The Purpose

“We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.” Colossians 1:28-29

Paul was imprisoned in Rome, and yet this man of God found great purpose in this. Paul discovered that power was available to him in spite of the restrictions imposed upon him by this. He was incarcerated by Roman authority, but at the same time liberated by God’s authority.

Paul was a prisoner in Rome, but an ambassador to the world. By Roman power, Paul’s body was chained to one man. By God’s power his message was communicated to “every man.”  His purpose in life was not choked out, by this, or by any other crisis. It was given a more powerful voice.

Appearances can be deceiving. Things are not always what they seem to be. Wisdom is the capacity to see life through God’s eyes, without being blinded by the punch in the face from the unexpected or undeserved crises of life. Wisdom is not the capacity to always avoid every crisis. It is the humility to remain teachable in the middle of this crisis.

When the United States was attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor in 1941, it was a major disaster, but it was not a complete disaster. Most people reacted in panic at the sight, smells, and sounds of the crisis. A few wise leaders assessed the damage and came up with a proper response to hit.

When wise eyes assessed crisis, they noticed that Japan had attacked on a Sunday. This miscalculation left the majority of the sailors safely on shore. It also meant that trained, highly motivated, and able seamen were available to begin the counter attack. The repair facilities were not damaged. This meant the ships that were sunk, could be raised, repaired and returned to the battle line much faster than originally expected. The attack galvanized and mobilized the American people for the long road to victory. Cooler heads prevailed. Wisdom responded to the crisis, from December 1941 to September 1945. The rest, as they say, is history.

Paul’s response to his crisis of faith was to continue to “proclaim Him” during the crisis, not to blame Him for it.  Paul kept his eye on Jesus.

Paul’s preaching, proclaiming, announcing, declaring, admonishing, and teaching were influenced by walking with Jesus. Praying through the crisis led Paul to God’s purpose for this crisis, not to complaining about it.

"We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties."  Oswald Chambers

Paul’s purpose in life was to lead God’s children to maturity in Christ, not to raise spoiled brats who always expected to get their own way. There is a huge difference between being childlike and childish. Being complete in Christ begins with a childlike faith that refuses to be childish.

Recently an 18 year-old daughter in New Jersey sued her parents. When they enforced their ground rules, she left the house. She broke fellowship with the family, but wanted the financial benefits of the relationship. The judge determined she was out of line to live in rebellion to her parents and expect them to support her life-style. Paul would have agreed with the judgment, completely.

Much has been made of the word purpose in the past 20 years. Most of it has been helpful. In this case, the word is not specifically mentioned, but it makes it no less inferred. The word “this” refers to maturing or completing believers in Christ. There is no substitute for proclaiming Jesus as the only answer for the questions of life. In the late 1980’s there was a song that proclaimed, “When answers aren’t enough, there is Jesus.” It was right on target.

Paul never forgot about this. He refused to say, “I don’t deserve this. I don’t need this. I don’t receive this.” Paul accepted this, and put it in the hands of Jesus.

T.H.I.S. = The Hurt I Suffer

By praying his way through T.H.I.S., Paul led people to maturity in Christ. Paul labored for this great purpose. He strived against great odds to do it. He was not a patsy, a pushover or a victim of circumstance. His pride got in the way. Still, he strived not just to introduce people to Jesus as the means to be saved completely, but to show them how to appropriate His power to behave properly.

Note to self: When you are hit with T.H.I.S. Take it to Jesus in prayer and leave it there. If your pride is hurt, let it lead you to the humility to learn from T.H.I.S. Paul did.

Paul tapped into a power that was mightily available within him to rise above the crisis, not just to endure it.  The language describes an effort that was sheer agony for Paul to yield to this dynamic energy to be released through him. His flesh would resent and resist T.H.I.S.  In the end, prayer led him to settle for nothing less than more of The Spirit of God. Prayer warriors always do the same. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Preaching

“…fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, …” Colossians 1:25b-28a

Nothing burns in the soul of man quite like holding onto a secret. The urge to splurge is relentless, and all consuming. Women usually get a bad rap as gossips, but anyone who has ever been around preachers knows they can sing like a canary, “I Love To Tell the Story,” with or without permission.

“I’ve Got A Secret” was a 1950’s family show, and I recall viewing it on our black and white TV set. The very title was provocative. There is something seductive about someone who is filled with a secret, and can’t wait to spill it. The mystery of The Gospel is not a secret to hold, but good news to share about Jesus.

Paul preached like a man on fire with the mystery of God’s love for the Gentiles. He never got over God’s amazing grace poured out on him in such a lavish fashion, and how God spilled out His grace onto The Gentiles.  

Raised as a Pharisee, Paul likely woke up every morning thanking God he was born a man, a Jew, but not a woman. Gods’ grace had been held hostage for centuries. Prideful people chose not to share it with others.

