How fitting it is that we come to this portion of Scripture on Halloween – a day when our culture celebrates and makes light of the evil forces of this world. At the end of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is the armor of God and how to stand firm against the attempts of the enemy to block God’s plan for our lives.

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. – Ephesians 6:10-12

Paul has spent his entire letter talking to the believers about God’s plan for their life – individually and in the Church. Now he gives a final word but it is much more than a simple conclusion. It is a strong warning! Be strong in the Lord who holds the plan and in His mighty power and strength. God has provided armor to make this possible, even when the devil is using all his tricks and strategies. Be aware that there is an unseen spiritual battle taking place and there are times you will find yourself right in the middle of it.

Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. – Ephesians 6:13-17

There is no doubt about it – we have an enemy! We could potentially fight some kind of spiritual battle every day but there is no need to panic, no need to fear, for God is on our side and the battle has already been won. When the enemy tries to discourage us, we can remind Him of the Sovereignty of God; when he tries to block the path ahead of us, all we have to do is speak the name of Jesus and he has to flee.

Resist the devil and he will flee from you. – James 4:7b

I can tell you right now that the enemy does not like it when we are growing in our relationship with Christ. He tries to discourage us and speak lies into our hearts. I have had to make a very conscious effort to put on the armor of God and speak the name of Jesus, reminding myself that the devil is full of lies and wants nothing more than to block God’s plan for my life.

The best advice I can find in my morning coffee to prepare me for the battle ahead is found in the next verse of Ephesians 6: PRAY in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere (v.18).

We can pray. It is our strongest tactic – praying in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion, staying alert and praying persistently, not just for ourselves but for all believers everywhere. The next best thing I can do to prepare for the battle ahead comes next in the Scripture – I can ask you to pray for me. There is power in prayer and when we unite in prayer, the enemy has no chance.

And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should. – Ephesians 6:19-20

Yet another reason why God calls us into fellowship with other believers – to pray for them and to let them pray for you. So stand your ground. Evil is much more than a funny Halloween costume. In fact, here’s the best costume for today – put on every piece of God’s armor so that you will be able to resist Satan’s attempts. Put on the belt of truth so that you can stand against His lies. Ask God to clothe you today with His righteousness. Spend time in God’s word so that He can fill you with His peace, fully preparing you for what is ahead. Hold high your shield of faith and the sword of the Holy Spirit, which is the word of God. Do not live in fear but in peace.

As we end our study of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, let me leave you with his closing words to us:
Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 6:23-24

Just as Paul had instructions for the relationship between children and parents, he also gave instructions for the relationship between slaves and masters, which we can apply to our relationships on the job or the ministry teams we work on.

Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free.

Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites (Eph. 6:5-9).

Serve them sincerely…with all your heart…as though you were working for the Lord. We looked at very similar instruction from Paul to the Church at Colosse when we studied Colossians earlier this month.

Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord. Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. But if you do what is wrong, you will be paid back for the wrong you have done. For God has no favorites.

Masters, be just and fair to your slaves. Remember that you also have a Master – in heaven (Col. 3:22-4:1).

Serve them sincerely…as though you were working for the Lord…the Master you are serving is Christ.

God calls us to have a servant attitude in everything we do and in every relationship – whether we are the child or the parent, whether we are the leader or being led. It all comes down to the fact that we all have the same Master – God.

This month is Pastor Appreciation Month. There are quite a few incredible pastors in my life who serve God with a servant attitude. They work long, hard hours – pouring their lives out in response to God’s call. Pastors are willing to go where God sends them, respond as the Holy Spirit leads them and sacrificially dedicate their lives to the Great Commission.

To all the incredible ministry leaders reading this today, whether you are a pastor or a Sunday School teacher or Director of a pregnancy center, I speak these words of Paul to you. Do the will of God with ALL your heart. Work with enthusiasm, because you are working for the Lord and not to please people.

Serve sincerely out of the reverent love you have for your Savior, Jesus Christ. Work willingly at whatever you do – whether it’s this incredible moment of ministry or it’s the toughest thing you have ever been asked to do. Serve humbly, knowing God loves you SO much but that He also loves those He has called you to serve. On your toughest day, hold onto the beautiful promise that the Lord has an inheritance waiting for you, a reward for your faithful obedience. The Master you are serving is Christ.

To everyone: Whatever God has called you to do today, wherever He has placed you – serve God today with your whole heart. Consider every task ahead of you as if you are doing it for the Lord. Remember that the Master you are serving is Christ.

