Ephesians 3:16 - His Glorious Riches v. Riches of His Glory

Here is a good example of how translation can impact how we understand a verse.  This came up in The Pursuit College class a couple of Sunday mornings ago. 

When you read Ephesians 3:16 in the NIV it says: “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being”

The NIV is a “dynamic equivalence” translation, which means it is not a strict word for word but tries to convey the meaning or “thought for thought” concept.  But this is an example where that effort misses the mark.

Many other translations render this phrase: “according to the riches of his glory”

Now the English grammar nerd comes out to analyze the sentences—and it makes a difference.

·         His Glorious Riches

o   Modifier: Glorious

o   Object: Riches

·         Richness of His Glory

o   Modifier: richness

o   Object: Glory

In the NIV translation the focus is more on riches to which we tend to focus more on the value or the wealth connected with the word “riches” since it is the primary noun.  Some have abused this and similar passages to talk about God’s blessing in material terms—riches here on earth.  His blessing is for us here on earth, but it is His Glory that is the blessing—it is His presence in our lives that brings an abundance and power to overcome.

But the more literal translation has the focus of the sentence on God’s Glory.  God’s glory has no limits, His glory radiates from Him.

His Glory carries with it a rich understanding from Scripture and in the minds of Paul’s readers.  His glory shines from the burning bush—without consuming or destroying it.  His glory descends on to Mt. Sinai  in cloud and fire and is awe-inspiring to the point that the Israelites are afraid to set foot on the mountain (Exodus 19:16-19, 20:18-21).  God’s glory is too much for us to behold (Exodus 33:19-23). 

Not even Moses was able to look at God’s glory head-on less it overwhelm and kill him.  Hidden in the cleft of the rock, I’m sure Moses had enough of an awareness to know not to press his luck—I’m sure peeking was not an option.  Not even Raiders of the Lost Ark could do this dangerous glory justice. 

Moses was able to see God’s glory as it “passed by” or was receding from him.  His glory is awesome, inspiring, overwhelming.  Just the presence of God was able to change Moses complexion to the point that it disturbed people.  They requested that he wear a veil until that glory faded (Exodus 34:29-35 & 2 Corinthians 3:7-18)

God’s Glory shines forth—God is light in Him there is no darkness at all.  In the end of time, not even the Sun or the Moon will be necessary because God’s glory will be enough to live by—there will be no more night (Revelation 21:22-26)

In our understanding, anything that gives off light (glory) requires some sort of power source or fuel.  If the fuel/power runs out, so will the light.  But since this is God’s glory—He is the source—He is the power and it is a power that will never fade or diminish—it will be forever shining—there is no end to the power that makes it shine—so too there is no limit or end to the power that is available to you and me as believers in Jesus.  The strength that God desires to pour in our hearts, based on His love, to make us more like Him is limitless. 

The power pours out of His Glory, not His Riches.  Since His glory is limitless, we have no limit to the power available to us, thus no real excuse to live as we are called to live.  This power is out of His glory, For His glory.

How firm a foundation—we are rooted and firmly established in love and empowered to live for Him and to Know Him.  Though He cannot be measured or quantified beyond our comprehension—He still desires us to Know Him and fill us with His presence.  His Glory is in our inner being.

Cults, Mormons and Political Correctness

Much has been said about recent comments from a Dallas pastor about Mormonism. 

By labeling Mormonism a “cult” and Mitt Romney a “non-christian”, a firestorm has erupted.

I think much of the problem comes from the negative connotations associated with the word “cult”.

When we hear it, we tend to think of something like a midnight bonfire in the woods with people in black robes sacrificing animals or children.  Or we think of Jim Jones or David Koresh—a maniacal leader with brainwashed followers who will commit suicide. 

Connotations aside, that is not what the word really means.

A cult is typically defined or understood as an offshoot of another established religious system. 

This typically includes at least 3 elements (there are a few others but these are the basic:

1. A new leader—attracting a group of followers from within a system who have many of the same foundational positions/assumptions but separate out of it 
2. A redefining of major doctrines— that distinguish the new cult from the old system 
3. A new set of scriptures—that highlight the differences and hold an equal/greater source of authority than the previous scriptures.  The previous scriptures are still held as valuable but are often overruled by the new revelation

With this basic definition, here are some examples of  cults:

• Christianity is a cult (derived out of) Judaism 
• B’Hai is a cult of Islam 
• Buddhism is a cult of Hinduism 
• Mormonism is a cult of Christianity--along with others from the 1800’s like Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Science

By no means is labeling something as a cult intended to imply that the people currently involved are evil or immoral.  It is a label that highlights the fact that this new group is not the same as the old.

This is exactly what Mormonism claims for itself. 

To be fair, Mormons would probably prefer terms more like, “restored Christianity” since from the very beginning, Joseph Smith considered the orthodox Christian church to have apostatized its beliefs and deviated from the truth. 

This is much the same way Christianity would claim to be “fulfilled Judaism” in the sense that Jesus claimed to be the Messiah that Judaism was looking for.

But with the basic definition of a cult—an offshoot of an established system, Mormonism qualifies.

1. It has a New Leader—Joseph Smith – while he points people back to Jesus, the main figure of restoration is through the life and teaching of Joseph Smith—without him, the movement would not exist. 
2. It Redefines Major Doctrines—Joseph Smith thought the church of his day was apostate and in error on its doctrines so he proposed to change/restore them.  Major doctrines he changed are not limited to the following: 
• The Nature of God – Mormons do not believe in the Trinity in the orthodox sense but three distinct beings, Elohim/God the Father has a body of flesh and bones while Orth. Xity understands God as Spirit (see John 4:24).  Mormons also believe that Elohim was at some point a man on a different planet that has been exalted to godhood for our planet—He was once like we are now 
• The Person of Jesus—not co-equal to the Father or co-eternal in a Trinitarian sense but a created being 
• Future of Salvation—Mormons believe in 3 levels of salvation, the highest of which allows someone (by faithfully following and participating in Mormon life)to progress to be a god for their own planet 

     3.  New Scriptures—Mormons have 3 books of new Scripture

a.     The Book of Mormon

b.     The Pearl of Great Price

c.      Doctrine & Covenants
Most of the variant theology is found in D&C and PoGP

d.     The Bible—the Bible is a source of faith but has been corrupted.  Some examples:
"We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly. . ." (8th Article of Faith of the Mormon Church).  
"Wherefore, thou seest that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God," (1 Nephi 13:28)

Some people have argued that the Protestant Reformation from the 1500’s also fits this definition in its breakaway from Roman Catholicism but I do not believe it does. 

