Above picture was taken a few years ago on a hike through Grayson Highlands State Park, VA. Photo taken by my wife Kelly depicting me carrying my daughter Macie as she was hiking!?!?!? Put on Beloved-ness!
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful (Colossians 3:12-15 ESV).”
Of all the descriptors the Lord uses in His Word to speak of His children, the term beloved is one that I most cherish. The term beloved reveals the heart of our Lord toward us His people. We are beloved. We are those who are most cherished by our God. Because we are so dearly loved, Jesus Himself chose to come to us to redeem us while we were yet sinners. He saw fit, due to love to lay down His own life in atonement for the sin that separates us from Himself. John tells us that there is no greater love than one who lays down His own life for those who are beloved.[1] This being the very thing our Savior chose to submit to in His love for those whom He beloves. He loves us so much that betrayal, suffering, torment, death and the grave would not deter Him from rescuing us due to His great love.
This term beloved implies to be found within the gaze of the one who loves. One who is beloved is one who is beheld. The attention of our Lord falls upon us, His beloved. As we wallow in sin being those who have fallen from grace, our Lord looks upon us in love. In our suffering, He pours out compassion. In our struggle, He comforts us with His mercy. In our wondering, He offers us His authority. In weakness, He carries us in His arms. In separation, He fights for us destroying our enemies under His feet.[2] He looks upon us in love knowing our struggle. We, His beloved children whom He chose to be His very own precious possession are held within His hands.[3] Those who are beloved are those who are gazed upon by the One who loves. What more precious aspect of being is there than to be considered beloved of God? I can think of nothing more precious. All praise, glory and thanksgiving to our Savior, Messiah and Lord Jesus for choosing us to be His.
As those who have been redeemed by the love of Jesus, put on then beloved-ness. Know that the Lord looks upon you as His precious possession. Take confidence in the fact that Our Savior is faithful even in our unfaithfulness. Submit to His authority and pray for His provision to help us overcome those things that attempt to cause us to stumble. In our weakness, He is our strength. In affliction, He is our comfort. In trial, He is our guide. Chose then to remember that you are one who is favored in the sight of our Messiah, His beloved. Amen!
This blog was written by our youngest daughter Macie. Thank you to Macie for her willingness to share her thoughts regarding this hymn. To God be the glory!
In 1861, Julia Ward Howe wrote The Battle Hymn Of The Republic. She fought against slavery and for women’s rights. During the Civil War, Julia and her family visited an army camp in Virginia. They heard soldiers singing about freedom. She liked the music but not the words. Her pastor said she should write her own words to the song. She lay in her bed as words came to her, and after she was satisfied with the song, she wrote the words on paper so she wouldn’t forget them. The Atlantic Monthly magazine published her poem.
The first verse of the Hymn:
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
This verse means that God’s glory will come to the earth again, and that His glory is everlasting.
The second verse of the Hymn:
I have seen Him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps,
His day is marching on.
This verse means, The soldiers focused on praising God in the time of war because they know He is coming soon.
The third verse of the Hymn:
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him; be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.
This verse means, that when Jesus’ trumpet blows that we can’t run from it and we will have to stand before His judgment.
The last verse of the Hymn:
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me;
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free!
While God is marching on.
This last verse means, when Jesus was born He was full of glory and that changes the hearts of men. He died on the cross it made us holy and we should tell others about Him.
“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but have the Light of Life (John 8:12 NASB95).’”
One of my favorite songwriters is Josh Garrels. A few years ago he wrote a song titled “The Light Came Down.” In the song, he celebrates the provision of our Lord and Savior. He celebrates answered prayers in that our God cares for us. He cares for us enough to come here to save us. Light came down to cast away darkness. Light came down to be a comfort to a people who are dearly loved. Light came down to clothe His people in the hope of Salvation. For unto us does His light shine. The light of God came down to save us.
The closing chorus of the song offers us this reminder of our Savior:
The light came down Cast the darkness away He appeared A helpless child The light of God came to save us To the world that He made us O’ Lord and Savior Alleluia
The Light of God come to us, to save us. Jesus came to us because of love. He came to cast away darkness. His Light a beacon of hope in a world stricken under a curse brought forth due to sin. Our Savior, the Light who has the authority to chase away all the darkness, appeared. “O’ Lord and Savior, Alleluia.”
