"ALL THINGS IN CHRIST..."
Question - how many things does "all things" include? EVERYTHING!!
"All" is a very large word, an all-encompassing word. There is nothing outside of "all". "All things" is without qualification.
"All" is "all" - and "all things" is EVERYTHING. NOTHING is left out; NOTHING is excluded. All" is all inclusive.
We cannot come up with a single thing that is not included in ALL!
In Romans 11:36, Paul sums up the preeminence of Christ (the aim of Father is to have Jesus Christ have that kind of position in ALL things) in three expressions:
"OF Him"
"THROUGH Him"
"TO Him"
"OF HIM" EVERYthing that exists - in the heavens, on earth, everything that has ever been created, past, present, future, is created BY and BECAUSE of Christ.
"THROUGH HIM" EVERYthing that lives, moves, breathes, operates, or exists, or functions in the universe, whether animate or inanimate, whether biological, chemical, spiritual, natural, or cosmological, ALL does so THROUGH CHRIST, who sovereignly upholds ALL things, determines their place, and keeps them in order.
"TO HIM" EVERYthing, no matter how far from God's thought it may be, no matter how chaotic things appear, is being directed, summoned up and gathered together INTO CHRIST.
As the Alpha, ALL things flow FROM Him.
As the Omega, ALL things flow TO Him.
Therefore, we speak of Jesus Christ having the preeminence in ALL things. Jesus is Lord over us individually, over the church corporately, and over all creation collectively.
Yes, CHRIST IS PREEMINENT - He is exalted above EVERY principality and power, rule and dominion, things visible and invisible, things past, present, future, things in the heavenlies (spirit), things on earth, things under the earth.
"ALL things are OF Him; ALL things are THROUGH Him, and ALL things are
TO Him..." Rom. 11:36
What more can we say...
(My thanks to several saints for much of this.)
Friday, February 26, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Christ is victorious!
Let EVERYTHING that has breath praise the Lord!" Psalm 150:6
What could be clearer?! This last verse of the last psalm points to the reconciliation and restoration of ALL!
Gregory of Nyasa wrote, "Such is the meaning of this final psalm, in which, after the complete abolition of sin, praise shall be rising to God, which praise shall contain (implied) our being incapable of turning to sin, when every created being shall be harmonized into one choir; and when, like a cymbal, the reasonable creation, and that which is now severed by sin, shall pour forth a pleasing strain, due to mutual harmony. Then comes the praise of every spirit forever abounding with increase into eternity."
And...
Scripture says, ALL condemned/ALL saved (1 Cor. 15:22). Religion says, ALL condemned/FEW saved. This doctrine supersedes God's words. Thus religion makes Adam more powerful than Christ. NOT SO!! Christ is the Saviour of the world! He is the Lamb who took away the sin of the world! It is CHRIST who is victorious, not sin, the devil, or man. God's ultimate purpose of "the reconciliation of mankind" will be accomplished. Amen!
ALL is of God...
It is GOD who saves...
It is God who calls...
It is God who designates...
It is God who purposes...
It is God who graces...
For those who say that God "desires" men to be saved, but each one must choose for himself, there is this to say: For Deity, "desire" is NOT a wish. God has always worked from the basis of "intent to achieve" that which He purposed. All the infinite resources of the Sovereign of the universe are employed to achieve that which lies at the epicentre of all that will be accomplished, every knee bowing and every tongue declaring (NOT confessing, as if to finally admit to it, just before being damned) to the glory of God the Father!
Amen!
What could be clearer?! This last verse of the last psalm points to the reconciliation and restoration of ALL!
Gregory of Nyasa wrote, "Such is the meaning of this final psalm, in which, after the complete abolition of sin, praise shall be rising to God, which praise shall contain (implied) our being incapable of turning to sin, when every created being shall be harmonized into one choir; and when, like a cymbal, the reasonable creation, and that which is now severed by sin, shall pour forth a pleasing strain, due to mutual harmony. Then comes the praise of every spirit forever abounding with increase into eternity."
And...
Scripture says, ALL condemned/ALL saved (1 Cor. 15:22). Religion says, ALL condemned/FEW saved. This doctrine supersedes God's words. Thus religion makes Adam more powerful than Christ. NOT SO!! Christ is the Saviour of the world! He is the Lamb who took away the sin of the world! It is CHRIST who is victorious, not sin, the devil, or man. God's ultimate purpose of "the reconciliation of mankind" will be accomplished. Amen!
