MEAT FOR MATURITY – DISCIPLESHIP

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Col. 3:23-24 (ESV) This is one of the most practical words of encouragement in scripture. Many of us spend much of our time on tasks that are not enjoyable or in environments that are unpleasant. For example, think of all the time we spend on house chores, paying bills, grooming and other types of maintenance. This passage explains that whatever task we are doing we are actually serving Jesus. The Lord values the work we do. Whether we are landscaping a yard, teaching a class, answering phones, or keeping house – Jesus values our work. If we reprogram our thinking so that we remind ourselves that while we work that we are working for Jesus then we will Continue Reading →

Col. 3:4 “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” When Jesus comes back and appears to all then we will also make an appearance. What kind of appearance will we make? First, we will have a joint appearance with the “star” of the universe: Jesus Christ. A rising movie actor may hope that one day that they will get to appear in a movie with one of their movie idols. But we have a much greater appearance in mind – and ours is guaranteed! Secondly, we will appear “in glory”. This does not just mean that we will go to a glorious place to live. The primary meaning is that we will have a glorified body and soul that is like Jesus’ body and soul. This is a prominent New Testament theme. We will finally be who God intended us to Continue Reading →

“God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”  Col. 1:27 (NIV)  The mystery is that Christ is in us. Maybe we are used to hearing that Jesus is in us, but if we think about it we realize it really is a fantastic mystery. If you had no knowledge of Christianity and someone told you that the Son of the personal God can live inside you, then you might think they were crazy. Yet it is true, and it is a “glorious” treasure! But it gets better. The fact that Christ lives in us is also a guarantee that one day he will glorify our bodies and souls and bring us into his glorious community and we will dwell in his presence forever. God’s Song Of Love Is With Us – Weekly Words Of Continue Reading →