"The gospel is ours to PROCLAIM, NOT to edit."

Bible study: Ephesians 4 (Part #1)

Segment 1: verses 1,2

"I therefore, a prisoner for the LORD, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love..."

Paul states that he's a prisoner for the LORD for one very simple reason: he's in jail because he proclaimed the gospel. When I was reading this passage, I misread "of" instead of "for" and I thought that Paul meant prisoner for the LORD in the sense that he had given up all of his will to GOD. Shows how important it is to read the Bible carefully, eh? As Christians, we're called to be sons and daughter or the most high and to be imitators of Christ. To be called to something so prestigious also means that we must set ourselves apart from the rest of the world! Paul then lists a list of traits in which we must learn to acquire. These traits aren't easy but that is what we seek, is it not? He ends off with "bearing with one another in love" because, as brothers and sisters in Christ, we must bear with each other OUT OF love simply due to the fact that we're not easy to love sometimes. ...or most of the time.

Segment 2: verse 3

"eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call - one LORD, one faith, one baptism, one GOD and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

THIS is our call to unity. Since we belong to one GOD, we are to be one with each other for a body cannot function without a co-operation between its parts. This is also our call to keep peace with each other. Though we have many different denominations, views, etc., we still worship that ONE GOD. It also brings into play the fact that we must encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ as the body cannot grow unless ALL of it grows.

Segment 3: verses 4 - 10

"But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, "When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." (In saying, "He ascended," what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)"

First and foremost, grace was given to us in the form of Jesus Christ that we may be saved. Simple. Paul then quotes Psalm 68:18 and it's there that it states that GOD gave GIFTS (emphasis on the plural) to men. Not only was he risen from the dead to give us the gift of eternal life, but he also rose and gave us other gifts. Gifts among which are gifts of the tongue and of prophecy among which prophecy and teaching is greater. The extremely interesting bit in this part is that Paul seems to add his own footnote into his letter as we would when reading our Bibles. He thoroughly explains the ascension as, I now realize, it is an important part. He elaborates on this as it contains one of the keys to the gospel. GOD came onto earth as man and GOD to die for our sins BUT He also conquered death and rose from the grave.

Segment 4: verses 11 - 16

"And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of GOD, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

As mentioned before, we were given gifts (ALL of us) so that we could mature as a body of Christ. The two keypoints here are MATURITY and UNITY. Maturing together as one. Paul states many ways that our faith can be swayed but with it, the promise that, once we mature, we will no longer be swayed by these things! When we mature in Christ and grow in the TRUTH, our foundation becomes more and more solid. The things of the world will also grow dimmer and dimmer as we seek GOD. BUT when we see a brother or sister being swayed by these things, we MUST speak the truth to correct them but we must do it in LOVE. A good thing to remember is that we must do all things out of love (greatest commandment, second greatest commandment). As the body, we are also called to build each other up. I remember that one of the songs I sang as a little kid in sunday school went along the lines of "Encourage one another, and build each other up, UP. Build each other up, Up! Build each other up."

Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters to remain rooted in Christ and to grow with each other OR help each other grow!

Straight up, man it up.

Recently, I've been learning a lot about "man-ing" things up. As a guy, I've realized many things about upholding my part in a relationship (even thought I'm not in one or will be in one for the foreseeable future). There are many things that I've learned experientially in terms "man-ing" things up and taking responsibility. Though these things are important, the Biblical aspects of being a man in a relationship and the consequences are more important.

Reading from Genesis, there are two very good examples of what not to do right off the bat. The first example comes from Genesis 2, 3 (Adam and Eve) and Genesis 16 (Abram and Sarai ...and wait for it, Hagar).

Let's go through the first example of what not to do with Adam and Eve first.

[Just a bit of background before we begin. Genesis is an extremely chronologically ordered book. There are sections of it that are pure lineage trees (ex: Genesis 10) and so the order of events shown are believed to be chronologically in order.]

In Genesis 2, GOD creates everything and then He creates man in the garden of Eden. He gives Adam a very specific set of instructions regarding what he can eat and what He cannot eat. It says:

"And the LORD GOD commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in that day that you eat of it you shall surely die." -Genesis 2:16, 17

Shortly after GOD gives this command to Adam, He notices that Adam's in need of a helper and then creates Eve out of Adam. I'm not going to expand on this but notice that Adam NEEDED help, and in the same way, MAN NEEDS WOMAN. Also, she was created to HELP the man but the man is still needed. I know that in our society, this seems very much sexist but it's just Biblical and I believe that there should be no apology for Biblical principles. Using a head/neck analogy, the man is the head and the woman is the neck. In this, the head cannot function without the neck and the neck cannot function without the head. Though they don't have the same function, they both have a very important purpose.

