#697 Lessons from Ephesus – Today’s Idols

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

 

People today in many parts of the world, whether believers or unbelievers, have a hard time understanding the worship of a god or goddess in a temple such as the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus.  But even in Ephesus there were numerous other idols to a god or goddess that people worshipped, and that is not unlike our world today.  Although many continue to worship and pray to wooden images instead of directly to God the Father through Jesus Christ, there are a multitude of idols that are worshipped daily, even by Christians.  An idol is anything that takes a priority in our lives over the Lord, possibly including money, success, material possessions, hobbies, sports, etc.  Although there is nothing necessarily wrong with them individually, when we place them before the Lord we sin and need to ask the Lord’s forgiveness, either putting them in their right place or disposing of them.

 

If you have something that is an “idol” in your life, ask the Lord to help you put it away, allowing Him to have first place in your life!

 

“Little children, keep yourselves from idols.  Amen.” (I John 5:21)

#696 Lessons from Ephesus – The Temple of Artemis

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

 

Although a great revival was realized by the ministry of apostles Paul and John, there were those who would not accept their teaching, preferring to worship idols and gods that were plentiful during that time.  In fact, Ephesus had one of the seven wonders of the ancient world in the magnificent Temple of Artemis, also known as the Temple of Diana.  Destroyed and rebuilt numerous times, the ultimate temple was built of marble and was about four times larger than the Parthenon in Athens, Greece.  City dwellers, merchants, tourists, and kings came to Ephesus to worship the goddess Diana in the temple; however, today only a single column and stone fragments remain of the once glorious structure.  Only our God is living, true and everlasting, not like the dead and wooden gods of human hands and minds.  We worship and serve a living God that loves us and with whom we can commune through Bible study and prayer.  What a blessing!

 

In your time of Bible study and prayer today thank God that He is living and makes His presence known to you continually!

 

“I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen.”  (Revelation 1:18a)

#695 Lessons from Ephesus – An Intimate Relationship

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

During the time of the apostles’ ministry, Ephesus was a magnificent city beginning right at the waterfront where the street leading from the harbor was of white marble.  Paul arrived in Ephesus on his third missionary journey, and after a short time the response to his ministry was so great he continued teaching out of the school of Tyrannus for two more years.[1]  It has been said that during this time there was as great a revival in the city as at anywhere anytime ever.  Paul commended them for their faithfulness, and all indications are that they had an extraordinary personal love relationship with God, a relationship that had them working and serving Him faithfully.  God desires to have a love relationship with all of His children. “Religion” does not get us to spiritual maturity; it is the intimate relationship with God that allows us to exercise the spiritual disciplines and ministry that enables us to grow spiritually.

Make sure your spirituality is based on an intimate love relationship with God and not just religion!

Christ, in His letter to the church at Ephesus said:

“And hast borne, and hast patience, and for My name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.” (Revelation 2:3)

---

[1] I Corinthians 16:8-9

#694 Lessons from Ephesus – Prayer for Understanding Christ

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The apostle Paul was continually praying for the Christians to whom he had ministered as well as those to whom he was acquainted through fellow believers.  It was no different with the Christians at Ephesus.  He had spent time ministering and evangelizing in the city and felt a responsibility to them for their spiritual growth.  His prayer for them is a prayer we need to be praying for ourselves and others:  prayer for “the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.”  Paul’s desire was that they would have a complete understanding of Jesus Christ, who He is and what He had done for them.  Our goal as a Christian should be to grow spiritually, to become more Christlike, and the way we do that is to allow Him to be our model and follow that model.  But we cannot do that unless we understand and know Christ intimately which we do by spending time in His Word.

In your Christian walk, allow Jesus Christ to be your model, not another earthly person!

 

“Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him:” (Ephesians 1:16-17)

#693 Lessons from Ephesus – A Sanctified People

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The church at Ephesus was the recipient of two letters inspired of God, one written by Paul called the Epistle to the Ephesians and the other a letter contained in the Book of Revelation, written by the apostle John upon receipt from Jesus Christ.  In these two letters we learn a lot about the Christians and the church in Ephesus, but we also learn a lot about ourselves as Christians and our local church congregations today.  In his salutation to the Christians in Ephesus, Paul calls them “saints.”  Christians are not sinless, but we are saved sinners with our sins having been forgiven through the shed blood of Christ on the cross.  It is through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that we as sinners become saints, sanctified people set apart by God for His possession and service.  The question then becomes, are we “the faithful in Christ Jesus” with our loyalty to the Lord, holding fast to our faith and faithfully obeying Him in our daily lives?

As a Christian “saint,” can you say that your loyalty is to the Lord, faithfully obeying Him in your personal daily life?

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:” (Ephesians 1:1)

#692 Hold Fast!

Guest devotion by Travis Patterson, orchestra teacher and Bible study leader at First Baptist Church El Paso, Texas.

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

False teachers, wolves in sheep clothing are out there seeking our attention. They will seek to appeal to all our senses! They have been influencing our culture for generations. While they have made great progress in their so-called intellectual achievements,[1] there is one thing they will not do and that is to “Hold fast to the head”.  We have fallen victim to their philosophies and maybe even promoted their philosophies but we no longer need to do so. God has given us His Word[2] and His Spirit.[3]  He has also given us each other.[4]  If we will read His Word, trust the Holy Spirit to guide us, and listen to godly brothers and sisters who will help us confirm God’s leadership then we will learn how to stand firm and hold fast!  Holding fast means that we place God’s Word as our highest and most reliable authority.[5]  Many Christians say they trust God’s Word, but rely on their own understanding. The result is living by their fleshly desires. Lying or complaining for example becomes acceptable in certain conditions. God’s Word says put off all falsehood and stop complaining! So how do we achieve this kind of holiness and blamelessness? The answer is simple but to many offensive. Realize that there is nothing good in our flesh[6] and believe that God has put His Spirit in us that is perfect in righteousness and holiness.[7]

 

Place your total trust in God, not your own self, and continue to mature spiritually as you strive to be more like Christ!

 

“And not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.”  (Colossians 2:19 – NASB)

---

[1] I Timothy 6:20-21

[2] II Timothy 3:16; John 1:1

[3] John 16

[4] Ephesians 1:18

[5] Proverbs 3:5-6

[6] Romans 7:18

[7] Ephesians 4:24

#691 Held

Guest devotion by Travis Patterson, orchestra teacher and Bible study leader at First Baptist Church El Paso, Texas.

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We live in a difficult time. The church of America has been assaulted with so many false doctrines it can be very difficult and overwhelming to find truth anymore.  In addition, the media delights in finding another minister who has “fallen from grace.”  Add that with the “anti-religion” politically correct atmosphere we experience every day at work; it would appear that the true Church of Jesus Christ does not have a chance of survival in this country.  But through prayer, God will open our eyes to amazing works of His Spirit happening.  The church has seen such days before as was the case in the first century of Christianity.  Christians stood firm and fearless in the face of discomfort, loss of possessions and loss of life.  Today we may be encouraged from our brothers and sisters from Colossae! The path of suffering is ultimately a path of victory, because it is the path of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! As we learn to hold fast to our Head, our Savior, our Lord, we will see God making us strong by His Spirit and using us to hold members of the body together in love.  We will experience what it is like to be “Held” to “the praise of the glory of His grace.”[1]

Are you allowing God to make you strong by His Spirit so you can experience what it is like to be “held” to “the praise of the glory of His grace?”

“And not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.”  (Colossians 2:19 – NASB)

---

[1] Ephesians 1:6

#690 Serving with the Right Heart

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

 

There are Christians who feel as long as they are serving in some capacity at their local congregations or helping with some non-profit organizations they are okay in serving the Lord.  Many of these are actually performing the services to be seen by others with no thoughts of actually serving the Lord as their reason for doing so.  In other words, they are serving, but not ministering.  While these endeavors are certainly worthy and needed, God desires more from us.  He desires that our service for Him be true ministry with the right hearts, hearts that are devoted to Him with inner desire and willingness on our parts to minister for Him.  God is not fooled:  He knows our hearts and our very thoughts, judging our motives.  We need to be sure we are not only obeying God’s calling to ministry but we are doing so with hearts that are devoted to Him and His calling.

 

Are you serving the Lord with a glad and devoted heart, or just to be seen or recognized by others?

 

“And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind:  for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts.”  (I Chronicles 28:9a)

#689 Full-Time Service?

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

 

Most of us are not in “full-time Christian service.”  Most of us are professional business people, doctors, nurses, blue-collar workers, etc.; we are not pastors, full-time staff members of a church, evangelists, Bible conference leaders, etc.  They are the ones we consider in “full-time Christian service.”  Being full-time busy at our own jobs and vocations, we often do not feel we have the time, or may we say the energy either, to spend long hours serving the Lord in a ministry.  God will not call us to a ministry that we are unable to perform whether from being properly equipped or available for the ministry.  If God has a task or ministry He is calling us to be a part of, you can rest assured He will provide the means for doing so.  We must trust the Lord in finding a place for each of us to serve Him, and be ready to obey His call.

 

Do not be closed to serving the Lord due to your heavy work schedule.  Trust Him to place a ministry in your path, be obedient to His leading, and He will provide the means for you to honor and glorify Him through that ministry!

 

“For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.”  (Romans 14:18)

#688 Service While Waiting

Good Day Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

 

As we seek God’s will as to what ministry He would have for us, we realize there are a multitude of opportunities for service.  It is certainly not possible for us to participate in all the ministry opportunities available, and God does not expect us to do so.  That is one of the reasons we depend upon the Lord to show us His will as to a specific ministry or ministries.  Some Christians will tend to “sit on the sidelines” while waiting to sense God’s calling; however, we as Christians are always expected to be about our Father’s business.  We are commanded in Scripture to tell others about Christ, the Gospel, and that being a command does not necessitate a special calling from God.  Faithful service to our Lord includes telling others about Christ as well as serving where there is a need, then being ready to serve Him in a specific ministry when called to do so.

 

If you have not yet sensed God’s call to a specific ministry, serve Him wherever and whenever possible while waiting on His call!

 

“Serve the LORD with reverential awe, and rejoice with trembling.”  (Psalm 2:11 – HCSB)