What does it look like for the Kingsman to be truly dedicated? Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself before the king’s food was ever set in front of him (Daniel 1:8). Paul told the Corinthians to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, because their labour in Him is […]
Read More KMCD 37: Dedication and the KingsmanReading: Ephesians 3:14-21 Context: Why does Paul emphasise praying to “the Father from whom every family… derives its name”? Prayers to God are vast enterprises, even as God is vast. The aspect of God that we refer to in prayer gives a great indication of what we’re saying is important in this prayer. The first […]
Read More WIWO: Ephesians – Episode 07: Prayer for Inner StrengthBarnabas and Saul: Set apart for God. The church in Antioch featured a group of prophets and teachers. As they gathered to fast and pray, the Holy Spirit spoke to them about Barnabas and Saul. What was said wasn’t totally new to either Barnabas or Saul. What was said to them, however, was crucial for […]
Read More Dryden Shorts – Set Apart For …The hymn I Am Thine, O Lord, whose words came from Fanny J Crosby, features the powerful lyric, Consecrate me now for thy service, Lord. What does that mean to the Kingsman? A tradesman doesn’t carry every tool in his bag on every job. He owns dozens; he sets aside two or three, cleans them, […]
Read More KMCD 36: Consecration and the KingsmanReading: Ephesians 3:1-13 Context: Why does Paul refer to himself as a “prisoner for Christ Jesus”? First, he is describing his current location. He’s in prison. The reason he’s in prison is because of Jesus. That is to say, in line with what it means to follow Jesus, he is facing opposition and resistance that […]
Read More WIWO: Ephesians – Episode 06: Paul’s Ministry to the GentilesThe Kingsman seeks to be more and more like Jesus; how does that work? This is all about what he learns and applies in his life from the process of sanctification as described in Scripture. A man doesn’t argue with the mirror when it shows him something true. He might not like what he sees, […]
Read More KMCD 35: Sanctification and the KingsmanReading: Ephesians 2:11-22 Context: What was the historical relationship between Jews and Gentiles in Paul’s time? Jews and Gentiles were antagonistically situated. The name Gentile is defined by not being a Jew. Jews were very proud of their identity and had practices that made them distinct from others. Rather than being a bridge to understand […]
Read More WIWO: Ephesians – Episode 05: Unity in ChristWhat is it like for the Kingsman to relate to Jesus, the King? It’s very much like what happens when a man finally stops wearing his own crown long enough to notice whose head it was always meant to sit on. A soldier can carry a great deal on borrowed authority for a long time […]
Read More KMCD 34: The Crown and the KingsmanReading: Ephesians 2:1-10 Context: What does Paul mean by being “dead in your transgressions and sins”? Two related realities help us to understand what Paul means by being dead in transgressions and sins. The first reality, linked to the spiritual poverty Jesus describes in the Beatitudes, is the state in which our condition before the […]
Read More WIWO: Ephesians – Episode 04: Dead to AliveWhat is it like for the Kingsman to relate to Jesus, the Crucified One? There’s a kind of silence that falls over a man when he finally stops explaining himself and simply stands still in front of what was done for him. That’s the silence the cross asks for before it asks for anything else. […]
Read More KMCD 33: The Cross and the Kingsman
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