“Now I want you to know brethren that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel.” I can imagine that many were upset about Paul’s imprisonment. Especially the Philippians! They sent Epaphroditus to help Paul! They wanted Paul with them! How can this be allowed by God? How can this be…

“Having been filled with the fruit of righteousness, which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Going beyond excellence and sincerity, as we live out this blameless, discerning love, described in the previous two verses, there will be fruit. Notice fruit comes through Jesus Christ. We cannot do these things alone.…

“So that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.” God says that love is the fulfillment of the law. So, if we love one another, we will do each other no harm. If we combine this with love that is discerning and…

“And this I pray that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment.” Paul does not simply pray for greater love but for love given with knowledge and discernment. This is the most useful love. It does not help to send a fishing boat to someone who lives in…

“For God is my witness how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.” Paul longed to be with his friends! Just as we read Jesus longs to be with us and prayed that we be with Him in John 17. Oh dear God may we love each other this deeply.

“For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel you all are partakers of grace with me.” Paul was confident God was at work in the Philippians and would…

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Paul’s confidence is reassuring! His confidence is in God’s faithfulness to keep working in our lives. HE is God, the faithful God! We can trust Him to continue loving,…

“In view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.” Here is a group of men and women who joined Paul in advancing the gospel. In this verse Paul does not mention how, but they were part of the work. Oh, Lord Jesus, with Your help may we find our place…

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul begins all his letters in a very similar way. In most cases with these exact words (Grace to you and peace from God). Evidently this is important. God’s grace is what you need when you need it. God’s peace is…

“Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons.” Paul calls himself a bondservant of Christ. A bondservant chose to stay with his master forever. He or she chose to be the master’s servant forever because he or she loved this…

Due to some things we are going over at our church gatherings on Sunday mornings we are changing gears and will spend the next 43 days looking at Philippians 1:1 thru 2:13. Join us if you can. To receive automatic emails of each blog subscribe below by supplying your name and email address. These thoughts…

Verse for today – “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints, what is the breadth, and length, and height, and depth; and to know  the love of Christ, that surpasses knowledge, that you may be…

Verse for today – “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man (Eph. 3:14-16).” Today Paul returns…

Verse for today – “Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory (Eph. 3:13).” Have you ever been discouraged because of someone else’s suffering? It is hard to see someone suffer! How much more difficult it must be when that man or woman’s problems…

Verse for today – “This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him (Eph. 3:11-12).” All the things we have been pondering in recent days (the mystery of Christ, hope for the Gentiles, unity in…

Verse for today – “so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places (Eph. 3:10).” When I was young dad asked for my help. I believe his words were, “You might want to see this, and you might be…

Verse for today – “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things (Eph. 3:8-9).” So exactly what…

Verse for today – “[the gospel], of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power (Eph. 3:7).” At first Paul was NOT a minister of the gospel. He was Jewish. He was a Pharisee (these were men who…

Verse for today – “By referring to this when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles…

Verse for today – “if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace which was given to me for you; that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief (Eph. 3:2-3).” Sometimes God gives special assignments! Remember Abraham? God chose him to be the father…

Verse for today – “For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles (Eph. 3:1).” Have you ever headed out to the kitchen and along the way you were distracted? Distracted so much that you went in a different direction and did not make it to the kitchen…

We just completed the first two chapters of the book of Ephesians. How are you doing? Is God’s Word making sense? Please take time to pray and ask God to speak to you and lead you to a deeper understanding of HIM! To review, Paul was chosen and sent by God and, in this book,…

Verse for today – “…Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit (Eph. 2:20-22).” If you have thought very much about building construction,…

Verse for today – “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone (Eph. 2:19-20).” Several years ago, my wife, Kathy, and I traveled…

Verse for today – “And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father (Eph. 2:17-18).” Dear Reader, God is the greatest Being in the Universe. There is no one more vital…

Verse for today – “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus…

Verse for today – “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Eph. 2:13).” Have you ever felt far from God? Do your prayers bounce back from the ceiling and echo in your mind as unheard and unanswered? Do you need hope in…

Verse for today – “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands—remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no…

Verse for today – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Eph. 2:10).” When I was young, I was fascinated with tadpoles. One day, out on the farm, I noticed some tadpoles swimming in a muddy hole near the…

Verse for today – “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast (Eph. 2:8-9).” Earlier in Ephesians 2 we read that, “God… made us alive together with Christ,” and we called…

