Today’s Reading: Philippians 1:27 – 2:11; Psalm 122 & 133

Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ…standing TOGETHER with one spirit and one purpose, fighting TOGETHER for the faith…Don’t be intimidated by your enemies…For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle TOGETHER. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it. – Philippians 1:27-29

One of the strategies the enemy uses against us is to make us feel like we are alone. He strives to create conflict between believers so that they focus their frustrations on each other instead of finding unity. When we unite in the battle against evil, we become stronger. To divide us is to conquer us and that is exactly what Satan sets out to do.

Paul gives great advice to the Church in this prison letter. He calls the believers to offer themselves as gifts to each other – to generously agree with each other, love one another and work TOGETHER!

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. – Phil. 2:1-2

In his letter, Paul encourages believers to grow into the person God calls them to be – bearing the fruit of their salvation for the glory and praise of God (Phil. 1:11). Part of this growth is evident in our relationships within the Church. God calls us to unity, as each one of us seeks to have the attitude of Christ.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess the Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:1-11

We are a work in progress. The more we seek God and draw closer to Him, the more He works in us – molding and shaping us into the person He created us to be. We are “growing in every way more and more like Christ” (Ephesians 1:15), being equipped to do His work and built up toward maturity in the Lord (Eph. 1:12-13).

When we humble ourselves as Jesus did, we start loving with the same kind of love He displayed on the cross. Then our lives begin to show the results of our salvation, our obedience that comes out of a deep reverence and fear for God. We stop fighting with each other and begin uniting together in obedience to what God has called us to do – no distractions, no unnecessary conflicts, no bitter attitudes or gossiping. When we allow God to do this kind of work in us, we begin to shine brightly in this dark world we live in.

Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy. – Phil. 2:12b-18

Joy. That is what God wants us to experience as we gather together in the faith. He wants our lives to be an inspiration to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Then, even in the darkest of situations, united TOGETHER we can find love abounding and joy unexplainable. We can pour out our lives like a liquid offering to God, faithfully giving God every relationship and every trial in our life. We can rejoice and share joy…TOGETHER.

Today’s Reading: Philippians 1:12-26

Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. – Philippians 2:4

In his letter to the church in Philippi, Paul teaches us that we should look not only to our own interests but also to the interests of others – a lesson that is easier said than done. But first, Paul lived this kind of servant lifestyle as an example for the Philippians and for us to follow. His example shows us that looking out for the interests of others is really about serving to advance the gospel. He most definitely practiced what he preached.

And I want you to know , my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear. – Phil. 1:12-14

Paul can find something to be thankful for EVEN IN THE MOST DIFFICULT OF SITUATIONS. In fact, he can be thankful for the chains themselves. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Paul praises God for the good that is coming out of the bad in his life. He is thankful for the effect his imprisonment is having on the whole palace guard. They know that he believes so strongly in Christ Jesus as the promised Messiah that he has been arrested and imprisoned for his faith. There must be something to this faith for Paul to give his life to it.

Paul is also thankful for the effect his chains are having outside the walls of the prison. Instead of running in fear, believers are gaining confidence in what God has called them to do. They are speaking God’s message of salvation through Jesus Christ without fear.

Listen carefully, sometimes our difficulties or our chains are more than just a chance for self-pity. Never in Scripture do we hear God telling us to feel sorry for ourselves. Instead we find verses like this:

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. – Philippians 2:3-4

Paul goes on in his letter to talk about others who are preaching the gospel with selfish motives. They have made a competition out of it, filling the church with undertones of jealousy and rivalry instead of partnership and encouragement. They preach with selfish ambition, wanting to be the best preacher out there. Unfortunately, we see evidence that this kind of competitive spirit sometimes exists among believers today, whether it is an attempt to build the largest church or see the most fruit from the ministry we lead or get the lead solo in the Easter production.

