Ephesians 1:3(NASB)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 

So many times as I study the Word of God, I will return time and time again to certain scriptures. To me the words draw me back, because of the volumes of knowledge within the words speak to me over and over, and differently than the time before. Such is Ephesians 1:3. We all have read of the assurance of the all the spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ. As before, my visit this time, added another layer, or should I say more knowledge than I had opened my mind to in the past. Sometimes I need to slow down and read word for word. This time let us not only look at the blessings, but also look at our Heavenly Father. Let’s go to the Word of God.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  I always, when I read His Word, I think of my Heavenly Father. 

2 Corinthians 1:3-5(NASB)

 3 Blessed be  the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.  

Father of mercies and God of all comfort 

I could go from one end of the Bible to the other but Psalms 136. KJV. Covers it all. Our Heavenly Father is the Father of mercies. All of the creation cries out; HIS MERCY ENDURES FOR EVER. 

1 Peter 1:1-5(NASB)

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen 

2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 

5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  

In 1 Peter 1(One);

We are chosen  according to the foreknowledge of God the Father         

By the sanctifying work of the Spirit

To obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

To obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 

Who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 

Again I Repeat; All creation cries out, His Mercy endures forever. 

A God of Comfort or Consolation. 

God in all of His Mercy and Knowledge has everything covered. He blesses us in all of the areas of our lives through Jesus Christ our Lord and leaves nothing to be desired but fulfills all through His Grace. As Jesus said on the cross, “it is finished.” I find it interesting that through our experiences God enables us to give back the comfort that we receive through our comfort that we have from God through His Grace. 

2 Corinthians 1:3-7(NASB)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 

4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 

5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. 

6 if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; 

7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort. 

We as Christians are to follow Christ’s Example 

Romans 15:1-13(NRSV)

1 We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

 2 Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor. 

3 For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” 

4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. 

5 May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, 

6 So that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

7 Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.   

8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 

9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles, and sing praises to your name”;

10 and again he says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people”;

11 and again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him”;

12 and again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.” 

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

In closing let me say this; when Christ was here and in talking about fulfilling the Law He stated that, “Loving the Lord with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your strength; and the second was like unto it, you were to love your neighbor as yourself. In this you would fulfill all the Law.  God has put our neighbor and our love for that neighbor in the same arena as keeping all the Laws of God. We as Christians are to enclose our neighbors with same love that Christ gives to us. Put up with the failings of the weak; Please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor, and that in Christ Jesus;

We are to take the insults, if any are given, as Christ took our insults upon Himself.

All of the scriptures are written down and was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. We are encouraged by the God of steadfastness and encouragement to grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus, so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

In Romans 15:8-9 we read,  “For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.” On the cross, Christ canceled out the enmity of the Circumcised and the Gentile. That wall is gone and we in Christ are one family in God through Christ. Once again with Paul I will repeat:

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

As Always

IN HIS GRIP

Chuck Howi