Correction

Galatians 6:1
If another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. (NLT)

It is so easy to see the problems other have and want to correct them. Matter of fact often the only problem they have is our perception. They do not have a problem at all. We are simply looking at them as though they were us. God made each of us differently and satan has brought each of us through a different set of temptations. What is wrong for us may not be the wrong thing for them.

Does helping them back onto the right path always mean telling them they are wrong? I don't think so. Others will learn more by our actions than our words. However, words are necessary in many cases.

Is drinking wine a sin? Some would say absolutely, it is. The Bible tells us not to drink. But does it? No, it tells us that drunkenness is a sin. However, some cannot even have a sip of wine without going all the way to being drunk. I believe this is the result of a spirit of addiction they are dealing with.

So if we have had a problem with drinking, smoking, drugs, or even overeating we are apt to come down hard on others who are doing the same. We tell them like it is based on how it was for us.

What is sin is sin, but what we do may not lead us into sin while others doing the same would fall right into the trap of satan. If we know someone is dealing with an addiction like overeating we should not tempt them by suggesting we go out for lunch at a buffet or even by finishing our meal with a big dessert. That would be tempting them to stumble.

Two key words in this scripture are gently and humbly. How often are we guilty of trying to help yet much more forceful in our delivery then we should be? Yet, if we are to do everything in Love as Jesus commanded, how can we not point out they are doing something sinful? And yet we must be careful that our actions are sending the same message as our advice to them.

Obey Your Master

Titus 2:9-10
Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way. (NLT)

We may think it terrible to think about slaves and masters. I know my great grandfather Evans was from Massachusetts and fought in the civil war to free the slaves in this country. But don't we have a similar situation in our workplace today?

We may be free and lead our own life outside of work, but during those working hours we are just as beholding to our boss as those slaves were back then to their masters. Of course the penalties for not obeying were much stricter, even unto death.

We are to show ourselves trustworthy in all we do and be an example to the world around us of the love of Jesus.

The Good Silver

2 Timothy 2:20-21
In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. (NLT)

When I was growing up my mother had every day forks, knives, and spoons we used for all our meals. Then there was that special set stored in the dining room in a drawer with felt cloths covering them. They were sterling silver and only used on very special occasions like when my father's family would come for dinner.

Before use each had to be polished with a special silver cleaner. For those occasions we also had individual silver napkin holders engraved with our initials that held our cloth napkin and a set of dishes that were not used on a daily basis also known as the good china.

What is our life like? Do we have two sets of "me"; one we take out when around other's we value as Christians and another around our everyday friends? Which set is the real us?

Who we are every day is a reflection of the real person. If our day-to-day lifestyle is not a reflection of Christ, then who really lives in us?

As we allow our relationship with Jesus to grow, it becomes easier to live a clean life. Our everyday "me" will be the reflection of Him and that old "me" will never have to be seen again.

So let's keep our selves pure, so we will be a special utensil for honorable use. For we desire our life to be clean, and ready for the Master to use us for every good work.

Fulfilling the Law

Galatians 3:10
Those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, "Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God's Book of the Law." (NLT)

Before Christ it was easy to know the laws to be obeyed. Think about it; there were the Ten Commandments. All those after Moses probably knew them by heart. And they still could not obey them. As hard as they tried, they fell into one mistake after another.

Then religion came into the act and created more laws. Laws are like rabbits; they seem to multiply at an ever increasing pace.

Today we have so many laws on the books that nobody can know them all. And yet ignorance of the laws of the land is not a sufficient excuse for breaking them. We are guilty of breaking laws each day that we do not even know of.

How about that speed limit sign you missed seeing? The officer pulled you over and you asked why. When he told you about the speed limit and what he clocked you traveling at, you responded that you never saw the sign. Ignorance is no excuse. You were guilty and had to pay the fine.

John 15:12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. (NLT)

Mark 16:15 Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. (NLT)

Jesus came to fulfill the law. He came to take away from us the burden of fulfilling it to satisfy requirements to be made right with God. He gave us one commandment and a commission. Yet, He made us right with God by having us simply believe in Him.

