still reading... Galatians now

over a white mocha today... and 1/2 of a breakfast sandwich:

today at our bible study i walked from the jeep commander into the starbucks
carrying 2 bibles... double portion?

Galatians 1:1-10

1Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2and all the brothers with me,
To the churches in Galatia:

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

No Other Gospel

6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
10Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.

and Galatians 2:6-10Galatians 2:6-10 (New International Version)




6As for those who seemed to be important—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance—those men added nothing to my message. 7On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles,[a] just as Peter had been to the Jews.[b] 8For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9James, Peter[c] and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. 10All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.


Amen.

The first passage spoke to me about the false teachings that are out there even today~ especially out here in cali~ how difficult that has been for me to see...
some say JESUS died for all sins that the price has been paid (yes) but then add further so it's okay to keep sinning because the price has been paid already... NO. ugh.
others are buying up the secret and the new earth books faster than ever... ugh.
others are agreeing that there are different paths to GOD through different faiths~ which all lead to the true GOD that it's the same GOD... NO. ugh.
Jesus said, "I am the truth, the way and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6

The second passage spoke to me particulary the very last sentence, "all they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do."

Yes, many are lost~
many are afraid~
many are hurting,
lonely, suffering...
and as followers of CHRIST we are all unique
and in different "circles"
and must preach the gospel where GOD has us...
but we should continue to remember the poor.
For many years I knew there were poor people around the world and in our city.
I was a church going, bible study leading mommy who raised her hands during worship and had the best coffee...
I knew there were poor people but did NOTHING for them.
I may have given some money towards a mission trip or prayed for them, yes...
but personally, I am ashamed to say that they were out of sight so out of mind most days.
The LORD has done a new thing in me,
restored my vision and helped me see others with compassion to a depth I hadn't for years.
It's not that I didn't care for them, but again, I didn't CARE for them.
I would drive by a widow or hungry child for over 35 years...
without preaching hope and laying hands on them
or bringing food and clothes to them
or proclaiming JESUS to them.
Not something for me to be proud of...
When I think about what it was,
that clicked in my life for me to get it and move into action to have compassion...
it was all JESUS.
It was the Spirit awakening me
and me receiving it and claiming it...
and using it to bring glory to GOD.
What did it take?
For me it wasn't a really good sermon.
It was for me seeking GOD.
Asking questions like, "what if I was the wife GOD created me to be?"
"what if I was the woman, mother, sister, friend God created me to be?
And asking GOD to reveal what it was I had to do to become that wife...
that mother... that sister... that friend... the one that was unblemished...
that didn't walk around with stains any longer...
with worse than stains with bondage... with chains that were keeping me from
being who HE created me to be...
and JESUS was speaking to me that was what HE took on that cross for me~
all HIS sufferings were personally so I could be washed clean through HIS blood...
and I got it... at that very moment...
and I knew I needed to be baptized...
to have a public display of being washed, born again.
And the LORD removed so many scales from eyes.
And I began to leave the comfort of my home, my church, my city, my community
into places I never thought I, as a mother of three children could or would.
And it was into places like skidrow, the tenderloin, the dumps in Tijuana, Mexico,
into hurricane stricken new orleans and debauchery laden bourbon street~
across fire lines in san diego and gang ridden areas like Iberville projects and apple valley.
It's brought me to places like mega church parking lots and steps of cathedrals with the first
having homeless families ashamed to go inside and the latter having aids victims asleep and dying
in the late hours of the evening.
It's as if I've gotten another chance at being a servant of our LORD JESUS CHRIST...
that HE cleansed me from my arrogance, my ignorance, my bondage of fear, inexperience, lust for things of this world... and has begun a new work in me... and HE continues to mold and shape me into a servant of HIM.
Praise GOD I was lost and yet I was found.
I was lost even as a church going girl.
But HE found me crying out to HIM, sitting at a computer one late afternoon in July.
I hope HE finds you today as you read this and that you surrender to HIM too.
Wherever you are in your walk with the LORD or your walk with this world or with your church...
I pray that you would not forget who gave YOU the breath of life...
and as you share the gospel in church or at a study or online...
that you would not forget the poor...
and that you too would get out to see the multitudes
and be moved by compassion for them...
not just for a two week trip
or the length of a five minute video...
but for the rest of your days.
I tell you these things that that LORD has done in my life
may they be received by you to spur you on towards things of CHRIST
to feed the hungry
visit the lonely and hurting and imprisoned...
lay hands on the sick and dying...
not to make you feel as I know more than you ( I do not)
not to make you feel as I think I am better than you (I am not)
but to help you realize for those of you have known me for a long time
that it is GOD who has done a new work in me...
it's not me doing "new works."