Don't settle for second best... ‘Samuel did what the Lord commanded’ (1 Samuel 16:4). Real obedience comes from ‘the heart’. It is more than just ‘keeping up appearances’(1 Samuel 16:7). ‘The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart’ – This is something we must never forget!’. ‘It’s the presence of Your Spirit, …
Continue reading Fourth Sunday of Lent: 1 Samuel 16:1,6-7,10-13; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41
"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins... But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:1,4-5) Down we go - deep into our …
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages …
"Your faith has saved you" (Luke 7:50). We have been "saved by grace" (Ephesians 2:5). How are God's grace and our faith related to each other? Ephesians 2:8 tells us that we have been "saved by grace through faith." God's grace comes first. Without his grace, reaching out to us, we could never be saved. …
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection (Philippians 3:10). Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! …
Continue reading Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3, verses …
Continue reading God is always greater than all our words about him.
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought …
Continue reading Less leaning on our own understanding and more trusting in the Lord
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when …
Continue reading One Spirit, one Lord and one God and Father of all
One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see! (John 9:25). Our eyes have been opened. Jersus has opened our eyes. What a contrast there is between what we were without Christ and what we have become through Christ. In Ephesians 3:17-24, Paul contrasts the darkness of our old life and the …
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). These words come immediately after Paul's great words concerning salvation by grace through faith (verses 8-9). Here, in verse 10, he is emphasizing that grace changes us. By God's grace, we become new men …
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). Let's allow these great words to reach our hearts, and let's worship the Lord with a song of joyful praise and thanksgiving. https://youtu.be/vsPc-Ix3_ow
"... Christ loved the church and gave himself for her" (Ephesians 5:25). When we speak of Christ giving Himself for the church, we must take care how we speak. We are not to think of ourselves as superior to the world, outside of the church. We must remember that Christ came into the world to …
"You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And …
"Husbands, love your wives, just as also Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her" (Ephesians 5:25). Human love is grounded in divine love. "I love you" is grounded in "God loves you." We look to Jesus Christ. We see the love of God. His love for us inspires our love for one another.
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace (Ephesians 1:6-7). We hear about accepting Christ as our Saviour. There's something that's more wonderful than our accepting …
Everything about our unity points away from ourselves. * Our unity is in the Lord. He did not wait for us to come to him. He came to us and for us. * Our unity is in the faith. This faith is not a man-centred faith. It's a faith that has been given to us …
Continue reading “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Ephesians 4:5-6)
"Glory belongs to God, whose power is at work in us" (Ephesians 3:20). The power comes from God. The glory goes to God.
For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together …
Continue reading Christ is the sure foundation upon which our faith is built.
Where are you looking? We look up. We look down. We look forward. We look back. We look out to the world. We look inside ourselves. What are we to say about the different directions in which we look? Whatever way we're looking, let's look to the Lord? Looking up and looking down Sometimes, people …
"I will send them prophets and apostles. They will murder some of those prophets and apostles and persecute others ... When Jesus left, the experts in Moses’ Teachings and the Pharisees held a terrible grudge against Him. They questioned Him about many things and watched Him closely to trap Him in something He might say" …
Sinners become singers. We never cease to be sinners. We are not superior to those who do not sing the song of the Lord. We have been saved by His grace. All the glory belongs to Him. May our whole life be a song of praise to Him (Ephesians 2:8-10). In our battle against Satan, …
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly …
Continue reading The full armour of God and praying in the Spirit
Away from me, Satan!... Then the devil left Jesus (Matthew 4:10). When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left Jesus until an opportune time (Luke 4:13). Jesus' temptations in the wilderness were over, but there would be more temptations, coming his way. As we read the words, "until an opportune time", we are reminded that …
God wants us to ‘grow up in every way into Christ’(Ephesians 4:15). We are to ‘walk in love’(Ephesians 5:2), a life which is ‘pleasing to the Lord’(Ephesians 5:10). It is so easy for us to settle for something less than God’s very best. We settle down into a state of spiritual complacency. What does God …
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and …
‘By grace you have been saved through faith… for good works’ (2:8-10). Holiness does not come from ourselves. It comes from the Lord. Long before we ever thought of loving Him - He loved us. By the grace of God we are called to salvation - ‘saved through faith’ - , sanctification - ‘for good works’ - , and …
Continue reading Journey through the New Testament: Ephesians
"For this reason I kneel before the Father, ... I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being" (Ephesians 3:14,16). There are many times, in our life, when we become deeply aware of our own weakness. In such times, there's something we must never forget: "when I …
In Acts 19:23, we read about a riot in Ephesus - "a serious disturbance concerning the way of Christ broke out in the city of Ephesus." Thank God for Ephesians 2:1-5 - "You were once dead because of your failures and sins. You followed the ways of this present world and its spiritual ruler. This …
By grace, you have been saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8). Here, Paul speaks to us about our faith, but, first, he speaks to us about God's grace. This is important. Grace comes first. Grace comes before faith. Let us never think too highly of our faith. Let us never cease to praise God's grace.
