Calling Gifts to Us

 

Calling Gifts to Us

God has made provision for you…

Five Gifts to equip you

So you can be productive and successful!

My wife, Sandy,
looks like her mother more every day.

(Thank God I love her mother.)

We discovered it was God’s purpose

from the beginning

for us to look and act like Christ.

In a good family,

parents are making provisions

for their children every day.

Those provisions come with great sacrifice.

Although the child growing up

will face challenges and battles;

because of the parents’ sacrifices,

they are sheltered from

much of the world’s harsh realities.

The child may take for granted

the home, bed and food they have every day,

but it was all a part of the parents’ work

and loving effort.

Many parents worked long hours or two jobs

to see that their children get the best education. 

These parents want to see their children

be successful in reaching their full potential.

All these things a parent does

is a gift to the child;

many times the child never realizes it,

but that makes no difference to the parent.

The parent’s joy is seeing

their child become all they can be.

Our relationship with God is the same.

Jesus conquered our enemies,

making provisions

that we take for granted every day.

Yes, we have some problems in life,

but nothing like what it would be like without Him.

The battle God fought for you and I

not only brought our enemies into captivity,

but He took what the enemy had

and gave gifts to us. 

 

There are 5 very special gifts God has given to us: 

                     He said He…

·       Gave some to be Apostles (sent ones)

·       Gave some to be Prophets (seers)

·       Gave some to be Evangelist (bearers of good news)

·       Gave some to be Pastors (care takers)

·       Gave some to be Teachers (educators)

These gifts were given to help make us

productive, mature and to bring us

into the greater unity of being one.

To walk worthy of our calling,

we must become productive and mature.

Scripture Reading

Ephesians 4:7-13 NIV

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 led captives in his train

and gave gifts to men."  

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 It was he who gave

some to be apostles,

some to be prophets,

some to be evangelists,

and some to be pastors

and teachers,

12 to prepare God's 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.