Dr. Rita Twiggs

Washington DC. Rita Twiggs Ministries is pleased to announce the grand launch of their new website community on January 5, 2010.

“My team has worked diligently over the last few months to create an online destination for God’s people,” said Dr.Twiggs, a well-known International Evangelist.

This site, modeled after a social network, is a place for believers to meet. More importantly, the site will be a place to connect and receive instruction from Dr. Twiggs.

“We needed a place where we could gather, be instructed, and then hit the road to evangelism. I have used the phrase “calling all Nemos home”, said Dr. Twiggs. “We are in a battle for souls, and every army needs a base of operations.” This website will be that base.

The site includes: Personalized ministry, a gameroom for fun and relaxation, networking opportunities, partnership in powerful ministry projects, Dr. Twiggs’ preaching schedule, selected downloads, instructional videos, news, and so much more. The will be the gateway to Dr. Twiggs’ Ministry and evangelistic outreach.

“This is not about a ministry, it is about a movement. a movement to bring people back to the basics…a come to Jesus’ mindset, it will equip workers for battle, and prepare them for the evangelistic crusade ahead.” said Twiggs. “This is a site you will call home”.

On January 5, 2010-the journey begins. All are invited to attend the grand opening. http://www.ritatwiggs.org

About Dr. Rita Twiggs
Dr. Rita Twiggs has been in ministry for over forty years, serving as an anointed evangelist, bible teacher, mentor, workshop leader, choral director, singer and author. From 1998 until 2008, she served as an evangelist, teacher, and as the first female pastor at The Potter’s House in Dallas, Texas under the leadership of Bishop T. D. Jakes. Now, once again, she has been released by God for full time service to the body of Christ as an anointed five-fold ministry gift who, by the grace of God, is able to flow in any area of ministry.

She is the author of “The Two Minute Warning,” “Come Fly With Me,” “Loosed to Love,” “Preach Woman Preach” and “Drink Water and Live”. She is also the recording artist of “Daddy Loves His Girls,” “Loosed to Love”, “I Surrender All,” and “Lord We Pray.” She can be reached at http://www.ritatwiggs.org

He prepares us to go out and get His mighty harvest that is already waiting and ready.  Many of us have been victims of things in the past.  But God says He’s turning it around He’s moving us from being victims to giving out a victor’s shout that will bring down walls that have separated us from each other.  Walls that are hiding or that are keeping back those that God wants to deliver.  I want to give you some secrets that God really want you to have that will make you a victor.  That will enable you to go and get the victims and bring them back to Him. 

 The Lord is petitioning us to let Him into places that we have never let Him into before, by the entrance of His word.  He’s coming to give light and understanding to symbol (divine presence).  For those of us who just want to hear what the Lord has on His heart and in such plain words as we can receive them, put a handle on them and hand them to somebody else.  It is a generational thing that God now calls us to.  One generation shall praise His works to another and declare His mighty deeds and the things that thou have heard of Him, among many witnesses the same declare thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also.  Subsequently, what we are getting now and what we have gotten already are not just for us, but it is for those that God is going to send us to.  So with that in mind, with a heart that is bent and turned toward being made a ready answer to somebody else’s problem for a change.

Forward March

I invite you to go into the word of the Lord as He has dictated it into my heart and read Joshua 4:19; 5:1-12; 6:2-5, 16, 20. 

 Psalm 133 you will find these words, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!  It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.”  One final verse also located in Psalm 47, “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.”

 We’re going from a victim’s cry to a victor’s shout.  Father thank you, thank you, thank you in Jesus name.  Amen!

 A covenant keeping God and a people He has chosen unto Himself.  A people who still need help is what the Lord is about in this hour.  Having established with us as far back as Adam and Eve coming up through Noah and Abraham establishing a nation that He would bless and make a blessing, a nation that He would use to bless all of the families of the earth.  And a nation through which He would send the eventual seed that would bruise the head of His enemy, satan.  Was established in the loins of Abraham the friend of God a father of multitude.  The high father, the father of faith that never staggered at the promises of God but counted that God was faithful who had called him.  Who was able to do everything that he said.  Abraham held fast to the promises that God had given him.  I will bless you man.  I will make your name great!  A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.  And when God gives you a name and He magnifies that name, it is because He intends to use it to magnify Himself.  Man being created as the icon of the invisible God made in His image.  Created in his likeness.  Falling and yet recovered, lifted up and restored.  Reconciled and brought again into a place of possession is what God is talking about when you go from victim to victor. 

