Above All Names

As we live our lives with Christ Jesus, we receive encouragement from this bless-giving relationship. We receive Christ's love, fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and we're blessed by His tenderness and compassion -- Our aim should be to have the same thoughts: We share the same love, we're one in the spirit and purpose. We should do nothing out of selfish ambition nor vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than ourselves. We should seek to fulfill not only our own interests, but also the needs and interests of others around us.

Our attitude should be the same as Jesus Christ:

Christ, though being God, sought not to be equal with God, but instead made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, in human likeness.

Jesus humbled Himself, became obedient even unto death, yes, even death on a cross!

As a result, God exalted Him to the highest places and gave Him

the name that is above all names-- that at the mention of Jesus' name, every knee shall bow, in Heaven and earth, even under the earth that

Jesus Christ is Lord, to the honor and glory of God the Father.

PHIL-ME-UP PRAYER: Loving God, help me in my daily life to be obedient, seeking to live a life worthy of my salvation, with fear and trembling, for I know it is You at work in my life; may I live and act in a way that serves your good purposes. May I do all things without complaining or arguing so that i may become blameless and pure, a true child of yours without fault even in the midst of this crooked and depraved generation. May You shine on me in such I way that I reflect Your glory - even to glorify You on the day of Christ. In all things, let me be glad and rejoice with others. I pray this in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.

Moving Forward and Upward!

My reading in the Epistle of Philippians continues: Verses 1:12-30.

Does what happens to you advance the gospel? Does a hospital stay bring blessings to doctors, nurses, other patients, your family? Paul used his jail stay as an opportunity to give witness to his faith. His being in jail gave others the encouragement they needed to strengthen their faith; some even sharing in ways that were more courageous and bold. May it never be said of us that we preach Christ out of envy or rivalry of other Christians. May it instead be said that because of our love for God and all people, we share, preach, and teach Christ. Paul's jail time encouraged his haters to preach Christ out of selfish ambitions, but Paul's attitude was that the reason matters not, Christ still gets preached; and that brought him joy.

Paul's joy should be a model for us -- he knew he would not be in chains forever; the day of his deliverance would come in one form or another. He hoped that he would not be ashamed, for he wanted sufficient courage to exalt Christ Jesus in his body, through life or death. He shares that famous and awesome text: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." Paul knew that if he continued to live here on the earth, that would mean more opportunities to share Jesus with others. His desire, he confessed, was to depart this life to be with Jesus; the option he considered better than life. Yet, he knew that he needed to stay to encourage and bless others in their faith journeys.

PHIL-ME-UP PRAYER: Loving Lord, whatever happens, may I conduct myself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. May I stand firm in one spirit as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by anyone who may oppose me. My standing firm is a sign to my enemies that they will be destroyed and they will fail. I will be saved - and by God Himself. For to suffer is to believe more - never giving up hope. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

PHIL-ME-UP!

This morning I began reading Philippians. Someone once told me the best way to remember the order of these four epistles was to remember Go, Eat Peaches and Cream (Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians). I started with the "cream" and now I'm on the peaches, and a good thing as the season for peaches is ending. I have to confess I love peaches and this has been a good year for them! Okay, focus on the spiritual food now:

It it nice to be remembered in someone else's prayers. It is even nicer for us to remember others in our prayers. It is super nice to lift up prayers of thanksgiving for others. Joy fills our hearts and our prayers as we pray for those in ministry with us. Here is the confidence of our faith as expressed in our prayers: He who began a good work in us will see it through all the way to the end, even to the day of Christ Jesus.

We all share in the grace of God and that blesses us; whether we're free to preach and work, or even if imprisoned in some way. Our heart's longing should be to be in fellowship with sisters and brothers in the faith.

PHIL-ME-UP PRAYER: Loving God, may my love abound more and more in Your knowledge and in our insight towards life and God's work to the point where I may be able to discern what is best, what is pure, and what is blameless until the day of Christ - may those days between now and then be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - all for the honor and glory of God. Amen

Regarding Family Life

My journey through the letter of Colossians ends today. These are my reflections and impressions of this short, but powerful letter to believers in Colossae.

