by Jamie Pantastico | Aug 18, 2023 | Daily Encouragement |
We are no doubt living in uncertain and challenging times, these verses offer a breath of hope. “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” Galatians 6:9. It’s easy to become disheartened by the challenges we face daily, but here we are reminded to stand firm. The harvest of blessings awaits those who persevere (not for salvation, we are already sealed) in doing good, fueled by the promise of our being with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
In a world filled with turmoil, these words become a lifeline. God’s grace is our anchor in the storm, enabling us to continue on our journey with unwavering determination. As we extend kindness and goodness to others, we radiate the light of Christ in the darkness.
“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). Our time on earth is fleeting, but our actions can have lasting (eternal) impact. Let us seize every moment to extend grace, love, and help to everyone we encounter. Especially to fellow believers, who need support as we journey together through these turbulent times.
Doing Good is Never In Vain
1 Corinthians 15:58 reinforces that our labor for the Lord is never in vain. Every effort, every act of kindness, every display of His love holds eternal worth. As we navigate a world in total despair, our commitment to living godly lives and serving fellow believers is a reflection of His grace working in us.
So, when weariness threatens to engulf us, let’s remember these verses. Persevere (not for our salvation, we have that), for the harvest is assured. Keep doing good, for in our actions, God’s grace shines, overcoming the darkness of this world. Let’s walk this path with faith, studying His word, lifting each other up, and knowing that God’s promises are steadfast (the promise from God that we will be with Him forever), even in the midst of a wicked and evil world.
‘These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”’
John 16:33
by Jamie Pantastico | Aug 17, 2023 | Daily Encouragement |
‘Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. ‘
Galatians 6:1
The teaching in Galatians 6:1 goes against the worldview. But we are not of the world, we are in Christ. We can’t worship God and treat people like garbage because of their failures (especially fellow believers). Don’t Judge but instead pray for restoration, if they are unbelievers pray that God opens their hearts to the gospel.
“Remember, brethren, when you encounter someone overtaken in sin, approach with a spirit of gentleness and humility. Just as this verse instructs, consider your own vulnerabilities, for we all stand in need of grace. Judge not, lest you too face the same temptations.”
In this verse, Paul offers guidance on how to handle a fellow believer who has stumbled into sin. He advises the spiritually mature to extend restoration with gentleness and a humble spirit. It’s a call to show understanding and forgiveness, mindful of our own vulnerabilities. This verse reminds us that our human tendencies must yield to grace, lest we too find ourselves entangled in transgression. It’s a poignant reminder of our shared struggle against our human nature.
Believers are Sealed for Eternity but the Old Nature Remains which is our fleshly body. It is a constant battle between our New Nature v. the Old Adamic Nature: Read Galatians 5:16-17.
‘I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. ‘
Galatians 5:16-17
by Jamie Pantastico | Aug 16, 2023 | Daily Encouragement |
Ephesians 2:11-12
“Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.”
Ephesians 2:13
“But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”
In these verses, the apostle Paul underscores a remarkable aspect of God’s unfolding plan of salvation. Prior to his divine commission as the apostle to the Gentiles, there was no message of salvation directed toward the Gentile world. (Yes, there were proselytes but they few and even proselytes were separated by a wall of partition and could not enter the temple ground.) For over two millennia, the Gentiles were excluded from the blessings and promises that were centered on the nation of Israel.
In Matthew 10:5-6, Jesus Himself instructed His disciples, “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans (the Samaritans were half Jews). But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” This COMMAND highlights the scope of Christ’s earthly ministry, which was primarily focused on the Jewish people (with only 2 exceptions), the heirs of God’s covenant with Abraham, and the promises made to David.
Romans 15:8 reinforces this idea, stating, “Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers. The term “circumcision” here refers to the Jews, and the affirmation of God’s promises to the forefathers of Israel.
Against this backdrop, Ephesians 2:11-12 poignantly portrays the Gentiles’ predicament before the divine intervention of God through the apostle Paul. They were “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise.” The Gentile world was not privy to the special relationship and covenantal blessings that God had established with Israel throughout the Old Testament.
In Ephesians 2:13, the apostle Paul declares the transformative impact of Christ’s redemptive work. He emphasizes the shift that occurred with Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles, indicating that through the blood of Christ, the Gentiles who were once “far off” have been brought near. The dramatic change from a state of spiritual alienation to a nearness to God is a central theme in Paul’s writings.
This new gospel message revealed specifically to the apostle Paul, opened a new chapter in the progressive plan of God’s redemptive plan. Paul became the vessel through which God unveiled His plan to extend salvation to the Gentile world, to the whole world. Apart from the Mosaic law, the 613 laws of Judiasim and the Thus, Ephesians 2:11-13 stands as a pivotal reminder of God’s sovereign plan and Paul’s unique role in bringing the Gentiles into the fold of God’s redemptive purposes.
by Jamie Pantastico | Aug 14, 2023 | Daily Encouragement |
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
These passages address the blessed hope of the rapture, a distinctive aspect of the believer’s salvation. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, emphasizes the importance of understanding the process and implications of believers’ physical death. He urges against sorrow without hope, distinguishing believers’ experience from the lost person who has no faith in Christ.
Verse 14 underscores a crucial foundation: the centrality of faith in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection for salvation. It’s not by works but through faith that believers participate in the rapture. Paul highlights the assurance that those who have died in Christ will accompany Him when He returns to the clouds for His Church, which is His Body.
Again, Verse 14 is pivotal in highlighting the central truth of salvation by faith alone. Paul states that “if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.” This emphatically underscores that the basis for participating in the rapture of the body of Christ is faith alone in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. It’s not about our works, merit, or personal achievements. Instead, it’s the faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross that unites us with Him.
In verse 15, Paul clarifies that the living won’t precede the departed in the rapture event. Instead, both groups will share in the joyous reunion with Christ. Verse 16 depicts the rapture’s awe-inspiring moment: the Lord’s descent, heralded by a shout, an archangel’s voice, and the trumpet of God. The dead in Christ (believers who died), having slept, will rise first, followed by the living believers.
Verse 17 paints the climactic picture of the rapture itself: the living, remaining believers are caught up together with resurrected believers to meet the Lord in the air. The passage resonates with the truth of Christ’s imminent return and believers’ unity with Him forever.
Finally, verse 18 encourages believers to comfort one another through these profound truths. Paul’s words offer our greatest hope, affirming that those in Christ (the dead in Christ and those of us alive) will be with the Lord forever. Thus, faith in Christ’s redemptive work alone stands as the only way to participate in the rapture, apart from a works-based approach to salvation.
by Jamie Pantastico | Jul 26, 2023 | Daily Encouragement |
2 Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.
In this verse, the apostle Paul humbly acknowledges that our strength and abilities are inadequate to accomplish anything of eternal value. We can do nothing apart from Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When we rely on our own efforts, we fall short, but when we trust in God’s sufficiency, His grace empowers us to fulfill His purposes.
We must put all of our trust and full confidence in Christ alone. Only in Christ, by and through His grace, do we find peace, purpose, and the ability to bring glory and honor to God in all we do.
Here are six Bible verses that clearly state God’s grace is sufficient: These verses remind us that God’s grace is more than enough for every aspect of our lives – in our weaknesses, in our good works, in our salvation, and in times of need. We can find strength, mercy, and help in His abundant and unmerited favor.
‘Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, ‘
Romans 5:20
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV) – “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
2 Corinthians 9:8 (NKJV) – “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”
Hebrew 4:16 (NKJV) – “Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV) – “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
1 Peter 5:10 (NKJV) – “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”