Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | November 4, 2021

Wise Translators

“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders: make the most of every opportunity.” Colossians 4:5

In my junior year at my Christian high school, I made friends with the Japanese exchange student in our class. She was sweet and soft-spoken, but we enjoyed getting to know each other despite a very difficult language barrier. Fortunately, she had a digital pocket translator. One time, someone was sharing who they had a crush on in our class with her and she started laughing as she searched for the right word to describe what that person reminded her of and when she typed the word from her language into that little device and showed us what it said in English, it read, “praying mantis.” I still haven’t stopped laughing about that. I didn’t even know they had praying mantises in Japan!

Traditionally, the Junior class made t-shirts with the school’s theme every year as a fundraiser for our senior trip. Our class asked this friend to translate the verse for the year into her language on the front of the shirt: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise.” (Ephesians 5:15, NKJV) The key phrase she translated was “walk circumspectly.” In order to find the characters she could understand in her own language, she had to use her pocket translator. My friend did not know the Lord, but she was in an atmosphere where the students around her had a tremendous opportunity to show Him to her.

Walking in wisdom towards outsiders and making the most of every opportunity has everything to do with walking circumspectly like that parallel verse from Ephesians 5:15 says. But what does it mean to walk circumspectly? Webster defines it like this: “careful to consider all circumstances and outcomes, prudent.” There’s a level of diplomacy even involved in walking circumspectly. Scripture teaches us that we are Christ’s ambassadors to the world (2 Corinthians 5:20). We are cautioned, certainly, in Psalm 1 not to “walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of sinners,” but here in Colossians 4:5, we are also reminded to “be wise in the way we act toward outsiders” and “make the most of every opportunity.”

Jesus made the most of every opportunity by inviting sinners to follow Him into abundant, everlasting life. Like a much better version of that pocket translator my Japanese friend held, Jesus translated His message into a language outsiders could understand. Rowdy fishermen, thieving tax collectors, prostitutes, hypocrites, and highly contagious sick people are just SOME of the outsiders Jesus welcomed inside by translating His message of repentance and hope into a language they could understand.

How are we walking in wisdom with people outside of God’s Kingdom? Are we shouting at them in a language they can’t possibly understand? Or are we asking God to give us wisdom in how to translate His message into the language they can understand without losing its meaning and integrity?

Let’s walk in wisdom with outsiders, asking God to help us translate His message into a language they can understand. He’s done it before, and He can do it now.

“Lord, help us to walk in wisdom with outsiders. Use us as living letters to translate your message into a language those we interact with can understand.”

 For His Glory,

 

Emily P. Meyer (www.emilypmeyer.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | November 2, 2021

Attitude of Gratitude

“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:2, ESV)

When I wake up in the morning there are a few brief moments where everything feels perfect with life. Nothing on my body is hurting. I’m not focused on my list of things to do that day and my heart isn’t aching for the people I miss, that are no longer in my life. But as the morning goes on that feeling slowly changes and the reality of this world sets in. Within a few moments unhappy thoughts can easily flood my mind and discourage me. The enemy of my soul reminds me of prayers that I’ve prayed for over a decade and still God has remained silent on them.  It can easily make me feel discouraged.  Thoughts like, why should I even pray about it anymore run rampantly through my mind.

That’s why part of my daily routine involves spending my first hour of the day reading God’s Word and praying. Feeding my soul with the truth of His Word first.  Then pouring my heart out to Him in prayer, about the things that cause me pain. And praising Him for what I do have.

It’s the only way I could endure this life at all.  By choosing to daily put my Hope in Jesus.  Because if I don’t intentionally choose to think on different things than the reality of life, I can become easily overwhelmed. Then I’m not able to help anyone, not even myself.

When we’ve prayed for things day after day, week after week, month after month, even year after year and we don’t see anything changing – our humanity (flesh) tells us to give up.  To just quit praying – God isn’t listening.

As children of God, we must remember though, that the battle is not with flesh and blood but with spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12).  Those forces try to make you “feel” a certain way and give up on the promises of God.

Sometimes when we pray, our prayers sound and feel tired and sleepy.  Maybe because we’ve let the “evil forces of life” wear us down. But we are called to persevere, to be vigilant in our prayers.  It takes a great deal of effort to steadily pray for a situation when you don’t see anything changing.  That’s where thanksgiving comes in.

