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“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.”
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:15-18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

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I wish I could picture joy. It is in itself, a concept, not given to physical description, that is relative to each who experiences it. Joy, though not tangible, is durable and can be seen in its effect on those who are filled with it. It is not to be confused with happiness, which is fleeting, and dependent on what is happening in ones life.

It is like the wind, unseen, but blowing through the trees, moving things. The presence of joy in the life of the follower of Christ is manifest by the presence of the Holy Spirit. His power is unseen, but magnified in the most unlikely of situations. Even in fiery trial, those that call upon the Lord can experience immense joy.

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.””
‭‭John‬ ‭3:8‬ ‭NKJV

For most of the world, God is also nebulous concept. For some, god is a large black obelisk, for others a universal concept, yet others seek to carve gods of wood and stone. Some worship creations as god, and yet others worship the earth itself. There are as many gods as there are people.

Humanity has been given a great gift, in that for a relatively short period of time, the God of the Universe walked among us. He was the avatar of the invisible God.

‬‬“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”
‭‭John‬ ‭1:1-5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭1:1-4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Jesus walked in a world that received Him not, outright rejecting Him unto death. I am overwhelmed when I consider that in Jesus all things consist. He is holding everything together. Even as He was reviled, even as He was beaten and ultimately nailed to the cross, He held all creation together.

He held the nails together, the wood of the cross, the very Romans who crucified Him. At any moment, He could have whispered all out of existence. Instead, He bore our sins, paid the price, and set us free.

What grace.

“He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53:3-5‬ ‭NKJV

Jesus is the image of the invisible God. God desires that we be made over in the image of His Son. As the Holy Spirit works in use, He is making us into a reasonable facsimile of Jesus. We can not be the very image, as we are wrapped in sinful flesh, but we can reflect His glory into a dark world.

Brothers and sisters, let’s lay aside our internal desires, that the light of Christ shine forth from us unhindered. The light is filtered through our lives, and sin serves to dull the shine,keeping people who need the Lord from seeing its brilliance. Let’s shake free from the sins that ensure us.

““You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:14-16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Let the light shine so bright, that those who are in darkness will be drawn near, as moths to a flame. Rather than destruction, they will find salvation, eternal life, and a destiny in Heaven rather than eternity in hell.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭NKJV

Those witnesses are those who have experienced the goodness of God before us, and found Him faithful. We have other witnesses as well: those who are watching us right now. This world is on a collision course with destiny, and God has given those of us who have been saved from the wrath to come, opportunity to share the Gospel.

The world is looking for hope. We have been given that hope of salvation. May be free to share and lead many to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Let us be bold. Let us be representatives of Jesus, the Avatar of God, showing just a a hint of His glory in our earthen vessels. ‬‬
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https://www.allaboutgod.com/the-roman-road.htm