Author: Given O. Blakely

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Published: 2010-01-26

Total Pages: 607

ISBN-13: 1450002447

This is volume one of the book "Divine Correction for Distraction." Owing to the fact that this is a commentary on the book of Colossians, we recommend the books (volumes one and two) be purchased as a set. For the Christian, this is the day of distraction. Many voices are calling out for our allegiance. For those en route to heaven, this circumstance is most dangerous, for dwelling in the house of the Lord requires a singular and consistent focus. This book is an exposition of the remedial effects of proper focus. It is a commentary on the Biblical book of Colossians. The particular church to whom this letter is directed was experiencing distracting influences. The spiritual rationale of maintaining a proper focus is declared with great power. It is also an expose of the erroneous "how-to" approach to "the Christian life" that is being hawked by religious opportunists. For the believer, a completeness is found in Christ that cannot be augmented. There is no such thing as something that assists in the improvement of spiritual life that is not directly related to Christ, being revealed in the Scriptutres -- particularly by means of apostolic doctrine. This book is dedicated by my dear wife, June Ellen. As of 2009, we have been married for twenty-nine pleasant and profitable years. After I was widowed in 1979, I doubted that I would ever enjoy the benefits of marriage again. This was compounded by the loneliness that attends being widowed after twenty-five years. I asked the Lord for mercy to live above my own circumstances, never realizing how marvelously He would answer my prayer. Through His loving providence, He crossed my path with a fine Christian lady, and we soon were married. Sister June is an excellent wife and mother, bearing four children to us: Adah Lael, Jonathan David and Benjamin Seth (twins), and Eva Christine. From 1993 through their graduation from high school, she homeschooled them in a most excellent way. While they were young, she also fulfilled the role of a nurse, as one of our twin sons, Benjamin, had brain cancer. At the age of nine, a massive tumor (4" x 5") was removed from the front left lobe of his brain. At that time, there was no medical guarantee of his continuance in the body. June was trained to care for him, and she nursed him through a very critical period, administering medication, taking blood samples, and a host of other things associated with the kind of care Benjamin required. Today, 2009, he is a fine young man and is cancer free. From the practical point of view, this is largely owing to the faithful care of his mother. In addition to the key role she plays in our home, Sister June is also an excellent minister of the Word of God. She teaches frequently in our various assemblies and is an indispensable companion in the good fight of faith as we journey together to the glory. She has an extraordinary grasp of the truth and has been gifted by the Lord to effectively communicate what she has been given to comprehend. She is also the proofreader of most of my writing and is a most profitable minister to my own spirit. Because of my love and respect for her, owing to her indispensable contribution to my own faith, and in gratefulness to our great God, I dedicate this volume to her.