Daniel 4: Tree Four (not 6,7); Whatever it Takes.

Presented to TSA Alberni Valley Ministries by Major Michael Ramsay, 01 February 2026

 

Chapters 1-4 of Daniel are primarily about the salvation of Nebuchadnezzar, who was the brutal leader of a Superpower and as Susan said last week, maybe a megalomanic like maybe another world leader today that we all know. Daniel Chapter 4 is the final chapter in the Nebuchadnezzar story. Chapter 4 comes in 3 distinct parts:

1.               God gives King Nebuchadnezzar another dream to inform him of the future

2.               Nebuchadnezzar seeks Daniel to reveal God’s message 

3.               God’s message comes to fruition

 

Part 1: God Gives Nebuchadnezzar a Dream (Daniel 4:1-18)

4 King Nebuchadnezzar sent this message to the people of every race and nation and language throughout the world:

 

“Peace and prosperity to you!

2 “I want you all to know about the miraculous signs and wonders the Most High God has performed for me.

3 How great are his signs,

how powerful his wonders!

His kingdom will last forever,

his rule through all generations.

 

4 “I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living in my palace comfort and prosperity. 5 But one night I had a dream that frightened me; I saw visions that terrified me as I lay in my bed. 6 So I issued an order calling in all the wise men of Babylon, so they could tell me what my dream meant. 7 When all the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and fortune-tellers came in, I told them the dream, but they could not tell me what it meant. 8 At last Daniel came in before me, and I told him the dream. (He was named Belteshazzar after my god, and the spirit of the holy gods is in him.)

 

9 “I said to him, ‘Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too great for you to solve. Now tell me what my dream means.

 

10 “‘While I was lying in my bed, this is what I dreamed. I saw a large tree in the middle of the earth. 11 The tree grew very tall and strong, reaching high into the heavens for all the world to see. 12 It had fresh green leaves, and it was loaded with fruit for all to eat. Wild animals lived in its shade, and birds nested in its branches. All the world was fed from this tree.

 

13 “‘Then as I lay there dreaming, I saw a messenger, a holy one, coming down from heaven. 14 The messenger shouted,

“Cut down the tree and lop off its branches!

Shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit!

Chase the wild animals from its shade

and the birds from its branches.

15 But leave the stump and the roots in the ground,

bound with a band of iron and bronze

and surrounded by tender grass.

Now let him be drenched with the dew of heaven,

and let him live with the wild animals among the plants of the field.

16 For seven periods of time,

let him have the mind of a wild animal

instead of the mind of a human.

17 For this has been decreed by the messengers;

it is commanded by the holy ones,

so that everyone may know

that the Most High rules over the kingdoms of the world.

He gives them to anyone he chooses—

even to the lowliest of people.”

 

18 “‘Belteshazzar, that was the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now tell me what it means, for none of the wise men of my kingdom can do so. But you can tell me because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.’

 

Does this passage sound familiar to you? This is very similar to chapter 2 that we looked at two weeks ago with the dream. One difference we should notice though is that this chapter is read in the voice of the king himself – this is important. He is telling the story. He is sharing his testimony to the whole world; the king personally here is telling the ‘miraculous signs and wonders’ the Lord has done for him. Chapter 4 is Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony Sunday.

 

King Nebuchadnezzar has this dream and -again like chapter 2- the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and fortune-tellers were unable to interpret it. This time though, unlike chapter 2, the king from experience has faith that God will use Daniel to interpret the dream that God gave the king to tell him about what God is going to see done in Nebuchadnezzar’s life. 

 

Part 2: Daniel Relays God’s Message (Daniel 4:19-27)

19 Then Daniel (also called Belteshazzar) was greatly perplexed for a time, and his thoughts terrified him. So the king said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning alarm you.”

 

Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries! 20 The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, with its top touching the sky, visible to the whole earth, 21 with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit, providing food for all, giving shelter to the wild animals, and having nesting places in its branches for the birds— 22 Your Majesty, you are that tree! You have become great and strong; your greatness has grown until it reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to distant parts of the earth.

 

23 “Your Majesty saw a holy one, a messenger, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump, bound with iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, while its roots remain in the ground. Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven; let him live with the wild animals, until seven times pass by for him.’

 

24 “This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.”