Let's talk about the fall of man. Essentially, the serpent gets Eve to eat of the fruit and she then passes the fruit onto Adam who also eats of it (simplified, I know!). The point I want to bring out is that GOD tells Adam not to eat of the fruit BUT EVE WASN'T CREATED YET. There are so many times that, as a guy, I'm like "Man, Eve royally screwed us all over 'cause she fell and then got Adam to sin too" but that's wrong. Yes, Eve did screw up but as to why the serpent was able to deceive her and to play around with the technicalities of "Did GOD actually say YOU shall not eat of any tree in the garden?" and "You shall not surely die. For GOD knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened..." (Genesis 3: 1, 4) because, I believe, Adam wasn't clear with his words when telling Eve that she shouldn't have eaten of the fruit. If he had been specific in relaying GOD's instructions to him, she wouldn't have been tempted as easily and also would've been stronger in her defense towards the serpent.

So what do I take away from this as a guy? As the (hopefully future) boyfriend and head of a family, I have a very important job to be straightforward towards my significant other and also very transparent on my theology and beliefs so I can relay what I learn towards her. It also means I have to guard her heart and to not allow her to sin whenever I can. If she is shaky in her faith and/or her theology, I need to make sure that I'm there to correct and rebuke in love. That was Adam's job and that's where he failed.

Now onto the second point about Abram and Sarai. Very clearly, one of the obvious lessons in this is to not divulge in polygamy for it causes much trouble and strife. As I was listening to an interview yesterday, polygamy was acceptable in the Bible but it always resulted in a lot of difficulty for the family as a whole. Therefore, whenever some states that the Bible allows polygamy, this is a counterargument as polygamy was socially acceptable but the Bible illustrates the fact that polygamy does not end well.

So the background for this is simple. Abram and Sarai were promised children by GOD but they had begun to reach an old age and still had not given birth to any children. Sarai then devises a plan to "solve" this problem by telling Abram to sleep with her maidservant, Hagar.

"And Sarai said to Abram, "Behold now, the LORD has prevented me from having children. Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her. And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife." -Genesis 16:2, 3

First of all, WHAT. How do you possibly let your husband sleep with another woman to give YOU a child? That can't even begin to make sense but that's not the point. The point is that Abram was weak spined and gave in to his wife. He didn't hold his position on this very black and white matter and, instead, became very grey on it. I'm convinced that Abram knew that it wasn't the right thing to do as he had a very close walk with GOD. Even though his wife failed first and didn't have her faith in GOD set right, he still gave in and, as the man, should've just said "no". As a man, the responsibility to correct and to be the strong one who's black and white on all matters lies in me. Even though my significant other may want to sin or propose something sinful, it is up to me to say "no" and reject that notion. I have to be black and white and have anything that I'm remotely shaky on or reply with "but..." statements.

There's still a lot I have to learn about being a man in a relationship as this is all new to me but I do believe that GOD is teaching me and growing me in His likeness more and more each day.

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Father,

I give thanks that you provided these examples, these great men for me in the Bible. You show me that great men fail also! I know it's okay for me to fail as long as I learn. GOD, would you continue teaching me these things so that I can eventually learn to be a husband one day. Help me to learn to guard her heart. ...especially from me. Again, I thank you for these truths and I pray that you continue working in me.

In Jesus Christ's most Holy and precious name,

Amen.

The Arabs.

Father,

As I read through these articles, my heart cries out to you for my brothers and sisters in the Arabian countries and especially Iran. The day when you come back is drawing near. My brothers and sisters there stand firm in their faith while risking life and limb. Would you watch over them, Father! If you don't see the tears streaming down my face for them, would you see their suffering! Keep them strong and be with them. Give them courage as they turn in the face of all they know and of all their family and friends. I'm thankful that I live in persecution so minute compared to this. Thank you, Father. GOD, you are going to be glorified there, I know it! As one body, we cry and we rejoice when they cry and they rejoice! KEEP THEM, O GOD. Watch over your sons and daughters; DELIVER THEM. I don't why I do, but I feel their pain when I read of this. As part of the body, I feel the pain when they feel the pain. I know I'm not there but Father, deliver your children. They have a purpose on this earth as do I but as much as it would be "nicer" for you to take them back now, you have a purpose for them. GOD, my heart breaks for these brothers and sisters. Keep them strong, SO strong!

