Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 18, 2021

The Crown

“If then you have been raised with Christ seek the things that are above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2, ESV)

During the winter my husband and I have a habit of binge watching some of our favorite shows. One show that we enjoy is “The Crown.  One thing I’ve noticed about the royal family is that no matter what they’re facing they seldom make decisions based on their feelings.  They always make it from their position of authority based on their bloodline. The role of “the Crown” in their lives. While they shouldn’t be our guidepost for morality; we as Christians could learn something from them.

As a saved, redeemed child of God – we are no longer dead men walking.  It is the blood that Jesus shed on Calvary that allows us to be “adopted” into the royal family in Heaven. It is through His royal blood that we have been raised out of the bondage our sin had us in.  We are (spiritually speaking) seated with Him in Heaven (Ephesians 2:6).

As Christians, we have been given a crown (Rev. 3:11) that we are warned to not let anyone take away from us.   Ironically, it is usually our own thinking that puts us in jeopardy.  We often fail to remember the authority we have in Christ.

Paul was reminding the church that they were royalty. He was urging them to think like the child of a King.

Their local town had once been a popular area of trade with a booming economy. But a new trade route diverted business from Colossae.  Colossae went from a vibrant city to a mediocre market town in a short amount of time. Which meant people were most likely struggling financially.

Then, in A.D 61 it was decimated by an earthquake.  Laodicea was eventually able to rebuild but Colossae never did.  Leaving it a village of ruins eking out an existence.

It’s easy to think righteously when the bills are paid and there’s plenty of food on the table.  But when the economy tanks as theirs did and good paying jobs are difficult to find – it can be hard to see anything but the problems right in front of you.

Instead of making decisions based on the feelings of our circumstances, we should remember the crown we have in heaven through Jesus.  Jesus hears our prayers. He’s seated next to God, and He owns it all. Our needs will be provided.  David also reminds us of this truth in Psalm 37:25 “I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.”

“Father help us to remember today that You have overcome everything on this earth.  Help us to make our decisions based on the position of royalty that Your precious blood has placed us in.

For His Glory

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

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 15, 2021

Foolish Rules

“You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires. Colossians 2:20-23” (NLT)

If you’re a rule follower like me, you get deep satisfaction from doing things the “right way”—especially if there is a set of regulations and protocols to follow. Sure, there’s an internal guidance in this regard, but when you know others can see you follow the rules, well, that’s all the better.

In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he’s warning this sweet fellowship of false teaching creeping into the church. A big issue was aestheticism, or self-denial, which was thought to free the spirit from the “evil body”, leading to deeper “spirituality” and a closer relationship to God. And this practice, according to those wolves, also allowed other people to see how spiritual you are, because your physical suffering was so evident.

Hmm, makes me think of Jesus saying the exact opposite to His disciples…how we are to give and fast in secret—not flaunting it for the accolades of others (see Matthew 6). So, the irony of this aestheticism teaching is that it appears spiritual and humble on the outside, while simultaneously being the height of vanity. (“Look at me! Watch me suffer! Aren’t I so amazingly spiritual?!”) Plus, just because a person does things to “look” spiritual and pure, their actual state of spiritual affairs could be pretty darn filthy. In the end, it’s all about “me” and not the Lord. (Again, Jesus talked a lot about this concept when it came to the Pharisees—whitewashed tombs and such.)

As followers of Jesus Christ, we’ve been set free from manmade rules that promote “spirituality” and create a sort of system to earn salvation. No to-do lists, no columns of “good” versus “bad” tallies, no hoops to jump through. On Calvary’s cross, Jesus accomplished what we could not, exchanging our sin for His righteousness. He paid it all—all we have to “do” is accept this amazing gift of grace.

And once we say “yes” to salvation, we’re made complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10)—we become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Then, in grateful response, we walk according to our new character. We extend forgiveness, mercy, grace, and love because Jesus extended these things to us—not so that He will. When we do stumble (because we will), He is quick to forgive us when we ask (1 John 1:9). (No to-do list there, either—can I get an “Amen!” from my former confession-goers?) So, let’s abandon any foolish rules we may be following to please God. It’s not do—it’s done.

“Lord, in gratefulness for my salvation, I surrender my life to Your will and Your ways. Thank You for accomplishing what I could not.”