But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice. For I know that as you pray for me and the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will lead to my deliverance. – Phil. 1:18-19

What a great attitude! Paul rejoices about his imprisonment and the good coming out of it, and he rejoices about the wrong motives of preachers because at least unbelievers are coming to a saving knowledge of Christ in the midst of the rivalry and selfish ambition. Not only does Paul have a good attitude, he works hard to preserve it – determined to make life about Christ and how He wants to use Paul in the lives of others.

For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires; I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.

Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me. – Phil. 1:20-26

Joy – definitely a theme of Paul’s in his letter to the Church at Philippi. Paul is a wonderful example of how the fruit of the Holy Spirit can play out in our lives. He can give us joy in difficult situations – joy that is UNEXPLAINABLE in light of what is happening around us. He can give us joy even when we see faults in the believers around us. We can pray for others to experience joy in their faith. We can let the joy of our salvation make a difference in the lives of others – those close to the difficult situation we are going through and also those watching from a distance.

God, make this the desire of our heart. Take away any rivalry, jealousy or selfish ambition in our attitudes. Help us to do everything for your glory and for the advancement of your kingdom. Change our hearts so that we can look to the interests of others, and not selfishly try to impress others or look out for ourselves. Fill our hearts with a love that abounds and a joy that is unexplainable. We love you, Father! Amen.

Today’s Reading: Philippians 1:1-11

We’ve been moving our way chronologically through the Bible and, more recently, through Paul’s prison letters. I really enjoy Paul’s letter to the Ephesians and how it speaks to God’s plan for our lives. Next let’s look at Paul’s letter to the persecuted Christians of the church in Philippi.

Paul uses his own circumstances as an example of knowing what it means to be persecuted. After all, he is in prison for his faith. His desire is that his words to the Philippians will encourage and strengthen them in the midst of their difficulties. He calls them to holy living and joy – yes, joy and passion for Christ EVEN WHEN LIFE IS AT IT’S WORST.

Paul knows things have been rough for the church in Philippi, that they have suffered persecution for their belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. He too was in prison and understood what it meant to be mistreated for his faith. He encourages them to continue living FOR Christ and LIKE Christ. Let’s go back and see how Paul starts his Philippian letter:

This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the elders and deacons. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. – Philippians 1:1-2

Grace and peace – a familiar greeting used in Paul’s letter but written with great meaning. Consider when we pass someone at the store and say, “Hi. How are you?” It’s a standard American greeting but we usually don’t expect the person to stop and give us a full explanation of how they are doing. We expect them to say, “Fine. How are you?” and be on their way. Not so with Paul. This is much more than a casual greeting. Paul is speaking a blessing over them as he starts out his letter. I wish God’s grace in your life. During good times and bad times, may God’s generous grace be evident and may His peace reign in your hearts.

He goes on to speak a blessing over them and let them know how he is praying for them.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God. – Philippians 1:3-11

Paul prayed with joy and confidence regarding the persecuted believers – joy that they were fully committed to the gospel, and confidence that the same God who started a good work in them would faithfully carry it on to completion. Oh, how I love that verse! God will never abandon us. He took the initiative in sending His Son to die on a cross so that we could experience salvation and He can be trusted to continue to work in our lives beyond our salvation decision. He will take the good work that was started in our hearts and strengthen it, helping our faith to grow and our love to overflow.

Love – that is what Paul is praying God will grow in the hearts of the Philippians. Not just grow but ABOUND. Abounding love, knowledge and deep insight. Paul prays for these things because he knows that it will help the believers be able to discern what is God’s best for them and live a holy life until the day of Christ.

To have knowledge, depth of insight and discernment, while being filled with the fruit of righteousness – who wouldn’t want to have all of these things? But no matter how hard WE try, we cannot have any of these things of our own strength. It is God who started a work in us and who continues to work in us to make us who He wants us to be; not for our credit but for His glory, not for our plans but for His purpose. It is the fruit of our relationship with Him – of His Spirit living within us and producing within us a “good work”.

