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March 5 - Ephesians 6 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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  Hello friends, it's shown here. It is Tuesday, it is the 5th of
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  March and I'm glad to have your company.
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  How are you doing? Yeah well that's great.
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  Well that's terrible and I'm so sorry.
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  Or wherever you are in between those two extremes.
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  OHP, today is a good day today. Today we finished the book of
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  Ephesians and the last chapter, Chapter 6.
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  It is as my boys would say, it's a banger.
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  It is full of fantastic stuff. We're going to get to cover the
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  whole armour of God. We're going to have a a
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  quintessential Paul greeting at the end of his book, filled with
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  sentimentality. And it's going to start off
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  finishing what it began yesterday with some practical
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  advice to households. So this is just a chapter so
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  full of such good stuff. And what I love about reading in
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  the New Living Translation is so often.
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  I don't know about you, friend, but I have been reading the NIV
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  my whole life, and these and and also the Super literal New
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  Revised Standard Edition, etcetera.
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  But reading it in the New Living Translation, it just it breathes
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  life into these texts in a way that catches me off guard.
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  And these verses that I've heard so many times, and I love
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  reading it in the New Living Translation just just somehow
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  opens it up for me in a way that that is fresh and surprises me
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  often. So I always look forward to
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  reading some of my favourite passages in this translation.
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  So do you want to do it with me? You do.
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  Oh, I'm so glad. Otherwise this would have been a
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  bit awkward. Yes, let us read it together.
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  Ephesians chapter 6. Children, obey your parents
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  because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to
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  do. Honour your father and mother.
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  This is the first commandment with a promise.
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  If you honour your father and mother, things will go well for
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  you and you will have a long life on the earth.
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  Fathers, to not provoke your children to anger by the way you
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  treat them, Rather bring them up with the discipline and
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  instruction that comes from the Lord.
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  Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and
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  fear. Serve them sincerely as you
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  would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time,
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  not just when they're watching you as slaves of Christ.
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  Do the will of God with all your heart work with enthusiasm as
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  though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
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  Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the
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  good we do, whether we are slaves or free masters.
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  Treat your slaves in the same way, don't threaten them.
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  Remember, you both have the same master in heaven and he has no
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  favourites. A final word, be strong in the
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  Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God's armour so
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  that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of
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  the devil. For we are not fighting against
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  flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and
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  authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this
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  Dark World, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
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  Therefore, put on every piece of God's armour so you will be able
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  to resist the enemy in the time of evil.
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  Then after the battle, you will still be standing firm, stand
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  your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armour of
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  God's righteousness for shoes. Put on the piece that comes from
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  the good News, so that you will be fully prepared.
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  In addition to all these, hold up the shield of faith to stop
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  the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet
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  and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
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  God. Pray in the Spirit at all times
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  and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in
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  your prayers for all believers everywhere and pray for me too.
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  Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain
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  God's mysterious plan that the good news is for Jews and
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  Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still
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  preaching this message as God's ambassador, so pray that I will
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  keep on speaking boldly for him as I should.
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  To bring you up to date. Tikis will give you a full
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  report about what I'm doing and how I'm getting along.
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  He is a beloved brother and faithful helper in the Lord's
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  work. I've sent him to you for this
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  very purpose, to let you know how we are doing and to
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  encourage you. Peace be with you, dear brothers
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  and sisters, and May God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
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  give you love with faithfulness. May God's grace be eternally
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  upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.
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  Lord, thank you for this book of Ephesians.
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  Thank you for the truth that you communicate to us through it.
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  And thank you for the way Paul writes.
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  Thank you that he is in chains and struggling.
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  But what does he do? He just shares your profound
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  encouragement with his friends and he doesn't pray that his
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  suffering would stop. He doesn't pray that he would
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  have an easy ride. He praised that he would
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  continue to be faithful to you and to share your good news with
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  the people he encounters. Lord, shape our hearts as well,
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  that we would see that there is so much that lies beyond our own
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  comfort. And so often our days are spent
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  trying to better ourselves and our own situation.
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  But here you point us to your greater mission, to say that
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  sharing your love and the good news about what you do for
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  everyone, irrespective of who we are, that that is the most
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  precious thing that we can do. So give us your boldness, give
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  us your words to share with those people who will encounter
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  today. We could really use the news
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  that they are loved and whole in a year because of what you've
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  done for them. Jesus.
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  Oh, that's going to take some boldness and courage.
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  So, Holy Spirit, well up in US that we would be mighty
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  ambassadors for your Kingdom today.
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  But ultimately, no matter how today goes, we'll know that we
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  rest secure in your love and your grace.
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  So we pray this all in your loving name, Jesus.
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  Amen.