All posts by John (HFJ Director)

Consequences of Sin, Joy / Happiness / Rejoicing, Obeying God, Wickedness / Evil

Find Joy and Delight in the LORD

Psalm 1 provides a beautiful start to the book of Psalms, pointing to the joy which can be found in serving God instead of the wickedness of the world. This is a timeless message to reflect on.

Psalm 1

1 Oh, the joys of those who do not
    follow the advice of the wicked,
    or stand around with sinners,
    or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,
    meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,
    bearing fruit each season.
Their leaves never wither,
    and they prosper in all they do.

4 But not the wicked!
    They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
    Sinners will have no place among the godly.
6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
    but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.

 So elegantly stated… yet direct. It speaks for itself.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Arrogance, Help / Serve Others, Kindness / Gentleness, Love, Purposeful / Intentional, Selfishness

Take Care With Your Liberty

Knowledge by itself, without love, can result in arrogance and disruption amongst the body of Christ. Love edifies the Father. Knowledge shared and demonstrated with love is a powerful witness indeed for the life of a follower of Christ.

1 Corinthians 8 reflects on an issue where believers, in particular weaker believers, may be thrown off or confused by witnessing other believers eating food offered to idols. Where a more knowledgeable believer recognizes that food that is acceptable to eat can not be made unclean or unholy by a false god that does not exist. Thus it is acceptable to eat. However, this could be misunderstood to reflect support for false gods or a lack of holiness, being set apart for God’s use. Paul cautions that just because we may know something is ok, we should take care and act in love for others who may be confused by our actions… even if our actions are acceptable.

Too often, Christians take this passage out of the specific context of meat offered to idols and start to teach or act as though this gives us permission, or “Christian liberty”, to do whatever we want because it is not “wrong” or can be covered by “grace”. Quite the opposite in this case… Paul is suggesting that even things we know to be acceptable, may be better avoided in order to help our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. This is not a license to deny the law, but rather guidance that even some things which are allowed by the law should be avoided for the sake of others. It further limits us out of our love for others rather than releasing us to act without boundaries.

Maybe a familiar modern-day consideration could be shown as follows. If I am having dinner with friends, one of whom used to be an alcoholic, I would not serve alcohol even though it is acceptable to do so generally. Why potentially stumble another believer?

1 Corinthians 8

Take Care with Your Liberty

      1Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. 2If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; 3but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.

      4Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. 5For even if there are so-called gods whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, 6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom are all things and we exist for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we exist through Him.

      7However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. 8But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. 9But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? 11For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. 12And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.

Take time in prayer and reflection. Talk it over with someone close to you that you can trust.  Does your growing knowledge of Christ and scripture provide a solid foundation for sharing and demonstrating the gospel with other believers? or do you come across as arrogant and disruptive, causing others to stumble in confusion?

Take care, however, not to use the confusion of others as an excuse to avoid doing what you understand God commands us to do. If people are confused about what is and is not sin, that does not mean we join them in sin… may it never be! We must demonstrate obedience to the Father in all we understand Him to command us to do. Then we can further guide our actions beyond that with love and understanding of our weaker brothers and sisters in Christ.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

All Powerful / King of All, Blessed, Comforter, Loving / Kind, Protector / Deliverer, Provider, Strong in Our Weakness

God Will Strengthen Us and Help us

As we read through Isaiah 41, bring to mind that we, as followers of Yeshua, are grafted into God’s people, Israel (Romans 11). Accept the encouragement that Isaiah is declaring for Israel in this chapter as directly applicable to you in your life today as a believer and follower of Yeshua.

Isaiah 41

Israel Encouraged

1“Coastlands, listen to Me in silence,
And let the peoples gain new strength;
Let them come forward, then let them speak;
Let us come together for judgment.

      2“Who has aroused one from the east
Whom He calls in righteousness to His feet?
He delivers up nations before him
And subdues kings.
He makes them like dust with his sword,
As the wind-driven chaff with his bow.

      3“He pursues them, passing on in safety,
By a way he had not been traversing with his feet.

      4“Who has performed and accomplished it,
Calling forth the generations from the beginning?
‘I, the LORD, am the first, and with the last. I am He.’”

