In its entirety
and that's all I have to say about that!
Little bit different from my normal style, but He that is in
me is greater than my style. He said it
best, I'm just passing it along...Allowing an opportunity to mediate on his
word. Read it loud read it soft...Write
it on your soul! Instructions on how to
do this thing! Don't stop at 16!
Ephesians 4:1-16 (The Message Translation)
To Be Mature
4 1-3 In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do.
While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out
there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t
want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling
off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility
and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for
each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending
fences.
4-6 You were all
called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together,
both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one
God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in
all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.
7-13 But that doesn’t
mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity
of Christ, each of us is given his own gift. The text for this is, He climbed
the high mountain, He captured the enemy and seized the booty, He handed it all
out in gifts to the people. Is it not
true that the One who climbed up also climbed down, down to the valley of
earth? And the One who climbed down is the One who climbed back up, up to
highest heaven. He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his
gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet,
evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ’s followers in skilled servant
work, working within Christ’s body, the church, until we’re all moving rhythmically
and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son,
fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like
Christ.
14-16 No prolonged
infancies among us, please. We’ll not
tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors.
God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like
Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of
everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and
blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God,
robust in love.
****
Amen! Y'all
Amen Amen Amen
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