CONNECTED THROUGH PRAYER: The Focus of Our Praying

 

and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.  (Ephesians 6:19-20)

If such a spiritual giant as the Apostle Paul sensed a desperate need for others to pray for him, then I know I must have this—and, I suspect, you would feel the same.  Paul doesn’t pen these words from a palace, but a prison.  He was in chains; the Devil had painted a big target on him, and was launching attack after attack.

In those conditions, wouldn’t anyone pray for freedom?

The Apostle does, but the central focus of his request isn’t about getting his body out of a cell, but getting the Gospel out of his mouth!  While I would tend to whine about the deplorable conditions of the dungeon, the paramount plea of this man of God is for boldness in witness.  May we learn this vital lesson today, if we do not grasp any other.

As a pastor, I beg you to pray for me!  There are many matters you could intercede about, but the need for me to speak God’s Word with authority, clarity, liberty and urgency are hugely important.  Do I seek this from God, and will you as a church member pray this for your pastor?

Just last night, news came from Houston, Texas about how the lesbian mayor there has subpoenaed the sermons of pastors she thought might have spoken against the homosexual agenda she is aggressively promoting.  Her efforts are being joined by a chorus of others seeking to chill free speech being expressed in the pulpits.  It seems that this type of thing is only going to intensify as time goes by.  The champions of tolerance will tolerate anything except truth.  No practice is evil except to speak against sin.  Society is to be inclusive of anything except the exclusivity of the Gospel.

Pray for your pastor to speak with authority.  Paul called himself, “an ambassador.”  His authority was in his appointment from heaven.  We stand as God’s representative in this world—and the Devil doesn’t like it!

Pray for your pastor to speak with clarity.  The Apostle was never one to tip-toe around the truth.  He was quite plain spoken.  He saw his purpose as, “to make known the mystery of the gospel.”  My job isn’t to be so profound that you are impressed with my vocabulary, but to be so simple that even a child can grasp the message.  If you don’t understand what the preacher is saying, then what is the point of saying it?

Pray for your pastor to speak with liberty.  Paul requests prayer so, “that utterance may be given to me.”  When he opened his mouth, he wanted something to come out.  He wanted freedom of thought that would bring liberty of expression.  He didn’t want to stutter, but to utter!  Any pastor can tell you when he has liberty in his delivery of a sermon—and the horror of being bound up—and I suspect the congregation notices also!  That should lead you to pray for our liberty,

Pray for your pastor to speak with urgency.  Twice, the Apostle uses the word, “boldly.”  The pressure outside the man of God was for him to back down, tone it down, clam up, and then be able to walk away from his cell.  But, that would also mean to walk away from his call!  Pray for courage of conviction—our time here is marked by the brevity of opportunity and the gravity of eternity to follow.  This presses upon us the urgency of speaking now—sharing often, with passion and conviction.  Sunday’s sermon isn’t the performance of an actor, but the pleading of a rescuer crying for souls to be saved from the wrath that is to come.

Pray for your pastor—and all those who stand to speak for God!  Remember that as a Christian, you are God’s representative to your family, your neighborhood, your school, your work—wherever you go.  My prayer is that you would speak boldly as you ought to speak!

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save. (Fanny Crosby)

 

 

CONNECTED THROUGH PRAYER: The Facets of Our Praying

 

praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints  (Ephesians 6:18)

Like a diamond with its many facets, giving the precious gem its sparkle and shine, so there are many facets to this rich treasure we call prayer.

Prayer is worship.  It is making a connection with God where we praise Him for who He is and we thank Him for what He has done.

Prayer is work.  I recall the late Ron Dunn saying that “Prayer doesn’t just fit us for the work—prayer is the work.”  When I work, I work, but when I pray God works!

Prayer is warfare.  The context of Ephesians 6:18 is significant.  Paul has presented the classic passage on spiritual warfare in verses 10-17.  In describing the adversary we confront and detailing the armor for combat, he proceeds to define the arena of conflict.  This spiritual battle is fought in the prayer dimension. It is against spiritual forces of evil and requires spiritual weapons to attain victory.  This power is accessed by prayer.

The pervasive nature of this is found in the phrase, “praying always.”  There is never a time, nor a place that prayer is not appropriate.  While the act of praying, if meaning bowing the head, folding the hands, bending the knee, and speaking the words is being called for, then we cannot do that continually.  But, if we understand this as the attitude of prayer—the connection of God in our heart and mind that leads to a disposition of communion with Him—then this is to be something we may practice continually.

