Colossians

Alright, so for last week, we had a lot of information. So I, after listening to the tape, there were a couple of questions I wanted to get a little bit here. So, unfortunately, to get all these verses on, it's going to be a little small on the overhead here. So I'm going to go through, and these were on the verses 16, 15 through 17.

And we went about the image of the invisible God. And again, let me put tape. This is the Colossians study. This is lesson four of the Colossians series. Just going over those verses that, again, have a real impact and that have impacted me and I wanted to kind of summarize it a little bit more. We went through a lot of different verses last week and there were a couple questions I wanted to, after listening to it, kind of address that I may have not glossed over, maybe not answered. So, I just want to go through the progression and these are for the verses in particular. 16 and 17, Colossians 16 and 17.

So, I want to start out with, this is the beginning. And Mike has, we've used in some of the other studies, the circle about love and where it starts. And in 1 John 4, 10, in this is love, not that we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. So the beginning is God is love. That's where it starts.

We then went on to the Colossians verse 116, where it says, For by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, dominions, or rulers, or authorities. All things have been created through him and for him. And we went with that. These verses I actually did copy this slide down at the end. I have about 20 copies or more. So if you want to have this summary at the end, I can give it out.

So remember what I said when he created us? Remember that? The thing that I was amazed at or that I just am impressed with is that he knew when he created us that he was going to have to die for our sins. And through His creation, that showed amazing love. Again, none of our plans would be, hey, I've got a great idea, I'm going to create these people, and I'm going to have to die for their penalty, their sins. So that demonstrates love. Well, it started with, God is love anyway. And then it's proven by, He created us even knowing that He was going to have to send His Son to die for our sins. So again, the creation demonstrates God's love. The second part is, which I didn't really touch on too, that was the creation, all created, sorry.

Created all things, but in Philippians 1.21, Paul brings out, for to me to live is Christ. I want to bring out the creation too, it's all of physical creation, we said from the micro to the macro, and he created us, our flesh, but he also created us in Christ, the spiritual part of us too.

So in all things visible, invisible, dominions, things we're going to get into in the question, He also created us in Christ, too. So, it's amazing. He created all things. All the physical, and then He created us in Christ. When we come to know who Christ's Son is, we are, what in Romans 6, we're co-crucified with Him and placed into Christ, positionally. So, He created all things. All things have been created through Him and for Him. So, he created us both physically and then also through our co-crucifixion, co-crucifixion puts us into Christ.

So, one of the things in the questions that I was listening to as we listened to the tape and one of the things I think Jim maybe brought out was, so that's great, so this means everything is just hunky-dory. He created all things and everything is just going to be, you know, candy and roses and we're all fine. And I kind of got from some of the questions that that, you know, the world looks at it and it goes, well, yeah, he's holding things all together. Well, this thing's going crazy here. Tornadoes and floods and whatever.

But we're in Christ and we just live a wonderful, peaceful life, smiling all the way down the road. And so I wanted to say that that's not what I implied. we are told that that's not going to be the case actually. In 2 Corinthians 4, 7-12, we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed. Perplexed, but not despairing. Persecuted, but not forsaken. Struck down, but not destroyed.

Again, these are things as believers we will have. So it's not just all roses and candy that once we are placed into Christ, we're going to have just wonderful time. We are going to have different things. And then, always caring about in the body of the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you. Again, the purpose of all these things are what? So Christ may be manifested in us.

But it does say we are going to have afflictions. We are going to have different things. And if I tried, you know, from the questions listening to the tape, it sounded like some were saying, well, you know, if we have this, it's just going to be rosy and we're never going to have a trial. We're never going to have anything. No, we're actually told we're going to have trials.

But the end point is so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body. So there's a purpose to it. And remember, we are created in love, or we are created through His love, but we're going to have these afflictions. One of the other verses I had, which I always do, is, Consider it all joy, my brethren, in James 1, 2, when you encounter various trials.

