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Today’s Reading: Galatians 2

Experience is one of the best teachers. Through the process of learning and growing, we understand and gain wisdom. By undergoing different circumstances we experience. When we are attentive we can learn from every interaction and situation that we have.   If we have guided experience, we grow to be a better person. If we have a difficult experience, we learn to rise above the challenges so that we can give that knowledge to others. Over the last several years, writing blogs and posts I have gained experience in Paul and his writings. In this writing, Paul is keeping it real. He is showing his experience in years and he is also showing his dedication to the mission despite what others think.

Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. 2 I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. 3 But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. 4 Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— 5 to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. 6 And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. 7 On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised 8 (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), 9 and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. 10 Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.

Paul Opposes Peter

11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.[a] 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” – Galatians 2:1-14

In this chapter of Galatians, Paul is reflecting on some interactions that he had with Peter, also noticed as Cephas.  Paul is telling us  how long he and the apostles have known each other. From this interaction, we should see that they have known each other for almost 20 years after Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.Paul also informs us that he was given the mission of spreading the gospel to the non-Jewish people, also known as Gentiles. Paul also tells that Peter was commissioned to spread the gospel to the traditional Jewish people.

One of the major themes in this particular chapter is Paul is keeping it real with everybody. Paul is showing what is most important without question. Paul establishes his credibility and he also establishes his ability to step up when the time is right and to do what is right for the good of the gospel. Paul also shows that Peter wanted to keep up appearances. Paul is asking us not to be pretentious. Paul wants us to be genuine in all of our actions.  Paul shows us how to be genuine no matter who we are with or what we are doing.  If the people that we are with can not understand the genuine person that we are, why are we with them?  Paul wants us to be  an ambassador of God‘s love to everybody despite possible interactions are unfavorable circumstances.

We all have been Peter.  We all have denied Christ in our daily lives.  We all have tried to be someone other than ourselves.  We all have tried to play both sides.  Paul is challenging us to know ourselves and at the same time be uncomfortable when it is hard. 

If we are trying to show God‘s love, let us show God‘s love without conditions or fear of retribution or retaliation. If we are mentoring our ministering to someone it is okay to be seen. If we are in a midst of our own failures,  it is okay to show God’s love in the midst of our failures.

This chapter really brings a realness to our daily walk. Paul challenge us to keep it real. Paul is charging us to love despite of the hurt. Paul is challenging us to remember our mission and to give God‘s love no matter what the consequences are no matter who is watching. 

 

Paul’s warning in Galatians 1 cuts straight to the heart: there are those who would distort the gospel, turning it into something it was never meant to be. And that raises a haunting question—have I fallen into that trap?

My first instinct is to deflect.
“Yeah, but I’m not listening to those people. My sources are solid.”
Right. Whatever.

When I take an honest look at the voices shaping my thinking—podcasts, YouTube channels, influencers—the picture gets uncomfortable. Take Ed Mylett, for example. If I’m really honest, I don’t listen to him because he brings me closer to Jesus. I listen because he gets me closer to that billion-dollar dream.

Now, maybe Ed’s a bad example—he’s a Christian and talks openly about his faith—but even there, I feel the tension: God versus money. Kingdom versus platform.

Or Steven Bartlett. Despite his Jewish heritage, he calls himself a “devout and practicing agnostic”—believing God is unknowable.

Now, I love Steven’s podcast. He brings curiosity and wisdom in truckloads. But… should I trust it?

Is this what Paul is talking about when he says,

“You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News but is not the Good News at all.”
— Galatians 1:6–7 (NLT)

Why Would We Distort the Gospel?

When I stop to think about it, the motivations become clearer.

Sometimes it’s about pleasing people—offering a message that’s more palatable, more powerful. A gospel that promotes me, where Jesus becomes a means to an end.

Other times, it’s just easier.

Going back to Bartlett—saying that “God is unknowable” is way easier than surrendering to the gospel. I can acknowledge God exists and still wash my hands of any responsibility to know Him. Engage Him. Surrender to Him.

I don’t think most teachers start out saying, “God’s word is wrong; let me rewrite it.”
They just… manage it. So it becomes more immediately rewarding.

That’s the danger: truth rebranded as something easier to swallow.

The Spiritual War We’re In

This is war. Lies, confusion, and temptation don’t just come from the outside—they build strongholds inside us.

And if I’m being real? Fighting them feels impossible most days.

So what’s the alternative? Sanctification.
Being set apart for Jesus.

But that road is costly. Holiness demands everything.

And if I’m not careful, I gravitate toward the blended message—a little Jesus, a little self-help, a little prosperity. The mix goes down easier.

But Paul’s warning in Galatians pulls no punches: there is no other gospel.
Anything we add to it, subtracts from it.

The uncomfortable truth is that I’m drawn to these half-truths because they offer transformation without the cross. Success without surrender.

But that’s not the gospel Paul lived and died for.
That’s not the message that changes everything.
That’s not Jesus.

