Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Galatians 3:15-29
Set – Psalms 120; Galatians 3
Go! – Job 30-31; Psalms 120; Galatians 3-4
Galatians 3:15-29
15 My dear brothers and sisters, here’s a real-life example I can give you: With a last will and testament, when all the property is accounted for, the document is signed, witnessed, and notarized; and afterward no one can make changes to it. 16 In a similar way, God’s promises established a binding agreement with Abraham and his offspring. In the Scriptures, it is carefully stated, “and to your descendant” (meaning one), not “and to your descendants” (meaning many). Therefore, in these covenant promises, God was not referring to every son and daughter born into Abraham’s family but to the Anointed One to come. 17 What this all means is that the law given to Israel comes along some 430 years after the promise made to Abraham; so it does not invalidate the covenant God previously agreed to or in any way do away with His promise. 18 You see, if the law became the sole basis for the inheritance, then it would put God in the position of breaking a covenant because He had promised it to Abraham.
19 Now you’re asking yourselves, “So why did God give us the law?” God commanded His heavenly messengers to deliver it into the hand of a mediator for this reason: to help us rein in our sins until the Offspring, about whom the promise was made in the first place, would come. 20 A mediator represents more than one, but God is only one. 21 “So,” you ask, “does the law contradict God’s promise?” Absolutely not! Never was there written a law that could lead to resurrection and life; if there had been, then surely we could have experienced saving righteousness through keeping the law. But we haven’t. 22 Scripture has subjected the whole world to sin’s power so that the faithful obedience of Jesus the Anointed might extend God’s promises to everyone who has faith. 23 Before faith came on the scene, the law did its best to keep us in line, restraining us until the faith that was to come was fully revealed. 24 So then, the law was like a tutor, assigned to train us and point us to the Anointed, so that we will be acquitted of all wrong and made right by faith. 25 But now that true faith has come, we have no need for a tutor. 26 It is your faith in the Anointed Jesus that makes all of you children of God 27 because all of you who have been initiated into the Anointed One through the ceremonial washing of baptism have put Him on. 28 It makes no difference whether you are a Jew or a Greek, a slave or a freeman, a man or a woman, because in Jesus the Anointed, the Liberating King, you are all one. 29 Since you belong to Him and are now subject to His power, you are the descendant of Abraham and the heir of God’s glory according to the promise.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
Paul reminds you I am the God of all people. It doesn’t matter the color of your skin, the language you speak, the country of your birth. I am your God. Whether you bow to Me our not, I am still your God. One day you will bow, but I trust you do so now. Those who believe in Me for the forgiveness of their sins, will never die, but will live with Me forever. Those who do not, will forever live alone in eternal punishment.
Since I’m the God of all people, shouldn’t you also love all people? Everywhere, I see the prejudice of humankind rising. I had hoped with increased knowledge through the centuries that you would learn to get along with each other, but it hasn’t proven true. Instead, increased knowledge seems to increase the prejudice between you. Races and nations continue to debate the superiority and inferiority of one another. Each touts its own prowess over others wanting to gain more instead of being satisfied with what I have given them.
Humankind has forgotten you have what you have because I allow it. I made you and gave you the abilities and talents resident within you. I gave you the lands you occupy. I gave you the minerals, the environmental conditions, the wealth or lack thereof. I gave you the opportunities to serve others. The question is what you have done with the things I gave you. But I am still your God. And I can take away all you have gained. With a flood, a wildfire, a hurricane or tornado all can be lost in an instant. And I control them all. Remember, I am your God.
Put your faith in Me. Remember I can give and I can take away. There is no need for prejudices. I made all humankind and everything I make is good. Every race, every nation, every person I make is good. Each person then creates their own choices and pathways, but I make them good originally. Share My word with everyone. Love everyone. Share My grace and mercy with everyone. Don’t let prejudices get in the way.
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