Set your affection on things above, not on thing on the earth

Col 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Are you risen with Christ?

You can say yes, if you've been buried with Him.

Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Col 2:12  Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

We must be buried with Christ by baptism.

Christ was baptized.

Mat 3:13  Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
Mat 3:14  But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
Mat 3:15  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
Mat 3:16  And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
Mat 3:17  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

John forbade Him. John didn't want to baptize Jesus, why? Because He knew there was no sin in Jesus, He knew that He had no need of repentance. In fact John knew he needed to be baptized BY Jesus.  But Jesus said.. 'Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.'  

Suffer it to be for now-  do it because it will fulfill something that needs to be fulfilled for all righteousness. 

An example was given to us, and not only that, once He was baptized what happened? Something special happened.

Mat 3:16 … the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
Mat 3:17  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased

Jesus was anointed.  Jesus was confirmed. It was a sign and done to be for a sign. This was the beginning of Jesus' ministry.  For 30 years He lived without taking on the full ministry He was born into the world to take on. He'd reached full maturity, He'd reached the age of full manhood, of wisdom. He was declared by God to be His Son and an acceptable son, pleasing God the Father. This declaration was important, without it our Savior could not have received the power of the Holy Spirit in full to do all that His ministry required of Him.

We like to believe that Jesus couldn't have failed.  But if that were true then what did He really accomplish? Putting on a show for the peasant humans? If He didn't feel our pain, if He didn't suffer our temptations, if He didn't live as we live how could He warrant being able to save us? He didn't have to put on a show if He were going to use special God powers of His own to save us. He suffered, truly suffered our humanity. He grew up with normal growing pains of life. He suffered temptations even as He was growing up, from birth to age 30, we ALL know there are a multitude of temptations in life. Jesus kept from sinning, but He wasn't kept from being tempted.  There was NO need for Him to have been born as a human/God child if He were born with magical powers to keep Him from sinning, it makes NO sense at all whatsoever. Why go to all the trouble of being born that way if it really was just for show? Couldn't God have manufactured an adult human body and entered it? Yes. He entered a woman's womb as a seed to grow into an infant.  So, yes, it could have been done differently, but it wasn't because Jesus needed to live the life we live so He could save us as we are. 

We all know and can truly appreciate when we've gone through something very trying- someone being able to tell us they've gone through the same thing. We appreciate the knowledge that what we are going through is something we can survive.  Sure, no people experience something exactly the same, but there are enough similarities to make us truly grateful to know that others understand even in some small way because they've experienced something similar.

Our Savior had to experience HUMANITY in order to save humanity.

If He didn't do things the way He did you can just imagine Satan jumping up and down shouting that Jesus only did it because He had special powers, He had a special edge, He saved humanity not because He loved humanity but because He cheated and only proved He could step in with His overwhelming dictator's power and sacrificed nothing because He couldn't even feel like a REAL human can feel. If He used His special powers, His Creator powers, then what did He really prove other than what He'd already proven at Creation?

Our Savior relied upon God for ALL things, just as we are to rely upon God for ALL things.

When He was baptized there was no dispute over His worthiness up to that point. He was declared acceptable, approved, well pleasing to the Father God.

If Satan were going to denounce His worthiness right then would have been the perfect time, but He remained silent. In fact as soon as the declaration was made Satan determined to test Jesus to the fullest extent when Jesus was suffering from lack of food as He fasted in the wilderness. Right after His baptism, Jesus went into the wilderness and we know He was put to the test by the Evil One who claimed God was unjust. That test was passed by our SAVIOR, who is truly WORTHY.

He was baptized, His old life gone, His new life begun. In His case the new life He was beginning was His ministry, the revelation of the Gospel of the Kingdom to all.

When we are baptized we are killing the old man in us, the flesh man. We are dying to self and rising to live in CHRIST.

Col 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

We are RISEN with Christ and we have to SEEK - we have to live- for those things which are above- where our SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST sits on the right hand of God.

We must live for Christ and when we live for Christ we are living for the Gospel of the Kingdom- heavenly things, not earthly things.  We have a new life, a spiritual life.

Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Do you?

Do you set your affections on things above? On things that are not on earth?

Think about it, because there are way too many who love to preach prosperity here and now, too many deceivers that teach we are to desire earthly treasures.  Too many deceivers that encourage earthly treasures into their own coffers while teaching others to give up theirs- deceivers whose example speaks so much louder than their words.

When we die to self as we are baptized and raised to a new spiritual life when we come up from that watery grave, we are to live for our Savior who is in heaven, setting our affections truly on heavenly things desiring Him above all, above everything upon earth.

All through His grace and mercy may this be possible in US, all through HIM, through HIS LOVE!

Let NO MAN beguile you

Col 2:18  Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
Col 2:19  And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

Vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.

So many people are incredibly puffed up by their fleshly minds. They expound on things they have no business expounding on and they  do so in order to lead people FROM the true worship of our SAVIOR the one and only Head of the body that is HIS, His people.  This is where a lot of our ordinances, a lot of our rituals of worship come into play. We make it so difficult by clouding the truth with men's ideas. To be Christ's was never to be caught up in the truth of MEN. Men who claim we are to worship things other than God when no where are we told to worship those things, NO WHERE.  We are to worship God and God alone.  Why is it dangerous to worship anything other than God? Because Satan has his hand in so many other things. We cannot worship another human being no matter how wonderful they've seemed to live their lives. We aren't to worship any of the Apostles, there isn't a scripture in the Bible telling us to worship them, in fact they'd have been the first to tell others NOT to worship them, not living and certainly not dead.

Act 14:11  And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in the likeness of men.
Act 14:12  And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.
Act 14:13  Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.
Act 14:14  Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out,
Act 14:15  And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? WE ALSO ARE MEN OF LIKE PASSIONS WITH YOU, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein

They were just men. God's chosen apostles, yes, but still just men and NOT worthy of worship. They were men who pointed to the RISEN CHRIST, they were men who pointed to the LIVING GOD- the maker of heaven, earth, sea, and all in them.  We are not to worship any others and yet we have many, many religions whose teachings not only advocate the worshipping of those men, but demand such worship.

There is no wondering why we are told NOT to let men beguile us.   We are told this because they WILL BEGUILE US if we let them, if we aren't strong in the truth of God.

We are ONLY nourished in Christ and if we are finding our spiritual sustenance in any other we are deceived, we are beguiled.


Col 2:20  Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
Col 2:21  (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
Col 2:22  Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
Col 2:23  Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

The commandments and doctrines of men are such that will lead us FROM God not closer to HIM, all the while we will be deceived into believing we are truly getting closer to God. Such deception, such powerful deception and all who do not truly desire the truth in Christ WILL be allowed the deception. We decide, and when we decide we have NO one to blame for our decision. If we choose men and their teachings over God and His teachings then we will have to answer for that. We can blame another all we want and yes, the deceivers will get their deserved punishment, but that will NOT make you any less guilty of choosing to believe their deceitful ways rather than the truth of God.

The commandments and doctrines of men- do you know whether or not the doctrines and commandments you are following are of God or of men? Can you truly say you are following Christ when you are following a lot of church doctrines that are not given by Christ at all?

All too often when people are told they are following the commandments of men and not the commandments of God they shake their heads and think the person telling them are crazy. They don't want to study to show themselves approved unto God, a workmen rightly dividing the word of truth.  (2Ti 2:15) They would rather study man's reasoning not God's. They would rather holdfast to traditions handed down from generation to generation than holdfast to God's traditions handed down from the creation of the world. They would rather do this because to do otherwise would upset their whole belief system, it would require a sacrifice of beliefs that were once held very dear and thought to be true. 

