Offhand, we might wonder what David would have to be depressed about. After all, he was just a kid when he had enough faith (and aim) to defeat Goliath. As a young man he was chosen to serve King Saul. He married the king’s daughter and was best friends with the king’s son, Jonathan. David had tremendous musical and poetic skills, and God chose him, the smallest and youngest of his brothers, to be king of Israel. Why would he be depressed? Whine on, harvest moon, as my friend used to say!

Each of us knows someone who is depressed or dissatisfied with his or her life and/or circumstances. When we look at the surface of their lives, we react as above, wondering what they have to be depressed or unhappy about. Like David, on the surface that woman seems to live a charmed life; that man seems to have it all. But we don’t know everything. As with David, if we look a little deeper, we might find the reasons for the deep agony in the individual. Even when he had it all, David knew that he had fallen short. And even when things had been going well, David knew the pain of fatherhood, when his sons didn’t get along and when it seemed God had turned away from the people of Israel.

Until we look deeper, into the Scriptures or into an individual’s life, we can never understand what that person is struggling with. We may tend to judge him or her, instead of offering a hand of kindness and a heart of compassion and concern. “I picked myself up, let him do the same.” “There’s no reason to be so upset. Just happy up!” By not looking past the obvious and not getting to the “heart” of the matter (pun intended), we practice judgmentalism and exclusivity. We fail to seek out healing for those who are struggling.

Driving home from Greenfield this past Sunday, I was struck by the change in the skies. The previous few days had been sunny and beautiful, with temperatures reaching into the 60s. Sunday afternoon, however, was overcast and cloudy.  Immediately my thoughts went to Januarys past, when Christmas was no longer nipping at our heels but had been packed away once again, leaving our homes a little more stark, matching the winter skies.

In these days of recovery, whether from exorbitant Christmas spending or just from missing the extra sparkle of the Christmas season, you may find yourself, like David, asking God why, all of a sudden, things seem so bleak. You may wonder why it seems like everyone is against you and you can’t seem to get it all together. If that is the case, take heart, you are not alone. And if this is your experience, maybe looking at how David handled these feelings will help you, too. You see, even when David was at his lowest, whether being chased by Saul or running away from his own son Absalom, both of whom wanted to destroy David, he did two specific things:

First, David was honest with God about his feelings, and second, David remembered God. Why do we think God doesn’t understand what we are going through? Even more puzzling is that we think we can’t talk to God about our problems. Balderdash! If my child cannot talk to me about what is going on in his or her life, then I have not given that child confidence in my love. David knew God loved him. As a young man David wrote songs of praise to the great God whom he worshipped. Yet, when he experienced the pains and frustrations of adult life, and life as the King of Israel, he spoke to God about these things. These are but a few examples: “Be merciful to me, my God, for my enemies are in hot pursuit; all day long they press their attack. My adversaries pursue me all day long; in their pride many are attacking me (Psalm 56:1,2). “My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught because of what my enemy is saying, because of the threats of the wicked; for they bring down suffering on me and assail me in their anger” (Psalm 55:3). “I say to God my Rock, ‘Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’ (Psalm 42:9,10). David spoke to God about his sorrow, his frustrations, and his pain. He was open and “transparent” with God. People who say we should not question God must not have read the Psalms, because David repeatedly did so, and God did not judge him for it, either.

Second, David continually remembered that, in spite of the current circumstances, his God, who is above all, was just and would remember those who call on him. David reminded himself regularly of God’s compassion and care, even when things seemed differently. “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God’ (Psalm 42:11). “The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him” (Psalm 37: 39,40).

These are but two of examples of David’s approach to faith. Whether he was struggling through the attacks of “politicians” in his court, if things were going bad because of his own failures and sin, or if the “chips” were down and it seemed life would never again be the same, David remembered God. He remembered God’s deliverance in days past, and he remembered that God had always been faithful in his life.

My friend, if you are literally sad these days, or if you are truly depressed, will you do this for me? Will you take time to talk to God about your feelings? Whether you are angry at others or at God, whether not understanding why things are happening or knowing exactly why things are happening, talk to God.

Second, take inventory of God’s faithfulness in your life; remember how God has been with you in the past. Read the Psalms and see how David met God in his times of joy and despair, and do likewise.

Finally, friends, if you really are depressed this winter season, and the above is not enough to help you, please consider speaking to a minister and/or a counselor about your feelings. There is no judgment in being depressed. Talk to someone about your feelings. Don’t suffer alone. There is hope, and there is help, both in God and in those whom God has gifted to assist you. Take the time to reach out and find hope and strength.

NOTE: The annual congregational meeting of Ebenezer Presbyterian Church will be held on Sunday, January 22, 2012, following worship. If you are a member of the church, please plan to be at this meeting as we consider some new directions for the church.

Blessings,
Mary Kay Glunt, Pastor
Ebenezer Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 393
Greenfield, MO 65661
revmkg.wordpress.com
revmkg@sbcglobal.net

Even though most of the trimmings are now put away, you might be interested to know that we are still in the Christmas season!  Historically, the 12 days of Christmas began either on Christmas Day or the day after.  In fact, in Europe, Christmas wasn’t just celebrated on the Eve and the Day, but for almost two weeks following.  The “season” continued on.

We are all familiar with the song, “12 Days of Christmas,” and sometimes probably wish we weren’t when it goes on and on and on.   Although it is just a folk song that relates to the culture of its time, back in the 1970s, a Canadian English teacher and hymnologist, Hugh D. McKellar, “decoded” the 12 days of gifts as a sort of catechism for children to learn about their faith.  It was portrayed as being used to teach Catholic children about their faith when Protestantism was the rule in England.  While that was, however, not true, the associations made by McKellar can cause us to remember the true meaning and/or genesis of the season of Christmas.

