New Directions

Well I've been reading Ephesians still but I'm so preoccupied with some serious, pressing issues that I haven't truly been doing the study.

We've made a huge decision and decided to leave our church. We are going to look for a new church. I don't really want to talk at length because there is just too much to cover. So I'll just share this letter that I wrote to our church.

Dear Church,

I am writing you with a heavy heart and sadness. I no longer wish to be a member of XXX. I do understand what that means to you folks and that makes me sad. I’m sure you are wondering why I said that believed the same as you when I first joined XXX? Well, I really wanted to. I had questions and doubts but thought in time I would find the answers. The more that I have studied things out on my own, the more clearly I see things. I would be willing to tell you all about it, but I do not see any reason to. I do not believe that would benefit anyone. If anyone has questions they should do their own seeking.

I still believe the bible, I believe that God saved me and that I will live in heaven one day! I believe that we’ll all be there together! So even though you may choose not to be my friend here on earth, I know that one day we’ll be together for eternity! God has done so much for me and taught me so much in my time at XXX. I do not regret being a member. I believe just as God led the Israelites into Egypt, then through the dessert and into the promised land that God is leading our family down a different path. I pray that I can continue to learn and grow as a Christian!

I can’t even begin to thank you all enough for the kindness, love and friendship you’ve shown me over these past few years! I love you all so much and I will purpose to not speak negatively about XXX. We will be seeking a new church that is more suited to our families beliefs. I’d like to say that I’m sorry if we hurt anyone. We do not want to cause divisions amongst you in our leaving.

Wow, am I far behind!!!! Ok, so today I'll catch up with Tues-Fri work. Then tomorrow I'll do Mon-Tues for this week. See, I have a plan! Its 9pm, all my little kidlets are in bed and hubby is out working late. The house is quiet except for the hum of the washer and dryer going. I'll ignore those dirty dishes and spend some time with my Lord....finally!!!

I've also decided to use the ESV bible. I really enjoy it. Its so much simpler to understand :)

Scripture

Ephesians 3:4-13

⁴ When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. ⁶ This mystery is^[a] that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

⁷ Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. ⁸ To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given,to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in^[b] God who created all things, ¹⁰ so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord,¹² in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. ¹³ So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.

Observation

Okay, so it seems that very simply the mystery of Christ is that the gentiles are awarded the same benefits as the Jews. If I'm getting this all straight the Jews have been God's chosen people and they seem to have let it really get to their heads. They've lost their love for God and they're just following rules now. So now they're being told that they need to forget all the rules and just love God and treat others with God's love. "members of the same body" wow, we as believers seem to miss the mark here. I keep thinking about all the denominational differences that we keep on letting get in the way of all Christians functioning as a body. Doctrine, rituals and traditions are the heavy burdens of a lot of churches just as the Jews back when this was written... I think that we are being reminded here that we need to put all the man-pleasing aside and just serve God.

I love how he's such a humble man. He always remembers that he doesn't deserve to be God's messenger. I also love how he sticks to the topic. He doesn't get off rambling about weird ideas or personal opinions here. He's just telling us how it is. He reminds us of God's power and that its the churches responsibility to ensure that God's wisdom is made known. Then really it is up to the church to continue to break down the barriers that separate us and help us to function as one. Christ has come to make a way for us to get to heaven and all we need is faith.

Application

I guess the main thing that strikes me here is the idea of sticking to the point. I keep thinking about the verses in Matthew that say Love the Lord your God with all your heart....love your neighbor as yourself....on these hang all the law... something like that. I know thats not what I'm reading here but it keeps popping in my head. I think that we are supposed to be united for Christ. I don't really know how to apply this idea in my current circumstances. I just want to make sure that I show God's love first and foremost. Let my light so shine before men that they may see my good works and glorify GOD ... not me. That means it needs to be sincere.

Prayer

Lord, let me truly love you with all my heart, my mind and my soul. Help me to focus on you and not let all the chaos of life pull me away from you. Help me be united with the fellow believers in my life. ALL of them.

Well, I think I got a little off the topic but its where my mind just went swimming to!

Praise God for warm weather!!!

Thank you Lord for this gorgeous weather!!! My kids have been playing outside for like 2-3 HOURS!!! i got my dishes washed, almost all my laundry washed (although folding is another story) my floors swept, bathroom scoured and now I'm sitting here quietly to do my devotions while the lil babes nap :) .....

I spoke to soon, just after I typed that last line the two big kids came in from their nice long play outside and I was interrupted to make them a snack and get them settled on the couch reading books! Ok, so lets see how many times I get interrupted now.

Scripture.

Ephesians 3:

¹For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

²If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

³How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,

Observation

I am struck by Paul's commitment and loyalty to Christ. He is in jail because of his beliefs. Would we as Christians be that faithful? Could I truly stand so firmly in my beliefs that I would suffer in prison just to testify to others what God has done for me?

Application

Will I boldly share my faith with others despite what they'll think of me?

Prayer

Give me someone to share my faith with. Show me someone in my life who needs to hear the story of all the blessings you've given me! Let me boldly share my story, without fear or apprehension. Help me clearly see the blessings you've given me, Lord. Get my eyes of my struggles and help me appreciate how truly blessed I am to have You in my life! Others have had it so much harder than I have.

So I really messed up!

