January 21
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BE WISE AND UNDERSTAND GOD’S WILL
15 So then, be careful how you walk, not as unwise people but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your hearts to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to our God and Father; 21 and subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.
-Ephesians 5:15-21
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Paul gives us good advice once again in this letter. He cautions us to avoid living our lives as foolish people. He mentions the importance of time which probably refers to opportunities to bring the gospel to many because we live in wicked days. By being wise, he is referring to understanding the will of the Lord. In other words, we need to study the word of God in order for us to be the light for all unbelievers and believers as well to see. As believers, Jesus shone His light on all of us; that light should be shining to as much darkness is surrounding all humans in as much time as we can. According to David Guzik, the idea here is of the time; it is a definite season of opportunity that Christians must redeem. This same word is translated opportunity in Galatians 6:10.Paul isn’t telling us to make the most of every moment, even though that is good advice. He tells us to seize opportunity for the glory of Jesus. It isn’t to make the most of time, but to make the most of the time. The idea behind redeeming the time is that you buy up opportunities like a shrewd businessman. You make the most of every opportunity for Jesus Christ.
Paul addresses the issue of being drunk with wine because it is the opposite of being filled with the Spirit. He uses the word debauchery which means extreme indulgence in bodily pleasures, especially sexual immorality. The Spirit-filled life is marked by worship and gratitude, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, never-ending gratitude for all He gave us. When we are filled with the Spirit, we will have a desire to worship God and to encourage others in their worship of God. The connection with being filled with the Spirit and praise is significant. Those who are filled with the Spirit will naturally praise, and praise is a way that we are filled with the Spirit.
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REFLECTION
• How is wisdom synonymous to understanding God’s will?
Tag Archives: Christian devotional
BE ANGRY WITHOUT SINNING ILMA’S VLOG
January 18
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BE ANGRY WITHOUT SINNING
25 Therefore, ridding yourselves of falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE OF YOU WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, because we are parts of one another. 26 BE ANGRY, AND YET DO NOT SIN; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity. 28 The one who steals must no longer steal; but rather he must labor, producing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with the one who has need. 29 Let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but if there is any good word for edification according to the need of the moment, say that, so that it will give grace to those who hear. 30 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
-Ephesians 4:25-32
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In this letter of Paul to the Ephesians, he gives a reminder to the believers of their responsibilities when they become a follower of Jesus. In verse 25, he stresses how we should put of falsehood. In Hebrew, “sheker” is the counterpart of falsehood, which means to deceive, to tell lies or to lie. Paul says that instead of deceptions, we are to speak only the truth to each other because we are all parts of one another. In verse 26, he explains the emotion “anger” as the opening door for the devil. It doesn’t mean that anger in itself is bad. Otherwise, why did God give humans this explosive emotion? We are given anger so that we can be stirred to do express loathe to evil and wickedness around us, not to use it for selfish reasons. Notice that Paul says “Be angry”, He didn’t say “Don’t be angry”, but he says a cautionary clause after it. There must be a time limit to your anger. You shouldn’t sleep on your anger or you open doors for the devil to steal your joy, peace and love. In verse 28, Paul instructs them on never coveting or stealing, but emphasized that one must labor with his own hands. In verse 29, he prohibits them from speaking words that will hurt or discourage others but only let encourage and words that build up those who hear it. In verse 30, he warns them of the gravity of grieving the Holy Spirit. In verse 31, Paul enumerates all the other things that needs to be rid of such as bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander and malice. He closes this letter with a command to be kind, compassionate, forgiving to one another, just as Christ has given them.
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REFLECTION
• Why did Paul enumerate in detail all these things that they should get rid off?
GROW UP IN ALL ASPECTS INTO CHRIST ILMA’S VLOG
January 16
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GROW UP IN ALL ASPECTS INTO CHRIST
14As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of people, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is, Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.
-Ephesians 4:14-16
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Paul addresses the issue of immaturity in the church in this letter to the Ephesians. In verse 14, he challenges the believers to grow up and give up their childish ways of wavering back and forth with their faith and how easily they fall into the tactics of unregenerate or worldly people with their craftiness and deceitfulness. In verse 15, he speaks of the importance of speaking truth in a loving and gentle way. He also wants believers to be responsible for growing themselves up in all the aspects of their lives, ensuring that they are serving Christ, who is their head. In verse 16, he reminds them that each member of the body of Christ has their own responsibility to grow themselves into the building of each other up so that the Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified.
