Preeminance not Prominance

I'm continuing to read Warner Wiersbe's insightful commentary on Colossians. The more I read this short letter from Paul, the more I love it and find new treasures. Paul's goal was to make sure the Colossians knew without a doubt that in Christ they already had all that they would ever need for life and for salvation. He warned against those who would make Christ into just one important spiritual leader among many.

He isn't prominent. He is preeminant.

The word "firstborn" crops up twice in Paul's description of Christ's role and place in the scheme of things. In the culture of the day, a firstborn son had the right to all titles, land rights, inheritance, and authority from his father. It is in this sense that Paul uses the word. God calls Jesus the "son of my love" and declares that he is preeminant in all creation and among those raised from the dead. He is exalted just as a "firstborn" son is--complete with all the authority that the word suggests, except his inheritance is all power, all authority, all creation. Paul wanted to be sure the Colossians understood the "enough-ness" of Christ. We need add nothing more to the word and person of Christ. He is all. Amazingly, he calls us his "friends" and has willingly taken up residence within us. The more we understand the magnitude of what God has done in Christ, and the more we appreciate the willingness of Christ to humble himself on our behalf, the more irresistable He becomes. Wiersbe tells a fascinating story of D.L. Moody, which I will quote here because it was so good:

In 1892, the World's Columbian Exposition was held in Chacago, and more than 21 million people visited the exhibits. Among the features was a "World Parliament of Religions," with representatives of the world's religions, meeting to share their "best points" and perhaps come up with a new religion for the world.

Evangelist D. L. Moody saw this as a great opportunity for evangelism. He used churches, rented theaters, and even rented a circus tent (when the show was not on) to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His friends wanted Moody to attack the "Parliament of Religions," but he refused. "I am going to make Jesus Christ so attractive," he said, "that men will turn to Him." Moody knew that Jesus Christ was the preeminant Savior, not just one of many "religious leaders" of history. The "Chicago Campaign" of 1893 was probably the greatest evangelistic endeavor in D.L. Moody's life, and thousands came to Christ.

Take aways

It has been a while since I've been able to post because of the job situation, but yesterday I spent some time reading and I thought I'd share some take aways. I read both in Colossians and from a book by Warner Wiersbe called Be Complete, which is a commentary on Colossians. Just a few random thoughts from both:

I was struck by this statement, which defines faith according to Scripture: "Faith is not mental assent to a body of doctrines, no matter how true those doctrines may be. Faith is not emotional concern. Faith is commitment to Jesus Christ." Did you catch that? Commitment. Not belief in or respect for Jesus Christ. Commitment to Jesus Christ. There's action in this.

The next statement that stood out to me expounds on this idea. Wiersbe told about a missionary who was translating the Bible and struggled to find the right translation for the word "believe." He finally got it. It means "to lean your whole weight upon." So faith is about not just about believing or hoping for good things from the Universe. It's about staking your life on Jesus Christ, leaning your whole weight on him, committing fully to him.

The other thing that struck me as I read was Wiersbe's discussion of "false teachers." He noted that false teachers always work where there is already an established group of believers. Their purpose is to entice people to follow them and their new and better revelation. Weirsbe says, "We are not to make disciples for ourselves, but for Jesus Christ."

My devotion reading this morning said something similar. It comes from Corinthians:

"He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." —1 Corinthians 1:8–9

1st thing that jumps out at me: GOD WILL DO THIS for He is FAITHFUL. (Ah, what a relief!)

2nd thing: "Partnership with Jesus Christ" Wow. What a thought!? Partnership? In what kind of business? In the business of reconciling the world to himself, of course. That's a pretty amazing thought, isn't it? How am I participating in his work? AM I participating? What am I doing as his partner to redeem the world, to bring hope, to set people free, to care for the poor, the widow and orphan, and to show his love to others?

Epaphras got this. Otherwise, there would have been no Colossian church. If he were like these false teachers, he would have stayed in Ephesus, where he had worked with Paul, and worked on building his own kingdom in Paul's absence. He was a partner with Jesus. And his heart was all about keeping the focus on Jesus. He wanted to be sure the Colossians continued to lean their whole weight upon Jesus--and nothing else. It's a good caution, isn't it? Is our leadership all about getting people to follow us--or to follow Christ?

Practicing Prayer

Tonight was full of great discussion, lots of laughter, and just the right medicine to get us all through the week. (The carrot cake didn't hurt either!) I thought it might be good to recap a few of my take-aways from our discussion tonight on Paul's prayer for the Colossians. Here they are, in no particular order:

Be Quiet
I can't really "acknowledge God in all my ways" if I'm not still long enough to listen for His leading.

Be Attentive
Don't stress about remembering to pray for others. Rely on the Holy Spirit to prompt me how to pray and who to pray for.

Be Rightly Focused
Prayer is not about getting God to do something for me. It's more about getting MY mind rightly focused on the One who is the source of life itself. It's about letting go of my tendency to run ahead of God or, worse, to BE God!