 

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

 

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Posted in Faith, Freedom, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 14, 2021

Knit Together With Him

“And not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments grows with a growth that is from God.”  Colossians 2:19 (ESV)

Computers can definitely be challenging.  A few weeks ago (at not a good time), my computer landed in front of the Geek Squad. Yes, you got it – every writer’s nightmare.  No computer…no writing happening.  Plus, due to a busy schedule my files had not been backed up for quite a while.  Only one thing to do – take a deep breath and pray really hard that at least my files could be retrieved.

After not so patiently waiting for two days, the Geek Squad called;  my computer was ready for pickup.  The problem was a simple fix for the specialists – the operating system wasn’t functioning which is basically the control center for a computer. Not only does it manage the computer’s memory and processes, but it also enables the software and hardware to function properly.  Bottom line without an operating system, a computer is basically useless.

Sound familiar?   Jesus Christ, the Head of the body, is our spiritual operating system.  He is the only One who holds it all together, and without Him all our attempts to navigate this journey are useless.  When we stay connected to His Word, we are strengthened and empowered to accomplish His purposes. Leaning into Jesus means we are drawing deep from His character and His wisdom.  Knit together with Him, we are nourished and positioned for abundant growth.

John 4:34 reminds us how Jesus was nourished as He walked on this earth – “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work.”   Jesus’ nourishment flows to the entire body of Christ whom He cherishes and loves – together we are One working in sync together to fulfill God’s purposes.

Paul’s exhortation in Colossians 2:19 specifically challenges this group of believers in Colossae to not cave into the faulty thinking of those around them. To stand strong, unwavering  and not dismiss Jesus’ place as Head of the body of Christ.  He is our Supreme authority and apart from Him growth will be impossible.

Sweet friends, we are wise if we heed Paul’s exhortation.  Our world is full of beliefs which attempt to decrease and minimize the sovereign rule of our Lord Jesus Christ.  So easy to fall into this trap when we start entertaining “self” as being more relevant or move others into Jesus’  place –  divinely ordained by God.  If we truly want to grow and flourish in our lives, then we must surrender our hearts and walk in total submission to God’s will.  Accepting Jesus as the Head, laying down our will and choosing to embrace His authority will position us to experience fruitful growth beyond our imagination.

 

“Father, free us from the tendency to place the visible in control versus relinquishing control to You.  Help us to walk unswervingly in step with Jesus as He leads the body of Christ in glorifying Your name.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 13, 2021

Redemption Relies On God

“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind.” (Colossians 2:16-18, ESV)

 “Godly women don’t wear pants, only long dresses to the ankles are acceptable.”

“You can’t be a Christian and wear makeup.”

“A woman of God should not cut her hair.”

“I thought you were a Christian, why are you tanning your body, don’t you know that’s a sin?”

Have you ever heard statements like these? I certainly have.

You may have as well.

If you prefer not to wear makeup and never cut your hair – that’s fine.  But if you’re doing it because you think it will make God love you more – that’s legalism.  Basically, meaning you’re relying on the efforts of yourself (mankind) to earn holiness (redemption).

But redemption relies on God alone, not mankind.  He gave us a way to redeem our sin through his son, Jesus.

In Psalms 34:22 we’re reminded “the LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.”

Paul was stressing this point again and again to the church in Colossae.  It had only been about 60 years since the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus had taken place.  Yet people were falling back into their old patterns of thinking. Creating rituals that people had to follow.  New believers were being led to falsely believe that they had to follow along with these manmade rules of their day in order to be “saved.”

If you’ve committed sins you regret, they can all be forgiven and redeemed through the blood of Jesus.

Once you have confessed your sin to the Lord and chosen to believe in Jesus as your Savior – you are saved.  That’s it.  The problem comes when the enemy tries to attack your mind with reminders of the past.  Sometimes feelings of guilt or inferiority creep in (condemnation).

Instead of feeding those negative feelings – we should speak truth to ourselves. Some call it “self-talk”, others may refer to it as “taking your thoughts captive” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

For example, Romans 8:1 (ESV) tells us – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” That’s the truth of God’s Word – the final authority. If you’re feeling condemnation over a situation that you’ve given to Jesus – then that is coming from the enemy of your soul – Satan.

When we live our lives by God’s truth – He can redeem anything we’ve done wrong.

