Hebrews 10:23-25
23 Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have,
     for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
24 Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.
25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do,
     but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his
     coming back again is drawing near.
(NLT)
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Galatians 6:15-18
 15 It doesn't make any difference now whether we have been circumcised or not.
     What counts is whether we really have been changed into new and different people.
16 May God's mercy and peace be upon all those who live by this principle.
     They are the new people of God.  
17 From now on, don't let anyone trouble me with these things.
     For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus.
18 My dear brothers and sisters, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
(NLT)

We are no longer under the law but have been set free to live in Christ. What counts is whether we really have been changed into new and different people. When we receive Christ we are to become totally different people from what we were before. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it says “What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!” (NLT) May God's mercy and peace be upon all those who live by this principle. They are the new people of God. Have you let Christ change you? Evaluate your life and see where you are at in your walk with Christ. If you are off track get back on coarse because you are a new person in Christ and your life is to be lived for Him. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.


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Galatians 6:14

14 As for me, God forbid that I should boast about anything
     except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
     Because of that cross, my interest in this world died long ago,
     and the world's interest in me is also long dead.
     (NLT)

We should not boast about anything but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are not to boast about ourselves or our abilities because all of it came from the Lord Jesus Christ. The longer you live in Christ the less you should care about the things of this world. The world has never cared about you and it never will. Only Jesus cares about you because He said “I will never leave you or forsake you.” That is a guarantee! Rejoice in the Lord for He cares for you.

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Galatians 6:11-13

11 Notice what large letters I use as I write these closing words in my own handwriting.
12 Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised are doing it for just one reason.
     They don't want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save.
13 And even those who advocate circumcision don't really keep the whole law.
     They only want you to be circumcised so they can brag about it and claim you as their disciples.
(NLT)

There are many people and many religions that proclaim many things and many ways to be saved or that everyone is saved and all go to heaven. But there is only one way to heaven, there is only one way to God and that is through the cross of Jesus Christ alone. Even Jesus Himself said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” and "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it." (NLT) And those who proclaim this one way will be persecuted for it. The world wants to resist this view because people in general want to take the easy way out. There is no easy way out. The road to Christ and the road we follow with Christ is hard but the blessings that come along the way and at the end of this life is worth every step. For what the world offers is temporary but Christ is everlasting and eternal. This life is not to done alone; this life in Christ is with Christ therefore we are never alone. This life in Christ is not to be lived without others but is to be done in a community of other believers in Christ. We are stronger together not apart. Do not give the enemy a foot hold. The enemy comes to scatter us to defeat us alone but together in Christ the enemy cannot defeat us. In Christ together we stand with Christ our Solid Rock.
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Galatians 6:7-10

We Reap What We Sow

7 Don't be misled. Remember that you can't ignore God and get away with it.
     You will always reap what you sow!
8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death.
     But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
9 So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up,
     for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.
10 Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters.
(NLT)

God’s word is always true! “You reap what you sow,” “You get out of it what you put into it,” “Give and it shall be given to you” and “Treat others the way you want to be treated.” If you live to satisfy the flesh, to satisfy your own sinful desires and the pleasures of the flesh you will reap decay, sickness, heartache, loneliness, sorrow and death. But if you live for the Spirit you will reap everlasting life and a harvest of blessings at the appropriate time (God’s time). Don’t be misled -- God’s ways are always better than the flesh or the world. Don’t give up, don’t be discouraged and don’t let yourself get tired from doing good. Even if you don’t see the results of your hard work just wait on the Lord and in His time you will see the hand of God at work and the results of what He was having you do. Whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone, especially to our Christian brothers and sisters.

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Galatians 6:4-6

We Reap What We Sow

4 Be sure to do what you should, for then you will enjoy the personal satisfaction of
     having done your work well, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else.
5 For we are each responsible for our own conduct.
6 Those who are taught the word of God should help their teachers by paying them.
(NLT)

Work hard, do your best with the work that God gives you to do then praise Him for what He has given you to do. When you know that you have done well for the Lord then you will have satisfaction of having done your work well. Do not compare yourself with others but focus on what God wants you to do for you are responsible for your own conduct not what others thinks your conduct should be. You work for the Lord not for others therefore do your best for the Lord.

