Today while going for a walk, my mom, dad, and myself memorized Psalm 1.

Blessed is the man who does not work in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water
which yields its fruit in season
whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

Not so the wicked. They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Title for Jesus

What title would be appropriate for Jesus?

Is Jesus a King, a Ruler?

Actually, he has every title that can be given!

Ephesians 1:21 "...every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come."

I think it's funny that Paul the writer of Ephesians leaves nothing out - titles that can be given to anyone anytime, anywhere, should be attributable to Jesus.

President, Emperor, Monarch, Your Highness...Jesus is above all rule and authority.

He is the one we ultimately answer to.

Raised along with Christ

For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with him in the heavenly realms-- all because we are one with Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:6

We're raised along with Christ.

Mystery of Christ

We have a tendency to want a small god who fits into our own plans. God should be this way or that way. I want to pray to god and have him answer all my prayers exactly the way I want. That's the way it is with man-made idols and gods who are created to be there for us.

But GOD created us and everything around us, so can we dare to fit him into what we want. So it was with the Son of GOD. The Jewish people expected a Messiah, a savior to lead them to military and political victory, a heaven on earth. But Jesus didn't fit any of those models. Being the essence of God, there is no mold to contain him.

So in Ephesians 2 and 3, we see how gentiles fit in. That's all of us who are not Jews. With the coming of Christ, no longer were the Jews the only people with a relationship with God, the only ones with covenants of promise and hope. I can see why its so hard for Jews to accept this Jesus.

When the mystery of Christ was revealed to the apostles and prophets, it was made known that "Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel."

For a proud Jew, it is like being a spoiled child who prides himself for having special attention from his father. Then the spoiled child finds out that someone has been adopted into the family and that new child is loved just as much. Imagine the jealousy and urge to be in denial.

For everyone of us this can be a real lesson in humility. When Christ took the punishment for my sins and God adopts me into His Kingdom, what possible justification is there for me to deny Christ to anyone. It wasn't just for Jews or just for Gentiles. It wasn't just for whites or blacks or asians. It wasn't for one culture or nation or one people group. It was for all mankind.

The love of Christ will supercede all of our personal prejudices, and our racial and cultural bias. When in faith, I accept Jesus as my savior, I become part of his Church, a spiritual family that encompasses all my Christian Brothers and Sisters. There are no more barriers of race and culture. This is how all men can share in the fellowship of God.

Are You Good Enough?

A lot of us grow up wondering if we are good enough. Were we good enough to get a present from Santa, are we good enough to get that A in school, will my parents be happy with me? So much of our self-esteem and perception is based on how we perform.

Rather than worry about performance or things we do, we just need to know and accept that even before the foundation of the world, "he has chosen us, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love".

Through the redemptive work of Christ on the Cross, the price was already paid and our sins forgiven. Not because we were good enough, but even when we could never be good enough, we are assured of our place with God. For that we need to be thankful and know that we put our trust in Jesus.

Ephesians 1

If I adopted a child, and when that child grows up and finds out he is adopted, I think he will have many questions for me. How did you choose me? Do you really love me as your own? Do you really treat me as a part of your family? Would I be in the will with equal shares as your natural children? Where did I come from? Why did my birth parents gave me up for adoption?

My answers would sound very much like Ephesians Chapter 1.

- - I've always wanted you to be a part of our family. I dream of having a child like you to adopt. It cost us a lot to adopt you, but you are worth every thing we could give. You came from a difficult past and had a bad beginning in life. But we don't mind. You are a part of our family now, one that loved you from the beginning. Your life is secure and your inheritance is sure.

So God says the same to us plus a whole lot more. What a great life I have in Christ! I feel so rich and so loved every time I read the first part of Ephesians 1.

I pray that others would also see how precious they are to God - that's the second half of Ephesians 1.

Welcome to Bible Aha!

The Lee Family will be posting aha! moments from their daily Bible reading publicly on this blog. Stay tuned for more!