 The book of Ephesians is one of the letters written by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. It contains six chapters that address various themes and instructions for believers. Here is a summary of the key points in the book of Ephesians:
Chapters 1-3: - The letter begins with Paul praising God for the blessings He has bestowed on believers through Christ. He emphasizes God's plan of salvation, predestination, and the redemption offered through Jesus' sacrifice. - Paul highlights the unity of believers, both Jews and Gentiles, in Christ. He explains that through Christ's work, they are reconciled to God and brought into one body, the Church. - The Apostle prays for the Ephesian believers, asking God to grant them wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of His great power and love. Chapters 4-6: - Paul shifts his focus to practical instructions for Christian living. He urges believers to walk in a manner worthy of their calling, emphasizing unity, love, and the importance of using their spiritual gifts to edify the body of Christ. - He encourages believers to put off their old sinful behaviours and put on righteousness, honesty, and kindness. He addresses specific areas of life such as anger, dishonesty, sexual purity, and relationships. - Paul instructs husbands and wives on their roles within marriage, parents on raising their children in the fear of the Lord, and slaves and masters on their conduct in the workplace. - He also discusses the spiritual warfare that believers face, emphasizing the armor of God and the power of prayer. Throughout the book, Paul emphasizes the grace of God, the work of Christ on the cross, and the unity of believers in the body of Christ. He encourages us as believers to live out our faith practically, demonstrating love, humility, and obedience to God's commands. The letter to the Ephesians serves as a guide for believers to understand our identity in Christ and to live in accordance with God's purposes and plans.
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 The Bible begins and ends with meals. The first words of God to humans are an invitation to eat; the first conflict in the Bible is over a forbidden meal; the last act of Jesus before his death is to share a meaning-laden feast with his disciples; and the final vision of the new world is of a massive, joyful banquet.
One of the blessings we enjoy as Christians is that wherever we find ourselves in the world, we have a community to which we belong, where genuine relationships with other Christians can be enjoyed. If we neglect table fellowship, we will miss one of the wonderful ways God builds authentic community in the church. As creatures made in God’s image, we were created for relationships, both with God and with other image bearers. By God’s design, therefore, genuine relationships are the basis for all human flourishing. We learn in the Bible that sharing a meal together is one of the primary ways relationships are established, deepened, and enjoyed both with God and with others. Jesus was rooted in and lived this tradition. Just as he shared food with all sorts and conditions of people as a sign of the inclusivity of God’s kingdom, so too did the early church. The gatherings to eat together were earthly representations of the heavenly banquet imagery that had been reinforced by Jesus through his teaching as well as his actions. Following in the footsteps of Jesus, the table fellowship of the early Christians was warm and accepting. The joy of eating together, the value of table fellowship for deepening relationships, the missional fruitfulness of shared meals and the opportunities for sharing faith, biblical study, prayer and worship around the meal table have all been rediscovered many times. The Old Testament prophets often compared life in the new heavens and earth with the picture of a divine banqueting table (Isa. 25:6; 55:1–2). In the New Testament, we regularly find Jesus reclining “at table” during His earthly ministry, engaging with real people, furthering His kingdom work, fostering true community, demonstrating reconciliation with God, and building genuine fellowship among His disciples (Luke 5:29; 7:36; 11:37; 14:15).
I’m convinced that one of the most important spiritual disciplines for us to recover in the kind of world in which we live is the discipline of table fellowship. In the fast-paced, tech-saturated, attention-deficit-disordered culture in which we find ourselves, Christians need to recover the art of a slow meal around a table with people we care about. “Table fellowship” doesn’t often make the list of the classical spiritual disciplines. But in the midst of a world that increasingly seems to have lost its way with regard to matters of both food and the soul, Christian spirituality has something important to say about the way that sharing tables nourishes us both physically and spiritually. We need a recovery of the spiritual significance of what we eat, where we eat, and with whom we eat.  To the Mothers of Knysna, we wish you a blessed weekend and a very Happy Mother's Day.
