November 18, 2020
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)
Do you realize what God has done for you in Christ? Notice the three uses of "bless" in the verse above. Paul blesses God because he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing.
The next fourteen verses are one long sentence where he lists those incredible blessings that are true (whether you realize it or not) if you are a child of God.
1. He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless before Him. (Vs. 4).
2. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself (vs. 5)
3. He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved, His grace. (vs. 5-6)
4. In Him we have redemption through His blood (vs. 7
5. In Him we have the forgiveness of our trespasses (vs. 7)
6. He lavished on us the riches of His grace. (vs. 7)
7. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will (vs. 9)
8. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will (vs. 11) Of that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. (vs. 12)
9. We believed, by His grace (vs. 13)
10. We were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession (vs. 13-14)
Pause and think on these blessings this morning. Realize all is well, both now and eternally and then go out to meet the day!
Father, thank You for the incredible riches You have bestowed on me and on all those who have believed. We have every spiritual blessing. All we need. All we could ever want. Let me not forget this and live in light of these truths today. And give me boldness to share this good news with those around me who need to hear the gospel today!
March 27, 2025
When our faith is sufficient to lead us to actually follow God’s plan, we will always see that it is “good, acceptable, and perfect.” These words, as always, are important.
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God knows what He is about. Always include in your request the greatest prayer—the prayer of surrender. “Lord, Your will be done.” This is the prayer, when humbly prayed, that will always be answered and yield the most valuable result from the God who loves us best ... even if the answer is hard.
March 05, 2025
Every created man or woman must make their choice. What will you do with God? Will you embrace or reject Him? Draw near or run away? Trust and serve Him or doubt God and serve yourself? This foundational choice determines everything.