Have you shown appreciation to your pastors this month? The enemy is daily seeking to discourage and defeat them. Let’s always be an instrument of encouragement in their lives. With deep respect, let’s follow their leadership and serve God with all our hearts.

Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on earth” (Eph. 6:1-3).

Paul is repeating a familiar commandment to the Church, the 5th commandment of the 10 found in Exodus 20 or Deuteronomy 5. This is the first commandment where God is promising blessings on anyone who will obey – which shows us how important this is to God.

But the phrase that sticks out the most to me in these first three verses is “because you belong to the Lord.” We are God’s children – we belong to Him! Notice He gave no exceptions to this command. It doesn’t say, “If your parents are good to you…” or “If your parents deserve honor…” God’s instructions are for us to show honor to our earthly parents because He is our Heavenly Father.

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord (Eph. 6:4).

God has a purpose in parenthood that goes far beyond supplying the physical needs of our children. It is in the parent-child relationship that God wants us to learn about the relationship He wants with us. When we discipline our children as God teaches us to, they begin to understand God’s love for us and why He disciplines us. Because we belong to the Lord, we teach our children that they, too, belong to the Lord.

Hebrews 12:6-11 explains this further: “For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children…For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in His holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening – it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.

Oh, there are the blessings again – the blessings of a peaceful harvest of right living! This passage is coming right after the familiar FAITH chapter in Hebrews 11, which is followed by Paul’s instruction at the beginning of chapter 12 to throw off anything that is hindering us – whether it is sin or not – keep our eyes focused on Jesus and run the race marked out for us. He continues this analogy of running the race in verses 12 & 13, referring to the discipline we receive from our earthly Father: So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.

We have a legacy to carry on to our children. Just as we learned from the discipline we received from our parents, that God at times disciplines us with this same kind of love, so we need to help our children understand the love of their Heavenly Father. In doing this, we are impacting generation after generation to follow.

But perhaps the discipline you received from your earthly parents is not a good reflection of the loving discipline God carries out. Our earthly parents are not perfect like our Heavenly Father is and they sometimes miss out on God’s plan for how a parent should discipline their child. But this does not change God’s instructions to you. Perhaps you are the one who will make a difference for the coming generations by following God’s commandment – by honoring your parents and by training your children in the ways of God.

Because you belong to the Lord, teach your children and grandchildren that they, too, belong to the Lord.

And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph.5:21).

The next passages of Scripture can easily be connected with what God had for us in yesterday’s Morning Coffee by looking at this one verse. We have choices to make in our relationships with others – we can put ourselves first or INSTEAD submit to one another out of our love and respect for Jesus Christ.

Before I can go any farther I need to decide if I love Jesus enough to do this for Him – if I respect Him enough to submit to His authority and live as He has asked me to live. We cannot take that for granted because sometimes that is what is keeping us from doing what He has asked us to do. What He asks of us is not always easy but there is a secret to making any of these relationships work as God designed and it goes back to yesterday – to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

First, Paul instructs us regarding the marriage relationship:
For wives, this means submit to your husbands, as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands.

As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must LOVE his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must RESPECT her husband (Eph. 5:22-33).

I do not think we can do what God is asking here, or at least maintain it for a significant amount of time, without an infilling of the Holy Spirit. It is not always easy to submit in love and respect to our spouse. In the same way, we as the Church have difficulty submitting to God’s authority over us as the body of Christ. This kind of love and respect is also made possible with that key ingredient – the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

To truly love each other the way Christ loves the church, let’s consider again Ephesians 5:2, “Live a life of love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.”

Sacrificial love – This is what God is calling us to in our marriages and in our relationships with others. He is calling us to love to the point of sacrifice, putting others before ourselves as a reflection of our relationship with Christ.

It goes back to yesterday’s flavorful ingredient in our morning coffee – to make the most of every opportunity. Today we will be given opportunities to love sacrificially. Starting our day off in God’s presence, allowing Him to fill us fresh and new with His Spirit, will empower us to love and respect each other the way God calls us to – whether it is to our spouse or our family or the Church or anyone God puts in our path today. Today, let us once again set out determined to make the most of every opportunity.

