Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 20:1–21:26, Eph 4:1–32, Prov 8:27–36

Today’s Theme: Humble Majesty

Today we see two extremes, the kings in the OT displayed cowardly indifference and selfishness in their positions as royalty. However in the NT we see the call to walk in humble majesty as the body of Christ building one another up in love as we stand in the one established and true faith.

Walk in humble majesty today as children adopted in God’s house by his grace for his work, for the glory of his name and our joy.

2 Kings 20:1–21:26

God hears and answers prayer

“Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord,(2 Kings 20:5, ESV)

It is comforting to know that God hears our prayers and see our tears and is not only moved but lovingly responds

God’s motivation

and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.”(2 Kings 20:6, ESV)

God is motivated most by the pursuit of his own Glory

Use discretion

And Hezekiah welcomed them, and he showed them all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them.(2 Kings 20:13, ESV)

We are called to be wise and discreet people. Jesus warned us not to throw our precious pearls before pigs that have no appreciation for such things and so will turn on us and trample us. Jesus also told us to be as harmless as doves but as wise as serpents who do not expose themselves to danger unnecessarily.

Whatever this represents in your life, ask God by his Holy Spirit to give you, discretion, wisdom, integrity and discernment so the enemy does not get a foothold.

Don’t be a selfish coward

Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, “The word of the Lord that you have spoken is good.” For he thought, “Why not, if there will be peace and security in my days?”(2 Kings 20:19, ESV)

This man had an inherent cowardliness and selfishness, he was even too cowardly to face death.

Don’t be selfish thinking only of your own life, consider the generations to come. Don’t be a coward.

God acts

because they have done what is evil in my sight and have provoked me to anger, since the day their fathers came out of Egypt, even to this day.”(2 Kings 21:15, ESV)

God does act, sin angers him, he does judge sin

Buried in the back yard

And Manasseh slept with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his house, in the garden of Uzza, and Amon his son reigned in his place.(2 Kings 21:18, ESV)

This king led the people into gross depravity and was so wicked they had to bury him in the back yard

Ephesians 4:1–32

Walk like humble royalty

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,(Ephesians 4:1, ESV)

Because we have been saved we should live for God. We should live holy lives. We have been called to be disciples of Jesus Christ, our daily conduct should clearly reflect this.

You would not expect a prince or princess to be playing in the dumps, God has adopted us and given us a glorious inheritance, making us a part of his royal household so we should walk as king’s children.

Walk as royalty because in Christ you are royal so walk with that dignity and consciousness. This will change the way you think and behave, you will not want to play in the dump of sin when you belong in God’s house.

We should balance our understanding as royalty in Christ with love and gratitude to God which will also affect the way we think and behave. Paul writes from a place of humility as God’s prisoner.

All humility

with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,(Ephesians 4:2, ESV)

Our lives should be marked by humility. This is the true mark of maturity and greatness in God’s kingdom.

This can only be done genuinely with Gods help, we need to bear with our brothers in love.

Cast pride, selfishness and laziness aside today and ask God to help you to think and walk with humility

One Faith

one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.(Ephesians 4:5–6, ESV)

There is just one faith it does not have two tiers, ways or classes it is just one. We may have different ways of doing things, cultures and traditions but it is still just one faith.

The oneness of the faith is defined and defended in statements like the Apostles Creed and The Westminster Confession which outline the core essentials of our faith.

Building and Unity

to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,(Ephesians 4:12, ESV)

We praise God for the ministers He has given to us and the church worldwide to build the church up.

This building up is done through the teaching of God’s word.

In a special sense this refers to those gifted to bring unity to the faith through the written cannon which we now have and can not be taken from or added to. Now all ministers submit to this revelation (The Bible) to build and unify the church.

The Cannon

so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.(Ephesians 4:14, ESV)

This is a reference to the foundational work of establishing the Christian religion and the written word of God. The Faith is clearly defined in the word’s of scripture, it is not open to interpretation as post modernist assert.

The faith is clear, rooted, firm and written in black and white to the glory of God and the stability of the church. Because the fundamentals of the faith have been written down it has helped the church survive and thrive for more than 2000 years.

