Paul's Letter to the Ephesians

I recently returned from a trip to Italy, Greece, and Turkey. In particular, it was inspiring to see the very city of Ephesus where Paul the Apostle walked. Looking around the ruins I could visualize Paul walking and talking with the believers, and later I could see the believers huddled in a small room, listening intently to a disciple reading the letter Paul would later send them. His letter to the churches in  and around Ephesus emphasizes that salvation is by faith alone. Works alone will not offer salvation, only by grace through faith.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

It's good we can't do anything to earn our salvation, for there would be boasting,  one upmanship, and a scrambling to show off good deeds. And truly, who on earth could grade our human efforts as being good enough? Thus, we have been saved by the gift of God's grace that is channeled through faith. This faith will bring us unity in the Body of Christ, giving us spiritual strength and a new life that is underscored with love and the desire to share the good news with those yet to understand God's free gift.

"that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:16-19).

Tragedy in the World and at Home

We read in the periodicals and see on TV the absolute desperation the refugees are facing fleeing their war-torn countries in the Middle East. We also see horror and loss in the wildfires in California. We see our country being torn apart with a number of police related events that seem beyond our control. How can we help when most of us are so far away from the people that have such great needs? First and foremost we can pray.

God hears our prayers. He has a plan; this turmoil and chaos are all in his will because always remember--He is in control. While we feel hopeless, he gives us hope. I encourage you to pray constantly. Keep close the Lord and he will come close to you and give you hope.

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. (Psalm 57:1)

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him (Psalm 34:8).

 But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me (Micah 7:7).

Exodus 25:8

A way that I study the Bible is to go through the Bible in it's entirety, so that I can see the common threads between the Old and New Testaments and how God loves and communicates with us. Up until now, I was always stumped over Exodus 25:8-9: 8 “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.9 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you." As you continue to read through chapters 25, 26, 27, you are amazed at God's absolute details of how he wants the tabernacle and its contents to be made and how it is all to look. Why? I ask myself. Why this strict attention to construction? Why not have the Israelites design and build it themselves? Why not have them use their own creativity? Well it occurred to me, (and I'm sure I'm not the only one who came to this conclusion) is that God is in control and he knows perfection. The tabernacle was to be holy and perfect  in design, just as we are to him. As he dwelt in the tabernacle, so he now dwells in us through his Holy Spirit. He wanted his tabernacle then to be pure, perfect, and constructed according to his design, and now, he wants us  to be pure, perfect, and constructed according to his design he dwells in us. And just as in those days so long ago, he gives us the tools through his Word and teachers to help us achieve that level of truth and sanctification. If the tabernacle design and construction was left up to the ancient Israelites, they would boast over their own imaginations and talents and no doubt there would be a lot of squabbling of how things should be done and who was the boss. If living our lives is up to us, without faith in God, we are leaning on our imaginations and talents. In time, the facade will crack. It always does.

How to defend Biblical Marriage--by Jim Denison

Two ways we can respond to Supreme Court rulings Dr. Jim Denison June 29, 2015

Last week we witnessed two monumental Supreme Court decisions.  On Thursday, the court effectively removed the last legal obstacle to ObamaCare.  On Friday, the court essentially legalized same-sex marriage in the United States. Left open in the Friday ruling are major religious liberty questions.  Let's assume for the moment that pastors and churches are not forced to conduct gay weddings, something they are required to do in many countries which have legalized such marriages.  But we don't yet know the implications for church and religious organizations with regard to spousal benefits, employment, and non-profit status.  It's conceivable that my statements upholding biblical marriage could be construed as "hate speech."  We just don't know the larger implications of this decision. Here's what Christians do know. First, we are called to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).  If the survivors of the Charleston tragedy could forgive the alleged murderer and testify to the grace of Jesus, can't all Christians follow their example?  Our witness is never so strong as when it is tested.  Suffering reveals the reality of our faith to a watching world. These days present a historic opportunity for American Christians to show our culture and the world that we are people of character and grace.  Our witness on this issue is especially significant with younger adults.  Seventy percent of non-Christians ages 16 to 29 say Christians are "insensitive to others."  Let's show the LGBT community and the rest of our culture what we're for, not just what we're against.  Let's show our world that we can disagree without demeaning, that we can be biblical without being bombastic, that we can care for people without endorsing behavior that hurts them and others.  "I love you" and "I accept everything you do" are not synonymous. Second, we are called to speak unchanging truth to a changing world.  For decades, our culture has defined truth as opinion.  The court's ruling on same-sex marriage is the latest example of moral relativism.  If there is no objective definition of marriage, the justices did not "redefine" it—they merely conformed law to popular opinion.  But human nature does not change.  God's word is just as relevant as when it was first revealed. God wants to redeem our cultural darkness with a clear and compelling display of the abundant life only he can provide.  As babies are given gender neutral names and dressed in gender neutral clothes until they decide whether to be male or female, we'll witness the destruction that results as the world goes deeper into deception.  As more and more couples choose same-sex marriage, we'll see the damaging results for themselves, their children and families, and our society. But like the father who welcomed his prodigal son home, our Father welcomes all who return to his truth and love. We have all wandered greatly but have been invited back graciously. Let's join him. Tweet this article If you received this from a friend, you can subscribe here.

