01/03/2012 - BLESSED HOPE

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We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel.

Colossians 1:3-5

The attitude the Colossian brethren displayed led the apostle Paul and his team to give thanks to God for them. Our actions should also prompt the same attitude in those who serve the Lord. Do not let the devil use you to be a disappointment to others because of your faith. If this happens, you may be found guilty for the eternal destruction of a precious life.

Our faith speaks louder than our words. When the Lord gave us this wonderful gift, He did it for us to become winners. His only Son did not frustrate Him, and neither should we. The secret is to rely solely on what He speaks to your heart through the Word. Let your faith and love show what kind of person you are. The world needs to know people who actually fear God and strive to fulfill His holy will.

Those who are called to belong to the eternal kingdom of Christ deserve that we use the faith and the love that we have towards the Father to help them. After all, for everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required (Luke 12:48). Because we received plenty of our Lord, we have an obligation to help. If those who were called to the Kingdom of Heaven need some blessing, we must use the authority with which we have been invested by Jesus and order all evil to leave them.

We have been taught about what awaits those who do good deeds to everyone, especially to those who are members of God’s family. If we fulfill our obligation, we will not be forgotten by the Father. He sees all our actions including the motivation upon which we use our faith. If we need more power to accomplish the mission, God will certainly help us.

The reward of those who dedicate themselves to do good deeds is laid up in heaven. Jesus set the example of what to do and also gave us the commandment to do things the same way He did. Our sole responsibility is to rebuke the devil with faith, as the Master did. You can rest assured that there is no problem that the Lord puts in our hands for which we cannot find a solution. So put your hands to work! Once you are invested with power, do not stop doing good to those who need it.

The Word of God was the Agent that led the Colossian brethren to have such confidence and to succeed in fulfilling the divine commandment concerning the love that they should have towards the other children of God as well as to the lost ones. As a result they were all blessed. When Christians are freed from inhibitions and start to fulfill the task assigned to them everyone benefits.

In Christ with Love,

R. R. Soares