Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

Husbands have a wonderful job. (love your wives) Husbands have a wonderfully hard job. The standard to which they are called is the highest in history: loving like Christ loved the church...and gave Himself up for her...so that husbands might present their wives splendiferously when this is all over. It is the highest of calls. Join me for 7 minutes in how we get to splendor. bewithme.us Apple Pod...

Submission is the voluntary, relational attaching of myself under a designated person and under God . It is difficult. It is universal. It is often misunderstood. It is done in the sight of God and it is done primarily to God Himself.  This puts the attaching to imperfect people into some perspective and priority. Wives submit to your husbands...this will never work if perfect husbands are require...

Submission is the universal, voluntary attaching myself in relationship under designated people... It will NEVER WORK unless you finish the concept because people, as you know are imperfect and flawed. So let's try again: Submission is the universal, voluntary attaching myself in relationship under designated people AND THE LORD. There we go.  Much better.  Listen 7 minutes and come back tomo...

My dear mother was accurately told that she had  42 days left to live. It changed everything.  It changed her relationship with PEOPLE. They became more important It changed her relationship with GOD. He became more present It changed her relationship with STUFF. It became more perishable It changed her relationship with WORDS. They became more precious Similarly, Paul charges the Ephesians to  ma...

We're supposed to be discerning what is pleasing to the Lord.  IMHO this is the  easy part of the charge. The  hard part  is to be even asking the question in the first place. The  answers are easy. The looking is hard. The discernment is not beyond our reach, as long as we are asking the question, "is this pleasing to the Lord?" So, in this Christian walk, we should " WALK LOO...

Paul pulls no punches as he addresses healthy sexuality with the Ephesian believers. God loves sex. He invented it. He knows you have a sexual-engine. He wants you to have a robust sexual life. He has made a place for its' fruition: marriage.  He's made a walled garden of delight to express and to protect this wonderful gift. Paul wants to protect and promote this healthy sexual living....

If the hardest thing in the Bible is to bow the knee to God , the 2nd hardest is to FORGIVE one another.  You'll probably need some help.  Fortunately, we have a great tool at our disposal: COMPARISON To help us with turning to forgive our sisters and brothers here, we are to look at the forgiveness that GOD HAS GRANTED US. "Oh wait, God has forgiven me a LOT, so I can forgive a little&q...

Kindness: Kindness is for GOD.   He's been kind. That's the big start Kindness is for ME . It is a command. It is an imperative, essential element of the Christian walk Kindness is for US . I hope you are in a Christian community where you can practice your kindness muscle. You won't get this online. Kindness is for FRUIT . This is the product that others around you will taste and s...

Let's demystify "grieving the Holy Spirit". It is simply the Spirit saying at the end of the day, " YOU CAN DO BETTER." There are plenty of categories to consider.  It would benefit us all if we considered our connection to the other limbs of the body; our words, our anger, wrath, etc.   As we go to bed tonight, let's listen where the Spirit reminds us that we could h...

 We are "members of one another". This means literally "limbs of the body." That is, we are appendages on the same body. Therefore we should treat each other with particular truth, and particular care, just like you would with your own arm.  Hence, our concept for today: Talk to the hand. It affects the truth we speak.  It affects the care with which we speak that truth.  It af...

The task is great today: a. Renew your mind by put off old/put on new behaviors.  But you are not alone . In this activity, we are smack dab in the center of : His help : dare I say indwelling Helper His HEREness : His presence is all over this His HAPPY : If you are wondering what God's will is, you can be sure of this Of us, He asks small steps .  These are the pathway to GREAT RENEWAL Bewi...

This episode is for anyone who feels trapped in a behavior or a sin that they cannot seem to get out of.  Paul gives the key: Stop  doing by STOP THINKING. He pleas for peeling off the callouses and re-engaging with "the  life of God." This life of God entails ceasing to alienate oneself from the people of God, the practices of God, and yes, the  thinking of God. Last I checked, temptati...

Recently, the combat readiness of the F-35 Lightening fighter jet fell from 65% to 54%. That is, only 480 of the 890 planes built are actually available functionally to go out and do the mission that they are designed for.  They are distressingly, and expensively NOT BATTLE READY. Paul similarly assesses the functioning of the individuals that make up the body, the church.  He looks to both the sy...

