30 September 2005 Devotion for Today "Tychicus" Colossians 4:7-8

30 September 2005  Devotion for Today  “Tychicus”  Colossians 4:7-8

 

^“7 Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. ⁸ I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, ⁹ with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here.”  Colossians 4: 7-8

 

The late Ray Stedman, writing on this passage, says about Tychicus: “Tychicus was one of a band of young men and women who accompanied Paul on much of his ministry. There were no seminaries in those days, so training was done in the most effective way of all---through continual, on-the-job, personal relationships. This involved taking people along on journeys and teaching them what was important and how to respond to situations. Four years in a seminary today could not possibly equal one or two years of this intense, personalized training with the apostle Paul himself. Tychicus, who was from Thessalonica, traveled widely with Paul. He was part of the delegation chosen by the churches of Macedonia to accompany the apostle when he took to Jerusalem the special offering that had been collected for the poor and needy saints there. Later, Paul sent him to Ephesus to take Timothy's place in that city, and possibly also, as the letter to Titus suggests, Tychicus was sent to Crete.”

 

The first thing that Paul says about this man Tychicus, besides being beloved, is that Tychicus was faithful.  As an associate in Paul’s ministry and later as a pastor in Ephesus and in Crete, this man was certainly one of the jewels in Paul’s crown.  Faithfulness is perhaps one of the best things that can be said about someone, especially a pastor.  The average person will not remember but just a few things a preacher has preached.  He will not remember all of the great building triumphs or administrative feats.  One will not remember the degrees and academic prowess possessed by the minister, or his skills of counseling or teaching.  The greatest thing that can be said about a man of God is this: “He was there!” 

 

Tychicus was such a man.  That is what Paul means by faithfulness.  We thing of faithfulness so much today as marital fidelity.   But Paul’s meaning transcends this to describe the faithfulness of a friend and a minister who is not thinking of your church as “the jumping off place” or “stepping stone” to build his career.  He doesn’t consider you as a means to get that big church. He looks at you as the people with whom he desires to spend his whole life serving and loving.  Faithfulness means holding on to that letter of resignation just a little bit longer, to know that Christ’s faithfulness enabled Him to bear the cross for us sinful ingrates.  Faithfulness is being there the way Christ was there for us.  Tychicus didn’t get the plum spots of the church, but I am sure the people he ministered to felt that way about him.

 

You may not be a pastor, but if you are a Christian, you are a minister.  Do you have the kind of “stick-to-it-tiveness” attitude that Tychicus had?  Remember that the crown of life, Jesus says in Revelation 2, belongs to those who are faithful unto death.  Have a blessed day.

 

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/

29 September 2005 Devotion for Today "An Open Door" Colossians 4:2-3

29 September 2005  Devotion for Today  “An Open Door”  Colossians 4:2-3

 

² Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; ³ meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, ⁴ that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
⁵ Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. ⁶ Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.  Colossians 4:2-3

 

The old proverb says that opportunity only knocks once.  Another says that when God closes a door, he opens a window.  These proverbs, although quite profound and may make good sense, are not to be found in Scripture.  Another says that the “early bird gets the worm.”  All three of these proverbs speak of the wisdom of taking advantage of opportunities when we have them, because we may never have them again.  The problem with those kinds of opportunities is that one may not know when they are upon us to act on them until they are already gone.  If we had but known when they were there, we might have acted in the haste that the proverbs tell us to act.  But not all opportunities are like this.  There are opportunities that God gives that have not yet been opened to us; opportunities that can only come by looking into the heart of God and asking for them in prayer.

 

This is why Paul tells the Colossians to continue earnestly in prayer so that God would open the door of opportunity up to him so that the Gospel could be preached.  Paul had preached many times where inroads to the Gospel were very few.  The situations in which he labored were difficult, if not hostile and some were even dangerous.  Bringing Christ’s saving message is no easy trick, because it takes the Holy Spirit to open up and make alive a heart that is already dead in sin.   We don’t just stumble along until we find an open door to share Christ.  These doors must be opened by the Holy Spirit.  And when we do have the opportunity before us, Paul tells us to redeem the time- that is make the fullest use of it for the glory of God.  This is why he exorts us first of all to walk in wisdom who are “outside,” that is, outside the faith and take advantage of what ever time we have to be with them, looking for that open door- but being careful how we do it.  That is why   Paul also tells us to let our speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt.  I’ve known people who have some pretty “salty” language, but this is not what he is talking about.  We ought to speak positively, circumspectly, and reverently- reflecting a holy and pure lifestyle that brings glory-not a reproach- upon the name of Jesus Christ.  Just because people do not ask us questions does not mean they are not asking them in their hearts.  And our attitude, our conduct answers them back.

 

What does the way we spend our time, our speech, and our attitude say about the grace of God working in our lives.  Is there an opportunity for the Gospel before you today? Seek God’s wisdom in carrying it out.  Have a blessed day!

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/

Devotion for Today "Grace that Transforms" I Corinthians 1:4-7

Devotion for Today  “Grace that Transforms”  I Corinthians 1:4-7

 

I had a conversation with a young man in a barber shop this past week.  Actually I have to confess it was not a barber shop, it was a hair salon where both men and women go.  And this fellow wasn’t a barber, he was a hair stylist. Actually he called himself a coiffure!  He was real skinny and had a high, effeminate, squeaky voice, prancing around and the whole time I am sitting there waiting I am thinking and praying to myself, “Oh Lord please don’t let him be the one who cuts my hair!”  But then my name was called and “Donald” had me sit down next to him.

