Ephesians 6:1–24 (Continued)

May 01, 2013

Put on the full armor of God. Don't try to go into battle in your own power and using your own protection. The battle isn't ours to fight! The only way to be strong is "in the Lord and in His great power." It isn't our strength that matters, it is our obedience. I'm not pretending it is easy. It isn't because you are in the line of fire. But it is freeing to know that you aren't in charge and God is in control. The battle is His; the battle plan is His; the length of the battle is His; and the battle victory is His. Our job is to stand strong, rely on Him, and wait for Him. So stand strong by putting on the full armor of God. Ephesians 6:13 - "And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing."

So stand strong with:

• The belt of truth tied around your waist
• The protection of right living on your chest
• The gospel of peace on your feet so you can stand
• The shield of faith which you can use to stop ALL the burning arrows of the wicked
• Let God's salvation be your helmet (Psalm 140 - "...who shields your head in the days of battle.") 
• Arm yourself with the sword of the Spirit which is God's word
• Pray always, in the Spirit, for God's will and God's plan in your life. (Psalm 140 - "Rescue me O Lord from evil men...")

THEN WAIT! Don't give up! Stand strong! It is the Lord who "secures justice and upholds the cause of the needy. Surely the righteous will praise his name and the upright will live before him." (Psalm 140:12) So stand strong. Spread the message. Encourage others. Bring honor, glory, and praise to HIS name.

Addendum: 5/9/2016 ~ I am going to be taking a short break from transcribing my journal entries. I leave tomorrow and will be spending the next week staying with two of my grandchildren while their parents take a vacation. Since they will be in school all day I am going to have a lot of uninterrupted time on my hands, something I would never have available to me while at home. So, I am going to use that time to go back to the beginning (again) and read through all the entries for a final proof reading, making sure links work, adding any new labels, etc. I don't know how far I will get, but it will be interesting to read my journal in an uninterrupted continuous way.  It will also be interesting to see what God wants to show me and teach me this time. Whenever I have paused in the past, there has always been something I was to learn. So, I am ready and willing, Lord. Show me what it is YOU want me to learn.  

Journal #11 is finished. When I pulled out Journal #12, I noticed there was one more entry for Ephesians—today's journal entry. I thought I would wait to begin Journal #12 until after my break, but then decided to finish Ephesians. I'm so glad I did. What an encouraging message to read as I once again hit the pause button before the final push to finish Journal #12 and Journal #13.

THEN WAIT! Don't give up! Stand strong! It is the Lord who "secures justice and upholds the cause of the needy. Surely the righteous will praise his name and the upright will live before him." (Psalm 140) So stand strong. Spread the message. Encourage others. Bring honor, glory, and praise to HIS name.

It is getting so close to the end to this part of the journey, only one and one half journals left. It is exciting and a little frightening at the same time. I'll be sad to see it over, but I am also very curious to see what God has planned for our next steps.

Addendum #2: 7/16/2018 ~ When am I ever going to learn? In May of 2016, I thought I was doing a final read through and edit. Now it is July of 2018, the lawsuit is ongoing, and I am doing yet another read through and edits. You just never know what you don't know. After a several month break from working on the blog, I suddenly realized the initials I used to protect people's identities were very distracting. So, for the past months I have once again been reading through all my entries to remove and replace all proper names and initials with descriptive words instead. Is this my final time through? I have no idea. All I know is I'm following HIS lead and when HE is ready for me to change the private box to public I will know and I will obey. Until then, I will continue to prepare the way for the release of:

Walking By Faith: A True Story of God's Faithfulness

and 

Walking On His Footpath (Following the Master's Lead)

Next Entry: It's All Coming Together

Ephesians 6:1–24

April 30, 2013

Honor your mother and father so it will go well with you and you will have a long life on the earth. Commandment #5—the only commandment that has a promise attached to it. Honor your parents and "everything will be well with you." If that is true, then the reverse would be true as well. Dishonor your parents, and you are guaranteeing things will not go "well with you."

