What does remaining in the vine mean?

 John 15:1-17

To me this passage of scripture (John 15:1-17) shows us a wonderful picture of how God loves his children both as individual people and corporately as the Church of Jesus Christ. In these verses we are shown a picture of true fathering by a loving Dad.

It shows a love that nurtures, encourages, teaches, and disciplines. It teaches that we face consequences when we step out of line with the parameters (the Bible) that the Father has set for us, when we wilfully remove ourselves from his shade and covering and walk in disobedience to our loving Father.

God is love and he expects his children (the Church) to love one another as he loves us!

1 John 4:7-12 (NIV) 

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 

The Apostle John in his The Gospel of John and in his letters to the Church (1, 2 and 3 John) shows us in the way he writes, that he has such a special brotherly love relationship with the Lord and is thus able to write about God’s love for us with such truth and conviction. The heart of love he had both for the Lord and for his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, could very well be the reason why the Lord chose him to close off the Bible by bringing us the last and final chapter in the Bible to us, the Revelation of Jesus Christ to His Church!

Right, now that we have set the scene in love, let’s continue looking at our main topic of ‘remaining in the vine.’

From John 15:1-17 I will attempt to give a simple explanation of our topic by splitting the verses into three sections. Firstly verses 1 – 5, secondly verses 5-8 and lastly verses 9-17.

John 15:1-5 (NIV) 

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 

 

When we examine our first section in verses 1-5 above, what do we see?

We see that Jesus is the vine and that God the Father is the gardener. He tends the vine, moulds it and shapes it. Jesus is in total submission to the will of the Father (Matthew 26:39) even unto death on a cross, just as a vine is to the one who tends it, the gardener.

Matt 26:39 

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” 

• Jesus is the vine and we, the Church, both as individuals and corporately, are the branches. And when we are in Christ Jesus (born-again) the Father tends us as well, through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

• God cuts off every branch that bears no fruit. What fruit should we be bearing? I believe it is the Fruit of the Spirit and the good works that proceed from us when we live life in the Spirit – when we are led by the Holy Spirit just as Jesus was when he was ministering on earth in his human capacity! Let the Fruit of the Spirit be manifest in us and through us to others. Just as they were in Jesus! We should continually bear good fruit just as we should be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 

 

Ephesians 5:18 (AMP) 

Do not get drunk with wine, for that is wickedness (corruption, stupidity), but be filled with the [Holy] Spirit and constantly guided by Him. 

 

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (AMP) 

7 “Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord

And whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord.

8 “For he will be [nourished] like a tree planted by the waters,

That spreads out its roots by the river;

And will not fear the heat when it comes;

But its leaves will be green and moist.

And it will not be anxious and concerned in a year of drought

Nor stop bearing fruit. 

•  As we walk in Christ Jesus, God leads us into maturity by pruning us so that we will bear more good fruit and will continue to bear good fruit. Sometimes this pruning can be quite painful as he cuts away the things of the world that are still clinging to us!

• Jesus tells us that we are already clean because we, if we are born-again, are in him. But……we must remain in him, being obedient to His Word (Bible) in every way and being led by the Holy Spirit. If we don’t remain in the vine (Jesus) there is a consequence! The Father will cut off every branch (any of us) that does not remain in Jesus and bear much fruit.

Let’s now examine verses 6 – 8 below.

 ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Let’s pause here from our topic and examine two words in verse six – ‘fire’ and ‘burned.’

The Greek word for fire used here is ‘pur’ (ref: Strongs 4442) and refers to the eternal or everlasting fire of God, or as we know it best, Hell! The place of eternal torment and separation from God – spiritual death. This is the same word for fire used in Matt 25:41 (NIV):

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

And now looking at the Greek word for burned which is ‘kaio’ – pronounced ‘kha-yo’ (ref: Strongs 2545) and means ‘I burn’ or ‘I consume with fire.’

What do we learn from verses 6 – 8?

• If we do not remain in him, if we fall away and don’t return in full, heart-felt repentance as the Prodigal Son did, we run the risk of withering and being thrown into the fire and burned. This speaks of being cast into Hell!

Once saved always saved? What about the great falling away – the Apostasy?

2 Thessalonians 2:3 (AMP)

Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 

You can’t fall away from something unless you were first a part of it!

You decide for yourself! As for me, I we will remain in the vine and come back to the Lord very quickly with a repentant heart when I slip! But I will try my best not to slip! For me it is important to say sorry to my heavenly Father, just as I would to my earthly father, when I slip even though I am covered by the blood of the lamb!

•  If we remain in Jesus, our prayers will be heard and will be answered, if we ask with the right motives, in love and in accordance with the will of the Father.

James 4:3 (NIV)

When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

 

Luke 22:42 (NIV)

 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 

•  When we bear much fruit – it will be to God’s (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) glory!

The next verses, 9 – 17, are all about the Father’s heart of love!

⁹ “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹ I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. ¹² My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³ Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. ¹⁷ This is my command: Love each other.

