Ephesians Chapter 4

Ephesians 4 

Open up your bibles and read Ephesians 4. I did this morning. This is it in my words, first in black and second in red. The black is the Maggie paraphrase and the red how he wants me to respond. This was so much fun and such a great way for me to process the word and apply it to my life. I'm excited to do it again, and again and again. Feel free to follow along or do it yourself. 

1-3 As a prisoner in the Lord, walk worthy, be humble, be patient, love even though you don’t want to, keep love and unity in the body through the spirit. 

 (He’s calling me to love and unity. To be patient and humble. To live in unity.)

 4-6 One Body. One Spirit. One Lord. One Faith. One Baptism. One God. Overall. 

(Remember the big picture. We are one. There is no us and them.) 

7-8 Each of us have been given the perfect gifts by Jesus. He rose into heaven. He let the imprisoned free. He gifted us. 

(As promised Jesus has given us gifts of his choosing.) 

9-10 He had to go low before he went high in order to fulfill his calling.

(Go low if he asks you.) 

11-13 He gifted some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip us to know him and ourselves better. 

(Each gift of these gifts was decided by Jesus and designed with a purpose. Maybe I don’t need to equip. It’s my gift to speak what he asks and obey when he tells me to do something.) 

14 Once we have grown in our gifts, we will no longer be babies tossed around like waves and carried around like every fresh wind of new teachings spoken by slick and smooth car salesman of a theologian. 

(I need to make sure I know what is truth, so I don’t succumb to false teachers/leaders_ 

15 We will speak up in love. Be like Jesus and lead in our maturity. 

(when God shows me something, I need to share it in love like a grown up/leader) 

16 Jesus’ leadership is the head of our body, supporting every part as it grows and works together. (Remember you are not the head. He is. Let him lead) 

17-19 Don’t live your life as a non-believer. Their hard hearts towards God has darkened their view, their understanding of truth. They have no shame, they hunger after sin and are never full of it. 

(Live like Jesus. Don’t partake in sin, don’t chase it down, it will never fulfill you.) 

20-24 But this is not us. We know Jesus, we love him and want to live like him. We’ve left our former sinful selves in the past. We don’t chase after sin anymore. We renew our minds in the truth of who we are now, created to be like God in righteousness and Holiness. 

(I know I am not happy in a world without Jesus. Why would I want to go back to one? Instead, I will strive to obey, to think and live like him, knowing that his righteousness and holiness are already mine if only I would just live like it.) 

25-27 So, don’t be fake, don’t lie to each other. We are the same. Be angry but don’t sin. The sin gives the enemy an open door to cause more damage.

 (Who do you think you are fooling? Masks must go. Love and forgive…by entertaining rage and un-forgiveness I keep inviting the enemy back into the camp, roasting marshmallows together, singing songs and hanging out with the enemy of my soul.) 

28 -31 So, stop stealing. Work hard and share with others. Control your words. Speak only what helps, encourages, and supports another. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit who you belong to. Do not be bitter, rage/angry, stir up trouble or slander and any other horrible evil you might think of towards another. Be kind and gentle with one another. Forgive as Jesus forgave you. 

(Don’t live like nothing has changed in your life, Maggie Nikko. Watch your mouth. Grow your love. Speak everything in love.) 

What are you saying to me today, Lord?

 To love. To be thankful for my gifts. 

To be thankful for the gift’s others have. 

To not compare.

To be willing to go low and to live in “hell” if He asks me too. 

He did it for me and as a gift for me. 

Concentrate on speaking what God asks me to share. It is not my job to equip. That is the job of a teacher or pastor. 

When I am asked to pastor. I will equip. 

For now, I speak what and when he asks. 

I need to be chasing down the word of God, not the word of the prophet, teacher, evangelist, pastor or apostle. 

Study the word. Know the word. 

Use the word to weigh prophecy, to speak truth and to be solid in my faith. 

I must always remember to share the words even if they are corrective but to do so in love. 

I must also speak in love at all times. 

I must remember who the boss is…. it’s Jesus. He is the head of the church. Not me. Not my pastor.

Remember who you once were. Don’t live like that Maggie Nikko.

Don’t entertain her sinful desires and impulses. 

My old life was empty, sad and miserable. 

Don’t wear masks. Be your true self in Jesus. 

Love and forgive because if you don’t you are asking the enemy to hang out with you, you will be entertaining evil and asking it to fulfill you. 

Hate and Un-forgiveness lead to a spirit of murder, 

I don’t ever want to entertain murder again. 

I want to live in freedom. 

I want to Be righteous and holy because he is and he says I am. 

Not because I want something from him, not because I think I can do it myself. 

Only because he says it’s true and I want that, the truth. 

To Walk with No Mask

To speak with His love 

Like Jesus 

To go low 

To be raised up 

Forgiving all things 

Loving all people 

Gifted by the Master

Leading but not the leader 

Leaving sin in the past 

Living in Love 

Forgiveness

Righteousness 

Holiness 

The Holy Spirit