A series of homilies on Ephesians.
A homily is “a short talk on a religious or moral topic; a usually short sermon; a lecture or discourse on or of a biblical theme.”
I am sharing a verse-by-verse series of short messages on Ephesians (as well as other passages of Scripture) specifically targeted at reviving families and encouraging and exhorting husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and children to do what God has commanded them to do, for if the church is to be revived and the country is to be awakened, the family must be revived first.
TEXT: Ephesians 4:3-6:
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
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J.C. Ryle said, “We have the truth and we need not be afraid to say so.”
Leonard Ravenhill said, “I’d rather have ten people that want God than 10,000 people who want to play church. I want to see the glory of God come so our young people don’t have to be told to go to church, but they just long to get to the sanctuary where God’s presence resides.”
In their book, The Ten Greatest Revivals Ever, Elmer Towns and Douglas Porter share with us: “By the end of the Revolutionary War, only sixty Methodist chapels had been built, but the circuit-riding preachers used cabins, inns, schools—any place to preach the gospel. With time, each preaching point built a chapel, giving stability and influence to the Methodist movement. By the mid 1800s, it had become the largest Protestant denomination in America.”
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We ought to strive to maintain unity in the body of Christ because we have one God who is the Father of us all. Someone once said, “Christians at war with each other cannot be at peace with their heavenly Father.” God being the Father of us all makes each of us brothers and sisters, and it is a terrible thing to see family members divided against each other.
The unity that the Father wishes for us to realize is shown in how the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are unified as the Trinity. They are three distinct persons, but they are one in heart, mind, and purpose. The church ought to be one with the Father and one with each other.
One definition of the Greek word that is translated “Father” reads as follows: “the author of a family or society of persons animated by the same spirit as himself; one who has infused his own spirit into others, who actuates and governs their minds.” This is what God has done to us through Jesus Christ. He has created the church as a new society of individuals forged together to be a reflection of Himself. He has filled us with His Spirit, and if we let the Spirit take control, He will govern our minds. And a mind governed by God the Father is one that will strive to keep unity among other believers.
Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Stargell was often called “Pops” by teammates and fans because of his leadership on and off the field. In 1979, when Stargell led the Pittsburgh Pirates to their second World Series title, the team was nicknamed “The Family” because of their close relationship. Stargell said, “We won, we lived, and we enjoyed as one. We molded together dozens of different individuals into one working force. We were products of different races, were raised in different income brackets, but in the clubhouse and on the field we were one.”
We should be able to say the same about the church, the family of God.
Let’s pray.
Now, if you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, please keep in mind that the Bible says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” Just pray and ask Him to come into your heart and He will. I will be sharing more on the matter of salvation in the next segment of our service which starts in about 5 minutes.
Revival Prayer List
PRAY FOR SPECIFIC FAMILIES
Philippians 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
— Daniel
bless his compensation fund with $777,000.00
— Sherry
bring restoration and remove discord from her family after her son’s interracial marriage
— Denice in Desert Hot Springs, California
give her strength to withstand spiritual attack and patience to wait on You; give her clarity regarding hearing from You
— Daniel in Prince George’s County, Suitland, Maryland
help Daniel Cook, as pastor of Life Changing Faith Christian Church, and his leaders not to compromise the Gospel or their families;
bless the finances of their church so that there will be money to take care of the budget and to truly help those in need;
give Daniel Cook Your wisdom to lead Your people into Your truth
— Christine in Erath, Louisiana
heal her father Norman who is suffering from stage 4 kidney failure, congestive heart failure, COPD, prostate cancer, and thyroid problems; bring his body total healing
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PRAY FOR CHURCH LEADERS
Paul said in Ephesians 6:18, “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
Leaders of the Pentecostal Church
Ervin Hargrave
Clyde Hughes
Larry Austin
Gene Boyce
Terry Lykins
Calvin Weikel
Frank Angié
Wayne Taylor
Damron Bradshaw
Randall Hamilton
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PRAY FOR GOVERNMENTAL LEADERS
1 Timothy 2:1-2 says, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”
WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATURE
Doug Ericksen
Joe Fain
Karen Fraser
David Frockt
Cyrus Habib
Jim Hargrove
Bob Hasegawa
Mike Hewitt
Steve Hobbs
Andy Hill
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
BCNN1 WP 