As we live out this Christian life as born again believers, we are not made wrong with God when we fail to fulfill that commandment or miss an opportunity to fulfill the great commission. Once made right, we remain.

This does not mean we have the right to ignore Jesus' commandments or the great commission. We cannot turn our back on them or we are turning our back on Jesus. We have a responsibility to work out our salvation doing what the Holy Spirit leads us into knowing that He will never give us a task we are not capable of fulfilling.

Freedom

Galatians 5:13
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. (NIV)

Every day I am thankful for the freedom we have in this country of ours. As much as we may complain there is not another to compare us to. Even just having the freedom to complain is unheard of in other places.

Our freedom is based on the freedom Jesus died for us to have. In our following of God's principles which we read about in His Holy Word, we exercise freedom in all we do and say. It is freedom in Christ it was all based on. This country was founded on Christian principles and as hard as the enemy tries to change it, we continue to be led by His principles laid out over two hundred years ago by our founding fathers.

In freedom we have choice and of course that includes the freedom to choose to follow the enemy instead of God. And we make choices every day that push and pull us off the line leading to truth and eternity with our Father God.

If we truly follow the principles laid out in the Bible and the leading of the Christ within, the Holy Spirit, we will continue to walk in that freedom and our rewards will be great.

But our freedom of choice allows us to step over the line and indulged the sinful nature present in each of us. This is what has us ignore the speed laws, accept payment "under the table", tell white lies, get angry at other drivers giving them the one finger salute, drink and drive, cheat on our taxes, steal cable channels, and more. You know what you do, but may not attribute it to your sinful nature.

"Lord God, help us toe the line. Give us the wisdom to know when we are tempted to cross that line and indulge in sin. Open our ears to the cry of the Holy Spirit warning us. When we mess up, accept our apology and forgive us. In Jesus name; Amen."

Direct Connection

Galatians 1:11-12 
I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. (NLT)

When flying on today's airlines it is difficult to schedule a direct connection between two points. There are major hubs most airlines fly through and that is where you end up waiting for that next connection on your journey. When you can find one, a direct connection gets you right to your final destination the quickest.

In this world of education we spend years learning how others do what we want to do before anyone will hire us. And yet most often we end up as clones of those that came before us. We do things the same as they have been done before; younger hands getting accomplishing the same tasks.

Don't get me wrong. Education is a good thing but there are times when we need to bust through the walls and be creative. Success does not come from doing what we learned from others. It comes from how we used what we were exposed to combined with our God given abilities; our direct connection to Him.

Paul did not run to the leadership, the apostles at that time, to be trained in how to be a Christian. He took time to be with God. His training did not come from man. It came from Jesus. And Paul did not come up with his own teaching program complete with books and DVD's to make others follow his way.

Paul preached Jesus as the Holy Spirit led him to do. And wherever Paul went signs and wonders followed the preaching of that truth. People were delivered, healed, and set free to develop their own personal relationship with Jesus.

Don't let the fact that you have not been formally trained hold you back from what the Holy Spirit is leading you to do, and don't let man stop that which God has placed in motion.

Reflection

2 Corinthians 3:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (NIV)

When I was a boy, we used to play with mirrors; we would use them like a flashlight by redirecting the light of the sun coming in a window to a darkened place. Or even the light from a lamp to a spot not covered by the lamps glow.

That reminded me of focusing the light from the sun through a simple magnifying glass to start a fire with dried up leaves.

Then we would also take two mirrors and place them on the opposite ends of a long cardboard tube to construct a periscope so we could see around corners.

When we look straight into a mirror we see our own reflection. I look at mine and wonder about who I see. The reflection is not the young man I still think of myself as. The reflection shows the reality of who I have become.

And isn't that true with our walk with Christ? We who have been saved are without the veil. The Holy Spirit, the spirit of Christ, lives within. When others look at us in our daily life do they see the reflection of He who lives within? Or do they see a person of the world who is hiding the truth deep within?

As we allow God to transform us into His likeness, that reflection becomes the light of Jesus in all we say and do. And like that magnifying glass, we can focus His light on those that need His fire in their lives.