Jesus gives us this promise with His very own words. Jesus tells us that He is the Light. He is the Light who has come down to us. A Light of hope in this world to save us. We have been given the opportunity to follow Him. In faith we can receive His Light. A Light of hope that enlivens us through His Spirit. A Light that provides reprieve from despair and the chaos lurking within the shadows of this world. Jesus is our Light directing our path toward Life eternal. “The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5).” Choose this day to follow Jesus. Choose to follow Him as He is the only source of everlasting Light overcoming darkness. If we choose to follow Him, we will not walk in darkness but in Light. For unto us does His light shine. “O’ Lord and Savior, Alleluia.”
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful (Colossians 3:12-15 ESV).”
As a condition of being a child of God, we are called to be holy. To write these words sounds both unattainable and irreverent. How could we ever be holy as God is holy? And why would Almighty God suggest the possibility of attaining a condition of holiness for such a lowly people? Yet we see in these verses the command to put on holiness as an aspect of our faith.
To discover what we are to put on in this context, it is necessary to examine the word holiness. The Apostle Peter gives us this exhortation in his letter, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy (1 Peter 1:14-16 NASB95).’” By surveying the text we can begin to understand the imperative put forth toward holiness. Peter reminds us that we are children of God. As children of God, we are to strive toward willing obedience to the One who has saved us. Why? Because Jesus has provided a means for us to be reconciled. In this reconciliation, we have the promise of eternal life in covenant with Almighty God. Therefore we have the authority in our submission to Jesus to step out of the conformity of our former lusts. Holiness then is to repent and turn away from the fallen manner in which we lived. This made possible only in humility and submission to our Messiah. In this call toward holiness, the impossibility to achieve such a stature in the frail human condition is only accomplished through the provision of our Lord. He calls us to be holy as He is holy, but He makes a way for us to do so. To His glory, He has given us the Name above every name to call upon to equip us to walk in a manner that if worthy of the calling. God calls us to be holy and He gives us the indwelling presence of His Spirit to equip us.
Likeness in holiness toward God is then in the ability to be set apart and distinct from the mundane. As our Lord and Savior is utterly distinct in the sense that there are no other gods who are like Him (Isa. 43:10). We too must be distinct in our true personhood as we strive to submit in humility to His authority in our lives. No longer do we conform to the lusts of this mundane world as one who is ignorant. We have the authority, knowledge and discernment of our Savior who dwells in us through His Holy Spirit to equip, sustain and preserve us in faith. Holiness then is found in willingness. It is found in our willingness to recognize the authority of God in our lives. To submit to this authority as the Name above all names, putting aside temporal pursuits in exchange for the eternal. Holiness is in the seeking. Seek the Lord as He directs our paths. Seek His council in those things which cause you to stumble. Seek His power to help you overcome both sin and temptation. Holiness is in trusting. Trusting that our Savior will continually work in our lives to help us walk toward the person He has designed us to be. This is our true identity. A child of God, made in His image being utterly distinct from the image of the fallen world which we have by grace been delivered from to His glory! AMEN!
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful (Colossians 3:12-15 ESV).”
As we continue to examine these verses given to us by the Lord through the Apostle Paul, our focus this day will land on the designation applied us as chosen. We are God’s chosen ones. This is a designation applied to the people of God throughout the course of Scripture. In the book of Exodus 19:5-6. God declares that we are His. We are His treasured possession and unto Him we are to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. “Chosen-ness” is a profound distinction of our human identity redeemed of Jesus. Brothers and sisters, we are chosen. This means that we are not orphans who know not a father. We have the opportunity to be loved and cared for by our ever-loving, merciful and gracious Redeemer. We are not destitute in our ability to find purpose in faith.
John records these words of our Savior, “You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another (John 15:15-17 ESV).” Salvation offers us reconciliation with God. And in this reconciliation we are called to bear fruit. The fruit that we produce as we strive to exalt the Name of the Lord in our lives will abide. The faith being built in us as the people of God will bring perseverance. It will also serve to condition our world with truth that is unchanging.
