Be Encouraged Today!

I am studying the Book of Galatians, and while reading in my Jimmy Swaggart Commentary, he begins discussing how God sees us. This brought to mind a previous blog post entitled “Our Position in the Cross of Christ.” Knowing and understanding your position In Christ Jesus (Romans 6:3–4) is so very important, and remaining in this position is imperative. Please excuse the repetition, but I am doing it for a specific purpose. Jesus is the Head of the Church, and the Church is the “body” of Christ — a Head and a body. When God looked down upon the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, He saw Jesus, The Head, with a spiritual body. Jesus’ spiritual body consisted of individual members — The Church! So we, who are In Christ Jesus , hung on the Cross with Him. When The Head, Jesus, was taken down, His spiritual body — The Church — was taken down. We died with Him. On that third and glorious day, The Head, Jesus, with His spiritual body consisting of individual members — The Church — arose...

I want to talk a little bit about Christians and the sinful nature because I don't think a lot of Christians, or Believers, really understand what it is. Yes, I've mentioned this before,but want to revisit it again. This so important. We often look at the individual things we do—lying, gossiping, backstabbing, refusing to help someone, or other sinful acts—but we don't always look at the root cause behind those actions. The sinful acts are the fruit. The sinful nature is the root. Many Believers continue to fail because they never address the root. They allow certain sins to become habits. They become habitual liars, habitual gossipers, habitual backstabbers, and so forth. Sometimes we don't even recognize these things as sin, so we never address them. We may even tell ourselves, "Well, I got saved, so Jesus took care of my sins. I'm covered. Once saved, always saved." But that is not the answer. "A little leaven leavens the whole lump....

School is off to a good start. The devil tried to throw a monkey wrench in the first couple of weeks, but he is a liar and a defeated foe. Period! Okay... Right now, I am studying the book of Galatians, and it is no wonder why God has me studying Galatians. Every time I’m led to do a study on a book, I know that God is trying to show me something. Just in these first couple of verses in the first chapter, the one thing that I got was that the Apostle Paul, whom God gave the revelation of the New Covenant, had to stand up for what God had called him to be, even when people tried to tell him who he was. Paul had done a lot of bad things in his life. He even killed people because of his beliefs. But God got a hold of his heart. And when God got a hold of his heart, Paul still struggled. He said, “The things that I don’t want to do, I wind up doing. And the things I know I ought to do, I don’t do.” If this wonderful, strong man of God struggled in his walk with God—if, in his past,...

In 2 Thessalonians 3:2, Paul asks believers to pray: "And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not Faith." At first glance, Paul appears to be speaking of people with evil intentions. Yet a closer look at the language he uses may reveal something deeper. The Greek word translated "unreasonable" is atopos , meaning "out of place," "misaligned," or "not in proper order." This suggests more than open hostility; it points to a condition of being spiritually misplaced. Throughout Scripture, one of Satan's most effective strategies is not necessarily to make people openly oppose God, but to subtly shift the object of their faith away from God's appointed provision. His greatest victories often come not through obvious rebellion but through misplaced trust, our faith. Misguided Devotion Rather Than Malicious Intent Many who opposed Paul's message were not irreligious people. In f...

One of the greatest gifts God has given humanity is the power of choice. Every day, we make decisions that either align with God's Word or move us away from it. As Believers in Christ Jesus, the issue is not merely whether we commit an obvious sin, but whether we choose to obey what God has revealed to us through His Word and by the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle James addresses this very issue: "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (James 4:17) Most Christians understand what are commonly called sins of commission —the things we do that are clearly forbidden by God's Word. However, Scripture also teaches about sins of omission —failing to do the good things God has commanded us to do. Sins of Commission and Sins of Omission There are two ways a person can miss God's will: Sins of Commission Doing what God has forbidden. Lying, gossiping, stealing, adultery, hatred, and other acts that viol...

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the Power of God." — 1 Corinthians 1:18 "But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the Power of God and the Wisdom of God." — 1 Corinthians 1:24 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom; all who follow His instructions have good insight." — Psalm 111:10 As I was reading Psalm 111:10 and reflecting on Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 1, a beautiful connection began to emerge. If the preaching of the Message of the Cross is the manifestation of the Power of God and the Wisdom of God, could it be said that the Message of the Cross is the Wisdom of God and the starting point for understanding and following the Lord's instructions? I believe the answer is yes. When we connect these passages together, we discover a clear spiritual progression that reveals how God brings His children into Wisdom, obedience, and sp...