      5The coastlands have seen and are afraid;
The ends of the earth tremble;
They have drawn near and have come.

      6Each one helps his neighbor
And says to his brother, “Be strong!”

      7So the craftsman encourages the smelter,
And he who smooths metal with the hammer encourages him who beats the anvil,
Saying of the soldering, “It is good”;
And he fastens it with nails,
So that it will not totter.

      8“But you, Israel, My servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
Descendant of Abraham My friend,

      9You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth,
And called from its remotest parts
And said to you, ‘You are My servant,
I have chosen you and not rejected you.

      10‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

      11“Behold, all those who are angered at you will be shamed and dishonored;
Those who contend with you will be as nothing and will perish.

      12“You will seek those who quarrel with you, but will not find them,
Those who war with you will be as nothing and non-existent.

      13“For I am the LORD your God, who upholds your right hand,
Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’

      14“Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel;
I will help you,” declares the LORD, “and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

      15“Behold, I have made you a new, sharp threshing sledge with double edges;
You will thresh the mountains and pulverize them,
And will make the hills like chaff.

      16“You will winnow them, and the wind will carry them away,
And the storm will scatter them;
But you will rejoice in the LORD,
You will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

      17“The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none,
And their tongue is parched with thirst;
I, the LORD, will answer them Myself,
As the God of Israel I will not forsake them.

      18“I will open rivers on the bare heights
And springs in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water
And the dry land fountains of water.

      19“I will put the cedar in the wilderness,
The acacia and the myrtle and the olive tree;
I will place the juniper in the desert
Together with the box tree and the cypress,

      20That they may see and recognize,
And consider and gain insight as well,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
And the Holy One of Israel has created it.

      21“Present your case,” the LORD says.
“Bring forward your strong arguments,”
The King of Jacob says.

      22Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place;
As for the former events, declare what they were,
That we may consider them and know their outcome.
Or announce to us what is coming;

      23Declare the things that are going to come afterward,
That we may know that you are gods;
Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together.

      24Behold, you are of no account,
And your work amounts to nothing;
He who chooses you is an abomination.

      25“I have aroused one from the north, and he has come;
From the rising of the sun he will call on My name;
And he will come upon rulers as upon mortar,
Even as the potter treads clay.”

      26Who has declared this from the beginning, that we might know?
Or from former times, that we may say, “He is right!”?
Surely there was no one who declared,
Surely there was no one who proclaimed,
Surely there was no one who heard your words.

      27“Formerly I said to Zion, ‘Behold, here they are.’
And to Jerusalem, ‘I will give a messenger of good news.’

      28“But when I look, there is no one,
And there is no counselor among them
Who, if I ask, can give an answer.

      29“Behold, all of them are false;
Their works are worthless,
Their molten images are wind and emptiness.

Reread verses 10-20 above. Take a few minutes in prayer to thank God that He will do that for each of us. Consider and praise Him for His greatness and kindness.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

 

All Powerful / King of All, Creative, Eternal, Holy, Justice / Judgment, Loving / Kind, Merciful, Protector / Deliverer, Provider, Strong in Our Weakness, Worthy of Fear / Reverence

Reflect on the Greatness of Our God

As you read through this today, reflect on the greatness of our God. This is not a time for speed reading or hurrying. This is a time for slowly digesting the word and what it means in our lives.

Isaiah 40

The Greatness of God

1“Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God.

      2“Speak kindly to Jerusalem;
And call out to her, that her warfare has ended,
That her iniquity has been removed,
That she has received of the LORD’S hand
Double for all her sins.”

      3A voice is calling,
“Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness;
Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

      4“Let every valley be lifted up,
And every mountain and hill be made low;
And let the rough ground become a plain,
And the rugged terrain a broad valley;

      5Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
And all flesh will see it together;
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

      6A voice says, “Call out.”
Then he answered, “What shall I call out?”
All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field.

      7The grass withers, the flower fades,
When the breath of the LORD blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.

      8The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever.

      9Get yourself up on a high mountain,
O Zion, bearer of good news,
Lift up your voice mightily,
O Jerusalem, bearer of good news;
Lift it up, do not fear.
Say to the cities of Judah,
“Here is your God!”

