dead – Ministry of Grace Church

Tag: dead

Romans 6:13 – Stand Beside God

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Will

And do not present your members as weapons of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as weapons of righteousness to God.

Truth to Learn

We have a choice to use bodies as weapons of unrighteousness or as weapons of righteousness.

Behind the Words

The word “present” is the Greek word paristanō, which literally means “to stand alongside.” The image is of a leader who is challenging his people to step forward and stand beside him. Standing alongside is a sign of unity with the leader and a sign of submission to the leader.

The word translated “members” is the Greek word melē, which literally means “the limbs or other parts of the body.”

“Weapons” is the Greek word hoplon, which means “an implement or a tool.” It is often applied to an implement of war such as armor or an offensive weapon.

The word “dead” is from the Greek nekros, which refers to a dead body. The interesting thing is that it is expressed here as a plural, so it should probably be translated as “dead ones.” Throughout this chapter Paul uses this word as a plural noun. It is actually expressed as ek nekrōn, “out of the dead ones.” The image here is that of Christians having been raised from the membership of the “dead ones” and placed into the membership of the “living ones.” This same expression was used back in verse nine in reference to Christ having been raised from the dead (ek nekrōn).

Meaning Explained

When we submit ourselves to our own lusts we are yielding ourselves to them and they become our masters. That’s what Paul is telling us NOT to do. In the second half of the verse, He tells what we should do.

When Paul uses the word “members,” he could be talking about members of our physical body or members of the body of Christ, that is, the church. Based on the context it’s obvious that he is referring to the members of our bodies. However, this does not simply mean the physical parts. It includes the emotional and psychological parts as well. Paul is telling us that we should not yield even part of ourselves, physical or otherwise, to the control of our lusts. When we yield a part of ourselves to our lusts, that part is then used as a weapon of unrighteousness, causing us to sin.

When he tells us that we should not “present” the members of our body, he is telling us that we should not “stand beside” or “join in with” our lusts, not even with part of our being. When we do, that part of us which is surrendered is used as a weapon against us, driving us further into sin.

Instead, Paul commands us to stand beside God, as if we were already alive from among the dead ones (which, spiritually we are). Then we are to yield our members as weapons, or tools, of righteousness. When we are fully yielded (submitted) to Him, we will not succumb to our lusts, and God can use us for acts of righteousness and as witnesses for Himself.

Application

Because of our sin nature (our old man), we will never be able to live without sin, but that doesn’t mean that we have to remain in sin and continue our sinful habits. We have a choice to allow our desires to control us or to exercise control over them. It all comes down to this. What are you submitted to, your own selfish desires or God’s will?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 4:24 – Imputed Permanently

Posted on November 24, 2017 by Will

but also for us, to whom it is about to be accounted – to those believing on the one who raised up Jesus our Lord out of the dead,

Truth to Learn

Righteousness is imputed to everyone who believes in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Behind the Words

“Out of” is the translation of ek, which means “out” or “out of.” In some translations this is written as “from.”

The word translated “the dead” is nekros, which is derived from nekus, meaning “a corpse.” Hence, nekros means “a dead one.” It is expressed here in the plural. Therefore Paul is saying that Jesus was raised out of (from) the dead ones.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul told us that Moses’ writing about Abraham’s believing faith, and his subsequently being declared righteous by God, was not done for Abraham’s sake alone. It was also written for those of us who have also believed God’s promise and have been declared righteous because of our faith.

Having taken each of these verses and having slowly dissected them one at a time as we have, we may also have lost a little of the impact that this verse would have had on the predominantly Jewish Christians in Rome. You see, Paul has been very carefully showing these believers in the Law that it is not obedience to the Law or their being Jewish that has saved them. Rather, it is their faith. He has just proved to them that they did not earn their salvation in any way. Instead, he has shown them that their salvation, that is, their righteousness, came about only because God chose to declare them righteous when they believed in the resurrection of Jesus. This verse and the following verse are the ones that complete the irrefutable argument that Paul has been delivering. This salvation is completely God’s doing!

