His Love Ministries
We spread the gospel to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten. Matthew 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
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Episodes
Wednesday Jul 30, 2025
Wednesday Jul 30, 2025
It is so sad that we live in a world so obsessed with image. I heard someone say, I love cocky, whereas God hates it. That is what is being taught to children and adults in all areas of life. There is nothing wrong with looking and doing your best, but not when it is only about that. Everywhere you look it is talked about and promoted over and over again. Christians build themselves up too and make their lives look like they are perfect and they have it all together. It is sad to look around and realize that everyone is obsessed with looking like they are the best. But that is not what God likes, He does hate it. What do people see when they look at us? Proverbs 6 says God Hates Pride. Here are just a few verses Proverbs 3:34 Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble.
James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Luke 14:11 says “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Proverbs 6:16 These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,
Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.
Proverbs 16:19 Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.
Ro 12:16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
James 4:6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."
James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
1Peter 5:5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Monday Jul 28, 2025
Monday Jul 28, 2025
Romans 1:14 I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. 15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
Flow of thought with the three I am statements
I am a debtor v14
So, because I am a debtor, I am eager v 15
I am eager, For or Because I am not ashamed v 16
Because I am not ashamed, why, it is the power of God v 16
Negatively I am not ashamed, Positively, I am eager to share the gospel
It is a debt to humanity he needed to repay and obligation, (he had been given a stewardship) and it is the Power of God to everyone who believes (He had a sense of conviction because he knew if the Gospel could change him it could change anyone.
He was not ashamed of Christ, the person of the Gospel – even though Jesus was a Jew
Jews were a despised minority and Rome was a mighty and proud city
The nature of the gospel is that it is the power of God ........without that power it is but a dead letter
The aim of the gospel is salvation, not ashamed because of the plan of the Gospel
The gospel is for everyone who believes... Believes means an ongoing condition not a one-time event of belief. True faith is a way of life.
Saving faith consists of three elements:
Mental - The mind understands the gospel and truth about Christ
Emotional - one embraces the truthfulness of those facts with sorrow over sin and joyfulness over God's mercy and Grace
A volitional or voluntary submission of the sinners will to Christ and trusts in Christ alone as the only hope of salvation.
V17 the revelation of God's righteousness - Better translated the Righteousness from God
The gospel is the revelation of God's righteousness through faith that He is just and holy and we are guilty sinners
Justification of believers means God absolves or removes the consequences of our sin which is accomplished by Propitiation
The gospel is the Propitiation or legal payment for our sins which is why Jesus had to die on the cross. The legal side had to be paid. There is no remission of sins without the shedding of blood.
Salvation is of God's appointing, of God's approving and God's accepting
To cut off all claims to a righteousness resulting from the merit of our own works
Now Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4 The just shall live by faith
This verse summarizes the Gospel
The Law was given to Moses in 613 precepts or rules of conduct
In the 15th Psalm they are reduced to 11
In Isaiah 6 ........Micah to 3 ........then again Isaiah reduces them to 2 and finally Habakkuk condenses them into 1 rule
The words " The just shall live by faith" are found 4 times in the Bible, Habakkuk 2:4, Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38
God established Abraham as the pattern of faith in the OT and thus calls him the father of all who believe
OT faith was in a Christ to come and NT faith is in the fact that Christ has already come
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Wednesday Jul 23, 2025
Wednesday Jul 23, 2025
In Judges 16 we see Samson, the most famous of the Judges of Israel falling to his lowest level of sin. He has done almost everything a person can do that is being used of God and yet God has been patient with him and not let him be consumed by his sin. Finally, he is tempted a third time by a woman and completely fails in his vow to God. Samson is a picture of the Christian who completely and fatally falls into sin James 1:13-16. He fell prey to Delilah’s charms and was captured after God’s patience finally ran out and He left Samson on his own. First, we see that Samson was blinded physically after having been spiritually blind, then they bound him picturing his being bound in sin, then he grinds in the mill picturing the daily grind of being captive to sin and finally it leads to his death when he pulls down the pillars and dies. It has been said that sin will take you further than you want to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and cost you more than you ever wanted to pay. What is it that area in your life where you are weak and are tempted to play around with sin? We all have that area in our lives and the devil and his demons know what it is. Let us not be like Samson and let sin take us captive and cost us everything that is dear to us.
Judges 16:16-21 And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death, 17 that he told her all his heart, and said to her, "No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to God from my mother's womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man." When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, "Come up once more, for he has told me all his heart." So the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hand. 19 Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. 20 And she said, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" So he awoke from his sleep, and said, "I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!" But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him. 21 Then the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza. They bound him with bronze fetters, and he became a grinder in the prison.
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Sunday Jul 20, 2025
Sunday Jul 20, 2025
Romans 1:11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established-- 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. 13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles.
Paul wants to establish the Romans
V11For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established
“I long to see you!” This is the pastor’s heart in Paul the great missionary. Some of the saints in Rome were very dear to Paul, such as Priscilla and Aquila (Rom. 16:3–4), who risked their lives for him; “the beloved Persis” (Rom. 16:12); and others who had labored and suffered with Paul. But he also loved the believers that he did not know, and he longed to be able to share some spiritual gift with them. He was looking forward to a time of mutual blessing in the love of Christ.
Paul wanted to give them God's blessings through his preaching, imparting of knowledge that they would become rooted and grounded in the faith with deep spiritual knowledge so they would grow in service to the Lord Jesus.
1Peter 5:2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;
Paul wants to encourage the Romans and be encouraged by them
V12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me
He is thinking generally about God imparting a spiritual blessing (i.e., encouragement; cf. 15:4) to the church while he is fellowshipping with them in Rome. Through his presence with them and the blessing worked by the Holy Spirit the church would be strengthened in their faith, and fortified in their resolve to live obedient lives for Christ (6:12-14).
Shows the humility of Paul - none of us knows so much that we cannot benefit from others
Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Paul was comforted by the strong faith of the Romans
Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
Paul was hindered from going to see the Romans
Ro 1:13 Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles.
Why is someone who wants to do the will of God sometimes hindered or stopped from doing it?
Four reasons we can be hindered
Sometimes hindered from advancing to the next stage of God's will because the current stage is not complete or in other words God is not finished in this area yet.
Paul wanted to come before but he had been hindered or kept from doing by an unfinished obligation to preach the Gospel of God in Greece and Asia Minor
Romans 15:20-23 20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation, 21 but as it is written: "To whom He was not announced, they shall see; And those who have not heard shall understand." 22 For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you. 23 But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you,
We are sometimes hindered by Satan
1Thessalonians 2:18 Therefore we wanted to come to you----even I, Paul, time and again----but Satan hindered us.
We are sometimes hindered by a greater opportunity
One time Paul desired to preach the Gospel in Asia Minor (Acts 16:6-7) and he was prevented by the Lord because the Lord was opening the door into Macedonia Acts 16:9-10
Started first church in Europe the Philippian Church, it was a beachhead to allow him to go all over because of its strategic position.
God often shuts a door to open another one. Today we have the Epistle to the Romans because Paul was prevented from going to Rome when he desired to.
Re 3:8 "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
We are sometimes hindered because God is preparing us for the next work He has for us or God is preparing people’s hearts and minds and getting things prepared in the area He is leading us to go next.
What this means is no matter the hindrance God has work for you to do now wherever he has placed you. If God is not answering yes to whatever you are praying to be enabled to do then ask what you can do in the meantime to accomplish His will for your life. Do not just sit back and wait, continue to do whatever he has given you to do now and wait on HIM. His timing is perfect.
Concerning the expression “even as among other Gentiles,” Denney says, “Nothing could indicate more clearly that the church at Rome, as a whole, was Gentile.”
In the end it seems best to take “fruit” as a general reference to spiritual blessing and growth, more in line with its usage in 6:21-22.
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Wednesday Jul 16, 2025
Wednesday Jul 16, 2025
I don’t know why most people think you can be saved by being good enough, doing more good than bad, and by keeping the 10 commandments or just believing that Jesus existed, but the law was only given to show us that we can never be good enough on our own that’s why we need Jesus Christ. I don’t know how that lie got started and I even believed that at one time. Even when I go to the prisons, they have many programs to straighten people out, but the only correction that is going on there or anywhere else is if Lord does it. Galatians 3:24 says Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. Have you believed Jesus is God and asked Him to forgive you of your sins? If you trust Him and Him only as Savior, He can save you from your sins. Repent and trust in Him today.
Luke 13:1-5 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 "Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 "I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Sunday Jul 13, 2025
Sunday Jul 13, 2025
Romans 1:6 among whom you also are the called of Jesus Christ; 7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 ¶ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, 10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.
The people of Rome
Our practice always comes from our position or who we are
Note the repetition of the word called: Paul was called to be an apostle; the believers were the called of Jesus Christ;
They were also called beloved– This means they are much loved by God, the much loved are those who have trusted Christ and are also the saints
And they were also called saints. (Not “to be” saints; they already were saints! A saint is a set-apart one, and the person who trusts Jesus Christ is set apart and is a saint.) Salvation is not something that we do for God; it is God who calls us in His grace (2Thes. 2:13–14). When you trust Christ, you are saved by His grace and you experience His peace.
Saint is a common term for believer in the New Testament. It refers more to position than condition when used this way, though the implication of holiness is strong. We are saints even though we still sin
The salutation reveals the germ ideas that the writer proceeded to develop later. This feature is also characteristic of Paul's other epistles. So far Paul said he had a message that was in harmony with the Old Testament. It was from the risen Christ, and it was for all people. Furthermore it should lead people to obey God by exercising faith in Him.
It was common for Paul, having greeted the recipients of the letter, to move on to a somewhat lengthy note of thanksgiving and prayer for the church in question (except in Galatians where he is constrained to move immediately to the question of the gospel). Such is the case here in Romans 1:8-15.
He Expressed His Care For Them (Rom. 1:8–15)
He was thankful for them or Paul praises the Romans
The personal pronoun my reminds one of similar expressions in the Psalms (3:7; 5:2; 13:3; 22:1; cf. Also Phil 1:3; Philemon 4) and reflects Paul’s deep personal relationship and dependence on God.
The first thing he wanted to do was to tell them how thankful he was for their faith and its influence.
Through Jesus Christ. Christ is the center of God’s plan for the world: He is the way in which God reached out to us and the way we in turn approach God
“Paul expressed his thanks for the Romans salvation and witness in the whole world
Rome was the center of the world and whatever happened there became known throughout the world
The whole world”— a hyperbole meaning throughout the Roman Empire, meaning the whole Roman Empire—knew of the faith of the Christians at Rome. Travel was relatively common in that day and “all roads led to Rome.” It is no wonder that the testimony of the church spread abroad, and this growing witness made Paul’s ministry easier as he went from place to place, and was able to point to this testimony going out from the heart of the Roman Empire.
It was like living in Washington DC, Las Vegas, and San Franscisco all rolled into one
Paul prays for the Romans
V9 The statement God…is my witness is a very strong expression, used by the apostle on other occasions. It probably represents an oath he had taken to pray for the church with great constancy (2 Cor 11:23; Gal 1:20; Phil 1:8; 1 Thess 2:5, 10). But it is not the frivolous kind of oaths condemned by Jesus (Matt 5:33-37; cf. Jas 5:12), but is rather Paul’s attempt to communicate his true love (expressed through prayer on their behalf) for this largely Gentile church which he had never visited—a fact which may not have gone unnoticed by the people.
God knows that Paul serves and worships Christ out of love not legalism or the fear of God
Paul had seen the shallow hypocritical religion of the Pharisees and the superstitious and pleasure seeking morality of pagan idolatry
The verb serve is from a Greek verb (latreuo„) which is connected in the Greek Old Testament (LXX) to ideas of priestly service and worship. While it may not have the idea of priestly service here, it definitely suggests imagery pertaining to worship.
He prays for them always – These saints were constantly in his thoughts and prayers
We are reminded that the real work of the ministry is prayer. Preaching is more a result of the ministry of prayer than it is a ministry itself. A sermon that does not rise from intense and heart-searching prayer has no chance of bearing real fruit."
Paul wants to come see the Romans
V10 making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you.
Paul wants God through his sovereign will to work it out so that he could go to Rome
God did later as a prisoner of Rome so that Paul could have a mighty witness for God
Lessons
God places a high priority on Faith
You will never know in this life the impact you have had on other people
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/110230052184687338/charity/145555
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Wednesday Jul 09, 2025
Wednesday Jul 09, 2025
Psalm 67:1-2 says God be gracious to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon us, That Your way may be known on the earth, Your salvation among all nations. We see this priestly blessing that was to request God’s favor on His people. This causing of the face to shine means smiling on them with favor and approval. This Psalmist requests this blessing so that other nations would know of God’s favor and turn to Him in faith and experience His salvation. Have we like the Psalmist prayed this for ourselves and the people of God so that His way would be known throughout the whole earth? Let us do that today and see how God begins to work in our lives and those around us.