God or man? We will be asked to choose between the two and the man will be cleverly disguised as God, but those who sincerely desire truth will be able to tell the difference between the false and the true.

May God help us to be among those desiring ONLY the TRUTH, not among those who would rather be deceived. Please LORD, help us to be truly YOURS and only YOURS.

All through Christ and HIS righteousness, HIS love.

The body is of Christ

Col 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Col 2:15  And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Col 2:16  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Col 2:17  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

The handwriting of ordinances- nailed to the cross of our Savior.
Principalities and powers- spoiled, triumphed over.
We CANNOT JUDGE- in ANYTHING- especially in anything related to the ordinances.

The ORDINANCES pointed to our SAVIOR.

To hold fast to that which points towards something, once that something has arrived is contrary to it all, isn't it? A woman still acting pregnant after the babe  has arrived would be considered looney, wouldn't she? Waiting for a package that has already arrived in the mail would be ludicrous.  When something you wait for arrives and passes, you do NOT continue to behave as if it hasn't arrived, it's that simple.

The Messiah came as predicted and ALL that pointed to Him within the SANCTUARY service was no longer valid because the entire sanctuary service pointed towards the coming of our Messiah. The ORDINANCES were NAILED to the cross- NOT THE TEN MORAL COMMANDMENTS! This is a huge mistake  many people make. The CEREMONIAL LAW was fulfilled and NAILED to the cross because the ceremonial law pointed to the ultimate SACRIFICE our SAVIOR.

A shadow of the coming SAVIOR.

The moral law was NEVER a shadow, not ever.

Our Savior embodied and embodies the ten MORAL laws.

NEVER will there exist a time when any of the ten moral laws will be okay to break, never. The LOVE they were created out of will exist for all time.  Even in the NEW heavens and earth they will be lived because we will ALL keep them automatically in the pure love of CHRIST JESUS OUR SAVIOR.

Our Savior is our EVERYTHING, not our something, not our part- but our ALL.

The body is of CHRIST.

We find our life in CHRIST.

We LIVE in CHRIST.

We can't live as if He didn't come, as if He didn't live, as if He wasn't our Savior, as if He wasn't the Son of God. They have movies and books all about the good man Jesus was, the prophet He was, but then they deny His Godhood. Then you have those who try to make Jesus into one who could NEVER have ever sinned, ruining the sacrifice He made in taking on our flesh to prove that keeping God's laws, keeping his moral ten commandments in full, was possible.

The truth is in God's Word, the truth is in the Son of God. The body truly is of CHRIST and no other.

In HIS LOVE.

Risen with him through the faith

Col 2:12  Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Col 2:13  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses

We are truly buried WITH Christ in baptism.

Baptism signifies the death of our UNCONVERTED life.  Beneath the water that symbolic death, that drowning takes place. The true believer in Christ understands this. The dip in the water isn't for fun, it isn't for anyone's amusement, it isn't done on a whim.  It isn't done lightly without fore thought. We are to acknowledge WHY we are choosing to be baptized, because it is that, a choice. If you get baptized because someone tells you that you should but you don't have the real conviction of it yourself then it means nothing. If you do it lightly without forethought, if you do it to follow the crowd then it is done for no reason at all, it's completely ineffective.

Our lives before we accept our Savior are lost in sin. Once we accept our Savior we bury that old life, the life that did not choose to be saved. We put off the old man. We ask for forgiveness for ALL our past sins, and trust in God to forgive us as we truly repent, truly hate that we sinned and in that sin warranted a death sentence. We hate that our sins caused the torture and death of God's Son. We desire to walk in the new life with CHRIST JESUS as our SAVIOR.

Read the following...

Eph 4:21  If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
Eph 4:22  That ye PUT OFF concerning the former conversation the OLD MAN, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the NEW MAN, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Col 3:5  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
Col 3:6  For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
Col 3:7  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
Col 3:8  But now ye also PUT OFF all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Col 3:9  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have PUT OFF the OLD MAN WITH HIS DEEDS;
Col 3:10  And have PUT ON THE NEW MAN, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Act 22:16  And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Gal 3:27  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Col 2:12  Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Col 2:13  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses

We are truly burying our old life in the depths of the water we sink under. And just as we are burying that old life we are given a NEW life, we rise in CHRIST through the faith of God the Father who raised His son from the dead.

We who were dead in our sins without any hope. We who were uncircumcised in the flesh are brought to LIFE with CHRIST because HE FORGIVES us ALL our SINS!

We must believe this, we MUST have hope in CHRIST.

We have to believe the REALITY of our old life dying.
We have to believe the REALITY of our new life in Christ.

These are truths we cannot ignore, truths we cannot afford to ever forget. We must live in the new life with Christ as our HOPE, with the HOLY SPIRIT as our promised comforter.

Please LORD help us to comprehend Your WILL for us.

All through YOUR LOVE!
Your MERCY!

And please, comfort my relatives up north who are mourning the loss of a beloved, young man--  son, grandson, nephew, brother-- 25 year old Michael Paul, who died tragically in a motorcycle accident this morning. Please let them take comfort in YOU as Michael sleeps now, and by YOUR grace awakens when YOU return for YOUR people very soon.

Thank you LORD, for your merciful love and for giving us the hope of a new, better life found only IN YOU.

Amen.

Circumcision made without hands

Col 2:11  In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ

Circumcision that rite given to Abraham by God to seal the covenant He was making with the Israelites. A rite that would stand for God's chosen people. If a man were circumcised this proved he belonged to those who belonged to God. A babe, a male child circumcised eight days after the child's birth- this rite was a dedication of that child to God's chosen family, by those who were already established to be God's.  Now when Abraham was first given this sign of the covenant it was really rather gruesome for adult males to suffer though but they did it to prove they were God's chosen. Such a sign was NOT readily visible to others, it was a private sign between God and His. It wasn't meant to be shown off, it wasn't meant to be put on display.  This covenant sign was truly an amazing sign, not barbaric, not unnecessary, not the sign of a blood thirsty God. 

Man continued to disobey God even after their near total annihilation in the flood.  Yet God found one man worthy to carry on the human race and he did so. The blood line of those who truly dedicate themselves to God was continued and ultimately as time went on and the human race multiplied, it was time for God to separate His people from those who did not want to be His people. Abraham was found worthy just as Noah had been. Abraham declared His allegiance to God, and while the sacrifice of animals was indicative of the ultimate sacrifice of the innocent Lamb of God, the sacrifice of his own was necessary, a personal sacrifice.  This sacrifice was made in circumcision.

Why was a sacrifice necessary? Because sin separate man from God and all the signs and covenants made from that moment on were those looking towards the ULTIMATE sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God's  Only Begotten son.  The covenant were put in place to reveal God to man through those covenants and what those faulty covenants couldn't do fully, Christ did in His life, His death, and His life again.

We are called to live for Christ, for the ultimate Sacrifice that was made, past tense. We are not looking to the future for a sacrifice to be made, but we are looking for the results of that Sacrifice to come to pass.

The new covenant in our SAVIOR did away with the old ceremonial covenant that pointed to our SAVIOR'S life, death, and life once more.

The Apostles had a big to do over whether or not the covenant sign of circumcision should be continued, ultimately it was decided that the hidden covenant symbol was no longer necessary because a man's LIFE would symbolize the Savior's and the new covenant in HIM.