Also, according to Ephesians 1:13,14 Paul told the believers at Ephesus that upon believing (and being declared righteous by God) we were sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our salvation. Here’s what it says:

“… hearing the Word of Truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also believing, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the earnest of our inheritance …”

This is a significant point. Think about it. If God is the one who declared us righteous and as a result sealed us with the Holy Spirit who has been given to us as an earnest (a guarantee), then we can never lose our salvation because He can never take the Holy Spirit back from us. It’s like earnest money you put down when you offer to purchase a house; if you decide to remove your purchase offer, you don’t get your earnest money back because that was your guarantee. The Holy Spirit is our guarantee that God will complete our salvation as He promised. Even if He were to take back your righteousness (which He won’t), He couldn’t take back His Holy Spirit; that’s your guarantee! This means no matter what you do you can’t lose your salvation.

Application

If you are a born again Christian then you have been declared righteous by God. You didn’t do anything to earn it in the first place, and you can’t lose it no matter what you do! You can’t even give it back without God’s permission (which He won’t give).

That’s security! And it’s eternal!

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 1:4 – Divine Resurrection Declaration

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Will

and declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord;

Truth to Learn

Jesus was resurrected from the dead, declaring that He is God.

Behind the Words

The word translated “declared” is the Greek word horidzō, which means “to mark out the boundaries or limits, as of a field.” Hence, it means “to determine, constitute, ordain, or decree.” As used here it means to designate someone for an office or function or to declare that designation.

“Power” is translated from the Greek dunamis. It describes “something that is powerful.” It is the word from which we get our English word “dynamite.”

The word “dead” is translated from nekros, which refers to “a dead person.” It is expressed here in the plural, however. This, coupled with the lack of the preposition ek (out of) tied to the word “dead” indicates that the translation could be “of the dead (ones)” or “from the dead ones.”

Meaning Explained

Yesterday’s verse was one in which the Apostle Paul declared the humanity of Jesus. In today’s verse he declares the divinity of Jesus. This verse starts out with, “who was declared to be the Son of God.” The three persons of the Godhead determined in eternity past who would be the Father, who would be the Son, and who would be the Holy Spirit. Paul’s statement here is not a reference to that determination, but to the declaration of that determination. And, this declaration was done “with power.” The way in which Jesus was declared to be the Son of God was with a powerful act.

The next phrase “according to the Spirit of holiness” is not a reference to the third person of the godhead (the Holy Spirit) as may be implied by the capitalization of the word “spirit.” This expression is grammatically tied to the expression “according to the flesh” in the previous verse. So we see that Paul is conjoining the fact that Jesus was a descendent of David (demonstrating his humanity) and the Son of God (demonstrating his divinity).

Finally, the declaration of his divinity was demonstrated by a powerful act: the resurrection of the dead. However, there are several people in the Bible who are described as having been resurrected from the dead, including Lazarus and the widow’s son who was resurrected by Elijah. But these people eventually died again. Jesus did not. His resurrection to eternal life is the declaration that He is the Son of God. And because He is alive, we know that His promise of our own resurrection from the dead is real. The fact that He remains alive is our assurance that someday we too, will be resurrected unto a life that will never end!

Application

There are many today who do not believe that Jesus was a real person. There are also many people who believe that Jesus was a real person, but they don’t believe that He is God. They deny that He was resurrected from the dead; therefore, they don’t believe the good news (gospel), and they are destined for an eternity in the lake of fire for their unbelief. But we know that Jesus did rise from the dead and He is alive today! That is the glorious message that we have to proclaim to all. He’s alive!

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 5:14 – Rise and Shine!

Posted on January 12, 2016 by Will

Therefore He says: "Awake, you who are sleeping, Arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you."

Truth to Learn

We need to wake up and shine the light of Christ.

