Happy New Year Everyone!....and what a great time to not only follow Christ, we are privileged to rest in this glorious truth....we actually know Him!
In Colossians, this is another one of Paul's "prison letters" , actually there were 4. He wrote to the Ephesians, Philemon, and the Philippians all while he was in prison, most likely in Rome.
In Colossians, Paul is again warning of the false teachers around the region, preoccupied with following Jewish customs and laws, making regulations so important to follow that would try and rob us of our freedom in Christ. The crux of the problem is this: Christ is not the center of our lives, they try to make rituals more of a preeminence....Paul makes this clear..."forget about it"...
" This letter is from Paul, a unique messenger as ordained by the Lord Jesus Himself. Timothy also joins in this letter to each of you in Colossae. This letter is to reinforce all believers here in the "the Great Hope of our reliance on Christ..and Him alone!" We also ask that God our Father bless you with His Sovereign Peace!
First, let me say this: do you know every time we start to pray for you...we burst into praise?!! The reason is we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus, and your love for all God's people. We keep getting reports back on how much you are a help to others and that you have acted like this ever since you first heard of the Good News! Your purpose and goals in the "New Life" have never grown weary...with this expectation...to see Him!
The Gospel which came to you...is now going out all over the world. The Lord Jesus and His work at the Cross has never diminished or weakened, instead, the message grows stronger and larger...with this end result...lives are changed!
You learned of Jesus and His incredible work at the Cross from Epaphras, a beloved brother in Christ and an all around great guy! He also explained to You the Power of His Resurrection which we too have to look forward to in this life's journey of following our Great King!
I continue to pray Our Father will complete "His Story" in each of our lives, and blend in the wondrous power of the Holy Spirit to give each of you spiritual wisdom and good understanding. As this is accomplished, your very lives will honor the Lord Himself, and your actions will speak well of Him...the Glorious One! Besides, your friendship with Him will draw closer each day.
After all, there is no doubt His Power gives you unequaled strength to allow patience, that being the very ability to endure anything...and I mean anything, and the joy of following Him in the life we have now.
I am ever so grateful for each of you, and give to Him total praise for all of us being a part of the great story of our Lord Jesus...think of it...the very Kingdom of Light...now active in our everyday lives!
I mean, come on, take a moment and think about this. God, the Creator of all, made a decision long ago, long before any of us were even a thought, yet He thought of us and chose to rescue us from this evil Kingdom of Darkness, where Satan presides, and made a way for us to follow a path that enables us to enter a Kingdom ruled by His Dear Son, our very own and personal Savior, Jesus!...the One, the Only, and the True Christ...the Messiah!
But it didn't stop there. Through Christ, our sins have been totally forgiven and banished from our lives, and He has replaced our old sins with His freedom...freedom to follow and live in the Kingdom of Our God...right now!...right here!
Truly, Christ is the visible image of our invisible Father. He has always been...and continues to be the Supreme Ruler over all creation. It does not matter what man or devil may do to disrupt or make an attempt to dethrone our Beloved King...He Rules!...always has, always is, and always will! Praise be the the Lamb of God!
In Colossians, this is another one of Paul's "prison letters" , actually there were 4. He wrote to the Ephesians, Philemon, and the Philippians all while he was in prison, most likely in Rome.
In Colossians, Paul is again warning of the false teachers around the region, preoccupied with following Jewish customs and laws, making regulations so important to follow that would try and rob us of our freedom in Christ. The crux of the problem is this: Christ is not the center of our lives, they try to make rituals more of a preeminence....Paul makes this clear..."forget about it"...
" This letter is from Paul, a unique messenger as ordained by the Lord Jesus Himself. Timothy also joins in this letter to each of you in Colossae. This letter is to reinforce all believers here in the "the Great Hope of our reliance on Christ..and Him alone!" We also ask that God our Father bless you with His Sovereign Peace!
First, let me say this: do you know every time we start to pray for you...we burst into praise?!! The reason is we have heard about your faith in Christ Jesus, and your love for all God's people. We keep getting reports back on how much you are a help to others and that you have acted like this ever since you first heard of the Good News! Your purpose and goals in the "New Life" have never grown weary...with this expectation...to see Him!
The Gospel which came to you...is now going out all over the world. The Lord Jesus and His work at the Cross has never diminished or weakened, instead, the message grows stronger and larger...with this end result...lives are changed!
You learned of Jesus and His incredible work at the Cross from Epaphras, a beloved brother in Christ and an all around great guy! He also explained to You the Power of His Resurrection which we too have to look forward to in this life's journey of following our Great King!
I continue to pray Our Father will complete "His Story" in each of our lives, and blend in the wondrous power of the Holy Spirit to give each of you spiritual wisdom and good understanding. As this is accomplished, your very lives will honor the Lord Himself, and your actions will speak well of Him...the Glorious One! Besides, your friendship with Him will draw closer each day.
After all, there is no doubt His Power gives you unequaled strength to allow patience, that being the very ability to endure anything...and I mean anything, and the joy of following Him in the life we have now.
I am ever so grateful for each of you, and give to Him total praise for all of us being a part of the great story of our Lord Jesus...think of it...the very Kingdom of Light...now active in our everyday lives!
I mean, come on, take a moment and think about this. God, the Creator of all, made a decision long ago, long before any of us were even a thought, yet He thought of us and chose to rescue us from this evil Kingdom of Darkness, where Satan presides, and made a way for us to follow a path that enables us to enter a Kingdom ruled by His Dear Son, our very own and personal Savior, Jesus!...the One, the Only, and the True Christ...the Messiah!
But it didn't stop there. Through Christ, our sins have been totally forgiven and banished from our lives, and He has replaced our old sins with His freedom...freedom to follow and live in the Kingdom of Our God...right now!...right here!
Truly, Christ is the visible image of our invisible Father. He has always been...and continues to be the Supreme Ruler over all creation. It does not matter what man or devil may do to disrupt or make an attempt to dethrone our Beloved King...He Rules!...always has, always is, and always will! Praise be the the Lamb of God!
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