Monday Morning Scripture (Wk27/2022) – Galatians 5

Walk By The Spirit

1 It was for this freedom that Christ set us free [completely liberating us]; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery [which you once removed].

2 Notice, it is I, Paul, who tells you that if you receive circumcision [as a supposed requirement of salvation], Christ will be of no benefit to you [for you will lack the faith in Christ that is necessary for salvation].

3 Once more I solemnly affirm to every man who receives circumcision [as a supposed requirement of salvation], that he is under obligation and required to keep the whole Law.

4 You have been severed from Christ, if you seek to be [1]justified [that is, declared free of the guilt of sin and its penalty, and placed in right standing with God] through the Law; you have fallen from grace [for you have lost your grasp on God’s unmerited favor and blessing].

5 For we [not relying on the Law but] through the [strength and power of the Holy] Spirit, by faith, are waiting [confidently] for the hope of righteousness [the completion of our salvation].

6 For [if we are] in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but only faith activated and expressed and working through love.

7 You were running [the race] well; who has interfered and prevented you from obeying the truth?

8 This [deceptive] persuasion is not from Him who called you [to freedom in Christ].

9 A little [2]leaven [a slight inclination to error, or a few false teachers] leavens the whole batch [it perverts the concept of faith and misleads the church].

10 I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view [contrary to mine on the matter]; but the one who is disturbing you, whoever he is, will have to bear the penalty.

11 But as for me, [3]brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision [as I had done before I met Christ; and as [4]some accuse me of doing now, as necessary for salvation], why am I still being persecuted [by Jews]? In that case the stumbling block of the cross [to unbelieving Jews] has been abolished.

12 I wish that those who are troubling you [by teaching that circumcision is necessary for salvation] would even [go all the way and] castrate themselves!

13 For you, my brothers, were called to freedom; only do not let your freedom become an opportunity for the [5]sinful nature (worldliness, selfishness), but through [6]love serve and seek the best for one another.

14 For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is fulfilled in one precept, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, you shall have an unselfish concern for others and do things for their benefit].”

15 But if you bite and devour one another [in bickering and strife], watch out that you [along with your entire fellowship] are not consumed by one another.

16 But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the [7]sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts].

17 For the sinful nature has its desire which is opposed to the Spirit, and the [desire of the] Spirit opposes the [8]sinful nature; for these [two, the sinful nature and the Spirit] are in direct opposition to each other [continually in conflict], so that you [as believers] do not [always] do whatever [good things] you want to do.

18 But if you are guided and led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the Law.

19 Now the practices of the [9]sinful nature are clearly evident: they are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control),

20 [10]idolatry, [11]sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions [that promote heresies],

21 envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, and other things like these. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.

24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the [12]sinful nature together with its passions and appetites.

25 If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit].

26 We must not become conceited, challenging or provoking one another, envying one another.

Galatians 5:1-26 (AMP)

Footnotes

  1. Galatians 5:4 See note 2:16.
  2. Galatians 5:9 Leaven (yeasty dough) represents the man-made tradition and false teachings that obscure the truth regarding salvation through personal belief and faith in Christ.
  3. Galatians 5:11 Lit brethren.
  4. Galatians 5:11 Paul’s opponents in Galatia were trying to support their own arguments for circumcision by claiming that Paul was actually in favor of it. They probably knew that he had circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:3) and were taking advantage of that fact.
  5. Galatians 5:13 Lit flesh.
  6. Galatians 5:13 The key to understanding this and other statements about love is to know that this love (the Greek word agape) is not so much a matter of emotion as it is of doing things for the benefit of another person, that is, having an unselfish concern for another and a willingness to seek the best for another.
  7. Galatians 5:16 Lit flesh.
  8. Galatians 5:17 Lit flesh.
  9. Galatians 5:19 Lit flesh.
  10. Galatians 5:20 Including prostitution, which was often part of pagan ritual.
  11. Galatians 5:20 Including such things as occult practices, witchcraft, worship of evil powers, drug-induced trances.
  12. Galatians 5:24 Lit flesh.

Lion Bites – Global Prophetic Alliance – Take Off Control

My dear beloved one, I am coming to expose the areas of your life where you do not trust me. I am coming to highlight the areas of your life where you don’t feel that I can meet your need because fear has come in.

