Whom Do You Serve?

Good Morning!! Everyone has something that he or she is living for, something that gives life its sense of value. Though as Christians we claim to serve Christ, many of us still are captive to idols,...the things to which we've given our functional trust. We fear losing these things,...money, job, status,...because we secretly feel that without them, we are nothing.

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.—Colossians 2:8 (NIV)

If you're serving God in order to get the things you want, then you aren't really serving God,...you're just using God as a means to an end,...the end being your personal happiness. This is what Paul means by "hollow and deceptive philosophy." If we see the gospel as another self-help method,...a way to make our life feel more meaningful and secure, or to make us feel like a good person,...as soon as we fail, or hardship comes, we'll cast off Christianity in favor of something else. Or we'll fall victim to some other false forms of Christian teaching,...things that emphasize works over faith,...or offers of prosperity rather than the cross. So ask yourself: "What makes me a valuable person? What makes my life count?" The answer might help you identify what (or whom) you’re really serving.

Bob Dylan once sang; "It may be the devil,...or it may be the Lord,
...but you gotta serve somebody."

Father in Heaven, we want to serve You alone,...show us how. This we ask, in the mighty and matchless name of Jesus. Amen.

"Loving God is the key to loving others."

Seek Salvation, Not Self-help

Good Morning!! Every evening, as I go online to catch up on e-mails, or to work on the devotionals, flashing ads on the web page shout, "Click here to lose 15 pounds by following one easy rule!" or "Learn financial security in three short steps!" advertisers tell us that personal transformation can be fast, cheap, and painless,...but they lie.

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.—Colossians 1:19, 20 (ESV)

Instead of giving three easy steps to increased spiritual maturity, Paul offers a majestic passage, on the person and work of Jesus Christ. Paul's point is that we cannot expect to experience spiritual growth until we have experienced Christ,...and the place where we come to know Christ most fully, is the cross.

At the cross, we receive the promise that God is reconciling us to Himself,
...through the blood of Jesus.

Lord, bring us all to the cross, so that we may better know, Your grace. Amen.

"Loving God is the key to loving others."

Righteousness, Only Through Christ

Good Morning!! Most people believe that we somehow can deserve salvation. We search for things in ourselves to establish our righteousness,...to become worthy of God’s love. Those of us who are Christians, may feel that we've avoided this trap, because we have given our lives to Christ. But religious people are often the most in danger. Some of us work very hard at being good Christians, because deep down, we believe our obedience makes us worthy of God's love, and blessings. We cannot admit just how undeserving we are,...because if we did, we'd be unable to look down our noses at others.

He has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,...—Colossians 1:22 (ESV)

Paul was very clear; We have done nothing to deserve or earn our salvation,...Righteousness comes from Christ alone. Our reconciliation with God was solely His doing,...through Christ's birth, death, and resurrection. This is "the hope of the gospel" (v. 23). If we realize how lavishly God has bestowed His love on us, when we were not looking for it, or even wanting it, we will begin to sense the true freedom of the gospel.

Here is the gospel in a nutshell: We are worse than we ever imagined,...yet more loved than we ever hoped.

Father God, may Your love always find us, in spite of ourselves. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

"Loving God is the key to loving others."

Speak Words To Help, Not Hurt

Good Morning!! Admonish seems like a relic, from another age,....one of those words you seem to find only in the Bible. After all, who admonishes anyone anymore,...who would dare? Does it sound very loving, or friendly to admonish anyone? It sounds more like bad news, instead of good news. But look carefully at what Paul is says in today's verse. He doesn't say, "Admonish the world carelessly." He says; "Admonish one another in all wisdom."

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.—Colossians 3:16 (NIV)

Now days, we'd say check them, or put them in their place, but done right,...it just means to holding each other accountable,...keeping one anther on the right path. There are some clues for us in Paul's confrontation with Peter in Galatians 2. Paul saw that by Peter's behavior, he had traded the freedom of the gospel for legalism. Peter fell into a common trap,...sometimes in our desire to be moral, or obedient, we exhibit behaviors in conflict with the very gospel we preach. To admonish with wisdom means we should always start by asking the question, "Does this behavior contradict the gospel?" If the answer is yes, then we must confront the behavior,...but again with wisdom,...so our admonishing also is in line with the gospel.

"A person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ."
(Paul admonished Peter, to keep the good news, good.)

Our Lord, our God, grant us great wisdom as we attempt to deal with each other,...in love. Amen.

"Loving God is the key to loving others."

Don't Just Preach, Teach

Good Morning!! A Teacher, gives useful information,...in a way that it can be understood,...and put into action. Jesus was such a teacher, who taught with great wisdom. In His parables, He used familiar image after familiar image to explain the Kingdom of God: a mustard seed, a lamp under a basket, lost sheep and coins and children, farmers sowing seed, and people discovering buried treasure. He understood His audience and spoke to them,...as they were able to hear it.

With many similar parables Jesus spoke the Word to them, as much as they could understand.—Mark 4:33 (NIV)

We've all heard speakers who address an audience as if the listeners have degrees in astrophysics, and others who speak to adults like they are fourth graders. To use wisdom means to teach so that the listeners not only hears, but also understands. After all, the key element in human communication isn’t just what's being said, or how,...it's what's being understood.

How many more souls could be saved,...if ministers thought of themselves as teachers,...instead of preachers?

Jesus, was the greatest model for all ministers, as He taught. Holy Spirit, help us follow His example. Amen.

"Loving God is the key to loving others."

The WORD Should Dwell In Us

Good Morning!! Jesus' exemplary knowledge, was the only weapon He had to fend off the temptations of the devil, in the wilderness. Although Jesus' hunger made Him vulnerable, He uses the truth of Scripture to expose the lies of Satan. What's interesting here, is that Jesus isn’t the only one quoting Scripture,...the devil quotes Psalm 91 to tempt Jesus!

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"—Luke 4:9-11 (NIV)

Like anything of power,...the Bible can be (and has been) misused. That's why Paul encourages us in Colossians 3, to not only let the Word dwell richly inside of us, but also to use it with great wisdom. God’s Word is the key that helps us distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, and the truth from a lie. If Jesus is our model, we need to take the time to memorize,...so the Word may dwell in us richly.

Jesus distinction, was not only that He had the word memorized,
...but that He also had deep insight, into what He had memorized.

Author of Truth, we ask for Your insight, into Your Word. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

"He who holds the stars in space, holds His people in His Hands."

We Need An Attitude Of Gratitude

Good Morning!! How about a little Gratitude, on this Thoughtful, Thankful, Thursday? Thank You,...how often do you say, or hear that, now days? We aren’t born grateful. In fact, no matter how much we get,...we still see the need for more. There is this since of entitlement, amongst the old, and young alike today. Even if we never say it,...most times we act; as if the universe revolves around us,...with little or no thought about; what others may need, or want. You might even say that our self-centeredness, is the true opposite of gratitude,...and it isn't attractive, on God's children.

He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him,...and he was a Samaritan.—Luke 17:16 (NIV)

Jesus healed ten lepers, but only one returned to say; "thank you". The one who returned was a despised Samaritan,...perhaps thought to be the least likely, to fall on his face before Jesus. Did the others feel they were entitled to be healed? Or maybe they were just too preoccupied with their new lives to think of saying thanks, to the one who made it possible. It's only when we begin to comprehend that the universe doesn’t revolve around us, that we have a chance to become really grateful, for our place in it.

Politeness was drilled into most of us, as a stand-in for gratitude,
...hoping it would eventually develop.

Thank You, Father, for creating and redeeming us. Amen.

"He who holds the stars in space, holds His people in His Hands."