Well, good morning. It is Saturday, December 7th, 2024, and welcome once again to our daily Bible reading. Today we are going to continue pressing on through our chronological reading in these last few days. of December, picking up in Ephesians chapter 3 verse 1 and reading to chapter 5 verse 14. So let's get into the word today. December 7th, 2024. Picking up in Ephesians chapter 3 verse 1 to 13, God's secret plan revealed. 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, how that revelation How by that revelation he made known to me the mystery, as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs of the same body and partakers of his promise. in Christ through the gospel of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of his power. To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church. to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places according to the eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in him. And therefore I ask that you do not lose heart in my tribulations for you, which is your glory." Paul's prayer for spiritual empowering, Ephesians 3, 14 to 21. For this reason, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man, that Christ might dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and the length and the depth and the height, to know the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God and to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us. To him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. unity in the body, Ephesians 4, 1-16. I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all. But to each one of us, grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. And therefore he says, when he ascended on high, he laid captivity captive and gave gifts to men. Now, this he ascended, what does it mean but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. We all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the trickery of men and the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies according to the effect of working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. living as children of light, Ephesians 4, 17-32. This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk in the futility of their minds, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart, who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all unkindliness with greediness. but you have not so learned Christ if indeed you have heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus that you put off concerning your former conduct the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and that you put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness And therefore, putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are neighbors of one another. Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give who has need. And let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearer. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice, and be kind to one another. tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God and Christ forgave you, living in the light, Ephesians 5, 1-14, and therefore be imitators of God as dear children, and walk in love as Christ also loved us, and giving himself for us, and offering, and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma, but fornication, In all uncleanliness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints, neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of God and Christ. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience, and therefore do not be partakers with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth. Finding out what is acceptable to the Lord, and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. for it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. And therefore, he says, awake you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. Well, that was our reading today for December the 7th, 2024. Thank you all so much for joining me. Be sure to leave a comment or a reaction to this video, and I'll be sure to mark that down. Just an encouragement for you for tomorrow. Trust that you're already preparing your heart for the Lord's day, if you're at Eastford Baptist. We have our regular Sunday school tomorrow morning at 9.15, but we also have a very special day. We have our children's Christmas pageant. And so be praying, especially for that. We usually have quite a few visitors for that. And just pray that the gospel would go forth, and pray that God would do a work in people's hearts and lives. That's why we do it. And be able to reach people during the Christmas season. And so pray, there's a lot going into that. We have a practice today, and just pray. Yeah, and just pray that God would do a work. But anyway, thank you all so much. Stick with it here with the word for the rest of the month. And trust that you're already looking forward to next year as we go through the Bible once again. But let's pray. Father in heaven, thank you so much for this word. Lord, use it in our hearts and lives as we go about your business today. Lord, we love you and we just pray, God, that you would Again, unify our hearts in the gospel. Lord, I pray that your word would penetrate our hearts, God, that we would not be hearers of the word, Lord, but doers of the word as well. We love you and praise you, Lord. Give us a good day in you, we pray in Jesus' name, amen. Bye, everybody.