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Monday Jul 07, 2025
Monday Jul 07, 2025
Romans 1:2 which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, 3 concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, 4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. 5 Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,
The promise of Christ through the prophets
V2 The coming of Christ is the prophesied culmination to a long history of expectation. Jesus Christ is not an afterthought, but the very realization of God’s plan for the world, Jew and Gentile. Indeed, Jesus himself is the gospel!
Prophets were all the writers of the OT
Paul next began to exalt the gospel that God had called him to proclaim. It was a message that God had promised, not just prophesied, in the Old Testament Scriptures.
The words "his" and "holy" stress the unique origin of the gospel.
Paul was accused of preaching a new message by the Jews
1Peter 1:10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow.
Joh 5:39 "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
Christ was prophesied of 333 times in the OT.
2 Sam 7:12-16, Isaiah 1:18, 53:7–8 with the Ethiopian eunuch is a good example, Is 55, and Gen 3:15- first mention of the Jesus in the OT
Lu 24:25 Then He said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 "Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?" 27 And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Paul proclaimed this Gospel was about Jesus Christ
V3 The reference to Jesus as a descendent of David according to the flesh functions on two levels. First, it makes plain that the eternal son of God took on full and complete humanity (John 1:1, 14; Phil 2:6-11). Second, the explicit link with David is not just to suggest his humanity, but also to make clear his special relationship to the line of promise. Jesus met the qualifications of one to whom the promise of 2 Samuel 7:12-16 could be made
The promise in 2 Samuel 7:12-16 is extremely important in the New Testament and the connection to it is apparent here (e.g., Matt 1:1; Acts 13:34; 2 Cor 6:18). Nathan tells David, among other things, that he will never lack a “son” to sit on his throne.
God’s good news concerns His Son, identified as Jesus Christ our Lord. This asserts Christ’s deity as basic to His person and prior to His Incarnation
Jesus was born of a virgin and delivered normally
Jesus was a historical figure written of by many ancient writers
Roman historian Tacitus in Annals
Jewish Historian Josephus in Antiquities
Pliny the Younger in Letters
Jesus was born of the seed of David, Mary was his natural parent
Matthew 1:6-16 is Mary's family tree
Luke 3:23-31 is Joseph's family tree
John makes believing Jesus came in the flesh a crucial test of orthodoxy( or having sound Biblical teachings about Christ)
1John 4:2-3
Jesus Christ is the center of the Gospel message. Paul identified Him as a man, a Jew, and the Son of God. He was born of a virgin (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18–25) into the family of David, which gave Him the right to David’s throne. He died for the sins of the world, and then was raised from the dead. It is this miraculous event of substitutionary death and victorious resurrection that constitutes the Gospel; and it was this Gospel that Paul preached
V4 and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. The Gr word from which declared comes from is the word horizon which means to make distinguish. Just as the horizon serves as a clear divider between the sky and the earth, the resurrection of Jesus clearly divides Him from the rest of humanity proving without a doubt that He is the Son of God
The idea of Jesus’ universal Lordship is often connected in the New Testament to his resurrection and exaltation to a place of power and authority (cf. Matt 28:18; Acts 2:36; Phil 2:11
The term Son of God with power is used about 30 times in the Gospels
"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse." C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity,
Jesus was always the Son of God, but the Father declared Him to be the Son by resurrecting Him. Jesus did not change in essence—He always was the Son—but in status and function. God appointed the Son to a new and more powerful position in relation to the world at the Resurrection (cf.
Matt. 28:18). He is now not only the Messiah but the Lord of all.
Jesus took on a submissive role to the father while he was here on earth
we have received grace and apostleship – a gifting as an apostle which Paul did not deserve, but we are all gifted and called to be little a apostles, ie messengers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
V 5 is the firstreference to the most crucial part of the Gospel- salvation is a gift from God totally separate from any human effort or achievement - Eph 2:8-9
Paul probably meant that he had received the special grace (gift) of being an apostle.
Matthew 10:1-4 Jesus selected all twelve apostles-
Matthias picked by disciples in Acts 1:15-26
Acts 9:3-9, 15-18 Paul was personally chosen by Christ when he appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus
For obedience to faith- True saving faith always produces obedience and submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ- Romans 10:9-10, James 2:17-24
"The law lays down what a man must do; the gospel lays down what God has done.
"Someone has truly said that the Gospel is 'good news' not 'good advice,'
Faith is obedience to God because God commands everyone to believe in Christ (cf. John 6:29; Acts 17:30-31).
Lessons
God’s promises never fail
All we have is a gift from God
The Gospel is 'good news' not 'good advice
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Wednesday Jul 02, 2025
Wednesday Jul 02, 2025
All of Judges chapter 9 is a sad commentary on Gideon’s life. You would have thought because of all the lessons he learned from God he would not have surrendered to the rewards which his heroism brought him for the rest of his life. He apparently lived in wealth and ended up living like the kings and pagans who had many wives and many offspring, plus he followed their pagan practices. He got way out of the will of God and did many things he should not have. This child Abimelech was the offspring of a concubine that ultimately took Israel even further into idolatry and evil than they had ever been. He murdered his 70 brothers and yet was elected king after this by the leaders of Israel. It is sad to see how a church, business, or any institution can fall so quickly based on the leadership that is allowed to be in charge. God ultimately allows all these things, but it is because we choose the easy and quick solution rather than standing up to the problem which will become the cause of our destruction or that of a church or other institution. Let us be known for standing up when things are not right and ask questions when they don’t seem right. Too many of us are willing to let things just happen and then we wonder why or how things got so bad. Let’s not let life draw us away from the real goal of glorifying God.
Judges 9:1-3 Then Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, to his mother's brothers, and spoke with them and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying, 2 "Please speak in the hearing of all the men of Shechem: 'Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal reign over you, or that one reign over you?' Remember that I am your own flesh and bone." 3 And his mother's brothers spoke all these words concerning him in the hearing of all the men of Shechem; and their heart was inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother."
“But seek His kingdom, and these things will be added to you.(Luke 12:31)
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Monday Jun 30, 2025
Monday Jun 30, 2025
Romans 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God
Paul spent the winter of A.D. 56-57 in Corinth. There he wrote the Epistle to the Romans and
sent it by Phoebe (16:1-2) to the Roman church
PURPOSES FOR WRITING THE BOOK
Paul wrote this epistle under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for several reasons. He wanted to prepare the way for his intended visit to the church (15:22-24). He evidently hoped that Rome would become a base of operations and support for his pioneer missionary work in Spain and the western portions of the empire that he had not yet evangelized. His full exposition of the gospel in this letter would have provided a solid foundation for their participation in this mission.
As Paul looked forward to returning to Jerusalem between his departure from Corinth and his arrival in Rome, he was aware of the danger he faced (15:31). He may have written the exhaustive exposition of the gospel that we have in Romans to set forth his teaching in case he did not reach Rome. From Rome his doctrine could then go out to the rest of the empire as others preached it. Paul may have viewed Romans as his legacy to the church, his last will and testament.
Another reason for writing Romans was undoubtedly Paul's desire to minister to the spiritual needs of the Christians in Rome even though they were in good spiritual condition (15:14-16). The common problems of all the early churches were dangers to the Roman church as well. These difficulties included internal conflicts, mainly between Jewish and Gentile believers, and external threats from false teachers. Paul gave both of these potential problems attention in this epistle (15:1-8; 16:17-20).
Paul also wrote Romans as he did because he was at a transition point in his ministry, as he mentioned at the end of chapter 15. His ministry in the Aegean region was solid enough that he planned to leave it and move farther west into new virgin missionary territory. Before he did that, he planned to visit Jerusalem, where he realized he would be in danger. Probably, therefore, Paul wrote Romans as he did to leave a full exposition of the gospel in good hands if his ministry ended prematurely in Jerusalem.
The great contribution of this letter to the body of New Testament inspired revelation is its reasoned explanation of how God's righteousness can become man's possession
VALUE
The Epistle to the Romans is, by popular consent, the greatest of Paul's writings. William Tyndale, the great English reformer and translator, referred to Romans as "the principle and most excellent part of the New Testament." He went on to say the following in his prologue to Romans that he wrote in the 1534 edition of his English New Testament.
"No man verily can read it too oft or study it too well; for the more it is studied the easier it is, the more it is chewed the pleasanter it is, and the more deeply it is searched the preciouser things are found in it, so great treasures of spiritual things lieth hid therein."
Martin Luther wrote the following commendation of this epistle. "[Romans] is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes."
OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER
To be impressed with the all-sufficiency of the gospel
This first sentence (vv. 1-7) implicitly sets forth the most fundamental facts of Christianity. In particular, it shows that the main facts of the gospel fulfill Old Testament predictions.
To see how God's wrath may be directed toward our society today
Outline of the Book of Romans
Righteousness of God Revealed or Doctrinal Section Chapters 1-8
Chapters 1-2 Condemnation
Chapters 3-5 Justification
Chapters 6-8 Sanctification
Righteousness of God Vindicated Chapters 9-11 or National Section – Israel
Chapters 9- Israel’s Election
Chapters 10- Reason for Rejection
Chapters 11- Future Restoration
Gods Righteousness Applied or the Practical Section Chapters 12-16
Chapters 12 - Spiritual gifts
Chapters 13- Relationship to Government
Chapters 14-15 - Gray Areas or Doubtful Areas
Chapters 16 - Closing
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Wednesday Jun 25, 2025
Wednesday Jun 25, 2025
After Gideon had been tested the first time, God spoke to him again in Judges 7:2-15 and told him to go against the Midianites. But, before this happened God told Gideon to bring the number of people down by some tests. The tests are not the important thing, what is important is that when it is finished there only 300 men to go against 135,000 Midianites and Gideon was afraid because he still was not trusting God. This is one of the most important lessons we need to learn in understanding God’s principles of spiritual warfare. God doesn’t just want us to be victorious, but the greatest principle is learning to trust Him. If we become more self-reliant or self-sufficient by our victories, we are learning the wrong lesson and it will ultimately lead to disastrous results. God commands Gideon to get ready for battle, but strengthens his faith by allowing him to hear a conversation between two Midianite soldiers stating that they were going to be defeated by Gideon. It is sad that Gideon did not believe the promise of God, but believed it when he heard the soldiers talking. What will it take for us to believe what God has said and take Him at His word?
Judges 7:2,9-15 And the LORD said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, 'My own hand has saved me. 9 'It happened on the same night that the LORD said to him, "Arise, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand. 10 "But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant, 11 "and you shall hear what they say; and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp." Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outpost of the armed men who were in the camp. 12 Now the Midianites and Amalekites, all the people of the East, were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seashore in multitude. 13 And when Gideon had come, there was a man telling a dream to his companion. He said, "I have had a dream: To my surprise, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian; it came to a tent and struck it so that it fell and overturned, and the tent collapsed." 14 Then his companion answered and said, "This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand God has delivered Midian and the whole camp." 15 And so it was, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel, and said, "Arise, for the LORD has delivered the camp of Midian into your hand."
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Monday Jun 23, 2025
Monday Jun 23, 2025
Intro:
Paul was the author, He was in prison at the time.
Letter is named for the city of Colosse, which was populated by Gentiles (any one other than Jews) and Jews.
Paul wrote this letter because Heresy or beliefs contrary to the Bible plagued the church.
The Church had Elements of Jewish Legalism and Pagan mysticism that later became known as Gnosticism. Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in ultimate or hidden truths, and to human transformation supported by various practices and experiences
The Gnostics believed that God is good and matter is evil
Self denial and neglect of the body were part of the beliefs
Jesus came out of God so He was less than God
This led them to deny His true humanity
They believed that a secret higher knowledge of scripture was necessary for knowledge of GOD & salvation
Jewish legalists
Believed that Circumcision was necessary for salvation
Had to observe OT rituals such as dietary, laws festivals, and Sabbaths
Also were into Rigid Asceticism or self denial
The Colossian heresy also called for the worship of angels and mysticism which is a belief that through deep thinking about God one can achieve a direct and immediate awareness of God or divine truth without the use of reason or any ordinary senses.
This “wisdom” would release them from earthly things and put them in touch with heavenly things.
All of this teaching was but man-made philosophy based on traditions and not on divine truth (Col. 2:8). It grew out of the philosophical question, Why is there evil in this world if creation was made by a holy God?[1]
These false teachers tried to change people from the outside, by means of diets and disciplines. But true spiritual growth comes from within.[1]
Since to them matter was evil, they had to find some way to control their own human natures in this pursuit of perfection. Two different practices resulted. One school of thought held that the only way to conquer evil matter was by means of rigid discipline and asceticism (Col. 2:23). The other view taught that it was permissible to engage in all kinds of sin, since matter was evil anyway! It appears that the first opinion was the predominant one in Colossae.[1]
PURPOSE
Three purposes emerge from the contents of this epistle. Paul wanted to express his personal interest in this church, which he had evidently not visited. He wrote to warn the Colossians, first, of the danger of returning to their former beliefs and practices. Secondly, he also disproved the false teaching that was threatening this congregation. The outstanding Christian doctrine that this letter deals with is Christology. Thirdly, Paul's great purpose was to set forth the absolute supremacy and sole sufficiency of Jesus Christ.
