Part One. Not so random thoughts on Ephesians 4:7-8 Can I just say that the message of the Bible is not tame? It is wilder and more wonderful than most of us dare to imagine. Meek and mild men are always seeking to soften it. Case in point? The multilayered message of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus. One might begin to tease apart the manifold layers of timeless truth by employing prepositions: What I mean to do by drawing attention to “God for you” is to highlight the ultimate plan/cosmic warfare aspect of the epistle. Paul strives to do much more than create a cozy little life for the Ephesian believers; He means to draw them into the eternal plan and overarching purpose of God. That purpose and plan are playing out right now as a hyper-galactic spiritual battle that stretches from one corner of creation to the other—but finds its focus on the earth.
Ephesians
addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,  giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, – Ephesians 5:19-20 Verses 15 – 18 speaks about what we should not do as followers of Christ who should be growing in his way and in the Spirit. Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, – Ephesians 5:15-18 Then we follow Him (Jesus) to the banqueting hall and learn to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26) and be joyful, thankful, and submissive to one another. – W. W. Weirsbe Lessons for New Converts and… read more
I am in Vienna-Austria, waiting for my dad and sister to arrive, so I have some time to myself. I was thinking about life these last few days and I have really been bored with life. To be honest, if I had the choice of being here or back at school I would choose the little, dinky town of Schladming (where school was). Here I have been living the “good life,†I have a hotel room all to myself with a nice view and I have a public transit pass to get me anywhere in this beautiful city. Yet compared to experiencing God, it does not even come close. I say this because I feel that too few Christians truly experience Christ. They go to Church on Sunday, going through the motions, and then live life pretty normally throughout the week. Life with Christ is an adventure and… read more
I was reading this scripture passage from Psalms 41:9 this morning. This verse just stuck out to me as never before. It reminded me of Jesus and Judas, the one who clearly betrayed Jesus, who supped with the Lord at His table. Jesus knew the thoughts and intents of his heart, for the Lord knows what is in the heart of all men and women. Judas supped with Jesus, he was right there with the other disciples, why such betrayal? Do we know why? The Bible tells us such. Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. Psalm 41:9 As I pondered on the verse, It remind me of how the Lord reveals to us, His children, when we wholeheartedly seek His face for guidance, for His truth in all matters, all areas of our lives. Including when we pray… read more
Should Christians celebrate Halloween? the answer to this question may be obvious to some, but believe it or not most Christians do not know or don’t care to know about the history behind this much celebrated day. Halloween is celebrated around the world when people dress up in costumes, collect candy from neighbors and have parties, but do we ever take time to think about the origins of Halloween? Most people don’t think twice about participating in it saying “It’s all in fun” or “Its not evil to me”, but is this so called hallow evening really so innocent? Christians are called to be set apart from the practices of the world, especially those with an history of the occult. Watch this intriguing video that shed some light on the practices and history of…Halloween! Relevant scripture on the issue of Halloween and Christians: “When you come into the land which… read more