I have to admit to my shame that I don’t much like being around people like Donald.  But as Donald began snipping at my hair, all of a sudden my heart was filled with compassion for him.  He started talking about his work and school and the problems he had at home. The more he talked the more it occurred to me that Donald’s father was virtually non-existent in his life.  “Donald, have you ever come into contact with Jesus Christ?”  He said, “I’ve thought about it, but those people at the church don’t really want anything to do with me.”  I said, “Maybe it’s because they have forgotten that the same grace that saved them out of their sins can save you from yours.  And yours is no worse than theirs.”

Then I said, “Donald, let me tell you something.  The only man you will ever need to have a relationship with to love you and to accept you as you are is Jesus Christ.” 

We didn’t have time to talk about Him any more because he was finishing up and needed to get to another customer.  But what I am trying to say to us all today is that the same grace that young man needed is the same grace that was needed to change my heart as well.  I’m not saying you have to like what other people do, or go along with what they do.  I’m talking about the grace that can transform your heart to change loathing into love. Why?  Because Jesus loves them, too.

I know there are a lot of people walking around  in this world who have taken on a lifestyle like Donald’s.  Do I need to spell it out for you? There were a lot of people in Corinth walking around like that too.  They don’t need anyone to condemn them and tell them they are vile and abominations before God-but they don’t need us to accept their lifestyle, either.  What they need is to see God’s grace applied from the One who was crucified!  Because the advent of grace has leveled the field for all who are in sin, because before God none of us is better than another. 

We read about this grace in I Corinthians 1:4-7:  “⁴ I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, ⁵that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, ⁶even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, ⁷so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

That grace which was given to us once is continually given to us and will be given to us through to the time we go to be with the Lord.  If we have received that grace, then we bear the responsibility to applying that grace to see others with the eyes of grace.  Grace is that which helps us to show favor (which is what the word grace means) to those whom we would ordinarily show disfavor and disapproval.  This is a supernatural quality that we would not possess otherwise.  May God’s grace abound in you more and more today.

Have a blessed day!

 

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/

27 September 2005 Devotion for Today "A Fair Day's Pay" Colossians 3:22-25

27 September 2005  Devotion for Today  “A Fair Day’s Pay”  Colossians 3:22-25

 

²² Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. ²³ And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for^[a] you serve the Lord Christ. ²⁵ But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.” Colossians 3:22-25

            Some years ago, the late actor John Houseman was the spokesman representing the financial planning firm Smith Barney.  With the bull-dog like face he was famous for, he would say on the commercial: “At Smith Barney we make money the old fashioned way- we EARN it!”  That commercial was very effective, encouraging would-be investors to invest their money with that firm because they could be trusted to work hard.  A few weeks ago my sixteen-year-old went to work for a local steakhouse.  I gave him the lecture of the value of working a decent day’s work for a decent day’s pay.  He came home tired and when he did I was glad because I knew he was earning his pay.  He complained however that there were others shirking their responsibilities, hiding out or taking a “smoke break” when they should be working.  “They get away with it, dad,” he said, “Nobody says anything to them but that makes me have to work harder because they are not doing what they should be doing.”  “Welcome to life, son,” I said, “You are going to find this all your life.  But the ones who really get anywhere in this life are going to be the ones who gain their boss’s approval for doing more than what they expect them to do.  The sluff-offs might still get paid, but they won’t get ahead.”

            Its probably true that many employers expect employees not to work hard or to do what is expected, but that should never be said of the Christian.  The Christian ought to stand out for working hard and for going above and beyond what is expected.  He ought never to be discovered ditching work or frittering away the boss’s time.  One of the best witnesses we can have on the job is a good attitude when facing unpleasant tasks or having to work in unpleasant conditions.  We should never be overheard talking about how unfair the boss is or the how little we are getting paid for having to do what we do. 

When Paul wrote this epistle in Colossians, much of the world operated on slavery.  Physical abuse of employees was standard practice and there were no unions to ensure fair labor practices and safe working environments.  For an employee to challenge his master it meant death, not just getting fired.  The unskilled workers were at the mercy of their employers just to live another day.   I am certainly not suggesting that we go back to that kind of life, only that we as Christians do not fall into the kind of attitude that is so prevalent in the work-place today. 

            It may be that we do not attract the notice of our employer if we do a good job, but that is not the reason for working hard and earning a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s pay.  Our reward and advancement is from a level much higher then he- for when we clock in every morning, we clock in for the Lord and work for Him.  Any reward or bonus we get, it comes from Jesus whether we ever receive an advance in pay or not.  And what about the sluff-off’s?  Paul says, “He that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done; for there is no respect of persons.”

            What is your attitude toward your work today?  Be cheerful as you begin your day.  Throughout it keep that smile and your pleasant, Christ-like disposition. Try not to cut corners or to fall into the temptation to “sluff-off” like the others. Never let anyone have to speak to you about getting back to work.  Come back from lunch when you are supposed to and don’t make a habit of leaving work early.  When you do these things don’t be surprised when your superiors, those having more advancement and education than you do having to come to you asking how to perform the tasks they are supposed to be doing.  Believe me, this will not escape the notice of your boss, and it won’t escape God’s attention, either.  Have a blessed day!

