Bye for now,

More to it than this.

Glad to hear frm u.

The older I become the simpler that the christian life seems. I really believe that God gives us only one thing, and that is His Son, Jesus. We, myself included, often seek things, methods, truths or power. The depth and riches of christianity are involved only in knowing God's Son.

This passage in Ephesians points to protection and strength being found only in Him:

We are told to be strong in the Lord, and twice told to put on the full armor of God.

Stand firm then, with the belt of TRUTH, buckled around your waist.
.....Didn't our Lord tell us He is the Truth?

with the breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS in place
.....Christ is our Righeousness

feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the GOSPEL of PEACE
.....Jesus Himself is not only the author of our Peace, He is our Peace.

take up the shield of FAITH
..... Our FAITH rests entirely in our Lord. Our faith doesn't rest in our own works, religious practices, or things that he has given us.

take the helmet of SALVATION
..... Once again, guess who is our Salvation. It isn't even so much that He gives us salvation, but that HE HImself is our Salvation.

and the sword of the spirit, which is the WORD of GOD
..... In the beginning was the WORD, and the word was with God, and the Word was God.

It is good to know the word, be good, practice telling the truth and sharing God's word. But i think that Paul is telling us here to put on Christ. Clothe yourselves in Christ.

Let us clothe ourselves in Jesus.

He is the Truth, the Way, the Life, the Word, the Resurection. He is our Salvation, Righteouness, Peace, Wisdom etc... Is there anything He isn't to us? All things were created by Him, through Him, for Him and to Him. God wishes everything to be in Christ and all things will be summed up in Him.

He doesn't give us things, doctrines, religion, masters, or methods. It isn't that He gives us tings, or things to do. Instead He gives us a person. He only gives us Christ.

Brother in Christ
Brett

Have been studying John 15, and just this AM was reading and meditating on the FACT that we do nothing w/o Christ. As Paul said, we must be laid hold of by Christ.

Andrew Murray's book, Abiding in Christ, is a 31 day study of John 15 - well I've been studying it for far greater than 31 days and still on abt day 11!! IMHO, one of the best commentaries. But the Word itself is the key.

If we can just get it that we can not live one moment, can not do one thing, w/o Christ in us the hope of glory and what that means, that is the moment by moment application, then we are perhaps truly apprehended by Him.

Joy

Some have even thought "house church" is the answer! Folks, it ain't! Christ is! In Him we have wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. I Cor.1:30

God has provided everything in Christ that we need for life and godliness. II Peter 1:3,4

Let us go in more for knowing Him, drawing near to God and knowing Him drawing near to us!