Rising of the Son no 38

Body subject to the Word

January 29, 2017

Brian Kocourek, Pastor

Acts 19:1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2  He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3  And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 4  Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5  When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6  And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. 7  And all the men were about twelve.

Notice God's first Gentile church had about twelve men in that church, and that Church was at Ephesus and it was the church that was began by Apollos, and then when Paul came he began to pastor that church for some time after he passed over then the Apostle John took it over after Paul's death. Notice we read this church had twelve men. It had twelve men when Apollos was pastor, and it had 12 when Paul was pastor and it had 12 when John was pastor. You did not see the growth like you did on the day of Pentecost because teaching does not produce growth like evangelism will. But teaching settles the people into solid Christians.

There were 3,000 people that came to the message of the hour on the day of Pentecost but how many of them were still with the Message 3 years later?

There is a lot more information concerning the church at Ephesus than any other early church. it was the hub of the gentile work of God as it had men like Apollos, Paul, Timothy and John who shepherded that church at one time or another.

Brother Branham has much to say about that church, but for time we will only read a few of his quotes concerning the Church of Ephesus.

I the Church Age Book Chapter 3 - The Ephesian Church Age P:28 he wrote,

"The city of Ephesus was one of the three greatest cities of Asia. It was often called the third city of Christian faith, with Jerusalem first, and Antioch second. It was a very rich city. The government was Roman but the language was Greek. Historians believe that John, Mary, Peter, Andrew and Philip were all buried in this beautiful city. Paul, who founded the true faith in this city, pastored here only about three years; but when he was absent from the flock he was continually, prayerfully, mindful of them. Timothy was its first bishop. I Timothy 1:1-3, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, Which is our hope; Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine."

And from his sermon, Revelation chapter one 60-1204M P:30 brother Branham said, "Historians agree (This is John's life.) John lived the last of his years in the city of Ephesus and died there. He was on the Isle of Patmos at the time he wrote the Book Revelation. It was not the story of his life, but the story of Christ in future ages. See, It was a prophecy. Not the life of John, not the life of Christ, but prophesying of a age to come. It was not his prophetic utterances; but the Lord's exaltations, solemnly. It was not the Revelation of Saint John the Divine, but the Revelation of Christ the Lord. It is the last Book of the New Testament. Yet it tells the beginning and the end of the dispensation of the Gospels. Got Bible scholars agreeing...The letters to the seven church ages were written prophetically to the future ages. Paul wrote of the life and glory of the seven churches present in his day. John wrote of the life and glory of the seven churches in the future, that John was addressed to the seven pastors or messengers as directly--all Christians under these seven different angels.

Ok so we see Apollos, Paul, Timothy and John, all were at one time the presiding elder at the Church in Ephesus. The church only had twelve people in it yet it became the greatest light in the early church.

Brother Branham said concerning this, " Dedication 62-1111M P:4 "We see in the Bible, in the 19th chapter of Acts where Paul, passing through the upper coast, came to Ephesus. And there he found a church. That was the Ephesian church, which was the first in the church age considered in the Revelation of Christ. And in this church here there was twelve people, as recorded. Twelve people was the number. But if this church only had twelve, or like that church did, and completely surrendered to God, He can do more with that twelve than He could with the rest of the world. It's the surrender that we have, where the truth of the Gospel not only goes from the platform, but finds its bed in the hearts of the people and reacts back. So I deem this a pleasure this morning.

And I also deem it a pleasure that this little church has had an effect upon people in 190 countries, and more than 1,250 of the sermons preached from this pulpit have been translated into as many as 10 additional languages.

