Author: looking2jesus13

Remember My Chains

Bible Reading: Colossians 4:7-18

Colossians 4:18, “Remember my chains.”

The Puritan, John Bunyan, was locked up in prison by the Church of England for preaching the gospel. He used the time to study and write and said: “I never knew all there was in the Bible until I spent those years in jail.” During his imprisonment, he wrote Pilgrim’s Progress, a bestselling fictional allegory of the Christian life. His book has encouraged countless souls, having sold some 250 million copies!

Paul likewise wrote this and other epistles from prison.  His imprisonment was the direct result of his preaching the gospel of grace.  He faced countless trials, seemingly everywhere he went.  Most often it was religious Jews and Judaizers who sought his demise.  All he needed to do to avoid trouble and imprisonment was stop preaching the gospel of grace.  But that’s not something he was willing to do.  He had previously spoken to the Colossians of such matters (Colossians 1:24-25). 

His willingness to endure such suffering spoke to His love for Jesus.  Nothing mattered more to him than Jesus (Philippians 3:7-8).  As far as he was concerned, sharing the gospel was akin to bringing unsearchable riches of Jesus to those he served (Ephesians 3:8).  The love of Jesus compelled him to go to all those places, and in love for Jesus, he faithfully carried out his ministry.

He wrote the so-called “prison epistles” as he was chained to a Roman guard.  And he wanted the believers in Colossae to know that.  Not that he might gain sympathy, but they would know of the tremendous worth of Jesus and the gospel message he was proclaiming.  And so that they would pray for him.  Even as we are likewise commanded to “remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body” (Hebrews 13:3).

Henry Alford has also noted that “these words extend further than to mere pecuniary support, or even mere prayers: they were ever to keep before them the fact that one who so deeply cared for them, and loved them, and to whom their perils of false doctrine occasioned such anxiety, was a prisoner in chains: and that remembrance was to work and produce its various fruits—of prayer for him, of affectionate remembrance of his wants, of deep regard for his words.”

One other thing should come to mind as we remember Paul’s chains.  Though Paul was imprisoned, the Word of God cannot be (2 Timothy 2:9).  History is filled with examples of this truism.

Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). For two thousand years, Jesus has been building His church and the gospel message has rounded the world. Wherever it’s gone, it has been met with great opposition. So, it is to this very day. But just as the tomb could not contain Jesus, so it is impossible to lock up the Word. It is as the church father Tertullian once said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”

It is as Charles Colson has said: “The Bible—banned, burned, beloved. More widely read, more frequently attacked than any other book in history. Generations of intellectuals have attempted to discredit it; dictators of every age have outlawed it and executed those who read it. Yet soldiers carry it into battle believing it more powerful than their weapons. Fragments of it smuggled into solitary prison cells have transformed ruthless killers into gentle saints.”

HOLY BIBLE, BOOK DIVINE

Holy Bible, Book divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine;
Mine to tell me whence I came;
Mine to teach me what I am.

Mine to chide me when I rove;
Mine to show a Savior’s love;
Mine thou art to guide and guard;
Mine to punish or reward.

Mine to comfort in distress;
Suffering in this wilderness;
Mine to show, by living faith,
Man can triumph over death.

Mine to tell of joys to come,
And the rebel sinner’s doom;
O thou holy Book divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine.

Common Cause

Bible Reading: Colossians 4:7-18

“But we in it shall be remembered; We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.” Shakespeare’s Henry V

In the hallway above where I’m now writing hangs a quilt that was a gift to Laura and me on our first-year anniversary of pastoring at Lewis and Clark Bible Church.  Each square of the quilt bears the names of a family that attended the time.  Though some have departed to be with Jesus, I’ve fond memories of them all.  Though diverse in age and backgrounds, God worked to knit us all together in love.  We shared a common relationship with Jesus, a common indwelling of the Spirit, and a common cause in knowing Jesus and making Him known.  Each person was uniquely gifted to serve in their own particular way in the building up of the body.  Paul wrote as one of a band of brothers, for he realized that we believers are all part of a work that is bigger than any one of us.  A work that demands of us we be of “one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27).

His band of brothers included Tychicus, the trusted postman, who was a companion of Paul for over 10 years.  Paul entrusted him with the task of making important deliveries (Acts 20:3, 24:17; Colossians 4:7-8; Ephesians 6:21).  His faithfulness in delivering the parchments earned him a forever mention in the book to which they were destined.   

