Dec 05 2024 26 mins 5
TODAY'S EPISODE:
Dear Daily Radio Bible Family,
Good day to you all, dear ones! As we gather on this 5th day of December, it marks day 341 in our incredible journey through the Bible. Thank you for joining us again today, or if you're new, welcome to our loving community!
📖 Today's Episode Recap:
In today's episode, Hunter revisits Ephesians chapters 1 through 4 to correct a mix-up from yesterday. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is a powerful reminder of God's grace and our identity in Christ. Here are some key themes:
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Identity in Christ:
Paul emphasizes who we are in Christ—chosen, adopted, and redeemed.
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Unity and Peace:
The unity between Jews and Gentiles through the peace Jesus offers is a cornerstone of these chapters.
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Living Out Faith:
As believers, we are encouraged to put on our new nature, which reflects God's love and righteousness.
🧠 Reflection and Analogy:
Hunter draws a poignant analogy between our Christian journey and Mr. Miyagi's advice in "The Karate Kid": "Wax on, wax off." Just as Daniel is taught to put on new skills, we are called to put on our new nature in Christ and remove our old, sinful habits. This process starts by understanding and living out our identity in Christ.
🙏 Time for Prayer:
Hunter leads us through transformative prayers, focusing on gratitude, empowerment, and the mission of spreading peace and love.
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Morning Prayer for Safety and Purposes
: Asking for God's guidance throughout the day.
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Global Unity Prayer
: Praying for peace and unity among all peoples.
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Prayer of St. Francis
: Seeking to be instruments of peace and love in the world.
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Lord's Prayer
: Reaffirming our faith and trust in God's provision and protection.
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📅 Join Us Again Tomorrow:
Let’s show up for more soul work tomorrow! As Hunter always reminds us: Go forward in God's joy, let His joy be your strength, and remember this—you are loved.
Stay blessed!
Warm regards, Hunter & Heather
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TRANSCRIPTION DEVOTIONAL:
Wax on, wax off. Do you remember that? These are mister Miyagi's words to Daniel san in the movie Karate Kid.
This passage in Ephesians for some reason reminds me of that. Our Christian life starts by putting on what we are and Paul spends the better part of these three chapters telling us who we are and encouraging us to put it on, wax on. We are in Christ, he says repeatedly. God has made us new in Christ. He took us who were not his people and he made us his own people. He took us who were not citizens and he made us his own citizens and he adopted us as his own children. He has done all of this for us by means of his death on the cross. He did it for us.
He forgave our sins. He made us new in him by his grace, and that, my friend, is what you are. You are his. You are in him. So put that on. God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. That is what you are. Put that on!
The Christian life begins and ends including everything in between by putting on Christ, living out who you are. Wax off. We need to take off what we no longer are. You are not your old self. You are not the summation of all your old failures, all your old feelings and lusts, desires, regrets, and shames of the past? No. Take it off. That's not who you are. Put on who he says you are in him.
It's by living out of who you are that you'll have the power to put away what you are not. It doesn't go the other way around either. It's not putting away all the old stuff so you can really begin to live who you are. No. It begins with understanding and living in who you are. Then you'll have the power, the perspective, the presence of God within you that enables you to live that life, to take off what needs be taken off. You can't muster it up by trying really hard. Right? There's no physical, spiritual, emotional, or psychological regime that can equip you well enough to do what you wanna do.
No. It's only the power of God living in and through you that can accomplish that. Paul ends the chapter by saying, since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature created to be like God, truly righteous and holy. It's only then after we have put on the new nature that we have power to stop lying to ourselves, to stop lying to others, to stop stealing from ourselves and others, to stop letting our language be abusive and harmful to others, to be rid of bitterness and rage, slander, etcetera. It's as we put on who we are in him that we have power to put off who we are not. Wax on, wax off.
And the prayer of my own heart today is that I will live in the reality of what is, what God has done. My inclusion into Christ, and that from that place of undeserved grace, I will take off all that stands in the way of me living what is mine. And that's the prayer that I have for my family, for my wife, and my daughters, and my son. And that's the prayer that I have for you. May it be so.
TODAY'S PRAYERS:
Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.
Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
And now Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. And where there is sadness, Joy. Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life. Amen
And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray...
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ. Amen.
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