No.289. Praying Our Way Through Paul’s Letter To The Ephesians. Ephesians 1:15-23. “How God wants us to pray for ourselves and for His people throughout the world!”

Posted on September 8, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

This is an actual prayer that Paul told his Ephesian readers he was praying for them. As such and because it is part of God’s revelation to humans through Paul I won’t try to change it in any significant way. The main changes I will make will be to change the “you” and your” [meaning the Ephesian readers] in the letter to “we,”  “us” and “our” to make it applicable to ourselves and to fellow believers in the world today. I will also, on this occasion, add the “Notes On The Passage” at the end of the article, after the “Suggested Prayer” as the passage has so many significant words. It helps if we can appreciate their rich meaning.

THE PASSAGE. Ephesians 1:15-23 begins with these words, Eph 1:15 “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.”

Paul then goes on to tell them what he was praying for them using “you” and “yours.”  They were words they could then pray for themselves as well as for others. So we will change the wording to make it a prayer that we can pray for ourselves and others by using “we,”  “us” and “our”

.THE SUGGESTED PRAYER FROM Ephesians 1:15-23

“Dear Lord, we acknowledge that You are the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. We pray that You would give us the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation to know You better. 18  Please enlighten our hearts and minds so that we can know the hope to which You have called us,  what are the riches of Your glorious inheritance in us as Your people, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of Your power toward us who believe, according to the working of Your great might 20  that You worked in Christ when You raised him from the dead and seated him at Your right hand in the heavenly places, 21  far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 We thank You that You put all things under Jesus’ feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. AMEN!”

 SOME NOTES ON THE PASSAGE. Ephesians 1:15-23

Books could be written on the content and meaning of this prayer but the following are some of the significant meanings in the wording of the prayer.

  • The motivation behind the prayer. Paul thanks God for their faith in Christ and for their love for His people. Eph 1:15-16, “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers”
  • The content of the prayer. That God would work within them by His Spirit to give them an understanding of God and that He would give them eyes to see and understand 3 things in particular. Namely their hope in Christ, the riches of their inheritance in Christ and the greatness of His power towards them.
  • We notice in the prayer an emphasis on power words perhaps to encourage them to understand the powerful resources they had through their faith in Christ and in the indwelling Spirit of God who had sealed them with His presence.
  • The power words include the following:-
  • “the immeasurable greatness of his power,” verse 19. “Immeasurable” is [hyperballō; ὑπερβάλλω meaning literally to throw beyond’.] It is the root of our English word ‘hyperbole.’ It is beyond measure.
  • “greatness” is [megathos; μέγεθος from ‘mega’ meaning great.] This is the only occurrence in the New Testament of this word.
  • “power” is used throughout the NT for describing power of various sorts. It is [dynamis; δύναμις, the origin of our English words dynamic, dynamite etc.]
  • “according to the working of His great might,” verse 19. “Working” is [energeia; ἐνέργεια the root of our words ‘energy’ and ‘energize’. It denotes effectual power at work. [Note. Literally the phrase reads “according to the might (kratos) of His strength (ischys).”]
  • “Great” is the Greek word [ischys; ἰσχύς which means ability or strength.]
  • “Might” is the Greek word [kratos; κράτος, which is used for strength, power or dominion.] English words derive from it including ‘democracy’ where ‘demo’ is from ‘demos’ meaning people and ‘cracy’ is from ‘kratos’ meaning dominion or rule. So the whole phrase speaks of God’s great power at work. What form did this power take? Resurrection power as we will see!
  • “that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,” verse 20. Paul changes from the noun ‘working’ in the previous verse to the verb [energeō; ἐνεργέω, to be active, to work efficiently.] Human forces might have seemed to have triumphed in the death and burial of Jesus, but God showed His immeasurable great effectual power in raising Him from the dead to sit at His right hand in heaven.
  • The power words continue with Paul’s statement in his prayer of the place of Jesus in the purposes of God. He is described as being “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” What an ongoing volley of words denoting the authority and power of Jesus following His death, resurrection, ascension and session [being seated] at the right hand of God!
  • “far above” is hyperanō; ὑπεράνω meaning far above or beyond every form of power which he enumerates as “all rule’ where “rule“ is [archē; ἀρχή, meaning first or chief in time, place or rank. English words derived from it include ‘monarchy’ meaning one ruler and ‘oligarchy’ the rule by a few [oligos; ὀλίγος means ‘few’.]
  • “Authority” is [exousia; ἐξουσία meaning privilege or delegated power.]
  • “Power” is again our word [dynamis; δύναμις] used above in verse 19.
  • “Dominion” is [kyriotēs; κυριότης meaning having power over or ruling over. Jesus’ name is greater than any other name signifying that He is greater than any other person or power that has ever existed or will ever exist!
  • One might have thought that Paul could find no other term to exalt Jesus but he manages to do so in the final verses 22 and 23, “And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”
  • “he put all things under his feet” is probably a refence to Psalm 8:6 “You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet.” This was a reference to the state of humans before the fall when they were meant to exercise authority over the created world. But that delegated authority was stolen from them by the guile of Satan whom Jesus described as “the ruler of the kingdom of the air,” Eph 2:2 and as “the prince of this world,” In John 12:31, 14:30 and 16:11.
  • Jesus as Perfect Man has come and died to bring victory over Satan thus putting Satan under His feet. The writer to the Hebrews puts it like this, Heb 2:6 “It has been testified somewhere, “What is man, that you are mindful of him, or the son of man, that you care for him? 7 You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honour, 8 putting everything in subjection under his feet.” Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. 9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”
  • JESUS IS in control! Every knee WILL eventually bow before Him! Php 2:9 “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Praying the prayer that Paul prayed for his friends in Ephesus may help us play our part in bringing God’s Kingdom and God’s Kingdom power to earth, sooner than later [in human terms.]

