RICHES

The Quote:

"..that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2:7

I believe that this verse is saying that I will be shown God's grace and kindness toward me in the time to come. Not just grace but exceeding riches of grace,  not just kindness but exceeding riches of kindness. In my mine that means grace and kindness more abundant than any we could ever possibly fathom.

God owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Ps. 50:10-11), His riches are undeterminable and infinite. I am amazed that in the ages to come He will show me all this according to His grace and kindness. I deserve Hell and I will get His riches, because I am in Christ Jesus. I am a follower of Christ. I can not do anything to receive the gift of salvation, if I could it would make Christ's death nothing. I can however make my rewards or riches in heaven more, by serving God, with the right attitude.

Even though here on earth I am not wealthy with money, or things that this world has to offer, I know that in the ages to come I will be rich beyond my wildest ideas. Here on earth I am rich in the love of God and Christ. I am rich in the fact that I try to serve God with a willing spirit. I am rich in love for others. I am rich because of the grace and kindness the Lord has shown me.

Lord, thank-you for your grace and kindness, for your love in the past, now, and in the ages to come. Help me to share that love with others that come into my live.

The Drawing:

TOGETHER

The Quote:

"...and raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus," Ephesians 2:6

In following the posts where I started this series in Ephesians this verse tells me that God has risen me up out of the muck and mire the old sin nature and allowed me to sit in heavenly places with Christ and other Christians. I am set apart for His use.

Now, I think one of the important parts here is the together. He has raised all of those who have trusted in Him out of that mire. No one person is better than anyone else, we are all the same on a level playing field, and we are together.

There are other places in the Bible where it speaks of each of us being part of the body of Christ. We are His hands, His feet, His voice, and every other part that could be used to further His kingdom. The hand can not work by itself to do anything, it needs the arm. The feet can go nowhere without the leg, and the voice can not speak with out the lungs to provide air, we are all in this together equally.

I think many times as Christians we forget this. We tend to push out on our own without waiting for help or a support system. Even just having people praying for the endeavors we undertake in the name of God is important. Moses needed Joshua and Caleb to hold his arms up while the battle was being waged if Israel was going to be victorious, and so we need each other if we are going to further the kingdom of God.

Lord, help me to be a team player. Help me to pray for others and seek out prayer from others. Help me to be willing to ask for help when I need it and to help others when I can. Thank you Lord for my fellow Christians, help us to sit together in heavenly places and work to further your kingdom.

The Drawing:

GRACE

The Quote:

"even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)," Ephesians 2:5

Grace in the Merriam-Webster in this context is - unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration and sanctification; special favor; temporary exemption... I have always heard in church that it is unmerited favor. I don't believe that the grace God gives is temporary in anyway, it is everlasting, and I for one do not deserve it.

God in His love for us has bound the darkness of who we really are in our flesh and hidden it away through His grace. I have said this before and I have to say it again, He sees a clean slate that has been washed by the blood when He looks at our lives. Yes, I have sinned since I asked Jesus to wash me white, and I may or may not have confessed those sins I have committed since then. Yet the grace of God through Jesus makes me clean in God's eyes. That does not give me the freedom to go out an do anything I want to do, even though I could and still get to heaven. It does give me the freedom to be alive in Christ and to live my life in a way that is pleasing to God.

I am so glad that the grace of God has bound the darkness that is me and made me whole. I pray that everyday I will seek to share that grace and the love that God has shown me with others. Lord, thank-you for your endless grace and love.

The Drawing:

LOVED

The Quote:

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us," ~Ephesians 2:4

In the last post I used Ephesians 2:1-4, in those verses it spoke about how God has made us alive out of our trespasses and sins, if we are Christians.  Then there is a list of the way we used to live, the ways that we were children of wrath and conducted ourselves in the lust and desires of our flesh. Yet God made us alive....

The verse today tells me that even though I have that sin nature and I have continued to sin even after having received Christ's gift of salvation, God has mercy on me and I am Loved. It does not matter what anyone has done, or will do, God loves them. He is rich in mercy. He love has no bounds. I do not deserve any of the love I get from Him. His love is unconditional.

Many people want to put rules on how we get to be loved by God. They tell us that we have to be good enough, or go to church every time the doors are open. They say God can only love you if you give to Him, and if you are living a sinless life. These verses prove that that is not the case. He loves us even when we do all the things we know we aren't supposed to do, and yes it hurts Him when we do them and we should try to live a life that is pleasing to Him. He does not love us any less when we fall. We are LOVED.

Lord thank you for loving me even though I can never be good enough to deserve it. Your love is unconditional yet because of it I long to live for you. Help me Lord to return your love by loving others. Thank you!

