Being Dull is OK?

Scripture


John 11:11-16
11After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."
12His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
14So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
16Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."


Mark 7:17-18
17After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18"Are you so dull?" he asked.


Observation
Jesus was two miles from where Lazarus was when he became sick-deathly sick, and Mary requested that Jesus come. The Bible does not say what Jesus continued to do, but it says that he stayed where he was for two more days. He heads out to Bethany where Lazarus is, and he is tells the disciples that "their friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but he is going to wake him up." The disciples reply, "Well, if he is sick(implied) and sleeping, then he will wake up(implied) and get better." So he comes the fastball right down the center of the plate-verse 14..."So then he told them plainly, Lazarus is dead." I don't know the time frame, as to how many years now the disciples have been with Christ, but it's been a while; and the disciples still need Jesus to speak plainly to them. Why were the disciples so unable to understand what Jesus was telling them? From life experiences it appears the disciples were like kindergartners who you have to sit down and say, "Here are the crayons-blue/orange/red/yellow/green, and here is the paper. Pick up the crayon, put it between your fingers, apply the crayon to the paper and make a line down, across, back up, and across again to make a square." When it should be, "everyone get out your crayons, paper and draw a square".


Application
Who am I? Am I the disciple who is clueless to what Jesus is saying, and Jesus has to get right in front of me, bend down to look at me, look me straight in the eyes, asks me to look him straight in the eyes, asks me if he has my attention, asks me if I am ready to listen and then talks to me real slow so I don't miss anything, or miss interpret any words? I definitely don't want to be that guy, and I would think that most a Christians would not want to be that guy. But does it really matter? Yes. Because I want to clearly hear God when he speaks to me, however he speaks. A good friend recently blogged this---I do talk with God like I would talk with anybody else. Yes, He talks with me too. Sometimes, He points at something as I pass by in my life. He says, "Hey, Look at this! Do you see what I see?" Sometimes I think He's just playing with my mind, but then, as my eyes focus, I really do see what He sees.


But in the much broader scope the answer is No. Why? In Lamentaions 3:23 it talks about the Lords compassion's: They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. So if I don't hear it right-God tells me that He's got me covered; if I don't act right-God's got me covered; if I am too busy for ......-God's got me covered, if God has to speak to me plainly-He's still got me covered; if I am dull-God's got me covered. What a wonder!!!! I want to know God more, I want to hear him-whether through the Word, or seeing His creation for what it is, having the Holy Spirit speak to my spirit, etc. But if I don't, Jesus will still speak to me, walk next to me, he won't leave because I continue to frustrate him and "he just can't put up with it any more." He will extend his nail scarred hand to me, and continue walking with me in process.

Prayer

Father, In so many ways I am like the disciples who were dull of hearing what Jesus was really trying to say, and Jesus had to break it down in "plain English" to them. I don't want to be like them, I want to hear and understand things clearly from you. I pray that you would forgive me when I attempt to put on my own filters of your voice and direction. I thank you that your mercy is ever extended when I miss the mark. Help my spirit be "laser locked" into you, and your ways so your glory will be revealed more each day. Amen.

Am I Doing What The Voices in My Head Tells Me To Do

Scripture

John 10:1-5
1"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."

James 1:13-15
13When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Observation
Jesus is giving some analogies to shepherding, who comes in the front gate, who is climbing over the fence, and who's voice the sheep follow. Sheep as you may know are wandering animals, and need a shepherd to lead them, and to call them. But Jesus says this about sheep,(which is you and I) that we will not follow a stranger, but in fact run from him because we do not recognize the stranger voice.

Application
Who's voice am I letting speak to me? James says that we are tempted by my own desire, then I am enticed and and the temptation conceives, then it gives birth to sin, and when sin is full grown, it brings me death. So reflecting on my post from a few days ago, Jesus tells me that Satan is a liar, the father of lies. So am I going to listen to the voice of lies, or to my shepherd? The voice of lies may "seem more sexy" when you first hear it and start to think about it, but in the end brings me death. As everyone tells you, we have to be a good listener, and even more I have to be a more careful listener, so I listen to my shepherd and not the liar.

