SEPTEMBER 10

Christ Above all

Bible Reading: Colossians 1:15-17

Colossians 1:17, “And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

The church in Colossae was being confronted by false teaching.  Though we don’t know the exact nature of the Colossian heresy, it is thought to have been some “proto-Gnosticism.”  Gnosticism was a form of religion than integrated various myths and elements of Greek philosophy.  The Gnostics believed matter to be evil.  And that God and matter were therefore at odds.  How then, did God create the world?  They believed it happened through a series of emanations, each a little more distant from God and having a little less of deity.  At the end of the chain of these intermediate beings was Christ.  This supposition made it impossible for the Gnostics to accept the real incarnation of God in Christ.  Some of them explained it away by denying His actual humanity; others by denying His deity.  Either way, the false teaching was contrary to the truth and exceptionally dangerous to the spiritual well-being of the members of the church in Colossae.

Our passage speaks to the glorious truth that the Lord Jesus Christ is “very God of very God… who was made man.” Fully divine.  Fully human.  He is the One in whom all things hold together.  “Hold together” translates a word which carries the idea of consistence or harmony. It speaks to the unifying power that underlies all things. Every atom in the universe holds together because it is in Christ. There is order and harmony in all creation. It is a universe, not a chaos, and Christ is the unifying force.

As many of you know, I used to work in the nuclear power industry.  I trained reactor operators.  We had to study nuclear physics, and one thing you are taught to understand is that atoms are held together by a so-called nuclear force.  At the center of an atom, you have neutrons and protons, and around the perimeter, you have electrons.  The protons are positively charged and should repel each other.  But they are bound at the nucleus of the atom by this mysterious force.  It is the unleashing of this force in the process of fission that a nuclear power plant produces its power.  But my main point here is this—He even holds the tiniest of particles together!  And, of course, everything else is held together by Him as well.  The earth is where it ought to be.  The climate is according to His design.  The political forces are within His limitations.  Things are moving in the direction of His predetermined plan.  He literally has the whole world in His hands and is providentially overseeing all that takes place in His universe.

Ray Stedman has commented on this, “The most astonishing phenomenon today is to see men who work with this physical universe, who intimately observe the beauty, order, and power inherent in the natural world as well as in the world of humanity, yet who fail to see the Power behind it all; the ordered Intelligence that possesses and originates all these things. I do not understand how a man like Carl Sagan can work in the field of astronomy, knowing of the great secrets that are now coming to light in the universe, and yet go on breathing air which God has supplied, eating the food with which God has stocked this earth, and relying moment by moment on a heartbeat whose continuation rests in the will of Someone other than himself, yet can busy himself telling us that only man matters! It is a phenomenon beyond my understanding…”as I think of the world in which we live today surely this is the reason for the terrible sense of lostness among people. We are a generation adrift. We have thrown out all the absolutes and found ourselves adrift on the tossing ocean of life. They have no King to worship, no authority to serve, no cause greater than themselves. Thus, the central truth of our faith, and one that makes for strength in the Christian life, is this truth. In Jesus is found the center of life. ‘He is the image of the invisible God…the Creator of all things, who is before all things and holds all things in his hand and power.’ Is he your Lord?”

MAY JESUS CHRIST BE PRAISED!

When morning gilds the sky,
our hearts awaking cry:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
in all our work and prayer
we ask his loving care:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

To God, the Word on high,
the hosts of angels cry:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Let mortals too upraise
their voices in hymns of praise:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Let earth’s wide circle round
in joyful notes resound:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Let air and sea and sky
from depth to height reply:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Be this, when day is past,
of all our thoughts the last:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
The night becomes as day
when from the heart we say:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

Then let us join to sing
to Christ, our loving King:
May Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this the eternal song
through all the ages long:
May Jesus Christ be praised!

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Author: looking2jesus13

Jerry L. Conklin was born and raised in Hillsboro, Oregon. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served for six years in the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program. He was assigned to the USS *Omaha* (SSN-692), a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, where he served as a reactor-plant electrical operator. His military service took him to ports and locations throughout the world and provided extensive technical training, leadership experience, and an enduring appreciation for those who serve in the Armed Forces. Following his Navy service, Jerry earned a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Technology from Thomas Edison State University. He worked at the Trojan Nuclear Plant near Rainier, Oregon, first as a reactor operator and later as a training specialist. After sensing God’s call to pastoral ministry, he left the nuclear-power industry and earned a master’s degree in theology from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Jerry served for twenty-seven and a half years as senior pastor of Lewis and Clark Bible Church in Astoria, Oregon. During those years, he preached and taught the Scriptures, provided pastoral counseling, performed weddings and memorial services, trained church leaders, and served individuals and families throughout the community. He also served as a fire department chaplain and participated in a variety of community ministries. After retiring from full-time pastoral ministry, Jerry and his wife, Laura, moved to Heppner, Oregon. There he served for approximately four years as a chaplain with Pioneer Memorial Home Health and Hospice, providing spiritual and emotional support to more than 150 patients and their families. In 2023, the Oregon Association for Home Care honored him as its Chaplain of the Year. Jerry also helped establish South Morrow County Seniors Matter, a nonprofit organization created to address the needs of older adults following the COVID-19 pandemic. As chairman, he worked with community leaders and volunteers to develop a weekly senior meal program, a monthly veterans’ lunch, and other activities and services. The organization served hundreds of seniors, mobilized more than 200 volunteers, and received statewide and national recognition. In 2025, Jerry was named Heppner’s Man of the Year, and his community service was later recognized by United States Senator Jeff Merkley. International missions have also been an important part of Jerry’s ministry. He has made ten trips to Uganda, where he has taught at pastors’ conferences, preached in churches, participated in Bible-school graduations, distributed Bibles and Christian materials, and encouraged local pastors and ministry leaders. He developed the discipleship booklet *First Steps with Jesus* to help new believers understand and grow in their faith. Jerry is the author of numerous books, Bible studies, devotionals, and teaching resources, including works centered on prayer, Christian hope, spiritual growth, and the person of Jesus Christ. His decades of preaching and teaching reflect his commitment to presenting biblical truth clearly, practically, and faithfully. Jerry and Laura were married for nearly forty-two years and raised four children. They were also blessed with three grandchildren. Laura passed away in August 2025 following an eight-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Jerry currently lives in Hillsboro, where he helps care for his elderly father. He continues to preach, teach, write, and serve others through pastoral and community ministry.

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