👨‍⚖️The Judge 👩🏻‍💼The Lawyer

 

When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost. 

~Billy Graham~

 Colossians 3:3 (KJV) For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

Wow, we are not only reading about a life that is devoted; why we seek those things above and set our affections on things above but we are told why. It’s because your life after you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior or you were born again. Now “your life is hid with Christ in God.” How did you as a sinner get to the God who made all? By Christ Jesus! God is the Judge of all Hebrews 12:23 (KJV) To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, What would you need if you were to stand before a Judge? That’s right, a Lawyer, but before you needed a lawyer that was going to represent you before a Judge you would first have to be guilty or charged of some crime. Read this 1 John 2:1 (KJV) My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: Here we read about God’s children sinning and when they do or have sinned we read of an “advocate” (one who pleads the cause of another in a court) lawyer. We are all sinners there is no way around it. Oh but one may say I have never cheated on my husband or wife. Wonderful you shouldn't but have you ever lied about anything? Let me answer for all of us. Before we knew what lying was we were all doing it. It may not look like it at times but we are the smartest living creation that our Heavenly Father created. Let me explain why we were lying before we even knew what lying was. Being the smartest creation gives us the advantages other living creatures do not have. We are smarter than our dog therefore we can train our dog or other pets because we are smarter. Now back to you and me; when our first child was born I noticed something he was lying to me. He couldn’t walk or talk but he was lying to me. At night he would start crying and no matter what I or his mother did he would not stop until I took him out of his crib and started walking him around. He immediately stopped crying. Put him back into his crib and the crying started, take him out and he stopped. So before he could walk he had learned by lying that he could get walked all around by his dad. How could that be so? Because that’s our nature. Like it or not we all were born a bunch of liars.  I’m sorry but I like the story of Jesse James; yeah the outlaw. There was this lady whom the bank was foreclosing on her farm. Jesse James just happened by her farm and she not knowing who he was told him of her dilemma. He asked her some questions about how much she owed and when the banker was coming by. Then he gave her the money and left. The banker came by and she paid her farm off. The banker left and before he got back to town with the money Jesse robbed him and got his money back. You know why I like that story? Because of my sinful nature. But as Bob Jones Senior said “one can never do right by doing wrong.” The only way we are ever going to get to God is through Jesus Christ our Lawyer. If one never sees the need for a lawyer then when they stand before the Judge they are in unchangeable trouble. 

🥁Please Receive 🎁

  

Just because the truth is unpopular doesn’t mean that it should not be proclaimed. Billy Graham

Have we not just read to seek those things which are above, to set our affections on things above. Now here in Colossians 3:3 We are told why “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” Dead! I’m not dead, you might say. Well, you may not be so let’s look at the evidence. We all have a birthday if we are reading this. It was the day we were born into this world. Our names are different, our dates are different and the time of our arrivals are all different but yes we all have earthly life. In this earthly life we all seek things we can obtain and we have set our earthly affections on obtaining those things. Then there are those who have been born again. What’s that? Good question. In order to be born again you have to have been born once before. If you can feel pain, can be sad and feel sorry, plus others things. Congratulations you have been born into this earthly life even if you don’t know where your birth certificate is. A birth certificate is only a document,  if you misplace it you can get another one. If you are still doubting your birth go look into a mirror, if you see yourself then you have been born. Being born again? We read about that in the book of John and chapter 3. We read of a religious man by the name of Nicodemus coming to the Lord Jesus. The time he came is important; it's night time. His statement is important; we know.  Before Nicodemus gets finished talking to Jesus, Jesus  says this:

John 3:3 (KJV) Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Had Nicodemus been born into this earthly life? Yes he had. Jesus tells Nicodemus that in order to see the Kingdom of God he must be born again. That is the reason many don’t seek those things which are above; or set their affections on things above; neither do they understand nor can they about anything above. Why? Before you were born what were your goals? Didn’t have any, did you? Do you know why? You had not even been born so you knew nothing. No affection because you had no life yet. All Nicodemus had was religion and religion is an awful substitute for real life. John 10:28 (KJV) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Eternal life! It is a gift. It must be given. Therefore it must be received. No gift ever becomes yours until you receive it. Jesus gives eternal life not religion. 

🍔Upgrade🍔🍟🥤🍪

There are seven gifts God gives you when you commit your life to Christ: a new relationship, a new citizenship, a new family, a new purpose, a new power, a new destiny, and a new journey.  Billy Graham 

Colossians 3:2 (KJV) Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

In verse 1 we read “to seek those things which are above” Here in verse 2 we read the “Set your affection on things above” Do you wonder in your mind what Heaven is really like? Boy I have and more so the longer I live. Since 1973 I have been by the bedside of many a Christian that were leaving this world. Some left very quietly  but there have been some that did some things that made me think what in the world did they see and hear? There was this elderly lady by the name of Leona Hall one day she said to me “I’m looking for a good place to cross over.” What place did she see and what was that good place she was looking for? Oh you say it was the drugs talking. She wasn’t seeing anything. Well that might be so except for this. There was another lady named Henrietta Brooks in the same hospital on the same day that I went to see; you know what I heard while I was sitting there with her? she said, “I’m looking for a good place to cross over.” I have never forgotten those two ladies in the same hospital facing death and they both saw the same thing. What did they see that no one else could see? Have you ever wondered why the Bible doesn’t tell us much about our Heavenly Home? Could this be the reason?