Honest love

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,(Ephesians 4:15, ESV)

We must always speak the truth in love, truth without love can be very harmful and destructive. Let our speech be seasoned with love.

Work properly

from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.(Ephesians 4:16, ESV)

Work properly! God has placed you into the body of Christ, you are an essential part holding together the whole. When we all play our part the body of Christ will supernaturally grow.

The more we love and serve each other the more we will grow.

Hard hearts

They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.(Ephesians 4:18, ESV)

Man is darkened through the hardness of our own hearts. Pray today that God would soften hearts of those you are praying would be saved so they are not alienated from God and can come to the light of the truth.

Don’t harden your heart, it leads to alienation and darkness.

Put it off

to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,(Ephesians 4:22, ESV)

We are called to sanctified lives. You need to consciously take of the old dirty clothes of your old nature with its evil desires. This is your responsibility, not God’s so do it today put off the old ways of thinking and behaving.

Be who you are in Christ, let the new nature thrive.

Work and be generous

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.(Ephesians 4:28, ESV)

Men we are called to work, we should be in a place where we can be generous to others.

Watch your talk

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.(Ephesians 4:29, ESV)

Corrupt talk is obviously unsavoury speech like swearing but it is also corrupt thoughts like bad teaching.

We should watch what we say, insensitive and foolish words can really hurt people so think about what you say.

Say good things to build others up and show the grace of God to those who hear you.

Don’t grieve God

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.(Ephesians 4:30, ESV)

We must not grieve the Holy Spirit, remember he is God.

Proverbs 8:27–36

God is the great creator

when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth,(Proverbs 8:29, ESV)

God’s scientific wonder in the world around us is amazing and should elicit our praise

Find life and favour

For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord,(Proverbs 8:35, ESV)

keep seeking wisdom it leads to life and favour

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 18:13–19:37, Eph 2:1–3:21, Prov 8:19–26

Today’s Theme: Saved by Grace

Today’s reading was rich with deep truths in all three passages, in the OT we learn about the sovereignty of God over the enemy and history so we don’t have to fear or even respond to the devil.

In the Proverbs we learn about the supreme value of wisdom and that with it we have an inheritance.

However the greatest lessons come from our reading in the wonderful book of Ephesians, we learn that although we were dead in sin God made us alive in Christ, saving us by his grace for the good works he prepared for us to do.

We also learn about the importance of the bible and the riches of our new nature and inheritance in Christ, both Jew and Gentile as the one new man.

2 Kings 18:13–19:37

Don’t lean on the flesh

Behold, you are trusting now in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it. Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.(2 Kings 18:21, ESV)

This is like a picture of Satan, those who trusts in him and their own ways will be cut by leaning on him/it

God is sovereign

Moreover, is it without the Lord that I have come up against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me, Go up against this land, and destroy it.’ ”(2 Kings 18:25, ESV)

A misunderstanding about the Sovereignty of God, although he allowed and used this it does not change his commitments, devotion and defence of his people

You can’t make peace with the devil

Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make your peace with me and come out to me. Then each one of you will eat of his own vine, and each one of his own fig tree, and each one of you will drink the water of his own cistern,(2 Kings 18:31, ESV)

This is the call of the devil and the flesh but we must resist. You can’t make peace with the devil, he is hell bent on your misery and destruction. You can’t make peace with you flesh, it seeks only its own pleasure and hates God.

We are at war and there is no peace with he enemy, but there is peace from and with God

Don’t talk to the devil

But the people were silent and answered him not a word, for the king’s command was, “Do not answer him.”(2 Kings 18:36, ESV)

We do not need to dignify the devil with a response. We don’t find prayers in the bible where to devil is addressed directly, instead he is bypassed because in prayer we just talk to the boss, God himself.

Jesus addresses the devil directly in his temptation but this was the actual devil himself and Jesus answered him with the word of God.

When Jesus taught us to pray the devil was not addressed even once, instead we were taught to entreat the Father to deliver us from evil including the evil of the devil.

We may talk about the devil when we pray but we do to talk to him, instead we talk over him. The only response he will get from us is the word of God when he tempts us like Jesus showed us and the Lord’s rebuke as we saw in Jude.