Behind the Words

The words “He says” are from the verb legō, which we learned a couple of verses back means “to relate something verbally,” that is “to put forth in words.” It is expressed here in the third person singular, so it could be translated as “He says” (referring to God) or “it says” (referring to Scripture).

“Arise” is translated from egeirō, meaning “to awaken.” It is used in the Bible to indicate awakening from sleep or from death.

“Sleep” is from kathuedō, made up of kata, meaning “down” and heudō, meaning “to sleep.” Katheudō refers to the act of lying down asleep (also used as a metaphor for death).

The word “dead” is from nekros, which apparently is based on nekus, meaning “a corpse.” Nekros is expressed here in the plural, so it could be translated “the dead ones.”

“Shine on you” is translated from the verb epiphauskō, which is made up of epi, meaning “upon” and phauō, meaning “to shine.” Epiphauskō means “to shine on” or “to illuminate.”

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse seems to be a loose quotation from, or at least a reference to, Isaiah:

Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For look, the darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the people; But the LORD will rise on you, And His glory will be seen on you. (Isaiah 60:1-2)

Earlier in this fifth chapter of Ephesians, Paul told us to walk in love and not to be fellow partakers with those who habitually commit unclean actions. His reasoning is that we were once darkness ourselves, but now we are children of light. He also told us that the works of darkness are unfruitful, but we are to show the fruit of our actions as goodness, righteousness, and truth. Instead of hanging around with those who commit the unfruitful works of darkness, we are to expose their deeds by allowing God’s light to shine on us, thereby shining God’s light on them. It is to this end that Paul now quotes Isaiah.

The word arise (egeirō), when used in the command form as it is here, is intended as a proclamation to arouse someone from sleep. Paul’s point is that we were once dead in our trespasses and sins, living like the rest of the world. Now, however, we are children of light, so we should wake-up to see all the evil around us and shine the light of God on those around us. He is also reminding us that the light is not our light, it is the light of God’s holiness which Christ has given us. We’ve been awakened by the light of God’s truth and mercy; now we are to allow that same light to reflect off us and shine on the spiritually dead people around us.

Application

When we are joined in close fellowship with children of darkness, God’s light is not shining in us. It doesn’t matter whether we are committing the same sinful acts or simply being quiet while they do them. If we are not letting the light of God’s word expose their deeds for what they really are, then we are not walking in the light. When we are not walking in His light, God says, “Wake up, and let My light shine!”

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:5 – Undeserved Love

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Will

And we being dead in trespasses, He made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved),

Truth to Learn

God loves us instead of giving us what we deserve.

Behind the Words

The words “when we were” are translated from the verb eimi, which is the verb of being, meaning “I exist.” It is expressed here in the first person plural (we exist), but it is written as a present participle as well. Thus, the most literal translation of this is “we being.”

The words “dead in trespasses” are translated from the same two words (ontas nekrous) translated that way in verse one of this chapter. Though verse one refers to “you” and this verse refers to “we,” in both cases Paul is talking about Christians before we were saved.

“Made us alive together” is from an interesting Greek word. It is sudzōopoieō, a double compound word made up of sun, meaning “together,” dzōon, meaning “to give life to,” and poieō, meaning “to make.” Thus, this word literally means “to make alive together.”

“Grace” is translated from charis, meaning “favor, good will, or kindness, especially that which causes joy and gratification.” When used of God’s grace toward us, since we don’t deserve it, it is sometimes referred to as “unmerited favor.”

The word translated “saved” is sōdzō, which means “to deliver, to protect, or to save.” It is expressed here as a perfect participle. The perfect tense in Greek indicates a past completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the effect. So, the end of this verse could be translated literally as “you are having been saved.”

Meaning Explained

To understand this verse we must combine it with the previous verse:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, and we being dead in trespasses, He made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved),

There are three significant things expressed here: a main idea, a parenthetical idea, and a great theological truth.

