Welcome to Youngsville Free Methodist Church

Although it’s one continuous thought, Paul highlights several different roles of Christ in today’s reading.    Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, Father and High Priest.

The quick read through 1 Peter leaves me with the impression that the people of Turkey were being persecuted, or asked to suffer in some way. 

I have witnessed Pastors resigning their position in the church based on what this letter contains.    Should they have done that?   You decide.

It’s not hard to read the Bible in a year if you simply read one book a day….wow.     Six whole chapters in one day.   Okay, here we go….

Toward the end of the letter Paul asks a particular person to help him bring harmony back to the church by repairing a relationship between two women.   I wonder how many churches have been crippled or killed because the devil used this same attack on them?

As I have often said this year, one blog entry won’t scratch the surface of what’s contained in Ephesians.   I think I’ll just make some notes as I read.  Maybe if I ever look back at this again, I’ll be able to remember what caught my attention that day.

Just found this out in my study today…. within 10 years of the time that Paul wrote these letters (possibly less than 5 years)  there was a huge earthquake in Turkey that wiped out Colossae, Laodicea and Hierapolis (another nearby town).   It’s very likely that Philemon died in this tragedy, along with other Christians.  The towns were never rebuilt.

The last two chapters in Acts we learn that Paul travels to Rome after a dangerous sailing adventure, and then spends two years ministering out of his private apartment in Rome.   It doesn’t sound much like prison…more like house arrest.  

As Paul is on trial at several different locations the case is delayed for a ridiculous amount of time.  It would appear that justice has been shortchanged and Paul is the victim of politics.   That is, until you consider that this is exactly how Jesus wanted it to play out.

It’s only one line, and it really doesn’t add anything to our doctrine….but I hadn’t seen it before and somehow knowing it made me feel closer to the story.