Colossians 2:1-23 KJV 1 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; 2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. 5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. 6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. 18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. 20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

Paul is writing church in Colossians, he is disappointed he can not be their to be with the church. Some had never meet him and he long to meet those he wrote. He suffered because of a lack of fellowship with churches that were established during his ministry. If Paul could stress anything at all it would be the fullness of the Godhead bodily and the fact the believers in Christ are complete in Jesus. Jesus being the Christ, the fullness of God the Father reigns in his body, before creation, after creation, through Christ physical ministry and those the spiritual ministry by the Holy Spirit as well as seeing Christ on the throne in the immortal body. Christ being the head of the church, in charge of all things. The word of God being divine and putting things in operational state of being. I can not stress enough how Christ is one with God, yet at the same time willing came here to demonstrate his love for us by paying the price for our sin. People could not have hide Christ to keep him from paying the price. Christ was hide on more then one occasion escaping the crowd. It was God that hid him, to escape death that was not yet time to be. Paul made similiar sacrifices by preaching the Gospel. In fact so much so he reminded the people of his sacrifice for them, but Paul was not God, nor would Paul want you to worship him. He state it so to explain what a minister of faith had to be willing to go through for the Gospel. Paul's desire to build up the church and not tear it down. In fact he encourage them to stand on the Gospel of Christ because they were complete in Christ. All that needed preaching was Jesus. Yet the truth all of the Gospel is preached for the benefit of understanding who God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is. To know how God put things operational as far as who He is establishing the church through His Son. Without Christ sacrifice on the cross, man's sins could not be buried for eternity. The church of the first born of God could not be established. God's word establishes things. It establishes and builds up the church. God's word established the creation of the world we live in and even things of heaven. God's word being Christ been establishing all things from the beginning. Yet if one believes in Christ we are no longer having to deal with ordinances of man, no. If we walk after God's Spirit we will not fulfill the flesh. Yet the world will condemn us by the law. Law we have not broken, but a law that man would like to judge all people by. A law we obey in regards to social rule, but it is not a law necessarily of God. Man creates festivals and holidays for the benefit of celebrating and honoring many things, but some do not honor God by these traditions. One can honor God in their tradition by putting Christ in their traditions and celebrations. Yet do not let people judge you by what customes you follow in our world. Naman went into the temple of his boss, and yet he believe in God and did not worship his boss's idol. Point if we judge Naman for where he was then he would not be part of God's family. There are place we go that may or may not line up with the traditions of God's house. When we witness for Christ, when we work, and even play, we may find ourselves in opposition to God's family in regards of sneers and looks of disapproval. Jesus ate with tax collectors, healed on the Sabbath and spoke to people that were not Jewish. All these things Jesus did got disapproval by the Jewish people. The point being it easy to judge what we do not understand about someone that is a disciple of Christ based on appearance, but it does not make it sin. What it does do is cause questions. Speak up about the work you do for Christ. Paul spoke up about his suffering and the fact he did it for the church. Do we not go to places to speak of Christ that not necessarily the church, for the purpose of building up the church, in other words bringing people to Jesus. Building up the church in dealing with questions concerning Christ. Paul dealt with both Jews and Gentiles, just like Christ, but he boasted of suffering because it built up the church. Does telling of persecution hurt you today, it might. One might be better off examining if what they are going through is common to everyone or only to believers of faith. When you hear of Christians dying of faith in other countries, it makes one cringe that this is still going on in our world. Yet many religious groups face persecution. Is persecution of Christ church only ones suffering. If is beware of your boasting. Paul's world though huge in ministry was only what he could perceive from his part of the world and news that would come as well. Our world is huge in regards of how much we hear things by our news, by the church news, global media and by local hang outs. There was another shooting at another Walmart in Texas. I can not help but cringe at the mass shootings taking place in our world. Yet no place is truly exempt from possibility today. Armish children were shot a few years ago. People everywhere are looking over their shoulder to see what in front and behind them. Yet some people are not listening or paying any attention to the world around them. Yes music earphones and cellphones are nice, but could us listening to the world help prevent such events. What can we do to help the suffering? We can pray for those suffering because of crazy person, we can express love and concern across the net in support of those suffering. Some can be there ministering to these people that are suffering. yet persecution of people exist despite faith, despite location, and despite religion/race/ or other social groupings. We can not hide from being inside or outside of any store, or business of any kind. Death is around us. I went down the interstate about ten years or more ago and seen so much death on the highway it unnerved me. My husband I both thought one vehicle was about to wreck, and ten minutes or more in front of us we passed it with rescue hauling away the dead. It unnerved me, but my husband did rescue and fire fighting at one time, and it did not effect him the same way, for he seen many wrecks. I think what needs to happen is history lesson taken on how many such events occurred in the U.S.A before the last twenty years of advance news capabilities to discover whether or not these events are new to society, or are they something that occurs regularly here. Unless media or people pass the word along no one even knows it is happening. We are living in a society that can be global in a minute, only to cause global chaos at the same time. The church world needs to be alert to this, and deal with it in the right perspective. Not only church but public too. Using tribulation as a way of winning only works if one is aware of their own immortality. Paul dealt with a lot of persecution. He was beaten, stoned and cast out of more then one city. What he was dealing with was because of those that did not accept the Gospel of Jesus. It was not because he did not work, he was a tent maker, it was not because he broke a crime, it was because he spread and testified about Jesus that caused a disruption to the religious world. He spoke to the Gentiles and the Jews about their Messiah that had come, died and rose again for their sins. The death of Christ was it normal? Was it normal to set a guilty man free to crucify an innocent man. It happens in today's society without question. However God's only Son was the only one that could take away the sins of the world because of His perfection. No one else is perfect but Jesus, but others do die innocently. Understand the Bible was written many years ago, much we read has not changed in many ways, but there is a lot more people in the world now. What can our churches and public groups do but teach tolerance of others. Yet even in scripture it shows people not respecting others rights. If God turned the people over to sin that chose not obey Him, then are we any less, beyond the legal law. God's destruction comes when society sin reaches the heighth of heaven. Society destruction of itself comes the minute they agree with intolerance and later with tolerance of some things. The church let us not just the believers by their location, or status in life, but let us justly judge what is right in regards to teaching the truth about God from His word. Let us hold the doctrines of Christ, that the church maybe rooted and built up not only in faith but in strength. Let the pillars of Boaz and Jaccinth stand so truth will be desired and won. Dear Heavenly Father help the church to be established in faith and build it up in strength for your glory and honor. Lord also be with those families suffering and the people in Texas mascre at Walmart. In Jesus precious name, Amen. Continual Scripture Study for Devotion: Chronicles 3:17 KJV And he reared up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz. http://www.turtle30cshell.com