Rise Shine
Born in Tuscumbia, Alabama in 1880, Helen Keller became an international citizen who conquered her disabilities of blindness and deafness brought on by a sudden illness at nineteen months old. In her 88 years she visited 35 countries on five continents and met with world leaders, sharing her concern for disabled citizens in their countries. In one speech, Helen Keller spoke of the joy that life gave her. She was thankful for the faculties and abilities that she possessed and stated that the most productive pleasures she had were curiosity and imagination. Keller also spoke of the joy of service and the happiness that came from doing things for others. All of this even though she lived in total darkness and silence. Can you pause and try to imagine what that would be like?
There is an even greater darkness that Paul speaks to in Ephesians 5 because just like us, the Gentiles or new believers were living in a culture full of darkness, immorality, covetousness and idolatry.
Paul says in Ephesians 5:7-8, Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of the Light. The word walk means live life but also indicates progress and relates to growth; it’s taking steps toward maturity. Verse 9 says the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth. The Bible is clear light comes from God, the Father of the heavenly lights (James 1:17).
1 John 1:5 states God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. Note that we are not told that God is a light but that He IS light. Jesus, the sinless Son of God, is the “true light” and we are the reflection as God’s precious children. In Ephesians 5:11 we are told not to participate in deeds of darkness but instead expose them, and vs. 13 … all things become visible when they are exposed by the light. Paul was instructing them (and us) not to be deceived, but to walk wisely, making the most of their (our) time.
Helen Keller sought to bring people with disabilities, including the blind and deaf, to the forefront and out of the shadows of society. Her own life proved there was purpose for everyone. As Jesus followers, our purpose is to be the light in our family, workplace, community and even to the world.
LIVE THE STORY: Meditate on Ephesians 5:9-10 today and ask the Lord to show you (give discernment) what is pleasing to him. Then ask him for an opportunity to be a light in the darkness in someone’s life this week.
Influencers
Influencing others is a big deal, but I guess that’s how it has always been. All kinds of things influence us in some way; some are normal and some are totally outlandish. Things like TV, magazines, sports, books, social media, movies, fake news, real news, work, friendships and responsibilities all speak into our lives. We are influenced everywhere we go and by all kinds of people or things. Some of it is good and some of it is empty. While certain things influence more, it seems like words have a certain power to really push us one way or another. Which is why we must be careful about what we take in.
That is the warning Paul is giving to the Ephesians and to us: Don’t be deceived by the wrong influencer! The progression of chapter 5 reminds us we are children of God (v. 1-2), but sin can lead us away (v. 3-5); then, we open ourselves to deceptive influences (v. 6-7). Empty words, images, and even people will get in the way of God’s truth. The result or consequence is internal pain or anguish, which can hurt those we care about. Think of Pinocchio not listening to Geppetto or Jiminy Cricket and then going to Pleasure Island. He was deceived, partnered with the wrong people, disobeyed and found trouble. Paul is saying don’t be like Pinocchio!
God has given us Scripture to guide and open our eyes to his perfect way, which is better. Our responsibility is to listen and then take all the different influences and test them through the lens of Jesus (Acts 17:11).
LIVE THE STORY: Take a moment to think of who or what has the biggest influence on your mind and heart. Which ones point you to Jesus? Which ones pull you away from Him? Now take a moment to pray and thank God for the positive influences. Then take a moment and ask God to help you
overcome the negative influences. Ask God to discern who you should listen to.
Finally, what negative influences can you take a break from and let God work in you?
Worshiping the Wrong Things
Let’s talk about our desires. Ephesians 4:22 tells us that our old self is corrupt through deceitful desires. In other words, our natural desires cannot be trusted. They are deceitful or misleading. If we follow our desires, we will get in all sorts of trouble. The word that the Bible uses for the sin of following the wrong desires, is covetousness. To covet is to want the wrong things (“greed” the term the NIV uses here is a form of covetousness that is often associated with money). The word may not be used too much today, but it might be one of the most pervasive sins of our age. We live in a world where it is easy to fulfill your every desire just about whenever you want. We have immediate access to endless amounts of information, images, video, movies, games, gossip, news, and an ever-increasing world of social (or not-so-social) media. If you want it, you can have it. This means that we must really keep our desires in check. We must make sure that we desire the things of God and not the wrong things.
