They Heard of Their Faith

Let’s take a look at Colossians 1:3-14 starting with asking…..Why do they always thank God … when they pray?

If you keep reading you will see it’s because ‘they heard of their faith….and of the love they have for all the saints.’

Let’s take a look at the word ‘faith’ in the Greek.

 Faith (4102/pistis) is always a gift from God, and never something that can be produced by people. In short, for the believer is "God's divine persuasion" – and therefore distinct from human belief (confidence), yet involving it. The Lord continuously births faith in the yielded believer so they can know what He prefers, i.e. the persuasion of His will (1 Jn 5:4).

So they lived in a way that this gift from God was showing. They were persuaded, they yielded themselves to Him and knew His will.

And they had a love for the saints. I can only assume if they were known for this love it was because they were walking the way of the Lord. They were a light for Christ, showing and living forgiveness, teaching the Truth in love, seeking God for themselves-yielding themselves to Him so they knew what their next step should be. They confessed their sins, prayed for each other….I’m sure you can add to this.

Now let me ask you; are you a light in and outside the church? 

Do people see God when they ‘hear’ about the things you are doing? Are you talking bad about a Pastor-the ones we are called to share the Gospel, ones anointed by God --------(Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe.  He said to his men, "The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the the anointed of the Lord." with these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. I Samuel 24:5-7) Did you notice even though Saul was in the wrong, out of God's will and trying to kill David; that David still called Saul 'the Lord's anointed'?  

Do you talk about other believers – heck even non-believers (gossip)….. Are you full of pride….only doing things so you can buddy up with people you think have 'position'? Do you have your own little circle and forget you are to be a light in this world? Are you spending time with the Lord so you know His ways or just giving him a few minutes or an hour a day?

We should be living in a way that will draw others to Christ, will wake up the pew sitters and strengthen us in our walk so we are not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ.

We want people to say this about us, about the church (believers on His vine). They should be thanking God for who He is in us and what He does through us. (Col. 1:3)

Let’s look at ‘fruit’.

Our ‘fruit’ Fruit 2592 - bring forth, deeds: thus of men who show their knowledge of religion by their conduct  - fruit acceptable to Him – 
our lives, the knowledge we have of God should show in our conduct and it should be acceptable to our  Father.

And our fruit should continue to grow. If we stop growing, our fruit will begin to rot. We don’t just accept Christ and then stop searching His Word, stop talking, praying and studying His Word alone and with others. I like what ‘increasing’ means – key to authentic discipleship and it’s continual. We should never think we have all the answers and it’s our way only. We will have some Truth to share with others but some Truth will come from others that may have gone through a revelation (a learning experience) that we haven’t. For example, Joyce Meyer can share the revelation God has given her on being sexually molested because she went through it and walked through her healing and forgiveness using the Word of God. Someone that has not been through this will not have the revelation she has. We are branches on the vine, each of us has something to share and should share about what the Lord has and is doing in our lives.

Increasing - 837 auksánō – properly, grow (increase); become greater in size (maturity, etc.).  ("to grow") is key to authentic discipleship. Indeed, the Lord requires non-stop progress (development) in the life of faith.

And they ‘learned’ –

You learned - 3129 manthánō ( "a disciple") – properly, learning key facts; gaining "fact-knowledge as someone learns from experience, often with the implication of reflection – 'come to realize' "

As you read on and see what they are praying for them you will see endurance, patience and joy.

To grow and have people hearing and praying for us, it will take endurance and patience. We are in a body and have fleshly desires and emotions that can get in the way. Satan knows how to get our attention on ourselves, to make us selfish and prideful.

We need endurance and it comes from God, so that’s another reason to know Him and who we are in Him.

Endurance 5281 - properly, remaining under, endurance; steadfastness, especially as God enables the believer to "remain (endure) under" the challenges He allots in life.

Then there is patience. We will be tempted to scream at some people…you’re going to hell…..or to compromise our values because we don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings, we begin to tell ‘white’ lies. When we go through things like this an improper anger can arise – this will put out your light.

Patience - 3115 makrothymía  – properly, long-passion, i.e. waiting sufficient time before expressing anger. This avoids the premature use of force (retribution) that rises out of improper anger (a personal reaction).

 I don’t know about you but I would love for Christ’s Light in me, the way I live my life, to have others  thank God and  pray for me because they ‘heard of my faith and the love I have for all saints’.

