Mystery of Christ in Colossians: Lesson from a family vacation

ibarnegat lighthouse

LBI...Long Beach Island, New Jersey -- sun, surf, and sweet memories.  Home of Surf City and Barnegat Lighthouse!   LBI was a favorite place for us Renners to vacation in our growing up years in the 1950's & 60's -- not every year but as many years as our family of 6 (and later 7) kids and 2 parents, living on one income, could afford. It was such a beloved place that my brother Conrad and family bought a beach house there in 1998...within a block from the beach, no less!

One year, when our kids were grown but not yet married and out of the nest, we had the most wonderful Renner family reunion at LBI.  Conrad scouted out other houses on his street that were for rent. And so several of us rented for the same week, and we all (along with in-laws, friends, and pets) descended upon that little beach community.

Family reunion at LBI 2000

Renner Family Reunion 2000

Vacation Blog

It was a glorious week, filled with swimming, sun-bathing, sunrise watching, etc etc.  But the best thing was the love and togetherness and community that "happened".  We shared meals together, each family taking a turn.

A year or two later, some of us rented houses again at LBI.  I was hoping to recapture the same experience of that previous vacation together.  Well, you know how that goes.  Recapturing "glory" usually never happens.  And it certainly didn't happen this time...or so I thought!

For one thing, we all couldn't make it...for various valid reasons.  On top of that, my brother Paul's family, including his sister-in-law's family, rented a house that was germ infested (probably from the previous renters).  Everyday other members of their families "would drop like flies" with a terrible flu-bug.  So there was often a "skeletal crew" on the beach from that household.

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Renner Reunion 2002..."a skeletal crew"

We didn't eat together like the other year.  There was little to no fellowship or community because of struggles going on in individual lives.  My widowed mom, then in her mid-70"s, was staying with us. (Remember her?  My hero in a previous post!)  She was frustrated with issues related to our family house, which was too much for her to handle at that stage of her life!  (We probably had waited too long to move her elsewhere.)  So our conversations were largely negative.  She had to get it off her chest, but with my expectations for a nice relaxed vacation, I was hardly as sympathetic as I could have been.

Not to bore you with too many negative details, let's just say that to me the vacation was a total bust!  And I left LBI mad, mad, mad...and feeling cheated!  For the 11 hour drive home from NJ to OH, I seethed.  I couldn't sleep that night!  And I stayed stuck for days despite dealing with some issues I needed to deal with.   Until...

Until the Lord broke through, "Enough!  It's done!  NOW when you think of this vacation, I want you to focus on the one hour of joyful bliss we had together."

Oh my goodness!  I had forgotten about that because of my absorption with my disappointment!

Bageleddi's at LBI

It was the Wednesday of vacation week.  I woke up at 5:45 am totally awake.  Grabbing a cup of coffee at Bageleddi's (the local favorite), I walked alone to the beach.  It was warm, and the sun had just started to come up but was not yet visible.

sunrise over ocean

The cloud bank above the ocean was turning shades of pink, purple, and blue...and then the sliver of sun started to appear on the horizon. I opened my Bible and read in the Psalms,

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship... God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race. The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Psalm 19:1,4-6

So Jesus and I walked and talked together that glorious morning -- perfect rest in Him, enjoying together the most gorgeous sunrise I had truly ever seen.  And I had forgotten it all!

So whenever negative thoughts about vacation would start to again flood my mind, I remembered this one joyful hour of bliss with my Lord.

As the days went by, something amazing started to happen.

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Jeremy, Cortney, Beth, Jan and John @ Mud Hut 2002

Other pleasant memories of our vacation started to surface:  like my early morning walk to the beach only to discover a delightful sight -- my brothers and nephews fishing in the surf; and the fun supper at the Mud Hut with my husband and adult children; and a surprisingly wonderful conversation with an in-law that I didn't typically connect with.

By God's grace, He saved me from a root of bitterness in my heart.  As I began to reflect on what had happened in me, I started to realize what I've come to believe is a spiritual principle:  We become like what we focus on.

I remembered some of my favorite passages of Scripture:

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another... For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor 3:18: 4:6 ESV

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Col 3:1-4 NIV

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things... And the God of peace will be with you. Phil 4:8

So here's the question, dear friends:  What are you focusing on right now?

Maybe you need to hear the Lord say (as I did), "Focus on Me and remember joy!"

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1-3

Mystery of Christ in Colossians: Focusing Week

Carter in car

Evan in car

I have 4 adorable grandsons!  Two of them live close enough for me to see often. About a month ago, I had 5 year old Evan and 4 year old Carter for the day.  We decided to go visit G-G.  G-G is my 89 year old mother in law who lives at Trinity Retirement Community not too far away.

When we had visited before, I couldn't help but notice how the typically serious and sad looking residents seemed to "come alive!"  So as we were driving over to Trinity, I was preparing the boys to be greeted by many older people longing to, in a sense, "get a piece of them!"

"You boys are so special!  The older people here just love when you come!"  I told them.

"Why, Babci (my Polish name for "G'ma)?

"Because you're little (and not scarey) and loving and fun and friendly.  These people are lonely and sad and afraid."

So sure enough, as Rock Stars Evan and Carter walked in, the place came alive!  Every aged face was glowing and longing for a smile, a touch, a handshake, a hello...

Evan & carter in car

Later as we were driving away after our visit, I said,  "Didn't I tell you?  You boys are so special!"

Younger brother Carter replied, "THAT boy (pointing to older brother Evan) is NOT special!!!"

"Why do you say that?" I ask somewhat taken aback.

"Because he's mean to me!"

Catching my breath, I respond,  "Oh Evan IS still special.  He's just not acting like the special boy that he is!"

And later I thought, what a good metaphor for how we "new creatures in Christ," filled with His fulness, still don't act like the special people we are in Him!

So far in our journey through Colossians, we've basically seen the truths summarized in this big idea:

Because of the mystery of Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ lives His full, divine, resurrection life in and through me, as me.

1.  He livesunited to me in His fulness(chapters 1 & 2).

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. Col 2:9-10 ESV

2.  He lives united to me for myfreedom (especially chapter 2).

In him also you were circumcised ...by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith... And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities...by triumphing over them in him. Col 2:11-15 ESV

And now...this week is Focusing Week (and our final week) in our continuing, restful, summer study in the book of Colossians.  And so this third point...

3.  He lives united to me as myfocus (chapters 3 & 4).

 In the last two chapters in this glorious epistle, Paul starts out...

If [Since...] then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Col 3:1-4 ESV

Look for the key exhortations in Col 3:1-4.  Write them in your journal.  After that, look for the reasons, right in the same four verses.  List them also.

