Jacobs Thoughts and Doings

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 glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:20, 21

I find it hard to leave this marvelous letter of God’s grace.  The more I let its message penetrate my heart and mind I find myself bowing before the Lord whose saving grace simply astounds.  All persons have equal access to this grace of God, ALL!  Even me!

Furthermore, as this grace of salvation changes a human being, everything changes!  We discover the power of the Spirit of God who is in us, ever active, always moving us into deeper understanding of that grace and giving us love for all the redeemed ones.

This is not of our making.  It is the Spirit of God in us stirring and inspiring.  All of us believers know this.  It is our common experience. It enables us to walk with brothers and sisters of all cultures, languages and customs.  It is a truth that astounds.

As Paul reaches this point he can simply say, “to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

So, I leave it at that, with that song of praise reverberating in my spirit, and no doubt, yours, and through all time and space, “To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus.”  Amen and amen.

TO HIM BE THE GLORY!

Glenn enjoys his grandson, Finn, that is for sure.  Bless ’em both!

In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Ephesians 3:12

In Christ, and through faith in Him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence.  This Paul wrote to the entire church in Ephesus.  It included both Jews and Gentiles and all sorts of languages and tribes!  There is only one way to approach God, that is through Jesus Christ.  The best part is, the Way is open for all to enter for eternal blessing.

As we enter we find that all kinds of people are here!  Not just people like us but all sorts from all parts of the world.  We had nothing to do with this wonderful phenomenon – it is the work of God the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit.

The door is open to all who believe.  Is this not the most amazing mystery ever revealed to mankind?  We are blessed beyond measure by the saving work of Jesus Christ.  That is our hope, our joy and our life!

I was drawn to this piece of oak that has been here in my shop for several years.  As I turned it I was constantly amazed at the delicacy of the wood grain and the fine markings.  Oak is a bit of a challenge to turn but with patience one can see beauty and symmetry emerging.

What is there in us that makes us want to make things??  Mystery, indeed, but a fun one!

After a visit of several weeks, the time has come to bid good-bye to little Finn and his dear mother, Dani.  Yesterday, Tuesday, they along with Jane and Glenn headed out for Australia where they will be welcomed by Zel, who had to get back to his teaching post in Brisbane a couple of weeks ago after a two-week visit here.  That will be a special reunion.

Dani will return to her work at the University after a nice, long maternity leave. Glenn will stay for about three weeks, Jane will stay until the family returns to US for their annual Christmas holiday.  So, may all go well as they raise their little fellow, and as they get on with their professions.

 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus

 Ephesians 3:4 – 6

The mystery revealed!  The plot unfolded.  The Old Testament is God’s encouragement to the Jews to live holy lives.  We are impressed by God’s desire on one hand to create a holy people and on the other, Israel’s hesitation to follow God.  This is one of the major themes of the Old Testament.

Now, all people of the earth!  Hear God’s mystery, the mystery of Christ. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

This proclamation may not shock us like it did the Ephesians.  I imagine them hearing, again, the Good News.  Anyone can be saved!  How can it be that the saving Gospel is for all who believe, Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, first century believers and present-day believers, Americans and Tanzanians?  As I see it, this announcement is as shocking and as life-changing for us today as it was for the Ephesians who were experiencing this miracle of divine grace for the first time.

God led my wife and me to know the reality of this common salvation as we lived with African people for many years.  We were co-heirs of the promises of God!  I still find that to be so amazing that even now I find it to be a new thing!  God’s grace is always a surprise, a life-changing surprise!

O thou that hangedst on the tree
Our curse and sufferings to remove,
Pity the souls that look to thee
And save us by thy dying love.

We have no outward righteousness,
No merits or good works to plead.
We only can be saved by grace.
Thy grace will here be free indeed

Save us by grace, through faith alone
A faith that thou must thyself impart,
A faith that would by works be shown;
A faith that purifies the heart.

A faith that doth the mountains move
A faith that shows our sins forgiven,
A faith that sweetly works by love
And ascertains our claim to heaven.

This is the faith we humbly seek,
The faith in thy all-cleansing blood,
That blood which doth for sinners speak,
O let it speak us up to God!

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Ephesians 2:19 – 22

Can this possibly be true, that Jesus is bringing together a new family on earth that has no allegiances except to Jesus Christ?  Not that they are lifted out of their historical or cultural world, they remain in that world, but Jesus has given them new life through his death, resurrection and new walk in the Holy Spirit.  Dare I change the “them” to “us?”

Yesterday Anna Ruth and I worshipped, as we always do, with our rather small congregation called Chestnut Hill Mennonite Church located here in Lancaster County.  As it so often happens we are of the same culture, basically – white, middle class, somewhat affluent, citizens of this nation that is working hard to keep its people together and very much the same educationally.  Our commonality makes it rather easy to experience fellowship that is very meaningful and helpful in our walk with God.

In a way, this unity, though nice for us, can blind us or at least makes it difficult to fully experience what God is doing in our world.  Of course he loves and hovers over our dear congregation.  We experience that, to be sure, but it can blind us also to fact that we are just one, a small one, of the host or groups that make up the Body of Christ on the earth today.  While we are at home in our culture, so to speak, we are called to walk with one another and we are tasting the joy of a great fellowship of believers that will be in glory forever and ever, praising our Lord heartily.  May God give us real love for all believers, everywhere.

And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Ephesians 2:22

“You too.”  Paul is writing to all the believers in Ephesus, an unusual assortment of people and cultures. They lived in the same city, Ephesus, the prosperous and influential city located on the crossroads connecting Europe, Africa and Asia, held together by a desire to be involved in international trade.  Among them a church, the body of Christ, is being formed, made up of people from a bewildering assortment of backgrounds.

Paul refers to these believers who lived in Ephesus as a building in which God lives by his Spirit.  It has nothing to do with nation, tribe, language or class.  It is a spiritual unity that is created by the Holy Spirit of God, a new thing on the face of the earth!

Paul lived in that world, understood it and participated in it wholeheartedly.  He spent three years there in Ephesus!  He loved the Jewish believers, the believers of a variety of cultures – all who were in that sprawling city.  He loved them because the Spirit of the Lord that was alive in him, a Jew, and was also alive in them, Gentiles of all kinds.  That is a unity that the world does not understand and, while they may appreciate it, cannot even imagine how mighty it is. Nor how real and consequential it is.

Paul reminds his readers that they, too, are God’s dwelling place now and forever.  They are new creatures, bonded to Jesus Christ!  His house!

Am I as excited about this as I should be?  Hardly, because I am sort of used to it.  The believers in Ephesus were part of a new thing, a building in which God is at home!  I need to recover the newness of this body and live in it as one out of all tribes and cultures who loves Jesus.  This is my new identity, and it marks me forever.