What we know is nothing is really lost until your mother can't find it! Did you know that the only thing mentioned at creation before the fall of man that was not good was for a man to be alone, so God made woman, Eve! And after that, everything was "very good" . Should any parents need encouragement or guidance with parenting, do not hesitate to reach out to us at Lagoonside Church in Knysna. We are here to assist you. Being a mother or father can be daunting, but God's Word offers the counsel we need. Our Prayer For Mothers Dear Lord, We come to you today to lift up all mothers around the world. We thank you for the gift of motherhood and for the countless sacrifices that mothers make every day to nurture, care for, and protect their children. We pray for strength and wisdom for all mothers, especially those who are facing difficult situations or challenging circumstances. We ask that you provide them with the support they need to fulfill their responsibilities as mothers and to guide their children towards a happy and fulfilling life. We pray for mothers who are grieving the loss of a child, for mothers who are struggling with health issues, for single mothers who are facing financial hardship, and for all mothers who are going through difficult times. We ask that you comfort them and give them the courage to face their challenges with grace and resilience. We pray for mothers who are celebrating the joys of motherhood, for those who have seen their children grow and thrive, and for those who have found new love and hope in their role as a mother. We ask that you continue to bless them and their families with health, happiness, and prosperity. Most importantly, we pray that all mothers know how much they are loved and appreciated, not just on Mother's Day, but every day of the year. May they always feel your presence and know that you are with them every step of the way. We ask all these things in your holy name. Amen.  Jesus gives us what we need
Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday, is the start of the journey to the cross! As Jesus approached Jerusalem, He sent two disciples ahead for preparation. A donkey was selected for His ride into town (fulfilling Zechariah 9:9). The Saviour entered the city with shouts of joy from the people that gathered. Cloaks and palm branches covered the road as the anticipated King arrived. Everyone seemed to be happy on Palm Sunday. Sadly though, the tone would soon change as their hero would be arrested, tried, and crucified. In this arrival, the crowds wanted a Messiah who would give political and national rescue. Jesus had a better mission. His mission was to save sinful man and woman—by the gift of His own blood. In our lives, we tend to sway back and forth from good days and bad days. If you are like me, you may wake up one morning with expectations on how the day should go. I wonder what went through the minds of these folks gathered when they witnessed their hero fall later in the week? We can learn much from this story. Jesus came to give them what they needed and not what they wanted! They wanted someone to rise up and give them power. Jesus gave up His power so that they could rise up over sin and death! He exchanged His perfect life for their broken lives. He took the punishment of sin off of their souls and gave them eternal salvation. They needed that gift more than anything else in the world and so do we. Today, cherish the Saviour in what He gave you. You NEED Him above anything or anyone that may disappoint you today. You NEED Him for an unbreakable hope and future. You NEED Him for endless joy and mercy. You NEED Him for days in which you can’t celebrate. He is eternally worthy to be celebrated! Spend some time in prayer today, thanking Him for coming to save you. Why not join us next Sunday at Lagoonside Church in Knysna to find out more about the Saviour we celebrate! Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven! When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in an uproar, saying, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”  . . . Jesus would withdraw to desolate places and pray--Luke 5:16
Why are we men so bad at solitude? Our king did it quite well. As a man, Jesus knew his limitations. He understood his need to connect with his father—to his guidance and power. He knew how good that connection was. He wants us to know too. If it’s so good, though, why do we struggle? Well, it’s a little because we’re busy. Solitude is hard when you’re working and/or married and/or have kids and/or have friends. And, it’s a little because we’re not well practiced. Our culture trains us for motion and multitasking—not for slowing and simplifying. And it’s a little because, deep down, we know solitude means confrontation. You see, solitude removes distractions and leaves us, for a few minutes, alone with God the Holy Spirit. Solitude is sometimes defined as being alone, but we aren’t. The Spirit dwells within us (1 Corinthians 3:16). God’s right there. And we never know what might happen when we’re alone with God. He might ask us to stop something we don’t want to stop or start something we don’t want to start. He might. He does that (Hebrews 12:5). But if we avoid his confrontation, we’ll miss his companionship, counsel, comfort, restoration, and rescue. So, we must take courage. We must not worry that we don’t yet do it well. And, we must make solitude a priority, just as Jesus did. Okay, so what do we do? Start small. Find something that works for you. Turn off devices and take a walk at work—at lunchtime or during a break. Get some air in your neighborhood after dinner. Slip outside just before bed and sit quietly in the dark. And, if you’re ready for more, take a half-day or full-day or overnight solo trip into the outdoors. Get alone with God!  A Series through the major themes of the Book of Proverbs
