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<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">“<b>TWO
ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>Jim
& Marie Watt</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>Tel:
<a href="tel:253-517-9195" target="_blank">253-517-9195</a> - Email:
<a href="mailto:jmbetter@gmail.com" target="_blank">jmbetter@gmail.com</a></b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>Web:
<a href="http://www.2rbetter.org/" target="_blank">www.2rbetter.org</a></b></p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">April 28, 2012</p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER">
<br></p>
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<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>2012-04-28
- GALATIANS - Introduction</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>(From
THE MESSAGE - The Bible in contemporary Language - Eugene H. Peterson</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><b>NavPress
- Bringing Truth to Life - <a href="http://www.navpress.com/">www.navpress.com</a>)</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><b>When
men and women get their hands on religion, one of the first things
they often do is turn it into an instrument for controlling others,
either putting or keeping them “in their place.” The history of
such religious manipulation and coercion is long and tedious. It is
little wonder that people who have only known religion on such terms
experience release or escape from it as freedom. The problem is that
the freedom turns out to be short-lived.</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><b>Paul
of Tarsus was doing his diligent best to add yet another chapter to
this dreary history when he was converted by Jesus to something
radically and entirely different - a free life in God. Through Jesus,
Paul learned that God was not an impersonal force to be used to make
people behave in certain prescribed ways, but a personal Savior who
set us free to live a free life. God did not coerce us from without,
but set us free from within.</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><b>It
was a glorious experience, and Paul set off telling others,
introducing and inviting everyone he met into this free life. In his
early travels he founded a series of churches in the Roman province
of Galatia. A few years later Paul learned that religious leaders of
the old school had come into those churches, called his views and
authority into question, and were reintroducing the old ways, herding
all these freedom-loving Christians back into the corral of religious
rules and regulations.</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><b>Paul
was, of course, furious. He was furious with the old guard for coming
in with their strong-arm religious tactics and intimidating the
Christians into giving up their free life in Jesus. But he was also
furious with the Christians for caving in to the intimidation.</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><b>His
letter to the Galatians churches helps them, and us, recover the
original freedom. It also gives direction in the nature of God's gift
of freedom - most necessary guidance, for freedom is a delicate and
subtle gift, easily perverted and often squandered.</b></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><u><b>NOTE</b></u><span style="text-decoration:none"><b>:
</b></span><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style>Eugene
Peterson was a seminary professor in an East-coast Presbyterian
institution. His denominational leaders noted that Professor Peterson
was gifted with a life-giving word. They were also aware that their
churches were slipping into a lethargy and deadness. They challenged
him to consider temporarily leaving his teaching profession, and
taking one of their churches as minister - with the hope that new
life could be breathed into it. Mr. Peterson took the challenge, and
was appalled at the deadness and lethargy that he encountered. What
could he do? He fell upon the idea of taking the book of Galatians,
and rendering it into contemporary language. It produced such
life-giving results, that he did this for the entire New Testament,
and taught it in this format to the congregation.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style>The
Navigators were enthused over the life-giving results that they too
experienced in its use, and challenged Professor Peterson to do the
same for the entire Old Testament. He temporarily withstood their
challenge, but finally agreed, and produced the entire Bible in “The
Message” format. The Preface to Galatians above shows how
powerfully and effective is this translation.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style>It
was introduced to me by a friend in the early 2000's, and I too have
been blessed and motivated by it. Back in the mid 1960's Ken Peterson
attended our church in Seattle, the Broadway Tabernacle. Through his
mother he invited me to the Montana area near Flathead Lake to hold
meetings. We later found out that Ken and Eugene are brothers.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="LEFT"><span style="text-decoration:none"><span style>I
am sure that all of you who dip into “The Message” - will find it
a life-imparting experience both for yourself and those you minister
to. - Jim Watt</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in" align="CENTER"></p><p style="margin-top:0.01in;margin-bottom:0in"><br>
</p>
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