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Post by Obadiah on Mar 11, 2023 6:03:30 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MARCH 11TH
The Manifold Wisdom Of God's Love...that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms... Ephesians 3:10The Apostle says that his ministry had the effect of demonstrating a unique wisdom. This is to go on now, while the church is being formed. It is a revelation in which these rulers and authorities are learning something by observing the church. This is one of the instances in which Scripture clearly states that we are surrounded by an invisible spiritual kingdom made up both of demons and angels. In Ephesians 6 Paul says, For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (v. 12). But we also learn from other passages that angels are watching us. It is as if we are on stage in a great theater, with the angels gathered around in many rows. Angels are watching and learning. The revelation of the mystery is essentially the revelation of the love of God—in ways that make the angels amazed and startled as they learn the tremendous secrets of God's love. This is why Peter says in his first letter that our salvation is so tremendous that the angels longed to look into these things. The word translated manifold here is literally the many-colored wisdom of God. Why did the apostle choose this poetic adjective? It is because life consists of many colors. We all have blue days. And red hours of anger and passion. And golden moments of glory. And dark, somber valleys through which we must pass. And lush, green pastures into which we are sometimes led. God's love is manifest in all of these hues of life. So when you go through a blue time, it is God's love that you are learning. When you go through a dark and pressured time, the love of God is being manifested there. You may not see it, but God knows how to make it clear. And even the joyful times are manifestations of the many-colored wisdom of God. And as the angels watch us, they see us learn to trust God, to turn from our fears and to renew ourselves with divine strength, to draw upon God's great and mighty promises in the hour of pressure and danger. As they see this, their praise begins to ring out in amazement and wonder at a God—who is also able to find a way by which He can lavish His love upon the very ones who deserve His wrath. This makes the angels praise God. They glory, as Charles Wesley captured it in that great hymn that I love to sing: 'Tis mystery all, the Immortal died. Imagine that—the Immortal died! You never can completely solve the mystery of God's amazing love, manifested in the many-colored wisdom that leads us into the circumstances of our life. But it is this that edifies the angels and teaches the demons of the nature of the greatness of the God we serve. Lord, today would You display the manifold wisdom of Your love through me that even angels might see and be amazed? Life ApplicationHow is God praised when we trust Him and draw on His strength and promises in difficult circumstances? Do others observe God's lavish love at work in us? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Mar 12, 2023 6:16:28 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MARCH 12TH
The Inner Man...he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being... Ephesians 3:16bWhat is your inner being? Many take this to mean the soul, with its faculties of reason and emotion and will. But I don't think this is what Paul means here, because in 2 Corinthians 4 he gives us a clue about what he does mean when he says the inner being. There he says that our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day (4:16 NKJV). That is, for Christians there is something about us that is getting old, decaying and deteriorating; but there is also something about us that is getting more vital, increasing and becoming richer and deeper and stronger every day we live. And that is what he calls the inner being. Your soul grows old as well as your body. It is clear that the soul is part of our life linked with the outer person, which is perishing day by day. But that is not the inner being. The inner being is the human spirit. It is here that God begins the work of recovery. Not in the realm of our feelings, but in what psychologists would call the realm of the subconscious, the deep-seated part of our life, the fundamental element of our nature. When you are really discouraged, really brokenhearted and have given up, your condition is often described as dispirited. That is an accurate term. Your fundamental nature is dissatisfied. It is not merely a question of temporary boredom. That would be in the realm of the soul. But this is something that touches the spirit, right at the deepest level of human life, and you find yourself filled with despair and indifference. This is where the recovery must begin. And what the apostle tells us about here is the capability of the Creator himself our loving Father, to give us a fresh infusion of strength by His Spirit into our spirit, the inner being. In 1 Corinthians 12, speaking of believers, Paul says, For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, . . . and we were all given the one Spirit to drink (v. 13). That is what our human spirits are for—to drink of the Spirit of God so that we are refreshed and revitalized. Just as taking a drink refreshes your body, so drinking of the Spirit refreshes your spirit, at the deepest level of your life. That is not the