Month: October 2020

The Kitchen Table            Galatians Day 34

Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches Galatians 6:6

Helping ourselves so that we can help others begins with finding help for ourselves with another.  Life is about relationships because love can only be found in relationships.  Love is a two-person or more thing.  We can not know love by ourselves.  We need relationships, there is the taught and the teacher for everyone.  The key is to develop relationships that will teach us the word of God.  We can ask God for relationships of revelation where God will help us see and sow His word into our walk.  Let the one who is taught share with the one who teaches.  There’s a relationship of revelation that we need for sowing God’s word into our lives.  Don’t think only of yourself and don’t walk by yourself.  God has ordained relationships of revelation for us to go in and grow in.  Don’t settle for a lonely, live less, loveless life by yourself.  God has more for you.

The Kitchen Table   Galatians Day 33

For each will have to bear his own load. Galatians 6:5

If we want to help others, we need to help ourselves.  We need to make the changes we need to make to become the person God wants us to become first.  It’s called sowing God’s word into our hearts so that we can sow God’s word in the hearts of others.  This verse carries with it the message of yesterday.  We can’t compare ourselves with ourselves or we will fail ourselves.  And when we compare ourselves to those around us, we fail ourselves.  There is no better metric than the Master.  Comparing ourselves with ourselves or those around ourselves will lead to disappointment and drama.  We do that when we say things like, “I’m bad but not as bad as…”   We must sow God’s word into our own heart’s first, bear our own load, and with the harvest of that season we will sow into the lives of those around us.  That doesn’t mean that we don’t care but that we care enough to let God change us first.

The Kitchen Table            Galatians Day 32

For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Galatians 6:3

Be careful not to compare yourself with yourself or even with others.  Jesus is the standard; keep sowing His word into your walk.  We deceive ourselves when we compare ourselves with ourselves.  What looks good on us doesn’t even compare to Jesus.  Jesus kept sowing God’s word into His walk.  His work was to bring heaven here.  God’s word, work and will were constantly in His thoughts for His time and they still are.  When we begin to compare ourselves with ourselves, we begin to settle for ourselves.  We won’t live up, we will live out what we’ve settled for rather than what Jesus died for.  We cheat the world and ourselves too when we settle for what we want rather than what God wants.  Live destined, not deceived today!

The Kitchen Table            Galatians Day 31

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

Think about others today!  People who think only about themselves fill themselves with fear.  It is fear that is the opposite of love, not hate.  Something amazing happens in and through our lives when we let faith come out of our lives to others.  We fulfill the law of Christ which is to LOVE!  Love needs no law and will keep us free from the law of man.  Love will deal with our pride.  Pride is just a law that we’ve erected in our lives for our lives to justify our lives.  Bear one another’s burdens.  This is about thinking that shows up in helping others.  When we let the Spirit move our mind which moves our body, then we’re living in the kingdom and power of God. Then love is not just felt but seen and heart is set free in faith to live life as God intended.

The Kitchen Table            Galatians Day 30

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted

Galatians 6:1

You’ve been careful not to let legalism to invade you’re your life, don’t impose that same legalism on others.  Operate in love, not the law.  People can choose the law for themselves; they don’t need our help.  The best thing to do is to be a light and live in the life, love, and light of God.  Love can’t be forced but it can be felt.  Live in the love of God today and let the law do its thing on its own.  It seems crazy but once we begin to impose the law on others, we are tempted to impose the law on ourselves.  It just happens because we cannot serve two masters.  We’re about restoration, not regulation.  Anyone can hurt a man, not many can help him.  Legalism is lethal.  Walk in love with others today and watch what God can do.

The Kitchen Table            Galatians Day 29

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Galatians 5:25

There is a life that we can embrace, enjoy and expect that is ours when we walk by the Spirit rather than by the skin (flesh).  That word live there in verse 25 encompasses breath, joy, and power.  So, Paul is writing that if we know this life and this life comes by the Spirit then our only responsibility to walk with the Spirit.  We walk by the Spirit and with the Spirit by living in the appetites of the Spirit.  We used to live in the appetites of our skin and sinful nature but we’ve repented (changed our diet) of the sinful appetites of our flesh to live by the breath, bliss, and blessing of the Spirit walking with the Spirit.  Walking with the Spirit pursuing His appetites and ambitions.  That’s why we must “repent” of our old life.  Some would rather get a religious life rather than a real life in the Spirit and it’s because of pride and the unwillingness to receive the desire and direction of the Holy Spirit.  Satisfaction & success are found in the Spirit, not the skin.

The Kitchen Table            Galatians Day 28

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.   And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:22-24

Love doesn’t need law, it exceeds it.  Love creates life in what it wants and how it walks.  Love is lethal to the flesh.  The way to overcome the flesh is not to make more laws but to live in more love.  When we live in love, we starve the flesh.  That’s why the secret to this Christian life is to fall in love with God.  The flesh won’t live, if the flesh isn’t fed.  We feed the flesh by placing our attention on it and its’ demands.  Fall in love with Jesus and let His Spirit produce love in you and through you.  And learn to live lavishly in His love; there is no law restricting love.  Live in His love and you’ll walk in His Spirit.  Live in love with Him and He will give you freedom from you flesh.  Love creates life, live in love.

The Kitchen Table            Galatians Day 27

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Galatians 5:18

Live free, not forced.  We were created to live free.  Free men, however, are led by something greater than themselves.  The Christian is “led” by the Spirit of God.  That’s why it is so important to learn to hear and obey the voice of God’s Spirit.  The alternative is to live “under” the heavy hand of the law.  It’s hard to move freely when we live under something.  Doing anything, just because, is difficult.  We need to live for something greater, better.  The flesh is a stubborn foe shackled to mere wants.  It needs a leader, and the Spirit of God will lead us in love.  We know the love of God when we follow the lead of God.  Love isn’t found in those deeds of the flesh (verses 19-21).  Love is found in the leading of the Spirit.  It’s love that creates life and that life has liberty for those living in the light of God.  Live free, not forced, led not loaded down.

The Kitchen Table            Galatians Day 26

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do Galatians 5:16-17

Here’s the thing.  The law never was our enemy, it was God’s tool to reveal our enemy which is our flesh, our sinful nature inherited from Adam.  The Spirit’s appetite is for God and the things of God, but the appetite of this flesh is to fulfill the appetites of this sinful nature.  Our skin is used to ruling our spirit but Jesus changes that when we are born-again, and His Spirit now lives in us.  His Spirit has an appetite for Him.  There are no laws in this life, only love.  Learn to walk by the Spirit, listening to His voice.  We learn to hear His voice as we learn to listen to His Word.  Bring the Holy Spirit into every move we make, every meal we take and every mile we walk.  Only Jesus can satisfy the real appetites of life.

The Kitchen Table            Galatians Day 25

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Galatians 5:13-14

Living is the freedom  to love and be loved.  It seems so contrary to the flesh because it is.  The flesh defines freedom as living free to love self and feel loved.  But that selfish love just demands sorted laws so that we don’t hurt others by loving ourselves.  It is  Jesus who makes us free and we know we are free because we have the freedom to love and be loved, no law is necessary for that life.  The  “Law” wanted  “Love” but the law couldn’t give us freedom, it only made us aware of our failure to love.  We have been called to freedom, the freedom to live as loved by God and to live loving like God.  Love values everyone in the room and demonstrated that value for everyone in the room.  If you’re free to love and be loved, don’t settle for any imposter love, you’ll only end up a slave to self.