Friday, August 7, 2015

1 Peter 1:9-10

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Reflection

Peter echoes what we have heard Paul say in much of Ephesians.  Peter says that through God’s action in Jesus Christ we have all become a special people, we are the people of God.  Through Jesus we have been called out of darkness (sin) and into the wonderful light of God which is the righteousness of Jesus that has been provided for us as we have faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection.  In the midst of telling us what wonderful things have been done for us in Jesus Christ he tells all Christians to declare the Praises of Jesus to all people.

Bottom line:  How can we experience God’s love and grace in Jesus Christ and not be compelled to share it with others.  In his own way Peter is saying that those who know Christ must make him known.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Ephesians 3:20-21

Now to him who is able to do immeasurable more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be all glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever!  Amen.

Reflection

The Apostle Paul ends this passage with a statement of high praise for God.  Paul lifts up God as the one who can do all things, more than we could ever imagine and he ascribes glory to God for this reality.  Then he says that God as he has been revealed in Jesus Christ should be glorified and worshiped for all time.  Paul says it in this way, “to him be all glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations…”  God through Christ should be honored, worshiped and glorified throughout all generations.  That begs the question:  How will all generations know about Jesus?  The only way that each generation can learn about Jesus is for those who know Jesus to share him with those who do not yet know him.  Once we know Jesus our task is to share Jesus with others.  All Christians are called to know Jesus and make him known.

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Ephesians 3:17b-19

And I pray that you being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge– that you may be filled to the measure of  all the fullness of God.

Reflection

The Apostle Paul wants all Christians to know Christ to the fullest extent possible.  However, that power to know Christ comes from God.  If we surrender to the power of God in our lives then we can grow deeper and deeper into the discipleship that Jesus calls us to embrace.  When Paul talks about knowing Jesus he refers to the width, depth and height of what it means to have a relationship with Jesus.  What he is trying to get us to realize is that when we think we have come to the place where we know all of Jesus’ love we discover that there is more love even beyond what we have already received.  Paul tells us that we can never fully experience all of the love of Jesus because it is a love that surpasses knowledge.  We cannot fully understand or experience the love of Jesus.  However, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try.  Knowing Jesus is a lifelong endeavor.  As we know Jesus better and better we also need to make Jesus known to others as well.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Ephesians 3:16-17a

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Reflection

The Apostle Paul ends this passage with a statement of high praise for God.  Paul lifts up God as the one who can do all things, more than we could ever imagine and he ascribes glory to God for this reality.  Then he says that God as he has been revealed in Jesus Christ should be glorified and worshiped for all time.  Paul says it in this way, “to him be all glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations…”  God through Christ should be honored, worshiped and glorified throughout all generations.  That begs the question:  How will all generations know about Jesus?  The only way that each generation can learn about Jesus is for those who know Jesus to share him with those who do not yet know him.  Once we know Jesus our task is to share Jesus with others.  All Christians are called to know Jesus and make him known.

Monday, August 3, 2015

Ephesians 3:14-15

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

Reflection

This verse of scripture shows what happens when we know Christ.  Through Christ we have a relationship with the Father.  Because Jesus is the bridge over the gulf of our sin we can come into the presence of a holy God.  Jesus paid the penalty for our sin and gave us his righteousness.  We can now have a relationship with God the Father.  That relationship can also be more than a surface knowing who God is.  Now we can have an intimate relationship with God.  That relationship can be so intimate that we know him as Father.  Not only do we know God as Father he recognizes us as his children, a part of his family.  All believers of Jesus have derived our name from our restored relationship with the Father; we are the sons and daughters of God.  Through knowing Jesus we are a part of God’s family.

August 2-8

To Know Christ and to Make Him Known

I once saw this statement:  “If Jesus is the answer then what is the question?”  For me, to figure that out is no big dilemma.  Jesus is the answer to this question:  How can we sinful human beings be reconciled to a holy God?  Jesus is that answer.  Jesus, through his death and resurrection has paid the penalty for our sin and through our faith in Jesus we have received his righteousness which makes us righteous in the eyes of a holy God.

If this is the case than “Jesus as the answer” must be shared with all people.  Why?  Jesus must be shared with all people because we all have the same problem; we are all separated from God by our sin.  This week we are going to be looking at why it is so important for each of us to know Christ and then for us to make Christ known to others.

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Matthew 28:19-20

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

Reflection

When we consider the call to proclaim the love and grace of Jesus it is good that we know what Jesus himself wanted us to do.  The Gospel of Matthew ends with Jesus marching orders for the church.  Jesus before he ascended into heaven gave his disciples their task to go into the world and make disciples.  He told them to do that by baptizing them and then teaching them all that Jesus taught his disciples.

This command of Jesus is a command for every generation of Christians.  The church’s marching orders today are the same as they were when Jesus first originally spoke these words.  So, each of us are called to take our Christian witness with us in whatever we are doing.  As we live and speak our Christian discipleship in all of life we will be following Jesus’ command to proclaim the Word and make disciples.

Consider how we can more effectively proclaim the Word and make disciples.