Tag: Fatherhood

THE INDWELLING CHRIST

Published on by sgf1964Leave a comment

(Ephesians 3:14-21)

By

Shelby G. Floyd

Credit: Google Images

I love the “ancient words” from the word of God and from the song (Ancient Words) that we have just sung. The longer we live and the more we read and study God’s word, the more beautiful they become. It was good to hear the reading of the “ancient words” from Paul’s prayer for the church at Ephesus (Ephesians 3:14-21).

The last time I spoke to you about three weeks ago our lesson was on “The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart.” At that time we pointed out that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, his magicians had something to do with hardening his heart, and the Bible declares over and over again that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. As a result God brought ten plagues upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians, the last of which was the death of the firstborn sons of Pharaoh and the Egyptians. It was at this point that Pharaoh urged the children of Israel to leave Egypt as rapidly as they could.

From all of this, we learn that the condition of our heart is ultimately up to each one of us. We have the final say as to how receptive our heart will be to the word of God. So today I want to continue that theme on a positive note. Our lesson today is on the indwelling of Christ in our heart. All of us desire to to think, speak and act better than we normally do. But we will never reach the fullness of faith, hope, and love until Christ dwells in our hearts by faith. In that regard I have always loved the Scripture that Paul wrote to the churches of Galatia, when he said, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). So we want Christ to live in our hearts. But how does Christ live in our hearts? He lives in our hearts by faith! Why did he want us to let him live in our hearts? Because he loves us, he died for us and he cleanses us by his precious blood shed on Calvary. Continue reading “THE INDWELLING CHRIST” →

PROVE YOURSELF A MAN

Published on by sgf1964Leave a comment

By

Shelby G. Floyd

Recently I read a very interesting little book entitled, “Be A Man, Son.” It’s the story about K. T. Moser, who became a student at Harding College. Before he entered Harding College to study for the ministry, he was a conscientious objector. And he was so classified by the Selective Service. But, later when he went to Harding College, he sent a notice in to revise his standing with the Selective Service from a conscientious objector, I think, to a ministerial classification. In some way they got it mixed up, and his classification came back as 1-A.

Well, of course, this was about the time of the Korean conflict—it was back in the 50’s. It wasn’t long until he was notified by Uncle Sam to come and take his physical, and, of course, he was in a classification to be drafted into the Army. Well, they drafted him, and he refused to take the oath, and so several months went by, he was arrested by the FBI and they had his trial. And in spite of all his friends from the college and his family and others who had known him, he was sent to prison down in Seagoville, Texas, where he had to spend a year and a half in prison because he was found guilty of evading the draft. It’s a real touching story, and he wrote most of it from prison, and he told what it’s like to be torn away from your family—his father and his mother. He hadn’t been married too long, and so he was separated from his wife. It was a very touching story, but the thing that stood out in the book, to me, and, of course, that was the title of the book—the last thing that his father said to him before they took him off to prison was, “Be a man, son!” And that’s what I want to use for our lesson. Continue reading “PROVE YOURSELF A MAN” →