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A Mini Commentary, Pt 7 (Eph. 4:6)
I’m so glad it’s Friday! Aren’t you?
But I’m not just happy it’s Friday, I’m happy that Friday means tomorrow is Saturday, then Sunday! In other words, it’s great to have something to look forward to each day of the week.
We now continue with a short commentary on Ephesians 4:6.
4:6 “One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
One God and Father of all,
The seventh unifier of the Church is the fact that we all worship the same God and Father of all. Making up the third triad, Paul goes on to describe God our Father as above, through, and in us all. But note that Paul does not use just one or the other in the labeling of the Supreme Being; He’s both God and Father. What a glorious thought when one considers that the Creator is also our Abba! For the one outside of the Body, learning of an omnipotent and omnipresent entity from which they cannot run or hide might be terrifying! However, quite the opposite is true for the child of God. Knowing that God is not just King, Judge, and Executioner, but He’s our loving, all-caring, gracious, merciful Father full of love and pity for His own.
who [is] above all,
Now describing the God and Father of all, first Paul describes Him as “above all.” We must never forget who God is. He is the wholly “Other” in that He is Holy like no other. There is none like Him. There is none that compare. He is above and beyond anything our imaginations can conceive and the only One to whom the angels cry day and night, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!” (Isaiah 6:3; Revelation 4:8).
and through all,
But far from the God of Deism (a God who is distant and totally transcendent, without concern for His creation), this God is ever near. Unto every one of us, as Paul told the Athenians on Mars Hill, He is so close that if we would just reach out we would find Him (Acts 17:27).
and in you all.
According to Rick Brannon and Israel Loken, “Most early manuscripts have the general statement, ‘and in all,’ but some early manuscripts and related later witnesses personalize the statement to the readers with ‘and in you all.’”[1] The idea is that God is not distant, though He be far above us; He’s not unreachable or out-of-touch with His creation, for His presence can be seen and felt through it all; and more than a God “out there,” He is personal and cares about the “you.”
[1] Rick Brannan and Israel Loken, The Lexham Textual Notes on the Bible, Lexham Bible Reference Series (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014), Eph 4:6.
Filed under Bible Study, God, Theology
If You Have Honest Questions, Why Not Ask?
Filed under Apologetics, Bible Study, Christianity, Faith
Good Morning!
Photo by Lisa on Pexels.com
Good Morning?
How often do you say that? How often do you hear it said to you? “Good morning!”
Funny thing is that those same two words can be spoken in so many ways. How many of the following do you think express the true meaning of the salutation?
- “Good morning.” – as spoken by a husband to his wife after waking up sore, sleep-deprived, and just slightly damp after a night camping under the stars.
- “Good morning!” – as expressed through the sinister grin of a drill seargent on the first morning after arriving at boot camp.
- “Good morning.” – growled by a teenager the morning after being threatened with the loss of her cell phone if one more disrespectful word spewed from her lips.
- “Good morning!!” – as exclaimed by a “Karen” the first morning on the job after being hired as a quality control manager with the business at which she had recently voiced her disapproval of employees’ customer service.
Correct, none of the above examples express the intended (or at least commonly understood) meaning of the greeting.
So, what is saying “Good morning!” supposed to mean?
Unless I’m sorely mistaken, when you say “Good morning” to someone, what you are doing is one of two things:
- a) stating a fact; or
- b) wishing for, or blessing another with a desire that their morning actually be a good one.
Based on the above definition, I want to wish you a “Good morning!” I also want to say that it IS a “Good morning!” This is the day that the Lord has made, remember? Let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Sure, I know you might have aches and pains, but you woke up! You’ve been given another day to do something with those talents God has intrusted to you. Invest them!
Yes, you may have lost everything in a bankruptcy, a divorce, or a tragedy of some kind. But you survived! You’re alive! Now’s the moment when you can start seeing the miraculous hand of God work! You might have been so caught up in other things that you failed to see how good God is, but now you can better focus on the grace and mercy of the One who clothes the flowers and really does care about you!
The Bible says that “weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning”! This is a brand new day. You may have really, without a doubt, messed up yesterday. But, you know what? If you are a born-again, blood-washed, redeemed child of God, the Cross means that what Jesus did has already atoned for your mess up. You’re forgiven! Now, walk in forgiveness and grace while giving God the glory!
Instead of reading this, you COULD be in eternal torment, separated from the loving presence of God. begging for just a single drop of water to cool your tongue, but you’re not! It’s not a matter of luck; there’s a reason.
So, I’d say, without a doubt, no matter who you are, it is … and I bless you with these words …
Good morning!
Filed under Christianity, Depression, Divorce, Life Lessons, salvation, Thanksgiving, worship
You Might Be a Fool If…
April 1st
Happy April Fools Day!…or, happy Atheists Day!…whichever you prefer.
You know, even though atheists think we are being smug and “snarky” by quoting Psalm 14:1, I believe the one who insists there is no God really is a fool.
But what I think matters little in the scheme of things. What matters is what God thinks.
That is why I came up with this list.
Defining a Fool
What is a fool? Believe it or not, Scripture lists several characteristics of a foolish person. The following is not an exhaustive list, but it’s a good start.
So, why not do this Jeff Foxworthy-style?
You might be a fool if…
- You are always right in your own eyes (Proverbs 12:15).
- You despise instruction (Proverbs 1:7; 15:5).
- You are unteachable (Proverbs 17:10; 23:9; 26:11)
- You’re always running your mouth, getting into trouble (Proverbs 18:6-7; 29:11).