Be at Rest
When I ask God for wisdom, or patience, or endurance, or whatever--I can trust in HIS strength at work in me to see those prayers realized. In the same way, praying for others is about entrusting them into God's capable hands and acknowledging Him as sufficient.

Be Aware
Ask God to show me where he is at work, and then prepare to be surprised.

How about you? Did you take away anything different?

Seeing Past the Dark Clouds

So today I was thinking about the economy a lot, which is kind of weird because I'm not much of a worrier. But this really doesn't look good. The news started out this week with a story about Citibank's execs purchasing a new jet with bailout funds. (Are they serious!?) And then there was more news of job layoffs. Today I heard a story about the Prime Minister of Iceland (Iceland!) stepping down because of unrest over their economy, which, of course, they blame on the U.S. You can't help but wonder, "Wow, are we going to make it out of this, or have things changed forever?"

I remember when Barry and I were so poor we could barely keep the electricity on. There were days when we'd look at each other and say, "For all we know, these could be 'the good old days.'"

I don't mean to depress anyone. I'm just trying to keep things in perspective, but the ultimate perspective for me is to remember that "kings and kingdoms" come and go, but my hope cannot rest in any of that. I heard a great sermon on the radio tonight about the Old Testament prophet Daniel. Daniel lived through four different kings and two empires, and he understood, perhaps because he lived through those reigns, that those kings were mortal and limited. But Daniel's God--our God--is neither. Good to remember in a week full of dark-cloud headlines.

Joyful Endurance? Isn't that an Oxymoron?

In Paul's letter to the Colossians, he says that he is praying that they will have great endurance and patience while also giving "joyful thanks to the Father." Paul wrote this letter around the same time he wrote to the Philippians, a book known for its emphasis on joy. In that book, Paul wrote, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" So there's a pattern here of joyful patience and grateful endurance.

Ok, wait a second. This from a guy who had been beaten more than once; blinded; shipwrecked; forced to run for his life more than once; imprisoned--several times; brought before authorities to defend himself, several times; often worked full-time on top of his work as a minister so as not to undermine his message. To top it all off, he wrote the letters to the Colossians and the Philippians from prison (again!) in Rome where he knew the odds were against ever leaving. And he's saying to "give joyful thanks," to "rejoice in the Lord always"?

Is he serious? I don't know about you, but I'm definitely not that good!

My natural response to all of the above would be just about anything BUT joyful or thankful. Words like "ticked off," "scared beyond belief," and "ready to check out" come to mind.

But Paul does not leave us hopeless. He reminds us that the power to endure with joy does not come from within. You don't have pull yourself up by your joy britches. (whew!) In fact, the verse following his mandate to "rejoice!" in Philippians carries an important clue. "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."

It's all Him! He's doing the work. In 1 Corinthians 15:10 Paul says, "...His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." Similarly, in Colossians, Paul prays that the Colossians will be "strengthened with all power according to his glorious might." (my emphasis).

Don't despair if joyful endurance is an oxymoron to you and you think, "I can never do that." We can't. And we don't have to! We just have to ask God to do that in us, and we have to let go of our own agendas long enough to let him.

Isn't that just the best news you have heard all day? I don't relish the idea of tough times, but I'm encouraged to know that if God wants me to get through them with joy and thankfulness, He has the power to do that in me.

Inaugural Hope

Today was full of the fanfare and hoopla that accompanies our nation's presidential inauguration. It was just like other inaugurations, but then again, it was different because of the historic precedent that it represents. Never again will this be a country where a person of color has not occupied the highest realm of authority. No matter how you voted, it would be difficult to NOT join in the celebration on some level. Our country should be proud of the peaceful transition of power--once again a model of democracy in action.

Not to put a damper on the day, but I did have one thought about hope, which was so much a part of the theme of today's festivities. Indeed, the air fairly sizzled with the hope that people are placing in President Obama. I find it concerning because I don't think anyone can live up to the incredibly high expectations riding on his shoulders at this point. In my other blog today, I wrote about why I can support Obama now, even though I didn't vote for him. (You can read that entry here if you're interested.) There are practical reasons we should support our president when we can, but there is a spiritual reason as well. I can support Obama because my hope is not in him. This week, our study will focus on hope. Where do we find hope? How do we sustain it? I can tell you this much--hope is not to be found in either political party or in any candidate. Even the best leaders are flawed. They must make daily decisions with incomplete and imperfect information. Sometimes they get it right, but just as often they don't. I respect Barak Obama's intelligence and compassion. I believe he'll do some good things for the country, and I believe he'll make mistakes, but I will pray for him and support what I can because my hope is not in him. My hope lies in the Rock of Ages, whose character is flawless, who makes decisions based on perfect knowledge and eternal wisdom; whose throne is founded on mercy; who is described as the Good Shepherd, the Morning Star, and the lover of our souls. As the old hymn says:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest 'frain
But wholly lean on Jesus' name
On Christ the solid rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand

That's something to bet your life on. Where is your hope?

Complete in Him

I just posted a little story on my other blog that really goes with this study. I thought you all might like to take a peek. See you all tomorrow! (I'm bringing chocolate.) Click here if you want to see the other post.