​EPHESIANS 6

Ephesians 6:23 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 6:24 Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
 
Links to my sites here and the bottom of every post- Most updated at bottom.
https://ccoutreach87.com/links-to-my-sites-updated-10-2018/ 
 
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Ephesians 6 videos-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M43BeMlJ2uI&t=3s
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xecoai78k9ljdbx/2-15-18%20Ephesians%206.mp4?dl=0
https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMgSBcVgotin-An03X 
ON VIDEO
.The commandment with promise
.Thoughts from a child
.Overview of Ephesians
.The sovereignty of God
.Slavery
.Abolitionists
.Spiritual armor- warfare
.Reductionism- Soteriology https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soteriology
.What are those lights in the sky over Texas and New Jersey?
.The Reformation and church history
.Did Jesus teach the doctrine of justification by faith?
.Yes
.Balanced spiritual warfare
.How do we love Jesus?
.I spoke on Melanchthon- Cardinal Cajetan and Eck- and the debates Luther had during the Reformation- I added my past teachings on them below
Ecclesiastes 8:1
Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? a man’s wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
TEACHING [Past posts- Verses below]
As we end the Ephesians study- Paul gives more practical instruction- some of it will become controversial some 1800 years after he penned it-
Ephesians 6:5 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;
Ephesians 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;
Ephesians 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:
Ephesians 6:8 Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.
Ephesians 6:9 And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.
There it is- from the bible itself- instruction for slaves to obey their masters.
Why is this in the New Testament?
There are other bible passages- both in the Old and New Testaments, that speak about slavery- rules given to how it should be applied-
And teaching that says slaves should obey their masters.
In the 19th century- both in Britain and the states you had an uprising- primarily from White Christian men- against the institution of slavery- we call these men the abolitionists.
In the United States- you had a debate- and then a war- over the issue [as well as states rights]-
There were good sincere men- Christian men- and yes- some Black men- who simply saw these verses as the bible teaching us that slavery is permitted- and as Christians- you should not seek to rebel against it.
Now- I do not agree with their position- but an honest reading of this passage can lead dedicated bible students to take it this way.
Overall- God’s will for man was to free him for bondage- all types.
And it’s possible that the apostle Paul simply did not want the New Christian movement to be associated with the zealot mindset-
People who advocated a violent rising up against their oppressors.
So- he- by the anointing of God- wrote what was intended for God’s people to hear.
Today there is still application to these verses- employers and employees- yet at the time- it was speaking about slavery.
There’s much more to teach on the subject- how the enslaving of Africans by the West was not the same type of slavery spoken about in the bible-
But for us today- with a clear conscience we can reject all forms of it- no matter where we find it.
Now- the famous armor of God passage-
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Ephesians 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Just a few points- the only offensive piece of armor is the word of God.
Jesus wielded it in his Temptation in the wilderness-
Matthew 4 King James Version (KJV)
4 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
He quoted scripture 3 times- and dispatched the adversary for a season.
Paul also talks about the shield of faith quenching [putting out] the flaming arrows of the enemy.
In the first century the Roman shields were covered with leather and dipped in water prior to the battle.
If a flaming arrow struck one of the shields- the shield would be able to extinguish it.
So our faith can also stop the flaming arrows of the enemy- when he shoots accusations against the children of God.
On the video I mentioned these last few verses- which are often not seen as part of the spiritual armor-
Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Ephesians 6:19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
Ephesians 6:20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Yet Paul asked the church to pray for him- that he would be bold in speaking the truth- that he would not step back from the task at hand.
I applied this [on the video] to the life of the reformer Martin Luther- and spoke about his own battles while standing firm for truth.
Paul the apostle was making known the mysteries of the gospel in the first century- and at the time- the message was radical and revolutionary.
Now- it was the unfolding of the mysteries of God which had been hidden for ages-
But he was a revolutionary in the proclamation of it.
And there were times where he stood alone- where others questioned his motives- and where other believers disagreed with him strongly [the Judaizers].
2Timothy 4:16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
2Timothy 4:17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
Yet he realized to truly fulfil the mission- he needed to be bold in the proclamation of the truth.
Today we are able to read his letters- which are indeed received as the Canon- we regularly teach them in our church meetings-
We make copies of them and send them out to the world-
Yes- we are beneficiaries of the apostle’s early ministry work. [Some sites see here  https://ccoutreach87.webstarts.com/blog/post/ephesians-6-9 ]
And as we saw his story this last year as I covered the book of Acts- as we went thru some of his other 

​EPHESIANS 5

Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
Links to my sites here and the bottom of every post- Most updated at bottom.
https://ccoutreach87.com/links-to-my-sites-updated-10-2018/ 
 
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Ephesians 5 videos-
 https://youtu.be/R9hmfExkpwU
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1zau14j5ba1728k/2-1-18%20Ephesians%205.mp4?dl=0
https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMgQ5JYk6RK_I5RvkH 
ON VIDEO-
.The glove test
.Partake of the table too- like David
.A type of the priest from Judah- the Lord of the Sabbath
.Walk in love
.1 Spirit in a corporate community
.The same Spirit of Christ
1 Corinthians 6:17
But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
.Not just a symbol
.Gnostic/Docetist heresy refuted http://www.dictionary.com/browse/docetism
.We are vitally connected to him
.What is the great mystery?
.The Body of Christ
Mark 2:28
Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
TEACHING- [Past posts below]
The apostle now gives practical living truth-
As believers- we do not walk after the flesh- we are instead to be filled with the Spirit- and walk as new creatures in Christ-
Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.
Ephesians 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints;
Ephesians 5:4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
Ephesians 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Ephesians 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Ephesians 5:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
Once again- a theme I have hit on the past 2 weeks- we see the death of Christ for us as an example of the love of God-
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.
Then Paul talks about the marriage union- the same instructions he gave in his other letters-
Ephesians 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
Ephesians 5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Ephesians 5:24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Most of us are familiar with it-
Husbands love your wives- wives- submit- not in a negative way- but as examples of Christ and the church.
The church is lead by Christ- the head- so the family unit- when functioning properly- is lead by the husband- if he is loving his wife properly.
Now- the verse I wanted to emphasize the most-
Ephesians 5:30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
When I read it the other day- it seemed to ‘say more’ than what we usually ‘see’.
The church as the Body of Christ is an ‘image’ that most of us are familiar with.
But here it seems to go further.
The apostle says we are bone of his bone- flesh of his flesh- and he says this is a great mystery-
Ephesians 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
We as humans were made alive when God gave us life- spirit- identity-
Genesis 2:7
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
1 Corinthians 15:45
And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit
Human beings live- because we have spirits- souls- life given to us as a gift from the creator.
This is not a symbol- this is reality.
Now- when we as believers are born again- our spirits come back to life- we were dead in sin- and have now been made alive again.
We also have the Holy Spirit indwelling us-
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 [Full Chapter]
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
This is not simply a symbol- but a reality.
Jesus actually rose- physically from the dead- and ascended bodily into heaven-
9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
He lives today in a resurrected body- and is seated in a position of authority [right hand of God]
So he too- physically has the Spirit of God in him.
We- as people still on the earth- have that same Spirit residing in us-
Romans 8:11
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
God has done a new thing in the redemption of man- God has created a community of people- in whom the same Spirit- One Spirit- now actually resides in all of us.
When I saw it this way- I didn’t take the verse as being only a symbol- but a reality.
Yes- we do retain our individuality as believers- we still have our own regenerated spirits in us-
But we also have intimacy with the resurrected Christ- and one another- because the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is now living in us too.
See?
Ephesians 4:4
There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations [Some sites see here  https://ccoutreach87.webstarts.com/blog/post/ephesians-5-9 ]

​SUNDAY SERMON
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Rom. 5:19
Links to my sites here and the bottom of every post- Most updated at bottom.
https://ccoutreach87.com/links-to-my-sites-updated-10-2018/ 
 
