Galatians 4

Before our renewed relationship with God, we were slaves to sin. But now, we are children of God. What is the difference between slave & child? Once again it's all about relationship.

The Galatian church once welcomed Paul & the message he brought. They moved from slave to child. Unfortunately, they let others steal their joy & they are believing a lie, which makes them once again slaves. Paul is perplexed & saddened by this turn of events and he encourages the church to turn again to their relationship with God.

How are you labeled? Slave or child? Possession or loved one?

Galatians 3

Paul continues to address the false teaching the Galatians have begun to believe. I find it interesting that we still deal with these issues - the LAW verses FAITH. It is so hard for us to believe that faith is all we need. That's it, the simple believe that Jesus is God's Son, that He died on a cross for our sins, & that He rose again, breaking the curse of sin over our lives. Instead, we think we need to DO something, that we need to be better, that we can be good enough if only we just try harder. But we, in our fallen state corrupted by sin, can never climb our way out. We can never reverse the harm we've done. It takes someone bigger than us to help us out of the pit we have dug for ourselves & that person is Jesus Christ.

So, stop trying to be good enough. By relying on your abilities you are telling God that you don't need Him when you really, really do. Reach out to God, rely on His strength and find the peace & wholeness you have been searching for.

Galatians 2

This first part of chapter 2 gives more background into Paul's calling & ministry. Why does he spend so much time on this? Men claiming to be preachers & teachers of the Word, but whom have a false message have invaded the Galatian church & are wrecking havoc within the church. Paul is establishing his authority & the validity of the message he gave

Paul then reminds them that Jewish tradition, or tradition for any matter, is not the issue, so don't get caught up in it. Once again it is about your relationship with God. We are all sinners, we have all messed up - whether or not we are Jewish or Gentile, raised in the church or new to it. God does not look at our outward attempts at reconciliation (making things right), He looks at our repentant heart. So stick with the grace of God - His willingness to forgive us & call us His own, not by anything we do, but by His overwhelming love for us.

Review of James & Galatians 1

So, what did we learn from James? I think it can be summed up in a few point:

• It's your heart that matters, so focus on living in love.


• Control your tongue & you will control your emotions.


• Seek true knowledge through the Word of God & through communication with God.

Today we will move onto Galatians. Paul wrote this letter to the newly established church in 49 A.D. Paul traveled the country preaching the Word of God & helping new Christians to form churches. In order to stay in touch & continue ministering to the people, he would write letters. This letter indicated that the Galatian church had some issues they were dealing with & sought Paul's council. If you have doubts, questions, or simply don't understand something, don't just assume - ask a church leader for guidance & help. God gave us our church family so we might build each other up & help each other out.

We need to be careful who we listen too. Some "teachers" are preaching according to their human nature rather than according to God's Word. This was happening in the Galatian church & it happens now. It is human nature to twist what God has done & make it something all about man. Make sure that any teaching you receive lines up with Scripture. You do that by reading the word.

Paul gives a brief testimony that extends into chapter two. Notice that when he became a Christian, it was through an experience with God. It is the same for us. Someone might tell us about Jesus, but it is your contact with God, your relying on Him that saves you, not some prayer said by man. Paul then spent fourteen years learning and strengthening his relationship with God before he began his ministry. Does this mean that you can't witness to your friends until you know everything there is to know about God? No, share your story. Tell others why a relationship with God is so important. But - be careful in teaching others. There's a big difference between sharing your testimony and teaching others the Scriptures. Even James warned us that teachers are judged more harshly for they have put themselves in a position of authority. If what they teach is wrong & they lead others away from the Truth, they will be judged.

Don't be afraid to share your faith. Just know that it is OK to not have all the answers. If someone asks a question you can't answer, or brings up an argument that stumps you - go to your pastor or church leader & ask for help.

James 5

Today we read the last chapter of James. Tomorrow we will summarize what we have read, since it has taken me a little longer to read this than it should have.

