Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

September 30
Sunday


DON'T ROW

READ:
Ephesians 3:14-21
___________________________

That He would grant
you, according to the
riches of His glory, to
be strengthened with
might through His
Spirit in the inner man.
__ Ephesians 3:16
___________________________

During a picnic on a scorching day at a Wisconsin lake, Ole's fiancee Bess said how much she would enjoy some ice cream. So the young Norwegian immigrant gladly made a 5-mile round-trip by rowboat to bring it to her. When he returned exhausted with a container of melted ice cream, Ole told himself there must be a better way. He put his mechanical mind to work, and a year later in 1907, Ole Evinrude field-tested his lightweight, detachable motor for small boats. he married Bess, and when the outboard motors went into commercial production, she wrote the advertising slogan: "Don't Row! Throw the Oars Away!"

Ole Evinrude was not a lazy man, but he understood the limits of human power. Each day we employ machinery to accomplish the tasks of life. But we often stubbornly rely on ourselves when we're trying to serve God. In Ephesians 3, the apostle Paul wrote of a better way: "That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man" (v.16). Instead of self-effort, Paul urged believers to find strength in "Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us" (v.20).

Don't row! Receive and use God's power. __ David McCasland
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~And if my heart and flesh are weak~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~To bear an untried pain,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~The bruised reed He will not break,~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~But strengthen and sustain. __ Whittier~~~~~~~~~~
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We can do whatever God wants us to do
if we depend on His power to do it.

***************Today's Bible Reading __ Ephesians 3:14-21*********

14 For this reason I bow
my knees to the Father of
our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 from whom the whole
family in heaven and earth
is named, 16 that He would
grant you, accoridng to the
riches of His glory, to be
strengthened with might
through His Spirit in the
inner man, 17 that Christ
may dwell in your hearts
through faith; that you,
being rooted and grounded
in love, 18 may be able to
comprehend with all the
saints what is the width and
length and depth and
height__ 19 to know the love
of Christ which passes
knowledge; that you may be
filled with all the fullness of
God.

20 Now to Him who is able
to do exceedingly
abundantly above all that
we ask or think, according
to the power that works in
us, 21 to Him be glory in
the church by Christ Jesus to
all generations, forever and
ever. Amen.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

This is one of the recorded prayers of the apostle Paul (Eph. 1:15-
23; Phil. 1:9-11; Col. 1:9-12), and the second of two prayers in
Ephesians. It is to be noted that Paul does not pray for material
needs but almost always for the spiritual welfare of the inner man
(Eph. 3:16). Whereas Paul's first prayer in Ephesians centers on
knowledge (1:17), this second prayer focuses on love (3:17-19). The
prayer is for every believer to mature and to be holy__attaining the
"fullnes of God" (v.19). __ SKT