SHOWERS

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Prayer, continued

So - did you have a chance to meditate on prayer for a while?  Before we begin today's lesson, stop and consider your own prayer life. 

• How often do you pray?
• Do your prayers focus mainly on you and the things you are asking God to give you?
• Has there been any kind of change/maturity in your prayer life over the last year, or are your prayers still basically the same?

Ephesians chapter one gives us some wonderful insight into prayer.  Please consider these verses carefully and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you about your own personal prayer life.

Ephesians 1:17-  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him...

Previously, under the Old Testament covenant, God was commonly known as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But notice the way Paul refers to God in this verse – as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This title reflects the change of covenants that took place when Jesus rose from the dead.  In this instance, the focus is on Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant and the one who intercedes for us with the Father.

Now, let's start by looking at what Paul did NOT ask God to give them.  He did not ask God to keep them from persecution and trouble.  He did not ask God to give them fame or wealth.  He did not ask God to grant them happiness or an easy life. 

What he DID ask God to give them was the Holy Spirit who bestows to the believer wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of God.  In other words, Paul prays for these believers that their spiritual eyes would be opened and focused so that spiritual realities will be clearer, more easily seen and more understandable by their minds.  Likewise, he prays for the Holy Spirit to quicken our spirits making them more sensitive to spiritual things. 

Well for one thing, if we are honest, we will admit that we can be easily distracted.  Our every waking moment is a constant barrage of things from the physical world that compete for our time and attention.  Personally, I think the situation is worse now that it has ever been.  Modern electronics like the cell phone, hand held video games, electronic readers and computer tablets spew entertainment and information like an active volcano.  It literally never ceases.  If we are not careful, our spiritual eyes and ears will become dull and useless.  We will lose our sensitivity to the voice of God.  We should regularly be praying that the Holy Spirit quickens our spiritual man.

For another thing, no matter how mature we have grown in Christ, we have still not arrived at perfection.  No matter how much we know of God, no matter how much we have experienced of him, there are still unfathomable depths of wisdom and knowledge to be found in him.

Ephesians 1:18-19a – 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, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe,

The 'eyes of your heart' refers to your mind or your understanding.  Our understanding of God and spiritual principles have been blinded or distorted by sin.  Unless it is touched by the Spirit, the mind cannot comprehend spiritual truths. If you are a Christian, you have already had your mind/understanding enlightened by the Spirit to some degree; it was a revelation of sin that prompted you to accept Christ as Savior.  However, the entire Christian life is one of gradual maturing.  The revelation of truth that we experienced during salvation is not the full revelation of God.  Our understanding needs to be further enlightened because there are more and deeper spiritual truths to be understood.   

1 Corinthians 2:14 -  The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

Paul prays for the Spirit to enlighten our minds, that we might discover three great truths.

One, that we may know what is the hope to which he has called us:  Christianity is the hope to which we are called.  Hope is a powerful thing; in fact, it's a game changer.  It spurs us on during difficult times, it calms our sorrows, it lessens the effects of persecution and temptation, it renews our focus on the prize and it sustains us during the long haul of life.  Hope makes our work and sacrifice worthwhile.  Paul wants the Spirit to give us a greater understanding of the hope to which he has called us, so that it can work powerfully in us during our time on earth.

Romans 15:13 – May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.     

Two, that we might know what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints:  In other words, the glorious abundance of spiritual things to which you are entitled as a consequence of being children of God.  As discussed earlier in this chapter, we are not completely sinless, painless, perfect, righteous, etc, right now, but someday we will be.  At this time, we can enter into God's presence through praise and worship, but one day we will behold his face as we sing praises around his throne. One day we will rule and reign with Christ.  The more we understand the riches of our inheritance, the more motivated we will be to serve our King and the more joy we will have during our service here.   

Was there ever a time in life when you longed to have something and you wanted it so much that you constantly daydreamed about it? When you finally got it, was it all that you expected or were your daydreams better than the real thing?

Sometimes we disappoint ourselves because the thing we long for winds up being less than we imagined it would be.  In the case of our inheritance in Christ, the opposite will be true.  No matter how wonderful we imagine heaven to be, it will be infinitely better!

1 Corinthians 2:9 - But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.

Are you excited about the prayer that the apostle Paul prayed for you?  The things he asks God to grant you are far, far greater than anything earthly that we could ask for.

I encourage you to begin to earnestly pray this same prayer for yourself over the next few weeks.  See how the Holy Spirit changes your life!

 

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Ephesians 1:11-12 – In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the council of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

I hate to beat a dead horse (where do some of these expressions come from?), but since Paul did it first, I am going to follow suit.  These verses say that we have obtained an eternal inheritance in Christ, which was planned in advance, before the world was created.  As adopted children we are the praise of his glory in two ways.

One, in a passive manner.  This involves us being the undeserving recipients of grace.  We are a testimony to God's grace, because we did nothing to deserve it. Praise and worship should be our natural reaction to this gift.  

Two, in an active manner.  This involves personal holiness, obedience to God's commands and the bearing of fruit for the kingdom God.

Paul speaks of those who were the first to hope in Christ.  We would assume that the apostles were among the first to believe, having heard the gospel from Jesus himself. They spread the good news first to their own countrymen (the Jews) and then the gospel went out to the Gentiles as well. The scripture describes the gospel as radiating out from Jerusalem until it reaches the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit has come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

While the apostles may have been the first fruits of faith in Jesus, they were certainly not the last!

Ephesians 1:13-14 – 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.

These verses start by saying that the Ephesians (and later you and I) have also believed in Jesus, after we heard the word of truth/gospel of salvation.  Note that the same gospel produces salvation in all men, whether Jew or Gentile, whether born in 1 AD or 2019 AD. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.  His word is a firm foundation that will stand for all time.  It does not change. Just as all men believe and are saved through the same gospel, so all believers have a share in the heavenly inheritance, and all believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit, which was promised long ago. 

Let's examine the idea of being sealed.  Webster defines a seal as "something that confirms, ratifies or makes secure:  A guarantee, an assurance". 

In our culture, we seal documents to prove or confirm they are authentic.  Have you ever taken a legal document to a notary?  Normally, you sign the document in the presence of the notary, who then signs and places a seal on your document.  The notary is confirming, guaranteeing or assuring others that the signature on the document is authentic.

Another example of sealing would be a brand.  Have you ever seen a cow that has been branded by its owner?  The brand creates a permanent mark that distinguishes that particular animal as belonging to a single, specific owner.  Even if the animal is mixed with other cows, a simple glance can identify who it belongs to; the mark is a guarantee or an assurance of ownership.

The scripture tells us that when we accept Christ as savior, we are sealed or branded by the Holy Spirit, which confirms that we belong to Christ. 

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 Now he which establishes us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Ephesians 4:30  And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.  

We can see from these scriptures that the Holy Spirit seals or marks us as belonging to God.  However, according to verse 14, he does so much more!! 

We are using the English Standard Version of the Bible in this study, but in this case, I think the King James Version is clearer.  It says:

Ephesians 1:14 - Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Pop Quiz:  Do you know what earnest money is?

Earnest money, also called good faith deposit, is a sum of money that a buyer pays to the seller at the time of entering a contract. Its primary purpose is to make sure that the buyer is serious about following through on the contract. Typically used in real estate transactions, earnest money may be used to give the home buyer more time before closing. It provides the seller with incentive to continue with the transaction.

When God redeems us, he buys us back from sin.  When we accept his offer of salvation, he gives us the Holy Spirit as an earnest, which is a piece of our spiritual inheritance.   It shows that he is serious about following through with our redemption contract.  The earnest of the Holy Spirit is upon us until God 'closes the deal' of our redemption, which will occur when he returns for us at the second coming. At that time, we will receive our entire inheritance.  The Holy Spirit gives us incentive to stand firm until our redemption is complete.

We all recognize that our redemption is not complete at this time.  But rest assured, a day will come when God will deliver us from all sin, evil, temptation, sorrow, pain and frustration.  

• A day will come when we hear 'well done, good and faithful servant'. 
• A day will come when we inherit eternal life. 
• A day will come when the church will be presented to Jesus as a bride, without spot or wrinkle.
• A day will come when we sit with him at the marriage supper of the lamb.
• A day will come when we see our redeemer face to face.
• A day will come when we stand around his throne singing his glorious praise.  
• A day will come when we receive a new body and home (and a job) in heaven. 
• A day will come when the old will pass away and all things will become new!!   

