Make it a heart thing…
This week’s devotions are based on Week 2 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
Ephesians 1:18 “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,…”
Faith is never just a head thing. Although the intellect of faith is important, faith is not just a knowledge of God, but a trust in God. Trust is a “gut” thing. Sure it is supported by one’s knowledge and intellect, but our heart is really where the deep seated, reactionary, habitual aspects of life and faith develop.
Paul continues his prayer for the believers in Ephesus and for us with a desire that God would open our hearts to see clearly and experience fully the hope to which God has called us along with the glorious inheritance that is in store for us.
So what is that hope?
The Apostle Paul writes about it in virtually every letter. It is not a hope that has its limits in the worlds ability to provide, but it is a hope in what has been promised to us by our Father in heaven. To the Colossians, he wrote:
Colossians 1:3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— 5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel 6 that has come to you.
To the Corinthians, he wrote:
1 Corinthians 15:18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
To the Thessalonians he wrote:
1 Thessalonians 4:13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.
Paul had not yet experienced the full aspect of eternal life with Jesus, but he was certain of it. He knew that the worst that could happen to him on this earth is his own death or the death of someone he loved. The hope he had in Christ gave joy to the thought of each. Death was merely the passage way to experience the hope and glorious inheritance God had promised him in Jesus.
He wants you to have this hope as well. Life in this world will end. So what keeps us from depression and despair? Hope. Hope that is firmly built not on wishful thinking, but on the completed work of Jesus on the cross and the fact of the empty tomb. Because he lives, we too will live.
So it is my prayer that this hope deeply embeds in my heart and yours so that in all circumstances of life we have a peace that is settled in the hope of eternal life that IS ours through Jesus!
Apply: Rate your “peace” meter. Is your heart disrupted by worry and concern or is it settled in the promises of Jesus?
Prayer: Lord, open the eyes of my heart so I may see and believe more fully the hope to which you have called us and anticipate with joy the glorious inheritance that you have promised to me. AMEN.
I just want you to know him better!
This week’s devotions are based on Week 2 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
Ephesians 1:17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
“I don’t think they know how good they have it.”
This phrase may run through the mind of a parent as a child is making a fuss at not having the cookie they wanted. A child has a small perspective on life and often the perspective of life and experience lead them later to better realize all that their parents had done for them and provided for them. I would say that appreciation for my parents is far greater than it was when I was little and growing up.
The Apostle Paul, I think, has a similar view of the Ephesian Christians who were “infants” in their faith and relationship with the Lord. Paul knew how amazing it was to call God his Father and to know so personally his love, his grace, and his forgiveness. He had grown through his conversion, his training, his ministry and mission to better understand the wisdom and revelation of God and its eternal impact.
He wanted the same for the Ephesians.
The Spirit wants the same for us!
Paul’s prayer is not a “one and done.” it is a prayer he keeps praying for the believers that the Father would give them a spirit of wisdom and revelation – for one purpose: to know him better.
This perspective is not surprising, but maybe it’s emphasis is unique and important.
Often the word of God which is the revelation of God and communicates the wisdom of God is view as the “self-help” book that is there to simply guide our Christian life with rules and directions that make us a “good Christian.” To be sure, it definitely is a guide for our Christian life. However, the Christian life is merely an outward expression of morality unless our heart is shaped by knowing the heart of God. The more we get to know about God, the more love for God increases. The more love for God increases, the more the expression of that love increases.
For example, Paul wrote of the wisdom of God in 1 Corinthians 1:21 Indeed, since the world through its wisdom did not know God, God in his wisdom decided to save those who believe, through the foolishness of the preached message. The wisdom of the world puts our relationship with God in a “I do…I get” mentality. If I do enough good before God, God gives me heaven. That is the world’s wisdom that really only leaves us with doubt and despair of our relationship with God. There is no certainty in our performance. So the wisdom of God reveals to us that God is willing to do what we cannot and communicate it as a gift of grace through the “preached message.” Our relationship with God is not secured by our performance, but by God’s decision and doing to save us.
How does this lead me to know God better? I realize while he is a God of justice, he is deeply a God of love who was willing to sacrifice his own Son on my behalf. He is willing to love the unlovable and give grace to those who never would deserve it.
