Media Silence!  
Unless you fit the profile.

Go to CrossTalk's blog and read this sad story: http://www.crosstalkblog.com/2010/03/street-preachers-murdered-in-south-florida/.

What's really sad is that the major media outlets didn't cover the story.  If this man had been anything else but a Christian, the news would have never stopped moaning.  But alas, Christians are a nuisance and the less there are of them, the better society will be.

Also read the article from The Palm Beach Post News: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime/two-men-preaching-religion-shot-to-death-in-211257.html.

This brings us to our devotion today from Colossians

Strengthened!

 1:11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

The Apostle has been listing all his prayer requests to God on behalf of the Saints at the church in Colosse. As he continues in our verse today, he tells them that one of these items is for the Colossians to be "strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power."  

We are weak creatures. We are weak in the flesh. We are weak in our spirits. We are weak in our abilities. And yes, we are weak in our minds. That that we should not do, we are too often to weak to resist. That that we should do, we are to weak in the mind and heart to perform. And above all, we are weak in the faith, unable many times to believe God for a thing. In all regards we are weak! Paul speaks of one of his weaknesses in 2Corinthians 12. He says in verse 7 that, " lest he should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to him a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet him, lest he should be exalted above measure." His weakness was thinking more highly of himself, or that he had reached a certain spiritual status because of all the revelations given to him. For this cause he was given a thorn in the flesh, which was a messenger of satan to buffet him, or keep him humble. Paul says in verse 8 that, "for this thing he had besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from him." But the Lord's answer to him in verse 9 was, " My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." It was undeniable. In and of himself, Paul did not have the strength to help himself, he had to look to the Lord for it. But that was okay with Paul. Realizing his condition, and the help for it, he declares in the rest of verse 9, "most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." He wanted to be continually "strengthened with all might, according to the glorious power of the Lord" which would be abundantly sufficient for the journey on this terrestial ball. It would be this same Paul who would joyously exclaim in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me!"

Now that is my prayer for myself and all the Saints of God today. I know that as Paul was weak, so am I, and so are you. We cannot make it another step without the Lord. We are powerless to do, to change, to walk, to speak, and all else that would accompany our being. I need power! Not that power that comes from human might and understanding, but the glorious power of the godhead of God that moves mountains, traverses oceans, and changes men's hearts. That I might work the work of Him that has sought me and bougth me is beyond my capacity. But I am confident in this one thing that Christ "which hath begun a good work in me is able to perform it until the day He comes to get me," Philippians 1:6. Just as He told His disciples in Acts 1:8 that "they would receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon them," I have received the same, and am daily receiving the same, as it is needed for me to walk in Christ Jesus unto all good works. Yet, I pray, and I hope others pray also, that I be strengthened with much power, for I am abundantly weak.

Let us pray for each other, Brethren, that we might all "be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." I pray with Paul in Eph 3:16 "That he (Christ) would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man,  and that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us," 2Corinthians 4:7. Oh how we need it! We can't even walk without Him holding our hands. Therefore, I will approach His throne of grace with my hands out, pleading for divine mercy that I may be strengthened unto every good work. Strengthened for every good cause. Strengthened that I might give to the Lord Jesus Christ that which Jude proclaims in Jude 1:25: "To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen." "Most wonderful Jesus, help us!