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22 April 2010

Colossians 1:24-29

Colossians 1 [NASB]
24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.
25Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,
26that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,
27to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
29For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

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24Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

Paul the apostle was like Jesus, ‘a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief’ (Isaiah 53:3 NASB). When Jesus spoke of Paul to Ananias, as recorded in Acts 9:16 [NASB], He said of him: ‘for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake.’ In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul speaks of examples his sufferings for the sake of Christ and the church:

2 Corinthians 11 [NASB]
23Are they servants of Christ?--I speak as if insane--I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.
24Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.
25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.
26I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren;
27I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
28Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.
29Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?

When I look at what he went through I am in awe. Many Christians around the world suffer today as Paul did, and we are told to expect as much.

2 Timothy 3:12 [NASB]
12Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

So what is our response to be? Paul always speaks of his sufferings with an attitude of joy, thanksgiving and humility. He says to the Colossians that ‘I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake’. I must admit that this is not my response when things get hard. Paul has just finished speaking of Christ’s supremacy in creation, the church and in redemption, and goes on to speak of the preaching of the gospel. In the light of who Jesus is, what He has accomplished on our behalf, and the work of God in the proclamation of the gospel, Paul can say that he rejoices in his sufferings. He knows that it is for the sake of the Colossian believers, and the church as a body. He says that ‘in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions’. Paul says that he is doing his share on behalf of His body the church. All the members of the body contribute their share, in whatever the Lord requires of them. The question remains however - was there something lacking in Christ’s afflictions? In regard to the atoning value of Christ’s sacrifice it is clear in this letter that Christ’s death was sufficient.

Colossians 1:20-22 [NASB]
20and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.
21And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,
22yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach--

Colossians 2:14 [NASB]
14having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

There are two main schools of thought that I could find regarding this passage. The first (supported by William Hendriksen) is that the enemies of God were not satisfied and so are trying to fill up their measure of the sufferings they desired of Christ by causing sufferings in His followers (Revelation 12:13, John 15:18-21). The second interpretation is that Paul had not yet suffered as fully as Christ had, or as fully as Christ had assigned to him. There was still more for Paul to suffer, and so he was filling up what was lacking (supported by Matthew Henry and Albert Barnes). I am inclined to follow the second, however they are not mutually exclusive.

25Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,

Paul was divinely appointed to his position as a minister to the church in rather spectacular fashion. His apostleship was bestowed on him, and his teachings carried with them a weight of authority because of this. The Colossians needed to remember his authority when faced with contrary teachings. We need to remember that those who are in authority as teachers are called to their position by God.

Ephesians 4:11-13 [NASB]
11And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
12for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
13until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

All teachings need to be tested against Scripture, as even those at Berea tested the teachings of Paul.


Acts 17:10-11 [NASB]
10The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.

It is a great responsibility for teachers, they are charged with ‘fully carry(ing) out the preaching of the word of God’. We should pray for them and support them in their ministry.

26that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,

Hendriksen states ‘In Pauline literature a mystery is a person or a truth that would remain unknown had not God revealed him or it’. In 2 Corinthians 3:12-18, Paul speaks of a veil still being over the hearts of those who do not know Christ. The veil is however lifted when one turns to Christ. Praise the Lord for God’s mercy and glory. What was hidden from past ages and generations is revealed to us!

1 Peter 1:10-12 [NASB]
10As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries,
11seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
12It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things into which angels long to look.

This greatly humbles me, and convicts me of the way I treat the Bible. I should treasure the privilege I have to be able to access the whole canon of Scripture. This scripture states that the great men of old who were said to have served God with all their heart (David, Abraham, Hezekiah, Josiah) did not have as full a revelation of the mystery of God as I do. And yet Christ says regarding a parable about stewards and masters:

Luke 12:48b [NASB]
48bFrom everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.

We have been entrusted with the mystery of Christ, fully revealed as never before. What do we do with this treasure? Are we good stewards of what we have been entrusted with?

27to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

God willed to make known this mystery to His saints. The mystery is glorious, richly glorious. Christ has taken down the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles, reconciling both to God in one body through Christ (Ephesians 2:11-22 esp. 16).

Ephesians 2:8-9 [NASB]
8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

The mystery of salvation available to Jews and Gentiles is summed up in ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’. Through Christ, we have an expectation of the glory to be revealed in us in the future.

Colossians 3:4 [NASB]
4When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

In 1 Corinthians 15 Paul speaks of the resurrection hope which Christians have, that our body will be sewn in dishonor but raised in glory. We have not only been forgiven our sins, transferred into the kingdom of God, declared to be the sons of God, and given everlasting life in Christ, but given the promise of glory also! Praise the Lord!

28We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.

