4-29-21 Today in the Word

CHRIST IN YOU Robert Munger, a Presbyterian minister, once wrote a small booklet titled “My Heart, Christ’s Home.” In story form, he depicts Jesus being welcomed into our heart as a guest. As Jesus explores each room, and even the hidden hall closet, Munger makes the case that when believers invite Jesus into their lives, He ought to occupy every aspect of it. Munger asks, “If your heart were a home, would Jesus Christ be an honored guest or would he be a permanent resident?” In chapter 3 of Ephesians, Paul prays that Christ takes up a permanent residence in their hearts and in their church. How are we supposed to pray for the church? We know we should, but what should our prayers be like? Here Paul shows us how. He asks that the Ephesians be strengthened with power through the Lord’s glorious riches. He acknowledges that if a church is to be strong in the midst of adversity and attacks by the enemy, it can only happen by God’s strength and power (v. 16). He then moves to pray for the church which is the inner being, or inner self. Some portions of Scripture emphasize prayer for our physical self. Here, Paul prays for something deeper. He prays that Christ may dwell in their faithful hearts (v. 17). The word “dwell” connotes the idea of abiding forever. Paul prays that these believers will be rooted and established in love (v. 17). Using both an agricultural and an architectural term he drives home the point: the deeper the roots the higher the tree. The stronger the foundation the more fortified the structure. He concludes by praying that the depths of the richness of God’s grace, love, and greatness be lifted high in the church and throughout all generations (vv. 18–21). >> The text of Robert Munger’s booklet is available online. Read it and spend time in prayer, asking Christ to dwell in your life and in the life of the church. Pray that He will not be just an honored guest but a permanent resident. PRAY WITH US Father, we want you to permeate every area of our lives, for nothing is set apart from you. Consecrate our work, our home, our leisure, and our relationship to you. Teach us to worship you in all we do.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-16-23 Santa Staleness

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were the familiar sights and sounds of the Christmas most people are accustomed to. Hardly any Christmas decorations in downtown Tel Aviv, if not any of the shopping thoroughfares across the Holy Land. Hanukah was a breath of fresh air – not anything resembling a Christmas carol most people grew up with did surface. The Christmas Eve service in a small Protestant church not far away from Jerusalem’s Old City was awesome; songs that truly celebrated the virgin birth of our Lord, which though seemingly unheard of, were a welcome inspiration to many a soul. There was even one sung in Arabic! So it began, my overt disdain for the secular Christmas t...
Read more

9-25-23 The Farm Chronicles: One Christmas

The Farm Chronicles: One Christmas :: By Bill Wilson Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:Bill Wilson, General Articles There are a lot of terrible things going on right now in the world. But we are at the time of the year when we, as Christians, celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We can choose to be impacted by the world around us in its dimly lit arena, or we can choose to let our light so shine. I choose the latter. I want to tell you a little about the Christmas that I had growing up on our family farm in Ohio. I was blessed to be born into a horse and cattle farm that has been in our family for some 200 years. And Christmas, especially Christmas Eve, was a wonderful time for our family. December 24 was my Dad’s birthday. And my Dad was well-loved by his neighbors and friends, so we had a lot going on Christmas Eve. I remember one special Christmas Eve. I must have been about four years old. The night was falling, and the wind and snow were whipping across the barny...
Read more

9-15-23 Miracles 2

Miracles 2 :: By Jim Towers Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles This story is a continuation of the exciting things God continues doing in my life. I was supposed to have died a while back, and sometimes I feel as though I may do so soon. But since I’m ready to meet my maker, I have no fear of death. In fact, my evangelistic zeal has only increased, especially as I see the fast approaching of the “Tribulation period” mentioned in the book of Revelation. Insofar as my acting career is concerned, I just finished filming a soliloquy featuring Melchior, one of the three Magi who followed the star to Christ lying in the manger, and am preparing to portray a Jewish Priest on stage. Like I said, God is working overtime in my life, and I will be appearing on stage singing Broadway show tunes sometime in March, so I have a lot of rehearsing to do. In the meantime, I will be signing Christmas carols acapella at a park here in Naples. Since it is a spontaneous th...
Read more