Category: Galatians

Posted on

More Than Enough

When I was a little girl, I was intrigued by one of the Thanksgiving decorations I saw. It was a cornucopia or otherwise named, horn of plenty.

I learned that big word and liked using it. For a seven-year-old, a five-syllable word was a big deal.

Wikipedia describes it like this: “In classical antiquity, the cornucopia, from Latin cornu (horn) and copia (abundance), also called the horn of plenty, was a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce, flowers, or nuts.”

A symbol of abundance and nourishment.

I believe you know what I’m going to say next. Reminds me of the promises and blessings that are in God’s word.

“The Lord will love you and bless you by giving you many children and plenty of food, wine, and olive oil. Your herds of cattle will have many calves, and your flocks of sheep will have many lambs.” Deuteronomy 7:13 CEV

Moses was preparing the Israelites for their new life in the promised land. God wasn’t taking them to an impoverished home, on the contrary, He was leading them to a land that was “flowing with milk and honey”.

The Lord made them some very specific promises and they still hold true today.

“You will have many children. You will harvest large crops, and your herds of cattle and flocks of sheep and goats will produce many young. 5 You will have plenty of bread to eat. 6 The Lord will make you successful in your daily work.” Deuteronomy 28:4-6 CEV

When I look at the cornucopia now, I see overflowing abundance. Most of the items are fruit. The very thing that Christ says will be produced in our lives when we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

“But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things.” Galatians 5:22-23 ERV

My thoughts take me to the mountainside where Jesus multiplied the fish and the bread of a little boy’s lunch.

“Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave thanks to God. Then he passed the bread to the people, and he did the same with the fish, until everyone had plenty to eat.” John 6:11 CEV

But more than that, I remember another mountainside message.

“Don’t worry and ask yourselves, “Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear?” 32 Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows you need all of these. 33 But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well.” Matthew 6:31-33 CEV

When we put God’s word and His will first place we will have a virtual spiritual cornucopia. In Christ we have more than enough.

Posted on

You Make Me Happy

It’s Monday. The beginning of a new week. Start it with joy. Start it by being happy.

“How can a young man live a clean life?
    He must be careful to obey your message.
10 I bring all my thoughts to you.
    Do not let me forget to obey your commands.
11 I always keep your message in my mind,
    so that I do not do anything bad against you.
12 Lord, everyone should praise you!
    Please teach me your laws.
13 You have taught us your rules.
    I want to speak them aloud for others to hear.
14 Your rules give me a happy life.
    When I obey them, it is better than being rich!
15 I want to think carefully about your teaching.
    You have shown me the best way to live.
16 Your laws make me very happy.
    I will not forget what you have taught me.” Psalm 119:9-16 EASY

Our heavenly Father desires for us to be filled with joy. In fact, the Bible tells us that when we are in His presence that’s where we find the fullest measure of joy.

“You will lead me along the path of life. Because you are with me, I am very happy. I know that I will be with you forever, and that makes me very happy!” Psalm 16:11 EASY

“You have shown me the path to life, and you make me glad by being near to me. Sitting at your right side, I will always be joyful.” Psalm 16:11 CEV

God wants our lives to be filled with joy. In fact, joy is one of the attributes the Holy Spirit brings to our lives. Joy grows like a fruit, it adds a sweetest to our daily existence.

“But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things.” Galatians 5:22-23 ERV

Even in difficult situations we can still have joy. There is joy in knowing that God won’t abandon us or leave us helpless but joy in knowing that He has the answers and will bring us through the roughest places.

“ My brothers and sisters, you will have many kinds of trouble. But this gives you a reason to be very happy. 3 You know that when your faith is tested, you learn to be patient in suffering. 4 If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be.” James 1:2-4 ERV

There was a time recorded in the Old Testament that the Israelites had wandered far from God’s law. In fact, they had been held in captivity, the walls around Jerusalem had been broken down, the temple had been vandalized and God’s word had been lost. Then came a time of recovery.

“They read the Book of the Law of God. They made it easy to understand, and explained what it meant. They did this so that the people could understand what was being read…10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy the good food and sweet drinks. Give some food and drinks to those who didn’t prepare any food. Today is a special day to our Lord. Don’t be sad, because the joy of the Lord will make you strong.” Nehemiah 8:8-10 ERV

Be joyful. Be strong. Let the word of God make you happy!

Posted on

Steadfast & Immovable

I’m sure you’ve had those moments when something pops into your mind and you say to yourself, “Gosh, I haven’t thought about that in a long time”. This morning is one of those moments for me.