“Father thank You that we can be saved through Your son Jesus.  Teach us how to walk in the freedom that truth brings today.”

 

For His Glory

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

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Posted in Encouragement, Freedom, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 12, 2021

A Name, A Promise & A Cross

“And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:15 (NIV)

I always marvel at the transformation that is present when someone makes a commitment to follow Christ. In the book of Colossians, the apostle Paul speaks of his own transformation, even if indirectly, when he speaks of the doings of the Pharisees. For those who don’t recall, let me remind you, before Paul became a Jesus-follower, he was a Pharisee, a member of an ancient Jewish sect that strictly enforced the law as a means to prove they possessed a higher level of sanctity.

Pharisees were notorious for ostracizing others in their communities for the sake of their own pride and social hierarchy. In the second chapter of Colossians, Paul – already a transformed man – writes to his followers about the importance of having Christ at the center of their lives and following Him rather than laws that were set by men.

Salvation through Christ is like the cancelation of a debt, like paying off a student or car loan, or even a mortgage. The sacrifice that Jesus made at the cross canceled our sins so that we could have the assurance of eternity in heaven with the Father.

The powers of darkness have no way of surviving in the light that comes from Jesus Christ. When Jesus chose to pay the debt that we owed by accepting to die on the cross for us, He defeated the powers of darkness, i.e., fallen angels, spirits and demons that belong to Satan.

Unlike the Pharisees, who – more often than not – did everything for show, Jesus always kept His word and followed through with His promises. When Jesus died on the cross and rose again, He proved that He was who He said He was and that no power on this earth would ever prevail against Him. One name: Jesus. One promise: eternity with the Father. One form of payment: the cross.

“Dear Lord: All power on earth and in heaven belong to You. You are Sovereign. ”
 

For His Glory
Luska Natali
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Freedom, Mercy, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 11, 2021

The Perfect Lamb

“And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands,  this He set aside, nailing it to the cross.”  Colossians 2:13-14 (ESV)

Shivering she stood in line  – a line she knew too well. Head hung low and arms holding the innocence she longed to redeem.  As she clung to the lamb squirming close to her chest, she felt its heart beating next to hers. Tears rolling down her cheeks, she moved forward fully aware of the wrongs she had done and the cost of coming clean.  But it wouldn’t last.  She would fail again no matter how hard she tried.  The cycle of wrongs driving her to this place for a temporary covering of her sins.

Bet we’ve all been there when the list of what we shouldn’t have done is staring us in the face.  Regretting the very thought of things which drove us further and further away from what we knew to be right.  Overwhelmed by the feelings of dirty, ugly stains covering us from head to toe.  Yet never once have we gathered a lamb in our arms. Never once have we stood in line with others covered in our shame. Never once did we strike the innocent and watch the sacrifice of one  for a temporary covering of all our sin.

While we were spiritually dead and lifeless surrounded by our wrongs, God choose to offer the supreme sacrifice. A calculated sovereignly orchestrated plan from the moment Adam and Eve took their first breath.  The perfect, spotless Lamb of God would come to earth in human flesh.  Living among us, He would experience life as we know it yet remain sinless. Our debt would loom large; yet Jesus would nail it to the cross cancelling our debt forever. And we, sweet friends who choose to place our faith in Jesus Christ are washed, cleansed, redeemed, forgiven and absolutely free.  As His beloved children, we are made alive with Christ – Heaven is our eternal home.

The heart of our faith could not be proclaimed sweeter than those precious words in Colossians 2:13-14. The old us made new.  The dead made alive.  Our debts past, present and future forgiven and forgotten washed in the blood of the Lamb.  Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved wretches like us.  We were once lost but now are found.  The blind now fully seeing the glory of God unveiling before our eyes.  Praising God for His grace and mercy which covers all.

“Father, salvation births the blotting out of our transgressions, our wrongs.  Amazing love flowing down from Your throne to our hearts.  We are yours and You are ours forever.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

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Posted in Faith, Freedom, Hope, Mercy

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 8, 2021

Raised To New Life

“When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. It was a spiritual procedure…the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to a new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.” Colossians 2:11-12

In Genesis 17, God gives Abram a conditional “IF.” If you walk faithfully and blameless with Me then “I WILL,” which is a promise from God. God makes 6 promises to Abraham (vs.4-8). So…what is Abraham’s part of the agreement? Circumcise every male, whether born or bought. The foreskins of all males must be cut off as an outward physical sign the covenant is excepted. God’s covenant with His people was  paramount  as illustrated in Exodus 4. As Moses, his wife and two sons journeyed towards Egypt to set Israel free, the Lord confronted Moses with death because one of his sons was not circumcised. Zipporah, Moses’ wife, circumcised her son throwing the foreskin at Moses’ feet in disgust. After doing so, the Lord spared Moses’ life. (vs. 24-26).

