🛋️Just Be There 😢

 Colossians 2:1 (KJV) For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

Paul is saying I want you to know how hard I am working for you. 

Colossians 2:2 (KJV) That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

Paul wants hearts to be comforted. I can’t count the times I have wanted that for others. Their loved one whether it’s their dad or mother, husband or wife, son or daughter. It matters not if they are on life support or just laying in a bed with the death rattle sounding with death only a short step away. How do you comfort someone in those situations?  In our darkest hours comfort is hard to come by. My pastor always said “nothing takes the place of being there.” Not long ago a good friend’s husband was on life support. They were waiting for all the family to get there and then they were going to remove the support. The doctors and nurses had done all that could be done. When I found out I got in my car and drove to the hospital. As I walked down the hallway toward where the family was all sitting his wife  looked up and saw me and rose to her feet and came and gave me a big hug and thanked me for coming. That did bring some comfort. We will never know how much comfort is given when someone outside of the family shows they care. Never think you won’t be welcomed. Oh but I don’t know what to say? Say? You can say much by text but your presence will never be forgotten. Twenty years ago I sat in a private waiting room with a family that had just lost their only child in an auto accident. I said little but it wasn’t my words they remembered it was my presence. Two years later the young man's dad passed away and today a  mother and a wife still remembers my presence with her at two different hospitals when her heart was broken. One can do a lot to show they care but nothing takes the place of being there. 

Psalms 23:4 (KJV) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. The Lord is the greatest comfort one can ever have when troubles come into our life.  The Lord is the friend that shows up in our broken heart and gives comfort. That’s “being knit together in love”  then Paul says “unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding.” Riches! We are rich in Christ Jesus our Savior. Rich in His promises  

John 14:16 (KJV) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

Hebrews 13:5 (KJV) Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

I love how Psalms 23 verse 4 reads “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” The valley of the shadow of death, that is a fearful place without trust in the Lord. Notice two things about this valley of an awful place: it's only a shadow and you can walk through shadows. Does that not give you comfort?

👉🏿Cash Please 💵Y

Colossians 1:27 (KJV) To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Is this not what people are looking for? A mystery. When I was a teenager there was this place talked about at school they called it Perter’s Woods. It was supposed to be a spooky place, a place where strange things have been seen. Well one Friday night a bunch of us decided to go find this place called Peter’s Woods. We had directions or should I say bits and pieces of directions. We followed the directions the best we could and looked and looked with no success. We decided to stop at a nearby store and gas station. We asked a man if he could tell us where we could find Peter’s Woods. He said he had never heard of such a place. Then he asked us what this Peter’s Woods was and why we were looking for it. We told him and he laughed. I don’t think there was ever a place called Peter’s Woods, I think it was a place made up in someone's mind. I’m afraid we were laughed at twice. This mystery Paul is writing about has riches and is made known. What is this mystery? “Christ in you, the hope of glory” Christ in you? Let’s back up and look at what Jesus told his disciples the last night that He spent with them. John 14:16 (KJV) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

John 14:17 (KJV) Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

Now it’s a mystery how someone can change overnight. You have seen it happen. One day a person you know stops drinking, doing drugs, stops using four letter words, stops looking at colorfully pictures of the opposite sex. Oh my 🤦‍♂️they started  talking about Jesus as if He was a real person. Why would a person act like this overnight so to speak? It's a mystery how this could happen. Why does a person put their foot on the brakes when they see a police car sitting on the side of the road? Could it be because they are going faster than the speed limit? That is why people change because Christ is now in them. How does that happen? The Apostle  Paul tells how that happens. 

Colossians 1:28 (KJV) Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

Preach? Preach what? “warning every man” Every man? Oh my, is every man guilty? 

James 2:10 (KJV) For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Oh my, have we ever told a white lie? Have we ever used God’s name in vain? Have we ever looked at another person with lust? Have we ever envied what someone else had like being promoted to the position you were promised? Romans 3:19 (KJV) Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Oh but I’m not under the law you may say? Oh that is great; did you say you were a little short on cash? No problem, is there a convenient store close by? Then run down there and ask them for the money in their cash drawer and that will give you all the proof that you need that you are not under the law. 

