Author: Mandy Farmer

Ready Day 9 Living Ready: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Living Ready!

The Questions

1) What does “God’s will, your sanctification” mean in verse 3?

2) Of all the sins that he could speak of, why does Paul cite sexual sin as the way to have holy lives?

3) Why is loving others so important in living a godly life?

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

Additionally, then, brothers and sisters, we ask and encourage you in the Lord Jesus, that as you have received instruction from us on how you should live and please God–as you are doing–do this even more. For you know what commands we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

3 For this is God’s will, your sanctification: that you keep away from sexual immorality,4 that each of you knows how to control his own body in holiness and honor,5 not with lustful passions, like the Gentiles, who don’t know God.6 This means one must not transgress against and take advantage of a brother or sister in this manner, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses, as we also previously told and warned you.7 For God has not called us to impurity but to live in holiness. 8 Consequently, anyone who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

9 About brotherly love: You don’t need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. 10 In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers and sisters in the entire region of Macedonia. But we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do this even more,11 to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you,12 so that you may behave properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.

Original Intent

1) What does “God’s will, your sanctification” mean in verse 3?
God’s desire, His will, for us is more than just forgiveness of sin so we can be restored to a right relationship with Him. He wants to restore us to flawless His image, completely unmarked by sinful desires. God created us in His image. (Genesis 1:27) While that was ruined by the fall of man when Adam and Eve sinned (Genesis 3), God still instructed us to “be holy as He is holy” (1 Peter 1:15-16); God’s will is to perfectly restore His image in each of us and He offers this to all who have trusted Him for salvation from the condemnation of sin. (Colossians 3:9-10) Sanctification is a big, confusing word. It can also be translated as “holiness” or “set apart.” Thus, God’s will for us is to live holy lives. When we live holy lives through the power of the Holy Spirit, we become more and more like Him. (2 Corinthians 3:18) His Holy Spirit enables us to “participate in the divine nature” of God. (2 Peter 1:3-4) Peter urges us in the following verses to do our part in coordination with God’s Spirit working inside every believer, “make every effort to add to your faith (…) godliness with brotherly (…) love”. (2 Peter 1:5-9) Again, Peter urges us, “make every effort to confirm your calling and election.” (2 Peter 1:10-11) When we participate in His work, we are READY to enter His Kingdom. “For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.” (2 Peter 1:11)

2) Of all the sins he could speak of, why does Paul cite sexual sin as the way to have holy lives?
The church in Thessalonica was amid an amoral society. The ancient writer, Demosthenes, described the view of sex in the ancient Roman Empire like this, “We keep prostitutes for pleasure; we keep mistresses for the day to day needs of the body; we keep wives for the faithful guardianship of our homes.” (Enduring Word Bible Commentary 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4) Sexual sin was rampant and grossly distorted God’s design! Paul exhorted the church because they were called to live set apart lives. He encouraged them to live more and more like children of God, taking on the image of Christ as the Holy Spirit shaped it in them. His will was for believers to live different lives from unbelievers, so their good works would be seen and draw all men to glorify God and receive salvation also. (Matthew 5:16) God, through His Holy Spirit, is directing us to work for His good purpose. In his book, “Holiness”, J. C. Ryle stated, “if we are not obeying Him and living more like Him, we are not shining lights. And if not, perhaps we have not truly given our lives to God in the first place. Certainly, we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us.” (Philippians 2:12-15)

3) Why is loving others so important in living a godly life?
Love is the cornerstone to holy living. When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6, “Love the Lord and love your neighbor.” (Matthew 22:37-40) It all boils down to LOVE. All the law rests upon loving God and loving others. In his letter, the disciple John encouraged us to love each other. This kind of divine, selfless love proves we are born of God because we are becoming like Him. (John 13:34-35; 1 John 4:7-8) He even said, if we aren’t loving each other, we don’t know God! (1 John 4:8) If we struggle with this, we may need to consider whether we genuinely love Christ. J.C. Ryle wrote, “Let it never be said that we cannot know whether a Christian really loves Christ.” He continues, if not “perhaps you have no sense of debt to Him”. The only way to genuinely love Christ and realize our indebtedness to Him is to study the Bible fervently. Learn the attributes of Kingdom living in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Get a grasp on our sinfulness in Romans 1 and 2. Additionally, pray. Plead with God earnestly, asking for His light and understanding. Seek Him with all your heart, soul, and mind until you see your need of Him. “To see your need of Christ and the debt to Christ is the first step toward loving Him.” (J. C. Ryle)

Everyday Application

1) What does “God’s will, your sanctification” mean in verse 3?
We receive many graces when we are saved from the consequence of our sin, which is eternal death and separation from God. The first of these is justification, which is the forgiveness of all our personal sin past, present, and future. I like to explain it this way, God’s grace makes me “Just as if I’d never sinned”. (Romans 5:9-18) But grace does not stop there! The next thing God gives is new life! We call this regeneration. Easton’s Bible Dictionary explains regeneration as a change of heart (Titus 3:4-8); becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17); a renewal of the mind (Romans 12:1-2). This is nothing man does on our own strength, but rather it is the work of the Holy Spirit within us. Thirdly, God adopts us as His child! (John 1:12-13) We are His heirs! Finally, we are given the Holy Spirit, who teaches us to live more and more like Jesus. As we grow in Him, this holiness (sanctification) becomes the doing and living of our salvation. Dr. David Jeremiah says, “it is the proof of our faith… the example of our faith… and the action of our faith.” (Crosswalk)

2) Of all the sins he could speak of, why does Paul cite sexual sin as the way to have holy lives?
Much like Thessalonica, sexual immorality is rampant today, even within the church. Sexual passion is a wonderful, God-given gift, but God designed it to be enjoyed only within the bounds of marriage. (Hebrews 13:4) The desire of the flesh is likely the strongest desire we have and is incredibly hard to resist. Even King David, a man after God’s own heart, failed to resist sexual desires. (2 Samuel 11:1-5) It must be fought on two sides, body and soul. We must take care to “guard our hearts” (Proverbs 4:20-23) to keep our desires at bay. We can only remain pure through our humble search of God’s Word (Psalm 119:9-11), hiding it deep in our hearts. [Bishop Kastor, The Philokalia, Vol. 1] It takes diligence on our part along with constant submission to the work of the Holy Spirit in us. Anne Graham Lotz stated in her book, Jesus in Me, “While you have the power of the Holy Spirit within you, the cooperation of your full surrender, obedience and faith is required to activate it.” It takes self-control and humble constant repentance to quench the fires of the flesh. But be encouraged, with His Power, we CAN resist and flee temptation! (1 Corinthians 10:13) We CAN live holy lives. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

3) Why is loving others so important in living a godly life?
Today, we hear it said that we cannot love others unless we love ourselves. This idea would essentially be saying Jesus gave us a third commandment (actually, loving ourselves would become the second commandment.) God has instructed us to put others before ourselves (Philippians 2:2-4). Scripture tell us many times to love others without saying anything about loving ourselves. (1 Corinthians 16:14, 1 Peter 4:8, 1 John 3:11, 18) (Doug Britton, Marriage and Family Therapist) Loving others is not always easy. There was a time in my life when there was a person whom I did not want to love. Until a preacher said, “Ask God to make you willing, to be willing to love her.” I put it to the test. God gave me several tasks to complete including giving her gifts and praying for her. Before I knew it, I loved her dearly. God’s love is not like ours, and to love like Him, we must be willing to surrender our dingy definition for the divine pathways of God’s love to be manifest in us. C.S. Lewis confirmed this idea in Mere Christianity, “Do not waste time bothering whether you love your neighbor, act as if you did. As soon as you do this, we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.”

