Monthly Archives: August 2024

Ascension, Bible, Heaven, Promises, Redemption, Salvation, Scripture

WHERE DID HE GO?

EPHESIANS 4:9

“(Now this expression, ‘He ascended,’ what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth?”

There is a town in Tennessee called Mountain City. It is appropriately named and is in a beautiful area of the state. The Great Smokey Mountains are breathtaking. This town is most easily accessed by going up from Tennessee into North Carolina and then back to Tennessee. So, you have to go up in order to go down.

Today’s verse has been interpreted in a number of ways. I am not going to go into all those ideas. I agree with those who say Paul was simply saying Jesus went back to heaven after having come down to earth. He ascended and had previously descended. Those two words, “ascended” an “descended,” simply mean what they say.

APPLICATION

But what does that mean for us today? Simply put – Jesus humbled Himself and came to earth for our salvation and once that was done, He returned to prepare a place for us. Go back to Luke 2. What’s that about? It’s about the birth of Lord. He was born in a stable, a very humble place. His birth was first proclaimed to shepherds, a very lowly occupation. Jesus came down in the form of a baby to reach everyone, even the lowest of the low.

And praise God – He accomplished His mission and ascended on high. Acts 1:9-11 give us a picture of this ascension. “9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were watching, and a cloud took Him up, out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, then behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them, 11 and they said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’”

Are you star gazing waiting on Jesus to return or are you serving Him faithfully as you wait? These angels told us that He is coming back. We don’t know when, but He is coming. How will He find you walking with Him? Jesus came down with purpose and returned with purpose. We need to live our lives every day with the same kind of divine purpose.

O Lord, thank You for sending Jesus down to us to rescue and for returning to prepare our heavenly home.

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Bible, Gifts, Scripture, Triumphant, Victors

HE IS VICTORIOUS

EPHESIANS 4:8

“Therefore it says, ‘WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE THE CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO PEOPLE.’

As I write this blog, the 2024 Olympic Summer Games are taking place in Paris, France. The world is watching as athlete after athlete either wins or loses in their competition. Some will come away with gold, silver or bronze medals. The  rest, well they go home empty handed. Victorious or defeated. It’s one or the other. There are no “ties.”

Aren’t you glad that Jesus is the Victor? He reigns supremely. Paul is quoting from Psalm 68:18 which says, “You have ascended on high, You have led captive Your captives; You have received gifts among people,” Most scholars agree this Psalm is a reference to 2 Samuel 6’s story of David bringing up the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. You might want to take a minute or two and read that whole chapter.

APPLICATION

What does this mean for us? How can we apply Christ’s victory over His enemies to our lives today? I think one good explanation is given in Ellicott’s Commentary. “St. Paul accordingly uses it with a bold variation suiting his context. The key to this use is found in the truth enunciated of our Lord in Acts 2:33, that ‘being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He hath shed forth this.’ Our Lord, as the Head of humanity, receives only in order to give.”

That’s it! Christ was victorious in order to bestow on us His gifts. What are those gifts? Romans 5:17 shows us one. “For if by the offense of the one, death reigned through the one, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” He has made us righteous!

We saw in yesterday’s verse (4:7) that we are given the gift of grace. We know we are given our salvation through Christ alone. He was victorious over sin and the grave in order to bestow eternal life on all who follow Him. Pretend you’re on that Olympic stage today holding your own gold medal and give praise to the one and only true Victor, Jesus Christ.

I will give You praise for the victories You have won on my behalf.

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Abundance, Bible, Body, Gifts, Grace, Measure, Scripture

A GRANDMA SCOOP

EPHESIANS 4:7

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”

When I was a little boy, I used to love sleepovers at Grandma Carter’s house. She was my mom’s mom. Anyway, she had this big, ole farmhouse about ten or twelve miles from town. Boy, she could cook. I really liked how she would fix our plates for us because a grandma-sized scoop of food was a whole lot more than a mama-sized scoop. She loved to cook for us and loved to watch us eat. We each got a scoop of whatever she was serving, but she didn’t give my sisters as much as she gave me and my brother. I guess she figured we boys needed more sustenance. Man, I wish I had a grandma-sized scoop of one of her desserts right now.

