Satan hindered us

1Th 2:17  But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.
1Th 2:18  Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
1Th 2:19  For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
1Th 2:20  For ye are our glory and joy.

But SATAN hindered us.

Was Satan real to the Apostles? Undoubtedly.

Did Satan personally reveal himself to the Apostles and stand in their way, preventing them from getting to those in Thessalonica? I doubt it. But Satan manipulates circumstances using those who are His- both human and fallen angel.  There is a being, an angelic being, albeit fallen, that exists and he is not a fairy tale baddie.   He is real and he confronted Jesus face to face upon earth in the wilderness. Remember?

Mat 4:1  Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
Mat 4:2  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
Mat 4:3  And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Mat 4:5  Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
Mat 4:6  And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Mat 4:7  Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
Mat 4:8  Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
Mat 4:9  And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
Mat 4:10  Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
Mat 4:11  Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Does this sound like a fake figment of someone's imagination? If you believe that then you obviously cannot believe in God or Jesus. 

Satan is real.  Jesus was REALLY tempted. He was SPOKEN to by the tempter, He was TAKEN by the devil- physically taken and SET on a pinnacle of the temple. He was then TAKEN physically by devil to an EXCEEDING HIGH MOUNTAIN and then given a VISION by the devil.

This was real and Satan is real. Jesus believed this, He knew Satan from the beginning when Lucifer the son of the morning was created an angel and He knew when Lucifer's heart was lifted up.

Eze 28:17  Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness

Jesus knew this fallen angel, the father of sin, the created being who chose to disobey, the being who turned his back on love and let self serving begin.  Jesus knew Satan, before He - Jesus -set aside His divinity and took on human flesh becoming Emmanuel, God with us- the Son of God in human form. Jesus knew Satan because Satan was the reason for His consenting to take on humanity. Jesus had to make that ULTIMATE sacrifice because Lucifer sinned.  So, yes, the DEVIL, SATAN, SERPENT, ACCUSER, EVIL ONE, is REAL, a real being, a real entity.

Jesus could come face to face with Him because Satan couldn't trick Jesus, he couldn't deceive Jesus in any way at all. 

Why doesn't Satan appear to us? Because He knows that revealing His true self to us would drive us straight into the arms of our Savior. Satan knows that as long as he keeps up his great façade that people will fall under his deceptive spell. Remember, He didn't appear as himself in the garden of Eden when tempting Eve to sin, he took on the form of a serpent.  Do you suppose if he had confronted her in his angelic form she might have questioned right off why he was speaking contrary to God? That just seeing him would have instilled further in her the need to keep close to God, to obey God?

If Satan appeared to us in his angelic form he could transform himself into an angel of light, right? So it wouldn't be so entirely awful, but there again, it's him TRANSFORMING himself.  If he has to transform himself into something beautiful it stands to reason that he no longer possesses that beautiful form he once held in heaven as one of God's covering cherubim's.

As an angel he can appear invisibly, or take on other forms, we know this, these are facts. With these facts at our disposal why don't we live as if Satan and one-third of the heavenly angels that fell with him are real? Why? Why do we insist upon living as if all the evil in the world is simply that of man's creation and instigation? Why have we regulated Satan's activities as being man's and only man's? Why have we changed the real fact of demon possession into man's madness? Why have we taken all the soothsayers, the witches, the astrologers and  regulated them as mere human kooks? All these things that very real have been twisted into fairy tales and fantasy, and even been made to be desirable, when in truth they are evil and of Satan.  People will tell you they believe in psychics and then go on to say how wonderful they are, honest and loving. Are they telling you the truth, yes. Because we've been conditioned to believe that evil is good, all under Satan's guiding hand. If you try to call evil- evil then you are the one who ends up appearing evil. Picking on that harmless, wonderful, tender hearted, kind, giving, loving person by calling their special gift evil, why that makes you the big baddie.  Do you see how Satan has deceived people and the majority of society? He wants a lot of his minions to be loving, seemingly even God-fearing if it helps, kind, wonderful, the most caring ever, the most selfless people, because if he has them right where he wants them it keeps up the illusion that his evil is good.

When Paul wrote- 'Satan hindered us.'   he meant it! He meant that Satan literally had a hand in keeping them from going to these people. Why didn't He say, it wasn't God's will that we see you at this time? Because Paul knew that the things that were taking place to keep them from visiting were of the evil one.  We can say it still wasn't God's will or it would have happened, but it wasn't God's will that evil exist and it isn't His will that the results of evil are so horrific. We could go all the way back to the beginning if need be and talk about the power of choice being the revelation of love but most of you who have followed my blog know this already, for those of you who haven't followed my blog, well it's all in there.

It's not God's will that innocent children die.  He allows things to happen because to do otherwise is to take the power of choice from existence and that's something He cannot do. We have to trust that all the evil that affects the truly innocent will be ultimately punished in the day of God's wrath.  Do we get to comprehend everything? No, not right now. We see through a glass darkly and everyone knows that looking into a dark glass you can only see so much. But one day we'll see clearly.

1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

I do know that Satan hindered Paul, as Satan hinders many, many people today- the majority in fact and he does so through masterful deception. All but God's very elect will be deceived. We must pray unceasingly that we are among His elect by HIS amazing grace, by HIS righteousness.  When Satan is hindering us from doing God's work, may our eyes be opened to the reality of the evil One and the power he possesses and wants to use against us, and in seeing this may we fix our eyes upon Jesus getting ever closer to our Savior.

1Th 2:19  For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
1Th 2:20  For ye are our glory and joy.

Our hope is to be in the presence of our LORD JESUS CHRIST at HIS coming!
Our hope is for all those we pray for and witness to, will also be in the presence of the LORD JESUS CHRIST at HIS coming as well!
It was Christ's hope, His joy, His glory, His rejoicing that we should be HIS and this is our hope that all are HIS. We can hope, we must hope, and leave the judging to the Righteous Judges- Jesus Christ, and God the Father in heaven.

All by HIS LOVE! His amazing love!

Followers of Christ Jesus

1Th 2:14  For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:
1Th 2:15  Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:
1Th 2:16  Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

The Jewish people who practice their religion will not dispute the fact that their history proves their rejection of their own prophets.  Go ahead and read their history. They tormented their prophets. They turned their backs on their prophets and over and over they were called by those prophets to repentance. Time and time again they did NOT heed the call to repent and they received the punish for that failure. Were there times when they listened and were spared? Yes.  But the facts are the facts and their history proves that they as a people rejected many of their prophets. So, if that fact is true and something they won't dispute why do they dispute their rejection and their murder of the Lord Jesus? Maybe it's more a rejection of His being the Son of God, of His being God with God, of His being the innocent Lamb. As long as they do not recognize the Sonship and innocence, the sinlessness of the Lord Jesus they don't have to feel guilt for the crime they committed.  Or maybe it's because they had the Romans do their dirty work they feel that their hands are clean. There are many maybes but the facts are the facts, undisputable.  Do we blame the Jewish people today for the crime committed 2000 years ago? We shouldn't, not anymore than we should blame the white people today for their ancestors practicing black slavery.  We shouldn't, not anymore than we should blame all Germans today for their ancestors slaughter of the Jews.  Each and every guilty person will face God in judgment and by the grace of Jesus they will have repented, but if not, they will be punished then for their crimes, their sins. Yet, when this word was written it was still very fresh in the minds of the Christians, the guilt of those who rejected the Savior.  Why was it so fresh? Because all of the Apostles were Jews themselves. They were of those who rejected the Lord Jesus, but they chose to continue on into the new light of the Savior's arrival, the Messiah realized.  This doesn't mean that a lot of their former friends and even family members didn't rejected the truth.

They separated themselves from those they used to worship with and this was a very real happenstance, this is HISTORY.