To each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it (Ephesians 4:7). To each one of us: what does this mean? So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in …
Christ loves us. He has given Himself for us. He calls us His ‘Bride’ (Ephesians 5:25-27; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 21:2, 9).
"Receive your power from the Lord" (Ephesians 6:11); "undying love for our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 6:24) Where does undying love come from? It comes from the Lord. It comes from His love for us. Where does power come from? It comes from the Lord. He is the God of love. His power is the …
Is God counting our sins? Are we counting our blessings? Look at Jesus. Look at him, crucified for you. Look at him - and you'll know the answer to the first question. God's not counting our sins. All our sins have been laid on Jesus (Isaiah 53:6) - "My sins are gone, gone, gone, far …
God wants us to ‘grow up in every way into Christ’ (Ephesians 4:15). We are to ‘walk in love’ (Ephesians 5:2), a life which is ‘pleasing to the Lord’ (Ephesians 5:10). It is so easy for us to settle for something less than God’s very best. We settle down into a state of spiritual complacency. …
Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. ‘Arise, shine; for your Light has come... the Lord will be your everlasting Light’ (Isaiah 60:1,19-20). Jesus Christ is ‘the Light of the world’. When we ‘follow Him’, we ‘will not walk in darkness’. We ‘will have the light of life’ (John 8:12). …
Continue reading Epiphany of the Lord: Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3a,5-6; Matthew 2:1-12
"Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us" (Ephesians 5:2). We're searching for love. Where will we find love? Who can show us what love is? Here, Paul answers our questions. He tells us that Jesus Christ, our Saviour, shows us what love is. We learn what …
The old year is almost over. Soon - it will be the New Year. Will the New Year really change anything? Sadly - we need more than New Year Resolutions. We need new life. "Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Ephesians 5:14). Here - the emphasis is placed …
Many lives have been ruined by drugs and alcohol. God's Word speaks to us about being under another influence, a better influence - the influence of the Holy Spirit: "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18). We are all influenced by something or someone. …
We are never so far away that God's love cannot reach us. In Luke 15, we read about the prodigal son - and the loving Father. What does Jesus tell us about the prodigal son? He tells us about his sin - and he tells us about his salvation. All the time, the son was …
"Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:16-17). The shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit - this is …
Fourth Sunday in Lent: 1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:8-14; John 9:1-41 Don’t settle for “second-best”. ‘Samuel did what the Lord commanded’ (1 Samuel 16:4). Real obedience comes from ‘the heart’. It is more than just ‘keeping up appearances’ (1 Samuel 16:7). ‘The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart’- This …
Isaiah 55:1-57:13; Ephesians 2:1-22; Psalm 110:1-7 Following the promise of grace (Isaiah 55:7), we have this great declaration by the Lord, “’For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My …
Isaiah 57:14-59:21; Ephesians 3:1-21; Psalm 111:1-10# “’Here am I,’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 58:9). “Here am I”, says Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8). Our “Here am I” only has meaning within the context of God’s “Here am I.” It is because He is ‘the God who is there’ (Francis Schaeffer) that we can draw near to Him – …
Before we come to “the Ten Commandments”, we have these great words, “ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Exodus 20:2). Grace comes first. Holiness follows on from grace. We see the same pattern in the New Testament – in the teaching of Jesus, in …
Isaiah 51:17-54:17; Ephesians 1:1-23; Psalm 109:21-31 ’“With everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,’ says the Lord your Redeemer” (Isaiah 54:8). “In love, He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:5). This loving kindness has its origin in the heart of the eternal God. It continues for all …
"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!" (Psalm 95:1) - what a great call to worship! "Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts" (Psalm 95:7-8) - a much-needed word of warning! We're called to worship, but, sometimes, our hearts are far from …
"In Him (Christ) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7). When I was in my early twenties, I worked alongside a man called John Mutch. I had known John before I worked with him - but I got to know him better when we …
Continue reading The “Mutch” theology – think “much” of the blood.