Verse for today – “so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:7).” Where do you picture yourself in 10,000 years? Are you dead and gone; annihilated into oblivion as some would have us believe? Or are you alive,…

Verse for today – “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places…

Verse for today – “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest (Eph. 2:3).” Mankind faces a fundamental question; who will decide right from wrong? Is there really any…

Verse for today – “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience (Eph. 2:1-2).” The spiritual realm is difficult for…

Verse for today – “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world… (Eph. 2:1-2).” Please begin by noting that these verses are written in the past tense. Paul is writing to people who already belong to Christ and he is trying to…

Verse for today – “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1).” I am sure you would agree that our world is broken. This verse begins to describe the condition of every human being before he/she chooses Christ and is changed by Him! Here, the word “dead” refers to being spiritually dead…

Verse for today – “And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (Eph. 1:22-23).” According to this verse, and others, Jesus Christ is in charge of all things. So…

Verse for today – “…These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that…

Verse for today – “and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ when He raised Him from the dead… (Eph. 1:19-20).” About 22 years ago I was working at Herb Gordon…

Verse for today – “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints (Eph. 1:18).” I am certain I do not understand everything God is communicating in this…

Verse for today – “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints (Eph. 1:18).” I love the word hope! There are few words like it in the…

Verse for today – “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints (Eph. 1:18).” In the Bible, the word heart is often a reference to the real…

Verse for today – “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him (Eph. 1:17).” For many years I worked as an automobile technician. I enjoyed the job, most of the time, and found it to…

Verse for today – “For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers (Ephesians 1:15-16).” Paul seems like a pretty good friend. After a…

Verse for today – “… the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:13-14).” Have you ever been shopping for a used car and found the perfect one? There is only one…

Verse for today – “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13).” In college, one of my favorite professors, Dr. Bishop, told the following story: High on a mountain, near a large…

Verse for today – “To the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:12).” What a privilege and great honor it is to reflect the glory of God! What a blessing! On several occasions I have been in the great outdoors and…

Verse for today – “Also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11).” Christian, do you know that you have an inheritance waiting for you? And it is not just a few dollars, or even a few thousand dollars.…

Verse for today – “With a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth (Ephesians 1:10).” This verse is a little bit confusing, but the basic idea is this: We are awaiting a…

Before we continue our study in the book of Ephesians, please allow me a side note. If you have read the Bible for long, you know that some parts of it are difficult to understand. Even the apostle Peter made this same observation about some of Paul’s writings (see 2 Peter 3:15-16). This, however, does…

Verse for today – “He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him (Ephesians 1:9).” In the Old Testament a man named Joseph was a prisoner in the land of Egypt. He was sold into slavery because of his brothers’ jealousy and placed in…

Verse for today – “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us in all wisdom and insight (Ephesians 1:7-8).” When I was in my early teenage years, I stole a $20.00 item from a local hardware store. It…

Verse for today – “In Him we have redemption through His blood… (Ephesians 1:7).” The word redemption means to free from captivity by payment of a ransom. Christian, do you know that God redeemed you? Do you know that He loves you so much He paid the price to buy you back for Himself? Think…

Verse for today – “to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6).” When I was young, I was playing with matches and some dry leaves by one of the large out-buildings on my parents’ farm. I was fascinated with fire. Within 5 minutes…

Verse for today – “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will (Ephesians 1:5).” Blessing number 3, only for those who are in Christ, is that He determined long ago to adopt them as His very own sons and daughters. The word predestined…

Verse for today – “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him, in love (Ephesians 1:4).” Have you ever gone to the beach and searched for the perfect seashell to display in your home? You know what I mean; you’re looking…

Verse for today – “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world… (Ephesians 1:4).” Did you know that the world, the galaxies, and the universe are not a large science experiment? Did you know that you are not an afterthought? The only reason God made this universe is because He…

Verse for today – “Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3).” We have physical eyes. We live in a physical world. Every day our eyes see this world’s attractions. We see the sky, the earth,…

Verse for today – “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:2).” This is how Paul begins almost every letter he writes to the churches. Peter and John sometimes send the same greeting when they write. It is a consistent message, and a very encouraging message God…

Verse for today – “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:1).” In the second half of verse 1 Paul identifies his audience. Paul describes them as the saints who are at Ephesus. There is a…