'...that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love and [attaining] to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, [resulting] in a true knowledge of God's mystery, [that is,] Christ [Himself], in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge...' [Colossians 2: 2 - 3]In my Bible the words I have put in brackets are in italics which indicates that they have been placed there by the translator to give us better understanding.
Sadly, I think, they often detract from understanding!
Be encouraged, believing child of the Father, you are knit together in love (His love) and you have all the wealth (all the riches in glory) that is yours, present possession, that comes from knowing, true knowledge, of God's mystery, CHRIST. This does not come to by you gathering understanding which results in knowledge but by believing the truth of God's mystery, that is, that Christ is everything. He, alone, is our source of all things.
Transformation comes from the the renewing of your mind - [Romans 12: 2] - how do we renew our mind? By changing what you believe. Change your belief that anything is attained by our effort and rest in the truth that all things are only possible in Him, CHRIST.
But that's no what this post was to be about, although as I contemplated sharing what I feel led to share the Holy Spirit placed that scripture on my heart, and I still contemplate it.
My name is Graeme Milton Shephard. I am called. I cannot deny it. Maybe you consider that assertion to be arrogant but, nevertheless, the Holy Spirit has told me through a trusted acquaintance that I need to declare my call. My call is to declare the gospel of Grace to the world. The Lord has given me an 'avenue' down which I am to walk, and this avenue is an organisation known as 'Cambodia WTL' (cambodiawtl.org.au). The organisation is of no importance other than it is the avenue down which I am to walk, the vehicle, satisfying the legal requirements of man, in which I am to travel in my call. We aren't building an organisation just walking down an avenue, following our Leader, into glory. There is a lot of history, and much detail that I could share here, and while it would be relevant it would take from what the Holy Spirit wants me to say.
Often, I am asked, "What does WTL mean?" It's a good question that I love to answer. WTL means 'way. truth. life' and comes from John 14: 6...
'Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."'The Holy Spirit has had me contemplating this lately and in declaring my call it is important to say somethings about this statement.
Firstly, Jesus is the way. He is not a way, He is THE way.
The way to where? Where are we going when we choose, for it is your choice, to step on the way that is Jesus. We are going to the Father. This is sublime in its importance and wonder. We aren't going to God, although we certainly are doing that, but we are going, on the way, to the Father when we step on the way that is Jesus. This is so wonderful. God Almighty has always desired to be our Father, and there is so much I could share around this, and Jesus is the way, THE WAY, to our Father. You may think that the journey to the Father is a long journey but, in fact, it is just one step. Don't let any teach you otherwise, we like to make it complicated, but fact is the bridge that is Jesus may look long from your perspective but is but one step, one step; that step is 'believe.'
And the journey is also our call. My call is to share the gospel of grace. This is the gospel that says that 'God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son...' Man presents many ways but there is only one 'the way.' Before Christians were called Christians they were called the 'Way', I think I would like to be called the 'Way' again for this is my call. My call is to declare the way, His Name is Jesus; and my message is the gospel of grace, for He, also, is Grace.
The second this is that Jesus is also the life. Not just a life, but THE life. In John 10: 10 Jesus said...
'"...I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly."'We all want life. We want a happy life, a fulfilled life, a successful life, a satisfying life. We hang onto life at all costs. Life, it seems, is found in all sorts of places but the reality is that what we want is abundant life, and Jesus is the life, abundant life. You don't believe me? Try Him! You can't knock it until you try it! Jesus is the life.
And then we have the truth. Jesus is the truth. Not just a truth. Jesus is THE truth. The Holy Spirit has been bombarding me with this for months now. Truth is what binds it all together. Truth is the mortar in the joints of the foundation stones that are the foundation that supports the house that is our life. No matter what we may think, no matter what we believe, when we struggle and fight to rest the fact is this, truth remains truth, and truth is what God says. There is no other truth that matters, there is no other truth that is real truth, there is no truth worth considering than the truth that is the word of God. And He also is the Word. You see Jesus is the truth because as the word He declares the Father. John 1: 18 is one of my favourites...
'No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained (or, declared) Him.'As Jesus came to declare undoubtedly He could have declared many things but He declared only the right of the Father and He came out from the Father's bosom to do it. Of what does the Father's bosom speak? It speaks of the seat of, the very core of, the very essence of that thing we call love. Oh love has many interpretations but the only interpretation that matters is the truth that God is Love. He doesn't just love, He IS love. And of what is the right of the Father? His right is to love for He is Love, and His love is active and eternal. Jesus is the proof, He came out to share truth, for He is the Truth, and the truth He shared was the truth of the Father's bosom, and that truth is simple yet profound...GOD LOVES YOU. Knowing that, receiving it and believing it is Way, it is Truth, and it is Life.
Be blessed in the Way, the Truth and the Life, His name is JESUS.