"The church today desperately needs the message of Colossians. We live in a day when religious toleration is interpreted to mean 'one religion is just as good as another.' Some people try to take the best from various religious systems and manufacture their own private religion. To many people, Jesus Christ is only one of several great religious teachers, with no more authority than they. He may be prominent, but He is definitely not preeminent.
"This is an age of 'syncretism.' People are trying to harmonize and unite many different schools of thought and come up with a superior religion. Our evangelical churches are in danger of diluting the faith in their loving attempt to understand the beliefs of others. Mysticism, legalism, Eastern religions, self-denial, and man-made philosophies are secretly creeping into churches. They are not denying Christ, but they are dethroning Him and robbing Him of His rightful place of preeminence."
MESSAGE
The whole message of this epistle is in 2:9-10a.: "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete." The two statements in this sentence are the great revelations of the Colossian letter. The central doctrine in Colossians is Christology. Kenneth Hanna titled the first two chapters "the preeminence of Christ," and the second two "the preeminence of Christ in life."
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Wednesday Jun 18, 2025
Wednesday Jun 18, 2025
Gideon is hiding in the winepress from the Midianites when God comes to him and calls him a mighty man of valor. Can you imagine Gideon looking around for someone else that God might be speaking to and then saying who me? But, this is all of us, without God we hide and are afraid especially when God comes along with some task He wants us to do. Let us not be like Gideon who tested God before he would believe Him, but let us when God calls us to some task that we don’t think we are up to doing, say yes Lord what is it that you would have me to do? We miss out on so much of what God wants to do in our life first of all because we don’t make ourselves available and secondly because we don’t trust God to give us the strength and ability to do what He asks us to do. God doesn’t want our ability, He wants our availability, He will supply what is required to do the task. Step out today and say God what is it you want me to do and then trust Him when He tells you. Amen!
Judges 6:11-14 Now the Angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth tree which was in Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, while his son Gideon threshed wheat in the winepress, in order to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, "The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!" 13 Gideon said to Him, "O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites." 14 Then the LORD turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?"
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Monday Jun 16, 2025
Monday Jun 16, 2025
Two esteemed friends (vv. 12–14)
epaphras, the man with a single passion that they might be mature. It is generally accepted that Epaphras was the pastor of the church at Colosse and its founder; Paul identifies him as ‘one of you’ (cf. 1:7). He also planted the churches in Laodicea and Hierapolis and was now in Rome visiting Paul in prison to take advice about the situation in the church in Colosse. His heart was warm towards his friends back in Colosse and his prayers were fervent and specific on their behalf. He was praying that they might ‘stand perfect and complete in all the will of God’ (v. 12). He was a man of prayer.
How he prayed. The phrase ‘labouring fervently’ speaks of him wrestling and striving in prayer. The same Greek is used in 1:29 of a man toiling at work until he is thoroughly weary, and in 1 Corinthians 9:25 of an athlete determined to win the race. We get the English word ‘agonizing’ from it. In 1 Timothy 6:12 it describes the soldier fighting for his life on the battlefield. True intercessory prayer demands self-sacrifice, dedication and determination.
What he prayed. ‘That you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God’ (v. 12). There was need for them to grow up spiritually and be mature in the things of Christ, remaining firm in the truth. Paul preaches to achieve it (1:28) and Epaphras prays for it to be so. The word ‘perfect’ (teleioi) means ‘to finish the process’. There is, in New Testament religion, such a thing as progressive sanctification: an increase in holiness and the possibility of growing into a deeper love for God, Christ and the brethren (see Phil. 3:12–15). The Colossians are complete positionally (2:10) but here the will of God is in view so that they will be able to resist the ‘spoilers” errors (cf. 1:9). Epaphras prays that they will persevere in the faith, in accordance with the will of God, and that their commitment to the truth in Christ Jesus their Lord will continue.
luke, the man with a special talent who is the author of the third Gospel and the book of Acts. He was a companion of Paul during his missionary journeys and accompanied him to Jerusalem and during his dangerous journey to Rome (Acts 16:10–17; 20:6–16, 21, 27–28; 27:1–8—note the ‘we’ references). Luke, a Gentile Christian, probably hailed from Antioch. He was a medical doctor and as such was a very valuable travelling companion to Paul and his team. Luke is called the ‘beloved physician’ and when we remember what Paul said in 2 Corinthians about his health problems, which he called ‘a thorn in the flesh’ (2 Cor. 12:7), there can be no doubt that Luke was of great help to him personally. Besides this, Luke has proved to be a historian of highest quality. His account of the historical Jesus is on a par with the other Gospel writers, and his history of the beginnings of Christianity in the book of Acts is unsurpassed. What he has written has proved, over two millennia, to be very reliable indeed.
One endangered soul (v. 14b)
demas, the man with a sad future is something of an enigma. As part of Paul’s missionary team he proved to be a valuable helper, but we remember him most because of what Paul wrote of him in 2 Timothy. He is listed there among many of the same companions found in Colossians 4, but here Timothy is told ‘Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world’ (2 Tim. 4:10). This was not only a physical but also a spiritual separation. He had succumbed to worldliness. This reminds us of the Parable of the Sower and the consequences of the seed not falling on ‘good ground’ (Luke 8:4–15). Sadly, in the New Testament there is no record of his restoration. This is a reminder that Christians need to make their calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10).
Those who received greetings (vv. 15–17)
Nymphas or possibly Nympha a woman (v. 15)
Having brought greetings from his companions, Paul now requests that his words be passed on: ‘Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and Nymphas.’ The church in Laodicea, or part of it, met in the house of Nymphas. We have no other information about him but can assume that he willingly supported the growing church in his own town and offered it hospitality. This reminds us that the early church met in private homes (Acts 12:12; 16:40), with the church in Colosse meeting in the house of Philemon (Philem. 2). The Epistle to the Colossians is also sent to the church that meets at Laodicea, so that the message could be shared as an act of Christian friendship and evangelism (v. 16). Is this an example of consecutive preaching in the early church? At the very least we see the gathered church hearing and meditating on the Word of God (see Acts 20:7).
The Laodiceans (vv. 15–16)
What is ‘the epistle from Laodicea’? Is it:
A letter written from Laodicea? John Calvin supported this view, which was first mooted in the fourth or fifth century A.D.
A letter written by Paul from Laodicea and now lost?
The letter written and sent by Paul to Philemon? If Philemon lived in Colosse, this would be unlikely.
The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians? This theory has many advocates but lacks conclusive proof.
A letter written by Paul to Laodicea written at the same time as this epistle but now lost? If we remember that Tychicus would need to travel through Laodicea to go to Colosse it would seem strange that there was no letter from Paul. Why leave Laodicea out? Not all of Paul’s letters have been preserved (see, for example, 1 Cor. 5:9). There is an apocryphal Epistle to the Laodiceans which was made between A.D. 300 and 400 to fill in the gap in the manuscripts, but by the eighth century it was ‘rejected by all’ (Jerome).
There is the possibility that there was no letter at all! If there was, why the greetings in v. 15?
None of the above throws any doubt on the doctrine of the inerrancy of Scripture.
Archippus (v. 17)
Archippus was a member of the church in Colosse. Some think he was the son of Philemon and Apphia. Paul speaks to him directly, as he must faithfully discharge the ministry he has received ‘in the Lord’. Archippus was given:
a personal message: ‘take heed’. At the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, Lord Nelson is said to have told his sailors and marines that ‘England expects every man to do his duty’; this is no less true of the Lord of the churches. The Lord Jesus Christ expects all believers to do their duty by discharging the ministry given to them, whether in preaching, teaching, leading or serving in the local church. All the believers’ talents are to be fully utilized in the service of Christ (Matt. 25:14–30). This was the same exhortation which Paul gave to Timothy (1 Tim. 4:16).
a public message: ‘Take heed to the ministry you have received in the Lord’. This exhortation was given in support of Archippus and the ministry he was called by God to discharge. What was this ministry? Perhaps he was the elder in charge while Epaphras was gone (as some suggest), or one of the body of elders and deacons? Whatever it was, he could not run from his responsibility now that Paul had so openly spoken of it! The Lord expects us to do his will when vows have been made.
a pointed message: ‘fulfil it’. Archippus obviously needed this exhortation, but why? Had he lost heart (2 Cor. 4:1, 16)? Had he lost his love for the brethren? Had he found the office to which he was called too demanding, and did he now want to relinquish it? We just do not know. But we can be sure that the Holy Spirit meant him to hear this. God wanted him to complete the work he had received from Christ his Lord.
Final thoughts (v. 18)
Remember Paul’s chains
Paul’s custom was to dictate his letters (Rom. 16:22; Gal. 6:11) and then write a few words of greeting with his own hand at the end to give authentication (2 Thes. 3:17; 1 Cor. 16:21). Because the letter is written by Paul, it is authoritative for faith and practice in the churches. He reminds the Colossians of his ‘chains’. This is a very human touch that indicates his need for prayer support. Those in the service of Jesus Christ are not immune to hardship or injustice in a fallen world. Suffering is ordained by God for believers (Job 2; Gen. 39:6–21; 2 Tim. 3:12), our Saviour being the chief example of this (Isa. 53:7–8). Paul knows that prayer will help (2 Cor. 1:11).
Daily grace
‘Grace be with you.’ Paul began with grace (1:2) and ends with it. We start the Christian life because of God’s grace freely given (Eph. 2:8) and we require it until the end of the journey. Paul speaks to all the Colossian believers (the pronoun ‘you’ is plural). They need grace to keep them from falling under the control of the ‘spoilers’, and to keep them strong in the Lord and the power of his might. Grace is necessary to do God’s will, fulfil his work and live holy lives. Christ promises grace right to the end (Matt. 28:20; 2 Cor. 12:9). ‘Amen’ is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word meaning ‘surely’, from the root meaning ‘to be firm’. It is used to express agreement (Deut. 27:15; 1 Kings 1:36) and is the expression of agreement used by the churches (1 Cor. 14:16; Rev. 5:14). It means ‘So let it be’. It is also translated as ‘verily’ in the AV, ‘most assuredly’ in the NKJV and ‘I tell you the truth’ in the NIV (cf. John 3:16).[1]
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Wednesday Jun 11, 2025
Wednesday Jun 11, 2025
In Luke 10:23-24 Jesus Turning to the disciples, said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see, for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.” Jesus is telling those who are Christians that the blessings which they will experience versus the judgement that the proud will experience are truly great. We that know Christians will experience great power and knowledge because of knowing Jesus. We will see the things of the Kingdom of Christ and be a part of God’s mission on this earth. We have God’s wisdom which is way greater than the knowledge of this world. This means we also get to see people’s life changed because of the Gospel and have joy, peace, and abundant life in spite of all that goes on around us. Being a disciple of Jesus is not doom and gloom, but instead is a great privilege and the rewards of discipleship far outweigh the costs as it says in Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Are you experiencing all that God has for you in this life? David asked the Lord to restore to him the joy of his salvation. Habakkuk said in 3:18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Let’s do that today.
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Sunday Jun 08, 2025
Sunday Jun 08, 2025
In these verses, Paul’s final remarks teach us that God is full of mercy and that his saints are chosen from all walks of life and from all levels of society (1 Cor. 1:26–31). We find among Paul’s companions a runaway slave (engaged in ministry), a restored backslider (now forgiven and full of zeal), a pastor (concerned for his flock), a doctor-turned-historian, and others who work with Paul in evangelism.
The apostle Paul is able to accomplish his ministry only because of the faithfulness of many dear friends who have stuck by him and who’ve been helpful to him in his ministry. And in order to use them as an encouragement to the Colossians and to all the churches that would read this letter, he tells us a little bit about them. And it adds a very warm, personal touch to what is a very doctrinal letter. It also indicates to me something of the magnetism of his personality, and the deep, rich love of which he was capable, because of the fact that he had so many of these people with him for so many years, and they had such a deep loyalty and love for the man.
Those who brought greetings (vv. 7–9)
Two envoys
Tychicus and Onesimus are two loyal and highly valued friends of the apostle Paul. They are envoys sent with the epistles to the Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon to inform and encourage the believers in those churches (Eph. 6:21–22).
tychicus WAS THE MAN WITH A SERVANTS HEART. hE came from the province of Asia and was one of Paul’s companions. The name “Tychicus” means fortuitous or fortunate; and indeed he was fortunate. We don’t know much about him; there isn’t much said in the Bible. He’s mentioned five times, and every time it’s very, very brief. But we know one thing: he lived up to his name, because he was a fortunate man to be able to spend as much time, in fact, as many years as he did in the ministry with the apostle Paul. He was a close friend who later would wait for him at Troas when Paul travelled to Jerusalem at the end of his third missionary journey (Acts 20:4) fourteen years later. Paul regards Tychicus as wholly reliable and a witness to his state in prison. He is a man with a servant’s heart. He realizes this is a long journey. He’s leaving his home, his job, his friends, the fellowship of his church;
when we see him, as Paul writes Colossians, he’s still with Paul; he’s still around. He’s stuck by him for a long time now. He went to Jerusalem with him. It may be that he returned with him. He for sure is with him now in the imprisonment in Rome. And at the end of Titus chapter 3, verse 12, he says, “When I shall send Artemas unto thee, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me to Nicopolis; for I have determined to spend the winter there.” Here’s a loyal man. And you know what? He says, “I’m going to send him, Titus, to take your place,” either he or Artemas. We don’t know which one he sent, but it may well have been Tychicus.
