1) God’s Greatest Desire for Us (Berry Kercheville)
2) Rebels (Russ Bowman)
3) Part of the Prophecy of the Lord’s Crucifixion (Psalm 22:15-18)
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God’s Greatest Desire for Us<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Berry Kercheville \u201cChrist Dwelling in Our Hearts\u201d<\/strong> \u201cRooted and Grounded in Love\u201d<\/strong> \u201cStrength to Comprehend\u2026\u201d<\/strong> -2- Russ Bowman -3-<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy strength is dried up like a potsherd, 1) Hear <\/strong>the gospel — for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31). Tebeau Street <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).——————– Contents: 1) God’s Greatest Desire for Us (Berry Kercheville)2) Rebels (Russ Bowman)3) Part of the Prophecy of the Lord’s Crucifixion (Psalm […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","post-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2808"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2821,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2808\/revisions\/2821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u201cFor 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\u2014that 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. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen\u201d (Ephesians 3:14\u201321 ESV).
Have you given thought to what God wants from you more than anything else? What is God\u2019s greatest desire from his creation? Paul\u2019s prayer is a detailed conclusion to the prayer he began in 1:15-20. Let\u2019s break the prayer down so we can get a glimpse of God\u2019s ultimate purpose.
\u201cFor this reason\u201d<\/strong>
This is the third time Paul used this phrase (1:15; 3:1), each time breaking off his prayer to give explanation to a central thought in his requests.
\u201cThat; So That\u201d<\/strong>
Four times in the text Paul used these words (typical in Ephesians) to express purpose<\/em> and the end-goal<\/em> of our spiritual growth. Notice these purposes:
\u201c\u2026that he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being\u2026\u201d <\/em>(16)
\u201c\u2026so that Christ may dwell in your hearts\u2026\u201d<\/em> (17)
\u201c\u2026that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend\u2026and to know the love of Christ\u2026\u201d<\/em> (17-18)
\u201c\u2026that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.\u201d<\/em> (19)
\u201cStrength; Power\u201d<\/strong>
The words, \u201cthat\u201d and \u201cso that\u201d direct us to see the purpose of the prayer and what we should desire to attain from God. Strength and power from God\u2019s Spirit is needed if we are to attain \u201cChrist dwelling in our hearts.\u201d This cannot be accomplished by our own strength; it is attained by the power from God\u2019s Spirit in his revealed word. The words, \u201cstrength, power, and might\u201d were also used in the beginning of the prayer (1:15-20) in which Paul prayed that we know \u201cthe immeasurable greatness of his power toward us\u2026according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead\u2026\u201d Chapters two and three give us detailed descriptions of God\u2019s power toward us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If Christ is dwelling in our heart, our heart and lifestyle actually looks like Christ lives there. Our homes reflect our presence by the way we decorate. If Christ makes his dwelling with us, our manner of life will reflect his presence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If Christ has \u201credecorated\u201d our lives, we will become solidly anchored in his love for us, making it nearly impossible for us to turn our hearts toward anyone or anything else as our primary love. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paul prays that we comprehend the breadth, length, height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. This strikes deeply at any casual approach to Bible study instead of desiring to know every facet of the mind of God. We must ask, \u201cTo what extent am I lacking this fullness, and what am I going to do about it?\u201d Knowing God in his fullness will lead us to have an experiential knowledge of the love of Christ that causes us to live sacrificially in everything we do.
\u201cFilled with All the Fullness of God\u201d<\/strong>
Here is the end-goal. It has always been God\u2019s goal. He created us in his image, and after we fractured that image through sin, all scripture has been about renewing our minds so that we are \u201ccreated after the likeness of God\u201d (Eph. 4:24). We must study to comprehend the fullness of God and experience his love so that the world sees him in us.
Seem impossible? Far beyond what you can imagine or attain?