Join me for 7 minutes to see how the Lord defines a GOOD CHURCH. Spoiler alert: it is  not one in where, "the sermons are good." It won't be a group of people who are never hit by the waves .  In fact, a good church EXPECTS to be hit by waves of doctrine, waves of trouble from people and even waves of some evil.   A Good Church is one that WHEN HIT BY these waves, doesn't get t...

I suggest plopping yourself onto God's lap. This is to say that I suggest plopping yourself into God's church; His people. It is there that you will find: His PROVISION in all the gifts He's given the people around you His PRESENCE because His particular character is displayed in each of those gifts given to particular people His PROTECTION as this is where the spiritual-glue is; wh...

I suppose one can be HOSTILE or INDIFFERENT to maintain team-unity.  Hence Paul's charge to be EAGER to maintain it. Join me for 7 minutes to get our arms around the singularity which is Christianity.  The truths are the same no matter what part of the planet you are on; no matter if it is the year 1800 or 2200. We're looking at the book of Ephesians to help us assess our attitudes towar...

Three things today: PATIENCE is the quality of self-restraint in the face of ongoing PROVOCATION the BEAR-WITHING of people in God's church probably with COST YOU something.  If it is occasionally hard, you know you are on the right track Being EAGER to maintain unity means really showing up when you show up to the body of Christ Be eager for another little spiritual snack tomorrow by leaving...

Walk in a manner worthy.  Today, you won't be static: there'll be dynamic thinking, watching and saying.  But be careful, in the end, it is supposed to be worthy. What must be in our minds? humility.  " think lowly "-Paul actually makes up a word to describe the position of our minds. What must be in our souls? Gentleness, sometimes translated  meekness . In unfortunate  Americ...

A doxology is a liturgical formula of praise.  Who knew? The close of Ephesians chapter 3 is supposedly "the greatest doxology in the Bible." In it we find that our concerns are the concerns of God. Praying so as not be be embarrassed is probably not the effort He is looking for. Ask as if He is able. Also of note: the  power in you is "of the kind" of the power of Him. May our...

My old boss said his criteria for selecting people to work with him was, " I just look for a guy who can TAKE IT ." I thought today was going to be a rainbows and puppies kind of day because of the phrase KNOW THE LOVE OF CHRIST. But there is the strangest line associated with it: may you have the  strength to comprehend it. Wait, I need to gird my loins to understand true love? Yup.  I...

Prayer is FOR US. Only people pray. Prayer is FOR NOW. Nobody in heaven will need to pray. God will be there. Prayer is FOR GENERATIONS. Many many generations have called upon the name of the Lord. Prayer is FOR THE INNER MAN because of trouble around the OUTER man (or woman.) Prayer is FOR COMMUNITY. The "me" of you should be in an US of fellowship. Prayer is FOR RESIDENCY. God lives in...

I watched a 4 year old pray his first prayer last night. He is the most recent generation, in a long line of generations to call upon the name of the Lord. Generations have been doing so since Genesis 4:26 and will do so until the Lord dwells with man in Rev 21:3.  Prayer is for NOW . Prayer is for generations. Dogs don't pray. Rivers don't pray. Angels don't pray. Desks don't...

If all you see of Paul's ministry is the imprisonment and the suffering, you are missing the boat. Those are some consequences, but there is a core that is such a blessing. Paul is a minister "IN FULL." He is on task, in the battle, reaping fruit and using all his resources.  He is going to bed tired and satisfied. He reminds everyone of all he's received as a steward of God&ap...

Certain things that seem evident to us were MYSTERIES for ages. A spiritual mystery is something we never would have figured out on our own. First and foremost is the Gospel.  Next is that the body of Christ is to be made up of Jew and Gentile.  The two to become one, and then one before the Cross.  Though it seems obvious to us, the transition to this thought took quite some time.  When Jesus hin...

God's dwelling place is constructed of bricks in which He indwells.  God's temple is made up of people in whom He tabernacles. I so wish for you to see it! Don't let Covid, or kidney stones, or age, or grief, or wounds, or betrayals, or shame keep you away from it.  To see the functioning church,  with its' fingernails dirty, is to see an aspect of God's presence that is n...