I  Corinthians 2:9 – ...no eye has seen nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.

Notice that verse 14 also tells us that these things are "to the praise of his glory".  We did not earn any of these things; God freely gave them to us because of his great love and grace.  Therefore, redemption is an eternal testimony of God's great love to mankind.  All created beings (including us) should forever be praising and glorifying him for this indescribable gift! 

I encourage you to dwell on these thoughts for a while.  You may find that you are encouraged.  You may find that life's momentary difficulties pale in comparison to what God has in store for you! You may find yourself bursting with praise for his mighty name!  Allow that praise to well up inside you and come forth audibly.  Pray and ask the Father to fill you to overflowing with the promised Holy Spirit!

Ephesians 1:15-16 – For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,

Paul gives thanks to God for the Ephesian church.  He also prays for them.  Next time we will examine this prayer, which is found in verses 17-23.

 

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Ephesians 1:5-6 – In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

In times past, God had chosen one man, Abraham, as the father of the Jewish race [Genesis 12].  God made three distinct promises to Abraham regarding the Jewish nation.  Do you know what they were?

1. The Jews would be a great nation; that is, in terms of numbers.  Genesis 12:2, Genesis 15:4-5.
2. They would inherit a promised land. Genesis 12:5-7, Genesis 15:7.
3. They would be a blessing to ALL the families on earth. Genesis 12:3, Genesis 28:14.

Did you answer correctly?  If so, award yourself a piece of candy!

Now, it is this third promise that we want to consider.  How were the Jews to be a blessing to all the families on earth?  They were to be an example of God's love to mankind.  They were to exemplify or display God's provision, his grace, his forgiveness, his great power, his love, etc.  Their relationship with God was to be a living example to all the nations of the earth of the love of God.    

The culmination of that love and promised blessing was a savior or messiah, who would be a member of the Jewish race, and who would die for the sins of man.  Through this messiah, ALL men could be freed from the bondage of sin and be restored to a right relationship with God.  Through the savior Jesus Christ, ALL men (not just the Jews) could be adopted as sons and daughters of God.  God had predestined or predetermined to do this in ages past. (Predestine means 'to set bounds beforehand', or 'to predetermine').  God gave us glimpses of this great plan numerous times through the prophets.  For instance:

Isaiah 49:6  - And he [God] said, It is too small a thing that you [the Messiah] should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel: I will also give you for a light to the Gentiles, that you may be my salvation unto the ends of the earth.

So, we know that from the very beginning, God planned, or intended, or predestined to redeem mankind; to adopt ALL men, Jews and Gentiles alike, as sons and daughters.  This is what Paul refers to when he says "he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ". 

This was done 'according to the purpose of his will'.  In other words, it had nothing to do with any merit on our part.  In times past, God chose the Jews, not because they had any outstanding merit in themselves, but because of the purposes of his will.  In the same way, Gentiles are now called to salvation/adoption as sons of God, not because of any outstanding merits on the part of the Gentiles, but according to God's will and purpose.

This was a very radical and somewhat controversial idea in the early days of Christianity.  The Jews were convinced that they had exclusive rights to being the sons of God.  Even after Jesus died and was resurrected, they felt it was only for them.  It was extremely difficult for them to embrace the idea that the Gentiles could be admitted into the kingdom of God.  As you recall, God made his intentions crystal clear in Acts 10 when he calls Peter to preach in the house of the Gentile Cornelius.  All the Gentiles in that house were saved, filled with the Holy Spirit and baptized in water.  Peter proclaims:

Acts 10:34-35 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:   But in every nation he that fears him, and works righteousness, is accepted with him.

Thus, there can be no stepchildren in the kingdom of God.  All who accept him are equal sons and daughters; all are coheirs with Christ.  

Further, Paul tells us that this adoption of all men as sons was done not only according to the purpose of his will, but 'to the praise of his glorious grace'.  In other words, God is drawing attention to his Divine Grace.  He wants the world to see how rich, how deep, how boundless/abundant his grace is towards all men.  God's grace knows no limits! All sin can be forgiven!  All can be restored into relationship with Him!  All can experience the depth and love of Christ! All can be filled with the Holy Spirit!  

Maybe you are reading this and thinking that you are excluded from that grace for some reason.  I assure you, there are NO exceptions!!  The Bible says:

John 6:37  - ...he that comes to me I will in no wise cast out.

Romans 8:32 -  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?  

My guess is that as you meditate on the vast love God has shown to you personally, by forgiving your sin and adopting you as a son/daughter, you are feeling all warm and fuzzy on the inside, aren't you?  You are feeling special, aren't you?  Being one of God's children along with all its privileges is delightful, isn't it?  Kind of like a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows, after you've been outside shoveling snow. [If you live someplace warm, maybe it's like a cold shot of air conditioning after mowing the grass, but I live in Ohio, so for me it's more like the hot cocoa!]  I want you to hold on to that warm, fuzzy feeling as we take a closer look at how that manifests in our everyday lives.      

As we mentioned in an earlier lesson, praise is not limited to our mouths or our music.  We also praise God with our actions or conduct. We should be living lives that reflect and display our thanksgiving of God's glorious grace. 

So, since God freely forgave us without strings attached, we need to be forgiving others in the same way.  We are praising him when our conduct reflects his love and mercy!

  Uh oh... do I detect a cold silence in the air?  Have you lost the warm fuzzies already?  Do you instantly have the word "but" on your lips?  Please don't close your browser in my face.  Just hear me out.

I understand that forgiveness is probably the MOST challenging thing that we are called to do.  Some of you reading this have suffered abuse that would make the rest of us vomit.  Some of you have experienced unspeakable loss or a betrayal that reaches to your innermost being.  As far as I can tell, the violence of man knows no limits.  I can never understand what you have endured, but I assure you there is One who knows; our God, the same God who gave his only son for you, knows and understands.  He has healing for you.

Forgiveness does not happen instantaneously or easily for any of us.  However, I believe that when we are willing and when we seek to praise God with our conduct, we can take steps towards forgiveness.

The first step would be to acknowledge that God asks us to forgive others. This is well documented throughout scripture.

  Matthew 18:21-22 - Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? Jesus said unto him, I say not unto you, until seven times: but, until seventy times seven.

I would encourage you to talk to God in prayer.  Tell him that you know you need to forgive, but you just cannot at this point.  He will lead you as you walk down the path of forgiveness with him. You may benefit from help from a Christian counselor.  Eventually, you will be able to do what seems impossible right now.  Be assured that the Bible also tells us "nothing is impossible with God" Luke 1:37.

For some of you, the problem presents differently.  Some of you, for your part, have forgiven and want to restore a relationship with someone else, but they refuse to do so.  Again, your best action is to go to God in prayer.  Ask him how to give you wisdom.  Pray that you can reflect God's love and grace to this other person.  God can make restoration of the relationship possible, although patience may be required. 

James 1:5 -  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally, and reproaches not; and it shall be given him.

Going back to our text, we have seen that God has planned ahead (predestined) for ALL people (Jews and Gentiles) to be adopted into his eternal family as the direct result of his will and loving grace (not according to anything good in us), so that we can reflect his praise (with our mouths and with our conduct).  Paul goes on to say that we have been "blessed in the beloved".  What does that mean?  It refers to Jesus, the beloved Son of God.  The meaning is that through Jesus the mercies and blessings we have been discussing have been conferred on us.

Ephesians 1:7-10 – In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

The mystery of God's will is salvation by faith through Jesus, apart from the law.  It was hidden in the law; not clearly seen or understood by those who came before Christ.  But now God has revealed his plan to unite all things in heaven and on earth under the authority of Christ. Aren't you glad to be a part of that?  The prophets of old desired to know these mysteries, but they were prevented from doing so. From our perspective, we can see all the types, shadows, prophesies and promises have culminated in the person of Jesus, the Messiah!  Let us be thankful for what God has done in the age of grace!

Are you especially thankful for God's forgiveness? Was there a time when you felt you could never forgive an offence but through the help of Jesus you did it? Please subscribe to our blog and share your comments with us!

 

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Ephesians 1:3-4 – 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, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him.  

Verses 3-14 contain only five sentences. Personally, I find that Paul's exceedingly long and drawn out sentences sometimes make it difficult to focus on the point he is making, but if we break it down into phrases, the meaning becomes clear.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" – In other words, 'Praise and worship be to God, the father of Jesus'.  The rest of the verses in this passage tell us why God deserves our praise.     