Prayer
Father,
There are two voices in this world; yours and a liars. I ask that you would help me to have my hearing aids on full power, so I clearly hear your voice. I know the liar will speak to me, but I ask that my ears are dead to that voice and will be unable to listen to it. Amen.

I'm Blind

Scripture

John 9:1-7; 20-21; 25
1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
3"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
6Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 7"Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

20"We know he is our son," the parents answered, "and we know he was born blind. 21But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don't know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself."

25He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!"

Observation
Imagine this: A blind man from birth( he has never seen light/stars/people/geography) sitting beside the road, and some people walk past you and start talking about you. The next thing you experience is hearing a man beside spit...on the ground. You have probably been humiliated most of your life, so you probably think the spit will land on you; if this man is like the others. You hear the man bend down in front of you, you hear something on the ground, and the next thing you know this person is smearing mud on your blind eyes. What is going on? If this were today, there would be 3 attorneys trying to sue Jesus for touching the man without his permission! So Jesus tells him to "Go wash in the Pool of Siloam." How did this blind man know where to go? How ridiculous did a blind man look with mud covering his eyes and running down his face? Did he run down, did he wander like I would very cautiously fearing that I may run into someone or something? But the man went, and went home seeing. He did not return to Jesus, but he went home. What was happening down at the Pool as he washed his face? Imagine cautiously opening up your eyes, when you feel all the mud washed off, and SEEING. What did he see first, what was his heart rate beating at as he opened his eyes?
So people kept questioning him, how did this happen, who healed you? His parents reply in verse 21, "we don't know how this happened", and then in verse 25 the former blind man tells the crowd, "I don't know, but the one thing I do know is that I was blind but now I can see."

Application
I was born blind too. I did not know God when I was born, in fact my natural man wars against the things of God. Jesus being the light of the world opened my eyes so I could receive him. But am I still blind today? Would I "Go"? Jesus create the mud, applied/pressed it onto/into his eyes and told him to Go. What type of faith did it take him to believe everything that was happening around him? Would I have that type of faith or have I become calloused and cold, questioning the things I can not see, and how I feel? When was the last time Jesus knelt down in front of me, touched me, applied what he had made onto me, and told me to Go, and I replied with, "I'm busy right now, can I do it later?", "You want me to go where, when, looking like this?", "Am I being punked?" Doubt, and disobedience dominate my thought. What I see in this scripture is God wanting to me to believe and have the faith to follow and do exactly as He directs. Did Jesus have to put mud on the guys so he couldn't open his eyes and "peek?" The guy was blind, Jesus could have just told him to go to the pool and wash. But the man stayed in an uncomfortable situation, a stranger applying mud to your eyes, and running down your face. This speaks to me that I need to stay and obey God when I feel uncomfortable. I need to wait for God to instruct me and then do it exactly as he says. And then I need to be like the blind/seeing man......."I don't know what happened, but I waited for Jesus to finish next to the road, then I did what he told me to do- I somehow found the river, threw myself in and washed my eyes and face clean and I can see." Obedient. Am I as obedient as he was?

Prayer
Father, You plan is always better than my plan. You have shown me through Jesus how I am to be obedient, and from obedience comes blessings. I pray that you would show me areas in my life that I am not obedient to you in, and you would continue to mold my heart into one of obedience. Amen

Slave or Free?

Scripture
John 8:34-36
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Observation
Jesus continues to discuss with the Jews that he is sent from the Father and speaks the things from his Fathers heart. He tells them that they are slaves to sin, but they push back telling him that they are Abraham's descendants and are not slaves. Throughout this whole book, Jesus is making it very clear about who and what we are. We either are Believers of or we reject Christ, we either have life in the Spirit or have nothing through the flesh. Here Jesus is telling me that if I sin then I am a slave to sin, but the He sets me free. Which one do I really want?

