Category Archives: Gospel

Accountability, Bible, Boasting, Calling, Correction, Fellowship, Glorify, Gospel, Scripture

NOT MY WORDS

GALATIANS 1:11

“For I would have you know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel which was preached by me is not of human invention.”

Have you ever had to deliver a message to someone from someone else that you knew had the potential to upset that person? How do you start that message? I have a message for you from ________. Now, understand that these are their words, not mine. Am I right? Of course, I am. We want to make sure they know that we are just the messenger.

In verse 11 today, Paul is telling the Galatians something similar. He is telling them that the message that he preached to them didn’t come from him or any other person. Where did it come from? It came from God! The phrase, “not of human invention,” is literally “is not according to man” in the Greek. Paul didn’t get it from Peter or James or any other person. The message, the gospel message is straight from God.

APPLICATION

This is why it is so important for us to be very careful when we handle the Word. I recall Paul’s word in 2 Timothy 2:15. “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” In 2 Corinthians 2:17, Paul further explains the need to handle the Word correctly. “For we are not like the many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.”

Handling God’s message to mankind is a weighty job. Far too many people mishandle it. They take what is the truth and make it their own truth. They add to or take away from it. This is what Paul was battling in the Galatian churches. The Judaizers would come in and require these new believers to adapt what they had learned and add certain requirements that had nothing to do with the original message of the Gospel.

Today, we risk the same thing when we require people to jump through our hoops in order to achieve the righteousness of Christ. The Gospel is simple. Christ intended it that way. Don’t complicate it.

Thank You, Lord, for keeping the message of salvation simple of all mankind.

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Bible, Gospel, Messages, Repetition, Salvation, Testimony, Witnessing

LET ME REPEAT THAT

GALATIANS 1:9

“As we have said before, even now I say again: if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”

Sometimes you just have to repeat yourself to be understood clearly. In our Every Man A Warrior ministry curriculum, we repeat the skills we are teaching the men over and over. When they memorize a verse, they say the reference (where it is from) before and after reciting it. Repetition is used by preachers in sermons to drive home points. Many of them say what they are going to say, say it and then say what they said. Repetition!

Paul clearly repeats himself here in verse 9. Remember there were no chapters and verses in the books of the Bible originally, so this letter to the Galatians was written just like you would write a letter or email or text. Of the fourteen times the Greek word for “have said before” is used, Paul uses it nine times. He liked to repeat himself. That word also means to predict or say beforehand. Paul repeats his statement to make sure he is not misunderstood.

APPLICATION

What does this verse mean to us? You and I need to keep telling the story of Jesus to everyone we meet. We need to share His love to a lost and dying world every chance we get. 1 Peter 3:15 is a good verse to memorize on this. “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect;” Did you catch that? Peter said, “always being ready.” That means you have had to prepare. You can spit out those verses. You can share your testimony.

Let me encourage you to do your own word study on this. What does the Bible say about sharing the Gospel, about sharing your testimony? You need to have your testimony prepared to give in 1 minute, 3 minutes or 8 minutes. Share it according to the situation but share it. If you are a believer, you have a testimony. You have a story that needs to be told over and over. The more you share it the more comfortable you will be sharing it. Repetition builds skills, remember.

Set a goal this week to share your testimony and the Gospel of Christ with at least one person. Next week try two. Keep sharing. Keep testifying. Guess who you please. Not the preacher. Not your Sunday School teacher. You are pleasing the Lord Jesus. Remember the words of Paul in Colossians 3:23-24.
“23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, 24 knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward  of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

Lord, this week give me the opportunity to share my testimony and the Gospel to those who need to hear it.

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Accursed, Bible, Deceit, Deception, Enemies, Falsehoods, Gospel, Scripture, Truth

UNRELIABLE PEOPLE

GALATIANS 1:8

“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!”

I’ve known people who were flip-floppers. What does that mean? It means they would change their minds or views on a subject to go along with others. They would stick their finger in the wind and go in that direction. They were not reliable, therefore, for anything important. And they soon proved to be unreliable as a friend or confidant.

In today’s verse, Paul addresses the threat of a changing gospel. He gets pretty forceful by saying even if they hear he, other apostles or even an angel was preaching gospel different than what he preached earlier (only Jesus was required for salvation), let them be accursed. The Greek word for “accursed” is anathema. It means “excommunicated thing, cursed.” That person should be totally disregarded.