These last verses (9 – 17) in our topic passage are incredibly beautiful and expound the kind of love that the Father has for us and the kind of love that we should have for each other as brothers and sisters in Christ (His Church).

10 loving benefits we receive from remaining in the vine, John 1:1-17.

• We will be cleansed – purified (pruned) – vs 2. The word prunes here is from the Greek word ‘kathairo’ meaning: make clean by purging (removing undesirable elements); hence, "pruned (purged)"; eliminating what is fruitless by purifying.

• We will be fruitful – vs 2. The fruit of the spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

•  Jesus will remain in us – vs 4.

• We can ask whatever we wish, and it will be given to us – vs 7 & 16. But remembering James 4:3 above.

• We will be His disciples – vs 8.

• We will bring glory to the Father through Jesus – vs 8.

• We will remain in His love – vs 10.

•  His joy will be in us and will be complete – vs 11. Joy is a facet of the fruit of the Spirit.

• We will be His friend and he will show us all that the Father has shown him through the Comforter he sent to us – the holy Spirit! – vs 14. The Holy Spirit leads and guides us in all truth and brings us the gifts of the Spirit.

John 14:26 (AMP)

 But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.

 

John 16:12-13 (NKJV)

¹² “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 

• We will be chosen and appointed – vs 16. We are a royal priesthood.

1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV)

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

On the downside if we don’t remain in Him:

• We will be cut off – vs 2.

• We will not bear good fruit – vs 4.

• We will not be able to do anything – vs 5.

• We will be thrown in the fire and burned– vs 6.

• Sin will rule us if we do not remain in the vine, remain in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:12-14 (NKJV)

¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. ¹³ And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. ¹⁴ For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Who would want to be without Him?

Who would not want to remain in the vine?

Prayer:

Dear Lord, help me to remain in you always. Lead me and guide me in my daily walk in the power of your Holy Spirit. When I slip, Lord, help me to return to you quickly with a true repentant heart as your servant David did. Help me to be a man/woman after your own heart that my lifestyle, my actions, and my speech may glorify the name of Jesus. Help me, Lord, to love others as you love me. In the precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

 To Jesus belongs all glory, honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!

 

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My word is flawed the Bible is not!

Obadiah for Today

 The coming judgement of Edom and ultimately on all mankind!

Before we examine the Book of Obadiah itself let’s have a brief look at the prophet himself and the book’s historical setting.

The Book of Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old Testament being only twenty one verses long. Obadiah was given his vision from God by the power of the Holy Spirit in about 845BC during the reign of King Jehoram of Judah (853-841BC). Jehoram was one of the kings who is described in the Bible as “doing evil in the eyes of the Lord.” He was the son of Jehoshaphat and walked in the ways of the Kings of Israel, and in particular in the ways of the notorious King Ahab and his wife Jezebel, by worshipping the Phoenician gods Baal and Ashtoreth.

2 Kings 8:16-19 (NKJV)

16 Now in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Jehoshaphat having been king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat began to reign as king of Judah. 17 He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. 18 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the Lord. 19 Yet the Lord would not destroy Judah, for the sake of His servant David, as He promised him to give a lamp to him and his sons forever.

Obadiah’s prophetic vision began a period of about 300 years where prophet after prophet warned Judah to turn back to God or face exile and the destruction of Jerusalem.

It is interesting to note that the name Obadiah means servant or messenger of Yahweh which adds spiritual weight to his calling as a prophet of God.

The prophecy can be viewed in two parts, the first part from verses 1-14 is about the judgement and destruction of Edom, a land to the Southeast of Judah in what is now the Southwestern region of Jordan between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba.

The second part from verses 15-21 predicts the future judgement of all nations on “The Day of the Lord.”

Note: The verses from Obadiah are in italics, the explanation of the verse/s follows in straight text with additional scriptures shown in bold italics.

NKJV
1 The vision of Obadiah.
Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom
(We have heard a report from the Lord,
And a messenger has been sent among the nations, saying,
“Arise, and let us rise up against her for battle”):

In the opening verse of his prophecy, Obadiah makes it absolutely clear that his message concerning Edom is from God as he says, “Thus says the Lord God…..”. He then changes course slightly before continuing God’s message, to remind the Jews that both he (Obadiah) and the Jews have heard the same report from the Lord and the report is that God has sent a messenger to the surrounding nations to rally them for battle against Edom.

2 “Behold, I will make you small among the nations;
You shall be greatly despised.
3 The pride of your heart has deceived you,
You who dwell in the clefts of the rock,
Whose habitation is high;
You who say in your heart, ‘Who will bring me down to the ground?’
4 Though you ascend as high as the eagle,
And though you set your nest among the stars,
From there I will bring you down,” says the Lord.

In verses 2-4 above, God, through Obadiah, tells Edom that He will make them small among the nations and as such they will be despised. In verse 3 He tells them that their pride in their own abilities has been their downfall. The Edomites considered that their mountain fortresses to be impregnable and that no one would be able to defeat them. God tells them that even though they have these seemingly impregnable and high fortresses they are only birds’ nests to Him and He will bring them down and humble them!

