Podcasts about holy spirit eph

     By promoting the gospel and biblical teaching, the church disrupts Satan's domain of darkness by calling out of it a people for God. By learning God's Word, Christians can identify worldly conversations and activities and either avoid them or seek to redirect them by interjecting biblical truth, which should never be done in hostility. When sharing God's Word with others it's proper to know that not everyone wants to hear God's truth, and even though we may not agree with them, their personal choices should be respected (Matt 10:14; Acts 13:50-51). We should never try to force the gospel or Bible teaching on anyone, but be willing to share when opportunity presents itself. At times this will bring peace, and other times cause disruption and may even offend. In this interaction, the growing Christian must be careful not to fall into the exclusion trap, in which the worldly person (whether saved or lost) controls the content of every conversation, demanding the Christian only talk about worldly issues, as Scripture threatens his pagan presuppositions. Having the biblical worldview, the Christian should insert himself into daily conversations with others, and in so doing, be a light in a dark place. He should always be respectful, conversational, and never have a fist-in-your-face attitude, as arrogance never helps advance biblical truth (2 Tim 2:24-26). The worldly-minded person may not want to hear what the Christian has to say, but he should never be under the false impression that he has the right to quiet the Christian and thereby exclude him from the conversation.      As we grow spiritually and walk with God, learning and living His Word (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17), we stand in opposition to Satan's world-system and sow the seeds of spiritual insurrection in the lives of those who live and walk in his kingdom of darkness. We disrupt Satan's kingdom when we share the gospel, “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3-4). When anyone places their faith in Christ, trusting solely in Him as Savior, they are forgiven all their sins (Acts 10:43; Eph 1:7), gifted with eternal life (John 3:16; 10:28), and the righteousness of God (Rom 4:1-5; 5:17; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9). They are rescued from Satan's enslaving power, as God liberates them from the “domain of darkness” and transfers them into “the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col 1:13). The gospel is the only way a person can be delivered from spiritual slavery; “for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16). Once saved, we seek to influence the thoughts and lives of other Christians through fellowship (Heb 10:23-25), prayer (Jam 5:16), edification (Eph 4:29), encouragement (1 Th 5:11), love (1 Th 4:9; cf. Eph 4:14-15), and words of grace (Col 4:6). The Sin Nature Within Us      If the devil were a broadcaster sending out his signal through the world, the sin nature in every person is that internal receiver that is always tuned to welcome his message. The sin nature, sometimes called “the flesh” (Gal 5:17, 19) or “old self” (Rom 6:6; Col 3:9), has a natural affinity for Satan's values and his world-system. More so, the sin nature is not eradicated from the believer during his time on earth, nor is it ever reformed, as though it can be made to love God.       Everyone knows what it's like to walk in the flesh, according to the sin nature, but only the Christian knows what it's like to walk in the Spirit, assuming he's growing in his walk with the Lord. Paul wrote, “For the flesh [sin nature] sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you [the Christian] may not do the things that you please”  (Gal 5:17). Concerning Galatians 5:17, MacDonald writes: "The Spirit and the flesh are in constant conflict. God could have removed the fleshly nature from believers at the time of their conversion, but He did not choose to do so. Why? He wanted to keep them continually reminded of their own weakness; to keep them continually dependent on Christ, their Priest and Advocate; and to cause them to praise unceasingly the One who saved such worms. Instead of removing the old nature, God gave us His own Holy Spirit to indwell us. God's Spirit and our flesh are perpetually at war, and will continue to be at war until we are taken home to heaven. The believer's part in the conflict is to yield to the Spirit."[1]      The sin nature is resident in every person; both saved and unsaved, and is the source of internal temptation. According to Wiersbe, “The flesh refers to that fallen nature that we were born with, that wants to control the body and the mind and make us disobey God.”[2] Since the fall of Adam, every person is born with a sin nature, and it is this nature that internally motivates men to rebel against all legitimate forms of authority, both human and divine. At the moment of salvation, God the Holy Spirit indwells us and gives us a new nature that, for the first time in our lives, has the capacity and desire to obey God. Because the sin nature is not removed from the believer after salvation, the believer begins to experience conflict within (Gal 5:17; Rom 7:14-23). Chafer states, “The presence of two opposing natures (not two personalities) in one individual results in conflict.”[3] Wiersbe adds: "The old nature (which has its origin in our physical birth) fights against the new nature which we receive when we are born again (Gal 5:16–26). No amount of self-discipline, no set of man-made rules and regulations, can control this old nature. Only the Holy Spirit of God can enable us to “put to death” the old nature (Rom 8:12–13) and produce the Spirit's fruit (Gal 5:22–23) in us through the new nature."[4] Lightner states: "Torn inside with desires to do that which we know is evil and new desires to please God, we experience the rage of the battle. The internal conflict manifests itself in everyday life as the believer is tempted to sin. The source of this conflict is the old sin nature, which is the root cause of the deeds of sin. In the conflict the believer is not passive. He has a vital role in determining to whom he will give allegiance—the old nature or the new nature. From the moment a sinner trusts Christ, there is a conflict in his very being between the powers of darkness and those of light. The one who has become a member of the family of God now faces conflicts and problems that he did not have before."[5]      As Christians, we are directed to “lay aside the old self…and put on the new self which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Eph 4:22, 24). Since we have been “born again” and given new life (1 Pet 1:3, 23), the sin nature no longer has domineering power over us, and we can choose a life of righteousness (Rom 6:5-13). As we grow spiritually, we will be transformed from the inside out and gradually become more and more righteous as we walk with God. Sinless perfection will not be attained until we leave this world, by death or by Rapture, and are “conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom 8:29), who will “transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” (Phil 3:21). Until then, we are commanded to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (Rom 13:14). We do this by choosing to live according to the Spirit's guiding, and starving the monster that is our sin nature. To “make no provision for the flesh” means we stop exposing ourselves to the things of the world that excite the flesh and lead to sinful behavior. The positive action is to grow spiritually with biblical teaching (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18), Christian fellowship (Heb 10:23-25), selfless living (Phil 2:3-4), prayer (1 Th 5:17), worship (Heb 13:15), and doing good (Gal 6:10; Heb 13:16). It is only by spiritual growth and drawing closer to God that we learn to glorify the Lord and live in righteousness.      Though the Christian will struggle all his life with his two natures, he also knows the victory is already won. The sin nature has been defeated and its strength diminished because of the believer's union with Christ (Rom 6:6, 11). At his resurrection, the Christian is guaranteed a new body in heaven that is free from the sin nature as it will be just the like body of our Lord Jesus (Phil 3:20-21), for “We know that when He appears, we will be like Him” (1 John 3:2), and “in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5).      The believer's focus must be on daily—moment-by-moment—spiritual growth, allowing the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in their life (Gal 5:22-23) while resisting the flesh by making no provision for it (Rom 13:14). This includes guarding against worldly influences that stimulate the sin nature and choosing instead to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord (2 Pet 3:18). While sinless perfection will not be attained until the believer is glorified, we are called to continually pursue righteousness (2 Tim 3:16-17; Tit 2:11-14), relying on the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18; Gal 5:16), who supplies the power to overcome the flesh. Ultimately, the Christian's victory is secured through ongoing dependence on the Holy Spirit, a willing heart, and a steady focus on spiritual growth.      In conclusion, though the battle with the flesh rages on, we do not fight alone or without hope. God has equipped us with everything necessary for life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3). We have His indwelling Spirit (Eph 1:13), His inspired Word (2 Tim 2:16-17), the intercession of Christ (1 John 2:1), and the support of fellow believers to help us stand firm. Our sin nature, though still present, no longer reigns; we are no longer its slaves (Rom 6:6, 14). Each step of faith, each moment of obedience, each act of love, reflects the power of God at work within us. The war may be lifelong, but the outcome is certain. So we press on—not in fear or defeat—but in confident expectation of the day when the struggle will end and we shall see our Savior face to face, fully conformed to His image (1 John 3:2). Until then, let us walk by the Spirit (Eph 5:18; Gal 5:16), live by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38), and abound in the good works prepared for us by our gracious God (Gal 6:10; Eph 2:10). Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] William MacDonald, Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1893. [2] Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary: New Testament, Vol. 2 (Colorado Springs, Col., Victor Publishing, 2001), 18. [3] Lewis S. Chafer, He that is Spiritual (Grand Rapids, Mich. Zondervan Publishing, 1967), 112. [4] Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament, Vol. 2, 480. [5] Robert P. Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology (Grand Rapids, Mich., Kregel Publications, 1995), 206.

Have you ever had someone tell you that the motive behind their decision(s) was that God was leading them? Did you ever wonder how it was that they knew God was leading them? What if He is not leading you and you make that claim? On some level, does that make you guilty of breaking the 9th Commandment? In case you have forgotten what that commandment states, here it is: You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor (Exod. 20:16). Is it also possible that by using Gods name as an excuse for your choices in life, that you are also guilty of violating the 3rdcommandment, which states: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain (Exod. 20:7). You need to understand that God is holy, and He is serious about how we treat His name and how we approach Him. So, how do you know what the will of God is and when is it okay to make the bold declaration that God is leading you...? Get some clue how to know Gods will from Proverbs 3:5-6, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight (Prov. 3:56). But what do you do with all the factors that affect how we humans make decisions such as: Cognitive biases: What happens when our decisions are shaped by our biases and affirmed by information and media that confirms our existing beliefs. Emotional state: How we are feeling can have a tremendous effect on our ability to reason and make decisions. Cultural factors: The culture you grew up in or the one that surrounds you today can affect your perception of truth and how you make decisions. Situational factors: Your physical atmosphere, social environment, time constraints, and circumstances that have brought you to your decision all shape the decision-making process. We have so many things competing for our hearts and it can be very difficult to discern what part of the decision-making process is Gods will and leading, and what part is our feelings and wants. So, how can you decern what the will of God is for your life and choices? I believe Acts 20:17-38 is helpful in that it shows us five things Paul practiced that helped him understand what Gods will was for his life regardless of his feelings and the circumstances that surrounded him. Paul was Concerned About What Gods Word Said About Everything (vv. 20-21, 27). The reason why Paul spent over two years in Ephesus was for the same reason he completed three missionary journeys, and that was to declare, ...the whole purpose of God. Paul declared the full counsel of Gods Word while in Ephesus. Jesus commanded His followers: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations... teaching them to follow all that I commanded you... (Matt. 28:19-20), and Paul took that command very seriously. All that Paul had to offer and give to the Ephesians was the Jesus of the Holy Scriptures. Listen, Paul did not just teach and preach the Bible, his life and choices were governed by the Word of God. How does one get to the place where he or she is able to declare all that is beneficial from the Word of God without first being in the Word of God privately? What is the goal of being in Gods word? Paul answered that question in his epistle to the Philippians: That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead (Phil. 3:10-11). You will not get to know Jesus if you are not listening to His voice through His word, and if you are not listening to His voice, you will not know His will. Step #1 for knowing the will of God: What does the word of God say about it? Paul Made Sure His Choices Lined Up with the Mission of God (vv. 17-19, 24) What is the mission of God? For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name shall be great among the nations, and in every place frankincense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name shall be great among the nations, Declares the Lord (Mal. 1:11)! John piper wrote in his book, Let the Nations be Glad: Missions exist because worship doesnt and he was right! Paul came to Ephesus because the Ephesians worshiped all kinds of idols, but they did not worship God because they did not know Jesus. Paul entered Ephesus with a desire to serve the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials because his purpose in life was to make Jesus known first and foremost! Paul did not think he was better than the Ephesians, but because he had a great and accurate view of who God is, he was willing to die to self for the purpose of living for Jesus. This is what he said in verse 24, But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of Gods grace. For Paul, his mission would include bringing the gospel to the gentiles (see Acts 9:1-19). For you, Gods mission may look different, but the one thing that it does have in common with Pauls mission is to make Jesus known where He is not known. If you are a Christian, you have been called into the mission of God. That does not mean that you must become a missionary, although it may. What the mission of God means for you is simply this: God has called you to your world, which includes your family, neighborhood, work, and church to use your talents and gifts to reach the lost and partner with your local church to accomplish the mission Jesus gave His Church. Wherever you find yourself, Jesus said of your redeemed life: You are the salt of the earth.... you are the light of the world (Matt. 5:13-14). You are Jesus ambassador in your home, in your neighborhood, among your friends, where you work, and as a part of a community of Jesus followers within His Church. Step #2 for knowing the will of God: Will my decision allow me to continue to participate in Gods mission? Paul Was Sensitive to the Holy Spirits Leading (vv. 22-23) Paul was sensitive to the Holy Spirit for two primary reasons: His head and heart were affected by the time he spent in the Word of God, and he strived to walk in a manner worthy of his calling (Eph. 4:1). The fruit of listening to Gods word and obedience to it, is the filling of the Holy Spirit. From the moment you are born again, you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-24; 16:7), you are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14), and you are baptized by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5). But with the filling of the Holy Spirit comes power and a sensitivity to His leading; this is what Paul wrote to the Ephesian Church and practiced: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Eph. 4:30) And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit... (Eph. 5:18) Jesus promised that to every true Christian who sets their hearts to follow Jesus in faith and trust will receive the Holy Spirit Whom He called, The Helper (John 14:16-17). Jesus promised that the ministry of the Holy Spirit will be to, guide you into all the truth... (John 16:13). This is exactly what Paul experienced throughout his lifetime even when others had a hard time understanding it (as we will see in Acts 21:7-14). This is why he called the elders together before he left Ephesus to tell them how the Holy Spirit was leading him: And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that chains and afflictions await me (Acts 20:2223). For Paul, the compulsion he had from the Holy Spirit did not mean that he understood or was aware what the total outcome would be for choosing to leave Ephesus, but the call was clear, and he had to go. Paul also understood that he would not be able to come back: And now behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face (v. 25). Sometimes the will of God is a call to leave what is stable and comfortable to a place of uncertainty and danger. Tony Merida, in his commentary on Acts, made the following observation: The goal of life is not to have a long life but a full life, one lived to the glory of Jesus Christ. For some Christians such faithfulness will involve hardship, persecution, and even martyrdom. Pauls example here shows how one can endure such experiences: We must value Jesus above everything, and we must rely on the Spirit.[1] Step #3 for knowing the will of God: Am I walking in step with the Holy Spirit and is He leading me in the decision-making process? Paul Understood God Was Greater than His Mission (vv. 32-34) Paul understood two critically important things that are worth considering regarding the will of God: First, God loved the Ephesian Christians infinitely more than Paul ever could. Second, God didnt need Paul but chose to use him and would use others in his place after he left. What was required of Paul and the elders of the Ephesian Church was to trust the God, Who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number (Job 5:8-9). With Pauls departure there would be dangers for the Ephesian Christians, so he warned the elders; he warned them that savage wolves would creep in among them with the intent to destroy them (see vv. 28-31). Just because God was leading Paul into another season of life and ministry, did not mean that the ministry God used him to establish was safe. However, for three years, Paul was preparing the elders and the church for the day when God would lead him elsewhere. Paul also understood that God would provide the church what was needed in the wake of his departure, so he was confidently able to assure them: And now I entrust you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified (v. 32). What they needed most, Paul gave them... and that was God and His Word. Step #4 for knowing the will of God: Understand and trust that God is infinitely bigger than you are and is capable of doing great and unsearchable things... without your involvement. Paul Was Committed to Prayer (vv. 36-38) Paul and the elders did not end with hugs and handshakes, but fervent prayer together as brothers committed to the same mission! It is critically important to note that before there were any goodbyes, before the decision was official, before Paul got on the boat, he and the leaders of the church prayed. Verses 36-38 are such a touching conclusion to Acts 20 as it is a reminder that there is no point in going anywhere if God is not leading you and although He may be leading you, it does not mean that it will be easy; consider these verses again: When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And they all began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship. This was not the first time Paul, and the elders, prayed about where God was leading, based on what we know of Pauls life, prayer was the culture of his life. Because it was the culture of his life, he was not getting on any boat before they prayed together! Ephesians 6:18-19 gives us a glimpse into the prayer life of the apostle: With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints... (Eph. 6:18). Regarding his departure, Paul prayed all the time, with all persistence, for the glory of God and the good of Christs Church! It is important to also understand that Paul did not pray alone but prayed with those his decision affected most. Step #5 for knowing the will of God: Bathe your life and choices with prayer with a willingness to die to what you want for the purpose of living for God and His mission for your life. Conclusion You should know that when you follow the will of God for your life, it may not always be easy, comfortable, or agreeable for those in your life and world. It will be hard on both those who love you and agitating for those who do not share your love for God and Christ-centered world view. The safest and most secure pathway forward is to follow Jesus. When Paul arrived at Ptolemais, he stayed with Philip and while with him, a prophet by the name Agabus took Pauls belt and bound his own feet and said, This is what the Holy Spirit says: In this ways the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles (Acts 21:7-11). When everyone in the house heard what Agabus said to Paul, they begged him not to go up to Jerusalem because they loved him. Agabus did not say anything Paul did not already know, but it was painful for those who loved Paul to hear and accept. Pauls response was both tender and firm: What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 21:13). At this point Pauls decision was affirmed by the Word of God, the mission of God for his life, the prompting and leading of the Holy Spirit, a confidence in Gods sovereignty and power, and a decision bathed in prayer, so he was sure of what Gods will was for his life and he could not be persuaded. Those who loved Paul saw this: And since he would not be persuaded, we became quiet, remarking, The will of the Lord be done! (v. 14). So, before you declare that God is leading you to take that new job, enter into a relationship or marriage, or to move from anywhere to anywhere be sure to check what you are considering against the same five checkpoints we see in Pauls life: What does the Word of God say about your decision? If Gods word speaks against it, then it is not Gods will for your life. Will my decision allow me to continue to participate in Gods mission? If your decision will further remove you from Gods mission and His people, then it may not be the will of God for your life. Are you sure the Holy Spirit is leading you? If you are not living in obedience to God, your perspective of what Gods will for your life may be severely perverted. Do you really believe that God can do great and unsearchable things... without your involvement but wants to use you anyway and that He is about His glory for your good? Did you pray with open hands before God almighty concerning His will for your life related to whatever is before you? Pauls decision to leave Ephesus ultimately resulted in his martyrdom in Rome, but if he did not leave, he would not have written Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, Philippians, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus... and those glorious epistles would not have been included in our Bibles as holy Scripture. [1] Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Acts (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 315.