realm of feeling. We get so hung up in this process of spiritual recovery by always wanting an instantly good feeling. Relief will come, but it doesn't start there. It starts down at the level of the spirit and may be nothing more than some consciousness of reassurance that things are going to work out. This beginning step is not your responsibility; it is God's. All that is necessary is that you ask Him for it. Paul prayed that these Ephesians might have this granted to them. When we ask on that level, God promises to give. Thank You, Father, that I can come to You asking that You would strengthen my inner being, and because of Your great love I trust that You will answer this cry of my heart. Life ApplicationWhat do we really know about our inner being? Perhaps we have yet to really know by faith Christ's life in us? What is our responsibility in that regard? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Mar 14, 2023 5:41:08 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MARCH 14TH
A Cry For UnityThere is one body and one Spirit just as you were called to one hope when you were called... Ephesians 4:4This verse sets forth the nature of Christian unity. It is not a union to be produced, but a unity that already exists. These are not articles of theological agreement. No, these are areas of mutual experience. These are things that lay hold of us, not we who lay hold of them. All these are immediately experienced by all who are in Christ. Therefore, the way to create unity is simply to bring people to Christ, and the unity of the Spirit will be produced in them by the Spirit. As we apply this great truth there are certain things that are evident: First, we cannot classify Christians by organizations. We cannot say that all those who belong to the Baptist church, for instance, are Christians, but all those who are Catholics are not. God's Spirit forever overleaps human boundaries. The unity of the Spirit will be found in people in many different groups. We will find Christians everywhere, and it becomes our responsibility to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace with Christians wherever we find them. A second conclusion suggests that those who have entered into this unity of the Spirit cannot possibly join in an evangelistic endeavor with those who deny this fundamental unity. Why not? Because our actions are determined by our beliefs. These are such fundamental beliefs that they set the direction of our life. Where one person accepts these and has experienced them and someone else does not, you have two fundamentally separate directions. It is impossible for one person to ride two horses going in opposite directions—to attempt it puts a terrific strain upon the anatomy. This is why the Israelites were ordered not to yoke an ox and an ass together. Why not? Well, they go at two different speeds, they are two different heights, and they would simply chafe one another all the time. It would be cruelty to both to link them together. This is God's way of teaching us, symbolically, that there are fundamental differences of gait and direction—that two cannot walk together except they be agreed. There comes a third practical application of this. The efforts of Christians are not to be directed toward creating unity but toward maintaining peace in the body. That is the way Paul puts it: Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (v. 3). It is important that Christians not be quarreling, bickering, and struggling against one another. A church that is like that is a totally ineffective body in its community. It is important that when Christians meet together they recognize that they are called to understand one another, to forbear one another, to pray for one another, to forgive one another, to be kind, tenderhearted, not holding grudges, not being unforgiving, bitter, resentful, and hateful toward each other. This is where the Spirit aims when He comes into our midst, at the healing of long-standing grudges, deep-seated resentments, and bitter hostilities that are harbored against one another. We must fulfill what the apostle tells us to do, to maintain the unity of the Spirit. Father, may Your Spirit search my heart about my attitude toward others. Thank You that it is not my calling to produce a union of Christians but rather to discover that unity produced only by the Holy Spirit. Life ApplicationHave we realized that it is not our job to produce unity, but to discover the unity produced by the Spirit? Have others noticed the peace, love, and life of Christ in us? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Mar 15, 2023 7:25:24 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MARCH 15TH