 

 

 

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/

27 September 2005 Devotion for Today “A Fair Day’s Pay” Colossians 3:22-25

27 September 2005 Devotion for Today “A Fair Day’s Pay” Colossians 3:22-25

22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for[a] you serve the Lord Christ. 25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.” Colossians 3:22-25
Some years ago, the late actor John Houseman was the spokesman representing the financial planning firm Smith Barney. With the bull-dog like face he was famous for, he would say on the commercial: “At Smith Barney we make money the old fashioned way- we EARN it!” That commercial was very effective, encouraging would-be investors to invest their money with that firm because they could be trusted to work hard. A few weeks ago my sixteen-year-old went to work for a local steakhouse. I gave him the lecture of the value of working a decent day’s work for a decent day’s pay. He came home tired and when he did I was glad because I knew he was earning his pay. He complained however that there were others shirking their responsibilities, hiding out or taking a “smoke break” when they should be working. “They get away with it, dad,” he said, “Nobody says anything to them but that makes me have to work harder because they are not doing what they should be doing.” “Welcome to life, son,” I said, “You are going to find this all your life. But the ones who really get anywhere in this life are going to be the ones who gain their boss’s approval for doing more than what they expect them to do. The sluff-offs might still get paid, but they won’t get ahead.”
Its probably true that many employers expect employees not to work hard or to do what is expected, but that should never be said of the Christian. The Christian ought to stand out for working hard and for going above and beyond what is expected. He ought never to be discovered ditching work or frittering away the boss’s time. One of the best witnesses we can have on the job is a good attitude when facing unpleasant tasks or having to work in unpleasant conditions. We should never be overheard talking about how unfair the boss is or the how little we are getting paid for having to do what we do.
When Paul wrote this epistle in Colossians, much of the world operated on slavery. Physical abuse of employees was standard practice and there were no unions to ensure fair labor practices and safe working environments. For an employee to challenge his master it meant death, not just getting fired. The unskilled workers were at the mercy of their employers just to live another day. I am certainly not suggesting that we go back to that kind of life, only that we as Christians do not fall into the kind of attitude that is so prevalent in the work-place today.
It may be that we do not attract the notice of our employer if we do a good job, but that is not the reason for working hard and earning a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s pay. Our reward and advancement is from a level much higher then he- for when we clock in every morning, we clock in for the Lord and work for Him. Any reward or bonus we get, it comes from Jesus whether we ever receive an advance in pay or not. And what about the sluff-off’s? Paul says, “He that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done; for there is no respect of persons.”
What is your attitude toward your work today? Be cheerful as you begin your day. Throughout it keep that smile and your pleasant, Christ-like disposition. Try not to cut corners or to fall into the temptation to “sluff-off” like the others. Never let anyone have to speak to you about getting back to work. Come back from lunch when you are supposed to and don’t make a habit of leaving work early. When you do these things don’t be surprised when your superiors, those having more advancement and education than you do having to come to you asking how to perform the tasks they are supposed to be doing. Believe me, this will not escape the notice of your boss, and it won’t escape God’s attention, either. Have a blessed day!



Rev. Jeffery C. RussellSalem Baptist ChurchElizabeth City, NC jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

website: http://25621.lifewaylink.comhttp://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.comhttp://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com

26 September 2005 Devotion for Today "Put Off All Of These" Colossians 3:5-11

26 September 2005  Devotion for Today  “Put Off All Of These”  Colossians 3:5-11

 

⁵Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.^{[b] 7}You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ¹¹Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.  Colossians 3:5-11

            One memory I have of growing up in Britain was one of our neighbors whom I assisted lifting up a toilet fixture so that he could replace the wax seal beneath.  Here he was, crawling on his hands and knees with the residue of human waste all around, dressed in a white shirt and a tie.  When he got his hands dirty, he simply wiped them on his shirt and continued working.  It was quite common to see an Englishman do menial tasks dressed like this.  Quite often I would see them cutting their grass, doing yard work (work in the garden) or working on their car with a tie on.  I did not say anything, but marked that image in my mind for the rest of my life.  It is descriptive of the passage that the Apostle Paul gave us in Colossians 3.

            As I look at the list which Paul gives I know two things 1) this list is not meant to be exhaustive and 2) I cannot accuse someone else of something on this list that I myself have not done.  Paul tells us to put it these things to death.  It suprizes me that greed is mentioned in the same sentence with sexual immorality and I ask myself, “Why?”  Those who pride themselves of saying they are not guilty of impurity or lust will likely find themselves guilty of greed.  Many are guilty of either one or the other- sometimes both.  Greed is a selfish desire to want more than one already has.  It may not be for sex, but for money and here Paul draws no distinction about which one is worse.  He even says that greed is idolatry.  He assumes that we used to walk in these ways as non-believers- and he is assuming the best of us, isn’t he?  Then Paul goes on to tell us to rid ourselves of some other behaviors that Christians are more apt to tolerate and wink at such as filthy (or vulgar) language and lies.  My humble opinion asserts that anyone who doesn’t think that profanity and vulgar language is a problem simply does not get out much anymore. It pains me that so many Christians find this behavior so acceptable.  A Christian man whom I greatly respected poured cold water on my illusions when he cursed out of frustration because he could not back his boat trailer into the water the right way.  Another “cussed out” employees at work because he claimed his directives carried more authority and motivation when accompanied by profanity.  When I challenged him on it he said, “Sometimes you just got to do it, or else they won’t take you seriously.”  Again I cannot accuse my brethren of something I haven’t done or at least thought about, but Paul behooves us to live above these kinds of behaviors.   Lies are no better than the use of profanity- being dishonest with our speech in order to hide our irresponsibility.  We don’t do these things any more, says Paul, because we have put on a new self and have taken off the old self.  That new self has been made in the image of God, our creator.  You wouldn’t work on the plumbing or in your septic tank in a three-piece suit, yet so many of us insist on working around the ways of this world with the new man that Christ has put on us.  Paul tells us not to change clothes so that we can indulge in these behaviors.  He simply tells us to keep the rainment of the new man on us and change our behaviors to exemplify Christ who lives within us.

            May we do all we can today by the grace of God to keep our spirit clean and in good order today.  Have a blessed day!

