…That’s been my problem of late…!

Since my husband has been in the hospital, I have been filling in my time with some old stand-by’s: movies, music (although it has been Christian music), working with the Men in the Home. I have tried to pray as much as possible, and am afraid I have fallen short on my responsibility of writing this blog. For this I am quite sorry. I attended a meeting in Union at the House of Hope today, (Monday) and Pastor Byron said that perhaps I needed to be drifting a bit, like a feather on the breeze, for now. “Write me a song about what that is like,” he said.  

 In other words, this could NOT be a problem, for once! I should be filled with joy that I have so little to name that could be categorized as problematic; I have my health, for instance(don’t get me started on how great my blessings are! I’ll be here all day!). My husband’s sickness has left me feeling a bit like a fish out of water, however, with a big void in my life. I try to go and see him first thing in the morning, at 6:00 a.m. and we talk on the phone all day off and on. He is doing better, now, I might add, and I hope we will have him home by tomorrow night, all things going as planned.

I can’t tell you that it has been hard for me to run a Men’s Home--I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! We now have three men in the Home, and they have been great in supporting me during this strange time.

We had a ladies’ Christmas party at the Church last Saturday evening, and it was very nice, and I now have a “Slate Wall LED Fountain with Spinning Ball”, as well as some great new movies for Tom and I to watch when he gets home, but as I said, it’s just not been the same without my buddy, Pastor Tom. 

Chapel Services, as you have read, are still taking place, and we have a faithful crowd every Friday, some of whom also drop by the hospital with regularity to lift Tom’s spirits.

…I guess you could say that I just “let go”…the weather has been cold and we have been keeping the home fires burning…only a few days left until Christmas day.  We managed to get a Christmas tree up a few days ago, and it looks nice…hope Tom will be able to see it real soon.