Open Your Gifts!But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. Ephesians 4:7How is the church expected to demonstrate the power of God and thus influence society? The apostle suggests clearly that the power of the church lies in all Christians discovering and intelligently exercising the spiritual gift that was given to them when they became a member of the body of Christ. That is largely a forsaken principle today, and that is why the church is so weak. If we ever recover the strength God intended the church to exert in human society, it will be by a return to that simple thing, the exercise of each person's spiritual gift. After all, is that not the way a physical body functions? In the body of flesh and bones, there are a variety of cells. The body operates, not by the cells getting together and voting about what is the best thing to do, but by simply doing what they individually and particularly were designed to do. It is the function of the head to correlate this and bring it all together and make it operate effectively, but each cell gives itself to the task of functioning according to its design. The body does not operate when the cells revolt. Did you ever experience a rebellion of the muscle cells of your stomach? We call it indigestion! It means that the body is sick, and it is not operating the way it was intended to. This is the whole problem with the church today. In so many places it has forgotten it is a body and has tried to operate as another human organization; therefore, it has no more power than any other human organization at work in the world. But Paul reminds us that the secret of the operation of the church is that each Christian has a gift. It is our responsibility to recognize and fulfill that gift. If you are a Christian, if you have new life by the Spirit of God by faith in Jesus Christ, you have a spiritual gift. The church begins to live and exercise its impact and influence upon society when you begin to exercise your gift. Do you know what your gift is? Have you ever asked yourself this question: What is the gift God has given to me since I am a Christian? What does He want me to do as a general area of ministry? Do you know how to recognize a gift? Do you know how to develop it once you know what it is? The impact on the church in this area is directly related to how you answer those questions. Your own joy and fulfillment as a Christian depends on how you answer those questions. Lord thank You for the spiritual gifts you have given me. Let me not only discover them but use them to edify Your body and glorify Your Son in the power of the Spirit. Life ApplicationMany Christians today are still naive on how the Body of Christ really functions which results in unhealthy churches. Have we discovered & exercised our spiritual gifting? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Mar 16, 2023 6:22:02 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MARCH 16TH
What Is Your Gift?It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up... Ephesians 4:11-12Your gift may fall in one of the two major divisions within the body. There are certain gifts that might be called general support ministries, from which the whole body receives benefit. There are four of these. Then there is another division of gifts, which might be called working gifts. The four support ministries exist for the equipment of the saints for the work of the ministry (that is contact with the world) and for the building up of the body of Christ (that is maintaining the health of the church). Who is to do these two things? The saints, the people! That is God's intention. It is not the job of the pastors. Their work is something different. They are to train and equip, undergird, and motivate the people to do this work. It is the people who are to do the work of the church. Anything less than this is a distortion of what God intended the church to be like. A terrible failure has occurred in the life of the church right at this point. Through the centuries, the church gradually grew away from the simple system that made it such a powerful and impelling influence upon society in its early years, and there came in gradually a terrible distortion from which we are still suffering today. The church became identified with buildings, great massive cathedrals and imposing structures, and these were referred to as the church. The popular thinking fastened upon the building as the identifying symbol of the church, instead of the people. Along with that idea there came a gradual transfer of responsibility from the people to the clergy to do the work of the ministry. Soon Christianity became a spectator sport, very much akin to the definition I recently heard of football—eleven men down on the field, desperately in need of rest, and forty thousand people up in the grandstand desperately in need of exercise! How do you find the gift that you have? The answer is you find spiritual gifts just as you find natural talents. You musicians, how do you know that you have the gift of music? You athletes, how did you ever discover that you had an unusual physical coordination? You discover spiritual gifts in the same way. Usually you are attracted by seeing certain people exercising a gift, and that draws you to them. Then you try a few different things. You soon discover you do not have a gift for some things at all. With others, you say to yourself, Perhaps I can do this. You enjoy some activities more than others, and this is a possible indication. What you enjoy doing is usually what God gives you the privilege of doing, for the exercise of spiritual gifts is a joyful thing to do. People take great pleasure in exercising these gifts. One important indication is to see if others recognize the gift in you and encourage you to use it. It is important that others recognize your gift. Father, what a magnificent plan and program for this world to be helped, changed, and delivered in its utter need. God, grant that I catch something of the excitement and the challenge of using my gift. Life ApplicationHow many today think of their local church as a building or a place to go? How has this popular thinking weakened Christ's ministry in His Body as well as the world? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Mar 17, 2023 5:55:12 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MARCH 17TH
