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[folder: thoughts][date: 2007-12-20][author: mike]
God is good
Hmm.... so it's been a while again. most of my posts lately have been on xanga, and they're all just joking around...
So.. right now I got a dilemma.. I interviewed for some jobs, and I basically got a couple of offers.. for the first time in my life I have a choice in where to work, rather than just taking what was offered to me... which is not to say that what was offered to me wasn't good.. it's always been pretty much what I was looking for at the time. but now I have a choice, and I have no idea which to choose. I think at this point I need some stability, so I need to think and pray hard about which job to pick, so that I can stay there for a while without wanting to move again.
Looking back, God's been really faithful at providing me jobs... but I haven't been all that faithful at working in those jobs. So this time around I gotta remember to work harder, as if I were working for Him.
[folder: devotions][date: 2007-10-02][author: mike]
galatians 3
A couple of things stood out for me. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. (v24-25). So does this mean we don't have to follow the law? I actually break the law almost every day, since I never follow the speed limit. But I think we should still follow the law in most cases to set an example and be a witness.
The second deals with unity. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (v26-29). All who are believers are the same, we are all in Christ.
[folder: devotions][date: 2007-10-01][author: mike]
galatians 2
When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. (v11). Paul felt burdened to rebuke Peter, who was a pillar of the church because he was obviously wrong. A lot of times, even though we know what others are doing is obviously wrong, we don't oppose them. This shows again that Paul does what's right, no matter what others think of him. Paul is a great role model in this regard.
[folder: devotions][date: 2007-09-30][author: mike]
galatians 1
Am 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. (v10.) I have to give Paul props for not caring what others think about him. He is so successful in ministry because he seeks to do the will of God, no matter what anybody thinks.
I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. (v11-12) If Paul did not receive the revelation from Christ, he would not be such a zealous follower. If the gospel were something that man had made up, it would fall apart in no time. The apostles would not risk their lives to spread the gospel, and Paul would never have lived through such hardships to bring so many the good news. It's been said many times that one of the greatest arguments for the gospel is that so many were willing to die for it, and I think it's especially evident in Paul's life and ministry.
[folder: devotions][date: 2007-09-27][author: mike]
2 corinthians 13
A couple of things stood out for me in this passage. v5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? We should examine ourselves and test us. I think if Christ is in us, our life should reflect that.
The second thing that stood out to me is v11. Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
[folder: devotions][date: 2007-09-24][author: mike]
2 corinthians 12
To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Paul is on par with the greatest apostles, yet he often talks about his weaknesses. Paul was able to say that he could actually delight in his weakness, because in his weakness he could see the Lord work. When we know we are weak and powerless, we ask and allow God to do the work.
[folder: devotions][date: 2007-09-23][author: mike]
2 corinthians 11
I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him. But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. In verses 2-4 Paul talks about a godly jealousy. The Corinthians, who he had brought to Christ, were being led astray by false teachers. Jealousy is a powerful emotion, brought on by jilted love, and in this case it seems justified. Paul in his love, poured himself out to these people (in the latter half of this chapter Paul boasts about his sufferings), so that they may receive the love of Christ, but they fell into others' arms so quickly.