Again brother Branham says concerning Paul and Ephesus from his sermon, Palmerworm locust caterpillar 59-0823 P:117 Paul passed through the upper coasts of Ephesus, he found the Baptists. They had a good... They had a good pastor; he was a converted lawyer: Apollos. And he said to them, "Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?" They said, "We know not whether there be any Holy Ghost."Said, "Then how was you baptized?" It says in the King James, "unto what." Read it in the original; it says "how." "Unto what" means the same thing. "How was you baptized?" They said, "We've been baptized by John, the same man baptized Jesus." That's a good baptizing. "Walked out in the water, the same one that baptized... John." Why, Paul said, "That won't work anymore. That ain't no good no more. He's done come, been crucified. 'Cause John baptized unto repentance, not remission of sins, saying you should believe on Him Who's come, Jesus Christ." And when they heard this, they walked out into the water and was rebaptized again in the Name of Jesus Christ. Paul laid his hands on them; the Holy Ghost come on them; they prophesied and spoke in tongues. That right? Paul constrained men who'd been baptized by the same man that baptized Jesus, told them they'd have to be baptized over, because they wasn't baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus. I've got a right to say the same thing if it's the same doctrine.

QA Hebrews part 2 COD 57-1002 P:28 Now, watch. Apollos, through the Word, was proving by the Word. "Faith cometh by hearing, hearing of the Word. He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, has Everlasting Life." Get it? Apollos, by the Word, was proving... And these were Christians; they were followers, disciples. And Apollos was proving by the Word, that Jesus was the Christ. And they had great joy and received the Word, yet knowing only the baptism of John. And when Paul passed through the upper coasts of Ephesus, he finds these disciples, and he said, "Have you received the Holy Ghost since you have believed?" See?

Now, let's continue reading in Acts 19 and I want you to take note of the activity of the Apostle Paul as he went. Let's pick up at verse 8  And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.

Notice those words, disputing and persuading. Now, this word disputing comes from a Greek word dialegomai which means to not only discuss in argument or exhortation: it means to dispute, while preaching unto, it also means to reason with while speaking.

Now, there are a whole lot of people who do not like arguments of any kind, and they would never make a preacher sent by God, because this is the tactics that the Apostle Paul took when he went into the synagogues. It says he disputed with them and he persuaded them concerning the Kingdom of God.

Now the word persuade was translated from a Greek word Peitho which means to convince by argument or by analogy.

Jesus gave us the example when he did not just pass by concerning the money changers in the temple, but He went in and not only argued but took up cords and made them into a who and drove out the money changers. And when you see evil and just walk away you will be held accountable to not standing up for what is righteous. And that is how evil takes over little by little the church stands by as a passive agent of change, when she could have stood against the filth and degradation that has polluted the nation.

People say, I am not of this world, and Jesus said "we are not of this world", but while we are in the world we are supposed to be a light to the world. So we see by nature preaching must be argumentative utilizing good sound logic and analogy if it is going to be effective. And I know there are many who do not like argument at all, and that to be passive seems pious but it is not. When you stand by and watch evil and say nothing against it, you might as well be accepting of it, and that is what happened to America. It became passive and in being passive it became accepting of an alternative culture that has taken over and force feeds the LGBT isms, and Sodomite isms and every polluted thing isms that Satan has to offer until you can no longer send your children to public school and expect them to not be influenced by the moral rot and filth that exists in it today.

Making the valley full of ditches 56-0728 P:21 And some of these sissified preachers stand in the pulpit, and let their choir sing, and then go out on the afternoon and stretch out in those things. Shame on you, to call yourself a man of God. You got a wishbone and not a backbone. If you had the Holy Ghost, It'd make you act different from that, and talk different from that, and make you call black black, and white white. Yes, sir. But the trouble of it is... Oh, my, you're so feminish anyhow, little sissy. Why don't you get a backbone, get the Holy Ghost. John the Baptist was the first one to receive the Holy Ghost, and he walked right up to old Herod, and said, "It's not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."Brother, that's the way a man filled with the Holy Ghost. When he sees something wrong, he calls it wrong. That's right. Certainly.