(NOTE: I am now writing this blog on Tuesday evening, and Pastor Tom has returned home! We just had the most wonderful dinner, and I am even more content to have him here once again. Blessed and Worthy is the Lord of all things; He has brought him home to us!  12/13/11)

~~~~~~~~

Paul addresses the Christian believers of Colosse about their faith, which had been suffering great confusion due to the following similar schools of thought:

“Syncretism” combines ideas from other philosophies and religions (such as paganism, strains of Judaism, and Greek thought) with Christian truth. This heresy was later termed Gnosticism.  It emphasizes special knowledge and denies Christ as Lord, Son of God, and Savior.

Gnosticism:  A system of false teachings existing during the early centuries of Christianity. It was popular during the second century.  Its root word is Gnosis, the Greek word for “knowledge”.  The Gnostics believed that knowledge was the way to salvation. For this very reason, Gnosticism was condemned as false and heretical by several writers of the New Testament.

It was for this reason Paul addressed the Colossians in A.D. 60, reinstating the Deity of Christ and His connection with the Father in heaven, reminding them of His death on the cross for sin.

As brothers and sisters in Christ, it is important that we do not slowly fade away from the truth of the Gospel and from all that God has entrusted us with in areas of Salvation!  “Casting Crowns” wrote a song about how we don’t slip into our old lifestyles in a day:

"Slow Fade"

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

Spiritual wisdom, strength, and focus  are needed as Christians today, just as it was needed in that time in history.  Paul was forever, it seems, dividing the Word of truth and reminding the children of God in his writings not to deviate from the truth of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, as others were bombarding these new converts with heresies and what Christ called the “leaven” that would damage the whole Christian church if you let it run its course. His case in point was the amount of people who were fed from the loaves and fishes. In one place, the faith of the people had been greater than in the other place.  This was due to heretical teachings and legalistic thinking on the part of the leaders of the day, who had taught the people how to interpret the law.  

The Holy Ghost showed me a scripture about the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees earlier tonight, showing me Matthew 16:5-12. The disciples did not understand what He meant until He had explained His phrase about the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees. Faith can be severely diminished by false doctrine.

Legalism, Judaism--“fake fire” as one of our dear Pastors from Houston once termed it-- Mom Carmen once preached a sermon about how we should examine our worship and our gift at the altar: Is it Holy, or is it Fake? Is it worldly, or is it purely sacrificed?  God sees the heart, it’s not like we can hide our true colors from Him! In truth, what we have been taught will work its way into what we sacrifice to God…there’s no way around that. So you see how important it is that we know the whole truth of God’s Word! This is what I try to establish in my own life as much as I can. We all have been taught some propaganda and some wheat-choking weeds can be found in any and all gardens in life. The idea is to “read the Word,” Frank Medders said, “and weed the garden daily”.    

Discernment of the spirits that meet us every day--the signs, the comments, the written word, as well--are all subject to our minds and hearts as Christians. We are blessed in that God has given us this discernment and this will often retrieve us from false doctrine just in time, so that His very elect will not be misled. Colossians is all about reinstating the truth of the Gospel and the Good News of what Christ did for us on the cross of Calvary.

When known as God to us, Christ makes our relationship with Him top priority in life, not second-hand or even second-class news. The church is full of people who only dance around the Master every Sunday or even on Wednesday, but never really approach the Throne of Grace for help in time of need. They own a Bible, but don’t carry it anywhere and don’t open it up except when the Preacher quotes a scripture in Sunday Service. I should know; I used to be that way…this sort of “relationship” with God is headed for destruction. Gnosticism makes other things, entering in, vie for our attention constantly, weakening our relationship with God.

We, as Christians, cannot tolerate a watered-down Christ. There is still power in the Blood, and we cannot ever forget the great price that has been paid and the wondrous Grace and Mercy that He has rained down upon us! Am I talking about devotion to God? Yes, I am.  

All too often, television, sports, fashion, even education (and so much more)will also often weaken our resolve to live as close to Christ as possible. My dear Husband says that God can sometimes bless us with something that eventually becomes our “Isaac”, until it becomes our life, and has God taking a back seat in our hearts.  This is the kind of thing that we must guard against. Christ’s interests must be our top priority.

To recap, we cannot let fake doctrine and legalistic dogma and outside interests weaken our relationship with or our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! It’s too easy, I might add, to lose our grip, and again, our focus, on Spiritual things in this life.

Paul opens up his letter to the faithful brothers at Colosse: “Grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” This Book has been termed as the “Prison Letter”, among others, for Paul had been in prison while writing it in Rome. He was given special privileges (God’s favor on HIS life), such as the right to accept visitors and write letters, and Paul made that right count on his part.

Crossroad to ideas and religions, Colosse was home to many Jews who had fled there after being forced out of Jerusalem by the persecuting Antiochus III and IV, almost two hundred years before Christ. Epaphras, converted by Paul, was the founder of the Church there in Colosse. Contradictory teachings had confused those Christians there.

In other words, the devil was working to tear down all that had been established as Godly in Colosse. But God! God had Paul in prison, faithfully guiding the Christians there in Colosse, leading, guiding and directing them in how to refute heresy and to believe the true Gospel. Paul’s reassurance was key to the continued spread of Christ’s message, as you may see. When persecutions come, don’t let them make you step back into old lifestyles or lose ground in your walk with Jesus!

As we look at the opening greeting, we see that giving thanks for God’s blessings, such as grace and peace, were part of Paul’s usual greetings in Philippians, Ephesians, and Philemon, all called “Prison Letters”.  (NIV—Life Application Study Bible)

Paul refutes here the belief that special knowledge must be ascertained in order for man to have eternal life, and reinstates the legitimacy of the Colossians’ belief in Christ. He commends the Colossians for their faith, love and hope, all part of the fruit of Christ’s transformation of all…both of them and of us.

…Do I myself exude these traits? Do you have a repentant heart over things that are not- so-Christ-like about you? God is merciful, as I have been so wrong at times and I’m also hard to live with sometimes. I give great thanks to God for the mercy and grace that He gives us and for the process of sanctification, for without God, nothing good lives in me.

With God, however, I have this blessed hope which produces that same love and faith of which Paul was speaking! –And I thank God for those who encourage me and do not discourage and criticize and wash their hands of me. Too many of the addicts of this world have burned too many bridges and been shut out from family and friends; I pray that God give them both grace and peace this Christmas season. J

In Chapter 1 verse 6b, Paul says, “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard about it in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you.” Paul, I believe, is reminding the Colossians of what a great promise and work God is doing among them, if they choose to faint not, and encouraging them to continue in their belief of the Truth. This spread of the promise of Salvation was due greatly to the work of the man in chains, Paul himself, and God’s great hand of Providence.  This truth changed people wherever it was preached.  For transformation, not just information, the Word of God gives us all the opportunity to get to know the Creator and to learn about His love for us.

According to Paul in Chapter 2: Verse 2, 18, the knowledge of Christ is all we will ever need to discover and understand, Amen? It is, indeed, mysterious, rich, and all-encompassing, this knowledge of Christ.

“The Church had been inundated and undermined by such heresies as:  1) Important secret knowledge is hidden from most believers; 2) The body is evil; 3) Christ only seemed to be human; He was not.  Paul refuted these beliefs with the reassurance that God lived in a human body, embodied in Christ, and that Christ was indeed, fully human and fully God.”(—Paraphrased, NIV LAS

Asceticism (defined as “self-denial as a principled way of life”) was being taught, while Paul taught that this sort of lifestyle did nothing to conquer evil thoughts and desires; it only led to pride.  (Col. 2:20-23)

In Chapter 1: Verse 15-20, Paul reminds the Church at Colosse that Christ is the image of the invisible God, firstborn over all creation.  He spoke of the creation and Christ as its creator, also coming to earth as a man to taste and conquer death for all of mankind.  And so through this passage Paul refuted the denial of Christ’s dual existence, describing Him as both God and man.  “Christ is God in the flesh, he is the eternal One, head of the body, first in everything, supreme.”(NIV, LAS This and many other scriptures establish Christ’s dual existence as God and man. (Philippians 2:6; John 10:30, 38; John 12:45; John 14:1-11)

Not only did Epaphras provide the hands and feet of Paul’s ministry, but he also reported back to him the love of the Spirit that the Colossians possessed. Galatians 5:22 states that Christian love comes from the Holy Spirit, in fact it is named as one of the fruits of the Spirit. “22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23) Meekness, temperance; against such there is no law.” The blessed assurance that these perhaps-disillusioned people needed was freely given in this letter to them.

Because of their love for one another, Christians can have a far-reaching impact on both their communities and upon the world. It is an action, not just an attitude or emotion. It is, in short, a by-product of our new life in Christ. Christians have no excuse for not loving, because it is the sort of love that acts in the best interest of others.

These “traits”, or qualities, can make a Christian stand out in any given situation. You’ve met them; they are the kind of people that you don’t soon forget. Their interaction with you is usually memorable.  In this instance, Paul is stating that these fruits of the spirit prove that we are Christians, not the special knowledge or wisdom of Greek philosophy, Judaism, or other areas of expertise that comprise the Worldly view.

I have known only a handful. They are truly a remnant of what once was the majority in this country, but don’t fret; God is coming back to take His people Home! “Soon the eastern sky, it’s gonna part, and I’ll see His (Jesus) face”! –Blessings and honor and glory and power and dominion be to God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen.

Happy “Holy Days”, Teresa Rowley