The Whole Family

"For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the WHOLE family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant YOU, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:14-19)

whole- comprising the full quantity or amount; entire or total; complete; undivided; not fractional; not broken, damaged or impaired(part of definition found in Webster's College Dictionary)

"And He (the Father) put all things under His (Jesus Christ's) feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is HIS BODY, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:22,23)

Make no mistake, His body, the church, is whole or becoming so. They are keeping His command to persevere. They are, or are becoming undivided within, pertaining to soul and spirit. They understand that His words, His commandments from the Father and His grace pertain to them under the lordship of He who finished the course.

"Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth." (Revelation 3:10)

These are the WHOLE family; entire and complete in Him.

Whatever We Ask We Receive

"And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment." (1 John 3:22,23)

"You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend on your pleasures. Adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?" (James 4:3,4)

His commandment from the Father was to suffer unto death for His disciples so His disciples could do likewise for men; so men could do likewise for others. Without the cross of Jesus Christ, there would be no propitiation (appeasement) for the sins of mankind. How could we have received the opportunity to become one with the Father and the Son, who are One, unless Jesus first show His disciples the way?

"In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother." (1 John 3:10)

"In this the love of God was manifested toward us (John and those who witnessed it), that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. (1 John 4:9)

Jesus Christ directs the practice of righteousness toward God. He completed it and men saw it! When I played basketball, practice was a requirement. I had to go and didn't really mind it, but the coach directed it. If I had been directing it, the practices would have been shorter and, as a result, less effective for the players/team. I was good enough to play yet too immature to "direct practice".


.."that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full."(1 John 1:3,4) Amen.


"And we have seen and testify(not just in words, but deeds) that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world."(1 John 4:14)


"By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."(1 John 3:16) How do we do that? The Lamb of God will show us!


What about the initial two verses? "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."(1 John 5:14,15) If we ask the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Father has made head over all things to the church, that He make His commandments, His words, His grace evident so we can follow His disciples, He will give us the desire of our heart: His calling and His inheritance.