Tag: Galatians

Categories
Daily Post

America, FTW!

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

I am so pumped that John Hancock and the boys signed that document that led us down a path to incredible freedom as a country.  The freedoms that are enjoyed in this country to do whatever you want are such a blessing.  And it also reminds me of a similar declaration of independence:

for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:27-29

What a great gift to have all this freedom around us.  Remember to use it and don’t abuse it.

Have a Happy Independence Day!

Now,Get out there and watch some fireworks!

 

 

Categories
Daily Post

Who’s Living?

Last night I was talking with my small group that I meet with quite often about what it means to “die to self” and to live with Christ.  It centered around this great verse in Galatians, we sing it, we exclaim it, we believe it…

19 “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” Galatians 2:19-21 New International Version (NIV)

But do we live it?  Or, I guess I should say, do we let Christ live it?

What’s interesting here, is this may not be a matter of doing what Christ would do, but more a matter of complete surrender, and letting Christ do what Christ would do.

This week, and especially today, I am going to try to take an inventory to see how much I am living and how much Christ is living in me.  Will  you spend a few minutes as well, examining your motives, your goals, your desires, your wants and your living to see how things are?

I find this verse extremely uplifting and extremely challenging as the same time.  How about you?

Categories
Daily Post

The Peculiar Paper Dispenser

Sometimes at the office after drinking my morning jug of the gentleman’s coffee, I have to head over to the “Men’s lounge” and refresh myself.   And since there are several hundred wash your hand signs in our facilities, I oblige them.   Anyway, many a day I stand their with wet hands in front of the automatic paper dispenser waving my hand.   I continue to wave my hand and watch as the little red dot flashes, but no paper rolls out- ever.   One day during this ritual a co worker was there with me.  I commented on how this particular machines was not working.  He responded “It always works for me” and he promptly walked up waved his hand and was given more paper then he needed to dry with.  It seemed like I was invisible to this machine.

Invisible.

19 “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:19-21, New International Version)

This whole idea of becoming invisible, or maybe better put, the idea of dying to yourself and replacing your selfishness with the mind of Christ, is something that I have been struggling with and praying for for some time now.  For I know that that the days with I live for myself usually end up with things happening that are not so great, and the days when I hide myself and let Christ shine through are days of glory.

The dispenser still does not work for me, and I count that a blessing and a reminder.  A reminder of how I should be living my life.  A reminder that I should not be seen, but that the Christ should be seen in me.  When you wash your hands today and look in the mirror, ask yourself, “Who’s living in you?”

 

Categories
Daily Post

one of THOSE days

It’s not even 9 in the morning, I already feel like quitting for the day.

You ever have a day like that? From the moment the alarm goes off things just are not “on frame” – as they say in soccer. You can’t find stuff, teenagers are doing their best at being, well, teenagers. Then there are schedules, pressure, etc etc etc etc.

Today’s one of those days. So I am trying to slip in a little bit of motivation for myself ( and you) before I get whisked away in the land of endless emails.

So, a few verses I am trying to consider today, to reduce the anxiety and refocus my brain:

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 ESV

But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded. 2 Chronicles 15:7 ESV

and then there is this one below.  This is a verse that most of the time we may not attribute to encouragement on a difficult day.  However I find it both humbling and full of purpose. It seems to emphasis the only task for the day that really matters and provides a little bit of clarity about the things that are causing stress.

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24 ESV

If your day has started like mine, spend a moment to recenter on the one mission and goal for the day – “the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”

Categories
Daily Post

Who Dresses You?

Yesterday I went out to lunch with a old friend and when we got to the restaurant we noticed some other co workers already there eating. Since my friend had not seen these guys for a while he went over and spoke with them. As the conversation wrapped up, one of the guys said to me in jest ( or I think it was in jest) “It’s so good that Amy dresses you, or there is no telling what you would look like”. In response I said “Me too, as I would just be naked all the time”. Of course that quickly ended the conversation with laughs and giggles.

Although that was a humorous conversation and I actually pick out my own clothes int he morning, and usually at the store as well ( some of you are not surprised and wish that Amy would dress me!). But here’s the thing – as we consider our spiritual selves, when we attempt to dress ourselves we unfortunately are as I responded – exposed, and uncovered and unprotected. But when we put on the clothes of Christ we are spiritually unstoppable!

23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:23-29 (New International Version, ©2011)

Heirs to the promise – unstoppable!

And with the clothing of Christ on, we are changed, and different.

13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. Romans 13:13-14 (New International Version, ©2011)

So as you go about today, consider who has dressed you. Are you dressing yourself and therefore leaving yourself exposed or are you putting on the clothing of Christ!