GALATIANS 1

9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

NO OTHER GOSPEL

Paul is reading the riot act to the Galatian church, they have left the gospel and have become trapped in legalism and false teaching.

He sets out his stall here, he states what his calling was and how he has shared the gospel.

He tells the Galatian church that if any person preaches any other gospel that he has preached they should be accursed.. strong words you may think, but it is so important because if you get the gospel wrong, then you get your whole christian life wrong..

So how can we tell the true gospel.. first of all

It does not seek to please men, it seeks to Please God.

This is one of the reasons, we can tell the true gospel and true ministers. Those who were preaching the false gospel always preach Jesus plus something, when in reality , the gospel is Jesus only.

The second reason is that those who preach the gospel are under the Lordship of Christ. They seek to serve Christ, they are not serving their own pockets etc.

The third reason is that the person who preaches it, acknowledges that it doesn’t come from him/her, but comes from God.

Grace is nothing to do with man and everything to do with God.

Paul puts it so beautifully in ! Corinthians 15

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again on the third day according to the scriptures:

This is the true gospel, it doesnt come from man, it is not grace + something else, it is grace alone through faith alone through Christ alone.

God bless you

Keith

Hebrews 5

12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

MEAT OR MILK?

The wonderful book of Hebrews gets really tough here, it poses one of the most important questions in the whole of the bible.

This question is this: What are you eating/drinking?

So many in the church are like the people in verse 12, they should be teachers, but they need to be taught.

If you have a baby you feed him/her milk.. YES, but do you feed a 20 year old milk constantly.. NO, they graduate onto meat. so why are so many believers still on milk when they should be eating meat.

Believers nowadays like comfort and they like to hear what they enjoy. An example, how many times do you hear the books of Ezekiel or Leviticus preached in churches. How many Christians read their favourite bible chapters time and time again?

Have you graduated from milk to meat yet?

You should be a teacher, but you still need to be taught.

Vs13-14 make it clear that those who are still babes are unskilled in the work of righteousness, they cannot use the word of God properly.

 Why is this, because they are skilled in the use of the word of God. Remember the word of God is a sword, and you don’t put a sword into the hands of a child.

Remember Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 2

15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Are you eating meat or drinking milk?

So how can you move from milk to meat?

You have to study, that means you have to dig into the word of God. You have to dig deep to get anything, babes scratch the surface, but mature christians dig deep.

Are you able to handle strong meat?

God bless you

   kk

MARK 14 

3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.

4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, why was this waste of the ointment made?

5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.

7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.

8 She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.

9 Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

10 And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests, to betray him unto them.

BREAKING OR CLOSING THE BOX

Look at the contrast here between the woman and Judas, both had boxes or bags.

One used their box to bless and one used it for himself and indeed complained when that box was broken in service to Christ and for Christ.

So often we are like Judas, we see someone giving wholeheartedly to the work of God and we say what a waste, it could be used for such and such a thing.

This woman was commended by Jesus; indeed, his words are so true, this woman is now one who shared with millions around the world as a dynamic example of selfless service.

We have the treasure of Christ in earthen vessels,  so can I ask you this question?

Do you break your box of perfume or do close your box?

We have treasures of the perfume of Christ, to share with the world. In another passage the perfume fills the whole house. Remember that the perfume of Christ cannot reach a needy world, if you don’t break the box.

We have the good news of Christ, but do we share it or do we hide it?

Let’s finish with the passage in 2 Corinthians 4

6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us

Have you broken the box that you have containing the gospel or are you keeping the perfume of Christ, to yourself?

God bless you

Keith

COLOSSIANS 2

6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

WALK AS YOU RECEIVED CHRIST

We often wonder, how do we walk as Christians?

Paul says in verse 6, that we should walk, as we received Christ when we first came to faith, so how did we come to faith?

We came in faith, we came as little children and with a humble and contrite heart.

When we came to faith in Christ, we came in repentance, we came completely dependent on Christ and upon him alone for salvation.

Coming to faith in Christ, was amazing to us, we received Him with joy and were praising God.

We should walk in the same joyful manner, that we came to faith, for me, I can remember every moment of that special night, it was and is a joyful memory. Oh to walk in that same freshness of joy.

The famous hymn says:

Where is the blessedness I knew when first I sought the Lord?

Where is the soul refreshing view of Jesus and His Word?