ALL is of God...
It is GOD who saves...
It is God who calls...
It is God who designates...
It is God who purposes...
It is God who graces...
For those who say that God "desires" men to be saved, but each one must choose for himself, there is this to say: For Deity, "desire" is NOT a wish. God has always worked from the basis of "intent to achieve" that which He purposed. All the infinite resources of the Sovereign of the universe are employed to achieve that which lies at the epicentre of all that will be accomplished, every knee bowing and every tongue declaring (NOT confessing, as if to finally admit to it, just before being damned) to the glory of God the Father!
Amen!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Words - the wonder of words...
Some while back, I wrote in my journal about words. When I came across the entry recently, thought it something I would like to share:
Words. Yes, Abba Father, I do enjoy words: what they mean, how to use them in speaking and writing. As I was pondering about that just now, it occurred to me that the reason I like words and feel they are important is because - YOU used words; YOU spoke them forth, and all was created...and Jesus is called the Word of God.
Yes, words ARE important, and words are meaningful...and words are special. I know that they can be used to deceive, to destroy, but...they are significant, and powerful for good, as well, for they relate to You.
Also, "...in Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." The Greek word for treasure is "thesaurus" - and a thesaurus is a book of synonyms - words. Jesus is THE Word, and we are all variations (synonyms) of that Word.
Wow, what a thought.
A couple of words that have meanings that are interesting:
...The Greek for "religion" is - dread-speak. Surely it is!
...Amen. The root of "amen", "It is done, finished," is "trust". So when we say the word, Amen, we are saying, "It is done; trust Me."
Words. Yes, Abba Father, I do enjoy words: what they mean, how to use them in speaking and writing. As I was pondering about that just now, it occurred to me that the reason I like words and feel they are important is because - YOU used words; YOU spoke them forth, and all was created...and Jesus is called the Word of God.
Yes, words ARE important, and words are meaningful...and words are special. I know that they can be used to deceive, to destroy, but...they are significant, and powerful for good, as well, for they relate to You.
Also, "...in Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." The Greek word for treasure is "thesaurus" - and a thesaurus is a book of synonyms - words. Jesus is THE Word, and we are all variations (synonyms) of that Word.
Wow, what a thought.
A couple of words that have meanings that are interesting:
...The Greek for "religion" is - dread-speak. Surely it is!
...Amen. The root of "amen", "It is done, finished," is "trust". So when we say the word, Amen, we are saying, "It is done; trust Me."
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Facts
The other day, as was reading a writing about the subject of facts, and that God has placed thousands of facts in His scriptures, realized that such a definition of His words IS true. Not all things called "facts" are such, i.e, there was the time when it wss believed as a fact, that the earth was flat. In time, that "fact" was disproved. But when there is a fact in scripture, it IS a fact. No doubt about it. And what a joy to know that:
FACT - I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh (this body)I live by the faith OF Christ, who is loving me, and gave Himself for me. Oh my - what a fact! Gal. 2:20
FACT - I am a saint! Eph. 1:1, where that fact is declared.
FACT - I am justified! Rom. 5:1.
FACT - Christ IS my peace! Eph. 2:14
FACT - I have died to sin! Rom. 6:2
FACT - The love of God has been poured out (one translation says, "torrented out") within our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us. Rom.5:5
FACT - In everything (!) I am enriched in Him. 1 Cor. 1:5
FACT - In Christ Jesus, I have become the wisdom of God, and the righteousness of God, and I have been sanctified and redeemed in/through Christ. 1 Cor. 1:30
Surely such facts are almost too glorious for us to fully comprehend - but, PTL, they are TRUE!! And these are just the beginning...
Oh, the unfathomed love of God...and not just for me, but for ALL His creation!
FACT - I have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh (this body)I live by the faith OF Christ, who is loving me, and gave Himself for me. Oh my - what a fact! Gal. 2:20
FACT - I am a saint! Eph. 1:1, where that fact is declared.
FACT - I am justified! Rom. 5:1.
FACT - Christ IS my peace! Eph. 2:14
FACT - I have died to sin! Rom. 6:2
FACT - The love of God has been poured out (one translation says, "torrented out") within our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us. Rom.5:5
FACT - In everything (!) I am enriched in Him. 1 Cor. 1:5
FACT - In Christ Jesus, I have become the wisdom of God, and the righteousness of God, and I have been sanctified and redeemed in/through Christ. 1 Cor. 1:30
Surely such facts are almost too glorious for us to fully comprehend - but, PTL, they are TRUE!! And these are just the beginning...
