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I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Philemon 6 We don’t talk about this verse often but perhaps we should. I was reluctant to pull it out because I know that as a writer and a teacher, I must also be a doer. Unless you’re outspoken and naturally bold, this verse will be one of the hardest things to do. Please notice, however, that the verse does not say that you need to go on a street corner or in...

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Colossians 4:3 Most Believers throughout history have pondered what the ‘mystery of Christ’ actually means. Obviously there are as many interpretations of what it means as there are Followers. Here are a few possible meanings of the phrase: Why would the perfect Son of God come to live on earth with sinful, detestable man only to be ridiculed, beaten, then killed? How could an omnipotent God send his Son to live...

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 One story comes to mind that best illustrates this verse (some say the story actually happened; others say it’s urban legend). While waiting for the Maestro to come out to play, a little boy slipped away from his parents and jumped on stage and sat at the piano. He began playing the only thing he knew: Chopsticks. The crowd started murmuring,...

Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. 2 Thessalonians 2:13 Again, we come to the theme and prayer for peace. Now more than ever we need peace. One definition is the absence-of-war kind of peace. That’s good and any time countries can sit down and talk things through, it’s a good peace. I’m referring to the conscience-is-clear, the world-may-crumble-before-my-eyes-but-it’s-okay peace. That’s an inner peace that the world can’t give nor can the world take away. I say we’re in for hard times and...

Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Ephesians 6:19-20 If you’ve ever wondered what to pray for when you pray for missionaries, this is the perfect start to a prayer. Boldness. Courage. Fearlessness. Clarity. Wisdom. We too need clarity and boldness when we open our mouths to speak. We need boldness because we often worry about what others think more than what God thinks. We’re products of our own culture. We’re taught...

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know...this incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:18c Power. You don’t have to go far today to see what the world’s power can produce. It’s the power to control lives, power to distribute millions of dollars with a signature, power to command a hundred thousand soldiers to take out the bad guys, power to put a United States Senate seat up for the highest bidder. There are also positive examples of power: power to raise millions for worthy causes, power to...

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know...the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints... Ephesians 1:18b Two things strike me about this portion: saints and inheritance. First, if you are a Believer you’re a saint. You don’t need special Vatican blessings or pronouncements. The word saint means "consecrated to God, holy" (Acts 9:13; Acts 9:32; Acts 26:10; Philippians 4:21; Romans 16:2; Ephesians 4:12; Ephesians 5:3, to name a few instances of the word in the New Testament). It’s not only a term but a way of life, consecrated,...

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Ephesians 1:17 This is part of a prayer that every one of us can benefit from. Obviously there are things about our Savior that are only revealed through the Spirit of God. Or there are things written in Scripture that are illuminated when we ask for wisdom and revelation. In any event, it is possible to know Jesus better. When I was a new Believer, I met a simple man...

..remembering you in my prayers. Ephesians 1:16b I recall speaking with an elderly woman about my faith. She said she would watch me from her third floor window as I tossed my Drum Major baton into the air over and over as a High School Senior (we’re talking Dark Ages here!). I’m certain she prayed for my safety as that 4-foot chrome baton often acted like a missile on its way down into my hands, but she never said that. Instead these were her words, "I prayed that you would come to know Christ." Just wow. Needless to say, I...

I have not stopped giving thanks for you... Ephesians 1:16a The next few days I will be discussing this passage in Ephesians because it contains a lot of practical material for the Believer. A general (though not the main one) theme in the Bible is thankfulness. We see it clearly in the Old Testament in the Psalms and Proverbs. Kings made it a point to publicly thank God. Many prophets urged men and women to give thanks and to repent. Often the people did neither and their societies suffered because of it. Obviously I’m painting this subject with a very...

[Epaphras] is always wrestling in prayer for you... Colossians 4:12a Paul’s choice of words in Colossians is fitting. Prayer is not easy. Praying consistently for someone is even harder. I think it goes deeper than that. It’s not merely the natural (often supernatural) internal struggle we have about praying for others. Recall the story of Jacob “wrestling with God” in Genesis 32:25-29. God right then and there gave him the name Israel, which means “struggle with God.” In the end, Jacob/Israel got the blessing he so desperately sought. We know that it was an intense struggle but we don’t know...

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. 1 Thessalonians 3:12 I am thinking of the once popular Christian camp tune “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” Sadly in many churches and communities that is not the case at all. When I first became a Christian, someone said this about another Believer, ”I know I have to love him but I don’t have to like him.” I stopped short of asking for Chapter and Verse on that one! I also think of the...

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ. Philippians 1:9-10 This is the second prayer from the New Testament in as many days. It too should be memorized and prayed over people. How desperately we need discernment and purity in the present age. There are just so many moral, financial, social, and ethical decisions we need to make. We need the wisdom that brings discernment. It’s a...

He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers. Proverbs 19:8 The older I get the more I find that wisdom is an extremely valuable thing to have. When we’re young and impressionable, wisdom is a boring and tedious subject. We do foolish things when we’re young. But we’re also more daring and not afraid to try new and risky things (if you find yourself saying “I’m too old to do that,” you’re not young anymore!). Then as life happens to us, we are more reserved and cautious. Wisdom in life is different. Making wise choices...

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or about your body what you will wear. Life is more than food and the body more than clothes.” Luke 12:22-23 As I write this on the last day of November 2008, it is becoming more and more apparent that the United States (and many parts of the world) is headed into some financial troubles (which may prove to be the understatement of the year). Housing, manufacturing, automobile, insurance and banking industries are all struggling and it’ll probably get worse...

"Jesus knew their thoughts..." Matthew 12:25 Jesus was getting ready to heal the man with a demon, and the Pharisees were indignant. They said he could only drive out demons by Beelzebub, the prince of demons. Earlier in the chapter the Scripture states that these same Pharisees were plotting on how they might kill Jesus. But Jesus knew their thoughts. He knew what caused them to get to this point. He knew the anger and frustration they must have felt at someone trying to “muscle in” on their territory, so to speak. He knew who was behind their vile thoughts...

"Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant." Matthew 20:26 James, John, and the remaining ten disciples were arguing about who was the greatest. Actually, the ten were upset at James and John for trying to secure a special place in the Kingdom of Heaven. Though the text doesn’t say it, I presume at least a few of the ten were indignant because they weren’t quick enough to ask! It’s a very human thing to want. But Jesus set them all in their places. If you want to be great, serve others. That’s it. It’s certainly...

Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. Psalm 90:1 Have you ever wondered if the God who created the universe is capable? I know, it sounds like a foolish question. I ask this because I think that we often treat Him as if He were a “if you can” God versus a “I know you can” God. We doubt God. We think that with a billion Christians praying at one time, what’s the likelihood that He...

Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58 Those in the ministry know the joys and pains of helping people. It’s often a thankless, sleepless, and tireless job. People don’t always act the way they should or the way you want them to act. People can be downright stubborn and ornery! But this verse gives us all hope. You see, if we were in the ministry for the money or the prestige...

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Matthew 5:11 This is another one of those hard teachings of Jesus, especially to those of who have never undergone real persecution. In fact, when we were thinking about moving to a Muslim country, I was amazed at the looks people gave me when I tried to explain that our mail would be read and our telephone conversations would be monitored. Then the real shocker was when I told people to never ever refer to us as missionaries (because...