Tuesday the 30th

Colossians 4: 2-3

 

 ²Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ³And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.

 

 

I am a big believer, in and encourager of prayer. We cannot give our lives to Christ, we cannot truly trust in God, if we never call on them for help, and guidance. So what do we pray for? EVERYTHING. In everything we do, and plan, let us be prayerful. Let the Holy Spirit in to your soul, and listen for the direction. Pray for guidance, for direction, for peace, and for clarity, but most of all pray for others! God works in everyone’s life no matter their belief system. HE created all, and he controls all. If you want to change a relationship, pray for yourself, but pray for that person as well. If you know of people that are struggling, pray for them. Men have walked through fires, been freed from jail, and saved from shipwrecks because of prayer. God listens, but you must speak! Let your idle thoughts become thoughts of prayer, you will find more peace for yourself, and direction in your endeavor. Prayer will bring you to center, and it will teach you patience. Prayer will change the hearts of men, and lay the foundation for good works. Prayer will build your faith to heights that you cannot imagine. So pray! Pray often, and pray earnestly. The Lord knows what you need, the Holy Spirit searches your soul and carries your needs to God. However you have to call on him. It is much like the child that goes their whole life without hearing one I love you from their father. They might know that their father loves them, but they need to hear the words. The father might love the child, but without verbal confirmation of that love a wall will begins, to build. Do not let that happen between you and God. Let him know you love him. Let him hear your thanks and praise. There is nothing good that God will deny you, however you have to bend your knees and raise your voice! Take the time to tell the Lord you love him, give him praise, and thanks. HE will never forsake you, let him know that you will not forsake him!

 

 

Give thanks to God, and be blessed in his name,

Brian

Monday the 29th

Colossians 3: 17

¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

People often say that they do not know how to pray, or that they do not know how to be a good Christian. They speak as if there is a specific equation, or a road map to guarantee they are on the right path. Many think there is a long list of rules that must be followed, and if they deviate from the list, if they make a mistake they have to go back to square one. Here Paul gives the long exhaustive list, here we see just how complicated a Christian life can be. Paul has broken it down to the simplest form in this scripture. Do everything in the name of Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God through him. In word, and deed, seek to emulate Christ, remembering to give thanks to God for all that you have. It is not complicated, it is rather simple. Man, with the help of the devil, has made it complicated. Living a life dedicated to Christ is not like on the game shows were the contestant is walking across a plank. If they fall off, they have to run all the way back to the beginning. They keep going back to the start of the race until they get it right on one pass. We are not like that in our relationship with Christ. We are going to fall off the plank. At some point we will transgress. We are human, and we are imperfect. All you have to do is recognize you fell off the plank, and then get back on to continue the journey. When we put Christ first in our lives, when we make his way our way, and his life our road map, then we see that many of the complications of this worldly life fall away. We see that it is through the grace of God we are saved, not an exhaustive rule book. It is by Christ’s sacrifice that we each have been freed of sin……and we are free, each one of us. Free from the shackles of this world. Free to live in the name of the Lord, giving thanks to God for that freedom, giving thanks to God for that sacrifice he made. Strip away the years of confusion that have been heaped upon you. Live for Christ, he is the only playbook you need. It is not complicated, Christ did not come to cause struggle, he came to bring salvation. Do it all for the Lord, and give thanks to God.

May the Lord bless and keep you,

Brian

Friday the 26th

 

Colossians 3:14

 

¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

 

There is one driving emotion behind God’s actions, there is one concept behind Christ’s sacrifice……love…..Love is the one emotion that should rule our hearts and our day. Yet that is so much easier said than done. Love is a great concept, it gives us a wonderful, warm, and fuzzy feeling…..when we feel it for someone we know. Yet the Death of Christ came out of love for those that knew him, and those that hated him, and there is the road block for so many of us. It often can seem like a wall that extends to the sky with no way over or around…... “you want me to love someone that does not return that love?” The answer is a resounding YES! There  is a way to conquer that wall, and it is not over or around, but through it. Right through the middle! If you are thinking that you cannot find that much love in your heart. If you are thinking that there is no way you can do that by yourself, let me be the first to tell you that you are 100% right. You will never find enough love in your heart to love all around you….not by yourself. You will need some help, and that help is readily available. You will need a role model, you will need empowerment of the supernatural kind, and most of all you will need to realize that you yourself are loved. You are loved to the point that someone  died for you. You are loved so much that a father gave his only son as a sacrifice to stand in your place for anything you have done. Think on that for a while. Allow it to really settle in to your soul. Who would you die for? Who would you give one of your children, or family members over to death for? God, and his son did just that for you. That is how much you are loved, and that is how much each one of us are loved. Start your day with that thought, that you are loved. When you do, it is easy to let that love spill over to others. Let that love lead your day, let it set the tone and tempo. Frustrations, and disappointments will always come your way, there will always be people that are difficult to love. They are not an obstacle, but an opportunity. They are all put in your life to give you the chance to show the love that you have been shown. It is an opportunity to unite through love, not divide through exclusion. Which path will you take?

