salvation

Slain Day 6 Esther John

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Slain Day 6 Esther John

Brenda Earley

April 21, 2025

Alive,Christ,Heaven,Hope,persecution

Read His Words Before Ours!

Philippians 1:20-21
John 15:22-25
Luke 21:16-17
Galatians 2:19-20
Psalm 56

“For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” 
(Philippians 1:21)

On October 14, 1929, Qamar Zia, one of seven children, was born into a Muslim family. At 17, Qamar began attending a Christian school where she began to see a new, profound faith in the life and testimony of a teacher, which sparked an interest in Bible reading. Her favorite Scripture, Isaiah 53, further motivated her conversion to Christianity. 

Qamar’s family moved to Pakistan, and she was given a New Testament. While holding a flashlight under her blankets in the darkness of night, she read her Bible. As she learned more about her greatest love, Jesus, Qamar’s tender faith grew strong. 

Fearful of the prospect of marriage to a Muslim husband, she fled her parents’ home and began serving at a distant orphanage. At this time, she made her profession of faith and took the name “Esther John.” [Sister, let’s sit here for a minute. Doesn’t God give us a new name upon salvation? Redeemed. Chosen. We are His children and heirs to His Kingdom! (1 John 3:1)]

Still fearing Muslim marriage, Esther John headed north, settling in a mission hospital. She was interested in teaching and entered the United Bible Training Centre. Traveling by bicycle, Esther evangelized in the villages, taught women to read, and helped alongside them in the cotton fields. 

Because of her willingness to speak her faith, Esther John was found murdered on February 2, 1960. (2 Timothy 3:12) Upon investigation, a policeman reading through her journals noted her “true love” . . . someone named Jesus. (Christian Pakistani Post)

Esther John’s sacrifice, surrender, and suffering were not in vain. (Matthew 24:9-14) Commissioned by Jesus to share the Gospel, as all believers are, she is remembered as a true martyr. While her mission work was brief, Esther John was devoted to her first love, Jesus, and to the work He set before her “for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14)

While my own calling to follow Jesus hasn’t resulted in loss of life, I was bullied for my faith as a junior high and high school student. Considering me a “Miss Goody Two Shoes,” other students ridiculed me. While attending a Christian school, I was hated for my Christian stand. (Students can be cruel. If your child is being bullied at school, please talk to someone.)

At times, I spoke to my mom about how the other students treated me and she reminded me of Jesus’ words in John 15:18, “If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you.” 

It’s hard to turn the other cheek when we are persecuted, but we need to follow Jesus’ loving example. (1 Peter 3:8-9) It’s even harder to keep God first when we feel isolated as others hate and persecute us.  

But, sweet sisters, do you know what? It is worth it! Those painful experiences have taught me how to love others. (Matthew 5:44) When God is first in my heart, His presence is my comfort and every hurt will be for His glory! 

“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”
(Galatians 2:20)

We all have sinned, but through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we can all be redeemed! When we understand our need for Jesus, we can crucify our will and desires, and live for Christ, the Greatest Reward. Daily dying to self, we give God control of our hearts and lives! 

If God is living inside us, our lives will reflect Him all the more as we surrender! As we become more like Him, His love increases in our lives. To love like Jesus, Esther John understood others first. Her mission was “for the least of these.” (Matthew 25:40) We may not be called as overseas missionaries, but every believer is called to live surrendered to Christ.
This is our obedient sacrifice to God!   

Jesus’ sacrifice of dying on the cross for us should be what influences the surrender of our daily desires and plans. Christ’s surrender to the Father’s will should be our motivation to sacrifice and die to self. Our reward from sacrifice and surrender to Jesus is far greater than persecution or death!

Behold the Lamb.
Behold the Lamb!
Slain from the foundation of the world.
For sinners, crucified. 

O Holy Sacrifice!
Behold the Lamb of God. 
Behold the Lamb. 
(“Behold the Lamb” Dottie Rambo)

Friends, let’s not be ashamed of the gospel of Christ. (Romans 1:16) Regardless of your place in life, we are called to tell of Christ and set aside every weight that entangles us (Hebrews 12:1), to love others to Jesus. 

As Esther John once said, “Leave all ties. Jesus is calling.”

~

“Unashamed” Matthew West
“More Like Jesus” Passion/Kristian Stanfill
“His Life for Mine” Talley Trio
“Crucified With Christ” Phillips, Craig, and Dean

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death,Easter,eternity,hope,martyr,rescue,salvation
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Slain, Day 7
Digging Deeper

The religious elite and the sinful world had no reason to hate Jesus.

He taught the Word of God that the religious leaders purported to love (John 7:14-19), and He offered freedom and forgiveness to sinners (Luke 5:32).

Still, they still despised Him.

Surely, as His followers, we can expect the same, while knowing that our reward is guaranteed: Eternal Life!
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Come Day 4 Come To Feast: Digging Deeper

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Come Day 4 Come To Feast: Digging Deeper

Rebecca Adams

February 13, 2025

Broken,Christ,Follow,Forgiven,Freedom,Need,Rescue

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Come To Feast""
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

John 7:37-44

37 On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” 39 He said this about the Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit, for the Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

40 When some from the crowd heard these words, they said, “This truly is the Prophet.” Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But some said, “Surely the Messiah doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? 42 Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Messiah comes from David’s offspring and from the town of Bethlehem, where David lived?” 43 So the crowd was divided because of him. 44 Some of them wanted to seize him, but no one laid hands on him.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) What is the festival and what was important about the last day? (verse 37)

Our days are marked by rhythms of work, rest, worship, lament, and forgiveness. Even the simplest markers of time created by the Lord hold these rhythms. Moon, stars, sun, and seasons are all given to remind us of our need for labor, rest, and worship.

The Lord created the Jewish calendar and within the fabric of their days, He wove remembrance and relationship to safeguard them from forgetting Him and falling into sin. (Hosea 4:6) He specifically instituted Feasts (also called Festivals) to remind Israel of their history, of the identity of their God, and their role as His people.

Leviticus 23:33-43 outlines the Festival of Booths (Tabernacles), which is the Festival that occurred while Jesus made His statement in John 7. The Feast of Tabernacles was instituted to remind Israel of the period in their history when they wandered in the desert utterly reliant on the Lord to sustain them. Not only did they live in tabernacles (tents) themselves during those 40 years, but the Lord instructed a Tabernacle to be built so He could dwell among His people in the Wilderness and beyond.

The Festival of Tabernacles began on a Sabbath day of rest and concluded with its most important day on a Sabbath, made a definitive statement about the necessity of resting from our self-reliance and the necessity of faith in order to dwell with God. Bookended with rest and worship, Christ who is our rest (Matthew 11:28-30), appeared on the 8th day of the Festival, standing up for all to see, not with judgment but an invitation. An invitation to come and drink freely of Living Water that would fully satisfy.

The God who provided physical water in the wilderness was now providing spiritual water that would sustain both in this life and the one to come.

The Everyday Application

1) What is the festival and what was important about the last day? (verse 37)

This Feast, initiated in the Old Testament during wilderness wanderings, also pointed forward to a time when the prophesied Messiah would come to His people and rescue them.

This was fulfilled in an unexpected way when the unlikely carpenter Joseph and virgin Mary welcomed the wholly human, wholly divine Jesus. God Himself donned human flesh to tabernacle (dwell) with humanity. (John 1:14)

Pointing forward even further, the Feast of Tabernacles, and this passage in John, remind us of a coming day when all will finally be made right. Christ will rule eternally, sin will be eradicated, and God’s dwelling place (tabernacle) will be with us and ours will be with Him. (Revelation 21:3)

Heaven sounds amazing, and if we ask the average person, they would likely state they want to go there. But, on the pinnacle day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus took the podium in what would have been a daring, bold move and declared HE was the only access.

