<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Ephesians 5;15-20<div><br></div><div><b>15. &nbsp;Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,</b></div><div><b>16. &nbsp;making the most of the time, because the days are evil.</b></div><div><b>17. &nbsp;Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.</b></div><div><b>18. &nbsp;And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,</b></div><div><b>19. &nbsp;addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart,</b></div><div><b>20. &nbsp;always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>What we do with the time God gives us, reveals how wise we are. &nbsp;The chief endeavor in life is learning God’s Word and will, by faith <u>in Christ</u>&nbsp;doing it, <u>and</u>&nbsp;teaching it by words and deeds&nbsp;to others, especially our children. &nbsp;Childhood can not be recovered. &nbsp;It passes in a flash and is gone. &nbsp;Seize&nbsp;the day,’Carpe Diem’. &nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>We are called in Christ to be ‘servants’ of God and each other. &nbsp;Consider what the greatest need of others is…when they lowered the paralytic down through the roof in front of Jesus, the first and greatest need of the&nbsp;man was for&nbsp;forgiveness, <u>not</u>&nbsp;physical healing. &nbsp;(Mark 2;1-12) &nbsp;Jesus must be made&nbsp;known as the <u>only</u>&nbsp;One with,<i>”authority on earth to forgive sins.”</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>The term, <i>“debauchery” </i>as used here suggests the defiling of a virgin. &nbsp;We the Church,&nbsp;are the virgin Bride&nbsp;betrothed to our Lord/Husband Christ. &nbsp;His spirit (the spirit of Sonship) <u>is</u>&nbsp;ours to share in. &nbsp;When we get drunk, we replace the Lord’s spirit of Sonship, (which is servanthood), with self-indulgent sensuality and the spirit of Sonship dissipates like a drop of blood in the&nbsp;ocean, diluted until it is&nbsp;lost.</div><div><br></div><div>Does this&nbsp;mean that alcohol in itself&nbsp;is evil? &nbsp;No, like everything which has power, it is corrupting when not used correctly. &nbsp;Even Jesus partook of alcohol, but only and&nbsp;always with utmost self-control in extreme moderation.</div><div><br></div><div>Notice how Paul links being <i>“filled with the Spirit” </i>to the Word of God&nbsp;and the making of music to the Lord wholeheartedly. &nbsp;Do you have a hymnal in your home? &nbsp;Do you sing together as a marriage or as a family in your house? &nbsp;This is <u>not</u>&nbsp;the same as ‘listening’ to music or others singing. &nbsp;Saint Augustine is attributed to have said, <i>“The one who sings prays twice.”</i>&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>We were redeemed for worship, our mind, soul, spirit, and voice, (no matter how humble) belong to God. &nbsp;He has given them to us in order that we use them to glorify and proclaim him, as we do we <u>are</u>&nbsp;<i>“filled with the Spirit”! &nbsp;</i>Make&nbsp;singing hymns together&nbsp;to God with those in your household a regular part of your devotional life and discover the blessings God gives when we ’employ ourselves’ in the music of the Church. &nbsp;Worship is not a spectator sport. &nbsp;Worship belongs as a&nbsp;part of daily life, not just Sunday mornings.</div><div><br></div><div>How appropriate it is to end today’s reading, (Thanksgiving, November 23, 2023) with these divinely inspired words, <i>“<u>Always,</u>&nbsp;and <u>for Everything</u>, give thanks <u>in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ</u>&nbsp;to God the Father.”</i>!!! &nbsp;True worship requires us to trust that God is working good in everything (Romans 8;28&amp;28)&nbsp;and remembering that his plans for us&nbsp;are for our welfare and not for evil, (Jeremiah 29;11).<u></u></div><div><br></div><div>True ‘Thanksgiving’ can only be given through faith and <u>in</u>&nbsp;<u>Christ</u>.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, bless us to know that&nbsp;the life, joy, peace, and fruitfulness&nbsp;you have given us in Christ is not founded upon carnal sensuality, but is truly a participation in the divine nature. &nbsp;<u>In Jesus,</u>&nbsp;we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,&nbsp;</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</div><div><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Ephesians 5;15-20
15.  Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,16.  making the most of the time, because the days are evil.17.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.18.  And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,19.  addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart,20.  always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.
What we do with the time God gives us, reveals how wise we are.  The chief endeavor in life is learning God’s Word and will, by faith in Christ doing it, and teaching it by words and deeds to others, especially our children.  Childhood can not be recovered.  It passes in a flash and is gone.  Seize the day,’Carpe Diem’.  
We are called in Christ to be ‘servants’ of God and each other.  Consider what the greatest need of others is…when they lowered the paralytic down through the roof in front of Jesus, the first and greatest need of the man was for forgiveness, not physical healing.  (Mark 2;1-12)  Jesus must be made known as the only One with,”authority on earth to forgive sins.”
The term, “debauchery” as used here suggests the defiling of a virgin.  We the Church, are the virgin Bride betrothed to our Lord/Husband Christ.  His spirit (the spirit of Sonship) is ours to share in.  When we get drunk, we replace the Lord’s spirit of Sonship, (which is servanthood), with self-indulgent sensuality and the spirit of Sonship dissipates like a drop of blood in the ocean, diluted until it is lost.
Does this mean that alcohol in itself is evil?  No, like everything which has power, it is corrupting when not used correctly.  Even Jesus partook of alcohol, but only and always with utmost self-control in extreme moderation.
Notice how Paul links being “filled with the Spirit” to the Word of God and the making of music to the Lord wholeheartedly.  Do you have a hymnal in your home?  Do you sing together as a marriage or as a family in your house?  This is not the same as ‘listening’ to music or others singing.  Saint Augustine is attributed to have said, “The one who sings prays twice.”  
We were redeemed for worship, our mind, soul, spirit, and voice, (no matter how humble) belong to God.  He has given them to us in order that we use them to glorify and proclaim him, as we do we are “filled with the Spirit”!  Make singing hymns together to God with those in your household a regular part of your devotional life and discover the blessings God gives when we ’employ ourselves’ in the music of the Church.  Worship is not a spectator sport.  Worship belongs as a part of daily life, not just Sunday mornings.
How appropriate it is to end today’s reading, (Thanksgiving, November 23, 2023) with these divinely inspired words, “Always, and for Everything, give thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.”!!!  True worship requires us to trust that God is working good in everything (Romans 8;28&28) and remembering that his plans for us are for our welfare and not for evil, (Jeremiah 29;11).
True ‘Thanksgiving’ can only be given through faith and in Christ.
Prayer:  Merciful Father, bless us to know that the life, joy, peace, and fruitfulness you have given us in Christ is not founded upon carnal sensuality, but is truly a participation in the divine nature.  In Jesus, we pray, Amen.
Love, Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”

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