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October 23, 2009
CONTINUE
In Colossians 1:23 we read these encouraging words:
“if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the
hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every
creature which is under Heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”
There are others who profess to be saved, yet when problems in life come, after a
while they seem to back off in their commitment. They become disenchanted,
disappointed, discouraged, and they soon disappear.
There is no doubt that in our nation, and in our world for that matter, we are
facing some very difficult times. It seems as if almost overnight we have lost
many liberties and face threats of losing even more in our country.
Consider just this week, in the news we have heard White House “Pay Czar”,
Kenneth Feinberg, has decided to arbitrarily cut the pay of executives. The White
House claims to know nothing about it…..Hmmm. Another White House appointee
“Regulatory Czar”, Cass Sunstein, has stated that he wants to do away with
marriage altogether and just let individuals make private commitments to each
other. He also wants to harvest organs (body parts) from terminally ill patients
with or without their consent. Anita Dunn, White House Communications Director,
admittedly looks to Mao Tse-tung (killer of 70 million Chinese) for her inspiration.
She also admits to controlling the media in the USA. The report of the impending
bankruptcy of what was just last year the wealthiest, is certainly of concern to all
Americans.
It is easy, in the gloom of this kind of news, to give up. To just wring our hands
and throw in the towel. Yet, we must not and we cannot if we are true believers in
the Lord Jesus Christ who, as Colossians tells us, “by Him, all things consist” (are
held together).
Paul is writing to encourage the Colossian believers to continue in the faith; to be
grounded and settled; to not be moved away from the hope of the Gospel.
This kind of faithfulness, commitment, stick-to-itiveness and perseverance is
rarely seen in the world but, we all know that it is important for success in
anything that we do. People in our society rarely show this kind of continuance.
They become bored easily. They move on from job to job, location to location,
and from marriage to marriage. No real roots are ever really put down.
So often today, the church simply mirrors the world in its lack of faithful
continuance in the things of God. Hence, the need to somehow compete with the
world in music, modern translations, shorter sermons, more music, etc.
The result? Most Christians do not have a regular prayer time every day at the
same time, and the same place. The same goes with reading the Bible. It is
always hit and miss, or put aside until there is “time” for it. Have you noticed that
there is seldom time for it?
More often than not, when Christians do get together, they do not talk about the
things of God. How wonderful He is, what a difference He has made, how they are
growing, etc. No, if they do talk about anything concerning their faith it is
regarding the latest Christian Guru who has written the latest Christian book! The
shallowness of Christians is revealed in the fact that The Purpose Driven Life is
now being called a Christian classic!
I have written in the front of nearly every Bible I own several reminders, some
from great preachers of the past and many from God’s Word. One verse I have
always written is Isaiah 66:2. “But to this man will I look even to him that is poor
and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at My Word.”
Paul writes to these Colossian believers to “continue in the faith.”
The Bible is filled with admonitions and instructions to faithful continuance:
1 Chronicles 16:11 “Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face continually.”
1 Corinthians 16:13 “Watch ye stand fast in the faith”
2 Timothy 1:13 “Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me.”
Luke 22:32 “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.”
John 15:9 “As the Father hath loved Me-so have I loved you-continue ye in My
love.”
1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast unmovable
always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour
is not in vain in the Lord.”
In these trying times in which we live we, as believers in Christ, need to refuse to
be moved from Him no matter how hard it may become! I believe we are headed
for severe, life threatening persecution because of our faith in Jesus. It will be
easy to compromise and to step back in our commitment, but we must not! As
Winston Churchill once said; “We must NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!
Only the foolish believe that politics or any of this world's wise can solve our
problems. Our help is in the Lord! Do not give up hope in Him! Continue in the
faith, and refuse to be moved!
CONTINUE
In Colossians 1:23 we read these encouraging words:
“if ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the
hope of the Gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every
creature which is under Heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”
- Over the years I have had the privilege of dealing with
many people and with many people’s problems. I say it
is a privilege because I get to share with all of them
what I know to be the only solution for their problems,
no matter what they are. And that answer is Jesus
Christ.
