October 13 2025

Monday October 13

God Makes Us One in Christ Jesus

Ephesians 2:11-13

11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands-- 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

This morning I'll be driving up to Washington DC with a couple of close friends. Then tomorrow we'll be catching a flight from Dulles Airport to the Middle East. My son Jonathan and I are taking a tour group to Jordan and then down to Egypt. It is interesting that we're going at a time when the Middle East is in the middle of world news, hoping that peace will come, and the hostages will be released. I trust you'll pray that those things will take place as these events unfold right before us these days and the Lord will keep us safe while we are there too.

I am so reminded, as we think about what's going on right now in the news, that Jesus Christ is coming soon. The Bible says when everyone is saying peace and safety, then sudden destruction will come upon them (1 Thessalonians 5:3). Before real peace comes in the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, there will be the rapture of the church and then a terrible seven-year tribulation period, as I understand the prophetic Scriptures in the Bible. But we can still pray for peace today. This is something that we can pray for, “that we might live godly and quiet lives, that we might have the opportunities to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone we possibly can” (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

Again, I ask for your prayers. You know that while we travel, we are not able to make our daily pastor chats. I trust you'll just go back and look at maybe some of the old chats. You can do that on YouTube and even on Facebook. Just look them up and go back and listen. I trust they'll encourage you and bless you while we're missing our daily chats. We hope to be back by October the 26th from this trip.

I also ask you to pray for Mary Ritchie and her daughter Susan, Mary's dear husband Joe Ritchie suddenly passed away. These are dear friends of ours that go back 50 years when I had the privilege of being their pastor at Shenandoah Valley Baptist Church in Stephens City Virginia. One of the most difficult time in my entire ministry was when their dear son, little Joe Ritchie, 11 years of age, was killed in a car accident. We watched as God just wonderfully worked through that tragic event to bring many many precious souls to Jesus Christ. Mary asked me to speak at Joe’s Home Going Celebration Service is this coming Saturday the 18th. But because of this trip I can't be there. I ask that you would pray for the Ritchie family during this time. Again, we appreciate your prayer so much.

We have been looking at Ephesians 2. In these first 10 verses we see how that sin works against us and brings death into our lives. “But God”, (I love verse four), but God, God works for us. He redeems us. He forgives us. And it's all through the blood of His son Jesus Christ. He exalts us. We sit in the heavenly places even today in Christ Jesus. We are to the praise of His glory. What a wonderful change takes place when we meet Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We talked about how that we are saved by grace through faith alone in Jesus Christ. That faith makes a difference because it's a faith that not only saves us, it's a faith that works in us and through us and out of us. God works in us, through us, and for us as we trust in the blood of His son Jesus Christ.

Now as we get down to verse 11 through the end of the chapter, we're finding about the peace that God can make between not only ourselves and God, but between ourselves and others. The Gentiles and the Jews were so divided because the Jews look down very much upon the Gentile people as you see in these verses. Now the Jew and Gentile can go to church together and be made one in Jesus Christ. I am telling you, it doesn't matter what religion you are, what faith you are, what background you might have, what culture you were raised in. When you come to know Jesus Christ as your savior, other believers become your brothers and sisters in Christ. They, I'm telling you, can be loved in Christ. You can have oneness in Jesus Christ. That means you have peace. You not only have peace with God, but you also have peace with those around you.

The circumcision were the Jews that was made with hands. Circumcision was a sign of the covenant that God had made with His people Israel. The Gentiles were the uncircumcised. Paul now addresses the Gentiles in the church at Ephesus. They were without Christ. They were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. They were strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, those “who were once afar off have been brought near by the blood of Christ”. What a powerful message for us today. Come to Jesus through His blood and you can be made one with those around you in Christ!

My friend, today you can have peace with God and peace with those around you. That's the real peace we should all be seeking today.

God bless!