Month: March 2013

Ephesians, The Daily Word2 Comments

Every Spiritual Blessing (Ephesians 1.3–14)

georgepwood

SCRIPTURE READING Ephesians 1.3–14 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT In Ephesians 1.3–14, Paul praises God because he has “blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” What are those spiritual blessings? Paul gives several examples. First, election: “[God] chose us in [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him” (verse 4). When we give our testimonies, we speak of what led us to choose to follow Christ. But in reality, long before we had made a choice for God, God made a choice for us. Our salvation is the result of … Continue reading Every Spiritual Blessing (Ephesians 1.3–14)

Ephesians, The Daily Word1 Comment

Of God, By God, For God (Ephesians 1.3–14)

georgepwood

SCRIPTURE READING Ephesians 1.3–14 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT After I proposed to Tiffany, we called everyone we knew to share our good news. We couldn’t stop talking about our engagement. After we got married, we couldn’t stop talking about how enjoyable our wedding and reception were. To this day, any mention of our wedding will spark a long, excited conversation between us. And why not? Good experiences should be talked about. In Ephesians 1.3–14, Paul writes about salvation. But his words are not dry or academic. They are a Niagara Falls of praise, gushing forth excitedly and spilling over the boundaries of … Continue reading Of God, By God, For God (Ephesians 1.3–14)

Ephesians, The Daily Word1 Comment

The Christian Abundance Mentality (Ephesians 1.3)

georgepwood

SCRIPTURE READING Ephesians 1.3 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT Do you have a scarcity mentality or an abundance mentality? A scarcity mentality operates on the assumption that whatever is good in the world is rare, hard to find, and difficult to keep. Consequently, once you find a good thing, you must keep it to yourself, or others will take it from you. Darwin’s theory of evolution is an example of the scarcity mentality at work. According to Darwin, animals fight over a limited supply of food and water. Whatever physical variations—the size of finch’s beak, for example, or the color of a moth’s … Continue reading The Christian Abundance Mentality (Ephesians 1.3)

Book Reviews3 Comments

Biblical Egalitarianism: A Review of ‘The Message of Women’ by Derek and Dianne Tidball

georgepwood

 Tidball, Derek, and Dianne Tidball. 2012. The Message of Women: Creation, Grace and Gender. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. Few topics roil the evangelical waters as much as the role(s) of women. On one side are complementarians, who affirm the spiritual equality of men and women but deny that this results in the equal calling of both sexes to leadership roles in church and society. On the other side are egalitarians, who both equality of spirit and of role. Although both sides employ social science arguments in an ancillary manner, their primary arguments are scriptural. Both sides agree that ancient … Continue reading Biblical Egalitarianism: A Review of ‘The Message of Women’ by Derek and Dianne Tidball

Ephesians, The Daily Word5 Comments

The Essence of Christianity (Ephesians 1.1-2)

georgepwood

SCRIPTURE READING Ephesians 1.1-2 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT What is the essence of Christianity? There are many good answers to this question, and not a few bad ones. “Jesus loves me” is an excellent example of the former; “tolerance” is an all too common example of the latter. In my opinion, Ephesians 1.2 offers one of the best answers: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” With these words, Paul summarizes the source, cause, means, effect, and recipients of the Christian message. First, God is the source of the Christian message. The essence of Christianity … Continue reading The Essence of Christianity (Ephesians 1.1-2)

1 John, The Daily WordLeave a comment

Famous Last Words (1 John 5:21)

georgepwood

As we come to the end of our study of 1 John, I find myself thinking about famous last words. Some last words are anything but profound. On his deathbed, P.T. Barnum, the great circus impresario, asked, “How were the circus receipts in Madison Square Gardens?” Prompted for some final words of wisdom, the hotelier Conrad Hilton said, “Leave the shower curtain on the inside of the tub.” Other last words are tragic. One thinks, in this regard, of what Julius Caesar said after being stabbed by a friend: “Et tu, Brute?” (“You too, Brutus?”) Still other last words are … Continue reading Famous Last Words (1 John 5:21)