Tag: Spirit of wisdom

Immeasurable Greatness

Thanksgiving and Prayer

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, 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, 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, according to the working of his great might. Ephesians 1:15-19

Isn’t that just the most healing, powerful collection of words you’ve taken in to your mind in a long time? If you breezed over it or if you mind is full of everything you have to do today just stop and make some space for this beautiful scripture. Give it room to breathe in your heart before you move on.

As I sit down to write to you again friends, I want to just be in this word with you today rather than comment on it. When I take this one in, I hear Him saying, just listen…don’t speak. So instead of processing or contextualizing today, I just want to live in it together.

 Verse 15-16: “Because I have heard of your faith and your love….I remember you in my prayers and I give thanks for you” Our faith is not just an inward commitment to a specific creed but a live and active trust in God’s plan. When our faith is outward, people will “hear” of it. Paul thanks the Ephesians for the love the show through action, the outward manifestation of their faith.

Verse 17: “The spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him”A spirit of wisdom. With each and every decision I make Lord, give me the spirit of your wisdom. Help me to revel, truly revel in the knowledge of you and your character. Give us the wisdom Lord to live in community and to build love in our relationships with one another.

Verse 18: “the hope to which he has called you and the riches of his inheritance” He has called us to hope. He does not call us to despair, not to worry or carry burdens. That is so powerful if you let it really soak in. God calls us to hope. That alone gives us the opportunity for a total shift in our perception. He calls us to hope, he promises that faith in Him brings the knowledge, the awareness and the eventual manifestation of our inheritance with Him. No matter how dark our current situation, he calls us out of the spirit of darkness.

Verse 19: “immeasurable greatness”a specific reminder of God’s activity in our lives. He establishes and defines us. We are redeemed not by what we have done but by what God has done. Far above place, far above power, far above time…immeasurable.

Choose to have a great week.

 

 

Maybe You’re the One

 

Good morning and happy Monday.  As we head into Easter week I hope your heart is opening to miracle of the Risen Christ! Today, I’d like to introduce my friend Amy Perschall.  Amy and I sing together on Eastview’s vocal team. A few weeks ago, I learned that her devotion to Christ and skill in sharing His word goes far beyond the music. After hearing her present a morning devotional for a group of musicians, I knew I had to share her gift here! Amy holds a B.S. in Music from ISU, a Master of Divinity, a Masters in Christian Counseling and is working on her Doctor of Ministry. She has experience as a Pastor, Chaplain, Christian Counselor and Youth Pastor.  She has worked in churches, hospitals, prisons and led missions in the name of Jesus. As she completes her doctoral work, Amy is praying for a new opportunity to share her ministry. She is in the process of ordination and I know the next chapter for her will bless so many. I’m excited to share her with our Bible Journal readers!

Today’s Reading: Acts 6

Have you ever seen a need in the church and wondered why someone wasn’t addressing it?  Maybe there are rowdy kids running around between church services and you think, “someone should give them something to do.”  Or maybe there is a concern in the community with homelessness and you wonder, “why doesn’t a church step up and attend to the needs of this population?”  Or maybe you read an article about a school whose students’ grades are failing and you question, “why doesn’t a group step up and help with tutoring or after-school programs?”

A similar questioning arose amongst the Hellenists (or Grecian Jews) and the Hebrews (or Hebraic Jews) in Acts 6.  The Hellenists were a community of believers from places other than Israel and most likely spoke Greek as their primary language.  Their social and religious practices would probably have differed from the Hebrews as well.  And when bringing two different cultures together, there will always be challenges to overcome.

The dispute between the Hellenists and the Hebrews was over the treatment of their widows.  In the Ancient Near East, widows were often unable to provide for themselves and their care was left to the community.  Israelite farmers were to leave grain unharvested so widows, orphans, and foreigners could glean the leftovers and eat (Deut. 24:17-22).  Also, the tithes given to the priests were to provide for the widows, orphans, aliens and priests every third year (Deut. 26:12-13).  So, when the Hellenists complained because, “their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution” (Acts 6:1b), it was a big deal!

Now, I imagine when the Hellenists lodged their complaint to the Twelve (think Twelve Disciples of Jesus), they were expecting one of the leadership to do something.  However, the Twelve had a different plan.  They needed to continue in the call on their lives to preach the Gospel and spread the word of God.  So, just as any good leader does, they delegated.  In developing a team of seven who are “of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” (Acts 6:3b), the Twelve involve more people in ministry and leadership.  Instead of trying to do everything themselves, the Twelve encourage those who had identified the problem to step up and serve within their giftedness and they were ready to serve!  I’m sure there were growing pains as these new leaders learned how to lead, but in spreading out the work, more people were served in the end.

So, as you notice needs within the church and your community, instead of wondering why someone else doesn’t step up, maybe God is trying to get your attention!  Maybe you are exactly the person God has in mind to spearhead a new ministry.  Are you ready to serve?