Walking with God | Hymnary.org

So we are to walk in the same way, if we walk in faith, and as little children completely dependent on Christ with a humble and contrite heart.

We should walk with a repentant and penitent heart.

We should walk with a heart full of praise.

We should walk with a humble heart.

When we came to know Christ in salvation, we came humbly to the foot of the cross, we came without pride, not trusting in our own works, but crying out to God for salvation.

We came without hope and without anything, we came with nothing.

We only brought our sin.

We need to walk as believers in the same way we came to salvation, we had nothing to offer God, when we came to faith, but he forgave us all our sins and filled us anew.

Believe me, don’t I know it. God took a useless sinner such as me and filled me full of his holy spirit.

Pride was completely thrown out of the window at the cross, so it needs to be when walking daily with our Lord.

It is never about us.

If we walk in the same way, as we came to faith, we will be rooted deeply in Christ and we will have stability in our faith.

So often we lose the joy of our first love, just like the church in Ephesus.

Let us seek to keep that freshness of our first love, and to walk with Christ, as we received Christ.

God bless you
kk

MATTHEW 21 

44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

FALLING ON OR UNDER THE STONE

Jesus is quoting from several Old testament passages in Isaiah and Daniel, and using the illustration of a stone.

Jesus is our rock and, in the NT, he is called a rock of offence and a stone of stumbling to those who do not believe.

Ever started talking about your faith to someone and then you mention Jesus. Oh, they just don’t like it or they change the subject.

Jesus here is warning people that they have two choices. the first is to fall on the stone, they will be broken, but then Jesus will put them back together.. He will give them a new heart and transform their lives.

But those who choose to reject Him, the stone, which is Jesus, will fall on them, at the final judgement and crush them to powder.

There is a final judgement and there is a place called Hell, it is for all those who reject God. believe me there will be many in Hell who have gone to church, even served as ministers.

To us as believers, the reality of judgement and hell should make us more focused to reach the lost with the precious gospel.. we are watchmen on the wall, like Ezekiel said in Chapter 33 of his book.

CT Studd said this “Some people want to live within the sound of chapel bell, but I want to have a rescue mission within a yard of hell’.

Please fall on the stone.. don’t be crushed by it.

God bless you

DANIEL 4

34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?

36 At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

Nebuchadnezzar’s praise

Bible scholars have differing opinions, but it seems to me, that this man is truly saved and repentant.

He acknowledged his sin and also acknowledged that he was nothing, this king who was so high in his eyes, now had the right view of himself and God.

He realized that God can do and does do whatever he pleases Psalm 115:3

He acknowledged the absolute authority of God over the affairs of men, no one, not even him, could tell the Lord what to do.

The words What doest thou?, are so true. Job in chapters 38-42, was asked by God, who are you to question me?

Do we say What doest thou?, to the Lord.

We are have no right to do say those words, they should never pass our lips.

Not only did he have a repentant heart, he had a praising heart, praise was coming from his lips, where there was pride before, this is what happens when someone acknowledges God as Lord of their life.

Every judgement and decision the Lord makes is right and true, his whole heart, had been turned around.

God rewarded him, not only did he get back his sanity, but his kingdom and influence was increased.

This truly is the story of a saved man.

---

LUKE 18

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14 I tell you; this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

RELIGIOUS OR REPENTANT

So, which one are you?

The pharisee sought to justify himself, he was arrogant and prideful. Everyone thought he was addressing God, but he was in fact addressing himself. You see these people in church every week, they are just a little bit better than the rest, but that’s only their opinion.

The publican was a man who knew what and who he was, he was a sinner and he was aware of his sin. Unlike the pharisee who knew only one thing, his so-called righteousness.

This publican talked to God, but he couldn’t even look up to heaven, but he showed a holy reverence for God, the beating of his breast or his chest was a sign of sorrow and repentance c/f Chapter 23:48.

So, which are you?

Are you a hypocrite or holy?

Are you someone who goes to church twice a week and give their tithes and has a form of religion, but is like a tomb full of dead men’s bones? You have a form of godliness, but you deny the power of God. Do you know Him when you pray or are you talking to yourself?

There are many like this, they may even hold high office in the church. They are filled with self-righteousness and of their own importance. Jesus will say that he never knew them when it comes to judgement day.

How do you become Holy or justified?

