Jesus, Author of All

The Sovereignty of God
The Sovereignty of God

Imprint of God

Ephesians 1:3-10 The Message

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.

For Reflection

In today's science plagued, irrational reliance on rationality and bolstering unsupported opinion, spirituality is often sublimated to pablum.  Self-centeredness and insipid, simplistic reliance on those who agree with us no matter what the cause has replaced honest and authentic discussion of the common good.  Our faith has been trivialized.

Remember Christ.  Remember grace.  Remember the healing hands of God.

Pray

that your eyes will see the path to righteousness.  Pray that your feet will take you into God-centered witness.  Pray that your hands will heal all that your life touches.  Pray that you will hear the comforting words from God.  Pray that you will taste the justice of grace.