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Sep 4, 2017

How are we "in Ephesians"?

This question was a challenge put forth by the speaker (& leader of the women's group) at a Ladies Prayer Breakfast that I attended this past Saturday. (Not at my own church, but a similar denomination). Sitting in a room of what seemed to be maybe 25 ladies who were believers, including one being a 'Pastor' I was in awe of the revelation of God as the words were spoken. I may have been one of the youngest there, but I was also in awe of the lack of knowledge and wisdom in the 'church' people. She had a dream, and in it the speaker (another woman) was saying "We are in Ephesians" (seeming like the speaker's topic had them reading in the book of Ephesians), but because she kept emphatically saying it, then our speaker woke and knew she had to study Ephesians. The speaker meant "We are in Ephesians" meaning the world right now and the Christians of today are actually supposed to be like the ones in Ephesians. Right away in my mind came "well you better have your armour on in this battle of today". 

The message went on from there, and it was nice that a few of the ladies in the crowd spoke up to give thoughts of their own. We discussed that Chapter 1 revolved around redemption and wisdom. We need to take our authority that Christ has given to us, and we need to walk in it. What kind of shocked me is that it was a 'new revelation' given to the "Pastor" in the room. She seemed amazed that she had the power and authority and that she was seated in Heavenly places. I was amazed that she was just getting this revelation. I saw it as more of a reminder. Something that I knew, but that we all need to be reminded of sometimes as we don't always walk in the wisdom. It reminded me that there are people (and believers) that don't know this truth. Others even commented on this and that it was a 'new' thing that they were shown, or some were just learning it that morning as she said it. It saddened my heart a little to think that these people were just learning this truth. But then the verse came into mind, 'how will they know unless we tell them?' and it reminded me to pray for all people young and older to come to the knowledge and salvation of Jesus. Most of my teaching is focused on children and youth, but I have a love for teaching and training all people. 

Another woman in the crowd shared that she had a revelation that although evil or sickness/disease, demonic possession, etc may come our way, we are ALWAYS God's property. Our bodies are the temples of Holy Spirit. The enemy has NO PLACE in us. This was a super cool revelation and reminder that Holy Spirit now owns us. We are God's! The enemy may try to get a foothold, or even find his way in, but there should be no place for him to lie as we are God's. Get him out of you. Take the authority you have in Jesus to remove him or sickness. We are seated in Heavenly places... everything is under Jesus' feet and under our feet. God has shown me a revelation reminder of this many times in that the devil only has the power that we give Him. Jesus is still the ruler of this world. The devil does NOT have the power. The devil/enemy may have power over certain people/areas but he is NOT the ruler. Jesus is Lord of this world (whether you choose to believe it or not). (Ephesians 6:12)

We went off on a few tangents, and talked about President Trump, and Mr. Pence, Prime Minister Trudeau and Mrs. Wynne. Our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against the evil and unseen powers of the dark world and evil spirits. We have to keep these leaders in our prayers. Whether we agree with them, or like them is not the case. They are our Leaders and they need Godly wisdom and understanding to do their job well. We need to stop bashing them and allow God to get a hold of their hearts and spirits and to lead them in the way they should go to lead our countries wisely. May God bless USA and CANADA and our leadership. There have been many positive prophesies given by true men and women of God and we need to stand on these words.

The one lady at the table in front of us, clearly had an 'evangelistic' heart or call on her heart, as she was broken for the darkness in the world. She wanted to get out on the streets and 'do'. Our talk had led us to speaking about being 'ambassadors' for Christ, and she said we need to be out there doing and speaking. She wanted to 'be the light' in the darkness.

Funny thing was the speaker never got to finish her message, and said she would continue another time, and that she would seek more into the challenge of 'how are we IN Ephesians'... but the ladies were in deed answering the question as they spoke. Holy Spirit revealed these tidbits to help each lady in the their own walk where they were. It wasn't NEW information, but it was revealed in new ways for them to understand. The Bible is living and each time it is read, new revelations and old revelations come to pass. We should be reminded of our place in God's heart, our place in the world, and our place in the body of Christ.

This challenge brought out also studying the word 'Ambassador', and I will delve deeper into that as well. But for now, this is a study on "How are we 'in Ephesians'?"  I have listened to a few studies on Ephesians, and it is indeed an amazing book full of so many truths. We need to know and walk in these truths.

~ Let's Begin ~ Chapter One of Ephesians starts out telling us that it is a letter from Paul (clearly to the Ephesians). He is an apostle for Christ. He is reminding the 'faithful followers' (v. 1 NLT) that we are blessed with every spiritual blessing because we belong to Christ and are united with Him. Even before the world was made, before He spoke it to be, God loved us and chose us. (v. 4) How amazing is that? God decided in advance to adopt us and bring us all into His family. This gave Him great pleasure (v. 5) God sent His Son for us to forgive us because of His grace and kindness, so we should praise Him. (v. 6-8) God's promise is not just for Jews but for Gentiles as well. When we hear the Good News and believe, He will give us Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit is God's guarantee that we will get the inheritance that He has promised us. We can now praise and glorify Him. (v. 9-14) Therefore we know that ALL people have the opportunity to be saved. Jews and Gentiles alike. If we are in God's family and have Holy Spirit, we will receive many blessings and an inheritance to God's Kingdom.

