Category: Ephesians

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Left Without

For most of the day yesterday I kept thinking about the void people experience who don’t know God. It hurts my heart!

So much bad news, so much turmoil and when we are left without our personal relationship with the Lord we are also left without peace, joy, and most of all hope. Hope!

“You were living without Christ then. The Jewish people who belonged to God had nothing to do with you. The promises He gave to them were not for you. You had nothing in this world to hope for. You were without God.

13 But now you belong to Christ Jesus. At one time you were far away from God. Now you have been brought close to Him. Christ did this for you when He gave His blood on the cross.” Ephesians 2:12-13 NLV

There’s a phrase I always look for in the Bible when I’m reading about people facing hardships and overwhelming odds. That is “but God”. That’s what the Apostle Paul wrote in the verses above.

We were living without Christ, we had nothing to hope for BUT Christ brought us close to God and now we have relationship with Him.

“We can come to God without fear because we have put our trust in Christ.” Ephesians 3:12 NLV

Because of our relationship with God through Christ we are now without fear and blame – we have hope, we have peace, we have help.

“ May the God of peace set you apart for Himself. May every part of you be set apart for God. May your spirit and your soul and your body be kept complete. May you be without blame when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 24 The One Who called you is faithful and will do what He promised.” I Thessalonians 5:23-24 NLV

I couldn’t leave you today without a song. It’s a song I remember singing when I was a teenager. It has brought me encouragement so, so, so many times throughout my life. It’s been sung by a number of artists but most recently I’ve enjoyed listening to Josh Turner sing, Without Him.

Without him, I would be dying
Without him, I’d be enslaved
Without him, life would be hopeless
But with Jesus, thank God I’m saved

“ Let us go with complete trust to the throne of God. We will receive His loving-kindness and have His loving-favor to help us whenever we need it.” Hebrews 4:16

Without Him I’d surely fail BUT thank GOD I am never left without God and His love!

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There’s A Void

…without Him

My thoughts this morning focused on one thing – I found it in the first few verses of Genesis.

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3 And God said…” Genesis 1:1-3 KJV

No form – there was darkness and a void until God spoke. Those few words can describe everyone who is reading this. There’s a darkness and a void but God isn’t content to leave us that way. He desires to fill the void.

God spoke and there was light. God separated the light from the dark so we would have time to rest and time to flourish. He spoke and land separated from the waters; the earth teamed with life of every sort and the things God created He called good. When He created humanity, He called it very good.

He speaks and worlds change. He speaks and lives are transformed. It’s the power of God’s word that creates.

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11 NKJV

John, the Apostle, called Jesus the Word. His very existence here on earth was the Word of God being accomplished. Our lives prosper because of Him.

“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8 NKJV

We were without strength but God stepped in to fill the void with His love. When God speaks things change. Power and life replace the weakness.

“Have your roots planted deep in Christ. Grow in Him. Get your strength from Him. Let Him make you strong in the faith as you have been taught. Your life should be full of thanks to Him…9 For Christ is not only God-like, He is God in human flesh. 10 When you have Christ, you are complete. He is the head over all leaders and powers.” Colossians 2:7-10 NLV

“The church is Christ’s body. It is filled with him. He makes everything complete in every way.” Ephesians 1:23 ERV

Because of Christ the void is filled, and we are complete in Him.

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What to Share?

That’s the question I was asking this morning. The answer was loud and clear:

Share the Gospel – the good news of Jesus Christ!

“My friends, I want you to remember the message I preached and that you believed and trusted. 2 You will be saved by this message, if you hold firmly to it. But if you don’t, your faith was all for nothing.

3  I told you the most important part of the message exactly as it was told to me. This part is:

Christ died for our sins,
    as the Scriptures say.
4 He was buried,
    and three days later
he was raised to life,
    as the Scriptures say.
5 Christ appeared to Peter,
    then to the twelve.
6 After this, he appeared
to more than five hundred
    other followers.
Most of them are still alive,
    but some have died.
7 He also appeared to James,
    then to all of the apostles.

