Colossians 2

Once we become followers of Jesus Christ,we have a tendency to veer away from The Truths about eternal things,& even away from The Truths about Who Jesus is.In fact,in any area of our lives,when we become relationally secure in any way we have a tendency to rest on the laurels of that security,instead of putting up hedges of protection around that relationship...in our minds/hearts/lives.The end result of this is that our faithfulness to that relationship begins to wane.This begins with the thoughts that start to become part of our mind/heart/life.Whatever we begin to think will in some way assimilate into our entire life.We may be able to continue to act according to what faithfulness to that relationship would describe for a while,but as our thoughts continue to drift away from faithful thoughts we become increasingly susceptible to veering away from that relationship!This is some of what Paul is addressing in Colossians.The people are fairly new followers of Jesus,as was most everyone at that time.Their enthusiasm over the new found securities in Christ Jesus have given them a euphoria that has changed their lives.If we stop at the euphoria of the security we have in Christ,and do not seek to know more and more about Christ and His Ways/His Heart...then we become susceptible to half truths and even totally false ideas & thoughts about Christ and His Ways/His Heart.As this happens,our faith will drift from the Truths about Jesus and His Ways/His Heart...& our faith will become tethered to things other than the True Jesus and His True Ways/His True Heart....,leading to a waning of the miraculous peace and joy that only True Faith in Jesus and His True Ways/His True Heart can only give.Paul sees this beginning to happen in the lives of the Colossians...,so he writes them a letter strongly encouraging them to turn back to seeking to know the Truths about Jesus;His Ways;&His Heart!Colossians2:1-6,”I want you to know how hard I am contending for you....My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.”.In order to prevent a veering away from happening in our lives,Paul prays for their “complete understanding” to be developed as they “disciplined” their minds/hearts/lives in the direction of “complete understanding” so they would not be “deceived by fine sounding arguments”->which lead to minds/hearts/lives that veer away from having a True Relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior & Lord.The danger becomes as we veer away from a True Relationship with Jesus Christ,we may be unaware of the “who”(or what)we are veering toward that is deceptively leading us away from Jesus Christ.Dear Lord Jesus,I know I have veered from You many times...I praise You for always being merciful and gracious in drawing me back to You via Your Truths and Your Promises.I pray for Paul’s Prayer for discipline be my personal prayer as well as my prayer for those around me...so I and they may be kept from deceiving arguments and that my mind/heart/life may be empowered with discipline from You.

Colossians 1

The “level” of HOPE we have waxes and wanes a lot.As it does,our mood changes;our attitudes change;the way we think changes;the way we treat people changes;the way we make decisions changes;...;so much of who & what we are tends to change as our hope meter changes.In the 1st chapter of Colossians,we are given a ginormous clue as to why this is...&what we can do about it!Even though Paul is getting ready to address a couple major issues in the people’s lives,there was something IN their lives that impressed Paul a lot->Colossians1:3-6,”We always thank God, the Father of our LORD Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God's people- the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you...”Their faith and the way they loved on God’s children are what made the apostle Paul “always thank God”,because their faith somehow never failed to encourage Paul and those that were traveling with him.Something IN the lives of the Colossians made them different from others...so different in a GOOD  way that IT directly encouraged Paul!The initial attribute of this “thing” that Paul noticed in The Colossians was that it was consistent&persistent,even through the challenges that Paul knew the people were having->Paul says “....always...”....and the foundational “thing” IN their life was their “faith in Christ Jesus”,which somehow compelled them to treat others with love!In order for this to happen in the lives of the Colossians as regularly as it must’ve,the Colossians must’ve had a fairly consistent/persistent “mood/attitude” enabling them to consistently/persistently treat others w love/out of love.Even when we have the same faith as the Colossians,we may not have found the same “spring” that they had in their lives/the source of their consistency/persistency!What we HOPE in and what we place our HOPE on...determines what kind of mood/attitude we have moment by moment.When our hope is based on things that can fade/rust/be stolen/not be trusted/be unstable,or are ultimately insignificant....our attitude/mood will wax and wane and be tossed about,to and fro as the book of James talks about(James 1:6-8).When we allow ourselves to be tossed about like this...we loose mood/attitude stability...& we begin to loose stability in our faith,& we begin to treat people in inconsistent ways(sometimes loving them;sometimes ignoring them;sometimes empathizing;sometimes oblivious;etc.).There was a HOPE (providing mood/attitude stability) in the Colossians that was unique...they had their HOPE springing up/coming up from an eternal hope founded in Christ Jesus(“....that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you...”).Their Hope was not in things that can fade/rust/be stolen/not be trusted/be unstable,or are ultimately insignificant..,but their hope was in treasures stored up in Heaven(Matthew6:21).The only thing in life that is sound enough/solid enough to place our hope in is the eternal promises that God makes,& guarantees through Christ Jesus.This is what made the Colossians so different.Not that they were perfect nor more “religious” than others! Not that they had the most successful economy! What made them so strikingly different for GOOD was what they placed their hope in/on! They placed their hope in/on Christ and His promises, & His Word!Dear Lord-my mood and attitude change so much...because I am establishing hopes based on things that are not eternally solid.Help me to have my life shaped to know and understand and appreciate the true and everlasting values of Your promises and Your Word.May these become what my life find as the springs of HOPE for my life!

