I am chosen, holy, beloved
My Sister-in-law Mia, is one of my dearest sisters in Christ and a cherished friend; my true sister-in-love. She is quite the heady theologian, because she studies and applies the Word of God veraciously, like she consumes medical information, fashion and pop culture. Most times when we're together it's, "Good morning. What's God saying to you today?" and off we go jumping into the deep end of the pool for a two-hour discussion about Jesus in our lives, over morning coffee and tea.
It's why her presence in my life is so important. If I were to be really honest with myself, I have been struggling with a significant amount of emotional stress (both good and bad), coupled with physical stress from over exercising as if I was in college running track again or dancing with my college ballet company, exasperating the health issues. This resulted in a host of items that have impacted my life to the point of stopping life as I know it and, spending time at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville to find the source of the health issues.
As a result, depression set in and impacted my ability to find daily joy and joie de vivre for my life in Christ. Thankfully, I have recognized all of this as it is occurring so, this funk has not become a mental health issue. Yet, I'm causing family and friends to be anxious about my physical health. Frustratingly, God had just brought me through the grieving process over the outcome of a work related project and then, this health thing happened. Things are beyond my control and I know it.
Thankfully, Mia has been with me through this process. She moved in with Chauncey and me for ten months as she restarted her life, and that coincided with my health issues. Her presence was a blessing to me because she helped me deal with the root of the symptoms. Mia has a phenomenal gift of remembering everything she learned in med school when she studied to be a doctor, a nurse and then ultimately, a chiropractor. While she was living with us, Mia was studying for her national boards to be able to practice chiropractics in any state in the U.S. So she helped me sort through my health symptoms and point towards possible issues. This helped me ask my doctors the correct questions which led to some diagnosis.
Because she was with me, she saw my symptoms and confirmed that I was not going crazy nor a hypochondriac. She was also there to encourage me with my faith, through my darkest times. God gave me a sister in Christ to live with me as I was going through a tough phase.
So when Mia mentioned a quick Beth Moore, three-part conference series to listen to via You Tube, I decided to do that and share a study together. The series Redefined was encouraging to me overall and, one of the books of Scripture referenced was Ephesians. When I had listened to the series a couple of times, I decided to spend my mornings in Ephesians. There were several passages that have become prayer for me, and I was relieved to find a book of Scripture that spoke to me, helped me put words to prayer of need, and allowed me to feel the presence of God.
The other morning, I interpreted Ephesians chapters 1 through 3 into personal words to better apply the passages which became impactful and, to recite the passages as prayer. This entry captures that interpretation so I can continue to apply it over time. I imagine Paul joining Mia and I for coffee and tea, speaking in today's language, enjoying heady discussions about following Jesus, and jumping into the deep end of life with faith. To continue reciting Paul's conversation for myself, here is how Ephesians 1 through 3 read to me.
Ephesians 1:1 thru 3:21
1:1
Paul. One sent by Christ Jesus (The Anointed One of God; His Son) by the plan and determination of God.
To the set apart people in Ephesus, the faithful followers of Jesus the One and True Son of God.
Unconditional divine assistance and peace between you and God (the removal of punishment and separation) with that blessing from God the Father Himself and, from the Lord Jesus Christ who's actions brought this about.
1:3
Recognize with joy, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has provided His favor for us - His perfected life for us - in Heaven with every spiritual gift given to and through Jesus. What God did in Jesus, He plans to do in us. God planned for this life through Christ before He planned the creation of the world and universe; He planned us to be complete and perfected, meeting God's standard and without the guilt of breaking God's laws. In His unconditional love, He predestined us to be adopted as sons and daughters through the efforts and life of Jesus Christ, according to His plan and determination and what pleases Him, to acknowledge and advertise His unconditional divine assistance, which God freely gave to us through the One and True Son whom He deeply loves. We are restored to be perfect, from our inability to live to God's standard through the blood of Jesus, which is according to the wealth of God's divine grace that He lavished on us with all of His wisdom and understanding. And God through Jesus was pleased to plainly reveal to us His plan of redemption which was a mystery to those who lived before us; a plan He intended to fulfill through the life of Jesus, of which God will fully realize at a time He determined in the future when everything in heaven and on earth will come together under the leadership and authority of Jesus His Son. What is in Heaven will be done on earth completely and together.