Chapter 5 starts with an admonishment to use our riches wisely. Don't just store them up, because you can't take them with you. And don't just spend your wealth on yourself. Realize it is a gift from God to be used for the betterment of everyone. Don't let wealth harden your heart. Many of you may say, "No trouble here, I'm not wealthy." Does your family have a TV, computer, Internet, and car? Then compared to the world, you are wealthy. Use it wisely.

Finally, we have some more good advice:
- be patient. Especially when it comes to waiting for the Lord to return. I know there have been times when I just want the Lord to come & get us out of this messy world. Take a deep breath & wait. God does everything in His own perfect timing.
- Do not make promises. Simply let your yes be yes & your no by no.
- Are you:

• suffering? Pray.


• Happy? Sing.


• Sick? Have someone in authority pray over you. (Our prayer chain or altar ministry)

- Prayer is a powerful thing. Use it!

- Your church family is a powerful thing. Get involved with them!

In regard to reading the Scripture & prayer. We so often know what is good for us & why it is good for us. We can make resolutions. We can even come up with a plan for succeeding at our resolution. But we so often fail because we allow this plan to be option. If we don't feel like it, or something gets in the way, we push our plan to the side & never succeed. We just stay in the same place, unhappy & troubled. Don't allow your plans to be optional! Make them a requirement & hold yourself to it. A little bit of discipline will go a long way in making your life something worth while.

James 4

Hmmm . . . wonder why do keep doing things you don't want to be doing? It's because you're better friends with the world than you are with the Lord. The world breeds quarrels, conflicts, lust, murder, envy, etc. The Spirit brings love, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control. So who are you spending time with? You've heard the old saying, "You are what you eat." Well, James is reminding us, "You are who you hang out with." So, start hanging out with the Lord! As you draw closer to God, He will draw closer to you & it will become easier to be the kind of person you want to be.

Along with this renewed relationship with the Lord, comes renewed relationships with others. Stop judging everyone else. That's God's job. We also need to realize that God is in control, not us. So, ask Him what's going on & follow His lead.

James 3

One quick thing James says here - be very diligent when you teach others the word. Make sure you don't lead them off the mark. When you place yourself in authority, you will be judged for how you lead.

Watch your tongue!! Once again James broaches this subject. Your tongue is so very important. What you say is a window into your attitude, your heart, & your emotions. Be very careful & purposeful about your words. And realize that you need to rely on God to help you out with this one. We all know that words are so easily spoken & they can do so much damage. So, spend time in prayer and think before you speak.

Finally, seek godly wisdom from above & not earthly wisdom. How do you know which is which? Godly wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, unwavering, & without hypocrisy. Worldly wisdom is full of arrogance, jealousy, and selfish ambition.

Woo . . . James gives us a lot to think about. But it's such good stuff, isn't it?

James 2

My time is short this morning - still getting use to a new schedule. Please pray for my time-management. There are plenty of hours in the day to get it all done, I just need some godly assistance in fitting everything into its proper place.

James is still giving us some wonderful advice. It starts with a well-known verse - "Love your neighbor as yourself." James reminds us that this means treating everyone equally. No matter who they are, what they do for a living, what they look like, how they smell, how much money they make - treat everyone equally.

Faith without works is dead. What does that mean? Well, simply enough, don't just talk the talk, walk the walk. If you believe that what you believe is really real, you're going to live a life based on those principles. So, if you believe the Truth of the Scripture, live it out. Don't just nod your head & agree that loving your neighbor is important - really love your neighbor. It's that simple - but not always easy :)

That's all for today. Take some time to examine your life. Are you living by these principles? If not, what changes do you need to make & how can you make them? Hmmm . . .

James 1

OK - so did anyone read James 1 yesterday? I know school just started & we're all a little busy, it's a crazy time of year. But let me just say that taking 5 minutes out of your day to read the Word of God will do amazing things for you. Just the sense of peace & connection with your Heavenly Father is worth this small sacrifice of your time. Not to mention the Words of Wisdom that will pour into your soul & the familiar way the Holy Spirit will use those words throughout the day to help you in each & every situation you find yourself in. Ah, it's amazing.