To have them pray for God to fill me with the knowledge of His will with spiritual wisdom and understanding…..so I can live a life worthy of the Lord, please Him in every way, bear fruit, grow in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all power, have great endurance and patience and joyfully give thanks to the Father…….’

I want to live the life God has for me, one that will draw people to Him no matter how far away they live.

What about you?

Colossians 1:3-14

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Do You Think You Are The Only One That Has the Answers?

Salvation – that is where it starts and that is where we should be leading people. Not in words alone but in our actions! How we are living, what we are speaking. Does it line up with the Word of God?

When a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour they are babes drinking milk, not ready for meat yet.
There are people in the church that have the gift and desire to share with strong Christians that are eating meat, but some of these issues non-believers or new Christians are not ready for. Things in the Bible that is debatable because there are so many views one can take on the issue. These issues do not keep you out of heaven once you are saved by God’s grace but nonetheless they are things we are to study and learn from as we grow in our walk with the Lord. However they are not to be things that divide us.  To everyone's list of gifts, maybe a little discretion and discernment should be added?

Ephesians 4:32 Amplified   And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.

Are you being kind when someone disagrees with you, are you inflexible, is there nothing else God can teach you on the subject? I think this is something we ALL need to take a look at, myself included.

Again – salvation, bring people to God, helping them learn who He is and what  God has to say about  them and Himself …that should be our goal because it’s God’s commandment.

So how do we, as believers, come to grips with this inside the ‘church’ (within the members?)– the place you go to worship and be taught?
Are we to challenge and get angry – if you don’t believe as I do in this area (not salvation) then you are all wrong ….. I’m leaving; I’m not tithing, or whatever you would do out of spite

Or should we seek the Lord, keep our mouths shut until He provides an opportunity for us to share what He has put into our hearts? Is there a better way to share our opinion on what God’s Word says in certain circumstances? We all know it’s God’s Word that matters, not our opinion.

I know for myself it can take a day, a week or many years for me to understand something just to find out in one area I still don’t have all the answers, does that mean I’m wrong? I don't think so but I do think I'm wrong when I believe I'm the only one that has the answer. (It is very possible that a prophet has a word from God that no one else has considered!)

Fellowship – encourage, correct, each other – isn't that how we are to learn and grow and be one on His vine?

II Timothy 3:16  Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action),

Matthew 6:34  So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.

When you sense anger rising in you, or when you get irate because someone disagrees with your viewpoint on a topic in Scripture you have elevated that topic beyond being important, it is now worry!  It may even be entering the area of idolatry. It certainly destroys unity and fellowship.

I John 1:3 That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

Fruit Your Deeds Actions Are They Rotten or Good?

Fruit – what is it?

Are you thinking apple, orange, blueberries or watermelon? Those are yummy but when God speaks of fruit in John 15:2 and Matthew 12:33, this is not the ‘fruit’ He is talking about.

He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

 John 15:2

The fruit He is talking about is a deed, action, result, or profit.

 In the Strong’s it’s #2590 - everything done in true partnership with Christ, i.e. a believer (a branch) lives in union with Christ (the Vine). By definition, fruit (2590 /karpós) results from two life-streams – the Lord living His life through ours – to yield what is eternal

So our ‘fruit’ will be what we are doing, how we are speaking, how we are treating people; what our actions are, are we lazy, do we keep our word when we say we will do something? What is the result of our actions? Do we profit, does the Kingdom of God profit?

It says He prunes the branches that bear fruit.

Prune in the Strong’s #2508 - make clean by purging (removing undesirable elements); hence, "pruned (purged)"; eliminating what is fruitless by purifying.

I’m not sure about you but when I’m getting ‘pruned’ sometimes I let out a yelp!  There are times I know I need to let go of a relationship because it draws me away from God or I need to stop watching a certain program because it causes wrong emotions to rise up in me and that affects the relationships in my home. 

Sometimes He prunes me because I’m speaking negative things to myself and believing the lies rather than the truth of who God says I am and the power I have to change because ‘the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in me’. WOW I want to understand that more. I ask for wisdom on this one verse Lord. That’s power!

The ‘more fruitful’ is awesome too, it is greater, of higher value.

So as I (we) are pruned, we repent and let go of the bad fruit and begin to see increase. This increase can come in the form of better relationships, finances, health, peace and faith.

