Ephesians 1:1-14 (this was from Tue, March 16th - no Internet yesterday)

Personal Note:

I’m in Nashville – arrived at 10AM this morning. I can’t put this on my blog today, as I don’t have Internet connection here. Tomorrow I’ll go to the library and put this on and also work on the webpage.

Our kitty, Belle, that we’ve had for 19 years, died today.  I knew even last night something was not right, but I’ve thought that in the past and she ended up being fine. But this morning, when I was getting ready to get in the car to go to the airport, I could see she was extremely weak. She would meow, but no cry could be heard. I got a chance to rub her head and talk to her, but I had a plane to catch, and so with a very heavy heart and many instructions for poor Rodger, I left.

Rodg called me about 1:30 and said he was on his way to Jay’s clinic. Before he even said anything, I could hear stress in his voice. Jay wasn’t there, but a female vet said she thought it was either diabetes or kidney failure. Kitty couldn’t stand up on her own and was very, lethargic and weak. She didn’t fight Rodger about going to the vet and she didn’t even react to the other animals that were there.

He called me back and asked me what we should do. I knew he knew what was right, but he needed to  hear it from me. I had to actually say the words, but as I did so, I made him promise he would hold her until she went. I felt so bad that my little friend was leaving and I couldn’t be there to let her know how loved she was by all of us. Rodger was great (all those times he’d say otherwise, he loved her too!). He and I chose to have him bring her home and bury her in our yard. Seemed more personal and kind that way – she was a part of the family for so many years. Keith was only 4 and Catherine 8 when she followed us home on a family vacation in Belle Vista (thus the name we gave her – although “Kitty” and “Fat Cat” were names we called her more frequently).  

Today was a sad day….

Overview:

Paul begins the letter with greetings and then goes into a worship mode – extolling the blessings that God has given us. He’s blessed us with all spiritual blessings (if we don’t think we have them, it’s not for lack of having them, but rather our lack of appropriating them in our lives); He predestined us before the world began, to be adopted into God’s family because of the price Christ paid for us on the cross – He bought us back (redeemed us) and forgave all our sins; and revealed to us the “mystery of His will” (opened our eyes and hearts to know and understand His plan for our salvation and how He wanted us to live).  He works all things according to the counsel of his will (v 12). Paul reminds them that when they heard and received the Gospel message that they were sealed by the Holy Spirit – He is the stamp of authenticity that says: This one belongs to God. We carry this stamp until the day we receive our inheritance – heaven.

Application:

It is a good thing to be continually reminded of our roots. It gives us a sense of our place in this world. Paul reminds us that our salvation was less about our “free will” and our choosing Him – and all about Him choosing me because He loved me. The age old question of “How could He choose some and not others?” comes to mind. The only answer one can give is that we were “dead in our trespasses and sins” we would not – could not, choose Him. He had to choose us. Why me and not others? Because He is God and I know that the God who created me only knows how to do right. I am not God. I can’t explain why He chose me, but I’m glad He did! I’m glad I have the Holy Spirit’s stamp of authenticity. I am looking forward to receiving my full inheritance as an adopted child of God. Adoption is special – each child is chosen by his new parents, just like God chose us. And just like the adopted child has all the rights of a natural born child (Jesus), we too have those same rights and privileges. We can approach our heavenly Father and make our requests of Him and He will give us what we need.

“Thank you God for choosing me. Help me to assimilate into your family and be like Jesus. I want to look just like one of your natural born children.  I am your own.”