"who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing" – Who does 'us' refer to?  It hearkens back to the Saints of verse one, and includes all those who belong to Christ.  It includes old and young, male and female, Jew and Gentile, believers in Paul's day, as well as you and I. 

What spiritual blessings do we enjoy as a result of being a child of God?  These would include forgiveness/redemption/justification through the blood of Christ, grace, our adoption as children of God and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  They are not material or temporal things related to this physical world, but they are spiritual gifts which prepare us for our eternal home in heaven.

Do you give praise to God for blessings related to your earthly life, such as clothes, food, housing, etc?  You are right to do so, for all blessings come from God; but do you also give regular thanksgiving and praise to God for your spiritual blessings which make you fit for an eternal heavenly home? Or do we sometimes begin to take those things for granted?  The Christian would do well spend some time ruminating on our upcoming transition from life on earth to life in Heaven.  A renewed focus on the heavenly should affect the way we live on earth.  It also helps put a lot of things into proper perspective!

"in the heavenly places" – The word 'places' is not the best choice, when translating from Greek to English.  Maybe the word 'matters' or 'things' would be better.  The meaning of the phrase is that God blesses us in Christ with regard to things pertaining to heaven or things that prepare us for heaven.    

"even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world" –  Perhaps in the past, as you quickly read this passage, you missed the awesome significance of this phrase.  The blessings of salvation, grace, adoption by God and the illumination of the Holy Spirit were bestowed upon us before the foundations of the world! 

Salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit were never an afterthought.  They were not given to us by chance.  They were not given to us in a haphazard manner because God was caught off guard by the fall of man.  They are not crumbs from the table of God.  God is not 'going with the flow' and making things up as we race toward the end of this age.

Rather, these spiritual gifts are the direct result of intention and design on the part of God Almighty!  This means that God had planned to give them to us before he even created planet earth.  He planned to give them to us long before the fall of man.  He planned to give them to YOU before you were even born.  These gifts are priceless and they flow from God to us as a part of his eternal purpose and plan that was in place from ages past!

God chose to do this, which clearly implies that he had a choice.  He could easily have refused to grant these blessings, but because of his great love for us, he did not. 

"that we should be holy and blameless before him" –  The purpose or the end result of these blessings is that we become holy and blameless before God.  God did not choose us because we were holy; we are holy because God has chosen and redeemed us through Christ.  Only through the blood of Jesus can we stand blameless before God.

1 Peter 1:18-20 - ...you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.  He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you, who through him are believers in God. 

 So, given the astounding spiritual blessings that God has poured out upon us, and considering that we did absolutely nothing to deserve them, we should forever be in a state of praise and worship towards him (which is where Paul started in verse 3).

We tend to think of praise and worship as something we do with our mouths, or with musical instruments.  This is correct, but it actually only scratches the surface of praise. 

Webster's dictionary defines praise as this: To extol in words or song, to glorify on account of perfections or excellent works, to do honor to; to display the excellence of.

How do we do honor to God?  How do we display his excellence? 

I Peter 2:9-11 -  But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: Who in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.  Dearly beloved, I beseech you as aliens and exiles, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.

Peter explains that we honor God and display his excellence to the lost world by living a holy life; a life that reflects the holiness and love of Christ himself.  According to Colossians 3, we are to put off the deeds of the old man and, as in verse 12-14, we are to "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do you.  And above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection".

How are you honoring God and displaying his excellence to a lost world?  Please write and share with us.  Tell us about a time when you were 'God's hand extended' to another individual.  What was the circumstance?  What was their reaction?  How was God glorified?

We would also like to hear from those of you who were going through a rough time and a Christian showed forth God's praise by ministering to you.  What were the circumstances?  How did you feel before the person came along to help?  How did you feel afterwards?  Did it make a difference in your walk with God?

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Dear Reader,

   My name is Pat and I will be hosting this online Bible study for the Kipton church.  As with all my Bible studies, you will get the most out of it if you ask questions, share your experiences and, most importantly, take some time to meditate on the Word of God that is being presented. We are delighted to have you join us! 

For the next few weeks we will be considering the New Testament book of Ephesians.  Let's begin with some background information on this epistle.

 

INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS:     This book was written by the apostle Paul during his imprisonment in Rome, around 60-62 A.D.  It is one of four letters known as the 'prison' epistles.  Can you name the other three?

They are Philippians, Colossians and Philemon.  If you answered correctly, feel free to reward yourself with candy!

The letter was written to the church at Ephesus, although they may not have been its only recipient.  It seems that there are several early manuscripts that do not contain the phrase "at Ephesus".  This has led to the speculation that the book may have been a 'circular' letter, which refers to an identical letter sent to several different churches, each with a specific church's name inserted into it.  If this was the case, multiple churches would have received the exact same copy of the letter.  However, I would like to point out that this is only scholarly speculation, and in the end it really does not matter.  The Holy Spirit has preserved the book for us as a part of the Bible and it applies to Christians of all generations - including us!

What was the city of Ephesus like back in the time of Paul's writing?  It was one of the most celebrated cities of Asia Minor, located about 40 miles south of Smyrna near the mouth of the river Cayster (this would be the extreme western part of modern day Turkey).  Its position made it a busy center of commerce. The Pulpit Bible Commentary says "it was the highway into Asia from Rome; its ships traded with the ports of Greece, Egypt and the Levant". 

We would expect such a city to have abundant wealth.  As with many wealthy places, Ephesus was notorious for luxury and licentiousness (unrestrained by law or morality; excessive, immoral).  It is common for big wealthy cities to have a  number of poor and homeless people.  Wealthy communities also attract crime.  Therefore we would assume that these elements were present in Ephesus too.

 

What about the cultural and religious life in Ephesus?  History asserts that about half of the inhabitants of this area were Asiatic (eastern culture) and half Greek (western culture), although the noted historian Josephus tells us that a considerable number of Jews were also present in the city.  As we would expect, both the culture and the religious practices of that day were an amalgam of East and West.  While the practice of sorcery and magic was common, Ephesus was most famous its worship of the goddess Diana (also called Artemis).  This false god sprang from Western culture, however, the style of worship often incorporated mystical elements from the East.  As you probably recall, the temple of Diana at Ephesus was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.  More information about it is readily available, if you want to find it.

To summarize, Ephesus was a notorious city; it was wealthy, luxurious and excessive.  At the same time, we would expect to see homelessness, crime and sexual immorality.  It had a culturally diverse population.  Its religious practices were a combination of both eastern and western thought.  I don't know about you, but all this seems vaguely familiar to me - I think it could describe many of the cities we live in today.  We could probably take Ephesus, drop it in the middle of America someplace, and no one would really think it was that strange!  

This was the situation that Paul walked into as he began to spread the gospel of Christ in Ephesus back in the book of Acts.  Paul himself tells us that he spent 3 years in Ephesus, actively preaching the gospel (you might want to consider reading Acts chapters 19 and 20.  It will probably take less than 10 minutes and will provide you with some useful information).  He faced much opposition in that city but the scripture tells us in Acts 19:20 that "the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily". 

Of course, Paul could not stay in Ephesus forever.  In Acts chapter 20 he bids the Ephesians a heartfelt and tearful farewell as he heads off to Jerusalem. We will skip ahead in the narrative by saying that Paul winds up in a Roman prison where he is essentially under "house arrest".  He is confined and under guard, but he can have visitors as he awaits trial for some very serious charges.  It was during this time that he wrote the prison epistles, including Ephesians.  So, Paul has a history with the Christians of Ephesus.  He is well acquainted with them, their struggles and the opposition that Christianity faced in that area. 

Now that we have an adequate background for this epistle, let us examine it from the beginning.

Ephesians 1:1-2 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

The salutation of this letter reveals the authority on which Paul writes to them.  He does not write to them on his own authority, or indeed the authority of any man, but the authority of God the Father and his resurrected Son, who appointed him as the apostle to the Gentile world.  Therefore, his words should be taken as truth and should be used as a guide for living the Christian life.

The salutation also addresses the church as individual saints.  Webster's dictionary defines a saint as "a holy or godly person". 

Let me as ask you this:  Do you consider yourself a saint?  Before you blurt out an answer, let me give you something to consider: 

In the Old Testament, the tabernacle was considered holy.  What made it holy?  Was the goat hair in the curtains holy?  Was the acacia wood or the gold holy? No, the tabernacle was holy because it was the dwelling place of God. 

