My Daily Pause

Blog

  • How to be Abraham’s Seed

    How to be Abraham’s Seed

    When we become Christians, we become part of the covenant made by God to Abraham. The result is, we get to be counted as his seed. It doesn’t matter what color our skin is or our station in life, it applies to all Christians! This is the sum total reason why everything from Abraham to Christ’s resurrection happened.

    The way to membership in that covenant then, is to get into Christ. Galatians 3 is a popular scripture to mislead people from the correct way to get “into Christ.” (I’ve posted about how to get into Christ before.)

    The truth of Galatians 3 is this:

    1. We grow our faith by hearing about it, (Galatians 3:2, 5) and therefore reading and understanding the word of God (Romans 10:17)
    2. We become children of God by that faith in Christ when we are baptized into him (Galatians 3: 26-27)

    If anyone uses Galatians 3 to try and tell you there is another way to get into Christ outside of these steps, don’t fall for it! It’s a trick!

  • The Faith of Christ

    The Faith of Christ

    We should all know by now that we are saved by the faith of Christ (Galatians 2:16)

    As we prepare for our next worship, I suggest that be the focus during that time. Christ had enough faith in God’s love and his plan that he went willingly to die for our sins.

    Can you, like Paul, say that you have been “…crucified with Christ. It is not I who lives, but Christ who lives in me”? (Galatians 2:20)

  • Sojourning With God

    Sojourning With God

    Church and Bible study attendance should be the number one thing on our schedule. By the schedule my congregation keeps, that is four hours a week, maybe a little more.

    So is that the extent of the time we need to spend with God?

    After Paul’s conversion he spent three years in Arabia in communion and study. (Galatians 1:17-18) This is probably where Jesus revealed the Gospel to him like he did for the other Apostles.

    In the same way, we need to spend quality time with God. Even deeper than our daily reading habit, I propose that taking time out to “sojourn” – or getting away for a few minutes is the next logical step. What better way to reflect on your reading, pray, and just be in the presence of God? Taking a walk or even just sitting in a quiet place is an excellent way to do this.

    Bonus – Paul’s Timeline

    The Chronology of Paul’s conversion, his sojourn to Arabia and his meeting with the Apostles can be confusing when comparing Galatians 1 and Acts 9. Here is the way I reconcile it:

    1. Saul was struck down on the Damascus road (Acts 9:3-8)
    2. Three days of blindness and prayer (Acts 9:8)
    3. Sight restored, baptized and received the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:10-19)
    4. Preached Christ and confounded the Jews (Acts 9:19-22)
    5. Made a sudden departure to Arabia for further study and communion with God (Galatians 1:17,18)
    6. Came back to Damascus and angered the Jews and they decided to kill him (Acts 9:23) (Three years later)
    7. Paul escaped to Jerusalem (Acts 9:24-25)
    8. The Christians were afraid of him (Acts 9:26)
    9. Barnabas took up his cause and recommended him (Acts 9:27-29
    10. The Jerusalem church sent him to Tarsus after more death threats(Acts 9:30)
  • Falling for Different Gospels

    Falling for Different Gospels

    In 2 Corinthians 11:3-6, Paul’s writes of his concern for those at risk of falling for another Gospel. In Galatians 1:6-10, he expresses his astonishment at the Christians being so easily swayed by the popular false doctrine of the time.

    I wonder what he would say if he were able to see the various “different gospels” (Galatians 1:6) being taught today.

    No matter what is culturally popular, God’s word remains the only correct guideline for salvation.

  • Rejoice!

    Rejoice!

    At the time of this writing, it has been a tough week for some folks around the country. Unfortunately, we often hear that there has been an event that leaves people hurting. It is times like these when we understand exactly what “not guaranteed tomorrow” means.

    We have the benefit of a lifestyle that provides comfort and reassurance that there is something better waiting for us. Paul often closed his letters with a few exhortations. (especially Philippians 4:4-9, 1 Thessalonians 5:14-22) I appreciate that he nearly always reminds us to rejoice. (2 Corinthians 13:11 – if you are using KJV, NKJV or ASV you will see “Farewell.” The correct word from the Greek is “Rejoice.”) The first century church was going through some very tough times, yet Paul keeps reminding them to rejoice.

    I encourage you to keep living in a way that keeps you rejoicing, and be ready to give account for why you can when your friends ask. (1 Peter 3:15)

  • Avoid the Other Gospels

    Avoid the Other Gospels

    I have heard, often it seems, that a loving God wouldn’t condemn someone for (Fill in the Blank).

    When I read my Bible, I find that God will display his wrath on those who are sinful. (See Genesis 6) God is righteous, and holy and pure. (1 Peter 1:15-16) What is sin? Unrighteous, unholy and corrupt. The very nature of each opposes the other.

    Paul told those in Corinth that he was worried about them because they fell for a different gospel. (2 Corinthians 11:3-6) When one starts accepting a “gospel” without doing their due diligence, they become easy to trick out of their salvation.

    God has given to us a list of things he finds good. We have to be careful not to in turn, try to tell him what we think is good enough.

    Daily Bible Reading for April 17

    God outlines the ritual for declaring a leper clean. Isaiah professes about Moab. Paul writes about the false apostles.

    Psalm 107
    Leviticus 14:1-32
    Isaiah 15-16
    2 Corinthians 10:13-12:13