Christian Discipleship

In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— Ephesians 1:4-5

God was pleased to adopt us as His children. God did not feel sorry for us or pity us and therefore decide to adopt us. No, God loved us when He made and predestined us to be His before the creation of the world (Eph 1:4). His was an adoption of redemption. Ours is the story of the prodigal son. God restored to Himself and to His kingdom those who were created and predestined to be His for His glory and pleasure. And He accomplished all of this through the sacrifice of our loving Savior, Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son.

Give thanks and praise to your heavenly Father today for creating you to be adopted into His family.

For further study: Romans 9:8-13

(Excerpt from Made Like Christ a 30 day Bible study Spiritual Formation Tools page at Christian Counseling Online.)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3

Meditating on the word of God means that sometimes we won’t even get past the first word, before we feel compelled to stop and soak it in. As I was meditating on Ephesians 1 verse 3 today, I found that to be the case. Have you ever thought about what the word praise means. Here it is used as an action word so we should really understand what it means.

This word translated “praise” in the NIV is the Greek word “eulogetos” from the word “eulogeos” (Strongs G2127) which means to “speak well of”. If we break the word down we get “Eu” (Strongs G2095) which means “well” or “good” and “Logos” (Strongs G3056) meaning “something said.” As an interesting aside, logos is the same word that the apostle John translates as “the Word” when he is speaking about Jesus in John 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

So what are we leading up to here? Ephesians 1:3 says Praise or “speak well of” the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, (now sit up and take note!) who has “spoken well” of us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing “good words” in Christ (Who, remember we just said, is the Logos!). This words eulogeos also includes the concept of not only words but thoughts. Brothers and sisters in Christ, Ephesians 1:3-14 is all about the good words and thoughts that God has spoken over His children.

So, here is my question, “Will you receive the blessing of God, those well spoken words from God that He has spoken over His beloved children and made secure through His Son Jesus Christ? Or will you exalt your own words and thoughts above the “blessing” of God.” Romans 3:4 says, “Let God be true and every man a liar…so that you (God) may be proved right when you (God) speak and prevail when you judge.”

(Excerpt from Finding Freedom in Christ)

In warfare the geographical area where the armed conflict is taking place is called the “theater.”  Military planning and strategy must be geared to the particular theater of warfare… If the “theater” has coastal areas, valleys, mountains etc. these characteristics of the theater are an important part of the strategic planning.

The word describes the enemy as one that is mainly spiritual (Ephesians 6:12). However, the spiritual warfare theater is described according to 2 Corinthians 10:5 as the mind.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

It is the seat of the will and the intellect, where reasoning goes on, that is the seat of spiritual warfare. Paul further explains this in 2 Timothy 2…

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. (2 Tim 2:22-26)

In warfare, one must protect the boundaries of the theater. In this case, we are referring to ways the word teaches us to protect our minds. Paul, using the emphatic, writes, “Flee the evil desires of youth…” and actively pursue the things of God. Boundaries to put up to help guard your mind are choosing godly behaviors like not getting involved with foolish and stupid arguments with others and might I say, with yourself as well. This is huge because most of us spend inordinate amounts of time dialoguing with ourselves in our minds.

Much of what we are thinking or dialoguing about fall into the categories of: mental arguments, pretensions (a claim concerning one’s own merit or right to honor), quarrels, or vain imaginations that erupt from our subconscious mind and are generally far from being grounded in the word of God. Our inner thoughts betray what is hidden deep within our unconscious. But God’s word says that He desires truth in the inner parts (psalm 51).

How well are you guarding the boundaries of your mind…by taking thoughts captive, by recognizing the unfruitful dialogue that goes round and round, unabated in your mind and unchallenged by God’s truth?

God’s answer to this mental malady is to “gird up the loins of your mind” by immersing yourself in the word of God.

(Excerpt from Finding Freedom in Christ)

Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” (John 15:7-8) This is the essence of how to pray. Prayer, the word and God’s response to that prayer are closely knit together. Our relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are made real and vital in the process of abiding with them through the holy word and prayer.

The word of God was meant to be yoked with prayer, its light always directing the saint’s heart, mind and will to worship, give thanks, repent, and petition the Father to glorify the Son so the Son will bring refulgent glory to the Father. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us how to pray, “Thy will be done.” If we are to bear “much fruit” as true disciples of Christ then our wills must be united with God’s will. This is but just one aspect and purpose of prayer – wrestling with Him to get our minds and hearts and wills, yeah all, aligned with His will.

The Prayer Closet on this site uses the ACTS prayer format – Adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication (aka petition) because this is the pattern revealed in scripture. Most joyfully, prayer is to be done without ceasing. As we learn to hide the word in our hearts (Colossians 3:16), take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5), rejoice always and give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) we begin to discover this wonderful, abiding of our spirits with Christ through this vehicle called prayer.

The format of the Prayer Closet on this site is designed for those times during your day when you desire to draw away to a solitary place to spend more intimate time with the Lord, offering yourself as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1) to be a vessel of intercession for the Lord’s will and His work. During this time you will want to have your Bible and perhaps a journal and a hymnal or worship music with you. Your Prayer Closet should be a comfortable and quiet place so phones should be silenced.  You may find it helpful to incorporate your prayer time with your Bible reading/study/meditation time allowing the word to fuel your prayers according to the will of and for the glory of God.