🚙Doing a Drive By Why I Didn’t Even Wave🖐️

Colossians 1:21 (KJV) And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

And you separated from God. The evil things you were doing showed your hostile attitude toward the God who loves you so much.

Colossians 1:22 (KJV) In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

And you who Christ has brought back to God by dying in his physical body. He did this so that you could come into God's presence without sin, fault, or blame. When we read further we see that we need to continue in the faith. Remember what faith is. Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) Now faith is the substance(something real, not imaginary; something solid, not empty) of things hoped for(confidence in a future event)

 the evidence (to show in such a manner that the mind can apprehend the truth) of things not seen.

Why do we need to continue in the faith? 

John 8:31 (KJV) Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

John 8:32 (KJV) And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

This is the same principle we read in  

Colossians 1:23 (KJV) If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

If you continue in the faith. The problem with many is that they see themselves in need of a savior. God deals with their heart and they ask the Lord to save them. After their salvation they fail to continue in the faith that they had trusted in. They didn’t search the scriptures daily, not even once a week. By doing this they fail to learn anything about the Lord Jesus. They aren’t settled, they aren’t  grounded therefore they are moved away from the gospel. The only way to learn, or know, or grow is to continue. Fail to do this and you will fail to know the Lord your God. When I was 17 I met a young lady on a horse ride. We rode our horses with a group of others, I don’t remember how many but it was a large group. Anyways as I was riding I saw this young lady and we started talking. At the end of a 3 day ride I knew a lot about her but I failed to get a phone number or her address; boy that was dumb. Well after I got back I was telling my friends all about her. Then one of my friends spoke up, I know her and I know where she lives. Great I said and got the street name. He didn’t know the house number but I didn’t care I would find her house and I did. Here was the problem. I did drive by her house many times but I never went to her house to talk with her. I knew her name, I knew a little bit about her, I knew where she lived but I didn’t know her. Why? Because I didn’t continue, all I did was drive by her house. Could this be the reason many fail to know who Jesus Christ really is? 

😱I Think Not 🤦‍♂️

 Colossians 1:21 (KJV) And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

Look with me at the word “reconciled” for just a minute. Webster says this about the word RECONCILE “to call back into union and friendship the affections which have been alienated; to restore to friendship or favor after estrangement; as, to reconcile men or parties that have been at variance.” That would easily describe mankind. The Freedom From Religion Foundation back in 2015 sent a letter to major hotel chains across the U.S. requesting that Bibles be removed from rooms. 

Remove the 10 Commandments: Take time to look on the internet and you’ll find many who want the 10 Commandments gone from view. Why? Because of the way many live their lives. They don’t want to be having an affair and then read somewhere that God said that committing adultery was a no,no.  Exodus 20:14 (KJV) Thou shalt not commit adultery. 

Neither do people  want to cheat someone out of something and then read somewhere that God said

Exodus 20:15 (KJV) Thou shalt not steal. That would be like the first time I got caught smoking. Why, I was having a good time until I looked up and there stood my Dad.😨

What we need is to be “reconciled” back to God, not push Him further away from us. It’s time for a Revival across our land preachers like Jonathan Edward, George Whitefield, John Westley, D.L. Moody, Charles Spurgeon to once again stand in our Pulpits and preach. But like the Politicians of old are no more so are the Preaches of old they too are no more. The Bible, most of my life, has been respected but it is increasingly becoming  disrespected. I read this in a review about what some thought about the Bible. “Bibles shouldn't just be removed from nightstands at hotels. They should disappear everywhere else, as well! The world would be a lot better with less of the population in that cult.” Well all I can say is we are seeing how much better the world is without the Bible. Confusion,🫃🏻 lying 🤥and stealing, 💰taking and destroying from others with more hate than love.😈 I ride with the local Police Department at least once a month. The other day we went out on a call where a 4 year old boy was pushing other children down at a public park and then giving them the finger. Where was the parent? No one knew! When the Police officer found her she was in her car asleep with a lite cigarette between her fingers🙂‍↕️ and not watching her son. Where did a 4 year old learn about what he was doing? Oh don’t you agree that this world would be a better place without God”s Word the Bible? I think not! The person who wrote the would be a better place also called those who didn’t agree that they were Christ fags and should die.

