For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Summary: Paul’s sentence describes how we can gain access to God. To do so we need to reach out through Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Continue reading “Ephesians 2:18 – Access to God”Ephesians 1:9a – More Mystery
… he made known to us the mystery of his will …
Summary: Some mysteries can be solved with good detective work. Others, like the mystery of God’s will, is beyond us, until God, in his timing, decides to explain.
Continue reading “Ephesians 1:9a – More Mystery”Ephesians 1:7c – The Pardon
… in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.
Summary: Paul has a detailed way of conveying his thoughts. Sometimes his meanings can be lost in the words. It is worth stopping to ponder what Paul is saying and think about the story behind the words.
Continue reading “Ephesians 1:7c – The Pardon”Ephesians 1:7b – The Big Death
… through his blood, the forgiveness of sins …
Summary: Blood holds a unique place in Scripture and life. We cannot live without it. In the salvation narrative, blood is both the price of salvation and the symbol of salvation.
Continue reading “Ephesians 1:7b – The Big Death”Ephesians 1:4b – The Plan is Jesus
… to be holy and blameless in his sight.
Summary: Being holy and blameless is not something we can achieve on our own. We need help! Fortunately for us, God has a plan. The plan is Jesus.
Continue reading “Ephesians 1:4b – The Plan is Jesus”1 John 5:19 – A Messy Business
We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.
Summary: If life is like a football game, everyone on the field is getting pushed around.
Continue reading “1 John 5:19 – A Messy Business”Matthew 6:13 – What is the Bullseye?
…but deliver us from the evil one.
Summary: We need deliverance from the evil one every day. If we don’t understand why, we need understanding, too.
Continue reading “Matthew 6:13 – What is the Bullseye?”Matthew 26:41 – Watch and Pray
Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.
Summary: Understanding how temptation works and the battle between our flesh and our spirit is key to understanding how to avoid temptation and stay on track to follow our Lord Jesus.
Continue reading “Matthew 26:41 – Watch and Pray”Matthew 4:9 – Heart, Soul and Mind
“All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
Summary: Sometimes our behavior is predictable, and when that happens the devil can use our natural instincts against us.
Continue reading “Matthew 4:9 – Heart, Soul and Mind”Matthew 4:6 – If / Then
… throw yourself down.
Summary: The second temptation of Jesus is a doozy. Satan appeals to Jesus’ ego to see if he can find a crack in the armor of the Son of God.
Continue reading “Matthew 4:6 – If / Then”