Join us Thursday Evenings 7pm where we will be going through the Boob of Proverbs for our Mid Week Bible Study. Wisdom is often the difference between barren living and fruitful living. The proverbs often present choices we must make between the two. We will be covering key topics like: Relationships within the Family Anger Friendship Justice Humility Money Honesty Happiness Diligence And so much more! Don't miss out on this crucial practical study in Scripture. Proverbs speaks to The Hopeful Man In these last days we are being exposed to global issues that affect the lives of us all. As the unbeliever faces physical upheavals, economic downturn, terrorist threats, increased taxes, and unemployment, their hearts fail them for fear of the future. The Bible describes their condition as being without God and without hope in this world. As believers we need to search our own hearts at this time and honestly assure ourselves, like the Psalmist, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance” (Psalm 42:5). Our encouragement to continually hope in God is found in the Scriptures: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope“ (Rom.15:4). The Bible declares that hope in God looks forward to an end with expectancy. We must continue to flee for refuge to the Word of God and “lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor for the soul, both sure and steadfast” (Heb. 6:18, 19). It has been a great help for me to have hope defined as expectation and desire or a confident expectation. To expect something without desiring it can be dread. To desire something without expecting it can lead to despair. But put these two together and we have a sure hope. Our hope is anchored in the person of Christ. Our end is focused upon His promised return. He is our hope, for we expect Him to come at any time, and we desire Him to come, that we might be with Him eternally. The challenge for us is to live in the hope we have in Jesus Christ. We face the same trials and tribulations that the unbelievers face. 2 However, we face them with a different attitude. Because we have access by faith into His Presence, we can stand confident of our end and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Such hope is a reality because Christ in you is a reality. It behoves us, therefore, to so proclaim Christ warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ (Col.1:28). Herein we labour as God works mightily in us by His indwelling Spirit to enkindle a passion for Him so that we live each day looking for that Blessed Hope, a confident expectation in the character of God.  Using the correct elements in the Lord’s Supper with a biblical understanding of them is important. Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper at his last meal with his disciples as part of the Jewish Passover (Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:14-20).
Unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine were part of the meal. Jesus indicated that the bread was symbolic of his body and the fruit of the vine symbolic of his blood. The unleavened bread symbolizes the purity of Christ, for he was without sin (Hebrews 4:15) and thus his body was an unblemished sacrifice for our sins. The juice from crushed grapes symbolizes the blood that Christ shed for us. In partaking of the bread and the cup, as Christ’s disciples we are to remember his sacrifice on the cross of Calvary as he gave his body and shed his blood for our sins. it is an opportunity to obey a command of Christ and to recall his sacrifice for us, his presence with us and his certain return (1 Corinthians 11:24-28). What is the significance of the Lord’s Supper? 1. It is an act of fellowship and intimacy with God.In the same way that eating with someone is an act of fellowship and intimacy, so is taking the Lord’s Supper. In the Old Testament, there were various instances and opportunities to eat in the presence of God. For example, after God made a covenant with Israel in Exodus, Moses and seventy elders went up Mount Sinai, beheld God, and ate before him. Exodus 24:9-11 says: Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear like the sky itself. But he did not lay a hand on the leaders of the Israelites, so they saw God, and they ate and they drank. In addition, there were ceremonies instituted in Israel, as part of God’s law, where the offeror would eat in the presence of God at the tabernacle and later the temple, such as with the giving of the tithe and the fellowship offering. Deuteronomy 14:23 and 26 says this about the tithe: In the presence of the Lord your God you must eat from the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your olive oil, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks in the place he chooses to locate his name, so that you may learn to revere the Lord your God always… Then you may spend the money however you wish for cattle, sheep, wine, beer, or whatever you desire. You and your household may eat there in the presence of the Lord your God and enjoy it. Leviticus 19:5-6 says this about the fellowship offerings: When you sacrifice a peace offering sacrifice to the Lord, you must sacrifice it so that it is accepted for you. It must be eaten on the day of your sacrifice and on the following day, but what is left over until the third day must be burned up. Similarly, in the New Covenant, though we don’t offer sacrifices or eat our tithes before the Lord, God has given us the Lord’s Supper as a fellowship meal that we eat in his presence. In Luke 22:19, the Supper was something Christ ate with his disciples, and as we eat it, the Lord is, no doubt, present with us as Scripture promises (cf. 1 Cor 3:16). In Matthew 18:20, Christ said this: “For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.” 