Paul McKenzie

Memory Verse, Saturday, March 21, Galatians 1:12

"For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ."

We are now entering the part of the letter where we learn about Paul's testimony in quite a bit of detail. In Acts 9 we find "And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: And suddenly their shined round about him a light from heaven, and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest, it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." (Acts 9:3-5)

We'll learn more about this as we move through this letter. What I thought about here was the living relationship we have in Christ. One cannot explain their born-again experience, and God touches each in a unique way. For me, it started as a longing, reaching certain "peak points" throughout my life from the time I was a child, where I knew that there was more to this life, and I hungered for it until finally on the 4th of July of 1972, after devouring the New Testament and pummeling my friend Dan Davis with questions and justifications, I had nothing left but to fall upon the mercy of God. And for me, it was as if a spiritual wind flowed upon me, and I was changed.

I had, what my dear friend Rhonda expresses as "a knowing". I really can't explain it better than that. From a longing to a knowing. The word of God was not just a book anymore, it was Life! And the words coincided with what was in my spirit, which the Bible teaches is the Holy Spirit, Whom we call the "Third Person" of the Triune God, who somehow enters everyone who believes, and breathes His breath into our spirits like he breathed upon the earth as He "moved upon the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2b).

And if you read John 3 yesterday, you would have read: "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8 ESV).

And that's what it's like! There is nothing, then suddenly, there is something! The Bible talks about "regeneration". There's death, then suddenly there is Life! And suddenly your eyes are opened, and you see a whole new vista beyond sight. What you once saw in the world is seen with different eyes. All you had thought of is seen in the Light of the Gospel.

And then, when you pour yourself back into the word of God, you begin to understand what happened, and what is continuing to happen to you. You have been saved, you are being saved, and you will be saved. Guaranteed. The Holy Spirit tells you so. The Bible tells you so. And Jesus' resurrection is physical proof.

And suddenly you realize that you are here for a Divine Purpose, and that Purpose is not about you. That Purpose is about Him who created you, and through Him dwells the fullness of life, and Life itself. And you find your completeness in Him. All that you have, your talents, your personality, your thinking are "born again". The "nakedness" is removed. Adam's nakedness was symbolized by the body. His true nakedness was being left bare in spirit, without the covering of His God.

Then we see that we are clothed with the eternal, and the transient is just a steppingstone to the true eternal reality. And one day He "will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself" (Philippians 3:21 ESV).

And my longing has turned into a different longing… for now I know my Savior, and I long to be with Him.

Today if you hear His voice, harden not your heart.

*KJV used*

Memory Helps

"For I NEITHER
RECEIVED it of man,
NEITHER was I taught it,
but by the REVELATION of Jesus Christ."

(words per line: 3-4-5-7)

I divided this into 4 lines, each with a key word: "NEITHER, RECEIVED, NEITHER, REVELATION". The NRNR helps you get started.

Once you grasp the key words, take one line at a time and fill them around them. Note the first key word ends line one, the next two begin their lines and the last one is right in between.

You can have representative word pictures. Point to your "knee" for "knee-ther", pretend you are "receiving" something from a man.

Maybe you are a child on the "knee" of your father being taught for line 3, and then look up to imagine seeing "the Revelation of Jesus Christ".

Linking verse numbers:

My memory character for verses 12 is the "TiN" man from "wizard of Oz" fame (T=1, N=2, vowels fillers). He is doing the actions, squeaking all the while from his rusty joints. And of course, he is wearing a huge bow "Tie" for chapter 1 (T=1)