      10Behold, the Lord GOD will come with might,
With His arm ruling for Him.
Behold, His reward is with Him
And His recompense before Him.

      11Like a shepherd He will tend His flock,
In His arm He will gather the lambs
And carry them in His bosom;
He will gently lead the nursing ewes.

      12Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
And marked off the heavens by the span,
And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure,
And weighed the mountains in a balance
And the hills in a pair of scales?

      13Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD,
Or as His counselor has informed Him?

      14With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding?
And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge
And informed Him of the way of understanding?

      15Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket,
And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales;
Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust.

      16Even Lebanon is not enough to burn,
Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering.

      17All the nations are as nothing before Him,
They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.

      18To whom then will you liken God?
Or what likeness will you compare with Him?

      19As for the idol, a craftsman casts it,
A goldsmith plates it with gold,
And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.

      20He who is too impoverished for such an offering
Selects a tree that does not rot;
He seeks out for himself a skillful craftsman
To prepare an idol that will not totter.

      21Do you not know? Have you not heard?
Has it not been declared to you from the beginning?
Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

      22It is He who sits above the circle of the earth,
And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers,
Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain
And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.

      23He it is who reduces rulers to nothing,
Who makes the judges of the earth meaningless.

      24Scarcely have they been planted,
Scarcely have they been sown,
Scarcely has their stock taken root in the earth,
But He merely blows on them, and they wither,
And the storm carries them away like stubble.

      25“To whom then will you liken Me
That I would be his equal?” says the Holy One.

      26Lift up your eyes on high
And see who has created these stars,
The One who leads forth their host by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,
Not one of them is missing.

      27Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?

      28Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.

      29He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.

      30Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,

      31Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

Take a few more minutes and ask the Holy Spirit to really bring forth the rich message in this scripture. Meditate for a few minutes on the greatness of our God. What impact should this have on how you live your life?

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Discerning / Judging, Marriage, Purposeful / Intentional, Seeking God, Submitted / Servant

Matters of Opinion and Priorities

I find 1 Corinthians 7 to be a very interesting passage in scripture. Paul is well known by followers of Christ for thousands of years now for his complete devotion to Christ and willingness to suffer joyfully for Christ. He had what might be called a gift of singleness. He was able to more fully devote himself toward God without the distraction or division of his interests between a spouse and God. For him, this did not draw him into sexual sin. However, even as he shares this consideration and how it may be a right and good choice for others, he is careful and clear that it is not for all. Many are better suited to marry and serve God from within that marriage.

What is clear in this passage, but often overlooked, is that when we marry we should absolutely expect to be putting a significant amount of our focus on our spouse and our marriage. Marriage has to be a primary focus to do it right. Your spouse has to be second only to God in your priorities.

1 Corinthians 7:25-40

      25Now concerning virgins I have no command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy. 26I think then that this is good in view of the present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be released. Are you released from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you. 29But this I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; 30and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess; 31and those who use the world, as though they did not make full use of it; for the form of this world is passing away.

      32But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; 33but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, 34and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. 35This I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.

      36But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin daughter, if she is past her youth, and if it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let her marry. 37But he who stands firm in his heart, being under no constraint, but has authority over his own will, and has decided this in his own heart, to keep his own virgin daughter, he will do well. 38So then both he who gives his own virgin daughter in marriage does well, and he who does not give her in marriage will do better.

      39A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. 40But in my opinion she is happier if she remains as she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.

Take note of how carefully Paul identifies up front that this is his opinion rather than a command from the Lord.  In this case, Paul expresses the positive aspects he sees for those who have the gift of singleness remaining unmarried.  Those of us who follow Christ do well to clearly differentiate God’s commands from our views as Paul did. There are many things that are not absolute such as in Paul’s reference to whether or not someone should marry. These should not be confused with those things for which God has clearly spoken and are absolute.

Reflect prayerfully on your interactions with others. Do you clearly differentiate your opinion and preferences from what is absolute right and wrong as instructed by God? Ask for God’s help to clarify this area for you to help you in your own life choices and also in effectively engaging and supporting other believers or non-believers on key issues. If we are not careful, opinions can drive division in the body of Christ where there should otherwise be unity.