Reread the above verses-

1Th 2:14  For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:
1Th 2:15  Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:
1Th 2:16  Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.

Those who accepted the truth of Jews and then of Gentiles will be SAVED.  But those who opposed the truth and tried their utmost to keep others from it will receive the justified wrath of God.

Today we must believe in the TRUTH.
Today the world is filled with LIES.

If any are seeking the truth and meet opposition from others the story will be the same, the very true, the very real story and it won't have a happy ending. 

We cannot stand in the way of truth.

We cannot let others keep us from the truth either.

Many will try to keep us from the truth, maybe not as violently as they do in some countries around the world, but they will.  Many will hold up their false beliefs and demand that we accept them as truth and they'll do it all the while not claiming to be as the Jews and others who deny Christ, but they'll do in in Christ's name.

Narrow is the way, few will find it.

Mat 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

You aren't going to stand with the majority, you can't, not if you are truly following the truth of our Savior.

We have to beware of those today who call themselves spiritual Jews, they too have become corrupt. Not all of those claiming to be spiritual Jews will be God's, anymore than those who are Jews claiming to be God's people are His, when they don't even believe in His Holy Son.

May God keep us in HIS TRUTH no matter what, no matter who!

All by HIS GRACE, all by HIS LOVE!

The Word of God, not the word of men

1Th 2:13  For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

The word of men and the word of God.

How many people believe the word men?  A lot. We have authorities on everything there is to be an authority on. We have theories proven and unproven and we have people who believe them all just on the say so of the authority of man. If a person says they are an authority on a subject and then reveals document after document, degree after degree proving they've studied all there was to study on that subject, others believe them. They've studied, they've been rewarded for their studying by receiving documents and a lot of them receive a title as well, a doctorate. They can call themselves a doctor of the subject they've intensely studied and mastered the knowledge of.  We get one of these people in our presence and they expound upon the subject they know so much about and we believe the things they are saying. Why wouldn't we believe them? They are learned men or women and have done something we have not, and know so much more than we do. They have the authority now to speak as a knowing one. We don't possess the authority and so we cannot speak as one with that authority. 

Now here we have the apostles who are THANKING God without ceasing- why? Because the people have received the word of God. The people have HEARD the apostles speak but did NOT receive the word of men but the word of GOD. They did not receive the word as being the apostles words, they took the words that they were given and believed them as the WORD of GOD- which is the TRUTH. The WORD of GOD can work effectively in a person when they truly believe the word is GOD'S and not MAN'S.

When you are called to spread the Word of God, to give the gospel to others, you are NOT called to expound on YOUR knowledge.  You are NOT to give YOUR words.  We are not to speak to others in order to have them marvel at our expertise on the Bible. We are to give them the TRUTH in God's Word. The life of the Words. We are giving them GOD'S WORD and He alone is the AUTHORITY on HIS Word, His truths.  We might be charged to speak the words that God has given to us through the Holy Spirit, but we are to never claim those words belong to us.

We don't want people to believe in the Word of God by saying …so and so told me what they believe and now I believe.  We want people to believe in the Word of God by saying I believe what I've been told because it is God's truth, it's a truth that can stand on its own even if the very same person who told me about the Word of God suddenly denies it all.   The Word of God is truth and NOTHING changes that, our belief or unbelief does NOT alter the word of God, it remains.  

Man's words are not filled with truth. You can take a man's words from a hundred years ago and show where they were wrong, their theories disproved in light of another man's more modern theory.  Yet so many people believed everything that man said a hundred years ago and would stake their lives on his words being truth.  We like to call it- truth for the time- meaning it's alterable if time changes things. Yet God's word is NOT truth for a time, it's truth for ever and will never be disproven, never.

Men can try to tear it apart into a million pieces and try to stick their own truths into it but it will remain forever unchanged GOD'S WORD, on GOD'S authority!

1Th 2:13  For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

People can believe what they want to believe, that's where the freedom of choice comes into play. You can whip someone into submission. You can torture them into acting how you want them to act. You can brainwash a person, we all know this is possible. You can try to and sometimes succeed in taking the power of choice over what a person believes away from them, but ultimately it's that freedom inside each of us to have the thoughts we choose to have that NO ONE can take from us. I don't want to force anyone to believe in anything I have to say, not a single thing. If a person is going to believe in the Word of God it has to be because they believe it truly is GOD'S WORD and not man's. The conviction of God's Word as TRUTH for all is the only conviction we need.  God's truth.  God's Word.

Do we truly believe God's word is of God and not man?  We have to, it is TRUTH.

Believing in the power behind the Word given by God is what will effectively work in us.

There is power in God's word because it has the authority of God Himself, our CREATOR, our REDEEMER, our LOVE, our LIFE ETERNAL.

We must believe in God's Word, not in the men who  preach their own words. A true man of God will guide others to God and God's Word -not to themselves and their words.

May we always and forever believe in the Word of GOD in all His Power, all His Authority!

In HIS LOVE!

Walk worthy of God

1Th 2:7  But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
1Th 2:8  So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
1Th 2:9  For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
1Th 2:10  Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
1Th 2:11  As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
1Th 2:12  That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

Gentle- not forceful, not overbearing, not demanding- but gentle, this is how the apostles preached the gospel to people. Were they adamant, perhaps at times. They didn't sugar-coat the truth, they didn't beat people down and sit on them to shove it down their throat. They preached with LOVE, just as JESUS did.

They labored, the travailed as they preached the gospel- their desire for people to KNOW the truth was a deep desire, not something superficial. Their hearts were in their work. They didn't want a single person to miss out on knowing the truth that could lead to their salvation.

The apostles conducted themselves as Jesus would have them. They were LIVING messengers of His word, they were living examples of a live connected to the Savior.

They loved these people they were NOT related to and yet they treated them as a father would treat their children. When you love your children you act responsibly and you deny them things you in your parent wisdom knows could harm them. You try to teach them lessons so that they're prepared for the life they'll one day have to live without them to be their guides. We want our children to be independent and be able to raise their own children to be responsible and so on. We don't tear down our children but we teach.  We don't abuse our children but we discipline.  God, our loving heavenly Father lives the same way with us. His love guides all His actions. 

The apostles wanted people to walk worthy of God- God who has called them to His kingdom and glory.

We are to walk worthy of God because God has called us ALL to His Kingdom and His Glory.

We are NOT to walk as those who have no hope in them. We are NOT to walk content to flaunt our sinful ways. Maybe we do have sins that easily beset us, but those sins aren't something to be proud of, something to show off, something to commit as if they weren't deadly to us.  We do not walk worthy if we relish our sins. We do not walk worthy if we are not striving against sin.

Heb 12:4  Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 

We do not walk worthy if we take the love of God and ignore it, if we fail to live with that love as a reality in our lives.

All by the grace of God we live, we love.

God is witness

1Th 2:5  For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:
1Th 2:6  Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.

Flattering words.
Cloke of covetousness.

Flattery is pretty lying. Flattery is putting fancy clothes on a skeleton. Flattery serves NO purpose other than to create an atmosphere of untruths. The liar knows they are lying, the one being lied to may be deceived or allowing the lies because in all their horrid untruth they bring some strange comfort. We've all used flattery even if unintentional, and we've all been victims of a flatterer. The truth distorted becomes a lie and a lie is evil no matter how gorgeous that lie is, no matter how soothing that lie is, no matter how amazing that lie is. We call evil good and good evil.

Isa 5:20  Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Flattery is evil and not using flattery is a good thing. If we use flattery then we are using lies.  People will say the end justifies the means, but that is us calling evil good, we've made an art of doing so. We can do it all we want, we can lie and call our lies truths but that will NEVER make them truths, never. Pretty lies are pretty evils and the most gorgeous of unrepented, unforgiven evils will still deserve death.

A cloke of covetousness.