- You are always trying to find yourself (Proverbs 18:2).
- You make fun of sin (Proverbs 14:9).
- You’re always meddling in other people’s business (Proverbs 20:3).
- You are a shame and a burden to your parents (Proverbs 17:25).
- You deny the obvious because the truth is inconvenient (Romans 1:18-22).
- You deny Jesus because you think the cross is foolish (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Don’t be a fool.
Filed under Christian Maturity, General Observations, Life Lessons, Preaching
Looking Forward to More
Friends, I just can’t put into words how much I look forward to writing more. Oh, I’m writing, but it’s not here. It’s just that I have priorities.
But let me tell you, God is good, His grace is sufficient (and I know about that) for every need – and oh, how deep a truth that is!
Life is not easy, nor is it always fun. Some of you in other countries have so many struggles that you look at us in America with disdain. However, please don’t do that . . . you are literally blessed beyond comprehension, not us.
Regardless, compared to heaven, our final reward, the place “not made with hands,” even the most fantastically-rich member of society is as poor in the sight of our Creator as a starving dog on the side of the road is to us.
No matter how rich by comparison to others, we are all poor, needy, broken, wounded, etc. “None are righteous, no not one.
Those who are the most wealthy are those who walk with God on a daily, even hourly basis.
The ones with true joy are the ones who’ve surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ.
Anyway, please have a sefe and glorious Easter weekend!
See you at church somewhere this Sunday!
In the meantime, I’m going to keep looking up and looking forward to great and mighty things!
Filed under Christian Maturity, Easter, God
America Was Established On God, But Then…
I admire this nation formed by God. I respect the brave men and women, motivated by God, who fought to establish this country. The precise structure …
America Was Established On God, But Then…
Filed under Abortion, America, Guest Posts, History
What is “Good Preaching”?
Today is Sunday, and many of you will be going to church somewhere (or watching online). So here is a question:
Does the “preaching” part of the service have anything to do with your decision?
There are many opinions as to what constitutes “good” preaching. Some prefer a preacher who spits and hollers, bangs the pulpit, and makes that little “huh” sound between every amplified phrase. Others prefer the professor/preacher who reads from a manuscript in a mono-tone, non-offensive, Winnie the Pooh-like voice.
Either way, what we are talking about is delivery, not substance.
Does delivery matter?
When Paul told Timothy to pay close attention to his doctrine (1 Timothy 4:16) and to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2), content was the issue. However, if a sermon is poorly delivered, the efforts of the preacher could be nullified. If the hearer is distracted, bored, offended, lulled to sleep, or has his ear drums wounded, what is the point?
In my opinion, good preaching is preaching that contains solid, biblical content, but also keeps the audience engaged. One should never discount the importance of the power of the Spirit working through the weakness of men (1 Cor. 2:4; 2 Cor. 12:9). But, as ambassadors of the King (2 Cor. 5:20) who have been charged by our Sovereign to “compel” (persuade) hungry souls to come to His table (Luke 14:23), shouldn’t how we say what we say be important?
It is reported that Abraham Lincoln preferred listening to preachers who looked like they were swatting at a swarm of bees. In a similar vein, I think it was Charles Wesley who said that a preacher should “put some fire in his sermon, or put his sermon in the fire.”
On the other hand, Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) is said to have read his sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” with a steady, monotone voice, as the audience screamed in terror at the thought of falling into hell. So, delivery shouldn’t matter?
It would make sense that those entrusted with delivering sermons should do so in a manner befitting the “greatest story ever told,” but does delivery make a difference? After all, some of the greatest public speakers of all time were tyrants (Adolph Hitler).
Should delivery be an issue? Should we simply focus on truth?
What about you?
- What type of preaching style do you prefer?
- Has a particular style of sermon delivery ever caused you to tune out to what was being said?
- What suggestions would you like to offer to one just beginning public ministry?
Now, to be fair, below is a link to our church Facebook page and one of the last sermons I preached. It was Sunday morning, last week, on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday.
The preaching starts at around the 11-minute mark.
In your objective opinion, how would you describe my style in this sermon? Did my delivery enhance or distract from the subject of the sermon?
Ultimately, no sermon, no matter how well it’s delivered, can change hearts and minds and lives without the power of the Holy Spirit. Even the worst preacher, filled with God’s power, can be the most effective. In reality, one’s supreme goal should be for God to be heard and the preacher to be forgotten.
Yet, we are human, aren’t we? We should always want to strive to do better. Even Elijah presided over a “prophet’s school” (1 Samuel 19:18-24).*
Click on the picture for link to sermon on Facebook.
*Just be careful when you talk about my bald head 😉
Christmas IS the Gospel
This month will see a lot of Christmas sermons preached, and if you actually go to church somewhere, you might actually get to hear some 😉
But if you aren’t planning on attending any church services this December, or if you just can’t get enough of sermons on the subject of Christmas, I would encourage you to listen to the one I’m attaching below.
Several years ago (2012) while pastoring at another church, I delivered a sermon entitled “Christmas Is the Gospel.” It was recorded on my iPhone that was sitting on the pulpit, so don’t expect too high a quality of production.
Why did the angels tell the shepherds what they are about to hear was “good tidings”? Pick up a Bible and turn to the book of Luke, chapter two, and follow along.
Listen: Christmas IS the Gospel
And remember, “sharing” is caring 🙂
When my heart is overwhelmed
“from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I” Psalm 61:2 Over the past few days, …
When my heart is overwhelmed
Filed under Guest Posts, Love of God, Struggles and Trials
