So I am laying in bed with the intention to go to sleep and the “address” to two verses come to mind, Philippians 5:18 and Ephesians 3:12. So I jotted them down to ensure that I didn’t forget them and went to sleep. My alarm went off at 5:30 AM this morning as it does everyday, but I was not actually planning to get up at that time. However when it went off, I believed that it was my son calling. Due to the nature of my confusion, I was a little more alert than I may have normally been. In that state, I heard an invitation in my spirit, “Gary, do you want to come and hang out in my Word? I have somethings that I want to show you about the verses that I gave you last night.” I did not “jump up” immediately. He then gently said, “I will be waiting when you are ready.“ That was enough to get me up and moving. Of course when I did get up, I realized there is no Philippians 5:18. Thus I went to the next chapter and verse 18, which was Colossians.

I can assure you that I have not even scratched the surface of fully processing the depths of these verses, but seeing how they are so intertwined with these and some many other verses was simply amazing! Will I share publicly all that He ultimately reveals to me? Honestly, I don’t know. Could one or both of these eventually be featured in an episode of my podcast? Possibly. However, I want to challenge you to learn to hear the voice of The Master for yourself. I want to encourage to take a few simple steps – 

• INTENTIONALLY set aside some time to spend time with Him and His Word.
• Put on some worship music playing softly.
• Get your Bible and a notebook and pen.  
• Pray this simple prayer “Father, I invite the Holy Spirit to come and be my teacher and guide. As I read, study and meditate on your Word, give me eyes to see, ears to hear, a mind to understand and a heart to receive the mysteries of your Word that you want to reveal to me, Teach me your ways so that I might I be made more and more into your image. In Jesus name AMEN.
• Take your time and read and meditate on the primary verses, but also on the ones under each phrase. As you read and meditate, keep your ears, mind and heart open. THE LORD WILL SPEAK! He will “Show you great and mighty things that you do not know.” 
• Write what He shows you down!!  Then take time to process it and respond to it in prayer, journaling or both, 
• Do NOT feel it is necessary to complete this whole study in one sitting, Pause when you need to and come back to revisit it.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,   Ephesians 1:18

‘I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.’  Ephesians 1:16-19

A Dive into Colossians 1:17-18  and Ephesians 3:11-12 

“He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. ”  Colossians 1:17-18 

• “He is BEFORE all things / He is the beginning, – 
  • He exists outside of time as we know it, He is ETERNAL, No beginning and no end.
  • ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ‘  Genesis 1:1
  • ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ‘ John 1:1
  • ‘he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ‘ Ephesians 1:20-22

• He is the supreme being and should be honored and respected as such.
• ‘“You shall have no other gods before me. ‘    Exodus 20:3
• ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ‘ Deuteronomy 6:5
• ‘Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. ‘ Matthew 22:37-38

•  in Him all things hold together
  • ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’  Acts 17:28
  • ‘ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ‘   John 15:5
  • ‘Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. ‘ 

Ephesians 4:15-16

• ‘And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.’

Ephesians 1:22-23

• He is also the head of the body, the church
  • And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,   Ephesians 1:22
  • Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.   Ephesians 4:15
  • … Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.  Ephesians 5:23

• the firstborn from the dead
  • and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,   Revelation 1:5
  • that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”Acts 26:23
  • But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.1 Corinthians 15:20

• He Himself will come to have first place in everything
  • ‘Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’  Hebrews 12:1-2
  • But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.Matthew 6:33

“This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. ”  Ephesians 3:11-12 

• “This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord
  •  ‘so that everyone who believes will have eternal life in Him. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. ‘  John 3:15-17
  • ‘For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. ‘  1 Peter 1:18,20-21

• in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. ”
  • ‘Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.’  Hebrews 4:16
  • ‘Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. ‘ Hebrews 10:19-22
  • ‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. ‘   Ephesians 2:8-9
  • ‘Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. ‘  Romans 5:1-2

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