I’m Waiting for You – 5-31-22

“Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.” 1 Corinthians 11:33 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

Do you already have a relationship with a powerful God who cares about your every need because He loves you? Did you know my God can communicate with you and protect you – He has a plan for you to prosper if you just submit to His will and let His plan play out in your life!!! God wants a relationship with you and has already made a plan for your life. He loves you so much He sent His son to this world, to die as a sacrifice for your sins and rise from death with victory over sin and the ability to have a personal relationship with you.

Do you want to know truth? Be able to discern lies? Know how to figure it all out in these confusing times and have peace? The Bible says Jesus is the truth. I have experienced it and it has changed my life. I was once a hot mess of sin, promiscuity, drug and alcohol use and so much more. But I was lost and when I could not find my way, or find a truth, I numbed it with bad choses. When I found Jesus, and truth – I found peace and deliverance from those things.

If you want a relationship with God without truth you will get the counterfeit, hypocritical Christianity that has kept some of you away for too long. You need truth and relationship. You need to be honest with yourself and God (including honest repentance) and God will reveal truth to you. It becomes the two way, interaction that your relationship with God is built on. This is why Jesus is called the truth, because he is our only way to the Father.

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 NIV
Here is a prayer for you to pray:
Jesus, I believe you are the way, the truth, the life, and the only way to the Father. I believe you are the son of God, you came to Earth and lived. That you died on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins, and rose again so that I may be saved from my sins and be able to get to know you. I declare: Jesus, you are Lord!
Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me through a real personal relationship grow and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus I pray ~ Amen

BIBLE READING:

Dear Heavenly Father – Please give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who you are, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is. Open the eyes of our understanding, please, so we may know the hope of our calling and the vast sovereignty and power of the grace of the cross. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. Lord, I pray that your word prepares us and not scares us! We forbid the works and influences of fear over your word and our sound mind. And please keep us and bless us and shine your face upon us and pour out grace over us and give us peace! Thank you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Today’s reading is the Book of First Corinthians chapter 11 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

Worship and the Lord’s Supper

11 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

Head Coverings

²Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. ³But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. ⁴Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. ⁵But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved. ⁶For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. ⁷For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. ⁸For man is not from woman, but woman from man. ⁹Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. ¹⁰For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. ¹¹Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. ¹²For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.

¹³Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? ¹⁵But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given ^[a]to her for a covering. ¹⁶But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.

Conduct at the Lord’s Supper

¹⁷Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. ¹⁸For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. ¹⁹For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be ^[b]recognized among you. ²⁰Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. ²¹For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. ²²What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame ^[c]those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you.

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

²³For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; ²⁴and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ^[d]“Take, eat; this is My body which is ^[e]broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” ²⁵In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

²⁶For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

Examine Yourself

²⁷Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and ^[f]blood of the Lord. ²⁸But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹For he who eats and drinks ^[g]in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the ^[h]Lord’s body. ³⁰For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many ^[i]sleep. ³¹For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. ³²But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

³³Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. ³⁴But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.

Footnotes

1 Corinthians 11:15 M omits to her
1 Corinthians 11:19 Lit. manifest, evident
1 Corinthians 11:22 The poor
1 Corinthians 11:24 NU omits Take, eat
1 Corinthians 11:24 NU omits broken
1 Corinthians 11:27 NU, M the blood
1 Corinthians 11:29 NU omits in an unworthy manner
1 Corinthians 11:29 NU omits Lord’s
1 Corinthians 11:30 Are dead

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

Today is the last day with this verse. How did you do? do you have it memorized? I find if I recite it 3 or four time each day, when I get to this section, then by the end of the month, I’ve got it or I am close. What are your memorization secrets?

John 20:31– “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

STUDY/DEVOTIONAL:

Woo-Hoo! Today is one of my favorite passages! Alright, I know – I say that about almost every passage. But you know I love the ones that give us insight as to who God is and how the spirit world works. Because this world we see with our human eyes is cursed and dying and reality is in spirit. All things are formed and take shape there first, then manifest in “our world”. If we want to know what is up – walk “in Him” and in the Spirit. But that is not this book. Let’s stick with 1 Corinthians for now.

We have discussed, in depth, the plight of women in the Roman world. Where women would rather stay a slave in order to have the covering and rights under the law – instead of being destitute and uncovered and without rights. And the covering I speak of is the “ownership” of a father, husband or slave owner.

Well, in Corinth (as city over saturated with pagan temples, with only Ephesus surpassing them in number) women had earned rights ALSO by becoming priestesses in these pagan temples! Well, isn’t that an attractive offer from the devil himself. Some of these rights – were literally a matter of independent survival. So as you can imagine… if some women gained rights independent of a man “owning” them, suddenly all woman wanted them.

As we discussed back in 2020 and 2021 – civil disobedience and fighting for the right to be free is a good thing in the eyes of God, within certain parameters. For example: masks (which were the center of our 2020 and 2021 discussion). As we know, I walked gently for unity sake and not to offend, but I erred on the side of being maskless. However, I saw some refuse masks with passion and anger – honestly, they were rebelling against the government. Here is the tricky thing: to show civil disobedience without giving room to the enemy and entertaining the spirit of rebellion. When I caught myself moving in the wrong direction, in a LITERAL act of humility, I put on my mask.
We are at the point now, where a masked person shows us what spirit is in control of them and it ain’t Holy! Yes, more so now than ever before in this pandemic.

So in an act of civil disobedience, women in the first century Roman Empire began to remove their head coverings (a symbol that they were cared for and owned) and man (normally without cover) began to wear hats in solidarity (which later, both became fashion). Even women in the church. So Paul was about to nip the nonsense in the bud before the spirit of rebellion ran rampant through the church destroying the works of God. In the process, Paul reveals a couple spiritual truths that, when understood and practiced give more power to you when you are in battle. Is there something MORE powerful than the Word of God rightly divided? Yes. The Word of God rightly divided in proper authority.

I am getting ahead of myself – we haven’t even begun to dig in!

“Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” Verse one.

Right out of the gate! The depth of this is astounding! When we read Romans, Paul confesses his flesh battle, which we all have and none are without. This fallible man wants us to follow him as he follows Christ. I must admit – I am not sure I could ever be so bold! I will happily share my experience, good and bad, so you can learn from it… but DO not imitate me, lest I lead us both astray! Or – that is my fear as I am still flesh. Let me instead point you to Jesus! Follow him as I follow Him! But I see what Paul is saying. Paul is also much stronger than me and I have not yet been tested with my life literally on the line. (Yet – God forbid, but there might come a day.) But we all have been tested with our soul on the line and treat it with self-given and grieved grace. Repent and learn to live humbly.

“²Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you.”

Paul’s formula, book after book, after book and repetitively throughout is: lovingly encourage, praise them, then swing the hammer of correction, then instruction, and finally some more love. Modern management methodologies use a simplified version of this with praise, discipline, praise. Which doesn’t hit the same. It leaves out the love and instruction, which are key components to people buying in to what you are saying.

“³But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”

Insight. There is order to the spirit world, Order to our Father’s design and a process to follow. A Petty Officer never steps above a Captain because he would be out of order and out of line. I hold the rank of woman in the army of God. I was made for this. It is my calling and my created purpose. I must stay in line.
I am also single and have no father covering – so many of you think – if I answer direct to Jesus it is no wonder I am a fan of this “old” system. Well, girl-friend, let me tell you. It is much more complicated than that. Yes, Jesus is my husband and at the end of the day I answer to Him and not to humans and not to demons. But I have submitted myself to the authority of my church as God led me. And when I visit a friend, whose husband is a pastor, in his home I submit to him with his wife, spiritually. I stay under the covering of whoever has the authority in that place as long as they are submitted to God.
Paul explains it first socially, in relation to honor:

“⁴Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. ⁵But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved. ⁶For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered.”

In modern USA, honor is not a thing. Disrespect is an epidemic. But honor was a huge part of Roman culture. Their word and honor were the foundation of their lives. If they were too dishonored – they could even lose their rights! However their honor system was not based on a moral system, so many corrupt leaders held great honor and were even worshiped as gods.
Before we judge them too quickly – look at the lies in our generation and know – the enemy uses the same tactic then and today. They bought a lie and looked stupid – we too look stupid in believing the enemies lies.