Pretty ironic that I am reading this while we are absolutely buried under the weight of honoring our parents, but I would not have it any other way. While we are most definitely carrying a huge load, it is with joy, love, and our privilege to do so. It is getting closer and closer to the time when my husband's parents are going to have to move to assisted living. Our number one priority is their safety. The bonus promise God attached to His commandment is nice, but we would do the same things we are doing right now with or without the promise. The reward is in the giving. You sleep well and you have no regrets when you know you have treated your parents with respect and honor. The memories of your time together are sweet. I am so grateful for the time we invested in my Dad's life and are now investing in Mom and my husband's parents' lives. When we honor our parents we are honoring God, and it doesn't get any better than that! 

Frustrating at times? Yes. Ready to throw up my hands at times? Yes. But, happy to do it? Absolutely.

From what we know about my sister's behavior and my brother-in-law's behavior with his mother and her estate, I would sure hate to be in their shoes. I don't want to miss out on God's promise of blessings for those who honor their parents.

Addendum: 7/16/2018 ~ My sister has totally abandoned our mother. She has not called my Mom more than once or twice in the past several years and when she did call, the call only lasted for a few minutes. (We know this because we provide Mom with a cell phone and there has been no phone calls in over a year. Mom's land line phone is connected with my brother's home which is right next door and there has been no phone calls to the land line number either.) When Mom tried to call her she either doesn't answer or doesn't return the call. Mom is almost 89.

My sister has no idea Mom has recently begun to struggle with some memory issues and she has no idea Mom is declining physically as well. The past several months have been difficult as my brother and I have worked together to try and figure out what is best for our Mother. My brother and I are doing everything we can to honor our Mother and give her the best quality of independent living we can. My sister doesn't care—at all. She sends Mom a long rambling letter (written jointly to both my Mom and another lady) about twice a year. The letters are all about what she is doing, where she is going, etc., but there is no personal contact or concern. There is no "honoring" of our Mother. There is only abandonment.


Update:  Mom passed away 8/31/18. See the 3/27/19 Addendum for: A Mother's Love 


Next Entry: Ephesians 6:1–24 (Continued)

Ephesians 4:1 – 5:20 (Continued)

April 29, 2013

When self is in control God's plan for unity gets destroyed, and the message of His Truth does not go forward. If we insist on following our own selfish desires we don't just harm ourselves, we also harm others and the cause of Christ. Paul told them:

1. You must stop telling lies. Be truthful!
2. Don't hold a grudge. Let your anger go! If you hold onto anger (which is an elevation of self) you are opening yourself up to the one who is against God.
3. You must stop stealing. Start working for a honest living. Share what you have honestly worked for with others.
4. Don't say harmful things. Your words should bring encouragement to others—not harm.
5. Do not make the Holy Spirit grieve. Follow His ways.  
6. Do not be bitter, or angry, or mad.
7. Never shout angrily or say anything to hurt others.
8. Never do anything that God calls evil.

Instead, "Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ." (Ephesians 4:32) Keep the bond of peace. If you are a child of the light then live like it! Ephesians 5:8–9 - "...live like children who belong to the light.  Light brings every kind of goodness, right living, and truth." Be careful how you live. Ephesians 5:5 - "Anyone who is greedy is serving a false God." So, live wisely. Do good. Be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:19–20 - "Speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord. Always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."


Next Entry: Ephesians 6:1–24  

Ephesians 4:1 – 5:20

April 26, 2013

Wow! There is a lot of depth in these two chapters. Paul clearly defines how we as believers should live, and he clearly states the things that should be gone and abandoned from our lives. It all goes back to Paul's lists of comparisons I wrote about for Galatians 5 on April 17 & 18. Our lives reflect which list we are living. We are to be humble, gentle, patient, bearing with each other in love. Ephesians 4:3 - "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." The "bond of peace" is quite the contrast from the "men of violence" described in Psalm 140.

When we were first given God's promise of Psalm 140 by Jane, and when we were beginning to memorize it, I used to wonder about the words "men of violence." Those words seemed so strong, so harsh. This was back during the time when we still did not understand what all lie beneath the surface in my sister and brother-in-law's lives. When what was hidden began to be exposed, I was naive. I now realize I was in a state of denial. I just couldn't believe the people we loved could have purposely set out to harm us. It took me a long, long time to come to terms with "truth." The truth is their actions were not accidental, their actions were well thought out and planned, and their actions were deliberate, purposeful, and intentional. Now we know their underhanded actions with us were not (and are not) isolated actions, but are instead part of a pattern of behavior that has happened both before and after us. Now I can clearly see their actions are indeed acts of violence and a breaking of the "bond of peace" believers are to live and produce in their lives.