After Paul encountered Jesus on the Road to Damascus, he graduated from the School of The Desert, and became a man enflamed and on mission. The redemption story began as a “Light unto the Gentiles.” Paul had seen The Light and he was a humbler man for it.

Paul considered himself to be the worst of sinners and the least of men. When a preacher begins to think of himself as the best of men and the least of sinners it limits the preaching of the secret. Making The Gospel difficult for people to understand or impossible to accept is not preaching the secret. It is hiding it.

Confused preaching calls people to “Stand Up for Jesus” but adds the disclaimer, “But not so fast.” There are enough enemy obstacles in the grace race without firing an unloaded gun at the starting line.

Preachers “fully carry out the preaching of the word of God” when they can say, “We proclaim Him.” Paul didn’t hold onto the secret, as if people were trying to steal something that wasn’t made for them. Paul shouted the message of Jesus in the streets. Jesus was not a secret to be hoarded with an elitist motto of,  “Us Four and No More.”  Paul’s message was, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Jesus still is.

Paul fully preached the word of God. He was so full of the word of God there was no room for anything else. When the enemy tried to jostle him or knock him down, the word of God spilled out of him. He was an educated man, and a saturated man, filled to the brim and overflowing with nothing else but God’s direction, and correction.  He was not a man of many philosophies or personal opinions. He was full of God’s word.

"The word of God is the food by which prayer is nourished and made strong."  E. M. Bounds

Note to self: Pray like Jesus. Preach like Paul. Get over yourself. This is not some steep mountain to climb. Getting over yourself begins with stepping on the molehill you have named in your honor. Preach Jesus!

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the powerful 19th Century English pastor was honored as “The Prince of Preachers.” He was eloquent and effective at calling people to Jesus. He held preaching in great esteem, but he placed his highest evaluation on the call to pray.

“I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach.”  Charles Spurgeon

Prayer prepares a preacher to declare, announce, publish, proclaim Jesus as the best kept secret to people who need good news in the worst way. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Minister

“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,...I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church…Of this church I was made a minister, according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God.” Colossians 1:24-25

Paul was writing to the Church at Colassae, during his first Roman imprisonment. He was encouraging them to stay focused on The Light of the incomparable, and unchanging Christ, not on the shifting shadows of man-made philosophy.

Paul’s suffering on their behalf brought him joy. He saw his own personal passion of The Christ, not as a burden to bear, but a privilege to share. As a God-made, not a man-made minister of the church, Paul thought it totally proper to suffer as Jesus had suffered.  He responded to it in prayer to bear joy. He chose not to react to it and reap bitterness.

 Prayer provides God-made minsters with sterner stuff. Those who are prayerless will inevitably fear the pain, and never embrace it. They will serve only for their own gain, and within their own comfort zone.  Prayerless people will let them do it, and promote them for it. Paul prayed for an infusion of joy when there was an intrusion of suffering.

My own call to ministry came at a very early age. I was eight years old when I sensed God drawing me to a ministry in the local church. My Dad was my pastor, and though I grew up in the family business, I never felt the pressure to follow in his footsteps. I often heard my Dad say to young men seeking God’s direction for their lives, “If you can stay out of the ministry, stay out.”

It sounded like great advice, and I took it to heart.  After negotiating with God for 16 years, I found myself on staff at Sagamore Hill Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Texas working for Dr. W. Fred Swank. Notice I didn’t say serving with him. I was working for him.  Big difference.

For 42 years Dr. Swank had marched a couple of hundred “preacher boys” through his unique boot camp. At 67 years of age he was not interested in the concept of shared ministry or having anyone take him to school on their personal philosophy of ministry. It was his way or the highway. Those who thought otherwise were free to prove him wrong, somewhere else.

Dr. Swank was not afraid to speak his mind. He had developed it into an art form. One day I asked him how he had been able to see so many young men enter the ministry in his church. He said, “I called some, and God called some. The one’s God called seemed to make it.”  Honest man.

Paul was a God-called, God-made minister, not a self-made man. As a minister he had one mission. Serve the church. He considered suffering or being inconvenienced in this service as his fair share of sacrifice. It was his way of “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.” V. 24b

This does not suggest that Paul thought the work of Christ had not been completed on the cross. It was an expression of his passion for carrying out the Great Commission The Risen Christ had proclaimed before His Ascension. The Spirit of Christ at Pentecost infused the church with the power to carry out The Commission.

The integrity of the minister is at stake when things are faced with serving the church when things are at their worst, not when things are at their best. In every sense of the word, a God made minister is able to show up and say to the church in a crisis, “We are Him, here.”

” By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.” I John 4:17

The Church describes a gathering of people called out their private homes into a public setting to come to make a decision and to take unified action regarding a pressing matter.

A person may well be able to engage in private worship God on the golf course, deer hunting or sitting in front of a TV set. They are not a part of the church until they join others to worship together, and coordinate their service within a unified ministry that is far greater than their own personal effort.

