QT 22 Dec 10

1 Kings 12:26-33 (NIV) Jeroboam thought to himself, "The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam."

28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." 29 One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin; the people went even as far as Dan to worship the one there.

31 Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. 32 He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. 33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.

NOTE: When it is all about me, the decisions made are usually not good ones. Even worse, Jeroboam repeats the worse sin of Israel (the golden calf) that occurred during the Exodus. For that sin, God was ready to abandon his people, except for the pleading of Moses. And even then, it appears that the tabernacle remained outside of the main camp, instead of in the middle. Now Jeroboam doubles down on the sin by creating two golden calves on opposite ends of the nation. Not only is God reduced to an image, but the one God is now two gods. And he creates a new festival for the eight month. Interestingly, the eight month had no festivals, the festivals occurred on the first, third, and seventh month. So, the eight month could properly be termed the month of the golden calf, and rebellion to doing it God's way. Lord, protect me from the sin of Jeroboam, the sin of making it all about me.

QT 20 Dec 10

1 Kings 12:6-11 (NIV) Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. "How would you advise me to answer these people?" he asked.

7 They replied, "If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants."

8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. 9 He asked them, "What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, 'Lighten the yoke your father put on us'?"

10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, "Tell these people who have said to you, 'Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter'-tell them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's waist. 11 My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.'"

NOTE: I don't think the issue is that Rehoboam listened to younger, less wise advice than older, mature wisdom. I think Rehoboam knew what he wanted and he rejected those who did not give him the answer he wanted. He went to the elders first, and would have probably taken their advice if it had been advice he wanted. To loosen the load on the people would have meant a change in income level for Rehoboam. He was not willing to reduce his standard of living. He wasn't interested in serving people but in being served. And finally, he was young and foolish. Quite a contrast for having the wisest father the world would ever know. Your family does not determine your direction. Your desires, your sin, your choices make you into the person you are. We like to blame others for faulty counsel or a bad environment, but really we are covering up our own choices that are to blame.

QT 14 Dec 10

Eph 6:17-18 Take ... and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

NOTE: Five times the Spirit is mentioned, in regards to the Holy Spirit, in the first three chapters of Ephesians. If I shorten these two verses down, I get, "take the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, and pray in the Spirit." As others have mentioned, this is the only offensive weapon, but there is no action prescribed for its use other than praying. And since the author clearly references God's word, the completing thought is that our prayers should be based on promises in the Word of God. As an application, I am going to go back to using "Face to Face" for my prayer times.

QT 1 Dec 10

Eph 6:14-18 (NIV) Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

NOTE: Next up is the shield of faith, which is used to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. The word for shield, thureos, is used only here. It is a large, door shaped, shield. Faith, pisteoos, is mentioned in 1:15 "… heard of you faith …," 2:8 "… saved through faith; …," 3:12 "… we have boldness and access with confidence by faith …," and 3:16 "… that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; …" The last passage suggests that faith is required to understand the dimensions of Christ's love for us, and that it is beyond understanding. Eph 4:27 warns against the devil gaining a foothold, specifically referring to anger that continues. Finally, fiery, Greek word puroo, is from a root word meaning to kindle or inflame (with anger, grief, or lust).

What does this all mean? Satan is going to attack us. He will attack our assurance of salvation, our belief in God's great love for us, and our relationship problems. He wants to make mountains out of molehills, and forest fires out of sparks. We are called to extinguish these attacks by faith. God loves us despite our struggles and sins. God forgives us over and over again. What if God only forgave us 7 times or even 7 times 70 times? In many areas we would be out of forgiveness, even using the 490 figure. We need to have faith in his love for us, and emulate in our relationship with others. The shield of faith reminds us of our own worthiness, and our hope in our salvation.

QT 29 Nov 10

Eph 6:14-18 (NIV) Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

NOTE: Continuing the discussion on the armor of God: the next armor item is shoes, or more properly, feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Peace is the major message of chapter two -- peace between Gentile and Jew, and peace with God. Readiness, the Greek word hetoimasia, appears only here in the NT. It could also be translated preparation. We need to prepare ourselves to go forth (ie, the feet) and verbally share the message (gospel) of peace to a world desperately need of peace. One of the advantages of shoes is that we can travel far, and that we stay busy. Shoeless-ness restricts our range and activity. God wants us sharing our faith, and -- being ready to share our faith to anyone who calls us to account for the hope that is within us.

QT 27 Nov 10

Eph 6:14-18 (NIV) Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

NOTE: I would like to look at each one of these and see if there is some relationship to chapters one to three.

The belt of truth relates back to verse 1:13, the word of truth. In 1:13, the word of truth is what we believed, and as a consequence were sealed by the Holy Spirit. The HS serves as a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. Our waist covers a variety of organs, mostly involved in digestion, such as the stomach, intestines, and liver. We need to digest the word of truth in our life, and allow the nutrients of the word to filter through our whole body.

