Risen with him through the faith

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

We are truly buried WITH Christ in baptism.

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

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

Read the following...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Please LORD help us to comprehend Your WILL for us.

All through YOUR LOVE!
Your MERCY!

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

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

Amen.

Circumcision made without hands

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read this--

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All through YOU! All in YOUR LOVE!

Complete ONLY in HIM

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

The fullness of the Godhead bodily.

God in the flesh.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We are COMPLETE only in HIM and NO OTHER!

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

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

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

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

We are complete in CHRIST.

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

PRAISE GOD!

All glory to God!

Beware

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

Spoiled-  to LEAD away from the TRUTH.

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

People will lead you away through-

PHILOSOPHY
VAIN DECEIT
TRADITIONS of MEN
RUDIMENTS of the WORLD

NOT AFTER CHRIST!

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

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

Some philosophers-

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

Vain deceit.

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

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

Traditions of men.

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

 Rudiments of the world.

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

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

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

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

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

And…

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

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

Established in Christ

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

Absent in the flesh - with you in the spirit.

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

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

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

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

That's why this can be said--

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

The dead know not any thing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Steadfast -

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

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

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


Faith without wavering is a stedfast faith.

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

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

How did you receive Christ Jesus the Lord?

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

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

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

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

Rooted.
Built up.
Established.
Thankful.

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

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

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

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

By HIS GRACE, MERCY, RIGHTEOUSNESS!

Perilous times

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

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

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

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

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

 2Ti 3:2 ...proud (SELF PRAISING)

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

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

 2Ti 3:2 ...unthankful (UNGRATEFUL)

 2Ti 3:2 ...unholy (UNGODLY)

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

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

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

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

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

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

2Ti 3:4  Traitors (BETRAYERS)

2Ti 3:4 …heady (FULL OF SELF)

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

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

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

... from such turn away.

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

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

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

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

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

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

2Ti 3:8 ….men of corrupt mind

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

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

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

2Ti 3:13 ...deceiving,

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

This is TRUTH.

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

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

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

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

ALL IN YOU, THROUGH YOU, FOR YOU!

A treasure worth more than any other

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

Love and ALL RICHES-

RICHES OF the FULL ASSURANCE-

the FULL ASSURANCE of UNDERSTANDING-

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

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

Christ came and revealed the Father to us.

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

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

Treasures of wisdom.
Treasures of knowledge.

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

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

Do we believe this?!

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

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