Pauline Reading Assignment 1

Colossians

Author and Title:

Because of the greetings in 1:2, Colossians became known as Pros Kolossaeis, “To the Colossians.” As with the other epistles of Paul surveyed thus far, both the external and internal evidence strongly support Paul’s authorship. But the authorship of this epistle has been doubted by some on the grounds of the vocabulary and the nature of the heresy refuted in this epistle. Expositor’s Bible Commentary has an excellent summary of the key issues involving the authorship and date of Colossians.

That Colossians is a genuine letter of Paul is not usually disputed. In the early church, all who speak on the subject of authorship ascribe it to Paul. In the 19th century, however, some thought that the heresy refuted in ch. 2 was second-century Gnosticism. But a careful analysis of ch. 2 shows that the heresy there referred to is noticeably less developed than the Gnosticism of leading Gnostic teachers of the second and third centuries. Also, the seeds of what later became the full-blown Gnosticism of the second century were present in the first century and already making inroads into the churches. 

Consequently, it is not necessary to date Colossians in the second century at a time too late for Paul to have written the letter. Instead, it is to be dated during Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome, where he spent at least two years under house arrest (see Ac 28:16-31).58

Date: A.D. 61

Paul wrote all four prison epistles during his first Roman imprisonment. This means he wrote it in A.D. 60-61 (see the discussion on the date of Ephesians and Philippians).

Theme and Purpose:

The theme is the fruitful and effective power of the gospel message which heralds the supremacy, headship, and the utter sufficiency of Christ to the church which is His body. In this little epistle, we see Paul’s “full-length portrait of Christ.”59 Colossians demonstrates that because of all that Jesus Christ is in His person and has accomplished in His work, He, as the object of the believer’s faith, is all we need for in Him we are complete (2:10). In scope, Colossians presents the all supremacy, all sufficiency, uniqueness, and the fullness of the person and work of Jesus Christ as the God-man Savior, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, and the total solution for man’s needs both for time and eternity. It is a cosmic book, presenting the cosmic Christ: the Creator/Sustainer and Redeemer/Reconciler of man and all the universe.

Key Words:

Key words in this book are “supremacy” and “sufficiency.”

Key Verses:

1.      1:15-20. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, 1:16 for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him—all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers—all things were created through him and for him. 1:17 He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him. 1:18 He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead so that he himself may become first in all things. 1:19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him 1:20 and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—whether things on the earth or things in heaven.

2.      2:8-10. Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you through an empty, deceitful philosophy that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 2:9 For in him all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form 2:10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

3.      3:1-3. Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 3:2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, 3:3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Key Chapters:

Chapters 2 is key in that it demonstrates why and how the believer is complete in Christ and needs nothing added to the saving person and work of Christ. Chapter 3 then builds on this as root to fruit or cause and effect. Because believers are complete in Christ (2:10) and are thereby risen with Him, they now have all they need for Christ-like transformation in all the relationships of life (3:1f.).

Christ As Seen In Colossians:

Wilkinson and Boa points out:

This singularly Christological book is centered on the cosmic Christ—“the head of all principality and power” (2:10), the Lord of creation (1:16-17), the Author of reconciliation (1:20-22; 2:13-15). He is the basis for the believer’s hope (1:5, 23, 27), the source of the believer’s power for a new life (1:11, 29), the believer’s Redeemer and Reconciler (1:14, 20-22; 2:11-15), the embodiment of full Deity (1:15, 19; 2:9), the Creator and Sustainer of all things (1:16-17), the Head of the church (1:18), the resurrected God-Man (1:18; 3:1), and the all-sufficient Savior (1:28; 2:3, 20; 3:1-4).60

Assignment 
1. Read the above commentary carefully and thoughtfully and in 10 salients points summarise the commentary.
2. Read Colossians 1:19-2:3 and write a brief sermon on 'The Work of Christ' follow the outline below:

1. The Description of His Work
2. The Application of His Work 
3. The Propagation of His Work 


To submit, click on the comment section under this post, indicate your name and paste your answers.
Deadline is Saturday, March 29, latest 4:00pm

FOIL THAT FAKE NEWS

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things. 
(Philippians 4:8)

I was recently reflecting on the above scripture and it suddenly hit me how vulnerable we can become, as believers, to the lure and damage of fake news, if we are not intentional about "dwelling on whatever is true".

