{"id":23,"date":"2007-02-19T23:21:58","date_gmt":"2007-02-20T05:21:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.crossandcrownchurch.org\/?p=23"},"modified":"2007-02-19T23:21:58","modified_gmt":"2007-02-20T05:21:58","slug":"assembly-required","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.ekklesiaofcrane.org\/?p=23","title":{"rendered":"Assembly Required"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Ephesian 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined<\/strong> together and compacted<\/strong> by that which every joint supplieth<\/strong>, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u0093fitly joined<\/strong>\u0094: to render close jointed together, to organize\u00a0compactly<\/p>\n

\u0093<\/strong>compacted<\/strong>\u0094: to force, to drive together, to unite<\/p>\n

\u0093joint\u0094: <\/strong>a ligament, as fastening<\/p>\n

\u0093supplieth\u0094: <\/strong>contribution<\/p>\n

I recently purchased a small end table from a store here in Crane (shop local!:) that required some assembly. As I was putting it together, the assembly process spoke something to my heart regarding the body of Christ and how we go through a similar process when it comes to being first \u0093fitly joined\u0094 and then \u0093compacted\u0094 together so that \u0093every joint\u0094 can supply their part.<\/p>\n

In attaching the shelves of the table to the sides, screws and dowels had to be first placed in the pre-drilled holes of the one part and then placed into the same type of holes of the other part. I believe that we too, according to His plan; according to His will for our lives, already have in us \u0093pre-drilled holes\u0094 that are carved out purposely, and sit empty and void, ready to be filled by other parts of His body – a void that we cannot fill alone, but is meant for connection to, by and from other members.<\/p>\n

After completing this step the two parts of the table were now fitly joined together. By just looking at them, they looked completely and securely joined, but that of course was not the case. The slightest pressure would pull them apart. They were \u0093set\u0094 in their designated places but they were not yet \u0093compacted\u0094 together and secured. This next process took using what were called \u0093cam locks\u0094. Once these were set into the proper places and then tightened you could literally hear the \u0093click\u0094 as the two separate pieces of wood locked together. They\u00a0were now completely joined and connected to each other. Hard pressure and force could be used, one piece against the other, but they were not going to be separated. Now they were each ready to\u00a0do their \u0093part\u0094 because before that,\u00a0the sides of the table could not stand on their own and the shelves could not be suspended in the air on their own! They came together in a joint, and at that joint was found the supply of their strength. Their function and contribution was not realized independently but joined together their individual and unique purpose could now be accomplished.<\/p>\n

There were many parts yet but one table. 1 Corinthians 12:20 says, “But now are they many members, yet but one body.” Verse 27 of this same chapter, in the Amplified Bible, reveals even more clarity that can still be gained from the table assembly analogy: “Now you [collectively] are Christ’s body and [individually] you are members of it, each part severally and distinct [ each with his own place and function].”<\/p>\n

If you will think about this little table one more time in its preassembled state; various pieces scattered here and there; nothing connected together, you see how it could not yet be used for its intended purpose.\u00a0 It’s also just as easy to see that in order for the body of Christ to function and flow; to flourish and grow; to show forth His praise and glory in the earth we must submit ourselves to Him and allow Him to set us, join us, connect us, and compact us together as it pleases Him.\u00a0 This takes complete, total and utter surrender, devotion, commitment, dedication and consecration on our part, not just to the Lord, but also to His body.\u00a0 To accomplish this there is a basic step that cannot be skipped, left out, thought little of, or ignored:ASSEMBLY REQUIRED<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some <\/em>is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, <\/em>as ye see the day approaching. <\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Ephesian 4:16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. \u0093fitly joined\u0094: to render close jointed together, to organize\u00a0compactly \u0093compacted\u0094: to force, to drive […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-miscellaneous"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.ekklesiaofcrane.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.ekklesiaofcrane.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.ekklesiaofcrane.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.ekklesiaofcrane.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.ekklesiaofcrane.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.ekklesiaofcrane.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.ekklesiaofcrane.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.ekklesiaofcrane.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.ekklesiaofcrane.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}