Now what Paul wanted was – Paul loved Titus. Titus was the pastor of the congregations in the island of Crete, and Paul wanted Titus to come and spend the winter with him. Paul knew it wasn’t only the winter of the year, but it was the winter of his life; and Paul wanted the fellowship and the love of Titus. And so he said to Titus, “Look, if you’ll come and meet me in Nicopolis and spend the winter with me, I will send this man Artemas, or this man Tychicus, to take care of your church.”
Now it’s kind of an interesting thing. Here is a man who started out as a messenger, and wound up substituting for a very great man, the man by the name of Titus. The man with a servant’s heart made himself available, and God used him in ways, I’m sure, he never dreamed possible.
Now later on, I want you to notice something: Paul wrote the last letter that we believe he wrote, 2 Timothy chapter 4, verse 12, and he says this, writing to Timothy: “And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus. The cloak that I left at Troas” – I’m glad he has that same problem that all of us have; he left his coat somewhere. “The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when you come, would you please bring it, and my books, and especially the parchments?” Good to know he’s human, isn’t it? He left almost everything there. So he says, “When you come, will you bring all that stuff I left over there?”
Now you see, what he’s saying here is, “Timothy, I want you to come and be with me; I need you. And in order that you can come and be with me, I know you’ll have to leave your congregation in Ephesus so I’m going to send somebody to take your place.” And who is it? Tychicus again. He’s making a career out of being an interim pastor, and he’s filling in for some pretty, pretty high-class men: Titus and Timothy. He would reflect to both of those congregations the character of Paul, the life of Paul, the ministry of Paul; and they would love him because he would bring Paul to them. Now that’s the kind of man he was. He was a messenger, and he was a pastor. In fact, he was anything Paul wanted him to be. We never find any bit of argument, we never find any bit of anxiety; we only find Tychicus doing what Paul told him to do.
But this is a faithful servant. He loves Paul. He’s loyal. He’ll be a messenger; he’ll be a pastor; he’ll be anything. And Paul here has in mind sending him with the letter to the Colossians. He isn’t going to pastor, he’s just going to be a delivery boy.
You say, “Well, that’s not too tough.” Listen, if you knew what the trip was like from Rome to Laodicea and Colossae you might not say that. It’s a long trip, a perilous trip. You had to cross Italy on foot, and then he had to sail the Adriatic, and then he had to cross Greece, and then he had to sail the Aegean. Then he had to walk, after he had landed at Miletus, up the steep Lycus River Valley to Laodicea and Colossae, and it wasn’t easy; it was a very difficult journey. But Paul says, “He’s going to come and he’s going to bring the letter.”
And you know something? He didn’t just have the letter of Colossians, he had another letter too. You say, “Well, what other letter did he have?” Well, I believe, if you look at Ephesians 6:21, it says; “But that you also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that you might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your heart.” You see, that’s almost an exact quote out of Colossians. So, now we know he doesn’t have one letter, he’s got two letters. Tucked somewhere in his robe is Colossians and Ephesians.
And, incidentally, the book of Ephesians, it was not just written to the Ephesians. In fact, we find many manuscripts; and in the beginning of Ephesians there is a blank where it says, “Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, to the saints who are at blank.” You know why? This was a general letter to all the churches; it’s just that one of the manuscripts we found happened to have Ephesus written in it. In the whole book of Ephesians there’s not one allusion to a person in Ephesus.
And also had; he had another letter: Philemon. He had the letter to Philemon. And look at verse 9 of Colossians 4: “And along with Tychicus I’m sending Onesimus.” See? And Onesimus was the slave that was returning about whom the book of Philemon is written
The second thing he says – and this gets us into the thought that he is a servant’s heart, “He is a faithful minister,” verse 7, and the word is diakonos, or servant. He is a faithful servant. He never attained prominence, he just served. He was an invaluable liaison between Paul and the churches; and he was faithful, he stuck with it. He was one of those 1 Corinthian 4 kind of stewards that was found faithful; he just did it, whatever it was. And you know something? There’s no other way to get the work done, and Paul knew it. You’ve got to have people who have a servant’s heart.
He not only was a faithful servant of Paul but he was a fellow slave in the Lord. The first phrase has to do with Paul: “He is a faithful servant of mine, and a fellow slave in the Lord.” And Paul uses two different words. The first one is diakonos which just means servant. The second is sundoulos, which means bond slave. He is not a bond slave to Paul, don’t confuse it. He’s a bond slave to Jesus; he’s just a willing servant to Paul. The New Testament words are important.
onesimus a man with a sinful past is a runaway slave who is the subject of the Epistle to Philemon. Philemon was a convert of the apostle Paul. Verse 19 of Philemon he says that, “You owe to me your own self.” So he was a convert of Paul. And he’s a very wealthy man; he owns some slaves. One of the slaves Philemon owned was a man named Onesimus, this man. But Onesimus didn’t like living in Philemon’s house, and he didn’t like being a slave, so he ran away. And you know what a slave was to do when he ran away if he was caught? He was to give his life; he was executed. Runaway slaves were executed.
But this one was willing to make the gamble, and he ran away, and he ran all the way to Rome. And you know what happened? Amazing thing: he ran right into the apostle Paul. And you know something? Just as the apostle Paul had led Philemon to Christ, the apostle Paul led Philemon’s runaway slave to Christ. Isn’t that amazing when you think there were two million people in Rome? Not so amazing when you see what God had in mind.
Now Paul writes a letter, the letter of Philemon, and sends Onesimus back, and the letter says, “Say, Philemon, I know he ran away; but don’t kill him. He may have gone away a slave; he’s coming back a brother, and he’s willing to serve you as a slave and a brother in Christ. So open your arms of love and take him, will you?” And so here’s Tychicus with Philemon, the letter in his pocket, and Onesimus the slave walking beside him. Paul writes the letter to establish in Philemon’s heart acceptance for a returning slave who’s now a brotherHe has been recently converted and now serves Christ as Paul’s ‘beloved brother’ (v. 9). Paul is not interested in status or wealth, but in spirituality and faithfulness. Tychicus and Onesimus are both brothers to Paul through grace, men who were happy to help out and use their gifts under Paul’s direction, accepting and recognizing that he was the Lord’s servant. They are sent to ‘comfort hearts’, that is, to encourage the Colossians to keep the faith and to obey the Word of God.
And in the letter to Philemon he says, “Onesimus is” my very heart. Onesimus is my very heart.
Those who sent greetings (vv. 10–14)
Three messianic Jews (vv. 10–11)
Aristarchus, Mark and Justus are fellow workers and long-term Jewish friends of Paul. These men worked with Paul for the glory of Christ in the local churches. They were team players who shared the same agenda as Paul for the church’s growth and well-being and were not too busy ‘doing their own thing’ to help out. Their ministry blessed Paul personally because he was encouraged by their friendship. The word ‘comfort’ (v. 11) speaks of consolation and relief. We get the English word ‘paregoric’ (‘a medicine that soothes pain’) from the Greek used here.
aristarchus is the man with a sympathetic heart. Now Aristarchus’ name appears elsewhere in the New Testament in association with the town of Thessalonica. It’s very likely that he came from that town. And at Ephesus, you remember Paul ministered at Ephesus for three years; and during those three years, Aristarchus was with him. And you remember when finally in Ephesus the riot broke out? When the riot broke out, Aristarchus and Gaius were seized by the mob, and Aristarchus found out what it was to be a prisoner. They recognized him as one of Paul’s companions, and so they seized him. Now that’s in chapter 19.
Now Paul decides to go to Jerusalem. You know what happens? He takes Aristarchus along. So he goes on that trip. Paul gets on the boat. You remember he was captured as a prisoner in Jerusalem, then he was moved to Caesarea on the coast where he stayed as a prisoner. And then finally, in Acts 27, he gets on a boat to go to Rome to be tried in Rome, and he’s a prisoner on the ship; and Acts 27:2 says when he got on the boat, Aristarchus was with him. Had Aristarchus been with him through all the imprisonment? Very possible. Very possible since the time he identified with Paul in the city of Ephesus, and escaped from the riot, and went to Jerusalem.
From that time until now he has stayed with Paul; as a prisoner in Jerusalem, he hung around. Caesarea, he may have hung around. On the ship – and you remember what a ride that was. Read Acts 27 again. I mean that was something exciting, and he was there. Now here he is back in Rome. And guess who’s there? Aristarchus. And Paul calls him “my fellow prisoner.” And the guy hasn’t committed a crime, he just hangs around with criminals, so he spends his time in jail.
came from Thessalonica (Acts 27:2) and he was with Paul during the riots at Ephesus (Acts 19:29). From Acts 20:4 we see that he also waited for Paul with Tychicus at Troas as Paul made his way back to Jerusalem. It is thought by some that he travelled with Paul as his slave or, alternatively, that he was taking a lift back home; whatever the truth is, he is also a prisoner in Rome at this time (Paul calls him ‘my fellow prisoner’). He was a volunteer willing to suffer for the kingdom of Christ.
mark is the man with a second chance the cousin of Barnabas and the writer of the second Gospel. Twelve years prior to this, Mark and Barnabas had left Paul after a disagreement about whether Mark should accompany them on their second missionary journey. In Paul’s opinion, Mark had been disloyal and cowardly when he deserted them at the end of their first missionary tour (Acts 15:36–41). Mark’s relationship with Paul is now restored and he is fully engaged in the Lord’s work and in full fellowship with the Lord’s people. In 2 Timothy 4:13 Paul said that Mark was very useful to him for the ministry, thus assuring us that Mark’s restoration to faithfulness was a permanent thing (see also 1 Peter 5:13). This is so encouraging as it tells us never to doubt the grace of God and his promise to keep us from falling. Mark is no longer a liability to Paul and is to be welcomed as a fully committed co-worker of Christ. Mark is forgiven both by God and by Paul. We should not withhold our love from those whom Christ has redeemed and restored. Restoration is a wonderful certainty because God promises it in Christ (Eph. 3:20–21; Jude 24).
justus, the man with a strong commitment also called Jesus. His was a common name among the Jews. A man called by that name was nominated as a replacement apostle for Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:23), while another of the same name lived in Corinth and was a supporter of Paul (Acts 18:7). If the Justus of Colossians 4:11 is neither of these two (and that is what most commentators think) then he is mentioned only here in the New Testament and represents the ‘unknowns’ in the Lord’s service: those myriads of believers—ordinary people—with nothing particularly special to note about them, who yet have been chosen and given grace to be ‘fellow workers for the kingdom of God’. No matter how ‘unknown’ believers may feel in their own little place, they contribute to the growth of the kingdom when they use their gifts and walk in obedience to Christ.
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Wednesday Jun 04, 2025
Wednesday Jun 04, 2025
In Joshua Chapter 24, we see that Joshua wants the people of God to recommit themselves to God. He rehearses all that God has done so that they know who He is and what His will for their life is, but that is contingent on really being interested in knowing it. This also applies to us today. The bible always gives two sides to salvation in our Christian lives; there is the fact that God is Sovereign and He does what He wants to do based on His Holiness, but then there is our part, human responsibility. God will do everything He can to get us to know Him and do His will, but He will not make us into robots. We have a choice, we can serve God (meaning we get saved), or we can serve the Devil. Joshua 24:15 "And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." We can also as christians grow and serve God, or we can live as babies in Christ and never experience all that God has for us. 1 Peter 2:2 says as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby. 2 Peter 3:18 says but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. Or Stay Babies - Hebrews 5:12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. It is our choice, what will you or what have you chosen to do?
Joshua 24:15 "And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
The people said to Joshua, "We will serve the Lord our God and we will obey His voice." (Joshua 24:24) But they did not!!!!
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Sunday Jun 01, 2025
Sunday Jun 01, 2025
BE PRAYERFUL (VV. 2–4)
PRAYER AND THE BELIEVER (VV. 2)
NEW MANS MOUTH IS SHOWN BY PRAYER PROCLAMATION, PERFORMANCE –RIGHT LIVING, PERFECTION –SEASONED WITH SALT
Does God really answer prayer? If so, God’s Children need to ‘continue [persevere] earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving’. Prayer prevails with God because we are his adopted Children (Gal. 4:6). These words echo the words of our Saviour who taught that ‘men always ought to pray and not lose heart’ (Luke 18:1). Time must be set aside for prayer. Jesus told the parables of the friend at midnight (Luke 11:5–8) and the unjust judge (Luke 18:1–8) to encourage us to intercede until the answers come.
