Set your affection on things above.

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

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

How much of our agonizing in this life is spent over things on earth? Seriously, how much do we worry about things here and now? We do, we are miserable with worry over so much in our lives. Are we SEEKING things that are above, really…are we?  How actively are we seeking things which are above where Christ sits on the right hand of God? How do you actively seek for things above? How do you set your affections on things above not here on earth?

We have to ask ourselves these questions when we are face to face with so much brutal heartache over our living conditions here and now. And we need to ask ourselves this even more when we are complacent in our lives, happy in our circumstances because we are living in a life of luxury, and if not luxury than a life we are very comfortable in.  I'm not saying we can't be comfortable in our lives but if we do experience a comfortableness here, do we continue to seek those things which are above and if so, how?

Yes, HOW?! What constitutes seeking things above where Christ sits next to God?

If we are risen with Christ, if we believe in His resurrection we truly need to seek those things which are above where Christ and our Heavenly Father dwell.

If heaven has our affection nothing can take that from us, nothing.  Everything tangible here on earth, everything emotional here on earth can be taken from us- everything. There isn't a single tangible thing that can't be taken from us on earth. Our affection for heaven cannot be taken from us! If we live our lives with heaven as our central focus, all else around us can totally crumble leaving us with nothing but our affection for heaven, and we would still be content in that surety. We spend way too much of our lives living for things that can be taken from us.

We are told to set our affection on things above not on earth…

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

…for a reason. 

This isn't to say we won't find affection for our loved ones, our children, our spouses, our family and friends but that affection has to come secondary to the affection we have for the things above.  We can't allow losing the things on earth we have affection for destroy our affection for heaven.

Satan will try that tactic, he did with Job and countless others since. It didn't work with Job, but how many has that ploy worked with? By the grace of God I pray it never works with me, I am so weak in so many ways. I need to truly set my affections on things above and not on the things on earth.  All here is temporary to eternity even though it doesn't feel that way especially where our affections are concerned.

May we be blessed in Christ and seek things above! All through His love now and forever!!!!!!!

Complete in Christ.

Man's philosophy and vain deceit, traditions of mankind, rudiments of the world.

How many of us live our lives by various philosophies of men? Good men perhaps, good sounding philosophies, maybe even harmless philosophies however- they are mankind's philosophies NOT GOD'S. 

Col 2:6  As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 

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

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. 

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

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

No matter how wonderful a man's philosophy may be it can never offer eternal salvation to a single person.

We can be spoiled through man's devices, man's deceptions, man's traditions, man's principles. Spoiled by believing they make us good enough human beings that should there be an hereafter then we lived our lives good enough to deserve that hereafter.

There truly are many good people who have brought happiness, contentment, help to many people yet without Christ, without His offered salvation will they be His? Would they even want to be His? A lot of them do not believe there is an evil in need of repentance and forgiveness outside of men forgiving men and men repenting of their evil and using their own moral fortitude to shun the evil they are prone to. They don't believe they need a God, or a Savior- yet they are tremendously wonderful people in the scheme of humanity's terms. Why don't they believe in God? If they don’t believe in God they don't have to answer to anyone but themselves. They don't have to live in fear of a judgement. They believe in themselves and maybe other people and to them it is all that is needed. Man looks to himself making up all sorts of excuses why they don't need to believe in God or a Savior. These wonderful people are deceived. Nothing says that the deceived have to be bad, morally corrupt people. There are many deceived who live only good lives and they will even tell Jesus about how much good they did in their lives as if that alone warrants eternity. They'll cry out about their good deeds and they won't be lying, they will have done good. These people will claim to believe in Jesus but Jesus won't know them. Of course there will be many who won't even claim to know Jesus but they'll tout their good deeds as they've laid claim to their title of 'Good Person'.

The truth is- we are only complete in Jesus Christ. Seriously, we are ONLY complete in our Savior. We can deceive ourselves all we want and lay claim to our own goodness, but that deception will deny us salvation. It's a self-deception- allowing ourselves to be deceived. Yes, we can allow ourselves to be deceived. We don't take precautions not to be deceived and therefore are accountable for the deception.

Eve's deception by Satan was forgivable because it was not self-deception. When we purposefully choose to align ourselves outside of Christ we have opened ourselves up to the deception of the worst kind. Remember, just because you're deceived doesn’t mean you're going to be a horrible monster of a person- that's just another fallacy that Satan likes to encourage. Sweet, kind, lovable people can be caught up in the deceptions of Satan.

Col 2:8 …Christ-

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

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

Christ is the head of all principality and power -

Col 1:16  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 

Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 

Eph 1:20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 

Eph 1:21  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 

Eph 1:22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 

Eph 1:23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. 

1Pe 3:22  Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. 

Christ suffered unimaginably when He didn't have to, He choose to redeem us through His sacrifice.

Did Christ like this world He was living in?

Joh_17:14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

Joh_17:9  I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

Joh_16:33  These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

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.

Suffice it to say that Christ was NOT of this world. And the world has not gotten any better since He walked the earth- not in their love of Him and His truth.

We need to be complete in Christ and no other!  By His grace may this be! All through HIS LOVE!

Hearts Comforted- Knit Together in Love

Col 2:1  For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; 

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

Col 2:3  In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

Col 2:4  And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. 

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. 

Hearts being comforted.

Our hearts can be comforted when they are knit together in love.

Our hearts can be comforted when they have the full assurance of understanding.

Our hearts can be comforted when we acknowledge the mystery of God, the mystery of the Father, and the mystery of Christ.

All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in our Savior, in our God, in our Heavenly Father.

Nowhere else can we find true wisdom and knowledge though many will try.

People will try very hard to sway people from the true wisdom and knowledge in Christ. People will use enticing words trying hard to beguile any and all they can from the truth.