Slow GrowthFrom him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:16Growth is God's method. That tells us two encouraging things about this matter of becoming mature, not merely mature as a religious person, but mature as a human being: First, maturation is something that does not take place suddenly. It is a process. I know many Christians who are greatly disturbed when, having become Christians, they do not find themselves suddenly, remarkably, completely transformed into angelic creatures. They are greatly disturbed when they find the old life still very much present. They wonder if they are even Christian at all. Of course they are Christian if they have exercised faith in Christ and are resting upon Him, but there is a process of growth that must follow, and it takes time for this to occur. Remember how the writer of Hebrews says, In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again (Hebrews 5:12). That is, they had been Christians long enough to be teachers, but something else had arrested their development. Yet he makes clear that there is need for time. Often this is the way the Christian life works. We come into it as newborn Christians, and for a long time we resist the great principles that make for Christian development. It takes a while for us to really learn that God intends to do something quite different with us than we thought He would when we grew up as natural men and women. We resist these changes. Finally He brings us to the place where we give in and we accept and understand the principles, but then we learn it takes time to practice these principles even once we grasp them. It is like trying to learn how to swim by taking a correspondence course in swimming. You cannot learn it that way. You must get into the water. You have to grow spiritually that way. Then, as we go along, we discover that growth seems to be so slow. We think we have mastered something, and then, suddenly, something will happen—we will be put with the wrong person and out it all comes again. Then we are discouraged. We go to the Lord and say, Lord, what's the matter? Why don't you hurry up this process? I'm so tired of being immature. But God has His own time, and sometimes it takes almost a lifetime to grow up fully. After all, it takes God years to grow an oak tree, but He can grow a squash in three months. God is not interested in growing Christian squashes. Nevertheless, I love to see evidence of eagerness for growth. I remember asking a boy once how old he was. Quick as a flash he said, I'm twelve, going on thirteen, soon be fourteen. I like that eagerness to grow up. But it is encouraging to us to realize this is a process of time, and we do not need to be discouraged if we do not find we are completely like Christ yet. What we need to ask is, are we moving in this direction? Father, thank You for this reminder of my need to be patient in this process of growth. Help me to accept this fully and to trust that You will complete the good work that You began in me. Life ApplicationSpeaking the truth in love we grow in Christ, but growth is a process that takes time. Are we characterized by our eagerness or our impatience in learning to love others? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Mar 18, 2023 8:34:39 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MARCH 18TH
A Radical ChangeSo I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. Ephesians 4:17In the opening verses of the fourth chapter of Ephesians, the apostle has been dealing with the nature of the church and the part each Christian has to play in its operation and growth. But now, with verse 17, he turns to the Christian in relationship to an unbelieving world. Though this account was written almost two thousand years ago, it is impossible to read this thoughtfully without seeing that the world today is exactly the same, and the Christian's reaction to it must be exactly the same. He says, You [Christians] must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. Paul is saying, The place to start in living as a Christian is to recognize you must think differently than the world does. He does not start with actions. He starts with the thought-life, with the mind, and he declares that the world's thinking is empty. This is the vital appeal that he makes to Christians, You must not think like the worldling does, you must not adopt the world's philosophy of living or follow the world's systems of value. Why? Because the worldling, he says, lives in futility, emptiness of mind. The word futility means void of purpose or appropriateness, or pointless. If this is true, you can see why there is such a fundamental cleavage between Christianity and the world and why the Lord Jesus drew a distinct line of demarcation between the world and the Christian in the areas of thinking, direction, and destiny. This is why the Scriptures tell us that a Christian cannot love the world and the Father at the same time (1 John 2:15). There is a fundamental difference between the two. This is why friendship with the world, in the words of James, is enmity with God (James 4:4 RSV). Fallen people pride themselves on their ability to reason. We consider this the highest function of humanity and take great pride in the human ability to ferret out knowledge and to put various items of knowledge together to produce practical gadgets. We point with pride to the technological perfection of our