Day 7 – Ephesians 4:1-16

Today’s devotional consists excepts from my New Year’s Message. It was motivated by the following prophetic word I received:

This will be a make-it-or-break-it year. You have all the tools you need to make it, but if you get lazy or stubborn, you will be broken and humbled. You will not move forward one inch if you refuse to let go of the past and hang on to things that are no longer relevant to where you are now. You will be challenged to progress, but you will have to provide the initiative by faith. It’s up to you; your will is vitally connected to what you make of this season.[1]

This word confirmed what I had been feeling, sensing and hearing and struck a nerve because of a concern the church is not consistently doing what she has been called to do. She seems to be content with how far she has come, and the little accomplishments she has achieved. But I am not satisfied. I am not satisfied with either my individual effort or my production. I am not satisfied with the lack of accomplishment as a ministry. I am not satisfied because the church should be growing, but instead she is stagnating.

The church needs to grow because of what growth fundamentally demonstrates. “Growth is the sign of life, stagnation is the sign of death.”[2] This is a do or die year for this ministry because it is a do or die year for all of us as individuals. In order for any ministry to grow and develop as it should and as it has been called, it becomes necessary for her to have a deep, personal spiritual hunger that motivates her to seek healing from God, and to be willing to set aside her own viewpoints and seek God’s vision and ways. Here seven suggestions for how to go about doing it.

1. Seek to be focused on the Kingdom of God. (Ephesians 4:1; Matthew 6:33)
2. Seek a clean heart and humility before God (Ephesians 4:2; Psalm 51:10).
3. Seek to bear the fruit of God’s Spirit through renewed daily prayer and Bible study, along with fasting and meditation (Ephesians 4:2; Galatians 5:22-23).
4. Seek to build and maintain the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:3).
5. Seek to be grounded in the basic, core doctrines of the Bible and not be blown about by every wind of doctrine (Ephesians 4:14).
6. Seek balance in all areas of life (Ephesians 4:15)
7. Seek to face challenges realistically and maintain a positive attitude (Ephesians 4:16; Philippians 4:8).

Stay tuned! I will say about each of these over the next seven days.

Lord Jesus, I accept that 2014 is a do or die, make it or break it year for me. Forgive me for accepting less than what You intend and have provided. Forgive me for my lack of urgency and enthusiasm for building Your Kingdom Help me to make the most of the opportunities this year affords and from becoming complacent. Amen.

© 2014 – Dr. James H. Logan, Jr.