Then look for the metaphor of "clothing," starting in Col 3:5 through Col 4.  Make two columns in your journal titled Lay aside/Put off and Put on. List each of the exhortations in chapters 3 and 4 in one of those two columns.

Because of our indwelling Christ, we can live a holy, God-filled life...a life consistent with the special people we are in Him.  This is not because He "helps us" live it.  Rather He lives it through us as we let Him [faith].

In the next post in this series, we'll look at a principle that I wholeheartedly believe: 

We become like what we focus on!  Colossians 3:1-4

And then in our final post of our study in Colossians, we will explore Paul's metaphor of clothing and the principle of faith [reckoning].  Colossians 3:5ff

Then the Grand Finale :)

Thank you so much for journeying with me through this marvelous treasure of Scripture called the epistle to the Colossians.  We have barely scratched the surface, so keep reading and meditating and praying!

My prayer has been that in the course of these weeks together, our equations may have changed to be closer to that of our Father God:

Our Lord Jesus Christ (His glorious Son) +Nothing (not religion, wealth, pleasure, fame,...)  = Everything...LIFE itself!!!!!

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The rest of th gospel

I highly recommend this life-changing book:

The Rest of the Gospel by Dan Stone

It speaks to the issues found in Colossians 3 & 4.

For excerpts of Dan Stone's writings, click here.

Mystery of Christ in Colossians: Caught in the Web

LOOK carefully!  Can you see it?  A perfectly formed circular spider web hanging across a path...suspended by a "thread"!  This is the amazing sight my friend Penny and I happened upon early one morning as we were walking down some little-traveled paths in a wooded area in my neighborhood. Here was one spider who was serious!   She was ready to get a "good catch" that day!

There was a period of my life when I was a "good catch" in a craftily constructed web -- not made by earthly designs but that of the father of lies (John 8:44).

It started out with a series of real, and perhaps imagined, rejections...which then developed into a LIE.  It wouldn't have been so bad if I had recognized it for what it was...but I didn't.  And so I embraced it as truth and struggled for many years.

It caused me much pain, along with fear and confusion!  It influenced my behavior!  And it even started to poison other areas and relationships.

Finally, by the time I recognized it as a LIE, I was so bound up in it, that I couldn't get free.  I prayed!  I cried!  I tried to act against it!  I attempted the mental mind games!  I asked my praying friends to pray!  I asked my husband to pray!  All in vain!  UNTIL last summer...

I was reading & meditating in the little book of Colossians...preparing to teach it for the third time.  (I told you I was a slow learner!) I read,

Since you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God... For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God... Colossians 3:1-3

All of a sudden in that moment, the Spirit of God brought the LIE to my mind, and with it came the realization: "Wait a minute!  I DIED to that LIE!"

That very moment, the power of that LIE was broken in my experience!  Here I had been begging and pleading for the Lord to do something that He had already done through the Cross of Christ.  But I had not recognized it by faith in my particular situation.  Once I did, everything changed :)  I was set free from the fear, confusion, the agonizing emotions that the LIE produced in me.

You may ask me how I know that this is true?  The key is found in the little Scriptural word with.  This little particular word in the Greek has the idea of intimate union--a union that nothing can break. Devotional writers of previous generations called this "the believer's mystical union with Christ" of which marriage is a picture (Ephesians 5:25-32).

One of my favorite Bible teachers Wayne Barber (of Precept Bible Studies fame) illustrates this life union by what he calls "Biscuits for Jesus."  [I'm going to expand his illustration a bit to include all three words Greek words translated "with".]

There are certain ingredients that go into making biscuits:  flour, salt, baking powder, milk, sugar (if you're Polish like me), and shortening (namely butter, if you're Polish like me).  Anyway, as you gather the ingredients and place them next to each other on the kitchen counter, you could say that they are with each other (para, in the Greek), meaning alongside.

Then if you take them and place them in a bowl one by one, you might say that the ingredients are with each other (meta, in the Greek), meaning closely associated with.  At this point, each of the ingredients is separate from each other.  Even in the bowl, you could skillfully separate the ingredients from each other to some extent.

BUT once you mix those ingredients together, roll them out and cut them, place them on the cookie sheet and bake them, there is no way you can separate those ingredients from each other.  There is a mysterious union of ingredients called "biscuits"  :)  That's the Greek word sun, meaning united together with.  And this little word is our word found in Colossians 3 (above) as well as these significant Scriptures (and many more):

I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.  For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.... So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:3-11 ESV

So what does this mean?  It means that...

when Christ died, I died! when Christ was buried, I was buried! when Christ was raised, I was raised to newness of life!

And what did I die to?

I died to the world! (Col 2:8; Gal 6:14) I died to the flesh!  (Col 2:11-12; Rom 8:1-10) I died to self (old man)!  (Col 2:12; Gal 2:20; 2Cor 5:17; Rom 6:6-7) I died to sin!   (Col 2:13; Romans 6:1-14; Eph 2:1-7; 2Cor 5:21) I died to the Law ("to do list" religion)!  (Col 2:14; Rom 7:4,6; Gal 3:10,13,24-25) AND I died to the power of Satan, whose main tactics are lies and accusation!  (Col 2:15; Heb 2:14-15; Eph 1:19-21;6:10ff)

So now when that nasty LIE and related accusations and condemnations rear their ugly heads, I just say "Wait a minute!  I died to that!  And I'm alive united with my Lord...adequate in and through Him to be what He has made me to be in this situation." (2Cor 2:15-16; 3:5-6)

What lies, accusations, expectations, condemnations are you struggling with today, O child of God?  You died to those!  And now you live to walk in newness of life because of the One you are united with in His fulness!

So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective. Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ. Colossians 3:1-4 MESSAGE

The Mystery of Christ in Colossians: C-C-Courage...and so much more

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In this world, you will have trouble,But take courage, I have overcome the world!John 16:33

Who doesn't love the classic movie The Wizard of Oz?  And of all the characters, the Cowardly Lion is a favorite!  Why is that, I wonder?  Could it be that we see ourselves in him -- while putting on a brave front to face life, we find that, in reality, we are scared little "kitties" inside?

I especially love the lion's "courage monologue":

cowardly lion

COWARDLY LION:  Courage! What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage!What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage! What makes the dawn come up like thunder? Courage! What makes the Hottentot so hot? What puts the "ape" in apricot? What have they got that I ain't got? DOROTHY, SCARECROW, TINMAN: Courage! COWARDLY LION: You can say that again!

Can you identify?I can...

And that's how I felt with teaching and speaking in front of people.  I was inwardly terrified!  I felt a lot of shame about this, because I wanted to trust God completely.  (I've since found out, though, that speaking in public is one of the top fears among women -- go figure!)  Anyway, this fear was debilitating...often to the point of physical illness.