In today’s verse, Paul uses a phrase, “according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” He had just said, “to each one of us grace was given.” So, what is the measuring cup that Christ uses to dispense grace to us? Is it fair that some people seem to get more than others? How does Christ decide who gets how much?

APPLICATION

Have you ever thought about this verse and got a little mad because you felt cheated? We tend to complain about things far too easily. We are not grateful for what Christ has given us. The verse today says grace is given to us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. The Pulpit Commentary says this, “In the Church all do not get alike; grace is not given in equal measures as the manna in the wilderness; Christ, as the great Bestower, measures out his gifts, and each receives according to his measure.”

That’s kind of like my Grandma Carter’s scoops of food. She loved each of us the same, but she measured out her scoops according to the needs of each of us. Look at these verses from Romans 12. “3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 6 However, since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to use them properly:”

In other words, if you are a believer in Christ, He has given you a measure of grace and gifts to accompany that. What are you doing with? How are you serving the kingdom with your gift? Don’t sit there and tell me you don’t have a gift. If you are saved, you have a gift. You are part of the body. The body needs you to exercise your gift in order to make the body whole. Will you do that today?

Lord, I thank You for the measure of grace You have bestowed on me.

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Bible, Father, God's Will, Kingdom, Majesty, Praise, Scripture

ONES, PART 3

EPHESIANS 4:6

“one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

Have you ever been in a culture where other gods were worshipped? As a believer, it feels kind of strange and dark. I remember during my second trip to Liberia, West Africa back in 1985, our small mission group went back into the bush to do some medical missions and preach. As we entered this one village, there was this large cottonwood tree upon which all kinds of animal bones and skulls were hanging. I asked what that was and was told by the missionary who was with us that that was the witch doctor’s tree where he practiced his sacrifices. That was a little unnerving.

Paul reminds the Ephesians in today’s verse that there is only one God who is the “Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” That pretty much covered it, don’t you think? Remember, Ephesus was the location of the temple of Artemis, who was in Greek religion, the goddess of wild animals, the hunt, and vegetation and of chastity and childbirth. She was identified by the Romans with Diana. The Ephesians understood the importance of recognizing God as their one God. And considering what Artemis stood for, Paul’s phrase, “of all who is over all and through all and in all,” wiped away all those claims.

APPLICATION

Is God your one God? Is He all that matters to you? Is He central to your beliefs and actions? Those may sound like simple questions, but they go much deeper. This God, who is our Father, is Father to all. Albert Barnes explains it this way, “The meaning here is, that God is the common Father of ‘all’ his people – of the rich and the poor; the bond and the free; the learned and the unlearned. He is no respecter of persons. Nothing would tend more to overcome the prejudices of color, rank, and wealth, than to feel that we all have one Father; and that we are all equally the objects of his favor;”.

Paul fully clarifies the importance of this one God by saying he is “Father of all who is over all and through all and in all,”. Look at that description. He is “over all.” He is supreme over all. 1 Chronicles 17:20 tells us, “LORD, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to everything that we have heard with our ears.”

He is also “through all.” What did Paul mean by that? This implies that He is seen throughout nature, in all the world around us. This would have gone directly against the goddess Artermis’ claims, and the Ephesians would have recognized that. Psalm 8 begins this way, “LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, You who have displayed Your splendor above the heavens!” You should read the enter Psalm right now. It’s only 9 verses. Go ahead. I’ll wait…………

Are you back? Okay, the final thing Paul says in verse 6 is that God is “in all.” Jesus said in John 17:21, “‘that they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.’” God is in us, but we are also in Him. Isn’t that incredible? If you believe that, live like it today. Be Jesus to someone.

O God, You are the only One true God. There is no other.

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Baptism, Faith, Father, Jesus, One, Scripture, Uncategorized

ONES, PART 2

EPHESIANS 4:5

“one Lord, one faith, one baptism,”

We are continuing the thought Paul is sharing with the Ephesians in verses 4-6 of Ephesians 4. As I read today’s verse (short and to the point), I couldn’t help but think about the work we are doing around the world with Every Man A Warrior. Our ministry crosses cultures and denominations. We do not exclude a man because he belongs to a different church than us. We truly embrace today’s verse in order to unite men around the world to follow God’s direction in their lives as disciple makers.

