#Colossians 1:21-23

[kdmiller55]

No Other Gospel

21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I,…

[jaguar726]

He has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation

Daily Verse Reading – Colossians 1:21-23 21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[a] your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the…

[mindfulldsliving]

Steadfast Faith in Christ: Standing Tall and Moving Forward

In this critical time, we are called to elevate our faith and broaden our understanding of the grand mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Photo by Jordan Steranka on Unsplash Standing a little taller with steadfastness of faith in Christ requires a resolute commitment to His teachings and a deep trust in His divine will. As 1 Corinthians 16:13 encourages us, “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” This verse calls us to be vigilant, firm, and courageous in our faith. It’s about embracing a strength that…

[girlbloggercher]

how to read the Bible

this is in order!

1. John

2. Mark

3. Matthew

4. Luke

5. Genesis

6. Exodus

7. Leviticus

8. Numbers

9. Dueteronomy

10. Romans

11. Galatians

12. Colossians

13. Proverbs

14. Ecclesiastes

15. Job

16. 1 Peter

17. 1 Corinthians

18. 2 Corinthians

19. Ephesians

20. Philippians

21. 1 Thessalonians

22. 2 Thessalonians

23. 1 Timothy

24. 2 Timothy

25. James

26. 2 Peter

27. 1 John

28. 2 John

29. 3 John

30. Jude

31. Psalms

32. Joshua

33. Judges

34. 1 Samuel

35. 2 Samuel

36. 1 Kings

37. 2 Kings

38. 1 Chronicles

39. 2 Chronicles

40. Ezra

41. Nehemiah

42. Jeremiah

43. Lamentations

44. Ezekiel

45. Joel

46. Amos

47. Obadiah

48. Nahum

49. Habakkuk

50. Zephaniah

51. Haggai

52. Zechariah

53. Malachi

54. Micah

55. Hosea

56. Luke

57. Esther

58. Jonah

59. Song of Solomon

60. Acts

61. Titus

62. Philemon

63. Hebrew

64. Isaiah

65. Daniel

66. Revelation

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Keep Yourselves in the Love of God

24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, might, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. — Jude 24-25 | Legacy Standard Bible (LSB) Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing, Inc. Cross References: Romans 3:20-21; Romans 16:27; Ephesians 3:20-21; Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 1 Timothy 1:17; 2 Timothy 4:18; 1 Peter 4:11; 2 Peter 3:18; Revelation 5:13; Revelation 7:12

Read full chapter

Thoughts on Today's Verse…

Two things I trust implicitly:

I. God's power and might. II. My joy at getting to share in his presence forever. My best efforts will always fall short, but God's grace is greater and more glorious than my best efforts! The faultlessness that I have when I stand before God will be based on his grace and mercy for me in Jesus. Jesus will present me as holy in God's sight, without blemish, and free from any guilt (Colossians 1:22). How can I not praise him from a thankful heart as I anticipate seeing him face to face in his glory?

The Thoughts on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

[scribeforchrist-blog]

The Stove is Hot 

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

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+ Acts 2:21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved

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VERSE OF THE DAY 

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+ Colossians 2:20   You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as

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SUBJECT: the Stove is Hot 

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** SAY THIS BEFORE YOU READ; HERE’S SOME CHRISTIAN TRUTHS **

I AM NOT TOUCHING THE STOVE 

I AM LISTENING TO GOD 

I AM OBEDIENT 

I AM HEARING GOD’S VOICE 

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READ TIME: 7 Minutes & 23 Seconds

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THOUGHTS:

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 My mom always told me Lui not to touch the stove because it was hot, and I would listen to her as I got older. I got curious, and one day, I touched the stove and realized why she said it was hot. At first, I didn’t get it. Now, after that one time, I learned what I shouldn’t touch, and when she says it's hot not to touch it , a lot of times, I had not listened to my parents because I felt there was no way they understand or it was no way they’ll get it, and when I got through experiencing it. I got through dealing with it, and I realized they did and that I needed to learn to listen to them when they spoke.