Fake news is a rising tide in our society and a boiling topic in popular culture. But like Ed Stetzer wrote, fake news is not just about the media industry or a cultural issue. It becomes a discipleship issue because we are people of truth in a world that has been dealing with alternative facts since Eve's encounter with the Serpent in the Garden of Eden.

In the face of the growing problem of fake news, pastors and church leaders, need to take advantage of the opportunity to teach and challenge Christians to be more discerning about the stories they consume and share via various platforms.

We should not be seen or known as mongers and harbingers of spurious information. We need to think more critically about the world in which we live, and not be caught in the web of mob mentality. With our faith comes the need to be responsible and ethical with our communication.

Borrowing from Stetzer, let me highlight a few tips that can help us apply Paul’s exhortation in Philippians 4:8, against the wave of fake news:

1. Never share what you cannot verify. Do not share something you only find in off-beat sources. Check out some mainstream sources. They are a great way to verify if something is a true story.

2. Guard your integrity. We are people of truth. When people of truth participate in sharing false information, we do not just injure the other person and the process, but we also injure our personal reputation and testimony. When we are gullible, we hurt the team of people called believers. In fact, you make the team look silly when you post false information. How can we successfully offer freedom through truth when we are bound to untrue stories plastered all over our social media page? The information you share reveals your heart. Be careful with that.

3. Apologize if you are part of the problem.
If you share something and then find out it was a hoax or fake news, apologize for being part of the problem. Don’t justify your gullibility by saying, “Well, it could have been true,” or “Something like it happened.” Own your gullibility. This goes back to the integrity issue. Being people of the Truth means that we clear up what we mess up. Apologizing helps prepare you to be more careful the next time around.

To conclude, we must remember that by our faith and calling, we are supposed to be truth-tellers and truth seekers. We are liberated by the truth, we are sanctified by the truth. Truth is honorable, truth is just, truth is pure, truth is lovely, truth is commendable, truth is morally excellent and the truth is praiseworthy. Let's dwell on whatever is true!

MIND YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINTS

When we share or react to any comments at all, on social media, it should be based on the principles that:

1. We must engage in the interlocution of ideas and opinions to shape our communities whether real or virtual.

2 That the platforms we use to do this and the issues we generate give us the opportunity to be ourselves- humans - who are created to express ourselves and build networks of relationships.

3. This implies we must learn to listen to one another and add value to ourselves.

4. This also demands that we are ethical in the way we communicate, that we communicate responsibly, this includes but not limited to ensuring that we communicate the truth, we are not disingenuous with info for whatever vested interest, we authenticate our sources, we admit to the right of others to disagree with us and even concede to them when they are right even when it hurts our ego, avoid the lust of winning arguments and losing friendships.

Now, I do not advocate these principles just because I'm a person of faith, which is very significant, but also because of my discipline. As a media professional, and Social Media enthusiast, these are the issues I raise in my interventions with millennials, and more recently pastors and Christian educators.

What do all these mean? First, we must approach the virtual community with a learning attitude and gracious disposition. We need to be open minded and respect the diversity of views and even the right of people to air them. We must watch out against the tendency for outbursts that reeks of arrogance, against opinions or expressions we don't share. We need to insist on engaging ideas rather than attacking personalities or cyber-bullying fellow social media users. We shouldn't turn ourselves into a nuisance or social media trolls, just to prove a point or win an argument, for which we are never going to get a trophy.

Second, we should always take with a pinch of salt info from the Internet or social media, because, online, anything goes. We should be particular about the legitimacy of our sources based on the track record and character of the source when we post or share information.

My media literacy has taught me to know how to select my sources and also filter the nuances. We need to cultivate the habit of ardently monitoring info from traditional news channels to corroborate and fact-check our online sources: these include all the analysis, in-depth reports, special focus, and so forth. We shouldn't be in haste to make pronouncements that border on 'outcomes' that are still in progress.

It is very important to be mindful of how we carry on with our Social Media activities because what goes online stays online. The permanency of the contents we push online demands that we strictly mind our digital footprints.

A digital footprint, sometimes called a digital dossier, is the body of data that exists as a result of actions and communications online that can in some way be traced back to an individual.

A digital footprint is relatively permanent once the data is public -- or even semi-public, as may be the case with Facebook posts. For that reason, there is a need for caution about our online activities, to control the data that can be traced to us.

