Ephesians 3.1-13

"When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles . . . 2 assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending his grace to you Gentiles. 3 As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. 4 As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. 5 God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets.

6 And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. 7 By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News.

8 Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. 9 I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.

10 God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

12 Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. 13 So please don’t lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored."

(Want a Different Translation? Click Here!)

I have to apologize for not posting yesterday. I wanted to post everyday, but now that I missed a Sunday, I wonder if 6 days of posting and 1 day at Sunday morning church would be a good plan? Lol. At any rate, here's some of my thoughts after reading today's text! =)

I thought it was very strange that this translation put ellipses at the end of verse 1, but after reading the end-note on the website, it makes sense. Paul begins his thought in verse one, and then goes off on an aside/tangent for a little while, and then completes his thought in verse 14. I love that! Now I don't feel so weird about going off on tangents all the time! ;)

I think the reason Paul went off on a tangent, is because what he had to say was important and he wanted to preface it by making sure his audience understood what he was saying! I'm still inspired and encouraged that God used Paul. Here Paul says he's the worst, least deserving of all of God's people, and yet he was given an amazing opportunity. No matter how bad we are as people, God can redeem and use us! That's AMAZING!! I also love verse 10. God wants the church to be the vessel through which his wisdom. God's eternal plan was revealed and carried out through Jesus. In this section, as I said, Paul's summarizing a lot of his message up to this point so that his audience will keep this in mind as he continues his thought and the rest of his letter. Verse 12 is probably my favorite verse in this section. I love thinking through the fact that we can BOLDLY approach God because of Jesus. Jesus paid the sacrifice to bring us to this point, and better than that, he came back to life. So in addition to the price He paid, He stands in defense and as a witness to what He did and has done, meaning that the offer and sacrifice will NEVER run out! =) 

What about you guys? =)

"Father, I pray today for those who have served our country and those who currently serve. Thank You for freedom, especially freedom in Christ. I pray that You use us to further Your kingdom and that You drawn us closer to You each and every day! We love You! It's in Jesus' name I come before You and pray, amen!"