Philippians 3-4

After challenging followers of Jesus to “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called” us,Philippians3:17-21,&Philippians4:8-9 give us the mindset we need to have if we are going to have our lives plotting a course in the right direction/going toward the right goal!Our mindset will always influence what choices we make moment by moment,& all of these choices,when lined up one after another,will determine the course our lives are plotting and what “goal” we are truly pursuing.SO,knowing this...Paul says->Phil3:18-20,”For as I have often told you before & now say again even with tears(this is how significant this message is!)many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.Their destiny is destruction,their god is their stomach(they are being led by “stomach desires”->selfish & worldly desires-,instead of every persons true HEART cry to know God!->We will either turn toward this TRUE HEART cry or run away from it!),& their glory is in their shame.Their mind is on earthly things.But our citizenship is in Heaven”.->Phil4:8-9,”Finally,brothers,Whatever is true,whatever is noble,whatever is lovely,whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.....And the God of peace will be with you.”.Paul is crying for us,as he is telling us that if we have our thoughts occupied by “stomach things”&earthly/temporal desires(including lust;greed;selfishness),instead of on whatever is true;noble;lovely;admirable;excellent;praiseworthy...that we are plotting a course for our lives that will leave us shamed(Phil3:19),and without the peace that Phil4:9 leaves us with->”And the God of peace will be with you”.So,if our life is going to be swarmed by God’s Mercy&Grace as we walk through life’s daily battles/challenges,& then have the steps we take in the moments of our days take us toward “the goal” instead of away from it...,then we must be mindful of our MINDSET...and choose to “think about such things” that are true;noble;lovely;admirable;excellent;praiseworthy...as we plot the course for our lives “toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus”(Phil3:14)!Dear Lord,a lot of the time my thoughts are “tossed by the wind” as James1 describes...and these verses in Philippians warn me about this.I know that without Your Spirit to help me with the way I allow my thoughts to be blown about by earthly stuff(the wind as James1 describes!),I will be slowly plotting a course that is not closer to “the goal” that Your Grace so desires for me...! Dear Lord,I pray for my heart/mind/life to not only be super sensitive to Your Heart...but to also be responsive to Your Heart,so my thoughts may be on things that are true;noble;lovely;admirable;excellent;praiseworthy...and my steps through each day bring me toward the goal to win the prize for which YOU have called me for!

