Tag Archives: Christianity

Allegiance, Bible, Bowing, Jesus, Kneeling, Scripture, Worship

KNEELING

PHILIPPIANS 2:10

“so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,”

I’m at the age now when I kneel down to get something, I pause to see if I need to do anything else while I’m down there. Lol. Can you relate? Kneeling gets harder with age. Our bones crack and moan more. Our backs strain getting back up. Now, I’m not in awful shape physically, but I definitely feel my age more these days. Maybe helping watch my ten-month-old grandson has something to do with it. You think?

Paul makes a declaration in today’s verse which is directly from the mouth of God. He says that one day, “every knee will bow.” And when he says “every” he means EVERY. He covers them all – in heaven, on earth and under the earth. Everyone will bow before the only true and holy Savior, Jesus Christ. He is Lord! John says something similar in his vision statement in Revelation 5:13. “And I heard every created thing which is in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, or on the sea, and all the things in them, saying, ‘To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be the blessing, the honor, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever.’”

APPLICATION

The Greek word translated as “will bow” is kamptó which “primarily means to bend or bow, often used in the context of bowing the knee as an act of submission, worship, or reverence. It conveys the physical act of bending as well as the metaphorical act of showing humility or deference.” (Strong’s Lexicon). It is only used three other times (Romans 11:4. 14:11; Ephesians 3:14).

In Romans 11:4 Paul writes about the story of Elijah when he was complaining to God and was told by God that He had kept 7,000 men in Israel who had not bowed to Baal. In other words, their allegiance was to Jehovah and bowed only to Him. Later in Romans 14:11 Paul is quoting God from Isaiah 45:23 which says, “‘I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out from My mouth in righteousness and will not turn back, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.’”

Finally, as Paul begins his prayer in Ephesians 3:14, he writes, “For this reason I bend my knees before the Father,” You see, Paul knew there was only one God and to Him only would he bow. Paul would bow to no man. Kind of reminds you of three youth who got thrown into a furnace for refusing to bow to an earthly king, doesn’t it?  Today, bow your knee, bow your heart, kneel and pray and lift up the name of Jesus.

O Lord, I will bow before You and praise Your holy name.

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Bible, Continue, Gospel, Jesus, Ministry, Scripture

CONTINUING

PHILIPPIANS 1:25

“Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith,”

I have had some experiences that required me to continue doing something that was difficult. I had been given a task and couldn’t quit until the job was done. I remember one job in particular. I had to shovel out a grain bin that had gotten water in it and the corn near the bottom had rotted. That grain bin had to be shoveled out into the auger and allowed to dry completely so new corn kernels could be dumped in. Oh, did I say this was in South Georgia in August?

Paul wasn’t shoveling grain, but he was trudging through some very difficult times of ministry. He was on house arrest and guarded by a Roman guard at all times. Yet, he knew his life would not end there. The Lord had given him a task to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles. He wasn’t finished, and he was convinced God would free him to continue on. Why? For their “progress and joy in the faith.”

APPLICATION

The Greek word here for “continue” is parameno. “It implies steadfastness and persistence, often in the context of faith, relationships, or circumstances.” (Strong’s Lexicon) What are you steadfast about? Can you say that about your faith? God has given each of us a task to spread the Gospel. Our task is not much different than Paul. The world still needs to hear about Jesus, and God still uses people to do that.

This word parameno is used by James in James 1:25. “But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an active doer, this person will be blessed in what he does.” We must continue in the Word. Only by doing that can we walk in freedom and share the good news of Jesus.

Paul was sure he would continue on in his ministry. He had no idea how he would escape the chains he was in right then, but his confidence did not waiver. I want to urge you, beloved, to have that same confidence. God is not done with you yet. He has a wonderful plan for your life and wants to use you for His kingdom work. Continue on!

Lord, give me the peace that passes understanding as I trust You to continue using me for Your work.

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Bible, Fruit, Heaven, Ministry, Scripture

DECISIONS, DECISIONS!

PHILIPPIANS 1:22

“But, if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me, and I do not know which to choose.”

I have been a decision maker for quite some time now. As my ministry progressed, I was given more and more decisions to make. Some big and some small, but all were decisions that had to be made by me. “The buck stops here” is really true if you are in leadership.

Paul was torn between the desire to continue to minister, even though that meant being held in a prison, and the desire to be called on to heaven. Paul had “tasted” a little bit of heaven before (read 2 Corinthians 12:4). He was looking forward to his heavenly reward, yet he still had more work to do.

