Athanasius was born in the late third century A.D. (295). Little is known about his family or educational background, except that he was trained for the ministry at the historic center in Alexandria, Egypt. He had a great passion for God and his Word, which inspired...
The aim of pastoral ministry is to shepherd the people of God toward Christ that they may be formed into His image. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For...
Ephesians 6:23-24, “Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.” In the last devotional I mentioned that while we often blow past the opening...
Ephesians 6:21-22, “So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage...
Ephesians 5:18-19, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,” “Be filled with the Spirit” (Eph 5:18)....
Ephesians 4:11, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers…”. As part of the overflow of his amazing grace toward his people (Eph 2:1-10), Jesus gave five offices to the church, four of which are mentioned in Ephesians 4:11...
Ephesians 3:20-21, “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” (Ephesians 3:20-21). ...
“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...
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). By the grace of God, Paul masterfully displays in Ephesians 1:1-9 how every Christian and the body of Christ as a whole...
Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places…” I am persuaded that one of Paul’s goals in Ephesians, particularly in the first three chapters, is to stun his...
Matthew 7:7-11, “7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him...
Matthew 6:16-18, “16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,...
Perhaps more than anything, our prayer life reveals the true state of our relationship with God. Because this is so, Jesus wants everyone who follows him to understand the nature of prayer and to practice it in such a way that it glorifies God and nourishes their...
After Jesus had been baptized and blessed by God the Father and God the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:13-17), he endured the fierce temptations of the devil (4:1-11), began his ministry (4:12-17) and called his first disciples (4:18-22). Sometime after this, he went...
1 Peter 1:17-19, “And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with...