Volume 3 Post/Email 8 – Colossians 4:2
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
When my spiritual life is unfocused, I suffer. A lack of devotion to speaking with God is costly.
1. I am not prepared to deal with Satan and temptation when I am not devoted to prayer.
2. My attitude drifts from being grateful and positive when I am not devoted to prayer.
3. The Great Commission of Jesus Christ is less of a priority when I am not devoted to prayer.
Colossians 4:3 reads, "And pray for us too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains."
Colossians 4:5 reads, "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."
Am I watchful and thankful?
Without being devoted to prayer, being thankful is difficult, and being watchful even harder.
However, when my spiritual life is focused, God grants me wisdom and strength for any temptation.
When my spiritual life is focused, God cleanses my heart from ungrateful, unloving, and negative attitudes.
When my spiritual life is focused, God's will for my influence on others is my will, and so I am watchful for people to pray for and to have beneficial spiritual conversations with.
Colossians 4:6 - "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."
A good measure for assessing my spiritual conversations is whether they are grace-oriented. Paul teaches us to be "full of grace" when talking with others about God.
Obviously, being "devoted" (vs. 2) implies an ongoing, continual, everyday practice.
Everyday Let God Use You to pray for others, speak with others, and be a Christian example for others.
Let's be devoted to prayer, being watchful and thankful!
-Brian
Volume 3 Post/Email 6 – Proverbs 11:24-25
One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
I really like these 2 verses and thought they would be good ones to share here on elguy.
These proverbs encourage us to extend a helping hand to our fellow man.
Another translation ends with "he who waters others will himself be watered."
When we only live for ourselves and self preservation, we actually miss out on personal blessings.
However, when we look to bless others, a byproduct of a generous heart and generous acts is personal gain!
By faith, we believe and trust in the supernatural realm and providence of God.
Thus, we live with the awareness of the truth that we actually gain when we give!
We actually end up refreshed, or watered, when we refresh or water others.
Are we giving freely? 
-Brian
Volume 3 Post/Email 5 – Proverbs 15:15
The cheerful heart has a continual feast.
I love this observation and statement of truth from Solomon!
We can excuse a sour attitude because of the negative events of life.
However, the choice is truly ours as to how we will live.
We do not have to be sour and miserable!
Neither do we have to be empty.
We can decide to be full of God and spiritual joy.
It is very possible to overcome the difficult people and negative circumstances that cross our path.
A cheerful heart has a continual feast, including days of discouragement and disappointment!
A cheerful heart has a continual feast, even when dealing with petty and unnecesary issues!
A cheerful heart has a continual feast, so choose to be glad and free in Christ!
-Brian
Volume 2 Post/Email 9 – 1 John 4:13-16
As we continue on the primary theme of spiritual formation, another great text to ponder concerning union with God is 1 John 4:13-16.
"We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him."
These words make the profound mystery of God practical and understandable!
These words convey what it means to have a relationship with God, and how this relates to and impacts daily living.
Does God live in me? Do I live in God?
John states that faith (specifically in Jesus) is the avenue to such a union/relationship. "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God."
Furthermore, John makes this otherwise abstract concept more concrete and tangible. "Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him."
Do I bask in God's love for and affirmation of me each day?
You cannot truly love yourself more than He does! He is wild about you! He delights in you! There are NUMEROUS Scriptures that say so!
Do I reciprocate God's love? Do I show Jesus I love him? Do I tell my Father I love him? Do I tell Jesus I love him? Do I thank Jesus and the Spirit? Do I worship the Father? > An affirmative answer to these type of questions is vital to truly experiencing God (and union with a tri-personal God), and not just having dry knowledge of God, or having what we might describe as an intellectual or academic spirituality.
The other type of questions I need to reflect upon for spiritual inventory and application pertain to my relationships and interaction with people.
Do I love and help others, including those with whom I am different? Do I love, forgive and serve people who have not always treated me with love?
Am I relying on God's love for me and my sinfulness, or disregarding this need and reality? Am I trusting in the transforming power of God's Spirit and Jesus' presence to change inwardly and overcome my unloving attitudes and tendencies toward people?
God wants us to learn, and be ever learning, how to live in union with him.
Through our love for others and from others we experience the loving presence of God - heaven on earth.
Fellowship (loving union) with God is what creates transformation in our lives. Faith in Jesus expressed through prayer to God (in love) and through love for others are tangible acts that help us consciously be aware of this all-important, imperative union.