😳Do You Have A Friend👩‍🦽🚶🏻‍♂️

Psalms 124:8 (KJV) Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Sidewalk verse for the day

Colossians 1:20 (KJV) And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

I’m interested in the word “reconcile” Webster says this  “to call back into union and friendship the affections which have been alienated; to restore to friendship or favor after estrangement ”

I understand that in this world you and I live in that it’s hard to believe that there is a God who really cares let alone loves us or loves all people. Like the man who lives in the woods behind Kroger, the one that, for lack of a better word, smells awful? Even the young lady that sells her body to get drugs and has lost her children. No she is not living behind Kroger she has a better place under the bridge at Old Farm rd in Valley Heights. Yes, God loves them too. God’s purpose is to bring all to Christ Jesus, even people like you and I like the man that told “we don’t want THOSE kind of people coming to our Church.” How can this be possible? By “reconcile” how? “having made peace through the blood of his cross” It’s not about who we are, how clean we are, or how good we are. I spend 8 to 10 hours a month riding with Police officers and I have seen a lot of things. I guess some of these people we took to jail are called bad or worthless. But not in the eyes of God they just need one thing, to be reconcile; a restored friendship. If they were reconciled what do I think would happen? Things would change because friends help each other and as the song says

“What a friend we have in Jesus, Can we find a friend so faithful, Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness; In His arms He'll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there What a friend we have in Jesus take it to Lord in prayer” It matters not who you are nor what you have done or even thought. What really matters is what you haven’t done and that’s realizing who your real friend is. Who is that real friend? The one who went onto the battlefield of life and died bring you to safety; Jesus Christ. Is that not a real Friend?

👔The Head🎭

👔The Head🎭

Psalms 123:1 (KJV) Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Sidewalk verse for the day

Colossians 1:18 (KJV) And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Don’t you just love your head that sits on top of your shoulders? The average person's head weighs about 10 or 11 pounds, that's only about 7 or 8% of our body’s weight. Oh but without the head we all would be in a mess. Within our head we have the brain, the eyes, the ability to speak, eat, taste. Then there’s our nose that gives us the ability to breathe and let’s not forget our hearing with the ears on the side that also hold our glasses in place. Oh you don’t wear glasses? Just wait, you will. We hear go to the left and our brain tells us which way is left. I'm so grateful for my head. In verse 18 we read about the head of the church. Oh no it’s not the pastor, we are told who the head is; “And he is the head” he is a pronoun, so what actually is a pronoun? “The part of speech that substitutes for nouns or noun phrases and designates persons or things asked for, previously specified, or understood from the context.” In order for us to know what or who the pronoun is referring to, the noun has to be previously known. In verse 14 the noun is mention 

Colossians 1:4 (KJV) Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, When we read in verse 18 the pronoun “he” we know the writer is referring to Christ Jesus. We know the head of the church is “Christ Jesus.” Then the verse goes on to tell us about the body and who is the body “the body, the church.”  The body, the church is made up of those who have given their hearts to the Lord or as the Bible says saved. Acts 2:21 (KJV) And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Now that I have been born again, saved, given my heart to the Lord there has to be a change.  2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. On the day I was saved my life changed and every time there is a change others will notice it. I was stationed with a young man named Steve Boone  in Duluth Minnesota. He was from Lafayette Indiana. We became the best of friends. I went to his home in Indiana. We went to the Indianapolis 500, plus many other things we did together. Then I was shipped off to another place and we didn’t see each other for 4 years. I was discharged and so was he and we had to adjust back to civilian life once again. One day my phone rang and it was him on the other end. He was less than 5 miles from the apartments we were living in at the time. He came by to visit and stayed the night he and 3 others. He wanted me to take them to Atlanta so off we went. They all were drinking and before long the alcohol took its course. By the time we got back to our apartment they were all smashed. The next morning was Sunday and I had a bus to drive for the Church and kids to pick up. I stepped over my friend and the others as I went to pick up kids. When I returned home after church they were all gone and I have never seen him again. The reason was I wasn’t the same person. I didn’t drink nor did I use bad language that didn’t make me better than him or no one else. I just knew it wasn’t  pleasing to my Heaven Father. I have tried to locate him more than once but without any success. I would like to know what has gone on with him in the last 50 years because I still remember our friendship and always will. 

