Tag: Ephesians

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A lot of quibble over dribble.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Teach these things, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them. Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life. Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions. 1 Timothy‬ ‭6‬:‭2‬b-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The Apostle Paul writing to Timothy, his young protégé, not only reconfirms his authority as an Apostle, but also gives us the truth about leading and teaching the Church. Timothy was sent by Paul to the church in Ephesus to get them back on the right track – unity in the faith. Paul simply passed on the teachings of Jesus, as he was taught, but also as the Holy Spirit relayed, reminded and reinforced what God wanted to accomplish through His Church. It is sound doctrine. It promotes a godly life, Paul writes.

But “others” taught something different. Paul calls them out as arrogant and lacking. Apparently there are people who have a (noseó) sickness or spiritual disease to mince words or quibble over dribble. They have a bad case of (logomachia) a strife of words or unprofitable controversy! And, what’s worse is that these folks with diarrhea of the mouth cause far more damage to the body of Christ than their claims of hair-splitting of the truth. Out of this diseased thinking comes (phthonos) envy, (eris) contention, (blasphémia) abusive language and evil (huponoia) suspicions!

Here’s the thing though; these heresy-hunters cause far more damage to the unity of the body of Christ than their claims of corruption. I find it interesting that the majority of heresies concerning the truth of God’s Word, mostly surrounding the identity of Christ himself, were fought over a thousand years ago. They are old and have been proven wrong long ago. Yet, we still have those who believe it is their job to police the body of Christ sniffing out the modern errors of denominations, pastors and teachers in the Church.

The fact is – they are still causing more damage than good. And now, their words are still logomachia – sowing strife faster than ever because of the speed and reach of social media. What are the results? Well, take the church of Ephesus for example. Timothy pastored that church until his death when he was around 80 years old. Where is the church of Ephesus today? GONE. There is no effective church in this little ancient tourist-town. There are a tiny handful of lonely believers, but no church. How do I know? I met the shop owner of a small gift shop across the street to the famous Apostle John’s burial place. She told me she was so thankful to have Christian “tourists” come through and pray with her – that’s her only fellowship.

I am not saying that these people that spread strife caused the downfall of the Ephesus church. I am saying that Paul is absolutely right, these squabbles over minutia lead to nothing but trouble.

Prayer

Dad,
I know you are at work – constantly! I know your plans, your will are unstoppable. It still hurts my heart that we, as believers, still have these spiritual diseases of strife-spreading among us. It gives your Church a bad rap! I am sorry for any contribution I have made to the problem. Help me to speak well of Your bride, the Church. Help me to see the body of Christ as whole and beautiful as it should be. Forgive us of our arrogance and contentiousness. Amen.

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How things corrode.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭21‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I understand that pure gold does not corrode. Gold in its pure .999 fine form is impervious to corrosion! Ah, but even the slightest, microscopic element can weaken its resolve.

Of course, our souls are not made of gold and are filled with imperfections, any one of which can corrupt us. Paul focuses on one particular method. The New Living Translation tries to capture this corruptive experience by identifying the two primary means: lust and deception. Paul is much more precise with his words. He writes that we deteriorate, we morally decompose when we are carried away from what he calls, “deceitful desires.” What? We are our own enemy? Yes, and no.

The slanderer (devil), apparently needs a target, a hook, a fissure, a fracture to gain a good grip on our soul. But where is that found? It can be found in our “epithumia.” Our deep, powerful desires, our passions… our lusts! Ancients have defined about seven of these core lusts called the seven deadly sins: Lust (sexual), Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride. I am sure with a little evil curiosity blended into that list, there are many sub-sins associated.

So that’s the “lust” or passion part, but Paul combines the illustration with another word, apaté: deceit, deception, deceitfulness, delusion. Isn’t it weird that the word looks and sounds a lot like APPETITE? This is where the early church fathers came up with the phrase, “disordered desires” or “disordered loves.” They we’re kind enough to discern that even though our desires, wants, needs and passions may begin innocent, we are bent on fulfilling them as quickly and cheaply as possible!

