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July 2015

Daily Bible thoughts 917: Tuesday 7th July 2015: Colossians 4: 12, 13: The hard work of prayer.

Colossians 4: 12, 13: The hard work of prayer.(click here for todays passage)

In Paul’s ‘final greetings’ section of the letter to Colossae, he lists a number of people, most of whom are not well known. One of them was ‘’Epaphras’’. Here are four things we can say about this man:

  • He was a faithful witness (1:7): It is generally believed that Epaphras was the ‘church planter’ in Colossae. It’s thought that he was probably a convert from Paul’s two year ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19). He went back up the Lycus valley to his home city of Colossae, and there he founded a new Christian community. (He may also have started the churches ‘’at Laodicea and Hierapolis’’.) Having found Jesus for himself, he did not keep Him to himself. This one ‘beggar’ told other ‘beggars’ where to find bread. (2 Kings 7:9).
  • He had a servant heart (12a): This is evident not only from what Paul said about him, but also in view of the picture of the man that emerges as we read between the lines. He was a willing servant of the church because he knew himself to be, first and foremost, Christ’s slave.
  • He was a praying man. He had the spirit of prayer about him. He prayed ‘’without ceasing’’ (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Paul said, ‘’He is always wrestling in prayer for you…’’ He wanted this church he had founded to grow; he deeply desired that the congregation would develop spiritually. Much vital pastoral work is carried out on bended knees.
  • He was a hard worker. The implication in the passage is that he worked hard in prayer. He laboured and toiled in the place of prayer. He put his back into it. Like Paul himself, he worked hard in God’s strength (1:29). He had a good mentor as he set out to follow Christ. Prayer is hard work. It is not glamorous. This may explain why it is not popular with many, and why prayer meetings are often poorly attended. I find that many people love to hear about prayer. But the doing is another matter. To make matters more difficult, we have invisible spiritual enemies who are committed to keeping the ‘missile’ of prayer on the launch pad. They know full well what it will do to their domain if it blasts into the air.

It will be obvious from these words that Epaphras combined evangelism, discipleship and prayer in a balanced ministry.. It is important that we too hold these things together. Our entire work must be undergirded by prayer. Without it we will lack power, and we will not see eternal fruit for Jesus. As someone said, we must work like it all depends on us, but pray like it all depends on God.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, please pour out the spirit of prayer on your church. Help us to be like Epaphras: vocal in witness, faithful in service and earnest in prayer.

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Daily Bible thoughts 916: Monday 6th July 2015: Colossians 4: 7-15: No unappreciated people.

 Colossians 4: 7-15: No unappreciated people.(click here for todays passage)

We have noted before that Paul was a team player. He valued other people in the church who worked alongside him and he affirmed their contributions. Most of the people who appear on this list, with a couple of notable exceptions, were not well known. But all of them were significant; each of them mattered. Paul loved them and was thankful for them.

What an unselfish man Paul was! Although a prisoner, he did not curl up in a ball of self-pity. His letters to the churches at Colossae, Philippi and Ephesus (plus the personal one sent to Philemon) show that he was still outward looking, and concerned for the well-being of others. These were all written around the same time, when he was under house arrest. He was thoughtful and considerate, as (10b) shows.

Whatever is going on in your world, try to keep considering others. The temptation to close in and become self-focused may be very great, but you will grow and you will be blessed if you continue to love and serve. Don’t think about what you’re getting but concentrate on giving.

And here’s a thought, why not take some time this week to drop a line or two to someone who has been a great help to you? So you love them and value them? But do they know what you think about them and feel for them? They are not mind readers. Some things definitely ought to be expressed in ‘’the living years.’’

Let no-one feel unappreciated in the church family. May no one in your world fail to feel your love and gratitude.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for the people you have put around me, now and in the past, who have made my ministry possible.

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Daily Bible thoughts 915: Friday 3rd July 2015: Colossians 4:7-9: No insignificant people.

 Colossians 4:7-9: No insignificant people.(please click here for todays passage)

There are no insignificant people in God’s Kingdom, and there is no insignificant work. ‘’Tychicus’’ and ‘’Onesimus’’ are not the best known figures in the New Testament. We have a little more information on Onesimus because of the letter to ’Philemon’. We know that he was a runaway slave who met Paul in prison and was converted. But in comparison with Paul these two men were not high profile. Paul, however, valued them and the contribution they made. Paul’s appreciation of people shines through his letters. You don’t get any sense of hierarchical thinking. Paul, who wrote about the church as a body, was appreciative of the role played by each part. (I once heard someone comment that a part of the body having no work may soon become ‘a grumbling appendix’!! There are to be no redundant or unemployed members in Christ’s church.)

It is believed that Tychicus was the ‘postman’ who delivered Paul’s letter to the Colossians. In the previous paragraph we saw how Paul earnestly requested the prayers of the Colossian Christians. It is helpful if people can pray intelligently, so Paul sent key information with Tychicus and Onesimus. He wanted his friends to know how he was. He wanted to assist them in their prayers: ‘’My good friend Tychicus will tell you all about me…I’ve sent him to you so that you would know how things are with us…Together they’ll bring you up-to-date on everything that has been going on here.’’ The Message. This may not seem like a glittering assignment, but it was important.