While He is the only way to Heaven, He also flung wide the gates to ALL, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 55:1-3 that told of a coming time when all could have access. The qualifiers weren’t personal goodness, generosity, or right living, only thirst. A thirst from those who recognize they are impoverished and have nothing to bring. To these, Jesus says, “Come! Come and Feast!”.

Are you relying on your own goodness to gain God’s favor or earn Jesus’ love? Then you can’t come. Are you waiting to come to Jesus until you clean up your life and pay penance for all the awful things you’ve done? You aren’t ready to come.

One qualifier: needy thirst.

Then, with faith that Jesus is the Living Water we need and an urge to flee from counterfeits, we are freed to come!

The Original Intent

2) How is Jesus’ statement of belief and streams of water connected with the Holy Spirit? (verses 38-39)

Jesus’ broadly welcoming statement for all to come and drink of water that is itself alive, is followed immediately by the narrow entryway that many are too offended to enter. (Matthew 7:13-14) Like the leprous Namaan who was instructed to bathe in the dirtiest river thereby humbling himself to be cleaned, so are we offered the Living Water only through humble belief that Jesus is the only way. (2 Kings 5)

“The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said,
will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” (verse 38)

So belief is the narrow entrance to the wide River of Life awaiting all who come, but belief in Jesus as….? Jesus’ next words are crucial to our step of faith, “…as the Scripture has said…”. We are not free to make up a depiction or definition of our own design when deciding who this Jesus is that we are trusting for both our salvation and access to the Living Water of abundance.

The only valid faith rewarded with access to God is the faith that trusts the Jesus of the Bible. What does the Bible say about Jesus? Will we believe this truth or will we, like many in the crowd the day Jesus made His invitation (verses 43-44), become offended by truth and turn away in disdain, loving our own vision of “Jesus” instead?

If we find ourselves creating a “Jesus” who isn’t fully God, fully man, who fulfilled every Messianic prophecy, who died for our sin, rose in victory, lives today, breathes in us by His Spirit, and is returning again as conquering King, our faith is null and void. If we “believe”, but think we need Jesus plus our good deeds, or sacraments, or any number of other “falsely righteous acts”, our faith will not save our souls.

The Everyday Application

2) How is Jesus’ statement of belief and streams of water connected with the Holy Spirit? (verses 38-39)

Coming with humble, genuine faith that sets aside all trust in ourselves and looks only to Jesus, the real Jesus as described by the Scriptures, is rewarded with a wide inheritance beyond all riches! (Ephesians 1:3) Nothing is like the gifts of this Living Water Jesus!

Ephesians 1:7 declares our total forgiveness. Every sin past, present, and future are paid in full by Jesus’ blood; “without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sin.” (Hebrews 9:22)

We, the filthy by our sin, are shockingly declared righteous. Christ, who had no sin, took our punishment and, in glorious exchange, gave us His flawless righteousness. When the Judge looks at one who has come to Christ by genuine, humble faith, Christ’s righteousness is seen! (2 Corinthians 5:21)

This isn’t just a change of clothes, it’s a change of address. (Colossians 1:22) We are no longer inhabitants of the Kingdom of Sin and Death, rather, we are transferred to the Kingdom of the Beloved Son. In coming to Jesus through authentic faith we have a new identity as righteous, a new citizenship, and are completely forgiven forever. (Colossians 1:12-14)

All of this is made possible by the Spirit who indwells the believer and applies the blood of Jesus to their being. The gospel author, John, gives a wonderful one sentence commentary on Jesus’ statement, ensuring perfect clarity on its meaning. “He said this about the Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit […]” (verse 39)

The “Living Water” is the Living Spirit of the Living God; by Him the rest of the adventure in following Jesus, and our wide inheritance, is applied and taught and crafted in us. Blessedly, the deeper we go in relationship with Him, the more abundant the springs of life by the Spirit are freed to flow!

The Original Intent

3) Why would the crowd respond to Jesus by identifying Him as the Messiah, then question it based on Scripture, and then desire to seize Him? (verses 40-44)

Without a doubt, this bold, public move from Jesus accompanied with words that proclaimed Himself as the Messiah according to the prophets, was both unexpected and highly offensive to the crowd. This was evidenced by the crowd’s desire to violently seize Him, likely to stone Him. (verses 43-44)

Jesus was speaking to a predominantly male, Jewish crowd. If anyone knew the Scriptures it was these people. The majority had memorized large portions of the Law and prophets, quoting them with ease. The Word of God was not “Sunday School material”, it was the bread and butter of everyday life.

Every story was as familiar to this audience as the stories of their own lives. In fact, the Old Testament stories had largely shaped who they were inside, how they thought, and how they processed the world. Their daily rhythms, and their tri-annual treks to Jerusalem, kept cadence to the beat of the Law and the Prophets. These people knew God’s Word forward and backward as easily as westerners can say the alphabet without a thought.

Jesus’ words weren’t an exact quote of the Old Testament prophecy in Isaiah 55:1-3, but they didn’t need to be for His audience to immediately fill in the blanks and finish the quote. The prophetic words filled their minds unbidden, just as if I were to sing to you “A B C D”, you cannot help but finish singing in your mind, “E F G”.

Jesus’ quote wasn’t exact because He was weaving together the past prophecy with the current fulfilling; He was embodying the prophecy, stating that the words written hundreds of years prior were about HIM. He was claiming to be the Messiah, God’s chosen One through whom alone was eternal salvation.

Jesus’ claim created no small stir in the crowd.

The Everyday Application

3) Why would the crowd respond to Jesus by identifying Him as the Messiah, then question it based on Scripture, and then desire to seize Him? (verses 40-44)

Could this Jesus actually be the Messiah? Was He, this common son of a carpenter, God’s Divine Rescuer? Some in the crowd that day, likely those who had been watching Him, following His movements, taking in His sermons, watching His healings, put the pieces together and said, “Ah Ha!”. This was the pinnacle day of the Feast and, for them, it was also the pinnacle point of understanding Jesus’ true identity. They had observed Jesus and His life matched the prophecies. Surely, this was the Messiah!

Others that day, who had also observed Jesus, picked up the same pieces of the puzzle that was now becoming clear, and decided they would not submit to what the Scriptures taught. They chose to remain self-righteously offended.

Submission would be too costly for it would be mean coming under the rule of the radical Jesus who regularly offended the self-righteous. These in the crowd nit-picked over Scripture, twisting it until they justified to themselves, and whoever would listen, that Jesus couldn’t be the Messiah by holding to some parts of Scripture while discounting others.

In so doing, they justified walking away from coming to Jesus in humble faith. They would rather reject the Living Water and live their own way, feeding themselves with self-righteous swagger and keep right on drinking from the dry well of arrogance.

The result, naturally, was a growing desire to kill Jesus, the very One offering life.

For us, the opportunity is the same. Jesus stands up in the midst of our everyday lives, summoning a call for us to come to life. Will we cling to self-righteousness and dismiss what the Scriptures plainly say, or will we choose to come under the loving rule of the Divine Jesus who gave Himself so we could have Living Water?

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come,Jesus,need,salvation,satisfy,Thirst
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Come, Day 3
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“If YHWH is so good and powerful, why are we impoverished? Why does Rome rule us?”

Abba had listened, but only stirred the fire.

“Abba? What if…what if the prophecies about a Messiah aren’t…true?”

Her voice trailed at the end. Aviva hung her head, ashamed of her little faith, but yearning to know all the same.
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Lowly Day 10 Self Selected Exclusion

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Lowly Day 10 Self Selected Exclusion

Rebecca Adams

December 20, 2024

Confession,Emptiness,Forgiven,Freedom,Gospel,Grace,Ordinary,Time

Read His Words Before Ours!

