Category: Devotions

Climbing the corporate ladder of success is always a treacherous journey. For some, opportunities for progress are scarce, while others may experience promising climbs only to stumble or have the ladder pulled from beneath them. Yet, there are those fortunate enough to take all the right steps and enjoy glorious careers.

For various reasons, the drive to succeed motivates us. However, it can also become the source of lost faith and hope in life. In Ephesians, Paul advises the people to let God be the driving force behind their passion, whether they are in a leadership position or subordinate. Regardless of our roles, we should work as if God is our boss. Just like in other aspects of our lives, we ought to be grateful for the opportunities we have.

Throughout my own career, I have had both fulfilling and unpleasant jobs. Each day, I strived to work for the Lord rather than for men. When I managed to maintain that focus, my workdays became more pleasant. Even during the times when the job seemed unbearable, that focus made it at least bearable.

The responsibilities and tasks associated with work may not always be glorious. Often, they are mundane, tedious, and downright awful. Nevertheless, even in those moments, we can approach our work as if God were our boss and find solace in knowing that we have glorified Him through our dedication and efforts.

If one finds themselves in a leadership position, they should strive to be a servant leader, humbly guiding their staff to reach their best potential. Conversely, if one holds a lesser role, one should always remember the theater’s main axiom: there are no small roles, only small actors.

I recall my daughter being cast as the doorknob in Alice in Wonderland. Although she wasn’t “Alice,” that little girl almost stole the show with her hilarious portrayal of the doorknob. Throughout my life, I have used that image as a reminder to give my best in everything I do, just like being the best doorknob I can be!

God Bless You

---

 Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), ³ so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.

4 Fathers do not provoke your children to anger but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

⁵ Slaves, be obedient to those who are your ^[a]masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; ⁶ not ^[b]by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the ^[c]heart. ⁷ With good will ^[d]render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, ⁸ knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

⁹ And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

There are many days when I feel the desire to take life into my own hands and assist God. Like everyone else, I struggle with surrendering to God’s guidance and patiently waiting for His plan. However, the saving grace for me is that I have been walking with God for a long time. Since I was a child, I have had a relationship with the Lord who has stood by my side through every event of my life. He has helped me during the most difficult times and celebrated with me during my life’s best moments. Along my journey with the Him, I have discovered the more I make Him the focus of my life, the better equipped I am to persevere through the trials of each day.

In practical terms, this is the focal point of the sixth chapter of Ephesians. Paul begins by addressing the importance of children obeying their parents. Paul understood our reverence for authority is formed through our interactions and behavior with our own parents. If a child does not respect and obey their parents, it is unlikely they will revere or obey any other authority figure in their lives. As God handed Israel the ten commandments – which established the pattern for legal systems that span the globe – the commandment for children to obey their  parents was the only commandment that came with a promise.

However, Paul doesn’t stop there. While he emphasizes the importance of children incorporating reverence and obedience into their lives, he also reminds fathers not to exasperate their children. As the first authority figure in their lives, fathers need to lead with love, humility, and integrity. The way parents live out faith shapes children’s perception of God. If a child lacks a father figure or has an abusive father, it becomes challenging for them to serve God who calls Himself “Father” with love and respect. On the other hand, if fathers exemplify the sacrificial and loving life pattern of our heavenly Father, it will give our children hope and faith to trust and follow Him.

As God’s children, He desires that our lives go well. If we can follow His pattern of reverence and trust as children and parents, it will go well with us. He will walk with us through life’s peaks and valleys and we will know Him as our God and good Father always.

God Bless You.

---

 Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), ³ so that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth.

4 Fathers do not provoke your children to anger but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

⁵ Slaves, be obedient to those who are your ^[a]masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; ⁶ not ^[b]by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the ^[c]heart. ⁷ With good will ^[d]render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, ⁸ knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.

⁹ And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him.

Husbands are called to love their wives as they love their own bodies. We have discussed the innate superhero qualities that wives exhibit each day and now we go to the superpowers of the men.  As men, our role is to lead and provide for our families. We take charge when danger arises (such as when our children spot a bug) or when there is heavy lifting to be done (like helping bring in the groceries).