Fast forward to the birth, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus became the covenant promise. All prior blood sacrifices whether by circumcision or the blood of bulls and goats was replaced by the blood of the  lamb…Jesus! No longer was the law of Moses needed for atonement. In Galatians 5, Paul tells the Galatians not to count on circumcision to make us right with Christ. For when we place our faith in Jesus  it makes no difference to God whether we are circumcised or not. What is important is faith expressing itself in love.

In Colossians 2, we see hope and freedom. There’s a rescue and His name is Jesus! Through the ages, Christ followers go from physical procedures and sacrifices done by man’s hand to a spiritual encounter of man’s heart. In physical circumcision, skin is cut off. In spiritual circumcision, our sinful nature is cut off. Because of Jesus’ finished work on the cross to the empty tomb, we can be raised to new life, freed from the power of sin and live for eternity with the One who made it all possible…Jesus. Nothing but Jesus!

“Father, through Your son there are no do’s and no don’ts. We have been rescued and renewed because Jesus paid it all.”

For His Glory

Kim Lacey Schock (www.kimlaceyschock.com)
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Freedom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 7, 2021

Empty Thinking (The Earth Is Flat)

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8, ESV)

 

Standing there on the ocean shore, looking at the light fluffy clouds – all you can see is blue.  The ocean touches the sky in such a way that it makes it hard to know where one begins and the other ends.  If I didn’t know better, my viewpoint would have me believe that the earth is flat.  Just looking at this picture provides supportive data for the claim.  In fact, it’s easy to understand why our ancestors originally believed this theory – that’s what their perspective told them.

After travelling to Egypt to study the new constellation of stars, ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle was one of the first to provide empirical evidence that the earth was a sphere.  Others have added their own scientific research over the centuries to support this.  With all the scientific evidence available – one would think it’s safe to assume that everyone knows the earth is round – especially in 2021.

However, there are still philosophers out there who will argue to the contrary.  In fact, there’s a society that works to educate people in the – flat earth theory. There was even a movement from this group as recently as 2017 to gain support for more trips into space to prove this theory.

For those of us living in this present era it’s hard to fathom how anyone could be deceived by such a philosophy.  Especially since we’ve all seen the views from outer space – we have the full picture now.

This was why the philosophy that was threatening the Colossian Christians was so dangerous.  It wasn’t outright sinful and licentious. It came across as highly intelligent. An air of scientific backing that supported these human traditions that were being promoted.

Jesus Christ left heaven and lived on this earth. He was tortured and died on a cross.  Yet he rose from the grave conquering death and hell.  After His resurrection, He spent time with the disciples and was seen by over 500 witnesses.

If we’ve experienced the resurrection power of Jesus, then we have the full picture. Which means, we should not be embracing the “philosophies of life” that we see our culture doing.

Paul was warning the church then and now to be careful not to be lead away as prey.  Christians have received salvation from Christ freely.  But there are people who will cheat us out of our blessings by perverting our minds and leading us away from the truths of Christianity.  By telling us we need to do something else to earn God’s love. Or that there are other paths to God.

“Father help us to not fall prey to the empty philosophies of this life.  Teach us to live by the truth of your Word daily.”

 

For His Glory

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

 

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 6, 2021

Grounded, Growing, Grateful

“Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” 2 Colossians 2:6-7

Accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is a one-and-done decision. Once saved, always saved—no one can pluck you from His hand (John 10:28-30). That being said, in response to the Great Exchange (your sin for His righteousness), you are called to live life differently. To walk worthy of this new relationship with God (Eph 4:1; Col 1:10; 1 Thess 2:12)—and to do so with a “fruity” attitude of love with all its outpourings (see Galatians 5:22-23).

But how can we walk in Jesus? That’s a very tall order (Jesus being perfect and all). But there are a few important things the Apostle Paul mentions in his letter to the Colossians that instruct us about moving forward in the right direction.

