Friday, March 30, 2007

We have the end of another week, not going to bad at the moment. It has been raining a lot, but that is good since we couldnt have any reason not to mow the lawn right? Anyway watching Avery work on sitting on her own is fun, she is also doing great with jar food now. She loves sweet potatos and bananas so far. We have been working on that for a little more then a week now. I also lowered her crib down one level this week as she will be getting up on her own in no time at all.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Colossians 2:18-23

Every message has been about the cross. Pretty good since it is just about Easter here anyway. And with all the rain looks like we might have some trouble looking for eggs. Hopefully it stays dry next weekend though. Hope you have a good week my friend.

David

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Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. 

If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!" (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)--in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 

These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. 

Colossians 2:18-23

Paul makes a strong warning against all self-made religions. He is fully aware of the self-proclaimed religious leaders who create their own methods of worshiping God; or even go as far as to creating their own gods. Be wary of men who come to you detailing their vision of angels and how the Lord has shown them great signs and wonders to indicate they are really the Messiah. 

Most of the time these false religious spirits are far less then obvious and won’t always sound too bad. Be careful still as darkness masquerades as light. Truth can be sprinkled easily into clever deceit. Even the Church has religious hardships and traditions that have not come from the Lord, but by man who wants to turn shape things into a way that makes sense. True Christian freedom itself my friend, does not make sense.

We worship a God who stepped out of heaven, walked among us as a man, and allowed himself to be tortured to death on a piece of wood. Our Lord was publicly and historically humiliated in order to free us from sin and bondage. Then He rose from the dead and will one day come back and snatch us away from this world to take us to a new kingdom that is not of this world. Seriously, I can understand why Paul calls the cross foolish to the world. But to those who are being saved, it is the glory of God. Truly what an amazing thing the cross is. And it is the standard by which we should judge every idea that we come across. We must know the Word so we can live by the Word.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Colossians 2:16-17

Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. 
Colossians 2:16-17

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Amazing what kinds of things people will disagree so sharply on that it will actually split a whole church. Even more individuals become so set in their ways that anyone who shares a different taste or opinion is an outsider. Paul is here proclaiming that all of these things are foolish and that Christ must be the center of attention in all we do. 

Keep in mind that this passage does not devalue the importance of religious festivals and feasts. The Lord has designed them to be carried out in certain ways by His people, and they are holy. But man has come up with his own changes to how things should be done inflicting a harsher law. Paul remind us that Christ is the fulfillment of all things including the law itself.

We should never let our own ideas and thoughts about how to celebrate various religious activities interfere with our faith in Christ and our love for all people. This goes for all things and all holidays as well. Easter for example is the day we remember our Lord’s resurrection. It would not be wrong for us to also keep to the traditions painting and hiding eggs for the kids. As long as our Lord is always in view, all is good.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Colossians 2:15

It’s a new week my friend. Allergy season at its worst. But you have to enjoy some good sunshine finally. Hope you have a great day and good week ahead.

David

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When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
Colossians 2:15

Whenever I see a cross, I think of the victory that Jesus Christ won over our souls. All of mankind was under the curse and sold into darkness due to sin. That darkness rules the earth and all the powers of this world follow it without even knowing what they are doing. Jesus dying on the cross meant that we would not have to spiritually be dead any more. We were promised that eternal death and separation would no longer be an issue. 

There was great victory the day that Jesus was crucified. He was up on the cross of wood in the place of all people. He shamed all the powers and authorities of this world. All of the people who thought they knew their own ways into heaven and could do all of this on their own, are condemned. Only through the cross do we have life, for it was after the death that there was resurrection. 

In the new life that Christ gives us, we are given hope and promise for a future. The powers of this world have no control over us anymore and cannot decide our destiny. God’s divine power displayed in love, for His love is power. His death was the salvation to draw all men away from the curse and darkness and bring us into His Kingdom and into the light.

Friday, March 23, 2007

Hard to believe she is really five months old already. And the days just keep going by to her next month. She really got into those cupcakes of course, smashed them up and destroyed each one of them. She had fun, which is the point. Any mess is worth the enjoyment of seeing her.