5 “If thieves had come to you,
If robbers by night—
Oh, how you will be cut off!—
Would they not have stolen till they had enough?
If grape-gatherers had come to you,
Would they not have left some gleanings?

In verse 5 above Edom is told that unlike robbers who steal only what they need and unlike grape pickers who leave gleanings behind, God will take everything from them and completely obliterate them so that they will no longer be a nation. A very harsh judgement!

6 “Oh, how Esau shall be searched out!
How his hidden treasures shall be sought after!

In verse 6 above God deliberately refers to Edom as Esau as they were the descendants of Jacob’s twin brother Esau and they carried the same disregard for God as Esau had, who sold his birth right to satisfy his flesh! The phrase “Esau shall be searched out” refers to the Edomites having been tested by God and found to be seriously lacking in reverent fear for Him and His chosen people, Israel. When a nation oppose and despises Israel they are actually opposing and despising God! The Edomites were ancestrally kin to Israel who were Jacob’s descendants, but God found them to be severely lacking in ‘brotherly love’ for Israel.

Edom’s main wealth came from its iron and copper mines which are ‘hidden’ in the ground. These two elements, which they had become so proud of as they brought them great wealth as a nation, would be the source of their downfall and demise by the invasion of Edom’s surrounding nations. God will bring them down by the very things they hold in such great esteem! Pride was the downfall of Satan and is very much the downfall of man throughout history.

7 All the men in your confederacy
Shall force you to the border;
The men at peace with you
Shall deceive you and prevail against you.
Those who eat your bread shall lay a trap for you.
No one is aware of it.

In verse 7 above God tells Edom that all the nations that are allied with them and at peace with at this time, He will turn against them, and they will be a trap for them.

8 “Will I not in that day,” says the Lord,
“Even destroy the wise men from Edom,
And understanding from the mountains of Esau?

Edom had become well known among the nations of the time for having men who gave wise counsel. But God says that on the day that His judgement comes upon them, even their wisdom and understanding will be destroyed. There will be no one to be found that will give wise counsel!

9 Then your mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed,
To the end that everyone from the mountains of Esau
May be cut off by slaughter.

In verse 9 above God tells Edom that her so called mighty warriors – her army – will be defeated and slaughtered. Teman was the grandson of Esau and Edom’s capital city was named after him. Edom had become so puffed up with pride in their own abilities and wealth that they thought they were undefeatable as warriors. God humbles the proud and lifts up the humble!

Isaiah 2:12 (NKJV)
For the day of the Lord of hosts
Shall come upon everything proud and lofty,
Upon everything lifted up—
And it shall be brought low—

James 4:6 (AMP)

6 But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, “God is opposed to the proud and haughty, but [continually] gives [the gift of] grace to the humble [who turn away from self-righteousness].”

Edom Mistreated His Brother

In verses 10-16 below God tells Edom that they are going to be punished and completely eliminated as a nation because of their bad treatment of Israel.

10 “For violence against your brother Jacob,
Shame shall cover you,
And you shall be cut off forever.

In verse 10 above Edom is reminded of their past treachery and aggression towards their brother Jacob (Israel) and because of this they will be cut off from God forever.

Edom refused to give Israel safe passage when God was leading them to the promised land.

Numbers 20:17-21 (NIV)

17 Please let us pass through your country. We will not go through any field or vineyard, or drink water from any well. We will travel along the King’s Highway and not turn to the right or to the left until we have passed through your territory.”

18 But Edom answered:

“You may not pass through here; if you try, we will march out and attack you with the sword.”

19 The Israelites replied:

“We will go along the main road, and if we or our livestock drink any of your water, we will pay for it. We only want to pass through on foot—nothing else.”

20 Again they answered:

“You may not pass through.”

Then Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army. 21 Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them.

11 In the day that you stood on the other side—
In the day that strangers carried captive his forces,
When foreigners entered his gates
And cast lots for Jerusalem—
Even you were as one of them.
12 “But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother
In the day of his captivity;
Nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah
In the day of their destruction;
Nor should you have spoken proudly
In the day of distress.
13 You should not have entered the gate of My people
In the day of their calamity.
Indeed, you should not have gazed on their affliction
In the day of their calamity,
Nor laid hands on their substance
In the day of their calamity.
14 You should not have stood at the crossroads
To cut off those among them who escaped;
Nor should you have delivered up those among them who remained
In the day of distress.

In verses 11-14 God changes tack from what Edom did in the past to what they will do against Israel some three hundred years later when Israel is led into captivity by Babylon. This section is a warning for both Edom and Israel of what the future hold for them under God’s punishment.

In verse 11 God tells Edom that they will not only stand aside and watch Babylon attack Israel, but they will join forces with the Babylonians and help them to attack and ransack Jerusalem.

In verse 12-14 Edom is told what they should not do at this future date, but they will do it anyway.

They should not:

• Gloat over Israel’s captivity – verse 12.

• Rejoice over Israel’s captivity – verse 12.

• Nor should they proudly speak about Israel’s distress - verse 12.