Paul gives us three more “ones” in today’s verse. One Lord (Jesus)! One faith (in Christ as Lord)! One baptism (the public demonstration of your faith)! Paul is adamant about uniting these Gentile believers with their Jewish brothers. He wanted them to come together under a common banner – the banner of Jesus only! But don’t read this verse and move on to quickly. Look at what Paul is showing us here.

APPLICATION

Paul’s “one Lord” statement carries a lot of weight. In verse 4, Paul had pointed out there was “one Spirit.” We will see him point to “one God” in verse 6. So, with these three verses (4:4-6), Paul is pointing to the Trinity – Father, Son and Spirit. All three are important. And with the mention of all three separately, Paul is making a point to the Ephesians. They need Jesus. They need the Spirit. They need the Father God.

“One faith” is bringing attention to the fact that through the shed blood of Jesus, we have all been brought into the same faith. Believers who are following Jesus aren’t divided into subgroups. Paul even said, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28) And this faith is a gift of God. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us so when it says, “It is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves. It is a gift of God.”

And then Paul steps onto thin ice, doesn’t he? He says, “one baptism.” Well Paul, what type of baptism are you talking about? Sprinkling, dunking, wet cloth? Paul is not referring to a type of baptism. He is referring the obedience of public profession of your faith, making it known to others. It is all about the act, not the actual process. I personally believe in baptism by immersion, but I am not going to break fellowship with my fellow believers over it. No, there is one act of baptism.

Ones! We are one! Never forget that. So, whenever anyone tries to separate you from other believers and point fingers at them, beware. Check everything by Scripture. After all, there is only one true authority and that’s His Word.

Father, I praise You that You are three in One. And You have made us one with You

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Abiding, Bible, Body, Chosen, Church, Heaven, Holy Spirit, Scripture

ONE’S, PART 1

EPHESIANS 4:4

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling;”

Do you like one way streets? I don’t particularly care for them. I will never forget when I was in the 8th grade, I was selected to go to a Beta Club convention in Atlanta, Ga. I don’t remember how many of us went, but I do remember that our chaperone who was a teacher at our school, drove the wrong way down a one way street in downtown Atlanta. We were all screaming. I think our chaperone was screaming too, lol. He was able to turn off quickly to avoid an accident, but the police had already seen him. After our driver explained he was from out of town and got confused, the officer let him go with a warning. I guess he figured these South Georgia hicks were lucky just to make it to Atlanta. There was only one proper way to drive down that street, and we had blown it.

Paul begins a list of seven “ones” in today’s verse. You have to remember who Paul is writing to. He is writing to Gentile believers who have been grafted into the vine of Israel. Some of the Jewish believers were still trying to make a division between them and the Gentile believers. Paul says, “No! We are all one!” So, he says we are one body of Christ. There is one Spirit descended from God and sent to all of us. And there is only one hope of your calling from God, that being Jesus Christ.

APPLICATION

First of all, let me say this. I bet there is nothing in today’s verse that is not already known by you. Of course, you know we are all of one body – the church of Christ. As I drove to church yesterday with Chris, we passed probably a dozen other churches from various denominations. Why? Why can’t we all agree and come together? I can’t believe God is particularly pleased by all this division on Sunday mornings. Paul uses the same language over in 1 Corinthians 12:5. “so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually parts of one another.”

Paul goes on to remind us that there is only one Spirit. There is not a separate Holy Spirit for the Baptist and Methodist or Church of Christ. There is one Spirit which we all receive at salvation. Listen to Paul’s words again in 1 Corinthians, this time from 6:19. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” Did you catch that? He is in you. He is in every believer.

When Paul says in today’s verse that there is “one hope of your calling,” he is referring to all of us having that same hope of an eternal life with the Lord in heaven. Jesus said in John 14:2, “‘In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you.’” Excuse my grammar, but ain’t that a promise! There is one body. There is one Spirit. There is one hope. Celebrate that today!

O, my Lord, I give You praise for ones.

