KEM Impact Discipleship Series
2023-04-15 | In Him in You PART III | Colossians 1:19-23
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Holy, Blameless, and Above Reproach
“For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.” Colossians 1:19-23 NKJV
2023-04-15 | In Him in You – PART II | Colossians 1:9-18
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In Christ All Things Consist
“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” Colossians 1:9-18 NKJV
2023-04-08 | In Him in You – PART I | Colossians 1:1-8
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Introduction to Colossians
Paul was in Rome awaiting his upcoming trial before Caesar. As a Roman citizen, he had appealed to Caesar, to have his case heard in Rome, because of the onslaught of false accusations and the increasing demand he be executed because of them (Acts 25:11-12). Paul had not personally visited Colossae in his capacity as a minister of the Gospel, but they knew his position (as an Apostle). Paul did know Epaphras from Ephesus who we see mentioned here in the first Chapter. Epaphras was originally from Colossae, which was about 100 miles east of Ephesus. Paul commissioned him to bring the good news to Colossae, as well as Laodicea and Hierapolis. As always, Paul writes to teach, correct, direct, and commission, once again to a city mostly consisting of Gentile converts.
It was not uncommon for bad doctrine to creep in to affect those who came out of paganism into Christianity, because it is men’s propensity to seek followers for themselves, and much like in Galatia there was some legalism present. The letter to the Colossians, in part, serves to correct those wrong doctrines, although not in the way most traditional scholars present it—mostly because legalism is poorly understood. Legalism is not correctly defined by belief in the great importance of God’s laws as found in the Torah, for Christians. It should be more accurately understood as the granting of the same weight of authority to traditions of men as to the Laws of God (the Torah), and then demanding those traditions be adhered to in order to be in right standing with God. Requiring anything other than grace through faith as a means of redemption is legalism (Ephesians 2:4-10).
As expected, Paul, the Torah scholar who spent 14 years (Galatians 2:1) sorting out how the Spirit and the Law work together and compliment each another, does a masterful job setting the record straight.
2023-04-01 | Ugly | Jonah 4:1-11
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Polar Opposites
“But *it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. So he prayed to the Lord, and said, “Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. Therefore now, O Lord, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!” Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city.
And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?” And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!” But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock?”” Jonah 4:1-11 NKJV
2023-03-25 | Do Over | Jonah 3:1-10
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Second Chance for Jonah
“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day’s walk. Then he cried out and said, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”” Jonah 3:1-4 NKJV
2023-03-04 | Gastric Prayers | Jonah 2:10-10
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“Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the fish’s belly. And he said: “I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, And He answered me. “Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice. For You cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; All Your billows and Your waves passed over me. Then I said, ‘I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.’ The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; The deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head. I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O Lord, my God. “When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple. “Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy. But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.” So the Lord spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.” Jonah 2:1-10 NKJV