In all seriousness, God calls us husbands to honor Him in our marriages and in our lives. Few people understand the scope of the covenant we call marriage on their wedding day. However, as the family grows, women often bear the majority of family needs and dramas within the home. They find themselves trapped in the world of diapers, braces, pimples, and puberty. They keep track of who has what lessons or practices. They ensure the clothes are presentable, teeth are brushed, and boo-boos are bandaged.

Therefore, husbands are to love their wives just as they love their own bodies. When my body is tired, I rest it. When my body is in pain, I treat and nurture it. When my body is hungry, I feed it (often with delicious comfort food!) I overlook my body’s flaws and limitations. When I look in the mirror, I still see the strong young man who can face anything.

Translated into practical terms, husbands are to complement their wives. We are the ones our wives turn to when they reach their breaking point. We offer our help, lend a listening ear, and refrain from passing judgment. Just like we care for our bodies when they hurt; when our wives are hurting, we need to shower them with care—there is no one else they need. We absorb the blow when they become overwhelmed after a difficult day. Some nights, we gather the kids and head to McDonald’s to give her a moment of respite. When we gaze into her eyes, we always see the beautiful woman who walked down the aisle and into our embrace.

Let us remember that she often becomes the dumping ground for the challenges life throws at the family. She needs us to be the safe space where she can unload some of the burden when it becomes too much. It is literally our duty to lay down our lives for our wives, primarily because they sacrifice their lives for everyone else. If we fulfill this responsibility, we will be rewarded a thousandfold when we witness the incredible legacy of human beings she has raised, nurtured, guided, disciplined, cared for, and often led to Christ.

God Bless You 

---

 ^21 [o]and be subject to one another in the ^[p]fear of Christ.

Marriage Like Christ and the Church

²² Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. ²⁴ But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

²⁵ Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, ²⁶ so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ that He might present to Himself the church ^[q]in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. ²⁸ So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; ²⁹ for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, ³⁰ because we are members of His body. ³¹ For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. ³² This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. ³³ Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she ^[r]respects her husband.

One of the joys of being an ordained minister is the ability to perform weddings.  Certainly, it is not difficult to gain the credentials to perform the ceremony, but it takes a lifetime of mutual submission to understand the gravity and depth of commitment those recitals carry with them. 

First, One must understand that marriage is an alliance, not a competition. Paul says it so well, “Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” Great marriages stand out because both husband and wife realize their primary job is to serve the other.  When the couples lose themselves in serving each other, everybody’s needs are met, and the family faces life as one.

When wives let their husbands stand as the head of the house, they do not give up one bit of their authority. They allow their husband to face the crises of each day knowing that they will have their wife’s support.  It is not a banner to be waved in arrogance; it is a shield to be raised in protection of the family.

Husbands realize that they are also subject to their wife’s leadership. She makes the house a home and their group a family. The endless sacrifice is often done without notice or gratitude and is the picture of true leadership. Husbands that grasp that listen to the wisdom and direction of their wives knowing that it is focused on the family and its success, never really focused upon themselves.

I was once asked by a resentful husband why he should stand by while his wife fussed about having her particular snack in the cupboard which no one was allowed  to touch. It infuriated him and he saw it as the epitome of selfishness.

I chuckled, paused, and then asked him, “Have you ever noticed that your wife is forever shopping, cleaning, and herding you and your children from one event to another?”

He said, “Yes, she never lets up.”

I then asked, “When she decides to stop and sit down for a minute, what do you and the kids do? “

He said, “We breathe a sigh of relief and take a break as well!” 

I pressed on, “If she gets a snack or drink, what do you do?”

He paused, turned a bit red, and said, “We do the same.”

I asked, “And is there a snack that comes to mind?” 

The husband softened, smiled, and realized that his beautiful, brilliant, and exceptional bride had literally exchanged her independence and identity for a thankless, endless series of sacrifices and difficult days filled with dirty clothes, dirty houses, and a mob of people that looked to her for every choice they made. 

In exchange, she got one day a year to receive grocery store flowers, macaroni necklaces, and a dinner out that she did not have to plan or clean up. So, when she wanted to have one snack, drink, or moment she could call her own, she guarded it vehemently because she knew that the rest of the family would happily lay claim to it in a microsecond.

That is true leadership. That is why we must live subject to one another…more tomorrow.

