Tue, Sep 30th - 9:33PM
COLOSSIANS 1:14 - 19 THE PRE-EMINENT CHRIST 14. In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. 15. Who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature: 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. 17. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence. 19. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell; KJV ****************************************************** What the verses above mean…. (14) Blood reminds the Colossians of the enormous price and sacrifice paid to secure their redemption. Redemption, then, is achieved by the atonement wrought by Jesus’ death. See, Eph. 1:7 for “redemption” (15) First-born “occupies a position supreme over the universe. The first-born of every creature, Paul means that Christ is earlier than, as well as preeminent in, all creation. (16) This verse provides the reason Christ is called the “first-born in verse 15, Since by him were all things created. (17) By him all things consist: That is, by Him all things are held together, Christ now preserves all that He made in Creation. (18) He is the head of the body, means, “ He himself is the Head of the body.” Who is the beginning “He is the beginning, the Head of the Church. Beginning means “cause” origin as in Revelation 3:14. Why, then, is He the church’s Head? Because He is the ‘origin” from which the church comes, or the “cause” of her existence; also, because He is the first-born from the dead, that is, the first of a new creation- the church-to be resurrected, never to die again. That in all things be might have the pre-eminence. Thus Jesus should hold first place in the believer’s life. This occurs when one bows to His authority, obeys His Word, yields to His Spirit, submits to His church leaders, does His will, and bestows his chief affection on Him. (19) For gives two reasons for Jesus’ “pre-eminence ..All the fullness of deity is in Him. Since He is fully God, He ought to be preeminent…..By Christ’s death God reconciles the universe to Himself. With God's Love, Lois
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Sun, Sep 28th - 11:26PM
EPHESIANS 2:1-10 GRACE AND FAITH And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2. Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. 3. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4. But God who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6. And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7. That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9. Not of works, lest any man should boast, 10. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. KJV ************************************************************ 1. Quickened, means…made alive. 2. Ye walked, means… you lived (course of this world) 3. We all had our conversation, means…we all conducted ourselves… Children of wrath, refers to people subject to divine punishment. 4-6. But begins to disclose God’s response to man’s sin of verses 1-3, This divine response is expressed in three main verbs: (1) God..hath Quickened us. Because they were morally dead in sins, the Lord Gave them spiritual life; (2) and hath raised us up together, this is, God has not allowed these Christians to remain in the grave of Their old life with its sinful ways and habits, but He brought them Into a new life and demonstration of it: and (3) God made us sit Together in heavenly places, that is He has brought us into His Presence and into an intimate relationship with Himself. 7. That.. He might show ( or demonstrate): This denotes the ultimate Purpose for all that God did for the Ephesians in verses 4-6. It is That throughout eternity He might make us understand more And more His goodness to us. 8. FOR gives the reason for this future demonstration of divine grace. It Is because man owes his salvation to this grace or underserved divine Favor. No part of salvation is “ of yourselves” or due to what we do-- The whole of salvation is the gift of God. Man is saved “by grace” That is, by the kindness of God in having Jesus die for our sins. But This grace is appropriated through faith, that is, man believes what God has done for him and relies upon Christ’s atonement to blot out His sins and bring him into a proper relationship with God. 9. The reason, in part, that salvation is not achieved by good works, Is to prevent men from bragging of having earned a place in heaven by Themselves. 10.For verifies the assertion of man’s good works having no part in Obtaining salvation. Workmanship, refers not to our original or Physical birth, but to our spiritual birth: what we are spiritually In the good sense is due to God, not ourselves. Created in Christ Jesus unto good works means “having been given spiritual life for the Purpose of doing good works, there could have been no good works By him prior to conversion that would merit salvation. Good works Follow---do not precede-----salvation. With God's Love, Lois
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Sat, Sep 20th - 11:39PM
NEW JERUSALEM REVELATION 22:1-7,12,13,20.21 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3. And there shall be no more curse; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4. And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 5. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. CHRIST IS TO COME QUICKLY 6. And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the Holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the saying of the prophecy of this book. 12. And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13. A am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 20. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 21. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. JUST A FEW SCRIPTURES TO THINK ABOUT.... With God's Love, Lois
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Thu, Sep 18th - 5:58PM