1:11
We were chosen by God, through His plan, and predestined where He works everything to fulfill what He purposed with our lives, in order that we (Paul and Jesus's first followers) who are the first to place our hopes and beliefs in Jesus, prove God's plan through acknowledgement and broad promotion. And you also (everyone who followed Jesus as a result of the first group's promotions) were included in God's plan to be within the promise of Christ, when you heard these truths told which is good news concerning God's restoration and reconciliation of mankind. Having believed, we were marked with a seal as being part of Jesus, and that seal is His Holy Spirit living inside of us guaranteeing our inheritance as sons and daughters, until everyone through the end of time that is predestined to be within the family of Jesus, is fully realized - and all of us can praise God for all He did to broadcast His plan to the fullest.
1:15
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of those faithful followers-of and called ones-in Jesus, I have not stopped thanking God for you, that God added you to His chosen family, speaking to God about you when you come to mind. I keep asking the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the recognized and only Father, to give you His Spirit of wisdom (knowing what to do) and revelation (understanding and discerning) so you can know God better and more intimately. "I ask You God that the eyes of my heart (my inner being and desires) be opened and receiving towards You in order that I may know the hope that You have called me into and the wealth of life that is my inheritance as part of Jesus's family; and Your incomparably great power to sustain life, for all who believe in Your promise to us." That power, is His mighty strength at work, which He exerted in Jesus when He raised Jesus from being dead and separated from Him in the after life; after raising Jesus from death both earthly and spiritually, God the Father of Jesus placed His Son in His position of authority over all creation, far above any and all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only by today's standards but in the standards covering all time. And God placed everything under the Lordship of Jesus and appointed Him to lead everything for the congregation of Christ-followers, which is Jesus's family acting as a body, reflecting Jesus in every way.
2:1
As for me, I was dead and separated from God because I was a law breaker, of God's laws, and unable to live to God's standard; I used to live a life following the lead of the Deceiver and the accepted culture of this world. That deceiver, is an unholy spirit at work within every person who is disobedient to God's laws and standard - which has everything to do with the approach of our hearts. Everyone of us lived among this lifestyle at one time (and still do in many cases), gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature, following those selfish desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were against God and His standard of love so, we were by nature doomed for God's eternal punishment reserved for those who knowingly and willingly choose self over God. But, because of God's unfathomable love for all of us, and because He is wealthy with mercy, He extended the same gift of raising us from eternal separation from Him - true death - as He did for Jesus who deserved to be raised from death; we were all sentenced to death for breaking God's laws and yet, by the divine assistance and gift of God, we are alive physically and spiritually with our past wrongdoings forgiven. It's by God's provision that I have been saved from the deathly punishment that I deserve - I didn't do anything to become saved, this is a gift from God Himself - not by my ability of accomplishments so, I can't brag about my saved condition nor claim credit. Instead, I am an example of God's workmanship, created to do good, which God planned in advance for me to do, all because of Jesus and through Jesus.
2:11
Therefore, remember that those of you were non-Israeli-Jew by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who refer to themselves as "circumcised" - a title of self-honor given to Jewish-by-birth and who circumcised their men by human hands to prove their birthright - remember that you were separated from The Christ by lack of birthright, excluded from the God-designated citizenship as an Israeli Jew, and where the covenant guiding this nation was foreign to you; the covenant of the promise of Messiah, without hope and without God in the world. But now because of Jesus Christ and through His efforts, you and I who were once excluded by birth into God's family, are now brought near to God and into His family through the saving blood of Jesus; (the blood of the new covenant that extended to all mankind).
