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EPHESIANS CHAPTER 1 KJV WEB Eph 1-1 (102i) Thy kingdom come >> Faithfulness (Loyalty) >> Consistency >> Faithfulness – Paul makes it clear that he’s writing to those who are faithful in Christ Jesus. This is the audience of the word of God. The Bible was not written to unbelievers. The proof of this is that those who do not believe cannot understand the Scriptures. It is helpful to keep this in mind throughout our interpretation of the Bible. Eph 1-2 -- No Entries Eph 1,3-23 (70ja) Authority >> Believer’s authority >> We have been given authority over all creation >> We are the children of God >> We have a place on His throne – The book of Ephesians, particularly this first chapter, uses what some Bible critics call flowery language. They claim that Paul was being excessive in his use of superlatives to describe the future of believers in Jesus, but when writing about heaven and the One at the center of it responsible for its heavenly traits, when we really listen to what Paul was saying, it only seems like flowery language because of the subject matter. When we personally enter the gates of heaven and see the holy city in all its glory, we will then realize that Paul was not flowery enough in his word choice. The subject of Ephesians chapter one is about God’s wonderful plan for mankind; he was usually busy resolving issues within the Church and putting out fires, but with the Ephesians he was able to discuss the grace and kindness of God’s intensions for us in Jesus Christ. If only the critics of the Bible could believe, they would understand that Paul was not being superfluous at all but using primitive instruments to describe something far greater than our English language is able to convey. Eph 1,3-14 (30j) Gift of God >> He favors you by His gracious choice of you (71g) Authority >> Ordained by God >> Ordained by His sovereign will >> God chooses you – “Predestination” goes one step further from God’s foreknowledge and assures that whatever He has foreknown He will also give His personal attention. That is, foreknowledge has a passive tone, while predestination depicts God actively curtailing events to fit His vision of the future. He participates in our salvation through the Holy Spirit, not just knowing we will get saved, but He grabs us and pulls us to Himself. Our decision to reject Him of those who are chosen of God is in debate, but it is a trustworthy statement that God values our decision more that we will ever know. Nevertheless, there are some people whom God simply wants in His kingdom, and He works very hard with them to ensure they walk through the gates of His holy city. Jesus said, “Many are called but few are chosen” (Mat 22-15); this differentiates between foreknowledge and predestination, between knowing whether we will answer His call and personally tending to our decision. See also: Predestination; Eph 1-4,5; 218j Eph 1,3-11 (212a) Sovereignty >> God is infinite >> He is the creator >> The creation glorifies God >> The creation exemplifies God’s sovereignty – We are blessed with every spiritual blessing imaginable; God has not withheld anything from us. When we get to heaven, God will make us co-owners of His creation; He has not even withheld His throne from us, which is something that Satan has always wanted, but God never offered to him, so he fought and struggled and literally gave up His eternal soul in pursuit of that which was freely given to us (Eph 2,4-7). Instead, Satan’s fate will be the lake of fire, and there he will be “tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev 20-10), because he sought the throne of God. With man, God has freely offered it with one stipulation, that we believe in Him and do His will. That is a small thing to ask for such a great reward, demonstrating His justice. Satan stove against God by his own authority and everything imaginable was taken from him; then He created man and freely offered him Lucifer's desire. What Satan was never offered, we need only to gratefully receive. We have been dedicated by God, consecrated and set apart from the world to receive “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” See also: Satan wanted to be God; he wanted His throne; Col 3,1-4; 67e (248b) Priorities >> God’s priorities >> The will of God >> God exercises His will KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Eph 1,3-9 (31i) Gift of God >> Grace >> Having the ability to respond to the word (31l) Gift of God >> Gift of His grace >> Forgiveness is a function of God’s grace – When we talk about trespasses, we are not talking about sins committed against each other but against God, for all sin is against God (Psalm 51-4). People may suffer by some of the things we have said and done, but the one who suffered the most was Jesus who died for our sins. The new covenant is a contract to which we must agree and sign with a verbal promise to serve Him all the days of our life, like signing any contract. Jesus has already signed the covenant in His own blood, and now it is our turn to sign, and our signature will appear in the Lamb’s Book of Life. It is not signed in blood but in faith, and that faith is the promise to follow Him as Abraham did. This is how we get our trespasses and sins forgiven. So many people even in the Church have not signed the covenant. It is not Jesus who writes our name in the Lamb’s Book of Life; it is our own signature we find there. The Bible says that if we renege on the contract, Christ will erase our name from Book of Life (Rev 3-5). (33l) Gift of God >> Believers are special to God >> He has given us all things (33n) Gift of God >> Believers are special to God >> God receives us – The Father adopted us through Christ, meaning that spiritually we had neither father nor mother until Jesus came and saved us. We were orphans and Satan was manager of the orphanage, and Jesus bought the right with His own blood to deliver us from this fate. In contrast, there are many people in the world who feel the world is their oyster, who really feel they have found their place in the cosmos; these are the ones who are most difficult to reach with the gospel, but those getting saved usually feel like a fish out of water, like they have the right shoe on the wrong foot; they just don’t feel they belong in the world; they are outcasts of society. To them, attempting to integrate into the world is too much work for too little gain. Not only has society rejected them; they also have rejected society, and for this reason they feel lonely and alone, like orphans in the world, until the gospel of Christ came and they responded to Him. All of God’s children are adopted, and the gentiles are doubly adopted. Anybody who feels at home in the world cannot be saved, until they realize that this world does not belong to them, but some people will never come to this realization, and they will die in their sin and face an eternity without God, and it will be hell, but that is how most people want it. They have shut their mind to any idea that God cares about them. See also: Adopted; Eph 1-4; 4a (34g) Gift of God >> God is willing to Give >> He is generous with His spiritual blessings (116i) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Working God’s kindness (124l) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Love is the action of God’s faith Eph 1-3,4 (113h) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> The anointing >> Anointed through obedience – This first chapter in the book of Ephesians is really about experiencing heaven on earth through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. The anointing is best described as it were a smearing of oil, like the slathering of butter on a piece of toast. God has slathered His anointing and lavished Himself upon us. The whole purpose of the anointing is to give us an introduction to the promises that we will receive in heaven (Rom 5-1,2), helping us to at least partially experience His promises in this life. The anointing essentially simulates heaven, and that same anointing will remain with us throughout eternity, increasing all the more as we learn about Him and His love. So, in a sense the anointing is not a simulation but the real thing. The anointing is a token of the promises we have