“Let us pray!” In the way Paul showed us how to pray, using the terms he used under the inspiration of the Lord Himself [and recorded for our benefit and blessing!]

 Blog No.289. Posted on www.jimholbeck.blog on Saturday 8th September 2018

 

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Forgiveness, Prayer, Praying our way through Paul's letter to the Ephesians | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

288. Praying Our Way Through Paul’s Letter To The Ephesians. Ephesians 1:11-14. “Praising God For All We Have Now In Jesus And For Our Full Inheritance In Him.”

Posted on September 6, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

“Children of God! Through faith in Jesus! With an inheritance! An inheritance which is ours in Him!  No wonder the people of God in every generation are motivated to praise Him for His amazing grace to us and for His amazing love for us in Jesus.

THE PASSAGE. Ephesians 1:11-14

Eph 1:11 “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

NOTES ON THE PASSAGE. Ephesians 1:11-14

  • 1:11. “Obtained an inheritance.” The word is used only here in the New Testament. [κlēroō; κληρόω meaning to make a choice or to determine something. The inheritance was given as an act of grace to those whom God predestined to receive it, based, of course, on His foreknowledge about who would respond to Him in faith.] {See 1Peter 1:1-2, re “elect … according to the foreknowledge of God.”]
  • “Predestined according to [His] purpose.” Before we look at what was His purpose, we note the description Paul gives about the Lord.
  • “Who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” “Works” is [energeō; ἐνεργέω] where “energeo” means to be active or to work to establish a result. Our English words ‘energy’ and ‘energize’ come from this Greek root. God is actively pursuing His will in the world which comes into being, in His way and in His time.
  • Paul then declares what is the purpose of God in HIs election of His people. It was this, 12 “so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.” Paul and his readers in Ephesus were among the first generations of believers. The description of God’s purpose could be taken in two ways. It could be that the witness of these early believers would lead others to praise God because of  their faithful witness to Him. Or it could mean that God chose them to live to praise Him and His glory. Both would be true.
  • 1:13. In this verse we see the combination of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. In God’s sovereign working He allowed the Ephesians to hear the gospel message of salvation. Then they exercised their human responsibility to respond to the message about the salvation that Jesus came to bring and they put their trust in Him. 13 “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him.”
  • God responded to their commitment of faith and gave them the gift of the Holy Spirit to indwell them and to “seal” them. They were “sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” The seal denoted two things. It was a mark of ownership and it was a mark of permanence. It’s as though God was saying to the believers when they believed in Jesus and as He sealed them with the Spirit, “You are mine! And You are mine forever!”
  • The sealing by the Holy Spirit was also a promise of things to come. Paul used the term “guarantee” of a future inheritance in the Spirit. The Greek word is [arrhabōn; ἀῤῥαβών meaning a pledge or deposit or a down-payment] 14 “who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” [ I am told that in today’s modern Greek, “arrabona” is an “engagement ring” a pledge of things to come.]
  • Later in the chapter Paul tells his readers that he was praying for them that they might come to know the riches of their inheritance, “having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” Eph 1:18. “Know” is [oida, οἶδα] and has the meaning to perceive and even to experience personally. Paul is wanting his readers to perceive and also experience their inheritance to the extent they were able to do so as humans.

A SUGGESTED PRAYER BASED ON Ephesians 1:11-14

“Heavenly Father, we thank You that in Your plan and purpose for this world You enabled us to hear and respond to the gospel message of salvation.  We thank You that as You did so, You bestowed on us the Holy Spirit to seal our relationship with You so that we might inherit all the blessings You have given us in Jesus. Enable us, by Your Spirit, to become more and more a people of praise so that You may be glorified in and through our lives. We ask these things in Jesus’ name. AMEN.”

Blog No.288. Posted on http://www.jimholbeck.blog on Thursday 6th September 2018

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Praying our way through Paul's letter to the Ephesians, Salvation | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

287. Praying Our Way Through Paul’s Letter To The Ephesians. Ephesians 1:7-10. Christ Brings Unity Among Diverse Groupings Of People

Posted on September 4, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

Many people ask questions such as “What is the purpose of this world?” and  “What is the meaning of life?” God has the answers and they are wrapped up in His Son. As one hymn puts it, “God is working His purpose out, As year succeeds to year.” The following passage of scripture tells us what that purpose is and the central role that Jesus plays within it. It is amazing that we as believers are also involved in God’s purposes for the world. So read the passage and then pray that you will fulfil the role that the Lord, the Almighty God  has for you as an individual as He works out His purpose in the world from year to year!

The Passage of scripture

Eph 1:7 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9  making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10  as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