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Galatians 6:1-3

We Reap What We Sow

1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another Christian is overcome by some sin,
     you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.
     And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.
2 Share each other's troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
3 If you think you are too important to help someone in need,
     you are only fooling yourself. You are really a nobody.
(NLT)

When you find that a brother or sister in Christ has been overcome by some sin, then there are three things that you need to be aware of before you try to help them out. One, you need to know that you are a mature Christ follower. Two, you are to guide and direct them gently back toward Christ. And third, you need to do this in a state of humility so that you will not fall into the same temptation yourself. If you do not fit all three categories then find someone who does and partner with them to learn and grow in Christ. If you think that you are too good or too important to help someone in need then you have become a fool and if you do not change your fall is not far off. We came into this world with nothing and we will leave this world with nothing, so while we are here we should not think of ourselves as better than anyone else because we are not. Only Christ is something and we are to follow Him and reflect Him in our life. Selfishness never saved anyone. Therefore humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and live your life for Christ.

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Galatians 5:19-20

Living by the Spirit's Power

19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results:
     sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure,
20 idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger,
     selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group,
21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before,
     that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
(NLT)

These desires should not be a part of your life. If they are give them to Christ and let Him remove them from you.

Sometime scripture itself explains it best, Romans 6:6-14 says,
“6 Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives.
     We are no longer slaves to sin.
7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.
8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also share his new life.
9 We are sure of this because Christ rose from the dead, and he will never die again.
     Death no longer has any power over him.
10 He died once to defeat sin, and now he lives for the glory of God.
11 So you should consider yourselves dead to sin and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.

12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires.
13 Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning.
     Instead, give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life.
     And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God.
14 Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law, which enslaves you to sin.
     Instead, you are free by God's grace.”
(NLT)

Do not let sin control your life for it is no longer your master but now Jesus Christ is your Lord and King of your life. And the life that He now gives you is everlasting. For His love is everlasting.

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Galatians 5:16-18

Living by the Spirit's Power

16 So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit.
     Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves.
17 The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants.
     And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires.
     These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict.
18 But when you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are no longer subject to the law.
(NLT)

We are to live in accordance with the will of the Holy Spirit. He is our guide and teacher. We have two choices in life as believers in Jesus Christ, one is to live for self and selfish desires or two is to live by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The old nature, the flesh or self loves to do evil and it brings death but to live by the Spirit is life, peace, mercy, blessings and love. In order to move from a baby Christian to a mature Christian we must yield and obey the Holy Spirit. God has so much for us but when we continue to give into the flesh we miss out on what God has for us. But when we yield to the Holy Spirit, when we listen to Him, yield to Him and obey Him we too become the transform light of Christ. Our lives begin to reflect the love of Jesus, nothing else will matter but Jesus and seeking the lost children of God will become our focus. Go and share the gospel of Jesus Christ and let the Holy Spirit guide you.

