Ephesians 3:14-21

Last night the Bible study group was down to 3 people. One of the realities of ministering to "seasoned" saints is health issues. This accounted for the absentees. After praying together we spent a lot of time reviewing the previous week's passages before moving to new material. We looked at the significance of naming. Note that one of the first things that God has Adam do was to name the animals, an exercise of authority. (Genesis 1:19-20) It is instructive that own name, perhaps the most personal thing about us, was given by others. Then in verse 16 Paul launches into his 2nd prayer for the Ephesians. Note the importance of faith and love. Finally Paul concludes the passage with praise and the truth that God can do immeasurably more than anything we can ask or think so that He be glorified forever through Jesus and the Church.

Ephesians 2 continued

I believe that verse 20 refers to God working through the prophets to give the Old Testament Scriptures and the apostles or very close followers I've Luke and Mark for the New Testament. As,always Paul brings the reader back to Christ as the cornerstone. As the people wanted more week launched into chapter 3. Paul describes himself as a prisoner, thus Ephesians is one of the 5 "prison" epistles. He goes on to explain one of the 12 mysteries of the New Testament. (according to the British scholar W.E.Vine) A NT mystery is something previously hidden by God which He then chooses to reveal. Verse 6 explains that the Gentiles have become one with the Jewish believers through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Verse 10 introduces an amazing revelation that God has chosen the Church to show His wisdom to the angelic and demonic entities, an eternal purpose through the Lord Jesus Christ. So we have access to God through faith. Finally Paul says his suffering in their glory because he is suffering for Christ.

Ephesians 2:11-22

Last night our Bible study group studied two passages. The theme of the first was the élimination of the division between Jew and Gentile by Christ. To give some context we went back to Perer's experience in Acts 10 where he is told to kill and eat ceremonial unclean animals forbidden by the law of Moses. (See Leviticus 11) Peter refuses and is told that what God calls clean he can eat. While pondering this 3 men come to him with an invitation to the home of a Gentile, a Roman centurion, which he is also not permitted to do. Acts 10:28 When Peter goes and preaches his Gentile listeners receive the Holy Spirit just as the 3,000 did at the day of Pentecost. Returning to Ephesians 2, Paul explains that the Ephesian believers, also Gentiles, who before conversion were without hope and without hope in the world. verse 12 Jesus, by Hjs own blood, the sacrifice for the sins of Jew and Gentile believers has made peace between the two "by abolishing the law of commandments." He preaches peace and both have access through one Spirit to the Father. Jew and Gentile become fellow citizens, a very importance concept in the Roman world because most people did not have the rights that a citizen had. They are built (verse 20) on the foundation of the apostles and prophets.

Ephesians 2:1-10

Last night after our first time of prayer we worked our way through the first ten verses of Ephesians chapter. The first 3 verses give us,God's perspective on humanity. We were spiritually dead, following the devil and our own passions and deserving of wrath. From a human perspective we may have been nice or "good" people but God's standard is perfection and only Jesus could meet it. Verse 4 begins God's response to our wretched, hopeless state. His great mercy and love caused Him to bridge the impassable gap between our sinfullness and His holiness through Jesus Christ. Miraculously He raised us with Christ and seated us with Him. Verse 8 and 9 are more familiar to believers. Saved by grace through faith, not by anything we have done, purely His gift. Verse 10 shows our responsibility to respond to what God has done for us through Christ by good works which God has prepared in advance for all believers. Truly glorious!

Prepping?

My mother had a saying, 'A word to the wise is sufficient." While I recognize that this post will be irrelevant or impossible for many, it would violate my conscience not to say anything. In American slang, a prepper is someone who is concerned about potential calamities and does their best to prepare for it. This can take many forms from storing a little extra food to getting off the electric grid to be as self sufficient as possible. My current thinking is things purchased now that one will eventually use will be less expensive than in the future because of government produced inflation. There are several proverbs in the Bible that are reproduced word for word in several verses. One is found in 22:3 and 27:12. "The prudent sees danger and hides himself; the simple go on and suffer for it." While spiritual preparation is the most important, I recommend that people do what they can for physical preparation for potential hard times ahead.

Novel and Blog

Began writing little stories as a young boy. Progressed to novels writing five complete ones. Over the decades a number of people have said they would read one. The reality is only four people have ever done so and two were relatives. I have labored countless hours writing and revising. In contrast blog posts are off the cuff mostly and unrevised. Yet the number of page views tracked by Google by country has grown exponentially. April was a good month with about 4,700. May with over a week to go is,already over 13,000. Except for Brazil and the US, I don't know anyone in the dozens of these countries. I can only assume that God wants the blog to go viral. I trust it brings glory to him and edifies and encourages others.

Ephesians 1:15-23

Last night the Bible study group worked through the first of Paul's prayers for the Ephesians in the first chapter, verses 15 through 23. He begins by testifying of their faith and love. He shows his love by his continuing prayers for them. Paul wants God to grant wisdom and knowledge, personal, relational knowledge not just facts about Him Other aspects of his prayer are the hope that we as saints have as His inheritance. This is truly staggering in its implications, that God views us as Christ's inheritance. Paul reveals the greatness of God's power that crushed every effort of the devil and his demons in raising Christ from the dead to rulers over all. Finally Jesus is the head and believers are His body. Marvelous revelation through the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God!