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Living Ready!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Ready Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Nations Day 9 Religious Or Relationship?: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Religious Or Relationship!

The Questions

1) How does salt connect with disciples? (verse 13)

2) What connection do disciples have with light? (verse 14)

3) How are we like a city on a hill? (verses 14-16)

Matthew 5:13-16

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Original Intent

1) How does salt connect with disciples? (verse 13)
Salt. The shaker on our table is what we bring to mind, but in Jesus’ day, salt was a valuable commodity. It was sometimes even used to pay one’s salary. Jesus called the disciples salt because they were as important to the Gospel as salt was to the society. Have you ever eaten a French fry without salt? Just a little salt makes a world of difference! Consider the impact the disciples made on the world once they were anointed with God’s power through His Holy Spirit. Just twelve men initiated world-wide change as a result of God’s power! (Acts 2) As powerful as salt is, it can lose its savor if it is mixed with other additives. RealSalt.com says salt will never go bad, but common table salt has agents added which degrade over time causing the salt to lose its savor. Society in Jesus’ day and and now, is mixed with many sinful impurities. If Christ-followers were not careful, their lives would be overrun with the effects of sinful choices. This leads to a need for preservation! In ancient times, salt was added to prevent food from spoiling. When the disciples began spreading the Gospel, they were keeping the world from decaying without the Hope offered through Jesus’ offer of forgiveness. Salt can go both ways. If we allow society to rub off on us, we will lose our savor; but if we rub off on society, we hold out the life-giving freedom of Christ!

2) What connection do disciples have with light? (verse 14)
In Jesus’ day, the title, “Light of the World” had been given to certain rabbis and were referenced as lamps of the universe (Enduring Word). It must have sounded odd to hear Jesus say all of His disciples were the Light of the World, a title normally reserved for prestigious teachers. Charles Spurgeon says, the world “is dark, and gropes in midnight, and it cannot get light except it receives it through us.” Being God’s light to the world gives guidance. Isaiah spoke of it (Isaiah 9:2) and the apostle John also said, ‘The light shines in the darkness…” Light shows the way to God, the only way to God. The ancient world was no better than ours. Recall the culture in Ephesus where they served many gods and built temples to them. They “worshipped” these gods with sexual acts. Theirs was also a society of wealth and people aspiring to gain riches. Also, who could forget our history lessons about Nero and other ruthless leaders with their orgies, torture, and worse. The ancient world desperately needed a light to find their way to the One True God. Jesus was that light. And when He left earth, He told us to be His light, carrying it into the dark world.

3) How are we like a city on a hill? (verses 14-16)
A city on a hill is prominent and seen from a long distance. Jesus may have been using a nearby city of Safed as an analogy. It stands on a very eminent and conspicuous mountain and is seen far and near. Possibly, Jesus alluded to this city as an example of how it was not hidden but seen by all. Likewise, Jesus wanted people of His Kingdom to live visible lives that attracted attention, so their good works would bring praise to God. (Enduring Word)
Jesus spoke these words about salt and light following His teaching on the Beatitudes, which focused on showing us how to live Kingdom lives. It is not in doing good works that we are saved, but our good works come from God’s work through His Spirit in us. (Ephesians 2:8-10) When the Holy Spirit is guiding our lives, it is like a hand in a glove. We are the glove and “we live and move” by the direction of the Holy Spirit. Our actions are not so people will see us but rather that they will see the Light of Jesus and give glory to God. (Acts 17:27-28, John 3:21)

Everyday Application

1) How does salt connect with disciples? (verse 13)
How can you and I effectively season the world? By choosing to engage those around us with the hope of Christ! If we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and allowed the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our lives, we HAVE Christ’s power in us to be salt to the world and we will WANT to season the world. If you don’t have the deep desire to be salt to the world, it would be wise to follow the apostle Paul’s teaching and examine your hearts “to see whether we are in the faith.” (2 Corinthians 13:5-6) Have you ever known a person who rubbed you the wrong way? Comparatively, have you known someone who always blesses a room when they enter? This is how we season the world. A preacher once asked, “If you record yourself, what would you see/hear?” This challenged me, and still does, to take special care in what I do and I say, making sure I’m surrendering myself to the Spirit’s power alive in me. (Ephesians 4:29-32) Showing love, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness is how believers share their Salt with the Earth. Let’s begin our days with King David’s prayer, ”Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, oh Lord. My Rock and my Redeemer.”

2) What connection do disciples have with light? (verse 14)
We are a “peculiar people”. (1 Peter:2-9, KJV) When others see a true Christian, they will notice something is different because we are marked by the light and love of God’s Spirit within us. (John 13:35) They will curiously want to know what makes us peculiar. Hopefully, they will want some of the joy we have because of Jesus. Peter wrote that being peculiar “calls us out of darkness into God’s Marvelous Light.” The Holy Spirit living in us is the Light who call others out of the pervading darkness. The apostle Paul said to “live by the Spirit…keep(ing) in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-25); the result is beautiful fruit in our lives! Paul also commands, “above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.” (Colossians 3:12-14) The Spirit’s fruit in our lives is what makes us peculiar to others. (Philippians 2:12-14) We may not really want to be peculiar because our light brings conviction of sin and people may react adversely. Thus, we may be tempted to hide the Light of Christ within us. But our world is still in darkness, desperately in need of light. Jesus came as that Light. He instructed the disciples to shine His light, and now, we must continue shining this light to the world. Do not hide your light but, as the Sunday School song goes, “let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!”

3) How are we like a city on a hill? (verses 14-16)
Our assignment is to be Light in this dark and broken world; opening ourselves up to allow our light from God shine through. I love the idea Christine shared in her Journey Study yesterday. She found places in the dark where she can be salt and light; book clubs, fitness groups, and places that aren’t necessarily Christian. This is how we truly can be a light on a hill. Think of your own culture, village, or city, where can you go to shine? Clarence L Haynes states at Crosswalk, “…the value of salt is not when it is in the shaker. Salt cannot season, preserve, disinfect… until it comes out of the shaker.” The famous pastor, Charles Spurgeon, quoted the venerable Bede in saying, “Christ Jesus brought the light of Deity into the poor lantern of our humanity, and then set it upon the candlestick of His church that the whole house of the world might be lit up.” I pray your local church is finding ways to be a light on a lampstand. If not, maybe it’s time for you and me to be the ones to start something. I believe others will follow, they just need someone to lead the way in living lives that shine with brilliance!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Religious Or Relationship!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Nations Week Two!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Enough Day 11 Humble King

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Genesis 3
Zechariah 9:9-17
Philippians 2:5-11
Revelation 21

Enough, Day 11

There is a God-shaped hole in our hearts.

Our family loves Kincaid paintings. Of course, we were never able to purchase a painting, so we did the next best thing; we bought, assembled, and framed puzzles. What an accomplishment to finish the gorgeous pictures by placing the last piece!

However, my husband enjoyed hiding away a puzzle piece so he could place it into the last open spot. It became a fun routine at our house and the kids went straight to Daddy to find the last piece.

One Christmas, however, he didn’t take a piece and yet, one was missing. Initially, the kids didn’t believe him, but eventually, the truth sank in; oh, what a disappointment to have a hole in the middle of the picture, leaving it incomplete! We framed the picture anyway, taking a piece from the unseen edges to try to fill the empty space, but our eyes were immediately drawn to the patched-up place every time we looked at the picture.

Just like the unfinished puzzle, there is a hole in our hearts in the shape of God. The piece was removed way back in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sinned against God, separating us all from His Presence.

Oh, the ache we feel over lost fellowship with God! We know something is missing, but often, we are not sure what (or really, Who). So we might try to fill the emptiness with other pieces like family, love, success, drugs, alcohol. But nothing really fits.

God’s heart also aches to be in fellowship with us. So, He gave us a promise that one day, He would fill the lonely space in our hearts.

“Look, your King is coming to you;
he is righteous and victorious,
humble and riding on a donkey[.]
(Zechariah 9:9-10)

God’s people knew the promise of a King who would bring peace and hope. They watched and waited for over 400 years. But they looked for a powerful and mighty conqueror, someone to fight their enemies and restore political peace to Israel.

They heard Zechariah’s words, “your King comes to you, righteous and victorious”,
but they missed the next part, “lowly and riding on a donkey.”

They brushed past Isaiah’s prophecy, “He didn’t have impressive form, or majesty that we should look at Him, no appearance that we should desire Him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turn away from; He was despised, and we didn’t value Him.” (Isaiah 53:3)

Rather than arriving in a palace among princes and kings, God’s Son was born to peasants, in a dirty stable. He was announced, not to royalty, but to shepherds. In fact, royalty missed the whole event until wise men from abroad pointed it out. (Lessons from the Words of Life)

Yes, one day, He will come as the “righteous and victorious” conqueror Zecharaiah described. (Revelation 19) In the meantime, the apostle Paul reminds us to live with the “same attitude as that of Christ,” who “emptied Himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity.  And when He had come as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death– even to death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8)

He came humbly, not just to teach us how to live, but to live as an example before us. He came so the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, could live within us and bring us true peace despite the unrest around us. This was another step to reuniting us in complete fellowship with our God. His Holy Spirit can perfectly fill that hole in our souls.

There is nothing like having the right puzzle piece. The following Christmas, as we brought out the decorations, we found the missing puzzle piece! It had somehow fallen off the table into one of the boxes and was stored away. How appropriate to have found the missing piece at Christmas! Just like our family, if we keep searching for God (our hearts’ missing piece), we will find Him. (Jeremiah 29:13)

All who accept Christ as their personal Savior have the Holy Spirit living within them, guiding and directing their lives. Indeed, God is with us now, but one day Christ will return to earth, righteous and victorious. He will set up His Kingdom, removing all evil.

We will hear a voice from heaven saying,
“Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His peoples, and God Himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away [… ] Look, I am making everything new.” (Revelation 21:3-5)

Are you ready for that day? Will you remove all else with which you have tried to fill that God-shaped hole, even good things? Have you humbled your heart to God and allowed His Holy Spirit to come in? I invite you to embrace God alone as your own humble king, so you can experience how perfectly the Holy Spirit fills the emptiness within.

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

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Here’s a link to all past studies in Enough!

Fervent Day 9 When All Seems Lost: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out When All Seems Lost!

The Questions

1) What is our identity as believers? How Does Living “in Ephesus” and “in Christ” affect identity? (verse 1)

2) What are the spiritual blessings we have in Christ? (verse 3)

3) How do these blessings in Christ bring hope? (verse 18)

Ephesians 1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will:
To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus.

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. 5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ 10 as a plan for the right time —to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him.

11 In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will, 12 so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory.

13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

15 This is why, since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I never stop giving thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the mighty working of his strength.

20 He exercised this power in Christ by raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens— 21 far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he subjected everything under his feet and appointed him as head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

Original Intent

1) What is our identity as believers? How Does Living “in Ephesus” and “in Christ” affect identity? (verse 1)
Our identity is often connected with our basic core values which then dictate the choices we make (e.g., relationships, career). Where we live and how we grew up are also tied to our identity; this was also true for the Ephesians. “The ancient city of Ephesus was the third-largest city in the Roman empire. Located on the southwestern corner of modern-day Turkey, Ephesus was a busy port city. It was the hub of four major roads going out into Asia Minor. In addition to being a commercial center, it was the link between Rome and the East. This unique position made it a diverse city of multiple ethnic groups. Ancient Ephesus was home to the temple of the Greek goddess Artemis (or Diana to the Romans). Artemis was the goddess of fertility, magic, and animals. The temple built in Ephesus was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, with a size that was four times as large as the Parthenon! …  Tradesmen made their living selling silver statues of the goddess. The Ephesians had a vast array of gods and goddesses to choose from and they worshiped many of them.” [First 5 Bible Studies in Ephesians] In contrast to this pagan world, Paul brought the Gospel to the Ephesians. Those who trusted Jesus were given a new identity in Christ. They no longer served other gods or worshiped idols like other citizens of Ephesus. Being “in Christ” meant more than a way of worship. They were set apart; taken out of the world and placed in Christ. Their faith gave them freedom from the slavery of sin which was all around them. They had a new citizenship in heaven. Ephesus was no longer their home! They were “in Christ”.

