The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called” (Ephesians 4:1).

Yesterday we thought of Allen who had been cheated by a person professing to be a Christian. Holding that grudge for over two decades, Allen, whose work brought him for several weeks into the area where his dear friends Don and Linda lived, is visiting their church with them. He really doesn’t want to go, but out of feeling obligated to his friends, here he sits in their church with them. The pastor has just finished reading Ephesians 4:1 and is commenting about walking worthy which gives the idea of living suitably. Allen immediately thinks back to the offense. Then it happened. It sounded to Allen as if the pastor spoke directly to him. The pastor said “We believers need to live in a way that is suitable or worthy of our position as a Christian. But don’t be surprised if someday you will meet a believer who doesn’t live up to this verse. The way you respond to that person gives you the opportunity to live worthy or suitably of your profession.” Allen didn’t hear another word. He was convicted in his heart and silently cried out to the Lord about the way he had lived for years.

For today: Are you living suitably as a Christian? It will surely show!

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called” (Ephesians 4:1).

It was the first time in a long time that Allen stepped inside a church. His work brought him for a couple of weeks to the area in which his dear friends Don and Linda lived. You see over twenty years before this a man who claimed to be a Christian cheated Allen out of a fairly significant amount of money. Allen eventually recouped the funds, but he never got over being as he would say “burned by that hypocrite.” There would be times that Allen sensed how empty his life had become. Claiming to have made a decision to trust the Lord at a younger time in his life, Allen carried this grudge for years. We’ll think more tomorrow of Allen’s time of coming back to the Lord and church. However for now think about how important it is to live in a way that is suitable as a Christian. So many people are watching your life and judging the authenticity of your testimony.

For today: I need to “walk worthy” through the Lord’s great help.

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith” (Ephesians 3:17).

What an interesting word the Holy Spirit selected as He gave the Apostle Paul this wonderful letter. It is the word “dwell.” Paul spoke to the early believers about the Lord Jesus Himself dwelling in their hearts. It is miraculous that the awesome Lord Himself would dwell in the hearts of people. It is marvelous to understand what this word pictures. The word dwell gives the idea of “Being at home, and settled down.” When we place our trust in the Lord Jesus to be our Savior He does take up His abode in our hearts. That serves as a great reminder today that I need to be living in such a way as to please the Lord and make Him at home in my life.

For today: Christ dwelling in my heart causes me to live differently in the world today.

“In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

“Jack, I don’t know how to begin to thank you” Jim said. “From the time I was just a little child I attended a church that had nice people in it. But we never heard much about the Bible and we certainly didn’t hear how to know the Lord. We thought we had to be good enough to get to Heaven. Then I met you and your wife. You surely were patiently with me. I know I argued a lot with you about how to get to Heaven. Thanks for not giving up on me. I’m glad that I finally learned that Jesus Christ paid for my sin in full by His death and resurrection. Thanks for showing this to me from God’s Word” Jim said as tears filled his eyes. “Thank the Lord that He never gave up on either of us” Jack replied as he swatted his friend on the arm. How about you friend? Do you know for sure that there is only way to Heaven? Do you personally know the Lord? Check out “Heaven—Are You Going There” on my website www.michaellpeck.org

For today: Aren’t you amazed at the wonderful grace of our Lord?

“Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria; he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper” (2 Kings 5:1).

Syria is a nation that is much in the news today. We learn of the horrors that are taking place as ISIS persecutes Christians and the terrible wars that rage among the people of Syria. Today’s verse takes us back hundreds of years ago to Syria and to a great man with a terrible problem. All of his greatness pales when the little statement is read, “But he was a leper.” No doubt Naaman faced many terrible situations and as a great leader he figured out what to do. As the captain of the army, he was decisive, organized, a man who could solve his own problems. He was a “take charge” kind of man. Except not this time. Now he had a problem that he couldn’t fix himself. He needed the Lord and of all things, a little servant girl would be used to give him direction (2 Kings 5:3). No matter how self-sufficient we pretend to be, we really do need the Lord.

For today: Every believer has situations that force him or her to trust in the Lord and depend upon Him. Bring your problems to the Lord. He can handle anything.