APPLICATION

If you were given the choice to either stay here and continue to labor for the Lord or go on to heaven, what would you choose? Staying here for your kids or grandkids is admirable. No one wants to leave them behind, especially before knowing they are secure in the Lord. But our reason for staying needs to go beyond just our families. What has the Lord called you to do?

Look what Paul says here. He says living “will mean fruitful labor.” In other words, if he is alive he can continue to live out John 15:16 which says, “…and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit…” We are called to bear fruit. Paul had never forgotten his calling to reach the Gentiles. He wasn’t done yet.

Stop being so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good. Look around you. How can God use you today to produce fruit that will last for His kingdom? When it’s time to go to heaven, He’ll call you. I say often that I am immortal until God calls me home. He knows the number of my days. Until then I want to be used by Him. How about you?

Father, use me up to my last breath to produce fruit for Your kingdom.

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Bible, Discernment, Knowledge, Leftovers, Scripture

OVERFLOWING LOVE

PHILIPPIANS 1:9

“And this I pray, that your love may overflow still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,” 

Have you ever known anyone who just overflowed with love? Besides my wife, I have known a few others. The moment they meet you, they want to know how they can best serve you. They are interested in everything about you. They will sacrifice themselves to ensure your needs are met. They just ooze love out of every pore.

The Greek word Paul uses here for “may overflow” is perisseúō, which means “to be over and above, to abound.” But just look at how Paul wanted their love to overflow. He prayed it would have “real knowledge and all discernment.” Ask yourself this question – Do I love that way or my own way? You might just surprise yourself with your answer.

APPLICATION

Perisseúōwas also used to describe the incidents of feeding the 5,000 and the 4,000 in Matthew. In Matthew 14:20 and 15:37, Matthew wrote that after the food was distributed and everyone was fed, food “was left over.” I don’t know about your house, but when I was growing up, we ate a lot of leftovers. I remember my mom saving up all the leftover vegetables and then making a pot of soup or stew she called goulash. It was still good food.

But unlike my mom’s leftover goulash, I guarantee you the leftover food from these two incidents in Scripture was just as good, if not better than what the people ate. Remember Jesus’ first miracle – turning water into wine? They said this wine, which was served last (the leftovers) was better than what was served first.

Why am I talking so much about leftovers? These leftovers were what was left from an abundant meal. It kept going. It kept serving. Our love should be that way. We should never run out of love for someone. Let your love today be overflowing and know how to do that wisely (in real knowledge and all discernment). Love like Jesus loves!

Thank You, Lord, for Your overflowing love for me.

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Bible, Father, Grace, Greetings, Jesus, Peace, Scripture

FROM THE FATHER AND THE SON

PHILIPPIANS 1:2

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

I often begin emails to people by saying, “I pray this email finds you doing well.” I don’t use that every time, but I usually use some type of greeting. I don’t just start with my main message. It’s kind of like breaking the ice with someone. They say it is always good to praise, then correct and then praise again. That’s called the “sandwich” method. That makes me hungry, lol.

The Benson Commentary says this about this greeting from Paul, which he used in just about every letter he wrote. “From God our Father — The original source of all our blessings, who is now become our reconciled Father, having adopted us into his family, and regenerated us by his grace; and the Lord Jesus Christ — The one Mediator between God and man, through whose sacrifice and intercession we receive all the blessings of providence and grace.” That’s a clear description of Paul’s greeting, don’t you think?

APPLICATION

Look at what Paul is actually greeting them with – grace and peace. Shouldn’t we want to extend the same thing to others? We should wish them grace, first of all. Grace is central to the Christian faith. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith.” Paul desires for the Philippians to know this grace fully. All they needed was God’s grace. Works were not required.

Then Paul wishes them peace. You have probably heard it said, “You can’t have peace with others until you have peace with God. And you can’t have peace with God until you have the peace of God.” It is really that simple. Jesus told us, “Peace I leave with you.” When people come to Christ, they often describe it as experiencing real peace for the first time in their life.

I wish for you today grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is my desire to see each of you who read this devotional thought experience all that God has for you through His Son Jesus. There is no other greeting I could give you that can last for eternity. Now, you do the same for others.

Lord, give me a true appreciation for Your grace and peace that I can extend to others.

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Bible, Heaven, Looking, Scripture, Seeking

LOOK UP

COLOSSIANS 3:1

Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 

Why do we walk around with our head down? My wife is always telling me to straighten up and walk with my head up. She says I look like an old man. Well, I am. Lol. But it is true that I need to look up more, not down or even just straight ahead. My vision needs to be focused heavenward.