You come like the publican, he stood afar off. Remember the prodigal son, when he was a great way off the Father saw him and ran to Him. God sees your heart; he sees the heart that is repentant and he will accept you right where you are.

There must be a real sorrow for sin, there must be an admission that you have sinned before a holy God and that you are guilty before Him.

The publican beat his breast for there was deep repentance and sorrow for his sin. So, who are you like? Are you like the self-righteous religious person who talks to himself or the repentant sinner who talks to God and is justified because he is truly repentant?

God bless you

NUMBERS 33

51 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan;52 Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places:53 And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it.

FINAL INSTRUCTIONS

This is one of the final instructions given to the children of Israel, they were to destroy all evidence of the people who lived in the land of Canaan.The instructions given to us in the New testament are the same, we are to destroy all the works of the flesh。The destruction that the Israelites had to do was a complete one.. nothing had to be left. To do this they had to go to war.. it was to be a tough battle; it took time and it took resources.

 It takes all their effort.. likewise, it will be a battle for us. This is no part time battle. You cannot sit back and expect to win the war.Likewise, with us, we are at constant warfare, Ephesians 6 tells us to take up our weapons.

The children of Israel had their weapons and we also have our weapons, which are outlined in the verses of Ephesians 6.

Our warfare will be constant, we need to be full time not part time to complete the task..although we will never fully get rid of sin until we get to heaven. Does it mean that we shouldn’t fight?So many Christians have put down their weapons? They think this task is too difficult. They think sin will never be cleared from their lives, so why should they start this task.The Israelites did not deal with the people who lived in the land, they left some people in the land and what happened, these people compromised the children of Israel, this is the situation with us, if we do what the children of Israel did, we will be tied up by the power of sin.In the second devotion, we will see what compromise leads too.Have you believer driven out all the bad habits in your life?

Have you torn down all the idols in your life?God bless you

Keith

JUDGES 210 And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel.11 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim:12 And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger.THE LOST GENERATIONSomeone once said that Christianity was one generation away from getting totally wiped out.All through their wilderness wanderings, the children of Israel, were told to train the next generation, they were told to pass on the great works of God. They were told to bind the word of the Lord

 on their wrists and to keep his word before their eyes.How was it then that this new generation did not know God? In Joshua 24, when Joshua asked the children of Israel,  if they would serve the Lord, they said Oh yes we will serve the Lord.What were they doing?, they had forsaken their responsibilities to train their children. Look at verse 10, this generation did not know the Lord, they didn’t even know what God had done for

the children of Israel. They didn’t even know what God had done with Jericho.What was the previous generation doing?More to the point, what are you in this generation doing for the next generation?Has your church got a Sunday school?Is it reaching out to the youth in its locality?As a parent…are you teaching your children and grandchildren the truths of the bible?As I said at the start, Christianity is one generation away from being lost, we need to make sure

 we pass on this glorious faith. One of the jobs of the church is to train and teach the next

generation of leaders.Like Moses did with JoshuaLike Paul did with Timothy and TitusLike Barnabas did with MarkLike Jesus did with the twelveWhat are you doing to prevent the next generation from being lost?God bless youKeith

GALATIANS 5

24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Galatians 2

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

LOSING YOUR GRIP

The Christian has a new master, he/she has a new relationship, a relationship of grace.

He/she is in union with Christ, but to do that he must get rid of something.

Our old life needs to be crucified, we do have two natures and the one we feed will have the upper hand, the flesh and the spirit are in conflict

Galatians 5

17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

What are you to actively crucify your flesh?

Are you staying from rubbish on the tv and internet?

Are you staying away from bad company?

Christians can not come to church on Sunday and live a worldly life from Monday to Saturday.

The power of sin has been broken at the cross, it has no power over us, the presence of sin is still with us, but its presence can become less and less as we walk after the spirit.

Now that doesn’t mean we will ever reach perfection, we won’t, but we will be victorious the majority of the time.

We have to walk after the spirit:

Galatians 5

16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

We will know when we are crucifying the flesh, when the fruit of the spirit are evident in our lives and that the works of the flesh are becoming less and less.

Which is it?

Galatians 5

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Are the works of vs 19-21 or the fruit of vs 22-23, taking over your life?

If it is the latter, then you are truly losing your grip and crucifying your flesh.

God bless you