“⁷For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. ⁸For man is not from woman, but woman from man. ⁹Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.”

Paul then pulls us from Roman custom into a spiritual truth – our created purpose. Why has the enemy corrupted what defines a woman, especially if we are not a biologist? Same question regarding men? Because God created it that way with intention, giving authority to the title of Man and Woman in their place. Women are not less than men – they are different and created different and I do not think we can even compare our assignments. The hands cannot do the job of the nose and the nose cannot do the job of the hands.

“¹⁰For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.”

“Because of angels.” – this is one of those subject matters I could write a book on – and many have. In short, after all my studies, and without taking it out of context, and keeping the verse clean and not subject to speculation – there is literally a spiritual, angelic, reason which is not explained and apparently understood by the readers. Maybe something Paul preached on while he was there, which is speculation.

“¹¹Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. ¹²For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.”

Man and woman are so intertwined because of our creation, there is no independence in the Spirit. This speaks to spirit as we look in the context: first Paul speaks to the social, then to the created, and now to the spirit. Once we understand this we see Paul is not leaving out all the singles. (Remember the population of men looking for brides in a culture with few women – they are not left out.) Men and Women in the BODY of CHRIST are one. This concept continues to grow through this letter!

“¹³Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? ¹⁴Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? ¹⁵But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering. ¹⁶But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God.”

Paul throws the ball into the court of the church to solve after presenting the facts. They do need to learn to figure it out. Is it rebellion? Is it out of line? Are they spiritually old enough to understand?

In the spirit world the angels see me, a fatherless spinster. I am a not a threat because I lack a covering. While sick with covid all my hair fell out (you may recall me sharing) and now I not only lack covering, I have no natural covering and I am not only unthreatening in the spirit – but I am also vulnerable. Pray and see if your spirit bears witness. It is true. BUT!!! Jesus stepped in as the bridegroom to rescue me. AND I cover my head at all times to show the angels (the Greek word here means a spirit being and not specific as to if they are good angels or fallen angels serving the devil) that I am in covenant with Jesus. I have worn a scarf or hat since 2019 – and my agreement with Jesus is I will until he gives me a father or husband here on earth. If he gives me none, I am happy to remain covered directly by the Christ.
HOWEVER, I cannot go into a pastor’s home and excerpt authority. It belongs to the man of the home first, then his wife. I can submit to the man of the home’s authority.
Why is this important?
Without writing a full book on anointing and authority (very similar in spirit structure). God is the head – then the Pastor, then the man of a house, and then the wife. God is all powerful and the pastor acts with authority and anointing drawn direct from the well of God Himself! The man gets a double dose, yes it is true! He can draw direct from God and from this pastor as his pastor draws from God. I have seen pastor with an anointing in prophesy and the men under his then also get the anointing. But when the men are offended and leave they break the line of authority and the men are no longer anointed. There is a church online I enjoy worshiping with and an associate pastor is a photocopy of the pastor’s anointing. So the sent him out to have his own church and the anointing broke. He came back and the anointing returned. The associate pastor is now learning to pull direct from God instead of solely from his earthly authority.
Paul says follow me – He has extended his authority and anointing.
Now, women are different. No one in flesh will like this answer and it is NOT mine – but look at Biblical structure or authority and anointing. My own answer would let me swing my sword all silly nilly at my will with disregard to effectiveness. Woman draws from God in her personal relationship with Him – her own gifting, talents, authority in the name of Jesus, covering by the blood, and God given anointing. AND through her rib, and created being she draws the same from her husband or Father. AND THEN through her ability to humble herself gains another dose from her pastor! If women learned to be humble and not fight “The Man” and submit – she would learn of greater power and authority!
The enemy robbed me of these levels of authority through attacks, victimizing me and my own bad choices. BUT God restored me and I am covered by God, by a pastor, and by Jesus as my husband. And when I am in a place where a man has authority, I’ll fall in line to be able to draw from him as well in authority.
So what is all this talk about authority?
If I need to cast out or fight an enemy 3 classes above me in the spirit world (think military rank and order and authority- a petty officer second class cannot challenge a captain) I raise a rank, when I am permitted to speak and use the authority of one higher than me. And if I can raise that another and another – it becomes a fair fight. God designed it so that we ALL have authority over the enemy even though man was created under Angels and women created from man. But you do not have that authority if you are out of line and not humbly subjected to authority.

That is the simplest I can make it and the shortest. Shall ALL women cover their heads like I have? I had a covering issue and made a covenant with God to submit him as a wife. Like when Paul did not cut his hair while in Corinth the first time because he made an agreement with God.
I for one want the angels to look at me and say she is a woman of God, and I want my steps to make the spirit quake. So for the sake of angels (whatever that means, and I am not taking chances) to honor my covenant with God and as a symbol between him and me – I have quite the hat and scarf collection.

Although I can back these ideas with scriptures and I have experienced the difference in fighting outside of authority and under authority – this is still a bit speculator and open to a few schools of thought on the matter. But I will not keep you all day.
Chew the meat as the Holy Spirit reveals it to you and spit out the bones. It is not a doctrinal point that could keep you from being saved. In my opinion, misunderstanding can keep you from your full effectiveness as a soldier, but you’ll get into heaven still if you cannot grasp it.

Now – Paul comes in with instruction. What do we do now that we know author structures and know we are out of line? And amazingly – it is NOT women cover your heads and men take off the hats and cut the long hair. (side note: modern society has men in hats and long hair, women uncovered with short hair. Do you see the slow decline and acceptance of styles designed in rebellion to slowly corrupt God’s design? AND FYI, Jesus probably doesn’t have long hair – that image came from the era or humanism – the renaissance – and is a humanistic rendering of our savior. The enemy even corrupted that!)

“¹⁷Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. ¹⁸For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. ¹⁹For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you.”

As if he has not already addressed division – we discover YET another division. We discussed that food was often served at these huge house churches and they centered around a meal. BUT that is very expensive – especially since the church met in part or as a whole daily! So if a full meal was not provided and if others did not bring food to share – at the minimum they partook in communion. But hunger and greed, and an attitude of “I’m better than you” became a division in this most Holy tradition. Often pastor’s read the institution of the Lords supper from here for the communion ceremony at our churches. Sometimes they go onto the next passage about examining yourself.

But first factions and divisions must be addressed.
We are kingdom minded. We are one body: who are a remnant of believers, who are ushering in a great revival a crossed the globe, and we are without denomination and division. Some were catholic, some protestant, some baptist, some church of God, some assemblies of God, some even seven day adventist, and some from every sect of Christianity. Jesus Himself has even called in a few muslems and some jews (and so on and so forth) revealing himself and creating Kingdom minded believer in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and all differences aside – we follow The Way.
But where we find ourselves judging a brother or sister in Christ by our flesh instead of listening when the Spirit bears witness we have not only sinned – we ARE the division. We are no better than:

“²⁰Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. ²¹For in eating, each one takes his own supper ahead of others; and one is hungry and another is drunk. ²²What! Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you.”

So go back to the beginning of this book and re-read the discussion because at this point you should be repentant of any divisions and working aggressively for unity as the hour is very late. At this point you should be joining forces with the others no longer focused on difference but marching the streets crying out to them to be saved! The harvest is ready – the laborers few. Do not sit in your divided churches wondering where the power and authority is. Break with division – come out from among them! Team up with Kingdom minded soul winners and go slay dragons and rip people from the grasp of death! The power is NOT for the church – this is not a freak show! The power is to save lives! But we have forgotten and wait for them to come to us.

Don’t tell me that due to a pandemic the church isn’t growing – they are starving for God! GO GET THEM! Their churches are closed down – GO GET THEM!!! Where are the young folks? GO YE THEREFORE! Oh why have we lost this sight? If your eyes are on Jesus you must look through the ocean of lost people to see Him because He put them there for YOU to reach. I have literally sat in prayer meetings crying because God is weeping at them asking him for souls – when He said to go get them. But I am not within the authority to make public correction, and sometimes God tells me to bite my tongue in private. I do have his permission to speak if it arises in this blog.