The preeminent nature of this is presented with, “with all prayer.”  There are many dimensions to prayer.  We can pray standing up, sitting down, kneeling or prostrate.  We can be loud, or silent—or something in between.  We can pray in private or in public.  Prayers may be in the form of celebration, contemplation, contrition and much more.  There is petition, supplication and intercession.  Its boundless nature is a testimony to its preeminent quality.

The provisional nature of this is meant by “supplication.” You see the root word, “supply.” We ask God to supply our need and the needs of others.  This verse concludes with, “supplication for all the saints.”  We would not even have a crust or crumb without asking, “give us this day our daily bread,” as Jesus taught us to pray.  Prayer humbles us as we acknowledge our dependency on God.  It strips away our self-centeredness as we plead for others.

The powerful nature of this is seen as we pray, “in the Spirit.”  Because we are weak, and do not know how to pray as we ought, we must rely on the Holy Spirit to guide us in the will of God (see Rom.8:26-27).  When we pray in alignment with His will, then nothing is beyond the reach of our requests, for we have brought Omnipotence into the situation.

The protective nature of this is acknowledged in the exhortation, “being watchful to this end.”  As alluded to previously, Satan is lurking near—ready to strike.  We must pray with our eyes open!  The Christian is a sentry at his post when he prays to fortify his soul, his home, and his church against the attack of the Wicked One.

The persistent nature of this is stated as, “with all perseverance.”  You will always be tempted to give up.  Often the answer is delayed, though not denied, unless we depart from patiently praying.  Many texts point to the need of persevering prayer.  We are not overcoming the reluctance of a stingy Father, but overcoming the resistance of a spiritual foe.  This builds our faith muscle as it is tested, and although potentially changing the situation, will always change us as we spend much time in prayer.

Prayer is hard.  It is a struggle.  Satan will seek to distract you with a multitude of distractions and diversions—even good things that keep you from the main thing.  Seek God—passionately and persistently—and do not think you can live one moment without this oxygen of the soul.  When all is said and done, there is sadly more said about prayer than is done.  So, as Nike famously put it, “JUST DO IT!”

CONNECTED THROUGH PRAYER

 

praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints  (Ephesians 6:18)

There is much we can do after we pray, but nothing can be done until we pray.  If there is a desperate need in the church today, it is a renewed zeal for prayer.  Without this direct connection with heaven, the power we need to fulfill our mission is short-circuited.  The church is tasked with a work so great that it is humanly impossible, and demands heavenly intervention.  This requires our holy intercession.

Do we not recall the scene nearly 2,000 years ago in that upper room where 120 believers gathered?  They connected with each other in fervent prayer and connected with God Almighty through His Son.  The Holy Spirit came down in response—and the world has never been the same.  It was a dark and demonic time—a world in bondage to idolatry and immorality.  Paganism was pervasive.  But, God would raise up an army to march against the gates of Hell—and they would prevail through prayer.  The advance of the church is always on her knees.

It has been said that on the Day of Pentecost those first Christians prayed for ten days, preached for ten minutes, and three thousand were converted.  Today, we pray for ten minutes, preach for ten days, and if three get saved, we declare a revival has come!

It is time for the church to recover the prayer connection, and understand the reality of an old hymn we used to sing:

Brethren, we have met to worship and adore the Lord our God;
Will you pray with all your power, while we try to preach the Word?
All is vain unless the Spirit of the Holy One comes down;
Brethren, pray, and holy manna will be showered all around.

Sisters, will you join and help us? Moses’ sister aided him;
Will you help the trembling mourners who are struggling hard with sin?
Tell them all about the Savior, tell them that He will be found;
Sisters, pray, and holy manna will be showered all around.  (George Atkins)

Will you?

CONNECTED IN SERVICE: Expressing God's Praise in Service

speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God. (Ephesians 5:19-21)

In all we do, our aim as the people of God is to glorify Him.  Service can be holy, or it can be hypocritical.  It may be that the outward manifestation appears good--in our giving, our praying, our fasting, and the like (see Matt.6:1-18)--but the inward motivation is bad: to be seen of men.  Our "service to God" becomes self-serving, and God doesn't judge by outward appearance. He looks at the heart (1 Sam.16:7).

Our singing should honor God.  Our aim is music that glorifies God.  It honors Him when it is given in a heartfelt desire to praise Him.  It is "singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord"  We stir each other to join, and we instruct one another when the lyrics are full of Scripture.  Notice, there is a variety of types of music, "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" but a united passion to glorify God--not to be impressed by a musician's talent.

