Love letters to the terminally ill! v26n4

Good day. Today we are posting the next newsletter in the series "Love letters to the terminally ill, Vol 26 No 4, written by our dear brother, fellow steward and ambassador of the mystery of Christ, Larry Gazelka. Our prayer is that you will be blessed and encouraged by this newsletter. Have a very blessed and prosperous day in Christ Jesus our Lord. ***You can download a copy of the writings for personal use only by clicking on the Built Anew Ministries Archive page link above and scroll down to the current 2023 year. 
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Love letters to the terminally ill!
Vol 26 No 4

​​At the close of last week’s newsletter, we were covering that which Jesus Christ was talking about in Matthew 12.
 
By your words you will be justified, or by your words you will be condemned. Your words will agree with God and His kingdom, or one will be against Him. There is no middle ground.
 
Often in the past, and even now, many products will warn one of the problems these products could cause in our bodies and health if used improperly. Or, if one would change the chemical properties of a medicine, it could no longer perform as advertised. Keep in mind that these epistles were written because there were spiritual health problems with the brethren of Galatia. These problems were being caused by the fact that there were those there who would subvert and change the meaning of the message to suit their own agenda (denominational tenets).
 
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. KJV
 
Note that it is the Spirit that keeps one alive. Note how much the physical helps. Yet, how much time each day does one devote or allot to maintaining their physical well-being and appearance? What do you think our spiritual man would look like if it was displayed as plainly as our physical man is? Does one really think one will be judged by their physical presence or attributes when they stand before the judgement seat of Christ?
 
If you will recall or bring to mind last week’s newsletter, that Clarke brought up all of the documented perversions (70) of the Gospel. Now, we know that the Gospel Paul taught was the truth of Jesus Christ. We know that this gospel that Paul preached was in accordance with God’s Word as we now know it. Yet, there were 70 false gospels going on as well, nothing more than spiritual placebo’s that did nothing for one’s spiritual well-being.
 
Galatians 1:10-12 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. KJV
 
Our apostle in these words discovers the great sincerity used in preaching the pure and unmixed doctrine of the gospel to the Galatians; for he did not persuade that men, but God, should be heard and obeyed, that so their faith might be founded upon divine, and not human authority; nor did he in his ministry aim at pleasing men, but Christ: for should he now please men, being an apostle, as he did at times past, being a Pharisee, he should not be the servant of Christ.
 
The ministers of Christ must not be men-pleasers; they must not please men either by flattery or falsehood, nor accommodate their doctrines to the humour and dispositions of men; pleasing of God is our great work and business, let us mind that: man-pleasing is endless, and needless, any farther than for their good, and the gospel’s gain. (William Burkitt Commentary)
 
When one presents the scriptures to others, is it the proper context to present healing and spiritual health to the hearer? Or would it be like those 70 mentioned zealots who preached another gospel and thus brought a spiritual wilderness to the Galatians? Think of it, 70 false remedies circulating amongst the Galatians in such a short manner of time since Paul had been there.
 
Who do you think would know well the feeling of having been accused of presenting a perverted gospel than none other than Saul of Tarsus? One cannot be a man pleaser and still be able to present the pure Word of God.
 
Remember Paul said earlier in verse 6, that he marveled that they were so soon removed from the grace of Christ. The World English Bible translation says it quite well in saying that they were deserters.
 
Galatians 1:6-7 I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”; 7 and there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you, and want to pervert the Good News of Christ. (World English Bible Translation)
 
Note how the World English Bible translation references these people as deserters. It refers to these people that turned to the 70 false gospels as deserters of the grace of Christ. In the military, deserting a post during a war is grounds for being executed. And we must remember that the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy your relationship with Christ. Don’t you think that deserter is a good description of those who turn their backs to the grace of Christ?
 
Could we maybe say that the Galatians for the most part, had rejected the prescription for new life in Christ, for a placebo?
 
As we can see in verse 6 in Galatians, that they were so soon removed or deserted the true prescription for life, to instead take a placebo. They rejected the grace of Christ for an alternative.
 
How often is one challenged to stand for something that is true, or to go against the crowd? How many friends do you think Noah made with his building an ark and warning the people of the impending dangers? It was no different for Paul, as he had been taught by revelation from God.
 
Paul plainly states that if he pleased men, he would no longer be an ambassador for Christ. If he sought man’s affirmation and admiration, he would no longer be a servant of Christ.
 
Just as Paul says he was not taught by man, but rather by revelation. The same is true for any believer. Anyone can present us with scripture, but it is God’s Spirit that opens it to our heart and mind.
 
In these opening verses we have been looking at, we are able to see how the grace of Christ enables one to become a part of God’s family, by knowing God’s will for each of us. Will you be faithful or a deserter?
 
That you may know Him,
In the service of Jesus Christ
Larry Gazelka
 
Copyright ©, Larry Gazelka