APPLICATION

Albert Barnes says this about today’s verse: “It follows from this:

(1) That any other doctrine than what is proclaimed in the Bible on the subject of justification is to be rejected and treated with abhorrence, no matter what the rank, talent, or eloquence of him who defends it. (2) that we are not to patronize or countenance such preachers. No matter what their zeal or their apparent sincerity, or their apparent sanctity, or their apparent success, or their real boldness in rebuking vice, we are to withdraw from them.”

In other words, believers, be careful who you follow. There are so many wolves in sheep clothing out there. The Lord said in Matthew 7:15-16a, “’15 Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits.’”

Paul warns us, also, in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”

You’ve been warned. There is no excuse. You have to protect your ears by staying in the Word, listening to His voice, spending time in prayer. Listen to the Holy Spirit always and compare what preachers and teachers are saying with God’s Word. Ask the Lord to show you if what they are teaching is true. He will. He wants you to follow only those who know Him.

Father, show me very clearly who is following You and not themselves or our enemy.

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Affliction, Battles, Belief, Bible, Confrontation, Corruption, Deceit, Enemies, Fighting, Gospel, Scripture

AGITATORS

GALATIANS 1:7

“which is not just another account; but there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.”

It seems in every body of believers there are those who are determined to disturb and agitate. If they don’t get their way in a committee meeting, they start grumbling and mumbling. Other agitators come in and start complaining about the Pastor’s messages. They are subtle, but impactful. Before you know it, you have a full blown rebellion happening in the church.

Why do I bring this up? Because this is exactly what Paul is speaking about in today’s verse. Those people who came into the Galatian churches after Paul were agitating and trying to change the Gospel which Paul had preached. The Greek word for “disturbing” means “to stir up trouble.” Then Paul uses a word for “distort” that is only used three times in Scripture. It means “to turn or pervert.” These people had ill intentions from the start. “Paul’s message wasn’t good enough. You need this, too.”

APPLICATION

This other gospel that was being preached by these agitators in Galatia is still present today. They were preaching that you need to do certain things to receive salvation. Belief in Jesus wasn’t enough. You needed to keep the Mosaic law. Well, today you may not hear that, but you hear other things are required for salvation. You must do this, or you can’t do that. Listen, all we need in Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Paul also says over in Romans 5:1-2, “1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God.” You can’t get much clearer than that. Nothing will justify us before God except the blood of Christ.

What are you working so hard for? You can’t achieve your salvation through works. You can’t achieve your salvation by going to church every time the doors are opened. You can’t get to heaven on your own merits. You can’t do enough to tip the scale in your favor. But…Jesus’ blood can. Are you washed in His blood? If you are, you are sealed with His promise. Hallelujah!

Are you washed in the blood, in the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?

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AMAZED, Bible, Choices, Decisions, Enemies, God's Will, Gospel, Relationships, Scripture

WHY I NEVER!

GALATIANS 1:6

“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel,”

Have you ever been incredulous about something? You know, you just couldn’t believe that someone would do such a thing. Down here in the South, we say, “Why I never!” to show such astonishment. Some things are just hard to believe, even if you see it for yourself.

Paul was “amazed” that the Galatians had turned from the truth of the Gospel which he had taught them to some other form. When Paul called it a “different” gospel, he meant it was totally different, a different kind. Most scholars agree that this shift must have happened relatively quickly after Paul left them. Paul was often followed by men who wanted to add to Paul’s teachings. They must have been just waiting for the opportunity to swoop in and pervert the true Gospel.

APPLICATION

We have to stay true to the Gospel as it was presented to us. That’s why it is so important for you to get into the Word and study it. That’s why you need to be discipled by someone. You are also supposed to be investing in someone yourself, teaching them to follow Christ’s teachings. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable men who will be qualified to teach others.” That is so critical to keeping people informed and growing.

The word Paul uses in today’s verse “deserting” can also be translated as “switching sides.” What if a star player on a team decided during half-time to switch sides and play for the other team? That would be foolish. He had been trained by his team’s coach. He had been taught all the plays. If he switched sides, he would be playing against the very things he had been taught.