Whatever Paul preached, wherever and whenever, he proclaimed Christ. He proclaimed the One who is supreme in creation, the church, redemption, who has purchased us by His blood, and who guarantees our future glory. To admonish is to warn, stimulate, encourage. In 2 Corinthians 5:20 he pleads, and in 2 Corinthians 2:4 and Philippians 3:18 he sheds tears. Paul knew that this Christ is the only hope for every man and so He is presented to all through admonition and teaching. This needed to be done with all wisdom because the goal is so important. Paul (and his fellow-workers) proclaimed Christ that they ‘may present every man complete in Christ’. This ‘complete’ could also be ‘perfect’. This role is usually attributed to Christ (Ephesians 5:27) and God the Father (2 Corinthians 4:14). In God’s good plan the wise faithful proclamation of Christ in the form of admonition and teaching is able to accomplish this goal. What a glorious privilege and responsibility. This is in view of Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 5:23), as F. F. Bruce states: “it is then that the work of grace in the believer’s life is complete, it is then that perfect conformity to the likeness of Christ is attained”.

29For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

Knowing that God has bestowed on him this ministry and that he has a role to play in presenting these believers complete in Christ, Paul says that he labors – literally labor to the point of weariness and exhaustion. However he knows that he is not in this alone. It is also God’s work as seen in Ephesians 5:27 and 2 Corinthians 4:14, and Paul knows that he works according to His power. This power of God is the same power which raised Christ from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20). Paul records in his letters that his striving included earnest prayers, listening to God, careful planning, letter writing, directing, mentoring, personal witnessing, living as an example. How did Paul accomplish so much? It was Christ in him, God’s power at work.

What does this mean for us? What ministry has God given us? We may not be called as Paul was to proclaim Christ before kings and rulers, but we are called to live excellent lives among the Gentiles (1 Peter 2:12), to go and make disciples, teaching them of Christ (Matthew 28:19), to be subject to our husbands (Colossians 3:18), to do our work heartily as for the Lord (Colossians 3:23) etc. We are called to follow Paul’s example given here. He suffered with rejoicing, knowing what it was achieving. He knew the stewardship God had given him and was seeking to fully carry it out. We need to value the mystery which has been revealed to us, and treasure and study the Word in all its fullness. We need to appreciate the riches of the glory of the mystery which is Christ in us, the hope of glory. We need to proclaim Christ as Paul did, warning, stimulating, encouraging, teaching EVERY man. We need to work hard, to strive and labour, in God’s strength with works within us. Lord help us to this end!

God bless, Taliah.

17 April 2010

A Testimony of God's Faithfulness

Since my last entry, I became engaged to a godly, wonderful man. Throughout our courtship, God's great faithfulness has proven itself to me again and again and I am so excited to share our story. Although this entry is not a typical "Bible study" post, it is my prayer that my testimony of God's faithfulness may be an encouragement to others who may also be clinging tightly to His Word as they trust Him with situations in their lives.

A God-honoring marriage has been the desire of my heart for many years. Upon high school graduation, I chose to live at home with my family and prepare for, Lord willing, my future as a wife and mother. I was not interested in wasting my time dating guy after guy in hopes that the right one may come along, so I decided to allow God to entirely script my love story. I was waiting for a man to come into my life who would be willing to pursue me with intentionality, and most importantly, with my father's blessing. Living in a small farming community without many likeminded families nearby often made my years of waiting discouraging, but the Lord continued to give me the strength to trust Him and His perfect timing.

In 2007, I began a blog with one of the main purposes being to encourage younger girls to embrace their season of singleness by striving to serve their families at home, as I was also learning to do. I would have never guessed that the Lord would use this avenue to bring my future husband into my life! Providentially, in September 2009, a young man stumbled upon my blog through a fairly random Google search. He wrote about how he was struck by my life choices in regard to living at home and desiring to be a homemaker instead of pursuing our culture's more typical path of a college degree and full-time career.

During a week of emailing, I decided to Google his name to make sure his story added up and to possibly learn more about him. However, as I came upon article after article expounding on this young man's exemplary character and impressive accomplishments, I became very hopeful that the Lord may be causing him to find the slightest interest in me!

While I was enjoying getting to know him, and through his emails it became evident that he most likely was interested in me, I knew it was unwise to continue unsupervised correspondence with a young man I met online. I asked my family for their thoughts regarding this situation and decided to email Stephen telling him that I would like to get to know him better, but only with my family's guidance and approval. I was not interested in carrying on a long-term guy/girl friendship with him and felt it was important for our relationship to be intentional.

I was pretty certain that he would think I was extremely presumptuous and archaic and I would never hear another word from him. However, I was shocked and thrilled when I read the email he sent my father the following night! I was so amazed and felt so undeserving of this godly, amazing, and brilliant man's interest.

