2002-01-01
Good Morning Dear Ones,
What a journey God is taking us on! Being faithful to Him isn't always easy. Often we must take the path of greatest risk and resistance, because the adversary and his followers are out there to challenge our faith. But, we must be strong and always remember that every battle in spiritual warfare that we fight brings us greater strength to endure and knowledge of God's will for us as individuals and the church as a whole. Therefore, spiritual warfare is a necessary element in God's efforts to perfect us through sanctification. Today, I am led to continue discussing the ways God wants us to use His blessings (outlined in EPH 1-3) to live our lives and wage spiritual warfare as discussed in EPH 5: 12-20. This is more about living in the light.
What worthless people, people who reject God do, is often done in secret. That is why drug dealers who ply their trade often do so under cover of darkness. Pimps and prostitutes do what they can to appear like a part of the normal street scene, so their wrongdoing will be missed by the police. An arsonist rarely lights a fire where he can be easily seen. Unethical business people shred records that might act as a paper trail to shed light on their culpability. An abusive spouse or parent, unless he is totally out of control, will wait to act until no one is present to witness his behavior. And so, it goes on-unacceptable decisions and behavior are almost always accompanied by some kind of secrecy. Remember that Osama bin Laden and Mullah Mohammed Omar hid with their followers in Afghan caves and escaped in the dead of night to wherever they are. EPH 5: 12-17, "(It is really too shameful even to talk about the things they do in secret.) And when all things are brought out to the light, then their true nature is clearly revealed; for anything that is clearly revealed becomes light. That is why it is said, 'Wake up, sleeper, and rise from death, and Christ will shine upon you.' So be careful how you live. Do not live like ignorant people, but like wise people. Make good use of every opportunity you have, because these are evil days. Do not be fools, then, but try to find out what the Lord wants you to do."
It is wholly appropriate here for us to be reminded of the two parallel truths of the universe. One is God's sovereignty, His power over all things. The other is mankind's responsibility to respond to it. In an affluent American suburb like Woodbury, MN, where I live, it is very easy for us to go to church and study the Bible. We might even pray. But, so many of us don't take the next step, that step that God wants us to take in witnessing to our faith not only among believers but among those who have not yet come to faith. It is easy to serve on committees within our churches and synagogues, but it is much harder to go into the outside community to do ministries of service. It is one thing to listen to a sermon given; it is another to dedicate oneself full-time to God and become a pastor. We don't mind patching up minor cuts and bruises or helping a family member to recover from a minor illness, but how many of us are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to become a nurse, doctor, or medical missionary? We might get into the habit of putting our trash out once a week on the curb. How many of us are willing to become trash haulers? I could carry this point to every facet of where society needs goods and services. And yet, God's will is clear for us. As believers, we are to serve both Him and our fellow man. EPH 2: 8-9, "For it is by God's grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God's gift so that one can boast about it. God has made us what we are and in our union with Christ Jesus He has created us for a life of good deeds, which He has prepared us to do." Living the life of a self-centered loner is not living the life that God desires for members of the Body of Christ.
He wants His light to shine from our eyes and everything we do. Here is a clear presentation of God's will for us: EPH 5: 18-20, "Do not get drunk with wine, which will only ruin you; instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with the words of the psalms, hymns, and sacred songs; sing hymns and psalms to the Lord with praise in your hearts. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, always give thanks for everything to God the Father." God wants us to make a conscious decision to learn and follow His will. Often that will come at an inconvenient time or take us out of our comfortable place. But, God's assignments for us are never without an opportunity He gives to forward our sanctification and lead to victory in Christ against the enemy. We must all listen for God's commands and obey them. JN 14: 21, "Whoever accepts My commandments and obeys them is the one who loves Me. My Father will love whoever loves Me; I too will love him and reveal Myself to him."
PRAYER: O Lord, You are our Sovereign and all-powerful King. The PS said it best in PS 93: 1-5, "The Lord is King. He is clothed with His majesty and strength. The earth is set firmly in place and cannot be moved. Your throne, O Lord, has been firm from the beginning, and You existed before time began. The ocean depths raise their voice, O Lord; they raise their voice and roar. The Lord rules supreme in heaven, greater than the roar of the ocean, more powerful than the waves of the sea. Your laws are eternal, Lord, and Your temple is holy indeed, forever and ever." PS 95: 1, 6-7 give us a message we should acknowledge and send to You often. "Come, let us praise the Lord! Let us sing for joy to God, Who protects us!...Come, let us bow down and worship Him; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! He is our God; we are the people for whom He cares, the flock for which He provides." We dedicate ourselves to responding to Your commands with obedience and trust in You. Even when we don't understand all the reasons why You ask us to do something, we will do it anyway. When we feel afraid, Dearest Lord, we have the assurance that we can turn to You, and You will protect us. We offer You sincerest thanks for the advice on how to live that You give us and dedicate ourselves to fighting against the enemy for Your causes. We are Your soldiers in Christ and are willing to take Your word wherever You direct us to go. In humility we acknowledge that we are sinners and confess our sin. From our hearts we offer You adoration, worship, loyalty, diligence, obedience, trust, honor, glory, and utmost praise. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.
Tomorrow, I am directed to continue dipping from the riches of the treasure chest of EPH 5, this time discussing verses 21-33 which deal with wives and husbands. We've looked at this before, but rest assured the Lord doesn't command me to return to it without further revelations He has for us through His Spirit. We may not know every detail that God has in store for us in the future, but we do know His love and protection for those who are faithful are ours for eternity. While we are not held apart from pain and suffering, we are surely set aside for the joy and fellowship He promises for us in heaven forever. So, I know that He is asking us to hang in there and be obedient, because our endurance and perseverance is definitely worth the effort. We can revel in the warmth of His love and take comfort in His presence every minute of our lives. Peter and I send you our love too.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn