The Daily Dose

Default

that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,  Ephesians 4:22

What is your default attitude and which way are you growing?  According to this passage, you must put away your old habits, or you will continue to grow in them.  Grow worse that is.  It’s true!  Have you ever noticed someone who is ornery, and they seem to become more ornery as they get older?  It’s the same with any bad attitudes or habits.  They continues to grow worse with us as we age. 

Today’s scripture says we need to put that away.  Put away all evil from our lives.  Sure, we may not struggle with the big things like lewdness and greediness, but what about things like complaining about things and people in your life or not in your life?  How about criticizing everyone that doesn’t do things exactly like you would?  What about judging others because of their past or present circumstances?  These may not seem like big things, but they are poison to your soul.  You have not heard these attitudes from Him and have not been taught these by Him, as the truth is in Jesus.  Verse 23 says we need to be renewing our mind in order to put on the new man.  That means we line up with God and His word continuously.  When we renew our mind, we are changing our default attitude to be in agreement with God and His Word, not against it.  Of course, we won’t get it perfect, but be quick to repent when you do slip in these areas and keep a clean heart before Him.  As His ways become your ways, you will be able to know immediately when you are not lining up and quickly turn things around in your heart to grow toward Him instead of away.

Today I want to encourage you to be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness.  That’s a big order, but Paul says you can do these things because you have been taught by the Holy Spirit.  Learn to listen to His leading by make a decision that you are going to line up with God’s ways from now on.  Make God’s ways your default setting today so that your will be growing more in His plan for you every day.

today’s scripture reading: Ephesians 4:17-24

Growing

but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—Ephesians 4:15

I love how this section of Ephesians 4 starts out.  It says that all believers should no longer be tossed and carried away with all kinds of doctrine.  We need to make sure we are not being tricked into believing deceitful plots and be growing spiritually.  Growing up in the things of the head of the body and church, Christ Jesus.  This is really simpler than we sometimes make it.  Rather than scrolling the internet searching for the latest phenomenon or unexplained occurrence, cultivate your relationship with your Heavenly Father through spending time with Him and His Word

The passage goes on to talk about those who want to find the people who will believe or agree with everything they think is right and fair. The truth is, there is no right, fair or truth without the Word of God.  All doctrine and plots can only be held to as they line up with God and His Word.  Even well-meaning Christians come up with some of the most far out ideas that can be easily recognized as man-made simply by looking at what God said in His Word. 

The best way to guard against deceptions and wrong doctrines is to press into your Heavenly Father through your salvation in Jesus.  Ask Him to show you the right way through the leading of the Holy Spirit and the written Word of God.  He will.  He isn’t trying to hide wisdom and plans from us, He wants us to realize all the good things He is doing in our lives and in those around us.  All through the scripture, we can learn about who God is and how He works.  I know we cannot possibly know everything about Him because He is infinite and eternal, but we can know what pertains to life as we know it today.  We know God is love and love is good.  We know because of God’s love, He didn’t spare even His most precious thing (His Son) to show His love for us and to get us back from His enemy.  We know He has good plans for us and we know He wants us to know them or else He would not have said it so many times in His word.  If this all sounds new to you, I challenge you today to begin to dig into His Word and find out for yourself.  Don’t let someone else tell you what it says, meditate it until the Holy Spirit brings you personal revelation.

Today I want to encourage you to line your life up not with doctrine or your favorite preacher.  Instead, line up with the creator Himself, the one who loves you and adopted you.  Set some special time aside today and everyday to get to know Him more.  If you begin to approach Him as wanting to know Him more rather than what He can do to fix your current predicament, you will start to realize that He will take care of all your needs as you walk out the life He planned for you before the beginning of time.  Grow up in the things of God and become joined and knit together with the body of Christ.  Do your share and cause this body to grow to be built up in love.

Today’s scripture reading: Ephesians 4:14-16

Unity of the faith

until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;  Ephesians 4:13

Once again, the apostle Paul is talking here about the body of believers coming into agreement.  It seems to be one of his greatest focuses, which implies the importance of it.  In the previous verses, he is talking about the “gifts” that Jesus established in the body to equip the believers.  The gifts are apostle, prophets, evangelist, pastors and teachers.  These are the leaders of the church and are the ones that Jesus gave for building up and preparing all the members of the body for ministry out in the world.  As Christians come into the church building each week, (or in homes as they met in Paul’s day) the leaders train and encourage them to go out into their everyday life to tell more people how to become Christians and the signs and wonders from God followed them.