Onesimus was the slave set free though the gospel to serve Jesus.  He was a native of Colossae and trusted in Jesus through the ministry of Paul (Philemon 10).  He proved himself useful to Paul, but Paul sent him back to Philemon and encouraged him to receive Onesimus not as a slave, but as a brother.  According to church tradition, Onesimus ultimately suffered martyrdom under Domitian.

Aristarchus, a native of Thessalonica (Acts 27:2), was together with Paul as a fellow prisoner.  In fact, he accompanied Paul through much ministry.  He was with him on his 3^rd missionary journey, and on the voyage to Rome (Acts 19:29, 20:4, 27:2).  According to church tradition, he suffered martyrdom at the hands of Nero.

Mark was son of a Mary of Jerusalem (Acts 12:12) and a cousin of Barnabas (Col. 4:10).  He wrote the gospel of Mark.  Mark accompanied Paul and Barnabas on the 1^st missionary journey (Acts 12:25, 13:4), but deserted them (Acts 13:13).  As a result, Paul later refused to take Mark along on the 2^nd missionary journey (Acts 15:36-39). Though he had previously deserted Paul, he was there with Paul in his 1^st Roman imprisonment (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24), for he had proved himself useful to Paul (2 Timothy 4:11).  According to church tradition, he was sent by Peter on a mission to Egypt and later suffered martyrdom at the hands of Nero.  He had failed Jesus once, but later proved himself useful and served well and was even privileged to write his gospel account.

Jesus called Justus is not otherwise spoken of in the New Testament.  He was a Jewish believer, together with Aristarchus and Mark, reminding us that although most of Paul’s brethren (his fellow Jews; Romans 10:1) were antagonistic to him and his cause, there were these who joined with Paul—despite the cost—and brought much encouragement to him.

Epaphras was the hometown hero.  Having been saved through Paul’s ministry, he returned home and shared the gospel in his hometown (Colossians 1:7).  Paul had strong words of commendation for Epaphras, for he was a man who labored in prayer and had a deep concern for the church.  According to church tradition, he suffered martyrdom in Colossae.

Luke, the beloved physician, was the writer of the 3^rd gospel.  He joined with Paul at Troas and sailed with him to Macedonia (Acts 16:10-11; AD 50).  He also accompanied Paul on his trip to Jerusalem (Acts 20:6-21:18) and the trip to Rome (Acts 27:1).  Luke remained faithful amongst the defection of others in Paul’s 2ndRoman imprisonment (2 Timothy 4:11).  Church tradition holds that he died as a martyr, but it is not known where.

Something is said of every other companion of Paul, but nothing else is said here about Demas—no commendation, no recommendation to the church, no mention of his character or efforts.  The book of Colossians was written in AD 62.  The book of second Timothy was written during Paul’s 2^nd imprisonment (Fall AD 67).  Sometime between the writing of the two books, Demas deserted Paul (2 Timothy 4:10).  He reminds us of the danger associated with love for this world and need to guard our hearts (1 John 2:15-17; 2 Timothy 1:14).

They were a diverse group, a band of brothers, sold out to the cause of making the gospel known.  And they suffered, and even died, for that cause.  They suffered and died, and through their sacrifice, the gospel message spread.  And spread.  Until one day it came to you.  That you might be enjoined to your own band of brothers and sisters, who are likewise bound together to a common cause.

GOD OF GRACE AND GOD OF GLORY

God of grace and God of glory,
on your people pour your pow’r;
crown your ancient Church’s story,
bring its bud to glorious flow’r.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
for the facing of this hour,
for the facing of this hour.

Lo, the hosts of evil round us
scorn the Christ, assail his ways.
From the fears that long have bound us
free our hearts to faith and praise.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
for the living of these days,
for the living of these days.

Cure your children’s warring madness;
bend our pride to your control;
shame our wanton, selfish gladness,
rich in things and poor in soul.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
lest we miss your kingdom’s goal,
lest we miss your kingdom’s goal.

Save us from weak resignation
to the evils we deplore;
let the gift of your salvation
be our glory evermore.
Grant us wisdom, grant us courage
serving you whom we adore,
serving you whom we adore.

Witnessing God’s Way

Bible Reading: Colossians 4:2-6

Colossians 4:5-6, “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.”

C. T. Studd, “Some wish to live within the sound of Church or Chapel bell; I want to run a Rescue Shop within a yard of hell.”

