Ephesians 1:2-14 ~ Lavished

 

You were planned and in the Book of Life

Proverbs 8

“The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, 

    the first of his acts of old.

23 Ages ago I was set up,

    at the first, before the beginning of the earth.

24 When there were no depths I was brought forth,

    when there were no springs abounding with water.

25 Before the mountains had been shaped,

    before the hills, I was brought forth,

26 before He had made the earth with its fields,

    or the first of the dust of the world.

27 When He established the heavens, I was there;

    when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,

28 when he made firm the skies above,

    when he established the fountains of the deep,

29 when he assigned to the sea its limit,

    so that the waters might not transgress his command,

when he marked out the foundations of the earth

Then I was beside Him, like a master workman,

and I was daily His delight

    Rejoicing before Him always,

Rejoicing in his inhabited world

    and delighting in the children of man.

32 “And now, O sons, listen to me:

    blessed are those who keep my ways.

33 Hear instruction and be wise,

    and do not neglect it.

34 Blessed is the one who listens to Me

Ephesians 1:2-14

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places

4 Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. 

In love 5 He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, 6 to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved. 

7 In him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, 8 which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His purpose, which He set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in Him, things in heaven and things on earth.

11 In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of His glory. 

13 In Him you also, when you heard the Word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.

Advent, to me, is the beginning of the Rocks Cry Out About Salvation in Jesus Christ.

Luke 19

“Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, 

“Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

40 “I tell you,” He replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Relationship. The belief our Father would send Jesus to us, again. And will at the end of our time on earth. Again, when the Word is thriving and the earth has become too old. 

Husbands and wives rejoice in the best of their being, knowing if the choice was given, again, they would marry again and go forth in the hell and high water and Hopes of His Glory.

Relationship. In the beginning of our innocent lives, we think about what the world was like before we were born, our parents, grandparents; how we will suddenly not be part of this earth again one day. And where were we before we landed in the lives God has given us.

John 15:27

And you also will bear witness, 

because you have been with me 

from the beginning. 

We aren't simply having Christmas in 2022

We are celebrating the Birth of Jesus for our eternal lives.  The Ten Talents Parables are about trusting God to be the Master of His Plan. Creator of All.  Realizing we have been given blessings and privilege. To bring to the world around us. Love the Lord first, and love yourself. Then love your neighbor.  Exactly as if you are in an airplane and need oxygen. Go to the source, feed yourself and in His Life, feed others. 

Our Father says He loves Mercy over sacrifice. Why?  We are flawed, God says, Come Home as His Child in Jesus.  Our Father and Jesus, His exact nature, never said cringe before God. Instead, bloom and flourish, live for His Glory, be His Light. Find so much Hope, we don't need to nitpick. When we lose Him in our outlook, we will choose Him.

I refuse to let Advent bog me down in what I can't do, reach, heal with love and be.  I will use Advent to be a time of rest from worries and put up the decorations, reaching for His Love. The Lord tells me to Love Him and Love myself. This is celebrated in the Ten Talents Parable. When we lose our confidence, we put down our worries and look at the Lord God Almighty, my Father in Jesus Christ, upholding the Universe in His Word.

I will not react to goading. I won't be pushed to be rocked and socked robot.  I acknowledge the harshness of life and say I will look to the Lord First. Love the Lord. Love myself and in His nurture give to others. My help, my prayers, my hope and my peace. I will, in Jesus Christ live Him as the Way, the Truth and the Life.

If today, you were going to walk into:

Yale Library

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Call Number P.CtYBR inv. 415 (Bib File)

 344 Winchester Ave Dock 8. New Haven, CT 06511

You'd find this Ephesians 1 Chapter. It's from Egypt and has a story before the passage was found.  During the 3rd Century, The manuscripts employing Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus became known to Western scholars as a result of correspondence between Erasmus and the prefects of the Vatican Library. This was the time of St. Jerome. His personality is vividly found. Jerome loved fun. And was brilliant in reading, memory and many languages. Loves Jesus. A priest who retired to Ahhh Antioch in later life to enjoy good company and not wrangle with all the works of God people get fussed about. St. Jerome is very holy, and he enjoyed parties with good conversations and lovely ladies.  The Joy of the Lord. John 14, 15, 16 and 17. 

