What's the Big Deal?

Colossians 2:9

November 7th Devotional

      On this day in 680, 43 bishops convened in the imperial palace of Constantinople to debate a religious doctrine that was rapidly spreading.  This meeting would later become known as the Third Council of Constantinople.  This was the smallest gathering out of the major councils that helped determine the basis for Orthodoxy in Christianity.  The church was fragile in the mid 600’s and was seeking identity.  The religion of Islam was rapidly growing and becoming a genuine threat.  Many areas that were previously ‘Christian’ quickly fell under the flag of Islam.  The church as a whole was splintered as there was tremendous tension between the “western” church and the “eastern” church due to theological disagreements.  The church felt pressure to be united but in their attempt, they were willing to forsake Bible doctrine.  These compromises were a menace that caused the church to be divided and weak.  Emperor Constantine IV oversaw the meeting with hopes of settling some of the major differences that were rising.  This ten-month debate revolved around two new doctrines that were being propagated, monoenergism and monothelitism.  These complicated words mean that while the churches had agreed that Christ had two natures, the human and the divine (the God-Man), there was a question of Christ’s ‘energy’ and His will.  Did Christ have one will or two wills?  Was His will merely divine or was it like His nature, both divine and human?  This might not seem like a huge issue in our time but the church had five previous councils that each debated Christ’s relation to God the Father and the balance of His humanity and deity.   These previous councils were built on great scenes of passion and discussion.  Heretics abounded and it was of the utmost importance to have the right doctrinal teaching.  There could not be a tolerance for any ‘false teaching.’  After eighteen sessions the bishops concluded that Christ had two wills, both in perfect unity and accord, a human one and a divine one, though the human will was subject to the divine will.  The argument was basically if Christ has two natures, human and divine, then He must also have two ‘wills’ or else that would deprive Him of His full humanity.

      One might ask, why was this council of such value?  The value was to solidify our Christological doctrines.  We must teach correctly on who Jesus is.  The Bible unquestionably teaches that Jesus is both 100% God and 100% man.  In Colossians, we read that “For in him (Jesus) the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily (Colossians 2:9).  The deity of Christ matters.  If He was merely a man, a good teacher, a prophet, etc then He was also a liar when He told the people in John’s Gospel account “Before Abraham was, I AM (John 8:58).  Christ also could not just be just a man because that would destroy the understanding of His incarnation.  John 1:14 says that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14).  Jesus, being 100% God, took on flesh (100% man).  We cannot divorce those Biblical truths.  Christ undeniably affirms His deity and humanity over and over in Scripture.  We need to rejoice in our spiritual fathers who bravely stood firm on Bible truth, even when it would have been alluring to compromise.  We need to rejoice in their efforts to study the Word.  May our hearts take peace in settled theology.  May our hearts also be convicted to spend quality time in God’s Word to behold the truths before our very eyes.

Head of the Church: October 9th Devotional

  Head of the Church

October 9th Devotional

Colossians 1:18

      On this day in 1635, Pastor Roger Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Colony because of his ‘extreme Christian’ and separatist views.  The late 1500s and early 1600s were politically charged times in the colonies.  The Protestant Reformation was only slightly over 100 years earlier and England’s break from Catholicism even less time.  Christianity was in a moment of major flux.  While the Church of England proudly boasted its freedom from the Roman Catholic Church it still had many vestiges of Catholicism.  A group of people called the Separatists, better known as Puritans, felt a need to purify the church from what they called the rags of popery.  This particular group stood against the existence of a state-run church and felt that a church should have no authority over it except for the Bible and God.  This early group of Separatists were punished heavily for their opposition.  They would be jailed for failure to attend state-run church services, have their possessions removed, and some of them severely beaten.  One such Separatist was named Roger Williams.  Williams was born in the early 1600s.  The persecution against those that were Puritans in England was harsh.  Many were beaten and some were even burned at the stake. Williams fled to Massachusetts to find religious freedom.  He arrived in 1630, a mere ten years after the landing of the Mayflower.  Within those ten years, the Church of England dug its heel into the young colony and began to punish anyone who stood against the state church.  They claimed that the church’s independence was a doctrine of Satan.  Williams started to pastor in Boston but had to flee because of his views on the autonomy of the local church, along with his sympathy for the Native Americans.  He would then travel to Salem to pastor.  The congregation as a whole loved him but the magistrates did not.  They forced him to leave the colony under the penalty of death.  He left in the bitter winter.  He traversed 55 miles through the frigid and unforgiving terrain during a blizzard.  A group of Native Americans gave him aid and he legally purchased land from them.  It was on this site that Providence Rhode Island would be formed.  This land became a place for everyone fleeing religious persecution and seeking religious freedom.  This site would also be where the first established Baptist Church in America was formed.