This kind of solitary prayer is the most vital time of the saint’s day. It’s vital because this is where we truly learn how to feast on the Bread of Life and Drink the Living Water. It is in the Prayer Closet that the Holy Spirit also fellowships with us in a unique way…rejoicing in the Lord, lighting our path, granting wisdom from on high, entreating God to advance His kingdom , graciously showing us our faults and washing us clean through the power of the cross of Christ. It all happens in the prayer closet and I’m sure it is in the prayer closet where Paul was inspired to write many of His epistles – I’m sure it was in the prayer closet that he grew in strength and wisdom and humility and was able to say one day by the power of the Holy Spirit “whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.” (Phil 3:7-8).

It is in the prayer closet through meditation on the word of truth and invocation of the Holy Spirit that proud hearts are humbled, worldly minds are renewed, hard hearts are conformed, weak spirits are strengthened, the beauty of Jesus Christ is revealed, and the God hunger is satisfied.

How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.  I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. (Is 12:12-14)

You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God…You were on the holy mount of God…You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you…So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God, and I expelled you, guardian cherub, from among the fiery stones.  Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth…(Ez 28:12-17)

In these passages (Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:12-17) we see allegories, where the prophets are comparing the wicked Kings of Babylon and of Tyre to the fallen angel Lucifer. Matthew Henry (from his Bible commentary) suggests Ezekiel may also at times be referring to the fall of Adam. These passages give us invaluable insight concerning: the origins of evil, the war that rages against us and within us, and the chains that keep us in bondage.

As we read Ezekiel 28:15 “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you” our sensibilities are jarred. Both Adam and the angels were created in perfection; our hearts are moved, in blatant indignation: how then could “wickedness” be found in them!? As we unfold the wisdom of God in these passages, it leads us to the alarming truth,”your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.”

God gives us a word, through the prophet Ezekiel that if we yield to it, will open up in us a window of deep and profound self awareness. Here we find the source of our sin and our great need for a Savior is exposed to the uttermost. For the substance of sin lies in our “self”. God says, “You were blameless until wickedness was found in you.” That wickedness was the outgrowth of pride working in both the angelic and human hearts. Pride, being an attitude of the mind, radiates a destructive force on the heart and like cancer spreads throughout the whole mind, corrupting one’s wisdom. For all true wisdom comes from God and is meant to point us back to God (the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10)) In contrast corrupted wisdom points us back to self as the supreme authority.

The substance of pride is “ownership.” When Lucifer began to “own” his beauty there was a wrongful elevation in his thoughts about his own position in the universe (I will raise my throne above the stars of God). He began to delight in his beauty and think “more highly” of himself than he ought (Romans 12:3). To “own” something is to simply forget where it came from. Most don’t give the issue of “ownership” much thought. However, when we “own” our intellect, power, strength, wisdom, talents, abilities etc. it is that seed of ownership conceived in our hearts that gives birth to pride. The prideful heart does not have in mind the things of God, for the goal of pride is self exaltation.

The truth of the matter is we have no intrinsic power what so ever. There is nothing good in us that has its beginning and end in our being, and is under our authority alone. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Col 1:16-17).

In summary, whatever worthy things we may have: intellect, emotions, talent, ability, resources etc. were put there by our Creator. Ownership conceived gives birth to pride. Pride is an attitude of the heart that usurps and denies God’s supreme authority in our life. Possessing something without accountability to God, our ultimate authority, for whom and by whom all things were created, is simply put rebellion against God. Rebellion against God is treason against the Most High…it is saying, as Lucifer did in Ezekiel 28, ‘I am a god’. The Sovereign Lord says this about the prideful, “You think you are as wise as a god.”

Most of us, struggle with pride on some level, but we neglect to address the heinousness of sin. We rather would live in denial, thinking that our pride (anything we “own” including any attitude, thought or belief that is not aligned with God’s truth) is one of the respectable sins. When in reality it is the root of all sin. Pride is “exalting one’s throne above the throne of God.” For the throne is the symbol and place of all God’s authority. Ownership giving birth to pride is the chain that keeps us in bondage.

(Excerpt from Finding Freedom in Christ by Jean LeStourgeon, MA, LMHC)

It occured to me as I was reading Leonard Ravenhill this morning at 4 Am that we tend to believe that our greatest need is money. Oh, if we only had more money. We could build this building, plant this church, do this outreach, hire this staff. Oh, if we only had more money, we could feed the hungry, start an orphanage, build a home for the elderly and on it goes. If we only had more money we would be free to devote all our time and energy to the Lord. However, having all the money in the world requires little faith and dependance upon God.

As Ravenhill put it in “Why Revival Tarries”, “One of these days, some simple soul will pick up the Book of God, read it, and beleive it.” Most of us are dazzled by material wealth. We are so dazzled by it, we get mesmerized by the boisterous urgings of the televangelists, shouting into the television cameras during the TBN fund raisers, “call now!! While the portal is open! I feel an annointing now! Don’t miss this opportunity to give!!” All underscored by the promise that the financial seed you sow will reap a multiplied harvest of the amount sown.  The achilles heal of the human race – the love of money – is easily exploited by these ungodly shenanigans.  But, is material wealth the answer to all the world’s and life’s problems? My Bible says, that it’s “faith” not money that makes ”everything possible” (Mark 9:23). Therefore, I conclude, that faith not money is the need of the hour for the church of Jesus Christ. For my Heavenly Father owns it all and as His child and heir I understand that through faith, I have access to all I “need”.

Paul instructs us as to the secret of possessing all things as he did. “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Cor 9:8). The wonderful sublime paradoxes of scripture…When I am poor, I am rich, when I am weak, I am strong, When I am humble, I am exalted. When I have faith, though I may have nothing, I possess all things….that is all things needed for accomplishing the work God has created me to do.

There is no doubt, that money is a valuable commodity, but the one thing all the money in the world cannot buy is faith. “With faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20) .

All things are yours, whether…the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.1 Cor 3:20-23