 Everything that God has established in the earth shall give Him glory.  The heavens already declare the glory of God.  The firmament showeth forth His handy works, day unto day onto His speech.  Night unto night showeth knowledge.  Days talk about Him.  Monday tells Tuesday that He’s wonderful.  Wednesday tells Thursday that He’s awesome.  And Friday talks to Saturday about His tremendous magnitude.  And Sunday just kind of cries He’s Holy, Holy, Holy.  Everything in the earth and the heavens is declaring His glory.  The only thing that’s having trouble giving God glory is man.  But, God said I’m going to take care of that too.  There is nothing too hard for me.  I intend to be glorified in all the earth by all my creation.  And so He goes about the process of re-making man and reconciling Him and giving him a reason to praise Him and a right to praise Him and a responsibility to praise Him.  He has to work that thing into us.  He said and let us make man, let us asah.  Let us toil.  Let us work with Him.  Let us squeeze out and rinse out.  And let us do what has to be done to get them ready to give us glory.  Now, the God of all grace looks at us and sees beyond our problem to our potential.  He looks at us and declares that we are His people the sheep of His pasture.  When He speaks and decrees like He told Abraham, I’m going to bless you, walk before me and be thou perfect. 

 BE comes from God and it establishes what He is saying.  Before Abraham even starts walking he’s walking perfectly because God has said BE this.  And when God says a thing, it is so.  So, in the maturity of God’s word that is spoken into him, Abraham begins to walk before God.  And he walks uprightly with his head lifted up because he had believed the word of God.  And as he moves, God establishes and brings to pass everything that He promises, make him a name.  God gets into the middle of his name, Abram and it becomes Abraham.  Yahweh gets in the middle of his name and causes him to become a father that folk are looking up to and they respect him.  And so, Abraham has God on his side.  Abraham has God working for him and working through him.  Bare some children and the sons that come out of his loins, he speaks into their hearts commands them and tells them that the same God that I serve.  Isaac you are going to have to worship him.  I want you to know today, that when a father tells a son, commands the heart of a son who is like an arrow in the hand of a mighty man.  The son is going to do what the father says when the father says worship like I worship Johnny.  Johnny is going to lift his hands and begin to worship God.  When the father says Johnny you got to work if you don’t work you’re not going to eat.  Then the son will begin to get out and mow the lawn because of daddy.  When the Father says son you’re going to have to walk before God with all maturity.  Then the son will watch what the father’s doing and walk in his pathway.

 That’s why Isaac followed Abraham all the way to Mount Moriah at twenty-five years of age.  He didn’t want to go but because his father had commanded his heart.  He was willing to obey the voice of his father’s God.  Our children now are hungry.  They need the voice of a father.  And in this hour God says, I am restoring.  I am turning again the heart of the father to the children and the heart of the children to the father.  The father voice carries more authority.  Ah, momma tells him to go and make his bed.  And he listens and he might do it.  But when daddy says son go and make the bed.  The bed gets made.  That’s why it’s important for men and fathers to take their rightful place to be the Abrahams of that family and command the heart of your children.  They dance like sister Lucy because they have not seen you jumping and shouting.  If they will dance like David, then they will dance like God has commanded them.  Then the sons shall follow their fathers and the daughter shall listen to their mothers who shall train them up to be chased virgins before the Lord. 

 Well, Abraham and Sara had it going on and they raised a family.  Isaac was a man after God’s own heart and after he came on the scene and planted in his sons.  Jacob who was a trickster and if when you raise up a child or train up a child, in the way that it should go, I don’t care if he starts out as a trickster, when he is old he will not depart from it.  I don’t care if he connives and lies eventually the truth of God’s word will bring about a change in his heart.  So, you just got to make sure you make a deposit in the children.  You can’t wait for the schools to do it.  You can’t wait for the government to do it.  You can’t wait for the daycare to do it.  You must say as justable as for me and my house we shall serve the Lord.  And then pour into them.  Prophesy to them.  Speak to the heart of that child.  Lay hands on them in the morning and plead the blood against them.  Put the Spirit of God in them and the word of God in them.  When they get home in the evening let the last hands that they feel be your hands.  As you pronounce benedictions and blessings upon them and peace unto them so that they won’t go to sleep and have nightmares.  Get a hold to your family, man.  Get a hold to your family, woman. 