This was especially true when it came to a big meeting connected to my job with a local Christian school.  I used to be a home school coordinator, and in those early days, I had a very large group of families to help.  At the end of the summer each year, we would meet as a group with all our families -- new and returning.  At that time, we would tell them about ourselves, encourage them, and explain how the program ran.

Well, I dreaded it!  Not because they were a hostile group...in fact the opposite was true!  And they loved me to boot!

DCS homeschool moms 2009

DCS homeschool moms

So in my mind, this fear was totally illogical and unfounded!  I talked to myself and the Lord about it...but to no avail.  It would ruin my whole summer every year!  UNTIL...

One summer, I was agonizing as usual over the big home school meeting. In the midst of my agony, I thought to myself, "I need courage!"  So I proceeded to beg, plead, pray for courage.  I tried to do my best "courage self-talk".  All to no avail!  I was still a wreck!

In the meantime, that summer I happened to be teaching the little book of Colossians...for the 2nd time (I'm a slow learner!).  As I was preparing to teach the second chapter, the Holy Spirit highlighted two verses to my mind and heart:

For in Him [Christ] the whole fulness of deity [God] dwells bodily, and you have been filled in Him... Colossians 2:9-10 ESV

All of a sudden the realization came crashing through:  Jesus wasn't a wimp! Remember how He stood up to the Pharisees -- not exactly a friendly audience!  Courage is part of the fulness of God in Christ.   And the courageous God Christ lives within me.  He will live His courageous life through me as I trust Him! That's what being filled in Him means.  No more begging, pleading, self-talk, Christian mental mind games!  No more shame & despair!

So I decided to trust the Courageous Christ.  And guess what?  He WAS courageous through me so that I could relax and be my charming :) self--to the glory of God!  And it broke the bondage for me in those situations...now I have normal levels of nervousness.  And I know that every situation is a new opportunity to trust the full Christ within to be who He is in and through me.

So do you need courage today?  The Courageous Christ will be courageous through you as you trust Him. Do you need love today?  The Loving Christ will love through you as you trust Him. Do you need to forgive today?  The Forgiving Christ will forgive through you as you trust Him. Do you need patience today?  The Patient Christ will be patient through you as you trust Him. Do you need _______ today?  (You fill in the blank)  The _________ Christ will be ________ through you as you trust Him.

If you are a child of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the full Christ lives within you.  He is full through you as you trust Him!  It's the devil's lie to get us to think of ourselves as separate from our Lord.  He's not up there, and we're down here, praying He throws down a little courage (or whatever) if we pray correctly!  NO!  We are one with Him...united in a way that nothing in heaven or earth can separate!

I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. Galatians 2:20

So, dear sisters & brothers, look at whatever you are facing today as your opportunity to experience Him in His fulness!  Praise His Holy Name!

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence. 2Peter 1:3 ESV

...that you may be filled with all the fulness of God. Eph 3:19b ESV

NEXT TIME: We are set free because of our union with our Savior in His death, burial, and resurrection to new life... See you then!

Mystery of Christ in Colossians: the Mystery Revealed

Everyone loves a good mystery!  We got hooked when my mom came to visit from NJ when our kids were little.  She turned us on to Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Murder She Wrote, Miss Marple, etc. I guess the pleasure in mysteries is that the viewer is always trying to figure out "Who done it!"  My mom had an amazing track record in those days!  And I'm finding myself guessing correctly more often than not nowadays!  Aging?  Suspicious nature?  Who knows!

God has mysteries too, as we've seen in the book of Colossians.  But His mysteries are very different than the ones we try to figure out.  There are five distinctives of God's mysteries.

1. They are about God and His ways
2. They are now revealed but previously unknown
3. They couldn’t be known unless God revealed them
4. They are meant to be proclaimed, not kept secret
5. There is still supernatural remaining despite revelation

God takes great pleasure in His mysteries!  There are many in the Bible.  But the Father takes particular delight in His mystery wrapped up in His Son, the Apple of His Eye!  Did you find the references concerning God's mystery in Colossians?

...the mystery that has been kept hidden...the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:25,27

My goal is that...they may know the mystery of God, namely,Christ [Himself], in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 3:2-3; also 4:3

To really spell it out, a little later in Colossians, Paul says,

For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him... Colossians 2:9-10 ESV

I love those verses!  They are key to the whole of our Christian walk in this world!  The full Christ Who is the wisdom of God indwells you and me, O child of God!  Let that truth really sink in!

Jesus is the fulness of God in the flesh, the God-Man, our Immanuel...and the full Christ lives His full life in and through me as I let Him...so I am full in Him!

As the authors of Jesus Manifesto (p. 34) have put it...

Jesus Christ is like a vast ocean.  He is too immense to fully explore, too rich to fathom.  You are like a bottle.

The wonder of the gospel is the bottle is in the ocean, and the ocean is in the bottle.

Join us next time to see how this truth can become real in your own life.  See you then!

Mystery of Christ in Colossians: Filling Week

baby, joy

grief

Have you ever been so filled with joy that you could hardly contain yourself?  Maybe it was an invitation, the birth of a baby, an unexpected gift, a promotion, a random act of kindness...whatever it was, it showed all over your face.  It was heard in your voice and put a lilt in your step! Have you ever been sofilled with grief, sadness, despair that you thought you couldn't go on?  Maybe it was because of rejection by a significant person, a death of a loved one, a life-threatening diagnosis for yourself or, what is often worse, for your child or spouse.  It was  hard, if not impossible, to "put on the happy face" and go on.

That's what our emotions are like...up one minute and down the next...and oftentimes with good reason.  But if they control us so that we base what is TRUE on how we feel, we can become very unstable, to say the least.

In the book of Colossians, God through the apostle Paul, tells us that we are filled.   And this filling of His has nothing to do with our emotions...although if we really "get it" and live there, it can affect our emotions on the deepest level possible.  But the wonderful thing is that if life is happening and we feel numb to it all, it really doesn't matter as far as this glorious FACT is concerned.  This filling is TRUTH!

What is this filling, you ask?

bible study

It's all wrapped up in the Mystery* of Christ!  WHO He is and WHAT He is to us! As you read through Colossians this week, you'll see this word mystery in Colossians 1:25-27; 2:2-3; 4:3.

colored-pencils

Grab some colored pencils or crayons, your Bible, or a print-out of Colossians (see link below).  Mark the key word mystery with a distinctive color.  Make note of who/what this mystery is.

Then mark the words fill, filling, full, fulness (in chapters 1&2).  Be sure to pay close attention to Col 2:9-10.  In the NASB, the word complete in verse 10 should be translated full (it's the same Greek root as fulness in verse 9).