Psalm 42

Psalm 42 is a classic psalm that has no doubt encouraged believers for thousands of years. This is a psalm people put on their fridge, hang on their walls, or even put on their church bulletins. The beautiful imagery and metaphor of the psalmist’s soul longing for God as a deer longs for water helps us understand foundational truths about God.

The Psalmist was far north of Jerusalem near Mount Hermon (v. 6) and the distance from God was making his soul downcast. To put christianese to these verses, the psalmist was feeling spiritually depressed. To further explain, he may have been feeling like he was in a spiritual dry spell. Not only is the distance causing the psalmist to feel downcast, but he has mockers and scoffers urging him to doubt the presence of his God saying, “Where is this God of yours?” (v. 3, 10). Lastly, in his sorrow he has a memory of how magnificent it was being in close proximity to the Lord and leading people in worship to the very temple where God inhabited.

How does the psalmist respond to his spiritual depression?

First, he questions himself. He searches himself and asks, “Why am I downcast, o my soul?”. Notice he doesn’t just roll over, cave and say, “Oh well. I am downcast and that’s all I’ll ever be”. Sometimes when we search ourselves, we can find the root of what’s causing this spiritual rut. But, this takes effort and a lot of us, myself included, have had times where we don’t want to have to deal with our own thoughts and put the work in to better ourselves. Second, he establishes his hope in the Lord (v. 5,11). This hope is not wishful thinking that things will get better. This hope is a confidence that things will get better because this hope is in a God who is a rock that is immovable. Lastly, the hope he has is evidenced by his action. He will praise the Lord even when he really doesn’t feel like it.

So how do you get out of a spiritual rut when it feels like you’re longing for God but can’t even get a drop of His presence? Crack open your Bible. It’s the same concept as when there is a person who is on a strict workout plan and they still go to the gym even when they are tired and don’t feel like it. The most important time to read your Bible is when you really don’t feel like it. Find your hope in a God who is immovable. Lift your hands in worship when you feel the resistance pulling them down. Please God.

Today’s Reading : II Corinthians 12 

Have you ever taken a test and every question that you answer is correct?

Have you ever played a game and you were winning consecutively without losing?

Have you ever been on a “ lucky streak” where you are constantly winning? 

Sometimes these things happen to us and we question ourselves “is this real?” We then sabotage or lose our focus and the streak ends.

The world that we live in exists due to balances. Light and dark. Cold and hot. Wet and dry. There is a balance of all things that we have in our life. There is no perfection in our life.  One of the best quotes about perfection that I have read is 

“One of the basic rules of the universe is that nothing is perfect. Perfection simply doesn’t exist….. Without imperfection, neither you nor I would exist.”- Stephen Hawkins 

On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— 6 though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,[a] a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – II Corinthians 12:5-10

In this chapter of Corinthians, this is one of the last pieces of advice that Paul is giving the Corinthians. He tells about his own affliction or injury or anchor to this world. Paul shows that his life had been ordered to a certain doctrine of Jewish law. In the Jewish customs, he seem to be almost perfect. Paul also references his connection with Christ after Jesus‘s resurrection and ascension into heaven. These two facts would have created him to be the “perfect“ person to deliver the message of the gospel. 

But in his travels and in his life, Paul has this affliction that has brought him insurmountable suffering. As Paul is explaining this, he is not using his pedigree or his conversion to win people over, he’s actually using the contrary. He is speaking that his affliction actually allows him to be anchored in Christ in the midst of everything. Sometimes we may feel that we are in control, but we are actually submitting to God‘s authority in our life.

Paul could’ve asked himself if all the things that were going on for him” is it real?”. He had some of the best things happening to him as a Pharisee and as a Sadducee.  He also had a great thing going by being a missionary and delivering the gospel to many. But through his affliction, he was able to sympathize and connect with others through Christ.

There have been countless times in my life where God has provided many things for me and my family. There have also been times where we have had tremendous hurt and pain. But the one constant is in the hurt and pain and in the joy and celebration, God‘s love is continuous. It is through the hurt and pain that we are able to give comfort to others. We have been able to be examples of God‘s love and of his benevolence through some of the most difficult times.

People often ask me how can I smile and be joyful in the midst of all of the hurt and pain, and my response is God‘s love. I’ve seen the abyss and God‘s love has been the bright beacon of light that has allowed me to continue to share his love with others.

Sometimes we question “Is this is real?”Sometimes we are going through extreme highs and the feeling is undeniable.  Sometimes we experience tragic lows in the feeling is indescribable. But through all of the feelings, through all of the challenges and exhilaration, we can rely on God‘s love. This love will help us to continue to love others and to love ourselves in any circumstance.

Be blessed 

2 Corinthians 11

I was recently asked to write my own eulogy. No, nothing is wrong. It was simply an exercise, one meant to sharpen focus. Envisioning the end of our lives, complete and accomplished, has a way of helping us prioritize what truly matters today.

