The G.E.P.C Study – GALATIANS 5 – PT. 2 of 3

Going Through Paul’s epistles to Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, and Colossi

INTRODUCTION: Just as we saw a contention between Law and Grace and the dilemma that many Jews faced between the Old Covenant which they grew up with and the New Covenant which they had yet to become accustomed to, here in this portion of GALATIANS 5 we see another contention between the flesh and the Spirit.

Walking in the liberty afforded to us by Christ and His indwelling Spirit means that for the first time in our lives from the moment we were born again, we can choose to be holy! Think on that for a moment! With the indwelling Spirit we have a new nature as opposed to the old nature.

The new is created after Christ – “the last Adam” and the old which we inherited from “the first Adam” when he fell into sin. We are no longer abject, helpless slaves to sin. Christ has set us free (ISA 61:1; GAL 5:1) and we can live (“walk”) now a life of holiness.

As when any child begins to transfer their mode of transportation from crawling to walking, they aren’t proficient at all to begin with. But they make the effort. They stumble, fumble and fall, but they get back up again. With the able assistance of Daddy and Mommy, they begin to know what it’s like to use their feet (rather than hands and knees). The world looks different from this perspective. They have access to more this way than when they were just adorable ‘rug rats’.

Likewise when we were babes in Christ, we began to walk, and somewhere along the way, we became proficient enough that we weren’t stumbling every hour of the day.

Then we discovered that we could walk between worlds as it were: the kingdom of GOD and a life of holiness or the kingdom from which we came: that domain of darkness where our sin nature (“flesh”) feels at home.

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TRIUMPHANT TRILOGIES – Examining JOHN 12,13 & 14

As we have seen already in ROMANS and in PSALMS, there exists trilogies of sorts in Scripture, three different parts that deals with specific themes of the Scripture.

For example, in ROMANS 6,7 & 8 we see the life of the disciple of Christ in three different aspects: justification and dying to self in Ch. 6, sanctification apart from the Law in Ch. 7 and glorification and our heirship in Ch. 8. Of course there is some overlap between them (Chapter breaks weren’t in the original, nor were verses).

And in PSALMS 22, 23 & 24 we see a trilogy focused on the Messiah: His sacrificial atonement in 22 accomplished in the past, His role as Shepherd over Israel and the church in 23, an ongoing role, and the future Messianic reign expressed in 24.

Now we have before us two sets of trilogies: JOHN 12,13 and 14 along with 15,16 and 17 – all centered around the Passion Week, the last days of Christ on Earth prior to His resurrection.

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PROVERBS 23:9-12: FOOLS, THIEVES and WISE GUYS

Previously on Wisdom Wednesday I taught on PROVERBS 22:28-29. You can hear it (again) at the SBC YT Channel, entitled: Prosperity: Profitable or Perilous? (posted May 16th).

I dealt with the whole thing regarding “removing the ancient landmarks” – those divided personal properties among the tribes of Israel. Dishonest, greedy folk would move those landmarks to increase the size of their own property, infringing on and diminishing the property of others – thus land theft. I’ll go in a little different direction tonight in vs. 10-11 of PROV 23, focusing instead on the prince of thieves, and no – I’m not talking about Sir Robin of Locksley aka Robin Hood. First, vs. 9:

PROVERBS 23:9
Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, For he will despise the wisdom of your words.

PROVERBS 9:8-10 

8 Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. 9 Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; Teach a just man, and he will increase in learning. 10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

MATTHEW 7:6
Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.

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A PLOT OF THE NEFARIOUS KIND – Examining Satan’s Strategic Psychological Warfare Program – Part One

There is a video series on YouTube at The Fuel Project Channel called KNOW YOUR ENEMY. An excellent series of short videos (over 70) that examines two kingdoms through the course of human history: GOD’s own and also Satan’s.

As Christians our primary objective is to know, love and serve GOD. Only on a secondary basis are we to “know our enemy”; in the sense that we are not to be “ignorant of his devices” (2 COR 2:11) and his "wiles (methodologies; EPH 6:11). We are to be sober (of a serious mind) and vigilant (ever watchful, on guard, wary) of this one who goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 PET 5:8). He is the most subtle, most cunning creature GOD ever created (GEN 3:1).

It's absolutely true that Satan was defeated at the Cross:

COLOSSIANS 2:14-15
14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it [the Cross].

This does NOT mean however that he is no longer dangerous, not a threat, someone we can afford to ignore or dismiss. Were that the case, we would have no need of the Armor of GOD (EPH 6:10-18) that the LORD in His wisdom has provided for us!

This article examines the film NEFARIOUS, based on Steve Deace’s book, A Nefarious Plot. If you haven’t seen this film yet, be advised there are numbers of spoilers in this piece.

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FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL by Joan Peters – A TTUF Book Report

As many of you know that have read articles from the web site I contribute to, The TRUTH Under FIRE (www.thetruthunderfire.com), our endeavor is to:

"herald without compromise the Truth as delivered to the church of the LORD Jesus Christ by way of the Holy Bible. . . and also to dispel deception as found everywhere else, by careful, verified research."

This article is a republishing of a two part article written on The RED PILL Consortium blog condensed into one here with updated links.

This deception is propagated by the 'Matrix-like" machine whose cogs and parts consist of our so-called educational system, various political, governmental and religious organizations and corporations, and our public media, as well as other sources.

One such deception is in regards to the nation of Israel. Most of us believe the situation in the Middle East is as it is, based on what we see, hear and read in the 'news'. What I like to call “the lame stream media”.

This 'information' is utilized to further the goals of those who run 'the Matrix' in order to conform our views and beliefs in accord with the deception and illusion that is perceived as factual, when - in fact - it is a fiction, or as Joan Peters has called it, "a flight from fact" in her book FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL.

There are few credible sources that dispel the darkness of this deception that runs amok throughout the world, but her book is certainly one of them!

Here are some reviews of this tremendous work:

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STUDY In The Book of NEHEMIAH TRIUMPH by TRANSFORMATION – Ch. 10

INTRODUCTION: Throughout the Scriptures there are lists upon lists of genealogies and names, and we can wonder – what’s the purpose of these? Aside from reading like an ancient phone book, something to gloss over, many people don’t understand the purpose for these listings, but there most certainly is!

In the case of the numerous Old Testament Scriptures, the listing of the names of tribes in Israel denote which people group will inherit which territory in Canaan land. These inheritances were non-transferrable: they stayed with the families.

Another can lease the land from the inheritors of said property, but they can’t buy them. That was why Naboth said to Ahab (who offered to trade a property of his own for Naboth’s vineyard), “GOD forbid that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you!” (1 KINGS 21:3). Jezebel through bribery and slander stole the land from Naboth and gave it to Ahab, making the crime all the more heinous.

The land could also be lost due to a debt owed, but that was where a kinsman goel came in, a relative of the debtor who could redeem the land for their kin.

These lists of names also have archeological value. When such names as listed in Scripture are found in artifacts, this is one of many proofs that prove the Bible’s accuracy.

What I find particularly fascinating is when the various listings of the twelve tribes (actually, there are fourteen tribes from which to choose from in any list, because Jacob adopted Manasseh and Ephraim (Joseph’s sons) as his own See GEN 48)), if one knows the meaning of those names, and observes the order in which any given list appears in the Bible, they make a declaration!
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