December 21, 2024

Galatians is one of my favorite books in the Bible. It goes along with my mission of helping Christians become free from past transgressions, whether from things they’ve done to themselves or from what others have done to them. In chapter 2, Paul clarifies that as a Christ-follower, neither Jewish Christians nor gentile Christians have to follow the Mosaic law. The purpose of Christ’s death on the cross was to do away with the strict adherence to that law because it was impossible to keep every jot and tittle of it. That doesn’t mean you can go around sinning at will; that would be unbecoming of your position in Christ, but it does mean you don’t have to suffer hell if you make a mistake. Believe me, we are not perfect; if we were, we wouldn’t need Jesus, but I need him, and so do you. If righteousness came from following the law of Moses, then Jesus died in vain. There is a guide for us to follow to keep a good conscience: the 10 Commandments; all but one commandment was repeated in the New Testament, and that was the one about keeping the Sabbath. If you live for Jesus, you don’t need to think about the commandments; you can easily follow them without hesitation. The point is not to fall into the trap of legalism; Jesus set us free from all that.

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Galatians 2:20-21

December 20, 2024

What I'm about to write may seem crazy, but with all the unusual situations happening throughout the world, such as the unidentified drones seen everywhere, the media is setting us up to believe aliens are invading us; we should make sure we are clear that what we believe is biblical. We know that though these beings may be alien to us because we've never seen such, the Bible gives us several descriptions of angels that sound quite alien, not the beautiful winged creatures we think of as angels, but wheels and lights with weird heads and other dramatic features. Some of these angels are good, but others are from the one-third that God removed from heaven. So, even if one of these creatures, as fearful as we might feel, tells us something different than what the Bible teaches us, we must reject it, or we may end up being led astray. The most scary part is that they may try to tell you that they are Jesus, and if you don't know his ways, you may fall for their cunning lies. You don't have to read through the Bible in a year; just read a chapter a day, and God will increase your knowledge. It only takes a few minutes of your time, but it will go a long way to help you understand the truth of who Jesus is. Don't be caught off guard and fall for deception; dig into God's word as protection against a fake gospel. 

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:8

December 19, 2024

One thing I can say about the early church is that they didn’t put up with sinful behavior. Paul didn’t worry about hurting someone’s feelings and admonished bad behavior in his letters to the churches. He went so far as to ask them if they even had the Holy Spirit in them and encouraged them to examine themselves. Sinfulness causes anxiety and puts you at odds with God and your fellow Christians, and it snatches away your peace. Take a long look at yourself and consider if there is anything within you that needs repentance, then go and live in peace, and God will be with you. 

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 2 Corinthians 13:5

Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11

December 18, 2024

One thing that can help you grow in Christ is submission. This may sound ridiculous, but I hear God through the birds. I hear Him other ways, too, but He knows I pay attention to them, so He reveals Himself through them to me. One day, I was sitting on my back porch overlooking the lake, praying and watching a Little Blue Heron (dark blue bird); suddenly, an American Egret (large white bird) flew to the heron and overtook it. It didn’t harm it, but it did show who the boss was. The scriptures came alive, and I immediately knew what God was saying to me: He needed my submission. Remember that famous quote, “Let go and let God?” That’s what you have to do. When you learn what that means for you, your life will take a turn for the better. God’s power will shine through when you release everything to Him. So, rather than trying to force your will on the situation you might be dealing with, take a backseat and let God handle it. Remember, He doesn’t need you to be a backseat driver, so sit back and enjoy the ride.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

December 17, 2024

Did you know that there are people, religions, and cults that will use the name of Jesus, though they don’t believe in him? We see it all the time; though you may consider them to be saved, they are not. Where you notice it the most is in celebrities when they receive a reward; they almost always thank God or Jesus Christ, but their actions say otherwise, and you realize that they have named Satan god. They don’t believe in our Savior. The Mormons say they believe in Jesus but also say he is the brother of Jesus; this is absolutely not true. The Catholics say they believe in Jesus, yet the Vatican is full of satanic symbolism. For this reason, whatever denomination you call yourself, make sure you are filling your mind with biblical scripture so you can see the difference between false teachers and the truth. Years ago, I worked in banking and was a teller in the earlier years of that employment. You become familiar with how currency feels in your hand and will notice when a bill feels a little off and recognize when you run across a counterfeit. It’s the same with Jesus; you know him and will be able to tell the difference between the ones who speak the truth about him and the ones who are false teachers because you study him daily. Please don’t neglect the scriptures; they will keep you from running in the wrong direction. 

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. 2 Corinthians 11:3-4

December 16, 2024

It's funny, but I woke up this morning having some negative thoughts and maybe feeling a little sorry for myself. Not only that, but I needed help getting through the next chapter of 2 Corinthians. I had a cup of Cafe Con leach too late in the day, and it kept me awake late last night. The combination of these things put up a roadblock in my study time. So, I prayed about it, and lying on the pages of scripture was the answer to my problem. God reminded me that our weapons of warfare are not conventional but are much better at defeating the enemy and the problems associated with his interference. God's answer was to take every thought captive and not let my mind wander contemplating things that aren't necessarily true or even the thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. I'm grateful for the word of God. Sometimes, we are our own worst enemy by taking our minds down a negative pathway rather than putting our trust in God, who can easily handle our situation. My thoughts could have ruined my day, but God, in His mercy, saw fit to handle the situation in my mind right away by giving me sound biblical advice. I wouldn't have encountered these healing verses without being obedient in my study. Stay disciplined, and God will show you how to focus on Him rather than the made-up problems in your head. 

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6

December 15, 2024

You cannot out-give God. Remember, you reap what you sow; that's true in most cases, but not with God. He will give you back more than you could ever imagine. I wouldn't tell you this if I hadn't experienced the benefits myself. God loves a cheerful giver, so believe me when I tell you that once you start giving, you never want to stop because He pours out his blessings to overflowing. When put in the hands of God, the return on your investment (ROI) not only returns a spiritual increase but also a physical increase. The stock market has nothing on God! Invest in your church, and God will give you wisdom for the rest of your finances. Give generously, and He will provide more so you can give more. I'm not your preacher or a charitable organization, so don't get mad at me for making you feel remorseful for your inaction. If you don't believe me, give a little and see what happens. Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you when you get that unexpected increase so you don't dismiss it as a coincidence. 

“Can a man be a loser by doing that which God is pleased?” “Are not the love and favour of God better than all other things, better than life itself?” Matthew Henry  

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:6-7