Man's life! No tiny symbolic gesture was needed because that symbolic circumcision did NOT guarantee a man was keeping the covenant he was called to keep. His flesh may have been cut as a child, but the choices he would make in his life would determine his faith in God.

Read this--

Rom 2:25  For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
Rom 2:26  Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
Rom 2:27  And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

A circumcised man is made UNCIRCUMSIZED if he breaks the law. Does that grow back the cut flesh? No. But the heart flesh that was to go hand in hand with the symbolic gesture was absent. A life dedicated to God- flesh cut or not- if a life was dedicated to God and then that person betrays all the truths of God's moral law, then that person is NOT God's.

If a man who is uncircumcised kept the righteousness of God's moral law then He in his heart was circumcised,  dedicated to God.

The law of God, the covenant of God the two were to go hand in hand- the covenant of circumcision did NOT automatically guarantee a man righteousness towards God. It was however - a symbolic gesture that would forever be a reminder of His covenant to God made by His ancestors back to Abraham.  Even if he decided to disobey God, to transgress God's law, that circumcised flesh would forever remind Him of where he was supposed to be in relationship to God.

Col 2:11  In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ

A circumcision made without hands- NO human cutting the flesh of another.
The circumcision made without hands- cutting off the sins in our lives- the body of sins of the flesh- by the circumcision of Christ.

Through Christ we are all circumcised from the sin in our lives. We must put off the sins in our lives through CHRIST. We must allow HIM to work in us to rid us of the sins in our lives.

Please Lord may we all receive the circumcision made without hands.

All through YOU! All in YOUR LOVE!

Complete ONLY in HIM

Col 2:8  ... Christ.
Col 2:9  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

The fullness of the Godhead bodily.

God in the flesh.

Our Savior was born into the flesh of humanity, divesting Himself of His divinity to take on our flesh inclined towards sin. He lived a perfect, sinless life devoted to the Father in heaven, relying on the Father for ALL things, doing NOTHING without Him.

Luk 10:22  All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

Joh 5:19  Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

Joh 12:49  For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

Joh 12:50  And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

Joh 14:10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Joh 5:30  I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

In our SAVIOR the FULNESS of the GODHEAD was born into flesh. Our Savior showed us the FATHER through HIS own life. You could NOT see our Savior and NOT see God the Father in all that He was doing. It was all by the will of GOD. 

If our Savior had taken on the flesh as God with all God's power to overcome sin, using special ways to defeat Satan then He would NOT have proven that we can overcome sin through HIM. He took on our flesh to PROVE that sin could be overcome by complete and total reliance upon God the Father and He succeeded.  Once He succeeded He was RAISED from the dead uncorrupted brought back to life given back the breath - given back the spirit breath that left Him when He died upon the cross. He did DIE. He wasn't in a coma, He wasn't in some special sort of sleep death reserved only for God. He died JUST LIKE YOU AND I DIE. He tasted death for US. Real death as a human being, a PERFECT, SINLESS human being, the Son of GOD who came to redeem us to HIM by living such a life and suffering so much.

Heb 2:14  Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
Heb 2:16  For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.
Heb 2:17  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Heb 2:18  For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

He was raised up and set at the right hand of His Father. He was raised up and forever able to live as God with God, only He retains His flesh- the incorruptible flesh that we too will receive one day if we have faith in Him and His love, His righteousness, His forgiveness. 

Our Savior in a body of flesh lived in PERFECT harmony with the FATHER, with that FULNESS that was God and is God and has always been God. 

Col 2:10  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power

We are COMPLETE only in HIM and NO OTHER!

Our Savior the head of all principality and power. In Him is LIFE now and LIFE everlasting.

We might suffer now, and we are told we will suffer and we do suffer just by being human beings born into sinful flesh- that alone causes us to suffer. We will suffer now and yet we live with the full assurance of salvation found in our SAVIOR.  We suffer and as we suffer we KNOW that we have HOPE in GOD, a very real HOPE. We have FAITH, a very real FAITH that will be realized one day and all this suffering from the worst possible suffering there is to the least possible suffering will be gone forever!

We can be complete in CHRIST and only in CHRIST. We are NEVER complete in just ourselves, never. And most people on some level know this. They realize that there is an emptiness, a longing, a need to hope that this is NOT all there is to life. When that hope is allowed to flourish and Christ is allowed to come into our lives through the Holy Spirit, we begin to live, really live knowing one day everything will change. When we don't let that hope live, when we crush that hope and kill it, we deprive ourselves of life everlasting.

Living with HOPE is life. That is, living with the HOPE of JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD and SAVIOR, is LIFE now and LIFE EVERLASTING.

We are complete in CHRIST.

Please Lord, live in US, the Hope of glory, the Hope of salvation, the Hope, the only real Hope we have.

PRAISE GOD!

All glory to God!

Beware

Col 2:8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Spoiled-  to LEAD away from the TRUTH.

People will try their best to lead you away from the TRUTH.

People will lead you away through-

PHILOSOPHY
VAIN DECEIT
TRADITIONS of MEN
RUDIMENTS of the WORLD

NOT AFTER CHRIST!

Do any of those things sound familiar to you? We all grow up learning about philosophy- right? We learn that various people have various philosophies they follow. One person's philosophies might be different than another's. Some study the various philosophies and then become followers of the ones or one they like the most. 

'Philosophy is the study of existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language.' (wiki)

Some philosophers-

    Thomas Aquinas
    Aristotle
    Augustine
    Francis Bacon
    Rene Descartes
    Lao Tzu
    Friedrich Nietzsche
    Plato
    Ayn Rand
    Jean Jacques Rousseau
    Benedict de Spinoza
   
Some of these names are familiar to you, others not so much. Each one of these people had their OWN ideas about life and often times led OTHERS to take up their ideas and believe them, follow them. People following the ideas of MEN, rather than GOD. This is something we CANNOT do, follow MEN and their ideas no matter how wonderful they can make things seem. They come up with their ideas and entice others to them and led them NOT in the way everlasting. 

Vain deceit.

Vain- devoid of truth, empty.
Deceit- leading one to falsehood, away from the truth.

Spoiled- led away from the truth by things that have NO truth in them, in beliefs that are empty, by falsehoods, by lies.  People love to believe lies because they soothe their conscience. Lies tell us that it's fine to sin, lies tell us that we don't have to resist sin, lies tell us that we are only human and therefore that gives us the excuse to sin, lies tell us that we are NOT obligated to keep the commandments of God, lies fill us with so much that we grow to love them rather than truth because they comfort us in our sins. Truth makes us face the reality of our sinfulness and tells us that we need to REPENT and ask forgiveness, not make excuses.

Traditions of men.

There are many, many traditions that MAN has made up and covered them over in a lacquer coating of godliness so they can pull them off as God's traditions but they are nothing more than LIES. Traditions of men. Not ordained by God. Traditions that fill the lives of people who think they are doing what God would have them do, but it's not what God wants at all. It's what men want. These traditions of men are DEADLY to the truth. We are to BEWARE of these traditions. We can get caught up in them thinking God is in them but He's no where near them at all. When you try to explain some of the traditions people get very offended and take up the defensive. They hold fast to their traditions because to believe that people - that they - could be so duped and for so long, just goes against everything they want to comprehend. Is it any wonder we are told to beware of traditions men create? Those traditions have the power to deceive and that deception has the power to lead people astray, to lead them to destruction, not life.

 Rudiments of the world.