2. It is an act of unity and fellowship among believers.In 1 Corinthians 10:17, Paul says, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all share the one bread.” The bread represents Christ’s body which was broken for believers, but the bread also represents the unity of believers, since believers are Christ’s body (Col 1:18). Therefore, the Lord’s Supper is a fellowship meal amongst believers. 3. It is a proclamation of the New Covenant and our participation in its benefits.Luke 22:20 says, “And in the same way he took the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” The word covenant means “to cut.” Typically, when people made covenants with one another in ancient times, they would kill an animal to declare the solemnness of their agreement and their need to fulfill the requirements of it. Similarly, Christ made a covenant with us through his blood. He covenanted to forgive our sins, fill us with his Spirit, write his laws on our hearts, and empower us to obey them (cf. Ez 31:31-34, 36:26-27). Our covenant was initiated and cut through the body of Christ on the cross, fulfilled by him, and now we are in a covenant relationship with him. 4. It is a remembering of Christ’s death.First Corinthians 11:26 says, “For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” Taking of the elements is like a memorial, where we frequently remember Christ’s death for our sins. This is important, because we’re so prone to forget the great cost of our salvation and its benefits. 5. It is an act of faith declaring that God has forgiven us and that we will not bear his wrath for our sins.When Christ ate the Last Supper with his disciples before his death, it was also a celebration of the Jewish Passover meal; however, Christ imbued it with rich new meaning. At Israel’s original Passover, they were slaves in Egypt and were instructed to put the blood of a lamb over their doorposts, so their first born would not be killed by God when he passed over Egypt. The New Testament teaches that the original Passover lambs always foreshadowed Christ. In 1 Corinthians 5:7, Paul said, “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” Therefore, in the Lord’s Supper, we are declaring by faith that we will not bear God’s wrath, because our Lamb already died for us and his blood protects us. 6. It is a looking forward to Christ’s second coming.Again 1 Corinthians 11:26 says, “For every time you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” In the Lord’s Supper, believers not only look back at Christ’s death but look forward to his return. This is important because we are so prone to become consumed with life as it is and not be zealous for the coming of Christ. When we take the supper, we declare with other believers, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20). 7. It looks forward to the time we will eat with God and other believers in heaven.Wayne Grudem said it this way: Yet even the Lord’s Supper looks forward to a more wonderful fellowship meal in God’s presence in the future, when the fellowship of Eden will be restored and there will be even greater joy, because those who eat in God’s presence will be forgiven sinners now confirmed in righteousness, never able to sin again. That future time of great rejoicing and eating in the presence of God is hinted at by Jesus when he says, “I tell you I shall not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matt. 26:29). We are told more explicitly in Revelation about the marriage supper of the Lamb: “And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb’” (Rev. 19:9). This will be a time of great rejoicing in the presence of the Lord, as well as a time of reverence and awe before him. As we look forward to partaking in communion together the last Sunday each month, let us examine our hearts in preparation as Scripture instructs us to so we can partake together in harmony and in fellowship with the Lord and each other.  Christmas Day Service at Lagoonside Church in Knysna will be held at 9:30am, all welcome Be sure not to miss our Carol Sing at the Knysna Mall outside Dischem, on the evening of the 16th December. Bring your family along  How to Have a Daily Quiet TimeIf you think about your day, what do you spend seven minutes doing:
Find out what seven minutes with God could look like and how to develop this easy habit.  Most Christians firmly believe in the importance of spending daily time in God’s Word and in prayer, yet, so many of us struggle to do either consistently. Perhaps it’s because for us to consider them successful, we think every time with God needs to leave us feeling 100% peaceful or sure that we’ve received crystal clear messages from the Lord. That’s not what happens every time, and that’s okay.