As we discussed last week, Paul gives us many comparisons in his letter to the Church at Ephesus. We have a choice to be filled with one thing or to be filled with another – to be filled with what the world has to offer or to be filled with what God has to offer. We cannot choose both. We either choose one, or INSTEAD choose the other:

– Filled with the sin nature or instead filled with God so that we can grow each day to be more like Him
– Filled with ourselves or instead filled with love following the example of Christ’s sacrificial love for us
– Filled with immorality, impurity and greed or instead filled with thankfulness to God
– Filled with the darkness of the world or instead filled with the light from the Lord which produces what is good and right and true
– Filled with the what pleases you or instead fill your life with what pleases the Lord

In the next section of Scripture, Paul gives us another “instead” that continues with the thought that we have a choice to fill ourselves with what the world offers or fill ourselves with what God offers.

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. INSTEAD, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph.5:15-20).

Paul warns us to be careful how we live. God has a plan for our lives and He wants us to be available to Him every moment of every day. His plan is for us to make the most of EVERY opportunity. We have all heard that verse before but have we considered the context that verse is coming from. It’s another either / or decision – filled with wine or filled with the Spirit; living like fools or like those who are wise.

There are some things we can fill our lives with that alter our ability to make the most of every opportunity. Paul uses the example of wine here. There are inherent dangers in the consumption of wine that set it apart from most other things we can consume. Paul warns here that it can ruin your life. Alcohol has the potential to alter our ability to make a good decision. It does not just quench our thirst but it influences us – it changes personalities, it breaks down inhibitions, it leaves you craving more.

But God says – crave ME! Don’t go looking for what the world has to offer or how the things of the world can bring you pleasure but let me be the One to bring you pleasure – to alter you into the person I want you to be. Be filled with My Spirit and spend your time giving praise to ME, giving thanks to ME. Understand what I want you to do! Beware of things like wine that will ruin the life that I have planned for you.

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone (Col. 4:2-6).

Be alert. Pray for many opportunities. Proclaim God’s message clearly. Live wisely. Make the most of every opportunity. This entire year God has focused my attention on His plan for my life. He created each of us for a purpose. He died on a cross so that we could serve Him, so that He could work through us to bring others to Christ.

God has a plan for our lives and He wants us to be available to Him every moment of every day. His plan is for us to make the most of EVERY opportunity. Let’s guard our hearts and our minds from ANYTHING that might take away our ability to do just that.

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church (Eph. 4:15). Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy (Eph. 4:24).

“Instead” – that is a powerful word. Paul continues in Chapter 5 with the comparison of following our old sin nature or INSTEAD growing each day to become more and more like the God we were created to be like – truly righteous and holy.

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God (Eph. 5:1-2).

Just as children follow the example their parents set for them, whether good or bad, we are to imitate our Heavenly Father in everything we do – but the primary way to imitate God is by living a life filled with love. We are to LIVE LOVE – but not just any kind of love, the example of sacrificial love that Christ Jesus set for us. When we live a life of sacrificial love, the aroma of our life is pleasing to God. When we live for ourselves, let’s face it, we stink!

Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you. INSTEAD, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world (Eph. 5:3-5).

Oh how the things of this world pull for our attention every day! We are surrounded by the stink of sexual immorality and, I have to admit, the smell often clings to us as well. The choices we make in the television shows we watch or the movies that entertain us or the jokes we laugh at – we come out smelling a little more like the world every time. But Paul pulls out another “instead” for us. INSTEAD of choosing to fill our minds and our mouths with what the world thinks is funny, we can fill our hearts with love so that thankfulness is what spills over. The aroma of thankfulness is pleasing to the Lord.

Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true (Eph. 5:6-9).

I love that last sentence! It holds the secret of how to imitate God or how to follow the example of Christ. It is the light within you that produces what is good and right and true. Christ living in us – the Holy Spirit filling us each day – that is what changes our aroma. It’s not about human effort to be something I cannot be no matter how hard I try. Imitating God by my own strength is like spraying perfume on to mask body odor instead of simply taking a shower and washing the smell away.

Human effort comes into play when we are faced with choices each day. But, even in the moment of decision, God has equipped us with the light in our life to make the right choices. He can grow us to be what He created us to be but in the moment we have a choice between listening to the prompting of the Spirit or participating in the things those around us are doing – Christians and non-Christians alike.

Paul has another “instead” for us in verses 10-14: Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; INSTEAD, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

Christ provides the light for us to walk in. God does not simply command us to be like Him without equipping us with what we need to obtain holiness. God gives us love so that our life can be filled with the same kind of sacrificial love Christ displayed on the cross. God does incredible things in our life so that it is not difficult to let thankfulness flow from our conversations. Jesus gives us the light within us so that our life can produce what is good and right and true.

