Gary Gleans

But   grace was given   to each one of us   according to the measure of Christ's gift.    Therefore it says,  “When he ascended on high   he led a host of captives,   and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into   the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also   ascended   far above all the heavens, that he might   fill all things.)   And   he gave the   apostles, the prophets, the   evangelists, the   shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for   building up   the body of Christ, until we all attain to   the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,   to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of   the fullness of Christ,   so that we may no longer be children,   tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in   deceitful schemes.     Rather,   speaking the truth in love, we are to   g

I therefore,   a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to   walk in a manner worthy of   the calling to which you have been called,   with all   humility and   gentleness, with   patience,   bearing with one another in love,   eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in   the bond of peace.   There is   one body and   one Spirit—just as you were called to the one   hope that belongs to your call—one Lord,   one faith,   one baptism,   one God and Father of all,   who is over all and through all and in all.   Putting Jews and Gentiles together is kind of like putting cats and dogs together.  Attempts to unite people that are from such diverse backgrounds can be difficult to say the least.  It is a good thing that the supernatural power of the Spirit is behind this effort.  The truth is that uniting any group of two or more people will be a challenge in this sin-cursed world.  Families, churches, businesses, ministries, neighborhoods, and communities all struggle to work together in a product

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,   from whom   every family in heaven and on earth is named,  that according to   the riches of his glory   he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit   in your inner being,   so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being   rooted and   grounded in love,   may have strength to   comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and   height and depth,   and to know the love of Christ   that surpasses knowledge, that   you may be filled with all   the fullness of God.    Now to   him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,   according to the power at work within us,   to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Understanding of biblical doctrines require careful reflection, profound study, and super-natural illumination from the Spirit of God.  This why Bible study and prayer must go hand-in-han

Of this gospel I was made   a minister according to the gift of   God's grace, which was given me   by the working of his power.    To me,   though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given,   to preach to the Gentiles the   unsearchable   riches of Christ,   and   to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery   hidden for ages in God,   who created all things,   so that through the church the manifold   wisdom of God   might now be made known to   the rulers and authorities   in the heavenly places.    This was   according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,   in whom we have   boldness and   access with   confidence through our   faith in him.    So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering   for you,   which is your glory.   Knowing the Gospel is a grace for which every believer should be eternally grateful.  However, having the honor of being a minister of the Gospel is a grace that is stacked on to

For this reason I, Paul,   a prisoner of Christ Jesus   on behalf of you Gentiles— assuming that you have heard of   the stewardship of   God's grace that was given to me for you,   how the mystery was made known to me   by revelation,   as I have written briefly.   When you read this, you can perceive my insight into   the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.    This mystery is that the Gentiles are   fellow heirs,   members of the same body, and   partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.   When we think of mysteries, we usually think of some sort of crime that has not yet been solved or something that is mysterious, like from the twilight zone.  That is not how Paul uses the word in this passage.  The basic questions about this mystery are answered in this passage.   TO WHOM WAS THE MYSTERY REVEALED? The obvious answer to this question is

Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called   the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember   that you were at that time separated from Christ,   alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to   the covenants of promise,   having no hope and without God in the world.    But now in Christ Jesus you who once were   far off have been brought near   by the blood of Christ.    For   he himself is our peace,   who has made us both one and has broken down   in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility   by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in   ordinances, that he might create in himself one   new man in place of the two, so making peace,   and might   reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.    And he came and   preached peace to you who were   far off and peace to those who were   near.   For   through him we both have   access in   one Spiri

                                                              Ephesians 2:1-10 And you were   dead in the trespasses and sins   in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following   the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in   the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in   the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and   were by nature   children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.  But God, being   rich in mercy,   because of the great love with which he loved us,   even   when we were dead in our trespasses,   made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and   seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,   so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable   riches of his grace in   kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.    For   by grace you have been saved   through faith. And this is   not your own doing;   it is the gift of

                                                                                            Ephesians 1:15-23 For this reason,   because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints,   I   do not cease to give thanks for you,   remembering you in my prayers,   that   the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,   may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,   having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is   the hope to which he has called you, what are   the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,   and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe,   according to the working of   his great might   that he worked in Christ   when he raised him from the dead and   seated him at his right hand   in the heavenly places,   far above   all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above   every name that is named, not only in   this age but also in the