Colossians 1:11
May you be strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for all endurance and patients with joy.
Being strengthened with all power the essence of spiritual power was a key issue in the Roman world. People sought power through connections with gods, pagan rituals in order to protect them from evil spirits and help them attain wealth and prestige. In 2018 people and cultures still worship idols and deities. While on our mission trip in guat. We had the pleasure of visiting the Mayan cultures living in and around lake Titilion. As we chartered across the lake on a small cigar boat we arrived at San Juan. Looking at the exterior of the buildings and shacks you could see the poverty. That was just off the main path of souvenirs shops. We were told that this area of guat does not have much of an understanding of Jesus. We then traveled to the Santiago the largest of the Mayan cities. We visited the Cathy church that was built in 1213 walking the idals to the alter we saw sections of the church designated with Cathy statues representing idols for repentance. The two main religions at was in guat at Mayan and catholic. It wasn’t until then that I found out that their are 13 different Mayan religions in their culture and they are all at war with each other. After leaving the church and viewing what they worshiped we walked through the town down small ally’s and corridors of Santiago. Down a cobble stone side street, viewing an open window of men cutting wood for caskits. Finally walking into a small hut with a stature of called mishie-moon. This is the idol of the traditional Mayan. Two weeks before our trip I was watching a pbs documentary and it was all about the idols of the Mayans and mishi -moon was talked about in depth. As my eye gazed upon this stature the documentary flooded my mind with the history and facts I had just received. I was standing in front of the most high in the Mayan culture and it was unsettling.you could feel a tension if disconnect and morning in this hut. You felt obligated to falsely worship and give to this false beliefs in hopes of self value in a condemning culture in a broken part of the world. In 1 Colossians Paul wants the Colossians to pray regularly to god that he would unpack them with his power. Not for self gain or self worth but that that can know gods worthy manor for all endurance and patients with joy. The purpose is to provide divine strength needed for the believer to attain Christian virtues to preserver in faith to resist temptation and know the joy of the lord.
My application is to find the joy that is in my morning devotions
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