2) What are the spiritual blessings we have in Christ? (verse 3)
All who surrender to Jesus are redeemed. The ancient Greek word for redemption is lootruo meaning “to liberate on the receipt of a ransom.” (Gaebelein) Our sin incurred a debt, the price of death according to Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Christ paid the punishment for our sins through His death on the cross. We are accepted (chariot meaning “highly favored” or “full of grace”) because of Christ’s work to redeem us. God chose us before the foundation of the world before we did anything for Him, and He offers His grace to all willing to accept Him. (verse 4) Strong’s Concordance says grace (xáris in Greek) means God is “always leaning toward (us)”. Can’t you see God leaning over the rails of heaven waiting for us to respond by accepting His wonderful gift? He adopted us as His own. (verse 5) In Roman law, “The person who had been adopted had all the rights of a legitimate son in his new family, completely losing all rights to his old family. Even old debts and obligations previously connected to him were abolished.” (Barclay) Gaebelein adds, “Believers in the Lord Jesus are not merely adopted into the family of God; they are born again. There is no “previous life”. Think about our old identity prior to salvation; what a relief to have all guilt and shame removed! David sang, “How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” (Psalm 32:1-4) All believers have unspeakable spiritual riches! (verse 18) Considering Ephesus was the “bank of Asia”, it is significant that Paul mentions the believer’s wealth in Christ. Our bank is in heaven where the fullness of our glorious inheritance awaits! (See Warren Weirsbe’s Be Rich for a great resource on heavenly inheritance!)

3) How do these blessings in Christ bring hope? (verse 18)
When we accept Christ’s wonderful gift of salvation, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is like earnest money. His indwelling in a believer is the proof of God’s guarantee that He will follow through with His promise and bring us home to dwell with Him forever in Heaven. This is our confident hope! One glorious day we will be fully alive and free from the temptation to sin as we live eternally in God’s physical presence. We have a guaranteed inheritance through Jesus. Paul wanted the Ephesian believers to know the great magnitude of this rich inheritance in God’s people. We usually think only of our inheritance as salvation, righteousness, or Heaven, but Paul wanted the Ephesians to understand they were so precious to God that He considered them His own inheritance. Knowing our spiritual poverty, we wonder how God can find anything of value in us, let alone His only inheritance. Yet God creates unspeakable riches out of poor men and women because He invests Himself in them. He has invested riches of love, riches of wisdom, riches of suffering, riches of glory, and riches of holy transformation. These things accrue to a rich inheritance in the saints. (Enduring Word) He has invested Himself in us and His return on that investment will be magnificent!

Everyday Application

1) What is our identity as believers? How Does Living “in Ephesus” and “in Christ” affect identity? (verse 1)
My identity includes farmer’s daughter, baker of sweets, musician, computer programmer, and yes, a Yankee (I was born in Ohio, raised in Wisconsin). When I married Michael, I became a mother to two boys (9 & 14). My identity immediately changed from single working girl to pastor’s wife and mother while also transplanting to the south. My new family consisted of Georgia boys who rooted for the only ball team, the Georgia Bulldogs. Before long, we were expecting a child. Though we lived in Georgia, we chose a regional hospital just across the border of Tennessee to deliver our baby. I teasingly told the boys, “I didn’t want to have my baby in Georgia; thus, I was going over the state line to the birthing center in Tennessee.” Oh! We had fun joking about our baby’s identity. Now 29 years later, his blood runs Georgia red, as does mine! Our place of birth, our residence, our career, and environment we grew up in all play a role in how we identify ourselves. As Christians, however, our core identity is steeped in faith in Jesus. Those who have professed their faith in Christ are new creations! (1 Corinthians 5:17-21) We are citizens of heaven, but also ambassadors to the world around us. We are called to point others to the eternal life available only in Jesus! (Philippians 3:20, 2 Corinthians 5:11) We are on a journey to our true home and to bring along as many as possible. (1 Corinthians 9:19-27) Just like the church in Ephesus, all believers are a chosen people (Ephesians 1:4; 1 Peter 2:9-10); set apart for godliness and holiness as children of God. (Psalm 4:3, John 1:11-13) Can others see your full identity? Are you bringing as many as possible to heaven with you?

2) What are the spiritual blessings we have in Christ? (verse 3)
God’s unfolding plan for those who surrender to Him not only includes the blessings of salvation and personal transformation, but also a warm, confident relationship with the Father. (Guzik) My own earthly father was loving and caring who demonstrated God’s love. As a child, I loved to sit on Daddy’s lap or cuddle next to him. This comforting image of a good father has translated into my spiritual life. When I have a problem, I climb right into God’s lap and we talk about it. I am blessed to have this personal, confident relationship with the Father and it’s available to all! As His child, we can go before Him boldly because He is our loving Father. (Hebrews 4:14-16) Charles Spurgeon said, “We are not sitting here groaning, and crying, and fretting, and worrying, and questioning our own salvation. He has blessed us. If you think little of what God has done for you, you will do very little for him; but if you have a great notion of His great mercy to you, you will be greatly grateful to your gracious God.” (Enduring Word) When we realize His great mercy, we cannot help but “make every effort” to live holy and godly lives in worship toward Him through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are not only to praise God for what He has done, we are to live a wholly surrendered life before Him and share His glorious hope with others! (2 Peter 1:3-11) Honoring the Lord with our lives and sharing the gospel with those around us are to be marked with and woven through with love. Clarke reminds, “But as love is the fulfilling of the law, and love the fountain whence their salvation flowed, therefore love must fill their hearts towards God and each other.” Pray for opportunities to share the Gospel in love and be intentional in engaging with people as you point them to Jesus!

3) How do these blessings in Christ bring hope? (verse 18)
“Because of His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…” (1 Peter 1:3-9) What a glorious hope we have! I urge you to read the entire passage in 1 Peter. No matter what we face in life, hope in Jesus is certain and sure, never fading away. This confident hope comes from the sealing of the Holy Spirit. We know, that we know, that we know, that God holds our lives and our souls for eternity, sustaining us through His Word. We can trust Him with eternity, with our next breath, our next celebration or tragedy; He will never change or abandon us. We can remind ourselves of His faithfulness by 1) reading accounts of His perfect timing in human history (see The Hall of Faith in Hebrews; look for “faithfulness” in the Psalms 66, 74, 80, 81, 89, 111, 114, 135, 136; read God With Us by Christoph Barth ); 2) read about His faithfulness to the apostles (The Acts of the Apostles); 3) and encourage one another about His faithfulness for all believers (Hebrews 10:23-25), including you! Holding tightly to our assured hope is hard, but if we keep a written record of God’s specific blessings, we can remind ourselves of His faithfulness when our faith is weak. In my own life, there have been many trials, but my hope is found in knowing God is faithful and never fails. I like to use Psalm 136 as a template to write my own blessings from God; repeating after each blessing, “His faithful love endures forever.” I pray you have this confident hope in Christ! It is yours by giving your life completely to Him. Leave everything in His hands and you will find peace, hope and security.

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with When All Seems Lost!

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Fervent Week Two!
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Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

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Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Reveal Day 12 Dancing In The Dark: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Dancing In The Dark!

The Questions

1) What was the historical background during Ezekiel’s time?

2) What hope did Ezekiel offer to the nations of Israel? (verses 19-22)

3) What is the covenant of peace? (verses 25-28)

Ezekiel 37:15-28

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, take a single stick and write on it: Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him. Then take another stick and write on it: Belonging to Joseph—the stick of Ephraim—and all the house of Israel associated with him. Then join them together into a single stick so that they become one in your hand. When your people ask you, ‘Won’t you explain to us what you mean by these things?’— tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel associated with him, and put them together with the stick of Judah. I will make them into a single stick so that they become one in my hand.’