“The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. “ Aristotle

The Church is an expression of The Spirit’s synergy in the lives of a group of people. It is a body of people, not just one person.

Note to self: Don’t be a Lone Ranger leaving a silver bullet, one crisis at a time. Join the Body of Christ to amass far greater fire-power. Too many people see themselves as the Lone Ranger, when in truth they are more like Barney Fife. They talk big, but have one bullet in their pocket, and nothing in their gun.

The Body: This is not a mere reference to physical, human anatomy. The word,“soma” is used of a number of people closely united into one society, or family. It can be a social, ethical, or spiritual body. The church, as Christ’s Body is an expression of the character and the conduct of Jesus.

The Head: Jesus is the Head of The Body. The church is His body, and He has called it out to assemble in a public place to communicate, deliberate, celebrate, and activate.  The assembly requires His direction, protection and correction.

The Minister: This word is transliterated in English as “Deacon.” It originally referred to one who executes the commands of another. At its most literal translation it refers to someone seen hastening through the dust. It provides an image of a person who is not dust-covered by laziness or lack of service, but is running down the path so fast, that their obedience is observed by the cloud of dust they are raising, as they run in response to the command of the master.

The Minister is a steward, not an owner. Prayer minimizes “MINE” and values “THINE” as the driving force in the heart of the minister. Praying preachers are reminded daily that they are hands in pail of water. Allowed to remain, they can stir things up a little. If God moves their hand from the pail, the water calms down.  TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Reconciler

“For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” Colossians 1:20

In 1950’s Southern Baptist life, graduating from “Sunbeams” to “Royal Ambassadors” was a right of passage for every boy. It offered a chance to play baseball, but it presented a steep learning curve. The R.A. theme song changed dramatically from “Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam” to “Oh be ye reconciled, thus sayeth my Lord and King, Oh be ye reconciled to Him.” It was not quite as comforting as the words “I’ll be a Sunbeam for Him.” This may be why this battle cry never really caught hold, and was never a match for the bold G.A. Anthem, “We’ve a story to tell to the nations.” But I digress.

Praying in the name of the incomparable Christ, reminds the believer that there is no continuous fullness of The Spirit, without being regularly reconciled with God. Fullness communicates quantity, but reconciliation establishes purity. For someone to desire more of The Spirit, but have no interest in the character of Christ is not love. It is lust. Love is released by reconciliation, but lust defies satisfaction.

Fullness of The Spirit releases the moral purity of The Son when it establishes peace with God. Being right with God requires reconciliation between God and man. Prayer maintains the established peace with God, and prepares a praying person for fullness and usefulness.

Reconciliation begins with prayer, and initiates peace with God. Prayer maintains this reconciliation, and sustains the peace of God. This word translated “reconcile” means to restore completely to a former state of harmony.

Note sot self: Toot your own horn, but follow the leader of the band.

“Do not have your concert first, and then tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and get first of all into harmony with Him.”  Hudson Taylor

One of the great sales pitches of any physical weight loss program is the presentation of “Before and After” pictures. There is nothing quite so compelling as proof positive of the results experienced by those who have used the product or followed the workout regimen.  What is not so well advertised is the answer to the question, “Where are they now?” Initiating a plan is the first step. Maintaining and sustaining the results requires diligence, and a daily walk down a long road, not an easy one.

In the spiritual world, what was once established at a point in time is much more difficult to sustain over the long haul. Still, when sin is reconciled “Before and After” results are very clear in the mind of God.

“And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds…” v. 21

Prayerless people take the breath out of a life of reconciliation that began in prayer. They may have prayed for the peace of God at some point in their lives, but chronic prayerlessness breeds alienation from God, not reconciliation with Him.

Talking their way through every crisis, rather than praying their way through life, prayerless people trade the peace of God for the dubious luxury of giving God a piece of their mind. Speaking one’s mind or having half a mind to give God a piece of it, is not the same as humbly praying for God’s direction, protection and correction.

“Yet now He has reconciled you in His fleshly body through death.” v. 22a

Prayer enables a person to receive new life in Christ, based upon His death on the cross.  Continuous prayer breathes new life into a reconciled person’s hunger to die to self. Praylessness feeds the foolishness of putting more rouge on the corpse and calling it life. Praying in the name of The Reconciler, puts “MY WILL” to death, and breathes new life into “THY WILL.”

Jesus lives, NOW, to present His followers to His Father. He FORMERLY died on the cross, but left the tomb, and is NOW seated at the right hand of The Father. Jesus stands in the gap for the children of God. He died once, but He intercedes continuously. The children of God are reconciled by His crucifixion, but their reconciliation is sustained by His intercession.

The Spirit fills those who are reconciled to God through Christ. Prayerless people are prideful people who leave sin unconfessed, and remain unfilled. The fullness of The Spirit is not about getting more of God. Fullness is about making more of oneself available to be reconciled to God. What The Reconciler began on the cross, He desires to continue. Don’t look for the thrill of the fill, without going in for the kill. Death to self precedes the fullness of The Spirit.