    The hardest thing I have realized in life is not knowing but to know and still do it or to do something wrong still is going to place me on the path of disobedience, even listening to God and his word says not to do something and to do it anyway puts me on the path of not listening. Some of you are still touching the stove, even though you can hear God speak and say, 'No, the stove is hot.' 

  God is speaking to some of you right now and is saying the stove is hot, but because it feels good, looks good, and is what we've been doing, we think we should still do it. And God is saying, 'No, leave that alone; it’s hot.' How many of you are still not hearing the Holy Spirit speak, and he’s saying this to you? Again, it’s hot; leave it alone. 

  2 Samuel 24:1 Once again, the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he caused David to harm them by taking a census. “Go and count the people of Israel and Judah,” the Lord told him

  David had a moment like that, and it cost him the lives of people in his town; he was told not to count the people, and he still did it, as great as David was, as powerful as David was, as resilient as David was he still was disobedient to God because it was what he wanted to do Joab even told him why you are counting the people. Still, David insisted that this was what he wanted to do, so many of us were getting warnings about what not to do, but we still were doing it, being stubborn. 

   2 Samuel 24:4 But the king insisted that they take the census, so Joab and the commanders of the army went out to count the people of Israel.

  Once again, David is told the stove is hot, 'don’t touch it,' and 'don’t do it,' but he still goes on and counts the people ,and David gets burned. Did you know a total of 70,000 people died with the plague that the lord sent out? All because he wanted to count them, all because he wanted to see how many people there were. 

  Verse 15: So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel that morning, and it lasted for three days. A total of 70,000 people died throughout the nation, from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south.

 Sometimes, we tend to blame others for what we are going through. We even shake our fists at God and blame Him because we feel He has wronged us, but upon closer examination, it’s our fault that we are the way we are and that certain things have happened. David took full responsibility for what had happened. He said, 'I am the one who sinned; so many of us are going through this now, but we don’t want to blame anyone but the next person. However, all we can do sometimes is blame ourselves.' 

  Verse 17: When David saw the angel, he said to the Lord, “I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what have they done? Let your anger fall against me and my family.”

  The stove is hot, and the lord wants you to know that when we touch the stove, we will get burned; we might think we won’t, and we might think God will disregard what we do, but God will not ,what we do in our life it’s a price to pay for it all and sometimes what we get isn’t the best outcome. Still, when we obey, whether the outcome is good or bad, we must stay obedient children to God.

  ***Today, we learned a lot about the stove being hot; we can act like we don’t know what the lord is saying, and we can act like we don’t think it applies to us, but it does; God wants us to understand that the way we are obedient is the way to his heart, a lot of us don’t understand why can’t we hear his voice why we aren’t called to do certain things it’s because you're being disobedient to God, God isn’t going to continue to bless us when we are disobedient he won’t hear our cries when we are disobedient because when we are this way we are fighting against God and not the world, but we are fighting against God. 

   1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

  If we didn’t learn anything from King Saul, we should have learned that when God says to stop, we must stop. When God says the stove is hot, He means it, and He doesn’t want us to touch it. King Saul danced on the line of disobedience and sometimes fell right into it because he didn’t want to listen to God; we can act like we don’t want to listen, but God isn’t going to condone disobedience; he will take things away until we see to follow no my friends this isn’t a devotional to scare you, this is a devotional of warning. God is warning some of you now to change your actions, and it’s up to you to do so.  ©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

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PRAYER

=====================

Heavenly Father, we come to you with a heart full of gratitude for all that you have done for us and our loved ones. You have been our guiding light, our protector, and our source of strength. We are especially thankful for the gift of forgiveness that you have given us through your son, Jesus Christ. We humbly ask for your help in being obedient to your will and in hearing your voice. Forgive us if we have strayed from your path and done anything that is not in accordance with your teachings. In Jesus' name, amen 

======================

REFERENCES 

======================

+ Matthew 12:6 If only you had known the meaning of 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.

