"After forty days Noah opened a window he had made in the ark and sent out a raven, and it kept flying back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth. Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground. But the dove could find nowhere to perch because there was water over all the surface of the earth; so it returned to Noah in the ark. He reached out his hand and took the dove and brought it back to himself in the ark. He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth."~Genesis 8:6-11

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Ephesians


This letter was written by Paul during the time he was in Ephesus (54-57AD) to the churches that were being established around Asia.  Ephesus was an extremely influential city, being a port city and hub of spiritual activity.  As the gospel went out to all of Asia during the time when Paul resided in Ephesus (Acts 19:10), we can guess that there were new believers and new churches all over Asia who had been recipients of influence from this demonic worship-oriented city.  This letter was written to those churches.

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  even when we were dead in our trespasses, 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 in Christ Jesus"- Ephesians 2:4-6

OBSERVATION:
What did God do because of his great love for us?
He made us alive together with Christ, and seated us with him in the heavenly places.

INTERPRETATION:
How would this be encouraging for the original reader, who has neighbors worshiping evil spirits and (in many cases) turn against the Christians because of their unwillingness to practice the cultural norms of worshiping the Greek gods and participating in cults?
It would be so encouraging!  They know that God has given them more power than all other forces and spirits, so they have nothing to fear.

TIMELESS TRUTH:
We should not be afraid!  We are seated with Christ above all other powers. :)
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