We have the sitting thing down for a few seconds before we lean over to the ground. Still working on the mama and dada but not quite there yet. At least she is able to get outside more with Spring finally here. Holly and I are so blessed to have her and enjoy every moment with her, its hard to be away at work. We cherish weekend time.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Colossians 2:11-14

Good morning my friend. I hope all is well with you. Today is another day we wake up and get on with life. I trust the Lord will watch over you in all you do today. Thank you for enjoying our time in the word.

In Him,
David
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And in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Colossians 2:11-14

In the Old Testament the use of circumcision was created as an outward sign for every Jew of their faith in the Lord. Abraham was taught this practice in order to set apart the people as holy to the Lord. Now Paul uses turns things even deeper into the circumcision of the heart. It is in the heart where we truly show faith Jesus and commit our lives to Him. We were buried in Him and therefore begin to live in Him in His resurrection.

Friends, all of our sins have been taken care of already by the cross. Jesus canceled out all debt when He died so that nothing could be held against us. If we break all of the law it will not keep us from being with the Lord. Jesus made sure to remove our sins as far as the east is from the west.

In Christ all of our sins have been paid for. His death sealed the punishment for sin and we no longer are responsible to make things right. We must have faith in all of these things and also in the resurrection. When Jesus rose from the dead it gave us a new life in Him. The power of God was displayed and in that we are given the chance to walk in newness apart from the sin. We died with Him, and were raised with Him, so now we must live with Him.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Colossians 2:9-10

Time goes so quickly it seems. Avery is now five months old and still working on getting the sitting up thing together. Spring is in the air which makes going outside a lot nicer. Winter was long and harsh this year. But now we have new life coming out, which is good since my favorite holiday is coming up here next month. Hope you are doing well this week. Be blessed my friend.

David
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For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;

Colossians 2:9-10

One of the major topics you will study when going through the Gospel of John is that of the deity of Christ. It was not just that Jesus came as the Son of God, but is God in the flesh in fullness. Jesus makes the point to tell the people that He and the Father are one; he claims to be the very voice that spoke to Moses from the burning bush. It was these claims that had him almost stoned several times and eventually crucified. For He was God among the people, and as the people, we killed him.

Our Lord came to the earth to walk in human form and experience life in order for us to know Him better. We can rejoice because our Lord knew what every emotion feels like, understood temptation and how to resist it, and He also knew that it was okay to mourn over the loss of a loved one. He came to show us that being a human does not mean being a natural sinner, for He lived a holy and sinless life. He also came as the head over all things; but presented himself as the servant of all.

Every earthly power and heavenly authority comes under the headship of Christ our Lord. He is above all and through Him we have life. We are made complete because of who He is and what He does through us. Think about that. The Lord God dwells in you in order to lead you through this life to do good things and be like Him. In all things He guides us, and has the power over all. 

Monday, March 19, 2007

As you can see our little one is growing every day. She is leaning on the rail of her crib here as she keeps her legs straight out for a while before toppling down. Today is her five month birthday and we are excited about seeing what she does with the cupcakes tonight. Cant wait!

Everything else has been as busy as always. I am working on a web site with Jon, called Familyoftheking.net That is coming along nice. Spring is in the air and so is the humidty and rain. Looks like i might have some grass to actually mow now.

Colossians 2:8

We celebrate Avery's five month birthday today. I can’t wait to get out the cupcakes and see how she does with them this time. She has been reaching for just about everything now. So cute. I hope you have a great start to your week my friend.

David
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See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
Colossians 2:8

Never find yourself buying into some various form of information because it is labeled “truth” without first comparing it to the Word of God. There are so many philosophy and psychology classes out there teaching us what man thinks about pretty much everything there is to learn. But these are the traditions of men and the practices that man believes will bring about good things. According to the Apostle Paul all such deception is empty. This is not to say there are not valid teachings out there, God does give wisdom to man to explore and understand things in this world. But there is a lie that God does not exist and from that springs forth a river of deception.

We must also add that there are many who will try to sell you other truths about God that are not founded in Scripture. The only source of knowledge of God is from His Word, so that is where we should always go. We find out there that our Lord is Holy, Righteous, Just, full of mercy and abounding in love. He is not dependent on anything or anyone, for He created all things. Jesus came to show us who God is and display His love.

