And [His gifts to the church were varied and] He Himself appointed some as apostles [special messengers, representatives], some as prophets [who speak a new message from God to the people], some as evangelists [who spread the good news of salvation], and some as pastors and teachers [to shepherd and guide and instruct], [and He did this] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people) for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church]; until we all reach oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, [growing spiritually] to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ [manifesting His spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity].
Ephesians 4:11-13 AMP
If you don’t know what you’re aiming for, you will lack direction. Wisdom says to know the direction you want to head before taking the first step.
What am I saying? I’m saying it’s time to stop and start over.
Hit the reset button.
I believe God is calling all of us to a holy rest, a pause to stop and think and reflect and examine ourselves to see if we are even still in the faith. Or have we become like so many? Self-centered, self-righteous fountains of hate, ignorance and selfishness? Are we the world? Or are we God’s children?
This is a time to come back into alignment with God’s sovereign will and fast and pray and hear from God about His will for what’s left of our brief lives here on this planet. We’ve forgotten that we were purchased for a price and our lives are no longer our own. It’s time for a global come to Jesus meeting.
You know what I’m saying? It’s time to be a friend to the friendless. A voice for the oppressed. A light in the darkness. A calm in the storm. In a word, it’s time to mature and rise to the occasion.
Maturity is not something we value in America. We despise it in favor of endless adolescence. We want only freedom with no responsibility and to have all our wants and needs met. That’s what being an infant is. If we think and act like children our whole lives we will never grow up, we will never mature, we will never become useful and fulfill the purpose that we were created for, to bear much fruit.
Oneness with Christ in Spirit is the goal of the Christian walk. It’s impossible unless we die to ourselves and our carnal wants and desires. We must completely surrender ourselves over to God’s plan, care and control. Basically, we must allow and honor God as God in our lives and not relegate faith to just a good idea or a moral teaching or something that is “a part” of our lives.
Without faith, there is no life. Without faith, we are spiritually dead — completely devoid of the life of God. Our faith is in a Person. Remember that you can always go to Him and talk to Him and ask Him for help and answers to questions.
That’s the original design for how to live life as a human being, in constant fellowship and harmony with the Spirit of the Living God. Our relationship with God is the most vital and essential part of life, even more important than oxygen. Give it the place and priority in your life that it properly deserves. Don’t be lazy in showing your devotion to the Lord.
It’s time to grow up, Church. It’s time to mature completely into the image and likeness of Our Father in Heaven. Will we be persecuted for rejecting worldly wisdom for the wisdom of God? Certainly. Will we be outcasts among those who think they are righteous? Without a doubt, the religious cannot see the truth unless God reveals it to them. Will we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony? It is written. Therefore, it is assured. It will come to pass.
What’s the goal of life? To become one with God. To know and walk with Him. To say what He says and do what He does. Jesus is our example. He is the prototype for a child of God. Now that you know what God says your priorities should be, how are you doing at aligning yourself with God’s will? Or are you resisting God and choosing to live a self-willed life of rebellion and sin?
God has all the answers. If you want to know what to do, ask Him. He won’t lie. Then obey. He will give you the strength to do so. Then, watch and wait. Obedience is how we abide in the vine. When God’s Spirit flows through us, it nourishes the fruit of the Spirit that grows and develops in our lives. That’s why we must be doers of the Word. That’s where we grow. Otherwise, we’ll just be over watered, over fed, become stagnant and rot from within right where we are.
It’s only by stretching outside of our comfort zone that we grow. God will continue to remove all worldly comforts from this world progressively until all that remains is Him or hell. Choose now to follow Him and save yourself some misery.
I encourage you to ignore the world. It’s going out of business. It’s a lost cause. It’s destined for destruction. Why invest in something that doesn’t have any real value? Invest in souls. Pour your life into others. That’s the business of being a disciple. Now go out there and be fruitful!
May the Lord restore your vision today for His Kingdom assignment for you. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.
The fruit of the [consistently] righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise captures and wins souls [for God—he gathers them for eternity].
Proverbs 11:30 AMP