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Bible, Diligent, Holy Spirit, Peace, Preserve, Scripture, Union

UNIFIED

EPHESIANS 4:3

“being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

“All for one and one for all.” “There is no ‘I’ in TEAM.” You’ve heard all the cliches, I am sure. And they are all good to spur on teamwork and unity among a group of people. Just watch a riot on tv and listen. They are all shouting the same (usually hateful) message. You’ve heard them. Even though you may not agree with their tactics, you have to admit they sure work hard at being unified. You see, being unified isn’t just about being unified. You need to have the right message.

Paul tells us that message in verse 3 of chapter 4 of Ephesians. Look at the verse again. “being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Our goal for unification is the unity of Spirit in the bond of peace. These early Christians were still under a lot of persecution. It would have been easy to get a mob together and protest their treatment. Paul says they are to be peaceable and diligent. Think how you can exhibit those traits today.

APPLICATION

The phrase “being diligent” is spoudázō, which means to “be swift (go fast, be speedy);” (HELPS Word studies). Don’t mess around. Get it done. The same word is used in 2 Timothy 2:15. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

Be diligent to do what? “To keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” What in the world does that mean? How can we put that to use today? The word “keep” is tereo and means to spiritually guard, keep intact. Do you know what I have discovered? Anything I want to keep intact has to have some borders or some kind of container. That’s what Paul means when he says, “the unity of the Spirit.” Nothing else can unify us.

This “bond” is the word sundesmos. Now, get this. This word comes from sun (closely identified with) and deo (to bind). In other words, it means “a close (inner) identity which produces close harmony between members joined closely together.” (HELPS Word studies). That’s what Paul is telling the Ephesians and us. As believers, we are to be closely bound together in peace. We cannot allow the world to tear us apart. Do your part today to keep the peace.

Father, only through Your Spirit can I keep this unity among my fellow believers.

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Abiding, Bible, Forbearance, Gentleness, Humility, Patience, Scripture, Walking

HOW TO WALK WORTHY

EPHESIANS 4:2

“with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,”

I was walking the other day and stepped up on a sidewalk jamming my right hip. It took a few steps to work that “kink” out, but it got better as I walked. Until… The next day and each day since then (it seems), that hip has been bothering me. I guess I am due to go see my chiropractor and get him to check it. One little misstep has caused some lasting pain.

In yesterday’s verse (Ephesians 4:1) Paul tells us “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling.” We talked about the calling yesterday, but what about this walk? What did Paul mean by walking worthy? Well, he went on to explain what he meant in today’s and tomorrow’s verses. Let’s take a look at what walking worthy means and how we can do that.

APPLICATION

Paul gives some descriptions in today’s verse of what it takes to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. First of all, he says we should walk (live our lives) “with all humility.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t like that. I don’t want to be humbled by anyone or anything. But wait a minute. Scripturally, that is a good thing. The word here for humility is tapeinophrosýnē. HELPS Word studies says it is “(lowliness, humility) an inside-out virtue produced by comparing ourselves to the Lord (rather than to others). This brings behavior into alignment with this inner revelation to keep one from being self-exalting (self-determining, self-inflated). For the believer, tapeinophrosýnē means living in complete dependence on the Lord, i.e. with no reliance on self (the flesh).” That’s a pretty exhaustive definition, don’t you think?

Then Paul continues in our verse by saying, “and gentleness.” Wow, not only must we be humble. We must be gentle. The word here is prautés, which is a gentle strength. It does not mean you are weak. Think of a strong, beautiful stallion that has been broken for a rider. That animal still has all the strength it had before, only now it is under control.

Next, we are told to have “patience.” What? That’s asking way too much. Makrothumia means to be long suffering. This really applies towards people, not circumstances. This is the same word used in Galatians 5:22 where Paul gives us the fruits of the Spirit. This is God’s patience towards us.

Lastly, Paul says we should walk worthily by “bearing with one another in love.” The Greek word for “bearing with” literally means “to put up with.” Now, just think of the number of people that may apply to in your life. But don’t get too cocky about that. You are probably on their list too.

