Category: Ephesians

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Never Alone

Yesterday we got together at our oldest daughters for swimming and a bbq. Our youngest daughter and her family were there too. It was a great afternoon.

Our oldest daughter mentioned that she and her husband were going on a morning trail ride with friends today. To me, it’s an almost perfect start to an Easter. You see when she and her brother were little, before their younger sister was born, we spent nearly every Easter at Cowboy Church Sonrise Service.

Before dawn, we would gather up in the grandstands at the arena and celebrate the resurrection of our wonderful Lord. We’d sing, give testimony of God’s goodness, preach a little and pray.

Those were the thoughts filling my heart as I felt off to sleep.

Jesus is our risen Lord!

We met so many people during those days, some of them still stay in contact with us. Life is good when you can join together with others who love the Lord. There’s a bond – a connection – a common love. There’s something about being together with people who know that they are loved by Christ, have been forgiven and know they will never be alone.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in heaven. 4 In Christ, he chose us before the world was made. He chose us in love to be his holy people—people who could stand before him without any fault. 5 And before the world was made, God decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. This was what God wanted, and it pleased him to do it. 6 And this brings praise to God because of his wonderful grace. God gave that grace to us freely. He gave us that grace in Christ, the one he loves. 7 In Christ we are made free by his blood sacrifice. We have forgiveness of sins because of God’s rich grace.” Ephesians 1:3-7 ERV

If you feel lonely, abandoned, “forsaken”, outcast and unloved. I have one word for you – Jesus!

Jesus’ mission was to the lost and the hurting. He came for those who were hopeless, helpless and alone. His promise is real:

” Don’t fall in love with money… The Lord has promised that he will not leave us or desert us.” Hebrews 13:5 CEV

Money and things will never fulfill our hearts desire. They can satisfy for a while but Jesus has promised to never leave us – He won’t abandon us, desert us or leave us unprotected and without help.

“ Jesus understands every weakness of ours, because he was tempted in every way that we are. But he did not sin! 16 So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved grace, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:15-16 CEV

That was the message we preached in those moments just before dawn. In those grandstands and bleachers at rodeo arenas across Arizona. That’s the message that we will be preaching today.

Christ is faithful. He is forgiving. He knows our needs. He is risen! and because He rose, we will never be alone, abandon or left without help and hope. He is risen indeed!

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A Sweet Smelling Fragrance

Have you ever walked through a rose garden when it’s in bloom or sat on a bench surrounded by gardenias?

Some years back my mother was living in Dillon, MT where we lived. She had moved into a duplex and right outside the back door was a tall lilac bush. Each time she opened the door to walk out she would be greeted with the smell of lilac. She told me that she remembered being a small girl and smelling lilacs at her home.

That smell, that sweet smell, reminded her of home!

Our sense of smell is very strong – we can smell a favorite food cooking and our mouth will water, even if we have just eaten. Or the smell of vinegar and cleaning products can make us wince.

What type of smell do we emit?

No, I’m not asking if you’ve bathed recently or what type of cologne you wear but I’m asking about your life.

“You may prepare sacrifices to give thanks in any of these three ways. Bring your sacrifice to a priest, and he will take it to the bronze altar. 9 Then, to show that the whole offering belongs to me, the priest will lay part of it on the altar and send it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me. 10 The rest of this sacrifice is for the priests; it is very holy because it was offered to me.” Leviticus 2:8-10 CEV

Offerings of thanksgiving to God were to be a mixture of fine flour, olive oil and incense. And when they were burned by the priest, the offering had a sweet smell that was pleasing to the Lord.

Is our life one with the sweet smell of thanksgiving? Do we spend more time thanking God for His goodness and His love than we do complaining about how things could/should/would be better “if only”? As Christians – Christ like ones – our lives should be an offering that pleases the Father.

“Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. 2 Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 CEV

We are to be like Christ and our lives should be like His, a sacrifice that pleases God. Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-2 that we are to present our bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God. Just as the priests presented the sacrifices to the Lord and it pleased Him, we should offer our lives as a pleasing sacrifice.

And it’s not only the Father who notices that our lives are a sacrifice, those around us will notice too.