 

🐬All Things🐘

Sidewalk verse for the day

Colossians 1:17 (KJV) And he (God) is before all things, and by him all things consist.

It's not hard to believe that God is before anything that we know. God was before the first tree, river, ocean, mountain, canyon  great or small, before the sun and the planets and the stars, before light and dark. Name it and God was before it. It doesn’t stop there because we read that “by him all things consist” have you just stopped to view all the beautiful scenery that’s around us? The beauty of the Sunrise as well as the Sunset. I love to watch the sunrise it never gets old and I have many pictures to remind me of its beauty. The rainbow; wow what a work of God’s art. I have seen triple rainbows more than once while I was in Alaska. The northern lights with its green rays filling the sky. The oceans, as the waves never stop rolling in upon the beaches. The beauty of the mountains as the fog drifts across on a cool morning. We must remember before all of these things I just wrote about, God was already here. When we slept last night God was watching over each of us. When we got up God was waiting to speak with us. Were we in a rush? Fighting the traffic to get to work on time. Racing to our workstation to get ready for the long day. At break time hearing of the new layoffs that are coming soon; will it be you this time? Finally the day is done and the drive back home, oh my the traffic; only 20 more years and I can retire. Before all we know and are involved in God was before it all. 

 

🤔 Something To Think About 💬

 🤔Something To Think About 💬

Psalms 119:171 (KJV) My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.Sidewalk verse for the day

The Son of God who is the image of the invisible God.

Colossians 1:16 (KJV) For by him (the invisible God) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

One only has to read Genesis chapter 1 to understand. God steps out on the pages of scripture in. Genesis chapter 1 and verse 1 “In the beginning God created.” God created everything you and I know. God has given us the abilities to take the things He has made and produce many things. John 1:3 (KJV) All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. Colossians verse 16 told us why all things were created “all things were created by him, and for him”  We are also told that all things created which are in “heaven” and “earth.” Then we read these words “visible and invisible” when we look around here on this earth we pretty much see the visible. If we look into the heavens on a clear night we see partly visible. What I mean is we see the bright shapes of stars and planets but the visible part of what is on them we see not. Then there’s the heaven that is totally invisible. Where is this invisible heaven? I don’t really know, it’s invisible. Maybe like you I think it’s past the partly visible heaven. Why do I say that? In the book of Acts as Jesus left this earth we read this. 

Acts 1:9 (KJV) And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Acts 1:10 (KJV) And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

Maybe the visible Jesus went up to the partly visible to the invisible. I don’t really know but I’m going to stick with the Heaven we read about in our Bibles is upward, because we know what is downward. I got interested in what the internet had to say about how many people believed there was a heaven and how many believed there was a hell. Here’s the results.72%) of Americans say they believe in heaven — defined as a place “where people who have led good lives are eternally rewarded,” according to the Pew Research Center’s 2014 Religious Landscape Study.   

Good lives??? Let’s define “GOOD” where in our Bibles is “GOOD” defined? Romans 3:12 (KJV) They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. But at the same time, 58% of U.S. adults also believe in hell — a place “where people who have led bad lives and die without being sorry are eternally punished.” If no one is good then would that make everyone bad? Something to think about.

🩻The Image 👨🏼‍⚕️

Psalm 119:162 (KJV) I rejoice at thy word, as one that fineth great spoil. Sidewalk verse for the day

Colossians 1:15  (KJV) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature

Who have we been writing about (his dear Son) that would be Jesus Christ. Then we are told that Jesus Christ is the (image of the invisible God)      

John 1:18 (KJV) No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

I John 44:12 (KJV) No man hath seen God at any time.