• Join forces with Babylon to ransack Jerusalem – verse 13.

• Gloat over Israel’s affliction – verse 13.

• Lay hands on any Israelite or their possessions – verse 13.

• Nor should they capture any Israelite that escapes from Jerusalem and hand them over to the Babylonians – verse 14.

All these things that they were told not to do against Israel they actually did at the time of the Israel’s exile to Babylon. The did not take any notice of Obadiah’s prophetic warning of the future from God! These scriptures still apply today! We will all have to face God’s judgement on the Day of the Lord, we will all have to give and account of ourselves for the lives we have led to God!

Romans 14:11-12 (NIV)

11 It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,

‘every knee will bow before me;

every tongue will acknowledge God.’”[Isaiah 45:23]

12 So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

All nations will be judged.

15 “For the day of the Lord upon all the nations is near;
As you have done, it shall be done to you;
Your reprisal (can also be translated as reward) shall return upon your own head.

In verse 15 Obadiah introduces us to a phrase that refers to the second coming of Jesus, “The Day of the Lord.” All nations will be Judged according to their treatment of Israel just as Edom were going to be and many other nations like them past, present, and future. Any nation that takes up arms in any form against Israel will be destroyed – past, present, and future.

The phrase “The Day of the Lord” was used by some prophets that followed Obadiah to predict the second coming of Jesus and also by some of the New Testament writers.

Joel 3:14 (NIV)

Multitudes, multitudes

in the valley of decision!

For the day of the Lord is near

in the valley of decision.

Zephaniah 1:14 (NIV)

The great day of the Lord is near—

near and coming quickly.

The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter;

the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry.

Ezekiel 30:3 (NIV)

For the day is near,

the day of the Lord is near—

a day of clouds,

a time of doom for the nations.

Revelation 6:15-17 (NIV)

15 Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?”

Romans 2:5 (NIV)

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.

16 For as you drank on My holy mountain,
So shall all the nations drink continually;
Yes, they shall drink, and swallow,
And they shall be as though they had never been.

In verse 16 above Obadiah reinforces the fact that as Edom was punished so shall all nations be punished who stand against Israel – past, present, and future. They will drink of God’s cup of wrath and be eliminated forever!

Psalm 75:8 (AMP)

For a cup [of His wrath] is in the hand of the Lord, and the wine foams;

It is well mixed and fully spiced, and He pours out from it;

And all the wicked of the earth must drain it and drink down to its dregs.

Revelation 14:10 (AMP)

he too will [have to] drink of the wine of the wrath of God, mixed undiluted into the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone (flaming sulfur) in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb (Christ).

Israel’s Final Triumph.

17 “But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance (salvation),
And there shall be holiness;
The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

Now, my dear Readers, in verse 17 above there is so much information for today’s Christian to learn and to understand about the second coming of Jesus.

Let’s take a look at Mount Zion.

Mount Zion is the highest point in the City of Jerusalem. The Bible describes Mount Zion as God’s holy mountain. And more often than not when the Bible refers to Zion it is speaking about Jerusalem.

Joel 2:1-2 (AMP)

Blow the trumpet in Zion [warning of impending judgment],

Sound an alarm on My holy mountain [Zion]!

Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble and shudder in fear,

For the [judgment] day of the Lord is coming;

It is close at hand,

In the New Testament we are shown that Zion also refers to the new, heavenly Jerusalem from which the Lord Jesus will reign and rule with His Church on the New Heaven and the New Earth.

Hebrews 12:22-24 (NKJV)

22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

Verse 17 also tells us that Israel, the house of Jacob, will receive their salvation at this future time and Israel and the Church will become one!

1 Peter 2:6 (NKJV)

Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

“Behold, I lay in Zion

A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,

And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”

In 1 Peter 2:6 above we are told that God has placed in Zion (Jerusalem) His chief cornerstone which is Christ Jesus. This also confirmed in Romans 9:33.

Romans 9:33 (NKJV)

As it is written:

“Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense,

And whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

18 The house of Jacob shall be a fire,
And the house of Joseph a flame;
But the house of Esau shall be stubble;
They shall kindle them and devour them,
And no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau,”
For the Lord has spoken.
19 The South shall possess the mountains of Esau,
And the Lowland shall possess Philistia.
They shall possess the fields of Ephraim
And the fields of Samaria.
Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
20 And the captives of this host of the children of Israel
Shall possess the land of the Canaanites
As far as Zarephath.
The captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
Shall possess the cities of the South.
21 Then saviors (or deliverers) shall come to Mount Zion
To judge the mountains of Esau,
And the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.

In verse 18-21 above Obadiah’s prophecy tells us that the nations that come out against Israel at the end times will be totally destroyed and the original promised land will be restored to Israel once again.

Verse 18 mentions that Jacob will be a fire and Joseph a flame - I believe that these adjectives, fire and flame, represent the ‘saved’ Israel (the Jewish nation) and that Esau represents the ungodly nations that come against Israel at Armageddon.

Verse 19-21 tell us that these future ungodly nations, like Edom, will be totally destroyed as prophesied in accordance with the Word of God – the entire promised land will thus once again be restored to Israel.

If you look at a map of the Middle East today you will see that Edom, Moab, Philistia etc are no longer there but Israel is! There are no longer any Philistines, Edomites, Moabites, Jebusites, Hittites etc. God has eliminated them because of their ungodly and rebellious ways.

What lessons can Christians today learn from Obadiah’s prophecy?

In this section, my Dear Readers, it is important to keep the following scriptures in mind:

Romans 15:4 (AMP)

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope and overflow with confidence in His promises.

2 Timothy 16-17 (AMP)

16 All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage]; 17 so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, outfitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

1. God is patient.
God gives everybody, individuals and nations, enough time to repent of their wicked ways and come to Him by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour and by turning away from their sin.

Obadiah’s prophecy was spoken to Edom in about 845BC, but they took no notice, they didn’t repent because in 587BC, some 300 years later, when the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem and took the Israelites into captivity, the Edomites were there spurring the Babylonians on!

Psalm 137:7 (NIV)

Remember, Lord, what the Edomites did

on the day Jerusalem fell.

“Tear it down,” they cried,

“tear it down to its foundations!”

History records that Edom was overrun by the Arabs from the West and the Nabateans from the East in the 6th century BC, and they were forced into the Negev to live as Bedouins. The southern part of Israel is called the Negev. It is a "tame" desert, with occasional rain in some areas, and some land that is valuable for livestock and certain crops. The arid Negev (Negev means "dry") lies south of the Hebron Mountains that form the southern section of Israel's central mountain range. The Negev was renamed Idumea (Idumea means land of the red people – descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother) after the Edomites arrived there and what was left of them was forcibly Judaized by Hyrcanus in c.134BC and the Edomite people were absorbed into the culture there and were no longer a nation!

John Hyrcanus was a Hasmonean (Maccabean) leader and Jewish high priest of the 2nd century BC. In rabbinic literature he is often referred to as Yoḥanan Cohen Gadol, "John the High Priest.” He bought the kingship of Israel from Julius Caesar so was not appointed or anointed to be king by God.

It took about 600-700 years for Obadiah’s prophecy, and the prophecies of many other of God’s prophets that followed him, on Edom to be fully realised. At no time did Edom repent of their ways or their enmity towards Israel!

2. God does what He says he will do.
The elimination of the Edomites and the Philistines, along with many other nations that were enemies of Israel, are prime examples of God carrying out His word!

He will curse those that curse Israel and bless those that bless Israel.

Genesis 12:3 (NIV)

I will bless those who bless you,

and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

will be blessed through you.”

This still applies to today and until the end of the age!

3. We must choose who we want to be like! Do we want to be like Esau or Jacob?
In the Book of Hebrews, we (today’s Church) are told not to be like Esau who lived according to the dictates of the flesh and was unrepentant.

Hebrews 12:16 (AMP)

16 and [see to it] that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that later on, when he wanted [to regain title to] his inheritance of the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance [there was no way to repair what he had done, no chance to recall the choice he had made], even though he sought for it with [bitter] tears.

Instead, we are told to be like Jacob who clung to God with all his strength until he received the full blessing of sonship. He did not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. We must become born again and live and act out our lives in alignment with the Word of God.

John 3:3 (AMP)

Jesus answered him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.”

Romans 8:5-8 (NIV)

5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

Galatians 5:16-17 (AMP)

16 But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts]. 17 For the sinful nature has its desire which is opposed to the Spirit, and the [desire of the] Spirit opposes the sinful nature; for these [two, the sinful nature and the Spirit] are in direct opposition to each other [continually in conflict], so that you [as believers] do not [always] do whatever [good things] you want to do.

The Bible encourages us to be like Jacob – a man who was broken by God and became a prince and whose name became Israel. We, as born again Christians, are sons and daughters of God and co-heirs of all God’s promises in Christ Jesus! Our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life! We are a royal priesthood, a chosen generation!

Psalm 135:4 (NIV)

For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own,

Israel to be his treasured possession.

Romans 9:13 (NIV)

Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.

Malachi 1:2-4 (NIV)

2 “I have loved you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask, ‘How have you loved us?’

“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob, 3 but Esau I have hated, and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.”

4 Edom may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild the ruins.”

But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish. They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord.

 In Christ Jesus we are God’s children, a chosen generation!

Romans 8:17 (AMP)

And if [we are His] children, [then we are His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His spiritual blessing and inheritance], if indeed we share in His suffering so that we may also share in His glory.

1 Peter 2:9-10 (AMP)

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a [special] people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people [at all], but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Revelation 20:15 (NKJV)

And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

4. All nations and all human beings past, present and future will face judgement on the Day of the Lord.

Revelation 20:11-15 (NIV)

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Those who have repented (turned away from) their sin and have accepted and believed in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and as their Lord and Saviour, will receive everlasting life in heaven. Those who have not will be cast into Hell for eternity!