Stats  
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 Sunday sermon Videos-
 https://youtu.be/L0nDDREYzJk
https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMhFZkWWvik6tihKw3
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gj102x58aquol5q/12-24-17%20Sunday%20Sermon.mp4?dl=0 
 
ON VIDEO-
.Another gas station story
.Einstein’s phone number
.U2
.Logos
.2 creations
.Both accomplished by God’s WORD
.2 trees in the garden
.Law and Grace
.Word made flesh
.Get back to the garden
.Theodicy
.Adam and Jesus
.The bride’s
.Picture of redemption
.The candle story [Church Unlimited]
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
 
 
 
 
Today I talked about the 2 creations- how in Genesis we see God made all things ‘in the beginning’ -
 
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
 
And the things he has planned for us- were also ‘from the beginning’ -
 
66 Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?
2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: Isaiah
At this Christmas season we sing about the Word made flesh-
 
John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
 
And it is thru this Word- Jesus- that God has also created a ‘new Creation’ -
 
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
 
In the garden man ate from the forbidden tree-
Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil-
And because of this sin- he no longer had access to the Tree of Life.
Genesis 3:23 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
Genesis 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
 
It would take the incarnate word to bring man back to the garden- back to the presence of God.
 
We read a sort of strange verse in the writings of Paul-
 
13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve.
14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
1st Tim. 2
 
To some- it seems anti woman.
But what Paul is telling us is when Adam ate- he knew what he was doing.
 
He knowingly walked away for the presence of God- so he could be with his Bride.
Eve already ate- and Adam saw the writing on the wall.
He had a choice- and he chose to be with the bride.
 
Jesus went to the Cross- knowing that he would be separated from the presence of God- he did this in obedience-
 
Philippians 2:8
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
 
Why?
He did if for the Bride- us-
Jesus hung on ‘the tree’ for us-
 
Galatians 3:13
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
 
He delivered man from the law- the tree of the knowledge of good and evil- which could never redeem man.
 
Romans 3:20
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
 
And he brought us back to the garden- he allowed us to be new creations in him. [Some sites see here  https://ccoutreach87.webstarts.com/blog/post/sunday-sermon-224 ]
 
Yes- the Word became flesh and dwelt among us- and it 

​EPHESIANS 4
Psalm 68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.
 
Links to my sites here and the bottom of every post- Most updated at bottom.
https://ccoutreach87.com/links-to-my-sites-updated-10-2018/ 
 
Stats  
https://ccoutreach87.com/stats-4-21/

Ephesians 4 Videos-
https://youtu.be/uxqSLovL8xk 
https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMa9oOLIoJHhLVQi8

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lph733qd6gpbz0w/1-18-18%20Ephesians%204.mp4?dl=0

ON VIDEO
.Austin [Texas] The Ark
.5 [4] fold ministry
.Lectio Devina http://ocarm.org/en/content/lectio/what-lectio-divina
.Didache http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/didache.html
.That bird has my wings’- prison poem
.Unity among reconciled people groups
.Gifts for the sinner too [rebellious also]
.Restoration churches
.Church history
.The purpose of the gifts- to build you up- for the work of ministry
.What does the N.T. teach about giving?
.The nature of local church
.The intent of seeing ‘new truth’
.What is ‘apostolic’ doctrine?
.Jesus- the Christ of God

Psalm 90:9 For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.
Psalm 90:10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Psalm 90:16 Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.
Psalm 90:17 And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.
 

TEACHING [Past posts below]