Paul may not agree. We are both deceived from within, thus willing to lie to our own soul to get what we want. Or, and most likely, we are are willing to believe an outside lie, a twist on the truth, from none other than the father of all lies. Whatever and whichever gets us the results we want – OUR OWN WAY.

This is where the battle takes place for our forward motion, our maturity, our growth in faith and obedience to Jesus! Paul is constantly reminding believers to throw off, cast off sin, decisions and behaviors that are based out of our old, dead, deceitful ways. Throw them away like a pair of faded, baggy jeans from the 90’s! I think my job is to not only monitor my distractions, but to also check for the elements in those distractions that maybe corrosive and eventually corrupt my very soul. Paul’s godly advice is to let the Spirit of God continually do a renewal sweep of my soul! This renewal will help remove the corrosive thoughts and attitudes, allowing me to set my mind and heart on Christ.

Prayer

Dad,
David’s Psalm of repentance helps me safeguard against my own deceitful desires as well as let your Holy Spirit do a mental, attitudinal cleansing and renewing of my soul. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10.

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Newsflash Reminder.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.” ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Once you were dead! I don’t know about you, but I remember my disobedience and MANY sins. I wasn’t born a believer. I did not surrender my life to Jesus as a child. I had a fairly high sin-rate in Junior and Senior High School. I agree with the Apostle Paul, I used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world – obeying the devil and the disordered desires of my heart. In fact, I’m not exactly sure I had a decent conscience. I had a twisted view of guilt. Not only did I rarely feel guilty for my decisions and behaviors, I was really good at masking those feelings behind massive blame of others and the crummy chaotic, dysfunctional life I was handed from my parents.

It was those decisions to ignore my conscience where I can clearly see myself being subject to God’s anger – just like everyone else. Being a sinner didn’t make me special or unique at all. In fact it was slowly stripping away the real me that I was trying to push away.

When I look around at the multiple sin-fests on constant display in entertainment, socials and curated news cycles, I must remember Paul’s words. There is a real devil and he’s commanding the powers of unseen world! My heart breaks as I see my friends, family and neighbors swallow the reverse sour-patch candy. First the lies are sweet, by a well crafted design to follow our passionate desires and inclinations, but turn bitter as they produce rotten results.

I pray that God reveals Himself and rescues them, just as He did for me. These verses lead Paul, via the Holy Spirit, to release one of the most powerful truths found in the New Testament. “For it is by grace you are saved, through faith. It is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” My path, my decisions, my sin was disrupted and redeemed by that powerful, undeserved grace of God. I will never forget who I was. Yet, I will remember what God can do that for others even today.

Prayer

Dad,
Do it again in those I love! Arrest them by your grace. Hunt them down by your love and mercy, relentlessly pursuing them as you did for me. Lift the blinders from their eyes. Penetrate their hearts with light that shatters the lies that lead them to darkness. Expose the wicked plans against them to reveal your love and true freedom. I ask in Jesus name, Amen.

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Power prayers of Paul

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,” Ephesians‬ ‭1:15-16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Wow, I read Paul’s prayer for the folks in Ephesus and I think, “my prayers are so fluffy and weak comparatively! Here’s Paul’s prayer: “asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.”

Here I am asking God to give my friends peace and comfort and Paul is pushing for spiritual wisdom, GROWING in knowledge, flooded with light and confident in hope! Wait, there’s more… He also prays that they understand God’s power for US who believe (calling it resurrection power).

These are examples of continued TRANSFORMATION prayers. Paul writes of us, frail, broken humans being God’s rich and glorious inheritance. I think about that, we are God’s inheritance?

We are the outcome and expression of this epic battle of free will to choose Him, choose good over evil. Even after knowing and experiencing evil. Even after being lured by lies and falling for the bait every time. Even after carrying guilt, shame and natural consequences of our CHOICES! We can still chose God? He has provided the way back to himself.