 

Be blessed today, may the love of the Lord spring forth from your soul,

 

Brian

 

Thursday the 25th

Colossians 3:11

 

¹¹Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

 

How many religions do you think there are in Heaven? One right? Just God’s…..how many different types of people do you think there are serving the Lord……just one…..When I was in basic training one of the first questions the drill sergeant asked when we were assembled for the first time  was “ how many different colored people do we have in our company”…. we all looked around, searching faces, looking at skin color…..there were many of course. As soon as we had time to grasp that thought, he yelled out, “there is one color in the ranks of this company….Green!”  This is the same thought that Paul is preaching here. There is one “type” of person in Christ….us …all of us, no difference in skin color, no difference in social background, no difference in our wealth. We are all gathered at the cross of Christ, and the only thing that matters, is the only thing that binds us. Our love of the crucified Christ! He is with everyone of us, all of the time, everyday. We so often divide ourselves in to little groups, we say  things like “we don’t do it that way” or “they are not as righteous as us” whatever the case when you look at others as anything other than fellow fallen sinners trying to find the way home, we have missed the gift that Christ so freely gave us. Conversely if you are looking at others and thinking that you are not as good, or you are not as wealthy, I have news for you, you are adding on the wrong scorecard. We are unified in Christ, we are one body, we have one objective, to live our lives with our sights set on the things above. Not color, not wealth, not social standing, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. He is the cornerstone, and the capstone, Christ saw no differences in people, he only looked for the potential. Let us continue that attitude, looking for, and encouraging the best potential of ourselves, and those around us. Let us all unite around Christ.

 

May the Lord bless and keep you,

Brian

Wed the 24th

Colossians 3: 1-2

 ¹Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

 

What an honor, and a privilege to be counted among those who have been raised with Christ! It is only fitting that after attaining such an honor our behavior would change as well. Although you really do not have to “change” it at all do you? It has been changed, you have been changed, you will never again be the person you were before. Just to read the phrase “you have been raised with Christ” and know that I am counted among his sheep causes my heart to race a bit. Knowing that the past is the past and all that counts is the future, not where I have been, but where I am going. When we become one with Christ, we divorce ourselves from the things we have always hated about ourselves. We are left with the freedom to…..well…. be free! What we are left with is a different vision, a different goal, and a different path, that path leads to things above, not down to death. Our thoughts, our actions, our intentions now focus on going down the right path, the narrow path. It is not an easy journey, it is not a smooth path, however it is ours to travel. The journey starts with where we set our sights, and our sights should be set above…..our sights should be set on the Lord. You are no longer that person you started out as, you are no longer a simple citizen of this world. You are now a child of the most high God, sibling to the great mediator. No, you are not longer a citizen of this world, so why would you want to continue chasing the things that end in death?

 

May the light and love of the Lord shine upon you today,

Brian

Tuesday the 23rd

Colossians 2:16-18

¹⁶Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. ¹⁸Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.

There is one thing that our salvation rests on, and that is faith in Christ Jesus. The Cross of Christ is where our faith lies, it is where it is established, and it is from there that we will march on it to eternity. The great Mediator has risen form the dead, and it is following his ways, and his teachings that will bring us to the narrow path. There are people all around us today that would have you believe that you must adhere to rituals, or to man made doctrine in order to reach salvation. Beware of the wolf in sheep’s clothing. We live to give praise and glory to God. That is the cornerstone of our faith, may all that we do reflect end. We come to God through Christ; without him we have no stairway. Let us not be taken in by the proud, by the people who quote scripture, yet lead a very different life. Let us stay away from those that would have us believe our salvation rests on anything other than faith in Christ. Do not let anyone judge you…..Your time of judgment will come soon enough, and when it does rituals, drink, meat, and festivals will matter little. May we all be found at the feet of Christ.