 

This dream is very similar to Nebuchadnezzar’s earlier dream, (as well as the ways that we have already mentioned) in that the King is this wonderful tree in the dream like he is the head of gold in the earlier dream. And then like the statue falls so the tree is cut down – but this new dream’s message, instead of relating to those who will inherit his kingdom, this new message is a very personal message to Nebuchadnezzar. It is giving Nebuchadnezzar a heads up about what is going to happen in his own life personally – and why, and what to do about it.

 

I find it interesting as well that Verse 19 says Daniel was ‘perplexed’ and ‘terrified’. God is reaching out to Nebuchadnezzar with a very scary warning – so much so that when Nebuchadnezzar finally convinces Daniel to tell him what the dream means, Daniel replies, “My lord, if only the dream applied to your enemies and its meaning to your adversaries!” Daniel then tells the king what will happen to him. The king “will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals... eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven”. 

 

This reminds me of some of the folks we live and work with at TSA shelter and soup kitchen at the Bread of Life Centre. Think of folks who are homeless, addicted, and suffering from mental health issues. Nebuchadnezzar becomes like some of our friends that we walk with every day (for literally for 7 ‘seasons’... maybe years, weeks, months). Many of our friends led “normal” or “successful” lives until addiction, mental health or something else got a hold of them. God says that Nebuchadnezzar will suffer all of that and then Nebuchadnezzar will “acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes” and he will be returned to sanity and to his position safe in the knowledge and comfort that “Heaven rules”. Daniel then offers Nebuchadnezzar this advice before any of this happens, Verse 27, he says, “Your Majesty... Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.” God has patience for an entire year, allowing the king every opportunity It seems, but Nebuchadnezzar still does not do this, thus...

 

The Dream Is Fulfilled (Daniel 4:28-37)

28 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 Twelve months later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?”

 

31 Even as the words were on his lips, a voice came from heaven, “This is what is decreed for you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your royal authority has been taken from you. 32 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes.”

 

33 Immediately what had been said about Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird.

 

34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honoured and glorified Him who lives forever.

 

His dominion is an eternal dominion;

His kingdom endures from generation to generation.

35 All the peoples of the earth

are regarded as nothing.

He does as He pleases

with the powers of heaven

and the peoples of the earth.

No one can hold back His hand

or say to Him: “What have you done?”

 

36 At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honour and splendour were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of Heaven, because everything He does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride He is able to humble.

 

This is Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony, his salvation story.

To recap: We remember the first 3 chapters of this book; what is happening. Chapter 1, God brings His servants Daniel, Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego into the service of King Nebuchadnezzar.

 

Chapter 2, God reaches out to King Nebuchadnezzar via a dream that he can’t interpret and possibly can’t even remember. The king asks his advisors, wise men, to tell him his dream and what it means; they can’t. God then tells Daniel the dream and Daniel tells the dream and its meaning to the king. God reveals Himself to Daniel, his friends and the king. The King then realizes that God is the God Most High and orders people to serve Daniel’s God. 

 

In that first dream, as we’ve already said, Nebuchadnezzar is represented as a head of gold on a giant statue, and that is good; it represents a powerful leader and nation. In the very next chapter, chapter 3, Nebuchadnezzar sets up a giant nine story / 90 ft / 30 m tall and wide statue. It is almost like he took the gold head from his dream in Chapter 2 and made it into a whole gold statue in Chapter 3, one without the flaws of the dream. (trying to rectify the problems of the dream himself – at least symbolically)

 

He then asked all the officials to bow down to it. This would be like if the statue was this building here (and maybe had a mural of the PM on it) and the Prime Minister came to town and ordered all the government officials and all the government employees from all the branches of government to come out for the dedication of the building and then asked everyone to pay respect to the building, the statue. It would be like... If anyone here goes to sporting events... you know how before the game, we are all supposed to stand up and take our hats off and sing a song praising our country (and a foreign country if we are playing an American team). 

 

Some people then notice Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego in the crowd – that they did not do their culture’s equivalent to removing their hats and standing up; they did not bow down, and they tell the king. The king is upset at this defiance – their words seem rather defiant too! It would be even worse than if we refused to stand and take our hats off for the national anthem and then when we were asked why, answered “we only stand and take off our hats for God, not for the national anthem, not for this country, and not for you” to the PM.