Then if you really want to explore some more, look for and mark all, every, everything, and synonyms (also in chapters 1&2).

See you next time.  We'll pull thoughts together then, when we look at the Mystery Revealed.

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*The church father, Ireneaus, pointed out that the chief difference between orthodoxy and heresy is that orthodoxy is rooted in paradox and mystery, while heresy is usually rooted in clarity and precision.” David Roper, Teach Us to Number Our Days, p 278

Click here for Colossians text

Click here for Bible study help:  Precept.StudyOverview

 [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iadB3wL5JmQ[/youtube]

GLORY to YOU Steve Green

What do I possessThat You did not give to meWhat mysteries are clear to meThat You did not explainWhen did I share TruthI had not received from YouWhat good works have I performedThat you did not ordain

Chorus: Any strength I have, any good I doComes from the life I found in YouSo in all I amAnd in all I doI give the Glory to You

How do I expressMy love and my gratitudeFor all I am and ever will beAll depends on youWhere in the world would I beHad you not reached out to meAll the good I have in lifeCan all be traced to you

Chorus

From the strength to obeyYour word when I hear itTo reaching out in loveIt's all a gift of the Holy Spirit,Coming from above

Chorus

I give the glory to You

Mystery of Christ in Colossians: Knowing the Will of God

When I was a young child, my mom would sit me next to her on our couch and "read" to me from our family Bible.  You know the one:  leather, thick, heavy with gold-gilded edges and red and black print. I knew this was an important book, because it had pages that recorded births, baptisms, marriages, and deaths of family members.  But more than that, I knew it was important because of the full-page, glossy, color "holy pictures."  I remember how Mommy would tell me "God's stories" from God's book using those beautiful pictures.

It was during those times, that I fell in love with God and Jesus and heaven and spiritual things...and something else...the Will of God!  My mom would constantly say that the most important thing in life was to do the Will of God.  So this became my my goal...my paradigm...my mantra, at a very early age -- to do the Will of God!

What a mysterious thing, the Will of God!  MY journey (and at times, search) took me through obeying the rules of my church (as God's will), to several years in a convent (believing it was the best thing to do for love of God), to searching the Scriptures to see what GOD (not man) said, to exchanging one to do list for another until finally the burden was so hard and heavy, I gave up!  Really!

And you know what?  That's when I discovered the True Will of God...Christ Jesus my Lord -- WHO He is and WHAT He has done!  Oh, I already knew Him...but I needed to KNOW Him truly!  And in knowing HIM truly, I came to realize that HE is the Will of God!

If you've been following along with us in the letter to the Colossians, you've discovered the heart of Paul's prayer in the first chapter.  His main request is that the believers would be filled with (be controlled by and absorbed with) a true, deep, accurate knowledge of God's Will:

We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives... Col 1:9 NIV

This Will of God is a much bigger thing than what we think.  We usually assume it refers to what we do today or tomorrow, who we marry, where we go on vacation, what car we should buy, etc.  Now these all may be affected by our knowing the Will of God.

But primarily the Will of God has to do with His good pleasure in His Son Jesus Christ and the Father's Plan carried out in and through HIM!  That's good news, because it's all about HIM!  I reap the benefits, but I'm I also empowered (through His indwelling) to make my choices according to this HUGE, AWESOME WILL of GOD!  What a privilege to be part of something bigger than myself!

OK, you say...chapter and verse, please!  The cool thing is that Paul wrote another letter to a church not far from Colossae.  In fact, he wrote it at the same time and sent it by the same messenger.  So we would naturally assume Paul would have the same thing in mind when he wrote to the church in Ephesus,

With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment —to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. Ephesians 1:8-10 NIV

That's it!  His pleasure and purpose in Christ!  Did you notice as you read and looked for the references to prayer in Colossians, that Paul wasn't the only one who prayed this way.  Paul says of Epaphras, the young pastor of the Colossian church,

He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. Col 4:12 NIV

Why did Paul and Epaphras pray for the believers to really "get it" about God's Will in Christ?  Paul prays on...

 ...so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and 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 so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. Col 1:10-12 NIV

Paul knew that getting it about Christ is the only paradigm that can produce a God-pleasing, fruitful Christian walk.  No Christian "to do list" can produce this!  It's a work of illumination/revelation by the Spirit of God.  Thus Paul's prayer!

And so, dear friends, when we pray for ourselves or for someone we love, why not start out with the heart of all prayer?  Our deepest need is to be filled with (and so controlled by) a true, heart knowledge of God's Will in the Person and Work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This absorption, this getting it about Christ will then have an explosive and expulsive effect*-- changing our thinking, our attitudes, our affections, our choices, and thus our behavior.  And it will result in a life worthy of and pleasing to the Lord!

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A challenge for those who want to go deeper:

Read this sermon by Thomas Chalmers (19th century):  The Expulsive Power of a New Affection This is really long, and it's not for the faint of heart.  But it's right on target!

Here's a short synopsis:

The best way of casting out an impure affection is to admit a pure one; and by the love of what is good, to expel the love of what is evil. We know of no other way by which to keep the love of the world out of our heart, than to keep in our hearts the love of God - and no other way by which to keep our hearts in the love of God, than building ourselves up on our most holy faith. Dr Ray Pritchard

Mystery of Christ in Colossians: Praying Week

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

Many of you may know someone you would call a "prayer warrior"...someone who is passionate about praying for whomever and whatever is needed.  My Babci (Polish for Grandma) was a woman like that.  She was a sweet, humble, godly woman who always seemed to be in an attitude of prayer.

I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't always been able to identify with my dear Babci.  For much of my Christian life, prayer was a "spiritual discipline," a necessary habit to form...in other words, a chore -- one of many in my "to do list" form of Christian walk.

My prayer list (a.k.a. "ball and chain," when I finally was honest to admit it) was something I dreaded each day:

certain people and requests for each day, certain ones on particular days each week, and then monthly requests...ad infinitum, ad nauseum!

I HATED IT!  What a bondage prayer was to me!

Then the truth of the Indwelling Life of Christ began to break through in my life!  Life union with the Lover of my soul captured my mind and heart!  And everything began to change...including prayer.

I abandoned my prayer list and told the Lord,

I'm not praying until YOU show me what prayer really is!

I know, a bit risky!  Even somewhat sacrilegious?  But guess what?  God met me where I was.  Soon prayer began to well up from within, rather than be formulated by me in my head.

That was many years ago now.  I can use a prayer list now without feeling suffocated.  And I now experience the privilege of lifting up my praise, worship, and requests to the Throne of Grace and Mercy.

But I wonder about Paul.  As a devout Jew, he had had certain required prayers to say at specific times.  Did he too go through a freeing experience concerning prayer as he came to know the Risen, Living Lord?