These "acts" of violence are not just committed against man (which results in fractured relationships and explains the list of many names in my brother-in-law's notebook which turned out to be a list of friends and family they used to be close to but are now estranged from), but the "acts" of violence are ultimately against God himself and his clear instructions for how we are to live our lives.

Do people realize when they insist on their own selfish ways their actions are not just against man, but against God himself? Do they know and not care? Would they change if they understood? Have their hearts been hardened to where they don't care?

"In the Lord's name, I tell you this. Do not continue living like those who do not believe. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. They have lost all feeling of shame, and they use their lives for doing evil." Ephesians 4:17–19

I guess that answers my questions. I wish it didn't, but it does. The people of Ephesus knew better. They were taught the truth of Jesus. They were taught to leave their old self behind and to stop living in the way they lived before. When you don't stop and change your ways, "that old self becomes worse, because people are fooled by the evil things they want to do..." and you sink deeper into the mire of sin. As believers in Christ, the old should pass away because we are a new person. Ephesians 4:23 - "That person is made to be like God, made to be truly good and holy."

The people of Ephesus were trying to do both. Know the truth of God, but live following after their own selfish desires. It cannot be done. If we are not purposely drawing closer to God, we are falling farther away from God and "self" becomes our god and God's plan for our lives falls apart. 

God gave His people gifts for the purpose of building up, teaching, caring for, and serving—all for the purpose of making the body of Christ stronger. None of that can happen when self is in control. 


Next Entry: Ephesians 4:1 – 5:20 (Continued)

Ephesians 3:1–21

April 25, 2013

We are the Church. Jews and Gentiles are no longer separate. We are one, and we are the bride of Christ. Ephesians 3:11–12 - "This agrees with the purpose God had since the beginning of time, and he carried out his plan through Christ Jesus our Lord. In Christ we can come before God with freedom and without fear. We can do this through faith in Christ." Thank you, Lord for your unfathomable gift of love and grace.

In Ephesians 3:1421 Paul writes his prayer for the people of Ephesus and us.

"I ask the Father in his great glory to give you the power to be strong inwardly through His Spirit. I pray that Christ will live in your hearts by faith and that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. And I pray that you and all God's holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ's love—how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is. Christ's love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with the fullness of God. With God's power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine. To him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen"

The prayer Paul prayed for them (and us) doesn't just magically happen. Only when we totally surrender to His Lordship in our lives can we stand strong, have abounding faith, and even begin to understand the awesomeness of God's love. Only then. Then stand back, and watch with amazement as God does "much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine." Stand back—and watch. Notice he didn't say we should get in there and try to control things ourselves. God is the One, and to HIM be the honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Addendum: 5/5/2016 ~ Oh, how we have seen this first hand. Do your part, then stand back, watch, and be amazed. There is SO much freedom in letting go. When we were sharing the throne with God there was "what if" thoughts and self-induced pressure and fears. I never want to live my life like that again. We had it all wrong. We loved God; we were good people; we had God-given capabilities and talents; we thought our hearts were right; but there were areas in our lives where we were sharing the throne—and that cannot be!

God wants our total submission. When He has it then, "With God's power working in us God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or image." There was another level of understanding and faith that we didn't even know was possible to attain and I NEVER want to live my life in any other way but complete surrender. We have seen a glimpse of the Almighty and I want to fall before Him and say Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD God Almighty. Blessed be HIS name. May all we do (our thoughts, actions and deeds) bless HIS name. 


Next Entry: Ephesians 4:1 – 5:20

Ephesians 2:1–22

April 24, 2013

In the past.

In the past before you were followers of Christ, you lived the way the world lives "following the ruler of evil powers" and doing whatever your sinful selves wanted. But that way of living should be in the past. God's mercy is great. Because of His great love He gave us new life in Christ and we are saved through God's grace which was a free gift from God. Therefore, we are new creations, and we should not be living as we did in the past. 