Notice today’s verse starts with until.  It would seem that this process would go on until we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.  This doesn’t mean we have to agree about everything, just the essentials of salvation in Christ Jesus by His grace through our faith.   We must learn to get along, work together and love each other.  When you take a look at the divisions in the body of believers today, this almost seems impossible, but I for one believe the Holy Spirit of God can do it.  I believe He is doing it right now.  Believers all over the world are beginning to recognize the power of agreement and are coming together like never before. 

Think about it:  When you hear about Christians being persecuted around the world, you start praying for them immediately.  You don’t stop to ask “are they from my denomination?”  Are they catholic? Are they Baptist? Are they Presbyterian?”  No, it doesn’t matter, they are Christians and they are our family.  When one suffers we all suffer.  This is a big deal and we need to be praying for one another no matter what church we go to.  We are God’s people and His family.  Most of all, we need to be focused on completing the work our Father has planned for us to complete so we all can come to the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God.

Today I want to encourage you to read this passage again and look for ways to love believers that may be in a different church than yours.  Bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit of God in the bond of peace. Then begin to pray.  Pray for God’s agenda to be completed through the body of believers for these last days and pray that we would all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God.  Lastly, pray “even so come, Lord Jesus!”

Today’s scripture reading: Ephesians 4:1-13

Walk worthy

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.  Ephesians 4:1

This is my heart for all of you and Christians everywhere on the planet.  Walk out your calling.  I only partially understand the heart of the apostle Paul in this plea.  I understand that it is the most important thing in this life and I understand that we need to continuously encourage one another in this area.  I also understand that it isn’t always easy to persevere and I understand that not every Christian gets it and those who do, only in part. 

Paul starts out his encouragement to the Christians of his day by saying, “I’m in prison for this calling, that’s how real it is to me.  So now, I’m begging you to not make it all for nothing.  Please, please walk worthy of the calling that you were called to.”  You can feel his heart’s desire for each one of them to complete the assignment God placed on their lives.  His example, though not perfect, is what walking worthy looks like.  It is living everyday on God’s purpose.  Not getting up in the morning to see what you feel like, it is walking out each step reaching out to love and encourage others.  Paul wasn’t just an apostle and minister of the gospel; he also had a vocation.  He had a job, just like all of us do.  His job was as a tent maker.  He did his job faithfully and at the same time used that as his platform to introduce others to Jesus.  Now that he was stuck in prison, he spurs the churches along to fulfill their mission in this world and pass it on to the next generation until Jesus comes.

That’s our mission too.  Though it looks different for everyone as we walk out the life and work God has placed us in, we walk worthy of our calling by being faithful and using the influence we do have to introduce those around us to Him.  Whether through kindness, encouraging words or just being different from the rest of the world by not complaining about every inconvenience, we are walking worthy of our calling.  We are also the example for the next generation.  We are the ones that make sure Christianity doesn’t fade away by spurring on our children and their children to do the same.  I know God is the one who keeps this faith alive, but He calls His people to do that work here in the world.

Today I want to encourage you to walk worthy of your calling.  Be faithful and thankful in the place God has you right now.  Be an encouragement and pray for those around you to come to the knowledge of the truth.  Ask your Heavenly Father to open doors for you to love on the hurting people around you and let people know that God is close and not far away as most people perceive Him to be.  Today, I beg you to walk worthy of the calling with which you’re were called and be thankful for all God is doing in your life each day.  This is what life is all about!  Spend time talking to others and your family members to make sure their intensity doesn’t die down but burns red hot!

