Life In the Blood

LIFE IN THE BLOOD John 6:53-58 (NKJ) 53) Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man & drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54) "Whoever eats My flesh & drinks drinks My blood has eternal life, & I will raise him up at the last day 55) "For My flesh is food indeed, & My blood is drink indeed. 56) "He who eats My flesh & drinks My blood abides in Me, & I in him 57) "As the living Father sent Me, & I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on me will live because of Me. 58) ."This is the bread which came came down from heaven -- not as your fatehers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever." 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 16) The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the Blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17)For we, being many, are one bread & one body; for we all partake of that one bread. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 12) For as the body is one & has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13) For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body -- whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves of free -- & have all been made to drink into one Spirit. Just as water is two-fold meaning so does the Holy Blood. Now with water you can use it for washing, that cleanses. And if we use it for drinking we become refreshed & revived. Knowing the FULL POWER of the Blood of Jesus; we must be taught by Him what the blessing of drinking His blood is. Just as we know about the difference between washing & drinking. That is necessary & pleasant to use water for cleaning. It is much more necessary & reviving to drink water. Now without the cleaning or cleansing it isn't possible to live like we should. And we all know we would die without drinking. We need water to sustain life. Now if we went with-out drinking the blood of the Son of Man. we wouldn't be able to have eternal life. We couldn't have it at all. Jesus spook of this to the Jews & under Moses Law there were severe penalties. It doesn't sound very good to us either. Jesus had to make them & us to understand the truth behind the salvation by the blood. The blessing in fellowship with the blood of Jesus gives us more than cleansing or sanctification; The BLOOD places us in a new relationship with God. The blood also do something in us; are we not entirely renewed within. Does not John 6 53 say Most assuredly, I say to you unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man & drink His blood, you have no life in you. God was distinguishing between two kinds of life. A natural life of body/soul. That they needed a New Life, a heavenly life. Now the natural life must be feed with water & bread. The New Heavenly Life must be nourish by heavenly food & drink by Jesus Himself. Eternal life is the life of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ came to earth to reveal eternal life in the flesh & communcated it to us in the flesh. This is symbolical of flesh & blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is the food by which etrnal life is nourished & sustained in us; My flesh is meat indeed, & my blood is drink indeed. This brings us into perfect union with God. The Scripture offers the holy mysterious expression, "to drink the blood of Christ. Drinking means a deep, true grasping in our spirits by faith understanding the power of the blood. If you have a transfusion of blood it can either kill you or save your life. In Son of Man it can & does save your life. You need to nourish & sustained it. Get into the Word of God the Bible. It gives you life. Worship Him, Praise Him. Believe in the Blood and what the Blood of our LORD Jesus Christ has for us. In Jesus Christ Name, Rev. Londa Picard

I'm Sorry

I've just gotten my computer up & running. I'm so so sorry. Thank you for being so patience with me. I couldn't get on line to get in to say it would be down. I'm so sorry. I hope it is up and running correctly. My first try since I've gotten it fixed