Sadly, too many Christians are more concerned with style than substance--too consumed with what blesses them than how they bless God.  It misses the whole point, doesn't it?  When we demand a particular preference or we pout, it ignores our call to submit to one another.  If an older generation wants Southern Gospel and stops singing when a contemporary song is shared, what does that communicate to the young members present?  It is self-serving.  If teens and young adults scorn the traditions of an older generation, refusing to participate in worship unless there is a wailing guitar and flashing lights, that too is self-serving.  Such attitudes--and I understand these are generalizations--are wrong.

Our speaking should honor God.  The objective is messages that glorify God.  Our mouths should continually express gratitude, "giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."  Complaints and criticisms are corrosive--eating away at the connection of believers to each other.  This is a self-serving attitude, that exhibits itself in our speech, for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.  On the other hand, a grateful soul expresses itself in thanksgiving--irrespective of the circumstances.  It is praise that is perpetual, "always," pervasive, "for all things," and pointed, "to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Our submitting should honor God.  The goal is ministry that glorifies Him, "submitting to one another in the fear of God."  When I stoop to serve fellow believers, I am actually serving Christ (read Matt.25:31-46).  Submission is not a popular concept in our world.  We assert our rights.  God wants us instead to assume our responsibilities.  How can I know if I have a heart submissive to God?  By my willingness to serve those made in His image.  What would our church gatherings be like if we connected in service?

CONNECTED IN SERVICE: Unleashing God's Power for Service

And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)

God never asks us to do something without equipping us for the task.  The work He has assigned to His church cannot be accomplished with human ingenuity and ability; it takes the power of Almighty God.  Yet, the corollary is that God does not do His work apart from us.  In His omniscience, He has chosen to make us channels of His omnipotence.  The very Spirit of God indwells His Body, the church, and we become Christ's hands and feet to the world.  When we share the Gospel, the Spirit calls sinners to Christ in transforming power.

The Spirit resides in every believer.  But, to be filled with the Spirit means more--it means He presides over us!  The command to refuse being filled with wine and instead receive the fullness of the Spirit are linked together for a reason.  This is not the first time that connection has been made.  When the Holy Spirit first invaded the church on the Day of  Pentecost, the believers were accused of being drunk.  A careful reading of Peter's response shows that he was not so much denying they were drunk, but that they were not drunk with wine--they were intoxicated with God!

When a person is drunk with wine, they have chosen to be under the control of alcohol.  It affects negatively everything about them--the way they think, how they see, how they talk, how they walk, and alters their very personality.  In a positive way, when we are filled with the Spirit, we have submitted to His control, and we think in a different way, see from another perspective, talk with a new vocabulary, walk in obedience to Christ, and lose our inhibitions in taking a bold stand for the Lord!

This is not meant to be a rare experience of an elite few Christians.  Being Spirit-filled is the normative standard for all God's people.  I  once heard that this is not so much a promise to claim as a command to keep!  If i disobey God and get drunk, it is sin.  If I am not filled with the Spirit, it is likewise sin--and will lead to more sin!  On the other hand, if the Spirit of Holiness fills me, sin has no room to operate.  We cannot be full of self and full of the Spirit.  Our passion should be that of John the Baptist who said of Jesus, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30)

Apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5), but with Him, we can do all things (Phil.4:13)!  Let us confess our sin and be cleansed, asking God to empty us of self and fill us with Himself.  Moment by moment, as we submit to the Lord, we can walk in the fullness of the Spirit and serve Christ with freedom and fruitfulness.  That is the connection that unleashes the power of God in my service.  What an impact we can have on our world, when a local church has Spirit-filled members connected with each other!  We can be like those in the first-century who, upside down" (Acts 17:6).  Really, it is putting it right-side up!  Isn't it about time?

CONNECTED THROUGH WORDS: Honest Speech

 

Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.  “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.  Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. (Ephesians 4:25-28)

Our Triune God is a God of truth: God the Father speaks truth (Isa.45:19); God the Son declared Himself to be Truth (John 14:6); God the Holy Spirit is described as “The Spirit of truth” (John 16:13).  Therefore, His children bear His likeness is speaking the truth.

Deception is of the Devil, who is “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).  Those who belong to him are marked by an habitual nature of lying, and the end is judgment in the Lake of Fire (Rev.21:8).

It isn’t that a believer is incapable of lying, or else Paul would not warn us about it, “putting away lying” (Eph.4:25a).  The one who is regenerate might lapse into telling a lie, but he or she will not have a lifestyle dominated by lies.

Yet, it is not enough in the church to exclude deceptive talk, we must embrace honest speech, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor” (Eph.4:25b).  Words that are faithful and true build connection, “for we are members of one another.” (Eph.4:25c)  A person’s commitment can be counted on because they are people of integrity.  We do not lie to others because we do not want them to lie to us.

Honest speech is helpful and hopeful, therefore, it is not ultimately harmful.  That doesn’t mean it is always painless.  Truth may demand reproof and rebuke, but then adds a word of encouragement and instruction (2 Tim.4:2).  Think of it as a surgeon’s scalpel that hurts in order to heal.  Confronting error and sin with truth, however, is not for condemnation, but compassion.  It doesn’t drive people down in despair over their failure, but lifts them up with hope for their future.  We have a responsibility to help make the body healthy because we are members of that body—each of us affecting the others.

Connection can be disrupted by deception and disloyalty, and a congregation can also be divided by angry words.  There will be times that anger rises as an emotion—the response of righteousness to injustice.  That, in and of itself, is not wrong.  God becomes righteously indignant toward evil and its horrible cost.  Anger can move us to promote that which is good and stand against what it wrong.  The problem is that if anger is not expressed in a righteous way, it is such a powerful emotion that it becomes a corrosive force poured out on another in a sinful way. “Be angry, and do not sin” (Eph.4:26a). Sadly, that is typically how anger is unleashed in the church, as people bite and devour one another.

You cannot just hold anger inside, and let it become bitterness either—for then it eats away at you, “do not let the sun go down on your wrath” (Eph.4:26b).  It can become like a volcano, with pressure building and building, until one day we explode with destructive force.  That’s why we find the source of anger and ask God for grace to overcome.  We do it right away—and do not let the sunset with it smoldering within.  If we need to meet with someone, and settle the matter, we do it as soon as possible, to speak with honesty and yet not brutality—the object being reconciliation.  If that doesn’t work, then there is a process of the involvement of other godly people in mediation, and that failing, the church as a whole calls for reconciliation (Matt.18:15-19).  If that strong medicine doesn’t cure the issue, then the member may have to be excluded as a diseased member of the Body which can kill that local church.  Even so, the discipline is in hope that it brings repentance that leads to reconciliation.

Some people are like a stick of dynamite with a short fuse, ready to blow up at the slightest spark of provocation.  They walk around with a chip on their shoulder, daring someone to knock it off.  We are warned, “nor give place to the devil.” (Eph.4:27).  When this is permitted in the congregation, it is like going to the front door of the church, and inviting the Devil to come in and destroy the church!

Speaking the truth in love is our goal—and when we do, we give a treasure that enriches another spiritually.  “Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.” (Eph.4:28). When we speak in slander or in rage, we rob others of their reputation and their joy.  The former strengthens our connection with other Christians, while the latter severs it. 

You have a choice about what you say and how you say it, and your words will make a difference.

CONNECTED THROUGH WORDS

 

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.  (Ephesians 4:29)

Communication breakdown—it is a problem that will destroy a marriage, degrade a business, defeat a team, and defile a church.  There is no connection to others without communication with them—and communication of the proper kind.  How can a couple sustain a relationship where there is not the communication of love?  Will a business be successful if the management and employees do not speak in a way that motivates the workers to produce and the customers to invest?  Can a team be a winner without the coaches and players communicating the game plan clearly and inspirationally with each other?  Is it possible for a church to accomplish her mission unless the shepherds speak the truth of God’s word in love and the members evangelize the sinners and edify the saints?  Where there is the proper communication, there will be a powerful connection.

Do you recall the Biblical story of the tower of Babel?  Sinful men, in rebellion against God’s decree to fill the earth instead gathered together and began to construct an idolatrous tower, reaching toward heaven.  God tore up their little playhouse.  All He had to do was to bring a communication breakdown by confusing their speech and the building project ceased.

Pentecost brought a reversal of Babel.  God’s Spirit came down and supernaturally gifted the followers of Christ with an ability to communicate with others, irrespective of their language.  It was a remarkable moment that led to nearly 3,000 new converts and would begin to build a bridge to carry the message of salvation to the ends of the earth.  This time the unified speech would not be to stubbornly resist God’s will, but to submissively respond to it.

God’s plan is to clearly communicate His truth in love with His church and then through His church.  We may be sure that Satan seeks to bring communication breakdown as his counterattack to roll back the assault on his dark kingdom.  The Infernal One pushes back against truth by messengers who communicate error.  He stirs up hateful speech to fight loving words.

Our response determines the outcome.  Truth is always more powerful than lies and love will forever overcome hate—but, not if we are living according to the old fleshly way of responding, rather than the new spiritual way of behaving.

The choice we make in this is quickly disclosed.  Words reveal our thoughts.  The tongue is the bucket that draws out what flows in the well of our hearts.  Listen to what we say and how we say it and we will know whether there is a loving communication or a lost connection being made.

CONNECTED IN UNITY: The Source of Unity

 

 

“There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6)

God is the source of unity.  He is Triune: Father, Son and Spirit, and yet in perfect harmony—oneness with three Persons—we might say in tri-unity.  Now, He not all calls us to follow His model, but furnishes the means for doing so by His very life indwelling us.

Seven times, “one” is used in these three verses to convey God’s expectation for His people.  Seven is the number of completeness and this expresses the complete communion intended for the saints.

We are to be “one body.”  Just as a physical body, with many organs and parts all together working for the good of the person, so the church and her members function like this if healthy.

We share “one Spirit.”  The same Spirit that indwells me, indwells you.  He gifts us in different ways, but every believer has the same Holy Spirit.  He is not the blessing of a privileged few.

We have “one hope,” and that is the hope of Heaven.  Our destiny is glory, where we will abide with all the saints of all the ages.  You may as well get to enjoying your brothers and sisters down here, because you are going to be spending forever with them!

We bow to “one Lord.”  We are fellow citizens of the same Kingdom of God.  All of us have united our voices in pledging allegiance to the Lamb.

We possess “one faith.”  Someone might argue that denominations among Christians run counter to this—and they can.  But, another way to look at denominations is that they are different members of the same universal Body—the local church a microcosm of the worldwide church.  Each has something unique to contribute, but all have a common faith.  Bible-believing Christians, irrespective of some differences around the edges of doctrine are in agreement on the fundamentals of the faith.  If they don’t believe the basics, they aren’t “Christian” no matter the claim they make.

We have “one baptism.”  Again, how can this be a point of unity, when it is one of the issues where Christians disagree?  Some baptize by immersion and some by sprinkling or pouring.  The fact is that even though believers may debate the mode of baptism, they do not dispute the meaning of baptism.  It is a public confession of Christ as Lord—dying to our old life and rising to a new life.  It is the outward testimony of the spiritual reality of baptism into the one Body of Christ by the one Spirit.

We worship “one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”  There is only one God.  He is the object of every true believer’s faith and devotion.  We share Him as the Father who has birthed us into God’s family, making us brothers and sisters.  Four times, the word “all” is driven with the hammer of Truth, nailing us down into relationship with each other—fixed, firm and final!

Unity among believers, then, is the work of God and a testimony to His nature.  Disunity comes from a different location and smells of brimstone and sulfur.  May we be one in the bond of love!

CONNECTED IN UNITY: The Struggle for Unity

 

 

“endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)

Anything worth having demands a price to be paid.  The old exercise mantra transcends every dimension of life: “No pain; no gain.”  If you want a successful business, you must work for it.  If you want a baby, you must deliver it.  If you want to lose weight, you must discipline yourself.  If we want unity in the church, we must fight for it!

That sounds like a contradiction doesn’t it?

But unity doesn’t come without endeavor.  God wants it, and so Satan fights against it.  The Spirit is in a war with our self-centeredness, to overthrow the flesh and have a victorious fellowship.  Jesus died an indescribable death to yield this precious fruit—connecting us to God and to one another.  Shall we not invest our energies in getting and guarding unity?

It is worth fighting for—and strive for it we must!

Our world is coming apart.  The result of sin is, “We have turned, every one, to his own way.”  (Isa.53:6b).  Insisting on our own way turns us away from God’s way, and isolates us from each other.  The ultimate expression of this is, “wars and rumors of wars…nation will rise against nation” (Matt.24:6a, 7a).  The dissolution of our society is witnessed in every conceivable manner: fragmented by ethnicity, gender, age, class, politics, and on and on.

The church is to be different.  We have only one King—and one law—the law of love.  Any threat to the union of saints is to be met with a rapid and forceful response.  Our defenses cannot be relaxed for a moment.  The smallest disagreement over the most trivial of matters confined to only two church members may be the tiny virus that enters the Body and kills it!

By battling and beating strife, we maintain the bond of peace.  The peace in our church is the best advertisement for the Prince of Peace, Who claims our absolute allegiance. 

In a war-weary world, there will be sinners seeking some solace.  Too often they turn to drugs, drink or some other means to numb the pain.  That is only a temporary relief—and in the end only produces more heartache.

What if instead we offered an oasis of peace in a desert of divisiveness?  What if our church were a refuge of harmony in this hate-filled environment?  Perhaps the empty pews that too often result from brothers and sisters wickedly warring against one another would be filled with those seeking the peace that Jesus brings.  It’s worth fighting for!

CONNECTED IN UNITY: The Spirit of Unity

 

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love” (Ephesians 4:1-2)

It is fine to talk about love—we should.  But, our performance demonstrates the reality of our profession.  The church has often been known to affirm love as a principle, but fail to act lovingly as a practice.  Loving activity begins with a loving attitude.  The fruit of connection with others grows from the root of compassion for others.  That is what Paul is getting at in these verses of Ephesians.

He writes from prison, yet is utterly free.  His body may be behind bars, but his spirit soars.  Caesar may be his jail keeper, but God is the one who is Master—it is solely for the cause of Christ, and no real crime, that the Apostle is in a dungeon.  The world might brand him riff-raff, but he knows he is a ruler—that a noble calling belongs to him as a child of the King.  He is called to love God and love the church.  Even in a place where he might have fallen prey to the “woe is me” pity-party, he focuses instead on others.  That is the nature of love.

We are called to connection.  Our call is from God’s Spirit to connect with Christ, as separated sinners are summoned saints.  That connection with Christ places us in community with Christians.  Our lifestyle then is to be an expression of this—“to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.”  

How do we do this?

Four legs hold up this banqueting table of love:  humility, gentleness, patience and acceptance.  Paul says the spirit of unity is marked by, “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love.”  Feast your eyes on these traits.

There is to be an attitude of humility.  We take offense when we perceive some slight against ourselves.  But, if we are about stooping to serve, then we focus on ministry to others rather than magnifying ourselves in a self-serving way.  You can tell if you have a servant’s heart by how you react when someone treats you like one!  Jesus is our model, taking up the basin and towel to wash the filthy feet of His followers though He was King of kings and Lord of lords!

Then, we are called to an attitude of gentleness.  People are fragile.  They need extra care.  This is the spirit of Christ which He expressed this way, “A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench” (Matt.12:20a)  If the stem of a plant is bent and bruised, only a gentle touch can nurse it back to health.  Handle it roughly and it will be broken and never bloom again.  If a wick is only smoldering, it demands a gentle breath to reignite it.  Blow too forcefully and it will be blown out and its light extinguished.  This is the delicate side of disciple-making.

Furthermore, we are called to an attitude of patience.  All of us are a work in progress.  None of us are perfect yet.  As we want others to be patient with us, we are to be patient with them.  Some in the church are lovable and it is no chore to show them love.  Others are difficult, and yet that is how we develop love.  Think of them as God’s sandpaper sent to polish us into the beauty of Christ.  Think of that crowd of disciples Christ would mold into Apostles; it was hard to be patient with such.  Yet, he was.  Christ saw Peter as the Rock—not for what he was at the time, but for what he was eventually going to be.

Finally, we are called to an attitude of acceptance.  If a Holy God has accepted someone into His family, then I must accept them as my brother or sister.  Our appeal is to come to Christ, “Just as I am…” as the invitation hymn conveys.  This doesn’t mean all our conduct is acceptable.  The Spirit will continue to confront us lovingly with the need of growing in grace.  But, it means that we are fully accepted in Christ.  It is because of our connection to Him that the Father accepts us.  Thus, we will not always like what a person does, but we can always love them for who they are in Christ.  We may need to even confront them and correct them in a compassionate way.  It is for their good and the good of the Body—and ultimately for the glory of God that we do so!  Yet, I have found that most of my time needs to focus on working on me rather than fixing others—to extract the log from my eye before I try to see how to remove a splinter from someone else’s eye!

Can you imagine the environment of the church where such a spirit of love reigns?  May this be our daily prayer and demonstrable practice—to walk worthy of our calling to be like Christ!

CONNECTED IN UNITY

 

“endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  (Ephesians 4:3)

If you knew you knew you were facing certain death, what would you be thinking?  If you had the opportunity before the end of your life to pray, what would you ask for?

Jesus knew He was to be crucified and standing in the shadow of the cross we also know what was on His mind and what He prayed for; it is documented in John’s Gospel.  Here is a repeated theme in that prayer:

I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  (John 17:20-21)

He prayed not only for those disciples—He prayed for us—for all who would believe the Gospel.  His prayer was for us to be connected in unity, and that unity would be the most convincing evidence of the Gospel message.