Think of what your life would be without an authentic relationship with God!
Think of what your relationships would be without the giving and receiving of Christ's love!
First John 4:13 states that God's Spirit is in you, filling you with love and empowering you to love!
We cannot love very long on our own resources. We need the presence of God's Spirit permeating and saturating our lives with His goodness!
Brothers and Sisters - Keep living in God!!! Keep living in love!!!
Continue experiencing formation into the likeness of Jesus!!!
ELGUY!!!
Continue loving your family, including that family member who others and/or yourself finds difficult to love!
Continue loving your congregation, including that brother or sister who others and/or yourself finds difficult to love!
Continue being Christ-like at work, including toward that co-worker or boss who others and/or yourself finds difficult to love!
Resist the temptation to not love! Refuse to be a container of even a smidget of hatred! Resolve to be empty of any ill-will, or even indifference!
To summarize and clarify:
Continue investing your life in people - even people who seem to not appreciate you, value you, your friendship or help, and people for whom it appears that your love and investment is not making any difference.
God's unending love for you and investment in you has made all the difference for you, and your unwavering love for someone with whom you could easily give up on is what could make all the difference in their life and future.
Be a vessel full of God, overflowing with love for God, for yourself, and for others!!!
-Brian
Volume 2 Post/Email 7 – John 15:4 (Part 2)
(Picking up from the end of yesterday’s post…)
Lastly, Brodie explains:
"Oneness with the ultimate reality is not an abstract idea; it is a spiritual experience of knowing that the timeless God is at the door inviting you to full union. It is an attentiveness to the present, a readiness, at every moment, to receive reality, to enjoy deeply even the simplest things." (1)
-Didn’t Jesus enjoy deeply even the simplest things?
A list of some simple pleasures he enjoyed:
sharing a meal (There are more than a dozen “table” references in Luke's narrative.)
hosting/providing a meal
celebrating a wedding
greeting strangers (Nathaniel, woman at well, Zachaeus, 2 traveling to Emmaeus, etc.)
walking in/observing nature (birds, lilies, soil, seeds, trees, etc.)
visiting in homes
fishing/boating with friends (disciples)
talking with His Father
attending banquets
playing with children
retreating to a mountain
Who would Jesus not share a meal with? In fact, this is why he told the parables of the lost sheep, coin, and son – the Pharisees questioned his social life. *Jesus treated everyone as a treasure!
Jesus enjoyed deeply the simple blessings of life!
-Could we be searching for joy, when we could actually be experiencing it in the moment?
-Shouldn't we be enjoying (and not rushing) the meals we share with others?
-Are we embracing the invitation to full union?
-How is prayer essential to daily union, communion, and joy?
-Brian
1 Thomas L. Brodie, The Gospel According To John (New York: Oxford University Press), 60-61
Volume 2 Post/Email 3 – 1 Peter 2:1-3
Did you ever wish when you were a child that you would grow up faster?
I know at times I did. I saw older friends and cousins driving, so I wanted to start driving – I saw them working, so I wanted to start working – I desired to start making all of my own decisions, and such.
Now, there are days where I wish I could go back to being a kid, playing little league baseball, having fun outside with my brothers and neighborhood friends, and had fewer responsibilities.
Anyway, my direction with this is that there are moments now where I wish I would grow up faster as a Christian. Perhaps you have experienced similar frustration. Yes, you can see ways that you have grown from year to year, but you still see so much more room for transformation, and wish you were further along in your spiritual journey.
There are days where I feel like a spiritual amateur, or as Bryant Terry from church would comment in class, “I’m in spiritual kindergarten.” I see men and women of faith that are so far ahead of me, and such incredible examples, and wish I were there myself. I could list many examples, but 2 that are very much needed in life (and ministry) are the ones I am mentioning.
One example is prayer. I cannot remember when I did not believe in it. It was taught and practiced in my home all of my childhood. However, it has only been the last few years that I have felt like more than an amateur at praying, and this is my fault for a lack of consistent devotion, study and practice. I now want and seek a richer and deeper life of daily worship and prayer. Prayer is like the ocean. No one has completely fathomed its depths, but even the smallest child can play in the waves by the shore. I feel like that child, still a beginner, playing in the shallow water. Praying the Psalms, having regular spiritual conversations and prayer with Jamie, reading books on God's love by Brennan Manning, meditating on N.T. Scriptures, and learning afresh from Jesus in the gospels, have all been tremendously helpful and refreshing for me.
