1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:14,120 Speaker 2: Hello, thank you for listening to your Daily Bible Verse, 3 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:17,639 Speaker 2: the podcast that examines one verse each day to learn 4 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 2: more about God and his will for us. I'm your host, 5 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 2: Jennifer Slattery, and after this short word from our sponsors, 6 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 2: we'll dive into today's Bible verse, Ephesians two six. Today's 7 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:42,960 Speaker 2: Bible verse is Ephesians two six, and God raised us 8 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:45,879 Speaker 2: up with Christ and seated us with him in the 9 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 2: heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. I imagine we've all attended 10 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 2: events with assigned seating and found ourselves relegated to a 11 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 2: far back table about as far from the host, guest speaker, 12 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 2: or quote unquote cool people as humanly possible. We've probably 13 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,880 Speaker 2: also experienced that queasy stomach feeling of walking into a 14 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:12,120 Speaker 2: formal banquet hall where it seems everyone knows and feels 15 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 2: comfortable with someone everyone that is, but you. A few 16 00:01:16,959 --> 00:01:20,040 Speaker 2: years ago, someone with whom my husband had previously been 17 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 2: estranged invited him an eye to a wedding. This person 18 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:27,119 Speaker 2: also invited and maintained a close relationship with a group 19 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 2: of people who made it clear they weren't pleased to 20 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 2: see us. Needless to say, this led to an awkward 21 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 2: evening of us doing our best to remain friendly, cooperative, 22 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 2: and non threatening while trying not to take the unkind 23 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:45,680 Speaker 2: behavior exhibited by some of the guests. Personal I find 24 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 2: it comforting to know that's not how Jesus treats us. 25 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 2: As today's Birst states, he not only invites us to 26 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 2: join him, but according to today's passage, the Father has 27 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 2: allready seated us at the table of honor with our Savior. 28 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 2: And to quote Bible teacher Heather Holman, no matter where 29 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 2: you sit, you won't miss anything end quote. This was 30 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 2: the message. Paul, the first century church planter who wrote 31 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 2: the letter now called Ephesians, wanted the relatively new believers 32 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:23,400 Speaker 2: in ancient emphasis to understand prior to this beautiful declaration. 33 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:29,080 Speaker 2: He spent an entire chapter letting these men and women 34 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 2: know just how precious they were to Christ. Must have 35 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 2: been deeply comforting, considering many of them probably carried significant 36 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 2: wounds and shame from having spent their lives prior in 37 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 2: a pagan, highly self centered culture. The Lord preserved his 38 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 2: words to provide us with that same comfort, that same assurance. 39 00:02:53,240 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 2: As Ephesians Chapter one states, were not rejected overlooked or 40 00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 2: simply tolerated, were chosen, adopted into God's family, loved and 41 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 2: lavished with grace. According to Chapter two, that grace changed 42 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 2: us and transported us from the kingdom of darkness, ruled 43 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 2: by the devil who's bent on our destruction, and into 44 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:19,639 Speaker 2: the kingdom of light. We are now children of Light, 45 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:24,520 Speaker 2: of goodness, holiness, love, and life. Whereas we used to 46 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:27,959 Speaker 2: be spiritually dead, disconnected from God, and often one another, 47 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 2: heading toward in pre self destruction, in Christ, we came alive, 48 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,760 Speaker 2: stepped out of our grave clothes, and are now clothed 49 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 2: from the top of our heads to the tip of 50 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:42,560 Speaker 2: our toes in grace, a grace secured through our faith 51 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 2: in Christ and his death and resurrection. Thanks to Him, 52 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 2: we have unhindered access to the Father who granted us 53 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 2: a seat at the most valued table in all eternities, 54 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 2: secured for us through the costliest payment his life, which 55 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:02,520 Speaker 2: leads to another powerful truth alluded to in today's verse, 56 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 2: the fact that Jesus is seeded. You see, in ancient Judaism, 57 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 2: priests never sat. There weren't any chairs in the temple, 58 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 2: signifying that the priest's work was never done. They always 59 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 2: had another sacrifice to perform until Jesus, through his death 60 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:24,919 Speaker 2: and resurrection, he made the final payment in essence, with 61 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 2: a blank check for the sins of all mankind past 62 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:34,360 Speaker 2: and present, stating with his last breath, it is finished. 63 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 2: But that's not all today's verse signifies. Consider what Paul 64 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 2: wrote to the Ephesians in Chapter one. Starting with the 65 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 2: second half of verse nineteen, continuing through verse twenty one, 66 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:49,200 Speaker 2: reread that power is the same as the mighty strength 67 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 2: he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and 68 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 2: seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 69 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,840 Speaker 2: far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and 70 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,159 Speaker 2: every name that is invoked, not only in the present age, 71 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 2: but also in the one to come. And we are 72 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 2: at this moment seated with him, which means we are 73 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:11,719 Speaker 2: also far above the forces of darkness in this broken world. 74 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 2: In essence, we're out of reach, held secure at the 75 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 2: banquet table with our Lord. Here's the application. Some questions 76 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 2: for you to prayerfully consider. Ask God how this truth 77 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 2: can impact your day faith and confidence. 78 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: How might your life, interactions and encounters change if you 79 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: learn to view yourself as seated in a place of 80 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:42,839 Speaker 1: honor beside your Lord, not just invited, but seated at 81 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: the cool table for all eternity, far above this world's 82 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: chaos and drama. And in what situations might you most 83 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 1: need to reflect on that truth? Let's pray, Holy Father, 84 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:02,480 Speaker 1: we are so grateful that you preserve these truths in 85 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:05,880 Speaker 1: Scripture for us to reflect on, for us to take in. 86 00:06:06,240 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 1: Sometimes it's challenging to rest in who we truly are 87 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: in Christ, who we are to you, how you view us, 88 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:16,120 Speaker 1: And so we ask for your help. Help us to 89 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 1: view ourselves through your eyes. Help us to offer ourselves 90 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: the same grace that you bestow upon us when we 91 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:32,880 Speaker 1: feel rejected, excluded, mistreated. Remind us that we always have 92 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:37,840 Speaker 1: a seat at your table. Speak your words of truth, 93 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 1: of love, of grace deep into our souls. Remind us 94 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 1: of what Scripture says about us. Throughout the day, May 95 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:50,040 Speaker 1: versus come to mind, and when they do, may we 96 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:52,479 Speaker 1: pause and just take a moment to ask you to 97 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: help them sink deeply. Help us to fully grasp your 98 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 1: love for us. And we thank thank you for the 99 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 1: love that you displayed when you sent your son, our Savior, 100 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:08,359 Speaker 1: to die in our place. We are so grateful for that, 101 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:11,680 Speaker 1: and it is in his name that we pray. Amen. 102 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 3: Looking for a peaceful way to end your day, Our 103 00:07:19,480 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 3: new sister show. 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