Starting in v. 15 of Chapter 1, Paul prays for Spiritual Wisdom. The women in the Ladies Prayer Breakfast (and all of us) need to continue to pray for spiritual wisdom. We need to pray for each other, and pray that we will continue to grow in the knowledge of God. We have to pray though that it will not just be head knowledge but heart knowledge as well. We need to be filled so that we can understand the confident hope He has given to those He has called. (v. 18)
Paul also prayed (and we must pray) that we will understand the greatness of God's power, and that this power that raised Christ from the dead also LIVES INSIDE OF US. That 'victory over death' power lives inside of me! WOW! Seriously, if you are a believer say that sentence right now, say it as many times as you need, until you truly believe it! In Chapter 1, verse 21, it states that He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else -- not only in this world, but also in the world to come. God put ALL things under the authority of Christ, for our benefit. (v. 22) The church is the body of Christ, and we are only made complete through Him. He fills all things everywhere with Himself. (v. 23) This spiritual wisdom and fullness can only come from God. Our hope can only remain in God. We need to stop seeking to 'fill the voids' with worldly things. That is where the world has gone wrong. I am so sick of hearing "seeker sensitive", and of complacency. We get comfortable where we are at, because we do not seek the 'fullness' of Christ. We need to pray for each other, for those who lack wisdom, knowledge and understanding. We are blinded to who we really are in Christ, which of course is what the devil/enemy wants. We need to step out of that darkness into the Light of Jesus!

We are no longer 'dead' because of our sins, but we are made 'alive' through Christ. The headline in my NLT Bible for Chapter 2 is that we are "MADE ALIVE WITH CHRIST". We all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We were all sinners, and were dying in our sin. The devil/enemy was the commander of us in our sin. Sin cannot live in God's presence. It is the devil/enemy who is at work in the hearts of the evil of this world, those who refuse to obey God or even declare there is a God. (Chapter 2, v.2) We all used to live that way (in sin). God is so rich in grace and mercy that He loved us so much that God came and gave His Son Jesus as a ransom to pay for our sin. So now we can have life through Him (and Him alone). He raised us from the dead, and we are seated along with Christ in the Heavenly realms with Him because we are united with Christ. (We can never leave JESUS out of the equation, we need Him to get to God). (v.4-6) It is not by anything I can say or do that I am saved. It is only by the grace of God. It is a gift from God. Salvation can not be given by man, or by anything that man can do, lest he will boast. (v. 8-9) God created each of us as masterpieces created to do good works that He had planned out. Remember, this is for all Jews and Gentiles. We can now be united in Christ, and have peace with Him. God brings true hope & peace. (v 11-14) His act of love on the cross brought an end to 'law', but it also made peace between Jews and Gentiles (which there still should be today). All of us can come to the Father, through Holy Spirit and Jesus. (v. 15-18)

We are God's temples. He can live inside of us. We no longer have to go to the "holy of Holies" (where only priests could see God), but we have God in us. Our lives are built on the rock, and the cornerstone is Jesus (v. 19-22). God's Spirit lives in us, and we are now God's property. (As was stated by one of the women in her testimony/story she shared). See it's all connected through Christ.

This takes us to chapter three, where 'GOD'S MYSTERIOUS PLAN is REVEALED'. WOW! It does say in the Bible that God's ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9) but we can have revelation through God's word and prayer into His plans. WOW! Isn't that amazing? God wants to reveal Himself to us, so that we in our feeble human minds can understand His ways. Paul was sent to tell the Gentiles that all of this is for them too. Not just for 'God's people' (the Jews). You and I belong in that category, we are the 'Gentiles'. Because of this, we all can receive these blessings and inheritances that we have been talking about. This isn't just an old story, this is truth being revealed for even us in 2017. Verse 10 of chapter 3 says (NLT), "God's purpose in all this was to use the church to display His wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places." Verse 11 continues, "This was His eternal plan, which He carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord." As I said above, we no longer have to wait for the priests to go into the Holy of Holies, we can now BOLDLY and confidently go right into God's throne-room or His presence. (v. 12) Even though Paul is writing this letter to them from prison (where he was captured because of his faith), he doesn't want the Ephesians (nor us) to lose heart. There will be suffering for the Kingdom. But suffering lasts only a night, joy will come in the morning. (Psalm 30:5) 

Starting in verse 14 of chapter 3, Paul PRAYS FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH in the believers. (Yes he is writing it to the Ephesians, but this is for ALL believers, including you and me.) He prays for us to be empowered with inner strength (As we know that all our power and strength comes from God - Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.) through God's Spirit. He prayed that Christ will make His home in our hearts as we trust in Him. He prayed that our roots will grow down DEEP into God's love to make us strong. (v. 14-18) Paul also prayed that we would experience the full love of God. We would know and understand how deep, how wide, how high, how long, etc is the love of Christ. (That in itself is unfathomable). We can be made complete through the love, life and power of God. (v. 19) He reminds us that God is able to work all things, even more than we can think or imagine. All glory goes to God. (v. 20-21)

I am so thankful that God reveals His plan and His great love to us. It is all unfathomable, but He shares bits and pieces that we can put together, and know that God is even greater than we are thinking or imagining. What seems big to us, is indeed like a grain of sand to God (and He even knows how many grains are on the shores). WOW! God is so good, and we need to remember to give all glory to Him. It is nothing that we do in our own strength, but it is the strength of God living inside of us. We can grow deeper in God and in His knowledge, grace, wisdom and now love! 