Sin Forever Conquered Hebrews 10:9 -10 (1611 KJV) 9) Then said He Low, I come to thy will (O God:) He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second 10) By the wich will we are sanctified, through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Go back and reread those verses. In nine He taketh away the first Adam & Aniamil blood to replace it by Jesus Christ Our Lord & His sanctification through His Blood. What else does ONCE FOR ALL MEAN? Because the offering of His Body was His Surrender of Himself to do the will of God, And by that will WE become sanctified. Jesus Christ perfect OBEDIENCE in which He gave/surrendered Himself freely, so that God's Holyness would be accomplished in Him. The meritorious cause of our salvation , at the same time, is the power by which sin was forever conquered! By one man & the shedding of His shedding of His blood put the power of sin and of the devil under our feet. It is also that same sanctification of Jesus blood that it may be created in our own hearts !! Hebrews 2:11 (1611 KJV) It is a faithful saying; for if we be dead with Him, we shall also live with Him. We both receive from the one Father & we share in that sanctification. Jesus is that sanctifier. We must lay hold of these facts to understand & experience what that sanctification by the blood actual mean: That sanctification is the s & purpose of all the whole suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ sufferings. Jesus blood was & is the fruit & means of blessing! His sanctification of Himself has the chracterist of those suffering & laid its power & blessing for us, Jesus was foreordained to be the redemption. His will to glorify His holiness in victory over sin by the sanctification of mankind after HIS OWN IMAGE. We must be consecrated to God!! And the Holy Spirit, the Holy God as Spirit, reveal in us the redemption that is in Jesus. This continues to be the main reason & purpose with Him. As the Holy Spirit, His is the Spirit of holiness!! With this pardon, cleansing from sin all have value & points toward sanctification. God no longer see's our sins but the blood of Jesus. We are marked by the precious blood of Jesus! meaning with Jesus & us we are now undivided consecration to a life wholly for God. Jesus blood is the promise & the power for us to abiding in Him & have sanctification by the blood of Jesus to have sin conquered for us that we can over come by His blood! To draw close to God. Now he who believes & hea the Lambs blood, gives himself up to believing worshop of & intimacy with the Lamb, & was bought with His blood will experience a sanctificaion beyond what we can imagine through that blood. The Lord Jesus will do this for him We will also need to grow in His knowledge to enter into the full blessing that is prepared for us! So start inquiring earnestly what the essential connection is between the blessed effect of the blood & sanctificaion. That our Lord Jesus Christ will work out in us by His blood! Love In Christ Jesus Rev. Londa Picard

ck with snoopes & another blog link see bottom as this is true

A doctor-friend wrote:A couple of days ago I was running (I use that term very loosely) on my treadmill, watching a DVD sermon by Louie Giglio...and I was BLOWN AWAY! I want to share what I learned....but I fear not being able to convey it as well as I want. I will share anyway. He (Louie) was talking about how inconceivably BIG our God is...how He spoke the universe into being...how He breathes stars out of His mouth that are huge raging balls of fire...etc. etc. Then He went on to speak of how this star-breathing, universe creating God ALSO knitted our human bodies together with amazing detail and wonder. At this point I am LOVING it (fascinating from a medical standpoint, you know.) ....and I was remembering how I was constantly amazed during medical school as I learned more and more about God's handiwork. I remember so many times thinking....'How can ANYONE deny that a Creator did all of this???' Louie went on to talk about how we can trust that the God who created all this, also has the power to hold it all together when things seem to be falling apart...how our loving Creator is also our sustainer. And then I lost my breath. And it wasn't because I was running my treadmill, either!!! It was because he started talking about laminin. I knew about laminin. Here is how wikipedia describes them: 'Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue.' You see....laminins are what hold us together....LITERALLY. They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell.. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what laminin LOOKED LIKE. But now I do. And I have thought about it a thousand times since (already).... Here is what the structure of laminin looks like...AND THIS IS NOT a 'Christian portrayal' of it....if you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see... Now tell me that our God is not the coolest!!! Amazing. The glue that holds us together...ALL of us....is in the shape of the cross. Immediately Colossians 1:15-17 comes to mind. 'He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth , visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things HOLD TOGETHER. ' Colossians 1:15-17. Call me crazy. I just think that is very, very, very cool. Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint, we are held together...one cell to another....by the cross. You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin 'glue' would look like long before Adam even breathed his first breath!! " Faith is not knowing what the future holds, but knowing who holds the future." I wanted you to know and to undertstand that YOU are being held together by the cross of Jesus Christ! His love! His forgiveness and His marvelous power! hipandthigh.blogspot.com/2008/05/laminin-molecule-... www.snopes.com/glurge/laminin.asp

