Posts from July 2022
My Servant will Succeed!
“Comfort, yes comfort My people…’ (Isa. 40:1). In the latter years of his life, the future of Israel surely weighted heavily on Isaiah’s mind. Despite his inspired warnings, the prophet knew that Jerusalem would surely be destroyed and her people taken into Babylon. Yet, he could also see something far better on the horizon. Four Servant Songs are found in Isaiah 42-53 which were designed to give hope to Israel. Aspirations of the heathen notwithstanding, Jehovah would raise up His…
Transformed Consideration – Kevin W. Rhodes
Christianity should change you in the deepest and most profound ways possible. It should reshape your worldview until it becomes your worldview. It should change your temperament, creating balance and perspective. It should change your relationships by affecting all your associations and interactions. It should change your life so much that every thought, every word, and every action is first informed by your Christianity. But all of this depends on having the proper view of Christ and what He Himself…
Transformed Fellowship (2) – John Garza
Throughout the book of Colossians, we learn that we are “complete in Christ” (Col. 2:10), and certainly, this is to be the goal of every Christian. Does this mean that you and I are to be exactly alike in every way? In other words, should we expect every mature Christian to be duplicates of another in ability and service? Certainly not (1 Cor. 12:12-31; Eph. 4:16). Being in the fellowship of the body (partnership; participation; partakers) means that each will…
Transformed Fellowship (1) – Kevin Cauley
God said regarding Adam in Genesis 2:18, “It is not good that man should be alone.” Not only was the Lord concerned for Adam, but he was planning for the future as well. God told Adam and Eve “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen. 1:28). He wanted a world with relationships. Jesus understood this principle when He sent His disciples out in twos (Mark 6:7). Having fellow laborers creates comradery and provides a source of…
Transformed Communication
It is said that for every word of Adolf Hitler’s book, Mein Kampf, 125 people lost their lives in WWII. Every word, written or spoken, has power–even the insane musings of a madman, and as children of God, we should consider this truth very seriously. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Pro. 18:21). Our words can indeed accomplish great things for the Lord (or against Him), yet it is also true that “no man can tame…
Transformed Relationships – Trent Kennedy
When a person has committed himself to Christ, when a person has been buried and raised with Christ, when a person has put his old life to death, when person has put on a new man and does all things in the name of Christ, that person will see a great change in every aspect of his life. This great change, this transformed life, may be most evident in their interpersonal relationships. It is true that the gospel reaches down…
Ask for the Old Paths
Even though we are no longer under the Old Testament system, it is filled with many lessons for us (Rom. 15:4). One lesson is found in the time of Jeremiah, which was a time of religious and social turmoil. The nation of Israel was being pulled in many directions, and the Lord wanted to offer them rest for their souls (Jer. 6:16). Using the picture of lost travelers, the Lord called them to “ask for the old paths” (Jer. 6:16).…
Praying for Sodom
We live in a wicked world. Being surrounded by such wickedness is often exhausting and we struggle to know how to react (cf. 1 John 5:19). Sometimes we cry out like Habakkuk, asking God how long He will allow such sinfulness to go on (Hab. 1). Sometimes we search for answers like Asaph, trying to make sense of the battle between good and evil (Ps. 78). There are any number of understandable reactions to the wickedness of this world, but…
The Excuses of Moses
When God appeared to Moses, He called him to lead the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage. Yet, Moses gave excuses, and God’s responded to them. In a similar way, we have received a special calling to go to the world to deliver those in the bondage of sin (Mk. 16:15; 1 Pet. 2:9). Yet, too often, we behave like Moses, making excuses for what we are called to do. Who am I? (Ex. 3:11-12). Whatever the reason that…
Teaching and Admonishing – Andy Baker
Because Christ is the undisputed Head of His church, we seek Him to do all things to the glory of God. He always does the things which please His Father (John 8:29). There is no room for others who want to tell us how we can/do approach God other than what the Lord has said. Colossians spends so much time exalting Jesus and denying what men say in “the appearance of wisdom” about Who He is and how we relate…
Put On . . . – Bryan Hodge
It is said that a tradition sprang up in the early years of church history concerning the garments worn following baptism. The historian Philip Schaff wrote, “During the week following, the neophytes wore white garments as a symbol of purity” (Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2, p. 252). Of course, this is not something the Bible requires. It was a human tradition practiced by some. However, the Bible does speak of a change of spiritual clothing that…
Put Off . . . – Johnnie Scaggs, Jr.
In the overall context of Colossians 3, Paul lays side by side some things we must put on and some things we must put off. Twice in our text, Paul states that we are to “put off” things that have to do with the old man of sin. The phrase “put off” is from “ἀποτίθημι,” meaning to “lay aside, or to take off.” From this, we can fully understand that Paul is saying that these things are things we must…
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