From: Englishemanna@emanna.com [mailto:Englishemanna@emanna.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 01, 2006 12:16 AM
To: OurSecondGeneration.com
Subject: Allowing the Word of Christ to Make Home in Our Hearts

Allowing the Word of Christ to Make Home in Our Hearts
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Col 3:15 And let the peace of Christ arbitrate in your
hearts... (16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in
all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your
hearts to God.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I appreciate Paul's skill as a writer. He emphasizes, on the
one hand, the peace of Christ and, on the other hand, the word
of Christ. Some of us may think that as long as our spirit is
living, everything is all right. Perhaps you have not realized
the need for the peace of Christ to arbitrate within you and
for the word of Christ to make home in your heart. If we let
the peace of Christ work in us and the word of Christ dwell in
us, we shall be proper Christians. Instead of our preference,
we shall have Christ's arbitration. Instead of our opinion,
concept, thought, and estimation, we shall have Christ's word.

Certain saints love the Bible and read it daily. But in their
living it is their concept, opinion, and philosophy that move
within them, not the word of Christ. They may study the Bible,
but they do not allow the word of Christ to dwell in them.
Neither do they permit it to move, act, and have its being in
them. As a result, what prevails in their being is their
philosophy, not the word of Christ. Although they read the
Bible, God's word remains outside of them. It is crucial for
us to let the word of Christ enter into us, dwell in us, and
replace our concepts, opinions, and philosophies.

Teaching, admonishing, and singing are all related to the verb
dwell. This indicates that the way to let the Lord's word
dwell in us richly is by teaching, admonishing, and singing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible
and Words of Ministry, from Witness Lee, Life- study of
Colossians, pp. 246-247, 245. Both are published by Living
Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. (Repeat 4/14/2000)

Please visit us at www.emanna.com
Comments to: comment@emanna.com.

OurSecondGeneration.com