This is an amazing journey we are taking through Ephesians, and even more is being revealed to me as I read and write. I thank God for His wisdom, knowledge and most importantly understanding. If we just had wisdom and knowledge, it would be great, but we wouldn't know what to do with it. Therefore, we need understanding. A greater understanding of what He says, what we read in the Word, or hear from our Pastors and teachers.

As was stated above, Paul an apostle of Christ, was writing this letter from prison. He continued to serve the Lord to the point of being arrested for his faith. Being in prison would give him a lot of time to pray and contemplate the wisdom, grace and love of God. He was an encourager as well and wanted to let all believers know that God is real, and that He is still in control even though Paul sits in a prison cell. He wanted the people to know how to act and behave as Christians (or Christ followers). In the beginning of Chapter 4, he is reminding them (and us) of the way to live. We need to be humble and gentle, patient and loving. We need to be united with the Spirit, and bound together in peace. There is only one God, one Spirit, one body, one Father, one faith, one who is living over all, in all and through all. (v. 1-6) He descended to earth to be like us, but He ascended again and gave us all the special gift of His Holy Spirit. He also gave us gifts, which are special offices that one can hold (not everyone will hold an 'office', but we all receive these gifts). As a body, we have been given Apostles (like Paul), Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. These will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith & knowledge of God's Son that we will mature in the Lord measuring up to His complete standard. ( v. 7-13). We will no longer be like waves tossed and blown about. We will no longer be like immature children believing everything that we hear. We will NOT be tricked or deceived by people who try to make lies sound like the truth. (Very evident in today's world). We will however speak the truth in love, growing more each day to be like Christ. He is the head of the church, and He makes us all fit perfectly together in a body. Each part is specific to it's own job, and we are able to grow healthy in love if we all do our part. (v.14-16)

Because we are new creations, and under God's control, and full of His grace, goodness, peace and love, we should walk in the Light because He indeed is the Light. This world around us is getting darker by the minute, but it is also getting brighter. God's love is shining bright in this dark world. We need to shine that light (as was stated by the other woman, who clearly had an evangelistic call on her life). The world has closed their minds and hearts to God and His Truth, but unfortunately they are listening to the lies out there and believing them as truth. Even more unfortunate is that some are seeking 'God' in churches with false prophets and believing that as the truth as well, which makes their hearts and minds even more closed to the Truth. Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life. The world is getting darker, and seeking pleasures that are not of God. Gifts that were given by the enemy are more enticing unfortunately than the gifts of God. (v 17-19) This is NOT what we learned of Christ. Thankfully I have grown up in the grace and knowledge of God. As a young child I heard the stories of God's faithfulness and truth, and then experienced Him for myself, and still continue to believe in this. We come to a NEW LIFE in Him, and can throw off our old self and our old sinful nature (that the world seems to thrive on). Now when I say 'the world' I clearly don't mean all of it, I mean those who are seeking after worldly pleasures instead of Godly pleasures. God has given us a new way of living, thinking and acting. (v 20-22) God sent His Spirit as a gift, and He can renew our thoughts and attitudes. We can put on our new nature... not like a worldly mask, but like a new being created to be like God. (v. 23 and 24) So, we as TRUE believers need to stop falling for lies, but we also need to stop telling lies and we need to tell the truth. We are all part of the same body, and one lie makes us all 'sick'. We also do not walk in anger but in love. Do not let anger overtake you, as that will give that foothold to the enemy. (v. 25-27) If you are in sin right now, it's ok. You CAN get out. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead use your hands for good works, and giving, instead of taking. (v 28). Don't use the abusive, negative, foul language of the world. Let your words be sweet and helpful, encouraging and full of love. Instead, encourage others around you, and let the words of your mouth be helpful and edifying to the body. (v 29). Most of all, do NOT bring sorrow to Holy Spirit. He has identified you as His own, and if you talk or act like the world, no one will know you belong to God. We need to get rid of all the evil spirits that are around us, but alot of them are rooted in anger and bitterness. We need to get rid of those things that are NOT of God, and walk with Him in love and be tenderhearted, forgiving each other as Christ forgave us. (v. 30-32)

Yes, all that are great words written so long ago... and it is much easier to read and say than to do. But bit by bit, God will help you if you make the effort to change. We also have to remember that 'sinners' are entering into our churches and lives, and God isn't going to change it all at once in one big boom. There still may be the odd 'foul language' that pops out, but instead of condemning we need to be there to encourage them in their walk and encourage them, maybe giving them new words to use instead of those that so quickly flow off of their tongue. They may still wear those 'questionable' t-shirts but we must remember not to condemn, but to open our arms in love and remember that "God has to change a heart before He changes their shirt" (Casting Crowns song, 'What This World Needs'). We need to remember where we came from. Yes, not all of us had that dark testimony background, but those of us who were raised in the church need to be that love that they are looking for. Christ forgives us, so we must forgive others.