Was the grand and glorious temple of Solomon holy?  It sure was.  What made it holy?  Was it the cedar wood or the dressed stone or the gold and brass?  No, it too was holy because it was the dwelling place of God's presence.

Were the temple sacrifices holy?  Yes.  Was it because the ancient Jews actually found the original 'holy cow'?  Of course not!  The sacrifice was holy because it was dedicated to God. 

Were the Old Testament priests holy?  Yes - because they were divinely chosen and set apart by God for his service.  In the same way, the Sabbath was holy because those 24 hours were separated for God's use, while the rest of the hours in the week were for common use.

So, as a Christian, are you holy?  YES!!  You are the temple of the Holy Spirit of Almighty God.  Your life has been sacrificed to Him.  You are part of a chosen generation and a royal priesthood.  In a sense, your whole life is a Sabbath because it is set apart for God's use!   As a Christian, you are automatically a saint of God, not because of anything you have done, but because you have been set apart for him and his purposes.   

Now, just as a matter of clarification, I want to be sure that you understand that in addition to being a holy (set apart) saint of God, every Christian has a responsibility for personal holiness.  This issue will be discussed later on in Ephesians chapter 4, but until then, I want to point out that as a Christian, your pursuit of personal holiness will continue until the day God calls you home.  Personal holiness is an entirely separate issue from being a saint. Again, more discussion on this will follow.   

For now, let's get back to Paul's salutation.  Paul speaks of the grace and peace of God to each saint.  Grace and peace are both gifts from God the Father to his children.  They are gifts that Christ paid for with his death on the cross, which we can readily see from the following scriptures:

John 1:17 - For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 53:5 -  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Basically, grace should be understood as a state of favor with God which all Christians abide in.  Peace is the state of mind that results from being in right standing with God. 

Here then, is a big difference between the people of God and the people of the world. People of the world will lose or gain peace as their circumstances change.  As children of God, we can be at peace throughout any trial or storm of life, because our peace is not dependent upon circumstances, but upon that blessed relationship we share with our heavenly father.  Jesus himself says this to us: 

John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Notice that this presents each of us with a wonderful door of opportunity to demonstrate the love of Christ to the unsaved world.  When you endure a trial with peace, the unsaved will notice.  They will want to know how you are keeping it all together when you should be falling apart.  They will want to know how to obtain the peace that you have, and thus you will have a chance to share Christ with them. 

Well, we are going to stop here for today, but don't worry - We will be back soon! I want to take some time to hear testimonies from all of you. Revelation 12:11 says that the saints of God overcome by the blood of the lamb of the word of their testimony. So let me start a dialog with this:

Was there ever a time when you were in a trial and you felt God's peace overshadow you?  What was the end result?  Did others notice? Can you share a word of encouragement with all those reading this post who are currently in the midst of a storm?

 

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Lydia

Acts 16:11-12 – So, setting sail from Troas, we made a direct voyage to Samorthrace, and the following day to Neapolis and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.  We remained in this city some days.

In Acts 16, Paul is in the midst of his second missionary journey, accompanied by Silas and Luke.  Timothy also joins the group in Lystra.  This was not just another weekend event - this missionary journey lasted approximately 3 years and covered nearly 3000 miles!  That's a lot of travel!

In verses 11-12 the scripture tells us that Paul and company bypassed two smaller cities [Samorthrace and Neapolis] in order to come to Philippi. 

Goods and exotic item were brought into sea ports, transported to Philippi, then on to the rest of the Roman world.  Other goods went in the opposite direction – they left Philippi to be loaded onto ships and passed to other foreign countries.  So Philippi is a business hub and a center of wealth. 

There would also be a lot of people in Philippi.  The city would have a permanent population as well as a transient or temporary population of people who came there just for business and trade.  Because of this, we would expect a very diverse spectrum of people in that city on any given day.  These people could literally have come from anywhere in the known world. 

God desires for his love and forgiveness to be known in that great city.  He wants all of those people to find a personal relationship with him.  Also, if the gospel were introduced into this city, people would take it to the ends of the earth. So, how will the gospel be spread in this great city?

Well, things begin on the Sabbath.

Acts 16:13 – And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.

On that day Paul and company went outside the gates of the city to the riverside, where they expected to find a place of prayer.  Why would they go there? Why do you suppose they did not go into the synagogue, which was their normal M.O.? 

Answer:  Most likely, because one did not exist.  It took a minimum of 10 Jewish men to open a synagogue.  Scholars assume that Philippi did not have enough.

Notice that they did not start rounding up people to open a synagogue.  They were not trying to network with the most influential people in the city. They did not post anything on social media (okay, I know they couldn't do that, but even if they could have, they wouldn't).  They began by earnestly seeking the place of prayer, because prayer is the key that would release the power of God in Philippi.

Lydia is from the Greek city of Thyatira in Asia Minor.  She was not born a Jew, but she is a proselyte, or a convert to the Jewish faith.  From this, we know that she must have felt a need for God in her life.  This is not unusual; God places a desire for him in the life of every person including you!  If you think back, you will probably remember when you felt that your life was lacking something and you recognized your need for God.  Then, the Holy Spirit led you to accept Christ.  This is what was happening to Lydia.

We know that Lydia was a seller of woolen fabrics dyed purple (Purple fabric was quite the rage at that time.  Funny how people are always obsessed with the latest in fashion).  Possibly she was the agent of some business in Thyatira or possibly she was an independent business woman. 

The scripture speaks of her household, though no mention is made of her husband.  Scholars have conjectured that she was a widow as well as a wealthy property owner and that she was well known in her community.

She also has a family to love and care for.  Perhaps some of her children or grandchildren need her help.  Maybe she takes care of her elderly parents.  Does any of this sound familiar? 

How easy it would have been for this very busy woman to find an excuse NOT to pray:  I'm so tired... there is so much to do. I will do it later. I need to relax for a few minutes, etc.  Yet we find that Lydia made time to be in the place of prayer.  She made it a priority in her life. 

What about you?  I know you are busy; we all are.  Have you made prayer a priority in your life? Remember, the battle for Philippi was not won in the natural realm.  It was won in the spiritual realm first (through prayer) then it manifested in the natural realm.  Do you want to see changes in your life and the lives of those around you?  Then pray!

Lydia sought out the place of prayer.  For her, it was a riverside location. Where is your place of prayer?  It could be your armchair, your bedroom, your car or on your daily walk.  It really does not matter.  You just need a time and place to be alone with God. 

What happens in the place of prayer?  You find God Almighty.  You enter into his presence with thanksgiving and praise.  You lay your needs and requests before his throne.  You bare your heart and soul to your heavenly Father.  You begin to wage spiritual warfare to free those around you from the strongholds of Satan. 

It's the place where you hear God's voice.  It's the place of power, peace, comfort and strength.  It's a place where faith is built and strengthened.  It's the place where your battles will be won; only then will you see those changes manifest in the natural realm.   

It's not a place you find by accident.  It's a place you find on purpose.  It's a place you have to create and make time for.  Think of a typical day in your life from morning until bedtime.  Don't you have more than enough stuff to occupy your time?  Don't you often go to bed thinking 'tomorrow is another day – I'll have to tackle this or that tomorrow because I ran out of time today?'

Prayer can and will be squeezed out of your life in a heartbeat if you let it. 

Consider this: God expects us to pray.  He is waiting for us to enter his throne room. He is waiting for your permission to act in your life. Talk to him!  We (this generation) have full access to God's presence – something that past generations longed for, but could not have. Let's use it! It is up to us to make prayer a priority.

So, busy Lydia expends time and effort to be in the place of prayer.  And sure enough, something happened to her and her family that day.  She hears the life changing gospel of Jesus Christ from the lips of Paul himself.   She accepts Jesus as her Lord and Savior. She becomes Paul's first convert in Europe! Her circumstances are permanently changed.  And apparently, it wasn't just her.  Her whole house was saved and is baptized. 

Acts 16:15 – And after she was baptized and her household as well, she urged us saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay."  And she prevailed upon us.

So what happened next?  Read the rest of Acts 16 and you will find the miraculous power of God at work in that great pagan city.  The kingdom of light confronted the kingdom of darkness in a very public showdown that confirmed God's power and authority. 

Here is the broad picture, though you really would benefit from reading it yourself:  Paul and Silas are beaten and thrown in prison for preaching Christ and setting a slave girl free of a demonic power. At midnight, they are PRAYING AND SINGING PRAISES TO GOD. 