The Cross

What does the Cross mean to you? For some, it represents a horrendous and brutal death that one Jesus of Nazareth suffered a couple of thousand of years ago because Jewish leaders believed their positions of power were threatened. These leaders forced the hand of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judaea to crucify Jesus. To others, while this explanation is true, there is even a far deeper and more astounding reason. Jesus was actually paying the sin debt of humanity to God the Father, who requires a perfect blood sacrifice for sin. And for those who believe this is true, and believe that God the Father accepted Jesus' atonement for sin, see the Cross as a symbol of eternal salvation: that Jesus died once and for all. The New Living Translation states (1 Peter 3-18)  "Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit." A parallel to this is found in the Book of Hebrews, 9:28. The English Standard Version writes: "so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him." I urge all to consider the love of God in his reaching out to all of us. While using the term "sin" is not fashionable, and tolerance for all types of behavior is accepted, we need to rethink the absolute commands of God. God's ways are NOT our ways. "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9). 

Confess and turn from your sins. Turn to the living God. If you accept Jesus in what he did for you personally on the Cross, you will have hope, peace, and eternal salvation.

Dealing with Disappointment in God

We have all prayed to God for specific requests: Healing of ourselves or loved one, desperately praying to find a job, hopefully mending a relationship, and even praying for our lives or the lives of others in death or life situations.

When our prayers aren't answered, we think is God not hearing me? Doesn't he care? Why doesn't he send me a sign or message? We become depressed,disappointed, and even angry with God.

I've been thinking about this. I recently had a challenging few weeks of major disappointments. In fact, I was for the first time, actually angry with God.

The truth to the matter is that while I can be complaining about an unresponsive God, I do know that  God does not hide from me, that he is fair, and he does communicate with me. I can say I’m disappointed because I’m not getting what I want, but he does clarify his position.  I am convinced that while we pray fervently for our requests, he answers us in variety of real ways short of speaking to us directly. One way is through Christian friends, sermons, Christian newsletters, or a Bible study.  Sometimes we need to accept his answer is simply 'no'.

As I was complaining to a friend, she remembered a book she had and gave me 'Disappointment with God' by Philip Yancey.  How extraordinary was that? This was a perfect example of God working through a friend to communicate with me through an author I was unfamiliar with.  The book gave me a new perspective in relating to God and his responses to me. I can give you numerous other examples when I’m inwardly whining, and then one of my Christian friends, a sermon, a book, or  an email, clarifies my turmoil as God speaks directly to me through someone’s words. 

So, yes I have had my disappointments and seemingly non-answers. And while I think my challenges are important at the time, I need to keep other’s lives in perspective too.  I confess this sin of pride and selfishness, because when we look back in time, we see how our brothers and sisters waited in faith. Sometimes they saw the end result, other times they didn't.  But the one thing we have that we can hang our hat on is the peace of  Jesus--even if we don't get an answer. 

Philippians 4:6-7  do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The Lord works in so many ways, but we have to be aware of his work and pay attention to his Word. I encourage everyone to read and study the Bible. For newcomers, start in the New Testament with the first book of Matthew, and follow through to the last book, Revelation. I then encourage you to read the Old Testament.The two testaments are dependent upon each other and will give you greater depth in understanding God's Word.

 There are many versions of the Bible that include essentially literal and dynamic equivalent translations. If you are interested in the essentially literal translation, the New King James Version, (NKJV) gives us the Greek words in English but in readable English order. The literal versions try to align translations in English from the Hebrew and Greek translations. For conveying the overall meaning of a passage, the dynamic equivalent is used. When I started to study the Bible, I used the New Living Translation (NLT) study Bible because it was a readable form of contemporary English. Later, I got a couple of essentially literal translations. One was the Holman Christian Standard Version (HCSV) and the other, which I mostly use, is the English Standard Version (ESV). Either way, I suggest that you get a study Bible because if you are unclear about the meaning, the footnotes will help greatly.

Here is an example of literal vs. dynamic equivalent

Proverbs:3:1-2
NKJV

My son, do not forget my law,
But let your heart keep my commands;
2 For length of days and long life
And peace they will add to you.

NLT:

My child,[a] never forget the things I have taught you.
    Store my commands in your heart.
2 If you do this, you will live many years,
    and your life will be satisfying.