We don't want to get hurt when there's a blast from the past!

THE ANATOMY OF LOVE

INTRO
It's the month of love. The atmosphere ideally lends itself for unforgettable moments with those we love and hold dear. We think that there can never be too much love in the world and it should be celebrated, and Valentine’s day has been symbolically set aside for the celebration of love and romance. Hopeless romantics set the mood with the 'rituals' of candles, flowers, scents, romantic tunes, wine, cakes and ice creams of exotic flavors, all for that special someone or as a ploy for seductive romance. And many times, all the beautiful feelings and expressions are nothing but a fanfare of fancies, passion in the moment. When it's all done, we slide back into the usual humdrum routines of everyday life. Love is, however, more than a fanfare of fancies, more than a moment of passion, more than a day or night of seductive romance or even the rituals that romantics have come to make of it. From a biblical perspective, let's take a peek into the phenomenon of love.

THE IMPORT OF LOVE
Love is a virtue of God (not of the world). Peter says we have been called by His own glory and virtue [moral excellence or goodness] (2 Pet. 1:3.) That is we share God's nature or character. We have the capacity to express this moral excellence, of which love is core. We demonstrate this communicable attribute of God, first by loving God, who first loved us and second by loving others the way God loves us (volitionally and unconditionally). Our demonstration of love finds meaning and expression only in our love for God.

THE IMPERATIVE OF LOVE
#We are configured to love (Rom. 5:5 ).
We are God's workmanship and so we are a masterpiece of His love. (Eph. 2:10). It was as if God puts us on display as models of His love, to the world.

#We are commanded to love (Eph. 5:1-2).
First, because we have the inherent capacity to love. Second, we have the tendency in our soulish faculties to do otherwise (Eph. 5:3-5).

#We are compelled to love (Rom. 13:8).
We are obligated to love, we are creations of love, created to love, in loving others we fulfill the law.

THE IDENTITY OF LOVE (John 3:16, 1John 3:14-19, 1John 4:7-20)
#Love is selfless:
It is devoid of self (personal) gratification.
It does not seek sensuous pleasures.
It is not emotional or filial- it is volitional.
It is a demonstration that is consistent with our configuration- just as God's love is consistent with His character or nature.

#Love is self-giving:
God's love means that God eternally gives himself to others.
Love is self-giving for the benefit of others. Love is benevolent, not malevolent. The whole idea of self-giving is that the one who can give him/herself will give everything (Rom. 8:32). Love gives, it doesn't take (obtain). Every true lover is a giver, but not every giver is a lover. People give for obnoxious or egotistical reasons. Because we are a 'workmanship' of love- we exhibit good works of love- touch lives, build lives, add value to lives.

#Love is sacrificial:

Love is not pricey; it is priceless. However it is costly- it takes something significant away from you. It cost God His only beloved son. It cost Christ his divine status and privilege and his life. It cost him sharing his inheritance with us. If it doesn't cost us something significant- it may not be love. When it is sacrificial- it can be 'painful'.

FINALLY
In loving (whether God or others) we don't feel short-changed, because we are unmistakably conscious of God's love to us, which is continuously diffused, produced in us in an overwhelming measure by the Holy Spirit (Room. 5:5).

Writing as a Ministry

Writing as a Ministry

-         Greg Goebel  

I personally got into new media when I built my first church website in 1997. Using HTML and a dial­up connection, I inserted a ton of hyperlinks and made tables to frame it all up. It had some killer clipart. When blogging came around I tried my hand at that in 2002 through a blog called “Bull Street.” I was hooked.

I have a background and a degree in English and communications and I love words. So writing for ministry just made intuitive sense to me. But over the years, as I’ve delved into it more deeply, I’ve had to think about the reasons why we write for ministry.

At one level it is obvious why priests would write. After all, the Gospel writers wrote down what Jesus said, and St. Paul wrote to the churches. The New Testament is full of written letters. And all of the New Testament writers were reading the Hebrew Bible, with its written history, prophecy, and poetry. The written word is a constituent part of our Faith.

Down through the centuries, the written word has been used to communicate, to teach, and to evangelize. And Christians have always been inventive and adaptive in the media they used. Starting with parchment scrolls, and quickly moving to bound books (some believe that early Christians actually invented Western bookbinding or codex form), Christians wrote. They creatively invented new forms of media, and also new paradigms for exploration. 