 Some Notes On The Passage

  • The phrases “In Him” “in Christ” and “in Jesus” occur close to 30 times in the epistle. It is a reminder to us that all God’s blessings to us are ours “in Him.”
  • “Have” is present tense signifying present possession in Christ, not just some future possibility.
  • “Redemption” [apolytrōsis; ἀπολύτρωσις from luo to loose and lutroo to ransom [by payment of a price.] Deliverance by the payment of a price. What was the price that was paid?
  • The price paid was “through His blood,” the blood of Jesus which He shed on the cross to secure an eternal redemption, [Heb 9:12.] It is a gift of God’s grace [Rom 3:24], and includes the redemption of our bodies at the second coming of Jesus [Rom 8:23.] Until that time, believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit. [Eph 1:13, 4:30.]
  • “Forgiveness” [aphesis, ἄφεσις] means the setting free from the penalty of sin [trespasses.]
  • “Trespasses” is [παράπτωμα, paraptōma] meaning a falling to the side, a deviation]. How has forgiveness of trespasses been achieved? By the redemption Jesus secured on the cross.  But why did He do it? It was a demonstration of the grace of God towards sinners.
  • “According to the riches of His grace which He lavished upon us.“ It was not ‘out of” those riches so that there was less afterwards. Rather it was according to the measure of those inexhaustible, unsearchable riches.
  • “Lavished” [perisseuō; περισσεύω] gives the sense that the riches of grace were abundant in supply rather than being unnecessarily ostentatious.
  • “In all wisdom and insight.” Not human wisdom and insight, for the message of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, 1Cor 1:23 “but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 5 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.“ Rather, it was a demonstration of the wisdom of God in covering over sin in this way through the death of His Son.
  • Such demonstration revealed the mystery of God’s will. “Mystery” is [mystērion; μυστήριον] meaning an open secret for those with eyes to see, but hidden from others.
  • “according to His purpose.” It was always God’s purpose for His Son to die for sinners, as the “lamb slain from the creation of the world” Rev 13:8. But what was that purpose?
  • It was an eternal purpose to be fulfilled by Christ in the fulness of time, that is, in God’s timing.
  • What was His plan in Christ? It was to “unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” “Unite” is the very rich word in Greek [anakephalaiomai; ἀνακεφαλαίομαι] which means more than just joining together. The structure of the word gives the clue. It is made up of [aná meaning up or again] and [kephale meaning head.} It is the uniting of all things under one head. A Latin version of this word is used in theology to describe the meaning of the death of Jesus on the cross [a theory of atonement]. It is the Recapitulation theory [where ‘re’ means back or again] and [capitulum] which comes from the word [caput “head.”] It has the same meaning as the Greek word, that is, summing up under one head. Part of that unity is seen and experienced when believers from different nationalities and races discover a real unity when they gather together in worship and fellowship. They realise that are one in Christ and are determined to live under Him as head of His world-wide church.

A Suggested Prayer based on Ephesians 1:7-10.

“Heavenly Father, we thank You that when we received Jesus to be our Saviour and Lord, You blessed us in Him with so many blessings. We thank You that in Him we have been redeemed by His blood and our sins have been forgiven. We praise You that You poured out Your amazing grace on us as part of Your purpose in bringing a sense of unity in this divided world. We thank You that In Christ we are one with believers from all over the world. Enable us by Your Holy Spirit to humble ourselves before You so that You can exercise Your headship over Your church and over every individual in the church. We invite You to take Your throne over our lives as we seek to live for You and to fulfil Your purpose for us in this world. Accept our grateful thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN!”

Blog No.287. Posted on www.jimholbeck.blog on Tuesday 04 September 2018.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Glorification, Justification, Prayer, Praying our way through Paul's letter to the Ephesians, Salvation, Sanctification, Second coming of Jesus | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

286. Praying Our Way Through Paul’s Letter To The Ephesians. “Blessing God Who Blesses His People By Adopting Them Into His Family. Ephesians 1:5.”

Posted on September 3, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

We as believers choose to bless the Lord who chose to bless us by adopting us into His family.

The Passage of Scripture. Ephesians 1:5

Eph 1:5 “In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.”

 Some Notes On The Passage

  • “Predestined” is [proorizō, προορίζω] from [pro meaning before] and [orizō meaning to mark out or appoint. It is the root of our English word ‘horizon’ which ‘marks out’ the boundary between the earth and the sky.] God appointed beforehand who would be adopted as His sons. They would become His sons through [faith in] Jesus Christ. It is important to note that God’s choice is not discriminatory but is based on His foreknowledge, as Peter points out in 1Peter 1:2 “who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.” He knows beforehand who will respond to Him and who will not. We don’t!
  • “Adoption as sons” is the combined word [huiothesia, υἱοθεσία]. It is used only by Paul. It denotes that the sonship of believers is conferred on them and established in them by the indwelling Holy Spirit [Rom 8:15] who sets people free from slavery to the law [Gal 4:5.] It is a divine privilege, not a human right! God delighted to bestow this privilege on those who trusted and received His Son [Eph 1:5.]
  • “Purpose” is [eudokia; εὐδοκία] meaning “good pleasure” or “delight.”
  • “Grace” is [charis, χάρις]. It means God’s unmerited favour towards undeserving sinners who turn from their sins and trust in Christ for forgiveness and salvation.
  • “Blessed” is from a similar root to charis. [It is charitoō, χαριτόω which means to bestow on, or to favour.] Believers have been blessed, favoured, by receiving God’s grace in being adopted into His family.
  • This blessing exists “in the Beloved.” Literally, “in [Jesus] the One having been loved.” [Perfect tense of the verb agapaō; ἀγαπάω to love.]

A Suggested Prayer based on Ephesians 1:5

“Heavenly Father, we thank You that in Your eternal plan and purpose You chose to adopt us into Your family as Your children. We thank You that we came into Your family when we put our trust in Jesus as our Saviour and Lord. We thank You that Your grace has been poured out on us in Your beloved Son. Enable us to continually praise You for Your goodness and grace to us in bestowing those blessings on us in Him. Accept our thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.”

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Forgiveness, Prayer, Praying our way through Paul's letter to the Ephesians, Salvation, Spiritual Gems in the New Testament | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

285. The World Needs God’s Healing Love And Power Now! Let’s together pray it into being! Praying through Ephesians.

Posted on September 1, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

I am finding a deep yearning in the hearts of believers in many parts of the world for God to move in a powerful way. The yearning is not just so that believers have a more peaceful life, though we certainly long for that. We look at the indifference of all the nations of the world to the ongoing Muslim slaughter of Christians in Nigeria and in many other parts of the world and we cry out in desperation, “Lord, May Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven!” We want God to intervene directly when it appears humans have no great desire to do so.

