I’ve been reading Paul’s letter to the church in Colosse over the last few days.
One word comes to mind.
R i c h.
After reading a very inspiring post over at Mike’s blog, I decided that I would like to share some of this wealth with you, but I’m going to do it in a way in which you may or may not be familiar with.
I’m going to make it personal.
What I am about to present to you is the first chapter of the letter to the church in Colosse.
I have changed just a couple of small things in order for the letter to apply more directly you.
The things I have taken out are some names, and some things that are much more relevant to Paul, his apostleship, and the immediate context of the events taking place, historically speaking, than they are to us in the context in which we find ourselves today (In other words, I am not Paul the apostle, and you are not meeting with the first century church in Colosse. 
)
Now, saints,…
Saint…
This embellished portion of the letter to the church in Colosse is also for you.
Personally.
Take your time and read it in just that way.
It is from one saint to another…
Just as it was from Paul to the church, now it is also from me to you, as I have copied or typed nothing that I do not mean from the bottom of my heart.
Enjoy…
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To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ who meet and fellowship in the Blogiverse:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying … for you, since I began reading of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints;
because of the hope which is laid up for us in heaven, of which we heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to us,
as it has also in all the world,
and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among us since the day we heard and knew the grace of God in truth; I know of your love in the Spirit.
For this reason I also, since the day I recognized it, … I could not help but pray for you, and ask that we all may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
that we all may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to
the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
All things were created through Him and for Him.
And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself,
by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
And we, who once were alienated and enemies in our minds by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present us
holy, and
blameless, and
above reproach in His sight– if indeed we continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard,
which was preached to every creature under heaven,
…
…
The word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, … now has been revealed to His saints.
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is
Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.
To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
More to come…
Your Brother,
Johnny
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*Following this post, I would like to discuss what these things mean…
It would be fascinating to take it, first, one little section at a time, and then look at the portion given as a whole and see what the Spirit of the Lord has to say to us all.
As I said, take your time.
I’m looking forward to your feedback.
( *Even if you decide not to discuss what all of this means, It is my prayer that the Spirit reveal it to us in our innermost being. )
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