      Williams's view 400 years ago was considered heretical.  It was extremely dangerous to question the state’s authority over the local church.  But, if the state isn’t the authority of the church, then who or what is?  The Bible doesn’t hesitate to tell us who is the authority of the local church.  Paul writes in Colossians 1:18, “He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.”  Paul uses the metaphor of the head to describe Christ’s position in the local church.  The head, or brain, controls the rest of the body.  What the brain does, the body responds in obedience.  If the body does not respond to the brain's requests then there is a serious medical issue.  Christ is the head of the church which means He is the leader of the church.  He controls every part of the church.  He provides it with life and direction.  Most of you reading this wouldn’t argue with the theological truth of Christ’s headship over the church.  The issue isn’t doctrinal, it’s application.  Does Christ have absolute authority in our local church?  Do we allow Him to lead and guide the church?  Does our church look more like a New Testament Church or a business model/pyramid scheme?  How do we place Christ as the head of the local Church?  It isn’t something a pastor or a counsel does, it’s something that individual believers do.  A church cannot have Christ in His preeminent position as leader unless He is first leader of each of our lives.  He must be the Lord of our hearts and homes before He is the Lord of our churches.  Honestly, do you allow Christ to lead your life and the life of your local church?

 

Days of Infamy: September 11th Devotional

      Days of Infamy

September 11th Devotional

Colossians 2:13-14

      Some days in history need no introduction.  Some days in history are known tragically as days of infamy.  No matter what events have transpired in the past nor will transpire in the future, none will compare with the event of September 11^th, 2001, or more simply, 9/11.  Each generation has an event that will be permanently burned into their memory.  Images, sounds, and memories that will never fade.  September 11^th, 2001 started out as what would seem to be a non-historical day.  It was seemingly just another Tuesday.  Kids recently started back to school.  Men and women would begin their work day just like they would any other day of the week.  It was a sunny and clear day for most of the East Coast, but catastrophe struck unexpectedly.   Little did anyone know that 19 terrorists had highjacked four planes that morning.  Those plans were laden with fuel.  The terrorist's goal was to cause the economic destruction of the West while causing the most damage and death that they could.  American Airline flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46.  United Airlines flight  175 struck the South Tower at 9:03.  At 9:37 American Airlines flight 77 struck the Pentagon.  At 10:03 United Airlines flight 93 crashed into a field near Shanksville PA.  2977 people perished in the melee that day.  All of this transpired as our eyes were fixated on our television sets.  Our hearts and minds were in disbelief.  How could this happen?  Who could do this?  Flight 93 was destined for San Francisco.  The flight was delayed and the terrorists waited until 40 minutes after take-off to capture the plane.  The plane only had 33 passengers and 7 crew members.  Those forty people were already aware of the events that were transpiring.  Some of the passengers were already contacting family from the plane realizing the dire situation.  Most of them realized that they were going to die.  They voted and agreed to fight back.  One stewardess boiled water, others said their prayers, and a passenger named Todd Beamer said “Are you guys ready?  Let’s roll.”  Open lines could hear the commotion.  The terrorists attempted to fight back but quickly realized they were going to be overpowered.  It was then that they crashed the plane.  The bravery of those passengers and crew saved other people’s lives.  They sacrificed themselves to save others.

