Ephesians 1 The Message (MSG) 1 1-2 I, Paul, am under God’s plan as an apostle, a special agent of Christ Jesus, writing to you faithful believers in Ephesus. I greet you with the grace and peace poured into our lives by God our Father and our Master, Jesus Christ. The God of Glory 3-6 How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.7-10 Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.11-12 It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.13-14 It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.15-19 That’s why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn’t stop thanking God for you—every time I prayed, I’d think of you and give thanks. But I do more than thank. I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!20-23 All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence. God wants a closer relation with you, his presence will shine in a powerful level of love and divinity, listen his voice everyday and learn from him in a joyful way, God is our crown of everlasting life, so we should spread the gospel with love and service in a loyal way of life, do not be afraid, just enjoy your relation with God and take his hand, embrace his Holy Spirit, He will help you as your Holy guide of the perfect will of God, Jesus is our everlasting truth, we should love more the Gospel and the fruit of the Spirit, be kind with everybody always and embrace a new time to come for the glory of God, receive strength from Him and enjor the Spiritual inheritance from a perfect God who is perfect love and who will give you his powerful and divine friendship just if you accept him, our faith will increase if we keep believing in the teachings of Jesus, keep going in fellowship with the church and dream in God, he wants to make you stronger in his relation with you, God is the author of the everlasting treasure of his presence and wonders, listen to his voice and enjoy his voice and peace, you just can find true peace in God, he understands you in a perfect way and he will love you in a very close sense, leave the past behind, now is a new time to make a renewal of your heart, thoughts and plans, we love you and God bless you with his abundant hope and wonderful friendship. For sermons, worship, help the hungry, help the persecuted christians, devotionals, testimonies and more, please visit us in: risenpraise.weebly
Posted on: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 04:16:58 +0000