Galatians 2:5 (KJV) That The Truth Continue

Galatians 2:5 (KJV)

To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

This is a controversial topic, but it derives from a controversial text. Someone confronted Titus that he, being Greek, should be circumcised. Titus somewhat controversially refused. Peter controversially ate with Gentiles. Then he controversially separated from them. Paul controversially confronted Peter about his hypocrisy. So, you see, it is legitimate to address a controversial subject from this text.

Paul judged some as false brethren
There is such a thing as a professor of the faith who is not a possessor of the faith. That must be clear, and warnings must be issued about the dangers of false professions and of our associations with false brethren.

Some of the brethren were unaware that the judged were false brethren
Imagine how indignant the false brethren would be of this accusation. Imagine also how upset and perhaps confused the brethren, still fooled by the false professors, would be of this accusation against them.

Paul and I think Titus would not submit to the false brethren
I can imagine that created quite a stir among the people.

Unity in a church is a prize to be treasured. But it is not to be had at any price. Unity in a church must only be had among true brethren.

The others must be exposed so the truth “might continue.” 

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

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Galatians 2:5 (KJV) That The Truth Continue

Galatians 1:24 (KJV) Elevate God

Galatians 1:24 (KJV)

And they glorified God in me.

The word glorified means 

• To make visible 
• Illuminate, and 
• Lift up

When the believers in Jerusalem heard that Paul[1] had gotten saved and he was no longer a threat, they glorified God.

• They did not make a big deal that the threat was gone
• They did not make a big deal of Paul

They made a big deal of God because of what He had done in Paul.

I am sure they were happy to have less oppression (though they had previously praised God, they were counted worthy to suffer for His name).[2]

I am confident they would be glad to hear Paul was now a Christian (though their first impression was to handle him with caution).[3]

But 

• They did not lift up and make the world see that he no longer oppressed them
• They did not lift up and make the world see that the one who had once persecuted was now a believer

They chose to lift up, and make the world see the One who had done these things in Paul.

The difference is subtle, but it’s the difference between faith and religion. It is God we must elevate, not our church, pastor, favorite politician, family, denomination, or the benefits we have received from them.

---

[1] I’ll use that name for consistency. I do know that at the time all of this transpired he was known as Saul of Tarsus.

[2] Acts 5:41 (KJV)
And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

[3] Acts 9:26 (KJV)
And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Galatians 1:24 (KJV) Elevate God

Psalms 71:15 (KJV) Count Your Blessings

Psalms 71:15 (KJV)

My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.

When[1] upon life’s billows, you are tempest tossed.
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost
Count your many blessings; name them one by one
and it will surprise you what the Lord has done

This hymn has been a blessing and encouragement to so many souls for so very long. I, myself, have been helped in my Christian journey by singing this hymn.

But I have to be honest. Most of the time, the encouragement is based on the song itself and not the application of it. It’s as if I can assume that the song’s writer has done it, and it was so. If he proves it, I don’t have to.

Here’s the problem. Without personally proving it, I have little to lean on in a hard time. If upon life’s billows, I am tempest tossed, and all I do is sing the song, I’m going to struggle. I will need to start naming my own blessings one by one when I am discouraged, thinking all is lost.

The Psalmist did that.

He discovered that the favors of God upon his life could not be numbered. I assume that means they could not be named, either.

Allow your experience with God to be so near that you can’t begin to name, let alone count His many blessings to you.

---

[1] Count Your Blessings, John Oatman (1897)

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Psalms 71:15 (KJV) Count Your Blessings

Psalms 69:3 (KJV) Feel Like You’re Drowning?

Psalms 69:3 (KJV)

I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.

This Psalm is attributable to Christ due to Psalms 69:21 (KJV)
They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
One may read the entire Psalm and picture our Saviour.

In no way does this negate personal applications.
Notice the depth of the sorrow of the writer. He uses water to picture the overwhelming nature of his troubles. He feels like he is drowning. There is no way out. There is nothing he can do to save himself.

Ever feel that way?
Sure you have. We all have.
Psalms 69:13 (KJV)
But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O LORD, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation.

When we feel like drowning, we can’t imagine anyone else drowning beside us.
I want to assure you others have gone through the same troubles and come out. Others will go through the same troubles and come out. You will come out.

When you’re drowning, it feels useless to cry out, but it’s the natural thing to do.

• Pray to the Lord
• Pray even when it feels useless

You’ll see. God will deliver you out of the deep waters.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Psalms 69:3 (KJV) Feel Like You’re Drowning?

2 Corinthians 11:2 (KJV) To Love Another

2 Corinthians 11:2 (KJV)

For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

Jealousy seems so wrong.

Paul understood how people felt. Though some of them were upset at him for it, he attempted to explain to them that his jealousy was godly. He fought to keep them faithful to just one husband, Christ.

Oh, the allure to love another

• To love a movement
• To love a fellowship
• To love a denomination
• To love a preacher
• To love a college

Paul longed for them to simply love Jesus and what He loves.

• People think it’s folly to love the Lord and not the world.
• People think it’s foolish to believe Jesus uses little independent churches.
• People think studying, preaching, and teaching only the Bible is foolish.

The Christian faith is simple, pure, and altogether lovely when we are faithful to Jesus, the Bible He gave us, and the local church He added us to.

Everything else is complicated, confrontational, confusing, and corrupted.[a]

[a] Or, at the least, corruptible.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

2 Corinthians 11:2 (KJV) To Love Another

Psalms 66:12 (KJV) God Brings Us Through

Psalms 66:12 (KJV)

Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.

I accept this Psalm to be written by David.[1] In that case, it could not be, as Albert Barnes says, speaking of Babylon and the troubles Israel faced because of them. David would have looked at those events that set Israel apart from all others,

• Egyptian captivity
• Red Sea and Jordan’s parting
• Wilderness wandering and
• Victory in Canaan

The men riding over their heads
Is Egyptian slavery and oppression.

The fire they went through
Is the wilderness and forty years of wandering.

The water they went through
Is the Red Sea and, forty years later, the Jordan River.[2] The Red Sea gave them final victory over Egypt. The Jordan River gave them access to gain victory over Canaan.

The wealthy place 
Is the Promised Land. Canaan Land was wealthy. God did help them. But even victory there did not guarantee ease.

God’s people have always been distinct as those who endure oppression, trials, and tribulations only to find victory over them and, in the end, the wealthiest of all places, heaven.

God’s plan for us today is not ease, comfort, or even peace. Today God is glorified to show Himself in us as He brings us through the hard things of the world. 

Lean on the Lord. Let Him carry you through the fire, the flood, and the foes. 

He will be glorified; you will be set apart, and, in the end, you’ll have heaven as your reward.

---

[1] Though his name is not given in it, I understand the Septuagint ascribes it to him.

[2] God used a similar miracle to both begin and end their journey.

To my readers:
Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6000 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Psalms 66:12 (KJV) God Brings Us Through