Galatians 1:10
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Who we try to please matters! Are we trying to please the Lord or the people around us? This morning in prayer, the Lord showed me where I was trying to please people instead of Him. I judged my success on how many people stayed in the program, not necessarily how well they were doing. My hope was that if they stayed around long enough, things would begin to change for them, and they would come to a saving and healing knowledge of Who Jesus Christ is. My sin was that I took pride in keeping them all here and not holding them as accountable as I should, and for that, I repented.
Ministry, much like life, needs to have balance. We have to be able to say the hard thing while also extending love and mercy. We have to speak the truth, regardless of what those around us might think. We have to be pleasing to the Lord first and let everything else flow from that.
Some people are gonna love you, and some are gonna hate you, but the most important thing is, do you honor the Lord in everything you do? People pleasing comes from pride, so to crucify the flesh and that pride, I’m admitting it here and asking you to pray for me. Pray for wisdom, discernment, boldness to speak the truth, no matter who it is to, and most importantly, that I honor and obey the Lord in everything I do. I encourage you to do the same. When the Lord shows you an area that you are falling short or sinning in, confess it to those around you and ask the Lord and those you wronged for forgiveness! There is freedom in repentance, and it’s beautiful in His Light!
James 5:16 - Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
God bless! I love you all! Glory, Honor, and Praise now and forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Spirit of Truth the Holy Spirit!
Galatians 1:15-16
But when God, who set me apart from my mother's womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being.
It matters Who we turn to first!!!! When things get rough, do we run to those around us or the One who made us and saved us from our sin? I was talking to my mom about this the other day, and it’s something that isn’t easy, but I think it is a huge building block in our relationship with the Lord. Let me explain. God wants the first of everything else, so why wouldn’t He want us to turn to Him first? He holds out salvation in His hand and knows the beginning from the end, so why not go to Him first?
I believe it’s also an act of faith. Do we trust God to handle every aspect of our lives or just the ones they talk about in church? Do I trust God enough to let Him decide how my life will go, or do I try to control and manipulate it into what I want it to be? I heard a pastor say it something like this: “How crazy is it to say that I trust God to save my soul, but not enough to manage it while I’m alive!” That has stuck with me for many months now, and I want you to ponder that! Which is easier, to save a soul and give eternal life or to manage a body for 100 years or less? But I promise you that God can and will do both if you let Him!!!
When things are good, go to God first. When things are bad, go to God first. When things are just things, go to God first!!! The first to know is the first to act, so let’s make sure we’re telling Him first, allowing Him to act before we take matters into our own hands!!!!
Be bold yet meek, Be humble yet strong, Be loving and be loved by Him!
I love you all, God bless, and Glory to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit!
Galatians 1:22-24
I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." And they praised God because of me.
Paul went from persecutor to preacher, and I went from drug addict to disciple, and it's all because of Jesus Christ, our King! These verses remind us of the power in our testimony about who Christ is in our lives and what He has brought us from. The fact that Paul was first a persecutor of the Church makes his testimony of God's grace all the more powerful. Think about it, if Paul had just been a guy who came to know Christ and had no back story, then yes, it would still have power, but God chose him for a reason, and I believe it was to show that no one is too far gone. Jesus changed his heart from destroying the Church to planting them, from persecuting those who call on the name of Jesus to being one who called on that name himself, from putting people in chains for following Christ to putting on his own chains for the glory of the Lord!
I may not be Paul, but Jesus took my hurt, pain, and sin out of my heart and put His love in it. He allowed me to go to prison to truly set me free, and He took that needle out of my hand and put His hand in its place! Our God is worthy of all praise, and we have to share the victories in Him! Paul couldn't change or save himself, and neither could I, but Jesus did it without breaking a sweat or batting an eye. Can we give God some praise and glory today! He is more than able and always worthy! Thank You, Lord!
Psalm 150:6- Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.
God bless! I love you all in Christ Jesus! Glory, honor, and praise forever to Papa God, Jesus Christ our King, and the Holy Spirit!
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