A partridge in a pear tree = Jesus

Two turtle doves = The Old and New Testaments

Three French hens = The three kings bearing gifts

Four calling [sic] birds = The four Gospels

Five gold rings = The Torah or Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament

Six geese a-laying = The six days of Creation

Seven swans a-swimming = Seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

Eight maids a-milking = The eight Beatitudes

Nine ladies dancing = Nine fruits of the Holy Spirit

Ten lords a-leaping = The Ten Commandments

Eleven pipers piping = The eleven faithful Apostles

Twelve drummers drumming = The twelve points of the Apostles’ Creed

When I was a child I used to listen to my mom’s copy of Wink Martindale’s album, especially the song about the deck of cards.  A young man in the military had his deck of cards which he used to remember the gospel.  The ace reminded him that there was one God while, like the song above, the two reminded him of the Old and New Testaments.  The three reminded him of the Trinity, and on it went.   The story was a fabrication, not true as it held itself out to be, but once again, it was a reminder of how commonplace, everyday things can bring us back to faith, to God.

What in your life do you relate to your faith?  Is it the objects in nature, a newborn animal or child, a flower pushing through the snow (if we get any this year), or the buds on the trees in spring?  What of the commonplace things of our everyday experiences remind you of the one who sent His only Son for you, that you might become a child of God?

I have to admit that when I’m playing cards I don’t usually think of the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), or of the Bible, or of the four gospels!  But, once in a while, when I’m driving down the road, or washing dishes, or whatever, I stop to see God in my daily life.  I stop to remember that the traffic, or crazy drivers, or burned pots are not all there is to this life.  Beyond the senses, beyond the emotions, there is a realm that overshadows and a God who overcomes.  I enjoy my life, even the hard parts, but I am able to do so primarily because I know that beyond all of these things, and through all of these things, I am given the opportunity to draw closer to God, to become more like Christ.  I know that one day all of these things will pass away, but my relationship with Christ will never pass away, but grow stronger.

Even if you have put away your decorations, why not hum a few bars of “The 12 Days” and think about McKellar’s associations.  In fact, a new year is a great time to make a resolution to go to the source for your growth this year.  There are a number of programs for reading the Bible through in a year.  One is found on www.BibleGateway.com.   Associations are great, but learning about God from the Scriptures is even better.  Find out about your faith.  Attend a Bible study.  Pray.

Need joy?  Pray.  Need peace?  Pray.  Read God’s Word.  Meet with God’s people.  Feel unloved?  Meet God through Jesus.  You are loved beyond any possible human relationship by the One who sent His Son, not only to be born in a manager and celebrated on one or two days each year, but who came to die on a cross that our sins might be forgiven.   If you haven’t asked God for forgiveness, why not do so today?  If you have received forgiveness, don’t live any longer in fear or shame, but rejoice in God’s love for you and the freedom that comes from God’s Spirit.  Celebrate life!  How?  In Christ!

Have a Happy New Year!

Mary Kay Glunt, Pastor

Ebenezer Presbyterian Church
P.O. 393, Grenfield, MO 65661
revmkg@sbcglobal.net

Now that the season is in full swing, I thought I would give a hand to those of you who are still preparing for the “big day.”  True, there is always a lot to do, and, unfortunately, several important items tend to be left behind because of the busyness of the season.   So, this week, in lieu of the next installment in the Ephesians study, I’m providing my top 5 items to add to your list this holiday season.

5.  Give your loved ones some giving.  In this season of giving and receiving, we want to make those around us feel loved and to experience the wonder.  But we forget that part of the wonder of Christmas isn’t in receiving, but in giving.  Help your loved ones, especially your children, participate by providing opportunities to give.  A few suggestions include

• Encourage your kids to pick out some gently –used toys that they no longer play with and donate them to area/regional thrift stores and outreaches so other parents, who may not be able to shop at Walmart and the mall this year, can bless their children.
• Give your kids some money and let them shop for toys for other kids, like the toy program at OACAC, Toys for Tots, etc.

4.  Share the joy of the season in song. 

• Gather some people/kids together and go to homes where Christmas caroling and raising money for those who are less fortunate, even if you are one of them!   Teach your kids to give back, not just receive.  The change (and perhaps dollars) you gather can help others experience the same joy you are feeling.
• Not into fundraising?  Why not simply visit the homes of people in your neighborhood/area who have no family?  I think it is time to resurrect the community aspect of the holiday.  Go to the homes of those who are alone, whose children are far away, who may not have much joy this holiday season.  Take a plate of homemade cookies and a few Christmas carols to brighten up their day.
• An even better place to carol would be the nursing home.  Arrange with the activities director a time when you can bring a group to share the joy of the season with Christmas caroling.

3.   Remember that everyone is stressed!  When you are at the store and someone bumps into you, takes the gift you wanted, doesn’t smile quick enough, etc., remember that you are not the only one stressed this season.  You never know what another person may be experiencing or may have experienced.   Take a deep breath, pray for patience and love, and share a smile of your own.  It will help both of you.

2.  Take time to stop and enjoy your family and friends.  Don’t let the busyness of the season take over your life.  Stop and “smell the pine trees” along the way.  Count your blessings and let them know that you are blessed because of them. 

1.   Don’t forget the “REASON for the Season”!  Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s arrival on this earth.  And since it falls on a Sunday this year, what better reason to be in church on Christmas morning!  We will all be there, and I hope you will, too.  Jesus is the reason for this season and, despite what it has largely become, He is still present with us through the Holy Spirit, still giving grace and mercy and joy to those who call on him. 

Those are my suggestions.  Do you have any?  Let me know. 

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Blessings,

Mary Kay Glunt
Ebenezer Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 393, Greenfield MO 65661
revmkg@sbcglobal.net

Throughout the years there have been several questions asked repeatedly, but none so often as this one: “What is God’s will for me?” While there are many answers to this question, some based on specific tasks, others based on relationships, I believe Paul’s prayer in this section of Scripture gives us a tremendous template for living the Spirit-filled Christian life.