There is no place where this is more of a need than in the realms of sexuality. God made us sexual beings. He gave us sexual desires and when applied God’s way, they are really good! When a person’s sexual desires are inclined toward the wrong people, the wrong images, in the wrong ways, and at the wrong times, they can lead to all sorts of hurt. But more importantly, as this passage suggests, they can lead to idolatry (worshiping something other than God). When we desire the wrong things, we worship the wrong things and when we worship the wrong things, we exchange the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25). When we exchange the truth of God for lies, we miss out on all that God has for us. For this reason, let’s be people who are skeptical of our own desires, and pray with me today for the strength to: Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth (Colossians 3:2).
LIVE THE STORY: Today, as we prepare our hearts for Resurrection Sunday, take a moment and think about your desires. Which ones need to change? Pray and ask Jesus to give you his desires.
Fragrant Offering
Every time I read the phrase “and walk in the way of love” my twisted mind pictures someone intentionally trying to block someone’s path. Well, not someone’s, specifically – love’s path. I picture someone getting in love’s way. Then, I ask myself to not be so silly and please think about this the right way; it’s saying, follow love down the path or follow love’s path. This is the path that Christ made for us. He founded it, was its trailblazer, and he also laid the steps of the path, or paved it for us through his sacrifice, through his death.
Paul describes this death as a fragrant offering to God. When I think of fragrant offerings, I immediately remember smelling charcoal briquets cooking steaks in my neighborhood or the scent coming from Phil’s BBQ when I’m driving on the freeway in San Marcos with my window down, or, my favorite, the moment I walk into The Wrangler Family BBQ in Escondido and the aroma of wood cooked meats greets me at the door.
The Bible describes activities that become fragrant offerings to God. Revelation 5:6-10 is a vision of heaven and the creatures that surround God’s throne. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. Believer’s prayers become an incense or fragrant offering in God’s presence, a beautiful picture.
In Genesis 4:4, Abel brings an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering. Then, Paul uses the phrase “fragrant offering” in Ephesians 5:2 as a reflection of what the priests would do every day. Every morning and evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the Lord (2 Chronicles 13:11). These offerings were meat cooked on an altar (grill). The smell was a gift to God, but the food was what sustained the priests and all the Levitical families who were supported by the offerings of God’s people.
LIVE THE STORY: Find a way to sacrifice (walk in the way of love) today, so that what you give up becomes a sweet offering to God that will provide sustenance for the people you are caring for.
BYKOTA
There is an adult fellowship at Emmanuel Faith called BYKOTA. That name brings to my mind images of a rugged wilderness with buffalo roaming free, or Native American tribal warriors, or giant machines used for massive construction projects.
But BYKOTA doesn’t stand for anything like that. BYKOTA is an acronym directly from the King James Version of Ephesians 4:32.
And Be Ye Kind One To Another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
I love this verse and I love that an adult fellowship group at our church has been founded on the idea of being kind to eachother. Notice the three important qualifications that Paul uses to explain the kindness he is thinking of.
1. Tenderhearted
a. This means be compassionate. It’s the opposite of being hard-hearted, or not caring.
2. Forgiving one another
a. Easy to say, but tough for some of us to do. In fact, I’ve met many Christians who refuse to forgive someone in their life and say things like “I’m just not ready” when it comes to forgiveness. Forgiveness goes right along with kindness and is a necessary part of compassion.
3. In case you missed the point about forgiving one another, Paul reminds us that this is just what God has done with us.
a. Father, for give them, for they know not what they do said the innocent man dying on the cross for us (Luke 23:34).
b. God has this goal for us not to impinge or punish our lives, but to bring freedom and peace.
c. I learned this illustration from Freedom in Christ Ministries: Imagine you are walking down the pier in Oceanside going to have dinner with friends at Ruby’s Diner when a careless fisherman reaches way back to cast out his line and, in the process, hooks your cheek. Now imagine being so upset with the fisherman that you refuse to remove the hook from your cheek, saying things like “I’m not ready yet,” or “He doesn’t deserve to be let off the hook for this irresponsibility!”
d. When we refuse to forgive someone for whatever reason, we are being as foolish as the person who chooses to stay hooked to the fisherman for the next days, weeks and months of his or her life.
Don’t be hooked to past pains by refusing to forgive others from the heart. Trust God and BYKOTA instead.
LIVE THE STORY: Pray Psalm 51:10: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Ask the Lord to reveal any unforgiveness in your heart and for the strength to ask that person for forgiveness.
