The Daily Dose

Love your neighbor

For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.  Galatians 5:14

In this verse, Paul says that in loving your neighbor as yourself, you are fulfilling the requirement of the whole law.  (That is everything that is required under the old covenant)  This brings me to the question how do I “love my neighbor as myself”?  It has always been something hard for me to grasp.  Almost like a vapor, very cloudy, because I think I didn’t feel it was attainable or I just didn’t know how.  Then God showed me a practical way to view my neighbor so I would know how to love them with the God kind of love.  When I see my neighbor, I see myself.  If I see my neighbor struggling with something, what would I do if it were myself or what would I want someone to do for me if I was the one struggling with the same thing?  If I see my neighbor rejoicing about something, how would I want others to rejoice with me if I were celebrating something?

Now that I looked at it from this angle, it seemed very simple to understand, but not so simple to follow through. The first thing to identify is, who is my neighbor?  Is it those who live next door to me or in my neighborhood?  What if I live in the country and don’t have anyone living close to me?  Secondly, how do I know what to do to “love” them? In Luke 10:25-37 Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan to illustrate loving your neighbor as yourself.  In this parable, there were strangers who passed by a man that had fallen among thieves, and yet He calls the man who showed mercy his neighbor.  The Samaritan didn’t even know the guy and he certainly didn’t live next door to him. I also want to make the point that this was not a fellow believer, this was a dirty, hurting, dying, helpless, and hopeless sinner. The point is that anyone you can do good for is your neighbor.

The last thing I want to consider is why does God want me to love my neighbor as myself?  Is it only to make rules for me to keep me in line?  Is it to make me look like a good person?  No, the reason is to show others the very heart of God!  The only way others can know God is if they see His heart in our actions.  The other part of that is, we can see God’s heart in action when we are showing it to others.  If you want to see a great act of God, then watch it play out in your love for your “neighbor”.

Today and every day I encourage you to look for those God will send across your path to “love” as you love yourself and do good to them as you would do for yourself.  Let your actions toward others reflect the heart of God’s love for them.

Today’s scripture reading: Galatians 5:7-15

Entangled

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.  Galatians 5:1

I love how the Apostle Paul repeatedly talks about being free in Christ Jesus.  He continues here in the 5^th Chapter to tell the people in Galatia how vital it is not to entangle themselves in the things of the world.  He says that you are a slave without Salvation in Christ Jesus.  Yet he qualifies that he is actually talking about being bound by the laws of the old covenant as opposed to sinful habits. He tells them that if they insist on their salvation being based on one of the old laws, then they are obligated to keep all the law (which they could never do) and that eliminates their need for their Savior Jesus.

I have heard people say in our time that it is hard to be a Christian.  That you have to give so much up and live this kind of impoverished life.  My response to that is, in this day and age how can you live this life without Jesus. Who do you turn to when you have trouble?  Who do you call on when you’ve got yourself in a mess and where do you go when you are without hope? 

It’s the same thing that the Galatians were facing.  They felt that to follow Jesus, they had to give up their false sense of security that they had in the old testament law.  They were feeling like to follow Jesus took away what was most important to them.  However, that’s just not the case!  Salvation in Christ Jesus is the only place to have security.  When you put your trust in the one who perfectly lived in this world and died a sinless death to free all from the bonds of sin, the work to gain freedom is done.  You no longer have to strive and struggle to try to be perfect because the perfect one perfected the work of salvation for you.  All you have to do is fall in love with Him and walk with Him each day.  It’s not difficult, in fact it’s so much easier to live this life in clearness and with the blinders of the world gone.  There is no more gray area, now you can see what living is really all about.  It’s not about keeping a bunch of rules and regulations, now its about a love story that never ends.

Today I want to encourage you to receive freedom in Christ Jesus.  Don’t let the lies of the world keep you in bondage to it.  Instead, turn a blind eye to the worlds ways and see clearly how to live through the lens of the love of God demonstrated in His Son’s sacrifice to make you a child too.

Pray this prayer today to receive your salvation in Him: :  God in heaven, I know I’m a sinner and I need a Savior.  I want to turn away from my sinful life to the life You have planned for me.  Please forgive me for my sins, cleanse me from my past, and make me new.  I know you Son, Jesus died for me.  I believe in my heart that You raised Him form the dead.  At this very moment, I accept, confess, and proclaim Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior . . . to be Lord of my life from this day forward.  I now have a right relationship with God my Father. I also ask for Your Holy Spirit to guide me and to empower me to do the things that You have planned for my life in Jesus name, Amen

Today’s scripture reading: Galatians 5:1-6

The family business

Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? Galatians 4:8&9

Yesterday I talked about being a slave or orphan vs. being a child of God.  In today’s verse, Paul talking to the Galatians, asks:  Why, after you have become a child of God, are you still living like you did as a slave?  It seems the group of Christians there were accepting Jesus as their savior, but not as their LORD.  The difference is in how you live.  They were receiving Jesus to rescue them from an eternity of separation from God, to save them.  However, they didn’t recognize that He was their LORD right here and now in this world.  They went right back into their old lifestyles and ways of living.  Paul says that they were still slaves to “gods” that didn’t really exist.  They were giving more importance to everything else in life instead of putting God in first place.

In Galatians 3:11 Paul says that the just live by faith.  Here in chapter four, he is trying to show the people of Galatia what that looks like.  He says that your life is different now and you have a Father.  Now you live your life by the Fathers ways.  These are not burdensome.  They are success principles.  Fundamentals that the Kingdom of Heaven was build on.  They are God’s ways and they are what works in this life.  We don’t follow them because we are obeying a set of rules and regulations, we live by them because we live in His house and His kingdom and they are the truths that work in this life.  This is how we honor our Heavenly Father, by living by faith a successful and virtuous life.  Not because we are forced to, but because we are His family and we work together with our Father and His ways to get His business accomplished!  We love our Father and are part of the family business.

Today I want to encourage you to live your life by faith.  Learn the success principles of the Kingdom of Heaven and then do them.  Take your place in God’s plans and be a part of the things your Father is doing in the world right now.  Not because you are following a set of rules and laws, but because you are a functioning part of your Father’s will and plan.  Make your life all about His work and not the worlds.

Today’s scripture reading: Galatians 4:8-31

Orphans?

Therefore, you are no longer a slave/orphan but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Galatians 4:7

I was an orphan.  I ran out into the world to act and live like the world.  I did my own thing and didn’t listen to anyone or answer to anyone for that matter.  Not that I didn’t cry out for help many times when I got in a bind.  God always came running to my rescue.  Actually, I wasn’t an orphan, but I acted like one.  God had adopted me into His family years before, but my understanding of that was limited at best.  When He adopted me, He didn’t look at my past to see if I would make a good child of God.  He didn’t look at my future and think I had a lot of potential.  He didn’t even look at my present and say “She needs a Father, so I will take her in”.   The only one He looked at was His son and said “I want many more Children like Him!”

Today’s verse talks about being a slave or an orphan.  I was a slave to the world’s way of doing things.  Even though I thought I was living life my way, it was a trap into living life the way those without a Father live.  One day, I turned back to my Father and said “I don’t want to do things my way anymore, I just keep making a mess of things.”  Of course He came running to my rescue.  He didn’t say, “No, I don’t want to be your adopted Father anymore, you are too messed up.”  He didn’t even mention the adopted part.  In His eyes, I was His child coming back into His home, His kingdom and His world.  I was now in a place where I was safe, protected and clean from the stains of the world’s sin.  Now instead of living like everyone else in the world, I began to live by the Kingdom of Heaven’s ways that are laid out in scripture.  Just because you have been adopted into the family, doesn’t mean you are automatically living His ways.

The fact is, that God’s ways are what work in this world.  It is the way He originally created this world.  To function just like Heaven does, but when sin entered the world, it was knocked off balance and Heavens ways were quickly forgotten about.  Today, we can bring heaven back to earth when we begin to live by Heaven’s principles.  When we take the time to get close to our Father, develop that personal relationship with Him through talking to Him and reading His Word, we will soon be taking Heaven with us wherever we are.

