Before the foundation of the world

Posted in: 2015
“According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love:” (Eph.1:4).
 
The highlighted phrase, before the foundation of the world, was one of the most prominent ones Paul used as he revealed and explained the revelation of the Mystery.
 
“Wow!” I said over and over again when the Lord gave me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in order for me to acknowledge all that Christ has done (Eph. 1:17). Many saints who had the “eyes of [their] understanding enlightened” (Eph. 1:18), also, were everlastingly amazed that it was before “the beginning of Creation” (Mark 10:6) that members of the Mystery Calling were chosen.

I come to the garden

Posted in: 2015
I am going to share with you a custom I have developed over the years. I may be peculiar in this respect, but I have learned to mentally study the Bible, or deliberate on Scriptural matters just about anywhere I may be.
 
At age twenty-three, I had already graduated from Southern Methodist University via the means of a Baseball Scholarship. Gloria and I had married in December 1952. I had played two summers of professional baseball (1953 & 1954) in the Milwaukee Braves Minor League Organization. The Korean War had ended in 1953, but the Draft for military service was still “alive and well.”

Four callings of God

Posted in: 2015
The members of the Church over which Christ Jesus is the Head began to be Chosen after “The Acts of the Apostles” ended, about 63 A.D. The last years of Paul’s ministry, after Acts 28:31, were devoted to making known Truths that had been hid in God.
 
“Even the Mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col.1:26-27).

Rudiments of Reckoning

Posted in: 2015
Having had the “eyes of our understanding enlightened” in order that we might know what is the “hope of our calling and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to usward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, Which He wrought in Christ, when He  raised Him [Christ] from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the presence of the heavenly angelic rulers” (Eph. 1:18-20).
 
The underlined phrase is that which completes the Figure of Speech, the Ellipsis that was created by the phrase, “in the heavenly places.”

All spiritual blessings

Posted in: 2015
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).
 
We are not given much insight into what “all spiritual blessings” precisely are. I think, probably, the key to them is rooted in the word, “Blessed,” which is the Greek word, “eulogia,” from which we get our word, “eulogy,” or “eulogize.” The meaning is to praise, acclaim, admire, honor, or pay tribute to. In many instances, the greatest blessing would be words of praise, especially, if the words come from the Creator of the Universe Who is also the Head of the Church.