Today’s scripture reading: Ephesians 4:1-6

Exceedingly abundantly

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,”  Ephesians 3:20

Exceedingly abundantly!  Sounds pretty good, right? Actually it sounds awesome!! But what does it really look like?    Ever increasing in the wisdom and the love of God?  Filled with all the fullness of God?  How?  In the previous verses in this passage the Apostle Paul is talking about the manifold (many sided) wisdom and extensive love of God that has become so real to him through his relationship with Christ Jesus.  What I wanted to know was how do I see God’s exceedingly abundant work flowing in my own day to day life?  My thoughts had always been that it all depended on God. The verse says He is able to do it.  To me that meant maybe He will, maybe He won’t; whatever He wants to do.  But that’s not God’s way.  Again, He puts the choice in our “hands” so to speak.  He is all about us making the choice.  I realized it when I continued to read the second part of the verse because it says it’s according to the power that works in us.  It means the amount of God’s flow in my life is equal to the amount of God in my life.  I had never made the connection before between the amount of God’s flow and the amount of God inside me.  

The question for me now was, is that power automatically there?  Can it grow?  Is there more available?  What is my part?  I soon realized that the answer is “yes!” to all of the above!  I had the power and choice to fill myself up with God and His way each day.  

Consider this:  When you spend a couple hours watching a movie or tv show, or even after you spent the day at work, afterwards that is all that is on your mind for a while.  Maybe it was good or maybe it wasn’t, but you are “filled up” so to speak with it.  It’s the same with your spiritual walk. In order to see God’s overflow in your life, there must be time set aside to really look for God’s direction and “fill up” your spirit to line up with His exceeding abundant plan for you.  

Verse 19 right before says “to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”  Being filled with all the fullness of God?  How is that accomplished?   The verse says by knowing the love of Christ.  It is a relationship that grows every day.  We’ve already talked about how you get to know someone, it’s by spending time with them.  God’s love is unconditional and unlimited so we can grow in it by learning more about it and experiencing it more in our lives every day.  The more attention given to the things of God and the more time spent in His presence is like filling up your “spiritual tank”.  This is how you become full to the overflow.  Think about it this way, if you don’t put more in every day you will become empty and dry.  It’s like filling up your gas tank or even nurturing your natural body.  If you don’t feed it, it will die.  If you don’t feed your spirit it will dry up, but if you nurture it and pour the love of God into it, you will be energized to let the exceedingly abundant wisdom and love of God flow out of your life and into the hearts of others.

Today I encourage you to insert a few extra minutes in addition to the time you usually spend with God to “fill up” your spiritual tank.  Whether it’s extra time praying or reading God’s Word or maybe simply listening to a podcast as you’re driving or some praise and worship music.  Make the investment that will pay off exceedingly abundantly above all you can ask or think!

Today’s scripture reading: Ephesians 3:14-21

Prepare the inside

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, Ephesians 3:16

How much time do you spend getting ready for your day?  Is it an hour or two?  Is it 10 – 15 minutes before you walk out the door?  The point is, we all take some time to prepare our outside body to face each day.  Whether it’s shower and shave, dry and curl (or straighten), put on make up and even eat breakfast?  These things all take time, and we take time to do them every single day that we get out of bed.

Today’s verse is the beginning of a prayer that the Apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesian church.  His very first thought is that they would be strengthened in their inner person.  He also tells them how to do this and its through God’s Spirit.  They must take time to fill themselves up with God’s Spirit of energy and wisdom, which of course comes from God and His Word.  He doesn’t pray that they will be the most clean and beautiful people.  That they will prepare their body’s to be pleasant to look at and talk to.  Most people instinctively already do this and it is the right thing to do.  Please, by all means, don’t stop preparing the outside, but make the inside at least as, if not more important than the outside.  At the very least, spend as much time preparing the inside as you do the outside.  If you have to get up a little earlier, make the change today.  Your inner person is your greatest investment.  It is where the issues of life are resolved! (Prov. 4:23) Get a fresh perspective each morning from your Heavenly Father to see the day in a whole new light.

Today I want to encourage you to first of all consider your inner person.  Ask yourself “Is there any places it needs to be strengthened?”  Then write down the areas you see that you are weak in and make a plan of how to strengthen them.  Get a scripture to go along with each of the areas and begin to pray and ask the Spirit of God to strengthen you in these areas.  Each day, spend quiet time with God to step into a new level of confidence with Him and know His heart for you better.  Lastly, look for opportunities to encourage others that may be showing the weakness of their inner person and help them to know how they can be strengthened also.