What is obvious is that Paul had gotten it about prayer by the time he wrote the letter to the Colossians.  Throughout this short letter, Paul talks about prayer:

he himself prays; he exhorts to prayer; he asks for prayer; he tells about the prayer of another.

So this week at A Branch in the Vine is Praying Week.

As you read this week, make note of all the references to prayer, pray, praying in the book. [HINT:  they are in the first and last chapters]

Then focus on Paul's magnificent prayer in Colossians 1:9-12.  See if you can answer theses questions:

What is the heart of the prayer?  That is, the main request?  (Col 1:9) Why does Paul pray that?  That is, the reason/purpose for that request?  (Col 1:10) What will be the results?  What will that look like in everyday life?  (Col 1:10-12)

I'll see you in a few days...and above all, PRAY as you keep reading the spiritual feast found in the book of Colossians!

Mystery of Christ in Colossians: Overflowing with Gratitude

giving thanks

A few years ago, I started teaching language and writing to GED students.  Every Wednesday, we would do an exercise together as a class to practice writing a five paragraph essay. As the end of November approached, I chose the topic of Thanksgiving.  I thought that in this age of entitlement it might be a double “win” for the students to count their blessings and practice their writing.

So to prepare for my lesson, I sent out an email to friends and colleagues for quotes about being thankful.  I received some great ones!

Some were fun:

What we’re really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets.  I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving? Erma Bombeck

Thnksgiving turkey

May your stuffing be tasty May your turkey plump May your potatoes and gravy Have nary a lump May your yams be delicious And may your pies take the prize And may you Thanksgiving dinner Stay off your thighs! Anonymous

Others, really profound:

Gratitude is the least of the virtues, but ingratitude is the worst of the vices. Thomas Fuller

The pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts….nevertheless, they set aside a day of thanksgiving.  H.W. Westermayer

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the others. Cicero

And my favorite:

It’s not the happy person who is thankful but the thankful person who is happy. Anonymous

But as always, God’s Word takes the prize for the most profoundly sublime quote on being thankful.

Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. Col 2:6-7

Let’s meditate for a few moments on this beautiful phrase, overflowing with gratitude:

What does it mean to overflow?

roosevelt dam overflow

A reservoir holds water.  When it rains too much or the snows in the mountains melt, the water flows over the edge.  When my husband John was a child he lived near the Roosevelt Dam.  When the dam spilled over, it was quite an event…a wonder to behold!

And that’s what this word in the original language means:  to be in excess, to have more than enough, to super-abound…to overflow!

What is gratitude?

This word means appreciation, thanksgiving and and praise to God…and to others who have enriched our lives. After all, …what do you have that you did not receive? 1Cor 4:7

communion set

The original word in Greek is eucharistia. In Christian liturgical traditions,

Eucharist is used in modern language for Holy Communion, embodying the highest act of thanksgiving for the greatest gift from God, the sacrifice of Jesus.  It is the grateful acknowledgement of past mercies. Spiro Zodiates

In fact, Jesus Himselfgave thanks to the Father as He broke the bread and blessed the cup at the Last Supper with His disciples.  He acknowledged His Father as the Giver of every good gift and every perfect gift.James 1:17

So let us also, dear brothers and sisters, be a people overflowing with gratitude...always...not just this week!

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Gratitude Exercises:

:)

1. What 5 things can you thank God for right now? In your journal list them. Then chose one of the 5 and list 5 more. Keep going if you’d like. If you’re having a hard time getting started, take a peek at this link and thank God for the gift of sight. Incredible!

2. Have a time of family or personal communion, thanking the Father for the gift of His precious Son.

3. Do this Bible study exercise:

Read through the book of Colossians and find at least one verse in each chapter about giving thanks. Be sure to read the context to get the complete message.

First posted in November 2011 :)

Mystery of Christ in Colossians: Thanking Week

Thank you...beach

It’s not the happy person who is thankful but the thankful person who is happy. Anonymous

I love this quote!

If you've spent any time reading the apostle Paul's writings, you most likely would say that Paul is a happy, joyful person...and this despite many trials and much suffering.  Listen to these verses from our current study book, the letter to the Colossians:

Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you... to make known... the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory...To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. Colossians 1:24-28 NIV

Now if it is true that...

It’s not the happy person who is thankful but the thankful person who is happy.

...then I think it's reasonable to believe that Paul's joy and happiness sprang from a thankful heart.

So this week at A Branch in the Vine is Thanking Week.

In each of the four chapters of Colossians, we read a "thankful word" (such as thanks, thanksgiving, gratitude, etc).  Read through Colossians again (yes, again :) ) and see if you can find all of them.

Here's a hint:  there are 2 in chapter 1; 1 in chapter 2; 3 in chapter 3; and 1 in chapter 4.  [Let me know if you find more.]

Then list what Paul says he's thankful for.  Go on also to list what he says for US to be thankful for.

book 1000 Gifts

After that, start a list of your own.  Start a section in your journal and list 5 today...then 5 more tomorrow...and then the next day...

Or maybe you'd like to take up Ann Voskamp's challenge in her best-selling book One Thousand Gifts:  Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are.

Start your own list of a thousand (just 3 a day will do it in a year).  For some fun help, see her July Joy Dare...download and print it out for yourself.

And last but not least, if you would like to see gratitude spring forth from a believing heart, read Rich Brown's story, Moi Joy.  He and his wife Karen have been working with the Moi tribe in Indonesia.

Many of these naturally treacherous, ungrateful people were transformed when they received the good news of the Lord Christ.  View the moving, spontaneous testimony of one man.   Immediately after his conversion to Christ, Mbanapeoma gave thanks to his Creator and to the missionaries.  Don't miss this!

Mystery of Christ in Colossians: Just give me....

We live in such a gimme, gimme culture.  Entitlement is the name of the game!

Actually, since Adam & Eve fell and "ate the apple" in defiance of God, we are all infected with that "all about me" disease called self-centeredness!  So we try to find life through all kinds of stuff!

Several years ago, my dear husband John asked me what I wanted for my birthday.  I told him I wanted to go to The Cove to study with one of my favorite Bible teachers Wayne Barber.  It was wonderful, and I've been trying to get back there ever since.

As a result, I'm always watching the Cove schedule of Bible conferences.  This fall, the title of a study in Colossians (which I had been teaching) caught my eye:

Jesus + Nothing = Everything

That's it!!!!  That's the perfect title for that precious book, because THAT's the message of Colossians...and of the whole Bible, for that matter!  Our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ is all we need!  And the little treasure of a book we call Colossians tells us why.

