Thought for July 18, 2023

  •  64: Great Fire in Rome
  • 1290: England expels Jews--ban lasts 350 years
  • 1925: "Mein Kampf" published
  • 2013:Detroit files for bankruptcy
  • Born/; Nelson Mandela, Nick Faldo
  • Died: Jane Austen, William Westmoreland
Thought:
Reading Ephesians 3:14-21 today. In the first part of this chapter, Paul has presented his ministry, to take the gospel of Christ to the Gentiles [3:6-9]. Now Paul prays for the church. Consider his prayer this morning.
  • The source from which Paul seeks God's blessing: Christ's riches in glory. [3:16] What a place to start our prayers. When I pray, I am seeking blessings from a storehouse of riches in heavenly places. If I pray for wisdom--I want the wisdom that comes from Christ's riches of wisdom. If I want peace or joy, I seek them from the riches of joy and peace found in Christ alone. When God tells Malachi to bring the tithes into the storehouse and He will open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing, we often think the blessing will be money like the tithe; however, that's not what God says---He says He will pour out a blessing from His storehouse. What do you think God keeps in His storehouse? The picture here is the same picture as in Genesis 7:11 where God opens the windows of heaven and rain pours for 40 days. When God pours out a blessing in is overwhelming, abundant, unmeasured. So, when I pray, I pray that God will pour out peace, joy, love, patience, kindness, gentleness, faith---and the source is bountiful.
  • Now notice what Paul prays that God will release from Christ's riches
    • Strength with power [3:16]. When I think about power and strength, I generally think physical and external. Here Paul prays for strength that is spiritual and internal--inner man. How often do I pray for inner strength, for the power to resist temptation in my inner man. Paul understands what it means to endure affliction and knows that the battle is spiritual. Now notice Paul prays for strength and power so that our faith will grow [3:17]. When we resist evil, we grow stronger in faith, trusting Christ to strengthen us again when temptation comes. We often say, start by trusting God in the small things, then as my faith grows, I am ready to face bigger trials with strength and power. 
    • Comprehension of the love of Christ [3:18] Paul wants us to comprehend--grasp, take hold of---the enormity of Christ's love for us. How can you measure that love--length, width, height. It is amazing and boundless. Think about how we try and tell people how much we love them--words are inadequate--how much do you love your children and grandchildren? Tell me. You can't. Now think about how much Christ loves you--how do we comprehend that? Paul challenges us to consider the love of Christ every day. 
    • And the goal is to be filled with the fullness of God [3:19] God is love and light. Paul says that if we by faith trust the promises of God and understand the love of Christ, we will begin to be filled with the fullness of God. 
  • Well, Paul has talked about the power available in Christ and the love of Christ, now how does that apply to me. Read 3:20. If I am open to it, Christ is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than I can imagine--exceedingly, abundant strength; exceedingly abundant love. If today, I am filled with the love of Christ and powered by the strength of Christ, what kind of day will it be? Beyond all I can ask or think!
  • And that truth causes us to join with Paul in praise to Jesus [3:21]--To Him be all glory and honor forever. 
Blessings
Larry

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Thought for July 19

History: 1553: Lady Jane Gray deposed after 9 days 1692: 5 people hung during Salem Witch Trials 1848: First women's rights convention -Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Wesleyan Chapel at Seneca Falls NY 1910: Cy Young wins his 500th game 1941: US Army flying school at Tuskegee AL dedicated 1945: USS Cod saves 51 sailors from Dutch sub--only sub-to-sub rescue 1957: Firing of first rocket with nuclear warhead-Nevada 1984: Geraldine Ferraro is first major party female VP candidate 1996: Olympics open in Atlanta 2007: Madmen debuts 2018: Duck Boat sinks in Table Rock Lake killing 17 Born: Samuel Colt, Edgar Degas [painter], Lizzie Borden, Charles Mayo [Mayo Clinic], George McGovern, Al Haig, George Hamilton IV, Vikki Carr, Ilie Nastase, Stuart Scott, Benedict Cumberbatch,  Died: Syngman Rhee [President South Korea], Clyde Beatty [circus animal trainer], Mary Jo Kopechne [passenger with Ted Kennedy], Jack Warden, Frank McCourt [Angela's Ashes], James Garner, Garry Marshall
Read more

Thought for November 23, 2023

Happy Thanksgiving!  1664: Blaise Pascal is converted following a vision. He wrote the date and time of his conversion and said, "Fire. The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. Not of philosophers and intellectuals. Certitude, certitude, joy, peace. The God of Jesus Christ." Laid the foundation for the law of probabilities; genius in hydrodynamics and hydrostatics developing Pascal's principle of pressure; taught the experience of God through the heart rather than reason; mathematician and philosopher. 1783: Annapolis Maryland becomes U.S. Capitol until June 1784 1863: Patent for making color photographs granted 1889: First jukebox debuts in Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco 1897: Pencil sharpener patented 1904: Summer Olympics in St. Louis close [1st Olymics in U.S.] 1921: President Harding signs an Act prohibiting doctors from prescribing beer or liquor for medicinal purposes 1923: Cecil B. DeMille's first "The Ten Commandments" premiers
Read more

Thought for April 5, 2024

1722: Easter Island discovered 1792: First Presidential veto 1815: Mt. Tambora erupts. Largest eruption ever witnessed. Created year without summer in 1816--frost and snow in North America in June and July. Largest part of eruption on April 10th. Killed 10,000 in initial blast.  1906: Mt. Vesuvius erupts killing 100 1923: Firestone begins producing inflatable tires 1936: Tupelo almost completely destroyed by a tornado--216 die 1972: Baseball strike costs 86 games 2063: On "Star Trek", earth has its first contact with the Vulcan species Born: Thomas Hobbes, Joseph Lister, Booker T Washington, Spencer Tracy, Bette Davis, Gregory Peck, Arthur Hailey. Gale Storm, Frank Gorshin, Colin Powell, Pharrell Williams Died: Robert Raikes [Sunday School], Douglas MacArthur, Howard Hughes, Abe Fortas, Sam Walton, Allen Ginsberg, Saul Bellow, Charlton Heston, Honor Blackman Thought: Reading Daniel 1:5-7 this morning. Continuing with the thoughts about Nebuchadnezzar's plan. Having brough
Read more