Guzik comments on “speaking the truth in love as referring to not only how we are to relate to one another in God’s family, but also to how leaders and saints are to deal with deceivers. We should deal with them in love, but never budging from the truth. He also comments on maturity is described in this chapter. It is like growing up into Jesus, who is the head. Again, this defines the direction of maturity. We never grow “independent” of Jesus, we grow up into Him.
Spurgeon says that “A church that is only united in itself, but not united to Christ, is no living church at all. You may attain to the unity of the frost-bound earth in which men and women are frozen together with the cold proprieties of aristocracy, but it is not the unity of life.”
All Christians are all called to be accountable for their growth. So many believers rely on their pastors, leaders or others to grow in the knowledge of Christ, they do not do any work to get into deeper intimacy with the Lord or contribute to the edification of the body.
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REFLECTION
• What have you done to grow and mature as a disciple of Jesus?
OFFICES IN GOD’S MINISTRY ILMA’S VLOG
January 15
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OFFICES IN GOD’S MINISTRY
9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) 11 And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. -Ephesians 4:9-13
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In this letter, Paul addresses the importance of the offices and leadership positions in the church, the body of Christ. He stresses the desire of God to equip these leaders so that they can bring the whole body of Christ into building up each other so that they can have the unity of faith. God wants all of his people to deepen their knowledge of Christ, which will bring them all to maturity. This means that Jesus established these offices. They are the work and appointment of Jesus, not men. Though pretenders may lay claim to them, the offices themselves are a Divine institution and not a human invention.
Sadly, many offices in the church today do not work for the unity and edification of the body so Christ may be glorified. It looks more like any other worldly organizations where the ones in leadership like apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are not living holy lives. Most spiritual leaders are living compromised lives where their agendas are given more emphasis than bringing God’s people into maturity and holiness. Gone are those days that churches are focused on bible-believing and living Christians. The church become platforms for performance-based worship, entertaining and teaching false gospels. Many leaders have forgotten the purpose of their calling to the ministry of God. They have mixed worldly systems with the church. Most of them use religion to serve their own selfish agendas and goals, mostly to edify themselves rather than God .
David Guzik comments that “There is a constant tendency for Christians to display to the world that we really aren’t so different after all. This is usually a misguided effort to gain the world’s “respect” or approval. This must be resisted at all costs, because the goal in itself is both undesirable and unachievable.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think that the offices in God’s ministry are compromised these days?
• What are our responsibilities as believers that our leaders don’t fall away?
WALK WORTHY OF YOUR CALLING ILMA’S VLOG
January 14
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WALK WORTHY OF YOUR CALLING
Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE THE CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO PEOPLE.” – Ephesians 4:1-8
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In this letter of Paul to the Ephesians we are all asked to live our lives the way God intended it to be. He guides us all to ensure that we are meek, gentle, patient and bearing one another in love and persistently being faithful to be united with God’s spirit and pursue peace at all times.
David Guzik comments that Paul spent three chapters spelling out in glorious detail all that God did for us, freely by His grace. Now he brings a call to live rightly, but only after explaining what God did for us. He says that when we really understand how much God did for us, we will naturally want to serve and obey Him out of gratitude. He further comments that a worthy walk before God will be marked by lowliness and gentleness, not a pushy desire to defend our own rights and advance our own agenda. We need this so that the inevitable wrongs that occur between people in God’s family will not work against God’s purpose of bringing all things together in Jesus.
Charles Spurgeon comments “We can understand this unity of the Spirit by understanding what it is not.” In a sermon on this text, Spurgeon pointed out some of the things that the text does not say. It does not say, “To endeavor to maintain the unity of evil, the unity of superstition, or the unity of spiritual tyranny.” It does not say, “Endeavoring to keep up your ecclesiastical arrangements for centralization.” It does not say, “Endeavoring to keep the uniformity of the Spirit.”
We have unity in Christ, meaning, all believers share one body, one Spirit, one hope, one calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one Father. In verse 7 Paul reminds us of the grace given accordingly to the same measure Christ gave us salvation. In verse 8 he says that Jesus died to set the captives free and gave gifts to people.
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REFLECTION
• How can you walk worthy of God’s calling?
