Standards

God you teach me something new daily. You have taught me through Ephesians 4 that we are not along in this battle we call war. You are building up your church “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers” each of these giftings' represent different parts of your foundation. Your foundation is the floor plan of our lives. You have given us responsibility because you have equipped us. Your people are to do your work and build up the church, the body of Christ. We as the church should shine as your bride.

Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 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.

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. - Eph 4: 9-16

Story

The heart and soul of the Bible is its story, yeah? :) It is the real saga of a particular people, how God called them and intended for them to bring blessing to all people. WE are God's people also. God isn't interested in our stellar performance but in our hearts. He loves our willingness and obedience despite our insecurities.

Trusting God in the Face of Difficulties: Inspired by David Wilkerson

Nothing honors God more than trusting him in the face of difficulties. How quickly we forget the miracles and past blessings.

In Psalm 106 we see Israel beholding an incredible miracle as the Red Sea caved in upon the Egyptian army, drowning every soldier. “When they saw the Egyptians lie in the sea before them, then they believed in God, and sang his praise.” And the next words that follow are, “They soon forgot his works” (verse 13).

But we cannot trust our faith to past experiences—we are too forgetful and recall is too fragile. Past experience alone will not be enough to strengthen us in present difficulties. We need fresh faith—anchored in a daily supply of the Word of God—a fresh word from God!

Trust God when facing difficulties and God will trust you with more of his grace, his all-sufficiency and his strength.

To trust God in the face of dire difficulties requires a venturing faith—committing all things into his caring hands. There comes a time we must launch out into the deep and cast every care upon him. This venturing faith is all-pleasing to him.

Faith is our only hope, our only way out of difficulties. So let us step out and commit all to him!