Day 126: Birds Of A Feather Flocking Together
Read: Ephesians 4:1 - 6
This is one of those passages that reads as fairly straightforward.
Yet, if we are not careful, we can get so caught up in trying to unravel
the details that we will miss the big picture. So I decided we’re going to
continue to spend our time today trying to focus on the overall idea
that Paul is trying so very hard to communicate here. Paul is describing for us in
this passage seven things that all believers have in common that make
them birds of a feather. But these bonds are much deeper than any ties
based on common causes or beliefs, deeper than ties based on common
interests, even deeper than family ties. In fact, these are the deepest ties possible because they find their roots deeply imbedded in perfect completeness of God Himself.
A careful consideration of these seven common bonds reveals that they are far more than just some random listing of what we might have in common, but that
Paul took the time to actually group them in a manner that reveals the
work of all three parts of the Godhead – Father, Son and Holy Spirit –
in the lives of believers across all our generational boundaries,
economic statuses, nationalities, genders, living statuses, education
levels - all birds, without regard to size, color of feathers, beak
type, diet. I believe in the premise that God the Father, God the Son
and God the Holy Spirit work in perfect harmony and singular unity of
purpose to accomplish the purposes of God - creating one relationship, creating one community.
The primary purpose
of the Holy Spirit is to point us to all things, including our lives,
being made truly complete in Jesus Christ. For me Jesus and the Holy Spirit seem
to have this singular tendency toward shyness - the Holy Spirit never
calls attention to itself but rather comes in the name of the Son, bears
witness of the Son and gives glory to the Son. And Jesus didn’t go
around calling attention to Himself either. Instead, He submitted to the
Spirit who led Him into the wilderness and He told his Father, “Not my
will but yours be done.” I mean what is up with that? It can, no, is
very confusing. But just maybe its that shyness that is what draws birds of a feather to flock together. I don't know. I'm just thinking.
I was raised in some ways to believe of God as a proud, mostly arrogant
being who could get away with his pride because he was God. However, as
I've taken the time to study the Bible, reflect on my own peaks and
valley's of life, my time on mountain tops, being married after a
thoroughly forever belief in my bachelorhood, I see God differently. God
exists as Father, Son, and Spirit in a community of greater humility,
servant hood, mutual submission, and delight so much more than you and I
can ever hope to imagine or comprehend. Three and yet One. Oneness is
God’s own signature. It is the oneness of God that's the model or the basis for the oneness of God’s people. How singularly awesome is that?
Let Us Pray: Father, Son and Holy Spirit I ask that You move in my
heart and mind to grow in the depth and breadth of my understanding of
Your grace, Your sovereignty, and Your absolute truth of Your complete
Oneness. LORD, please move in my life and draw near to me so that I will
desire to draw ever nearer to You. Please begin the work of rewiring
the belief system in my brain to get rid of the lies I've accepted and
tend to live by. I ask that You shower Your grace down upon me in a
personal and profound way. Please help me to accept Your truth and Your
Word for all of humanity and for me in particular. Lift the veil of
spiritual fog and transform my blindness of pride into crystal clear
vision of You and Your divine Word. All things In Jesus Christ.
http://www.youtube.com/
Read: Ephesians 4:1 - 6
This is one of those passages that reads as fairly straightforward. Yet, if we are not careful, we can get so caught up in trying to unravel the details that we will miss the big picture. So I decided we’re going to continue to spend our time today trying to focus on the overall idea that Paul is trying so very hard to communicate here. Paul is describing for us in this passage seven things that all believers have in common that make them birds of a feather. But these bonds are much deeper than any ties based on common causes or beliefs, deeper than ties based on common interests, even deeper than family ties. In fact, these are the deepest ties possible because they find their roots deeply imbedded in perfect completeness of God Himself.
A careful consideration of these seven common bonds reveals that they are far more than just some random listing of what we might have in common, but that Paul took the time to actually group them in a manner that reveals the work of all three parts of the Godhead – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – in the lives of believers across all our generational boundaries, economic statuses, nationalities, genders, living statuses, education levels - all birds, without regard to size, color of feathers, beak type, diet. I believe in the premise that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit work in perfect harmony and singular unity of purpose to accomplish the purposes of God - creating one relationship, creating one community.
The primary purpose of the Holy Spirit is to point us to all things, including our lives, being made truly complete in Jesus Christ. For me Jesus and the Holy Spirit seem to have this singular tendency toward shyness - the Holy Spirit never calls attention to itself but rather comes in the name of the Son, bears witness of the Son and gives glory to the Son. And Jesus didn’t go around calling attention to Himself either. Instead, He submitted to the Spirit who led Him into the wilderness and He told his Father, “Not my will but yours be done.” I mean what is up with that? It can, no, is very confusing. But just maybe its that shyness that is what draws birds of a feather to flock together. I don't know. I'm just thinking.
I was raised in some ways to believe of God as a proud, mostly arrogant being who could get away with his pride because he was God. However, as I've taken the time to study the Bible, reflect on my own peaks and valley's of life, my time on mountain tops, being married after a thoroughly forever belief in my bachelorhood, I see God differently. God exists as Father, Son, and Spirit in a community of greater humility, servant hood, mutual submission, and delight so much more than you and I can ever hope to imagine or comprehend. Three and yet One. Oneness is God’s own signature. It is the oneness of God that's the model or the basis for the oneness of God’s people. How singularly awesome is that?
Let Us Pray: Father, Son and Holy Spirit I ask that You move in my heart and mind to grow in the depth and breadth of my understanding of Your grace, Your sovereignty, and Your absolute truth of Your complete Oneness. LORD, please move in my life and draw near to me so that I will desire to draw ever nearer to You. Please begin the work of rewiring the belief system in my brain to get rid of the lies I've accepted and tend to live by. I ask that You shower Your grace down upon me in a personal and profound way. Please help me to accept Your truth and Your Word for all of humanity and for me in particular. Lift the veil of spiritual fog and transform my blindness of pride into crystal clear vision of You and Your divine Word. All things In Jesus Christ.
http://www.youtube.com/
They'll Know We are Christians by Our Love
www.youtube.com
This
video was inspired when we became homeless for a few months. Those that
we met while we were homeless were wonderful people who had hit
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