Read: Ephesians 3:14-20

Having already written to the Ephesians in chapter 2 about God’s miraculous gift of forgiveness and redemption, not only to the Jews, but to the Gentiles, as well, Paul now states, “For this reason . . . .” In other words, because you have been given the gift of redemption, made alive in Christ, this is how I am praying for you.

I suppose the first thing we can take from Paul’s comments is his posture in prayer: “I kneel before the Father” (v. 14). While kneeling in prayer seems commonplace to us, we should note that in Jewish worship the more common stance of prayer was standing. Kneeling, although seen as a stance of prayer in the Bible, was usually in terms of homage, such as to a ruler. This picture of Paul praying combines the reaching out of a child to the parent and the humility of homage to one who is far greater and more powerful.

How do you reach out to God? Is your approach that of a beloved child, reaching out for you parent’s strength and restoration after a fall? Do you, as I often do, especially when I am alone in the car, speak freely with God as a trusted friend or ally? When you approach God, is it with fear and awe, considering all that God is and does? All of these approaches to God are valid, and all are necessary in a strong relationship with God. There is a time for kneeling in humility, recognizing our own weaknesses and sinfulness, and recognizing God’s greatness and power to save. Likewise, there is a time for speaking to God as a beloved parent, confident in God’s love, compassion, and mercy. And there is a time for standing with arms upraised in praise and thanks for God’s presence in our lives.

“From whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name” (verse 15)

Where Paul talks about family, it is very possible he is speaking not of physical, bloodline families, but rather of individual congregations. As in Christ God becomes our Father, adopts us into the family of faith, thus each individual congregation becomes a family, brothers and sisters together, heirs of the same Father. Why emphasize the local congregation? Perhaps, as Paul identified in the previous chapter, he wants to once again emphasize that we are ALL God’s children, that is, those who have been redeemed by the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This, then, precludes discussion of race and gender, age and education. We are, literally, the people of God on this earth, bearing God’s name.

This being the case, how, then, should we live? What is God’s will for us? In this prayer, Paul gives us not a “to do” list, but rather a “to have” list, a list of things that, through a living, vital relationship with God, will identify us as God’s children and glorify our Father.

“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” (vv. 16,17).

Power. A big advertising word. Cars have more power. Vacuum cleaners have more power. Even our dishwashing detergent has more power! But the individual believer, does he or she have more power? Paul prays that God will strengthen the Ephesian believers with power by the Spirit.

The power comes out of his glorious riches. The power of the believer does not come from jumping “faith” hoops, in other words, through works. We cannot earn God’s riches. The power of God comes to the individual believer first through salvation, as the Spirit of God comes to dwell (literally, live) within us. More devotional books have been written about gaining power in the inner person than I have had time to read, but the only formula for having power in the Christian life is to open ourselves to God, to allow God’s Spirit to fill us.

How much of your “inner being” is open to God’s presence? Do you segment your life in little pieces, reserving a section for God/church, a portion for employment, a portion for friends, a portion for family, etc.? Are you “many-faced,” presenting a different person depending on the place where you stand? Paul prays that Christ will dwell in our hearts through faith, not just visit when we are in church or at night when we are ready to pray before bed, to literally allow the Spirit to be our source of strength in every situation in our lives. We give no glory to God if God is not obvious in us wherever we are.

“I pray . . . that you may have power . . . to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge” (vv. 17b-19).

“Knowledge is power,” so the old adage goes. This truism applies, as well, to the Christian life. While no skill is learned in a moment, likewise discerning and living God’s will in our lives occurs in a process of growth. When a tree is small, its roots reach to a limited area of the ground and can be more easily plucked out of the ground. However, as the tree grows, its roots go deeper and wider, giving it stability and strength to withstand even the strongest storms.

Like that tree, it is God’s will that our roots go down deep into the soil of God’s love for us. Studying God’s Word, spending time in prayer and in fellowship with God’s people enables our roots to go deeper and wider, literally “establishing” us in that “love” relationship.

Sometimes I am amazed that I can type so quickly. When I first started to learn to type, I could barely type 25 words per minute (wpm). After high school I reached 65 wpm, and I thought that was really fast. Today, after practicing and working for years, I can type almost 100 wpm. It has become commonplace. I have moved past knowledge, and the skill has become a part of every reaction I have.

So it is with knowing God’s love. It takes practice, reminding ourselves of God’s love for us, reminding others, and living that love in the world. Time with God and with God’s people who are striving to know Him better, will make our roots grow deep into the ground, so that living like Christ becomes a part of us, a natural reaction that glorifies God in all we do.

A final word: “To him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (v. 20). Paul turned his readers over to God knowing that whatever God willed for them would be best. Not getting the answer in prayer you had hoped for? Spend some time in prayer. Ask what God wants rather than what you want. Ask God how you can grow or change in order to better serve. And finally, keep seeking God’s love, to live in it and to live it out in a world so desperately needing it. You will find in the end that, looking back, God knew what was best all the time.

Blessings,

Mary Kay Glunt, Pastor
Ebenezer Presbyterian Church
PO Box 393, Greenfield, MO 65661
revmkg@sbcglobal.net

It doesn’t take a very long reading in the Old Testament to recognize that God had a chosen people:  The Israelites.  Throughout the Law and the Prophets God congratulates, corrects, calls, and reconciles this people specifically.  Even Jesus, when the Canaanite woman asked for a miracle for her daughter, alludes to the people of Israel as God’s children, excluding those outside as dogs (Matthew 15:26).

However, we would be remiss if we failed to admit that God had a plan for the Gentiles (all those outside of Israel), one besides overtaking their lands.  The Old Testament is full of references to “the nations,” another term for the Gentile peoples.  Even to Abraham, the father of the Jacob (Israel), God promised, “and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”   Isaiah proclaims that Jesus’ ministry would benefit not only Israel, but all of the nations: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations” (Isaiah 42:1).  And Jesus truly did so as he answered the prayer of the Canaanite woman:  “Then Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.’  And her daughter was healed at that moment” (Matthew 15:28).