Application
So am I a slave to sin, or am I free? The word slave means to be wholly subject to another; entirely under the domination of some influence. But here is the Great news. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:2, that the Spirit of Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death. Believing in Jesus, I have been set free from the law of being a slave to sin. Sin is in the world. I am a human who sins. But I am a sinner who is free from being a slave to sin. I need to believe these words of Christ and the words God gave the Apostle Paul. I am a free man, from being wholly subject to a sin. I can walk in that, because Jesus told me that He has set me free. So I should act like it. Think about a prisoner who has been set free. They wildly run around, everywhere; there are no restrictions. Jesus has done the same thing for me, opened the gates and set me free. He goes on to say that the devil is a liar. So the devil will try to tell me that I can't get away from a sin, but Jesus has told me that He has set me free. So the question for today is: Who will I believe-Jesus who told me that He set me free from sin, or the devil who is a liar and will tell me that the sin is good and it isn't hurting anyone?

Prayer
Father,
You sent Christ to set me free. Your desire is for me to be free. I ask that you would keep my eyes open to the lies of the devil, as he tries to enslave me to sin. Amen.

To Whom Shall I Go?

Scripture
John 6:62-69

62What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 64Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."
66From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
68Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God

Observation
After Jesus arrives in Capernaum, he speaks with some Jews and explains that HE alone is the bread of life. That HE alone is doing what the Father wills. He gets done speaking to the Jews, and his disciples are confused and grumbling about what he just talked about. He tries to break it down for them, so they will understand. He explains that the Spirit gives life, the flesh counts for nothing. After that many of the disciples left the group, and Jesus speaks to the 12, and asks them if they are going to leave and Peter steps forward to say, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.

Application
In verse 63 when Jesus says, The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing, He is telling me where to put my priorities. The word nothing means "non-existent". I need to break this down. So my job title-means nothing; the big house on the hill-doesn't exist; the educational diplomas-zip; the leadership in my community-nope; so if everything that my eyes see means nothing, then the question has to be asked what counts. Jesus gives me the answer, His Spirit, God's Spirit, THE Spirit gives me life. What does that look like, what does that mean? Jesus gives me the answer, very clearly in the 2nd half of verse 63; The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. So if I follow what Jesus has spoken to me, I will have life. In John 10:10 Jesus tells me that I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Following Jesus means I will have a full/abundant life. He has told me that the things of this world are nothing, the Apostle Paul tells me that the things of this world are as "rubbish"/"trash".
So the question I have for myself is, "to whom am I turning in times of trouble?" Do I turn to more hard work to make a name for myself, do I turn to comfort in a large house, do I turn to gossiping about others to make ME look better, do I turn to jealousy of other people and their success OR am I doing what Peter said and turning to Jesus because He and He alone has the words of eternal life.
Another question that I need to ask myself is this, What do I want from life, what am I "chasing"; the fleshy things or the eternal things? To determine that I need to take A VERY HONEST LOOK at my life. Where is my time spent?; Do I spend hours on projects for me and ZERO on widows/orphans/the needy? When I look at my checkbook, where is my money spent?; is it all on me for the Big Screen and the Spinners-things that will be in a Landfill in 5-20 years from now or is it on spiritual/kingdom building? What types of things are coming out of my mouth?; Are they words of life and hope, or words of condemnation, ungratefulness and untrust?
The reality is that all those things are in me, BUT when I see them I need to do exactly what Peter said and "turn to Jesus" and have His Life set me in a different direction, one which builds eternity instead of nothingness.

Prayer
Father,
Again your word is so very clear. Jesus is the only way to obtain eternal life, and this world has nothing for me. In fact the things of this world are worth so little, that in really they don't even exist. I ask that you would awake me to the things in my life that are nothing. That if I am spending to much time and effort on a nothing project, that your Holy Spirit would speak to me, so I would "go to Jesus and his words" to produce eternal things. I ask that you would help me absorb all the words of Jesus and Your word, so my eyes and ways are fixed on eternal things, and the ways of the Spirit, so I will fulfill the ways of the Spirit/Jesus/You, and not fulfil any of the lusts/ways/thoughts/ of the flesh. Thank you for reconstructive work you are doing in my life. Amen.