Oh, the unfathomed love of God...and not just for me, but for ALL His creation!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
We shine with His light...
What an exciting revelation this writing is - it would seem that John 1:4 is true, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." And so, today, we are that "light". How great, glorious, majestic, and wondrous is our God!
"The human body glows with visible light
The human body literally glows, emitting a visible light in extremely small quantities at levels that rise and fall with the day, scientists now reveal.
Maybe its not just symbolism that famous religious leaders and saints are drawn with a glow of light around their body.
Past research has shown that the body emits visible light, 1,000 times less intense than the levels to which our naked eyes are sensitive. In fact, virtually all living creatures emit very weak light, which is thought to be a byproduct of biochemical reactions involving free radicals. [Perhaps it is the light of Christ in each one?]
(This visible light differs from the infrared radiation - an invisible form of light - that comes from body heat.)
To learn more about this faint visible light, scientists in Japan employed extraordinarily sensitive cameras capable of detecting single photons. Five healthy male volunteers in their 20s were placed bare-chested in front of the cameras in complete darkness in light-tight rooms for 20 minutes every three hours from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. for three days.
The researchers found the body glow rose and fell over the day, with its lowest point at 10 a.m. and its peak at 4 p.m., dropping gradually after that. These findings suggest there is light emission linked to our body clocks, most likely due to how our metabolic rhythms fluctuate over the course of the day.
Faces glowed more than the rest of the body. This might be because faces are more tanned than the rest of the body, since they get more exposure to sunlight - the pigment behind skin color, melanin, has fluorescent components that could enhance the body's miniscule light production.
Since this faint light is linked with the body's metabolism, this finding suggests cameras that can spot the weak emissions could help spot medical conditions, said researcher Hitoshi Okamura, a circadian biologist at Kyoto University in Japan.
"If you can see the glimmer from the body's surface, you could see the whole body condition," said researcher Masaki Kobayashi, a biomedical photonics specialist at the Tohoku Institute of Technology in Sendai, Japan.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/liv...
http://www.livescience.com/...
(For illustrations, check out these web sites.)
Schematic illustration of experimental setup that found the human body, especially the face, emits visible light in small quantities that vary during the day.
And a friend sent along something that opens up even more of the wonders of our body and what it speaks to us of marvels of our God's creation:
"That's awesome and also confirms something else I had read which is that every atom emits an electrical charge. I also read that when the sperm penetrates the egg, there is an electrical sprark generated..."
Yes, truly, as He IS (now) so ARE we (now) in this world! Seed of His seed!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The human body glows with visible light
The human body literally glows, emitting a visible light in extremely small quantities at levels that rise and fall with the day, scientists now reveal.
Maybe its not just symbolism that famous religious leaders and saints are drawn with a glow of light around their body.
Past research has shown that the body emits visible light, 1,000 times less intense than the levels to which our naked eyes are sensitive. In fact, virtually all living creatures emit very weak light, which is thought to be a byproduct of biochemical reactions involving free radicals. [Perhaps it is the light of Christ in each one?]
(This visible light differs from the infrared radiation - an invisible form of light - that comes from body heat.)
To learn more about this faint visible light, scientists in Japan employed extraordinarily sensitive cameras capable of detecting single photons. Five healthy male volunteers in their 20s were placed bare-chested in front of the cameras in complete darkness in light-tight rooms for 20 minutes every three hours from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. for three days.
The researchers found the body glow rose and fell over the day, with its lowest point at 10 a.m. and its peak at 4 p.m., dropping gradually after that. These findings suggest there is light emission linked to our body clocks, most likely due to how our metabolic rhythms fluctuate over the course of the day.
Faces glowed more than the rest of the body. This might be because faces are more tanned than the rest of the body, since they get more exposure to sunlight - the pigment behind skin color, melanin, has fluorescent components that could enhance the body's miniscule light production.
Since this faint light is linked with the body's metabolism, this finding suggests cameras that can spot the weak emissions could help spot medical conditions, said researcher Hitoshi Okamura, a circadian biologist at Kyoto University in Japan.
"If you can see the glimmer from the body's surface, you could see the whole body condition," said researcher Masaki Kobayashi, a biomedical photonics specialist at the Tohoku Institute of Technology in Sendai, Japan.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/liv...
http://www.livescience.com/...
