Quietness and Solitude

July 23, 2024

We live in a noisy, rushed world.  Doesn’t it seem like the pace of life is ever accelerating?  Doesn’t it seem like people are more busy and more rushed than ever before?  What is the cause of this?  Are technological advances the culprit?  Is it that many don’t cherish family time at home like they once did?  I don’t know the answer to these questions, but I ponder them often.

One thing I do know is that our souls have a great need for quietness and solitude.  Forgetting this fact can take a toll on us.  The constant drone of noise and distraction can negatively affect our family life and our spiritual lives.  But in our world today, many people feel guilty if they don’t pack every minute of the day with activities for themselves and their families.

Don’t get me wrong, being busy and working hard is indeed a good thing.  I certainly don’t want anyone to feel guilty for being busy.  Working hard to support your family is a right and godly thing to do.  Working hard to raise your children and to provide for their physical, mental, and social needs is a right and godly thing to do.  Working hard for the Lord, in whatever form that takes for you, is right and good.  The Lord wants us to be busy serving Him as we go about meeting our many day-to-day obligations.

But in the midst of all the busyness, we also need times of stillness.  Our Lord recognized His own need for this.  Throughout His ministry, Jesus would often go off to a secluded place to commune with His Father.  Jesus also recognized that His followers needed quietness and rest at times.  In the sixth chapter of Mark, Jesus began to send out the twelve in pairs to do His work.  They went out preaching, casting out demons, and anointing the sick with oil and healing them. (Mark 6:12-13) This would have been hard work!  And it was good work! When all of their hard work was done, “The apostles gathered together with Jesus; and they reported to Him all that they had done and taught.  And He said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a secluded place and rest a while.’ (For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.)  They went away in the boat to a secluded place by themselves.” (Mark 6:30-32 NASB95) They didn’t even have time to eat!  I’m guessing that many of you can relate to that.  Jesus recognized His apostle’s need for seclusion and rest after their work was done.  What a joy to go away to a secluded place with Jesus!

Why not do the same?  Why not go away to a secluded place with Jesus?  In times of stillness with Him we can find rest and renewal for our souls.  It doesn’t have to be a complicated thing.  We don’t have to make a trek out into the wilderness to spend time alone with Him—although that would be great, too!  We can do it sitting on our front porch, or while having a cup of coffee in the morning.  I encourage you to take some time, on a regular basis, to go away to a secluded place with the Lord.  It will be good for your soul!

—Scott Colvin

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The Inner Life and Prayer

July 18, 2024

Do you ever feel like you’re running on empty?  I don’t mean in a physical sense but in a spiritual one.  And I don’t mean that you don’t love the Lord, or that you’re not being obedient to Him, or that you’re not thankful to Him.  No, I’m speaking of a spiritual dryness.  I’m speaking of a sense of going through the motions outwardly while feeling depleted and lacking passion for God inwardly.  I suppose it happens to all of us from time to time.  How can we regain a true, inner passion and feeling of nearness to God?

One mistake we can make in our spiritual lives is to place too much emphasis on the outer person, and not enough emphasis on our inner person.  We can be busy serving others, going to worship, attending church functions, reading our Bibles, and praying—all wonderful things—but if these are merely outward displays and are not driven by genuine spirituality, something is wrong.  We have become unbalanced.  Over time, the lack of a glowing inner life will manifest itself.  Eventually we will have nothing left to give if we are not allowing God to build up and renew our inner person.  Taken to an extreme, we can end up like the Pharisees who did all the right outward religious things but had hearts that were very far from God.

So, what can we do if we find that our inner being doesn’t seem to be glowing like it once was?  I’m reminded of the song we sing which says, “But when my soul needs manna from above, where could I go but to the Lord?”  Only God can give us manna from heaven to nourish and sustain our souls.  Only He can give inner renewal.  As Paul wrote, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16 NASB95) We need inner renewal every day.  The inner renewal we receive from God (which He gives through the Holy Spirit) will then overflow into our outer actions.  We will be able to serve, to worship, to give, and to obey with greater zeal and greater joy.  And we will be doing these things not by our own strength (which will leave us depleted), but by the strength that God supplies.

