Amazing God of the unexpected, bless and protect this dear reader in amazing and unexpected ways; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our prayers are needed for Wil and Bonnie Blayney of San Antonio, whose son was found dead yesterday. May the Lord comfort them in this sad loss.
We begin our study of Colossians as we finish the book Epistles study of Go Enthusiastically Proclaim Christ. As we look at Colossians, let's see what Christ message is there for us. So, let's begin with Colossians 1: 1-12: 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. 3 In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. 7 This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit. 9 For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.
When was the last time you gave thanks, and please don't tell me back in November right before you gobbled up the turkey. Let me make the question harder: When was the last time you gave thansk for your church? Okay, not hard enough, when was the last time you gave thanks for the members of your church? You want it more difficult: When was the last time you gave thanks for the ones who sat in your pew? Okay, I'm meddling, but I'm also making the point we're seeing here, we need to give thanks for all who are of our church family. Yes, and other church families as well, but let's begin where it's more difficult at times. Paul gave thanks for everyone who would be hearing or reading his letters. Yes, even the troublemakers that caused him to write in the first place. And we'll get to those in a few days, but for now let's see what it means to give thanks for all church members. And the way to start with proper thanksgiving is to follow Paul's model and pray for each other. Paul gave thanks and then he asked for God to fill the brothers and sisters with all they needed to be better Christians. He asked for God to send spiritual wisdom and understanding so that the lives lived would be pleasing to God and counted as worthy lives. He asked those things, as should we, so that we might give evidence or witness to the moving of God in our midst. And friends, if ever the church needed it, it is now. I'm in our seminary board meeting and we're hearing of both great ways that God is moving and the sad ways we're moving. Most of the people here know of what is happening in the inner city churches of our urban areas, "church people" are moving away and those replacing them are not being reached. This seminary is about to start a new school here in our Orlando campus called The School of Urban Ministry precisely because our pastors and lay leaders have to be trained in reaching the unchurches in urban areas. Your prayers for this new school and its efforts to train and lead the Church would be appreciated.
As for where you are right now, begin right now by thanking God for your pastor. Yes, even if you're not happy with the one you have; thank God for him or her and ask that God bless their ministry. Then pray for the church family even the ones you don't like or don't greet you on Sundays. Ask God to bless you to be the one who leads by example. Ask that God begin a mighty revival in all places beginning in our hearts.
PRAYER: Loving God may Your Spirit begin a revival in my heart. Let my heart be one filled with thanks for all people especially in a way that gives You thanks for them. Next, help us all have Your Holy Spirit move in us so that we live worthy lives, lives that bless You and Yours. I ask this in Jesus' name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
