Galatians 5: 1-26

Galatians 5:5 Paul in emphasizing the importance of faith vs. law in this passage uses the word "wait", which I find interesting. What are we to wait on? According to this we are waiting for our righteousness. I thought we as christians already were righteous. Well, we are in God's eyes, however I believe the receiving of our righteousness happens only when Christ comes back for His own, as explained in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, called the rapture or snatching away. What this ultimately means is that no one is in heaven now except Christ Himself, seated at the right hand of His Father. As Thessalonians points out those christians who have passed on are sleeping, awaiting the resurrection.

Verse 9 "A little leaven leavens the whole lump." We've all heard our grandparents tell us this before and it's true. I love my grandma's question, "If you drag a white glove through the mud, does the mud get glovey, or does the glove get muddy?" You are who you hang out with. I'm not condoning seperation from the world, how else will people hear about Jesus, but I am cautious in how much time I do spend there.

Verse 16 Here is the solution to all our problems, actually the solution is in verse 14, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself". But to address a christians biggest problem, our biggest battle, SIN. The answer is simple, "walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh". But how do we do that? I believe the answer, or at least one answer in given in verse 26. "Let us not become conceited,..." When we become large in our own eyes, big headed, and proud, we set ourselves up for the fall. We take our eyes off Christ and put them on ourselves or the world around us, and who can blame us, we don't need Christ if we think we're doing that good, right? The old saying from Proverbs, "Pride cometh before the fall" (Proverbs 16:18) is so true isn't it?

Grace, MB

Galatians 4: 1-31

Since September of 2006, Amy and I have had our eyes opened to a life we never knew existed. We began our relationships with homeless children; children with nowhere to go, vulnerable and confused. Later we found out that their parents also lacked that secure family, and the cycle continued. I can't fathom it, I can't comprehend it, a life without a family. What would it be like to grow up as a foster child? To never truly be a son or daughter to anyone? Galatians 4:4-5 says, "..., God sent forth His Son,...that we might receive the adoption as sons." Christ makes it possible, if we never have an earthly dad or mom, we will never be orphans. We are adopted through faith into the family of God.

We are sons and daughters of our heavenly Father who has "known us". (v 9) Romans 12:3 says that God gives us a measure of faith. And John reminds us that "no one comes to the Father unless the Father draws him" (6:44). I highlight these passages because many people who are hungry for a relationship with their creator are confused. They are searching for God as if He's hidden from us and we need to find Him. People are looking for enlightenment and they are looking in all the wrong places. It's not within us, it's not within some other person, and it's not in any inanimate object or possession. God is not hiding, He's right before us if we would just open our eyes. He is passionate about us and has placed a God-shaped vacuum in each one of us. Listen for Him at this very moment, give your heart to Him. Follow Him. Through His son Jesus Christ we can join the only family that really matters for eternity.

Grace, MB

"God, Help!" (Continued from July 30)

Deism. The third thought is that God exists and is there when I need Him but doesn't really require anything. This is not a true deist thought (Deists typically reject most supernatural events (prophecy, miracles, prayer,) and tend to assert that God does not intervene with the affairs of human life and the natural laws of the universe.), however I'll respond to the statement. God is not some sort of jeanie in a bottle or a cosmic Santa Claus. God created us for relationship and He's in charge, not us. This statement is a conclusion of our reason when we think we are the center of the universe. This thinking may begin when we're young and stuck on ourselves. When Dad and Mom are there only to cook us the next meal and keep us updated on the next PlayStation video game. God is bigger, and in Exodus 20:5 God says "don't worship any carved image or material possession, for I am a jealous God, ..." God does require something, a relationship, our undivided attention, respect and love. To give Him less would be a violation of the greatest commandment of all, "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." (Mark 12:30) Well, I would welcome your comments. Begin to ask yourselves, "what do I really believe about God and my existence. I'd like to take this further if there's any thoughts.

Grace, MB

Are you "happy"? [Continued from July 30]

Therapeutic. Most people wouldn't argue with this statement: "God wants me to be happy". Sounds good, but is it true? If you had one wish for your children, would you ask God to make them happy? Of course not, just the sound of that speaks of lack, something is missing, something is incomplete when you say "I hope you have a happy life". But what? What if you told your children as they left for their freshman year of college: hope your belly's full all year long. Boy, that would be nice, huh? Never have to worry about eating again, never feel the pains of hunger, imagine the time you'd save to. But, think about what they would miss. God wants us to experience so much more than happiness that He's willing to sacrifice that happiness so that we grow in our dependence of Him. God loves us in the truest and deepest sense of the word, and that brings so much more into our existence than just "happiness". If you never felt the cold, would you appreciate the warm house? If you never felt wet, would you appreciate dry clothes? If you never went through the tough times, would you appreciate the good times? Have you heard of joy? Joy can be felt in the good times and the bad times. Joy is one of the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22); it comes by possessing the Holy Spirit as a follower of Jesus Christ. It's amazing and it's totally beyond human ability. It doesn't come from having a good life or from avoiding tough times, it's only available when we understand and apply what joy really means, Jesus, Others, Yourself. Get that right and joy is yours.

Jesus said "I have come that you might have life, and life more abundantly." John 10:10 An abundant life is not a happy life, think about it. It's more. A happy life is like a baked potato, an abundant life is like a baked potato with all the fixins. Will Smith had it half right in the "Pursuit of happiness", good movie, good ending, but he still lacked in the end. Why? What was he missing? Abundant life! God has so much more in store for us, He doesn't want us to skirt around tough times to avoid pain, because that's where we turn into real men and women. Pursuing happiness would have us avoiding pain, causing us to miss growing opportunities, thereby missing the abundant life. Think about the best times in your life, were you happy? Get your potato with all the fixins.

Grace, MB

I Press On, like Bob

Tonight I write this post with a heavy heart. My good friend and brother in Christ, Bob M., left us at around 8:30 ET, and is now awaiting the resurrection of the saints when Christ comes to meets us in the air. No more pain, no more suffering, no more tears, no more wishing he could do all the things he couldn't do, Bob is finally home. I'm gonna miss you friend. I didn't get to spend as much time with you as I would of wanted, we never do, but the time I did share with you never failed to challenge me. It never failed to make me a better person. Bob, you had an enthusiasm for life, a great optimism, the consummate encourager, and most of all no shame for the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have big shoes to fill from this night on. Brandy our prayers go out to you and your family, and to all those whose lives will be forever changed. Thanks Bob, you are my hero and mentor; of course I know you wouldn't like me saying that hero stuff, but that's too bad. You can quit being so humble now. There's one verse that comes to mind when I think about you tonight, "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me". (Phillipians 3:12) Bob you knew how to "press on".

Love ya, Matt B

P.S. Thanks for being a part of our bible studies and for coming to my surprise birthday party. I'll still keep the picture of you and I on this blog site to remind all of us to "press on".