\u201cHe is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think\u201d <\/em><\/strong>(20, NKJV).<\/strong>
Why is this prayer so important? Because when this happens,
\u201cTo him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus\u2026forever and ever. Amen\u201d <\/strong>(21).<\/strong>
Now, who among us has been praying this prayer? Hmmm.
\u2014 Via Focus Online,<\/em> February 18, 2020
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<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nRebels<\/font><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd there happened to be there a rebel, whose name was Sheba the son of
Bichri, a Benjamite. And he blew a trumpet, and said: \u2018We have no share
in David, nor do we have inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to
his tents, O Israel\u2019\u201d (2 Sam. 20:1).
Why is it that there always seems to be a rebel around? It is the case
in almost any circumstance, almost any collective effort or
organization, and particularly when some authority is recognized.
Someone is dissatisfied. Someone stirs trouble, incites opposition,
complains, undermines, subverts, gossips, suggests, deceives, lies.
Perhaps it is the result of ego and selfishness, envy or jealousy. Maybe
it grows out of poor leadership and failure of inclusion. For some
reason, some men are given to a competitive drive for ascendancy, and
submission to another man or group of men is repugnant. Almost certainly
Satan is involved. It is ugly. It is sad. It is destructive. It infects
God\u2019s people all too often.
Unity is a difficult part of our service to God – not unity with God so
much (although that has its challenges and we often don\u2019t like what He
demands either). More complicated is unity with others. Eph. 4:4ff
reminds us that God has offered a number of singular elements upon which
we are to build commonality – one body, spirit, hope, Lord, faith,
baptism, God and Father. But the admonition of vs. 1-3 begins with a
determination to unity and the humility which makes it possible. Unity,
like rebellion, begins with my deportment and my decision.
I don\u2019t know what stirred up Sheba. Perhaps, like Shimei in the same
story, he felt that David had destroyed Saul and usurped the throne. We
are simply not told. What we are told is that he rebelled, led others to
rebel, and eventually had his head removed and thrown over the wall of
the city of Abel – a fitting end to one who opposed God\u2019s anointed. A
fitting end for a rebel.
God help me that I am not the rebel.
\u2014 Via Articles <\/i>from the Knollwood church of Christ, June 2024
<\/span>——————–<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nPart of the Prophecy of the Lord\u2019s Crucifixion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
And my tongue cleaves to my jaws;
And You lay me in the dust of death.
For dogs have surrounded me;
A band of evildoers has encompassed me;
They pierced my hands and my feet.
I can count all my bones.
They look, they stare at me;
They divide my garments among them,
And for my clothing they cast lots.”
Psalm 22:15-18, NASB
——————– <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2) Believe <\/strong>in the deity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent <\/strong>of sins. For every accountable person has sinned (Romans 3:23; Romans 3:10), which causes one to be spiritually dead (Ephesians 2:1) and separated from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 6:23). Therefore, repentance of sin is necessary (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30). For whether the sin seems great or small, there will still be the same penalty for either (Matt. 12:36-37; 2 Cor. 5:10) — and even for a lie (Rev. 21:8).
4) Confess faith <\/strong>in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized <\/strong>in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21). This is the final step that puts one into Christ (Gal. 3:26-27). For from that baptism, one is then raised as a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), having all sins forgiven and beginning a new life as a Christian (Rom. 6:3-4). For the one being baptized does so \u201cthrough faith in the working of God\u201d (Col. 2:12). In other words, believing that God will keep His word and forgive after one submits to these necessary steps. And now as a Christian, we then need to\u2026
6) Continue in the faith <\/strong>by <\/strong>living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Matt. 24:13; Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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CHURCH OF CHRIST<\/strong>
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Sunday: 9 a.m.<\/strong> Bible Classes and 10 a.m.<\/strong> Worship Service. Congregational Song Service: 5 p.m. for every first Sunday of the month.<\/strong>
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https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/go\/all.htm<\/a> (This is a link to the older version of the Gospel Observer website, but with bulletins going back to March 4, 1990.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n