(For illustrations, check out these web sites.)
Schematic illustration of experimental setup that found the human body, especially the face, emits visible light in small quantities that vary during the day.
And a friend sent along something that opens up even more of the wonders of our body and what it speaks to us of marvels of our God's creation:
"That's awesome and also confirms something else I had read which is that every atom emits an electrical charge. I also read that when the sperm penetrates the egg, there is an electrical sprark generated..."
Yes, truly, as He IS (now) so ARE we (now) in this world! Seed of His seed!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, August 20, 2009
The Gift of Wonder
Wonder - the gift of our Abba Father. As this gentleman from a bygone era so beautifully puts it, it is a gift he ardently desired...and so it is with me. Ah, He has given me the "gift of wonder" - surely there is always more, for there is no end to His universe filled with an infinite number of things to "surprise me, amaze me, awe me...")
Yes, my prayer is that of Joshua Abraham Heschel...
The Grace of Wonder
Joshua Abraham Heschel
Dear Lord, grant me the grace of wonder. Surprise me, amaze me, awe me in every crevice of your universe. Delight me to see how your Christ plays in ten thousand places. . .to the Father through the features of men's faces. Each day enrapture me with your marvelous things without number. I do not ask to see the reason for it all; I ask only to share the wonder of it all.
Amen!
Yes, my prayer is that of Joshua Abraham Heschel...
The Grace of Wonder
Joshua Abraham Heschel
Dear Lord, grant me the grace of wonder. Surprise me, amaze me, awe me in every crevice of your universe. Delight me to see how your Christ plays in ten thousand places. . .to the Father through the features of men's faces. Each day enrapture me with your marvelous things without number. I do not ask to see the reason for it all; I ask only to share the wonder of it all.
Amen!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
From wondering to wonder...
The Concordance gives the following for "wonder": to show Self wonderful (God), a wonder, singular thing, miracle, astonishment, amazement, great astonishement, startling.
The thesaurus adds: awe, marvel, marvelous, reverence, stare open-mouthed...and more. The gist is, to wonder, or feel wonder, causes...wonder. Surely it is one of those words that is felt, experienced, and difficult to explain. Anyway, there have been some "wonders" that Father has impressed on me to note, to notice, and truly, they ARE wonderful [full of wonder].
Ah, the wonder of it, that my total history has been REwritten in Christ.
Ah, the wonder of it, that there was One who was willing to die for me, and for ALL men, Jesus Christ.
Ah, the wonder of it, that all - ALL - sin was removed, forgiven, on the cross of Christ. He is the Lamb who took away the sin of the world.
Ah, the wonder of it, that God, who is Love, loves all - those who love Him, those who do not love Him, those who do not believe in Him, those who hate Him. Yes, the wonder, almost unbelievable wonder, of such love, of such a God and Father. Just think, His love is unfailing, never ends, ageless, ceaseless, ever endures (in other words, it never gives up).
Ah, the wonder of it, that we "live, and move, and have our being in Him." And just think, that was addressed to the unbelieving Greeks!
Ah, the wonder of it, that I am being conformed to the image of Christ.
Ah, the wonder of it - just think, that "as He IS (now), so AM I in the world." Oh my, can we even begin to grasp such a wonder.
Ah, the wonder of it, that we have been (past tense!) blessed with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenlies (the highest) in Christ.
Ah, the wonder of it, that we are (NOW) the temple of His Spirit. So when I read "How beautiful are Your dwelling places, O God," I rejoice with overflowing praise and thanksgiving that I am His dwelling place.
Ah, the wonder of it, that "I was crucified with Christ...and the life I now live in this flesh (body), it live by the faith of Christ..." By His faith!
Ah, the wonder of it, that we did not choose Him, but HE chose us - before the creation of the world, even of the universe. Therefore, I am His chosen one, His ordained one (not by man, but by God).
Ah, the wonder of it, that He has reconciled ALL to Himself in/through Christ. Hallelujah, we serve a gloriously victorious Saviour, who will have ALL saved (He is NOT a "wannabe" Saviour, who tried and failed because of the vaunted "free will" of man. NO, He will have HIS way. Amen).
Ah, the wonder of it - the marvels of the human body and how intricately and wondrously it is made. The more we learn, the more we stand in awe.
Ah, the wonder of it, that You are giving me eyes to see as You see.
