OUR MESSAGE FOR TODAY’S SUNDAY SERVICE ON 03/01/2015 IS: UNDERSTANDING UNITY AND MATURITY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING:

OUR MESSAGE FOR TODAY’S SUNDAY SERVICE ON 03/01/2015 IS: SUBJECT: THE UNDERSTANDING OF GOD THAT WILL ESTABLISH US TOPIC: UNDERSTANDING UNITY AND MATURITY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING DATE: SUNDAY MESSAGE FOR MARCH 1, 2015 READING SCRIPTURES: EPHESIANS 4:1-32 UNDERSTANDING UNITY AND MATURITY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING: 1. There are factors in life that confirms that you are matured in your walk with God through understanding that will establish you in the following areas of life: a) To be completely humble and gentle b) Patient, bearing with one another in love c) Keeping the unity of the Spirit through the bound of peace d) Knowing there is one body and one Spirit e) Knowing that you were called to one hope, one Lord, one faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all in all. See verses 1-6 2. It might interest you to know that your maturity in Christ Jesus is not by your strength but by the grace apportioned unto you through Christ who ascended into heaven that you may be empowered to do all things in his name. Do you know that Jesus ascended into heaven and descended on earth and gave gifts to all of us that call upon his name for the unity of the body of Christ? Such gifts and offices as follows: a) Some where called as Apostles and given gifts for the offices b) Some where called as Prophets and given gifts for the offices c) Some where called as Evangelists and given gifts for the offices d) Some where called as Pastors and given gifts for the offices e) Some where called as Teachers and given gifts for the offices The purpose of this calling is to equip the saints for the services that they have been called and the unity of the body of Christ, and attaining to the whole measure of fullness of Christ. Do you know yours, and if yes are you functioning in it? See verses 7-13. 3. I hereby encourage you to come to this level of unity and maturity, so that you cannot be tossed here and there like infants, deceived by every wind that blows because of lack of Godly understanding but to stand firm in speaking the truth in love irrespective of who is involved in any situation looking unto Christ your redeemer. See verses 14-16. 4. The key word to reach Christian Living is to abide by the instructions of Christian walk with God in Godly understanding beginning with obedience. I challenge you today not to live like the gentiles in the futility of their thinking, darkened in their understanding and barrenness in their walk with God, but grow up by adhering to Godly instructions that will make you, build you up, establish you and restore all that the enemies have stolen from you. See verses 17-21. 5. I plead with you to put off the old ways of life, put off the old man in you and put on Christ, the new ways of life that will give you eternal life, because the old ways and old man will lead you to destruction, pain and sorrows. Be saved today if you are not yet or backslidden and inherit all that is in the benefit package of your salvation. Remember you are created to be like God in true Righteousness and Holiness, please grab it again today and be celebrated. See verses 22-25. 6. It is very important for you know that the body of Christ is united in one and must be one, do not allow the devil possessed in your mist to win you over to the devils camp like what is happening in Syria, Iraq, Nigeria, Canada etc. radicalizing those who have no will power of their own and making them to become a tool in the devils hands: a) Put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbours b) Know that we are one body in Christ and no division c) You can be angry at what is wrong to your brethren but do not allow your anger to last till the next day, but rather to the devil that possessed them, and root it out by all means aggressively in the name of Jesus so that you will not be afflicted by it. d) Do something with your life: Run with a vision, work, study, grow up, focus on what God has brought you to do in this planet earth and the reason you were born, if you have not discovered it, do that today. e) Get rid of all bitterness, do something to help others and not just your family only, do not be selfish and greedy. f) Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, but use your gifts and talents to help and build others up to the glory of God. See verses 26-32. 7. My prayer for you today is to receive the Anointing power to walk in Godly understanding of Unity, Maturity in the body of Christ in Christian Living that will enable you to be established in the month of knowledge and all the days of your life in Jesus name Amen. Ephesians 4:1-32 New International Version (NIV) Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ 4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it[a] says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people.”[b] 9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions[c]? 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. Instructions for Christian Living 17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. 20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put offyour old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. 25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”[d]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need. 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Watch out for our MARCH 2015 daily words of Exhortations on “EMPOWERMENT TO WALK IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THAT WILL BRING PLEASANTRIES INTO YOUR LIFE" TOMORROW MARCH 2, 2015. Be blessed as you receive THE EMPOWERMENT FOR THE MONTH OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOD THAT WILL BRING PLEASANTRIES INTO YOUR LIFE ALL THE DAYS OF YOUR LIFE. For updates join our conversation on tweeter @lwfmpower and like us on Facebook at Living Water Foundation Ministries (LWFM), you can also contact us at www.lwfw.org or info@lwfm.us or lwfm@cox.net