2:14
For Jesus Himself is our process of making peace where He made the two into one humanity and destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His human self the requirements of the Law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create under his governing authority one new man - one new humanity out of two types of people, therefor making peace between the two, and to reconcile this one humanity with God through His death reserved for criminals by cross-execution, thereby killing the hostility between man and man and, mankind and God. He came and spoke about peace between you who are far away from God and, peace to those who are close to God; peace to those chosen to carry God to all the earth and those originally not chosen. Now, through His gift of life because of Jesus, all of humanity has access to God the Father, by one united Spirit.
2:19
"Consequently, I am not a foreigner to God nor an alien to God's family, but a fellow citizen with God's people and a member of God's family; a family built on the foundation of those sent to explain God's plan and those that foresaw His plan, with Jesus Himself as the chief foundation and dedication stone. Through His life, the whole humanity building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple of Jesus as Lord. And in Jesus, I too am being added into the new humanity where God lives among us and through us by the power of His Spirit."
3:1
For this reason, I Paul, the captured by Jesus for the sake of those originally alienated from God's people -
Surely you have heard the stories about how God opened my eyes and called me into His service through His forgiving and merciful ability, bestowed onto me for your sake; that is, God revealed His plan which was a mystery up until the time of Christ, as I have written about briefly. In reading this account, then you too will be able to understand the insight given to me about the plan of Christ and His life, which was not made known to mankind in previous generations, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's sent-ones and foreseeing-ones - those who understand God's plan to reconcile and unite humanity into His family, and those who foresee God's future actions with His united people. This mystery is the plan that those previously excluded into God's future plan - excluded by birth into a family not belonging to God - that together with the family called by the name Israel, we are all heirs in God's family, together in one body of people who share together the promises of God made through Jesus Christ.
3:7
I gladly became a servant to this good news and my calling by the divine assistance God gave me through the working of His power. Although I am the very least of all of God's people, this ability and calling was given to me to reach those originally excluded from God's family (by law and by man), and speak about the unseen riches of Christ, and to clearly explain to everyone the reconciliation plan of God which previously was kept as a mystery by God who created all things. His intent was that now through Jesus's followers the many and various attributes of God's wisdom will be clearly revealed to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished through Christ Jesus our Lord. Being in Jesus and through faith in Him, we may freely approach God with confidence. Don't allow my life of suffering on behalf of Jesus, to discourage you; your faith is my glory, my reward.
3:14
"For this reasons, I kneel before the Father, from whom His whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches, He may strengthen me with power through His Spirit in my inner being, so that Christ may live continuously in my heart through faith. And I pray that I, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the faithful followers of Jesus, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that I may be filled to all the fullness of God's plan for me."
3:20
"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 acknowledgment in the familiar congregation and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations and time, for ever and ever! So be it and Amen."
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As always, God confirms His teaching to me through messages and music I hear. For this time, He spoke initially through Beth Moore and, the following songs.
Lecrae, I'll Find You
Lecrae, Prayin for You
Lauren Daigle, Rescue
Flame, Let Go
Kari Jobe, Revelation
We the Kingdom, Holy Water
"God is Love," by Danielle Strickland - when Danielle said that the science behind love shows the brain lit up in several areas (pleasure/joy, risk, attachment) this comment struck a cord. With my health issues, Mayo Clinic diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia, along with a few more things. Mayo said that the clinic is close to determining the real cause of Firbomyalgia which Mayo believes is a nuerochemical in the brain. When a person has fibromyalgia, her brain lights up with pain instead of lighting in the one small area related to the body part in pain. For me this meant perhaps my health issues were a physical manifestation of my deep love for God and His people. Because during this time of health issues with my body hurting everywhere, I was emotionally yearning for God, for my family members, for my friends and coworkers, and for my community. I wanted everyone to know God for who He really is and, for that love of God to transcend into our ability to love one another. So, I reconciled this health outcome as being a gift - a gift of feeling in some small ways what God feels about us because He loves us so deeply... more than we can know and understand.
