7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says:
“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”
9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
When Christ came to earth from the heavens in his grace he gave everyone a special specific gift appointed just for them. Something only they as who the were can use. He ascended from the heavenly realms and took prisoners and put them I imprisonments. Then he presented his gifts of offerings. He gave special gifts of rank to reward some believers. Gifts to the churches of evangelists, pastors and teachers to specifically speak intensely and intelligently speak his teachings and share of who he is. He gave jobs of service to people so that work could be done build up the body of Christ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. That is when we achieve our excellence in life and in him. That is when we become fully equipped with his words and full understanding of his life and who he is. This creating who we are and how we spread the message of his word.
Ephesians 4:7-13 The Message (MSG)
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.
He prepared to make us in his image like him.
That we may be seen as one like him, of him, in him, and for him.Preparing to make us intently fervent in faith and honor to him.
[ The Narrow Gate ] “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.
[ The Narrow and Wide Gates ] “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
[ The Narrow Gate ] “Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and the road that leads to it is easy, and there are many who travel it. But the gate to life is narrow and the way that leads to it is hard, and there are few people who find it.
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be feared above all gods. The gods of other nations are mere idols, but the Lord made the heavens! Honor and majesty surround Him; strength and joy fill His dwelling. ~ 1 Chronicles 16:25-27 (NLT)
[ The Narrow Gate ]
“Go in through the narrow gate, because the gate to hell is wide and filled with many temptations, obstacles and tribulations but the road that leads to it is easy, and becomes the road that is traveled regularly and there are many who travel it. But the gate to life is narrow and the way that leads to it is very difficult and there are few people who find it. Many turn away and give up, others just stray off, some fight till they have no more to fight to finish but there are less people that finish in the good and difficult road than that of the easy bad road to hell. God is always trying to point people into his road to salvation and freedom in the kingdom. Looking to give of those who make it eternal life in him.
[ Being and Doing ] “Don’t look for shortcuts to God. The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time. Don’t fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do. The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.
Life is difficult and God wants us to try to stay traveling the way of the righteous and Good however it is a difficult and tough usually leading to destruction for a story to live in life so many choose the other road because The other road is easy and a fast tempted way to follow however this road is easy it is filled with wrong temptation and sin filled lifestyle and will on take you to the gates of hell not the gate of heaven and your fully miss out on the gift of eternal life with God.He knows it’s a difficult road but he wants to walk it with you leading you in good and caring and love. Though it is you who has to accept. Meanwhile Satan is a con artist full of obstacle and temptations. He is a leader of trials, temptations of easy evils and martyring. It is best described in Psalm 139 like this
Psalm 139. In a plea to God, the poet exclaims “O that you would kill the wicked, O God, and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me – those who speak of you maliciously, and lift them- selves up against you for evil!
These people who take the easy road rarely find and locate Jesus for they are in rebellion and easy temptations of evil. The are usually in ungodly lifestyles even many of them Martyrs and thieves and people filled of violence as hatred unwilling to live in peace and love for they are on the road of evil and wrong that they think it okay for it is the way of Satan and the non believers.
Today’s Word: For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ~ Galatians 5:13-14 (NLT)
Galatians 5:13-15 The Message (MSG)
13-15 It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don’t use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that’s how freedom grows. For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?
Jesus didn’t give his life on the cross to just honor his father or even just because that’s what he had to go with from the rulers and community. Rather the true reason Jesus gave his life was our day not his death. He gave his life for our freedom to save us from death and the worst punishment of our sinful nature. He gave his life for our salvation and freedom in love by his death on the cross he took our sinful nature away from us and gave us eternal freedom and life. Use it freely but wisely don’t use your freedom for entertainment and sinful acts. Rather live in love and peace and equality with one another. Being like God is. That’s is an act in itself and true freedom. Don’t ruin the honor and gift. Jesus wants you to honor him, trust him, love him, be like him and love one another.
He wants you to put others first like he does. To live in his image and live a Godly life accepting him and his gift of salvation. To repent of your sins and love and honor him. He is a loving, forgiving and merciful God. But he needs us to be as well for him. He wants you to see through his eyes, he wants you to see and focus on the good and spread love. The Greatest commandment of all love your neighbor as yourself.
Romans 14:19 English Standard Version (ESV) 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.
Romans 14:19 New Living Translation (NLT) 19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.