I know this is a painful thing to face but my dear beloved ones, you have made a partnership with the spirit of control. This has been holding you back, causing you to fight on your own. The spirit of control has limited the kingdom of God moving in and through you because you believe you need to make things happen in your own strength.

Today, it is time to break your agreement with the spirit of control; tell that lying demon to be silent and come and lean on me again.
Trust in me again!

It is time to lay down all the best plans you have made and allow me to move in your life.

I feel your longing to be free; it is time and I am offering freedom abundantly

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Galatians 5:13 (NIV)

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Lion Bites – Global Prophetic Alliance – Look Beyond the Storm

Rise up my eagle eyed warriors!
Now is the time to learn to see beyond the storms that encompass you. Rise up like eagles and soar above the noise, the chaos, and see things from my perspective.
Am I not greater than the things of this world? Am I not right beside you, strengthening you, guiding you, and equipping you for all that I have called you to do?
Now, more than ever, my church must know my voice. My church must know my plans and purposes for I am moving; I am shaking; and I am burning for my people.
How do you rise above the storm, you ask?
You fix your eyes on me.
You lock your eyes on me and you hold fast.
It is in our times of intimacy – hidden away in the secret place – that you will encounter me in new and fresh ways. It is here, spending time with me, that you will receive the strength, joy, and strategies that you need to rise above the clouds and see beyond the storm. When your focus is on me, the lies of the enemy fall away.
Beloved, hold on to me.
Seek me first and this will equip you with the sight and the perspective you need to weather the storm.

Activation: Spend time with Jesus today processing the storms of life that cause you concern. Seek his perspective on those storms and ask for a fresh infilling of hope and expectation.

28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become tired or grow weary; There is no searching of His understanding.

29 He gives strength to the weary, and to him who has no might He increases power.

30 Even youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly,

31 But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] will gain new strength and renew their power;

They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, they will walk and not grow tired.

Isaiah 40:28-31 (AMP)

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Lion Bites – Global Prophetic Alliance – Get Wisdom

4 he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live.

5 Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

Proverbs 4:4-5 (ESV)

You have made seeking wisdom and understanding an intellectual exercise. You have wrestled with trying to understand. You have tried to work things out. Have I not told you not to trust in your own understanding? Have I not told you that heavenly wisdom looks different to earthly wisdom?

Heavenly wisdom is asked for and received. Heavenly wisdom is inexorably linked to your ability to hear and obey. It looks like trust and dependence. Heavenly wisdom requires humility and the ability to lean on my understanding, not yours. Heavenly wisdom submits to being led. Heavenly wisdom acknowledges that I am the All-knowing One and trusts me to lead without needing to understand all things.

The way to wisdom and understanding – leading to paths of righteousness and success – is obedience. The wise are those who listen to my words and obey. The humble heart; the dependent heart; the trusting heart; the obedient heart will find wisdom and understanding.

In the days ahead, there will increasingly be times when what I am asking you does not seem to make sense but if, like Moses at the Red Sea, or Joshua at Jericho, or Gideon facing the Midianties, you will trust in my wisdom and obey, you will find success. You will find deliverance in your hour of need, leading others with you in defeating the plans of the enemy. Heavenly strategies are desperately needed in these times. It is time for my people to be known as those with strategies that confound the enemy, that bring release to captives, and bring solutions in situations that seem impossible.

Prayer: Lord, I repent for each and every time I have relied on man’s wisdom and my own ability to understand to work things out. I repent for not asking for your pure, heavenly wisdom and not relying on you, the one who knows all things. I acknowledge that I am totally dependent on you and your word. I need your wisdom. I ask now that you would give me the wisdom and understanding that I need and that you would enable me to put my trust more deeply in you and your word, to obey you always, even when I don’t understand.

Activation: Are there any situations that you are facing right now where you need wisdom, a strategy to bring a solution? Ask God for his wisdom, take courage, and obey what you hear!

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

5 See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.

6 Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’

Deuteronomy 4:5-6 (ESV)

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Lion Bites – Global Prophetic Alliance – Develop Your Wisdom Muscle

Come, sit, and reason with me. I challenge you to change my mind on an issue. Like Abraham or Hezekiah, develop your wisdom muscle to discuss and debate a matter with me. Rise up and pursue me in conversation and relationship to actively engage with me to change my mind.