We look at the way the world at large is ignoring its Creator and rubbishing Christian values. It involves mocking God’s people, the very people for whom Christ died on a cross. Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, didn’t mock them. He died for them!

We look at nations which were formerly based on Christian values and the emphasis on the rights of the individual and we see a tearing down of those concepts. We see too the pursuit of insanity as “would-be world changers” try to obliterate the historical distinctions between male and female and insert meaningless “categories” of human beings.   Mocking what God has created and inserting other categories in their place is not only insane but highly dangerous as human creatures rebel against their creator.

What can one do especially when time is getting short? Each September, many of us who are older remember the hauntingly beautiful tune and words of “September Song” sung by Frank Sinatra in 1965. The song had these lyrics, “Oh, it’s a long, long time from May to December, but the days grow short when you reach September.”  And later in the song, “Oh, the days dwindle down to a precious few, September, November.” It was not a Christian song but the lyrics remind us that time is running short and opportunities have to be taken lest they be lost for ever! The time to bring more healing into the world is right now, not just some time in the indeterminable future!

My little short-term contribution is to pray through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, praying that the truths embodied in that letter may be experienced in today’s world. The truths are life changing for individuals and have the power to change nations and individuals within the nations if they are known, prayed and acted on.

What I would love to happen as I formulate these prayers in coming blogs is that at least one individual in a nation might pray the prayer and begin a transformation in his or her own situation within their own nation. With readers looking at my blogs from over 185 nations there is that distinct possibility if they pray to God personally. He loves to hear and to answer prayers prayed sincerely to Him from any “insignificant” person anywhere in any “insignificant” part of the world. You will notice of course that I have put “insignificant” in inverted commas because in God’s sight no one is insignificant and He cares for His whole creation. He can do great things through the most unlikely people in the most unlikely places!

The blogs [articles] will feature the passage of scripture from Ephesians first, then some notes on meanings of words and then the suggested prayer. His word is infallible. My suggested prayer will not be. However it is an attempt to get folk praying for God to work a mighty healing in His world and especially in the bodies, minds and spirits of individuals in His world. Many of my friends have children and grand-children facing life-threatening illnesses and I am trusting our prayers will make a difference in the lives of those needy people.

It may take some time to cover Ephesians but I have these 3 articles with suggested prayers already posted on my blog site. They are the following:-

Blog No.192. Praying Our Way Through Paul’s Letter To The Ephesians. Ephesians 1:1-2. A Gracious Greeting about God’s Grace and Peace

Blog No.193. Praying Our Way Through Paul’s Letter To The Ephesians. Ephesians 1:3. Thanking God For What We Have In Christ

Blog No.284. Praying Our Way Through Paul’s Letter To The Ephesians. Ephesians 1:4. We are chosen by God Himself to fulfil His purpose for us in His world.

Blog No.285. Posted on www.jimholbeck.blog on Saturday 01 September 2018.

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Forgiveness, Healing, Prayer, Praying our way through Paul's letter to the Ephesians, Spiritual Gems in the New Testament | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

284. Praying Our Way Through Paul’s Letter To The Ephesians. Ephesians 1:4. We are chosen by God Himself to fulfil His purpose for us in His world

Posted on September 1, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

The passage of Scripture.  Eph 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.”

Some notes on the passage

When did He choose us? Before the foundation of the world! Before anything was made, you and I as believers were in the mind and purpose of God for the world He was to create! Talk about significance! Chosen by Him! Beforehand! It is all of grace!

Why did He choose us? To fulfil His purpose for us in His world.

What was His purpose for us in the world? That we should be “holy and blameless before Him.”

“Holy” is [hagios] meaning basically “set apart”. Set apart from the unbelieving world and set apart to God for His purposes.

“Blameless” is [amōmos] without blemish. The word is used of sacrifices without any blemish and of an unblemished character as well. It is used of Jesus as ‘unstained” in Heb 7:26, “For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.”

“Before” is [katenōpion] meaning “directly in front of” Him. It is interesting that both [amōmos] and [katenōpion] are used together in Jud 1:24 “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy.” God is able to fulfil His purpose for us by His grace even as we stand before Him at the end of time.

A Suggested Prayer

“Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your amazing grace in choosing us to belong to You before the world was made.

We thank You too that You had a purpose in choosing us, that we should be set apart from the world’s ways and its values to belong wholly to You.

We thank You that in Your love and power You give us the grace to live holy lives before You. Forgive us for the times we have not drawn upon Your grace and failed to be Your holy and blameless people.

We thank You for Your promise in Your word that You are able to keep us from stumbling and to present us blameless before Your presence in glory with great joy.”

Please fulfil Your purpose in our lives as we continue to offer ourselves completely to You. We ask these things in Jesus’ name. AMEN.”

Blog No.284. Posted on http://www.jimholbeck.blog on Saturday 01 September 2018

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Forgiveness, Prayer, Praying our way through Paul's letter to the Ephesians, Sanctification, Spiritual Gems in the New Testament | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

283. Factors Influencing Mental Health. Human Enemy No.3. THE ENEMY AGAINST US. THE DEVIL AND THE POWERS OF DARKNESS. (Study 3 of 3.)  

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus that the believers there should be prepared for battle. Not just a future battle, but a battle being fought at the present time. It was a battle for the minds and hearts of humans. He wrote, “Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes” Eph 6:11. In this simple command Paul identifies who the enemy is, the fact he has strategies he employs in the battle and he also mentions the resources needed to win the battle.