May the Peace of the Lord be with you always,

Brian

Monday the 22nd

Colossians 2:13

¹³When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,

 

 

He forgave us all our sins. This is the pivot on the fulcrum. It is a point that cannot be made enough, it is a concept that cannot be preached enough, and it is a truth that is so large it cannot be contained. God made you alive with Christ. Dead to a life of sin, and alive in eternal life with Jesus Christ. Our sins are forgiven. I dare say this is a concept that is lost on many people. It is as if they spend their life trying to right a wrong of the past. They have started down the narrow path, yet they are still dragging that baggage of sin behind them the whole way, every day. How about you? Are you still packing around yesterdays sin….maybe last years….worse yet, perhaps you are carrying baggage over you shoulder from years ago. I can promise you that you will not cover much ground, and you will finally crumble under the pressure of that bag of the past. Set it down. It is not yours to carry any longer. Christ paid a huge price to purchase that bag from you. HE wants you to leave it at the cross. You are forgiven! Let that sink in, let it fill your mind, and overflow from your soul. You are forgiven.  Look forward to a life with Christ, full of hope, peace, compassion, and love. Guilt of sin is the one thing that we find hard to overcome. We think yes, the Lord saved me, but what about all of the times I did this, or he can’t forgive me for that…….Cut it loose, and set it free. Drop your past sin off and the cross of Christ, then go and sin no more. In the Shawshank Redemption, Red spoke a little pearl of wisdom that we all would do well to follow. “Get busy living, or get busy dying” Quit dragging that old death behind you. Get busy living…. free from sin, free from the past, and free from death. Dare to live a forgiven life.

 

 

May the peace of the Lord be with you always,

Brian

 

 

Friday the 19th

Colossians 2:10

¹⁰and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

Many things in our life change. Don’t like your Boss? Change jobs. Don’t like your President, your senator, your local government? Vote them out. There is nothing in this life that has complete control over you. You always have an option. You can make a change, and the authority you could not stand can be removed. There is one ruler that will never change. There is only one place where you can receive the fullness of life that you are searching for. There is only one authority figure that will give you the love, the grace, the understanding, that you long for. It comes from the total dependence and the utter surrender to Jesus Christ. The Lord has not changed, he does not waver, he does not change his mind, he does not manipulate to achieve his goals, and he does not make promise so that you will elect him, only to change those promises at a later date. He is the ultimate mediator, the supreme ruler, and the absolute authority over this life and the one to come.

Many things change in this life, that is why it is so important to place your trust in the one entity that is unfailing. Lead off your journey with Christ as your beacon of hope. You will find that while your direction might change, the goal never does. It is not a promise of an easy life, but of a full one. It is not a guarantee of a life lacking struggle, or challenges, but a guarantee of peace, compassion, acceptance, and forgiveness. Yes, many things in your life will change, but the fullness of Christ never will. Place your trust in his authority, it will always lead you to the narrow path.

May God bless you, and give you peace,

Brian

Thursday the 18th

Colossians 2: 8

 

⁸See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

 

When we start professing our principles over the teachings of Christ, we have….weather we intended or not…….stared professing a hollow and deceptive philosophy. This has to be one of my biggest pet peeves. I am not sure when it became so popular to put our own spin of the word of God, but there is little doubt that it has splintered the cross of Christ. I know from reading Spurgeon, and Edwards, that they too dealt with the same issue, and Paul makes it clear that He also had to contend with the problem. I guess the more things change the more some things stay the same….Folks, we have a blueprint, a hand book, a set of guidelines, call it what you will, but the bible was put here to give us the written word of God, and between the covers we will find all of the doctrine that we need to lead a successful life. However we need to pay careful attention to not only what is says, but what it does not say! Listen for the truth, listen for the depth of the love and understanding, the forgiveness, and the compassion that comes from following the principles of Christ. There are many people out there who are trying to make a living off of telling people what their itching ears want to hear. They will twist and turn the word to mean what they want it to. SO be on guard, spend time in prayer, spend time in the bible, listen for the Spirit that lives within you. Christ will blaze the trail and clear the path, follow him, and his word. Cling to the Word of God, it will keep you safe form the hollow word.