Romans 14:19 New International Version (NIV) 19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Romans 14:19-21 The Message (MSG) 19-21 So let’s agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault. You’re certainly not going to permit an argument over what is served or not served at supper to wreck God’s work among you, are you? I said it before and I’ll say it again: All food is good, but it can turn bad if you use it badly, if you use it to trip others up and send them sprawling. When you sit down to a meal, your primary concern should not be to feed your own face but to share the life of Jesus. So be sensitive and courteous to the others who are eating. Don’t eat or say or do things that might interfere with the free exchange of love.
So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
Romans 14:19-21 The Message (MSG) 19-21 So let’s agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words; don’t drag them down by finding fault. You’re certainly not going to permit an argument over what is served or not served at supper to wreck God’s work among you, are you? I said it before and I’ll say it again: All food is good, but it can turn bad if you use it badly, if you use it to trip others up and send them sprawling. When you sit down to a meal, your primary concern should not be to feed your own face but to share the life of Jesus. So be sensitive and courteous to the others who are eating. Don’t eat or say or do things that might interfere with the free exchange of love.The tongue is one of the most dangerous weapons we use. We need to think in love before we speak in hate and say the most hurtful hateful things. We need to think and speak out of love sharing love amongst each one.
Romans 12:18 English Standard Version (ESV) 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
Romans 12:18-19 The Message (MSG) 17-19 Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.” it depends on you to live at peace with everyone.Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
Romans 12:18-19 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take vengeance or retaliate, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to requite; I will repay,” says the Lord. Do all that you can to live in peace with all.
Romans 6:23 English Standard Version (ESV) 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 The Message (MSG) 22-23 But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin telling you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.
You don’t have anything in life if you’re without the love of Christ. He is love, he gives love, he teaches love and from all of it we are given eternal life. If we don’t have Christ then we are nothing and we have nothing. We have not accepted him or the gifts he offers us. We need love to give love and Christ to gain eternal life and his gifts he gives.
1 Corinthians 13 [ Love Is the Greatest ] If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
1 Corinthians 13:13 Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13 The Message (MSG) 13 But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.
When we give love which has to be given we also receive love and earn God’s gift by giving God’s gift. Without it if we give anything but love than we shall then receive disrespect and dishonor and hateful words or acts and anything of evil in return for that is what we have given. For God teaches us in Luke to do unto others as you want them to do unto you. So if you feed and give out evil then evil is what you will be given. Instead you need to be grounded in love and giving love then you receive love back and abundance in blessings and offering of goods. We need to teach others the lessons of Christ so that people are more compassionate in their speaking and actions. Only then will God be pleased and a better life given and his forgiveness for all our evil and sin. We must live in Godly faith.
from “once upon a time” to “kingdom come”—you are God.
3-11
So don’t return us to mud, saying,
“Back to where you came from!”
Patience! You’ve got all the time in the world—whether
a thousand years or a day, it’s all the same to you.
Are we no more to you than a wispy dream,
no more than a blade of grass
That springs up gloriously with the rising sun
and is cut down without a second thought?
Your anger is far and away too much for us;
we’re at the end of our rope.
You keep track of all our sins; every misdeed
since we were children is entered in your books.
All we can remember is that frown on your face.
Is that all we’re ever going to get?
We live for seventy years or so
(with luck we might make it to eighty),
And what do we have to show for it? Trouble.
Toil and trouble and a marker in the graveyard.
Who can make sense of such rage,
such anger against the very ones who fear you?
12-17
Oh! Teach us to live well!
Teach us to live wisely and well!
Come back, God—how long do we have to wait?—
and treat your servants with kindness for a change.
Surprise us with love at daybreak;
then we’ll skip and dance all the day long.
Make up for the bad times with some good times;
we’ve seen enough evil to last a lifetime.
Let your servants see what you’re best at—
the ways you rule and bless your children.
And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us,
confirming the work that we do.
Oh, yes. Affirm the work that we do!
Lord what more can I say you’ve been working on us even before the earth was created before there was sky,light and dark. From everlasting to everlasting you have always been God, you have been and remained our dwelling place. A place of acceptance and safety.Don’t turn from us now God. A thousand years is nothing to your eternity you give us now and promise when we’re put in the grave. All this anger and turmoil and trouble has become too much we feel we cannot go on. You’ve known us since before time began, you know each and every sin of every one of us.
Why if you have forever accepted us, created us, and for eternity to eternity loved us then I ask you why then do you spread plague and turmoils and hard times of your wrath across us and our land. We have no knowledge or understanding of such rage you send. Rage over the vey creation you made and the very ones who fear you most. Why is it not full love and acceptance you send us. Must we continue in this wrath and chaos we live amongst?