Stuck in the Middle Again

Scripture
John 6:17-21
17And they took a boat and were going across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and still Jesus had not [yet] come back to them.
18Meanwhile, the sea was getting rough and rising high because of a great and violent wind that was blowing.
19When they had rowed three or three and a half miles they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water.
21Then they were willing to take him into the boat.

Observation
When was the last time you were in the middle of a lake or on the ocean, 3 1/2 miles away from shore? It's been a long time for me, but I do know that I could not see the shore and that was very unsettling to me. Think about these guys.

They are in a 1st century fishing boat, there are no Coast Guard approved Life Jackets under the seats; it is not just nighttime it is DARK nighttime; they are without Jesus; not only were the seas a bit rough but they were rising high(6-10 foot swells); and the wind was violent enough that it could destroy the boat they were in. They are not only in a precarious spot, but it is very probable that they would not survive the night. What were the emotions of the disciples? Were they feeling hopeless in the situation, were they feeling abandoned, were they questioning God as to where he was? What was spinning around in their head? But then Jesus does what He always does. He shows up! The disciples were do upset and full of panic that when they saw Jesus they were terrified. But Jesus brought words of Peace, "It is I; don't be afraid". Then they asked Jesus, WILLING, into the boat.

Application
I need to ask myself these questions?
1) When was the last time I felt alone/without a life preserver/saw nothing but darkness around me/felt tossed here and there by life/felt everything & everyone violently opposing me?
2) How did I respond when I was there?
3) What did I look like?
4) Who was I looking for?

Life is just like the disciples in the boat. I may feel alone, without hope, engulfed by darkness, tossed this way and that way, so what should I do!? I should do EXACTLY what they did; they willing took Jesus in. So the question for me is: Do I willing take Jesus in when I face any types of struggles? Or do I just keep rowing, fighting with all my might to go up against the struggle I face? What is my first reaction? As I grow in the Lord, my immediate first reaction should be to turn my eyes to heaven, open my hands to what I am holding onto for dear life, close my eyes to the turmoiling situation around me and ask Jesus to come with me in the journey I am going through.

Prayer

Father, Thank you for such a clear picture of how life throws us around, and what the solution is to bring about peace, and that is asking Jesus to come on board with me. You have given that to me, so that I can have life to the full. I ask that you would help me to willingly bring Jesus in, and that he not be my last resort. That just as my knee reacts to a doctors bang, I pray that with your guidance my first reaction to any time the enemy is making me feel alone/terrified/in a dark place/tossed around/everything is resisting me, I would wiling ask Jesus to come with me. I thank you that with Jesus I will make it to the shore! Amen.

Two Choices

Scripture
John 3:36 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him.


John 4:23-24 23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.


Observation
God has made to VERY clear what my choice in life is; Believe or Reject Christ. Jesus has made it crystal clear that He has come to save the world, that He has come to give us eternal life, that He has come to shed light in a dark world. I can Believe that or Reject. The word Believe is defined as: "to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something" or ".follow a credo; have a faith; be a believer". The word Reject means: to refuse to have, take, recognize and to refuse to accept (someone or something); rebuff. Those are the two choices I have regarding Christ. It is not a Buffet of a 100 choices for different situations, different times. Believe or Reject. If I believe in Christ I then will rely on him, I will have absolute confidence in Him in all things, at all times. If I reject Him, I will refuse to follow His direction, will not take on His ways, and refuse to accept one philosophy or all His philosophies.

Jesus goes on to say in 4:23-24 that the true believers/worshippers will worship God in spirit and truth, and that is the kind of worshipper God seeks. God whats someone who believes and worships Him as He is; as Spirit. He doesn't need us to physically worship Him and make a big show out of it, but to have a renewed heart in my spirit, so my spirit can connect with His and worship will be complete.

Application
I need to believe Everything that Jesus spoke of, and what the Bible says. The world may label me as "closed minded"/"prejudice"/"old-fashioned" because the Bible is very clear about this Believe Issue, as well as everything else. The world and the opinions of it offer me no reward, so why would I want to go along with the crowd. There are Biblical standards/principles that are ABSOLUTE and must be taken/believed as such. I must follow them ALL, even if I am not in a full understanding of them. Because the more I believe in God and His ways, the more I will see from a kingdom stand point, instead of this clouded worldly view. My belief will turn into worship, and I will worship God in spirit.

Prayer
Father, You have made it very clear, I will either Believe or Reject You. I choose to Believe in the God of this Universe, the Creator of all. I ask that you help me keep my spirit in line with your Spirit so that my worship is true and pure. Amen.

Christ, The Surgeon on Call

Scripture
19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Observation
Jesus is talking with Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish Ruling Council about how to be born again. In this portion, Jesus talks about mankind's heart, and our propensity to be drawn to darkness, to love darkness instead of the light. Jesus is the light of the world exposing the deeds of man. A Question: When was the last time I asked Jesus to shine His Light on everything in my life, to expose any "evil deeds" in my life? Jesus came to free me from sin and death. Evil deeds are sin. What evil deeds are in me, either on the surface or deep in the soul?

Application
I don't consider my self to be evil, BUT anything that does not build up the kingdom of God, is in the evil category. I think about our world, we have-as our Pastor has told us-become "amoral". Meaning I can do whatever I want, as long as it does not hurt anyone else, it is completely fine. So do I have things in my life that could be defined as "amoral"? If I do, those are evil. Do I have envy, jealousy, selfishness, idolatry(sports-hobbies) anger-which are accepted behaviors in today's society, but they are evil, because they take away from God working in me, building his kingdom. What should I do? I need to be honest with myself about what is in my life. I need to fillet myself open and expose "me" to God.(God knows my depravity, so my evilness will be no surprise to God, the problem is that I am trying to hide it and keep it close to me in safe keeping). I need to ask the God of the Universe to shine His Light on my evilness. And THEN, God will burn up the chaff in my life. It will be like God doing surgery on me with a laser, and will cut the evil disease right out of me. I will be free, just as God wanted all along. Glory, it feels good to be Free.

Prayer
Father, You have provided a way for me to walk in your Light, and that way is through Christ. But evil ways in me throw me off the path, or block it completely. You have not left me stranded. Thank you for always providing a way for me. I submit my life to you as an open book, I ask that you shine light on me to expose any evil ways in me. Reveal those to me, so I will not harbor them in friendly arenas, but release them to you, so can burn them from my life.

Jesus Gave Me Everything

Scripture
John 1:1-13
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

Observation
The word is very clear that Jesus is the word, Jesus is God, Jesus was with God and Jesus was with God in the Beginning. This is the God we serve. He has been here since the beginning. It is hard for a me to wrap my mind around that. Everything with us begins and ends. On the 6th day of creation, before God made man-Jesus was there participating. On the 5th day of creation when all filled the seas-Jesus was there. On the 4th day of creation when lights in the sky was created-Jesus was there. On the 3rd day of creation when plants were created-Jesus saw it happen. On the 2nd day of creation when land was created-Jesus watched it happen. On day 1 when God spoke light into existence-Jesus spoke it right along side God. Before Gen 1:1 "In the Beginning"-Jesus was before that. If we followed evolutionist theories, the earth is millions or billions of years old. If that were true, guess what-Jesus was before that. Here is the real point, in John 1:12 it says that Jesus gave me the right to become a child of God. So the God of everything, the God of the beginning wants me to be his child, to reveal himself to me, so just like he spoke everything into existence, the authorized me to become his child-if I would receive him and believe in him. He spoke that right into existence for me. Without it I would not be able to have relationship. In Romans 12:3 it tells that God has given me a measure of faith. So to recap, Jesus gave me the right to be his son, then he gave himself and he also gave me the faith to believe in him. I think God wants relationship with me.

Application
To be honest, I don't think I can apply anything to this, but to worship.
Love, Worship, Honor; sing and proclaim Holy/Holy/Holy are you Jesus.

Prayer
Father, You and Jesus have been there since the beginning. God Creator. You were not created, nor did you create Jesus in the beginning. You have always been. You revealed yourself to us through Jesus and have GIVEN to me EVERYTHING I need to establish and have a relationship with you. I praise and thank you for that. I pray you would help keep my eyes on you. I pray that I would somehow give you the Honor and Praise due your name. I pray that because of the relationship I have with you, that the world would see how Magnificent you are. Let everything I do bring praise to you, because you are Almighty, because you have given everything to me to have an everlasting relationship with you. Amen.