 And God will begin to turn around those victims that are in our household into victors that can walk with us.  Abraham did that thing and it passed down from him as to Isaac to Jacob when Jacob became Israel and wrestled with God because sometimes you have to do that in order to get into the place where God can really use you.  Sometimes He got to make you limp.  Sometimes you got to leave Him limping in order to get what God has for you.  But if you are willing to hold onto God and wrestle with Him until the breaking of day then God is going to give you what you really need.  He’s not going to leave you where you were.  He’s not going to let you do the things that you use to do.  He’s not going to even let you try to get over on people like you use to try to get over on them.  When God get a hold to you, He begins to transform you by the renewing of your mind.  So when Jacob became Israel, he had sons that came out of his loins.  He commanded them, prophesied to them and let them know God is not finish with you.  He’s not finished with your family.  He’s not finished with your seed.  He’s not satisfied with what you got yet.  He’s going to give you more. 

 And so, Jacob, Israel prophesied to his sons, told his sons what they were going to be like, because a mother and father know their children.  And as he prophesied according to the word of God into each one of their lives it came to pass.  And when Joseph, the favorite son, the son that had the coat of many colors, the son that had his father’s heart ended up being the provider for the rest of the brothering.  After they had put him in the pit after they had sold him out.  After he had gone to the prison.  After he had been down there and forgotten.  Because promotion doesn’t come from the butler and it doesn’t come from the baker.  It comes from the Lord.  You got to be willing to stay where God puts you, because He is preparing you for your promotion.  He’s grooming you for your promotion.  He’s grooming you for your growth.  He’s getting you ready for your next level and if you got to go through deliverance in order to get to your destiny, then God said so be it.  You got to be willing to say, yes Lord. 

 Be patient in tribulation knowing that tribulation worketh experience and experience worketh hope.  And hope will make you not ashamed.  Experience my brothers and sisters is expensive.  It cost you something to get somewhere with God.  It is going to cost you something to move to the next level.  Joseph finally figured out that he had been put in the pit, put in the prison and tempted in Potiphar house, he came away even though he didn’t have his coat.  He had his integrity.  Even though, he lost something else, he came out with a good name.  Even though, he did not get the popularity, he came out with power.  When he finally came out he realized that God had taken him through all of that as part of a process.  You don’t lay down a blunder and wake up a wonder in God’s Kingdom.  It’s a process that you go through. 

 So, Joseph came through the process and God prepared him to be a provider.  As a victim he cried because he didn’t understand why his brothering were treating him so bad.  He cried because he didn’t know the way that God was leading him.  He cried because he couldn’t understand why he was in the pit or in the prison.  He cried but he never loss sight of the promise that God had made him.  I don’t care if you got to cry.  Cry!  But God said that when you finish crying wipe your eyes and wipe your noses cause you know that my promises are true and they are steadfast.  God will not take back one word.  He will fulfill everything that He has said.  God said have I not spoken it?  Will I not make it good?  God says, now if you got to cry, because as a victim you know that He will hear what you’re crying about.  God hears the cry of his people.  And the cry that comes from a sheep is different from the sound that comes from a pig.  When a pig gets into muck and mire he just kind of wallow in it and has a good time.  But when sheep get into trouble, when they get into a place where they know they are not suppose to be, they begin to cry because they are not satisfied being there.  And when you cry He hears.  Old folk use to say, “I cried all night long, soul couldn’t rest contented until I found the Lord”.  And when you cry His ears are open to the righteous.  He’s not going to let your cry go unattended.  But when He finds you crying He’s getting ready to change the situation, because He want you to go from the cry of the victim to the shout of the victor. 

 So, Joseph cried until God turned it around.  Then when they had to come to him for corn, had to come to him for bread, he didn’t put it in their face.  He realized that all he had been through everything that the enemy had tried to do.  All that he had meant for evil God had meant it for good.  So that he could be put into a place where he could not just receive provision but he could become the provider.  God said that I want you to know that I am moving you from the place of receiving blessing to becoming a blessing.  I want you to know that am taking you from just giving me a Hallelujah to becoming a Hallelujah.  So that when they see you coming they won’t just have to listen for a praise they look at you and they would see praise.  They’ll see the glory.  They’ll see the honor.  They’ll see the anointing.  And before you even get to them, they will say, oh Hallelujah.  God said that’s what I am waiting for, that’s what I am walking towards, that’s what I got on my mind.  So, he takes them down, seventy of them into Egypt as a family and they are given the greatest test of all, the world, Hallelujah.  After your brothers hurt you, after you have been prepared to minister to the body of Christ and God prepares us too for that first.  Because it is by this that all men shall know that he is my disciple by the love ye have for one to another.  Not just love for another.  Two in the Greek means get it into me.  Get it to me.  Get it pass my facade.  Get it pass my face.  Get it pass my cold heart and get the love of God into me. 