One powerful way in which we can receive God’s inner renewal is through prayer.  We need quiet time alone with God in prayer to recharge.  Jesus Himself needed this while He was on the earth, so how much more do you and I need it?  When our prayer life is lacking, our inner vitality will also be lacking.  But when we devote ourselves to prayer, God can renew and recharge us inwardly.  I encourage you this week, and always, to set aside time to commune with God in prayer.  It is one of the most important things we can do, for inner renewal comes in times of quietness and nearness to God.

—Scott Colvin

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The Secret of Contentment

July 9, 2024

Would you say that you are a content person?  I suppose most of us would say that being content is something we are always working on.  We live in a very discontented world.  We have a relative abundance of wealth and possessions, and yet many are continually dissatisfied.  The Lord blesses with much abundance and yet the temptation is to always want more.  For us in Christ Jesus, it shouldn’t be this way.  The Lord wants his children to be content, as Paul wrote, “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.  I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:11-13 NASB95)

What can we learn about contentment from Paul’s inspired words?

First, note that contentment is something that must be learned.  It does not come naturally.  How do we learn contentment?  One way we learn it is to learn to reflect on our blessings.  We often focus on the negative aspects of life.  Focusing on the negative will cause us to grumble and complain and will blind us to the many amazing blessings God has given us. If we would learn to focus on His blessings, we will find much contentment.  Another way that we can learn contentment is through practice.  When we go through difficulties in life, we need to begin to see those moments as opportunities to learn. These are times in which God can teach us to be content in whatever circumstances we find ourselves in.  This is something that Paul learned.  We need to do the same.

Secondly, note that Paul had to learn contentment in times of scarcity, but also in times of abundance; in times of going hungry, but also in times of being filled.  Isn’t it interesting that he had to learn contentment in times of abundance?  Sometimes we are the most discontented when everything is going well; when we have all we need, and more.  What do we learn from this strange phenomenon?  Abundance is not what satisfies!  We often think that we would finally be happy if we just had a little more than we have now.  If we just had a little more money, a better job, a better home, we would finally be content.  This simply isn’t true.  Contentment isn’t about how much we have or do not have.

Finally, note that there is a secret to contentment.  What is the secret that Paul discovered?  “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” This is the secret!  Contentment doesn’t come from experiencing ideal circumstances, nor does it come from our own self-sufficiency, nor our own strength.  Contentment only comes from Christ and the strength He supplies!  Jesus can give us the strength in our hearts to be content in whatever situation we may face.  But we must learn to rely on Him and to draw from the strength He abundantly supplies.  May God help us, in whatever we are facing, to learn to be content!

—Scott Colvin

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The Holy Spirit: Revealing the Mind of God

July 9, 2024

Who can know the depths of God’s mind?  Paul answers this question in 1 Corinthians chapter two.  “For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?  Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:11 NASB95) To understand who can know the thoughts of God we can first ask this question: Who can know your thoughts? The only one (other than God) who knows your thoughts is you!  Your own spirit which is in you knows your thoughts.  Who then knows the thoughts of God?  The Spirit of God is the only one who can know the thoughts of God.

Unless you reveal your thoughts, no one can know what you are thinking.  It is the same with God.  Thankfully, God has revealed His thoughts through His Spirit.  “…but just as it is written, things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.  For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10 NASB95) There is amazing wisdom available to us; wisdom that is so great, it never entered into the heart of man before; wisdom that comes from the depths of God’s mind!  This breathtaking wisdom has been revealed through the Holy Spirit who then revealed them to the apostles and prophets.  These things were then handed down to us through their writing.  God has revealed His thoughts!  We can begin to know His mind!  Isn’t that good news?