“…to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.” v. 22b

Prayer initially grounds the prayer warrior on the high ground of reconciliation. Praying maintains and sustains the prayer warrior’s stand on “the hope of the gospel.”

H.O.P.E. = Having Our Perspective Elevated

“If indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul was made a minister.” v. 23

Paul lived to serve. He didn’t live to lead, nor did he live to preach. God made him a minister. He was not a self-appointed apostle with a self-made ministry. Paul’s life had the handprints of God all over his mind and ministry. If his ministry appeared to diminish, and the lives of his disciples flourished, his ministry was accomplished.

”Made a minister” was more to Paul than a title to put on a business card or a means to exercise authority and jurisdiction over people. It was a call to intercede for those who were reconciled to God in Christ. He lived to see them continue on in life, the way they were once reconciled to God, through death. Prayer and death to self are friends.

Paul never waivered in preaching the hope people have to enter into a relationship with God, by turning to Jesus as The Reconciler. Sustaining prayer was a sign of their appreciation for what The Reconciler did for them, and it was their only hope of constant communication with The Father. It still is. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Image

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created through Him and for Him.  He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church, and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” Colossians 1: 15-18

Once again Oscar night has come and gone. It is the annual “Super-Selfie” Hollywood takes of itself and presents to the world. This year’s annual exercise in self-congratulation was followed by a tsunami slobber fest of appreciation for one actor’s generic shout out to God.

Well-spoken, heart-felt, and awkwardly received, it caused quite a stir.

It reminded me of the late 60s and early 70’s when rock and roll singers would squeeze an obscure reference to Jesus into one of their songs. Immediately there would be a breathless surge from the ranks of Jesus People to elevate a new hero to worship. There always seemed to be a gnawing hunger to be validated by the culture they were trying to escape.  The heros didn’t always prove to believe what they sang or said.

Consider this warning, from an aging rocker. Words mean things, but they don’t always mean what you think they mean. People do what they believe in, and all the rest is just verbal gymnastics.  When people mention the name of God without the slightest reference to Jesus, don’t anoint them Christian of the Year. Time will tell if their use of God’s name is cultural name-dropping or if they truly give Jesus “first place in everything.” v. 18

Note to self: Jesus has earned first place. Give it to Him.

“He is the image of the invisible God…” Jesus is not the pronoun of a perpetual expletive. Hollywood has often shown a fondness for using the name Jesus, as long as it is framed as a curse word.  Recent successes of Christian films have put a dent in this freight train, but are not likely to knock it off the track.  The real money is still put into films that curse the name of Jesus or delete it altogether. Cursing Jesus is the new politically correct F-bomb, and Allah gets a pass. But I digress.

Paul’s exceptional expression of honor and respect for The Incomparable Christ provides a timely reminder to contemporary Christians about The Son of God. When the movie comes out, make sure you compare it to the original script. You will find it in The Scriptures.

Jesus is not a curse or a concept. He is The Image of God. As a man, he expressed the character, and exercised the authority of the living God. By praying to God, in the name of Jesus, His Spirit takes believing prayer and moves Jesus out of the past tense of a religious icon, and into the present tense of consistent companionship.

Praying in the name of Jesus raises Jesus to first place in the eyes of His own followers, and drives His enemies crazy.  Through prayer Jesus is no longer positioned as a victim, but The Victor who…

·      REVEALS GOD TO MAN “…the image of the invisible God…”
·      REVEALS GOD IN MAN “the firstborn of all creation…”
·      LIVES TO CREATE “…by Him all things were created…”
·      BRIDGES HEAVEN & EARTH“…both in the heavens & on earth…”
·      PRECEDES ALL LIFE “…He is before all things…”
·      HOLDS LIFE TOGETHER “…In Him all things hold together…”
·      LEADS THE CHURCH“…He is also head of the body, the church…”
·      BEGINS ALL LIFE “…He is the beginning…”
·      CONQUERS ALL DEATH“…the firstborn of the dead…”
·      REIGNS AS CHAMPION “He Himself will come to have first place in everything.”

Pray in the name of Jesus. It puts the spotlight on The Champion, not on the culture. When the system or self-centeredness overshadows The Savior, the image of God is shoved off the stage. Prayer focuses on The Savior. Talk elevates self. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Rescue

“For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”  Colossians 1:13

One of the great surprises of seminary was the little piece of information that The Scripture was written without use of punctuation, paragraphs, chapter headings, or verse structure. The manuscripts were written in what appear to be a writer’s dream, one great run-on sentence. In light of this, perhaps he most bitter pill to swallow at seminary was the dubious honor of being introduced to the author Kate Turabian. Her little book was the standard for excellence for any paper turned in to the professor. Every time I saw the red ink on my paper, I wanted to turn in one of Paul’s manuscripts and see what Kate would have done with it. Can I get a witness?

