POWER

The camera was set on a tripod at night, with a long exposure, it caught this shot of traffic moving along the street... the power of light ... if our eyes could only see the power of God all around us... "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order, that you may know ...God's incomparably great power for us who believe." {Ephesians 1:18-19}

Made Alive

Ephesians 2:1-5 ... Sin brings death...a corrosion of the image of God stamped into each of us... a virus that infects every aspect of our being... Here is a glimpse of Yellowstone Lake with ice still floating in early June. Its edges are marked by the effects of forest fires. A cold barren place to behold... but come later in the summer new life will flourish around this lake. Jesus takes our pitiful lives and breathes new life into us... life that endures forever...life that brings light to the whole world. Open our minds and hearts to see the effects of God's love restoring us ... recreating us ... renewing us into Christ's resurrection image.

MARKED

"Having believed you were marked in Christ with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit..." {Ephesians 1:13bff} Just as the Yellowstone River continues to mark the earth, the Holy Spirit indwelling each Christian marks us ... redeems us...reshapes us ... to conform to the image of Christ. And the beauty of God's labor will stun the world around us! Oh let the waters flow!

CHRIST'S CHURCH IS ALIVE

{Sorry for my absence from the blog... a stomach virus and vacation got in the way!...

but I am back.}

 

The Bible says, that we are God's masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus. Last weekend I spent time with some remarkable Church leaders, who are seeking God's new direction for their congregation and outreach to their community. Farmington Presbyterian Church in Germantown, TN has a grand future in store, as these men and women humbly and faithfully work to re-invent themselves into a body of Christ that glorifies God, grows disciples and meets human needs. And what a powerful worship service... the Holy Spirit moved this congregation to lay hands on their Elders as they prayed for them... followed by the entire congregation recommitting themselves to daily prayer, Bible reading and finding others to join them in growing as disciples.

 

 



ADOPTION

"In love, God predestined us to be adopted as his children through Jesus Christ..." (Ephesians 1:5) In talking to parents who have adopted children, there is a common thread - a parents' love sees no difference between birth and adopted children.. they are loved and cherished. Here is Betty with her three children, celebrating her 90th birthday. And yes there is a blending of both...but who can tell, for this mother and her kids love each other all the same. Whether you are a Mother Theresa, Billy Graham, Pope Francis or Ted Smith the plumber- God loves us all the same, unconditionally with a joyous heart! 

The Supremacy of Christ

"And God placed all things under Christ's feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body..." {Ephesians 1:22}  About 2500 years ago when the Greeks built the Parthenon on a hill overlooking Athens, they worshiped Athena there. She was high and lifted up for all to see and adore as goddess of the city. How far she and Athens have fallen from that Golden Age of Greece. But even when the gold is polished bright, Jesus Christ far outshines any man-made god whether that god is bronzed, marble, high technology, the Federal Reserve, political power or Hollywood power. This God, Jesus, reigns supreme for all eternity. And he loves us!

I took this picture in 2002 while in Greece.

A LOVE FOR THE SAINTS

Here are two Elders from Orlando Presbyterian Church who love God's people! They both have a passion for Christ's Church and live that out not only at OPC but also in our Presbytery as they serve on the Committee on Ministry. Thank you Dawn and Brenda! Well done! They have the wind behind them and the Spirit within them!

TRUST

I know -the picture is not very flattering, but it does illustrate a point. Trust is complex! I was on the Disney Animal Kingdom photo tour. We crossed overhead of hippos and crocodiles...all on this swinging rope bridge with irregular placed planks. We were harnessed to an overhead cable and there was netting all below the walking planks. I trusted I would not fall and become lunch for some slivering reptile. But I feared falling into the safety net and not being able to get up! Trust in God can be complex... we may well trust him with the big stuff in life, but grow fearful in the details. It is OK to be afraid. Courage is not the absence of fear... it is what you do to walk through the fear. And yes I made it to the other side. But I will not be doing that again for some time:-)

BELONGING!

There is a recurring phrase in Ephesians 1:1-14.... sometimes with different words but always meaning, "in Jesus".  From our inner soul to everything covered with our skin, we are in Jesus Christ. We bask in his love ... heal from his forgiveness ... find strength in his power!  We belong to Jesus, who will never abandon us. Christ claims us as his eternal permanent family. The love that splashes around my family is a taste of how God feels about me! I am in awe and amazement at the depth, width and height of God's love. I fall asleep every night, with this prayer, "I love you, Lord."

HOW CAN WE BE SURE?

