Epaphras

"Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." Colossians 4:12

I read this verse the other day and I can't get it out of my mind.  It's such a beautiful verse.  This man, Epaphras, so fervently prayed for others, that he is mentioned in God's eternal Word.  

As Christians, we often compare ourselves among ourselves, (which we shouldn't do) and we are often envious of the talents and abilities of those around us, (which we shouldn't be) and we often place praying for others on the bottom of our list of importance. (which we also shouldn't do!)   Why?

Because prayer is very important to God.

I did some digging on who Epaphras was, and this is what I learned:

"Epaphras was a Colossian whom Paul depicted as a servant of Christ Jesus who was always wrestling in prayer (as Jacob did with the angel, Genesis 32) for the Colossians. His concern was that the Colossians would stand firm in God's will, mature, and be fully assured or fulfilled.  Epaphras' prayerful concern went to the point of working hard. (to have pain or distress) Walvoord & Zuck

Guzik writes, 'Prayer is hard work, and Epaphras worked diligently at it, especially knowing the danger of false teaching in Colosse.  He was a bondservant of Christ, and prayer was an important area where he worked hard.  His prayers for others suggest heavy toil to the extent of pain."

This man prayed fervently and with all of his heart on the behalf of others!

This verse allowed me to realize that praying for someone isn't just about praying for someone. It's about fervently placing them at the feet of Jesus. Our prayer closets place people and their needs before the Throne of God.  What a privilege!

Do I fervently pray for others to the point of heavy toil and pain, or are my prayers apathetic?  Lazy?  

Lord, thank You...

     for showing me that praying on the behalf of others fervently...

        just may be the most important service of all when it comes to what we do for You...

            But that's just me!

"Prayer is the greatest power God has put into our hands for service-praying is harder than doing."

Mary Slessor

"Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work." Oswald Chambers

"Do not work so hard for Christ that you have no strength to pray, for prayer requires strength." 

J. Hudson Taylor

        

Like A Good Neighbor

"but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD." Leviticus 19:18b

"And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." Words of Jesus, Mark 12:31

I received the loveliest email from my friend the other day.  In closing she wrote, "I'm praying for you, Tracy, as I pray for myself."

What a beautiful thing to say and do!  Her words brought a whole new meaning to 'loving our neighbors as we love ourselves.'

Loving our neighbors as we love ourselves is the second greatest commandment.  It follows the greatest commandment of all, loving the Lord thy God with all our heart, soul and mind.  Loving our neighbour as ourselves, is a very important commandment and yet I think it's a very neglected commandment.

How can that be, when it's so important in the eyes of our Lord?  Could it be that we are too busy, perhaps too selfish to think of anyone but ourselves?

Loving our neighbour as thyself requires active, compassionate care for others equivalent to the care we give ourselves.  It requires kindness, fairness and respect rather than just 'feeling.'

It provides the same measure, (if not more) for safety and provision.

It's giving our neighbour's the 'first and the best' of all things as if we were giving them to ourselves.

And like my special friend reminded me in her letter to me, praying for each other in the same way as we pray for ourselves is also very important.

So, what and how should we pray for others? The bible gives us many examples.  

Our Pastor prays 3 John 2 at the close of our church services:

"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."

Ephesians 3:16-20 is also a great prayer to pray for others!

"That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."

Or, Colossians 1:9-11

"For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God: Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience, and longsuffering with joyfulness;"

These are just a few examples of how we can pray for each other as we pray for ourselves.  When we pray for help, safety, strength, comfort, wisdom, understanding, and for our physical needs we can pray the same things for our friends and neighbors.

That my friend, is what loving our neighbor is all about.

I'm thankful to have such a praying friend...

    And I want to pray for my friends like that too...

        But that's just me!

Saints, Shamrocks and Leprechauns

Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick is a religious and cultural holiday held on March 17th, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland. This saint is mostly observed by those in the Catholic faith, and for most others, it's just a fun day to wear green shamrocks to keep from being pinched!  As I researched this 'holiday' it was interesting to note that Saint Patrick was not canonized.  Meaning, He was not actually declared or officially recognized as a saint.  

Then I did some digging to see what a 'saint' really is. According to information from AI, "In the bible, a saint is a person set apart by God for His purpose, referring to all believers in Jesus Christ rather than a select few. Derived from the Greek hagios (holy one), the term describes Christians as consecrated to God through faith, not by achieving perfection or earning a special title."

In the New Testament, the word 'saints' is used over 60 times to refer to the community of believers or the church.

Philippians 1:1 is one of many examples: "Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:"

In the bible, all Christians are considered saints.  They are identified by their union with Christ, having been forgiven by His work on the cross, rather than their own merit.

As I continued my search, Saints were identified as:

•Believers, or followers of Christ

•The Church, or the body of Christ

•God's Holy people

•Sanctified

•The Faithful

AI continued to explain Saints this way: "Unlike the modern definition (a person canonized by the church) the bible uses the term for ordinary Christians.

I love that thought!

Being a saint is a status given to Christians immediately upon salvation, though they are also called to live holy lives.  We are also not to be prayed to or worshipped.

Only Christ deserves to be prayed to and worshipped!

Our position is IN Christ.  Not by anything we have done, and not by any man's merit.

Saints are not man-made...

    Sinners become Saints by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ...

        But that's just me!

Whose Voice Am I Hearing?

There is an old Philadelphia Cream Cheese commercial that came to my mind the other day.  The Ad showed a woman who had an angel on one shoulder and a demon on the other.  Each one would whisper in her ear about whether or not to eat a bagel with cream cheese on it. The woman in the middle is swayed back and forth, trying to make a decision while the two figures argue.  She was trying to figure out which voice to listen to.  

Isaiah 30:21 says, "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left."

