Monthly Archives: January 2018

Galatians

Galatians 5:22-24

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Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
 
Now we see what the characteristics of those that belong to God. The fruits of the spirit are Godly attitudes that characterize the lives of only those who belong to God by faith in Christ and possess the Spirit of God. The Spirit produces fruit which consists of 9 characteristics or attitudes that are inextricably linked with each and are commanded of believers throughout the New Testament. I will not go through each one but we can see the first one is love. I believe it is first because if we love like Christ loved us all these characteristics will develop in us. As we said earlier, there is no law against all of these good things. We would not even need a police force, if these were active in everyone’s lives. We must crucify our own flesh. We must get in obedience to the Spirit of God. If we truly are Christ’s, then we have turned everything over to Him. A man cannot have two masters, either the flesh will rule, or the Spirit. Please attend church today and see what God can do for you today to help you grow stronger each day.
Galatians

Galatians 5:18-21

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Galatians 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
 
Paul begins here letting us know when we are led by the Spirit of God, we are walking in righteousness and there is no law against righteousness. In the next three verses Paul encompasses 3 areas of human life; sex, religion, and human relationships. He shows us the different ways that the flesh manifests itself. All of these acts of the flesh are usually not seen in everyone and no one person may commit these acts to the same degree, but any of theses acts to any degree are sins of the flesh. Anyone who continues to do these things would cause them to be a person of flesh and flesh does not inherit the kingdom of God. None of us are perfect but as a Christian if any of this is a part of lives we need to strive each day to correct these things in our life and get closer to God. If you do unwillingly sin, ask for forgiveness. We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. He intercedes with the Father for us.
Galatians

Galatians 5:15-17

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Galatians 5:15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
 
In this scripture we find that trying to destroy others comes home to us and many times we are destroyed in the process. Fussing and fighting have no place in the church. Be a peacemaker, not a troublemaker. Also we are told not to give in to the lust of flesh because it brings trouble and strife. When we make Jesus Lord of our life and walk in the Spirit of God we have no desire to do wrong to anyone and we have no lust of the flesh. The flesh opposes the work of the Spirit and leads the believer toward sinful behavior he would not otherwise be compelled to do.The flesh and spirit have been in mortal combat to control the will of man. The lust of the flesh has destroyed many a person. We must bury our flesh that our spirit might take control. The Spirit of God within us is the only thing that can overcome the flesh of man. We must give our will over to the Spirit of God so that we can defeat the desires of the flesh.
Galatians

Galatians 5:13-14

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Galatians 5:13 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
 
Paul Starts out here telling us that we have liberty in serving God but we are not to use this for an occasion to say it is okay to commit a sin. He goes to state the one thing that covers a multitude of sin, and that is to serve one another in love. He continues in the next verse to say there is one word that fulfills all the law and we know that word is love. He says we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Mark 12:30-31 are the words of Jesus and it says,”And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment.” “And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.” If everyone could grasp what this is saying we would live in totally different world.
Galatians

Galatians 5:10-12

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10 I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.
11 And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution? then is the offence of the cross ceased.
12 I would they were even cut off which trouble you.
 
Paul starts off here telling us it is a very dangerous thing to teach anything but the pure gospel message, if they have time to consider what he is telling them, they will not accept going back into the law. Grace is too good to trade it for law. Next he makes the point that if he was preaching circumcision as necessary for salvation, why were the Judaizers persecuting him instead of supporting him? Paul counted it as gain to be persecuted bringing the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The teaching of the cross was an offense to the Jews. Last Paul felt the ones causing the the trouble should be put out of the church, but it was highly unlikely that would happen. We need to really look at what Paul is trying to convey to the people and that is to hold to your first love, the true Gospel.
Galatians

Galatians 5:7-9

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Galatians 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
 
Paul is telling them that they started out correctly. They were running the race of life well. Now they have listened to those who would come in and destroy. We must apply the blood of Jesus to our ear, so only things of God will be heard in our inner mind. We should not listen to others, and let them sway us. We should be thoroughly convinced, and never waver in our belief. They have listened to another doctrine other than what Paul had brought. The Lord God of heaven called you, stay with Him. God did not send the message to get back under the bondage of the law. This is the same thing as saying; one rotten apple will ruin the whole barrel, if it is not removed. Leaven is sin. It is a sin to doubt the message of grace. Anything that displeases God is sin. Faith is the only thing that pleases God. It seems that some of these people in the church were listening to those that still followed the law.
Galatians