A garment of intense desire to have what another haves to the point of letting it consume your life. Letting the desire for an object to be your god in place of GOD. Letting that THING be your all in all. The apostles did NOT use a covering of idolatry in their work. They did NOT let ANYTHING other than the desire to do God's will, overcome them. They kept God FIRST in all they did and GOD was their witness.

God is OUR witness too.

God witnesses our lives in all its aspects, nothing is hid from Him.

If we seek glory from others, He knows.

God knows us and we can pretend He doesn't even exist and live accordingly if that's what we desire, but the truth is the truth. God knows our hearts, God tries our hearts.

All we can do is pray for the righteousness of Christ to cover all our unrighteousness.

Maybe we can't say that we aren't prone to using flattery, or being caught up in covetousness, but we have to be able to say that we are sinners and in need of a Savior, a Redeemer,  someone to forgive us and create a cleanness in us that we cannot create ourselves.

We need to listen to the Gospel and we need to share the Gospel all as our LORD directs us knowing God is our witness.

God's love tries our hearts all through LOVE.

We hear about tough love as if it's something new but it's as old as time. Love allows trials and tribulations all geared to created a person that is more dependent upon God than anything else. Love allows these upsets and horrors with the ultimate desire for faith to be realize in its fullness.

As our worlds come down around our heads and we lose everything we are tempted to hold dear, we have to holdfast to the one thing that means everything, God. We can't pretend to even begin to comprehend all the whys and the wherefores, we have to believe our God is in control even if it means our death.

By the grace of God may we NOT use flattery, or consent to being flattered. By the grace of God may we NOT use a cloak of covetousness in our lives. 

May we live through HIS strength and not our own, trusting in HIM for all things!

All by HIS grace and mercy, through HIS LOVE!

Allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel

1Th 2:3  For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:
1Th 2:4  But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

When we speak of God do we concern ourselves with whether or not we are saying things that are pleasing to our listeners?  Is it our intention to be pleasing to them? Is our objective to be men pleasers?  Seriously, is this our desire, to be pleasing to others? How many of us strive to please others?  Not the pleasing that comes from loving someone, but the pleasing that makes us feel good about ourselves, is this the sort of pleasing we are into? Doing good to look good to others, so they think we are good, is this the sort of life we lead?  When we get all caught up in trying to please OURSELVES through the accolades of others we've lost sight of the ONLY one we are to truly please.  We KNOW that we cannot do anything falsely to please God. While our fellow man might not be able to see through our selfish desire to gain their good graces, God sees through any and all subterfuge we dare to attempt towards Him. 

We must LIVE not to PLEASE our fellowman, but to PLEASE GOD, to do what is pleasing in His sight with the CLEAN heart that ONLY HE can give to us.

The apostles here is talking about witnessing to other of the gospel of Peace, of salvation found in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. When they speak they used NOT deceit! When they speak they use NO unclean, sinful lying words. When they speak they used NOT guile, no untruth crossed their lips.

God ENTRUSTED them with the gospel, with HIS TRUTH and that is the ONLY TRUTH They speak.  They didn't care if the men listening liked what they were saying. They didn't try to sugar-coat their message in order to make those listening happy.  They didn't go to the gentiles and start making up stories filled with pagan deities in order to garner their attention. They did NOT do a single thing to compromise the TRUTH of God! Those listeners might have wanted to hear how they could find eternal life through their own favored gods; they may have wanted to hear that they just had to work hard and be good to be saved.  Many people want to hear pleasing things, we call it natural and it is to our flesh nature. To hear that none of their former gods could save them eternally; to hear that they can't possibly work to save themselves wouldn't be pleasing but the apostles didn't care because the truth given to them by God demanded that they adhere to the truth and only then could they please God. Lies DO NOT please God. When we speak to please men rather than God we can succeed, but not eternally.

Does this mean God wants us to be bullies? Does this mean God wants us to force feed people His word? Does this mean we have to be nasty in any way in order to get our Savior's truth across? No. Can you imagine Jesus acting that way? Seriously, can you?  Don't say, 'Well, I'm not Jesus.', because even though that is true, we are to follow HIS EXAMPLE! Speak the truth! Speak it plainly! If people do NOT want to hear the truth then you keep on going, you keep on preaching to others. If NONE want to hear it, you just keep on living your life as our Savior would want you to live it- IN LOVE- NEVER in constant anger, constant malice, constant upset, constant bickering, constant animosity.  Our ACTIONS truly can speak louder than ANY words we might feel we have to speak. 

1Th 2:3  For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:
1Th 2:4  But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

We are allowed of God - to be put in TRUST with the gospel.

Amazing, so incredibly amazing! We are entrusted with something so wondrous! Please God help us to spread YOUR word as YOU would have us, not as we would have it. PLEASE LORD, please let us speak YOUR GOSPEL, YOUR TRUTH that YOU have trusted us with!

HELP US to PLEASE YOU, not people! 

YOU FATHER GOD, YOU try our HEARTS, try them o' LORD, try them, purify them with YOUR LOVE.

More tomorrow all by the GRACE of GOD!

IN HIS LOVE!

The law written in their hearts

Rom 2:1  Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.

How easy it is for us to judge others and then turn around and do the same things we just judged. How often do you hear of judges and ministers soliciting prostitutes and then turning around and condemning them from their benches and pulpits? The people against gambling, turning around and saying oh this harmless pastime isn't gambling- and they pay for their bingo cards, they turn over their dollar bills for paper cards with numbers on them hoping to win a big cash pay out.  People accuse others of lying, cheating, stealing and so much more while turning around and doing it themselves all the time. 

We truly are inexcusable when we dare to judge others. We truly do condemn OURSELVES because when we judge others and pretend we are somehow better because maybe our wrongs aren't quite so visible but sins hidden in the heart, sins hidden so that others can't see them but GOD sees them all.

Rom 2:2  But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

God's judgment is always true, we cannot hide from God.

Rom 2:3  And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

People do think this! They really , really do. How many people honestly believe they are going to face the judgment of God? If they really thought this would they live the way they do?

Rom 2:4  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

How many people despise the riches of God's goodness, of God's forbearance, of God's longsuffering? People despise these not understanding that God's goodnesses found in these things can LEAD them to REPENTANCE!

We want to be led to repentance, don't we? We want to feel the weight of our sin, the wrongness of our iniquities. It's only when we truly comprehend the evil in our wrongdoing that can seek God's forgiveness, that we can repent- admit to our wrongs, our sins and desire to turn away from them. God's FORBEARANCE, God's LONGSUFFERING, God's GOODNESS all this will LEAD us to REPENT.  We need to comprehend the depths of God's love for us through His forbearance and longsuffering, through His goodness. When we truly realize the love of God only then can we find that place of repentance. Please LORD help us to seek your goodness, please.

Rom 2:5  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Rom 2:6  Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

If we fail to repent, if we fail to comprehend the judgment that is true, that we all face, then we are LOST. Every man will have to account for their actions. You might think that actions don't matter because we don't save ourselves through our actions, but our actions are a result of our lives. Like it or not, there will be an accounting and we can't ignore that. We can't label a single sin as being harmless, or too small to confess.  The tiniest of known, un-confessed sin, is enough to separate of us from our Savior. We must seek forgiveness, we must repent.

Rom 2:7  To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

Seek for glory- NOT self exaltation, NOT money, NOT self glory, NOT self honor, NOT immortality. We HAVE to PATIENTLY seek eternal life, and none of those other things!  Some might argue that seeking immortality is seeking eternal life, but if we are seeking self immortality- the means of living forever through our own ways, we will NEVER find it. We have to seek eternal life through our SAVIOR and ONLY through our SAVIOR.

Rom 2:8  But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Rom 2:9  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
Rom 2:10  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
Rom 2:11  For there is no respect of persons with God.

