Ephesians 2- Part 2

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Study and learn. Be changed.  Ephesians 2 Made Alive in Christ 1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 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. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not
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part 2 ..Holding on to Hope

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I don't know about you but I am often so hurt by the hurt God allows that I don't want to talk to Him... but where does that really leave me? On my own, I have no truth, no real truth...that can take away the despair. Anyone can mask pain with over eating, over drinking, over spending, over sleeping, etc. There is no lasting comfort apart from God. I have to remember that if God required such intense suffering of His own perfect son..whom He loved... to accomplish a holy purpose, He has a purpose for you and me in our pain. Of course the Bible tells what that purpose is.... to make us look like Christ. I had someone relay a story to me of a conversation they had with a woodcarver. The carver was creating a duck out of a block of wood. The person said, "How do you do that?" The artist said, "It is easy...I take everything off that doesn't look like a duck". That is what God is doing with us. He is taking everything off of us that doesn't look like Jesus. The pain...the darkness ...it isn't fun. It is scary, but it is less scary when we truly believe we have a Loving Father..holding our hand in the dark and ........when we believe it isn't darkness to Him. Psalm 139: 12 says..."even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you." Guthrie says we need not ask "why?"...but "for what purpose?" Our why will often not be answered until the life to come in the presence of God. So we must hold on to truth.
2 Corinthians 4: 16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal....
Thankful to the ONE that holds my hand in the dark,
Rachel
(The picture is of Madeline, John-Michael, and Noah holding a "heavy" and delicious grapefruit). They are hams..just like their mom.

Comments

  1. KathleenJanuary 29, 2011 at 1:59 PM

    What beautiful, honest, open posts--both this one and Part 1!! I love the woodcarver illustration! Praying for you guys!

    (I love the expression on John-Michael's face in the photo!)

    ReplyDelete

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