Even though the “earlier revelation” spoke of the nations being blessed, the people of Israel concentrated on the passages that spoke of overthrow and subjugation, of destroying their gods, as opposed to building their faith in the one true God.  Sharing their God with the Gentiles?  Never!  They were the heathen.  The people did not understand or recognize God’s plan (verse 5).  While all of that is true, nevertheless, God had a plan and still does.  We are the proof of that God’s plans do come to fruition.  Those of us who are not of the line of Israel have, nevertheless, been brought into the family of God through Christ’s sacrifice.

READ EPHESIANS 3:7-13

Even though the Paul was extremely qualified to preach the gospel to the Jewish people, God had other plans for his ministry.  Perhaps it was because of his Roman citizenship and education, as well; only God knows.  

As a short side note, I would like you to notice two comments that I believe are basic and necessary to ministry of in the Church.  These two verses, 8a and 13, highlight the perspective that should belong to each of us, whether lay person or clergy, when we are in ministry.

Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people—Paul was by no means the least of God’s people.  He came from a wealthy family.  He was very well known in the synagogues and the Temple administration.  He was very well educated, and he had a zeal for serving God.  And he became the apostle Paul, a leader in the fledgling Church, spreading the Gospel throughout the known world.  Yet, at this point in his life and ministry, he refers to himself as the “less than the least.”  This isn’t an example of self-deprecation, or putting one’s self down for attention or lack of self-esteem.  Rather, Paul’s words point to true humility.  Elsewhere, Paul instructs the people to follow Christ’s example of humility (Philippians 2:1-11).

Our ministry, our calling as Christians, is to be humble as we preach the gospel, as we live the gospel.  Haughty arguments between denominations about who has the right approach to the gospel or the best soul-winning activities are so far outside of Christ’s example that I’m sure it saddens him to hear them.  Paul calls himself a “servant” of the gospel.  The servant follows the Master’s plan, not his own, and represents the mast in a way that will bring honor to his master.   The child who receives the gift is just the bearer; the one gave the gift is the gracious one.  Likewise, God is the giver of salvation, not we who proclaim it.  It is God who receives honor and praise, not we who are merely following his plan.   Enough said.

Paul identifies his ministry, to “preach to the Gentiles the boundless the boundless riches of Christ.”   We, who are outside the bloodline of the Jewish people, are no less God’s creation and a part of God’s plan.  At the first coming of Christ, his death and resurrection, the lines of distinction were torn down.  No longer were we to be outside the realm of God’s family, but through this death, through Christ’s sacrifice, we were offered the opportunity to be a part of an eternal family.

My older brother was actually my cousin.  Although my parents raised Frank as their own son, adopting him emotionally and physically, they were never afforded the opportunity of adopting him legally.  Fran was always my brother, in every way.  In fact, once he was of legal age, he changed his last name to ours.  He was legally a “Caristo.”  However, there was that one part that was not complete:  the legality of things.  When he was 48 years old, my parents went to court to officially adopt Frank as their son.  No, not just by changing his name, but by the court’s administration, Frank was legally my parents’ son. 

Was it necessary?  Probably not, because where it mattered, in our hearts and in our minds, we were already a family, but the act of legally adopting him was made to tell the world that he was and would always remain ours.

We were outside of the family of God, without a right to call on God’s name, without the option to be in God’s presence.  Our sins separated us from God, giving us no recourse to call on him.  Yet, in the plan of God, through the ages, we were always destined for adoption into the family, to be welcomed in as children, rather than servants. 

So Christ was not merely sent as Israel’s Messiah, but also as a gift to the entire world.  Through Christ, and through Paul’s ministry and sufferings, we who have heard the gospel, who have believed in Christ, “may approach God with freedom and confidence” (v. 12) because we have been adopted into the family of God.

You don’t have to go to court to be adopted into the family of God.  If you have not found this place in the family of God, I urge you today to pray with me, “Heavenly Father, I am a sinner, and I don’t deserve your mercy and grace, but I call upon you today, because of Jesus’ sacrifice for me, to please forgive me and make me your own.  Take me into your family and may me your child.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.” 

Blessings,

Mary Kay Glunt, Pastor
Ebenezer Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 393, Greenfield, MO 65661
revmkg@sbcglobal.net

Ephesians, in this passage, speaks of an immigration of sorts, one that was formerly impossible or, at best, limited, in the physical kingdom of Israel.  Although ancient Jewish law provided for the alien in its midst, there were limitations on participation in the worship of God.  For example, Gentiles, even if they were converts, could enter the Temple no farther than the Court of the Gentiles.  This is the extreme outer court past which no Gentile could pass. 

The best that a Gentile God-fearer could do was to worship at the outside of the Temple.  Even if one’s spirituality and commitment exceeded that of a Jewish worshiper, the Gentile convert would always be outside of the spiritual circle.  The writer of Ephesians understands this.

READ:  Ephesians 2:11,12.

In the Mosaic covenant, males were circumcised according to the covenant relationship.  Gentiles who were circumcised, as their commitment to God, were still recognized to be of the “uncircumcised.”  They were still separated intrinsically because of birth, not because of country, necessarily, but because of blood line

In the 1800s and early 1900s, immigration was still on the rise.  In fact, most of the heavy industrial work in Eastern cities was done by immigrants, first from Ireland and Scotland, then from Eastern and Southern Europe.   Until their “nationalities” reached a certain status in life—citizen or not—they lived at the poorest end of the spectrum and did the hardest and most dangerous jobs.  Gradually, however, they assimilated into the culture and began to rise through the ranks to become fully vested citizens of this great country.  One writer believes the key to their acceptance was their willingness to assimilate, to literally “become” Americans.

I have heard, as well, although I’m not sure of it, that even in Dade County there is a sort of “hierarchy” of belonging, limited to those who are “from” the County, as opposed to those of us who have entered from elsewhere.  Somehow, the long-term residents are just a little bit more “Dade-County-ians” than the rest.  True?  You didn’t hear it from me! 