 

Nebuchadnezzar was mad! ...and threw them into a fire. God –right in front of Nebuchadnezzar - miraculously saves their lives and then it seems that Nebuchadnezzar begins again to understand what God is telling him. God can save anyone AND God decides who lives and dies, not Nebuchadnezzar or anyone else.

 

Susan compared Nebuchadnezzar to Trump in that he seems to be a megalomaniac and showed us pictures of ICE and ICE protests last week. God loves Nebuchadnezzar, even though he was the President of their era, leading the USA of their era. 

 

Even more, these first four chapters remind me of the Exodus story. Do we remember why God said that he sent the plagues to Egypt? He could have just freed the Hebrews but He did it this way so that Pharoah – who did all the bad stuff that Pharoah did – and all the Egyptians might know God. In Daniel 1-4, God makes Nebuchadnezzar – who threatened to kill all his advisors and all the wise men, who threw 3 leaders into the fire, who did so much more  –  God gives him dreams that God interprets and God sends an angel to protect Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego from the flames and then God, fulfills a personal dream to the king by making Nebuchadnezzar live like an animal. God does all this so that Nebuchadnezzar may know the Lord, humble himself before Him, repent, and experience salvation.

 

So if God loves Nebuchadnezzar this much and God loves Pharoah this much and as God probably loves world leaders today this much, then how much does God love every one of us – the parables of Luke 15: the 99 sheep who did not go astray, God loves them too; the coins still in the wallet, God loves them too; and all the non-prodigal children, God loves them too. I do think of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Maybe leaders of superpowers then, now, and always are those lost ones... Maybe we are. 

 

My encouragement to us from the message today is twofold: 1) Let us not let hate for world, our, or other leaders overtake us. God loved Pharoah and Nebuchadnezzar. God loves the world leaders today (pick your favourite villain, if not Trump then maybe Carney, Putin, Zelinsky, Netanyahu, whomever) and 2) God loves us. Just like God went out of his way to show Nebuchadnezzar the way to salvation, so too He does not wish that a single one of us – or any of our loved ones or anyone else  - will be lost; so I encourage us to keep praying for the salvation of our loved ones, our leaders, and our adversaries; and I encourage each of us to live a life worthy of repentance because God loves you just like he loves everyone – even you know who, whomever ‘you know who’ is to you  – John 3:16-18:  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."

 

I believe this. And I believe that as chapters 1-4 of Daniel show the great extent to which God goes to secure the repentance and salvation of Nebuchadnezzar; so too God will do whatever it takes; giving each of us, and all our family members, and all our friends, and all our enemies, everything that we need so that we all, like Nebuchadnezzar, can humble ourselves, repent, and experience God’s Salvation both for now and forever.

Daniel 2 (Genesis 41): Dreaming of Heaven - Rock on!

 Presented to TSA Alberni Valley Ministries, 17 January 2026, by Major Michael 

 

A few hundred years before Daniel and in a different country, Joseph had a similar experience to his. I find it interesting that Joseph interprets his dream in Egypt just before Israel (Israel is Joseph’s dad) becomes a country in the narrative (a few hundred years in chronology) and Daniel interprets his dream in Babylon (607 BCE) just before Israel/Judah ceases to exist as a country (586 BCE). These dreams are like book ends for the existence, the story of the country of Israel/Judah.

 

Reading from Gensis 41:14-36 (NIV):

14 So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh.

15 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

16 “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”

17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “In my dream I was standing on the bank of the Nile, 18 when out of the river there came up seven cows, fat and sleek, and they grazed among the reeds. 19 After them, seven other cows came up—scrawny and very ugly and lean. I had never seen such ugly cows in all the land of Egypt. 20 The lean, ugly cows ate up the seven fat cows that came up first. 21 But even after they ate them, no one could tell that they had done so; they looked just as ugly as before. Then I woke up.

22 “In my dream I saw seven heads of grain, full and good, growing on a single stalk. 23 After them, seven other heads sprouted—withered and thin and scorched by the east wind. 24 The thin heads of grain swallowed up the seven good heads. I told this to the magicians, but none of them could explain it to me.”

25 Then Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The dreams of Pharaoh are one and the same. God has revealed to Pharaoh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good heads of grain are seven years; it is one and the same dream. 27 The seven lean, ugly cows that came up afterward are seven years, and so are the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind: They are seven years of famine.

