Soaking in the Son: Ephesians TBT

**repost from the archives- these thoughts from Ephesians came to mind as we prepare to return to Uganda.  Will you join us in the fight?  Will you pray for Uganda?

this view. the ominous clouds. the palm tree swaying in the breeze.
the sunlight illuminating the veranda. a storm is brewing.  but there is such beauty.

and we, with Christ, take our place above the storm in the heavenlies.  

"If we are to grapple, not with flesh-and-blood adversaries, but with principalities and powers in the heavenlies, we need to come to grips with one basic truth of God's Word: that when God raised Jesus Christ from the dead and set Him in the seat of authority "far above all", He made us co-sharers with Him in every stage of the mighty finished work and then seated us with Him.

From only one position is it safe to approach and resist Satan, and that is from this position in Christ in the highest heavenlies.  From this position Satan and his hosts are completely vulnerable.

So for us also (like the fighter pilots of World War II) altitude is a vital factor.  Victory depends on it.  Understandable, therefore, Satan's craft is dedicated to luring us away from this place of advantage and causing us to forget his vulnerability." -R Arthur Matthews, Born for Battle

So, how do we soar to our rightful place with Christ in the heavenlies?  And how do we stay there day in and day out?  Praise rises.  Gratitude lifts.  As we fix our eyes on Him in praise and thanksgiving- we take our place beside Him.  Praise is our response to His glory.  Gratitude is our response to His goodness- it unites us with Him.  And Satan does not want us thanking God for all things.  He wants us grumbling and complaining for every minor inconvenience.  It lowers us beneath him and leaves us vulnerable to his attack.  

As Ann Voskamp notes in One Thousand Gifts: 
"The brave who focus on all things good and all things beautiful and all things true, even in the small, who give thanks for it and discover joy even in the here and now, they are the change agents who bring fullest light to all the world."  

Will you take your seat with Christ in the heavenlies?  Will you thank Him for all things?  We need grateful, valiant warriors who will fight beside us for the hearts and souls of those in Uganda!