samholm

Read the New Testament with me through the Project 345 reading plan.

Context: Paul has been instructing the church in Ephesus to be careful to live rightly.   They must not be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit, which leads to worship.

Ephesians 5:19b-20  “Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Observations: Our hearts should always have a worship posture.  Thankfulness should be overflowing to God from our lives through declarative praise music.

Application: Today I want to open my eyes to see God around me.  I want to allow the Spirit to fill my heart with music and to overflow with genuine praise songs.

Stop for a few minutes and let the Spirit fill your heart with songs of praise.  How would it feel to live with this mindset?

Context: After explaining the believer’s position before God through Christ, Paul shares another prayer that he has for them.

Ephesians 3:14-19 “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Observations:

• Christ dwelling in our hearts through faith is a result of God’s work through His Spirit.
• Comprehending the love of God (that surpasses all knowledge) comes from being rooted and grounded in love.
• We are filled with all the fullness of God when we comprehend the love of Christ.
• Paul prays that God would do the above in the lives of those in Ephesus.

Application: Today, I will pray this over my immediate family, my church family at PCBC and the universal church in Dallas and beyond.

Do you believe that you can be filled with all the fullness of God?  Are you living and praying towards that end? 

Join us in the Project 345 reading plan as we read through the New Testament.

Context: Paul tells the church in Ephesus that he has prayed for them since hearing of their faith.

Ephesians 1:17-19  “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.  I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

Observations:

1. I keep asking that God will give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation.
   1. So that you may know Him better.
2. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.
   1. In order that you may know:

i.     The hope to which He has called you.

ii.     The riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people.

iii.     His incomparably great power for us who believe.

Application: I want to commit these verses to memory over the next few days.  I need to pray them over my life, my family and my church.  “Lord, give us a Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that we may know You better!”

Are you praying for other believers to know God better?  Start praying right now… 

Join Project 345 as we read through the New Testament.

Context: Paul is expressing his deep concern that the Christians in Galatia are returning to the works of the Law to try to earn a legalistic, works based, form of righteousness.

Galatians 4:9 – “But now you know God – or rather are known by God – how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles?  Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?”

Observations: After placing our faith in Christ we can return to a works based form of righteousness that enslaves us.  Only God’s grace brings freedom from the Law through Christ.

Application: I must not become legalistic in my Christian life.  I must live by grace through faith.

How can you guard your life against “turning back to those week and miserable principles” that enslave you?

Context: Earlier in Chapter 2, Paul opposes Peter to his face for wrongly separating himself from Gentiles when he ate.  In verse 19 Paul says: “through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God.”

Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.  The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Observations:  Paul considers himself a dead man.  He went to the cross with Christ.  His life is now all about living for God through faith in Christ.

Application: I must consciously think of my self as crucified.  Today, I will look for opportunities to let Christ have full control through faith.

What kind of sacrifices must we be ready to make to live a crucified life?

Context: Jesus leads His disciples to the Mount of Olives (the Garden of Gethsemane is on the Mount of Olives).  Before leaving them to pray He instructs them in verse 40 to “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.”  After being in agonizing prayer and sweating blood, He returns and finds His disciples sleeping.  Jesus wakes them with the same command He gave in verse 40.

Luke 22:46 – “and He said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.’”

Observations: I am reminded that when Jesus taught the disciples to pray, He used the words: “Lead us not into temptation” (Luke 11:4).  Temptation, or circumstances that could lead to sin, does not equal sin.  Scripture tells us to not just pray that we will not sin, but to remove ourselves from situations that could lead us to sin.  This is the prayer that Jesus asks his disciples to pray at the final hour.

Application: I must pray that I will not enter into temptation.  I also should put safe guards in my life to separate myself from situations that could lead to sin.

Are there situations in your life that could tempt you?  What do you need to do about it?

Context: Jesus is teaching in Jerusalem during the last week of His life.  With all the people listening (including the teachers of the law) Jesus says to His disciples:

Luke 20:46-47 – “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.  They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

Observations:  Jesus is speaking against the pride of the religious leaders – they like their flowing robes, love to be greeted with respect, love the most important seats, and for show make lengthy prayers.  (thrown in this mix is devouring widows’ houses).  He says that these men will be punished most severely.

Application:  I must not fall in love with impressing others.  I must seek to serve and not to be served.  My public faith must be driven by my private faith.

How do you guard yourself against the pride of the religious leaders?  What practical steps can you take today to avoid hypocrisy?