A Trailer

Good morning everyone. I don't really have a blog for you today, more of a trailer for what we will be considering over the next few months. Keep in mind that it took us six months to walk through Colossians . Maybe that surprises you. Maybe you didn't even realize that the blogs I write are written from systematically reading through one book of the Bible at a time. Well, there you go; now you know.

There are two books that fascinate me; Ephesians and 2 Timothy. The reason is because there was a lot of stuff going on in Apostle Paul's life. Several of Paul's key leaders had abandoned him while he was sitting imprisoned in Rome. Much of the Church in Asia Minor also seems to have turned their back on him, including the church of Ephesus. This is significant because Paul's largest ministry took place in this area. Also, his friend and spiritual son, Timothy, had some kind of oversight in Ephesus.

So here Paul was, in the middle of his trial before Caesar, unable to return to those he loved and deal with this type of rebellion that was taking place. Paul did the only thing he could do; he reached out with a letter. So what does a man say to a rebellious lot of children who were beyond his reach? What last parting words of wisdom does he share with his friend who must deal with the trouble without him. What great words did the Holy Spirit anoint Paul with to reach out in love and grace?

Some scholars will disagree with my perspective. There are some who believe Paul was released and may have been re-arrested at a later date. There are others who believe Paul was released and quietly faded into history. But there are always elements of truths in traditional stories and the traditional teaching handed down throughout the ages was that Paul was arrested, stood on trial before Caesar, was found guilty and executed in Rome. This is the perspective from which I am approaching these letters. If you have a different one that is fine because it is the anointed Word and the lessons derived from it through the Spirit of God that is what is significant. It helps to understand the context but does not change God's intent for what he has to say.

There are no promises how long this journey will take us; it depends on what the Spirit has to say through my blog each day but I promise it will have a significant impact on your walk with Jesus. It is an easy thing for me to promise because when we approach the Word in the Spirit, there is always a significant impact. I am glad you are joining me on this journey. Let's start by reading through Ephesians and 2 Timothy today and then we will start in on Ephesians tomorrow. May the Lord bless this day of the Word, worship and fellowship, and us in it.