Also, take time in prayer to reflect on the balance and priority you have in your life. If you are single, are you primarily focused on God and how to serve Him? If you are married, are you focusing on God and also on your spouse as priorities in your life? Ask God to show you if you are out of balance and need to make changes.

Shalom. May the grace and peace of our Lord, Yeshua, be with you. Devotion by John in service to Christ

Do you know for sure if you will go to heaven or hell when you die? Are you experiencing in your life the peace and joy of a personal relationship with our Creator and Father? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Faith / Trusting God, Obeying God, Submitted / Servant

Be Transformed from the Inside Out

We are all in different places in our lives when our Father calls us and we choose to respond by submitting to Him as Lord over our lives. Some may be rich, some may be poor.  In the past in societies where there were slaves, some came to the Lord as slaves and some as freedmen. There are clearly situations, such as slavery, in which it would be good to become free if it becomes possible. Similarly, in today’s culture, there are situations perhaps less dire, for which it would be good to become free from… such as poverty. However, when we come to follow the Lord as the leader of our lives, let us focus on that as our main thing. Let us focus on following Him where we are now… not waiting to follow Him after we change something in our lives.

1 Corinthians 7:21-24

  21Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that. 22For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord’s freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ’s slave. 23You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. 24Brethren, each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.

No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, a personal relationship with our Father and Creator is a wonderful gift to be treasured. If we pursue it, our lives will be transformed from the inside out. It transforms us as individuals first, rather than our circumstances. Quite often then the circumstances may also change, but that is not the first focus. We must begin with the personal transformation of our beliefs, attitudes, and commitments… to submit fully to the Lord and seek prayerfully His help. Then through the Holy Spirit and through the study of the written word in the Bible, we can be transformed.

Romans 12:2

 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Obeying God, Purposeful / Intentional, Submitted / Servant, Teachable

Focus on Obeying the Commands of God

People have a habit of getting distracted and emphasizing the wrong things. In Corinth, there must have been some confusion or disputes within the church. Paul writes to clarify circumcision.

Circumcision was originally a sign of the covenant for God’s people. However, it becomes clear from 1 Corinthians 7 that people in Corinth were getting too focused on the circumcision of new believers, rather than on keeping God’s commandments. Sometimes we need a reminder or encouragement to keep the “main thing” as our primary focus. Paul provides this reminder for the church of Corinth.

1 Corinthians 7:17-20

    17Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk. And so I direct in all the churches. 18Was any man called when he was already circumcised? He is not to become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? He is not to be circumcised. 19Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God. 20Each man must remain in that condition in which he was called.

Also, note that Paul writes after the death and resurrection of Christ and is emphasizing the main thing is to keep the commandments of God as a sign of relationship and submission to God. This is much more important than whether or not someone is circumcised. Obedience to the commandments and law of God did not change with the death and resurrection of Christ. Obedience to God’s commandments and instruction is still the main thing for showing obedience and submission to God.

In today’s culture we may well say we are not distracted with circumcision as the “main thing”, but let us take care and not replace it with something else. We can distract ourselves by thinking of “going to church”, “getting baptized” or many other activities as a sign of our obedience and relationship to God. However, God calls us to remain obedient to His commands as the primary sign of our submission to Him. This obedience can not be replaced by a one-time ritual or a repetitive task. It is truly a matter of the heart and of submission to our Lord.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Children, Divorce, Marriage, Parenting

Advice for a Follower of Christ Who Is Married to an Unbeliever

I appreciate how Paul clearly identifies when it is his opinion or recommendation rather than instruction directly from the Lord. He provides some specific suggestions for how a believer should handle themselves if they are married to an unbeliever. First, let us be clear that a believer should not marry an unbeliever. That is not what Paul is commenting on.

2 Corinthians 6:14-15

    14Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

However, if in marriage, one spouse converts and submits to Christ as Lord, and the other does not, they can find themselves in this situation.

1 Corinthians 7:12-15

      12But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. 14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. 15Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. 16For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

Do not take this out of context to conclude that you should encourage your unbelieving spouse to leave. You should not. You should work at your marriage as unto God. You should try to keep your marriage together. That is the primary goal Paul speaks to first. Consider also 1 Peter 3:1-2.