Wrestle with me like Jacob did in the wilderness. I am inviting you – challenging you – to not let me go until I have blessed you. Take hold of me and do not let me go until I have blessed you.

I desire intimacy with you. I desire relationship; naked, real, raw relationship. I know all your thoughts; your rising up and your sitting down; there is no need to hide. I want you to be real with me. Love me unconditionally – accept me unreservedly as I accept you – and allow me to reveal my true self to you. As I do, I will hide you in the cleft of a rock to protect you when I show you my glory as I did with Moses.

Abraham Pleads for Sodom

16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way.

17 Then the Lord said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?

18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him.[1]

19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.”

20 Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous

21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”

22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.[2]

23 Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare[3] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?

25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

26 The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

27 Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes,

28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?” “If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”

29 Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”

30 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?”He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

31 Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?”He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”

32 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?”He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”

33 When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.

Genesis 18:16-33 (NIV)

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 18:18 Or will use his name in blessings (see 48:20)
  2. Genesis 18:22 Masoretic Text; an ancient Hebrew scribal tradition but the Lord remained standing before Abraham
  3. Genesis 18:24 Or forgive; also in verse 26

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Tuesday Morning Scripture (Wk26/2022) – Ephesians 4

Unity of the Spirit

1 So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called [that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation],

2 with all humility [forsaking self-righteousness], and gentleness [maintaining self-control], with patience, bearing with one another [1]in [unselfish] love.

3 Make every effort to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace [each individual working together to make the whole successful].

4 There is one body [of believers] and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when called [to salvation]—

5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6 one God and Father of us all who is [sovereign] over all and [working] through all and [living] in all.

7 Yet grace [God’s undeserved favor] was given to each one of us [not indiscriminately, but in different ways] in proportion to the measure of Christ’s [rich and abundant] gift.

8 Therefore it says,

“When He ascended on high,

He led captivity captive,

And He bestowed gifts on men.”

9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had previously descended [from the heights of heaven] into the lower parts of the earth?

10 He who descended is the very same as He who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He [His presence] might fill all things [that is, the whole universe]).

11 And [His gifts to the church were varied and] He Himself appointed some as apostles [special messengers, representatives], some as prophets [who speak a new message from God to the people], some as evangelists [who spread the good news of salvation], and some as pastors and teachers [to shepherd and guide and instruct],

12 [and He did this] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people) for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church];

13 until we all reach oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, [growing spiritually] to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ [manifesting His spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity].

14 So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit].

15 But speaking the truth in love [in all things—both our speech and our lives expressing His truth], let us grow up in all things into Him [following His example] who is the Head—Christ.

16 From Him the whole body [the church, in all its various parts], joined and knitted firmly together by what every joint supplies, when each part is working properly, causes the body to grow and mature, building itself up [2]in [unselfish] love.

Ephesians 4:1-16 (AMP)

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 4:2 The key to understanding this and other statements about love is to know that this love (the Greek word agape) is not so much a matter of emotion as it is of doing things for the benefit of another person, that is, having an unselfish concern for another and a willingness to seek the best for another.
  2. Ephesians 4:16 See note v 2.

Lion Bites – Global Prophetic Alliance – Family

Don’t give up! Don’t be discouraged because I am bringing others alongside you who will help shoulder the heavy load you have been carrying. You need a family to gather around you to encourage, love, sharpen, and push you forward! You were created for community; you were never meant to journey alone!

Lay down the false burdens that you’ve picked up or that have been placed upon you. Allow My love to wash away all your performance and striving so that you can pick up the light yoke which has been designed for you.

Each of the people that I am bringing into your life carries a piece of the puzzle to unlock Heaven in your region. As you link arms and connect with them in a unified cause, the whole picture will come together creating a mosaic of what heavenly family looks like. Learn how to plough together in this season so you don’t burn out before reaching your destination. Pace yourself with others so you can partner with Heaven’s larger vision of harvest and restoration on the earth. See how much more you will accomplish as you work together as the unified Body of Christ!

Prayer: Father, I recognize my need for covenant family and I repent for where I have tried to do life on my own. Help me to learn to work with others in unity to bring you glory and increase your vision on the earth.

He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Ephesians 4:16 (NLT)

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