 

+ Genesis 4:4 while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering

 

+ Psalm 40:6 Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have opened. Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require

======================

FURTHER READINGS 

======================

Proverbs 4

Hosea 1

Isaiah 19

Psalm 86

Exodus 23

======================

[chadnathan257]

Men’s Bible Study Guide - 3/18/2025

This study guide is designed to address common life challenges faced by men, providing biblical insights and practical applications. Each session includes Scripture readings, discussion questions, reflections, and a prayer prompt.

1: Identity and Purpose

Scripture

Ephesians 2:10

Jeremiah 29:11

Discussion Questions

1. What roles do you identify with in life (e.g., father, husband, employee, friend)?

2. How does understanding your identity in Christ influence your perspective on these roles?

Reflection

Consider how God's plan for your life shapes your daily decisions and interactions.

Prayer Prompt

Pray that you would come to know your true identity in Christ and seek His purpose in all areas of your life.

2: Overcoming Temptation

Scripture

1 Corinthians 10:13

James 1:12

Discussion Questions

1. What are the temptations you struggle with the most?

2. How can you apply these verses to resist temptation effectively?

Reflection

Think about a time you overcame temptation and what strategies helped you.

Prayer Prompt

Ask God for strength and wisdom in facing your temptations, reminding you that He provides a way out.

3: Relationships and Communication

Scripture

Proverbs 18:21

Ephesians 4:29

Discussion Questions

1. How do your words affect your relationships with others?

2. How can you improve your communication in your key relationships?

Reflection

Reflect on specific conversations over the past week. What would you do differently now, guided by these scriptures?

Prayer Prompt

Pray for the ability to communicate effectively and lovingly, fostering deeper relationships with those around you.

4: Work and Integrity

Scripture

Colossians 3:23-24

Proverbs 10:9

Discussion Questions

1. What challenges do you face in maintaining integrity at work?

2. How does your work reflect your faith?

Reflection

Consider your work ethic. In what ways can you improve your integrity and witness in the workplace?

Prayer Prompt

Seek God's guidance in your work life, asking for integrity in all your actions and decisions.

5: Spiritual Leadership

Scripture

1 Timothy 3:1-7

Joshua 24:15

Questions

1. What does it mean to be a spiritual leader in your home or community?

2. How can you take steps to lead by example?

Reflection

Evaluate your current level of spiritual leadership. How can you encourage and guide others effectively?

Prayer Prompt

Pray for wisdom and strength to be the spiritual leader God calls you to be in your family and community.

As you navigate the many challenges of life, remember that Scripture offers guidance and support. Each study session can help you grow in your faith and develop practical strategies for overcoming obstacles. Embrace the journey of becoming the man God designed you to be.

[magdelene7]

"Faith in what Jesus did allows us to receive what Jesus did."

Lets look at Colossians 1:21-23 (NASB20)

v.21, "And although you were previously alienated and hostile in attitude, engaged in evil deeds,..."

ALIENATED- experiencing or including feelings of isolation or estrangement; transferred to the ownership of another person or group.

v.22a, "...yet He has now reconciled you in His body of flesh through death,..."

RECONCILE- restore friendly relations between; cause to coexist in harmony; make or show to be compatible.

v.22b, "...in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—"

REPROACH- the expression of disapproval or disappointment.

We as humans were originally created to live and dwell with God. But sin isolated us from God, we were owned by our sin. We couldn't be close to God. That was until Jesus died, and bought us back. He wiped out sins clean, He restored our relationship, He made it so we could be right with God! He made it so we can be "BEYOND reproach", BEYOND God's disapproval or rejection.

IF...

v.23a, "...if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you have heard,..."

The gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ and what He did for mankind, which was sacrifice Himself so that we could be restored to our original intended relationship with the God of the universe.

"Faith in what Jesus did allows us to receive what Jesus did."

[coffeeman777]

Colossians 1

1 From: Paul, chosen by God to be Jesus Christ’s messenger, and from Brother Timothy.

2 To: The faithful Christian brothers—God’s people—in the city of Colosse.

May God our Father shower you with blessings and fill you with His great peace.