Have you ever had someone tell you that the motive behind their decision(s) was that God was leading them? Did you ever wonder how it was that they knew God was leading them? What if He is not leading you and you make that claim? On some level, does that make you guilty of breaking the 9th Commandment? In case you have forgotten what that commandment states, here it is: You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor (Exod. 20:16). Is it also possible that by using Gods name as an excuse for your choices in life, that you are also guilty of violating the 3rdcommandment, which states: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain (Exod. 20:7). You need to understand that God is holy, and He is serious about how we treat His name and how we approach Him. So, how do you know what the will of God is and when is it okay to make the bold declaration that God is leading you...? Get some clue how to know Gods will from Proverbs 3:5-6, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight (Prov. 3:56). But what do you do with all the factors that affect how we humans make decisions such as: Cognitive biases: What happens when our decisions are shaped by our biases and affirmed by information and media that confirms our existing beliefs. Emotional state: How we are feeling can have a tremendous effect on our ability to reason and make decisions. Cultural factors: The culture you grew up in or the one that surrounds you today can affect your perception of truth and how you make decisions. Situational factors: Your physical atmosphere, social environment, time constraints, and circumstances that have brought you to your decision all shape the decision-making process. We have so many things competing for our hearts and it can be very difficult to discern what part of the decision-making process is Gods will and leading, and what part is our feelings and wants. So, how can you decern what the will of God is for your life and choices? I believe Acts 20:17-38 is helpful in that it shows us five things Paul practiced that helped him understand what Gods will was for his life regardless of his feelings and the circumstances that surrounded him. Paul was Concerned About What Gods Word Said About Everything (vv. 20-21, 27). The reason why Paul spent over two years in Ephesus was for the same reason he completed three missionary journeys, and that was to declare, ...the whole purpose of God. Paul declared the full counsel of Gods Word while in Ephesus. Jesus commanded His followers: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations... teaching them to follow all that I commanded you... (Matt. 28:19-20), and Paul took that command very seriously. All that Paul had to offer and give to the Ephesians was the Jesus of the Holy Scriptures. Listen, Paul did not just teach and preach the Bible, his life and choices were governed by the Word of God. How does one get to the place where he or she is able to declare all that is beneficial from the Word of God without first being in the Word of God privately? What is the goal of being in Gods word? Paul answered that question in his epistle to the Philippians: That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead (Phil. 3:10-11). You will not get to know Jesus if you are not listening to His voice through His word, and if you are not listening to His voice, you will not know His will. Step #1 for knowing the will of God: What does the word of God say about it? Paul Made Sure His Choices Lined Up with the Mission of God (vv. 17-19, 24) What is the mission of God? For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name shall be great among the nations, and in every place frankincense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name shall be great among the nations, Declares the Lord (Mal. 1:11)! John piper wrote in his book, Let the Nations be Glad: Missions exist because worship doesnt and he was right! Paul came to Ephesus because the Ephesians worshiped all kinds of idols, but they did not worship God because they did not know Jesus. Paul entered Ephesus with a desire to serve the Lord with all humility and with tears and trials because his purpose in life was to make Jesus known first and foremost! Paul did not think he was better than the Ephesians, but because he had a great and accurate view of who God is, he was willing to die to self for the purpose of living for Jesus. This is what he said in verse 24, But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of Gods grace. For Paul, his mission would include bringing the gospel to the gentiles (see Acts 9:1-19). For you, Gods mission may look different, but the one thing that it does have in common with Pauls mission is to make Jesus known where He is not known. If you are a Christian, you have been called into the mission of God. That does not mean that you must become a missionary, although it may. What the mission of God means for you is simply this: God has called you to your world, which includes your family, neighborhood, work, and church to use your talents and gifts to reach the lost and partner with your local church to accomplish the mission Jesus gave His Church. Wherever you find yourself, Jesus said of your redeemed life: You are the salt of the earth.... you are the light of the world (Matt. 5:13-14). You are Jesus ambassador in your home, in your neighborhood, among your friends, where you work, and as a part of a community of Jesus followers within His Church. Step #2 for knowing the will of God: Will my decision allow me to continue to participate in Gods mission? Paul Was Sensitive to the Holy Spirits Leading (vv. 22-23) Paul was sensitive to the Holy Spirit for two primary reasons: His head and heart were affected by the time he spent in the Word of God, and he strived to walk in a manner worthy of his calling (Eph. 4:1). The fruit of listening to Gods word and obedience to it, is the filling of the Holy Spirit. From the moment you are born again, you are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-24; 16:7), you are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14), and you are baptized by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5). But with the filling of the Holy Spirit comes power and a sensitivity to His leading; this is what Paul wrote to the Ephesian Church and practiced: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Eph. 4:30) And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit... (Eph. 5:18) Jesus promised that to every true Christian who sets their hearts to follow Jesus in faith and trust will receive the Holy Spirit Whom He called, The Helper (John 14:16-17). Jesus promised that the ministry of the Holy Spirit will be to, guide you into all the truth... (John 16:13). This is exactly what Paul experienced throughout his lifetime even when others had a hard time understanding it (as we will see in Acts 21:7-14). This is why he called the elders together before he left Ephesus to tell them how the Holy Spirit was leading him: And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that chains and afflictions await me (Acts 20:2223). For Paul, the compulsion he had from the Holy Spirit did not mean that he understood or was aware what the total outcome would be for choosing to leave Ephesus, but the call was clear, and he had to go. Paul also understood that he would not be able to come back: And now behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face (v. 25). Sometimes the will of God is a call to leave what is stable and comfortable to a place of uncertainty and danger. Tony Merida, in his commentary on Acts, made the following observation: The goal of life is not to have a long life but a full life, one lived to the glory of Jesus Christ. For some Christians such faithfulness will involve hardship, persecution, and even martyrdom. Pauls example here shows how one can endure such experiences: We must value Jesus above everything, and we must rely on the Spirit.[1] Step #3 for knowing the will of God: Am I walking in step with the Holy Spirit and is He leading me in the decision-making process? Paul Understood God Was Greater than His Mission (vv. 32-34) Paul understood two critically important things that are worth considering regarding the will of God: First, God loved the Ephesian Christians infinitely more than Paul ever could. Second, God didnt need Paul but chose to use him and would use others in his place after he left. What was required of Paul and the elders of the Ephesian Church was to trust the God, Who does great and unsearchable things, wonders without number (Job 5:8-9). With Pauls departure there would be dangers for the Ephesian Christians, so he warned the elders; he warned them that savage wolves would creep in among them with the intent to destroy them (see vv. 28-31). Just because God was leading Paul into another season of life and ministry, did not mean that the ministry God used him to establish was safe. However, for three years, Paul was preparing the elders and the church for the day when God would lead him elsewhere. Paul also understood that God would provide the church what was needed in the wake of his departure, so he was confidently able to assure them: And now I entrust you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified (v. 32). What they needed most, Paul gave them... and that was God and His Word. Step #4 for knowing the will of God: Understand and trust that God is infinitely bigger than you are and is capable of doing great and unsearchable things... without your involvement. Paul Was Committed to Prayer (vv. 36-38) Paul and the elders did not end with hugs and handshakes, but fervent prayer together as brothers committed to the same mission! It is critically important to note that before there were any goodbyes, before the decision was official, before Paul got on the boat, he and the leaders of the church prayed. Verses 36-38 are such a touching conclusion to Acts 20 as it is a reminder that there is no point in going anywhere if God is not leading you and although He may be leading you, it does not mean that it will be easy; consider these verses again: When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And they all began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship. This was not the first time Paul, and the elders, prayed about where God was leading, based on what we know of Pauls life, prayer was the culture of his life. Because it was the culture of his life, he was not getting on any boat before they prayed together! Ephesians 6:18-19 gives us a glimpse into the prayer life of the apostle: With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints... (Eph. 6:18). Regarding his departure, Paul prayed all the time, with all persistence, for the glory of God and the good of Christs Church! It is important to also understand that Paul did not pray alone but prayed with those his decision affected most. Step #5 for knowing the will of God: Bathe your life and choices with prayer with a willingness to die to what you want for the purpose of living for God and His mission for your life. Conclusion You should know that when you follow the will of God for your life, it may not always be easy, comfortable, or agreeable for those in your life and world. It will be hard on both those who love you and agitating for those who do not share your love for God and Christ-centered world view. The safest and most secure pathway forward is to follow Jesus. When Paul arrived at Ptolemais, he stayed with Philip and while with him, a prophet by the name Agabus took Pauls belt and bound his own feet and said, This is what the Holy Spirit says: In this ways the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles (Acts 21:7-11). When everyone in the house heard what Agabus said to Paul, they begged him not to go up to Jerusalem because they loved him. Agabus did not say anything Paul did not already know, but it was painful for those who loved Paul to hear and accept. Pauls response was both tender and firm: What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 21:13). At this point Pauls decision was affirmed by the Word of God, the mission of God for his life, the prompting and leading of the Holy Spirit, a confidence in Gods sovereignty and power, and a decision bathed in prayer, so he was sure of what Gods will was for his life and he could not be persuaded. Those who loved Paul saw this: And since he would not be persuaded, we became quiet, remarking, The will of the Lord be done! (v. 14). So, before you declare that God is leading you to take that new job, enter into a relationship or marriage, or to move from anywhere to anywhere be sure to check what you are considering against the same five checkpoints we see in Pauls life: What does the Word of God say about your decision? If Gods word speaks against it, then it is not Gods will for your life. Will my decision allow me to continue to participate in Gods mission? If your decision will further remove you from Gods mission and His people, then it may not be the will of God for your life. Are you sure the Holy Spirit is leading you? If you are not living in obedience to God, your perspective of what Gods will for your life may be severely perverted. Do you really believe that God can do great and unsearchable things... without your involvement but wants to use you anyway and that He is about His glory for your good? Did you pray with open hands before God almighty concerning His will for your life related to whatever is before you? Pauls decision to leave Ephesus ultimately resulted in his martyrdom in Rome, but if he did not leave, he would not have written Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, Philippians, 1 and 2 Timothy, and Titus... and those glorious epistles would not have been included in our Bibles as holy Scripture. [1] Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Acts (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 315.

     The Bible addresses the reality of angels, Satan, and demons. All angels were created holy, but because they have volition, some rebelled against God and defied His will. Holy angels are spirit beings created by God to serve Him and minister to believers (Matt 16:27; 26:53; 1 Tim 5:21; Heb 1:14). They are sometimes depicted as messengers carrying out God's will (Dan 9:20-22; 10:1-21), such as when Gabriel announced the birth of Jesus (Luke 1:26-38). Lucifer, an angel of the class of cherubim, was created perfect, but became Satan at the time of his rebellion against God (Isa 14:12-15; Ezek 28:12-17). Satan convinced a third of the angels to follow him in his rebellion (Rev 12:4, 7), and his kingdom of darkness was expanded to include the earth when he persuaded Adam and Eve to follow him rather than God (Gen 3:1-8). At the time of the fall, the first humans—God's theocratic administrators (Gen 1:26-28)—gave Satan the title deed to the earth (Luke 4:6). This explains why Jesus referred to Satan as “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). Other passages of Scripture call Satan “the god of this world” (2 Cor 4:4), and “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2), informing us “that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). But Satan is no benevolent dictator. Scripture reveals he rules as a tyrant who has “weakened the nations” (Isa 14:12), and currently “deceives the whole world” (Rev 12:9; cf. Rev 20:3). Satan and his angels will inevitably be assigned to the Lake of Fire (Matt 25:41; Rev 20:10).      Angels, both good and evil, influence the world around us. God used angels to protect His prophet Elisha (2 Ki 6:8-17), to destroy an Assyrian army (2 Ki 19:35), and to protect the baby Jesus from Herod the Great (Matt 2:13). Evil spirits were used to discipline King Saul (1 Sam 16:14-16), to influence King Ahab through his false prophets (1 Ki 22:19-23), and will be used in the future to control human kings who defy the Lord (Rev 16:13-14). Today, evil spirits influence politics, marriage, family, education, judicial systems, economics, entertainment, and society as a whole, promoting injustice, corruption, or opposition to God and His Word. Scripture reveals that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). While believers are not called to fear such forces, we are encouraged to stand firm through prayer, the armor of God, and reliance on the Holy Spirit (Eph 6:13-18). Dr. Steven R. Cook   --

Geoff Thomas: The Holy Spirit – Chapter 21: “The Spirit and Ministry”“People of God have always recognized the need for Jesus Christ to baptize His pulpits with the fire of the HolySpirit” The Need for Spirit-Filled PulpitsErroneous Thoughts About Spirit Baptism1. Romanticizing the New Testament Church [Corinth, Ephesus, Galatia, Colossae]2. Denigrating the church today3. Downgrading individual Christians (all Christians have the Holy Spirit ~ Eph.1:3+)4. Failing to distinguish levels of maturitya. 1 Timothy 3:6 ~ noviceb. Spiritual gifts vary (1 Cor. 12:18)The Right Approach to Spirit Baptism1. The felt presence of God in church meetings2. Every member of the church is filled with the Holy SpiritFor more information about this group, please visit their website at reformationboise.com. Every weekday at 8:00am you can listen to The Gospel for Life on 94.1 The Voice in the Treasure Valley, Idaho, USA. If you have a question, comment, or even a topic suggestion for the Pastors, you can email them. There is only one rule: Be Kind! Phone: (208) 991-3526E-mail: thegospelforlifeidaho@gmail.comPodcast website: https://941thevoice.com/podcasts/gospel-for-life/

This is Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life – a time for you to relax, refocus, and re-narrate your life. I'm Dave Cover. I want to help you with Christian meditation where you can break through all the distractions and experience God's presence through biblically guided imagination.  If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. Acts 17:25 NIV “…He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” Ephesians 6:11, 14-17 says:  “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. …Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (NIV).   One way to “put on the full armor of God” is through prayer. Here's an example of how to “take your stand against the devil's schemes” in your life and family through prayer. Today we will meditatively pray to put on “the breastplate of righteousness.”   Father in Heaven, your word tells me to submit to you and resist the devil, and he will flee from me (James 4:7), and so I want to do that now in this prayer. I submit my whole self to you, my whole life to you, (my family to you), all my cares to you, and my entire future to you. And I take my stand right now against all the devil's schemes in my life (and family).  I take up your “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” I affirm Jesus's words when resisting the devil's temptation, that I do “not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4). I affirm that your Spirit gives life, and that your words are full of the Spirit and life (Jn 6:63). I affirm that your word is living and active and at work in me (Heb 4:12; 1 Thes 2:13). And that I will overcome the evil one because your word lives in me (1 Jn 2:14). And I pray all these things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit (Eph 6: 18). Amen. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on X (Twitter) @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on X @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

This is Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life – a time for you to relax, refocus, and re-narrate your life. I'm Dave Cover. I want to help you with Christian meditation where you can break through all the distractions and experience God's presence through biblically guided imagination.  If your podcast app is set to skip the silent sections, disable that in your podcast app for this podcast. Acts 17:25 NIV “…He himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” Ephesians 6:11, 14-17 says:  “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. …Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (NIV).   One way to “put on the full armor of God” is through prayer. Here's an example of how to “take your stand against the devil's schemes” in your life and family through prayer. Today we will meditatively pray to put on “the breastplate of righteousness.”   Father in Heaven, your word tells me to submit to you and resist the devil, and he will flee from me (James 4:7), and so I want to do that now in this prayer. I submit my whole self to you, my whole life to you, (my family to you), all my cares to you, and my entire future to you. And I take my stand right now against all the devil's schemes in my life (and family).  I take up your “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” I affirm Jesus's words when resisting the devil's temptation, that I do “not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4). I affirm that your Spirit gives life, and that your words are full of the Spirit and life (Jn 6:63). I affirm that your word is living and active and at work in me (Heb 4:12; 1 Thes 2:13). And that I will overcome the evil one because your word lives in me (1 Jn 2:14). And I pray all these things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit (Eph 6: 18). Amen. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on X (Twitter) @davecover Follow A Bigger Life on X @ABiggerLifePod Our audio engineer is Matthew Matlack. This podcast is a ministry of The Crossing, a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located. 

Worthy living involves humility—not humiliation or powerlessness, but complete submission to God and voluntary submission to one another. Humility does not place self-worth over others or God.   Worthy living includes gentleness, which is a spirit of compassion and kindness.   Worthy living displays patience when pressured or annoyed. It is long-suffering with a calm endurance.   Worthy living is characterized by the ability to bear with one another, show love under pressure.   Worthy living maintains the unity of the Spirit that binds us together in peace.   Please notice how these characteristics emerge from the Father's choosing us (Eph. 1:4), adopting us as his children through the blood of Jesus (Eph. 1:5-10), providing us with an inheritance of hope in Christ (Eph. 1:11-12) and sealing our salvation with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14).   Because we are part of God's family—chosen by the Father, adopted through the Son and sealed by the Spirit we can live humbly together, be gentle, and patient, bearing with one another, and being unified in the Spirit.

Psalm 139:19-24 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. 19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men. 20 For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain. 21 Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? 22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.  Today, we will finish our chats on Psalm 139, a great chapter that reminds us that our awesome God is both omniscience and omnipresent! David first looks at how God intimately knows him and his every thought. God knows where he is and there is no place he can flee or hide from His presence. Then he recalls in awe how God created him in his mother's womb, designing every detail of his body and planning out His life! Realizing this David knows that there is no way we can deceive God, no way we can escape God, and no way we can ignore God! Therefore, the only conclusion is that the most sensible thing in all the world is that we should obey God! Suddenly in verses 19-22, David turns from his marveling at Who God is and what God has done in creating him and directing his life, to the evil world and the wicked people in it that choose to oppose God and dispute what He says about them in in His Word. David called these people wicked, violent, liars, blasphemers, and rebels, and he grieved because of them. Even as we should take the time and make the effort to set our minds and thoughts on heavenly things and God's wonderful love and plan for our lives, we must also accept and deal with the reality of the wicked and evil world in which we live. David's first response was to pray that God would deal harshly with them. The Scriptures teach that “God is angry with the wicked every day” (Psalm 7:11).  It might appear that they are getting by with their evil deeds, but God is keeping a record and is noting every detail that He will call them to account for one day. At the same time God also grieves over sinners and is not willing that any should perish (Ezekiel 33:10-11). The Father grieves over the wicked (Gen. 6:6). The Son does (Mark 3:5; Luke 19:41), and so does the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30). Yes, it is difficult to love rebellious sinners and still hate their sins, but we need more "holy hatred" in this day when blatant sin is a popular form of entertainment. For more verses on how we should respond see Psalm 11:5; 45:7; 97:10; Amos 5:14-15; and Romans 12:9, 19-21. Whenever we pray "Thy kingdom come," we are asking the Lord to judge the wicked, and then we must leave the matter in His hands. We also need to notice how David closed this chapter with a prayer for God to search His own heart, know his anxieties and concerns, forgive him, and lead him. We must be cautious as we examine ourselves because we do not even know our own hearts (Jeremiah 17:9). It is best to open the Word and let the Spirit search us and speak to us, for then we discover the truth about ourselves (Hebrews 4:12-13; James 1:21-27) We must never dispute with God, for He loves us and wants only the very best for us. Yes, my friend, God intimately knows us, He is always with us, and we should never ignore Him since He is the One who gives us our life and sustains it! And most of all He loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die in our place for our sins (Romans 5:8). God Bless!