r u going to finish strong

http://www.maniacworld.com/are-you-going-to-finish-strong.htm

Life is To Short For

Life Is Too Short For... This devotional was written by Jim Burns Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. — Matthew 6:34 One day when I was caught up in the tyranny of the urgent, my friend Bill McNabb sent me some thoughts entitled "Things That Life Is Too Short For." His thoughts forced me to take a look at my own life and reevaluate my priorities. Perhaps you need a dose of reality today. I'll share these special thoughts with you. Life is too short to nurse grudges or hurt feelings.It's too short to worry about getting ready for Christmas. Just let Christmas come. It's too short to keep all your floors shiny. It's too short to let a day pass without hugging your loved ones. It's too short not to take a nap when you need one. It's too short to put off Bible study.It's too short to give importance to whether the towels match the bathroom. It's too short to miss the call to worship on a Sunday morning. It's too short to stay indoors on a crisp fall Saturday. It's too short to read all the junk mail. It's too short not to call or write your parents (or children) regularly. It's too short to work at a job you hate. It's too short not to stop and talk to children.It's too short to forget to pray. It's too short to put off improving our relationships with people that we love. Life is just too short. Way too short to settle for mediocrity!

THOSE BORN 1920-1979 TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!! First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints. We had no child proof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking. As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats , seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank Kool-aid made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because, WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day.And we were OK. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ridedown the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chatrooms....... WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them! We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up game s with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them! Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL! If YOU are one of them CONGRATULATIONS! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good . While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were. Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?! The quote of the month is by Jay Leno: 'With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding,severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another,and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?'

A Great Recipe For Life

A GREAT RECIPE FOR LIFE 1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant. 2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Talk to God about what is going on in your life. Buy a lock if you have to. 3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today. I am thankful for_________ _____' 4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants. 5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts. 6. Try to make at least three people smile each day. 7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment. 8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card. 9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good. 10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. 11. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does. 12. You are not so important that you have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. 13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present. 14. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. 15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you. 16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?' 17. Forgive everyone for everything. 18. What other people think of you is none of your business. 19. GOD heals everything but you have to ask Him. 20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. 21. Your job won't take care of you when you are in need. Your friends will. Stay in touch!!! 22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. 23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________ . Today I accomplished _________. 24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed. 25. When you are feeling down, start listing your many blessings. You'll be smiling before you know it. 26. Send this to everyone you care about. "Live everyday as if its your last" Author unknown, Thank you Carol for sending this to me. Rev. Londa Picard

Cleansed & Sanctifcation

Being cleansed & sanctifcation by the power of the blood brings us even closer to God & stay in the present of God. Simply believe that the words of 1 John 1:7 the blood of Jesus... cleanseth us from all sin Believe that it's the blood of Jesus Himself who will cleanse you in His blood & fulfill His promise in you. The cleasing from sin by His blood as a blesing which you can abide in daily! To exercise faith in the power of the blood. Now remember the blood always retains it's power & effectivness. Take hold of the blood of Jesus & believe what the Word says about the blood. Jesus blood can have us be sanctified before God. Sancitification it was the great purpose of the suffering of Christ Ephesians 5:25-26 Christ also loved the church, & gave himself for it; that He might sanctify & cleane it. He first cleansed it, He then sanctifies it. What is Sanctification; the sanctificaiton of the redeemed is we must first learn what the holiness of God is. He alone is the Holy One. Now the Holiness in God we must receive it from Him as a gift. The first meanting of Santification which is being taken out of our surroundings, by God;s command & set aside or separated as Gods own possession & for His service that is Holy. That isn't separation from sin only but from all that is in the world. Man must surrender himself willingly & heartily to the separation. Become as the High Priest did. Sanctification become ours only when it sends down its roots into & abodes in the depths of our personal lives, our wills, & our love. God will not sanctifed you if you don't want Him to. Hebrews 12:10 That we might be partakers of His Holiness This is in a personal fellowship with God & to impartation of His Holiness, it isn't a gift of something that is apart from God Himself. It's personal fellowship with Him & partaking of His divine life that sanctification can be obtained. So true Sanctification is fellowship with God & His dewling in us. Having the Holy Spirit come & dwell in us. Hebrews 13:12 Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with His own Blood suffered, Ephesians 1:4 and that they should be howy & without blame. John 17:19 For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth Hebrews 10:9 & 10 9) I come to do th the which will wey will, O God 10) By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once & for all. By which the power of sin was forever conquered! The same sanctification, may be created in our own hearts. All I can say on this is WOW! Stop & think what that means for us. To be cleaned & sanctify before God. To be able to be in His presents. WOW Christ Jesus by His Blood AMEN Rev. Londa Picard