That's not if you encounter various trials, it's when you encounter various trials. So, again, if I led you to think that it's just peaches and cream, that you won't have any trials with this, it's not. We are actually told we're going to have trials and tribulations. So, if there is a miscommunication or misthought that last week that that was the, you know, it's just nothing happens to us, that we have peace, joy, love, all these things.

Well, we do, but we're also going to have trials. But we have a lot of different things through that. The thing that I always bring up was, and I brought out a couple of the Romans verses, remember we are created by God who is love. He created us in love because He had to come and pay for our sins. He created us anyway.

The point we have now, and we're going to have afflictions, we're going to have trials, we're going to have all these things, but if you have these truths, Romans 8.35, who will separate us from the love of Christ? So remember we're going to have trials, tribulations, all these different things. But are we ever separated from His love? Never. So, who will separate us? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sore? We can't be separated from His love.

So no matter what you're going through, the mindset, and this is the Holy Spirit, and the other point was in this event, It may not be that you do, you know, today you have to know all these things. I think the thing is this is in growth, spiritual growth and maturity. As you understand these truths, you then start to understand the benefits, the joy, peace, love, all these different things as you understand these truths. And we'll get down to the bottom about fighting the fight of faith.

But as you understand this in a trial, if you understand the basic thing that in your trial, I can't be separated from His love. There's no way I can be separated. So, okay, God loves me, I'm going through this trial. Back to the James, consider it all joy, my brethren. Wow, okay, God loves me and I'm going through this trial. I can get through this because He loves me.

So, other verses, again, When we did this in verse 17, Colossians 1.17, He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. Again, between He created all things, He created it, but then He holds it all together. So in that trial, that tribulation, those blessings, He's holding it all together.

He's the One. So, He's holding it together. I can't be separated from His love. put those truths together, how do you get through a trial? And it's the Holy Spirit working this into you, and understanding these truths. So, in Him all things hold together, micro to the macro, from the molecule, the atom, cell, to the entire universe. He's the one holding it together. So, are you forgotten in that equation? No, you're a part of that, and you can't be separated from His love. So, going on, these are some of the benefits as you understand these things.

The Holy Spirit working these things out, Paul in his epistles can say, in 2 Thessalonians 3.16, Now may the Lord of Peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. Wow. So, he created all things, and he's holding it all together. Continually grant you peace in just a couple of those circumstances. Just a few of them.

In every circumstance. And then if you go back, he can't be separated from his love. Tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, negativeness, burial, sword, all that. He can't be separated from his love. In every circumstance, he can give you peace. Every circumstance.

And then Philippians 4, 6 through 7. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And what? And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." So, again, peace. Two of these have called out that in every circumstance you can have peace. Why? Because you know He created us and He's holding it together. In John 14, 27, Christ speaking. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

How can he realize that? He's the guy who created you. He's the one who is holding it all together. These verses that we're looking at, 16 and 17 of Colossians 1. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful."

So, understanding these, and the Holy Spirit working this in, in John 15-11, these things I have spoken to you, Christ speaking, so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy, your joy, may be made full. So we've had peace, now he's saying, gave you my joy that you may be full, may be made full.

How do you do that? He's given us that because he's the one holding it all together and he's given us his joy. In John 17, 13, but now I come to you And these things I speak in the world, this Christ speaking again, so that they may have my joy may be full in themselves again. He's giving us his joy so we may be made full. How do we do that? We understand that he is in control of all these things. He's the one that holds it all together.

Going on, we've had peace, joy, and the next one, in Matthew 11 28, Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. These are things Christ said. He's given us peace, joy, and now rest. Who's the guy, who's the one who is holding it all together? Christ is, and He's the one who's promising you peace, joy, and now rest.

So, again, some of these things, as I've looked at it, where do we get this? As I ended last week, ours is not the battle and to do it ourselves. It is the Holy Spirit convicting us and convincing us of these truths that He left in His Word. And it's brought out in 1 Timothy 6, 11-13.

But flee from these things, you man of God. And he went through a whole list of things. and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness." And then he says, fight the good fight of faith. And faith is believing these things he's left to us, these truths that he's given to us.

Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God who gives life to all things. What did we just say in Colossians? He's the one who created us and he's the one who holds us all together. Says it again, who gives life to all things.

So, basically, taking this fight the good fight of faith or believing, going back to our verse Colossians 1.16 for By Him all things were created. All things have been created through Him and for Him. He's the one who created it and that demonstrates love because He created us and He knew He was going to have to die. Come, take on flesh and die for our sins. Great love. The other one was in Him all things hold together. In any circumstances, all those trials, tribulations, blessings, He's the one who holds it all together. So, the results of that Peace, those verses. Joy, those verses. And then rest.

So, summary of where we were last week. Hopefully that will help you in where I was going last week in those verses in Colossians 16 and 17. And how they impacted me. And this is again, not something that you may get today, tomorrow. It says we grow in these truths and understand them. The result of those will be peace joy and rest in any circumstance anything he's promises that in any circumstances I will give you peace so questions comments asleep crazy yeah we left here last Sunday went up to the regular service in Hebrews 10 35 36 talking about don't give up You're going through all these hard trials.

There were a lot of things actually in Vern's message afterwards and it looked like we were... We don't. So this is the Holy Spirit doing this. We do not compare notes and say, these are the things we're going to cover today. And so it was as he went through that message last week, I was thinking of a lot of things. It was like, you know, they probably think we sit and we correlate all these things.

We don't. So any other comments, questions? I do have some copies of this slide, if you want, so you can have all the verses. I'll put those in the back afterwards. So any other comments? Otherwise, we'll hit the last quick question. And I'm going to say you can't see my notes. OK. So we are in question sheet four and question six.

In verse 16, seven things are said to have been created by him. Explain what each of them is. So, in the heavens. He created all these things in the heavens. What does that mean? Everything in addition to the earth. I like that. Other thoughts? In the heavens. Stars. That'll come in a different one. What else? Other thoughts? How about the spiritual realm? We'll get to that.

That I think is covered in another one. There are three references to heaven in the word. There's the sky, there's the way out there of the planet, and then there's where God is. All three of those. are covered under the heavens, I think. OK. Yeah, I hadn't. And this is from Spiros Zodiades, for in the heavens.

In the New Testament, in a physical sense, it means the overarching, all-embracing heaven beneath, which is the earth and all there is in it. In this, not only do the fowl of the air fly, but the clouds are suspended, and the rain is formed, and also the sun, the moon, and stars are placed in the same celestial expanse. Also, it is used for that heaven where the resident of God is, called by the psalmist the holy heavens, or heavens of holiness, of separation. It is God's dwelling and resting place, where the blessed angels are from whence Christ ascended, where after his resurrection and ascension he sitteth at the right hand of the majesty on high, and appears in the presence of God in our behalf, and where a reward is reserved for us in righteousness." And there's verses that are all associated with that. So, the heavens. expanses and where God resides.

Any other thoughts? Missed today. Okay, B, on earth. So, this one's a tough one. On earth. What do we think that one is? He created all things on earth. What is that? Plants, animals, Adam and Eve, Adam and Eve, the whole world, birds and schools. this big terrestrial ball we stand on. Yeah. He created it out of nothing. Out of nothing. So he created, you know, the heavens, all the things we talked about, now the earth. He's created everything here on earth.

Okay. And then C. This is one of those ones I think is kind of the all-inclusive. C. Visible and invisible. So what do you think that means? Now that's an unfair answer. Just what it says. Invisible and visible. Can't see the wind. Yeah. Can't see that.

I mean he created that. What else? You used the term micro macro and I think that covers it. That's what I have. From the micro to the macro to the things you can see and you can't see. I think those are the things as we talked about gravity. Gravity is one of those. We can't see gravity, but it works. The other thing I wanted to say when we got into that list, too, that I didn't say in nickel like this. He's a mechanical engineer. The second law of thermodynamics, entropy. Anybody know what that is? The engineers are all going... Oh, we have a non... What is that?

The tendency of everything to turn to chaos, pretty much. Disorder. The increasing state of disorganization. Thank you. So, Edgar and I were talking about this yesterday, about this, and again, you know, God created this world, and he even created not only gravity, but even law of entropy.