In the book of Psalms, David, who is called “the one after God’s own heart,” (1 Samuel 13:14) experiences the full spectrum of emotions as he prays fervently to God. He didn’t hold back from pouring his authentic, messy heart out to the Lord, and we don’t need to either. In fact, God welcomes it. If you begin the spiritual discipline of spending seven minutes with God each day, you will soon find that it’s impossible to stop there. An amazing thing happens—seven minutes become 20, and it’s not long before you’re spending 30 precious minutes with Him daily. Do it for the right reason. Do not become devoted to the habit, but to the Saviour. Spend time in the Word and prayer not because other people are doing it, not as a spiritless duty every morning, not merely as an end in itself, but because God has granted us the priceless privilege of fellowship with Him. 4 Steps to a Daily Quiet Time Firstly find a spot and time with minimal distraction Preparing Your Heart (½ minute)Invest the first 30 seconds preparing your heart. You might pray, “Lord, cleanse my heart so You can speak to me through the Scriptures. Make my mind alert, my soul active and my heart responsive. Surround me with Your presence during this time.” Listening to God – Scripture Reading (4 minutes)Take the next four minutes to read the Bible. Your greatest need is to hear a word from God. Allow the Word to strike fire in your heart. Meet the Author! (Not sure where to start reading, we can help guide you wit ha reading plan, just ask). Talking to God – Prayer (2½ minutes)After God has spoken through His Word, then speak to Him in prayer. One helpful method is to incorporate four areas of prayer that you can remember with the word ACTS.
Perhaps keep a journal of what you get out of your reading time and record of your prayer requests and answers. 2 Kings 2 Throughout history, the transfer of leadership has been a tenuous moment. Even today, some nations around the world teeter on the brink of civil war when one leader dies and another comes to power.
With such shifts in leadership often comes the question: What will the future hold? A similar question underlies today’s passage as we read about the end of the prophet Elijah’s ministry in Israel. His impending end was seemingly known by all, and Scripture builds our suspense for ten verses before we learn his (and Israel’s) fate. When Elijah was finally taken up in miraculous fashion, Elisha’s words summarized the sentiment of the moment: “Where now is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” (v. 14). The answer is found in the details of the text. Just as Elisha accompanied Elijah from Bethel to Jericho to the Jordan, so now starting in verse 14, Elisha retraced those steps, moving from the Jordan to Jericho to Bethel, performing notably miraculous actions. He parted the Jordan, healed deathly water, and cursed opponents of God. Where is God? He is right here, just as He had been for generations. Circumstances change and leaders come and go, but God and His powerful word remain the same. Our passage illustrates God’s enduring presence in a two-fold manner. First, we see God’s restorative power (vv. 19–22). Through Elisha, God’s grace healed the tainted waters of the cursed land (cf. Josh. 6:26). Just as Moses healed the bitter waters of Marah (cf. Ex. 15:22–26), so now God’s restorative power continued. Isn’t this the ultimate message of the gospel, that God can reverse a once cursed and fallen land and bring about blessing and life? Second, we see God’s power in judgment (vv. 23–25). As the youths of Bethel (a hot-bed of idolatry; see 1 Kings 12:25– 33) maliciously rejected God and His prophet, the consequence were consistent with the warnings of judgment in Leviticus 26:21–22. God’s powerful word brings either blessing or curse, depending on how we receive that word. The real question is not, Where is God?, but How will you respond to His enduring presence? Application Do you ever wonder where God is as you consider the future? Do you doubt His presence, His power, and His care, wondering if He can ever restore the brokenness of your own life? Be encouraged by God’s enduring power and presence in our lives. Perhaps you can make a list of the anxieties in your own life, then bring them before the Lord asking Him to instill you with confidence in His enduring word that can heal even those most broken aspects of our lives. Verse to ponder... The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:8 |
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