The Daily Fountain Daily Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 24 May 2020 – TOPIC: MINISTRY GIFTS FOR CHRISTIANS
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DATE: SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2020
(Sunday After Ascension)
TOPIC: MINISTRY GIFTS FOR CHRISTIANS
READ: EPHESIANS 4:1-13 (NKJV)
1. I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
2. with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
3. endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4. [There is] one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5. one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6. one God and Father of all, who [is] above all, and through all, and in you all.
7. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
8. Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.”
9. (Now this, “He ascended” — what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?
10. He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
11. And He Himself gave some [to be] apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,
12. for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
13. 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;
THE MESSAGE:
Our reading today deals with some vital characteristics of a true child of God and some ministry gifts he/she should have. A real Christian must understand that first, he/she is a prisoner for Christ and so must be ready to suffer for the cause of Christ (verse 1). Christians should be humble, gentle, patient, tolerate others and love and work for the unity and peace of the Church (verses 2-3). We discover that Jesus Christ gave ministerial gifts to the Church. These spiritual gifts enable Christians to serve as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. The main purpose of these gifts is to prepare the people of God for service that would edify the body of Christ (verses 11-12). These gifts are to be relevant until Christians attain unity in the faith and knowledge of Christ and also become spiritually mature.
My good friend, do you have the credentials of a true Christian? Let us aspire to use the gifts that God has given to His Church for the purpose for which they have been given. Other spiritual gifts can be seen in I Corinthians 12:1-10. Pursue the Christian virtues that were evident in Apostle Paul’s life and it will be well with your soul.
PRAYER: Father, please grant us grace to be humble and to strive for the unity of the Church. Amen.