Colossians 3 - 05.04.23
SCRIPTURE: Colossians 3:1-2 NLT
“Since you have been raised to New LIFE with Christ, set your sights on the Realities of HEAVEN, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”
OBSERVATION:
I am so moved by this verse for many reasons. First, God is speaking to me about the importance of the ‘one’. How many times Jesus gave us examples in His parables and talks—He will leave the 99 to go after the ‘1’.
Colossae was a church that should never have been mentioned in the New Testament. Paul never visited this city—nor did any other Apostle. A man that no one has probably ever heard of-or ever thought about—the ‘1’ —a man named Epaphras visited in Ephesus where Paul ministered. Here, two men were brought to faith-Epaphras and Philemon. Epaphras was from Colossae and became the key founder of the church there—for he shared the Gospel with his friends there (1:7). Epaphras also shared ministry in the neighboring cities of Heirapolis and Laodicea.
God used a “willing” layman to build ministry in three cities.
APPLICATION:
The ‘1’
God cares so deeply for the One. To Who and How am I ministering? I pray I will have God’s filter on and not my own. That as I go about my days I will be “heavenly focused” and eyes for God’s ‘1’--who may seem ‘unlikely’-- as Pastor Levi shared in his Powerful teaching several weeks back—
For this VERY “1” that God sees—their tender heart—has within them the possibility to change lives as they carry the Gospel message [they themselves have received] as partners in our work.
“So it happened, when they had come, Samuel looked at Eliab [the eldest son] and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him. But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:6-7 NLT)
God is in the business of redeeming and restoring the unlikely—that the Glory may belong to Him Alone. (Luke 19:1 Story of Zacchaeus)
PRAYER:
Lord Jesus,
Your heart is so tender for those that are humble and truly seeking You. You Know ALL things. You Spoke the world into creation. Everything is in complete submission to Your Will. May I hear and be in Complete Obedience to Your Will. As I get older I am more aware of time getting shorter—and although none of us know our hour—I pray I will set my eyes towards heaven—that I will have Your lens—that eternal Life with You will FILL my thoughts and I will not get bogged down by daily annoyances that seek to distract me. Your faithfulness has proven itself over and over and over in my life. My Confidence is IN You. I pray for More workers to GO into your ripe harvest field. In Jesus Name. amen.
Tina L Kudelka
“So God has given both HIS promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This HOPE [Jesus] is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us right through the inner curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.” (Hebrews 6:18-19 NLT)