How many times have you longed for the innocence and wonder you see in a child? When they were at a stage that they only knew of the safety and love of a good parent. Before they discovered bullies and lies. Before the fear of real monsters who prey on others. Before they even knew we, as parents, were not perfect! Oh, I know children aren’t completely innocent. But in terms of what they know of their world, remember how we feared the day they found out that not everyone and everything is good?

I have longed for that innocence and a future without politics, predators and pain. Paul prays that the church would know God, as He has always been and always will be – GOOD. But to also know God even in the midst of and surrounded by bad.

Prayer

Dad,
I want to know this wisdom, knowledge, hope and power now, when I need it the most. I pray for my family and friends to know these things now as well. Why wait, right? Why believe in in these eternal ideas and not live in such a way that reflects those truths now? I want them in my life and friend’s lives – now – because we so desperately need them now. Father, help us to remember to not just pray these words, but believe and live these words in our lives.

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The poop-slinger and it’s posse.

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” Ephesians‬ ‭6:10-12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Calling out the liar. The Apostle Paul, prolific writer of much of the New Testament, calls a spade a spade. But first, his admonition is to remind us where our focus and our (followers of Jesus) strength should come from – the Lord!

I love it! To be EMPOWERED in Jesus, endunamoó: to empower. That “dunamis” he speaks of is an overwhelmingly, supernatural power that comes from the creator himself! That power that raised Christ from the dead and dwells in those who believe. That is where our perfect and complete dominion comes from. It’s good for us to get that in our heads and hearts.

Paul then defines for us a real and capable enemy. It is because of this enemy that we should armor up. Every piece, an object lesson from what soldiers, warriors wore in the first century, just to give a visual.

Paul re-introduces the enemy by name… the LIAR, more specifically, the SLANDERER. It’s translated as diabolos, the devil, but that word has no real meaning then nor today. This creature cast out of heaven and thrown to earth is the “lie-thrower.” This fallen angel has taken up the chief position of being the one to bring charges, to constantly hurl complaints, accusations and slanderous lies to the battle in our minds. It feels like Diabolos describes most every modern politician and ridiculous bill on the ballot today – our mailboxes, spam texts and media messages are filled with lies because we have a midterm election coming up this November 8, 2022.

Just name any and every bad-actor on the world stage today and their backer is the diabolos. Paul says that pretty clearly. Don’t look at these evil puppets, playing their roles, look up the strings and see who’s holding the sticks! We are NOT fighting against humans, but evil rulers and authorities of the UNSEEN world, mighty powers and evil spirits in heavenly places. And for them, for that kind of battle, we need a lot more than weak words and cheap, repetitive memes on social media. We need more than protests and angry exchanges of sound bytes. We need powerful prayers of the Holy Spirit, going after the unseen “methodeia” crafty, deceitful methods of the slanderer.

Let’s see our real enemy, let’s wage war against the real cause and financial backer of these cultural disturbances, these attempts to separate and fracture our resolve. The poop-slinger and it’s posse!

Prayer

Dad,
Why is it so hard for us to see BEYOND this world, beyond ourselves into the spiritual world that is constant and eternal all around us. We are so selfishly bound to our five senses that we ignore what takes place in the heavenly. And we do so to our own demise! We need to be people of the Spirit, to not only see, but to fight and love through prayer in that realm. Help us not to be so earth-bound and heavenly ignorant! Amen.

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Dumb Human Tricks of pretending Darkness is Light!

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” Ephesians‬ ‭5:6-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬


New Living Translation’s attempt to communicate Paul’s intent uses the word, “fooled,” but really it’s don’t be apatáō – deceived, using tactics like seduction, giving dis­torted impressions and luring into deception. And we do so with kenos: empty, worthless, of no value, words. It’s a if Paul knows how humans justify our behaviors by just word-vomiting all over each other. Ah, yes, we spin and wordsmith just the right phrases and repeat them so often that we begin to believe our own lies.

It all begins by lying to ourselves, doesn’t it? We’ve got to. We know it’s wrong. Or, at least I believe that we have a God-given conscience that tells us we’re wrong, but we want to do it anyways. What else are we going to do? Should we go around admitting we’re wrong and acting foolishly? No! We want to DO WRONG but BE RIGHT about it!

We say to ourselves and others, with as much hubris vibrato we can muster, “I am not sinning, you just misunderstand truth.”

Distraction is the core of magic, right? “Look over here, I’ll prove to you that my behaviors are not bad, they are actually good and helpful to my soul and society.” Then the inevitable, “wouldn’t you love to join me in my own version of truth?” There’s no way I’m going to change my behavior, so I will distort the truth!

Paul kinda says that’s ridiculously silly. He says that’s like calling the darkness, light (probably vice versa as well). Yep, dark is dark and light is light. So to switch them means that you’ve gone mental, or traded a truth for a lie.

So that’s why it’s so important to drag behaviors or deeds of darkness out of the shadows, out of the night and into the daylight! To prop up a good lie, a dark behavior, to force EVERYONE to unilaterally admit it’s true and good – it has to be paraded and propagated in the actual light of day.

The best way to seduce the world into accepting a wrong behavior is to drag that thing into the daytime and get a whole bunch of people to agree that it’s good and not bad, it’s truth and not a lie!

Paul says that God’s light, which is not the daylight produced by the sun, but eternal light that emanates from the Son of God himself will EXPOSE darkness and make everything and everyone see truth. Paul says to BE a believer means there is no deceptively seducing yourself or others with ridiculous, empty spinning of truth.

You stand, full on in the light of Jesus Christ and see yourself as a sinner, exposed but also saved by His grace. And as this light of Christ penetrates our soul, there is no need to lie or deny but allow Him and him alone to SEE us and forgive us.

Prayer

Dad,
Wow, we are so creative to avoid truth! Why are we so good at being bad and constantly convincing ourselves that it’s okay? Are we so determined to get away from you and be “independent” of your goodness that we will spend our lives calling lies, truth and darkness, light? I am really that sinful, aren’t I? Forgive me. Forgive us. It’s so embarrassing to know that these thoughts and behaviors exist in our “freedom” and free-will. Come quickly Lord Jesus, for our sin is great and our deception has gone viral.

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A contract is a contract, and it must be paid in blood.

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.” Ephesians‬ ‭2:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The outsiders! New Living Translation plays this verse a little too fast and loose, the word “outsiders” is not in the original text. The translators are trying to make the point Paul is suggesting. I found an article that said there were approximately 4 million Jews living in the Roman Empire at that time. They had to have been a force to be reckoned with because a number of Roman emperors tried to eliminate them. But in the religious world, in this “new” messianic Jew era, the Gentiles, or the heathens were outnumbered. Paul takes another dig at a previously honored distinction- pride in circumcision. Saul/Paul had been circumcised. However, it had long been known that it was only a physical indication and no longer a matter of a heart that was separated unto God. God had even declared that the physical trait had lost its effect because of sin, stubbornness and disobedience. When the “insiders” control the rules of the game, then everyone else is seen as outside the “accepted by God”circle. But Paul wrote, you were “formerly” heathens. Did they get circumcised? Well, certainly not physically. Paul was referring to what Christ had done for every human being – his blood had circumcised their heart. The mark, the “physical” proof was cut, contracted in the heart, right where God said he would writes his laws upon human flesh.

Contracts were said to be “cut” in ancient days because each party would physically cut into their own body, producing a little bit of blood. This is also why God choose circumcision as a sign of covenant with His people. That blood covenant or contract was a visible, visceral statement that declared, if I don’t keep my end of the contract, my blood, my life will be given in return. Ancient contracts were blood pacts!

All the way back to the garden and the reality of death for disobedience caused a permanent rift, a tear a chasm between humans and God. God setup a way to repair that breech. The contract with Abraham was a blood pact and the contract with Moses was the temporary method for failing to keep our end of the deal. As humans we kept failing to keep our end of the contract so the blood of animals was the temporary “atonement” or really a promise to pay in full one day with our own blood, our own lives.

We all had this blood/death sentence hanging over us. It didn’t matter if humans believed in God, or even knew about the contract arrangements – it is a reality ever human would have to face. Let’s say you get pulled over for a traffic violation and the office gives you a ticket, a fine that must be paid. You know it does NO GOOD whatsoever to tell the judge, “I didn’t know it was against the law!” The judge will tell you, “ignorance is not a defense.” Ignorance is not a defense with this blood contract either.

God’s plan was to become human and be born in perfection, no sin, completely innocent – Christ was never under the contract because he never violated the agreement. However, being perfect, and human he was able to make THE payment that no innocent temporary animal could ever make with its own blood (Remember animals live in a sinful world, but they do not commit sin – they do not have a human soul thus they were never at fault for disobedience). Because they are NOT human, their innocent blood could only be a temporary peace offering, a promise for its owner to pay in full at some point in the future. Christ was born perfect and lived perfect, so his blood, his death was the only real solution to all of humanity’s big pile of “IOU’s!”

Now, the only way to avoid paying for your sin is to show the judge your “paid in full” receipt, not because a small amount of blood was “cut” in circumcision, but the paid contract has been cut in your heart, where you believe in God’s payment plan through Christ and show it by the way you live now as “circumcised” Gentile.

Prayer

Dad,
All I can say is thank you! Thank you for your plan, your salvation. Thank you for your law being written on my heart. Thank you for grace to look forward, live forward unafraid of death as my own payment for sin.

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Like savvy shoppers soaked in the Spirit!

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.” Ephesians‬ ‭5:15-19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

​I just love this passage from Paul to the churches in Ephesus. Robin and I were able to go to Ephesus on a Mission’s Trip for Syrian refugee crisis to Turkey. The city walk, the downtown ancient city is still a wonder to behold. Just to walk the cobblestone road that Paul and Timothy walked was amazing. I also love this passage for two particular greek words Paul used here to describe the believers interactions and behaviors with the world they lived in at the time.

Paul was a spirit-strategist. He was brilliant in determination and dogged in being led by the Holy Spirit. Paul says look at, be perceptive, situationally aware of whats going on as you walk through life. Then he drops this incredible word about opportunity. He says eksagorázō, buy-up at the marketplace.

When he says make the most or redeem the time he uses a shopping term! You can hear the noise of the street and people buying and selling goods along the road in Ephesus. There were parts that were very much like an open-air mall! Paul says grab that deal, snag that bargain, get the sale! Who can’t understand what it’s like to live a life looking for a great deal?

What’s the great deal? We should we be savvy-shoppers for – Holy Spirit interactions with people that God has prepared to have a conversation with YOU. God has done all the work, all you have to do is be open and aware and used to speak to someone.

What would you say? That’s where the next word Paul uses really brings this passage to life. He says, believers don’t need to spend their days being drunk or soaked/intoxicated with wine. Instead believers need to be “filled” or plēroō, 100% completely soaked IN the Holy Spirit. Paul used a word that was common for taking animal skins which were used for tents and other coverings and soaking them in animal fat, thus permeating every part of it. It’s a great play on words here as well – don’t be soaked in spirits (wine) be soaked in the Spirit!

The believer is left totally and completely permeated with the presence of God as they walk about the marketplace where people gather to have God-ops by His design. What a way to live life! Am I prepared to be that available? Have I been soaking in the things of the Spirit to the place where I am seeing, perceiving this world through spirit-empowered lenses? It is here that Paul mentions one of the nine places in the New Testament about breaking out in song. If you can imagine an old Irish pub filled with ale and song, you can see how the church can gather to be soaked in the Spirit and sing songs of God’s great grace!

Prayer

Dad,
Oh, that I would, that WE as a church would be so aware, so cognizant of your presence, that we would walk about in our lives looking for these opportunities. And in those moments of seeing what you are doing in our world, our friends, family and neighbors we would be so filled with the power of the Holy Spirit that we could address whatever need, whatever difficulty people may face with your grace and mercy! Wow! What a day that would be. What everyday could look like IF we took Paul’s advice and believed your Word is true and effective in our daily lives!