Prayer:
Dear Father in Heaven
I pray in the name of Jesus that you would examine my heart that I may not sin against you. Help me Lord to be quick to repent when I sin. Help me Lord to be ever humble before you and not to become puffed up with pride. Fill me with your Holy Spirit, Lord, that I may live a live worthy of my salvation in Christ Jesus, a life that will bring glory to Jesus and Him alone. Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My word is flawed the Bible is not!

Unpacking Ephesians: Chapter 6

This is the final chapter in the Book of Ephesians and is thus the last article in the series ‘Unpacking Ephesians’.

Note: The verses from Ephesians are in italics, the explanation of the verse/s follows in straight text with additional scriptures shown in bold italics.

In this chapter in verses 1-9 Paul directly addresses Children, Fathers, Slaves and Masters, instructing them on how to behave in a Godly way in four different relationship scenarios, firstly in the Child/Parent relationship, secondly in the Father/Child relationship, thirdly in the Slave/Master relationship and fourthly in the Master/Slave relationship.

And in verses 10-20 he tells us how to spiritually clothe ourselves in order protect ourselves from Satan’s attacks.

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

In verse one above, Paul’s first instruction to children is to obey your parents in the Lord as it is the right thing to do in the eyes of God.

Here it is important to know that the parents are to be in the Lord, that is they must be born again. Now this does not mean that if the parents are not born again, their children don’t have to obey them! On the contrary you should always obey even your unsaved parents, but if your unsaved parents are telling or advising you to do something ungodly then you should not obey them but rather tell them in a loving way the reason why you cannot obey an ungodly instruction from them. This will be a witness to them in your commitment to follow Jesus.

In verse two the instruction to children is to honour your father and mother. Paul does not insert the words ‘in the Lord’ here as the instruction for children to honour their parents applies to both the believing and the unbelieving parents.

What does honouring your parents mean?

In verse 2 the Greek word for ‘honour’ is ‘timaó’ (pronounced tim-ah’-o, Srong’s 5091) and its literal meaning is to put a value on something that belongs to you. In the Biblical sense of the word, it means to hold something or someone in high esteem or of high value to you and to have a high reverence for someone, and to venerate someone, venerate meaning to have a high respect for them.

Honour your parents is the first command that has a promise from God attached to it (“so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth”). The promise is that when you do this all will go well for you throughout your life on this earth! This is a guarantee from God as all his promises for those in Christ Jesus are yes and amen! This doesn’t mean that you will have a trouble free life that you will just breeze through. It means in Christ Jesus you will be able to stand firm through the storms of life and still be standing at the end!

2 Corinthians 1:20 (NKJV)

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

1 Corinthians 16:13 (AMP)

Be on guard; stand firm in your faith [in God, respecting His precepts and keeping your doctrine sound]. Act like [mature] men and be courageous; be strong.

4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

In verse 4 above fathers are instructed not to exasperate their children and if we read this scripture in the Amplified Bible, we see that it brings out the full meaning of what exasperating your children is!

Paul also strongly reminds fathers to bring up their children in the training, discipline and instruction of the Lord found in the scriptures.

Ephesians 6:4 (AMP)

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to the point of resentment with demands that are trivial or unreasonable or humiliating or abusive; nor by showing favoritism or indifference to any of them], but bring them up [tenderly, with lovingkindness] in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Proverbs 22:6 (AMP)

Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents],

Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

In verses 5-8 above Paul instructs slaves on how to conduct themselves for their masters. In these modern times when slavery has supposedly been abolished, we can relate this to our work lives where we have bosses in the form of managers and supervisors and such like people in authority over us. This section refers to Christians working for Christians but of course there are many Christians that are not employed by Christians and Christian organisations, and in these cases, Christians are to still act in a Godly manner that will bring glory to Jesus!

As born again Christians how do we need to behave in the workplace? Paul, in verse 5 gives us instructions on how to be a good employee and to work as if serving the Lord himself!

Verse 5:

• Be obedient and follow the instructions and regulations of the company.

• Have respect for your superiors and work colleagues.

• Be afraid with a Godly reverence to deliberately do things wrong.

• Do your work with sincerity.

In verses 6-8 we are told why we should comply with the instructions in verse 5.

• When we are obedient in doing them, we will be doing the will of God and Jesus will be glorified.

• When we are wholeheartedly obedient in this, we are serving the Lord and not people.

• And most importantly our ultimate reward will come from Jesus when we are obedient and prove ourselves do be Godly employees.

9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

In verse nine above Paul is referring to Christian employers and bosses. They are to treat their employees with respect and in a reverent fear of God. They are not to threaten their employees or subordinates or Lord it over them in any way, both Christian and non-Christian employees alike, because the overall master of all people is Jesus. Every employee is to be treated with fairness and love and without favouritism.

The Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

In the four verses above Paul is giving us a pre-battle pep talk. He knows what battles we’re going to face in our daily walk because he’s been there and done it. He’s been whipped, stoned, left for dead, bitten by a poisonous snake and for good measure, whipped some more and left for dead. He tells us to clothe ourselves in the full armour of God so that we will be able to withstand the evil spiritual forces that the devil musters against each and every born again Christian in the heavenly realms.