The Drawing:

ALIVE

The Quote:

"And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of  the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others." Ephesians 2:1-3

Some months ago I was challenged to look at Ephesians and see myself as God sees me, who I am in him verse by verse. I did do this when asked and have decided to do it here for the next few post or so. I know that the above quote is more than one verse, it is one thought... It speaks to who I was and who I am now.

I was a sinner, the day I was born that is who I was, yes I believe that children are pure, there comes a time when they are accountable for the right and wrong actions that they make. That does not negate the fact that we are all born with a sin nature. As a result of that sin nature we are already dead. As we grow we either turn from that nature and strive to live a life pleasing to God or we continue on head strong in the natural person we are. No one is perfect and I can not go a day, hour, probably even a minute with out sin creeping into my life, whether it be a negative thought, an unkind word, or a lustful look.

The good part is because I have made Christ the Lord of my life, God no longer see a person dead in their sins, He sees a person alive in Christ, covered by the blood of the cross. So even though I still sin He sees the blood, and my life in Christ. Does it hurt Him when I "fall" and give in to the lusts of this world, YES! I should strive to reject the sinful nature and the thoughts that Satan sends my way to draw me away from my God. I need to try to live a perfect life even though it is an impossible task. God doesn't want perfection, He wants willingness, with the right motivations.

Lord, help me to remember who I am in you. I am ALIVE! I am no longer bound by my sins unless I let them bind me. You have given me freedom, I long to live in that freedom for you.

The Drawing:

MOTIVES

The Quote:

"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts." Proverbs 21:2

As I have said many time, I read in Proverbs everyday, so today was Proverbs 21. I have read the verse above many times and yet today it stood out. Maybe it is because of the things I am struggling with and the things I am studying outside of my time in Proverbs, whatever the reason this stood out today.

We all have things we wish to accomplish and do for ourselves and for the Lord, this verse speaks to motives we have.  I want to be Godly and work for Him in all that I do, but why? There are many things I do today not really because I want God to be happy with me but because it is expected. God knows when I am doing something out of obligation instead of out of worship to Him. And maybe doing those things out of obligation might help me to eventually do them out of habit which will free me up to do it as worship, I doubt it though.

Motives are a strong factor in the way things are perceived. God weighs our hearts, He will take anything we do "for Him" but He knows our motives and if they are not right and just is will count as nothing "for us". The next verse in Proverbs says "To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." It does not matter how much time we sacrifice, how much money, or any other thing we see as a sacrifice to the Lord, if we do it out of obligation, without a right and just heart, it was for nothing.

It is hard to do all things to the glory of God, self gets in the way. Lord, I pray that I can work on my motives and attitudes for the things I do in your name. The things I do to worship you, whatever it may be!

The Drawing:

GO

Lately, I have really been pondering the things God may have for me to do. I believe that He has a purpose for all living creatures and I want to do His will in my life. So as I meditated on that today I ran across the Keith Green Memorial video... all I can say is wow! It would have been so awesome to see this man in person. He hit the nail right on the head. Jesus' last command to His followers was to GO! He even told them where and how far....

The Quote:

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me, in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." ~ Acts 1:8

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even unto the ends of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

It all starts in the heart of the follower but first you have to be just that, a follower! You have to have your heart right with God, you have to believe that Jesus died for your sins and is alive in heaven today! Then if you really want to be a follower of Christ, you have to have a heart that longs to be a "Jesus Freak" for lack of a better term. When you have that I believe you can't help but reach out to those around you, to draw them closer to Christ.... You start small, your family, your friends, your neighbors, your school, your community, your city, your state, I think you get the picture. It starts in you and grows. If Christ is the Savior and Lord of your life then you should wish to be His follower.

Now that does not mean that everyone that is a follower will be called to a far away land. We all have a job to do, we are Christ's hands and feet. We are His arms that hug the hurting, His voice that comforts the grieving, and His ears that listen to the ones crying out. There are those right here where we live everyday that need Him. Your mission field may be in your own house, your school, or your place of employment. He will work through you if you let Him. Are you willing? I AM!

Lord, please give me a heart that pleases you and longs to do your will. Help me to reach out to those around me and if you are willing for me to go to the ends of the earth, I am willing. For now help me be your hands, your ears, and your voice to those right here. Thank-you you Lord for the opportunity to serve you.

The Drawing:  Today, I have entered a Challenge for a Zentangle Card Swap at Tiffany Tangles. Since it had a heart in the center and that is where this post really begins is in the center of the believer.... I will use it for this Post :)