Also from his sermon, Mark of the beast 61-0217 P:38 William Branham said, "Now, remember, the Bible said, "Don't spare nothing." Little or young or old or all. All that hasn't got this seal of God would be marked otherwise. And look who was marked out of it? Lifelong men who gave their lives for the clergy, priests and renowned men, great priests and scholars. Now, how many knows that's true? Why, sure it is. Sure it's true. Just as scholar... Just as holy, just as sweet, perhaps fine people, citizens of the country... But that's no excuse. When God sends something and you fail to walk in it, then you're out; that's all. You either do or you don't. That's the way it was. All that didn't get in the ark, drowned, and that was all there was to it, no matter who they was. That's the same thing, all that's not in Christ today will perish without Christ. It's true. So you can't say, "I'm a Methodist, or Baptist, or Pentecostal, or anything else; you've got to be of Christ. And if you're of Christ, you do the works of Christ. That bears record and proves that it is. It's just as clear as the Scripture, I know how to say it. That's just as plain as the nose on this big face, or big nose on this face of mine, rather. That's right.

As we continue to read, let's pick up at verse 9  But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.

So when Paul was ganged up on, he just dusted his feet and went to the next place where he began to dispute with others concerning the Kingdom of God.

Now, verse 10  And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.11  And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:

So Paul made sure everyone in the region where he was at heard the Word of the Lord about Jesus Christ and God backed up what Paul said confirming His Message with signs and wonders. And when you die to self and let Christ use your body as he used Paul's he will back you up with signs and wonders as well, or He is not the same yesterday, today and forever.

Brother Branham said in his sermon Abraham's grace covenant 61-0317 P:13 "Who wrote the Bible, your organization? Who's responsible for the Word, your organization? God's responsible for His Word. God will take care of His own. God will back you up. Any man that ever amounted to very much in this life, were man who stood alone with God. That's the way, if you ever stand, you'll have to stand. Now, you walk up and say... Like here... like you'd be a Methodist, and you walk up and said, "The baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost... ", and you see that that's true: how the power of God fell upon those people, and you say, "It... I know that's the truth, but if I accept it, they will turn me out the organization." They will. They sure will. Now, you've got to make a choice. You know it's the truth. Now see, he that disbelieves willfully, after he's received the knowledge of the truth, (disbelief, turns away from that) there remaineth no more sacrifice for unbelief. You're finished and washed up forever. That's right. And a Pentecostal that'll walk up to that same place... Them were pre-Pentecostals. And they had the promise to take the land, every blessing God had promised. God gave it to them, but because the opposition was so great, they turned back and lived in the wilderness for forty years, instead of facing the fact.

Again brother Branham said in his sermon, Resurrection of Lazarus 53-1122 P:57 That's what's the matter with a lot of these fellows today, you don't know nothing about God and denying the power of healing and the power of God, is because you ain't got no real father to go to. You got a seminary to back you up. I'd rather have the Holy Ghost at any time to back me up, and the whole world be against me. When God will confirm His Word with signs and wonders following, it shows where you come from.

And from his sermon, Proving His Word 64-0816 P:57 brother Branham said, "Moses had the Word. That's all he needed was the Word. That's all you need today. It's not a credential from some church. You don't need a denomination to back you up. You need the Word to take the rapture with It. You don't need some credential. You don't need some long history of some school to be healed this morning. You need to accept the Word; that does it. You don't need the doctor's word. If the doctor says he's done all he can do, that's all he can do. If he says you got cancer, tumor, you're going blind, you're deaf, dumb, whatever it is, that doesn't matter. If you could take that Word to that burning promise of the bush yonder (Amen.), something's going to happen. God will prove His Word to be so every time that It's received on the right kind of ground. That's what you're needing, His Word. He proves It; He keeps It. You can rest assure that It's right.

And again in his sermon, Convinced and then concerned 62-0521 P:57 brother Branham said, "He was convinced that that's all they needed, and they only needed Him. And they knowed that He would meet all their needs. They didn't have to have a identification card. They didn't have to have an organization behind them. They had Jesus, and He met all they had need of. I think if the church would forget a lot of this here stuff when a revival's coming to town... "What credentials? Who can back you up?" Christ is our backup. Christ is our Witness. We are His witnesses. That's all Chicago needs: not a great big cooperation with something. They need the power of Christ, the identification of the Holy Ghost to change men's hearts and make them new creatures. Convinced, and they're concerned in this age. Others, all they needed was Christ. That's all they need today. You don't have to wait and go to school and take thirty-five years before you're ever... You're too old, hardly, then to get around. What are you going to do? Preach the Gospel. Yes, sir. Not education, don't go out and educate them; go out and save them, Jesus said. That's right."

Now, in getting back to brother Branham's sermon Rising of the Son, he said in paragraph no 70 You know, our good Baptist friends tell us when we believe, we've got It. But they didn't have It, yet they'd believed. Acts 19, they'd believed, but they didn't have. "Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?" See? They had the mechanics all right, because Apollos was teaching to them and proving by the Bible the mechanics, that Jesus was the Christ, but they didn't have the Dynamics yet. See? That's it. All right. You potentially have the Earnest, the waiting. Now, when you get the Dynamics, you have been quickened from mortal to immortality. It makes the whole body come subject to the Word. It'll make you act different, look different, live different; It'll just make you different.

Notice brother Branham said, when you get the Holy Ghost which is the Dynamics, "you become subject to the Word of God". He said, "It makes the whole body come subject to the Word". And then he tells us how the whole body becomes subject to the Word. It'll make you act different, look different, live different; It'll just make you different.

Now what I am trying to address to you this morning is this: namely, when we receive the Holy Ghost we are not the same creature any longer, but "we are dead and our life is Hid with Christ in God."

You are not the same person you used to be.

Brother Branham said in his sermon, Hebrews Chapter 5 and 6 57-0908M P:59 When the new birth is come, you are changed. You don't have to do anything to prove it; your life proves it. As you walk, your love, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, patience, that's what you are. And the whole world sees the reflection of Jesus Christ in you.

Rejected king 60-0610 P:50 Don't be like the world. We are different. Servants of God are different. They're born again; they're new creatures in Christ. You have no right to take the things of the world and mix it with Christianity. The Christian robe's not made up of church-made theology. The Christian robe's made up of the baptism of the Holy Ghost and nothing less than that, and a life to follow that baptism of the Holy Ghost makes you live right, do right, act right, talk right, live right. That is true.

First we receive an understanding like when Paul spoke to the church at Ephesus who had studied under Apollus. They received an understanding first, (and that is the part that the True Five Fold Ministry have to play in this great drama,) They bring the True Understanding of the scripture to minds of the people. Next, this New understanding creates a desire in our heart for God's Word. Finally, God sends forth His Word into our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is the Teacher and He anoints the understanding in our heart thus that true understanding becoming a Spiritual Dynamic Revelation.

That is why John said in 1 John 2:21 "you have an unction from the Holy One, (and that unction is an anointing and it is for the purpose) that we might know all things." This Revelation once it is dynamized by the Holy Spirit, then it takes over the guiding of our whole body, Soul and Spirit thus perfecting, equipping and maturing the believer by the washing of water by the Word. So in effect every fiber of our body is becoming subject to the Word of God which lives and abides in our hearts, bringing us into captivity to the Word for the day we live in and bringing us into subjection to it. Thus our sacrifice to God becomes a living sacrifice, not just a mental conception but it actually changes the actions done in the body, and the body by the quickening power becomes subject to the entire Word of God.

Now, paragraph 71 of brother Branham's sermon Rising of the Son, ..."Now, look. ... "been quickened". You who were once dead in sin and trespasses, and darkness has He quickened. What by? His Spirit that raised up Jesus on Easter morning from the dead. And if It dwells in your mortal bodies (Now, watch.), It also quickens, brings to Life, makes it subject to the Word. Now, how can you claim to have that Spirit and throw yourself away from the Word? You're quickened by something else. For It will quicken your mortal bodies to the Word. Sure It will. You can't run without It. You'll just sputter if you don't believe all of It. If you have part gasoline and part water, you ain't going to go nowhere. See? You've got to take it one hundred percent gasoline. If you don't, you're backfiring; you ain't got no power. See?"But I'll... I believe this, but I don't believe that." Pump-pump-pump-pump. You ain't going nowhere. But, oh, when you take the fullness, let it light up on that. Every Word is Truth.

Ok, so we hear brother Branham once again say, "It also quickens, brings to Life, makes it subject to the Word.", and then immediately he says, "Now, how can you claim to have that Spirit and throw yourself away from the Word? "

From his sermon, God's provided place of worship 65-0425 P:41 brother Branham says, "You are then not yourself; you are a new creature, for the Greek there means "a new creation." You've been recreated again. The power of God comes upon you, and you become created, a new creature; which brings the whole physical being, spiritual being and everything, in subject to the Word of God, not no other way. How can you say that you're a Christian, and disobey His Word in one thing? Whosoever disobeyed the law in one part of it, was guilty of all of it. Whosoever... Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God," not just part of the Words; every Word. That He said in Revelation the 22nd chapter, "Whosoever shall take one Word out of this Book, or add one word to It, his--his part will be taken out of the Book of Life." We are not to take away from the Bible, or add to It. Just say what It says."

From his sermon, Why 61-0128 P:50 brother Branham said, "Look at Moses when he met God. He was... just had all kinds of theology. He was just as full of it as much as Carter has keys. But what happened when he met God? He was afraid to go down in Egypt, but the next morning, we find him with his wife sitting a straddle a mule with a young'un on her hip; beard hanging down about like this, an old crooked stick in his hand, just a praising God, going down to Egypt. Wasn't that ridiculous looking? Someone say, "Moses, where you going, Father Moses? Rabbi Moses, where you going? What's the matter with you, boy?""Going down to Egypt to take over." Going right down to take over: a one-man invasion--just like one man going to take over Russia. Why, it sounds ridiculous. But he was just happy, and that bald head a shining, that hair blowing back over his whiskers, going down to take over. Why? God said so. And the beauty part of it was, he did it. Amen! That's what's the matter with the church nowadays. You've got to let God take over, and get all the other stuff out, take... and let God get a hold of you. Take all the knowledge you got in your head out, and lay it over to one side, and let God come in the heart. He will make something out of you, make you act different, be different. And your associates will be different. All your whole life will be different. Everything will be changed when God comes into your life. That's as certain as I know about Him. It'll change your life.

Time tested faith 58-0530 P:28 Now, it was Moses that was raised up in all of the theology that Egypt could afford to give him. He was so smart until he could teach the masters of Egypt some wisdom. And he knew that he was born a Hebrew. He knew that he was born a deliverer. But look what a mess he made out of it, when he tried within himself, before he had an experience. He had all the schooling. He had the knowledge that he was the deliverer. But you see, he had never had any experience yet. But oh, brother, when he met God there in that burning bush, he knowed what he was after then; he knowed Who he had believed. He could endure the rest of the eighty years as seeing Him Who is in invisible. What a ridiculous sight, to see a man... How faith, meeting God, will change a man. It'll make you do things that seem so crazy to the world. It'll make you act different, and you won't care what anybody says as long as you know what you've been talking to.

