Colossians 2:13-15 "A Defeated Foe"

Read Colossians 2:13-15.

"And having disarmed the powers and authorities he made a spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." NIV

Paul is still addressing the false teachings that were bombarding the church of Colosse. But there are so many truths here that are applicable to our lives as believers today.

We are no longer bound by the "written code with its regulations." Christ took all of that on Himself, and made us free to have a direct relationship with God. Our relationship is not based on do's and don'ts, but on love, grace, and surrender.

But here's the part I really want to focus on -- He "disarmed the powers and authorities." When Christ submitted to hang on a cross for our sins, the enemies -- visible and invisible -- were conquered. We are no longer bound to the written code but we are also not bound to the enemy's power either. Since the sinful nature is destroyed, we are not only given power over it, but over the enemy, as well. We have been gifted an authority over the minions of Satan and even Satan himself. He has no power over us that we do not give to him.

How often do we give the enemy the power he does not rightfully have? We yield to his temptations. We flirt with his enticements. We allow compromise to creep in. We fail to remain diligent and become lukewarm in our devotion and faith. We live in defeat and depression denying our rightful joy. We simply hand all our authority over to the enemy wrapped up with a silver bow.

But it doesn't have to be that way, and it's time we retake our authority back. Not with political petitions or propaganda emails, but in each individual heart and life. Sometimes we can try to swing too far the opposite direction and become God on earth. We are not meant to have control over this earth; we are meant to make a difference in it by His power and authority. No matter what we see happening around us, the enemy is defeated if we take claim over the power given to us by the Father. It's a leap of faith and every individual believer must make the leap by themselves. No one can do it for them. The promise is there. Claim it; live it. No longer serve a defeated foe; but live in the power of the Almighty.

Further Thoughts:

1. Are you trapped in a defeatist mindset? Why? What do you need to do to claim power over the enemy?
2. No one in the Bible served God by overthrowing the present political regime. How did they serve Him?
3. What is the connection between claiming the power of Christ within us and prayer? Support with Scripture.

Colossians 1:15-20 "The Reigning Trinity"

Read Colossians 1:15-20.

"For in him all things were created...." NIV

In this passage, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit get all jumbled together as they should be. They are all parts of one being. And we can in this way see all the facets of God.

Creator: Christ has always been (He is before all things) but He is also the firstborn over all creation as the Son of God, the Father. They all created all things -- visible and invisible in the heavens and on earth. He is the glue that keeps everything together, and all of it was made for God's pleasure.

Chief Priest: Christ is the head of the church. He is the first to overcome sin and death without experiencing a second death. He conquered death forever. In Christ reigns all the power and majesty of God and through that power offering the sacrifice that He did, we are reconciled to God, and Christ is the head of the body of believers.

God reigns in the fullness and completeness of the Trinity -- always has and always will.

Further Thoughts:

1. How do we know Christ and the Holy Spirit existed at creation? Support with Scripture.
2. What sort of things is vs 16 referring to when it says, "visible and invisible?"
3. How should verse 16 affect our attitude toward people placed in authority over us?
4. In the King James Version, verse 18 uses "preeminence" instead of "supremacy." What is the original Greek for "preeminence?" How should that affect how we view Christ?
5. Spend time today giving thanks for the amazing God we serve -- His vastness, authority, and power. Then ask Him to be "big" in your life.

Matthew 26:47-56 "Angels at Your Back"

Read Matthew 26:47-56.

"Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" NIV

A legion is 3000-6000 men. So twelve legions would be about 36,000 to 72,000 angels. Jesus could have opened the heavens and called down an army to rescue him from the crowd. He also had every right. He had been betrayed by a friend. Not only was he unjustly being arrested, but a friend had turned against him. If justice was to be served, the debate was on Jesus' side. But that was not the Father's will, and Jesus had the strength to stand because He had been with His Father in prayer through the night. This shows us the lengths we must go to for the Father's will to be done. His desires need to be my desires; His plans my plans. I cannot allow anything to stand in the way even if it causes me some pain.

