In typical Paul-fashion, he includes a thanksgiving prayer near the beginning of this letter that relates to the recipient church's spiritual maturity and understanding. Paul thanks God for their faith…
Ephesians 1:11-14 “The Blessing of Our Inheritance”
Having praised God for the grace of election in Christ (1:3-6), which comes from eternity past, and having praised Him for the forgiveness of our sins, which we have in…
Eph. 1:7-10 “The Blessing of Reconciliation”
The early verses in Ephesians give us insight into the overarching script that God has written for creation. Not only has He chosen us in Christ to be blameless (1:3-6),…
Ephesians 1:3-6 “The Blessing of Election”
Paul's introduction to this letter reminds the Christian Church of the importance of rejoicing in God's grace in Christ. Though "predestination" often evokes annoyed looks of frustration and memories of…
Ephesians 1:1-2 “Even Healthy Churches Need the Gospel”
Having previously labored among them for three years, Paul wrote a letter to the Church in Ephesus. Though we might expect the letter will be informal, a chance for friends…
Ruth 1:1-6 “To Moab and Back”
These early verses of the Book of Ruth depict a dismal scene. Under God's covenant curse, Naomi and her family left their inheritance in the Promised Land for the unclean…
Psalm 150 “Praise the Lord”
Psalm 150 closes the book with a great hymn of praise. It is sung from the heavenly-temple (v. 1), celebrates God's salvation (v. 2), and is characterized by great joy…
Psalm 138 “He Regards the Lowly – Give Thanks!”
The Psalms were assembled into a single collection after Israel's exile to Babylon and consequent slavery. Therefore, many of its songs address this issue, whether it be laments of David,…
Psalm 110 “He will be a Royal Priest”
It's difficult for the Westerner to understand one of the great problems that faced those in the Ancient world - the threat of impending war. In a moment, your house,…
Psalm 100 “Worship the One Faithful to Save”
Throughout the Book of Psalms, we find a movement from despair toward praise and celebration. Psalm 100 is one such high point. It calls the whole world to praise the…
