My Daily Pause

Category: Devotional

  • Perfect!

    Perfect!

    I like being reminded of the gift Gad gave us through his son.

    He made sure we can be properly prepared to stand before his throne in perfection. Colossians 1 may just be the best and most important reminder of that in the Bible.

    Christ was always here – he is the image of God and all things were made through him. (Colossians 1:15-20) He was a perfect example and his perfection lives on in his kingdom (the church).

    If the version of the Bible you are using says we are anything except “perfect” (mature, completeness, etc.) in Colossians 1:28, I urge you to make an annotation there that the word means perfect (The NKJV has the proper treatment of this verse). The whole goal of Christianity is to make all men perfect before God (Ephesians 1:4) and it was one of the first things Jesus told us he wanted. (Matthew 5:48)

    Daily Bible reading for May 10

    Psalm 129
    Numbers 9:15-10:10
    Isaiah 46-47
    Colossians 1:21-2:5

  • Habits for Easy Living

    Habits for Easy Living

    I mention Paul’s lists a lot. They are a great way to break his writing down to get the gist of what he is trying to say.

    My favorites are usually at the end of his letters in the form of exhortations. They were meant to encourage and command the basics of Christian living. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-22, Ephesians 6:10-18, Galatians 5:22-23, etc.)

    The list in Philippians 4:4-8 is a favorite with many probably because it punctuates the theme “Rejoice!” The Christian that can develop the traits and habits listed here will be one who will stand above his peers.

    They will help us develop peace.

    They will give us security and a stress free lifestyle.

    Bonus

    Here are some previous posts on this passage. These posts are broken out of a sermon I once did on this passage.

    Paul’s Recipe for Reducing Stress – Rejoice
    Paul’s Recipe for Reducing Stress – Kindness
    Paul’s Recipe for Reducing Stress – Just Ask
    Paul’s Recipe for Reducing Stress – God’s Peace
    Paul’s Recipe for Reducing Stress – The Good and Spiritual
    Paul’s Recipe for Reducing Stress – Godly People
    Paul’s Recipe for Reducing Stress – Forget Possessions
    Paul’s Recipe for Reducing Stress – Christ

  • Finish the Race

    Finish the Race

    The moral to Aesop’s The Tortoise and the Hare is often given as “Slow and steady wins the race” or compared to Solomon’s idea that “the race is not to the swift”. (Ecclesiastes 9.11)

    I see a call to finish the race. Tortoise won because he stayed on track and crossed the finish line. The hare on the other hand, napped and frolicked because knew he had plenty of time to take care of business.

    Paul compared our heavenly journey to a race. (1 Corinthians 9:24, 2 Timothy 4:7, Philippians 3:12) We are to run it in a way that keeps us on course and allows us to finish, and qualifies us for the prize,

    Like the tortoise, the mature Christian has this attitude. He forgets what is behind him and focuses on what lies ahead. He examines what is left to do to prepare for the call of God in Christ. (Philippians 3:14-16)

    So continue on and fight the good fight. Finish the race. Keep the faith.

    Daily Bible reading for May 7

    The offerings are listed  at the tabernacle’s consecration. The Lord is Israel’s only Savior. Paul says to press on and don’t look back.

    Psalm 126
    Numbers 7
    Isaiah 43:1-44:5
    Philippians 3:1-4:1

  • Serving the Kingdom

    Serving the Kingdom

    I heard a sermon yesterday that was full of error. The speaker talked about the Kingdom of God like it was to come in the future.

    If one is a Christian, that is to say, he is “in Christ” then he is a member of the Kingdom of God. Today.

    The Kingdom arrived on the day recorded in Acts 2.

    In Mark 9:1 Jesus told the group that was with him “there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” In Acts 2:1-4, we have the account of that prophecy coming true. We can also see upon Jesus’ arrival in Mark 1:14-15 that the prophecies of the Kingdom were fulfilled and it was “at hand.”

    If the Kingdom is not here and complete, either there are some really old guys running around or Jesus is a liar.

    Here are some other references to God’s kingdom to help reinforce my point:

    • The church and the kingdom of heaven are used interchangeably in Matthew 16:18-19.
    • Paul spoke of him and the Colossians being in the kingdom (Col. 1:13)
    • Jesus said the Lord’s Supper was given to be observed in the kingdom (Matt. 26:29), Paul said it was given to be observed in the church (1 Cor. 11:23-30)
    • We can also read the parable of the tares (or weeds) in Matthew 16:24-30. Jesus’ explanation in Matthew 16:36-43 is his placing the “sons of the kingdom” into the world (v38). At the end, all causes of sin will be removed “from the kingdom” (v41)

    This is a quick listing of proof presented for your personal study. We are in the last days serving in God’s kingdom right now. The next event is the judgment.

    Daily Bible reading for May 6

    Psalm 125
    Numbers 6
    Isaiah 42
    Philippians 2:12-30

  • Obtaining the Mind of Christ

    Obtaining the Mind of Christ

    Thinking about what Paul meant when he said to have the mind of Christ is a great way to prepare for worship. He gave us a letter that describes our relationship to Christ as well as the reasons to rejoice.

    Our relationship to Christ

    • Chapter 1 – Christ is our life and in control
    • Chapter 2 – Christ was sent as a pattern for us
    • Chapter 3 – Christ is the goal we should shoot for
    • Chapter 4 – Christ is the joy and strength of our life

    Rejoice in Christ

    • Chapter 1 – Rejoice in evangelism and the opposition to darkness it causes
    • Chapter 2 – Rejoice in Christ-like service
    • Chapter 3 – Rejoice in our sufferings
    • Chapter 4 – Rejoice in Christ-like living

    Daily Bible reading for May 5

    The Lord gives instructions for unclean people, confession and adultery. Fear not for the Lord is there. Paul urges us to have the mind of Christ.

    Psalm 124
    Numbers 5
    Isaiah 41
    Philippians 1:27-2:11

  • No Fear

    No Fear

    Paul wasn’t afraid of getting out and mixing it up with others when it came to delivering the word of God. He even looked upon his jail time as a chance to make others aware of the Gospel. (Philippians 1:12-13)

    Those outside of Christ pay a lot of attention to Christians – both when they stumble and when they stick to their commitment. I have demonstrated time and time again that it is easy to influence an office full of coworkers to not use cuss words. It can be done silently and with respect.

    It would sure help if we could be perfect, but Paul’s instructions are attainable even though we are not. Living a life worthy of the Gospel is how we are able to stand firm against opposition. (Philippians 1:27-30) Your lack of fear speaks volumes.

    No matter what that opposition is, they will see through us they are in the wrong – well, at least they might become aware that there is a lot more meaning to this life. Perhaps that is why they are urgently trying to block believers from teaching.

    Daily Bible reading for May 4

    Roll call – the sons of Aaron and their duties. Isaiah comforts God’s people and speaks of God’s greatness. Paul encourages the Philippians about the advance of the Gospel despite his situation.

    Psalm 123
    Numbers 3-4
    Isaiah 40
    Philippians 1