Which, even though he created this world, it is going from a state of order to disorder. It's falling apart. But he's in control of all that. So even though he created this law of entropy, he still maintains that. And these are the visible and the invisible. And the invisible would be like gravity or entropy. Would he have created that before the fall or because he knew that there was going to be a fall so he put all that into place? Otherwise the creation was perfect.

That's a great question. I'll get back to you on that one. Yeah, you know, I don't know, before the fall, I don't know if there was any decay. I don't think there is. So there is no death, no decay. So I would say that it wasn't decaying at that point.

So the law of entropy came in with the sin. But he knew that. I mean, he created it that way, or allowed it. And so that is after the fall, then entropy began. So all the mechanical engineers were not there before Adam sinned. They couldn't figure that law out. Entropy was not a valid law. Well, how do you spell that word? Entropy? E-N... Oh, you're asking the engineer to spell. They were the greatest invention ever known to Adam, a spell checker. E-N-T-R-O-P-Y. I think it's A. No, it's E. It's E? Entropy. E-N-T-R-O-P-Y. It's the second law of thermodynamics.

Yeah, and you bring back some other things too, you know, these truths in what we talk about and as we fight the good fight, you know, I'm just looking at our Colossians 16 and 17. But I think these go back to the things we've handed out before from Louis Sperry Chafer. He has the 33 things that are true about us right when we believe. So those would be included in that fight the good fight of faith. If you understand those truths and the Holy Spirit convinces you of those things, that you also get the joy, peace, rest. All those things knowing what is true about you right now. And we've had other lists that are up to 213 things and things like that. So the visible and the invisible.

We're okay on that? Yeah. Alright. Thrones. So what do you think thrones means? Governments. Okay. I think, according to J. Vernon McGee, he said the thrones, dominions, rulers and authorities are all gradations of rank and spiritual intelligences. In other words, the angelic realm. He says that's what that refers to. Any other thoughts? Okay. From? Z word, Zodiates. The thrones, the definition he said metaphorically used for to potentate or higher power.

So Colossians 1.16 where a throne generally refers to earthly or celestial potentates and then archangels. So it was not only, it's both. He had the definition being that it's both thrones, both here and also in the spiritual realm. So those are the thrones. How should this impact those of us who like to follow politics and our candidate doesn't win? Who's the one who has created these thrones?

We can look at the Romans where he's the one who puts in all authority. Actually, I have that verse in Romans 13. Romans 13.1. Every person is being subjected to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. That's, I think, in the thrones. So he created all that. I also look at at John 19, 10 and 11. And I think this comes out. So Pilate said to him, Christ, you do not speak to me. Do you not know that I have the authority to release you and I have the authority to crucify you? Jesus answered, you would have no authority over me unless it had been given you from above.

Who's the one who creates thrones? He brings it up very succinctly there. Entropy. Entropy. Be consistent with what's going on in our government? Could be. I would say yes at this point. It's following me very well. Very well. But, you know, again, and that really is for us who are political wonks, you know, I love politics and all this stuff, but I make the reference it's like a football game. I can cheer, I can get excited about it, but in the end it means nothing. Because God's the one who is controlling it. He's the one who establishes thrones. Romans 13. He's the one who gives the governments.

So did he know that our current president was going to be the president? Yep. I may not like that, but yeah. Okay, what's the purpose of prayer then if he knows everything what's going to be? You know, I brought it out in that verse. He asked us to come in all prayer and supplication. with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. You can bring it before him and he wants us to do that and what the end result is to give us peace.

Why is there peace? Because you know he's in control and whatever the answer is, yes, no, maybe, wait, totally against what you wanted, Why do you have peace and rest? Because you know he's the one who created the government. He's the one who created all things. He's the one who holds things off. So we can come to him and that's the thing I love about it. And the intimacy with God, Abba Father, Daddy, we can come before him with anything.