Isaiah 64:4 (KJV) For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

The Apostle Paul repeats what Isaiah has already written. 1 Corinthians 2:9 (KJV) But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

You nor do I have any idea what Heaven is like. Except it’s a place like we have never seen on this earth. There are sounds there that we have never heard. Why, our minds have no idea or reference to the things which God has prepared for them that love Him. We are to seek those things that are above and we are to set our affection on things above. Know what? There is a place above this place you and I are living. You might say it’s an upgrade.

🚮That’s The Only Place🧑‍🏫

The way we live often speaks far louder than our words.  — Billy Graham —

Colossians 3:1 (KJV) If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

If! maybe you were, maybe you weren’t. But if you were “risen with Christ” then you should be seeking “those things which are above” Ask yourself am I seeking those things above? If not then ask yourself why not? The answer to that question will give you the reason you aren’t. You might say well I got hurt really bad at my Church. Many have without   doubt but that’s no reason to quit going to Church. Quit going to Church only will hurt you and you have walked right into the enemy’s trap. If you get miss treated at a department store, grocery store, drug store do you not find another to take its place? Sure you do. Then why wouldn’t it be the same with Church? I know I don’t know what happened but I have been hurt and mistreated more at Church than anywhere I know. Then why do I keep going? Because I’m not going because of the people, the preacher, oh no it’s much deeper than that. There is a salsa I like but the problem is there is only one store where I can buy it. So I go to that store just to buy that Salsa. If they upset me I will still go there to buy it because that’s the only place I can get it. That’s the same way about the Church. Church is the only place I know of that will teach me more about the Christ of my Bible and if I stop going there I only hurt myself. You are going to get hurt. It may be on purpose, it may be accidental but it will happen sooner or later. Overcome it like you do other things or fall into the enemy’s trap. Traps hurt and they also kill. I am very careful when others tell me things. If someone seems to be strange to me I remind myself that to them I seem the same way, strange. We aren’t all alike we are different and that’s what makes life interesting.🧐 But the question was are we seeking those thing above? If not, why not? A customer told me that his grandfather told him not long before he died that he had hidden a large sum of money in the backyard. He said to me if I could believe him I would dig up the whole backyard to find it. That’s the way many feel about the Church and their Bibles. Therefore they don’t dig.

🙆Out Of Control👣

The farther we get from God, the more the world spirals out of control.  

~ Billy Graham ~

Colossians 2:20 (KJV) Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

Webster says the word “Wherefore” means “For which reason.” Let’s break this verse down a little bit. For this reason if you have died with Christ from principles of the world, why do you let others tell you how to live? 

The way you and I live should be ordered by the Lord not by mankind that says this is the way we do it. Have you ever stopped to think that they might be wrong?  Just follow the instruction book the Bible and you’ll be fine. Oh no instruction book. I’m am sorry but I usually don’t read the instructions before putting something together. Did I hear someone say amen? me too. Well I have found that I usually get it together only to find I have to undo what I had already put together because I needed this put piece on first. That has been more than once I find myself doing that. But my oldest son, the first thing he does is read the instructions. Know, what? He doesn’t have to take it apart because he didn't miss the part I did because he read the instructions. My advice to myself is that it would be better for me to do the same. That may be fine for a swing set, or bicycle but it will not work in life we must read the Bible. One reason being we can’t go back and undo and then redo. How many words spoken in anger do we wish we could go back and unspeak? How many actions do we wish we could reverse? I can’t speak for you but as for me the words and actions can’t be numbered. I can say I wish I hadn’t, I’m sorry for my actions and I may be forgiven but I can never go back and undo. The question is has there been a change in my life since Jesus came into my life? If not then why not?

“What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought

Since Jesus came into my heart!

I have light in my soul for which long I had sought,

Since Jesus came into my heart!”

Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world,

 

✋Stop Do You Know🕵️‍♂️

No matter how dark and hopeless a situation might seem, never stop praying. — Billy Graham

Colossians 2:18 (KJV) Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

There’s that little phrase again “Let no man” if you remember we read that earlier in verse 16 and it was dealing with judging. Here it is dealing with deceiving. In the book of Matthew we read this.

Matthew 5:12 (KJV) Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. That is interesting, we are told to Rejoice, be Exceedingly Glad why? For Great is your Reward in Heaven. Then in  1 Corinthians 3:14 (KJV) If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. When we read the word “work” we are plainly told that our work has nothing to do with you and I going to heaven. But it has everything to do with our Christian lives. We all work for a living to put food and clothes and enjoyments in our lives. Have you ever noticed that some are better at what they do than others?  Have you ever stopped and asked yourself why? Here is what I have noticed, some work for a paycheck and that’s it. Others enjoy what they do and they work at learning more about what they do therefore they become better at what they do. Have you lost the excitement of your Salvation? Have you let someone else rob you of your moving forward in your Christian life? I love the hymn 

“More About Jesus” 

More about Jesus would I know,
More of His grace to other show;
More of His saving fullness see,
More of His love who died for me.

