Frank's Bible Blog

Colossians 4-- Touching All the Bases

It was one of those rare heart-warming stories that made the evening news. During a collegiate softball playoff game, a Western Oregon University player hit a three-run home run then blew out her knee running to first base. Since the rules state that the player must touch all the bases, without assistance from her teammates, the umpires were about the revoke the home run. That's when two players from the opposing team, Central Washington University, stepped up and carried the injured player making sure she touched each base. Nothing against the rules for getting assistance from the opposite team. It cost Central Washington the game and any championship hopes, but in helping their opponent touch all the bases these players touched the hearts of multitudes. In Colossians 4, Paul brings the book to a close by encouraging us to touch all the bases as we seek to live for Christ. At first base we have prayer(vv2-4). It should be something we are "devoted" to, not only praying for ourselves but for others, especially those proclaiming the gospel. Second base is our walk with outsiders--those who haven't come to faith in Christ (vv5-6). We should act with wisdom and love towards these as we seek to demonstrate Christ. Paul reminds us that how we say it is just as important as what we say. Many outsiders have been turned off to Christ by the way in which well-meaning Christians tried to share the gospel. Third base is about caring for those within the family of faith (vv7-18). We see this in how Paul and his team cared for the Colossian people, with one teammember, Epaphras, especially "wrestling in prayer" for them. Prayer, walk, care--touch these bases and your ready to head to home plate!

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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at www.maxpoint.org/message_board.

Colossians 3-- Powerwash and Stain

It doesn't take long here in Texas for new wooden fences to fade, crack and look ugly. The Texas sun has a way of accelerating the aging process of our fences. My neighbor decided he was gong to restore his fence by himself. So he rented a power-washer to strip off the old stain and get the fence clean and "white" (gray actually). Even though it was clean, it still looked drab. It remained an eyesore until he started applying the new stain which brought out the beauty of the wood and made the fence appealing once again. The project, however, turned out to be more involved than my neighbor had anticipated and he only finished one section of fence (he ended up moving!). This is a great picture of what Colossians 3 tells us to do with our lives. It says there are some things that we need to power-wash off, like immorality, covetousness, anger, bad language, etc. (vv.5-9)  Doing this is important, but it is only half the job. Power-wash leaves us "drab" and gray. We need to be restored to a look that brings out the inner beauty. That happens when we put on tenderness, mercy, kindness, humility, care, love and mutual submission (vv.12-22). But unlike my neighbor restoring his fence, we must give it our all and complete the project in God's power. "Whatever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men" (v.23). So, how's your fence looking? Does it need a power-wash? Be sure to finish the job by putting on the right application to bring out its beauty.
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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at www.maxpoint.org/message_board.

Colossians 2-- Cheated

Have you ever finished a business transaction and felt cheated? I know I have, and usually it involved cars. You get the bill from having repair work done and you have that feeling that they "fixed" more than what was really wrong. Or you buy a new car, get it home, and then get that sinking feeling that somehow you were ripped off. Feeling cheated in life is not something that we want to experience. Colossians 2 discusses a couple things that will cheat you. The first is the world's philosophies (v8). Supposedly highly-intelligent people with large numbers of academic degrees come up with all kinds of ideas and belief systems that dismiss the fundamental tenants of Christianity. What they say sounds good. It seems to make sense. But we are told to beware of such things for in Christ "dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him" (v10). Any philosophical system that does not include Christ is shallow and a rip off. Second, legalism will leave you cheated (v18). Legalism says you do these certain things and you will attain true spirituality, you will be truly "religious" (vv21-23). However, true spirituality starts from the inside. We do or don't do certain things because our heart is given over to Christ and we are listening to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are driven from an internal love and devotion rather than an external set of rules. I've known many people who followed all the "rules" but were just as carnal as the worst backslider. Don't get cheated. Instead, since you "have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving" (vv6-7).

Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at www.maxpoint.org/message_board.

Colossians 1-- Finding the Right Response

Have you ever been in one of the awkward moments when someone says or does something to you but you aren't sure how to respond? Maybe it was something so wonderful and unexpected that you are left speechless. Well, Colossians 1 outlines the wonderful things that Christ has done for us and what an appropriate response should be. Christ gives us hope for eternity (v5). He delivers us from darkness (v13) and forgives our sins (v14). It is because of Christ that we can have a relationship with God (vv21-22) and understand the mysteries of God (vv26-27). What is an appropriate response by us? We should seek to be filled with the knowledge of God's will (v9). We should walk worthy of our calling as God's children and bear godly fruit (v10). We should seek his strength during the long and often difficult journey of life (v11). We should regularly give thanks to God for what He has done for us (v13). Most of all, we should live a life that is blameless and above reproach (v22). I believe that as we respond to God in these ways, He gives us focus, clarity, and a personal mission in life. Paul's mission was prayer (v9), preaching (v23) and perfecting (v28) or discipling everyone he could and helping them become all that God would have them to become. No awkward moment here. God makes it clear exactly how we are to respond to all He has done for us.
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Frank Banfill is an author, international speaker, and president of MaxPoint Ministries, whose purpose is to help individuals, churches and ministries reach their full potential. Please forward this blog to your family & friends. Not a subscriber? Sign up now at www.FranksBibleBlog.com. If you would like to share a comment about today's blog, you may do so at www.maxpoint.org/message_board.