 

May the Peace of the Lord be with you,

Brian

Friday the 12th

Colossians 2:6

⁶So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,

 

It can be a painful experience to receive the Lord, many a sorrowful tear has been shed at the revelation of Christ’s sacrifice, and the realization of our own sin. While that moment might be a trying moment for some;  full of the shame for the sinful life we have lived, yet full of life, and joy for the future with Christ; it is easy compared to the continuation of living life in him. Once we put our hand to the plow, the work has truly begun. We must labor to live in Christ….but what does that mean? Are we just to be holy, or righteous? Should we just make it a point to live our lives as an example for others, yet never take an active role in the world around us? Of course not! Each one of us was given the Great Commission, we are to become like the Apostles that Christ said “come with me and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt 4:19). That is living in Christ, we are not to go out and simply survive the day, we are to live in Christ……. LIKE Christ. You know, if you spend much time thinking of Christ He had one goal while he was here, to win souls for his Father. That is how he spent his time, that is how he lived his life. Let us all model our lives in the same mold. Let each of us live in Christ, so that others may receive him. Let us be all things to all people (1Cor. 9:22) so that they might receive what we have already taken for ourselves. Strive to live in him, so that others might do the same.

 

May the peace of the Lord be with you always,

 

Brian

 

 

Thursday the 11th

Colossians 2: 2

 

²My purpose 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

 

Do you want to be rich in understanding? Do you want the full measure of riches that come from understanding? Then be united in love. Allow yourself to become not just aware in your heart, but become encouraged. Read the word and hear the good news, Christ has died and has risen for your salvation. Your sins of the past are gone, your past is just that…… your past. The world today wants you to believe that you are the most important thing in the world. Society today does not preach united, it preaches separation. We cannot not be united in love if we are struggling to step on our brothers fingers to climb the ladder! Just like Paul we should each make encouraging others our purpose. From love sprouts selflessness. When we take the time to build up each other in the teachings of Christ we will find that we do not stand at the top of the hill alone. We stand as a group, conquerors over this world, we stand as a group united in love, and there we will have the full riches. There we will fully come to realize Christ and the precious gift that has been given to us.

 

May the peace of the Lord be with you always,

Brian

Wed the 10th

Colossians1:29

 

²⁹To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

 

When Paul wrote this he was specifically talking about his struggles for the growth of the church, and the advancement of God’s word. This very same sentence can be placed at the end of any statement that we make concerning any effort we undertake. Everything we do should be struggled for with all of the energy that powerfully works within us. Our goal from the moment that we wake up to the moment that we go to sleep is first and foremost to be a soul winner. We strive, and struggle to advance the cross of Christ further up this worldly battlefield. It does not matter if you stand in front of people on Sunday, or if you fill the seats…..maybe you do not even make it in sometimes… All of our effort, all of our actions, all of our focus, should be an example of the Glory of Christ crucified. It is there at the foot of the cross of Christ we will draw our strength, we will find our direction, and we will become charged with his energy that works within each of us. So no matter what the labor, no matter what the goal, go forth with the banner of the Lord waving. Let everyone know that no matter the endeavor first and foremost we struggle for Christ.

 

 

 

May the peace of the Lord be with you always,

Brian

Tuesday the 9th

Colossians 1:21-22

 

²¹Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. ²²But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation

 

The greatness of God’s freedom! The joy of his grace, and the comfort of his peace. To imagine that there was a time when we were cut off from that is unimaginable. The thought of ever losing it is terrifying. We are indeed free. It is through the death of Christ that we each have life. A life that is free of blemish and free form accusation. I am reminded of my math teacher in Jr. High who would tell us at the beginning of each semester, “everyone has an A right now, it is up to you to keep it”. It is the same in our new lives. They are ours to polish to a radiate shine or ours to destroy. Through the death of one, many have been saved. Let each of us make sure that his death was not in vain. Let our lives be an example to the world, let them see by our example there is one who has defeated death, and as a result Each of us has the opportunity to be reconciled!