 

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/

22 September 2005 Devotion for Today "Whatever You Do" Colossians 3:15-17

22 September 2005  Devotion for Today  “Whatever You Do”  Colossians 3:15-17

 

Colossians 3:15-17 says:

15“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

            A Tacoma, Washington newspaper carried the story of Tattoo the bassett hound. Tattoo didn’t intend to go for a run, but when his owner shut the dog’s leash in the car door and took off with Tattoo still outside the vehicle-he had no choice. Motorcycle officer Terry Filbert noticed a passing vehicle with something dragging behind it. He commented that the poor bassett hound was “picking them up and putting them down as fast as he could.” He was rescued, but not before reaching a top speed of 25 miles per hour, falling down and rolling several times.
            There are some people who don’t allow themselves a chance to experience this peace. They have their eyes on the world and are chasing after the things of this world. They remind me of Tattoo the bassett hound.  Too many of us live our lives like Tattoo, going at a frantic pace, picking them up and putting them down as fast as we can. Peace can’t be found in activity, but in relationship, a relationship with Christ. 

            Too many times we don’t have peace because we don’t stop and remember what God has done for us. Remember that Paul is writing this letter while sitting in a dark prison cell in Rome possibly waiting to be executed. Some of us resemble the man in this story.

Without peace, we can’t be thankful.  The two are inseparable.  When we don’t have peace, we grumble and when we grumble we certainly do not have peace.  Even when the circumstances are wonderful, without peace we find something to grumble about.

The story is told of two old friends who bumped into one another on the street one day. One of them looked forlorn, almost on the verge of tears. His friend asked, “What has the world done to you, my old friend?” The sad fellow said, “Let me tell you. Three weeks ago, my uncle died and left me $40,000.”
”That’s a pot of money!”
            But, two weeks ago, a cousin I never even knew died, and left me $85,000 free and clear.
Sounds like you’ve been blessed.
“You don’t understand. He interrupted. Last week my great aunt passed away and I inherited a quarter and a million.
Now he was really confused. Then why do you look so glum.
“This week. . ..nothing!”

            Do you have peace today?  Can you find a way to be thankful.  I have found that its important to find at least three things to be thankful about and when I do that its hard not to have peace.

            Have a blessed day!

 

 

 

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/

21 September 2005 Devotion for Today "Worthy" 2 Thessalonians 1:11

 21 September 2005 Devotion for Today "Worthy"  2 Thessalonians 1:11

One of my favorite praise choruses that I like to sing in church
goes like this:

"Worthy, You are worthy,
King of Kings, Lord of Lords,
You are Worthy.
Worthy, You are worthy,
King of Kings, Lord of Lords,
I worship You."

When I sing this song, I feel like I express almost everything that
is in my heart about what I want to say to Jesus.  I say almost,
because the limitations of the human soul are incapable of completely
uttering what our Savior really deserves to hear.  Never the less
that is what worship is-expressing as much praise as we imperfect
sinners are capable of rendering to a worthy God. 

In our devotional text today in 2 Thessalonians 1:11, the Apostle
Paul makes a curious phrase: "Therefore we also pray always for you
that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all
the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power."
Why would he say pray that God would make them worthy, when he knows
full well that, as imperfect people, they are not?  We know that none
of us is worthy or inherently deserving of salvation-or anything that
comes from God-for that matter. Everything that we have is of pure
grace.  To count means to consider.  What Paul is really saying here
that in his prayers that the Thessalonian church would understand
their proper place in the way that they see themselves before God.
Paul had just finished encouraging the church as they encountered a
great deal of persecution from the Roman authorities.  When one goes
through persecution and extreme difficulties, there is a sense, brought
on by the devil, that one deserves such difficulties and that they
had the persecution coming to them.  They may feel as though God does
not like them, or they must not be doing something right or else God
would be blessing them.  The collective self-esteem of the Thessalonians
must not have been very high when Paul wrote to them.

This is Paul prays in this way, so that they understand that they are
valued so much more highly by God-not because of their own righteousness-
but because of who they now are under the blood of Jesus Christ.  And
today, when we sing praises to God, and attribute to Him all that we
are, we express the power of that new relationship and position that
we now have with Him.  Its all because of the righteousness of Jesus
Christ being given to us by Him.  We are not necessarily worthy, but
we are made as though we are. Have a blessed day.

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/

Devotion for Today "A Question from Jesus" John 5:6-8

Devotion for Today  “A Question from Jesus”   John 5:6-8

 

“A father and son went fishing one summer day. While they were out in their boat, the boy suddenly became curious about the world around him. He asked his father, ‘Dad, how does this boat float?’ The father replied, ‘Don’t rightly know son.’
A little later, the boy looked at his father and asked, ‘Dad, how do fish breathe underwater?’ Once again the father replied, ‘Don’t rightly know son.”
A little later the boy asked his father, ‘Dad, why is the sky blue?’
Again, the father replied, ‘Don’t rightly know son.’
Finally, the boy asked his father, ‘Dad, do you mind my asking you all of these questions?’ The father replied, ‘Of course not, son. If you don’t ask questions, you never learn nothin’.’” (by Gary Reinhardt)
            Even though that was supposed to be a joke there is truth in what the father said. If you don’t ask questions you don’t learn. Maybe the key is who you ask the questions. But the truth is, questions are not only used for learning on the students end. Questions are also a tremendous teaching tool. Jesus was known as a great teacher, as well as being the Son of God.  Which makes us wonder why He poses this question to the crippled man at the pool of Bethesda: “Do you want to be made well?” 

            We know that Jesus knows the hearts of all men, so why did He ask this?  Possibly He wanted the crippled man to declare what it is that he actually wanted.  Did he want someone to put him into the water before the others stepped down into it?  The man is clearly frustrated- perhaps he gave up years before; content to see others healed, yet he so close to the source of healing dismissed any hope he could have had.  “Do you want to be made well?”  Instead of an answer, the crippled man gives Jesus excuses.  Excuses are always easier to make than taking personal responsibility.  Truth to tell, the crippled man probably thought, “If I did receive healing, what then would I do with my life.  I have been crippled all my life.  I never learned a trade.  I never was able to work.  There is nothing I could do to earn a living.  Maybe I am better off being crippled and can beg for my food.  I might even do better.”  Perhaps all these reasons went through the crippled man’s mind.

            But when Jesus said, “Rise, take up your bed and walk,” he seemed not to hesitate.  It was as though, all at once, his hope was restored to him.  He got up and walked.  He knew that if he had faith enough in Jesus for healing, there would be faith enough to overcome any other doubts or fears he might have about life along the way.

            What about you, today?   What is it that is keeping you from the destiny which Christ desires to fulfill in your life?  You may think it is just easier not to have to think about it, perhaps you have all you can cope with right now.  But the moment that you rise up, by faith, you will immediately start walking.  You will wonder why you never did it before.  Get up off of your feet.  Take up that which you have been sitting on, and move forward by faith into new possibilities you never thought imaginable.

            Have a blessed day.

 

 

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/

Devotion for Today "Prepare!" Matthew 24:3-44

 Devotion for Today “Prepare!” Matthew 24:3-44

Note:  After just being grazed by Hurricane Ophelia and hearing about the devastation in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, I pulled up this devotional from two years ago as we prepared for Hurricane Isabel.  Enjoy!

The watchword of the day is prepare. We are busy preparing for a major storm, Hurricane Isabel which threatens to hit our shores of North Carolina by Wednesday evening. Yesterday we spent nearly the entire day looking for things that we might need to get ourselves ready. We searched for batteries- indeed there was not a “D” cell battery that could be found in Elizabeth City. We visited the local Lowe’s homebuilders store and everyone had already purchased all of the plywood and other lumber that could be used to secure their homes against the threatening 125 mph winds. Next we visited the bank, then to Walmart looking for batteries- to no avail. We did, however, manage to stock up on canned food items- although the bottled water could not be purchased because the shelves were empty. There were long lines at the gas station. I managed to fuel my car and bought an extra propane tank for my barbeque grill. Then we started making preparations for evacuation in case the storm threatens to flood our part of the county. One never knows just how to prepare for something of this magnitude. We were told yesterday that such a storm has the potential to completely alter the coastline of our state. For those of you reading this devotional, your prayers for us would be greatly appreciated. By the way- I am certain we will also have power outages- so if you do not hear from me in several days, you will know why.

But the word prepare is also heard in the Gospels. And while we may not know precisely how to prepare for a hurricane, Jesus tells us exactly how to prepare for His return and the impending judgement which follows.

Matthew 24:36-44
36. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
37. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

Are you ready? Forecasters have been predicting His imminent return. Prepare!

Have a blessed day.

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/

14 September 2005 Devotion for Today "Running from God" Jonah 1:1-3

14 September 2005  Devotion for Today “Running from God”  Jonah 1:1-3

                ¹ The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: ² "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."  ³ But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. (Jonah 1:1-3)

The Lord put a conviction on Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach repentance. Instead, he started running from God and the conviction that God has put on his life.  Of course it would have gone much easier on Jonah had he only submitted to God’s call in the first place.  But Jonah didn’t want to hear it.  He was disobedient, and he was a bigot.  He was deeply prejudiced against the Ninevites and thought the world would be better off without them.  There might have been some justification for Jonah’s hatred.  The Nineveh was the capital of Assyria- possibly one of the most brutal, bloodthirsty empires that had ever dawned before the advent of Adolph Hitler.  Their cruelty and terror were well-known.  Rather than take God’s message to them to affect their conversion and turning from their barbaric ways, Jonah chose instead to run away.  He didn’t want Niniveh to be saved- probably because Jonah wasn’t even saved himself, or if he was he wasn’t acting like he was.
            You hear many testimonies of people who finally have given their life to the Lord after years of running from him.  Without a doubt I believe that some are reading this right now.  I talked about Eutychus last week and how he fell out of church.  Some fall out.  Others drop out.  Still others shut out God and His influence on their lives. Why? Because they are afraid that they might just get saved and have to change their way of acting and thinking. They see the preacher coming and man, they run.  “Can’t have him coming around here!  I might just get saved and have to give up my drinking that’s about to wreck my marriage and ruin my family.  Can’t have that going on!  Uh oh here comes that church lady around here again, she’s got a Bible as big as a Sears and Roebuck catalog!   She comes around me she’s liable to get me saved and I might just have to give up my cigarettes- even though I only got one lung and about to go on oxygen!  You all better run here comes that deacon over here again telling me got to get saved!!!  Can’t have that even though I’m about to lose my job because I can’t be depended on and my wife’s about to leave me because she says she can’t trust me.  Wouldn’t it be a terrible thing to have those religious people coming around me, telling me how to run my life and this and that.  And Lord, have mercy I might just get saved!  It amazes me the times I start praying and people start taking off.  Now what about that?  Its because the spirit of conviction is working hard on them!  They can’t stand it.  They are under conviction and they know it.  

            If you are running today and you don’t know what you are running from, let me tell you that you are running from God. Some people put feet to their running like Jonah did. Some people use mind altering drug and alcohol to run from God. Some people fill that emotional void by stuffing all the things of this world into their life and yet still come up empty.  Are you floundering today, cast adrift without any purpose or direction?  Submit therefore under the mighty hand of God. I Peter 5:⁶Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”

Have a blessed day!