  1. WE ARE TO REALISE THAT HUMANS ARE IN A SPIRITUAL CONFLICT

There are powers at work in this world besides the power of God, and these are opposed to Christ and to His people.  We see that in our baptismal vows in which we promise to “renounce the devil and all his works. ” The Cambridge English Dictionary has a definition for “renounce.  It is “to say publicly that you no longer own, support, believe in, or have a connection with something.” The Greek New Testament word is [apotássō ] meaning “to take leave of, bid farewell; to dismiss, forsake, separating oneself from others, places, or things (Mar 6:46; Act 18:18, Act 18:21; 2Cor 2:13).“ [Word Study Bible.] So to renounce the devil is to affirm that you want nothing to do with him or with his purposes in the world. It also means you are affirming that you want to be set free from any lingering influence he has on you.

Jesus spoke of the existence and power of Satan and demons, and delivered people from their power. Peter preached about Jesus saying, “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” Acts 10:38. [“Oppresssed” here is the Greek word [katadunasteuō] made up of the intensive ‘kata’ and the verb to exercise power. The devil seeks to exercise ongoing control over humans.]

CS Lewis wrote that the great strategy of the enemy is to get people to believe that he doesn’t exist or to have them wrongly focussed on Satan and the powers of evil.  Paul knew they still existed but were disarmed, “He [Jesus] disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” Col 2:15. Disarmed but still active!

Paul writes that we need to put on the armour of God in order to know His protection and victory in our lives.

  1. WE ARE TO RECOGNISE WHO IS THE ENEMY AND WHAT ARE HIS STRATEGIES

  • There are 18 references to Satan in the Old Testament and 29 in the New Testament. The passage in Eph 6:11 refers to his “schemes”. The Greek word is [methodeia, compare English ‘method’] which Thayer describes as “ cunning arts, deceit, craft, trickery.” Satan has strategies in place to deceive and trick humans.
  • Some of these strategies have to do with his nature. As the deceiver, he deceives. As diabolos the accuser, he accuses. As the Father of lies He ensures lies are spread.
  • He had the power of death as the writer to the Hebrews indicated, but Jesus died to break that power, “Jesus … that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” Heb 2:14-15.
  • He can afflict people like the afflicted woman in Lk 13:11 “And behold, there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself.” When Jesus healed her he said, “And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” Lk 13:16. Jesus released the hold Satan had on her body so that she became free to  straighten up.  
  • He promotes fear, as Peter warned, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” 1 Pet 5:8. Especially the fear of death, “and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” Heb 2:14-15.
  • He is the tempter who tempted Jesus in the wilderness. He can use people in his temptations. We see how Peter was used when he thought he was acting in love, by trying to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. Jesus replied to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Mk 8:31-33.
  • We also see how Judas was used when he betrayed Jesus, and how he opened himself to an attack of Satan. John records that during the last Supper “the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him.” Jn 13:2. A short time later, after Judas had taken the morsel from Jesus, John adds, “Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly” Jn 13:27. Judas followed through with his intention to betray Jesus. Satan capitalised on Judas’ desire to bring harm to Jesus.
  • Satan blinds people to spiritual realities. Paul wrote about those who were perishing through unbelief and that Satan has blinded them, “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” 2 Cor 4:3-4. The tragic thing about spiritual blindness is that people don’t know they are spiritually blind!

Paul goes on in verse12 to show that Satan has, as his helpers, the powers of darkness.  He lists them as following, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Eph 6:12. We are not just to identify these powers with the structures or the people involved, but with the evil forces operating behind them.

  1. WE ARE TO PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD. Eph 6:13-17

Eph 6:13 “Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” Paul here uses an analogy showing how God’s people could take hold of the victory God could give them. As a soldier would dress up in armour for the battle, so Christians can avail themselves of the armour God supplies to enable them to win the victory. Paul describes the armour in verses 13 to 17. It is a picture similar to that in Isaiah 59:16-17 where God describes how He will bring victory over His enemies, Isa 59:16 “He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him. 17 He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped himself in zeal as a cloak.”

It is interesting to note however that these words are followed by a reference to a coming Redeemer who would bring victory to those who turned to Him from their sins, Isa 59:20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the LORD.” Not only that but it appears this Redeemer would introduce a new covenant with His repentant people involving God’s Spirit being permanently endowed on them, Isa 59:21  “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

What the does the armour signify? It signifies protection from [and victory over] the enemy. It is important to note that the emphasis in this passage is not on the weapons themselves but on the truths they represent. So we look beyond the armour [belt, breastplate, shoes, helmet and sword] to the following realities which are ours in Christ. I mention this because I have found some believers to be in a state of anxiety or even shame because they had forgotten to put on one aspect of the armour on that particular day. So they felt unnecessarily vulnerable, a situation Satan can use to his advantage!

[Perhaps Paul foresaw that when He expressed the same truths in another way. He wrote in simple terms, Rom 13:12 “The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarrelling and jealousy.” So the armour has been simplified to the “armour of light,” meaning the light and life Christ came to bring, John 1:4. But he followed that with an even simpler command, Rom 13:14 “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” ] It is Jesus Himself who bring protection and victory rather than the symbols of His reality. These, then, are the realities behind the symbols of the weapons.