received in this life that we will enjoy in heaven to the fullest. This is sadly not what most preachers would have us know, though, simply because they personally are not experiencing Him for themselves. How can they preach about what they do not know? (228l) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> God works the victory in your life -- These verses go with verses 13-23 Eph 1-3 (34c) Gift of God >> Believer owns everything >> Holy Spirit belongs to us – God has lavished His grace on us, seeing past all our mistakes and blunders and seeing past the present into eternity, where all God’s plans for us unfold. This is where the joy of sainthood is fully realized, sharing in the joy of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and in all the people that He has chosen, who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. When we get to heaven, we will not be denied a thing, but all that the Father has given to His Son we have inherited from Him and is ours to enjoy forever. Paul does not teach a by-and-by-in-the-sky-when-we-die theology. Rather, he refers to spiritual blessings that we can access in this life through the Spirit. (226d) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Rewards of the Kingdom of Heaven >> Reserved in heaven >> Our inheritance is reserved in heaven -- This verse goes with verses 13&14 (249ga) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Wealth >> True perception of wealth >> The infinite and eternal wealth of God >> God’s perception of wealth >> Our blessed hope of eternal life -- This verse goes with verses 6-9 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Eph 1-4,5 (218j) The Elect (Key verse) – Many have attempted to understand the concept of predestination and have come to the flawed conclusion that their future is written in stone, which leads them to think they don’t need to do anything because they have been predestined to an inevitable path through life, but this is the height of trash theology! On the one hand, our disobedience flies in the face of Almighty God; it did in the old covenant and it does in the new. What some people fail to realize is that paths are made for our feet, and the word “walk” used mostly by Paul implies human effort coupled with grace. The human side of that equation is anything but written in stone. It is totally up to us whether we will obey God even with His grace; so then, how are we predestined? On the other hand, predestination is very much a reality, but it is not our reality; it is God's reality. When Paul speaks of predestination, he is referring to the Father's perspective, who knows we will obey Him, but we don’t know that until we actually obey Him. God can take eternity past and eternity future in mind and treat them alike, thinking of every detail simultaneously. The Father thinks exclusively through foreknowledge; that is where He lives in His mind; unfortunately, it has no direct application to us, so knowing we are predestined does us no good in terms of fulfilling His purpose and calling. The only reason the Bible addresses the subject of predestination is to cite the greatness of God, so we understand that we are dealing with a God who knows all things and can do all things. In this way predestination increases our faith. The only way we can be sure we are predestined from all eternity is to do obey Him, but if we reject His will, our condemnation is just (Rom 3-8). Some have been indoctrinated into a strict Calvinist view. John Calvin (1509-1648) taught irresistible grace as something we could not avoid if we were chosen, and something we could not attain if we were not chosen. This doctrine erroneously combines God’s predestination with man’s will, which is like pounding a square peg into a round hole; they simply do not fit together. Paul taught in Eph 1-11 that God has a purpose for each of us, “who works all things after the counsel of his will.” So if God is working to fulfill His predetermined plan, how much more should we be working with Him to fulfill that purpose? See also: Predestination; 218k (218k) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> The elect >> Man is a spectator of his own salvation >> We are chosen before the foundation of the world -- These verses go with verse 11. Paul refers to the concept of predestination, saying that God knew us before the foundation of the world, and selected us as His beloved, knowing that we would respond favorably to Him. This predestination goes beyond mere foreknowledge; The Father's predestination is based on the work of Christ. He is creating the circumstances and preparing the way for us to come to Him. God is the great manipulator of circumstances that has resulted in our salvation. In the state of being chosen, God also calls us to be holy and blameless before Him, to emulate the character of God, to behave like Jesus. Being blameless is a matter of perfecting our righteousness before God and men and involves living in a way that no one could convict us of sin. We can be blameless all day, but holiness comes only through prayer. This is how we demonstrate our gratitude for His choosing us. As times grow darker, being blameless will become more challenging, yet more imperative than ever. See also: Predestination; Eph 1-5; 127d (220a) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> Predestination >> Predestined before the foundation of the world – The notion of predestination is a tough one for many people. Those who are devout Calvinists have the most trouble with it, while those who merely read the Bible and accept it without putting much thought into it are just fine with being predestined according to the kind intension of His will. Predestination is God’s point of view, not ours. We were born for the purpose of God’s grace, selected among the multitudes to receive eternal life and go to heaven. We are vessels of mercy upon whom God bestowed all His great fortunes. Although we are predestined we still must commit ourselves to a life of faith, yet some say that since we are predestined, everything just happens on its own, for no one can stop the hand of God. Quite right, just the same we should notice that God predestined Jesus to the cross, yet He sweat drops of blood in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane prior to fulfilling His destiny. He had to do something to ensure prophecy was fulfilled; He had to resist the temptation to flee. Therefore, we too must actively fulfill our calling, for we cannot sit on our hands and expect God's predestination to run its course. God knows the end from the beginning; He knows our purpose will be fulfilled, but we must fulfill it, otherwise He will know that we didn’t, which will become our destiny instead of the glory of God. Eph 1-4 (4a) Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >> Accountable to the character of God – Holiness is the formality and overall environment of heaven. God has made us holy, the demonstration and practice of this divine trait expressed in our sinful flesh as remaining blameless before God and men. Jesus often depicted God as a rich man in His parables, and so we are in that sense beseeching a rich man, who has adopted us through faith to take part in His holiness. Being adopted into the rich man’s house, not just somebody with a couple million dollars but with great power and prominence, we wouldn’t be able to continue with the life that we once had as paupers, but would be required to conform to many aristocratic formalities and splendorous festivities of royalty. God is indeed a rich king, but more than that, this passage is speaking about Him as someone who is holy; therefore, we must conduct ourselves properly to suit our maker. See also: Adopted; Eph 1-5; 36l (41l) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Blameless before God >> Prepare to enter His presence – Many would say that when God looks at us, He sees us as holy and blameless because of the blood of Jesus that we have wiped on the doorpost of our heart, but when is this spiritual condition ever going to manifest in the natural realm so that we actually live in a way that is holy and blameless before God and men? Just as God wants to manifest His heavenly blessings in us, so He wants us to manifest His kingdom in the natural