On the other side of that, if Jesus wants to rescue, encourage or send me a message, He has at least 72000 angels to do it. The same Jesus that could call on the hosts of heaven to help Him in the garden can send the angels to minister to me today. He's always got my back. There is no situation I can get myself into where there isn't an army at my disposal. Psalm 91:11-12 says, "For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." That power is promised to us as God's children. What tremendous comfort those words hold. In every situation I face, I can stand. I've got an army at my back led by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Boy, who needs to ever worry?

Further Thoughts:

1. Do a study of angels and see what their jobs are. There are many theories about angels floating around out there. Be sure what you research has Scriptural support.
2. What are you facing right now that could possibly overwhelm you? Surrender it to the Lord. He is not only omnipotent, but has a whole army to work for him. That's bigger than any problem you can throw at Him.

Matthew 21:23 - 23:39 "Christ's Authority Questioned, Part 2"

Read Matthew 21:23 - 23:39.

"By what authority are you doing these things? they asked. "And who gave you this authority?" NIV

This entire passage began with Jesus exercising His authority and clearing the temple of the money changers in 21:12-13. The chief priests and teachers of the law were furious because not only was Jesus claiming an authority they didn't think He had nor wanted Him to have because it would have placed Jesus over them. But they lost a source of revenue. So thus begins an extensive questioning of Jesus' authority and Jesus' response to the questions.

So who were the chief priests and teachers of the law? Basically, they were the ones who performed the sacrifices in the temple and taught the religious laws to the men. The problem was that they were extremely strict about the adherence of the law externally, but internally, they did not abide by it. They had gained a power over the people that fed them more than serving God. By their hypocrisy, they were misleading the people of Israel and infuriating Jesus. They stood for everything He was against. He says we are to live as servants; they wanted to be served. He says we are to worship only one God; they wanted to be the object of the people's adoration. He said to love God first; they loved self more. And as religious authority figures, they were sending the people and the image of God down the wrong path.

Therefore, when they begin questioning Jesus in an attempt to trap Him, Jesus turns the tables on them. When they are unable to answer His question, He is not obligated to answer theirs. He then proceeds to mirror for them through parables what they have become and their future. But they don't learn. They continue to try to trap Him so they can have Him arrested. But His answers always throw them off.

By the end of Chapter 22 Jesus has exhausted the Pharisees and Sadducees questions. He had no reply they could argue with. Then in Chapter 23, He starts in on teaching the people about the religious leaders' hypocrisy and listing the seven woes against them. He ends His diatribe against the hypocrites with a passionate cry of his heart to the people of Israel.

The contrast presented here between the life Christ lived and the lives of the religious leaders is stark. It causes me to pause and look at my own life -- whose example do I reflect? Am I living as a servant to my God and to others? Or do I strive for power and position? Do I force others through my expectations to live by the letter of the law and then sin in my own heart? Am I living like a whitewashed tomb? Am I creating of religion of man's making or walking the path that God has designed?

Lord, I never want to live in a palace of religiosity, but a humble house of devotion. Help me to follow the law with both my actions and my heart, and to never lead anyone astray from the Truth. Keep me pure and holy for You alone, Father.

Further Thoughts:

1. Do further research on the different Jewish Sects - Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots.
2. Why were the religious leaders and teachers so bent on having Jesus arrested?
3. Study how Jesus answered their questions. What can we learn from His example about handling opposition? What techniques did He use? How did He use both knowledge and wisdom in answering them?
4. List the contrasts between Jesus' life and teachings and those of the religious leaders. Is there anything in your life that does not line up with Christ's teachings and example?

Matthew 21:23 - 23:39 "Christ's Authority Questioned, Part 1"

Read Matthew 21:23 - 23:39.

Because this is such a long passsage, and I need to do more than one day's worth of study on it, read the passage today, and I will post my commentary and questions tomorrow.

Matthew 21:18-22 "Faith Without Doubt"

Read Matthew 21:18-22.