Romans 11:17-27
Isaiah 65:1-7
Deuteronomy 29:2-4
Deuteronomy 31:14-23
Hebrews 3:7-15

“Mommy, can we build this today?”
My 7-year-old daughter pleaded with hopeful eyes as she lugged an old carboard box boasting a dollhouse on the front from deep in her closet.

“Where did you find that?”, I stalled for time. My preschool son chased his toddler sister, loudly picking on her by keeping her toys out of reach as he ran, as I washed breakfast dishes with one hand, the other arm cradling my infant nursing son.

“Not today, girlie. You need lots of time and space for that.”
I turned away only to hear, “I’ll be real careful. I can do it!”

I whirled around, envisioning a hundred pieces of wooden dollhouse parts strewn everywhere, “No. Mama said no. Not today.”
Face fallen, shoulders sagging, retreating to replace the hope-filled box.

Sisters, I regret to confess to you that dollhouse is still confined within that box fourteen years later.

It was just never the “right” day for me to lay everything aside, open the box, and relish in the relationship joys of laughter and exploration with my daughter. Now, my girl doesn’t have an interest in the box; the final opportunity for unpacking those delights passed me by years ago. I self-selected my exclusion.

Nicodemus had studied the Torah his whole life and had risen to the lofty religious rank of Pharisee. He knew the Law of Moses inside and out along with every prophet’s message, and much of it he could quote from memory. Likely, he could even sing Moses’ song delivered to Israel just before crossing into the Promised Land. (Deuteronomy 31:30-32:43)

Nicodemus was surrounded by religious elite. He ate with them, jousted theological points with them, fasted and prayed with them, and generally believed himself to be superior just as his other Pharisee friends believed about themselves.

Then Jesus began poking holes in his understanding of the Scriptures. The promised Messiah would come performing signs and miracles such as had never been seen, so the prophets foretold. (Isaiah 35:5-6) Jesus was, somehow, doing these things and ruffling quite a few feathers. The meal time banter had grown heavy and angry of late, and this Jesus and His signs were the topic of debate, and scoffing.

Wasn’t this Jesus of Nazareth?
Most men spit when they said “Nazareth”; everyone knows nothing good comes from the armpit of Judea. (John 1:46)

Signs and wonders as foretold?
Jesus? Messiah material?
Almighty King who would overthrow the Romans and return the Promised Land to its rightful rulers?

Mockery and sarcastic jokes at the carpenter’s son grew from jabs and smirks to contempt driven by deep offense. Jesus offended them, all of them. (Matthew 13:57)

They had no room for this would-be Messiah. In fact, they felt threatened by Him.

My arms were very full, literally and figuratively, the day my daughter hauled out that box, but I wasn’t ready to receive the gift she wanted to share. I couldn’t see past the dishes, and the baby, and the diapers, and the screaming toddler, to understand she wasn’t offering another mess, she was offering new memories.

Now, mamas, hold the guilt. We can all beat ourselves up over those “missed moments”, but the Lord redeems them all, I promise. And there’s more grace for you than you could ever realize. One my grace gifts is being able to tell this story without pain because my daughter and I share a beautiful relationship today, even with an un-opened box in the closet. It just so happens that this particular story also gives us a glimpse into the lavish gospel offer of Jesus.

Joshua, our unlikely Christmas character, would soon step into Moses’ sandals of leadership. Yes, the same Moses who parted the Red Sea and brought Israel out of slavery. Moses’ final act before passing the baton to Joshua was to sing a song the Lord God had composed just for Israel.

Its melodies would sing of the goodness of God and the tragic sins of Israel’s corruption.

The Lord had prepared the Promised Land for their possession, had waited patiently 40 years to give it to a new generation who would trust Him as their God. The door of friendship was open wide.

But Israel would prove faithless.
God sang about it before it even happened.

“This people have acted corruptly toward Him;
this is their defect —they are not His children
but a devious and crooked generation.  
Is this how you repay the Lord,
you foolish and senseless people?
Isn’t He your Father and Creator?
Didn’t He make you and sustain you?”
(Deuteronomy 32:5-6)

Nicodemus’ cohorts allowed their sarcastic mockery to turn to contempt against Jesus. They wanted Him dead,

But Nicodemus allowed his questions to propel him toward answers in Jesus. (John 3:1-21) Nicodemus laid down his offense of Jesus to explore the truth. In so doing, he gained eternal life. (John 19:38-39)

Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land and taught them to worship the One True God, but still, for all their knowledge, they closed the door on relationship with Yahweh in favor of temporary pleasures. (Deuteronomy 32:15-18)

I missed an opportunity with my daughter to build a beautiful dollhouse we could have enjoyed for the rest of her childhood, but I didn’t miss out on building a relationship with her.

We each have a relational choice this Christmas. Take out the decorations, make the meal, wrap the gifts, then tuck Baby Jesus away for next year.
Or.
Allow ourselves to explore beyond the manger, to ask the questions, and be honest with the Lord.

On the day I finally make it Home to Glory, I’ll want to trade stories with Joshua and Moses, but many, perhaps most, of those ancient Israelites won’t be there for lack of faith. Nicodemus will be, as Scripture records his faith, but many, if not most, Pharisees won’t be.

Today is the day; choose Jesus.

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Christmas,salvation,Self,worship
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Lowly, Day 10
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Israel was rebellious, but God persevered with kindness, humility, and the gift of His Son. Lavish Love, Sisters. Lavish.

Transparently, just today, I’ve been selfish and angry. I’ve grieved the brokenness so evident around me, and I’ve asked the Lord, “Do you see?! Do you care?!”. To my own desperate heart, truth persists, “I AM is here.” No, His love has not run out. Yes, His promises are trustworthy.
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Lowly Day 6 Righteous In God’s Sight

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Lowly Day 6 Righteous In God’s Sight

Marietta Taylor

December 16, 2024

Forgiven,Future,Identity,Righteousness

Read His Words Before Ours!

Colossians 3:1-17
Luke 1:5-17
Joshua 4
Jeremiah 23:5-6
Galatians 3:19-29

“In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely.” (Jeremiah 23:6)

Who is “He”?
He is the One the Lord promised to raise up. His name is “The Lord Is Our Righteousness”.  (Jeremiah 23:6) We have seen hints of Him in the book of Joshua, His birth is heralded in our beloved Christmas story, and Christ-followers carry His righteousness within us now because He ransomed Himself to rescue us.

In the book of Joshua, the Israelites are on the precipice of taking hold of the long-awaited promised land, west of the Jordan River. They could have entered 40 years earlier, but they wandered in the desert for a generation, because of fear and disobedience. Now, here they stood as God instructed, “Command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: When you reach the edge of the water, stand in the Jordan.” (Joshua 3:8)

Easy, right?
Except the Jordan was at flood stage.
You want the promised land?
Stand. In water 10 feet deep.

This time they obeyed. “…As soon as the priests carrying the ark reached the Jordan, their feet touched the water at its edge and the water flowing downstream stood still, rising up in a mass” (Joshua 3:15-16) and “The priests carrying the ark of the Lord’s covenant stood firmly on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel crossed on dry ground until the entire nation had finished crossing the Jordan.” (Joshua 3:17)

To commemorate this act of faith, God had them construct an Ebenezer, made from twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, where the priests had stood, displaying their faith and watching God help them grasp His Promise. (Joshua 4:1-9)

In The Gospel of Luke, we look to another priest, Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth.
“Both were righteous in God’s sight, living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord.” (Luke 1:6) Take note of this.

In verses 13-17 Zechariah receives a promise. Though barren, Elizabeth would birth a son who would “make ready for the Lord a prepared people.” (Luke 1:17) This baby was John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus. Just a few months later, Mary conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit and another promise was assured.

