IT'S LIT!

Image result for clipart showing lit firesi don't know what was missing in my diet as a four or five year old, but I can recall sitting behind a chair secretly sucking off the tips of burned matches. EHHH! I had two parents that smoked, and I could gather up the burned matches from the ash trays.  Strange, I know!  I was not interested in playing with the matches and striking them, but only in the ones burned. 

In my readings for today, I have read the book of Ephesians which is like trying to ingest an elephant, but I loved the first verses of chapter one as Paul, the author, offers praise to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for spiritual blessings.  If your spiritual life at the present is like "burned matches" because your fervor and devotion have gotten cold, I remind you of what Paul reminds us in chapter 1 with the hope your spirit life with be lit up again. 
  • HE has chosen us before the creation of the world.
  • HE chose us to be holy and blameless in HIS sight.
  • In love, HE marked us out beforehand to be adopted as HIS sons through Christ Jesus according to HIS purpose and will for us.  (In that culture when a child or adult was adopted, he could NEVER be disclaimed for he had the rights of a natural born child.)
  • HE has freely given us HIS grace...unmerited favor.
  • We have redemption (HE brought us off the slave block of sin.  HE paid the ransom demanded for our sin by HIS shed blood.) through HIS blood shed.
  • We have forgiveness of our sins in accordance with HIS riches of HIS grace which HE lavished on us.
  • HE lavished HIS grace on us with all wisdom and understanding.
  • HE has given us the ability to understand the great mystery of the ages which baffled the Jews, that we Gentiles who were "far off" have been "brought near" and reconciled to God through the Cross which Christ endured for you and me.
  • We are marked with HIS Holy Spirit who is the Deposit guaranteeing our redemption that we are possessions of God.  
 I hope as you mull on these spiritual blessings which are divinely supernatural commendations to us that they will rekindle your faith and hope.  If after reading, you are still cold "burned" matches...might need to move to confession of sin and repent...HE longs to restore and fire up your spirit again.  HE reminds us not to "quench" the Holy Spirit and our sin, one or many, causes the spirit life to become "burned matches"!  Fire us Holy Spirit that we might burn out for YOU and the sake of the kingdom.  Forever learning.  In process and still burning.  #IHAVETHREESONS

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THOSE SEEING CAN BECOME BLIND

Image
John 9 is the story of the healing of the blind beggar.  Not only is it a marvelous story of the miraculous healing of the man as he is given his sight, but a sad story of the religious of whom Jesus said, "For judgment, I have come into this world, so that the blind will see, and those who see will become blind ." The religious have seen the miracle, even though it has taken place on a Sabbath, and they interview the man and his parents for their stories and understanding. I find it so thrilling that the healed man speaks so articulately and logically with the religious in their "interview" with him.  His statement, " Now that is remarkable!  You don't know where HE comes from, yet HE opened my eyes.  We know that God does not listen to sinners.  He listens to the godly man who does His will.  Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." What truth he has spoken to the religious wh
Read more

REHEARSALS

Image
  I wonder how much time do I give to rehearsing God's goodness and how He has intervened in my life to "save" me from myself?  How alike the Israelites I can be, complaining about what goes wrong, how it affects me, and what I lack.  As a Christ follower, I have the Indwelling Holy Spirit to give me remembrance NOT of my complaining and grumbling, but of a recall of God's faithfulness to me.  It is recorded in Psalms 78 and 106 that " They forgot what He had done, the wonder He had shown them", "They did not remember His power--the day He redeemed them from the oppressor...", "They did not remember Your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.", "But they soon forgot what He had done and did not wait for His counsel.", and "They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt...". Contrast with me, God's remembrance: Ps. 106:44-46, "But He took note of their distress
Read more

ORDER AND DESIGN

Image
    I do not have OCD, but I do confess that I like order in my home.  Now that I am retired, I am not so much into spotless, but "picked up" and "kinda" clean. (Do not open drawers and closets!) I might go to more trouble when I know I am having company, but otherwise, I remove the clutter that seems to reproduce on its own.   When I began the reading in Genesis in January, I was again taken with the with the orderliness and design of God in creation, and have seen Him use Moses and Aaron to ORDERLY marshal the Israelites to move out of Egypt. How do you move some 600+ males and that is not even wives and children? Animals also?  They have been one year+ out of Egypt, and have been camped at Mt. Sinai where God has given them laws for their spiritual and physical welfare.  God gives Moses the design of the Tabernacle and Moses is able to bring together the workers to complete the Tabernacle.   The clip art at the top is the positioning of the 12 Tribes and the
Read more