"If you have faith and do not doubt...." NIV

Jesus' authority is making itself more evident in the narrative. Before this point, He has shown his authority mostly through healing and through His preaching. He has been very vocal with the Sadusees and Pharisees. But after the temple event where He physically throws out the hypocrites, Jesus displays a power He has not shown before this. Is it because the time is short and He feels the pressure of making His point quicker? Somehow, He must make the people see the truth.

Then of course in this particular passage, we see two messages. First, that anything that isn't bearing fruit is cursed. A tree with leaves should have fruit. The leaves could represent the appearances of a Christian walk. But without the evidence of fruit, the tree is useless. In the same way a Christian is useless without producing fruit. There is no depth to their belief and thus no lasting, productive service to the Master. He desires our heart more than our sacrifice. But a heart surrendered to Him will yearn to serve. And one serving Him and others will produce fruit.

Secondly, Jesus points out the power we have in Him if we have faith AND do not doubt. We can say we trust someone, and we may have some level of trust. But complete trust comes without doubt. It's like rappelling. I can say that I trust that the harness and the rope and the belayer are all going to do their job. Afterall, I've watched several people go down the mountain before me, and nothing has happened. However, there is probably a small part of my brain that is still unsure if I'm not going to be the exception. Jesus is saying that inkling of doubt is what stops us from being able to tap into the complete power He provides. If God is leading us to do something, we must throw ourselves into it with complete abandon for it to happen. The results are not based on God's ability to do it, but on our ability to trust Him. That's His priority - not the result, but the process. He wants us to grow in our faith in Him to the consistent point of complete abandon. If God says it will be, and we believe completely, it will be.

Let go and fly -- the harness is secure.

Further Thoughts:

1. Moses began with a tremendous amount of doubt. List what His doubts were. Then list the amazing steps of faith that Moses took so God's power was displayed.
2. What does it mean to pray according to His will? How do we know what God's will is in a given situation? Support with Scripture.
3. What is it that God wants you to do in complete trust of Him? Do it!

Matthew 9:1-8 "A Healing Now and Forever"

Read Matthew 9:1-8 and Mark 2:1-12.

“When Jesus saw their faith….” NIV

This passage was a little confusing to me until I read it in the other gospels and the study notes. That’s why I referenced Mark above. The question here, is Jesus equating the healing of the paralytic to the forgiveness of sins. If so, doesn’t that mean that the man was paralyzed because of his sin? So are all illnesses due to sin?

The answer is no. Jesus does not teach that illness is due to sin in his life. Illness may result from sin, but it is not brought on by sin. Sin is a matter of the heart, where illness is possible because of the fall, but a by-product of our frail bodies.

So what is Jesus’ purpose here? Again it seems He is proving His deity to the Pharisees. First of all, the paralytic and his friends demonstrate a faith in Jesus by going to such lengths to get to Him. Christ knew their hearts, so he met the man’s most important, basic need first – the forgiveness of His sins. By doing so, He enraged the religious teachers because they didn’t believe even the Messiah could forgive sins. Only deity had that power. When Jesus asks, “Which is easier?” He is basically saying to the Pharisees, “See, I have the power to forgive and to heal. Both are equally difficult and can only be done through the divine. I am deity.”

Further Thoughts:

1. Although He is capable of both healing your body and healing your heart, the healing of your heart is always more important to God. The body is temporal; the soul eternal. Read Matthew 10:28, 1 Corinthians 15:50, and Ephesians 6:12. A major example of this is Job. If you haven’t read his story lately, take some time to read it now.
2. Spend some quiet time today asking God to speak to your heart and reveal if there is any sin in your life that needs forgiving.
   
   

Matthew 8:28-34 "Worthy Only of the Swine"

Read Matthew 8:28-34.

“’What do you want with us, Son of God?’” NIV

Wouldn’t it be awesome to one day be walking down the street and someone comes up to me and says, “What do you want with us, Child of God?” Okay, maybe it would be kind of creepy. But how amazing would that be if my very presence would so be entwined with Christ that I would scare the demons of hell? That’s how I want to represent Christ. What boldness, what filling of His Spirit! And we are empowered as His children with His Spirit in such a way that if we would just stand in that authority, and I mean really stand with power, the enemy must cower. He has no power over me because I am protected by the Spirit of the Almighty.

Will bad things happen to me? Yes. That’s the fallen world. But the enemy will never have my soul – the very heart of who I am. It’s been bought with a price and I have accepted that gift. I’m not giving it away to anyone or anything else. And I am ready to do battle against the enemy at any cost. He is already a defeated foe and will not get in my way. I’m so tired of him thinking he’s won. Oh, he may make it on top through a few battles, but the war ain’t over yet. And we know how the story ends. C.T. Studd said, “I pray that when I die, all hell will throw a party to celebrate the fact that I am no longer in the fight.”

Lord God, help me to live my life with such unwavering devotion and use of the authority You give that the demons tremble.

Further Thoughts:

1. Can demons take us away from Christ? Read Romans 8:35-39. Find other Scripture.
2. Do we have authority over demons? Read Mark 16:15-17, Mark 6:7, and John 14:12-14.
3. If we have that authority, how is that related to the faith and fear issue in Matthew 8:26?
4. Demons believe that Jesus is who He says He is. We see that evidenced in this passage – they address Him as the Son of God. Is our faith in the authority of Jesus Christ enough? How is our belief different than the demons? Read James 2:14-26.
5. I never want to give the enemy too much credit, but we also can’t dismiss their existence or activity around us? How do we know this? Read Ephesians 6:10-12 and my post on this passage.

Matthew 8:5-13 "Faith in Christ's Authority"

Read Matthew 8:5-13.

"I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith." NIV

There are two themes running through this passage.

• Faith in the authority of Christ.
• The universality of the gospel.

First of all, Jesus is approached by this Roman soldier who just absolutely facinates me. He obviously wasn't Jewish, and probably wasn't following the Rabbi around listening to his teaching. He had, however, heard of His power. Then, he's compassionate enough to go find help, not from a known doctor of his culture, but from a Jewish preacher. And he was not seeking help for his wife, children or some other family member or friend, but for one of his servants. These elements of his actions speak volumes about his character. He recognized the authority of Jesus and put faith in Him to heal his servant. No wonder Jesus acknowledged amazement at such faith. Notice Jesus specifically said, "in Israel." The Jews were supposed to be looking for the Messiah and should have recognized him for who He was, but a non-Jew is the one who has faith in Jesus.

Why can't we, as Christians, show this same faith and compassion? Many so called Christians question the authority of Jesus, let alone have faith that He will do anything of worth. And then, if on the off chance we believe He can perform a miracle, we usually want it for ourselves.

If we truly believe that Jesus is the Son of God, shouldn't we have the faith that He can do ANYTHING? Why do we walk around with such defeatist attitudes, living joyless lives, trudging through noncommital marriages, punching time clocks, and yelling at our children? Jesus Christ, the Son of the Almighty, the Great Divine, lives in me and can empower me to do whatever He wishes for me to do. I should be walking each and every day in that authority that He has given me. And that power should be put to use in reaching out to others who need the Lord -- whether in their heart or in their physical needs.

I wonder if Jesus experienced sadness when He acknowledged that many of His own people would not see glory because they refused to see Him as the truth? But we know as children of the Most High that one day we will feast with the patriarchs. Let's live not as powerless nothings, but as people holding the dinner invitation of eternity. We serve and must live out our faith in the mighty King, and His authority will reign forever!

Further Thoughts:

1. Where does the Scripture talk about the authority of Christ? Read Luke 3:21-22, John 3:13-21, John 8:27-29, Revelation 12:10, Colossians 1:15-17, as well as the Old Testament prophesies of the Messiah.
2. Reread previous postings on faith. Matthew 8:1-4, 5:14-16, 4:18-22, Ephesians 6:16, 5:18-20, and 2:8-9.
3. What other passages speak to the gospel being for all people?
4. Do you truly believe in the authority of Jesus Christ and walk in faith in that power? Why or why not? If yes, how is it demonstrated in your life? If no, what have been the consequences of denying that authority?