I speak as one with experience. There is a demonic force greater than me – eve fasting and praying I cannot cast this one out – because it is a principality over this area. It is a great oppression and manifests as a distraction and division. But this is my home and I am taking it back. In my home the kingdom suffered violence – I am blowing the trumpet! I was told today that was a literal violent physical battle cry in Joel 2:1 – however prophetic for today. SO get ready, because things ARE manifesting in the physical. It is physical! But we can only win if we do not engage the physical and fight only in spirit. God has called us to be united and to fight this fight against corruptions that further divide the body!

The body. It is a great download we are watching God give to Paul throughout this book.

“²³For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; ²⁴and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

Jesus’s body – jumping ahead knowing Paul’s revelation that the Church IS Christ’s body! We commune with God and each other in unity. Why unity? Because then we can within authority all draw from each other’s authorities and out rank the enemy together like a battalion acting out a battle drill with precision and grace under the highest authority.
Remember? Oh remember the days of unity and prayer meeting and the power of God and the outreaches that went door to door and the buses that brought them in? Remember?
Remember when Jesus said we will do these things and greater? Remember?

“²⁵In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

The blood that washes sins and the blood that heals the sick. That is the proper application of the blood. You cannot battle, pleading the blood to save yourself from an attack – then you need the shield of faith and the sword, aka the word, aka the NAME OF JESUS!

“²⁶For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”
His death? Why his death, and not the name or the blood or the resurrection or the ascension? Because of grace. Remember when I said everything that God’s grace touches is transformed? Jesus’s death fulfilled multiple prophesies and IT IS FINISHED – which transformed all of time and space and created a permanent marker throughout time through which you and I can have faith through this grace, and believe and be transformed! Hallelujah!

“²⁷Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. ³⁰For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. ³¹For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. ³²But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”

That is a whole lot right there. Maybe you and I should slow down and read it again. I know today’s is long, but I cannot omit any of these points. From chapter one through now (and so on) Paul speaks against divisions. Until we are kingdom minded and put aside our differences, our hurts, our pasts our denominations we are vulnerable to covid and whatever other circus monkeys the devil wants to throw at us. We can pray psalm 91 over ourselves until we have it memorized and we are blue in the face. But if we take communion without unity we are a mess.

Today I visited a church of a man I forgave long ago and was surrounded by family I forgave long ago – they had a communion service. I partook. Am I a hypocrite? No, I stood there eating the meat and spitting out the bones in unity in the spirit wanting the same God to do what He is famous for in their lives and in our city. I am not saying do not take communion. I am saying exile the spirit of division from among us by casting it away from yourself and your section of The Body.

Oddly enough it is divisions in the church that we are studying at the same time I have been fighting for months to be healthy enough to make a visit to this church because God said to – and the timing of these studies is such a confirmation to the prayers of my heart.
I love The Church that raised me. I love the people. They have scattered like sheep. And for 4 years now I have gone to each of them, stirred up and full of fire, praying God would be glorified and take that fire and spark a flame that cannot be extinguished in each of them. I have gone to churches and out of my way to stores they work in. I have found them on social media platforms and prayed and prayed and prayed.

“³³Therefore, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. ³⁴But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I will set in order when I come.”

I am unsure as it if it is my job to set things in order. But there is an order.
There is even a prophecy. Yes. One that is LONG overdue in time to shine! I was a child, but many remember and bear witness – to the prophet who came to our church and declared and decreed the words of the Lord – that the revival in our area would indeed come from our church. Well it is time.
But we are divided and scattered. Instead of mountain movers we are hiding in the mountains full of hurt and anger. We are distracted. We missed the strait road and turned aside. We lost sight of love, unity and even reaching souls.

Just give me the Go, dear Father! And I will make up signs wake up, repent and get humble!!! These reader know I am ready to stand on a soap box at the corner – just give me permission. Let me call down lightening to wake them up! Strike fear of the Lord into them. They suffer judgement and are destroyed for lack of heart knowledge! Let me smack them with my Bible and knock some since into their heads – the hour is late! I love them, Lord, you love them, and we are losing them. Like Saul, zealous for you, killing the Christian thinking he pleases you – how far with my beloved family go thinking they are still awake? Nothing I say will wake them, Lord. Nothing I do will stir them. I knock on their doors telling them it is time. And they look back at me with eyes that search but cannot find what that means. Lord, save my city – restore my family. I was born and raised side by side with that church and when they divided it tore me apart – it is time for that Body, my sister, to be restored under the KINGDOM. Oh lord, my Lord, please pour out grace, mercy, open eyes and ears and understanding. Save our people. In the name of Jesus ~amen

I am sorry. I am at least a thousand words over our max word count. Today we touched my heart – and I might have bled a little. But give God the Glory, please.

***

Thank you for reading in 2022 – a Year of Wisdom and Salvation
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

30 May 202229 May 2022

Glorify God – 5-30-22

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

BIBLE READING:

Today’s reading is the Book of First Corinthians chapter 10 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

Old Testament Examples

10 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, ²all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³all ate the same spiritual food, ⁴and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. ⁵But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

⁶Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. ⁷And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” ⁸Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; ⁹nor let us ^[a]tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; ¹⁰nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. ¹¹Now ^[b]all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our ^[c]admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

¹²Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. ¹³No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to ^[d]bear it.

Flee from Idolatry

¹⁴Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. ¹⁵I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. ¹⁶The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the ^[e]communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? ¹⁷For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.

¹⁸Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices ^[f]partakers of the altar? ¹⁹What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? ²⁰Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. ²¹You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. ²²Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?

All to the Glory of God

²³All things are lawful ^[g]for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things ^[h]edify. ²⁴Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.

²⁵Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; ²⁶for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.”

²⁷If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. ²⁸But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; ^[i]for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” ²⁹“Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? ³⁰But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks?

³¹Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ³²Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, ³³just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

Footnotes

1 Corinthians 10:9 test
1 Corinthians 10:11 NU omits all
1 Corinthians 10:11 instruction
1 Corinthians 10:13 endure
1 Corinthians 10:16 fellowship or sharing
1 Corinthians 10:18 fellowshippers or sharers
1 Corinthians 10:23 NU omits for me
1 Corinthians 10:23 build up
1 Corinthians 10:28 NU omits the rest of v. 28.

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

John 20:31- “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

STUDY/DEVOTIONAL:

Happy Memorial Day – to all of you in the USA. For those of you from other countries – it is a national day of remembrance where we memorialize all those who fought for our country and are no longer with us. It has taken on a broader scope over the years and as people clean and decorate the stones, mausoleums, above ground entombments and the like, in the cemeteries for the veterans, and as summer is beginning, people began to take the time to clean up and decorate family members who did not serve and take the time to remember them. And still, as morality declines, the holiday is becoming more about beer and backyard barbeques and or picnics at a lake than it is about remembrance It makes me wonder if any other nation lacks honor for their heroes and disrespects their personal history, as much as the people in the USA.
In my earring business I made Patriotic theme earrings for the holiday. I will bring out my American Flag and matching colored summer décor. But it seems our flag is offensive to many of us – can you imagine being offended by the symbol of yourself?! And I sold no patriotic earrings. Last year I sold so many I had to make more and this year, none. Such rapid decline.
Will I wear my colorful patriotic clothes and earrings?
I will honor and remember the fallen – even if alone in my area.
And for those of you who read and are from the USA, I hope you are in a red state and are surrounded by other with the same values – I am in New York – its’s so blue that the red and white are offensive. True patriots are neither red nor blue – but some are turning it into a political thing. Again – I speak in broad strokes, there are conservatives in this area. But as a whole the earring aren’t selling here because there is not enough patriotism in women who will wear my earrings and see my products. Maybe I should not use broad strokes so I do not offend? well, how will I make points? Even Paul spoke the answers in broad strokes and people took what belonged to them and were not offended by the rest. Note that the offenses Paul speaks of are not the offense of the overly sensitive or even the “woke” people. Be gentle and loving, but do not compromise truth to avoid offending others.

Last week we discussed offending others, and living a life that doesn’t cause others to sin. If I wear red, white and blue and go overboard with decorating – I will offend. I shall not purposefully provoke anyone – but I will wear the earrings!

And let me interject my inner raging at the offensive nonsense Christians are spouting in the light of the death of those beautiful children in Texas the day before yesterday – well, you are reading this on Monday and I am again ahead on my studies. But what we have is a sin problem, not a gun problem, not a mental health problem, and not a social problem. What we have is a lack of calling out the demonic as demonic – and casting it out. As well as lack of calling the holy angels as God’s messengers and glorifying God for it. We fail the spirit and offend on social media… but let’s circle back to that. I promise it will be gentle – I am so mad, I will let God speak to it. And He is a still small voice- so listen up.

