From the Kitchen Table

The Kitchen Table            Galatians Day 3

But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:8

You are a child and not a curse.  We can never let go of that thought or that treasure.  If we do it will poison our attitude, aptitude, and our affections.  To be accursed is to be doomed with no hope and no help in this world.  That’s what we were before we believed in Jesus.  In the gospel of Christ, we can and do become children of God.  There is that kind of love and life.  We can’t afford to listen to any other type of gospel which is no gospel at all.  Fake gospels come from fake people who want you to listen to and obey them rather than God.  But there is no pleasing men; their wants and demands are always changing.  You are a child, not  a curse.  Believe it, love it,  and live it.

The Kitchen Table            Galatians Day 2

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— ⁷ not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. Galatians 1:6-7

We were a curse, but Jesus made us His children by His grace.  His underserved, unreserved, unrelenting love finally reached our hearts and gave us another way to live as His children.  There is no other way and no other gospel that gives us a life of love.  That is why the Jesus’ way is good news.  People try to dress up another way but it’s really about pleasing man, not the Master.  We are left trying to make up for our let downs, trying to please the mind of men rather than live in the heart of God.  He loves you and me.  Don’t forget or lose sight of God’s love.  This life is lived from a faith that loves God back, like a child, not a curse anymore.  People who do not know the love of God can’t give you the love of God.  Love them but leave their gospel on the curb.

The Kitchen Table            Galatians Day 1

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴ who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, ⁵ to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Galatians 1:3-5

There is a life of love for anyone who believes in love in Jesus.  And there is this action called “grace” which is the undeserved, unreserved and unrelenting love of God for us.  It’s what Jesus demonstrated on the cross where He paid the penalty for our hate, fear, and wrong.  This love doesn’t just come to us at the alter, it is something we can live in for the rest of time and beyond.  All we can do is receive this love by faith that loves Jesus back.  And when we live in this love we are freed from the curse of this present evil age.  We were a curse but now we are a child of God.  Live as a child of God through faith that loves Him back. 

The Kitchen Table   Ephesians Day 42

Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. Ephesians 6:23-24

This life is lived from faith that loves.  It’s a relationship, not a religion, because those who believe in Jesus, love and find love with Jesus.  You see, it’s not just, “Do you believe in God?” but “Do you believe God loves you so much that you love Him back?”  Fall in love with what you discover about God and His word.  Living in love is the life of the believer and the underserved, unreserved love of God is what the believer lives in.

The Kitchen Table   Ephesians Day 41

Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all his believers.¹⁹ And pray also that God’s revelation would be released through me every time I preach the wonderful mystery of the hope-filled gospel. ²⁰ Yes, pray that I may preach the wonderful news of God’s kingdom with bold freedom at every opportunity. Even though I am chained as a prisoner, I am his ambassador. Ephesians 6:17-20

The great preacher John Wesley once said, “God does nothing except in response to believing prayer”.  Pray passionately in the Spirit.  Join hands with Him by seeking what He wants rather than just saying what you want.  Call on God to do what He wants in your world and life.  This is how it works.  God is waiting for us to want what He has for us and through us.  Seek His presence and you’ll get His perspective on your predicament.  His presence will motivate your thoughts, your tongue, and your tasks in this world in His name and for His name.

The Kitchen Table            Ephesians Day 40

Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore…

Ephesians 6:13-14

This life is not a secret and cannot be lived in secret.  To be secret about is to be Satan’s.  The life that God has given us involves standing for the cause, standing on the rock, standing in the truth and standing through the power of Christ.  If we want to withstand our enemy in his evil day while he grasps for anything, doing anything to hold on to his defeated rule and reign on this earth, stand for, in, by, and through Christ.  Stand in His armor and you’ll stand over your enemy.

The Kitchen Table   Ephesians    day 39

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12

We have an enemy that is defeated but not dead.  And this enemy functions in the obscure “this present darkness”.  He no longer rules the world but he rules through the world.  The devil and his demons rule through the perspectives, privileges, and powers of people.  But people are not our enemy, the prince of darkness is our enemy.  Through agreement he works with authority in our lives.  He wants us to see and hate people but he hides in the perspectives, pleasures, pain, and paranoia of people.  We have an enemy that is defeated but not dead.  Don’t fall into his trap of hating people rather than him.

The Kitchen Table   Ephesians Day 38

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Ephesians 6:10-11

Receive your strength from God and walk in the vitality of His power.  Don’t depend on your own mental, physical, and emotional strength but live in His Holy Spirit’s power, purpose and passion.  Rather than worry about your authority focus on wearing His armor and pursuing His ambitions.  It’s His power and His perspective that keeps us standing.  That’s the way to live in heaven here.

The Kitchen Table            Ephesians Day 37

“doing the will of God from the heart, ⁷ rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, ⁸ knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord,” Ephesians 6:6-8

As we come to the last human relationship we come to the secret to all relationships.  Do the will of God from your heart.  That’s it.  Make His will your want and you’ll do and see God’s work.  Without an eternal perspective everything becomes dull but when we make it about God and His will everything becomes a divine opportunity.  We serve a supernatural God who is and does the supernatural naturally.  That’s what He does and it’s what He will do through us who make His will our want from the heart. 

The Kitchen Table   Ephesians Day 36

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ² “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), ³ “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” ⁴ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.        Ephesians 6:1-4

Do not live provoking people.  It’s a hard way to live and no one will really like you.  Angst and anger destroy the fiber of relationships.  We pass the curses of sin down from one generation to another through angst and anger.  But this can be changed and anyone can be saved.  Here’s the thing, there is a natural progression that needs to happen.  We become good parents by becoming good people.  In Ephesians 5 & 6 there’s a natural progression from person to partner to parent.  The secret to becoming a good parent is in becoming a good person.  It all starts right here in our own hearts.  Angry people are angry with themselves first.  Let’s let God change our hearts first where we speak His word, sing of His works and see His will for our lives.  These types of people provoke love that creates hope than inspires faith.  Now that’s how to live.