PRAYER IS A BATTLE: ‘continue earnestly in prayer’. Mental, emotional and physical effort is involved in prayer, and one can feel exhausted by it all. This is because it has to do with the whole person. Thus when we pray the mind is engaged (1 Cor. 14:15), the will is involved (Acts 12:5) and the heart is burdened (James 5:16). This is illustrated both by our Saviour in Gethsemane, where he was ‘exceedingly sorrowful, even to death’ (Matt. 26:38– 44), and by Jacob, when he wrestled in prayer at Peniel and would not let Jehovah go until he was blessed by him (Gen. 32:24–31).
PRAYER IS A MINISTRY: ‘being vigilant in it’. Prayer is vital if the ‘spoilers’ are not to corrupt the minds and hearts of the believing members. Satan wants to irritate and distract with disputes, problems, etc., but it is a saint’s duty to bring all these issues to God in prayer. When this is done, Satan will fail and the ‘spoilers’ will not succeed (James 4:8). Prayer cannot be made if you are asleep, as it is wakeful fellowship and communion with the Father through the Son by the help of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 26:40–41a).
PRAYER BRINGS VICTORY: ‘with thanksgiving’. Prayer brings victory when it is full of thanksgiving. Paul adds the element of thanksgiving deliberately, because praise of this sort ‘imparts spiritual freshness to prayer’ (Carson). Let every Christian be grateful for grace, happy about holiness and delighted with so great a salvation (1 Thess. 5:18). The Fatherhood of God is evident here, and the spiritual relationship which believers have with Christ is emphasized. The best types of prayers are those ‘according to his will’ (1 John 5:14–15). Jesus taught us in the Lord’s Prayer to say ‘Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’ (Matt. 6:10). Faith tells us that God’s good pleasure is best for us because his wisdom is to be preferred to ours. We need therefore to submit to his will with meekness, while putting away self-will and pride.
Paul says we need Strong prayer, consistent, watchful, and thankful
Prayer and intercession (vv. 3–4)
Paul, as a missionary pastor and preacher, felt the need for prayers of intercession on behalf of himself and the team he worked with. What does he request?
THAT HE WILL PREACH CHRIST FREELY (V. 3A): Prayers are requested so that all obstacles hindering the work are removed and a door opened which will give Paul opportunity for the preaching and teaching of the gospel (Rev. 3:8). This, however, does not guarantee that Paul will not have opposition or trouble as he does the will of Christ (1 Cor. 16:9). Pastors and all engaged in evangelism and church planting need prayer support. This is an act of fellowship in the gospel, and Paul requested this fellowship on several occasions (2 Cor. 1:11; 1 Thes. 5:25; 2 Thes. 3:1–2).
THAT HE WILL PREACH CHRIST TRULY (V. 3B): Who and what Jesus Christ is must be faithfully and consistently made known when Paul and his team preach the gospel, for it reveals the incarnate Christ as the Son of God and Saviour of the world (Eph 6:19–20). Jesus Christ is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit and this is the ‘mystery’ Paul preaches (1:26–27; 2:2; Eph. 3:3–4, 9). There is no other Saviour (John 14:6).
THAT HE WILL PREACH CHRIST CLEARLY (V. 4): He requests that he and his team will be able to speak clearly and boldly to sinners about the glories and love of Christ. He wishes to make the gospel ‘manifest’, ‘to make clear by uncovering’. He wants to speak plainly and not incomprehensibly, in order that others can share in the joy of eternal life (Rom. 15:13; 1 John 1:4). He wants to be able to discern when to speak and how much to say, and how to share the message so that it is not misunderstood.
Be wise (vv. 5–6)
‘Walk in wisdom towards those who are outside, redeeming the time’ (v. 5). Paul uses this term ‘outside’ in other epistles to distinguish between the members and non-members of the local churches (1 Cor. 5:12–13; 1 Thess. 4:12). Our actions towards non-Christians must be controlled, with God’s grace shining through our words and works. Respect must be shown for all those who are made in the image of God. This exhortation is to ‘walk’ and ‘talk’ wisely, and emphasizes the correct use of available time.
We get wisdom by worship, prayer, studying and instruction from Godly teachers
Time management (v. 5b)
Christians are to make the most of all the opportunities that God gives to them. Thus Paul calls upon them to ‘redeem the time’. Although this is, as Thayer says, ‘an obscure phrase’, it implies that believers should ‘make time your own property’ (NIV) by being diligent in the use of it. Christ is drawing the world and its powers to his judgement seat at his Second Coming (Rom. 8:19), when there will be no more time to evangelize or preach; the days of mercy will then be over and the longed-for ‘not yet’ will become a reality. Paul uses the same phrase, ‘redeeming the time’, in Ephesians, but adds, ‘because the days are evil’ (Eph. 5:15–16). Thus everything is to be done for the glory of God and in the light of eternity, remembering that we live in a fallen universe. Don’t put off until tomorrow what should be done today, because procrastination is the thief of time. ‘Redeeming the time’ is about making the best use of time, making time your own property, but this will prove impossible unless one is ‘filled with the Spirit’ (Eph. 5:18). There is need for the household of God to:
REDEEM THE TIME LOST. We cannot turn the clock back—yesterday is lost forever— but today and tomorrow are ours! God said to the prophet Joel, ‘I will restore … the years that the swarming locust has eaten’ (Joel 2:25). Time has been lost by procrastination, pleasure, laziness, disobedience, etc.; so let us put these aside and make the most of what time is left.
REDEEM THE TIME LEFT. Jesus said, ‘The night is coming when no one can work’ (John 9:4). Thus we are reminded that our days are numbered and our time is short. How long do we have left here on earth? How long will the door be opened still? Do we understand what the will of the Lord is (Eph. 5:17)?
REDEEM THE TIME LOANED. We can miss opportunities; we can fail to act when opportunity comes; we can be too late and the door can shut. Yet we depend on heaven for the time that we are allowed. Time is loaned to us and, as stewards of Christ, we must use it wisely and grasp it fully with zeal, while we have strength and opportunity.
Word management (v. 6)
When speaking, care must be taken to be gracious and wise: ‘Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt.’ To speak well of Christ, local churches and pastors is the height of wisdom. People are more inclined to ‘read’ believers’ actions rather than the Bible. Wise words from believers will prevent outsiders slandering the local church, and will help to advance the kingdom of Christ. Christians are to let God’s grace teach them how to handle others well. Paul’s use of the word ‘always’ alerts us to the need to show grace even when provoked (1:11; Eph. 4:29). Because of this, the believer’s conversations and retorts need to be ‘seasoned with salt’. Paul is reminding them that the tongue is the most difficult member of the body to control (James 3:1–10). His illustration is apt, as Christian conversation should be both appetizing (tasty) and beneficial (nutritious), thus leaving the outsiders wanting more (1 Tim. 3:7).
Put your own name in this verse: ‘Let …’s speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt.’ Let this be so when you are with your friends and the tendency is to be unguarded and crude, or when confronted by your enemies and the tendency is to be rude and harsh. Rather let there be a gracious habit of speech, not abusive, not vindictive, but truthful and loving (Eph. 4:15a; 1 Peter 2:23; Prov. 10:32; Eccles. 10:12). Paul is encouraging us to speak the right word to the right person at the right time.
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Wednesday May 28, 2025
Wednesday May 28, 2025
John 5:28-29 tells how the saved will rewarded for their good and those not trusting in Christ will be judged and condemned. Most people don't understand the implications of living for Christ here on earth & how it is going to impact eternity, or else they would live differently. Dan 12:3 says those who teach & lead others to faith will be considered wise & will shine in heaven because of the work they have done for Christ. Mt 13:43 "Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. What will eternity be like for you?
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en
https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/110230052184687338/charity/145555
Sunday May 25, 2025
Sunday May 25, 2025
INTRODUCTION
Paul next applied the implication of this exhortation to various groups of Christians.
"What is beyond question is that the three paragraphs which follow are given as examples of Christian submission, and that the emphasis throughout is on submission."
He addressed six groups: wives and husbands (3:18-19), children and FATHERS (20-21) and slaves and masters (3:22-4:1). In each of the three pairings, the first partner is responsible to be submissive or obedient However the second partner is also to show a submissive spirit. All are to relate to one another as unto the Lord. This is one of several "house-rule" lists in the New Testament (cf. Eph. 5:22—6:9; 1 timothy 6:1-2; Titus 2:1-10; 1 Pet. 2:18—3:7). The writings of some Apostolic Fathers also contain such lists.
"Too much so-called 'holiness teaching' emphasizes a personal relationship to Jesus Christ without any attempt to indicate its consequences in terms of relationships with the people we live and work with. In contrast to such holiness-in-a-vacuum, which magnifies experiences and minimizes ethics, the apostles spelled out Christian duty in the concrete situations of everyday life and work."
When God controls us, we experience harmony in the home and in the workplace, in spite of possible friction, tension, and opposition there.
Up to this point Paul has been describing how we ought to live
In what might appear at first to be an abrupt change of direction, Paul begins to describe how various family members are to conduct themselves
The responsibilities of wives
The responsibilities of husbands
The responsibilities of children
The responsibilities of fathers
The responsibilities of servants or employees
The responsibilities of masters or employers
3. But the subject matter is really not so abrupt as it may appear, for Paul mentioned earlier...
How the church is to treat each other
How we are to put on certain attributes which show we love Christ...and it is through family relationships that we can often do this more successfully than in any other way!
4. How can this be? It is through our families that we interact so much with the society in which we live...
Thus it is through our families we have great potential to demonstrate the wisdom of God...
The same principles that underlie the gospel message (submission, love, sacrifice, obedience, honesty, fairness) are to be displayed in our family relationships
By example, then, we can demonstrate in our families what is truly good and right (i.e., God's will), and prepare others to be receptive to the gospel message!
Thus Paul is not abruptly changing direction, but continues to talk about those sort of things which are crucial to having a "walk worthy of the calling with which you were called".
The root problem is pride and wanting first place in everything
Satan: Is 12
Submission involves voluntarily putting oneself under another’s authority
The idea implicit in the term is “to place under” (in the active voice). As it is found in our text, the idea would be, “to subordinate oneself” or “to place oneself under.” In general terms, submission is the placing of oneself under the one to whom we submit. Since we are commanded to submit ourselves one to another, we are to place all others above ourselves. This idea is certainly not foreign to the New Testament, nor is it found only where the term “submit” is employed:
It is the love of our Lord which prompted Him to subordinate His own rights and privileges, and to humiliate Himself by taking on human flesh, and then by death on Calvary. In His first coming, Jesus not only submitted Himself to the will of the Father (see Matthew 26:39), He also submitted His interests to the interests of lost sinners, whom He would save by His death, burial, and resurrection:
Phil. 2:3-8 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
I doubt that any one word can sum up the heart of what the Scriptures mean by submission. Let me suggest several words, each of which identifies a certain element of submission. The first word is “surrender.” Submission is a voluntary act or surrendering one’s rights or will.
The second word is” sacrifice.”
The third is “service.” The service which is rendered those to whom we submit often involves a sacrifice. It costs us something to render service to the other person.
A fourth term is “authority,”
while a fifth is “obedience.” When we submit to one who has authority over us, we should evidence this submission, in part, by our obedience. On the other hand, when we submit to those under our authority, we evidence this with sacrificial service.
The final term is “priority.” Those to who we submit have, in some manner, priority over us, our rights, our pleasure, or our will.
Mt 8:5-10 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented." 7 And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him." 8 The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 "For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." 10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!
Submission involves Sacrifice and Responsibility
Jesus gave up His rights yet maintained His responsibilities. The biblical concept of authority emphasizes responsibility, not tyranny
Responsible authority does not wield power; it serves with it."
The writer to the Hebrews has much to say about the sacrificial aspects of our Lord’s earthly ministry (see chapter 9).
We must distinguish between what we are as a person in Christ and what role we are to portray about Christ and His church. We are all given a role to play, but a subordinate role does not imply an inferior relationship to Christ.
If someone were to protest that the role they have been given to play is beneath them, Let’s remind ourselves that we are not worthy of any role. We were, as sinners, worthy only of Christ’s eternal wrath. Any role is a privilege. And, also, that in order to achieve our salvation at Calvary, Jesus took on a role which was beneath Him. Finally, I would say that the values assigned to our roles by our culture are opposite to those assigned by God. Do you think it demeaning to hold a position of service? Our Lord has taught us that to be the greatest is to serve, and not to be served (Matthew 20:20-28,
Mr 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.").
Why, then, should we agonize about any role which God has graciously given to us?
A CALL TO WALK IN MATRIMONIAL HARMONY (18-19)
DUTIES OF WIVES (18)
Submit to their own husbands, as to the Lord (18)
DUTIES OF HUSBANDS (19)
Love their wives
Don”t be bitter towards them
FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES
THE DUTY OF CHILDREN... (20)
Children are to obey their parents in a way that honors them
But there are also spiritual repercussions - cf. Co 3:20 ("for this is well pleasing to the Lord")
THE DUTY OF FATHERS... (21)
Fathers are charged negatively..
DON'T provoke children (i.e., put unreasonable demands on them, exasperate them)
Lest they be discouraged
THE DUTY OF SERVANTS OR EMPLOYEES... (22)
In the First Century A.D., servants or slaves were an intricate part of many households, which may explain Paul including instructions to them and masters in this and parallel passages - cf. Eph 5:22-6:9
Christians who were servants or employees we could say in today’s setting were expected to demonstrate the proper kind of obedience required of all Christians...