Don’t let anyone teach you anything contrary to God’s Word. Check them out. Make sure whatever you hear can be verified by the Word. Too many people fall for any slick teaching. If the preacher sounds good, he must be telling the truth. If he has thousands of followers, he must be right. Listen closely to what he is saying.

Keep me loyal, Lord, to Your teachings. Help those who fallen prey to false teachings.

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Abundance, Bible, Calling, Counting, Friends, God's Will, Gospel, Judgment, Salvation, Scripture, Witnessing

A LITTLE MATH

ZECHARIAH 13:8

“‘And it will come about in all the land,’ declares the LORD, ‘that two parts in it will be cut off and perish; but the third will be left in it.’”

I used to be pretty good at math. I kind of naturally got the concepts. So, when we were taught fractions, I understood it.  Fast forward to adulthood. Who would have ever thought I would use those numbers again? But they come up all the time. Just about every day there is something to measure or weigh or divide. Thanks Mrs. Barry, for all those things you poured into my head.

The Lord did not need to be taught math concepts. He is the Creator of all things. He uses numbers in describing the judgment that would befall Israel. Scholars disagree whether this prophecy shared by Zechariah applied to Israel’s fall under Rome or a judgment yet to come. Either way, it had to be hard to hear that only one third would remain.

APPLICATION

We find similar measurements in other parts of the Bible. Look in 2 Samuel 8:2. “And He defeated Moab, and measured them with the line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and a full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became servants to David, bringing tribute.”

How about in Ezekiel 5:12? “A third of you will die by plague or perish by famine among you, a third will fall by the sword around you, and a third I will scatter to every wind, and I will unsheathe a sword behind them.” God has always measured judgment exactly.

Romans 11:5 tells us, “In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.” God is always looking out for the remnant, those who will choose to follow Him. Unfortunately, the mass of people in this world will not. It is our job as believers to try to share with as many of them as we can.

While we are doing math, count the number of lost friends you have. How many are there? Now, how many of them are you going to share Jesus with this week? This year? Start counting the number of people you see come to Christ this year because of your friendship. God is counting every soul. We should too.

Father, help me be a better enumerator of souls that are won into your kingdom that are part of my circle of friends.

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Accountability, Bible, Calling, Commands, Gospel, Missionaries, Obedience, Scripture, Witnessing

SO MANY PEOPLE

ZECHARIAH 8:22

“‘So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the LORD of armies in Jerusalem, and to plead for the favor of the LORD.’”

I have to be honest – I hate crowds. As much as I love football, the thought of having to fight the crowd at a Georgia football game makes me cringe. I have been in big crowds. There has never been one that I truly enjoyed. Oh, the event I may have attended was good and all, but fighting those crowds in and out of the stadium or arena makes me just want to stay home.

So, when Zechariah shares the words of the Lord that “many peoples and mighty nations will come,” I am sure some people were not too happy. But we have to move past our own likes and dislikes, don’t we? So did they. These people were coming “to plead the favor of the Lord.” They were to be welcomed and shown the love of their God. What a change for them. Instead of dreading the impending masses of armies, they were now serving the Lord of armies by welcoming these pilgrims.

APPLICATION

I think you can guess where I am going to go with this. We need to not only welcome people as they come to Jesus, but we also need to seek them. I have friends who live in countries where there are billions of people who need Jesus. They live in cities that are packed with people literally shoulder to shoulder. They go not because they like those living conditions. They go to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

We are clearly commanded by Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20 to go to all the nations and make disciples. That starts at home with our neighbors. We are also told in Acts 1:8 by Jesus, “‘but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.’”

Where is the Lord calling you? There are truly so many people who need to hear the Gospel. We are all called to share it to as many as we can. What is the result if we don’t? They will spend eternity in hell, separated from God. None of  us want that. So, tell someone the good news this week.

Lord, put me in the path of those who need to hear about Your Son and let them listen and receive it.

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Abundance, Bible, Blessing, Calling, Encouragement, Gospel, Harvest, Messages, Scripture

GOOD NEWS COMING

ZECHARIAH 8:1

“Then the word of the LORD of armies came, saying,” 

Don’t you just love it when you get good news? Maybe you were just notified that you are getting that promotion that you have been praying about. Perhaps you were just told by the doctor that you are expecting after years of trying to get pregnant. Just fill in the blank. We all have those stories. Well, Zechariah is about to get some good news from the Lord. I bet he is so excited.