I have noticed, over the years, that there are some
individuals who, no matter what may happen to them,
they stay right in there. They remain faithful and they
do not give up. They keep going, they keep trusting,
and they keep smiling and rejoicing in God!
There are others who profess to be saved, yet when problems in life come, after a
while they seem to back off in their commitment. They become disenchanted,
disappointed, discouraged, and they soon disappear.
There is no doubt that in our nation, and in our world for that matter, we are
facing some very difficult times. It seems as if almost overnight we have lost
many liberties and face threats of losing even more in our country.
Consider just this week, in the news we have heard White House “Pay Czar”,
Kenneth Feinberg, has decided to arbitrarily cut the pay of executives. The White
House claims to know nothing about it…..Hmmm. Another White House appointee
“Regulatory Czar”, Cass Sunstein, has stated that he wants to do away with
marriage altogether and just let individuals make private commitments to each
other. He also wants to harvest organs (body parts) from terminally ill patients
with or without their consent. Anita Dunn, White House Communications Director,
admittedly looks to Mao Tse-tung (killer of 70 million Chinese) for her inspiration.
She also admits to controlling the media in the USA. The report of the impending
bankruptcy of what was just last year the wealthiest, is certainly of concern to all
Americans.
It is easy, in the gloom of this kind of news, to give up. To just wring our hands
and throw in the towel. Yet, we must not and we cannot if we are true believers in
the Lord Jesus Christ who, as Colossians tells us, “by Him, all things consist” (are
held together).
Paul is writing to encourage the Colossian believers to continue in the faith; to be
grounded and settled; to not be moved away from the hope of the Gospel.
This kind of faithfulness, commitment, stick-to-itiveness and perseverance is
rarely seen in the world but, we all know that it is important for success in
anything that we do. People in our society rarely show this kind of continuance.
They become bored easily. They move on from job to job, location to location,
and from marriage to marriage. No real roots are ever really put down.
So often today, the church simply mirrors the world in its lack of faithful
continuance in the things of God. Hence, the need to somehow compete with the
world in music, modern translations, shorter sermons, more music, etc.
The result? Most Christians do not have a regular prayer time every day at the
same time, and the same place. The same goes with reading the Bible. It is
always hit and miss, or put aside until there is “time” for it. Have you noticed that
there is seldom time for it?
More often than not, when Christians do get together, they do not talk about the
things of God. How wonderful He is, what a difference He has made, how they are
growing, etc. No, if they do talk about anything concerning their faith it is
regarding the latest Christian Guru who has written the latest Christian book! The
shallowness of Christians is revealed in the fact that The Purpose Driven Life is
now being called a Christian classic!
I have written in the front of nearly every Bible I own several reminders, some
from great preachers of the past and many from God’s Word. One verse I have
always written is Isaiah 66:2. “But to this man will I look even to him that is poor
and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at My Word.”
Paul writes to these Colossian believers to “continue in the faith.”
The Bible is filled with admonitions and instructions to faithful continuance:
1 Chronicles 16:11 “Seek the Lord and His strength, seek His face continually.”
1 Corinthians 16:13 “Watch ye stand fast in the faith”
2 Timothy 1:13 “Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me.”
Luke 22:32 “I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not.”
John 15:9 “As the Father hath loved Me-so have I loved you-continue ye in My
love.”
1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast unmovable
always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour
is not in vain in the Lord.”
In these trying times in which we live we, as believers in Christ, need to refuse to
be moved from Him no matter how hard it may become! I believe we are headed
for severe, life threatening persecution because of our faith in Jesus. It will be
easy to compromise and to step back in our commitment, but we must not! As
Winston Churchill once said; “We must NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!
Only the foolish believe that politics or any of this world's wise can solve our
problems. Our help is in the Lord! Do not give up hope in Him! Continue in the
faith, and refuse to be moved!