Augustine’s Confessions is considered to be the first book that examined the inner, psychological experience of a person. He wrote this book to do what we would today call “sharing his testimony.” As soon as the printing press was invented in the West, a Bible was printed on it. It was used by both Catholics and Protestants to print sermons, tracts, and of course books, during the Reform period. The age of print was (is?) an age of evangelism for Christians. Printing presses and publishing houses published Bibles, along with the writings of pastors and lay people.

New Media

Of course, unless you’ve printed this out on paper, you are reading this on a computer, tablet, or mobile device. We Christians got in on new media publishing early on as well, using the internet to communicate across the world.

It’s True Because I Read it On the Internet

But, alas, everything out there that goes under the banner “Christian” is not good. In fact, much of it is downright harmful. Abuse and manipulation of words are part of the reason we have to be reflective about new media and print media. There are millions of religion books out there, and hundreds of thousands of religion webpages. “Of writing many books there is no end,” wrote the writer of Ecclesiastes. So many books and websites are full of messages about getting rich through faith, or are abusive and manipulative, or are part of a cult of personality. Sometimes we get the feeling that many Christian websites or blogs are really just trying to get readers or grow a platform for personal success. But this has been going on forever. New media doesn’t cause human ego, it only channels it, but it channels it more broadly and more accessibly than ever before.

Why Write?

So, knowing that media can do harm, why write for ministry? Because we must. Not every ordained or lay minister is called to be a writer. But some of us must write. We must use all available means to write and publish. We must write for the same reason John wrote down his Gospel, “but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John didn’t write because he wanted a personal platform, or to copyright his personal sayings about Jesus, but because he wanted people to believe in Jesus. He was pointing to him. Writing is a part of Christian ministry. It isn’t the only part, but it is a part. Those who can write, should. And we should master the medium and craft, as best we can. In a massive sea of words, words about Jesus and the Gospel will still be visible, because he said if we lift him up, he will draw all people to himself.

Seven Ways to Write for Ministry

1. Love it, do it

If you love to write, then you should write. If you hate it, then you should probably not write. That’s not to say that people who don’t like the process of writing shouldn’t publish anything. On the contrary, some of the best books were transcriptions of speeches or sermons or were written with the aid of editors. But if you are someone who just has no interest in writing, then that’s a sign to apply yourself elsewhere. But if you love to write, love words, and enjoy learning how to communicate, you should begin today.

2. Start small

Write a journal or personal blog. Write for the church newsletter. Write articles and reflections that will help and inspire people. Listen to feedback.

3. Focus on what you are passionate about.

I’m passionate about how worship connects to everyday life. You can’t get me to shut up about how worship is not just some unreal coping mechanism but is the very center of the reality of our lives (here I go again!). Because I’m passionate about that, I write about it with passion. I also obviously love the Anglican tradition, and I love seeing other priests share their pastoral perspective. Again, because I’m excited about these things, its natural for me to write about them, and foster writing about them.

4. Write as yourself

Write from your perspective and your own voice. Always ask yourself if you are writing “as yourself.” Non­fiction writing demands that we be who we are. We shouldn’t use our writing as a place to hide, or to posture, or to present a false image. Of course, as fallen humans, we will do that. It is inevitable. But by ruthlessly repenting of our falsehoods, something of our own soul will show through, as it did when Augustine wrote the Confessions.  

5. Listen to your supporters

Haters will always hate, and anytime you publish anything (even a handwritten note!), you become vulnerable. Leave analyzing or responding to the psychology of “trolling” to someone else. Instead, focus on the feedback of your supporters. These are people that believe in what you’re doing, and often their encouraging words will point you in a direction. Their criticisms will be constructive as well.

6. Pay attention to the medium and the audience.

Write for a website, write for a book, write for a magazine. And think about your audiences. Write to them, for them, because of them. Write in a positive way that keeps doors open. Write in an inviting way, even when writing about unpopular or tough topics. Keep thinking about the audience.

7. It is finished

Last, and most important, it's about the Gospel. Writing for ministry is writing for Jesus. Weigh that out. Ask yourself if you are merely putting forward a personal political viewpoint, or are condemning a class of people, or are ostracizing someone Jesus loves. I would suggest putting a crucifix up above your computer. Whenever you start to question whether something you are writing is merely personal or self-promoting, look up at Jesus on the cross. He won’t be there condemning you, he’ll be saying “It is finished.” Yes, it is finished, we can leave our pride and our self-centeredness there at the foot of his cross.