We were separated from Christ, excluded from the deepest benefits of faith in God.  But Paul’s words here limit not only the Gentiles from this relationship, but also recognize the truth that the old covenant was limited in what it could do:  “who call themselves ‘the circumcision’ (which is done in the body by human hands” (NIV).  Although many Jews had the outward sign of the people of God, they were still, in their hearts, uncircumcised. 

The point of this passage, then, becomes clearer, as the writer states, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (vv .13).   He eliminates bodily circumcision as the rule of citizenship in the kingdom of God, stating that this occurs through faith in God.  See Romans 8:28,29:  “A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.  No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.”

QUESTION:  How do we, as Christian believers in the present time, react like the circumcised believers spoken of here? 

QUESTION:   What is our “circumcision” that we hold over the heads of “newcomers” to faith?  Some possibilities might include long-time church membership, family history in the church, our “service” given to the church. 

QUESTION:  Do we exclude new believers based on these or other “bodily” or “experiential” circumstances?

The Process of Citizenship:  Read  Verses 14-18

Not only did the confirmed Jewish teachers and followers exclude Gentiles from faith, but even those who had come to know Christ.   These believers were among those who demanded that converted Gentile males be circumcised, not understanding the fullness of Jesus’ sacrifice.

On one hand the law and its commands required circumcision, an outward testimony (not too outward, that is), of commitment to Yahweh, but in the new covenant, no physical sign or offering is necessary, as Christ’s death alone brings us into this covenant, into the Kingdom as full citizens.   Now, since everyone, even those were formerly “God’s people,” must enter through the same gate, there was no room for pride or arrogance, no place for hostility between the groups.  It was only by the Cross that any of us were reconciled to God, through which we have “access to the Father by one Spirit.”

The Evidence of Citizenship:  Read Verses 19-22

To be a citizen of the United States you must have spent a certain amount of time in the country and pass a test concerning our government and its founding, knowing enough English to do so.  The applicant, then, professes his or her allegiance to the principles of this new country.   My grandparents, all four of them, learned English so they could participate in their new country and its benefits.

In the household of faith in Christ, we became citizens when we professed our faith in Him, when we confessed our sins and accepted for ourselves the sacrifice made by Christ on the Cross.  We became citizens of a new country, not because of border, nationality, heritage, or ancestry.  We are ONE in Christ in God’s family without regard to family, locality of birth, and without any regard to denomination!  It is Christ’s sacrifice that makes us one with him.  To quote the song, “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy Cross I cling.”

We are part of a building, one that cannot be shaken by the New Madrid fault, one that cannot be toppled by the strongest tornado or hurricane, built on the foundation of Christ our Lord.

Blessings,
Mary Kay Glunt, Pastor
Ebenezer Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 393, Greenfield, MO  65661
revmkg.wordpress.com
revmkg@sbcglobal.net

I hope you have enjoyed the previous two lessons in this series.  Today we begin studying Chapter 2 of Ephesians, the section labeled Made Alive in Christ.  Remember that, if you are online, you can interact with this lesson either on-line at revmkg.wordpress.com or on the “Ebenezer Presbyterian Church” Facebook page.  I welcome your questions, comments, and interaction in our on-line Sunday school.  Then again, I suppose I should call it our “Weekly School”!    Not a computer person?  Drop me a note at the church address below or send me a text.

This past week was World Communion Sunday.  As Americans, we tend to thank God for our blessings but forget that those gifts aren’t meant only for our comfort and benefit.  As we partook of the elements, commemorating Jesus’ death on the Cross for our forgiveness and adoption into the family of God, the congregation was challenged to remember those, our brothers and sisters in faith, who lack even the simplest of comforts of living or even the smallest amount of religious freedom.  Pray for the pastor in Iran who has been condemned to death for not recanting his faith in Christ.  Pray for the people throughout our world who are dying of starvation.  Pray for the orphaned children in Africa whose families have been decimated by AIDS.  There is so much to pray for in our world, and there is so much we can do as a people so richly blessed by God.  Pray.  Listen.  Give. 

Where we pick up the story:  Read Eph. 2:1-3.   The author of the epistle begins this passage by outlining our first state:  dead in transgressions and sins.  Perhaps the sinfulness was not so much things we had done, but the very state, as verse 2 says, of being disobedient. 

To believe in forgiveness, we must first believe in the need for such.  Perhaps that is one reason we in America find it so hard to submit to the Gospel of Christ.  We grow up living “good” lives, doing “good” things (or maybe not-so-bad things), and wonder what we did that was so terrible that would describe us as “dead in sin.”  However, it is not the deeds done that define the need for forgiveness, but rather the inner person described here, with an attitude of self-determination and self-reliance, in other words, self-righteousness.

Question:  Take a moment and ask yourself, what attitudes in my own life center on my own power to “pull myself up”?    How do these attitudes affect my relationship with Christ?

The first piece of our beginning state is the belief that we are sufficient in ourselves.  I believe this is the very foundation of the “ways of this world,” as stated in verse 2.  We have all heard the “religious” adage, “God helps those who help themselves.”  The truth, however is that this is not found in the Bible at all.  While God does expect us to be responsible, self-reliance in itself says, “I do not need God.”  Consider Jesus’ temptation (Matthew 4).  In each instance, Jesus was tempted to choose His own way, his own path, rather than the path God had chosen.  Had Jesus chosen to answer these temptations by taking His own path, there would be no salvation, no perfect sacrifice, as He, too, would have been in rebellion to the Father. 

We chose to follow the ways of the world, to trust the wrong “spirit,” called here the ruler of the kingdom of the air.  Many people today refuse to believe in such a spirit, denying the existence of a “devil” who is at enmity with God, of a tempter whose purpose is to thwart the will of God and destroy God’s creation.  Whether you believe in an actual devil, or evil spirit, or in a system of worldliness that draws us away from God, you must believe in this:  Our former state was separation from God.  Because we were unable to save ourselves, we needed another way, one found in the person of Jesus Christ.