As new believers, and as old believers, we need to always walk in the Light. Sometimes are lights may get dulled by the darkness in the world, but if we keep our oil full (Holy Spirit inside), we will shine brightly. Ephesians chapter five starts out with Paul reminding us to live in the light. To do so we must imitate Christ. We need to live a life of love, just like Jesus did. He descended to the earth so He could be like us, and experience life as a human. He also loved us enough to offer Himself as a sacrifice for us, knowing all that we can experience as a human, but in His Godly nature of no sin, and love He offered Himself as a sacrifice for us. Christ became one of us, but did not get involved in the worldliness around Him. He was in this world, but not of it. Therefore, if we are living as Christ, we should have no sexual immorality, greed, obscenities (in our talk, in what we watch, in what we do, etc), and we should not involve ourselves in rude or coarse jokes. Instead we should be thankful and full of love. We should be full of moral goodness, and purity. We should be happy with what we have and not greedy for more. Those kinds of immoral, impure, coarse, greedy people will not inherit the Kingdom (v. 1-5) 

We can see all of these immoral behaviours daily if we look around the world. We can be dragged in and enticed to maybe not 'doing' the behaviours, but in believing that it is ok. We hear 'love is love', and you are 'homophobic' if you don't believe it, or things like if we don't believe in the multi pronouns for gender (that there are more than just boys and girls/men and women), we will be arrested/fined, etc... and that a 'baby' isn't a 'baby' when it's in the womb, although God knew us in our mother's womb... and that prayer is not right in schools, but of course prayers to Mecca are definitely ok... and the Bible isn't real, and that it can be considered 'hate literature'... etc and etc. This isn't tolerance... it's believing something to be true that really isn't. Just because something is made into a law, doesn't make it right or true. If it doesn't match the Bible's standards, then it isn't Truth. We are NOT to be fooled by this excuse for sin. We are not to be fooled by this so called 'tolerance'. We are to LOVE and ACCEPT these people who live this way, or believe these things, but we are not to believe in their actions and what they choose to do that is wrong. I have a few people whom I love and respect, have associations with, and they are in the LGYBT community. I do not HATE them. I love them and continue to respect them as people, but I do not love their behaviour or lifestyle. Do I walk around telling them this? NO... because I have a respect for them as a person. I continue to pray for them and that God will reveal Himself to them in a real way. God is the only one who can judge, and God is the only one who can show them the Truth. We just need to walk in love and be the example of Christ in their lives. Christ sat and ate with tax collectors, prostitutes and sinners. Did he have close personal relations with them and be a part of their sin? NO. He reached out to them in love. He forgave them of their sin and loved them. Then the close personal relationships could form, and they could be a part of His family. Yes, I know sin is sin. When I steal a dollar from Grandma's wallet without asking, it is sin. When a woman looks on another woman with lust, it is sin. When a rape victim chooses to end the life of a baby conceived inside of her, it is sin. Yes the rape is sin too (on the man's part). No sin is greater than the other. But when we choose to live in our sin, that is a different story. When prayer is made to be an evil thing of hate, that is sin too. Prayer gets us to the heart of God. It brings us closer to God's presence. This is why the enemy wants prayer out... wants hate in... everyone is being offended by something now a days, and it's sickening that it can just be written in as a hate crime if you speak against the stupidity. Being a Christian isn't just a name to me. A Christian is someone who follows Christ. Going to a Catholic or United church on Christmas and Easter doesn't make one a Christian. Because your Mom is Catholic and you were raised Catholic (but no longer attend church) doesn't make you a Christian. You can go to whatever church you desire, but if you don't have a personal REAL relationship with God, His Son Jesus and Holy Spirit you are just fooling yourselves. (See Chapter 5 v. 6-14)

We need to be careful how we live. We need to walk in God's wisdom, not the world's foolishness. We need to make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. (v. 15 and 16) Even back in Paul's time the world was in evil days. There is nothing new under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Do not act recklessly as the world does, and don't get drunk on wine (or other alcohol or drug). Remain wise in your thinking (not ruled by alcohol or other drug) because they will ruin your life. Instead be full of Holy Spirit. He will guard your mind and guide you into all Truth. (v. 17-18) Be joyful and full of worship to the Lord. Sing songs and hymns to yourself. Give thanks to God for everything in Jesus' name. (v.19-20)