Teach us to live well. Teach us to live wisely.
Return to your times with us of love and peace to us and the land when you had taught I your very ways. Come back again and take away all this turmoil and pain we endure now. We are at our very end of our rope for us there is no more we can do we live in tribulations, trouble and wonder of when you will come and show us you will help us. We bare the scars that we journey feeling alone. Come back in love once again. We will rejoice and live in praises unto you forevermore as we have always tried. Remind us again of the good times and love, the memories of the good we once had seen. We live in and have witnessed enough evil to speak out for generations by generations. Is that not enough? Shall we still endure more? When again will we see you in the shepherds cloth when you once ruled and blessed your children accepting us and creating us your own with your very own hands? When shall we again see the compassionate and loving man who you’ve always been bringing out peace and diminishing all the evil, anger, and tribulation we now and for so long have faced. What happened to the good in life? Why can we no longer receive that? Why must evil and anger prevail? Rest on us in love as before praising and honoring what good we have brought forth and the bad we have overcome. What work of you and your very law is and is about? Accept our work we’ve maintained so hard to please you. Confirm it is and has always remained honorable in your sight. Only you are the law, only you can change outcomes at hand. Come take the evil from us and the land. Come back and once again let us remain in you, your teachings and walk along with you again as our leader. Let us once again see all the good over evil and the miracles and blessings you perform. Then will we not witness all this anger and evil, hateful acts and wrath we must endure. Is it not for you and love we live? Have you not forgotten our loving and good hearts? Be our refuge don’t turn from us and forget us. Maintain your title and meaning towards us. You are the only change we have, the only one who is in control of all good and evil. The only one who can bring us out of the darkness we are face to face with. Show us once again you, come back and bring us out of the pit we’re in. You o lord the good lord measures out the dark and the light in due proportions, and the result is life sad enough to be safe, and glad enough to be desirable. Lord, if we must die in this desert, if this whole generation must pass away in the wilderness, then, at any rate, give us the fullness of Thy favor now, that we may spend all our remaining days, no whether they be many or short term may we spend them in gladness and rejoicing with splendor and glory? May we continue to pray for mercy, for resignation of this wrath, and a blessing that will save us and overcome all root to evil showing us love once again. Find us in favor once again. Bring us back into strong faith in ourselves and in you. That in numbers we may cherish each day in life as a countless blessing you have made. To satisfy us at daybreak in your steadfast love. Death is near to the end, it fades and withers away with every evil act at hand. Our days have come to an end and circle and cycle we are trapped. Soon to be gone, and we fly away.
“Remaining calm in adversity is a sign of great spiritual strength. No matter what’s going on in your life right now, “Hold your peace!”
Such hardship we can not live for it is too long suffering for us. Bring us out of this pain
Deuteronomy 8:5 New Living Translation (NLT)
Think about it: Just as a parent disciplines a child, the Lord your God disciplines you for your own good.
14 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
John 14:1-4 The Message (MSG)
The Road
14 1-4 “Don’t let this throw you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I’m taking.”
Do not stress, be anxious and full of worry for God will keep you in peace if you trust and accept him. He is always ready and willing to accept you. He promises a place in his house and next to him on his throne to all who h e faith and believe in him. He died for our salvation and wants to be able to bring you home to the room specifically prepared for you and you alone to live with him in eternity. He is always awaiting and knows the time and day that your life in death comes to him. He is ready to accept you into his house once you’ve allowed him in your life and died for him in acceptance of him. Jesus taught us to trust in God and also in him. He told us that he is the way, the truth and the life and that you can only get to him through the father alone in heaven. He is ready and willing to prepare a place especially for you also.
I’m forever telling everyone how faithful you are.
I’ll never quit telling the story of your love—
how you built the cosmos
and guaranteed everything in it.
Your love has always been our lives’ foundation,
your fidelity has been the roof over our world.
You once said, “I joined forces with my chosen leader,
I pledged my word to my servant, David, saying,
‘Everyone descending from you is guaranteed life;
I’ll make your rule as solid and lasting as rock.’”
Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds — his name is the Lord — and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
You are the Lord, and there is no other; apart from You there is no God. From the rising to the setting of the sun, I know there is none besides You. You formed the earth; You made the earth to be inhabited, and you created me in your image to dwell upon it. All praise to the great Creator: You are the Lord, and there is no other.
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
No one can be given eternal life and peace of Jesus without going through God. God is ultimate authority over all kingdoms of heaven , all earth, and creation including that of the human race. All praise be given to the ultimate creator. Praise of faithfulness and song. For God is the almighty. The way, the truth and the life.
