Praise (Blessed) God - Ephsians 1:3

"Praise the LORD!" How many times have you heard that in church? How many times has that word been on your lips? I think it is interesting that we probably often read over that word so quickly we miss it. (At least, I do at times, you?) The word here most often is translated as 'blessed" in other English translations of the Bible (King James Version, The Message, New American Standard Bible, etc.) When we typically here the word 'blessed' we tend to think of the Beattitudes (Matthew 5:1-12 - i.e. 'Blessed are the...') But this is a different word! While the Beattitude's 'blessed' is about character, this 'blessed' is about repute or 'to be well spoken of'. In the New Testament it is used only of God. I think a proper setting for this study on the book of Ephesians is beginning with this word 'Praise' (NIV), or 'Blessed' (The Message). It brings a couple of questions to my mind: How often do you approach God as 'the one to be praised' compared to approaching HIM in haste as 'the one to be ordered' to your list of wants? Wow, that hurt! Let's not leave with pain. How about this question? How should you approach God, the one who Paul addresses in verse 1 as 'the God who has willed Paul's life (and yours and mine?) Take courage, HE wants you to come in an attitude of praise, recognizing HIM for who HE really is. May I invite you to do just that, right now? Spend 15 seconds in prayer right now. Reminding yourself, just how wonderful this God is and how much HE deserves our praise! This approach to God implies a real sense of grace experienced, just as Paul did! Experience HIS grace today, this week, forever - "Praise the LORD!" Amen? Amen! (Thanks to Marvins Vincent's 'Word Study in the New Testament' book and to Jamieson, Faucet & Brown's 'Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible' for help on that!)

Eat this!!!

I saw a church website that had the title "Eat This!" on it. Of course it was wanting to get their people into the word (the Bible) more. I absolutely love the Word of God. I love reading it, studying it, and sharing it. I love teaching the Word of God. I love preaching the Word of God. Have I said that I love the Word. It should be no surprise that my favorite bible verse is Joshua 1:8 "Do not let this book of law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." A close second favorite verse Philippians 3:10-11 "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead." And finally, to finish off my top three. Psalm 1:2-3 "...his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." Oh how I love the Word of God. So I want to grow and ask you to come on the journey with me! Will you? My goal is to write every week or two and base each post on some Scriptural thought. I am going to start with Ephesians. May God bless our journey and may HE be our guide. I look forward to our journey together and invite you to comment. My wife, Bettina, will be joining us on the adventure by blogging her responses here also. She had great wisdom and is an incredible asset to my ministry. She always adds great thoughts to help fill the gaps where I sometimes leave major holes. :) So the journey begins...