Curry R. Blake - John G Lakes Ministry

JGLM E-Newsletter Jan. '09 Some of you may know that the Apostle Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians is one of my favorite books in the Bible. As we start this new year, I was reminded of some of the amazing things God said about you and I through the Apostle Paul in this small yet powerful book.1:1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: We know first off that we are being referred to because he says himself that he was writing to the saints which are at Ephesus AND to the faithful in Christ Jesus. If we are faithful in Christ Jesus, then he is writing to us. 2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Here, we are told that it is God's Will for us to have grace and peace, not just grace, grace and peace. There are so many "Christians" that I meet everyday that do not have peace. They are worried over current events in the world situation or circumstances and situations in their own lives. They demonstrate anything but the peace of God. Usually they are just as fearful as the people of the world around them. If you are under constant fear, go back to the point of your salvation and remember the peace that flooded you the moment you made Jesus your Lord. Maybe the problem is that you did not make Jesus your Lord, maybe you only made Him your Savior from sin.If so, fix it now. Bow your knee and your heart and your will. Decide to give Him your life, knowing that what He owns, He takes care of. You are of much more value to your Heavenly Father than a bird or flowers, yet He takes care of them. Trust in His love and provision. If He doesn't provide, He doesn't love. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: In this verse, it literally says that God has said every good thing about you He could possibly say. Since He said everything before you were even born, He could not have said it based upon what you had done. He said what He did based upon how He felt about you, not based upon your performance. If God has said every good thing He could say about you, then it means that He has said that you are healed and healthy (1 Peter 2:24; Isa. 53:4; 3 John 2), so as far as God is concerned He has already sent word that you are healed (Ps. 107:20). If that is not the reality you are walking in, I am sure He is puzzled as to why not. If He has said every good thing about you that He can say, then He has said your sins are forgiven, never to be remembered (by Him) again (Rom 4:7; Eph 4:32; Col 2:13; James 5:15; 1 John 2:12), if your sins are forgiven then you are a new person and should live and walk that way (2 CO 5:17-18; Eph 4:24; Col 3:10). If you are a new person, saved, forgiven, healed, and financially blessed, then there is no reason for you not to walk like Jesus did, (John 15:12; 1 John 2:6; 1 Pet. 2:21; Rom 13:8; 1 Thess 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:11; 1 John 3:23; 1 John 4:7; 1 John 4:11; 1 John 4:12; 2 John 5) 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: This verse proves that God chose us and spoke every good thing about us He could, even before the foundation of the world, it also shows us how we should respond to such love, by living holy and blameless by walking in the love of God toward all people. Notice we were chosen "in Him" that means that we did not merit being chosen by anything we did but rather we were chosen when God the Father considered what His Son Jesus did. 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, Many are falling prey to an error in doctrine that puts all responsibility on God as to whether they or others get saved or not, this verse says that because God has chosen and predestined us to be in Christ and to be allowed to be saved we should walk in holiness. Many are called but few chosen shows that not all will be saved. God has done His part. 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. What God did through Jesus for us brings praise to the glory of His grace. His great goodness in allowing us to be saved magnifies and exalts His grace, showing how truly magnanimous He is. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Our redemption, our forgiveness is measured against the riches, the depth, the overwhelming magnitude of His grace. Our sins could never bankrupt God's grace. His grace is so much greater and deeper than all the sins of humanity. His goodness is so much greater than our badness could ever be. Does it not matter then if we keep sinning? Of course it matters. If you keep sinning it shows you were not looking for a way out of sin, but a way to get away with sin. If that is true, you have not "repented" (changed your mind about sin) and are therefore still in sin and unsaved. Death was swallowed up in life because Life (God) is so much greater than death. God is so much greater than death and sin that Jesus took death in stride like a speed bump. Jesus had no fear going into death, He knew how much more powerful Life was. He only regretted the time spent apart from God. 8 Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; He has (past tense) overtaken us with Godly wisdom and the mental ability to comprehend it.9 Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: Here he tells us that God has made His Will known unto us. He also says that God has a plan for us to fulfill, which is why He has made His Will known. 