What a powerful force is unleashed when we are one in the bond of peace!  No wonder then that Paul calls us in Ephesians 4:3 to make every effort toward such unity.

I heard Dr. W.A. Criswell, the late pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas share a story at the largest gathering ever of the Southern Baptist Convention.  It illustrates this point so well:

Years ago, I saw a pathetic picture in Life Magazine.  A little boy had been lost in a horizon-to-horizon Kansas wheat field, had wandered away from the house, and had lost his way in the vast sea of standing stalks.  Frantically, the parents had searched for the small child to no avail.  The sympathizing neighbors helped, but without success.  Finally, someone suggested they join hands and comb the fields by sections.  The picture I saw was the sorrowing neighbors with the family standing over the dead body of the little boy, and the cry of the father printed as the caption below: “Oh, if only we had joined hands before!”

All around us are souls that are perishing.  Together we can reach them.  In competition with other churches, or in conflict with other Christians, we will never have the combined strength that comes through a connected witness. Why don’t we join hands and hearts today as the people of God? 

CONNECTED IN CHRIST: Our Common Architecture

 

“having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”  (Ephesians 2:20-22)

Paul has described Christ’s followers as saints who are set apart for Him, subjects who are citizens of God’s Kingdom, sons who are part of God’s family and now as sanctuaries who house God’s Spirit.

In each of these analogies, the connection with Christ results in a connection with each other.  There isn’t a special category for an elite group of Christians called, “saints,” but all of those who belong to Christ are saints.  A Kingdom isn’t composed of a single citizen, but all those bound together in allegiance to the King.  Nor are we an “only child” in God’s household, but there are many sons and daughters.  It’s a big family!

This devotional will focus on how the Sovereign Architect has laid Christ as the Cornerstone, and from Him established foundational truth from the apostles of the New Testament and prophets of the Old Testament to build His spiritual temple.  Every believer is cemented together by love in this marvelous construction filled with the Spirit and manifesting His glory.

Everything is bound to Christ—there is no church without that connection to Him as the Cornerstone.  The structure cannot stand without the solid foundation.  God’s inerrant, infallible and immutable message written by His inspired messengers give us the canon of Scripture—that is the measure by which we test and align all that are then built upon this foundation.  The foundation is unshakable.

We are “fitted together,” as individual stones with different shapes and sizes.  None of us are identical, but all are essential in the construction—formed precisely according to the Architect’s design.  The fit is unbreakable.

There is growth.  Paul says the church, “grows into a holy temple in the Lord.”  Spanning the centuries, bridging the continents and cementing the cultures, God’s intent is for an ever-increasing sanctuary.  There is always room for another stone to be added until God decides to cap it off at the consummation of the age.  Thus, we welcome into our local church all those who have been received into God’s church.  The frame is unmatchable.

Driving this home, we are, “built together.”  Not of bricks and mortar, but living beings who have each been recipients of grace and expressed a common faith in Christ.  No termite can devour it, no fire can consume it, no weapon can destroy it and no storm can collapse it.  The fortifying is indestructible.

The same Holy Spirit that indwells you inhabits me, and all believers have become the Temple of God.  We are connected in Christ!

CONNECTED IN CHRIST: Our Mutual Acquaintance

 

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19)

From aliens to citizens and from strangers to sons—this is what happens when we are connected in Christ.  According to Paul we become one with all the “saints.”  That is the birthright of every believer.  It isn’t true of a select few, but is the status of all the elect.

Saints!  We may picture an elite class of Christians—their renown preserved in stained glass or statues.  They are Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint Matthew or Saint Bartholomew.  But, that is erroneous thinking.  We dare not omit Saint Bob, Saint Bill, and even Saint Dennis!  And what of Saint Louise, Saint Sue or Saint Polly?  I know a saint named Marilyn!  She is my wife—and living with me requires that she would need to be!  Here is the reality: every follower of Christ—the weakest, the virtual unknown—all are saints.

Right now in our nation there is a great alarm about illegal immigration.  It seems the borders are virtually open to a flood of aliens to enter.

That can’t be in the Kingdom of God.  The border of Heaven is barred to every alien.  None may enter illegally.  The walls are too high and the gates are too strong.  You cannot swim the river—it is too wide.  But, there is a legal way for everyone who desires to enter.  We must pledge allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ—and the moment we do, we are immediately welcomed into citizenship in His Eternal Kingdom!

