Yesterday I brought a teaching on Galatians 5:24-6:5 entitled "He ain't heavy, He's my brother".  God blessed & a clear context driven lesson really hit home.  There were a number of clear insights but the one that struck me the most was the apparent contradiction between 6:2 & 6:5.  The former commands us to bear one another's burdens but the later states that we must bear our own burdens.  On the platform of the church I had the bubble, a luggage carrier for the top of your car.  On it was the word "Barros".  On the other side of the platform I had a backpack on which was the word "phortion".  Both words mean burden or load in Greek.  Barros in vs 2 means a heavy lumbering load that one person cannot bear alone.  Photion in vs 5 means "a mans pack".  The "load" of vs 5 is our calling & spiritual gifts to be employed for the evangelizing of the lost & the edification of the saint to the glory of the Father.  According to Jesus, this burden is light -or a joy to bear.  Another interesting observation is that Paul equates a Barros burden with sin not circumstance.  We think of burdens as things that happen to us - like my wife's illness - making us the victim.  This is true but in a secondary way because the bible here gives a clear primary definition of a heavy load as a sin.  That moves me from the 'victim' catagory to the 'culprit' catagory.  God did not mean for us to bear these sin loads alone.  In fact, we cannot.  We are unable to do so.  We need other spiritual believer -those who walk after the Spirit - to confront us in love with an eye to restoration.  For some pragmatic reason, this command has been labled "mean spirited" & "unloving" so we have dismissed its practice out of hand.  What we are left with is believers who are crushed under the weight of their sin because nobody is willing to follow the Spirit & trust God for the outcomes.  When will we wake up and repent?

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Posted by Buckeyeblog

As my husband and I are on our church's praise team (my wonderful hubby, Ty, sings like an angel and I trade off between singing, flute, penny whistle and hammered dulcimer) and our pastor and the leadership of our church knows that I travel and speak, I have gone to them and told them that, AS MY PASTOR AND ELDERS, I want them to confront me if/when they ever see or hear me do anything outside of good character or a godly witness.

I know me...I'm a sinner saved by grace...but I live on earth and am influenced by it, as hard as I try not to be. We all know that sometimes it creeps in just when you THINK you're immune. But, of course, THAT'S the problem...we aren't immune. In fact, we're a target! As members of the praise team, we take that responsibility very seriously...we have the HIGH HONOR and responsibility of escorting our congrigation to the Throne of God! Lord have mercy on me! And, like it or not, just because one is in an "up front," highly visible position, it is human nature to be looked up to. We don't necessarily like it, but we can see it in our own lives...favorites sports figures, actors, Chrisitan singers, etc...we're all guilty as well. I have enough trouble trying to be a godly example to my family, I don't even want to think about those who listen to what I have to say or sing! I just want God to use me for the Cause of Christ and the building of His Kingdom, not my ego.

Keep on, brother.

Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<><
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