Sovereign over devils

Behold, I will put a spirit in him, so that he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land, and I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.’ ”(2 Kings 19:7, ESV)

Demonic spirits are under God’s Sovereign control, this is why we don’t need to enter into conversation with them, we appeal to the God who is the sovereign king even over them and commands them and they must obey

Go to God with your problems

Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord.(2 Kings 19:14, ESV)

We can tell his heart was for God, because he would always go to God first (realising the time he tried to buy someone off did not work).

We need to do that, to spread out our problem before The Lord.

God, king over the earth

And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.(2 Kings 19:15, ESV)

God, not Satan is king over the whole earth

Sovereign over history

“Have you not heard that I determined it long ago? I planned from days of old what now I bring to pass, that you should turn fortified cities into heaps of ruins,(2 Kings 19:25, ESV)

God is Sovereign over history, his plans and purposes are continually being worked out. History is not on it’s own random course and is not solely in the hands of men, demons or angels. God is directing history in such a way as to glorify his name in all the earth.

Roots and Fruits

And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward.(2 Kings 19:30, ESV)

Yes we need to take root downwards (in the word and Spirit) and bear fruit upwards (Praise and behaviour)

Ephesians 2:1–3:21

We were dead

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins(Ephesians 2:1, ESV)

This is the awful and serious state we were in before salvation, we could not respond to the Gospel because we were dead, we needed to be made alive.

Children of wrath

among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.(Ephesians 2:3, ESV)

This is a summary of life outside Christ. We are cheating people by telling them God loves them just the way they are, it just is not true, before we were saved, we were children of wrath. Those who do not know God are under God’s wrath (righteous anger).

Made alive in Christ

even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—(Ephesians 2:5, ESV)

God made us alive, this is more than an analogy, the edict from Eden is true all men from Adam were dead, dead in trespass and sin

This is so profound, it is by grace, not sense or response but grace by which we dead people have been made alive and saved.

Us being made alive, spiritually made as brand new creations, born all over again, regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit is the single most amazing miracle any of us will ever experience.

Look at the strength of the words used here, we were dead in our sins and while in that state where we could not help ourselves (dead people can’t do anything or even respond to anything) God does the IMPOSSIBLE, he by his unfathomable grace MADE US ALIVE!

Saved by grace

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.(Ephesians 2:8–9, ESV)

The sum of reformed soteriology (the theology of salvation). We hold to what the reformers discovered in the word of God and so broke away from the Church of Rome which is that man is not saved by his own works, instead man is saved by God’s own grace.

God has saved us in this way so no one can boast that they had the common sense to respond to the Gospel and so essentially saved themselves and technically becomes the initiating agent of his own salvation.

The beautiful reality is that it is God himself who saves us and not ourselves. If we saved ourselves we would have to keep ourselves which is not going to happen and makes us no different to all the futile religions of this word where the religious mind set / stronghold / spirit causes men to run after “god” through good works and human effort.

God is the one who saves us and keeps us, this truth should cause us to burst out in praise to God for his amazing grace which has saved us, not generally made salvation possible but actually, consciously, deliberately, specifically, chosen and really saved us.

Glory to his name forever!!

How should we then live?

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.(Ephesians 2:10, ESV)

This is how we should then live… We were saved to work good works. Our salvation is not an end in itself, we were saved for a purpose.

Works do not get us to salvation but we have been saved to work, we work BECAUSE we are saved.

The work God has for us has been predestined for us to do, we can have confidence in God’s purpose and provision for our lives.

The pathway has been prepared, now walk it by faith working the good works of the one who has created us anew in Christ.

We are his workmanship, we are not generally, or mass manufactured, each of us has been created specifically by the great workmanship of God, each a particular tool to be used in the building of God’s kingdom and for the glory of God’s great name

May all the earth rejoice today, may the church rejoice, we are his workmanship, he has moulded and formed us for his purpose. Your life is not an accident, you are not a number, you are not random or general, you are special, God has created you specially in Christ to work the works he prepared for you specifically long before the world began.