Lord, we open our hearts to you to this morning and pray that you will bless us with these same gifts. Will you fill us with abounding love? Will you give us deep insight and discernment as we study your word and consider your plan for our lives. Our desire is to grow in our relationship so that the fruit of your Spirit will produce good works and holy living for your glory. Help us to recognize your grace in our lives, EVEN WHEN LIFE IS DIFFICULT, and give us peace in all circumstances. We love you, Lord. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Ephesians 6:10-24

How fitting it is that we come to this portion of Scripture just two weeks after Halloween – a day when our culture celebrates and makes light of the evil forces of this world. But Satan is much more than a red cartoon costume with horns and a pointy tail. His attempts to destroy us are much more serious than the clever line “the devil made me do it”.

At the end of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul describes for us the armor of God and how to stand firm against the very real attempts of the enemy to block God’s plan for our lives.

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. – Ephesians 6:10-12

Paul has spent his entire letter talking to the believers about God’s plan for their life – individually and in the Church. Now he gives a final word but it is much more than a simple conclusion. It is a strong warning! Be strong in the Lord who holds the plan and in His mighty power and strength. God has provided armor to make this possible, even when the devil is using all his tricks and strategies. Be aware that there is an unseen spiritual battle taking place and there are times you will find yourself right in the middle of it.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. – Ephesians 6:13-17

There is no doubt about it – we have an enemy! We could potentially fight some kind of spiritual battle every day but there is no need to panic, no need to fear, for God is on our side and the battle has already been won. When the enemy tries to discourage us, we can remind Him of the Sovereignty of God; when he tries to block the path ahead of us, all we have to do is speak the name of Jesus and he has to flee.

Resist the devil and he will flee from you. – James 4:7b

I can tell you right now that the enemy does not like it when we are growing in our relationship with Christ. He tries to discourage us and speak lies into our hearts. I have had to make a very conscious effort to put on the armor of God and speak the name of Jesus, reminding myself that the devil is full of lies and wants nothing more than to block God’s plan for my life.

The best advice I can find in my morning coffee to prepare me for the battle ahead is found in the next verse of Ephesians 6: PRAY in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere (v.18).

We can pray. It is our strongest tactic – praying in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion, staying alert and praying persistently, not just for ourselves but for all believers everywhere. The next best thing I can do to prepare for the battle ahead comes next in the Scripture – I can ask you to pray for me. There is power in prayer and when we unite in prayer, the enemy has no chance.

And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should. – Ephesians 6:19-20

Yet another reason why God calls us into fellowship with other believers – to pray for them and to let them pray for you. So stand your ground. Evil is much more than a funny Halloween costume. Put on every piece of God’s armor so that you will be able to resist Satan’s attempts. Put on the belt of truth so that you can stand against His lies. Ask God to clothe you today with His righteousness. Spend time in God’s word so that He can fill you with His peace, fully preparing you for what is ahead. Hold high your shield of faith and the sword of the Holy Spirit, which is the word of God. Do not live in fear but in peace.

As we end our study of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, let me leave you with his closing words to us:
Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 6:23-24

Today’s Reading: Ephesians 6:5-9

Just as Paul had instructions for the relationship between children and parents, as well as in our marriages and the church, he also gave instructions for the relationship between slaves and masters, which we can apply to our relationships on the job or the ministry teams we work on.

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.

Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites. – Ephesians 6:5-9

SERVE THEM SINCERELY…with all your heart…as though you were working for the Lord. We looked at very similar instruction from Paul to the Church at Colosse when we recently studied Colossians.

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.

Masters, be just and fair to your slaves. Remember that you also have a Master – in heaven. – Colossians 3:22-4:1

SERVE THEM SINCERELY…as though you were working for the Lord…the Master you are serving is Christ.

God calls us to have a servanthood attitude in everything we do and in every relationship – whether we are the child or the parent, whether we are the leader or being led. It all comes down to the fact that we all have the same Master – God.