 When you do it, when you are willing to work at it until the hub penetrates, until the words that you say find a lodging place in the body of Christ.  We cannot have the world until we are willing to love one another as Christ has loved us.  Our God is not sending us to anybody until we can take care of the bodies that are in the Body.  So Joseph had to be taught how to take care of his brothering.  And when he is taught that, God releases them to go down into Egypt.  When he gets down into Egypt there rose a Pharaoh that knew not Joseph and because the persecution was so hard, the people of God had to cry one more time.  This time they were crying because of persecution.  They were crying because they were doing the right thing and folk were giving them a hard time for righteousness.  And when we are persecuted because of righteousness then God said we are on the right track. 

 When you are persecuted because you are a busy body, because you are a murderer, because you are a liar, you ain’t doing nothing.  But when they persecute you because you stand for righteousness and stand for holiness and stand for the good glory of God, stand for His morals and stand for His law, then you know I’m all right.  I’m doing all right.  I’m on the right track now.  I’m on the right road now.  They ought to be saying something about you.  Somebody ought to be talking about you one way or another.  And if they are talking about you because you are Holy then you need to do what the word says and just go ahead and rejoice.   

 Coming up out of Egypt took a miracle and because they cried God raised up Moses.  He always raises up a witness when there’s a war going on.  And when the children of Israel cried and He raised him up.  Moses was a man that God hid for a season as a baby.  And God wants you to know today that the leaders as well as those who follow them are going to be taking on the characteristics and the faces of those who have gone before us.  So that there are Moses’ and there are those that are like Moses because God is in the mentoring process and He is passing down the anointing.  So when Moses is hidden, you need to know that God looks at you as a Moses of sorts because this world is in the same kind of chaos that it was in the days of Moses. 

 Yeah, for a season you have been hidden, for a season God’s been working some stuff into you that the world is not ready for so He has cause you to be hidden.  The enemy would have tried to destroy you but God had you hidden.  He put you under His wings, covered you and made sure the enemy couldn’t take you out.  Even though enemy was reaching for you, God made sure that he could only come so far.  He hid you so that He could work a testimony.  So that He could work a work into you.  So, He could begin to restore some things.  So that He could establish some things.  So, as you have been hidden out, God said I worked some stuff into you now.  But now I need you to come out of hiding.  It’s time for you to be released. 

 He’s getting ready to release the church now.  He’s been working something out of us.  He’s been working some things into us.  He’s been destroying some yolks that were upon us.  “But now He’s getting ready to release us.  The church is getting ready to rise up.  God is getting ready to use her as the source of deliverance.  And deliverance shall come out of Mt. Zion and the church of God shall be used by God.  So, God has got Moses coming out of hiding.  Come out come out wherever you are!  You got to stop playing closet Christian, you got to stop acting like you don’t know who He is.  You got to stop pretending like He ain’t done nothing for you.  You got to stop acting like you are a bag of chips and give God glory everywhere. 

 So, because they were willing, because Moses had come out of hiding, all of a sudden God prepares him.  Takes him to Pharaoh’s court.  Teaches him the ways of the world.  There’s no harm learning what goes on in the world.  God needs us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  The children of this world are wiser then the children of light.  They know how to get it.  They know how to keep it.  They know how to work that thing.  They know how to get all of the prosperity.  But God said while they have been a massing the wealth, while they have been gathering it, I’ve just been causing them to gather it and lay it up for you.  You’re going to get what they got.  You’re going to go in and possess what they have been working on.  Everything that they have been doing, all the stuff that they have been investing in, God said I am getting ready to turn it over to you.  Why, because you know what to do.  You know how to feed the hungry.  You know how to clothe the naked.  You know how to take care of the widows.  You know what to do with the money.  So, God said He’s going to give it to you.  But not until He can release you to do everything that He calls for. 