8  Finally, he appeared to me, even though I am like someone who was born at the wrong time.

9  I am the least important of all the apostles. In fact, I caused so much trouble for God’s church that I don’t even deserve to be called an apostle. 10 But God treated me with undeserved grace! He made me what I am, and his grace wasn’t wasted. I worked much harder than any of the other apostles, although it was really God’s grace at work and not me. 11 But it doesn’t matter if I preached or if they preached. All of you believed the message just the same.” I Corinthians 15:1-11 CEV

The good news? Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose from the dead so that we could have new life in Him!

Salvation is nothing we earn but something we receive. It’s a gift from God, the expression of His grace.

“God did this so that his kindness to us who belong to Christ Jesus would clearly show for all time to come the amazing richness of his grace. 8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about.” Ephesians 2:7-9 ERV

We can’t boast or brag about our good works, intelligence, financial status or any other thing. It’s all about God and His unconditional love and forgiveness.

“I would love to tell you what I think of Jesus,
Since I found in Him a friend so strong and true;
I would tell you how He changed my life completely,
He did something that no other friend could do.

No one ever cared for me like Jesus,
There’s no other friend so kind as He;
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me,
O how much He cared for me.”

I am so thankful for my life with Christ. He is my all-in-all; my Lord, my Savior, my Friend!

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Say What?

Oh boy! This morning we are going to open a big package of “self-control” seeds.

 “But the fruit… 23 being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things.” Galatians 5:23 NLV

One translation that I looked at today shows self-control as continence or self-restraint. Ruling over our own desires. So, let’s jump right in and get some seeds planted.

“O Lord, put a watch over my mouth. Keep watch over the door of my lips.” Psalm 141:3 NLV

Our words can be devastating, harmful and destructive. Wrong eating habits can destroy our bodies the same way that wrong behavior can harm our souls.

“We all make many mistakes. If anyone does not make a mistake with his tongue by saying the wrong things, he is a perfect man. It shows he is able to make his body do what he wants it to do…5 The tongue is also a small part of the body, but it can speak big things. See how a very small fire can set many trees on fire. 6 The tongue is a fire. It is full of wrong. It poisons the whole body. The tongue sets our whole lives on fire with a fire that comes from hell… 9 With our tongue we give thanks to our Father in heaven. And with our tongue we speak bad words against men who are made like God. 10 Giving thanks and speaking bad words come from the same mouth. My Christian brothers, this is not right!” James 3:2-10 NLV

Not a lot of explanation is needed here. If we control our speech, we show maturity and restraint. If we don’t, it’s just not right.

“ And keep Your servant from sinning by going my own way…14 Let the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing in Your eyes, O Lord, my Rock and the One Who saves me.” Psalm 19:13-14 NLV

“The words of his mouth are sinful and false. He has stopped being wise and doing good. 4 He plans wrong-doing upon his bed. He sets himself on a path that is not good. He does not hate what is bad.” Psalm 36:3-4 NLV

These two passages compare and contrast the life of someone with self-control and someone without it. Pleasing words, pleasing thoughts versus sinful and false words.

Jesus said that out of the abundance of our heart our mouth speaks. If we want to change what we say and how we say it, we need to change our hearts.

“Christian brothers, keep your minds thinking about whatever is true, whatever is respected, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever can be loved, and whatever is well thought of. If there is anything good and worth giving thanks for, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8 NLV

Speak the truth with love.

“Love should always make us tell the truth. Then we will grow in every way and be more like Christ, the head” Ephesians 4:15 CEV

“ When you talk, you should always be kind and wise. Then you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should.” Colossians 4:6 ERV

Weeds of sarcasm and criticism must go. Destructive words that burn the heart must be quenched. When we have self-control, our words will be seasoned with love!

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Gentleness Requires Strength

As I start this writing my eyes are filled with tears as I remember the moments when I was most gentle.

The last year of my mother’s life her strength failed. She needed help doing everything. Walking, sitting down and getting up, showering, dressing, even eating at times. Someone had to be at her side almost constantly.

At night, when I would help her to bed, we would talk. Her voice was soft and low, and she would thank me for taking such good care of her. She would say “I know my body isn’t working and I need the strength of others. Thank you.” Then we would pray, and she would go to sleep.

“But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things.” Galatians 5:22-23 ERV

Gentleness.

