Summer’s in full swing.  That means camp is in full swing.

Camp JIM’s summer staff are trained, and the 1st and 2nd grade campers enjoyed their Sunday-Tuesday Cub Camp.  Family campers have come and gone after several days of studying the Armor of Christ, being served, playing together and I hope they were able to rest while getting away from their normal routine.

Ephesians is where I am studying, so since I’m journaling anyway (and I have arrows and notes all over the written page) I decided to put it here on the blog.  But so you know, it’s for me.  I may not always have photos.  The formatting may not be perfect.  It’s not about traffic or awards or even friendship.  It’s about healing these days, because don’t we all need that on some level?  When God heals, he grows and stretches and establishes and makes stronger.  So I am going to be journaling here, and if anyone else can benefit that is just a bonus.

I studied out of the New American Standard Bible and I use a historical commentary.  If you’re studying along, please read in your own Bible.  My notes are paraphrasing my own understanding (which is a work in progress). PT stands for “personal thought”.

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vs. 1– Paul’s qualification for being an apostle: It’s by GOD’s will.

vs. 2–Greeting and blessing

vs. 3– Paul blesses God.

–Through Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing.

vs. 4–Before God made the world, He chose us to be holy and blameless.

vs. 5–How did He do this?  His kind intention in love was to adopt us as sons (and daughters) through Jesus.

vs.6– God “bestowed” His grace on us, and this brings Him praise and glory.

vs. 7– We have redemption, forgiveness of our sins

vs. 8– this is according to God’s wisdom and understanding

vs. 9– which is the mystery of His will which he made known to us

vs. 10– that in the fullness of time (God’s perfect timing) everything in heaven and earth will be summed up in Christ—gathered to Him.

PT:  The mystery of God’s will throughout the New Testament is that the gospel is for all men.  Anyone who believes and confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, repents of their sin, and trusts in Jesus for forgiveness will be saved.  I’m thinking about how God made clothes to cover Adam and Eve when they were ashamed after sinning in the Garden of Eden.  Christ’s blood provides a permanent covering and removes our shame.

vs. 11– God has given us an inheritance (thru adoption).  This was/is His will and God upholds HIS WILL .

vs. 12– God receives praise and glory when sinners are saved.

vs. 13– Believers are sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise.  PT– like the wax seal of Kings, we are marked by the Holy Spirit as belonging to God.

vs.14– But also the Spirit is  a promise of what more is to come (when ALL reaches fullness) and we are forever with Jesus in heaven.  We are His own possession, which He redeemed for Himself.  Isn’t that beautiful?

vs. 15 -17– Paul gives thanks for the church’s faith in Christ and love for other believers.  He prays they will be given (by God) a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus.

vs. 18-20– Paul prays the eyes of their hearts will be enightened to know:

*The hope of God’s calling

*The supassing greatness of His power toward us who believe

And we know (vs 20) that these are according to the working of the strength of God’s might which He brought about when He raised Jesus and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly realms.

vs. 21-22– All rule, power, authority, dominion and anything ever named is now under Christ’s feet.  Christ is over all!  AND

vs. 23– Christ is also head over the church and fills the church which is HIS body.

I’m looking in the next chapters to know what these are:

the hope of His calling,

the greatness of His power toward us,

and what are the spiritual riches we have in God’s economy?

 

Two of our children, Ella and Abigail, coming up from their baptisms, performed by our pastor (left) and their father (right).  June 30, 2019 Our son Christian was also baptized, but in my eagerness to watch, I was too slow with the camera!

Personal Prayer:

Dear God,

I’ve been learning the importance of knowing and believing what you say about me.  Thank you for the book of Ephesians that thank you that Jesus died for me.  Thank you that you adopted me in love as your daughter and made me holy and blameless.  Thank you that this is my inheritance and your will for me, that you’ve given me your Holy Spirit to show I belong to you and to be a down payment of your eternal plans for your church.  Thank you for who He, the Holy Spirit is, and for all the ways He works in my life.

I pray that your church will have great faith and love for one another.

Like Paul, I pray for a spririt of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus and ask that my eyes and the eyes of all your children will be enlightened to know what is the hope of your calling and the surpassing greatness of your power toward those of us who believe in you.  That when we read your Word, that You would grant understanding and that we’d believe it whole heartedly.  That when we believe it, that our minds will be renewed, our emotions will fall into line and our entire lives would be transformed for you (Romans 12:1-2).

I praise you that Jesus is alive and he is seated with you in the heavenly realms.  I thank you and praise you that you aways uphold your will, and that your will is always good.

In Jesus Name, Amen