First, Martin Luther’s motive was first to reform R.C., not leave it. 

Second, Luther and the reformation did not propose new scriptures, rather a return to the scripture—getting away from the added layers of church tradition—sola scriptura—was one of the highly emphasized tenets. 

Third, Protestants and Catholics still share most of the same theology—upwards of 90-95%.  The nature of God, of Jesus and the universe are largely held in common. 

The elements and gaps that divide us are miniscule compared to the gulfs between orthodox Christianity and Mormonism.  While there are elements within Catholicism that I believe makes salvation more difficult (veneration of Mary/Saints, emphasis on works, etc.), it is not impossible.  I do consider many people within Catholicism to be my brothers & sisters in Christ.

In regards to the current political debate, I’ve known several Mormons over my life and I have always enjoyed their company and conversation.  Typically, they have a greater understanding of their faith and a willingness to talk about it than most Christians (we are far too spiritually lazy).  Many of the converts to Mormonism are coming out of orthodox Christian churches, particularly Southern Baptist churches.

The pastor was right when speaking about Mitt Romney’s beliefs being aberrant to orthodox Christianity.  As a pastor, he does need to speak clearly to that and not try to blur the great differences that exist between them.   

Early Mormon history also did not try to blur the lines at all b/c they considered what they were leaving to be apostate.  I will say this has shifted, since the 1980’s LDS commercials and missionaries as a public outreach effort have tried to minimize them to appear as just another denomination.  Considering this current discourse, they have been successful.

Thankfully, in America, we have no religious test for public office.  Mitt Romney is not prevented from running because he is a Mormon.  But any individual considering any candidate should consider their religious beliefs (among other factors) and how they may impact their governing philosophy.  I do this with every candidate. 

In the 2008 election the theology of Barak Obama’s church and pastor Jeremiah Wright became an issue.  I believe the media largely failed to investigate and inform the country of those beliefs.  I believe this was because the media in large part favored his candidacy.  Had a conservative candidate gone to a church with similarly racially charged beliefs the media would have been all over it and it would have won the election for the other guy. 

His religious affiliation was enough for me not to seriously consider him as a candidate for President.  It was not my only reason, but it would have been enough by itself.  I will continue to do that with all of the current candidates.

As for the Pastor from Dallas; a Pastor should be able to answer a religious question.  And if he is a pastor worth anything, he will answer in such a way that is consistent with his beliefs and not be concerned with whether it is politically correct or popular.

The discourse in our country has for too long tried to pretend as if differences do not exist.  It would be a mistake for pastors, Mormon, orthodox Christian or anyone to start pretending and talking as if we were all the same just to score some political points.

Because I for one am of the opinion that Beliefs matter.  If the candidate does not take his or her beliefs seriously, live by them and allow them to influence their decisions, then any claim to faith is mere window dressing and that kind of hypocrisy is evidence of questionable character.  If he or she does take them seriously, then those beliefs should be examined and considered.


The Pastor in question recently answered some questions on this issue.  He can speak for himself.


The Mormon Puzzle is a good video that gives a basic introduction to Mormon history and theology.  While there are some parts I don't like, the best is when LDS representatives from their universities speak very candidly about their beliefs--by far these interviews are the highlight.  Wish I could find a hosted video online, but the link gives a sample.

Al Mohler has an excellent blog on this controversy.

Ed Stetzer's is also good.

Another video that is very interesting to consider.

DNA v. The Book of Mormon

Mixed Signals - Why Don't We Question Anymore?

Update 10/12/11 -- I just found this article from The Christian Post regarding the popularity of Vampires, Werewolves & other such stuff.  Worth reading and considering.

This was originally a sermon from a few years ago.  I've updated a few stats and a couple other things.

Mixed Signals

I am going to make a few proposals to change some of the famous public service ad campaigns you’ve seen in the last decades and I want to ask how many of you think these sound like good ideas? What kind of message do you think they send?

Noting a shift in the youth mindset and America’s value systems, many of the old government, public service announcements have been retooled. Gone are the outdated “Just Say No”, “Don’t Drink & Drive”, “Don’t Play with Matches” campaigns. Maybe you’ve seen some of the new ones.

">Smokey the Bear<"—longtime spokesman for the National Park Service has come out with a new commercial series concerning playing with fire—“Only You can prevent forest fires, but if you really want to start a fire or play with matches—be sure and only start small fires at home.”

On a similar note—the Illinois Department of Transportation is coming out with a new ad campaign, getting rid of the “Designated Driver” idea, instead, they could offer special training classes for the frequent drinker. The new slogan is—“Protect the Streets—Drink and Drive successfully by Practicing Often.”  Or better yet, parents, take away the need for driving by providing the beer and alcohol for your underage kids.

“Just Say NO” and other warnings against gateway drugs like alcohol and marijuana have been replaced. Local elementary, middle and high schools can offer after school training and free samples to students so they can find out which drugs they prefer and how to take them correctly. After all, they’re going to do it anyway. “Just say ‘Once’”.

What kind of message do these ads send? Mixed Signals. Mixed Signals in this sense are things that are confusing to our kids. We parents say one thing, then at some point, contradict ourselves and the kids cannot be sure which one they should follow, which one they should believe?

Is it wise for us to say 364 days of the year that something is bad, something is to be avoided, something is dangerous, and 1 day of the year, give them permission to participate in what we’ve been saying is bad all the other days.

This is a month in which many believers will send mixed signals to their kids, their neighbors and friends. Some of it won’t be by design or decision, but by the decision of others. Some may be because you may not have noticed or given it a second thought in some time.

Let me ask you, how many of you, your friends, or your kids have seen more about death, about witchcraft, about evil and murderous and demonic forces lately?

If you haven’t yet, drive by the front of Wal-Mart, watch TV this month, ask the video store what type of videos are most rented this month.


I am concerned how we adults and parents tend to tolerate, even send mixed messages about death, the occult, witchcraft or the demonic during the month of October as we get ready for Halloween.

