EPHESIANS: WORKS, PART 5

Cleaning the house and the ministry every Friday for the Sabbath is hard work.  This medical condition makes cleaning very difficult.  I have to rest every few minutes.  Pushing, pulling, shoving and lifting is very exhausting.  Preparing for the Sabbath rest can be a very hectic and challenging experience.  However, the Sabbath rest makes it all worthwhile.  I enjoy the Sabbath so much after Friday’s cleaning.

Cleaning up the life is not easy either.  Preparing for our “Sabbath rest” when Jesus comes is hard work.  We have much to do in preparing for Heaven.  The saints of God must overcome every sin.  We must be imitators of God, living His perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life.  But we don’t have to do it alone.  Just as I have a vacuum cleaner to help me clean the floor and other cleaning material to help with windows, dishes and bathrooms, so too, we have help available to us from God.  Yet, we must do the work.  We must look into every crook and cranny of our lives, search back into our past, and repent from all of our sins, turning away from them and walking in the refreshing breeze of the Spirit of God.  Friday evening, looking upon a clean house, brings joy and rest to the spirit.

Ephesians 5:1 to Ephesians 5:21

So be imitators of God, as his dear children. 

Of ourselves, not so easy.  We can go to human sources to clean up our lives, yet, it doesn’t last.  The demons will return with a vengeance without the Spirit of God filling our lives.  To become “His dear children” we must be “imitators of God”.  Always keep in mind the story Jesus told of the house that was cleaned up.  The demon was cast out.  But the owner got lazy and didn’t fill the house with good things.  Soon the demon came back to take a look.  The house was so clean and empty he decided to move back in.  But this time, he invited his many friends to join him and the house was in worse shape than it was before.  Cleaning up some bad habits may look good on the outside, but unless you fill the empty space on the inside with the Spirit of God and His good works, it won’t last.

Live lovingly, just as the Messiah also loved us and gave himself for us as an offering and sacrifice, a fragrant aroma to God. 

I have been experiencing the “fragrant aroma” of love myself.  Every time someone does a loving act for me, it is amazing how refreshing it is in my life.  I want to do the same for others.  “Just as”!  Wow, that is not easy.  Jesus never thought of Himself.  He never thought, “What I will have for lunch?”  Not once.  He never thought, “What should I wear today?”  Not once.  He never planned, “Where should I go today?”  Not once.  How often throughout the day are we thinking of ourselves?  To offer ourselves as living sacrifices for the good of others is truly a work.

Do not let sexual sin, impurity of any kind, or greed even be mentioned among you, as is proper for saints. 

“Or greed”!  Most usually stop at the sexual and refuse to let the mind dwell on the “greed” part.  Coveting!  It ruins so many lives: Husband and wife, employees, students, children, all coveting what they want.  Coveting leads to strife, contention and destruction.

Love and sex are not always the same.  Sex can be used as a weapon.  Self-sexual gratification without the responsibility is not love.  So many lives are ruined today because of sex.  Unable to control the lower passions brings such darkness to the soul.  True love is responsibility for our acts.

Obscene, flippant, or vulgar talk is totally inappropriate. Instead, let there be thanksgiving. 

I’m working hard on this one.  Years of flippant and vulgar — off color suggestions from my father — have literally ruined my life.  Yet, through the power of God and keeping my mind on thanksgiving is allowing me to win the battle.  Obscenity through our words, actions or what we read and see only produces filthy lives.  That “flippant” talk is also something we need to control.  I wonder, would “comedy” fall under that category?  In today’s world, broadcasting every insane thought has become universal.  We need to make sure that what we text, post and share is for the glory of God.  When you realize that we will be judged by every word we have ever spoken, that might bring terror to our lives.  “Be still and know that I am God.”  Wise words.

For you know very well that no immoral or impure person, or anyone who is greedy (that is, an idolater), has an inheritance in the kingdom of the Messiah and of God. 

Being “greedy” doesn’t just mean gathering up money or things, but can also be gathering up pride, ego, power, position and other non-tangible items.  Gathering immoral or impure thoughts is also greed.  In one sense, we have all be idolaters.

Do not let anyone deceive you with meaningless words, for it is because of these things that God becomes angry with those who disobey.  So do not be partners with them. 

‘Meaningless words”.  How many of us throw around meaningless words all day long?  Words that have no meaning except to make us sound or look “good”.  Our churches put out meaningless words by the bucketful’s.  Most of the meaningless words are from those who want to “deceive you”.

For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, 

When we become “children of Light”, we begin putting away the darkness from our lives.  At first we may only be a 10-watt lightbulb.  But as we get closer to the Generating Power Plant our bulb will become more powerful.  The more powerful the Light in the life, the less darkness.  The less we talk, the brighter the bulb.  “Be still and know that I am God”.  Not much of that going on in our lives.

for the fruit that the light produces consists of every form of goodness, righteousness, and truth. 

“Every form”.  We are way too limited in our thinking.  Our churches have put a hood over our heads.  We need to get closer to the Power Plant and learn of “every form of goodness, righteousness, and truth”.  This little ministry started out sending the first volume of “Change Your Life Biblically” to inmates.  Then there was the second volume.  Then a third.  Then the ministry discovered the internet.  Eventually we built a “studio” where we are able to produce videos for YouTube and other sites.  Now we have the possibility of reaching over five million people a day.

Determine what pleases the Lord, . . .

Keeping that concept in mind throughout the day is not an easy task.  It is hard work.  More often than not, we do what pleases “me” or those around us.  We must change our lives!

. . . and have nothing to do with the unfruitful actions that darkness produces. Instead, expose them for what they are. 

This newsletter was started back around October of 2022, just before the midterm elections.  I was thankful to the Lord for raising up candidates who were standing up for God, family and country.  I am thankful for the men and women, Jews, Catholics and Protestants, He is rising up to use the internet and other media sources to teach people what is right and wrong.  This little ministry is doing its part, as God directs, to point people to Jesus.  I thank all of you who support this little ministry in its appointed duty.

For it is shameful even to mention what is done by these disobedient people in secret. 

Yes it is.  There is a political party out there that is under the control of Lucifer to bring about wickedness and destroy righteousness.  Children are being sexualized and mutilated, criminals are being hailed as heroes while victims are being treated as criminals.  Whole cities are being destroyed because wickedness has taken over a political party to destroy what God has created.

But everything that is exposed to the light becomes visible, 

There are those in congress now, 2023, who are lighting up the dark and exposing the evil that has been pervading the world.  In prophecy, God designated the United States of America to show the world what Christianity would do for people and countries if they would live by His principles.  For 250 years this country was a blessing to the world.  The devil is trying to destroy God’s plan.

. . . for the light is making everything visible. That is why it says, “Wake up, sleeper! Arise from the dead, and the Messiah will shine on you.” 

How true that was just before the midterm elections of 2022.  Hispanics, blacks, women and others began waking up and leaving the party of destruction and going to the party of sanity.  God allowed the movement of events in the 2020 election to show people what happens when wickedness is allowed to rule.  The “light” of truth is “making everything visible” and people and beginning to see the importance of law and order and Christian values.

So, then, be careful how you live. Do not be unwise but wise, 

The people of the world are waking up and becoming “wise” to what wickedness is doing.  The people are throwing out the wicked and returning to their roots: God, family and country.

. . . making the best use of your time because the times are evil. 

Yes they are.  The closing events of earth’s history are rapidly descending upon us.  The pendulum is swinging to the right.  For a few years we will have peace and safety in order to get out the truth.  We must work harder now than we have ever worked before.  This window of opportunity will close in a few years.  I thank all of you for your sacrificial support so we can work together in presenting to the world God’s truth.

Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 

The churches and denominations today have no understanding of “what the Lord’s will is”.  They have all fallen.  It is all the “goody-goody religion”.  The Lord’s will is for us to teach the world how to live the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life.  Every era has its message.  Noah called the people to get on the Ark.  Abraham and the Israelites called people to the coming Messiah.  Jesus pointed people to the prophecies about Himself as the Messiah.  Then, He pointed them back to the Old Testament and called them to repentance, self-control and to live the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life.  Today, that message is most important.  After the close of probation, only those who have developed the perfect, sinless and Commandment keeping life will be translated.

Stop getting drunk with wine, which leads to wild living, but keep on being filled with the Spirit. 

Not just “wine”, but drunk on money, power, sex and church.  Church members are participating in “wild living”.  Dancing in the churches and other satanic practices are permeating all churches.

Then you will recite to one another psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; you will sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts; 

Not much of making “music to the Lord with your hearts”.  Most of it is making music for money.  The songs that are sung in most churches reap huge profits for those who write them.  The hearts are not led to humbly submit to God’s law.  It is all show.

. . . you will consistently give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah; and you will submit to one another out of reverence for the Messiah. 

Not much of that going on in our churches.  Submitting “to one another out of reverence for the Messiah” just isn’t happening.  Pride, ego, arrogance, money and power are what keep churches going.  Few have reverence for the Messiah.  It is all about “my pastor”, “my church” or “my denomination”.  But little about reverence for the Messiah and what He commands of us.