Rev. Clay Wooten

Psalm 133 is the fourteenth of the fifteen “Ascent Songs” or “Pilgrim Psalms” and from the title we see that the writer was David. When David became king he was 30 years old and he inherited a divided nation and almost a civil war. He first was anointed king of Judah and Benjamin and ruled in Hebron for seven-and-a-half years. But then the Lord gave him a united kingdom (2 Sam. 5; 1 Chron. 12:38-40) and he ruled over all twelve tribes from Jerusalem for the next thirty-three years. He could well have written this psalm when he began his reign in Jerusalem. The people of Israel usually journeyed to Jerusalem in family groups (see Luke 2:41-52) to observe their three special feast days, so this psalm perfectly suited the situation. It applies to individual believers and churches today, for we also have our "family quarrels" and need to learn to walk together in love. Maintaining the spiritual unity of God's people is the work of every believer, with the help of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:1-6).  For God's people to enjoy the pleasantness of unity we must experience at least three ministries of the Spirit that are illustrated in this psalm. In verse 1, David called the people “brethren”. The Jewish people all had a common ancestor in Abraham; they spoke a common language; they worshiped the same God; they were children of the same covenant; they shared a common land; and they were governed by the same holy law. Christians today have experienced being born again by the Holy Spirit (John 3:3-6),  worship the same God, declare the same gospel message, preach from the same Scriptures, and are headed for the same heavenly city. How sad though, that there is often more division among us than unity! Yet all of us know that spiritual oneness in Christ (Gal. 3:26-29; Eph. 4:1-6) is both "good and pleasant." In verse 2, we can also experience the pleasantness of unity because we are anointed by the Holy Spirit. In the New Testament, this means that we are being filled by the Holy Spirit and under the control of the Spirit. When the high priest was anointed, the oil ran down his beard to the front of his body and over his collar. This suggests that the oil "bathed" the twelve precious stones that he wore on the breastplate over his heart, and this "bathing" is a picture of spiritual unity. When God's people walk in the Spirit, they forget about the externals and major on the eternal things of the Spirit. Externals divide us, gender, wealth, appearance, ethnic prejudices, social or political standing, while the Spirit brings us together and we glorify Christ. In verse 3, we have a beautiful illustration of being refreshed by the Holy Spirit for our daily task. The Jews were basically an agricultural people and they depended on the early and latter rains and the dew to water their crops (Deut. 11:10-17). In Scripture, dew symbolizes the life-giving Word of God (Deut. 32:2), the blessing of God that brings fruitfulness (Gen. 27:28, 39; Deut. 33:13, 28), and God's special refreshing on His people (Hos. 14:5; Zech. 8:12). How often we need the refreshment of the Holy Spirit that comes silently but bountifully, like the dew upon the grass! The dew speaks of fruitfulness and the anointing oil speaks of fragrance, for the unity of God's people is both "good and pleasant." The word “there” in verse 3 no doubt refers to Jerusalem on Mt. Zion. “Salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22). It was “there” that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice that made it possible for us to have “peace with God”, and the experience “the blessing and life forevermore”. Both images, the oil and the dew, remind us that unity is not something that we "work up" but that God sends down by His Holy Spirit. When we get to the heavenly Zion (Heb. 12:18-29), there we will enjoy perfect unity. But why not seek to have that kind of unity today? God bless!

Adoption      As those who have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, we have been transferred from Satan's “domain of darkness” (Col 1:13) and placed into the family of God. Our new status is as “children of God” (John 1:12; cf., Rom 8:16; Phil 2:15). John wrote, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are” (1 John 3:1a). We do not come into the world as natural born children of God; rather, we are naturally born “in Adam” (1 Cor 15:21-22), as “sons of disobedience” (Eph 2:2), and are “by nature children of wrath” (Eph 2:3). But at the moment of faith in Christ, we receive “adoption as sons” (Rom 8:15; cf. Gal 4:5; Eph 1:5). The term adoption derives from the Greek word huiothesia (υἱοθεσία) which, according to BDAG, refers to “those who believe in Christ and are accepted by God as God's children…with full rights.”[1] For the first time, as children of God, we have the privilege and right to cry out to God as “Abba! Father!” (Rom 8:15). This adoption by God is an act of love and grace, for “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will” (Eph 1:5). Our position in God's family should lead to a new and better performance of life. God calls us to mature spiritually (Heb 6:1) and to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3:18). Norman Geisler states: "Adoption (Grk: huiothesia) means “placing as a son”; it signifies, literally, “a legal child” (Ex 2:10) and is used five times in the New Testament. Theologically, adoption (Gal 4:5) refers to the act of God that places a person as a son in God's family. Adoption is a term of position whereby one becomes a son by the new birth (John 1:12–13), is redeemed from the bondage of the law (Gal 4:1–5), and, although only a child (Grk: teknion), is by adoption made an adult son (Grk: huios), which is fully manifested at the resurrection of the body (Rom 8:23; cf. 1 John 3:2)."[2] R.B. Thieme Jr., adds: "God's bestowal of sonship and heirship upon believers is a grace gift at the moment of salvation (John 1:12–13; Gal 4:5–7; Eph 1:5). Through union with Christ, every Church Age believer, male or female, is adopted into God's royal family and granted joint heirship with God the Son, who is the “heir of all things” (Heb 1:2). Even though the new believer is a spiritual infant, adoption recognizes his position not as nepios, a young child, but as huios, an adult son (Gal 4:1–7). This royal son of God receives the full privileges and responsibilities of spiritual aristocracy, along with an eternal inheritance (Rom 8:23; Eph 1:14; Col 3:24; Rev 21:7)."[3]      Though fully adopted as God's children, there is an eschatological aspect to our adoption that is pending our future glorified bodies. Paul wrote, “the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption” (Rom 8:21), and then draws a parallel with our status as children, saying, “even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body” (Rom 8:23). We are children by position, and will experience our freedom from sin when we receive our glorified bodies (Phil 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2, 5).   Deliverance From Sin      Concerning the Christian's spiritual deliverance, the NT describes it in three tenses. Because we have trusted Christ as our Savior, we have been saved from the penalty of sin (Rom 5:16; 8:1, 33-34; Eph 2:8-9), are saved from the power of sin that we might live righteously (Rom 6:11; Col 3:5), and will, ultimately, be saved from the presence of sin when we leave this world and enter heaven (Phil 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2, 5). These three aspects of our salvation are also referred to as justification (declared just before God once for all), sanctification (progressive righteousness over time), and glorification (removal of the sin nature after we leave this world). According to Charles Ryrie: "The inclusive sweep of salvation is underscored by observing the three tenses of salvation. (1) The moment one believed he was saved from the condemnation of sin (Eph 2:8; Tit 3:5). (2) That believer is also being saved from the dominion of sin and is being sanctified and preserved (Heb 7:25). (3) And he will be saved from the very presence of sin in heaven forever (Rom 5:9-10)."[4]      The first and third aspects of our salvation (i.e., justification and glorification) are accomplished by God without any human assistance. Concerning our justification, Scripture reveals that “God is the one who justifies” (Rom 8:33), and “who justifies the ungodly” (Rom 4:5). This is a work of God alone. No works are required for the one who trusts in Christ as Savior (Rom 4:4-5; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5). Concerning our glorification, Jesus Christ is the One “who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” (Phil 3:21), and “We know that when He appears, we will be like Him” (1 John 3:2), and that “in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). This means our future heavenly body will have no sin nature. This also is a work of God alone. However, the second aspect of our salvation, our sanctification, requires positive volition on our part. This is made obvious by the use of NT verbs that are in the imperative mood (i.e., a command), which requires the Christian to obey. As believers, we play a role in our sanctification as we learn and live God's Word (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18), yield to God the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18; Gal 5:16, 25), walk by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38; 11:6), and advance to spiritual maturity (Heb 6:1).      After being justified (and awaiting glorification), it is possible for the Christian to go negative to God, not learn or live His Word, and remain a carnal Christian (1 Cor 3:1-3). Such a one will be subject to divine discipline (Heb 12:5-11), even to the point of physical death if their sinful lifestyle becomes egregious (1 Cor 11:30; 1 John 5:16-17), and they will forfeit future rewards (1 Cor 3:10-15; 2 John 1:8). Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 1024. [2] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation, 226. [3] Robert B. Thieme, Jr. “Adoption”, Thieme's Bible Doctrine Dictionary, 3. [4] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology, 318–319.

We've Only Just BegunWe are now at the last step to surrendering our lives unreservedly to the Lord. And this seventh and final step deals with how to keep close to Him, and how to remain surrendered and submitted, even after the initial awe of the experience begins to wear off and we let our guard down. Don't be deceived— yes, it will happen to you, just like it has happened to all those who have gone before you in seeking the Higher Christian Life or the life of full surrender.Even though we are at the last step, our journey of surrender has just begun. Like Peter, taking his eyes off Jesus and sinking into the waves when doing the impossible, walking on water, it's easy to lose focus on Christ amid the trying circumstances we face every day (Matt. 14:30). Remember, sin is sin, and all sin, no matter how trivial we make it, hinders our relationship with the Lord and grieves the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30). Therefore your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to keep Christ at the center of your life, always, regardless of the situation you may be facing. And we do that by keeping our eyes on Him.Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses (see Hebrews 11), let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (how) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God – Hebrews 12:1-2.So how do we maintain a posture of continual submission to the Lord and make seeking Him our consuming priority in life? Or, how do we keep our eyes on Him like He kept His eyes on His Father? Let me share with you a few disciplines that should give you some direction in your life-long pursuit of Him.Start the Day Anchored in ChristBegin each morning grounded in Scripture and prayer. Make this a priority and set the tone of your day, communing with Jesus before anything else. Take His word in John 15:5 to heart, “Without Me, you can do nothing,” and realize He meant what He said. Read a devotional or passage about Christ's character.¹ Write down what He has been showing you or how He has answered your prayers. This anchors you in Him before the chaos of the day competes for your attention.“My voice You shall hear (when) in the morning, O Lord; (when) in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up” (Psalm 5:3). Just as we nourish our bodies with breakfast, we must nourish our spirit with Christ first thing in the morning.Don't Exclude Christ from Your Daily TasksAs you go about your day, talk to Jesus continually through quick, conversational prayers, thanking Him for the little blessings you notice. Ask the Spirit for patience when frustrations arise, and they will. And seek His wisdom in any decisions you have to make, no matter how small. Remember, He is the Lord over everything— even the small stuff. Offer up a prayer of blessing to those you encounter. And ask Him to guide your interactions throughout the day.When you pray without ceasing, as 1 Thessalonians 5:17 instructs, it keeps your focus on the Lord no matter how busy your schedule gets. Whether you're checking off your to-do list, heading to appointments, running errands, or socializing with others, you can invite Jesus into every moment of your day. And if you invite Him, you will no longer be surprised when He comes to walk beside you in what you consider the mundane things of life. Try it. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much He wants to be part of your life.Look at Everything Through His EyesConsider how your daily choices reflect on

27 These all wait for You, That You may give them their food in due season. 28 What You give them they gather in; You open Your hand, they are filled with good. 29 You hide Your face, they are troubled; You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. 30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the earth.   Psalm 104 is an awesome psalm that helps us celebrate the glory of our Creator and the incredible greatness of His creation. God created everything with a plan and for a purpose and that includes you and me! Real success in life is not becoming rich, powerful, or famous, but true success is fulfilling the purpose for which God created us, which is for His glory. As we look at verses 1-9, we see the greatness of our God in His creation. Now in verses 10-23 and 27-30, we will see the generosity of our God and how He planned everything in His creation with a place and a purpose.   God did not wind up the clock of creation and then let it run down, for the tenses of the verbs indicate that God is constantly at work, meeting the needs of His creatures. Note the emphasis on water, both the springs (v. 10) and the rain (v. 13), for water is a precious commodity in the Near East. The "mountains" (v. 13) refer to the upland regions where the grain grows (76:16; Deut. 11:10-12). God supplies not only water for vegetation but also food for the birds and animals (vv. 14, 21, 27-28), and the plants and animals provide food for the people. God uses the cooperation of the farmers and herdsmen to provide this food (v. 14; Gen. 2:8-15; Ex. 20:9), but ultimately He is the giver. Wine, oil, and bread were basics in the life of the people in biblical days. The wine was diluted with water and drunkenness was not acceptable (Judg. 9:13 and Eccl. 10:19). Wine, oil, and water are symbols of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18; John 7:37-39; Zech. 4:1-7;), and bread speaks of the nourishing Word of God (Matt. 4:4). God has written spiritual truths into the very world of nature.   But without the days, nights, and seasons, there could not be fruitfulness on earth, and therefore the psalmist praises God for the sun and moon (see Gen. 1:14-19). The Hebrew religious calendar was built around the seasons (Lev. 23), and there were special monthly celebrations as well (Ex. 12:2; Num. 10:10; 28:14; 1 Chron. 23:31). Without the cycle of day and night and of the seasons, life would come to a halt. "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven" (Eccl. 3:1).   All of creation looks expectantly to the Lord to provide what it needs (vv. 27-30), and He does so generously. However, how sad it is that people made in the image of God think they can "make it" alone. Yet God provides the very breath in our nostrils, and when He turns it off, we die (Gen. 2:7; Eccl. 12:7). On the first day of creation, the Holy Spirit brooded over the waters (Gen. 1:1-2), and that same Spirit gives new life to creation when the winter season ends (v. 30). The Spirit also provides life and power to the church, God's "new creation." Mankind has learned to control a great deal of nature, but the issues of life and death are still in the hands of God.   How generous God is to a world that ignores Him, rebels against Him, and rarely gives thanks for His generous gifts! God is so good to us every day as these passages also testify, Job 34:14-15; Acts 17:25-28; Col. 1:17.   My friend, you can trust the LORD to meet every need in your life today! He cares for you!   God bless!

     The first and third aspects of our salvation (i.e., justification and glorification) are accomplished by God without any human assistance whatsoever. Concerning our justification, Scripture reveals that “God is the one who justifies” (Rom 8:33), and “who justifies the ungodly” (Rom 4:5). This is a work of God alone. No works are required for the one who trusts in Christ as Savior (Rom 4:4-5; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5). Concerning our future glorification, Jesus Christ is the One “who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” (Phil 3:21), and “We know that when He appears, we will be like Him” (1 John 3:2), and that “in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). This means our future heavenly body will have no sin nature. This also is a work of God alone. However, the second aspect of our salvation, our sanctification, requires positive volition on our part. This is obvious by the use of NT verbs that are in the imperative mood (i.e., commands), which require the Christian to obey. As believers, we play a role in our sanctification as we learn and live God's Word (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18), yield to God the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18; Gal 5:16, 25), walk by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38; 11:6), and advance to spiritual maturity (Heb 6:1). After being justified (and awaiting glorification), it is possible for the Christian to go negative to God, not learn or live His Word, and remain a carnal Christian (1 Cor 3:1-3). These Christians will be subject to divine discipline (Heb 12:5-11), even to the point of physical death if their sinful lifestyle becomes egregious (1 Cor 11:30; 1 John 5:16-17), and they will forfeit future rewards (1 Cor 3:10-15; 2 John 1:8). Paul, speaking to believers who will be present in heaven at the bema seat of Christ, said, “If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Cor 3:15). The work Paul refers to here is the lifetime production of the Christian who fails to live spiritually and advance to maturity. His work is the production of the flesh and not the Spirit, and such work will be “burned up” at the bema seat evaluation, and “he will suffer loss” of reward in eternity. Yet, this same Christian “will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Cor 3:15c). This is a worst case scenario for the Christian and one which fails to glorify God and bless others. The best case scenario is seen in the believer who lays hold of his spiritual blessings in Christ (Eph 1:3), daily learns and lives God's Word (2 Tim 2:15; Jam 1:22), and advances to spiritual maturity (Heb 6:1). Dr. Steven R. Cook

Three tenses of salvation      Concerning the Christian's spiritual deliverance, the NT describes it in three tenses (past, present, and future). Because we have trusted Christ as our Savior, we have been saved from the penalty of sin (John 5:24; Rom 8:1, 33-34; Eph 2:8-9), are being saved from the power of sin that we might live righteously (Rom 6:11-13; Col 3:5), and will be saved from the presence of sin when we leave this world and enter heaven (Phil 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2, 5). These three aspects of our salvation are also referred to as justification (declared just before God once for all), sanctification (our progressive righteousness over time), and glorification (removal of the sin nature after we leave this world). According to Chafer, “In its broadest significance, the doctrine of salvation includes every divine undertaking for the believer from his deliverance out of the lost estate to his final presentation in glory conformed to the image of Christ.”[1] Charles Ryrie adds: "The inclusive sweep of salvation is underscored by observing the three tenses of salvation. (1) The moment one believed he was saved from the condemnation of sin (Eph 2:8; Tit 3:5). (2) That believer is also being saved from the dominion of sin and is being sanctified and preserved (Heb 7:25). (3) And he will be saved from the very presence of sin in heaven forever (Rom 5:9-10)."[2]      The first and third aspects of our salvation (i.e., justification and glorification) are accomplished by God without any human assistance whatsoever. Concerning our justification, Scripture reveals that “God is the one who justifies” (Rom 8:33), and “who justifies the ungodly” (Rom 4:5). This is a work of God alone. No works are required for the one who trusts in Christ as Savior (Rom 4:4-5; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5). Concerning our future glorification, Jesus Christ is the One “who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” (Phil 3:21), and “We know that when He appears, we will be like Him” (1 John 3:2), and that “in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). This means our future heavenly body will have no sin nature. This also is a work of God alone. However, the second aspect of our salvation, our sanctification, requires positive volition on our part. This is obvious by the use of NT verbs that are in the imperative mood (i.e., commands), which require the Christian to obey. As believers, we play a role in our sanctification as we learn and live God's Word (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18), yield to God the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18; Gal 5:16, 25), walk by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38; 11:6), and advance to spiritual maturity (Heb 6:1). Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1993), 6. [2] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 318–319.