One new man

by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.(Ephesians 2:15–16, ESV)

We are indeed one new man in Christ, we should no longer distinguish ourselves as different or better because of being a physical Jew or Greek, we are one new man in Christ we are the church, not the messianic and gentile church not the black and white church just the church

Members of God’s household

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,(Ephesians 2:19, ESV)

We are fellow citizens with the saints of Israel. God has made us members of his own household. We read yesterday that he adopted us in love, that means he was not our father in the spiritual sense or he would not need to adopt us.

Like Jesus said, if we call God Father we would do his works but we do the devils works proving the devil is our father. It is only by God’s magnanimous act of adoption that we become God’s children and members of his household.

The foundation

built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,(Ephesians 2:20, ESV)

The Apostles and Prophets are foundational to the church, their life and works were special and can not be repeated in the sense that they were the founders of the church and their writings are considered holy scripture, divinely and specially inspired by God.

The canon of scripture is CLOSED and the church is already established so no Prophet or Apostle today can be seen on the same level or with he same office as the first ones who had a specific and special mission given to them by Jesus himself.

We stand upon the foundation of their life and teaching as captured into he bible with Jesus as the ultimate foundation

God’s dwelling place

In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.(Ephesians 2:22, ESV)

We are not only personally but corporately a dwelling place for God. Church is essential and critical for every believer, when we come together God dwells in our midst as we are built up each week.

None of us is being built up individually, we are being built alongside one another, it is not about one of us being such a big brick that it can’t be used in the wall.

God has set up the body of Christ, the Church in such a way that we need each other to genuinely grow and without each other growth is stunted, so if there is anyone reading this today who is out of fellowship with other believers you need to humble yourself and get connected or you will not grow… You may get head knowledge but you won’t be built up together with the saints by the Spirit of God.

Attending church is not enough, you need to actually fellowship, live and serve with other believers to be built up together into a dwelling place for God

God’s revelation

which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.(Ephesians 3:5, ESV)

Revealed to them to write it down in the bible. Now we have the bible there are no new revelation in that sense, the foundation as mentioned earlier has been laid.

This is why the bible is so important, it is the record of God’s revelation

Fellow Heirs

This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.(Ephesians 3:6, ESV)

The gentiles have been made fellow heirs with the faithful of Israel, and receive the messianic promises that were given to the children of Israel. We are joint heirs, the Jews get no more or less than us, we are one in Christ

We are rich

To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,(Ephesians 3:8, ESV)

We have unsearchable riches in Christ. We are rich beyond our wildest dreams. The inheritance we have is priceless and eternal… Hallelujah

The light for everyone

and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things,(Ephesians 3:9, ESV)

This is what Paul has done through his writings, the light for everyone is the bible.

God’s purpose realised

This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,(Ephesians 3:11, ESV)

God eternal purpose is realised in the incarnation, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

You have accesses

in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.(Ephesians 3:12, ESV)

All saints through our faith in Christ have access to God, no intermediary is needed. Again the reformers were right we don’t need priests, monks, pope’s, nuns, Mary or dead saints.

This is amazing we have direct access to God, go to him and talk to him TODAY

Inner strength

that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,(Ephesians 3:16, ESV)

Yes Lord may our inner being be strengthen in you today as we rejoice in your word by your Spirit

comprehend

may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,(Ephesians 3:18, ESV)

God made our minds and wants them to be engaged and used for him so may our minds be strengthened as we meditate on and study the word of God that we might know mentally / intellectually and by experience the love of God.

The fullness of God

and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.(Ephesians 3:19, ESV)

A knowing that goes beyond just books but finds its form in reality and experience.

We can not be filled with the fullness of God without studying His word.

God’s power at work in us

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,(Ephesians 3:20, ESV)

It is God who is able through His power at work in us (not our powerful words)

Proverbs 8:19–26

The value of wisdom

My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver.(Proverbs 8:19, ESV)

What comes from wisdom (it’s fruit) is far more valuable than money or what money can buy.

An inheritance

granting an inheritance to those who love me, and filling their treasuries.(Proverbs 8:21, ESV)

When we gain wisdom we will also gain an inheritance and we will prosper in the physical word too

The wise creator

Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.(Proverbs 8:23, ESV)

God used wisdom to create the world

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 17:6–18:12, Eph 1:1–23, Prov 8:9–18

Today’s Theme: The Blessed, Bless God

Today is an exciting day, we begin our study of Ephesian’s, this is one of my favourite books in the bible. Today’s theme is the wonderful blessing we are blessed with in Christ which cause us to praise our God, a shortlist of 11 blessings are outlined for us to mediate on and give thanks to God for them.

Alongside this main theme we see the destruction that reigns in the lives of those who do not trust in God and the call to wisdom.

2 Kings 17:6–18:12

Don’t fear other gods / demons

And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods(2 Kings 17:7, ESV)

One of the reasons the children of Israel were led into bondage was because they had feared other gods, we can end up in bondage by fearing things in our life more than and in place of God.

Also in a very direct parallel we should not fear the false gods and demons, we fear God only.

Nothing is secret

And the people of Israel did secretly against the Lord their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city.(2 Kings 17:9, ESV)

Lord deliver us from the folly of thinking we can do anything secretly from you

God has anger

and there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the Lord carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the Lord to anger,(2 Kings 17:11, ESV)

God has actual personal anger which can be provoked. I recently saw a good Christian documentary that went too far in making the point that God is loving by stating God is not angry when in fact the bible teaches that God is loving and is angry too, our sins provoke God to actual anger

Don’t be stubborn

But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God.(2 Kings 17:14, ESV)

God sent messengers in his love to warn the people but they stood in stubborn rebellion, we should not stand in judgement of this but look at ourselves and ask if we are being stubborn too

What are you running after?

They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them.(2 Kings 17:15, ESV)

You will become what you run after, if like the people you run after false and empty idols you too will become false and empty

Depravity

And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.(2 Kings 17:17, ESV)

Israel reached a level of gross depravity, even sacrificing their babies to demons. As human beings we are inherently evil because of the fall and left unchecked we will descend into anarchy and depravity this is why God set up laws, governments, the authorities (police, courts etc), schools and of course the church.

Syncretism is not right

So they feared the Lord but also served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.(2 Kings 17:33, ESV)

This is like modern day syncretism, where some teach that someone can have Christ in context with their cultural religion… simply not right or true

Do it for your children

So these nations feared the Lord and also served their carved images. Their children did likewise, and their children’s children—as their fathers did, so they do to this day.(2 Kings 17:41, ESV)

What we do, our children are likely to do. Serve the Lord faithfully for the sake of the generations that will follow you

Don’t make idols

He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).(2 Kings 18:4, ESV)

There are great things God used and did in the past that we must not make idols of today this could include the nation of Israel, the reformation or some past revival etc

Trust in God

He trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel, so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him.(2 Kings 18:5, ESV)

This is a huge statement that Hezekiah trusted in the Lord more than all other kings (including David)

Rebel against the enemy

And the Lord was with him; wherever he went out, he prospered. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and would not serve him.(2 Kings 18:7, ESV)

Let us rebel against Satan and the flesh and not serve them. Rebel against the tyranny of sin

Listen and obey

because they did not obey the voice of the Lord their God but transgressed his covenant, even all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. They neither listened nor obeyed.(2 Kings 18:12, ESV)

We must both listen and obey. Listening is pointless without obedience. Obedience is impossible without first listening.

Ephesians 1:1–23

Blessed people bless God

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,(Ephesians 1:3, ESV)

God is blessed and praised by those he has blessed which is all those he has redeemed. Moreover God is blessed by those who recognise his blessing in their lives.

Paul declares that we have every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, he will spend the next few verses detailing exactly what those blessings are, they are spiritual in the sense that they are for God’s people only and are in the heavenly (permanent) dimension rather than the earthly (temporary) dimension.

I will give you a sketchy outline of some (not all) of the blessings expounded on by Paul.

Blessing 1: Election

even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love(Ephesians 1:4, ESV)

This puts election in context, we were chosen before creation began. The reformed understanding of this is correct. God chose us long before we were created, meaning his choice was not dependant on our own choice, sense, goodness, religiousness, ethnicity or any other thing initiated by us.

