FREEDOM
Today’s Reading: Galatians 1-2
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
In today’s reading, Paul refers to Antioch (Galatians 2:11), which was the base for Paul’s missionary journeys, and where Jesus’ followers were first called “Christians” (Acts 11:26). This photo shows an overview of the modern city of Antakya, Turkey, which is in the area of ancient Antioch.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Galatians 1:6
I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel.
As believers in Jesus, can we recall the first days of our lives as Christians…days of enormous joy and peace? This should be particularly memorable if we came to faith in our late teens or older. There is an immense freedom we felt when we realized that Jesus loves us just as we are. We need to ask ourselves, “Am I still full of that joy, peace, freedom and sense of acceptance?” For many Christians, these important things quickly fade as the enemy sneaks in like a thief and steals these precious gifts from God.
This is what happened to the Galatian Christians. They had discovered the freedom that was available in Christ but soon turned to “another gospel,” which was no gospel (“good news”) at all. They started out well and wanted to please God, but they became joyless legalists as their lives became focused on merely following a set of rules. Paul wrote some very hard words to these brothers and sisters in Christ. He told them, clearly and directly, that they were wrong. He called them back to the freedom that was theirs in Christ, to the joy of serving Jesus, not because of bondage to duty, but because of the love of God and the power of the Spirit.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord Jesus, I pray for a daily renewal of Your life, Your joy, Your peace, and Your love! I need You, Lord. Thank You for Your promise of Your presence! Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
At 13 years old I joined the Church. I tried to live in a way that was pleasing to God, but by the time I was 15, I gave up. It was too hard to always do what was right. I was placed in a Christian boarding school for my Grade 11 high school. I really messed up, sufficiently enough to have me removed from the school. Therefore, I had no alternative but to move in with my sister Willa and her husband Harold Hodgins. I enrolled at the Pembroke Collegiate, and this was destiny for me. There were four Christian teenagers in my class, one Baptist and three Pentecostals. I watched them closely for three months, and then came my night of decision. I understood clearly for the first time that my salvation was totally the work of Jesus and not by my behaviour. My first public confession of faith was at a Youth For Christ rally in the high school auditorium. It consisted of one sentence from the Bible, words which have reinforced my faith ever since. Paul’s letter to Titus, chapter 3, verse 5: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us.”
Yours for learning the lessons which the Apostle Paul taught,
David
P.S. I had the honour of attending the glorious home-going celebration for George Beverly Shea in April, 2013. At 104 years old, God called him home. He and I had similar backgrounds. We’ve compared notes several times. I hosted a documentary on the life of this man who has sung in person to more people than Elvis, The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, and The Rolling Stones combined! He served for 60 years as Billy Graham’s soloist, and much more. For a 2013 video of Will Graham and I showing clips from the documentary, click HERE. As a Canadian, George was honoured at his funeral by a representative of one of Canada’s finest (picture below).
At Bev Shea’s homegoing celebration in April 2013 with Chief Superintendent Ronald G. Mostrey, commanding officer of the National Headquarters of the RCMP in Ottawa.
What marvellous, Christian people! I remember well, going to the Billy Graham meetings in Toronto with my parents and extended family. Wonderful times back then. Blessings all today. Leaves and spring flowers (& dandelions), are now appearing!
Amen Doreen blessings to all. Appreciate those signs of spring even the dandelions that are articulately made. We are struggling with another blanket of white, having trouble to think it is beautiful but I know it has a purpose, the Lord knows our ground really needs that moisture even if I’m just tired of it. Lord helps through the seasons. Continuing to pray for summer camps that many children will attend and be saved.
Amen,Ladies.The grass is turning green in northwestern Nova Scotia and Monday a group of board members will meet at the camp for a walk around and take note of repairs that need to be made.
I keep forgetting it was 14 years before Paul actually became ‘acquainted’ with the apostles and,arguably,his ministry was more effective than the others’?He certainly was ‘fervent’.God bless
I also am praying that many children will have the opportunity to attend Summer camps and their lives be forever changed through the power of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
May we all be encouraged today as we meditate on God’s love and faithfulness.
Amen Luisa.
Have any of you heard or sung the song, “Beautiful words, wonderful words of Life”? Love them!
Lord, help us live by these beautiful words, wonderful words, life-giving words of Life, in Jesus’s name, amen
Galations 1:1-10:
“Greetings from Paul
This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.
All the brothers and sisters here join me in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia.
May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
There Is Only One Good News
I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.
Let God’s curse fall on anyone, including us or even an angel from heaven, who preaches a different kind of Good News than the one we preached to you. I say again what we have said before: If anyone preaches any other Good News than the one you welcomed, let that person be cursed.
Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.”
Great chorus, Rob. I’ll search for it tonight! Thanks.
Yes Rob. It’s a lovely song.
Here are the lyrics:
https://youtu.be/o0okXPC50cY
Amen to the comments above
Today was the home going service a poster and Doctor Charles Frazier Stanley a first Baptist Church in Atlanta Georgia I really loved watching him on TV
Rest in peace pastor Stanley 🙏✝️