Obedience in sincerity of heart, as to Christ Himself, not with eye service, as men-pleasers
Obedience with fear of God, Holy and reverential fear of God[i] - cf. Ph 2:10
Obedience with good will, as to the Lord
Obedience with an understanding that the Lord is an impartial Judge
In this way even slaves or employees in today’s setting could demonstrate by example what true obedience was according to the Will of God
Col 3:24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
Paul reminds the believers that there are rewards to come for the good and faithful servants of Christ. Christians are to work as if they are in God’s service: they ‘serve the Lord Christ’. This is their calling, so they are to do the best they can and pray for grace and protection (Matt. 6:13). Whatever believers do for their Savior here on earth it will not be regretted; in fact, when they reach heaven they will wish that they had given more to him who gave everything for them (John 21:15–17). Ultimately, we do not work for our employer but for the Lord Jesus Christ. Understanding this principle will help produce a better and healthier attitude to work and allow us to do the unpleasant tasks with patience. There are rewards promised and waiting for believers in heaven after a lifetime of faithful service[ii]
Col 3:25 But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.
THE DUTY OF MASTERS OR EMPLOYERS... (4:1)
Those Christians who had slaves (like Philemon) were charged to treat their servants in very special ways:
" give your bondservants what is just and fair", i.e., their treatment of slaves should be governed by the same sort of principles given to the servants...
1) "with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ"
2) "not with eyeservice...but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart"
3) "with good will...as to the Lord, and not to men"
By their example, masters could demonstrate the proper exercise of authority, and reveal much about how our Master in heaven rules over us in the kingdom of God!
This series of warnings is actually a practical application of Colossians 3:17: “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” It is by His power and authority that we should live in our daily relationships. If He is the preeminent One in our lives, then we will love each other, submit to each other, obey, and treat one another fairly in the Lord.[iii]
Our Lord Jesus became a slave in order to bring about our salvation (Mark 10:45), and thus also became an example of submission for slaves (1 Peter 2:18-25). Paul often referred to himself as the Lord’s slave (see Romans 1:1; 1 Corinthians 9:19). Beyond this, every Christian has been delivered from slavery to sin, and has become a slave of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:16-20; 14:4; 1 Corinthians 7:22). And so the instructions which Paul gives to “slaves” applies to every Christian, as Christ’s slave.
Paul contrasted masters according to the flesh with the Master of the human spirit, namely, Jesus Christ. Christian slaves owed their earthly masters obedience. Obedience demonstrated their submission to Christ.
"Christianity does not offer us escape from circumstances; it offers us conquest of circumstances."
Earthly rank has no relevance in heaven
As we review this section of duties, we need to remind ourselves that only a WORD filled or Spirit-filled believer will be able to fulfill them (3:16-17). Essentially what Paul urged was humility that expresses itself in loving submissiveness to others rather than arrogant self-assertiveness.
CONCLUSION
It would be well for us to review Ephesians 5:18–6:9 and note the parallels between that passage and the one we have just studied. This section of Ephesians emphasizes being filled with the Spirit, while the Letter to the Colossians emphasizes being filled with the Word; but the evidences are the same: joyful, thankful, and submissive living. To be filled with the Spirit means to be controlled by the Word.
The fullness of the Spirit and the fullness of the Word are needed in the home. If family members are controlled by the Spirit of God and the Word of God, they will be joyful, thankful, and submissive—and they will have little trouble getting along with each other. Christian employers and employees will treat each other fairly if they are filled with the Spirit and the Word.
The heart of every problem is the problem of the heart, and only God’s Spirit and God’s Word can change and control the heart.
Can the people who live around you detect that you are filled with the Spirit and the Word?[iv]
[i] McNaughton, I. S. (2006). Opening up Colossians and Philemon (p. 78). Day One Publications.
[ii] McNaughton, I. S. (2006). Opening up Colossians and Philemon (p. 79). Day One Publications.
[iii] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 145). Victor Books.
[iv] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 145). Victor Books.
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Wednesday May 21, 2025
Wednesday May 21, 2025
Luke 9:26 says “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. Here we see the contrast between a Christian’s reputation now in the eyes of those of the world getting glory here or the good reputation before God in the future getting His glory later. Which one is it that we seek? Every day we have a choice are we going to look good in the eyes of the world around us or please the one who died for us. Most of the time we don’t think of it in that way. But that is how it really is. It is tough to be a Christian and to be excluded from many of the things that the world does even if it does not involve outright sinful behavior. Too many choose friendship with the world and therefore shame themselves and Jesus’ reputation. When the world sees a Christian they expect us to be different and it is our Godly behavior that causes them to shun us. Yes, it hurts to be excluded, but is what the world thinks about us more important than what Jesus does? No, and until we make a stand to be what Jesus called us to be the world will never stand up and take notice of our differentness and hopefully want to trust Christ because it knows what we have is better. Does your life and mine reflect the glory of Jesus? What is that we will we hear when we see Jesus after we die?
“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. (Luke 9:26)
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Sunday May 18, 2025
Sunday May 18, 2025
Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
3:16 “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you” This is a PRESENT ACTIVE IMPERATIVE SECOND PERSON PLURAL. Notice that this dwelling is not automatic. Believers must co-operate in the Christian life as they do in salvation.
The outlines of Eph. and Col. are very similar. The parallel to this verse in Eph. is 5:18!
3:16–17 There is a theological and structural parallel between Eph. 5:18–21 and Col. 3:16–17. In Eph. there is a PRESENT PASSIVE IMPERATIVE with the passive imperative our responsibility lies in being open to God’s operation, the Spirit’s working, and Christ’s indwelling. Thus the passive imperative preserves in the grammar the most fundamental principle of God’s economy, that is, that God is the One who operates in us and yet we are responsible to open to His operation, to allow Him to operate, and to cooperate with His operation. God is sovereign and we are responsible go hand in hand.
“ever be filled,” while in Col. there is a Present Active Imperatives are commands that are expected to be followed not once, but as an ongoing process. “let the word of Christ dwell within you.” Also in Eph. the IMPERATIVE is followed by five PRESENT PARTICIPLES which describe the Spirit-filled life:
This means, of course, the Word of God. The false teachers came to Colossae with man-made traditions, religious rules, and human philosophies. They tried to harmonize God’s Word with their teachings, but they could not succeed. God’s Word always magnifies Jesus Christ.
It was not the word of false teachers that brought salvation to the Colossians; it was the Word of the truth of the Gospel (Col. 1:5). This same Word gives us life and sustains and strengthens us (1 Peter 1:22–2:3).
The Word will transform our lives if we will but permit it to “dwell” in us richly. The word dwell means “to feel at home.” If we have experienced the grace and the peace of Christ, then the Word of Christ will feel at home in our hearts. We will discover how rich the Word is with spiritual treasures that give value to our lives.
However, we must not think that Paul wrote this only to individual Christians; for he directed it to the entire church body. “Let the Word of Christ dwell among you” is a possible translation. As it dwells richly in each member of the church, it will dwell richly in the church fellowship.
There is a danger today, as there was in Paul’s day, that local churches minimize the Word of God. There seems to be a lack of simple Bible teaching in Sunday School classes and pulpits. Far more interest is shown in movies, musical performances, and various entertainments than in God’s Word. Many saved people cannot honestly say that God’s Word dwells in their hearts richly because they do not take time to read, study, and memorize it.
There is (according to Paul) a definite relationship between our knowledge of the Bible and our expression of worship in song. One way we teach and encourage ourselves and others is through the singing of the Word of God. But if we do not know the Bible and understand it, we cannot honestly sing it from our hearts.
Perhaps this “poverty of Scripture” in our churches is one cause of the abundance of unbiblical songs that we have today. A singer has no more right to sing a lie than a preacher has to preach a lie. The great songs of the faith were, for the most part, written by believers who knew the doctrines of the Word of God. Many so-called “Christian songs” today are written by people with little or no knowledge of the Word of God. It is a dangerous thing to separate the praise of God from the Word of God.[1]
“with all wisdom” This is a play on the false teachers’ overemphasis on human knowledge. The word of Christ (the Spirit-filled life) is true wisdom. Wisdom is a person (cf. Prov. 8:22–31) and a lifestyle, not isolated truth or creeds.
“with psalms” The NKJV and NASB translations imply “teaching with songs,” but the NRSV and NJB imply “teachers with songs in their hearts.”
Psalms were, of course, the songs taken from the Old Testament. For centuries, the churches in the English-speaking world sang only musical versions of the Psalms. I am glad to see today a return to the singing of Scripture, especially the Psalms.
Hymns were songs of praise to God written by believers but not taken from the Psalms. The church today has a rich heritage of hymnody which, I fear, is being neglected.
Spiritual songs were expressions of Bible truth other than in psalms and hymns. When we sing a hymn, we address the Lord; when we sing a spiritual song, we address each other.
Paul described a local church worship service (1 Cor. 14:26; Col. 3:16). Note that the believer sings to himself as well as to the other believers and to the Lord. Our singing must be from our hearts and not just our lips. But if the Word of God is not in our hearts, we cannot sing from our hearts. This shows how important it is to know the Word of God, for it enriches our public and private worship of God.
Our singing must be with grace. This does not mean “singing in a gracious way,” but singing because we have God’s grace in our hearts. It takes grace to sing when we are in pain, or when circumstances seem to be against us. It certainly took grace for Paul and Silas to sing in that Philippian prison (Acts 16:22–25). Our singing must not be a display of fleshly talent; it must be a demonstration of the grace of God in our hearts.
Someone has said that a successful Christian life involves attention to three books: God’s Book, the Bible; the pocketbook; and the hymn book. As a believer grows in his knowledge of the Word, he will want to grow in his expression of praise. He will learn to appreciate the great hymns of the church, the Gospel songs, and the spiritual songs that teach spiritual truths. To sing only the elementary songs of the faith is to rob himself of spiritual enrichment.
Before we leave this section, we should notice an important parallel with Ephesians 5:18–6:9. In his Letter to the Ephesians, Paul emphasized being filled with the Spirit; in his Letter to the Colossians, he emphasized being filled with the Word. But the evidences of this spiritual fullness are the same! How can we tell if a believer is filled with the Spirit? He is joyful, thankful, and submissive (Eph. 5:19–21); all of this shows up in his relationships in the home and on the job (Eph. 5:22–6:9). How can we tell if a believer is filled with the Word of God? He is joyful, thankful, and submissive (Col. 3:16–4:1).[1]
The Spirit-filled life is daily Christlikeness or allowing the word of Christ and the mind of Christ to guide in every area, especially interpersonal relationships.
The key is the heart of the worshiper, not the form of the music (cf. 3:17).
Col 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
THE SERVICE OF LOVE: The work of Christ must be done in the manner of Christ. Believers are to live and act as those who bear his name and must do nothing that would make them ashamed to say that they are Christians. This is a principle to live by: ‘whatever you do’ (v. 17), whether at home, at work, in the church, or out and about. This sense of duty must also be accompanied with a sense of gratitude and note of praise, ‘giving thanks to God the Father through him’. Giving thanks declares the gratitude of grace and the praise of peace.
3:17 “Whatever you do in word or deed” This is a major spiritual truth. Believers must relate all their motives and actions to God through Christ. Every aspect of our lives is “as unto the Lord.” Believers do not live for themselves (cf. v. 23; Rom. 14:7–9; 1 Cor. 10:31; 2 Cor. 5:15; Eph. 6:7; 1 Pet. 4:11). This truth could revolutionize the modern, western, individual-focused church[1]
The Name of Christ (Col. 3:17)
In modern society, we pay little attention to names. But the ancient world held a man’s name to be of utmost importance. Often, during Old Testament days, God changed a person’s name because of some important experience or some new development.
As Christians, we bear the name of Christ. The word Christian is found only three times in the entire New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). The name was given originally as a term of contempt, but gradually it became a name of honor. The name of Christ, then, means identification: we belong to Jesus Christ.
But His name also means authority. A man’s name signed to a check authorizes the withdrawal of money from the bank. The President’s name signed to a bill makes it a law. In the same way, it is in the name of Jesus Christ that we have the authority to pray (John 14:13–14; 16:23–26). Because Jesus Christ is God, and He has died for us, we have authority in His name.
All that we say and do should be associated with the name of Jesus Christ. By our words and our works, we should glorify His name. If we permit anything into our lives that cannot be associated with the name of Jesus, then we are sinning. We must do and say everything on the authority of His name and for the honor of His name.
Bearing the name of Jesus is a great privilege, but it is also a tremendous responsibility. We suffer persecution because we bear His name (John 15:20–21). [1]
Note that Paul again mentioned thanksgiving in this Colossian letter. Whatever we do in the name of Christ ought to be joined with thanksgiving. If we cannot give thanks, then we had better not do it or say it! This is the fifth of six references in Colossians to thanksgiving (Col. 1:3, 12; 2:7; 3:15, 17; 4:2). When we remember that Paul was a Roman prisoner when he wrote this letter, it makes this emphasis on thanksgiving that much more wonderful.