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/

13 September 2005 Devotion for Today "When God Gets Your Attention" Jonah 1:1

13 September 2005  Devotion for Today  “When God Gets Your Attention” Jonah 1:1

            We get people’s attention in many ways. We may blast our car horn to get someone’s attention. Some people can whistle loud enough to get someone’s attention. At the airport, passengers are constantly flagging down taxi cabs by waving their hands. And certainly, we all can remember those teachers who raised their voice to get our attention.
The result is obvious: when someone is trying to get your attention, they know it and they are going to do what they can to make sure that you know it.
            But, I wonder if it is that obvious when God is trying to get our attention. God knows that He is trying to get our attention and many times we don’t know the signs or worse yet sometimes we ignore them.  I wonder is this what happened in New Orleans and along our Gulf Coast -God trying to get our attention?  I also happen to believe that God was trying to get our attention on September 11, 2001.  People come to church during times like these, stay a little while, get busy, and then life returns to normal.  I’m going to be gracious and say it could be that we don’t know the signs that God is trying to get our attention rather than saying that we are blatantly ignoring them. So today, I want us to know the signs when God is trying to get our attention

            We know when God is getting our attention when we can see God’s guiding hand of  sovereignty –His ultimate control. Read verse 1. “And the Lord came to Jonah.” Why did God go to Jonah?  Because God can go to whomever He wants.  He is God, Creator of the Universe who doesn’t need man’s approval to break in unannounced in our lives.  He is Sovereign, and we exist for Him- not He for us.

             In reflecting upon the events of the past couple of weeks, I have to stop and think about the questions that are asked.  They cannot be ignored.  How could a loving God allow this disaster to happen? How could a loving God allow so many to suffer?  Especially when we prayed the Sunday before the hurricane hit, “Lord protect these people,” yet by all estimates at least 20,000 people are dead.  450,000 have lost their homes.  By the same token, on the morning of September 11, 2001- I wonder how many of us prayed as we started out the day, “Lord, watch over me and my family today” as we prayed in our quiet times.  I know I did.  I also prayed for my country.   My prayer started out like just about every other day.  Why is it that God spared me yet 3000 lives were taken that day?  Was it because my prayer was better than theirs or heard above theirs?  No.

            We can’t account for the evil that others will do, nor can we understand fully the extent of God’s creative work that goes into a massive hurricane and floodwaters that destroyed the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coasts.  But there is also another factor that we ought to look at more seriously that most people casually ignore and that is: America has stopped trusting God.  Billy Graham’s daughter Anne Graham Lotz gave the answer in an interview to Jane Clayson on the Early show. “I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we’ve been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government, and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman he is, I believe he has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us his blessing and his protection if we demand he leave us alone? 
            It seems like we want God’s protection without His powerful presence. We want God’s provision without His controlling hand. How can we demand anything of God when we have so willfully shut Him out? 

            This devotional is continued tomorrow.  Have a blessed day!

 

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/

12 September 2005 Devotion for Today "In Memory of 9/11" Romans 8:35-39

12 September 2005  Devotion for Today  "In Memory of 9/11"  Romans 8:35-39

 

The following is a devotional I wrote four years ago- the day after "9/11."  May God continue to

bless America!

 

12 September 2001 Devotion for Today "Who Shall Separate?" Romans 8:35-39

Yesterday I received an email from a distant cousin, Mr. David Lamp,
of Falls Church, Virginia, relating to his email mailing list that he
was all right.  He worked at the Pentagon in the building right next
to the one that was destroyed by the hijacked aircraft.  In his narrow
brush with death, he recognized that not all were as fortunate as he.

Since this tragedy started on Tuesday, I have fought back tears (not
always very successfully) for those whose interviewed accounts by the
media revealed that they had loved ones in the World Trade Towers and
could not find them.  They fear the worst as they go from hospital to
hospital and not finding them.  Several on the hijacked aircraft made
calls to their loved ones on the ground telling them that they loved
them, and would not see them again.  The horror of this is unimaginable.
But the sense of separation and anxiety of not knowing what has happened
to a family member is a feeling too awful to be put into words.

As I read the Scriptures, there is some comfort in that while we may
lose many people and things of this world, there is One whom we will
never lose no matter what may try to dislocate us.  The Apostle Paul
tells us in Romans 8:35-39- "Who shall separate us from the love of
Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine,
or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written: 'For your sake
we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.'
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved
us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor
height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to
separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Many are pouring over lists of people this week wondering if they will
be separated by this tragedy.  This may even have happened to you.  If
it has, I'll not want to minimize the pain that you feel.  But as the
shock wears away and the hurt and the grief come in overwhelming waves,
God is still there, and He promises never to be separated from you.  He
knows what you are feeling, and as His Son, Jesus Christ, allowed
Himself to be hijacked and sent to the Cross, and separated from the
Father's love, He emerged from the tomb alive that we may never know
that kind of separation from God again.

In some small way, may you all be comforted and blessed by the promises
of God's Word.