Philippians 3

There is something that I so easily pass over in what is said in Philippians3:12-14,”Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.....one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”.The “forgetting what lies behind” part of these verses is where I get snagged to the point that I am significantly deterred in the “press on toward the goal...”of what these verses are instructing/encouraging.Much of my personal response to God is determined by what things I am clinging to in all my yesterday’s,& what things I am turning loose of!These are everything from ideas/thoughts/beliefs/paradigms that TRUTH has successfully challenged and confirmed in God’s Word as not good&not right,to also including habits/actions/priorities that have also been successfully confirmed in God’s Word as not good&not right.These verses say that if I continue to have these things a part of my heart/mind/heart,& do not forget about these things/turn away from them...that I can not effectively expect to be “straining forward....toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”.I may be straining...,but unless I am turning loose of those things that I regularly learn as not the eternally best things for me nor for those around me(“forgetting what lies behind”),I am NOT straining in the RIGHT DIRECTION!I could very well be perilously fooling myself and those around me toward directions that are very far from the right directions/the right goals.This may be part of the reason for what Jesus says in Luke9:62,”No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”.If I am not regularly surveying my life to understand the lessons of every day too learn what may be holding me back from pressing on “toward the goal”,then I am NOT truly pressing on in the right direction,and definitely NOT pressing on toward the RIGHT GOAL...but pressing on for the wrong goals!This is a major place in our lives that the devil employs some of his most deceptive tactics....and why these verses carry a very strong message for us about not letting the devil’s schemes of guilt;entitlement;lusts;comfort;selfishness;pride;eternal insignificance;self-reliance;incorrect ideas/beliefs about God/His Ways/His Word;etc.,continue to be a part of our lives as we grow in our faith(“toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”)!Dear Lord,I need Your help in knowing the areas in my life that I need to turn away from... & help me to be honest&transparent about them.....,AND I also need Your help in truly turning from them...AND Your help in the “straining forward” toward all of the RIGHT GOALS.

Philipians 2

In Philippians 2:12-13, Paul writes, “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed – not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence – continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his purpose.”In the context of what else Paul writes as well as placing these verses in context with the whole Bible,AND looking to understand the meaning of the original language that translates to “fear” in these verses,it is clear that Paul is talking about an overwhelming reverence for God as our Father in Heaven inspired by the Great&Awesome things HE has done and that HE has promised to do through Christ...in AND around our lives!THESE are what should give us reasons to have awesome Eternally Significant EXPECTATIONS(trembling) for what The Lord continues to show us AND do in our lives AND around our lives.This “trembling” also brings a humbling into our heart/mind/life because of our knowing only HE is able to rightly continue the GREAT&AWESOME work in our life AND around our life,AND that we are totally dependent on HIM for this work to continue in us AND around us.If we truly believe this,then we are going to align our lives and make adjustments in our life style in accordance with what we believe!When an athlete determines to pursue a goal,he/she will make changes in their diet/lifestyle/exercise/study habits that they believe will aim their lives at achieving that goal.Paul is encouraging us to do the same with our heart/mind/life when he says,”work out your own salvation with fear & trembling,for it is God who works in you,both to will & work for his good pleasure.”The fear & trembling are actually the good things described above that lead us to pursuing & knowing firsthand the work of The Lord in our lives AND around our lives,ever enhancing our awe & reverence for God and HIS promises.Paul continues this lesson in Philippians3:12-14,”Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.....one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”As a coach knows the potential of an athlete and then encourages the pursuit of that potential in the athlete,here Paul is doing the same for those who have turned to Christ as Savior AND Lord!These verses tell us that we have a calling/potential much higher than worldly ambitions&desires...a calling/potential that is healthier for us and have much higher GOALS for us to know in our lives and around our lives!Then Paul says something that we cannot miss when he says,”Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”Paul says that if we choose to “mature” our lives,then we will “think this way”/align our heart/mind/life to this paradigm of Goal Setting & Goal Pursuing,and our habits;our actions;our words;our thoughts,etc.,although not there yet...will be placed in the training to pursue “the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”Dear Lord,I accept Your calling to goals that only You can shape for my life->the only goals that can be trusted as best for me to pursue with my heart/mind/life.I know that so many times I have not been aligned with Your training program for my life...forgive me and please change me from the inside out to only be pleased when I am in Your training program with all of my heart/mind/life...and grant me the attributes needed to be as focused as a world class athlete on Your Goals for my life.