How does your garden glow? Fluorescent data from OCO-2, set to launch July, may help answer http://t.co/YrJI2jtt1j pic.twitter.com/2kpC3rAIBe
— NASA (@NASA) May 5, 2014
There are many who do not understand the issue around faith and works. Paul does clarify it somewhat in this passage. The Colossians were saved by faith: Paul is now praying that they will continue to produce fruit, and grow in knowledge, so that they can live a life worthy of the calling of God.
Good works are a consequence of faith. Good works happen if you are of faith. For out of your motivation, you act.
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
3In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 4for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,5because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel 6that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. 7This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
9For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. 11May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
By their actions you will know them. I do not worship the God that kidnaps children and forcibly turns them into slaves: indeed it is the duty of Christian men to protect such girls, armed if needed.
Nigeria’s Islamic extremist leader is threatening to sell the more than 300 teenage schoolgirls abducted from a school in the remote northeast three weeks ago, in a new videotape received today.
Abubakar Shekau for the first time also claimed responsibility for the April 15 mass abduction. He threatened to attack more schools and abduct more girls.
“I abducted your girls,” said the leader of Boko Haram, which means “Western education is sinful.” He described the girls as “slaves” and said “By Allah, I will sell them in the marketplace.”
The hour-long video starts with fighters lofting automatic rifles and shooting in the air as they chant “Allahu akbar!” or “God is great.”
Consider carefully what you support. Because it is seen as good and revolutionary and changing things does not mean that it is.
Found a bunch of old occupy stuff – remember when they were a thing? @sistertoldjah @SooperMexican pic.twitter.com/BywDnhlkUc
— DefendWallSt™ (@DefendWallSt) May 5, 2014
And regardless of the circumstances, do good. Do your duty. Care for your family. Be gentle to those around you, and remember that you can be gentle and tell the truth: if in doubt, frame it as a question and get the other to name the problem.
Those who cannot and will not are fools, and fools associate with not. Let your actions result in right and good, not chaos and pain.
Further…