Peter writes this encouragement to us echoing the implications found earlier in Scripture, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9-10 ESV).” Again, we are a people of God’s own possession, treasured and loved. We have been called out of darkness to dwell in His Light so that we His children can declare the excellencies of His grace. A people who once knew not mercy can now find mercy in the blessed Name of Jesus.
Put on then as God’s chosen ones, “chosen-ness.” Confidence in our distinct personhood, knowing the author of our true identity. We are a people who can know purpose. We are a people who can know and find comfort in an identity that is ordained by God. We are a people who are chosen to be His through our faith in our Savior, knowing who you are and knowing your true identity in Jesus. We do not need to invent forms of personhood or identity which conform to this fallen world. We have been given both distinction in our identity as defined by God, our Father. In Jesus we can find dignity as His chosen, redeemed, treasured people. To God be the Glory!
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful (Colossians 3:12-15 ESV).”
Prior to these verses, the Apostle Paul instructs us to “put to death what is earthly in you (Colossians 3:5).” The term earthly is intentionally used to include aspects of our fallen nature that are in keeping with sin. Paul tells us to take off the old self. Allow the authority of Jesus to rule and reign in your hearts so that the old self, the old sin nature can be put to death. Paul gives this instruction to us as people of faith who are walking in the authority of Jesus. We have the authority in Jesus to be set free from the bondage of the sin nature. We are no longer bound, but free in Jesus to choose to submit to His authority. Under His authority, the old self can be put to rest in exchange for the new. A new self who is conformed to the image of our Creator in recognition of His grace, mercy and love for us.
Following the Apostles Paul’s instruction regarding the authority of Jesus to remove the old self, he gives us a list of attributes to put on. In the putting off of the old self, we must put on then behaviors, attitudes and characteristics which exemplify the authority of Jesus in our lives. In faith, redeemed by Jesus, we are responsible for purposefully demonstrating characteristics of our salvation in the manner in which we conduct ourselves. The old self is gone the new has come.
The Lord tells us to put on then, as His chosen ones, attributes of faith demonstrating His authority to bring transformation in our lives. Why do this? Because we are His. We are His and He has saved us by His grace. We are beloved children of an eternal God. Claim this promise today! We are His, the beloved children of a righteous King. The redeemed people of a sovereign Savior. It is by His mercy that we are saved. It is our response to demonstrate salvation in our submission to His authority. Let us all put on then the new self who is being conformed to the image of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:18-30). Let us do this to bring His glory in the things we think say and do.
Over the course of the next few articles, we are going to examine the attributes we are to put on as instructed by God’s Holy Word. I pray that we all intentionally strive to demonstrate our faith in Jesus through evidence in our very lives. To God be the glory!
This blog was written by our youngest daughter Macie. She has done an excellent job expressing the wonder of our God as He is glorified in His Creation. It is a blessing to read these words written by my daughter. May the Lord continue to fill her with wisdom, knowledge and creativity as she gives glory to her Savior!!! I pray that her words are a blessing to you.
Additionally, the photo was taken when we were on top of Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina. Mt. Mitchell is the highest point east of the Mississippi River. Elevation 6,684 feet above sea level. To God be the glory for great things He has done!
I am writing about the sounds I heard outside and how nature glorifies God. The first sound I heard was a gentle spring rain. The rain smelled dirty but fresh. The rain was pitter-pattering on the soft, dewy grass. The pitter-patter sounded like a little kittens paws walking. The drizzle of rain was calming and reminded me of this Bible verse, “Ask rain from the Lord in the season of the spring rain, from the Lord who makes the storm clouds, and he will give them showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field.” (Zechariah 10:1). Also, “Then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.” (Leviticus 26:4). The rain reminds us that God will take care of us. We can trust in His promises.
Then I heard gentle tweets of birds and also loud and low sounding chirps. It was like the birds were all singing together. The sound of the birds was calming and beautiful. They are also building new nest which signifies new life. The verse, Matthew 6:26 says: “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:26). God will take care of us if He takes care of the birds.