John Riley
Junior High Pastor
The Look
As a child, do you recall hearing these words: “wait ‘till your dad gets home”? What will the punishment be? Nothing brought more fear or trepidation except “the look” ... followed by the words, “I’m so disappointed.” Ugh. As a child those words are utterly devastating. As adults, we understand that they come out of a deep longing for our children to obey, not in order to some how attain perfection, but because that is what’s best for them!
Ephesians 4:28-30 says, Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
The NLT expands verse 30 with: Remember, he has identified you as his own. Paul is telling us to not forget our identity! This identity is clarified in Ephesians 1:3-14. This is who God created you to be — not a thief or a slanderer — but a holy child of the King, sealed by the Holy Spirit.
Charles Spurgeon affirms, “Although the word ‘grieve’ is a painful one, there is honey in the rock; for it is an inexpressibly delightful thought, that he who rules heaven and earth, and is the creator of all things, and the infinite and ever blessed God, condescends to enter into such infinite relationships with his people that his divine mind may be affected by their actions. What a marvel that Deity should be said to grieve over the faults of beings so utterly insignificant as we are! The Spirit would not be the Spirit of truth if he could approve of that which is false in us: he would not be pure if that which is impure in us did not grieve him.”
Are you grieving the Holy Spirit? Are you living with the burden of unconfessed sin? 1 John 1:9 offers the solution: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
God’s “look” at our sin is not one of disdain, but rather sadness and compassion. He longs for us to live in the freedom that comes from obedience to him. Although not always easy, his ways are perfect, full of grace and abounding in love.
LIVE THE STORY: Is there something that God is calling you to confess? Start by confessing your sin to God then ask him to give you the strength to ask for forgiveness from the person you have wronged. God promises to forgive, and the truth will set you free!
For further study, reflect on Galatians 5:13-26.
Lynette Fuson
Women’s Ministry Director
The Devil's Foothold
Over Christmas break we visited my family back in Colorado. We love getting outdoors and hiking, but because it waswinter and snowy, we had to find indoor activities to entertain us. One thing we did was go to a rock-climbing gym and while climbing the wall, I was reminded of how important it is to find the right footholds. Where we placed our feet in the holds either allowed us to scale the wall or led to our downfall (quite literally).
When Paul writes to the Ephesian church, he uses this same “foothold” imagery. Listen to what he wrote in Ephesians 4:26-27 ... In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Do not give the devil a foothold. The picture Paul is painting is of a place that the devil feels very comfortable. An environment he can flourish in.
When people talk about spiritual warfare, they tend to go to the extreme and the phenomenal. However, in this passage, Paul claims that one of the ways we fend off the devil’s activity in our lives is by refusing to hold onto our anger. Forgiveness is one of the ways we engage in spiritual warfare, and bitterness is one of the things that creates an environment within our soul where the devil feels at home. The devil finds a foothold to scale the scaffolding of your life through anger.
Most of the time I’m angry, I feel justified in my anger. I have a tendency to think that my anger is “righteous anger.” Some of it may be, but what if our initial reaction was always to assume that our anger was something to be let go of, rather than held on to? The call from Paul to the Ephesian church is clear: if you
hold onto your anger, the devil holds onto you and makes your life a living hell.
LIVE THE STORY: As we journey with Jesus toward the cross and resurrection, today’s practice is simple: identify areas of anger in your life. Don’t just look for the exuberant outbursts, pay attention to the subtle complaining and the rhythms of your heart. When you identify your anger, the invitation is to confess it by naming it in front of Jesus, and then to repent from it, which means that we change our mind and decide that holding that anger isn’t the way to abundant life.
Ryan Paulson
Lead Pastor
Out With the Old - in With the New
If you’re near my phone when my daughter calls, you’ll see her contact picture, a throwback to her toddler years. In the photo she’s staring perplexed at her hands, disturbed to see they are covered in bright pink cake frosting. She clearly has no idea that the same pink goo is not just on her hands, but all over her face, too. From her viewpoint, only her hands need to be cleaned.
Don’t we do that? Sometimes in our Christian walk we want to just wash our hands to feel clean. We want the list of dos and don’ts because it’s like spiritually cleaning our hands, doing the bare minimum. We don’t realize that we not only have dirt on our hands: We’ve smeared it all over our face, gobbled it up and internalized it. We need more than just some surface-level cleaning.
That’s why in Ephesians 4 and 5, amid the list of dos and don’ts, every few verses we’re reminded it’s not really about the external acts — it’s about what’s on the inside. As 1 Samuel 16:7 says, Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.
