Psalms 85, Colossians 2:6-19   In Psalms 85, the Psalmist is assured that salvation is at hand for those who fear – honor the Lord. It will bring steadfast love, faithfulness, righteousness, and peace. In Colossians, the people have already received Christ, so salvation is here. Paul stresses that they be rooted and built up, established in the faith. We talked last week about the heresy going on about how angels as spiritual beings were to be worshipped over Christ who was a man. Again, Paul rebukes this philosophy and tells us how Christ is fully a spiritual being – with the whole fulness of deity dwelling in him. He tells about their salvation being a spiritual circumcision, of how they were made alive together with him when he erased their sins by nailing them to the cross. Thus, our sins have been forgiven. Paul goes on to tell them not to let anyone condemn them by saying they’re doing it wrong – that they need to observe the Jewish festivals. He tells how these ...

  Colossians 1:15-28, Psalms 52 The Colossian church was dealing with heresy. People questioned the supremacy of Christ since they were influenced by the notion that all physical matter was evil. Therefore, they believed the incarnate Christ who came in tangible visual human form was inferior to the angels in their invisible spiritual forms. Well Paul set them straight in this passage. He tells of Christ’s supremacy over creations declaring that all things visible and invisible were created in and through him. He is the glue that holds the universe together. Christ is also God’s agent of re-creation. Ultimately God will reconcile all things through the cross of Christ. God has reconciled them through Christ’s work on the cross in order for them to be a people to reflect God’s character. We are encouraged to stay securely established and steadfast in the faith, not shifting like many of the Colossians had from the hope promised in the gospel. Paul then talks about the richness...

  Luke 10:25-37, Psalms 82   When Jesus is questioned in our passage by a lawyer about what to do to inherit eternal life, he throws it back to the lawyer by asking him what the law says. The lawyer responds with the right answer to “love the Lord with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus says to him, “Do this and you will live.” But the man has one more question, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus doesn’t give him a dictionary definition, but he tells the true meaning of neighbor in a story. We have the story of the Good Samaritan. A man is beat up and left for dead. A priest walks by and ignores him and then a Levite. Now these are men who know and have studied the law but obviously don’t consider this poor man a neighbor of theirs. Who comes to the rescue to this stranger in need? - not the “religious” men but a Samaritan – a tribe not respected by the Jews since they are considered half-breeds. Yet it is this lowly stranger who takes care of the man. ...

  II Kings 5: 1-14   Naaman is a man who wants to be cured from leprosy. He finds hope in the words of his wife’s slave girl – a young girl captive from Israel. She says her prophet Elisha could cure him. So, he goes to the one in authority over Israel – the King hoping to pay for this miraculous healing with silver, gold, and ten garments. God’s miracles are not for sale though. The king who may have earthly ruling power doesn’t have power over life and disease. He thinks the King of Aram is making a quarrel with him by showing his helplessness and he tears his clothes in defeat. When Elisha gets wind of this, he tells the king to send Naaman to him. Now Naaman arrives at Elisha’s house in quite a fanfare showing his riches and power coming with horses and chariots. Does Elisha come out to honor him as a powerful man? No, he sends out his messenger with the simple instructions: “Wash yourself seven times in the Jordan and your flesh will be restored. Now Naaman does wan...

  II Kings 2:1-2, 6-14; Galatians 5: 1, 13-25   Do you know where the expression of “passing on the mantle” comes from? It comes from our Old Testament passage where Elijah passes on his mantle to Elisha. So, it’s become known as passing on a responsibility to someone else. Here we have the passing of the office of prophet passed from Elijah to Elisha. The mantle of the Elijah story is a piece of cloth like a cloak. When Elisha picks up this mantle of Elijah’s he is empowered to part the Jordan River. This is the account of Elijah being taken into heaven on a chariot of fire. He is one who never died so the Jewish people today still keep a chair open for Elijah at the Passover meal. This got me to thinking of the people in our lives that we have been separated from by death or by distance. A popular term today is “influencer” and I think of those who have influenced my life and ministry – my mother, my mentors, and former pastors. So, what is the mantle they passed dow...