These messages are inconsistent with our faith the remaining part of the year and typically, we would steer our kids away from such things. But this month adults and parents seem to be leading the mixed signals. We don’t even question our participation anymore.

Here’s some stats from the last couple of years.

This year, the average person plans to spend $66.54 on the holiday, up from $64.82 one year ago. Total Halloween spending for 2008 is estimated to reach $5.77 billion.*

This year, consumers will spend an average of $24.17 on Halloween costumes (including costumes for adults, children, and pets). People will also be buying candy ($20.39 on average), decorations ($18.25) and greeting cards ($3.73).

National Retail Federation

2010 Popular Costumes

Kids:                                                     Adults:
1. Princess                                            Witch
2. Spider-Man                                      Vampire
3. Witch                                                Pirate
4. Pirate                                               Nurse
5. Disney Princess                                Wench/Tart/Vixen
6. Action/Super Hero                           Cat
7. Ghost                                              Zombie
8. Pumpkin/Vampire (tie)                     Fairy
9. Batman                                           Athlete/Batman (tie)
10. Star Wars Character                     Dracula

It’s hard to say how these mixed signals are contributing to the spiritual climate in our country. But let me share this with you.

According to Information collected from 1990 to 2001, The fastest growing religion (in terms of percentage) is Wicca -- a Neopagan religion that is sometimes referred to as Witchcraft. Their numbers of adherents are doubling about every 30 months.

14.1% do not follow any organized religion. This is an unusually rapid increase -- almost a doubling -- from only 8% in 1990.

These beliefs, once largely ignored or dismissed in America are increasing in our population and becoming more and more accepted; real to the point that now the military is required to have wiccan chaplains and burial rites.  I'm not saying we have Wicca in America because of Halloween, but many factors contribute to the growing interest and acceptance of it and Halloween is a contributing influence.

When the Israelites began entering the Promised Land, they were given several warnings regarding the religious practices of the surrounding peoples and how they were not to be like them. For them such beliefs were a reality, a competing belief system that was a lure to be unfaithful to God.

Deuteronomy 18:10-14--10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells [notice good/bad, white/black isn’t mentioned], or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD. 13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God. 14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so.

Isaiah 8:19-20—“When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.

I believe God knew what He was talking about when he called His people to stay away from those things because they are dangerous to us spiritually.

The other nations practiced these things so they could gain control over or knowledge of the future, they would worship the created thing, rather than the Creator—ultimately these beliefs and practices keep people from an authentic faith in God based on worship in spirit and truth—so these are deceptions intended to prevent us from truly knowing God—so they function as lies and are demonic in their origin.

While many of us dismiss the occult or demonic, I and others can speak from experience—see my testimonies here

I hope you believe the Bible when it talks about the dangers of the demonic and the occult.

I hope you believe that Jesus had very real confrontations with the demonic, as did Peter, Paul, the other Apostles and the church—and you don’t write those accounts off as psychological conditions or some other medical phenomenon.

I hope you are not telling your kids that the occult is wrong, it’s dangerous, and totally opposed to God while at the same time saying, “we’re going to let you dabble with it for a little while, just once a year.

We tell ourselves… “It’s Harmless Fun” – maybe it is most of the time, but are you sure? Are you sure that putting your kid in those circumstances cannot affect them?

We’re going to buy dark, occultic decorations for our house, we’re going to encourage playing with witchcraft by putting the black pot in the lawn, we’re going to trivialize death and the demonic with cute cartoon figures and costumes that desensitize you to the real thing.”

That’s like saying:

Playing with matches is bad and dangerous, but let me show you the right way to strike them, let me give you a few things to burn.

You shouldn’t drink kids, but let me buy you a six pack for your birthday and let you drink it at home.

Hey Kids, there is a real spiritual evil out there trying to corrupt your soul and keep you from God, you must Resist the devil—but let me buy you a 10 horned demon mask, a witch or serial killer costume.

That is not a consistent message. It gives parental permission for something we normally wouldn’t want them playing with.

John tells us that he wrote the book of 1 John to warn us “about those who are trying to lead you astray”—1 John 2:26. John warns us in 4:1 to “not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God”.

It is my conviction that many Bible believing Christians have stopped “testing the spirits” when it comes to how we participate in Halloween.

I’m not saying that that a real Christian will not participate in Halloween.  I'm not questioning your salvation.

I’m afraid that we no longer question it or even care whether what we do, or whether how we celebrate is “from God” or not, that we no longer consider the spiritual impact of HOW we participate.

We have already accepted the idea and we’re no longer asking—is this wrong—we have made that decision—we not looking to Scripture to give us guidance.

When challenged, many believers react defensively even with anger regarding Halloween. It’s a very emotional reaction.

I believe people react that way because on some level, people are uncomfortable with Halloween but they talk themselves or justify themselves into doing it anyway—for the sake of the children or some other reason.

To me, that is extremely dangerous for the People of God.

We can reason and justify anything. And I find it inconsistent to “do it for the children” when they are the ones most at risk and dependent on adults to make the Spiritually discerning decision.

The demonic packaged up as “harmless fun” is still demonic and in reality that makes it more dangerous and deceptive.

2 Corinthians 11:14 warns us that, “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light”. In other words—he puts on a costume trying to convince everyone he is a cute, harmless, misunderstood guy. He wears a costume to hide who he really is and hopes that you’ll invite him in for a visit.

1. Playing with the Occult is Dangerous—Saul in 1 Samuel 28:4- was so afraid of the Philistines, that after trying to ask God what to do about it and getting nothing—more likely b/c his heart wasn’t faithful and his attempts were more insulting to God than inspiring.

He then sought out a “medium” (the title of a recent TV series, BTW) to consult the dead prophet Samuel. He wore a costume to do it— vs. 8 lets us know that he wore a disguise to meet with this woman. And while most biblical scholars disagree on exactly what happened when the spirit of Samuel appeared, was it really him, was it a delusion or a demonic deception, they all agree that something happened. Saul had to take her word for it because he apparently could not see the vision for himself—vs. 14.

Saul is playing with fire—he is doing something God commanded not to do, something he knows is wrong & tried to get rid of at one point by expelling the mediums earlier in his career.

He is dabbling, thinking he is exempt, thinking that it won’t hurt him, thinking that it’s not really a big deal, but he’s about to find out it is a big deal that there are consequences.