Let’s start with the parenthetical idea. It is “because of His great love with which He loved us, and we being dead in trespasses.” As we mentioned in yesterday’s verse study, the word translated “love” is God’s self-sacrificing agape love. The amazing truth that we are told here is that God loved us with this perfect love while we were sinners with a sentence of death on our heads, who were living in violent opposition to Him. We were so unlovable that only God could have loved us.

The main idea expressed in these two verses is: “But God, being rich in mercy… made us alive together with Christ” In the previous verse we said “mercy” means to overlook personal offenses and to treat an offender better than he or she deserves. While we were sinners, dead in trespasses, in violent opposition to God, He overlooked our offenses and gave us eternal life in Jesus Christ!

The great theological truth expressed here is that we are saved by God’s grace. We will expand on that in the next few verses.

Application

Before you were saved you were a dead sinner, in violent opposition to God, not deserving anything but God’s wrath. But – God loved you anyway! Can you say, “Thank you, God!”?

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:1 – His Promised Resurrection

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Will

And you He made alive, being dead in trespasses and sins,

Truth to Learn

Through faith, God’s awesome power will be displayed in resurrecting us to eternal life in perfect bodies.

Behind the Words

The words “He made alive” are not in the Greek text. They were inserted in the translation in order to make the sense of these verses more clear. These words are drawn from verse five where the apostle finishes this thought.

“Being” is from the Greek verb eimi, which is the verb of existence (to be). In some translations, it is written as “who were,” but it is expressed here as a present participle. Thus, it should be translated “being.”

“Dead” is translated from nekros, which is derived from nekus, meaning “a corpse.” So, nekros refers to someone who is corpse-like; that is, “dead.”

The word “trespasses” is translated from the Greek noun paraptōma. This is made up of para, meaning “beside” and a form of piptō, meaning “to fall” or “to land on.” Therefore, we see that paraptōma means “to fall by the wayside.” Metaphorically, it refers to “an unintentional error.”

“Sins” is from the Greek noun hamartia. This is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and a form of the verb meiromai, which means “to get an allotment or a share.” Thus, hamartia means “to not get a share of the prize,” that is, “to miss the mark.” Sin is missing the goal which God has set for our lives. That goal, or mark, is complete righteousness.

Meaning Explained

Even though the words “He made alive” are not in the original text, this is precisely the idea that Paul is focusing on in the following verses. Paul has spent most of the latter half of the first chapter of this letter focusing on God’s displayed power in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He now shows how that power will also be displayed in our lives.

There are two kinds of life (and death) spoken of in the New Testament, physical and spiritual. Physical life is what all humans experience from the moment of conception until we breathe our last breath, our heart stops pumping, and our brain ceases to function. The bodies we have in this physical life are frail and fragile. Spiritual life, on the other hand, is a condition in which God has promised that after we die physically, He will resurrect us with a perfect physical body. That perfect body will be neither fragile nor frail. The reason we are dead is outlined by Paul in the book of Romans:

for all sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

For the wages of sin is death … (Romans 6:23a)

One of the confusing issues in the New Testament is that the writers speak of the future as if it were now. This is because God is not bound by time and to Him the future is now. Since we have all sinned, we are all marked for physical death. Thus, in God’s record book, we are already dead. Through faith, however, we become credited with righteousness and in God’s record book we are already made alive, resurrected by His power.

Application

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will be resurrected by God’s power and you will live forever in His glorious presence.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 1:20 – Power In Action

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Will

Behind the Words

“Worked” is translated from the same word as “working” in the previous verse. It is the word energeia. It refers to “active power” or “power in action.” Here it is expressed in the aorist tense indicating past action completed at a point in time (not a process, but a single action).

The word “raised” is from the Greek verb egeirō, meaning “to rise up” as one would rise from a sleeping position to a standing position. It is expressed here as an aorist participle, so it could be translated as “having raised Him.”