We did not and cannot "earn" our salvation by our own efforts or by what we do or don't do. Christ alone is the One who can save us. But it doesn't stop there. He saves us and creates in us the desire and responsibility through Christ Jesus to do "good works." This was God's plan. It isn't good works that gives us salvation. Our salvation demands good works! And that in turn brings honor and glory to God and fulfills His plans for us. There should be a distinct difference between our past way of living and our new life in Christ. 

"But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away from God are brought near through the blood of Christ's death. Christ himself is our peace." Ephesians 2:13–14

Christ's message of peace was for "those who were far away from God, and to those who were near to God." (Ephesians 2:17) He is the cornerstone that our lives should be built upon. If He isn't the foundation then our lives will crumble. He is either the cornerstone (the first and most important stone in a building), or He isn't. You cannot live a life of deceit, lies, grudges, deception, etc. and have your life built upon Christ.

The Cornerstone demands a life of good works. 


Next Entry: Ephesians 3:1–21

Ephesians 1:1–23

April 23, 2013

Paul writes to the people in Ephesus. He begins the letter by praising God. Now that we have begun to understand the importance of praising God (as a believer there is nothing more important!) the passages in the Bible or lyrics from old hymns that mention praise just jump out at me. How did I miss the importance of praising God for who HE is (not thankfulness for what He has done) for so many years? The only explanation I can come up with is this: I was breaking the first two commandments and "self" was on the throne.

Without even realizing it, my husband and I were both definitely too self-sufficient. Why would praising God be a priority when you are independent and think yourself capable of most things? It isn't. That is why I am so grateful for these last six plus years. God put us in a situation that we couldn't fix on our own, and God, (through Jane) very clearly pointed out to us and what was wrong and out of balance in our lives. We weren't purposely rejecting God and trying to remove Him from the throne in our lives, we were trying to join Him on the throne and we don't belong there!! Joining Him is the same as removing Him.

Jane taught us that praise (first and foremost) puts everything else in your life in the right order and perspective. God is God—and we are not. It is an understanding of the

God

↓

Man

relationship. Praise! First, foremost, at all times, and in all situations. Oh, what a difference this understanding has made in our lives. 

Paul goes on and talks about the wonderful grace of God. This must be the passage that inspired the  the song writer of the old hymn "Grace, grace, wonderful grace, coming down from the Father above..." (Now that I have written that I think I have the wrong song and the words are actually "Peace, peace, wonderful peace...") Other old hymns about God's grace and love are going through my mind this morning. My heart is just full of praise. I can still hear my Dad's rich baritone voice singing, "The love of God, how rich and pure, how measureless and strong! It shall forever more endure the saints' and angels' song." Love singing the new songs, AND the old hymns.  

"...It brings praise to God because of his wonderful grace. God gave that grace to us freely, in Christ, the One he loves. In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death, and so we have forgiveness of sins. How rich is God's grace, which he has given to us so fully and freely. God, with full wisdom and understanding, let us know his secret purpose."

Wisdom and understanding. (Someday I want to complete my study I began on the difference between wisdom and understanding. A very simple explanation is: wisdom is the knowing and understanding is the doing.) God is both wisdom/knowing and understanding/doing. "When the right time comes" (Ephesians 1:10) he WILL act and His will WILL be done, and it WILL bring honor and glory to His name.

Ephesians 1:14 - "The Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we will receive what God promised for his people until God gives full freedom to those who are his—to bring praise to God's glory." It is ALL about HIM!  Until that happens, everything works together "so that you will know him better." (Ephesians 1:17)

• (He) gives the spirit of wisdom and revelation— so we will know Him better.
• (He) gives understanding in our hearts—so we will know the hope He gives and we will know our blessings come from Him. We will know His great power.

God is in control. At the right time, He WILL act.

 Addendum: 5/6/2016 ~ As I was reading Ephesians 1 this morning, three words resounded with me. "You will know... you will know... you will know." It's all about HIM. The LORD—He is the One! Ephesians 1:11 - "... He is the One who makes everything agree with what he decides and wants." What assurance!


Next Entry: Ephesians 2:1–22