Our prayers should also be mingled with praise. Praise is a form of worship.  Worship is where we get our strength.  Worship is focusing on what we have instead of what we don’t.  Choosing to see (being watchful) of how God is fighting our battles for us.

Worship doesn’t only give us spiritual strength. Expressing gratitude can improve your overall mood.  People who regularly express gratitude for positive things in their life are shown to be happier/healthier overall.

“Father help us to be grateful for the things we have instead of focusing on what we don’t.”

For His Glory

Laura Holmes   (www.ephraimministries.org)
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Prayer, Spiritual Growth, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | November 1, 2021

Mastering Love

“Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.”  Colossians 4:1

Believer or unbeliever, most people are familiar with the “golden rule.” In fact, pretty much every world religion has some version of what Jesus declared to His followers: “Treat others the same way you want them to treat you” (Luke 6:31). Of course, these are wonderful words to live by…if only people would, am I right? And, of course, this simple little sentence in Luke sits amid much harder-to-do exhortations from Jesus. Things like loving our enemies (not just our friends), doing good to those who hate us, and (gulp) offering up our other cheek when someone slaps us in the face. (And we can confidently presume that other faiths around the world do not tout this agape-love attitude with their respective versions of the golden rule—one of the many reasons Christianity is different.)

In verses 1 through 4 of chapter 4 of Colossians, the Apostle Paul gives one of his many how-to-live lists that could be considered a direct tangent of the golden rule. Generally speaking, Paul’s lists are wonderful—a mix of very practical dos and don’ts, encouragements, and warnings. Here, in the first verse, Paul is speaking directly to slaveowners. In Greek and Roman times, slaves and bondservants were prevalent, but in our culture, he’s talking to Christian employers and managers.

Believers who are over others are to treat their employees with justice and fairness—the same justice and fairness given to us by God. We may be a boss, but we also have a Boss. Our Master in heaven will judge us “masters” on earth who mistreat or abuse our employees. And going one step above the lateral golden rule to a more vertical iteration, we (bosses) should treat employees the way we want to be treated by our Lord. This certainly puts a powerful spin on that ubiquitous rule.

Even more importantly, we need to remember, as Paul reminds us so succinctly in Galatians 3:28, that we are all equal at the foot of the cross: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” We are all brothers and sisters, unified in our heavenly citizenship. We’re to love each other, not mistreat or abuse each other. We must extend grace and mercy to others—even to hateful employees or employers—because of the grace and mercy the Lord extended to us when we were His enemy.

“Lord, You are my Master. Everything I have is Yours, and all I do is for You. Remind me to treat those under (and around) me with the same loving grace You extend to me.

 

For His Glory

 

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Love, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 29, 2021

Being Real 24/7 For His Sake

“Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.” Colossians 3:22-25 (NIV)

 

It is so easy to live by appearances, doing and saying only what we think others want to see us doing or saying. The problem with that, however, is that God, for sure and for certain knows exactly what is on our mind and heart any time we say or do something.

When the apostle Paul gave advice to the Colossians, he was very specific about the importance of doing what is right, even when no one is watching. He also said that they should do everything with reverence for the Lord, as if working for the Lord and not for human masters.

The Bible teaches us to honor and obey the authority that is placed over us. This includes our employers. Though Paul’s words were said so long ago, they are very valid still today. During recent times, when so much has changed in the world because of a health pandemic, Paul’s advice to the slave workers is very vital so organizations worldwide can remain alive.

The pandemic has caused companies to restructure and change the way they do business. Employee homes have also become their offices, as work still needed to get done while offices were shutdown to keep people from spreading a deadly virus.

When we work as unto the Lord and not unto man, we will do our best and honor our employer, even if no one is around to tell us what time we should start or end our day, because we will be honest about how we keep our schedule and use our resources.  We must honor God at all times; to know that He is watching us serves as a good reminder that we should be good stewards of what has been entrusted to us.

“Thank You, Lord, for teaching us how to be real even if no one is watching.”

 

For His Glory

 

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 28, 2021

Honoring The Master

“Wives, understand and support your husbands by submitting to them in ways that honor the Master. Husbands, go all out in love for your wives. Don’t take advantage of them. Children, do what your parents tell you. This delights the Master no end.   Parents, don’t come down too hard on your children or you’ll crush their spirits.” (Colossians 3:18-21, The Message)

Over the years I’ve heard women share stories of being physically, emotionally and sexually abused at the hands of their husband and this scripture was used as justification.  Some children have even been abused by their father simply because the mother felt that she was to “submit” to her husband and let him do whatever he wanted.

It’s one of the most misquoted verses in the Bible.

In the Greek the word submission does not mean “to obey.” The Greek word for “obey/obedience” is hupakoe, which means to listen to or to harken to.  Submission (hupotasso) means to get under and lift up, support.

With that in mind, let’s take a deeper look at what Paul was trying to teach the church in Colossae. Remember the city was in financial ruin due to the altered trade route.  There’s typically a decline in families when an economic crisis hits.  During financial crisis women are at a higher risk of domestic abuse. When men can’t find jobs, they often become depressed and turn to alcohol or other substances to “numb” their emotions.  Also, the church was being infiltrated by false teachings – one of which was Gnosticism. This heretical belief system rejected marriage.  It regarded women as a work of evil. They believed the pursuit of pleasure was more important than truth.

While we don’t know exactly what Epaphras shared about the people of the city with Paul.  Whatever it was, prompted him to write and remind them of practical guidelines for Christian behavior.

Paul was not condoning bad behavior, nor was he condoning abuse.   He was reminding both husbands and wives that their actions should always “honor the Master.”  Urging husbands to go all out and love their wives (as Christ loved the church, Ephesians 5:25).  While women in that culture didn’t have a voice during that era, Paul was giving them a voice. He was instructing them to love their husbands and to support them “in the ways that honor the “Master.”

Abuse (sexual, emotional or physical) does not honor God.

That meant, if a spouse was doing something that did not honor God, the wife was not required (under God’s law) to blindly submit to it.  Women were to know the Word themselves so they could support their spouses in it, to pray for them and encourage them to do the things that were pleasing to God.

Paul’s words were guidelines to create a healthy God-honoring family environment.

“Father help us to make choices that honor You no matter what is going on in our lives.”

 

For His Glory

Laura Holmes (www.ephraimministries.org)
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Attitude, Encouragement, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 26, 2021

Songs of Heresy

“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16

I love music. Although I’m not sure how old I was when I got my first record player, I do know I spent hours at a time through elementary, middle, and high school splayed out on my bedroom floor (alone or with friends) playing records. At that time, album sleeves had all the lyrics, so in addition to appreciating the instrumentation, part of my focus was to learn each word of every beloved song.

As a Christian, music is still very important to me—a different genre than before, to be sure. As is the purpose of worship music, these songs can transport us to the very throne of God. And, as the Apostle Paul notes in Colossians 3:16, music (psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs) can effectively teach and admonish (caution) us.

Well, it can. But, sadly, much of today’s “Christian” music is far from what Paul (and many of the Bible’s inspired writers) had in mind.

First, let’s go back to the first part of this packed verse: “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom.” Speaking about God’s Word, this term, “to richly dwell” is to permeate—to have every thought, word, and action aligned with the Truth of the Bible. Just like Paul spoke of in Ephesians about the Holy Spirit, we must be controlled by (filled) by the Word. (In fact, being controlled—filled—by the Holy Spirit comes from being controlled—filled—by God’s Word!) Throughout Christian history, preachers were pretty straightforward: They taught the Bible. Not stories focused on themselves with a Bible verse thrown in for good measure. Not pop psychology or cultural activism based on out-of-context Scriptural references.

So, back to music. Those lyrics from the old hymns and songs were solidly based on God’s Word…because the songwriters knew God’s Word. (Because preachers were preaching the Word.) Lyrics were either literally pulled from the Bible (Psalms put to tunes, for instance), or they gave praise and worship to our Holy God for who He is—not touting what we get from Him or any “me-ness” of the relationship. (Well, I take that back…those Truth-filled songs did talk of “me-ness” in the fact that we are wretches and worms without the righteousness of Christ.)

Christian hymns and songs should teach Scriptural Truth to encourage and caution. But if the songwriters—like so many today—are not permeated, filled, and controlled by God’s Word, they cannot accomplish this. What’s worse, in not knowing the Truth of God’s Word, they become heretics—believing and teaching others false doctrine! It’s so heartbreaking to watch those concert videos of tens of thousands of people (mostly youth) singing these “Christian” songs with a sense of rapture, thinking they are accurately worshipping our precious Lord. All too often, they are not only being misled and singing false doctrine, they are simply worshipping at the altar of self.