So there you have it. If you love to write, then start today. Write down a paragraph or two. Put it in the church newsletter. Start a blog. See what happens!

The Danger of Fanning the Flames of Prophetic Hysteria

The Danger of Fanning the Flames of Prophetic Hysteria

Osamwonyi Omozuwa

If you are a curious observer of trends, you may have noticed that there is an emerging prophetic tradition in Nigeria that is fairly unwholesome. It is a departure from prophetic advocacy for socioeconomic justice and national transformation. In times of sociopolitical turmoil, when prophetic warnings, directions, or consolations are needed, many self-acclaimed prophets hibernate. They fail to speak truth to power. But in the first few days of every year, they become hyperactive and inundate the public square with prophecies. `

More often than not, the content of their vatic messages are shallow, speculative, and sensational. Also, they are often the simplistic rehash of episodic news items. Or insipid attempts to put the divine stamp of authentication on a journalistic forecast.  Some act as if they do not know that prophetic revelation springs from fellowship with the Holy Spirit, not from observation. 

Prophets in scriptures are not trend-watchers. They do not study emerging fashions with the aim of predicting future trends. By the aid of the Spirit, they explore the depths of God.  Reveal what cannot be discovered by human faculties and scrutiny: God’s action plan. 

The timeliness and timelessness of prophetic messages are bound to be compromised when prophets are tyrannized by clock and calendar. There are no seasons of prophecies or seasonal prophets in scriptures. That, in part, is why I am disinclined to prophets who hear God at predictable moments.  For, they unwittingly create the impression that there is a season when God plays mute, and there is a season when God speaks volumes. The God of the bible is not governed by time. He is beyond time. He speaks to seekers always.  There is no such thing as divine downtime.

The eternal Spirit, the very energizer of prophetic ministries, is time-sensitive, but not time regulated. Those He has commissioned to function in the office of prophets are not slaves of time.  He does not have a particular time when He unveils God’s mind to them. He can prompt a prophet at any time, and show him unseen realities, cause him to hear the inaudible, or feel the immaterial.   

A true prophet is not inhibited by time-space barriers. He sees beyond spatiotemporal realities. Taintless vatic telescope captures the eternal now, that is, the past, the present, and the future.  Finitude is transcended whenever the prophetic unction is activated. It ushers man to the infinite, albeit, momentarily.  

Authentic prophets do not downplay divine intelligence. They make men wonder at the prescience of God. In other words, they demonstrate that God knows “the end from the beginning.” He does not simulate probabilistic scenarios. He does not work by guesswork. For, He is omniscient. Therefore, exactitude is a hallmark of a prophet that knows the mind of God about a season, situation, or people. Stated differently, pinpoint precision is a characteristic of the prophetic, not probabilistic predictions.  Recall, Elisha declared “by this time tomorrow” (2 Kings 7:1).

Prophetic protocol disallows sensationalizing the sacred.  Authentic prophetic ministries do not draw inspiration from the tabloid. They do not blur the line between divine revelation and human speculation. The prophetic is not sensationalistic, even though prophets do dramatize “Thus saith the Lord”. Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, and Hosea understood that potent tones and brilliant tableaux have the power to ignite the spiritual imagination of society. So, they dramatized their messages. Recall, Ezekiel slept on his left-hand side for 390 days to call attention to impending 390 years captivity of northern Israel. Hosea married an impetuous prostitute. One mark of a genuine prophet is that he is a “sum and substance of his message.” He embodies what he proclaims. He carries a burden. He speaks from the place of burden, not from the realm of imagination, or for sensationalism.  

Authentic prophets do not ignite firestorms of delusion. They are not agents of confusion or givers of false hope. They give direction, exhortation, comfort, and edification. Even when they are not positive they do not essentially induce fear. God reveals negatives to stir people to cancel it. Certain things are revealed to be canceled, not to fuel delusion and manipulation.  

The way some Nigerian prophets patronize the elite raises a question about the validity of their prophetic credentials.  The devil is the paymaster of an elitist prophet, particularly, those that manipulate by “Thus saith the Lord.”  Nathan was sent to the elite of his day.  But, he did not become elitist.