Rom 2:12  For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
Rom 2:13  (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
Rom 2:14  For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
Rom 2:15  Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

WHEN the Gentiles which have NOT the LAW do by NATURE the things CONTAINED in the LAW- these having NOT the law, ARE a LAW UNTO THEMSELVES, which show the WORK of the LAW WRITTEN in their HEARTS, their CONSCIENCE also bearing witness, and their THOUGHTS the mean while accusing or else excusing one another!

The LAW can be written on our hearts, it SHOULD be written on our hearts.

2Co 3:3  Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

Job 22:22  Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart.

Psa 37:31  The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

Psa 40:8  I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

Pro 3:1  My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments

Isa 51:7  Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.

*
Rom 2:15  Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;
Rom 2:16  In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

The secrets of men will be judged- this is undeniable.

And those who think they are right with God through their actions but do not have God's law in their hearts will not be judged righteous. So many neglect the law written in their hearts, so many do not let their conscience bear witness, way too many think things that amount to accusing others unjustly, or excusing wrong doing.

Please LORD, please LET YOUR LAW BE WRITTEN ON OUR HEARTS!

THROUGH YOUR GRACE judge us through YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, not ours. BLESS US LORD! BLESS US PLEASE! SAVE US!

Turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

1Th 1:9  For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
1Th 1:10  And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

You turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God.

Idols.

I don't know personally anyone who has set up a shrine to a stone deity representing a false god, who worships at that altar.  I KNOW they exist throughout the world, but I just don't know anyone that actually worships a 'sun god' for example.  I know they exist and exist in great numbers but my personal interaction with them is non-existent.

What is turning to God from idols?

What were the disciples dealing with?

Rev 2:14  But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

Rev 2:20  Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

Act 17:22  Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
Act 17:23  For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.
Act 17:24  God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
Act 17:25  Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
Act 17:26  And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
Act 17:27  That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
Act 17:28  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Act 17:29  Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
Act 17:30  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Act 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Act 17:32  And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.
Act 17:33  So Paul departed from among them.
Act 17:34  Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

'...the Romans referred to the rocky hill as "Mars Hill", after Mars, the Roman God of War.

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The Romans are known for the great number of deities they honored, a capacity that earned the mockery of early Christian polemicists. The presence of Greeks on the Italian peninsula from the beginning of the historical period influenced Roman culture, introducing some religious practices that became as fundamental as the cult of Apollo. The Romans looked for common ground between their major gods and those of the Greeks, adapting Greek myths and iconography for Latin literature and Roman art. Etruscan religion was also a major influence, particularly on the practice of augury, since Rome had once been ruled by Etruscan kings.

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Turning from idols- from worshiping false gods of which there were many.  Their religion of worshiping idols was a very serious one, not laughable as it is to us today in our so called enlightened world.  The mere concept of people worshipping Mars, Jupiter, Apollo, Zeus, Poseidon, etc. seems almost ludicrous. We know people did it and were very serious about it, that it was very real to them, but to us it seems strange and archaic. If I told someone I was worshipping the god Jupiter, they'd give me strange looks and might ask me exactly what that entails. I'd explain that I erected a little shrine to him and that I pray to him and give him gifts and ask for his guidance.  Most likely they'd shrug their shoulders and say - 'To each his own.' Meaning everyone has the right to believe what they want to, and they don't have to agree with them.  My worshipping Jupiter wouldn't affect them, it'd be harmless as far as they were concerned as long as it didn't involve hurting anyone in anyway.  But the TRUTH of the matter is all worship of false gods is harmful- eternally harmful.

We live in such a time as virtually 'anything' goes. Do as you please as long as it stays within the letter of the law- and maybe even sometimes we'll overturn or change a law to accommodate new beliefs if there is a majority consent.  We call this intelligence. We call this right and good. We call this modernism. We aren't encumbered by such nonsense as our ancestors who were filled with superstitions and crazy customs. In a book written by C.S. Lewis- Mere Christianity- He states something like the following- I'm paraphrasing here. 'Of course the world doesn't hunt witches any more- they don't believe they are real any longer. If they truly believed they were real and had real powers to harm people they'd still be hunting them.'   The truth is they stopped believing in them, they didn't suddenly agree to let witches- real, harmful witches who use curses and spells- to live. Are their witches today? Yes. Do they curse and put spells on people? Yes. Are they effective in what they do? No.  People just don't believe, and why would you possibly be against something you don't believe has any real affect on society? People don't believe religion has any power - real power at all- no matter what the religion is. They believe they are mostly harmless fables silly people continue to believe in though all real tangible evidence says they're fools for doing so.

Even the harmful religions- the jihadists of radical Islamic belief- who believe in killing those who do not adhere to their faith, they are considered silly as well- very dangerous but silly because they are caught up in fables. 

Idol worshipping today exists, it's alive and well, only the biggest, most popular idol people worship right now is …

…themselves.

Have they set up altars to themselves? How many live solely by their own desires? Perhaps working and living under a boss only in order to ultimately serve themselves and fill their lives with their own desires.   Throughout the day what is most often on their minds? Their own plans, right? Their own plans that will serve to make them if not happy, then content. Life revolves around themselves and all that live around them are there to assist in their desires if possible.

To those caught up in their self worship, others who choose not to be caught up in self worship seem to be the strange ones, the fable believers.  But most often the self worshippers will still find a kindred spirit in the fable believers because they see that in spite of the fable believers declarations of other worship they still in actions and a lot of words act like self worshippers.

1Th 1:9  For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
1Th 1:10  And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

This REAL faith, this REAL belief, this REAL turning from idols to SERVE the living in and true GOD; this waiting for HIS SON from heaven, whom HE raised from the DEAD, even JESUS, which DELIVERED us from the wrath to come- is a LIVING FAITH.

We are worshipping the eternal life of our God who always was, always is, and always will be. We are not worshipping a created one, but the ultimate Creator of ALL. We are not worshipping an unhearing, unseeing,  non-breathing  God we are pretending has life. We are not worshipping a created being that is in a constant state of deterioration living towards dying.  We are not worshipping one who does not know the end from the beginning. We are not worshipping one who makes empty unrealistic promises based upon our flesh desires. We are not worshipping a selfish God, but a selfless God who truly deserves all praise, all glory, all honor from us- not to feed an oversized ego- but because the truth of His selflessness.

We serve a selfless God, this is the TRUE LIVING GOD. The CREATOR, the REDEEMER, the SELFLESS ONE.

All in HIM ALWAYS!

May we serve HIM ALWAYS, turning from all our idols!

By HIS LOVE! By HIS GRACE! By HIS MERCY!

Gospel- not in word only, also in power

1Th 1:5  For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
1Th 1:6  And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost

Not in word only- but also in power- the GOSPEL.
In the Holy Ghost- the GOSPEL.
In much Assurance- the GOSPEL.

Followers of the LORD.

Receiving the word in MUCH affliction- WITH JOY of the HOLY GHOST.

Not in word only- not just hearing words without meaning. We all know what it's like to listen to words that have no meaning to us- we call that generally being bored by the speaker and letting things go in one ear and out the other.  We call it listening but it having no real impact upon us. We call it every day life as we deal with things that have no real substance. How many conversations have you had in the last week that are memorable to you? How many conversations had an impact on you and your life? When you read the word of God last - did it leave an imprint upon you or were they simply words to be read, understood perhaps, yet lacking real staying … POWER.   We need the gospel in POWER, not just in word.  The HOLY GHOST gives the power to the gospel.  The SPIRIT and the TRUTH.

Joh 17:17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

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

Joh 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

Eph 5:9  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

2Th 2:13  But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth

1Jn 4:6  We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

1Jn 5:6  This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

The SPIRIT and the TRUTH- hearing the gospel in POWER not just in word.

