Wednesday, March 7, 2018



"For this reason I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles- if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,"  Ephesians3:1-2 NKJV

According to" Vine's Dictionary of Old  and New Testament Words" dispensation"  in this verse means stewardship. Paul says that this calling is for him to fulfill the word of God, by building the body of Christ, meaning the church. If we read Ephesians 1:10  we see it explained like this.

"that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth- in Him."

Paul explains to the Ephesians church why he was sent. To proclaim the gospel and to teach about the body being built together as one.{Amplified Bible} God placed this anointing on Paul, so that the work of God would be established. 

Let's step back and remember who this man was before he met Jesus. He was given papers from the Jewish Officials to put those who preached the gospel in jail. He vehemently opposed anyone who spoke about the Lord. I think anyone who is willing to go into other cities to drag believers to jail has to be a radical.

Paul was convinced that those who preached the gospel were infidels and needed to be stopped. Does God have a sense of humor or what? God takes the most rugged, devout Jew and opens his eyes about who he is, the One and Only True Son of God!

Our God is more loving, and compassionate than we could ever dream him to be. He sees this Paul, who is sincere in his pursuit of righteousness, yet without the relationship to the Savior. He doesn't knock him off his horse to hurt him, but to take every bit of his radical nature and make him a man after God's own heart.

We don't have compassion like that, but God saw the man, and knew his need, and used him to build the Kingdom.  This man has penned more than half of the new Testament! God is doing such things all the time. He transforms lives like the potter does the clay.

Here we read that the one who pursued believers for harm, now loves the same people who he once hated. He is a steward of the gentiles, a servant to help the ones he once had no use for. How great is our God! He turns darkness into light, and mountains into valleys!


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