This verse, by itself, is pretty plain and not very exciting. But the excitement comes in what is coming. Every time the Lord talks it is exciting, isn’t it? Whether He is delivering words of judgment or words of blessing, it is exciting. Zechariah is ready to hear the Lord. How do I know that? Because every time the Lord speaks, Zechariah is listening. He was waiting for the Lord to tell him the next message he is to deliver.

APPLICATION

Take a peek at the whole 8th chapter. It is so encouraging to see the good news for Israel. Don’t you feel the same way about the good news of the Gospel of Christ? We have had such good news given to us. Why aren’t we more like Zechariah, sharing the good news with the people?

Probably one of the most familiar verses about this is found in Acts 1:8. “‘but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth.’” Are you doing that? Are you being that witness wherever you go?

Romans 10:13-4 tells us, “13for “EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” 14 How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?” We must be the feet of Jesus. We must spread the good news. Listen for God’s message, telling you to whom and how to share it.

Thank You, Lord, for sending me the good news all those years ago. Give me opportunities to share it to others.

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Abiding, Bible, Blessing, Commitment, Decisions, Following, Gospel, Loyalty, Memorials, Salvation, Scripture

A MEMORIAL

ZECHARIAH 6:14

“‘Now the crown will become a reminder in the temple of the LORD to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah, and Hen the son of Zephaniah.’”

Have you ever put something aside as a reminder? I have. In fact, I could probably still find some of those things if I dug for them. That’s just my point. The things we think are so important at the time are really not. They will not last. We tend to put way too much value on things that are temporal. Instead, we should be laying up treasures in heaven.

The Lord tells Zechariah that this crown upon Joshua’s head will become a memorial, a reminder to the people. Back in verse 10, these individuals named here are first brought to our attention. Most scholars believe Helem and Hen are the same as Heldai in verse 10. The crown stands for God’s rule and reign in their lives as Priest and King. God seems to be saying, “Don’t forget this.”

APPLICATION

What is the key moment in your life when you gave your heart and mind to Christ? When did you finally surrender to His call? Think back to that time when you prayed to receive Christ’s offer of salvation. That is a memorial! That is a marker, a milestone. Mark it! Nail it down! You need to remember that moment.

Well Carl, I just kind of grew into Christ. Well, I have to disagree. Just because you are born in a garden you don’t grow into a turnip, do you? God calls each of us to Himself. I love that ole hymn that says, “Have you heard the Savior calling?” Revelation 3:20 tells us, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

There is a moment when you felt that call, when you heard that knock. Ask the Lord to show you when that was, if you are not sure. Why am I stressing this? Because we need those markers in our lives. As we share our story with others those markers give us our talking points. Use them to show others what He has done for you and what He can do for them.

I heard Your call and answered, Lord. Now, use me to glorify You.

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Abiding, Bible, Choices, Faith, God's Will, Gospel, Power, Salvation, Scripture

TRUE POWER

ZECHARIAH 4:6

“Then he said to me, ‘This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel, saying, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the LORD of armies.’”

Oh, do I have stories to tell of my attempts to do things on my own. Whether it was stubbornness about a task I needed to accomplish or my impatience with others resulting in me going it alone, I learned that I need others in my life. I particularly need the one true source of power – Jesus Christ. Amen?

Today’s verse is an often quoted verse. But seldom do people go back to the vision in verses 2-5 to get the full meaning of this verse. Just as the lampstand was fed eternally by the olive trees depositing an endless supply of olive oil, so too would Israel be provided the strength through Jehovah. It wasn’t about military strength or their own physical strength. It was God who would enable them to finish the temple to His glory.

APPLICATION

We need His Spirit. We need His power. It is not about us. It is all about Him. Have you experienced this? I pray you have. Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” The power of God! For salvation! To everyone who believes!

We find later in the New Testament, another writer stating the same message. 1 Peter 1:5 says about believers, “who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” Not only does His power save us, but it also protects us. Why would we not want to yield to Him?

Let me let you in on a little secret. God will let you try it on your own. Even though He has drawn you to Him, He will not force you to receive this power. And then when you find out that you can’t do it, He is there. That was my dad’s testimony. He finally realized at 80-years-old that he couldn’t do it on his own. Glory! Hallelujah! You can know that too.

It is Your power, God. It is Your Spirit that gives us strength.

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