 So, He says Moses, Moses, I’m going to teach you the ways.  I’m going to let you go to school.  Stay in school.  Don’t drop out; God’s waiting on you.  Finish your education.  He’s not using Ebonics.  Learn English, Spanish and German.  Italian and Russian.  So when He’s ready for you to speak to somebody from Italy, you will know what to say.  You got to get ready.  God said, I’m training up a people and when I train you, you’re not going to be ignorant.  You are going to be able to speak with intelligence and speak with authority and speak in a language that doctors and lawyers and Kings and princesses will be able to understand.  But you’d still be able to talk to the common man on the street that has a bottle of wine in his hand.  God said I’m getting you ready.  I’m giving you a multiplicity of ministries.  Working something into you that will cause you to be flexible enough, bendable enough to do what I need to have done.  You got to be dependable, you got to be sendable, you got to be mendable, and you got to be expendable.  God said if you will let me send you, you will let me mend you, you’d be dependable.  I will be able through you to do all things. 

 So then Moses prepares himself intellectually.  He studies Greek.  He studies Science.  He studies Mathematics.  He even studied the Martial Arts.  So God said you just get ready, get ready.  When he finished studying to show himself approved unto God, it wasn’t just a word.  Because he had gotten a word but he made himself available for everything in Pharaoh’s court.  God blessed him.  Raised him up.  Gave him chariots.  Gave him honor among the people.  And when a man ways please the Lord, He will make his enemies to be at peace with him.  They will give you respect because God will put it in their heart for you.  God said I will give you honor if you give me glory.  But it is for His glory.

 So that when Moses got up high and he was lifted up, God said I got to remind you that you will not always be riding in a chariot even though you are intelligent, you still got to be touched.  Because I need for your perspective to be simple, I need to be able to get glory from your life.  So, even though you’re in a place where you are learning all of this never forget that there is somebody that needs what you have.  There is somebody that is worse off then you, somebody that is still crying and somebody that is still being persecuted.  You can be high and you can be highly lifted up but God will bring you down just long enough to show you where you use to be.  To remind you where you came from. 

 Make sure that you never forget where God has brought you from.  When Moses came out and saw his brother suffering it bothered him.  It ought to bother you that there are some people still drinking.  It ought to bother you that there are some people still prostituting.  It ought to bother you that there are some people still strung out on drugs in your neighborhood.  If it bothers you then God says I can use you.  If I can touch you with feeling the infirmities of your brothers, you haven’t gotten too high.  If you can still hear the cry of those that are in the projects where you use to live, now you’re on the gold coast but you can remember when you didn’t have any running water.  If you can remember when the heat was off and you had to cover up with coats.  You can remember when you went to bed quick after eating some toast and jelly or you had some bread and some milk and went to sleep hoping that you would wake up and find something in the kitchen cupboard.  You remember!  Never forget, unless we forget God will not be able to use tomorrow if we forget yesterday.

 So Moses said I can’t forget you’re my brother and as he took his place to try and be his brother’s deliverer, God had to put him in the penalty box because you cannot do it in flesh.  You cannot come up with devices and programs without the unction and the anointing of God and expect them to work.  I don’t care what good intentions you have you got to hear God, obey God, and trust God in order to get what God has.  Hear, Obey, and Trust.  H.O.T. – HOT.  You got to be HOT, got to be HOT.  You got to hear, you got to obey and you got to trust.  Moses had to learn that you cannot do it in your own strength.  God took Moses off, took him out, put him on the backside of the mountain.  When he killed the Egyptian, God had to teach him that My ways are not your ways and you are going to have to do it My way or else I’m going to take you off the field.  Moses you can’t do it without me, unless I do it, it won’t be.  Should the Lord not build the house they labor in vain that built it.  You got to trust God to do the work.  If He doesn’t do it, it won’t be done. 

 So, Moses learned now that you got to do it His way.  Moses after taking charge of the lizards, after being pastor over the desert animals, finally came to a place where he was face to face with God.  At a bush that burned that was not consumed.  And when Moses finally came face to face with God the thing that God required of him first was Holy worship.  We’re getting ready to be sent to an unholy people.  They are going to have to be able to see holiness of God upon us.  And He gives us His glory when we come and behold Him.  When we behold Him, we become like Him.  We are changed from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the living God.  So, we are becoming what we are beholding.  If you’re looking at your pastor you’re going to become just like your pastor.  If you’re looking at your girlfriend you’re going to start acting just like her.  Whatever you behold is what you’re going to become.  If you’re looking at all the stock market and you’re looking at all the money that’s what you going to become.  But when you look at God you become just like Him.  The closer you get the better you are going to look.  So, he went into the presence of God in that bush and the bush kept on burning it wasn’t consumed.  But that was to get his attention.  Worship gets us to a place where God can visit with us.  Visitation results in worship.  When you begin to worship God then He shows up and He begins to show Himself to you so that He can give you revelation.  You are going to have to get into the presence of the Lord.  You are going to have to praise your way into His presence.  And when you get into the praise buggy and you praise your way into His presence, when you finally get to the face of God nobody is going to have to tell you to bow down. 

 Worship will prepare you for warfare.  God said I need some workers, some walkers and some warriors.  So, I called Moses to worship.  The ground you are standing on is Holy ground.  Wherever I am it is Holy.  Wherever I am the ground they’re on is Holy.  The ground I’m on is Holy!  Now, God said you got to reckon that when you are standing on Holy ground I’m right there and I deserve the honor.  Changing your perception now, not just going to be the place, it’s a Holy place.  Your church is not just a church; it’s a Holy place.  When you come into His presence it’s a Holy place.  God said you are going to have to perceive Me as Holy.  Take off your shoes rest in the Lord.  Wait patiently for Him don’t be anxious for anything.  He calls us to another place of rest in Him.  He wants us to know that He doesn’t want us to be worried about anything.  Don’t be upset cause God is getting ready to change some stuff.  He’s going to fix it so that the things we use to do we won’t want to do them anymore.  And so we got to get use to God being unpredictable.  Get into His presence and understand that in His presence there is the fullness of joy.  When you get into His presence and you start worshipping Him then there’s going to be something that you do that you haven’t done before.  Every time you go in you going to do something different then you did before. 

 God said Moses come on in and let me just cause you to rest.  God said no Moses I’m getting ready to do something different now.   I’m getting ready to do a new thing.  I just need to know that you are willing to rest in Me.  Wait patiently on Me.  Don’t get nervous.  Give God glory and let Him have His way.  God said I want you to know that I’m coming to turn some things around cause I got to work in you.  Moses take them out, take them out.  Use My mighty hand, stretch out your rod.  And Pastor Moses took 2.5 million people out of Egypt under the mighty hand of God.  Raised up his hand and they all crossed over on dry ground.  What a mighty God!

A misfortune or a blessing?  How should we view Paul’s imprisonment in Rome? (Acts 28:30,31).  On the one hand, as a free man, he would no doubt have continued his missionary journeys without writing this letter.  However, could it be that God allowed him to be placed in a situation such as this, that would set the stage for the writing of the most profound and Christ-exalting of Paul’s written words, better known as the prison epistles (Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians, and Philippians)?  It is certainly worth consideration. 

Of the four, Colossians and Ephesians are called ‘twin’ epistles.  Of course the literary genre is that of a letter, and these two letters were very much alike because of their presentation of Christ and His Church.  Colossians focuses on Christ’s position and preeminence as ‘Head’ of the Church, while Ephesians exposes the Church as Christ’s ‘body’, along with her subsequent nature.  In addition, both of these twin epistles describe the ‘old man’ and the ‘new man’, with instructions on how to live and function as believers.

The Ephesians letter is specifically written to the Church of new believers founded by Paul (Acts 19,20).  Although Pergamum was still the capital of the province, Ephesus had emerged as a center of commercial, intellectual, and religious importance.  She boasted one of the seven wonders of the ancient world in the temple of Diana, the goddess of the Ephesians, and was known as the first city of Asia.  In his letter to them, Paul reinforces their faith as he describes the origin, election, redemption, purpose, wealth, walk, and warfare of the Church. (New Testament Survey, Walter M. Dunnett, Ph.D., page 60).

It is within this framework of the ‘walk’, or manner of life of the believer, that our text is located.  In general, the believer is exhorted to “walk worthy”, “walk in love”, “walk as children of light”, and “walk circumspectly”.  In our text, specific instructions on ‘how to walk’, are provided so that there can be no confusion in the minds of the believers as to the character and conduct God expects from His own.  A new behavior toward one another is expected of all believers (4:17-32).  Christians are to put off the old pre-conversion lifestyle (4:20-24), and practice truth, wholesome talk, kindness, and forgiveness toward one another (4:25-32).  God’s standards for believers are set! (The New Testament Its Background and Message, Thomas D. Lea and David Alan Black, page 440).