WHEN YOU SEE ALL THESE THINGS. . .

Matt 24:3-8, 14, 32-35 NKJV


     Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying,"Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"

     And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.
     See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows….”

     “….And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

     "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near -- at the doors!
     Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING

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LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES - Colossians

Read Colossians 1

     “We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints;”   Colossians 1:3-4 NKJV

* * *

     The apostle Paul is writing to the Colossian church expressing his thankfulness for the love they are showing to other believers. This church, Paul declares, “is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.” (1:6)
     Now he urges them to go on to even greater spiritual growth in the things of Christ: “ For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding... (1:9)

* * *

     There is nothing more exciting than to watch the enthusiasm of new believers and their desire to grow in love and acts of service. They must also grow in the knowledge of God’s Word so that they will understand His will for their lives.

* * *

     Lord, I pray that my love for you and other Christians will not grow cold. I accept Paul’s prayer as my own; that I would “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy.” (1:10-11)

* * *

     Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.    Colossians 1:27b-28 NKJV

CURE FOR ANXIETY

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LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES - Philippians

Read Philippians 4 

    Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.   Philippians 4:6 NIV

* * *

     In this chapter, Paul is encouraging two women of the church to “agree with each other in the Lord.” He asks the rest of the church to help them, because they have been helpful co-workers in the past. This church, more than any others, was faithful to support Paul when he was in Thessalonica. He writes, “You sent me aid again and again when I was in need.” Philippians 4:16 NIV

     Paul encourages the Philippians and us to face life and all of its stresses with a spirit of rejoicing and thanksgiving. If we do this he says, “... the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (4:7) It is natural to become disgruntled and easily offended when we face difficulties. Anger and frustration can turn into fear and anxiety if we don’t take it to the Lord in prayer.

* * *

     Lord, help me to be willing to stop and pray when I am anxious or fearful. I know that You are always aware of what is happening and you have a purpose in it all. Help me to be an encouragement to others who may be experiencing a difficult time, especially fellow believers.

* * *

     Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy -- meditate on these things.    Philippians 4:8 NKJV

THE GOAL OF LIFE

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LETTERS TO THE CHRCHES - Philippians

Read Philippians 3     "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."  Philippians 3:12 NIV

* * *

     In this portion of the letter, Paul speaks of the credentials he had as a Pharisee before he was converted. He was a zealous persecutor of Christians in the name of Judaism. His self righteousness and diligence about keeping the law made him proud. But when Paul discovered who Jesus was, his self righteousness became his shame.

     Now he describes himself as “not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” (3:9)
     The goal is now to become more and more like Jesus. He writes, “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  (3:13-14)

* * *

     Lord, I praise you that You accept me through the righteousness of Your Son. Like Paul, I need to forget what is behind and press forward for the goal of pleasing You today, tomorrow, and for the rest of my life.

* * *

     "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ."    Philippians 3:7-8 NIV