Inspired by Ephesians...part 1

I've been thoroughly enjoying Ephesians the past few months...so much practical teaching that God took the time to preserve even to this generation...so much help for me as I walk this journey Homeward, with all its shadowed, rocky trails and its many voices crying to be heard and heeded.

Eph. 1: 7-13 really struck a chord in my heart the day I came across them.

"In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood,

 the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses 

(shortcomings and trespasses), 

in accordance with the

 riches and the generosity of His gracious favor,

Which He lavished upon us in every kind of 

wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence),

Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will 

(of His plan, of His purpose).

 [And it is this:] In accordance with His good pleasure

 (His merciful intention) 

which He had previously purposed and set forth in [c]Him,

[He planned] for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages

 to unify all things and head them up and 

consummate them in Christ,

 [both] things in heaven and things on the earth.

In Him we also were made [God’s] heritage (portion) 

and we obtained an inheritance; 

for we had been foreordained (chosen and appointed beforehand) 

in accordance with His purpose, 

Who works out everything in agreement with the 

counsel and design of His [own] will,

So that we who first hoped in Christ 

[who first put our confidence in Him have been 

destined and appointed to]

 live for the praise of His glory!

 In Him you also who have heard the Word of Truth, 

the glad tidings (Gospel) of your salvation, 

and have believed inand adhered to and relied on Him, 

were stamped with the seal of the long-promised Holy Spirit."

My heart fairly leaped at those words! You see, I am just simple enough to believe that if God tells me that if I follow Him and that He sent Jesus to be new life for me so that I could reflect Him for His glory, and if He tells me that if I am one of Christ's then I also stamped with the seal of the Holy Spirit...then I believe it! And I also am simple enough to believe at face value the promise that he LAVISHES on us every kind of wisdom and understanding (practical insight and prudence), so that we can know the mystery of His will which simply is to unify things in Christ...

Then i thought of the worn out excuses I have heard from many corners of my world... 

"You have not been (fill in the blank: adopted/abused/wronged/robbed, etc) like I have and therefore you really cannot help me/counsel me/tell me God's plan for me in this." Or "You have not had the training to counsel others so I really don't think you qualify to speak to me about my (fill in the blank)."

Oh really? Go your way, then, my friend but according to my Bible, those who are in Christ, He intends to equip with the Holy Spirit so that they may be LAVISHLY bestowed with wisdom and understanding...

It comforted me to read this again. You see, I am simple enough to also believe that the Great Commission is for every single one who becomes a disciple of Jesus Christ. It is my responsibility to tell the Good News that He lives both by my words and by my life. It is also my responsibility to help those who come by Him to me to observe ALL things whatsoever He commanded...balanced in all things by Jesus Christ Himself.

I am a huge fan of the simple. I believe that some of the apostles were ignorant and unlearned men (according to Acts 4:13) and yet they were used of God to bring thousands to repentant faith in the Lord Jesus. So I am just simple enough to believe that I, a housewife in the quietness of my home, need only the qualification of the Holy Spirit poured out on me after I choose repentant faith in the Son of God, to help me fulfill the Great Commission in my small allotment of time in the corner of the Kingdom He has placed me, but ultimately affecting GENERATIONS.

My children are a mission field. My neighbors. And friends. All around me is a huge mission field, with fields waiting for weeping over, praying for, loving and reaping. 

I look back over my life and wonder what it would be like today if I had not chosen to heed the counsel of a simple Farmer husband and simple housewife sisters whose hearts burned with the fire of the Holy Spirit. What would have happened, I wonder, if I would have used the excuse: "Oh, but you don't know what it's like, what I have to deal with, because you never experienced what I did..." (and it's true. They had not experienced what I had...but they know Jesus and could share with me based on who He is and what He says...which is what I needed more than for them to have actually experienced what I did).

I find it fascinating that God uses people to accomplish His purposes. I think that part of it must be to keep us humble, both as the helper and as the one needing assistance! It is true that those who have helped me have their own share of shortcomings but somehow, I urge us to look beyond the clay that makes up the person on earth and see the Divine...the touch of God in their lives, as they are true followers of Christ. I think He gets alot of glory from turning vessels of clay into vessels of eternal usefulness when filled with the Light of life.

Counsel does come sometimes from those who have some seeming glaring character flaws. Am I willing to hear what they have to say, then take it to the Lord for direction, thankful that they are committed to Christ and to climbing the Golden Heights as He calls them to do it ? Do I realize that not everything about me is perfect and yet, He calls me, a woman still being changed from glory to glory, to share with others the blessedness of His counsel? 

Be encouraged with me, friends, that if we are following Christ, we CAN know and understand and pass it on...Let us do just that, growing in His grace and knowledge so that we can give others the blessing of simple, Gospel truth along the way...humbly because He gave us anything and everything we have to offer!

Oh, and by the way, in case I was in doubt when I was pondering all this, I had some confirmation further on in the chapter:

"[For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

the Father of glory, that He may grant you a 

spirit of wisdom and revelation 

[of insight into mysteries and secrets]

 in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him,

By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, 

so that you can know and understand the hope 

to which He has called you, 

and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints

 (His set-apart ones),

And [so that you can know and understand] 

what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness 

of His power in and for us who believe, 

as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength..."

(Eph 1:15-19)

That sure left me without any doubt that if I am called to do the

work of the Lord, that I will be equipped and able through Him

to handle anything that comes my way.

God bless.

~Marcia

The Call of the Reapers

PS

Just to be clear...I am thankful that God is a God of patience and mercy...I look back over my life and wish I had listened to the wisdom of my parents and other older people in my life at the time it was given, but I had a huge chunk of pride that God needed to deal with. I am thankful that He is a God of second chances!