That quiet strength that seems to bring calm and comfort. Parents know how to be gentle when their child has had a bad dream or is frightened by a new and strange experience. Nurses seem to be particularly adept at being gentle when they are caring for someone who is ill.

A friend knows how to step in with gentle consolation during times of heartache and loss. The best is when a small child cradles your face in their hands and says, “It’s ok Mommy, don’t cry”.

“Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.” Philippians 4:5 NLT

But gentleness isn’t just meant for those we are related too or have a close relationship with.

 “And when you welcome one of these children because of me, you welcome me…Don’t be cruel to any of these little ones! I promise you their angels are always with my Father in heaven.12 Let me ask you this. What would you do if you had 100 sheep and one of them wandered off? Wouldn’t you leave the 99 on the hillside and go look for the one that had wandered away? 13 I am sure that finding it would make you happier than having the 99 that never wandered off. 14 That’s how it is with your Father in heaven. He doesn’t want any of these little ones to be lost.” Matthew 18:5,11-14 CEV

Christ’s instruction to all of us is that we should be gentle with those who are lost. We should search for them and bring them back from danger.

“A gentle answer turns away anger, but a sharp word causes anger. 2 The tongue of the wise uses much learning in a good way, but the mouth of fools speaks in a foolish way.” Proverbs 15:1-2 NLV

“Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. 3 Try your best to let God’s Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace.” Ephesians 4:2-3 CEV

“God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. 13 Don’t be angry with each other, but forgive each other. If you feel someone has wronged you, forgive them. Forgive others because the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:12-13 CEV

Seeds of gentleness.

The Father’s example to us, His children, and our harvest of gentleness reflects the love of the Father to the world.

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Let’s Get Started

If you read yesterday’s blog you know that we are God’s garden. Paul said he planted; Apollos watered but God gives the increase. Today it’s time to start preparing the garden.

Each year I had my garden, I would get started by breaking up the ground that had sat through the winter. The surface would be hardened from the long period of being dormant. I would take my time raking through the earth, crumbling the dirt clods, raking it again, watering, raking, crumbling and finally adding new soil as needed.

If you want to have a fruitful garden, you have to have good soil.

“I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love. Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’” Hosea 10:12 NLT

Plow up the hard ground of your hearts. Excellent advice.

When we first moved back to Arizona, the ground in our area was sunbaked caliche, a natural concrete type material found in desert areas, beneath it was a red clay. Neither soil type was good for growing flowers and vegetables. It took a lot of work, but I was able to bring in good topsoil, Dave added a drip system and finally we had a garden that would bear fruit.

We don’t have physical stones in our hearts but the Apostle Paul warns us of spiritual hardness.

“ But now you must stop doing such things. You must quit being angry, hateful, and evil. You must no longer say insulting or cruel things about others. 9  And stop lying to each other. You have given up your old way of life with its habits.” Colossians 3:8-9 CEV

“ As a follower of the Lord, I order you to stop living like stupid, godless people. 18 Their minds are in the dark, and they are stubborn and ignorant and have missed out on the life that comes from God. They no longer have any feelings about what is right, 19 and they are so greedy they do all kinds of indecent things.” Ephesians 4:17-19 CEV

Breaking up the ground, preparing the soil is hard work.

Sometimes there are big rocks to remove – bitterness, anger, jealousy, deceitful desires – so that you can have a productive garden. And don’t forget about the weeds and the wild uncultivated seeds that seem to grow in this hard soil.

“Other people are like the seed planted on rocky ground. They hear the teaching, and they quickly and gladly accept it. 17 But they don’t allow it to go deep into their lives. They keep it only a short time. As soon as trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching they accepted, they give up.

18 “Others are like the seed planted among the thorny weeds. They hear the teaching, 19 but their lives become full of other things: the worries of this life, the love of money, and everything else they want. This keeps the teaching from growing, and it does not produce a crop in their lives.” Mark 4:16-19 ERV

I know I’ve given you quite a bit to think about today. Pray on it. Tell the Lord you want Him to show you how to break up the ground, pull out the weeds and how to become more productive in your walk with Him.

He will do the very thing you ask, after all, it’s God who gives the increase! Now, let’s get started.

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Change the World

The love of God is world changing! It has certainly changed mine and I hope it has changed yours.

This morning, I took time to reread the 13th chapter of John, in the CEV version. The love that Christ had for His disciples encased every sentence. Please take the time to read that. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+13&version=CEV

Jesus only had a few hours left with the men who had walked side-by-side with Him for the last three years. They had seen the miracles – they had their moments of doubting and also of awe. Now, they were about to face their greatest moment of sorrow and they didn’t realize it.

What Jesus does at this time is remarkable!

“It was before Passover, and Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and to return to the Father. He had always loved his followers in this world, and he loved them to the very end…So during the meal Jesus got up, removed his outer garment, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 He put some water into a large bowl. Then he began washing his disciples’ feet and drying them with the towel he was wearing…14 And if your Lord and teacher has washed your feet, you should do the same for each other. 15 I have set the example, and you should do for each other exactly what I have done for you. 16  I tell you for certain that servants are not greater than their master, and messengers are not greater than the one who sent them. 17 You know these things, and God will bless you, if you do them…33  My children, I will be with you for only a little while longer. Then you will look for me, but you won’t find me. I tell you just as I told the people, ‘You cannot go where I am going.’ 34  But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. 35 If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples.” John 13 CEV

Jesus makes one final gesture, an act of humility, an act of love. He washes the feet of His disciples. All of them, including Judas.

Peter the boisterous and the bold is the one to question why Jesus is doing this; Judas sits quietly as Jesus washes his feet, knowing that He is about to betray his teacher and Messiah.

Jesus’ love was unconditional, no one was outside the realm of His saving grace, not even Judas.

I wonder if the disciples thought about that later – thought about Jesus being no respecter of persons. He showed the same servant’s heart to John the disciple “whom Jesus loved”, as He did to the one who sold Him for 30 pieces of silver.

Betrayal of a trusted friend is one of life’s most bitter moments. Jesus turned that experience into an opportunity to teach us all about the love of God. No retaliation, no rebuke, no condemnation only love.

“ As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. 2  Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other.” Ephesians 4:1-2 CEV

When we drop selfishness and truly love like Jesus did, in a humble and gentle way, we will change our world with the power of God!

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Let the World Know

I have a question for you this morning. If I asked you to define friendship would the word love be in your definition?

It should be – true friendship is built on love and trust. A couple of days ago, in my blog “Love Covers” I showed you how God’s love covers our multitude of sins. Remember this verse?

“Most of all, have a true love for each other. Love covers many sins.” I Peter 4:8 NLV

and then yesterday there was this verse

“But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. 35 If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 CEV

Those were the two thoughts heavy on my mind this morning. Am I a good and loving friend? Love and trust. Do I express those two characteristics with the people I call friends and those who are family?

Do I love the way Christ does? I think of the adulterous woman who the religious leaders wanted to stone. Jesus proved to be her friend; she could trust Him. He didn’t humiliate her or put her failure on display, He covered her actions with His love. He told her she was forgiven and to go and sin no more.

Look at Peter. Christ told him to be on guard because satan was going to trip him up and get him to sin. Peter in his own boisterous way said NEVER and then he denied Christ three times before the sun came up. After Jesus rose from the grave and encountered the disciples on multiple occasions He never once ridiculed or chided Peter in public. Jesus only spoke good things over Peter’s life.

How will the world know that we are disciples, followers of Christ? We are to love one another. That means that we cover the failings and shortcomings of those we love. We don’t repeat their mistakes, we don’t embarrass them with their past. We cover them with love.

“You will keep your friends if you forgive them, but you will lose your friends if you keep talking about what they did wrong.” Proverbs 17:9 CEV

There’s a story that you may not know. After he and his family were off the ark and living on land again, Noah got drunk and one of his sons found him naked in his tent. That son went and reported the incident to his brothers. He made his father’s shame public. Look what the other two sons did.

“Shem and Japheth put a robe over their shoulders and walked backwards into the tent. Without looking at their father, they placed it over his body” Genesis 9:23 CEV

They covered their father’s sin and shame. This is what God expects from us. This is how the world will know that we are His disciples.

“Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children.” Ephesians 5:1 CEV

With all we have learned about God’s love for us during the past month we have a mandate to walk in that kind of love to those around us. Be an encourager, be someone who builds others up. Don’t speak of past failures – cover them.

Let the world know we are His disciples by our love!

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Growing In Love

After fifty years of marriage, you would think Dave and I know everything there is to know about each other. Not true!

I learned a couple years ago that he used to walk on stilts, and he just recently learned that I ran hurdles in High School and did the high jump. Shocking, I know but it’s the truth.

I’m telling you this because although we have spent the last twenty-four days uncovering the truth of God’s love there is still so much more to discover. The Apostle Paul had grown up being schooled in the Jewish synagogue. He knew the Torah, the first five books of the Bible; he studied the book of Isaiah and he read the Psalms but look at the statement he made to the church of the Philippians.

“Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ 9 and to know that I belong to him. I could not make myself acceptable to God by obeying the Law of Moses. God accepted me simply because of my faith in Christ. 10 All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life. I want to suffer and die as he did, 11 so that somehow I also may be raised to life. 12 I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize.” Philippians 3:8-12 ERV

Here is a man whose life impacted the world with the message of Jesus Christ and he says, “All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him to life”.

As I was writing in my journal this morning, these were my words. “My heart is full but my words are missing. I just want to know more of Your love and be able to share it”.

Then the song that was written based on Philippians 3:10 came to mind:

“Lord, I want to know you more.

Deep within my soul I want to know You

And I would give my final breathe

To know you in your depth and resurrection.

Lord, I want to know you more.”

That’s how Christ wants us to know Him. He wants us to be confident in the depth of His love.

“…We will grow to be like Christ in every way. He is the head, 16 and the whole body depends on him. All the parts of the body are joined and held together, with each part doing its own work. This causes the whole body to grow and to be stronger in love.” Ephesians 4:15b-16 ERV

Be like Christ in every way – be like Him!

To be like Him we have to watch what He did (we see that in the Gospels), we need to hear His words as recorded in the Bible and we need to listen with our hearts for the Holy Spirit’s leading.

Lord, I want to know You more. I want to grow in the knowledge of Your love!

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Love in Action = Grace

Dave and I sat out by the fire last night talking of the friends and acquaintances we have made over the last 50 years. Some of these people are on my Christmas card list and we still keep in touch. It’s amazing how our lives have been blessed by so many.

It wasn’t long until we found ourselves talking of one friend who has been going through a very rough time. He has run headlong into some tough circumstances, some of his own making, and he’s angry, and unyielding. I’m not sure if he’s angry with God or just mad at the world, maybe a little of both. We are praying for him to have a true encounter with the grace of God.

You see, grace is really God’s love in action.

Grace is God’s kindness and blessings showered on our lives when we deserve judgement and condemnation. As a young girl I was taught this acrostic – Grace is God’s Righteousness At Christ’s Expense.

“Christ Jesus our Lord treated me with undeserved grace and has greatly blessed my life with faith and love just like his own.” I Timothy 1:14 CEV

When we don’t realize that we are recipients of God’s grace we demand perfection from ourselves to earn God’s love and in turn, we struggle with being gracious to others. Both scenarios leave us angry and unkind.

“I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about.” Ephesians 2:8-9 ERV

Grace is not a one-time thing; it’s a virtue that grows in our lives as we learn more about Christ and His character.

“Let the gift of undeserved grace and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen.” II Peter 3:18 CEV

Grace was love in action when Jesus said to the criminal on the cross “Today you’ll be with me in Paradise”. Grace was love in action when Jesus lifted Peter from the sea when he began to sink. Grace was love in action when Christ cried out from the cross “Father, forgive them”.

“Honor and thanks be to the Lord, Who carries our heavy loads day by day. He is the God Who saves us. 20 Our God is a God Who sets us free. The way out of death belongs to God the Lord.” Psalm 68:19 NLV

“My soul, praise the Lord and never forget how kind he is! 3 He forgives all our sins and heals all our sicknesses. 4 He saves us from the grave, and he gives us love and compassion. 5 He gives us plenty of good things.” Psalm 103:2-5 ERV

Why am I writing this to all of you this morning? The friend I’m talking about will probably never read this blog, but you may have someone in your life that is a lot like him. Someone who needs you to be gracious; someone who needs you to be loving and forgiving.

Someone you know, perhaps it’s you, needs to receive grace which is love in action!

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