For His Service

Study and learn. Be changed.  Ephesians 2 Made Alive in Christ 1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9...

Nothing changes us like His word. Nothing heals us like His word.  Nothing leads to deliverance like His word, for He is the Word (John 1:1) .  Therefore, I am going to share a Bible study on Ephesians in hope you will study it by yourself or with a friend. God bless you.   Ephesians 1 New International Version 1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To God’s holy people in Ephesus,[a] the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[b] predestined us for adoption to sonship[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given u...

Hosea’s Reconciliation With His Wife 3  The Lord said to me, “Go, show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress. Love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes. ” 2  So I bought her for fifteen shekels [ a ] of silver and about a homer and a lethek [ b ] of barley. 3  Then I told her, “You are to live with me many days; you must not be a prostitute or be intimate with any man, and I will behave the same way toward you.” 4  For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or household gods. 5  Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days. Hosea 4 New International Version (NIV) The Charge Against Israel 4  Hear the word of the Lord , you Israe...

Main Theme: God’s faithful love toward His unfaithful people.   Story in a nut shell: Hosea married a woman who bore him 3 kids, & then deserted him & became a prostitute. - He finally buys her back from the slave market. - This was a sermon to the nation of Israel, for committing “spiritual adultery”.   It is the prodigal wife.   God loves us so much that even when we’ve betrayed His love, He comes looking for us. He buys us back, takes us home, cleans us up and keeps loving us.   1The state of Israel - Israel was split into 2 kingdoms. The Northern Kingdom was called Israel and its capital was Samaria (Ephraim in N. Kingdom) .     Southern Kingdom was Judah and its capital was Jerusalem).   Israel ‘s 1 st king was Jeroboam who set us shrines to worship calves at Bethel and Dan (1 King 12: 25-31.   Israel took pride in its wealth. Spiritually and morally Israel was a wreck. The country’s leaders were corrupt, and crime soa...