“When the sticks you have written on are in your hand and in full view of the people, tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: I am going to take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them. They will no longer be two nations and will no longer be divided into two kingdoms. They will not defile themselves anymore with their idols, their abhorrent things, and all their transgressions. I will save them from all their apostasies by which they sinned, and I will cleanse them. Then they will be my people, and I will be their God. My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow my ordinances and keep my statutes and obey them.

“‘They will live in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your ancestors lived. They will live in it forever with their children and grandchildren, and my servant David will be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be a permanent covenant with them. I will establish and multiply them and will set my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people. When my sanctuary is among them forever, the nations will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel.’”

Original Intent

1) What was the historical background during Ezekiel’s time?
Ezekiel lived during the 70-year captivity of Judah in Babylon. The prophets Jeremiah and Daniel were his contemporaries. The nation of Israel had forgotten God and become idolatrous by worshiping other gods. Through prophets, God repeatedly warned them about their sin and the coming destruction as a result. Even after they were captured, they took on the pagan gods and beliefs rather than standing up for the One True God. They had a “form of godliness but denied the power within.” (2 Timothy 3:5, Titus 1:16) They ignored the prophets, so God “left them to their own devices”. (Psalm 81:12) They wandered so far from God they no longer had unity within the nation. In just a few short generations after King David’s reign, the nation split into two nations. The Northern Kingdom (10 tribes led by the half tribe of Ephraim) and the Southern Kingdom of Judah (The tribes of Judah and Benjamin). The Northern Kingdom had already been overtaken by Assyria during Ezekiel’s ministry and finally, God allowed Babylon to overtake the Southern Kingdom as well. Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed, and the people were taken captive where they remained for 70 years. Ezekiel’s ministry was during these 70 years. In the first half of chapter 37, Ezekiel has a vision in the Valley of the Dry Bones. Ezekiel was amid piles of dry bones depicting the futility of the people’s lives without the Lord God. The people did not care about God. Even if they were still worshiping Him, it was in ritual only as they followed the cultural influences around them. They were dead in their sins and, for Ezekiel, it seemed there was no hope. But God showed Ezekiel He would raise His nation up and make them alive again.

2) What hope did Ezekiel offer to the nations of Israel? (verses 19-22)
God instructed Ezekiel to take two sticks, mark them with the names Judah and Ephraim and hold them together as one. As Ezekiel obeyed, the sticks fused into one by God’s power. This visual demonstration was a foreshadowing of what was to come. The prophecy was partially fulfilled after Israel’s 70 years of captivity when the two tribes of Judah and many of the tribes of Israel returned home to Jerusalem. Secondly, “it had a further accomplishment in the union of converted Jews and Gentiles in one body” after Jesus came to earth to live, die, and raise up again. However, the ultimate promise is yet to come when Christ returns to set up His Kingdom and all “shall join together in seeking the Lord, and David, their King, the Messiah, who shall be the one King over them…” (Gills Exposition of the Bible) Up to the birth of Christ, people lived in the Age of Truth under the Covenant of the Law. The people were in darkness because they had not seen the Light of God with their eyes in the person of Jesus. Only at certain times in the Old Testament did God come down to fellowship with His people. The Ark of the Covenant was the place of the Presence of God. (R.C. Sproul) No wonder, David danced when they brought the Ark of the Covenant back into Jerusalem. For indeed, God was again “with them.” After 400 years of silence, God began to move again among His people and so, the dance began again. John the Baptist was conceived as a forerunner to Christ. He leapt in his mother’s womb just being near the mother of the Messiah. Doesn’t your heart leap at the joy of this news? Who could forget the angelic announcement of the birth of Christ? Think of it! If I were a shepherd, I would not be able to keep still with excitement at the prospect of this joyous time. Hope was being fulfilled as Emmanuel (Jesus) came to humanity; God with us! A different age was about to begin, the Age of Grace under the Covenant of Redemption. Now not only is God with us, but His Holy Spirit can live within us if we trust in Christ as our Savior! The light of the world had come to chase away the darkness and the people began to dance in the light!

3) What is the covenant of peace? (verses 25-28)
First, let us consider, “What is peace?”. According to GotQuestions.com, “the primary Greek word for peace is ‘eirene’, and it refers to rest and tranquility. A key focus of peace in the New Testament is the advent of Jesus Christ, as announced by the angels in Luke 2:14 when they declare, “Peace on earth…”. Isaiah had predicted the Messiah would be the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and He is called the Lord of Peace in 2 Thessalonians 3:16. It is through Christ’s work of justification we can have peace with God (Romans 5:1), and His peace will keep our hearts and minds secure (Philippians 4:7).” A covenant is a binding agreement serving as a legal document of guarantee. Therefore, the Covenant of Peace is like an unbreakable contract describing the terms and conditions of God’s ‘peace plan’ for mankind. Just like the Covenant of Redemption details the terms and conditions of God’s redemption for mankind, the Covenant of Peace will define what is needed to partake in the coming Age of Peace.” Ezekiel describes how this covenant of peace will be established. Note as you read Ezekiel 34:20 and following, four things: 1) The Lord will rebuke the leaders who have led the people astray and set forth a judgment on them. 2) God will restore not only people, but land and animals. 3) The earth is restored to its original state (Compare the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2 and the New Earth in Revelation 21) and 4) God will be with His people. “I will establish One shepherd over them, … And I the Lord will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them.” (verses 23-24) (Paul Jablonowski, Sons to Glory)

Everyday Application

1) What was the historical background during Ezekiel’s time?
Israel is coming alive today in many ways. The valley of the dry bones describes how the land of Israel was not productive but was like a desolate desert. Today the land of Israel is stronger than ever. In every way, they are flourishing. They are strong militarily, agriculturally, and have even discovered large deposits of natural gas within their land. (learn more at Behold Israel) The State of Israel in Ezekiel’s day sounds a lot like today’s newspaper, doesn’t it? Ezekiel’s counterpart, Habakkuk described it like this… “Why do you force me to look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Oppression and violence are right in front of me. Strife is ongoing, and conflict escalates. This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted.” Today, unity is difficult to find, even among believers. We fight over doctrine and petty details like the color of the carpet. We get downright nasty when politics are mentioned. Too often, we stir up division instead of encouraging one another to model Christ-likeness. If we step back, it’s easy to spot similarities between our modern church and ancient Israel as the pull towards cultural norms and worship for ritualistic or even entertainment motives is strong. God told Israel He was not forsaking them and would bring about flourishing. By humble repentance and a focus on unity, we can encourage the global church to move together in unity through the power of the Holy Spirit. How can you begin fostering unity within your local body?

