"For through Him we both have access by one spirit to the Father."
Ephesians 2:18  NKJV

"For it is through Him that we both {whether far off or near} now have a introduction {access} by one {Holy} Spirit to the Father- so that we are able to approach Him." Eph. 2:18  AMP

I thought you might enjoy seeing the amplified Bible, and how it approaches this verse. It is rather wordy, which is why it's hard to read the amplified only. For insight to a verse you can't beat it. I like to read verses in different versions to get a clear picture what it's saying.

 It is easy. Go to google, type in a verse or even part of it if you're not sure of the whole thing.You will get what you want, plus other translations. Bible Hub is one site that I use often. I'm careful not to read any personal interpretations of a verse. When doing a google search anything can come up. I want to be sure of my sources.

Valid sources are very important, especially when dealing with scripture. I like the use of the word "introduction" here. Jesus is our for-runner; the one who tells the Father all about us. I can hear him saying such wonderful things about you right now.

Jesus: "You are going to be thrilled by so and so. She loves you so much. She told several strangers how you delivered her from the fear of man. She went on and on about how much you care for us and she couldn't say enough about how you have met her needs in every way."

God the Father: When do I get to see this person? Jesus: Not for a long time; she has a lot more to do. God: Make sure you stay very close by her side, she is going to need your strength and power to do all that I have given her. Jesus: How about I live within her by the Holy Spirit?  God: Sounds like a plan.

We are allowed access to God the Father because of the Son. This was unheard of in old testament days. No one had access to God, except for the High Priest who went into the Holy of Holies to offer sacrifice once a year. If he didn't do everything just right he would die. The reason for the bells on the end of his robe was for those outside to know if he fell over.The bells would ring and he would    be pulled out. I'm not kidding.

A High Priest got one chance in his lifetime to enter the Holy of Holies. The presence of God was in this room. It represented our need for a Savior to go in on our behalf. Jesus finished this work on the cross, so there would never again be a need for a sacrifice. He was" the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world." John
1:29 NKJV He was born for this purpose. He died to set us free. This is not a guilt trip, but a victory! He wants us to rejoice. He rejoices with us.

  

"and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity."  Ephesians 2:16

Who is Paul talking about here? Who needs to be reconciled? The gentiles{those who are not Jews or believers} need to be brought into Christ by the finished work of the cross. If we read from verse 11 we see this letter is assuring the Ephesians that in Christ, we are all the same.

This view made the Apostle hated by the Jews who did not believe in Christ. Those who believed in keeping the Law had no place for gentiles. We do see some exceptions in scripture. Ruth was a Moabite, but she turned to the one true God, and was welcomed into Jewish society. Rahab was a prostitute who believed that the God of the Jews was the one true God. She left her old job to follow in the ways of the Lord, and was saved from death because of her Godly choice.

We read about slaves being circumcised as to obey the Law of Moses. I think those slaves must have hated that one. How can this outward sign, that is being forced on others ever make a difference?

It cannot. A heart that is willing to follow Jesus can be used in ways we never dreamed. Those who are forced may harden their hearts.

The reason God made us with free wills was so we could be free to choose whether or not to serve him. If our hearts are not involved, he knows it. Oh, I don't like this. I think of times when I did the "right" thing, but my heart was somewhere else. I won't linger on this point, but ask for forgiveness, and move on.

It is important that we not park our thoughts on the wrong things we do. God is not glorified by any of us hashing out our issues on a regular basis. He forgives, and we move on. Depression can set in if we sit on the negative for too long. Believe what God says about you.

He says, You are his own. You are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ, but you know this, because we are working our way through Ephesians. Go back and read Ephesians chapter 1 again, and do it again tomorrow. If you want to, do it everyday for the month of March. I am. Watch the lies and deception fall off of you. God's word will do it.

"For he alone is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation," Ephesians 2:14  NKJV

Do you remember on Wednesday I said that the enemy will strike when we are weak, and we least expect it? The next day I got a call from a family member who was cleaning out their condo. Then this person asked if I wanted all of my children's pictures from babyhood that we gave to them as a gift.

My first reaction was,"You don't want my children's pictures?" Their answer, "I'm cleaning out my condo for resale and I'm getting rid of things."I told said person to send them to me, even though I have pictures coming out of the windows.

Yesterday before any of this happened, I saw this tag on my husband's shirt. The "Wrinkle resistant" caught my attention. I said to God, "That's what I want to be, wrinkle resistant."When I got this phone call, I knew the tag was there for my benefit. 

