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1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. (Colossians 3:1-11 NIV)
Happy Tuesday! Better yet, a blessed and secure Tuesday geared to your spiritual needs and growth. May our time together bring us exciting, unexpected blessings. Let us journey foward into the future holding tightly onto God.
Most pastors will have some requests they have no way to explain or understand; some will be asked questions to which we have no ready answers. Most simply need a ready and loving listening ear. We tend to forget we are supernatural people; spiritual beings in an earthly body, doing and saying spiritual things many times to a crowd that wants little to nothing to do with the spiritual. I have seen and experienced many things of a spiritual nature that I would be hard pressed to explain. I believe the true definition of a miracle is an act of God that is meant to bless and to enjoy without the need to explain it. Think of the blind men who received their sight; the line, "I once was blind, but now I see" from scripture and the famous hymn relates that profound truth; what do I have to gain to sit here and try to explain how it is that I now can see? I just received the most precious gift I could think of and to sit here and debate anything robs me of what I want to do - to go and see!
I once got a call from a family who had bought a home with a swimming pool sold by the family whose baby boy had drowned in that pool. The family loved the home until they began hearing the giggles of a baby in another room and upon exploring found wet toys on the bed. They removed the toys only to find the next day the area around the same toys wet and the toys themselves dry. "Reverend, what is causing this?" I said I would come right over and pray for them and pray a blessing over the home. Beyond that I had no answer for them or even for me. I've served churches with unexplained noises and footsteps and my theory is that some people die without knowing Jesus and not knowing Jesus their soul knows only to go to the church and no farther. The soul, I believe, must know and love Jesus, so that when death comes, they know to Whom they belong and Who will be there to receive them. I know there is no biblical foundation for that other than the disciples' fear of seeing Jesus walking on water and they exclaim that it is a ghost. (Matt. 14:26) and again when they saw the Resurrected Jesus they, full of terror exclaim that Jesus is a ghost; Luke 24:37.
This is a passage that invites us to set our hearts on the spiritual things where Christ is, "seated at the right hand of God (Sound familiar like something we say every Sunday or time we affirm our faith in the Apostles Creed?). Our thoughts should be on things of above, not on earthly ones. We as believers truly believe that when we came to faith in Jesus, we died with Him and now our lives are hidden in Him. When Jesus returns, we will see Him and go with Him. Meanwhile, we are called to put to death those things that belong only to the earthly realm; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed. We are to flee the coming wrath of God and by killing these things in our thoughts, words, and actions, prepares us to be holy. Paul further adds to the list anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language. Just two days ago our four year old said the word idiot after hearing our daughter use the word to describe another driver. She immediately told him that she only could use that word since she went to college to which our grandson said, "I can't wait to go to college!" Sigh.
For the believer, this is a call to live with eyes fixed on eternity, not just the here and now. For the seeker or skeptic, it’s an invitation to consider that there is more to life than possessions, success, or even self-improvement. Paul describes an old life—a life weighed down by greed, anger, bitterness, and deceit—and he calls us to leave that behind. He also paints a picture of a new self, one renewed in the image of God, filled with love, compassion, and purpose.
This “new life” isn’t about following a list of rules or becoming religious. It’s about letting God transform your heart, bringing freedom from what once defined you. Whether you believe or are simply curious, the question is the same: What are you setting your heart on? Are you living for what will fade or for what will last forever?
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You see my heart and know where we place our hope. Teach us to set our minds on what truly matters—on You and Your ways. Remove the things in us that weigh us down, and create a new heart that reflects Your love and truth. Help us to live with the freedom and peace only You can give.This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Let your heart and mind shift toward what truly lasts—choose one way today to reflect Christ’s love, whether through kindness, forgiveness, or seeking Him in quiet prayer.
I love you and I thank God for you!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