28 “It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do. 29 Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, 30 but seven years of famine will follow them. Then all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten, and the famine will ravage the land. 31 The abundance in the land will not be remembered, because the famine that follows it will be so severe. 32 The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.

33 “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh appoint commissioners over the land to take a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven years of abundance. 35 They should collect all the food of these good years that are coming and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, to be kept in the cities for food. 36 This food should be held in reserve for the country, to be used during the seven years of famine that will come upon Egypt, so that the country may not be ruined by the famine.”

 

Now, it is important to note before we compare these dreams that, though there were Judeans, Samaritans and others during the Roman Empire a few hundred years later, the nation of Israel/Judah, after the Babylonian conquest, had already ceased to be an independent country– never to rise again (with the possible exception of the time of the Maccabees) until Christ returns with the New Jerusalem at the eschaton. The country that calls itself Israel today is NOT the ancient Israelites. Today’s Israelis are predominately Eastern Europeans who set up their apartheid regime in 1948, the same year as the Western Europeans set up their apartheid regime in South Africa. These stories of Joseph and Daniel really are book ends on the life of the country of Israel.

 

In Genesis 41, you will notice that Joseph’s interpretation of Pharaoh’s dream was that in the good / prosperous times he, and by extension, we should save from our excess for when lean times follow. But more than that – just like all the people’s land and possessions belonged to Pharaoh, so too all the land in the world really belongs to God. The Bible is clear about this especially in Leviticus 25 (among other places) where Israel is reminded to honour the sabbatical years and the Year of Jubilee. Sabbatical years were years when the land was supposed to rest like the people were supposed to rest on Sabbath days. And Years of Jubilee were when debts were to be forgiven; and slaves and indentured servants were to be set free. Pharaoh's dream can be seen as, in part, laying out the blueprint for the foundation of the Kingdom of God. It shows us what God’s Dominion looks like: everything belongs to YHWH; we forgive one another, and the captives are set free.

 

That Pharaoh’s dream is about more than just saving wisely for a rainy day can be shown by Luke in his gospel (Lk 12:13-21). He recounts Jesus’ parable of the man who saved for his retirement and then had his life demanded of him before he could access the savings. Israel, likewise, like us, and like Adam and Eve, was supposed to care for the land and the people. Because they didn’t, they were removed from the land (cf. 2 Chronicles 36:20-21). This was a warning that Israel was given from the very beginning – even before they were a country and their failure to love God, the land, and their neighbour; led to God taking their promised land and giving it to someone else. This brings us to our passage today. Daniel Chapter 2.

 

When asked to tell Nebuchadnezzar what his dream was, the Chaldeans answered, Verse 11, “What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among humans.” This is neat: the Chaldeans were correct. Only Jesus, the True God, can reveal this meaning and only Jesus, the True God, did live among men! (and He’s coming back!)

 

Daniel also shares this gospel; he says, Verses 27-28, “No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come.”

 

But first, Verses 14-23, before Daniel has this conversation with the king, he steps out in faith, speaks to the guard, and then speaks to the king, and then he prays. He goes to his house and tells his friends about what is needed and they pray. They pray for mercy and during the night God gives Daniel a vision of the dream and the interpretation. Daniel thanks and praises God and asks the captain of the guard to stop the executions of the wise men and take him to the king. They give Glory to God and Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar his dream and what it means. Verses 37-38, “Your Majesty, you are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.”

 

This is reminiscent, reflective of how God had given Pharaoh charge over Egypt and the land Israel occupied. This is reflective of how Israel was to care for the land they were promised. This is reflective of how the Amorites were responsible for that land prior to Israel and it notes in the text that Nebuchadnezzar is now (in his day) responsible for the land; It is also reflective of how Adam and Eve were given the land to care for but it was taken away from them for their disobedience / unfaithfulness; and it was later taken from the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Israelites, and it will be taken from Nebuchadnezzar's successors as well.

 

There will come a time though, when, Verse 44: “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.” We know what the Kingdom - like the Mountain in the dream - is that will endure forever, never be destroyed or given to another people. That is the Kingdom of God. Isaiah 9: 6-7 speaks of this Kingdom and, the rock its ruler:

“For unto us a child is born,

unto us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the greatness of his government and peace

there will be no end."