Now, I will confess that I get sidetracked, I get busy, I sometimes get just plain lazy. My blog posts will back me up in this confession. However, I know what is best for me & I kick myself when I stray away, because my life feels so much more chaotic when I don't spend this time in the Word.

So - READ IT! Spend some time here. Let's go back over James 1. This book was written by Jesus' brother, James about 15-20 years after Jesus' death & resurrection. James became a leader of the church in Jerusalem and wrote one of the earliest letters to new Christians to build them up and help them out. These words may be 2,000 years old, but they still apply to our situations & dilemmas today.

James' letter doesn't start out with platitudes & hellos, he jumps right into the heart of the matter - persecution. Many of use will face persecution in this world for our beliefs. Not much has changed in that regard. There will always be people who tease, scoff, or even belittle you for living a life that is different, for not conforming to the world's idea of "normal". James reminds us to not worry. In fact, he tells us to consider this joy, because these trials draw us closer to God, strengthen our faith, and help us to grow into mature, complete, and best of all whole people. Who feels incomplete? Anyone feel a big emptiness or hole in your life? Faith & a relationship with God fill that. How awesome is that?

James reminds us that God will give us the wisdom we need, we only need to ask for it with certainty, knowing that God gives to those who believe. He also let's us know that godly wisdom is to be desired over material wealth. Riches WILL NOT make us happy. You can never accumulate enough stuff to fill that hole we talked about a little while ago. Only godly wisdom - a true knowledge & understanding of the ways of God that leads us into a life-changing relationship with the Creator of the Universe - will fill that hole. So ask for it & it is yours. Again, how awesome is that?

Now we have one of my favorite passages of Scripture & probably the best advice you'll ever get:

• Be quick to listen, slow to speak, & slow to anger. Basically - listen to what people say, think about it before you respond & don't let yourself be easily angered by other people's actions or words. Simple advice that is so hard to follow.


• Don't just read the Bible. Put it into action. Do what it says. What's the point in filling your cup with water if your not going to drink it? Why would you make a meal you're just going to throw away? If you're starving and I gave you money to buy food, would you drive to the store just to look in the window & then turn around & go home? No! The Bible isn't just a bunch of nice words, not just a good story. It's your instruction manual for life.


• Your words show your heart. The things you say reveal your attitude & your commitment. So, control your tongue & you'll control your emotions, your attitude, & your actions.


• Religion is not how good you look to God & others. It's about serving & sacrificing for others.

Get ahold of this advice. Write it down & read it over & over again if you need to. This stuff is life-changing. It's food for your soul. It's the answer to all your problems. I pray that your school year is blessed. That your classes are interesting. That your teachers are fair. But most of all, I pray that you grab hold of the truth found in the Word of God & you let it transform your life into something rewarding & powerful. This is the education that will do the most for you. This is what is really important.

Daily Reading

So we finished up Romans. Ah, what a nice book. Now we are going to read the remaining letters in the order they were written. So prepare yourself to start jumping around your New Testament. I'm going to give you today's reading. Comment about your thoughts. I'll give you a synopsis later.

Read James chapter 1. This is another of my favorite books because it is crammed full of useful advice for godly living. If we start applying these principles to our lives, oh what a life we would have!

Daily Reading

Romans 15-16

As Christians we are to help each other out, looking for ways to serve one another. Continue to grow in maturity, growing closer to God, and becoming more and more like the example Jesus lived for us.

Here, Paul gets a little more personal. He encourages the church body to continue to minister to others & help him to spread the gospel. These words are especially for the church in Rome, but they can encourage us today - don't rely on a mighty man of God to do all the work in spreading the gospel. Help him out. No one can do it on their own. Paul lets us know how we can support each other - through prayer. Pray, pray, pray. It can't be done enough.

Paul closes his letter by mentioning friends & family in the faith. Notice that it's not just men mentioned. Woman had value & purpose in the Christian church. Paul then signs off with a warning - watch the teaching you receive. Make sure it lines up with the Scripture. Many people see the Gospel as a get-rich-quick scheme, so be wary & get to know the word.

