I
love coffee. I have seen all sorts of blends, grinds and mixtures of
the stuff, but this is a new one to me. Imagine, having your brew
sweetened in such a way; it is nothing less than delightful. One
might almost say that it is coffee served with blessings from above.
For
the Christian, this idea of “blessings from above” is not a new
idea. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians conveys the idea of heavenly
blessings “in Christ” and chapter 1 is my go to for what Christ
has done for us. Paul says…
Ephesians
1 ( World English
Bible )
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; 4 even
as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we
would be holy and without defect before him in love; 5 having
predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to
himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire, 6 to
the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely bestowed
favor on us in the Beloved, 7 in
whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our
trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which
he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, 9 making
known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure
which he purposed in him 10 to
an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things
in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, in
him; 11 in
whom also we were assigned an inheritance, having been foreordained
according to the purpose of him who works all things after the
counsel of his will; 12 to
the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had
before hoped in Christ: 13 in
whom you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of
your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with
the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who
is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own
possession, to the praise of his glory. 15 For
this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which
is among you, and the love which you have toward all the
saints, 16 don’t
cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my
prayers, 17 that
the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to
you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of
him; 18 having
the eyes of your hearts*n1 enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the
riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19 and
what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe,
according to that working of the strength of his might 20 which
he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and made him
to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far
above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every
name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is
to come. 22 He
put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head
over all things for the assembly, 23 which
is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
To
fully express the meaning of this passage, you would have to write a
book (or perhaps two). If I were to condense this passage
into a sentence, I would put it this way… All
that God can do for us, HE has done for us in HIS sacrifice of HIS
son; every blessing in heaven is ours for the taking if we will
accept it. And these blessings are more wonderful than any coffee
that I can imagine; even the heavenly coffee in the picture.
The
question remains:
Will
you accept God’s blessings or not?
If
“Yes” read the very first sermon found in Acts
2:14-41
and
do what they did to obey God and be added to HIS church.