Jeff Russell
Devotion for Today
Friendship Baptist Church,
Langenselbold, Germany

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/

Devotion for Today "Peace" 2 Thessalonians 3:16-18

08 September 2005   Devotion for Today  "Peace"  2 Thessalonians 3:16-18

One of the greatest things that man hopes for is to have and to live
in peace.  That was "hit home" to me yesterday when members of our
church gathered at another refugee home in Hanau for a cookout-block
party-whatever you want to call it.  We really had a nice time and
the weather was beautiful.  The families in this complex came from
about 15 different countries speaking all kinds of languages and
dialects.  The reasons why they left their countries are varied, but
the over all motivation was for them to find peace and freedom and
a better way of life.  Refugees from Kosovo and Armenia wanted peace
from the relentless fighting and hostility.  Jewish people from the
former Soviet Union desired relief from centuries of anti-semitism.
Jews, Muslims, and Christians congregated together, laughing, eating
(when we could convince them that the hot dogs were all beef and not
pork) and even singing together.  The children who played together in
the refugee complex would not have been allowed to have had playtime
with children different than them in their own countries.  Their
parents would not have shared the same sidewalk, much less a picnic
table, where they came from.  The One who brought us all together last
night was Jesus Christ.  Only He can bring peace, lasting peace that
remains in our hearts long after events like what we had at the refugee
home are long over.

The Apostle Paul speaks of this kind of peace in our devotional text
today, and prays it as his parting benediction for believers everywhere:
"Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way.
The Lord be with you all." v. 16. 

May you have this peace in your hearts as you go into this new day.

 

Have a peaceful and blessed day.

 

(From 21 May 2001)

 

 

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/

07 September 2005 Devotion for Today "Christ in You" Colossians 1:24-29

07 September 2005  Devotion for Today  “Christ in You”  Colossians 1:24-29

 

    ²⁴Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. ²⁵I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— ²⁶the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. ²⁷To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.  ²⁸We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. ²⁹To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.  Colossians 1:24-29 (NKJV)

            The Apostle Paul discusses the great mystery of what happens when we become Christians and the whole process that goes along with receiving Jesus Christ as our personal Savior. We understand that there is a process that we go through. Even for someone who is quickly convicted of their need for Jesus and makes a commitment quickly, the process is still there. There is some basic knowledge and belief, and there is a response, which includes a declaration to God and, hopefully, publicly, in some way. There is repentance. There is baptism. And through it all, something rather incredible occurs. Paul refers to this as ‘Christ in you, your hope of glory’.
            It’s important for us to understand that we’re involved, here, with something far more than a body of knowledge. We are in a relationship with Jesus, and with the Father, because of that relationship with Jesus. Understanding it all is impossible, but it’s apparent that some things happen. It’s apparent that, in essence, we take a giant step forward- that it’s as if we were one place, but once we accept Jesus that we, essentially, move forward to where He is, in relationship with the Father! We’re no longer back there- and Paul seems to be speaking about this, here- in referring to the past alienation and poorer position. But there has become a unity with the body of Jesus, which moves us forward!
            I find this exciting to consider, and wonder if there isn’t quite some parallel with a wedding.  I conducted one a couple of years ago that reminded me of this idea.  The couple, who stood before me, was very committed to each other weeks before. They were engaged and anticipating their actual wedding and declaring of themselves before witnesses. They pledged certain things to God and to each other, and did this in front of many people! That takes some courage and maturity. But, it’s the right thing to do, too. Mentally, they were committed to each other long before we began the formal ceremony, but there was the dress, the flowers, the rings, the signing, the toasts, the food, and all that goes along with a wedding, anyway. Why? What difference did it make? Was it only a ceremonial thing that you could take or leave? Was it only something meant to enrich caterers and impoverish brides’ families? Some look at a wedding in that kind of way.
            But, no! Something incredible happened, as does happen in matters of choice. The couple chose each other. In the course of our counseling, we discussed the question about whether they could marry anyone else. You’d be amazed at how many young couples answer, on the profile we use, that this is the only possible spouse for them- which reflects a great unreality with regard to marriage. Well, that is not where this couple was- they were/are quite realistic as they enter their marriage.
            But, they made a choice.  They have chosen each other. And they have formalized that choice. It wasn’t just a private choice, made in a corner with only them knowing, and possibly, in the privacy of their own individual minds, even doubting that. (That’s the danger of private and unannounced or un-formalized decisions! There’s the element of doubt and ease of backing away from!) However, through choice and decision, in essence, they took each other into their hearts and joined together spiritually and psychologically. Something amazing happened in the wedding ceremony and there is a mystery in that. The wedding is not a ‘take it or leave it’ affair, but is an important element of a sequence of decisions that have been made.
            When we come to our relationship with God, through Jesus, something similar is happening. I know that using analogies can break down and can be imprecise. However, I believe it’s important to understand something of the importance of what God has us do.
            So, Paul declares that Jesus is in us and this is our promise (hope) of glory. This is our guarantee of glory. Hope doesn’t mean some wishy-washy thinking, like “I hope I have time to make it to the grocery store before it closes.” We use that kind of jargon, which doesn’t express much more than wishful thinking. That is not the Christian hope. Christian hope involves certainty! Jesus in us is more than wishful thinking. Jesus in us is confidence and guarantee! Jesus in us is strength to make it through each day- kind of like the married couple gains strength to do what is necessary and right by being committed to and ‘in’ each other! But what’s it mean? I think we need to draw more encouragement than we might and trust the process and the greatness of God more than we do.
            If you are saved and Jesus is living in you, then you are meant to live with confidence! You are meant to go forward with the expectation that you’ll do the right thing. IF you are serving only yourself and exalting yourself, then that’s a different situation and maybe you’re not converted. But if you’re living in the spirit of Romans 12.1, 2, then you’ll be tending to do the right things. Consequently, you can go forward without wasting all sorts of nervous and anxious energy on doubt and self-recrimination and worry. God is very near to you! He’s not far away from anybody, so for His children, He’s near and He’s cheering you on and drawing you to do the right things. He is encouraging you and He is forgiving you when you do stumble.
            Have a blessed day!

