WORD From The Woods
Colossians 4:2-18
"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you."
This passage is Paul's final instructions and greetings in his letter to the Colossians. One of the last and most important things he tells them to do is to continue steadfastly in prayer. First, he tells them to pray with thanksgiving, which is probably how we should always begin when we approach the Creator in prayer. The next thing he says is to pray that God would open doors for them to share the good news of Christ with the lost and hurting world. I think it's very important to recognize that Paul tells his readers to pray for wisdom and a Christ-like spirit when dealing with outsiders. Many people haven't read Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, and their first encounter with the gospel might be through the testimony of our lives, lived out in front of them. What I mean by this is that people will see the gospel lived out in the lives of true believers, after all, the bible calls us the ambassadors of Christ. This means that we have a tremendous responsibility as Christians to represent Christ with excellence! This is why Paul makes a point to charge us with seeking God's wisdom in how we deal with the world. As Paul closes this letter, I'm amazed at the number of people that he lists who are true disciples of Christ that he can fully trust to carry on his ministry in his absence. This is what is so lacking in today's "church culture," we are usually pretty good at sharing the gospel with people when it's convenient for us, but we seldom engage in true first century discipleship. Paul had led many people to Christ during his ministry, but it didn't stop there! He was making disciples, not disciples of Paul, but true disciples of Christ! We need so desperately to get back to this biblical model of discipleship. It's my hope and prayer that Fellowship of Christian Loggers will serve as a ministry where both evangelism and discipleship are actively happening among men and women in the timber industry!
God bless and have a great week! -Terry-
Colossians 4:2-18
"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you."
This passage is Paul's final instructions and greetings in his letter to the Colossians. One of the last and most important things he tells them to do is to continue steadfastly in prayer. First, he tells them to pray with thanksgiving, which is probably how we should always begin when we approach the Creator in prayer. The next thing he says is to pray that God would open doors for them to share the good news of Christ with the lost and hurting world. I think it's very important to recognize that Paul tells his readers to pray for wisdom and a Christ-like spirit when dealing with outsiders. Many people haven't read Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, and their first encounter with the gospel might be through the testimony of our lives, lived out in front of them. What I mean by this is that people will see the gospel lived out in the lives of true believers, after all, the bible calls us the ambassadors of Christ. This means that we have a tremendous responsibility as Christians to represent Christ with excellence! This is why Paul makes a point to charge us with seeking God's wisdom in how we deal with the world. As Paul closes this letter, I'm amazed at the number of people that he lists who are true disciples of Christ that he can fully trust to carry on his ministry in his absence. This is what is so lacking in today's "church culture," we are usually pretty good at sharing the gospel with people when it's convenient for us, but we seldom engage in true first century discipleship. Paul had led many people to Christ during his ministry, but it didn't stop there! He was making disciples, not disciples of Paul, but true disciples of Christ! We need so desperately to get back to this biblical model of discipleship. It's my hope and prayer that Fellowship of Christian Loggers will serve as a ministry where both evangelism and discipleship are actively happening among men and women in the timber industry!
God bless and have a great week! -Terry-