I had a pretty cool brainwave this morning while driving to church. Even though I am five hours away from some of my dearest friends in New Sarepta, I can praise the same God with them on Sunday mornings at the same time because we are all a part of the body of Christ and our God is everywhere, all the time! I am able to worship the God of all creation with my friends, no matter where we are because we are all in Him! I find that really amazing and an incredible blessing, especially when I am feeling lonely here in Gem.
I also had an answer to prayer this morning at church. While I was getting ready for church this morning, I told God that I hoped Changed (a worship team at my church) was playing and that they would play some of my favorite songs because it would be so encouraging. When I got to church and was walking in, I heard Changed playing and then for congregational singing they had chosen my absolute favorite song, Stuart Townend and Keith Getty's "In Christ Alone."
Pastor Barry preached on Ephesians 1:7-10 this morning and I wanted to share what I learned because I found it so refreshing and uplifting! Truly, God answers prayer and He knows what my heart needs.
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to use the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ."
Barry pointed out that we are doubly Christ's because He created us and then He saved us again by sacrificing Himself for us. He bought us back from sin and death by giving up His life for us, which is redemption. Christ has removed our sin from us as far as the east is from the west, He has flung them from us and they no longer exist. Even though we will never fully get away from our sin because we are human, we can still rejoice in the fact that Jesus' blood covers our sin and we are saved. When God looks at me, He does not see my sin but sees instead the atoning blood of His Son on my life. That's really cool! And God pours grace upon grace upon grace onto our lives and His grace will never run dry! The Niagra Falls will run dry first. I found that to be such an eye-opening thought. I saw the Niagra Falls once as a child and it was overwhelming to think of all the water that flows over those falls. It has been flowing for years and will continue until God stops them up, yet God's grace is even more limitless than those falls! He is worthy of praise.
Anyways, I have some letters to write so I am going to leave a link to an amazing song and I hope that you're having a blessed day.
Jeremy Camp, "Healing Hand of God"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-aE7zQTeEg
-Elisa.
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