Today’s scripture reading: Ephesians 3:14-19

Bow the knee

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,  Ephesians 3:14 & 15

This is the passage of scripture where Paul, once again, is praying for the church at Ephesus.  It is an earnest prayer as evident in Paul’s posture.  He is bowing his knee to His Heavenly Father.  This isn’t a casual, “on the way” prayer.  You know the kind of prayer you pray while you are “on the way” somewhere?  Don’t get me wrong, I almost always pray “on the way” to wherever I am going, so I’m not saying that you shouldn’t do that.  However, this prayer is a purposeful, set aside and intentional prayer.  Paul bows down.  Not only in honor and to reverence our LORD, but also to not be distracted and for a specific purpose.  It is extremely important to him to pray for this group of people. So he takes the stance of “pressing in” to God by setting special time aside to bow down and talk with God about their needs.

This is something we all definitely should be imitating.  Not just for our own problems either.  We need to take this stance daily to pray for others that God has placed in our lives.  Pray for family members to be saved, pray for neighbors to be healed, pray for friends to be delivered and pray for the church to be effective.  Purposeful prayer should be a priority in all our lives and should happen everyday.  If you don’t have a time scheduled in your day that you dedicate to just giving your attention to God and nothing else, start doing it today.  First thing in the morning is the best, because you can get up earlier than the rest of the house and have quiet undistracted time.  You may have to shut down a little earlier the night before, but it will be worth it.  I find my quiet time has become the most important time of the day. When I make it the first thing in the morning, I can send the Holy Spirit ahead of me in the day and have me in the right place at the right time with the right people. 

Today I want to encourage you to pray fervently for others.  Take a faith posture of bowing the knee so you can totally focus and glorify your Heavenly Father.  Set aside that special intimate time each day to be alone with God and make Him the priority of your day, everyday.  Begin to have a heart for those God has put into your life to encourage and that will start as you pray for them.  Don’t waste anymore breath on casual, unanswered and selfish prayers, follow the direction in James 5 that says: The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous (in right standing with God) man avails much.

Today’s scripture reading: Ephesians 3:1-15

What is the minimum?

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,  Ephesians 3:8

This is the apostle Paul.  The man who wrote almost half of the new testament.  He said he was the least of all the saints, yet he was given a grace to preach the gospel of the unsearchable riches of salvation in Christ Jesus.  Haven’t we all been given a grace, not to mention a command from Jesus Himself to spread the good news about salvation in Christ Jesus? If Paul was the least of all the saints, that would be the saints of all time.  That includes us, the current day believers as defined in scripture as saints or those set apart through salvation. (see 1 Cor. 1:30)  Wouldn’t it stand to reason, that if he was the least, than we also could have an effective ministry building on his revelation.  Not only on Paul’s revelation, but also the other apostles and those before and after them.  This is our minimum requirement and we have a multitude of writings that we can draw this wisdom from.

It’s true, we all have been graced in different gifts and abilities, but the over all purpose is the same.  That is to love others and to bring them to our loving Heavenly Father.  This passage also says that the intent is to show the many sides of God’s wisdom not only to people here in the world, but also to the principalities and powers in the heavens.  That is the spirit world.  Everything in the spirit realm can see God’s wisdom and power at work when we allow it to flow through us into the lives of others.  This is the reason and purpose in our salvation.  We are His exhibits and representatives in this world and the world beyond.

Today I want to encourage you to consider the grace you have been given to tell others about God’s great love displayed in His gift of salvation.  How can you use these gifts and abilities today?  Start your day with prayer and commit not only the day to Him but also your words and actions to loving others with the love of God.  Let God’s love show up wherever you do and the world around you will begin to see that God’s love is the light that will lead them to a life of victory.

Today’s scripture reading: Ephesians 3:8-13 

What are you suffering for?

