Warning--DANGER AHEAD!

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty

deceit, according to human traditions, according to elemental

principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” Col. 2:8

So what would be examples of “philosophy,“ empty deceit” and 

“human traditions?”

1 God is irrelevant to life.

2  Political Correctness

3  "We have always done it this way."

4  "You have to compromise your core beliefs, or you are a bigot." 

5  "We can all work together for the common good."

6  "As long as you do your best, you please God." 

There are many other ideas floating around in our culture. Even if you

are “in Him,” Paul says you can be taken captive and rendered ineffective.

I am so prone to being deceived as the world’s thinking can really look good,

which is why I have to go back to God for His perspective. God has always 

shown me the truth about any given argument when I take the time to ask 

Him, and even when I don’t. He wants me to live, “according to Christ,” and

not according the the world's thinking.

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NOTHING???

Well, Paul uses the word “in” a great deal, but what does Jesus 

Himself say?

I found it in John 15:4,5 out of the Philips Translation:

“Jane, you must go on growing in me and I will grow in you” 

(“You will grow in me? Really, Lord?”)

“For just as the branch cannot bear any fruit unless it shares

the life of the vine, so you can produce NOTHING unless you

go on growing in Me. I am the vine itself, you Jane, are a 

branch. It is the one who shares my life and whose life I share 

who proves fruitful. For the plain fact is that apart from

Me--booming voice--YOU CAN DO NOTHING AT ALL.”

“Nothing at all, Lord? Are you serious about this? Am I serious about 

this? I don’t think I have any idea just how intimately You are 

involved in all of my actions, my successes. You know, Lord, if

I walked in this truth everyday, the Christian life would be easy.”

NEW STORY, “My Psychotic Dog” : Click here

http://hisvictoriousindwelling.com/stories.html

A Stunning Surprise!

Saturday afternoon Glen said to me, "I am taking you out for your
birthday dinner tonight so wear something nice. We will leave at 5:30."

Now my birthday was in July and at the time Glen had promised me a
surprise, but that was six weeks ago.

We set out for an unknown destination--just a tad late. The traffic
was heavy as we drove into Old Town Alexandria, VA, and
the first parking garage was full. But, by then I was pretty sure we
were going to The Chart House which sits on the Potomac River
and is one of my favorite restaurants. We headed upstairs into a
darkish room with full daylight streaming into the back windows.
I could see four people sitting at the table but I could not make out
who they were--until, I heard a familiar voice cry out, "surprise!"

I could not believe my eyes! My brother and his wife live in Lancaster, PA
and my cousin and his wife live in Boston, MA. Glen knew that I wanted
my 70th birthday to be all about family--and we did have a party in July
with our children and Glen's family in Weiser, ID--but I never dreamed
Glen would go to the extent of talking "distant" relatives into this. My brother
drove down from Lancaster and picked up my cousin who flew in. I can
understand why the Pennsylvanians were looking for a good meal, but the
Bostonians?

My husband worked hard to make this happen.
My brother, cousin and their wives did their part.  Awesome!

How Do I Live This Christian Life?

"...IN HIM, Jane, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

(Col. 2:3)

"Therefore, Jane, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord--which, by the way

was by faith alone--, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established

in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." (Col. 2:6,7)

I like to imagine that Papa Himself is speaking to me about His Son through 

these.scriptures. It begins to be a conversation and draws me into the Living Word.  

In just three verses I counted five “in’s.”

In him

in whom are hidden

walk in him

rooted and built up in him

established in the faith.  

Really, the Christian life is all about Jesus!

I guess “in” is the “in thing” with God! 

NEW STORY, “My Psychotic Dog” : Click here

http://hisvictoriousindwelling.com/stories.html

Papa's Secret

As I continue to slowly read through the book of Colossians with you, with

a few digressions, I see the same theme over and over:

“Christ in you, the hope of glory!”

Listen to Colossians 2:2,3 from the Phillip’s translation:

“...How I long for you to grow more certain in your knowledge and more sure

in your grasp of God himself. May your spiritual experience become richer 

as you see more and more fully God’s great secret, Christ himself!

For it is in him and him alone, that men will find all the treasures of wisdom

and knowledge.”

How long does it take to begin to unpack these two verses? A lifetime and 

maybe even an eternity. What wonderful verses to use as prayers over 

yourselves and your loved ones. 

My dearest Papa, I pray that I would grow more certain of You. You are not

a distant, uncaring God. May my spiritual experience become richer as 

I gaze on Christ. Show me the treasures of wisdom and knowledge that 

are found in Him and Him alone.”


NEW STORY, “My Psychotic Dog” : Click here

http://hisvictoriousindwelling.com/stories.html

Back to Coffee

What does being a “new creation,” with old things passing away and 

new things appearing, have to do with coffee?

An itinerant Missionary was speaking in a church somewhere overseas 

in the middle of nowhere. He asked the Pastor to stand up and then said,

“This man knows I love coffee, can’t do without coffee, but I have been at 

his house for the past three days and he has not offered me a single cup 

of coffee. Is that not true?” said Mike looking at the Pastor who was red in

the face and looking down at the floor. He nodded.

“However,” continued Mike, “When I arrived at his house I told him that

I had brought my own coffee and he was not to offer me any coffee. So,

it is TRUE by all outward appearances that your Pastor has neglected to

show hospitality, but the TRUTH is an entirely different matter.”

So dear reader, it is true that you may not feel like a Christian or act like a

Christian but the truth is that if you are “in Christ” you ARE a new creation.

Decision time: Are you going to look at yourself and how you measure up 

and pattern your life out of these observations, or are you going to believe

what God says about you and live from His perspective?

Believing God’s truth has brought a fundamental change in how I live!

NEW STORY, “My Psychotic Dog” : Click here

http://hisvictoriousindwelling.com/stories.html