O Almighty GOD, you are sovereign. You are our strength. You are GOD. You are our refuge and our solid rock. Protect them and watch over them.

In Jesus' most holy and precious name,

Amen.

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http://www.barnabasfund.org/Saudis-grand-mufti-calls-for-destruction-of-all-churches-in-Arabian-Peninsula.html

http://charismanews.com/world/33002-iran-sees-explosive-church-growth-sparks-of-revival?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Delicious%2Fchristianheadlines%2Fpositiveheadlines+%28Christian+Headlines+-+Positive+Headlines%29

Prayer.

Father,

YOU are King over the storm. You calmed the storm with ONE word. Are you not all-powerful, all-knowing and present everywhere? I will bless you in suffering, I will bless you in thanksgiving, I will bless you in difficulty and I will bless your name UNTIL I RUN OF OF PLACES TO BLESS YOU.

You alone are my strength, my sword, my shield and my deliverer. My hope lies in you and you alone. Would your will be done on this earth as it is in heaven.

In the name of my sacrificial Lamb Jesus Christ,

Amen.

Psalm 3&4 - Excerpts.

"Many are saying of me, "GOD will not deliver him."" -Psalm 3:2

Father, I pray for deliverance. I know your power is far greater than I could ever imagine. I know you will deliver for you are my GOD and I am your child.

"You bestow glory on me and lift up my head. To the LORD I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy hill." -Psalm 3: 3,4

GOD, you lift my head up when I am down and you bring LIFE to me. I cry out to Father, I cry in your presence that you will save me; that you will deliver me. You will answer me, I know you will. Father, hear the cries of your child and deliver.

"I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me." -Psalm 3:5

I gave thanks, LORD. I give thanks for every breath that I take, every ATP synthesized in me and every neuron that is firing right now is because of your grace and your love. You sustain me, LORD GOD. You sustain me and you have me arise each new day to see your glory.

"Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous GOD. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer." -Psalm 4:1

May my cries not be falling on deaf ears. I don't just want you to hear me but I also want you to answer me! Speak LORD, I am listening. WILL YOU ANSWER ME?! ...have mercy on me, Father. Have mercy and hear my cries.

"How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?" -Psalm 4:2

Father, I pray for the blind. I pray for the hard hearted. WHY ARE THEY REJECTING THE TRUTH? It's so obvious and it's right there. There is none other but Jesus Christ who will save you from eternal damnation. Father, I am angry. This makes me upset. I pray for their souls. Save them. You came to save the lost. SAVE them.

"In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent." -Psalm 4:4

Righteous anger. Not foolish anger. GOD, I will not sin with your help in my anger. In the raging storm there is peace. I will meditate on your word day and night even as I lie awake in bed. In the dawning hours of the day I will praise your name but above all, I will be still and I will be silent. Listening each and every day. Would you tear apart my heart to make room for you and would you tear it open so that your glorious light will shine into the darkness.

Amen.

A blessing and a curse.

"The LORD declares: Those who honour me I will honour, but those who despise me will be disdained." -1 Samuel 2:30

Simple? Simple.

The great things YOU have done

GOD is good. All the time? Yes, all the time but especially right now. It might be a bit pre-mature to celebrate for this but I WILL still rejoice in all circumstances. I vow to praise His name and to bless at all times.

"But then I recall all you have done, O LORD; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works." -Psalm 77: 11-12

Many times when I pray, I recall GOD's past promises to the children of Israel, His prophets, His disciples, etc. but there aren't many times when I recall the GREAT works that GOD has done in my life. I pray on the promises of other people but how often do I pray recalling the great things that He has done in my life? I think it's something to remember to include in my prayers 'cause GOD has been nothing short but miraculous and awesome in my life.

One more thing, EVERYTHING that GOD has done in my life was, is and will be undeserved. Even through my failures, my sin and my shame, GOD doesn't JUST love me but He is GOOD to me also. His ultimate gift of love is most undoubtedly undeserved but ADDITIONALLY, He gives me things that I am not worthy of even asking for!

Praise the LORD in all circumstances and I will remember to rejoice even in times of toughness and purification through trials. Bless His Holy name.

"Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His Holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits." -Psalm 103: 1-2