Prisoners Of War

        Recently I have been thinking about several of our members (6-7) who have been missing In Action (MIA). Then it dawned on me, that they are truly POW's, Prisoners of War. Don't get me wrong, I am not talking about some of our shut-ins who rarely get out of the house for anything. Rather I'm talking about some of our members who have not been with us in our assembling together for the past several months.
        The old devil has got them in his camp. I thought about this verse, "and that they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will" (2 Timothy 2:26). These members have been "held captive" that is, they are POW's.
        Then it struck me that our armed forces will go to great lengths in rescuing their POW's. What a wonderful scene we saw on TV, a few of these men and women being rescued! These armed soldiers are willing to risk their lives for their fellow comrades. We esteem them for their courage and bravery! We salute their love for their fellow soldier. Yet, when we turn around and look at how we have treated our POW's, it's a different story.
        Will we put on our uniform and go after them? You know the uniform I'm talking about, "Therefore put on the full armor of God... with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.".(Eph. 6:13-17).
        Brethren, it's time to see them for what they are, truly they are POW's for they are being "held captive by him to do his will". Let us arise! Go after our fellow comrades no matter what the personal cost will be to us! DP

"Just as He chose us in Him
before the foundation of
the world" ( Ephesians 1:4) 

       Obviously Paul was not in Christ before the foundation of the world. Notice again what Paul said, "Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me" (Rom. 16:7). Paul came into Christ after Andronicus and Junias. Paul tells us himself how people get into Christ: "baptized into" Christ (see Rom. 6:3, Gal. 3:26-27, 1 Cor. 12:12-13).
        If Paul was not in Christ until he was baptized into Christ, how then was Paul "chosen" "in Him before the foundation of the world"? Simple, God had determined before the foundation of the world that all those in Christ would be chosen.
        I could illustrate it this way, I have chosen all those in the blue bus to receive a billion dollars. I have chosen before hand. I have not chosen individually, but as a whole. Notice Paul did not simply say, "He chose us before the foundation of the world". That is incorrect. What Paul said is that, "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world".
        Secondly, you cannot get into Christ, unless God puts you into Christ. The Bible says, "And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." (Acts 2:47 NKJV). Into Christ or into his body becomes nearly synonymous. For example, "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks..." (1Corinthians 12:13). Therefore when you are baptized into Christ you are baptized into His universal body, His universal church. If you want to be chosen, you must stay in Christ, for Paul said, "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock..., to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. (Acts 20:28). The church is the purchased body of Christ. This was God's plan before the foundation of the world. DP