Coffee With The Lord

Our Savior – Preeminent! … And then us!

This morning I read one of the grand and greatest passages of Scripture in the entire Bible – Colossians 1:15-23!  In it Apostle Paul presents a stark contrast… The eternal preeminence of Jesus Christ and our abject sinfulness and need!

Preeminence probably needs to be defined!  The Oxford Dictionary defines it as “surpassing all others – superiority.”  But the passage itself, describing Jesus Christ our Savior, reveals what it is perfectly! …

“He (Jesus Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.  He is the head of the body, the Church.  He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, THAT IN EVERYTHING HE MIGHT BE PREEMINENT!  For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell!! (vss. 15-19a)

Wow!!!  Jesus Christ, our Savior… fully God!  Existing in eternity past… there at creation… involved in every aspect of creation (from the smallest to the cosmic)… supreme and sustainer of everything… head of the Church… the One who not only gives life, but conquered death!  Yes… PREEMINENT!!!  I mean, think about it – it blows your mind!!!

And then the contrast… US!!!  Alienated and enemies of God – guilty sinners! We who were, “Once alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled in His body by His death, IN ORDER TO PRESENT US HOLY AND BLAMELESS AND ABOVE REPROACH BEFORE HIM! (vss. 21-22)

Oh what a Savior!!!  And He, by his “preeminence” is not only able to save and reconcile us – “though Him to reconcile to Himself ALL THINGS, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross! (vs. 20b)  One more time WOW – WHAT A SAVIOR!!!

This is what Scripture declares… “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective!” (James 5:16)  In fact, I am one who believes that the prayers of the righteous, offered in faith and submission to the will of God, are ALWAYS ANSWERED… ALWAYS!!!  In fact it is prayer that transcends generations!

So this morning I read the great thanksgiving and “apostolic prayer” of Paul in Colossians (1:3-14) and jotted this note in the margin of my Bible… “This great apostolic prayer was prayed centuries ago!  Oh may it be answered in the life of every believer – each aspect of it!”  Hey, I believe Paul’s apostolic prayer was powerful and effective not only for the little church in Colossae, it is still being answered TODAY!

Why don’t you let Paul’s apostolic thanksgiving and prayer become an echo on your lips today (i.e. reinforce it with your passion and faith for your Christian friends, your congregation, and Christians everywhere)… Here’s an adaption of it I developed and used this morning during my time of “coffee with the Lord”…

“Lord, I thank You because of the report that I am hearing about my Christian friends… About their faith in Christ Jesus, about their love for all of God’s people, everywhere, and about the hope they have of heaven through the gospel!  And Lord Jesus, I praise You that the gospel they received and are sharing, is bearing fruit and growing all over the world, just and it has been doing among them, where they are!

“Lord, for these reasons, I continually pray for them – I ask You to do the following things for them… First of all, please fill them with the knowledge of Your will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding…

“And then I pray that they will…

“Live a life that is worthy of You – worthy of what You have done for them and who You are.  And I pray that they will please You in every way… That they will… Bear fruit in every good thing they are doing for You and others in Your Name; that they will continually grow in their knowledge of You personally;

that they will be strengthened by Your glorious power – with the result that they have great endurance and patience as they serve You; and finally that in all of this, they would joyfully be giving thanks to You, Heavenly Father – the One who has qualified them to share in the rich inheritance they have as Your people.  Oh Lord help them to be aware of the fact that You have rescued them from the dominion of darkness and transferred them into Your wonderful kingdom – granting them redemption and forgiveness of sins!” (Adapted for personal prayer and thanksgiving from Colossians 1:3-14)

Hey, I believe the Lord will hear and answer that prayer!  Apostle Paul prayed it in the will of God – the Lord heard it, has answered it, and is answering even now!  Why not let your praying of it be a passionate, believing echo!!

Some things we experience along the way as we walk with the Lord are VERY UNPLEASANT!  Others are wonderful and bring us happiness and joy…

Did I just say somethings we experience as we walk with the Lord are unpleasant?  Yes, I surely did!  I’ve experienced a few of those things… trials, difficulties, discouragements, unfair things, and pain… and that’s a partial list!  And if you’ve followed the Lord very long you’ve experienced (or are experiencing) some of them!  In fact, ask Apostle Paul – he’d tell you about some of the unpleasant things he went through (2 Corinthians 1:8-10 and 11:23-33 for example)!

But Paul had a deep conviction (and we can have it too) … Romans 8:28, 35-39:

“We know that for those who love God all things work together for good to those who are called according to His purpose! … Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? … No!  In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, no powers, no height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

During my time of “coffee with the Lord this morning” I read a wonderful testimony by Apostle Paul to this truth… He was in prison, chained to two Roman guards around the clock for His faith!  Regardless of that unpleasantness, here was his conviction… “WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME HAS REALLY SERVED TO ADVANCE THE GOSPEL!  It has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ! … I am put here for the defense of the gospel!” (Philippians 1:12-18)

Many would call a situation like that “the great unpleasantness” and complain about what they were having to go through! … Not Paul!!  He saw it through the eyes of faith!  He had confidence in God to “work it out for good!”  And his testimony, almost incidentally, at the end of his letter to the Philippian believers?  “All the saints greet you, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF CAESAR’S HOUSEHOLD!” (Philippians 4:22)  Paul lets us know that his imprisonment actually became an opportunity to reach “Caesar’s household” and the “Roman Imperial Guard” with the gospel!

My prayer?  Oh Lord, give me the confidence and faith to believe that unpleasant situations and circumstances are “working all things together for good!”