People get stuck in the basics and never advance and being caught up in the rudiments of the world is to be caught up in the groundwork- the beginning of things- never advancing further into the truth. How many people holdfast to their beliefs because they have been passed down from generation to generation and NOT a single generation has care to grow in truth, but rather stick with the same old thing.  Holding fast to the truth is a good thing, as long as it's a truth that is guiding you, not stunting you. The world is ruled by Satan and he has filled it with many, many lies to placate people into his beliefs. People don't want to think about that because it unsettles them. They don't want to believe that the things they've held onto forever might need something more. The Jewish people did NOT believe in Jesus as God's Son, they held fast to their old truths not wanting to grow in grace and knowledge of the LORD.  Today many people hold fast to the beginning of their conversion and never grow, never get past  drinking the milk of babes to the meat that our Savior would have us take in.

Col 2:8  Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

People will lead you astray, the only way to truth is in CHRIST through HIS word to us. If you do NOT study the word of God for yourself but rely on others to do it for you, then you will be opening yourself up to believing LIES. You have to study God's word for yourself! Pray and study, pray and study!  We cannot stand before God and say, it's their fault they told me it was the truth.  God requires us to study for ourselves, not follow other men and their beliefs no matter how wonderful they sound, no matter how Godly they sound.  We have to take every belief to the Bible, to the true word of God and study to know whether it truly is all truth.

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

We have to do this, we are accountable to God, to do this.

And…

We have to BEWARE of those who would lead us astray.  They won't come bearing signs or shouting, telling us that they are leading us astray. They will deceive us, lie to us, fool us, trick us, all the while making us believe they are right with God and following His truth. It's up to us to BEWARE.

All by the grace of GOD.
All through HIS love may we NOT be led astray!
Help us to beware!
Guide us to ALL TRUTH!

Established in Christ

Col 2:5  For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.

Absent in the flesh - with you in the spirit.

Paul DID NOT separate himself into two beings- a flesh being and a spirit being- and let His spirit being fly over to those he was writing to and walk among them in a spirit body. Paul was with them in THE SPIRIT.  We know what this means, all of us know because we've all had functions we've wished we could attend but for one reason or another we were unable to do so. However we've still celebrated in our hearts, in our spirit with those celebrating far away, and we've still mourned with those mourning. We've been able to SHARE in the situation because we a part of that situation even if we are NOT actually there in the flesh. Our heart, our being is a part of it all connecting with others in the spirit.

Have you ever heard the words- 'In the spirit of things'? Or 'get into the spirit of it'? You know what's implied by those words and it most assuredly isn't someone telling you to separate your flesh being from your spirit being and animate that spirit being in some way that will make you actually be present. The truth of the matter is… without the spirit in our flesh being we don't continue to live. God breathed into man the breath of life-the spirit, and man BECAME a living soul. Until that spirit - that breath was given to man the body was lifeless.  The spiritual part of us that makes us able to be God's is God given. When we die we are told- the breath (the spirit) goes back to God who gave it.

Ecc 12:7  Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

That animating breath of life returns to God, the person doesn't fly off in a spirit body and return to God.

That's why this can be said--

Ecc 9:5  For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

The dead know not any thing.

The dead do not separate into a spirit being- as Angels are spirit beings- as evil angels are spirit beings- as God is a spirit being. 

Joh 4:24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

We were created as human beings- flesh and spirit combined- not separate. That's why this too can be said…

1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1Co 15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1Co 15:54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

The dead (people) will be raised INCORRUPTIBLE, and we shall be CHANGED.

Our flesh will no longer be of the sort that will decay. We will be changed- then- not now, not upon our deaths but only when we are RAISED from the graves at the LAST TRUMP-that is when we are CHANGED. We do not split into two beings- flesh and spirit upon death as so many want to believe. We go to our graves knowing nothing until our SAVIOR sounds that LAST TRUMP, then we are RAISED from our graves.

So when we speak of being with someone in the spirit- we are in agreement with them in their situation, our hearts are with them, our thoughts are with them, our beliefs are with them.

Col 2:5  For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
Col 2:6  As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

Joying.
Beholding your order.
Beholding your stedfastness of faith in CHRIST.

Steadfast -

Stedfast (Webster Dictionary)
STEADFAST, STEDFAST, a. [stead and fast.]

1. Fast fixed; firm; firmly fixed or established; as the stedfast globe of earth.

2. Constant; firm; resolute; not fickle or wavering.


Faith without wavering is a stedfast faith.

Heb 10:23  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him-

How did you receive Christ Jesus the Lord?

That first moment of belief, where your heart swelled with understanding, with love, pure love, knowing you have an advocate, you have ONE pleading on your behalf, ONE who forgives you of all your evil, all your sins, all your faults. Do you remember when that comprehension came to you?  We are to NEVER lose our first love of JESUS, never!

Rev 2:4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

We cannot leave our first love, not ever! He must be REAL to us always! His love must be real to us!

Col 2:7  Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Rooted.
Built up.
Established.
Thankful.

Our love of our Savior isn't to be superficial. Our love for our Savior isn't to be something we pull out of the closet for holidays, funerals, weddings, baptisms. Our love for our Savior isn't to be something we use only when convenient, when the skies are blue, or the darkest gray. We have to be rooted in our SAVIOR. He has to be an INTEGRAL part of our every day life, the source from whom we choose to live. Seriously! He must be the reason we live. He gave us life and we must live for Him, because He is the TRUE WAY, the TRUE LIFE. Our lives here are so overwhelmed with problems big and small. We cannot believe that this world truly is the home we were intended for, it's not.

We have to be rooted, finding all our spiritual living nutrients in the life of our Savior. We have to be built up. Our lives need to be one of constant growth, ever growing closer to our God. We have to be built up in Christ, never thinking we've achieved the spiritual heights necessary but always knowing we can and must be forever built up in Christ. Established, set firmly in our LORD. We cannot set our lives firmly any where else. When we choose to allow our lives to be established on anything other than Christ we can't be surprised with our lives fall apart around up and we're left with nothing of substance. Thankful, forever THANKFUL for the LOVE of God towards US as undeserving as we are. We cannot ever grow arrogant, we cannot ever believe that we do not have to be thankful towards our God. Even if our lives are falling apart- we need to be thankful for the mere fact we are alive and able to LOVE God, able to LOVE our SAVIOR and in that LOVE find life eternal, a life beyond what we can ever imagine.  We aren't promised goodness here, we are not promised a pain free existence, we are not promised the love of others- we are only PROMISED salvation in our SAVIOR and for that wonderful promise we must be thankful, ever thankful!

Col 2:7  Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

All through HIM, all by HIM, all in HIS LOVE!

By HIS GRACE, MERCY, RIGHTEOUSNESS!

Perilous times

Perilous times shall come. (ARE HERE RIGHT NOW- Read the following and tell me this doesn't describe the majority of humanity today.)

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves  (SELFISH, ARROGANT, CONCEITED, EGOCENTRIC)

2Ti 3:2  ...covetous (WANTING ENVIOUSLY WHAT OTHERS POSSESS)

2Ti 3:2 ...boasters (GLORIFYING ONESELF PRIDEFULLY)

 2Ti 3:2 ...proud (SELF PRAISING)

 2Ti 3:2 ...blasphemers (DISRESPECTING GOD)

 2Ti 3:2 ...disobedient to parents (REBELLIOUS TOWARDS PARENTS)

 2Ti 3:2 ...unthankful (UNGRATEFUL)

 2Ti 3:2 ...unholy (UNGODLY)

2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection (FORCED AFFECTION)

 2Ti 3:3 ...trucebreakers (PEACE BREAKERS, INSTIGATORS)

2Ti 3:3 ...false accusers (LIARS)

2Ti 3:3 ...incontinent (LACKING SELF-CONTROL)

2Ti 3:3 ...fierce (HOSTILE)

2Ti 3:3 ...despisers of those that are good (TRUE HATERS)

2Ti 3:4  Traitors (BETRAYERS)

2Ti 3:4 …heady (FULL OF SELF)

2Ti 3:4 ...highminded (ARROGANT)

2Ti 3:4 …lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God (SELFISH, HEDONISTIC)

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof (PRETENDERS)

... from such turn away.

