Spiritually cleaning up your work place does not have anything to do with the drek seen from Hollywood. Office help: let’s start with the basics As I ramp up to start producing help for you in your daily work, it strikes me that the most basic things are often forgotten. So, let’s start with something real basic. Gaining spiritual control of your office As we get started on this we need to talk about some basics of … Continue reading →
Maintaining a spiritual sanctuary should be one of your basic Christian skills. Of course, the Holy Spirit enables the sanctuary to work and be safe. Maintaining a spiritual sanctuary helps security in the midst of a war Before we get started on this we need to talk about some basics of warfare. Rest assured, it would be extremely easy to prove to you (if you don’t already know) that the Christian walk is warfare. As a soldier … Continue reading →
Galatians 5:1 The Messiah has truly set us free. Stand fast and stay free, and do not get bound up in slavery again This is a glorious statement to us—Americans who have made freedom the center of our culture. But it is always a struggle because freedom assumes responsibility. Yes, we are free, but we are responsible for our actions. Are we really free before we realize that the basic freedom is to choose the one we … Continue reading →
Verse 4:21–31 Tell me now, you who have become so enamored with the law: Have you paid close attention to that law? Abraham, remember, had two sons: one by the slave woman and one by the free woman. The son of the slave woman was born by human scheming; the son of the free woman was born by God’s promise. This illustrates the very thing we are dealing with now. The two births represent two ways of … Continue reading →
Verse 4:12a Brothers and sisters, I became like you, so I beg you to become like me. Paul had taken on Gentile cultural practices in order to minister to them effectively. Here he is asking those to whom he ministered to become like him spiritually. This entire little section seems to be about reminding the Galatians about the ties they have of friendship and love. The larger question is: How much are we to mimic our leaders? … Continue reading →
Today I want to talk about seasons. For years I have found joy in the liturgical year. The Advent to Ascension season about the Lord and the Pentecost season about walking in the Spirit always made internal sense to me. The yearly cycle of winter through spring to summer and back through fall is also deeply meaningful to me personally. When I was a heathen, the cycle of the Zodiac was comforting. But the question in all … Continue reading →
Walking in the Spirit or the flesh? This is an extremely important question. This is where power flows from in your life. Let start by looking at Romans: For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those living according to the Holy Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be focused on the flesh is death, but keeping your mind focused on the Lord through His Spirit is life and peace. Because the fleshly … Continue reading →
Chapter Four; Verse 4:1–7 Children who are under age are no better off than slaves, even though they are heirs of everything their parents own. They have to obey their guardians and teachers until the time their parents have set. That is how it was with us before Jesus came. We were like children—slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world. But when the time was right, God sent his Son—born of a woman, under the Law, … Continue reading →
This week we talk a bit about the bondage of the law and why God gave it to us. HINT: It was not to bring about a “good” or “perfect” society. It certainly was not to bring life or any of the fruit of the Spirit. ____________________________________ Galatians 3:19b–20 The law was given through angels who used Moses for a mediator to give the law to people. But a mediator is not needed when there is only … Continue reading →
Today we talk about two things where most people really mess up: covenants & morality. God‘s solution is always unique and edifying. ___________________________________ Galatians 3 Verse 3:15 Dear brothers and sisters, here’s an example in human terms. Just as no one can set aside or amend an accepted contract, so it is in this case. It is always good to get these truths into everyday experience. We need to look at our laws to see how they … Continue reading →