So we are to be taken captive by Christ rather than the principles of this world. I remember from my college classes when we studied this passage, those principles could mean many things. The most common belief is that the passage refers to those things which darkness and evil dwells in, and by which all chaos will come. Those spiritual things which make so much sense to man might be very dangerous. Watch carefully what you are learning in this world, allow the Spirit to guide you as you walk so you will not be filled with deception, but rather walk in the Truth.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Colossians 2:6-7

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Colossians 2:6-7

Our Christian life can be compared to that of a tree growing by a river. We are the tree that has accepted Christ as our Lord and given everything to Him. Paul says just as we were saved, we should walk. How were we saved then? Was it just something that happened? Or was there more to it? Let’s remember that before you were saved you were heading straight for an eternity of darkness without God. While you were dangling before the fire of hell, God snatched you from the flames. Pretty dramatic, but that is how it was. In that same way we are to live. Not as just some soul who was lost and now found, but as a person who has been given back life and a chance to live. 

Now our tree grows by the river of Christ. He is the water that feeds us daily, and the sunshine that helps us to grow. Our roots must dig deeper into Him every moment, or else when the winds of the world comes thrashing through, we will topple over. The faith we have in Him is what keeps us going from day to day. He holds us up and keeps us strong. 

Even though at times you may feel the river is drying up, there is always more for you. Jesus is ready to lavish you with His presence when you seek Him. He wants to pour life into you, but that can only happen when we ready His word, and follow its direction. His way is the only way to find life. And when you seek Him, you will be even more thankful day by day for the salvation He has given.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Well after a long week i am almost done with the flu and still working on the cold. Holly is also working on the same germs as well, they seem to be flowing around our house a lot lately. Avery is doing much better though then she was over the winter. It seems that over night our trees have started blooming and its time for spring. Which means its also time for me to pull out the mower and get it ready for a new season of lawn care. Sounds great....not really.

Other wise we are still working hard and enjoying the days we have. I love coming home to my wife and baby after a long day. Its harder now because Avery knows we are dropping her off at day care and wont even look at us or will cry when we try to leave her there. I hate having to do that. But it is so good to see her when i get home. Keeps me going.

Jon and i are working on getting this new website going for our familes to keep charing the Word of God and our lives together. That is the current big project. I also have a number of things im trying to work on for church. Life just gets busy, but that is normal. Do everything to the Lord though, that is the main thing. And keep praising Him.

Colossians 2:1-5

"We shall not all sleep, but we will all be changed." That is my quote for the night as I get ready for bed. Our little one is down for now and it’s a good time to sleep. Be blessed my friend.

David

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I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

Colossians 2:1-5

Paul had probably never been to Colosse as it appears many of the residents of the city had never seen his face. If you know Paul, you know that is hard to believe once he has been around town for a day or two. Paul had heard of the faith and also of the great deception that was occurring to attach those who believe in Christ. These words of struggle are both of a heart hurting as well as a spirit striving to see the truth in power.

This mystery of God that was already talked about in the previous chapter continues to have more of a part here. We see that Christ is the mystery in that in Him is all wisdom and knowledge. We can have nothing apart from Him. All things come from Him and apart from Him is folly. But Paul warns the people that there are plenty of wise sounding arguments which will come.

Stand firm in your faith in Christ when faced with all kinds of trials. Paul made that statement and then gets serious when speaking toward the real problem. The world is out to destroy your hope and peace. Every area of life is coming at you with its own views on heaven and God. We live in a in a time when this current generation doesn’t even know why people even go to church. What we must have is sound doctrine even more than ever. But more important is sound believers in Christ who love people and stand for truth.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Colossians 1:24-29

I have had a hard time fighting against the cold and then the flu this past week. Actually it’s been more than a week, but I do believe I am ready to the season to pass. At least spring is in the air and that means warmer weather. Please pray for us as we try to get working on a website we are working on getting up. It’s been a struggle, but hopefully will have it going soon. I hope you are doing well this week.

In Him,
David

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Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions. 
Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 
that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me. 

Colossians 1:24-29

Paul spoke of suffering and affliction many times throughout his letters. It is a heavy theme in the New Testament because it was such a reality for the people during that time. Paul write during great Roman persecution and in the days when Christians were killed daily in hideous ways. This is a part of the Christian life that is not talked about too much, most of us would rather ignore it all together. But the same thing goes on in our world today and soon enough will in our own country. 

