Luke 1: 39-56
We are continuing the Christmas Story we began yesterday, with the Angel Gabriel coming to Mary.
Now at this time
While a girl was engaged but not married yet was the freest period of a woman's life at that time in that society; she was free to travel and visit friends and relatives far and near.
Mary arose and went in a hurry to the hill country, to a city of Judah,
This describes the city of Hebron, which was given to the Kohathites, the children of Levi, in Joshua 21: 11. Zacharias and Elizabeth were Levites, and Zacharias was a priest.
and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth.
Zacharias was probably at work, and Elizabeth was home.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Elizabeth was taken by surprise, as Mary didn't have a way to let her know she was coming, and when she heard Mary's voice, the baby she was carrying moved so dramatically that it was like he jumped in her womb!
And God's Holy Spirit filled Elizabeth.
And she cried out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
"And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord would come to me?
The Holy Spirit revealed to Elizabeth who it was that Mary was carrying in her womb, and therefore, how much blessing God was pouring out on her, to be the one to experience every Jewish girl's dream, to be mother to their Messiah!
And she wondered why Mary would come to her, an older woman who didn't seem to be any more important to God than anyone else.
"For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.
The Holy Spirit that filled Elizabeth also filled John, still growing in her body, and he jumped for joy in being in the presence of his Lord, just starting to grow His body in Mary's womb.
"And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord."
Yes, Mary's faith was remarkable, in that she was willing to suffer the loss of everything to serve God this way.
And Mary said:
Mary knew her Scriptures; every line of her prayer comes directly from or is rephrased from Old Testament prayers. This is Mary's personalized prayer.
" My soul exalts the Lord,
Mary never wanted to be exalted, just her Lord, and prayed the same prayer that Hannah prayed in I Samuel 2: 1ff.
"And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
And she admitted her need for a Savior, and rejoiced in God fulfilling His promise to send the Redeemer.
"For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
Still reflecting Hannah, she just considered herself God's servant, bound to Him by choice, desiring only to obey Him even when she didn't fully understand.
for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
From "this time" everybody in every time will recognize how much God had poured out His blessings upon her in such abundant measure!
"For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
She gives all the credit to God, the Mighty One, who is the One who was doing it all, using her body; none of it was her doing at all.
"And His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him.
She learned this from Psalm 104: 17.
"He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
Through the Psalms, such as Psalm 98: 1 and 118: 15.
"He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
This reflects the thought of Psalm 33: 10.
"He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble.
This is from Job 5: 11.
"He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed.
The idea of Psalm 34: 10.
"He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy,
From Psalm 98: 3.
"as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever."
In Genesis 17: 19.
Mary knew her Scriptures well, and seemed practiced in praying God's Word back to Him. May my prayers be so focused on what God has said to me in His Word, instead of so many of my words toward Him.
And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.
Mary stayed with Elizabeth the rest of her pregnancy, to maybe help with, or even just witness, the birth of John. This would be practical learning about what to expect and how to deal with what she herself will soon also experience.
I am impressed with Mary's prayer. She based every line on Scripture, praying God's Word back to Him, idea by idea. She seemed to be just thinking God's thoughts, putting them together in her own logical way.
Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi that we are to think God's thoughts, when he said, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, in Philippians 2: 5, to adopt the attitudes our Lord God has about our lives and the things that happen to us and how we see things. We are to be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12: 2) to think His thoughts, not our own.
Mary was thinking God's thoughts in this beautiful prayer that is recorded here.
I know I have to make the effort to be thinking along God's lines when I consider all the choices and decisions I need to make every day. I pray that I stay focused on God's ways and His Word as I live my life.
During this time in Mary's life, she was apparently totally focused on her Lord, rather than what other people would have been saying to and about her concerning her pregnancy. It couldn't have been easy for her, just her and her Lord against the World. She needed to lean on Him for strength, and stay close to Him, to make it through this season of her life.
I can identify with this need, as when my husband of 30 years died, I completely collapsed. I had depended on him for everything for three decades, now suddenly he was gone. I didn't know how to manage everything he had taken care of for me, and I fell into the arms of Jesus, into the lap of my Father in Heaven. That's when I started to journal my Bible readings and prayers, and that became the basis for starting this blog.
Now I am still depending on my Lord to lead and guide me, and I've made several monumental changes in my life, transitioning into widowhood. And God has been with me every step of the way. So I know that He will never abandon me, as long as I continue to lean on Him.
O my Father, You are so good to me! You are a good God, good to all You have created. Your Love put order into the chaos of the Universe, and our Natural Laws are Your decrees as to how this Earth works. You gave us a Paradise to be our home, and in our wilfulness and rebellion we have spoiled so much of it.
Because of our sin, You cursed what You made, to wind down and wear out and require hard work to eke out a living in it. But when we follow Your ways, things just work out well, because that's how You designed it to operate.
Father, help Your children to get to know You through Your Word, and to learn Your ways, so we can apply these lessons, and enjoy the bounty You have placed here for us as the result.
Teach us, Father, how to be strong and faithful to You and Your ways, even when we find ourselves swimming against the current of this World. Because Your ways are not our ways, and Your thoughts are not our thoughts. We need to learn Your ways, Father, so we will be able to follow them. Give us the confidence and courage to live our lives Your way, even in the face of those who oppose us. Give us Your gracious compassion in our responses to them.
Make us Your lights in the darkness of this World, to show those in the World how much You Love them. Send us out to find Your lost sheep, to untangle them from the brambles of deception and to pull them out of the pits of despair, leading them into the shelter and safety of Your One Fold with One Shepherd.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus the Son of Mary is our Lord God Almighty, King over the whole Universe, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
Friday, December 20, 2019
Thursday, December 19, 2019
Mary's Faith
Luke 1: 26-38
Today we will begin the Christmas Story:
Now in the sixth month the Angel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth,
This was the sixth month of the pregnancy of Elizabeth, which we just read about in the previous verses. Nazareth was not in Judea, but north of Samaria in Galilee. This is where Joseph and Mary lived.
to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
Actually, both Joseph and Mary were descendants of David: Joseph through the line of kings of Judah, through Solomon and Rehoboam, and the other kings; while Mary came through David's son Nathan, Solomon's brother. (See the genealogies, Matthew gives Joseph's: Matthew 1: 1-16; and Mary's is in Luke 3: 23-38, all the way back to Adam.)
