Category: Ephesians

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Adoption Complete

I know that not everyone had a loving relationship with their father like I did. Yesterday’s blog was a tribute to good fathers and I pray that you know that experience.

However, some have grown up in homes where there was no father. Bad health may have stolen him or perhaps he was absent because of divorce or even drugs, alcohol and/or imprisonment. Those conditions could leave you bitter, lonely or confused, not knowing a father’s love.

I have good news for you today!

There is One who loves you and chosen you to be His very own. He will never abandon you and His love is unconditional, yes, I said unconditional.

“God knew from the beginning who would put their trust in Him. So He chose them and made them to be like His Son. Christ was first and all those who belong to God are His brothers. 30 He called to Himself also those He chose. Those He called, He made right with Himself. Then He shared His shining-greatness with those He made right with Himself.” Romans 8:29-30 NLV

We were chosen to share in the blessings and inheritance of the Father, just like Jesus. We have been adopted.

“the Holy Spirit makes us His sons, and we can call to Him, “My Father.” 16 For the Holy Spirit speaks to us and tells our spirit that we are children of God. 17 If we are children of God, we will receive everything He has promised us. We will share with Christ all the things God has given to Him. But we must share His suffering if we are to share His shining-greatness.” Romans 8:16-17 NLV

Our adoption was planned before the world began. It is a gift the Father offers to each of us freely, all we have to do to be a part of His wonderful family is accept the gift.

“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 1:5-6 CEV

Yesterday I encouraged all of us to take time to write a letter or make a call to our earthly fathers who have helped shape our lives. But today I want to make that same encouragement to those who have no one on this earth to reach out too. Make that call or write that card to your Heavenly Father. Thank Him for the relationship that He has purposed to have with you.

Enjoy today as a part of your inheritance.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has great mercy, and because of his mercy he gave us a new life. This new life brings us a living hope through Jesus Christ’s resurrection from death. 4 Now we wait to receive the blessings God has for his children. These blessings are kept for you in heaven. They cannot be ruined or be destroyed or lose their beauty.” I Peter 1:3-4 ERV

Praising God today for His amazing love and our adoption that is complete in Him!

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Celebrating Love

I know that not everyone had the same experience growing up that I did. I had a loving father who was away a great deal of the time but when he was home, he made sure to share life with us. He was tired and had so much to catch up on, but he also carved out time to take us hunting, fishing and even bowling.

That’s one of the things I appreciate so much about Dave also. When the kids were little, he worked hundred-hour weeks. When you work in the agricultural industry that’s what you do. But he always made sure he was home for a few hours each evening before the kids went to bed, there was time to read them a story or get down on the floor to play.

This weekend is Father’s Day and the men in our lives deserve to be celebrated.

I have a hard time with sitcoms, movies and even the talk shows making fathers out to be incompetent buffoons or weak, unintelligent members of society.

We should be grateful for the men in our families who sacrificed so that we could have a better way of life than they did. Fathers, step-fathers, grandfathers, uncles and even coaches and teachers who showed us a father’s love – tender hearted, kind, forgiving, filled with compassion!

Every good and perfect gift comes from our heavenly Father. Now our earthly fathers may not be perfect but they are “good gifts”.

My heavenly Father is the one who gave my earthly father those characteristics. He was strict – wanting me to behave a certain way – teaching me right from wrong and his heart was always filled with compassion for me.

We don’t always see what our father, heavenly or earthly, is doing while we are in the midst of a situation, but we know our father and we know his motives and intentions are based on his love for us and we can trust him.

” Children, you belong to the Lord, and you do the right thing when you obey your parents. The first commandment with a promise says, 2  “Obey your father and your mother, 3 and you will have a long and happy life.” Ephesians 6:1-3 CEV

Even when we manage to get “a far off” he’s there waiting for us to come home. He watches and waits; He doesn’t come to “Drag” us back but when we return, He rejoices. I guess the best gift we could give either our earthly or our heavenly father is to come home today and let him shower us with his love.

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.” Luke 15:18-24 NIV

Let’s celebrate those men who have been loving fathers or the ones who have filled that role when a father was absent. They are men who deserve celebration!

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Breaking the Bank

Last month Dave and I made two expenditures we had been saving for. These weren’t part of the regular monthly budget. No, they were items we had to plan for and save for. Maybe you don’t live on a budget, but we always have.

Each month we have dollars allotted for the different categories: food, clothing, home, electric, internet, phone, tithe, savings, allowance, taxes, insurance. To stay within budget for groceries I look over the ads and find the sales. I do the same when we need a new pair of shoes or other clothes.