3 Whenever we pray for you, we always begin by giving thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 for we have heard how much you trust the Lord, and how much you love His people. 5 And you are looking forward to the joys of heaven, and have been ever since the Gospel first was preached to you. 6 The same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world and changing lives everywhere, just as it changed yours that very first day you heard it and understood about God’s great kindness to sinners.

7 Epaphras, our much-loved fellow worker, was the one who brought you this Good News. He is Jesus Christ’s faithful slave, here to help us in your place. 8 And he is the one who has told us about the great love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.

9 So ever since we first heard about you we have kept on praying and asking God to help you understand what He wants you to do; asking Him to make you wise about spiritual things; 10 and asking that the way you live will always please the Lord and honor Him, so that you will always be doing good, kind things for others, while all the time you are learning to know God better and better.

11 We are praying, too, that you will be filled with His mighty, glorious strength so that you can keep going no matter what happens—always full of the joy of the Lord, 12 and always thankful to the Father who has made us fit to share all the wonderful things that belong to those who live in the Kingdom of light. 13 For He has rescued us out of the darkness and gloom of Satan’s kingdom and brought us into the Kingdom of His dear Son, 14 who bought our freedom with His blood and forgave us all our sins.

15 Christ is the exact likeness of the unseen God. He existed before God made anything at all, and, in fact, 16 Christ Himself is the Creator who made everything in heaven and earth, the things we can see and the things we can’t; the spirit world with its kings and kingdoms, its rulers and authorities; all were made by Christ for His own use and glory. 17 He was before all else began and it is His power that holds everything together. 18 He is the Head of the body made up of His people—that is, His Church—which He began; and He is the Leader of all those who arise from the dead, so that He is first in everything; 19 for God wanted all of Himself to be in His Son.

20 It was through what His Son did that God cleared a path for everything to come to Him—all things in heaven and on earth—for Christ’s death on the cross has made peace with God for all by His blood. 21 This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were His enemies and hated Him and were separated from Him by your evil thoughts and actions, yet now He has brought you back as His friends. 22 He has done this through the death on the cross of His own human body, and now as a result Christ has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are standing there before Him with nothing left against you—nothing left that He could even chide you for; 23 the only condition is that you fully believe the Truth, standing in it steadfast and firm, strong in the Lord, convinced of the Good News that Jesus died for you, and never shifting from trusting Him to save you. This is the wonderful news that came to each of you and is now spreading all over the world. And I, Paul, have the joy of telling it to others.

24 But part of my work is to suffer for you; and I am glad, for I am helping to finish up the remainder of Christ’s sufferings for His body, the Church.

25 God has sent me to help His Church and to tell His secret plan to you Gentiles. 26-27 He has kept this secret for centuries and generations past, but now at last it has pleased Him to tell it to those who love Him and live for Him, and the riches and glory of His plan are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ in your hearts is your only hope of glory.

28 So everywhere we go we talk about Christ to all who will listen, warning them and teaching them as well as we know how. We want to be able to present each one to God, perfect because of what Christ has done for each of them. 29 This is my work, and I can do it only because Christ’s mighty energy is at work within me.

[steveezekiel]

THE LAW IS NOT MADE FOR A RIGHTEOUS PERSON

"KNOWING THIS, THAT THE LAW IS NOT MADE FOR A RIGHTEOUS MAN, BUT FOR THE LAWLESS AND DISOBEDIENT, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers."

1 Timothy 1:9 (NKJV)

Comment: Apostle Paul made us understand in this passage that the law, old testament rules, is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless, insubordinates, sinners , and the like (1 Timothy 1:9).

Who is a righteous person?

A righteous person is someone who's Christ's righteousness is imputed:

"CHRIST WAS WITHOUT SIN, BUT FOR OUR SAKE GOD MADE HIM SHARE OUR SIN IN ORDER THAT IN UNION WITH HIM WE MIGHT SHARE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD" (2 Corinthians 5:21 Good News Translation).

READ: Romans 3:21,22

In other words, we are made righteous through Jesus' righteousness. Whoever places his or her faith in Christ Jesus is forgiven his or her sins and Jesus' cloak of righteousness is given to him or her (Romans 5:18,19). God will no longer see the person in the filthy rags of Sin but the righteousness of Christ Jesus that clothes him or her (Isaiah 64:6).

So this righteousness is not earned but It is a gift (Romans 3:24-28). However, the person being made righteous had to live a righteous life (Ephesians 2:10; 1 Peter 1:15,16).

Believers are not living or trying to observe the law that they might be accepted by God, but they are accepted on the basis of Jesus' righteousness—they did not work for it (Romans 3:28; Galatians 2:16). Albeit, they are accepted or saved to live right—live a righteous life (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Thus, whoever is walking according to the principles found in the Bible, especially the New Testament, the law is not made for such a person.

The new testament law is love (John 13:34). A believer who is walking in love would not be struggling to keep the old testament law. Love is the fulfilment of the law (Romans 13:8-10). The whole law is summed up in: "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF" (Romans 13:9 NKJV).

If you walked in love, as expatiated in Romans 13:8-10; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 you have fulfilled the whole law (Romans 13:8,10).

The point being made is, a new testament believer need not be concerned about keeping the law (Colossians 2:18,20-23). His or her concerns should be how to express the love of God that is poured out in their hearts at the new birth (Romans 5:5).

If every professed believer would give expression to the love of God poured out in their hearts by the Holy Spirit, we will not have a lot of mess we are having in the Body of Christ; In fact, the whole world would be a better place to be and live. At such the believers would live up to the expectation of God about them.

What is God's expectation about the believers? It is being the salt and the light of the world. It is when the love of God poured out on the inside of the believers finds expression that they can truly be the salt and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16).

Walk in love. Submit to the Holy Spirit and cooperate with Him that you might be able to walk in love. Give expression to the love of God that is already deposited or poured out in you at the new birth.

Peace.

[neogathering]

Grow as a spiritual Christian.  Listen and adhere to the voice of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17, 15:26, 16:7, 13-15).

Practice the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23, Colossians 3:12-17) and reject the fruits of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21, Colossians 3:5-11).

Beware of Satan's attempts to lure you away from following Jesus Christ (1 Peter 5:8-10); but more importantly, remember Jesus Christ is praying that the devil stays away from you (Luke 22:31-32, John 17:15, Romans 8:34). 

Follow Jesus Christ at all costs (Matthew 16:24-25, Luke 14:25-34).  Nothing is more valuable than your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-13).

God empower you and bless you, always.

[thegreatcallofgod]

A TRUE WORSHIPER WILL NOT GO TO A CHURCH OR PLACE FOR WORSHIP : Jesus replied, “It will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem - John 4:21

Be a true worshiper of God & fellowship with Him IN SPIRIT AT ALL TIMES (1 John 1:3). THEY ARE THE KIND OF WORSHIPERS THE FATHER SEEKS (John 4:23).

So, do not be cheated anymore by preachers who twist God’s word / Truth, but STAY AWAY FROM RELIGIOUS LEADERS & THEIR PLACES OF WORSHIP (1 Timothy 6:5, Colossians 2:8). God bless you & yours.

The Great Call of God (TGCG)

[A non-religious & non-denominational SPIRITUAL ministry]

https://www.facebook.com/TheGreatCallofGod

[theprayerfulword]

April 03

1 Thessalonians 4:3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified:

Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

May God turn your foes' curses into blessings, because the Lord loves you. Deuteronomy 23

May you remember, when you are engaged in spiritual warfare, that the Lord walks among you to protect you and to cause your enemies to fall before you, so be holy just as He is holy. Deuteronomy 23

May you recall from whence you came and recall the mercies of the Lord in your life that you may show those mercies to others when the occasion comes about for they will speak praise to God for you, and God will bless you abundantly. Deuteronomy 24

May you always receive the chastening of the Lord with humility and acknowledgement of the Lord's righteousness, for His work is ever redemptive, and never punitive. Deuteronomy 25

May you be determined to blot out the memory of the lusts and corruptions which are used by the powers of darkness to attack your soul and oppose the work of God as you grow in the Lord and come into maturity of the Spirit. Deuteronomy 25