2) What hope did Ezekiel offer to the nations of Israel? (verses 19-22)
God’s promise of hope to make Israel one nation has further been fulfilled in our generation. For over 2500 years, Israel had not been an official nation, but in 1948 the State of Israel was established. (Britt Gillette, End Times Bible Prophecy) In recent years, Jews are returning to the nation for Israel in droves from all over the earth. (Israel365 News) Not only this but, there are also reports that Orthodox Jews are coming to Christ in marked numbers. This brings up another fusing into one. The lines of Abraham (Isaac and Ishmael) are both coming to faith in Jesus. The lineage of Isaac is the Nation of Israel. The lineage of Ishmael being the Arab nations. According to Open Doors, Muslims are turning to Christ in unprecedented numbers. This is another amazing way that both lines of Abraham are coming together as one. Hope is abounding as more people find redemption in Christ and look forward to His return. Once He returns, our greatest hope will be revealed as John prophesied, “Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” (Revelation 21:3-5) We will live in perfect unity. Death – gone. Pain – gone. Crying – None! The very best part is this, “God’s dwelling is with humanity” just as Ezekiel prophesied. (verse 27) One day soon, we will dance in the joy of His Presence as God is with Us.

3) What is the covenant of peace? (verses 25-28)
God’s promise of restoration was depicted in the two visions to Ezekiel. First, the vision of the dry bones and then the two sticks coming together as one. Once they are joined, we will enter the Covenant of Peace. (Ezekiel 37:26) This will happen when Christ returns to earth and sets up His Kingdom. When God initiated the Covenant of the Law with Moses, he created the physical nation of Israel. When Jesus instituted the New Covenant of Redemption, God created the spiritual nation we call “the Church.” Soon it will be time for God to bring these two together. Both the spiritual and the natural must be in perfect balance, so God can create for Himself “one new man” from the two that will bring true peace in an Age of Peace. (Ephesians 1:9-13, Ephesians 2:14-17). In the Age of His Kingdom, Jesus will be the Prince of Peace. All things will balance out with His government. His judgment will root out the evil. Once evil is removed, His Truth and Grace will be in balance with His Government of Peace. Jesus will reign, and we will be in the Presence of God forever. God’s Peace will be revealed, and we will experience the “peace that passes all understanding” to the full! (Philippians 4:7) We have His peace within our hearts, but on that day, complete peace will be established. Finally, the prophecy of God’s Presence among us will be fulfilled and we can say as Isaiah prophesied, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. A light has dawned on those living in the land of darkness. You have enlarged the nation and increased its joy. The people have rejoiced before you as they rejoice at harvest time.” (Isaiah 9:2-3) It will be the greatest Dance of Joy ever!

What do YOU think?! Share Here!
Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Dancing In The Dark

Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

Digging Deeper Community

Share What You’ve Learned!
Pray Together!
Join us in the GT Facebook Community!

Our Current Study Theme!

This is Reveal Week Three!
Don’t miss out on the discussion!
Sign up to receive every GT Journey Study!

Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Memorize It!

Download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!
Tap and hold on your mobile device to save.

Worship VII Day 13 One Day

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Read His Words Before Ours!

2 Corinthians 4:1-5
Romans 5:6-11
John 3:16-21
Revelation 22:6-20

Worship VII, Day 13

What a difference a day makes!

I remember the day I came face to face with the knowledge that I was hopelessly lost. Old Slew foot, the devil, had blinded my eyes to the light of Life found only in Jesus. He said, “You’re a good girl. You have nothing to worry about.” Even though my parents, and their parents, and their parents before them were all Christians,
I was still lost in the darkness of my sin.

The old evangelist preached hard that night. Was it his warning of hell and damnation or the fact that my grandfather had recently passed that got my attention? Maybe both. The Spirit of God was opening the eyes of my heart, and I was brought into His Light that day. I recognized I needed a Savior so, at an old-fashioned camp meeting, I walked the aisle and gave my heart and life to the Lord.
Oh, what a day when I came into the Light!

At the turn of the 20th century, another great evangelist, J. Wilbur Chapman, was also intently determined to preach the Gospel. Chapman served several pastorates before going into the evangelistic circuit. He preached with the legendary D. L. Moody at the 1893 World’s Fair before traveling with gospel singer, Charles Alexander. Their first campaign in Philadelphia saw 8,000 conversions followed by Boston and 7,000 recorded conversions. Chapman and Alexander continued having tent revivals all around the world for the next 10 years until his death in 1918. [Wholesomeword.org]

While Chapman will be forever known as a great evangelist, he also blessed the Church with many hymns like “Our Great Savior (Jesus, What a Friend of Sinners)”.  Perhaps he “gave the Christian world the greatest gospel content song of all time when he penned the words for “One Day.” [Truthful Words Biographies]

“One day when Heaven was filled with His praises.
One day when sin was a black as can be.
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin,
Dwelt among men, my example is He.”

It was indeed a dark day when sin began running rampant and men turned from the living God to please themselves. Ever since that day in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), men and women have been impossibly lost in sin with no hope to save themselves. Until that one day when, at just the right time, God sent His angels to proclaim the miraculous, Jesus had come from Heaven to earth! (Luke 2:8-12) He came to the sinful and impossibly lost, born of a virgin to live fully as a man experiencing everything we experience, yet, living a sinless life because He was and is God Almighty. (1 Peter 2:20-25)

“Living He Loved me.”

How much God loves us! We are familiar with John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His One and only Son…” But, even better, the darkness of our sin is chased away by His glorious light! (John 3:16-21)

Not only does He love us, but He came to provide our forgiveness before we even considered asking for it or being remorseful. (Romans 5:6-11) He loved, and forgave, while we were still deep in our sin.

“Dying He Saved me. Buried, He carried my sins far away.”

Yes, one day they arrested Jesus and falsely accused Him. That day, He took on our sin to pay our debt of punishment for that sin on a cruel cross.  He carried our sin upon Himself so it would no longer rule our lives. In Jesus, our sin has been removed “as far as the East is from the West.” (Psalm 103:12)

Our debt of sin has been erased! Gone! Forever Gone! Praise the Lord!
“He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations,
that was against us and opposed to us,
and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross.”
(Colossians 2:14)

“Rising, He justified freely forever”

Even greater than taking on the punishment of death we deserved, after three days in the grave, He rose again, breaking the power of sin and death. On that day, He freed us forever from the slavery of sin. In Jesus, we can be both saved from our sin’s punishment and justified before a Righteous God! Jesus moves our status from “hopelessly sinful” to “just as if I’d never sinned!”. This doesn’t come automatically because we’re alive, faith is required. (Hebrews 11:6) Faith that places our full-weight trust in Jesus Christ and His work on the cross to pay for our sin. Do we believe what the Bible says about Jesus? If we accept His offer of salvation in genuine faith, we will live forever with Him in Heaven one day.

“It will be credited to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” (Romans 4:23-25)

“One day He’s coming, Oh Glorious day!”