And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."
But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.
Mary knew she was no one special, just a simple girl about to be married, just living her life every day. And this amazing person comes to her calling her, "favored," and that the Lord was with her. Why would he be saying these things to her? This got her totally discombobulated!
The Angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.
So the Angel told her not to worry, God's got her back. Calm down, everything will go just like God planned for you.
"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.
This is what God wants you to do, to bear His Son in your womb. God is fulfilling His promise to send the Messiah, and He wants to use you to do this. Name him "Savior."
"He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;
Now Gabriel is really getting into who this Boy will be, the actual Son of God, who will rule and govern as King from David's throne. Which is actually the Lord's throne that He let David sit on; I Chronicles 29: 23, says that Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father. The Lord was King over Israel until they asked for a king.
So the Lord God allowed the Israelite kings to sit on His throne to rule His people, and now the Lord God who is conceived in Mary's womb will be born to reclaim His throne.
"And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His Kingdom will have no end."
The Lord God will become a human Man, take the Name, Jesus, and will fulfill the prophesies. This is enormous! What a great honor God is giving this girl Mary, to be the vessel by which the Lord God will enter our world!
Mary said to the Angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"
Mary asked the same question Zacharias had asked, but got a completely different response from the Angel. Zacharias had asked how it could be possible, because it was impossible and he doubted. And he was struck dumb.
Mary didn't doubt, but was curious as to how God would do this. So Gabriel explained the process to her.
The Angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.
This is the process by which God the Father would implant His Seed, His Word into Mary's womb; a spiritual process that would result in a physical manifestation of the Lord God Himself.
"And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.
And the Angel relayed the good news about her "cousin" Elizabeth, as verification of the power of God to do whatever He wants, even the impossible.
"For nothing will be impossible with God."
God is Almighty God, who can do anything. And He has done everything, possible and impossible, to draw us to Himself, to cleanse us so pristine that He could come to live inside us, without our being destroyed by His Presence.
We cannot even look at the Sun without destroying our eyes, and it holds only a tiny portion of His glory. So we would need to be perfectly clean and pure, with no trace or shadow of any sin at all to be able to withstand His Presence.
And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the Angel departed from her.
Mary knew that she would be vulnerable to gossip and slander, becoming pregnant before her marriage, but she had full trust in God and submitted to His will for her, in spite of the probable consequences.
God never violates the free will He gave us. Mary could have refused this honor, but God knew that she wouldn't, because she and Joseph had the precise genes and DNA to give humanity to the rightful heir of David's throne.
God had promised David that his descendant would rule forever, and Jesus was born with that precise heritage to accomplish that, and fulfill the prophesy.
I respect Mary for her decision. I honor her for her trust in God to be willing to endure the consequences of this choice she has made, and for putting herself into God's hand.
Mary was a strong woman, and strong in her faith and trust in the Lord her God. She was given a very difficult road to walk in life, and she walked it admirably.
May each of us, as God's children, be as strong and faithful as she was, following her example, as we are given her story to emulate. She is one of God's saints, and I'm looking forward to having a long conversation with her when I get to Heaven, too.
And I would hope to be as courageous as she was in her trusting God to make that life-changing decision that brought so much sorrow into her heart.
May I also be willing to endure whatever sorrows and trials and disappointments I will encounter on my path. I want to remain faithful to my Lord, and to also be an example other people can follow to grow more like the Son.
O my Father, thank You for telling us about how Mary risked everything to follow You, and was willing to endure so much for Your sake. I know that her rewards are great, and that she is now enjoying Your Presence, as I will some day.
Help me, Father, to continue to follow You in the road You have placed my feet upon, not fearing the evil that is around me in the World, but to keep on keeping on, doing what You give my hand to accomplish, and to help others to also know You better and follow You more closely through my ministry to them.
And may You fill Your great house to overflowing with the innumerable, uncountable children You will draw into Your family, all around Your grand Banquet Table, to enjoy the feasting and fellowship with You forevermore.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus, the Son of Mary, our Messiah and Redeemer, is Lord God Almighty, King over all Creation, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
Today we will begin the Christmas Story:
Now in the sixth month the Angel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth,
This was the sixth month of the pregnancy of Elizabeth, which we just read about in the previous verses. Nazareth was not in Judea, but north of Samaria in Galilee. This is where Joseph and Mary lived.
to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
Actually, both Joseph and Mary were descendants of David: Joseph through the line of kings of Judah, through Solomon and Rehoboam, and the other kings; while Mary came through David's son Nathan, Solomon's brother. (See the genealogies, Matthew gives Joseph's: Matthew 1: 1-16; and Mary's is in Luke 3: 23-38, all the way back to Adam.)
And coming in, he said to her, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."
But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.
Mary knew she was no one special, just a simple girl about to be married, just living her life every day. And this amazing person comes to her calling her, "favored," and that the Lord was with her. Why would he be saying these things to her? This got her totally discombobulated!
The Angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.
So the Angel told her not to worry, God's got her back. Calm down, everything will go just like God planned for you.
"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.
This is what God wants you to do, to bear His Son in your womb. God is fulfilling His promise to send the Messiah, and He wants to use you to do this. Name him "Savior."
"He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;
Now Gabriel is really getting into who this Boy will be, the actual Son of God, who will rule and govern as King from David's throne. Which is actually the Lord's throne that He let David sit on; I Chronicles 29: 23, says that Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king instead of David his father. The Lord was King over Israel until they asked for a king.
So the Lord God allowed the Israelite kings to sit on His throne to rule His people, and now the Lord God who is conceived in Mary's womb will be born to reclaim His throne.
"And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His Kingdom will have no end."
The Lord God will become a human Man, take the Name, Jesus, and will fulfill the prophesies. This is enormous! What a great honor God is giving this girl Mary, to be the vessel by which the Lord God will enter our world!
Mary said to the Angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"
Mary asked the same question Zacharias had asked, but got a completely different response from the Angel. Zacharias had asked how it could be possible, because it was impossible and he doubted. And he was struck dumb.