Last month was Pastor Appreciation Month. There are quite a few incredible pastors in my life who serve God with a servant attitude. They work long, hard hours – pouring their lives out in response to God’s call. Pastors are willing to go where God sends them, respond as the Holy Spirit leads them and sacrificially dedicate their lives to the Great Commission.

To all the incredible ministry leaders reading this today, whether you are a pastor or a Sunday School teacher or Director of a pro-life pregnancy center, I speak these words of Paul to you. Do the will of God with ALL your heart. Work with enthusiasm, because you are working for the Lord and not to please people.

SERVE SINCERELY out of the reverent love you have for your Savior, Jesus Christ.
WORK WILLINGLY at whatever you do – whether it’s this incredible moment of ministry or it’s the toughest thing you have ever been asked to do.
SERVE HUMBLY, knowing God loves you SO much but that He also loves those He has called you to serve.
PERSEVERE – On your toughest day, hold onto the beautiful promise that the Lord has an inheritance waiting for you, a reward for your faithful obedience.
STAY FOCUSED – The Master you are serving is Christ.

To everyone: Whatever God has called you to do today, wherever He has placed you – serve God today with your whole heart. Consider every task ahead of you as if you are doing it for the Lord, as if it is another great opportunity to serve. Remember that the Master you are serving is Christ.

Have you told your pastor how much you appreciate them today, how thankful you are for the role they play in your walk with Christ? The enemy is daily seeking to discourage and defeat them. Let’s always be an instrument of encouragement in their lives. With deep respect, let’s follow their leadership and serve God with all our hearts. Perhaps Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to let your pastor(s) know how thankful you are for them.

Today’s Reading: Ephesians 6:1-4

God calls us to make the most of every opportunity. He calls us to show His love to one another – to embody both SUBMISSIVE LOVE and SACRIFICIAL LOVE. As we looked at yesterday, submission and sacrifice should be evident in our relationship with God, our marriage relationship and our relationship within the church. As we continue reading in the next chapter of Ephesians, God calls us to this same submission and sacrifice in our relationship with our parents and with our children.

Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on earth.” – Ephesians 6:1-3

Paul is repeating a familiar commandment to the Church, the 5th commandment of the 10 found in Exodus 20 or Deuteronomy 5. This is the first commandment where God is promising blessings on anyone who will obey – which shows us how important this is to God.

But the phrase that sticks out the most to me in these first three verses is “because you belong to the Lord.” We are God’s children – we belong to Him! Notice He gave no exceptions to this command. It doesn’t say, “If your parents are good to you…” or “If your parents deserve honor…” God’s instructions are for us to show honor to our earthly parents because He is our Heavenly Father.

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. – Ephesians 6:4

God has a purpose in parenthood that goes far beyond supplying the physical needs of our children. It is in the parent-child relationship that God wants us to learn about the relationship He wants with us. When we discipline our children as God teaches us to, they begin to understand God’s love for us and why He disciplines us. He is calling us to make the most of this OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD our children.

BECAUSE WE BELONG TO THE LORD, we teach our children that they, too, belong to the Lord.

Hebrews 12:6-11 explains this further: “For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children…For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in His holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening – it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

Oh, there are the blessings again – the blessings of a peaceful harvest of right living! This passage is coming right after the familiar FAITH chapter in Hebrews 11, which is followed by Paul’s instruction at the beginning of chapter 12 to throw off anything that is hindering us – whether it is sin or not – keep our eyes focused on Jesus and run the race marked out for us. He continues this analogy of running the race in verses 12 & 13, referring to the discipline we receive from our earthly Father:

So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. – Hebrews 12:12-13

We have a legacy to carry on to our children. Just as we learned from the discipline we received from our parents, that God at times disciplines us with this same kind of love, so we need to help our children understand the love of their Heavenly Father. In doing this, we are impacting generation after generation to follow.