Paul teaches us about the primary purpose of the gifts that God has deposited in the church-
Ephesians 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
Some refer to these gifts [Apostles- prophets- etc.] as the 5 fold ministry- others see the last 2 offices as one calling [the pastor/teacher]
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Meaning it would be the ‘4-fold’ ministry gifts.
Much has been written the last few years about these various gifted ones- and in some movements of the church they believed that the restoration of these gifts were the answer to the problems in the church.
When we read about apostles in the New Testament- and how they functioned [Like my recent study on the book of Acts]-
We do not see the emphasis on the people themselves- meaning the apostles in the bible [or prophets] did not focus on their callings-
Or view their callings as the primary thing.
But the purpose of their callings was to bring the people of God to maturity- and the people of God would do the actual ‘work of the ministry’-
Ephesians 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
If the teachings on the gifts- or any other subject we find in the bible- is used to divide Christians-
Then the main purpose of the gifts themselves has been subverted.
If the focus on the gifts exalts the personalities of people-
Then it is the wrong focus.
In the last few chapters I have already taught- we saw the reconciliation of man- with each other- as well as being reconciled [brought back] to God thru Christ.
When we read about the unity of the people of God- in this context it is a broader concept than simply the people ‘in my church’- or the people of God in your particular denomination.
But the unity we strive for is a unity among all the people that God has redeemed.
God’s ultimate Salvation looks forward to the redeeming of all things- in heaven and upon earth.
As the apostle stated in this chapter- we are one body- with one God ruling over us- as well as being in us-
Ephesians 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
Ephesians 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Ephesians 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
The development of the church over the centuries has expressed itself in many different church expressions.
Some see this as ok- others see it as being divided.
Many of these good expressions of the church do see themselves as the only true church.
The apostle does speak to this issue here-
Ephesians 4:3 Endeavouring to KEEP the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
All the people of God already are united in unity- the outward expression of it is not always seen.
But truly there is one God- and one Spirit that unites as the church.
God has placed gifted leaders in the church- and when the gifts function properly- they bring the people to maturity in Christ-
Ephesians 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Ephesians 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
They do not draw people after their particular gift- no matter how noble the gift might be.
It is important that we see that these gifts [5- 4 fold] do indeed exist in the church today.
Paul teaches us that these ministers were made after the ascension of Jesus-
Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Meaning these were not Old testament prophets he was speaking about-
Or even the 12 apostles of the Lamb-
But these apostles and prophets and pastors were ‘made’ after Jesus ascended to the right hand of God.
So yes- these gifts still function in our day.
And when they function the right way- the people of God become mature functioning members of the Body of Christ.
That was [is] the purpose of these gifts.

PAST POSTS [ My past teaching that relates to this post- Ephesians 4- Verses below]
[Some sites see here  https://ccoutreach87.webstarts.com/blog/post/ephesians-4-9 ]

https://ccoutreach87.com/1st-2nd-corinthians/
https://ccoutreach87.com/james-2015/
I mentioned the Didache on the video- I talked about it in this book I wrote years ago-

​EPHESIANS 3
Ephesians 3:7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.Ephesians 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
 
Links to my sites here and the bottom of every post- Most updated at bottom.
https://ccoutreach87.com/links-to-my-sites-updated-10-2018/ 
 
Stats  
https://ccoutreach87.com/stats-4-21/

Ephesians 3 videos-
https://youtu.be/4F9ud-CbJ8o
https://1drv.ms/v/s!Aocp2PkNEAGMbmJ7N-LFNKVN2n0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/iv9uxkj7s25q1sb/1-2-18%20Ephesians%203.mp4?dl=0 
ON VIDEO-
.One star only
.Paul the prisoner
.What mystery?
.Abraham and the stars
.Did the prophets know [fully] what they were saying?
.What does all this mean for our day?
.Not an ethnic gospel
.Apostles and Prophets
.The gift of prophecy
.Silence- the movie
.Nagasaki
.Syncretism
.Church history
.Franciscans and Dominicans
.The Logos
.Redemption history
.Higher critics got it wrong
.Mysteries still revealed thru the body of Christ- Incarnation principle
.God has done this
.The Divine romance
TEACHING- [Past posts below]