But we can only delve into the depths of God’s mind if He allows it. God has revealed His thoughts, but not everyone will be able to take them in.  Only a spiritual person can accept the things revealed by the Spirit.  As Paul continues, “But a natural man does not accept the things of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” (1 Corinthians 2:14 NASB95) A natural person cannot accept or understand the things of God.  Why?  Because they are spiritually discerned (appraised).  What is a “natural man?”  It is a person who is not walking by the Spirit.  Natural people cannot understand spiritual things!  Only those led by the Spirit can understand the things of the Spirit.  This is a very important truth that we must take to heart.  The depths of God can only be mined by those who are walking by the Spirit.  The Spirit of God gave us the word of God, and the Spirit helps us to understand and accept the word of God!  But the natural person will be cut off from God’s wisdom.

What amazing opportunities lie before us.  Let’s walk by the Spirit so that we can go ever deeper into the mind of God!

—Scott Colvin

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Inoculation Against Falsehood

June 14, 2024

A quote often attributed to the Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels says, “Repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth.”  This seems to have become a motto for many in the world.  Our world is awash in lies, deception, and hypocrisy.  The lies that emanate from the lord of this world, the devil, are repeated over and over until people start to believe them.  Things that were once common sense and bedrock truths are now questioned by many.  This is especially true in human morality and behavior.  I’m sure you can think of some big, obvious lies that the masses are starting to believe.

Of course, we are not immune to falling for these lies ourselves.  Continuously repeated lies can seep into the church and pull us away from the truth.  We must be careful not to get sucked in.  What can we do to inoculate ourselves against the lies?

We must know the truth!  And where do we find the truth?  Jesus prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” (John 17:17 NASB95) The truth about mankind, our condition, what is right and what is wrong, and all matters of our eternal destination are found in the word of God.  We need to know the word and be grounded in it!

We must know the truth, and we must love the truth!  Those who do not love the truth are in great spiritual danger.  Paul warns the church at Thessalonica that one day “the man of lawlessness” will be revealed.  He will come with “all the deception of wickedness,” and people will perish, “… because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved…” (2 Thessalonians 2:10 NASB95) It is not enough to know the truth.  Even the devil knows the truth.  As children of God, we must continually cultivate a love for the truth. 

Finally, to inoculate ourselves against the lies of this world, we must remove what is false from our own lives.  As Peter wrote, “Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” (1 Peter 2:1 NASB95) Notice that we must put away deceit. This is more than just not telling lies. It means putting away any attempt to be crafty or cunning.  It means not doing things like leaving out critical information in order to bait people into believing something untrue.  Notice also that we are to put aside hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is putting on a mask to mislead people about your true purposes and motivations.  People who love truth will always strive to put away any kind of falsehood.  As we do so, we will prepare our hearts to accept the truth and to grow in salvation.

—Scott Colvin

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Decoupling from the Culture

June 14, 2024

Can you imagine living in a world described in this way: “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” (Genesis 6:5-6 NASB95) This was the condition of mankind just before the flood.  Mankind’s wickedness was great.  Every plan and intention of man was sinful.  Every thought in their heart was evil continually.  It had gotten so bad that God was grieved over it.  And God said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:7 NASB95)

And yet, in all of this darkness, there was one bright spot shining like a beacon.  “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” (Genesis 6:8 NASB95) The whole world had turned against God, but Noah walked with God.  The whole world had allowed themselves to sink into depravity, but Noah kept God’s commands.  The world had closed their hearts to the teaching about God, but Noah was a preacher of righteousness. (2 Peter 2:5) “… Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.” (Genesis 6:9b NASB95)

It seems that our world today is becoming increasingly immoral, corrupt and violent.  There is a sickness that pervades our world that is caused by sin.  Things may have not yet degenerated to where they were in Noah’s day, but it would do us well to learn from the life of Noah and imitate his faith.  Noah had to make a decision to decouple himself and his family from the debauched world he lived in.  Do you need to do the same?  This decoupling will not happen on its own.  The corrupt current of our culture will suck in anyone who does not actively paddle against it.  This corrupt current will overwhelm you and your children unless you do something about it. 