  1. We are “firmly rooted” in Christ. The Greek grammar is very encouraging here. The word for “having been firmly rooted” is errizonmenoi, which is a perfect tense participle. (Huh?) It means that this rooting takes place at the moment of salvation! It’s as if you’re a small bush that has been dug up—roots and all—out of your sinful life to be placed in a luscious greenhouse (new life), where, the moment you’re replanted, your roots are instantly being nourished for growth. And your fruit is on its way.
  2. As we walk, we are being built up in Him. Here, the Greek for “being built up” is epoikodomoumenoi, which is—stay with me here—a present tense participle. This indicates continuous action! From a solid foundation of our salvation, we grow to be more like Jesus by (a) studying the Word of God and (b) living out the grace, truth, and love we’ve been shown. Grounded and growing, we are established in our faith.
  3. Because of our new roots, deepening daily through our Source, and our ongoing transformation to live in the reality of our righteousness in Christ, we are to overflow with gratitude. Thankfulness is truly a choice. Our salvation alone is reason enough to daily burst out in song! Beyond that, we can start with the breath in our lungs and work our way through the multitude of blessings we’ve been given.

Sister, our walk with the Lord won’t be easy—that’s a promise right from His mouth. But moving in the direction of obedience is the call on our lives. We do that through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, along with knowing and living by the Truth of God’s Word. So, stay rooted, take in nourishment to thrive, and be sure to feed your growth with plenty of gratitude.

“Thank You, Lord for trading my unrighteousness for Your perfect righteousness, establishing me in faith. May I live as a worthy ambassador of Your Kingdom…and give thanks all along the way.”

 

For His Glory

 

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | October 5, 2021

When It Sounds Too Good To Be True

“I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.  For though I am absent in the body, yet I am with you in spirit rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.”  Colossians 2:4-5 (ESV)

Ever been there when what was spoken, promised and pushed on us seemed beyond belief?  Perhaps it was the perfect deal on the car lot until the salesman calculated  the payment terms.  Maybe it was the gadget on QVC we absolutely couldn’t live without until we attempted to assemble all the parts in the box.  Sometimes it’s the opportunity of a lifetime until we dive in deeper and realize things were not as they appeared.  Or better yet we listened to one who sounded solid and then another spoke and we fell captive to their words.  All simply sounding too good to be true.

Believers in Colossians didn’t have flashy car salesmen or QVC  but that didn’t eliminate persuasive words.  Ancient philosophers were known for using impressive arguments to convince their audience to believe their viewpoints. When a face to face conversation with the believers in Colossae wasn’t possible,  Paul didn’t give up or lose sight of the impact his letter could make in their lives. Despite the firmness of the Colossians’ faith, Paul warned them of the potential threat of logical words which could lead to false beliefs.  Words which were often similar enough to be true yet dangerously rooted in untruth.  Anyone could be led astray if they didn’t guard over the voices speaking into their life.

Sounds a lot like our world today.  One person presents their view and it sounds convincing and believable until another steps up and gives voice to what they believe.  Lots of opinions – an audience for anyone – social media, tweets, posts, podcasts.  Easy to get absorbed with what sounds like truth.

Solomon (described as the wisest man who ever lived) greatly proclaimed the accolades of truth found in God’s word. The book of Proverbs is a showcase of how knowledge + understanding + application = true wisdom. Proverbs 2 reminds us to receive, treasure, incline, search and store up God’s words in our heart.  By saturating our mind and heart with God’s truth, we can avoid the lure of persuasive speech. Exactly what we need in our world today to navigate truth and alleviate wrong thinking even if it comes from someone with a convincing voice.

Like a Father hovering over his children, Paul desired God’s best for believers.  Despite the fact he was once the greatest persecutor of the church, Paul’s aim was pure devotion to encouraging the body of Christ and ensuring they weren’t led astray by popular beliefs.  His intentionality and determination consistently flows throughout the book of Colossians and serves as a reminder to us today.  To stand on truth, we must know truth.  And when others fall prey to what sounds good, may we be like Paul boldly and gracefully guiding them back to God’s truth.

“Father Your words lead us and cement us in truth.  Help us to treasure and hide Your word in our heart so we can avoid the pitfall of persuasive untruths.

For His Glory

 

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living

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