The law instituted in the Old Testament revealed the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man, but it didn’t help us become righteous. Since God is completely holy, we could never be reconciled to Him by our own ability. The sacrificial law was mercifully given by God because the Israelites could never keep all the laws. While the sacrificial system made forgiveness accessible, imagine offering sacrifices over and over and over, because you keep messing up!

Joshua had proven his faith in God through crossing the Jordan and setting up the Ebenezer. But to remain righteous he must adhere to the law, which is why he quickly obeyed God’s command to circumcise all the men. (Joshua 5:2)

Zechariah and Elizabeth were considered righteous because of the law, “according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord.”  (Luke 1:6)

But they were imperfect,
just like the Israelites in the Old Testament.
Zechariah questioned God’s messenger and was made mute until the naming of John.
No one could fully keep the law.
A better way was needed.

Luke 2:11 announces the better way,
“Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you,
who is the Messiah, the Lord.”

Jesus was the promise assured in Jeremiah 23:5, “I will raise up a Righteous Branch for David. He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land”. The promise, announced to Mary and delivered, wrapped in cloth, and laid in a manger.

Jesus’ birth ushered in a better way to pay for sin than the blood sacrifice of animals.
“The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:22-24)

We cannot keep the law any better than the Israelites or even Zechariah and Elizabeth, but, good news, we don’t have to! Because Jesus’ birth led to His death and then His glorious resurrection, our sin-debt is paid in full, “…He has reconciled you by His physical body through His death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him—if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard.” (Colossians 1:22-23)

All that is required of us is faith in Jesus.
He is our Ebenezer help.

“The law, then, was our guardian until Christ,
so that we could be justified by faith.” (Galatians 3:24)

Through this faith in Christ, “we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have also obtained access
through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand,
and we boast in the hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2)

We are righteous through faith.

As we celebrate Christmas, let us remember this promise of peace with God, of righteousness, wrapped up for us in the promise of Jesus, Who is our righteousness.

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Christmas,hope,purpose,rescue,righteous,salvation
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Lowly, Day 7
Digging Deeper

"In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 

Both were righteous in God’s sight, living without blame according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord. 

But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years."


Righteous in God’s sight, but still lacking the reward of their desire. 
Do you ever feel like the Lord owes you for your righteousness?
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Dec 9 - Dec 27, 2024 - Journey Theme #135

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The GT Weekend! ~ Done, Week 3

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The GT Weekend! ~ Done, Week 3

Katelyn Palmer

May 25, 2024

Alive,Faith,He,Lord,Love,Prayer

Rest your soul through reflective journaling,
praying Scripture,
and worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

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Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Friday's DD

Pray His Words Back To Him!

Ephesians 3:16-19

I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, 19 and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Yahweh,

We have traveled through Your Word in just three chapters of Ephesians to remind our hearts of the wondrous work Your Son has Done on the cross for our grand redemption and for Your glory!

We have revisited characters of old, like King David and the prophet Isaiah who foretold of the coming Messiah. (Acts 2:22-36, Isaiah 53) We have studied the rich gifts offered from Jesus’ death and resurrection. (Galatians 4:4-7, Ephesians 1:3-14) We examined the evidence of lives changed by Jesus’ words and sacrifice. (1 Corinthians 15:9-11, Acts 1:25-2:46).

In the end, Lord, all Your finished work points to Your loving heart as our Creator.

I ask that every reader, every heart, remembers You, the One who is love, loves each and every soul, including theirs, so much that He sacrificed His only begotten Son on the cross to reconcile us to Himself for all time. Eternity.

We need not fear any longer. We need not seek worldly protection. We need not submit to our flesh. We need not cower before the prince of darkness and the death he represents.

For Jesus has conquered the world! (John 16:33)

In Your Son’s beautiful name I pray this, Lord. Amen!

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

Prejudice and division have been an ugly part of every culture throughout human history, including biblical times. Christ came to redeem humanity by bringing unity under the banner of Christ. (Ephesians 2:11-14, Galatians 3:28)

One of my favorite Scriptures is James 1:19-20, which says, “My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.” It’s a favorite because I’m so bad at following it and need the constant reminder!

Sisters, what happens when we remove all the labels and sit at the table with those different from us, dropping our agendas so we can simply listen? Jesus did not affiliate with any political party, nor did He seek to humiliate or attack His opposers. Yet so often in today’s world, especially in the west, conversations are dominated by political affiliations and the desire to be right at any cost.

Rarely is anything in this world so black and white, but when we close off our hearts and our ears to what others are saying and experiencing, we miss grace, and we miss Christ’s heart.

This, unified sisters in Jesus, is where we find hope and unity despite the tempting allure of division. In humility and willingness to listen, we find empathy and love. It’s where we find unity. We must stop pursuing “our rights” and start pursuing truth and grace.
JOURNAL TWO

“God’s plans are good because His purpose is good.” This breathtaking line from Bethany in Wednesday’s study, Follow in Full, goes hand in hand with Jesus’ work on the cross.

God’s plans for Jesus’ life on earth were not always enjoyable, certainly not easy, and oftentimes lonely. Yet Jesus obeyed even unto the point of death (Philippians 2:5-11) because He understood the purpose of his Father’s plans were greater than His physical experiences.

Paul, as Bethany mentioned, also maintained this focused perspective in challenges. (Philippians 1:12-21, Ephesians 3:1-13). Paul thrived in his suffering because he saw the eternal picture rather than focusing on the moment right in front of him; his attention hung unswervingly on Jesus.

When the crowd at Pentecost experienced the Holy Spirit, their whole lives changed. The good news is they didn’t change by their own willpower and neither do we; true change into the image of Christ is accomplished only by the power of the Spirit. When we let go of our plans and pursue God’s, we no longer need to rely on our own strength. (2 Timothy 2:1-13)

We don’t need to fear the afflictions of this world because we know our labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58) We can remain anchored in the character of God who brings good from the bad (Romans 8:28) and will never abandon us (Isaiah 41:10, Deuteronomy 31:8).

JOURNAL THREE

To close this theme, we studied Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21. He emphasized the importance of prayer and prays specifically for his fellow brothers and sisters. Notice how prayer softens our spiritual posture and humbles our physical one, whether it be from our knees on the floor, a bowed head, or a face raised to the heavens.

Consistent and frequent prayer allows us to maintain a gentle affect and respond to the world’s unkindness with God’s patient kindness. The Holy Spirit  , not the least of which is our Teacher and Source of conviction when we sin. When we come to the Lord in the humble heart posture of prayer, we become open to God’s rule and reign in the whole of our lives.

King Solomon teaches us that our hearts are wellsprings of life. (Proverbs 4:23) Who better to safeguard and direct them than the source of ALL life Himself? Lastly, aligning ourselves with God through prayer means a surrendered will to walk according to the leadership of God’s Spirit.

When we walk in submission to the Spirit, He holds out the good fruits of peace and gentleness and abundant life through our everyday life choices instead of what the sinful flesh offers, which is death, hostility to God, and division. (Romans 8:5-6)

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Done Day 14 Follow In Full: Digging Deeper

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Done Day 14 Follow In Full: Digging Deeper

Rachel Jones

May 23, 2024

Paul,Sacrifice,Sin,Transformation,Truth

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Follow In Full"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 3:1-13

For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 assuming you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that he gave me for you. 3 The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above. 4 By reading this you are able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. 5 This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6 The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7 I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power.

