The Book of Colossians – passages specific to God’s Plan for Man’s – SALVATION
Colossians 1
v.21 – Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. v.22 – But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation – v.23 – if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.
Colossians 2
v.9 – For in Christ all the fullness of the Diety lives in bodily form, v.10 – and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. v.11 – In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ. v.12 – having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
v.13 – When you were dead in your sins in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, v.14 – having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. v.15 – And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
November 08 2009 | New Testament - Salvation | No Comments »
….this walk of faith….it’s hard! Harder some days than others – even – the stronger my faith becomes – it seems – the opposition – brings “bigger” weapons to the battle….
Walking …… Read. Gen. 16:1-2
…and Sarai said to Abram, “You see that the Lord has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my slave-girl, it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. v.2
It seems, the voices – that speak to us, advice – - while they may be born of good intentions - should be carefully examined, even feared – - perhaps as much, as those voices that speak – to us, advice – born of evil intention. Abram’s walk of faith, being so very much like our own – was undermined – by the voice of Sarai’s good intentions! Trouble was – the voice of Sarai, no matter how sincere and genuine - was not the voice of God! Curious enough - Abram’s faith – had been developing, in his daily walk – - -I mean, so recently – Abram, was in conversation with the Father – asking tough questions of the human heart – and receiving Fatherly redirection and guidance and renewed promise. I suppose - it seems a bit “back and forth” – on Abram’s part to now be listening to the voice of Sarai – and taking control of the management of God’s plan and promise. Hello?!? 
There are usually – plenty of “voices” to listen to – especially voices that are “willing” to give us advice – of one sort or another.
My prayer is that You will provide for me – Father – ”clarity” - in distinguishing the voices around me that are genuinely trying to help me along the way of faith. Remind me of your voice - Father – when voices speak – and though – my heart may be captivated by their advisory – help me to discriminate – the sound of Your voice - among the good intentions – - and separate – Your will – from bad advice. In childlike faith – Father accept me into your presence – to ask again and again and again – for your Fatherly redirection – guidance and renewed promise – in your grace and mercy. Amen
Walking …… Read. Gen. 16:3-6
Yes, “the plan” – well, it worked – but the results – were rather unpleasant. 
Of course – as children – that is pretty much the normal way things go - we get what we wanted – and then - we find out – that we don’t really like - what we wanted – after all! Hello!?! – - – I am so – shaking my guilty-head - from side to side – with a childish and ashamed look on my face.
Father, I realize – that so often, the pattern of my behavior is - that, one minute I am selflessly determined to get your will done in those around me – and the next minute I am upset and troubled, because I don’t like the way I am being treated – nor the consequences, of my selfish choices. I am too often narrow-minded and emotionally small. Forgive me. Teach me a deeper faith – and walk forever with me. Amen
Walking …… Read. Gen. 16:1-16
“The angel of the lord found her…” v.7
Mistakes! Sin! Selfish choices! – - – Our lives are fraught with them! – - – I suppose….one of the most difficult mistakes we make …. to overcome – is the kind of mistake that causes other people – especially those we love – to hurt – or to be affected, by our mistake. Truth is – most all sin – has consequences that affect others – one way or another. Hagar – running away from the consequences of Abram’s sin and Sarai’s jealous anger – was met by the angel of the Lord – near a spring in the desert. – - - How to make things “right” – when things have gone “so wrong”? – - – How - indeed – to stop the momentum of the consequences – flowing from the mistakes and sin – of selfish choices? Abram and Sarai’s – lack of faith in the promise of God - is going to wreak havoc, far down through the centuries – and there is only one way to handle our sin!
Consider – that as bad as things seem – and as consequential as these sins were down through the ages ….. the answer – then - in the form of the “angel of the Lord” – who Hagar named as - ”the God who sees me” - Beer Lahai Roi – and the answer now – in the form of Jesus Christ – Emmanuel – God With Us – Is the same! God is greater than all our sin!
In my journey – in my walk of faith - I am begining to realize – God – my Father - that in running from the consequences of other peoples sin – there is no escape – on my own! And – Father – I realize, too - that there is no escape for other’s – from the consequences of my sin – on their own! Mistakes! Sin! Selfish choices! – Our lives are all – fraught with them! But Father, my God – as your children in this life – we are all bound up, together - in the same covenant relationship with You. The covenant you made and fulfilled in the life of our Father Abraham – and the covenant and promise of Salvation – for all of your children - fulfilled in the life and death and ressurection of your son Jesus Christ! Your mercy leads us. You are the God who sees us – and you, are greater than all our sin! Forgive us and save us – through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen
Walking …… Read. Gen. 17:1-14
No longer shall your name be Abram – but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations.
Abram was 86 years old when Hagar bore him his son, Ishmael. 13 years later – at 99 – the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am almighty God; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” - – - Face down on the ground – the promise of Lord, that He had been working, in the life of Abraham and his daily walk of faith – - – the promise that would provide for all God’s children, Eternal Salvation - - - Explodes! – sharpens! -and was revived! Abram’s name was changed from “father exhalted” – to “father of a multitude”, father Abraham. Down through the years of waiting – fearing – battling – stumbling – and walking – God’s promise was not impaired nor diminished!
I too often, allow challenges to my faith, in my daily walk – to diminsh the expectations, within me, of your promises. My impaired expectations – fail to allow for You to unfold them, in your own good time – with all the splendor they are due - in the covenant relationship - between you and your children. Help me, Father – to remain more consistently – in a position of trusting belief and determined faith, in the Glory of your Promises – to listen closely for you to speak – and to trust in what you say. Do not allow me, Father - to reduce your promises - in order to fit them into my diminished expectations – instead – help me to respond daily, in faith - and to be acutely aware of the developing fulfilment of your promises. Amen
Walking …… Read. Gen. 17:15-17
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said to himself, “Can a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Can Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” v.17
Face down on the ground, again – Abraham falls – while this time, in a fit of laughter!? Abraham’s laughter, is not born of a merry or jolly spirit! - rising up from the belly. Rather, his laughter was born of complete amazement and of disbelief! Lack of faith! - rising out of the chest region, closer to the heart, where human emotion and rational belief come together, face to face and – colide! And in his disbelief, Abraham cries out in laughter – in the face of a faithful Father – and proceeds, once again - to assume control from God and try to persuade Him - to use what is a “sure thing”, in Ishmael. I understand. I even relate to Abraham being impatient, with the dangers and the unpredictability of faith. Perhaps, it is the hardest part of our daily walk in faith – to give IT ALL to the LORD! It is our nature, to strive to take some responsibility – for the way things turn out! But God will not be distracted from His Will to work His Promises, in our lives. * To steal a line from Queen Victoria, the Lord say’s – something like – “I am not amused”. He will not be – “pleasantly occupied” or distracted - by our disbelief! In our belief – we must be willing to go all the way! We must be willing to stand aside and trust the LORD – to do His Will!
Father, sometimes there are things that are hard for me to believe! And when the emotions of my heart colide with rational belief – - - Father, too many times – I fail to remain – faithful in my trust in You – to do Your Will, not mine. I say that I believe God, but too often I don’t act like it. I am such a child of faith. I desperately need You, to walk hand in hand with me daily, as my Father – teaching me your ways and your will! Help me to learn to become aware, of the “great mysteries” of your promises and your will in my life. Make me a sponge, Father – so that I can ”soak up” the wisdom of your ways and absorb them into my innermost being – such that - I may live them out in my daily walk – spontaneously. By your grace and your mercy and your love – Father, bless me this way. Amen
November 01 2009 | Fathering Moments - The Daily Walk and Living in the Word | No Comments »