Author: chuck

John 10:11 –

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.”

Jesus is talking to the people about sheep in a field and how they know their shepherd by his voice. This analogy is something the people of the time understand, since many were sheep farmers or knew of one. We look at analogies like this and although they make sense, we tend not to relate to them since few of us know farmers. I wonder what Jesus would have said today to relate to us? Come up with an analogy like this that would apply to today’s society.

The significance of this verse is great when you think about it. Jesus is illustrating what is about to happen to Him, where He is sacrificed for the flock’s salvation. He is doing what it takes to save the herd. Consider again the significance of this illustration. Jesus is willing to die in order to save us. That is huge! We must wrap our heads around the concept that He not only died for the sheep of the time, but for future sheep including YOU. Crazy isn’t it?

Now as you continue this chapter you notice many people don’t understand what Jesus is saying. He continues the analogy of the sheep noting that they do not understand the voice of others. They only can understand the voice of their shepherd. As they remain confused, his “sheep” understood Him. This again is significant since few of us really understand His love. We understand what He is saying and what it means, but the love misses us. I know it does me much of the time, I can understand it on a “logical” level but miss it on the heart level.

It is verses like this that grab me. Again I cannot relate to the analogy of the sheep, but start to wrap my head around this when I relate it to my children. When Jesus talks about the fathers love, it’s easy for me to understand as a father of two. There isn’t anything I would not do for them; I would sacrifice my life to save theirs without a second thought. I also start to understand His love when I don’t get everything I want out of life. He knows better than I what will help me grow. I realize when I am disobedient my “privileges” get slowly removed until I return to Him. We need to follow Jesus like sheep, granted not mindless, but without pause. I do think God wants us to understand Him well so we can explain His love to others.

 John 9:39 –

Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”

This is the story of the blind beggar who Jesus healed on the Sabbath. Once again the miracle of what happened was lost in the legalism of the Pharisees. These leaders lost sight of God’s presence and focused more on enforcing the law which gave them power. I think that’s the reason Jesus was crucified because He was shaking up the “power structure” and placing God back on top. Why else would they dismiss what Jesus did?

These men felt that their own definition of righteousness was God’s standard and did not like Jesus questioning it. How can you deny something is not from God that obviously is? They were trying to claim something that had never been done before was not of God. If you think about it, doing this elevates Satan to a position equal to God. So the Pharisees were not only dismissing God, but glorifying evil. They were truly blind, as Jesus was pointing out.

I see this today with many churches and various religious sects. I know one of the most popular taboos is drinking and is seen here in the south. There have been laws on the books that don’t allow liquor store sales on Sunday’s, but bars are allowed to be open. It’s kind of strange, but stems from churches feeling that drinking is a sin. Nowhere in scriptures is this mentioned other that drinking in excess. I am not denying that many do so, but remember Jesus and the disciples all drank together. So the church has limited the sale of alcohol for legalistic reasons.

Now I am not saying the church cannot have a “no alcohol” policy for their members, since that may be necessary for alcoholics. This becomes a “safe haven” for those members with that problem. Where the problem comes in is when they try to claim any drinking is a sin and get into the legalism by forcing their dogma upon society as a whole. Unfortunately, this then reflects poorly on the church because someone who does not believe tends to think that the church is forcing their morals on them. Then it becomes a problem with hypocrisy when they know Jesus drank. You can see why Jesus came to break down where Israel had gone, since they were more concerned on a healing done on the Sabbath then the fact Jesus helped a man to see!

John 8:28 –

So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I AM he. I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me.”

Jesus is making sure people understand who he is and the people could not understand. Twice in this chapter He states the He is the great “I AM”. Yet the people do not see this and get enraged. Again you have to think about what Jesus represents at this time in Jewish history. He is the Messiah they have been waiting for and yet He is being rejected. Unfortunately the common belief of the day was that the Messiah would be a warrior that would lead them into victory against Rome. They had no idea that the battle was bigger than an earthy empire.

Also, many of these miracles, although grand, were not unusual. It had only been 1400 to 1500 years since Moses parted the Red Sea and Joshua parted the Jordan. Enoch and Elijah both went to heaven without dying so the stories of great miracles were common. Turning a few jars of water into wine and healing some people were not surprising to these people. Many great prophets had walked with the Israelites before Jesus, so many looked at Him as just one more. So sure they had their doubts and freely expressed them.

It was Jesus turning the norm on its head that caused Israel and their leader’s distress. This chapter explores much of that conflict and Jesus defending Himself. You can gain insight of the mood back then and honestly see the same doubt today, even in the church this exists. It’s hard to believe in a God that is unseen, unless He is experienced. Even then He is quickly explained and dismissed by science.

So I pose the question today, I Jesus returned and it was not like the depiction we commonly get from preaching on Revelations would we believe if He was before us saying I have returned? Would our leaders want to give up their position to someone that is not what they expected? See some tough questions need to be pondered while reading these stories.

Now before we leave this chapter I want to comment on the story of the adulterous woman. Two quick comments, first what did Jesus write in the dust? Was he asking where the man was? We are quick to condemn the women, but release the man … shouldn’t both be held accountable? Second, this story was an “add on” and not in the older contexts. It appears in later copies but for whatever reason it did not appear in the older ones. Many try to explain this as proof the Bible is a fabricated documents where I just figure John forgot it and added it in later. It’s a great story and shows the hypocrisy of many people, so enjoy but don’t get blindsided by that “detail”.

John 7:13 & 24 –

<13>But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders.
<24>Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.

This chapter is spent contrasting the Jewish leaders wanting to kill Jesus and the people who believe in Him.

Through this Jesus is coming forward to earn the peoples trust at the same time the leaders are trying to have Him arrested and killed. You notice this is very early in His ministry also, which I find interesting since he “pissed” people off right from the start. But wouldn’t that happen if He came today also? The “status quo” would be challenged and many would reject Jesus because He is not as the “church” thinks He should be.

Now I isolated these two scriptures both on conviction. Verse 13 notes that no one spoke favorably of Jesus out of fear. In this chapter the only one who did speak up was Nicodemus, and he was quickly silenced. How many times do we remain silent with friends? How many times do we live knowing what is being said is wrong and just sit quietly along. Remember I picked these not because I am righteous, but have failed more than once to proclaim the name of Jesus and God out of cowardness. Never was I in fear of arrest or retribution, just concerned that my friends would laugh at me.

Now the other verse pokes at speaking and judging without full knowledge of scriptures or the situation. Also this points out one of my “pet peeves” of hypocrisy. How many times have you gotten on your “high horse” and condemned people for something that you were doing without notice? Here Jesus was pointing out that He was being judged for healing on the Sabbath while these same people were circumcising on the Sabbath. How many times have you complained about a speck of dust in someone’s eye without removing the plank in your eye? I can’t count the number of times I have been guilty of judging others. Hypocrisy bothers me so much I get ultra-sensitive to me and others doing it. The key is we need to be discerning and know truth, but at the same time don’t be quick to judge or you may miss something huge.

Now both of these scripture tie in together because they are pointing out the struggle inside of each of us. One is fear of rejection while the other is ignoring our own rejection. We all tend jump into things without thinking, either by doing something wrong without thinking or not doing something we should out of fear. This is where we need to know truth and be able to discern the Holy Spirit and its prompts. Truth helps us discern between what is right and what is our brain finding a way out. The key is don’t be quiet when you need to speak out, but at the same time don’t be a hypocrite! (now many times we have to use our failures to highlight things to others, just don’t be haughty)

John 6:35 –

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Every believer in Jesus can honestly say they need to eat. As much as we dive into Jesus’ arms, we still need food. As back then, people questioned the meaning of what Jesus was saying. How can we live on a person, do we eat his physical flesh? His words become very difficult to put into physical perspective, but when you apply them to a spiritual one they quickly make sense.

Think about people who drift in various fads of “enlightenment”. Most keep hopping from one to the other, because none really satisfy the soul. It’s not until one actually gets into and accepts Jesus that their spirit is at rest. One finds peace is Jesus and His living water. We are not physically eating or drinking Jesus, we are figuratively drinking His message. We consume His words and find we never need to look any further, because we have settled into the truth.

Now this chapter is all about feeding people where Jesus starts by feeding 5000 from 5 barley loves and 2 fish. I don’t care how big the fish were, even that $750,000 tuna could not feed that many. One could argue people were easily satisfied with little, but how did they gather so many leftovers? This is something the people saw, but today we need something more. We are not going to see Jesus perform these miracles and have to rest on the miracle of feeding our soul with his living “soul food.” Read His words and let them satisfy your spirit so you may have the everlasting life Jesus promised.

John 5:39 –

You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!

This chapter is unusual as it keeps a common thread in the story. It starts with Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath, which get the Pharisees all riled up. The remainder of the story is Jesus justifying doing what He did and claiming His position as son of God. It must have been difficult for the status quo to accept this radical departure from their beliefs. You must remember that during this time they believed the Messiah was going to be a mighty warrior who would release them from Roman oppression. Jesus did not fit that model at all.

Now Jesus needs to call witnesses to support His claim of being the son of God. One of His main supporting pieces of evidence is the Holy Scriptures. Think about the odds of Jesus fulfilling just a few of the prophecies, all written well before Jesus. Think about in Micah 5:2 where it’s written 700 years before Jesus that His birthplace is Bethlehem. Or Isaiah 7:14 that says he Messiah will be born of a virgin. The 2 Samuel 7 and other scriptures say the Messiah will come from the house of David. Psalm 22 describes Jesus’ death almost identically.