Today I want to encourage you to think about your adoption in Christ Jesus.  Just what does that mean to you and what does it mean to God.  Then ask yourself if you are living by the house rules or the worlds rules.  Even though you may not have gotten into trouble like I did, you can still be far from the Father right where you live.  Take time each day to grow your relationship with Him by talking to and listen to Him.  Lastly, remember where you came from.  You were once an orphan.  Even though your loving Father will never remind you of that, stay submitted to Him with the determination never to live as an orphan again.

Today’s scripture reading: Galatians 4:1-7

            Faith or Fear

just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.  Galatians 3:6

This is pretty interesting. . . Have you ever heard someone say or maybe you have said it yourself, “I’m afraid ____________ is going to happen.”  Maybe it’s something like cold weather or rain.  Maybe something a little more personal and serious like sickness or even disease.  Maybe it’s something you’re afraid for yourself or for someone else, but here’s the thing, when you speak the things you are afraid of (whether you are actually afraid or just considering) you are actually giving life to them.

Today’s scripture is about Abraham and how God made him the father of many nations long before he even had one child.  God made the promise to Abraham and then Abraham believed it and began speaking it.   Abraham didn’t go around saying, “God said it would happen but I’m afraid we just can’t have children, let alone a whole nation.”  Abraham believed God and so he began to speak what God promised him.  In fact, the scriptures says that Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”  Abraham not only believed God, but he showed his belief by speaking what God had promised.  God changed his name from Abram to Abraham which literally meant “father of nations.”  He didn’t go around saying I can’t call myself Abraham because I am not a father of nations yet.  He took the promise of God and gave life to it by speaking it every time he said his own name.  It grew so big in him until one day he believed it enough to open the door for God to come in and do a miracle.

Here’s the point . . . today we can speak what we fear or what we believe.  It is up to us to give “voice” to the promises of God both from His Word and from His Spirit.  We cannot be intimidated by the world’s philosophy of speaking doubt and unbelief.  We must take our stand on the Word of God for it to become evident in our lives.  This also applies to our current circumstances. God and His Word (Jesus) are more real than any circumstance but we cannot continue to agree with the seen, temporary, present things.      (2 Corinthians 4:8)  We have to ask God for the wisdom to speak what He is about to do in the situation, the changes He is going to make, and then speak the promises that He gives us.  2 Corinthians 4:13 says, “And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak.”  Now is when we make the decision, “do I speak what I see and what I fear the outcome will be or do I speak and agree with what God sees the outcome can be if I trust Him?”  The choice is up to us.

Today I encourage you to consider your words over your circumstances.  Pay attention to the words you are saying over the details of your life and over the struggles of your life.  Consider if you are agreeing with your circumstances or if you are agreeing with God and His Word on every level.  Here’s the thing, you are saying something anyway that probably hasn’t happened yet, why not take the God side of the issue and speak His Word over it instead of the fear side?  Not only will His Words bring peace of mind, they will bring the results you desire for all the concerns surrounding your life.

Today’s scripture reading: Galatians 3:1-9

Redeemed from the curse

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),” Galatians 3:13

Today’s verse is a New Testament verse that tells us that once we are in Christ Jesus, we are redeemed from that curse!  Glory to God!!!  Redeemed means to be made free from captivity by payment.  Jesus paid the price and penalty for our sins so we could be free from captivity and that also includes being set free from the curse of the law.

In Deuteronomy 28 there is quite an extensive list of the curse.  The curse even includes such things a mildew, locust, and diseases that weren’t even recognized yet, diseases that are in the world today.  It is an incredibly terrible list and one that I am so thankful to be redeemed from.