8 This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, 9 and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. 10 This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. 11 This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him we have boldness and confident access through faith in him. 13 So, then, I ask you not to be discouraged over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory.
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) Why did God wait to reveal his secret, mysterious plan of salvation? (verse 9)

God instructed Paul to share the Gospel with Gentiles, offering them salvation alongside Jewish believers. God chose Paul’s generation to “shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things.” (Ephesians 3:9)

God’s salvation plan was a revelation to Paul, but William Barclay reminds us the “salvation of the Gentiles is not an afterthought of God; the bringing of all men into His love was part of God’s eternal design.” God knew from the beginning of time He would send His Son, Jesus, to reconcile all people, Jews and everyone else, to Himself. (John 1:1-5) With such good news, why did He wait so long to share the secret?

Like clues intending to grow faith, God revealed His plan in part throughout Old Testament Scripture, waiting for the “fullness of time” for a full revelation. (Galatians 4:4-5) He made known to the Jews there would be a Savior (Isaiah 7:14) and He provided signs to validate the true Messiah (Isaiah 9:6). The Israelites waited 400 years on the promised Messiah, eagerly and desperately praying through wars and captivity for their Deliverer.

At the proper time, God revealed Jesus as the Savior of the world. (John 3:16) God knew the exact moment to uncover the hidden mystery and enact His plan for salvation. F.B. Meyer reminds us “God has many secrets, which unfold as the ages are ripe for them, but not before.” Because God is Sovereign (Psalm 115:3) and Omniscient (Psalm 147:5), we can trust His timing even when we don’t understand.

We know God does not view time like we do (2 Peter 3:8), and we know He has a time and a purpose for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1). It is not for us to know and understand God’s timing (Acts 1:7), but we can trust His timing is always perfect.

The Everyday Application

1) Why did God wait to reveal his secret, mysterious plan of salvation? (verse 9)

In the movie, The Wizard of Oz, young Dorothy is deposited by a tornado in the land of Oz and struggles to get home to Kansas. When she finally completes her quest to find the wizard who can take her home, she discovers her ruby red slippers could have transported her home at any time.

That part of the story frustrates me! Why didn’t anyone mention this when she landed in Oz and received the slippers? Instead of following a yellow brick road all over Oz, she could have clicked her heels 3 times and returned to Kansas instantly. Of course, everything Dorothy learned about love and friendship was only discoverable on her journey.

We can say the Author of Life (Acts 3:15) did the same for us when He revealed His “mystery hidden for ages in God”, which was His plan of salvation for all people. (Ephesians 3:9) God could have sent Jesus to the earth at any time in history to reconcile all people to God, but He knew the perfect time. Only God, the Alpha (Beginning) and Omega (End) (Revelation 22:12) knew that 2,000 years ago in a little town called Bethlehem, the perfect time and place for Jesus to come would arrive on history’s timeline.

Jesus, the All-Powerful deity would come wrapped in the humility of newborn skin and laid in a feeding trough in order to bring the gift of salvation to everyone on earth who would accept it. (Ephesians 2:8)

We don’t need to understand God’s reasons or His ways to acknowledge that they are infinitely wise and above our own. (Isaiah 55:8-9) We can trust that the God who was, and is, and is to come (Revelation 1:8), the One who holds the past, present and future (Psalm 31:15) can be trusted to orchestrate everything in the proper time. Even our daily circumstances are held in His hand and used to teach us to trust His good heart.

The Original Intent

2) How does God’s plan to allow Gentiles to be God’s heirs connect with revealing His wisdom to unseen rulers and principalities? (verse 10)

In Ephesians 3:10, Paul explained that God’s plan of salvation for everyone, Jew and Gentile, was meant to reveal His wisdom to the unseen spiritual realm. God’s strategy was to use His Body, the Church (Ephesians 1:23), to do His will and complete the works He laid out. (Acts 14:21-23)

His main avenue of teaching about His love, both in the natural and the spiritual realms, is through the actions of the Church (Ephesians 2:10). John Piper suggests, “We show the wisdom of God to the cosmic powers by. . . being the church Christ died to create.” What better way to explain the gift of grace God offers than to open up the doors of Heaven to everyone, both Jews and non-Jews?

Gentiles didn’t know or follow Jewish laws, so everyone understood that it was only by God’s grace, not anything they had done, that they could become His children. (John 1:12) An invitation to be restored to a right relationship with God, including complete forgiveness and life everlasting, offered to the Jew who failed to keep the Law and to the Gentile who didn’t know the Law, is radical grace. This is a picture of Christ’s love for the world who can’t earn His salvation but can only receive it as a gift. (Romans 6:23)

God’s plan was for His Church to follow Him and draw others to Him, demonstrating His love in the way they loved each other and the rest of the world. (John 13:35) Handley Moule suggests that angels and demons look at Christians and “see a nature which, wrecked by itself, was yet made in the image of their God and ours. And they see this God at work upon that wreck to produce results not only wonderful in themselves but doubly wonderful because of the conditions.”

When believers in the Church live and love like Jesus, not only does the world take note, but so do angels and principalities in the unseen realm!

The Everyday Application

2) How does God’s plan to allow Gentiles to be God’s heirs connect with revealing His wisdom to unseen rulers and principalities? (verse 10)

If integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching, it is difficult to demonstrate integrity in this age of cameras everywhere you turn! Many social media influencers do altruistic things, but they care more about getting likes and views than about showing kindness.

It is refreshing to hear about people who don’t expect recognition for doing good things like returning a lost wallet or showing kindness to a stranger. It can be easy to forget that as Christians we have both an earthly and a heavenly audience for our actions, even though the Apostle Paul tells us plainly in Ephesians 3:10 that God uses us to make His multi-faceted wisdom known to principalities in the heavens.

Whether we are mindful of it or not, God is using us, His Church, to demonstrate the Wisdom of His Word to both angels and demons. David Guzik explains that God will use “the saints to reveal His wisdom to the angelic beings, both faithful and fallen angels . . . We are called to be the means by which God teaches the universe a lesson, and a beautiful lesson.”

When we carry out the will of the Lord, it brings glory to God here on earth and also in the heavenly places. The Scriptures even tell us that angels longed to catch a glimpse of the Gospel message freely shared with us. (1 Peter 1:12)

We demonstrate God’s power to everyone watching when we allow Him to be our strength (2 Corinthians 12:9) and change us into His image (2 Corinthians 3:18). May God make us ever-mindful of the fact that He uses us to declare His glory to both the physical and the spiritual realm.

The Original Intent

3) What kind of boldness and confidence do believers have through Christ? (verse 12)

In Ephesians 3:12, Paul states that in Jesus, believers “have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.” Donald Spence Jones explains that the Greek word for boldness literally means freedom of speech, but is used here in a wider sense to describe “lacking restraint, ease of feeling, comfortable self-possession, in our access to God.” Paul instructs Christians that their faith in Christ gives them full access to God. Because the blood of Christ cleanses us from all unrighteousness (Hebrews 9:14) we have no shame to keep us from approaching God.

Sin separates us from God, but Jesus bridged that gap when he took our sins upon Himself on the cross. (1 Peter 2:24) Because God sees us as righteous through Christ, we have the boldness and confidence of sons and daughters of the King of Kings. Andrew Murray wants Christians to “Understand how the Father’s heart longs that His children draw near to Him boldly. He gave the blood of His Son to secure it. Let us honour God, and honour the blood, by entering the Holiest with great boldness.”

God wants us to approach Him bold and confident without shame holding us back. Prayer is the great privilege of direct communication with the Most High God, and not only does He allow it, but He invites it! God desires relationship with His people. Author Susie Larson reminds us that “Jesus invites us into His presence without shame, without our past baggage, without the need to cover ourselves or to be someone we’re not, without the enemy’s constant taunts.”

The next time you feel like you don’t have the right to talk to God or seek His presence, remember it is His precious blood that gives you the boldness and confidence to approach the God who longs for communion with you.