2Ti 3:6  For of this sort are they which creep into houses

2Ti 3:6 ...and lead captive silly women laden with sins

2Ti 3:6 ...led away with divers lusts

2Ti 3:7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2Ti 3:8  Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses…

2Ti 3:8 ...so do these also resist the truth

2Ti 3:8 ….men of corrupt mind

2Ti 3:8 ...reprobate concerning the faith.

2Ti 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse,

2Ti 3:13 ...deceiving,

2Ti 3:13 ...and being deceived.

This is TRUTH.

Who can deny this truth? We are living in a world full of the above. We are guilty ourselves of the above. Maybe not every last evil but we struggle with the evil flesh we possess. We HAVE to struggle. It's when we give up the struggle and allow the evil to take over that we've lost. When we delight in the evil flesh tendencies that seem so incredibly dominant inside us, this is when we've lost. When we lose sight of the evil within our flesh and begin to call our evils good, this is when we've lost. Only by the miraculous power of God through the Holy Spirit will we ever be saved from such a state. And once we are pulled from the awful depths of the evil flesh tendencies threatening to overcome us fully, we cannot BY THE GRACE OF GOD, WE CANNOT give in to our flesh, no longer fighting the spiritual battle, we have to FIGHT! We have to recognize the evil and seek forgiveness! We have to STOP excusing the evil, we have to stop pretending the evil isn't evil, we have to stop trying to comprehend all the whys and wherefores and simply fall on our knees and beg forgiveness from the only source that can forgive us fully of our sinfulness-- Christ Jesus our Lord, our Savior!

We cannot control anyone else. We cannot stop the evil sinfulness from spreading its curse far and wide, destroying more and more people. Too many do not want to see, they love their spiritual blindness because it doesn't call for any real self sacrifice at all. As long as those blinders are on tight they don't have to concern themselves with self denying, only fill themselves with selfishness, selfish desires, selfish pleasures, self-serving. And as long as they are completely absorbed in themselves to the exclusion of God, to the exclusion of real, true love, they pretend they are happy. Their happiness is a delusion because they've been deceived into believing their happiness is what matters, but it doesn't, not at all. Our happiness is the last thing that matters here in this world and Jesus' life made that perfectly clear, His life was one of sacrifice, He was our Great Example! An example so few truly want to follow with all their heart, mind, body, spirit.

Please LORD help us! Save us in these perilous times! Keep us IN YOU!

Through YOUR grace! Your MERCY! YOUR LOVE! YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS!

ALL IN YOU, THROUGH YOU, FOR YOU!

A treasure worth more than any other

Col 2:2  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
Col 2:3  In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Col 2:4  And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

Love and ALL RICHES-

RICHES OF the FULL ASSURANCE-

the FULL ASSURANCE of UNDERSTANDING-

the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of the MYSTERY of GOD, and of the FATHER, and of CHRIST.

All the TREASURES of WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE are HID in GOD- they are HID in the FATHER and they are HID in CHRIST.

Christ came and revealed the Father to us.

Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Joh 14:4  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Joh 14:5  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7  IF YE HAD KNOWN ME YE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN MY FATHER ALSO AND FROM HENCEFORTH YE KNOW HIM AND HAVE SEEN HIM.
Joh 14:8  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
Joh 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, HAVE I BEEN SO LONG TIME WITH YOU AND YET HAST THOU NOT KNOWN ME PHILIP? HE THAT HATH SEEN ME HATH SEEN THE FATHER how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
Joh 14:10  BELIEVEST THOU NOT THAT I AM IN THE FATHER AND THE FATHER IN ME? THE WORDS THAT I SPEAK UNTO YOU I SPEAK NOT OF MYSELF BUT THE FATHER THAT DWELLETH IN ME HE DOETH THE WORKS.
Joh 14:11  BELIEVE ME THAT I AM IN THE FATHER AND THE FATHER IN ME or else believe me for the very works' sake.
Joh 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Joh 14:13  And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Joh 14:17  Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
Joh 14:18  I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Joh 14:19  Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
Joh 14:20  At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Joh 14:22  Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
Joh 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Joh 14:24  He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.
Joh 14:25  These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
Joh 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Joh 14:27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Joh 14:28  Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
Joh 14:29  And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
Joh 14:30  Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
Joh 14:31  But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

All the TREASURES of WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE are HID in GOD- they are HID in the FATHER and they are HID in CHRIST.

Treasures of wisdom.
Treasures of knowledge.

 Do we honestly believe that wisdom is something to be treasured, that knowledge is a treasure? We are so fixated on worldly treasures we have lost sight of true treasures. We feel rich when we have money, when we have jewels, houses, cars, electronics, amusements but do we feel rich when we have knowledge and wisdom? Do we feel overwhelmingly rich because we have the knowledge and wisdom of Salvation in our Savior? We should.

We lament our lack of worldly possessions. We moan and groan about our sad state of affairs. We cry over our lack of finances and believe all is lost when we can barely survive. Our logic tells us it's a very good time to despair when we have nothing and are at our end. Yet if we TRULY believe in our SAVIOR then we know even at our very end we have the HOPE of SALVATION which is a treasure worth more than ANY worldly treasure in existence.

Do we believe this?!

I saw the movie, Prometheus, today and in the movie *spoilers ahead* a woman wears a cross and talks about her faith just a bit- she believes in God. An android questions her belief and she says 'IT'S WHAT SHE CHOOSES to BELIEVE', and that settled it for her. I'm paraphrasing of course, but that's the gist of it. The movie goes on to try and dispel that God created man on earth- that alien beings did. And then one of the characters say- but who created the aliens.  So, the question I asked before this paragraph was--

Do we believe this?! Do we CHOOSE to believe that the HOPE of SALVATION found in JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD, is the greatest treasure we can ever possess in our lives? Do we believe? And if we do not believe that, why don't we? It's the TRUTH.

Knit together in love

Col 2:1  For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
Col 2:2  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
Col 2:3  In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Col 2:4  And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

Hearts comforted-knit together in love.
Unto ALL riches of the FULL assurance of understanding.
To the acknowledgment of the MYSTERY of GOD, and of the FATHER, and of CHRIST-
In WHOM are HID ALL the TREASURES of WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE.

THIS is TRUTH.

There will be enticing words spoken by others, very ENTICING words that are meant to beguile us from the truth in our SAVIOR. Words meant to confuse us so that we do NOT get the FULL assurance of understanding.