6 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Matthew 6:6 New International Version (NIV)
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Matthew 6:6 The Message (MSG)
6 “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.
But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Pray in solitude spending alone time and speaking solely to God. Leaving for no interruption or temptation. You will more likely hear him speak as you will be in deeper prayer and deeper focus with him. He will always hear you and listen to you in everything you do and ask.
“Solitude is a main discipline of abstinence in which we refrain from interacting with other people for a few hours or some days in order to be alone with God and be found by him. For solitude to be effective it needs to be completed by silence.”
Solitude with Jesus is Essential
“For most Christ-followers solitude is the most important discipline they can practice. Pastors burnout from ministry and Christ-followers of all kinds lose heart for God, largely because they don’t maintain good personal boundaries and learn to practice solitude with Jesus. Their practice of other disciplines for the spiritual life runs out of steam because you just can’t go far with anyspiritual discipline except as it’s coupled with or grows out of Solitude and Silence in God’s presence.
When through practice you learn to withdraw from everything in your life in order to seek the Lord alone and find your sufficiency and joy in him then your life changes dramatically! Your intimacy with Jesus becomes the secret center of strength in your heart as you do all that you do. No one or nothing owns you or controls you — you’re free from the grip of all the pressures, distractions, and stimuli that constantly pull on you — Jesus alone is your Master and he loves you passionately and perfectly!”
19 But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong.
Romans 16:19 New International Version (NIV)
19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
Romans 16:19-20 The Message (MSG)
19-20 And so while there has never been any question about your honesty in these matters—I couldn’t be more proud of you!—I want you also to be smart, making sure every “good” thing is the real thing. Don’t be gullible in regard to smooth-talking evil. Stay alert like this, and before you know it the God of peace will come down on Satan with both feet, stomping him into the dirt. Enjoy the best of Jesus!
When you are obedient to God you are abundantly rewarded and honored. You will learn to rebuke evil and Satan keeping safe from all evils. When you are obedient God is pleased with your faithfulness and honesty. As his obedient children you make him proud. He wants you to be obedient, faithful, trusting and to share his story. You being obedient can change the world to those who believe and walk in his teachings.
“In our daily life, we know that obedience is a very essential habit one should abide to in our homes, workplaces and in the communities in which we live. In simple terms, obedience is compliance with an order, request, law or submission to another’s authority.”
The bible also talks a lot about obedience as it is seen in so many different scriptures and different types of obedience.
“Children are asked to obey their parents in Ephesians 6:1 as this is the right way to behave as a child in a family. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right”
“We see in Philippians 2:8 that even Jesus showed obedience to death and death on the cross. “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross” hence why the bible stresses it an essential part of the Christian faith.”
“Mathew 16:24 teaches us that as Christians, the fact that we deny ourselves from many worldly desires and choose to follow Christ, that is obedience. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”
“The book of John 14:15, reminds us that through obeying the 10 commandments, we show our love for Jesus. “If you love me, keep my commandments.”
“Jesus also tells us in John 14:23 that in the same act of love for him, we must comply with whatever God has commanded for it is our duty to do so.
Jesus replied, ‘Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”
“As Christians, we are asked to obey the law of Christ which is the law of love as it is seen in John 13:34. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another”
“Jesus also asks us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves for this is the second greatest commandment that he gave to his disciples.
“And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
“In Galatians 6:2, we learn that when we love God and obey him, we naturally have love for one another. “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ”
My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, so that you, together with all God’s people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ’s love. Yes, may you come to know his love—although it can never be fully known—and so be completely filled with the very nature of God.
When you dwell with God your faith becomes very abundant, he dwells with you and you with him. I pray that you find and keep rooted and have strong foundation in love so that you and all God’s people may come to understanding of how wide and long and high and deep the love of God truly is. It is irrmseasureable and can never fully be known but it can be found and known in knowledge of the significance and full nature of God. God is an all loving and accepting God. With overwhelming amounts of love. And when you accept him you will begin to experience his full dimensions of his love. You will be firm in faith. You will rise to new heights and live in the fullness of God himself. When you begin that journey with him you begin a everlasting walk in love. You begin a new life full of spiritual treasures never known. Gifts galore in God you couldn’t imagine. Love surrounding you immensely in every way. The Greatest of all these being love. Pure love. God’s love. Love that no one could ever measure up to. He just wants to share that and for you also to share in love for one another.
Living Water Ministries 