When God begins to prune the bad fruit of laziness and over eating, it doesn’t feel comfortable at first and it does take some work to move forward. But as you begin to give it over to God, rely on Him knowing you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you and then you begin to see the positive results – you begin to desire those pruning’s! You can even see an increase in your finances because you are not eating out as much or buying all those cookies and cakes you thought you couldn’t live without.

Then in Matthew 12:33 I looked up ‘good’    

"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.

Good - Definition: beautiful, as an outward sign of the inward good, noble, honorable character; good, worthy, honorable, noble, and seen to be so.

In Strong’s - 2570 – attractively good; good that inspires (motivates) others to embrace what is lovely (beautiful, praiseworthy); i.e. well done so as to be winsome (appealing).

Don’t you want to be ‘good’, one that inspires, one that embraces what is lovely and praiseworthy? Don’t you want a person to know you as one that has honorable character? I sure do.

Now when I looked up ‘bad’ --

Definition: rotten, useless, corrupt, depraved.

In Strong’s - 4550  – properly, rotten (putrid), over-ripe; (figuratively) over-done (ripened); hence, corrupt. --, expresses what is of poor quality, unfit for use, putrid"– "of poor or bad quality"

Do you (do I) express what is of poor quality?

I looked up ‘poor quality’ in the dictionary (The Free Dictionary on-line) and it said - Not adequate in quality; inferior Lacking in value; insufficient.

I know if this is where I am at it's because I’ve started believing/living a lie. God tells me in His word that I have value, I am not useless! Satan wants me to have this ‘bad’ fruit so I’m too ‘self-centered’ to be ‘others-centered’. The evil one knows if he can keep me in the poor me or even in the pride arena, I will have rotten fruit because I’m stuck in the ‘me, me, me, it’s all about me’ syndrome. Anything I do will not be in excellence, it will begin to stink because it doesn’t inspire anyone. Living the way God tells me (us) to live is the good fruit, fruit that inspires and motivates and blesses!

Now on to ‘is known’ (is recognized).

Definition: I am taking in knowledge, come to know, realized.

1097 ginṓskō – properly, to know, especially through personal experience (first-hand acquaintance).

You will be known by your fruit, there is no way around it. As people begin to know you, especially outside the Sunday sermon, will they be intrigued by your good fruit or repulsed by the rotten, bad fruit?

Remember your fruit will show through in the way you treat your spouse, your children, people you work with, the way you handle a frustrating cashier, etc. Are you the loudest AMEN on Sunday and then Sunday night or Monday morning you are belittling and controlling your spouse? Or maybe talking about someone because they are not on the same faith level you are? Do you gossip or whine? I could go on and on but I think you get the picture. I know I do and just in writing this I have had a conviction and have repented – ouch got pruned again, but thank You Lord because I know the good that will come from it. Good in my life and in the life of others, because You are Light in me for all to see!

If any of this has spoken to you and you need to repent and turn away from the bad fruit – do it now. So with eyes opened or closed, you’re your hand folded or lifted up to the Lord; however you are called to do it – cry out to God now, tell Him you know you have fallen short in this area and you are sorry. Ask Him to forgive you, He will. Then ask Him to give you the strength to change whatever it is, as you read His word He may give you Scriptures He wants you to dwell on so they become alive in you and give you what you need to change your bad fruit to a good fruit.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14

Challenge - What do You Speak?

I put this on my Facebook status today and felt the nudge to put it here too. I am not pointing fingers at anyone, besides the old saying, 'when you point a finger at someone, there are 3 pointing back at you"!

But stop and think about what you have been speaking to your children, your spouse, your neighbors, your 'Christian' brother and sisters......and compare it to what God says we are to speak and how we are to treat the people He created, the people that He does not want to perish.

I sure don't want my tongue (words) to look like this!

Facebook status (please add me as a friend if you're on facebook)

‎"The tongue weighs practically nothing, but so few people 


can hold it." I put this challenge out to you (and myself) think


 before you speak, do you speak mean things to others 


about your spouse (disrespect), do you speak lies about 


other people or expand on their prayer requests (gossip), do 


you say hateful things about or to people that are different 


from you......I could go on and on. Speak life, it could 


improve your marriage, your friendship, your workplace,


 the persons life you just met today.......it will change your 


life, your attitude and your walk with your Father God! 


Speak life!

and as I was looking for images I found this next one and as a cat lover I just had to add it  :-)

Looks like my Scruffy and his 'tongue' when he is hungry or mad at me for ignoring him. 


Have an awesome day!!