“I am grateful that God always makes it possible for Christ to lead us to victory. God also helps us spread the knowledge about Christ everywhere, and this knowledge is like the smell of perfume. 15 In fact, God thinks of us as a perfume that brings Christ to everyone.” II Corinthians 2:14-15 CEV

As we enter this week of Easter I desire that my life “smells sweet” with praise and thanksgiving to the Father and forgiveness and love to those I meet.

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From the Heart

I’m not normally someone who has restless sleep but this week has been a booger!

Tossing and turning all night long.

However, with that as my back story, coffee in hand, quiet surrounding me, except for the birds I have been listening to my heart. And wouldn’t you know it…I heard a song.

“Oh Lord, you’re beautiful,
Your face is all I seek,
For when your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.

Oh Lord, please light the fire,
That once burned bright and clear.
Replace the lamp of my first love,
That burns with Holy fear.” by Keith Green, 1980

1980, I was a young mother with two small children, ages 5 1/2 and 4. I had recently experienced a miscarriage and I was learning to lean on the Lord’s strength in ways that were beyond my years.

This song became the anthem of my heart. “Your face is all I seek. Your grace abounds to me”.

The abounding grace of Jesus – His grace that covered all my sin, His grace that brought me into right standing with the Father, His grace that saved me.

“ God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God treated us with undeserved grace because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.

7-8  Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because of God’s gift of undeserved grace to us. God has great wisdom and understanding,  9 and by what Christ has done, God has shown us his own mysterious ways.” Ephesians 1:5-9 CEV

“ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 NJKV

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” Matthew 7:7-11 NKJV

We have God’s promise that when we seek His kingdom, His way of doing things, we will find it and not only will be find it but we will be rewarded for seeking Him.

“ But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

Good days or bad days. Rest filled days or restless days, it doesn’t matter. We come to Him and praise Him from the heart and He will do the rest.

“You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need. 2 You let me rest in fields of green grass. You lead me to streams of peaceful water, 3  and you refresh my life.” Psalm 23:1-3 CEV

Yes Lord, You are beautiful and I will praise you with all my heart!

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Mercy – A Life Changer

There’s an old song we used to sing and this morning it came to mind once again and has filled my morning quiet time.

“Mercy rewrote my life. Mercy rewrote my life. I could have fallen, my soul cast down But mercy rewrote my life”.

Oh yes, thank you heavenly Father for Your mercy!

“You know that the Lord your God is the only true God. So love him and obey his commands, and he will faithfully keep his agreement with you and your descendants for a thousand generations.” Deuteronomy 7:9 CEV

This is a promise from God’s heart to ours. He faithfully keeps His agreement with us.

Simply put, mercy can be defined as being protected from judgement for the things we have done that deserve punishment. One of my favorite “mercy” verses is found in the book of Lamentations.

“The Lord’s kindness never fails! If he had not been merciful, we would have been destroyed. 23 The Lord can always be trusted to show mercy each morning. 24 Deep in my heart I say, ‘The Lord is all I need; I can depend on him!’” Lamentations 3:22-24 CEV

If there’s anyone in the Bible that knows about mercy, it’s the Apostle Paul. He carried arrest warrants for Christians. He was responsible for their imprisonment and even their deaths.

But, mercy rewrote His life.

” In the past you were dead because you sinned and fought against God. 2 You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn’t obey God. 3 Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else.

4-5 But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much he made us alive with Christ, and God’s gift of undeserved grace is what saves you. 6 God raised us from death to life with Christ Jesus, and he has given us a place beside Christ in heaven.” Ephesians 2:1-6 CEV

The worst of sinners became the man that God used to teach us all the message of grace and forgiveness.

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. ‘This saying is true, and it can be trusted. I was the worst sinner of all!‘ 16 But since I was worse than anyone else, God had mercy on me and let me be an example of the endless patience of Christ Jesus. He did this so that others would put their faith in Christ and have eternal life.” I Timothy 1:15-16 CEV

When we fail, and we do. When we feel we are undeserving of forgiveness mercy steps in. God’s love covers our sins, completely!

