I CARRY CHRIST’S GIFT

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.”
~ Ephesians 4:7

Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)

 “…And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love. ~ Ephesians 4:7-16

This passage of scripture in Ephesians is loaded! This inspiration is not a deep dive into the passage (though everything in me wants to indulge). Instead, I pray you will be inspired to recognize Jesus’ gift in YOU for the purpose of building His Body in love.

They were busy building! Soaring into the rocky cliffs empty and leaving with clumps of grass in their bills. At first, I didn’t know what they were up to. I lifted my super-telephoto lens and saw them plucking tufts of grass from the ledges of the cliff face. With a bill full, they dove down and soared back into the sky, gliding to the ocean-facing side of the gigantic sea stack. These Pelagic Cormorants were likely males as males build and collect grasses to line the nest. Their female mates watch over the construction site, protecting the building materials from theft. Functioning as a colony, each bird does its part to build up their larger family of cormorants. Cormorants nurture their young, empowering them to fulfill their design by modeling their identity. As the young ones observe, interact, practice, and follow their parents, they become confident and proficient members of their colony.

Are we busy building? It is done as a family. Jesus is building up His body into a structure of LOVE in the world. And we are a part of the process and the result!

Jesus has provided servants (apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, shepherds) to His body to edify (build up) and equip the saints (you and me) for the work of the ministry (make disciples). If you do not consider yourself to function in any of these five offices, you are by no means excluded or inferior. You are elevated. Let me explain.

When I think about the five-fold ministry (apostles, prophets, evangelists, teachers, shepherds) an event comes to mind. Have you ever seen or participated in crowd surfing? This is how I imagine the operation deploying. Each person operating in one of the five offices is like an individual in the crowd of others who also function in one of the offices. Their arms are raised with their hands stretched out and they cheer their fellow saints inspiring them to jump into faith. The saint dives into a sea of upraised hands as they are served and passed from hand to hand. The servant leaders (crowd) serve and equip from beneath exalting their brethren to even greater works of ministry in the Kingdom of God.

It’s the pattern that Jesus modeled as He served His disciples. When Jesus left earth, sending the Holy Spirit, He said that those who believe in Him will do His works and even GREATER works than He did.

Walking in your identity releases Jesus’ love to others from inside of you!

Every one of us is given gifts (see Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12) by Jesus so that we can contribute to the growth of Jesus’ body into a structure of God’s love. You are a conduit of Jesus’ gifts – all of them! While a person may normally operate in specific functions (like physical body parts do), the Holy Spirit empowers each member with the needed gift appropriate to the moment.

Security in your identity frees you to love like Jesus! Or better yet, walking in your identity releases Jesus’ love to others from inside of you!

The Heavenly Father established Jesus’ authorization to impart His gifts to you when He descended into the lower parts of the earth and then ascended far above all the heavens so that He would fill all things – defeating sin and death and the demonic forces. You are the recipient of His victorious spoils. You are a true VICTOR in Jesus, empowered to BUILD!

As a body, we are designed to EXPERIENCE Jesus together. In this relationship of trust, we find alignment with the Head (Jesus) and a unified cohesive functioning of each body member.

As our faith (trust) and knowledge (experience) are unified, Christ’s body continues to grow, stretching toward His full stature in the world!

But how can there be unity where there is no identity?

You IN Jesus.

Jesus IN you!

Walk worthy of your calling. Knit together with the saints. Exercise your gifts according to His gift of GRACE in you.

Christ’s body growing up into a structure of LOVE. The world recognizes Jesus because of His distinguishable body (the saints). This interactive, supernatural structure of love, which is Christ’s Body, proves the reality that the Father sent Jesus. It demonstrates to all that the Father loves YOU in the same way He loves Jesus!

“You, Father, are in Me [Jesus], and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” ~ John 17:21-23

“Pelagic Cormorant”

“Sea Stack Sunset Ruby Beach”