PLUMBLINE DEVOTIONAL: COLOSSIANS 1:24-29

TEXT:

COLOSSIANS 1:24-29

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

(STUDY ON PROVERBS 1-7), PART 1 - GOD PROVIDES

When God told the first man ever on the earth - Adam - to go forth and multiply, Adam had no role model but God. It could get absolutely NO better than this, because our Creator and Heavenly Father is the most perfect Father ever.

Look at the Goodness of God the Father to Adam:

-  God created Adam. 

-  God gave Adam life.

-  God provided everything Adam needed to survive

-  God gave Adam a perfect home to live in, where everything was in harmony in the Garden of Eden.

-  God gave Adam a mission to accomplish, and a work to do

-  God gave Adam a beautiful wife for companionship, love and to help him oversee the Garden of Eden.

This was enough for any man to do. Yet Adam allowed his wife to negotiate with a snake, sin and then willingly went along with it. Later on, after they were expelled from perfection, Adam paid the price when one of this first sons, killed the other one. Cain murdered Abel over jealousy.

The Lord, our Good, Good Father, had to punish this original sin, which brought death, degradation and destruction into the world.  These continue until this day. God still provided for His now wayward people, in spite of the massive Flood from Noah times, which changed the atmospheric and living conditions so much, that  humans could no longer physically survive more than 100 years, down from 800-900 years pre-flood.

Even with the foolish, sinful and evil ways of all humankind since Adam and Eve’s expulsion from Paradise,  the Lord continued to provide for all people, of all nations. He has provided food and the rain to grow and produce. He has provide work, through the various tasks and effort needed to provide and maintain the daily, temporal needs of all humans – even those who hate or ignore Him. He has provided the ability to comprehend the workings of the human body, so medicine can help everyone, with a good lifestyle. He has provided Wisdom, through His Holy and Eternal Word – the Bible, which has, is now and will always provide, the solid underpinning for a life well lived.

This instruction can be found all through the Scriptures, the very Oracle of God. The Apostle Paul listed and rattled them off, in clear present tense, in the New Testament.  He gave the clearest of road maps to the Faithful about how we should conduct ourselves. 

The Book of Proverbs, in essence, provides the Wisdom required to comprehend these commands from Paul.  Without the ability to discern what is expected of us, following the teachings of the Apostle Paul (who was directly guided by Christ and the Holy Spirit to give them) would be simply an attempt at good works. Godly Wisdom is absolutely and 180 degrees in the other direction than Worldly Wisdom. Where do we find such a unique "wisdom"? The Bible directs us to start in the Book of Proverbs.  In this short series, we will look at the many times the Lord provides the reasoning, hence the wisdom, of certain life choices. This kind of teaching is in short supply, in these modern times. Let's spread the word.

Godly Wisdom begins with the "fear of the Lord".

Worldly Wisdom comes from the wisdom and confusing, contradictory philosophies of man.

Proverbs 1:5 "A wise man will hear and increase in learning and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel.

Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction".

PURSUIT WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION

""Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you...Matthew 7:7"
We all love watching a good fast chase, whether it is a car chase in the movies or on TV, or a boat race on the lake.  We even think It’s cute when one of our pet dogs playfully chases the other one around the back yard. We involve ourselves in our own chases at various times in our lives. In our teens and early twenties, the more educationally ambitious of us may chase down multiple college degrees (not me – one is enough). Those who are more bent towards business take risks and joyfully suffer the birth pangs of launching, maintaining and growing their own small business, as they chase their dream of the freedom of self-employment and probable riches. in general, though, it does seem as if sometimes, everything else is a chase, race or making haste.

The common goal of these various chases, from the self-motivated  young entrepreneur to the person who obtains the right educational background for a better job and benefits in order to raise a family or accumulate enough of a nest egg for later on, is success. There is absolutely nothing wrong with success and the process it takes to get there. As long as everything is legally,  ethically and morally done – the sky is the limit. Millions are willing to go into major debt to, excuse me, kiss the sky, in this pursuit.

Most times oft, than not, though, matters of the soul are completely ignored in this paper chase. (The paper chase mentioned in this article is all about the financial documents which represent wealth held by those who primarily seek only worldly success). Increasingly, with very few exceptions (less than 10%) the vast majority of people under the age of 40 have little or no faith in the God of Heaven. Men and women instinctively know that we were ALL created with the Law of God (His commands) written on our hearts. Even those who have not heard the Gospel possess this.  It is called the conscience where we learn right from wrong. Even those who hate God have a conscience. They just block it out. They just don’t pursue Him.

