OUR DAILY BREAD : PEOPLE POWER

[cimi]

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 4


PEOPLE POWER

READ:
EPHESIANS 4:16
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The whole body...
grows and builds
itself up in love, as
each part does its
work.
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A man was boarding a train in Perth, Australia, when he slipped and his leg got caught in the gap between the train carriage and the station platform. Dozens of passengers quickly came to his rescue. They used their sheer might to tilt the train away from the platform, and the trapped man was freed! The train service's spokesman, David Hynes, said in an interview, "Everyone sort of pitched in. It was people power that saved someone from possibly quite serious injury."

In Ephesians 4, we read that people power is God's plan for building up His family. He has given each of us a special gift of His grace (v.7) for the specific purpose that "the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" (v.16).

Every person has a job to do in God's family; there are no spectators. In God's family we weep and laugh together. We bear each other's burdens. We pray for and encourage one another. We challenge and help each other to turn from sin. Show us, Father, our part in helping Your family today. ____Poh Fang Chia

**Are you a spectator or a
participant?
What gifts do you have?
in what ways can God use you to help others
grow closer to Him?
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We need each other to get to where God wants us to go.

***************************Today's Bible Reading __ Ephesians 4:7-16***************************
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 took many captives
and gave gifts to his people."

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 So Christ himself gave the apostles,
the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to
equip his 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.

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth
by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of
teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their
deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, We
will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him
who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body,
joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows
and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
The various types of spiritual gifts are listed
in Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:7-30, Ephesians 4:11, and
1 Peter 4:10-11. That no two lists are identical would suggest that
each list is not exhaustive. God intends that we use these grace
gifts to serve, instruct, encourage, edify, equip, and empower the
church so as to glorify Him (1 COR. 13:4-5,26,31; EPH. 4:12 1 PETER 4:10-11).
In Ephesians 4, Paul highlights the teaching gifts that help build up
and mature the church (vv.11-16). Apostles, prophets, evangelists,
and pastor-teachers are gifted in proclaiming and teaching the
Word of God. ___Sim Kay Tee