Listen, walking worthy of our calling is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. You cannot walk humbly, gently, patiently or with forbearance apart from God. He knows that and will give you all these things if you ask. Back to my opening illustration – I made a misstep that caused me pain. I can get help with that. The same applies to your walk with Christ. You may have mis-stepped, but God can correct it. Go to Him.

O Lord, I want to walk in a manner pleasing to You

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Abiding, Answers, Bible, Calling, Chosen, Following, Holy Spirit, Ministry, Salvation, Scripture

YOU HAVE BEEN CALLED

EPHESIANS 4:1

“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,”

I was saved at the age of 16 on July 31, 1977. I will never forget that day and where I was when I gave my life to Christ. But I also remember the vocational calling He put on my life during my senior year in high school. I do not have a specific date for that. I just know He called me to a lifetime of service in the ministry of the Gospel. My calling has been a little different than many. Called to work with children and youth for 38 years and now ministering to men around the world. But my calling to salvation was sure as is my calling to serve.

Paul transitions from his prayer in 3:14-21 with this opening statement in chapter 4. Don’t just read “Therefore I” and move on. Those two words are powerful. I love what Albert Barnes said about it. “The sense of the word ‘therefore’ – οὖν oun – in this place, is, ‘Such being your exalted privileges; since God has done so much for you; since he has revealed for you such a glorious system; since he has bestowed on you the honor of calling you into his kingdom, and making you partakers of his mercy,’” And by Paul saying “I,” he was drawing the Ephesians’ attention back to recognize his authority as their teacher and shepherd.

APPLICATION

But back to this calling! If you are a believer in Christ, you have been called to Him. That may have occurred through a song, a passage of Scripture you read, the preaching of the Word or through the still, small voice of God whispering and wooing you. In order to be saved, you must be called. No one comes to Christ unless they are called. Romans 11:29 tells us this calling, once accepted is unchangeabl, “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”

I really love how Paul uses this word for “calling” in Philippians 3:14. “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” And how about this use of the word in Hebrews 3:1. “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession: Jesus;”

I could keep going about this calling all day. Do a word search on that word. The Greek word is klésis. As you study that word, thank God for your calling. Thank Him for opening your ears to hear His voice. Thank Him for not stopping His call to you, even when you resisted. His calling is sure. His calling is permanent. His calling is for you.

Thank You, O Father, for calling my name so many years ago.

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Amen, Asking, Bible, Prayer, Scripture

HOW TO CLOSE A PRAYER

EPHESIANS 3:21

“to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

In the ministry where I serve (Every Man A Warrior), we teach men how to pray. You may say What do you mean, teach them how to pray? Doesn’t everyone know how to do that? Well, you would be surprised. In fact, in our lesson about prayer a story is told about a “newbie” who closed his prayer by saying, “Well, over and out.” He didn’t know how to close his prayer, so he just signed off. I don’t think God was offended.

Paul is closing his prayer that he began back in verse 14. There is no right way or wrong way to close a prayer. Paul knows that, but he closes this prayer with a benediction praising God and mentioning the church, Jesus and future generations. I think he was trying to cover the bases, lol. Paul was so thankful for the these Ephesians and what he knew God was going to do through them.

APPLICATION

Okay, this is an easy one to apply. Right? There are so many times each day we lift up a prayer to the Lord. Do you close that prayer each time? Maybe not. Paul told us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “pray without ceasing.” We should always remain in that spirit of prayer. I know people who only say “Amen” when they get ready to go to sleep. They want that channel open all day with God.

God does not care how many times a day you say “Amen.” Do you know the definition of “amen.” It means “so let it be.” In other words, you are agreeing with God what you have talked about. As you pray, the Holy Spirit is speaking to you. As you listen to Him and finish your prayer, you say “Amen.” You’re saying “Okay, Lord, we are in agreement on these things.” The next time you say “amen” think about that.

As I said earlier, there is no right way to close a prayer. Just pray! Talk to the Father. Give Him praise. Confess your sins. Thank Him for all He has done. Share your request. God knows them, but He loves to hear you ask Him. And then when you are finished, you can “sign off.” Or you can leave that “phone” off the hook (you younger folks may need to ask someone what I meant by that, lol) and pick up where you left off later.

May all my prayers, Father, end with an “amen,” a “so let it be.”

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