Jerome! Commissioned by Pope Damasus I, to revise the Vetus Latina Gospels used by the Roman Church. Later, on his own initiative, Jerome extended this work of revision and translation to include most of the books of the Bible. The Vulgate became progressively adopted as the Bible text within the Western Church. 

Because of Jerome's works, we know the Bible passage we look at here is written during the 3rd Century. Not the first Century of Papyrus 46, 300 Chapters. This Biblical Chapter was found just as St. Jerome was taking the recommendations of the First Council of Nicaea and putting the Bible in order. Ephesians is the Tenth Book of the Bible and this was known to be a part of the Word of God since John was alive in Ephesus with the Mother of Jesus.  

Ephesians 1 has something in common with Leviticus and Deuteronomy, this passage says see and be in remembrance of His Lavish Blessings. 

Grace and Peace 

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places

Holy and blameless as the Parable of Ten Talents.

He Chose us

before the foundation of the world

In Love,  He predestined us 

for adoption to Himself 

as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will

He has blessed us in the Beloved. 

In Jesus Christ

 we have redemption through His blood,

 the forgiveness of our trespasses, 

according to the riches of His grace, 

which He lavished upon us,

Matthew 13:17

For truly I tell you, 

many prophets and righteous people

 longed to see the things you see but didn't see them,

 to hear the things you hear 

but didn't hear them.

Making known to us the mystery of His will,  His purpose, 

in Christ 

A plan for the fullness of time, 

to unite all things in Him, 

things in heaven and things on earth.

11 In Him we have obtained an inheritance,

 having been predestined 

according to the purpose of Him who works all things 

according to the counsel of His will

So that we who were the first to hope in Christ 

might be to the praise of His glory. 

In Him you also, 

when you heard the Word of truth, 

the Gospel of your salvation, 

and believed in Him, 

Sealed with the promised Holy Spirit

Who is the guarantee of our inheritance 

until we acquire possession of it, 

to the praise of His glory.

Abba, Father,

Help us to see and know and cry out to You

Jesus our Savior

Help us to Love and See Our Blessings

Today

and

Every Day.

All Good Gifts are from You.

Thank You.

Help us this Day and each day

as You dwell in us

and those we Love

to be a Blessing to You

especially of Gratitude.

Thank You for Your Son, Jesus,

Who told us to pray for More of Your Heaven

on earth.

Holy is the Name of Jesus!

You could have said forgive us our sins

and instead said

Forgive us our trespasses.

You are the Almighty Lord of All.

Our Lord God.

Our Father, adopted in Jesus Christ,

Our own Father,

Father to our children

Father to His Children,

Tender and Compassionated

having pity on all

who reverence and have awe.

As far as the east is from the west,

He has removed our transgressions from us.

He knows our frame and is mindful of our frailties.

The Lord takes pleasure in us

those who put their Hope in Him.

Malachi 3

At that time those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, 

and the LORD listened and heard them. 

So a scroll of remembrance was written before Him 

regarding those who feared the LORD and honored His Name. 

17“They will be Mine,” says the LORD of Hosts, 

“on the day when I prepare My treasured possession. 

And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him."

We put our Hopes in the Lord!

 

In God's Blessings...

The love of Christ, 

and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, 

that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 

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 the glory in the church 

and in Christ Jesus 

throughout all generations, forever and ever. 

We put our Hope of Blessing upon Jesus

Amen  

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yay Jesus

Psalm 139 ~ the wings of morning

 

Psalm 139

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

    you discern my thoughts from afar.

3 You search out my path and my lying down

    and are acquainted with all my ways.

4 Even before a word is on my tongue,

    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

5 You hem me in, behind and before,

    and lay your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

    it is high; I cannot attain it.

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?

    Or where shall I flee from your presence?

8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!

    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

9 If I take the wings of the morning

    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10 even there your hand shall lead me,

    and your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,

    and the light about me be night,”

12 even the darkness is not dark to you;

    the night is bright as the day,

    for darkness is as light with you.

13 For you formed my inward parts;

    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

    my soul knows it very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

    the days that were formed for me,

    when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

    How vast is the sum of them!

18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.

    I awake, and I am still with you.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!

    Try me and know my thoughts!

24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,

    and lead me in the way everlasting!