Do's & Don't OR Being Born Again

Scripture

Galatians 6:15
15Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.

John 3:7 "You must be born again"


Observation
Paul has told us about being held to the law, and that being held to the law traps us, and that Christ came to free us from all the do's and don't. There are still acts of righteousness and Godliness that we need to follow, but we are not held down by a "law". So after all is said and done, Paul tells us that it doesn't matter if I am circumcisioned or uncircumcisioned(having to follow a man made law) but what really counts is me being a new creation. This reminded me to what Jesus said, "I must be born again."

Application
Have I been following all the do's and don'ts, or have I been set free by becoming a new creation in Christ; Have I been born again? Christ said no one would enter the kingdom of God without being born again. I will not enter the kingdom of God if I give to the needy, if I buy gas for someone, if I send out get well notes, if I am nice to someone....NO. Those are all by-products of Christ/God regenerating my depraved human heart. I have to surrender my heart/life to Christ and be born again.

Prayer
You have provided the path to your kingdom, and that was the sacrifice of Christ. I thank you that you have given me the faith to believe in you. I ask that you would help me to display to this sinful world, how you love us and want to reveal to us your fullness. Amen

Beware of the Yeast

Scripture
Galatians 5:9 A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough

Matthew 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.


Observation
In chapter 4:9-10 Paul is warning the Galatians to stop returning to weak and miserable principles which was enslaving them into works and the law. He went on to warn them to stop observing special days/months/season and years. They had probably returned to a worship of those things, as their society did; ie they were just going along with what the world was doing around them. So we get to Gal. 5:9, "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough". That is very similar to what Jesus said in Matthew 16:6 telling us to take heed of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. God is instructing me to not let "things" take over my life.

Application
I am not a baker, but I do know when I make sourdough pancakes, the yeast I put in with the flour completely infuses the flour and water. So it is with the ways of the world. If I am not careful the "yeast of the world" can infuse me as well. So the question I have for myself, is how do I keep the yeast out, or if there is yeast/leaven in "just living" how do I keep it from reproducing and contaminating my life? I guess first of all I need to examine what leaven I have, in my life, that would be like the Pharisees and Sadducees. For example, do I watch Sex and the City because I think it is funny-BUT the leaven of the falsehood of sleeping around with out being married is infusing itself into my life, how about the Non-Christian friends I am hanging around with who live and act in complete opposition to God's ways. If I accept those into life, that Un-Godly yeast will grow and produce Un-Godly growth instead of the "spiritual growth" I desire. So I need to examine all things in my life, to see what type of growth that activity is giving me, Un-Godly or Godly.

Prayer

Father, I have many things in and around my life. Each one of those can rise up like yeast, and cause more Un-Godliness or more Godliness. I can not live in a bubble, but I can follow you closer, so the yeast/leaven around me will have less impact on me. Amen.

Am I Foolish?

Scripture
Galatians 2
20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 3
3Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
22But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin.
26You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Observation
Paul is addressing the Galatia church about why some of them have turned back to false teachings and beliefs, so he gives them a few reminders; "you have been crucified with Christ, so it is not I who really is alive, because Christ lives in me", "you died with Christ so you could live free, why are you trying to attain freedom/righteousness/glory by your small human effort", "the whole world(you) are a prisoner to sin/your own efforts", but "through faith in Jesus, and being baptized into Christ you have been fully clothed with Christ, and are heirs according to the blessings of Abraham."

Application
The verse that pops off the page is Galatians 3:3. Paraphrasing Paul, he has said, "Jesus came and rescued you from being a prisoner to this sinful world, we have been justified by faith in Jesus, not the law. You can gain nothing from following just the law. Jesus made you righteous in the eyes of God. So why are you being fools and trying to follow attain righteousness by your own efforts? You were given the Spirit in the beginning and now you are trying to do it on your own? That is impossible to do. Jesus suffered and died, don't rely upon anything you can do, but if you have believed you have been clothed with Christ."

So the question needs to be asked "am I a fool, for trying to attain things through my own human effort?" Paul says..in 3:3 "After beginning in the Spirit." Think about what he is saying.
When you first believed you were in the Spirit, the Holy/Powerful/Mighty/Omnipotent Spirit,
(the best meal you have every had, the best wine you have ever drunk, the most freedom you have every had, the best relationship ever experienced) BUT/AND now you have decided to try to be Godly/righteous through your own efforts? What a fool? I've had the best of the best of the best, but I return to comfort level in my daily walk. What am I doing on a human level trying to obtain blessings or righteousness? Is it listening to more sermons, is it giving cookies away, is it making phone calls to senior citizens? Non of these are "foolish" when done when I am led by the Spirit, but if I do them just to do them and feel better about myself, I am a fool.

How do I resist being a fool, and being satisfied with "beginning in the Spirit". I think it has to do with complete surrender to Christ. If I was completely surrendered to Christ, and continued to be clothed in Christ then that is enough. I don't need to try to add different human efforts to have God look at me in any better light, then through the eyes of Christ. God sees me as His son, His Righteousness purely because of Christ, not because of any human effort on my part.
If God leads me to do things as a representative of His, then yes I must do that human effort, to further the kingdom of God, but not because I think God will think better of me if I do it.

Prayer
Father, You have provided everything I need to be your child. This world wants to hold me as a prisoner, but you sent Christ to set me free, to be clothed in Christ. You have provided protection through Christ. I ask that you burn out of me anything I am doing as a human effort to gain more of you. I do not want to be a fool, because you have given me the best from the beginning, and I do not want to replace any of that with wasteless/useless/tasteless/ Warren efforts. Thank you for your grace every day, as you mold me daily.
Amen.

Jesus's Destroy and Rescue Mission

Scripture
Galatians 1:3-5
3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1 John 3:8
8He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.

Observation
Paul starts his letter to the Galatia church with this statement,"Christ came to this earth to rescue us from the present evil age". Christ had one focus and that was to rescue ME, from this evil world.
And how would he do that? It says in 1 John 3:8 that Jesus came to destroy the devil.
So the wide picture of this mission was this: Destroy the devil thus freeing us from the evil(where the devil patrols).

Application
My application here is accepting the truth of the scripture and living in it. So how does that look? That is a very "religious" statement-"live in the truth"- yeh, go ahead live right in it.
As I picture this, Jesus DID NOT have to paint his face in camouflage when coming into this evil place. His mission was to destroy and rescue. So he went straight at Satan. He stood up to him during tempations, he defied death by raising people up, he gave himself up-straight in the devils face- to rescue all humanity. It wasn't a secret mission, but yet the enemy could not stop him. Most rescue operations are done in secret, under the cover of darkness; but the Jesus rescue plan was in your face-this is going down. What a bold move, it's courageous, its God taking back what is His. I think that is the point. I have been taken back from the evil world; I was trapped, locked in, pinned down in a cage, chained up and Jesus(The Real Terminator) blew through everyone and everything in the way and plucked me from the entrapment and FREED ME. As Paul says, to God be glory forever and ever.
I've been made free, so if I begin to feel entrapped by:
Money-I'm free-"God supplies what I need"
Status-I'm free-2 Cor 5:21 I am the righteousness of God
Depression-Joy comes from my salvation Ps 51:12
Life-You are my Salvation.

Life will bring many struggles, but the bottom line is that I have been rescued, and if I feel myself being taken captive again, I can look to my rescuer(the one who destroyed what is trying to hold me captive) and receive the freedom He brings.

Prayer
Father,
You sent Christ on a mission for me, to destroy and rescue. It was not with out sacrifice and pain, and I thank you for that. You cared and loved me enough to send a Terminator for me.
I ask that you help me to spread the word to the entrapped world, that you have brought freedom to them.
Help me to see clearly when an enemy attack comes to restrict my freedom, so I can return my
eyes to the rescuer of my life-Jesus.
Amen.