Rnporter’s Weblog

When you were a child, did you ever play follow the leader?  I can remember the game but nothing really significant about the game itself.  However, when Jesus called out His disciples, He instructed each of them to follow Him.  That statement had certain implications to it.  For instance, when Jesus preached early in His ministry, He declared a message that prompted the listener to react. The message was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 4:17).  The Kingdom of which Jesus spoke was His rule in the hearts and lives of those He chose to follow Him.  He is the King, and the followers who by repentance, confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, are His subjects.  He is the master, and we are His servants.  Servants who have the task of completing and representing His work.

One thing we must note about this relationship with Jesus is that He is the Master and we are the servants, subject to His commands.  We are never to assume that we are to tell the Master what to do. He decides what is important and the servant joins Him in the work that He is doing.

Just as Jesus knew and did the work of the Father, (John 5:17, 19-20), we should seek to know what God is doing and pray for His kingdom to come and His will to be done.

Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ,

When Paul said in Colossians 1:13, “He (God) has delivered us from the
domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son”, he
was claiming that by our response through repentance and faith, we were set
free from from the darkness of our sinful lives and brought into the
presence of His son Jesus Christ.

And as a result of what God has done for us through His son, we have been
blessed with five great benefits.

                                        1. He qualified us to share in his
inheritance.

2. He rescued us from Satan’s dominion of darkness and made us his children.

3. He brought us into his eternal kingdom.

4. He redeemed us — bought our freedom from sin and judgment.

5. He forgave us for all our sins.

We “must” be thankful for what God has done and thus show our utmost love
and devotion by the very lives that we live daily.

“Father God, I pray that each of us who understand the greatness of your
sacrifice for our sins and the extraordinary love you have shown us, is
deeply appreciated.  May we honor you by our service and glorify you with
our praises. And most importantly, share Christ effectively.”

Rosa went back to the Doctor last Friday.  The results of her blood work up revealed that she is not yet in remission.  But, things have definitely improved and are much better than when we first began this journey.  The doctor said that he would give it three more months and then test her again.  We are just so thankful that she is doing this well.  She actually is back working this week 30 hours.  We’ll see how that goes for her. 

So, again, thanks to everyone whose been praying for us and may the Lord’s mercy shine upon you.

Col 3:1-4
 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. NKJV

Here Paul begins to explain true Christian behavior. We are to put on the new self by accepting Christ and regard our earthly nature as dead. As soon as we receive Christ  within us, our moral and ethical nature changes so that He can shape us into what we should be. Verse one tells us that, if we are raised with Christ, then we are to become seekers of those things which are above, where Christ is. That our minds are to be set on things above and not earthly things. We know that we have died to the world and that our life is safely hidden with Christ in God when these principles become our passion. When nothing else gathers our thoughts and occupies our day as does the things of God.  Therefore, as Christ lives in us now, we will appear with Him in glory. 

Dear Lord,  Help each of us who are struggling, to give you priority in our lives, and, to stay focused on things eternal.  Show us how to set our minds on things above and not things of this world. May the principles of your word be in our hearts and our lives glorify you. Amen