I was praying over friends and family this morning and I began to pray these words. “Lord, let them be steadfast and immovable. A solid representation of Your love. Not moved by the world’s opinions but standing firm on Your infallible word”.

It was then a flood of Scriptures came rolling in. Verses I had committed to my heart years ago, verses that have been my life-line both physically, emotionally, and spiritually for many years.

Today, I liked to share them with you. Verses of victory and strength.

“But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.” I Corinthians 15:57-58 NLT

Steadfast and immovable. Steadfast: resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering

“If you live to satisfy your sinful self, the harvest you will get from that will be eternal death. But if you live to please the Spirit, your harvest from the Spirit will be eternal life. 9 We must not get tired of doing good. We will receive our harvest of eternal life at the right time. We must not give up. 10 When we have the opportunity to do good to anyone, we should do it…”Galatians 6:8-10 ERV

Don’t grow weary in well doing.

“ To end my letter I tell you, be strong in the Lord and in his great power. 11 Wear the full armor of God. Wear God’s armor so that you can fight against the devil’s clever tricks. 12 Our fight is not against people on earth. We are fighting against the rulers and authorities and the powers of this world’s darkness. We are fighting against the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly places. 13 That is why you need to get God’s full armor. Then on the day of evil, you will be able to stand strong. And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing.” Ephesians 6:10-13 ERV

When you’ve done all to stand, STAND.

“ Can anything separate us from Christ’s love? Can trouble or problems or persecution separate us from his love? If we have no food or clothes or face danger or even death, will that separate us from his love? 36 As the Scriptures say,

‘For you we are in danger of death all the time. People think we are worth no more than sheep to be killed.’

37 But in all these troubles we have complete victory through God, who has shown his love for us. 38-39 Yes, I am sure that nothing can separate us from God’s love—not death, life, angels, or ruling spirits. I am sure that nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us or nothing below us—nothing in the whole created world—will ever be able to separate us from the love God has shown us in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:35-39 ERV

Complete victory: more than a conqueror.

“We show our love for God by obeying his commandments, and they are not hard to follow.4 Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory. 5 No one can defeat the world without having faith in Jesus as the Son of God.” I John 5:3-5 CEV

Overcome the world.

My dear friend, your struggle is not too great for God. His word is the solid rock foundation to build our lives on. Built on His word we can be and will be steadfast and immovable in the storms and we will stand!

Posted on

Fruit Inspection

Dave and I grew up on the Arizona/California border. We were very familiar with the Agriculture Inspection Station at the border.

“Do you have any fruits or vegetables to declare?” That was always the question.

The Department of Agriculture didn’t want any pests transported from other states to the fruit and vegetable growing in California.

Did you know Jesus has something to say about fruit inspection?

He has been teaching on the mountain for three chapters now. We’ve heard him teach on adjusting our attitudes, how to pray, how not to worry about anything and not to judge others. All daily life, practical teaching from the heart of God.

As Jesus comes to the end of this time with the multitude He gives us a strict warning.

“Watch out for false prophets! They dress up like sheep, but inside they are wolves who have come to attack you. 16  You can tell what they are by what they do. No one picks grapes or figs from thornbushes. 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. 19  Every tree producing bad fruit will be chopped down and burned. 20  You can tell who the false prophets are by their deeds.” Matthew 7:15-20 CEV

What Jesus came to share was good news and it brings a harvest of good fruit. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Galatia about the fruit that God’s Spirit produces in our lives.

“ God’s Spirit makes us loving, happy, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, 23 gentle, and self-controlled. There is no law against behaving in any of these ways.” Galatians 5:22-23 CEV

This fruit is very similar to what Jesus described as the be-attitudes. It’s so important that we don’t allow our fruit to become infected by the harmful pests of pride, anger, fear, greed, malice and gossip. These things can and will ruin our fruit.

“Not everyone who calls me their Lord will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only the ones who obey my Father in heaven will get in. 22 On the day of judgment many will call me their Lord. They will say, ‘We preached in your name, and in your name we forced out demons and worked many miracles.’ 23  But I will tell them, ‘I will have nothing to do with you! Get out of my sight, you evil people!’” Matthew 7:21-23 CEV

God will judge, not us. In our day, we have seen examples of false prophets. Jim Jones is one of the first to come to mind. “We preached in your name”.

Our job is to be fruitful. Jesus gave us a clear message on that.