The Way of Grace:   Read Eph. 2:4-10.

Previous generations had a saying:  “You made your bed; now lie in it.”  We were wallowing in that “bed” of rebellion and self-will and were “deserving of death,” but God was not content to leave us there.  Because the God of all creation loved us, he sent his Son, Jesus, and “it is by grace you have been saved.”  

Question:  What is grace?  Is it “grace” if we have earned the gift?

When the writer speaks of “grace,” it isn’t being charming or attractive, although that is one definition of the word.  The writer is talking about a special favor, something unmerited, something that cannot be earned. 

No matter how penitent or how hard we tried, no matter how good we would behave, we were lost, up the creek without a paddle, with no ability to find our way back.  This is the problem with self-righteousness.  We believe we can guide our own ship, but we have no way to do so.  When the Ephesians accepted the truth of their inability to save themselves and turned, instead, to Christ, they became the recipients of this grace, the unmerited forgiveness paid for by Jesus Christ. 

When you turned to Christ for salvation, because of God’s great love for you, you were forgiven not because of anything you had done, but because of what Christ had done.  This is the crux of our salvation:  that it did not come because of anything we did, not our good works, not our good intents, but only by the grace of God. 

Question:  “Not of works, so that no one can boast.”  What are the areas in our lives when we revert to “works-righteousness,” when we begin to rely on ourselves rather than on God’s grace to carry us?

God is not an earthly parent who can be impressed by a compliant or even conniving child, but is over all and knows all.  Therefore, when we receive salvation from God through Christ’s sacrifice, we receive a gift that cannot be purchased, maneuvered, or manipulated out of God’s hand.  We had nothing to offer that could restore the relationship.  In spite of our weakness, when we turned to God in relinquishment of our own way, God raised us up out of the mire, completing the work of salvation, making us complete in Christ.  Because the entire work was done by God, we have no ability to boast except in Christ and His sacrifice.

Friend, if you are “in Christ,” you have been re-created, reborn, changed into “God’s handiwork,” not through any work of your own, but only through the gift of God.  You cannot earn God’s mercy.  You cannot buy God’s love.  All you can do is believe, believe that Christ died for you, and through that death and resurrection He has forgiven and will forgive you.  Finally, the works that we are now to do are not those to catch God’s eye, like a well-timed smile.  The works that God “prepared in advance for us to do” (v. 10), are those done in response to the grace already received.  We reply with love by serving the One who redeemed us. 

If you do not now know this grace, this Savior, I invite you to meet Him today.

Blessings,

Mary Kay Glunt, Pastor
Ebenezer Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 393, Greenfield, MO 65661
417-844-0629

How often do you pray for your church?  What about the church down the street?  On the other side of town?  In today’s passage the Apostle is writing to the believers in Ephesus, a young church led by a young minister.  He details his prayer for these believers, also providing a tremendous description of God’s empowering involvement in the believer’s life.

READ:  EPHESIANS 1:15-23

 THANKSGIVING AND PRAYER

We often rejoice when someone comes to faith.  We celebrate those who have committed their lives to Christ—newborn believers, fresh in faith and their walk with God.  There is something beautiful about their shining eyes, hopefulness, and desire to serve God and God’s people.  So it was with the Paul, as he heard about the Ephesians.

 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.  Ephesians 1:15,16.

How long do we pray for and rejoice with young Christians?  The day they commit themselves to faith?  Perhaps for a week or two?  The prayer before us here shows us, first of all, when we should pray—always!  “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers” (v 17).  In another epistle we are told to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).   Unfortunately, our prayers are often consumed with our own needs and hopes, with only passing mention of others.  Furthermore, when we do pray for others, often those requests are for physical rather than spiritual needs.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:

1.  Besides your own family members, is there anyone for whom you continue to pray and give thanks, having heard of their faith in God?  Is there anyone for whom you continue to pray as he or she moves through the stages of spiritual growth?

2.   In times of tragedy and crisis, how can we model Paul’s example by giving thanks for those showing love for all God’s people, i.e., caregivers, first responders, etc., attending to those who are in need?  What should those prayers include?

3.  It is too easy to watch someone commit his or her life to Christ and then walk away, forgetting about them during the discipleship process, forgetting to pray for strength and hope and continued faith.  Our responsibility in the Body of Christ is to pray for all of God’s people, to pray continually, not just for their bodies, but especially for their spiritual needs. How can we change our prayer times to include this important facet of prayer?

PAUL’S REQUESTS FOR THE EPHESIANS

Paul’s prayer list, then, gives us a pattern of praying for spiritual fitness and vigor when praying for the church.  Let’s look at these individually.

1.   The Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better (v.17)—Paul prayed, always, for the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers.  No matter what your denomination, every believer needs ever greater fullness of the Spirit.  Although we receive the Holy Spirit as a sign and seal (v. 1:13), Jesus also said he would send the Spirit as a guide, a Comforter, for us (John 14).  As we open our hearts and minds to the Spirit’s presence in our lives, we are given increasing “wisdom and revelation.”  We can study commentaries, read books about
the Bible, etc., but without the wisdom and revelation that comes through the Holy Spirit, it is only information.

Any relationship without deepening knowledge will stagnate; it is only continue to learn about one another more deeply that the relationship becomes stronger.  So also with faith:  It is not enough to just “know God” in salvation.  We need to continue to seek more of God as we grow in faith.  That your eyes may be enlightened in order that you may know . . .   Paul prays that the believers’ eyes might be opened by the Spirit.  We seek revelation, not the kind that “puffs up” but the kind that reminds us how awesome is our God.