But we are still faced with choices each day. We can choose to take part in what the world has to offer or INSTEAD we can rise from the dead and allow Christ to give us light. Look for those “instead” moments today. Recognize the choices before you and determine what scent your life will be today.

Any time we make a major change in life, we are going to find ourselves comparing the old to the new. Look back and consider when you first got married or when you had your first child, when you started a new job or moved to a new community, when you lost a loved one or graduated from school. There are many times in our life when things shift and major changes take place in our life. We made this same change when we turned our lives over to God and allowed Jesus to take residence in our hearts through His Spirit.

In the last three chapters of Ephesians, Paul does a lot of comparing of the old way of life to the new life in Christ. Yesterday we looked at Ephesians 4:14-15, which compares how we used to live with what we are growing to become:

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. – Ephesians 4:14-15

Life is full of changes and each change has a purpose in our life. God uses each new situation to draw us closer to Him and to form us into the person He created us to be. His plan is not for us to continue in the old way of sin but to live a holy life.

With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

But that isn’t what you learned from Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy (Eph.4:17-24).

Paul then goes on to compare the old person with the new person, the old sinful nature with the life renewed by the Spirit. He shows the change that occurs in our life when we STOP living for our own purposes and START following his good and pleasing and perfect will for our life.

The first time I read these differences, I read quickly, for this passage was very familiar to me. Then I went back and slowly took stock of every change. Praise God for the change He has made in my life. I thank Him for making me a new person yet I admit I sometimes allow myself to fall into some of the old and familiar patterns of this world – forgive me, Lord! Let your Spirit do a work in my heart, continuing to renew me and transform me into a new person for the sake of your plan for my life.

Let’s look at the comparison of the old sinful nature and the new life where our thoughts and attitudes are renewed by the Spirit (Eph. 4:25-32):

Old – Telling lies.
New – Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.

Old – Letting anger control us.
New – Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

Old – Stealing.
New – Use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.
(When you look at the new it puts a new definition on the old – don’t think of stealing the same but consider the possibility that we are stealing from God when we choose to not live generously with our time and money when there are those in need around us).

Old – The use of foul and abusive language.
New – Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Old – Bringing sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live.
New – Remember, He has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

Old – A life where there are even moments of bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.
New – Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. – Romans 12:2

God has a plan for my life and He has a plan for your life – He calls us to a specific purpose and to a way of life that is worthy of His creation. Let’s look at Ephesians 4 to see what God is calling us to.

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all. – Ephesians 4:1-5

It is an honor to belong to our Creator.
It is a privilege to be loved by Him.
It is a gift to be saved by Him.
It is a responsibility to be called by Him. He calls us because He has a purpose for our lives and He equips us with His Spirit so that we can live the kind of life He is calling us to. This is what I hear God saying in this passage:

You have been called by God.
Be humble – do not think too much of yourself.
Be gentle – in actions and in words.
Be patient with each other – Go out of your way to show love and notice the needs of those around you.
Love others enough to allow them to be imperfect, just as you are imperfect. You do NOT have the right to an opinion about someone else – to think it or to speak it.
Be united and live in peace for there is only one body and one Spirit and one future to which we are called. We serve the same Lord, have been given the same faith, and have experienced the same baptism.

So why do we allow ourselves to get irritated with each other? Why do we form opinions about our sisters in Christ? Why do we choose to be a friend to one brother in Christ and turn our nose up to another? This is not God’s plan. He has given us a higher calling. Our natural tendency is to form opinions about other people but God wants us to die to our sinful nature and grow in the Spirit.

Growth – God’s plan for our lives is to grow! The Spirit-filled life described above doesn’t happen overnight. We need to grow in our walk so that day by day the Spirit does a work in our hearts. God has given us special gifts to help us grow, which Paul talks about in the next few verses of Ephesians chapter 4.

However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ…

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. – Ephesians 4:7,11-16

Thank you, Jesus, for loving us enough to leave Heaven and come to earth in order to fill the universe with your glorious presence. Thank you for the gift of the many people you send into our lives to teach us and to help us grow. Thank you for our pastors – bless them and give them wisdom to speak the truth in love. Prepare our hearts so that those you have sent into our lives to teach us can equip us to do your work. Bring us to a place of maturity and understanding, growing in every way to be more and more like You!