“Lord, keep me permeated with Your Word, so I can worship You in accurate spiritual songs and discern the Truth from lies from the singing mouths of wolves.”

 

For His Glory

 

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 25, 2021

Where Peace Reigns

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.”  Colossians 3:15

Whenever I read about peace in the Bible, I often think of the hymn called “It Is Well With My Soul.”  You have probably heard its familiar lyrics before:

When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul

 

Horatio Spafford, a lawyer and a businessman, wrote this hymn after enduring unfathomable loss.  In 1871, the Great Fire of Chicago destroyed his real estate investments, leaving him with a large amount of debt.

Two years later, the family decided to take a trip to Europe on one of the nicest passenger ships afloat at the time, the Ville du Havre.  Just before the ship was set to sail, Horatio received news that required him to stay back for work.  His wife and children went ahead, and it was decided he would join them as soon as he was able.

About seven days into the trip, the Ville du Havre collided with a cargo vessel, causing catastrophic damage.  It took only twelve minutes for the luxurious ship to sink.  Over two hundred people lost their lives that day, including all four of the Spafford daughters.

After learning the news about his family, Horatio left on a ship for England to join his wife, who was rescued alive.  He penned the lyrics to “It Is Well” when he passed the site of the horrific tragedy.  The hymn’s message is poignant, especially coming from someone who has endured much sadness: whatever happens in life, God has taught me to find peace.

How do we get to a place of peace, where we can say it is well with my soul, during good times and bad?  Colossians 3:15 tells us to “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.”  When we trust Christ as our personal Savior, we have peace because we know He has triumphed over sin and death.  In addition, we are given the gift of the Holy Spirit at salvation.  The Spirit gives us the ability to bear fruit- including peace- as we allow Christ to work in our hearts (see Galatians 5:22-23).

The second sentence of Colossians 3:15 contains only three words, but in those three words lay another key to everlasting peace: thankfulness.  When we chose to focus on our blessings instead of our hardships, a wonderful, transforming thing happens in our hearts and minds: our view of God becomes bigger, and our view of our problems becomes smaller.  Peace is able to take its rightful place in our souls when we focus on our blessings instead of our hardships.

Everlasting peace isn’t something we feel in a fleeting moment or something based on our feelings and circumstances.  Instead, this kind of peace is a lifestyle, a daily choice to rest in Jesus and his faithfulness, no matter what comes our way.  Even when life is incredibly difficult, we can find something for which to be thankful if we try.

“Lord, may we learn to cultivate the habit of choosing thankfulness and peace every day.  Thank You for Your peace-giving gifts of salvation and the Holy Spirit!

 

For His Glory

 

Aubrey Carrales
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Love

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 21, 2021

Where To Take Your Stains

“But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” Colossians 3:8-11

I often joke with my friends that I’m working on Mount Saint Laundrious…you know…that mountain of laundry that never seems to end and somehow always winds up on my couch beckoning me to fold. Among what passes through my hands to clean are various articles of clothing my family has brought me to wash out stains. The stains look different depending on the day. Sometimes it’s the coffee spill on my husband’s shirt. Other times, it’s the mud on my little boy’s pants. And more times than I can count, it’s the spilled lunch on my white shirt. The stains vary, but the hands which do the work to get rid of them don’t. The ones who made the stains just have to bring them to me.

The same is true for us. Our stains vary. Some of us have issues with anger. Others, rage. Some struggle with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, and/or idolatry. And then there are things like malice, slander, filthy language, and even lying that crop up as blemishes in the lives of others. All of these are serious soul marks that separate us from our Holy Creator. Whatever the sin is, the need is the same: renewal from our Creator. We must bring whatever marks us and keeps us from being like Him to Him.

You can tell when your clothes are looking rough. You need someone to do the work of cleaning out what’s sunk into the fibers of the good thing that was created to fit you.

When we know more about who the Creator is, we know more about what we need to get rid of to look more like Him. But the thing is, we can’t get rid of life’s stains on our own. We need our Savior to remove sin’s stains.

God didn’t create you to be separated from Him. He created you for His pleasure as Revelation 4:11 says.

