Scripture

Think of the things of heaven, not the things of earth.

Observation

We have been raised to new life in Christ, so we should set our minds on things of heaven and not be consumed by worldly thoughts. We have died to this life and been raised to eternity in Christ.

We must put to death all the sinful and fleshly desires within us- immorality, impurity, greed, idolatry and so on.

We need to put on our new nature and be renewed as we learn to be like Christ.

Application

One of the biggest problems we have as christians is allowing God to transform us. Sin seems to cling to us despite our good intentions.

The problem is that we still live in the world and our thoughts are dominated by the world’s ways of thinking rather than by God’s ways.

We must see that our destiny is in heaven with Christ, and everything in our lives needs to be seen in that perspective.

The people of the world do not know God. All they see is this life. All their energy and thought go into the concerns of this world. They worry about work, possessions, sex, family and so on.

For we who are born again, our focus must always be on serving Christ. Our work is for His glory not ours. Our family is to serve Him not to live for its own purposes.

Thinking of heavenly things does not mean abandoning our responsibilities to live on a mystical plane unconcerned with earthly things.

We are to put Jesus first in everything and see the things that we do in the light of serving and worshipping Him.

When we look to God and live for Him, He deals with all the other things in our life, including sinful attitudes and wrong priorities.

We do not have to change the way we live, just where we place our affections. God will look after the rest.

Prayer

Lord please help me to seek you in every part of my life. I trust you to redirect my life and to change my thinking. Amen.

Scripture

Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.

Observation

Just as we received Christ, we are to continue to live in Him, strengthened in faith as we walk with Him.

Avoid all hollow and deceptive philosophy based on worldly or human principles, rather than on Christ. We have been given all the fullness of Christ. We are united with Christ in His death and resurrection.

We were dead in our sins, but Christ made us alive in Him. He forgave our sins, cancelled the Law (crucified it, in fact!), and disarmed the powers and principalities.

So we need to beware of any attempt to take us back to the Law, or to the worship of angels, or other deceptions.

Application

People who claim to be more spiritual than they really are can lead us into all kinds of deception.

People who claim to have had angelic visitations, and talk about them all the time, can seem to be more spiritual than the rest of us., but they can lead us to a place where we worship the angels and other created beings, leading us away from Christ.

We can celebrate with those who have genuine experiences that are out of the ordinary. In fact we are supposed to be aware constantly of the spiritual realm.

Deception comes in when all we want is the angelic experience. When meeting with angels is more important to us than meeting with Christ, there is a problem.

Paul talks about human philosophy and the Jewish law as well as worshipping angels. All of these tings may be interesting, but our focus must always be on worshipping and living in Christ.

If I focus my eyes on Jesus, then I may have amazing experiences of the power of the Holy Spirit or of angels. But if I focus on the experiences, I may quickly lose sight of Jesus.

Prayer

Lord, may you always be right in front of me. Let nothing else take my focus away from you. Amen.

Scripture

This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

Observation

Paul writes to the holy people of Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. He has heard of their faith and love which come from their confident hope in their eternal destiny.

This same Good News is bearing fruit all over the earth as people turn to Christ. Paul prays for the Colossians that they will be strengthened ad filled with joy.

Application

The Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, has been spreading constantly through the world since the day of Pentecost. In just about every nation of the world there are faithful followers of Christ.

As people turn to the Lord, their lives are transformed, and ultimately whole nations are changed.

In the West we often find this hard to believe. It seems that the society in which we live is turning against the Gospel, sometimes with hostility.

In this situation, we just need to let Jesus continue to work in us, changing our lives one day at a time. As we are able to give testimony about what He has done for us, our actions will demonstrate the truth of our words.

People are hungry for truth and authenticity. They are tired of slick advertising messages, political spin and hollow promises. When they see someone whose life shows the truth of their beliefs, then they will take notice.

The Good News is bearing fruit all over the world. We need to believe that it will bear fruit in the lives of our friends and neighbours.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the transformation that comes when people believe your Good News. Help me to live a life that testifies to your goodness, and to speak words that point people to you. Amen.

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+3.1-4

Scripture

When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

Observation

We who are born again have died in Christ and are raised with Him. Because Christ is above, that is where our desires and affections must be.

I have died and am now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ is revealed in glory, I will also be revealed with Him in glory.

Application

We live in a materialistic culture, and everything is about what can be seen or touched. Consequently, we tend to think of eternity as pretty much like this life. We just cannot imagine what heaven must be like.

