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Happy 2017 May God’s blessings be upon you , keep you safe and free from harm. May His light continue to shine upon you. May He give you the Spirit of Wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better, the same Power to those who BELIEVE. ( I pray that God will continue to expand your sphere of influence and open amazing doors of opportunity. Happy New Year!!! Read Ephesians 1:15-23 and 1 Chronicles 4:10  Be blessed and continue to be a blessing!

Carry on…in Wisdom and Revelation The Ability to See As believers, our hope is in Christ, not our circumstances. - #Word Writers In Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians, he prays for the eyes of their hearts to be opened. Read Ephesians 1:18-23 Paul prays specifically for the believers to see three things: the hope, riches, and power they have in Christ Jesus. First, he prays they would know the hope to which they, the Ephesians, have been called. The circumstances that currently surround them would in the dim light of the eternal hope they possess in Christ. Second, he prays they would know the riches of God’s glorious inheritance. These riches are far greater than mere earthly riches; the riches of His mercy and grace are eternal. Third, Paul prays they would know the power that lives inside them. The same power that raise Jesus from the dead now lives in those who believe. The same is true for us. As believers our hope is in Christ, not our current ci...

Glory to God   in the highest heaven, and Peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.  ~Luke 2:14 (NLT) May you have a joyful Christmas! Make new memories with family and friends to last forever in your heart. Celebrate God's greatest gift He has ever given - the birth of Jesus. ​ Nothing else matters more than having those gifts that only God can provide. Enjoy this Holiday Season and have a Healthy, Prosperous and Happy New Year! The Story of Christmas (a post I wrote a few years ago). Read it here For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. — Isaiah 9:6-7 I bri...

The Father’s Plan Christ our Hope Read Ephesian 1:3-6 God does not play favorites (see Romans 2:11). He does not wish for anyone to perish, but for all to come to a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus (see 2 Peter 3:9). Play YouTube video here The Theology of Chosen vs. Predestined  * The doctrine of election ( God chooses His people )  * The doctrine of predestination ( God decides the purpose for His people )  * The doctrine of free will ( where God gives all people the choice to follow Him ) God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are high than our thoughts. In Christ all things are possible, including both election and free will. Diving Deeper When did God choose us in Christ? Why did God want to adopt us as His children? In Paul’s day adopted children had the same legal rights as any other son or daughter, which included the rights to their father’s inheritance. Knowing you are a joint heir with Jes...

The Father’s Plan Carry on…with an inheritance In our last post “ A Call to Carry On ,” we began reading Ephesians 1:1-2 . It reads like this in the New Living Translation, Greetings from Paul 1  This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God’s holy people in Ephesus, [ a ]  who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus. 2  May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Also, in theses verses, we find the answers to the two questions posed: first, Paul was chosen by God Himself, and second, Paul was writing this letter to people like you and I – Christ Followers. Well, Paul opens his letter almost like a person reading a will – a will that lists the saints’ inheritance from God. And since you and I are saints, this inheritance is ours in Christ too! The entire passage in Ephesians 1:3-14 is a reminder of the spiritual inheritance we have already received fro...

But God... A Journey Through Ephesians – A Call to Carry On Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is a call to carry on with the undying love for our Lord. Paul knew some strange ideas about God would soon perforate the faith of new believers. He knew the message of grace would be challenged. He knew the believers would be tempted to forget their First Love. With every dip of hi quill in ink, the metal links of his chains clanked and clattered. Affixed to a Roman guard, Paul understood the reality of his likely execution, so the letter we call Ephesians reads like a farewell address. These were his final, parting words, his last chance to impart what was most important to him, for it succinctly summarizes God’s plan for salvation and the practices believers in Christ should follow. Are we focused more on church-as-a-way-of-life or Christ-as-a-way-of-life? Paul, a man once filled with murderous hatred for believers was transformed by God’s grace (see Acts 9:1-25). And the...

Bible Study Tools When we write it, we remember it! In previous posts, we have look at different methods of studying the Bible: Inductive Bible Study – Part I and Part II , Studying the Bible in Context , and Memorizing Scripture . Today, I want to add to our Tool Box – Saturation – writing the Word. Because when we write it, we remember it. Psalm 119:18 says, “Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wonderful things from Your instruction.” Prayerfully begin every day in the Word with this as our guide. Our the next few weeks, I’d like to guide us through the pages of Ephesians with the Holy Spirit as our Teacher. We will begin with a short passage in Ephesians. After reading the passage, I’ll pose a couple questions about the biblical text (the observation and interpretation portion of the study). The next couple of questions will lead you to further contemplate how you can apply the truth of Scripture to your everyday life (the application portion of the study). The...

Faith & Love = God Where there is faith...    There is love. Where there is love...    There is peace. Where there is peace...    There is God. Where there is God...    There is no need. Be blessed and be a blessing.

Bible Study Skills – Memorizing Scripture Top 7 Ways to Memorize God’s Word. There are many methods for memorizing scripture, and we all learn differently so some ways may work better for us than others. Pray ~ Ask God where to start.  Is there an area you are feeling particularly weak? Maybe you’re weak in your faith and God led you here. I have been there. I have prayed for faith the size of a mustard seed. Seek God’s guidance to strengthen you through His Word. Read ~ Read the verses in their context.  Having an understanding of what the verse actually means helps tremendously with our ability to retain and remember. Write it out ~ Writing the verse in your journal, on note cards or wherever is an effective way to remember Scripture. { Cool & worth noting: There is scientific research showing how writing something down with actual pen and paper helps us retain what we are trying to remember, far better than typing it out.  It triggers our t...

Practicing Gratitude can be life altering. Gratitude puts situations into perspective. When we can see the good as well as the bad, it becomes more difficult to complain and stay stuck. Gratitude helps us realize what we have.  The awareness of what we're grateful for can lessen our tendency to want more all the time. Gratitude makes us happier.  Gratitude strengthens relationships, improves health, reduces stress, and, in general, makes us happier. Think a New Thought Today… Be blessed and be a blessing!

Studying the Bible in Context Just reading one verse of the Bible can be like basing your thoughts and reactions on one sentence of a conversation. Take a look at this passage from Exodus: “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you;  you need only to be still.'”  Exodus 14:13-14 (NIV) Did you notice Moses tell the people to stand still because the Lord will fight   for  them in verse 14? Doing nothing, however, was not the Lord’s plan! “Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to  move on.'”  Exodus   14:15   (NIV) “Rather than telling the Israelites to stand still, He propels them to action.”  God wanted the people to  “move on.” When we read the Bible in context, we are taking into consideration: WHO ...

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be   thankful.  Colossians 3:15   In Colossians 3:12-17 , Paul offers a strategy to help us, Christ-followers, live for God day by day: (1) imitate Christ's compassionate, forgiving attitude; (2) let love guide your life; (3) let the peace of Christ rule in your heart;  (4) always be thankful; (5) keep God's Word in you at all times; and (6) live as Jesus Christ's representative. Christ is all that matters and He lives in all of us (Galatians 2:20, NLT). Be blessed and be a blessing!