It comes to all prayer and supplication. And with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. And then what the result is, we get the peace that surpasses all understanding. So we may not get the answer we want, but at least I know. And that's the whole point of these things, just as we're going over these verses of 16 and 17. If you know he's in control, you can bring that request to him. And you know he loves you, and he's doing the best for you in whatever answer he has. And I can derive peace from that. The peace that surpasses all understanding.

Is everything already planned? I don't know. Not planned. I think he... How did Hal do it? It's like, here's all of eternity, and God sees it like this, a point. He knows everything, but we're not autobots, we're not controlled, we're not just puppets. We have our own will, and He uses things to have us grow and conform to the image of Christ, the Holy Spirit, through the Holy Spirit. He'll allow us to do things.

The James verse I always like. James 1, Consider it all, Joe, my brother, when you encounter various trials. What? Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, and let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be what? Perfect and complete. So he allows these things, and you go through them. What? So you may be perfected, conformed to the image of Christ. So we still have the ability to choose and he allows us to do things. He allows us to sin. He allows us to go through a trial. He allows us to receive blessings. But he changes his mind too, doesn't he?

I mean like in Chronicles it says, if my people who are called by my name will, what is that? Most of that is sense. It's not an if, a conditional, it's a sense. since my people did this. Yeah, the English translation a lot is if, but it really is, it's not a conditional like if this happens, many times it's since this is true, then But he said, if my people will, what is that, will humble themselves and pray. Yeah, but that, you know, again, and that's what their action is, not his. And that's what I, you know, that's what I want in these verses.

God is love and we can't be separated from his love. So even though he's taking us through a trial, it's for our benefit. So that gives us joy knowing that whatever we're going through, He loves us. If I lose my job, if I do whatever, I can have more peace through that because I know He's in control. You know, sometimes when you go through trials, I mean, it actually strengthens you.

It is. Well, just that James verse. If I go through grounds of what? So you may be perfected. The end result is you may be perfected, which is conforming you to the image of Christ. Okay, yeah. That passage in James has to do with the testing God does, right? The tribulation, yeah. To reveal His work in us, not to tear us down. Remember the verse in Thessalonians, it's what?

All these, I'm crushed, I'm not, I'm perplexed, what? so that Christ may be manifested in our mortal bodies. through with Satan, and he said, all of these kingdoms are mine to, and I can give the position of rulership over them. It's been given to me to do that. He recognized that God's in charge, but he also recognized that he had been given that authority. to put man in charge of his kingdoms. And he offered that to our Lord Jesus, and of course he refused it.

He being Satan, I'm sorry. Yeah. And you know, and you can jam in on this, mine is, even though all that or whatever, who is allowing Satan to do that? Well, God might. God is. He's using him. I'm just giving you though, we were talking about God appointing leaders, but he's actually given that to Satan to dole out those leaders. You know, if you go through our grace class, you know, one of the things, even though we have grace and all these things, not a marriage and all things, he has carved out authorities on the earth. He's working all of the night for our benefit. Oh yeah, that's what I say.

If you follow the logic on all this, it always goes back to His purposes. He created us. He's holding it all together. And it's in love. All those things. That's what I say. No matter what those tribulations, trials, whatever, you can get through it because if you fight the good fight of faith, believe these things... And that's our victory. Yeah. And the results are peace, joy, rest.

I think the dominion that Satan has over the earth was not given to him. He took it away from Adam. God gave it to Adam. And when Adam sinned, he's called the prince of the towered air. And so he has a dominion. Now the cross has destroyed his dominionship, but it hasn't been totally implemented. Right, and so that's why our two natures, we are not in bondage to it, but we can still respond to it. that God's going to place Satan under our feet in the near future.

That's interesting. Did you have something? Yeah, going back to what Helen said about why pray? You know, God knows all this stuff. I think it seems to me it's kind of like the marital relationship. When we communicate with each other, I am more at peace and more at rest because I know why he's doing this or that or why something's working out the way it did or whatever and we have connected and settled things or whatever it is you know that we've talked about and then I understand and I'm more at peace about it and when we go to the Lord and in prayer about various things like our government for instance or whatever we are communicating with him and he shares his piece I think with us as we understand and as we allow him to be in charge and agree that okay you're doing the election results here and I'm okay with that because of who you are.