Help me today, dear Lord, to be worthy of the life to which you have called me. Fill me with your Spirit and give me new eyes to see the world around me. Fill me with your Spirit and give me a new heart to love those you love. Lord, today I take myself off the throne of opinions and allow you to be GOD – to be over all and in all and living through all! Amen.

I love the third chapter of Ephesians. It goes on to talk about God’s plan of salvation for the Gentiles, God’s plan for the Church and God’s plan for our lives. Dear God, help us to empty out all of the messages the evil one is screaming to us and hear only Your voice right now as we read from Paul’s letter to the Church in Ephesus. Amen.

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 (Eph. 3:6).

Did you hear that? We are part of the body of Christ just as the Jews are – God’s holy people whom He chose and whom He loves. In the same way, He chooses us and loves us. We belong to the One who loved us enough to die on the cross for us. Salvation is available for ALL of us. Paul goes on to explain why.

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. This was his eternal plan, which He carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord (Eph. 3:10-11).

There are things going on in the spiritual realm that we do not fully understand, but what we do know is that our God is supreme and mightier than any other power out there. Let’s look back at Ephesians 1:21 – Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else – not only in this world but also in the world to come.

Now here is one of my favorite verses because it is what I experience each morning as I pour my morning coffee and sit down to spend time with God. Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come BOLDLY and CONFIDENTLY into God’s presence (Eph. 3:12). Those words mean so much to me. What a privilege that we are invited into the presence of the most holy God! Paul had the same reaction. Please soak in the incredible description of what happens as we spend time in God’s presence.

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and earth. I pray that from His glorious, UNLIMITED resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God (Eph. 3:14-19).

What happens when I spend time in God’s presence? He empowers me with inner strength through His Spirit. He makes His home in my heart as I trust in Him. My roots grow down into God’s love and keep me strong. He gives me the power to understand just how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is – that’s the same love that is keeping me strong when I’m connected to the vine and my roots are growing. It has no limits! His resources are glorious and unlimited!!! (Take a minute to reread this paragraph and accept it as truth in your life.)

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish INFINITELY more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen (Eph. 3:20-21).

May you experience the love of Christ today as He makes you complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from Him. May you understand that God is able and loves you enough to do “immeasurably more” or to “accomplish infinitely more” than you could possibly ask or think. He loves you enough – He chose you and made you a part of His body so that you could enjoy the “promise of blessings” for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

When the enemy tries to discourage you today, speak these truths out loud. Remind Him who you belong to and how much He loves you!

When we walk in God’s plan for our life…

Paul’s message to the Ephesians has come to my mind several times over the weekend. This isn’t a new concept but a timely one. Over and over again in my quiet times with God, connecting with Him over a cup of my morning coffee, God has brought the topic back around to His plan. He has taught me so much about how to trust Him and rest in Him, letting go of everything and holding tightly to Him.

In the same way that God has a plan for each of us individually, God has a plan for the Church – a plan for us as the body of Christ. That is what stood out to me this morning as I read through Ephesians.

God has brought all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself (Eph.1:22-23).

I love these verses! We, as His body, are the expression of Christ to the world around us. He uses us to reflect Himself to the lost and dying world – this is His plan.

And let’s not miss a key truth here – we are under the authority of Christ, He is the head of the body and therefore He is in charge. It’s not about me, it’s about Him. It’s not about who I am but about whom I am reflecting. It’s not about my ambition but about my submission.

As a reflection of Him, Christ brings us together in unity with each other. He breaks down the walls that separate us and helps us to see past our differences and love each other thoroughly! His plan for us as the body of Christ is to live at peace with one another. There are NO exceptions!

For Christ Himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.

He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from Him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us (Eph. 2:14-18).

It’s not okay for me to have an attitude toward my sister in Christ, she comes to the Father through the same Holy Spirit I do. Because of what Christ has done for both of us, it’s not okay for me to reject my brother in Christ. Jesus died so that the wall of hostility separating us could be broken, so why do we so often try to build the wall back up? So that Christ died for nothing?!!

Together, we are His house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself. We are carefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through Him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by His Spirit (Eph. 2:20-22).

Together the body of believers is the dwelling where God lives by His Spirit. He expresses Himself fully through the Church as we reflect Him to the unsaved. As we draw hear to Him and as we worship Him together with one voice and united hearts, we get to know Him. As we stay connected to the vine, we work in harmony with the branches around us to produce more fruit than we could ever produce on our own. THIS is God’s plan.