Unbroken in sequence or sentence structure is Paul’s prayerful spirit of gratitude for “the inheritance of the saints of Light.” He is filled with love for Jesus, and thanksgiving to God for rescue and redemption, through the forgiveness of his sin.  Paul’s words are divided by verse structure and chapter headings, but his attitude of gratitude is like an express freight train under a full head of steam. It is barreling down the track, and fully loaded with thanks.

“…giving thanks to the Father…for He has rescued us…” v. 12-13

Paul never got over being forgiven. A good memory is a great cure for pride. Prayer reminded Paul that without the “forgiveness of sin” there is no rescue, transfer, or redemption.

Prayerless people tend to believe one of two lies. They either believe they don’t need to be forgiven or they become convinced that they deserve to be forgiven. Prayerful people live in a state of gratitude for being forgiven. The border of the state of forgiveness begins at the sign of humility. Entering The Kingdom of The Son requires a walk past The Cross and The Tomb, before coming to The Promise. Skipping these guideposts cause prideful people miss The Rescue. Forgetting these essential turning points, even forgiven people lose the joy of The Redemption.  

David a man after God’s own heart, allowed his pride to inflate his personal preferences and to overshadow sound wisdom. When confronted with his sin, he responded in humility, and prayed…

“Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.” Psalms 51:11-13

The Rescue: This describes deliverance, freedom, escape, and is rooted in a word that describes flowing. The Rescue requires a deliverer. Jesus pours out God’s love into empty people to receive escape from sin, a relationship with The Savior, and a transfer to safety.

The Transfer: Antihistamine is more familiar than metahistamine, but they both refer to an action applied to a stand. Antihistamine moves against an infection that is causing a blockage in the nasal passage that interferes or stands in the way of breathing. Replacing “Anti” with “Meta” describes a change of location of the stand. With forgiveness there is no place to stand any longer in rebellion against God. Forgiveness transfers a Christian to place of peace with God.

The Redemption: This refers to a release gained by the payment of a ransom. Deliverance requires Jesus to be The Deliverer. Liberation calls for Him to be The Liberator. The Blood of Jesus was the payment, or the ransom for sin. It was made by the sinless Son to satisfy the holy character of The Father.  Holiness cannot embrace sinfulness.

The Forgiveness:  Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of redemption. Pardon for sin does not minimize it or rationalize it. It forgives sin. There is a release from bondage or imprisonment from the penalty of sin, because God allows the sacrifice of His Son to take the place of those who sinned against Him. He lets go of the sin, as if they had never been committed. Commission of sin is replaced by remission of sin. God no longer holds the offense against the offender. He lets go of the sin, and embraces the forgiven. No forgiveness. No fellowship.

The Sin:  Missing the mark, or falling short of the target, at the slightest level disqualifies a person from entering The Kingdom of Jesus.  In archery competition, one sin, and an archer is disqualified. Sin is serious business to God, and when He let’s go of it to forgive, He expects His children to let go of it to live. Holding on to what God has forgiven is evidence of pride and rebellion, not humility and forgiveness.

There is no greater need in the church today than a willingness to take sin seriously at every level. The church must not miss God’s best by moving the target closer to their poor aim. The target is the character of God, and it is through Jesus that forgiveness for falling short of God’s holiness is received. To accept less than God’s best is to cheapen the price paid by His Son. Precious blood provides no cheap grace.

Paul never got over being forgiven. His gratitude knew no bounds. Prayerful people are grateful people who let go of what God forgives. Prideful people never let go of sin, and transfer it from the past into their present and call it peace with God.

Prayerful people let go of sin, and take joy in knowing God no longer holds it against them. Prideful people pretend sin never happened or if it did, it wasn’t their fault. Prayerful people aren’t interested in coming down on the right side of history. They agree with God on what He says is wrong. Prayerless people attempt to appear generous, and change the price tags on the cost of sin, but they only cheapen the price Jesus paid to forgive it. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.  Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” I Corinthians 6:9-11

The Request

“We have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints of Light.” Colossians 1:9b-12

Paul’s prayer will never make it on the best seller list of throw pillows, trinkets, and T-shirts found at the local Christian bookstore. It can’t be squeezed onto a bracelet or a bumper sticker and be read without a magnifying glass. It won’t be found on the laundry list of most prayer meetings, because it doesn’t ask for health or wealth. Pray it anyway.

Paul rejoiced when Epaphras informed him of “your love in the Spirit.” (v. 8 ) He was thrilled to hear what God was doing in the lives of the Christians of Colossae. His investment had not been in vain. The fruit of his labor remained.

Paul said he had been praying for these loving people “since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints.” (v.4) Planting a seed in the lives of others spurred Paul to pray for the fruit of love to continue to grow.