 

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

website:   http://25621.lifewaylink.com
http://jeffrussellsblog.blogspot.com
http://devotionfortoday.blogspot.com/

06 September, 2005 Devotion for Today “Honest, to God” Matthew 5:33-37

06 September, 2005 Devotion for Today “Honest, to God” Matthew 5:33-37

33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” Matthew 5:33-37
Jim Carey’s film, Liar, Liar, explores how difficult it is to always tell the truth. Because of a wish his son makes, he finds that he is unable to lie at all. The film takes you through a typical day in his life and what it was like for him to always tell what was sometimes the excruciating truth. I am dealing with a topic today which is a struggle for all of us. If we are truthful, we will admit that not lying can be a problem. There is the fib, the white lie, the half-truth, the clever deception, misleading information, stretching the truth, exaggeration. Who has not been startled to hear yourself say something that is an exaggeration without even thinking about it? It is not that you began the conversation with the intention of saying something that was not quite true, but before you knew it you found yourself embellishing a story. Are you honest about your age? Have you been thoroughly honest with your taxes? Have you ever been dishonest about the time you claimed you worked, or not given an honest day’s work for an honest day’s wage? Have you ever cheated on a test? Have you ever lied to get out of trouble? Have you ever complimented someone when you didn’t mean it? Have you ever kept silent when you should have told the truth? Made yourself appear better than you are? Lied to gain an advantage or get your way? Misled someone to save face? If I had a good enough memory I could probably admit to doing all those things and so have most of us.
However, Jesus does not excuse our lack of truthfulness just because it is hard to be truthful, or because we might get into trouble. He commands that we be truthful, and when we have not, we need to correct the false impression we have given. But honesty is not just about the words we speak, it is about the person we are. As I have tried to think carefully about this passage, there are three attributes of inner character that I believe are involved. The first is: Simplicity. Jesus said: “Keep it simple. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” Why did Jesus say that anything beyond this comes from the evil one? So when we lie we are speaking the devil’s language and becoming like him.
When say, “I swear by all that’s holy”, or “As God is my witness” Or my personal favorite: “I swear on a stack of Bibles.” When we go to court we are asked to place our hand on the Bible and swear that we will “tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” But the reality is that taking that kind of oath will not make a dishonest person any more likely to tell the truth, and the lack of an oath will not make an honest person any less likely to tell a lie. This statement of Jesus is not an injunction against taking a required oath in court, rather a command to keep our lives free from elaborate oaths and schemes to assure others that we are indeed telling the truth when all we really have to do is Live simply. Speak simply. Speak the simple truth. If you are a person who has an honest character then you will not need to swear or promise to make others believe you. Your character will be your oath. The Essenes, a Jewish sect that existed at the time of Christ, avoided taking oaths, because they said, “One who is not believed without an appeal to God stands condemned already.”
Jesus was referring to a very complex and elaborate system of oath taking that had developed in his day. The Mosaic Law forbade irreverent oaths, light use of the Lord’s name, broken vows. Once Yahweh’s name was invoked, the vow to which it was attached became a debt that had to be paid to the Lord. Let’s keep ourselves debt-free especially in terms of whom we invoke to back up what we say. We won’t need to if our speech is sound and truthful. Have a blessed day.

01 September 2005 Devotion for Today "Set Your Minds" Colossians 3:1-4

01 September 2005  Devotion for Today  “Set Your Minds”  Colossians 3:1-4

 

            Martin Luther once challenged one of his students by saying, “I’ll get you a new horse and carriage if you can pray the Lord’s Prayer and concentrate on every phrase without losing your train of thought.” The young man thought, “no problem.” After he had prayed the prayer he however confessed to Luther, “all I could think about was the horse and carriage.” As much as he tried to concentrate on the Lord’s Prayer, his mind was drawn elsewhere.
            Have you ever had nights like that - where you just can’t take your mind off of something? Maybe it was an upcoming surgery, or a job interview, or a big game - something that you just couldn’t get your mind off of. Unfortunately, when we get our minds stuck on things like that, they’re usually things we don’t want to think about or shouldn’t be thinking about. We know we shouldn’t worry about them, but sometimes we just can’t seem to stop worrying about it. If this is the case, heed the encouraging words of the Apostle Paul from Colossians 3:1-4:

                ¹ So if you have been raised with the Messiah, seek what is above, where the Messiah is, seated at the right hand of God.  ² Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth.³ For you have died,  and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God. ⁴ When the Messiah, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. (HCSB)

            I must admit that it has been difficult the past few days to set my mind on things above- on heavenly things.  So much of the world is in chaos.  The war in Iraq and Afghanistan rages on, I can’t help but to feel the desperate plight of the hurricane Katrina victims on the Gulf Coast, and even now I am dreading going to the fuel station to fill my car up with gas which I know is going to cost me more than $3.00 a gallon- if I am able to find it!.  These burdens can all but overwhelm my life if I allow them to, and I must not fall into it.   It is because Paul reminds us today - your sinful flesh is crucified, and we have been raised. We don’t have to listen to it - because it’s dead! We have a LIVING Savior that we are connected with - who can make your dead arms and legs move. So in spite of our flesh, set our minds on heavenly things.

            I thought of this last night:  How would you like it if you were married, and your spouse always talked about his or her ex-boyfriends or girlfriends? That’s how God feels. He says, “I put your sinful nature to death! I raised you to life! It’s time to get out of the gutter! It’s time to live! You don’t have to think about that stuff anymore! Set your minds on heavenly things - on pleasing me - on learning God’s Word - on spreading my name! Think about those things!”

            I know that we all have some heavy burdens to carry around with us, but be assured and be of good cheer- Christ has overcome the world!   What- or whom- do you have your minds set on today?   Have a blessed day!

Rev. Jeffery C. Russell
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net

 

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