Ah! Yes! One day! One day He is coming again for us!
When Christ ascended into Heaven, the angel come down with a promise that ONE DAY, He would return just as He had left in the clouds. (Acts 1:6-11) It will be a glorious day when he comes and sets up His kingdom.

And who can enter in?
“Those who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
(Revelation 7:14)

I am ready for that Glorious day!
Are you?
Have you repented of your sin and asked to be free from the slavery of sin and its punishment of death? Make today your own “One Day” that changes everything!
What a difference a day makes!

“Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let anyone who hears, say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.”
(Revelation 22:17)

Author’s Note:
Though this hymn is over 100 years old, listen in to Casting Crowns for a remade version!

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Ten Day 13 What Is Truth?

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Read His Words Before Ours!

Colossians 3:1-17
Exodus 20:16
John 14:6-11
John 8:39-47
2 Corinthians 4:1-6
John 18: 28-38

Ten, Day 13

“What is Truth?” 

Mankind has grappled with the definition of truth throughout the ages. Hours before His death, Pilate posed this question to Jesus. But Pilate’s query was rhetorical, meant to dismiss the subject. He was only interested in the truth of Rome, Caesar, and political power (Morris).

Even today, the struggle to define and understand truth persists. Many people want to believe in a truth of their own, based on perspective or personal preference. But Scripture teaches God alone is our source of absolute, unchanging, timeless, big “T” Truth.

We read throughout Scripture that God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19, Titus 1:1-2). Furthermore, God declared His character to Moses on Mount Sinai:

“the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth.” (Exodus 34:6, emphasis mine)

Brad Bright, son of the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, comments, “He is present everywhere, knows all things, and totally understands what is real, right, and true. Therefore, whatever He says is absolutely true.”

As our source of all truth, God is the basis for everything in our lives.
God gave us the Bible to help us understand truth.
He guides us into truth through the Holy Spirit.
God revealed truth to us in the person of Jesus who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life“. (John 14:6)
Jesus, the Son of God, IS Truth. (Guzik, Enduring Word)

In stark opposition, Satan is the Father of Lies (John 8:44). Satan spewed out the very first lie in the Garden when he assured Eve she would not die if she disobeyed God.
(Genesis 3) He has been denying, resisting, twisting, stretching, and confusing the truth ever since. In her book, Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth encourages us “to wake up to the deception that is so pervasive. So much of our lifestyle is rooted in ways of thinking that simply are not true. The result is a house built on sinking sand.”

Satan loves to take the Holy Scriptures and twist them, just a bit, to confuse us. If he can convince us just one part of the Bible is not true, he has his foot in the door. Soon, we question everything God has said to us.

With this knowledge of God as the source of truth and Satan as the source of lies, we can easily see why it was necessary to include the ninth commandment in the Law:

“Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)

One commentary explains, “to bear false witness against others is to lie about them, especially for personal gain. God’s people were not to lie publicly, as in a court of law by laying at another’s feet any false charge that could injure him, nor were they to lie privately by whispering, tale-bearing, backbiting, slandering, or destroying his character by innuendos, sly insinuations, and evil suggestions.”

The commandments reveal God’s righteous character to us, and establish a way for us to reflect His righteous character to the world. When we embrace His exhortation to “be holy, because I am holy,” we reflect the One True God to those around us. (1 Peter 1:15-17)

By the same token, the commandments serve as a mirror for us. They reflect how
utterly lost we are and how much we need a Savior. If we judge our lives against the
Ten Commandments, we fail completely.
Without Christ, we can do nothing;
but through Christ, we are justified.
Our forgiven and transformed lives point to Christ, so others will see Him through us. (2 Corinthians 4:1-6)

Thank God for His gift of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our lives! He reveals to us the deception of the Evil One and guides us into truth. (John 16:13) Indeed, “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness”. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

As you examine your life with the mirror of truth today, what reflection do you see?

In a society of relativism and the idea that “anything goes,” have we been tricked by Satan’s lies? Do our actions demonstrate our knowledge of the truth? Are we delving into God’s Word daily to walk in the light of His Truth? The truth will only be found by those who diligently and honestly seek it. Let us commit ourselves to seek Him and walk in the light of His truth.

“Teach me your way, Lord, and I will live by your truth!” (Psalm 86:11)

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Blessed Day 15 Celebrate In Persecution

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Read His Words Before Ours!

John 15:18-19
Acts 4:29-31
2 Corinthians 4:7-18
Philippians 1:12-14
Romans 5:3-5

Blessed, Day 15

In the 1950s, a young missionary pilot had a passion for the Huaorani tribe in Ecuador. This tribe was suspicious of, and known to kill, all outsiders. But Jim Elliot felt called to reach them and share the Gospel. Step by step, he made inroads to reach the tribe.

Finally, he and his team built a camp not far from the Huaorani people. They made contact and even took one of the tribespeople for a plane ride. Later, a larger group of tribesmen came to the base expressing interest in the plane, instead, they turned and killed all five missionary men.

Jim’s wife, Elizabeth, and the other widows continued the work to reach the Huaorani people, despite the great danger they faced. She persisted in the belief that, as her husband was often quoted to say,

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep
to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Eventually, the women reached the entire Huaorani tribe for Christ, including those who had killed Jim and the others.

The Elliots experienced what Jesus promised would be true for all believers in this world, we will be hated and even killed (John 15:18-19, Matthew 10:22). The world rejected Jesus and attempted to end His work; we are to expect the same. So rather than being surprised and caught off-guard when we face persecution, let’s prepare ourselves so we can endure to the end.

The apostles certainly experienced persecution! But they persevered to spread the Good News. They prayed for each other, not to be removed from trouble, but to seek boldness to continue speaking the Word of God and performing miracles. As they prayed for endurance, “they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:31)

In my own life, there have been many trials and tribulations, and my ministry team has encountered persecution. But this opposition has drawn us even closer to God! We were made stronger in our faith and able to encourage others. Looking to Jesus kept us from becoming distressed and gave us boldness in ministry.

This boldness in kingdom work comes from equipping ourselves with the armor of God. Each piece of armor, fueled by the Spirit of God, adds strength and courage to our fight. As we don our armor daily, we are prepared for battle.

Paul wrote of his many trials in his epistles:

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be displayed in our bodies.”
(2 Corinthians 4:8-10)

Rather than complaining about his poor treatment, Paul praised God in his suffering because it advanced the Gospel. (Philippians 1:12-14)

Yes! Because he was sent to prison, he testified not only to prison guards, but to the great leaders of the day. He would not have been allowed in their presence except to stand trial. In presenting his defense, he shared the Gospel with judges and counsels and great men, such as King Agrippa (Acts 26:1-32); Paul was even prepared to testify before Nero, who was Caesar at the time (Acts 27:4).

Paul, and other saints of old, surely experienced fear as they faced persecution and declared the Gospel to hostile leaders. Similarly, we are still human and may become fearful when confronted with opposition to the Good News. But, just as the prayers of fellow believers gave Paul courage to boldly speak the Word of God, we too can be strengthened and encouraged through prayer (Philipians 4:6-7).