But perhaps the discipline you received from your earthly parents is not a good reflection of the loving discipline God carries out. Our earthly parents are not perfect like our Heavenly Father is and they sometimes miss out on God’s plan for how a parent should discipline their child. But this does not change God’s instructions to you. Perhaps you are the one who will make a difference for the coming generations by following God’s commandment – by honoring your parents and by training your children in the ways of God.

BECAUSE WE BELONG TO THE LORD, teach your children and grandchildren that they, too, belong to the Lord. Make the most of this OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD.

“…Take them by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master.” – Ephesians 6:4b (The Message)

Today’s Reading: Ephesians 5:21-33

And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. – Ephesians 5:21

The next passage of Scripture can easily be connected with what God had for us in yesterday’s Morning Coffee when we were called to make the most of EVERY opportunity. We have choices to make in our relationships with others. We can put ourselves first or INSTEAD submit to one another out of our love and respect for Jesus Christ.

SUBMISSIVE LOVE

Before I can go any farther I need to decide if I love Jesus enough to do this for Him – if I respect Him enough to submit to His authority and live as He has asked me to live. We cannot take that for granted because sometimes it is the very thing that is keeping us from doing what He has asked us to do. What He asks of us is not always easy but there is a secret to making any of these relationships work as God designed and it goes back to yesterday – to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

First, Paul instructs us regarding the marriage relationship:
For wives, this means submit to your husbands, as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands.

As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must LOVE his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must RESPECT her husband. – Ephesians 5:22-33

I do not think we can do what God is asking here, or at least maintain it for a significant amount of time, without an infilling of the Holy Spirit. It is not always easy to submit in love and respect to our spouse. In the same way, we as the Church have difficulty submitting to God’s authority over us as the body of Christ. This kind of love and respect is also made possible with that key ingredient – the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

To truly love each other the way Christ loves the church, let’s consider again Ephesians 5:2, “Live a life of love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.”

SACRIFICIAL LOVE

This is what God is calling us to in our marriages and in our relationships with others – sacrificial love. He is calling us to love to the point of sacrifice, putting others before ourselves as a reflection of our relationship with Christ.

It goes back to yesterday’s flavorful ingredient in our morning coffee – to make the most of every opportunity. Today we will be given opportunities to love sacrificially. Starting our day off in God’s presence, allowing Him to fill us fresh and new with His Spirit, will empower us to love and respect each other the way God calls us to – whether it is to our spouse or our family or the Church or anyone God puts in our path today. Today, let us once again set out determined to make the most of every opportunity.

Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

Husbands, go all out in your love for you wives, exactly as Christ did for the church – a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. – Ephesians 5:1b-2, 22-27 (The Message)

Father God, thank you for not only challenging us to make the most of every OPPORTUNITY TO LOVE, but also for equipping us for that task with the infilling of your Holy Spirit. As we enter your presence this morning, help us to keep our eyes focused on you as we become the person you created us to be – a person who embodies both SUBMISSIVE LOVE and SACRIFICIAL LOVE. Help us to live a life of love. We desire to be a pleasing aroma to you, God – in the way we serve you and the way we live out our relationships with others. Lord, we put our day into your hands and we ask for you to bless our country, our churches, and our marriages. Amen.

Today’s Reading: Ephesians 5:15-20

Sometimes life gives us what we do not expect. At times that surprise is pleasant and at times we sit back in shock. Across our nation, people are reacting to yesterday’s election. Today we have another choice to make. We can choose to focus on the future this world has to offer us or the future God has to offer. We can seek satisfaction with what the world tries to fill us with or allow God to fill us with His presence.

What are your thoughts on jelly-filled donuts? Do you prefer the cream cheese filling? Have you ever bit into a donut not realizing it was filled with something? If so, was that a nice surprise or a horrifying discovery? If you had a choice, what would it be – filled or not filled?