Paul stated that the gospel, they had received was not a dead log of dogma, but a living tree “constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in your also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth.” (v. 6)

The Request now prayed by Paul, was for those who have received this fire of The Spirit to grow in grace until their faith glowed in a dark world as “saints of Light.”

He prayed for them to “be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” They already had a spark of love for God, and a love for the saints. Paul prayed to fan the flame, and to add fuel to the fire of The Spirit in the lives of these loving people.

Where there is the fruit of The Spirit, the love of Christ abounds. This love is vertical and horizontal. This love hungers for God, and embraces others. It is constantly growing, upward and outward. Anything less is imitation fruit, and an unbalanced expression of The Good News.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love….” Galatians 5:2

The Request is not a poetic hit list of platitudes.  It is a prayer breathed intensely and strategically onto the lives of the early Christians to fan the flame, and fuel the fire in their hearts. Paul prayed for them to…

1.    Be Filled
The knowledge of God’s will is the only guide to spiritual wisdom and understanding. There is a difference between skim milk, and rich cream. There is great danger in watering down the milk of The Word. Never settle for God-Lite.

2.    Walk Worthy
The love relationship with Jesus is marked by a consistent walk with Him, not merely eloquent talk about Him.  Walking in a manner worthy of the Lord “pleases Him in all respects.” It never pleases Him to have people talk about Him who have no interest in walking with Him.

3.    Bear Fruit
The fruit and the root are inseparable. There are seasons when fruit is abundant. There are times when it is dormant. When it becomes non-existent, there has been a disconnection. The root never changes. The fruit is essential. When there is no fruit, prayer provides the fresh connection with The Root.

4.    Inspect Fruit
There is a difference between good fruit and bad fruit. An abundance of the former can be impacted by contact with a small amount of the latter. Judge every good work by its capacity to produce the right fruit, not just make a great effort. Busy-ness can lead to barrenness. When it does, start praying and pruning.

5.    Know God
Knowing God and knowing about God do not mean the same thing. A keen mind and a hot heart are crucial to knowing God and making Him known. To know Him and to make Him known flows from a personal experience with God’s love, not just a great education about it. Get a good education. Get over it. Get with God.

6.    Grow Strong
God’s strength is perfected and released through the weakness of anyone who will admit they need “more of THEE and less of ME.”. Living on yesterday’s manna and reliving past victories are no match for the power of an enemy that feeds on prideful people.  

7.    Stand Firm
Standing firm and suffering long with a joyous spirit mark the Christian who has attained the maturity of a seasoned, battle-tested warrior. There is no panic at the sight of the enemy or the sound of battle. The prayer warrior closes ranks and draws near to The Champion for the duration of the conflict.

8.    Give Thanks
The family of God is an amazing creation. The love of The Father poured out upon the lost world through The Son. This was a shock to Satan. The sacrifice of The Son satisfied The Father’s character, and qualified the children to share in the inheritance. They were no longer lost in the dark. Through the love of Jesus they became “The Saints in Light.”

Talking about the darkness falls short of thanking God for The Light. Let it shine! Let it shine! Let it shine! TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Cause

“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;” Colossians 1:9

Dr. Curtis Vaughan was a professor, friend and mentor. As a professor, I recall him saying on the first day of class, as we began the study of Colossians, “I have been studying and teaching this little book for over 40 years, and every time I read it, I learn something new.” I was 26 years old and found that hard to believe. After all, look at it. This is one short book. Thanks, Doc. You were right.

As a mentor, Dr. Vaughan’s door was always open to me. He walked me through many questions about the ministry. As I approached graduation, I confessed to him, “I feel like I don’t know it all.” He said, “That is a good place to start. Never be afraid to say, ‘I don’t know.’” That was a huge comfort, and a great piece of advice.

As a friend, he came to our wedding, prayed for us, and presented Dana and I with a very special gift. It was his most recent book. I am using it this morning as I study Colossians. It is entitled, THE NEW TESTAMENT from 26 Translations.” He inscribed it,

“Dear Dana and Gary, You have both meant a great deal to me during my interim ministry at Sagamore. I wish for you the very best of God’s blessings as you begin your life together.” – Curtis Vaughan, 1 Peter 5:7

“Casting all your cares upon Him, for he careth for you.”

Paul prayed regularly and relentlessly for those who loved Jesus, and also loved him. There is a bond that exists between the members of the Body of Christ. The Spirit of The Living Christ is the seal that holds the bond of His body together. Paul felt that bond of love and prayed for those who shared it with him.

Prayer is in the DNA of every members of God’s family. Paul was drawn to pray without ceasing. The reason for Paul’s intense and immense drive to pray for others was the love that others had for Jesus and the love of Jesus they shared with him. His unceasing prayer was love fed, and Spirit led.

Note to self: Why pray? You pray be-CAUSE. Love is The Cause of prayer. You pray because The Father first loved you. You pray because The Son loves you still. You pray because the fruit of The Spirit is love. You pray because The Family of God loves you.

