“If then you have died with Christ to material ways of looking at things and have escaped from the world’s crude and elemental notions and teachings of externalism, why do you live as if you still belong to the world?” Colossians 2:20 ->me: I think Paul is talking about how we use the wisdom and common understanding of the world to define our goals and successes. ‘Material Ways’ means ‘earthly ways’. The world’s understanding of how to succeed in life and managing perception based on the world’s view is exactly what Paul is saying we should be against. Why are we playing into the lie that we need to impress, or LOOK like we are humble, or do things that LOOK like righteous living? I have died and been buried with Christ and now belong to Him alone. Why do I put any stake in catering to the world’s perception of being a good person? When I read the word, God is very clear what His standards are, the measuring stick by which we will all be measured and there is no way for us to meet it without Him. The phrase obedience is better than sacrifice takes such a bigger meaning when I see in the context of this verse. I don’t belong to this world…my home is in heaven above.
[QTEOTD] His presence is everything…
Today there is not a verse but an Experience Of The Day. My time with the Lord today was spent on a 4 mile walk. I spent the first 20 minutes or so praying to the Lord to open my eyes and ears to His will in regards to my family’s time and money. Today was the first time in several months that I felt His presence, very real, in my walk with Him. I have stayed consistent and true to my quiet times learning from His word but today, through prayer and listening, I was blessed to feel that undeniable hand in my life and strong voice today. I cannot stress more how important it is to confess your sin and repent before seeking presence with the Almighty. He is so gracious in His forgiveness but we must acknowledge our shortcomings. I feel so close to the Father during times like today; this is what a relationship with the Lord is all about.
[QTVOTD] Don’t be judged by the Ultra-Spiritual…
“Let no one defraud you by acting as an umpire and declaring you unworthy and disqualifying you for the prize, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions [he claims] he has seen, vainly puffed up by his sensuous notions and inflated by his unspiritual thoughts and fleshly conceit,” Colossians 2:18 ->me: What an amazing verse! I love the teaching here which is -> rest on who you are in the body of Christ. You are redeemed by the Redeemer and answer only to Him. Don’t be judged by the ultra-spiritual person who is not only enraptured by their own drummed up visions but has put too much focus on the speculation of or existence of angels, or celebrating the fact that the law was given by them that these people are in effect worshipping those angels instead of the Creator God who designed and formed them. These heavenly minded and super-spiritual people border on idolatry or being unspiritual by embracing ‘the mind of the flesh’. When Paul talks about these people being ‘vainly puffed by their sensuous notions’ he means that their self-inflation amounts to nothing being achieved in the spiritual fruit sense. Lord God, I have known people like this – please help me to discern wise admonishment from inappropriate judgement.
[QTVOTD] Do not be affraid…
“[God] disarmed the principalities and powers that were ranged against us and made a bold display and public example of them, in triumphing over them in Him and in it [the cross].” Colossians 2:15 (AMPC) ->me: Once again we are told to not be afraid and for good reason. This world is filled with evil but I don’t have to fear it. I live in Him who has already won. When God tells us not to fear and that His will is what reigns, we must believe because what He is telling us He will do is small in comparison to what He has already done-made the hardest choice of all; to send His Son to die on a tree for me.
[QTVOTD] Don’t think in our ‘Time’…
“And you who were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh (your sensuality, your sinful carnal nature), [God] brought to life together with [Christ], having [freely] forgiven us all our transgressions, having cancelled and blotted out and wiped away the handwriting of the note (bond) with its legal decrees and demands which was in force and stood against us (hostile to us). This [note with its regulations, decrees, and demands] He set aside and cleared completely out of our way by nailing it to [His] cross.” Colossians 2:13-14 ->me: I have a write up on this, actually it is another diagram. I have it drawn up in my QT Notebook and will take a picture and post it tomorrow on the website. These verses brought another image into my mind that helped me think through us being in “Time” and God being “Timeless” so the fact that we ‘died’ to our sin with Christ on the cross came across in a new way for me.
[QTVOTD] Leaving behind the clothes taken off before baptism.
“[Thus you were circumcised when] you were buried with Him in [your] baptism, in which you were also raised with Him [to a new life] through [your] faith in the working of God [as displayed] when He raised Him up from the dead.” Colossians 2:12 ->me: Our sinful nature, and its power over our lives, was stripped off when we put out faith and
trust into the God who can and has raised His Son from the dead. This same dead-rising power is the power that delivered me from my old life in sin to a new life in His Son and eventually into eternity with Him. Through Baptism we show the world that our old selves died with Christ and now have risen to join a body of believers; that through their fruit of taking care of the poor and losing self to join in the service to others as Christ demonstrated in His life, even unto death, might show the grace of God a
vailable to everyone. Lord God, strengthen my spirit and increase my faith that I may worship You by giving myself to others and losing my pride. Help me to be aware of Your every calling to opportunities placed before me so that I might make You proud by fulfilling my purpose for Your Kingdom.