I am not to take offense at this family member's disconnect. They had no idea what they said was hurtful. I know that so and so isn't saved, and is not on the same page as we are. The incident was a reminder to pray for their well being in every way.

I am glad for connection, and family, as I shared this week. I don't want someone on the outside, that needs to be on the inside. Family relationships  and connections can be knotted up and entangled with many years of disunity.

Our role as God's women is to love, release and move on, unless there is harm involved. Physical or emotional harm is not to be tolerated especially from a spouse.This member is out of town, and not a close relative.

Unity, peace and bonding in good healthy relationships is God's best for all of us. We include others and what choice is made by them to accept or reject is their business. I want to make sure that I am right in my heart attitude before God.

My focus is on His love. Displaying, writing and saying what He would want. It is His kindness that leads us to repentance. {Romans 2:4} If kindness leads the lost to the light, then kind is what we need to be. It is not easy, but it is worth it. Every time I remember the incident from yesterday, I give it to God. He pours His love on me, and I am healed and I can give it out!  Have a wonderful weekend.

"But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." Ephesians 2:13  NKJV

I don’t like being far away from my family. God knows this and has given me wonderful friend who love me. This is wonderful since my blood relatives are out of state. I didn’t move, everyone else did.  I don’t take it personally. It is really expensive to live on Long Island, and this is why my brother sister and Father went elsewhere.

My Christian family is near. Perhaps you have a similar circumstance. Family is far away so God has given you people who care for you like family would. If you don’t make sure you make good friends by being a good friend. Be the one who loves. Be the person who shares what is given to you. Good friends are made by how we treat others.

Hold dear those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. God has made all of us for relationship. Sometimes we don’t want to be friendly. God said to be a faithful friend and treat others as you would like to be treated. It really does work! In my younger years I couldn’t understand this concept.

 I wanted to protect myself and my children. Rudy can take care of himself. Just kidding, I probably protect him more readily than anyone else. He is such a lovely, kind man , and I can be fierce when anyone speaks badly of him. Just ask my kids. What a tangent I got on!

I finally realized that Jesus is the best defender of all. Caring for others is a valuable trait that I am learning. I have a lot to learn. Rudy has taught me well, so I will stick with him as my teacher. Jesus is the one who teaches him. I can go straight to him of course  and I do that too. What a wonderful Savior.

"that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in this world." 
Ephesians 2:12 NKJV

I shiver at the thought! Being without God in this world, but I know many who are without God. Prayer is the most powerful weapon we have in this world against the lies of the enemy. His ploy is to keep people from understanding God, and his ways. His is the Father of lies. 

Our enemy is not all knowing, all powerful, or ever-present like our God. The power and authority of Jesus Christ is above all else. There will never be anything that our enemy can do about that. He knows if he can cause us to doubt, have unbelief, we can be caught away from the truth.

I use the word "caught" on purpose because the Bible says that the enemy tries to catch us like a bird in a snare, Psalm 124:7. This word picture is effective for me to realize how much I don't want to be snared. I guessing that is not your idea of a good time either?

We can pray protection over our loved ones at all times, and stand on the walls as soldiers do to see beyond what is happening on the ground. Looking down the road can bring protection, wisdom and strength to those who need it, like you and I.

If we prepare for battle, and the battle doesn't come, we are strengthened. We need to be aware as lies pop up at the worst times. When we aren't ready to fight back. The enemy doesn't play fair, and he is cunning and slick.

Put on your armor, Soldier! Go to Ephesians 6:11-18, and do it often. Whatever lie is thrown at you, reply as Jesus did. It is written---. Say what the Bible says. Nothing can be stronger than this. God's word is yes and amen in all of creation. Amen means so be it. It is as you say. God's kingdom is coming in each of us. The kingdom of God is within you as a believer in the finished work of calvary. Luke 17:20-21. Victory in Jesus name!

 

"Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh- who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands-"  Ephesians 2:11  NKJV

You may be wondering why I didn't write yesterday. It was a holiday. That's not the reason. My husband was home, and my schedule was not my ordinary one for Mondays. I guess you could say that it was because of the holiday!

What matters is I am here now. Let's focus on our Friend and leader the Apostle Paul. I do believe that if he lived in our day, or we in his, that we would be friends. He would be the type of friend to ask all of our questions. How come good people suffer? Why do young people die of terrible diseases? You know the questions you would ask.

Would he have the answers? Probably not. Why? Some things are hard for our finite minds to understand. Does this mean that we shouldn't ask hard questions? No. Our God is not moved by any questions, as long as said questions do not lead to unbelief.

Let's look at our verse. Circumcision? Why is this in question? The Jewish law said that any male who is not circumcised is outside the household of Faith. It was an outward sign of {hopefully} an inward commitment. We know this doesn't work, because many have an outward sign, with no heart.


Paul doesn't tell them, being Gentiles, to be circumcised. He understands that this was an outward sign, made by hands. Our heart attitude far surpasses what our flesh shows on the outside. 

The pride of the Jews was the fact that an outward sign was on their bodies. Paul tells those who first have faith in Christ that you would have to follow the whole law in order for this to be a valid sign. This would be futile. Why start in faith, and end in the law? Christ has delivered us from the sting of the law, the bondage of following rules, for no reason.

Jesus perfected our faith, and took away a legalistic perspective. It would never save us. He knew the law better than any man. He knew it was futile, except to bring us to the only one who could bring liberty. He knew the work had to be done, and he did it!

The cross is our liberty. Before the resurrection, the cross was only a sign of cruel, heartless death. Today it stands for new life, and freedom. Only our mighty, powerful God could ever take a sign of despair, and make it good. It's who he is! Wonderful!

Do you like my wallpaper of the day? Bright and cheerful. This is me on the inside, on the outside not as much. This is because I am limited to the inside of my house. Running and jumping have their limits indoors. Speaking of which, have you been enjoying the Olympics?

 I love to watch the skaters and snowboarders as each one leaps, runs, spins and all that good stuff. I want to do such things too, but my body isn't there. Some day, I will do all of these things and more, when I am not limited to this body.

Running is something I can enjoy at the moment, but I'm limited to house only. Walking is more what I do, but I must get some fast strides in there. This is a prerequisite for me to heaven.

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."  Ephesians 2:10  NKJV

Every person you talk to can have their own definition of what is a "good work." To some it would be "good" to have stricter gun control. To others we need to have better mental health care. I am referring to the horrific school shooting in Florida this week. 

Many groups are using this situation for their own political gain, which is divisive. What about our youth? Who is going to cry out to God on their behalf? This all is a reflection on the breakdown of the home. Mothers and Fathers are needed in order to build a strong moral society.

Our culture makes fun of manhood, as if it is a dirty thing. Strong men, and fathers are necessary to anchor our youth. After all, our young get their reference of Godliness from their own relationship with their father. Manhood is a necessary blessing in a society when it is in God's balance.

I'm not trying to make men seem infallible, not at all. We have gone so far in the opposite direction from a "good" representation of our heavenly Father's character. We cannot downplay this necessity in our culture anymore.

God forbid that we try to go on as usual, as if this is now an acceptable part of our lives. This world hasn't got the answers. God has always been, and will always be the answer to all of our society's wows. I know we are in the end times, but we as the people of God are not to slid into despondency but to action, whatever that means for each of us. 

Can you influence youth? Go out and do it. Can you pray? Every one can. Do what you know to do, and you will know what to do.This is a favorite saying of my Pastor. Do what's right, and God will show you the rest. None of us can do all of the work, but everyone can do their part. Praise God, He does the "good" work!

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

I have been reading a book by Jen Hatmaker. As a christian writer she is uniquely different. I like her fresh perspective, but the sarcasm caught me off guard. Don't let that stop you from reading any of her books, because she will catch you by surprise, and say some deep truths to make you think.

The book is called,"Of mess and Moxie- wrangling delight out of this wild and glorious life."In chapter 20 she says that people should never put others above Jesus."What is not to love about a guy who pulled children onto his lap and saved a failing party and touched the untouchables and told off the religious elite? I have to agree with her. 

Jen shares how her community worked very hard to get rid of celebrity status, and coined the phrase, fangirl. "Fangirl Jesus, and fangirl your friends," she writes. "Go gaga over all your people, and over value them, and over love them." Her point is that we can spend so much energy ya-yaing over those whom we don't even know, or will ever meet in our life-time.

Put your energy into loving Jesus, loving those he has given you whether that means family, friends, or neighbors. Be the love that you want to receive. Loving Jesus is easy as we see from our verse.