For this reason, I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles—Ephesians 3:1

In the beginning of Ephesians chapter 3, Paul talks about the grace he has been given from God to take the good news of salvation in Jesus to the nations of the world.  Other nations than Israel.  He also points out that He is in prison because of his mission to the gentile nations.  The interesting thing is that his imprisonment wasn’t because the other nations were objecting to Paul’s message, it was because the Jewish leaders were.  They were trying to influence the Roman government to shut Paul down.  In reality, being in prison was actually protecting him because a group of Jews had made an oath to kill him. (see Acts 23) So being under guard was keeping him safe from those who would harm him.  Not to mention sitting him down long enough to write the New Testament letters there.

All of the Apostles suffered the persecution of the Hebrew leaders almost immediately after Jesus was resurrected.  Thank goodness it didn’t slow them down or deter them. If they had pulled back from the message of salvation, we may not live in the nation we do today or have the freedoms to worship our God and Father.

Take a look at this passage in the book of Acts 4:29 & 30 that says Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”  This is amazing.  After the apostles Peter and John had been beaten for a lame man’s healing and forbidden to speak in the name of Jesus anymore, they went and prayed to become even bolder than they had already been.  They didn’t go into hiding and pray for God to protect them and keep them from being found.  They prayed that God’s signs and wonders would be done as they proclaimed His name and His Word.  The point is, they were not afraid to suffer.

Thankfully, because of their suffering, we don’t have to do much of it today, but are we willing to if necessary?  How many of us Christians are praying for boldness to speak God’s Word each day.  How many of us are looking for opportunities to see God’s wonders done through the name of Jesus?  Sure, it may not be comfortable at first, but once you see the results that come when you are backed by God’s Spirit, you won’t mind being a little uncomfortable once in a while.  Instead of joining in with others who complain about the latest inconvenience, begin to turn your focus and attention to places where the you can speak the Word of God in love. Tell about His great salvation, the greatest gift ever and all because God loves us all so much. Pray for the lost and hurting around you with boldness and confidence that God’s signs and wonders will be done as we proclaim His name and His great love!

Today I want to encourage you to pray the prayer that the first Christians prayed as they began to spread the good news of salvation.  I challenge you and me to get uncomfortable for the love of God.  To stand up and be different than those who are lost.  Let the world see what a life of victory looks like and let them know there is a loving Father who wants to give them victory in their lives too.

Today’s scripture reading: Ephesians 3:1-7

Growing into His temple

in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, Ephesians 2:21

The closing remarks of Ephesians chapter two are about how we are no longer stranger from God, but we now have become citizens of His Kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven.  Now that we are in Christ Jesus, we are part of God’s family.  The entire structure of His family and Kingdom have been built on what the old testament prophets taught and the new testament apostles.  With Jesus, of course, being the chief cornerstone (the one who holds it all together).

Now, the passage says, we all fit together, just like stones/bricks of a building and growing into the temple of the LORD.  The body of Christ, God’s family, is a living, growing organism.  We are growing, not only in numbers, but also in strength and in His power.  As we come closer to the time of His return, and as we grow larger as a body of believers, the Holy Spirit’s presence is manifesting in greater degrees all over the world.  It was prophesied in the book of Joel that there would be a former and latter rain of the Holy Spirit. (See Joel 3)  Peter also talked about it on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit first came on the new testament church in the upper room. (See Acts 2)

The church is growing like never before and the Holy Spirit is being poured out.  Now the world is beginning to see the power of the Holy Spirit increasing so that hearts are being turned back to God and the “bride” is getting ready for her groom.  Ephesians 5:2 says that we, the church, will be presented without spot or wrinkle or any blemish when He comes for us, and the power of the Holy Spirit is preparing us even today for that great day that is coming.

So what’s our part?  Prepare yourself by putting away distractions, weights and anything that is pulling you away from your relationship with your heavenly Father.  Make yourself available for the work of the Kingdom and tell Him today, you want to be a part of all that He has going on in these last days.

Today I want to encourage you to press into God more. Start with prayer.  Pray for God’s will to be accomplished in the earth, just like it is in heaven.  Pray for your part to be known to you.  Pray for a willingness and boldness to complete your part.   Make His plan and agenda your priority.  Recognize that we are coming down to the final days and He has a part for you in His great plan.  Get in place in the body and ask His today what you need to do and where you need to be to fit into all that is in His heart for you.  

Today’s scripture reading: Ephesians 2:19-22