Spirits of the City by Floyd McClung (former international director of YWAM), P. 104 “Ephesus was the most important city in the Roman province of Asia, and was shaken by a movement to Christ among the religious power brokers”.
1. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
Matthew 18:3 - "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 19:14 -But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;
4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
Chapter 3 and 4 spoke of this, too. God / Paul is trying to make sure we get his point.
5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
This is serious, since he mentions the wrath of God. I wonder about judgment on the US (hurricanes, etc.).
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.
Matthew 18: 15 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. (Deuteronomy 19:15) One of the wisest things I’ve been told is praise in public, critique in private.17 "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
11 Do not participate in the useless deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
14 For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you."
15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,
16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
Remember Robin Williams in Dead Poet’s Society standing on chair, Carpe Diem, Seize the Day.
17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms – (psalmos) a striking, twanging of a striking the chords of a musical instrument of a pious song, a psalm and
hymns – (humnos) a song in tithe praise of gods, heroes, conquerors a sacred song
and spiritual (pneumatikos) relating to the human spirit, or rational soul, as part of the man which is akin to God and serves as his instrument or organ that which possesses the nature of the rational soul belonging to a spirit, or a being higher than man but inferior to God belonging to the Divine Spirit of God the Holy Spirit one who is filled with and governed by the Spirit of God pertaining to the wind or breath; windy, exposed to the wind, blowing
songs, (ode) singing (ado) to the praise of anyone, to sing
and making melody (psallo) to pluck off, pull out to cause to vibrate by touching, to twang to touch or strike the chord, to twang the strings of a musical instrument so that they gently vibrate to play on a stringed instrument, to play, the harp, etc. to sing to the music of the harp in the NT to sing a hymn, to celebrate the praises of God in song with your heart to the Lord;
20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
Are we being thankful? I’m trying to be in the midst of change.
21 and be subject (Hupotasso) to arrange under, to subordinate to subject, put in subjection to subject one's self, obey to submit to one's control to yield to one's admonition or advice to obey, be subject. A Greek military term meaning "to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader". In non-military use, it was "a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden".
to one another in the fear of Christ. We need to have some fear, awe and respect of Jesus.
22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.
24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,
27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself;
29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,
30 because we are members of His body.
31 FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. (from Genesis 2: 24)
The pastor of the church I go to Saturday nights brings up the word “submission”. The husband must have a mission, and the wife is below, supporting him in it. If he doesn’t have a mission, how can she?
32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
It is sometimes hard to understand why God does things the way He does.
33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.
Signs and Wonders and the Kingdom of God by Don Williams, PhD (theologian of the V) page 140 "In Luke 4, Jesus comes to bring release to the captives. He comes to expel the demons. Believing this led me, along with Dr. Joe Ozawa, a psychologist, to pray with a friend of mine addicted to cocaine. As we ministered during the next 2 hours, several demons came out of him, some with violence. The result was that his 10 year addictive compulsion to do drugs was broken in 1 night . . . In many incurable cases there is a need for deliverance.”
“80% of the cocaine in the USA comes from Columbia, which as a missionary reported to me, has been a center of strong demonic activity for 1000 years.” Footnote in his book