Hearts can be KNIT together in love. A common love, a love that comes from the fount of love- our Savior. Throughout history men have been drawn to certain leaders that have given them such focus so that men would lay down their lives for these leaders. The love they have for these leaders is tremendous and they'd seriously take a bullet for them rather than see them harmed. They've believed these men so amazing, so worthy of their love and devotion that they cannot imagine a life without them in it. They can't imagine others not loving them the same. And these are mere men who are garnering the affection of the masses. Men who are fallible and have great faults that are overlooked for their charismatic genius. It would be easy to actually say that a group of followers had their love for their leader knitting their hearts into a wholeness. Their common bond was that leader and without that leader there would be no need for the knitting togetherness. In fact, if that leader falls especially unexpectedly, often the whole group simply falls apart as if the knitted stitches came apart, unraveling so there was no longer a whole anything, but simply nothing.  This is true in our history and we know it to be so. With facts of that sort established it's very, very easy to comprehend how the followers of Christ could have themselves knit together in love through our SAVIOR.

Love was, is, and will always be the entirety of our God. Everything God is love, because GOD is love. For us to be knit together in love truly means being knit together by God. This truly gives us the RICHES of the FULL ASSURANCE of UNDERSTANDING, to the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the MYSTERY of GOD, and of the FATHER, and of CHRIST.

Love.

In WHOM are HID ALL the TREASURES of WISDOM and KNOWLEDGE.

Do you want wisdom? Do you want knowledge? All the treasures of such come from God, they come from love.

We are just too stuck on our selves to love selflessly. Too much of our day is spent worshiping at the altar of self.  We need to grow closer to Christ because that is the ONLY way to lose the selfish part in us.

To the acknowledgment of the MYSTERY of GOD, and of the FATHER, and of CHRIST

This is our LIFE- LIVING the Mystery of GOD. Living the Mystery of the FATHER. Living the Mystery of CHRIST.

The mystery is their love expressed in their sacrifice. Make NO mistake- our Father God sacrificed- He felt the pain His only BEGOTTEN Son endured. When that great separation came at the cross there was pain felt in every heavenly being. The emptiness, the loss was felt and it was REAL, very real. The enormity of what had been done was something that would NEVER, could NEVER be forgotten. This was something that had to be realized in all the lives of those who would belong to God.

More tomorrow by the grace of God!

The mystery hid from the ages

Col 1:26  Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Col 1:28  Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Col 1:29  Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

The mystery.

The following are only some of the verses on the word mystery.

This mystery was HID for generations, it was Hid for  a LONG LONG time. Hid in the sense it was as yet unrealized, it was not manifested. The mystery existed in its hidden form since our time began because we were not privy to God's plans. We are given all that we need to know, nothing that we need to know in order to be GOD'S is hidden from us, and it never has been. And even though we are allowed to know all we need does not mean that there are not mysteries. 

The miracle, virgin birth of our SAVIOR, of God becoming flesh is a mystery. Our Savior, our God sacrificing Himself for us is a mystery we can scarcely comprehend, yet we He was manifested and gave to us so much in order that we may comprehend enough to know Him, to know salvation in HIM. If we refuse the knowledge He has given us we will have to answer for that.

Mar 4:11  And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables

Rom 16:25  Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
Rom 16:26  But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
Rom 16:27  To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

1Co 2:7  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory

Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 1:8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Eph 1:9  Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself

Eph 3:3  How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Eph 3:4  Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
Eph 3:5  Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
Eph 3:6  That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Eph 3:7  Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
Eph 3:8  Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ
Eph 3:9  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Eph 3:10  To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph 3:11  According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord

Eph 5:32  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

Eph 6:19  And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel

Col 2:2  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ

Col 4:3  Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds

1Ti 3:9  Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience

1Ti 3:16  And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory

Rev 10:7  But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets

The mystery of God should be finished.

Salvation WILL be realized.
The end of the world as we know it, WILL be realized.
Death WILL be no more.
Satan WILL be no more.
Life WILL be everlasting in our SAVIOR.

These are all facts. 

These are all things that WILL come to pass and once they have come to pass the MYSTERY of God will be finished, it will be COMPLETE! The death that our sinless SAVIOR suffered on the cross to pay the price for us will have been vindicated in the SALVATION of all those that are His.

Please LORD help us be YOURS, all by YOUR grace, YOUR righteousness, YOUR love! Help us to understand the MYSTERY of YOU, of the GOSPEL, of YOUR LOVE.

Rejoice in suffering

Col 1:23  ...whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
Col 1:25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God

REJOICE in SUFFERING.
AFFLICTIONS endured because of our belief in CHRIST and HIS TRUTH.

There is suffering in being a Christian and anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is sadly mistaken. When we think of suffering however we very seldom think of joy or rejoicing. The last thing a person truly feels like doing when they are suffering is be happy, yet time and time again people will put on that smile because they know to do otherwise is to perhaps upset another - a loved one, a child. People have been beaten black and blue and yet they'll still smile if they feel a sense of purpose behind the beating. You've seen it during boxing matches, haven't you? The winner - even though still suffering the pain of the fight- will grin, will laugh, will cheer despite their suffering. The survivor of something awful might feel a sense of victory because they did in fact survive despite the awful things they've suffered. We see this in life and while it's not something that will occur without fail all the time, it does happen. So we KNOW it happens, we know that joy in suffering is possible, if not common, and not something anyone wants- suffering.

Let's read more verses on what Paul is talking about here- this suffering, the afflictions- all because of our belief in Christ.

*

Mat 5:11  BLESSED are ye, when men shall REVILE you, and PERSECUTE you, and shall say all manner of EVIL against you FALSELY, for my sake.
Mat 5:12  REJOICE, and be EXCEEDING GLAD: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Act 5:41  And they departed from the presence of the council, REJOICING that they were counted worthy to SUFFER SHAME for his name.

Rom 5:3  And not only so, but we GLORY in TRIBULATIONS also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience

Eph 3:13  Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my TRIBULATIONS for you, which is your GLORY.

Php 2:17  Yea, and if I be offered upon the SACRIFICE and service of your faith, I joy, and REJOICE with you all.
Php 2:18  For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.

2Co 1:5  For as the SUFFERINGS of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
2Co 1:6  And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
2Co 1:7  And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the SUFFERINGS, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
2Co 1:8  For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we DESPAIRED EVEN OF LIFE

2Co 11:23  Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
2Co 11:24  Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
2Co 11:25  Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
2Co 11:26  In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
2Co 11:27  In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.

2Ti 1:8  Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but BE THOU PARTAKER of the AFFLICTIONS of the gospel according to the power of God

2Ti 2:9  Wherein I SUFFER trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.
2Ti 2:10  Therefore I ENDURE all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.


Do all these verses make being a follower of Christ sound like something painless?

Yet we have church pews filled with people who believe they shouldn't have to suffer at all in any way. We are NOT all called to be ministers, or preachers, or prophets, or missionaries. We are NOT all called to suffer the same, but honestly living a life for Christ means NOT living for ourselves, not living selfishly. When we are called NOT to live selfishly and that usually involves giving up self. When we give up self we are sacrificing. When we sacrifice we might not feel a physical pain but there is a certain amount of emotional and mental suffering. We do NOT have to LIKE receiving pain, we do NOT have to LIKE sacrificing- however when we are called to suffer we are told we should REJOICE.  WE CAN rejoice just like that painfully beaten boxing champ. He might hate the physical pain he has to endure, every single blow to his face a new blast of agony, he doesn't LIKE the pain, but he REJOICES because of the ultimate victory. We too must rejoice at our ULTIMATE victory- ETERNAL LIFE! We must rejoice at the PROMISE we are given for ETERNAL LIFE.  We have to learn to recognize our suffering and our reaction to it because if we don't we can't learn to rejoice knowing the reward that will be ours.

Paul could endure all He did because HE believed in the reward, he believed in the PROMISE, he believed in Jesus Christ our LORD, OUR SAVIOR! Only because of that belief could He rejoice. He didn't have to like the pain of his trials and tribulation, but in spite of the pain He could be happy.