Today’s reading begins with Paul giving Old Testament examples of offenses – preventable ones. Paul is telling us, that Christianity has the same values as the Jews – because our God has not changed.
Chapter 10 reads like the transcript from a sermon, leaving little wiggle room for anyone to expound upon, interpret, or change – and thank goodness. It is nice and clear.

“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, ²all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³all ate the same spiritual food, ⁴and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.”

All our fathers? I am a gentile. I thought Paul was writing to the church at Corinth which had A LOT of gentiles. Well, Paul DID NOT change his audience. Remember gentiles are adopted in – my adopted ancestors – even me in the USA with lack of remembrance of our ancestry I have a heritage in Moses. We should honor that heritage and be grateful we can respect it as adopted children.
I know there are groups who think we can just dump the Old Testament, now that there is a new. But Paul wrote more books than anyone else and he quoted the Old Testament all the way through and Luke, Paul’s doctor wrote more words of the New Testament – more than even Paul wrote, and Luke quoted the old scriptures throughout.

“…for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” Verse 4b

Has God ever brought a specific symbol to the forefront of your mind? About a week ago I dreamt about having to tear down a foundation, rebuild it on a solid rock – and how that is a testimony and the parable of building on the rock. Sunday night I turned on the church service I usually watch and the sermon was about exactly that. Building on the rock. The Rock is Jesus – moreover the rock is Jesus revealed! Every single day last week the rock, building on an immovable, solid, unshakable foundation came up. And today – here. Again. The Rock was Christ. Do you think God is trying to tell me something?
The Rock is much more than a symbol that means something – remember when I said this book will give us deep revelation of who God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are… well – Jesus is a rock. He is our bridge to the Father – but He is also a ROCK. The Rock of my salvation. When I have a relationship with the Rock, Jesus our bridegroom – tied and married to – and built upon… and disciplined to becoming Christ-like – I begin to take on the same attributes as a Rock, like Jesus has.

“⁵But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. ⁶Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. ⁷And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” ⁸Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; ⁹nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; ¹⁰nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. ¹¹Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

There are two ways to learn lessons – the hard way (like the Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt) or the easy way (by learning from their mistakes. Thousands of years have passed, yet we still make the same mistakes.

“¹²Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. ¹³No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”

Hallelujah! But wait – I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I hear verse 13 misquoted or erroneously applied. And the more I asked questions of those people about their understanding of this verse I learned – Many do not know the difference between a temptation, an attack, and a trial from God.
A temptation makes you want to sin – usually your flesh is all over it. Many time the enemy is not even anywhere near the situation – we fall into this mostly on our own! And therefore, God has made a way of escape – and it is NOT him removing the temptation. Nope. It is us saying no to it.
An attack, as we see in the Book of Job is one thing after another and it happens all around us to try to get us to shake, move, slip, fall or come out from God’s protection so he can get us with a direct shot. There is no way out – resist the devil, focus on God, and the enemy will eventually flee. It is not something for us to bear – the battle is the Lord’s.
And a trial – well this is put upon us by God himself! The fire is meant to refine us, and the pressure is meant to turn us into diamonds. There also is no way out and God DOES give us more than we can bear in some trials. But if God is burning off the dross from us – it has to be enough of a trial to make us lose our hold of it, to overcome part of us that must die off and to do the work He needs to do in us.

So as Paul explains that we should not offend others, he warns that we can slide into sin ourselves, so not to take our freedom for granted. He points out the very sins people this church as issues with. Although they brought it to Paul’s attention – Paul warns it could happen to them as well. And Paul circles back to idolatry and meat offered to Idols.

“¹⁴Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. ¹⁵I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. ¹⁶The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? ¹⁷For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.”

And the body of Christ – Jesus said at the last supper: “this is my body” – and the relational connection starts to really click for Paul. While you and I read and have revelation of things, we can watch as the revelation of the relationship between believers (as a metaphor for a body) forms in Paul’s heart. Christ is the head and as we partake in the body we become one – one body. But Paul doesn’t get there here – instead he circles back to if it is right or wrong to eat the meat sacrificed to idols.

“¹⁸Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? ¹⁹What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? ²⁰Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. ²¹You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. ²²Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?”

Well, um – he makes a strong argument NOT to eat the meat. But he already said it was fine to. It is very understandable that people who aren’t studying this could get the wrong idea here. But remember the Bible NEVER contradicts itself. So when you think it might – always study more or ask someone for help.

Here he makes the argument not to eat meat – Because he is talking about knowingly participating in it. Because if we are free, we might as well be first in line… but that is a NO. You can say – but you do not believe and maybe the god in me will screw up their ritual. BUT that is not how that works.

We have a man locally, who said a dead relative came to him in a séance and told him he had to open a restaurant, because the dead relative wants one more go at it so. Sounds crazy – but we know those are demons not his dead relative. The dead relative comes into the body of the owner to run the business and another into the cook for make the meals. The place is very successful and has séances and card readings and psychic fairs there monthly.
Now I am in Christ. I am free and none of that will harm me. I suppose I could eat there if I took the first part of what Paul says seriously. But I know they are advertising that the cook is possessed and can I eat at a demon’s table – literally? Will the God in me disrupt the devil in all of that? Not at all. That is not how spiritual warfare works.
Despite their very open claims to spirit running the join, I recently saw an ad of theirs where they boast they are now The Place to go after church on a Sunday. Because when churches get out they get packed. I hear the food is exceptionally good. But how can we sit in church and partake in the Lord’s cup and then go there and partake in the demonic joke that it is?

Let’s ask Paul what he thinks:

“²³All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.”

So Paul goes back to the argument that you can eat them meat if it edifies. I am sure that sitting at a demonic dinner does not edify.

“²⁴Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being. ²⁵Eat whatever is sold in the meat market, asking no questions for conscience’ sake; ²⁶for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness. ²⁷If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, and you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. ²⁸But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for conscience’ sake; for “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness.” ²⁹“Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience?”

So for those who go to that diner and did not see the ads or read its origin story – they are covered by grace. The same grace that covers me when I buy meat or accept meat not knowing if it was sacrificed to demons (because that does still happen) or not or even if it is kosher. But once I know – I cannot eat it. Like I know about that diner, so I cannot eat there. But if the fact that it’s the devils table isn’t enough – I must also avoid there because if I say I am covered and give thanks for the meal and another Christian who knows sees – it could cause offense.

“³⁰But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks?”

Lucky there are NOT a lot of demonic diners, at least not to my knowledge and don’t tell me! Lol
but like I said before there are a lot of other things this can relate to, like alcohol. It is better to just rise above and avoid any potential appearance of evil.

Ok – let’s take this one step further. Social media. Oh yea – I said it. I have made some compromises, even recently, so I made myself a personal rule for my personal page: does this further the kingdom? It does not further the kingdom to post things that offend and are insensitive. I do see things that some would find offensive and I find funny and I laugh and send privately to others who have the same humor. But let us not be contentious trolls! That doesn’t save souls. So post what you want to the glory of God!

“³¹Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ³²Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, ³³just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.”

This is a good couple of verses to tape to the top of your monitor to help you be careful what you comment on, like and share. You do not need to post only scripture verses. This blog has social media and it does post only verses. But my personal page has NONE. Honestly. I also run the leather jewelry business on Facebook and I have been put in jail a few times twice for scripture verses!

One was Joel 2:1 – which apparently incites violence.
“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;” Joel 2:1 KJV
Or more accurately – the autobots reviewing our posts understand the scriptures better than we humans do. I placed a formal objection and won, as it is a Bible verse and it is now cataloged in their AI as a verse. Unfortunately it still doesn’t incite violence as most believers fail to understand.
“the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” Matt 11:12 KJV
But humbly without offense to the brethren and without offense to the souls we are trying to reach.

It is not impossible to try not to be a hypocrite, and I you screw up, be open and repentant about it. I have also seen mighty men from the military who were prideful egomaniacs and others who were humble, even with all their awards and honors on their chest.