One thing of note in our passage is the interrelationship between making the best use of our time and how important we make use of that time in our witnessing efforts.  We are to measure our walk (how we live) and talk (what we say) before those outside of the faith, in terms of the opportunity provided to us make Jesus known.  In view of the brevity of our lives here on earth, and the eternal destiny (heaven or hell) that awaits every soul, we must value every opportunity and seek to make the best use of it. 

In fact, there are lots of reasons for us to be motivated to witness well for Jesus.  It’s only natural that we’d want to pass on to others what we ourselves have experienced in being saved from our sins.  Paul spoke of the gospel as “the gospel of the glory of the blessed God” (1 Timothy 1:11).  To proclaim such a truth about God and His gracious work is an act of worship.  Jesus is coming soon.  Judgement awaits those without Christ (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).  It is our duty and privilege to work to rescue the perishing. 

Of all the things that we can spend time on, giving attention to our witnessing efforts is a matter of preeminent importance.  That requires of us, of course, that we be in the Word (Colossians 3:16), and that we be devoted to prayer (Colossians 4:2).  But it is important to keep in mind that time spent in the word and prayer are not a goal unto themselves. The goal of each is to instruct and equip us that we might know Jesus better and make Him known. 

It is as Wayne Barber has said, “Making the most of the time means to redeem the time. To redeem the time means to purchase it. That is one thing that we all have in common. Every one of us has exactly the same amount of time. You’ve got 24 hours, and what you do with it is your business. You’ve got to make choices…Life is filled with one choice after another choice after another choice…Now to be the right choice, it has to be a choice that honors Christ and what His Word has to say. That is the way I purchase time. I have only got one time around, and I must learn to make proper choices. How many choices did you make yesterday?”

In 1878, a visiting preacher asked C. T. Studd, a well-known cricket player, if he was a Christian. When Studd knelt in prayer and thanked God for saving him, peace and joy flooded his soul.  Unfortunately, he did not share his faith with others, and for six years grew spiritually cold in his love for the world.  But then, Studd went to hear Dwight L. Moody speak. His love for Jesus was kindled afresh and immediately he began to tell others about Jesus.  He would later say that he had tasted of the pleasures of the world, but that nothing gave to him so much pleasure as bring his first soul to trust in Jesus.

Two years later, C. T. Studd sailed for China to join Hudson Taylor as a missionary. He dressed like a Chinese, ate Chinese food, and learned the Chinese language. While in China, he turned twenty-five. Under his father’s will, that is when he would inherit a large sum of money. Reading the Bible and praying, he felt convinced he should give his fortune away to show the world that he relied not on money but on a living God. The Lord, he was sure, would bless him a hundred-fold in non-monetary ways and provide him sufficient money to live on. “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him,” he argued.

C. T. Studd served as a missionary in China and India and Africa.  He was zealous in his witnessing efforts until he died.  Some criticized him for being too zealous.  His response?  “How could I spend the best years of my life in living for the honors of this world, when thousands of souls are perishing every day?”

He once wrote a poem that has since been much read.  He lived his life according to its truths.  We do well to make to follow in his example:

ONLY ONE LIFE

Two little lines I heard one day,
Traveling along life’s busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart,
And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one,
Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in ‘that day’ my Lord to meet,
And stand before His Judgment seat;
Only one life,’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice,
Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave,
And to God’s holy will to cleave;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years,
Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its clays I must fulfill,
living for self or in His will;
Only one life, ’twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.

The Priority of Prayer

Bible Reading: Colossians 4:2-6

Devote 1: to dedicate by a solemn act 2 a: to give over (as to a cause, use, or end) wholly or purposefully b: to center the attention or activities of (oneself).  Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary.

God commands us, as believers, to devote ourselves to prayer.  Our lives should be characterized by purposeful persistence in prayer in all its various aspects—adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication.

Prayer is to be as natural to the believer as is breathing.  It would be fair to say that every human is devoted to “air.”  And if they ceased in their ‘devotion to air’ they would not stay alive for very long.  The believer is to be devoted to prayer.  As any of us cannot survive long without air, so the believer cannot fare well spiritually apart from devotion to prayer.

Jesus was devoted to prayer.  He prayed…In the beginning, during, and at the close of His ministry (Luke 3:21, 5:16, 23:46).  He prayed after ministering all day (Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:35) and through the evening (Mark 1:32-35).  He prayed all night (Luke 6:12).  He prayed amidst His own suffering (Luke 23:34). He prayed before making important decisions (Luke 6:12-13); and while amid a trial (Matthew 26:36-44).