In context of verses 18-22, Isaiah writes about the graciousness of God towards His people, even in their disobedience.  You see, when Judah was prosperous and comfortable, they wouldn't listen to God, but when God sent them bread of adversity and waters of affliction, it was only then that they turned back to God, listened to His voice and allowed God to guide them again.

I remember when I was a little girl and would playing outside with a group of friends.  There could be other mom's there with their children, but I always recognized my mom's voice when she called out to me. Why? Because I knew her voice, and I was always ready to hear her call me home.  I need to do the same thing with my Heavenly Father.  I need to be so in tune with His Word that I will be able to identify His voice as He leads me in the way He wants me to go.

There are a lot of voices out there in this sinful world that want my attention, but I need to turn a deaf ear to those who will lead me astray.

Friend, it's time to test your hearing.

Are you in tune to God's voice...?

    Do you listen to hear His voice...?

        Do you hear His voice at all...?

            If not, why not...?

                But that's just me!

            

"It's always better to be uncomfortable and in tune with the Lord than to be comfortable and out of step with God."  Guzik

Shh, Stop Talking!

"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Words of Jesus, Matthew 11:15

I'm a talker.

I love to talk.

Sometimes, I talk about nothing, but mostly I talk about something.

I talk out loud to myself, and I talk out loud to my Lord.

I can strike up a conversation with anyone, anywhere at any time.

I love to talk.

My 9th Grade Algebra teacher used to make 'talkers' do push-ups every time we got caught talking.  That memory brings a smile to my face every time I think about it because I once told her that I did more push-ups in her math class than in my P.E. class.  She just smiled at me and said, "Stop Talking."

Last night at church, my Pastor quoted something that D.L Moody once said; "If I had my life to live all over again, I would have prayed less and studied my Bible more."  This didn't mean that D.L. Moody didn't think prayer was important.  Prayer is extremely important.  But what he meant by what he had said is this:  "When we pray, we do all of the talking, when we read God's Word, God does the talking."

I love that.

Jesus mentioned to "those who had ears to hear," 16 times in the New Testament.  He said it 8 times in the Gospels and 8 times in the Book of Revelation.

It must be pretty important.

Matthew 11:15, Matthew 13:9, 43

Mark 4:9,23, Mark 7:16

Luke 8:8, Luke 14:35

Revelations 2:7,11,17,29

Revelation 3:6,13,22

Revelation 13:9

Lord, help me to listen more...

    and talk less...

        And when I speak, may it be more about You...

            But that's just me!

What Would You Ask For?

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5

This verse was part of my bible study this morning, and the first thing that the Lord brought to mind was King Solomon.  In his early reign he had a vision at Gibeon where the Lord appeared to him and told him to ask what he would have.  After mentioning his father, King David, and then confessing his own ignorance and weaknesses, this is what Solomon asked of God:

"Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?" 1 Kings 3:9

Solomon's request pleased the Lord.

In fact, the Lord was so pleased by Solomon's request, that not only did God give Solomon the wisdom that he had asked for, but He gave him both riches, and honour so that there would not be any among the kings like unto Solomon all thy days.  1 Kings 3:13

"And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore." 1 Kings 4:29

"And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five." 1 Kings 4:32

"And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom." 1 Kings 4:34

The key to success, a long life and peace among men is to have the wisdom of God.

Not the wisdom of the world, but wisdom from God.  God's wisdom will give us understanding and discernment between what is good and what is bad.  God's wisdom will bless us, and it will bless those around us.

When we acknowledge the fact that we need godly wisdom, God promises to give us wisdom.  All we need to do is ask.

Friend, if God were to come to you in a dream and ask you what you want, what would you ask for?

Asking God for wisdom...

    Is the smart thing to do...

        But that's just me!

Daylight Savings Time

We moved our clocks forward an hour this weekend.  My body will take at least two weeks to adjust. As I do my daily tasks today, I keep looking at the clock and I wonder why it doesn't seem as if I have the same amount of time as I had before Springing ahead one hour.  For some reason, this 'Saving Time' has removed much needed time.   Every Spring and every Fall I cringe at the fact of adjusting to another time change.  Won't it be wonderful when we are no longer held in the prison of time?  Thinking about this time change caused me to remember Ephesians 5:15-17.

"See that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is."

So, what does it mean to walk 'circumspectly?'

It means to live intentionally, carefully, and wisely with a keen awareness of one's surroundings, actions and other potential dangers. It implies looking all around, to act with diligence and precision, rather than blindly or foolishly.

I know that when I am out and about doing errands by myself, I am constantly aware of who is in front of me, beside me and who is walking behind me.  (And sometimes when they are too close!) By being vigilant and aware of my surroundings and of those who are in the same space that I am occupying, I can protect myself from danger.

God protects me to, and He has shown me in His Word how I can be vigilant, have wisdom, fulfill my purpose and consider any consequences that my actions or words will cause others as well as myself.

To be vigilant, God tells us in 1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour."

To have wisdom, we can ask God for it: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5

To discern that the wisdom is from God: "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." James 3:17

God has a purpose for each one of us as we walk circumspectly:

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11

And as unexpected situations come our way while walking circumspectly, we must trust that God is in control.  "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

Roman's 8:28 promises us good for those who are the called and love God.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

And then we are reminded that there are consequences for everything we do and say, and on the flip side there are consequences for everything we do not say and what we do not do.  The consequences will not only hurt ourselves, but others:

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." Galatians 6:7-8

I wasn't a fan of DST before this study, and I'm still not a fan of DST, however, God allowed me to spend a little extra time in His Word today for Him to show me how I should use my time, and how to walk in the time He has given me.

And with that being said...

    I'm going to go and take a nap...

        But that's just me!

"Don't see DST as losing an hour. See it as losing all excuses that were holding you back."

Unknown