“Stay joined to me, and I will stay joined to you. Just as a branch cannot produce fruit unless it stays joined to the vine, you cannot produce fruit unless you stay joined to me. 5 I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you stay joined to me, and I stay joined to you, then you will produce lots of fruit. But you cannot do anything without me.” John 15:4-5 CEV

We don’t judge, but we do inspect fruit.

Posted on

Time for an “I” Exam

Just last week Dave went to the optometrist. He was able to pick up his new glasses on Friday. It’s interesting how just a little adjustment can make such a big difference in clearer vision.

Jesus is still teaching on the mountain and in today’s verses He’s called us all in for an “I” exam.

“ Don’t condemn others, and God won’t condemn you. 2  God will be as hard on you as you are on others! He will treat you exactly as you treat them.

3 You can see the speck in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the log in your own eye. 4 How can you say, “My friend, let me take the speck out of your eye,” when you don’t see the log in your own eye? 5 You’re nothing but show-offs! First, take the log out of your own eye; then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5 CEV

We have to remember that all of these verses from the last few days flow together from one teaching. Although little segments can be pulled out for study, they must stay in context with the whole message.

Jesus has already taught us on having a proper attitude, not being a showoff and being light and salt in a world that has spent so much time in darkness. He’s emphasized that we are to love as the Father loves. It only follows that He would instruct more thoroughly on how to treat and deal with others.

Don’t judge unless we would like to be judged. (I didn’t say it, Jesus did.)

Yikes, that one hits pretty close to home. I think we all can fall into that dangerous ditch of judging. That’s why we need to have our eyes examined. It’s easy to see the faults in others; sometimes we even magnify them, and then we overlook our own faults.

But Christ saw that we all need a Saviour.

“Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could be right with God.” II Corinthians 5:21 ERV

“Honor God by accepting each other, as Christ has accepted you.” Romans 15:7 CEV

” But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. 35 If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 CEV

“ If you think you are better than others, when you really aren’t, you are wrong. 4 Do your own work well, and then you will have something to be proud of. But don’t compare yourself with others.” Galatians 6:3-4 CEV

“God treats everyone alike. He accepts people only because they have faith in Jesus Christ. 23 All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. 24 But God treats us much better than we deserve, and because of Christ Jesus, he freely accepts us and sets us free from our sins.” Romans 3:22-24 CEV

Now, don’t choke on your coffee when you read “He treats everyone alike”. God’s grace and mercy is extended to all of us. “God loved the WORLD, so He gave his only Son”.

We don’t have to agree with what everyone says or does. God forbid, because then we would be agreeing with sin and that’s what God has delivered us from.

But, we do need to see through His eyes and love the sinner as He did for us without judging and condemning them. In God’s eyes, sin is sin. No big, no little – just sin that stops us all from having a personal relationship with Him. All sin is forgivable and once forgiven gives us a relationship with the Father.

Let’s have the Father give us an “I” exam and fit us with proper lens so that we see the world through His eyes!

Posted on

Not Easily Broken

Those are the words I was given for today. However, the context they were applied to is a new concept for me.

“A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT

Most of the time this verse is taught on the message conveyed is one of friendship or marriage. Friend helping friend or husband, wife, and God forming a three-fold cord. I agree with both those teachings.

But this morning my thoughts went to I Corinthians 13.

” Love will never end. But all those gifts will come to an end—even the gift of prophecy, the gift of speaking in different kinds of languages, and the gift of knowledge. 9 These will all end because this knowledge and these prophecies we have are not complete. 10 But when perfection comes, the things that are not complete will end.

11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, and I made plans like a child. When I became a man, I stopped those childish ways. 12 It is the same with us. Now we see God as if we are looking at a reflection in a mirror. But then, in the future, we will see him right before our eyes. Now I know only a part, but at that time I will know fully, as God has known me. 13 So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.” I Corinthians 13:8-13 ERV

The spiritual gifts we have been given will come to end one day. Their purpose will be complete. When we stand face to face with the Father there will no longer be any need for them because we will be complete in His presence.

Until then we need to continue to experience and share the gifts He has given us. These gifts aid us as we grow in our walk with Him from childhood to maturity. The more we learn of God the clearer we see Him and His wonderful love for us.

Three things should continually guide us in our walk; faith, hope and love.

In Christ we have hope, hope for a future and hope makes not ashamed. Then our faith gives life to what we hope for; faith gives hope substance. But without love faith doesn’t work.

“Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.” Hebrews 11:1 NLT

“ And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 NLT

“Hope never makes us ashamed because the love of God has come into our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who was given to us.” Romans 5:5 NLV

” I say this because our hope of being right with God comes through faith. And the Spirit helps us feel sure as we wait for that hope. 6 When someone belongs to Christ Jesus, it is not important if they are circumcised or not. The important thing is faith—the kind of faith that works through love.” Galatians 5:5-6 ERV

Father, I desire to see your love working in me today as I grow in you and to see your love working through me today so that others may see you more clearly. In Jesus name.

The strength we have for today can be found in the three-fold cord of faith, hope and love. The greatest of these is love!

Posted on

Growing Strong

As I was reading in Psalms this morning, I came across some verses I needed to think on for a while. In light of yesterday’s blog, these verses took on a deeper meaning.

Psalm 85 is captioned “A Prayer for Peace” in the CEV translation. That title intrigued me, and what I read in the last few verses really ministered to me.

“I will listen to you, Lord God, because you promise peace to those who are faithful and no longer foolish. 9 You are ready to rescue everyone who worships you, so that you will live with us in all your glory. 10 Love and loyalty will come together; goodness and peace will unite. 11 Loyalty will sprout from the ground; justice will look down from the sky above. 12 Our Lord, you will bless us; our land will produce wonderful crops. 13 Justice will march in front, making a path for you to follow.” Psalm 85:8-13 CEV

“I will listen to what God the Lord will say. For He will speak peace to His people, to those who are right with Him. But do not let them turn again to foolish things. 9 For sure His saving power is near those who fear Him, so His shining-greatness may live in the land. 10 Loving-kindness and truth have met together. Peace and what is right and good have kissed each other. 11 Truth comes up from the earth. And what is right and good looks down from heaven. 12 Yes, the Lord will give what is good. And our land will give its fruit. 13 What is right and good will go before Him and make a way for His steps.” Psalm 85:8-13 NLV

Seed sprouting in the ground, producing a crop. It’s what we were talking about yesterday. The ground..the seed..the crop.

When we listen to God’s word, what He says, we are receiving seed. Seed that will sprout up from the ground. When the ground is good the harvest will be fruitful. I know that this is referring to the land of Israel having bountiful crops but I believe it is more than that, it’s a changed heart.

Peace, truth, love, goodness. This is the same fruit that Paul tells us will grow in our lives when we have the Holy Spirit controlling us.

“But the fruit that comes from having the Holy Spirit in our lives is: love, joy, peace, not giving up, being kind, being good, having faith, 23 being gentle, and being the boss over our own desires. The Law is not against these things.” Galatians 5:22-23 NLV

When the ground of our hearts is prepared, and the seed is planted we will produce a harvest.

“ And those are the ones sown on the good soil. They hear the word and accept it and produce fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” Mark 4:20 TLV

May we allow God’s word a place to grow strong in our lives.

Posted on

To the Rescue

This morning has me thinking about my dad. Dad was a good man. He loved mom, us kids and the Lord. He was an impressive figure of a man; handsome, strong, rugged, loyal, outspoken and he hated injustice.

Dad wasn’t well educated, only went to the 7th grade but he was one of the smartest men I know. He could read people, their sincerity or deceit and he could fix or build anything.

Dad’s been gone for 19 years now, and I miss him. When we find a great new lake, I think of Dad. Driving through a river valley and spotting a good place to fish, building a new shed, fixing the car – all make me think of him.

Watching my grandchildren grow into good people, playing with our newest grandchild, talking to our grown kids – all these make me miss him and grateful that I have so many wonderful memories.

There were times that I needed Daddy to come to my rescue and he did. Never a question that he wouldn’t be there to help and defend. Now if I had done something stupid he would talk to me about that later but first instinct was to come to my aid.

Maybe you don’t have such a good memory of your relationship with your dad but your Heavenly Father desires a relationship with you that is so much greater than any you’ve ever had with your earthly father.

“All of you are God’s children because of your faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And when you were baptized, it was as though you had put on Christ in the same way you put on new clothes. 28 Faith in Christ Jesus is what makes each of you equal with each other, whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a free person, a man or a woman. 29 So if you belong to Christ, you are now part of Abraham’s family, and you will be given what God has promised…Now that we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts. And his Spirit tells us that God is our Father. 7 You are no longer slaves. You are God’s children, and you will be given what he has promised.” Galatians 3:26-4:7 CEV

In God’s family we are all equal – the same blessings are available to all of us. God’s love is not greater for one than the other; His mercy is given freely to us all and His protection and provision are not awarded with prejudice or bias. It’s our faith in Jesus Christ that makes us equal.

You’re heavenly Father loves you and whatever you may be going through today He’s right there with you and when things get bigger than you can handle your Dad’s got this. Let Him handle it!