We also need to be wise in who we associate with: as I said above, I have friends and acquaintances in all walks of life. But our close relationships are what are important. Who you surround yourself with in close proximity is what will make or break you. We need to have Spirit-Guided Relationships. In Chapter 5, verse 21- 33 it talks of the special relationship between man and wife. This is of course an area attacked by the world. The 'family' is no longer a 'family'. A man is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. We are the bride of Christ. A woman is to love her husband and respect him in the same way he is to love and respect her. They are united as one, and need to work together in that way. The woman still loves her family, but now her interests are to her relationship with her husband. Starting in chapter 6, Paul also warns about the relationship between parent and child. Children are to obey their parents in the Lord, for this is right. They will live a long life on the earth. We need to give honour where honour is due. We may have bad relations with our parents... some don't even have a Dad at home. Some have had rough relations due to alcohol, drugs or other addiction... some may have had a Mom who had many lovers, and now there is a step-dad or boyfriend in the picture... whatever it may be, again 'family' has been attacked by the world. The picture of the 'American family' with Mom, Dad, a boy and a girl is not the same in 2017. Now it's Mom and Mom and children, or Dad and Dad and children, or Mom and Step-Dad, or Dad and Step-Mom, or maybe no Mom and Dad, and the children live with Grandma or Grandpa. Some live with just Mom. Some live with just Dad. Whatever it is, it is an attack on the 'family' system. Obedience, respect and honour are a thing of the past in some homes. Fathers are provoking their children in anger. Mothers and Fathers are no longer able to discipline their child, but to give them "time out". The children no longer care about "grounding" because they can just call CAS and make up a story about neglect or wrongful abuse. Parents and children today are different. But thankfully we have some parents (and some not even Christian yet) who still teach and train their children good morals and manners, etc. Unfortunately verse 5 to 9 was written about Slaves and their masters. Looking at Canada today you would think slavery was a thing of the past. Something that only happens in the deep south of the USA. But we have a thing called human trafficking, and people are enslaved and sold on the market. That is NOT acceptable. Paul was not accepting of slaves and their masters, but was reminding us all to have servant hearts. Working for the Lord and not for man. Whatever we put our hands to, we should do with enthusiasm. Paul entrusted the slaves and their masters with this, "Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don't threaten them; remember you both have the same Master in Heaven, and He has no favourites." (Ephesians 6:9 NLT)

Now we come to the good part... even with all that is wrong with the world, God can make it right and we can be protected.  Paul charges us, "Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power." (Eph. 6:10) He then tells us to 'Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against the strategies of the devil. For we are NOT fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places." (v. 11 & 12)

Then we are charged with the words to PUT ON EVERY PIECE OF GOD'S ARMOUR. Why? So we will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. When? Now... and daily. Stand your ground, putting on:

BELT of TRUTH
BREASTPLATE/CHESTPLATE/BODY ARMOUR of RIGHTEOUSNESS
SHOES FITTED WITH The GOSPEL OF PEACE to be fully prepared.
SHIELD OF FAITH to stop the fiery arrows of the devil
HELMET OF SALVATION
SWORD OF THE SPIRIT which is the Word of God
PRAY IN THE SPIRIT

Once we have all that, we must STAY ALERT and be persistent in our prayers.

Paul then asks for prayer for himself (but we can pray it for ourselves) for BOLDNESS and the RIGHT words to explain God's plan. Although he was in chains, he is still preaching as an Ambassador for God. He closed his greetings to the Ephesians reminding them that Tychicus would be with them to give them a full report and to encourage them to be about God's work. He closes with peace and love, faithfulness and grace. 

I have always loved learning about the armour of God and our spiritual warfare, but I also love teaching it too. I have to remember to spiritually put each piece on when I start my day (& to 'readjust' pieces if necessary throughout the day). I sometimes think I know it's there, because God gives it to us, but just as we put our clothes on, we can put on our armour.

Our spiritual armour and God are the only things that can help us in this war against the world. The world will get darker and worse as we know the Bible tells us so. But it also tells us that we will have the victory if we do not lose heart or give up. Christ has given us the victory and we will overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the Word of our Testimony.

Sometimes as Christians who were raised in the church we think our 'personal testimony' isn't that exciting. We don't have that "I was saved from the pit" story... but our story is still good. It's one of God's faithfulness through the years. His love and never ending grace and mercy, that He saved even me.

So... How are we 'in Ephesians'... quite simple. The world of then, is still the world of now. We need to be encouraged and uplifted and reminded that we have the victory in all of this. Here's a re-cap of the themes...

SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS
SPIRITUAL WISDOM
MADE ALIVE WITH CHRIST
ONENESS AND PEACE WITH CHRIST
WE ARE A TEMPLE FOR THE LORD
GOD'S MYSTERIOUS PLAN REVEALED
SPIRITUAL GROWTH
UNITY IN THE BODY
LIVING AS CHILDREN OF THE LIGHT
LIVING IN THE LIGHT
LIVING BY THE SPIRIT'S POWER
SPIRIT-GUIDED RELATIONSHIPS:
        WIVES AND HUSBANDS; CHILDREN AND PARENTS; SLAVES AND MASTERS
THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD
BE ENCOURAGED AND FULL OF GRACE

I don't know about you, but I am sure fired up as a Christian. Knowing all these things and being reminded of them certainly encourages me as a believer. It makes me want everyone in my family and friends (and acquaintances and enemies) to be a part of God's family. I don't want to see anyone left behind. I don't want to be with God on that day, and see all the things I could have done or said, and to see the people who are on the 'lost' path because I never said or did anything... That is one reason I share these blogs on my Facebook. YOU have the choice to click and read, or to delete or ignore. I am doing my part in sharing the Word and the Good News and the Truth. Whether you choose to beieve it or not isn't up to me. I can spread the seeds, and maybe later down the road someone else will water them, and you will come to the saving grace of Jesus before your deathbed. Maybe these words you read watered a seed that was sitting dormant inside of you... maybe someone else shared Jesus with you, but you were one of those people with the hardened heart or mind. I pray that God opens your heart and mind, and that he opens that hard seed and it begins to germinate... maybe you have the seed and it has started to grow, but you have let weeds, rocks or birds get in there, maybe you just need to be weeded and harvested... maybe you are one of the ones right on the edge of believing, and you just needed to hear that 'one more thing' that might make you believe. That one more thing that shows you that 'God is in fact real'! I pray right now for you as well, that God will help you in this journey you are starting out on. He will help you change your heart, before your mouth or your t-shirt. What this world needs isn't church, or another great motivational book... it needs a Saviour, and it needs those to step up and lead others to Him. When we lift Him up, He will draw all men unto Him.

May you be blessed and encouraged as you read these words, and maybe God is giving you your own revelation right now. Please feel free to leave comments and let me know where you are in your walk with God and I will pray for you by name. IF you have comments where you don't agree with me, or comments of concern or question, feel free to leave those as well. I will answer to the best of my ability (or I will find the answer for you), and I will bless you as well. Thank you for your time! BE BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING!!



Jun 4, 2017

Bad Guys Can Be Redeemed Too...

BAD GUYS CAN BE REDEEMED TOO...

In any story, movie, TV show (& even in the Bible) there are GOOD GUYS and there are BAD GUYS. As a teacher/early childhood educator we are taught (and also believe) that there are no bad children, only good children who make bad choices.However, if one continues to make bad choices and follow that path, I guess you would become a 'Bad Guy'. But bad guys can become good guys, when they make good choices. 

In the Lego Batman movie, Batman thinks he is a bad guy because of some bad choices he makes, but when he meets a computer system that scans him to see his 'badness', he finds out he just made some bad choices, and that he himself isn't bad. Some of the 'bad choices' he made are out of the love he had for his family and friends. He wasn't a BAD GUY.

In the Bible there are several cases of 'BAD GUYS', and we have been studying some of them in our Children's Church program, as some of our kiddos have had problems with some bullies and 'bad guys' at school. So this week, we are learning that even bad guys can be redeemed. What a great reminder of God's faithfulness and mercy. Although someone has made the choice to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, the Lord still looks down on them and loves them. 

Some verses on redemption that I have found in the Word are;

Isaiah 44:22 "I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free."

Luke 1:68 "Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and redeemed His people."

Job 33:28 "God rescued me from the grave, and now my life is filled with light."

The 'Bad Guy' of our lesson is Saul. His story is found in Acts 9:1-28. 

SAUL -- a man who made threats and was eager to kill God's people and Christ's followers, was a guy who made bad choices, so was seen as a BAD GUY of the Bible. He tried to have Jesus' followers arrested too. However, one life-changing moment happened on the road to Damascus. A light from Heaven shone down around him, and he heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"He asked "Who are you, lord?" The voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now, get up and go to the city and you will be told what you must do." Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. The men with him had to lead him to Damascus, and he remained there blind for three days. He didn't eat or drink anything either. (v.1-9)

In Damascus there was a believer named Ananias whom the Lord spoke to in a vision. He was told to go tho the house where Saul was and speak with him. So he went to the home of Judas on Straight Street. (You could say that God set Saul STRAIGHT). He was to lay his hands on Saul so that he could see again. Ananias had heard all about who Saul was, and was worried as Saul could arrest him. (v.10-14)  God told Ananias "Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take My message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for My Name's sake." (v.15-16)

So Ananias went to the home just as God asked him to, and prayed for Saul, that he might receive his sight and be filled with Holy Spirit. "Instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized." (v 17-19)

The people around knew who Saul was before his conversion, and wondered how this man who hated God's people and wanted to arrest them, or even kill them could now be preaching and teaching about Jesus the Messiah. Even the believers were afraid that he wasn't truly a believer. "When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer!" (v 26)

Acts 13:9 - Saul also known as Paul... God changed Saul's name to Paul.
Saul - Meaning: Asked for or prayed for (Roman name)
Paul - Meaning: Small or Humble (Latin/Jewish name)

Even BAD GUYS can be REDEEMED by God. God has a plan for ALL of us. ALL OF US have sinned and FALL SHORT of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) 

This is definitely why Jesus says in MATTHEW 5:44 "But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!" The BAD GUYS in our lives can be saved and redeemed too. They don't always have to be BAD GUYS forever. God can change their hearts just as he changed the heart of Saul. Saul's transformation into Paul reminds us that no BAD GUY is so bad that they can't be redeemed.

Psalm 107:2 "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!" (KJV/NKJV)
"Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story --" (NIV)
"Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others He has redeemed you from your enemies." (NLT)

Because of God's great grace and mercy we can all be saved. Man's one sin does not make him any better than one man who chooses to continuously sin. Sin is sin in God's eyes, and we cannot live with God and hold hands with the devil. So we need to continue to pray for those who curse us, who persecute us, or who are 'bad guys' in our eyes. Because God does still have a plan for them, and can change their hearts. Hallelujah! 

Be blessed to be a blessing!

Apr 1, 2017

God Takes Hold of Us... We Gain Confidence!

As a childcare worker (a Registered Early Childhood Educator, not a babysitter) & someone involved in Children's Ministry (KidMin), I find myself in the presence of young children frequently. I am a Toddler teacher in my M-F job, and there I teach little minds more about themselves and the world around them. Thankfully, it is also based in my church, so we teach them spiritual truths too!