     Most Christians think of salvation in the spiritual sense in which we are saved from the lake of fire (Rev 20:15), and look forward with confidence to our heavenly home (John 14:1-3; 17:24).[1] This is accurate; however, salvation throughout Scripture varies, depending on the suffering or danger caused by sin or sinful people. In the OT, God delivered His people from military attacks (2 Sam 22:3-4; 1 Ch 16:35; Psa 3:6-8), fear (Psa 34:4), troubles (Psa 34:17), and death (Psa 56:13). The same is true in the NT, where God delivered people from physical harm (Matt 8:25-26; 14:30-33; Mark 13:20; John 11:12; Acts 27:20, 31, 44), and diseases (Matt 9:20-22; Luke 6:8-9; Jam 5:15). These records of salvation are wonderous, and God is worthy of all the praise and honor. But Scripture also reveals there were times when God, according to His sovereignty, did not rescue His people physically, but allowed them to suffer, even to the point of a martyr's death. The writer to the Hebrews reveals that some of God's faithful people “were tortured…and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground” (Heb 11:35-38). As believers, they were saved from the greatest danger of all, eternal separation from God in the lake of fire, but not from the pains and hardships of living in a sinful and hostile world where persecution is normal for those who pursue godliness (2 Tim 3:12). Though these faithful saints were not physically rescued from their hardship, God gave them grace (i.e., divine enablement) to cope with whatever suffering they faced, so that they were strengthened and sustained in their inner person. The Lord told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor 12:9), and for all Christians, we are instructed to draw near to God's “throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16).  Three tenses of salvation      Concerning the Christian's spiritual deliverance, the NT describes it in three tenses (past, present, and future). Because we have trusted Christ as our Savior, we have been saved from the penalty of sin (John 5:24; Rom 8:1, 33-34; Eph 2:8-9), are being saved from the power of sin that we might live righteously (Rom 6:11-13; Col 3:5), and will be saved from the presence of sin when we leave this world and enter heaven (Phil 3:20-21; 1 John 3:2, 5). These three aspects of our salvation are also referred to as justification (declared just before God once for all), sanctification (our progressive righteousness over time), and glorification (removal of the sin nature after we leave this world). According to Chafer, “In its broadest significance, the doctrine of salvation includes every divine undertaking for the believer from his deliverance out of the lost estate to his final presentation in glory conformed to the image of Christ.”[2] Charles Ryrie adds: "The inclusive sweep of salvation is underscored by observing the three tenses of salvation. (1) The moment one believed he was saved from the condemnation of sin (Eph 2:8; Tit 3:5). (2) That believer is also being saved from the dominion of sin and is being sanctified and preserved (Heb 7:25). (3) And he will be saved from the very presence of sin in heaven forever (Rom 5:9-10)."[3]      The first and third aspects of our salvation (i.e., justification and glorification) are accomplished by God without any human assistance whatsoever. Concerning our justification, Scripture reveals that “God is the one who justifies” (Rom 8:33), and “who justifies the ungodly” (Rom 4:5). This is a work of God alone. No works are required for the one who trusts in Christ as Savior (Rom 4:4-5; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5). Concerning our future glorification, Jesus Christ is the One “who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” (Phil 3:21), and “We know that when He appears, we will be like Him” (1 John 3:2), and that “in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). This means our future heavenly body will have no sin nature. This also is a work of God alone. However, the second aspect of our salvation, our sanctification, requires positive volition on our part. This is obvious by the use of NT verbs that are in the imperative mood (i.e., commands), which require the Christian to obey. As believers, we play a role in our sanctification as we learn and live God's Word (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18), yield to God the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18; Gal 5:16, 25), walk by faith (2 Cor 5:7; Heb 10:38; 11:6), and advance to spiritual maturity (Heb 6:1). Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] For the child of God, our spiritual deliverance from sin is the most important deliverance we can know, as we will never experience God's wrath (John 3:36; Rom 5:9), condemnation (Rom 8:1), or eternal separation from Him (Matt 25:46). After we die, our physical body returns to the dust, and our spirit immediately goes to heaven (Eccl 12:7). Paul wrote, “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor 5:1). When we die, we are “absent from the body” and immediately “at home with the Lord” (2 Cor 5:8), waiting in heaven for our future resurrection body (1 Cor 15:42-44). [2] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1993), 6. [3] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 318–319.

04/16/23 - BE in 2023: Be Filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:15-21)   Today's Verses Eph. 5:15-16 Eph. 5:17 Eph. 5:18 John 14:26 Acts 4:31 Acts 1:8 Eph. 5:18 Gal. 2:20 Rom. 8:14 Eph. 3:20

     Worship is about honoring God who is worthy of praise and thanksgiving. To worship means we recognize the object as deserving of praise. Worship is tied to biblical truth (John 4:24; Col 3:16), is practiced individually (Jam 5:13), corporately (1 Cor 14:26), and does not depend on circumstances, as Paul and Silas worshipped while in jail (Acts 16:25). Giving finances to support God's work is also an expression of worship (1 Ch 29:8-16). David spoke of the heart of giving, saying, “I know, O my God, that You try the heart and delight in uprightness, I, in the integrity of my heart, have willingly offered all these things; so now with joy I have seen Your people, who are present here, make their offerings willingly to You” (1 Ch 29:17). Paul said, “Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7).      Demons seek to get people to worship anything other than God, which is idolatry. Idolatry is thievery because it steals from God the glory that is due Him. Some people even worship demons (Lev 17:7; Deut 32:17; Psa 106:36-38; 1 Cor 10:20; Rev 9:20). Sinful people worship the creation rather than God. Paul wrote of unbelievers, saying, “For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever” (Rom 1:25). During the seven-year Tribulation, unbelievers will worship the Antichrist. John wrote, “All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain” (Rev 13:8).      Sometimes God's people fail in their worship, both personally and corporately. Aaron failed when he led the Israelites to worship the golden calf (Ex 32:1-8). The bronze serpent that Moses made as an object of healing in ancient Israel (Num 21:9), later became an object of worship and was destroyed by King Hezekiah (2 Ki 18:4). Gideon, after he served the Lord, made an ephod of gold, which became an object of worship in ancient Israel (Judg 8:27). Solomon, in his old age, turned away from the Lord and worshipped idols and set up places of idol worship for others (1 Ki 11:4-8). The apostle John twice worshipped an angel and was rebuked for it (Rev 19:10; 22:8-9). John also warned Christians to be on guard against idolatry, saying, “Little children, guard yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21).      Jesus is God (John 1:1, 14, 18; 20:28; Heb 1:8), and as God, He received worship from angels (Heb 1:6), the Magi (Matt 2:11), a man healed of blindness (John 9:38), and several times by His disciples (Matt 14:33; 28:9, 17). In the Gospel of John, Jesus spoke of worship, saying, “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). To worship God in spirit means: 1) it's connected with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18-20), and 2) is tied to the believer, where the Holy Spirit resides (1 Cor 3:16). To worship God in truth means: 1) it is genuine and not fake (Matt 15:8-9), and 2) it is tied to divine revelation (Col 3:16). Though other reasons might be given, there are at least five biblical reasons why God's people worship Him. We worship God because of His deliverance. Moses said, “I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; the horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea. The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him; my father's God, and I will extol Him” (Ex 15:1-2). We worship God because He is good and loving. David said, “O give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting” (1 Ch 16:34). We worship God for His strength and protection. David said, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him” (Psa 28:7). We worship God because He created everything. The twenty-four elders in, Revelation chapter four, worship God, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created” (Rev 4:11). We worship Jesus because of His redeeming work on the cross. The twenty-four elders in Revelation chapter five worship Jesus, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev 5:9).   Dr. Steven R. Cook              

What is Church?This is a question we should ask ourselves each time we trek off to a worship service on Sunday mornings. What is church or what is church supposed to look like? Is church a building? Or is it something more? Is it something we do or something we become? And if church is something we do, how do we do it? How do we “do” church? But if church is something we become, then how do we become the church and what takes place in us to become His church? Whew. See the problem with simple words and changing definitions?From a doctrinal standpoint, the church is defined as “the community of all true believers for all time.” So, the term “church” is used to apply to all those (people) whom Christ died to redeem, all those (people) saved by the death of Christ, past, present, and future. It encompasses both the local church and the universal church (which is a topic we will address at a later time).But note, there is no mention of a building, denomination, or tax-exempt entity.In Scripture, the Greek word for “church” is ekklēsía and means “a called-out people, an assembly of those called by Christ into the fellowship of His salvation, a gathering or assembly of the redeemed.”And once again, it has nothing to do with a building or a plot of real estate, a denomination or group of religious congregations, or a 501c3 organization. It is a specific, called, and redeemed group of, get this, people. Church is people.In the New Testament, the word ekklēsía is used 118 times, and translates as “church” 115 of those times and “assembly” 3 other times. The Scriptures are very clear about how the “church” (assembly of redeemed people) are to worship the Lord when they come together collectively on the Lord's Day. And it looks nothing like what we do today.Ouch. So why the disconnect between the church we see in the book of Acts and what we observe every Sunday? Who dropped the ball or who changed the rules in the middle of the game? I think you'll be shocked when you find the answers to these questions.And Why Do We Do the Things We Do on Sunday?Let me present just a few truths about church, both Biblically and how we understand them today. First, Christ is the one who grants membership into His church through salvation and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14). We don't grant anything.Holy Spirit = SalvationNo Holy Spirit = No SalvationIt is really just that simple.And two, Christ is the One, the only One, who is charged with building His church (Matt. 16:18). Our job is to make disciples of those He redeems (Matt. 28:18-20). But sometimes we get the two mixed up. We think it's our duty to build His church with our slick marketing schemes, flashing lights and smoke machines, mini-rock concerts passed off as worship, and sanitized TED Talks taking the place of sermons. But it's not. Our job is to mature those He brings to Himself by helping them become more like Christ.Finally, since Christ builds His church and not us, then He is the one who makes all the rules about how His church is to function, including worship, prayer, ministry, songs, and just about everything else you can think of. Remember, He is God and we are not.Which raises an intriguing question:Question: So, if Christ redeems His church and then commands us to meet together in community as the called-out ones to worship Him, does He give us any guidelines as to what that is supposed to look like?Answer: Absolutely. But it looks very little like what we have been doing as believers since… forever. And much of that has to do with our reluctance to

Sermon Audio of Marquette Community Church Montello Wisconsin Sermon Series: Life in Christ Speaker: Lead Pastor Mike Vargo

Introduction -I. Faithful Saints-II. Rich Blessings from the Triune God-III. Blessings from God the Father -Eph. 1-4-6--IV. Blessings from God the Son -Eph. 1-7-12--V. Blessings from God the Holy Spirit -Eph. 1-13-14--Conclusion

Introduction -I. Faithful Saints-II. Rich Blessings from the Triune God-III. Blessings from God the Father -Eph. 1-4-6--IV. Blessings from God the Son -Eph. 1-7-12--V. Blessings from God the Holy Spirit -Eph. 1-13-14--Conclusion

Date: September 18, 2022 Title: Praise God for the Seal of the Holy Spirit Text: Ephesians 1:11-14 Series: Ephesians Preacher: Rod Montgomery

Pastor John teaches Eph 1:11-14. The Work of the Holy Spirit. www.missionlasvegas.com

You found the follow-up blog from July 24th's sermon on Ephesians 2:10! You can find the sermon outline below, take-home applications, Scripture references for further study, and re-watch the Skit Guy's video. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." --Ephesians 2:10. Sermon Outline God fashions broken people into a masterpiece displaying His wisdom through Jesus. Glorious Up-Cycle: Although we were dead in our sins, God made us alive with Christ and the believer in Jesus is a new creation—an original masterpiece. Glorious Purpose: God is shaping the believer into the image of Christ to do good works. Glorious Church: God's reveals His grand masterpiece, the church, by uniting believers in Christ. Take-Home Applications Read Ephesians and underline every time you see the phrase “In Christ” or “In Him” Confess your selfishness: How do you disregard the purpose for which you were created and live for yourself? Confess your pride: How do you try to do the work God prepared for you while attempting to maintain control of your own plans? Spend time with the Lord allowing Him to chisel away selfish, prideful thinking and shape you into the image of His Son—Jesus. (Rom 12:2) Confess your worth Ask God to reveal His glorious purpose for you Use the spiritual gift survey to find the ways God has prepared for you. What are God's commands for you? What has God made you passionate about? Write a personal purpose/vision statement: How would you want people to think of you in 3-5 years? Fill in the blanks with the words from the Bible references (download a printable version by clicking here) I have been_________________with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms (Eph 1:3) He_________________me in Christ to be holy and blameless (Eph 1:4) I am_________________with His glorious grace (Eph 1:6) I have_________________through His blood (Eph 1:7) In Him all things will be_________________(Eph 1:10) I have obtained an_________________in Christ(1:11) I have been_________________with the promised Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13) I am_________________up with Christ and_________________with Him in the heavenly places (Eph 2:6) He shows the immeasurable_________________of his grace in kindness toward me (Eph 2:7) I can be _________ in the Lord (Eph 6:10) I have been made_________________in Christ (Eph 2:5) I am created for good_________________(Eph 2:10) I who once was far off have been brought __________ (Eph 2:13) I have_________________through Jesus in one Spirit to the Father (Eph 2:18) I am joined_________________with the church to grow into a holy temple in the Lord (Eph 2:21) I am being built_________________with the church into a dwelling place for God (Eph 2:22) I can have_________________and access with confidence (Eph 3:12) Scripture References Genesis 1:27 1 Corinthians 13:6 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 Ephesians 2:1-10 Ephesians 3:6; 9-10 Ephesians 4:29 Romans 3:23 Romans 12:2 2 Corinthians 5:17-18 We would love to pray with you today! https://www.emmauslutheran.org/prayer Fill out our virtual Connection Card: https://emmauslutheran.churchcenter.com/people/forms/152121 Be apart of Emmaus' Mission through giving! http://emmauslutheran.org/give Connect with us online… www.emmauslutheran.org www.facebook.com/Emmausaflc www.instagram.com/emmausaflc www.twitter.com/EmmausAFLC

