PT-2 "Mysticism" (Col. 2:18-19)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 4/1/2017 7:29 PM

My Worship Time                                                                                   Focus:  PT-2 “Mysticism”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                     Reference:  Colossians 2:18-19

            Message of the verses:  “18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.”

            I promised to give a view from more verses that talk about the angels worshiping God, and so this is another reason to show that it is wrong to worship angels as the false teachers in Colossae were trying to teach the true Colossian believers.  John writes the following in Revelation 5:11-12:

“11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."”

            So we have learned that the false teachers were practicing false humility and worshiping angels, but they were also taking their stand on visions that they had seen as seen in verse eighteen.  They were stating that they were seeing visions and as we even look at the cults today we see that some of them have been started by someone seeing false visions.  I got the following article from an online website which talks about the origins of the Mormon “religion.”

“In Fayette Township, New York, Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon religion, organizes the Church of Christ during a meeting with a small group of believers.

Born in Vermont in 1805, Smith claimed in 1823 that he had been visited by a Christian angel named Moroni who spoke to him of an ancient Hebrew text that had been lost for 1,500 years. The holy text, supposedly engraved on gold plates by a Native American historian in the fourth century, related the story of Israelite peoples who had lived in America in ancient times. During the next six years, Smith dictated an English translation of this text to his wife and other scribes, and in 1830 The Book of Mormon was published. In the same year, Smith founded the Church of Christ–later known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints–in Fayette Township.” (From “This Day in History Website.) (Italics added)

            Here is what the Word of God in both Hebrews and also in Revelation states:  “1 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world (Heb. 1:1-2 Italics added).”  “18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book (Rev. 22:18-19).”  There is only one more verse in the Word of God after these two verses and so we see here that what God has written to us through His Word is all there is that He wanted to say to us.   The following verses I got from my Online Bible program which goes along with the verses in Revelation 22:18:

“De 4:2 “You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

De 12:32 “Whatever I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away from it.

Pr 30:6 Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.

Mt 15:6 he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

Mt 15:7 “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:

Mt 15:8 ’THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.

Mt 15:9 ’BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’"

Mt 15:13 But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted.”

4/1/2017 8:03 PM