2

More about Jesus let me learn,
More of His holy will discern;
Spirit of God, my teacher be,
Showing the things of Christ to me. 

Let no man deceive you of your reward, don’t worship angels for in doing so you’ll forget about Jesus. I don’t know about you but I do want to know more about Jesus. It’s not because of an reward but of what Jesus did for me. There was this young girl one evening that smiled at me and I wanted to know more about her, I wanted to know more about her smile, I wanted to look into brown eyes. Oh my, it looked as if Vietnam would soon be my destination and I needed to act if I were to ever know this brown eyed girl and learn more of her smile. So I just asked her to marry me and she said yes and now for the last 55 years I have gotten to look into those brown eyes and learn more about that smile. We have laughed, shared our dreams and we still hold hands and I can’t imagine life without her oh what a smile can do. Jesus came by and I have never been the same and I’m not about to let someone rob me of my joys by deceiving me. That’s why I study His Word, tell others of His wonderful saving grace because I don’t want to be average, I want to know Him. In a crowd I can spot a brown eyed girl who one day smiled at me, you know why? Because I know her! I could write and write a lot about her and I can also write and write a lot about Jesus because I know Him.

🕧In The Middle With 🫵

 

There comes a moment when we all must realize that life is short, and in the end the only thing that really counts is not how others see us, but how God sees us. — Billy Graham -

Colossians 2:16 (KJV) Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

It is so easy to judge others, we hear it all the time. If those were my kids I would…… If my wife or husband did that I would……. If my boss said that to me I would….. why in the world do they look like that…. I know I missed a bunch but you get the idea it is easy to judge others to make us look good. We should never forget what Jesus said in  Matthew 7:3 (KJV) And why  beholdest   thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Let us not forget what we have already read in this chapter.  Verse 10  “ye are complete in him” complete meaning that you don’t need anything else. Some believe if you don’t go to church singing in the choir then you are hell bound. It didn’t read you are complete in him if you attend church and sing in the choir, or anything else added. I think you should attend a good Church because that is where you will learn more about your Savior, but church is not a requirement for heaven. How do I know that? Well the Bible says we are complete in Jesus. If you go and read in the book of Luke chapter 23 you’ll find that Jesus is being nailed to a cross on a hill called Calvary. On that hill called Calvary there are two other men. Now what is interesting is what happened to those two other men who were placed on crosses, one on each side of Jesus. Jesus in the middle of two thieves. One of those men never sees his sin while the other does. Both men are guilty of the same crime. Why is Jesus in the middle? Why not on the outside? Both men had the same distance to Jesus. The same is true today all of us are sinners and we, like those two men, have the same opportunity. Read it for yourself.

Luke 23:32 (KJV) And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.

Luke 23:33 (KJV) And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.

Luke 23:39 (KJV)  And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. Was he on the left or right side? I don’t know. Jesus doesn’t take sides.  Both needed Christ the same as you and I.  

Luke 23:40 (KJV) But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation How bout it, death fastly approaching don’t you fear? 

Luke 23:41 (KJV)  And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

Luke 23:42 (KJV)  And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. Ye have not because ye ask not.

Luke 23:43 (KJV)  And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.  

  What happened? One of those guilty men saw Jesus as his Savior and said “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom” that was it. How did Jesus respond? “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” that thief was complete in Jesus Christ which means he didn’t need anything else. Neither do you and I. Well what about going to Church? You don’t need a high School diploma to get a job. Later in life most will go get a GED and some will even go to college. Why? Because it helps them get better jobs and more money. What does that have to do with the Church? Church helps you learn more about Jesus. Why is that? Because the more one knows about Jesus the closer one walks with Jesus and not only that the more one knows about their Heavenly home where they will soon be. I will agree there are a lot of people that go to Church that do bad things. But I go to Church to learn and yes sometimes my feelings have been hurt like back in the 70’s I was bringing those to my church that were not the same color. Every Sunday I would take off in an old school bus and go pick up 40+ kids, many of a different race. One woman didn’t like it and she made a big deal about it, but you know what? I kept on doing what I was doing. What was that? going into the highway and hedges and bringing in boys and girls that needed to hear about Jesus and not only that I was talking to their parents too. I wish I could tell you more about the time and the nights I spent in the places where white people didn't go after dark. The houses I sat in and the friends I made. I still remember those days and often wonder what happened to those kids and their parents. None of those who hurt my feelings ever experienced anything close to that because they let fear get the best of them. Sometimes God sends you where others won’t go. Complete in Jesus no matter what Country, no matter what Color. Got Jesus? What could I want more!