He knows we’re facing a spiritual battle, a battle that is not against flesh and blood and he tells us to be prepared, to be strong in the Lord to and make sure that we clothe ourselves in God’s protection – the full Armour of God. When we do this, we will be able to stand firm and strong in the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit. We will then be fully equipped to defeat the enemy in our daily walk in Christ Jesus!

When we put on the full Armour of God, and are fully submitted to God and are walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to withstand and resist the evil forces that come against us.

James 4:7 (AMP)

So submit to [the authority of] God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him] and he will flee from you.

In his writing of verses 14-17 below, I think we need to understand that Paul would have been very familiar with the Roman soldier dressed in full battle armour, after all he was escorted by Roman soldiers on more than a few occasions. He uses the analogy of a soldier’s armour to describe how we should be spiritually dressed and prepared to do battle with the devil as part of God’s army!

Paul also knew that no Roman soldier would ever dream of going into battle without putting on his full battle armour. The Roman soldier was probably the best protected soldier of the time, and his armour was designed to be effective against most enemy weapons of the time.

In the verses below we can examine each part of the Armour of God that Paul mentions:

14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

On a Roman soldier it is the belt that holds the other pieces of body armour in place, and it is on the belt that the sword is hung. When a Roman soldier had finished putting on his body armour, he would gird his loins with a belt as described above. This meant that he was now ready for service and to go into battle. So what Paul is saying here is that we need to gird ourselves to do battle with the belt of truth which is our integrity and right standing (being born again) in Christ Jesus and our walking in the Spirit together with our knowledge of the Bible.

The breastplate of a soldier’s armour does as it says it covers the breast, the area between the waist and the shoulders. It protects the soldier’s vital organs and most significantly it protects the heart. For the soldier of the flesh the breastplate is made of iron. For us, the spiritual soldier, our breastplate is made of our righteousness in Christ Jesus, our righteousness protects our hearts and minds from the attack of the evil one!

We all know that the Devil constantly attacks our hearts and minds with lies, accusations, and reminders of our past sin. If we do not clothe ourselves with the breastplate of righteousness the Devil’s lying arrows will penetrate our hearts and render us null and void. Be aware of who you are in Christ Jesus and come boldly into His presence and he will fill you with his Holy Spirit who will cement your righteousness in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Don’t try and take on the enemy without first praying and then being led by the Holy Spirit with all your armour on!

15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

Now, keeping the Roman soldier in mind, what did he wear on his feet when marching and going into battle? He wore heavy duty, hobnailed boots called Caligae – no Roman soldier marched or went into battle without them! They were the strongest footwear going in that time – military Doc Martens!

For the battle shoes of the Church, the spiritual soldier, we need to put on the peace that comes from the Good News of the Gospel in Christ Jesus so that you will be fully prepared. Our spiritual shoes (our peace in Christ Jesus) allows us to step freely, in the Spirit, and without fear while we turn our full attention to the battle at hand.

Physical battle shoes aid the soldier in his movement and defence. For us as spiritual soldiers in Christ’s army, when our feet are ready to march, the peace that God gives us in Christ Jesus will propel us onward to proclaim the victory over the enemy. The peace that surpasses all understanding. We need to prepare ourselves to follow the Lord no matter what.

John 14:27 (NIV)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

The shield not only defends the Roman soldier’s whole body but also His armour. The shield of faith has a very specific function, which the Bible makes abundantly clear, and that is it will quench all the fiery darts of the evil one and all his wicked followers. Not some, not most, but all of them.

The shield moves with the attack no matter what direction it is coming from. This is the kind of faith that Moses had when he confronted Pharaoh to let Israel go. It is the kind of faith that Elijah had when he confronted the prophets of Baal, the faith David had when he fought Goliath, the kind of faith Jesus had in his Father when he walked on earth, and this faith is made available to us today through the Holy Spirit! Without faith it is impossible to please God!

Hebrews 11:6 (AMP)

But without faith it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.

17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

The Roman soldier’s helmet was made of iron and was strong enough to withstand several hefty sword or spiked battle club blows. It covered the whole head and the back of the neck with just slits for the eyes and for the mouth. It even had an iron piece to protect the bridge of the nose and the cheeks.

Satan's favourite target is our mind. We have often heard it said that our minds are the devil’s playground. Satan's weapons are lies and false accusations. The enemy wants to make us doubt God and our salvation.

The helmet of salvation protects our minds from doubting the truth of God's saving work in us. The assurance of salvation is in Christ Jesus and the truth of the Word!

1 Thessalonians 5:8 (NIV)

But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.

The Roman soldier’s sword was light and short and ideal for hand-to-hand combat where short, stabbing motions were required. It was not only a weapon of offence but was also ideal for defense as well.

The believer as a spiritual soldier needs to be prepared to go head to head and toe to toe with the devil at all times.

