Ephesians 4b-Learning to Walk in a Mature Manner 1. 4:17-24 Walking in Maturity 1 – What Goes In a. In context with verse 15, which stated that we grow up in all aspects, I believe this next section deals with some aspects that can hinder our growth if we do not deal with them and grow out of them. What goes in: Verses 17-24 deal with things that we allow into our lives, minds, and spirits, that influence us. I title the next section, vv 25-32, What Comes Out. This pertains to how we influe... Read Full Story

“…. the Jerusalem which is above is free….” -Gal. 4.26a “For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his own works….” -Heb. 4.10 There is a sabbath rest which has been opened up to God’s people through the cross, and we need to resist all religious activity that flows from any other place. Even prayer itself is subject to lesser and unheavenly influences, for if our intercessions spring from our own emotions or minds, or a... Read Full Story

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20) When I was younger and worked at a day camp, we were given Scripture verses we had to memorize in order to know how to share the Gospel with kids who may be interested in giving their lives to the Lord. I think memorization is a good idea for helping get the Word in us, and therefore I’m not against having an underst... Read Full Story

Ephesians 4a –The Authentic Church 1. 4:1-9 Fulfilling the Call We must walk worthy of this calling. ”Calling’” in context with this study, refers to building on our position in Christ, seated at His right hand in the heavenly places (2:6), fulfilling His call and administering His fullness to all things on heaven and in the earth. This is a very important thing we do: preach the Gospel. It should be taken very seriously. It is the whole reason for our existence; the privil... Read Full Story

“What is your beloved more than another beloved, O most beautiful among women?, Where has your beloved gone, O most beautiful among women? Where has your beloved turned, that we may seek him with you?” (Song of Solomon 5:9, 6:1) Many individuals’ souls cry out for the living God, but they don’t want to go through this messy jello we call ‘The Church” in order to respond to the longing of their soul towards the Maker. The following post is something I wro... Read Full Story

“I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin? …. for that would be a fire that consumes…. and it would burn to the root all my increase.” -Job 31.1, 12 I understand that many would brand my faith antique and my convictions archaic for approaching this subject, but that is a minuscule risk for me to take. God is too glorious, His Gospel too precious, and the fate of our sons and daughters too much at stake for me to worry about the consequenc... Read Full Story

Ephesians 3 – The Mystery of the Church 1. 3:1-8 Introduction: Now you can see how, beginning from v 2:11, God is building His Body (church) in the earth, and how He is spiritually connecting and putting things together. All who believe are apart of God’s household, whether Jew or Greek[1] (Romans 1:16). And all are being built up for a purpose, which will culminate in vv 3:9-12. 3:6 Two opposite and unique bodies are now one in Jesus and they bring the ministry, or administration, of the... Read Full Story

A Unique Freedom A friend of mine stated that his hero was Superman, because he had always wanted to fly. There is something inside the heart of a man that longs for total freedom. Flying would definitely be considered as a form of freedom.  This is a unique freedom. A man can be free politically, socially, geographically, and free from poverty; for there are many freedoms. There are natural freedoms, and there are spiritual freedoms. And when spiritual freedom is truly realized, you are ac... Read Full Story

Ephesians 2 – The Church in the Heavenly Places in Christ Chapter two builds on chapter one. The position from which we start ch. 2 is this: Christ Jesus is at the highest heavenly place. above all (1:10), and all of the focus, blessings and power of that position is toward us. We are His fullness, the church-the fulfillment of His position towards creation. 2:1-3 This is a description of our lives before we meet Christ. When we walk in accordance with the lust of the flesh; then we are wal... Read Full Story

Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he says to me, ‘Write blessed is those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he says to me, ‘These are true words of God.’ -Revelation 19:7-9 (Read vv7-16 for context.)   The State of the Church at Christ’s Coming “Nothing else has to happen. All the prophecies have... Read Full Story