"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more
than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us,
to him be glory in the church
and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations,
for ever and ever!
Amen."
Ephesians 3:20-21
Remember the John Lennon song, Imagine? Have you ever really paid attention to the lyrics of this song? It's easy to get caught up in the emotion of the music and lose the meaning, as the audience did at a Christmas on Ice show that my family and I attended last night. Take a moment to read the lyrics:
Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace
John Lennon imagined a one-world, no boundaries system with no hope for tomorrow, nothing to live for, and no purpose for our lives. And then he thought we would live in peace? Sounds like a recipe for chaos to me, and definitely not the kind of place I want to imagine living in.
As followers of Christ, we have a better imagination. When Paul wrote the benediction found in Ephesians 3, he said that God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. Like what?
God's Family It used to be that I had to be born into the right people group, the nation of Israel, in order to belong to Him. Now, through faith in Jesus, I can be a part of God's family! And as a member of this family, I stand to inherit eternal life. How many people have searched their lives for a way to be able to live forever, or at least extend their existence? I can think of the famed "Fountain of Youth," research in cryonics, (a human being is frozen until some point in the future when good health can be restored through medical breakthroughs), along with all kinds of nutritional supplements and exercise plans. But none of these promise eternal life, and none gives the assurance of a life of hope that we can have in Jesus! Paul desired for all believers to be able to, ". . .know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance. . ." (Ephesians 1:18) I have the hope of heaven as my inheritance as a member of God's family!
A Member Everyone wants to belong. Ask anyone who works with gangs, and they will tell you that one of the most prevalent reasons youth join gangs is that they want to be apart of something. Even though their gang family does not truly care about them, it fills a need to belong. As a believer in Jesus, I belong to a huge family that spans the globe. No matter where I go, I will find those who share my faith, love my God and learn from the same scriptures. As the Apostle Paul taught, "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." (I Corinthians 12:27) Through my simple faith in Jesus as my Savior, I am a member of the Body of Christ: now I belong!
Direction I remember many times in my life when I had to put together some kind of gift on Christmas Eve. My husband and I would start off thinking we could easily figure it out, but would always resort to reading the directions to finish the job. In order to truly understand the workings of the object, we had to go to the directions created by the manufacturer of that item. It is the same with us! As a believer in Jesus, I now have access to the One who created all things and who best knows how I should live my life! I have direction and guidance from my Creator as a follower of Jesus.
This Christmas, as I think on the miracle of God's Son coming down as a tiny babe, I will remember all that He has done for me. He has adopted me into His family, thus making me an heir, He made me a member of His world-wide family, and bestowed upon me the gift of a relationship with Him. I can't imagine anything better!
As I begin this day, I pray that I can keep my mind focused on the promises of God that came through His Son.
How can I live my life in unity with my adopted family?
This Christmas, how can I best honor the sacrifice Jesus made in the way I talk about, interact with, and treat my family?
As followers of Christ, we have a better imagination. When Paul wrote the benediction found in Ephesians 3, he said that God is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. Like what?
God's Family It used to be that I had to be born into the right people group, the nation of Israel, in order to belong to Him. Now, through faith in Jesus, I can be a part of God's family! And as a member of this family, I stand to inherit eternal life. How many people have searched their lives for a way to be able to live forever, or at least extend their existence? I can think of the famed "Fountain of Youth," research in cryonics, (a human being is frozen until some point in the future when good health can be restored through medical breakthroughs), along with all kinds of nutritional supplements and exercise plans. But none of these promise eternal life, and none gives the assurance of a life of hope that we can have in Jesus! Paul desired for all believers to be able to, ". . .know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance. . ." (Ephesians 1:18) I have the hope of heaven as my inheritance as a member of God's family!
A Member Everyone wants to belong. Ask anyone who works with gangs, and they will tell you that one of the most prevalent reasons youth join gangs is that they want to be apart of something. Even though their gang family does not truly care about them, it fills a need to belong. As a believer in Jesus, I belong to a huge family that spans the globe. No matter where I go, I will find those who share my faith, love my God and learn from the same scriptures. As the Apostle Paul taught, "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." (I Corinthians 12:27) Through my simple faith in Jesus as my Savior, I am a member of the Body of Christ: now I belong!
Direction I remember many times in my life when I had to put together some kind of gift on Christmas Eve. My husband and I would start off thinking we could easily figure it out, but would always resort to reading the directions to finish the job. In order to truly understand the workings of the object, we had to go to the directions created by the manufacturer of that item. It is the same with us! As a believer in Jesus, I now have access to the One who created all things and who best knows how I should live my life! I have direction and guidance from my Creator as a follower of Jesus.
This Christmas, as I think on the miracle of God's Son coming down as a tiny babe, I will remember all that He has done for me. He has adopted me into His family, thus making me an heir, He made me a member of His world-wide family, and bestowed upon me the gift of a relationship with Him. I can't imagine anything better!
As I begin this day, I pray that I can keep my mind focused on the promises of God that came through His Son.
How can I live my life in unity with my adopted family?
This Christmas, how can I best honor the sacrifice Jesus made in the way I talk about, interact with, and treat my family?
That song is so catchy yet I CAN'T imagine a world like what that guy sang about.
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