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In Galatians Chapter 3, we are reading of how to avoid some of the greatest dangers which can confront believers in the Church of Jesus Christ - legalism - carnality - and witchcraft. Men like to make rules and regulations - even believing that if you keep these, these could make you right in the eyes of God - righteous in the sight of God.

How did you begin asks Paul - was it by keeping the law - the laws of the Old Covenant - or was it when you came to believe in Jesus Christ? Was that how you were filled with the Holy Spirit - by doing and striving and keeping and sacrificing?…  ( Click for more )

We come to Galatians Chapter 3 verse 2 - these people were Pentecostals or ‘charismatics’ - people who were born again - filled with the Holy Spirit - and birthed into the Kingdom of God under the ministry of Paul, but they had lost their vision of the Cross. They had been influenced in a negative way. They had been bewitched - it was as if they were a spiritual daze. Someone had looked at them as if to say - don't think Jesus Christ is enough - you need the law - circumcision - you need to keep the Ten Commandments, for righteousness in the eyes of God. …  ( Click for more )

Galatians 3 and verse 1 - what a verse! Paul is writing to those fairly new believers in Jesus who have been duped and deceived. It is a tragic situation - a situation which is presently confronting the visible church. This letter is so relevant to what we are currently facing today. These Christian Fellowships had turned away from their initial desire to serve Jesus Christ in the Power of the Holy Spirit, and flow in that anointing of living water. They were slowly turning to rules and rituals and regulations. Trivial matters were becoming important. Irrelevant…  ( Click for more )

In Galatians Chapter 2, Paul has been pleading with Peter - and more than that - confronting Peter - "Peter, don't slip back into legalism".

Think of what is at stake - the Gospel of Jesus Christ - our freedom in Christ. We are saved - rescued - forgiven - shown mercy and love - we receive peace from God - and we do not have to do anything to merit all that. It is a GIFT from GOD - yes, a very costly gift. Let me define Legalism - "Legalism is an attempt to achieve righteousness with God by keeping a set of rules. Legalism is adding requirement for righteousness…  ( Click for more )

In Galatians Chapter 2 and verse 11, we read of Peter coming to Antioch, and Paul opposes him, face to face. Why? Because he was in the wrong. What was the problem? Peter had been set free from eating only with Jews, but now he would not sit down at the table of the Gentiles - non-Jews - and have a meal with them.

Somebody came to him and tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Peter, you should not be eating with Gentiles. They are not of our denomination. Peter withdrew. Peter stopped eating with the likes of us Gentiles, and had his meals only with Jews, which…  ( Click for more )

We are in Galatians Chapter 2 and verses 11 to 21. In this letter, Paul is dealing with a question which is facing the Church of Jesus Christ today. It is not a new question. This is not a new problem. In fact, there are very few new problems!

It is the question of Legalism and Licence - whether or not we are under laws or whether we are free in Christ.

These are places where Paul had preached and taught and founded fellowships, and he is seeing his work undermined, but more importantly - he is seeing the Gospel of Jesus Christ undermined.

We know these believers…  ( Click for more )

In Galatians Chapter 2 and verse 2, Paul is deeply concerned that these disciples did not take a stronger stand where it was necessary to do so - and in Jerusalem he did all this, privately, among those who seemed to be leaders. Then God had it all written down, that we might read and learn and understand. A massive danger was avoided.

Paul defends his calling. He wanted what he was preaching and teaching to be protected, and not just validated.

If the leadership had buckled under, on this matter of circumcision, or on any other issue of legalism, he felt he would…  ( Click for more )

Following that incident outside Damascus when the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, apprehended and arrested Saul of Tarsus, the exciting adventure and narrative continued.

We are in Galatians Chapter 1. The apostle Paul spent some three years in the wilderness. Jesus spent His first 30 years in obscurity. Moses was 40 years in the desert looking after sheep.

These can be dark days, but there are treasures in the darkness. Sometimes to find the real treasures we have to go through days of darkness, whatever they might be for you.

God had His…  ( Click for more )

We have spent some time considering the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians Chapter 5. I return to the opening Chapter of Galatians before going to further studies in Paul’s profound letter.

In Galatians Chapter 1, God is saying to us through the opening words of this amazing letter - Do not mess with the message and do not mess with the messenger”. It is all there, and it is so relevant today, because there have been those, and there are those, who are tampering with the content of the Gospel and various messengers of the Gospel.

Paul, the servant of Jesus…  ( Click for more )

We come to this final segment of the fruit of the Holy Spirit – self-control – one fruit – nine segments, like an orange. O, how many people would like to be able to exercise self-control! Our loving gracious concerned caring God desires to grow this quality within the lives of disciples of Jesus Christ. Read them again - there is almost a sense of blessing in reading them - Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control. Now there is no law against any of these nine qualities. There is no law which…  ( Click for more )

We come to look at the eighth of these qualities or characteristics in the fruit of the Holy Spirit - Gentleness - or Meekness - or Humility. We always need to remember that these are not natural qualities and characteristics - but supernatural. These words have become part of our everyday language, but we are looking at the fruit of God the Holy Spirit in the lives of disciples of Jesus Christ. We have been looking at the Love of God - the Joy of God - the Peace of God - and we are considering this as the Gentleness - or Meekness of God. Meekness is NOT weakness.…  ( Click for more )

Faithfulness is a commodity that is in short supply. Faithfulness - or fidelity - is that quality of reliability - or trustworthiness - which makes a person someone upon whom you can utterly rely - and whose word you can believe receive and accept. That is in short supply - even within the visible Church.