Blessing 2: Adoption

In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,(Ephesians 1:4b–5, ESV)

The full stop is put in the right place so this reads that it was in his love that he predestined us and went so far as to adopt us. Our adoption is evidence of his special love for us.

Blessing 3: Grace

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,(Ephesians 1:7, ESV)

How wonderfully rich is the grace of God. There is more than one blessing here, the others are redemption and forgiveness of sins but both come from the over arching blessing of his grace.

Blessing 4: Knowledge

making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ(Ephesians 1:9, ESV)

We know the mystery of God’s will. God’s will is not a mystery to us, it is clearly defined in the bible, the gospel message and the Holy Spirit guides us daily

Blessing 5: Inheritance

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,(Ephesians 1:11, ESV)

God is sovereign in election and works all things after the counsel of his own will, not mans, not circumstance but his own will. In relationship with him we have an inheritance as Pastor prayed and taught yesterday.

This is one of the great themes of this letter, our inheritance in Christ.

Blessing 6: Hearing

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,(Ephesians 1:13, ESV)

Hearing and believing is 100% necessary for our salvation. Not everyone hears so even this is a blessing from God

Blessing 7: Sealed

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.(Ephesians 1:13–14, ESV)

This is not something for graduated saints only, but for all saints. We have been sealed by the promised Holy Spirit. This means we can have confidence and assurance in our salvation, it is not something that can be simply or easily lost, it and we are sealed by God himself.

You are secure in Christ unlike Islam and other works based religions where there is no guarantee or security.

Blessing 8: Enlightened

having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,(Ephesians 1:18, ESV)

Our eyes should be open and clear to the hope to which we are called, this letter goes a long way to opening our hearts to the truth of this hope in the predestined love and plan of the Father.

We should not live in fear of losing our salvation at the last minute or of missing the mark and so being cast into hell, we who trust in Christ and have been predestined have eternal security.

We have been enlightened regarding the hope we have in the glorious inheritance of Christ. Hallelujah!!

Blessing 9: Power

and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might(Ephesians 1:19, ESV)

We are kept by God’s great power, you cant get more secure than that.

Blessing 10: Jesus

far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.(Ephesians 1:21, ESV)

Jesus is king and we are on his side, this is the greatest blessing.

Blessing 11: The Church

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,(Ephesians 1:22, ESV)

Jesus, not the pope is the head of the church. The church itself is a blessing for God’s people to be nourished, protected and built up in him.

Proverbs 8:9–18

Wisdom is precious

for wisdom is better than jewels, and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.(Proverbs 8:11, ESV)

Wisdom is the most precious commodity in the world

Study and apply

“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and I find knowledge and discretion.(Proverbs 8:12, ESV)

Wisdom, prudence, knowledge and discretion this is shouting that studying the word of God thoroughly and applying it is booth good and key

Hate evil

The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.(Proverbs 8:13, ESV)

The fear of the Lord simplified is to hate evil

Invest

I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me.(Proverbs 8:17, ESV)

This is good, this is why we invest time and effort into the reading, study and meditation on God’s word

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 15:1–17:5, Gal 5:1–6:18, Prov 8:1–8

Today’s Theme: Free to Love

Today we look at the wonderful truth of our freedom in Christ. We have been freed to love so the crux and cycle of love, faith and work can operate in our lives and eave a legacy for generations to come to the Glory of God.

2 Kings 15:1–17:5

The Long Reign

He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.(2 Kings 15:2, ESV)

Uzziah was the longest reigning monarch in the history of Israel which is directly connected to his mostly godly life

A godly legacy

And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Uzziah had done.(2 Kings 15:34, ESV)

Again the importance of a godly legacy and example

Don’t burn your children’s heritage

but he walked in the way of the kings of Israel. He even burned his son as an offering, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel.(2 Kings 16:3, ESV)

When we compromise and commit sin, it is the same as burning our children in sacrifice… The opposite of legacy

Hold fast to true religion

When King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, he saw the altar that was at Damascus. And King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest a model of the altar, and its pattern, exact in all its details.(2 Kings 16:10, ESV)

We should be careful to not copy false religions, the pomp of state religion or the new untested and sometimes ungodly church fads. We should hold fast to the tried and tested faith

Sanctification is needed

And the bronze altar that was before the Lord he removed from the front of the house, from the place between his altar and the house of the Lord, and put it on the north side of his altar.(2 Kings 16:14, ESV)

A church goes very wrong when a need for sanctification is removed. In fact a church that takes away an emphasis on living godly lives is a ticking time bomb, all those people coming together without godliness can only result in sin, hurt and frustration

Northern Israel’s fall

Then the king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria, and for three years he besieged it.(2 Kings 17:5, ESV)

The great fall of Israel, this was a sad day in the land of Israel (the northern kingdom). The fall was not happenstance, it was judgement from God.

Galatians 5:1–6:18

Stand in Freedom

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.(Galatians 5:1, ESV)

We are called to make a stand, that takes effort, to stand in freedom. Notice also to submit to the bondage of sins slavery is not voluntary but requires submission to those passions and lusts

Don’t fall away

You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.(Galatians 5:4, ESV)

We can fall away from grace so we need to make an effort to stand in freedom

The rhythm of life

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.(Galatians 5:6, ESV)

A summary of the rhythm of our lives, they should be lives of faith operating through love. Love > Faith > Work

Sin is like a virus

A little leaven leavens the whole lump.(Galatians 5:9, ESV)

A little compromise can destroy your whole life/ group. Sin’s nature is like a virus, it spread with aggressive speed and intent so we must cut it out or we will harm our own lives and those around us.

Free to love

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.(Galatians 5:13, ESV)

Love is the key, yes we are free but we should not use that as an excuse to sin (this would actually be evidence of bondage to sin), we should use the freedom to willingly and lovingly serve

The crux

For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”(Galatians 5:14, ESV)

The crux of Christian life and practice is to love your neighbor as yourself

Walk in the Spirit

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.(Galatians 5:16, ESV)

We should, live, walk and behave ourselves in line with the guidance of the Holy Spirit

Desire vs desire

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.(Galatians 5:17, ESV)

Which desires will you satisfy, the desires of the Holy Spirit dwelling in you or of your flesh? You will inevitably satisfy one of them so make a choice today.

Drunkenness

envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.(Galatians 5:21, ESV)

Drunkenness is a sin which leads to other sins, This is why I (and many other Christians) choose not to drink alcohol

This is a really clear, black and white statement, those who walk in sin shall not inherit the kingdom of God.,

The fruit of the Spirit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,(Galatians 5:22, ESV)

The result of the Spirit, of walking in the Spirit is fruit

Kill the desires of the flesh

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.(Galatians 5:24, ESV)

Yes we must put the flesh and its desires to death

Keep in step

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.(Galatians 5:25, ESV)

We must have daily sensitivity to this

Restore others

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.(Galatians 6:1, ESV)

We should seek to restore our brothers in the right spirit

Bear others burdens

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.(Galatians 6:2, ESV)

This is the church, we need to bear each others burdens, this is Christ’s law of love for one another

Bear your load

For each will have to bear his own load.(Galatians 6:5, ESV)

We each have a load to carry and should be sober in our awareness of this not thinking of ourselves as more that we actually are

God is not a force

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.(Galatians 6:7, ESV)

God is not some force we can fool, he is a person and knows our hearts

Invest in the Spirit

For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.(Galatians 6:8, ESV)

My life verse for investing in the things of God’s kingdom

Do good

So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.(Galatians 6:10, ESV)

Doing good is part of the Christian life, especially within the church, we should not grow weary in this

A new creation

For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.(Galatians 6:15, ESV)

Both Jews and Gentiles are a new creation in Christ

The ultimate Israel

And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.(Galatians 6:16, ESV)

This is wider from the context than the physical Israel of circumcised Jews, this speaks of believes past, present, future, Jew and Gentile.

Proverbs 8:1–8

Men be wise

“To you, O men, I call, and my cry is to the children of man. O simple ones, learn prudence; O fools, learn sense.(Proverbs 8:4–5, ESV)

God is specifically calling out to men to learn to be prudent and to have good sense. This is why our culture has tried to make it normative that it is cool for men to be dumb when in fact we are called to and by wisdom

Today’s Reading: 2 Kings 13:1–14:29, Gal 4:1–31, Prov 7:21–27

Today’s Theme: The Fullness of Time

In today’s reading we see that Jesus was born in the fullness of time, at God’s appointed time to redeem and adopt us as God’s sons. The theme of the fullness of time seeing prophecies fulfilled is seen in the OT reading too and even in the call to keep strike the ground for a fuller victory.

