Col. 3

The Bible instructs us to be MURDERERS. Can you believe it?

Let’s look more closely at our target … whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed – which is idolatry, anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language from your lips, and lying. There you have it.

For one thing, we can starve them. Every time we entertain them in our thought life, we are feeding them. The more we feed them, the stronger they grow. So, tear down any evil thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. [2 Cor. 10:5] Also, you can thrust it through with the sword of the Spirit. [Matt. 4:7] And you can displace it with the Holy Ghost! [Eph. 5:18]

We must love God more than these works of our flesh. If we let our carnal, worldly nature rule us, we will sadly murder the life of God in us. We can’t serve God and mammon. [Matt. 6:24]

Col. 2

What a gritty word! We like everything handed to us on a silver platter, but the Apostle implies that there is a struggle involved in those things worth having. He uses this aggressive term to describe the spiritual energy he expends to see this church come to maturity.

This word does not refer to physical conflict. The weapons of our warfare are NOT carnal. He implies the effort required of his prayer and determination to parent the spiritual growth of this young church.

Reflectively decide what spiritual goals you have for those you love. Then, begin contending in prayer and planning for their success. Put your focus on things ABOVE, not on the things we see below.

Colossians 1

The hope chest is a box made out of natural preservative wood in which a young woman lays up home-making items to prepare for marriage. God is doing something similar for each of us. In Heaven, He is making preparation for our eternal life with Him.

• He’s making us a mansion. [Jn. 14:2]
• He’s preparing a great wedding feast for us. [Rev. 19:9, 17]
• Heretofore unknown pleasures and things prepared for an abundant, eternal life. [1 Cor. 2:9; Ps. 16:11]
• We will be given an imperishable, glorified body. [1 Cor. 15:52]
• We will be given a new name. [Rev. 2:17; Rev. 3:12]

Wow! We have a lot to look forward to!

Phil 4

Now how many sermons have you heard on “Gentleness?” ________. That’s what I thought. None!

Paul encouraged the church at Philippi to “Let your gentleness be known to everyone.” [NIV] Actually, you will find the original language word translated as the following: modesty; reasonableness; considerate of others; kindness; piety; forbearance; unselfishness. That’s one gracious person.

Christ Jesus was the character ideal that God wanted to display. If we met Him today, He would embody all of those characteristics. Of course it’s very easy to be this way around our Christian friends, but God wants us to treat the world like this. We are the opposite of pushy. We should come across as a fragrant wisp of love and kindness. We should be easy and attractive to be around. The world is crying out for this kind of love.

Phil. 3

The Christian can appropriate HIS pain and benefit through suffering by relating to Christ. Jesus suffered. We suffer. He was tempted. We are tempted. He was victorious. We, too, are VICTORIOUS.

When we suffer, we can curse God and die, as Job’s wife suggested, OR we can consider Christ who was afflicted for our sake and live. Christ learned obedience through the things He suffered. He proved the meaning of obedience by His suffering, showing us that we too can yield to suffering and thereby glorify God.

God gets little glory when we are complainers. He gets glory when we, like Christ, look ahead to the reward of our suffering. God is NO MAN’S DEBTOR.

Phil. 2

One of the pivotal passages in the entire Bible … Philippians 2! There are life-changing gems in here. One concept that reveals a true Christian (like Jesus) heart is that of looking out for the interests of others above yourself. THIS is so refreshing to be around. My Grandma Harris was like this.

Grandma hardly ever left the house … only to go to church or visit her family. Whenever you came into her presence, she was focused on YOU. She would play Chinese checkers or Old Maid with you. She would have already made a plate of her famous fudge. She never dominated any discussion, but rather wanted to hear you talk. You could tell her ANYTHING and it was secure. She was one of the most impacting people in my life.

Like I said, she hardly ever left the house, but at her funeral there were over 100 cars in the procession caravan going to the grave site. It was the LOVE!!!

Philippians 1

Works! We don’t get ahead with God through them, but they are an indication that He is on our insides. When He is in our hearts, we DO them. It’s actually evidence that He is at work in us.

Our natural inclination is to look out for ourselves, but the Christ inside us is concerned with others. Let THIS mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.

The key is to get Christ on the inside of people. He then begins His work. Day by day they experience Christ working on them to get them ready to reign with Him forever. It is God working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. We are not saved by good works, but we are definitely saved to DO good works.

Eph. 6

Paul instructs, “Obey … with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ”

With your heart you think, you feel, and you decide. It’s the ground zero of your life, the part of you that embraces purity of motive or moral depravity. It’s like the oil in an engine – clean and long lasting or dirty and bound for failure.

Engines require frequent oil changes to stay clean running. Our heart requires frequent attention. Each time we read THE WORD or make authentic prayer contact with the Lord, He does some overhaul. The Holy Ghost is like oil. Praying in the Spirit refills our engine with clean oil. In the same way maintenance is critical for your car’s engine, spiritual maintenance is critical for your heart’s health.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. [Prov. 4:23]

Eph. 5

I love to tell a good joke. Early in my Christian walk I was always very serous. I found that getting people to laugh set them more at ease and then we could progress to having meaningful conversation. In the same way a speaker will use some humor to relax an audience before they proceed to the meat of their presentation. That’s my motive.

I would rather be known as someone who offers encouragement and truth than a comedian. (A comedian I ain’t!) For me, Jesting is for amusement. Coarse jesting is off limits for Christians.

There is a line of appropriateness that should not be crossed. Paul warns against dirty jokes. Let there be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse [obscene or vulgar] joking, because such things are not appropriate [for believers]; [Eph. 5:4 Amplified Bible]

Eph. 3, 4

We don’t fully realize how much God wants us to get along. As a parent, I can testify that it’s distressing to see your children fight.

My two youngest children used to have tension .. now, 25 years later, they are VERY CLOSE. Time has helped our family to achieve greater unity and closeness. I’ve seen this happen in the church world also. Certain evangelical denominations (Baptist) would ask congregants who raised their hands in church to leave. NOW, many Baptist churches have many attenders who openly and sincerely raise their hands when worshiping. To me, this is a sign of progressing unity.

Christ’s precious blood was shed for ALL. Equal sacrifice for equal unity.