As a second example, I desire to have my dad's patience. For all of you who know him, you know he is pretty much the epitome of patience, especially when dealing with difficult people. Through the years I have seen him treat people with such love and gentleness who were not treating him or the church with much love, respect or fairness, and think, "How does he do it?" I praise God for him, my mom, of course Jamie, and all the people God has put into my life to bless me in some way. Hopefully we can all say God has blessed us with wonderful Christian friends and family who love and encourage us.
So the point is, all of us have growing to do, and those who are ahead of us did not get where they are overnight either. Thus, what I find the Scriptures emphasize (Jeremiah 18:3-6, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Galatians 5:22-23, Philippians 2:12-13, 1 Peter 2:1-3, 2 Peter 1:5-7, etc.) is spiritual growth being both a personal decision and a process. It takes time to experience transformation, grow spiritual fruit, and become more like Christ. Furthermore, the key is not to compare ourselves with others, but to simply make sure we are personally and actively seeking God, reading His word, and allowing the Holy Spirit to bear fruit in our life, even if we aren’t where someone else is concerning bible knowledge, or prayer, or patience, or generosity, or compassion, or humility, or speech, or enthusiasm, faith, and so forth.
1 Peter 2:1-3 reads, “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
I love the simile and encouragement of this passage!
1. We can decide to grow in faith, Christ-like character and holiness. We begin seeing the fruit of this decision by choosing to rid ourselves of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and any form of slander.
2. We start as a spiritual newborn, and begin developing spiritual muscles and growing stronger as a Christian slowly but surely by the milk of God’s word. Thus, a new Christian is not expected by God to be where an older Christian is spiritually, but is expected to begin (and continue) the process of growing in maturity.
Two things I reminded my High School students of two weeks ago as we began an intense study on the challenging issue of theodicy and the story of Job. First, I told them that so many of them are much further along in their faith and insight than I was at their age, which I see as a good thing. I am frequently impressed by a statement or point someone makes in class, or by a concept one develops in a writing assignment. So I affirmed where they are, while still encouraging them to keep growing. Secondly, I expressed that while I might be an adult and a "teacher", that everyone has growing to do, and that on theological matters we study no one has a monopoly on God or the Bible, and on faith and discipleship issues everyone can be challenged in some way to grow more in Christ. This is not to excuse any careless behavior, but is simply a matter of fact.
I want to conclude by reiterating, let's not be discouraged because we are not at the same spiritual place as those who are stronger in the faith, but be thankful for their examples. Be encouraged by older and stronger Christians, other ministers, examples in Scripture like Job and the apostle Paul, and especially and obviously Christ. As we let God use us this week, let's be grateful for the growth we have already experienced in Christ, and eagerly aspire to continue growing in His love and grace.
-Brian
Volume 1 Post/Email 6 – Philippians 4:4
Life has a way of throwing burdens our way. Sometimes things can be relatively pleasant and then out of no where a problem surfaces unexpectedly.
I don’t know how last week was for each reader, nor how this week will be. Generally my weeks are mostly positive, but rarely does a week go by without at least a little negative mixed in too. And of course, we all have those times where the burdens feel extremely heavy.
Yet, because of our relationship with Christ, we always have a reason to rejoice, regardless of our current circumstances – even painful situations.
This was Paul’s point in Philippians 4:4 – “Rejoice in the LORD always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”
2 thoughts jump out at me in this simple faith statement.
1. Our joy is rooted in the LORD, not in whether our circumstances are blissful.
2. Our joy remains constant, as the term “always” conveys.
Our joy is constant, though our circumstances fluctuate! Why? Because of what does not change, which is Jesus’ love for us and the spiritual blessings and promises we have because of Him.
Paul was experiencing an unpleasant and undeserved circumstance while writing this letter. He was in prison because of his faith. Yet his faith in God did not dwindle nor his courage crumble. He did not lose his joy and peace in prison.
19 times in the 4 chapters of Philippians Paul references the concept of joy in some term, whether it be joy, rejoice, glad or gladness.
16 times in Philippians he references our mind and thoughts.
Perhaps there is a close relationship between our measure of joy and what we think.
Faith involves having positive expectations and hope. Faith involves trust and commitment, even when we do not understand an event or we deal with something that is difficult, and even undeserved.