  • TRUTH. The victory is established and held together by truth, Eph 6:14 “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth,” Jesus taught his followers that they would come to know the truth which would set them free. Jn 8:32. “You shall know the truth, and the Truth will set you free.” It is essential to realise that truth is not some vague changeable concept swirling around in space. Rather it is focussed on Jesus. He is the ultimate reality who is the truth about creation [He made it] and the truth about humankind [as the only One who embodied what true humanity should look like]. He is the truth about the way to God, as He affirmed, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Jn 14:6. Truth became incarnate in Jesus who came “full of grace and truth” Jn 1:14. The law may have been given through Moses but “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17. Walking in the truth is dependent on following Jesus as the truth, Eph 4:20 “But that is not the way you learned Christ! 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus.” To look for truth apart from the revelation of Jesus as a person and apart from His teachings is to live in a world of unreality because TRUTH became incarnate in Jesus.
  • RIGHTEOUSNESS. It is expressed in righteousness. “and having put on the breastplate of righteousness.” Paul wrote that Jesus is our righteousness, 1Cor 1:30 “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” Theologians express the truth that Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us as believers and that God sees us as being clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. In that sense then it means that believers look beyond their own righteousness to live in such a way that the righteousness of Christ is seen in their lives openly, as a breastplate would be seen on their person. In other words, the righteousness of Christ being not only imputed to them but also imparted to them and exhibited through them as they live in a vital living faith-union with Him.
  • PEACE. It takes its stand on the fact that peace is available to the people of God. Eph 6:15 “and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.” Such peace is available in and through Jesus who came into the world to bring peace, Eph 2:14 “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility.” He established peace in the world as the Prince of peace, and He establishes peace in the hearts of individuals in the world, who open their hearts to Him. He alone has achieved the reconciliation needed to establish peace, Col 1:20 “and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
  • FAITH. Faith brings victory in difficult situations as the shield of faith is taken up to extinguish the accusations [or the flaming darts] of diabolos, the accuser, the evil one, Eph 6:16 “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.” Again we need to note that Paul is not talking about having faith in faith. Rather it is about having faith in Jesus. Faith in who He is as a person and in what He has done for humans in His death, resurrection, ascension and session at the right hand of God. One of the first books I ever read as a believer I found immensely helpful . It was titled, “Redemption Accomplished and Applied” by Professor John Murray. Redemption was accomplished when Jesus won victory by His death on the cross as His triumphant cry rang out, “It is finished!”  Redemption is being applied as He continues to bestow the gift of the Holy Spirit on those who trust Him for their forgiveness and salvation.
  • SALVATION. The helmet symbolises the protection of the head and the mind, Eph 6:17 “and take the helmet of salvation.” Salvation is not just a concept. It is a gift given by the grace of God to those who receive it freely in Jesus. It is in Him and in Him alone, 2Tim 2:10 “Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” That was the subject of the early preaching in Acts, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved,” Acts 4:12. Having the assurance of the certain hope of salvation equips the people of God for their struggle against the powers of darkness in the world.
  • THE WORD OF GOD. It means wielding the sword of the Spirit [the word of God] as a defensive weapon and as a weapon of attack against the powers of darkness. Eph 6:17 “and take … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” The word of God brings discernment and protects the believer from being deceived and led astray, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Heb 4:12. Jesus promised His followers that they would get answers to their prayers as they continued to abide in Him and in His word, Jn 15:7, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Being in the centre of God’s will by aligning oneself with Jesus as Lord and by aligning oneself with the truths of His word is the ultimate weapon for achieving victory in spiritual warfare.
  • SUPPLICATION. It means looking beyond human resources and praying to God to supply the resources only He can provide for every area of life, including victory in spiritual warfare, Eph 6:18 “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Praying in the Spirit would certainly include praying in tongues but appears to be wider than that. It is the prayer originated by the Holy Spirit Himself, the sort of prayer envisioned in Rom 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” The advantage of such a prayer is that it more in conformity with the will of God, Rom 8:27 “And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Therein is victory!
  • It involves persevering prayer, not only for God to supply our own personal needs, but also to supply the needs of others in the body of Christ, “To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.” That meant for Paul’s Philippian readers that they should continue in their prayer for Paul Himself that he would be bold in presenting the gospel message, Eph 6:19 “and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Paul often wrote about the unity of believers such as in 1Cor 12:25 where he instructed that “there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together.” To be faithful in prayer for other believers was to be in the will of God for His people, for that was what Jesus their Lord and Saviour is doing for His people continually, Heb 7:25 “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”

Victory then is not just knowing what the various weapons are. It is trusting in the risen Christ who embodies in Himself all the meaning behind the symbols of the weapons. Indeed believers should be walking in victory, for as Paul indicated it is our Christian [new] birthright, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Gal 3:27. But he also knew that believers living with a fallen nature in a fallen world needed to consciously maintain their focus on Jesus and become what God had equipped them to become. They had to  “… put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Eph 4:24. That is what victorious Christian living is all about as we recognise and win victories over the methods and strategies of the evil one who would seek to destroy us.

 Blog No.283. Posted on http://www.jimholbeck.blog on Wednesday 29th August 2018

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Forgiveness, Salvation, spiritual warfare | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

282. Factors Influencing Mental Health. Human Enemy No.2. THE ENEMY WITHIN US. The Flesh. Our Fallen Human Nature. (Study 2 of 3.)

Posted on July 20, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

For centuries people have argued whether humans are born good or born evil. Some talk of the ‘innate goodness of humankind” meaning that humans are basically good at heart. But human experience would cast doubt on that theory. It is said that William Golding wrote his book “The Lord of the Flies” as a challenge to R.M. Ballantyne’s novel “The Coral Island” which painted a picture of the adventures of three boys marooned on a South Pacific island, the only survivors of a shipwreck. It was a wonderfully happy existence together on a tropical island. By contrast Golding painted a different picture of “innocent” schoolboys being marooned on an island without any adults being present. However it was not long before the ugly parts of human nature began to surface with murder eventually taking place among them.

Human nature as Jesus saw it

On one occasion some religious teachers asked Jesus a question about what makes humans impure. His answer shows that evil comes from within people, not just from their response to their external environment, “20 What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” Mark 7:20-23. It is interesting to see the emphasis on such behaviour as coming from out of a person, from within and from out of the heart. Interesting too to note that the list contains thoughts and attitudes as well as actions. Not only are many sins listed but they are described as being defiling in verses 20 and 23 and as being evil in verse 23.