Mary didn't doubt, but was curious as to how God would do this. So Gabriel explained the process to her.
The Angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.
This is the process by which God the Father would implant His Seed, His Word into Mary's womb; a spiritual process that would result in a physical manifestation of the Lord God Himself.
"And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.
And the Angel relayed the good news about her "cousin" Elizabeth, as verification of the power of God to do whatever He wants, even the impossible.
"For nothing will be impossible with God."
God is Almighty God, who can do anything. And He has done everything, possible and impossible, to draw us to Himself, to cleanse us so pristine that He could come to live inside us, without our being destroyed by His Presence.
We cannot even look at the Sun without destroying our eyes, and it holds only a tiny portion of His glory. So we would need to be perfectly clean and pure, with no trace or shadow of any sin at all to be able to withstand His Presence.
And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the Angel departed from her.
Mary knew that she would be vulnerable to gossip and slander, becoming pregnant before her marriage, but she had full trust in God and submitted to His will for her, in spite of the probable consequences.
God never violates the free will He gave us. Mary could have refused this honor, but God knew that she wouldn't, because she and Joseph had the precise genes and DNA to give humanity to the rightful heir of David's throne.
God had promised David that his descendant would rule forever, and Jesus was born with that precise heritage to accomplish that, and fulfill the prophesy.
I respect Mary for her decision. I honor her for her trust in God to be willing to endure the consequences of this choice she has made, and for putting herself into God's hand.
Mary was a strong woman, and strong in her faith and trust in the Lord her God. She was given a very difficult road to walk in life, and she walked it admirably.
May each of us, as God's children, be as strong and faithful as she was, following her example, as we are given her story to emulate. She is one of God's saints, and I'm looking forward to having a long conversation with her when I get to Heaven, too.
And I would hope to be as courageous as she was in her trusting God to make that life-changing decision that brought so much sorrow into her heart.
May I also be willing to endure whatever sorrows and trials and disappointments I will encounter on my path. I want to remain faithful to my Lord, and to also be an example other people can follow to grow more like the Son.
O my Father, thank You for telling us about how Mary risked everything to follow You, and was willing to endure so much for Your sake. I know that her rewards are great, and that she is now enjoying Your Presence, as I will some day.
Help me, Father, to continue to follow You in the road You have placed my feet upon, not fearing the evil that is around me in the World, but to keep on keeping on, doing what You give my hand to accomplish, and to help others to also know You better and follow You more closely through my ministry to them.
And may You fill Your great house to overflowing with the innumerable, uncountable children You will draw into Your family, all around Your grand Banquet Table, to enjoy the feasting and fellowship with You forevermore.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus, the Son of Mary, our Messiah and Redeemer, is Lord God Almighty, King over all Creation, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come soon, Lord Jesus!
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Beware Of False Teachers
Galatians 6: 11-18
See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.
Here we are at the conclusion of this Epistle to the Galatians. Paul is winding up this letter with a summary of the main issue facing these new Christians. And he is not using a secretary for this last part, but writing it himself, and using very large letters, as though his eyesight is not what it used to be. Here is another indication (as we saw in 4:15) that Paul's "thorn in the flesh" may have had something to do with his eyes.
Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the Cross of Christ.
These men from Jerusalem are a real problem for these believers, and Paul has spent this whole letter refuting them. He says here that they are only teaching this to save their own skins from persecution. This is selfish, not loving.
For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.
They want you to be bound to obeying the whole Law, but they haven't even been able to do this themselves! They only want to assert power over you to elevate themselves.
But may it never be that I would boast, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Paul focuses only on the Cross of Christ, the pivot of his life, and the nexus of human civilization. Never will he ever boast over people who responded to the Gospel under his ministry.
through which the World has been crucified to me, and I to the World.
Since Paul considered himself to be crucified with Christ, as Jesus took his death in execution, then he is dead to the World, and the World is dead to him, it holds no power of attraction for him at all.
For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
Circumcision is done in the flesh body, and our flesh will be overtaken by spirit when mortality is swallowed up by immortality, and corruptibility is overtaken by the incorruptible. Nothing material or flesh will make any difference then, we will be made completely new.
And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
All those who live their lives according to the Gospel that Jesus has finished and completed all the work of Salvation for us, will receive God's peace and mercy, who are the spiritual Israel of God, rather than the Israel of Abraham in the flesh.
From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.
The "brand-marks" are the scars he received in his service to the Lord. This is a word that also means the identification mark of a slave as belonging to his owner. Paul considered Christ his Master.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.
And Paul concludes this letter with the blessing of Christ, as members in one family of God.
This whole letter was written because Paul had heard about these false teachers coming to them in order to corrupt their faith. He delineates several lines of reasoning to show that Jesus did all the work of Redemption, because we cannot do anything to get God's favor. We already have it, as shown by the Father sending the Son to be our Savior.
The issue of that day and time was circumcision, but the principle applies to anything we think we might have to do before we can become Christians.
God loves us just as we are, where we are, right now. There is nothing we need to do to get ready to be saved, other than seeking God with our whole heart. Even if we don't realize that it is God we're looking for.
I didn't know that I was seeking God when I was looking for the Truth. I didn't realize that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; but when God honored my searching and came to me that day, that's when I knew that Jesus is the Truth I had been looking for.
And I have never looked back. I know that there is nothing I can do to make God love me less or more--He just Loves me! No one ever Loved me like God does, and I love Him back. And that makes me want to love who He Loves, other people.
All the things of this World are only temporary, and will one day burn up with the Earth. They are only tools, good for using to promote His Kingdom by growing up His children, and sharing with others so they can come to Him, too.
O my Father, I pray that all of Your children will understand that there is nothing we can do in our flesh that is not corrupted by the sinfulness of our human nature. Teach us to depend on Your Spirit who You have placed in our spirits for the power and ability to accomplish all the things You have planned for us to do to bring glory to Your Name.
Show us how to listen to Your quiet voice deep in our spirit telling us, "This is the path, walk here," every step we take each day. Lead, guide and direct us, as we live our lives every day, each moment another step on that narrow path You have placed our feet on. You have lifted our feet out of the mire onto that Rock of our Salvation, for stability and confidence in You and Your ways.