I heard the quiet howling of wind behind all of the other sounds. When the wind blew the trees would rustle. The wind felt good, it felt crisp and new. Here is a Bible verse about wind, “When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4). The wind reminds us that God promises us His Spirit.
That is what I heard and observed when I was outside listening to the sounds of nature. “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3).
Most likely we have all had the incredibly unfortunate, indescribably painful experience of stepping on a Lego which is on the floor in our bare feet. Needless to say stepping on a Lego barefooted may rank up there as one of the most painful physical experiences we endure in our adult life! Obviously, I am exaggerating to a degree about how painful stepping on a Lego can be for the sake of emphasis.
While I am being a bit silly in the above statement, I do want to consider the Lego in your life. (Side note about the word Lego. From what I understand, the word Lego is used in both singular and plural applications of the word). We all have Lego residing on the metaphorical floor of our lives. These Lego scattered across the floor of our lives are remnants of past experiences. The Lego represent past hurt, turmoil, struggle and difficulty. The Lego on the floor scattered by past experiences is unavoidable. We all can name any number of difficult events strewn across the history of our lives. They fall upon the floor of our memories awaiting the barefoot of our memory to step on them. When stepped upon, these difficulties can spur us to remember the hardship, turmoil or hurt of the past. In some cases, the hurt may be just as unbearable to cope with in the memory as it was during the actual trial.
Just like the toy Lego, as they are scattered over the floor causing pain when stepped upon, so too can past difficulties bring back painful memories. But the question I ask you is: What do you do with your Lego? What do you do with the events of your past? Do you allow the Lego to reside on the floor, scattered or do you choose to build with them? Do you allow the difficulties of your past to be a painful reminder of the hurt you suffered or do you choose to use the past as a building block upon which to stand in the present? Do you trust in the Lord to help you cope with past difficulties to equip you in the now?
God’s Word gives us many promises of His love, provision and care for us. The Psalmist tells us:
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26 NIV).
Though we will face trials in this life, though we may feel like we are failing, though the difficulty may seem insurmountable, trust that the Lord is with you. Our God is with us! Cling to His strength. Give Him those Lego in what is broken from your past and allow Him to build within you a masterpiece for His glory.
(Thank you to Elliot and Ian for the inspiration for this writing)
This blog entry was written by Mandie. I consider Mandie and her family as dear friends and fellow servants of the Lord. They are members of Mount Zion Road Church and most importantly, they are faithful followers of our Lord and King, Jesus Christ. I am thankful and blessed that she was willing to allow me to post this entry on my website. Mandie encourages all of us to recognize the covenant relationship we can have with our Savior, Jesus. This relationship is one that we must pursue intentionally and with purpose as we grow in faith. I pray that you find her words to be a blessing as you read. To God be the glory!
I was looking at a depiction of Noah and his wife. Two smiling faces staring back at me and it occurred to me that the Bible does not tell us a name for Noah’s wife. If you do an online inquiry you will find that there have been speculations about her name but they are just that- human speculations. The Bible also does not mention anything about Noah’s wife’s character. We do know that she was loyal to board the ark with her husband and family. This brings to mind two other Biblical wives who were not as loyal to their husbands- Lot’s wife, who was turned into a pillar of salt because she turned around, in presumed longing, to steal one last glimpse of her wicked hometown being destroyed by God in judgment (Genesis 19), and Job’s wife, who, when given the chance and privilege to support and encourage her husband in their shared time of grief, chose to instead discourage him (Job 2:9). I find it interesting then, in the case of Job, that after his wife failed to do what she ought to have done, his friends stepped in and were, at the least, present with him in his grief. The Biblical account of Noah does not mention any friends that he had in support of his mission and arduous task from the Lord. He had God and his wife and family who were faithful in remaining by his side.