Paul tells us that we who are born again are born to a higher level of existence. At the moment our true nature is hidden with Christ, but when Christ’s glory is revealed to the world, we will also be revealed.

We are not ordinary people although we look like ordinary people. We are children of glory awaiting our transformation and unveiling.

We have an eternal destiny. We will rule over angels and all created beings. We will share in the glory and majesty of Christ.

We are the ones who have recognised the truth of the gospel. We are the ones who have joined ourselves to Christ, saying “Yes” to his offer of salvation. We are the ones who will overcome and stand firm in Him until the end.

Having passed through all the temptations and trials of this life we will be raised up with Christ to share His glory.

For this reason we must live as people of destiny. As Paul says, we must set our minds on what is above. This is what we were created and saved for.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for the destiny, the glory that awaits me in you. Thank you for dying on the cross to set me free from sin and death. Thank you for the assurance that I will share in your resurrection. Amen.

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians 1:11-20

Scripture

He has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his dear Son who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

Observation

Paul pays for the Colossians that they will be strengthened with God’s glorious power.

God has brought us out of the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His Son. Jesus purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

Christ is God made visible. He preceded creation and reigns over all things. Everything in creation was made for Him and through Him.

Christ is the head of His church- and therefore my head. He is reconciling all things to Himself.

Application

We were trapped in a hostile, foreign country, but God rescued us. We were destined for hell, but God intervened and rescued us- He rescued me! I was dead and done, but He came and rescued me.

God’s way is not by might and power. He did not send in a military force with tanks, helicopters and bombs. No, He gave away His power, becoming flesh and dying on a cross.

This is our God. The God who spoke galaxies into existence with a word. The God who holds the whole of creation in His hand, who could crush everything instantly in his zeal to end evil. This God became weak, subjecting Himself to sinful men and women.

And He died.

In His death the great transfer took place. The guilty were forgiven and rescued from darkness.

At the cross I died and my sin died with me. I am a new creation, no longer bound by the chains of the dark kingdom. I am a citizen of a new kingdom, the kingdom of God. Reborn, released, refined.

Prayer

Jesus my Lord, you are my Saviour, my Redeemer. I was trapped in sin, but you rescued me. I was bound in chains, trapped in the kingdom of darkness, but you came and brought me out into your glorious Kingdom.

I never earned this, never deserved it. But your love is greater than my sin. Your mercy triumphs over my evil ways..

Your glorious majesty has won my heart. Thank you for setting me free, Help me to live as a child of the light not as a child of the darkness. Amen.

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians+1.15-28

Scripture

He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation.

Observation

Christ is the image of God. He was before all things and created all things.

Christ is the head of His body, the church. In Him all the fullness of God dwells, and through Him God reconciled all things to Himself.

We were once far from God, but Christ brings us close, presenting us blameless and holy to God.

Application

To understand the scope of our salvation we must understand the Saviour. Paul paints a high and exalted picture of Christ that tries to lift our vision to see who He is.

We have a tendency to see Jesus as just a man- a very good man to be sure but still just a man. We might see His death as a tragedy.

But here is the truth. Jesus was a man with all the fullness of God dwelling in Him. His death was planned from the beginning of time s the centrepiece of creation.

We get to share in this by living for Christ and sharing with others the good news of what He has done for us.

Prayer

How awesome and majestic you are Lord Jesus Christ, creator and redeemer of the world. Amen.

Passage: https://www.biblegatesway.com/passage/?search=colossians+1.1-14

Scripture

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother

Observation

Paul says that he always thanks God for the Colossians because of the faith and love that they have for all the saints. These come from the word of truth, the gospel, which is not only growing in their hearts but is spreading all over the world.

Paul prays for them daily that the Lord will fill them with the knowledge of His will so that they will please Him in every way, that they will be sterngthened in power and giving thanks in all things to the Father.The Father has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His own dear Son in whom we have redemotion.

Application

Paul starts off this letter introducing himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. This was not his idea or ambition, it was God’s will.

We may not be where we want to be in life, but we are where God wants us to be. This is so important to bear in mind in a culture that is obsessed with self-direction and self-fulfilment and is not so impressed with self-control.

I am where I am, doing the things I do by the will of God and by His calling. Like clay being moulded into a vessel for God’s purpose, my attitude must always be “Not my will, but yours be done in me Lord.”

Prayer

Lord I give you my life- mind, body, spirit- to be used for your holy purposes. Let the word of truth grow stronger in me to be seen in a life totally surrendered to you. Amen.