2.    The hope to which he has called you and the riches of his glorious inheritance in his people.  American Christianity, to some degree, has become a self-referring process.  We pray for more wisdom, for more love, for more of the Spirit, but often, our prayers stop right there.  Once we receive these things, we are content.  Know this:  No gift of God is meant to stop with the initial receiver.  As the churches received letters of instruction from the apostles, those letters were then passed on to other churches for their edification and growth.  In the same manner, as we receive from God, we are to share those gifts, those revelations with others.

The hope of our calling?  Perfection in the likeness of Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29; I John 3:1-2).  Becoming like Christ means  much more than just me.  It means that I will speak like Christ, share
like Christ, love like Christ.  Paul prays that we will know that hope, becoming like Christ in all things so that . . .

You may know the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people (v. 18b).  It is God’s will that we not only see spiritual growth in our own lives, but also in those around us, in all of God’s
people.  Paul prays that you and I might have the spiritual vision to pray, as he prays, and experience the joy of seeing that same awesome growth and power in those around us.

3.  His incomparably great power for us who believe.  Do you ever feel like living the spiritual life is hard, that it is almost impossible to make the right choices, to “walk the walk”?  Sometimes
we shrink back from this calling because we are concerned with how people will see us if we fall, if we fail.  Once again, we have our eyes on ourselves.  Every follower has had this problem, including Paul, which is why he prays for us to receive God’s power, because God has placed all things (including pride) under Christ, who is our head and our fullness (v. 22,23).

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1.   What are the three ways Paul describes this power from God?  How does that relate to our spiritual lives today?  What problems are you experiencing today that need to be put under the power of God?

2.  Do you feel hopeful about the calling to be Christ like, or does that frighten you?  Is the calling to serve and know God a positive thing or something that you would rather avoid? 

As the song says, “We are called to be God’s people.”  Not only that, we are called to make disciples.  Paul prays for our equipping, and then we are called to be a part of equipping those who come after.  How will you pray?

Blessings,
Mary Kay Glunt
Ebenezer Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 393, Greenfield, MO 65661
revmkg@sbcglobal.net

Starting Sunday, September 18, our Christian education hour will resume at 9:30 a.m. with a full-family emphasis.  The lesson posted in the Vedette and on Facebook will provide discussion for the adults present, and there will be lessons and activities for the kids, as well!  If you have been wanting to visit us, but wanted something more for your kids, now is the time to come.  We’ll be
waiting for you!

For this quarter we will be studying from the letter to the Ephesians.  Let’s get started!

Read:  Ephesians 1:1-14  (read it here at BibleGateway–http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+1:1-14)

You have all probably enjoyed the old hymn Count Your Blessings at least once in your life.  And to start this week, I’d like to ask you to take a few minutes to count your blessings.  That’s right, take out a pen and paper and just make a list of the top blessings in your life.  What are the things that you attribute as blessings from God?  Just take a minute.  I’ll wait!

No doubt your list looks a lot like mine:  family, home, children, maybe Jesus and salvation, church, friends, and on, listing things that are truly blessings to our lives.  Most likely, none of us has
listed anything negative on that list.  For example, did anyone list an accident, or an illness?  Did you list some trauma that occurred in your life or something that made you stop and think and reevaluate what you have going on?  In the first part of our study today, Paul talks about Spiritual blessings from God, “who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.”

When we consider spiritual blessings, we are at first tempted to think of “spiritual” things, like prayer, worship, meditation, the Word of God, etc.  While these are all spiritual blessings, this line of thinking unnecessarily divides who we are into distinct pieces, the physical versus the spiritual, and separates the concept of blessings into those that feed our earthly selves and those that minister to our spirits.   Paul, however, in this passage makes no such division.   Who we are, how we live, and whom we worship are all a part of the people God has called us to be.

V.4 :  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.  In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves (Jesus).

This verse says that God chose us before we were even born, before the world was created.  Many times we worry about whether someone will accept us or like us, whether we have the right clothes, the right look, etc.  But God chose us before any of that even existed.

Question:  What does it mean to you to be “chosen”?

Question:  How does it make you feel to know that no matter how you look, what you have, or where you come from, you were still chosen by God?

V. 7:  In him (Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins . . . with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.

So, in God’s ultimate vision and wisdom Jesus was sent to earth, and by His sacrifice, we receive these blessings from God’s hand.  It doesn’t stop there, however.  Look at verses 11-12.  In him we were also chosen having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Paul ties here together all the things in our lives that happen, the “spiritual” blessings and the physical turmoil, the good and the bad, the welcome and the unwelcome.  As Paul states in Romans 8:28:  We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.

If God has called us to be adopted as children without respect to our station in life, background, looks financial status, etc., and He has (see v. 13), then we have this promise that everything in our
lives—whether seemingly good or bad—is a blessing, as it works God’s purposes in our lives, even when we do not understand what God might be thinking!

Having just commemorated the ten-year anniversary of the attacks on 9-11, I tried to think about how such an event could be considered a blessing.  With so much suffering and loss, how could we look to it as a blessing to our country or to the individuals affected.  But as I heard many of the survivors and family members speak, I realized that many of them had done just that.  They had taken the tragedy and used it to find new and deeper meaning in their lives.  They had mourned their lost loved ones, their jobs, and even their lifestyles, but then moved forward to find a new purpose, for some a purpose that had not existed before the event.

You have been chosen to be a part of God’s family.  It doesn’t happen just because God said so, however.  Adoption occurs when you turn to Christ and accept the payment He made on your behalf though his own sacrifice on the Cross.  Then you will share in the redemption by his blood.  Once you are in the family, know this:  God is working in your life to make you, as Paul states, to the praise of his glory.  And, being that good Parent He is, God will use all means of blessings to bring you to maturity in that relationship.

ASSIGNMENT:

Take some time to slowly read Ephesians 1:1-14 again, stopping to contemplate Paul’s words.

Look again at your “blessings” list.  Having read this lesson, what other blessings might you add to the list, perhaps some seemingly negative things that have happened in your life?  Draw a line down the center of your paper and to the right of each of the blessings on your list, take a few minutes to record how that “blessing” has changed you for the better, how God has used it to make your life give glory to God.

