Ephesians 2: “Remember” (Kevin does a little thought rambling)

Ephesians 2:11: Starts off with, “Wherefore remember…” In context, Paul is reminding the saved of where these people came from: from being “dead in their sins and trespasses;” of being “…called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;…” That was a derisive term used by the Israelites of any nonJew. Paul is stating that thru JESUS CHRIST, and the work HE did on the cross, there is no longer that division. Essentially, the only division now are the saved or the lost (unsaved). Believers and Unbelievers. Or, as Adrian Rogers used to put it, the Saints and the Ain’ts. All fall under one of those two categories: either you are Heaven bound or Lake of Fire bound, regardless of your nationality. Paul goes on to make it very plain that GOD has provided the gift of life FREELY to all who will believe. (Ephesians 2:8)

So, verse 11 has the word,  remember. I did a little study this morning, on that word. Some fun connections were made, just in the Bible alone.

Connecting the Old Testament and the New

In the Old Testament, the LORD commanded Israel to remember that they were slaves in Egypt before HE brought them out of the land of slavery.

Deuteronomy 5:15 
And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and [that] the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

All along, GOD has always been commanding HIS chosen people: “remember from whence you came.”

“by a stretched out arm”

I’m reminded, JESUS stretched out HIS arms wide on the cross, taking my sin, and my hell from me and in my place. (and your’s too, if you believe.) 

“a mighty hand ”

GOD told Moses (as a type of CHRIST) to stretch out HIS arms over the Red Sea, and GOD parted the waters there in the presence of the Israel and their enemy. (Exodus 14:16) Unlike Moses, GOD’s arms never age or grow tired, they are never weary. HIS arms are able to carry out anything and everything HE so desires, and HE desired us enough to stretch out HIS arms on the cross. ► Kevin’s Komment: that last phrase is worth thinking about! ☺ ◄

Isaiah 41:10: It is by the mighty right hand of the LORD that HE helps us. The right hand is a place of power, authority and strength. JESUS is now, at the “right hand of the throne of GOD, “ (Hebrews 4:12) and will someday establish HIS power, authority and strength bodily on the earth. Before that, of course, is that every believer in JESUS CHRIST the LORD, is looking for the day when HE comes and calls us out of the dust from which we are buried, to meet HIM in the air, to live eternally with HIM.

So, I’ve gone from connecting remembering to stretched out arm to the mighty hand of GOD.

Guess I do not have a particular point to make here, but I sure do like the way the Bible leads me in all kinds of fun directions. Studying the Bible never grows old.

Judas Chose The Wrong Tree

James Kennedy radio show on 9 April 2009, re: Judas the Betrayer

Judas' last, final, wrong decision is that he "went to the wrong tree." He went to the tree of death. He could've gone, instead, to the Tree of Life, hanging on a tree already. Already willing to save any sinner, no matter how unclean and vile. Yet, Judas chose the tree of death.

Which tree do you choose? I choose the Tree of Life, that is, JESUS CHRIST Himself! Only HE can save. It is what HE came to do. It was His purpose for leaving Heaven and coming to live among us in the 1st place. All the miracles HE performed were not to show us that we can acheive miracle performing status but the miracles pointed to who HE is: the promised Messiah/Christ of the Old Testament. He fulfilled the promise completely, dying on our behalf. He became sin for us, even though HE never knew sin. His death was NOT the end, though. He arose out of the grave 3 days later, early on the 1st day of the week (Sunday), and proved that 4ever is banished death and hell for all who will believe on HIM.

Deut 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: