Posted on Aug 21, 2017 in Ephesians, Testimony |
The COCA-COLA COMPANY’S colours are red & white.
But certain nations are allowed to bottle unique soda flavors under the umbrella of the COCA-COLA COMPANY.
Here in the Bahamas the soda flavor selected & produced is grapefruit.
It’s a BIG seller. And the side of the can of this delicious soda is green & white rather than red & white.
It doesn’t look right.
Sometimes we Christians just don’t look right to others.
They know what Christians are supposed to look like and sometimes we don’t look those ways.
Ephesians 4:1-3 …
“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
These wonderful qualities look “Red & White” to others who observe us.
When we live proud or harsh or impatient or self-asserting or unloving or divisive we look “Green & White”.
Posted on Jul 25, 2017 in Ephesians, Ministry, Spectator |
A few years back now my wonderful friend Rich took me to a Penn State Football Game. What an exciting experience!
This picture was taken well before the opening kick off so the stands were sparsely filled.
By game time about 106,000 fans had filed in!
What we had that day was 106,000 persons desperately in need of exercise,cheering on 22 football players who were desperately in need of rest!
The Church of Jesus Christ can be like that!
A small minority of Christians working very hard in ministry while a much larger majority of idle Christians are cheering them on!
This is not God’s will.
In Ephesians 4:11-12 we see the prescription:
“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, FOR THE EQUIPPING OF THE SAINTS FOR THE WORK OF SERVICE TO THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY OF CHRIST … “.
Get out of the stands and onto the playing field!
Posted on Jun 8, 2017 in Ephesians, God's Design, Good Works, Human Body, Psalms |
This is a gorgeous stone wall & archway in Eleuthera.
It’s sure didn’t get there by random chance!
It was designed to be both functional & beautiful.
Christian, God has made and remade you to be both functional & beautiful too!
In Psalm 139:14 it is assured that:
“I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made … “.
So you are PHYSICALLY- designed: Your body
functions .
But you are also MINISTRY-designed!
Ephesians 2:10:
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand, that we should walk in them.”
The Greek word which is translated into the English word “workmanship” is POEMA. We get our English word “poem” from this Greek word.
As no two poems are the same, the specific good works which God has ordained for each of us to do are utterly unique to each of us!
Remember: God has designed you both to function and to minister to His glory.
That makes you a one-of-kind design!
Really it’s not your designer jeans that are important, it’s your designer YOU which is most important!
Posted on May 16, 2017 in Conduct, Conviction, Edification, Ephesians, Galatians, Glorification, Holy Spirit, John, Self-Control, Speech, Uncategorized |
The wonderful Holy Spirit of God is Spiritual Auto-Correct for each Christian.
He indwells each true born-again believer to assist in the glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 16:12-14)
Typically, the Holy Spirit’s ministry is to control speech and conduct (Ephesians 5:18; Galatians 5:16-25) in such a way that there is auto-correction taking place all of the time.
It is the believer’s moment-to-moment responsibility to pay attention to the indwelling Holy Spirit’s auto-corrects.
As a preacher I was both challenged and encouraged
to hear a very well-known preacher begin to make a statement in a sermon and then to stop and then to pause and then to say: “I best not go there. I won’t say anything more on that”.
Auto-Correction. Holy Spirit-Correction. Edification. Glorification of Christ Jesus.
That was a case where auto-correction didn’t leave a silly result but rather it most certainly left a Christ-honouring result.
Pay attention to your auto-correct Agent: The indwelling God the Holy Spirit.
Posted on Mar 23, 2017 in Ephesians, Spiritual Death |
In the foreground of this picture we see a stoned over grave. In the background we see a makeshift shelter for the homeless person.
This reminds us that there are at least two varieties of death: Physical death and spiritual death.
Death is separation.
Physical death is the separation of the human soul & spirit from the body.
Spiritual death is the separation of the unconverted person’s dead spirit from any relationship with God.
It is very typical that otherwise very much physically alive persons are at the same time very much spiritually dead!
Ephesians 2:1 & 4-5 –
“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins … But God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) …”
Which are you? Spiritually dead or spiritually alive?
Posted on Mar 19, 2017 in Ephesians, Forgiveness, John, Joy, Kindness |
It’s True.
Everyone struggles and often persons’ burdens are only seen by the Lord.
Every person who God brings across your path today is struggling in some way.
They probably need kindness.
They probably don’t need judgment.
(Although loving judgment can be kind.
Case in Point: Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan Woman at the well in John Chapter 4.)
For each of us who love, trust, follow & serve the Lord Jesus, kindness should be our business card!
“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
It’s a true joy to do Random Acts of Kindness!
Be joyous! Be kind!
Posted on Nov 10, 2015 in Children, Ephesians, Evangelism |
My office has thin window panes. I love it because I can hear what’s going on in the church parking lot.
This morning I heard the singing voice of a very young child.
He was in enthusiastically singing “I love to tell the story of Jesus and his love”.
I clear example of a brand-new heart at a very young age.
Do you and I love to tell the story? When did we last do so?
What’s in our insides comes out to the outside.
Ephesians 5:18-19:
” … be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord …”