As we review these four spiritual motivations for godly living, we are impressed with the centrality of Jesus Christ. We forgive because Christ forgave us (Col. 3:13). It is the peace of Christ that should rule in our hearts (Col. 3:15). The Word of Christ should dwell in us richly (Col. 3:16). The name of Christ should be our identification and our authority. “Christ is all, and in all” (Col. 3:11).
Since we are united with Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit, we have all the resources we need for holy living. But we must be spiritually motivated. Because we have experienced the grace of Christ, we want to live for Him. Because we have enjoyed the peace of Christ, we want to obey Him. We have been enriched by the Word of Christ, and raised to the rank of nobility by the name of Christ; therefore, we want to honor and glorify Him.
Can we desire any higher motivation?[1]
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Wednesday May 14, 2025
Wednesday May 14, 2025
Ephraim got an inheritance from the Lord as His people when they entered the promised land. This inheritance was to be one that had crops, land, animals, houses, and fruit trees which they did not plant nor build. God had said He would drive the people out little by little so that the land would not be overgrown and taken over again by wild animals and become difficult to live in. God put this in the Bible in Exodus 23:29-31 so that we would know that just as He said He would drive these people out little by little, that this is a picture of driving out the sin in our lives once we become believers. He also states that we also have the responsibility of driving out the sin in our lives, but now we have His Power as believers to do so. So, it is not let go and let God, rather God said He would, but we have to do our part in ridding our lives of the sin that He puts His finger on and says must go. Are we depending on and trusting in His power to do what He asks us to do or are we trying in our own strength? If we are trying instead of trusting, we will fail and be like the Israelites who did not drive the sinful inhabitants out and so were plagued by them the rest of their lives.
Joshua 16:8-10 The border went out from Tappuah westward to the Brook Kanah, and it ended at the sea. This was the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim according to their families. 9 The separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.10 And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced laborers.
Let me dwell in Your tent forever; Let me take refuge in the shelter of Your wings. (Psalm 61:4)
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Monday May 12, 2025
Monday May 12, 2025
Love: a new goal
Col 3:14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
3:14 “put on love which is the perfect bond of unity” Love, which issues in unity, is the distinctive mark of the Christian (cf. Eph. 4:2–3; 1 Cor, 13; Gal. 5:22).
Paul leaves the greatest and highest grace to the last: ‘But above all these things put on love’. Christian love is above all these other important and beautiful graces because it is self-sacrificing, self-giving, and the fulfilment of both the law and the gospel. It is a new commandment given to us by our Savior (John 13:34–35). The local church needs lashings of love for unity to be maintained.
Put on … love (Col. 3:14). This is the most important of the Christian virtues, and it acts like a “girdle” that ties all the other virtues together. All of the spiritual qualities Paul has named are aspects of true Christian love, as a reading of 1 Corinthians 13 will reveal. Love is the first of the fruit of the Spirit and the other virtues follow—joy (Col. 3:16), peace (Col. 3:15), long-suffering, gentleness, kindness, and meekness (Col. 3:12).
When love rules in our lives, it unites all these spiritual virtues so that there is beauty and harmony, indicating spiritual maturity. This harmony and maturity keep the life balanced and growing. The gnostic system could never do this.[1]
Once again, Paul gives the Colossians the responsibility for making changes to their lives. The new clothes are beautiful gifts from God, but putting them on is the work of every individual Christian.
The most important item of all is love, which Paul imagines as either an overgarment or a belt. Love unites all the other qualities, and makes the outfit perfect.[1]
THE SUPREMACY OF LOVE: ‘above all these things put on love’. Philosophy was the ‘false teachers” trump card, however, ‘the love of God poured out in our hearts’ (Rom. 5:5) is the ultimate thing. It is superior to all other graces (1 Cor. 13; 1 Thes. 3:12).
THE STRENGTH OF LOVE: ‘which is the bond of perfection’. Love is like cement or belt that binds all the holy graces together in perfect harmony. Love completes and to keep our illustration of holy apparel, it completes the outfit. If there is no love then the other graces are only duty, cold morality or at best good manners. But love makes them all acceptable to God (even when they are imperfect).
Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
In this verse Paul turned from character to conduct. How can a Christian know when he is doing God’s will? One answer is: the peace of Christ in the heart and in the church. When the believer loses his inner peace, he knows that he has in some way disobeyed God.
3:15 “Let the peace of Christ” This term originally meant “binding together that which was broken” (cf. John 14:27; 16:33; Phil. 4:7). There are three ways the NT speaks of peace: (1) as the objective (doctrinal) aspect of our peace with God through Christ (cf. Col. 1:20); (2) as the subjective (experiential) aspect of our being right with God (cf. John 14:27; 16:33; Phil. 4:7); and (3) as God’s uniting believing Jews and Gentiles into one new people (body) through Christ which is the mystery of God (cf. Eph. 2:14–17; Col. 3:15).
The word translated “rule” is an athletic term. It means “to preside at the games and distribute the prizes.” Paul used a variation of this word in his Letter to the Colossians: “Let no one declare you unworthy of a prize” (literal translation, Col. 2:18). In the Greek games, there were judges (we would call them umpires) who rejected the contestants who were not qualified, and who disqualified those who broke the rules.
The peace of God is the “Umpire” in our believing hearts and our churches. When we obey the will of God, we have His peace within; but when we step out of His will (even unintentionally), we lose His peace.
THE SIGN OF LOVE: love teaches us how to talk to each other, how to cope with each other and how to forgive. It fills the heart with God’s peace (v. 15). This is a subjective ‘peace’ (it is felt within) which is intended to ‘rule’, i.e. to ‘act like an umpire’ who keeps us right and tells us when we are wrong. There must be no racial barriers, cultural barriers or social barriers when love is in control. Love is a telling sign of regeneration.
We must beware, however, of a false peace in the heart. Jonah deliberately disobeyed God, yet he was able to go to sleep in the hold of a ship in a storm! “I had peace about it!” is not sufficient evidence that we are in the will of God. We must pray, surrender to His will, and seek His guidance in the Scriptures. The peace of heart alone is not always the peace of God.
Something else is involved: if we have peace in our hearts, we will be at peace with others in the church. We are called to one body, and our relationship in that body must be one of harmony and peace. If we are out of the will of God, we are certain to bring discord and disharmony to the church. Jonah thought he was at peace, when actually his sins created a storm!
When a Christian loses the peace of God, he begins to go off in directions that are out of the will of God. He turns to the things of the world and the flesh to compensate for his lack of peace within. He tries to escape, but he cannot escape himself! It is only when he confesses his sin, claims God’s forgiveness, and does God’s will that he experiences God’s peace within.
When there is peace in the heart, there will be praise on the lips: “And be ye thankful” (Col. 3:15). The Christian out of God’s will is never found giving sincere praise to God. When David covered up his sins, he lost his peace and his praise (Pss. 32; 51). When he confessed his sins, then his song returned.[1]
“rule” This is a PRESENT ACTIVE IMPERATIVE. In contrast to the false teachers acting as umpires in 2:18, Christ is our only judge, guide and arbiter.
“you were called” God always takes the initiative in calling, electing, and wooing believers to Himself (cf. v. 12; John 6:44, 65; Eph. 1:4–5, 11). The term “calling” (kaleō) is used in several theological senses: (1) sinners are called by God through Christ to salvation; (2) sinners call on the name of the Lord to be saved (cf. Rom. 10:9–13); (3) believers are called to live Christ like lives (cf. Eph. 4:1); and (4) believers are called to ministry tasks (cf. 1 Cor. 12:4–7).
“in one body” This speaks of unity amidst diversity (cf. 1:18, 24; Eph. 4:4–6)! Notice that the emphasis is not on personal election, but corporate election. Salvation is corporate, not just individual.
In reaction to the abuses of power in the Roman Church, the Protestant Reformers emphasized the rights and responsibilities of the individual before God. However, their formulation became a biblical overstatement. The Bible does not teach the “priesthood of the believer,” but “the priesthood of believer s.” It is not a doctrine which emphasizes the freedom of the individual, but the body-life responsibility of each believer (cf. 1 Cor. 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:).
“be thankful” This was a PRESENT ACTIVE IMPERATIVE, “keep on always being thankful.” Thankfulness is a sign of Christian maturity, of the Spirit-filled life (cf. v. 17; Eph. 5:20; 1 Thess. 5:18). It is not a resignation to determinism (Islam), but a biblical world-view that God is with us and for us even amidst the difficulties and circumstances of this fallen world!
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Wednesday May 07, 2025
Wednesday May 07, 2025
Many times we want to be thought of highly enough that others would do something for us. But think about this that Jesus who is God in human flesh came to earth and humbled Himself and served others while He was here. Philippians 2:1-11 speaks of thinking of others more highly than ourselves and looking out for their interests too. It also says being humble was the mindset that Christ had and we should have it too. Is this the way we go about our day, do we think of what we could do for others rather than what we can do for ourselves or what others can do or have done for us?
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Monday May 05, 2025
Monday May 05, 2025
Col 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
3:12 “chosen of God, holy and beloved” These terms were used to describe Israel (Exod. 19:5–6), but now they describe the church (cf. Gal. 6:16; 1 Pet. 2:5, 9; Rev. 1:6).
Notice that the goal of the People of God is holiness (cf. Eph. 1:4), not a privileged standing. Israel was chosen as a tool to reach all humans made in the image of God. Israel missed her evangelistic mandate (cf. Gen. 12:3; Exod. 19:5). The Church has clearly been given this assignment (cf. Matt. 28:19–20; Acts 1:8). Believers are called to holiness and to be witnesses.
Christians are defined here as ‘the elect of God, holy and beloved’. This means that God has chosen them from eternity for salvation. Once saved, Christians are holy before God, being set apart in Christ by the Holy Spirit who indwells them. If we are saved we are highly loved by an act of divine love that flows from his heart (Rom. 9:13a)[1]
Chosen by God, set apart for God, loved by God, and forgiven by God. They all add up to GRACE! Now, because of these gracious blessings, the Christian has some solemn responsibilities before God. He must put on the beautiful graces of the Christian life. Paul named eight graces.[1]
“Put on the new man,” says Paul. “Put on mercy, kindness, and humility. Put on meekness, longsuffering, and love.” In short, put on Christ.[1]
“put on” This is an AORIST MIDDLE IMPERATIVE which indicates urgency. This is the continuing use of clothing as a symbol and mandate for the Christian life. It is even possible that this was baptismal terminology (cf. Gal. 3:27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ).
Put on …NASB “a heart of compassion” and indicates deep feelings[1]
NKJV “tender mercies”
TEV Today's English Version “compassion”
NJB The New Jerusalem Bible “heartfelt compassion”
This is literally “bowels of compassion” (cf. 2 Cor. 6:12; Phil. 1:8; 2:1; Philemon 7, 12, 20). The ancients believed the seat of emotion was located in the lower intestines (abdomen).
Kindness, gentleness and patience are part of the fruit of the Spirit that Paul describes in his letter to the Galatians (Galatians 5:22). They help Christians live in harmony with one another. Compassion and humility may sound like weaknesses. But Jesus showed in his own life that compassion and humility are at the heart of God.[1]
Put on … “kindness” is the desire for another’s good, and shows sweetness of disposition. This should be the Christian’s response to others (cf. Rom. 2:4; 9:23; 11:22; 2 Cor. 6:6; Gal. 5:22; Col. 3:12; Titus 3:4).
Put on … “humility” Humility of mind’ speaks of lowliness (Eph. 4:2; Phil. 2:3–5) and allows us to recognize that we have no reason or right to be self-confident.[1] This is a uniquely Christian virtue (cf. Eph. 4:2; Phil. 2:3). The Stoics viewed meekness (humbleness) as weakness and did not include it in their list of virtues. Only two people in the Bible are called humble, Moses (cf. Num. 12:3) and Jesus (cf. Matt. 11:29; Phil. 2:8). This becomes the will of God for every believer (cf. Matt. 18:4; 23:12; James 4:6, 10; 1 Pet. 5:5, 6). This term is used in a negative sense in 2:18, 23.
The pagan world of Paul’s day did not admire humility. Instead, they admired pride and domination. Jesus Christ is the greatest example of humbleness of mind (Phil. 2:1ff). Humility is not thinking poorly of oneself. Rather, it is having the proper estimate of oneself in the will of God (Rom. 12:3). The person with humbleness of mind thinks of others first and not of himself.[1]
Put on … “gentleness or meekness” means Power under control. This originally referred to domesticated animals (horses, camels, donkeys) whose strength had been channeled for their master’s purpose. God does not want to break us, but direct His giftedness to His glory. Paul often uses this metaphor for the Christian life (cf. 1 Cor. 4:21; 2 Cor. 10:1; Gal. 5:23; 6:1; Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:12; 1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 2:25).