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Galatians 5:13-15
Freedom in Christ
13 For you have been called to live in freedom — not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love.
14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
15 But if instead of showing love among yourselves you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. (NLT)
When we withhold love from others we are purposefully hurting them and this is not what God commands us to do. We are commanded to love one another because Christ loved us and died for us. You have been called to live in freedom with Jesus. You are not to live to satisfy yourself or your sinful nature. The whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” As Matthew 22:37-40 says, "Jesus replied, 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments. Therefore keep these commandments and your life will be blessed." (NLT)
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Galatians 5:11-12 Freedom in Christ 11 Dear brothers and sisters, if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised — as some say I do — why would the Jews persecute me? The fact that I am still being persecuted proves that I am still preaching salvation through the cross of Christ alone. 12 I only wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves. (NLT) To follow and obey Jesus Christ means that we will be persecuted. So when you are persecuted do not feel hurt or betrayed but give thanks and glory to God that you are counted worthy to be persecuted. Do not cease to preach salvation through the cross of Jesus Christ. Because this is our life, this is our new life in Christ and it is such a little thing that God has asked us to do for Him. We glorify our Heavenly Father when proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and show them His love through us. Sponsored by Men’s Ministry Our Mission is to Lead Men into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Galatians 5:7-10 Freedom in Christ 7 You were getting along so well. Who has interfered with you to hold you back from following the truth? 8 It certainly isn't God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. 9 But it takes only one wrong person among you to infect all the others — a little yeast spreads quickly through the whole batch of dough! 10 I am trusting the Lord to bring you back to believing as I do about these things. God will judge that person, whoever it is, who has been troubling and confusing you. (NLT) When God wants you to do something it is not Him who holds you back. We hold ourselves back. We think we are not capable, we are not gifted, we have no talent or we are not spiritual enough. These are lies from Satan who seeks to destroy you. God called you to freedom! God called you to the abundant life! God gave you an inheritance and made you a partaker in the heavenly things. The power of the living Christ dwells within you. Why are you afraid? What are you afraid of? The power of Jesus Christ resides in you. Jesus has filled you with the Holy Spirit. Jesus has overcome everything and He has made you a partaker in that as well. Satan has no foot hold in your life any longer because Jesus has defeated Him. Yield to Christ and you will discern those who are trying to create trouble and confusion to draw you away for Jesus. Be in the Word and in Prayer and the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. Sponsored by Men’s Ministry Our Mission is to Lead Men into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Freedom in Christ 7 You were getting along so well. Who has interfered with you to hold you back from following the truth? 8 It certainly isn't God, for he is the one who called you to freedom. 9 But it takes only one wrong person among you to infect all the others — a little yeast spreads quickly through the whole batch of dough! 10 I am trusting the Lord to bring you back to believing as I do about these things. God will judge that person, whoever it is, who has been troubling and confusing you. (NLT) When God wants you to do something it is not Him who holds you back. We hold ourselves back. We think we are not capable, we are not gifted, we have no talent or we are not spiritual enough. These are lies from Satan who seeks to destroy you. God called you to freedom! God called you to the abundant life! God gave you an inheritance and made you a partaker in the heavenly things. The power of the living Christ dwells within you. Why are you afraid? What are you afraid of? The power of Jesus Christ resides in you. Jesus has filled you with the Holy Spirit. Jesus has overcome everything and He has made you a partaker in that as well. Satan has no foot hold in your life any longer because Jesus has defeated Him. Yield to Christ and you will discern those who are trying to create trouble and confusion to draw you away for Jesus. Be in the Word and in Prayer and the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. Sponsored by Men’s Ministry Our Mission is to Lead Men into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Galatians 5:5-6 Freedom in Christ 5 But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive everything promised to us who are right with God through faith. 6 For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, it makes no difference to God whether we are circumcised or not circumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love. (NLT) In our walk with Christ we are to walk by faith and by the Spirit. We are to live by the Spirit not the flesh. What is important is our faith expressing itself in love. God’s kind of love ~ not the world’s warped type of love. We are to love the unlovable because that is who Christ came to save and to love. The Pharisees lost out because they put the emphasis on the outward appearance and God is concerned about the inside or the heart. God wants us to experience His love and then to express that love to others. We are to love as Christ loves the church and gave Himself up for her. You have been freed from your bondage of sin therefore go and live the same as Christ has. Love as He loves you. Sponsored by Men’s Ministry Our Mission is to Lead Men into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Galatians 4:30-31 30 But what do the Scriptures say about that? "Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the