So for those of you who are studying Colossians with us, why not take a brown pencil and draw a Cross over every time Jesus is mentioned (either in your Bible or on a printed out text)?  You'll be amazed at how focused God is about His Son!

Then as you continue to read, focus on your all-sufficient Savior!  By the end of our time this summer, may your equation (and mine) change from...

________ +________ + ____...... + Jesus = EVERYTHING? [Fill in your own blanks]

...to...

JESUS+ NOTHING = EVERYTHING!!!!!!!

Give Me Jesus

In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise

Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus.

When I am alone, When I am alone, When I am alone, Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus.

When I come to die, When I come to die, When I come to die, Give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus.

Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, You can have all this world, You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFJGsBApIuk[/youtube]

If you have a little more time (7-1/2 minutes), listen again to the song with a wonderful gospel message included:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqYd3dXY2M8&feature=related[/youtube]

If you would like to follow a daily devotional, here's a good one from Moody Bible Institute (my Alma Mater :) ). It will take you through the book in a month if you read every day:

Today in the Word {Colossians:Live Worthy of the Gospel}

Mystery of Christ in Colossians: Reading Week

Carter

Devote yourself to the...reading of Scripture...  1Timothy 4:13 Let's begin our restful study of the letter to the Colossians by reading, reading, and then reading again.

Or as my almost 4 year old grandson Carter and I would say, "Reading?...reading?...how about reading?"  ;)

And why should we read?  Because it's by repeated reading that we begin to get the "big picture" of what God is saying in the Bible.   We also begin to notice repeated key truths.  And most precious of all, we begin to hear the Lord speak to us through His treasured words.

As the prophet Jeremiah once said,

reading the bible

Your words were found and I ate them,And Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;For I have been called by Your name,O Lord God of hosts.  Jeremiah 15:16

Or as my sweet friend Penny once prayed,

LORD, Your words are so delicious!

So this week, grab a journal or notebook, your Bible (maybe different versions for each day) and start reading...  You may want to read a brief introduction in your Bible or watch the short 2 minute video below to get a little background...then just read, read, readthe book of Colossians (not books about Colossians!  Not yet, anyway!)

Write down verses that jump out, thoughts that come to you in the reading...and of course, prayers that rise up.  Write it down.  Trust me, you will forget!  So you will be glad to have recorded what God may be saying to you!

So...HAPPY, RESTFUL READING...and I'll see you later in the week :)

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open bible

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2Timothy 3:16-17

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Here's a link to Bible Gateway. You can read Colossians in many different versions at his site. Just enter the passage and the version you want and...voila!

For those of you who are just beginning to get comfortable with Bible reading, try the MESSAGE version: Colossians, chapter 1

Colossians, chapter 2

Colossians, chapter 3

Colossians, chapter 4

The Mystery of Christ {a restful devotional "study" for your summer}

Oh the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer! We look forward to the slower pace...to vacations...trips to the pool or beach! Many of our good intentions, like keeping up with school work, taking a computer class, organizing desks and closets, _[fill in the blank]_ ... all go by the board!

Years ago, I taught Precept Bible studies at the same time as home schooling my two children.  (I know, what was I thinking?)

After doing the intense, disciplined Bible study all school year, I would look forward to "relaxing in the Word" during the summer.  How about you?  Does the idea of "relaxing in the Word" appeal to you?

Then how about joining me in a restful devotional time in the glorious book of Colossians for the next several weeks.  Here's how I described Colossians on our church website (follow the link for more information on this study):

The Mystery of Christ: A Workshop in the book of Colossians

Do you realize that the Sovereign Creator of the Universe became a man in the Person of the Son?  He lived a perfect, sinless human life, became sin for you and me, died on the cross, rose from the grave, ascended, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father.  Now by grace through faith, He lives His powerful, resurrection life in and through you...as you!  All to His glory!

That's the mystery of Christ...and that's the book of Colossians!

As the month of July begins next week, why not put aside a few moments each day to spend time with the Lord on your patio, your deck, or even in your room.  Grab your Bible and a journal!  Open to the book of Colossians, and meet Him there in all His sufficiency!

Next Week:  The Mystery of Christ:  Reading Week

There are dads...and then there's a DAD

jeremy reading

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.  Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV

None of us on this earth has had the perfect dad.  Some of us, though, would say we had pretty darn good ones…

Someone like my friend Shirley.  She describes her dad in two words…”Charles Ingalls”.  You remember him…from Little House on the Prairie fame, the TV Dad played by Michael Landon -- incredibly wise, loving, patient, and fun-loving.

There is another dad I would say is in the “Charles Ingalls” category.  He’s my son Jeremy.  Jeremy’s two little boys, Evan and Carter, are simply crazy about him!  Now, I would say that "Babci" (pronounced Bob-chee; Polish for grandma…and my title used by all my grandsons) borders on “rock star” status with those little boys… BUT not when Daddy is around (and rightfully so)!

my men

One day, I was at their house when Jeremy arrived home.  Suddenly, any attention I was receiving immediately shifted toward the front door as Daddy made his humble, but “bedlam-producing” entrance.  Both Evan and Carter ran over to him screaming, jumping up and down -- each of them vying for his full attention.  Talk about energy and excitement!  This loving, game-playing dad was being smothered by his two adoring sons!  Somehow I can’t imagine that these little guys will have many, if any, “father-issues” growing up.

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ecard-abba-father

This makes me think about another Dad…one much more “Charles Ingalls-like” than Charles Ingalls…or my son Jeremy.  A Father who is perfect in every way:

One who is there for me with love and wisdom and strength as I walk through this sin-cursed, broken world(James 1:5; 2Peter 1:2-3; Eph 3:20-21)

One who bestows every good and perfect gift (James 1:17)

One who gives joy and delight in His presence (Psalm 16:11)

Because of His Son Jesus, I can run to Him fully assured of being received with love and acceptance like Evan and Carter with their daddy (Heb 4:14-16).

Unlike them, however, I don’t have to vie with others for His full attention, because He is uniquely my Abba (Daddy in Bible language).  Yet at the same time, He is Abba for multitudes of other sons and daughters…because He’s our Father GOD, and we are in His Son Jesus Christ(John 14:6; 1Cor 1:30).

So I ask myself, how readily do I run to my Heavenly Father as my source of joy, delight, love, and provision?  Or do I rather turn to the"Babci's" of my life…the lesser “stars”, like appearance, activities, relationships, success, comfort, attention…good gifts, but not the Giver and Lover of my soul.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called children of God…and SUCH WE ARE! 1John 3:1

[First posted on June 15th, 2011]

Living as Abba’s Child: “darling little children"

Years ago, when a friend had lost her last remaining parent, she said to me, “Now I feel like an orphan!”