We've communicated our unsettled kind of dislike and all of that. And I frequently said to the Lord, you know what, I don't like this. Or I don't understand it. I don't understand. But I'm at peace with it. Right. Because you have that intimate relationship with Him, which He's granted us, the Abba Father. We have that intimacy and it's a relationship. And what is that?

To grow in the 2 Peter 3.18? To grow in the knowledge and grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How do we have a knowledge of Him? We spend time with Him. in his word and in prayer.

Yeah. I'm sorry about that. Your time. I'm sorry. Go. If prayer wasn't important, one of the important things is that it acknowledges God's sovereignty on the opposite side of that. If you didn't get involved with that, then that wasn't an option for you, then you'd be going to self or to the world for your answers.

The other thing was, this part here reminds me so much of Daniel, like these verses you were just talking about. The Colossians? Yes. It reminds me so much of Daniel. This he knew, when he was going through and saw all those kings change power, he was saved. Yeah. Again, you get the priest by understanding that he's in control of all these things. He created all these dominions, thrones, all these different things. You have great understanding in this. And it gives you what? The peace, joy, rest. Okay. Dominions. We're on dominions, right? Dominions. I don't know if Zodiates agrees with this.

I just use that as a starting point. Sometimes I use the Webster, sometimes I use all that stuff. Wherever I read, the Minions, Rulers, and Authorities was considered to be the organized spirit world or a hierarchy of angelic beings. The three things more or less all tied together.

You and Zodiates are in complete agreement. No, I think something else. But basically, from Zodiacs, was a certain order of angels, an abstract term being used for a concrete position, but in the angelic dominions. You know, and I think, as you said, that Satan was given dominions. You know, it's in the spiritual realm, for these dominions. So, any other thoughts? Okay. It's important I think to understand that this dominion that God gave Adam over the creation was lost in his sin, in his fall, but that the dominion was given to an angelic being which was never God's design. With the advent of Christ and his work, The dominion has now come back and resident in a human being again, who is the Lord Jesus Christ, where God initially wanted it, and so Christ is now the head of the creation.

Again, spiritual side. Okay, rulers. What about rulers? Yes. I was going to say the short yardsticks. 12 inches. Again, that's against metric system. It's 12 inches. It's a ruler. No. So, this is both on earth and angelic realms. The rulers. Leaders. Yeah. Would this include the ruler of this earth? Yeah. So he created, remember the whole thing, these are the things he created. Rulers. The ruler of this earth. So he uses him to accomplish his purposes now. He's the one who has allowed Satan to, well through the fall, to be a ruler of this world. But he uses him for his purposes.

I don't know if this was appropriate, but was that always the case? Because Adam and Eve, of course, didn't have a human government at that point. So it came after we multiplied and went through the Calvary battle. I think there were already, in the angelic realm, there was Michael the archangel. I'm thinking of a human government. No, I don't think there was, but he created that afterwards. Yeah, I don't think there was a ruler at that point, although Adam was given rule and authority over all beings or all created things.

He named them. He did it. So one of the things about a nation. Yeah. Yeah. A common language. Right. So they have to be active. Yeah. I don't know. You know, I have to think about, you know, before that, whether there were rulers, you know, or order, you know, when it was leaders. Yeah. So so they would be a ruler. This doesn't only mean kings and that, I think.

It's anybody, the authority. He's created all authorities. Which is? Question G, authorities. So he created all those things. Do you want to talk about why he did that? Well, there's a lot in that. But he's created all the authorities. So I put, would this include current day? the IRS, the EPA, governors, mayors, police, the president. All these things are under his authority. He's created all these authorities. Whether we like it or not, he's the one who created all of them.

So I said, what do you think Paul's thoughts were towards the Romans who had imprisoned him and had a guard chained to him 24-7 in a subterranean prison? And he's realizing God created all authorities. He also created the good angels and the bad angels. They were all good to begin with, then they fell. And then Lucifer fell, and I don't know, myriads of them fell, a third of them, I can't remember if it was a third, fell with him. So, back to my question, Paul is the one who was chained and he's the one who knows. He's the one who knows these things, these created all things.