Prayer is initiated by the love of God. It is driven by the love of Christ for people exactly the way they are. God’s love is so great that it refuses to leave people the way they are. Love changes selfish people into selfless people. Prayer transforms prideful people into prayerful people.

Prayer is expressed and sustained by The Spirit’s love. It is not man-made. Love is God-given. Prayer is an expression of the love for one another. When people are prayerless, they are loveless. Prayer points people towards a fresh love for God, an unselfish love for others and a healthy love for themselves.

Prayer is best defined by breaking down the words used to describe it in the language of Paul’s day. Prayer reveals a turnaround of a sense of direction, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Prayer is pictured as the turning of a person towards another’s point of view or the drawing closer of one person to another physically. Prayer carries the ideas of mobility, intensity and proximity.

Prayer is the expression of a strong wish or a deep desire for a need to be met by someone who is a position of power, authority and influence to make it happen. It is not positive thinking, possibility thinking or wishful thinking. Nor is it a stroll through Fantasy Land.

For a Christian, prayer is the intense passion of the heart of man to be in right standing with the mind of God. Prayer is all about an obedient child approaching, bending and yielding to the way and the will of The Father.

Prayer seeks the face of God. It longs to be near to God, turning towards Him, not away from Him. Prayer looks towards, moves nearer, and comes alongside of God to receive His direction, protection, and correction.

Prayerless people are prideful people who turn their back on God’s sense of direction and in stiff-necked pride, resist the yoke of Christ and go their own way. Prayerful people are not perfect people. They are God directed, protected and corrected people.

Ceaseless prayer for others is simply, unending selfless prayer. This kind of prayer is sustained by a love rooted in the fruit of The Spirit, not the imagination of man. This love expects nothing in return, seeks no payback, holds no grievance, and covers all sin.

Prayer doesn’t evaporate when a prayer warrior is sinned against or offended. On the contrary, in the face of this kind of treatment, this kind of prayer accelerates. It should come as no surprise. Jesus prayed, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34

The Intercessor

“We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,” Colossians 1:3

The prison epistles of Paul reveal more about an intercessor than a prisoner.  Many have counted his prison years as wasted time, but Paul invested them in prayer.

Imprisonment drove Paul to his knees. What others saw as a disastrous interruption to Paul’s calling, he received and perceived to be a Divine appointment. In prison Paul found a new level of freedom. His body was shackled, but by praying in The Spirit, his heart was free to communicate with The Father, on behalf of The Body of Christ. Prayer didn’t prepare Paul to be a better preacher. It made him an intercessor.

“Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.” Oswald Chambers

Over the years, men have placed great value on preaching, but God places his highest value on prayer. Preachers who value the sound of their own voice, over hearing the voice of God, may not run out of words, but they won’t speak with authority.

“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Martin Luther

In Paul’s letter to the Church at Colossae, prayer emerges as the dominant pre-occupation of his life. A similar theme is expressed about his life, in his intimate letters to the churches of Ephesus and Philippi. In praying for others, Paul did not miss out on the blessings of God. Men and women of faith have never been short-changed by spending time with God in prayer. They have found it life-changing.

“I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I am helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking, and sleeping. It doesn’t change God, it changes me.” C.S. Lewis

Writing about prayer, reading about prayer, studying about prayer may inform a person about intercession, but they do not give a person a heart for it. Paul wrote about his prayer life, after he had invested years of standing in the gap for others.  Hearing the needs of others was a call to battle for Paul. He had the heart of a prayer warrior. Those who have such a heart are drawn to intercession.

“Prayer is where the action is.” John Wesley

Paul was never more grateful for answered prayer, than when it arrived in the lives of others, as a result of his personal intercession for them.

Parents understand intercession, and have personal passion for this kind of prayer. When their children are safe and secure, parents are at peace. While their little ones are out of their eye-sight, they are still on their hearts. If their children are in danger, parents have restless hearts, and sleepless nights, but they are rarely prayerless.

“No place is closed to intercession…There is no power on earth that can keep intercession out.” Richard Halverson

Note to self: With books on prayer increasing every day, check for tear stains and blood stains on the manuscript. Avoid ghost written books on prayer. Read books written by men and women full of the Holy Ghost. Ghost-written words may contain truth, but fail to release Holy Ghost power. Only go to war with field-tested weapons.

Giving thanks and answered prayer are so closely aligned, they appear inseparable. Nothing improves a prayer life or grows a prayer meeting like answered prayer. Prayers solely invested in one’s own survival begin to sound like the annoying chirp of a parakeet. The pre-concert warbling of a diva preparing for the spotlight has a similar sound, “Me-me-me-me.”

“Four things let us ever keep In mind; God hears prayer, God heeds prayer, God answers prayer, and God delivers by prayer.” E.M.Bounds

Intercession begins with the letter “I”, but that is where the focus on “I” ends. Intercession starts with “I” but finishes with “U.”