God Bless You

---

 ^21 [o]and be subject to one another in the ^[p]fear of Christ.

Marriage Like Christ and the Church

²² Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. ²⁴ But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.

²⁵ Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, ²⁶ so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ that He might present to Himself the church ^[q]in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. ²⁸ So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; ²⁹ for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, ³⁰ because we are members of His body. ³¹ For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. ³² This mystery is great, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. ³³ Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she ^[r]respects her husband.

No matter the pace of your life, there are always opportunities to choose between darkness and light. Adam and Eve faced a crucial decision between the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Regrettably, they succumbed to the lie. Instead, they could have found solace in the knowledge that goodness, light, and life surrounded them. They had the privilege of walking with the loving Creator, the one who bestowed upon them the  perfect garden.

However, they desired to become their own version of God rather than walking alongside Him. Soon enough, they realized the consequences of their choice—they had exchanged life and light for death and separation. Unfortunately, it was too late by then.

Paul urges the Ephesians to make a different choice. He encourages them to walk in the light and shun evil. Regardless of how pervasive darkness may be in the culture, by embracing the light of Christ, that darkness is exposed and eradicated. We are called to emulate Christ by demonstrating selflessness and love for others in all aspects of life.

With the knowledge that we serve a resurrected Savior who banishes all darkness and fear, we can live contentedly on the path we have chosen. Envision a life devoid of fear, where selfish desires and sin hold no sway. We prioritize our relationship with Him, and in turn, He illuminates our path and removes obstacles. Although this life is never easy and constantly presents challenges,

Jesus offers us a purposeful and gratifying existence. By simply walking with Him and refraining from attempting to usurp His role as God, we gain the promise of eternal life. When faced with the choice between light and darkness, we should ponder one simple question: “Am I walking with God or seeking to replace Him?”

God Bless You

---

Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children; ² and walk in love, just as Christ also loved ^[a]you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God ^[b]as a fragrant aroma.

³ But immorality ^[c]or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among ^[d]saints; ⁴ and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. ⁵ For this you know with certainty, that no ^[e]immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore do not be partakers with them; ⁸ for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light ⁹ (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), ^10 [f]trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹ Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even ^[g]expose them; ¹² for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. ¹³ But all things become visible when they are ^[h]exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

¹⁴ For this reason ^[i]it says,

“Awake, sleeper,
And arise from the dead,
And Christ will shine on you.”

¹⁵ Therefore ^[j]be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, ^16 [k]making the most of your time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And do not get drunk with wine, ^[l]for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to ^[m]one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; ²⁰ always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to ^[n]God, even the Father; ^21 [o]and be subject to one another in the ^[p]fear of Christ.

It was one of those days when I woke up late and had to rush to get ready. I couldn’t find my keys. While driving in the rain, a car almost ran me off the road. Finally, I arrived at work, sat down at my desk, and opened my Bible. As I peered at the page, all I could see was the anger and frustration from the morning. The words on the page might as well have been Greek because I was so focused on the morning’s circumstances rather than on the Lord. I took a breath and refocused on the passage.

As I went through the list, I realized I was guilty of almost every offense listed. Then, in His fatherly way, the Lord poured His spirit over me and essentially said, “Let’s start again.” So, I prayed, shifted my focus onto Him instead of my morning, and His truth of being holy and separate began to make a lot more sense.

Holiness is a challenging concept. As Christians, we are called to be holy. Paul explains to the Ephesians what holiness looks like in everyday life. Interestingly, Paul is not concerned about one’s appearance or the fashion trends. Paul, like the Lord, speaks straight to the heart. Christians should be aware of their culture and the foolish behaviors that people in our society engage in, yet we should walk away from those behaviors.

We are no longer defined by our culture. When we accepted the gift of salvation, we put that person to death. Our focus should no longer be on ourselves, but on the Lord. This means we don’t throw fits, steal from others, or act arrogantly or vulgarly. When we get angry, we don’t lose control and harm others. We learn to deal with our anger and not hold grudges. We are people of hope and promise, not bitterness. We don’t curse, gossip, or tear each other down. In short, we should act in a way that directs our attention to the Lord and honors Him in every circumstance.

