Galatians 2

It is another fine day on God's creation!  Let's jump right in to chapter 2:

Paul begins chapter 2 by continuing the record of his time since the his conversion on the road to Damascus.  However, in verses 2-5 he advises that some false teachings had found a way into the church at Jerusalem (that men needed to be circumcised to be believers).  He admonishes that Believers of the True Gospel should not heed, or yield, to those false teachers for even an hour.  We must be vigilant that nothing but the Word of God is proclaimed within our churches!

Paul provides an important reminder in verse 6.  We should not be concerned with what man approves of (specifically mentioning those that seemed to something, or important):

But from those who seemed to be something — 

whatever they were, it makes no difference to me;

God shows personal favoritism to no man — 

for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me.

Galatians 2:6 (NKJV)

I believe another important principle of ministry is presented within verses 7-10.  Paul was called to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles (or those who are not Hebrews).  Peter (along with others) was called to spread the Gospel to the Hebrews.  Of note here is that once it was determined that they were both sharing the same True Gospel, the hand of fellowship was extended from Peter to Paul.  They realized though that their ministries were different.  It is important that we do not consider another's ministry less important than our own.  God gives a specific ministry to specific people, and we should encourage all who are spreading the True Gospel and pray for them!

The final eleven verses of the chapter is Paul's record of having to confront a fellow Apostle who was sinning.  Peter was willing to eat with Gentiles when other Hebrews were not around, but when Hebrews arrived in this town Peter would no longer fellowship with the Gentiles.  He was putting old traditions above the Gospel.  Paul reminded him (in what I am sure was not an easy conversation) that it is not what we have done that has saved us, but our faith in Christ Jesus.  We MUST live our lives according to the Scriptures first and then any laws or customs which do not contradict the Scriptures.

One of my favorite passages is recorded here.  Paul proclaims that the law (the Old Testament) showed him his need for a Savior and that Paul died to the law when he accepted salvation by Faith in Christ.  This is an important reminder that the Old Testament is every bit as important and useful as the New Testament. He rightly says that his life is no longer his, but that his life belongs to the One who redeemed it!

For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Galatians 2:19-20

My prayer after reading this passage is that I obey the Scriptures first and then earthly laws and customs.  I also hope that I remember whose life I am currently living, and that it is not mine.

Humbly in His Service,

Joe

Galatians 1

Good morning!  I thought that today I would try something different in my post.  We have been studying in Sunday School about ideas and/or actions that we never thought we would see in today's world.  Our second session centered around the fact that the Bible clearly states that those who have been Redeemed by the Blood of Christ are in a spiritual war with the forces of the Devil:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

                     Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV)

However, the point that was being made by the study was that most of those redeemed sinners do not realize that they are in this war.  They have been made ineffective by the schemes of the Devil!

What I further realized during this class, is that I was not as effective as I could be in the Power of Christ's Might.  We are given commands to equip ourselves in Ephesians 6.  We are given defensive armor and a very powerful offensive weapon... the Word of God.  We are given a second offensive weapon as well, as the study reminds us, the ability to speak directly with the Commander (God Himself) through prayer to call for strength, guidance, assistance, and wisdom.

In light of that realization, I am endeavoring to read the Word and engage in prayer on a regular basis.  I need to understand the tools available to me as part of Christ and understand my enemy better.  My enemy, as the study also points out, is not people.  My enemy is the Devil and the ideologies and sinful actions he disseminates into the world. 

For those of you who might be interested, the source book (written by Dr. David Jeremiah) of our study is:  I Never Thought I'd See the Day: Culture at the Crossroads.

Now back to what I said that I would do differently in this post... I have started reading Galatians 1 and thought that I would offer up my observations and questions regarding this chapter here.  Here we go!

Paul leaves no doubts in verse 1!  He clarifies that he is an apostle not because man has said so, but because God made Paul one.  This to me is very important in that God is directly giving Paul his mission and his knowledge.  Paul did not learn it from another person and yet it matches exactly the messages presented by the other Apostles!  Additionally, In verse 1 and continuing in verses 3-4, he reaffirms the basic Gospel message.  That Christ was sent to Earth, died and was raised back to life for the sole purpose of making the only way for man to be reunited with God.

Paul is then forced, in verses 6-10, to call out the readers of his letter for straying away from the Gospel so quickly after having received it.  I wonder how often that applies to me?  How many times do I set aside a portion of Scripture because I don't agree with it?  My honest hope and prayer is that the answer is: very few times.  In reality though, one time is one time too many.  He references those who present a message different from that which he originally delivered.  The goal of those who present this different message is simply to pervert the True Gospel.  The punishment Paul describes in verse 9, that those who change the True Gospel will be accursed is the same warning given in Revelation for those who add or take away from the Bible:

For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life,from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Revelation 22:18-19 (NKJV)

Paul once again makes effort to ensure that those who read his words know that what he preaches was given to him by God.  He does not hide the fact that he was a great persecutor of Believers and that after his conversion experience he did not meet with other teachers or apostles.  After three years of his own ministry he went to Jerusalem and met with Peter for 15 days (only see the apostle James while he was there).  After that he went to Asia Minor to continue his ministry and the churches in Judea knew him only by reputation and not by sight.