"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving." (Col 4:2)      God communicates with us through His written Word, and we communicate with Him through our prayers. When we pray, it immediately connects us with God, allowing us to confess our sin, express thankfulness, intercede for others, or request something for ourselves. Prayer is motivated by different causes and takes different forms. The most common words in the Bible translated prayer are תְּפִלָּה tephillah (Job 16:17; Psa 65:2) and προσευχή proseuche (Luke 19:46; Acts 12:5), which simply speak of the act of prayer.[1] According to Unger, “Prayer is the expression of man's dependence upon God for all things. What habitual reverence is to praise, the habitual sense of dependence is to prayer.”[2] And according to Liefeld, prayer is “communion with God, usually comprising petition, adoration, praise, confession, and thanksgiving. The ultimate object of prayer in both OT and NT is not merely the good of the petitioner but the honor of God's name.”[3]      There is no inherent power in prayer to change things. Biblically, the power lies in the One who answers the prayer, and He alone reserves the right to change things if He wills. God answers prayer, but He does so according to His sovereign will (Psa 135:6; Dan 4:35; Isa 46:9-10). Sometimes He says yes, sometimes no, and sometimes wait. It is good to remember that a prayer delayed is not necessarily a prayer denied. Sometimes we just need patience.      Some of the different types of prayer found in Scripture include: request for supply (Psa 116:1-2; Phil 4:6; Eph 6:18), thanksgiving (John 11:41; Col 4:2; Phil 4:6), submission (Luke 22:41-42), and intercession (Acts 12:1-5; Eph 6:18-19). The best prayers seek to glorify God above all else (John 14:13).[4] The Old Testament mentions imprecatory prayers, where Israelite believers prayed for God to destroy their enemies (Psa 58:6-8; 69:23-28). Imprecatory prayers were valid under the Mosaic Law where obedient Israelites could expect God to dispense justice on their enemies (Deut 28:7). Imprecatory prayers are not valid for Christians because we are not under the Mosaic Law (Rom 6:14). We are commanded to pray for our enemies that God will bless them (Matt 5:44-45; Luke 6:28, 35; cf. Rom 12:17-21; 1 Th 5:15; 1 Pet 3:9). If God dispenses judgment upon our enemies, He will do so at His discretion and not ours (Rom 12:17-19; 2 Th 1:6).      Prayer should be ongoing. Jesus taught His disciples “that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart” (Luke 18:1). As Christians, we are to “pray without ceasing” (1 Th 5:17). This means our prayer life should never end, but should be ongoing, day by day, moment by moment. Life can be stressful, but we are to “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil 4:6). As Christians, we are to “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16).      Most often prayer is an appeal to God to change a difficult or helpless situation. Sometimes God changes our situations as we request (i.e., concerning employment, health, finances, family matters, etc.), and sometimes He leaves the difficult situation and seeks to change our attitude. When God does not remove a difficult situation as we request, then He intends for us to deal with it by faith (Jam 1:2-4). God uses difficult situations to remove pride (Dan 4:37; 2 Cor 12:7-10), and to develop our Christian character (Rom 5:3-5). It's almost always the case that we prefer God change our circumstances rather than our attitude; and yet, it seems both biblically and experientially that God prefers to do the opposite. Though the Lord is concerned about our difficult situations, He's more concerned with developing our Christian character than relieving our discomfort. However God chooses to answer, He has His reasons and they always glorify Him. A challenge for us is to trust that His plan is better than ours, wherever it happens to lead us, or however difficult the journey becomes.      Prayer is for believers, for one can address God as Father only as a member of the family of God (John 1:12; Gal 3:26). The general agreement among theologians is that God does not hear the prayers of unbelievers, for they are not God's children but belong to Satan. Jesus said of unbelieving Jews, “You are of your father the devil” (John 8:44). Logically, we cannot call God our Father if He is not.[5]      Jesus prayed often, both publicly and privately (Matt 11:25-26; 14:23; 19:13; 26:36; Mark 6:46; Luke 5:16; 6:12; 9:28; 10:21; 22:41-42; John 11:41-42; 12:27-28; 17:1-26), and His prayer life was so noticeable, that His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1-4; cf. Matt 6:9-13). For the Christian, prayer should be directed to God the Father (Matt 6:6; Luke 11:2; Eph 5:20; 1 Pet 1:17),[6]in the name of Jesus (John 14:13; 15:16), and in the Holy Spirit (Eph 6:18; Jude 1:20). Praying in the name of Jesus is not a magic formula that makes our prayers acceptable to God; rather, it means our request is consistent with Jesus' character and will (1 John 5:14-15). Praying in the Spirit means we pray as the Spirit leads according to Scripture.[7] According to Ryrie, “Though we may address any Person of the Trinity, ordinarily, according to the biblical precedent, we address the Father in the name of Christ as the Spirit directs us (John 14:14; Eph. 1:6; 2:18; 6:18).”[8] It is interesting to note that both God the Holy Spirit and God the Son offer intercessory prayers for us to God the Father (Rom 8:26; Heb 7:24-25). When God Does Not Hear Our Prayers      There are some things in life that God conditions on prayer (Jam 4:2), but praying is no guarantee He'll grant our request. Being a righteous God, He only hears the prayers of those who seek to know Him and do His will. The apostle Peter writes, “For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer. But the Lord's face is against those who do evil” (1 Pet 3:12). The apostle John writes, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him” (1 John 5:14-15).      Biblically, there are several reasons why God does not answer the prayer of believers: lack of faith (Jam 1:5-8), worship of other gods (Jer 11:12-14), failure to take in Bible teaching (Prov 1:24-31; 28:9; Zech 7:11-13), selfishness (Jam 4:2-3), carnality (Psa 66:18; Mic 3:4; Isa 1:15; 59:1-3), lack of harmony in the home (1 Pet 3:7), pride and self-righteousness (Job 35:12-13), and lack of obedience (Deut 1:43-45; 1 John 3:22; 5:14). All of these failings can be corrected as the believer learns God's Word and lives obediently by faith. Failure to learn God's Word and/or apply it results in self-harm, much like a child who will not listen to her parents, but repeatedly keeps reaching for the hot flame because it's pretty. God's commands are designed to bring blessing, either by teaching us to avoid that which is harmful, or to pursue that which is helpful. Summary      Prayer is a blessing we enjoy as believers as we can come before God's throne of grace and make requests (Heb 4:16). As Christians, we are to “pray at all times in the Spirit” (Eph 6:18), and to “pray without ceasing” (1 Th 5:17; cf. Luke 18:1; Rom 12:12; Col 4:2). As we advance toward spiritual maturity, God will occupy our thoughts in all matters, and prayer will come more and more naturally, and we will seek His interests above our own and pray according to His will.             [1] Other words include פָּלַל palal – to intervene as a mediator (Gen 20:7; Job 42:8), לַחַשׁ lachash – a whispering prayer (Isa 26:16; 29:4), שָׁאַל shaal – to ask, inquire (Isa 7:11; 45:11), עָתַר athar – a prayer related to sacrifice (Job 33:26), δέησις deesis – an urgent request (Eph 6:18), and ἔντευξις enteuxis – simple prayer, childlike prayer (1 Tim 2:1). The word αἰτέω aiteo is not translated as prayer, but is clearly used when making requests to God (Matt 7:7; John 14:13). [2] Merrill Frederick Unger et al., “Prayer”, The New Unger's Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988). [3] W. L. Liefeld, “Prayer,” ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1979–1988), 931. [4] Moses provides a model prayer in Exodus 32:7-14 where he prayed on behalf of His people, Israel, that God would not pour out His wrath on them because of their idolatry (Ex 32:1-6). Moses' prayer to God starts by identifying Israel as “Your people” whom He had rescued from Egyptian bondage (Ex 32:11). Israel was not just any people, but God's chosen nation, who had already tasted of His great grace and compassion.[4] After citing God's deliverance, Moses then argued with God to withhold His wrath for two reasons: First, if God destroyed Israel, then His reputation among the pagan nations would be tarnished (Ex 32:12). Moses sought to protect God's reputation in the eyes of others, even unbelievers, and to uphold His glory. Second, if God destroyed Israel, He would be in violation of the promises He'd made to Israel's forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Israel (Ex 32:13). Moses did not want others to see God as one who fails to keep His promises. Moses' prayer was heard and God relented of the judgment He intended to bring on His people because of their sin (Ex 32:14). [5] However, there does seem to be at least one occasion in which God heard the prayer of an unbeliever who was seeking Him for salvation (e.g., Acts 10:1-2, 30-31; 11:13-14). It could be that if an unbeliever seeks God for salvation, as Cornelius did, then His prayers for salvation are answered. [6] Although there is at least one petition in the NT directed to Jesus (Acts 7:59-60). [7] The Greek preposition ἐν can mean, “in” “by” or “with” the Spirit. Hoehner translates the prepositional phrase ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ ἐν πνεύματι as “at every opportunity or occasion in the Spirit” (Harold Hoehner, Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary, Grand Rapids, Mich.; Baker Academic, 2002, p. 856). Hoehner further states, “In the immediate context [of Eph 6:18], praying in the Spirit may well be connected to the sword of the Spirit. The sword of the Spirit is, on the one hand, God's spoken word to put His enemies to flight and, on the other hand, the believer's utterance to God in prayer in the power of the Holy Spirit to aid in the struggle against the evil powers” (p. 857). [8] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 68.

Adversity is inevitable but stress is optional. If you have developed a FLOT line in your soul you can live a life free of stress. Problem-solving device #1 rebound is how you deal with the problem of sin. This is naming your sin to God the Father, 1 John 1:9. Being filled with the Holy Spirit and using the truth of the Word of God is how you worship God. “The day is coming when you will worship God in Spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). You are mandated to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18). Problem-solving device #3 is the faith-rest drill. This is you standing on the promises of God and using them as a shield to protect yourself from the strategy of the devil. “Put on the armor of God” (Eph 6:11). This is an amazing resource. It stabilizes your thinking. Click for Full Transcript: https://rhem.pub/psd-transcript-41c8c4 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rick-hughes/message

Excerpt from the April 24th, 2022 sermon -The Ministry Of the Holy Spirit- -Eph. 1-13-14, Part 1-

“Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1:27). This is your destiny. This is your empowerment to live your spiritual life. You can't access this power with unconfessed sin in your life. “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Ps 66:18). You can't live the Christian life in the energy of the flesh. Sin can be very subtle. All sin starts with something you think. You must rebound when you sin, recover from your sin, and regain the filling of the Holy Spirit so you can continue your advance to spiritual maturity and glorify God to the maximum. You are mandated to “Be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Eph 5:18). You are mandated to “Grow in the grace and the knowledge of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 3:18). Click for Full Transcript: https://rhem.pub/christ-transcript-fa70ba --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rick-hughes/message

“And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed:” Twice in this chapter 7 of Revelation we read, “After these things” (vv. 1 & 9). To break down this chapter, we see two groups of people described in this chapter. In verses 1-8, we have the 144,000 Jews being sealed on the earth. In verses 9-17, we see the Gentiles from all the nations which can't be numbered standing before the throne in heaven. We are not told explicitly in Scripture that the 144,000 Jews are God's special witnesses, and that the Gentile host is saved through their ministry, but this appears to be a logical deduction; otherwise, why are they associated in this chapter? The parallel with Matthew 24:14 also indicates that the 144,000 will witness for the Lord during the Tribulation. In Scripture, a seal indicates ownership and protection. Today, God's people are sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14). This is God's guarantee that we are saved and safe, and that He will one day take us to heaven. The 144,000 Jews will receive the Father's name as their seal (Rev. 14:1), in contrast to the "mark of the beast" that Antichrist will give those who follow him (Rev. 13:17; 14:11; 16:2; 19:20). This seal will protect these chosen Jews from the judgments that will "hurt the earth and the sea" (Rev. 7:2), and occur when the first four angels blow their trumpets (Rev. 8). The judgments are intensified when the horrible locusts are released from the pit (Rev. 9:1-4). Protected from these awesome judgments, the 144,000 will be able to do their work and glorify the Lord. In every age, God has had His faithful remnant. Elijah thought he was alone, but God had 7,000 who were yet faithful to Him (1 Kings 19:18). The sealing described in Revelation 7 certainly has its background in Ezekiel 9:1-7, where the faithful were sealed before God's judgment fell. So, while these 144,000 Jews are an elect people in the last days with a special task from God, they also symbolize God's faithful elect in every age of history. The number 144,000 is significant because it signifies perfection and completeness (144= 12 x 12). Some see here the completeness of all God's people: the twelve tribes of Israel (Old Testament saints) and the twelve Apostles (New Testament saints). This may be a good application of this passage, but it is not the basic interpretation; for we are told that these 144,000 are all Jews, and even their tribes are named. Today a Jew cannot tell you which tribe he is from because the genealogical records have all been destroyed over the centuries. Even the fact that ten of the tribes were taken by the Assyrians and "lost" is no problem to God. He knows His people and their whereabouts (see Matt. 19:28; Acts 26:7; James 1:1). We do have some unanswered questions concerning the specific tribes that are named here. Why is Levi included when it had no inheritance with the other tribes? (Num. 18:20-24; Josh. 13:14) Why is Joseph named but not his son Ephraim, who is usually connected with his brother Manasseh? Finally, why is the tribe of Dan omitted here and yet included in Ezekiel's list for the apportionment of the land? (Ezek. 48:1) We might not know for sure the answers to these questions, despite the many suggestions. But we do know one thing for sure: “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His…" (2 Timothy 2:19) The big question for us today is, “Do I know for sure that I am His and ready for the Lord's return?

     In our current section on case laws (Deut 19:1—26:19), we are considering how the nation of ancient Israel was to practice righteous living after they entered the land of Canaan (Deut 16:20), how righteousness was measured by conformity to God's laws (Deut 6:24-25), and obedience would result in the Lord's blessings (Deut 11:26-28). In this section, Moses addresses maintaining purity in military camps (Deut 23:9-14), providing refuge for runaway foreign slaves (Deut 23:15-16), and a prohibition against men and women serving as pagan cult prostitutes (Deut 23:17-18).    Purity in Military Camps      Moses opens this section, saying, “When you go out as an army against your enemies, you shall keep yourself from every evil thing” (Deut 23:9). Here, the military represented a specific group within the nation of Israel, and they were called to maintain purity in their military camp. The word evil translates the Hebrew adjective רָע ra, which commonly denotes “bad, evil, wicked, [or] no good.”[1] The word often refers to what is morally reprehensible to God; however, in the following verses (Deut 23:10-14), it refers to what is physically impure among God's people. Being the source of absolute holiness, God determines and declares what is good or evil.      Moses continued, saying, “If there is among you any man who is unclean because of a nocturnal emission, then he must go outside the camp; he may not reenter the camp. But it shall be when evening approaches, he shall bathe himself with water, and at sundown he may reenter the camp” (Deut 23:10-11). The nocturnal emission is not identified. It could refer to an accidental nighttime seminal discharge, which a man might experience when away from his wife for a period of time. Moses had previously mentioned such a discharge (cf., Lev 15:16-17), which rendered a man ceremonially unclean, not morally unclean. However, the context implies that the nighttime emission more likely refers to one who urinated in his bed. Peter Craigie states: "The first example relates to a man who is unclean because of what happens at night. On the analogy of Leviticus 15:16, these words are often interpreted as signifying the nocturnal, involuntary emission of semen; the Hebrew in this passage, however, is different and less specific than that of Leviticus 15:16, and it is possible that something else is intended. The references may simply be to urinating in the camp at night, either involuntarily or else because a man was too lazy (or tired) to get up and go outside his camp. This interpretation seems to provide a more natural parallel to the legislation contained in Deuteronomy 23:13-15, and it would thus refer to a more typical and common occurrence in any military camp. A man who had behaved in this manner was to remain outside the camp the following day; toward evening he would wash himself, again for hygienic and ritual reasons, and he would be permitted to reenter the camp after sunset."[2]      This law was to go into effect after Israel had entered the land of Canaan; at which time, they would find themselves facing an enemy. Moses continued his instruction, saying, “You shall also have a place outside the camp and go out there, 13 and you shall have a spade among your tools, and it shall be when you sit down outside, you shall dig with it and shall turn to cover up your excrement” (Deut 23:12-13). Some pagan cultures, such as the Egyptians, used animal feces as part of their medical practices. Fawver and Overstreet write: "Much of the information found in the Egyptian medical texts was medically hazardous. For example, donkey feces were used for the treatment of splinters, which probably increased the incidence of tetanus because of tetanus spores present in feces. Crocodile feces were used for birth control. In contrast Moses wrote that God instructed the Israelites to cover their excrement because it was “unclean” (Deut 23:12–13). At no time did Moses resort to adding the popular medical techniques of his day, though he was “educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians” (Acts 7:22), which certainly included their medical wisdom."[3]      Moses concludes, saying, “Since the LORD your God walks in the midst of your camp to deliver you and to defeat your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy; and He must not see anything indecent among you or He will turn away from you” (Deut 23:14). Here is the primary rationale for maintaining purity in the camp. When going out to battle, the Israelites must constantly be aware that God is among them, walking in their midst, inspecting the camp for cleanliness. God is holy and He expects His people to be holy (c.f., Lev 19:1-2). In these verses, cleanliness was an act of holiness in God's sight. Warren Wiersbe states: "This section applied to Israel's soldiers when they were encamped away from home. The basic principle was that they treat the camp as they would their land at home, for the Lord was with them even on the battlefield, walking in their midst. The idol-worshiping nations believed that they left their gods behind when they went to another country, but Israel's God was always with them, for He is the God of all the earth. If a soldier had become unclean at home, he would have to leave the community, wash, and return the next day; and that same rule applied in the camp. The men were also to have a place outside the camp for disposing of their excrement. This would not only keep them from being defiled, but it would also promote hygiene."[4] Protecting Runaway Slaves      Concerning runaway slaves from a foreign country, Moses wrote, “You shall not hand over to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you. 16 He shall live with you in your midst, in the place which he shall choose in one of your towns where it pleases him; you shall not mistreat him” (Deut 23:15-16). The passage considers slaves who ran away from their foreign master to seek refuge in Israel. Such a scenario might be tied to the previous section pertaining to going out to war. It's possible a foreign slave might be near Israel because he/she was brought there by a commander or soldier. Being in proximity might have afforded the slave the opportunity to run away and seek refuge within the Israelite community. If this happened, God's people were to allow such a one to live in their midst for protection and freedom, to reside in whatever town they wanted, and not to take advantage of them or mistreat them. A modified form of slavery was permitted in ancient Israel, in which a person who owed a debt could obligate himself to his debtor to pay off a debt. This contract arrangement was voluntary for both parties and had a divinely set term limit of six years, after which, the slave must be set free (Deut 15:12). Furthermore, the slave was to be set free with a liberal severance package adequate to jumpstart his own economic wellbeing (Deut 15:13-15). Such actions were predicated on the fact that Israel, as a nation, had been enslaved in Egypt, and they were to regard willful Israelite slaves with compassion and fairness. However, if an Israelite served his six-year contract and came to love his master because he was treated very well, he could voluntarily enter into a lifetime agreement of service (Deut 15:16-18). Prohibition Against Cultic Prostitution      Moses continued, saying, “None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, nor shall any of the sons of Israel be a cult prostitute” (Deut 23:17). Here was a prohibition against young Israelite women or men from being a cult prostitute in a pagan temple. Canaanite parents were known to give their sons and daughters to serve as prostitutes in their worship of pagan idols. In such situations, the children were exploited by the parents for sinful purposes.[5] Israel was not to be like the pagan cultures around them. They were to be holy. For a young woman or man to engage in such activity would imply some residual Canaanite influence in the land. Jack Deere writes, “The prohibition here was probably intended to prevent a foreign religion being practiced by Israelites, and to keep the worship of the Lord from being contaminated by temple prostitution.”[6] Unfortunately, this command to prohibit Israelites from serving as temple prostitutes was not followed by later generations (see 1 Ki 14:24; 15:12; 22:46; 2 Ki 23:7). Eugene Merrill writes: "So-called cultic prostitution was widespread among the fertility cults of the ancient Near Eastern world that saw in its employment a means of achieving productivity of plant, animal, and even human life. Whole guilds of male and female temple personnel participated in grossly sexual rituals designed to induce the various gods and goddesses to release their procreative powers on the earth. Nowhere was this more commonly practiced than among the peoples of Syria and Canaan, hence the special need to warn Israel against it."[7]      Moses further states, “You shall not bring the hire of a harlot or the wages of a dog into the house of the LORD your God for any votive offering, for both of these are an abomination to the LORD your God” (Deut 23:18). The male prostitute is called a dog because his brutish behavior is like that of a dog, which indiscriminately mounts another canine for sexual gratification. Whether a female or male prostitute, their wages were regarded as dirty money that was not acceptable to the Lord. Giving to the Lord' work is a valid act, but what is given must be derived from honest work done in an honest way. Present Application      Through our study of Deuteronomy, we learn that God is concerned about just laws and moral behavior among His people. God's laws through Moses were just laws, because they derived from a righteous God. As a theocracy, God was their Judge, Lawgiver, and King (Isa 33:22). Though the church is not under the Mosaic Law as the rule for life, we still have directives to follow, and these are always for our good and the good of others. As Christians, we are not called to form a nation like Israel, but are to go out to many nations (Matt 28:19-20), and this to preach the gospel and God's Word to all who will listen. As Christians living in a fallen world, we realize that a just and moral nation is the product of a just and moral people. As Christians, we desire morality and justice in our society. However, such morality never occurs through social or political force. We have failed as Christians as soon as we seek to politicize our message and control others through legislative means. We realize true and lasting transformation must occur from the inside out, as people are regenerated through faith in Christ and advance to spiritual maturity through learning and living God's Word, not by a forced morality imposed through the halls of congress. Where Christianity prevails in a society, social evils will decline, and freedom will be maintained by a moral and just people. John Adams knew this very well and said, “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”      As Christians, we are called to share the gospel that people might receive new life and be liberated from Satan's slave-market. If a person rejects Jesus as Savior, then that person chooses to continue as a slave to Satan and his world-system. It's unfortunate, but it's their choice, and it must be respected. God is a perfect Gentleman and He does not bully anyone to accept His offer of salvation, nor to live according to His directives. If people turn away from Him and suppress His truth in unrighteousness, then He will let them go their own way. Concerning those who “suppress God's truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18), three times it is written that He “gave them over” to “the lusts of their hearts” (Rom 1:24), and “to degrading passions” (Rom 1:26), and “to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper” (Rom 1:28). Once God permits a person to operate by his/her sinful passions, they are given a measure of freedom to live as they want. These are described as “being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful” (Rom 1:29-31).        Such people live according to laws of their own making, with no greater source of morality than that which can be derived from their own fallen hearts. However, because they have rejected God, they have no basis for moral absolutes by which to declare anything ethically right or wrong. There is only subjective opinion, which fluctuates from person to person and group to group. If God and His Word are rejected, we're left with no moral absolutes, and then what is, is right, and the conversation is over. Morality then becomes a matter of what the majority wants, or what an elite, or tyrant, can impose on others. Francis Schaeffer wrote:  "If there is no absolute moral standard, then one cannot say in a final sense that anything is right or wrong. By absolute we mean that which always applies, that which provides a final or ultimate standard. There must be an absolute if there are to be morals, and there must be an absolute if there are to be real values. If there is no absolute beyond man's ideas, then there is no final appeal to judge between individuals and groups whose moral judgments conflict. We are merely left with conflicting opinions."[8]      As biblically minded Christians, we realize that without God, there is no final basis for ethics or laws other than finite and flawed people. If there is no God, then right and wrong are reduced to opinion, and cries for justice become nothing more than psychology reports from dissatisfied people. It's interesting that people cry out for personal and social justice because they're naturally wired that way. But for the atheist, such inclinations are either a learned behavior based on arbitrary social norms, or a biological quirk that developed from accidental evolutionary processes.      As believers, we know God exists, that He is there, and He is not silent. God reveals Himself in the human heart (Rom 1:19), through nature (Psa 19:1-2; Rom 1:20), through His Son (Heb 1:1-2), and through His written Word (Psa 119:160; John 17:17; 2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:20-21). Furthermore, God has placed within each person a conscience, and this operates according to a morality God has infused within each person. Paul wrote, “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them” (Rom 2:14-15). Human conscience, when operating properly, serves as God's moral compass placed within each person. People intuitively know that God exists (Rom 1:18-20), and that certain laws are right (Rom 2:14-15). We don't have to persuade anyone. People intuitively know God exists, that He is just, and that actions such as murder, abortion, lying, stealing, and adultery are wrong.      For those who have positive volition, they will hear the Christian message and turn to Christ as Savior, believing Jesus “died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3-4). Once saved, they can then begin the process of renewing their minds according to God's Word (Rom 12:1-2), advance to spiritual maturity (Eph 4:11-13; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18), live by faith (Heb 10:38; 11:6), operate in the power of the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18; Gal 5:16), walk in a manner consistent with their new identity in Christ (Eph 4:1), and manifest the fruit of the Holy Spirit in their daily lives (Gal 5:22-23). Such Christians will become the moral backbone of any society, which will be richer because of their walk with the Lord.   [1] James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997). [2] Peter C. Craigie, The Book of Deuteronomy, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1976), 299. [3] Jay D. Fawver and R. Larry Overstreet, “Moses and Preventive Medicine,” Bibliotheca Sacra 147 (1990): 275. [4] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub., 1999), 158–159. [5] The sinful exploitation of children continues today. I knew a girl in Las Vegas who, when she was 11, her mother used to prostitute her out to men in order to maintain the mother's cocaine habit. This went on for several years. That a parent would do such a thing to a young child reveals the depravity of the human heart. The past few decades have seen a global rise in kidnapping and child exploitation as part of the sex-trade. Sin and evil still exist. [6] Jack S. Deere, “Deuteronomy,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 304. [7] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 313. [8] Francis A. Schaeffer, How Should We Then Live?: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture, 50th L'Abri Anniversary Edition. (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2005), 145.