***

Thank you for reading in 2022 – a Year of Wisdom and Salvation
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

29 May 202227 May 2022

WEEKEND READING – 5-29-22

“O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.” Psalm 63:1-2 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

BIBLE READING:

Today’s reading is the Book of Psalms chapters 62-67 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

A Calm Resolve to Wait for the Salvation of God

To the Chief Musician. To Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

62 Truly my soul silently waits for God;
From Him comes my salvation.
²He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my ^[a]defense;
I shall not be greatly moved.^[b]

³How long will you attack a man?
You shall be slain, all of you,
Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.
⁴They only consult to cast him down from his high position;
They delight in lies;
They bless with their mouth,
But they curse inwardly. Selah

⁵My soul, wait silently for God alone,
For my ^[c]expectation is from Him.
⁶He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be ^[d]moved.
⁷In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God.

⁸Trust in Him at all times, you people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah

⁹Surely men of low degree are ^[e]a vapor,
Men of high degree are a lie;
If they are weighed on the scales,
They are altogether lighter than vapor.
¹⁰Do not trust in oppression,
Nor vainly hope in robbery;
If riches increase,
Do not set your heart on them.

¹¹God has spoken once,
Twice I have heard this:
That power belongs to God.
¹²Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy;
For You ^[f]render to each one according to his work.

Joy in the Fellowship of God

A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

63 O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
²So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.

³Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips shall praise You.
⁴Thus I will bless You while I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
⁵My soul shall be satisfied as with ^[g]marrow and ^[h]fatness,
And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.

⁶When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches.
⁷Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
⁸My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.

⁹But those who seek my life, to destroy it,
Shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
¹⁰They shall ^[i]fall by the sword;
They shall be ^[j]a portion for jackals.

¹¹But the king shall rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him shall glory;
But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

Oppressed by the Wicked but Rejoicing in the Lord

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

64 Hear my voice, O God, in my ^[k]meditation;
Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.
²Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
From the rebellion of the workers of iniquity,
³Who sharpen their tongue like a sword,
And bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words,
⁴That they may shoot in secret at the blameless;
Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.

⁵They encourage themselves in an evil matter;
They talk of laying snares secretly;
They say, “Who will see them?”
⁶They devise iniquities:
“We have perfected a shrewd scheme.”
Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.

⁷But God shall shoot at them with an arrow;
Suddenly they shall be wounded.
⁸So He will make them stumble over their own tongue;
All who see them shall flee away.
⁹All men shall fear,
And shall declare the work of God;
For they shall wisely consider His doing.

¹⁰The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him.
And all the upright in heart shall glory.

Praise to God for His Salvation and Providence

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. A Song.

65 Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion;
And to You the ^[l]vow shall be performed.
²O You who hear prayer,
To You all flesh will come.
³Iniquities prevail against me;
As for our transgressions,
You will provide atonement for them.

⁴Blessed is the man You choose,
And cause to approach You,
That he may dwell in Your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Of Your holy temple.

⁵By awesome deeds in righteousness You will answer us,
O God of our salvation,
You who are the confidence of all the ends of the earth,
And of the far-off seas;
⁶Who established the mountains by His strength,
Being clothed with power;
⁷You who still the noise of the seas,
The noise of their waves,
And the tumult of the peoples.
⁸They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs;
You make the outgoings of the morning and evening ^[m]rejoice.

⁹You ^[n]visit the earth and water it,
You greatly enrich it;
The river of God is full of water;
You provide their grain,
For so You have prepared it.
¹⁰You water its ridges abundantly,
You settle its furrows;
You make it soft with showers,
You bless its growth.

¹¹You crown the year with Your goodness,
And Your paths drip with abundance.
¹²They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,
And the little hills rejoice on every side.
¹³The pastures are clothed with flocks;
The valleys also are covered with grain;
They shout for joy, they also sing.

Praise to God for His Awesome Works

To the Chief Musician. A Song. A Psalm.

66 Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
²Sing out the honor of His name;
Make His praise glorious.
³Say to God,
“How awesome are Your works!
Through the greatness of Your power
Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.
⁴All the earth shall worship You
And sing praises to You;
They shall sing praises to Your name.” Selah

⁵Come and see the works of God;
He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.
⁶He turned the sea into dry land;
They went through the river on foot.
There we will rejoice in Him.
⁷He rules by His power forever;
His eyes observe the nations;
Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

⁸Oh, bless our God, you peoples!
And make the voice of His praise to be heard,
⁹Who keeps our soul among the living,
And does not allow our feet to ^[o]be moved.
¹⁰For You, O God, have tested us;
You have refined us as silver is refined.
¹¹You brought us into the net;
You laid affliction on our backs.
¹²You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to ^[p]rich fulfillment.

¹³I will go into Your house with burnt offerings;
I will pay You my ^[q]vows,
¹⁴Which my lips have uttered
And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.
¹⁵I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals,
With the sweet aroma of rams;
I will offer bulls with goats. Selah

¹⁶Come and hear, all you who fear God,
And I will declare what He has done for my soul.
¹⁷I cried to Him with my mouth,
And He was ^[r]extolled with my tongue.
¹⁸If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear.
¹⁹But certainly God has heard me;
He has attended to the voice of my prayer.

²⁰Blessed be God,
Who has not turned away my prayer,
Nor His mercy from me!

An Invocation and a Doxology

To the Chief Musician. On ^[s]stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.

67 God be merciful to us and bless us,
And cause His face to shine upon us, Selah
²That Your way may be known on earth,
Your salvation among all nations.

³Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
⁴Oh, let the nations be glad and sing for joy!
For You shall judge the people righteously,
And govern the nations on earth. Selah

⁵Let the peoples praise You, O God;
Let all the peoples praise You.
⁶Then the earth shall ^[t]yield her increase;
God, our own God, shall bless us.
⁷God shall bless us,
And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.

Footnotes

Psalm 62:2 strong tower
Psalm 62:2 shaken
Psalm 62:5 hope
Psalm 62:6 shaken
Psalm 62:9 vanity
Psalm 62:12 reward
Psalm 63:5 Lit. fat
Psalm 63:5 Abundance
Psalm 63:10 Lit. pour him out by the hand of the sword
Psalm 63:10 Prey
Psalm 64:1 complaint
Psalm 65:1 A promised deed
Psalm 65:8 shout for joy
Psalm 65:9 give attention to
Psalm 66:9 slip
Psalm 66:12 abundance
Psalm 66:13 Promised deeds
Psalm 66:17 praised
Psalm 67:1 Heb. neginoth
Psalm 67:6 give her produce

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

John 20:31- “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

***

Thank you for reading in 2022 – a Year of Wisdom and Salvation
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

28 May 202227 May 2022

WEEKEND READING – 5-28-22

“Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer.From the end of the earth I will cry to You, When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy.I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah” Psalm 61:1-4 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

BIBLE READING:

Today’s reading is the Book of Psalms chapters 57-61 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

Prayer for Safety from Enemies

To the Chief Musician. Set to ^[a]“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David when he fled from Saul into the cave.

57 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by.

²I will cry out to God Most High,
To God who performs all things for me.
³He shall send from heaven and save me;
He reproaches the one who ^[b]would swallow me up. Selah
God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.

⁴My soul is among lions;
I lie among the sons of men
Who are set on fire,
Whose teeth are spears and arrows,
And their tongue a sharp sword.
⁵Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.

⁶They have prepared a net for my steps;
My soul is bowed down;
They have dug a pit before me;
Into the midst of it they themselves have fallen. Selah

⁷My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise.
⁸Awake, my glory!
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.

⁹I will praise You, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing to You among the ^[c]nations.
¹⁰For Your mercy reaches unto the heavens,
And Your truth unto the clouds.

¹¹Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
Let Your glory be above all the earth.

The Just Judgment of the Wicked

To the Chief Musician. Set to ^[d]“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David.

58 Do you indeed speak righteousness, you silent ones?
Do you judge uprightly, you sons of men?
²No, in heart you work wickedness;
You weigh out the violence of your hands in the earth.

³The wicked are estranged from the womb;
They go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.
⁴Their poison is like the poison of a serpent;
They are like the deaf cobra that stops its ear,
⁵Which will not heed the voice of charmers,
Charming ever so skillfully.