Over the following four months, Stephen and my father corresponded over the telephone and email, discussing Stephen's walk with the Lord and convictions that are of importance to our family. As I continued to read Stephen's letters that were sent to my father (I checked my parents' email address so often that I usually read Stephen's emails before my parents did!) and his incredible testimony of God's saving grace in his life, I began to desire more and more that the Lord would cause him to be the man for me.

At times this felt like an unbearably long wait. I was so eager to know what the Lord's will would be and struggled to maintain an open hand, willing to let go of Stephen if the Lord should close the door for a future relationship with him.

In my journal entries from this time, I cried out to the Lord for wisdom and acceptance of His will. When I became impatient, I was encouraged by scriptures and godly friends that encouraged me to press on and to trust that my father would clearly discern the Lord's will. The scripture that brought the most encouragement to me through this time was Colossians 1:9-12:

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light."

Two friends first prayed this verse over me, then the following Sunday, the pastor preached on this passage, and then several weeks later, at a different church, this passage was expounded upon yet again. I was given a new confidence that the Lord saw my often impatient heart and was using many avenues to show me He was in control. This verse became my prayer; that I would have the "knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (i.e. "Is Stephen the right man for me?"). Would Stephen, as my husband, lead me to live a life worthy of the Lord and pleasing to Him in every way? Would I continue to bear fruit and grow in the knowledge of God as Stephen's wife? This scripture put the looming situation back into perspective. I was reminded that my purpose was ultimately to glorify God with my life, and I just needed discernment as to whether or not Stephen was the man God had chosen for me to join together with in fulfilling this great purpose.

In early January, Stephen flew from England (where he is studying) to Virginia to meet my family and me. This was when our courtship really began to progress. We spent a week seeking the Lord's will and getting to know each other better.

I can't really even begin to describe how impressed I was! We began to have a great peace about our future and, after much prayer and consideration, my father gave Stephen his full approval for pursuing marriage.

Over the following two months, our relationship grew much deeper and our hearts became closely knit as we corresponded nearly every day, discussing our hopes, convictions, struggles, daily happenings, and much, much more. My love and respect for Stephen grew abundantly and rapidly. I was so eager for his next visit.

In mid-March, Stephen flew back to Virginia to spend another week with my family and me. It was the most perfect, wonderful week! On March 15, 2010, Stephen took me on a lovely trip to Monticello (Thomas Jefferson's plantation). After we toured the home and strolled the grounds, Stephen led me to a peaceful wooded sitting area, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him!

We are so excited about our future serving the Lord together. God used His means to bring His man into my life in His timing. All glory goes entirely to the Lord. Contrary to what many advised as necessary, I did not have to put myself out there or date an endless string of guys to get the man the Lord had already chosen for me! I simply had to live the life to which the Lord had called me. My somewhat counter-cultural life as a twenty-two year old living at home, striving to serve her family, and preparing to be a wife and mother is the very thing that Stephen says first attracted him to me.

The Lord has answered my prayers for a godly husband with a man so much greater than I ever could have imagined. I am not marrying the "man of my dreams"-- my dreams were nothing compared to what God had in store for me! It is so evident that the Lord has been preparing both of us for each other for many years, shaping each of us into the one who perfectly suits and complements the other. Our vision and hopes for the future correspond beautifully.

I am so blessed to be marrying a man with a desire for us to carry out our biblical roles in our future home. He encourages me and is proud that I want to be a homemaker and helper to him and a dedicated mother to our children. I could not possibly be any more proud to be the girl at his side. I can't wait to be his wife! Stephen prays the sweetest prayers over us and will be such a wonderful spiritual leader for our future family. We both pray that the Lord will use us mightily as a couple; that we may leave behind a Christ-honoring legacy. I pray nearly daily that the Lord will mold me into an excellent wife for such a godly man.

I hope that this miraculous story of God bringing together a stay-at-home daughter from a small town and a godly man with a bright, exciting future will serve as an encouragement to you! God is so faithful and He truly will do what is best for us and brings glory to Him if we simply trust Him!

"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness." Psalm 115:1

"Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him." Isaiah 64:4

11 April 2010

A Little Look at a Little Book

Thank you so much for sharing about hiding God's Word in our hearts, Laura, and the hearts of our children. When our own were small, we did much the same thing and looking back over the years, God certainly blessed those efforts.

Today, we might have a look at a tiny book in the Old Testament. Haggai is the second shortest O.T. book, but it is powerful. Have you read it? Could God use it to speak to you?

Many of us believe that the Old Testament is more of a historical legacy because it shows God’s plan for humanity, points forward to the birth, death and future reign of Jesus Christ, and predicts the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel. The New Testament, on the other hand, contain letters that are addressed directly to today’s church and, by extension, to each one of us as individuals (much like personal mail).