Paul shares from his time and culture some timeless teachings that can be impactful even today: Regarding marriage and families, there is a sacred role in serving God. Each member of the family has a responsibility and duty to fulfill. The wife, the husband, even children should be partners in the work of faithfulness to God. Love plays an important role in every family, as does obedience and faithfulness to each other as well as faithfulness and obedience to God. There is no room for creating tension or disrespect towards one another, instead we should seek to build one another up as we encourage our moving forward in our walk with Christ. We should let sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord motivate us in our daily lives. Whatever we are called to do for Him should be done with all our heart, we are working for the Lord after all, not for the praise of humans. Be mindful that we will share in an inheritance as a reward for our faithfulness and fruitfulness. We should also know that our wrongdoings will also result in negative payback.

Our devotion to God should lead us to a devotion to prayer. Our prayers should be an expression of affection for God as well as a reflection of what we have seen and received. We should pray with thankfulness. We should pray for one another, asking for opportunities to come our way in which to share the message of our faith. We should pray for servants of God around the world that may be imprisoned because of their Christian faith.

Prayer opens doors and opens our hearts.

May it be so!

COLOSSAL PRAYER: Lord, make us wise in our dealings with all people, especially those outside the faith. Let us take advantage of every chance to share and live our faith in a positive, loving way. As we share, let us share wisely and with grace, allowing the Holy Spirit to help us answer all questions about faith. This we pray in the name of Jesus our Lord, amen.

The letter ends with final greetings from Christian workers, both imprisoned or free, with Paul, including Paul's "dear friend Luke, the doctor." Paul expected the latter to be read aloud in the church of Colossae as well as the reading aloud of a letter to Laodiceans. He wrote the greeting with his own hand even while chained because of his faith in the Gospel.

I encourage the prayerful reading of this letter for the edification of our faith.

Fill 'er up!

Image from christart.com

From my reading of Colossians 3:15ff:

We should let Christ fill our hearts with peace. And, we should let that Christ-peace rule our hearts since we're all in this together; and we are called to peace by the Prince of Peace.

We should give thanks.

We should not only read the word of God, we should let the Word live in us as we teach one another, and help one another. We should use wisdom in this teaching and in our singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs of gratitude in our hearts to God.

Everything we do, in word and deed, should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

COLOSSAL PRAYER: Peace of Christ, fill my heart and rule it. Word Christ, enter in my heart, and help me teach and share with others with Your wisdom. Be in my living and singing, for I owe You and thank You for, everything. Let whatever I say or do, be done in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, as I give thanks to God the Father, amen.

Our Relationship with Christ, and Others

In our relationship with Christ, our hearts and minds should be on heavenly things, for that is where Christ is; seated at the right hand of God. We should focus our thoughts to those which build up, not tear down, for in Christ Jesus we have died to the old nature, and we are now hidden with Christ in God. Our hope is, as we affirm in our worship, "Christ shall come again." And when He does, we too, shall appear with Him.

Our duty here and now is to put to death, and out of mind, those things that are killing us: sexual sins, impure things, lust, evil desires, our greed, which is a form of evil worship; for we know it is precisely because of these things that the wrath of God is coming.

Our lives now in Christ should be a time of preparation, of being made holy, putting away the old things that use to attract us: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language. We must be honest with each other, dressing ourselves in Christ, allowing ourselves to be renewed in our knowledge and image of our Creator. We should be in a place where there is neither Greek nor Jew, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all.

COLOSSAL PRAYER: Loving God, this then, is my prayer: Clothe my nakedness with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Help me to bear with others, and to be forgiving with others as You forgave me. Let me wear love as my garment so that I can be bound to others in unity; through Christ Jesus I pray, amen.

Stay Rooted

These are my reflections from having read Colossians 2:6-19.

One of my favorite verses of Scripture is found in Jeremiah 17:7: But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water, that sends out its roots by the stream." Upon our having received Christ we have become like that tree planted by the waters of a living stream, for in Christ, Who now lives in us, we receive strength, and fullness of life (John 10:10). Our heart overflows with gratefulness for this rootedness in Him.

We should then, rely on, by learning and keeping, the basic principles of our faith, rather than the ones of the world - many are those who would deceive and trap us and take us away from God's love. We should not let this happen!

In Jesus Christ dwells the fullness of God, and we have been given fullness of life through Jesus, who is the head over every power and authority. In Christ we have received the markings of covenant through our baptism in Him; new life, and that to the fullest by the same God who raised Jesus from the dead.

COLOSSAL PRAYER: Loving God, when we were dead in our sin, you brought us to life, and removed our sinful nature. You forgave our sins with Your grace, and nailed those sins to the cross. Those who tempted and tested us, were also nailed to the cross. Let us not be judged by what we eat or drink; nor let us be separated from Christ Jesus - bring us to new growth. In His name we pray, amen.