realm on a practical level. His vision for us in this life is to come to a fuller understanding of our eternal inheritance. Paul is trying to tell us how God feels about us and what He thinks of us. God wants us blameless because He is blameless. A lot of other things must be in place, though, before we can realize these things. For the Ephesian Church, the foundation of faithfulness was poured, and for this reason they could grasp the level of maturity that Paul wanted for them. The first thing that must be in place before the Church will understand any deep revelation from God is holiness, for without it unity is impossible. The Church today is a group of individuals who socialize with each other but are not united, for there is no real connection between us, like the Corinthian Church. They wanted to walk in the power of God, and ironically this is what Paul was teaching the Ephesians, after the foundation of faith and love had already been laid. The Corinthians would have said, 'why are you talking to us about being blameless?' The thing about the Ephesians is that they already had the power of God, and for that reason Paul could speak to them about being blameless, since God gives His power for this very purpose. (104i) Thy kingdom come >> Pure in heart shall see God >> Shall see Jesus >> Being in the presence of Jesus – We are called and chosen, which means everything God has intended for us we possess. It is not that we will own it one day; we own it now. It goes back to Gal 4-1,2, “Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.” A child is born into a wealthy family, yet because he is young, he is unable to partake of the family fortune, though he possesses it simply by being born into that specific family. So, we too possess all things from God who are born-again, though it currently doesn't appear that we do. For now we must wait to mature to become a prince of a grand kingdom. We are already in His family; we belong to Him; we are His sons and daughters, though in this life we can't access the streets of gold. We live in a temporal world and in a body that is slated for death. We must wait until this life is over so we can continue to the next life, where we will enjoy our inheritance in full. In this life God has merely given us a taste of our eternal future with Him and enlisted us in a program that is designed to bring about purity of body and soul, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (133g) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holiness >> The body of Christ is holy >> We have made ourselves holy through Christ KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Eph 1,5-11 (227f) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> Depending on Jesus to have compassion >> Depending on Jesus to receive us – Without Jesus paying the price for our sin, this whole project of God making man in His own image would have been incomplete. When Adam sinned, it made him the opposite of God, but now that Jesus has been sacrificed and forgiven us, the connection is reestablished between God and man for those who come to Him, while retaining the knowledge of sin, and he also has learned humility through God's acceptance of him without deserving it. Most people want to approach God with something of his own ability as a means of relating to Him, but Christians don’t have that luxury. We have nothing of our own that we use to achieve His favor; instead, we use God’s ability, His willingness to be merciful to us through the blood of Christ. Humility is hence another attribute from God that we have received from Him. It was the attribute of humility that led Him to send His Son in the first place; humility sent Him and humility receives Him. God hates a prideful heart; it keeps man from receiving the free gift and atoning sacrifice of His Son. It was of His doing and not our own that we are saved; therefore, we have no occasion to boast, so if anyone has a mind to boast, let him boast in the Lord through his service to others. Serving one another is our way of boasting in Christ (2Cor 11-30). Eph 1,5-7 (114j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Working God’s grace through Christ >> Salvation is through Christ Eph 1-5 (36l) Gift of God >> Adopted >> We are adopted by the Spirit – The fact that we are adopted refers both to being rescued from Satan, and being gentiles it refers to being spiritually adopted into the Jewish race, whereas the Jews were born children of promise according to the flesh and are first in line to receive this salvation. Afterward, we too among the gentiles are welcome to the grace of God, but we should always be mindful of the order. This adoption marks the kind intension of God’s heart toward us. Not only has God adopted us, we have taken the place of the disobedient Jew and have taken over their ministry of reconciliation, having proclaimed the gospel throughout the world for the last two millennia. This was God’s purpose for the Jew, but because of their unbelief the gentiles have received their position as managers of the gospel, and in the last days while endtime prophecy is being fulfilled the ministry of reconciliation will be given back to the Jews. See also: Adopted; Eph 1,3-9; 33n (75d) Thy kingdom come >> Motives of the heart >> God’s motives – When Jesus walked the earth, He controlled the outward circumstances of His flesh, while the Holy Spirit controlled the inward circumstances of His heart. The majority of us count it drudgery to work with Christ to control the members of our bodies, which is like trying to control birds in the sky. We would prefer the liberty of fully expressing our sinful passions and desires in whatever impulse it leads, and when something bad happens, we want Him to come and fix it, but the Holy Spirit wants to heal the problems of our heart and point us in the direction of Christ. When bad things happen, there is no remedy, except what God is able to do inside us. He wants to help us control such emotions as anger, hatred, fear, malice and the desire for revenge, among many other things and leave our circumstances intact, but we would rather He left our heart alone and fixed our circumstances. (91b) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> God’s purpose is an inherent component of His calling >> God’s eternal purpose -- This verse goes with verses 8-11. It is far more important that we control the internal circumstances of our heart than the external circumstances of the world, in that if we are able to control our internal circumstances, God will control the external ones in ways that allow us to fulfill His calling. Imagine what the Church could do in unity with a body of believers on a global scale. Christ established the Church to see if we would obey the small, still voice speaking to our inner man, and of course we mostly failed over the generations. Had His people obeyed the Spirit of God within them, the vision of unity would have been realized. However, this was not so much a vision as it was an experiment of sorts, not to see if we could control our destiny, but to show us that we can’t. Now that God has proven that we cannot govern ourselves without Him, He will hold a roster in His hand with all the names of the people whom He has chosen from the world to be His sons and daughters, and He will call us by name and we will emerge from the earth, and we will have Jesus as our Great Shepherd, and the Holy Spirit will dwell in our resurrected bodies to guide us into the purposes that the Father has designed from all eternity. (117gb) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Vision >> R eal-eyes God’s purpose for the Church >> Understand Jesus' exalted position with the Father -- This verse goes with verses 8-11 (127d) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Kindness >> God is kind – Paul was referring to the Father when he said “He”. The Father predestined us to adoption as sons to Himself through the kind intention of His will, so we are sons and daughters of the Father and brothers and sisters of Christ. God has chosen to keep our relationship with Him as adopted sons and daughters that we may forever remember that He snatched us from our fate as children of the devil, destined for the pit. It was the purpose and will of the