Paul speaks about the gift of grace given to him- how God revealed the ‘mystery’ to him about both Jews and Gentiles being part of one Body [community] in Christ-
Ephesians 3:2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
Ephesians 3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
Ephesians 3:4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
How how it is thru this body- the church- that God’s wisdom is being revealed- even to the angels and powers in the heavens-
Ephesians 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
The principle is the incarnation- how we as living members of the Church are continuing to walk on the earth- as redeemed humans- and because the Spirit of revelation- the Spirit of God chose to reside in us- then we are the instrument where God’s wisdom and truth are being revealed.
Even the prophets of old see in into this church- they are indeed ‘living’ with God right now- they await the day when we will all be physically raised from the dead-
But as of now- they too look into the wisdom of God being revealed thru the church-
Ephesians 3:5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; [note- on the video I explained how here Paul is talking about New testament Apostles and Prophets- but I also spoke on how even the Old Testament prophets have now seen the unfolding of the mystery- thru the church]
The great mystery of both Jew and Gentile being brought together in Christ might not seem as ‘big of a deal’ to us living in the 21st century-
But to the first century mind- it was a big deal.
For us today- we see how in order for God to truly reveal himself to others- it requires a community of people joined together in Christ- who have broken down the racial and ethnic barriers that we see in the world.
The fact that God joined groups who were opposed to one another [Jew and Gentile] and thru this reconciling of man he than revealed his wisdom to others- was an offence to the natural mind.
Remember- the mysteries Paul is speaking about were indeed contained in the writings of the prophets.
Yet the religious mind of the 1st century simply could not see them.
The truths contained in scripture are only revealed thru a unified community of people.
Paul himself was a trained teacher of the law- yet it took a Divine intervention to reveal the mystery of Christ to him [Acts 9].
And as he embarked on his great purpose- to reveal the love of God to those who felt rejected- he too began to experience the same rejection from his former community.
Yet it was the calling of God upon him- God’s grace that was doing it thru him-
Ephesians 3:7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
He learned how to embrace the calling- and all that went along with it.
Though an educated man- he would come to see that the love of Christ went beyond an intellectual pursuit of truth-
Ephesians 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
It is in the Divine romance of Christ and the bride that enables the unfolding of the mysteries of God.
The wisdom of God is a product of God being with man- God living and communing inside of this people- the church.
We live in a day where many well meaning teachers- who have the skills to communicate truth- often do not see the need for the truth of God to come from a Body of people who display what reconciliation actually is.
The 1st century church consisted of people who were once divided- people who held strong religious convictions.
Their beliefs came from the sincere study of the Old Testament scriptures-
It was from their dedication to these Scriptures that they felt it their duty to oppress the ‘other’-
Paul’s own experience shows us this.
But after his experience with Jesus himself on the road to Damascus- he began to see how it was thru these Old Testament Scriptures that God had already spoken about the redemption of all people-
Paul himself began to see that what he thought was right [the persecuting of the church] was actually opposed to the pre planned purpose of God from the start.
And this indeed was a great mystery- something hidden from the beginning of time-
1 Corinthians 2:7
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
We as the people of God- who come from all different backgrounds and ethnicities, we reveal the manifold wisdom of God to others- because we show how people who were separated from one another have not come together to form a unified community.
The walls have not only been broken down between us and God- but between us and our fellow man.
Yes- Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law- he took away the barrier that separated man from his brother-
Ephesians 2:14
For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
And he brought peace on earth- good will to men-
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Yes- the powers in the heavens- the angels themselves began seeing it at the time of the incarnation-
And it is in this Divine romance between unified men- and God himself- that the angels still desire to learn from-
New International Version
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. Peter 1:12 [Some sites see here  https://ccoutreach87.webstarts.com/blog/post/ephesians-3-9 ]

​Sunday sermon
 
Hebrews 7:16
Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
 
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ON VIDEO
 
.Feast of corpus Christi
.Abraham and Melchizedek- whats the significance?
.Communion
.The story of Abraham
.The New Priest [hood]
.The importance of Psalm 110
.How did Paul know about the Eucharist instructions in Corinthians?
.Judaism in the first century context
.Hebrews was written to ‘that mindset’
.Times of Reformation [1st century- from law to grace]
.The story of a billboard I saw ‘Move on from the shadows into the real’
.A lesson from Rich Mullins life- and death
 
 
 1 John 4:16
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
 
[Note- the verses you see scattered thru out the post are the ones I quoted on the video- all verses at the bottom of this post]
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
John 8:56
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
 