It would be folly to open your house to any stranger that wanders by.  Instead we have locks on our doors and many even purchase security systems.  Leave the door open and let anybody and everybody in—and that would prove destructive to your property and deadly to your family.

The New Jerusalem is heavily fortified.  Its defenses are impenetrable.  An army of angels guards its gates.  But, all sons of God are made welcome!  Just as your children are given the key to your house, so God takes the stranger and adopts those who follow Christ into His family!  The key of faith in Christ is placed in our hand.

What we were—foreigners and strangers—we are no more.  Now we who are connected in Christ have the status of citizens and sons!  That is true of each of us personally, but is also true of all of us corporately.  Note that, “fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” is in the plural.  Our connection to Christ is in context of our connection with one another.  Each of us has the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and sonship.  Those include the privileges and duties of our Kingdom and Royal Family!

CONNECTED IN CHRIST: Our Equal Access

 

And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.   For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.  (Ephesians 2:17-18)

Those buried in the graveyard are in various stages of decomposition.  If you exhumed some bodies, they would seem nearly alive by their appearance, having been recently buried.  Others would be far from appearing alive—skeletal remains obviously dead.  One thing all would have in common, however—all are dead!

This is spiritually true of everyone without a connection to Jesus Christ, “the Resurrection and the Life” (John 11:25).  Paul begins the second chapter of Ephesians this way, “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins” (v.1).  Not all were equally corrupt—some were more religious, more moral, while others were more obviously wicked and degenerate—but all shared the same spiritual need of new life, because they were all spiritually dead in sin!

So, Paul will speak of “those who were near”—that is the Jews who knew about the true God and had in some measure submitted themselves to the moral demands of God’s law.  Then, there were the Gentiles, “who were afar off” being pagans without the knowledge of the One True God and given over to the lusts of the flesh.  The Apostle described our depravity in stark terms,

in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.  (Ephesians 2:2-3)

But, God in His rich mercy saved both Jew and Gentile and regenerated them, giving them equal access to the Father by the same Holy Spirit. 

We see this in the church still today. 

Here is someone raised in church—they know the language and the liturgy.  They know when to stand and when to sit.  They have been to Sunday School since nine months before they were born and the first song they learned to sing was, “Jesus Loves Me.”  But, without Christ they are lost.  Then the Gospel of Christ they have heard in their ears penetrates to the level of their heart, the Holy Spirit calls them by name and they recognize that they need peace with God and come to Him.

Then, you see someone baptized into the fellowship of the church who has never seen a baptism before.  They are clueless as to the formalities of faith.  You may as well be doing the service in Latin as to their understanding of some of the vocabulary of religion.  They likely know Led Zeppelin’s, “Stairway to Heaven,” but have never heard Bill Gaither’s, “Because He Lives.”  But, under the preaching of the Gospel, they have come to life, and all “tatted up,” and with various body parts pierced they are broken in conviction, birthed into salvation and baptized as their confession of faith.

And there is no difference!  The same access to God is available to both.  Connected to Christ, we are all—irrespective of religious background—connected to each other. 

 

CONNECTED IN CHRIST

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.  In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.  In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:3-14, emphasis added)

 
When we are born physically into this world, the umbilical cord is cut and our existence is severed from that of our mother.  This illustrates the spiritual condition in which we enter this earthly existence also.  Sin is the scalpel that severs us from Holy God.  We are born into this world, no longer in Him, but apart from Him.  To die physically in that condition is to be forever in that state of separation.

Jesus came to restore the connection.  Through faith in Him, we are connected to Him and back to God.  Paul repeatedly in these opening verses of Ephesians drives home the reality of redemption—we are “in Christ” and uses the phrase, “in Him” or something related to it again and again.  I have noted eight such expressions in only twelve verses.  Paul’s point is obvious:  we are connected in Christ.

As we examine what it means to be a member of the church and be connected with each other, we must begin with the fact that such a connection is only possible because of that connection with Christ.  We are joined together as members of His Body, because we are joined to Him as our Head.  Just as sin separates us from God, it also separates us from one another.  The sin barrier is broken in Christ and a bridge of grace spans the gulf by His cross. 

The wonderful blessings that we have—all of them and there are many—flow from this connection.  We praise our Triune God from whom all blessings flow; we praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  All three Persons of the Trinity are mentioned in these verses as bringing our salvation.  The Father has chosen us.  Christ has redeemed us.  The Spirit has sealed us.  It is all to the praise of His glory!  May our hearts be filled with wonder and our lips with worship as we meditate on God’s marvelous grace!