Friday, April 12, 2013

Hope Stored Up In Heaven






 


“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
 because we have heard of your faith in Jesus Christ and of the love 
you have for all saints-the faith and love that springs from the hope 
that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard
about in the word of truth the gospel that has come to you.”
Colossians 1:3-5 (NIV)

“We always thank God. . .” Paul writes to the Colossian believers that he and his ministry team express their thanks to the Father of us all. He wrote them to combat the false teaching that had infiltrated the church.
 
“. . . the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ . . .”He affirms the relationship of God and His Son, Jesus.
 “. . . when we pray for you . . .” The apostle tells them that the ministry team prays for them. Can you imagine how honored that made the people feel? I decided a long time ago that the nicest thing a person could say to another was, “I’ll pray for you.” Or even, “May I pray for you?” 

“ . . we have heard of your faith in Jesus Christ. . .” People heard of deeds the believers performed because of their faith in Jesus. Do we exhibit our faith to others? Can those around us see our faith as we work, minister, or in our leisure?

“. . . of the love you have for all saints. . .” Word of their love for others traveled to Rome, where Paul was in prison. People were impressed with the Colossian church and the way they were received.

“. . . faith and love that springs from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven. . .” Paul recognizes that the motivation of the Colossian believers is faith and love. He claims the basis of this love and faith is hope that is stored up for them in heaven. Do all our actions grow out of our faith and love for Jesus and our fellow humans? Does our hope in heaven keep us strong and able to meet our trials head on?

 “ . . already heard about in the word of truth the gospel that has come to you.” The Colossian believers applied what they had heard from Paul through the teachings of Epapharas, who had heard Paul’s preaching and was among those converted by him. Do we apply what we learn through Bible studies and sermons we hear to our hearts and carry out the messages we receive?


_________

both graphics from annebender.blogspot.com

8 comments:

  1. it really changed my perspective and life! when I heard many people were praying for me...now I too make a point of telling people I pray for them..I think knowing that others care enough about you to pray for your intentions makes more of a difference than people realize...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Annmarie: When I stop and think about all the people who have prayed for me and my family, I feel overwhelmed. I learned that I was worthy of their concern and their love. This past week I told a lady I did not know,"Lord bless you." I don't believe she knew what to say.

      Delete
  2. The book of Colossians teaches us how to pray for our fellow believers, our own friends and family members and even ourselves. One thing I always pray for is that I will apply God's word to my life in everything I do. Thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you , Angela. I have a friend whose son has been ill for several years. In November of 2011,he had a bone marrow transplant. He is still not out of the woods yet. I pray for him and his mother when their name comes to mind.

      Delete
  3. Excellent post, Quiet Spirit!

    My pastor did a whole series on hope. Sometimes we use hope the same way we use wish. The Biblical hope is an earnest expectation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Susan: Thank you for your thought. It makes the word,hope, more precious when we realize the Biblical hope can be ours for the asking.

      Delete
  4. Hi, Cecelia:

    I try to live my faith. Sometimes I fail, sometimes I triumph, and hope that in the end, there will be more victories than not! I hope, when it is my time, that I will hear that I've been a good and faithful servant. All we can do is walk toward that end, right? Thank you for always inspiring us.

    Enjoy your Sunday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Janette: Thank you for your thoughts. Sometimes when I fail, I find that time to be a learning experience for me. We can walk the path God has laid out for us, staying close to Him and allow him to guide us.

      Delete

I would be honored to hear what you think about this.

February Reflections

  Getting Some Repair Work Done We had to have some work done to our bathroom. Our shower and bathtub had been out of commission f...