 

May the peace of the Lord be with you always,

Brian

 

 

Monday the 8th

Colossians 1:16-17

 

¹⁶For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ¹⁷He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

 

We often get caught up in the human Jesus. We cleave to all the work he did while he was here, and the sacrifice that He made, yet we often forget that Christ is found in the first and last chapters of the bible, and in all of the pages in between. From the “let us make him in our image” in Genesis, to the building of the new world in Revelations, Christ is there. Christ is supreme, he is above all, and in all. I make this point because many tend to live their life with Christ as they view Christ……it is just a portion. There is a little room, some space is given up, a Sunday is set aside, or maybe an evening here or there. Yet as Christ is in the bible is how he should be in our lives! Christ is too big to be contained to a small area of our life, he is the wellspring of eternal hope. He is the foundation, and the building. Christ desires to live not as a part of your life, but as a fully ingrained, fully functional, all encompassing  force in your life! Yes Christ lived, and died, as a result we now have the gift of everlasting life, but let us not forget that he is the firstborn of life, and the firstborn from death. Invite the Lord in, let him fill the rooms of your heart, and you will find that  everything will shine as new. When we recognize not just the sacrifice but the true supremacy of Christ, we can then see just how much more precious that sacrifice was.  Jesus is not just contained to the pages of the Gospels, nor should he be contained in a small area of your life, choose to live a life led by Christ, let him reign supreme.

 

Peace of the Lord be with you always,

Brian

 

 

Thursday the 4th

Colossians 1:13-14

 

¹³For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

 

At the end of both world wars it took a while for the word to spread. As a result there were several instances where there was still fighting going on, even after the war was officially over. I often read passages such as this one and think about how we have the same problem. The war is over, the devil has lost. Christ died on the cross and redeemed our sins. Yet there are so many out in the trenches still, so many out fighting a foe that is already defeated. We have been given the declaration of victory, so why are we trying so hard to tear it up? The fight is no longer carried out in front of us, as much as it is now within us. We choose each and every day if we will continue on to eternity, or join up with those that are trying to undermined the peace that has been bought at a very high price. I urge each of us to get out of the trenches, and find the narrow path home. The war is over, and we are left with nothing but skirmishes with ourselves over living for the world or living for God. Listen for the voice of truth. He will lead you home. The Lord has bought our freedom, but like many prisoners we see the cell door is open, yet so many will not walk through. Take the first step out, experience the freedom that comes with trusting the Lord. We have won, let us be victorious!  

 

May the peace of God be with you,

Brian

 

 

Wed the 3rd

Colossians 1:5-6

 

⁵the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel ⁶that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God's grace in all its truth.

 

There is a garden that is growing all over the world. A garden full of Love, hope, compassion, truth, and grace. This is a global garden that affects all of us, but it is a very individual garden at it’s root. Each one of us decides how well our garden will grow. We have to be vigilant to keep the weeds out, and the bitter root from growing and taking root. There is little doubt that the day will come when the Spirit of God will blanket this world. It will be a tapestry of the best that each of us have to offer, lifted up and displayed for the glory of God. The garden grows or recedes daily, someday we make huge leaps, yet others find us just trying to keep the weeds of life from taking over. Don’t let your part wither and die, water it with prayer, fertilize it with the search for truth in the bible. Plant seeds of faith and hope. As we work together we will see the gardens of our life intertwine together, the boundary lines will vanish, and we will be amazed at the beauty that is the Love of God covering the Earth. We will see it spring forth, and grown into the world that the Lord has intended for us. We will see ourselves become the undefeatable, lasting love that is Christ.   

 

Peace,

Brian

 

Tuesday the 2nd

Philippians: 4:14

 

¹⁴Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.

 

“Share in my troubles” does not do justice in today’s world to the point Paul was making. The phrase is translated form  the Greek word sugkoinōneō

soong-koy-no-neh'-o  to share in company with, that is, co-participate in: - communicate (have fellowship) with, be partaker of.

 

I make this point because today we often thank people for “wishing us well” or “thinking of us” yet there is no action behind their emotion. You can worry all day about someone, but if you pass up the opportunity to help that person, then you have done little to truly fellowship with them, or be a partaker of their lives.  James 2:15-16 sums this thought up well : “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,

and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? “ The Philippians got involved in Paul’s ministry. As a result, not only did they help Paul, but they helped themselves as a church by banding together in a common good cause. This is how we help people. Not by good wishes, not by just hoping the best for them, but by getting actively involved. Let each of us take some time and prayerfully consider how we are supporting those in our lives. Worry, and wonder will do little to help them. We have to roll up our sleeves dive in and get dirty. That might mean that we have to part with some cash that we did not think we had, we might have to set some time aside that we think we cannot spare, and heaven forbid, we might need to cut something we like doing for ourselves so that we might have the ability to show up, and actively support those we love. Let each of us work to share in the troubles of those around us. Be active, engage, and have a fellowship with the ones you love and support.

 

 

Peace,

Brian