Don't let your boast be of anyone other than Him. It is by grace that anyone is alive, making a difference or able to do anything that matters. God is good. We don't need to add any superlatives to this, like very, or really. He stands alone in who he is. The goodness of God is in a class all by itself. 

He defines what is good, pure and right. Our vain strivings at goodness can't compete with the one and only, Holy lamb of God. Accept the grace of God as it is, a gift. 

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

I had to chuckle a little bit as I wrote this verse. The part that says, "and made us sit together,"sounds like a kid telling the Mom how terrible she is for making them sit together. All the kids in the family sat in church, but not next to each other always. Especially not Rudy next to Matt, because this could start a ruckus.{As adults this rule stands true at the dinner table most nights.}

Matt was a bit squirmy, and didn't think it a bad thing to bother Rudy during the service. Oh no, he never thought about where he was, or what his father would do if he made trouble. Sunday morning were meant to bless, and uplift all the congregants. Ha!First there was the struggle to get everyone ready, in the car, and to the church on time. 

My husband had his own time for getting to church. I wanted to stay on the same schedule as the rest of the world. This can cause friction in a marriage, so I let it go. I didn't want to cause friction.Until the next Sunday rolled around and we went through this scenario again. Did you know that God has a sense of humor, and that he doesn't give up?

The root of my angst was not getting to church on time. It was, deeper than that. I was concerned about being seen by others. "What will so and so think if we walk into church late again? One way to break this happened when it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. My wonderful husband took us into the balcony, where there wasn't any room. Then he paraded all six of us down the side stairs for all to see.

At this point I wanted to run out of there. Rudy proceeded to string us through a pew that was pretty full already. Those who were there weren't happy about the six of us joining them. Especially when I inadvertently stepped on their toes. If looks could kill! One of those who wanted us out of there and fast was an old student of mine. I smiled as sweetly as possible, and sat down.

Mothers are responsible for keeping the peace. It is right there in the Bible. Not quite, but it is an unwritten rule. I was a total failure if my peeps got out of line, which happened frequently. Did they want to destroy their Mom? No I think most children act like children, and some adults for that matter.

Oh how I have overcome! My peeps come in late to church. Rudy has learned to respect my desire to be on time. We don't stress over what everyone will wear. Jeans are fine. I am so happy to have them, as adults in church with me.  My pride shines down to the first floor every time. {We are always in the balcony now.}

I learned to forget about people pleasing. Rarely it will try to rear its ugly head, and I tell it to forget about it. Life is too short to be concerned about what others think of you. Life is to be lived, enjoyed, and loved. Let the love of God flow out of you, and every other thing will pale in comparison.

"Let love be without hypocrisy, Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; "       { Romans 12:9-11}

As you might have guessed by now, I am deviating from my regular routine of Ephesians. The United States is looking at tomorrow, February 14 as a day to celebrate love. The definition of love has wained from what God intended, as we all know. 

Sexual love is a wonderful gift given by God for us to enjoy as married people. How far have we come from this definition? I'm not talking about the church, although we need it too. What does the average man on the street know about Godly love, as God intended for everyone?

Most people will tell you that God loves, but are not sure what that means in their lives, or if God truly exists. "Agape",  love in the greek, describes the attitude of God toward his son.  It also means {according to Vines Expository Dictionary}  how christians are to love one another, as we see in our verses for today.

Vine's says that "love can only be known from the actions it prompts."
 This sentence causes me much thought and contemplation on my own actions, or inaction as this may fit me better at the moment. I do love my fellow christians, and I try to make it known as much as possible. It's easy to love those who love me in return, but what about those christians that disagree with me? I try to stay away from them, whoever that may be{ just hypothetical at the moment.}

What if I sought after those who I know disagree with me, and show them God's love? Why would I do that? Just as a discipline in love. Oh there's that bad word. Discipline! Let's not be silly, Ann. Alright, my point here is that I would glorify God by pouring out love. {it must be sincere though.}Nothing would dishonor the Lord more than insincere, syrupy fakeness.

I hope that I have overcome fakeness in my life. It really does God a disservice if I allow this to be in me. My constant prayer is for christians, {hmm, me} to be a clear picture of love as God intended. I can't change anyone else's thoughts, but I am responsible for mine. Dwelling on the love of God serves Him and everyone around me for good. No one wants an angry Mama in the house. Stay on course Ma, Stay on course!

 

  February 12, 2018   * Sorry for the mistake in today's post. It was Martin Luther who is known for starting the protestant reformation. Oops!