You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (Ephesians 5:8). Does it feel like we're partly in the light, and we're partly in the darkness? Is this what God's word says about us? No. It's not. What does God's Word say? "You were once darkness, but now …
"He makes me lie down in green pastures" (Psalm 23:2) / Ephesians 1:15-23 Green pastures: Green is the colour of growth. Let's think about spiritual growth. The shepherd leads his sheep to green pastures. Paul, the pastor of God's people, leads the people of God to the "green pastures" which He has provided for their …
Continue reading Learning from Ephesians and the 23rd Psalm (Part Two)
Be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them (Deuteronomy 4:9). What are the best things we can pass on to the rising generation? In Ephesians …
Continue reading Passing on the Lord’s message to the next generation
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want" (Psalm 23:1). -- * What does it mean to say, "I shall not want"? Are we to think in terms of overconfidence in our own ability - I shall not fail, I shall succeed? "I, I, I" - this is man's way of thinking. It's not …
Continue reading Learning from Ephesians and the 23rd Psalm (Part One)
"Though I did nothing to deserve it, and though I am the least deserving Christian there is, I was chosen for this special joy of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ" (Ephesians 3:8). What a great privilege it is to be saved by the Lord! What a great privilege …
Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). We need grace, and we need knowledge. We begin with grace. This is where knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, comes from. It comes from grace. Without grace, we can have no real knowledge of our Saviour, …
Continue reading Growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ
Where does our life of faith begin? Does it begin with our decision? or Does it begin with God's grace? "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:4-5). We were dead. The …
Isaiah 60:1-62:12; Ephesians 4:1-16; Proverbs 23:19-28 The grace of God is very great and very precious. Through His grace, we are “called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord” (Isaiah 62:12). We are “urged ... to live a life worthy of this high calling” (Ephesians 4:1). Following “the right path” is always a matter of the …
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32). When we're hurting, we need more kindness, more compassion, more forgiveness. Where do these things come from? Do they come from within ourselves? Again and again, we fail to be kind, compassionate and forgiving. If we …
Ephesians 2:1-10 What we were without Christ (Ephesians 2:1-3); What God has done for us in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-10) Ephesians 2:8-10 - saved by grace, saved through faith, saved for good works By grace - but not without faith and good works Faith and good works - the fruit of grace Faith and good works …
Continue reading Saved by grace, saved through faith, saved for good works
Jeremiah 50:29-46 ‘The arrogant one will stumble and fall’ (Jeremiah 50:32). God’s Word warns us - ‘Pride goes before... a fall’; ‘Arrogance will bring your downfall’ (Proverbs 16:18; 29:23). We must not trust in ourselves. We must put our trust in the Lord - Our ‘Redeemer is strong. The Lord Almighty is His Name’ (Jeremiah …
Ephesians 6:10-20 In the strength of the Lord: We need His strength because the devil is stronger than we are - but he's not stronger than the Lord. The armour provided by the Lord (Ephesians 6:13-17): All of it is defensive except "the sword of the Spirit" (God's Word). In Ephesians 6:18, there's a call …
Here am I, and the children the Lord has given me. We are signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord Almighty (Isaiah 8:18). Here, we read about "signs and wonders" (Amplified Bible). Our thoughts turn to the spectacular. Thinking about eye-catching events, events that grab our attention, events that make us sit up and take notice, there is something that we …
Thinking aloud in Harrow
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