Last Days

Paul did not simply preach Christ in you, the hope of glory, but he enjoyed the Christ in him. He said in Galatians 2:20 “I’m crucified with Christ. It is no longer I,but Christ lives in me.” Our inner being longs to live such a life, but on the surface, it appears too costly , too difficult. Especially if you look at Colossians 1:18 At the very end of this verse Paul shares the goal of Christ liv...

"As therefore you have received the Christ, Jesus the Lord, walk in Him," (Colossians 2:6) What a verse! It sums up the commission that Paul was given to share with the whole world. Two big items: 1) open the eyes of the world and tell them they need to receive Jesus, salvation. This is primarily shared by Paul in the book of Acts. 2) Paul, you also need to help open their eyes that they might see...

"To open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me." (Acts 26:18) "Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you for a share of the allotted portion of the saints in the light; "Who delivered us out of the authority of darkness and tran...

Giving thanks to the Father (1:12) is the natural response if we are God’s children , especially upon seeing His Big Will for us. John says, "Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and we are.” (1 John 3:1) . In other words , “Just longingly look at the quality of love the Father gives us!” It is the identical quality of love that the Fathe...

As a Christian and student of the Bible you have to see that Paul’s burden and prayer is not simply meant for an ancient group of believers in a forgotten village, but for you today! That statement may seem like “duh, we know that already” but saints often enjoy Paul’s writings historically or seek to only apply principles from his writings. But like Colossae we need such an unceasing prayer over...

The church happens when I discover that Jesus is really in me. As I abide, stay and enjoy His life in me His love -life fills my whole being. A longing rises up in me to gather with likeminded saints where His life overflows into our meeting. When the church is simply Christ, The church simply emerges. Amen. Paul says “for this cause since we heard of it” (1:9). What is the it? Paul heard about th...

May the Lord give us an Epaphras in all of our fellowships. A brother or sister, who always brings us to Jesus, as the answer to all things. The highlight of his testimony was that the Saints in Colossae demonstrated love in the Spirit. This church did not have the problems that Paul addressed in many of the others in his letters, but praise the Lord for this dear brother, who intercedes on behalf...

Besides grace as the beginning and ending of all of Paul’s epistles, here are some other verses that share how that Grace is to be the constant supply of the church: John 1:16 And of his fullness we have received, grace upon grace. Acts 6:8 (NLT) Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. Acts 20:32 (NLT) “And now I entrust you to God and t...

"And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us (and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only Begotten from the Father), full of grace and reality. … For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and reality came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:14-17) Paul declares us all as Saints, holy ones, concentrated ones, made to contain Gods...

"To the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, the called saints, with all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, who is theirs and ours:" (1 Corinthians 1:2) I use this verse because we know the church of Corinth is famous for its many problems. Even in Corinth Paul calls them the Saints. The word Saint literally means...

"Christ…His Body, which is the church; "Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship of God, which was given to me for you, to complete the word of God," (Colossians 1:25) Note what Paul says, at the end of this verse: he says that what he was sharing to the churches as Gods faithful steward to be the completion of the word of God. It wasn’t that his word was the final word, but as fa...

"Christ…His Body, which is the church; Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship of God," (Colossians 1:24-25) "Here, furthermore, it is sought in stewards that one be found faithful. A man should account us in this way, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God." (1 Corinthians 4:1-2) Praise the Lord, for Paul’s, unique apostleship, and this apostleship was manife...

"Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads." (Acts 26:14) "…I persecuted them (saints) even as far as foreign cities." (Acts 26:11) "And I persecuted this Way unto death, binding and delivering to prisons both men and women," (Acts 22:4) By looking at these verses, we can see the connection between persecuting Jesus, and persecuting the Saints. The persec...

Do you know the significance of the apostles.? Sent ones, directly by Christ, who personally bore witness of Christ in his living, his crucifixion, his resurrection, and his ascension. Such were the 12 minus Judas and their testimony as apostles. Now Paul, on the other hand, has a unique apostleship. His claim and testimony of apostleship however, is legit, he refers to his apostleship and defends...

God has a clear desire throughout time. He wants to put his life in man that man might have uninterrupted fellowship with him. Like an arrow He has shot this out from eternity past, and He will surely reach his mark in the future. In the garden, we see the tree of life was planted. Satan entered into the world to stop Gods desire. God then gave an altar and a lamb to man that through sacrifice, Li...

We need to get a general overview of the false teaching in Colossae in order to understand Paul’s message. Note these verses: “If indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast and not being moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I Paul became a minister." (Colossians 1:23) "Beware that no one carries you off a...

The Riches of Christ in Colossians (His resume’) He is: Chapter 1 Our inheritance, allotment Our light The king, He has a kingdom. Redeemer Forgiver God, His very image Firstborn of creation Creator of all things (16-17) Source of all things Object of all things He Existed eternally Center of all things Head of the Body /church (18) Firstborn of the dead Has First place in all things (18, see 2:19...

Colossians gives us a Grand Canyon view of the objective truth about the person and work of Christ. This is truth we must believe, but Paul’s thematic verse in Colossians 3 urges the church to live beyond objective truth! "When Christ our life is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory." (Colossians 3:3-4) Paul’s declaration is that the Christ majesticly presented in this bo...

"When Christ our life is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory." (Colossians 3:4) There are really only two choices for you to make every single day as a believer. You will either enjoy Christ as your life which is God’s intention or you will live out of yourself. Handling everything, planning everything, responding according to your own thought and feeling, Seeking amusem...

"But you, go your way until the end, and you will rest and rise again in your lot at the end of the days." (Daniel 12:13) who is telling Daniel to go his way? The man in Linen, above the river of Waters, Christ! To “go thy way” literally could mean, Daniel it is your time to leave this earth, die, but there is a great spiritual supply here. Just go back and read Daniel 1 through 12. It begins with...

Water, especially a river of water, is of a great significance in the Bible. The river of water indicates the supply God desires for us: his purpose, his building, and his eternal plans for us…this River of water in general supplies His life to mankind. Actually, the whole book of Daniel is not simply a book of history, but it is an unveiling of how God is carrying out and will pour out his econom...

"And those who have insight will shine like the shining of the heavenly expanse, and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars, forever and ever." (Daniel 12:3) "Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined, but the wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will understand, but those who have insight will understand." (Daniel 12:10) "If therefore you were raised together with Chr...

"And those who have insight will shine like the shining of the heavenly expanse, and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars, forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end; many will go here and there, and knowledge will be increased." (Daniel 12:3-4) “ Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. H...

God is not in the realm of “tit for tat.” The enemy does this and God responds and does this, no! God has an eternal purpose that he is carrying out upon the Earth in every age, and he knows the beginning from the end. Chapter 12 of Daniel primarily deals with the last 3 1/2 years of the tribulation. We see in verse 1 that MICHAEL has already been assigned almost 2500 years in advance to come to t...

"Then there will arise in his place a despicable person, to whom the honor of a kingdom will not be given; but he will come in a time of security and will seize the kingdom by smooth and cunning words and actions." (Daniel 11:21). Daniel chapter 11 unveils the constant depression that Israel is going to experience in future days. Specifically with the Greek empire trampling across Israel. Antiochu...