Keep us all true to Your Truth, Father; don't let us succumb to any other teaching that would add to or subtract from the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ. And help us to always do everything we do in the power of Your Spirit, not relying on our own flesh at all.
And send us out into Your fields. Send us out to find Your lost sheep. Send us out as Your Light into the darkness of this World, to shine Your Light into the darkness, bringing light to those who sit in deep darkness.
And fill Your great house, Father, fill every place at Your grand Banquet Table, to feast with You joyfully through all eternity.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, our Lord God Almighty, King of Creation, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand.
Here we are at the conclusion of this Epistle to the Galatians. Paul is winding up this letter with a summary of the main issue facing these new Christians. And he is not using a secretary for this last part, but writing it himself, and using very large letters, as though his eyesight is not what it used to be. Here is another indication (as we saw in 4:15) that Paul's "thorn in the flesh" may have had something to do with his eyes.
Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh try to compel you to be circumcised, simply so that they will not be persecuted for the Cross of Christ.
These men from Jerusalem are a real problem for these believers, and Paul has spent this whole letter refuting them. He says here that they are only teaching this to save their own skins from persecution. This is selfish, not loving.
For those who are circumcised do not even keep the Law themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised so that they may boast in your flesh.
They want you to be bound to obeying the whole Law, but they haven't even been able to do this themselves! They only want to assert power over you to elevate themselves.
But may it never be that I would boast, except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Paul focuses only on the Cross of Christ, the pivot of his life, and the nexus of human civilization. Never will he ever boast over people who responded to the Gospel under his ministry.
through which the World has been crucified to me, and I to the World.
Since Paul considered himself to be crucified with Christ, as Jesus took his death in execution, then he is dead to the World, and the World is dead to him, it holds no power of attraction for him at all.
For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
Circumcision is done in the flesh body, and our flesh will be overtaken by spirit when mortality is swallowed up by immortality, and corruptibility is overtaken by the incorruptible. Nothing material or flesh will make any difference then, we will be made completely new.
And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
All those who live their lives according to the Gospel that Jesus has finished and completed all the work of Salvation for us, will receive God's peace and mercy, who are the spiritual Israel of God, rather than the Israel of Abraham in the flesh.
From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus.
The "brand-marks" are the scars he received in his service to the Lord. This is a word that also means the identification mark of a slave as belonging to his owner. Paul considered Christ his Master.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.
And Paul concludes this letter with the blessing of Christ, as members in one family of God.
This whole letter was written because Paul had heard about these false teachers coming to them in order to corrupt their faith. He delineates several lines of reasoning to show that Jesus did all the work of Redemption, because we cannot do anything to get God's favor. We already have it, as shown by the Father sending the Son to be our Savior.
The issue of that day and time was circumcision, but the principle applies to anything we think we might have to do before we can become Christians.
God loves us just as we are, where we are, right now. There is nothing we need to do to get ready to be saved, other than seeking God with our whole heart. Even if we don't realize that it is God we're looking for.
I didn't know that I was seeking God when I was looking for the Truth. I didn't realize that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life; but when God honored my searching and came to me that day, that's when I knew that Jesus is the Truth I had been looking for.
And I have never looked back. I know that there is nothing I can do to make God love me less or more--He just Loves me! No one ever Loved me like God does, and I love Him back. And that makes me want to love who He Loves, other people.
All the things of this World are only temporary, and will one day burn up with the Earth. They are only tools, good for using to promote His Kingdom by growing up His children, and sharing with others so they can come to Him, too.
O my Father, I pray that all of Your children will understand that there is nothing we can do in our flesh that is not corrupted by the sinfulness of our human nature. Teach us to depend on Your Spirit who You have placed in our spirits for the power and ability to accomplish all the things You have planned for us to do to bring glory to Your Name.
Show us how to listen to Your quiet voice deep in our spirit telling us, "This is the path, walk here," every step we take each day. Lead, guide and direct us, as we live our lives every day, each moment another step on that narrow path You have placed our feet on. You have lifted our feet out of the mire onto that Rock of our Salvation, for stability and confidence in You and Your ways.
Keep us all true to Your Truth, Father; don't let us succumb to any other teaching that would add to or subtract from the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ. And help us to always do everything we do in the power of Your Spirit, not relying on our own flesh at all.
And send us out into Your fields. Send us out to find Your lost sheep. Send us out as Your Light into the darkness of this World, to shine Your Light into the darkness, bringing light to those who sit in deep darkness.
And fill Your great house, Father, fill every place at Your grand Banquet Table, to feast with You joyfully through all eternity.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, our Lord God Almighty, King of Creation, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
Are You Building God's Kingdom?
Galatians 6: 6-10
The one who is taught the Word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.
This is why we pay our pastors. And why we purchase Bible study books with money. And whatever we have, we are to share with those who are doing God's work to further His Kingdom. Like offering a guest bedroom to a visiting missionary, or to financially support our brothers and sisters who are on the mission field.
I publish this Bible study for free to the whole world, translatable into almost every other language, so it can be read and understood, at no charge.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
God set forth in Genesis how every plant would produce a seed that would grow into another plant just like it. And why every living animal will produce offspring just like themselves. Whatever seed we plant, we will reap that, not something else.
For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption,
If you are only working to acquire enough money to pay your bills and live a decent life, then you're only going to get things that will be burned up when the Lord returns; wood, hay, and stubble (see I Corinthians 3: 12-15).
but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Sure, you need to pay your bills, but are you doing anything to further the Kingdom? Are you a light in the darkness of this World? What are you planting? How are you building on the Foundation with the gold, silver, and precious stones that will not burn up?
Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
These eternally valuable things are on a different time cycle from the Earthly things we see, and we need to be patient and persistent to keep on carrying on with the things of the Lord like His Word, because the rewards will far surpass everything we can do now, even when we don't see any return yet. Don't quit before Payday!
So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
We have the opportunity to help one another while we live on this Earth in this World. As long as we're breathing, God has a purpose for each one of us, whether we're Christians or heathens. God uses everyone in His Plan.