We know the Lord expects us to be good stewards of the money He blesses us with and so we try to spend wisely. However, there is one event that we are allowing ourselves the right to be extravagant. It’s our 50th wedding anniversary trip to Greece in September. Oh, we’ve set a budget for the trip, but it is a substantial one. This is a once in a lifetime experience.

This morning I was reminded of another budget blowing expenditure that I have been involved in. It is my relationship with the Lord. He is the One who blew the budget and I am the one who is the recipient of His grace.

“God paid a high price for you, so don’t be slaves to anyone else.” I Corinthians 7:23 ERV

Have you ever stopped to consider how deeply the Father loves us? We are invaluable to Him.

“God’s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field. One day a man found the treasure. He hid it again and was so happy that he went and sold everything he owned and bought the field. 45 Also, God’s kingdom is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 One day he found a very fine pearl. He went and sold everything he had to buy it.” Matthew 13:44-46 ERV

The earth is the field, God the Father is the man, we are the treasure and Jesus is the price that was paid!

What is it that would cause you to sell all you have – your home, jewelry, cars, boat, horses, RV? What would make you cash in the CD’s and empty the savings account? What would be valuable enough to have you sell all to buy one treasure?

We are that treasure! God gave His only begotten Son to purchase us!

No words can convey what I am feeling in my heart this morning as I focus on the depth of God’s love for me.

“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 3:18-19 ERV

“Nothing is more precious than your loving kindness. All people can find protection close to you.” Psalm 36:7 ERV

Father, I will take my words from the Psalms, nothing is more precious than your lovingkindness. Thank you for loving us enough to break the bank!

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All About God

Dave and I have been watching a YouTube channel called “I.A.G. Farms” for the last month. It’s about the homesteading adventures of a young family of 5 in Mississippi.

They have cleared the land, put in structures, and begun to raise their farm animals. There are hogs, sheep, chickens, and cows. The three small boys help out, right along side Mom and Dad. They are so industrious and committed to being good stewards of the land they have purchased.

It’s heartwarming to see.

I.A.G. Farms has a purpose and a calling. The abbreviation stands for “It’s All About God”. They are committed to living their lives to honor God and they want their farm to show His goodness and provision. They have quite the testimony.

Watching them the other day as they worked their land and express their gratitude of what God had given them, I was impressed by the example they are setting for their boys and for their viewers.

“ In all the work you are given, do the best you can. Work as though you are working for the Lord, not any earthly master. 24 Remember that you will receive your reward from the Lord, who will give you what he promised his people. Yes, you are serving Christ. He is your real Master” Colossians 3:23-24 ERV

Whatever we do – make it all about God.

Each one of us who follow Christ have been called to a 24/7 relationship. We are fulltime Christians. It’s not just a Sunday experience. We are to take what we learn in our personal time of reading God’s word and our prayer time and bring it into the real world. We are here to make a difference in our homes, our schools, our workplace and our communities.

John, who baptized so many people, told his disciples that his purpose was to lead others to Christ.

“ He must become more and more important, and I must become less important.” John 3:31 ERV

Our goal should be the same.

“Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children.” Ephesians 5:1 ERV

Short and to the point. In the same way that our children imitated us as they were growing up, we are to be imitators of our heavenly Father.

As the Apostle Paul was coming to the end of his life he summed it up this way.

“To me, the only important thing about living is Christ. And even death would be for my benefit. 22 If I continue living here on earth, I will be able to work for the Lord. But what would I choose—to live or to die? I don’t know.” Philippians 1:21-22 ERV

Each day is a day to live with purpose, after all, it’s all about God!

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There’s More!

It’s a beautiful Saturday morning. The dove are cooing and the sparrows are chirping. The clouds in the sky are catching the early morning rays of the sun. It’s a beautiful day.

But, there’s more!

I think every age group deals with identity. When we’re young we wonder what our grown-up lives will look like. Our careers, our family, our homes, our cars. All those desires and dreams are waiting to be discovered.

That’s not all there is to it.

Once we begin our careers and lives in the adult world, we find ourselves on a journey to fit. What company or career path am I best suited for? What mate and life partner is my “one and only”? Starter houses are left behind in the search for a forever home.

Is that all there is?

Our thoughts reflect the lyrics from a Peggy Lee song Is That All There Is. “If that’s all there is, my friends, then let’s keep dancing Let’s break out the booze and have a ball If that’s all there is.”

And then, we come to those of my age group, the retirees. Career and achievements are mostly in the past. We’re often told we’re the lucky ones – “you have all this free time and no responsibilities”. However, we still have hopes and dreams, purpose and possibilities. We haven’t come to the end, just a new beginning.

God has designed us with a purpose, a plan, a destiny that is so much greater than anything we can imagine! He sees in us a Christ-like quality and gives us His power to accomplish great things.

If we’re living a life that is comfortable and one in which “we” can accomplish what we set out to do with no extra help, we’re settling for less than what God wants to do through us.

“With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of.” Ephesians 3:20

Let’s dream bigger and trust God to direct us to impact our world with what He’s calling us to do – God will use us where we are if we trust Him. I keep thinking of a man named Caleb who was still going strong at 80, conquering armies and taking new territory in Israel.

“I will bless you with a future filled with hope—a future of success, not of suffering. 12 You will turn back to me and ask for help, and I will answer your prayers. 13  You will worship me with all your heart, and I will be with you” Jeremiah 29:11-13 CEV

Wherever we are on life’s timeline that’s not all there is – there’s more!

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Be Filled

Yesterday I prepared a coleslaw for a bbq dinner we will share with friends tonight. This particular coleslaw has a marinated dressing, unlike most that have a mayonnaise or creamy dressing.

After it had been in the refrigerator for a while I decided to sample it and make sure it had the flavor I intended. When I put it back in the fridge I noticed there was a sugar ring on the countertop, I wiped it up thinking I had been sloppy.

At noon, Dave had a small amount of coleslaw as part of his lunch. Once again, there was the syrupy ring on the countertop. Upon further investigation, I also found it on the refrigerator shelf. Unbeknownst to me, the bowl had a small crack in the bottom and the marinade was slowly seeping out.

If I hadn’t caught it in time all the good stuff would have leaked out and I would have been left with dry cabbage, bell pepper and onion.

The good stuff – how often do we unknowingly let the good stuff leak out of our lives.

“I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;  I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
2 I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.” Psalm 9:1-2 NLT

The busy-ness of the week, the general responsibilities of life, can leave us feeling dry.

“ If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.” Luke 11:36 NLT

“ I want you to know all about Christ’s love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is.” Ephesians 3:19 CEV

“ Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,” Ephesians 5:17-18 NLT

It is incumbent upon us to check our lives for leaks; leaks of anger, selfishness, pride, self-righteousness, bitterness. When we find that our level of light, joy, the Holy Spirit and all that God is has begun to drain out we need to come to Him for a resupply.

Today I will be making a second batch of marinade for the coleslaw but I will also be examining my heart to make sure I’m not allowing the goodness of God to drain slowly from my character.

May we always be filled with the goodness of God!

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Make Over – Made New

At one point or another you have probably seen at least one episode of a “Make Over” show on television.

You know the ones – the DIY shows where they completely remodel a home. Some of them make over the person; new haircut, makeup, weight loss and wardrobe. There have been times when I’ve thought it would be nice to have someone create a hairstyle just for me and/or help me find a wardrobe that minimizes the faults and accentuates the strengths.

That my friends is a makeover.

But what about making something new? A new home or a new car, one that no one else has lived in or driven. What’s even more special is when it’s not only new, but custom. The floorplan, cabinetry, countertops, windows, room size, and the view have all been designed specifically for you. No room for complaint – it’s new.

Our Christian lives are like that, made new!

“ Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.” II Corinthians 5:17 CEV

Everything is new.

“Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don’t yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude. 32  Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ. 5 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 4:31-5:2 CEV

We are to have the same character as our heavenly Father. We are new in Him. He has placed His nature in us. For a long time, I didn’t see myself as new in Christ; at best, I saw myself as remodeled and truth be told, I saw the remodel as incomplete. Still struggling and dealing with old issues that would never really be fixed this side of heaven.

“Christ died, and we have been joined with him by dying too. So we will also be joined with him by rising from death as he did. 6 We know that our old life was put to death on the cross with Christ. This happened so that our sinful selves would have no power over us. Then we would not be slaves to sin. 7 Anyone who has died is made free from sin’s control.

8 If we died with Christ, we know that we will also live with him. 9 Christ was raised from death. And we know that he cannot die again. Death has no power over him now. 10 Yes, when Christ died, he died to defeat the power of sin one time—enough for all time. He now has a new life, and his new life is with God. 11 In the same way, you should see yourselves as being dead to the power of sin and alive for God through Christ Jesus.” Romans 6:5-11 ERV

Dead to sin and alive for God!

Made new!

Dead to the power of sin – dead to temper, lying, a critical spirit, gossip, self-pity. Dead.

“ But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins.” Romans 3:24 CEV

A makeover is something we try to do, made new is something only God can do. I like His way better!

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It’s More Than Grammar

Have you ever thought about the difference between “with” and “in”?

If you have water in a glass and you take it to the table it is “with” you. But you can leave that room and leave the water behind. However, if you drink the water it is “in” you. It gives life to your cells and nourishes your body.