Father to send His Son to save us from our sins, as it is written “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (Jn 3-16). How grateful we are for the Father's love. If the Father didn’t love us, the love of Christ would mean nothing, for without the Father's love no one would be going to heaven. See also: Predestination; Eph 1-10; 237d Eph 1,6-9 (249ga) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Wealth >> True perception of wealth >> The infinite and eternal wealth of God >> God’s perception of wealth >> Our blessed hope of eternal life -- These verses go with verses 18-23 Eph 1-6 (81j) Thy kingdom come >> Pray without ceasing >> For the Church -- This verse goes with verse 15&16 (234a) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> God chooses us as we seek His glory >> As we submit to Him -- This verse goes with verse 12 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Eph 1,7-9 (113i) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> The anointing >> Anoint with oil – This grace through the blood of Christ, which forgives our trespasses God has lavished on us in all wisdom and insight. This lavishing of His grace refers to the anointing, and the anointing establishes us in His will. Some might argue that this passage doesn’t refer to the anointing at all, that it only refers to our forgiveness. Three questions: what is God lavishing (smearing) on us; why do we need God to smear us to be forgiven, and I thought our forgiveness pertained to the Holy Spirit who resides within us, not something that He smears on our extremities? That which is outward pertains to our deeds. God gives us an anointing to do His will, but before we can do His will we must know His will. Therefore, God anoints us to know and do His will; this is how God defines salvation in this life, and forgiveness is how He defines salvation for the life to come. Eph 1-7,8 (37g) Judgment >> Judgment of God >> Redemption of man >> His blood is the gift of His grace (120g) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Forgiveness >> Forgiveness is an act of mercy >> We have forgiveness through the blood of Christ – Paul addressed the subject of forgiveness through the blood of Christ in Romans and Galatians, but to the Ephesians he wrote anecdotally about the cross, because they were already well educated regarding their salvation, perhaps like no other church. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was clearly to a mature people, though they had their problems. He didn’t have to explain everything in detail like he did for other churches, yet we have become beneficiaries of their immaturity in the epistles that Paul wrote to them, explaining the basics of our faith. (207j) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Salvation verses >> The generosity of God’s salvation >> Salvation is the gift of God -- These verses go with verses 13&14 Eph 1,8-11 (91b) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> God’s purpose is an inherent component of His calling >> God’s eternal purpose -- These verses go with verse 5. Attaining the knowledge of our calling and then walking in it is so valuable that it cannot be overstated or even put into words. How valuable is knowing God’s specific calling in our lives? It is indispensable, making everything else peripheral! In Rev 2-17 is says, “To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.” Christ will give us a new name that will redefine us, that only He and the one who receives it will know, and this is how we will identify with God, while our brothers and sisters in heaven will know us in other ways. Since nobody else knows our name that God has given us, it could be rightfully said that everybody knows a rendition of us, but nobody really knows us like Jesus does. Allegorically, to know our specific calling from God is to know our heavenly identity. (117gb) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Vision >> R eal-eyes God’s purpose for the Church >> Understand Jesus' exalted position with the Father -- These verses go with verses 18-23 Eph 1-8,9 (78m) Thy kingdom come >> Renewing your mind >> God renews your mind by His Spirit -- These verses go with verses 15-23 (89g) Thy kingdom come >> Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom >> Wisdom is the key that unlocks the mysteries of God (230j) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Mystery of godliness >> Mystery of the trinity >> Word of God is the mystery godliness – God gives His anointing so we can understand the mystery of His will, and the evidence of understanding His will is His forgiveness, the salvation of our souls. God's grace gives us power to understand His will through the Holy Spirit, whom the Father smears on the beloved. To receive this substance empowers us to know His will and do it, and in so doing, we are protected from the evil one. All the spiritual blessings in heaven and all His promises come within reach on our trail of good works that He has prepared for us. This is the will of God, the narrow way. It is a way that only you and God know. No one can help you find it; you must find it on your own. Your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ have their own trail that they must discover and walk for life. Eph 1-9 (216j) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> God’s will over man >> God Is Independent Of His Creation >> You cannot control God’s desire for you >> man is not in control of his own destiny (231f) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Mystery of godliness >> Revelation of Jesus is the mystery of the kingdom >> Jesus reveals the mystery of the kingdom – The way of making known to us the mystery of His will is something that very few Christians understand. People will automatically go to the Bible to discover the mystery of His will, paging to this chapter where Paul has written about it, but God does not reveal the mystery of His will merely by reading it in the Bible, for He reveals these things through the Spirit. God's will has two parts integrated into one. Part one is common to us all that we can read in the Bible that we must be born-again and walk in faith with the outcome of producing the fruit of the Spirit. The other part is unique to each person, which is the part that is truly mysterious, that which He has prepared from the foundation of the world, our purpose for being born, referring to Eph 2-10, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Eph 1-10 (44e) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Transformed >> Completed by God – Among other things, this verse refers to the moment that Jesus was conceived in Mary’s womb, referring to the fullness of the time. The conception of Jesus Christ in Mary’s womb was the summing up of all things in heaven and on earth. Had the Father not overshadowed Mary and the Holy Spirit not conceived a Son in her, Jesus could not have been born. The birth of Christ we celebrate every year at Christmas, but even more important was His conception. This was God’s will, like the leper who said to Jesus, “If You are willing, you can make me clean,” so when the Father overshadowed Mary, He was in a sense saying to the human race, “I am willing, be cleansed” (Mat 8-2,3). This indicated that he was willing to suffer for us, knowing it would cause unimaginable suffering not only for Christ but also for the Father, who took it personally what happened to His Son. When the Father sent His Son to suffer and die for the sins of the world, it also gave Him the right to let us suffer, and He also takes it personally what happens to us, for He is beside us suffering with us. The Bible calls the Holy Spirit the comforter. We should understand that the Holy Spirit is not just the Spirit of Jesus but also the Spirit of the Father. The Holy Spirit is actually God’s soul, and He dwells in us and He experiences everything we experience, both the evil and the good. This is why we Christians hate to sin, because we are dragging the Holy Spirit through the mud. See also: Jesus Christ (His spirit is the Spirit of God); Heb 1-5,6; 252a (68a) Authority >> Doing God’s work under His authority >> Ministry of helps >> Help God’s people (191g) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Result of putting off the old