Category: Ephesians

  • Give Thanks – Pray without ceasing

    The busy little gray squirrel was happily munching on some  sunflower seeds someone had left. The trail is clearly marked with don’t feel the birds’ signs, but there are always plenty of seeds left around for the squirrels and birds.

    This little fellow looked to me as if he were offering a prayer of thanksgiving. He had his eyes closed right up until I snapped the shot.

    He got me thinking about the custom of saying “grace” or giving thanks before a meal. Why do we call it grace, and does the Bible tell us to do it?

    I couldn’t find a definitive answer to why it is called a grace. From early church days, a short prayer of thanks acknowledging God’s grace and provision was called a “grace,” so perhaps that’s where it comes from.

    The Bible doesn’t explicitly tell us to offer a blessing before a meal, though it does call us, in general terms, to be thankful. 


    Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you I Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV

    We do see the practice modeled in Scripture.

    Jesus gave thanks after the miracles of the loaves and fishes (Matthew 14:19-21; 15:34-36). At the Last Supper, He called his followers to give thanks (Luke 24:30).

    When lost at sea, Paul offered thanks for the food.

    As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.”And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat. Acts 27:33-35 ESV

    When we give thanks for our food, we acknowledge that all things come from Him.

    Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20 ESV

    For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:36 ESV

    Give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 6:11 ESV

    Offering a prayer of grace or thanksgiving is not a requirement given by God, but a simple acknowledgement of gratitude for His provision.

    May we learn to practice gratitude.

    Be blessed

    Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

    Some Reading Suggestions

    The boardwalk – what others think of Jesus. Is He the only way

    Is it right belief or right living?

    The gospel – the best news ever

    The Seven Sayings of Christ on the Cross

  • Reading Paul’s Mail – A Taste of the Pauline Epistles

    a row of Canada Post community mailboxes

    I order some of my shirts online. I’d rather shop locally, but can  rarely find what I want, and if I do find it, the sizing is wrong or the pricing is outrageous.

    The one company delivers via the postal service, and I’m expecting a delivery, so I have been thinking about the mail recently.

    I do miss getting regular mail delivered to our door. Now we have a community mailbox, and 95% or more of what we get are flyers and the occasional bill. I’m old enough to remember when the post was the most common way of getting news and keeping in touch. Long-distance calls were made after 6 PM or on weekends and were still expensive, so you rarely phoned, sending a letter instead.

    The Apostle Paul was a prolific letter writer. He didn’t have the phone or the internet. Depending on which scholars you believe, Paul wrote between seven and thirteen of the New Testament epistles. I’m sure that he wrote many more that never made it into the canon of Scripture.

    Every one of his letters contains a corrective of some kind to the church. I’m certain that receiving his letters was a mixed blessing.

    This morning, I was reading and praying through his missive to the church in Rome. There is some powerful stuff in his epistle, starting from the opening lines.

    Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ, To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 1:1-7

    He opens by identifying himself. Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God.. Our culture is very sensitive about certain topics. The word servant here is doulos in the Greek, and it is sometimes translated as bondservant. What it really means is slave.

    Paul understood that he owed everything to Christ, and his life was dedicated to the Lord’s service. How many professing Christians today understand that truth?

    His task was “to bring about the obedience of faith.” That’s interesting wording and a mind-blowing concept.

    Coming to faith in Jesus is an act of obedience to God’s calling on our lives. We can debate the mechanics of how that occurs, but to reject God’s call is an act of willful rebellion, an act of incredible sin.

    Even our ability to move in that obedience is up to Him. The faith to respond is a gift.

    For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

    The Lord created us. He died in our stead. He calls us. He empowers us with the faith we need. All that we are and will be is because of His great love for us. 

    He did all that despite our broken and sinful nature, wandering hearts, and tendency to wander. What an incredible set of gifts He has given us.

    In reading his letters, we can see that Paul understood all that. By God’s grace, Paul was transformed from a hater of Jesus to a willing slave. How can we not follow his example to love and serve the one who has done it all? 

    Take some time today to offer praise and thanksgiving.

    Kevin

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