The Everyday Application

3) What kind of boldness and confidence do believers have through Christ? (verse 12)

I never tire of seeing the viral video of a live BBC interview with a professor from his home that gets interrupted by his 2 young children who happily wander into the interview room. He tries to move them out of camera view while the mother swoops in and escorts them out. The kids are not deterred by the fact that Daddy is on TV. They just happily approach him like they would any other day at home.

I think of this kind of confidence before God when I read Paul’s words in Ephesians 3:12. He writes that in Christ “we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.” This confident access to the Father comes from Jesus’ sacrifice at the cross, where His shed blood covered our sins and erased the division between God and His children. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Jesus came so we could approach Him with boldness and confidence, unhindered by sins that formerly held us back. (Romans 6:6) With nothing to hinder us, God longs for us to worship Him, pray to Him, and learn from Him. Andrew Murray suggests, “the measure of our boldness is the worth God attaches to the blood of Jesus.” Because we know that God is well-pleased with His Son’s sacrifice, we know He encourages us to come to Him boldly and confidently (Hebrews 4:16) like children who trust they will be welcomed lovingly by their Father.

Jennie Allen explains, “We have prayer so we know the heart of God. It’s how we walk with him. Prayer is the heart of our relationship with God. It is the expression of our faith.” God wants us to always be in communication with Him through prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and He wants us to come to Him boldly and confidently.

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glory,hope,Jesus,purpose,salvation,victory
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Done, Day 13
Journey Study

“I know the plans I have for you[.]” (Jeremiah 29:11)

This verse is often cited (out of context) to encourage modern Christians of the good plans God has for them. But so often, God’s good plans for us aren’t what we expect at all.

Imagine what God might have said to Paul if He’d laid out His good plans for him.

I know the plans I have for you. Prison. Persecution. Rejection by your own people. Serving people you would have previously disdained.

Those plans hardly seem good or prosperous! Yet Paul testifies otherwise in Ephesians 3:1-13.
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The GT Weekend! ~ Done, Week 1

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The GT Weekend! ~ Done, Week 1

Katelyn Palmer

May 11, 2024

Adoption,Adoring,bride,Broken,Called,Covenant,Family,Fellowship,Heaven,Holy Spirit,Hope

Rest your soul through reflective journaling,
praying Scripture,
and worshiping the Creator who
longs for intimacy with each of us!

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Tuesday
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Friday's DD

Pray His Words Back To Him!

Ephesians 1:3-8

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. For He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before Him.

He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He lavished on us in the Beloved One.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding.
Read More Of His Words

Prayer Journal Entry

Yahweh, In all Your wisdom, You created each of us in love, with every hair on our head and freckle on our face. (Psalm 139:13-14, Matthew 10:29-31) You knew each step we would take before we took our first breath.

Offering rescue to the world through the blood of Your Son on the cross was always Your plan. To spend eternity with us was always Your plan. To love us unconditionally and without restraint was always Your plan.

Your Spirit, a gift we never earned nor deserved, testifies to our adoption as Your children crying out within us, “Abba Father”. (Romans 8:15-16)

Your Son intercedes on our behalf even as He pays the price for our sin on the cross. (Luke 23:34, Romans 8:34)

I pray that as we, the sisters of Gracefully Truthful, move through the theme of “Done”, You, Yahweh, move through us.

I pray our understanding of the power of Your love alive within us deepens and we extend it lavishly to our neighbors.

I pray we see Your heart.

I pray we are encouraged to share the news of Your sacrifice and share in Your sacrifice to serve others.

Truly, the work of our salvation is DONE and all who trust in You are YOURS.
In Your Son’s name I ask, Amen.

Worship Through Song

Journal Prompts

JOURNAL ONE

What a treat to jumpstart our new theme, Done. Lesley really packs a punch as she drives home the truth that God’s love for us is genuine and complete.

When a phrase or message is repeated often, like “God loves everyone,” sometimes it can lose its meaning. Lesley gently reminds us that God isn’t loving us generically or because He is acting from obligation. We aren’t the last ones to be picked for God’s family team. God intentionally chose each of His followers “before the foundation of the world”! (Ephesians 1:4)

We are messy, sinful creatures consumed by our own lives with little perspective of the world around us and yet the Creator of the Universe handcrafted each of us, then chose us to be His before He even created the world. Have you ever known such intentionality?!

Lesley and Mandy also remind us that God chose us with purpose. He chose us to be made holy like Himself, to be adopted into God’s family, and to be freed and redeemed from the wretchedness of our own sinful decisions through His son Jesus Christ. All of this work, beginning to sacrificial end, delighted Him to accomplish! (Ephesians 1:5)

I urge you to meditate on the foundational belief that God chose you not because of your works, but simply because He wanted to; that desire for you never fades!
JOURNAL TWO

Something a pastor said that has always stuck with me is the idea that God wants relationship with us more than He wants our vain sacrifices and works. The Lord has told us this in word and has demonstrated it with His actions. (Hosea 6:6, Romans 5:8)

God chose us before even creating the universe (Ephesians 1:4), laid plans for His Son to be the purchase price for our reconciliation to Him (Galatians 4:4, Ephesians 1:7-10), and blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of the heavens through His Son (Ephesians 1:3).
All of this was so we may become His daughters and sons!

It is encouraging to read repeatedly that God delighted in His plan to unite us with Him. Adoption was His heart’s desire from the beginning. (Colossians 1:19-20, Isaiah 53:10). He has always shared His love and spiritual wealth with us, in knowledge, relationship, peace, and joy.

To know God in this way is to understand what Paul was speaking about in Philippians 3:7-11. He eloquently relates that everything the material world offers…is dung…compared to the “surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus”. (verse 8)

While this may sound like an exaggeration, Paul is right. As God’s children and heirs (Ephesians 1:11-13), our goal should be to seek Him all the days of our lives. While we will certainly fail on more than one occasion, keeping our eyes trained on this goal will safeguard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) and prepare us for the path Yahweh has set before us (John 14:1-4).
JOURNAL THREE

Forever. A word not created by us, but by Yahweh, the One who has always been and will always be. It’s impossible for us to fully comprehend the true meaning of forever, but Jesus knew exactly what it meant when He said, “He [God the Father] will give you another Counselor to be with you forever”. (John 14:16, emphasis mine)

Many of us doubt our salvation at some point, but Jesus never has. Yahweh knew we were set apart as His long before light dawned on the earth. He hasn’t doubted the security of our eternal rescue for a moment.

If true Christ-followers are safe in eternity with the Father forever as family (Ephesians 2:4-6), how will we steward the part of forever we spend on earth?

In a word: worship.

We are meant to spend this time cultivating a relationship with God and learning from the Holy Spirit all the wonderful things He was sent to teach us as we bring ourselves to Him in surrendered worship.

In John 16, Jesus outlines four purposes of the Holy Spirit: to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11); to guide us in truth and declare what is to come (John 16:13); and, lastly, to glorify God (John 16:14-15). What a marvelous Father we have, so generous with His love, and we get to spend forever with Him.
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Done Day 2 Chosen For Blessing: Digging Deeper

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Done Day 2 Chosen For Blessing: Digging Deeper

Mandy Farmer

May 7, 2024

Awake,Clothed,Digging Deeper,Forgiven,Freedom,Gospel,Grace

Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!

This DD Connects With "Chosen For Blessing"
Why Dig Deeper?

Read His Words Before Ours!

Ephesians 1:1-8

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will:
To the faithful saints in Christ Jesus at Ephesus.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One.

In Him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. 
Read More Of His Words

The Original Intent

1) A form of the word bless is used three times in this passage. What are their meanings? (verse 3) 

To “bless the Lord” means to praise, exalt, and worship Him. We offer God our blessing because He is worthy. The Lord deserves our praise for many reasons. The Psalms tell us to praise Him for His counsel (Psalm 16:7), His holiness (Psalm 103:1), His dominion over everything (Psalm 103:22), and His honor and majesty (Psalm 104:1) to name a few.