We need to resolve to walk with God!  We need to resolve in our hearts and minds that no matter what everyone else is doing, we will follow Him!  Even if everyone else is fixated on evil, we need to resolve to fix our hearts on what is good.  While everyone else fills their minds with wickedness, resolve that you and your house will fill your minds with the things of God.

I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I know one thing:  I want to find favor in the eyes of the Lord!  I want to walk with God!  Let’s renew our resolve to do just that.    

—Scott Colvin

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The Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

June 4, 2024

“But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin…” (Mark 3:29 NASB95) What is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?  Some Christians worry that they may have committed this sin. This is understandable because of the gravity of Jesus’ words. People wonder, “Have I ever said anything irreverent about the Holy Spirit? Am I lost forever?” Let’s take a closer look at His statement.

What is the background of this warning?  You can read the context in Matthew 12, Mark 3, and Luke 12.  Jesus had just healed a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute.  The crowds were amazed at Jesus’ power, but the Pharisees said, “This man casts out demons only by the power of Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.” (Matthew 12:24 NASB95).  Beelzebul is another name for Satan, as the text makes clear (see Matthew 12:26, for example).  Jesus knew what they were thinking in their hearts and said to them, “How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand” (Mark 3:23-24 NASB95) After pointing out the absurdity of their claim, Jesus gives the warning that whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness but is guilty of an eternal sin.

To blaspheme is to speak evil of someone.  It is to denigrate, revile, disrespect, or slander.  The Pharisees were blaspheming the Holy Spirit because they were saying His work (casting out demons) is by the power of Satan.  This is the unforgivable sin—to attribute the work of the Spirit to Satan.  Mark makes this clear when He explains Jesus’ statement by saying, “Because they were saying, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’” (Mark 3:30 NASB95) They were persisting in their blasphemy.

But why is this sin unforgivable?  Remember, the work of Jesus was empowered by the Spirit (see Luke 4:18-21).  If this is true, and a person continues to attribute the work of the Spirit to Satan, what hope is there for that person?  How can they ever come to Christ for forgiveness and salvation if they think Jesus’ work empowered by the devil?  As long as someone continues in this blasphemous stance against the Spirit of God, they will never come to Christ, and they will never be able to receive forgiveness from God!

Can someone commit this sin today?  Perhaps not exactly in the same way.  We have not had opportunity to see Jesus cast out a demon or do any other miracles while He was on earth.  But in another sense, remember that it is the Spirit of God who gave us the word of God, which gives us the wisdom that leads to salvation.  If someone today engaged in blasphemy against the Spirit by calling Him evil, then that person could not be saved because they would never come to Christ for salvation.  However, if you are worried about having committed the unforgivable sin, then rest assured that you have not.  The fact that someone would worry about it shows that they do have a repentant heart that does have reverence for the Spirit of God. 

—Scott Colvin

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Your Role as a Priest

May 28, 2024

Do you take your role as a priest of God seriously?  Perhaps you didn’t realize that if you are in Christ, you are a priest of the Most High God.  Or perhaps if you did realize it, you’re not sure what it all means, practically speaking.

The New Testament makes it clear that each member of the body of Christ is a priest of God.  The apostle Peter writes, “… you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5 NASB95) He also says a few verses later, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light… ” (1 Peter 2:9 NASB95)

We can look to the Old Testament to understand what it means to be a priest.  What did God expect of His priesthood?  What kind of people were they to be?  We get a good picture of what God expected of them in Malachi chapter two.  God was not pleased with His priests at that time, and He sent them a message through the prophet to teach them what they ought to be and how they should live. 

First, a priest must honor and revere God.  This awe for God drives everything else that we do as priests. God speaks of the priesthood He established with Levi and says, “My covenant with Him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.” (Malachi 2:5 NASB95).

Second, a priest must strive to live a life of righteousness.  Speaking of Levi, God says, “…unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness…” (Malachi 2:6 NASB95) As priests of God, we must be careful how we speak and how we walk.

Finally, a priest must be a keeper and a messenger of sacred knowledge.  “True instruction was in his mouth… he turned many back from iniquity… for the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 2:6-7 NASB95) How will men come to know God unless we, as priests of God, learn of Him and share our knowledge of Him with others?  Priests of God should be the kind of people that others come to for instruction in the way of the Lord. 