Proverbs 24:1-22

Stay away from troublemakers.
Seek knowledge - through prayer & the Bible.
Help out others.
Mind out your own business.
Be kind to your enemies.
Seek humility & avoid pride.
Respect authority.

Daily Reading

Romans 13-14

Today we learn how to be a responsible citizen. Becoming a Christian doesn't mean our life on earth ends - it's just the end of our slavery to sin. We still need to live in this world, but now we are called to make a difference. So how do we do that?

Live responsibly & be a good citizen. Follow the laws of your government, for they are in place to keep order. Pay your taxes, pay your bills, & respect your leaders. Here in the United States of America, we have the freedom to protest, to vote, & to hold our government accountable. So stand up for what is right. Vote every time you have the opportunity. And vote wisely - pay attention to those who are running for office, do they have a godly agenda? Pray for those in office, even if you don't agree with them. For God has a hand in all that happens.

Don't run up debt! In our culture this is especially important. Debt brings back slavery & who wants to live in that? So safe up for what you want, only use a credit card if you are going to pay it off in full each month. Don't get so absorbed in day to day life that you forget about God! Put Him first & everything else will fall into place. And NEVER forget to love. Everything comes down to this - love other people as well as you love yourself.

And here Paul comes to talk about what I like to call heaven & hell issues. What are heaven & hell issues? Those that deal with Salvation & they are very few. Basically, believing that Jesus is the Messiah, that He died to take your place & forgive your sins, that He is the Son of God and the ONLY way to heaven. Believing that the Bible is the True, Unfailing Word of God. And believing that salvation is a free gift from God that cannot be earned. That's about it. All the other stuff - regarding what you can eat or drink, when the rapture will happen & how, which translation of the Bible is best, whether Saturday or Sunday is the true Sabbath, if someone should be dunked, sprinkled, or immersed in Baptism - these are not heaven or hell issues. There is some interpretation here & we should not get ourselves all worked up & argue over "the right way" to do things. As Paul says, "There are good reasons for either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience." Some Christians believe that women should not wear make-up or pants. Others believe that Christians should never play cards or listen to music with drums. Some don't eat pork, or even meat. It's about your relationship with God & it's about their relationship with God. So, stop criticizing your neighbor for his relationship. Focus on your own relationship & understand that other's have their reasons for doing what they do. Your job is to single-mindedly serve Christ. Help others with encouraging words; don't drag them down by finding fault. And by all means, if something bugs someone else, don't do it in their presence. Don't flaunt your believes in the their face. For example, my parents eat kosher - meaning they eat according to the laws in the Bible - no pork, no shellfish, etc. I don't eat kosher - I believe that everything is OK to eat. However, I don't eat pork or shellfish in front of my parents, but because I love them & don't want to do anything that would make them feel uncomfortable. Another example, my husband's grandfather doesn't think Christians should play cards because it is too much like gambling. I love to play gin rummy (& I hate to gamble), but I would never ask him to play because I know how he feels about it. Instead, we play other games & we have wonderful times together. So don't insist upon your way - think of the other person's feelings & convictions & find ways to enjoy your time together.

Read Proverbs 23:19-35

All things in moderation - especially in food & drink.
Honor your parents.
Stay pure.

Daily Reading

Today we finish Romans. Read chapters 11 & 12

God still has a plan and a purpose for His loyal Jews. Those that come to Him on His terms instead of their own. There has always been a remnant of faithful Jewish people and there always will be. God will never give up on them. Sometimes I think the same can be said of the Christian church. There are those who are seeking God in their own selfish ways, trying to fit Him into their box of religion. Then there are those that seek God on His terms, molding their lives to match up with His. Which side are you on? Are you seeking God on your terms or His?

We all belong to the same family. Paul uses Jesus' symbol of a tree to explain it. The root - the life - of the tree is Jesus. Believers are the branches. God is the gardener. God prunes off the old, dead branches and grafts on the new living branches. I once had a miniature ornamental citrus tree that grew oranges & lemons on the same tree. The fruit branches had been grafted onto a different root in order to produce this interesting effect. However, one of the graphs never took, so I had to prune it away in order for the tree to maintain it's health. That's the family of God. Those branches producing fruit are maintained. Those dead branches are cut away so the plant can flourish. The cool thing about this tree is that we all started off as dead branches who came alive in Christ Jesus, so anyone, anywhere can become a living part of the tree - Jews and non-Jews alike. How awesome is that?