Romans 12:2 (NLT) says, Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
Christianity isn’t like other rule-based religions. Christianity is about developing a love relationship with the Lord, where we let him not just cleanse us externally but completely transform us. Our obedience to him becomes an outflowing of our love for him.
One of the amazing things about the Christian walk is that God never requires us to do anything in our own strength. It’s through his power that we live out the love of Christ as instructed in Ephesians. He is the one who renews our thoughts and attitudes. He is the one who transforms us. He is the one who cleans us from the inside out. We just need to be willing.
LIVE THE STORY: In what ways do you need God to throw off your old self and put on the new self?
Lord help me see when I’m just washing my spiritual hands and not allowing you to fully transform me. Help me completely throw off my old sinful nature and let your Spirit renew my thoughts and attitudes, putting on my new nature, created to be like you—truly righteous and holy.
Cyndie Claypool de Neve
Senior Creative Director
Lost In My Mind
What does the statement, “Fake it 'til you make it,” make you think or feel?
After college, I sat in a training for a new job with 40 people and the “fake it” mantra was given to us. Essentially, we were being told, you don’t know what you’re doing, so just pretend you do and hope it works!!! In all transparency, I have done this in my faith along with past jobs.
Paul gave a strong warning to the church in Ephesians 4:17-19. Paul was explaining that people who had not given their life to Christ were just giving their hearts and minds to bad desires. He warned the church DON’T BE LIKE THEM! DON’T FAKE WHAT YOU BELIEVE! In verses 20-21 he encourages the church by saying you know what you heard and learned, now keep living it!
The problem is the enemy plants seeds of doubt, and instead of going back to our Savior, Jesus, we find a way to be distracted or cover up the doubt. I think of how many hours I find ways to entertain myself with a TV show, movie, a game, sports, or anything else. Most of those things are not bad in themselves, but instead of allowing God to work in our minds to remind us of His truth, we let those things occupy precious time. That is exactly what Romans 1:21 tells us to be careful of: For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Paul saw this happen. He saw friends stop letting God fix their minds and hearts, and it crushed him just as it does us.
Instead of trying harder or faking it, let’s go to God together. Take a moment, put a hold on the worries, fears or negative thoughts and just be with God. Here are a few things we should ask of God today ...
- God, allow me to think of things worthy of your praise. (Phil. 4:8)
- God, transform my mind and my actions. (Rom. 12:1-2)
- God, allow me to trust you as you work. (Prov. 3:5)
LIVE THE STORY: Let’s close with a section from St. Patrick’s prayer for an open mind. I encourage you to read and pray the whole prayer when you have time to today.
I arise today
Through God’s strength to pilot me, God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s hosts to save me
Afar and anear,
Alone or in a multitude.
Jeremy Johnson
Pastor of Men’s Ministry
This Is How You Grow
Paul writes the formula for growing to be like Jesus. You’ve probably heard it, but it’s possible that this instruction hasn’t sunk in. This formula addresses one of the biggest challenges in today’s church. It addresses one of the hardest thing’s believers are all called to do, and too often, avoid doing. Here is the verse:
“Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” Ephesians 4:15 (NLT)
The formula is clear: speaking the truth in love = growing to be like Jesus. This seems simple and yet many believers make one or both of the following mistakes when it comes to dealing with conflict (a natural byproduct of dealing with people). One of the mistakes is avoiding the truth (not speaking it) and the other is speaking the truth without love. The first word of verse fifteen is “Instead,” so its important to know that the previous verse is about being a baby, being spiritually immature and therefore easily deceived. Instead of being a baby Christian, “we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ.”
So, two questions to consider, and these shed light on one’s maturity as a Christ follower:
- Are you avoiding saying something to someone in your life?
- Are you saying things without love?
If the answer to either is yes, then you are missing out on growing to be more like Jesus. Avoiding truth because the
conversation might be difficult means avoiding loving that person, too. Saying truth without love doesn’t help the hearer or the speaker to grow. In fact, it tears down relationships.
A key to growing to be more like Jesus is speaking the truth to the people around you and doing it in a loving way, which means with their concern and best interest at heart.
Today, don’t just pray about being able to speak the truth to people around you in love; practice it! We get better at the things we practice and getting better at speaking the truth in love is what Christ’s body does to become more like him. What is one hard conversation you sense Jesus asking you to have? Is there someone who has spoken truth to you that you could thank?
John Riley
Junior High Pastor