modern developments, to the skill with which science has harnessed the forces of nature and made them the servants of humanity. Humans exalt their reason, but in the eyes of God human reasoning is empty and vain. But see how the apostle brings Christians face to face with the fundamental issue? Either God is right or the world is right. It cannot be both. Christians must choose on which basis they are going to live their lives. Those who choose to follow Christ must be willing to change their thinking. When you become a Christian, this is the first issue you face. You must be willing to have your whole fundamental outlook on life drastically altered. Christianity is not merely a change in outward actions or a bit higher moral or ethical level. Christianity is a revolutionary change of government that results in a radical change in behavior. Lord, change my thinking, because growth and change begin there. Teach me to think not in accord with my own human instincts but with the truth as it is revealed in Your Word. Life ApplicationThe world prides itself on its growing knowledge apart from God. Since human reasoning apart from God is empty & vain, do we need to change our outlook on life? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Mar 19, 2023 8:11:16 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MARCH 19TH
Put Off And Put OnYou were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self... Ephesians 4:22-24aPutting off the old and putting on the new is the principle by which the possibilities that are in Christ can become evident in our experience. Notice there is a recognition of the pull of the old life on the Christian. The admonition of the apostle is to be constantly recognizing and rejecting these false, underlying assumptions that come from the old self, the old way of living. It is not merely deeds, you will notice, but outlooks and attitudes. This is what causes the problem, and this is what we must reject. Put off means to divest yourself of something, to take it off. Paul is using the simplest of terms to illustrate what we must do in the realm of thought, of the attitudes of life. We must reject those basic assumptions that have caused our trouble—putting them off, rejecting them, divesting ourselves of them—just as you would put off your dirty clothes. We must do this because the corruption of life comes from these wrong attitudes. Paul says the former manner of life is corrupt—decayed, dead, foul, selfish, unhappy, restless. These are the things that have made life unhappy or miserable. He points out we can recognize these attitudes by the way they operate. They are deceitful lusts. Unfortunately, this word lust is greatly misunderstood in our day. We invariably associate it with something sexual. But this word is much broader than that. It means any urge or basic drive. We will get closer to the essential meaning of this word if we use the term urge. These deceitful urges are constantly coming to us as we react to various situations in which we find ourselves. The first step in experiencing what God intends for us is to recognize that. Put off the old. That is the first step. The other is to recognize the wonderful possibilities of the new life. In that phrase, to be made new in the attitude of your minds, you have the fundamental difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. It is true that non-Christians sometimes realize that things are wrong in their lives, and so they change them. But they merely change to another expression of the same basic egocentricity. They change the outer form, but the problem remains basically the same. But of all human beings, Christians alone have the possibility of doing something entirely different, living by an entirely different principle, because they have been renewed in the attitude of their minds. And that happens in the regenerated life as the Spirit of God comes into the heart that believes in Jesus Christ. When we believe in Jesus Christ and receive Him as our Lord and Savior, we are renewed in the attitudes of our minds. The new self is in the likeness of God: it is the life of God; it is the image of Jesus Christ; it is His life lived in you. So put on that kind of life, because it is available to you. Father, help me to understand and put into practice this great principle of putting off the old self and putting on the new. Life ApplicationDeceitful lusts fool us, because we think they will make us happy. Are there things we still do because we have not renewed our minds in the Truth that dwells in us? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by civic on Mar 20, 2023 5:39:01 GMT -8
Thanks for this exciting information! You are very welcome and I hope you enjoy our forum. Welcome ! |
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Post by Obadiah on Mar 20, 2023 6:26:10 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MARCH 20TH