People often doubt whether their salvation is secure....thinking they need to work toward earning God's blessing. Friends, it doesn't play out that way! With all God's assurances and blessings promised in Ephesians 1, there is only one  thing we need to do in response to God's outrageous love for us- "trust Christ as your Lord and Savior". The photo is of a 100 year year old water tower built by a rich land owner as a way to preserve his summer home in case of a fire. It is located near our family's farm in West Chester, PA. It looks solid and secure and still holds water! Just like God's promises to hold and preserve your life for eternity. TRUST GOD in all things present, past and future!

The Holy Spirit

Sometimes the forgotten person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit plays an essential role in the Christians' life. According to this first chapter of Ephesians, the Spirit secures us in God's family, brings us wisdom and understanding when it comes to knowing God through Christ and is the source of amazing power to assist us in living an equally amazing life for Jesus Christ. {The dove has long been a symbol for the Spirit.} Latter in Ephesians Paul instructs us "to be continually filled with the Spirit." Or in other words -open your life to receive God's wisdom and power and love. Sounds like a great deal to me!

THE HAIR CUT

About 3 years ago one of these twins had very long hair, until one day this twin  decided to sneak under the table with a pair of scissors... and cut away chunks of hair in random fashion.  The parents where aghast at the sight! But one trip to the salon evened things out. And in fact the twin looks great in shorter hair! Listen to these words... God "works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will." No matter what mess we make of our lives ... hand it over to Jesus Christ and wait for God to make something pretty wonderful out of our mistakes.

Marked with a Seal

Here is a guy at Disney World that stands out in the crowd! His head attire clearly marks his allegiance to a well known movie brand. Those who place their trust in Jesus Christ, bear an invisible "mark" that all the invisible world can see. It is the mark of the Holy Spirit living within each follower of Christ. {Ephesians 1:13-14} This Spirit mark seals our relationship with God and is a guarantee of a future inheritance in heaven. It may not be blue and tall, but definitely far more valuable.

  

A Different Perspective

I was hanging outside at Panera with my kids, while playing with my new Samsung Note 3 phone / camera... and by accident the camera snaps this strange picture. Can you figure it out? Sometimes we only focus on what is right in front of us and don't see what is just beyond. The Holy Spirit is at work in creative ways all around us and beyond. And sometimes we stumble and see ...

Mystery

The Bible says when we try to fully understand the spiritual realm, we are looking into a  flawed dark mirror, but one day we shall see fully. When it comes to comprehending how God will "...bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ"... indeed our view is diminished  by our humanity. But in spite of my lack of understanding how that will be fully revealed, I am absolutely convinced that it will be so. I may look a little fuzzy in this picture, but trust me on this point I am very clear- I trust Jesus Christ with my present and future.

More Fathers

If you read Ephesians 1:3-8 you cannot escape seeing the love of God actively at work in our lives. Here are three Dads and their sons ...can you feel love? God feels this way about you!

A Father's Love

You can see it in his face and arms, this father loves his son. You can see God's love in the same way... his face shines upon us and his arms.... they wrap us tightly with the strength of his grace. Yes, keep pondering Ephesians 1:3-6.

Adopted

What a joy to hang out with friends today... and an added bonus to spend time in Brevard County at an equestrian center.  Look at this amazing former race horse now being schooled as an "event" horse. The Creator has indeed birthed some amazing creatures, but God chose to adopt only humankind to be his children.... those who place their trust in Christ's love and forgiveness. Yes, you are an amazing child of God! {See Ephesians 1:4-5}

Before ...

"Over 11,000 years of human history pale to the ages old Paleontological resources. Badlands National Park contains the world's richest Oligocene epoch fossil beds, dating 23 to 35 million years old."... so says the Parks description.  The landscape is stunning, but what is even more stunning are these words. God chose us in Christ "before the creation of the world". That is more than 35 million years ago, God had us in mind. Yes God has a plan and you are part of that plan... from God's point of view you are equally as stunning! 

"The Eye of the Beast"

When I first set my heart on Yellowstone National Park, the one thing I sought was getting close enough to see the eye of a bison. Seemed easy enough at the time... once I was there ...not so easy... but then while riding a tour bus ...bam! There was the photo shot!
One of the spiritual blessings that is ours, is the awareness that God has "chosen" us...that means God set out with a deliberate plan to find us and claim us as his own. {Ephesians 1:4}... to look at us in the eye and say "I love You" and to mean it for eternity. Consider yourself loved and chosen!

Ephesians 1:3 "Every Gift"

I was about 7 and my Christmas list included just two items: a Bible and a baseball mitt... yes, I must have been a rather strange little kid. My family often played ball after dinner, and I wanted to be a part of the action. Unwrapping those prized gifts made this little girl so over the moon! God promises us that we are "blessed in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." You see, God knows how to bless not only a seven year old, but also this 67 year old... in fact everyone who puts their hope in Jesus Christ. Trust God with your future in heaven. If this 60 year old mitt is still intact, how much more will God's eternal blessing stay with us forever!