However, God blesses us from the abundance of His mercy and grace, even though we deserve only His righteous wrath for sinning against Him.

Our blessing on Him flows from gratitude for all He has done for us; He is truly worthy of praise!

Our main purpose in life is to praise God, as we were handcrafted to worship. Our sinfulness separates us from Him as we turn our designed purpose for worship of God onto worship of self or any other unworthy idols. God knew in advance that we would go the way of sinful rebellion. In mercy, He chose to provide a way back to right standing with Him for anyone who believes in Jesus, confesses their sin, and surrenders their worship to God. (John 3:16) 

Hallelujah! He made a way for us to be forgiven and welcomed Home to His heart! These spiritual blessings in heavenly places are the blessings that make us right with God; salvation, forgiveness, holiness, adoption, and redemption. These blessings come from heaven through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit who lives within every genuine believer. (James 1:17)

The Everyday Application

1) A form of the word bless is used three times in this passage. What are their meanings? (verse 3) 

When we talk of blessings, we often mention the good things God has given like a job, health, or money. However, initially, shouldn’t our praise go to the Lord for His spiritual blessings?

When I first became ill, my son introduced me to a song by Laura Story, “Blessings”. Laura and her husband went through very trying times when her husband had a brain tumor. Though his life was saved by removing the tumor, his memory and some physical functions were lost. In seeking God, she realized that even challenging and painful situations can be a blessing because of the Lord’s incredible goodness.

In my experience, my poor health caused a loss of “everything”: job, finances, even a place to live, but God was pointing us in a new direction. I turned my focus away from my illness and back onto Him. Before I knew it, I started a blog and began to write for the glory of God and to encourage others, even though I never expected to write anything!

I found my true blessing just as David did,
“It was good for me to be afflicted. So that I could learn your statutes. Instruction from your lips is better for me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” (Psalm 119:70-71) 

The Original Intent

2) How can we be holy and blameless? (verse 4) 

Holiness is a daunting word. Holman’s Bible Dictionary states, “Holiness comes to imply the fullness and completeness of God and godliness in all its facets and meanings.” When the Scriptures say we are to “be holy as He [God] is holy” (1 Peter 1:16), it seems an impossible feat. Truth? It is impossible.

But with God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26), and He made a way for us to be holy through the blood of Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Holiness is defined as “to be set apart for God”. In Leviticus, chapters 17-25, we are shown how everything in the tabernacle was set apart for God from every tool to every priest.

Every aspect reminded the people of God’s holiness. The people brought sacrifices throughout the year as a reminder of the holiness of God. These sacrifices didn’t remove their sin guilt permanently, as they needed to keep returning to the Lord with sacrifices in order to be forgiven.

Living up to the expectations of God was indeed impossible. How could they be holy? 

God knew we would repeatedly fall short of His glory (Romans 3:23), so, before the beginning of time, He chose to make a way of repair back to Him. A way to make the unrighteous declared righteous, permanently. That plan was to send Jesus, His one and Only perfect (holy) Son, to be the sacrifice for everyone, once and for all! (Hebrews 9:11-15, 10:1-12) The Perfect took on the incalculable sin of the Imperfect, paying the debt of sin guilt we owed.

Therefore, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, His holiness and righteousness is assigned to us and our sin guilt is removed forever. (Psalm 103:12) When God looks at the genuine believer, He sees His Son’s holiness; the sin of those who trust Him for forgiveness has been permanently removed! (Isaiah 1:18, 2 Corinthians 5:21) Amazing Grace! 

The Everyday Application

2) How can we be holy and blameless? (verse 4) 

When we understand Old Testament rituals for holiness, it gives us an appreciation for the cross and the freeing results of God’s work through the cross. The gospel narratives (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) make it plain, Jesus came to save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)

Christ shed His blood and His body was broken for the remission of sins at Calvary. (Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:19-20) The indwelling Holy Spirit is the agent for holiness in His people. When we accept Jesus as Lord and repent of our sins, God seals us with the Holy Spirit. He lives in our hearts and directs us into holiness. 

The temple sacrificial rituals are no longer needed! We are now the temple of God and sufficient sacrifice has been made to cover all sin. God’s Spirit lives within us. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

We are called to live holy lives, which can only happen by God’s grace through the Holy Spirit. We are in-filled with the Holy Spirit, who frees us from original sin and abides in our hearts and lives. The Holy Spirit then empowers us for a godly life and service in Christ. He enables us to obey God’s commandments, make right choices, overcome challenges, and persevere through life. (Romans 5:5, Romans 8:26, Romans 12:1-2, 2 Peter 1:3-4) 

The Original Intent

3) What is adoption through Jesus Christ? (verses 5-6) 

Adoption is a word taken from civil law. It was customary for Romans who had no children of their own to adopt someone to be their heir as if he were their own child. Everything from their former life is nullified, debts are forgiven, and they become a child of that person.

Adoption was practiced in the Old Testament, as well. Moses was adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter (Acts 7:20-22) and Mordecai adopted Esther (Esther 2:7). Physical adoption was a commonplace action in civic law. 

Spiritual adoption makes us partakers of His divine nature and a disposition like God. (Jeremiah 3:19) Through Jesus’ adoption, we take on His very nature! (John 1:12) 

The privileges of adoption include: 
1) High Honor; we are sons and daughters of the Most High! 
2) Inexhaustible provision and riches
3) Divine protection
4) Intimate communion with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, 
5) Eternal glory with God in heaven. 
(Charles Buck Theological Dictionary) 

Ah! To know and hold unswervingly to the truth that we are children of God through Jesus Christ if we make Him our own Savior! (1 John 3:1-3) I am so grateful God chose in advance to make a way for anyone who believes to be His adopted child!

The Everyday Application

3) What is adoption through Jesus Christ? (verses 5-6) 

One of the most incredible aspects that distinguishes between adoption and natural birth is the reality of being hand-chosen! How wonderful is it that, although we deserve nothing, God chooses us to be His child and gives us access to everything He has?!

In recent years, I have seen His providence support and encourage me in many ways physically, emotionally, and spiritually. When I have a need, I claim His name and say, “He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He will supply my needs”, then I am free to rest in trusting His ways and His provision to be the best for me. (Psalm 50:10-12, 15) He has always, always provided for every need, even if it may seem in the moment, that I will have lack. His abundance always covers His adopted children!

He will call me His child throughout my life and when He returns, He will call me to His breast as His own. Praise the Lord! 

Child of God, hold fiercely to truth today! Own your adoption and walk as one who abides in the Shelter of the Most High who furiously loves us as His own! (Psalm 91:1-4)

The Original Intent

4) What is redemption through His blood? (verses 7-8) 

To understand redemption, we must first understand we are sinners, impossibly separated from God with no hope of return to His kind, loving embrace based on our own ability.

There is not one good among us. We all fall short of His glory, excluding ourselves permanently from Him. (Psalm 53:3, Romans 3:23) We have inherited this carnal sin in our lives from the fall of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3), and we perpetuate it with every action we choose that runs counter to God’s standard of righteousness.

This original sin is the corruption of our nature, which we all inherited from Adam. (Romans 5:12-21) Sin only, ever, always, and every time regardless of the offense, results in death. (Romans 6:23) But God loved us so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life! (John 3:16) This great sacrifice completely pays the price of our sin once and for all. (1 John 2:2) The only way our great debt to God can be paid is through the sinless sacrifice of Jesus.

All we must do to have this payment credited to our account is come with humility to God, confess that we are sinners, repent (turn away from) from our sin, and He will be faithful to forgive us. (1 John 1:9)

In view of this great, undeserved change, our lives are washed clean and our nature is transformed into His image. (2 Corinthians 5:17) This is redemption!