Impersonation of christianity 57-0127A P:36 Now, watch the Bible. "I'll give you--take the old stony heart away, and give you a heart of flesh, tender hearted. And then I'll give you a new spirit. And then, I'll put My Spirit in you. Now, watch. His Spirit was different from your new spirit. And many people gets the new spirit and think they get the Holy Spirit. They get feeling happy, and jump around, and maybe do a few things religiously. And they think that they got the Holy Spirit. Oh, no, the Holy Spirit makes you act different. The Holy Spirit makes you think different. The Holy Spirit was put right in the middle of your new spirit. And your new spirit was put right in the middle of your new heart. The new heart, the new spirit, in the middle of the new heart, and God said, "I will put My Spirit in you."Now then, God's Spirit sets right in the middle of your spirit, your new spirit. And then you don't have to go out and act like Ms. Jones does and like Mr. Jones does. There's just something in you; you just got the love of God so down in you, till you just live it. It isn't you; it's something in you.

Results of decision 55-1008 P:51 Notice. How wonderful. God said if they'd cross over the border, He would give it to them, but they didn't want to do it. So they started wandering, going away, getting out, shifting around. The Bible said, "Be not tossed about by every wind of doctrine, but be stable." Amen. I believe if a man ever come in contact with Christ, all devils out of hell will never make him deny it again. If you just imagine you got there, it's something different. But, you know, no matter how much disfigured I'll ever be, I'm a human (That's right.), 'cause I was born a human. If you ever get Christ in your heart, you're a Christian; you're a son of God, a daughter of God. Makes you act different, look different, walk different, talk different, associate in different parties. Amen. Oh, yes, it separates you. The world wants mixers, but God want separators. That's right. Amen.

And from his sermon, 63-1112 - Sir, We Would See Jesus 38 Brother Branham said, "Now, according to the Scriptures, we are supposed to be “written epistles” of Him. The Bible says that we are “written epistles.” And if, tonight, we would hunger and thirst to see the Lord Jesus Christ, we as Christian believers should reflect His Life, so much, till it would be His entire representative. We should be that. Every Christian should be represent and reflect the Life of Jesus Christ. Do you believe that? [Congregation says, “Amen.”—Ed.] And I believe that every Christian should be reflecting the Life of Christ. He said, in Saint John 14:12, “He that believeth on Me, the works I do shall he do also.” And then we know that that’s true, that we are His representatives. And if we claim that Christ lives in us, and if Christ lives in us, then we should do as Christ did. We should reflect His Life."

From His sermon, We would see Jesus 57-0226 P:21 William Branham tells "But now, while He's here working with His Church in the form of the Spirit... Then if His Spirit is with us, He will act just exactly like He act when He was here on earth. It'll make you act the same way, because it's not your spirit anymore; it's His Spirit in you, Christ's Spirit in you. "The things that I do... He that believeth on Me (Saint John 14:12.), the works that I do, shall ye do also." See? We'll do the same works, think the same thoughts, live the same type of life. If the Spirit of God is in you, it makes you live like Christ, Christ-like. Then you become a written epistle, read of all men, Christ in you, reflecting His Light out of you, as God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, and reflecting God from His own body. No man has seen God at any time, but the only begotten of the Father has declared Him. God was in Christ. And what Christ's attitude was, was God's attitude, 'cause the two work together, the Spirit and flesh united together.

Identification 63-0123 P:51 We've got to take the entire full Gospel. We must,  and now, being that we have identified ourselves as full Gospel people, let's mold our character. We're invited to be molded in His Image, that we might reflect His Presence. "And the works that I do, shall you do also. The Life that I live, so shall you." We're invited by God to take Him as an Example, and let our character be molded like His. What a thing. My. Then when we let His character be in us, then we have become sons by having the mind of Christ: mind, which is His character. Your mind makes your character. "Let the mind," Paul said, "of Christ, this mind that was in Christ be in you." Let that mind of Christ be in you. It molds the character of a son of God. 

Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 5  Mortify therefore (Kill off therefore) your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6  For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 7  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 8  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 12  Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 18  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. 19  Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them. 20  Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. 21  Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. 22  Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: 23  And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24  Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 25  But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

Let us pray...