     In our current section on case laws (Deut 19:1—26:19), we are considering how the nation of ancient Israel was to practice righteous living after they entered the land of Canaan (Deut 16:20), how righteousness was measured by conformity to God's laws (Deut 6:24-25), and obedience would result in the Lord's blessings (Deut 11:26-28). In the current section, Moses give directives concerning: 1) responsible care for a neighbor's lost property (Deut 22:1-3), 2) helping a neighbor (Deut 22:4), 3) prohibition against transvestism (Deut 22:5), 4) conservation of birds as a food source (Deut 22:6-7), 5) maintaining structurally safe homes (Deut 22:8), 6) symbolic separation of seeds, animals, and fabrics (Deut 22:9-11), and 7) wearing clothing that reminds Israel of their holy relationship with God (Deut 22:12). Moses begins these sundry laws, saying: "You shall not see your countryman's ox or his sheep straying away, and pay no attention to them [עָלַם alam – to conceal or hide oneself]; you shall certainly bring them back to your countryman. 2 If your countryman is not near you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall remain with you until your countryman looks for it; then you shall restore it to him. 3 Thus you shall do with his donkey, and you shall do the same with his garment, and you shall do likewise with anything lost by your countryman, which he has lost and you have found. You are not allowed to neglect them [עָלַם alam – to conceal or hide oneself]." (Deut 22:1-3)      Of the 613 commands in the Mosaic Laws, 365 were negative and 248 were positive. The commands related largely to Israel's relationship with God and others. Previously, Moses commanded that an Israelite return the lost animal of his enemy (Ex 23:4). The enemy in Exodus 23:4 likely refers to a fellow Israelite who was a legal adversary. In Deuteronomy 22:1-3, the application pertained to caring for anything lost that belonged to a fellow Israelite (ox, sheep, donkey, garment, etc.), until it could be restored. If an Israelite found his neighbor's property, whatever it might be, he was not permitted to “pay no attention to them”, or “not allowed to neglect them”, which phrases translates the Hebrew עָלַם alam, and means to conceal or hide oneself. Other translations read, “You must not ignore it” CSB), and “you must not refuse to get involved” (NET). That is, an Israelite was not free to hide himself from his communal responsibility of caring for his neighbor's property. Earl Radmacher states, “Every individual in the community bore a responsibility to uphold justice within that community (compare Gal 6:2).”[1]      Moses provides another example of corporate responsibility, saying, “You shall not see your countryman's donkey or his ox fallen down on the way, and pay no attention to them; you shall certainly help him to raise them up” (Deut 22:4). Whereas the previous command related to returning lost property to its rightful owner, this directive pertained to helping an animal that had fallen and could not get up. We're not told why the animal fell, although it could have been because its owner had placed too heavy a load on it. Whatever the reason, the owner could not help the animal by his own efforts and needed assistance to help raise it to its feet. In Exodus 23:5, Moses had set forth similar instruction that pertained to an enemy Israelite, saying, “If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release it with him” (Ex 23:5). Again, this was likely a fellow Israelite who was a legal adversary. Whatever the relationship with a fellow Israelite (friend or foe), everyone bore a corporate responsibility to help the helpless, even animals.      In the next command, Moses said, “A woman shall not wear man's clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman's clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God” (Deut 22:5). God created two genders, male and female (Gen 1:27), and these should be distinguishable in the sight of others. Whatever clothing a man or woman wears, it should not confuse their gender identity. In ancient Israel, men wore white robes, whereas women wore colored garments (Fruchtenbaum). Whatever the cultural practice—pants, dresses, tights, etc.—each person's gender should be identifiable when observed by others. In Canaanite culture, transvestism was associated with homosexuality as well as certain cult practices pertaining to idol worship. Both idolatry (Deut 5:7-9) and homosexuality (Lev 18:22; 20:13) were regarded as an abomination to the Lord. Earl Radmacher adds, “Cross-dressing was forbidden by God in ancient Israel. In the ancient Middle East, dressing in the clothing of the opposite sex was a magical practice intended to bring harm to people. For example, a transvestite male would predict that the soldiers of another army would be as weak as females.”[2]      In the next command, Moses states, “If you happen to come upon a bird's nest along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young; 7 you shall certainly let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, in order that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days” (Deut 22:6-7). Here was an example of responsible ecological conservation. The rationale was that if an Israelite found a bird's nest and ate the mother along with her eggs or young, he would have destroyed an ongoing viable food source. Originally, God created Adam and Eve as theocratic administrators to “rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Gen 1:26). After the Noahic flood, God permitted the eating of animals, saying, “Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant” (Gen 9:3). Responsible dominion means caring for the environment and animals and not driving them to extinction. This not only protects the animals, but also preserves the lives of people, as it secures future food sources. The benefit of compliance would help God's people, “in order that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days” (Deut 22:7b). Victor Matthews states, “One might compare this with the prohibition against cutting down fruit trees in Deuteronomy 20:19–20. In both instances, future sources of food are preserved while an alternative is suggested for immediate needs.”[3] And Daniel Block adds: "While people who discover the nest of a wild bird have several options, Moses offers simple counsel: Israelites may take the eggs/fledglings, but they must spare the mother. Reining in the temptation to cruelty, verse 7 reiterates that if a mother bird is found with its young, the mother is not to be taken. The wisdom of this counsel is obvious: Taking the mother but sparing the young would have meant the death of all, for unhatched eggs and fledgling birds depend on the mother. Israelites are not to kill for killing's sake, nor to exploit natural resources without concern for the survival of the species."[4]      Next, Moses states, “When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, so that you will not bring bloodguilt on your house if anyone falls from it” (Deut 22:8). Since Moses' audience had been living in tents in the wilderness for the previous 40 years, such property concerns would have been new to them. Rooftops in ancient Israel were flat and places where people gathered for fellowship (1 Sam 9:25; 2 Sam 11:2), as well as places to sleep on hot summer nights, as they would benefit from cooler winds that came from the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Daniel Block states: "Houses were often two-story constructions, with the lower floor housing animals and storing food stuffs, and the upper floor serving as the living quarters. Cooled by the breezes, flat roofs provided a third living space that residents could use for a variety of purposes. Without a barrier around the perimeter, people could step off the roof and fall to their deaths. The final clause of verse 8 holds the head of the household responsible for the life of anyone whose death is the result of negligence."[5]      Israelites were to assume reasonable responsibility for those who visited their home, making sure their home environment was safe. Again, we see a sense of corporate responsibility within the Israelite community as it pertains to structurally safe homes.      The next three laws prohibit mixing certain things together; namely, seeds in a field (Deut 22:9), animals for labor (Deut 22:10), and types of fabric for everyday use (Deut 22:11).      In the first prohibition, Moses said, “You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, or all the produce of the seed which you have sown and the increase of the vineyard will become defiled” (Deut 22:9). The production of crops was not only intended for personal consumption, but for sacred use at the tabernacle/temple. Such a mixed crop was viewed by the Lord as defiled, which connotes its being ceremonially unfit for use by the priests. Warren Wiersbe states, “Keeping the various seeds separated when sowing the fields was also recognition of the principle of separation. It's possible that the pagan nations mingled their seed as a part of their fertility rites in connection with their gods.”[6]      In the second example of keeping things separate, Moses said, “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together” (Deut 22:10). Naturally, an ox and a donkey had different strengths, and it would be cruel for the lesser animal to be paired with a stronger animal and be required to pull a load greater than its ability. Daniel Block adds, “This practice creates a fundamentally incongruous image: the animals' anatomies require different types of harness and a drastically modified yoke to link the two; their unequal strength and stamina could cause the more vigorous to exhaust the weaker.”[7]      Moses' third prohibition against mixing things was, “You shall not wear a material mixed of wool and linen together” (Deut 22:11). The meaning of this taboo is not given. Some scholars suggest this taboo was intended to separate the average Israelite from the Levitical priests, who were permitted to wear mixed fabrics. Daniel Block states, “Moses does not justify this taboo, even though it contradicts the prescriptions for the fabric of the tabernacle and the high priest's garments. While forbidden for laypersons, wearing garments of mixed fabrics was reserved for those who served in Yahweh's presence.”[8]      The last directive in this pericope states, “You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself” (Deut 22:12). This positive command reflects the command in Numbers 15:38-40 in which Moses intended the tassels to serve as a mnemonic device to help them remain conscious of their relationship with God and His commands.      For Israelites, there was a triangular relationship between God, them, and the world around them. Their relationship with God impacted their personal choices (i.e., clothing), as well as their relationship with others (both friends and enemies), the earth (caring for their environment), and even animals, both domestic and wild. If their relationship with God was prioritized, it would result in the natural function and care of others as well as their environment. In this way, God's directives resulted in righteousness as it touched all aspects of life (Deut 16:20). Present Application      As Christians, we are saved by God's grace when we trust in Christ as our Savior (John 3:16; Rom 4:1-5; 1 Cor 15:3-4; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5). Additionally, God selected us to “be holy and blameless before Him” (Eph 1:4). Elsewhere, Paul wrote to Christians, saying, “I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom 12:1-2a). And the apostle Peter wrote, “like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; 16 because it is written, ‘you shall be holy, for I am holy'” (1 Pet 1:15-16).      But how are we—as born-again Christians—made holy in conduct? Living distinguished from the world occurs as we learn to walk with God and advance to spiritual maturity. The following steps are helpful. First, we must be in submission to God. Scripture tells us to “Submit to God” (Jam 4:7), and “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Rom 12:1). Being in submission to God means we desire the Lord's will above all else. When this happens, God's Word opens up to us (John 7:17). Second, we must replace a lifetime of human viewpoint thinking with God's Word. Paul said, “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:2). Other Scriptures support this idea (Psa 1:2-3; 2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18). As Christians, we cannot live what we do not know, and learning God's Word necessarily precedes living His will. A biblical worldview enables us to see our spiritual identity as children of God (Rom 8:15; Gal 4:1-5; Eph 1:3-6; 1 Pet 2:9-10), as saints (Acts 9:13; Rom 1:7; 8:27; 1 Cor 1:2; 6:1-2), and ambassadors of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:20) who have meaningful and eternal purposes in God. More so, biblically trained minds empower us to properly interpret the world in order to see it from the divine perspective. Cultural conformity is effectively resisted by believers who are “destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor 10:5). This means Scripture saturates our minds (Prov 3:5-6; Isa 26:3; Col 3:1), and we are not allowing our thoughts to be bogged down with the cares of this world (Matt 6:25-34). Mental discipline is necessary, for our psychological stability is often predicated on the biblical content and continuity of our thinking. Third, we must learn to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18), and to walk in dependence on the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:16, 25). Being filled with the Holy Spirit means being controlled by Him. It means we follow where He guides, and His guidance is always according to Scripture. Being filled with the Spirit does not mean we have more of the Spirit, but that Spirit has more of us, as we submit to His leading. It means the Spirit is fulfilling in us all He desires. Fourth, we must learn to live by faith in God and His Word. Learning God's Word becomes effective when mixed with our faith as we apply it to all aspects of our lives. Our faith is effective when God's Word is more real than our experiences, feelings, or circumstances. The writer to the Hebrews states, “But my righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him” (Heb 10:38), for “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Heb 11:6). Fifth, we must accept God's trials that help us grow. God uses trials to strengthen our faith and develop us spiritually. Often, we don't like hardship, but we must learn to accept it as necessary. For the Lord uses it to burn away the dross of our weak character and to refine those golden qualities consistent with His character. The growing believer learns to praise God for the trials, knowing He uses them to advance us spiritually (Psa 119:71; Rom 5:3-5; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Heb 12:11; Jam 1:2-4; 1 Pet 4:12-13). Sixth, we must restore fellowship with God through confession of personal sin. As Christians, when we sin, we break fellowship with God and grieve and/or quench the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30; 1 Th 5:19). Fellowship is restored when we simply confess our sin to God and trust that He forgives us as He promises (1 John 1:5-9). Seventh, we must maintain fellowship with other believers. Scripture teaches, “let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Heb 10:24-25). Spiritual growth does not happen in isolation, as God expects us to exercise our spiritual gifts for the benefit of others (Acts 2:42; Rom 12:10-13; 14:19; Eph 4:32; Phil 2:3-4; 1 Th 5:11-15). Eighth, we must serve others. We are part of the body of Christ and God calls us to love and serve each other. Peter states, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet 4:10). Ninth, pray to God. Prayer is essential to spiritual growth as we need to have upward communication with God to express ourselves to Him. Prayer is the means by which we make requests to God, believing He has certain answers ready for us, and that we just need to ask (Jam 4:2). Scripture directs us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Th 5:17), and “pray at all times in the Spirit” (Eph 6:18; cf. Jude 1:20). To pray in the Spirit means we pray in the power of the Holy Spirit as He directs and energizes our prayer life. Tenth, worship and give thanks to the Lord. The writer to the Hebrews stated, “let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name” (Heb 13:15). And Paul wrote to the Christians at Thessalonica, saying, “in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Th 5:18). To give thanks (εὐχαριστέω eucharisteo) is to have a daily attitude of gratitude toward God for His goodness and mercy toward us. Part of this attitude comes from knowing God is working all things “together for good” (Rom 8:28), because “God is for us” (Rom 8:31). Lastly, we must be wise stewards of the time and opportunities God provides us to advance spiritually. Paul writes, “Be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Eph 5:15-16). The believer does not reach spiritual maturity overnight, and since we have only a measure of time allotted to us by God (Psa 139:16), we must make sure our days are not wasted on meaningless pursuits, but on learning God's Word and living His will. (Eph 5:15-17; cf. Heb 5:12; 1 Pet 1:17; 4:1-2).     [1] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 256. [2] Ibid., 256–257. [3] Victor Harold Matthews, Mark W. Chavalas, and John H. Walton, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament, electronic ed. (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000), Dt 22:6–7. [4] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, ed. Terry Muck (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 513. [5] Ibid., 514. [6] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub., 1999), 154. [7] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, 515. [8] Ibid., 515.

