Aloha East Shore Family,

I pray you all have been good disciples of Jesus’ teachings and commandments so that we all can be united in our knowledge of our Lord and Savior.

In Colossians 2, Paul teaches at times our flesh will indulge in things that pleases our senses in ways that is sin to God.

Anytime we sin we commit idolatry because we made that sin more important than our love for God. Sin is being disobedient to God. To love God is to obey him.

Whenever you condone or compromise or ignore someone’s sin in church and only in church, you commit idolatry because you put the sinful person as more important than being obedient to Jesus.

Jesus teaches that you need to love God more than your own family. To hate loving your family more than loving God or you commit idolatry.

In Colossians 3, Paul teaches how to overcome idolizing something.

Colossians 3: 1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 

When we set our heart and mind on things in heaven where Jesus is seated next to his Father, we put God first in our heart and mind not what our flesh wants.

This made me think of the song, “I only can imagine”, a song imagining what it would be like in heaven.

In the NT, Stephen, Paul and John describe what they saw in heaven.

In Acts 7, Stephen saw Jesus standing in heaven at the right hand of his Father before he was stoned.

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul said that after he died, he went to heaven and heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.

In Revelations 21, John describes what Jesus showed him in heaven to prophecy to us what it will be like.

But we set our heart and mind on what they saw in heaven by faith to help us repent and overcome indulging in our sensual desires.

It would be amazing if we could just look towards heaven like Stephen and see Jesus when we are struggling with sin.

But Paul explains why Jesus does not do this.

2 Corinthians 5: 6 Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 We live by faith, not by sight.

Our ability to overcome our sin is only by faith, being assured of what we hope for to be with God in heaven and certain of it even though we do not see it now.

Jesus teaches the kind of faith we need have to overcome our sins.

Matthew 18: 1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3 And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  5"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. 

Jesus teaches we must have faith like little children which is humble and contrite.

Isaiah 66: 2 Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?" declares the Lord . "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word. 

Do you remember when you were a little child and believed in the mythical Santa Clause? How that belief was undeniable and true.

Paul teaches us what happens when we become an adult.

1 Corinthians 13: 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

We no longer think or reason the way we did as a child. Now our belief is seeing is believing.

Jesus said to be saved we must have a humble and contrite faith like children that believe he is in heaven with his Father to overcome our sins.

To increase this child like faith, we need to pray without ceasing to Jesus and our Father who art in heaven.

With this kind of faith we can put to death things of our earthly nature.

Colossians 3: 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 

Our earthly nature once indulged in things to satisfy our flesh which is idolatry and God’s wrath comes to all who commit idolatry.

The fruits of idolatry are anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language and lying. These bad fruits reveal a heart and mind that does not want to be with Jesus and his Father in heaven.

But those whose faith want to be with God will continue to mature in their knowledge of Jesus and begin to have his mind and walk like him. Paul teaches what that will look like.

Colossians 3: 11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. 12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 

When we walk like Jesus, we become God’s chosen people who are holy and dearly loved by God as his children. We bear his Son’s likeness showing his compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience and forgiveness that comes through faith in the peace we have through him with our Father.

Colossians 3: 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

We only can have the mind of Christ when his word dwell richly is our heart and mind by being his disciple and teaching and admonishing each other with it through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

So, as one body let us continue to grow together in our child like faith by setting our heart and mind on things above where Jesus is at the right hand of his Father.

Be Safe in Jesus, Ps. Glenn