We can even rejoice, not only because the Gospel is being spread, but also because of the transformation within our own spirits. As Paul explains,

 “We also rejoice in our afflictions,
because we know that affliction produces endurance,
endurance produces proven character,
and proven character produces hope.
This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5)

Paul’s words encourage us even today! We can rejoice because our suffering produces character and hope within us. Hallelujah! God’s love is poured out into our hearts and we are able to share His Gospel Story.

Finally, the Bible promises reward to those who persevere through trials: the crown of life!

“Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12)

Therefore, sisters, let’s endure persecution covered in the armor of God and shrouded in prayer; let’s rejoice in our suffering, ever keeping our eyes fixed on the promises of God to further the kingdom, transform our character, and bless us with the crown of life!

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Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus. Tap and hold from your mobile device to download this week’s verse and make it your phone’s lockscreen!

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Blessed Day 4 Blessed Are Those Who Mourn: Digging Deeper

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Digging Deeper Days

Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Blessed Are Those Who Mourn!

The Questions

1) What events caused King David to mourn so deeply before the Lord?

2) Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn…” What blessing was David praying for?

3) How did God comfort David?

Psalm 51:6-13

Surely you desire integrity in the inner self,
and you teach me wisdom deep within.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Turn your face away from my sins
and blot out all my guilt.

10 God, create a clean heart for me
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore the joy of your salvation to me,
and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach the rebellious your ways,
and sinners will return to you.

Original Intent

1) What events caused King David to mourn so deeply before the Lord?
The prophet Nathan came to David one day telling him a story of two men: One poor, the other rich. The rich man had many sheep, but the poor man had only one lamb. The lamb was dear to the family and loved like a pet. One day, the rich man had a visitor and he needed to serve him dinner. But rather than slaughtering one of his own sheep, he took the poor man’s sheep and served it to his guest. When King David heard this story, he was furious. Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!’” (2 Samuel 12:7-9) The whole sordid story can be found in 2 Samuel 11-12. When Nathan confronted David with his sin, David was immediately mournful and confessed his sin before God. David wasn’t repentant because he had been caught in his sin, but he realized he had sinned against God. His fellowship with God had been severed; this is what caused his great mourning.

2) Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn…” What blessing was David praying for?
David’s sin was crushing his soul during this time. He must have been relieved to be found out and his sin exposed because this is when healing of our hearts can begin. In the many months between the time when David committed these sins and his confession, he had not escaped the sense of sin, it was always before him. (verse 3) He could not escape his sinfulness. He was miserable in his sin, as a child of God should be. (Guzik) When Nathan confronted him, he became very aware of the heaviness of heart that had been there all along. He knew his body ached to have that fellowship once again with the Father. In Psalm 32:3-4, David writes, “When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer’s heat.” David desired to be cleansed from his sin and his sin blotted out. He wanted to be able to rejoice in the Lord once again. (Psalm 51:7-9). Again, we see in Psalm 32, he wrote of how good it is to be forgiven. “How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven; whose sin is covered! How joyful is a person whom the Lord does not charge with iniquity and in whose spirit is no deceit!”

3) How did God comfort David?
God comforted David foremost by returning His Spirit to David. His spirit was made right with God giving him the fellowship he desired once again. Though his son would die, God did not take Bathsheba away from him; indeed, their second son, Solomon, became the next king of Israel and God allowed Solomon the privilege of building the temple. God kept his promise to keep David’s family in the throne of Israel. David had a third son with Bathsheba, Nathan, who is the son in which the line of David (through Mary) would bring Jesus into the World. (Luke 3:23-38) What a comfort to have a new spirit, David was once again willing to serve God as He prescribed. David was again able to teach others about the joy of salvation and to sing of His righteousness and declare God’s praise. And ultimately, draw others to God.

Everyday Application

1) What events caused King David to mourn so deeply before the Lord?
The prophet Nathan came to David and confronted him about his sin. And David mourned. While we may have leaders or friends we are accountable to, more deeply, we have the Holy Spirit living within every believer, guiding our actions and convicting us of sin. If we are in tune with the Spirit, we mourn when we realize we have allowed sin to creep into our lives. The Apostle Paul mourned at his inability to please God. He wrote how we all know what is right, but we don’t do it. (Romans 7:14-25) Just as David cried out in Psalm 51, so did Paul cry out his mournful repentance. We also struggle with our carnal nature in keeping God’s law. C.S. Lewis said, “No man knows how bad he is until he has tried to be good.” (Enduring Word, Romans 7) But Praise God! “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3) After we are saved, the Holy Spirit dwells in us, guides us, and convicts us of sin. We could not follow Jesus without His power. However, we cannot experience His power without totally yielding to Him. From the moment of spiritual birth, the Holy Spirit indwells, or resides in, every Christian. But to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, we must, as an act of our wills, completely surrender our lives in obedience to Christ. (Vonette Bright, CRU, Campus Crusade for Christ)

2) Matthew 5:4 says, “Blessed are those who mourn…” What blessing was David praying for?
The Apostle Paul shares with us in Romans 5:1-5 some of the blessings of our salvation.
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we boast in the hope of the glory of God… But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:20-21 There is no greater blessing than the joy found in forgiveness. Bill Gaither wrote, “Oh the joy that floods my soul!” A new song bubbles up with joy in our heart when we are forgiven and cleansed forever. And the Victory! He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood! (Bartlett). What a treasure we have in this wonderful peace… For I’m kept from all danger by night and by day, And His glory is flooding my soul!” (Cornel) What a blessing to be found in Christ. Have you found the joy of salvation? Have you mourned over your sin and repented to God?

3) God comforted David. How does God comfort us?
The Holy Spirit is our Comforter. When we sin against God and hurt others, it is as if we can’t breathe. I remember times when I have hurt others, I was afraid to go to them and confess. I feared their rejection and possible retaliation. But once I confessed and received that forgiveness, I could breathe again. My fear disappeared; my heart was comforted in the restoration of fellowship and a wonderful peace overtook my spirit. While believers never need to fear that the Holy Spirit will be removed from us, He is our permanent seal, our fellowship with God through the Spirit can be estranged and broken by our sin.
Yesterday, in her Journey Study, Lori said, “on the other side of mourning are abundant blessings.” Revelation 21:4 reminds us, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more.”  Our vision is clouded by the sin we allow to persist by not fully addressing it or trying to excuse it. But if we are faithful to humble ourselves (I mean true, honest to goodness, on-our-knees-humbling ourselves) before God, then He is faithful to wipe away our tears and forgive our sin (1 John 1:9).  What a comfort to be completely forgiven and filled with His Spirit. And what an even greater comfort on the day when He wipes away every tear from our eyes forever!

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Digging Deeper is for Everyone!

1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!

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Why Dig Deeper?

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Study Tools

We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

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