So, as God's children, we are to be doing all we can to help our society we live in, to help people wherever they are, however we can. We are to contribute to the community we find ourselves in, to raise the standards for everyone there, so we can all live better lives together. When our neighborhood becomes better, we all benefit (see Jeremiah 29: 7).
And we are to be particularly aware of the needs of our brothers and sisters in God's family. Whether we get along with their personality or not, we are still to love them with Christ's Love for us, seeking their welfare and benefit before our own. It is this love for one another that will show the World that we belong to the God of Love, and they can, too (John 13: 34-35).
O my Father, please help us to understand how to live our lives. Show us how we can take care of our physical, Worldly needs, and also to build Your Kingdom. Teach us how to make Your Kingdom our highest priority, and trust that You will provide us all the material things as well (Luke 12: 31).
You know that this is not easy for us, so You have provided for us Your own Spirit, to strengthen us and lead us to do those things that will bring glory to Your Name, instead of our own. You are worthy of all the credit and praise, not us, for You have already done it all. And we get to enjoy it with You when we let You do the work through us, instead of trying to do it all on our own.
Strengthen us, Father, to really put Your things first in our priorities, and to trust You even when we don't see what is ahead of us on the path on which You have placed our feet. Keep our hand in Yours, Father, to confidently take each step each day straight on that narrow road that leads to Life (Matthew 7: 13-14).
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus Christ is our Lord God Almighty, King of all Creation, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
The one who is taught the Word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.
This is why we pay our pastors. And why we purchase Bible study books with money. And whatever we have, we are to share with those who are doing God's work to further His Kingdom. Like offering a guest bedroom to a visiting missionary, or to financially support our brothers and sisters who are on the mission field.
I publish this Bible study for free to the whole world, translatable into almost every other language, so it can be read and understood, at no charge.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
God set forth in Genesis how every plant would produce a seed that would grow into another plant just like it. And why every living animal will produce offspring just like themselves. Whatever seed we plant, we will reap that, not something else.
For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption,
If you are only working to acquire enough money to pay your bills and live a decent life, then you're only going to get things that will be burned up when the Lord returns; wood, hay, and stubble (see I Corinthians 3: 12-15).
but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
Sure, you need to pay your bills, but are you doing anything to further the Kingdom? Are you a light in the darkness of this World? What are you planting? How are you building on the Foundation with the gold, silver, and precious stones that will not burn up?
Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.
These eternally valuable things are on a different time cycle from the Earthly things we see, and we need to be patient and persistent to keep on carrying on with the things of the Lord like His Word, because the rewards will far surpass everything we can do now, even when we don't see any return yet. Don't quit before Payday!
So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
We have the opportunity to help one another while we live on this Earth in this World. As long as we're breathing, God has a purpose for each one of us, whether we're Christians or heathens. God uses everyone in His Plan.
So, as God's children, we are to be doing all we can to help our society we live in, to help people wherever they are, however we can. We are to contribute to the community we find ourselves in, to raise the standards for everyone there, so we can all live better lives together. When our neighborhood becomes better, we all benefit (see Jeremiah 29: 7).
And we are to be particularly aware of the needs of our brothers and sisters in God's family. Whether we get along with their personality or not, we are still to love them with Christ's Love for us, seeking their welfare and benefit before our own. It is this love for one another that will show the World that we belong to the God of Love, and they can, too (John 13: 34-35).
O my Father, please help us to understand how to live our lives. Show us how we can take care of our physical, Worldly needs, and also to build Your Kingdom. Teach us how to make Your Kingdom our highest priority, and trust that You will provide us all the material things as well (Luke 12: 31).
You know that this is not easy for us, so You have provided for us Your own Spirit, to strengthen us and lead us to do those things that will bring glory to Your Name, instead of our own. You are worthy of all the credit and praise, not us, for You have already done it all. And we get to enjoy it with You when we let You do the work through us, instead of trying to do it all on our own.
Strengthen us, Father, to really put Your things first in our priorities, and to trust You even when we don't see what is ahead of us on the path on which You have placed our feet. Keep our hand in Yours, Father, to confidently take each step each day straight on that narrow road that leads to Life (Matthew 7: 13-14).
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus Christ is our Lord God Almighty, King of all Creation, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Monday, December 16, 2019
Family Living
Galatians 6: 1-5
Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
Someone who is caught up in any kind of destructive habit needs someone who is more spiritually mature to confront him about it; but the one confronting must do this in a very kind, compassionate, and gentle manner, aware that he himself is also vulnerable to similar temptations.
Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the Law of Christ.
The Law of Christ is to love one another as He has Loved us. So if we're loving our brother, then we will notice when he needs help with some burden that is too heavy for him to handle by himself.
For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
We are all "nobody, trying to tell everybody about a Somebody." Everything we can do is what the Spirit of Christ in us is doing through us. Otherwise, it's not worth anything, if it is of ourselves.
But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.
When we are able to accomplish something for His Kingdom, then we can talk about what the Lord has done through us, without having to compare or be in competition with anyone else.
For each one will bear his own load.
And each person is responsible for his own daily obligations.
These guidelines help us to draw the boundaries among our own obligations, what we can help each other with, and when we're too self-sufficient or getting our nose into someone elses's business.
We are to take care of our own normal responsibilities, and to notice when someone else is having trouble with their obligations. We are to watch out for one another, and help our brother or sister out of a jam or trouble, realizing that we too can slip into something unseemly. And to consider that everything we do for the Kingdom is done in the power of the Spirit in us.
Let's look at all these things with sober judgment, not going to the right or to the left off of the straight path, and keep our hand in the Lord's hand to lead and guide us every step of the way.
O my Father, You have provided us everything we need, including each other. Show us who we can help, who we can encourage, and who we can ask for help from. We are all one family, Father, help us to see one another as brothers and sisters, loving each other sacrificially.
And may our love for one another show the World how You Love all of us, and are not willing for any to perish. So send us out into Your fields, Father; to sow the precious seed of the Gospel, and to reap the fields that are ripe for harvest.
And fill Your house with Your extensive family, Father, filling each place at Your great Banquet Table, feasting with You forevermore.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, King of Creation, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
Someone who is caught up in any kind of destructive habit needs someone who is more spiritually mature to confront him about it; but the one confronting must do this in a very kind, compassionate, and gentle manner, aware that he himself is also vulnerable to similar temptations.
Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the Law of Christ.
The Law of Christ is to love one another as He has Loved us. So if we're loving our brother, then we will notice when he needs help with some burden that is too heavy for him to handle by himself.
For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
We are all "nobody, trying to tell everybody about a Somebody." Everything we can do is what the Spirit of Christ in us is doing through us. Otherwise, it's not worth anything, if it is of ourselves.
But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another.
When we are able to accomplish something for His Kingdom, then we can talk about what the Lord has done through us, without having to compare or be in competition with anyone else.
For each one will bear his own load.
And each person is responsible for his own daily obligations.
These guidelines help us to draw the boundaries among our own obligations, what we can help each other with, and when we're too self-sufficient or getting our nose into someone elses's business.
We are to take care of our own normal responsibilities, and to notice when someone else is having trouble with their obligations. We are to watch out for one another, and help our brother or sister out of a jam or trouble, realizing that we too can slip into something unseemly. And to consider that everything we do for the Kingdom is done in the power of the Spirit in us.
Let's look at all these things with sober judgment, not going to the right or to the left off of the straight path, and keep our hand in the Lord's hand to lead and guide us every step of the way.
O my Father, You have provided us everything we need, including each other. Show us who we can help, who we can encourage, and who we can ask for help from. We are all one family, Father, help us to see one another as brothers and sisters, loving each other sacrificially.
And may our love for one another show the World how You Love all of us, and are not willing for any to perish. So send us out into Your fields, Father; to sow the precious seed of the Gospel, and to reap the fields that are ripe for harvest.
And fill Your house with Your extensive family, Father, filling each place at Your great Banquet Table, feasting with You forevermore.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, King of Creation, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
Sunday, December 15, 2019
Manefestation Of Flesh And Spirit
Galatians 5: 13-26
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh,
If we do that, then we are forfeiting our freedom for slavery again.
but through love serve one another.
This is our purpose, that Jesus leaves us here for, instead of taking us directly to Heaven when He saves us.
For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19: 18).
God is Love, and He based all of His Law on love. When we love one another, we won't want to harm or offend each other at all. We will treat other people the same way we would like them to treat us. That will obey and fulfill all the laws and rules and precepts.
Then Jesus told His disciples that He was giving them "a new commandment," that goes further than the original commandment, "that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another" (John 13: 34).
And He repeats this, saying, "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you" (John 15: 12).
Jesus was willing to go the extra mile, to sacrifice Himself for our benefit; He gave up His glory in Heaven to become one of us, so that He would qualify to die a human death for each of us. This was the Plan from before He created the Universe.
And we are to "have the mind of Christ" to love one another sacrificially, just as He has already loved us. We are to be like Him.
But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
We certainly don't want to be destroyed by one another, as what would happen when we don't love one another. Let's not attack each other, but sacrificially serve one another instead.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
When we are sensitive to the Spirit's leading, then He gives us the power and ability to not give in to any of our fleshly desires, preferring His gifts and enablements instead.
For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
Our bodies are damaged and defective, and often we experience desires to indulge it, because this is where we live.
But God's Spirit in us gives us new desires and abilities, and we need to learn to enjoy His good things, instead of the fleshly things we have previously enjoyed.
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
The Law laid out specific rules and parameters that we were bound to adhere to, but the Law that God wrote into our hearts by His Spirit are not hard boundaries, but soft, fluid paths to show us love and compassion and mercy to share with one another.
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident,
Now we're going to see some of the things that God hates for us to indulge in, because they are so damaging to us and our sensibilities; and opposite to the way He designed us.
which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,
These all pertain to our bodily functions as to how we treat our own and others' bodies.
idolatry, sorcery,
These relate to what we prioritize in our thinking (idolatry), and where we desire to obtain the power to do what we want to do (sorcery), from demons instead of God.
These next deal with our relationships with one another:
enmities (being an enemy), strife (competition), jealousy (unwilling to give up what you possess), outbursts of anger (lack of self-control), disputes (arguments), dissensions (strong quarrels), factions (opposing political parties),
envying (wanting to possess what someone else owns for yourself),
And our behavior:
drunkenness (too much to drink, not moderate), carousing (rowdy partying), and things like these,
Everything that is related to all of these areas of thinking and behavior are all what our sinful flesh desires.
of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
People who live lifestyles like these are not learning how to behave in God's Kingdom, and will not fit in there at all.
But the fruit of the Spirit
This is the other side of the coin, the opposite of all the fleshly stuff we've been discussing.
is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control;
These nine virtues cover everything that we need to inculcate into our thinking processes and lifestyles. God's ways are so simple, yet not easy. We cannot possibly live this way without His Spirit living in us to give us the power and ability.
against such things there is no law.
There has never been nor will there ever be any kind of law anywhere that would rule against being happy or peaceful or patient or any of the other qualities listed here. Everyone everywhere is looking for these. Only God can teach them to us, by His Spirit living in us.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
We who have realized that we are the criminals who deserve execution by crucifixion, and have let Jesus take our death for us, have by that act crucified our bodily desires and compulsions, and have received His Spirit who is teaching us God's ways of thinking and acting.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Now that our spirits are alive, having God's Spirit coming in giving them life, now we can also live our lives with a Godly lifestyle, as His Spirit leads us to do. A complete 180 turn-around.
So let's continue on the road He put our feet on when He turned us around, and not even want to go back to those worldly, fleshly ways.
Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
So let's not think we're someone special, because we're just as special as every other of God's children. We didn't create any of the good ways He has taught us, or designed any of the good things He empowers us to do, so we have nothing to boast about in ourselves; or to challenge someone else to be like us when we're all gifted differently. And when we envy someone else's gift, then we're not appreciating them or developing our own gifts that we are responsible for before God.
O my Father, thank You so much for rescuing us from all those manifestations of the flesh, that work to destroy us. You are not willing for any to perish, but for all of us to come to the knowledge of repentance, realizing how much You Love us all!
Father, show Your children that You have given them the power and ability to turn from all the manifestations of their flesh, and to turn around to build Your fruit of Your Spirit in them. In all of us, Father.