[QTVOTD] STRUCK!
“And you are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and reach full spiritual stature]. And He is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power].” Colossians 2:10 ->me: Last night and today I was thinking about all my reading and how I have put these quiet times out there on the internet and to some of you in texts. I was struck at how similar all of these write-ups tend to be and the set of themes they consistently center around. Through Romans, Hebrews, Isaiah, and now Colossians the message is the same. Jesus in us is the fulfilment of God’s old testament promises and the hope to come. He in us is the comfort, peace, joy, and equipping of all that we need to grow into who God desires us to be. God, in His loving wisdom has put it all in place and as a child of God I am energized to show compassion, exhibit mercy, forgive the unforgivable, and bring others into the heavenly inheritance we have in the Father through the work of His Son on the cross.
[QTVOTD] Don’t be fooled – keep your head in the word.
“See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding [the teachings of] Christ (the Messiah). For in Him the whole fullness of Deity (the Godhead) continues to dwell in bodily form [giving complete expression of the divine nature].” Colossians 2:8-9 ->me: Reading through all of the versions I still like the Amplified’s translation the most. What Paul is telling these new Gentile Christians is don’t be fooled or lured into believing other religions, schools of thought, or man-made drummed up interpretations of scripture that are not consistent with the of our Lord and Savior. When I stay in the word myself, petitioning the Lord for wisdom and know of His scriptures through the filter of the Holy Spirit – I will be equipped to spot the inconsistencies. This includes fervent teaching of evolution independent of a divine Creator. This includes the very latest in scientific theory that tries to explain the existence of complex systems, ecosystems, and bizarre animal behavior (like the spider that takes a bubble wrapped in web parachute down to the bottom of a pond to survive while hunting for food) as pure chance and adaptation independent of the Maker of the universe. JESUS is the only answer and in Him is everything we are looking for and need in answers to our biggest questions. Jesus has been in our place here on earth; abused, rejected, and alone. He now sits in bodily form (able to pull from His knowledge of our condition) to intercede on our behalf.
[QTVOTD] Represent the character of Jesus…
“As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him. Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:6-7 ->me: Since I have accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior, by which He has entered into me to take up residence to be glorified and magnified in all that I do; I must learn to be like Him and reflect His righteousness in all that I do. ‘In union with’ gives me the image of Jesus standing next to me and by association His character and person are influenced in the minds of those around me while here on earth (all that I do reflects on Him – both good and bad). In heaven, it is the other way around…because I am standing next to Jesus, God the Father associates and perceives the character of Jesus when He looks at me. In order to accomplish reflecting Jesus in all that I do, I must be grounded in Him by resting in His strength everyday. When I call on Jesus to be my strength and I feel the internal reward He gives me when I obey Him, my faith and trust and belief are expanded and increased the more I conform to His likeness in my life. I must NOT view the progress I make as something I have accomplished, but be abundantly grateful/thankful because it is what the Lord is doing in me.
[QTVOTD] Defense after receiving grace…
“I say this [Paul earlier made these central and all-embracing claims about the Secret of God being Jesus and what He does in us] in order that no one may mislead and delude you by plausible and persuasive and attractive arguments and beguiling speech.” Colossians 2:4-5 ->me: Paul knows that a work of grace is always followed by an attack from the enemy. One regular form of this attack may take is the clever plausibility of teaching near enough to the truth to be apparently respectable and far enough away from it to be devastating in its effect on individuals and congregations. Frequently in Paul’s letter to the Colossians he stresses the importance of clear and straight thinking. Today, I did not model clear and straight thinking. I got very frustrated with the ‘olders’ today for not obeying a request I had made earlier for them to do before leisure activity. If I had been exercising clear and straight thinking I would see how might have handled things differently. After an apology to them and some time praying to myself upstairs while putting Prim to bed we were able to finish the evening strong. All of this right after I had gotten off the phone with a dear friend, encouraging them in their walk with the Lord. Lord, help me to stay on my road to sanctification; being set aside and bringing glory to You in ALL that I do. (I am once again reminded to quote my memory verse – Psalms 1:1-3)