Galatians 5:5-6

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Galatians 5:5 For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
 
Paul here is telling us that because we already have the Holy Spirit in us,as Christians, we are waiting for the hope of righteousness by faith.Christians are not like the rest of the world who have no hope. We have hope of the resurrection. Our hope is in Christ Jesus. He is our blessed Hope. Our righteousness is His righteousness that He clothed us in. Nothing done or not done in the flesh, even religious ceremony, makes any difference in one’s relationship to God. What is external is immaterial and worthless, unless it reflects genuine internal righteousness.We see in all this that Christianity has very little to do with the flesh. The only thing it does have to do with it is that we must cut away the flesh that the spirit might live. For us to be in a position that we desire to be with Christ, we must crucify our flesh and live in the spirit.
Galatians

Galatians 5:2-4

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Galatians 5:2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.
3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law.
4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.
 
Paul is trying to get the Galatians to under stand that circumcision is a part of the law and it has nothing to do with the fact that Jesus shed His blood on the cross for our salvation. if they insist on doing this part of the law then they have to do the whole law.It appears that these Galatians believed if they were circumcised, that would somehow put them in better standing with the Lord. It is as if they believe this to be like baptism. Circumcision and sacrifices are almost as if they are saying that the shed blood of Jesus is not enough. This shows us that if the readers truly renounce grace through faith alone as the way of salvation, if they depend on legalism to secure divine favor, then they show that they never really knew God’s grace in the first place. Again the question could be ask would you rather be under the law or under Grace? Please attend church today where the truth of God’s Word is preached and taught so you can make the right decision to be able to spend eternity in Heaven with our Savior.
Galatians

Galatians 5 : 1

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Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
 
Paul starts this chapter letting us know we are free from the bondage of sin and the law through our faith in Christ Jesus. Free means deliverance from the curse that the law pronounces on the sinner who has been striving unsuccessfully to achieve his own righteousness , but who has now embraced Christ and the salvation granted to him by grace. We are to stand fast and stay where we are in being free to enjoy the fullness of the grace of our Lord and Savior. A person who had just been set free, would never choose to go back into bondage, if they were thinking clearly.
A Note from Hope

Fitting Right In: a Note from Delilah

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Hope said I could talk today, so I thought I’d tell ya’ll how I got here.

Mom said that when Chip and Yamaha still lived here, Dad loved them very much, but they were foster kitties, so someone else adopted them and they went to live at that house. It made Dad sad, so Mom looked until she found someone with some fluffy kitties.

When I met Mom, I was in a Christmas tree, hiding.  Mom thinks it’s funny that I was in a Christmas tree, and I was Dad’s Christmas present. (I think that’s pretty cool.)  So I rode  home in the truck with Mom and we all surprised Dad.

The first few days, I wasn’t happy – Hope and Scout kept trying to sniff me with their big cold noses, and they barked when I moved, and chased me when I ran. I didn’t know they just wanted to play.

So Mom let me stay in the big crate in the den – she put my food and litter box in there, so the dogs could smell me and get used to me, and I could get used to them.

But on the third day – oh my, I had fun. I ran up the hall and Scout ran with me… she likes to lick my stomach and lets me chew her ear. I let her and Hope eat the food I don’t eat, and I drink out of their water bowl.  (They even like to smell in my litterbox, but Mom blocked that off so they can’t get to it.)

We all lay on the sofa together while Mom works, and Scout even taught me the best place to stretch out, just like she does.

And at night, we all sleep with Dad and Mom- Hope and Scout sleep under the covers and keep their feet warm, and I lay on the foot of the bed, or by Dad’s head so I can make sure everybody sleeps good.

When I first came, we all had to get used to one another; I had to learn not to be scared of Hope and Scout, and they had to learn that because I’m smaller, I can’t play so rough. But we’re all learning to love one another and understand each other’s differences. I’m so glad I got to come and be a part of the family!

Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.