5/15/15- Christ Wins

15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Colossians 2:15)

Thoughts; Paul was thinking of both worldly and spiritual authorities and rulers.  Colossians 1:16 speaks of Christ making all things and powers visible and invisible. 2:10 speaks of His being head over every power - that includes worldly and spiritual.  Christ's triumph was not just a physical triumph,  but it did include a physical triumph.  There is no doubt that the Roman rulers and their guard was ashamed. The professional executors were defeated.  The Jewish authorities were defeated too.  The Romans emphasized mental and physical exercise.  The Jewish authorities of the time emphasized keeping the commands on the exterior but not necessarily the interior.  But Jesus also had a spiritual triumph.  No spiritual force is greater than He.  It is important to note in our day in which some think everything spiritual is equivalent (monism), that the claim here is that Christ is head over all spiritual things.  Many who do not believe (and some who do) would say this is a brash and perhaps unfounded claim.  But Jesus backed this up in His teachings and in His resurrection.  No one else can claim to be raised from the dead- physically or spiritually.  The cross- instead of being a symbol of torture and of Roman rule- is a symbol of Christ's triumph over sin (spiritual) and over the grave (physical).  He is the only true Lord, worthy of our allegiance.  We will not go wrong in giving ourselves fully (all in) to Christ. 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your victory over the grave.  Thank you that you are victorious in every way.  Help me to rest in your power and your victory. 

5/14/15 The debt forgiven

13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you^d alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14)

Thoughts: Paul was talking about how Christ has circumcised us when he baptized us- claiming us as His own and cleansing us of sin.  Then Paul says, "when you were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh God made you alive" (cf. Eph. 2:6).  We were dead in sin- sin killed our ability to be alive to God- our souls.  We may be walking on the outside but on the inside we are dead until God makes us alive, regenerating our souls to Him.  Some have the idea that we reach half way up and God reaches the rest of the way.  But being dead in sins means we cannot reach at all.  God scoops us up and shocks our souls-restarting them.
     Paul goes on to explain how God gets us out of the deadness of sin.  Christ forgave us- cancelling the charge against us.  It would be like we were about to lose our house, our car, our everything because of all the debt we owe and God recognized the debt as paid by Christ on the cross.  He bore our punishment.  So we pray, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."
It is like God took our debts- and nailed them to the cross for everyone to see- and to see they have been paid.   When we are burdened by debt it is very unpleasant.  But when we are set free from debt it is a wonderful gift.  

Prayer: Lord, thank you for setting me free.  Help me to live and enjoy responsibly the freedom you have given.  

5/13/15- Circumcision and Baptism

11In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh^b was put off when you were circumcised by^c Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. (Colossians 2:11-12)

Thoughts: John Calvin says that baptism is the New Testament equivalent of circumcision.  The phrase, "Having been circumcised by Christ having been buried with him in baptism."  Baptism and circumcision are both initiation rites.  Both have to do with cleansing (putting off- burying).  Both are signs of faith- seals and symbols of being a part of the family of God.
     The difference is that circumcision is offered to only males whereas baptism is offered to both male and female.  In Inter-testimental times male converts to Judaism were circumcised.  Female converts were baptized.  In Christ there is neither male nor female, slave or free- but we are all one in Christ Jesus.  

Prayer: Lord, thank you for claiming me and welcoming me to your family of faith, hope, and love.  