“The Lord is merciful! He is kind and patient, and his love never fails.” Psalm 103:8 CEV

That’s what makes my heart sing – “Mercy rewrote my life”!

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All I Need

Sometimes the obstacles of life can seem pretty daunting but that’s when we know it’s time to refocus our attention on the One that is greater than us.

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.” Zechariah 4:7

Might and power aren’t necessarily the right tools to use when things seem overwhelming; sometimes the best defense are those who are weak and have been empowered by God. Remember David and Goliath – young David was no match for the mighty giant who had been a warrior since his youth; but David’s confidence wasn’t in his own might but he was focused on the Lord.

Then there was Joshua taking the city of Jericho. A mighty walled city, a seemingly impenetrable fortress – but the foolishness of walking around the city for seven days and then shouting and blowing trumpets on the seventh day in obedience to God’s direction caused the walls to fall flat.

In my college days I learned that having a relationship with Jesus – trusting Him, relying on Him with complete confidence – was my source of completeness and strength. I’ve had to grow in that knowledge because many times I have failed to depend on Him, thinking I could handle things myself. But He’s been patient with me.

We sang a chorus back in those days: “He’s all I need, He’s all I need, Jesus is all I need”.

The Apostle Paul knew it would be hard for us to comprehend the power that God has given us when we are in Christ so he prayed that we would have understanding.

“I pray that God will open your minds to see his truth. Then you will know the hope that he has chosen us to have. You will know that the blessings God has promised his holy people are rich and glorious. 19 And you will know that God’s power is very great for us who believe. It is the same as the mighty power 20 he used to raise Christ from death and put him at his right side in the heavenly places. 21 He put Christ over all rulers, authorities, powers, and kings. He gave him authority over everything that has power in this world or in the next world. 22 God put everything under Christ’s power and made him head over everything for the church. 23 The church is Christ’s body. It is filled with him. He makes everything complete in every way.” Ephesians 1:18-23 ERV

We are filled with Him. He makes us complete in Him! He adds multiplied blessings to our lives but it’s not the blessings we seek. It’s Him – it’s Jesus.

“I say this because all of God lives in Christ fully, even in his life on earth. 10 And because you belong to Christ you are complete, having everything you need. Christ is ruler over every other power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 ERV

God’s power is working in us, through us and for us! Be strong in the Lord. He is ALL I NEED!

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My Choice

What I’m about to say may shock you. I am pro-choice.

Don’t stop reading. Let me explain.

“My body and mind may fail, but you are my strength and my choice forever.” Psalm 73:26 CEV

“You, Lord, are all I want! You are my choice, and you keep me safe.” Psalm 16:5 CEV

“ Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven! 4 Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5 God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God treated us with undeserved grace because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.7-8  Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means our sins are now forgiven.” Ephesians 1:3-7 CEV

I woke up this morning thinking how thankful I am that God chose me – He chooses us! And then I heard my heart say, “Father, I make You my choice”. Yes, I am very definitely pro-choice. God doesn’t demand that we love Him, He give us the choice.

You all know I love getting up early in the morning and starting my day in the quiet. It didn’t use to be like that.

I didn’t always enjoy being alone with just my thoughts. My heart would become anxious; I would want to turn on the tv or the radio – anything to block out the silence, anything not to focus on the unrest or the distress that I felt churning in my spirit.

Maybe you’re like that. No wanting to get up and be “alone” with yourself and with the Father. Wanting to get up and get going right away to keep yourself from pausing in the quiet of the morning…

King David wrote in the Psalms to “be still and KNOW that I AM God”. Know = to be intimately acquainted with, a deep personal knowledge or understanding.

“God is our mighty fortress, always ready to help in times of trouble. 2 And so, we won’t be afraid! Let the earth tremble and the mountains tumble into the deepest sea..10 Our God says, “Calm down, and learn that I am God! All nations on earth will honor me.” 11 The Lord All-Powerful is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress.” Psalm 46:1,2,10,11 CEV

This verse says to calm down where the KJV says be still. Take time to let what you just heard sink in.

God has made the choice to be our strength, our peace, our help, our defender, our protection and our Savior. We need to make the choice to “calm down” and “be still” so we can learn that He is God and He has chosen to be kind to us.