 Human nature as St Paul saw it

Though Jesus did not use the word ‘flesh” in this context, the characteristics He described correspond to those outlined by Paul in his description of the “works of the flesh” in Galatians 5:19-21, namely “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these… .”  The “flesh” here refers to unregenerate human nature or the nature humans were born with.

The characteristics of the old nature are seen here in the realms of sex [sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,], the realm of religion [idolatry, sorcery], the realm of society [enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy] and the realm of personal discipline [drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.]

There is an unfortunate over-emphasis in some church groups on the fact that believers have died with Christ and so they suggest that their sin nature no longer exists. They quote verses like those in Rom 6:6 -7 “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.” The deeply disturbing aspect to this is that some boast that they no longer sin, saying that as the flesh nature is gone, then the Spirit alone has influence on them. What they fail to appreciate is that those verses have to be read in context and the verses following provide a warning to such an attitude. Paul is writing to born again believers in Rome and he warns them twice in successive verses, Rom 6:12 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions.” AND Rom 6:13 “Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.” He obviously saw it as a possibility that believers could let sin reign in their bodies and that they could present their bodies to do evil. The encouragement he brought was that believers could have dominion over sin by the grace of God, Rom 6:14 “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace”. Even then we need to realise that “grace” is not only a reference to God’s unmerited favour but refers to God’s enabling by His Spirit. To give way to temptation means they would not be drawing upon God’s grace or help.  While they kept on drawing on God’s grace and enabling, it would mean sin would not have dominion over them.

 Human Nature according to the 39 Articles of the Church of England (and Anglican churches worldwide)

Article IX on Original or Birth-Sin includes these words, “Original Sin …  is the fault and corruption of the Nature of every man, that naturally is ingendered of the offspring of Adam; whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the spirit; and therefore in every person born into this world, it deserveth God’s wrath and damnation. And this infection of nature doth remain, yea, in them that are regenerated”

The last phrase reminds us that when people are born again they do not lose their old fallen nature but it remains in them for as long as they live. However its power can be overcome when they continually and habitually choose to walk by the dictates of the Holy Spirit and not according to the dictates of their old flesh nature.

The inner battle in believers

The problem of our old nature, the flesh, is that it is opposed to the Spirit of God. Gal 5:16ff.  There is an inner battle in all believers for control of their lives. Either God has to be in control by His Spirit or else the old nature brings the desire to rule one’s own life. We need to decide to walk by the Spirit instead of giving way to our old nature. As Paul wrote, Gal 5:16 “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Gal 5:17. This verse has the one command to “walk by the Spirit” and adds the consequence of doing so, namely that one “will not gratify the desires of the flesh” as one continues to walk by the Spirit.

He describes the inner battle or conflict in the life of the believer as due to inner conflicting desires, Gal 5:17  “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Paul tells us in other places that the law is good but it cannot of itself produce goodness. It can show what is right and wrong but has no power to enable us to do the right. Only the Holy Spirit can bring that enabling. In Romans 8 he shows the relevant place of the law and the Spirit for Christian living. We fulfil the law’s requirements when live in the power of our new Spirit-given and Spirit-empowered nature rather than responding to the dictates of old flesh nature. Rom 8:3 “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit”.  Walking by the Spirit actually fulfils what the law has always required in terms of godly living in the will of God.

 Flesh or Spirit? That is the question!

The mind is involved in living the Christian life. One has to follow the dictates of the Holy Spirit and not those of the flesh. One mind-set brings life. The other mind-set brings death as Paul goes on to describe, Rom 8:5 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” The flesh cannot be tamed to conform to the Spirit’s desires nor can it be integrated with the spirit nature to bring about one “nicer” nature in humans.

How the victory is won in the lives of believers

Paul wrote in Philippians that the desire and the empowerment to do the will of God and fulfil His purpose for us comes from the working of the Holy Spirit within us, “work out your salvation … for God is at work in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” Phil 2:12-13. Salvation is a free gift in Christ. However, having accepted that gift, believers must work out the implications of receiving that gift, in their daily living. They are to “work out” in practice what God is “working in” them by His Spirit.

 How can we have victory over the impulses of our fallen nature? By allowing God to keep on filling us with His Spirit as Paul commanded in Eph 5:18, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”  The verb “be filled” is actually a present [imperative] tense which means “keep on being filled.” It is also passive, meaning that we cannot fill ourselves. Only the Lord can do so as we ask Him to fill us.

The Christian life is not a once-for-all filling by the Holy Spirit. Rather it is an ongoing openness to the Lord to enable Him to keep on filling us with His Spirit.  Then and only then will the fruit of the Spirit be continually manifest in and through us, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” These characteristics remain as we remain open to His Spirit, as Paul describes in Gal 5:25 “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” Responding moment by moment to His leading and to His empowering by His Spirit enables believers to live as they should, for Him.

 Blog No. 282 posted on http://www.jimholbeck.blog on Friday 20th July 2018.

(PLEASE NOTE: Study No 1 in this series of of 3 is found in Blogs No. 278 [micro version] and 279 [macro version.])

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Forgiveness, Prayer, Salvation, Sanctification, Temptations, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

281. The Incredible Rescue of Footballers in Thailand. A Prayer-Answering God. Some Thoughts On Psalm 139.

Posted on July 11, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

What do you do about a world increasingly getting into chaos? For example, you have climate and other scientists disagreeing violently with each other over the place of carbon dioxide in so-called global warming. That may be understandable but the decisions of the leaders of many nations as they act on some of the so-called scientific opinions is not so understandable and may prove to be counter-productive to the welfare of their people. In the USA you have a duly elected President who is being ridiculed and mocked by some actors, by some “neutral” TV presenters and by some so-called comedians (who are not humorous but humongous in their crudity.) The American people made a choice but there are some folk who will not accept the result of the elections and are advocating mayhem and violence in a bid to remove the President and anyone associated with him. In other countries you have dictators being elected because they insist they are working for the good of the people when their past actions lend no substance to their claims.