Oops! In redid chapter 1 on Thursday!!!! So I'll be doing Thursday's and Friday's today :)

Scripture

Ephesians 2:

¹⁹Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

²⁰And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

²¹In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

²²In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Observation

What strikes me is that we are no longer strangers or foreigners. Which means that before Christ we were. Now we are fellowcitizens. It goes on to say that we are built together into a temple.

Application

I really feel excited by the connection and unity to fellow-believers! My biggest application to this is to keep studying more! I think I'd like to continue to search for online studies like the one Good Morning Girls has offered so that I can continue to grow with my Christian family!

Prayer

Thank you Lord for helping me connect with my fellowcitizens! That the technology available today is being used for a great purpose! Please continue to open up your word to me!

Scripture

Ephesians 2:19-20 "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,"

Observation

If I believe in Christ, I have access to the power of God... that power was what raised Jesus from the dead.

Application

I need this power.

Prayer

Lord, please give me just a measure of your power today. Be real to me.

Fallen way behind!

Oops, gotten far behind this week. Here's my catch up!

^Scripture

^{Ephesians 2:11}Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

¹²That at that time ye 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:

¹³But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

¹⁴For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

¹⁵Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

¹⁶And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

¹⁷And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

¹⁸For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Observation

God intends that salvation is for EVERYONE and that we are one because of our shared belief in Christ Jesus. By abolishing the law, he created peace.

Application

Again the thing that is just glaringly obvious to me here is that God wants all believers to forget their differences and all follow Jesus. The law is of no value.

Prayer

Lord, you know my heart. You know what I want.

I didn't skip Friday!

^Scripture

^{Ephesians 2:10}For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them

Observation

God wants us to do good. We should be motivated to do good, not to show that we're saved, or so for people to see and think good of us but because God wants us to. He meant us to. It should come from the heart. It should not be forced or coerced from us in any way.

Application

I want to do the things that I feel led to do. There's nothing wrong with doing what I've been asked to do, but I think it has a whole lot more meaning if it's something that I want to do. I even see this in my kids. Sometimes they'll ask me if they can do a chore, like sweep, do dishes, vacuum, fold laundry etc and they do it with enthusiasm and seem to really enjoy the task. They WANT to please me. But if it becomes a regular chore and I set the expectation that they MUST do it. It seems to somehow lose its desire to them! I think we as Christians can become this way.

Prayer

I want to please you, Lord! Remind me of the things that I can do to make you happy! Keep in the forefront of my mind all the "good works" that I can do for you and let me see them in that way. Help me to not concern myself with what others think of me and focus on my relationship with you!!!

Scripture for- today

Ephesians 2:8-9

⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Observation

I've read and heard this verse a number of times and I believe that it is fairly self-explanatory. God gave us the gift of salvation and all we need to do to receive it is believe. That is so amazingly simple it seems that so many people complicate this process. The main thing I keep seeing is that if you don't get some part of it just right and don't see the right "fruit" in your life then you were never really saved in the first place. I think that THAT idea falls into the category of "works". I can't question another person's experience but I've heard things said on a regular basis that I can see how someone who's salvation experience was some time ago and maybe they've allowed things in their lives to take precedent over their relationship with God then maybe they would wonder whether their salvation is true! I believe that my faith in God has given me the gift of salvation that no person can take away...not even me! There is nothing I can do to get saved and nothing I can do to get UNsaved! Thank you God! The other part of this I see is simple...lest any man should boast. I have nothing to be 'proud' of.

Application

I did nothing to earn my salvation, God just gave it to me. I am nothing and I deserve nothing less than death. But thank God, He chose to sacrifice His one and only son to save me the sentence I truly deserved! I believe this. And that's just how simple it is! I need to stay humble, I am better than no one else. We are all just sinners, saved by grace!

Prayer

These verses just keep humbling me more and more. To the fact that I am nothing and that all I (or anyone else) needs is faith. Lord, help me to show others the simplicity of your love for sinners. That it really is not of works; whether I do things, or don't do things doesn't matter at all, it is believing that matters. My heart is yours Lord! Thank you thank you thank you!

^{Alrighty, week 3 day 3! I still haven't mastered the art of getting up before my kids so I'm still doing this piece by piece while Danielle does school work, getting up frequently to tend to the other 3 kidlets!}

^Scripture.

⁶And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

⁷That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Observation.

Here, once again is the words us and together. I love those words. It makes me feel so connected to fellow believers! And that we all sit TOGETHER in heavenly places! I want to research that phrase "in Christ" more... oh wow...

In Christ - We are one as a body of believers

Romans 12:5

5so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Galatians 3:28

28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:6

6This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

This is so very encouraging to read. There is so much more I found it on this page.

Besides all that, verse 7 reminds us that He is kind enough to us to show us the riches of His grace.

Application

All those who believe will sit with me in heavenly places so I should treat all fellow believers with love, respect and kindness. I need to be humble and remember that as a follower of Jesus I need to act like Him. I have the power THROUGH my Lord to do this!

Prayer

Firstly, this would be so much more meaningful if only I could get up before the kids. Lord, get me up tomorrow and remind me that I want to stay up! Keep me focused on my need to be close to you so that I can start my day off right!

Second, thank you for humbling me and reminding me that I am part of a whole group of believers and that we are TOGETHER with the same purpose! Thank you for showing me your grace, even though I really don't deserve it.