We are blessed to have our childcare in our church building, as the presence of God follows us up to the 2nd floor where the main part of the childcare is. There are a couple sets of stairs that we have to take daily, either to get outside, or to get to the 'gym'. Some of the Toddlers can do the stairs with ease, some still hesitate and take them slow, whereas some have difficulty & like to hold hands with the educator. On one occasion, last week, a thought came to me inspired by Holy Spirit. The Toddlers can do it on their own, and like to use autonomy and say "I do it!" So we let them hold the railing and walk down the stairs without assistance. But on this day, a little boy was going slow and taking small steps, so I offered him my hand, and he confidently took off down the stairs with a spring in his step and he even jumped from the bottom step to the landing. I reached for the hand of a child behind him, and the same thing transpired. A confidence was built. They put their trust in me, and when they took my hand, they had no fear. They trusted that I would help them down the stairs and not let go. Holy Spirit showed me this is the same with our walk with God. God allows us to 'walk unassisted', but He is still right there with us. But when we allow Him to hold our hand, we can go forth confidently with no fear! 

This led me on a verse search, and I came across one found in Isaiah 41:13 "For I hold you by your right hand -- I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, 'Don't be afraid. I am here to help you'."



Such a simple but true promise that removes fear and brings confidence! If God is holding our hand, nothing can snatch us from His grip.

That leads to the story that I have shared here before... except earlier the lesson had a father and daughter/son, this one has a mom and son.


If we hold onto God, challenges come and we might let go, but if God holds onto us, there will be nothing that can separate us.

Are YOU letting God hold onto your hand? No one is too far out of His grasp. Just reach out today and call on Him, and He will hold you.

No God - Know Fear
Know God - No Fear


Be blessed to be a blessing,

Mar 19, 2017

Forgiveness & God's Grace...

Did you know that the times that you wake up from your sleep can be super important? Especially if you are waking up each day at a specific time. (My Pastor has told us this a lot as its one of his challenges.) We went to a Conference and we have been challenged to PRAY MORE and GET INTO THE WORD more. Time with God is important, and sometimes (not always) the times that you get up correspond to a Bible Verse that is meant for you to read, meditate on or live out. Maybe God is trying to talk to you, but you are too busy sleeping, so He wakes you up to get your attention. If you are anything like me, you wake up, check the clock (too early) and roll over & go back to sleep (maybe get up to the washroom if necessary LOL). But at these times God may be calling you as He did to Samuel. If it is the same time every morning, then obviously you need to get up and search the Word. Thankfully we have GOOGLE and the BIBLE on our phones, so technology can be used to our advantage to find the verse that is meant for us. Sometimes there will be MANY Bible verses with the address of the time you wake up. (IE 3:16 AM could be John 3:16, but there are also Mark 3:16, Revelation 3:16 and more... even 1 Kings 3:16 LOL!! So clearly its not all the verses that God is speaking to you, but maybe it is John and God is reminding you of His love, or maybe it's Mark and God is calling you like Jesus called His disciples, or even Revelation, which would be a conviction, as He says "So, because you are lukewarm - neither hot nor cold - I am about to spit you our of my mouth". Hopefully its not 1 Kings 3:16 -I'll leave you to read that one ha ha!)

So I have been challenged to write down the times that I get up and to find a corresponding verse that I believe that God is speaking to me. It has not been everyday at a certain time, so I am starting to use this blog again as a 'verse of the day' devotional. 

Somehow I have been searching for Chapter 7, verse 42... however I woke up way before 7:42 today. LOL... not exactly sure where those numbers came from (but of course God). There are a few books of the Bible that have this chapter and verse, and the one I found that speaks to my heart today is Luke 7:42.

"But neither of them could repay him. so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?" Luke 7:42 NLT

This verse speaks of God's forgiveness and His grace on us. Like the man in the 'parable' or story that Jesus told, Jesus cancelled our debts. We are like the two debtors who owed for our sin. Jesus took our sins, and cancelled them by dying on the cross for us. Death is the only thing that cancels sin. However, He rose again triumphantly, and we can have that resurrection power through Christ too, so that we may live eternally in Heaven one day. Our love should not be conditional to what the Father has done for us. But our carnal bodies love conditionally. Our spirits love unconditionally like the Father. His grace that He bestows on us is what gets us through each day. No matter how small or big our sin is, we are carnal bodies who are born into sin. It is only by His grace that we are saved. He loved us even in our sin, and continues to love us even when we sin again. We cannot repay the debt on our own, only through the precious blood of Jesus are we saved.

In this Bible account, Jesus was sitting with his disciples and others, when Mary came in and sat at his feet. She annointed his feet with precious perfume, and then proceeded to wash them, and wipe them with her own hair. She broke her precious alabaster jar, and poured out all she had in worship to the Messiah. She was then forgiven that day, and Jesus said she had many of them. In verse 47, Jesus says, "I tell you, her sins - and they are many - have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love."

During the Conference, our friend was also challenged to have more 'Mary' moments than 'Martha' moments, and this is so true. (This Mary is a different Mary than the one mentioned above. This Mary is Martha's sister. The one aforementioned is Mary Magdalene). There is another Bible account (Luke 10:38-42) where Jesus and his disciples came to visit at the home of Mary and Martha. Martha busied herself preparing food, etc for the visit but Mary just sat at the feet of Jesus listening to all He was doing & saying. Martha got upset that her sister left all the work to her and was just sitting at Jesus' feet. Jesus told Martha that she need not be upset over so many things, but that Mary had chosen what was better. Jesus' love could not be taken from her, but the material things of this world can be gone in a minute. A 'Mary' moment could then be defined as 'sitting at the feet of Jesus'. 