It’s our choice.

It was reading, learning and applying God’s word that brought me peace.

” With Jesus as our high priest, we can feel free to come before God’s throne where there is grace. There we receive mercy and kindness to help us when we need it.” Hebrews 4:16 ERV

When I come to His throne, in the quiet of the morning, I find grace, mercy, kindness and help. I find Jesus! I can’t imagine starting a day without this time.

The choice is ours! My choice is to choose God!

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What Is Love?

The answer is God!!

Dave and I had a wonderful weekend away. We stayed at an historic ranch that is now a guest ranch. The air was crisp in the mornings, the adobe casita was beautifully furnished and the grounds were serene.

We talked of many things.

Life in the desert and in the mountains, our children and their children. Our great grandbabies. Our life and love through more than 50 years. A cup of steaming hot coffee, a plate full of rolled tacos with guacamole. Friends gathered on the deck/patio of our home for good bbq; yes, and the planning of more adventures in the days to come.

I asked the Lord, “Father, all of these images that I see can be described but how do I describe Your love? These are the things that mean love to me.” For the most part, I’m pretty good with words but when I try to describe God’s love I am seriously at a disadvantage. However, this morning I heard the answer to my question and it was “You just did!”

You see, every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father and with Him there is no variable or shadow of turning. Which basically means – every good thing that we enjoy comes as an outward expression of God’s love; that’s the way He’s always been and that’s the way He’ll always be! When I’m thinking on these things that I can describe, I’m describing the Father’s love. In every circumstance and situation that I live, I can sense the love of God and know that He is there because God is LOVE!

“ And now in these last days, God has spoken to us again through his Son. He made the whole world through his Son. And he has chosen his Son to have all things. 3 The Son shows the glory of God. He is a perfect copy of God’s nature, and he holds everything together by his powerful command. The Son made people clean from their sins. Then he sat down at the right side of God, the Great One in heaven.” Hebrews 1:2-3

Jesus’ purpose in coming to earth was to bring God’s love to each and everyone of us. He brought the message that God isn’t mad at us and that God desires to have relationship with us – not some experience that is staunch and unfeeling or condemning and angry – but a real, where-the-rubber-meets-the-road, everyday, I’m always here type of relationship.

I’m not saying that everything will be perfect in our lives because our lives aren’t perfect! But I do know that in the imperfect, trying, challenging, frustrating, ugly times of our lives that God is always there and He doesn’t abandon us! He’s always there to offer comfort, help, to bring wisdom, peace and joy even in the midst of our storms. God is love!

What words can I use to describe God’s love?! This love can’t really be described but it can be experienced. I will leave you with the words of the Apostle Paul:

“I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.” Ephesians 3:17-19

Now that’s love!

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Measuring Up

Have you ever felt like you don’t measure up? You know, comparing yourself to others is something we never seem to outgrow.

Not as fast, not as smart, not as attractive, not as athletic, not as…

Comparing isn’t just for kids or for those seeking to succeed in their professions. As a retired “senior” adult, I sometimes fall into that trap as well. Maybe you have too.

Even good church going people can be plagued by thoughts of unworthiness.

Have I read my Bible enough, prayed enough, gone to church enough, served my community enough – plain and simple been good enough for God to love me?

The answer is No. But before you become condemned for your answer let me assure you that is exactly the answer you should give. None of us have ever done enough good to earn God’s love; we couldn’t measure up.

But God chose us anyway!

“ Yes, it is because we are a part of Christ Jesus that God raised us from death and seated us together with him in the heavenly places. 7 God did this so that his kindness to us who belong to Christ Jesus would clearly show for all time to come the amazing richness of his grace.

8 I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about. 10 God has made us what we are. In Christ Jesus, God made us new people so that we would spend our lives doing the good things he had already planned for us to do.” Ephesians 2:6-10 ERV

None of us have a right to brag about our good works giving us an “in” with God. It’s all because of what Jesus did.

“Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could be right with God.” II Corinthians 5:21 ERV

Before any of us were born, before our parents and grandparents were born, God had a plan for us.