Do we have the knowledge we need? Do we have the faith we need? Do we have the hope we need? Do we have what we need to recognize in our strange modern lives, out of touch with the persecuted Christian's whose governments and societies allow, or turn a blind eye to their torture?  If we are living in a world, in our own little existence, without that sort of suffering we have to know that the suffering will come in other ways, or perhaps we aren't sacrificing any part of our self at all for anything, in any way, let alone for our Savior.

By His grace and mercy may we be enlightened by the Holy Spirit to understand, to live selflessly, to rejoice in our afflictions knowing HE is our HOPE of eternal life!

In HIS love always!!!!!!!

IF you continue in the faith

Col 1:22  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
Col 1:23  If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister

We WILL be presented HOLY, UNBLAMEABLE, and UNREPROVEABLE through our SAVIOR to GOD the FATHER

-   IF  -

Notice that word carefully. It's a tiny word but it holds a lot of meaning. IF.

Not you will be presented that way no matter what, but you will be presented that way IF- meaning if you meet the requirements.  We all know what that means. Meeting requirements. You have to have the proper requirements for a lot of things before you can attain them. To drive, to vote, to ride certain amusement park rides, to qualify for most jobs, to get married, to get divorced, to obtain a rebate, to win contests, and so on.  Proper requirements are necessary for so much. IF you don't have those requirements then you do not get to vote, you do not get to drive, you do not get to ride that ride, you do not win that contest, you don't get the job, you surely won't get the rebate you're wanting, and as for marriage and divorce well you can kiss them good bye too. These are facts we live with all our lives long. We know what the word IF means. If you do this then that will take place, if you fail to do this then that won't take place- sounds simple and very straight forward, easily comprehended.

So here we have an IF… 'IF ye continue in the faith grounded and settled and be NOT moved away from the HOPE of the gospel'

You have an active role once again. People sometimes think that all you have to do to be considered holy, unblameable, unreproveable in the sight of God is accept Jesus as their Savior once and that's all she wrote. Accept that He died for them and then go on and live however they please without a single other thought about the matter.  If that were true then what does it mean to CONTINUE in the faith- grounded and settled, unmovable from the hope of the gospel?

What does the word continue mean? It means don't stop. We cannot stop having faith, we cannot allow ourselves to be moved away from the hope of the gospel. Jesus has to be a REAL belief to us, a daily belief, not a haphazard, occasional thought in our lives. He has to LIVE in our LIVES as something very, very real. That hope must be a hope that is daily! If we dare to neglect the hope of Christ we are risking eternal life. The 'IF YE CONTINUE' is put there for a reason.  If it were different we would be told to accept Christ one time and then go about your life, but we are NEVER told that, not ever.


Heb 2:1  Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
Heb 2:2  For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
Heb 2:3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him

We cannot neglect so great salvation! IF (and there's that word again) IF we neglect salvation we will NOT have salvation. We really do have to give the more earnest HEED to the things we hear in the WORD of GOD, we can't let them slip, we just can't.

We must CONTINUE in the FAITH. We must be GROUNDED. We must be SETTLED, We must NOT be moved. We MUST have the HOPE of the Gospel in us ALWAYS!

Alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works

Col 1:21,22  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight

Alienated and enemies in your mind- BY wicked works.

Actions have consequences. We want to believe otherwise, don't we? Isn't that why when people commit wrongs they're relieved to 'get away with them'? There's a certain sense of relief and happiness in the criminal when a crime is successfully carried out. The thief isn't caught, the murderer gets away with it, the adulterer is never found out, the fornicator is fine because the pleasure is worth any supposed penalty for engaging in what is only natural, the disrespecting person is never called to account for their disrespect, the coveter is never exposed for their coveting, the liar never revealed to be lying,  and so on. And isn't it often found to be true that when a person does get away with a sin it becomes easier and easier to commit that same sin time and time again. Wicked works.

What do you imagine wicked works to be?

Tit 1:15  Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
Tit 1:16  They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

They profess that they know God-  but in WORKS they deny him.

The fruit of a tree is so telling. If we know nothing of trees at all and see flowers bloom upon them knowing they'll bear fruit in time, we'd watch to see what sort of fruit the tree would bring forth, right? That blossom might turn into an apple, or a pear, it might be a peach in the end. By the fruit that comes from the tree we know what sort of tree it is even if we know nothing else about identifying a tree.

Mat 7:20  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

What are the fruits, but works?  Seriously? If we know one another by our fruits that has to mean something realistic, we aren't trees but we are people whose actions are telling. I can't produce an apple but I can produce other things, right?

Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Mat 5:5  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Mat 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Mat 5:7  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Mat 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Mat 5:9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Mat 5:10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

The merciful, the peacemakers, the meek.

Mat 5:19  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

The commandment keepers- not breakers.

Mat 5:44  But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Mat 5:45  That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Loving enemies, blessing the cursers, doing good to the haters, praying for the users and persecutors.

Do not try to tell me that we are not to think about our works- our actions- not when my SAVIOR tells me otherwise.

The truth is we are KNOWN by our actions.

Our actions are a result of our minds, the decisions, the choices we intelligently make by thinking.

'Alienated and enemies in your mind- BY wicked works.'

The wicked works we allow ourselves to commit alienate us from God, they make us enemies of God.

A sense of despair will arise when we think of all the wicked works we've committed and seem unable to stop committing. It's this despair that Satan wants us to fall victim to, entrapping us in hopelessness.

Col 1:21,22  And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight

Yet now hath he RECONCILED in the body of HIS flesh through DEATH- to present YOU HOLY and UNBLAMEABLE and UNREPROVABLE in HIS SIGHT.

We can be reconciled through our SAVIOR who gave His life for US!  We do not have to be alienated and enemies in our minds by wicked works. We can accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, trusting in HIM to present us HOLY and UNBLAMEABLE AND UNREPROVABLE. We cannot present ourselves that way.  We must trust in HIM to do for us what we absolutely cannot, and can never do for ourselves. 

Does this mean we continue to encourage the wicked works in ourselves? NEVER. Never ever encourage them. We are taught by Jesus to encourage the good, going beyond what most even believe good to be. Laying down our lives for our enemies, not reviling our persecutors, not taking that road so readily traveled by the masses, that very, very broad road the mjority are set out upon. We are encouraged to find the SELFLESS road, not the SELFSERVING road.

By His grace may we be found in Him and ONLY in Him.

All love, all power, all glory, all honor, all praise to GOD!

By Him were all things created

Col 1:15  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

He is BEFORE all things. 

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God.
Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
Joh 1:5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

In beginning.
Was the Word.
The Word was WITH God.
The Word WAS God.

God and God together.

God the word- would become the Son of God the Father, begotten by the Father. Chosen to be the SPIRITUAL image of the Father God. Chosen to be the FIRST of all to come. Chosen as the Promised ONE. Creator of ALL things in heaven and in earth- visible and invisible. Created FOR and BY Him. Without HIM NOTHING we know would exist, not one single thing. He is not only our Savior, but our Creator.

Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

In ALL THINGS HE might have PREEMINENCE.  God in flesh.  The firstborn from the dead- truly the first born in a world that had fulfilled the promise of a Savior to come.  The head of the body- the church. The head of God's people.

Col 1:19  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell

Praise God the FATHER!