MYSTERY OF CHRIST REVEALED ILMA’S VLOG
January 11
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MYSTERY OF CHRIST REVEALED
For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the administration of God’s grace which was given to me for you; 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before briefly. 4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to mankind, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. -Ephesians 3:1-7
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According to David Guzik, during his Roman imprisonment Paul was under house arrest. In the day he was free to move around the house with the supervision of soldiers, but every night he was chained to a soldier to make sure he did not escape before his trial before Caesar. Yet he saw himself as the prisoner of Jesus Christ. He knew that Jesus was the Lord of his life, not the Roman government, so if he was a prisoner, he was Jesus’ prisoner. The entire reason he was under arrest and awaiting trial was because of his missionary efforts on behalf of the Gentiles. Paul suffered for the very truth he would explain to the Ephesians, and this did not make him back down one bit.
It is interesting how Paul spoke to the Ephesians with authority. In verses 2-3, he speaks to them of God’s administration which was given to him by revelation. According to Paul, the mystery of Christ has been revealed to him which was never done in past generations.
The word dispensation speaks of the “implemented strategy” of God’s plan in the church. According to Woods as in Ephesians 1:10, however, it is to be interpreted rather as the implementation of a strategy.” Clarke comments that “By the dispensation of the grace of God we may understand, either the apostolic office and gifts granted to St. Paul, for the purpose of preaching the Gospel among the Gentiles… or the knowledge which God gave him of that gracious and Divine plan which he had formed for the conversion of the Gentiles.” In verses 6-7, Paul declares to the Ephesians the responsibility of ministering to the Gentiles and that he is to use all his gifts to bring to them the mystery revealed to Him by the Spirit of God.
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REFLECTION
• How can you as a believer bring other baby Christians into the mystery of Christ?
MYSTERY OF CHRIST REVEALED ILMA’S VLOG
January 11
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MYSTERY OF CHRIST REVEALED
For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the administration of God’s grace which was given to me for you; 3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before briefly. 4 By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which in other generations was not made known to mankind, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; 6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, 7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. -Ephesians 3:1-7
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According to David Guzik, during his Roman imprisonment Paul was under house arrest. In the day he was free to move around the house with the supervision of soldiers, but every night he was chained to a soldier to make sure he did not escape before his trial before Caesar. Yet he saw himself as the prisoner of Jesus Christ. He knew that Jesus was the Lord of his life, not the Roman government, so if he was a prisoner, he was Jesus’ prisoner. The entire reason he was under arrest and awaiting trial was because of his missionary efforts on behalf of the Gentiles. Paul suffered for the very truth he would explain to the Ephesians, and this did not make him back down one bit.
It is interesting how Paul spoke to the Ephesians with authority. In verses 2-3, he speaks to them of God’s administration which was given to him by revelation. According to Paul, the mystery of Christ has been revealed to him which was never done in past generations.
The word dispensation speaks of the “implemented strategy” of God’s plan in the church. According to Woods as in Ephesians 1:10, however, it is to be interpreted rather as the implementation of a strategy.” Clarke comments that “By the dispensation of the grace of God we may understand, either the apostolic office and gifts granted to St. Paul, for the purpose of preaching the Gospel among the Gentiles… or the knowledge which God gave him of that gracious and Divine plan which he had formed for the conversion of the Gentiles.” In verses 6-7, Paul declares to the Ephesians the responsibility of ministering to the Gentiles and that he is to use all his gifts to bring to them the mystery revealed to Him by the Spirit of God.
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REFLECTION
• How can you as a believer bring other baby Christians into the mystery of Christ?
GRACE TO PREACH WITH PASSION AND BOLDNESS ILMA’S VLOG
January 12
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GRACE TO PREACH WITH PASSION AND BOLDNESS
8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, 9 and to enlighten all people as to what the plan of the mystery is which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; 10 so that the multifaceted wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. 13 Therefore I ask you not to become discouraged about my tribulations in your behalf, since they are your glory.
-Ephesians 3:8-13
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We hear Paul’s humility in verse 8 when he says that he is the least of all saints and yet the Lord has given him this wonderful gift to bring God’s plan into action to all the Gentiles. In verse 10, we hear Paul reveal to the Ephesians that such multidimensional wisdom of God. He has given to the church the mystery that has long been kept from many of God’s people. In verse 11, God’s plan is to carry out his eternal purpose for all of mankind and was carried out through Jesus Christ Himself. Only in Christ can we have the boldness and access to confidence by believing in Christ alone. He pleaded the Ephesian not to lose heart. Paul wrote the Letter to the Ephesians from prison. He was imprisoned because on a visit to Jerusalem he had the chance to preach to a big crowd near the temple mount (Acts 21:39-22:22), but since the Jewish crowd could not stand the idea of the good news of the Messiah being extended to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21-22), they had Paul imprisoned.