I’ve thought about her statement over the years and come to realize that we believers usually live like spiritual orphans.  We live as if we don’t have a Father Who tenderly loves and cares for us.  We live as orphans in a scary world.  But His heart is that we would live as His children in union with Him in His Son.

In his first epistle, the apostle John, by then an elder father of the faith, appeals to his readers (and to us) as “little children”.  The Greek word used has the idea of “my darling little children” or “honey” (“Hon’” as I call my little grandsons).  The word is in the diminutive form and so conveys great affection.

Spend some time exploring the seven verses in 1 John where he uses this sweet, affectionate word…keeping in mind that God our Father is speaking these words to you, His darling daughter or His precious son.

What is He saying to you? (Don’t forget to check the context, the surrounding verses, to get the whole message.)

1.  1John 2:1

2.  1John 2:12

3.  1John 2:28

4.  1John 3:7

5.  1John 3:18

6.  1John 4:4

7.  1John 5:21

Now that you’ve listed the Father’s encouragements and exhortations, pray over how they affect you and your relationship with your Abba Father, with His other children, with God’s enemy, and with the world.

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Now look again at the second chapter.  In that chapter, the apostle John has special instructions to “little children” at varying stages of spiritual growth.

So within the context of being the Father’s darlings (and complete in Christ, Col 2:9-10) comes the realization that on the human, earthly level, we are at different stages in our walk with the Lord.  John pictures it as different stages of human growth:  babies, young men (teenagers), father (or mothers).  Keep in mind, though, that these are not chronological ages, but rather spiritual stages, no matter the chronological age.

I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. [Jehovah = I AM] I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children. [different Gk word, “a baby, infant”] because you know the Father [“Abba”].

I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. [Jehovah = I AM]. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 1 John 2:13-14

List the characteristic(s) of each stage of growth from these verses:

1.   babes, infants =

2.   young men =

3.   fathers =

While we are on this earth, there will be pitfalls and dangers at every stage of growth.  Read through 1 John again, making note of exhortations that could be particularly helpful to “little children” at each stage of spiritual growth.

1.    Baby Christians

2.    Maturing young Christians:

3.    Fathers/mothers in the faith:

Meditate on this central thought of 1 John.  Thank the Father for loving you and choosing you to be in His family.

See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when he appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 1 John 3:1-3

If you are studying with a group:

1.    What characteristic of a child do you feel you particularly need?  Why?

2.    Read each of the 7 exhortations to the “little children” in 1 John.  Discuss any that jump out at you.

3.    Which stage of spiritual growth do you think you are in?  Does it still help to know that you are a “little honey” to your Abba?

4.    Are there any pitfalls or struggles in your life that you would like to share with your sisters/brothers for prayer? Any exhortations from 1 John that match these?

Pray for each person immediately after sharing.  Invite the Lord into the area of concern.

[First posted May 12, 2011]

A Word on the Weekend: "Abba" Father

fa·ther  n.1. a. A male person whose sperm unites with an egg, resulting in the conception of a child. b. A man who adopts a child. c. A man who raises a child. 2. A male parent of an animal. 3. A male ancestor. 4. A man who creates, originates, or founds something: Chaucer is considered the father of English poetry. 5. An early form; a prototype. 6. Father Christianity a. God. b. The first person of the Christian Trinity. 7. An elderly or venerable man. Used as a title of respect. 8. A member of the senate in ancient Rome. 9. One of the leading men, as of a city: the town fathers. 10. A church father. 11. Abbr. Fr. a. A priest or clergyman in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches. b. Used as a title and form of address with or without the clergyman's name.

v. fa·thered, fa·ther·ing, fa·thers 1. To procreate (offspring) as the male parent. 2. To act or serve as a father to (a child). 3. To create, found, or originate. 4. To acknowledge responsibility for. 5. a. To attribute the paternity, creation, or origin of. b. To assign falsely or unjustly; foist. 6. To act or serve as a father.

Abba, transliterated from the Aramaic. Father, my Father

There is no English word that adequately conveys the meaning of the Aramaic word, Abba. The word itself expresses a close intimacy, reserved for parents and children, perhaps Papa, Dad, Daddy, or even Da-da.

In the New Testament, it is always used to address God and is followed immediately by the translation (Mark 14:36; Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6).  this double expression [Abba Father] was common in the early church.

HONOR YOUR FATHER THIS WEEK...whether physical or spiritual!

Above all, HONOR YOUR HEAVENLY ABBA FATHER...the Father Par Excellence!

I'm Sinking...Now What?

going under

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.In God, whose word I praise,In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid... Psalm 56:3-4 NASB

Life is scary!

And as we move further and further into adulthood...and even on into old age, there's more to frighten us and cause us to panic*.

How do we handle these terrors of life -- whether they be greater (like death, disease, crises with loved ones,...) or lesser (like speaking in front of a group, doing something totally new, daily mothering,...)?

By faith!

The righteous will live by faith.  Romans 1:17d

Last week we looked talked about faith as responding to the Lord's gracious COME.  Jesus' zealous disciple Peter gives us a good example of what we present-day disciples go through in our faith-walk.  Look again at this familiar story in your Bible or click here: Matthew 14: 22 - 33.

Did you think about the questions from our last study?  Here they are again with some further thoughts for your meditation and reflection.  (I'd love to hear yours if you care to share in the comments below :)  ):

Jesus walking on the water

1.  Why didn’t Peter just jump out of the boat?  Why did he ask Jesus to command him “Come to Him”? (vs 27-29a)

*WHO HE IS: Peter needed to know that it was really the Lord.  When Jesus identified Himself, He said, "It is I."  Literally this is, "I AM," ego eimi.  Does this sound familiar...how about Moses and the burning bush in Exodus 3?  How about Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees in John 8? We too need to see Him for who He truly is...the GOD-Man, who walks with us on the chaos of our lives, don't we?  It can make all the difference in the world!

*WHAT HE WANTS: Perhaps Peter also wanted to know if it was Jesus' will for him to walk to Him. And isn't that true of us too.  We need to know that it's really the LORD calling us out "onto the waves"...that He's "in it" for us!

*WHAT PETER REALLY NEEDS: In a very real sense, Peter needed Jesus' call, His COME in order to be able to come. Without Jesus' call, none of us could come.  We wouldn't even want to!  Romans 3:10-11; Phil 2:13; John 6:44-45,65

This leads us to...

Truth #1 = God is always prevenient.

Christian theology teaches the doctrine of prevenient grace, which briefly stated means this, that before a man can seek God, God must first have sought the man.

Before a sinful man can think a right thought of God, there must have been a work of enlightenment done within him; imperfect it may be, but a true work nonetheless, and the secret cause of all desiring and seeking and praying which may follow.

