The Plumbline

11  Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.   12  Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.   13  This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13 NLT) Ever wonder why God didn't just give us pastors or teachers? Why are there prophets, evangelists, and apostles? Couldn't God get all the work done in the church with just a couple of "ministers"? Believe it or not, all these "offices" fill a particular 'function' in the Body of Christ. Understanding the function of each is important to seeing how it is God intends for the church to grow, become one with each other, and be a safe haven for those with hurts and hang-ups until they desire to say "y...

20  Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. (Ephesians 3:20 NLT) What have you asked God for lately? If you are like the rest of us, your prayers are generally pretty limited to what you "think" you or someone else needs in their lives. Based on our limited understanding of both the need at hand and God's means to meet that specific need, we ask for what it is we "think" will resolve or meet that need. This isn't always wrong - God wants us to ask. Yet, I wonder if we were to admit to God a little more frequently that we don't really know what someone needs, or even what we need in this moment, but that we are trusting him to meet the "specific" need in the manner he knows will be the best for us if we'd be more "open" to receiving God's answers? I know there are times in my own prayer life when I ask for something and then I ...

8  God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.   9  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.   10  For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.  (Ephesians 3:8-10 NLT) It always amazes me to read this passage time and time again, just to recount the truth that all our "good works" really amount to tiddly-squat in terms of "earning" us anything in the economy of heaven. All we need for life and godly living doesn't come from what we "do", but in where it is we place our trust and hope. Paul opens this letter to the Ephesians with several truths that build up to the one he gives above. Namely - we are where we are today and what we are today, not because of our own effort, but because of what God makes us "in Christ Jesus". All we exist to be or b...