 
 
PAST POSTS [These are links and parts of my past teachings that relate in some way to today’s post- Verses below]
 
https://ccoutreach87.com/corinthians-links-4-2019/
https://ccoutreach87.com/romans-links-1-2019/
https://ccoutreach87.com/hebrews-links-updated-10-2018/
https://ccoutreach87.com/galatians-links/
https://ccoutreach87.com/acts-links/ 
 
Hebrews 4-6
POSTED BY CCOUTREACH87 ⋅ NOVEMBER 1, 2018 ⋅ LEAVE A COMMENT
HEBREWS 4-6

CHAPTER 4:
NEW NOTES BELOW-
.SABBATH REST
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‘Let us therefore fear [Jews in the first century, not Christians in the 21st century! At least in this context] lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest [now defined as the New Covenant rest. Paul is telling Israel God has left you a promise of rest in Messiah, where you will cease from your own works [law], beware Israel, our forefathers missed out on the promise because of unbelief, don’t do the same!] any of you should come short of it, for unto us was the gospel preached [1st century Israel] as well as unto them [Israel at the edge of entering the promised land had the gospel [good news] preached to them by Joshua and Caleb, they gave the ‘good report’ that the land was great and it was there for the taking, of course they didn’t believe and therefore couldn’t take it] but the word did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
 
For WE WHICH HAVE BELEIVED [the remnant of Jews who were believing in the first century were entering into the rest of the New Covenant of grace, they left off trying to be made righteous by the law, they ceased from their own works] do enter into rest…for he spake in a certain place of the 7th day on this wise, and God did rest the 7th day from all his works, and again, if they shall enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it still remains that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief: again he limits a certain day in David [Psalms] today if you will HEAR HIS VOICE [as opposed to the voice of the law/Moses] harden not your hearts. For if Joshua [my king James says ‘Jesus’ this is because the translation is the same] had given them rest then he would not have spoken of another day, there remaineth therefore a rest TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD! [Jewish people ‘of God’ not gentile converts!]. Well, we covered a lot here. Paul takes the creation account, the verses that will later speak of a future rest for Gods people, and then a verse from Psalms where David prophesies that there still remains a future rest. He puts them all together to show Israel that God has ordained a future ‘7th day’ for his people to enter into. He uses the 7th day as a symbol of Gods ‘day of Grace and rest’.
 
He then shows Israel that it really wasn’t speaking of the rest of the Promised Land after all, because eventually Israel did inherit it, but yet David still spoke of it in the future tense. So Paul concludes that the future rest of the 7th day that ‘Gods people’ [Jews] still must enter is the offer of grace to the 1st century Jew. Wow! This is why some theologians feel Paul was a little too loose with the scriptures. I think this stuff is great! Paul basically was using all of his understanding as a first century theologian [Pharisee] and was absolutely proving Christ to Israel in a way that none of the other Apostles could do. He was the only Pharisee out of all the Apostles, one born out of due time. This is obviously why Jesus chose him. It is so important to see the connections that Paul is making here. If Israel were following the timeline that Paul is giving, they will see that their own Old Testament scriptures testify that there was a future ‘place of rest’ that would be offered to them as a nation.
 
And Paul also shows that in history, Israel had a pattern of not entering into ‘this rest’ because of unbelief. And then he says ‘but the rest that Joshua finally did give them [the promised land] wasn’t really the true rest after all, because David still spoke of it in a future tense’ then he says ‘see, there remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God’. Seeing this in context clears up many wrong interpretations of these passages. You can still read Hebrews as a Christian and get wonderful principles, but you must see it in context to truly understand what its saying. ‘For he that hath entered into rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his’ amazing, Paul says just like God ceased from creative activity on the ‘7th day’ so likewise when we enter into the covenant of grace, we too will cease from the works of the law. This is so significant to the Jewish community whom Paul is addressing. He is showing them, in their language [Old Testament] the same things he writes to the gentiles in Galatians and Romans.
 