man >> Set apart >> God sanctifies us by His doing – The will of God is a mystery to the world, but it is God's revelation to the Church, and by His will He has saved a people from the world for His own possession, who are zealous for good works (Tit 2-14). We understand that the grace of God is the summing up of all things in heaven and on earth that was meant for sinners. God is building an eternal kingdom that will never end, and He is basing that kingdom on the solid foundation of the cross, building it around the saints whom he personally has forgiven, so they exist for Him and belong to Him as a result of His own doing, that no one may have reason to boast. Eternity is a long time, and the cross will forever be the center of His kingdom, and as His kingdom grows around the cross, all might understand that God’s character, His humility, gentleness and all the fruits of the Spirit, mean more to Him than His power as the Creator. For us to remain humble before God will ensure the integrity of His kingdom throughout eternity. (215d) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing >> Fulfillment of God’s time >> Completion of a period of time – God lives in eternity moment by moment; He always was and He will remain forever. He thinks in terms of eras as we think in minutes. With the fulfillment of an area comes the creation of a new age, cycled through time since Adam and before that. There was an age that lasted until Noah, then the flood came and gave birth to a new age, called "Abraham", and within that age God gave the world Moses and the law, taking Israel to the time of Christ, and we have followed Him for the last 2000 years in the new covenant age of grace, which is just about to close and open a new age of Millennium. God is a planner; He thinks about the future, but He lives in the moment. The present is more important than any other time because it is always current. God has demonstrated His value of the present when He told Moses His name, “I AM”. (237d) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Transferring the kingdom >> The Church is transferred to the kingdom >> The rapture >> Receiving the kingdom in God’s time – Israel never saw Jesus coming. He was predestined to visit mankind exactly when He did. His conception in God’s mind was the most special moment in all eternity, but mankind was thinking about something else. God thinks differently than we do; the things man considers important God considers just plain stupid, and the things He thinks are important man considers foolishness. The days that Jesus was on the earth was a time when the clock literally stood still. History is remembered in terms of BC and AD (Before Christ and After Death), but while He was alive time stopped. It was as though nothing else happened while Jesus tread the earth, and the things that did happen no one could discuss in terms of time. No one has ever heard the expression, “eight years after birth” or “five years before His death.” There was no history of mankind while Jesus was alive that could be plotted on a universally accepted timeline. No doubt things happened, but we are not able to talk about them time-wise, because time stopped while Jesus inhabited human flesh. Those days were the fullness and the summing up of all things in Christ, things both in heaven and on earth. The moment He breathed His last, the second-hand began ticking again. See also: Predestination; Eph 1-11; 218k KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Eph 1-11 (36h) Gift of God >> Inheritance >> We are heirs according to the will of God (90k) Purpose (Key verse) (218k) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> The elect >> Man is a spectator of his own salvation >> We are chosen before the foundation of the world -- This verse goes with verses 4&5. The kingdom that we are inheriting is predestined to us by the knowledge and power of God, as He works all things after the council of His will. It seems that God has no control of this world, but He knows exactly what He is doing and He knows those who belong to Him. He predestines many things, such as prophecy to occur; we can read it and be sure it will happen as it is written, but we don't know that God has predestined us to be saved and fulfill our calling until we actually get saved and obey Him. See also: Predestination; Eph 1-13,14; 132d Eph 1-12 (50d) Judgment >> Last Days >> Jewish Led endtime revival >> Jews lead the world into revival >> Leading the harvest at the end of the age – There have been efforts to resuscitate the gospel with flickering flames of revival disbursed throughout the age of grace, and overall, millions of people have been saved over the centuries among the billions who lived. There are more people alive today than any other time in history. God intends to make the last generation special and unique, accomplishing the very thing He did in the first century, reaching the world with the gospel. Just as the Jews managed the gospel in the first century, they will manage it in the last century. Although the Jews as a whole rejected the gospel, the remnant who believed changed the world, and it will happen again in the last days in much the same way. God’s people according to the flesh will come to a revelation of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit will empower them with a greater outpouring than He gave the first century. To the degree that there are more people living in the world today than were in the first century is the greater degree of anointing God will unleash on his people to perform His work in the last days to usher in a catch of fish greater than the first, like Samson who killed more of his enemies at his death than he did in his life. If the first generation was special and unique, then the last generation is too, but by a far greater magnitude. See also: Revival; 250h (234a) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> God chooses us as we seek His glory -- This verse goes with verse 14 (250h) Priorities >> God’s prerequisites >> Sequence of priorities >> The first is a precondition for what comes after it (Cause and effect) – Jesus was the first fruits of the resurrection, and Paul’s generation was the first to hope in Christ, the first fruits of His sacrifice, coming to dwell in their hearts through the Holy Spirit, saving them from their sins. Paul's generation proved they were a special people, reaching the known world with the gospel, never having a more complete outreach in evangelism since the first century. That was partly due to what Jesus said about His time, “Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest” (Jn 4-35). However, during the second century the gospel began to slow, and by the third century it stagnated into Catholicism, but when Christianity was first born, none of the doctrines were tainted; signs and wonders confirmed the gospel and helped people believe the message of the cross. Then disobedience infiltrated, and the doctrines of the faith were compromised and distorted; miracles ceased and the gospel fell silent. If Paul’s generation who was the first to hope in Christ were to the praise of his glory, how much more will the last generation of believers be to the praise of His glory? God will magnify His name and all mankind will come to the realization that Jesus is God and there is no other; He created the heavens and the earth and all living things, and He created man that we should worship Him as the purpose of our existence. See also: Revival; 50d Eph 1,13-23 (228l) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> God works the victory in your life -- These verses go with verses 3&4 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Eph 1-13,14 (7e) Responsibility >> Protecting the gospel >> God defends His own word – If God saved us based on repeating the sinner’s prayer, it would be a lot to expect from us to hold that experience for the rest of our lives, but He helps us hold to the promises He made to us and the promise we made to serve Him by giving us of His Spirit. These verses say that He seals us in Him, which acts as a pledge of our inheritance. Thus, in protecting us He protects His investment in us regarding the cross. (28a) Gift of God >> God is our advocate >> The protector of our faith (35f) Gift