The breastplate of righteousness relates back to verse 4:24, in the application section. Verse 4:24 talks about putting on the new man, created in righteousness and holiness. The word for righteousness, dikaiosune, seems to also refer to the overall character of a man. Because we are new creatures, going back to the main idea in chapter 2 and 3, the mystery of our inclusion in the family of God and the kingdom of God, we are to live as bespeaks our new status. The breastplate protects the very vital organs of the body, heart and lung. Both are critical aspects of life that must always be working. When they stop, our life stops. So we should treat our character. It is not something that we can take a break from living.

I think that is all for now. My character must exhibit the new man; my digestion must be on God's word.

QT 25 Nov 10

Eph 6:13 (NIV) Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

NOTE: Up to this point, Paul has discussed the application of chapters 1-3, in chapters 4-6 with the term "walk." Now, he says "stand," what is the difference. I would think that 'walk' refers to a way of life, how you live, how you interact, and how you go about life. But 'stand,' especially in the context, is a military term, i.e., "stand your ground." And the passage starts out with a discussion of the enemy and his strength. So these verses are specifically referring to the spiritual warfare that will occur in life, and how we are to defend ourselves, and to not lose ground to the enemy. I think these verses are more personal in nature as opposed to verses concerning the Christian movement. There will come times in a person's life where the enemy will make a frontal assault upon our faith. We are to 'STAND,' and not lose ground. I think many of us think that we can 'shrink back,' because God will accept us when we return to him. But God is not pleased with those who 'shrink back.'

Heb 10:38 But my righteous one will live by faith. // And if he shrinks back, // I will not be pleased with him."

QT 22 Nov 10

Eph 6:10-13 (NIV) Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

NOTE: This is Paul's final point, as evidenced by the word "finally." I would call this "walk in power." The power is found in putting on the whole armor of God. My guess is that each of the pieces of armor will relate back to the doctrinal portions of chapters 1-3. So, after telling us to put on the whole armor of God, Paul gives the reason: this is a spiritual battle against evil which you can't even see. Evil is coming and we must be ready to fight against it. I don't know if I truly recognize the evil battle that is occurring around me. Yes, I see the evil, but I don't pay attention to the source. I need to be more serious in my battle against evil. I need to understand each part of the armor and how it helps me in my battle against the forces of evil.

QT 18 Nov 10

Eph 6:9 (NIV) And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

NOTE: Do not threaten them, in other words no bullying. Why is it that bosses bully their employees? It is our sin nature. Some need to control another person's life because of the inner pride or feeling that we are better than them. I so look forward to the millennial kingdom when we will have transformed leadership, when bullying will not be tolerated. We are a society imploding and we don't even realize it.

QT 8 Nov 10

Eph 6:1-3 (NIV) Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 "Honor your father and mother"-which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 "that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth."

NOTE: This is really a lot like a proverb, although it may also have direct spiritual intervention as well. But the reason life goes well for a child who listens to their parent, is that parent has wisdom whereas the child does not. There is always great gain in listening to someone with wisdom. Wise counsel is not found in young friends. And the best counsel is found in those who know God. Those who avoid the counsel of the wise are foolish, and are very likely to make supremely stupid decisions that ultimately could cost them their earthly life. Another interesting aspect of this verse is that the children are told to exercise their will and obey. The parents are not told to make their children obey. Ultimately, all of life is defined by choices that made out of free will. While in general, good parenting is accompanied by good children, there is no guarantee. A bad child can come from good parents as a good child can come from poor parents. A person chooses his course, not a parent, not another person, but him or her alone.

QT 26 Oct 10

Eph 5:1-6 (NIV) Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person — such a man is an idolater — has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

NOTE: What does verse 5 mean? It says that any immoral, impure or greedy person has does not have any inheritance in the kingdom. It also defines immoral, impure or greedy person as an idolater. But since we are all immoral, impure, or greedy -- to some extent, even Paul called himself a wretched man, and the chief sinner -- how does it apply. Since it would apply to all believers in some sense or at some time, it must refer to a way of life. A life characterized by immorality, impurity, or greediness suggests a person who does not worship God but rather sex, lust, and money. His worship is for his idols and consequently, he cannot be a believer. So then, does our struggles with sex, lust, and money have some impact on our inheritance in the kingdom as believers? Quite possibly, since it is the given reason for why an unbeliever (or faker) would not have an inheritance. I'm still not confident with the tidiness of this explanation. This is something I need to investigate further. I don't want to create my own doctrine, but rightfully divide God's word.

QT 18 Oct 10

Eph 4:3-6 (NIV) Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

NOTE: Why is it that Christians, who share the same Holy Spirit, and are part of one universal body, should have to be reminded to pursue unity?  Why isn't unity a natural response to being a believer in Christ?  What is it about our nature, I assume the flesh, that even when we are new creations, must be reminded to pursue unity?  One of the key characteristics of a disciple is "love for each other" and yet, we still struggle with unity.  Paul offers good reasons why unity is essential, and probably expected -- one body, one spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.  But somehow, we have to be reminded to pursue peace and unity.  One could argue that the church is an odd mixture of different beliefs and practices, with little obvious unity.  Some of these churches are "so-called" churches because they do not represent true believers.  But others are true believers.  Do we allow our convictions of truth to influence our acceptance of others in areas that are grey?  Do we refuse to acknowledge the grey areas?  Do we, in our pride, believe that no one else can understand God as we understand God?  I don't have answers to these questions, but I do recognize the subtle influences of sin which cause divisions.  Lord, protect me from those attitudes.