These views are certainly true, but it is also true that God can speak to us directly and personally from the pages of the Old Testament. He has done so many times during my Christian life, and even my initial conviction of sin came through hearing Isaiah 53:5-6 (NKJV):

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Today, I was prompted to take another look at the little book of Haggai and felt very much spoken to by its message. Have a quick read – it only has two chapters, with Ezra 4–6 giving the relevant background.

Here’s my abbreviated version: When the Babylonian exile came to an end and the first Jews returned to Jerusalem, God’s people were eager to rebuild the temple. But with constant opposition from the Samaritans and physical hardships due to their circumstances, it didn’t take long for them to loose sight of God’s hand in their building program. During their captivity they had become relatively comfortable in the Babylonian culture, but now, back in Jerusalem, they only saw hardships – does this remind you of their forefathers in the wilderness? When things got tough their enthusiasm waned, and they soon stopped looking to God. “This isn’t the right time yet to rebuild the temple,” they excused themselves. And instead of doing what God had asked, they followed their own way, looking after their own interests.

And so the LORD responded with a question (my paraphrase from the first chapter of Haggai):

“Is it time for you to dwell in your own paneled houses whilst my house, the temple, lies in ruins? Consider your ways! Your own pursuits are not bringing the fruit you desire; I wonder why? How can you expect to be blessed when your priorities are wrong? Go get the building materials and build the temple!”

God, through Haggai, highlights an important principle: when God’s people place their own selfish interests first, their circumstances become more difficult and they loose their joy in Him. On the other hand, when they put Him and His work first, they will find renewed joy in their lives.

How did these Scriptures speak to me? Well, I know that I am not building a physical temple for the Lord. But I am part of His living temple, and He has sent me to share His love with others. He has a plan for my life, and He has prepared those works that I should walk in (Eph.2:10).

I know what He has given me to do, but sometimes I am side-tracked by other things (even though none of them are wrong in themselves). And I have also noticed that I can loose the joy of the Lord as I get caught up in all those other things rather than being ‘caught up’ in Him, delighting in Him and His grip on my life and, most importantly, BEING Christ to those around me through a Christ-like attitude.

I hope that this little look at this little book will speak to you also.
May our Lord bless you richly,
Margaret

04 April 2010

Hiding the Word in Your Heart

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word... Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psalm 119:9,11.

There are many reasons to memorise scripture yet I wish to speak specifically of the power to triumph over sin. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where the word of God speaks directly to you? Maybe you are about to do something, say something, or even simply indulge a train of thought... Then, from what seems to be out of nowhere, a Bible verse comes to mind and convicts you of your sin. For me it is usually before I say something, and it is usually Proverbs 27:15 that comes to mind :) I wanted to write about this to encourage you to memorise scripture for yourself, but more particularly to help your children do the same. At the tender age of three our son is like a sponge and will memorise anything and everything that is spoken around him (sometimes things I would prefer he didn't).As the verse above proclaims, by hiding the word of God away in our hearts we are able to recognise the opportunity to sin and turn away from it. How can a young man cleanse (make clean or keep pure) his way (the actions that constitute his life)? by taking heed thereto (observing, watching for, refraining or abstaining) according to the word of God... How can he best take heed of the word? By knowing it! By hiding it in his heart! He will become tender to the things of God, and be continually changed into the likeness of Christ. Is this not the prayer of ever Christian parent?

When we started learning verses it was sporadic - infrequent and never followed up. We are now however moving toward a much more structured plan that is based on themes. Each theme has five verses that usually last us for almost two months (this gives us a verse a week, another week for review and then a little room to move). At the beginning of each theme, I create some simple posters for the verses and stick them to the pantry doors. Each verse has a different colour boarder (younger children, not yet reading, will find these colours useful when referring to particular verses)

To memorise the passage we use repetition and real life. Here are a few examples:
  1. We read our verse out loud as a family at the end of our morning and evening family devotions (this way we know that even if our days are full we have visited our verse at least twice).
  2. We create actions to help us remember and to make the K.J.V. words more accessible (i.e. 'seek' is not a word regularly used by three year olds so we put our hands up to our foreheads as if we are looking for something)
  3. We sometimes sing verses to simple tunes or march around the dining room table, saying the verse, clapping and playing percussion instruments (I'm sure we must look ridiculous but it creates a memory and helps us to remember)
  4. We apply it to different situations as they occur (This is perhaps the most powerful point because it makes it real and relevant).
I think it is important to note that our son does not always understand the verses he memorises - we explain each one we learn but he is only three and sometimes they are just above his level. What the most important thing is, is the memorising - one day God will use that verse, stored up inside his heart, and then he will understand it.

I know there are many other ways of teaching and learning Bible verses, these are simply to ones we use. I would love to know what you and your family do... please share your methods and experience in the comments section.

I pray that this simple little post has been of encouragement to you,
God bless,
Laura
 

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