Luk 4:14  And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

Luk 4:32  And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

Luk 24:45  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
Luk 24:46  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
Luk 24:47  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Luk 24:48  And ye are witnesses of these things.
Luk 24:49  And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Act 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Act 4:33  And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.

Act 10:38  How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

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.

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

God's word! God's HOLY WORD! God's TRUTH. GOD'S POWER! May we also preach not just in word but in power- the power of the Holy Spirit.  Help us Lord to understand it is YOUR POWER alone that SAVES. That YOUR TRUTH HAS POWER.

All in YOUR LOVE!

Laboring fervently- in prayers

Col 4:12  Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Labouring fervently for you in prayers-  that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Laboring FERVENTLY in PRAYERS!

Do we really think of praying as something laborious?

Have you prayed laboriously lately?

Have you labored fervently in your prayers? 

Seriously- laboring , when we think of laboring we generally do not think of praying. We think of working, we think of something hard not something easy. Yet when we pray do we consider it something laborious, something agonizing?

G75 labor fervently-

- to contend with adversaries, fight
-to contend, struggle, with difficulties and dangers
- to endeavour with strenuous zeal, strive: to obtain something

- to struggle literally (to compete for a prize) figuratively (to contend with an adversary) or generally (to endeavor to accomplish something): - fight labor fervently strive.

Read those words, do they make it sound as if laboring fervently in prayer is something done lightly?

Yet we pray so much, so often and never as if it were hard work.

We are told to pray continuously, to pray always, to pray and watch- maybe we need to rethink things just a little tiny bit.  Maybe prayer isn't simply speaking to God as a friend. Maybe it isn't simple at all. I'm not saying that we have to make praying hard, but I'm saying we need to give it more REAL thought. When we talk of praying for someone maybe we need to ask ourselves if we are praying fervently- laboriously for them or are our prayers lukewarm tokens, mere good hopes and thoughts. 

Good hopes and good thoughts for someone aren't bad things at all, and if that's what a person is inclined towards doing it's not wrong. We aren't all led by the Spirit in the same way. Remember some are called to be teachers, others preachers, other evangelists, we all are called to pray.  But perhaps some are called to be more fervent prayer warriors - so to speak, I don't know, I don't have all the answers of course but we are told to study and in studying we are learning- all by the GRACE of God.

When I read this verse-

Col 4:12  Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

- it just really hit me  - that laboring fervently in prayers- because I'm not sure if I pray that way and maybe I really, really need to. It's not that I don't pray - I do all the time, but to call it 'laboring fervently' well I'm not sure I do that all that often. I know I have but I think I need to do it more.

We are to be praying for others, praying that they may STAND PERFECT and COMPLETE in ALL the WILL of GOD!

All in Christ's righteousness! All in Christ's LOVE! We have to pray this way for each other because we will have to stand perfect and complete all in the will of God- it's the only way we should stand- fully in HIM, always in HIM.

All too often we get busy praying for the various things people desire but isn't the greatest prayer for another truly praying for them to stand perfect and complete in all the will of God?  Seriously. If this life is a temporary life- temporary to eternity- then praying for someone to STAND PERFECT and COMPLETE in ALL the WILL of God- is more important than anything else. What good is it to pray for a person to 'get well' if you are only truly praying for them to get well without concerning yourself with their eternal life? Do you really only want them to get well for this life? No, I'm not saying we shouldn't pray for people to get well but let us also pray for them to be Christ's and all that means.  Let us pray for God's will to be done and we KNOW it's God's will for us to be His in Christ. Above all- HIS WILL is most important and that we live according to HIS will not our own.

Please Lord, please help us to be YOURS fully. Teach us to pray laboring fervently in prayer for others to YOURS, for us to be YOURS fully, always!

Guide us with the HOLY SPIRIT, help us to stand perfect and complete in ALL Your Will!

All in YOU!

All by YOUR LOVE!

Walk in wisdom

Col 4:5  Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

People say they want to know what God wants of those who love Him and when they are told the excuses begin as to why they just can't do it.

We are to WALK in WISDOM.

What wisdom?  God's wisdom.

1Co 1:24 ... Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

We are NOT to walk in man's wisdom.

1Co 1:17  For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
1Co 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1Co 1:19  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
1Co 1:20  Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
1Co 1:21  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
1Co 1:22  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
1Co 1:23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
1Co 1:24  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
1Co 1:25  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
1Co 1:26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1Co 1:27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Co 1:28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Co 1:29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.
1Co 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
1Co 1:31  That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

We are OF HIM. We are IN Christ Jesus- WHO of God IS MADE unto us WISDOM and RIGHTEOUSNESS, and SANCTIFICATION, and REDEMPTION.

Col 4:5  Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

We are to WALK in CHRIST which is WISDOM towards those who are NOT walking in Christ and this is how we are to redeem our time.  We must LIVE in Christ- visibly.

Col 4:5  Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
Col 4:6  Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

We must TALK ALWAYS with grace- SEASONED with SALT- that we might KNOW HOW we ought to answer every man.

What does it mean to always talk with grace SEASONED with salt?

What is the purpose of salt as a season? To give something the proper flavor, right? If you have too little salt your meal can be tasteless, or if you add too much it can be awful. You have to add just the right amount of salt to a meal to make things taste good.  Now don’t start that whole salt is bad for you stuff, that's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about proper diet without all our modern day abuse of salt in food which has led to so many problems.

When we discuss  talking always with grace- seasoned with salt we mean that we are to talk of our Savior's loving grace appropriately.  What do I mean by appropriately? I mean speaking as the SPIRIT leads us to speak and NOT speaking as we would. Some people believe to spread the gospel, to preach Christ and His amazing salvation that they have to be forceful, they have to speak it even if someone doesn't want to listen. Knowing when to speak is as important as knowing when not to speak. Having our speech seasoned with salt as we talk of Christ will allow us to KNOW how we are to answer every single person we talk with. We aren't to assume that we are to talk to everyone in the exact same way. Every one is an individual and some people can only handle the milk and not the meat, and only the Holy Spirit can show us how we are to talk.

We need to pray-

Col 4:5  Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
Col 4:6  Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

We need to pray that we can walk in wisdom, speaking with grace always, seasoned with salt so that we might KNOW how to answer every man.

No, not all are called to be teachers, preachers, evangelists, but we are all called to LIVE Christ, to live for Him, in Him, by Him and in doing so our lives touch others and when they touch others they will be able to see Christ in US all through the HOLY SPIRIT!

Please Lord, please give us the words we need to speak, don't let us use our own unseasoned words.

All by YOUR grace! YOUR LOVE!

Speak the MYSTERY of CHRIST

Col 4:2  Steadfastly continue in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving,
Col 4:3  praying together about us also, that God may open to us a door of the Word, to speak the mystery of Christ, on account of which I also have been bound,
Col 4:4  that I may make it clear, as I ought to speak.

Praying - that God may open to us a door of the Word.

A door of the Word.

Open a door.

What happens when you open a door? Why do people usually open doors?  When you open a door you to so in order to go into another place. When you open a door you want to get from one place to another. You want to open that door perhaps leading you outside from being inside. Or you want to go inside when you're out. Perhaps you're going from one room to another. Doors lead to places whether into something or out of something.  When you want a door to open for you, you want it to open so you can get inside.  Perhaps there is something inside you desire, usually there is, right? Even if you go inside to relax, or get something to eat, or sleep, perhaps go to work, or to be entertained. There are numerous reasons a person goes through the doors they do, but always there is a reason. 

When we want the door to the Word to be opened we are asking for understanding, aren't we?

We are asking, we are asking in prayer, for God the Father to open the door of our understanding to HIS word. We are asking for this so that we may SPEAK of the MYSTERY of Christ, of that Word.  We need to speak of the mystery to others that wondrous mystery of Christ- salvation found in Him and Him alone!