Col 1:20  And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

Made PEACE through the BLOOD of HIS CROSS. His Sacrifice brought peace everlasting to a world hopelessly lost in sin. His death brought peace not only here but in heaven ALL THINGS are reconciled to HIM-to His perfect PEACE.

Isa 26:3  Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Perfect peace is only found in our Savior, no where else. We will be reconciled to our Savior, He died to make this possible.

This amazing sacrifice made by those who had the power to simply erase us all as a failed experiment. God almost did just that.

Gen 6:5  And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Gen 6:6  And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Gen 6:7  And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.
Gen 6:8  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

He'd made a promise to the newly fallen humans remember-

Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

The only way Noah could find grace in the eyes of the Lord was if there existed grace to find.  The promise of One who would destroy the father of lies , the promise of His being able to bruise the head of the serpent. That promise was given to us so we might know the very thing that had introduced us to evil would be done away with by the ONE who would intervene, the ONE who would be God's. Grace would be possible, the One whose heel would be bruised would LIVE.  This promise made grace possible for Noah. The world would NOT be destroyed the fight between good and evil would go on until the promise was fulfilled.

Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. One person in all those wicked upon the earth whose heart was God's. ONE person prevented humanity's annihilation through the promise made before the world was formed, that should things go bad, a Savior would be needed.

Our Savior would make peace possible through His blood sacrifice, all for US undeserving ones, all by HIS grace, all through HIS love.

Delivered from the power of darkness

Col 1:12  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Col 1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Col 1:14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins

The Father has delivered us from the power of darkness.

What is the power of darkness?

Luk 22:47  And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.
Luk 22:48  But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?
Luk 22:49  When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?
Luk 22:50  And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.
Luk 22:51  And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him.
Luk 22:52  Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?
Luk 22:53  When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.
Luk 22:54  Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off.

Evil was transpiring. The chief priests of the very faith Jesus was; the captains of the temple- the very temple that Jesus went to as a boy and taught in as a man, the temple of God's chosen people; the elders- those appointed to do the work of God by those in the temple; all these people were there to do one thing and one thing only- take Jesus the Son of God captive so they could put Him to death. Evil. And this evil was working under the power of darkness.

Act 26:14  And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
Act 26:15  And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
Act 26:16  But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
Act 26:17  Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
Act 26:18  To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

To OPEN their eyes- TURN them from the DARKNESS to the LIGHT- from the POWER OF SATAN unto GOD.

The power of darkness is the power of Satan.
The power of light is the power of God.

The power of darkness is something we NEED to be delivered from because it's the power to led us to permanent destruction.

It's FACTUAL that two opposing forces exist in life, if you have any sort of sense you can realize this just by being alive.  You know what it is to be happy, you know what it is to be sad. You know what it is to be in turmoil and you know what it is to be content. You also know that none of these states of being is a constant but ever fluctuating. When sadness comes you long to be happy again. When discontent occurs you want to be content again. When you're upset you long to have that upset resolved so it doesn't continue to upset you.  There is a right and wrong - can any one really dispute that? People try. They say your wrong could be my right, and in some things they may be right, but in the fundamental basics of life we we know there is a right and wrong. We know that murder is wrong no matter how some might try to justify it. We know that stealing is wrong, no matter the justification for that as well.  I could go on but this is truth and if you don't see the truth then it's because you don't want to and perhaps you're being allowed to believe the lies you'd rather trust in. 

Two opposing forces and they can be summed up in God and Satan- the power of Light and the power of Darkness.

We need to be delivered from darkness and God the Father will deliver us through His Son Jesus Christ, our LORD and SAVIOR.

The power of darkness will blind every one it can. The power of light will save all that choose to be saved.

As we live we are exposed to these two opposing powers. The power of darkness fights for us, but NEVER sacrifices itself for us in any way. The power of Light died for us, sacrificing everything so we could have the choice - to choose Light or Dark. While dark will do everything short of sacrificing itself to get people to not believe in the LIGHT, the Light does not tell you that the dark doesn't exist, in fact it warns you of the darkness. 

Col 1:13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Col 1:14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins

When we are delivered from the power of darkness, we are delivered from permanent death, from nothingness, from non-existence. We will be translated to the kingdom of our SAVIOR, the FATHER'S SON'S KINGDOM. He will return for us, for those who CHOOSE Him, choose light over darkness, life over death.  We only have redemption, we only have salvation through our Savior, through the blood He spilled, through the sacrifice He made, through the life He gave all so that HE could cleanses us - all so He could forgive us for the darkness we've embraced over our life. He alone can forgive us, He alone earned that right to save us from the darkness. He alone has POWER over darkness. God the Father truly has delivered us from the power of darkness offering us EVERYTHING through His Son!

All through HIS love! His amazing, amazing LOVE.

By HIS GRACE, He is the light of life.

Joh 8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

Eternal inheritance

Col 1:12  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light

We MUST give thanks  to the FATHER, because HE and HE alone has made it possible for us to be PARTAKERS of the INHERITANCE of the SAINTS in LIGHT.

The INHERITANCE. 

Act 20:32  And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

An inheritance among ALL them which are sanctified.

Jesus said- Act 26:18  To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Receive- an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me (JESUS).

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an INHERITANCE, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE,
Eph 1:14  Which is the EARNEST of our INHERITANCE until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Eph 1:15  Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Eph 1:16  Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
Eph 1:17  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
Eph 1:18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of HIS INHERITANCE in the saints

Eph 5:5  For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any INHERITANCE IN THE KINGDOM CHRIST and of GOD.

Heb 9:15  And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of ETERNAL INHERITANCE.

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4  To an INHERITANCE INCORRUPTIBLE and UNDEFILED, and that fadeth not away, RESERVED IN HEAVEN FOR YOU,
1Pe 1:5  Who are kept by the POWER OF GOD THROUGH FAITH UNTO SALVATION ready to be revealed in the last time.

Tell me…

…if you received a letter in the mail telling you that you have inherited something how would that make you feel? Excited, right?  You'd feel excited to know what the inheritance would be. Would the inheritance be money, lots of money, land, a house, a car, jewelry? The idea of receiving an inheritance is exciting in it own way. Some people know long before they get it that there is an inheritance on its way- when of course the one giving it to them dies.  Some grow up knowing they'll inherit their parents things- all of them. They have an expectation of what they'll receive. Does it please them? I don't know, I'm not one of those. No one will be giving me an inheritance, no one I know has one to give. I can only imagine how I'd feel.

We need to imagine. Let's imagine how we'd feel if out of the blue some long lost relative or even friend decided to give all their wealth to us, a huge sum of money.  You can do this can't you, imagine? Very few people, if any would feel disappointed in hearing this news. Most would be ecstatic to be given such an unexpected gift.

Now we have to take this a step further- to our INTERNAL INHERITANCE. We all have one.  NO ONE IS EXEMPT!

What that inheritance is, well, that's another story.

There are TWO inheritances we can possibly have.

One is the inheritance of eternal life with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

The other is the inheritance of non-existence.

Only two and we all have one or the other.

How often do you think about this inheritance you'll receive?  I personally believe that we should be thinking about it every single day of our lives.  While we live we actually get to choose the inheritance we'd like to receive.  We do.  We choose. And you know what? We choose it everyday.

 More on this tomorrow all by the grace of GOD.  This is something we need to study deeper. This is our inheritance we're discussing- our eternal inheritance.

ALL through HIS LOVE! All by HIS GRACE and MERCY! Please LORD please let our inheritance be eternity with YOU, not because we deserve it, because we don't, but because of YOUR love for us, help us love You as we should, please! Please LORD. Your will!