Put on … ‘Meekness’ is the opposite of self-interest and reveals itself in gentleness. It is a spirit of quiet submission, not weakness but rather a spirit of Christian courtesy. Thomas Watson once said, ‘Meekness is a grace whereby we are enabled by the Spirit of God to moderate our passions’ (see 2 Cor. 10:1[1]
Put on …Longsuffering or patience” This is often used of God’s patience with people (cf. Rom. 2:4; 9:22; Titus 3:2, 1 Pet. 3:20) or Jesus’ patience (cf. 1 Tim. 1:16; 2 Pet. 3:15). It is used to exhort believers in their treatment of one another (cf. 1 Cor. 13:4; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 4:2; 2 Tim. 4:2). This word is literally “long-temper.” The short-tempered person speaks and acts impulsively and lacks self-control. When a person is long-suffering, he can put up with provoking people or circumstances without retaliating. It is good to be able to get angry, for this is a sign of holy character. But it is wrong to get angry quickly at the wrong things and for the wrong reasons.[1]
Patience in the face of provocation and suffering. This is a divine attribute (Rom. 2:4; 9:22). It is the opposite of anger and ‘it is associated with mercy’.
Kindness, gentleness and patience are part of the fruit of the Spirit that Paul describes in his letter to the Galatians (Galatians 5:22). They help Christians live in harmony with one another. Compassion and humility may sound like weaknesses. But Jesus showed in his own life that compassion and humility are at the heart of God.[1]
Col 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
ASB, NKJV “bearing with one another”
NJB “bear with one another”
TEV “be tolerant with one another”
Put on forbearance …bearing with one another is a PRESENT MIDDLE PARTICIPLE (used as an IMPERATIVE) which implies voluntary non-retaliation (cf. Eph. 4:2; Phil. 2:3–4).
This word literally means “to hold up” or “to hold back.” God is forbearing toward sinners in that He holds back His judgment (Rom. 2:4; 3:25). Meekness, long-suffering, and forbearance go together.[1]
Paul emphasizes forgiveness, as Jesus used to do. Forgiving one another and being forgiven by God belong closely together—indeed, they are inseparable (Matthew 6:14–15).[1]
Put on forgiveness … “forgiving each other” This is a PRESENT MIDDLE (deponent) PARTICIPLE. It is from the same Greek root as grace, “freely forgive.” One sign of believers being forgiven is that they forgive others (cf. Matt. 5:7; 6:15; 18:22–35; Mark 11:25; Luke 6:36–38; James 2:13; 5:9). Forgiveness of others is not the basis of forgiveness, but it is its fruit.
“whoever has a complaint” This is a THIRD CLASS CONDITIONAL SENTENCE which meant probable future action. There will be complaints! Christians will be at odds with other Christians, but Jesus’ cross should put a stop to it (cf. Rom. 14:1–15:13).
“just as the Lord forgave you” This is the basis for believers’ actions toward others (cf. Eph. 4:32; Rom. 15:7).
The point here is that of keeping oneself in check even when irritated by others, and the forgetting of offences personally received. We have to do so looking to Christ as our example: ‘even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do’. Believers can, and must, be a forgiving people (Matt. 6:14–15). Peter was told to forgive up to seventy times seven (Matt. 18:22). Note that Paul is still discoursing on Christian freedom! The antinomians will not like this clear and indisputable call from Paul because they consider themselves not under the law of obedience. However, a forgiving attitude marks out a true Christian from a false one.[1]
This is the logical result of all that Paul has written so far in this section. It is not enough that the Christian must endure grief and provocation, and refuse to retaliate; he must also forgive the troublemaker. If he does not, then feelings of malice will develop in the heart; and these can lead to greater sins.[1]
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Wednesday Apr 30, 2025
Wednesday Apr 30, 2025
Many people refuse to recognize Jesus as God, worship Him, and trust in Him. But in Luke 8:26-39 we see these demons, apparently thousands of them who have possessed this man recognize Jesus as the Most High God. They know that one day they will be sent to hell and so they ask Jesus not to send them there at this time. This man has been shackled, bound with chains and the strength of the demons in him allow him to escape each time. He is tormented and living like an animal until Jesus comes along. Jesus has more power than any chain, shackle or anything man can come up with. Jesus casts the demons into some pigs and sets the man free. The man becomes a believer in Christ and wants to follow Jesus, but he is told to go tell everyone what Jesus has done for him. Jesus can set us free from any problem that overwhelms us so that we can live for Him. Are you struggling with a sin that is beating you over and over? He can set you free. Have you ever trusted in Jesus as Savior? Have you been to Jesus for His cleansing power and been washed in the blood of the Lamb? I had someone one time ask me if Jesus can set us free, why are we not free. The answer is we are only as free as we want to be and if you are not free it is because you don’t want to be. Are you ready for Jesus to set you free? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhG25DnZoog
Luke 8:26-31,38-39 Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!" 29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. 30 Jesus asked him, saying, "What is your name?" And he said, "Legion," because many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. 38 Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 "Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you." And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Monday Apr 28, 2025
Monday Apr 28, 2025
After warning us against the sensual sins, Paul then pointed out the dangers of the social sins (Col. 3:8–9
Because we are alive in Christ, we must seek the things that are above. And, because we died with Christ, we must put off the things that belong to the earthly life of past sin. The result is that we can become like Jesus Christ! God wants to renew us and make us into the image of His Son!
The Greek verbs translated put off and put on (Col. 3:9–10) indicate a once-for-all action. When we trust Christ, we put off the old life and put on the new. The old man has been buried, and the new man is now in control. But the verb translated “renewed” is a present participle—“who is constantly being renewed.” The crisis of salvation leads to the process of sanctification, becoming more like Jesus Christ.
God’s purpose for us is that we be “conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29).
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
Wednesday Apr 23, 2025
Wednesday Apr 23, 2025
GOD’S TRUE FAMILY
Jesus had just got through teaching on the soils and the seeds when this scene happens in Luke 8:19-21. This parable in Luke 8 shows you that not all people who go to church or follow Jesus are the real thing. The parable of the four soils or seeds makes this very clear. This is not four different kinds of Christians in this parable; it is one real Christian who bears fruit and three who never become Christians. So, Jesus speaks here of listening carefully. He says that those who because of not believing will have what truth they seem to have taken from them, but more truth would be given to those believing what He had already told them. Jesus says when they tell Him that His mother and brothers are outside wanting to see Him that only the true believers are His family, not those who say and do not do. What do your words and deeds say about you? Which soil are you? Are you a true believer?
Then His mother and brothers came to Him, and could not approach Him because of the crowd. 20 And it was told Him by some, who said, "Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see You. "But Jesus answered and said to them, “My mother and My brothers are these who hear the Word of God and do it.” (Luke 8:19-21)
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
Monday Apr 21, 2025
Monday Apr 21, 2025
It may surprise us to read that holiness starts with a negative action: ‘Therefore put to death …’ (v. 5); later we have the positive side: ‘Therefore … put on’ (vv. 12–17).
These appeals are undoubtedly of a high moral and spiritual standard and they will challenge and search the soul; but they must not be rebelled against nor neglected. It is the Christian’s calling to seek God’s grace so as to walk in a holy manner. Paul exhorts them to refuse to yield to the appeal of sin: ‘Put to death your members’. We possess a fallen human nature, but the call is to subdue the passion and power of the flesh (cf. 1 Thes. 4:3, 7).
Holiness negatively considered (vv. 5–11)
Sinful self-indulgence (vv. 5–7)
Col 3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
The word mortify means “put to death.” Because we have died with Christ (Col. 3:3), we have the spiritual power to slay the earthly, fleshly desires that want to control us. Paul called this “reckoning” ourselves to be dead to sin but alive in Christ (Rom. 6:11). Our Lord used the same idea when He said, “And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out” (Matt. 5:29–30).[i]
John Owen’s said The choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin.[ii]
The reliance on the Holy Spirit to help us overcome sin is the only way that works.
All other ways of mortification are vain, all helps leave us helpless; it must be done by the Spirit…Mortification from self strength, carried on by ways of self-invention, unto the end of a self righteousness, is the soul and substance of all false religion in the world.[iii]
1Sa 15:32 Then Samuel said, "Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me." So Agag came to him cautiously. And Agag said, "Surely the bitterness of death is past." 33 But Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women." And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.
Not only was Paul negative in this paragraph, but he also named sins; and some people do not like that. These sins belong to the old life and have no place in our new life in Christ. Furthermore, God’s judgment falls on those who practice these sins; and God is no respecter of persons. God’s wrath fell on the Gentile world because of these sins (Rom. 1:18ff), and His wrath will fall again. “Because of these, the wrath of God is coming,” Paul warned (Col. 3:6,).
Five self-indulgent sins of the flesh, mind and heart are listed here. Christians must put them all to death.
‘Fornication’ is sexual immorality in general and includes sex outside of marriage which is contrary to God’s law.
‘Uncleanness’ is moral impurity of all kinds and has an inward reference here to the mind and thoughts including “lustful impurity that is connected with luxury and loose living.”. ‘Passion’ is lust that uses others for self-gratification. It describes a state of mind that excites sexual impurity. The person who cultivates this kind of appetite can always find opportunity to satisfy it[iv]
‘Evil [wicked] desire’ is a craving for evil things. desires lead to deeds, appetites lead to actions. If we would purify our actions, then we must first purify our minds and hearts.
What we desire usually determines what we do[v]
If I create in my children an appetite for candy, then I must satisfy that appetite. If they become overweight and unhealthy, then I must change their appetites, and I must teach them how to enjoy foods other than sweets. “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Ps. 51:10) should be our prayer; for it is out of the heart that these evil desires come (Mark 7:21–23).[vi]
‘Covetousness which is idolatry’ is not a reference to stone or silver gods or goddesses, but to a greedy heart. Greed is idolatry. Literally, it is ‘to have more’—thus adultery is idolatry, as it wants more.
Covetousness is the sin of always wanting more, whether it be more things or more pleasures. The covetous person is never satisfied with what he has, and he is usually envious of what other people have. This is idolatry, for covetousness puts things in the place of God. “Thou shalt not covet” is the last of the Ten Commandments (Ex. 20:17). Yet this sin can make us break all of the other nine! A covetous person will dishonor God, take God’s name in vain, lie, steal, and commit every other sin in order to satisfy his sinful desires.[vii]
Col 3:6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.
Do believers in local churches commit such sins? Unfortunately, they sometimes do. Each of the New Testament epistles sent to local churches makes mention of these sins and warns against them. I am reminded of a pastor who preached a series of sermons against the sins of the saints. A member of his congregation challenged him one day and said that it would be better if the pastor preached those messages to the lost. “After all,” said the church member, “sin in the life of a Christian is different from sin in the lives of other people.”
“Yes” replied the pastor, “it’s worse!”
God hates these sins. They are against his moral law (Exod. 20), and those who do them are called ‘sons of disobedience’ (v. 6); unrepentant sinners will feel the just wrath of God (Matt. 10:28; 25:19–30; 2 Thes. 1:8–9).
Mark 8:36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. Have you trusted Him as your Savior? He can Save you if You ask Him based on His death, burial, and resurrection for your sins. Believe in Him for forgiveness of your sins today.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
Our mission is to spread the gospel and to go to the least of these with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ; We reach out to those the World has forgotten.
hisloveministries.podbean.com #HLMSocial hisloveministries.net https://www.instagram.com/hisloveministries1/?hl=en His Love Ministries on Itunes Don’t go for all the gusto you can get, go for all the God (Jesus Christ) you can get. The gusto will get you, Jesus can save you. https://www.facebook.com/His-Love-Ministries-246606668725869/?tn-str=k*F
The world is trying to solve earthly problems that can only be solved with heavenly solutions
[i] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 134). Victor Books.
[ii] VI:7.
[iii] VI:7.
[iv] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 135). Victor Books.
[v] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 135). Victor Books.
[vi] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 135). Victor Books.
[vii] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 135). Victor Books.
25 YEARS OF MINISTERING TO THE FORGOTTEN
Please help us reach out to those the World has forgotten. Everyone we minister to is locked up in some way, shape, or form. Those in Nursing Home facilities are locked up in bodies that do not work, in a wheelchair or in a bed. We minister to children and youth who are locked up because of behavioral problems. Some have told us, “We want to have a Real Family”, because their parents have lost or given up custody of them. Other kids are locked up because they have committed crimes. We also minister to those locked up at the jail/prison; to those locked up in addictions to drugs, alcohol, depression, and suicidal thoughts; to those locked up in a variety of other things that keep them from becoming who Jesus wants them to be. He came to give us abundant life, joy, and set us free, and these people that we minister to are not free. Our desire is to show them whatever their background, no matter what they have done, to see how much God loves them; We seek to help them receive forgiveness and freedom from their sin in Jesus Christ. We minister in the local area of Savannah, Georgia and surrounding Effingham and Chatham area. We have recently expanded our ministry to the Lexington/Columbia SC area. We do over 700 services every year. We hope and pray that you will support us in some way so we can continue our mission. Go to His Love Ministries.net and Click on the Donate Now button or send it via regular mail to PO Box 1881 Lexington, SC 29071. We hope and pray that you will do that. Thank you and God bless you.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32
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