ON THE SEA OF GALILEE MARK 6:45-56 It was the middle of the night. There were high winds, crashing waves, low visibility, and only a small boat on the Sea of Galilee. For the disciples, the situation had reached crisis proportions, and Jesus was not with them. He was on the mountainside praying, and they were alone. Hidden by the storm, perhaps they thought Jesus had forgotten them. However, He knew exactly where the disciples were and what they were experiencing. Though we can’t see Jesus physically, He is omniscient--He can identify where we are at every moment. No darkness can hide us; no trial can obscure His vision. We are always seen, known, and understood! Leaving that place of prayer, Jesus sought out the disciples. He will do the same for us as well. However, the disciples did not recognize Him because He went to them by walking on the water. Jesus often does not come the way we might expect. Our preconceived ideas of how He works can cause us to wonder where He is and fail to recognize His nearness. Experiencing Jesus’ presence in hard times can teach us precious truths. During an earlier rough sea adventure, the disciples observed both Jesus’ trust in God and His authority over nature. (Matthew 8:23-26) In the latest storm, they watched the Lord walk on water--and they saw one of their own do it too. Through the storms, they learned who Jesus was, what He could do, and what their own potential was. When turmoil hits, let’s ask for spiritual eyes to discern the Lord’s presence. Then, we must listen for His voice and obey. (John 10:27) With God's Love, Lois
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Mon, Sep 15th - 8:57PM
KNOW HOW TO LISTEN TO GOD'S WORD LUKE 8:4-15 We need to learn about the closed mind, the cloudy mind, and the cluttered mind, none of which are fruitful ground for spiritual growth. In contrast, the committed mind is fertile soil where the seeds of the Bible teaching can take root and grow. People become close-minded for two reasons--either pride compels them to believe they already know enough to get by, or they fear that hearing the truth will demand smething of them. But a fertile mind is teachable, just like that of a child. A seven or eight year old doesn't come to church with an unbelieving mind, but rather is open and pliable. And children remember more than we can imagine because the truth of God's Word finds a place in a ready heart. Then the Holy Spirit can bring that truth to their awareness when they need it. It is possible to cultivate a committed, teachable mind. First of all, determine to listen to the message that God provides through your pastor. Second, resist the outside clutter that can so easily distract the mind. Third, pledge to evaluate life according to what you are hearing. Finally, commit to applying the truths that God impresses on your heart. Think about it--if you attend church every Sunday with a committed mind, there is no way to apply 52 spiritual truths and still remain the same. A committed mind is a mind focused on what God has to say. The way we listen determines how we live. And the way we live determines how we are blessed. With God's Love, Lois
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Fri, Sep 12th - 10:26PM
OUR FAITH NEEDS ACTION ROMANS 12:9-21 If our faith is motivated by love, performed in Jesus' name, and exalting to God, you will find yourself enthusiastic and energized by it. God sends opportunities every day to positively impact lives around you. How pleased He is to see your faith shine as you help people. Your "service" may simply be a pleasant smile, an encouraging word, or a listening ear. In different situations, God may ask you to sacrifice your time or give generously of your resources. The Love God gives you for others will prompt you to make time for them and not count the cost. As you pour yourself into loving them, you'll disover a sense of fulfillment and joy. Your service should always to be done "in Jesus' name." This means whatever you do should be in harmoney with God's revealed will and does not contradict Scripture. Serving in Jesus' name also means that you are acting in submission to His authority--that is, doing things in His way and time. To live out your faith is to depend upon the Holy Spirit's power. Only by yielding to His control can your work yield real spiritual fruit. People will know your faith is real when your actions exalt God and not yourself. As ambassadors of Christ, we must serve with excellence so that God receives the glory He deserves. Whatever success you experience belongs to God, whose Spirit is working through you--you have no reason to boast. Watch for God's signals and be ready to act with an eagerness to live out your faith. The world is watching! With God's Love, Lois J.
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Sun, Sep 7th - 9:01PM
UNITY IN CHRIST ROMANS 15:1-6 1. We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. v2. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. v3. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The Reproaches of them that Re-proached thee fell on me. v4. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. v5. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus; v6. That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In His Love, Lois J.
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Thu, Sep 4th - 9:39PM
TEARS WILL NEVER STAIN THE STREETS OF THAT CITY
CHORUS
BUT TEARS WILL NEVER STAIN THE STREETS OF THAT CITY,
NO WREATHS OF DEATH ON MY MANSIONS DOOR.
TEARDROPS AREN'T WELCOME BEYOND THE GATES OF GLORY,
CAUSE THE HEART WILL NEVER BREAK ANY MORE
I
IF I COULD COUNT THE TEARS THAT HAVE FALLEN,
IT WOULD SEEM LIKE AN OCEAN TO ME.
AND IF MY HEART WAS A WINDOW YOU COULD SEE THROUGH,
OH THE PAIN AND SCARES YOU WOULD SEE.
II
I'VE NEVER MET A MAN WITHOUT SORROW,
AND I'VE NEVER LOOKED INTO EYES WITH NO PAIN.
BUT THERE'S A LAND WHERE GRIEF IS A STRANGER,
AND JOY'S THE ONLY SONG THEY SING.
III
I HAVE QUESTIONED THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE,
A GRAVE SEEM SO FINAL AND COLD.
OH, BUT WE'LL MEET AGAIN,
WHERE DEATH HAS NO VICTORY
IN A LAND WHERE WE'LL NEVER GROW OLD. With God's Love, Lois J. ( My sweet loving and beautiful Mother went home to be with Jesus and all of my other loved ones and all the other Saints. What a wonderful time she is having praising Jesus, walking hand in hand on streets of pure gold, only peace, joy and happiness) Oh, but I miss her so, but we'll meet again on that homecoming day. Our Lord blessed her with 95 years with her wonderful family. The only real peace I have is in Jesus, He knows and understands how we feel. May God bless our little family, with His help and time, the hurt will ease, but not forgotten.................Lois
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Name: Lois J.