As a minister of God’s word, Paul carried out the greatest task any of us could have. We all in fact do have the same duty, to share the love of God to all people around us. This is a world where far too many people hear messages of hate, and too few of forgiveness. How could the world seek the Lord God, unless the messengers of the Lord are seek Him? Paul preaches the greatest thing of all and that is the mystery of the Church. 

No where do we see mention of the Church before Jesus came and began preaching. The greatest mystery unveiled is that of the gentiles being saved and being brought into the family of God. We need to remember the roots of our faith are in our Jewish ancestors, those who kept the Word of the Lord sacred for thousands of years. It was during the days of Peter and Paul when the truth of God’s universal message came into play.

Every single Christian then has the divine calling and purpose in life to spread the message of God’s glory all over the world. We must making a living out of making Christ known to all people. This all begins in us first as we daily need to invite the Spirit into our day and find out what he wants to do inside of our hearts. It is there that we begin to do mighty works.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Warmer air is on its way at least during the day. I actually felt warmth from the sun earlier which was amazing since i thought it would be winter forever. Of course now with Spring on its way we also have yard work as well to deal with. I guess that is why they created spring cleaning, and spring breaks. It is getting warmer but still cold at night, that should change soon enough.

Everything seems to be going pretty good for the moment just trying to go day by day living each one for the Lord and trusting Him. We have to remember we are not promised tommrow so its important to live as well as you can today. That is something to teach our little girl as she grows and learns. Amazing to watch her grow too.

Between work and home our lives have never been more full of busy activities and things to remember to do. It will be good to take some time to stop once in a while. Though that doesnt last long enough. Got to get back to work now.

Monday, March 05, 2007

Colossians 1:21-22

Please remember to pray for us my friend. We all seem to have sinus infections now, though Avery is just in the allergy stage still and i think she will be okay. Anyway it would be nice for it to warm up and for us to feel good. I hate being sick. I hope you have a good start to your week and remember Ephesians 6:7, that is your verse for the day as it was mine.
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And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 
yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- 
Colossians 1:21-22

You are a new creation once you accept Christ as your Lord and Savior. Without the Lord in our lives we are in a way enemies with God’s law by our own actions and sin. The behavior which was our deeds and acts created a barrier between our hearts and the Lord. But our flesh was put to death on the cross with Christ so that we would become new people.

Now that we are new creatures in Christ, we are also to live in that manner. Just as a sheep acts like a sheep because he is a sheep, so we are to live as Christ because we are Christians. Our actions are a result of who have become. In Him we are to be holy and beyond reproach. Life must now be lived with integrity, honesty, and humility in everything we do. 

Being and doing good has its rewards for it pleases the Father teaches us to be servants of our King. Paul will go into more on service in the coming verses, as we are all to live our lives for Christ. He is in us and moving through us, we should remember this whenever we speak or do anything. He is making us day by day more and more into His image.

Friday, March 02, 2007

Colossians 1:19-20

I can almost feel spring in the air, though there is still a slight chill. At least the grass is growing again so that is good. We wouldn’t want to miss out on all the lawn mowing we get to do (sure we wouldn’t.)
I hope you have a great weekend my friend and be blessed in all you do.

David

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For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,
and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. 

Colossians 1:19-20

A cry for peace has gone out for centuries in this world among the nations and people. We all want for there to be global peace and unity which of course sounds like a wonderful idea. The problem with peace is that there must first be great anguish and war before that peace can come. Since the fall of man there has been a war going on for mankind and everyone fell out of relationship with the Lord.

Jesus came as the Prince of Peace to reconcile all things. This is to turn the relationships the right way and bring people back to the Lord and away from sin. Don’t just picture the cross of Christ as the thing Jesus had to go through for us to be saved. He faced the cross and went through great agony in order to make us able to be with the Father. All fullness was in Christ, but in holy nature and righteousness. As God, the Son, He killed himself for our sins.

Peace is only found in the blood of Christ. Lasting peace is found what Jesus does in our hearts. The Lord transforms us when we become believers and learn to trust Him. There is a process we go through our entire lives in being made like Him. But we have the peace with the Father from the beginning, for it was already found on the cross. With that peace we must live our lives and seek His will always.