⁶Break^[e] their teeth in their mouth, O God!
Break out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!
⁷Let them flow away as waters which run continually;
When he bends his bow,
Let his arrows be as if cut in pieces.
⁸Let them be like a snail which melts away as it goes,
Like a stillborn child of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

⁹Before your pots can feel the burning thorns,
He shall take them away as with a whirlwind,
As in His living and burning wrath.
¹⁰The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance;
He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,
¹¹So that men will say,
“Surely there is a reward for the righteous;
Surely He is God who judges in the earth.”

The Assured Judgment of the Wicked

To the Chief Musician. Set to ^[f]“Do Not Destroy.” A Michtam of David when Saul sent men, and they watched the house in order to kill him.

59 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
^[g]Defend me from those who rise up against me.
²Deliver me from the workers of iniquity,
And save me from bloodthirsty men.

³For look, they lie in wait for my life;
The mighty gather against me,
Not for my transgression nor for my sin, O Lord.
⁴They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine.

Awake to help me, and behold!
⁵You therefore, O Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel,
Awake to punish all the ^[h]nations;
Do not be merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah

⁶At evening they return,
They growl like a dog,
And go all around the city.
⁷Indeed, they belch with their mouth;
Swords are in their lips;
For they say, “Who hears?”

⁸But You, O Lord, shall laugh at them;
You shall have all the ^[i]nations in derision.
⁹I will wait for You, O You ^[j]his Strength;
For God is my ^[k]defense.
¹⁰^[l]My God of mercy shall come to meet me;
God shall let me see my desire on my enemies.

¹¹Do not slay them, lest my people forget;
Scatter them by Your power,
And bring them down,
O Lord our shield.
¹²For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips,
Let them even be taken in their pride,
And for the cursing and lying which they speak.
¹³Consume them in wrath, consume them,
That they may not be;
And let them know that God rules in Jacob
To the ends of the earth. Selah

¹⁴And at evening they return,
They growl like a dog,
And go all around the city.
¹⁵They wander up and down for food,
And ^[m]howl if they are not satisfied.

¹⁶But I will sing of Your power;
Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning;
For You have been my defense
And refuge in the day of my trouble.
¹⁷To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises;
For God is my defense,
My God of mercy.

Urgent Prayer for the Restored Favor of God

To the Chief Musician. Set to ^[n]“Lily of the Testimony.” A Michtam of David. For teaching. When he fought against Mesopotamia and Syria of Zobah, and Joab returned and killed twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

60 O God, You have cast us off;
You have broken us down;
You have been displeased;
Oh, restore us again!
²You have made the earth tremble;
You have broken it;
Heal its breaches, for it is shaking.
³You have shown Your people hard things;
You have made us drink the wine of ^[o]confusion.

⁴You have given a banner to those who fear You,
That it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah
⁵That Your beloved may be delivered,
Save with Your right hand, and hear me.

⁶God has spoken in His holiness:
“I will rejoice;
I will divide Shechem
And measure out the Valley of Succoth.
⁷Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine;
Ephraim also is the ^[p]helmet for My head;
Judah is My lawgiver.
⁸Moab is My washpot;
Over Edom I will cast My shoe;
Philistia, shout in triumph because of Me.”

⁹Who will bring me to the strong city?
Who will lead me to Edom?
¹⁰Is it not You, O God, who cast us off?
And You, O God, who did not go out with our armies?
¹¹Give us help from trouble,
For the help of man is useless.
¹²Through God we will do valiantly,
For it is He who shall tread down our enemies.

Assurance of God’s Eternal Protection

To the Chief Musician. On ^[q]a stringed instrument. A Psalm of David.

61 Hear my cry, O God;
Attend to my prayer.
²From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

³For You have been a shelter for me,
A strong tower from the enemy.
⁴I will abide in Your ^[r]tabernacle forever;
I will trust in the shelter of Your wings. Selah

⁵For You, O God, have heard my vows;
You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.
⁶You will prolong the king’s life,
His years as many generations.
⁷He shall abide before God forever.
Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may ^[s]preserve him!

⁸So I will sing praise to Your name forever,
That I may daily perform my vows.

Footnotes

Psalm 57:1 Heb. Al Tashcheth
Psalm 57:3 snaps at or hounds me, or crushes me
Psalm 57:9 Gentiles
Psalm 58:1 Heb. Al Tashcheth
Psalm 58:6 Break away
Psalm 59:1 Heb. Al Tashcheth
Psalm 59:1 Lit. Set me on high
Psalm 59:5 Gentiles
Psalm 59:8 Gentiles
Psalm 59:9 So with MT, Syr.; some Heb. mss., LXX, Tg., Vg. my Strength
Psalm 59:9 Lit. fortress
Psalm 59:10 So with Qr.; some Heb. mss., LXX, Vg. My God, His mercy; Kt., some Heb. mss., Tg. O God, my mercy; Syr. O God, Your mercy
Psalm 59:15 So with LXX, Vg.; MT, Syr., Tg. spend the night
Psalm 60:1 Heb. Shushan Eduth
Psalm 60:3 staggering
Psalm 60:7 Lit. protection
Psalm 61:1 Heb. neginah
Psalm 61:4 tent
Psalm 61:7 Lit. guard or keep

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

John 20:31– “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

***

Thank you for reading in 2022 – a Year of Wisdom and Salvation
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

27 May 202226 May 2022

Self-Denial and Service – 5-27-22

“Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?” 1 Corinthians 9:7 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

BIBLE READING:

Today’s reading is the Book of First Corinthians chapter 9 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

A Pattern of Self-Denial

9 Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? ²If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the ^[a]seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

³My defense to those who examine me is this: ⁴Do we have no ^[b]right to eat and drink? ⁵Do we have no right to take along ^[c]a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? ⁶Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? ⁷Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?

⁸Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? ⁹For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? ¹⁰Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. ¹¹If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? ¹²If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?

Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. ¹³Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? ¹⁴Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.

¹⁵But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. ¹⁶For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. ¹⁸What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel ^[d]of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.

Serving All Men

¹⁹For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; ²⁰and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the ^[e]law, that I might win those who are under the law; ²¹to those who are without law, as without law (not being without ^[f]law toward God, but under ^[g]law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; ²²to the weak I became ^[h]as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. ²³Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

Striving for a Crown

²⁴Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may ^[i]obtain it. ²⁵And everyone who competes for the prize ^[j]is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. ²⁶Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. ²⁷But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Footnotes

1 Corinthians 9:2 certification
1 Corinthians 9:4 authority
1 Corinthians 9:5 Lit. a sister, a wife
1 Corinthians 9:18 NU omits of Christ
1 Corinthians 9:20 NU adds though not being myself under the law
1 Corinthians 9:21 NU God’s law
1 Corinthians 9:21 NU Christ’s law
1 Corinthians 9:22 NU omits as
1 Corinthians 9:24 win
1 Corinthians 9:25 exercises self-control

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

John 20:31– “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

STUDY/DEVOTIONAL:

With a more clear mind, and heart still saddened by the events in Texas – let us try to focus on the passage at hand: self-denial and service. Paul writes in defense of his apostleship. Again we do not know what exactly he is responding to, if anything. And what is with a title like ‘Apostle’ anyway?

Yesterday’s reading about being careful of other’s conscience very smoothly leads to today’s reading if we did not separate things with chapters and verses. More than defending himself – what if Paul is writing using himself as an example of this love and care for other’s where they are in conscience and in their walk with Jesus?
But regardless of why Paul is writing it – we have layers and layers of things we can take away from this chapter.

“¹ Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? ²If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.”

Establishing authority under Christ in a calling with a title is important both for man to understand as well as we know the spirit world is in an authority structure and they respond only to higher ranking authorities, by title. So, quite literally Paul is taking authority over any principalities and powers disrupting his church. (And how lovely, that in the middle of corrections, Paul calls then his fruit – they have been fruitful.)

“³My defense to those who examine me is this: ⁴Do we have no right to eat and drink? ⁵Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? ⁶Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? ⁷Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?”

Here you see where this thought carried over from yesterday and is building on it. Paul’s hypothetical questions about rights to eat or not to eat, to marry or stay single which we understand because of yesterday’s discussion. Today he expands it to cover service to the Lord and if Paul is entitled to a day off.