We are reading slowly of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians Chapter 5. Jesus Christ wants to grow in us, through the Holy Spirit, this quality of faithfulness. Jesus is showing us how to live in the Kingdom of God while still around in this present world - this…  ( Click for more )

Goodness is part of the fruit of the Spirit. We are looking at the fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians Chapter 5, and we have spent time meditating upon these first five - and we come to this word GOODNESS. When Jesus Christ comes to a man - meets a man - changes a man - there can be such an amazing transformation. And then when that man surrenders totally to the Lordship of Jesus Christ - giving all to Christ and for Christ - when there is such a positive response - remarkable fruit can be produced in that life - as it is presented to God and surrendered to God.…  ( Click for more )

We are spending time looking at the fruit of the Holy Spirit – in Galatians Chapter 5 – one segment of the fruit at a time - that fruit which God grows within us - as He works upon us - fashioning our character - changing us and transforming us.

Love - Joy - Peace - Patience - and we now come to KINDNESS or GENTLENESS. All around us we see revealed - the hatred and violence and wickedness and sinfulness of men - and we see in Jesus Christ, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, and this supernatural characteristic, Kindness. There are certain things which do…  ( Click for more )

We are spending time looking at the fruit of the Holy Spirit - nine characteristics in the ONE FRUIT - and today we come to Patience – or longsuffering. We have been reading of what has to be removed - and weeded out - and then what is to be encouraged and cultivated. Remember these words of Jesus in John 15 - "Apart from me you can do nothing." He is the vine - we are the branches - if you are apart from ME - severed from ME - wandering away from ME - you can do nothing - strong challenging words indeed. But what does Jesus mean - because you can do…  ( Click for more )

Love, Joy, Peace – the fruit of the Spirit – we have looked at these first two and today we come to Peace. In John 14 verse 27, we read of Jesus Christ's last will and testament. This was His only legacy. He had nothing else to leave. He had no material possessions of any kind which could be divided up among the men He had chosen and loved.

He bequeathed the one thing in His power to give - PEACE. Could there have been a more priceless possession? Can there be a quality more precious than the peace of God? So many people seek after PEACE. They will…  ( Click for more )

We are in Galatians 5 looking at the fruit of the Holy Spirit - what should appear and grow when God the Holy Spirit is at work in those who belong to Jesus Christ the Son of God our Saviour and Lord. We move right on to this word JOY. Just one brief word of recapitulation – God has been telling us in this section of Paul's letter what to get rid of - what to root out of our lives - and crucify. And then, we are told what can grow when we provide the right conditions, and do all we can to cultivate our branch in the vine. Jesus gives us all we need to let these…  ( Click for more )

We have reached these thrilling verses in Galatians 5 where we learn that God the Holy Spirit wants to grow fruit in our lives. He wants to take these lives of ours - rescued from sin by Jesus Christ the Son - and His desire is to produce fruit on these branches of the vine. Now if that does not excite a man, I do not know what will. We looked briefly at this first word 'love'. Remember the setting. We do not want to take this word out of context. We have been reading of what to get rid of, and what to cultivate. Ugly things can raise their ugly destructive heads,…  ( Click for more )

Having spent two weeks looking briefly at the Galatians Chapter 1, let's now move on to Chapter 5 verse 22, where we come to look at the 'fruit of the Spirit' - the fruit of the Holy Spirit - the fruit which God desires to produce in our lives. These articles are bit longer than previous pieces, simply because of the nature of the subject. Verses 22,23 must be among the most beautiful words which you could find to read anywhere - listen to them again. Read them yet again. Is there anyone who could suggest any improvement? It would be a daring man who would seek…  ( Click for more )

Let me complete Galatians Chapter 1, before moving on to the 'Fruit of the Spirit' in Chapter 5. Paul is writing this amazingly practical letter to believers - to disciples of Jesus Christ, who have been deceived by false teachers. They have tasted and experienced so much of what has been real, but they are deserting and reverting to legalism. You must keep the old law and observe all the old rituals. Now I have seen this happen all over the place. This is not 'theory'. This is happening in Scotland. People revert to 'norm'. That is a very real danger. …  ( Click for more )

Let's turn to the letter to the Galatians. My desire and plan is to write on the 'Fruit of the Spirit' but an introduction to the letter might be advantageous for some. What an amazing letter this is, as it deals with some of the real problems which are presently facing the Church of Jesus Christ. Paul is writing to believers - to disciples of Jesus. He is writing to men and women who have tasted something of the Mercy and Love and Forgiveness of Jesus Christ, and of the Power of the Holy Spirit. But, they were deserting God, and they were falling back into what…  ( Click for more )

We have been reading the scene and learning something of the significance of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in Mark Chapter, and in verses 9 to 13, we read that Jesus commands His disciples, do not tell anyone until I have risen from the dead.

No one could possibly understand the significance of this incident.

When that experience is all over the disciples have questions. Why does Jesus keep telling people not to tell people who He is?

Is this not what we are supposed to do? What is going on here? The time was not right.

1 - Jesus needed…  ( Click for more )

The focus changes as Jesus Christ, the Son of God, takes three disciples up to the summit of Mount Hermon. We move on into Mark Chapter 9.

We have seen who Jesus is – now we are learning something of the purpose of His coming – what Jesus came to do.

These Chapters lead us up to that time when Jesus made His way to Jerusalem and to the Cross.

Jesus uses every opportunity to teach His disciples, and there is an increasing sense of urgency – this is what you must not forget.

As soon as Peter declares “You are the Christ” – Jesus…  ( Click for more )

Taking up our cross has never been easy and it certainly is no easier today – especially in lands where church buildings are being burned down, and where people are arrested and imprisoned simply because they believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

We seem to need to many words at times today, because people may have their own idea and ideas of Jesus Christ, and we must never move from the revelation given us in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments.

In Mark Chapter 8, Jesus is speaking about suffering, rejection, being killed,…  ( Click for more )