All Together Now - Eph 3:1-12
"His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms..." Ephesians 3:10
"His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms..." Ephesians 3:10
I enjoy quirky songs, and the Beatles "All Together Now" is no exception! In fact, I enjoy the chorus so much that I have no idea the song contains any other words. But the chorus is perfect for us as we look at today's passage.
Paul was appointed by God to know that the gospel was for all people, Jews and Gentiles (us too)! All believers are joined together as heirs and share in the same promise in Christ Jesus. But why did God reveal this mystery to Paul? Look no further than our verse above. Paul was supposed to bring the gospel to non-Jews in the Middle East and Europe, and establish churches of believers. Although you and I are not members of those specific churches, we're part of God's church worldwide. And Paul gives us, as the church, a purpose: through us God's wisdom will be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.
What's that mean? Angels, fallen or not (so demons too) watch us (read also 1 Pet. 1:12 & 1 Tim. 5:21). Through our work together as a church, they should be seeing the work of God and His great wisdom. Angels can see it all - our sinfulness, weaknesses, as well as the high places to which we've been elevated in Christ. They will carry our souls to heaven (Lk. 16:22) and are responsible for plucking out all and casting all non-believers into hell (Mt. 13:39-43). The angels are watching God's great work through Christ unfold, and they are watching us to see His wisdom and work accomplished. This isn't done alone: we are the church. We must be all together now. Pray:
Father, in Your perfect wisdom You have created a people for Yourself. Despite all our flaws, You continue to work through us. You even created angels to learn more about You and Your glory by watching us. Help us glorify You, that what is seen brings You glory. Amen.
Challenge:
Consider, do you seek unity and peace with other Christians? Do you work and live with other Christians in a way that would reveal God's wisdom? How can you seek to live with others in such a way?
CLIMB DAY 5
Ready for the next leg of the journey, our team awakes and prepares for the day. Smiles still abound. All have survived the first day and are eager to get going. Although they begin in the forest, they will soon emerge from the trees and face the reality of the difficult trail before them. Upon exiting the forest, they reach the first ridge to be conquered that day. Over the ridge is rough and rocky terrain, covered in heather and moor.
As the team continues they will encounter multiple steep ridges and begin breaking into groups, traveling at different paces. This is good; there's no need to exert more energy than necessary. Today's goal is not the summit, just to get a few steps closer, and at the end of today they will be 4.5 miles closer, ascending almost 2500 feet.
Once they cross over the last ridge of the day they can sigh with relief; the rest of the hike is much easier as it descends into the Shira Plateau. It is a giant basin surrounded by beautiful formations. Tomorrow they will have the opportunity to get to take it all in, hiking and exploring. A beautiful day, this difficult leg of the journey will possibly be some of our team's favorite day, despite the steep and strenuous hike. Pray for our team to be encouraged as they finish today. They have reached an altitude of 11,500 feet, so altitude sickness will begin setting in for everybody - pray for their bodies to acclimate quickly and for each person to remain sensitive to their own limits and follow their bodies heeding.
Paul was appointed by God to know that the gospel was for all people, Jews and Gentiles (us too)! All believers are joined together as heirs and share in the same promise in Christ Jesus. But why did God reveal this mystery to Paul? Look no further than our verse above. Paul was supposed to bring the gospel to non-Jews in the Middle East and Europe, and establish churches of believers. Although you and I are not members of those specific churches, we're part of God's church worldwide. And Paul gives us, as the church, a purpose: through us God's wisdom will be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.
What's that mean? Angels, fallen or not (so demons too) watch us (read also 1 Pet. 1:12 & 1 Tim. 5:21). Through our work together as a church, they should be seeing the work of God and His great wisdom. Angels can see it all - our sinfulness, weaknesses, as well as the high places to which we've been elevated in Christ. They will carry our souls to heaven (Lk. 16:22) and are responsible for plucking out all and casting all non-believers into hell (Mt. 13:39-43). The angels are watching God's great work through Christ unfold, and they are watching us to see His wisdom and work accomplished. This isn't done alone: we are the church. We must be all together now. Pray:
Father, in Your perfect wisdom You have created a people for Yourself. Despite all our flaws, You continue to work through us. You even created angels to learn more about You and Your glory by watching us. Help us glorify You, that what is seen brings You glory. Amen.
Challenge:
Consider, do you seek unity and peace with other Christians? Do you work and live with other Christians in a way that would reveal God's wisdom? How can you seek to live with others in such a way?
CLIMB DAY 5
Ready for the next leg of the journey, our team awakes and prepares for the day. Smiles still abound. All have survived the first day and are eager to get going. Although they begin in the forest, they will soon emerge from the trees and face the reality of the difficult trail before them. Upon exiting the forest, they reach the first ridge to be conquered that day. Over the ridge is rough and rocky terrain, covered in heather and moor.
As the team continues they will encounter multiple steep ridges and begin breaking into groups, traveling at different paces. This is good; there's no need to exert more energy than necessary. Today's goal is not the summit, just to get a few steps closer, and at the end of today they will be 4.5 miles closer, ascending almost 2500 feet.
Once they cross over the last ridge of the day they can sigh with relief; the rest of the hike is much easier as it descends into the Shira Plateau. It is a giant basin surrounded by beautiful formations. Tomorrow they will have the opportunity to get to take it all in, hiking and exploring. A beautiful day, this difficult leg of the journey will possibly be some of our team's favorite day, despite the steep and strenuous hike. Pray for our team to be encouraged as they finish today. They have reached an altitude of 11,500 feet, so altitude sickness will begin setting in for everybody - pray for their bodies to acclimate quickly and for each person to remain sensitive to their own limits and follow their bodies heeding.