BH Bulletin - Thursday 7 January 2021

Thought for the Day by Rich Arnold
​(Youth and Families Minister at Holy Cross)

I imagine Christmas Day is already feeling like a distant memory, but let me transport you back there, and especially the food! Think back to that post-Christmas-dinner feeling, when you feel so full up that you couldn’t possibly eat anything again for a month (see photo - I promise it's a cushion up my jumper!)   
 


In Ephesians, Paul begins his letter with an incredible section of praise to God saying that Christians have the spiritual version of a Christmas dinner. We are spiritually ‘full up’! God has filled us with so many good things. Before reading on, look through the feast laid out for us in Ephesians 1:3-14 .  
  
It is quite extraordinary how ‘full up’ we are isn’t it? I want to share some reflections from v3 about these wonderful spiritual blessings. 
 
Ephesians 1:3: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 
 
These blessings are… 

1.      From God (Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us).   God is a spiritual feeder!  God is not a taker but a giver.  HE is the one who has generously ‘filled us up’ and he loves to do it.   

 

1.      Through Jesus (…with every spiritual blessing in Christ).  They don’t come to us from creation.  They don’t come from inside of us. We are ‘full up’ only through what Jesus has done and by trusting in him (notice how many times Pauls uses the phrase ‘in Christ’ or ‘in him’).   

 

1.     What matters most (…with every spiritual blessing in Christ).  There are plenty of blessings that God has given us in life – food, houses, friends, family, money, vaccines (!) – but Paul focuses on spiritual blessings. Surely that means they must matter more than any other things we may or may not have. We should cherish this ‘filling up’ above all else.   

 

1.     Complete (…who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ).  When we trust in Jesus, we have ALL we need spiritually.  God hasn’t held anything back from us. We are completely ‘full up!’ 

 

1.     For all the time.  (Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us).  Whatever you’re feeling, whatever you’re facing, whether you are rich or poor, whether life is hard or easy, in Christ you are ‘full up.’ You might not always feel that God has blessed you, but Paul says that he has.    

 

1.     For all of time (…who has blessed us in the heavenly places). Earthly things run out but heavenly things are for ever.  If these blessings are in the heavenly realms, then they are totally secure for all of time and will never run out. God won’t say to us one day that he has removed his blessings from us, that we are no longer ‘full up’.    

 

1.     Corporate (…who has blessed us).  God’s blessings are not just for you and are not just for me, but for us. That means that all Christians have something deep and valuable and lasting in common.  You might think others at your church are not like you, but if you are ‘full up’ in Jesus then you have everything in common that matters. 

 

1.      Cause praise (Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ).  If God is the great feeder who has blessed us, then he is the one who deserves all the praise.  When we understand how ‘full up’ we are in Jesus, we will love + praise our glorious God.  We will delight in him and put him at the centre of our life. 

 
If you are trusting in Jesus Christ, then all these blessings are yours.  Despite all that we faced in 2020, they were yours! Despite all that we might face in 2021, they are yours! Praise God for ‘filling you up’! 
​Rich

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Pray for All People this Evening

Come join us this evening, 19:30-20:00 to pray for all people to come to know the One God.
https://bhmc.churchsuite.com/events/hg06m9qs
​​Ben

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Update from Graham and Debbie Frith

Please click on the link below:
mailchi.mp/52ca15982227/noticias-3925226?e=714c4585fc

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