It is difficult for me to know the spiritual or social functionality of prophetic gravediggers. I mean those who craft obituaries of highly successful people in opaque terms. For example, “One top politician from the southwest is going to die this year”, “Two Nollywood stars will be disgraced this year.” 

Today, the cacophony of prophetic voices muffles the voice of truth, deadens the conscience of society, and animates the unprincipled quest for power and materiality.   Is it not worrisome that prophetic voices do not decry economic exploitations any longer? 

We need prophets like Amos, the fine ironist. His diatribe against the sense of entitlement that was like “narcotic for the elite of eighth-century Israel” was culture changing.  We need savvy court prophets like Nathan who will tell the denizens of Aso Rock that if they do not address the senseless killings of Fulani herdsmen the wrath of God will consume them.  Not prophets predicting the outcome of the 2019 elections. Genuine prophets are not cowards. They are not luxury-seekers or social butterflies. There is something clandestine about their ministry; hence, they often stay away from the front of the camera. 

We need apostolic radicals who will strengthen the church. So, the floodgate of mercantile prophesies will be shut. We need apostolic radicals that will articulate “pedagogies of engagement”. Thereby, guide the training of “the sons of prophets”; so, that they would not replicate the errors of their fathers. That they may know it is not in the place of prophets to fan the flames of mass hysteria, or make the spiritual climate of a nation hazy, so that religious manipulators can thrive financially.  We need a new breed of prophets that will lighten the public space, make it free of prophetic debris, instruct kings, provide succor for the vulnerable, and whittle down the influences of skeptics.

A Higher View of the Quest for New Heights

Leviticus 26:1-2; Philippians 3:14-15

In our quest to attain new heights we need to be cognizant of what is imperative and the implication of our disposition to that imperative.

Essentially, we should acknowledge that God has the roadmap for new heights and as such He sets the standards and the goal of attainment. Therefore it’s only in Him and through Him that we can attain new heights.

As we can reckon from our Leviticus text, worship is at the core of the quest of attaining new heights. Worship defines what preoccupies our whole lives. It designates what we accord value or worth to above all else. Worship espouses what takes pre-eminence in the list of our priorities in life.

In the quest to reach new heights, we may become drawn into exploring other means to accomplish our personal goals and agenda. Characterised by anxiety and desperation, the inclination to become, the yearning to make meaningful and significant progress and be successful in life, become the centre of our focus.

However, our interpretation of the quest for new heights may be faulty if we think it’s about our personal desires, goals or agenda for success. But like Paul said, if your notions are faulty, “God will reveal to you the error of your ways” (Phil 3:15).

The quest for new heights, in Paul’s words, has to do with our “high calling” in God (Phil 3:14). We have been called to become like Christ. He is the Ultimate, the centre of our high calling. In Him, all things consist. He is the fullness and fulfilment of all aspirations.

Therefore, our inclinations, aspirations, and desires must be channelled towards becoming like Him (Heb. 3:1), in view of the #prize, which is the Crown of righteousness. This is a higher view of reaching new heights and it takes maturity to understand and embrace it (Phil 3:15b). When our inclination, aspirations, and desires to become, surpasses the high calling, we would be liable of setting up idols in our hearts (Lev. 26-1) that deflects our focus on the high calling and derails us from attaining the #prize.

The quest for new heights is a race. However, it is not a rat-race, it is a race of righteousness. When we become engulfed in the rat-race for success, we get sucked in to embrace wrong views of attaining new heights, we make alliances with the wrong relationships and adopt a way of life that may jeopardize our destiny in Christ. When our aspirations to advance in life align with the standards of our high calling, we make righteous choices that glorify God and attract God's blessings upon our lives and endeavours.

Like I said earlier, worship is at the core of the quest of attaining new heights. God has called us to make Him the priority in this quest. The key index of worship is obedience. We must obey the high calling. We must cease from the schemes and struggles of the rat-race and keep the Sabbath of God (Lev 26:2), that is, we enter the rest of God.

We enter the rest of God when we cease from trying to get accomplished solely through our efforts, schemes, and dependence on our networks, at the detriment of our focus and faith in Christ who is the centre of our high calling and in whom the promise of our inheritance resides (Heb 4:1). There remains, then, a Sabbath — rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their (Israel's) example of #disobedience (Heb 4:9-11).