“ I pray that God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace! 3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven! 4 Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5 God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God treated us with undeserved grace because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.” Ephesians 1:2-6 CEV

We were chosen – you were chosen by God to be His adopted child before the world was created. Did we measure up? No, far from it. It is by His grace that we have been adopted.

“You were all baptized into Christ, and so you were all clothed with Christ. This shows that you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26-27 ERV

When we are clothed in Christ, we can stand tall knowing that because of Him we measure up!

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But God!

Last evening a friend and I had a wonderful recounting the many miracles we have seen in the last year. Some large and some small but God provided them all!

So, let me share just a few of the thoughts and verses that caused us to praise the Lord.

When we feel limited by our own thinking we can tap into God’s wisdom and His thoughts.

“Every word we speak was taught to us by God’s Spirit, not by human wisdom. And this same Spirit helps us teach spiritual things to spiritual people. That’s why only someone who has God’s Spirit can understand spiritual blessings. Anyone who doesn’t have God’s Spirit thinks these blessings are foolish. People who are guided by the Spirit can make all kinds of judgments, but they cannot be judged by others. The Scriptures ask, ‘Has anyone ever known the thoughts of the Lord or given him advice?’ But we understand what Christ is thinking.” I Corinthians 2:13-16 CEV

Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit came He would guide us into all truth.

“The Spirit shows what is true and will come and guide you into the full truth. The Spirit doesn’t speak on his own. He will tell you only what he has heard from me, and he will let you know what is going to happen.” John 16:13 CEV

God wants us to know His thoughts and His ways. He’s not trying to hide spiritual truth or wisdom. In fact, Proverbs tells us to seek wisdom more that we would search for silver or gold.

“ But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much he made us alive with Christ, and God’s gift of undeserved grace is what saves you. 6 God raised us from death to life with Christ Jesus, and he has given us a place beside Christ in heaven. 7 God did this so in the future world he could show how truly good and kind he is to us because of what Christ Jesus has done.” Ephesians 2:4-7 CEV

“Dear friends, God is good. So I beg you to offer your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, pure and pleasing. That’s the most sensible way to serve God. 2 Don’t be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to him.” Romans 12:1-2 CEV

When we face storms and trials, God wants us our thoughts to be focused on Him.

“I have told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have troubles. But be brave! I have defeated the world!”

I hope you will put these two words at the forefront of your thinking, But God. When things seem hopeless, when you are weary, when you feel you are inadequate, when you are afraid just remember But God!

He is the One who has designed good things for us and He is the One who has defeated the world!

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Home for Christmas

Those song lyrics, “I’ll be home for Christmas, you can count on me…I’ll be home for Christmas if only in my dreams”, bring a sense of nostalgia and longing to our hearts.

Remembering Christmases as a child or as a parent with young children around the Christmas tree. But, whatever the memory it was home.

Not so for Jesus.

Jesus came from heaven to earth; He left his home and came to ours to bring us abundant gifts.

“Praise be to God for giving us through Christ every possible spiritual benefit as citizens of Heaven! For consider what he has done—before the foundation of the world he chose us to become, in Christ, his holy and blameless children living within his constant care. He planned, in his purpose of love, that we should be adopted as his own children through Jesus Christ—that we might learn to praise that glorious generosity of his which has made us welcome in the everlasting love he bears towards the Son.” Ephesians 1:3-6

God the Father sent his Son to bring the gift of eternal life to all of us. By accepting this gift so freely given we are adopted into God’s family and He lavishes the same love and care that He has for Jesus on us. Marvelous grace!

He came to make His home with us. I always want to make Him feel welcome – my heart is His home.

“Jesus replied: If anyone loves me, they will obey me. Then my Father will love them, and we will come to them and live in them.” John 14:23 CEV

I will make Him the center focus of all I do. He will be the honored guest!

He has adopted me and given me the right to call Him “Abba Father” as Paul says in Romans. Abba Father is an endearing term like “daddy” or “papa”, a term of great love and affection spoken by a child with a wonderful relationship with their father. What more could a Father ask for but the love of His child.

Be home for Christmas with the Father, His arms are open wide!

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