1 Pet 3:1-2

   1In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, 2as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.

I think this largely applies to husbands who have wives who are disobedient to the word as well, in that the husbands should demonstrate the godly role of the husband as defined by God.  A key is that you still live for God and put Him first. I think that is the point Paul is making. If your unbelieving spouse insists on leaving because you follow and obey Yeshua, then you can not stop following just so they will stay.

The spouse who has submitted to Jesus as Lord is to live to a different standard than the non-believer. Marriage is to be holy before God. It is to be set apart and done His way. While it is Paul, and not God speaking in this passage, he certainly has a lot of credibility in how to live in a way that is pleasing to God. If you find yourself as a believer married to a non-believer, consider Paul’s words carefully and pray that the Father would help you have the wisdom, courage, and patience to endure the situation. Pray the Holy Spirit will fill you and guide you for it is difficult for any believer to face… so don’t face it alone.

Take some time and ask God to help you in this situation if it applies to you. If it applies to someone you know, please take time to pray for them. If it does not apply to you, you can also give thanks to God that you and your spouse are both pursuing Christ and ask Him to draw you even closer.

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Have you submitted your life to Jesus Christ? Are you living today filled with the peace and joy of truly knowing and following Jesus Christ? Learn more about salvation through The Message of the Cross.

Blessed, Faith / Trusting God, Submitted / Servant, Thankfulness, Traditions / Holidays

Appreciating Those Who Serve As We Approach Veteran’s Day

Though we should always first look to the LORD with thanksgiving for our freedom and protection, we can also take time to give thanks to those who serve or have served in the military which protects our nation from foreign threats. Not every person who serves in the military should be stereotyped as some kind of automatic hero, but by and large, they provide a valuable service and do so with honor and at personal risk. Most recognize that they serve something higher than themselves. They serve their country in order to secure freedom for themselves and others. They serve a constitutional republic (we are actually not a democracy and there are good reasons for it) that guarantees certain rights for the people and protections from the government. They serve to protect a way of life provided by our Creator.

Thank you to all who serve actively or have served. I pray you will draw near to our Father and be blessed.

This is also a good time to remember that we should also seek to serve in the LORD’s army. We submit to him. We face difficulty and persecution for him when we live his way. We face rejection. We go where others do not wish to go or do what others do not want to do for a higher purpose beyond ourselves. We celebrate joyfully even when we have difficulty bringing glory to his name.

Thank you to all who serve in the LORD’s army, submitting yourselves to Him and trusting in Him! May you also be blessed and draw near to Him!

Shalom

Devotion by John in service to Christ

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Adultery / Sex Outside Marriage, Marriage, Self Control

Sex Is a Gift in the Context of Marriage

The sexual drive in men and women is given by God as part of who we are. Paul commented specifically in this regard in 1 Corinthians 7. It is good for a man or woman to be single and focused on God rather than married if that is their personal gifting from God. It will allow them to serve Him in a more focused way. However, God makes each of us different. For many, the drive for sex is wonderful inside the gift of marriage, but if they try to remain single, that same gift will instead lead to great temptation and potentially to immoral behavior.

Inside marriage, we must use this gift well as a way of bonding with our spouse. Sex or withholding of sex is not to be used as a “weapon” to get one’s own way or win an argument. This is plainly wrong. Marriages are strongest when sex is used to serve and bond with one another.  Truly this helps two become one as God intends.

Once married, we should not divorce. It has always been God’s plan to have one man and one woman together in marriage. We are to choose carefully and prayerfully and then focus all our effort on serving each other and building / maintaining a strong marriage.

1 Corinthians 7:1-11

Teaching on Marriage

      1Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. 3The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6But this I say by way of concession, not of command. 7Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that.

      8But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I. 9But if they do not have self-control, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

      10But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband 11(but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife.

Take care not to overlook the Biblical view on sex drive. It can be a powerful bonding in strengthening a marriage. It is a gift from God and not something to be scorned or mocked. But it is also not something to be abused by using it outside of marriage.

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