Recorded Feb 27 1991

“Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.” I'll never forget in January 1973, during my second year at Lynchburg Baptist College (Now Liberty University), the college took most of the students to England to experience firsthand some of the historical and spiritual roots of our Christian history. We went to the church on Aldersgate Street where John Wesley experienced the assurance of his salvation. In early 1738 John Wesley was at a low point, having just returned from his disappointing missionary efforts at the colony of Georgia in the New World. Wesley reluctantly attended a group meeting on the evening of May 24th on Aldersgate Street in London. As he heard a reading from Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans, he felt his "heart strangely warmed." And from there he begin to preach with a new power on his life and changed the course of history. We also visited the Metropolitan Tabernacle in London that Charles Spurgeon was pastor of for 38 years. In his day, thousands of people attended every Sunday to hear this great preacher proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ. Sadly, today only a handful of people are attending the Tabernacle and most the churches that John Wesley founded, both in England and America, are buildings with no spiritual life or power in them. They have become more or less nothing more than social clubs. And actually that appears to be the history of most churches. They start out with great evangelistic fervor and enthusiasm and grow and reach hundreds of people but over time they start focusing on programs and buildings and social issues and they go to sleep spiritually. That's what happened to the church at Sardis. Dr. Vance Havner frequently spoke about how that spiritual ministries often go through four stages: a man, a movement, a machine, and then a monument. Sardis was at the "monument" stage, but there was still hope! There was hope because Christ was the Head of the church and He was able to bring new life. He described Himself as the one possessing the seven Spirits and the seven stars. There is only one Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:4), but the number seven demonstrates fullness and completeness. The Holy Spirit gives life to the church, and life is exactly what the people at Sardis needed. The sevenfold Spirit of God is pictured as seven burning lamps (Rev. 4:5) and as seven all-seeing eyes (Rev. 5:6). All of the church's man-made programs can never bring life, any more than a circus can resurrect a corpse. The church was born when the Spirit of God descended on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), and its life comes from the Spirit. When the Spirit is grieved, the church begins to lose life and power. When sin is confessed and church members get right with God and with each other, then the Spirit infuses new life—revival! Christ also controls the seven stars, the messengers of the churches (Rev. 1:20), referring most likely to the pastors. Sometimes it is a pastor's fault that a church is dying, and the Lord of the church must remove the star and put another in his place. Our Lord's counsel to the church began with, "Be watchful! Wake up!" (Rom. 13:11). The first step toward renewal in a dying church is honest awareness that something is wrong. When an organism is alive, there is growth, repair, reproduction, and power; if these elements are lacking in a church, then that church is either dying or already dead. But at Sardis there were still some who had not defiled themselves. May the Lord make us like that group today in our churches so that we can once again experience revival and renewal! God bless!

Record date unknown

Recorded Sep 9 1987

Distractions stop you from growing in the Christian life. Wasted time is a serious problem. “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the actual words of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.” (Heb 5:12) You face four dangers: Placing our relationships with people over our relationship with God. Attempting to execute God's plan with our human power. “Be filled with the Holy Spirit" (Eph 5:18). Ignorance of the Biblical mandate of love. “If you love Me you will keep my mandates and they are not hard” (1 John 5:3). Failure to grow spiritually under the plan that God established. Full Transcript: https://rhem.pub/distractions-transcript-d25829 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rick-hughes/message

The Morning Meditation Podcast is brought to you by HardwareOnTheSquare.com. Hardware on the Square is the only hardware store with a Pizza Restaurant right inside. Come in and we can mix your custom paint color while you enjoy some of the best pizza in Texas. It would be a big favor to me if you would follow us on your favorite podcast player app and leave an objective review of our show.https://www.hardwareonthesquare.com/podcastHardware On The Square would love your feedback. Post a review to our profile.https://g.page/hardwareonthesquare75972/review?gmHardware On The Square - Broaddus would love your feedback. Post a review to our profile.https://g.page/hots-broaduss/review?gm(936) 275-9474(936) 872-3227San Augustine Lumber | Hardware on the Square is the only place to get lumber in San Augustine county. Please come by and visit with us any time. The experience is worth the visit!#SanAugustinePizzaRestaurant#SanAugustineLumber#SanAugustineCoffeeShop#SanAugustineHardwareA SUMMARY OF THE DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRITJohn 14:16-18“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.”The doctrine of the Holy Spirit is very controversial to say the least. I want to present a simple summary of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. It will not be extensive and the value of it to you will depend on your running the references and reading the verses for yourself. 1. The Holy Spirit comes as a result of the intercession of Jesus: “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter . . .” The work of the Holy Spirit is seen in the word “Comforter.” Jesus speaks of “another Comforter.” Jesus was their Comforter at the time He spoke this. So the Holy Spirit is to TAKE HIS PLACE once He departs after the resurrection to be our High Priest in the presence of God. +Today Jesus is THE ONE MEDIATOR between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5).2. The Holy Spirit is a GIFT. Note the words of Christ, “and he (The Father) shall give you another Comforter.” The word “give” translates “didomi” and means, “to give something to someone.” Roy Hession used to say, “The Holy Spirit is not a reward for our faithfulness but God's gift to our weakness.” That is so true. When I am willing to take the LOW place, the WEAK place, I am in a position to receive the work of the Holy Spirit in me. Too many of us try to CLIMB to find Him and He is always just out of reach. We need to crawl because there is where He is. 3. The Holy Spirit is as someone has said, “Heavens throne gift.” This is brought out in Acts 2:33: “Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father thepromise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.” Jesus “received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost.” This is in keeping with number one above where Jesus said, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter.” The Holy Spirit is a gift of the Father to the Son and the Son to His people. 4. The Holy Spirit is not new to the people of God. The coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost was to fulfill a special roll in this age. The Holy Spirit was active in creation (Gen. 1:2), strove with man about his need of salvation before the flood (Gen. 6:3), filled Old Testament believers for special work (Exo. 31:3; 35:31), the Holy Spirit was vexed at wrong actions in the O.T. (Isa. 63:10), the Holy Spirit indwelt Moses (Isa. 63:11). So indwelling is not exclusively New Testament.5. Since Pentecost the Holy Spirit comes into the life of the believer at salvation. Ephesians 1:13 says, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise.” THIS IS A DEFINITIVE STATEMENT STATING WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES INTO THE BELIEVER. For the believer to pray for the COMING of the Holy Spirit (that is what many are doing when they pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit) would be like me asking you over and over again to come into my home when you are standing right there at the time I am asking. Get this picture in your mind. You are standing in my living room. I stand there looking at you and I say, “Will you please come into my house? Please oh please come in!” You would get a little uneasy if I continued to ask you to do something when it is obvious that you had already done it. If the Holy Spirit was in the habit of speaking out loud I think He would say to someone who continued to pray for Him to come, “Hey, you dummy. Get up off you face and read Ephesians 1:13 and when you have read it, get your hands off the steering wheel of your life and let me take over. It is not my presence you need, it is my control.”6. The Holy Spirit is the Seal of our salvation (Eph. 1:13). He doesn't seal us, He IS the seal. The body of the believer is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20).7. He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit with Him (1 Cor. 6:17).8. The Holy Spirit seals us until the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30).9. The Holy Spirit is God's Earnest to us of our inheritance (Eph. 1:14). This is God's guarantee to us that He will finish what He began in us when He saved us.10. The Holy Spirit is grieved when we sin as Christians (Eph. 4:30). 11. We are to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18). Filling can take place over and over again and should. Therefore, it is not wrong to pray for the filling of the Holy Spirit. 12. The Holy Spirit is a person and not a principle: The following can only be said of a person:1) He speaks and calls; Acts 13:2.2) He commands and permits; Acts 16:6-7.3) He leads; Rom 8:14.4) He instructs; John 16:13.5) He comforts; John 14:26.6) He intercedes; Rom 8:26.7) He bears witness; Rom 8:16.8) He can be grieved; Eph 4:30.Note: All these expressions can only be said of a living personal being.13. The Bible is given by the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:21).14. The Holy Spirit will never lead or inspire an action contrary to what HE HAS SAID IN THE WORD, i.e., barking like a dog, etc. This is the only safety we have against Satan. Satan is an imitator and will imitate the work of the Holy Spirit. How do we know the difference between the actions of the Holy Spirit and Satan? The answer is the Word of God. Satan will not stay with the Scriptures. If I have an experience that is in conflict with Scripture, you can be SURE that it did not come from the Holy Spirit. 15. The Holy Spirit indwells ALL BELIEVERS (Rom. 8:9).16. The Holy Spirit is in us to empower our testimony of God's saving grace in our lives as we witness (Acts 1:8).17. The Holy Spirit has a world-wide witness (John 16:7-11). The missionary always finds that the Holy Spirit beat him to the mission field. 18. The Holy Spirit is sent in Jesus Name (John 14:26). Just as Jesus was sent in His Father's name, the Holy Spirit is sent in the name of Jesus.19. The Holy Spirit is the power to “mortify the deeds of the body” thereby enabling the believer to live a holy life (Rom. 8:13).20. The Holy Spirit gives assurance to us that we are already God's children (Rom. 8:16).21. The Holy Spirit is our guide (Rom. 8:14).22. The Holy Spirit is the Lord (2 Cor. 3:17). Jesus so works through the Person of the Holy Spirit that they are used synonymously here. 23. The Holy Spirit can be quenched; 1 Thess. 5:19: “Quench not the Spirit.”24. The Holy Spirit is our Teacher (John 14:26;16:13). 25. The Holy Spirit produces the fruit of the Spirit in the life of the yielded believer (Gal. 22-23). 26. Walking in the Spirit is the only way to have victory over the flesh; Gal. 5:16-17).27. The Holy Spirit makes intercession for the believer (Rom. 8:26).28. The Holy Spirit leads us in worship (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6). The term “Abba, Father” is very intimate. It is like a little boy saying, “Daddy, daddy.” The yearnings of the inner man to worship and adore God is caused by the indwelling Holy Spirit.29. Spirituality is the proper relation to the Holy Spirit just like salvation is a proper relation to the Lord Jesus (1 Cor. 2:14-15). 30. Regeneration is a work of the Holy Spirit (John 3:3; Titus 3:5). Salvation is a Spiritual birth and a new man comes into existence at this birth (2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 4:24). 31. The Holy Spirit is the restrainer of evil and the One who keeps Antichrist from making his move to take over the world until God's time is right (2 Thess. 2:7). 32. The Holy Spirit is given to the believer until the day of redemption, i.e., the rapture or resurrection (Eph. 1:14; 4:30).This is not intended to be extensive but a simple doctrinal summary of the Holy Spirit as He operates in this age of grace. There are a lot of issues that I did not on purpose deal with since it is not the purpose of this meditation to argue over things that divide. All saved people are in the same family together. There are certain basic issues that we should be in agreement on. I hope this outline will help those of you who are interested in the study of the Holy Spirit. God bless you.Don't forget to visit HardwareOnTheSquare.com and find out more about our amazing service and the only Pizza Restaurant in San Augustine Texas.

Sunday - Ephesians and Colossians - 05 - The Holy Spirit- Eph. 1:13-14

     The Central Idea of the Text is that Israel tried to make Gideon king (Judg. 8:22-23), then they worshipped the ephod he’d created (Judg. 8:27), and they eventually returned to idolatry after his death (Judg. 8:33-34).       Gideon took some of the gold he’d acquired from the Midianites and created an ephod (Judg. 8:25-27). The ephod was originally part of the clothing worn by the high priest (Ex. 28:1-6).  It is possible Gideon made the ephod for himself, and like the priests of Israel, sought to consult the Lord directly, as did others in Israel (see Judg. 17:5; 18:14-20).  Or, it could be that Gideon made the ephod as a memorial to remind Israel that it was the Lord who delivered them (Judg. 8:34).  The end result was that the ephod became an object of worship as the men of his city followed the natural inclinations of their depraved heart.       It was valid for Gideon to be recognized and rewarded for his obedience to the Lord.  However, Gideon seems to have desired and requested more than was due him when he multiplied wives and sons (Judg. 8:30), even naming one Abimelech, which means “my father the king” (Judg. 8:31).  Gideon’s success over the Midianites was followed by spiritual failure when he succumbed to the cultural landmines that plagued his culture.      Israel had a pattern of crying out to the Lord when faced with a crisis (Judg. 3:9, 15; 4:3; 6:6-7; 10:10), but then did as they pleased and worshipped false gods when everything was going well (Judg. 2:11; 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1).  However weak, it seems Gideon had a restraining influence upon Israel, which restraint was removed after his death, as Israel quickly turned to Baal worship (Judg. 8:33-35).        Israel’s return to idolatry exposes the depravity of the human condition which is naturally bent toward sin, the exclusion of God, and the substitution of a manufactured god.  We are all born with a sin nature that leads us to sin and evil (Ps. 51:5; Jer. 17:9; Matt. 7:11; 15:19; John 3:19; Rom. 3:10-20; 7:18; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19; 1 John 1:8-10).  Individuals may be denoted as given over to evil (Matt. 5:39), and so may a generation (Matt. 16:4), as well as an age (Gal. 1:4; 5:15-16).  Satan’s world system seeks to silence the Christian either through temptation and absorption, or through oppression and exclusion.  The Christian is victorious over the world when his mind (the control center for his thoughts, feelings, and actions) is saturated with God’s Word (Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16-17), and he continues in prayer (Eph. 6:18; Col. 4:2), and godly Christian fellowship (Acts 2:42; Heb. 10:23-25), under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:16).

In the Christian life, surrounded by our brothers and sisters who, like us, have failed in their walk with Christ, we often define sanctification as simply stumbling forward. We hear sermons, Sunday after Sunday, that tell us to grow closer to Him and bear His fruit (John 15:1-8), but they never seem to tell us how. And we are left feeling like we have to put together a dresser from Ikea without any instructions. But the Christian life, once we know the “how” to do what we must do, is so much more than stumbling forward.And the key is knowing how to do the things we know we need to do. Or how to obey the commands of Christ that we struggle with. Consider these “how to do them” questions:How to live by faith (Gal. 2:20).How to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18).How to walk by the Spirit and not by the flesh (Gal. 5:16).How to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5).How to lay my life down as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1-2).How to have victory over sin (1 John 5:4).How to pray without ceasing (1 Thes. 5:17).How to rejoice always in every situation (Phil. 4:4).How to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33).How to experience the peace of God (Phil. 4:7).How to hear God’s voice (2 Peter 1:18).How to have God’s Word become alive to me (Heb. 4:12).There are so many how questions in the Christian life. And there is so little teaching on how to answer them.But It’s More Than Simply Stumbling ForwardThe best way for our faith to grow so we will no longer stumble forward in our spiritual life is to believe the promises of God. All of them. Every last one.And in order to have that kind of faith to trust God at His Word, there are some things we must learn. And they are difficult. For example, we must learn to trust the promises of God. We must learn to lean and rely on Him and not on our own understanding (Prov. 3:5-6). We must learn to let Him work out all the details of our life, no matter what they are. We must learn to say “yes” and not “why?”, “how?”, “what for?”, “how long?”, or “that doesn’t seem fair.”In essence, by faith we must learn to see by believing. And not seeing in order to believe.Join us as we take just one simple promise from God, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5) and use it to grow our faith in Him by believing and living victoriously in that belief. After all, it’s so much better than stumbling forward and then trying to convince ourselves this is the abundant life we were promised (John 10:10).To download the slides to this message, click – HEREOur Latest Posts:477: Where Are We In Prophetic History?476: The Condition of the Church475: How to Understand the Why Questions474: Time to Call a Sacred Assembly473: Self-Examination and Salvation

A continuation of 'An Exposition of Ephesians' by Pastor Eric. In this teaching he shares to the significance of being sealed in the Holy Spirit of Promise.

God knows your thoughts, motives, intentions, and desires. You're not designed to run on emotions. Emotions will manipulate and control you if you allow it. Most people operate on emotions because that's all they have. But you have a one-of-a-kind power system—the living Word of God and the filling and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Combine these two and you have unlimited potential. “Be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Eph 5:18). “Study to show yourself approved unto God” (2 Tim 2:15). That's why we need qualified pastors to teach us. Impersonal love is a professional attitude we must have as Christians. “To one who knows what to do good and does not do it, to him it is a sin” (James 4:17). It's loving others based on who you are, not on who they are. We must love our spouse and not hold grudges. “Older women should teach younger women to love their husbands and to love their children” (Titus 2:4). “Stop thinking in terms of arrogance beyond what you should think; but think in terms of humility as God has assigned to each one of us a standard of thinking from His Word” (Rom 12:3). Personal love for God motivates us to love others with impersonal love. Transcript https://rhem.pub/Intro10-transcript --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rick-hughes/message

You have a problem. You were born spiritually dead—spiritually separated from God. You were born with a genetically formed sin nature you got from Adam. “By one man sin entered into the world and death by sin, and now death is passed upon all (Rom 5:12). That's why you need to be born again. “He who knew no sin was made sin for us so we could be made the righteousness of God through Him” (2 Cor 5:21). Sin breaks fellowship with God in time. Problem-solving device #1 is Rebound and it takes care of sin.”If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and purify us from all of our wrongdoing” (1John 1:9). Having unconfessed sin in your life, being out of fellowship with God, maybe one reason why your prayers aren't being answered. You're not dealing with the sin in your life. If you don't learn how to use rebound nothing will work in the Christian life because you'll be trying to do it in the energy of the flesh and you can't live it that way. You must live the Christian life under the power and the filling of the Holy Spirit. Allow the Holy Spirit to control you and then the rest will fall in place. “Be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Eph 5:8). Transcript https://rhem.pub/Intro2-transcript --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rick-hughes/message

When and How do we receive The Holy Spirit? Eph 1:13 - Past John Shipman - 2 Feb 20 by Pastor. John Shipman

How does one receive the Holy Spirit?   Simple.  As Peter said in Acts 2:38-39, you "repent" and "believe."  Which just happens to be the same requirements for salvation.  After all, the guarantee of our inheritance in Him is the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14).  This is a truth most Christians know and understand.  No Holy Spirit, no salvation.  It's as simple as that. But how does one experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit?  How do we find our joy in Him?  Or, how do we experience the "unsearchable riches of Christ" (Eph. 3:8) as a daily, living reality?  How is that possible? Consider the following: Every believer has received the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is only received by repentance and faith in Jesus at salvation. There is a fullness of the Holy Spirit that is usually greater than what is experienced at conversion.  Your own experience confirms this truth. As there are certain conditions for receiving the Holy Spirit, there are also certain conditions for experiencing the fullness of the Spirit. They are primarily found in Romans 6 and 12. Let's dig a bit deeper, shall we? Two Words:  Deny and Surrender The fullness of the Holy Spirit is found in the same way, and under the same conditions, as following Jesus.  Do you remember the requirements Jesus placed on those who desired to follow Him?  They are self-denial and surrender and are found in Matthew 16:24-25, among other places. Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." Denial and surrender.  Or, by letting the Lord be Lord over our lives.  The same principle is required to experience the fullness of the Spirit.  To experience the fullness of the Spirit requires the absolute, unqualified surrender of your life to God, to do His will and not your own.  But this shouldn't surprise you.  You had to do this to receive salvation by declaring someone other than yourself as Lord. Remember, when we surrender our sins and believe, we receive the Holy Spirit with salvation.  And when we surrender our lives and believe, we are filled with the Holy Spirit.  Why?   Because the receiving of the Spirit is God's answer to repentance and faith and the guarantee of our salvation.  And, in a like manner, experiencing the fullness of the Spirit is God's answer to a life surrendered to Him.  When we are saved the Spirit enters into our life.  But at surrender, the Spirit takes full possession of our lives and brings us the blessings that come from a life that is fully surrendered to God. So the choice is ours.  We can continue to live in lukewarm Laodicea satisfied with less than the abundant life Christ promised.  Or we can jump into the deep end of the pool and surrender all to Him.  It's not complicated.  It's just hard.  What do you want to do?  The ball is in your court. The following is a study on being Fully Surrendered to God from Romans 6.