      Many people threw themselves into harm's way that day.  403 firefighters, police officers, and port authority officers died trying to save others.  They threw their own lives to the wind in order to try to rescue others.  Biblically we see a person who did the same thing but on a much grander scale.  Colossians 2:13 and 14 says When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”  The Bible states without apology that we are sinners, far from God.  That sin contaminates all of us and leaves us hopeless and ‘spiritually dead.’  We need someone to rescue us, someone to take our place.  Paul says in Colossians that while we were still dead in our sin Christ brought us life.  Now just any life but life through Him.  How did He do this?  How does He cancel our sin debt?  How does He forgive our transgressions?  Why does He move us from being hostile to Him?  By dying on the cross.  He was the perfect Lamb of God that took our sin out of the way by taking the full price of our sin upon Himself.  He threw Himself headlong into our punishment for the purpose of rescuing those that were far away and helpless. Rejoice in God’s rescue plan.

A Heart Tuned to Worship: July 17th Devo

 A Heart Tuned to Worship

July 17th Devotional

Colossians 3:16

On this day in 1674, Isaac Watts was born in Southampton United Kingdom. He was raised in a very religious home, his father was a schoolmaster and a non-conformist of their time. At a young age, Isaac had a tremendous love for music and would often pray in rhyme. He was a devout student in every subject including languages. After graduating he would pastor a large church named Mark Lane Congregational Chapel in London England. While there he started to train young men for the pastorate. Watts is most known for his hymn writing ability. He is considered the godfather of hymnody. Over the course of his life he would write over 750 hymns, many of them still being used over 300 years later in the church. Some of his most famous works are Joy to the World, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, Our God and Help in Ages Past, and many more. Watts was challenged by his father to write new church music; Watts often complained to his father that the music of that time brought forth a dull indifference in the people. At the time the church sung strictly Psalms from the Old Testament, and while Isaac was not against the use of the Psalms he felt that the church should expand its worship. He broke with tradition and was considered a rebel in his time because of this. He would have been considered a contemporary musician in his era. Isaac Watts ushered in a new era for church worship. Watts was a faithful Pastor, theologian, and hymn writer until his dying day.

Isaac Watts will always be known for his hymns which still stir in the souls of men today. Worship should always be a priority in each believers heart. We may disagree over the styles of worship but we need to agree over the supreme importance of lifting up our voices in praise to God. Our forefathers in the faith have carried on a beautiful legacy of singing to God. Colossians 3:16 says "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." Paul places equal emphasis on both worship and spending time in God's word. For the Christian worship should come naturally from a heart that is grateful, from a heart that has been set free from sin, from the heart of the redeemed to say thank you God for what you have done. Our voices might not be the most melodious and we might have no idea what harmony means but one of the most powerful things a believer can do is praise God. Let not our praise be confined to what we do on Sundays in the building but let our praise fall from our lips everyday, wherever we may be, and whoever may be near us.

The Great Mystery: May 22nd Devotional

The Great Mystery

May 22nd Devotional

Colossians 2:2

   

      On this day in 1859, in Edinburgh Scotland, Arthur Ignatius Conan was born, who is better known as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle struggled with a turbulent childhood. His father was a raging alcoholic which caused the children to be taken away frequently. His father also battled severe mental illness and would endure stints in the insane asylum. Arthur received a formal education and started his career in the medical field. He would serve as a doctor on a whaling ship in the Arctic and then on a steamship in Africa. He opened an office in London as an eye doctor but closed it because ZERO patients visited. Doyle wasn't only intellectual but he was also very athletic. He was exceptional at both soccer and cricket. Arthur was also fascinated with crime. He even considered himself to be an amateur detective. All of these different attributes came together to form Doyle's most famous creation, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The world's most famous detective used some of the most unusual ways of sleuthing in order to solve crimes. The first Holmes story was called "A Study in Scarlet" which was purchased in 1886 by the Ward and Lock Company and was published in 1887 in the Beeton Christmas Annual. Audiences were captivated by Holmes. Arthur would continue to write about Sherlock Holmes for years. He pitted Holmes against Professor Moriarty. Eventually, Holmes would die in this epic battle only to return ten years later (due to Doyle needing more money). He wrote 56 short stories about Holmes and four novels. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson weren't his only famous creations, he also wrote the book "The Lost World" which would be the basis for our modern Jurassic Park books/movies. Doyle was also a devout occultist, spiritualist, and mystic. He never could come to terms with truth or God.