2. Playing with the Occult has Consequences—
1 Chron. 10:13-14—“Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, 14 and did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

a. Even non-Christians are beginning to recognize Halloween related consequences for children.

b. A study conducted of six- and seven-year-olds by Penn State psychologist Cindy Dell Clark found that most parents underestimate just how terrifying the holiday can be for young kids.

c. “Halloween is a holiday when adults assist children in behaviors taboo and out of bounds," Clark writes in the anthropological journal Ethos. "It is striking that on Halloween, death-related themes are intended as entertainment for the very children whom adults routinely protect."

3. Dabbling In The Occult is not Compatible with Biblical Faith

a. Acts 19:13-16—The demonic is real and dangerous. You and I must not dismiss it because there is a very real spiritual battle going on; a real demonic power. While most of what we see in America today, like the astrology, the wicca, the psychic hotlines, is fake—it is not always fake. And the Believer should know better than to try and live in both worlds.

b. Acts 19:17-20—Believers Got rid of their old way of life. Some of them had practiced sorcery in their previous way of life—but Jesus changed all of that. They may not have felt convicted to get rid of it in their lives, but they eventually saw the need, no matter how valuable the items were. Sorcery, witchcraft, the occult, idolizing death are not compatible in the lives of those who love God.


Whether you celebrate or participate in Halloween activities is a decision between you and God.

I’m not questioning your salvation if you have a pumpkin at your house or if you give out candy.

What I do want you to do is question how or why you participate—don’t decide as a parent today, based on the pleasant memories you had as a child.

Examine everything by your faith.

1. Test the Spirits to see whether they are from God.
a. Test the things your kids are exposed to—
Halloween is now more than just one day—many kids are looking forward to it all month just like they do Christmas—it’s hard to walk into Wal-Mart with all the decorations all over the stores.

Books, TV shows & movies, cute cartoonish characters try to convince your kids that witchcraft, magic, monsters and death is all harmless fun—

Through stories they try to teach that we should and that God sees a difference between a bad witch and a good witch, between black magic and white magic—and there is none.

b. Test the costumes they want to wear—

kids, let your faith guide your decision.
Adults, make the decision whether something is appropriate for your kids—offer alternatives because it’s not too late.

c. Test the decorations of your house—

kids open your eyes to what you see at home and ask what message it sends to your friends of your faith.
Parents, re-examine your plans—make your home a place of light and hope that does not glorify dabbling in darkness.

d. Test the decorations of houses as you walk around—don’t go to those houses that glorify the occult

e. Remember that Kids can’t always distinguish between the Real and Unreal.
They don’t think like adults logically, emotionally—as the study I mentioned found—the scary, death, occult themes affect them more than we realize. Make a commitment to Protect them and not Confuse them or send conflicting messages

f. Reclaim the day—don’t let this day be controlled by the dead in your house.

Try to promote life by handing out tracts with your candy, by carving Christian images in your pumpkins, by inviting all you know and recognize to church, or by reminding your house and your guests that Oct. 31st is the day Martin Luther hammered his 95 Theses on the door of the Cathedral back in 1517 that started the Reformation. On Oct. 31st, he began a revolution of faith that we are living in today.

g. Embrace Philippians 4:8—“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.”

What is Lacking in Our Prayer

I believe one of the greatest weaknesses in the church today is our prayer. Many of us lack power in prayer as individuals and as corporate bodies.

That's because too often, our prayer consists of a list of who is sick that week. And that's it--we don't ask God for anything else. We don't go any deeper.

But when we read through Paul's letters--that's not how we see him praying. If we do believe in the Inspiration of Scripture, then the Holy Spirit would have been the One motivating Paul to write them down. That's because there is something even in those prayers that was for more than just his immediate readers. There is something in those prayers for us. Meaning, if Paul was living and writing today, you would see him praying for us in much the same way addressing many of the same issues and needs in our life and the life of the church.

Below are most of the instances where Paul is writing down his prayers, his needs or talking about prayer. I recommend reading through all of them and take notice of the kinds of things he prays for and asks for prayer for himself. Couple what you see in those prayers with the Lord's Model Prayer from Matthew 6:9-13

Romans--8:26-27
Philippians--1:3-11, 4:6-7
1 Thessalonians 1:2-4, 3:11-13, 5:23-25
2 Thessalonians 1:3, 11-12, 3:1-5
Ephesians 1:17-19, 3:14-21, 6:18:20
Colossians 1:9-14, 4:2-6, 12
1 Timothy 2:1-3
Philemon 4-6
Jude 24-25

1. God’s Name to be Exalted & His Kingdom Expanded—Matthew 6:9-13
a. Hallowed Be Your Name
b. On Earth as it is In Heaven
c. In the Church
d. In our hearts
e. Around the World
f. 2 Thessalonians 1:12

2. To Know & Experience God & His Will
a. Eph. 1:17
b. Philippians 1:9-10
c. Colossians 1:9
d. For God's will to be done on earth--His people need to know what His will is since we are often times the agent He uses to accomplish His will. This is also more than just knowing or facts, but also experience and being an active part of. "Not my will but Yours be done."

3. Oneness with God & Love for Each Other
a. Unity with Christ
b. Unity of the Body
c. Oneness in Mind/Purpose
d. Beliefs & Actions out of Belief

4. Full & Mature Awareness of the Grace & the Greatness of Salvation
a. Eph. 1:18, 3:16-19
b. The only way we can half-heartedly live the Christian life is when we don't really understand just how much God has done to redeem us.

5. Raise Up Mature & Empowered Leaders & Workers for the Harvest
a. Luke 10:2
b. Realize that when you are asking God to send workers--He may fill you with the knowledge of His will which may include "You're just who I had in mind" and we are then given the choice of Isaiah to say, "Here am I, send me."

6. Empowerment, Opportunity & Boldness to Fulfill the Mission
a. Eph. 1:19, 3:20-21
b. Colossians 4:2-5
c. 2 Thess. 1:11
d. Ephesians 6:19
e. Remember that when Paul wrote Colossians & Ephesians, he is in prison. In Col. 4 he doesn't ask for doors to open for his release, but doors of opportunity for the Gospel and boldness and wisdom in those opportunities. He would be speaking before judges & officials--who could free him, kill him or even come to faith.