My child, do you feel concern that the bloom has left and the beauty is gone from your life, taking the freshness you recall so well and miss so much? That eager enthusiasm and energetic zeal is delightful, My love, but is not the end goal or the full purpose of My plan. It is sparked by the contact of My Spirit when you first turn to me. It grows and unfolds before all to see as My life flows into you. It draws attention with its fragrance and beauty from all who see and note the difference in you. It tells them of the change of the seasons from sleeping dormant winter to the spring of life and newness. But it is natural and appropriate for the flower to fade and the fragrance to diminish and the petals to fall, My precious one, for there are greater things to come and the work has just begun. The flower of your love for Me merely marks the beginning of the work of maturity and fruit-bearing. The blossoms are beautiful and speak clearly of the promise to be fulfilled, but the true joy comes with the appearance and development of the fruit that refreshes and strengthens those who are weary and hungry. My goal in your life is to bring forth fruit that glorifies My Father, fruit that remains. Even though the almond flower is beautiful, it is the fruit, rough, hard-shelled, and without the color and beauty of the blossom, that bears the fulfillment of the promise that the blossom spoke so eloquently of. Do not worry if you see the blush of the blossom fade away, My love, for better is to come.

As you do the work of the Lord and minister in His kingdom, preaching the Word in authority and seeing God confirm it with signs following, may you rejoice only in the fact that you are a citizen of heaven and a child of your heavenly Father. Luke 10

May you not mistake God's love for special privilege in outward behavior, but understand that the compassion of the Father will lead you to dress for work and dirty your hands, for it pleases the Father to see His holiness shining from His children through the smudges and stains of loving concern expressed for the poor, sick, and needy. Luke 10

May you give thanks to the Lord, for His mighty miracles give proof that He cares. His timing is exact and His judgment is upright; He holds all things together when turmoil shakes our lives. Psalm 75

May you forever declare the praise of the God of Jacob, for from Him alone comes promotion and power, and He will cut off the strength of evil men and increase the power of good men in their place. Psalm 75

May you look for ways to help others, as all good men do. Proverbs 12:12

May you be filled with good things from the fruit of your lips as surely as the work of your hands will reward you. Proverbs 12:14

[yieldfruit]

The Gospel

What It Means to Be a Christian

Being a Christian is more than identifying yourself with a particular religion or affirming a certain value system. Being a Christian means you have embraced what the Bible says about God, mankind, and salvation. Consider the following truths found in the Bible.

God Is Sovereign Creator Contemporary thinking says man is the product of evolution. But the Bible says we were created by a personal God to love, serve, and enjoy endless fellowship with Him. The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). Therefore, He also owns and rules everything (Psalm 103:19). That means He has authority over our lives and we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience, and worship.

God Is Holy God is absolutely and perfectly holy (Isaiah 6:3); therefore He cannot commit or approve of evil (James 1:13). God requires holiness of us as well. First Peter 1:16 says, You shall be holy, for I am holy.

Mankind Is Sinful According to Scripture, everyone is guilty of sin: There is no man who does not sin (1 Kings 8:46). That doesn't mean we're incapable of performing acts of human kindness. But we're utterly incapable of understanding, loving, or pleasing God on our own (Romans 3:10-12).

Sin Demands a Penalty God's holiness and justice demand that all sin be punished by eternal death (Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 6:23). That's why simply changing our patterns of behavior can't solve our sin problem or eliminate its consequences.

Jesus Is Lord and Savior Romans 10:9 says, If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. Even though God's justice demands death for sin, His love has provided a Savior who paid the penalty and died for sinners (1 Peter 3:18). Christ's death satisfied the demands of God's justice, and Christ's perfect life satisfied the demands of God's holiness (2 Corinthians 5:21), thereby enabling Him to forgive and save those who place their faith in Him (Romans 3:26).

The Character of Saving Faith True faith is always accompanied by repentance from sin. Repentance is agreeing with God that you are sinful, confessing your sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin (Luke 13:3, 5; 1 Thessalonians 1:9), pursue Christ (Matthew 11: 28-30; John 17:3), and obey Him (1 John 2:3). It isn't enough to believe certain facts about Christ. Even Satan and his demons believe in the true God (James 2:19), but they don't love and obey Him. True saving faith always responds in obedience (Ephesians 2:10).

