Dear Brothers and Sisters,

You are invited to come to the Wednesday evening prayer meeting and pray for the church (and other things -- 7:00 PM Wed., LHF time).

In Ephesians chapter 4, verses 11 through 13, the apostle Paul tells us that God is building up the body of Christ, the Church, until we become like Christ in every way -- "attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." He is doing this through gifts which he has given to various people in the church as he has chosen to do. There are apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastors and teachers.

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Eph. 4:11-13)

After telling us these things, Paul then proceeds to demonstrate how it is done. In verse 17 he says, "So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking."

How did the Gentiles live? This is how they lived: "Having lost all sensitivity, they gave themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more (v19)." In other words, they tried very hard to please themselves, but were never satisfied. No matter how much they tried to indulge their desire for sensual pleasures, it was never enough. There was always a continual lust for more.

But it's not that way with Christ -- "You, however, did not come to know Christ that way (v20)." With Christ there is always contentment. Christ is always enough. There is no "continual lust for more." Jesus said, "I came that they might have life, and that they might have it abundantly (John 10:10b)."

If you are not satisfied in every way with your life in Christ, it is because you have not completely "put off your old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires (v22)." You need to "put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness (v23)."

In case you have any doubt about it, you really do have a new self that really is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. In fact, you are a new creation. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor. 5:17) In fact, to skip ahead a little bit in Ephesians, you -- all of you -- are God's holy people. Paul says in Eph. 5:3, "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for GOD'S HOLY PEOPLE."

In Eph. 5:5 (two verses later) Paul tells us the following: "For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person -- such a person is an idolater -- has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God." Paul's point in saying this is not that you had better be good or you will go to hell. In verse 3 he says that we are already good. We are "God's holy people." The point is that it is improper -- it just isn't fitting or suitable for God's holy people to behave like the disobedient. He is telling them essentially this: "You are holy. You are children of God! Why should you behave like those who are going to hell?" I believe that Paul, because the people he is writing to are holy children of God, sealed for the day of salvation by the Holy Spirit (see Eph. 4:30) --- he, Paul -- is fully confident that they will not live as those upon whom God's wrath is coming, but as God's holy people. They will listen to what Paul is saying and do it.

And we also, as God's holy people, will not live as those upon whom God's wrath is coming. We will hear the word of God spoken by apostles, evangelist and pastors and teachers and, because we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, we will "live as children of light (Eph. 5:8)." Nevertheless, God wants us to pray.

One more point: God calls lots of people to speak his word. Just because you are not a "preacher" or a "leader" or whatever, doesn't mean you can't encourage someone through the word of God. So do it.

Come on Wednesday and pray for the Church. The Church is the overflowing abundance, the wealth beyond measure and the full and perfect nature of God who fulfills and completes everything in every way.

Grace and peace,
Dean Svoboda

PS: You can also bring you own prayer requests and pray for them with your brothers and sisters in Christ (i.e., with the Church). Bring your requests to God with thanksgiving and receive his peace.

PPS: Pass this invitation along to others in your household or to someone who doesn't have an e-mail address in the LHF directory