From: ngninja@baptist.email   
      
   Bible Reading for December 12   
      
   Colossians Chapter 1   
      
   1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our   
   brother,   
      
   2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse:   
   Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.   
      
   3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying   
   always for you,   
      
   4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye   
   have to all the saints,   
      
   5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard   
   before in the word of the truth of the gospel;   
      
   6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth   
   fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew   
   the grace of God in truth:   
      
   7 As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you   
   a faithful minister of Christ;   
      
   8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.   
      
   9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to   
   pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge   
   of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;   
      
   10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being   
   fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;   
      
   11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto   
   all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;   
      
   12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be   
   partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:   
      
   13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated   
   us into the kingdom of his dear Son:   
      
   14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of   
   sins:   
      
   15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:   
      
   16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are   
   in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions,   
   or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:   
      
   17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.   
      
   18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the   
   firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.   
      
   19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;   
      
   20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to   
   reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things   
   in earth, or things in heaven.   
      
   21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by   
   wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled   
      
   22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and   
   unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:   
      
   23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved   
   away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was   
   preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made   
   a minister;   
      
   24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is   
   behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake,   
   which is the church:   
      
   25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God   
   which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;   
      
   26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations,   
   but now is made manifest to his saints:   
      
   27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this   
   mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:   
      
   28 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all   
   wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:   
      
   29 Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which   
   worketh in me mightily.   
      
   Colossians Chapter 2   
      
   1 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for   
   them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;   
      
   2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and   
   unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the   
   acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;   
      
   3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.   
      
   4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.   
      
   5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit,   
   joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in   
   Christ.   
      
   6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:   
      
   7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have   
   been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.   
      
   8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,   
   after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not   
   after Christ.   
      
   9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.   
      
   10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and   
   power:   
      
   11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without   
   hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the   
   circumcision of Christ:   
      
   12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him   
   through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the   
   dead.   
      
   13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your   
   flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all   
   trespasses;   
      
   14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which   
   was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;   
      
   15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them   
   openly, triumphing over them in it.   
      
   16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of   
   an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:   
      
   17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.   
      
   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,   
      
   19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands   
   having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the   
   increase of God.   
      
   20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world,   
   why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,   
      
   21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;   
      
   22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and   
   doctrines of men?   
      
   23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and   
   humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the   
   satisfying of the flesh.   
      
   Colossians Chapter 3   
      
   1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above,   
   where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.   
      
   2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.   
      
   3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.   
      
   4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear   
   with him in glory.   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)