So what do you think his thoughts were? Man, you are kidding me. You created all this, I'm chained up to a guard in a subterranean prison. I'm hacked. Is that his attitude? Uh-uh. He understood these things we've talked about here from Philippians. We need that structure. Well, you know, if I'm Paul, who spent time with the Lord in the Arabian desert and all that, and now I'm chained to a Roman guard, I've got to understand these truths really.

The Holy Spirit is convicting of these things to say this, Philippians 3.8. More than that, I count all things to be lost in the view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for who have suffered the loss of all things, and count them rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, and what may be found in him." That's his attitude when he's chained to a guard.

This is all nothing. I want to be found in him. Alright. When you're distressed, Sometimes it's hard to do like say read your Bible or something like that. But to think of his state of mind where he could write books of the Bible while he's in these horrible situations. He had to have like an unbelievable belief of those truths you're trying to explain. Right. That's the point. And as you have that attitude, you can go through the trials and still have peace, rest, and joy.

You know, this is just a little bit when my kids were growing up, small boys, and we were in a patch of thistles. And my eldest son's laughing, and he's pulling, he's only about six years old, and he's about four, and Eric's pulling these thistles off and laughing. And my four-year-old was so mad at him, he says, you happy boy, Eric. Makes me think of, you know, how... But they respond, yeah.

Don't you think Paul was always thinking of the opportunities that the Lord was giving him, wherever he was? It seems to me like that was his principal focus. And I think about how Malloy, when he was suffering so much, what his goal was to interact with these people. He wasn't thinking about his circumstances. He was thinking about other people and bringing them to the Lord. I think that's what Paul was doing. That's the thing. As you understand these truths, he can use you in mighty ways.

Remember when Paul and they're thrown in and they're chained to a guard and in the night the angel comes and takes them out, you know? But they're not complaining. You know what? Peter and them are singing while they're chained. How do you sing when you're chained? because he understands these things.

That's the whole thought, as you grow into these truths, the Holy Spirit will convict and convince you of these things, you can be a witness. And we were talking about that actually with Hal, Ingrid and I about that, in that what a great witness he is. The greatest demonstration of that was when the lady who was going to comfort him, this is when he was told to go home, there was nothing more they could do, and the psychologist who went in to comfort him. came out in tears because of what Hal had said. She was, you know, here's a man who had just, you know, days left or whatever, and she's coming out in tears because of the peace that she saw in Hal. Hal knew these truths.

The Holy Spirit had worked it into him. So he was a tremendous witness. In prison, in any of these things, you can be a tremendous witness. Think of your witness in a world that doesn't understand these things. And I think that was to what Jim was saying. The world doesn't understand this. That's true.

But what do we have to offer him? through what the Word has for us. We can offer to the world peace, joy, we can offer the Word, which is Christ, not us, ourselves, but what Christ offers to a world who is in confusion and pain. We can offer them what we have, peace, joy, rest, as we take into these truths. It's a Holy Spirit's work too, and it's a process. It's a process, but as you understand these, in anything, in any circumstances, you have this. What if you come to something and you don't go through it with peace, joy, rest, and all the rest, and so I'm not done yet, so don't answer.

Do we then say to ourselves, well, gee, I'm really a rotten Christian, and kind of kick ourselves around and all of that. Or do we recognize that sometimes God takes us through a crash course? Absolutely. Where we don't understand these things and we tend to forget that Paul was with the Lord for three years in quite a different situation in his lifetime than what we have in our society today.

Which is basically non-persecution and pretty good stuff. And so when something happened If we discover we're not trusting the Lord, do we blame ourselves or do we get with the crash course and say, I believe you and we find later down the road that we have grown and that the peace and the joy is so much larger than what it was at the beginning. Who is in control of all these things?