Friend, whatever the stain of sin is on your life— make a choice today to bring it to the Lord. He wants to wash it out and He wants you to abide in fellowship with Him. It’s why He created you. No matter who you are, where you’re from, or what you’ve done, Jesus can renew you from the inside out. And the more you know Him, the more renewal in Him you’ll experience as He trades the stains of sin for the fruit of His Spirit in your life.

“Lord, help us to bring the sin stains our lives to You. Trade them for the fruit of Your Spirit and renew our lives from the inside out.”

 For His Glory,

Emily P. Meyer (www.emilypmeyer.com )
TRBC Women’s Life

 

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Love, Mercy

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 20, 2021

Choosing Life Over Death

“Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.” Colossians 3:6-7 (NIV)

The apostle Paul had a special love for believers, and he expected from them the same type of transformation he experienced in his own life. In his letter to the church of Colossae, he consistently admonished the people about their conduct. In verse 5, he listed a few things that were detrimental to their healthy spiritual life, and spurred them to put them to death, or, in other words, completely stop doing them.

As with our physical bodies, which must be well cared for, as in adopting good, healthy habits in order to maintain themselves strong, our spiritual lives must equally be treated with care. In order for us to quit a bad habit, we must recognize that our old life, the self that we knew before we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, is now dead. We must completely leave behind those things we used to do that separated us from God, and practice good habits in their place. Away with the old and in with the new.

Making a transition from something bad into something good takes hard work and determination. For example: when an alcoholic person recognizes that she has a problem and works towards solving that problem, i.e., stopping the drinking, thus avoiding the negative effects of it, she will need to take action and exchange the old habits with new ones, such as getting rid of the alcohol that she has access to, not buying anymore alcohol, resisting the temptation of having a small or ‘social’ drink, and finding an accountability partner to help her remain on course, thus choosing life.

When someone makes a decision to live for Christ, she will, likewise, have the need to survey her habits as to identify what is good and should be kept, and what harms her relationship with God, thus needing to be stopped once and for all.

“Father, we need Your redemption in our lives. We release all that we are and all that we do to You. Please help us change what does not benefit our spiritual life.”
 

For His Glory

Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 19, 2021

Hidden

“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:3-4

There are a lot of reasons people hide. As little kids, we may have hidden under our blankets, believing that the thin layer of cotton would protect us from any midnight monsters that may emerge from the closet. Or, in a neighborhood game of hide and seek, victory came to the one who found the best hiding place. Throughout life, we may hide to keep from being caught—literally or figuratively (which can have many contexts, positive and negative). Many of us hide from others who we really are in order to protect ourselves from pain and hurt.

Good or bad, these earthly means of hiding are only temporary—and all are ineffective. We’ll eventually be found (or found out). But praise God, there is one way we can be permanently hidden—covered, secure, and protected in this world and reaping eternal victory in the next.

See, when Jesus died on Calvary’s cross and rose from the dead, He defeated Satan and death. He paid the price for our sin, so we could exchange our filthy rags for a robe of righteousness. Accepting this gift of grace is what’s called salvation—a term many unbelievers don’t understand, or it simply sounds like foolish “religious mumbo-jumbo.”

But in Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he uses a phrase that can bring clear understanding of what salvation means for believers. “Your life is hidden in Christ.” It’s as if we are covered—hidden—by Jesus Himself. Like a daddy wrapping his arms around a small child, practically absorbing that little one into his embrace, we are hidden in the embrace of our Lord. When our heavenly Father looks at us, He doesn’t see our sin, failures, and faults. Because we’re hidden in Christ, God only sees the perfect righteous holiness of His Son.

And what’s equally amazing to realize is this: Being hidden in Christ also means we’re protected from all our spiritual enemies—once saved, no one and nothing can snatch us out of His hands (John 10:28). Nothing can separate us from the love and acceptance of God—no accusation from the enemy will stick, no trouble or persecution can condemn us (Romans 8:31-36). In fact, when we are hidden in Christ, it’s like having a proverbial spiritual superhero alter-ego: we are more than conquerors over man and demon that comes against us—and they will (Romans 8:37-39).

On our own, we cannot conquer sin, impending judgement, and the chasm that separates us from God. But Jesus can—He did. And it is only through salvation—being hidden with Christ—that we can.

“Jesus, thank You for covering my sin with Your righteousness, for hiding me, protecting me, securing my eternal future with You.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

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