Category Archives: Family

Accountability, Battles, Bible, Burdens, Comfort, Family, God's Will, Ministry, Obedience, Scripture

SO, YOU THINK YOU’RE SOMETHING

GALATIANS 6:3

“For if anyone thinks that he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”

Ouch! This verse feels like Paul is stepping on my toes. How about you? We have all been there. We think we are better than someone else. We think we would have never fallen like that person did. Some of my hardest falls have been the result of overconfidence. I like what Doddridge says about this verse. “The worst part of the fraud falls on his own head.” Man, that stings.

Don’t forget that this verse immediately follows the verse about bearing each other’s burdens. This is why. Because you may wind up in the same fix and need help yourself. Paul is warning the Galatians against vanity – spiritual vanity. Oh, it was so easy for them to think they were better than others. They had arrived. They were above those who struggle. Paul is saying, “Not so fast! You too may need a hand down the road.”

APPLICATION

I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 10:12 where it says, “Now, when you think you are standing firm, be careful lest you fall.” We can never get overconfident, unless that overconfidence is in Jesus. He will never fail – NEVER! His promises are true. In Joshua 23, Joshua repeats a statement from chapter 21. He says in verse 14, “‘Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; they all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed.’”

Those promises still hold true. He is a promise keeper to the end. Even the last words Jesus spoke on earth after His resurrection says this. In Matthew 28:20 we read, “…‘and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” So, when we fail (and we will), He is always there – to the end.

Let’s back up a minute to the previous verse since this is important to the context. We must bear one another’s burdens because we need each other. There will come a day when you fail and that brother or sister to whom you gave a helping hand will run to your aid. That is how the body works.

Thank You, Father, for the body of Christ that looks out for each other.

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Bible, Compassion, Family, Giving, God's Will, Love, Sacrifice, Scripture

WHATEVER THE COST

GALATIANS 4:15

“Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I testify about you that, if possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.”

There are some people you would do anything for, right? I would literally lay down my life for my family. I would not hesitate. My family is that important to me. The question arises then – What would I be willing to do for a total stranger or even a friend? To be honest, I would probably think long and hard about my sacrifice for them. But what would Christ do? We know what He did – He died for them.

Paul, in today’s verse, is thanking the Galatians for their willingness to sacrifice for him. The expression “torn out your eyes” has been interpreted literally and figuratively. Some think this refers to an eye malady Paul suffered with since his conversion on the Damascus road (remember the scales that fell from his eyes after being struck blind). Others think Paul was just saying they would have given anything for him. Whatever is true, we know they were willing to give anything for Paul.

APPLICATION

We are told by Jesus Himself in John 15:13, “‘Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.’” Do you think Jesus meant for us to literally lay down our lives or to sacrifice for others? Personally, I believe the latter. We have to count our lives as nothing and be willing to give no matter the cost. That’s what He did and expects us to do.

Paul discusses this topic briefly in Romans 5:7-8. “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” He admits that is hard for us to sacrifice for others, but God held nothing back.

During this Holy Week, reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus. His sacrifice for us was planned from the creation of the world – whatever the cost. God knew what it would take, and He gave it. We all probably know John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” He gave! Therefore, we should give. We should be willing to sacrifice. Be like the Galatians in this regard. Sacrifice today for someone in the name of Jesus.

O Lord, I lay down my life today for my fellow believers.

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Accountability, Age, Bible, Enslavement, Family, Home, Maturity, Responsibilities, Scripture

A CHANGE OF POSITION

GALATIANS 4:7

“Therefore, you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.”

From time to time in life we have the opportunity to change positions. What do I mean by that? Well, we move from son to father to grandfather (which is the best, by the way). We may move from employee to employer. And for many young ladies, they may move from bridesmaid to bride. All significant changes. All involve a change in responsibilities. But they all also carry with them a change in how they are seen by others.

Paul goes through a progression in today’s verse – slave to son to heir. Of course, Paul is speaking in spiritual terms regarding each of these. We all were once a slave to sin, bound under the chains with no hope for freedom. But as believers in Jesus, we each became sons (or daughters) to our heavenly Father. We are in His family now. And as such, we are now heirs to all our Redeemer possesses. We are called joint-heirs with Christ in Romans 8:17.

APPLICATION

As I mentioned, with a change in position, comes responsibility. In each stage of my life, my responsibilities changed from son to father to grandfather. As a believer, I have responsibilities as part of this family. Billy Graham once said, “Our faith becomes stronger as we express it; a growing faith is a sharing faith.” Do you believe that? Look at these verses.

In Mark 16:15 Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Paul told Philemon in his letter to him (v. 6), “and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.” One more. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 3:15-16, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

One of our major responsibilities as believers is to share our faith, to tell others the good news. Will you do that today? Ask the Lord to give you one person to share with today. Ask the Lord to help you lead one person to Jesus today. Share the greatest story ever told. Share how He has changed your life. Do that today.

O Lord, I go so many days without sharing my faith. Give me someone today to talk to about Jesus.

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Abiding, Bible, Children, Family, Father, Intimacy, Parenting, Relationships, Scripture

DADDY!

GALATIANS 4:6

“Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, ‘Abba! Father!’”

Oh, the joy that feels my heart when I hear my children say, “Daddy.” They don’t say it as much anymore. It’s been shortened to “Dad” now. My daughter will still call me daddy sometimes, but only when she wants something. (Just kidding, Casey) There was just something about hearing them holler “Daddy” when I would come home from work or a trip. It thrilled my heart.

Paul uses the Aramaic word, Abba, here in today’s verse. I was surprised to see that this word is only used two other times in the NT and only 9 times in the OT (2 in Ezra and 7 in Daniel). In Mark 14:36, Jesus uses it as He prays in the garden on the night before His crucifixion. Paul uses it in Romans 8:15 in a similar way he uses it here in Galatians. The word Abba means father but in a more tender way. Some translations use the word “daddy.” I like that.

APPLICATION

Can you just picture it? Jesus, kneeling in the garden, praying earnestly to His Father in heaven. And in the most intimate of ways, He calls Him daddy. I am not trying to be irreverent. Quite the contrary. By showing Jesus’ intimacy with the Father, we see His human side. In the same way, we can call our Father in heaven daddy. Abba Father.

As I mentioned, Paul uses this same word in Romans 8:15. “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’” We have been given the right as His children to call Him daddy.

As I picture this word “daddy,” I see the image of a child crawling up into their father’s lap, snuggling up under his chin. Maybe the daddy is reading to them or maybe the daddy is just listening to his child. Whatever the conversation is, be sure it is two-sided. In the same way, our talks with our “daddy” in heaven is two-sided. Let’s talk and also listen. He has much to say.

Abba, Father, I praise You. I truly want to be close enough to hear Your voice when you speak my name.

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Adoption, Bible, Chosen, Family, Joy, Love, Redemption, Scripture

ADOPTION

GALATIANS 4:5

“so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons and daughters.”

I have a lot of friends and some family who have chosen to adopt children. Some did it because they were unable to conceive a child. Others did it because they wanted to give a child a home. But both chose a child. Both made a choice. Some of my friends even celebrate their child’s “chosen day” each year. I can’t imagine the joy the child feels when they have been chosen.

As believers in Christ, we have all been chosen by Christ. In today’s verse, Paul is still addressing those who have been under the Law, those Judaizers who were trying to influence the Gentile believers. He tells them Christ has saved them from the struggle of trying to keep the Law and has given all believers the joy of “adoption as sons and daughters.” What joy!

APPLICATION

What will you do with your adoption? Some children who are adopted truly flourish in their new homes. They take full advantage of every part of being in a new family. Others don’t and hang on to the past hurts and rejections from their birth families. We are the same spiritually. Some of us grow and mature as believers. Others hang on to the past and refuse to let go.

The Greek word for adoption is huiothesia, which comes from huios (son) and tithemi (to place) – to place as son. It is interesting to me that the word huios is used since that is the word used to describe Jesus every time in Scripture. We have the same sonship in the family. God has placed us as sons (and daugters) into His heavenly kingdom with all the benefits He can offer.

We have a choice to make. Will we take advantage of all those benefits, all those gifts of the Spirit or will we cling to our past and stay chained to our sins? Let me close with this passage from Ephesians 1:3-5. Then you can make your decision how you will live as adopted sons (and daughters) of the King.

“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons and daughters through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,” 

Thank You, Lord, for adopting me as Your child into Your kingdom. I want to enjoy my new family to the fullest.

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Adoption, Bible, Family, God's Will, Home, Scripture, Uncategorized

GOD’S KIDS

GALATIANS 3:26

“For you are all sons and daughters of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”

Being a part of a big family can be a good thing. My wife, for instance, is one of eight siblings, two boys and six girls. They are all pretty close and spend a lot time talking through social media or, in the case of my wife and some of her sisters, hours on the phone. I am so thankful we have unlimited minutes now on our cellphones, lol.

But better than our earthly families, we are part of a large, multiracial, multi-continental family. That’s God’s family. Paul reminds the Galatians, who were for the most part a Gentile audience, that they too were part of this family. It wasn’t just a Jewish thing. Their common faith in Jesus as Lord has brought them all into the same family – the family of God.

APPLICATION

Application for this verse is so apparent. We need to do all we can to bring more into the family. John 1:12 tells us, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name,…” And then there is another verse by John in 1 John 3:1. “See how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God; and in fact we are. For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know Him.”

I could continue to rattle off dozens of verses on us being the children of God but let me encourage you to do a little digging. Just google “verses about being called children of God.” You will find plenty. As children ourselves, we are called to expand the family. We are called to share the good news of Jesus Christ and invite the world to come in. There is plenty of room in God’s house.

Who in your earthly family right now needs Jesus? Pray daily for them. Share the gospel with them every chance you get. Will they get mad with you? Maybe, but what is worse – them getting made or them going to hell. And above all, live like Jesus. Sometimes words are even necessary in sharing our witness. The love of Jesus in us can draw them to Him. Be His obedient child.

I am so thankful to be in Your family, God. I know You will always be my heavenly Father.

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Belief, Bible, Blessing, Chosen, Family, Favoritism, Genealogy, God's Will, Gospel, Heritage, History, Salvation, Scripture

HERITAGE

GALATIANS 2:15

“‘We are Jews by nature and not sinners from the Gentiles;’”

I had a hint the other day on one of my genealogy sites. It was pretty awesome. That hint led me back to the 11th century to a relative on my mom’s side of the family. He was an Earl in Scotland. Isn’t that cool? I find these family trees to be intriguing. Knowing where you come from can give you some grounding in life.

As Paul continues his rebuke of Peter in verse 15, we see him talking about his and Peter’s heritage. They were Jews, not Gentiles. They had prior knowledge to the things of Jehovah, unlike the Gentiles, who were commonly referred to as sinners by the Jews. But Paul wasn’t setting himself up above the Gentiles. We can see that later in this letter in Galatians 3:28. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

APPLICATION

What can we make of this verse today in application to our life? Know where you come from! We are told in Ephesians 5:8, “for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light.” We were all sinners doomed to an eternal damnation before coming to Jesus. Never forget what God did for you in salvation. We should stay forever grateful.

I believe the second thing we can see in today’s verse is that God did not make the Gentiles a lower class. He has always desired to see them come to Him. Look at Isaiah 60:3, “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” Aren’t you grateful for that? God had a plan from the beginning for all mankind to come to Him. He knows who will and who want. But the Word says in John 3:16, “whosover.” That included the Gentiles.

And the final thing I see in this verse today is a warning not to flaunt our position in Christ. I don’t think for a second that Paul was putting down the Gentiles in this verse. I can just see him standing and addressing the crowd. You have to remember that Paul loved these Gentiles and had a mission from God to preach the Gospel to them. He was not putting the Jews above them. We are all the same at the foot of the cross. Praise the Lord!

Father, thank You for saving me. Thank You for giving me a family tree that leads to You.

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Battles, Bible, Conflict, Correction, End Times, Family, Fighting, God's Will, Home, Love, Relationships, Scripture

FATHERS AND CHILDREN

MALACHI 4:6

“‘He will turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and strike the land with complete destruction.’”

One of the things we teach in the ministry I am serving with, Every Man A Warrior, is father-son and father-daughter time. Most men don’t spend time with their children, thus the breakdown of relationships. When fathers do spend time with their children, they need to do a few things. They need to make it safe, ask questions, make it about them, pray with them, shut up and listen and finally, speak building blocks of truth in their lives.

Isn’t it amazing that Malachi talks about father and children in his very last sentence? He is still speaking about Elijah (whom we mentioned in yesterday’s blog). We are not told how he will turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children or the children’s hearts back to their fathers, but he does. Why? So the Lord “will not come and strike the land.” Let’s look closer at what this means.

APPLICATION

When family units breakdown, society crumbles. I am not just talking about the single households. I am talking about the extended families – Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Parents, children, aunts, uncles, cousins. The biggest breakdown today is faith, or should I say lack of faith. When one person in the family is walking with the Lord and others are not, it can cause extreme division.

Lest we be surprised, our Lord talked about this in Matthew 10:21-22. “‘21 Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. 22 And you will be hated by all because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”

Another passage is in Luke 5. Verses 51-53 are Jesus’ words again. “‘51 Do you think that I came to provide peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division; 52 for from now on five members in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three. 53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.’”