Andrew Murray, “Oh, why is it that God’s children have so little faith in the glory of prayer, as the great power for subjecting our own wills to that of God, as well as for the confident carrying out of the work of God despite our great weakness?  Would that we might learn from our Lord Jesus how impossible it is to walk with God, to obtain God’s blessing or leading, or to do His work joyously and fruitfully, apart from close unbroken fellowship with Him who is ever a living fountain of spiritual life and power.”

The Apostle Paul was likewise devoted to prayer…Colossians 1:9, “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you.”  As was Epaphras…Colossians 4:12, “Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers.”  If Jesus needed to devote himself to prayer, and Paul and Epaphras too, how much more then, do we. 

Prayer is not a religious duty to be exercised out of mere obligation, but a tremendous privilege, in the activity of worship, in which we we’ve opportunity to speak to God Himself.  Inasmuch as He loves us—and we love Him—prayer is as natural to the born-again believer as breathing is to us all.  It is also essential to us, for in prayer we access the divine resources of love, grace, mercy, wisdom and peace—that we might be sustained and equipped to meet the temptations and trials we face.  In prayer we also confess our sins and give thanks to God for His gracious and abundant provision!

Andrew Murray, “This great promise (unbroken fellowship with Jesus) is now the inheritance of every believer, although so many of them know little about it.  Jesus Christ, in His divine personality, in that eternal love which led Him to the cross, longs to have fellowship with us every moment of the day, and to keep us in the enjoyment of that fellowship.  This ought to be explained to every new convert: ‘The Lord loves you so, that He would have you near Him without a break, that you may have experience of His love.’  This is what every believer must learn who has felt his powerlessness for a life of prayer, of obedience, and of holiness.  This alone will give us power as intercessors, to conquer the world, and to win souls out of it for our Lord.”

SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
that calls me from a world of care,
and bids me at my Father’s throne
make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
my soul has often found relief,
and oft escaped the tempter’s snare
by thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
the joys I feel, the bliss I share
of those whose anxious spirits burn
with strong desires for thy return!
With such I hasten to the place
where God my Savior shows his face,
and gladly take my station there,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
thy wings shall my petition bear
to him whose truth and faithfulness
engage the waiting soul to bless.
And since he bids me seek his face,
believe his word, and trust his grace,
I’ll cast on him my every care,
and wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Worship at Work

Bible Reading: Colossians 3:16-4:1

Colossians 3:22-25, “Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.”

Years ago, I was employed as a Training Specialist at Trojan Nuclear Plant in Rainier, Oregon.  My job was to train reactor operators, and I worked hard at it, writing lesson plans and conducting classroom training.  I didn’t hide the fact that I was a believer, in fact, I’d oftentimes spend lunchtime in my office reading my Bible.  There was one fellow amongst our staff that loved to give me a hard time about my faith in Jesus.  He was always saying something derogatory about Jesus and my faith.  You can imagine my dismay when I learned he was promoted to be my boss!  But you know what?  I just kept on doing my job to the best of my ability.  And while I may not have been privileged to see him being won to Christ, I won his trust and maybe even his friendship.

The main theme of verses 22-25 has to do with how a believer is to relate to his or her employer, though it applies to other aspects of life as well.  We sometimes tend to compartmentalize our lives, thinking that worship happens once a week and in a church building.  The fact is, worship is the 24/7 activity of the believer, in which He acknowledges God for who He is and what He has done, in what he says and what he does (1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:23).  This passage speaks to what the worship of God looks like in the workplace.

Worship involves every aspect of us, and that applies to how we perform in our jobs: with our heart (“With sincerity of heart”), and our hands (“DO your work heartily”), and our heads (“KNOWING that from the Lord you will receive the reward”).  The Christian employee is not just working for an “earthly master” (Colossians 3:22), but ultimately for his “Master in heaven” (Colossians 4:1; 2 Corinthians 4:15).

So, we should seek to do our jobs as if we are working for the Lord Jesus Himself, because in essence, we are.  As Haddon Robinson has commented, “Your work may be tedious.  You may have an employer who doesn’t appreciate you or pay you what you’re worth.  You may want to quit.  But you are working for Christ.  Do your daily work so that your Master in heaven can one day say to you, ‘Good job.  Well done.’”

Sometimes things aren’t easy in the workplace, but it’s good then to remember that God is sovereign over the affairs of our lives.  God has worked to bring you into a job, so for as long as you are in that job you need to give it your all.  Be thankful for your job, there are others who aren’t so fortunate (Colossians 3:17).  Remember that you are serving Jesus in all that you do (Colossians 3:17).  You may have a difficult boss, but you serve a perfect Lord who knows of your struggles and your perseverance (Hebrews 4:15-16). 

Charles Spurgeon, “’Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.’ This saying ennobles the weary routine of earthly employments and sheds a halo around the most humble occupations. To wash feet may be servile, but wash his feet is royal work. To unloose the shoe is poor employ, but to unloose the master’s shoe is a princely privilege. The shop, the barn, the scullery, and the smithy become temples when men and women do all to the glory of God! Then ‘divine service’ is not a thing of a few hours and a few places, but all life becomes holiness unto the Lord, and every place and thing, as consecrated as the tabernacle and its golden candlestick.”

GIVE OF YOUR BEST TO THE MASTER

Give of your best to the Master;
Give of the strength of your youth;
Throw your soul’s fresh, glowing ardor
Into the battle for truth.
Jesus has set the example,
Dauntless was He, young and brave;
Give Him your loyal devotion;
Give Him the best that you have.

Refrain:
Give of your best to the Master;
Give of the strength of your youth;
Clad in salvation’s full armor,
Join in the battle for truth.

Give of your best to the Master;
Give Him first place in your heart;
Give Him first place in your service;
Consecrate every part.
Give, and to you will be given;
God His beloved Son gave;
Gratefully seeking to serve Him,
Give Him the best that you have. [Refrain]

Give of your best to the Master;
Naught else is worthy His love;
He gave Himself for your ransom,
Gave up His glory above.
Laid down His life without murmur,
You from sin’s ruin to save;
Give Him your heart’s adoration,
Give Him the best that you have. [Refrain]

The Christ-Centered Home

Bible Reading: Colossians 3:16-4:1

Colossians 3:18-21, “Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.  Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.  Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.”

If you are dismayed and disheartened by what you hear about in the news, you are not alone!  You’ve no doubt read about heard about the confusion in our culture with respect to families and gender.  It is no longer just the existence of traditional genders that is questioned, but there is now confusion about whether a person can change his or her gender at will. Unfortunately, this confusion is not just being discussed among adults, but is invading the lives of children as well. As followers of Jesus, this breaks our heart because we know the truth that God has created male and female with distinctions that are complimentary, and thereby reflect upon His glory, when lived out in God honoring ways.

You realize, of course, that we didn’t get to this point all at once.  It was a series of missteps in a decades-long Romans 1:18-32 downward spiral that has brought us here.  I remember how things were in my childhood, when the traditional family was not the exception, but the norm.  But then came the legalization of no-fault divorce, and then the removal of prayer from our schools, and then the Roe vs. Wade decision legalizing abortion, and then the sexual revolution, etc.  The spiritual forces of this darkness have worked hard in its war against families to bring us to this point.  Left in the wake of the devil’s assault are countless broken marriages and broken homes and broken lives.  And so many lost and lonely and hurting children.  What are we to do?

Our passage reminds us that God has a better way.  A traditional family is more than a mere tradition, it is rooted in God’s design.  By God’s design, a husband and wife are joined in a lifelong commitment called marriage.  By God’s design, the man and the women bring children into the world, who are to be counted to be a blessing from God.  According to God’s design, each member of the family has a particular role to fulfill—every role instructed and fulfilled in love—as Christ and His Word fill each heart (Colossians 3:16).  The husband is to not be harsh with his wife, as men are sometimes prone to be, but to love her according to the example of Christ himself (Ephesians 5:25).  He’s to set the standard in the family by his selfless and loving sacrifice, as a servant putting his wife and children’s needs ahead of his own.  The wife is called to submit to her husband, but not in how is sometimes thought.  Her calling is not that of a house servant, to be ordered around or treated harshly or as a lesser.  Indeed, as has been said, the man who doesn’t seek his wife’s counsel in family decisions is a fool.   But rather, her submission is likewise according to the example of Jesus, who though a co-equal member of the Trinity, nevertheless subjected Himself in all things to the Father.  The children are given but one command, but it is of utmost importance, for the learning of it will work to bear lifelong blessings (Ephesians 6:2-3).  In contrast to what we see far too often in our day, children are to be instructed to obey their parents (Colossians 3:20; 2 Timothy 3:2). Jesus likewise serves as the best example for the children, for though he was God come to earth, he nevertheless subjected Himself to his earthly parents in all things (Luke 2:51).  With Jesus at the center, a healthy marriage bears witness to His saving and life-transforming power!

Rooted in our passage is the reality that Jesus alone has the power to fix what is broken in a life or in a marriage or in a family.  He created all things.  Marriage was His idea.  He who died on the cross and rose from the dead has the power to restore broken families and broken lives.  He who holds together the universe has the power to knit a marriage and family together in love.  Jesus is the answer for all that ails us.  And, the fact is, there is no other way!  Hold fast to this biblical design!  And hold your children and grandchildren tightly and love them dearly.  Things in our world are changing fast!

CHRISTIAN HOMES

God, give us Christian homes!
Homes where the Bible is loved and taught,
Homes where the Master’s will is sought,
Homes crowned with beauty Your love has wrought;
God, give us Christian homes;
God, give us Christian homes!

God, give us Christian homes!
Homes where the father is true and strong,
Homes that are free from the blight of wrong,
Homes that are joyous with love and song;
God, give us Christian homes;
God, give us Christian homes!

God, give us Christian homes!
Homes where the mother, in caring quest,
Strives to show others Your way is best,
Homes where the Lord is an honored guest;
God, give us Christian homes;
God, give us Christian homes!

God, give us Christian homes!
Homes where the children are led to know
Christ in His beauty who loves them so,
Homes where the altar fires burn and glow;
God, give us Christian homes;
God, give us Christian homes!

His Word in Your Heart

Bible Reading: Colossians 3:16-4:1

Colossians 3:16-17, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Jacob DeShazer grew up in Madras, Oregon enlisted in the Army and became one of Dolittle’s Raiders.  After his plane deployed its bombs, it ran out of fuel and crashed in China.  He was captured the next day, then spent the next 40 months in Japanese prison camps where he was severely mistreated and punished.  He responded in kind to the threats and abuse of his captors. 

Everything changed for Jacob when he was given access to a Bible for three weeks.  He read truths about God and Christ and how Jesus was sent to die for his sins.  He trusted in Christ and was born again.  His demeanor and life changed as a result.  He determined to treat his captors with respect, which caused them to do the same.  He was eventually rescued, then went on to receive a college education.  Eventually he returned to Japan as a missionary—to take the message of the gospel back to the same people who had so severely mistreated him.

The Word of Christ is powerful to save and transform.  It can transform rebels into worshippers.  It can teach us truths regarding God, Christ, salvation, God’s will for our lives.  The Bible has power to instruct, to encourage, and to change.  It can bring harmony and love to a marriage, a family, a workplace.  It has power to transform lives, families, churches, and even countries.  It is a powerful word indeed!

The term dwell in our text translates a Greek term which means to “dwell in, take up residence, make one’s home in.”  Different kinds of guests may visit your home and they are met with varying degrees of welcome.  There is a difference between how we might welcome a rude relative, or a treasured loved one.  Those whom we love are always welcome and we want them to stay for as long as they can.  We are glad if they make themselves at home and we are able to spend quality time with them.  What degree of welcome is the Word of Christ now receiving in your heart?  Is it to you an unwelcome stranger? Is the Word a mere servant?  Or is it the beloved master of the house whose presence and company is highly esteemed?  Do you take time to hear it, read it, memorize it, and meditate upon it, that you might apply it and ultimately to better know the One of whom it speaks?  Make note of this in our text: The worship of God is the result when the word of Christ richly dwells within!

Charles Spurgeon once alluded to the example of John Bunyan as one who had “let the Word of Christ richly dwell within.”  He said, “John Bunyan as an instance of what I mean. Read anything of his, and you will see that it is almost like reading the Bible itself. He had studied . . . till his very soul was saturated with Scripture; and, though his writings are charmingly full of poetry, yet he cannot give us his Pilgrim’s Progress – that sweetest of all prose poems – without continually making us feel and say, “Why, this man is a living Bible!” Prick him anywhere; his blood is Bibline, the very essence of the Bible flows from him. He cannot speak without quoting a text, for his very soul is full of the Word of God. I commend his example to you, beloved, and, still more, the example of our Lord Jesus. If the Spirit of God be in you, he will make you love the Word of God; and, if any of you imagine that the Spirit of God will lead you to dispense with the Bible, you are under the influence of another spirit which is not the Spirit of God at all. I trust that the Holy Spirit will endear to you every page of this Divine Record, so that you will feed upon it yourselves, and afterwards speak it out to others.”

HOLY BIBLE, BOOK DIVINE

Holy Bible, book divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine;
Mine to tell me whence I came,
Mine to teach me what I am:

Mine to chide me when I rove;
Mine to show a Savior’s love;
Mine thou art to guide and guard;
Mine to punish or reward;

Mine to comfort in distress,
Suffering in this wilderness;
Mine to show by living faith,
Man can triumph over death;

Mine to tell of joys to come,
And the rebel sinner’s doom;
O thou holy book divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine.

Dress for Success

Bible Reading: Colossians 3:5-15

Colossians 3:12-14, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another.  If one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.  And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

There used to be a show on TV called, “What Not to Wear.”  The premise of the show was to find some person who needed some drastic improvement when it came to their wardrobe.  Two fashion experts provided advice and clothing to the poorly dressed slob.  Then, at the end of the show, the now well-dressed person would be unveiled to the oohs and aahs of his or her family and friends.

Spiritually speaking, we live and exist in a “What Not to Wear” reality.  None of us, by nature, are properly attired for heaven.  Something must be done if we are to gain access.  This can only happen through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.  Yet once saved, there is work to be done.  There is still a need to concern oneself with our garments (so to speak).  That is the focus of our text.  The phrases “laid aside” and “put on” come from terms which were used regarding the putting off and putting on of clothing (Colossians 3:9, 12). 

Considering your new identity in Christ, there are certain attitudes and actions you are to put off.  You are to cast them from you as stinky and smelly garments.  What are they?  One list is given in Colossians 3:5. Another list appears in Colossians 3:8-9.

And, in light of your new identity in Christ, there are attitudes and actions you are to put on which are consistent and appropriate.  Having been born again you have a new identity, as one of “God’s chosen ones” (Colossians 3:12).  You are His child.  You belong to Him.  You are also “holy.” You’ve been set apart from the world, unto God.  The garbs of sin adorned by the lost in this world, are not appropriate for those who belong to Christ. 

Believers are “beloved” by God.  How shall we dress as his children?  What sort of attire should we wear?  The children of Kings dress in royal attire.  So what shall those belonging to the King of Kings wear?  Those destined to a Wedding Ceremony don their best clothing, what is appropriate dress for those destined towards heaven?  Attitudes and actions such as: “Compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience; bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also much forgive.  And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:12-14).

F. B. Meyer has well summarized the matter, “We must be careful to be properly dressed each day. If we lose our temper over trifles, or yield to uncharitable speech, it shows that we have omitted to put on the girdle of love; if we yield to pride, avarice, envy and jealousy, we must not simply endeavor to put off these evils but take from the wardrobe the opposite graces. It is not enough to avoid doing wrong. Our Master demands that we should always do and be what is right. When we fail in some sudden demand, it is because we have omitted to put on some trait of Christ, which was intended to be the complement of our need. Let us therefore day by day say: “Lord Jesus, wrap Thyself around me, that I may go forth, adequately attired to meet life’s demands.” In Christ for standing; Christ in us, for life; we with him, for safety.”

MAY THE MIND OF CHRIST, MY SAVIOR

May the mind of Christ, my Savior,
Live in me from day to day,
By his love and pow’r controlling
All I do and say.

May the word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through his pow’r.

May the peace of God, my Father,
Rule my life in ev’rything,
That I may be calm to comfort
Sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me
As the waters fill the sea.
Him exalting, self abasing:
This is victory.

May we run the race before us,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As we onward go.

Justifiable Homicide

Bible Reading: Colossians 3:5-15

Colossians 3:5, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry…”

Every year, our family used to go camping at a place called Whistler’s Bend Campground, along the banks of the beautiful N. Umpqua River.  Such a beautiful place.  But our oldest daughter, in her early teens at the time, expressed her fear to me that there might be rattlesnakes there.  “Don’t worry,” I assured her, “I’ve never seen or heard of a rattlesnake in all the many years we’ve come to this place.  Unconvinced, I took her to the nearby public library where we found a book with a map of the range of western rattlesnakes.  The map showed our location to be on the edge of the range of such snakes, so neither of us could truly prove our point.  I went fishing the next morning. When I returned, my kids ran to tell me the news—a rattlesnake showed up in camp, and some lady decided to run over it with her car!  Later, the campground hosts discovered an entire den of snakes on the hill behind the campground.  I hate snakes.  And if you come across one like that lady, it makes good sense to kill the thing.  

If only we treated sin like that! 

