Andy Elmes: Breakfast of Champions

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Let the spotlight remain on the Star (cont’d)

Colossians 1:15-18 (NKJV)

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

As we said last week, like the Apostle Paul let us ever keep the spotlight of fame upon the One who deserves it.

 

Let’s continue this morning to look at why:

 

1. He is the head of the Church, not us.

We are the body and it is good for us to remember this. He will always be the head and, by faith, we are joined to Him and find our life in Him. Just as in the natural, the same life that is in the head is in the body. When you realise this you can enjoy His life flowing in you and through you every day. Because you are, by faith, connected to Christ who is the head of the Church, you can know His mind and thoughts for every situation you may face.

 

2. He is the firstborn from the dead.

Because He has risen from the dead we have no need to fear death. He beat the grave and it has no legal right to hold us. When our lives are ‘spent’ (hopefully spent well) and we close our eyes to this life, we will rise to be with the Father, just as He did.

 

Finally, the statement that I want to underline is this:

In all things He deserves the preeminence!

 

He deserves the first place and the best place in all that we do. As we go into our busy lives, with all its demands and challenges, we can also walk in incredible blessing as we give Him the first place, the best place. Other ‘things’ you need and want will flow to you and hunt you down if you allow Him to have the place of preeminence in every section of your life - not just today, but always!

 

God bless,

 

Andy

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Andy Elmes: Breakfast of Champions

Where do you go when you are thirsty? John 7:37-38 (NIV) On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” Here we see Jesus stand up in the middle of a very busy place and ask a very straight question: "Anyone thirsty?" It was the greatest day of a festival so chances were that a whole bunch of people were thirsty, but Jesus was not referring to a natural thirst – He was not offering chilled Pepsi to those who had been out in the sun to long! He was speaking of the deeper thirst each of us have within, that internal thirst which, in the same way as a natural thirst, drives people to all manner of places looking for quenching or satisfaction. As it was then, so it still is today. People are walking around with a thirst that they do not know how to satisfy. We all did it, running around from place to place, everything from relationships to new fashionable things and places to be. Yet all these other places and things only ever satisfy for a moment, and then the thirst always returns leaving the feeling of dissatisfaction once again. That’s because only the living water which comes from God can truly quench the innermost thirsting of a person. We were designed to drink living water, that spiritual water that comes from the spring of God's own Spirit into the reservoir of our spiritual bellies – our innermost being – then flowing out it waters, refreshes and revives every part of who we are. When God's river starts flowing within us, and we begin to drink from it, every other thirst in our lives is satisfied, and we no longer have to wander around seeking satisfaction from the over vendors we used to visit because we had no other choice. One taste of God's living water and the other stuff simply doesn't cut it anymore. It’s like when you drink a real Coke you can’t go back to the cheap stuff you buy from discount stores – you know the stuff, ten bottles for a pound! Hey Champion, stop your hunting and settling for lesser refreshment, and drink from the living water of God. As you do it will well up inside of you, bringing the satisfaction you have been thirsting for. Drink! God bless, Andy

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Andy Elmes: Breakfast of Champions...essential reading

Good morning, Champion.

Let's spend our lives on what is essential, not just important

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV)

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Here is a very short yet very profound little statement that has really gotten into my heart and my life, and turned it upside-down in a positive way. My prayer is that it will do the same to you.

 

So often we can all be involved in so many things that seem so important, but we need to make sure we are busy with the things that are essential. What makes something essential and not just important is this: "Does it matter to God"? We hear in this verse the Apostle Paul underline for the Church what is essential from the viewpoint of God concerning our lives and what we spend it doing.

 

Look at how he introduces these three essential life coordinates: "And now abide . . ." He does not mention law because that had been dealt with by the perfect work of Jesus.

 

Neither does he mention a whole bunch of other church "stuff" that we often may deem important. No, just these three things: Faith, Hope and Love.

 

I like the way it is put in the following translation:

 

1 Corinthians 13:13 (New Century Version)

So these three things continue forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.

 

I don't know about you, but I want to spend the currency of my days on things that will continue forever and not just last a moment; and 'forever' does not just mean this life we know now, but all of eternity. You see, the things we do that involve, or are the product of, faith, hope, and love will remain while other things that seemed important at the time will like straw be burnt away and never mentioned in eternity.

 

I don't want to stand in Heaven one day and watch as a whole bunch of stuff I spent my life building disappears in a moment because they were actually only important but not essential. I hope this thought stirs you, Champion, like it has stirred me. It causes me to look at what I am doing and ask myself this: "Am I busying myself with things involving faith, hope, and love?" If not, it's time to get busy with them again because without them I am not giving God anything to be excited about.

 

Hey, let's talk some more tomorrow.

 

Bless you,

 

Andy

Posted via email from Impossible is Nothing