family inheritance with the free woman's son." 31 So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman, obligated to the law. We are children of the free woman, acceptable to God because of our faith. (NLT) For those who reject Jesus will not participate or share in the family inheritance. For those who have accepted Jesus by faith will participate in the family inheritance. Because of Jesus we are no longer under the law but have been set free from the law. Everything begins with Jesus, is for Jesus, created by Jesus and will end with Jesus because it is all about Jesus. It’s not about us and it has never been about us. We are acceptable to God because of our faith in Jesus. Therefore we need to continue living by faith in Jesus moment by moment and day by day. We are free to live for Jesus and we are free to live by faith in Jesus. We are free. Live for Jesus. Sponsored by Men’s Ministry Our Mission is to Lead Men into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Galatians 4:28-29 28 And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. 29 And we who are born of the Holy Spirit are persecuted by those who want us to keep the law, just as Isaac, the child of promise, was persecuted by Ishmael, the son of the slave-wife. (NLT) Have you asked Jesus into your heart to be your Savior? If you have then you are a chosen child of God, born of the Holy Spirit and you are a child of the promise just like Isaac. In being a child of God we will be persecuted by those who are not. Do not think it strange when you are persecuted because of your faith in Jesus but rejoice in the fact that you are a child of God. Jesus said that those who follow Him will be persecuted. Therefore rejoice and give God the glory for in a short while we will be with Jesus forever, Amen. Sponsored by Men’s Ministry Our Mission is to Lead Men into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Galatians 4:21-23 21 Listen to me, you who want to live under the law. Do you know what the law really says? 22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave-wife and one from his freeborn wife. 23 The son of the slave-wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God's promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God's own fulfillment of his promise. (NLT) The law brings you to realize that you are under sin and are a slave to it. It is never a good idea to try to attempt to do things through human effort. For the outcome is never that good. Allowing God to accomplish His will according to His plan and His time the outcome is always better than expected. We can take a lesson from Abraham and Sarah when they tried to speed things along. For the problem they created is still plaguing the Jews to this day. That is why we need to clue into scripture and trust God regardless of how we think or feel and let God’s will be done in God’s time. Because the outcome will always be perfect. Sponsored by Men’s Ministry Our Mission is to Lead Men into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Galatians 4:17-20 17 Those false teachers who are so anxious to win your favor are not doing it for your good. They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay more attention to them. 18 Now it's wonderful if you are eager to do good, and especially when I am not with you. 19 But oh, my dear children! I feel as if I am going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. 20 How I wish I were there with you right now, so that I could be more gentle with you. But at this distance I frankly don't know what else to do. (NLT) In your daily life make sure that Christ is coming first. There are those who want to distract you from living for Christ. Spend daily time in the word so that you can discern God’s truth from those who speak lies. Satan wants nothing more than for you to not be truly living for Christ. If he can get you off track just a little bit in time he can get you way off course. Stay the narrow path, keep Christ in front of you and follow His word and His lead. The three key areas that Satan works on in your life are the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. The flesh is temporary, the eye can deceive you and pride will make you fall. Therefore work on not living for the pleasure of the flesh, or desiring the things you see and be humble in spirit before your Lord and Savior. Live in such a way that you seek Christ and do what pleases the Father. Sponsored by Men’s Ministry Our Mission is to Lead Men into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ

Galatians 4:12b-16 12b You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you. 13 Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News of Christ. 14 But even though my sickness was revolting to you, you did not reject me and turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where is that joyful spirit we felt together then? In those days, I know you would gladly have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible. 16 Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth? (NLT) We always need to hear the truth even when it hurts. Scripture is the truth and sometimes it is hard to take but we must read it and we must hear it. It is we who need to change not God or His Word. We are not to change or take out of context the Word of God just because we don’t like what it says. God is right and we are wrong. He created not us. We were placed to live in His creation and we are to play by His rules. Problems come because we created them outside of God’s design. But when we live according to His word and His design the problems seem to go away. Follow Christ’s perfect example. Where is your joy and peace? Have you forgotten the love of God? How willing are you to live for others? Christ did for other unto death, are you willing to do the same? Jesus is our example. We need to treat others as we want to be treated. We are to treat others as though they are Christ Jesus Himself, which is our standard. It not about us it is about Jesus. Pray that God will continue to change you, guide you and make you more like Jesus every day. Give of yourself as Christ has given of Himself to you. May God be praised and glorified through your life in Christ. Sponsored by Men’s Ministry Our Mission is to Lead Men into a Growing Relationship with Jesus Christ