This week, allow God’s joy to live inside of you, regardless of any undesirable situations, and let God use your joy to bless those who know you.
-Brian
Volume 1 Post/Email 4 – Philippians 3:1-8
Philippians 3:1 reads, “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the LORD! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.”
As someone who teaches and preaches, I like to point out in this verse that Paul says redundancy and repetition are o.k. :)
Here Paul encourages them, and us, to rejoice in our Lord, Jesus. He says he knows this is something he has mentioned before and that it is no trouble to do so once again, because he is reminding them of this simple truth as a safeguard.
So what is the safeguard? The following verses (2-6) show that the context he is addressing has to do with finding joy in religious things other than Jesus, such as our own “spiritual resume” (so to speak). Thus, our joy becomes based on, or resulting from, a focus on ourselves and our religious activities and works and not based on Jesus and His saving (atoning) work and blessings.
This was a Jewish struggle for many converts in the 1st Century, and it is a Christian struggle for some today – seeking to be justified by law/performance rather than by grace through faith in Jesus.
In Acts 15:9 Peter explains this to the Jewish Christians who were struggling to accept the Gentile Christians who did not keep all of their “traditions”. He says, “He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?”
Likewise, we can be tempted to lose the joy of a simple but sincere trust in Jesus. We can begin to place so much emphasis and importance on our religious performance and works that we end up both worshipping God and serving others under false pretenses. Instead of a heart oriented towards Jesus that results in joy, humility, service and overall transformation and obedience, we end up practicing more of a self-worship than God-worship. The result can even be to compare ourselves, including our works, our knowledge/beliefs, and even specific worship habits, to those of others and to compare “spiritual resumes” and put our confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:2-3).
Isn’t this scary?! Religious activities can actually draw us away from God instead of closer to God! Like the Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14, who allowed the spiritual disciplines of praying, fasting and tithing to be about himself and focus on himself rather than on God’s presence and goodness in his life.
Isn’t this scary?! Religious activities can actually draw us away from other Christian believers instead of closer to them! We can have a sectarian spirit and actions instead of a Christ-like spirit and actions. Sadly, we could create a list of 100’s of things Christians have divided over that the Bible does not mandate dividing over.
Here is Paul’s “spiritual resume” and how he now views himself in light of Christ.
Philippians 3:4b-6 reads, “If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.”
A little adlibbing … ‘Boy, aren’t I such a religious person who has everything together? I am a Christian of Christians! Well … this is what I now think and know to be true … my spiritual resume is garbage and I desperately need God’s mercy! I need Jesus, and Jesus alone is my joy and salvation!’
Philippians 3:7-8 – “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my LORD, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”
As God works in and through you each day, rejoice in the LORD that you are forgiven, loved, have purpose and can be used in the kingdom despite being unholy and unworthy apart from Christ.
It is not about our religious heritage (or even a lack of a religious background). Our salvation is not a matter of how much we know or how much we do or how right we think we are compared to others. What matters is having a personal faith in Jesus and humbly seeking to glory in Him (vs. 3), without putting any confidence in ourselves (the flesh).
My prayer from this text (and perhaps yours too):
“Father, may I rejoice in Jesus each day. May my relationship with you not be one of pride and self-promotion, but one of gratitude and love for You. May I have a heart purified by faith in Jesus. May my obedience and religious activities direct me towards You and not myself.
Also, help me to love others more now than ever before. May I not judge and look down on other people of faith who do not have an exact resemblance to my spiritual views and practices, but to seek unity, peace and love based on a common faith in Christ in the midst of any other diversity.
Thank you for all of my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Thank you for Jesus. In His name, Amen.”
-Brian
Volume 1 Post/Email 3 – Philippians 2:14
Have you ever struggled to have a positive attitude?
Have you ever failed to bite your tongue?
Yes, even good-hearted, well-intentioned Christians can be tempted and led into sinful attitudes and conversations.
James warns Christians in 1:27 to keep from being polluted by the world.
None of us are immune from the pollution in the world, including toxic thoughts, toxic attitudes, and corrosive, divisive, hurtful and poisonous words.
In Philippians 2:14 Paul writes, “Do everything without complaining or arguing.”
One way we impact people every day is by our attitude and conversations. Paul exhorts us to refrain from the negative activity of complaining to people or fighting word battles with others.
This verse can be a focus and priority this week to let God use us in positive ways by the simple daily activities of talking and interacting with others.
-Brian