“From the dead” is translated from ek nekrōn. The preposition ek means “out of” or “out from.” The noun nekrōn is a plural form of nekros, meaning “someone who is dead.” So, ek nekrōn literally means “out from the dead ones.”

The word translated “seated” is kathidzō. This is made up of kata, meaning “down” and hidzō, meaning “to sit.” It too is expressed as an aorist participle, thus, it means “sat him down.”

“Right hand” is the translation of the word dexios, meaning “the right side” or “the right hand.” The latter meaning is used when it is expressed as a feminine adjective, as it is here.

“Heavenly places” is from epouranios, which is another compound word made up of epi, meaning “on, over, or in” and ouranos, meaning “heaven.” Therefore, epouranios means “in the heavenly places” or “in the heavenly realm.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul talked about the working of God’s incredibly great and mighty power. In today’s verse he tells a little more about that power. He says that this power was worked in Christ. Remember, the word “worked” refers to power in action. In physics there are two types of energy, potential energy and kinetic energy. Potential energy does not produce any results because it is inactive. It is like snow on a high mountain. It has the potential to produce energy, but it doesn’t. Kinetic energy, on the other hand, is energy in action. It is like melted snow that forms a river. As it rushes downhill, it produces energy. That’s kinetic energy, energy in action.

Our God is like that too. He has tremendous potential power, but He also has power in action. It is this power in action that He demonstrated when He raised Christ from the dead. The same power that created human life in the first place also gave life back to the body of Jesus Christ. Now notice something very significant. After God the Father raised Christ from the dead, He seated him at His right hand in the heavenlies. If you read through the book of Revelation you will encounter several descriptions of the throne room of God in Heaven. The only ones who are depicted as sitting in God’s presence are God Himself and the twenty-four elders (representing all Christians). Only those with the righteousness of Christ are allowed to sit in God’s presence. When Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, not only was He seated, but He was seated in the most honorable position, at the right hand of the Father.

Application

God demonstrated His mighty power in raising Christ from the dead so that you, too, might be raised from the dead one day and be seated in the presence of God!

In God's service, for His glory,

James 2:26 – Faith, Dead or Alive?

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Will

For just as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is also dead.

Truth to Learn

If works of faithful obedience to God are not regularly demonstrated in our walk, then we need to determine if we were ever really saved in the first place. Nothing could be more tragic than someone believing they are saved only to find out when they stand before their God and Judge that they never really believed.

Behind the Words

“Just as” is translated from the adverb hōsper. This word is made up of hōs, meaning “as” and per, meaning “much.” It means “just as” or “exactly like.”

The Greek word translated “body” is sōma, used here as a reference to our physical body

The word “without” is from chōris, which means “separately” or “by itself.”

Pneumatos is the Greek word translated “spirit.” It is derived from pneō, meaning “to breathe.” Hence, the spirit of a person is the “breath of life” which makes him or her a living being.

“Dead” is translated from the Greek word nekros, which refers to a corpse, a dead person.

Meaning Explained

James sums up this entire section with a simple statement that expresses what he has been saying for the past ten verses. Just as your own body cannot exist without the life-giving presence of your spirit, so your faith cannot exist without the presence of works of faithful obedience to your Lord and Master. If those works don’t exist in your life, then you are not really saved.

There are many churches today that are more interested in numbers of converts than reality of converts. They say, “All you have to do is believe that Christ died for your sins and you will be saved.” They say nothing about submitting to the lordship of God or of turning over control of your life to Him. As soon as someone says the sinner’s prayer, they congratulate themselves and record another convert in their membership rolls. What they often don’t tell the new converts is, “How you live your life after you do this will be the evidence of whether or not your faith is real.” As a result, there are many so-called Christians who have professed Christ at some time in the past, but their post-confession life is no different from their pre-confession life. We have to wonder whether they were ever really saved in the first place. James would clearly say they were not.