Posted on

No Coincidence

Through my years, I have learned that there are no coincidences with God.

This morning while I was praying I thanked God, the Father, for providing us with a “free” will. Then I said thank you to Jesus for paying the price for our salvation making it a “free” gift. Lastly, I thanked the Holy Spirit for guiding us each day and reminding us of the freedom that we have in Christ.

Free indeed!

Then I began reading in Psalms and there David was thanking God for freeing him of his past sins. From there my reading took me to the book of Daniel and I read the story of Daniel being sentenced to the lions’ den for his faithfulness to God. When Daniel was freed, he gave credit to God for his salvation.

My Bible reading ended this morning in Galatians, chapter 5.

“We have freedom now, because Christ made us free. So stand strong in that freedom. Don’t go back into slavery again…13 My brothers and sisters, God chose you to be free. But don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do what pleases your sinful selves. Instead, serve each other with love. 14 The whole law is made complete in this one command: “Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.” 15 If you continue hurting each other and tearing each other apart, be careful, or you will completely destroy each other. 16 So I tell you, live the way the Spirit leads you. Then you will not do the evil things your sinful self wants… 22 But the fruit that the Spirit produces in a person’s life is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these kinds of things. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their sinful self. They have given up their old selfish feelings and the evil things they wanted to do. 25 We get our new life from the Spirit, so we should follow the Spirit.” Galatians 5:1, 13-16, 22-25 ERV

Free will, free salvation, free direction!

Just exactly what I had been praying about before I started reading.

Our freedom in Christ is no coincidence. It was planned in heaven before the world began. While we were in rebellion to God, He made a way for us to be reconciled (made right) with Him.

“So now anyone who is in Christ Jesus is not judged guilty. 2 That is because in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit that brings life made you free. It made you free from the law that brings sin and death. “ Romans 8:1-2

God’s plan is our freedom; free from sin, free from fear, from guilt, from anger, from selfishness, from hate. Our freedom is no coincidence – it’s the intentional plan of our loving Father.

Posted on

Building A House

Counting the Cost of building a house is something all of us should consider. Not just a physical house of wood, brick and mortar but the house we call life.

“If it is not the Lord who builds a house, the builders are wasting their time. If it is not the Lord who watches over the city, the guards are wasting their time.” Psalm 127:1 ERV

The last few days Dave and I have been busier than usual. On Friday, Kim & Austin came out to help us build furniture, put things up, paint and move boxes in. Saturday, Kaci & Stephen came and there were still boxes to move in and unpacked. Much to be shuttled from the RV to the new place. It was busy; we were tired and sore but very grateful to have had this time with them.

Memories were recounted, tears were shed, and laughter seasoned the hard work.

“Children are a blessing and a gift from the Lord. 4 Having a lot of children to take care of you in your old age is like a warrior with a lot of arrows.” Psalm 127:3-4 CEV

Just like building a home, building a life is hard work and we need people to help us along the way. It all starts with a good foundation.

“If you wanted to build a building, you would first sit down and decide how much it would cost. You must see if you have enough money to finish the job. 29 If you don’t do that, you might begin the work, but you would not be able to finish. And if you could not finish it, everyone would laugh at you. 30 They would say, ‘This man began to build, but he was not able to finish.’…

33 “It is the same for each of you. You must leave everything you have to follow me. If not, you cannot be my follower.” Luke 14:28-30, 33 ERV

Jesus was talking to men who had physically left all to follow Him. We are called to follow Christ with our whole hearts. Making a commitment to Him, being obedient to His word and giving up our desires to take on His.

“The people who come to me, who listen to my teachings and obey them—I will show you what they are like: 48 They are like a man building a house. He digs deep and builds his house on rock. The floods come, and the water crashes against the house. But the flood cannot move the house, because it was built well.

49 “But the people who hear my words and do not obey are like a man who builds a house without preparing a foundation. When the floods come, the house falls down easily and is completely destroyed.” Luke 6:47-49 ERV

Building a house, whether physical or spiritual, is not without its rewards. One for this life and the other for life everlasting.

Yesterday it was just Dave and I. Still much to do – boxes to unpack, things to move in – we are building a home, creating memories and making a place where friends, family, and acquaintances can come to rest.

“We must not get tired of doing good. We will receive our harvest of eternal life at the right time. We must not give up.” Galatians 6:9 ERV

Let me encourage you. Don’t get weary, don’t give up, don’t quit! Building a house is worth the effort.

Privacy Policy Proudly powered by WordPress