Teach us to be Your Light in the darkness of our World, and to not hide our light, but allow it to display Your ways, how much better they are than the World's ways. Your ways bring us good health--physically, mentally, psychologically, spiritually; and prosperity in every way--relationally, socially, financially, spiritually.
O Father, You are our Source of Life, of joy, of everything good, and beneficial, and enjoyable. You designed the Universe to be the environment for this Earth, so we could build our World upon it. And when we cooperate with the way You designed it to operate, then we prosper in the World. But when we turn from Your ways, deciding that we know better than You, then we lose the good times and come into times of trouble and strife. (See the continuous cycles in the Book of Judges!)
My dear Father, You have Loved me more than I can ever possibly comprehend in my little mind! I don't understand how You do all that You do, but I thank You and praise You for Your greatness, and goodness, and compassion, and grace to me.
Send me out, Father; send out all Your children into Your fields, that are fertile for the sowing of Seed, and the fields ripe for harvest. Fill Your great house with all Your big family, every place at Your grand Banquet Table occupied, to feast with You everlastingly.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, King of Creation, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever, Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh,
If we do that, then we are forfeiting our freedom for slavery again.
but through love serve one another.
This is our purpose, that Jesus leaves us here for, instead of taking us directly to Heaven when He saves us.
For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19: 18).
God is Love, and He based all of His Law on love. When we love one another, we won't want to harm or offend each other at all. We will treat other people the same way we would like them to treat us. That will obey and fulfill all the laws and rules and precepts.
Then Jesus told His disciples that He was giving them "a new commandment," that goes further than the original commandment, "that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another" (John 13: 34).
And He repeats this, saying, "This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you" (John 15: 12).
Jesus was willing to go the extra mile, to sacrifice Himself for our benefit; He gave up His glory in Heaven to become one of us, so that He would qualify to die a human death for each of us. This was the Plan from before He created the Universe.
And we are to "have the mind of Christ" to love one another sacrificially, just as He has already loved us. We are to be like Him.
But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.
We certainly don't want to be destroyed by one another, as what would happen when we don't love one another. Let's not attack each other, but sacrificially serve one another instead.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
When we are sensitive to the Spirit's leading, then He gives us the power and ability to not give in to any of our fleshly desires, preferring His gifts and enablements instead.
For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.
Our bodies are damaged and defective, and often we experience desires to indulge it, because this is where we live.
But God's Spirit in us gives us new desires and abilities, and we need to learn to enjoy His good things, instead of the fleshly things we have previously enjoyed.
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.
The Law laid out specific rules and parameters that we were bound to adhere to, but the Law that God wrote into our hearts by His Spirit are not hard boundaries, but soft, fluid paths to show us love and compassion and mercy to share with one another.
Now the deeds of the flesh are evident,
Now we're going to see some of the things that God hates for us to indulge in, because they are so damaging to us and our sensibilities; and opposite to the way He designed us.
which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,
These all pertain to our bodily functions as to how we treat our own and others' bodies.
idolatry, sorcery,
These relate to what we prioritize in our thinking (idolatry), and where we desire to obtain the power to do what we want to do (sorcery), from demons instead of God.
These next deal with our relationships with one another:
enmities (being an enemy), strife (competition), jealousy (unwilling to give up what you possess), outbursts of anger (lack of self-control), disputes (arguments), dissensions (strong quarrels), factions (opposing political parties),
envying (wanting to possess what someone else owns for yourself),
And our behavior:
drunkenness (too much to drink, not moderate), carousing (rowdy partying), and things like these,
Everything that is related to all of these areas of thinking and behavior are all what our sinful flesh desires.
of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
People who live lifestyles like these are not learning how to behave in God's Kingdom, and will not fit in there at all.
But the fruit of the Spirit
This is the other side of the coin, the opposite of all the fleshly stuff we've been discussing.
is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control;
These nine virtues cover everything that we need to inculcate into our thinking processes and lifestyles. God's ways are so simple, yet not easy. We cannot possibly live this way without His Spirit living in us to give us the power and ability.
against such things there is no law.
There has never been nor will there ever be any kind of law anywhere that would rule against being happy or peaceful or patient or any of the other qualities listed here. Everyone everywhere is looking for these. Only God can teach them to us, by His Spirit living in us.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
We who have realized that we are the criminals who deserve execution by crucifixion, and have let Jesus take our death for us, have by that act crucified our bodily desires and compulsions, and have received His Spirit who is teaching us God's ways of thinking and acting.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Now that our spirits are alive, having God's Spirit coming in giving them life, now we can also live our lives with a Godly lifestyle, as His Spirit leads us to do. A complete 180 turn-around.
So let's continue on the road He put our feet on when He turned us around, and not even want to go back to those worldly, fleshly ways.
Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
So let's not think we're someone special, because we're just as special as every other of God's children. We didn't create any of the good ways He has taught us, or designed any of the good things He empowers us to do, so we have nothing to boast about in ourselves; or to challenge someone else to be like us when we're all gifted differently. And when we envy someone else's gift, then we're not appreciating them or developing our own gifts that we are responsible for before God.
O my Father, thank You so much for rescuing us from all those manifestations of the flesh, that work to destroy us. You are not willing for any to perish, but for all of us to come to the knowledge of repentance, realizing how much You Love us all!
Father, show Your children that You have given them the power and ability to turn from all the manifestations of their flesh, and to turn around to build Your fruit of Your Spirit in them. In all of us, Father.
Teach us to be Your Light in the darkness of our World, and to not hide our light, but allow it to display Your ways, how much better they are than the World's ways. Your ways bring us good health--physically, mentally, psychologically, spiritually; and prosperity in every way--relationally, socially, financially, spiritually.
O Father, You are our Source of Life, of joy, of everything good, and beneficial, and enjoyable. You designed the Universe to be the environment for this Earth, so we could build our World upon it. And when we cooperate with the way You designed it to operate, then we prosper in the World. But when we turn from Your ways, deciding that we know better than You, then we lose the good times and come into times of trouble and strife. (See the continuous cycles in the Book of Judges!)