If we go back to the book of Genesis and the creation account, we see God’s words in chapter 2 verse 18 “Then the Lord God said, “it is not good that man should be alone; “I will make him a helper fit for him.” The words “fit for him” shows God’s design in marriage. Each man, each husband, is very different in the gifts they possess, the needs that they have and yet God has designed a way for those personal expressions to be supported and met. Marriage is a high calling for both the husband and the wife. Each have their own set of responsibilities and while they will look different depending on the household and the couple- the directive from our Lord is clear throughout the Bible. From Proverbs where we read “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord” (18:22) and “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.” (31:10-12) to Ephesians where we read “Let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” (5:33) It is in Ephesians where we read about the symbolism of marriage being a depiction of Christ and the church. Before reading further, please read Ephesians 5:25-32 in your Bible.
The charge then is this that to remain strong in our earthly marriage covenant, we need to remain strong in our spiritual marriage covenant with God. To have a humble, loyal and Christ-centered marriage we need to stay connected to the Vine from which we are branches (John 15). Furthermore, encouragement from the picture shown in Ephesians 5 is for everyone! This beautiful passage of Scripture shows us how Christ treats our covenant with Him- a covenant we have as believing individuals- He loved us so much that He gave Himself up as an atoning sacrifice for us (v. 25), He desires that we would be holy, and blameless through sanctification (v. 26 & 27), He nourishes and cherishes us because we are members of His own body (v. 29 & 30). Verse 31 quotes Genesis 2:
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Here is the passage out of Ephesians 5:
30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Just as we are meant to be “one flesh” with a spouse within a marriage covenant, we are meant to be “one flesh” with Christ in our spiritual marriage covenant. For we know, as Galatians 2:20 says: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
and also in the prayer offered by Jesus during His last few hours on earth in John 17:
17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.19 For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.24 Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.25 “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me;26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Praise God for His sacrifice and infinite grace and love towards us!!
Without using your phone or a dictionary, define the following words:
(All of the words are actually found in the English Language.)
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism
Floccinaucinihilipilification
Antidisestablishmentarianism
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Euouae
Honorificabilitudinitatibus
Obviously the listed words are incredibly difficult. I would assume that no one was able to define the words without assistance. If you were able to define some of them without assistance from an outside source, you are exceptional!
The purpose of the exercise is to help us recognize that there are times when we must rely on a source to help bring understanding. In order to understand, we must go to the source containing the definitions. A dictionary will give us definitions of challenging words. The definitions will help us understand, but they are just words. In life we need to revert to the source of the definitions. The Bible is the source of the definitions that will equip us in this life.
The following is an extremely brief list of definitions set forth by God through His Word. We can trust His Word to give us the definitions we need to navigate life.
How does God define Himself:
Genesis 1:1– “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
Isaiah 46:8-10– “Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you transgressors. Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning,And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure.”
How does Jesus define Himself:
John 1:1-3– “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”
John 1:14– “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 3:16– “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
John 14:6– “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
Colossians 1:16– “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.”
How is the Holy Spirit defined:
John 14:26– “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
Romans 8:26– “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
How does the Bible define Us:
Genesis 1:27– “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Corinthians 6:19– “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
1 Peter 2:9– “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
Ephesians 1:3-14– “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making knownto us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”
How are we to live by God’s definitions:
Proverbs 4:20-27- “My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all theirflesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponderthe path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.”
James 4:7- “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
God gives us the definitions we need in this life. We do not need to guess.
A lung disease caused by the inhalation of silica or quartz dust.
Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism (thirty letters)
A mild form of inherited pseudohypoparathyroidism that simulates the symptoms of the disorder but isn’t associated with abnormal levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood.
The estimation of something as valueless. Ironically, floccinaucinihilipilification is a pretty valueless word itself; it’s almost never used except as an example of a long word.
Originally described opposition to the disestablishment of the Church of England, but now it may refer to any opposition to withdrawing government support of a particular church or religion.
Mary Poppins described it as the word to use “when you have nothing to say.” It appears in some (but not all) dictionaries.
Euouae
Euouae is six letters long, but all of the letters are vowels. It holds two Guinness World Records. It’s the longest English word composed exclusively of vowels, and it has the most consecutive vowels of any word. If you are wondering about its meaning, it’s a musical term from medieval times.
Honorificabilitudinitatibus
That position is held by honorificabilitudinitatibus, a twenty-seven-letter way of saying “with honorableness.”
Corby Shuey 