FILLED WITH GOD
Today’s Reading: Ephesians 3
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
Our 100words.ca photographer, my eldest son, opened his Bible to Ephesians and placed it among the ruins of ancient Ephesus on a door entrance to what was probably a Christian’s home or place of business. The circle with the symbols secretly represented the Christian faith. The other dark circles were so that people would not slip when entering.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: Ephesians 3:17-19
That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Just imagine the overcoming strength Paul has received from God. He is writing this from a prison in Rome. Paul takes on the principalities and powers which manifest themselves in Caesar, the ruler who claimed to be a god. Who is truly free, and who is the prisoner?
Paul’s prayer is not just for the believers at Ephesus, but for us too! To be filled with all the fullness of God means that we will be fuller than we were before when we were already full. How can this be? Our capacity for God living in us has expanded because of God answering Paul’s prayer! Let us keep topping up every day without fail! Here is a three-step plan for becoming more like Jesus: (1) Be strengthened with power through His Spirit, (2) Understand that Christ dwells in our hearts by faith, and (3) Get a grasp on the fact that Christ loves us totally.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Father, I have bowed my knees to You earlier this morning, and I’ll do the same regularly. I am making Paul’s prayer mine and praying it word for word. Your answer to this prayer is “Yes!”…a thousand times “Yes!” I’m reading Ephesians 3:14-21 again and again. To You “be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
From my earliest days in public ministry, I established a practise of spending as much time in prayer as I spent in preparation for ministry. Keeping a balance between head and heart is vitally important. When the 100 Huntley Street daily telecast began June 15th, 1977, I knew that I was not to go on air unless I had spent at a minimum the same amount of time in prayer as I would spend on TV. I believe the Lord clearly showed me that failure to do this would result in my own thoughts being expressed and not His thoughts. I suggest we read Isaiah 55:6-13. How does one get wet when it’s raining? Just go out in the rain with the umbrella down. How does one get soaked in God’s thoughts? Through much prayer and the reading of God’s Word. His Word contains His thoughts!
I’m blessed beyond measure by doing this blog daily. This morning I awoke, looked at my watch, and I thought it said 4:00 a.m. I said, “Thank You, Lord Jesus, You’ve awakened me right on time as You said You would.” However, as I turned on the light in the next room, I realized it was only 3 a.m. I have had an extra hour this morning to spend soaking in the presence of Christ. Could it be that the church councils, which convened in Ephesus in the building pictured below, would have more harmoniously arrived at the truth contained in the creeds with an hour more than usual in prayer and in the Word each morning?
Yours for learning how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
David
P.S. Our daughter Ellen and her husband, Rev. Nizar Shaheen, are planning to lead a tour group throughout the lands of Paul’s travels in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). Ephesus (amazing structures) will be a major stop among the ancient cities referenced in the writings of Paul, Luke and the Book of Revelation (the seven churches of Revelation). For example, Cappadocia is the most spectacular city I’ve ever experienced (Acts 2:9 & 1 Peter 1:1…see extra photo at the bottom). Norma-Jean and I are talking about leading an add-on extension of that tour to also include the Holy Land. This would take place this October. If interested, click HERE for info and you can contact Ellen at ellen@lfan.com.
The Church of Mary in Ephesus, built around 200 AD, is a church of great historical significance. It is also known as the Double Church, because it is thought one aisle was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the other to St. John. It has also been referred to as the Council Church, because the Council of Ephesus is believed to have been held here. It is the first church to take Mary’s name and the site of two important ecumenical councils in 431 and 449, in which the natures of Christ and Mary were hotly disputed.
In Goreme Cappadocia in Turkey, the people built their homes into cone shaped hills and in Kaymakli they excavated deep below the ground for their city. These troglodyte cave-cities were excavated as early as Hittite times,and were expanded over the centuries as various marauding armies traversed Central Anatolia in search of captives and plunder. There are 36 underground cities in Cappadocia
Thank you Pastor David, your words today spoke to my heart. It is not just reading the Word but letting it soak into our hearts. The pictures by Reynold were amazing.
Have a Blessed Lotd’s Day everyone. Eleanor M.
Good morning fellow travelers of this Holy Spirit filled blog – faithfully provided by David Mainse and family as they traverse the Holy Bible scriptures each and every day. It is truly an amazing challenge… and gift from the Holy Spirit to each of us followers in the body of Christ. Amen!
Holy Spirit-filled insight and pics each and every day are amazing…
We are half-way through our road trip into the USA as far east as Galena, Il and today we will be crossing the Canadian border towards Winnipeg and starting our journey back home to the greater Vancouver area… Throughout this holiday – this blog has continued to be part of my morning devotional…
Have a great day fellow blog travelers,,,
Wow!! What a wonderful response u got yesterday Rev. M.! Praise the Lord! What joy to know so many people are listening to your teachings and probably talking to others about it and maybe even passing it on.
There was a couple on your programming, I believe by the name Bolton?, who talked about their retirement plans going askew (for the better). Anyway, they mentioned something about magnesium. I’ve since tried it and it does wonderful things for me. What a great night’s sleep I have and anxiety has become a thing of the past. I’ve ordered the product they mentioned, but just used a regular OTC magnesium ’til the other arrives. Thank u, thank u, thank u:-) My husband tries it too as he is getting older too:-) He’s the strong silent type so don’t know what it’s doing for him.
Praise the Lord for Paul. What a great preacher and faithful servant of our Lord he was. He was such a tyrant before! Can’t believe I’m getting to know The Bible and loving it! Many thanks to u Rev. M. and your entourage.
Blessings fellow saints.
Amen, David! Praying Isaiah 55:6-13 and your prayer, with love and adoration and pure reverence for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our Heavenly Father, and to the sanctity of the Holy Spirit. A day so divine with windy trees, crisp wet air and a stormy sky. Praising You, Lord, for Your splendour on high. Blessings fellow saints.
Thank you so much for the blog. I had found 100 words at just the right time when my spirit was really in need of a lift. That was one year ago and I have been following daily. It’s my first time reading through the bible and I’m learning so much. The two year plan is working great!
Thanks again!
will the trip to turkey be done again in 2016 same dates we need time to save up for such a trip and it may be possible to have enough saved to add on Israel at the end .
we were going to go to Israel on more time we went 5 years ago in November. The dry heat in Israel eliminated any pains my wife usually deals with here in Ontario
What a way to spend together sharing God’s Word…am enjoying all of it…Ephesus is so uplifting. Thank you Rev. David and family…and blogger family…Especially thank you Jesus for Your love for us. Amen!!
Thank you David for your wonderful blog! My husband and I look forward to reading it every day. We have been almost since the beginning. We also enjoy your son Reynold’s beautiful photography. May God richly Bless you and yours!!!
I’m praying for Anna,our fellow blogger,whose having back surgery today. Thank you Jesus for your powerful healing hand upon her! Thank you Jesus that all is well!! Holy Spirit of comfort and strength abide in her intensely today!!! Praise God our souls. We pray in Jesus’s name. Amen.