May God help each one of us to take seriously our role as priests.   

—Scott Colvin

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The Work of the Spirit: Creating Unity

May 28, 2024

Unity among brethren is very important to God. Jesus, just before going to the cross, prayed for unity.  He prayed, “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:20-21 NASB95)  Jesus wants all who believe in Him to be one.  Yet division exists, both within congregations and between congregations.  How can we achieve the oneness that Jesus so fervently prayed for?  From where does unity come?

Unity in the church is a work of the Spirit of God.  Paul urged the church at Ephesus to walk in a manner worthy of their calling, “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3 NASB95) Unity is created by the Spirit.  We must make every effort to preserve the unity that He created.

How did the Spirit create unity?  It is the Spirit who placed us into the one body of Christ.  “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13 NASB95) When we were baptized into Christ, the Holy Spirit transferred us into the one body, the church.  This was done by His power.  We were made to drink of the one Spirit at that time.  Each one of us in Christ has become a partaker of the one Spirit, and because of that, we are one.  The problem is that sometimes we let our flesh rule instead of the Spirit.  When this happens, unity can quickly be destroyed.

The Spirit not only creates unity in the church, but He helps us maintain unity as well.  How so?  First, understand that the Spirit gave us the word and helps us understand the word. (1 Corinthians 2:13-14) Understanding the word is absolutely necessary for unity.  We must be unified on truth.  Second, think of the fruit that comes from the lives of those walking by the Spirit:  Love, peace, patience, gentleness, self-control, among others. (Galatians 5:22-23) These Spirit-given traits always preserve unity.  It is when we fail to walk by the Spirit that we find enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, and things like these (Galatians 5:20-21) These things are certainly not of the Spirit of God, and they always destroy unity. 

May God help us to preserve the unity that the Spirit has created among us.  Let us walk by the Spirit, be unified in our love of the truth, and enjoy the rich blessings that come from brothers and sisters walking in unity.

—Scott Colvin

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The Work of the Holy Spirit: Knowing God’s Love

May 17, 2024

How do you get through tough times?  There are many among us who are going through some very difficult situations.  How do you get through it all?  What keeps you going?

Paul writes in Romans chapter 5 that because we have been justified by faith in Christ, because we have peace with God through Christ, and because we are standing in His grace, we can rejoice in hope.  As Christians, we can rejoice, even in our tribulations, because we know that they are bringing us closer to God.  We can rejoice in tribulations, knowing that “tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character, and proven character, hope…” (Romans 5:3-4 NASB95) And hope helps get us through every challenge.  We have hope in Jesus!  We can be growing in that precious hope—that confident expectation that one day God will make all things right, that He will wipe away every tear, that we will live with Him eternally.

But hope is something that you cannot see (Romans 8:24-25).  We hope for things that will happen in the future—things that certainly will not disappoint us.  But the challenges we face are happening now.  Is there anything that can help us to persevere now? 

This is where the work of the Holy Spirit comes in.  “And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5 NASB95)  The Spirit was given to those in Christ to help them in the here and now.  He does this by pouring the love of God into our hearts.  When we go through trials and heartache, God knows that it is critical that we have a deep, abiding sense of His love for us.  His love for you is something that can be known and experienced.  The experience of His love helps us to get through the hard times while we wait in hope for all He has promised us.

We learn something similar in the third chapter of Ephesians.  Paul prays for the brethren that they would be strengthened in their inner being through the Holy Spirit, so that Christ would dwell in their hearts, that they would be rooted and grounded in love, and so that they would be able to comprehend the incalculable dimensions of Christ’s love. (Ephesians 3:16-19) It is through the Spirit’s indwelling that they would, “Know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19 NASB95)

May God help us, through His Spirit, to comprehend the incomprehensible love of Jesus.  Now and always, may we experience the love of God being poured out within our hearts through the Spirit He has given us.

—Scott Colvin

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