Be GodlikeBe imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children... Ephesians 5:1 Paul puts it flatly, bluntly, openly: Be imitators of God. That is a great declaration. The word for imitators is the Greek word that means to mimic. Mimics are those who follow the pattern or the example of God. If you want to put it simply, you can say it this way: Be godlike. That is the goal of Christianity. It is to produce men and women, boys and girls, who are godlike in the midst of an ungodlike world. That is what it is all about. Notice that it does not say, Be gods. That is the lie of the devil. He distorts the truth and makes it come out as a promise to us that if we follow our own desires, throw overboard all restrictions, cast aside the bonds of authority, and do what we want to do, we can be gods. For, after all, isn't that what God does? He does what He wants; He is sovereign; He does what He likes. But that is a lie. This is not what the Christian faith says. It says rather, be godlike, meaning, reflect the one true and holy God. There is only one God. There can be only one God. By definition, God is a supreme being. How many supreme beings can you have? Only one. Therefore, the Christian message is to be like the one true God. Reflect Him in your humanity. Be a godlike man. Be a godlike woman. From this we get our English word godly. After all, this word godly, which makes many of us cringe and feel uncomfortable, is simply a shortened form of the word godlike. It originally came from the word godlikeness. Godlikeness is godliness; godliness is godlikeness. What will you be like if you are godlike? Will you be strong? Yes, of course. There is no strength like God's strength. Will you be filled with power if you are godlike? Oh yes, but be careful. It is a different kind of power than the world desires. It is quieter, less apparent, but far mightier. Will you be happy if you are godlike? Oh yes, but a different kind of happiness than the world is seeking after. Will you be wise and kind? Of course, wiser and kinder than you have ever been before, because that is what God is. We can sum all this up in two words. Despite all the works of God that are evident around us, both in the natural world and in the world of thought and ideas, there are really only two things that God ever does in human history: God creates and He redeems. Those are the two things. Everything in the whole universe gathers about these two. God creates and God redeems. God makes things live, and God heals that which is broken. It is because God is life and God is love. He is therefore our Maker and our Healer. And that is what you will be if you become godly. You will learn how to live to the fullest capacity of your humanity. And you will learn how to love and to heal, to restore and bring together instead of to scatter and fragment and break apart. For that is godlikeness. It is desirable, isn't it? Who does not want to be like this? Father, this is what I have always wanted to be like. Teach me to listen that there might break out in our lonely, bewildered, confused age the wonder of godlikeness. Life ApplicationIn human history, God creates and God redeems. He is life and He is love. How does God make His life & love visible in a fallen world filled with division & need? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Mar 20, 2023 6:29:51 GMT -8
Thanks for this exciting information! Yes Welcome to The Forum! I was always taught that the internet was created to share information and what better information could there possibly be then God's word? I'll be looking forward to reading what you have to share with us. |
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Post by Obadiah on Mar 21, 2023 5:14:02 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MARCH 21ST
New Morality Or Ancient Foolishness?But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Ephesians 5:3That charge to Christians must have seemed even more unrealistic and incapable of fulfillment to the pagans of Ephesus than it does to Americans today. Why is it there? Not because Christianity is negative and prudish. The whole of Scripture is written for the welfare of humanity. God's purpose in telling us the truth is that we might fully enter into life. Jesus said, I have come that they may have life, and to have it to the full (John 10:10). Why is this passage here? It is because, as Paul says, even the hint of sexual immorality, impurity, or greed is improper among saints. The word he chooses is a word that means becoming, wholesome, attractive, refreshing. Who of us has not had the experience of being exposed to something filthy, obscene, or improper in sexual matters and coming from that experience feeling dirty and unclean? What a refreshing thing it has been to come into a company of people who talk about wholesome matters, whose time and talk is filled with that which is healthy. That is what the apostle means. By implication, to indulge in improper talk is unwholesome, unfitting, uglifying, debasing, defiling. We are being told today that all sex is beautiful and natural, that it is in the same class as any of our bodily desires or urges, and therefore, we should feel free to satisfy it as openly as we do any other of our bodily needs, without shame or apology. This idea that all sex, any sex, is natural and beautiful is a lie. Like all powerful lies, it derives its strength from being based upon a partial truth. It is true that sex is related to our physical body like hunger or thirst or the need to sleep or any other physical urge. But what is never said is that these other urges also require regulation and control. They are not indulged in at will, any time, any place. Like these other natural urges, sex requires regulation and restraint. And the intended regulation of sex is marriage! Marriage is the way to regulate sex so that it is right and wholesome and beneficial. Anything else becomes a violation, not only of propriety in Christian society but of elementary humanity as well. One thing is clearly true: Sex is obviously much more