All of a sudden there is an earthquake that opens all the doors.  They jailer is about to kill himself, but Paul steps in.  The jailer and his how household find Christ. The next day the city magistrates allow Paul and Silas to be set free, but Paul refuses.  He makes it a point that the magistrates were wrong and he wants a public apology – once again another opportunity to publicly declare Jesus Christ.  It had to be the story on the lips of every citizen and visitor to that area, from the lowliest slave to the highest magistrate.

The battle for Philippi and the great display of God's power began in the seemingly quiet and insignificant place of prayer.    

How does Lydia's story end? 

Acts 16:40 – So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia.  And when they had seen the brothers (new converts) they encouraged them and departed.

As more and more people heard about and saw the power of God, they believed the testimony of Paul and his fellow travelers.  They accepted Jesus as savior.  They came to regular meetings at Lydia's house.  Scholars agree that Lydia's house became the church in Philippi.   

She is considered to be one of the women mentioned in Philippians 4.

Philippians 4:3 – Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

So, if you have ever received guidance or wisdom or comfort from the book of Philippians, at least part of that credit would belong to Lydia.

What impact can her example have on our lives?  Let me stress my main point once again, in case you missed it:  Prayer is the key to change!

Prayer is the place to begin making changes in your life and the lives of those around you.  As you pray, God will do things that you could never do: 

- He will open up doors of opportunity.  

- He will give you guidance and instruction.  

- He will change your circumstances.  

- He will show forth his great power.  

- He will open people's hearts to the gospel.  

- He will confront the kingdom of darkness and give you victory over it.  

- He will use you in ways you never imagined.

I don't think Lydia realized the impact her home church would have on the entire kingdom of heaven.  What can God accomplish through you?  Why don't you renew your commitment to the place of prayer and find out!

Do you have a testimony about prayer that you would like to share?  We would love to be strengthened and encouraged by your testimony.  Please write in a share with us!    

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Hagar

Genesis 16:1 – Now Sari, Abram's wife had borne him no children.  She had a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar.

Abram and Sarai had lived in Egypt for a short time, during a period of famine in Canaan.  The scripture tells us that while they were there, Pharaoh gave them many gifts, including male and female servants/slaves (Genesis 12:16).  It is entirely possible that Hagar was one of these servants.  This may also help explain how she came to be the specific property of Sarai as opposed to an ordinary household slave. 

What do you suppose life was like for Hagar?  The scripture says nothing about it, but I think we could make some general assumptions. 

From a religious standpoint, we know that all Egyptians were polytheistic.  This means that they believed in and worshipped multiple gods.  This would have been Hagar's belief as well.

Given that she was a slave, I doubt Hagar had the fun, idyllic childhood that we strive to give our children.  It appears that she had some tough breaks.  Perhaps her parents or grandparents were also slaves; perhaps she was an orphan or a spoil of war. 

Regardless of how it occurred, her situation is permanent.  She has no hope of escaping her slave status.  She will never be a princess or a lady of the court or the wife of a noble.  She will never learn to read or write.  She will never be wearing the latest fashions.  She has no chance to earn her freedom.  In fact, she is nothing more than chattel (personal property).  

A person in this situation likely has a low level of self esteem.  Did she have any adults in her life speaking words of encouragement and hope into her life?  We will never know, but overall, this was probably NOT the life that most little girls dream of living!

On the other hand, there was also some stability and goodness in Hagar's life.  She was in a situation where she was not being abused.  Abram and Sarai were very wealthy, so Hagar probably never went hungry or thirsty and she always had shelter and clothing.  Abram served the one true God Yahweh, and he made sure that his whole household served him too.  Therefore, Hagar would have been instructed in the ways of God. 

And so, for a time, life was uneventful for Hagar.  That is, until Sarai got an idea to help God produce children for her husband.

Genesis 16:2 – And Sarai said to Abram, "Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children.  Go in to my servant; it may be that I shall obtain children by her."  And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.

So, Hagar the slave becomes the concubine of a very wealthy, free man.  It was a position of prestige that was far beyond anything she could ever have hoped for.  Then things get ever better - she becomes pregnant! 

Unfortunately, Hagar does not handle her good fortune very well.  She oversteps her bounds and begins to treat Sarai with contempt.  Sarai responds by using her authority to treat Hagar 'harshly'.

Can you imagine the family dynamic in that house?  We have two women, in the same house, both of whom made some very bad decisions and as a result, all peace is gone.  It is now a place of jealousy and strife.  There is palpable tension (perhaps even loathing) between the two.     

On the way there, she stops at a spring of water, where she is confronted by an 'angel of the Lord', or as we know him, Jesus.  The Lord asks her a very thought provoking question:

Genesis 16:8 – And he said, "Hagar, servant of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?" 

The Lord then tells her to return to Sarai and submit to her.  He also reveals to her that she will bear a son, who will be the father of a mighty nation. Wow!  What a privilege for a slave girl!  What a miracle!  Her offspring will not follow in her footsteps.  He will be a free man, with many descendants – a free man who can choose his own future!

At that place, Hagar acknowledges the true God by saying this:

Genesis 16:13 – So she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, "You are a God of seeing", for she said, "truly here I have seen him who looks after me".

So Hagar returns to Sarai and bears a son for Abram.  He is named Ishmael. 

This is a very interesting narrative, don't you think?  Hagar is a very strong character.  Let's look at her life again, and draw some parallels with our own lives.

Hagar had a rough childhood.  Either she was an orphan or she was taken from her parents at a very young age and given to a foreigner as a slave.  How was your childhood?  Maybe you can sympathize with her.  Maybe your parents were either not around or maybe they did not care for you as parents should. Maybe they did not speak words of encouragement and affirmation to you.  Even worse, perhaps they abused you. 

Know this – God was well able to overcome the difficult childhood that Hagar experienced and he is able to do the same for you!  Don't let Satan whisper in your ear that you cannot be an active, successful part of God's kingdom because of your past.  Don't let him deceive you into believing that you have done things that cannot be forgiven.  That is a lie! God awaits you with open arms; he has big plans for you.  Hagar never imagined that her son would grow up to be the father of a vast nation.  What does God have in store for you that you have not imagined? 

Despite her rough upbringing, Hagar was important to God.  She may have been considered just 'property' to everyone else, but not to God!   He loved her so much that he appeared to her in person, to give her direction and guidance.  He spoke words of affirmation to her, assuring her that she would bear a son who would be a free man and a father of descendants.

God loves and cherishes you just as much!  Psalms 139 tells us that God knows when we sit down and when we stand up.  He knows our thoughts and is acquainted with all our ways.  Know this – YOU are very, very important to Him!

You may have noticed as you read this scripture that Hagar didn't always make right choices.  Some of the problems she experienced (like her friction with Sarai) were of her own making.   

I think all of us, at times, have done the same thing.  We have all made decisions we regretted.  Here is the interesting part.  Notice how God handled this situation.  He does not deliver her from the situation, rather, he tells her to go back and submit (wow – that sounds difficult)!  Rather than delivering her, He walks with her through the difficulties.  

God often answers us in the same way.  He always forgives us when we sin, but most of the time we must walk through the consequences of that sin.  For instance, if we made the decision to steal from a local store and we got caught, we would receive punishment through the court system.  God will forgive us, but it is unlikely that he would 'magically' make our sentence go away.  Rather, he will walk with us through the situation, using our mistake to shape our spiritual character and make us into a better Christian. 

If you are in the midst of a trying or difficult circumstance that you are at least  partially responsible for, take heart!  Be encouraged in the midst of that thing, because God is using it for your good!  He is right there beside you, and he will see you through until the end.

As you recall, God asked Hagar two things:  where she had been and where she was going.  Her reply was that she was running away from Sarai.  She did not seem to know exactly where she was going, did she?  But there is good news - God knew exactly where she was going!  He already knew that he would use this opportunity to reveal to her the amazing, rewarding, unique plan he had in store for her life.

So, where are you coming from?  A place of regret or heartache, like Hagar?  Where are you going in life?  Do you know?  God does.  He is willing to do the same thing for you as he did for Hagar.  He is just waiting for you to turn towards him and seek his face.  Don't delay!  Do it now.     

I hope you found encouragement and strength from this lesson about Hagar. Please feel free to write in and share your experiences with us. Also, if you have a favorite bible character you would like to study, let me know!

