PREDESTINED
You and I have been on His Mind since Genesis.
Ephesians 1:4-5 "Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ.
PRAYED FOR
Don't just thank God for your friends but ask Him to grant them a grasp of the immensity of this glorious way of life.
Paul prayed for his friends but did more than just thank God for them. He asked God to do Eph 1:16 - to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!
PICKED UP
Where I am drowning in sinful thoughts and attitudes, make me alive in Christ Alone!
Ephesians 2:6-7 "Immense in Mercy and with an Incredible Love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.
PIECED TOGETHER
Someone is holding all the parts of my life together.
Ephesians 2:21 Now he's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.
PLANTED
Paul's response to the Incredible Riches of His Grace is to go to his knees...
Eph 3:14-21 "My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes!
Amen, Bev! What a letter of testimony and rejoicing Paul writes.
ReplyDeleteEphesians 2:5-10 ~ Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah. Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish!”
Grasping the greatness of God’s Gift – I want to read this to my family on Christmas morning after Luke 2. Help me remember the rest of our story. Our church’s Christmas show never stops with the Baby in a manger, but seizes the opportunity to tell of the death and resurrection of the Lord as well. Not just Love came into the world, but Love came to save, to make us alive, with no help from us—to pick us up and set us in the very company of Jesus. We are showered with grace upon grace, the inexhaustible riches and generosity of Christ (3:8)- Glory to the Lord God, to Christ Jesus our Emmanuel, to His blessed Holy Spirit through all millennia!
That's a beautiful idea Annette...I'll follow.
ReplyDeleteHey, how is Janie this morning? I have tears running down my cheeks just saying her name. May she hear the One Who is calling her name just like Mary thought it was the gardener...may she hear Him. Oh, may we ALL hear Him this morning. What is he stirring in our Ephesians reading...can we have a tiny grasp this day of the greatness of this Christmas gift?
Janie died this evening a little after six o'clock. She will be buried up near Hillsboro. She ate dinner with Jesus tonight. She was a very dear lady who raised three wonderful daughters. I pray she and Kandye are catching up and she is once again with her husband after all these years. I don't know, but I can really hope that is the beginning of her eternal joy.
ReplyDeleteAnnette, I am so grateful that your friend listened to the Holy Spirit and went to Janie with The Good News. She is like the laborers that got hired at the end, but received the same pay as those who labored all day. Grace is enough.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think about you and your kindness to all of us. I know you miss your mother. Nothing soothes that loss. But knowing Jesus has both these women offers comfort.
Thank you for all your posts here. I love to read every one of them. We could talk all day about our love for Jesus, I just know that!
I will just say that what you and Bev wrote from today's reading is just beautiful. Great reminder to remember this passage you posted on Christmas Day.
By the way, Angie, loved your Miracle post on LPM's blog. I read one post on that same thread about the lesson from the straw in Baby Jesus' manger that was really good, too. I love those miracles!
Janie is one, to me. I'm amazed at how that all transpired. A miracle.
Breathe deeply, glowing pearls, and thank God for life in this season of the incarnation.
You have such a beautiful heart, Deborah. I think about our sweet conversations when you were here. I'm still sitting in the same chair and picture you right across from me. Blessed Christmas season to you and hugs!
ReplyDeleteReading about Janie, and remembering my own testimony, I thought of the verses in this song:
ReplyDeleteLong my imprisoned spirit lay, fast bound in sin and nature's night; thine eye diffused a quickening ray - I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; My chains fell off, my heart was free. I rose, went forth and followed thee.
Amazing love! How can it be, that Thou my God shouldst die for me?
Amen and Amen!!
FG