In the greatest sermon ever preached – the Sermon on the Mount, God Himself – through His Son the Creator, teaches many Eternal Truths about Life on earth. Almost all of the Teachings of Jesus are counter-cultural and against any of the worldly thinking of man. There is so much in this Greatest Message of All Times, but what is relevant here is the statement of Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you"

In short, the Lord recommended the following three specific actions – all in the present tense:

-          Ask

-          Seek

-          Knock on the door

Those in pursuit of success in the Natural (through Education, Business etc.) have no problem at all with any of those three. Whether we work for a company or run the company or teach a junior college class for a living, around age 30-40 we have done more than our fair share of asking, seeking and knocking on doors.  A 75% or more failure rate never stops us in our pursuit of excellence in our chosen career paths. The majority of us would just take deep breaths and move on to the next thing. However, for some reason, on the supremely important matter of eternity, the hard work of research into the Truth – the True Truth – is left on the cutting floor!

It is very telling that the very same committed and purpose-driven people who would work 70-90 hours per week to study part time while working would not take an hour of their entire week, on one day, to see if the claims and promises of God are true. A small business owner would be the last person to get paid at his business, while getting no sleep or vacation, but he or she would press so hard in one direction, that the real direction that matters will also be neglected.

Even so, Jesus has a proposition for those who are worn down, beaten up, tired out, flamed out and just plain over their heads in the hot pursuit of success, the World’s Way. He has three simple words: Ask, Seek, Knock. What’s behind these three doors is nothing magical, but it IS something Eternal. It is Rest. It is Peace. It is Joy. It is Contentment. It is Heaven.

Success the world’s way could and should get you that – a comfortable successful life….in THIS Life ONLY!  But the Pursuit of Heavenly Treasure lasts forever. For those are interested in what comes next after this swift fleeting life.  Again – it’s free ….and so simple. In fact it is so simple, most do not believe it cost them nothing, thereby missing the boat.

ASK:

Like everything else in matters of eternity, it comes down to the Heart – the Spiritual Heart. To even get to the point of asking, we need to be able see and then know, that for which we are asking or requesting. Scripture, in Ephesians 1:18, cries out to us “open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord”.  There is nothing in the make-up of a human being which is worthy of us being even qualified to "ASK" the Great God of Heaven for anything. It is by sheer mercy and grace we are alive and then have the means to live comfortably, and function at any capacity. The sooner we realize this, the quicker we will make haste to the Throne Room of God to ask Him to be the Guiding Light of Our Lives.

SEEK:
Anyone who is born again, instinctively knows we were near seeking and finding a relationship with the True God of Heaven and our Creator. At some point in life, we may have been seeking for the great answers of life - (who am I, why am I here etc...). However, if you look at some of the "-sims*" that led countless millions astray, none of them sought after the real God of Heaven as found in the Bible. (Think of "isms" like extentialism, atheism, communism etc...etc...). All of these "systems" were thought up by mortal men. All of these men had disturbing final words and horrible fruit of their labors and teachings. Jesus is inviting us to search Him out AND He gave us the most powerful flashlight and road map ever- The Bible. To those who have been redeemed, He sends the Holy Spirit to continue the life long pursuit of seeking out eternal truths in through Prayer and the Full Counsel of God. These are the only riches which are worth nailing down first, before all else. Seek and look for Him, He and all Heaven are within reach!

KNOCK:
The portals of Heaven still remain open to all who ask, seek and then knock. The original meaning of the word "knock" is to literally "beat the door down with a stick"....or perseverance, persistence and never giving up in your pursuit of this amazing God. How do we knock on Heaven's door? We do so by daily, consistent pressing into the very Throne of Heaven, where we camp and not leave until God provides the guidance, direction and answers we are seeking and asking. 

All there active processes imply and ongoing and well, active response on our part. They proceed out of a heart set on God. In all the great chases and pursuits we can have in this life, at any age, this is the only one built to last.

SEVEN FAMOUS BIBLE VERSES #5: "SECRET BEHIND PHILIPPIANS 4:13"

Mankind has always coveted power from the dawn of time, and especially when life on planet earth was rebooted, post Noahic-Flood. One of Noah’s great grandsons was a….Nimrod. In fact, Nimrod was his name. He is the person responsible for the reintroduction of idolatry and pagan worship into the world after God had cleansed the earth of every evil thing and person. Nimrod wanted power, longing to be like God and decided to build a tower that he thought would reach the sky…all the way to heaven. The result was the Tower of Babel and the true power of God revealed when the Almighty scattered mankind across the land, speaking in strange languages and tongues. Before this event, all living humans spoke the language of Noah.

Nimrod used his God-given gifts and abilities to shake his fists at the Creator and do things in his own power. Then God showed up. Many will see the brilliant and lost in this world prospering to the tune of billions, while blaspheming God or worshiping their own creations (whether it’s in the technology or financial world). They see this inconsistency going on while God’s people suffer in most countries of the world and have nothing. This should not concern us to the point of sin. It should inspire us to work harder in Kingdom Service and not to an obsession of what is celebrated in this celebrity culture, but a reliance on the Strength and Character of God, in order to be like Him.

  

The popular Philippians 4:13 verse is a favorite of a lot of people, especially soldiers, college students and even athletes, most of whom do not follow Christ.  Taken by itself, the impact which God intended for us to have from this verse is lost. By itself, it even becomes somewhat of an idol if we are not in relationship and fellowship with the God Who had it written down for us. The Power is not in the word but the Word Who became flesh. The Power is not in the t shirt, hat or mug it is on, but in the Author of Life. The run up to this exhortation (4:13) is Philippians 4, verses 11b and 12.  If we miss this, we are operating in midair with now landing gear down.  The Apostle Paul, under inspiration from the Holy Spirit writes the following:

Philippians 4:11b-12 ---  11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 

The above passage should be an example to those of us in modern times who sometimes feel as if we need the next best thing....and then we will be happy. Or maybe, if we had this new car, or new job, or new home, then we can really be satisfied with our lives.

Focusing on the wrong things brings dissatisfaction, but peace with God and the simplicity of the Gospel lead to peace, joy, contentment. The mark of a true believer is how one carries oneself under ANY circumstance. This is the main point of the passage. 

When the modern cultural fad adopts the "Bumper Sticker" man-made attribute of "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me", the fad creates more fad adherents than followers.  When Philippians 4:13 becomes written on the back of your cleats, or on your ball cap or coffee mug, it should be more than just YOU and I making some kind of statement to the world that we are "Christians".

Because the Gold of this teaching is found here in Verses 11b and 12, we can surely NOW rest in Philippians 4:13 ("I can do all things through Him who strengthens me") but more important, we must ensure we are filled with the sense of the main thing which is integral to our soul and its well-being BEFORE we get there. The main things ARE the main things and here they are:

 -  Open our eyes to what the Lord has done for us and be grateful for every single thing He has done for us. 

 -  Gratitude for what our Heavenly Father has done for us, beyond just meeting our needs, but allowing us to be even more comfortable and prosperous than we were, maybe even ten years ago, should lead us to proper humility.

 -  This Humility should result in perspective of the kind where we can handle any form of adversity which the world throws at us in general, or at Christians specifically. Life will happen to all. Life is lived in the valley of sometimes flowing waters and fertile soil, but many times, life is lived in the valley of despair. The Secret is found in the Oracles of God, Who laid them plainly out in Scripture.

 -  Adversity, in the Valley of Despair, can always be handled with Godly dignity and grace if we know the Source of Everything and not just the Strength and Power which comes from God.

 -  Gratitude, Humility, Persevering in Adversity even when times are good (and they will not stay good forever) can be rolled up into one thing - Godly Perspective. This is the Real Secret which are available to the Faithful who can now claim the ability to possess all these attributes, because his/her reliance is in the Lord Jesus Christ - Who has given us and embedded His character and power IN us. 

Therefore, if we are really searching for the Secret behind this popular or any other verse of its genre, we will most certainly find that there is no hidden magic formula at all! God has written it all out in the open! All we should immediately grasp is this - our God is a God of order and is also Process. He IS in the details and longs to fill them in for us - if we will only ask. 

PRAYERS OF THE BIBLE SERIES: THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS #2

LOVE IN ACTION

9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11)
Oh that we too shall pray like the Apostle does here in verse 9! This is one of the most powerful prayers of the entire Scriptures, neatly hidden in plain sight! Here is what a man of God - Paul - writes from a prison cell: 
- He prays that the Love we should have for our brethren in the Faith grows by leaps and bounds.
- He prays for us, (through the Church at Philippi) may growing in actual doctrine and theological knowledge of the Oracles and Word of God. The word oracles is used in Romans 3:2.
- He prays for us (since ALL Scripture was written THEN for us NOW, for our instruction ) to UNDERSTAND the knowledge we are learning.
- He prays that because of THAT understanding that we remain authentic and with as little sin as possible until Christ calls us home!

Should this prayer not be obvious to us Christians who believe and stand firmly on the Word of God? Yes it should, but is it put into action? In the west, we can hardly get preachers and teachers to remember and pray for our persecuted brethren in the middle east, Asia or elsewhere. Christianity is an "inside-the-four-walls" system in most churches. There may be an acknowledgment of the lost and hurting outside church walls, but little is done to change that downward spiral. But here is a real encouragement to our prayer lives, which can have a positive impact, that leads to proactive solutions.

As simple as this model prayer from Paul is, it behooves us to add its pattern to our prayer lives, in order than we may grow richer in grace and love while blessing others. This is imperative as we see in verse 11. By following the progression of this prayer, as Paul demonstrates in his many flow charts of the attributes we need for spiritual maturity, that we are lifting high the Name of Jesus and the Father.

He is saying in this prayer that Prayer, rich in love, growing into knowledge and understanding will certify us as authentic and whole, until we are home with Christ. Therefore a life, which reflects such a solid lifestyle, visible to all around us (fruits of righteousness) will lead many to see the Power of God visible in you, and all of us, who glorify Him by our actions and obvious Christian character!

This is transformation aglow! Oh, that we may be so worthy! May such active and repeatable prayer lead to many seek the peace, power and loving arms of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Amen.