The sword of the Spirit – the Bible, the Word of God, is not only a weapon of offense in the armour, but also a tool for defence. Strongholds, arguments and thoughts are all weapons the enemy uses against us. With the Sword of the Spirit, God's word, the Church is equipped to deal with them all. We need to trust in the truth of God's Word.

Have confidence in the value of God's word and develop a hunger and desire to know it and study it. When Jesus went head to head with the devil in the dessert – Matt 4:10-11 – he used the Word to defeat him and resist temptation. We need to be prepared to battle the enemy in the same way. By the Word of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 4:10-11

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Hebrews 4:12 (KJV)

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

And last but not by any means least, prayer! Every believer and the Church corporately, needs to be constantly in prayer. Praying in the Spirit in tongues and praying in the Spirit in our understanding.

We need to be constantly praying the Word into our lives and into the lives of others, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, Eph 6:12, and so we always need to be in the Spirit – walking in the Spirit. The battle is won in the heavenly realms. Prayer is an integral part of our worship of God – it should never be neglected. Praying in the Spirit in our understanding and praying in the Spirit in tongues always!

Matt 18:18 (KJV)

Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Praying in the Spirit is mentioned three times in Scripture.

1 Corinthians 14:14-15 (AMP)

14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unproductive [because it does not understand what my spirit is praying]. 15 Then what am I to do? I will pray with the spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me] and I will pray with the mind [using words I understand]; I will sing with the spirit [by the Holy Spirit that is within me] and I will sing with the mind [using words I understand].

The Greek word translated “pray in” can have several different meanings. It can mean “by means of,” “with the help of,” “in the sphere of,” and “in connection to.” Praying in the Spirit does not refer to the words we are saying. Rather, it refers to how we are praying. Praying in the Spirit is praying according to the Spirit’s leading. It is praying for things the Spirit leads us to pray for. In this way it is praying in the will of the Father!

Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)

26 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. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

Some believers, based on 1 Corinthians 14:15, equate praying in the Spirit with praying in tongues only, but this is not the case.

In teaching about the gift of tongues, Paul mentions “pray with my spirit.” First Corinthians 14:14 states that when a person prays in tongues, he does not know what he is saying, since it is spoken in a language he does not know. Further, no one else can understand what is being said, unless there is an interpreter, interpretation of tongues being another gift of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 14:27-28 (NKJV)

27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. 28 But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.

In Ephesians 6:18, Paul instructs us to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” How are we to pray with all kinds of prayers and requests and pray for the saints in agreement, if no one, including the person praying, understands what is being said?

Therefore, praying in the Spirit should be understood as praying in the power of the Holy Spirit, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, and according to His will (the Father’s), not solely as praying in tongues.

1 Corinthians 14:4 (NIV)

4 Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.

19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

In verses 19-20 above Paul asks the Ephesian Church to also pray for him. Everybody needs prayer especially in the body of believers. It is just as important for the Church to pray for our pastors and other leaders, as it is for them to pray for us. Those within the body that hold leadership roles are in the direct firing line of Satan and his dominions and need a solid and continual prayer covering.

In verse 19 Paul is specifically asking the Church to pray that he will be given the right words, by the Holy Spirit, so that he will fearlessly proclaim the gospel of salvation in Christ Jesus. This is something that we should all be praying for each other on a daily basis as we are all called to proclaim the gospel to the world and to make disciples.

Mark 16:15 (NIV)

He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

In verse 20 Paul goes on to say that for the gospel he is an “ambassador in chains”. Now, what he means by this is that he is the representative of Jesus to the world and in particular to the gentiles and as His representative he is spiritually bound as if by chains to proclaim the gospel wherever he goes. Remember his opening statement in Ephesians 3 where he says he is a prisoner of Christ!

Acts 9:15-16 (NKJV)

15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

Remember, dear readers, that we who are born again Christians are all disciples of Jesus and what was given to Paul to teach, was given to him by the Holy Spirit and his teachings still apply to us today and beyond until Christ’s return. Paul encourages us to imitate him as he imitates Christ.

1 Corinthians 11:1 (NKJV)

Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

All believers are commissioned to preach the gospel everywhere – at home, at work, at play and wherever we go!

Final Greetings

21 Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. 22 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.
23 Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.

And finally in verses 21-24 Paul ends with a final greeting to the Ephesian Church with a message of love, peace, faith and grace to all who love Jesus. This is the message that we should all leave with our brothers and sisters in Christ when we are apart and also when we are together.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven
I pray in the name of Jesus that you would fill me with your Holy Spirit and help me to walk in love, to walk in your light and to become an imitator of Jesus in every way. I pray too that you would bless my marriage and help me to become the husband/wife, Mother/Father, Employer/Employee, Manager/Subordinate that your Word instructs me to be. I pray too Lord that you would remind me to be clothed in the full Armour of God. I recognise that I can only do this with your help Lord Jesus! Amen.

To Jesus belongs all glory honour and praise!

Jesus the Name above all names!

Remember: Reading this article is no substitute for reading and studying the Bible for yourself. My word is flawed the Bible is not!