All through the Old Testament we find that God was “with” His people. When Jesus came, one of his names was Emmanuel, God “with” us and wherever Jesus went He took God with Him.

Once we accept Jesus as our Saviour the Scriptures says that we are “in” Him.

“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” Colossians 2:6-10 KJV

His fullness fills us with His life, His love, His character. Wherever we go we take Christ in us. We bring His nature, His life to every circumstance and person we come in contact with.

“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.” Ephesians 1:3-6 ERV

There is no need to beg God to be “with us”. We need to be aware, vitally aware, He is always “in us”.

“This message is the secret truth that was hidden since the beginning of time. It was hidden from everyone for ages, but now it has been made known to God’s holy people. 27 God decided to let his people know just how rich and glorious that truth is. That secret truth, which is for all people, is that Christ lives in you, his people. He is our hope for glory. 28 So we continue to tell people about Christ. We use all wisdom to counsel every person and teach every person. We are trying to bring everyone before God as people who have grown to be spiritually mature in Christ.” Colossians 1:26-28 ERV

He lives “in” us so that we can take Him with us to the world! Let the Lord shine in you today.

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Good Gifts

We recently celebrated Dave’s birthday with all the kids and grandkids! It was a great time. Love, joy and presents.

They blessed Dave with a new smoker/grill and all the accessories! He was so surprised and thrilled.

Giving gifts to those we love just seems to come naturally. They don’t have to be big and expensive; simple and handmade gifts are meaningful too. It’s the fact that gifts come from the heart that makes them so special.

It’s probably not your birthday today but I have found some wonderful gifts chosen specifically for you.

“Christ gave each one of us a special gift. Everyone received what he wanted to give them. ” Ephesians 4:7 ERV

“Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life.” John 3:16 ERV

“You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God’s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. 9 It isn’t something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about.” Ephesians 2:8-9 CEV

“ Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing.” James 1:17 CEV

It didn’t take Dave long to begin to tell his friends about what the kids had given him. Yes, he was bragging on them. I think our heavenly Father likes it when we brag about His goodness.

“With all my heart I praise the Lord, and with all that I am I praise his holy name! 2 With all my heart I praise the Lord! I will never forget how kind he has been. 3The Lord forgives our sins, heals us when we are sick, 4 and protects us from death. His kindness and love are a crown on our heads.” Psalm 103:1-4 CEV

“…you still know how to give good things to your children. So surely your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him.” Matthew 7:11 ERV

“Grace and peace be given to you more and more, because now you know God and Jesus our Lord. 3 Jesus has the power of God. And his power has given us everything we need to live a life devoted to God. We have these things because we know him. Jesus chose us by his glory and goodness, 4 through which he also gave us the very great and rich gifts that he promised us. With these gifts you can share in being like God. And so you will escape the ruin that comes to people in the world because of the evil things they want.” II Peter 1:2-4 ERV

God’s gifts are called blessings. From the very beginning of time our Father looked for ways to give. He gave Adam and Eve a garden and filled it with all that was good. He gave the people of Israel a promised land filled with good things. He gave His promises and He never breaks His word.

He gave us His Son and a new life. All of these are very good gifts and worth bragging about!

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Sweet Smell

Have you ever walked through a rose garden when it’s in bloom or sat on a bench surrounded by gardenias? Here in Arizona our senses are being aroused by citrus blossoms and wildflowers.

In the early 2000’s my mom moved to Montana where Dave and I lived. Right outside the back door of her duplex was a tall lilac bush. Each time she opened the door she would be greeted with the aroma of lilac. She told me she remembered being a small girl and smelling lilacs at her home.

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

The Bible tells us that our lives have a sweet fragrance to offer to the world.

“ We thank God for the power Christ has given us. He leads us and makes us win in everything. He speaks through us wherever we go. The Good News is like a sweet smell to those who hear it. 15 We are a sweet smell of Christ that reaches up to God. It reaches out to those who are being saved from the punishment of sin and to those who are still lost in sin. ” II Corinthians 2:14-15 NLV

Old Testament sacrifices were to have a sweet odor. The sense of smell played a role in their offerings.

“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.” Leviticus 2:8-9 CEV

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

Just as the priests presented the sacrifices to the Lord and it pleased Him, we should offer our lives as a pleasing sacrifice. 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.

So, the question comes, is my life one with a sweet fragrance? Do I spend more time thanking God for His goodness and His love than I do complaining about how things could/should/would be better “if only”? As a Christian – a Christ like one – my life 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

It’s not only the Father who notices that our lives are a sacrifice, but those around us will also notice.

As we enter this week before Easter, I desire for my life to “smell sweet” with praise and thanksgiving to the Father and also with forgiveness and love to those I meet.

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