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Second Kings chapter 6 reveals a most wonderful and inspiring instance of God's power.  Let's set the stage.  In verses 8-12 we find that the king of Syria (probably Ben-Hadad) had been raiding the nation of Israel.  This was not an official war where the two nations fought against each other, but rather a kind of guerrilla warfare where the Syrians would take a limited number of troops and dash across the border to undefended places stealing people, flocks and goods.  Then they would quickly return home. 

God made Elisha aware of this, and he began to warn the king of Israel (probably Jehoram) where these attacks would take place.  King Jehoram would station troops there, and consequently the raid would be called off. 

The scripture implies that this happened on numerous occasions and eventually, the king of Syria began to suspect there was a spy or a mole in his camp who was leaking his plans to Israel. 

Eventually word reaches the king of Syria that his secrets are being revealed to the king of Israel by Elisha the prophet of God.  As we might expect, the Syrian leader sends a mass of troops to go and take Elisha prisoner. 

2 Kings 6:13-14 – And he [king of Syria] said, "Go and see where he [Elisha] is, that I may send and seize him."  It was told him, "Behold he is in Dothan."  So he [king of Syria] sent there horses and chariots and a great army, and they came by night and surrounded the city.  

This is the point in the narrative when Elisha's servant makes his appearance, although we can assume he has been with Elisha all this time, and is well aware of what has been happening.

2 Kings 6:15 – When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city.  And the servant said, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?"

2 Kings 6:16-17 – He [Elisha] said, "Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."  Then Elisha prayed and said, "O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see."  So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

In case you have not read this particular portion of scripture, I don't want to leave you with a cliff-hanger!  You can read the entire story for yourself, but for now, let me give you this synopsis:  Elisha asks to God to strike the troops with blindness.  This is not a literal blindness where you have loss of sight, but a kind of mental stupor where the men did not recognize Elisha.  Elisha then convinces the Syrian troops to follow him to the Israelite capital of Samaria, where Elisha gives the troops into the hands of the king. 

At that point their mental blindness is gone and they realize they are prisoners.  The king of Israel wants to kill them; however, Elisha tells him to feed the men and then send them home.  The king of Israel does so, and the raids ceased from that day forward. 

This scripture has many implications for the church at large and also for the individual.  

The church: Let's examine the overall picture of what is happening.  The nation of Israel represents God's people.  The Syrians are the enemy.  Notice how the enemy tries guerrilla warfare tactics against God's people. 

This is a picture of what is happening today.  Satan and his troops are continually striking and warring against the church.  And sometimes, the circumstances look grim.  We look around and we see corruption in the church or we see worldliness being accepted in Christian circles.  We see the church lose ground in social issues such as abortion and prayer in the schools.    

But the news isn't all bad.  God has provided offensive and defensive weapons for the church.  First and foremost, we have the blood of Jesus and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.  The victory of the church is guaranteed. 

Matthew 16:18 – And I tell you, you are Peter. And on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

I would encourage you to take steps to be a part of the global kingdom of God.  Become involved with ministries that share the gospel world-wide. Pray for the ministry you have chosen.  Your prayers can make all the difference! Be sure to read testimonies of how these organizations are fighting against the kingdom of darkness.  You will see victories taking place.

Close to home, I suggest you take time to be informed about social issues in your own neighborhood and in this nation.  At the very least, make informed decisions on election day.  You might even want to consider taking a more active role. Though the battle may be hard fought, you will find that the church is winning victory after victory.

The individual:  Think about this passage of scripture again, but this time put your name in the place of the unnamed servant of Elisha:

When [your name here] rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city.  And [your name here] said, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?"

Is it possible that you got up today, took a look around and saw that you were surrounded by an enemy?  Maybe you didn't even have to get out of bed.  Maybe that giant problem was the first thought that entered your mind upon wakening. 

That enemy could be a sickness, or a financial problem, or a broken relationship that you can't seem to mend.  It may be a wayward child or a spouse who is making destructive decisions.  It could be an unsaved loved one or a family member with an addiction or a legal issue.  Whatever the case, let's start by acknowledging that the problem is real and serious.  The army that surrounded the servant was no joke.  They were skilled professional soldiers that could have killed him and Elisha at any moment. 

As the servant stood there gazing at the soldiers, the enormity of his trouble overwhelmed him.  He could not see a way out.  He felt there was no hope of his situation changing.  He felt he had reached the end of the line.  At that point, fear over took him.  In the midst of his hopelessness, he called out to the man of God.

What happens next in the story?  Does God snap his fingers and cause the army to disappear?  No. Rather, God encourages the servant with a glimpse of what is happening in the spiritual realm. The chariots and horsemen of fire were a representation of God's presence and might.  God uses that vision to open the spiritual eyes of the servant who then realizes the truth:  the forces of God far outnumbered the forces of his enemy. Or, as the praise song goes, God was surrounding the enemy that was surrounding his servant.  What a comforting thought!   

When the servant began to look at his problem through his spiritual eyes and not his fleshly eyes, fear, anxiety and hopelessness were instantly broken.  Faith rose up and hope in God was restored.  In an instant of time, he understood that Almighty God, the most powerful being in the universe was watching out for him the whole entire time.  

How do you look with your spiritual eyes or your eye of faith?  Well, first off you need to be familiar with the word of God.  You need to know and understand God's promises to his children.  Then, you look at your problem through the filter of what God says. 

For example, maybe you have an addiction.  The world says you are unlikely to break that habit.  The addiction itself may look like a giant.  You may think it is more powerful and bigger than you are.  Maybe your friends and family have given up on you; they say you will never be free of it. 

As you meditate on these scriptures, and think of your problem in light of what God says, the magnitude of your problem will start decrease and faith in God will begin to increase.  You will begin to understand that the power of God working on your behalf is much bigger and way more powerful than the forces of your enemy [in this case addiction].  Faith should cause praise to rise up as well.  Give into your urges to praise God at all times.

Notice in our scripture text that after the servant saw the forces of God, Elisha [and presumably the servant] took charge of the situation and led their enemy around until they had been captured. 

With God's help, you can do the same thing.  Once your spiritual eyes have been opened, you can then move forward in the struggle, taking command of the situation, knowing that God has your back and victory is within your grasp. 

1 John 5:4 - For whoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.

While God certainly could just wave his hand and make your troubles vanish, he will rarely do this for a couple of reasons.  First, he wants your faith in him to increase.  This only happens in battle situations. As you win, your faith increases.  As your faith increases, you will allow God's power to move through you in increasingly bigger and bigger ways.  This is a great testimony to others; they will see your faith and it will assist them in their own battles.  It will lift up the name of Jesus and sinners will be brought to salvation in him.  Also, fighting the enemy together brings you and God into a more intimate relationship with each other, which is something He greatly desires.

Here is something to consider:  When you face a trial, Satan will try to tell you it is all your fault.  He will tell you that God isn't going to help you because you sinned. He will tell you that God is mad at you or that He cannot help you.  But if you look through your spiritual eyes, you will find that nothing could be further from the truth!  Don't believe his pack of spiritual lies!  Instead, know that this is something God has allowed that will mature you spiritually, give you victory and bring glory to his name, even if it was your fault! 

So, what are you waiting for?  The battle between the forces of Syria and Elisha/his servant ended in victory for the people of God.  I suspect that right now, you have an enemy who is surrounding you.   God wants to give you the victory as well.  Will you join the battle?

 

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Zechariah

The Bible begins by telling us that Zechariah was a priest of the division of Abijah.  This division is not really significant for our purposes, but just by way of interest, back in the era of the monarchs, King David split the priesthood up into 24 divisions based on the names of the adult males descended from Aaron.  He then created a rotating schedule, so that each division ended up serving in the temple for two weeks a year. 

This continued until the people went into captivity.  Upon their return, only four of the divisions remained; the rest died in captivity.  As their numbers once again grew, they again divided themselves up into 24 divisions using the old names.  So we know that Zechariah was, without question, a Levite and a priest, however, he may have been serving under the division of Abijah even though he was descended from another family member (you can read it for yourself in 1 Chronicles 24).

Anyway, in verse 5 Luke also reveals that Zechariah had a wife named Elizabeth, who was also a descendant of Aaron.  So both of them were from the tribe of Levi.  We are told that they both served God in righteousness:

Luke 1:6 – And they were both righteous before God walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.