The Everyday Application

4) What is redemption through His blood? (verses 7-8) 

If you were to borrow money at the bank, you incur a debt that must be paid back with interest. When you pay the debt off, that borrowed note is redeemed, paid in full. Likewise, when we accept Jesus as our Savior, His blood covers our debt, and we are redeemed.  

“Redeemed how I love to proclaim it! 
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb! 
Redeemed thro’ His infinite mercy, 
His child, and forever I am!”
Fanny Crosby 

Choose redemption!

If you’ve walked away from the faith you once knew and loved, but have rebelled against, return and be redeemed!

If you’ve never been redeemed, and your sin debt still looms over you, confess your sin to the Savior, come Home to Him, return and be redeemed!

If you’ve been walking with Jesus, love His Word, enjoy sweet fellowship with His people and communion with the Father, the call is the sweetly the same, come again to return and walk in your redemption, free and forgiven forever!

Tags :
ephesians,gospel,grace,hope,mercy,rescue,salvation
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Chosen, Day 1
Journey Study

Of course, I knew God loved everyone, but I couldn’t quite let go of the idea that if I was chosen, surely it was out of obligation or politeness.

I certainly wouldn’t be His first choice.

Ephesians 1 helped me think differently about this. Paul begins by addressing the believers in Ephesus as “faithful saints” (Ephesians 1:1), and goes on to list the many blessings they have because they are chosen by God.

He chooses us because He *wants* to choose us!
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Sketched XII, Day 5 Pompous To Passionate

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Sketched XII, Day 5 Pompous To Passionate

Brenda Earley

April 19, 2024

Confession,Desperate,Faith,Hope,Humility

Read His Words Before Ours!

Luke 19:1-10
Matthew 7:7-8
Isaiah 43:1-7
Revelation 3:17-20

Before I begin my story, I have a gnawing question, “How would you like it if … oh, never mind, you are probably like the rest of my people. Here, let me explain.”

As a tax collector knocking on countless doors, I consistently get the same disdainful looks. 
Generally, conversations go like this:
Me: “Hello, um, good morning.” 
Resident: “Good morning.” 
(Disgusted look upon his face)
Me: “Roman tax records list your contribution as, uh . . . ” (an incredible sum of money is discussed between us) 
“Um, anyway, I am here to impose this amount and collect accordingly. Please. Thank you.” (I hear, “It’s him again, the traitor?” in the background and the door slams loudly)

Doors have a way of being slammed in my face. However, I continue to the next residence. (You know, salesmen would fare much better than I!)

My own people loathe me, even detest me! They stay away, walking on the other side of the road. It would be nice to belong, even better to have friends! 

Jericho, my hometown, thrived as a fertile, spring-fed oasis nestled at the lower southern end of the Jordan Valley, just west of the Jordan River and ten miles northwest of the Dead Sea. It is considered a “gateway town,” used as a pass-through for travelers coming from Jerusalem. (Luke 10:30)

Have you heard how the Israelites walked around the Jericho walls? On the seventh day of their march, the walls fell kersplat! No one understands how, since Jericho was a secured fortress with formidable walls around the city! (Joshua 6:1-21) 

Generations later, God worked through a prophet named Elisha to miraculously clean Jericho’s underground spring water. (2 Kings 2:19-22) It provided for green, lush vegetation and good drinking water. Therefore, Jericho was coveted by other cities.
Why did I decide to stay and work in my little town? The history is remarkable, don’t you agree? 

Oh, my job! Well, it’s like this … my parents would have liked me to help with the family business, but young, naive me? I decided to pave my own way! 

When Rome took over the city, the government allowed Jews to retain their customs and religion, if they obeyed Roman law and paid Roman taxes. 

It was customary for Romans to allow wealthy Jews to bid to collect taxes. Most would collect their levies above the Roman taxes, then keeping the excess for themselves. (Yes, this is the route I went, deciding to become a tax collector. Simultaneously, I became a symbol of Roman oppression and began to betray and cheat my own people.) So, now you understand why little ol’ me is alone, without friends. 

Curiously, during my everyday walk around the city today, I’m hearing people whisper about a Man whom crowds follow and hang on His every word. This seems incredible since no one listens to me! He even gathers children and lovingly teaches them! Everyone seems excited to experience His presence.

News is spreading that this Man will pass through Jericho on His way to Jerusalem. Throngs of people would be trailing Him, but this is an experience I don’t want to miss! I will do whatever I can to see this Man.  

It’s today! Hop! Jump! Jump! Hop! Why were all these people so tall?! I’d hurry through the crowd to catch a glimpse of Him, but I’m trapped.

Thinking quickly, I spot a tall sycamore tree! I hop onto the tree limb and swiftly climb above the crowds; approaching my tree, the Man looks me in the eye, and calls my name! 

“Zacchaeus, hurry and come down because today it is necessary for Me to stay at your house.” (Luke 19:5, emphasis mine)

Imagine how I felt! Jesus, the source of Living Water fresher than any Jericho could boast, was coming to my house! (John 7:38) Was I excited? No! Ecstatic? Yes!  

Dining with Jesus was incredible, I hung on His every word. Then, it happened, I began to understand that although we are all sinners, Jesus invites us, “Come, sit, and eat at My table!” (Romans 3:23-4; Isaiah 55:1-5) My spirit stirred, and I pledged to exponentially repay what I’d stolen from my neighbors. And I did. 

Wait . . . wait…don’t go!
Do you, my sweet friends, not have a song written in my name?
Come, sing with me.

Zacchaeus (that’s me!) was a wee little man (Hey, you calling me “shorty”?)
A wee little man was he (Look, you don’t have to continue name-calling!)
He climbed up in a sycamore tree (Wouldn’t you? Don’t worry, it’s a stable tree. It’ll hold!)
For the Lord, he wanted to see (Do you blame me? All the talk would have encouraged you to do whatever it took to see Him!)
And as the Savior passed that way (He’s tired, I am sure!)
He looked up in the tree (How did He see? … His eyes reached into my soul.)
And He said, (He said my name! He called ME by name!)
And, then, He practically, well, lovingly, ordered me from the tree.

(Before I go, I urge you to look up sycamore tree, and read about rejuvenation and regeneration! While you’re at it, research Jericho’s underground spring. Wade through the symbolism!)

Insecure to Secure in Jesus
a cardboard testimony from the author

So often, I have felt unseen, unheard, and unloved. I wasn’t popular; my family was poor; I longed for a friend. Oh, I was the “cheerleader,” “the musician,” and “the A+ average bookworm,” but those did not fill me. 

Building walls around my heart, I was seeking the crowds, but not finding the One. Until…He called my name, declaring, “You are chosen, you belong to Me; follow Me!” (1 Peter 2:9)

From then on, He moved me from insecure to secure in Jesus (Psalm 73:23); from ignored to seen by Him. (Psalm 139:13-16) Like Zacchaeus, those walls I’d built around my heart came crashing down! I belonged to the One who saw me, heard me, and loved me. 

By climbing the sycamore tree, Zacchaeus positioned himself for a life-changing encounter with Jesus. For me, leaning into my family positioned me for my life-changing realization that Jesus is my security!  

Check out these worship songs, connected to today’s study!
“Spirit of the Living God”  Meredith Andrews
“Come to the Table”  Sidewalk Prophets

Tags :
purpose,relationship,salvation,sketched,transformation,Zacchaeus
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Sketched XII, Day 5
Digging Deeper

Zacchaeus was incredibly unlikely to garnish the favorable attention of Jesus.

He was spurned by the Romans because he was Jewish. He was rejected by the Jews for his dishonesty and partnership with the Romans.

Jesus’ onlookers, including His disciples, scoffed and pulled back in disgust as Jesus approached this “sinner”.
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