Category: Ephesians

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Cleansed

The definition I found of this word is simple and succinct.

“make (something, especially the skin) thoroughly clean”

Thoroughly clean. What an amazing thought!

“So now anyone who is in Christ Jesus is not judged guilty. 2 That is because in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you free. It made you free from the law that brings sin and death. 3 The law was without power because it was made weak by our sinful selves. But God did what the law could not do: He sent his own Son to earth with the same human life that everyone else uses for sin. God sent him to be an offering to pay for sin. So God used a human life to destroy sin. 4 He did this so that we could be right just as the law said we must be. Now we don’t live following our sinful selves. We live following the Spirit.

5 People who live following their sinful selves think only about what they want. But those who live following the Spirit are thinking about what the Spirit wants them to do. 6 If your thinking is controlled by your sinful self, there is spiritual death. But if your thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace.” Romans 8:1-6 ERV

When we were in Greece last year, we spent a lot of time walking on the beach. The waves would roll in and when they receded our footprints had been completely removed. The seashore was once again cleansed of our trespass.

That’s what God’s love and provision of salvation does for our lives. It cleanses us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)

“ But if we confess our sins, God will forgive us. We can trust God to do this. He always does what is right. He will make us clean from all the wrong things we have done.” I John 1:9 ERV

“ He died to make the church holy. He used the telling of the Good News to make the church clean by washing it with water. 27 Christ died so that he could give the church to himself like a bride in all her beauty. He died so that the church could be holy and without fault, with no evil or sin or any other thing wrong in it.” Ephesians 5:26-27 ERV

When we come to the Father, confessing our sin, He cleanses us. Washes us clean. His word says that He not only forgives our sin but He forgets it as well. God will never remind us of our past transgression. He removes it from us.

“I, the Lord, am the one speaking to you. Come, let’s discuss this. Even if your sins are as dark as red dye, that stain can be removed and you will be as pure as wool that is as white as snow.” Isaiah 1:18 ERV

God forgives and forgets however; we often dwell on the things we’ve done wrong. We need to have our guilty conscience cleansed so that we can live in the freedom Christ died to bring us.

“Jesus Christ did the things God wanted him to do. And because of that, we are made holy through the sacrifice of Christ’s body. Christ made that sacrifice one time—enough for all time...22 Sprinkled with the blood of Christ, our hearts have been made free from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water. So come near to God with a sincere heart, full of confidence because of our faith in Christ.” Hebrews 10:10 & 22 ERV

Because of Christ we can have a clear conscience and confidence in our relationship with God.

“And when our hearts make us feel guilty, we can still have peace before God, because God is greater than our hearts. He knows everything.” I John 3:20 ERV

My dear friend this is the good news of the gospel – we are not condemned. We are cleansed – made thoroughly clean!

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Awesome Loving Father

Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to minister to and with the ladies of DCF in Phoenix. I always enjoy sharing God’s word with these special women.

This morning when I opened my laptop, there on the screen were the key verses from yesterday’s teaching.

“Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven! 4 Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5 God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God treated us with undeserved grace because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.” Ephesians 1:3-6 CEV

Think about that – before the world was created; before there was a sky or stars, land or sea, before the elephants or eels, before the apples or the peaches; before the redwoods or the ponderosa pines, God choose us to become His children.

We have been in God’s heart and on His mind for longer than the world has existed. Amazing!

We are not an afterthought, an oops, a mistake; we are planned by God from the beginning to be His chosen ones.

“God always does what he plans, and this is why he appointed Christ to choose us.” Ephesians 1:11 CEV

As I said to those sweet women, there were lots of things in life I was never chosen for; I wasn’t homecoming queen or picked first for the neighborhood softball team, I wasn’t selected for honors choir, nor did I sit as first chair clarinet in high school band.

But I was chosen and so were you!

Chosen to be a part of God’s family; chosen to be loved; chosen to receive spiritual blessings in heavenly places.

“We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. 4 God made great and marvelous promises, so his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.” II Peter 1:3-4 CEV

I will be sharing more with you from this teaching in the days ahead, but for now, let these words “Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us” settle deep in your heart.

We have been chosen by God!

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The End of a Message

I have really enjoyed going through Jesus’ message, the Sermon on the Mount, with you. It has shown us the foundation for His ministry here on earth.

He ends this message with these powerful verses.

“ Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock. 25 Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and winds beat against that house. But it was built on solid rock, and so it did not fall.

26 Anyone who hears my teachings and doesn’t obey them is like a foolish person who built a house on sand. 27 Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and the winds blew and beat against that house. Finally, it fell with a crash.

28  When Jesus finished speaking, the crowds were surprised at his teaching. 29 He taught them like someone with authority, and not like their teachers of the Law of Moses.” Matthew 7:24-29 CEV

Jesus was addressing everyone who was there listening to this message. They were either a wise anyone or a foolish anyone, but they could not deny that they were an anyone. Neither can we.

Anyone who hears God’s word has two choices – to obey or not. To be wise or foolish. To stand strong during the storm or to be destroyed by it.

The storms come – they most certainly do; the choice of how to handle them is up to us. What foundation have we built on? Solid rock or sandy beach.

“Anyone who comes and listens to me and obeys me 48 is like someone who dug down deep and built a house on solid rock. When a flood came and the river rushed against the house, it was built so well that it didn’t even shake. 49 But anyone who hears what I say and doesn’t obey me is like someone whose house wasn’t built on solid rock. As soon as the river rushed against that house, it was smashed to pieces!” Luke 6:47-49 CEV

When we build our lives on God’s word we are building on a firm foundation. His words of “do not fear, do not judge, ask to receive, be salt and light” are what we take to heart and give us the confidence to stand.

“So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” Hebrews 10:35-36 NLT

Don’t throw away your confidence. Keep standing on the rock of His word. God didn’t remove Goliath from the battle, He empowered David in it. He didn’t take the lions’ out of the den, He closed their mouths when Daniel showed up. Jesus wasn’t discouraged by a little boy’s lunch with so many mouths to feed; instead, He was thankful, blessed it and multiplied it.

“A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.” Ephesians 6:10-11 NLT

When faced with a storm remember to stand on God’s word. Be like those in the crowd who said, “He speaks with authority”. The authority of God’s word IS our final authority.

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Be A Rebel

Oh, how I love God’s word! It is so practical. It gives us everyday answers for everyday situations. God’s sole purpose in giving us His word was to make our daily lives fruitful and blessed.

He’s offered to carry our load, forgive our sins, remove our worry, strengthen our minds and fill us with His love. What can be better than that.

We’re returning to the Jesus’ teaching on the mountain.

” Don’t store up treasures on earth! Moths and rust can destroy them, and thieves can break in and steal them. 20  Instead, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy them, and thieves cannot break in and steal them. 21 Your heart will always be where your treasure is.” Matthew 6:19-21 CEV

Good advice.

It’s hard not to look at earthly treasure. Checking the stock market, the savings and checking accounts, looking at the 401K and if that’s not enough the interest rates on homes and cars, the price of bread and eggs, the crime report and it can send us spiraling down the rabbit hole of fear and lack.

Store up our treasures in heaven. How do we do that? There’s no heavenly ATM where we can make a deposit or is there?

“Then the godly people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you with no place to stay and welcome you into our home? When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?’

40 “Then the king will answer, ‘The truth is, anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me.’” Matthew 25:37-40 ERV

Always Think of Me = ATM.

Always be ready to make a deposit in our heavenly account.

“ Each one of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give. You should not give if it makes you unhappy or if you feel forced to give. God loves those who are happy to give. 8 And God can give you more blessings than you need, and you will always have plenty of everything. You will have enough to give to every good work.” II Corinthians 9:7-8 ERV

When our earthly treasure is invested in heavenly purposes, we will have enough for every good work that God asks us to give too. We’ll be quick to give because we know we are doing it for Him.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in heaven.” Ephesians 1:3 ERV

Be a rebel – count your blessings!

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Irritated & Short-Tempered

Now, I know that doesn’t describe me or any of you reading this but, on the off chance that it should describe someone you live with or work with, I feel we all need this instruction that Jesus gave.

I’ll let you eaves drop on my conversation with the Lord.

“ You have heard people say, ‘Love your neighbors and hate your enemies.’ 44 But I tell you to love your enemies and pray for anyone who mistreats you. 45  Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both good and bad people. And he sends rain for the ones who do right and for the ones who do wrong. 46 If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for this? Even tax collectors love their friends. 47 If you greet only your friends, what’s so great about this? Don’t even unbelievers do that? 48  But you must always act like your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:43-48 CEV

What?

I must ALWAYS act like my Father in heaven?? Lord, you’ve got to be kidding. Do you see who/what I have to put up with? Surely, you don’t mean that I must be loving and patient with them.

What?

Oh, you mean them too? The ones who are so contrary and aggravating? Ok, I hear You – I’m supposed to be like my heavenly Father in every situation; that’s a big ask Lord. Oh, You weren’t asking; You were telling me that’s what I MUST do.

Well then, if that’s the case, I need Your strength and Your restraint. I need to see others as You do and treat them with the same patience and compassion that You show to me.

What was that Lord?

And not just my friends but my enemies as well. Ah, come on Lord, that’s more than I think I can handle.

“Jesus answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. 38 This is the first and most important commandment. 39  The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, ‘Love others as much as you love yourself.’ 40 All the Law of Moses and the Books of the Prophets are based on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40 CEV

Wow, Lord. That’s big.

“ Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don’t yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. 32  Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ.” Ephesians 4:31-32 CEV

Well, if that’s Your will for me then I know that You will give me the desire and the strength to do it. You were my example when You prayed: “not my will, but thine be done”. Thanks for loving me enough to die for me when I was at my worst. Now, I choose to live for You.

Good talk Lord. Good talk. Thanks!

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New Life

Our granddaughter shared a post yesterday. She is 37 weeks, almost to her due date. We are so excited – she is about to give birth to our second great granddaughter!

I remember those days of being an expectant mother. I wanted everything to be perfect. As I sat here thinking about those days and my emotions, the excitement is fresh in my mind. Wanting the best for them – little outfits to wear, everything perfect in the nursery, what to feed them, and who they would grow up to be.

I’m so blessed by their lives and by the Lord’s faithfulness to them. Thinking on all of this I was reminded of a teaching I did years ago on our spiritual birth and how God planned it all.

Our heavenly Father prepared for our arrival.

Read the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3 – you must be born again. Then look at the question Nicodemus asked Jesus.

“Don’t be surprised that I told you, ‘You must be born again.’…9 Nicodemus asked, “How is all this possible?” …16 Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world. He did not send him to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him.” John 3:7-17 ERV

From the time of Adam’s sin in the garden, the Father began planning for our arrival with great expectation. He sent His Son to bring spiritual birth to all of those on the earth.

He planned what we would wear.

“You have taken off those old clothes—the person you once were and the bad things you did then. 10 Now you are wearing a new life, a life that is new every day. You are growing in your understanding of the one who made you. You are becoming more and more like him. ” Colossians 3:9-10 ERV

“Wear the full armor of God. Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s clever tricks.” Ephesians 6:11 ERV

He also planned what we should eat and drink.

“Then Jesus said, ‘I am the bread that gives life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who believes in me will ever be thirsty.'” John 6:35 ERV

“Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. 14 But anyone who drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. The water I give people will be like a spring flowing inside them. It will bring them eternal life.’” John 4:13-14 ERV

And then He planned for all of life’s other necessities as well.

“Don’t worry and say, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ 32 That’s what those people who don’t know God are always thinking about. Don’t worry, because your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. 33 What you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need.” Matthew 6:31-33 ERV

The Father has meticulously planned for our every need. His plan is perfect. Our responsibility is to trust Him and make relationship with Him our top priority.

He has given us new life!

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Light the World

Before we downsized and moved into our tiny home I had a collection of oil lamps. They weren’t just for decoration, I used them when the power went out. It was important to keep the chimney glass clean. If not, the light would be dimmed by the buildup of soot and their usefulness was diminished.

Soap and warm water cleaned them right up. The cleaning took patience. The old glass was delicate and could be easily broken. Once cleaned, they needed to be dried, so the glass wasn’t spotty, it needed to sparkle.

Isn’t that the way it is for us.

“ People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:15-17 ERV

We are to be a light for the world, letting God’s love shine through us. But sometimes we aren’t as bright as we should be. Sometimes our chimney is dusty from lack of use, sometimes its coated with soot; regardless of the issue, we need a good cleaning.

“…just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word.  27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.” Ephesians 5:25-27 NLT

We all need to be washed by God’s word, our wicks trimmed, removing those things that keep us from burning correctly (by anger, jealousy, personal offence) and then made spot free so that we shine brightly with His love.

If necessary, spend some time being washed by God’s word and then go out and shine brightly so the world will see the Father’s love.

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Too Much Hurry

Did you experience any divine interruptions yesterday? Were you able to experience them with a heart of gratitude?

Often times those interruptions leave us feeling that we now need to work longer and harder. That is not God’s intention at all. He is showing us a better way, a way to trust and rest in Him. He wants us to surrender our load and cares over to Him.

There was a time that I felt there just weren’t enough hours in the day. I honestly prayed, “Lord, I would really like to have a couple extra hours in each day”. His answer was loud and clear, “No, if I gave you more hours you would just fill them with more work, you need to rest and trust Me”.

Even good things can be done with the wrong motive. We think that we have to be “doing” things for God so that He will be pleased with us. And that mindset is more destructive to us than the physical labor that we put in.

“Christ died for us when we were unable to help ourselves. We were living against God, but at just the right time Christ died for us…8 But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us.” Romans 5:6-8 ERV

Before we could do or even had a desire to do anything for God, Christ died for us. His unconditional love made provision for us when we were unable to do anything to save ourselves. And His love is still unconditional toward us once we accept Him as our Saviour.

If we are living a life of “doing” things for God to earn His favor, we don’t understand grace. There is nothing we can do to get God to love us more and there is nothing we can do that would cause God to love us less. His love comes to us by GRACE! Does that mean we just go out and do whatever we want because we know that God will always love us? To coin a phrase from the Apostle Paul, God forbid!