Like you said, it's a process. It's a process and my thought is For me, as I said, I'm not working these things out, I'm working them out, but I have so much more peace through anything that happens as I understand these things in control. I had my big scar, you know, and all the things that I got the 82 stitches. I'm at complete rest. It doesn't matter. He's in control. I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

That really bothered me last week when you said that even if it had torn your arm off, it would mean... And your mother was concerned. My mother-in-law, yes. Your mother-in-law. Okay. What about your mother-in-law? Yeah, I mean... I mean, you could be at peace, but what about the other people that are in your life? See, for me, that would be the witness to them. Just like Paul in the prison. If I'm at peace, do I give them peace? Understanding that I'm at peace with whatever happens. I can be used of God to show the peace that is in these tribulations. To my mother-in-law, if it happened, that I have peace through anything.

Well, some people might think you were a little strange. A lot of people say that. No, no, no. Cut the tape. We're cutting the tape, and I'm glad there are no videos in here for that. A lot of people, but for a lot of various reasons. But it's like Hal. What a great demonstration. He's dying.

He's given only days to live. and he's comforting the people that come in to comfort him. So when things happen you can be a witness and that's the whole thing, the peace. You become a witness to people. How do you have peace in that? Well, God's in control.

I think it's important that we understand that Hal Malloy or anybody like him, it isn't that Hal Malloy got to be such a great guy. We all believers have a thing called resurrected life, and that life is the very characteristic of the Lord Jesus Christ. So we live in a world where we have two natures working through us, and the new nature that's in Christ Jesus functions like that all the time, and it doesn't need to be practiced. What happens is that we learn, as we study the Word, we learn the characteristics of this new life and we have the Spirit of God implementing this life in and through us. So you take a guy like Hal Malloy who manifests the life of the Lord Jesus, he doesn't get the credit. It's the Spirit of God who gets the credit and every believer needs to understand that that life is something that the Holy Spirit is going to manifest. Our job is to learn about it and to believe Him. When He lays it in the Word to us, And that life will, because of Him, be manifested through you. Fight the good fight of faith, believing those things.

And again, it wasn't that they drew it to Hal. Hal was a mirror to show Christ. They wondered, how do you have that peace? It's because of Christ. It wasn't that Hal was special. It was because he was manifesting Christ to a lost world. And that was powerful.

I was, you know, sometimes Vern will say things like, when it says all things work together for the good, like when Emma and the young girl, when the girl was killed, Emma's legs were all shattered and all that. You know, like Vern says, bad, horrible things can happen to people, but God works for the good. It's not like everything that happens, I think every circumstance that comes in a believer's life can be looked at through the prism of the world or the prism of the resurrected Christ. And if God's word is true to us, which it is, if God works all things together for good, then any trial and tribulation or circumstance comes our way purposefully to put Adam out of business and to manifest the life of the Lord Jesus.

That's what it's there for. And he tells us. And that's what we're saying. Through these circumstances, what? So Christ would be manifested, persecuted, crushed, perplexed, you know, all these things. I fully call out to God and talk to him and say, I do not understand why this happened to your niece.

I don't understand. But I can rest in the fact that he knows, and he's using it for his purposes. He hasn't separated them from his love. I don't understand it. I fully say, God, why? But I rest in the fact that you know what's going on, and you're using it for your purposes. That's where you can get peace. In a hectic, crazy, tribulation-filled world, I can go to God and say, I don't understand, but I know you love me and you're in control. All right, we need to close.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for this time. We thank you for these wonderful truths you have left us in your word. We thank you again that you created all things, which is the greatest demonstration of love because you created us knowing that you'd have to send your son to pay for our sins, our sins, not his. And Father, we just rest in the fact that you are the one that holds all things together, and you've shown us and told us in your word that through that understanding, we can have peace, joy, and rest. We thank you for that. We thank you that it's not our efforts, not our work, it's the Holy Spirit working in us to understand and fight that good fight of faith, of believing these wonderful truths that you have for us. So Father, we rest in you and the work of the Holy Spirit in your word. Father, we just also uplift Vern now as he gives us the word. Just prepare our hearts to receive it. And it's in Christ's name we pray. Amen.