5/12/15- Fullness in Christ

9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. (Colossians 2:9,10)

Thoughts: Paul is making a philosophical claim to counteract the weak and hollow philosophies of this world that do not provide substantive hope.  The substance or fullness (pleroma) of the Deity- lives in Christ.  If you want to see what God is like- look at Christ.
      Paul is using a poetic device here.  He contrasts the hollowness of this world to the fullness of Christ and then says that we are filled too.  He doesn't explain what this fullness is.  With what are we filled?  The implication is we are filled with Christ and are in Christ now.  This is not hollow, for the living God is living and not just made up.  The living God gives us substantive hope beyond the grave and not just a wish for more life- with no basis.  The God of love fills us with love and teaches us to love Him as well as neighbor and enemy.  The living God fills us with faith so that we can believe and have courage.  Faith, hope, and love is the trinity of things that fill us when we believe in Christ and not just invest in some hollow philosophy. 
     In college I studied philosophy.  I studied the great philosophers of the west and also read the Koran and some Hindu philosophy.  I found particularly, the Greek, Roman, and modern philosophers (which echo the Greek and Roman ideas) to be hollow shadows compared to the substantive claims and hope of Christ.  Many of these were trying to find a reason for meaning and existence apart from God.  The end result of this quest is the nihilism of Nietzsche or the angst of a Sartre or the "it doesn't matter" of post modernism.  Life and behavior matters because there is a God of love who cares.  This is substantive and fills us with faith hope and love. 

Prayer:  Help me Lord, to give up the hollow quest of finding meaning apart from you.  Instead, help me to find fullness of life in you- the God of love.  

5-11-15 Hollow Philosophy

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

Thoughts: Do not allow others to take you captive by smooth talking words.  It is hard to understand why people would work so hard to get people not to believe in the power of God to help them in life.  But there are doubters out there who would love for you to join them in their doubt.
      Hollow philosophies are those that look good on the outside but have no heart or substance in them.  Sometimes things disguising themselves as religious or spiritual are not healthy or right.  "The elemental spiritual forces" means evil forces that focus only on the moment, on the feelings, on the here and now.  But true spirituality is both substantive, powerful, and God centered.  

Prayer: Lord protect me from hollow and deceptive philosophies. Keep me focused on Christ.  

5-10-15 A Mother's Day Thought from Jeremiah 31

‘Lord, save your people, the remnant of Israel.’ 8See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return.

“A voice is heard in Ramah, mourning and great weeping,Rachel weeping for her children

and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” 16This is what the Lord says:“Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for your work will be rewarded,” declares the Lord. “They will return from the land of the enemy. 17So there is hope for your descendants,”  declares the Lord. “Your children will return to their own land. (Jeremiah 31)

Thoughts: These are verses of fruitfulness and hope.  Jeremiah was writing this before his people were taken into captivity.  He was giving them the promise that even if they were taken away, they would be brought back.
    Jeremiah was using the image of motherhood to bring both sadness and hope.  Rachel was weeping for her children refusing to be comforted (vs. 15).  This is true sadness. A mother's sadness for her missing children.  The Lord comforts these mothers with the promise of descendants and a return.  The promise of heaven enables us to be comforted when our children die, leave, or move away.  In heaven love will be returned and death has no power.
     But this also is a promise for now.  The Lord says His remnant.  The church may be reduced to a remnant- but God brings the church back.  Interestingly, God brings back not just the healthy but the weak (blind and lame and the pregnant).  When the war came, all these vulnerable people were put to the sword.  That pregnant women are there is a sign that the young will return to the Lord.  This is the sign that the Lord will bring up a new generation who will be faithful to Him- even if the old is unfaithful.  This is our prayer for 2015 in America.  God renew your remnant and restore your people who have faith in you.  

Prayer: Lord, comfort mothers and restor your people.  You are the rebuilder and renewer of hearts.

3/9/15- Rooted, Built, and Overflowing

6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (Colossians 2:6,7)

Thoughts: Our task is to be rooted and reaching.  We are to receive Christ as Lord, but that is not the end of it.  We are to sink our roots down into Him.   Strong roots enable a tree to withstand storms and wind.  In some ways this image could be like a geiser- much power underground that builds up and overflows.  A life of gratitude instead of whining or complaining or lack of peace comes from having deep roots sunk into Christ, being built up through faith, and then overflowing with the fruitfulness of gratitude.  

Prayer: Help me to grow, Lord.  Keep me from being content with my relationship with you.