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

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     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)

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     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.

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     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)

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     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

NOT ALONE

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THIS SAME JESUS

Read: Acts 1:1–11

He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Acts 1:3 NKJV

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After forty days of being with Jesus and rejoicing that He was truly alive, the disciples asked Him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts1:6 NIV) He told them that it was not for them to know the times and dates, "But," He said, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (1:7-8 NIV) Then just as they must have wanted to ask Him many other things, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight!

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Lord, I can't imagine how alone they must have felt at that moment. We know now, and they knew in just a few days, that they would not be alone. Lord, I praise You that You have given us Your Holy Spirit to guide us. Thank You that though we cannot see Him, He dwells within us and prays for us according to Your will.

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This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:11b NIV