of God >> God gives Himself to us >> Father sends the Holy Spirit (36g) Gift >> God opens His home to us >> Inheritance >> We heirs through faith (79i) Thy kingdom come >> Know the word >> Practice listening to God’s word >> The word you heard perfects God’s work in you (111b) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit and evangelism (132c) God Gives His Spirit as a Pledge (Key verse) (132d) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is in God’s people >> God gives his spirit as a pledge >> His Spirit is a seal – Many people use this verse to support their doctrine of “once saved always saved.” In a way this seal resembles the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in that God commanded Adam not to eat its fruit, so He has commanded us not to break the seal, because we cannot be resealed. A person who was once saved and then broke the seal means they are barred from heaven forever. There are many people who call themselves Christians who have never changed, because of their doctrines of easy-believism. Leading a life of decadence breaks the seal by the unbelief that it produces. There are various levels of unbelief, such as doubt and ignorance, but then there is unbelief in full knowledge of the truth. This is the one that breaks the seal. The seal of the Holy Spirit is a pledge of our inheritance, like a signet ring stamped in hot wax sealing the letter, guaranteeing it hadn’t been opened, so when the letter arrives at its destination, the receiver can be certain He is the first to read it. The seal is easily broken; in fact, the carrier was required to take special precautions to protect the letter from undue wear and tear, since if the seal were accidentally broken the carrier would be held responsible. The same concept applies with the seal of the Holy Spirit. Many people who believe in eternal security read this chapter that speaks of predestination and the seal of the Holy Spirit as a pledge of our inheritance, and they put the two together and say that we are predestined by God and also sealed, so that it is doubly impossible to lose their salvation, but a better way of putting it is that we cannot break the seal without losing our salvation. See also: Predestination; Eph 1,3-14; 71g (205c) Salvation >> Salvation is based on God’s promises >> According to promise >> Promise of the Holy Spirit – The seal of the Holy Spirit is a pledge of our inheritance, meaning that what God has given us is only the tip of the iceberg. Some people experience Him as a wonderfully powerful influence in their lives; imagine going to heaven and receiving a new body that can properly house the Holy Spirit, and then receiving the fullness of Him who fills all in all, what kind of power that must be. (207j) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Salvation verses >> The generosity of God’s salvation >> Salvation is the gift of God -- These verses go with verses 7&8 (213i) Sovereignty >> God is infinite >> Jesus owns you >> His will becomes our will >> We are God’s property (226d) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Rewards of the Kingdom of Heaven >> Reserved in heaven >> Our inheritance is reserved in heaven -- These verses go with verse 3 Eph 1-13 (107k) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> hearing from God >> The Bible will lead you to truth >> The Scriptures are factual (109c) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Revelations of the Holy Spirit >> Things revealed by the Spirit Eph 1-14 (234a) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> God chooses us as we seek His glory >> As we submit to Him -- This verse goes with verse 6 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Eph 1,15-23 (34a) Gift of God >> God’s generosity >> Believer owns everything >> Jesus belongs to us (38f) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death >> God judged the world, the flesh and the devil – One of the main points that Paul makes in the book of Ephesians is that God has judged the world, the flesh and the devil through Christ. Afterward, He ascended to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to everybody who receives Him, and they become members of His True Church, and He uses them to complete the next phase of God’s judgment against the world, the flesh and the devil. God first used His Son who lived and died in a human body like ours, who never committed a sin, thus defeated the Law of sin and death, which states that if a person sins, he must die, but there was no clause written for the person who died without sin. There was never a need for such clause, since everyone born in sin committed sinned, until Jesus. Now God is calling His people, the Church, to defeat the Law of sin and death through repentance and faith in Jesus’ victory over sin. In so doing, we spread the gospel to more and more people, who are being saved and joining the True Church to promote the Kingdom of God and defeating the world, the flesh and the devil. When the time is fulfilled, Jesus will return to the earth to end the reign of mankind, and for the next thousand years Christ will become king of the earth, and He will show mankind how to maintain a kingdom made of people born in sinful flesh who will flourish without any wars, something that man has never been able to do, for throughout time kingdoms have come and gone because of sin. (46c) Judgment >> Spiritual warfare >> Subjecting your flesh >> Knowledge is our weapon – We can seek God with all our heart, but if He does not reveal Himself to us, there is something wrong with our heart. Some have sought God in vain; He is God of the heart; He knows what is in us. He knows when a person is being honest and sincere, and He knows when a person’s heart is not with Him. The state of our heart is what determines whether we are able to receive Him or not. (78m) Thy kingdom come >> Renewing your mind >> God renews your mind by His Spirit -- These verses go with verses 8&9 (80i) Thy kingdom come >> Know the word to minister to God >> Know the word to know God – Jesus said to His disciples that they would be seated on thrones (Mat 19-28). God doesn’t give His authority to just anybody, only to those who have been perfected through hardship. There will be thrones upon a throne, depicting a hierarchy of authority. Although Jesus was referring to the Millennium, which is only temporary, yet the millennial age will model Christ's heavenly kingdom in eternity after He makes all things new. In fact, the Bible teaches that the Millennium is the first thousand years of His eternal kingdom. Jesus is sitting at the right-hand of the Father on His throne, and we are His body (Rom 7-4; 1Cor 10-16; Eph 4-12). Collectively then, we represent Christ, in this life and in the ages to come. This is a level of authority that God has never delegated to anyone, not even to the angels. God will give us authority to pass judgment on His creation. He will create a new Adam and Eve, who will reproduce throughout all eternity, and there will be no sin or death, and we will rule over them by the authority of Christ, who is under authority of the Father. See also: New heavens and a new earth (God will create another race of man and put us in charge of them); Mat 28-5; 23m Mat 24,45-47; 87g (116b) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> (128i) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Bearing fruit >> Living a fruitful life >> Be fruitful and multiply >> Growing spiritually (243l) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> There shall be no end to His increase >> God's kingdom is Infinite >> We will reign with Christ forever (247a) Priorities >> God’s priorities >> God’s interests >> God is interested in His people >> God is interested in the Church Eph 1,15-20 (156h) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of salvation >> Understanding wisdom is evidence of salvation Eph 1,15-19 (89h) Thy kingdom come >> Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom >> Wisdom of the Spirit (109h) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit the teacher >> Spirit teaches us about the word of God >> Spirit teaches us about Jesus – The “Spirit of wisdom and of revelation” is an example of how the Holy Spirit works with the word of God, which the