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

This verse reminds me of the story of Charles Wesley. As he was climbing the many stairs to leave his "note on the door"of the church.  The Holy Spirit, whispered in his ear,"by grace you are saved" over and over again. This began the protest, or as we call it now, the protestant wing of the church of Jesus Christ.

No one knew that this is what the bible said, because people didn't have their own bibles, and the church of the day said, you must earn your salvation. Our natural selves tells us this too. It makes sense to our way of thinking, but this is not what Christ died for. 

He knew we needed a new and living way, so with his own blood he died in our place. He also rose from the dead, so that we could rise too. "For if we have been united in the likeness of his death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of his resurrection." Romans 6:5 NKJV Our lives now, are not what they will be when we are raised both body and soul.

The Apostle Paul said, "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied." 1 Corinthians 15:19 NIV.

It is because God is eternal, and has greater things for us than we can never imagine that we have hope. I don't mean that we are selfish, not at all, but we are heaven bound!

Beyond this war ravaged, hurting, tragic world is an existence that  will delight, soothe, and meet us in every way.  Not to mention that we will be with the lover of our souls! No more sickness, death, or hurting. No comparisons or back biting, no more he said, she said fights. Can you tell I live with teens?

As if this wasn't enough, our wonderful Lord did all of this before we were thought of, because he knew we would need him more than anything else in this world. He prepared a way!  If you are not feeling loved by now, I don't know what to do. Remember the old saying, "If God had a wallet, your picture would be in it? He carries a photo Album with him just to show you off! Feeling loved yet?

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

Did you know that next Wednesday is Valentine's Day? It is also my sister's Birthday. She was born 7 years after I was, so my brother and I felt we received the best Valentine's gift ever on that day. I'm sure my parents felt she was their best gift as well. 
As a seven year old girl, I could not have imagined a better gift than a real live baby sister. Not a baby who came to visit, but one that would stay! I thought that life could not get any better. But then I saw her! She moved and stretched, and made special little baby sounds. This was astounding!
I told my friend Debbie about my baby, because she had a baby sister too. Her sister was two weeks older than my baby, and had been born on Debbie's birthday. I thought that was a miracle.
So much excitement in a little girl's life. I'm sure this was God's plan for my family. The timing, the girl part, it tied all together for me. I felt special, and blessed before I ever heard the word blessed. God is merciful and true.

"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 2:3NKJV

There is no denying the fact that we are all from the same cloth. God made man, and women out of the dust from the earth, and he breathed his life into us. As christians, we try to deny the flesh, our sinful, lying nature. We are never successful in this! We don't have the ability, but try we must.

When we have exhausted our own resources, we painfully look up at Jesus and say, What am I missing here? And he says, You are missing me. We look at him in denial and say, But Lord, you know that I love you, and I serve you every chance I get!

He takes pity on us and sincerely tells us: You are trying to do the impossible in your own strength. Rest in me, and allow my strength to flow through you, and then give me the praise. We look up at him, with total confusion and say, But I thought I was doing all that? I know you did, he replies, with a smile.

It kind of flows like a river.  There are times when we flow with God, in the river of his spirit, and there are times when we get out of the river. It's not intentional, but something comes up, that grabs our attention, and our eyes leave our Lord, and we fall back into old ways.
 Oh how I wish this wasn't me any more! I hate confessing that I still do this at times. It is so humbling, but our friend and Apostle said the same thing! And he hated it too. {Romans 7:14 }I suppose I should be happy that I am in the same group as our dear friend.

At least we can grow in our ability to love one another through all of life. God is full of compassion, and knows our every step. His patience far surpasses anything we could ever know. He is beyond our expectations, and is past figuring out. It's always interesting trying to figure his next move, which makes for an amazing life.

"In which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient." Ephesians 2:2  NIV

I am so glad to be writing to you today. My house has been hit by the flu. It is a real problem on Long Island right now. I had five days of doing very little, which is hard for a Mom with 3 grown children home at once.

 No one is very cheerful. Bored beyond words, I sojourned to Target for relief! You don't know how bored I have to be to end up there. I have been boycotting Target since 2016 when they announced that men would be allowed in the ladies room. Not liking this idea one bit, I have been pretty faithful. 