The people who lived under the Old Testament law had a multitude of commandments to try and keep (seriously – have you read Exodus and Leviticus?).  Keeping them all would be quite an accomplishment indeed!However, the overall meaning of the scripture is not that they were actually perfect people, but that they were faithfully observing both the moral and ceremonial institutions of the law.  They were certainly making Jehovah the center of their lives and they were fair in their dealings with others.

Interestingly, we see that despite their service to God, they had some problems in life.  I bet you can relate to that – I know I can.

Luke 1:7 – But they had no child because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years.

In our society, there is no shame or stigma attached to not having children.  So it is sometimes hard for us to imagine that back in the days of Zechariah,there was a lot of shame and embarrassment associated with being childless.  The couple without children were often considered as being under some judgment from God, leading to speculation that they had sinned in some way. 

To add to their dilemma, they were both 'advanced in years'.  Every day that passed made it look less and less likely that they were ever going to have a child. 

So Zechariah is in the Holy Place about to offer the incense and prayers, when all of a sudden, he sees an angel.

Luke 1:11 – And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

The wording here is interesting.  It does not say that the angle suddenly arrived; it says that Zechariah finally saw him.  The angel may have been there for quite some time.  How many times are we surrounded by God's angels of protection but we don't see it?

Anyway, Gabriel has a two part message for Zechariah. The first part is for him personally.

Luke 1:13-14 - ...your prayer has been heard and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.  And you will have joy and gladness.

How amazing is that?  A personal notification that God was going to give Zechariah and Elizabeth the deepest desire of their hearts!  Not only a child, a son!  Their prayers have been answered!  But wait – there's more! Not only will Elizabeth and Zechariah be blessed, John will be a blessing to the whole Jewish nation!  God is going to use him to prepare the hearts of the Jewish people for the soon coming Messiah, whom they have been waiting for, for literally hundreds of years.

Luke 1:14-17 - ...and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah; to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.

Now, stop and consider this scenario:  if you saw an angel right this moment and he told you that God was giving you the deepest desire of your heart, what would your response be? 

For most of us, the response would be unbounded excitement and gratitude, right?  We would jump up and down and rejoice and burst out with audible thankfulness.  We would already be making plans.  We would definitely try to get a selfie with the angel.  Then we would tell him to wait a minute, while we either send out a mass text or a tweet, letting everyone know that we were blessed!

The priest, however, does none of that.  Apparently, he has a moment of weakness and unbelief, despite the heavenly message.

Luke 1:18 – And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this?  For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."

For future reference, calling your wife "advanced in years" is a bad idea, but doubting a direct promise of God that comes straight from an angel who stands in His presence is an even worse idea!  What was he thinking?

Luke 1:20 – And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.

So Zechariah is immediately unable to speak. Most scholars believe he was also struck deaf, based on Luke 1:62 which says that when the baby was born, they "made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him [the baby] to be called" (if he could hear, they could just ask him instead of making signs).

Meanwhile, as all this is taking place, the crowd outside is getting restless.  Zechariah has been in the Holy place an unusually long time, and they are wondering what is going on.

Eventually he comes out, but obviously, he can't tell them anything.  They realize he had seen a vision of some kind, but that is about all they can determine.  He ends up finishing his week of service, then going home.

Well, as we would expect, the words of the angel are indeed fulfilled in their time. 

You already know the end of the story; Elizabeth gives birth to a son, Zechariah names him 'John' as instructed, and instantly the priest is once again able to speak and hear.  Now he bursts out with vocal praise to God.  People take note of John as a person of future interest; it is clear that the hand of the Lord was upon him. 

So, what can we glean from the experience of Zechariah? 

Answer:  THE THINGS THAT YOU SPEAK MATTER TO GOD.

Let me say it again:  Just as in the case of Zechariah, your words affect your life. God is listening and he wants you to pay attention to what you are saying.

Matthew 10:36 – I [Jesus] tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.

When Zechariah responded to the angelic messenger, he spoke words of unbelief, instead of faith and thanksgiving.  Remember, he was living under the old covenant (not the age of grace), which means he spoke unbelief in the very presence of God.  He deserved to be struck down and killed, but God did not do so.  He showed mercy to Zechariah and used him to teach us this powerful lesson about our words at the same time.

The bible has much to say about what you speak.  Here are two of many, many examples:

Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

1 Peter 3:10 - For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile,

We live in an era where communication is astonishingly quick and easy.  No other generation has ever had the potential to speak as we do.  Not only do we speak to people in person, we can call, text, Snapchat, skype, instant message, tweet, Facebook, YouTube and on and on and on.

But I have to wonder - in this age of constant talking, are we saying things of value?

If our tongue really does have the power to give life and death, shouldn't we pay attention to what we are saying?  Is it really a good idea to just communicate anything and everything that pops into our minds? Have you ever said/posted/tweeted/shared something that you later regretted?

Do any of these things sound familiar:

• I'll never get out of debt. 
• It's too late for me to find a spouse.  I will always be alone. 
• kids are addicted/living in sin/making wrong choices.  I don't think they will ever change.
• Nothing every goes right for me.  I never get any good breaks.
• I'm losing my mind.
• I probably have Alzheimer's.   My memory is shot. 
• I am so stupid.
• I'll never have a son, I am too old (that one was from Zechariah)!

The good news is that we can learn from the lesson of Zechariah and going forward, we can change the way we speak. 

First, let's take a look at how our words function in the spiritual realm.

Joyce Meyer tells us in her book, "Power Words, What You Say can Change Your Life", that words are like containers of power that you sow into your life. They can contain power to destroy or power to create, depending on what you speak.

When you speak words that destroy, such as 'I give up, my marriage will never work', you are sowing destruction in your life in the spiritual realm.  If you speak words that are life-giving such as 'I believe God is going to is going to heal my marriage', you are sowing life and blessing into your situation in the spiritual realm.

Now that we have a better understanding of how our words affect ourselves and others, what can we do to ensure that we speak words of faith, encouragement and affirmation instead of unbelief and destruction? 

Once again, the bible has the answer.  Jesus tells us that the words we speak are a product of what we are thinking.

Matthew 12:34-35– You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.

Matthew 15:18-19 – But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.  For out of the heart come evil thoughts...

Our thoughts determine what we speak.  The words we speak play a big role in what happens in our lives.  The key, then, is to gain control over our mind and thoughts.

I'm sure you have already figured out that despite your salvation you may still have thoughts of lust, envy or (like Zechariah), unbelief.  [Also, many times we speak destructive words out of pure habit].  That is because your mind/thought life is not instantly regenerated when you receive Christ as your savior.  Rather, it is sanctified over time as you strive to control it.  Gaining control over your thoughts is part of spiritual warfare.

2 Corinthians 10:5 – We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.

You can choose to fill your mind with the things of God like scripture or praises or testimonies of God's grace and mercy.  You can dwell on stories of triumph and love. When you dwell on those things, you will speak praise, thanksgiving and words of life to yourself and others.

Philippians 4:8 - Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Stop and do a quick inventory of what you are watching, what you are reading and what video games you are playing.  Which of these things does your mind dwell on?  Do they affect you positively, negatively or not at all? What is coming out of your mouth as a result of what your mind is dwelling on?

Obviously, this little lesson is not an exhaustive study of the power of words and the importance of our thoughts.  It is up to you to look for good Christian sources to further assist you in making changes in your life.  Please do so!

In the meantime, what choices can you make right now that would make your thoughts (and by default your words) more pleasing to God and more beneficial to yourself and others?  Are you willing to take the first step? If you could ask Zechariah, I bet he would tell you to get started, because these issues are vitally important.

Let me offer you some encouragement:  

You can do all things (including this) through Christ.  With study and discipline, you can control your thoughts and bring them captive under Christ.  You can speak blessing into your situation. It won't happen overnight.  There may be some struggles.  You may make mistakes from time to time, but getting your thoughts and words under control is going to make a big difference in your life. 

Proverbs 21:23 - Whosoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles.

Let me offer you some relief:   

You don't have to do this on your own!  There are many, many good sources available to you from other believers who have taken control over this area of their lives.  They can offer you advice and helpful insights.  More importantly, the Holy Spirit is living right there inside your heart and it is his job to sanctify your life – including your thoughts and words!  He is standing by right now to help.

Let me offer you some strength:  

Speaking words of faith can break bondages in your life.  It can open the door for God to move in miraculous ways.  Even though this may be a long term process, the rewards will be worth it.  Take the first step today!