You can go on and on to find more and more revelations of Jesus in the Old Scriptures. Some 45 prophecies from the Old Testament were fulfilled in Jesus. Just to put this in perspective it’s a one in 250 million chance to be hit by lighting on any given day, but only 1 in 9100 over a lifetime and you have a 1 in 175 million chance to win the Mega Millions. But did you know that fulfilling just 8 of those 45 prophecies has a 1 in 100 quadrillion chance of happening. To put that in perspective that’s 100,000,000,000 million or 400 million times less likely that being hit by lighting any given day or 572 million times less likely of winning the lottery.

I know it’s possible and therefore an argument could be made similar to that of evolution. But I am a “numbers” kind of guy and the numbers all point to Jesus being the Messiah. This is actually how I came to the conclusion there IS a God. Things which were highly improbable kept happening to me all pointing to God. You know one “answered” prayer is coincidence, the number that I have had and seen remove coincidence and point to God. Just recently Mama prayed for something to happen to Devon to “wake him up” and let him know God. While that prayer was being made, Devon in California was having an awful nightmare, enough so he called that morning.

Was this coincidence or God? I say God! And the probability of that happening is nothing compared to 8 of the 45 prophecies coming true. So by the “numbers” alone Jesus is the only living person who could have been the Messiah. But I don’t care about the techno-details; Jesus is an experience that is so far beyond anything imaginable that you will know this all to be true once you experience His love.

John 4:23 –

But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.

Jesus and “crew” landed in Samira during their travels to gather provisions. While His disciples were in the village buying food Jesus strikes up a conversation with a Samaritan woman at Jacobs Well. The fact a Jew acknowledged her was unusual since the Israelis were very much separatists. The Samaritan’s acknowledged God, but didn’t know Him like the Jews. So she was aware of the idea of a Messiah and quickly understood Jesus to be Him.

So one of the first questions was a point of worship, where the Jews believed Jerusalem where the Samaritans believed it was Mount Gerizim. Jesus made it clear that God was making Himself known throughout the land and worship would no longer be limited to certain places. This breaks from long standing traditions with many cultures and is some of the reason Jesus rocked the “status quo”.

One point Jesus makes in this verse that “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth.” He noted before that the Samaritans knew little but worshiped in spirit and the Jews knew God. The though is to truly worship God you need to combine the two, both a flowing spirit of love and a cerebral knowledge of God’s truths. I know I get wrapped up in one or the other during “seasons” of my life. Sometimes I can’t contain my passion for God, while ignoring the “nuts and bolts” of knowing Him. Other times I get so wrapped up in the “details” I forget the passion and spirit.

Here Jesus is saying we need both, the spirit of worship the Samaritans have and the truth of knowledge the Jews have, to properly worship God. Don’t let yourself get caught up in one or the other for too long or you may miss some of the joy of God’s “spirit. I know the next verse kind of confuses things because if God IS spirit why do we have to worship him in truth? We connect to God via the spirit, but He wants us to know His truth also.

So what does this mean? Well keep the passion, keep the love but learn as much as you can also. Drive that passion into a structured study of the Bible so you can know God in truth. And if you are “wonkish” in your studying of the Word, get out and experience God. The easiest way I found to “break away” for the study is to do some mission work. So seek God’s spirit and truth so you can worship Him as He wishes.

John 3:16 –

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

This is “the big one” in Christian doctrine, our faith explained in 29 words.

Most other “doctrines” fall by the wayside to what the verse says. It doesn’t matter if you think Jesus is God’s son or God, divine or human unless you believe in Him. We could park on this one verse for a very long time to understand the implications but let us parse this out to understand it more fully. “For God” is talking about a supreme being who created everything, the earth, the heavens and you. Without Him there is nothing and from Him came everything, to believe otherwise violates so many laws of probability.

He “loved the world so much” is amazing when you think about it. He created everything, the stars, other planets and yet ours gets the attention. He loves you and that is mind blowing that the relationship is there for you personally. He loves us that “he gave his one and only son,” meaning God came down and gave us part of Him to live with us. He came to feel what we feel and eventually die as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. That gets real personal when you think about it that way. How many would allow your family member to be slaughtered to save someone else? You need to get personal with this to really understand what God did.

We see Jesus says, “so that everyone” which covers the entire human existence. It’s not isolated to Hebrews or any other race, but anyone who wants to join the party. That is part of the difficultly the Pharisees had with Jesus, since he was inviting the unwashed to the table. Finally he ends with “who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” Our faith stems on just believing Jesus was real and was who He said He is. This is difficult to do in today’s world since science is discovering God’s little secrets each and every day. With these discoveries, man feels he understands the world and therefore provides proof there is no God.

It’s reminds me of the story of the scientists who have finally created life from dust. They exclaim there is no God; we can do this on our own. The God chimes in and asks where did you get the dirt? We must take a story that starts some 4000 years ago and climaxes 2000 years ago and believe it. That is difficult, but at the same time we accept much of history as true, yet there is much less documentation supporting those facts. The story of God is not limited to the Bible and supporting documents can be found all over the place. The current Christian Bible has a plethora of books that were omitted since the origin could not be verified all supporting the story of God and Jesus.

The biggest testament to God is many of the stories from people today. The most interesting thing about God and this story is we don’t have to wait for death to experience God and His love. If we open our eyes we can see it each and every day. God is not someone waiting for us to die before the “fun” begins. We can live under His grace and guidance all the time, if we just follow the ABC’s! Accept God and Jesus as our salvation and leader of our lives. Believe that Jesus was real and was who He said He was. Confess our sins to be acceptable in the Lords eyes. Simple, yet made so complex.

One thought about the business transactions in the temple were the people were selling offerings. So instead of giving YOUR first fruits, you purchased the offering for use in the temple. The personal aspect of the offering was being removed and it was becoming more about the process and less about the reason. So Jesus saw this and that was the main source of the anger.

John 2:19 –

“All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

With full knowledge of the story of Jesus this makes sense to us today; imagine hearing it for the first time and trying to figure out what He meant. Imagine the “light bulb” moment the disciples had when Jesus rose on the third day. When you really think about it, the idea is nuts. Now this is John’s first documented action with the Jewish leaders and already He is getting under their skin. Also, Jesus is making them think about His words.

What prompted this was Jesus cleared out the market place they had set up in the temple. The disciples noticed his passion for the temple and remembered Psalm 69:9 which describes David’s passion for his father’s house and how it consumes him. They apply this same passion to Jesus who is from David’s blood line. I find it interesting that the disciples read this verse as a “prophecy” of Jesus’ passion. But at the same time, there were very few in this time that took the seriousness of the Fathers house.

I have seen this at church before when they do flea markets and rummage sales and wonder if this is the same thing. I know it’s one of those lines where when your church is doing a fund raiser and selling donated items may be ok in the eyes of God. Or even more narrowing, the Temple was the one place to sit with God, so having a market place there was wrong. Where has once the curtain split and the Holy Ghost entered the picture things changed. The church is not the same as the Temple. This is something to think about today while at church.

Also, this chapter contains Jesus’ first miracle, changing water into wine. This has so many levels of significance that it could easy be glossed over, so read this a couple of times. Notice Jesus did this in the background; few knew where the wine came from. Also, notice the quality of wine. Think about why Jesus did this and what the purpose of saving the party was about.

John 1:29 –

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

If you are reading along you will find each chapter of a Gospel covers a bunch of ground. We start talking about Jesus and his “divinity” and quickly move to John the Baptist. Then John describes Jesus and finally Jesus starts picking His disciples. So rarely does a chapter focus on a single subject. Now John the Baptist, not the writer of John, sees Jesus for the first time and announces to the crowd His presence.

We read this today and the image of a cute fuzzy animal running around a field. When in actuality when these words were spoken, the Jews looked at lambs as the blood sacrifice for their sins. Each year they would gather in the temple and slaughter perfect lambs to atone for their sins. So what we take as a cute cuddly image was actually a precursor to what is in Jesus’ future. John knew before it all started what the perfect sacrifice Jesus was going to be.

It’s funny how all throughout Jesus’ ministry there is imagery thrown out about Him being the Lamb of God, yet most with Him were surprised at His crucifixion. Guess everyone thought the “imagery” of the lamb was an analogy more than a reality. We need to move our image from a cuddly animal to the sacrificial lamb to really understand what Jesus did for us on the cross. I know it was easier when you were living in the sacrificial system, but at the same time we have the Hebraic Law and the rest of the Old Testament to give us clarity.

Everyone seems to want to study the Gospels and maybe some of Paul’s writings, but when it gets to reading the Old Testament we tend to avoid it. I know it took me decades before cracking open that part of the Bible. But I “tell you the truth”** it will open your eyes to the significance of what Jesus did for us on the cross. I love going back and not only gaining a foundation for what happened, but getting to see the prophecies written thousands of years before Jesus that foretold about Him. This alone should excite you about reading the whole Bible, not just the revelations you will get about God. The key is to read these writings not only as a person today, but as one within the period to gain clarity of the true meanings of the Bible.

** You will notice in John, he records Jesus saying this often.

This project originally started as me reading a chapter then studding all the cross references and notes. Then I started writing emails, and later this blog. I am going to “back fill” the chapters I did not write about starting with John … then 1st and 2nd Peter, Revelations, Daniel and Habakkuk.

After that thinking of a different approach and a new version … ESV has got my attention right now with more of a book study and less a chapter one.

My mother made some great comments on Paul’s thorn and got me to thinking … oops;-)

If Paul had thought it was important to say what that thorn was he would have said. Therefore the information is not needed or our business. Where we get into problems is when we speculate on what the “underlying” meaning was or what may have happened. When this happens we can quickly go down the rabbit trail of false doctrines and justifying many sins.

I tend to believe the Bible is simple and there are no deep underlying secrets. The only thing that gets deep is when we get clarity on something we are reading. Not reading between the lines and developing unsubstantiated theories, for example like Paul was gay.

If it’s not written, it’s not needed for our development. Now that’s not saying that after decades of reading the Bible we can’t get sometime new out of a verse we know by heart. We can’t read into the Bible what we want, but we must read out of the Bible what God wants!!

2 Corinthians 13:11 –

Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

Do you ever get done talking with someone and want to keep talking. This is what Paul seems to be doing at the end of this letter. It’s so difficult to focus on one or two points without wanting to add more stuff in. I do it all the time when I am with you two, I want to make sure I have told you everything I can to ensure you don’t make the same mistakes I have throughout my life. I find myself many times regretting I did not teach something correctly, but at the same time I realize my parents did an awesome job downloading correct information, I decided to ignore it much of the time and learn for myself.

I this final statement Paul raps up being a Christian in a single verse. First be happy, that is infectious and shows God’s love easily to others. Now at the same time don’t be plastic and put your church face on all the time. People tend to see right through that. I have found my joy is dependent on my finances, which are still in shambles. Once I realize it’s beyond a week to fix and just keep working in a positive direction, I have peace and am happy. Next we must grow in maturity with God. Really the only way to do this is through study and prayer. If you cannot do it on your own, get a partner or small group to dive in with. This is not a Sunday only exercise, but a daily one. For me I had to start getting up an hour earlier, otherwise I allowed the day to consume me.

Next Paul wants us to encourage each other. Now that is not encouraging each other to stray from God’s path, but to support each other to remain on that narrow path. We all tend to drift in our walk and to have someone there to nudge us in the right direction is necessary. As we encourage each other Paul asks us to live in harmony and peace. It’s easy to do when we are encouraging, but once we start to correct the defenses rise and harmony disappears. Hence why I believe Paul did not say correct your brothers. Next time you try to fix someone else, try to word it as a positive.

Finally, if you do all the above the God of love and peace will be with you. That I disagree with to a point because we can be complete pains and God is still with us. He may not be happy or easy to see, but He is always here. Even when I was in a spiritual “winter” and look back I can see God’s finger prints all over my life. Even when we follow Paul’s instructions and are living a pure life, we have times when God is “in the shadows” and not easily seen. This is not a time to go into depression, but know that God wants us to dig a little deeper to find him. If God was always easy to get a response from I guarantee we would so quickly take it for granted and not appreciate it. The key here is to do what we know we should, and know that God will be with us, then we will have peace with God’s love.

2 Corinthians 12:7 –

even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

This chapter is an interesting one, again Paul rambles and boasts. I wonder if it is him just stating what has happened and being self-conscious thinking it may seem like he is boasting. I know I get that way talking about my reading and studying, I almost don’t like telling people in one more chapter I will have finished my second read through the Bible. To me saying that is boasting and could make others feel bad, so I try not to blow my own trumpet. At the same time, I hope to encourage others to read and study daily, it’s amazing how fast you get through it when you start and how enlightening it becomes.

In this verse, Paul “humbling” comes in the form of a thorn in his side and there has been a bunch of speculation about what that was. Many think it was a physical problem, like an injury, a deformity or an illness like epilepsy that kept him humble. A common belief is that his “blindness” never really fully cleared up. Others believe it’s his persecution by the Romans and Jews. How many times did he receive 39 lashes, a flogging or time in prison? I know God humbles me often when I get proud. The ones I didn’t like were racing, because it usually meant a big crash, a major injury and lots of pain.

Another belief is that Paul’s thorn was a fleshly desire. Could it be he had a drinking problem? Or did he have a lustful heart? Did he regret previous persecutions of the Jews, actually killing many of his brothers? I have even heard it was “suppressed homosexuality” that was keeping him humble. Nothing supports these in scripture but “scholars” love to hypothesize about what may be the thorn. I like the “partial blindness” theory myself, because that’s a constant reminder that Christ appeared before him.

What are your thoughts on the “thorn” and what it may be? Also, as you finish the chapter what did you think about verse 13? Did Paul just get a major sarcastic tone? When he says, “The only thing I failed to do … was to become a financial burden to you. Please forgive me for this wrong!” To me that’s sarcasm at its finest. Finally look at the last verse and you may get some insight to Paul’s frustration with the people in Corinth, since many are not giving up their old ways. It’s like they want to enjoy the gifts of God without actually having to submit. This chapter gives you a bunch of things to ponder during the day.

2 Corinthians 11:6 –

I may be unskilled as a speaker, but I’m not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every possible way.

This was an interesting chapter where Paul spent some time taking about false apostles and his own trials. When I read passages about false teachers I often wonder if the church where I am at is right, if I am muddying the waters with these “thoughts” and what real truth is in God’s eyes. Really the only thing we have to go by is the Bible for truth and therefore we must make it a goal to read the Word each and every day. That way we will know the truth and can see when something isn’t quite right.

Now as I read the accounts of Paul I often wonder how many Christians there would be in this nation if the pastors said “hey I get flogged constantly for my beliefs … follow me so you can do the same!” Paul’s suffering in Jesus’ name is great stories of faith, but what if you we facing 39 lashes for your beliefs? Would you say “bring it on” or “hold it”? The old “I’ll say what they want to hear and save my skin, since my beliefs will not change” does not always work when changing hearts.

Now you may wonder why this verse? Well if you have ever held a conversation with me you’ll quickly find out I ramble and cannot quickly form thoughts in verbal form. I get distracted easily and forget what I am saying. Tangents are worse when we are talking because I rarely return to the original thought process. So I can relate to Paul being an unskilled speaker, at least he could write!! Paul has a huge advantage of being a Jew before converting, since he understood the “roots” of Jesus’ sacrifice and the real meaning of Messiah. So he has a much better foundation than almost any Christian around.

I pray my knowledge could come even slightly close to Paul’s. We most likely only have a sample of his insight to Jesus! Could you imagine being able to converse with Paul and discuss the details of a Christians walk? It would be cool, except for the persecution aspect. If anything I write is off standard with the Bible or your understanding of Christianity, feel free to contact me so we can discuss the “nuts and bolts”. These ramblings I hope are God inspired and help you daily, but I can humbly say “I don’t know nothing!”** But I will keep reading and studying to gain a further understanding.

** a miss-quote of “You ain’t nothing” from Jammin Jimmy Weinert.

Passion 2012 has a live feed … Search it out this week, it rocks

2 Corinthians 10:1 –

Now I, Paul, appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ—though I realize you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away.

Now Paul hit something with me that I noticed throughout my life. People who dealt with me via email only, most of the time considered me an ass. I was blunt and stated what was on my mind. Although I rarely did I intend to spark someone’s ire, I often did. I am sure it has happened too many reading these thoughts, where something I say makes you think less of me. Like Paul, I am appear timid in person but am more open in my written communications. The difference between Paul and me is he appears to speak what needs to be said where I most often will remain silent.

Paul do not worry about how people respond to his teachings, he has spent time in jail for them. He walks with full confidence of his beliefs and knowledge of Christ. The question is do you have confidence to speak out for Christ? I know I don’t unless I feel comfortable with my surroundings. And this is something we must all learn from Paul. Be bold in our knowledge, but don’t be proud. Be receptive to correction so your depth and knowledge can expand in Christ.

The key is when we start sharing our knowledge we need to not be boasting of our own knowledge, but as Paul points out we should boast only of the Lord. Isn’t it funny how this pride thing keeps popping up in scripture? God does not want us to take the credit even though he uses us all the time. Look at every miracle in the Bible, it required someone to jump into God’s agenda. At the same time the miracle was never to exalt the man, but to glorify God.

So Paul many times writes boldly and gets a response God needed so he would not have to be bold when the met face to face. Also, I have found bold writing gives a person a chance to reflect and dwell on a problem verses speaking to them face to face. Often a bold comment may be taken wrong and end up blowing up, where written words can be revisited once someone calms down. Also, you can compose a response and not respond out of anger or spontaneous emotions … although texting has changed that, because how many regrets do we have after pressing “send”? Be bold and speak or write freely of God’s love!!

2 Corinthians 9:7 –

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

The idea of giving and receiving is a difficult concept to resolve in one’s mind. How can we ever give “cheerfully” when our finances are in shambles? And when we do give “cheerfully” is it because we think there is some big “lottery” at the end of the rainbow? We have “prosperity preachers” who say there will be great gains if you give, implying financial rewards. So people will give generously expecting that lottery win and not to further God’s kingdom.

Paul in the previous verse talks about farmers who sow generously verses ones who sow sparingly and the results. The implication is you need to give generously to get healthy returns. As we saw in the previous chapter we don’t need to give till it hurts, but many will thinking it’s the way to a reward. I am guilty of thinking God is a giant cash machine and if I give till it hurts, He will see it and give me a grand harvest. That hasn’t happened and I don’t expect it too, but what has happened is we have been able to make ends meet even through some tough times. We get small influxes right when we need them, it’s really cool to watch.

Now at the same time once I violate God’s financial rules, I get in trouble quickly. The bailout doesn’t happen and I need to work to get things right. Those small influxes don’t happen and the pressure is on. In the years I have “budgeted” my life, I have noticed the pressure to plan a budget is way less than reacting to a budget. So again 10/10/80, and learn to make sure that 80 includes “set asides” for future tax bills, insurance payments and a small “emergency fund” for accidents.

On the flip side how do you receive? I know even when I need help; it’s difficult for me to accept it. We live our lives being taught independence and when we become dependent we feel it is failure. Ironically we are dependent on the sacrifice that Jesus gave on the cross, but often forget that dependency. The key is knowing when you need help and accepting that hand when offered. Don’t become a “dependent class” and expect that hand always, but use it so you can extend it to others in the future. Just don’t let “pride” keep you from accepting help when needed.

2 Corinthians 8:2 –

They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.

This is a great chapter on giving and the spirit of giving. The old law is simple, give 10%. It’s easy math and doesn’t need much thought. Then Jesus came along and in Mark 12 notes a widow who gives everything she has thereby changing the “rules”. Now Paul gives in detail the spirit of giving and how it should be done. This is something that in today’s economy we battle with on a daily basis. There are so many threads we can go off on, like the value of one’s time versus what is given financially.

Paul is crystal clear on one thing and that is the spirit of giving. Again when we look at the widow in Mark 12, Jesus notes the rich are giving out of abundance and legalistic reasons where the widow is giving of love. Don’t get me wrong you don’t have to bleed yourself dry to be joyous and many giving out of “abundance” were doing so with joy, it’s to illustrate a point of the hold money has on our persons. We can see this illustrated time and time again by Jesus and we need to let go.

Now later in this chapter Paul makes it clear we should not be giving what we don’t have. Verse 12 reminds us to give eagerly, but not over what we have. Now this becomes a little trap since it’s normal today for us to live over and above our paychecks. We tend to over consume and then have nothing left for God. If most budgets were to exclude 10% they would go into a tail spin. The key point is God does not need your money, he needs your heart. To demonstrate the ability to release the money and live off less than we make, ideally 80% (tithe 10%, save 10%, live off 80%). This way we demonstrate to God that money is not placed before Him.

Also, we look at verse 13 and make sure we are not giving too much. I read this and wonder if Paul is referring to giving to elaborate churches versus others in need. I see this in “prosperity preachers” who ask you to give till it hurts and live lavishly while you suffer. That is not the intention; one could say God’s intention is really more “socialistic” than not, where we help others live equally. But if you read closer, equality is more so that the people who are “winning” are aware and help the ones who are not, because the shoe may be on the other foot someday. Also, with “government” enforced charity, the motivation is removed to succeed since the giving is forced and not from the heart. No matter how you look at the constructs of giving we must do so and ensure our hearts are doing so in joy, and not keep making excuses on why we can’t give!

2 Corinthians 7:8 –

I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while.

Have you ever said something that was critical of someone’s actions? You did not do this as gossip, but said it directly to them! In the world of instant communications that happens more often than we want. How many times have you pressed the “send” button only to regret it moments later? Paul didn’t have seconds, he had hours or maybe days between writing and sending this letter, and he still regretted “pressing send”!

As we read this letter we find that the critical note was actually welcomed and acted upon, which in turn made Paul glad he sent it. How many times have your notes come across judgmental and were not received well? One nice thing about notes is you don’t always get the harsh reaction, but it may still happen. One of the most common reactions is indignation and a quick retort. Then everyone digs in for a “holier than thou” battle.

Matthew 7:3 gets tossed about where people always have to mention the “plank” in your eye. That chapter tends to get exercised well in these situations as you will get verse 1 also bantered about where we “judge not lest ye be judged!” (Funny how the King James Version is used here, but that’s another discussion.) We all tend to put our defenses up as soon as our character is attacked but maybe we should look at another behavior! If someone criticizes our actions, then we should stop, say nothing and reflect on their comment.

Often times we will see there is truth in their words and it will illuminate something that needs correcting. Also, we should look at our approach if we are delivering that message. We should be prepared to be vomited on verbally. If this happens, don’t get into a contest of wits, but be prepared to accept their criticism also. One of the most difficult part of any relationship, be it casual or intimate, is correcting the others. I have mixed feelings about correcting others, on the one hand I get the “if I don’t say it, no one will” attitude. But on the other I am concerned that I am worse off and should not “throw stones in glass houses.” I think the key here is learn to “dish it out” gently, but also “take it” graciously.

2 Corinthians 6:8 –

We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors.

Welcome to the world of mission work! How often are we working to help people only to be looked down on or even talked poorly about? Sure the majority of people are gracious for the help, but there are always a few. Now does that mean we stop and move to the next need? Nope, our joy may be infectious and help that one person to realize the path to salvation. Also, not being “choosy” shine’s God’s light to others in the community. But I guess even then you get the “what about me” mentality, so it’s a difficult job either way.

Now don’t get me wrong, mission work is some of the most rewarding time you can spend, it’s just not always what you expect. Paul is making it clear that we need to just keep doing what we do and not worry about what others are saying. Don’t let the negative bring us down, nor the positive puff us up like proud peacocks. We just work and honor God first in all we do.

I can’t leave this chapter without touching on verse 14 where it talks about teaming up with unbelievers. This could go very deep on exactly what this means. We cannot live isolated from unbelievers and most of us have to work with them on a daily basis. Is Paul talking about marriage and close friendships? I have seen many “Christian” marriages melt down, just like mixed ones. The Greek more closely translates to being yoked with a unbelievers, like oxen working together.

The point here is when you are working towards one goal with God it’s easier to do so working with the same direction and strength. Be it on mission for God and helping disaster victims or in a marriage. If your motivation and drive is for the same purpose, life works much easier. One could question our marriage being that I was “saved” and Katy was not. At that same time I was so far away from God we were in essence on the same “wavelength”. Interestingly we both caught fire for God about the same time and we able to work together. Not saying all will be rosy, but in looking at an unbalanced plow team trying to cut a straight line you get the picture. Make it easy on yourself and surround yourself with other believers … hence why I was off track when we first got married.

2 Corinthians 5:1 –

For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands.

What does in mean “made in God’s image” anyway? Are our bodies made in the image of God or is it something deeper than that? Think about God and His attributes before answering these questions. God is “omnipresent,” meaning He is everywhere at all times. How can our earthly bodies be more than one place at any given moment? So if our bodies have this limitation of being here at one time, then that puts limits on God if our bodies are like His.

God is also “omniscient” or all knowing. In order to do this God must be able to transcend the physical world and go into thoughts and emotions. If our physical bodies could do this most of our marriages would be more peaceful … or maybe not. So how can we be in God’s image if we cannot be more than one place at any given moment and have no clue what the person we live with is thinking?

This is simple; we all tend to think of the world on a physical level and not in a spiritual one. This chapter attempts to clarify this by explaining what happens to our “earthly” bodies. We tend to limit our ideas of God and heaven by our limited views of this world. Look at art to see this; Michelangelo’s painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel called the “Creation of Adam” shows God on a cloud with old man features but a fit body. So our view of God is in our image not His.

To really get a grasp on God it’s easiest to get quantum physics to understand His attributes. God more closely resembles energy than a human body. Energy is everywhere, in everything, can change form quickly and cannot be created or destroyed, much like God only without a conscious. Our bodies are basically operated by the “spirit” or image of God. So our conscious energy that helps our bodies operate is what is actually in God’s image. I know I dwell on this from time to time, but it actually makes sense when you think about it in detail.

2 Corinthians 4:18 –

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

This advice is easier said than done! If you are dealing with a grave illness, or are crippled, or are facing death head on, it’s difficult to ignore these problems. Sure when we die they will go away and we will be in a better place, but that doesn’t help the here and now. I have had injuries and although they are painful, they are short term. During the time the focus is on the pain and rarely drifts. So when Paul says “gaze on things that cannot be seen”, he knows it’s not human to put aside the ailments of the body.

No that’s where God comes in and takes our broken spirits and bodies to use for His greater good. As you read this chapter you see that God does not focus on perfection to deliver his word, but real world people in everyday struggles. Paul also mentions in verses 3 & 4 that people are blinded to God’s glory and know that people who are in their same struggles can often open eyes that were once blind. It’s never a cerebral act that changes the heart, it’s a supernatural one. This is where being on the same relational level of suffering can helps God’s glory shine.

As I read this I can honestly say that I get caught up in the world and often forget God is active. My worries are financial ones more than physical, yet they continue to take my focus away from God. I keep praying for that one big windfall to save me from debt. Prior to ’86 I got sucked into stock options as my saving grace, that failed then California implemented the lottery! I quit options trading and rested my hope there. Ironically 1 year later I would have gotten that “windfall” on Black Monday as I “paper traded” some OEX puts well out of the money, that turned big time on the market crash.

Twenty years later I start “doubling down” on the shop thinking debt will free us from debt … yea go figure. Then at the end of 2007 we saw the market tank and everything changed, except our debt! We are still afloat and paying off our debts, but it’s been painful. Through this I learned a big lesson, that God’s “guidelines” on money are spot on. Save for the droughts and famine, while living off of less than you bring in. Although my issues are not physical in nature, they are still big and I hope God will use them to show people that these problems are self-inflicted, cause great “pain” and are nothing to God!

We have to live in this world, but are not “of” this world. That is the key to this chapter! We are all broken, but not so much that God can use us to shine his light through our problems! So realize in 20 years todays problems will be faint memories, but God’s glory will remain constant!

2 Corinthians 3:17 –

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

This freedom Paul is talking about is freedom from the Old Covenant. As one goes back and forth, like we have, between the Old and New Testament we notice differences in the way we relate to God. In a nutshell, OT connection with God came through various sacrifices and adherence to the Law, while NT was accepting Jesus was the son of God and his death was the final sacrifice for our sins. The Holy Spirit now lives with us and guides us daily, hence we have more freedom.

At the same time this old saying comes to mind, “give a man enough rope and he’ll hang himself.” I often wonder if that’s what happening today and it had before? We look at how many times God’s wrath rained down on Israel for drifting so far away from God’s will in the OT and realize it’s due one more time in the NT. I have to wonder if it really matters that mankind is wiped clean? Unless God deals with our sin nature, we’ll just keep rolling back into needing a spanking!

You may ask, “How could that be?” But just think back to Satin and his fall. He was in true paradise and he was not happy, so what says Revelations will change anything? The Flood was going to do that and look how quickly the culture drifted back into debauchery. No matter which way it will end, it will be interesting to watch unfold.

Now the point I wanted to make on the scripture was freedom is not being able to do anything you want, but it give you freedom to live within guides. Galatians 5:13 makes sure we understand it’s not freedom to do what we want. Freedom is not the ability to do what one wants, but the capacity to do what one ought. Huge difference that we learn in life, no matter our salvation, since we find quickly doing as we want leads to a difficult life.

Merry Christmas … just a little reminder.

From Matthew 1:

23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel,
which means ‘God is with us.’”

From Luke 2:

1 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. 4 And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. 5 He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.

6 And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. 7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them. The Shepherds and Angels

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

15 When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. 17 After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, 19 but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

33 years later it was finished in Jesus’ death on the cross … Jesus IS real, His story IS true and salvation is simple … Accept Jesus as Lord of your life … Believe that his story is true … Confess your wrong doings (sins). Think about it … the Jews and Muslims all acknowledge Jesus, they just don’t believe he was the Messiah (or the last sacrifice for our sins). If you have never done this before, contact me via twitter (emailsfromdad) or email cvs(at)bellsouth(dot)net and I will help you plug into a local Bible based church in your area so you can learn more!

2 Corinthians 2:7 –

Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement.

There are multiple reasons for forgiveness and this is one of them. We often forgive to release our own turmoil over an issue or wrong deed, but often we do not notice the impact on the person who needs the forgiveness. I see this often in many settings where a person repents of their sins, yet must live under the reminder from that point forward. Sometimes it’s difficult to reconcile “forgiveness” of Jesus when your “body of Christ” friends are not forgiving.

Sure there are arguments against punishment for mortal sins and other acts, but many times we take these things too far. We need to look at the Lord’s Prayer and focus on Matthew 6:12. Do we really want to be forgiven as we forgive others? Do you want God to remind you of every time you step out of line from now until eternity? When you think about forgiveness in these terms the consequences are great. How many times have you said this prayer and the same week kept bringing up harbored resentment?

It’s important to forgive others for their peace also. I think one of the most amazing stories of forgiveness that highlights this all around is a story from a friend at Men’s Step Up. He recently had his son murdered and the person who murdered him was caught. Through the trial it was everything he could do to not explode on this young man, until God’s peace came over him and he forgave this young man. It didn’t make the loss of his son easier, but he was able to get out of a toxic mindset. On the other side of the table this young man has seen God work first hand in his victim’s father and he has peace and is learning about God. Also, his sister is being ministered to by this forgiving man, and another life is impacted because he forgave as he wanted to be forgiven.

As a church we have to do this also! I see many get shunned from the people they need because of some act that causes a lack of forgiveness. The big ones are pastors who get caught in scandals. Sure the church needs to protect their congregation and not condone such acts, but at the same time we need to demonstrate forgiveness. If a person is truly repentant, I believe it’s important for their peace to forgive them and allow restoration to begin. I believe this is what Paul is emphasizing to the church in Corinth.

2 Corinthians 1:24 –

But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.

The first thing that passed through my head was the “traditional” southern Baptist preacher that spends his days preaching fire and brimstone. Don’t get me wrong, salvation has come from this form of teach, but for the majority of people it’s a turn off. The preacher wants to “dominate” your thoughts and actions to believe the way they believe. When building disciples that may not be the best approach and I believe Paul knew this. He is making sure they are discovering and not just following orders.

I have found that as a young Christian, I really needed to be told. But as I develop along the way, I am finding that being shaped works better. God only has one real direction to go and we should follow with passion, and developing joy is easier than being told to have joy. I reflect to going to church early on, it was downright ugly at times. With some not wanting, others not doing their tasks and then the time Nazi yelling to get out the door, we would leave the house with some ugly expressions. But the mask of joy would be put on when we made it to church.

Joy forced is not the same as joy experienced and Paul knows this. Our faith shows the joy and our experience brings forth God’s peace. Paul mentions how our suffering helps us to know comfort in God earlier in the chapter. And how the peace helps us learn joy, which in turn allows us to give others that same comfort God gave to us. It’s easy to put a smile on your face; it’s more difficult to put that smile in your heart. The key here is just go with the flow and understand joy in God.

What’s up with Song of Song’s 8:1?? But eeeeewwwwweeeeee … it’s a stark contrast between the cultures of today and when this was written!!

Song of Songs 8:4 –

Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, not to awaken love until the time is right.

As a father I read this and say amen, listen to the word of the Lord. One should wait for passion, love and sex until the time is right. It’s amazing how much trouble one can get in if they try to advance God’s timing or try to “fix” something that is broken in the first place. God wants us to love and experience all the joys associated with it, but He does not want us to get lost in the sexuality of relationships.

In today’s day and age we have slipped into the “sexual revolution” from the 60’s. The youth of the free love generation are now parents, some even grandparents, and their imprint is seen in our society today. Sex is ok, since we can’t stop it anyway. Morals are subjective and open to your interpretation. It’s a slippery slope that is nothing new in history (look to Caligula and Rome in your history). God has not changed the rules of “engagement”, we have.

Now I am a product of very “traditional” morals from my parents, yet grew up in this “sexual revolution”. I allowed my morals to slip after college and for a few years I tried to find sex before love. That ended up blowing up more than it worked, and I wish I could reset my life in that aspect. Granted God did twist it into a great relationship and children, but one cannot expect to exit God’s will and come back blessed. I feel like the prodigal son in this case, where I blew it yet am welcomed back with a robe.

Fortunately God nudged me back without a dangerous or deadly disease or a toxic relationship. But again it’s not always guaranteed that you’ll be lucky. Many times we make a mess; God does not clean it up nicely. Just look at the financial mess I am in today. Granted it’s way better than 3 years ago, but it’s still very painful and difficult … and will most likely remain that way for another 2 or more years. The key in this verse is to wait, not only for love but for fortune also!! We can’t have it now, we need to make sure we are ready first and only God knows that timing.

Song of Songs 7:12 –

Let us get up early and go to the vineyards to see if the grapevines have budded, if the blossoms have opened, and if the pomegranates have bloomed. There I will give you my love.

Ok I am going in two directions here as far as relationships go. First is with your loved one, think about when the last time you got up early and just spent time together, either discussing things over a cup of coffee or walking through the garden? If you can’t answer that question maybe it’s time to go back and focus on the simple things. In today’s society we can be with someone and at the same time be communicating with multiple other people via cell, email and text. Sometimes that actually teaches us to disconnect with the person we are with.

Think about when you are with anyone, not just the one you love, and you phone rings or it “bings” for a text or email. Do you immediately grab for the phone or remain engaged with the one you are with? I say this more as a guilty party than a judgmental one, since I have been disconnected from society for decades; the iPhone has just made it much easier. This is really important when you are with other people, especially the one you love; try to focus on being attentive to them and not your phone. If you need to take walks without the distraction, leave your phone at home! Believe it or not we use to take weeks for letters to arrive and then get a response back, an hour is not going to hurt you.

Now the other “relationship” this should apply to is your one with God. I have found it easiest to wake up well before anyone else would and spend time walking through the “garden” with God. It’s a great time to pray and read without any distractions. Believe it or not, you don’t usually get texts at 5am!! Now I have also learned to “walk away from the computer” during this time, since I often found myself getting caught up on emails, Facebook and Twitter more than spending time with God. It’s funny how I notice this when others are doing it to me, but I completely ignore it when I am doing it to others, including God!

The key out of this verse is spend time away from other distractions with the one you love. After 22 years Katy and I still learn new things about each other. One of our “games” during date night is to tell a story or a secret we haven’t told each other. Boy that has been fun and surprising since we started that and it tough us to focus on the other person. Now that’s a game you have a difficult time doing to God, but read His word and He surprises you frequently with stuff you didn’t know, realize or understand.

Song of Songs 6:3 –

I am my lover’s, and my lover is mine. He browses among the lilies

To someone who has not been married this may sound a bit odd, but consider the traditional vows of marriage. Most vows include the words “take you” to “have and to hold” these are not just words of temporary but of ownership. A marriage is something you should never go lightly into and one of the most common misconception is your life continues as “normal.” If you look at this as a contract between one and other for life “ownership” you will settle into the early years.

Notice the dual nature of this “ownership” it’s not just one way. Because of this you must learn compromise quickly. Don’t think “it’s your way or the highway” or your marriage will be doomed. This is where you have to actually start to communicate and ensure your desires are being met as well as ensuring your partner is satisfied as well. So it’s your job to ensure your partners needs are met over your own and hopefully the other will be working the same way!

Now don’t get me wrong this is hard, but not impossible assuming you put pride away quickly. Interestingly after 22 years of marriage we still have “spats” that sometimes escalate into fights, but when the dust settles we are still united and working towards the same goal. Marriage isn’t Eros love all the time, I can honestly say it’s difficult to maintain that day in and day out. But the selfless Agape love is the underlying thread that holds marriages together and keeps the Eros love alive and well. So when stepping into the consideration of marriage, consider long term and not just a chance endless passion. And I can say that after 22 years the passion is alive and well, it doesn’t have to go away!

Song of Songs 5:8 –

Make this promise, O women of Jerusalem— If you find my lover, tell him I am weak with love

In this chapter the focus is on the woman’s desire for her love. One cannot imagine the angst one has when there is separation. She expects to hear her love come soon and it’s not happening. She uses an analogy of being beaten up to illustrate the emotions she is going through while he is missing. Some claim “control” while others show its true love. Either way she is stressed that he is not with her.

In this instance it’s not clear if he is away on “business” or he split because of an argument. I can relate to this on both levels. I remember one business trip to Pasadena the hotel was next to someone who had a rooster. Well, since we had them their wakeup call was normal, but the panic the spread through my body when I was processing not being home was intense. Also, we have been in more than one “fight” where mama has left to get away from the toxic environment, which I can’t blame her. Anyway, my anger quickly turned to stress and yearning wanting to see her again.

In both instances it was like getting beat up with emotions. After my emotions settled it was like I was beaten and I was physically sore. So I can relate to her emotions here as well. One thing we need to develop, which is difficult to do, is that same desire for Jesus and God. If you have experienced His saving grace or His blessing you may be able to easily yearn for Him. But at the same time, someone who has not walked this earth for over 2000 years representing an eternal unseen God many times gets lost quickly in our day to day lives.

In this instance the passion for your love is similar to our passion for God. It’s on fire one week and simmering the next. I know it’s been that way with every person I have loved, where the “love” will remain but the intensity fluctuates. With God maintaining this passion is even more difficult since He is unseen and not always noticeable. I have learned God is always there, most of the time He is in the background and not real noticeable unless you look hard. Most of the time when I think I am alone, hindsight reveals Him so clear I have to smack myself upside the head! So do not be afraid to embrace the emotion of love and enjoy the roller coaster ride.

Song of Songs 4:10 –

Your love delights me, my treasure, my bride. Your love is better than wine, your perfume more fragrant than spices

This chapter is almost too “hot” to handle! It put into words the Eros love this man feels for his bride. As for a love poem, this one clearly and beautifully expresses the man’s passion he has for his bride. He can’t wait to see her and expresses that desire in this chapter. When you read this and explore the writings of the man versus the woman you see a stark contrast between their passions.

This could actually be taken in two different way, one is the man’s love that can describe his bride in words. On the other hand it could be view as more lust than love, since very little is said about anything other than her physical attributes. One could say he sounds more like someone filled with lust than actually love since all he is focusing on is her body.

This book contrasts the differences between men and women. Where men tend to focus on the physical desires where women focus on the emotional. That is something a loving relationship which includes agape love remembers. The relationship isn’t just about serving your needs, but making sure the others are served. Please note I am not putting a “he” or a “she” on this, both partners must work diligently to ensure the others needs are met. Never be a “taker” in a relationship or it will “flame-out” and wither.

Going to the movies are a great example, do you always go to action and adventure ones or mix in romantic dramas? I know it’s stereotyping to assume the genre of movie each sex is interested in, but it’s an example. As a partner you need to ask “what do you want” and not respond back with “whatever you want”. That quickly becomes one sided in a relationship. Ironically Hugo was my recent pick for a movie and Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is your mothers pick, go figure. But they key is to compromise your desires to ensure the desires of the other is met.

Song of Songs 3:5 –

Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and wild deer, not to awaken love until the time is right.

I have to admit I don’t quite understand verse 4 and if anyone can give me clarity I would love that insight. But this one is crystal clear and very pointed at the young single women in this world. She is warning them not to “awaken love” too early in a relationship, or in other words don’t get involved sexually. Keep yourself pure until the “time is right,” which is after marriage in any context.

In today’s society that’s tough to sell, sex on demand is common. I understand that it is common for kids to become sexually active in middle school. And unfortunately we as parents are not great “models” since many of us can’t admit being “pure” before marriage and many get caught drifting during marriage. This undermines the value of one’s purity since it seems like “everyone’s doing it!” Unfortunately we have also seen sex destroy some very godly men in awful public spectacles, which undermine God’s Word. Sex sells and therefore it’s everywhere these days and it becomes difficult to keep God’s will clear.

I would love to give some advice from one who has drifted the wrong way for about 10 years. First to my young daughter, remember the sex drive of men is great and guys will “say anything” to make you vulnerable. If love is right it will stand the test of time. Make someone’s “love” wait for marriage, if it’s true it will. For my young son, honor the girl you eventually will love, and fight off any “advances” that some may make. Don’t allow your “urges” to control your seeking the “right” one, but understand love and seek it. Understand the difference between “love” and “lust” so one does not control your life.

The only example I may offer is a “bad” one. I did drift and let my urges take over for a while. It’s was a very difficult time in my life and I am sure I missed many great opportunities along the way, because my focus was on sex and not God. Fortunately God looked through my broken ways and through an unwanted pregnancy I was “nudged” by God to marry the right person and stop my folly. I am not saying God will guide you through a life of sin so you come out like I did with my soul mate and two awesome children. I have seen more Godly people’s lives destroyed because of sin than have my story. I often wonder if we would be in the same place if I followed God and remained in His will the entire time. I thank Him daily for taking my broken life and giving me three cherished people whom have shown me the true meaning of all forms of “love”!!

*** for you non geeks … “!=” means “Does Not Equal” in some computer programing languages 😉

Song of Songs 2:7 –

Promise me, O women of Jerusalem, by the gazelles and wild deer, not to awaken love until the time is right.

Making sure the time is right for love is important to God. Much of the time we confuse the feelings of lust or become overwhelmed by the close intimate Agape love that often we confuse these emotions with Eros love. God is saying let love grow before making a commitment for life. Let love blossom into something described here and not wither because it was never “right” in the first place. In order to do this one must take time and learn to listen to ones prompt.

One of the most common complaints you here at a marriage counseling is all that’s persons bad habits. Over and over the complaints go on about how this person does this or doesn’t do that. Then the question is asked, did they do this before you got married and usually the answer is yes. The key is we are not Jesus; we cannot transform someone into a new person. Love can arrest some issues in the short term, but most will return unless that love is deep and true in each of you.

Solomon again writes a beautiful chapter on love and the next verses also caught my eye, read it and see if you agree. Here it’s the individual waiting for the return of their lover. Have you ever been in a situation where time dragged on waiting for that special person to return? Ollie is a perfect example of this each and every time Mama leaves. He stares at the point where she left until her return. And then he goes wild and howls when she returns home. Don’t howl when they return, but make sure you excitement is true and bask in the emotion.

Song of Songs 1:15 –

How beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful! Your eyes are like doves.

Solomon writes this book almost like a play where it’s broken out into different people speaking. I wonder if it was used as an example for “students” to understand love or if it was a conversation between two people in love. Either way it’s here today as a beautiful love poem, which any young gentleman should read before writing notes to their loved one. As we start into this book, one cannot help but notice the adoration felt between these two people.

Love in this context is the Greek “Eros” love, that intimate and romantic love that is actually quite rare. I think women actually get this more than guys; they go beyond the physical attraction and try to go deep. Unfortunately, most men these days think “love” is when we get an erection! You read this a few times and you see the affection each feels for one and other. It’s not a current rap/hip hop song, talking about brutal sexual encounters but rather honest love.

Our society is going in the wrong direction with the “love” songs. My parents questioned “my music” with the Eagles saying “Take it Easy”, or Stephen Stills saying “Love the One Your With” or Elton saying “The Bitch Is Back”. Today this “ain’t nothing” compared to the hip-hop that is being listened to by many people. I have to admit I got sucked into it to with Cee-Lo’s “F### You”, which has a cute video of a jilted lover growing up. And again that “ain’t nothing” compared to some of the stuff I have heard in “someone’s” iPod!! We need to respect each other and look closely at Solomon as an example and not 2 Live Crew or Eazy-E.

One thing my study Bible had for this verse I found interesting was saying this showed God’s view on sexuality. I found this odd, because I reread the chapter and did not get this view. Sure it’s demonstrates honor and true love, but does not get into sex at all. Sure I may be simple and cannot read between the lines too well, but to me it’s a simple love story. At the same time of saying that I focused on sex in my “thought” so maybe God does have a hidden agenda. The difference is the study Bible says God “reveals” His view and I compared His view with the direction society has gone today. Read it and tell me what you think!!

1 Corinthians 16:2 –

On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned. Don’t wait until I get there and then try to collect it all at once.

This is budgeting 101 for any instance of debts or tithing. Think about when you owe money to someone else, it’s much easier to pull a little out of each paycheck than to gather it all at once. Paul is reminding people that no matter what happens most unmanaged budgets end up with more week than money. So put what is needed in the future aside today, before it’s spent on other things.

Dave Ramsey’s teaches a simple method of budgeting called the “envelope system”. You split your pay into what your budget is for food, housing, utilities, cars, savings, etc. and place them in a separate envelope. Only spend what is in the envelope and do not “loot” from the others. That way when the money is needed it’s not a panic finding a new source. I used to do this from college until about 3 to 5 years into the shop. I would keep money in savings and have a ledger that would divide the money into accounts. When the money was required it would go into checking and be paid out. That ended when I switched from Pacioli 2000 to Quicken, since it did not allow that type of accounting.

Now the first part of honoring God with your money is to manage it well. There is a simple formula called 10-10-80 that everyone should follow. You get paid, immediately set aside a 10% tithe like Paul is talking about. With online systems these days, just do it the moment the check comes in, because 10% cash is more difficult to drop in the plate! Then save 10% and live off the 80% left over. Once you have 6 months to a year saved in living expenses, then start saving for homes, cars, etc. Pay cash for everything and avoid debt like the plague, which by the way is a very contagious disease and one should not get close to a person ill with the plague.

I can be a living example of this, we blew through savings in the shop and started living on credit. My logic was even if we sold the stuff at a 10% gain, we were still making more than what we would in the bank or what interested we were paying. I was smart borrowing money at 10% and making 35% or more on it! Didn’t expect Mr. Murphy to enter when everything that could go wrong did!! With no cash, no ability to pay credit cards, the debt spiraled out of control.

After 3 years on the Dave Ramsey “program” of getting OUT of debt, we have reduced our credit card debt from over $175k to $27k. We have been on a 10-50-40 program during this time where we tithe, pay debt with 50% and live on 40%, which has been very difficult! Then we can start paying off vendors and mortgages to get to that debt free utopia. Key is not doing what I did and follow Paul’s suggestion and set aside monies before they are due.

1 Corinthians 15:33 –

Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”

What Paul was addressing were those who believed we do not continue after death and say “Let’s feast and drink, for tomorrow we die!” This really drives into a very deep concept about the company we keep. How many times do we start a “relationship” figuring we can change the person and we end up either frustrated change did not happen or we conform to their character. Our best intentions are not always met with a compliant recipient. I started “partying” when I started hanging with people that did not believe in Christ. It was easier to drink than to change their hearts.

Not saying that avoid non-believers, but make sure your “close circle” of friends are grounded in solid Biblical truth. Paul here is protecting us from the “ills” of society. He realizes we are like electricity and take the path of “least resistance”. The more we follow Christ the more difficult it becomes avoiding sin, until we reach a point of harmony. This usually requires a group of likeminded people to support one and other. Hence this is why Paul suggests keeping the non-believers at a distance.

Now this chapter has some great insight on the resurrection of Christ and ours in the future. We understand that Christ’s resurrection was of the whole earthly body, but Paul implies that will be different for us. We will get new “spiritual bodies” like a seed grows to a new plant. Now what those bodies will be like I have no clue. Scripture implies they will be similar to our own, but healthy and young. I don’t think any really know, but I tend to believe it will be wide open. We could be transformed into our perfect image of ourselves. We could be transformed into “energy” that can take many forms. I don’t believe we will just end, but at the same time even if we do remember the wonderful life we had in the present with Christ’s guidance. If people press me on this my answer is simple, I believe it to be true based on my findings about God, but if I am wrong living with God has been so much better than life without that who cares what happens after death … that will be a BONUS!

1 Corinthians 14:12 –

And the same is true for you. Since you are so eager to have the special abilities the Spirit gives, seek those that will strengthen the whole church.

This goes into comparing the gifts of prophesy and tongues. If you are involved with a church that is “heavy” into tongues this may not be the right chapter for you. Paul points out that speaking in tongues is more for believers and should be limited in public. He actually limits churches to 2 or 3 people doing this (v. 27) and warns of unbelievers thinking “you are crazy” (v. 23). I cannot deny the first time I heard someone speaking in tongues; I thought it was very strange.

Paul is clear that if you are speaking in tongues, especially in public, you need someone there who can interpret these words. A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally and this is valuable for one’s personal growth with God. But at the same time Paul wants to warn churches to focus on strengthen the entire church and focus on prophesy over tongues (v. 4). So Paul is making sure the church focuses on the needs of the church before the individual, but not to dismiss the individual’s gifts.

Tongues are one of those gifts that I have a problem with when used publically. I sometimes feel the ones with that gift use it in public in a prideful way, more to say “look what I can do” than to glorify God. Also, it’s one of the only gifts that can really be “faked” and no one will know the better, since no one can understand what is being said.

I often wonder if the only true “speaking in tongues” experience I have seen was with my friend Pat, who out of the blue started speaking Spanish. Granted it wasn’t perfect, but he could communicate the Gospel clearly. It was crazy to witness, having known his knowledge of Spanish before. So are tongues speaking in “God’s language” or speaking in a language that you don’t understand, but others do? My only argument against this is Paul makes it clear that you may not understand what you are saying, but others will understand. In Pat’s case I believe he was clear and purposeful in his Spanish and understood what was being said.

So if you have this gift, don’t be discouraged of its importance. It has great value and reward for you personally. Just realize that it’s more for personal development and less for public display. And for those with the gift of prophecy, use it and build up the church. Don’t hide it for personal growth only!!

1 Corinthians 13:13 –

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

I have been ready to read this chapter for a while, I literally almost highlighted the entire chapter and was considering taking the “easy way out” on writing this morning and just post the entire chapter and say “’nuf said”. Love is one of the biggest questions in our languages. Love can mean so many things from love for one’s spouse to love for family to love of neighbors. One would hope the love you feel for your wife would not be the same as a neighbor, or we are dealing with some sins in the “top 10!”

The Greek has many words which get defined as love in the Bible. Eros is the traditional “love” that one feels for another in passion. This is the “love” that one feels for their romantic partner. Philia is very different as a dispassionate virtuous “love” of loyalty to friends and community. Storge is the natural affection like that of a parent’s love of their children. And finally the Greek have Agape (which this chapter describes) which is the unconditional “love”.

Agape is deeper than all the others and is best described in, well, this chapter. It’s a “love” that will do anything for the one of their affections. Agape is beyond and inclusive of all the other types of “love”. Each other form of “love” is included in agape, but parts may be excluded in some cases. Eros would not be included in your agape “love” of your children, as the dispassionate storge “love” would not be included with your agape “love” of your spouse.

The Greek many times clarifies the passion and difference between the various forms of “love” described in the Bible. It’s safe to apply agape love to most of the instances it’s used, but many times I search the Greek just to clarify. This is a chapter to read and re-read at least once a month! Just to never forget our main focus in this world, show Gods unconditional agape “love” for every person. Spend this week dwelling on how agape love works in your life and how you can personally show it to at least one person.

Take this test and see if they can find yours … BE HONEST in the answers, don’t answer the “churchy” answer.

http://www.kodachrome.org/spiritgift/

 I took it and “teaching” and “writing” were tied for number 1. “Helps” is number two and tied for number three is “hospitality”, “intercession”,“faith”, “knowledge” and “giving”.

NOTE – They do not ask for personal information so it’s safe to try;-) 

1 Corinthians 12:1 –

Now, dear brothers and sisters, regarding your question about the special abilities the Spirit gives us. I don’t want you to misunderstand this.

This morning was so cool, during my prayer I am focusing on asking God to give me gifts to help serve better. Then Paul needs to sit me down and have a talk about my role within the body of Christ. I did not get clarity on my “gift” but I did get clarity on how I will not get them all. I don’t plan out my prayers, I just wander around while focusing on God’s glory, my needs, the needs of others and our church, city and nation. So this was cool that my prayer seemed to fit into the reading this morning

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Now this chapter is empowering and dangerous at the same time. One can read this and understand their purpose quickly as a person of great faith, special knowledge, ability to preach, healing, perform miracles, prophesize, discernment, speaking in tongues or understanding tongues. It’s so cool once you know where you stand so you can become empowered and use your gifts. But as you read this chapter beware of the pitfalls!

The dangers come in never focusing on your gifts or thinking you need them all. You don’t know how many times I hear people dismiss their gifts because they don’t want them or are nervous about using them. I went to a site, did a long test and found I am a “teacher” or “coach”. I have been fighting that for years since I have a difficult time speaking. But God has led me to do this through my site and also leading small groups. The future may bring something more if I perform well in my current role.

The other BIG danger of this which many churches fall into is that everyone needs ALL these gifts or they are not truly whole in Christ. Vernie fell into a group at school that insisted that if she could not speak in tongues, she was not “filled” with the Holy Spirit. Paul is very clear here that everyone does not possess all the gifts, but only one or two. His example of the body is perfect for this that everyone cannot be the feet or be a hand AND a foot. We as a church all work in harmony to bring glory to Christ Jesus!

1 Corinthians 11:27 –

So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.

This is something I got “drilled” into my head at West Side Bible when I was first saved. Pastor Miller made it clear that if you took of communion without resolving your sins and you relationship with God, it was actually destructive. Many churches never focus on being “right” with God before accepting Christ’s body and blood. So I often wondered where Pastor Miller got this, it was logical but I often wondered the Biblical reference. I am sure he was clear and used it often, but remember this was 40 years ago and I was a young teen, so the “in one ear” theory applied.

Now Paul makes it clear “you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup” (v. 28). So before each communion we should confess our sins before God. If we are not “ready” or fully believe in Christ and God, we should not participate. It’s very clear here that it’s a sin against the Lord to do so. Now why don’t more focus on the confession part and getting “right” with God before partaking? I am not sure, but if you should personally ensure that you do so without prompting. Also explain to as many as you can the same.

I often wonder if this is one of those “sins” that if you know it’s a sin, it’s one. But like drinking, if you do not believe it’s a sin to take communion without resolving you relationship then is it fine? Or is this one of those spiritual truths that everyone must obey? Once you know the truth, you need to ensure you obey.

1 Corinthians 10:13 –

The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

How many times have you said “temptation got the best of me?” Really? Think back to when you said this, did you really give it your “best” or did you just give up? I can’t say how many times I just quit and succumbed to temptation and regretted it later. The key is don’t fall and live the life God wants you to. I know easier said than done, but it is something to strive for each and every day.

Now I have a saying, “I would rather learn from the mistakes of other, than on my own”. If you think about this it is something that is easy to do, but is ignored often. Think about it, the Bible has just about every “life experience” there is and yet people continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. Paul even uses the Israelites as an example, and they actually saw God’s immense power first hand! I watched people drown in debt and proceeded to strap on my cement shoes and jump in the deep end of debt.

One point this verse makes is the temptation will never be too great. Think about all the times you have been tempted, could you have walked? Did you walk or jump in? Our lives are so simple when you think about it, we need to survive only to eventually die. Why do we allow it to be complicated by falling into temptation? Temptation did not get the “best” of you, if you gave it your “best” you would have never fallen into it in the first place!! We need to keep focused on God and His will, not ours; then avoiding temptation is easy!

1 Corinthians 9:24 –

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!

This was an interesting chapter to read since it focuses on people who minister and spread the Gospel. Paul spends a bunch of time with how the people who benefit from their preaching should be supported, which could link into a lengthy discussion on tithing and the importance of that act. The primary reason to tithe is to support the ministry so they can further the kingdom of Christ. But again this can get into a legal and heart discussion, which I have talked about before and will table for this time.

We get into the final paragraph of this chapter and it starts to compare our salvation and work for God as a race. I bet you never thought of preaching the Gospel as a race. This analogy could easily justify the existence of mega churches, where they are big time winning the race for salvation. I know you have the “flip side” that personal relationships are not easily built in large settings and it’s difficult to get new believers to leave the emotional bounds of their salvation and dig deep into the truths of God. But if a “mega church” structures themselves as a bunch of mini small churches or groups, it can grow and develop new believers as well as attract the unsaved.

Now comparing preaching to a race is counter intuitive since many look at this as a common goal. But think about racing and what it does to people competing. Over my life I have race motorcycles, run foot races and been hyper competitive on a bicycle. In every instance my focus and intensity has been on winning. I would spend hours making sure my motorcycle was maintained and tuned to ensure victory. I would run sometimes 100 miles in a week to focus on crossing the finish first or at least with a personal best. Why do we not approach God with that same ferocity?

Think about it, what do you do to help the kingdom? Worship every Sunday? Or do you dig deep every day? Do you share your “story” with others and help bring them to salvation? Do you fast and pray? Do you tithe? Are you a fan of the emotions or a follower, willing to obey the hard stuff? Is your goal to bring the Gospel into as many people’s hearts as possible or fill your heart? These are hard questions and I cannot answer yes to most, but we need to review our approach to following God. An old racing saying goes “to finish first, first you must finish” … which means don’t blow yourself up in the first part of the race. Know this is a marathon and train/act in that way. And know marathoners need to put in the most miles to win there events!

1 Corinthians 8:9 –

But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble.

This chapter goes into details about sin and how we perform with others. The definition of sin is very different as you move across the various churches and denominations. Sure you have the “Thou shalt not’s” but then after that it becomes grey. In this chapter Paul is talking about meat sacrificed to an idol and if one could eat it. Technically yes because it’s not really a sin, unless another believes in their heart it IS a sin. Then we should not partake so not to allow the other to stumble elsewhere.

It’s like the old saying “when in Rome” we need to conform to others beliefs and not force ours on them. In the south it’s drinking that has a wide range of beliefs on it and sin. One church will say it’s a sin to drink any alcohol, while another has no problem with it. Is it a sin? Well the disciples drank often WITH Jesus, so no I don’t believe so. But one could argue as many churches do that for an alcoholic any drink is a sin, and therefore if I do so in front of them I am sinning also. So drinking is a sin.

You see where interpretation of scripture becomes very difficult to clearly define. The key Paul wants us to understand is that when we are with God and connected our conscious guides us. The key is being connected and do we do that with knowledge or love? Paul is clear by saying “knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.” Talking about this gets me excited about what’s to come, as in chapter 13!! You want to know what love is, then jump ahead and dwell on that for the next few days!!

Love would want others to remain strong in their beliefs. In this case if they honestly believed with their hearts that eating pork was truly a sin, they we should not eat that before them to ensure they do not stumble on other aspects of their walk. Think about when you were young and we let you get away with something you knew was wrong. Suddenly everything gets questioned as if it is right or wrong. You quickly think “well if that’s ok, then how about this?” And that then loosens ones standards to the point of allowing actual sin to enter and destroy that relationship with Christ. So it’s not ours to convince others that our drinking is ok and it’s not really a sin, our duty is to stop drinking for them.

1 Corinthians 7:24 –

Each of you, dear brothers and sisters should remain as you were when God first called you.

This chapter has many mixed signals as in relationships and marriage. Have sex or not, marry or not, divorce or not … my head is spinning after reading this chapter. As you read this you get clarity on why some denominations’ do not allow their clergy to marry. At the same time the chapter implies that marriage is ok for clergy. So you need to ask yourself what does this reading mean to your situation?

When I read the part on leaving ones wife if they were not a believer, verse 15 implies that would be allowed. But it continues in verse 16, to ask do how would they be saved otherwise? So you can see the mixed signals one could get from this reading. Now we get to this verse and one must be clear on their “calling” before setting roots. Unfortunately clarity is not simple when dealing with earthly emotions. We can quickly and easily get distracted with “our” desires and read them as God’s.

Hence why Paul says that purity and the ability to easily do so is the easiest place to serve God. In this place we remain focused on God and are able to set distractions aside. At the same time if our lust overwhelms our thoughts, in verse 9 Paul says get married so that is no longer a distraction. So what is the right answer? I believe it’s clearly a personal issue depending on one’s inner desires.

Now back to verse 24 for a quick question on knowing one’s “calling”. In some way this verse is dangerous because it could technically give someone justification not to change their ways. One could define their lives of immorality by saying that is when I was called. Hence why it’s so important to not just plug into a good Bible based church, but gain a “small group” of friends and read the Word on a daily basis. Make time to ensure your “calling” is pure and really God’s, otherwise your lustful inner desires may control your direction.

1 Corinthians 6:7 –

Even to have such lawsuits with one another is a defeat for you. Why not just accept the injustice and leave it at that? Why not let yourselves be cheated?

This is a tough chapter for me right now. I just lost a land dispute and about to lose an appeal on a lease dispute. I read this and wonder if I can really “accept the injustice and leave it at that?” It’s difficult to do when there is money attached to these cases. I woke up this morning early stressed about losing the first case, so letting go has been difficult for me. I have been working through this, but it’s been slow.

Also, why would Paul say let yourself be cheated? Technically, a Christian would not cheat you and therefore you would not need to sue. So if you were involved in a legal matter, it would technically not be with another Christian. In my case, both disputes were with “corporations” which although recognized by the state as a person, they have no soul. So, my disputes were technically allowed by Paul.

This chapter also dives into sexual sin and verse 18 starts with “run from sexual sin!” This is something that one must be diligent on and ensure they are not in a situation where they have to “run”. When Paul say “run” he is not talking metaphorically! As awkward as this may seem, run away from the temptation. We don’t need to casually dance around a dangerous situation so not to hurt feelings. For most men, this is really the best approach, since this “temptation” is an urge that releases chemicals in the brain similar to drugs. This not only includes physical encounters, but visual ones like porn. Just RUN!!

1 Corinthians 5:6 –

Your boasting about this is terrible. Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?

Wow, this chapter is very difficult to read and understand fully. It is basically saying don’t judge those outside your group of believers, but do within. My question is who has that authority and who should have it? I have great problems with this on both ends of the spectrum. Paul is correct in judging others to make sure your faith does not get compromised. If someone is sinning their justifications can erode everyone’s obedience to God.

Think about this on a personal level when you start to justify sinning, it starts to snowball. In college it was drinking that started the ball rolling downhill. I figured it was ok since the disciples drank and I could confess getting drunk. Well drinking lead to a relaxed attitude about drugs, since pot was “natural” I tried that. The “relaxed” moral standards eventually led to encounters with the opposite sex. All because I relaxed my “moral standards” and took a drink.

The second problem I have with this chapter is who should be in authority to judge? And once that is determined by whose standard? And when does forgiveness enter the equation? I mean think about it, I still drink alcohol, so some churches would ostracize me while others would say its ok. God’s standard is don’t become a drunkard, but does that mean getting drunk on occasion is ok? Or is getting “loose” ok, and past that is wrong?

See where my struggle is here? One the one hand we should not relax God’s standards to the point of eroding the church. On the other who actually sets those standards? I understand that drinking is ok in moderation, but one drink to an alcoholic is dangerous. So do you set the standard for the majority, or ensure the weak do not stumble? And when do we forgive and allow that person to return? I think it’s more dangerous not to allow redemption in the church that to allow sin to fester. My reasoning is that IS the message of Jesus, so if we ignore that, how can our message be taken serious by those who are “looking in?” Paul is correct in ensuring the standard is set; just make sure the standard is with God.