  Colossians 3:5-7 (NASB) 5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, 7 and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. The Big Idea: God commands Christians to put our sins to death and has blessed us with Gospel reasons, power and knowledge to do so. Outline: Three keys to help you kill the sins of sexual immorality and greed in your life. 1. Know the seriousness of these sins and how you must view the as a Christian. (3:5‑6) 2. Remember that these sins characterized the old wicked life that you were saved from by Christ. (3:6‑7) 3. Apply the following nuts and bolts of putting these sins to death. (Selected Scriptures) Set your Mind on Jesus (Col 3:1-4) Abstain from fleshly lusts (1 Pet 2:11) Make no provision for the flesh (Rom 13:14 Be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18) Meditate on God's Word (Ps 119:11) Pray continuously (1 Thes 5:17) Cultivate contentment in Christ (Philip 4:13) Get an accountability partner

Every Christian can and should be filled with the Holy Spirit. Once you are filled, you can live by the Spirit. But this is not an automatic change – we have to develop our relationship with the Holy Spirit to grow and strengthen it. The Holy Spirit is a person and we need to consciously seek and build that relationship – just as we would with a friend or spouse. In this message, let's look at some practical points to grow and develop our relationship with the Holy Spirit.Key Points: 1. You need to spend time with the Holy Spirit (Rev. 2:2-4); 2. You need to become sensitive to the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:29-31, 1 Thess. 5:19); 3. You need to depend on the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:26, Luke 12:11-12); 4. You need to move in response to the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:25)Apply The Word: How much time do you spend with the Holy Spirit? How much do you focus on your relationship with Him? We need to set aside time to pray. This is what the disciples did both before and after the day of Pentecost. Prayer and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit are totally connected. Focus on your daily and continual prayer.Do you remember your first encounter with Jesus? What was the day, month, year? Where were you? What changed in your life after this encounter? If we want to know Jesus and experience His reality through the Holy Spirit, we need to return to our first love (Revelation 2:2-4) where we walk joyfully and wholly by the Spirit.What is your experience of walking with the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit is a person who knows what is good and what is not good. When you are close to the Holy Spirit you will become more aware of God and others. You will develop a greater sensitivity to the Holy presence of God and also what is unholy, to both avoid what is bad and pursue what is good in our thoughts, words, and actions. If we want to walk with Him, we need to literally follow His steps (Galatians 5:25).

2019-10-13 How to be filled with the Holy Spirit Eph 5:15-21 by Pathway Baptist Church

Pastor Vlad continues the sermon seires "Towels & Titles" where He speaks about being Full of the Holy Spirit. Pastor used the example of Steven and how the devil succeed in killing him, but failed in leaking him. Notes: 1. Being FULL of the Spirit is not only for those in MINISTRY but also in MARKETPLACE. (Acts 6:3) Holy Spirit = Power + Wisdom + Faith (Genesis 41:38) Power will get you out of prison. Wisdom will open the key to the palace. Alternative to being filled with Spirit is being filled with self (stress, sin, and Satan) You have the Holy Spirit at salvation but being full of the Holy Spirit comes at surrender. You can’t have fire without fuel. If you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, you have feed yourself on holy things. (Ephesians 5:18) 2. When you’re FULL of the Spirit your FACE changes. (Acts 6:15) Reputation is your photo, character is your face. Without the Holy Spirit we have to repair our reputation and change our character. You don’t change your character by working on it, working on your relationship and your character will change. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 We trust His substitutional death on the cross for our salvation but now we must yield to His substitutional life inside for our transformation. Character is fruit of the spirit not result of my efforts. It’s fruit, not works It’s fruit, not fruits It’s attitude, not action It grows, not given Its slow and sour before sweet It feeds others Don’t work on your issues, work on your intimacy. It’s not about suppressing the flesh, surrender to the Holy Spirit. 3. Holy Spirit FULLNESS impacts your FOCUS. (Acts 7:25) Being filled with the Spirit does not mean you SKIP hellish situations, it means you don’t SPILL in them. When I am filled with the Spirit, I am also sealed by the Holy Spirit (Eph.1:13) Focus on heaven when faced with hell Surrender to Savior not situation Respond to presence not react to people

https://www.faithbiblechurch.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Sermon20190915.mp3 Main Idea: Believers are called to persevere in the faith and yet God is the one who preserves the believer in the end. The Promise of Eternal Life - John 3:16, 36; 5:24; 6:47; 17:1‑3; 1 John 5:4, 11‑13, 20; Rom 8:1; 29‑30; 1 John 2:25; 5:4 The Preserving Power of God - Isa 43:1‑3; 46:9‑10; 54:10; Job 42:2; Mat 18:14; John 6:37‑39; Rom 8:35‑39 The Pledge of the Holy Spirit - Eph 1:13‑14; 4:30 To Preserve and Present - Jude 24; 1 Pet 2:9; Eph 3:20‑21; Heb 7:25; Philip 1:6; 2 Cor 4:13‑14; 1 Cor 1:7‑8

Apostle Paul instructed the Church in Ephesus not to be drunk with wine, but to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18). This instruction is also for all believers today! What was Paul not saying by this instruction? What was Paul really saying by this instruction? Find out in the Part 1 of this enlightening and inspiring teaching series, "Be Filled with the Spirit."  

Episode 125 Spiritual Blindness What are the causes of spiritual blindness? Jesus had some strong things to say about blind leaders seeking to lead blind men. He also gave a strong rebuke to the church of Laodicea regarding blindness. Is it possible for us to be blind and not know it? Spiritual vision is a great miracle that comes to us by the mercy and grace of God. The scriptures teach us that we are all born into this world blind to spiritual things and God must open our eyes to see the unseen and see all things properly as God sees them. Jesus came as a great light into a world of spiritual darkness. Today we want to look again at the issues surrounding spiritual vision and the causes of spiritual blindness. Spiritual vision is always a great miracle from God Jesus came into a world of darkness (Matt. 4:16) Blindness is a work of the enemy (2 Cor. 4:4) Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12) Spiritual vision is a continuous working from beginning to end Those who have never seen (Matt. 15:13-14) Those who have seen something but not clearly (Mark 8:22-26) Those who have true vision but for whom a vast realm of divine thought waits for a fuller work of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:15-23) Those who have seen, but have lost spiritual sight and are now blind but think they see (Rev. 3:14-23) Causes of spiritual blindness Unbelief (2 Cor. 4:4) Disobedience (2 Peter 1:5-9, I John 2:9-11) Self-seeking in some way (Matt. 6:22-23) Some scriptural examples of those whose eyes were opened Isaiah (2 Chron. 26, Isaiah 6) “I saw the Lord” Balaam (Num. 22-24, 22:31) “the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes” Man born blind (John 9) Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26-40) Paul (Acts 9:3-8, 26:12-18) Cure to spiritual blindness Humility (John 9:41) Honesty (I don’t see clearly) The veil is removed “in Christ” (2 Cor. 3:14) Continually beholding God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 3-4,esp. 3:18, 4:6) Jesus is the light of life (John 1:4, 8:12)   Some good ministry on this subject by T. Austin-Sparks: http://www.austin-sparks.net/english/books/spiritual_sight.html Additional resources at  http://www.ntchurchsource.com/ Theme song “Will Your Anchor Hold” sung by J. Ashley Milne Comments and questions welcome. Email David@AnchorOfTruth.com  

When Balak, the king of Moab, sent messengers to the prophet Balaam to come curse Isarel, Balaam asked God. And when God forbid him, he sent them back to Balak (Num. 22:4-6). Balak then sent more men and money, and though Balaam already knew God’s answer, he asked God again. This time, God let him go but was angry he went. Fear the day when what God previously said was wrong, now feels right! Balaam then left with his servants and the messengers from Balak. On the way, the Angel of the Lord (possibly pre-incarnate Jesus; Josh. 5:14, 15) goes to oppose him but the others don’t recognize what God is doing. The worst place for a believer is in rebellion, where God allows the desires of the heart and provides others who back up a rebellious decision (1 Cor. 15:13)! Trusting the heart/feelings rather than God’s word, leads to a seared conscience and a grieving of the Holy Spirit(Eph. 4:25-32; 1 Tim. 4:1, 2)!

1 Corinthians 12:12-13 1A. Spirit Baptism Key Questions—Who? When? Why? How? •Option #1—Happens after conversion—tongues •Option #2—Happens after conversion—holiness •Option #3—Happens at conversion—new life Every Christian experiences the Baptism of the Spirit Every Christian is called to •Be filled with the Spirit •Not quench the Spirit •Seek and experience the gifts/power/fruit of the Spirit 1B. Water Baptism Every believer (Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 1:14-15) Proclaim AND display Jesus (Matthew 7:21; 28:19-20) Immersion as the Picture of God’s work (Colossians 2:11) 2A. Body of Christ Membership God’s Family (John 1:12; Ephesians 2:19) Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12) Building/Temple of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:20-22; 2 Cor. 6:16) 2B. Local Church Membership With whom are you meeting regularly? (Hebrews 10:24-25) Who is watching over your soul? (Hebrews 13:17) With whom are you sharing your gifts? (1 Corinthians 12) •Local church membership doesn’t cut you off from the larger body of Christ, but empowers and equips you to live fully as a member of God’s family Response A. Have you experienced Spirit Baptism, making you part of the Body of Christ? B. Have you been baptized to display this to others? C. Have you joined a local church to live out your faith?

The Promise of the Holy Spirit Eph 1 Jn 14

The Promise of the Holy Spirit Eph 1 Jn 14

The Promise of the Holy Spirit Eph 1 Jn 14

Episode 49 In the Spirit God is Spirit, and we are commanded to worship God in spirit and in truth. We are to live in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, pray in the Spirit, worship in the Spirit, and know each other according to the Spirit. What does God mean by “in the Spirit”? How do we do these things? The whole working of God in a spiritual work. Since God is Spirit, to know God we must know what this means in a practical way. The opposite to knowing God in the Spirit is to seek to know God with our natural senses. If we do this, it leads us into religion and we will find ourselves bound by our concepts, desires, and human limitations. God has made the way to be delivered from the limitations of the flesh into His glorious presence. • God is Spirit o Man is made in God’s image (a spiritual being) o We have a spirit, but born separate from God due to sin o We begin “in the Spirit” when we are born of the Spirit (Gal. 3:3) o Our spirit is joined to His Spirit and we are made alive to God (I Cor. 6:17) • God expects us to continue in the Spirit o To live in the Spirit (Rom. 8:5) o To be led by the Spirit (Rom. 8:14) o Assurance of relationship (Rom. 8:16) o To know the things of God (I Cor. 2:10-12) o To pray in the Spirit (Jude 20) o To worship in the Spirit (John 4:24) • Evidence (fruit) that comes from a life in the Spirit (Gal. 5:22) o Peace with God (Rom. 5:1) o Righteousness that comes from a walk of faith o Harmony with God’s children (Eph. 4:3) • Conflict with God (and His children) comes when: o We touch sin in some way o We resist the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51) o We quench the Holy Spirit (I Thes. 5:19) o We grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30) o We have something to defend or hide • To try to know God in the flesh is constant struggle • To know God in the Spirit is life and peace • Additional resources at  http://www.ntchurchsource.com/ • Theme song “Will Your Anchor Hold” sung by J. Ashley Milne • Comments and questions welcome. Email David@AnchorOfTruth.com

SPOILING POWERS OF SATAN Jesus' power is always greater, (Col. 1:15) shows Him victorious over Satan. “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” The ability of performing deliverance belongs essentially to God, who is all-powerful and omnipotent. The term power has the sense of ability, strength (Gen. 31:6; Psa. 22:20; Isa. 37:27); right, privilege, or dignity (Jn. 1:12; Acts 5:4; I Cor. 7:37; 9: 4), Gk. dunamis; absolute authority (Matt. 28:18), same Gk. as above); the exertion or act of power, as of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:19), Gk. kratos. This “Great Commission” is our marching order in evangelism. It is global in its range to reach the sin scorched world; heaven high and eternity long in the duration of its result. Jesus warned that is not going to allow anyone to destroy his house without putting up a strong fight. He must be arrested or rendered ineffective especially by removing Satan's ability to act as a threat or obstacle before a Christian can release his human captives. Jesus asks this penetrating question, (Matt. 12:29). AUTHORITY BINDING THE STRONGMAN Jesus asks this penetrating question, “How can anyone enter a strongman's house and carry off his possession unless he first ties up the strongman?” Then we could enter his house. (Matt. 12:29), says “bind the strongman.” Indeed, binding the strong man is the first basic PRINCIPLE of spiritual warfare.  Before any warfare opposing powers and principalities and wicked rulers and evil spirits can be won to release the nation, cities, individual, family, the strongman must be defeated, (Matt. 18: 18. 19, 20).  

Grow Sermon Series

Ephesians 5:15-21

A thief who is not stealing is just a thief between jobs. God calls instead for generosity.

Amazon.com: Pat Holliday: Books http://amzn.to/1bwItS BINDING AND LOOSENING AUTHORITY   It is true that Jesus Christ left the Church awesome spiritual authority: Jesus power is always greater, (Col. 1:15)  “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”  Jesus is the Deliverer who is all-powerful and omnipotent. The term power has the sense of ability, strength (Gen. 31:6); (Psa. 22:20); (Isa. 37:27); right, privilege, or dignity (Jn. 1:12); (Acts 5:4); (I Cor. 7:37; 9: 4), Gk. dunamis; absolute authority (Matt. 28:18), same Gk. as above); the exertion or act of power, as of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:19), Gk. kratos. Jesus gives Christians authority; all authority is vested in Him.  “. . . Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation . And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons . (Mk. 16:15-17 Satan is not going to allow you to destroy his house without putting up a strong fight. He must be arrested or rendered ineffective especially by removing Satan's ability to act as a threat or obstacle before a Christian can release his human captives. Jesus asks this penetrating question,

amazon.com  http://amzn.to/11LyZ4Z Authority of KingdomTHE NEW CREATION HAS AUTHORITY AND POWER The new creation has authority and power delegated by Jesus Christ! Satan is a defeated foe and he has no authority over those who are in Christ. Believers must see Satan's total defeat. Christ gave us power to do the same things that He was able to do! Look at (Lk. 9:1), “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.” The ability of performing belongs essentially to God Who is all-powerful and omnipotent. In the King James Version, the term power has the sense of ability, strength (Gen. 31:6); (Psa. 22:20); (Isa. 37:27); right, privilege, or dignity (Jn. 1:12); (Acts 5:4); (I Cor. 7:37; 9: 4), Gk. dunamis; absolute authority (Matt. 28:18), same Gk. as above); the exertion or act of power, as of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:19), Gk. kratos. In Christ's death and resurrection every believer is made alive with Him and is no seated with Him in heavenly places as shown in the scriptures. “You are placed on the inside of the lord's power and authority. In order to resist the devil you must understand and appropriate your position and authority Christ,” (Eph. 2:5).  

The Angelic Conflict - Part 9 - Satan has neither the character nor the personality to control all types of creatures and bring them into eternal compatibility with God. Satan wants the glory but he doesn't have the ability - that same spirit is manifested every where in the human race. God's principle in dealing with the human race is grace - man can neither earn or deserve it. Man cannot of his own ability or his own talent do anything that glorifies God. Satan wants to set up principles that promote creatures getting credit! There never was or will be a believer whoever earned or deserved anything from God. Anything we are by way of success, any victory we have, depends entirely on who and what God is, never on who and what we are. We get in God's way; we start helping God and then He stops working. ISA 14:14 I will make myself like the Most High. The only thing Satan could do was to imitate or to counterfeit God. EPH 5:1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; GAL 4:19 My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you GAL 5:16 “walk by means of the Holy Spirit” EPH 5:18 “be filled with the Spirit” Outside of the gospel there is nothing that Satan hates as much as spirituality by grace. Col 2:6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him The filling of the Spirit produces the fruit of the Spirit and the character of God. Satan promotes morality as spirituality because even he can be moral. ISA 14:14 I will make myself like the Most High. GEN 14:19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;” GEN 14:22 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have sworn to the Lord God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth,” ISA 42:8 “I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.” ISA 43:10 “You are My witnesses,” declares the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, In order that you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me.” Satan's ambition is not to be like Jehovah, the self-existent One, but to be like the Most High, whose title signifies the “possessor of heaven and earth.” The essential evil character of sin is an unwillingness on the part of the creature to abide in the precise position in which he has been placed by the Creator. GEN 3:5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 2TH 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. He's smart and powerful, but he doesn't have character, so he can never be faithful to his creatures. GAL 5:19-20 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery Satan wants is the glory of the person who controls the universe - and that type of glory comes through grace! When Satan offered TLJC the kingdoms of the world, TLJC turned him down flat. You not only have a wall of fire around you from the grace of God, but you also have a wall of fire around your soul, Bible doctrine. The lake of fire was prepared for the devil and his angels, Mat 25:41. Everything that we have, from salvation to minute details, was paid for in heaven billions of years ago. 2Co 11:13-14 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 2Co 11:15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their deeds. This deception is to imitate the real ministers of Christ, and to blind people from true righteousness which is imputed as a gift from God's grace. They gather into their message every available “form of godliness” and cover their lies with the most subtle hypocrisy. “The value and delusion of a counterfeit are increased by the nearness of its likeness to the real.” These false ministers do not necessarily know the real mission they have. Their teaching is based on human viewpoint and appeals to human resources. Robert R. McLaughlin Bible Ministries All Rights Reserved Robert R. McLaughlin 2001