This is what Paul wants us all to grasp even more.
Keep praying for yourself and fellow believers that the Father would give to you his Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that you will know him better, and better, and better!
Apply: Add this prayer to your daily prayers. Add time in the word to your daily routine. See what you discover about your Father and his heart for you over the next 30 days.
Prayer: Father, we keep praying and we ask you to give us your Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that we may know you better and better. AMEN.
Give Thanks for Faith!
This week’s devotions are based on Week 2 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
15 This is why, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I never stop giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
Have you ever stopped to give thanks to God for the faith of another person? Perhaps today is the day. As the Apostle Paul heard of the faith of the people in Ephesus, he saw it as a reason for giving thanks to God for the believers in Ephesus.
To be honest, in church work, it is easy to focus on what is lacking in the congregation or individuals rather than what God has given and is doing. It’s easy to focus on who is not there on a given Sunday, or wishing more individuals would step up and help with some area of ministry, or that the financial giving was stronger, etc. The list can go on. Maybe it’s just me and no other pastor does this, but I must admit and repent of seeing the scarcity rather than the abundance.
Paul just spent 12 verses prior to this marveling at the call of grace that God orchestrated from eternity and brought to reality in the hearts of people in Ephesus. He wanted them to realize this tremendous gift of grace that had been planned and given from eternity. When the word of truth took root in their hearts and they too were included in Christ by faith, Paul couldn’t help but give thanks for the faith they had in the Lord Jesus and the way that faith was exhibiting itself in their lives.
Paul took time to thank God that he had made many in Ephesus his dear children. He rejoiced that they had connected to and had a love for the Word of Truth that fostered and strengthened their children. He took time to give thanks for the way their faith was showing love for all the saints.
He never stopped giving thanks for the work of God in the hearts of the Ephesian Christians.
Neither should we.
Whenever and wherever you see the Spirit of God at work in the hearts of people is an opportunity to give thanks to God. Faith is evidence of the power of the Spirit. Faith is evidence of God’s ability to bring life from that which is spiritually dead. Love is evidence of the faith that God has given and the manifestation of God’s love in us and working through us.
So perhaps this prayer is the best place for all of us, not just pastors’ to start. The greatest miracle of God and evidence of God’s power is every individual, including ourselves is the fact that anyone believes in Jesus. We only have to look in the mirror to marvel at the gift of grace that has been given to us. We only have to pause to think, “What am I going to do with this gift today?
Paul gives us a wonderful example of praying for other believers. He remembers them in his prayers. Perhaps today is a good day to start a prayer journal and list all your Christian friends at your church. Use this list in your daily prayers to remember all those who have faith in the Lord Jesus and a love for all the saints.
A prayer such as this is an expression of love Paul has for the Ephesians. He loves when God shows up in his own life, and loves when God shows up in the lives of others. May we have a similar prayer for all the people around us, that God would use us to connect every souls to the gift of grace.
Apply: Begin a prayer journal!
Prayer
Lord God forgive me for the apathy I have toward others faith and my relationship with you. Lead me to me to always treasure the faith you have given to me and the saints with which you have surrounded me. AMEN.
Guaranteed!
This week’s devotions are based on Week 1 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
Everyone likes a guarantee!
Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Giving a deposit is a common business practice. If you are wanting to rent a beach condo for a week, to secure your reservation, you will have to put down a deposit, which is a portion of the whole amount you eventually will pay. I’ve bought used cars and when I go look at a car, I take a $100 to give the person if I am serious about buying the car so he knows I will come back and give him the rest of the purchase price.
A deposit secures a future reality.
A deposit is a portion of the full, not the total experience.
A deposit is an expression of commitment to follow through on the rest of what was promised.
So, to wrap up this week of devotions, here is another gift of God’s grace that he gives to us to give us certainty of what is to come. He gives us the Holy Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come.
How so?
Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.” The power to believe comes through the power of the Word. What the Word calls us to do (Believe!), it also carries the power of the Spirit to do! So whenever a person says, “Jesus is my Savior and Lord,” this is evidence of the power of the Spirit at work. 1 Corinthians 12:3 says, “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.”
The moment God works faith in your heart, you are given the Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing the inheritance to come.