Why kill sin?  Because you are to put into practice what is already true of you positionally.  Colossians 3:3 says, “You have died.”  Colossians 3:5 says, “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead.”  Romans 6 says the same thing, “You died to sin” (Romans 6:2) and are therefore to “consider yourselves to be dead to sin” (Romans 6:11).  The term translated “consider” is the Greek “logizomai.”  It is translated “reckon” in the KJV.  It is related to our word “logical” and means to “deem, suppose, or judge.”  The word deals with reality.  It would do us no good to reckon something to be other than it is.  If there is a reality, or truth to reckon it so, is to accept the truth and respond according to it.

Why kill sin?  Because God hates it!  It is because of sin “the wrath of God is coming” (Colossians 3:5).  We are “accepted in the beloved” and positionally righteous before God.  Yet God still disciplines His children.  There are still consequences for sin.  We will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to “receive what is due for what (we) have done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10). How can we love that which God hates?  Because of sin God’s wrath was poured out upon His only begotten Son.  Because of sin His wrath will come upon mankind.  We ought not to love that which God hates!

Why kill sin?  Because sin has no place in your future.  Heaven is a place where there will be no more sin.  2 Peter 3:13, “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”  See it there!  There will be no sin in heaven.  We use the expression “you can’t take it with you when you go.”  That’s true about money and possessions and is equally true of sin.  Whatever sin you might now befriend, will be soon left behind.  “The world is passing away and also its lusts” (1 John 2:17).

The fiery evangelist and ex-baseball player, Billy Sunday, vigorously spoke out against evil from the Gay Nineties through the Great Depression.  He preached Christ as the only answer to man’s needs.  “I’m against sin,” he once said, “I’ll kick it as long as I’ve got a foot, and I’ll fight it as long as I’ve got a fist.  I’ll butt it as long as I’ve got a head.  I’ll bite it as long as I’ve got a tooth.  When I’m old and fistless and toothless, I’ll gum it home to glory and it goes home to perdition!”  He also said, “One reason sin flourishes is that it is treated like a cream puff instead of a rattlesnake.”  God wants you and me to treat it like a rattlesnake.

SEARCH ME, O GOD

Search me, O God, and know my heart today;
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray.
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from ev’ry sin and set me free.

I praise thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin;
Fulfill thy Word, and make me pure within.
Fill me with fire where once I burned with shame;
Grant my desire to magnify thy name.

Lord, take my life and make it wholly thine;
Fill my poor heart with thy great love divine.
Take all my will, my passion, self, and pride;
I now surrender; Lord, in me abide.

Jonathan Goforth grew up on a farm in Ontario, Canada in the late 1800s. He was the seventh of eleven children. In his teenage years he was led by God to attend a small Presbyterian College. His goal was to be a missionary in some faraway place. His mother had worked hard to make a suit for Jonathan.

When Jonathan arrived at school he was dismayed to see that all of the other students, who had come from the city, had fancy suits. So he went into town and bought five yards of suit fabric. He planned to take the fabric to a tailor the next day to have a suit made. But something happened that night. After dinner
he went to his room to study. All of the other first-year students entered into his room. One was carrying a length of rope. They called him a “country bumpkin.” They tied the robe around his wrists. They found the fabric he had bought earlier. They cut a hole in the middle of it and placed it over his head and wrapped him up like a mummy. They lifted him into the air and carried him into the corridor.

One of the young men screamed, “Get back to your room if you can.” He hobbled the thirty feet back to the room as the students taunted and jeered and pushed him along. Ultimately, after about ½ an hour, he made his way back to him room. Someone unwound him and loosened the rope. Then they left him
alone. He fell onto his bed. His whole body shook with deep sobs. It was a frightening episode. But he did not retaliate and it did not deter him from his goals.

He joined the William Street Mission and became one its most successful workers. He showed kindness to his fellow students. After about a year he became one of the most popular students in the class. One by one, all the students in the class sought him out and apologized for the way they had treated him. They confided that they had expected him to go home after their merciless humiliation of him.

He graduated from college, but before he did, he was greeted by an incredible surprise. He had plans to go to China as a missionary. He didn’t know where the funds would come from. Those students had decided that they themselves would support him. They raised the funds amongst themselves to send him. He would later marry and go to China with the China Inland Mission. He was used by God to preach the gospel to thousands of Chinese men
and women. He was a man clothed with the compassion, kindness, humility, and meekness of Christ. And God used him in a mighty way. God has a purpose for you. Put on your heavenly attire. It is beautiful in Christ and will make you useful to Him in service