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

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 3:12  In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

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

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 1:10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
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.

Col 4:2  Steadfastly continue in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving,
Col 4:3  praying together about us also, that God may open to us a door of the Word, to speak the mystery of Christ, on account of which I also have been bound,
Col 4:4  that I may make it clear, as I ought to speak.

We have to pray that we may be able to speak of this wondrous MYSTERY of CHRIST- that we may speak it CLEARLY as He intends that we should through HIS power, through HIS SPIRIT.

Praying continuously- in constant communication with our Lord and Savior- in constant contact with Him so that He may work through US. That door has to be opened and He will open it, He will speak through US all to HIS glory and HIS glory alone!

All praise, all honor, all glory to our God and King, our SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!

Amen!
 

Continue in prayer

Col 4:2  Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving

Continue in prayer.
Watch in prayer.
Pray with thanksgiving.

Prayer- communicating with God.

We pray through faith, believing our God hears us, believing He listens to us, believing He answers us. We don't pray to idols of stone, wood, plastic, rubber, glass, paper, etc.  We pray to a living God. We could carve a million idols from all those things mentioned and none of them would have life in them, not a single one. We could label another human being as god, yet they would still be a created being, a human- not God- not Spirit. We could say the elements are gods but that'd be wrong, they too are created things. Our God, the TRUE God is NOT a created being.  Our TRUE 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.

God is an entity beyond our full comprehension.

When we pray we are addressing our CREATOR, our REDEEMER, our GOD- God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit who AGREE in one agreement.

When we say we will pray for someone, or some situation we are telling others that we are going to seek divine intervention on their behalf. We are going to use the faith we've been given by God to seek Him and communicate with Him. We do this and we believe that our prayers are truly being heard, not being spoken (even silently) to someone that doesn't exist.

We are to CONTINUE in prayer. 

To be God's- we have to remain in CONSTANT contact with Him. Jesus taught us that, didn't He?  He was in constant contact with the Father God throughout His entire life on earth- up until the cross when He felt the separation that sin causes between God and man.  Remember His agonizing words?

Mat 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

His Father did NOT forsake Him- but that separation caused by taking on the sin of the world made it seem as if He had. Sin separates us from God, only forgiveness, only repentance, only atonement by our Savior brings us back in contact with God.  It was God whose power caused Jesus to rise from the dead and brought Him back to life. God did NOT forsake His Son, if He had then He would never have been brought back to life.

For someone who lived in constant contact with God the Father that separation was horrific. Jesus prayed constantly - the lines of communication were completely opened between them day and night.

Is it any wonder our Savior told us through His apostle to CONTINUE in prayer, to WATCH in prayer, and to pray with THANKSGIVING?

He's telling us to keep in CONSTANT contact with God the FATHER.

When you only pray once a week just how close to God do you really think you are? Truthfully, how close? How close are to someone you never talk to? You might have ties that bind you but to really know someone and have them know you - you have to talk with them, you have to interact with them. I have a brother who lives in New York and I've probably spoken to him five times if that in the last ten years. It's not that we don't like each other we're just not buddy, buddy. I love my brother and I say that truthfully, but do I know him? Do I know the things he likes and dislikes? Not really. I know him but I don't know him, and a lot of people know God but they don't really know Him.

Now if I spent time with my brother over the course of that time I'd be able to say I know Him. If I spend time with God, I would know God, as much as we are possibly able to know Him.

We can't know Him much at all if we aren't in contact with Him through prayer. If we cut Him off as He's trying to communicate with us how do we ever expect to know Him or be known by Him?

No, it's not like a human and human friendship but it's something very, very special and if you do NOT choose to speak with God, to listen to God through His word, then you are missing out on something incredibly beautiful.

Col 4:2  Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving

Continue in prayer-
Watch in prayer-  we have to watch, we have to pray as we watch, and we need to be very, very thankful knowing our God hears us, our God loves us, our God wants us to know Him.

Please Lord, help us.

Through Your love!

We have a Master in heaven

Col 4:1  Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.

We don't like to think in terms of 'masters' and 'servants', puts us in the mind of thinking 'masters' and 'slaves', and who likes to think about that sort of thing? Slavery is something we imagine to be awful in all respects and yet… oddly enough slavery served and serves a purpose still in some places. I'm not talking about slavery of abuse and without consent! What I'm talking about is JUST slavery and by that I mean a person WILLING to be enslaved to serve a purpose  - perhaps to pay off a debt or some such- and that person being enslaved by a just master, not an abusive monster of a master.  Do you imagine there is such a thing, a 'just' master?  We don't like to because we'd rather imagine the horrors of slavery- of which there are many.  Yet, here in the Bible we know there were slaves and masters, and it was accepted, and God wanted the masters to be just to the slaves and the slaves to serve the masters justly as well.

There was also this-- 

Deu 15:12  And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.
Deu 15:13  And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:
Deu 15:14  Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.

Sold- you cannot be sold unless you are a slave.  Sold and served six years then in the seven set FREE and given goods liberally. 

Not EVERY thing about slavery is evil, but Satan would have us believe that even the tiniest thought of slavery is evil. Satan want us  to equate our relationship with God as slave serving a master in such a way that it is a derogatory thing, not a good thing. As master and servant- a bad thing for the servant. Satan would have us all believe we should be masters.  Haven't you heard the various sayings about being masters of our own destinies, masters of our own ships,  master of our own fates, etc. We are even told that we don't need to listen to God, we don't need to obey God, but rather we need to be our own masters and do as we please because God is just hiding things from us, God is just keeping us from being so much better- Satan did the telling of all that to Eve in the garden and mankind has desired to be right with God ever since.

Can you even imagine how badly Adam and Eve regretted their decision to listen to Satan?

I mean, we on a significantly lower level of things, get disappointed when we lose a great job, a great house, when we must end our vacation and return to our mundane life. We never had paradise and lost it, not like Adam and Eve. We never had that oneness with God, never. 

Losing paradise is something people don't concern themselves over much with because Satan wants us to believe that there never was a real paradise to lose. Satan doesn't want us believing in His lies, that being a creature in servitude to a Creator/Master is an offensive thing.

Adam and Eve would probably have given just abut anything to get their sinless state back, to live their life in perfect harmony with their Creator, not doubting Him.

Satan wants us to believe that we are losing out when we submit to the authority of God. In fact, Satan has set our world up to believe in the same thing about each other. To be in service to another is to be inferior- this is what the world believes and yet, there is nothing further from the truth.

Luk 22:25  And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
Luk 22:26  But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
Luk 22:27  For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

He that is chief- HE THAT DOTH SERVE.

CHRIST was among us as HE THAT SERVETH.

We are servants, every single one of us is a slave to our Master in heaven.

We are servants to each other! We are NOT to strive for mastery over all, mastery above God, mastery above each other.   Yet when we are thrust into the position of being a master over others as is the way of things especially in many positions of authority, we MUST treat those who are serving under us as if we were in their position.

Col 4:1  Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.

We have a Master in heaven and it is to God that we are required to answer for our every action.

We are to LOVE one another as we would be loved, not as we are loved by others, but as we would be in that ideal, perfect world people long for. When we treat others as we WANT to be treated even if they hate us and treat us horrifically, then we are doing God's will, serving our God! 

We must give to others especially if they are subservient to us in any way, we must give unto them that which is JUST and EQUAL, because we WILL answer to our MASTER in heaven for our treatment of others in all the huge ways and in the very tiny, tiny ways.

Please Lord, please HELP us all to do YOUR will, and YOUR will only! All through YOUR love! Please Lord, please bless us and teach us to be YOUR SERVANTS ALWAYS.

Serve the LORD CHRIST

Col 3:23  And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Col 3:24  Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
Col 3:25  But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

Knowing that of the LORD
Ye shall RECEIVE the reward of the INHERITANCE
For ye SERVE THE LORD CHRIST

But he that doeth WRONG
Shall RECEIVE for the wrong which he hath DONE

And there is NO RESPECT of PERSONS

We know, we who choose to serve the LORD in truth, in His love, by His grace, by His mercy, through His righteousness, all by faith- we know that we shall be rewarded with the inheritance of eternal life with HIM.

So many people desire to live forever, or if not live forever here on this earth they desire to live in a much better place- that place commonly known as heaven where nothing is wrong or can go wrong, where all is wonderful, peaceful, loving, and sin free.  The trouble is- most people DO NOT want to live forever in Jesus' love, they want to live forever in their own love.

Lately, more than usual it seems, there have been a number of deaths among my friends and family. Constantly there are memorials put up on the social network- Facebook about how that person is now in heaven, that person is now an angel, that person is happy now and no longer suffering. The only part I agree with is that person is no longer suffering.  Biblically the dead are sleeping, knowing nothing, in the grave at rest. Biblically there are angel beings but humans upon death do not become these angels they are an entirely different entity from us. Biblically the dead are not happy, they know nothing and cannot praise anyone or anything from the grave.  People WANT to believe this of their deceased loved ones because it brings them comfort thinking that death wasn't the end of it all for their loved ones, that somehow they are still alive  and in their lives, in some form we cannot fully comprehend as long as we are living.

These deceptive lies have been woven for thousands of years by Satan and he has perfected his art until the majority of people are caught up in his sticky web of untruths.  You can't really tell these people to stop believing as they do, they don't want to listen, why would they? Their lies bring them comfort and peace.

The truth is,  as mentioned above, most people want to live forever in happiness- but NOT necessarily the happiness that comes through believing in the truth of our SAVIOR'S LOVE. They want their own love to reign and that means living with their own desires, their own longings, their own ways and truths.

Knowing that of the LORD
Ye shall RECEIVE the reward of the INHERITANCE
For ye SERVE THE LORD CHRIST

Serving the LORD CHRIST this, and this alone is the love that will lead us to that eternal reward, to that inheritance only He can offer to us. If we refuse to serve the Lord Christ in love right now here on earth, preferring rather to serve ourselves, what makes us possibly believe that we shall inherit eternal life?

The thing is, all those who are busy serving themselves right now do NOT want to serve the LORD CHRIST. And if they do not want to serve the LORD CHRIST right now, why would they want to serve Him for an eternity? They wouldn't.  Their idea of life eternal and happiness is contrary to the truth of the LORD'S Love.

We must serve the Lord Christ now, in HIS love, through His power, all by faith.

But he that doeth WRONG
Shall RECEIVE for the wrong which he hath DONE

This is truth.

Unforgiven sin is left upon the one committing that sin and each, and every one of those sins will be punished. Truthfully they shall receiving for the wrong they've done. As much as we'd love to believe that every human being- which has their own group of loved ones- will get a free pass into eternity when the Savior returns- the truth remains that only those serving the Lord Christ in sincerity and truth will claim eternity by the sacrifice of our Savior. To serve the Lord Christ is to LOVE HIM FULLY, to live with Him IN US our HOPE of glory!


And there is NO RESPECT of PERSONS

No one is given special treatment. No one is exempt from needing to serve the LORD CHRIST, no one. You might be born into a very religious family and raised religiously but that is no guarantee for eternal life, none. You might be born into pure misery, poor, sick but that too is no guarantee for eternal life. We must serve the LORD CHRIST.  Only HE knows who serves Him in truth, we cannot judge anyone, not a single person! He alone knows the truth.

He allows us the truth in Him and we are each individually accountable for that truth.

May God help us to serve the LORD CHRIST in LOVE, in truth!

Please, Lord, we are fully at Your mercy.

All praise, all glory, all honor, all love to YOU always!

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men

Col 3:18  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord.
Col 3:19  Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.
Col 3:20  Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
Col 3:21  Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
Col 3:22  Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God:

Col 3:23  And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;
Col 3:24  Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
Col 3:25  But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

Whatsoever you do, do it heartily as to the LORD and NOT unto men.

How would our lives change if we did this? Seriously. If ALL we did we were doing it for the Lord how would it be different?

When you're called to help someone when you're right in the middle of doing something don't you feel a little put out? Come on, be honest? If you don't feel put out now, can you recall a time when you did? Now imagine it was our LORD calling us to help Him… go on, imagine it.

We have to use our imagination, we have to put things into their proper perspective by imagining the reality of it because we obviously do not take the words at face value.

Our days are filled with activities that we have to do and some we want to do- are we doing those activities as if we were doing them for the LORD? Or do we have a touch of resentment in us somewhere? Having to work. Having to work at an unpleasant occupation. Having to go to school. Having to deal with other people. Having to shop for groceries. Having to pay bills.  You know what you do day in and day out. You know what you have to do on a monthly, weekly, daily basis and truthfully are you doing it ALL heartily? And by heartily I mean are you doing it was a goodness of heart, with a genuineness, with sincerity, without resentment and anger?  Are you doing is as if you were doing it ALL for Christ Jesus?

If we could somehow get it into our heads that this is truth wouldn't it alter us somehow?

Whatsoever you do, do it heartily as to the LORD and NOT unto men.

Even the things we are doing for ourselves- dealing with other people- but ultimately doing for ourselves aren't we doing that as to the LORD as well?

We're talking about the spirit in which we do things, we're talking about our beliefs and if they carry over into our lives, into our dealings with others. 

If Christ is in us, our HOPE of GLORY, shouldn't we live as if this were a reality and not something we believe only when we are hanging out in church?

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

How we treat others reveals the master we serve, doesn't it? Sure, Satan is going to work very, very hard to get us to treat others awful, especially the closer we are to God. Satan doesn't want anyone seeing that 'hope of glory' in us. Satan doesn't want others to see Christ in us and he'll do all he can to make sure that others often -if not always- see the worst of us. 

We are given admonishing such as these-

Whatsoever you do, do it heartily as to the LORD and NOT unto men.

- for a reason.

We are to be aware of our actions, we are to be aware of our dealings with others day in and day out and truly comprehend the results of those actions- are we doing our actions HEARTILY AS TO THE LORD?

If we are not committing actions HEARTILY AS TO THE LORD then we need to ask forgiveness from God and pray for His spirit to live in us so that we may do all we do heartily as to HIM.

Whether we are dealing with our husbands, our wives, our parents, our children, our bosses, it doesn't matter - what matters is that in our dealings we are honestly living for CHRIST and letting our lives reveal who are true master is- Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior!

Perhaps we are pointed towards our husbands, wives, parents, and children first because it is true they see us more as we really are than any others do, and they more than any others need to see Christ living in us, the hope of glory!

All through HIS AMAZING GRACE, HIS AMAZING LOVE!

Put on...

Col 3:12-17 

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved--

Bowels of mercies.
Kindness
Humbleness of mind
Meekness
Longsuffering
Forbearing one another,
Forgiving one another
If any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body
And be ye thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom
Teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs
Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

These are the things of God.
These are all a part of God's love.

Satan does NOT want us to have mercy on one another.
Satan does NOT want us to be kind.
Satan does NOT want us to have humbleness of mind.
Satan does NOT want us to have meekness.
Satan does NOT want us to be longsuffering.
Satan does NOT want us forbearing one another.
Satan does NOT want us to forgive one another.
Satan does NOT want us to repair our arguments with one another in forgiveness.
Satan does NOT want us to have charity.
Satan does NOT want us to have peace.
Satan does NOT want us to be thankful.
Satan does NOT want us to have Christ's word in us.
Satan does NOT want us teaching and admonishing us in psalms and hymns.
Satan does NOT want us singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord.
Satan does NOT want us in word and deed doing anything in the name of the LORD, giving thanks to God and the Father.