 

We celebrated Christmas less than a month ago, the purpose of which is to celebrate the birth of Jesus the King and look forward to the full realization of His Kingdom! His birth was the rock being cut from the mountain. The mountain, His Kingdom will never end and there will always be peace! When Jesus returns with the New Jerusalem at the eschaton this will all be complete. And until that time, as His citizens, we need to keep serving our King.

 

Like Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, the Amorites, Jacob, and Adam and Eve were all supposed to do: we need to take care of the earth, everything, and everyone in it; we need to forgive debts and others and  we need to neither hoard nor sell God’s possessions for a profit but rather share with everyone in need all that God has given us stewardship over.

 

My friends, this is what we, like our foreparents, are called to do, and my friends this is what you, each of you here, with your individual, collective, and corporate ministries have been doing very well; and this my friends is what I pray we will be faithful to do until that day when the mountain in the king’s dream has finally reached its full height and the Rock of our Salvation, the True King of Kings, returns with the new Jerusalem to rule over us forever and ever. Amen.

 

Let us pray

 

 

 

New Life's Resolutions! (Ephesians 4:1-32)

Presented to The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries by Major Michael Ramsay, 07 January 24 and 04 January 26

 

This is the 2026 version, to view the 2024 version, click here: 

https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2024/01/new-years-resolutions-ephesians-41-23.html

 

We had New Year’s when we were away. New Year’s is often a time of reviews or quizzes. Today I have a Bible memory quiz for us. I am going to read or recite a verse, and you tell me the reference. Let’s see how we do:

1.     For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (Jn 3:16)

2.     In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

3.     But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

4.     For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Ro 6:23)

5.     In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

6.     The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Ps 23:1)

7.     In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, (Ephesians 4:26)

 

I picked the Ephesians 4:26 verse because we used to talk about it almost every week in Sunday prayer meeting. it is one of Reinhard’s favourite verses. Does anyone have favourite verses? If so, call them out now…

 

Thursday was New Year’s Day. This is often a time of resolutions. Did anyone make any resolutions? I had one friend who said that they would give up drinking for January – and then they thought about it a while and declared that they would give up drinking on Wednesdays in January. This year I resolve to keep up my daily Bible readings (as I have done for many years) and exercises – mostly stretches. The older I get the more I need to stretch. I was injured during covid and walked with a limp for well over a year and it was through my exercises that God made it so that I could walk without a limp again. It is the same with exercising our spiritual disciplines - like prayer and study. They strengthen us so that we do not get injured spiritually, eternally. These are some of my (not new) resolutions.

 

If you are looking for some resolutions for the New Year or your life in general, Paul in Chapter 4 of Ephesians has some good suggestions. He says, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” Therefore let us resolve to, Ephesians 4:2-3, “be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Let us:

1.     Be completely humble and gentle (4:2a);

2.     be patient, bearing with one another in love (4:2b);

3.     Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (v.3).

 

These are three very good resolutions. The first one is to be humble and gentle. We know what it means to be gentle. It means to speak calmly and quietly. It means to not use aggressive language such as ‘You Statements’; we know what those are, right? …Things like ‘You did this” or ‘You said that’ or even ‘you always say this’ or ‘you never do that’; often such statements can be accompanied by finger pointing or other non-gentle, non-verbal accessories. A gentle person also doesn’t interrupt people. Sometimes excited, even well-meaning people can do violence to others by cutting them off mid-sentence. Paul says we should resolve instead to be gentle with one another.

 

Paul says we should be humble. Humility helps us be gentle. When we are humble, we don’t come across as if we always have the right answer – we may actually have the right answer, but we don’t come across as if the other person’s perspective doesn’t matter. A humble person will often let the other person speak, validate their opinion, before sharing her own wisdom in an affirming rather than a demeaning or arrogant manner. Paul says, be completely humble and gentle with one another.

 

Paul also exhorts us to resolve to be patient with each other, bearing with one another in love. Sometimes this means we let someone finish talking and not cut them off just because we think we know what they are saying. Sometimes it means that we let someone complete a task, even if they are not as proficient at it as we are. You know how it feels when every time you try something it seems like it is not good enough – they either take over from you or criticize you. Paul says, ‘don’t do that’, 4:2b: rather be patient, bearing with one another in love.