But the image has been seen and is still being seen in those who have accepted Him as their personal Savior. How, you may say? In us who are His children and have a personal relationship with Him. Just the other day I was in a store, I bought an ídem that cost $2.50 with tax it came to $2.69. I gave the young lady a $5.00 bill and she in return gave me $2.50 in change when the change should have been $2.31. I knew she had given me too much change but I went out the door telling myself it was only 19 cents. As I walked toward my truck the Lord said in my heart “you stole 19 cents.” I then turned around and went back into the store and said to the young lady that she had given me 19 cents too much. I gave her a quarter and told her to give me a nickel and a penny. She did and I left. What made the difference? The image of His dear Son Jesus Christ. I remember the story of a man who had bought something and in a hurry he placed the money in his pocket and returned home in the cold and snow. Later as he removed his money from his pocket he realized that the man had given him 10 cents too much. He began to get ready to go back out into the cold and snow to give the man his 10 cents. His son said “Dad it will be dark before you return. The temperature is dropping and the snow is beginning to blow. Can’t it wait until the morning?” His dad said “it could but what if the Lord calls me home tonight? Then I have knowingly stolen another man's money. What is done today must be taken care of today.” What makes God’s Children different? The image of His Dear Son. In my case it more than likely didn’t mean as much to that young lady as it did to me. It wasn’t her 19 cents and she didn’t even know I had it but I did and the Lord knew. It was my responsibility to return it no matter what anyone else thought. The young lady would have slept fine but would I? My youngest son is now married and has two daughters but he hasn’t forgotten this one thing he saw. It was Christmas time and he was about 8 years old at the time. He and I were together at the mall and he was wanting to get his mother a Christmas gift. He spotted what he wanted the cost @ $21.00. We purchased it. I gave the lady a $100 bill and in return she gave me back my $100 plus the cost of the ídem. I thought, today was my lucky day. Oh no there was the Lord telling me to return what wasn’t mine; so I did. As my son and I walked away he said to me “Dad I saw she gave you too much money.” Oh, what if I had kept the money? What would I have taught my son? It was my lucky day I got the opportunity to teach my son what was right instead of what was wrong. I got to show the image of His dear Son. 

🥵To Much at State 🤹‍♀️

Psalms 119:155 (KJV) Salvation is far from the wicked: for they seek not thy statutes. Sidewalk verse

Colossians 1:14 (KJV) In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Remember, if the rescuer doesn’t come we all die. 

So what is this “redemption”?  Webster says “Repurchase of captured goods or prisoners” 🤔wait a minute “In whom we”  are we prisoners? I would say so. Why do I say that? Because we have  an enemy! An enemy wants to capture and destroy.

John 10:10 (KJV) The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: (Jesus said) I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly

Luke 4:18 (KJV) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

We first read that in  

Isaiah 61: (KJV) The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 

Isaiah 61:2 (KJV)  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Isaiah 61:3 (KJV) To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Many don’t know they are captured. We live in the land of the brave and free. Brave yes but free is questionable. We are free to do a lot of things, yes but we are not as free as you might think. One goes out and buys a house for $400,000 and works hard to pay off the loan. If asked, are you the owner of your own home? The answer would be yes. You think? Well just don’t pay your taxes and they will sell your home on the courthouse steps. Yes you are the owner of your home as long as you pay to be the owner. The human race lost its freedom when Adam and Eve disobeyed their Heavenly Father and was captured by the enemy. The moment they disobeyed they were captured by the enemy. We had no choice, we were all born in captivity and we need “redemption”. The price of our “redemption” is not paid in cash, check or credit card. We can’t buy our “redemption, we can't work for it, nothing we do can break us free. Then how do we get free? Great question! Here’s the answer.

 Colossians 1:13 (KJV) Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Colossians 1:14 (KJV) In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

I would love to believe that everyone goes to heaven when they die. But unfortunately that’s not the case according to the Bible. One may say “I go to Church.” Great and that’s good but Jesus when he came to a town He went to a Synagogue (Church). I wonder why? There was a Pastor I know very well. He was called by a Church to be their Pastor and he Pastored there for over 20 years. He preached the gospel and many that were attending there on a regular basis gave their heart to the Lord. What changed? He preached the Gospel; the Death, the Burial and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Listen, if our lives are only different when we attend Church then we need to ask ourselves why this is. The Apostle Paul said  

2 Corinthians 13:5 (KJV) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? Don’t be mistaken there too much at state.