My dear readers,

(Extracts from RPG Workbook Vol II No. 7 June 12 – July 9 1983, edited by Dr SH Tow)

1. PRAY FOR ENLIGHTENMENT (EPHESIANS 1:15-23; 1 PETER 1:1-12)

What should I pray for? Do you ever wonder what you should pray to God for? Paul prayed for the believers that God would give:

1. the spirit of wisdom,
2. and revelation,
3. that the eyes of understanding be enlightened,
4. that ye may know ...

How important it is to pray for spiritual enlightenment that we may know:

1. what is the “hope” of God’s calling,
2. what are the “riches” of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
3. what is the exceeding greatness of His “power” toward us who believe.

Oh, if only we could be made aware or reminded of our spiritual blessings (riches) in Christ, then we will not go around grovelling with our noses to the ground or dragging our feet in life. Our calling is to sonship in Christ, to be God’s own adopted children (John 1:12), heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17). Our inheritance is in Heaven. All the riches of Christ belong to us. Not just “a harp, a home, a mansion fair,” but much more: a name in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev 21:27). See also Ephesians 1:7; 2:7 and Philippians 4:19.

“I once was an outcast stranger on earth, a sinner by choice, and an alien by birth; But I’ve been adopted, my name’s written down, an heir to a mansion, a robe and a crown. I’m a child of the King, a child of the King. With Jesus my Saviour, I’m a child of the King.” (Hattie F. Buell)

THOUGHT: Am I lamenting my lot in life? I must pray for spiritual enlightenment and wisdom to understand my eternal riches in Christ.
PRAYER: Help me, Lord, not to be so earth-bound in my thinking. Cause me to appreciate eternal spiritual truths early, even now.

2. THE HEADSHIP OF CHRIST (EPHESIANS 1:15-23; EPHESIANS 2:3)

God not only has power to plan, He also has power to execute His plan! Indeed, it is pointless to have a wonderful plan if there is no power to carry it out.

God generated R-power, the Resurrection Power, when He raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead (1:20). Isn’t that tremendous?

There are many forms of power in our world: horse-power, hydropower, steam-power, wind-power, manpower, electric power, atomic power, etc. These forms are helpful as well as harmful. But praise the Lord, Resurrection or R-Power is always helpful and outdoes all others!

Resurrection Power overcomes death, the great enemy of man (1 Cor 15:26). When man meets an impossible situation, he says “die.” When you encounter a difficult problem, what do you say? Indeed death is a serious problem. But thank God our Lord Jesus Christ conquered death. Now, He is at God’s right Hand “in the heavenlies,” at the place where God originally blessed us (1:3).

“Far above all principality, and power and might and dominion” (1:21) means that our Resurrected Lord is “super above” all angelic beings, good or bad, not only now, but also in the future. He is not only over the spirit world, but He is specifically Head over the Church which is His Body, and over all things past, present, and future. Hallelujah!

THOUGHT: How many “heads” are there in my life? How many can I have? Christ is God’s appointed Head. Is He my Head? How many departments in my life is He head of? Do I acknowledge Him willingly?
PRAYER: Lord, Thou art the head of the Church. Help me to submit my life to Thy headship daily.

3. “BUT GOD …” (EPHESIANS 2:1-10; ROMANS 5:1-11)

When God implemented His glorious plan for His children to be “holy and without blame,” the only candidates available were those “dead in trespasses and sins. “ Here “dead” means spiritually inactive, unresponsive, indifferent, inert towards God, separated from God. “Walked” speaks of the whole realm of activities of the individual’s life. Physically, he is not dead at all. But how sad!

1. Responsive only to the course of this world (lit. the mode of the world system or the world’s lifestyle).
2. Responsive only to the prince of the power of the air (i.e. Satan himself).
3. Characterised by disobedience (2:2).
4. Whose conversation (or manner of life) was lustful, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind.
5. We were indeed the children of wrath! Or children characterised by wrath, God’s wrath! (John 3:18, 36)

What a sad commentary on an unbeliever’s life! Dead towards God but very much alive in sin! Wasn’t that what we were like?

“But God... “ (2:4). Two little words, but what a difference they make! But God, rich in mercy, great in love and liberal in His grace, saved us. He “quickened” us (2:1, 5), i.e. made us spiritually alive. He “raised us up” (2:6), i.e. resurrected us spiritually to sit together with Christ in “heavenly places” (1:3, 20). God chose sinful, lustful, rebellious ones as us to be His children, not because we were good looking, talented, healthy, strong, rich, well educated, courteous, etc. God saved us out of His mercy, love and grace. Nothing more, nothing less! And remember the KEY: “in Christ Jesus” (2:6).

THOUGHT: If I am not yet a Christian, still dead in trespasses and sin, why don’t I confess my sins to the Lord Jesus Christ, repent of my wickedness and invite the Lord Jesus Christ into my heart (life) to be my Saviour and Lord NOW?
PRAYER: O God, help me to believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and my Saviour.

God bless you dear readers.

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,
Dr SH Tow, Founding Pastor