As a teacher and one who is passionate about children, I always picture sitting at the feet of Jesus like the kids sit with us when we read stories or sing songs. I enjoy sitting on the floor with them, and even having them sit in my lap to read. Being one who's love language is 'Physical Touch', I always picture sitting in Jesus' lap. Since a small child, I have been very affectionate, and am drawn to worship songs that mention physical touch of some kind. These moments of togetherness with Jesus and God are what draws you close to Him. Maybe your love language is different (maybe you have no idea what 'love languages' are - google it. Dr. Gary Chapman 'The Five Love Languages') - it could be 'Quality Time' (which is another of mine), 'Receiving Gifts', 'Acts of Service' or 'Words of Affirmation'. Whatever your love language is, is also how you receive love best from God. He of course shows us love in all the ways possible (even more than we can dream or imagine). It's in these intimate times with God that we can continue to grow closer to Him and grow in our faith. Times with our fellow believers at church is a time of growing too, but we grow the faith we have from our intimate times together. We have rivers of living water inside of us, and they can be overflowed to the world.

God's grace is an unbelievable thing to our carnal minds. His grace and mercy are amazing. Grace - God giving us what we don't deserve
Mercy - God not giving us what we do deserve

We have to then show grace and mercy to others around us. When we walk in forgiveness, we walk in His grace, mercy and love. Shine the Love to everyone. 

Enjoy this song by Gateway Worship and let God's grace flow through you!

Be blessed to be a blessing,
Mitzi


Jan 7, 2017

What's Your #oneword For 2017?

So little known knowledge to me, is this #oneword thing that goes around each New Year... I guess this year is the first time I paid attention to it. Obviously I have seen the word 'Resolutions' many times, and settle with myself to not make 'resolutions' but to be 'resolute' (since one of my amazing husband's messages at church years ago). Resolute is to be 'admirably purposeful, determined; unwavering; marked by firm determination; bold; steady; faithful, persevering, unshakable, unwavering, etc...' (Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com)

One of my friends posted a word, 'intentional', and that struck a chord... but obviously not wanting to choose the same word, I went to Pinterest for some inspiration. One of the words that I found while searching Pinterest was 'mindfulness' and that sounded really good until I searched the meaning and came up with more things about Buddha and Buddhism, so I chose to stay away from that word, but still keep the thought of being mindful of things around me. Not so much the meditation part of the Buddhist way, but to focus my thoughts on being 'intentional' or 'purposeful'.  Now that was a good word too, as I try to do things for a 'purpose'. I had other words come to mind, and eventually they all lead back to that word, 'resolute'. So I believe in 2017, God is wanting me to be serious about being 'resolute'. While on Pinterest I found these amazing verses found in Scripture. I have read them many times, but have mostly stopped in the verses before it, regarding youth, and not looking down on the youth, etc because I teach and train the younger generations in my church. But the verses found in 1 Timothy 4:15-16 rang true with me. I have read and re-read the verses regarding teaching being important as we will be judged more strictly

"Give your complete attention to these matters Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you." 1 Timothy 4:15-16 NLT

"Cultivate these things. Immerse yourself in them. The people will all see you mature right before their eyes! Keep a firm grasp on both your character and your teaching. Don't be diverted Just keep at it. Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation." 1 Timothy 4:15-16 The Message

Some words I went through...

Mindfulness -- NOPE... we don't want to associate with Buddha/Meditation in that way.
Diligence --Perseverance
Steadfast -- Stand your ground, resolute
Purposeful -- intentional
Watchfulness -- alert and vigilent
Discernment - the act of discerning. acuteness of judgement and understanding. 'Discerning' - to perceive by the sight or some other sense or by the intellect; recognize or apprehend; to distinguish mentally; recognize as distinct or different; discriminate
Resolute -- firmly resolved or determined; set in purpose or opinion; characterized by firmness and determination, as the temper, spirit, actions, etc. Synonyms: firm, steadfast, fixed, earnest, unwavering, undaunted, intentional, purposeful, bold, persistent, relentless, uncompromising, unshakable...  'admirably purposeful, determined; unwavering; marked by firm determination; bold; steady; faithful, persevering, unshakable, unwavering, etc...'

So we had a prayer night at the church to start off the New Year, and I had my 9 year old niece and nephew with me. They were getting a little bored just sitting in church praying, so they pulled out the Bible from the pew in front of them, and I told them that God could show them a verse that they could understand, or that would speak to them. Our Pastor had shared a verse about being unwavering, and my niece found a verse in Hebrews 2:1-4

A Warning against Drifting Away

So we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it. For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished. So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus himself and then delivered to us by those who heard him speak? And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.
So this went with my #oneword that I had chosen earlier, yet also with the New Year message. We must listen to the truth we have heard, and as a teacher I must teach the truth. We must stay true to the truth... and the Truth is Jesus. We must not waver in our thoughts, nor waver in the truth. We have taught our Junior Youth group about Absolute Truth, and that it's opposite to the world's view of truth. They think just because they make it legal, it's now right or truth. But according to 1 Timothy, we need to stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you.Jesus is the Truth, and the Jesus is the only way to the Father, and our salvation rests in Him alone.I look forward to 2017 being 'resolute' and standing firm. 

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