complicated that any other of our natural urges. It requires a partner, which no other urge does. And it is not only a physical union but a psychological union as well. In fact, and this is what is so often forgotten, it is the psychological union that is the more important of the two. Sex is intended to be a total union of two beings, and only in marriage is such a total union possible. It is the giving of two people to each other totally—body, soul, and spirit—with all their possessions, their name, everything they own. Only in marriage is that kind of a union possible. Father, I pray that I may heed these important words and take them to heart, not to read them lightly or to forget them and give myself to improper practices and improper thoughts. Life ApplicationLies derive their strength from partial truth. When lies are heard often enough they become truth for many. What powerful lie about sex we are constantly exposed to? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Mar 22, 2023 7:59:33 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MARCH 22NDLight In The DarknessHave nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. Ephesians 5:11Sexual looseness is incompatible with the Christian faith, because the Christian is directed to expose the true character of sexual evil. You cannot expose something and indulge in it at the same time. It is utterly inconsistent. The church of Jesus Christ is directed by the Holy Spirit to be a source of correct information on matters of sex. Paul says the church is the pillar and foundation of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). I do not hesitate to say today that it is only the church that can teach the world the true nature of sex. Even the serious worldling, intent in utter sincerity on trying to alleviate the problems of society, does not see clearly. Therefore, we cannot accept statements from the world in these matters without checking them against the truth of Scripture. But the job of Christians is to speak up in these areas. They should challenge these false ideas. They are to tear away the mask from these wrong concepts and reveal the truth. If we needed any justification at all for a message like this, here it is: The apostle says, Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them to the light, make them visible. He does not mean to denounce them. The world is utterly unimpressed by people who go around denouncing. What the church ought to do is to show the truth helpfully about these things, tear away the lies, and let the world see that what God has intended for sex is wholesome, beautiful, wonderful, and properly protected by the bonds of marriage. Young people are always looking for a cause to espouse. In common with much of our society, they want to rebel against something. May I suggest something? Rebel against the rebellion! Tear away the veils from these delusions that grip people today, making them hope that they will find something beautiful and healthy and wonderful in the exploitation of sex. They will not find it at all. Help them to see that. Tear away these veils. But wake yourself up first. Alert your minds and hearts. Realize that in the Word of God you have the truth as it really is. Christ will give you light. Then tell somebody about it. Blazon it abroad. Capitalize on the universal interest in this subject today—it is perfectly proper. Help people to see that this is part of God's great yearning heart of redemptive love that is ever seeking to draw people away from that which destroys and ruins and creates unhappiness and misery, back into wholeness and fullness and joyfulness and the living of life as God intended people to live. Expose these things. ...Everything exposed by the light becomes visible (v. 13). Anything that tears away the masquerade and exposes the facts is light. Father, may I walk as this verse suggests I walk, shining as light in a dark place. Thank you for the privilege of it in this day of darkness. Life ApplicationDarkness is the absence of light like apathy is the absence of action. How do we act to expose the truth of the Light in the Word? When and in Whom do we speak up? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Mar 23, 2023 8:01:10 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MARCH 23RD
Live OverflowinglyDo not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18It is interesting that Paul puts these two things in contrast, one against the other. Don't get drunk with wine, he says. This recognizes there are things in life that tend to drive you to drink. There are pressures in life, there are demands made upon you so severe that you will feel the need of some stimulation, something that will undergird you a bit, give you some confidence and add help and strength. But don't let it be wine or any other artificial stimulant, because, he says, the trouble with that is, it so easily leads to lack of control. The word here translated debauchery is the Greek word that means without any limits, with reckless abandonment. It refers to escapism and the tendency to throw all restraints overboard and live without control. But in contrast to that he says to satisfy that need for something to stimulate and strengthen you by being filled with the Spirit, for that is God's provision for this need in human life. There is no need to feel ashamed over the sense of need. We were not made to be self-sufficient, independent creatures. Because you feel like you need something to help you, to