   Doyle's main character was created to be the master of solving mysteries but sadly Doyle could not solve the greatest mystery ever, the mystery of his soul. The New Testament uses the term mystery multiple times, one such occasion is in Colossians 2:2 which says "that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding resulting in a true knowledge of GOD'S MYSTERY, that is, Christ Himself." The idea of mystery means something that was hidden. This passage tells us that in the person of Jesus Christ alone are hidden all the treasures of God. He alone is the answer, He alone is the way, He alone is salvation. Jesus is not a clue or a key, but He Himself is the answer to God's greatest mystery, the means of salvation for humanity. Christ alone is the sufficient answer. Has the mystery been solved through the person of Jesus Christ for you?

Reflections on the Beach: Forgiveness at the Surf

 

Reflections on the Beach

Week Seven

"Forgiveness at the Surf"

Focus Passage: Colossians 2

Bible Reading: 1st Corinthians 16-2nd Corinthians 6

      One of the first lessons I learned as a father is that there are certain tasks that dads typically do on a trip.  Most dads do the driving, and much to our wife's dismay we also do most of the navigating. We can't choose what the radio station will be despite the fact we are driving, (Baby shark on repeat for a multiple hour drive is not part of a relaxing vacation), we do most of the arranging of luggage items, and then when we arrive at the hotel we do most of the unpacking of the car.  It's almost as if certain things are ingrained into our Y chromosomes.  I also have come to the conclusion that it's our manly duty as a father to tote more stuff than humanly possible through hot, soft sand.  Take a moment and watch guys with a family try to make it a single trip, it will entertain you.  And yet another observation of being a beach dad is that it is your job to chase down any toys that were taken away in the surf.  You hear your child scream that the waves have taken away their precious fifty-cent sand bucket and we respond by throwing caution to the wind by diving headfirst into danger to rescue the irreplaceable bucket that can be found at any storefront along the boardwalk.

      The surf/tide is powerful.  It brings in seashells but it also takes away things.  It washes the shoreline clean.  During one trip my children and I were sitting near the water.  They were learning their letters and we were quickly trying to write them out before the wave came in and erased them.  I used this occasion to write the word sin.  The kids saw it and waited for the wave to wash it away.  Sure enough, the power of the wave overmatched the sand writing, and it vanished as if it was never there.  God does this in a much more powerful way in our life.  The problem is that the sin of our life is not written on sand, it's written on our hearts and soul.  Sin, the things we think, say, and do that doesn't please God, cannot be easily removed by a wave.  Because of the depth of our sin, because of how seemingly permanent the stain is we need something more powerful.  What is more powerful than our sin?  What is of such a force to wash away sin?  Jesus.  God in His infinite love sent Jesus Christ, His precious and perfect Son, to come to this world to die for us.  Jesus loves you, He shed His blood for you on an old rugged cross.  Colossians 2:14 says "By canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross."  Our sins are forgiven only by the death of Jesus.  Not by my own works, effort, morals, or religion.  It is by grace, through faith only.  It is only by Jesus.  You can't wash away sin etched on our stony hearts, but the Lover of our Soul Jesus can with His shed blood.

Reflections on the Road:

Robert Lowry, the famous pastor and hymnist asked a question in one of his songs, "What can wash away my sin?"  His reply was nothing but the blood of Jesus.  Nothing, not one thing other than the blood of Christ can cleanse us from all sin (1st John 1:7).  Have you come to Jesus to be saved from sin?  If not, why not today?