Waiting On A Promise

I don’t consider myself to be an impatient person, however, I do have my limits.

Waiting becomes difficult when I’m behind the wheel of a car…

Waiting becomes difficult when I accompany my wife, mother in law, and girls to the Christmas Store in Pigeon Forge, TN. They can stay in there for hours! Fortunately, I’ve learned to navigate my way out of that one.

But, it’s hard to wait on things sometimes if we’re honest with ourselves.

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Exegetical Notes: Colossians 1:9-13

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

  • “asking” – specifically asking, no blanket requests.
  • “that you may be filled” – passive. ‘that you may receive the filling.
  • “filled” – completed, or controlled by
  • “knowledge” – here Paul argues that knowing Christ comes from a walking relationship with Him, not from a mystical sense the gnostics promoted.Knowledge is a priority to Paul because he knows it impacts our “walking” “Paul wants the Colossians to know God’s will and then let that knowledge control them.” -H.B.C.
  • “will” – God’s will is not an easter egg where we search for something hidden, but God wants us to know his will and he reveals it in His Word.
  • “spiritual wisdom and understanding” – speaks of the ability for one to understand the big picture of God’s will and apply it to daily living. This allows us not only to think spiritually about God, but rightly as well.
  • “wisdom” – the comprehension of truth
  • “understanding” – the application of truth

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Connected To God’s Family

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. – Hebrews 10:24, 25

Fostering community by guiding people into Christ-centered fellowship.

Introduction

Have you ever worked diligently on a puzzle, only to find out toward the end of completion that you’re missing a piece of the puzzle? Can anything in life be more aggravating than that? It’s disappointing because you’ve worked diligently and see the potential of a completed picture, but know it will never happen because a piece is missing.

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Captivated By God’s Glory

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31

Introduction

In the mid 1950s through the early 1960s, my mother’s dad, my grandfather, or Papa worked on a barge dredging various rock and gravel out of the Chattahoochee River. Because of this type of work several unique items came into his possession. Many of these items, as best as I can remember were in an old blue, faded, and severely cracked mop bucket in Papa’s shed. But one of these items, in particular has become very sentimental to me. It’s the bowl of an Indian pipe that was found among the gravel and sand as my grandfather worked. It’s one of a kind and I know no one else in the world has one like this. It’s in my mother’s possession now, but one day it will become mine. Why am I receiving it as an heirloom and not my sister? Because, when my mother asked, “If you got this when I died, would you sell it?” (It has a value of around $8,000.) I replied, “NO WAY!” – I recognized the value of the artifact that was in the box I held. And…if I’m honest, it makes me feel a little bit like I’m some sort of Indiana Jones.

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What Happens Next? Revelation 21: The New Heaven, Earth & Jerusalem

Chapter 21 can actually be subdivided into two large sections. The first deals with the new heaven and new earth in verses 1-8, The second deals with the new Jerusalem in verses 9-26.

Vision three of Revelation contrasts the two rival cities, the prostitute Babylon and the bride New Jerusalem. In chapters 17–18 John foresaw the prostitute city’s doom. In chapters 19–20 the Lamb-Bridegroom’s wedding was announced. Now, at last, the third vision concludes with a brief scene of the holy bride city. At once John is ushered into his fourth and final vision (21:9–22:5). This time, he is shown the bride city in detail. The most wonderful part of the final vision, however, is his portrait of Jesus among his people throughout eternity. – Easley, K. H. (1998). Revelation (Vol. 12, p. 393). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

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