He is using the story of Genesis to show the truth of grace. Out of all the Apostles, Paul is unique in his ability to see Jesus in all of these Old Testament stories. No one could have made a better apologetic for the Christian faith than Paul. ‘Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall into the same example of unbelief’ Now, I have heard it taught that this is telling Christians to ‘work for your rest’. This would be a complete contradiction to this entire letter. But if you see this in context, that the recipients of this letter are 1st century Jews who are already under the bondage of the law, then you read this as ‘those of you Jews who are always working to try and make yourselves righteous, you need to stop working for this, but instead let all your labors and struggles end up at the Cross’ in essence ‘labor [struggle] to see these things I am showing you, and if you do you will find rest’ in the New Covenant of grace! ‘Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession, for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.’ This of course applies to all of us. Paul and other New Testament writers saw redemption in a way that naturally included everybody. It was only those who rejected it thru unbelief that were missing out. This is why you will see statements made like ‘Jesus is the savior of all men, specially of those that believe’ there was a real sense in the early church that Jesus really redeemed everybody.
 
They were not preaching universal salvation in the sense that everybody will be saved. But the gospel was presented in a way that simply included everybody. So here Paul says ‘we have a high priest’ he is including Israel in the ‘we’. I also like to apply these verses to all of us. How many times do we feel intimidated to come before Gods throne? We feel unworthy and God seems unapproachable. Sort of like Saint John of the Cross who experienced the ‘dark night of the soul’ as well as Mother Theresa. There are times where believers feel separated from God’s real presence. It is during these times when God says ‘come boldly, I too have experienced weakness and separation thru the incarnation. I know what it is like. Come to me, I can see what you feel like, I can feel your feelings of weakness and inadequacy, come to me for help my child’. In the next chapter we will read this in depth. Jesus and all the high priests of the law were able to identify with man because they were at one time in mans shoes. This is one of the great realities of the incarnation.
NEW NOTES-
.SABBATH REST
 
Remember context- in this chapter the writer is appealing to his Jewish brothers.
And he reminds them of their own history- he says ‘just like our forefathers died in the wilderness- because they did not BELIEVE’-
So beware- if you now reject this new offer of REST- it will be because of UNBELIEF.
The writer is making an argument for Justification by Faith here.
He spiritualizes the promise of the Promised Land- and the story of Creation and Sabbath Day.
He says ‘ok- God RESTED himself on the 7th Day of Creation’.
This REST [a type of rest found in Christ and the New Covenant- based on Faith/Grace- NOT WORKS -The law].
Was not the Rest promised to Israel when they entered the Promised Land.
Why?
Because King David says many years later- in Psalms 95- that a Rest is still in the future.
What Rest?
The 1st century offer of Grace- thru Faith- not works.
See how important context is?
So- when he says ‘there still remains a REST TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD’- He is not talking to Christians- as this verse is often seen.
No- in the letter of Hebrews- the People of God are the Jewish nation- who now must ‘labor- work- strive’ to believe the Promise of Messiah- and enter into rest.
These verses only make sense in this context.
Preachers often teach the verse ‘strive to enter into rest- people of God’.
And apply that to Christians- who are already ‘in rest’.
No- that’s the wrong setting for these verses.
But- to the 1st century Jew- under the law- then it makes sense.
They were at a transition stage- they were still under the law [works] and they had to beware- because this present promise of grace- just like the Old Testament Promise of entering into the Promised Land- is based on faith.
So- when the writer says ‘if you strive- and hear this Gospel of Grace- you can enter into the Sabbath Day Rest’ [a symbol of the covenant of Grace].
And have Rest.
See?
NOTE- It’s not an ‘accident’ that the writer quotes from Psalms 95- written by Kind David.
Jesus is identified as ‘The Son of David’ so it’s thru the Davidic line that the promise of Rest would ultimately be fulfilled. [Some sites see here  https://ccoutreach87.webstarts.com/blog/post/sunday-sermon-223 ]
In a sense the writer is saying ‘The Joshua that lead our Fathers into the Promised Land was not the Real One- but the Joshua of the New Testament [Jesus and Joshua are the