I needed a place that was big, and I could roam the aisles without attracting too much attention. No problem here, because it was almost empty. On one goes to Target on a rainy day in February. I wanted to have a cup of green tea latte, which is a special treat. Starbucks is in Target. I never thought I would be so happy about Starbucks being anywhere!

Thank God for his mercy on my strict rules. Life is meant to be fun, whimsical, and light. Too much seriousness and sorrow makes for weary people. We are the people of God. As I drove home, I lifted my voice in worship with the radio, and I drove past my street just to have some special time with God. I'm sure this put a smile on his face.

Some serious situations have been on my mind lately. The Lord causes these things to melt into the background of my heart. As I drink in his love for me, I realize that even death will not hold me back from more of him. 

He doesn't want anything here and now to hold me back either. I send my love and blessings to you my dear readers. I pray for you to experience his grace today, as I have!

This is Lena, our West Highland Terrier. She is so proud of herself because she rubbed her face in the snow a couple of weeks ago. She is spunky even at the age of 11.

"And you he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins." Ephesians 2:1 NKJV

It's hard to believe that we are into February and that this year is 2018.When we were young, it was hard imagining what life would be like when the year 2000 came. We had rotary phones, big bulky television sets, and no computers. How did we manage?

When you don't know what life is like without technology, you don't miss it. We have such conveniences, being able to look just about anything up on google. Talking to people over the internet for nothing, and calling a restaurant to bring you their food.

It sounds simple, but it isn't. All of this technology brings complex problems, especially when it doesn't work. How much money goes into the purchase of all these materials, and stuff? All the children want the latest upgrade in phones, and other related items. 

Nothing much has stayed the same, except for sin. We will always need a Savior, no matter how involved our society becomes in technology or space travel. The reality of our souls is that we need to be saved from sin, our natural selves.

Jesus, the same yesterday, today and forever.

How sweet! These young deer are romping along without a care in the world. This is not my picture, but it could easily be a scene from my backyard. We have a lot of deer. Not a good thing. My town, East Setauket is known for lyme disease. How innocent and sweet these creatures are but don't cross them.

Last week my son called me into the kitchen to see a Mama, and her two little ones, who easily jumped our fence. When the Mama saw me in the window she lifted her front leg and proceeded to stamp the ground. She was going to fight me for her babies, who at this point had jumped back over the fence.

I was surprised and she was mad. When I didn't move she ran back over my absolutely useless fence. How dare she threaten me while I was in my house, I thought.

This Mama didn't know about fences or property. She was looking for food and remembered that we have some tasty holly for her to munch on. I wish she didn't know about it, since she was an unwelcome visitor, but as a Mama she wanted to care for her young.

Listen to what Isaiah 40:11 says: "He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that have young." ESV

Even when our "Young" become adults we still can be concerned about them. God assures us that he hears our prayers, and that we can trust Him to lead them. When a child strays, our prayers  are powerful just like the Mama deer. " God is our refuge and God is our strength, a very present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1 KJV

"And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church" Ephesians 1:22 NKJV

This verse speaks of God the Father, putting all things under Jesus' feet. The reason being that Jesus would be the head of the body. The body meaning the church. Not a building, but the people who make up the church. You and I are the body of Christ.

As believers God has made us joint heirs with Christ.{Romans 8:17} What a magnificent wonder of wonders.What did we do that warranted such a huge honor? Nothing, but believe, and follow. We have no idea now all the majesty and glory of God that will enthrall us. I think of the song, Will I stand in awe, or fall at your feet?

I am having a hard time comprehending this. It is far beyond my ability to grasp all that God has for us. Not just for the future, in heaven, but here right now.The work was finished, so that means that we can partake of the blessings while on earth. This is why we pray for miracles, and for people to be healed. We know this is God's will for his people since the resurrection.

Jesus said, "But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I don't go away, the comforting Counselor will not come to you. However, If I go, I will send him to you."  John16:7  CJB

Jesus knew that the next phase of God's plan was to send the Holy Spirit, so that he would lead us. Jesus told us that even greater things would be done in his name if he went to the Father. John 14:12 

Do you believe that God wants to do greater things on earth in our life-time? I believe this is true, so what is holding him back? A weak, compromising church. Oh I'm not talking about any one group of believers.I mean the American church as a whole.

It's hard to get people out to prayer meetings. People fall asleep during sermons. We compare ourselves to others and say that we're not so bad. What does God think of this? He is asking us to come up higher with him. All the excuses fall away when we see His glorious face, and are wrapped in his love.