 

Ephesians 4:3: ‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.’ This is important. Many times we argue about things that are adiaphoron, matters of spiritual indifference. It is really important to understand that whatever deep-seated matter we are arguing about: sports, politics, religion, theology, whether its pronounced tomato or tomato... as Christians we need to not be distracted by these things. It is really important, however, that we stick together on the matters of significant importance such as salvation for here and now and forever, and the rest we can work out in gentle conversation and study as we make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

·       Ephesians 4:21-24: “when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

 

4:21-24 is a great New Year’s and New Life verse – now is a great time to put on a new self as we are all created to be like God him/themself. Paul suggests some more resolutions too:

·       Ephesians 4:25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbour, for we are all members of one body.

·       Ephesians 4:26&27: “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

·       Ephesians 4:28: Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

·       Ephesians 4:29: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

·       Ephesians 4:30-32 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.  Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

 

Ephesians 4:25: Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbour, for we are all members of one body. This is a good resolution for us all. Speak truthfully to each other. Don’t share a rumour. Don’t gossip. Don’t share wrong information. Don’t guess. This can actually be a temptation. I know that I have overheard many conversations where a person, well-meaning even, says something just straight up wrong. Paul tells us to resolve to slow down when we are chatting with one another and make sure that what we are saying is true. Put off all falsehood.

 

Paul also says, Verse 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry”, Verse 27, “do not give the devil a foothold.” Alan often remembers this verse. Rheinhart used to remind us of this all the time in prayer meeting. How long have he and Christa been married? 70+ years? Rheinhart tells us that one secret to a good marriage – and probably any relationship is to not let the sun so down while you are still angry. Resolve to settle your dispute or at least calm down before the sun goes down. If you don’t, by morning you may find that things have already been blown far out of proportion – or worse – you may find that the issue never gets resolved. In that case it will nibble away at you forever or until you get divorced. Really, in your anger, don’t sin and don’t go to bed while you are still angry at anyone.

 

Paul also says that, Verse 28, anyone who has been stealing must resolve to steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands so they have something to share. I find this interesting. He not only says that we should resolve not to steal; we should also resolve to make something useful to share with others. I think that is important. It is not just that we shouldn’t take something from someone; that isn’t it. We should actually go out of our way to make something for someone else. This does two things – one it gives purpose to the one who had nothing to do but steal and two, it helps out someone else who themselves can then do something useful for others. We all have agency – take it from no one. I encourage us to always contribute and to help others to contribute.

 

Paul says we should resolve to not let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths - only what is helpful for building up others. When we are chatting with one another, let us encourage one another, even when in disagreement, pointing out the value and benefit of each other and encouraging one another to continue to use their gifts to help out each other.

 

Let us resolve this year and always to not grieve the Holy Spirit. Verse 31, let us get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. And 32, Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

 

Forgiveness my friends is a key to so much in life. It is when we fail to forgive that we can be consumed by bitterness, rage, and anger which can lead to brawling, slander, malice and all the rest. Paul asks us to be kind and compassionate instead and it is only through forgiveness that we can do this.

 

We know what forgiveness is, right? Forgiveness is NOT something that we do for or to anyone else. I often hear people say, I can’t possibly forgive him or her for this terrible thing they did. Whether you forgive something or not has absolutely nothing to do with the person who hurt you. Also, protecting yourself, others, or themselves, from the person has nothing to do with forgiveness. Forgiveness is a state of heart and a state of mind. You can forgive someone and still protect everyone involved. We do need to remember though that when someone does something awful to us – lying, stealing, anything – they do that thing once. When we refuse to forgive, we hurt ourselves with that very same pain each and every time we fail to forgive. A person does violence to you once – you do violence to yourself each and every time you fail to forgive. Whether you forgive someone or not has nothing to do with them at all. Failing to forgive someone is like being so mad at someone for hitting you on the head that you hit yourself on the head over and over again until they have learned their lesson – the only one you are guaranteed to be hurt is yourself. Paul says, don’t do that. Instead, be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

 

Ephesians 4 has some great New Life resolutions for us: be humble, gentle, patient, honest, and unified in the Spirit; don’t sin even when angry; don’t steal; speak nicely to each other, get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, slander, and malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgive each other, just as in Christ, God forgave us. My friends, let us resolve to encourage one another in this way, not only in the new year but also in our new lives forever; let us resolve to love one another.

 

Let us pray.

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