The scripture in Deuteronomy says that God would bring these things on His people for not obeying His Word.  However, when Jesus was on the cross, God, the Father, poured out all His wrath on Jesus, so He no longer brings these things on people.  These terrible things are in the world still today because of the curse that resulted from the fall of man.  When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, the world was brought under a curse, so today’s cursed things are a remaining result of the original sin, but they are not for those who have been saved by the blood of the Lamb.  Even though the curse may try to come on us, we have the power and authority in the name of Jesus to stand up and say “No!”  However, God’s promise still stands and if we listen to and obey His Word, He will keep, protect, and bring us through every struggle.

Today I want to encourage you to examine your own life.  Is there any area where deception may have crept in and brought the curse along with it?  Turn those things over to God and get the devil under your feet.  He is God’s defeated enemy and has no authority to bring his evil curse on you, a child of the Most High God!!  Press into God and get into His Word then He will show you how to overcome all of life’s struggles!

Today’s scripture reading:  Galatians 3

Crucified with Christ

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  Galatians 2:20

As I began reading Galatians 2, I knew this verse was coming up at the end of the chapter.  So, I was looking for it and, of course thought, “I know this one”.  When I got to the verse, suddenly I saw it completely different than I ever had before.  When I read the first line “I have been crucified with Christ”, in my mind I could see Saul of Tarsus being knocked off his horse by a blinding light on the Damascus road.  Immediately, that fall from his horse to the ground represented to me his death to himself.  That’s when he met Jesus for the first time.  That meeting was when he was crucified with Christ.  When he got up off the ground, those who were with him helped him to get to a place where he could wait until he regained his sight (which he lost when he was knocked to the ground).  It was three days and he didn’t eat or drink . . . his burial time.  Then a disciple named Ananias came and laid hands on him, he regained his vision, and was baptized and began the ministry God had for him.  Now it was no longer Saul that lived in that body but Christ Jesus now lived in him.  He gave Jesus the space in his life that he himself used to occupy and became the minister of God.  The ministry was the way he demonstrated living by faith in the Son of God.

This revelation may seem like a no brainer to some people, but seeing this picture gave me a whole new perspective of my salvation in Christ Jesus.  Yes, I have always known that when I received Jesus I died and gave my life to him, but the reality of it was something I struggled to see.  Seeing the picture of Paul on the horse really brought the reality of salvation home to me.  Now I realize that at the point of my salvation, I died to my selfish desires and gave Jesus the space in my life that used to be full of what I wanted to have and do.

Today I want to encourage you to ask yourself, “Have I fully given my savior that space I once occupied?”  “Am I letting the Holy Spirit of God navigate and direct me daily?”  “Have I truly been crucified with Christ Jesus, or do I still allow that “dead” person to control my life?”  These are hard questions, I know, but if you will answer them honestly and try not to justify your actions, you will be able to go so much deeper in your relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  That is when you will truly be on the road God has planned for you and live your life to the extreme fullest!

Today’s scripture reading:  Galatians 2

Wilderness?

“nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter and remained with him fifteen days.”  Galatians 1:17-18

Today’s scripture is about the Apostle Paul after his conversion on the road to Damascus  It says that he didn’t go right into ministry.  He had a “wilderness” time. Many people believe that as soon as he was converted, he went right into full-time ministry.  However, that just wasn’t the case. He spent three years growing in his spiritual walk with the Lord. This “wilderness” time no doubt, prepared him for the writing and teaching that he would do throughout his ministry.

There are many other examples of those who have gone through “wilderness” times as they prepared for ministry. Elisha served Elijah for several years before he was ready to step into the leadership position.   David was pretty much an outlaw for several years before he became king even though he was anointed when he was still in his father’s house.  Joseph spent 13 years in Egypt as a slave. Some of those years he spent in prison before he sat next to the pharaoh. The scripture is full of examples of those who went through the refining time and years of training.  Their “wilderness” time was meant for refining, building up strength, and receiving the power of God for effective ministry.

Today I want to encourage you if you are going through a “wilderness” time to recognize it as a time of refining or growing.  If it seems like you keep facing the same tests repeatedly, it could be because you haven’t passed them yet.  As you recognize your “wilderness” time, begin to rejoice that God has a plan for you. Even though it may seem burdensome and weary, spend that time learning and growing as much as you possibly can.  Then recognize this time is preparing you for the calling on your life.  God is getting ready to accomplish many things for the kingdom of heaven through what He has called you to do!  Ask the Lord to show you any areas where you need to grow so that you can move out of the wilderness into your promised land.