But there is hope. We were reminded of this as we just witnessed the release of 12 young football players and their coach from a flooded cave in Thailand.  Many experts thought it was an impossible situation and certainly many throughout the world were highly motivated to pray for their safety and release. It was an amazing recovery program by the Thai Navy seals helped by courageous volunteers from all over the globe who also risked their lives in the recovery process.  Many see the result as an answer to their prayers.

Does God answer prayers in today’s world? For those who have been in difficult situations and who brought their needs before the Lord and saw their prayers answered, the answer is a resounding “Yes!” However not everyone has a picture in their minds of a benevolent divine being. It is of little help if the picture in our minds is of a capricious god who has no desire to listen to nor care for their needs of those who cry out to Him for help. If you scratch some people deeply enough you find that there is a simmering resentment towards God for some perceived “failure” on His part towards them or towards members of their families. The writer to the Hebrews put it quite bluntly, “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” Heb 11:6. The writer saw 2 things as necessary in approaching God. The first is to believe that He actually exists. The second is to believe that His character is such that He wants to reward those who do seek Him.

This is similar to what Jesus taught when He said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Mat 7:7-11. It is not enough to think God exists. Humans have to be proactive in asking, seeking and knocking to enable Him to bestow good things on those who approach Him in faith.

In some previous articles I looked at Psalm 139 which contains some of the most profound concepts of the characteristics of God one can find anywhere. In brief David describes God as the Searching God who knows everything about us. He then turns that statement about God [“O LORD, you have searched me and known me!” Ps 139:1] into prayer at the end of the Psalm, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!  Ps 139:23.] What David does is to base his prayer of openness to God in verse 23 on the attributes of God he has described throughout the whole Psalm.

I thought it might be helpful to have the links to those articles gathered in the one place in this article. You can open any of these articles by clicking on the number at the beginning of each subject.

139. An Outline Of Psalm 139. The Character Of The God Who Knows, Loves And Cares. Series No.1 of 7.

140. God Knows Everything About You And Still Loves You. Psalm 139:1-6. Series No.2 of 7

141. The God Who Is Present Everywhere. Psalm 139:7-12. Series No.3 of 7.

142. The Omnipotent God. He Can Do All Things. He Made Us. Psalm 139:13 18. Series No.4 of 7.

143. A Prayer Of Openness To God. Psalm 139:23-24. Series No.5 of 7.

144. Using The Truths Of Psalm 139 In Counselling Situations. Series No.6 of 7.

145. Applying The Truths Of Psalm 139 In Counselling Situations. Series No.7 of 7.

146. Praying To Bring About A Better World. Psalm 139:23-24.

(NOTE: Much of the same material can be found on my Kindle book ‘The Searching and Knowing God who Knows and Cares” based on Psalm 139, on this link (   )

Blog No.281. Posted on http://www.jimholbeck.blog  on Wednesday 11th July 2018

Posted in BIBLE PASSAGE OUTLINES, Bible verses. Comments, Creation, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Healing, Prayer, Real Life Stories, Studies in Psalm 139, TOPICS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

280. An amazing, amazing story! An “insignificant” man who made a “SIGNIFICANT” contribution to this world. “Heaven tonight?”

Posted on May 31, 2018 by Jim Holbeck

Sometimes we wonder whether we have ever made any sort of impact for good in the life of another person. At a recent dinner I was reminded of the story of an ordinary fellow who tried to help others find faith in God but who didn’t realise the impact he had had directly and indirectly on multitudes of people.

It is of personal interest to me as I have met a couple of folk who were “accosted” in George Street, Sydney by the gentleman in question. One of them was in clerical gear as a clergyman. He was shocked to be asked whether he knew or not if he would go to heaven if he died that night. He knew he was right with God but was delighted that someone cared enough to ask him and others the question.

It is of interest for me too as I often walked down George Street in Sydney when I was doing National Service in the Royal Australian Navy in Sydney (Oh dear, some 63 years ago!) and sometimes was accosted by similar folk wanting to convert me. “Fortunately” I had a good side-step (honed by playing football in the Australian Navy Rugby Union team at that time ) and was able to go on my way unhindered. But how great is the Lord who touched my life just a few years later and eventually had me ministering for 18 years as the Leader of the Healing Ministry in St Andrew’s Cathedral in George Street just a short distance from where this man used to try to interest people in the gospel message.

Mention is made of the wonderful dynamic Gymea Baptist church where I had the privilege of being invited to do seminars on Healing. Little did I know then of the “insignificant” fellow in that fellowship who had made such a “significant” contribution to the Kingdom of God by his faithful ministry over many years.

Because most of my readers live in the USA it would be great for my USA friends to pass the link on to others. The fellow probably met up with thousands of U.S. servicemen and women and business folk over the years and it would not surprise me to hear that a friend of an American reader might say, “I remember that fellow” or “I knew someone he accosted in George Street many years ago.” With readers from over 180 countries there may be others around the world who might have met him in Sydney!

I know you will be moved by his amazing story and so will others with whom you share it. It is free to share being on You Tube.

Blog No.280. Posted on http://www.jimholbeck.blog on Thursday 31st May 2018.

Posted in Evangelism, Faithfulness, Forgiveness, Real Life Stories, Salvation, TOPICS, Tributes | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment