Wednesday Thought – November 30, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.” (1 Corinthians 7:1-5)

People in New Testament times were not so different from people today and the issues they faced were not so different, either. Immorality was rampant then, just as it is today. The temptation to sexual sin was very strong. As a suggestion for overcoming the temptation to sexual sin, Paul recommends marriage. What he says about marriage indicates that the issues married couples faced then were also the same as the issues married couples face today.

The primary difficulty in today’s marriages is selfishness. Husbands and wives hurt their marriage relationships by focusing exclusively on their own needs, rather than being equally concerned with the needs of their spouse. As Paul says, that is true in the sexual relationship of marriage, and it is also true in every other aspect of marriage.

The key to a healthy marriage is to recognize that you’ve entered into a relationship in which you have taken responsibility for the needs and desires of your spouse. Her needs are now to be your needs. Her desires are now to be your desires. And the same is true from the wife’s perspective.

His, by Grace, Steve

Tuesday Thought – November 29, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“‘Everything is permissible for me’ -- but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible for me’ -- but I will not be mastered by anything. ‘Food for the stomach and the stomach for food’ -- but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:12-13, 19-20)

Paul starts this passage by quoting some popular sayings of the day -- and he didn’t deny their truthfulness. We don’t live according to a legalistic code of conduct. We’ve been freed from that in Christ. “Everything is permissible for me.” But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to do “everything.” While permissible, there are many things that are harmful to our physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual lives. We’d be foolish to give ourselves to things that are harmful to us or others.

While permissible, there are many things that are dangerous, that lead to being mastered. Sexual immorality is one of them. How many people have been trapped by sexual sin because they have given in to pornography or in other ways started down the road to what the world calls sexual “freedom.” Drugs and alcohol fall into that category, too. Many people have been trapped in chemical addictions as they started down a road called experimentation. In seeking freedom, they have become slaves.

“Food is for the stomach and the stomach for food.” But that doesn’t mean we should live for eating! There is more to life than the fulfillment of our physical desires and needs. In fact, those physical desires and needs are only temporary and to give our lives to them is very short-sighted and foolish.

Our physical bodies and how we use them belong to the Lord. He bought us -- body, mind, and spirit. Our goal is to honor Him -- body, mind and spirit! For the price He paid for us, He deserves all of us!!

His, by Grace, Steve

Monday Thought – November 28, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“The wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. That is what some of you were. You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

I don’t know what kind of past all of you have, but there aren’t very many of us who don’t have some sordid stories to tell about the things we’ve done. You can charge some of it off to youthful passions. You can charge some of it off to immature foolishness. You still have to charge all of it to human sinfulness -- our sinfulness. None of us can say that we have escaped it. No one does!

That’s the way God found us -- sinful, broken, guilty. What we deserved was punishment and death. What we got was grace and mercy and salvation! He took the guilt of our sin and put it on the account of Jesus. He took the righteousness of His perfect Son, Jesus, and put it on our account! What a deal! What love! What grace! Everyone of us who has come to Christ has experienced it. All of us came from the same place and came in the same way -- from sin to God by grace.

Though God found us in the guilt of our sin, He is not content to leave us there. All who come to Christ have been implanted with the Holy Spirit. One of the Holy Spirit’s works is transformation. Everyone who comes to Christ gets transformed. Not overnight. Not without a great deal of pain and discomfort. Not completely in this world. But transformation does happen, just look back at your life and you can see it.

God will take you just like you are – it’s the only way you can come to Him. But He won’t leave you that way! That’s His promise!

His, by Grace, Steve

Friday Thought – November 25, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“The saints will judge the world? If you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? We will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church! I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? Instead, one brother goes to law against another -- in front of unbelievers! The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers.” (1 Corinthians 6:2-8)

Paul’s message makes me think about how important the church is meant to be in our lives. We should turn to the church to find help in trouble. We should go to the church when we are discouraged and hurt and find comfort there. We should share our joys among the church family and find people rejoicing with us and sharing our sorrows. It is to the church that we should bring disputes and find wise counsel for settling them.