According to a commentary, Paul tried to figure out the greatness of God’s grace, and started tracking it out as one might track out the shore of a lake. He soon discovered that it wasn’t a lake at all, but an ocean, an immeasurable sea. God’s riches are unsearchable; we will never know them completely. Having been entrusted with such riches, Paul’s passion was to make this gospel known to all people. He wants everybody to see and share in the fellowship of this mystery – which is a mystery precisely because it was unknown and unknowable until God revealed it.
How many believers would do what Paul did under the same circumstances he was in? It was an amazing grace how Paul continued to preach the gospel no matter what.
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REFLECTION
• Share an experience when you were on fire to share the gospel to someone?
BUILT FROM THE CORNERSTONE ILMA’S VLOG
January 10
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BUILT FROM THE CORNERSTONE
17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; 18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. – Ephesians 2:17-22
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In this verse, we hear Paul talks about the teaching of Jesus on peace. According to a commentary, as they respond to the same gospel, the same peace that is preached to those far off (Gentiles) and those near (Jews). They enjoy the same access to God, access that comes by one Spirit to the Father. Not only are Jews and Gentiles saved by the same gospel, but they also have the same essential walk with God and access to Him. One group does not have a greater access than the other does. Paul refers to Christians of Gentile background. They should not regard themselves as “second-class citizens” in God’s kingdom in any regard. They are not only full citizens, but also full and equal members of God’s household. When conflict arises among Christian groups of different backgrounds, you can be sure that they forget that they were saved by the same gospel and that they have the same access to God. One or both groups usually feel they have superior access to God. Clarke comments that “This text is a plain proof of the Holy Trinity. Jews and Gentiles are to be presented unto God the FATHER; the SPIRIT of God works in their hearts, and prepares them for this presentation; and JESUS CHRIST himself introduces them.”
In verse 20 Paul uses one of the attributes of Jesus. He is the cornerstone in whom each part of his temple is fitted together so that they can be a dwelling or home of God. According to Wood “This corner stone “literally means at the tip of the angle. It refers to the capstone or binding stone that holds the whole structure together… often the royal name was inscribed on it. In the East it was considered to be even more important than the foundation.” Hebrews 13:15 says that the Church is a temple, holy and set apart to God. We serve there as priests, offering the spiritual sacrifices of our lips and hearts, our praises to God
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REFLECTION
• Why do Christians often forget the cornerstone that they have been built on?
THE PRINCE OF PEACE ILMA’S VLOG
January 9
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THE PRINCE OF PEACE
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace; 16 and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the hostility. -Ephesians 2:13-16
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In this letter of Paul to the Ephesians, we get an understanding of the value of the blood of Christ. You may be asking what is the importance of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. In verse 14, Paul explains to us the two groups which are the law keepers and the one who lives under grace. By dying on the cross, he reconciled all human beings with God. In verse 15, he further tells us that that act of dying on the cross is to crash the walls dividing the Jews and the Gentiles. The objective of the sacrifice on the cross is the reason why our Prince of Peace was sent in the first place. Verse 16 says that reconciliation to God through his death is fulfilled because he now has put aside the hostility and conflict that exists between the two factions.
David Guzik comments on the blood of Jesus as: “Many people suggest different ways to come near to God. Some think you can come by keeping the law or by belonging to a group (such as Israel or even the church). But the only way to be brought near to God is by the blood of Christ. What Jesus did on the cross, suffering as a guilty sinner in the place of guilty sinners, brings us near to God.” Jesus Himself is our peace;
The wall of separation is gone because the common Lordship is greater than any previous division. If the Lordship of Jesus Christ is not greater than any difference you have with others – be it political, racial, economic, language, geography or whatever, then you have not fully understood what it means to be under the Lordship of Jesus. The source of contention between Jew and Gentile was the fact that the Gentiles did not keep the law. But since Jesus fulfilled the law on our behalf, and since He bore the penalty for our failure to keep the law, we are reconciled through His work on the cross – putting to death the source of contention.
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REFLECTION
• How has the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross change your life as a believer?
• Why does the world think peace-keeping is the same as peace-making?