Bible repeats many times. In this case Paul is praying that God would work His wisdom into the Church and reveal to us the “hope of His calling.” This hope is anchored in eternity. He has things in store for us that are too far beyond us to mention. So long as we are in the flesh, we will be limited to our understanding of God. When we receive our resurrected bodies comprised of the substance of heaven, then we will understand the knowledge of God in ways that we never could in this life. Our comprehension will increase when we physically experience heaven. To possess resurrected bodies is to have a mind that can understanding the thoughts of God, who is mostly incomprehensible to us. For now He has given us what we need to know, and what He has told us is amazing, including this passage, continued into the next chapter. Paul reveals that God has raised Christ and seated Him on the Father's throne at His very right-hand, and has raised us and seated us with Him at Christ's right-hand, “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named.” Eph 1-15,16 (81j) Thy kingdom come >> Pray without ceasing >> For the Church -- This verse goes with verse 6 (222k) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Do not give what is holy to dogs >> Give to him who has >> Whoever has shall more be given – What does Paul desire for the Church? He asks God to give the saints a Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. This is what Paul wanted for the Ephesians, who were mature, but for a less mature church like the Corinthians he may have prayed that they quit sinning. It would appear the Ephesians had already repented of their sins by evidence that they understand what Paul is saying. This is according to the word of Christ, “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away” (Mat 25-29). The book of Ephesians delves into the deep things of God, proving that the Ephesians were highly mature, so Paul was praying they received more of what they already had. The Kingdom of God works like a snowball effect, on an exponential basis, and the world works by the same principle. As the little snowball makes its way down the mountainside, it picks up more snow, more speed and momentum, in the same way that it is easier to make money if you already have money. A person who has millions of dollars can make thousands of dollars on the interest without even having to work for it. The more we have the more we can expect to receive, and the less we have the less we can expect to receive. Who is in charge of how much we receive from God? We are in charge! Eph 1-15 (36a) Gift of God >> Gifts from the Holy Spirit >> To him who has shall more be given (131l) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Having soul ties (142k) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Witnesses of Jesus >> Having a reputation for knowing God >> known as being intimate with God Eph 1,17-23 (108h) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Revelation of Jesus Christ >> Spiritual revelation >> Revelation of His identity – This knowledge from God we understand by the Spirit we use to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil. One way to ask God for a revelation of His word is through memorization of Scripture. His word should be always on the tip of your tongue, that we be ready and able to repeat them verbatim at a moment’s notice, until they become part of us, that there be no difference between us and the truth we believe. The Church is the revelation of Jesus Christ to the world as we speak the oracle of God that flows from us, which is our new identity. Eph 1-17 (110k) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit of revelation >> Effect of the spirit on the word – When we peer into this first chapter of Ephesians, Paul writes about a Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (v17), which is the main subject of his discourse. The revelation of Scripture is not just knowing about the Bible; it is experiencing the knowledge of God. Most things are not an experience to know them, but the knowledge of God is an experience in itself. This doesn’t sound like the teaching of Paul that we hear in our pulpits today. He is not talking about reading the Bible and gathering facts that convey the mystery of His will; when it comes to an actual relationship with God, all things come to us by revelation; otherwise we just don't know Him. It takes the Holy Spirit to reveal what we read in the Bible before we know what it means (Mat 16-17). In other words, the manner in which God has given the Church to promote the Kingdom of God is by revelation of the Spirit, for believing a set of facts never saved anyone. We must understand God through the Spirit; we must receive a revelation of His truth before we can accomplish anything for Him. We speak the oracle of God through a faith that is greater than ourselves, a faith that God has given us. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Eph 1,18-23 (34dd) Gift of God >> Believer owns everything >> The divine nature belongs to us (35h) Gift of God >> God gives Himself to us >> The anointing (39ib) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death >> Jesus defeated Satan’s authority >> Church has inherited Jesus' authority – In the Millennium the earth will belong to Christ, but we cannot say that now. As for us, maybe we own a tract of land and we can stand on it and say this little parcel belongs to me, but the only reason we own it is because the government says we do, and there are terms and conditions appended to that ownership, indicating that we own it through them. If we don’t own any land now, in the Millennium we will. Everyone will be an owner of land. That is the whole point of the Millennium; it is the whole concept of the earth being given to the saints (Mat 5-5). The Millennium will be established on this present earth, and after the thousand years are completed, God will destroy this present universe including the earth, and He will recreate a new heavens and a new earth, and the children of God will inherit these things through Christ. In that day it won’t be said that we own a tract of land; rather, we will own the universe in its entirety, including and especially the earth, “To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1Pet 5-11). See also: Inheritance (Believer owns everything); Rev 2,26-29; 36h (40d) Judgment >> Jesus judges the world through His own death (66a) Authority (Key verse for the entire chapter) – This chapter offers a near endless supply of references about God delegating authority to His creation. The Bible teaches that the Father has delegated all His authority to Christ, and that Christ in turn has delegated all His authority to the Church. God's authority does not come from His infinite power but originates from His righteousness as a servant of His creation. He has proven to be a competent judge by virtue of His wisdom, which acts as a measure of His authority. This study will help us better understand how to walk in the power of God by submitting to Him, and observing that those who receive His authority delegate it to others. This chapter has a twin, "The Judgment of God", which showcases perhaps the most important of all God's attributes as the supreme judge over all creation, whereas the chapter "Authority" reveals the fact that God has delegated His authority to the Church. (66d) Jesus’ Authority (Key verse) (66a) Authority >> Lordship of Christ >> He is Lord over all creation >> over life and death – Jesus possessing all power and authority in heaven and on earth (Mat 28-18) is the result of His physical ascension, but what we need to understand is that He possessed these things before He took on human flesh. After He ascended, He resumed His position with the Father after heaven itself was raised to new heights of glory. Whatever position Jesus has with His Father in the ages to come, we will sit alongside Him. That doesn’t mean we can club people over the head because we have authority from God; rather, He has given us authority to emulate His Son. (67b) Authority >> Jesus at the right hand of the father >> He is above all other authorities – Christ has given us authority even in this life. Jesus said, He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me (Mat 10-40). God has already placed us in authority, which can best be seen in the ministry of evangelism. God is calling us to use our authority to preach the gospel and promote the Kingdom of God and save as many souls as possible. To the degree that God has put all things in subjection under the feet of Christ, so He has placed all things in subjection under our feet (Heb 2-8,9). Being in a position of submission is how we receive authority from God, which is something that Lucifer didn’t understand, so if we are not in submission to Christ, neither do we have His authority. (114i) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Jesus does God’s work >> All His works are what the Father does (117f) Eyes Of Your Spirit (Key verse) (117gb) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Vision >> R eal-eyes God’s purpose for the Church >> Understand Jesus' exalted position with the Father -- These verses go with verse 5. God enlightens us by faith, which is a spiritual understanding of Him. Without this we are powerless to do anything in a world of unbelief. We have a God-given faith, according to the things that Paul itemized in these verses that we believe by the Spirit to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil (1Jn 5-4). God raised His Son from the dead and seated Him at His right-hand, so that in any and every age Jesus Christ will be far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named. (118b) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Seeing through the eyes of your spirit >> Everything you can see you can have (137a) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> Jesus is the foundation >> Jesus is head of the Church (214a) Sovereignty >> God is infinite >> Jesus owns you >> God owns everything (227h) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> Depending on Jesus to impart His gifts into us >> He gives us what we give to each other (237h) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Transferring the kingdom >> The Church is transferred to the kingdom >> The ascension >> Jesus’ ascension – One of the main tenets of the Apostle’s Creed is the resurrection. Jesus said, 'Where I go you cannot come, but you will come later' (Jn 13,33-36), referring to His resurrection and subsequent ascension. Paul speaks about a spiritual ascension of the Church in the likeness of Jesus’ physical ascension. The notion of a spiritual ascension is completely unknown to the Church, but when we read the Scriptures, there are many passages that testify of this ethereal concept. This and another passage comes closest to directly articulating the idea of a spiritual ascension aside from the physical ascension (the First Resurrection and subsequent Rapture). Col 3,2-4 states, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” We have died to self and our life in God is hidden from the world, and we will be revealed with Him at His second coming, not in the Rapture, but before that, in the Great Endtime Revival. The book, Temple of God Made without Hands states on page 192, “As the Holy Spirit came down to us, God raised us up with Him in the same way that Jesus is the Spirit who is in us as the Spirit is Jesus who is with the Father. If Christ is with the Father and in us, then we are with the Father through Christ [both] in heaven and on earth at the same time.” Ephesians chapter two continues speaking about this subject. We will experience a spiritual ascension during the Great Endtime Revival, and then we will partake of the physical Rapture. See also: Great Endtime Revival (Spiritual ascension); Col 3,1-4; 109d (245h) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Manifestation of God’s righteous judgment >> The resurrection is a manifestation of His life (249ga) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Wealth >> True perception of wealth >> The infinite and eternal wealth of God >> God’s perception of wealth >> Our blessed hope of eternal life -- These verses go with verse 3 (253i) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Father and Son glorify each other >> Son glorifies the Father in all things given to Him Eph 1-18 (35c) Gift of God >> God is willing to Give >> God’s immeasurable generosity (91f) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> Walking along the narrow way >> Walking in God’s calling is to fulfill His purpose (121d) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Hope >> Expectation >> Hope is the expectation to receive >> God initiates His interest KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Eph 1,19-23 (38d) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death (Satan) >> Resurrection brings about judgment – God destroyed the power of Satan through the cross, so that the kingdom of darkness is subject to Christ. Satan now serves Christ after God raised Him from the dead and seated Him far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named. This means that any spirit that would lie to us and claim that it is immune to the authority of Christ is attempting to deceive us. Eph 1-19,20 (113k) Thy kingdo m come >> Faith >> The anointing >> Resurrection power – The Church today is striving to do the will of God apart from the anointing; they are acting like the disciples before Pentecost. They had an excuse; Pentecost had not yet come, but what is our excuse? The Church does well to give relief to natural disaster victims; these works are blessed and do very much good, but they cannot accomplish anymore than the food and clothing they give away. With the anointing, though, comes the word of God that is both timely and powerful and endowed with His Holy Spirit. A timely word spoken through the anointing brings conviction, faith and strength of heart and salvation to those who believe, but without the anointing it is just people spouting Bible passages. The anointing furnishes proof that the person who walks in the anointing obeys the Holy Spirit. A person can receive an anointing, but if he does not obey Him, the anointing will take flight and look for someone who will obey Him. We must be responsible and nurture the anointing as good stewards of the grace of God, and the way we do that is by following the Holy Spirit, who rides on the wisps of the wind. See also: Obeying the Holy Spirit; Phi 2-17; 189b Eph 1,20-23 (98f) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> (Faith à Suffering à Glory of Christ) >> The cross – The cross of Christ is at the center of God’s grace that He bestows upon us. It is the basis of His forgiveness and His power that we use to endure our circumstances. The work of His cross is what makes the hope of heaven possible, upon which He will build His everlasting kingdom. The cross that Christ endured 2000 years ago is at the center of the universe; it is at the center of God Himself, and it should be at the center of our heart. It would behoove us to build our lives around the cross. Eph 1-21 (67l) Authority >> Jesus delegates authority >> Name of Jesus is above every name (142a) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Old Testament bears witness to the new >> Prophesy about the dispensation >> The end times – The teachings of a coming kingdom is written in the prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and many of the so-called Minor Prophets: Daniel, Joel and Zechariah to name a few. Some passages written in these books pertained to Jesus and the age of grace (mostly in the Psalms and Isaiah), while other passages referred to the coming Millennium, and still others speak about a kingdom that resides in eternity. All three writings of kingdoms were intermingled with each other, making it difficult to determine what age the writer was referring. The Old Testament prophets wrote this way for one good reason: they were writing about a single kingdom. The man whom God had chosen, Abraham, became Israel, and the kingdom that Jesus started in the age of grace is the kingdom that will reign in the Millennium, and the Millennium is the seed of an eternal kingdom that God imagined before time began. See also: Kingdom principles (To him who has shall more be given); 2Tim 1-3; 82c Eph 1-22,23 (136i) Temple >> Your spirit is the temple of God >> The body of Christ >> Body of Christ is the Church See next page