WE must be all these things, do all these things as we are told, as we are admonished, as we are instructed because these are the things of love, God's love.

Too many want to paint God as an awful dictator -warping us human beings with His strictures, with His commandments, with His seeming unfairness, and His hatred. They believe these lies about God because His love is so pure that to actually truly comprehend it would mean a total giving up of self and this is something people hate to do.

Satan became prideful, Satan became self-orientated, and when Satan did that he set the stage for what he wanted to corrupt human beings into becoming- like Him, NOT like God. He's done an excellent job in  corrupting mankind to have HIS sinful nature. Satan loves to nurture that evil nature in people pulling them further and further from God. We weren't meant to be sinfilled. Deep down people KNOW this, they know it. We were NOT meant to be selfish and yet we are. 

Satan wants to blame God for all the horrors of the world and he's succeeded in getting many to believe  him.

By the grace of God may we live the way our LORD would have us LIVE, as the PEOPLE the LORD would have us be. We are told what to do, just read that list above, and through Christ we are able to do all He wants us to do. We must pray for the Lord's Spirit, for His Love, for His Help, for All He can do for us. Please LORD we want to be YOURS and we want to do YOUR WILL up on earth, not Satan's!  Help us Lord, help us to follow your WORD now and always!

All in CHRIST!

Christ is all and in all

Col 3:11  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

Christ is all and in all.

Act 10:34  Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
Act 10:35  But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

God is NO respecter of persons.

We however have a whole world of people caught up in the various prejudices they've formed around others for their beliefs, their skin color, their nationality, their religions, their illnesses, their deformities, their weight, their personalities etc.

Our prejudices are many while our tolerances seem few.

Some may say God is prejudice because of His laws, because He expects people to keep His moral commandments, but in truth every single one of those moral commandments is designed out of the purest love that exists. We in our sinful natures don't want to see that though. We'd much rather make our own moral commandments that accommodate nicely our corrupted flesh nature- that way we can sin without feeling any guilt at all.

Satan wanted us to believe that God was unfair, that He was keeping us from truth, from happiness. Satan said this to Eve--

Gen 3:1  ...And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Yea, hath God said…

And then He said-  Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

He KNEW God did not say that. He knew God said this--

Gen 2:16,17  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:  but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Satan knew God told man- 'BUT of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt NOT eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.'

Satan KNEW this! So what was His purpose in going to Eve and asking her that question? It was to purely deceive her, to get her into QUESTIONING God.

Eve replied to God-

Gen 3:2  And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
Gen 3:3  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Did Eve reply truthfully?  Yes, but she embellished didn't she? She added a little bit that said- '..neither shall ye touch it' .

And Satan was right there to instill doubt into Eve's mind- doubt about God, about what God said.

Gen 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Did He lie?

Yes.

Did Eve die?

Yes.

Did she die immediately?

No.

But she did die as God said she would.

Eve believed in SATAN. Eve chose to believe Satan's lies over God's truth. 

Ever since then people have been choosing the exact same thing. They don't want the truth because it doesn't allow them to live to their flesh natures, giving into their flesh desires- just like Eve. All the other fruit of the other trees in the garden were not enough for her, she had to have that fruit and she had to have her eyes opened because she did NOT believe that God was being truthful.

With our eyes wide opened to good and evil- so many choose the evil over the good because like Eve they do NOT believe God.

God is NO respecter of people.

Any who LOVE Him, who keep His LAWS OF LOVE- His MORAL laws, the laws that JESUS kept fully Himself - LOVING God with all His Heart and Mind and loving His neighbor- anyone who does this is a child of God's.  It's when we STOP loving God, when we STOP loving each other that we are lost.

God specifically told Peter and Paul to give the gospel of the Kingdom to the gentiles- NOT to have the gentiles change their own customs but to have them LOVE GOD FIRST- no false gods- and to LOVE their neighbors.  There was a big to-do over the act of circumcision and whether or not all the gentile converts who were not circumcised should be made to get circumcised once they believed in the truth. Ultimately they were told they did NOT need to be circumcised? Why? Because that was a law given under the OLD covenant, not the NEW covenant in Jesus Christ. Then to demand they follow a custom given under the OLD covenant would actually put a stumbling block in their way. 

Jesus did DO AWAY with the old ceremonial law NOT the moral law, He reaffirmed that more than once.  Jesus brought the LOVE of God back to the forefront, not the strictures that had been necessary at the time to bring the chosen of God out of their 400 years of pollution by the pagan Egyptians.

Col 3:11  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

Christ is ALL and IN ALL.

Christ is not a respecter of persons.

All have the opportunity to choose HIS LOVE as their way of LIFE.

All through HIS amazing GRACE and LOVE.

Amen!

Renewed in knowledge

Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him

The new man we become when we are born again is RENEWED in KNOWLEDGE after the IMAGE of HIM that CREATED HIM.

RENEWED in KNOWLEDGE.

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Created in RIGHTEOUSNESS and TRUE HOLINESS.

Knowledge- it is knowledge that allows us to know well… everything… right? A stupid statement? Yes, it is a stupid statement but a very true one.

When we become a new man we are changed from the old and that old man lacks knowledge of salvation, choosing to remain in the darkness. When we choose NOT to believe in Christ we are choosing to remain in the dark, we are choosing to remain free of the knowledge of Salvation, free of the knowledge of God, free of the knowledge of righteousness and true holiness. All the while we are choosing that darkness, we unfortunately believe we are becoming more enlightened, not less enlightened. We believe we are actually growing more intelligent, not less intelligent. We believe we've become so incredibly smart to choose not to believe in Christ that we often pat ourselves on the back and well, we announce it to the world and sometimes quite loudly. Not believing becomes a badge of honor of sorts that we polish to a full shine every occasion we get. We love feeling that superior sense of wellbeing because we choose not to be what we call…duped.  We're not going to be fooled into believing fables, we're just too darn brilliant for that.

The truth, the truth is deception has been allowed to fill us and we are lost, we are stuck in the old man of flesh, unrenewed, lacking the truth knowledge of our Creator, our Redeemer.

Those of us who do CHOOSE to believe and go on to become a NEW man we are given the chance to receive the knowledge of God, the knowledge of Christ. No un-regenerated person can have this knowledge, it doesn't work that way.  And if YOU do gain this knowledge and then turn your back on it, you will be worse off than you ever were before because you're so much more guilty of unbelieving. I'm not talking stumbling in your fiery trials and tribulations, even if the trial lasts several years or more. I'm talking about the unbelief that cuts off the acknowledgement of guilt and replaces it with self-justification.  I'm talking about the unbelief that strips away hope for eternal life in Christ leaving the one who formerly believed and now chooses not to believe  without any future beyond the here and now. That awful nothingness that they fill with so much temporary nonsense it takes all their effort to do so. Yet, they are deceived into believing they are just fine without believing in Christ and the salvation He offers. They keep on believing that they are in need of nothing, and if they are in need of things it's their own bad luck, and well, that's life right?

The deception is so complete it's incredibly hard for anyone to get passed it and that is why so few ultimately believe in the truth as it is found in our SAVIOR.

We are given many opportunities to believe but we are NEVER forced and if we want deception we are allowed to have it because it is the choice we make.

We are renewed.

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind

In the spirit of our mind we are renewed, we receive the knowledge of Christ, the knowledge of God our Father in heaven, knowledge of the Holy Spirit and this knowledge is an ever growing knowledge, not a one time learning, but a learning that continues for as long as we live.

All by the grace of God may we NEVER stop believing in HIM, NEVER! May our minds be renewed in the knowledge of our God, our Savior, always!

In HIS LOVE!