Today’s scripture reading:  Galatians 1:17-24

Put away the past

But they were hearing only, “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy.”  Galatians 1:23

Have you ever had thoughts that you were not qualified to be in ministry?  Maybe that you don’t have the training or the perfect attitude?  Maybe you feel unqualifies because of something you have done in the past?  In today scripture we see the Apostle Paul struggling with this very thing.  He goes through a long list of activity that happened after his conversion on the Damascus Road.  He gives his testimony here of how he was on the path of being trained for the priesthood.  He was excelling in his training above most of those he was training with.  Because of the drive in him to excel, he began to persecute the new believers in Christ Jesus.  Then he talks about how God separated him from that, but after God called him, he didn’t go directly into ministry.  He spent time growing in his faith and renewing his mind in walking by the directions of the Holy Spirit.  Certainly, he knew God’s ways. He had spent his entire life being trained in the scriptures and the laws of the priesthood.  However, it wasn’t until he met God personally that he realized God had more for him.

All through Paul’s writings, we can see that he did not dwell in the fact that he was on a serious track against God’s plan.  He didn’t let his past stop him from completing the assignment God had on his life.  He did take some time to grow, but then he got on track and ran his race fervently and zealously. By the time he started his ministry, his testimony was “He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy” (Gal.1:23)

Today I want to encourage you to not let your past stop you from accomplishing all God has for you here in this world.  Let Him use the things in your past to reach others.  Whatever it is, good or bad, God can use it.  Paul had good in that he was studying the scripture, but he also had the bad in that he persecuted the church.  God used both.  He will do the same for you.  Your part is to surrender it all to Him and say.  Father God, here is my life, good and bad. Take it and make something out of it that will glorify You for all eternity.  He will lead you to the perfect path of life where you will live fully satisfied and complete.

Today’s scripture reading:  Galatians 1:11-24

Distractions

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel.  Galatians 1:6

Yesterday I talked about the grace and peace that Paul offered to the body of believers in Galatia in his letter to them.  We talked about how there are many different greetings and that he offered grace and peace because that was where they needed to turn the attention.  Today’s verse sheds a little bit of light on that.  Paul is marveling at how soon they have turned away from the grace of their salvation in Christ Jesus.  In this passage he goes on to talk about how they are following after twisted gospels.  In essence, they are being distracted by teachings other than Christ Jesus and Him crucified. These ideas were distraction that lured them away from the faith they had when they first believed.

Distraction and twisted gospels are still among us today.  If you don’t purpose to keep your faith strong, you will be easily turned to look in the direction of the noise of the world.  Whether its work, media or activity, life today can pull you away from the thing that you once held in the highest esteem.  Even though the distractions of life where not exactly what the Galatians were up against, the message is the same.  Our focus and main priority needs to remain on our walk and relationship with our Heavenly Father through Jesus our Savior.  His grace is what empowers us to be successful in our faith walk.

The Apostle Paul goes on in this letter to talk about how he separated himself from the former life he had.  He went away to take some time to prepare for the ministry God had called him to.  He put away the distractions of life so that he could focus on growing in in the grace God had put into his life. This is the same thing we can do today.  Although we may not be able to move away from the life we have now, we can pull away from some of the distractions and spend more time with our Father.  Even if we don’t know right now the plans and purposes He has for us, as we turn our attention to Him more each day, He will begin to reveal these things to us and give us a starting point.

Today I want to encourage you to pull away from the distractions of the life.  Set special time aside each day to spend with your Heavenly Father.  Establish an appointed time that you dedicate completely to communing with Him and then make that appointment your most important commitment each day.  Ask the LORD to reveal His plans for your life and then begin to follow the steps He gives to take you there.  Grow in the grace and peace He offers today and complete down to the last detail all the assignments He has for your life.

Today’s scripture reading:  Galatians 1:6-10