Serving Christ

One should not believe that by simply saying a prayer of faith fulfills one's duty to God; it is a start towards a life full of sharing and serving God. And saying that prayer of faith, inviting Jesus into our heart does not remove suffering nor pain, but in spite of any and all suffering and pain that may come our way, we remain committed to serving God for the good of the Church. Every challenge, every obstacle, every hurt and shame that may come our way because of Jesus should serve only to make us stronger in the faith. Our attitude towards our service should be that of a servant, at the beck and call of Jesus our Lord. Our first and great task should be to present the word of God in its fullness, helping to uncover what for many remains well hidden: The mystery of the Gospel - Why would God do all that He has done; why would God share grace, love, compassion, and mercy to those who surely deserve death?

Our job is to proclaim Him, preaching, teaching, and living, with full wisdom, with the one goal that one day, all may stand perfect before God. We labor, with the energy given to us by Jesus, for we know our work is surely difficult.

COLOSSAL PRAYER: Lord, You know much I struggle in my walk and work with You, but my purpose remains clear, to be one who encourages hearts to love, to have the full riches of full understanding, so that together we may know the mystery of Christ; for it is You, Lord, Who provides wisdom to keep me solidly in You, and away from foolish doctrines so that I may live and stand firmly in faith with You, loving You. In Jesus' precious and powerful name I pray, amen. (Col 1:24- 2:5)

Jesus

This came to me as I read the further part of Colossians 1: Jesus is key to our faith. The Apostle Paul recognized Jesus as the visible God, the firstborn of all creation, and One who had a hand in the creation of all things - even those things in heaven as well as on earth. Paul asserts, even those things we cannot see, Jesus helped create those. Every ruler, every power, every throne on the earth - created by Him and for Him. Even you and I were created by Him. We are not an accident. The Rev. Francis Chan, author of the bestseller "Crazy Love" in his evangelistic preaching says we humans believe so many lies, including the one that says that humans were an accident. This passage backs this up.

Jesus is supreme above all things; and in Jesus, all things are held together. Do you know a family falling apart, is Jesus absent or present? Do you know a church that is falling apart, is Jesus present or absent?

Jesus is the head of the Church, the Body of Christ. Jesus is the Alpha, the beginning and first fruits among the dead. Jesus is supreme. God's fullness dwells in Jesus, and through Him, all things can be reconciled, for peace was made and is offered now, through the cross.

COLOSSAL PRAYER: Dear God, once we were so far from You, and we even held You and things divine as enemies to us and the way we had chosen to live, but once we met and accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and allowed His Holy Spirit to dwell in us, we have been reconciled with You, and we even now stand holy and blameless and free from any accusation. Our call is to continue strong in our faith, and not allowing anything or anyone, to take hope away from us, for that hope has come to us by the Good News of Jesus Christ and we are called to share that hope with others. May it be so. This we pray in the strong name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, amen.

Time with God

The gift a pastor can best share is that which she or he has received from the Lord while in prayer and study of the Word. A life lived posing as a pastor, with the deep roots of connectedness with God is short-lived and hard challenged. We must have must much to share much.

With that in mind, and prompted by the dynamic message of the current movie, WarRoom, I started this morning, praying as I normally do, stopping to read in the Word, then praying what had come to me in my reading. I went to the "cream" of what I learned early on on how to find some epistles, "Go, Eat Peaches with Cream," which helps me distinguish Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, and here's what I learned (Yes, we keep learning, no matter our age):

Prayer is key to life. Anything attempted without prayer is starting something seeking failure. As we pray, like Paul, we should have a strong attitude of gratitude, for giving thanks and talking to God should be one and the same thing. God provides all, and as we receive all that we have, we give thanks to God.

Faith without thanks is like an empty grocery sack. One cannot come home to a hungry family and present them with a grocery sack and expect them to be happy nor fed by nothing.

Faith without love is like a bowl of cereal without milk. Sure, crunching something is better than nothing, but you know how much more those who enjoy cereal enjoy it with milk - in the same way, God loves for us to believe and live, with love for God, and for all people.

We should give thanks for the Word of truth that set us free from our sin; it is the Gospel's good news of freedom and fullness of life that we should share.

This key verse jumped out at me: Colossians 1:6b: "All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth."

Here's my Colossian prayer for today:

And I pray that I and all who pray this prayer, may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work (And let me not be idle, dear Lord!), growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. This I pray in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.