See you Sunday!  Bring your notes with you!  Don’t forget, if you cannot attend Ebenezer but still want to be in the discussion, call, text, e-mail, write, or Facebook your comments and questions.  I’ll be waiting to hear from you.

Mary Kay Glunt, Pastor
Ebenezer Presbyterian Church
Greenfield, Missouri
revmkg@sbcglobal.net
417-844-0629

For more study, check out TextWeek’s list of resources for this passage:  http://www.textweek.com/pauline/eph1a.htm

This past week’s epistle reading from the lectionary was Romans 12:9-21, in which Paul gives the Roman believers some guidelines for living in Christian community.  The passage provides some great material for preaching; however, it also reads kind of like a giant in my path, and I don’t have any smooth stones.  What I am saying is that Paul’s instruction, like Jesus’ instructions in the Sermon on the Mount, gives us an uphill climb toward living the Christian life.  If you were at Ebenezer on Sunday, don’t stop reading.  This isn’t a recap of what I talked about then, but rather an expansion on it.

We have probably all heard the popular origin of the word sincere, that is, without wax.  Something that was sine cera would have been made of marble.  Much as we might cover up imperfections with paint, some marble workers would cover up imperfections in the stone with wax.  Paul uses this illustrative phrase so his reader in Rome would understand when he directed them, “Love must be sincere.”  In other words, your love must be honest, without false coverings or statements, not wearing a mask of friendliness when underneath you are no friend at all.  The Message says it this way, “Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it.”  I am already behind the eight ball in this passage.  You see, deep within, I admit that I tend to be a little bit self-willed (some
might remove the “little bit”) in my interactions with others.  Grumbling, especially around the house, is one of my most avid activities.  So if I am to love from the center of who I am, without anything fake, I’m afraid I just might be falling behind before I even start.

Paul continues, “Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”  I think I can do that, that is, until I start singing along with the songs from my youth (which are now played over the loudspeakers in  grocery stores and pharmacies) and realize that some of the songs I loved promote quite a different way of life than that I now live, or aspire to live.  The songs are just fun, you may say, and you would be right.  But if I am to hate what is evil, will I not turn away from anything that might inspire to evil, including songs I used to love to sing with my friends?

Now comes the hard part:  Be devoted to one another in love.  Honor one another above yourselves (v. 10).   Paul is still talking about real love, honest love, the kind of love we read about in 1 Corinthians 13, the kind of love that stands tall, like a mountain before you, when you have no climbing gear.   Paul makes it really personal when he says in verse 14, Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited.  In other words, “practice playing second fiddle” (The Message).   Now I’m starting to sweat.

Dictionary.com, based on the Random House Dictionary, defines conceited as “an excessively favorable opinion of one’s own ability, importance, wit, etc.; imagination; fancy.”  It isn’t very hard, even for someone with very low self-esteem, to be conceited.  After all, even if I don’t consider myself very important, I still am offended when I am treated as such!  If I believe I am not good enough, am I not measuring myself with others and thinking I should be on the same level as they?   Paul seems to be telling us to just grin and bear it!

The New International Version calls this section “Love in Action,” and Paul continues with the following relationship admonitions:

• Share with the Lord’s people.
• Practice hospitality.
• Bless those who persecute you—no cursing!
• Live in harmony.
• Don’t repay evil for evil.
• Do everything you can to be at peace.
• Feed your enemies.

Because of all of this, I ask again, how am I supposed to do this?  I’m pretty good at relationships, but not that good!  How can I show this “love in action” without making myself crazy in the process?  First of all, I need to remember that I am not perfect (that “do not be conceited” thing).  I will not ever be perfect.  Although I may strive to do so, I will not ever make the right choice every single time.  I will make mistakes.  Only Jesus was perfect!  Just as you are to treat your enemies and brothers and sisters in Christ with hospitality and grace, give yourself the benefit of recovering from missteps.

Second, I believe it is imperative that we approach “Love in Action” knowing that we are not alone.  Paul says earlier, For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).  You are not saved by your good behavior and good deeds; that would be “of yourselves.”  You are saved by grace, forgiven and cleansed by the blood of Christ, and it is that same grace that helps us love one another.

Finally, it is imperative that I rely on the Holy Spirit’s power and presence in my life to enable me to follow through with “Love in Action.”   In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans (Romans 8:26). 

I want to be perfect, but I know that I will never be so.  I want to please God, but I know that, because of Christ, God is already pleased with me and forgives me when I fall short.  I want to love others, even my enemies, but I also know that living in love is a process that happens as I turn my self-will over to God’s will.   There is so much more to say, and so little space and time.  Maybe you could read through the book of Romans this week and find more guidance on living love in action.  I’d be interested in your ideas about how to become a “Love in Action” disciple.

Blessings,

Mary Kay Glunt
Ebenezer Presbyterian Church
revmkg@sbcglobal.net
P.O. Box 393, Greenfield, MO 65661

PS:

Just a few notes this week:  On 9/11/11, Ebenezer will be celebrating its annual Homecoming/Back-to-School luncheon immediately after worship.  This year we are having a Fish Fry, with our
main fry cook (and fisherman) Pat Burns.  Everyone is invited, but we do need to know if you are coming by Monday, September 8^th so we are sure we will have enough. You can e-mail me at revmkg@sbcglobal.net or call Anne Blackwell, 637-2649.

Members of Ebenezer, invite your friends and family members.  If you attended Ebenezer in the past, or if your parents attended, would you consider joining us?  During worship (at 11 a.m.) we  will commemorate the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by celebrating our continuing freedom as Americans and, especially, in Christ.  After church, while lunch is being made, we will have games and prizes for the kids.  It will be great fun.

Second, our Sunday school program has been going through some transformative changes this past year, and we are still tweaking the concept.  We will begin meeting once again on Sunday, September 18th, at 9:30 a.m., with plans for full-family Christian education.  I hope to see you there.