19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me!

20 They speak against you with malicious intent; 

your enemies take your name in vain!

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? 

And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?

22 I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!

24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, 

and lead me in the way everlasting!

The Scriptures are of God and simply not useful to blot out the unpleasant Bits. We have to know how many times Anger/Frustration/Not our path/Not yet Heaven at all, at all, at all and realize Scripture says God gets all of these things Himself. The difference is, God covers His Wrath and gives us Goodness and Mercy. He is really rather overwhelming to Love us. But not to give up being I Am. The I Am of His Holiness as Mighty God. He just, only, simply, marvelously will be Love to us.

When we get to the Lord's Prayer, 

God didn't thunder on about sin. He could have. He just does not. Instead, He covers wrath and asks us to please want more Heaven on earth. To know His Will is good. For His is the Kingdom of Heaven, with 12 open gates, where He tells us no more mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.

God, He makes everything new. 

Today, Edward and I were talking about funerals. Remembering, thinking and wondering about the next set of Funerals. Not usual for us. Nope, not.

As I had Psalm 139 out to read

And tonight, characteristic of the chain of coincidences life offers, my brother let me know my first cousin, once removed, on the Rosedale, Bolivar County, Mississippi Wilson side had passed on. Anne Cable. The Reverend Wm. Tate Young's only child. I'm Anne Laurel because Lawrence is a huge name in our family. And I'm Anne because my mother liked the name so much, it's her nickname. And I'm Anne Laurel because I have a cousin named Anne Cable who is brilliant and one of the first women graduates of the Colorado School of Mines in Petroleum Engineering. My name, my first name, was meant to remind me all the time of family. And always has.

Tonight, God; He makes all things new.

This was a symbol of my childhood. 

Daddy wore Ray Ban Hawkeye glasses. Grandmother Bit wore Ray Ban gold edged Clubmasters as well. Tate wore Ray Ban Hawkeye Clubmaster same glasses continually, they stood out from his full head of thick, white hair. And all my people, all, had the same eyeglass cover. Like a Team. This way, the eyeglasses went on the car's visor. As if. If this had ever happened.  No, in the car, they seriously had glasses on. The family eyeglasses. And eyeglass cover case.

Rev.Wm Tate Young never ever, ever was without his glasses. I think he was born with them. In fact, the only way I knew he was really gone on to Heaven, Tate's glasses were on the dining room table. 

"Oh GOD." What? What, Anne Laurel. "The GLASSES." Oh. Grandmother gathered the glasses and they were not seen again, until Heaven. 

Heaven is a journey 

God makes all things new.

As John was telling me about Anne Cable passing. I remembered Anne Cable being 28 years old. A new wife. Smiling. Glamorous.  Her husband with his chin high and a ready hand. They drove this hippie type van. Except it was a Plymouth, so. Yeah, smarties.  Missed the Hippie boat. Darn. But still Glamorous.  And with Uncle Tate, Anne Cable's father, who could light up a room or even the whole house. And they had this fat beagle. Tolerable. 

They got better as the aged. By the time Anne Cable hit 31, she had baby Pam. Oh, my God. Pam. Smocked baby dresses and toddling about smelling of Baby Powder. Tate saw angels and heard Heavenly Choirs singing.  Pam existed to be an airplane. Flying in their hands being an airplane. A sweet smelling, amiable, smiling baby who thought all toddlers were continuous airplanes. 

Anne Cable and Bob were still cooing as she went off to NY College in bobby socks, plaid and deeply purple hair.  Still smiling, when she handed them the bill for antiques, while getting her Master's in Geology.  Brave Pam! Not purple hair, then. I'm convinced, Tate would be relieved.

Now, all of this is pretty nostalgic and good. Brought me to tears. Except. We are real people. And real people sometimes bother, goad, nag, flip off the communications.     Let's sum it up by saying... And Tate got angry. Not with us. With his own beloved. And Tate was not wrong. Mistakes were made. And people failed to gather. And time went by.

When people get older, they complain. And they can complain and grouse about the same ol thing. Not that you ever noticed, I'm sure. Sometimes space is a good thing. Time must pass. Clear heads prevail. And wrong can be righted. Even when you just gasp.

What is Eternal. God's Plan. And that is no sad or sorry subject. God is Love. God. 