7. Fruitfulness in the Mission
a. Phil 1:11
b. Col. 1:10-11
c. 1 Thessalonians 3:12
d. Philemon 1:6
e. Fruitfulness expands the kingdom--but too often we are doing things in our own strength and power, thus lacking results. We need to ask for God's power to do the hard work of growing the fruit. And if we know His will, we'll be doing what He wants and serving how we should serve.


8. Power & Discernment to Resist Satan & Temptation
a. 1 Thess. 3:13
b. James 4:10
c. Personal Holiness
d. Holiness in the Church
e. Protection
f. Resist Temptation—1 Corinthians 10:13
g. Recognize False Teachers & Teachings—Matthew 24:4-5, 1 Peter 5:6-7, 2 Peter 2
h. This is a big topic. Realize that Ephesians 6 is greatly directed toward the spiritual conflict. And when we are tempted, God will provide a way of escape. But we also need to realize that when we "submit to God" we have the true ability to "resist the devil" and as a result of the power that comes from submitting to God, the devil "flees"--the devil runs from the power of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

9. Confession of Sin & Repentance
a. 1 John 1:9

10. Thanksgiving
a. Phillippians 4:6

11. Specific People for Salvation or Restoration
a. Ephesians 6:18
b. God does not want anyone to perish but all to come to repentance. And this is a major part of the mission we are here for--we are a part of His rescue mission. Even when we as His children wander away--God will discipline (Hebrews 12) but that discipline is always with the hope and intention of restoring relationship and bringing someone home.

12. Specific People for Health & Comfort
a. 2 Corinthians 1:3-6
b. 1 Timothy 2:1
c. This is where our own experience of God's comfort can overflow to serve and minister to someone else.

13. Prayer for Government & Officials
a. 1 Timothy 2:2
b. 1 Peter 2:13
c. Romans 13
d. Whether you like those in the position of power or not. Remember, the gov't these men were dealing with was far worse than any political party we know today. After all, it executed Peter & Paul and blamed the Christians for burning Rome (oh wait, maybe we're getting closer...)

14. Christ’s Return, the Peace of Jerusalem and the Future of this Congregation
a. Revelation 22:20
b. Our future is in His hands and our hope is and should be always looking forward to His return. In all the lessons of the 2nd coming, we need to keep in mind three basic things:

Be Watchful--anticipating and looking for His return

Be Hopeful--not afraid of what may be coming or how "bad" things may get first. "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."--Hebrews 11:1 that goes along with 2 Peter 3:3-4-"be aware of this: scoffers will come in the last days... saying, "where is the promise of His coming?"

Be Faithful--be doing what we should be doing in the meantime--seeking His power, doing His will, fulfilling His mission--

This is by no means an exhaustive list--but please add these elements to your prayer--we have not, because we ask not.

8-21-11 The Power of a Changed Name

In this message, I’ve let Scripture do most of the talking. I interspersed a little bit of commentary form what I shared this morning but most of that is not here. Here’s the message about the Power of a Changed Name.

My son and I sang a song about God and some of the words and phrases used to describe Him and His relationship to us. Some of them are identified as His Name. I AM, YHWH, Alpha & Omega, Savior.

Some people grow up hating their names. I have never hated my name but sometimes it is annoying because not many boys are named Kelly. And for a while, women’s cosmetics or pantyhose companies would send me samples in the mail—assuming that Kelly was a girl.

Anyone here not like their name? Just be glad you’re not named like some of these poor kids…

Apple: Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow
Audio Science: Shannyn Sossamon
Blue Angel: U2's The Edge and Aislinn O'Sullivan
Bluebell Madonna: Geri Halliwell
Fifi Trixibell: Bob Geldof and Paula Yates (also parents to Peaches and Pixie)
Jazz Domino: Joe Strummer
Kal-El Coppola: Nicholas Cage (Kal-El is Superman’s original birth name)
Lark Song: Mia Farrow and André Previn
Moon Unit: Frank Zappa, also father to Dweezil and Diva Muffin
Moxie CrimeFighter: Penn Jillette (also father to Zolten)
Pilot Inspektor: Jason Lee and Beth Riesgraf
Sage Moonblood: Sylvester Stallone and Sasha Czack (also parents to Seargeoh)
Tallulah: Bruce Willis and Demi Moore (also parents to Scout and Rumer)

How many of you are happier with your name now?

In the Bible, names were chosen for their meaning or some characteristic of the person. In many instances, the name is an indicator of their life.
The amazing moments in Scripture is when God intervenes and changes someone’s name—and when God changes the name, He changes their Destiny.

• Abram—Exalted Father (ironic since he didn’t have any children) became Abraham—Father of Nations

• Sarai—My Princess was changed to Sarah—Princess of YHWH

• Jacob—Heel-Grabber, grasping at things not legally his to Israel—Prince of God and as you know, the rightful inheritance is supposed to pass on to the Prince

• Simon—to be heard or listening to Peter—a rock or stone

We tend to think that God only changes the names of the important characters in the world—the ones that really make a difference. But that is not true of only the elite. Whenever you become one of His children, He gives YOU a new name and changes your destiny.

Once, God described the Israelites in a similar way—hear how their future changes with a new name.

• Isaiah 62:1-4
1 I will not keep silent because of Zion, and I will not keep still because of Jerusalem, until her righteousness shines like a bright light and her salvation, like a flaming torch.2 Nations will see your righteousness and all kings, your glory. You will be called by a new name that the Lord’s mouth will announce.3 You will be a glorious crown in the Lord’s hand, and a royal diadem in the palm of your God.4 You will no longer be called Deserted, and your land will not be called Desolate; instead, you will be called My Delight is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land will be married.5 For as a young man marries a young woman, so your Builder will marry you; and as a groom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you.

• Revelation 2:17c—“Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. I will give the I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name is inscribed that no one knows except the one who receives it.”

Revelation 3:12—“To the victor: I will make him a pillar in the sanctuary of My God and he will never go out again. I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God—the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God—and My own new name.”

In Christ, your name is changed, your identity is changed, your eternity is changed. Look at the words used to name and describe your new Identity in Christ.

• New Creation – 2 Corinthians 5:17—“ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.”