The other purpose for sending Tychicus was: ‘’…and that he may encourage your hearts.’’ (8b). You may feel that you can do very little for God, but everyone can be an encourager. There is endless scope for those who are willing to take up the work of encouraging others. Who of us can carry on without it? Who could you encourage today? There are so many ways in which this can be done.

It was said of Hudson Taylor, I believe, that he was ‘’a man small enough for God to use.’’ He was due to speak once at a meeting, and the convener, no doubt meaning well, gave him an impressive build up. It is said that Hudson Taylor came to the pulpit and simply commented, ‘’I am but the small servant of an illustrious Master’’, or words to that effect.

In the church, some people will become well known, such as Paul was. Others, like Tychicus and Onesimus, will be in the ‘support cast’. They won’t win any ‘oscars’ for their performances. They will not be lauded as ‘stars’. But their work is vitally important. Whether well-known or anonymous, remain small in your own eyes, and look to serve and glorify your infinitely big God.

‘’There’s a work for Jesus none but you can do.’’

Prayer: Lord God, help me to be humble and usable before you.

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Daily Bible thoughts 914: Thursday 2nd July 2015: Colossians 4:2-6: Prayer changes things.

 Colossians 4:2-6: Prayer changes things.(please click here for todays passage)

Paul the apostle clearly believed in the effectiveness of prayer. He regular asked the churches under his care to pray for him, and he obviously wasn’t simply trying to fill up space in his letters. He genuinely believed that these prayers would make a material difference. He was humble enough to ask for help. The help he wanted most of all was that which comes from God in answer to the faithful prayers of His people (see Philippians 1:19).

Evangelism involves our words (6) and our actions (5), but it is to be carried on in an atmosphere of prayer. Prayer and effective witness are ‘married’. God has joined them together and we must not separate them. Let us pray for our own outreach efforts, whether they are personal or collective, and also, let’s not fail to pray for preachers and missionaries and Christian leaders working on the ‘front lines’. We can partner with them in this way. No-one is big enough to succeed by themselves. There is a need for committed intercessors in the ‘supply lines’. Do we believe that our prayers will make a difference?

As we pray, we need to be sensitive; alert to God and anything He may be saying or doing. We must keep our eyes open to observe what is going on around us. ‘Watchfulness’ is a vital ingredient of prayer. And it’s not simply a matter of asking God for things. Let’s also be ‘’thankful’’ for everything He has done for us. It will add fuel to our prayers if we take the time to remember how the Lord has already answered prayer in the past. We can (and we must) combine ‘please’ and ‘thankyou’.

In particular, Paul asked for prayer for an ‘’open door’’ for the message to be preached, and for clarity in communicating it. (Compare this with similar requests in Ephesians 6: 18-20). Here are important points to still inform our praying for the spread of the gospel.

Someone said that he had noticed that coincidences happen when Christians pray which don’t occur when they’re not praying! We need a lot more of these ‘coincidences’.

Prayer: Lord God, let me see prayer through your eyes. Help me to believe all that the Bible teaches about prayer’s power. Enable me, please, to resist every temptation to stop praying, and to fight the lethargy that would keep me from ever starting.

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Daily Bible thoughts 913: Wednesday 1st July 2015: Jeremiah 9:23-26: The greatest thing.

Jeremiah 9:23-26: The greatest thing.(click here for todays passage)

This morning, some words from a song went through my mind after reading this passage:

‘’The greatest thing in all my life is knowing you. I want to know you more…’’

Nothing compares to knowing God (Proverbs 1:7; John 17:3; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31). Think about all the things people may boast about. For example:

  • ‘I got a first at Oxford’;
  • ‘I made a fortune in business’;
  • ‘I got invited to the Queen’s Garden party’;
  • ‘My team won the F.A. Cup’;
  • ‘I won a medal for gallantry’.

No-one can deny that it may well be wonderful to have these experiences, or to notch up these achievements and accomplishments, but their value is as nothing when compared to knowing God. To know Him is of supreme value. Everything else fades by comparison. That’s what the Isaiah passage means by talking about ‘boasting’. It is expressing the supreme importance of knowing God. This really matters whereas, in the grand scheme of things, none of the other stuff does. When it comes to the end of your life, what will truly matter is not the O.B.E. pinned to your coat, but your hand reaching out in faith to the Christ of the Cross.

Of course, boasting seems out of place in talk about knowing God. So the passage from 1 Corinthians, quoted above, needs to be emphasised also. God has chosen us to be in Christ. So our boast is not that we made ourselves Christians. The boast is ‘’in the Lord’’ Himself (1 Corinthians 1:31). It’s in who He is and what He’s done for us. In such ‘boasting’ we worship the Lord who saved us. It is the only form of boasting that is permissible for Christians. In fact, it is to be actively encouraged.

Another thing we can’t afford to boast about is religion. External rites and rituals will not save anyone (25, 26). All the nations mentioned in (26) practiced the surgical operation of circumcision, but it did not change their hearts. When someone is converted, God does a work in their heart, enabling them to trust in Jesus. Because it’s God’s work, there’s no room for pride. All the glory goes to Him.

‘’It is not our minds, our might, or our money that wins the day (v.23) but our faith in God and our desire to glorify Him.’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.503.

Prayer: ‘’The greatest thing in all my life is knowing you. I want to know you more…’’

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