Devotional Thoughts

Ephesians 3:14-19     "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  (15)  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,  (16)  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;  (17)  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,  (18)  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;  (19)  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Here we find Paul's second prayer for the Ephesians. Both prayers contain his request for God's people to know Christ and the power that is within us through the Holy Spirit. In Chapter 1, Paul prayed that we would know that power and here he is praying that we would know the love of Christ which is the source of that power....

Matthew 5:31-32     " It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:  But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery."   I realize there are varying interpretations of divorcement and what comprises the grounds for it. It is an emotionally charged situation filled with heartache, sorrow, and anger. Whatever your view, one thing is clear by Jesus’s words here. Divorcement is not simply a legal proceeding to afford people an “easy way out.” Jesus tells us that there is no reason for putting away of the wife except for fornication. Fornication is defined in a variety of ways. One definition is sexual activity between unmarried parties, while another definition is sexual activity between two people not married to each other. The Greek word for fornication is also the...

Ephesians 3:8-13     "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;  (9)  And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:  (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,  (11)  According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:  (12)  In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.  (13)  Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory." "That's too hard! I can't do that! There's not enough of us to be able to do that. Somebody else needs to do that."  How many times have we heard that, or maybe even been guilty of saying it or ...

Matthew 5:27-30     " Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:  But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.  And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.  And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell." Jesus continues to teach His disciples from the mountain. In earlier verses, He begins by telling us about the many ways in which we are blessed and what the fruit of those blessings is. He then begins to address man’s idea of righteousness as opposed to God’s idea of righteousness. The kingdom life is found in understanding and seeking the st...