We know our Savior has offered redemption to all sinners. Do we fully comprehend the One who is our Creator and our Redeemer? Do we comprehend how the One who is a God in His own right could give up His Spirit form and take on flesh- prone to sinning, able to be tempted? Do we understand all the mysteries of God the Father, or God the Holy Spirit? No, we don't but we have FAITH, we truth, we believe in the truth that has been revealed to us.

We need our hearts comforted, we need to be knit together in LOVE and we need to find that comfort in our SAVIOR, in the TRUTH our SAVIOR gives to us, all through HIS LOVE!  

Comfort In Christ.

Comfort.

Where do we find comfort in this world today. Every news program on most platforms will easily remind us of the horrors of our lives. We are not unaffected by the tragedies that are befalling people everywhere. Some of us may have been a part of them, others spectators and it doesn't matter - not really- because spectators to the horrors have their hearts ripped apart inside their chest each time they witness the atrocities and by witness I include even reading, or hearing about without seeing them. The evil humanity harbors is truly heartbreaking. So many things, so many awful things taking place it just tears me apart.

We do need comfort from the horrors, so where do we find comfort.

1Th 4:18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1Th 4:13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 

1Th 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 

1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

1Th 4:18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Our hope is in Christ and the salvation HE will give to us!

It is easy to lose hope when the horrors all around us never end and seem to only grow worse. When people we love are dying, when so many are victims of evil- their lives cut short and unexpectedly we need hope.

The dead in Christ will rise first!

Then if we are still alive and not among the dead in Christ- we will be caught up together WITH them in the clouds, MEETING the LORD in the AIR- and then….  Then we will EVER be with the LORD.

There Is HOPE, a living hope for the dead and living- IN CHRIST.

The living and the dead are judged.

2Ti 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom

Judged.

The living and the dead are judged.

When our Savior appears again do you remember what happens?

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

1Th 4:18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words

The dead in Christ shall rise first.

The alive in Christ will be caught up with them in the air.

The only way for there to be dead and living to rise in Christ is if they are found to belong to Christ. Everyone will be judged and they will either be found to be Christ's or not.

Not everyone will rise contrary to what many would like to believe.

Believing is enough, but it has to be a TRUE living, active, wondrous belief in our Savior. We can't forget this--

Jas_2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

Devils believe.

More tomorrow by the GRACE and MERCY the WILL of our Lord and Savior JESUS CHRIST!

O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth

The wicked will not triumph. Our world is so filled with violence and wickedness, and it has been since sinned entered. Cain slew Abel and he didn't need a gun to do so. Evil inside of people will cause them to commit evil atrocities in any form they can. Bombs, guns, weapons that can cause mass harm are awful. Yet because they exist how do we take them from people? If we can't take them from all people, how can we take them from some? If we can't do away with all the weapons- then evil will find a way to get them. Am I an advocate for gun control? No, not really because we can't keep them from the evil who would break laws to get their weapons. Honestly, me personally, I do not believe in having a gun. I do not want to kill even in order to protect myself or my loved ones. Why? Just because that is how I believe, how I feel. I hope I'm not tested on this, by the grace of God I never will be.
 

I know that God will avenge any evil done, and all those who are un-repentant of their evil will be destroyed into non-existence. I have to trust that my God knows that the evil will not triumph. There will be no evil in eternity, none.

Truly we can't live as if this is our world, the world we belong to, because it isn't.  This evil world is far from the world we were intended to have. We will one day, all by the grace and mercy of our Savior, Jesus Christ be in our new world, the world intended, the world without evil.

*******

Psa 94:1  O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself. 

Psa 94:2  Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud. 

Psa 94:3  LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? 

Psa 94:4  How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves? 

Psa 94:5  They break in pieces thy people, O LORD, and afflict thine heritage. 

Psa 94:6  They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. 

Psa 94:7  Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it. 

Psa 94:8  Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise? 

Psa 94:9  He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see? 

Psa 94:10  He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know? 

Psa 94:11  The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. 

Psa 94:12  Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law; 

Psa 94:13  That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. 

Psa 94:14  For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. 

Psa 94:15  But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it. 

Psa 94:16  Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? 

Psa 94:17  Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. 

Psa 94:18  When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up. 

Psa 94:19  In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. 

Psa 94:20  Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? 

Psa 94:21  They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood. 

Psa 94:22  But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge. 

Psa 94:23  And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off. 

Esteeming Others Better.

Php 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 

Php 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 

Php 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus

Being likeminded.  We live in a world, as we were discussing yesterday, that has embraced being offended as if it's something to be proud of. To be of one accord and one mind is all fine and good until you aren't. We love having people agree with us but is that truly bring of one accord? We need to listen to the rest of it…

Let nothing be done through strife.

Let nothing be done through vainglory.

We need to be humble each of us esteeming others better than ourselves. Now there's the kicker, right? We don't esteem others better, we shun esteeming others better because in our minds it makes us a lesser person, a person who isn't as good as another, and not being as good as others is something that offends us. We tell our children they are just as good as anyone else, to never think otherwise. We promote the equality of each other in all ways and I'M NOT saying we should ever teach our children to… wait, I think I am saying that we need to teach our children that being better than anyone else is not something we need to pursue, but rather helping others be the best they can be is much better. We don't like to teach to serve, we just don't.

We need to lowly in mind- NOT HIGHMINDED. We need to esteem OTHERS BETTER than ourselves.

Can we do that? We need to do it. Jesus NEVER put on airs and if ANYONE had a right to put on airs it would have been Him. Jesus esteemed us ALL better than Himself- HE DIED FOR US!

More tomorrow by the GRACE and the MERCY of our LORD and SAVIOR, let HIS WILL BE DONE!

All through Jesus Christ our LORD!