My dear Father, You have Loved me more than I can ever possibly comprehend in my little mind! I don't understand how You do all that You do, but I thank You and praise You for Your greatness, and goodness, and compassion, and grace to me.
Send me out, Father; send out all Your children into Your fields, that are fertile for the sowing of Seed, and the fields ripe for harvest. Fill Your great house with all Your big family, every place at Your grand Banquet Table occupied, to feast with You everlastingly.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, King of Creation, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever, Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus
Saturday, December 14, 2019
Who Is Leading Astray?
Galatians 5: 7-12
You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the Truth?
They had been doing so well, following what Paul had taught them. But now someone has come in and turned them away from the sufficiency of the Cross, telling them that they need to do something, too.
This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you.
This opinion is not according to the Lord who called them to Salvation.
A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.
Just one wrong idea can spread through the whole congregation.
I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view;
Paul knows that the Lord can keep them from falling away, by taking on any view contrary to trusting Jesus Christ to have done all the work of Redemption.
but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.
Paul doesn't know who this person is, but no matter what rank of authority he seems to have, he's leading these new Christians away from the pure simplicity of the Gospel that they had believed.
Jesus said that, "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea" (Matthew 18: 6). This horrific punishment is not as bad as the judgment this person is calling down upon himself for leading these "little ones," new believers, astray.
But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted?
They're saying that their message is the same as Paul's, yet they still talk him down.
Then the stumbling block of the Cross has been abolished.
And if circumcision is necessary, then there didn't need to be a Cross involved at all, and there would be no problems of admitting that we deserve that kind of execution. That's a real "stumbling stone" if there ever was one.
I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.
Now Paul's getting personal! He says that since they are advocating that you cut yourselves, then they should cut themselves, too, all the way!
He is very upset that these teachers that came from Jerusalem would try to corrupt the beautiful simplicity of the Gospel in order to gain followers for themselves. Paul never promoted himself, he always taught what the Lord had taught him one-on-one when He saved him.
Paul never even went to Jerusalem to confer with the other Apostles before he went out preaching everywhere, he wanted to be sure he was teaching only God's pure Truth.
And he is still focused on the purity and simplicity of the Cross of Christ, and His Resurrection. Jesus has accomplished and finished all the work of our rescue, without any input from us--at all.
O my Father, Your Love is so incredible! It is so rich and full and all-encompassing. It is pure and wide and deep. It is so much more that I can ever comprehend, I just can't wrap my mind around its immensity--I'm too small!
Father, You have done everything possible, and even what is impossible, to rescue us from destruction. To Redeem us out of the slave-market and adopt us into Your own family as Your children.
Father, You have washed us pristine clean, as though we'd never sinned--even though we're still in these flesh bodies and we "miss the mark" every day! You see us as Perfect, so You placed Your own Spirit of Life into our spirits, making them alive. And Your Spirit in us teaches us, and leads us, and guides us. By Him You are re-molding us into the very image of Your Son, growing us up as Your Royal princes and princesses, to prepare us to help You rule all the Universes You plan to create.
O Father, please protect us from any teaching that would take us away from the beautiful simplicity and purity of Your Plan for each of us. Keep our feet firmly on the Rock, not slipping into any kind of deception at all.
Dear Father, continue to lead us confidently in the narrow path that is hedged in, so that our every step is following You, our hand in Yours, as we travel each day toward that final victory.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, King of Creation, to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever, Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the Truth?
They had been doing so well, following what Paul had taught them. But now someone has come in and turned them away from the sufficiency of the Cross, telling them that they need to do something, too.
This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you.
This opinion is not according to the Lord who called them to Salvation.
A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.
Just one wrong idea can spread through the whole congregation.
I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view;
Paul knows that the Lord can keep them from falling away, by taking on any view contrary to trusting Jesus Christ to have done all the work of Redemption.
but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.
Paul doesn't know who this person is, but no matter what rank of authority he seems to have, he's leading these new Christians away from the pure simplicity of the Gospel that they had believed.
Jesus said that, "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea" (Matthew 18: 6). This horrific punishment is not as bad as the judgment this person is calling down upon himself for leading these "little ones," new believers, astray.
But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted?
They're saying that their message is the same as Paul's, yet they still talk him down.
Then the stumbling block of the Cross has been abolished.
And if circumcision is necessary, then there didn't need to be a Cross involved at all, and there would be no problems of admitting that we deserve that kind of execution. That's a real "stumbling stone" if there ever was one.
I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves.
Now Paul's getting personal! He says that since they are advocating that you cut yourselves, then they should cut themselves, too, all the way!
He is very upset that these teachers that came from Jerusalem would try to corrupt the beautiful simplicity of the Gospel in order to gain followers for themselves. Paul never promoted himself, he always taught what the Lord had taught him one-on-one when He saved him.
Paul never even went to Jerusalem to confer with the other Apostles before he went out preaching everywhere, he wanted to be sure he was teaching only God's pure Truth.
And he is still focused on the purity and simplicity of the Cross of Christ, and His Resurrection. Jesus has accomplished and finished all the work of our rescue, without any input from us--at all.
O my Father, Your Love is so incredible! It is so rich and full and all-encompassing. It is pure and wide and deep. It is so much more that I can ever comprehend, I just can't wrap my mind around its immensity--I'm too small!
Father, You have done everything possible, and even what is impossible, to rescue us from destruction. To Redeem us out of the slave-market and adopt us into Your own family as Your children.
Father, You have washed us pristine clean, as though we'd never sinned--even though we're still in these flesh bodies and we "miss the mark" every day! You see us as Perfect, so You placed Your own Spirit of Life into our spirits, making them alive. And Your Spirit in us teaches us, and leads us, and guides us. By Him You are re-molding us into the very image of Your Son, growing us up as Your Royal princes and princesses, to prepare us to help You rule all the Universes You plan to create.
O Father, please protect us from any teaching that would take us away from the beautiful simplicity and purity of Your Plan for each of us. Keep our feet firmly on the Rock, not slipping into any kind of deception at all.
Dear Father, continue to lead us confidently in the narrow path that is hedged in, so that our every step is following You, our hand in Yours, as we travel each day toward that final victory.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, King of Creation, to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever, Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
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