Application

If you are wondering whether your own profession was real, simply ask yourself: Has my manner of living changed since I confessed Christ as savior? Do I have a hunger for His Word? Do I desire to be with my Christian friends more than my unsaved friends? Does The Spirit convict me when I sin? Do I want to know God better and to please Him as much as possible?

If the answer to any of these questions is no, then take a few minutes right now and do this:

Recognize that you are a sinner (we all are) and that the penalty of your sinfulness is death.
Humble yourself before God Almighty, recognizing that He is your supreme ruler and master.
Repent of your sins (this means turn away from them and go the other direction, toward God instead of away from Him). This doesn’t mean that you won’t sin, but you won’t want to sin.
Accept the fact that Jesus, as a sinless man and as God, died on the cross and paid for all of your sins (past, present, and future).
Confess, in your own words, that you believe that Christ died for your sins.
Walk worthy of the Lord!

But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 5:14 – Rise and Shine!

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Will

Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."

Truth to Learn

We need to wake up and shine the light of Christ.

Behind the Words

“Arise” is translated from egeirō, meaning “to awaken.” It is used in the Bible to indicate awakening from sleep or from death.

“Sleep” is from kathuedō, made up of kata, meaning “down” and heudō, meaning “to sleep.” Katheudō refers to the act of lying down asleep (also used as a metaphor for death).

The word “dead” is from nekros, which apparently is based on nekus, meaning “a corpse.” Nekros is expressed here in the plural, so it could be translated “the dead ones.”

“Give you light” is translated from the verb epiphauskō, which is made up of epi, meaning “upon” and phauō, meaning “to shine.” Epiphauskō means “to shine on” or “to illuminate.”

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse seems to be a loose quotation from Isaiah:

Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1-2)

Earlier in this fifth chapter of Ephesians, Paul told us to walk in love and not to be fellow partakers with those who habitually commit unclean actions. His reasoning is that we were once darkness ourselves, but now we are children of light. He also told us that the works of darkness are unfruitful, but we are to show the fruit of our actions as goodness, righteousness, and truth. Instead of hanging around with those who commit the unfruitful works of darkness, we are to expose their deeds by shining God’s light on them. It is to this end that Paul now quotes Isaiah.

The word arise (egeirō), when used in the command form as it is here, is intended as a proclamation to arouse someone from sleep. Paul’s point is that we were once dead in our trespasses and sins, living like the rest of the world. Now, however, we are children of light, so we should wake-up to see all the evil around us and shine the light of God on those around us. He is also reminding us that the light is not our light, it is the light of God’s holiness which Christ has given us. We’ve been awakened by the light of God’s truth and mercy; now we are to shine that same light on the spiritually dead people around us.

Application

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:1 – His Promised Resurrection

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Will

Ephesians 2:1 – His Promised Resurrection

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

Truth to Learn

Through faith, God’s awesome power will be displayed in resurrecting us to eternal life in perfect bodies.

Behind the Words

The words “He made alive” are not in the Greek text. They were inserted by the translators in order to make the sense of these verses more clear. These words are drawn from verse five where the apostle finishes this thought.

“Who were” is from the Greek verb eimi. It is expressed here as a present participle. Thus, it should be translated “being.”

“Dead” is translated from nekros, which is derived from nekus, meaning “a corpse.” So, nekros refers to someone who is corpse-like; that is, “dead.”

“Sins” is from the Greek noun hamartia. This is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and a form of the verb meiromai, which means “to get an allotment or a share.” Thus, hamartia means “to miss the mark;” that is, “to not get a share of the prize.” Sin is missing the goal which God has set for our lives. That goal, or mark, is complete righteousness.

Meaning Explained

Even though the words “He made alive” are not in the original text, this is precisely the idea that Paul is focusing on in the following verses. Paul has spent most of the latter half of the first chapter of this letter focusing on God’s displayed power in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He now shows how that power will also be displayed in our lives.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

For the wages of sin is death … (Romans 6:23a)

Application

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will be resurrected by God’s power and you will live forever.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, send an e-mail to: