Tuesday – May 31, 2016
It is Tuesday and time for us all to be reminded to pray for the many governments across America not just today but every day. Today I am highlighting the State of Nevada. Nevada was the 36th state admitted to the Union on October 31, 1864 during the administration of our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. You will find a picture of a map locating Nevada within the United States. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) Following you will find the Preamble to the Constitution of the State of Nevada. There was a time when Nevada as a people honored God. What about now?
CONSTITUTION of the STATE OF NEVEDA
Now I will return to our primary text from Colossians. Recall that to be ascetic or participate in asceticism means really to withdraw from ordinary society, to be a hermit or recluse, and may involve self-torture and severe self-denial to reach a higher spiritual or intellectual level. I am sure you can think of situations or groups of people that are involved with this today. If not totally, in bits and pieces. Nonetheless they are not worshiping Jesus and are in darkness, and deception.
Colossians 2:18 (HCSB)
18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm and inflated without cause by his unspiritual mind.
Colossians 2:18 (KJV)
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
The Apostle Paul is telling the saints and faithful brethren at Colossae and Laodicea that these behaviors will lead to one being ‘disqualified’ (Amplified). It is not real clear here if he is talking about disqualified of Heaven or disqualified of the victorious life of love, faith, and hope in Christ Jesus or both. This is a theology of works rather than a free gift by the Grace of God. It is a teaching of unworthiness which is commonly heard in the Christian Church and is an absolutely demonic teaching. Jesus made us worthy.
2 Thessalonians 1:5 (KJV)
5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
Notice the phrase “that ye may be counted worthy” which would seem to put our worthiness into the future after we have met some sort of criteria. When you look at the tense of these words they are independent of time, meaning you and I have been made worthy, are now worthy, and in Him will be worthy of the Kingdom of God forever. Praise be to God! Now back to Colossians 2:18 in the Amplified translation.
Colossians 2:18 (AMP)
18 Let no one defraud you by acting as an umpire and declaring you unworthy and disqualifying you for the prize, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions [he claims] he has seen, vainly puffed up by his sensuous notions and inflated by his unspiritual thoughts and fleshly conceit,
It is becoming clearer that persons at Colossae and Laodicea are focusing on leaders who are dominating and abusing them. These leaders are drawing the focus to themselves and not Jesus. They are focusing on works and not faith as the way to and the way of maintaining salvation. They are focused on self-humiliation and a doctrine of angels with Jesus being secondary. It is man centered with faith, love and hope playing little to no role. Seems like there is a heavy role of control which is a Jezebel spirit. Flee spiritual leaders that seek to control you.
By Dr. David R. Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