We pursue God because, and only because, He has first put an urge within us that spurs us to the pursuit. "No man can come to me," said our Lord, "except the Father which hath sent me draw him," and it is by this very prevenient drawing that God takes from us every vestige of credit for the act of coming. The impulse to pursue God originates with God, but the out working of that impulse is our following hard after Him; and all the time we are pursuing Him we are already in His hand: "Thy right hand upholdeth me." AW Tozer, Pursuit of God

drawing...jesus and disciples

2. What decision did Peter face once he heard Jesus' come?  Do we face the same decision at times? (vs 29)

Peter needed to decide whether to go ahead and get out of the boat or play it safe, didn't he?  He needed to "believe and obey," as we would say in "spiritual talk." And believing and obeying are flip sides of the same coin, so to speak. (John 3:36; Jas 2:18; Heb 4:3-6 NASB)

So the God-Man Jesus also invites us to walk with Him...into new things (open doors, if you will), like the way my the Lord gave me my ESL teaching job 8 years ago.  Or it may be through dark, terrorizing things, like my then 20 year old son's cancer.

And that leads us to...

Truth #2 = With His invitation comes His enablement.

Paul says it well: I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].  Phil 4:13 AMP

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  1Cor 12:9-10 NIV

drawing Jesus & peter

3. What ultimately happened to Peter and why?  What did he do in the midst of his dilemma?  How readily do we do the same in the midst of our doubt and fear? (vs 30-31a)

Of course, Peter began to sink.  Why?  Because he turned his focus to the tumultuous waves and wind all around him.  He had taken his eyes off of the stable, all-powerful Lord in front of him. And isn't that what we do also?  We may start out well, fixing our eyes on Jesus.  But then, when we realize "all hell is breaking loose" in &/or around us, we get our eyes off of HIM...and we begin to go down!

That leads us to...

Truth #3 = We become like what / who we focus on.

I love these verses:

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. ...the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.  2Cor 3:18; 4:6

Then all-too-human (and that's why we love him!) Peter, in his desperation, did what we all must do...he cried out to His Savior!

You wonder what to do when you feel attacked on all sides by seemingly irresistible forces, waves that cover you and want to sweep you off your feet.  sometimes these waves consist of feeling rejected, feeling forgotten, feeling misunderstood.  sometimes they consist of self-pity and self-rejection.  These waves make you feel like a powerless child abandoned by your parents.

What are you to do?  Make the conscious choice to move the attention of your anxious heart away from the waves and direct it to the One who walks on them and says, "It's me.  Don't be afraid!" (Matthew 14:27; Mark 6:50; John 6:20).  Keep turning your eyes to him and go on trusting that he will bring peace to your heart.

Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love

4. What did Peter learn as a result of the storm? (vs 31-33)

That Jesus is the SON of GOD!  That He is all powerful...that He is sovereign over the forces of nature...that He cares...that He challenges...that He responds to our cries...that He walks with us on the chaos of our lives!

So we can know along with Peter...

Truth #4 = Every storm of life is Christ’s invitation to come to Him and see Who He is & how all-sufficient He is in every situation.

Not long after this storm incident, Peter made this wonderful profession.  And we do too, when we walk with the Lord through trials and into new things...

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”  John 6:68-69

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Consider the following for prayer and your journal:

1. Are you in circumstances right now where you know if you take your eyes off the Lord for even a split second, you’ll go “under”? Ask the Holy Spirit to fix your eyes firmly on Him who “walks with you on the chaos of your life.”

2. What is your focus as you go through your day? Do your emotions follow along the same line as your focus? Do you believe it’s true that “we become like what we focus on”? Pray about your need in this area.

3. Is the Lord asking you to take a step out of the comfort-zone of your life into a new thing? Can you trust that with His call (“invitation”) comes His enablement? Pray…”Lord, I believe; help my unbelief.”

*Click to read about how the Lord delivered me from panic attacks.

Coming Soon: After Father's Day...the rest of the story:  The Mystery of PRAYER...Inviting Jesus into my "Boat"

A Scripture on Saturday: Revelation 22

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!”And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life... He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

Revelation 22:17,20-21

Getting out of the Boat {a.k.a. Comfort Zone}

Jesus walking on the water

Jesus walks with us on the chaos of our lives.  Oswald ChambersLast time we talked about what faith really is.  One tender (and biblical) thought is that faith is responding to Jesus' COME...His grace-filled invitation.

Often times, coming to Jesus when the storms of life are raging is the last thing we do.  That is, until all else has failed.

We rather go to friends, addictions (like social media, exercise, food), withdrawal, and one of my personal favorites, Christian self-help books.  All of these feel comfortable (and "safe") to us...at least for the time.  But eventually, we realize we need HIM!

Or sometimes the Lord may be calling us to something new and scarey.  Maybe a new job, a new home, a new stage of life, a new challenge.  We avoid the issue for as long as we can -- it's too uncomfortable and risky!  But if we want to grow, eventually we must get "out of our boat" and come to Him.  And that's faith.

That's what Peter did in the familiar and captivating story in Matthew 14 (Other parts of the story are in John 6 and Mark 6).  Let's pick up the story...

Jesus reaching out to Peter

22 Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23 After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 24 But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." 28 Peter said to Him, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." 29 And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, " O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" 32 When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "You are certainly God's Son!" Matthew 14: 27 - 33

Here are some questions to explore as you read through this passage.  Next time we'll share some thoughts about these questions:

1.  Why didn’t Peter just jump out of the boat?  Why did he ask Jesus to command him “Come to Him”? (vs 27-29a)

2.  What decision did Peter face once he heard Jesus' come?  Do we face the same decision at times? (vs 29)

3.  What ultimately happened to Peter and why?  What did he do in the midst of his dilemma?  How readily do we do the same in the midst of our doubt and fear? (vs 30-31a)

4.  What did Peter learn as a result of the storm? (vs 31-33)

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PART THE WATERS/ I NEED THEE Selah

When I think I'm going under, part the waters, Lord When I feel the waves around me, calm the sea When I cry for help, oh, hear meLord and hold out Your hand Touch my life Still the raging storm in me

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord No tender voice like Thine can peace afford I need Thee, O I need Thee Every hour I need Thee O bless me now, my Savior I come to Thee

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain Come quickly and abide, or life is vain

A Word on Wednesday: COME to___________

come, verb1.to approach or move toward a particular person or place. 2.to arrive by movement or in the course of progress. 3.to approach or arrive in time, in succession, etc. 4.to move into view; appear. 5.to extend; reach

come New Testament Greek = erchomai, to go + pros, to/toward (by marking out the object toward which something/someone moves)

Mark HIM out...no matter your circumstances! Get other people and things out of your focus! And COME to, GO to, MOVE toward HIM today!

 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39