10 That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: This is both His plan and how He is going to fulfill His Will. He is going to put all the saints in one body. This is the mystery the New Covenant saints now have the ability to walk in that the Old Covenant saints did not have. The Old Covenant saints could only have the Spirit rest upon them, but the New Covenant saints can have the Spirit abide in them and have their minds and nature renewed and changed into the nature of God. The Old Covenant saints were not "in Christ", we are. Jesus has become a "Trojan Horse" to get us into the Kingdom of God. We get in because of what Jesus did. The Old Covenant saints were under law, forced to perform perfectly or be punished. 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: Again, "in Him" we find what has been provided for us. We have an inheritance. There is something that has been put aside for us to claim when we are mature. A child does not receive an inheritance, they have a "Trust" that is put in the charge of a "Trustee". The "Trustee" decides everything for the child and distributes the "trust fund" to the child as needed until the child is old enough (when for the time...by reason of use... Heb. 5:11-14). As you grow up and find out what is waiting for you on your "21st birthday", you will start to investigate and research what your new "inheritance" will provide. The more you study, the more excited you will get as you look through the "last will and testament" provided for you. 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. Then he goes on to tell us that all this is designed to bring praise to God as we live out what God provided through Jesus. 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, This is another reference to the fact that there is a further reception of the Holy Spirit that takes place after salvation.Warning: Opinion following!!!I believe, by both Scripture and common modern Christian experience, that there is a Baptism of the Spirit that far exceeds the currently seen "Holy Spirit Baptisms" in the church today. Most of the current Holy Spirit Baptisms are completely powerless when compared to that of Jesus, His disciples and even the early Pentecostal pioneers. Many have what John Lake called a "Miss Wick type of baptism", which meant an ability to speak in tongues without the full power of the Spirit being manifested later. I believe that we have settled for a "fast-food mentality" when it comes to "the Baptism". We want to hurry and get past the "filling" part so we can get on with the "party". If more people would truly receive the Baptism with the Spirit, they would no longer be spending hours in "so-called" worship services trying to get the power to fall. They would begin to carry the Spirit with them into all the world as Jesus commanded, rather than doing things He never commanded and expecting something they were never promised. Of course if they ever do that, it might wreck their "revival" services in the church buildings, because people would start doing signs and wonders in the streets.14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. The "sealing of the Spirit" mentioned previously is the down payment of our redemption that we are promised. Again notice that all this is for the purpose of bringing praise to God's glory. 15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,Notice it was the Ephesian saints' love that caught the apostle's attention, not their gifts, or their faith, but their love. 16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; Their love was such that it caused the great apostle Paul to pray for them.17 That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: Paul's prayer for the Ephesians was that they would have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (Christ). This was Paul's main prayer, that all the saints would have wisdom and revelation in their knowledge of Christ. This would lead to real growth and advancement in their walk with God. They would finally know Christ in His resurrection power and they would also find out who they are in Christ. Because whatever He has and is we are and can do. (1 John 4:17) 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, When you have the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ, your understanding will be such that you will know just how far reaching and impacting your calling by Him is. We have yet to see a person consecrated to God and dead to their own plans and ambitions enough to truly and fully allow Jesus to live His life through them. 