There are few Christians who follow Paul’s advice about disputes. Ours is a litigious society and even Christians are quick to take disputes into the courts. The courts deal only with the dispute and not with the relationships that surround it. The relationships are more important than the matter being disputed. The dispute is a temporary matter that affects only the things of this world. Relationships are eternal, people matter beyond this world.

If you find yourself in a dispute with someone else, think about the value of your relationship with that person and handle the dispute accordingly. Even if you have to let go of your rights, it may be the right thing to do. Try looking to the church to help bring peace between you and the one with whom you disagree. You may be surprised at the wisdom you find there.

His, by Grace, Steve

Thursday Thought – November 24, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people -- not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. Now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. ‘Expel the wicked man from among you.’” (1 Corinthians 5:9-13)

It seems like there are many people so trapped by sin that they are beyond salvation. That is a wrong impression! God is in the life-transformation business. He has demonstrated His ability to change lives by what He has done in the lives of those who are His children.

The Apostle Paul was a persecutor of the church, throwing some in jail, perhaps even murdering some. If anyone was beyond God’s grace Paul was. God transformed Paul!

Mary Magdalene was a prostitute! It’s hard to believe that God can take someone that far into sin and turn her life around, but that’s what He did with Mary!

Zacchaeus was a thief and swindler. He was so trapped by greed that he hurt his own countrymen in order to line his pockets. God turned a greedy thief into a generous giver.

Your story and my story also they contain sins. Maybe our sins weren’t quite as open and obvious as Paul’s, Mary’s, and Zacchaeus’s -- or maybe they were -- but all of us were trapped in sin. God has radically changed our lives, and He keeps on working to change them more!

Don’t give up on the people around you. They may seem beyond God’s grace, but they aren’t. Be patient with them. Share with them as God provides the opportunities. Don’t give up on them. Expect that God can change even them -- like He did you!

His, by Grace, Steve

Wednesday Thought – November 23, 2016

Good Morning Friends,

“Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?” (1 Corinthians 4:18-21)

The Corinthians had a choice. Paul was willing to come to them with harsh discipline (characterized by a whip), if that was what was required to get their attention. On the other hand, he was willing to come with loving and gentle correction if they were willing to listen to that. There was much in the Corinthian church that needed to be corrected, as evidenced by the things Paul wrote in his letters. God would provide the correction. It was the Corinthians’ option as to how painful that correction would be!

The same is true for us. All of us need correction throughout our lives. It is a part of the growth process. It is a part of being human and dealing with the innate tendency toward sinfulness. It is God’s desire to see us grow. In fact, He promised that He will complete the growth work that He has begun in us.

In fact, if the Lord does not correct and discipline us, there is something wrong with our relationship with Him. The Hebrew writer declared, “The Lord disciplines those he loves.” (Hebrews 12:6)

The choice of what kind of correction we receive and how painful it is for us, is up to us. God is willing to come with the most gentle and loving correction, if we are willing to listen to it. If necessary, He is willing and able to come with the harsh discipline of the whip.

The choice is ours, just like it was for the Corinthians.

His, by Grace, Steve

Tuesday Thought – November 22, 2106

Good Morning Friends,

“For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.” (1 Corinthians 4:9-13)

The apostles were not second-class citizens in the Kingdom of God. Of course they weren’t, they were among God’s most beloved and honored servants. Yet, they suffered significantly because of their work for the Lord. They were ridiculed and mocked. They lived in poverty and need. They often had to support themselves even though they were giving themselves to others in preaching and teaching about Christ. They were slandered and physically abused. All of these things happened, not because they did anything illegal or wrong, but because of their work for the Lord.

The point -- serving Christ does not guarantee a life blessed by earthly standards. In fact, serving Christ may contribute to life’s pain, not ease it.

How did the apostles respond to the ill-treatment they received? They did not return insult for insult or pain for pain. They continued to bless those around them. They patiently endured the suffering without fighting back. They did not respond with hatred, but with kindness, even to those who hurt them. They modeled the same kind of attitudes seen in the life of Jesus.

Sometimes serving the Lord brings difficulty -- but He’s worth it! The difficulty we experience does not give us license to respond in ways that do not reflect the grace and kindness of the Lord toward those around us, even those who hurt us.

His, by Grace, Steve