Larry Fischer

I don’t fear death but I fear aging. I sometimes feel like I have been betrayed by my body. I know that it was my fault that my body is like this but I have always been able to push my body to do things in spite of the pain I felt. Now, however, I find my body just can’t push through it.
The harsh reality of age is crystal clear and sitting on my the stoop of my door waiting for me to stumble through it. I can forestall it with exercise and healthy eating perhaps but I can’t avoid it forever. Honestly I’m afraid of it.

I know God is taking care of me and my family and that is a comfort but I want to be honest about my feelings. I am not obsessing about this and letting it paralyze me. I am just recognizing it for what it is.

He strengthens me and upholds me with His righteous right hand, says Isaiah. I cling to this like a drowning man to a life raft. He has always been faithful and yet I still struggle to believe. Father give me faith. Amen.

The struggle is real. I find myself at wits end with the world and with myself. It’s so hard to keep up with everything and just survive some days. I know God is in control but sometimes that’s not comfort enough for the hardships and emotional pain that we have here on earth. I struggle with disappointing others. I want to see folks happy with me and be the provider and hero. The sad fact is I sometimes fail and in my insecurity I push my limits and make things worse by not having the courage to say “no” to the things that I don’t have the resources to do. Instead I borrow and make poor choices to make others happy and build a mountain of consequences to crush me later.
Amazingly God has bailed me out of my foolishness many times. Have I learned? Nope. I keep doing it over and over. I’m not sure how to get out of this cycle of destruction. I am praying for delivery.
Does anyone else struggle?

The law of God does not save us. It condemns us because no one can actually live without breaking the law. You have to be perfect and not break any law or you are cursed. The law shows us the reality of our condition, that is that we are sinners and we will not choose God in our own power. Paul says we should live by faith in Jesus. Faith saves us and then we live by faith. Jesus was the only man that could live without breaking the law and He did so He would be the innocent sacrifice for us.
My faith is in Christ. I fail to live as I should and know I deserve the curse but am grateful for Christ.

Faith, the key to the Gospel. Paul is telling the Galatians that faith not works is the key issue here. He points out that hearing with faith was the way you were saved and that the false gospel of works is not consistent with the teachings of Christ.

Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?

Galatians 3:3

Paul is a little riled up at the Galatians for believing this false Gospel. He also gives us the answer to how those before Christ are saved (if you needed more confirmation) he describes Abraham’s faith in God and counting it as righteousness. He also connects his ministry to the gentiles back to the fulfillment of God’s promises to Abraham.

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”

Galatians 3:8

We gentiles are the blessed nations and how true it is God has truly blessed us and especially me, more than I deserve.

Paul is laying down the basics of salvation. Faith alone, not by works. Salvation is believing in Jesus Christ, not by being a good person. The world seems to have this good deeds vs bad as the judge for salvation. Here Paul says obedience to the law will not save you but only faith in Christ saves you. I am glad that I am not judged by my deeds as I am a sinner and know the depths of my own sin. The law makes it clear to me that I have no chance of keeping the law and am desperate need of saving. Thank you God for faith.

Wow! What courage Paul shows to confront Peter and others including his pal, Barnabas, about their sin. Hmm…so first I am struck by how even the apostles can fall into sin. I know they are not perfect and they are only human but still to see more than one as in this passage led astray is sobering to me. What chance do I have of not being fooled or led astray at some point in my life. What point of faith have I made into a sinful point of dogma or similar. I guess I have the advantage of having scripture written already. The apostles are literally writing (living) the scripture.

Paul’s back story. Even in Paul’s own account of his back story he is pointing to God’s glory. He is establishing the connection to Christ and the authority of the gospel he is preaching because he was called to preach it to us the gentiles. He downplays the details of his story for the clarity of the message.
When I think of Paul I think he must have been a serious guy who probably didn’t have a sense of humor. I mean I don’t really know but to go persecute a religious group doesn’t sound like a light weekend activity. His conversion seems like he had to have a 2×4 to the head to get through to him.
It is interesting that Paul gets alone time with Jesus and he still points out the headship of God by saying “

Galatians 1:16

[16] was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;

Paul’s account of his first interactions with the apostles is interesting but I would love to have more details. I guess I shouldn’t second guess God’s word.
I am very grateful for Paul. He is the messenger of the gospel to gentiles so without him I probably wouldn’t know Jesus.

Pauls greeting. I wonder what it was like to have such a sense of purpose and calling as Paul did. His greeting makes it clear that he knows that he is called by Christ. I mean I guess if I had the experience he did with being blinded by a light etc. and all that I would be confident in my calling too. I’m not saying I don’t know I have a calling I am just remembering how in the beginning of my walk with Christ I struggled with it and it even now my confidence to be bold doesn’t look anything like Paul’s greeting. Paul seems to know he is God’s tool and he wields it boldly.
Paul is astonished. Paul sees that the Galatians are being misled by a false gospel and is frustrated with this. I think of my kids and how frustrated I get when they don’t do the things they know they supposed to do. I am amazed by the logic or lack of logic they use when they explain why they didn’t do what they were supposed to do. I look at my own heart and think about how often I lose sight of the gospel. Usually it is more simple than I lost sight of the gospel and more I am selfish and don’t want to see the gospel. In 1-10 it doesn’t give the details so I am not sure what their motives were but Paul does point out that the folks misleading the church are accursed. Seek God’s approval not man’s, easier said than done. I don’t really think of peer pressure but acceptance of others around me even believer friends, especially believer friends. I’m still not “real” with everyone and a concerned with how people perceive me. I’m even more concerned with how my wife sees me than how God sees me. I’m just being honest. I struggle and stress to not fail so the world doesn’t know how big a failure I am. I’m sure Paul would be astonished. God isn’t astonished but I know He desires my heart. Well that’s Galatians 1:1-10.

My heart is heavy with an the news coming out about the Texas school shooting. I have an eleven year old and a nine and six year old so I am broken hearted for the parents of the children who were killed.
When I first read about the shooting, the first thing I did was find and hold my littles and prayed for comfort for the parents involved and that somehow God would draw people to Himself through this horror.

I will not make a political statement only lament the loss and trust God has a plan.