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, This one verse could be used as a basis of meditation for years. To the degree that we understand this verse, believe it, and walk it out in our lives, the world will see Jesus walk the earth in flesh again. When we finally die enough to take a chance to believe this verse and believe that God can truly work power (such as the world has never before seen demonstrated) through a man, and can sufficiently forget who we were and believe what God says about who we are, we will see a generation of believers that are not afraid to call God their Father, and of whom God is not ashamed to be called their Father. 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, The power that Paul is talking about is the same power, (in the same amount and demonstrated to the same degree) that was demonstrated when God raised Jesus from the dead. The power God used was enough to seal satan's fate, ensure his defeat and publicly humiliate all the forces of darkness with a beating that is still being talked about 2000 years later. There never was and never will be a greater degree of power unleashed. That was the ultimate power possible, and it is the same power used to raise you up, because what He did for Jesus, He was doing for you. That is also the same degree of power that is at our disposal, if we can ever break free of the mental constraints that we have allowed to be imposed upon us. Jesus showed us how to walk in this power to a limited degree. He calmed storms, opened blind eyes, multiplied food, etc. Some may disagree with my use of the term limited, but let me remind you, Jesus Himself said, we would do the same works... and GREATER, because He went to the Father. We can do... because HE...went to the Father. Jesus is seated and has finished His work. And because He finished His work, now we get to do our work, which is to believe on Him whom the Father sent. If we believe, we will do the works. Our work (believing) accomplishes His works (setting things right on earth as they are in Heaven). It is not us doing it, it is the Father in us, He does the works. We just do the work of believing. And if we believe we will act, and if we believe and act, He will do! 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: Jesus has been seated next to His Father and we are in Him. So we are also seated in heavenly places (Eph 2:6). Since that is our legal position, we have the right to act as Ambassadors of God, bringing the ways and conditions of the Kingdom of God to earth. Jesus' authority not only reaches into heaven, but also even into the world that is to come. We see here that Jesus has no match in the kingdom of darkness. He has triumphed over the champion of evil so completely that He is the undisputed Champion of Everything and Everywhere. None of the dark kings have any hope of even resisting Him or you when you go in His Name. But if you try to go in your name (based upon your works, goodness, etc., you will be soundly defeated, because you have left your place of authority and power, and ability. You must know that when you are weak, He can flow through you and win the situation. But if you think you are smart enough or strong enough due to your past victories or even current disciplines, you will not prevail. Stay in Him, keep your life hidden in Christ. Kill your ego, kill your pride, know that you stand because He props you up. His life flowing through you brings strength, and life to stand and prevail. 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Everything has (already done it, past tense) been put under His feet and by extension, (see next verse) your feet. That means that nothing shall by any means harm you, that means that wherever the enemy is standing in front of you, he is standing in your spot. You can and must decide to take the ground he stands on. Your job is to take back the land. Your destiny is to plant the flag of the Kingdom of Heaven on every spot of earth you can find. If the enemy won't move, pin him to the ground with the flag of your King. The King of Kings. 23 Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. KJV You are the body being talked about here. You are the Body of Christ. There is no building that can be the Church. The church is the Body of Christ. No building made with hands can contain or carry the glory of the Body of the Christ. The church is Christ to the world, and the Christ is in the Church. Today, we make Christ what He is. We make Him victorious to the world or we make Him weak, defeated and wimpy. He has won every battle, He has defeated every enemy. He has so totally defeated His enemies (as far as stripping away all their authority) that He had no one else to beat so He retired undefeated and passed the spoils on to those of us that decide to follow in His footsteps and bring every enemy into true and complete submission to Him.I hope this little study has helped you. If you did not find it boring, let me know and I will do more. Until next month, You ARE BLESSED!!! Curry R. Blake