Make no mistake – Satan is waiting to throw curveballs at us and try to tear us apart. He is like a roaring lion always looking for someone to devour. However, we are blessed because the Spirit within us is greater than that lion. The Spirit comforts and guides us through the challenges that fill and disrupt our day. We only need to focus on the Lord and allow Him to lead us through the day! Please, Lord, lead me through today.

God bless you.

---

¹⁷ So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, ¹⁸ being darkened in their understanding, ^[m]excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; ¹⁹ and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality ^[n]for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. ²⁰ But you did not learn ^[o]Christ in this way, ²¹ if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, ²² that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old ^[p]self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, ²³ and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and put on the new ^[q]self, which ^[r]in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.

²⁵ Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. ²⁶ Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, ²⁷ and do not give the devil ^[s]an opportunity. ²⁸ He who steals must steal no longer; but rather he must labor, performing with his own hands what is good, so that he will have something to share with ^[t]one who has need. ²⁹ Let no ^[u]unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification ^[v]according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. ³⁰ Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, ^[w]by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. ³² Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven ^[x]you.

In business, the story is all too familiar.  A company starts out as a modern-day Camelot. Its founder is brilliant and, possesses a heart and personality that are both selfless and amiable. He carefully surrounds himself with like-minded leaders who, in turn, foster a team of individuals sharing the same values. The outcome is a company that thrives and prospers, even amidst a chaotic time. Unfortunately, as the founder retires,  new leadership emerges and they are devoid of those core values. They walk a different path. Within a short span of time, the new leadership destroys what was so carefully built and the company meets its demise.

When this happens, it serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of walking in a manner worthy of our calling. In the story, the successor to the founder tragically transformed a humble and selfless thriving company into a self-serving entity, squeezing it dry for personal gain. The result is the company no longer resembles what made it great and its people lose everything they worked hard to build.

In our journey with God, we are called to humbly build lives of selflessness, surrounding ourselves with like-minded individuals. As we do so, God safeguards, equips, and provides for us. Our lives become enriched with purpose, leaving a lasting legacy. 

Moreover, when each circle of individuals walks in this worthy manner, they have the power to touch and transform lives wherever they go. Chaos yields to peaceful order and division gives way to lasting unity.  We must remain vigilant  for evil individuals will always seek to infiltrate and corrupt, selfishly taking all that is good from the group. They resemble viruses or cancers and rob us of goodness, leaving behind death and destruction. Their focus lies solely on what they can take with no regard for the havoc they wreak.

Despite our circumstances, we are each called to walk in a manner worthy of our calling. In our personal, spiritual, professional and social lives, we must strive to consistently live in ways that promote unity and keep our focus on the Lord. Even if the world around us crumbles into disarray, we can lead lives that reflect God and His divine purpose. I pray that the Lord empowers us to live such lives.

God Bless You

4 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, ² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, ³ being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. ⁴ There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

⁷ But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸ Therefore ^[a]it says,

“When He ascended on high,
He led captive a host of captives,
And He gave gifts to men.”

⁹ (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what ^[b]does it mean except that He also ^[c]had descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) ¹¹ And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, ¹² for the equipping of the ^[d]saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the ^[e]knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature ^[f]which belongs to the fullness of Christ. ^14 [g]As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness ^[h]in deceitful scheming; ¹⁵ but ^[i]speaking the truth in love, ^[j]we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together ^[k]by what every joint supplies, according to the ^[l]proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

It is not enough to merely know who God is and be aware of the history of Jesus and His sacrifice. We must cultivate a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. This truth resonated deeply with Paul, igniting his commitment to defending and spreading this message to anyone who would listen. Throughout his ministry, Paul endured incredible hardships, as he recounts in 2 Corinthians 11: “I have toiled tirelessly, been imprisoned frequently, endured countless beatings, and faced death repeatedly.” (2 Corinthians 11:16)

So, what drove Paul to minister with such unwavering intensity, risking his life day after day? He reveals to the Ephesians that his fervor stems from a desire to help them – and all believers – experience the fullness of God’s blessings. Paul longed for those who heard the word to receive the boundless riches of God’s glory and to be strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit. His ultimate goal was for each person who embraced Christ to intimately know Him and follow Him with a faith firmly grounded and rooted in love.

