Salty Zebra

  For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, have not ceased praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Colossians 1:9  Knowledge and wisdom. Two different words, different concepts, that are used occasionally interchangeably (incorrectly) and very often together. Let’s look at them: KNOWL'EDGE, noun nol'lej. 1. A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of truth and fact; the perception of the connection and agreement, or disagreement and repugnancy of our ideas. WISDOM, noun s as z. [G. See Wise.] 1. The right use or exercise of knowledge; the choice of laudable ends, and of the best means to accomplish them. This is wisdom in act, effect, or practice. If wisdom is to be considered as a faculty of the mind, it is the faculty of discerning or judging what is most just, proper and useful, and if it is to be considered as an acquirement, it is the knowledge and use of...

  Your faith and love have arisen from the hope laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of truth, the gospel   Colossians 1:5 What are your deepest motivations? Why do you do what you do? It may be as simple as the reason you get out of bed in the morning to the guiding principles of how you spend your time and money in this world. Are you just running on vibes, or do you have a set of principles and ideals that govern your choices?   I’m going to be completely honest here, my husband and I operate very differently in this area, and I think we complement each other because of it. You see, I’m kind of a “running on vibes” sort of person. When faced with a choice or decision, I’m most likely to lean towards what “feels” right. That’s my reason for getting out of bed in the morning, btw. It hurts too much to stay in it 😩 . If I encounter an opportunity for giving or an invitation to an event, I do a heart check. I pray. I seek the Holy Spiri...

  to the saints, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ, at Colossae. Grace and peace to you from God our Father! Colossians 1:2  Saint. What does the word bring to mind? Do you see someone with a glowing halo about them? A disgusting picture of a person being tortured to death? An alcove in a cathedral dedicated to their story?   The book of Colossians is addressed to the, “saints, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ, at Colossae.” Paul is clearly addressing the letter to all of the brothers and sisters in the congregation, not special people set apart by the church due to miracles or wonders. In our modern era, the idea of a “saint” has been influenced by the catholic church and its practices, but biblically, we are all saints that have found our righteousness in Christ Jesus.   This letter was written to the “saints,” our brothers and sisters in Colossae, but it was also written to us. Like them, we heard about the message of truth, the gospel ...

   It’s wild how people take a basic truth and start to shift and change it. We mold it to become more palatable, more in line with what we want or desire. It happens subconsciously. It happens intentionally at times. Someone brings in a new thought or idea and it sounds right, so it gets worked into our beliefs. Oftentimes, it’s just a matter of how we were raised or what we “understood” before coming to a saving belief in Christ that influences our thoughts and understandings of the gospel.  In our next study, Christ is All I Need, we’ll be focusing on the book of Colossians. This is a letter that Paul wrote to the church in Colossae while he was imprisoned in Rome. Paul had never been to Colossae before and did not plant this church, but rather someone he had preached to, Epaphras, went on to Colossae and planted a church there. Paul had heard about some of the teachings and influences that were going on there and he wanted to reach out and point them back to the basi...

   It's been an interesting season as I followed this study during the course of my brain radiation therapy. I stepped into my treatment in faith, believing strongly that God had pointed me to it. And this is a treatment of faith because there is no "proof" no markers that show whether it worked at all. Best case scenario? It doesn't grow anymore, or much more. You see, I don't have the type of tumor that gets "zapped" away by radiation. Mine just gets angrier (think inflammation and scar tissue) and then, hopefully, dies. Can it go wrong? Can worse things happen? Yep. But it was growing anyways, which was already worse, so this was worth a shot! Where He Leads I Will Follow  walks us through examples in the Bible of obedience. It gave me a chance to look at both good and bad things that people had done - don't you appreciate how God left all those in there? It also opened my eyes to areas in which I need to obey. Let's take a walk back through t...

  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”   Matthew 28:19-20  When you think of a mission field, what comes to mind? People who look very different from you and live very different lives from you in a very different place far, far away? For some people, that is very much the case. My dear friend, Kris, for example flies all over the world to the most remote and inaccessible regions to bring the hope and love of Christ to people. She’s one of my biggest heroes! But that’s not everyone’s calling. Not everybody is sent far away, some of us, most of us in fact, are tasked with a mission field at our very doorstep.   At the beginning of the book of Acts , just before Jesus ascends into heaven, He tasks the disciples – and us – with carrying the message of His lo...