In the fullness of time Jesus inaugurated a better, new, second covenant between God and man of which we are all the beneficiaries. Lets pray that we live in light of this new freedom as God’s children and use our time as God has appointed to his glory

2 Kings 13:1–14:29

Seek God

Then Jehoahaz sought the favor of the Lord, and the Lord listened to him, for he saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Syria oppressed them.(2 Kings 13:4, ESV)

His father was a godly leader with a zeal for God and his son at least knew to seek God.

Stoke the ground

And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped.(2 Kings 13:18, ESV)

I’ll never forget the message Pastor brought about this, we need to strike and strike and strike the ground, we need the zeal of the kings grandfather Jehu.

The dust of the ground speaks of the flesh, so strike the flesh in faith

God keeps covenant

But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them, and he turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, nor has he cast them from his presence until now.(2 Kings 13:23, ESV)

Thank God that he is a compassionate, covenant keeping God.

Prophecy fulfilled

Then Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took again from Ben-hadad the son of Hazael the cities that he had taken from Jehoahaz his father in war. Three times Joash defeated him and recovered the cities of Israel.(2 Kings 13:25, ESV)

This is a direct fulfilment of the prophecy we read about earlier. Only the bible contains actual prophecies that have actually been fulfilled.

A godly heritage

And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not like David his father. He did in all things as Joash his father had done.(2 Kings 14:3, ESV)

More hope for Judah, another godly king, leaving a godly heritage is so important

The deception of pride

You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Be content with your glory, and stay at home, for why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?”(2 Kings 14:10, ESV)

Beware when you stand lest you fall. Our stand in Christ should not give us false confidence in the flesh

God saves Israel

But the Lord had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.(2 Kings 14:27, ESV)

God sovereignly saves Israel (In a military sense) even with a king that was not righteous. We should remember this as we pray for the nation today.

Galatians 4:1–31

The fullness of time

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,(Galatians 4:4, ESV)

As we approach Christmas we remember the miraculous birth of Christ, born through the virgin woman Mary as the incarnated Son of God and we remember that this was all a part of God’s predetermined plan of salvation.

The ideas of appointed times is seen throughout Jesus’ ministry and the NT.

When Jesus came the stage was set and the conditions were just right to fulfil the specific prophecies, fulfil the law and the world was at that point so well connected by Rome that the spread of the gospel was expedited.

Adoption as sons

to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.(Galatians 4:5, ESV)

We have been adopted as Gods own sons, because Jesus came in the fullness of time and purchased our freedom. Hallelujah!

The inner witness

And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”(Galatians 4:6, ESV)

The inner witness of the Holy Spirit is so crucial to our joy and assurance in God

Known by God

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?(Galatians 4:9, ESV)

This is key, does God know us? He does not know all of us intimately, because on the day of judgement he will say to many I do not know you.

This does not mean God does not know about us but the intimacy of the adoption relationship is something reserved only for the redeemed.

Stand for the truth

Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?(Galatians 4:16, ESV)

This happens so often but we must stand for the truth even when people turn against us because of it

Anguish

my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!(Galatians 4:19, ESV)

We should feel this anguish for those we are responsible for or discipling that Christ be formed in them

Two Covenants

Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar.(Galatians 4:24, ESV)

Some say that we are wrong to call the new testament, new. Some argue that there is only one covenant but the bible teaches that there are two major covenants and Jesus inaugurated the new covenant in his blood which was the fullness and fulfilment of the old one under the law.

Thank God today that Jesus has made a new covenant on better promises between God and man.

Proverbs 7:21–27

Dumb animals

All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast(Proverbs 7:22, ESV)

A good picture of the bondage of Sexual sin, it leads men away like dumb animals

Defeated by lust

for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng.(Proverbs 7:26, ESV)

Many men have been defeated by their own sexual lust