Paul knew who he was in Christ Jesus and what his mission was!  I hopefully strive in the same vein.

Humbly in His service...

Joe

To Live is....

Good day my Friends...

This post is very important, extremely important, to me.  I had a completely different opening written, but I did not want what I have written below to be diluted.  Please read, and by all means comment as you are led.

For those of you who read this and have not yet surrendered your life to the One who died for you, I humbly hope that He will use it.  For those of you who read this and have surrendered your life to the One who paid the price that we cannot, I humbly hope that He will use it.

The Bible is replete with examples of men and women who did not limit God's access to their lives.  Women like Ruth, Esther, and Mary (the earthly mother of Jesus).  Men like David, Daniel (and his friends), and Paul.  All of these people are human, and inherit the same sinful nature that we all do.  This means, and the Bible records, that they did not allow God this access all of their lives.  They stumbled, disobeyed, and rebelled at different moments.  They struggled with this same concept, just as we do.

"Access to my life".  I am extrapolating this concept from the Bible verse Philippians 1:21 "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."  This verse is in the middle of a statement by Paul regarding the spreading of the Gospel, the Good News of the Bible (that we are separated from God and that God sent His Son Jesus to bridge the gap of that separation).  Paul's hope in Jesus Christ gave him the faith to know that the penultimate destination for his life, after surrendering to God, was eternally being in the presence of God in heaven.  He totally and completely understood that the end game is Eternity.  The beginning of his statement declares his obedience to God.  "To live is Christ".  Paul is acknowledging that his life is no longer his own.  If God allows him to draw breath on earth, then God has work from him to do.

Paul's declaration is one I hope to own as well.  All of this life, after we surrender to God, belongs to Him (in truth it has always belonged to Him, we just don't realize that).  He redeemed my life from the justified eternal punishment that is hell.  There is nothing that I have that does not rightfully belong to him.  The question then in real life is this... how often do I obey and hold to that declaration.

Our lives have always belonged to God, He created them, but when we accept
the gift of Christ's work on the cross we need to give ALL of our life back to Him.

When I view my life through God's eyes, or by His standards, does the desire to obey Him hold the primary position.  Do I effort to draw closer to Him, to know Him more, so that my faith is increased?  Do I tear down the walls that I have erected, the ones that essentially tell God that He isn't welcome in that part of my life?  Am I willing to turn off or turn away from inputs that call good what God has called evil or call evil what God has called good? Am I willing to destroy the artificial construct that I attempt to limit God to so that He can use me the way He desires?

I know that while I remain here on earth that I will struggle with giving God what is rightfully His... everything. God has tasks, goals, and missions for me to complete.  Those missions include being a Godly husband and father, a Sunday school teacher and youth leader (at this moment), writing these posts ( I believe), and being a living example of Philippians 1:21.

To live is Christ... #PH1:21

A new beginning...

Greetings... welcome to Hard Headed Humility!

I suppose that many things can be said when starting something new, probably most importantly the 'why' of it all. This medium of web journalism  I hope, is a new starting point in my service to Jehovah. That sounds lofty, even as I type it. However, I truly desire to be used by God in any way He sees fit. Those ways may not always seem comfortable to me, but I trust that if this blog is a result of His direction, He will give me the words.

God has used several people in His directing me towards this journal. It started with a dear lady, since gone home to be with the Lord, who encouraged me to write about a particularly significant event in my life. Then a friend, that I had not seen since middle school, who lost a family member and wrote a few posts that really hit home for me. Finally, but with no less importance, a friend who writes her own journal for His purposes and encouraged me to do the same.

The naming of a blog or web journal is always interesting to me, whether they be mine or belonging to another. I have struggled to think of a name that properly states my intentions. This reason, amid many, stonewalled me numerous times in creating a journal. This title then is more about me personally than what may be included in this journal.

Hard headed humility... when I was younger I was a know-it-all.  I never let being proven wrong by my father discourage me from believing I was right. As I grew older I became more assertive, and while that in and of itself is not a problem I tended to move beyond assertion to arrogance. Many of the lessons I have been shown over the course of my adult life have served to curb that arrogance. However, as the title of the blog indicates the skull is sometimes harder than it should be and the lessons take longer to learn than they should.

I hope to speak through this journal things that God is showing me in my life... and perhaps God will let those words be used in the life of another. At the very least perhaps God will use this time to show me new things in my life or reinforce lessons I am still learning. For now I leave you with this image, the dawning of a new day. God knows what He has planned for this space. 

Further more, God alone knows what each day holds for each of us. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope". (Jeremiah 29:11) The hope that God has given each of us in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Until next we speak...
Joe