Colossians is a book that puts me in a mood to worship like few others. It is full of great truths about Christ and great calls to know everything we can about him.
It is in the first and second chapters that the call to teach for eight weeks on Christ came about. I have highlighted the lines that stood out to me. From Colossians 1 and 2:
Now I rejoice in my suffering for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
I desire that everyone I meet, but especially those youth in my church, to be found mature in Christ and be firm in faith. I hope that by teaching the mysteries of Christ that no one will delude them (and you) by plausible arguments.
I decided to post my full thoughts online for those "who have not seen me face to face." Some of you will not be present when I teach on these things, but that shouldn't mean you can't benefit from the teaching.
I pray that as I study and learn that God would open my mouth to clearly proclaim the mystery that is found only in Christ.
-joe
1 comment:
Wow, some guy rejoicing in being tortured puts you in the mood to worship.
You know if you didn't hide under that umbrella of Jesus you'd be considered a masochist.
When you read about that jew dying on a stick, does it make you want to pull the wings off of a fly?
You do realize, as a man of "the word" most of the apostles got tortured to death. That's the way I look forward to going out.
I can just see some guy with no job coming up to me and saying, "Hey I know I'm a bum, but I hear voices, I think they're God. You should totally follow me and have the shit tortured out of you until you die. Don't worry I'll die too. By the way the voices tell me there's a really cool place you go when you die."
"Hell," I'd say. "Sign me up for that shit."
If some schizophrenic retard spouted that crap today, he'd be locked up in a looney bin. But put it in a crusty leatherbound book and you can have yourself a bonafide, tongues talkin, torturous good time. AND NOT BE CONSIDERED OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND.
Tell you what I'm writing a book. We're gonna worship turds. Everytime you take a shit, pick it up and pray to the little brown guy for blessings. Wanna join?
Post a Comment