strengthen you, to make you feel adequate to face life, do not be troubled by that. You do need something. But let it be the right thing. Be filled with the Spirit. Here he touches the great secret of real Christianity, the possibility of being filled with the Spirit. When you became a Christian, when you believed in Jesus Christ and received Him as your Lord, the Holy Spirit came to live in you. You have the Spirit, but the interesting paradox is that, though all Christians have the Holy Spirit, we constantly need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The filling of the Holy Spirit is the momentary taking from Him of the resources you need for the situation in which you are. It has nothing to do with an experience or a feeling or a crisis; it is a quiet drinking again and again of an inner supply of strength. This is a truth that many Christians seem to miss. They think that Christianity means coming to church, getting a blessing, and then going away to try to live in the light and warmth of the blessing until it leaks away, and then they must come back and get filled up again. But that is not Christianity. When Jesus said of the person who drinks of Him, Out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water, John says, By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive (John 7:39a). That is the strengthening that comes from within, and there is plenty there for any situation. Father, I pray that You will teach me to draw upon the well of water within, to know that every demand made upon me is a demand made upon You, and that you are prepared, ready, to live Your life through me in every situation and thus manifest Your grace. Life ApplicationHow do we react to the severe demands and pressures of life? Are we learning to acknowledge the Spirit of Christ within, and to be overflowing with His Presence? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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Post by Obadiah on Mar 24, 2023 4:35:24 GMT -8
A DAILY DEVOTION FOR MARCH 24TH
The Cure For ConflictSubmit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21In saying this, the apostle is dealing with the basic remedy for all the conflicts in our day. Paul will apply this principle as he discusses the relationship of husbands to wives, which brings in the whole realm of marriage and divorce and the problems that arise there. Then he will take up the matter of children and parents, which brings in the whole issue of juvenile delinquency, causes and what can be done about it. Then he will take up the issue of management and labor. In each case, the remedy is always the same: Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. If we have any desire at all to be part of a solution to the issues surrounding us today, we must do so out of an understanding of what God has revealed about the heart of the problem. We must go back to the cause of all human strife. There is no one who has not at some time asked the question, How can I get the greatest satisfaction out of life? How can I get the maximum expression of my potential? How can I fulfill myself? It is not wrong to ask these questions because God has put these urges within us, but it is gravely wrong to ask them in this way. When we ask the questions this way, we are asking as though we were the only person in the world, as though we were responsible for our own self-development. Sooner or later, in my attempts to develop myself and to gain satisfaction, I find myself on a collision course with someone else who is attempting the same thing. I find that my efforts to satisfy myself are continually sabotaged by others who are trying to achieve satisfaction in the same way. I insist on my rights, and others insist on their rights, and so we become obstacles to each other. But Paul changes the whole pattern for Christians by introducing two radical factors that alter the whole situation. First, the Christian must never forget that in every relationship of life, another person is present: It is not merely a problem of what I want versus what you want. In every relationship, the apostle reminds us, a third Person is present—the Lord Jesus Christ. That brings us to the second matter. When I am at odds with another person, to see that Christ is there too is to make me aware immediately of what He has taught me. It is only when I forget myself and devote myself to another's fulfillment that I will find my own heart running over with grace and satisfaction. This is one of the fundamental mysteries of life, and it is confirmed to us every day. Those who try desperately to satisfy themselves are the ones who end up hollow inside. Our Lord put it this way: For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it ( Matthew 16:25). It becomes, then, a question of priority. You cannot have your rights by insisting upon them. You can have them only when you seek to give others their rights. Do you dare to try this radical principle right where you live? Father; I thank You for a word that searches me and cuts deep and lays bare and hides nothing. I know that in this sweet surgery of the Holy Spirit there is healing, forgiveness, cleansing, and restoration. Life ApplicationWhen we insist on our rights, and others insist on their rights, we become obstacles to each other. What is one of the basic mysteries of life that prevents human conflict? Daily Devotion © 2006, 2023 by Ray Stedman Ministries.
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