To be sure, the Holy Spirit is a wonderful gift. He gives us those insights into the word of God, the will of God and the work of God. He opens our mind to understand the mystery of God’s will as it came to fulfillment in Jesus Christ. He makes spiritually confusing things spiritually edifying. Maybe most importantly, he shifts our whole heart, mind and actions from love of self to love of God. He keeps our eyes pointed forward to heaven where our eternal home is, not fixated on the things of this world that are temporary and fleeting.
Yet what we experience today is a shadow of the full inheritance that we have in store for us in heaven. It’s hard to even imagine what it will be like to enjoy all the richness of God’s presence and the glory of heaven, but the glimpses we see and feel today are only to make us long for the fullness of what the Deposit has guaranteed to us.
It’s coming. When God gives a deposit, he is not kidding around or giving himself a way to pull out of the deal. He gives a deposit. He guarantees what is to come. We can stop our spiritual shopping. We can stop looking for a better eternal deal. We can let go of any worry or anxiety about the future because we have God’s Spirit as a deposit guaranteeing what is to come.
And when God gives a deposit, he will certainly, by his grace, pay out our inheritance in full!
Apply: What peace does it give you that God has given you his Holy Spirit and GUARANTEES you the inheritance of heaven?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your grace that chose me, called me and gave me the deposit of your Holy Spirit to secure as a gift of grace the inheritance you have promised to me. AMEN.
Happy Fourth of July…and…
This week’s devotions are based on Week 1 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!
To be sure, God has shown his blessing to the United States over the 248 years of its history. In spite of its faults, we still are privileged to live in one of the greatest countries in the world. So today is a day to reflect on the blessings we have enjoyed and continue to enjoy as citizens of these United States.
Perhaps today also brings some questions of concern as you look at the leadership and potential leadership of our country. Perhaps we have concerns over policy that moves us away from a basis of Christian morals and biblical virtues. Maybe we wring our hands because we don’t have enough Chrisitians in political offices and the ones that are there are not doing enough to make us a Christian nation and legislate more Christian laws. Maybe with the election of our next president looming just four months away, there is concern over what the leadership at the top is going to be like.
As we enjoy family and friends, burgers and beers, watermelon and time in the water, we may have a subtle unrest that is lurking in our hearts over the current and future state of our country.
I do too. But it is far less than it was. Here’s why.
Ephesians 1:19-23 That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
By God’s grace, he has made me part of his church, his people, chosen in eternity, called by grace through the power of the Gospel. As a member of His church, this passage says there is one in charge that is “far above all rule, authority, power and dominion and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age, but in the one to come.” What does that mean? No leader, even the President of the United States, has more power than the Lord Jesus and the name he bears. The tombs of past presidents are filled and there will be more in the future, but the tomb of Jesus is empty! With the work of salvation completed, God appointed Jesus to be head over EVERYTHING FOR the CHURCH!
That means that Christ is head over the United States, even if the president or elected officials don’t acknowledge it. It doesn’t mean that he is the President or that we need to have the Bible replace the constitution. It just means Christ is in charge of every country, every leader, everything. What does that mean?
He is working all things for the benefit of the Church, his people. Perhaps at times it is hard to see how that is happening, but this is the peace we get to carry in our hearts. No matter the outcome of the election, Supreme Court rulings, legislation or regulations, Jesus is still head over all. He loves you. He loves his church. Kingdoms will rise and fall, but Christ and his church stand forever.
So, this Fourth of July, celebrate the many blessings you are enjoying from God in this country. Resolved to be an involved citizen of your country, your state, your city. Use the vote you get and the influence you have to bring positive, godly change to our communities. But always let your heart be confident that the power of God that raised Jesus from the dead is the power that is greater than any politician and any country is at work to orchestrate all things for your blessing as a chosen, loved member of God’s Church!
Apply: What blessings are you thankful for this Fourth of July? What changes in your heart when you know Jesus is head over all and ruling over all?
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for all the blessings you have allowed your people to enjoy in these United States for the past 248 years. In your mercy we ask your grace to continue to be evident in our land. May we leverage the freedoms we have to be bold proclaimers of your Gospel of grace so that many more might enjoy being part of your kingdom now and forever. AMEN.