Above all, Paul yearned for every chosen individual to truly grasp the immense gift they had received. He wanted us all to embrace the immeasurable breadth, length, height, and depth of the Lord’s love so that we might be filled to overflowing with the fullness of God. Paul, having personally tasted the richness of knowing the Lord, wanted to share this abundant experience with everyone he encountered.

In our own lives, we too can experience this richness by surrendering control to God and allowing Him to lead us. Similar to Paul’s journey, such faith comes at a cost. We will inevitably face trials and tribulations, grapple with unsettling questions, and encounter challenging emotions. We will taste the pain and sorrow that accompanies a life centered on others. Yet, in the end, we will also discover the extraordinary richness and fullness that result from inviting Christ Jesus to dwell within us and fill us to overflowing.God Bless You.

---

⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom ^[l]every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the ^[m]saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

²⁰ Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, ²¹ to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations ^[n]forever and ever. Amen.

From both the world’s perspective and a Jewish perspective,  Paul seemed to have received an unfair deal. He was an “up and comer” in Jewish culture, trained by Gamaliel – the “Rabbi to the stars.” Paul was a young Pharisee who gained fame and prestige as the enforcer against the heretical Jesus of Nazareth followers. However, during a trip to Damascus to round up these upstarts, Saul met Jesus and became one of them.

If that was not enough, he started preaching to Gentiles all over Europe and Asia, causing a stir among his newfound friends in the church. He started Gentile churches everywhere, which upset the folks back in Jerusalem. The truth is, Paul had it right. God intended to draw all people back to himself. He did not set the nation of Israel apart to form a social club, but to be His ambassadors to the rest of the world. Through Abraham, God would reunite the remainder to a personal relationship with Him.

Paul sensed the irony more than most, as he was on a mission to wipe out this movement. Instead, God took the least likely human and made him the tool to spread His gospel across the globe. This is the same God who used a woman who had been barren for 90+ years to build His nation of priests, a murderous Egyptian prince turned fugitive and shepherd to free and build His people, and a shepherd boy with a handful of rocks to kill a nine foot tall super warrior.

God focuses on using the least likely but best-equipped to complete His plan. It is this proven model that gave Paul the confidence to pour out his life for the Gospel. God wants His chosen to accept the amazing grace and all-powerful Spirit that He provides to empower and propel us into a life of ministry and service. Paul grasped it and even in the midst of persecution and scorn, he was able to spread the gospel all over the Mediterranean, to Rome and then to the world.

We can also take heart that, like Paul, we are chosen by God to execute His plan in our lives. We are each uniquely qualified to reach our world for Him. Our unique journeys provide an audience and a message that God can use to change lives. We, like Paul, need only accept that it is God and not us leading the mission. If we do, it really does not matter what others think or how odd our service may seem. That is God’s business and we can joyfully accept it and walk in confidence that He will prepare us to complete the mission He has set before us!

God bless you

The plan was masterful. God demonstrated His love for all people by completing the work He had planned for His chosen people, Israel, to accomplish. In Exodus 19, God tells Moses His plan: “Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. You shall speak these words to the sons of Israel” (Exodus 19:5-6).

Jesus’ sacrifice united all people. He became the cornerstone of a united kingdom where there is neither Jew nor Gentile, only the adopted children of God. In addition, the relationship between people and God transformed from a national one to a personal one. As Paul pointed out in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

As a united people, we are given the opportunity to release our grip on life and turn control over to the master designer and executor of plans. When God is in control, He leads us to a life of transformation from defeated people to fulfilled and purposeful evangelists and disciples. We remain focused on Him and His plan, and He continues His work in us until we join Him in Heaven or in the air!

God has always loved us. As His creation, He has done everything to assure that we can spend eternity in fellowship with Him and with the entire body of believers. We must choose each day to relinquish control of our lives and allow God to lead us through the power of His Spirit. As we do, the tools the enemy employs to divide us will be of no use, as we remain united in Christ, our Cornerstone.God bless you.

---

¹¹ Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— ¹² remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, ^[i]excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off ^[j]have been brought near ^[k]by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the ^[l]barrier of the dividing wall, ^15 [m]by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might ^[n]make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, ¹⁶ and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, ^[o]by it having put to death the enmity. ¹⁷ And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; ¹⁸ for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the ^[p]saints, and are of God’s household, ²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy ^[q]temple in the Lord, ²² in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.