Paul tells the Colossians in today’s verse that they need to remember where they are. They “have been raised with Christ.” Therefore, they need to look up and “keep seeking the things that are above.” The verb “keep seeking” is zéteó. It means “to seek or search for something with the intent of finding it. It conveys a sense of earnestness and diligence in the pursuit.” (Strong’s Lexicon).

APPLICATION

So, the question begs to be asked – are you seeking Jesus like that? The same Greek word is used in Matthew 6:33. Do you know that verse? “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you.” We also see it used in Luke 11:9-10 when Jesus tells us, “9‘So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened.’” 

Jesus tells us to seek Him. He wants us looking up, not inward or just outward. If we look up to Him, then we can look inwardly correctly. We can evaluate our thoughts and deeds. If we look up first, then we can look outwardly and respond to the needs of others as they arise.

If you are hanging your head (like I do sometimes), lift up your head. Look into the eyes of Jesus. We are supposed to think like that. We are supposed to look to Him first. So, today look up. Today ask Him to direct your eyes.

O God, keep my eyes on You and not my circumstances.

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Bible, Faith, Faithfulness, Scripture, Trustworthy

FAITHFUL

COLOSSIANS 1:2

To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

What does it mean to be “faithful”? In marriage it means to not cheat on your spouse with someone else. It means to stay by their side no matter what may happen. At work it may mean to stay with your employer through hard times knowing all they have done for you in the past. So, being faithful can have a lot of meanings.

What did Paul mean here in verse 2 of Colossians 1? What made these brothers and sisters faithful? Notice that Paul does not address this epistle to the church. He addressed it to individuals, probably those whom he knew firsthand. They had proven themselves faithful against the pagan influences of their day. They were loyal to Christ despite the evil all around them. It is to them that Paul writes.

APPLICATION

Throughout Scripture, believers are called faithful and are called to their faith. Here’s another question for you. Do you think others would consider you faithful? Hmmm! That may take some pondering on your part. We see over in Titus 1:6 that an elder should be “faithful to his wife.” That makes sense, right?

Gill’s Exposition of the Bible describes these “faithful” believers this way. “true and sincere believers in Christ, constant and persevering in the faith of him; faithful to the Gospel, and their profession of it, and to Christ, whose name they bore, and to one another, to whom they stood in the relation of brethren…” Looking at that description, could that be said about you?

We should all strive to be faithful to Jesus in all things. There’s no doubt about that. But if you fall, if you sin, does that make you unfaithful. I think not. We are to try to be like Jesus, even though we will never be just like Him. He knows us all too well and loves us anyway. Aren’t you glad? So, go out today and be faithful.

Father, give me faith to move mountains but also faith in the little things.

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Apostle, Bible, Disciplemaking, Disciples, Ministry

NOT ALONE

COLOSSIANS 1:1

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,”

We have been encouraged when we travel in our ministry to take someone along with us. It’s not so much about protection. I don’t need a bodyguard. But it is more about companionship and accountability. I am headed to Jamaica in a couple of months and am taking two others with me to help with the conference but to also make sure I am staying true to the Word and to our mission.

Paul understood this. He says very clearly at the beginning that he is “an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.” In other words, he didn’t just decide one day to start a ministry. God called him and appointed him. And Paul also took along companions. In this case, he is mentioned Timothy, whom Paul calls “our brother.” Paul invested in Timothy to make him into a disciple maker himself.

APPLICATION

Are you engaged in some type of ministry right now? Let me ask you a question. Who told you to do that? Well Carl, it just seemed to be the right thing to do. That is not a good answer. Our ministries, whatever they are, need to be directed by the Lord. How will you know? Oh, God doesn’t make you guess. You will know very clearly.

And who is getting the glory for any ministry you are involved with? If it’s anyone besides Jesus, you are doing it for the wrong reason. You would be surprised at the number of ministries that are man-centered and not God-centered. Make sure He gets all the glory for anything you do. By doing that, you can be sure to receive God’s blessings.

Finally, who are you investing in? Do you have a Timothy? Paul spent around 20 years traveling and mentoring Timothy. He was establishing his legacy through Timothy (and others). He wanted them to experience Christ as he had and to take the Gospel forward. We need to be doing the same with our Timothys.

Father, give me the energy and time to invest in a Timothy right now.

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