Have you ever thought about your own? What would it say? What will you be remembered for?

At first, I was tempted to list all of my accomplishments—beautiful homes I’ve built, my incredible wife, or the amazing kids I’ve raised. But today, as I read Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 11:22–28, I’m rethinking that impulse.

Paul’s version of a eulogy might read like this:

• A Hebrew

• An Israelite

• A descendant of Abraham

• A servant of Christ

• Imprisoned, beaten, often near death

• Whipped, stoned, beaten with rods

• In danger everywhere he went

• Hungry, cold, and exposed

• Sleepless and burdened

That list doesn’t exactly fill you with warm fuzzies. And yet—Paul says it’s the part he’s most proud of. Why? Because those were the moments of his greatest weakness, when he was most dependent on Christ. In that dependence, he was at his strongest.

Ironically, we’re taught the opposite. We’re told to find our strengths and exploit them. But Paul warns against this mindset. In verse 3, he says:

“I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.” (NLT)

He calls these success-driven philosophies different gospels—ones that may sound good but ultimately lead us away from Christ. And in verse 15, Paul gives a sober reminder:

“It is no surprise if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”

So if you were to die today—what would your eulogy say?

God willing, we all have years ahead of us. But every day, we get to choose:
Will our legacy be a record of worldly achievements?
Or will it be a story of ridiculous love and dangerous witness?

2 Corinthians Chapter 9

In this chapter of 2 Corinthians, Paul is talking to the people at Corinth about generously giving and helping Christians in need.  He goes on that giving should start from within, not pressure or guilt.  A perfect example of this is that of a farmer.  If you plant a few seeds, you will get a small crop.  If you plant a lot of seeds, you tend to get a big harvest.  The more you give, the more blessings you will receive!

Paul’s meaning is more than just giving money.  Money is definitely something we should give and something so many people or organizations need, but they can also use our time, attention, and so much more.  Sometimes not all Christians have an abundance of one of these things, let alone all of them at once, but it is a reminder of what we should do with it when we do have it.

So often in my life I ask myself and God, “How much should I give, how much money should I donate, how much time can I spare today?”  Then the next question I ask myself, “Is that enough?  Am I being too cheap?  Should I have given more?”  But that isn’t the point here.  It isn’t dependent on the amount of these things necessarily as much as the real desire within oneself of wanting to give.

I am sure we have all been in line for coffee or at a restaurant and made the choice to “pay it forward”.  It feels good to do that doesn’t it??  It does to me.

One of my wife and I’s trips to Galena one Fall, we were on the way out of town and stopped at a breakfast place.  For 45 minutes we sat next to an older man and listened/watched him interact with the locals.  It seemed like he went there for the food and the comradery that he might not have had at home alone.  As we were leaving and paying our bill, I asked the waitress to put his on ours as well.  She asked us, “Are you sure?”  We said of course.  She proceeds to tell us that he recently won a million dollar scratch off ticket, and that yellow hummer outside was his!

Now, my wife and I thought that was pretty crazy, but we still insisted on paying.  Why?  It wasn’t because we thought he was poor and needed it, but he seemed like a nice man who was nice to others and enjoyed people.  And it was simply a nice thing to do, hopefully he paid it forward someday for the same reasons.

All that being said, here is what I am trying to get at…..

• Give willingly and happily, not out of guilt or pressure
• Generosity leads to abundance in life, not just money
• God will supply your needs so you can keep helping others
• We give because God first gave to us, through Jesus

(Based on 2 Corinthians 7:9–10)

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are not called to comfort without conviction, nor to grace without growth. In 2 Corinthians 7:9–10, Paul reminds us that godly sorrow is a gift—a divine catalyst that leads us to repentance and life. It is not shame for shame’s sake, but a holy stirring of the heart that moves us away from sin and toward the arms of our Savior.

Too often, we settle for worldly sorrow—the kind that mourns consequences but not the sin itself. This sorrow leaves us stuck in guilt, bitterness, and regret. But godly sorrow? It leads to transformation. It awakens us to the reality of our need for grace and produces in us a changed life, marked by holiness, humility, and obedience.

Now is the time to examine your heart. What needs to be surrendered? What relationships need to be restored? What habits or hidden compromises are holding you back from the fullness of life in Christ? Don’t resist conviction—welcome it as a sign of God’s deep love for you. His correction is never to crush, but to restore.

Let today be a turning point. Don’t delay repentance. Let godly sorrow run its course—let it purify your intentions, renew your spirit, and ignite your passion for righteousness. From it flows freedom, joy, and peace that the world cannot offer.

Walk boldly in the grace that repentance brings. Be an example of what it looks like to be shaped by truth and love. Let your life shout the testimony of a heart that was broken, healed, and made new by Jesus.

Godly sorrow leads to salvation and leaves no regret. So rise, repent, and rejoice—your Savior is waiting.

Written with the assistance of ChatGPT