“…praying always for you.” Philippians 1:3

From the moment genuine intercession begins, it focuses on others, expects results, responds in gratitude, gives God the glory and it never ends. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Grace

“All the saints greet you, especially of Caesar’s household.  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.” Philippians 4:22-13

Paul ends his letter to the church in Philippi with a reminder. They are part of an ever-widening, and diverse family, and they are in possession of God’s never-ending, and unmerited favor.

God’s covenant had set apart the Jews as The Chosen people. Over the years they held a tight grip on the title, but they lost sight of the purpose for which God had chosen them….”To be a light to the Gentiles.” As the church of Jesus Christ moved out on mission to shed the light, they would always be tempted to bring the heat.  Shedding the light and bringing the heat are not always one and the same thing.

The church was to be marked by the capacity to widen the family circle, and to deepen their appreciation for God’s unmerited favor, at the same time.  Grace is often hijacked by people who are convinced they have it, but aren’t too sure that anyone else is worthy of it. Their delusion is an illusion. They embrace Christianity as a system, and allow their system to overshadow The Savior. They make grace so priceless that it is simply unavailable to anyone else. Their inner circle freezes out all comers until they become “The Frozen Chosen.” No one else need apply for membership.

The other danger is to make grace appear so cheap that it never attracts or transforms anyone. People who are fond of turning God’s grace into turning a blind eye to sin are blinded to the price of it. They dispense it like shore leave sailors, without any thought of what God’s grace cost Him and His Son.  The wages of sin is death. There is no grace without the blood of Jesus. Sanctimonious, sanitized appeals to love the sinner and hate the sin often are diluted into expressions of “grace” that ignore the sin, and pardon the sinner, without a trip to The Cross.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ cannot be earned, and it will never be deserved. The church is a family because the various members are related to one another, not because they are elated with one another. They have one Father, not one opinion. They are not smooth, polished parts assembled into an elite unit because they fit together. They are misfits that rub each other the wrong way, and create friction and heat that can cause the works to seize up, if operated without the oil of God’s grace.

Note to self: There is a huge difference between giving people the benefit of the doubt and giving them a piece of your mind. Don’t lose your mind, giving it away one intimidating crisis, or irritating Christian at a time. You don’t have that much left to give. You are way past the luxury of having half a mind to give to someone else. Keep it to yourself and pray for them.

The little things can kill you. A sliver of bone or a grain of sand do not become dangerous until one is caught in the throat and the other becomes a rock in the shoe. A harsh word, a cross look, a sarcastic statement, or a cold shoulder don’t appear on the surface to be very toxic. When they get between two members of the same family, without The Grace of The Lord Jesus Christ, they are quite damaging to The Body of Christ. Left untreated the friction between two irritating body parts can create an annoying heat rash that develops into a life-threatening cancer.

The last word Paul shared with the Church at Philippi was grace. He reminded them that the family was growing to include those they had never met, and some they may have always hated. He surprised them with a birth announcement, introducing them to their new brothers in Caesar’s household.

The family of God is not a closed circle, but an ever-widening one. Those who have been a part of it for a while are resistant to letting go of their grip on those they have in their hand, to take hold of the hands of brothers and sisters God brings to the family reunion.  When they show up at the campfire, they are to be saluted, not slapped back into the darkness.

When churches board the “White Flight” express to escape from neighborhoods with shifting demographics, they may win the race to the suburbs, but they fail to express God’s grace to His diverse family. But I digress.

For people living under the iron-fisted rule of Roman rule, this piece of news may have stuck in the craw of the people of Philippi.  God’s grace is always easier to swallow when it is dispensed to those we know and favor. It can become bittersweet or a bone in the throat when God dispenses it to those that don’t appear, from our perspective, to deserve it.

Point: No one deserves God’s grace. It is unmerited favor, and an undeserved gift, provided only by the priceless sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.

Praying in the Spirit is a vital part of The Body Life of the family of God. Prayer brings the oil of The Spirit on the spirit of someone who has been rubbed raw by irritating people or intimidating circumstances. When the greeting of another Christian feels more like a slap in the face, than a salute of honor, it is past time to pray for God’s grace. Playing an offense over and over again in one’s mind is a poor substitute for praying it off of your heart.

Talking about another person doesn’t make them a subject of intercession, only an object of criticism.  A critical spirit drives the bone deeper into the throat, and shoves the rock deeper into the skin. Praying releases the oil of God’s grace between people. Those who are full of selfish resentment, and criticism are not full of Christ’s Spirit.

“Discernment is given for intercession, never fault-finding.” Oswald Chambers

Praying with one another, and for one another pours oil between body parts that have lost their appreciation for one another. Prayer has the capacity to improve The Body’s vision, and range of motion. The longer two people pray together, and for one another, the more they see God’s grace in one another, and the more they serve together, the less they get on one another’s nerves. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!