He will make all things new.

New. Anne Cable and Bob could complain. And they did. And mostly they complained about ...

Anne Cable and Bob. Well, it's America. People grow apart. And they grouse. And if they complain this much, well, you know the next step.  It's not pleasant, but it's America and we know what people do when they grouse. And complain.  And then 1993ish. Bob had a stroke on a trip to the UK, and Anne Cable had to go to hospital and wait. And wait.  Bob came home and Anne Cable began to complain. About the horrible thing happened to her Bob. And Bob started watching Anne Cable and the intense worry she had. And Bob started to bloom. And then, Bob started taking up for Anne Cable. Not always in perfect ways, mind you. Because we are real people. And we fall far from the Glory of God.

Is December 6th. And last year and a day was December 5, 2021. It was the funeral of my cousin-in-law Bob. He died the day after my mother of Covid, like she did. 3 Counties over. Not together.

I know because my mother's funeral was also December 5, 2021. And on December 5, 2022, my first cousin once removed Anne Cable passed on. (Yes, I'm Anne Laurel and my cousin is Anne Cable, all my life.)

God makes all things new.

1993ish Anne Cable and Bob turned their grousing about each other off. And instead began to be intense, and conversational, about their health issues and complaints. And became advocates of one another. Most of their conversations were about the care of the other. And the intense care and advocacy. 

It gave us something to grouse about. Well, some of us, anyway. And like I told my brother on the phone, actually, they turned their marriage into something glorious.  And we forgot to remark about that. Pretty remarkable.

Tate. I can hear him yelling, as he reaches Anne Cable,

"And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. "

"And I heard A Loud Voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people,"

"And 
God himself will be with them as their God." 

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Abba, Father,

May the Lord

Bless us and keep us,

Make His Face to Shine upon us,

Be Gracious to us.

Lift up His Countenance,

His Smile,

Upon us

and give us Peace.

His very own Peace.

May the Lord give us the Name Jesus,

Fill us with Jesus,

put us on His Path

and 

We Are Blessed.

Always.

Amen and Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yay Jesus

Romans 12:15-16 ~ Rejoice

 

Romans 12:15-16

Rejoice with those who rejoice; 

mourn with those who mourn. 

Psalm 61

4 I shall live forever in your tent;

 oh, to be safe beneath the shelter of your wings! 

5 For you have heard my vows,

 O God, to praise You every day, 

and you have given me the blessings 

You reserve for those who reverence Your Name.

Psalm 118:24

This is the day that the Lord has made; 

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Clothed with strength and splendor, 

and look to the future 

with confidence.

Psalm 71

For you, O Lord, are my hope,

my trust, O Lord, from my youth.

6 Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;

you are he who took me from my mother's womb.

My praise is continually of you.

7 I have been as a portent to many,

but you are my strong refuge.

8 My mouth is filled with your praise,

and

 with your glory all the day.

2 Corinthians 1:4

He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. 

When they are troubled, 

we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

Psalm 31:7, 8

 

 I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love, 

 because you have seen my affliction; 

 you have known the distress of my soul, 

8 and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;

 you have set my feet in a broad place.

 9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, 

2 Timothy 4:2

Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.
Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all patience and teaching!

Colossians 4:3

As you pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word,

so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ

Abba, Father,

You, Our Father, has loved us so much that we are called children of God. 

And we really are His Children!

John, Your Beloved Disciple calls You, "God of Love." 

Paul calls You, "God of encouragement!"

We pray rightly over Christmas! For us all!

Please You Bless us and Keep us,
Make Your Face Joyfully Shine upon us,
Be Gracious to us!

May we Lift up Your Face to Smile upon us!
Cover us in Your Peace, the Very Peace of You, Our God, Knowing Your
Willing Plan for a Hope and Future!

To place the Name of Jesus in our souls. Jesus before us,
Jesus behind us, Jesus Living Water pouring and flowing surround us and those we Love. Help us to Seek You First. Dwell with us.

Help us to have more Heaven upon earth.

The Blessing of Jesus upon us. 

For all the Times You've 

Helped Thank You!

Alleluia and Amen in Jesus Christ!

We put our Hope of Blessing upon Jesus

Amen  

♔ Lord Jesus Saves †

Yay Jesus