Source: https://www.gracechurch.org/about/gospel

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Book of Philemon

1 Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our dear helper in the faith,

2 And to Apphia, our sister, and to Archippus, our brother in God’s army, and to the church in your house:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I give praise to God at all times and make prayer for you,

5 Hearing of the love and the faith which you have to the Lord Jesus and to all the saints;

6 That the faith which you have in common with them may be working with power, in the knowledge of every good thing in you, for Christ.

7 For I had great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been made strong again through you, brother.

8 And so, though I might, in the name of Christ, give you orders to do what is right,

9 Still, because of love, in place of an order, I make a request to you, I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner of Christ Jesus:

10 My request is for my child Onesimus, the child of my chains,

11 Who in the past was of no profit to you, but now is of profit to you and to me:

12 Whom I have sent back to you, him who is my very heart:

13 Though my desire was to keep him with me, to be my servant in the chains of the good news, in your place:

14 But without your approval I would do nothing; so that your good works might not be forced, but done freely from your heart.

15 For it is possible that for this reason he was parted from you for a time, so that you might have him for ever;

16 No longer as a servant, but more than a servant, a brother, very dear to me specially, but much more to you, in the flesh as well as in the Lord.

17 If then you take me to be your friend and brother, take him in as myself.

18 If he has done you any wrong or is in debt to you for anything, put it to my account.

19 I, Paul, writing this myself, say, I will make payment to you: and I do not say to you that you are in debt to me even for your life.

20 So brother, let me have joy of you in the Lord: give new life to my heart in Christ.

21 Being certain that you will do my desire, I am writing to you, in the knowledge that you will do even more than I say.

22 And make a room ready for me; for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be given to you.

23 Epaphras, my brother-prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you his love;

24 And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my brother-workers.

25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. So be it. — Philemon 1 | Bible in Basic English (BBE) The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain. Cross References: Genesis 43:9; Genesis 45:5; Matthew 23:8; Matthew 25:30; Acts 16:1; Acts 20:21; Acts 27:24; Romans 1:7-8; Romans 12:1; Romans 16:1; 1 Corinthians 16:18; 2 Corinthians 2:3; 2 Corinthians 3:12; 2 Corinthians 8:23; 2 Corinthians 9:7; Galatians 5:2; Philippians 1:7; Philippians 2:25; Colossians 3:10; Colossians 4:10; 1 Timothy 1:12; 2 Timothy 4:22

Philemon Summary

Summary of the Book of Philemon

I. Paul rejoices to hear of the faith and love of Philemon, whom he desires to forgive his servant Onesimus, and lovingly to receive him again.

[scribeforchrist-blog]

Keeping Close to God

MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK

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 + Job 10:9 Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again?

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VERSE OF THE DAY 

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+ Colossians  1:21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions

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** SAY THIS BEFORE YOU READ; HERE’S SOME CHRISTIAN TRUTHS **

I AM FILLED WITH JOY

I AM COMPLETE

I AM FREE

I AM HEARING GOD’S VOICE

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READ TIME: 8 Minutes & 20 Seconds

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THOUGHTS:

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 We are often separating people according to how they act or behave; we have villains and heroes, good guys and bad guys, top actors and top actresses, and we have awards separating people from the ones not so good to the good ones, recently I was award top devotional podcast. I was happy, but I knew others deserved that award just a lot or more than me, but that was separating people. Still, I am also thankful. 

    Do you see how the world separates people? Sometimes, we don’t have to do anything to separate ourselves. Are we just separated because of who we are? Other times, people are separated because of what they do. If we aren’t careful, we will separate ourselves from people who probably don’t deserve it or probably do, but the point, as you can see, is that everyone gets separated. When this happens, it's because of an action. 