Now, before you decide to throw in the towel, look back at today’s verse. The Lord says through Elijah He will draw families back together in faith. I believe that. I know faith unites. May we all pray that for all of our families. May we be united in the love of Jesus and rejoice in what He has given us.

Father, thank You for this final promise in Malachi. Praise You for families and what they mean to You and eachother.

P.S. For my frequent followers, I will be taking a short break after today’s blog. I will pick back up on January 1. Pray that the Lord shows me where to go to next in our daily study. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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Bible, Compassion, Faithfulness, Family, Goodness, Rescue, Scripture, Suffering

THE COMPASSION OF A FATHER

MALACHI 3:17

“‘And they will be Mine,’ says the LORD of armies, ‘on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will have compassion for them just as a man has compassion for his own son who serves him.’”

I have one son whom I love dearly. I would do anything for him and his family. I believe he knows that. A few months ago, while our daughter-in-law was out of town, he got sick. He called me and said, “Dad, I might need you today. I’m not feeling well.” I, of course, said, “If you need me, I’ll be right there.” We hung up, but he called back within a few minutes and asked if I could come right then. My wife and I dropped everything and took off. I would have done anything right then to get to him. He needed me.

The Lord compares His compassion for the people with that of father to his son. I can relate to that. God’s love for us runs deep. The Hebrew word for “compassion” is chamal, which can mean to spare or have pity. But here, it is best defined as compassion. The Lord knew their need and came to them, much like I did for my own son.

APPLICATION

I love what Lamentations 3:22-23 says about His compassion. “22 The LORD’S acts of mercy indeed do not end, for His compassions do not fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” And we have David writing in Psalm 51:1, “Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithfulness;

according to the greatness of Your compassion, wipe out my wrongdoings.”

Do a word study on the Lord’s compassion. You may be amazed how that word is used throughout Scripture. In the Old Testament, the word is used over forty times. One of the greatest demonstrations of our Lord’s compassion is found in John 11:35 where it simply says, “Jesus wept.” We see the outpouring of His compassion for his friend, Lazarus.

God shows His compassion for His children every day, just like we earthly fathers do our children. When we see our children suffering, we are quick to respond, right? Well, God is even quicker because He knows what’s coming. Don’t you wish you could see that far in advance. Well, maybe not. Let’s leave that up to Him.

You are a compassionate God, and I thank You. Your compassions are truly new every morning.

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Abiding, Accountability, Battles, Bible, Commitment, Family, God's Will, Marriage, Relationships, Scripture

GOD’S MODEL FOR MARRIAGE

MALACHI 2:15

“But not one has done so who has a remnant of the Spirit. And why the one? He was seeking a godly offspring. Be careful then about your spirit, and see that none of you deals treacherously against the wife of your youth.”

Marriage is such a joy. I pray your marriage is as much fun as mine. Now, I don’t want to give the impression that mine if perfect. It is far from that, but it is so much sweeter when my wife and I are yielding to Jesus. The days we don’t do that, we struggle a bit. We have to constantly remember what we are modeling for others – God’s model for marriage.

In today’s verse, Malachi gives a hint of that. Who was he referring to in this verse? Many scholars agree that it was Adam who was given Eve as his wife. He was given the Spirit when God breathed into his nostrils and gave him life. He was given Eve for companionship and to produce “godly offspring” to populate the earth. God intended marriage to be centered on Him. Remember, He walked with them in the garden before the fall.

APPLICATION

Our world has tried its best to destroy the institute of marriage. We have condoned every sort of “marriage” and called it normal. We have forsaken the marriage of one man and one woman. We have made it easy to get out of a marriage if it does not suit us anymore. Jesus spoke against this in Matthew 19:3-10. Take a few minutes and read those verses. Jesus did not pull any punches there.

If you are struggling in your marriage and the “D” word has come up, stop right where you are. Go to the Lord and talk to Him about this. Don’t just listen to your friends or lawyer. Go to the Great Counsel. He has all the answers. Honor your marriage as God intends. He can help heal those wounds. He wants to repair your damaged marriage and remake it into His model.

I want to share again with you a commitment we teach our men in our ministry (Every Man A Warrior). It says, “It is my privilege to show my love for Jesus by caring for my wife – to love her, to show her honor, to try to understand her and to give up my life and rights for her.” That can be applied both ways in a marriage. If you are married, love your spouse today as Jesus does.

Father, I know I fall so short of your model for marriage. Give me the strength and wisdom to follow Your example.

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