We have a choice to be filled with one thing or to be filled with another – to be filled with what the world has to offer or to be filled with what God has to offer. We cannot choose both. We either choose one, or INSTEAD choose the other. Let’s consider the choices Paul lays out for us in his letter to the Church at Ephesus:

– Filled with the sin nature or instead filled with God so that we can grow each day to be more like Him
– Filled with ourselves or instead filled with love following the example of Christ’s sacrificial love for us
– Filled with immorality, impurity and greed or instead filled with thankfulness to God
– Filled with the darkness of the world or instead filled with the light from the Lord which produces what is good and right and true
– Filled with the what pleases you or instead fill your life with what pleases the Lord

In this morning’s passage of scripture, Paul gives us another “instead”. Again, we have a choice to fill ourselves with what the world offers or fill ourselves with what God offers.

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. INSTEAD, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians.5:15-20

BE AVAILABLE

Paul warns us to be careful how we live. God has a plan for our lives and He wants us to be available to Him EVERY moment of EVERY day. His plan is for us to make the most of EVERY opportunity. We have all heard that verse before but have we considered the context that verse is coming from. It’s another either / or decision – filled with wine or filled with the Spirit; living like fools or like those who are wise.

There are some things we can fill our lives with that alter our ability to make the most of every opportunity. Paul uses the example of wine here. There are inherent dangers in the consumption of wine that set it apart from most other things we can consume. Paul warns us here that it can ruin your life. Alcohol has the potential to alter our ability to make a good decision. It does not just quench our thirst but it influences us – it changes personalities, it breaks down inhibitions, it leaves you craving more.

BE FILLED

But God says – crave ME! Don’t go looking for what the world has to offer or how the things of the world can bring you pleasure but let me be the One to bring you pleasure – to alter you into the person I want you to be. Be filled with My Spirit and spend your time giving praise to ME, giving thanks to ME. Understand what I want you to do! Beware of things like wine that will ruin the life that I have planned for you.

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. – Colossians 4:2-6

BE ALERT

Pray for many opportunities. Proclaim God’s message clearly. Live wisely. Make the most of every opportunity. Over and over again, God has focused my attention on His plan for my life. He created each of us for a purpose. He died on a cross so that we could serve Him, so that He could work through us to bring others to Christ.

God has a plan for our lives and He wants us to be available to Him every moment of every day, ready and alert. His plan is for us to make the most of EVERY opportunity. Let’s guard our hearts and our minds from ANYTHING that might take away our ability to do just that.

Today’s Reading: Ephesians 5:1-14

Today is a big day in the life of our nation; many would say a difficult one. It is a day to make a choice on who will lead our nation for the next four years. Most of us will stand in line at a polling place and follow through on our civic duty to vote for the next President of the United States of America. We can choose one candidate or INSTEAD choose another. We have been preparing for this moment for months and now is the time to make our choice.

But in some ways this day is like every other day. Each day we are faced with choices. We spend our day making one decision after another. So as we spend time with Jesus, with or without a cup of morning coffee, let’s open our hearts to the choice Paul lays before us to live one way or INSTEAD live another way.

INSTEAD, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. – Ephesians 4:15

INSTEAD, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy. – Ephesians 4:24

INSTEAD – that is a powerful word. Paul continues in Chapter 5 with the comparison of following our old sin nature or INSTEAD growing each day to become more and more like the God we were created to be like – truly righteous and holy.

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. – Ephesians 5:1-2

Or listen to how The Message rewords 5:2 – Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.

Just as children follow the example their parents set for them, whether good or bad, we are to imitate our Heavenly Father in everything we do – but the primary way to imitate God is by living a life filled with love. We are to LIVE LOVE – but not just any kind of love, the example of sacrificial love that Christ Jesus set for us. When we live a life of sacrificial love, the aroma of our life is pleasing to God. When we live for ourselves, let’s face it, we stink!

Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you. INSTEAD, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. – Ephesians 5:3-5

Oh how the things of this world pull for our attention every day! We are surrounded by the stink of sexual immorality and, I have to admit, the smell often clings to us as well. The choices we make in the television shows we watch or the movies that entertain us or the jokes we laugh at – we come out smelling a little more like the world every time. But Paul pulls out another “instead” for us. INSTEAD of choosing to fill our minds and our mouths with what the world thinks is funny, we can fill our hearts with love so that thankfulness is what spills over. The aroma of thankfulness is pleasing to the Lord.

Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. – Ephesians 5:6-9

I love that last sentence! It holds the secret of how to imitate God or how to follow the example of Christ. It is the light within you that produces what is good and right and true. Christ living in us – the Holy Spirit filling us each day – that is what changes our aroma. It’s not about human effort to be something I cannot be no matter how hard I try. Imitating God by my own strength is like spraying perfume on to mask body odor instead of simply taking a shower and washing the smell away.

Human effort comes into play when we are faced with choices each day. But, even in the moment of decision, God has equipped us with the light in our life to make the right choices. He can grow us to be what He created us to be but in the moment we have a choice between listening to the prompting of the Spirit or participating in the things those around us are doing – Christians and non-Christians alike.

Paul has another “instead” for us in verses 10-14 of chapter 5: Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; INSTEAD, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

Christ provides the light for us to walk in. God does not simply command us to be like Him without equipping us with what we need to obtain holiness. God gives us love so that our life can be filled with the same kind of sacrificial love Christ displayed on the cross. God does incredible things in our life so that it is not difficult to let thankfulness flow from our conversations. Jesus gives us the light within us so that our life can produce what is good and right and true.

But we are still faced with choices each day. We can choose to take part in what the world has to offer or INSTEAD we can rise from the dead and allow Christ to give us light. Look for those “instead” moments today. Recognize the choices before you and determine what scent your life will be today.

Today’s Reading: Ephesians 4:17-32

Any time we make a major change in life, we are going to find ourselves comparing the old to the new. Look back and consider when you first got married or when you had your first child, when you started a new job or moved to a new community, when you lost a loved one or graduated from school. There are many times in our life when things shift and major changes take place. We made this same change when we turned our lives over to God and allowed Jesus to take residence in our hearts through His Spirit.

In the last three chapters of Ephesians, Paul does a lot of comparing of the old way of life to the new life in Christ. Yesterday we looked at Ephesians 4:14-15, which compares how we used to live with what we are growing to become:

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. – Ephesians 4:14-15

Life is full of changes and each change has a purpose in our life. God uses each new situation to draw us closer to Him and to form us into the person He created us to be. His plan is not for us to continue in the old way of sin but to live a holy life.

With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

But that isn’t what you learned from Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy. – Ephesians 4:17-24

I like how The Message restates the last couple verses of this passage: everything—and I do mean everything – connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.

God’s character is reproduced in us – I love that! Paul goes on to compare the old person with the new person, the old sinful nature with the life renewed by the Spirit with God’s character reproduced in us. He shows the change that occurs in our life when we STOP living for our own purposes and START following his good and pleasing and perfect will for our life.

The first time I read these differences, I read quickly, for this passage was very familiar to me. Then I went back and slowly took stock of every change. Praise God for the change He has made in my life. I thank Him for making me a new person yet I admit I sometimes allow myself to fall into some of the old and familiar patterns of this world – forgive me, Lord! Let your Spirit do a work in my heart, continuing to renew me and transform me into a new person for the sake of your plan for my life.

Let’s look at the comparison of the old sinful nature and the new life where our thoughts and attitudes are renewed by the Spirit (Eph. 4:25-32):

Old – Telling lies.
New – Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.

Old – Letting anger control us.
New – Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

Old – Stealing.
New – Use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.
(When you look at the new it puts a new definition on the old – don’t think of stealing the same but consider the possibility that we are stealing from God when we choose to not live generously with our time and money when there are those in need around us.)

Old – The use of foul and abusive language.
New – Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Old – Bringing sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live.
New – Remember, He has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

Old – A life where there are even moments of bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.
New – Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. – Romans 12:2