Our lives should reflect the gratitude and love we feel for the great sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf, but it shouldn’t be done trying to earn it. There is nothing that we can do to earn God’s love.

“But God is rich in mercy, and he loved us very much. 5 We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ. (You have been saved by God’s grace.) 6 Yes, it is because we are a part of Christ Jesus that God raised us from death and seated us together with him in the heavenly places. 7 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.” Ephesians 2:4-7 ERV

Take a break today…stop hurrying through life, stop working to be good enough for God. Our efforts will never accomplish that. Instead take time to rest and enjoy God’s grace and let love flow from your heart to His!

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Made Clean

A couple of weeks ago Dave and I went thrifting with friends. We really like treasure hunting at the thrift stores. In the last store, we found this dirty, rusty, cast iron dutch oven.

Yesterday I got the steel wool and scrubbed it clean. Washed it and then rubbed shortening all over and put it in the oven to season. One hour at 450 degrees. When it finally cooled down and could be removed from the oven, it looked remarkable. Clean and ready to be used.

It made me think of the cleansing that we go through when we come to Christ.

“Then He said, “I have come to do what You want Me to do.” And this is what He did when He died on a cross. God did away with the Old Way of Worship and made a New Way of Worship. 10 Our sins are washed away and we are made clean because Christ gave His own body as a gift to God. He did this once for all time.” Hebrews 10:9-11 NLV

So many times we allow our past sins and mistakes to penetrate our thinking and work on our consciences; leaving in its path rusty feelings of guilt and unworthiness. Instead of running away from God in times like that we need to run to Him, it’s there we find freedom from guilt.

“ We have a great Religious Leader over the house of God. 22 And so let us come near to God with a true heart full of faith. Our hearts must be made clean from guilty feelings and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold on to the hope we say we have and not be changed. We can trust God that He will do what He promised.” Hebrews 10: 21-22

Jesus told his disciples that it’s His word that makes us clean. Paul repeated that in his writing to the Christians at Ephesus, remember?

“Christ did this so He could set the church apart for Himself. He made it clean by the washing of water with the Word. ” Ephesians 5:26 NLV

Because of what Christ has done – dying for our sins and taking the punishment – we are clean and God, the Father, removes our sins and guilty conscience from us.

“I will show loving-kindness to them and forgive their sins. I will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12 NLV

“He forgives all my sins. He heals all my diseases. 4 He saves my life from the grave. He crowns me with loving-kindness and pity. 5 He fills my years with good things and I am made young again like the eagle…8 The Lord is full of loving-pity and kindness. He is slow to anger and has much loving-kindness…11 For His loving-kindness for those who fear Him is as great as the heavens are high above the earth. 12 He has taken our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. ” Psalm 103:3-12 NLV (Just go ahead and read the whole chapter)

I love these verses!! It doesn’t matter that we are going through…really. Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ and the love of your heavenly Father.

He washes us clean from all our sins and restores us to right relationship. We’ve been made clean!

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A Final Note

Because I believe that all scripture is given by God and is profitable to our instruction I couldn’t close the teaching in the book of Ephesians without Paul’s final words to them.

“Pray that I will be given the message to speak and that I may fearlessly explain the mystery about the good news. 20 I was sent to do this work, and this is the reason I am in jail. So pray that I will be brave and will speak as I should.

21-22  I want you to know how I am getting along and what I am doing. This is why I am sending Tychicus to you. He is a dear friend, as well as a faithful servant of the Lord. He will tell you how I am doing, and he will cheer you up.

23 I pray that God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will give peace, love, and faith to every follower!” Ephesians 6:19-23 CEV

Paul had been to Ephesus several times. He became their teacher and their friend. He had eaten in their homes, he knew their children’s names and their family businesses. He had seen them grow in Christ.

Now he could no longer travel and be with them in person. I’m sure he missed them and wanted to communicate that he was still committed to them and praying for them. His final visit with them was filled with tears.

“You know everything I did during the time I was with you when I first came to Asia. 19 Some of the Jews plotted against me and caused me a lot of sorrow and trouble. But I served the Lord and was humble. 20 When I preached in public or taught in your homes, I didn’t hold back from telling anything that would help you. 21 I told Jews and Gentiles to turn to God and have faith in our Lord Jesus…36 After Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 Everyone cried and hugged and kissed him. 38 They were especially sad because Paul had told them, “You will never see me again.” Then they went with him to the ship.” Acts 20:18-38 CEV

Paul was, and is, also encouraging believers to follow the Lord. A man who had been beaten on several occasions, shipwrecked, thrown into prison and now was in house arrest in Rome never wanted the Christians to be without hope.

His final words in this book bear repeating.

“23 I pray that God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will give peace, love, and faith to every follower!” Ephesians 6:23 CEV

Peace, love and faith to every follower – may we know the truth of those words in our lives today.

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