So don't count out the Jews. Don't consider them God's enemy. There is a plan & a purpose for them. Prophecy tells us that Israel will once again be complete & a remnant of Jews will take their rightful place in the kingdom of God. So love your family, even those who may currently be pruned away.

Now Paul wraps up his letter with some practical advise - we are a part of the body of Christ. Each of us has a purpose & a job to do - whether your a finger, an arm, a toe, or an ear. No one is more important than another, for the body only functions correctly when all of its parts are working together. Whatever your talent, your gift, your purpose, offer it to the Lord in love. Serve Him and others in love, not worrying about what you'll get out of it, or about making yourself look good. Maintain humility, treat others with respect.

I'll close by quoting the Message Bible, "Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don't burn our; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help the needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody. Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do."

Read Proverbs 23:1-18
More good guidelines to live by:
6. Maintain good manners.
7. Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich.
8. Be wise to the intentions of others
9. Cheat no one
10. Value instruction & knowledge
11. Discipline children

Daily Reading

Welcome to August! July blew by so fast & was very busy for me. How about you? I've missed my time in the Word & am so ready to get back to it! So here we go:

Read Romans 7-8

Paul likens our life before Jesus as a bad marriage to sin. To read his words, this marriage was abusive & controlling. But sin has been conquered! It is dead & has no more power. We are now free to enter into a good marriage full of love, joy, peace, patience, happiness & self-control. (These are the fruits of the spirit.) How refreshing!

So what about the law? Was it part of our former bad marriage? Nope. It simply states what is right & what is wrong. That's it. It's like directions for building a bookshelf. You can follow the directions & get a nice, sturdy, functional piece of furniture. OR You can decide that you know better than the directions, do things you own way, & end up with a lesser-quality object.

So why do we keep throwing out the directions? Why do we settle for so-so, when the best is staring us in the face? It's in our nature. We allowed sin in & now it has its claws in there, whispering, controlling, manipulating. We cannot break these bonds ourselves. Let me just say this is one of my favorite scriptures - to see that others struggle just as I do. And to see that there is an answer, there is hope, I am not destined to stay in this place.

Jesus Christ came to overcome sin for us. God sent His own Son to break the bonds of sin. Praise the Lord! That new marriage I mentioned earlier? It's with the Holy Spirit. He comes in & gives us the power we need to break out of those old cycles. And here is the key - stop obsessing about yourself! Start focusing on God. All you need to do is invite Him in & start listening to His voice instead of your own. It's a sacrifice for sure to do things some different way, but oh the peace you will find when you start making those changes.

Don't you ever get sick of yourself? Want to get out of your own head for a while? I know I do. Start reading the Word of God, start praying & especially listening. Stop jumping in without thinking - start asking God what He thinks. See where it gets you. You might be surprised!

Paul finishes this reading by looking forward to our eternal life in heaven with God. Doesn't your heart long with it? It's like a pregnancy - 10 months of expectation & waiting to meet that new little person who is already so loved. Well, we have a little more than 10 months of waiting, of anticipation, but during that time, God will never leave us, He will be right there with us & we can trust that He knows what He is doing. He has a perfect plan & we can rest assured that it will be carried out exactly as it should be.

So take heart, God is with you. Stop worrying about what other people can do to you, how they can hurt you. They are just people, like you & me. Start looking at what God can do for you. The hope, the love, the peace, the joy that are available to us, no matter what else happens around us. Paul ends with "I'm absolutely convinced that nothing - nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable - absolutely nothing can get between us & God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us." Amen!

Read Proverbs 22:1-16

It's about your inner beauty, not about your outer beauty. It's about the condition of your heart, not the condition of your wallet. Make choices that line up with the law & you will lead a blessed life. Follow your owns way & you will struggle.