  In this verse today, God separated us according to our actions and our thoughts, the evil from the saints, the righteous from the sinners when we decide to sin, and we decide to do what we want to do, and it's not the will of God we become separated from God because he didn’t tell us to do this he didn’t direct us to do those things, and a lot of us do things because it feels good, and we won't do things just because it feel good because that can get us into a lot of trouble,

  Verse 22 Yet ne has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

   But we are no longer separated when we give our lives to God. We are no longer on our own because, through the physical death of Chris, we can now stand in his presence, holy and blameless, without any fault. Still, in the image, before we gave ourselves to Christ, we were separated because of who we wanted to be. I was separated from Christ because I wanted to drink and smoke and handle my life the way I wanted, but God allowed me to come back to him to live a holy life under him; some of us forget that our life doesn’t have to be complete with all these things as long as we are walking in God we can walk in him and be free to live in his presence.

  Verse 23: But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it.

  We can't allow life to cause us to drift away, and it will be little moments; little things we say are little are big to God in his eyes. We can think that we are free to do what we want, but when we are a child of God, we aren’t free because we are his, and to be his, we must live in him and walk in him every day, not just when we feel like it so the things he says not to touch, not to do this not to do that we must listen to the voice of God.

  Luke 11:28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

  Obedience is the key to our life with God; when we are obedient, we won’t separate from God, and we won’t look for other things to fill the holes that God has already filled; some of us are filling our lives with things because we feel this is what we must do to be filled by God and it isn’t it’s separating us from him every day. The lord doesn’t want us to be separated from him; he wants us to be filled by him and his glory. 

  To do this, we must hear the word of God and obey it; a lot of us read our word, and we just read, and we don’t comprehend anything it’s saying, but God wants us to hear him and be with him to obey, obeying is one of the things we can do that can align us with the will of God some of us are out of the will of God and we keep wondering why we are having problems in our life it’s because we are out of alignment with God we are separate from him. 

   Jeremiah 7:23 This is what I told them: “Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well! 

  He tells us that everything will go well for us if we obey! Many of us are not doing well, so we must ask ourselves, am I away from God? Am I separate from him? Am I listening and obeying? We can listen all day, but that doesn’t mean our mind is where it should be and doesn’t mean we are obeying; I had God one day to tell me something, and when he did, I didn’t question whether it was him I knew by the pitch and by the way it was said this is my father speaking to me. I immediately corrected whatever it was because I wanted to be in alignment with God. 

   ***Today, we talked about being separated from God. A lot of us are separate from him, and we don’t even realize it; we don’t even understand what we have done to our lives when we are separate from God; we can’t hear him, we don’t obey him, and as long as we are on that road, we are always going to be wrong. The Holy Spirit is trying to tell us all something right now, and some of us can act like we don’t hear him, but he is speaking; he’s saying come back to me and obey me, and not just obey but hear him some of us can hear God and still ignore him but when you hear the voice of God people of God you need to take heed to his voice and obey his word. 

  Deuteronomy 5:33 Walk in obedience to all that the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that you will possess

 We live a longer life when we obey God, and we live a more prosperous life when we obey God; God has a calling on some of your life, and you not able to walk in the calling of God because you have walked from God, God wants your hand in his hand not to just have you walking with him but he wants you to obey to walk through his word . God is waiting for us to dwell in his presence some of you aren’t walking in the presence of God because your disobedient, start walking and hearing God voice today. ©Seer~ Prophetess Lee

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PRAYER

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 Heavenly Father, I want to take a moment to thank you for this day. Thank you for your faithfulness and your never-ending love for us. Thank you for your word, which shines a light on our path and guides us towards your will for our lives. Lord, I pray that you help us walk with you, never separating ourselves from your presence. Give us the strength and determination to live according to your word and to hear your voice when you speak to us. In Jesus' name, Amen 

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REFERENCES 

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+ Deuteronomy 28:1 If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world.

 

+ Exodus 19:5 Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me

 

+ Joshua 1:8 Keep this Book of the Law on your lips; meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then, you will be prosperous and successful.

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FURTHER READINGS 

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 Proverbs 26

Psalm 99

2 Samuel 5

1 Kings 4

Isaiah 57

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