Ah, the wonder of it, that the love of God has been "torrented" in our hearts by the holy Spirit. Poured out, like Niagara Falls!
Ah, the wonder of it, that we are enriched in every way, in Christ. EVERY way (our Father enriches us holistically!)
Ah, the wonder of it, that you call me Your beloved. Your love of/for me and Your choice of me constitute my worth, my identity. Oh my...
Ah, the wonder of it, that I actually DO have the mind of Christ.
Ah, the wonder of it, that in Christ, by His Spirit, I am His witness.
Ah, the wonder of it, that Christ IS my peace.
Ah, the wonder of it, that His perfect love casts out all my fear.
The list is, in one way, never-ending. I shall stop now, for the nonce, yet I am sure there will be more wonders to cause awe, amazement, reverence, astonishment, and...joy (not mentioned as a definition of wonder, but surely joy is entwined in the wonder we feel).
Praise You, Lord, and thank You for the gift of wonder, seeing all as in Christ.
Hallelujah.
The thesaurus adds: awe, marvel, marvelous, reverence, stare open-mouthed...and more. The gist is, to wonder, or feel wonder, causes...wonder. Surely it is one of those words that is felt, experienced, and difficult to explain. Anyway, there have been some "wonders" that Father has impressed on me to note, to notice, and truly, they ARE wonderful [full of wonder].
Ah, the wonder of it, that my total history has been REwritten in Christ.
Ah, the wonder of it, that there was One who was willing to die for me, and for ALL men, Jesus Christ.
Ah, the wonder of it, that all - ALL - sin was removed, forgiven, on the cross of Christ. He is the Lamb who took away the sin of the world.
Ah, the wonder of it, that God, who is Love, loves all - those who love Him, those who do not love Him, those who do not believe in Him, those who hate Him. Yes, the wonder, almost unbelievable wonder, of such love, of such a God and Father. Just think, His love is unfailing, never ends, ageless, ceaseless, ever endures (in other words, it never gives up).
Ah, the wonder of it, that we "live, and move, and have our being in Him." And just think, that was addressed to the unbelieving Greeks!
Ah, the wonder of it, that I am being conformed to the image of Christ.
Ah, the wonder of it - just think, that "as He IS (now), so AM I in the world." Oh my, can we even begin to grasp such a wonder.
Ah, the wonder of it, that we have been (past tense!) blessed with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenlies (the highest) in Christ.
Ah, the wonder of it, that we are (NOW) the temple of His Spirit. So when I read "How beautiful are Your dwelling places, O God," I rejoice with overflowing praise and thanksgiving that I am His dwelling place.
Ah, the wonder of it, that "I was crucified with Christ...and the life I now live in this flesh (body), it live by the faith of Christ..." By His faith!
Ah, the wonder of it, that we did not choose Him, but HE chose us - before the creation of the world, even of the universe. Therefore, I am His chosen one, His ordained one (not by man, but by God).
Ah, the wonder of it, that He has reconciled ALL to Himself in/through Christ. Hallelujah, we serve a gloriously victorious Saviour, who will have ALL saved (He is NOT a "wannabe" Saviour, who tried and failed because of the vaunted "free will" of man. NO, He will have HIS way. Amen).
Ah, the wonder of it - the marvels of the human body and how intricately and wondrously it is made. The more we learn, the more we stand in awe.
Ah, the wonder of it, that You are giving me eyes to see as You see.
Ah, the wonder of it, that the love of God has been "torrented" in our hearts by the holy Spirit. Poured out, like Niagara Falls!
Ah, the wonder of it, that we are enriched in every way, in Christ. EVERY way (our Father enriches us holistically!)
Ah, the wonder of it, that you call me Your beloved. Your love of/for me and Your choice of me constitute my worth, my identity. Oh my...
Ah, the wonder of it, that I actually DO have the mind of Christ.
Ah, the wonder of it, that in Christ, by His Spirit, I am His witness.
Ah, the wonder of it, that Christ IS my peace.
Ah, the wonder of it, that His perfect love casts out all my fear.
The list is, in one way, never-ending. I shall stop now, for the nonce, yet I am sure there will be more wonders to cause awe, amazement, reverence, astonishment, and...joy (not mentioned as a definition of wonder, but surely joy is entwined in the wonder we feel).
Praise You, Lord, and thank You for the gift of wonder, seeing all as in Christ.
Hallelujah.
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