 

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Mary, Sister of Martha and Lazarus

There are several women in the Bible named Mary, but we know that our text refers to Mary the sister of Lazarus because the scripture tells us so:

John 11:1-2 – Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.  (It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

It appears as though this trio of siblings were very close to Jesus.  The scripture tells us that Jesus loved all three of them:

John 11:5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

Therefore, it is not surprising to us that Jesus stops in Bethany to see them when he is on his way to Jerusalem to be crucified.  As we would imagine, they have a dinner for Jesus.  The host of the dinner was Simon.  

Matthew 26:6 – Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper...

Let's take a small detour in our study.  What do you know about leprosy?

It was an incurable skin disease that caused sores or nodules on the skin.  One of its prominent characteristics is loss of feeling in the part of the body affected by the leprosy.  Because they did not feel pain, lepers would often severely injure themselves. 

So, why would a leper be sitting at the table eating with healthy men?

The answer is: He wouldn't!

Therefore, we conclude that at some point in time Jesus cured Simon of his leprosy (he certainly was not cured by medical science).  That would explain why Simon hosted the dinner and why Jesus attended. 

Notice that even though he was cured, the stigma of the disease was still associated with Simon.  They didn't call him 'Simon the clean' or 'Simon who was healed', did they?  No, they still referred to him as Simon the leper.

Mark 14:3 - ...as he [Jesus] was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 

The word 'ointment' does not quite convey the proper meaning of the text.  This was actually a very expensive perfume; it was a liquid, used solely to give a pleasant fragrance.   What she broke was the seal, not the container itself.  John tells us that the amount of the perfume was a Roman pound, which is about 12 ounces (about the size of a can of soda pop). 

We are not surprised that this perfume runs down his body, all the way to his feet, as noted in the gospel of John:

John 12:3 -  Mary anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair.  The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

It is easy to imagine the love and gratitude that motivated Mary.  She sees Jesus at the table and no doubt remembers the hours she spent sitting at his feet, listening to his words about the kingdom of Heaven.  Through his teaching, she found wisdom, forgiveness of sin and peace.  Next to Jesus reclines her brother, alive and well!  The very one who had been dead in the grave for four entire days now sat next to her savior, laughing and eating.  Jesus had resurrected and restored him to Mary and Martha!

Perhaps too, she remembered Jesus' own words of his impending death.  She could see the hate and fury of his enemies and she may have sensed that time was short for Jesus. 

If she wanted to honor him, now was the time.  If she waited, her opportunity would be lost.

So, having freely received life and goodness from Jesus, she desires to show love in return - no gift could have been too costly or too precious for her savior!

Of course, there were those who did not understand her motivation:

Matthew 26:8-9 – and when the disciples saw it, they were indignant saying, "Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor."

Imagine, for a moment, that you are Mary.  You are acting out of pure, loving motives.  You 'go out on a limb' to serve Jesus in a way that no one else has ever done.  You did not hold anything back; you gave of your money, your time and yourself.  You have 100% of yourself invested in this act of love and devotion.

And then, your act of love is publicly scorned and questioned by those closest to Jesus.  I imagine the words of the disciples cut her deeply, probably to her very core.  Maybe she felt her face turning red.  Perhaps she had to choke back some tears at this stinging rebuke. Maybe she wanted to run and hide.  Can you imagine the embarrassment she felt?

Immediately, before she is forced to try and defend her actions, Jesus weighs in on the issue.  He defends Mary in front of the whole gathering.

Matthew 26:10-11  –  But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me.  For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me."

Now, don't make the mistake of thinking that God does not care for the poor.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Even in the Old Testament law, God made provisions for taking care of the poor. 

Clearly, there is something else going on here. The disciples, who were looking for an immediate end to the Roman government and an equally immediate coming of the kingdom of God, did not seem to fully understand that Jesus was about to die. Jesus uses this opportunity to once again clearly confirm his death.

He then honors Mary by saying that her act of love would be proclaimed to the whole world!

Mark 14:9 – And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.

And so, ever since that time, her story has been shared with generation after generation. 

Which people in this biblical account do you most clearly identify with? 

Perhaps you are like Simon the leper.  Maybe you were once an outcast in your community.  It could have been for any number of reasons.  Maybe you were the one who abused alcohol or drugs.  Maybe you were the one who needed attention and affirmation and you sought it in multiple partners of the opposite sex.  Maybe you were the one who was harsh and judgmental toward others. 

Regardless of the circumstances, know this: like Simon, you can be forgiven and set free! 

There is nothing you can do that Jesus cannot forgive!  He paid the price for ALL sin, even the sins we like to classify as 'big' ones.  All you need to do is repent and ask him to forgive you.  He will cleanse you with his blood and make you into a new creature in Christ.   Don't wait – he is willing to do it now!

What has you in bondage?  There is no chain that our God cannot break!  Don't wait – ask him now.

John 8:36 - He whom the Son sets free is free indeed. 

This narrative shows that people will remember your past.  At first, that may depress you, especially if you know you are no longer the person who did those awful things.  But what this really is, is a testimony opportunity.  When someone remembered Simon as the leper, he could respond, "True!  I used to be a leper, but Jesus has set me free!  Now I am totally healed.  Would you like to be free of your bondages?  Jesus can do it for you!"

If you past has been washed by the blood of Christ, it is no longer an embarrassment, it is a testimony.  Rather than being ashamed of it, use it as a chance to testify to the goodness of Christ.  Your testimony could really encourage someone else.

What about Mary?  I think we can all identify with her in some regards, which is one of the reasons I believe God preserved this lesson for us three times in the New Testament.

I can't give God praise for resurrection in the same way that Mary did, because no one in my family has ever been raised from the dead.  However, you and I probably have some neat instances of things that God has done for us that Mary did not experience.  As a result, we have reasons to praise and rejoice in God our savior that Mary did not have.  What unique praise can you give him?

What about your talents and skills?  No one else paints like you, welds like you, or nurses like you.  The bible tells us that whatever we do, we should do it with all our might as unto the Lord.

Colossians 3:23 – Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.

The disciples, particularly Judas Iscariot, felt that Mary's act of service was a waste.  The truth is, acts of spiritual devotion are often scorned by the world as fanatic or foolish.  Those who do not have a relationship with Christ cannot understand our deep love for him, and they cannot understand that we would do anything for him, even if it seems foolish or embarrassing or illogical to the world. 

Did you notice that Mary did not allow others (or their opinions) to keep her from Christ? She could easily have said to herself 'I'll wait until there aren't so many people around' or 'What will people say about me if I do this' or 'I bet someone else would be better at this than I will be' or 'what if something goes wrong'.  She didn't let any of those thoughts stop her, did she? 

Let me share a biblical truth with you.  Mary served by ministering to Jesus' body in a physical sense.  Now that Jesus has been glorified, he is the head of the church and we are his body!

1 Corinthians 12:27 – Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

Perhaps you have been serving the body of Christ and you were criticized for it.  Maybe someone told you that you have no business serving in a certain capacity in the church.  Maybe you did something, but the fruit of it is not yet evident and it looks like a failure.  Maybe you are placing limits on your service to God based on the opinions of others.  If that applies to you, I encourage you to look for affirmation from Christ, not people.  He is the one you are serving.  As he continues to open doors, I encourage you not to give up or to wait – continue serving!

The fragrance of Mary's devotion filled the entire house, and probably spilled outside.  People noticed it even if they didn't see it.  Good deeds are like a perfume released into a room.  They affect many more people than you know.  Why don't you release your acts of service to Christ and let him use them to reach as many people as he wants?  When you get to heaven, you may very well find out that you impacted people you didn't even know about.

Finally, we find that the apostle Paul had a lot to say about love and service. 

1 Corinthians 13:1-2 – Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angles, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

As Christians, we can get wrapped up in religious activity, without really loving those we are supposed to be serving.   If we serve out of a loving heart like Mary did, we can be sure that we please our Lord and have an impact on our world. 

So, let me offer your some encouragement:  

If you are serving the body of Christ in love, continue to do so, even when others criticize.  God will sustain and reward you in the end. 

Let me offer you some relief:  

Let guilt go.  Your past is in the past and it has been forgiven and forgotten by your savior.  It has been cast as far from you as the east is from the west.  If others remember the past, don't be embarrassed – use that as an opportunity for testimony.

Let me offer your some strength:  

The love of Christ is so deep and so wide, that we cannot comprehend it.  He loves us unconditionally.  He loved us while we were yet sinners.  He loved us so much that he gave the ultimate gift – his only Son.  In light of such love, can we not fully love him in return?