• Adopted into the Family and Co-Heirs with the Rightful Son--
Galatians 4:3-7—“ In the same way we also, when we were children, were in slavery under the elemental forces of the world.4 When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “•Abba, Father!”7 So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”

Romans 8:15-17—“For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “•Abba, Father!”16 The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs —heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ —seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”

• Citizen—Ephesians 2:17-19—“ When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household,

Citizenship was not automatic in the Roman Empire. You could be born to it pay for it or serve in the military and if you live long enough, you could get it. Citizenship came with certain protections, rights and responsibilities.

• Friend—John 15:13-15—“No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father.

• Ambassador—2 Corinthians 5:20—“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”

An ambassador is one who lives in a country but whose citizenship belongs to another. While they are visiting this kingdom, they represent the King and the Kingdom of their true citizenship. But this representation can be positive or negative. An ambassador is supposed to champion the greatness of their home and encourage everyone to see for themselves, but too often loyalties become divided, they love the country they are visiting more than home. Or their bad character gives the home country a bad name. Too often that is how we as Christians have lived.

• Body of Christ—1 Cor. 12:27—“Now you are the body of Christ, and individual members of it.”

Eph. 4:11-13—“And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 for the training of the saints in the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ,13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.”

• Royal Priesthood—Holy Nation—Belonging to God
1 Peter 2:9-10—“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

• Sanctuary or Temple
1CO 3:16 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 17 If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.

• Bride of Christ –
John 3:29—“The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less.

Ephesians 5:25-27—“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

Revelation 19:7-9—“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)9 Then the angel said to me, "Write: `Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' "

Revelation 21:1-Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea no longer existed.2 I also saw the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.3 Then I heard a loud voice from the throne:Look! God’s dwelling is with humanity, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God.4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will no longer exist; grief, crying, and pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away.5 Then the One seated on the throne said, “Look! I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.”

Rev. 21: 9-11—“Then one of the seven angels, who had held the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me: “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 He then carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 arrayed with God’s glory. Her radiance was like a very precious stone, like a jasper stone, bright as crystal.

All of this ties back in to Isaiah and how we are being built and married to our Builder


Isaiah 62:1-4
You will be called by a new name that the Lord’s mouth will announce.3 You will be a glorious crown in the Lord’s hand, …you will be called My Delight is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land will be married.5 For as a young man marries a young woman, so your Builder will marry you; and as a groom rejoices over his bride, so your God will rejoice over you.
Revelation 3:12—“I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God—the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God—and My own new name.”

Never forget who you are and who you are called to be. In Christ, your name has been changed. A change that redefines your Destiny, your Purpose and your Mission. That destiny comes with rights and also responsibilities.

Movie Reviews - Captain America, Thor, Green Lanter, X-Men

So far this year, I have seen 6 movies. Four of them have been of the comic-superhero genre: X-Men First Class, Thor, Green Lantern & most recently Captain America. King’s Speech and Kung-Fu Panda 2 were the others.

I have two kids; a 10 yr old son and a 6 yr old daughter. My son is the bigger superhero fan—big surprise. Because of this, my wife and I typically preview a movie together to determine whether it is appropriate to take one or more of our kids to see.

With this in mind, I’ll list the order that I liked these superhero movies.

1. Captain America
2. Thor
3. Green Lantern
4. X-Men

Now my reviews—in reverse order

4. X-Men
—I liked much of the story of this movie set in and around the Cuban Missile Crisis/Cold War tensions between the Soviets & the US. I enjoyed seeing the growth of some characters we’re only used to seeing as mature, fully powered mutants. I thought there was a great distinction between good/evil and the importance of each person to choose what is right, along with the emphasis that a life motivated by revenge will only engage in its own justified violence.

I didn’t like the fact that there seemed to be little desire for continuity with the other movies as characters were moved and placed in times they do not belong. Things the characters don’t know in the “later” movies are shown.

With that said, I did not take my son to see this movie. Some of the brutality was too much, especially in regard to Magneto’s character—brutality acted upon him and by him. I also thought there was too much given to women in lingerie and a fantasy sex scene. Neither of these really added to the story and each scene could have been done well without them. While I laughed at Wolverine’s cameo and thought the behavior was consistent with the character, the F-Word was too strong and unnecessary.

There were several things I liked about this movie but more things I did not. It’s one of those “I could have liked it more if…” kind of movies. I may let my son watch some scenes on the DVD provided we fast forward others, but we will not be buying this one.

3. Green Lantern
—I must admit I have been a GL fan since I was a kid. For me, his status and power was always the most misunderstood and poorly represented in the cartoons I grew up with. I never spent money on comics but the occasional one I found seemed to have a different set up than other standard heroes. So with that, I’ve been looking forward to this attempt.

When I saw the first trailer, I thought it was going to be a disaster. They made it look like a comedy routine. It was certainly better than that. Some of the special effects were excellent and I’ve been told were very good on the 3-D level which I did not get to see.

This movie was OK, it was entertaining and had some good discussions again about the choice of doing what is right and courage in the face of great adversity. It makes the great point—one that I’ve tried to teach my kids—that courage is not the absence of fear, but rather it is the ability to act and do what is right/necessary in the face of fear. There was also the emphasis of the impact that fathers can have on their children both positively and negatively.

In many ways, the story dragged too much. Hal Jordan really only used his ring a couple of times in the whole movie and for too long he was the reluctant hero. This is a tired motif, imho and does not understand Hal Jordan’s character or why the ring would select him.

Being a GL fan, I thought this was the wrong way to portray Hal Jordan. He could be a rule breaker, but not because he was irresponsible, rather because he pushed the limits. As a test pilot, I always thought of him wanting to be the best, but unable to prove it in the “real world” of air combat—where he could make a difference. Kind of like the frustration many police officers feel when they move to a desk job and no longer go out in the field. There is a desire to get out there do something and prove that they are still capable. It is from this thought that I always pictured Hal Jordan as longing for something greater and a true desire to be a hero. He just needed the opportunity. The ring chose him in part b/c of this desire and his courage.

Overall, I was not impressed with the movie enough to want to take my kids to see it and pay that money. I’ll wait for the DVD and decide later if I’ll actually purchase it.

2. Thor
—I really enjoyed this movie and in many ways is closer to a 1b than it is a genuine 2. I did take my son to see this one.

Fortunately, the movie did not spend a whole lot of time on the Norse Mythology angle as a set of beliefs. But if I remember correctly, it did intro the movie with the thought that there was a time when humans did not believe they were alone in the universe. I thought that a good intro considering most people do not equate belief in extraterrestrials on the same level as belief in God or gods. These beings from Asgard are not really gods, but just advanced aliens who have a connection to our planet. It implies that all gods really fall into this category but doesn’t make it overbearing or insulting to those who have a belief. This was appreciated.

There was minor language and no real nudity. The humor was appropriate and not crude. I thought the story moved well and introduced a character that most people don’t know a whole lot about.

I thought the contrast of Thor at the beginning of the movie—prideful & arrogant—to how he was at the end was a compelling story. A good hero/warrior/king cannot hold to the idea of always being right or that because he’s the strongest he should get his way. I thought the look of Asgard was good as well as the various armor people wore.

In many ways, this movie portrays biblical concepts like “pride comes before a fall” or “ God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble”. It was the intent of Odin that Thor would learn and grow through a period of discipline and humiliation. Thor was a great warrior, but he was not a great leader or a great man (a theme that comes again in Captain America). And this is true in my life as well as how God works in our world today, particularly with those who claim the name of Jesus—God disciplines those He loves and if He is not disciplining you, you are illegitimate and not truly His (see Hebrews 12).

I thought the action was good and well paced—good fight scenes that weren’t gory. One thing I feared in this movie was the depiction of the Rainbow Bridge that connects the worlds together. I always thought it looked stupid in the cartoon versions—I liked this one.

Overall, I thought this was a great movie and was pretty comfortable taking my son to see it. I expect to purchase a copy when it comes out on DVD.

1. Captain America
—This was a great, entertaining movie. It’s not intended to win Oscars, but entertain. I just saw this movie over the weekend so my review has more details and a few spoilers.

Once again there was not any nudity and only minimal language. Even the action violence was not bloody or extreme. I felt comfortable taking my son to see the movie and considered taking my daughter, but she was not interested.

I was concerned that they wouldn’t be able to make the movie interesting considering even my son was already familiar with Captain America’s story. I thought they did a great job setting up the Steve Rogers character as the 90 pound weakling but who still had courage. To paraphrase another movie line, “his heart was writing checks his body couldn’t cash.”

Steve had a heart to serve his country and fight alongside other men laying down their lives. He wanted to be a hero and lived with a sense of courage and responsibility; as well as a sense of obligation. Love of country & true patriotism is actually an increasingly rare perspective coming out of Hollywood—and this movie was full of it. When a character in a movie disrespected the war effort and the news, Steve was the one who had the strength of character to confront him—resulting in his own beating.

Steve failed several times to pass the entrance exam into the army but he didn’t want to give up. Other ways of serving his country was not enough. He wanted to fight even though he knew he didn’t have the physical tools to survive long. This caught the eye of a scientist developing the super soldier formula. When asked, Steve’s motivation was not killing Nazi’s or a hatred for the enemy, rather it was because he didn’t like bullies—an experience he was familiar with.

When Steve made it to basic training, he was clearly not qualified or able to be a soldier. Tommy Lee Jones played his character of the General very well. And here enters one of the great aspects of the movie and what makes a good hero. One candidate looked the part, had all of the measurables they were looking for, but his character was not.

Tommy Lee says, “it takes more than guts to be a hero (soldier, not sure)” and he throws a dummy grenade into the exercising men. All of them, even the preferred candidate, scatter except Steve who without hesitation jumps on it to save others. “He’s still skinny” is the response from the impressed general.

In talking with the scientist, Steve learns that the formula takes who you are and amplifies it. A good man becomes great, a bad man becomes worse (which is what happened to the bad guy in the movie, Red Skull). Steve is reminded that power and strength that is not coupled with humility and compassion is dangerous—which is why he as a 90 pound weakling was the ideal candidate. A good man is better than a good soldier.

Once he becomes the hero, rather than be given the opportunity to live it out, he has the humiliating task of peddling War Bonds as an actor in a hokey costume. They really had fun with this part and did it well. But what Steve was unwilling to do before (not put his life on the line by collecting scrap metal), he finds himself essentially doing—living in safety when others are being injured and dying.

Steve is a hero, but has not been given the opportunity. Despite the fact that he could whip any soldier in the military, when he is put in front of them, they blow him off as “just an actor”—he has not proven himself to them or even himself. He knows he is made for something more and is dissatisfied with life as he waits for the opportunity.

When the opportunity presents itself—he has to take it.

He was looking for the moment.
He was willing in the moment.
He made the most of the moment.

In so doing, he rescued 400 prisoners of war from the bad guys.

Now everyone knows he’s a hero, he is Captain America.

The rest of the movie details the exploits of Captain America against the bad guys. There’s a good difference between what CA wants to do with his power vs. what Red Skull wants to do with his. Red Skull wants to rise above the rules of society and nation—no longer living in Hitler’s shadow and criticizes CA for wearing the “flag on your chest”. I would have appreciated a response from Cap on this statement.

Red Skull personifies Nietzsche’s “Uberman” in many ways—thinking that he has risen above the constraints and morals of the lesser men. And because he has no moral foundation himself, he was not a good man before, he is worse when given power and thus tries to subject everyone to serve him even if it means killing most everyone else.

Cap thwarts the plan and sacrifices himself to save numerous cities in America. In so doing, he is frozen in arctic ice and reawakened some 70+ years later. Everyone he knows has died, the nation has moved on and in future movies he’ll have to figure out how to serve his country and the world.

It’s a nice lead in to The Avengers movie coming out next year which will partner Cap with Ironman, Thor, Hulk and several others. Be sure and stay to the end of the credits to see the preview.

I will definitely be getting this one on DVD when it comes out.

Vicky's New Blog

Hey everyone!  I just wanted to let you know that my wife has started her own blog.  Please visit, bookmark and participate with her on this journey of faith.

Esther's Legacy


Knowing my wife, I know it will be thoughtful and challenging.

Prayer - Why is it Necessary? Ephesians 6:18

Why is Prayer even necessary?

There are many possible directions to go in answering this question but one implied reason that I would like to look at can be found in Ephesians 6:18-20.

10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength.Ac 4:33 11 Put on uPr 31:25 the full armor vEph 6:11-17 of God so that you can stand against the tactics w Or schemes, or tricks of the Devil. 12 For our battle is not against flesh xPhp 3:3 and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,y1Pt 3:22 against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil zMt 6:13; Jn 17:15 in the heavens.aEph 1:3,20; 2:6; 3:10; Php 2:10
 

13 This is why you must take up the full armor b1Th 5:8 of God, so that you may be able to resist c2Tm 4:15; 1Pt 5:9 in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. 14 Stand,dPr 24:16; Php 1:27 therefore,

with truth eJn 14:6; 1Jn 5:20 like a belt around your waist, righteousness fMt 6:33; Rm 1:17; 2Pt 1:1 like armor on your chest,1Th

15 and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. Ready to go tell others about the gospel

16 In every situation take the shield iGen 15:1 of faith,jMt 8:10; Ac 3:16; Rm 1:8; 1Co 2:5; Gl 2:16; 1Tm 1:2; Heb 4:2 and with it you will be able to extinguish all the

flaming arrows of the evil one.2Th 3:3

17 Take the helmet l1Th 5:8 of salvation, and the sword mMk 14:47 of the Spirit,nPs 51:11; Jn 1:33; Ac 2:4; Rm 8:9; Gl 5:25; Tit 3:5; Rev 3:22 which is God’s word.

18 Pray oMt 5:44; Ac 12:12 at all times in the Spirit pJd 20 with every prayer and request, and stay alert qPr 6:4 in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saintsrThe work of the Holy Spirit that separates believers in Jesus from the world. At the time of saving faith in Jesus, the believer is made a saint; therefore, all believers are saints. The believer participates with the Spirit in a process of transformation that continues until glorification. The goal of sanctification is progressive conformity to the image of Jesus Christ. .
19 Pray also for me, that the message may be given to me when I open my mouth to make known with boldness s2Co 3:12 the mysterytTransliteration of the Greek word mysterion; a secret hidden in the past but now revealed of the gospel.  20 For this I am an ambassador u2Co 5:20 in chains. Pray that I might be bold enough in Him to speak as I should.

Many of the translations include this passage as part of the larger section starting in vs. 10 reminding  us that we need empowering by the limitless strength of God.  But why is this necessary?

Because we are at war.

We have an enemy that is against us who uses many methods and tactics to accomplish his goals and victories.  It is coordinated and comes against us on many fronts at various levels.  The primary enemy is not the physical that we can see but the spiritual and the entities of control, influence and corruption that Satan has set up.

And Believers are called to stand against these tactics—to resist them, to oppose them.  And through the strength that God provides, to overcome them.

Prayer then becomes a vital part of this effort.

Ask any military commander what is are the most important elements of victory in battle and they will likely say, intelligence and communication.  The army that can get an accurate picture of the battlefield conditions and then direct and adjust their troops or tactics the fastest gives itself the best opportunity to achieve victory.

The troops are supposed to relay the conditions on the ground up the chain to their commanding officers.  These officers are typically given a higher vantage point of the battle so they can see the bigger picture—this is especially true in modern life with aerial and satellite imagery/video.  Those commanding officers in turn send orders and tactics back down to the troops and they are expected to act on those orders.

An effective strategy in warfare, especially modern, is to disrupt these lines of communication.  If the troops cannot relay their situation and/or the commanding officers cannot get their orders through, then the opposing army cannot act in a coordinated and effective way against your strategy and tactics.

Satan cannot prevent God from hearing our prayer.  But he can interfere with the orders coming to us—he can distract us, tempt us to the point that we do not listen. 

But really, he doesn’t have to try all that hard.  We disrupt our own lines of communication all too willingly.  Believers are great at relaying battleground updates—we call it prayer requests.  We list out those who have ailments, health concerns, job issues—in most cases we are praying for other people—especially when we are in a public or corporate setting.  We don’t pray for ourselves very well and we’re uncomfortable asking for prayer for ourselves.

But what’s more, we do all the talking—we give the battleground updates then hang up—turning off the lines of communication.  It’s like we’re not really interested in listening for the orders from our Commanding Officer. 

It’s no wonder that the Church is so often so powerless and ineffective.  The enemy is coordinated, they have a strategy.   

So does God, but His troops are often not listening.  Many times He works in spite of us. 

No force can work effectively if they are not getting orders from their commanding officer.

To fight these battles, we need Truth that holds us together—the truth of Jesus and the Word.  We need not our own righteousness but His protecting our heart, we need to have our shoes on ready to respond to the orders to Go with the message of the Gospel in much the same way the Israelites were supposed to have their shoes on when observing the Passover.  We need the shield of faith because our enemy is constantly shooting deadly arrows and testing our defenses.  We need the helmet of salvation that changes even the way we think with the transforming of our mind so we know the truth and are not deceived by fine sounding arguments. 

The weapons at our disposal in fighting these battles are the Sword of the Spirit (God’s Word) and Prayer.  In prayer we engage in the battle and can receive our orders.

Because prayer is part of the front lines of the spiritual battle is why it is so important to “pray at all times in the Spirit”.  This implies that it is possible to not “pray in the Spirit”.  This works in the same way as worship from John 4.   

Jesus clearly states that the Father is seeking those who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth—meaning there are many people engaged in worship of something but are lacking those important elements—Spirit & Truth.

We can pray things not in accord with the Spirit.  We can pray with the wrong motives, we can pray for things not in God’s will, we can pray our wants, we can pray with sin in our lives.  Men, even how you treat your wife can hinder your prayer (1 Peter 3:7).  This requires staying “alert” and “persevering” in this type of prayer—meaning that Prayer in the Spirit is not easy nor automatic.  It can be hard to focus during prayer, we can fall asleep (“Alert” more literally is not asleep), our mind can drift on to other things and issues.  It takes effort and perseverance to continue praying at all times in the Spirit.

When we are in the Spirit, we have the best opportunity to hear clearly from God.  We can receive our marching orders of what is the best course of action, what God wants to do next, His love for us, how we can serve Him and others.

God provides the Armor, the orders and the weapons in order for His Church to stand against the tactics of the Devil—to resist him and be prepared for the battle.   

Prayer is part of that preparation—it is where we get our orders.  It is a way in which we draw from His strength.