QT 12 Oct 10

Eph 4:1-2 (NIV) As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

NOTE: The "calling" is becoming a citizen of the kingdom and a member of God's family, partakers (Gentile and Jew) with the promises of God and an inheritance from God.  It really is an amazing calling, and none of us are worthy of it.  But, if we truly understand and believe that calling, it will affect how we live our lives.  We need to be humble, even though the calling has made us incredibly special.  We need to be gentle, because it is a characteristic of our family name.  We need to be patient, and to bear with others in love, because God has been more than patient with us, and has shown us incredible and amazing love.

QT 6 Oct 10

Eph 3:16-19 (NIV) I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

NOTE: Biblical prayers are most interesting -- mostly because of what you don't see in the prayers.  Paul does not mention the Father's name every other clause.  No prayers for someone who is sick.  No prayers for someone to find a job.  No prayers for the friend of a sister of a church member.  No prayers for undefined blessings.

Rather, Paul's prayers are entirely spiritual.  He prays for the Father to strengthen the readers with power from the Holy Spirit.  He prays that Christ would dwell in their hearts through faith.  He prays that they might truly understand the depth of the love of Christ.  He prays that they might be filled with the fullness of God.  

QT 5 Oct 10

Eph 3:14-15 (NIV) For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

NOTE: It is easy to forget that as adopted sons and daughters, we are part of a larger family.  We have an inheritance, but we also inherit a name.  Our new last name is God's.  I'm not sure how it is pronounced or said, but the fact remains, our new name is derived from God.  When people see me, it is not just my name that I represent, but it is God's name.  My actions reflect upon my family, the family of God, the true church, those who share in Christ, Jew and Gentile.  I don't think we are truly captured with that thought or the magnitude of the truth.  If we really let it sink in, it ought to radically affect how we live our lives in this world.

QT 22 Sep 10

Eph 2:19 (NIV) Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household,

NOTE: It really is hard to understand the depth of our salvation.  I'm not sure that most believers appreciate the significance of having been foreigners and aliens, but now citizens of the kingdom, and members of God's household.  These are glorious honors with fantastic privilege, status, and security.  This is our hope from God.  I am so undeserving of your kindness to me, Lord.  Forgive my lack of gratefulness.  

QT 20 Sep 10

Eph 2:11-13 (NIV) Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

NOTE: Why is it so important to remember where we came from?  I think if we don't realize how undeserving we were of our salvation that we being to take it for granted.  We don’t fully appreciate how lost, helpless, and hopeless we were.  When we don't appreciate, we are not thankful.  When we are not thankful, we live in a manner that reflects our selfish, me-only philosophy of life.  When we are not thankful, we forget God.  When we forget God, we try to live our life in our own power.  Lord, forgive us for our thanklessness and for not remembering all that you have done for us.

QT 16 Sep 10

Eph 2:4-5 (NIV) But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved.

NOTE: What initiates our salvation is not us, but God himself. It wasn't our seeking him. It wasn't our behavior. It wasn't anything good about us. The phrase "God, who is rich in mercy" highlights the fact that we needed mercy because what we deserved, was anything but salvation. We were spiritually dead because of our sin. And only by grace, which means an undeserved gift, were we saved. Deserving of death and undeserving of life, God saved us. Of course, we had to respond to the gift, and many today refuse to take the offer of salvation. Thank you Lord, for the gift of life. I know that I was undeserving of life.

QT 14 Sep 10

Eph 2:1-3 (NIV) As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

NOTE: The picture is pretty dismal, and a far cry from how most people view themselves. We see good, and for our definition, we are good. In fact, God made us good. What we don't see is how our rebellion that began is the garden so completely mars the person God created. In God's eyes we are no longer good, in fact, only God is good -- a point Jesus subtly tried to communicate to the rich young ruler. It is true, that by our definition, we are not evil, but by God's definition, we are. By God's definition, we are objects of wrath. We will never truly understand the gospel and the riches of the gospel until we see our condition from God's perspective.

QT 6 Sep 10

Eph 1:15-17 (NIV) For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

NOTE: The first thing to notice is that Paul did not originate the work in Ephesus ("ever since I heard about your faith…"), although he spent considerable time there teaching (3 years). It was a church that he deeply loved and that cared for him as well. It did not have the same struggles as some of the other churches, and that may be related to less wealth and other previous pagan practices -- that is, while existing, may not have been as extreme.

One of the best aspects of prayers in scripture is that we have a pattern that is biblical. The first thing Paul does is to give thanks. While people do give thanks in corporate prayer, oftentimes our private prayer is entirely needs intensive, and usually those needs are personal needs. Paul's first request for the Ephesians is for wisdom and revelation, to know God better. By far, the most important thing that we can ask for any individual is to know God better. Knowing God changes people. Changes don't make people love God or know him better. Laws do not create a new heart or attitude. That is a spiritual work that is an outflow of a relationship to God.

Application: I need to renew my own prayer time with God