But let’s look closer at verse 7. I do not believe anyone after Paul is called to be an apostle. The Bible literally says he is the last Apostle. But the Bible says we will be called to be pastors, missionaries, evangelists, prophets, teachers, deacons, so on and so forth… down to the general Christian population. Yes, the general Christian population is called to share the good news and to have signs and wonders follow them. So verse 7 is our hope and encouragement. Sometimes we look at our task and it seems too big for us and we wonder why God asked us to do it. Even witnessing and sharing Jesus is a big ask when we first learn of this calling. If we do not know how to yet, it can be scary.
So here is our hope: No one goes to war on their own expense. – God asked you to do it he will provide the money, the provisions and the training!
Here is more hope: If you plant it, you get to eat of the fruit. In 1980 I dragged a school mate to church with me. Her whole family is saved and she is a beautiful godly woman. 42 years later, I am still eating of the fruit with a friendship which edifies me.
More hope: If you care for a flock you get milk. Each one of these represents God’s provision in meeting needs – but this last one shows God is often more than we need and he does exceedingly abundant – flocks do not just give milk, for drinking, butter and cheese. Flocks give fiber for clothing and meat for eating.
God takes good care of his children who answer the call. No matter how small or big the call is.

“⁸Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? ⁹For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? ¹⁰Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.”

Paul points out this isn’t a new idea – Paul shows where in the scriptures he has pulled it from. And it is another verse that is so strong in grace and hope: That we shall NOT be restrained in our calling. And sometimes we feel it, some sort of restraint. Often it is fear and demonic. Give no place to the devil. Partake rather in hope – God will not hold you back.
It seems funny for me to say, since for the first 3 years of returning to God I felt God say: “SHUT UP!” I felt God did not want me to pray down the fire, use the anointing burning within me, or speak out in testimony. And when I did, people could not hear me. Their responses to be were strange and proof they did not hear – and I have witnesses, friends who heard. However Jesus had a waiting period where he said it was not yet time. Paul had a few years alone with Jesus to learn and grow. I too have a time of God rebuilding my foundations and securing my walk. I was an ox eager to go tread out the grain and practiced in my pen. I thought I was restrained – but I wasn’t even out of my pen yet and over to the job sight. Once on the job – God does not restrain you.

“¹¹If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?”

Sowing and reaping. It applies to the spirit, to the finances and to anything. I know many people who sow spiritual things to people and reap finances. Pastors, church administrators, and even laymen writing books and teaching classes which they charge for. I have been told often to charge for these studies. And that would be the only way God will move me from living miracle to miracle, to living in the overflow.
Jesus said, Freely you receive so freely give. And here Paul is showing he was due a payment by the principles of sowing and reaping, but he did not take one. He gives freely as Jesus said. Now, it is NOT wrong for pastors to be paid, or others. But for Paul and for me – our ministry is not our provider, God is.

“¹²If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. ¹³Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? ¹⁴Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.”

This is interesting, and a fine line of understanding. Because verse 12 shows others did take payments. But for Paul it would hinder God’s work. Paul describes his work as holy and an offering – further saying he eats from it – meaning God provides. If you preach the gospel, you should live by it. Which certainly sounds like a pastor should not take a salary, but it is Biblical. So with this fine line as to when to take of the harvest and when not to. Honestly, I couldn’t ask you al to pay me for my studies – God pays me well with rich insights and epiphanies.

“¹⁵But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. ¹⁶For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. ¹⁸What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.”

Paul can boast – not meaning bragging or pride. Paul can have clear conscience that he gives without thought of restitution – preaches without tickling ears for a better gift offering. Paul can say he preaches because of his love for Christ and souls – not from duty to a calling. Paul’s eyes are on heaven and he strives to make God happy – only God.

“¹⁹For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more;”

Paul is literally preaching some of the core principles of Christianity straight from Jesus. First he reminds us to apply reaping and sowing to every area of our lives and that God provides enough and then some. Now we are onto Jesus’s lesson about humility and being a servant to all.

“²⁰and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; ²¹to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; ²²to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. ²³Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.”

I once heard a guy explain this as – you need to lie and fake it to be like others. No. I do not need to lie and tell someone who had an abortion that I also had one in order to reach her. BUT I can pull form my own life and similar feelings and when my son’s father and I discussed aborting our son. (Maybe that is a bad example because he did all the talking and all I said was no.) But I can relate to despair and grieving a future I planned and the inability to see how and if everything was going to be ok. I can understand the lie and how women are vulnerable during that time and why they buy it.

“²⁴Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. ²⁵And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.”

In high school I played sports. And long distance running was one of them. Coach would tell us what places he wanted us to finish in, in order for the team as a whole to win. So sometimes side by side with my own team mate, she needed a higher placing for her state standing and I was ok, and he wanted her to come in in front of me. So as soon as I saw the finish I kicked it in. Meaning I started sprinting with every last bit of effort. I figured she would too. But she didn’t. So I had to slow down, in order to let her place – for the good of the team and her state standing. I asked her why she did not kick it in and she said she didn’t have to. Paul is saying we have to kick it in. There is NO ONE going to let us place.
The truth is we do not all get participation prizes in this race. Now I am sure Paul already took first place. But I still intend to place! I can also strive for MVP. Who knows, maybe someday I will beat Paul’s time.

“²⁶Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. ²⁷But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

Good stuff. I mean we all fall and slip up. I tell you all so we can learn together – but how does someone who is fallible remain un-hypocritical? Discipline, self-denial, and serving others in humility are goals we run for. None of us are perfect, and this is how we can become all things to all people.

How is today Friday already?! Glory to God!
Join us over the weekend for some weekend wisdom reading from Psalms, presented without discussion. And then we’ll come back to 1 Corinthians on Monday! Even though in the USA it is a holiday, we will still have a reading with discussion. God before holidays.

***

Thank you for reading in 2022 – a Year of Wisdom and Salvation
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

26 May 202225 May 2022

Be Sensitive to Conscience – 5-26-22

“yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.” 1 Corinthians 8:6 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

BIBLE READING:

Today’s reading is the Book of First Corinthians chapter 8 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

Be Sensitive to Conscience

8 Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge ^[a]puffs up, but love ^[b]edifies. ²And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. ³But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.

⁴Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. ⁵For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), ⁶yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

⁷However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁸But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.

⁹But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a ^[c]stumbling block to those who are weak. ¹⁰For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? ¹¹And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? ¹²But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

Footnotes

1 Corinthians 8:1 makes arrogant
1 Corinthians 8:1 builds up
1 Corinthians 8:9 cause of offense

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

John 20:31- “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

STUDY/DEVOTIONAL:

Studying the Bible does need some study of history. I know many study and read it without, but there is new depth and meaning when we do. Of course, when studying other civilizations we can’t help but compare to our own current world and country. And it always amazes me that the same social and human problems have never been overcome – from Noah’s days to Sodom and Gomorrah, to the end of the book of Judges to the beginning of the book of Jonah, not to mention all that lead up to the Babylonian captivity. Humans still struggle with pride, sin and violence with disregard for other human life – and a failure to repent.
In 2020, I really thought the USA was set up for a Babylonian takeover. In mercy God gave us terrible leadership to humble us. (I know I try to speak more of international news than of USA news – but today I speak of the USA.) One and a half years in and we have some humbling, but not enough. God may still send a Babylon to over throw us. We really need to figure out if we are a Sodom and Gomorrah or a Nineveh. We are looking at the first century, while reading Paul’s letters and we make so many comparisons. In many ways Rome was more corrupt and perverse in our eyes, but only because we are blind to how far we have slid into that same hole. They killed infants as birth control, gender control and population control – and we have abortions. They had sex for game and sport and entertainment in their temples and we have movies, a thriving porn industry, and have let sex slide into innocent areas like schools with sex ed, in marketing, and in clothing choices – even for small children. They had child brides and slaves – we have sex trafficking, protected by officials – just look at the outcome for Ghislaine Maxwell, guilty of trafficking girls for actors and politicians to use (and the name not released, so every last one of them must be on that list).
We often, starting in school – look at the past and assume we are SO MUCH BETTER THAN them. We are not. We say, at least we are better than Hilter, while China has camps in place and filled with suffering people and Canada wants to build the same camps. The US is not in the clear on this ne as the government did create blueprints and plans – not to mention the fact that the USA had internment camps for the Japanese during World War II. Let me argue that man has not changed and is no better.
If all of that doesn’t remind you of our grim reality – let’s discuss violence.
In the days of Noah it was sport. Don’t read Lot’s story form the bible to your children, instead read Sunday school lessons. And let’s not even talk about the violence in Judges – where one Judge’s wife was raped to death and cut up and delivered a piece to each tribe. In Roman times violence was theatre and we took that and made violent movies, games, marketing, books, and like sex – violence has slipped into every corner of our lives. We have become numb and scroll past it – instead of demanding it be removed. I can see an ad for a violent movie on my social media and the world does not call it violence. But I cannot see and ad for a gun or knife because the inanimate object is violent and evil in their eyes. In some ways we have become more depraved than Rome.
God tore down Rome when Rome began to corrupt Christianity in the Holy Roman Empire. The USA has corrupted Christianity with self-help pastors, fog machines, and bowing to the powers of this present world.

My mind is heavy – but not as heavy as my heart. The death count in the Texas School Shooting is up to 21 or 22? My heart breaks. But worse is, that I know it cannot be prevented. No other nation has this disregard for children’s lives – but no other nation is sending out abortion missionaries, well funded into the rest of the world to corrupt them and bring them down. We cannot put gun control in place and expect it to change a sin problem. We cannot talk and discuss motivation and give fame and notoriety – when it’s a lack of repentance issue. Are we going to fast and pray and get on our knees and save future children and families (and teachers and first responders) from a similar fate? Or will we give up our guns and enter into Babylon?

Today’s reading is about learning unity through NOT offending other believers – and I look to the heavens with my deep sorrow for the loss of these children and ask why we aren’t reading fire from heavens?! Why aren’t we reading that we can grab these leaders and smack them until they wake up or die so we can have good leaders in place? I know we can’t touch the Lord’s anointed – and God put Biden in place – there is no other explanation for why mules and other corruption worked without getting caught. And this is our punishment. So we fall on our faces.
Well, offenses must be. Jeremiah’s message was offensive and the priest threw him in jail and in the mud pits and beat him…. more times than I can count. Jeremiah did not offend the other prophets and godly people – only the corrupt ones. So as we read about being sensitive to others, be gentle with the baby Christians – but we are in a war and the time is short and souls depend on it!!!
Out of those 21 or 22 souls lost in Texas (yesterday for me – two days ago for you) – how many souls did heaven receive? Who told them about Jesus? Who waited for a tomorrow that now will never come?

I feel strongly Paul’s attitude at the end of yesterday’s study – Where Paul said here is the right and wrong – but it doesn’t matter if your eyes aren’t firmly fixed upon Jesus and saving souls because the hour is so very late!

So let’s talk about nonsense like food offered to idols, while 21 or so mommies mourn the loss of their babies.

“¹ Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. ²And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. ³But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.”

Wait a minute! Paul! What is this?! It would seem Paul is setting the stage again so that we keep his words in perspective. I always laughed uncomfortably with this verse – as I study and have knowledge and must be careful NOT to be a “know it all” in all situations. I have learned to pray that God opens my eyes and ears and understanding each time I open the Bible to ensure it is new and exciting – and God does show me new things daily.
I used to attend a Bible study, but only for a few weeks – because there were 3 “know it alls” in the class and they interrupted the teacher and corrected him in front of everyone. My first thought was you do not touch the Lord’s anointed (how dare they correct him publicly?!). And then I wandered back to this verse and I chose love. I stopped attending. And God opened doors for me to eventually be alone with each of those know it all and I gave them the part of my testimony of me learning this lesson – they already knew the verse and did not hear. But I hugged them and loved on them anyway; while praying I never become like that.

“⁴Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. ⁵For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords),”

I love how Paul essentially says we know their fake gods are make believe. And follows with another THIS IS WHO OUR GOD IS statement. I told you this book is full of insight into our God!

“⁶yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.”

All things exist through Him. We live through Him. He made all things.

“⁷However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. ⁸But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse.”

In modern words – Maybe someone was in a lifestyle of sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. They hear you listening to rock-n-roll and they think “I thought you were a Christian! How can you be into that?!” But to them it is a representation of a sin they were delivered from and you having not been entrenched in that life style and hearing it innocently think “what is this strange beat with guitar riff, I kind of like it.”
Ok let’s try for a better example – Alcohol. Let’s say a pastor is out for a nice meal celebrating his anniversary with his wife and they order some champagne to toast with. They only drink once a year with cheap champagne to remember their toast on their wedding day. But in walks two families from there church. The first family sees and says – what are you celebrating? Followed with a God bless! Because they know the Pastor doesn’t struggle with addiction and they do not struggle with addiction. But the second family comes over and says “how dare you drink the devils juice! What kind of an example are you? Don’t you know that will rip your family apart and destroy your life and our church?” Obviously, the second sees it through a different experience.
This is what was happening in the church. The ones who were delivered from the life style were offended by those who bought the meat because it was inexpensive.

“⁹But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. ¹⁰For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? ¹¹And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? ¹²But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. ¹³Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.”

And there it is – if you do drink in front of a recovered alcoholic it is a sin. If you listen to rock (even Christian rock) in front of a person saved from that lifestyle, you are wrong.
We do not always know what other people’s testimonies are or how we might offend them. So we might as well raise the standard and live above reproach.

I have heard people use this argument about Jewish unclean meat laws. And never here does it refer to unclean meat and the covenant with God to keep themselves pure. It is very interesting that Luke takes note many times in the book of Acts that Paul kept those Jewish purity traditions and did not eat unclean meat. Even while traveling ad food was not always available. They bought what they could. They may have had to buy the temple’s meat – but unless it was pig or other unclean animal, it was ok for Paul to eat it as long as no one who was delivered from that life style saw and stumbled.

Today as the world is stumbling around trying to make sense of the loss of innocent lives – be kind. Everyone is looking at this with a different lens. As your friends spout off on Facebook with their raw feelings – show love. They are hurting just like we are.
This is an opportunity to share the comforter with them – tell them of Jesus’s love and let God move. Offer to pray with them, hurting people are more open to prayer.
And pray for our nation! Pray for our world! If we do not repent, what comes after Biden will be Babylon – and it will be a billion times worse.

***

Thank you for reading in 2022 – a Year of Wisdom and Salvation
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

25 May 202224 May 2022

Protect the Woman – 5-25-22

“You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.” 1 Corinthians 7:23 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

BIBLE READING:

Today’s reading is the Book of First Corinthians chapter 7 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

Principles of Marriage

7 Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me:

It is good for a man not to touch a woman. ²Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. ³Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. ⁴The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. ⁵Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. ⁶But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment. ⁷For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.

⁸But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; ⁹but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Keep Your Marriage Vows

¹⁰Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. ¹¹But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.

¹²But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. ¹³And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. ¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. ¹⁵But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. ¹⁶For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

Live as You Are Called

¹⁷But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ^[a]ordain in all the churches. ¹⁸Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. ¹⁹Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters. ²⁰Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. ²¹Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. ²²For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave. ²³You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. ²⁴Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called.

To the Unmarried and Widows

²⁵Now concerning virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy. ²⁶I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress—that it is good for a man to remain as he is: ²⁷Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. ²⁸But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you.

²⁹But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, ³⁰those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, ³¹and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.

³²But I want you to be without ^[b]care. He who is unmarried ^[c]cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. ³³But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife. ³⁴There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. ³⁵And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.

³⁶But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his ^[d]virgin, if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin; let them marry. ³⁷Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so determined in his heart that he will keep his ^[e]virgin, does well. ³⁸So then he who gives ^[f]her in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better.

³⁹A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. ⁴⁰But she is happier if she remains as she is, according to my judgment—and I think I also have the Spirit of God.

Footnotes

1 Corinthians 7:17 direct
1 Corinthians 7:32 concern
1 Corinthians 7:32 is concerned about
1 Corinthians 7:36 Or virgin daughter
1 Corinthians 7:37 Or virgin daughter
1 Corinthians 7:38 NU his own virgin

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

John 20:31- “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

STUDY/DEVOTIONAL:

Marriage – It’s what brings us together today. I am NO expert on marriage or godly marriage and have no personal examples of what to do and what not to do. I have never been married. Oh course Jesus is the bridegroom and we are the bride – but that is the closest I come to experiencing the subject. Luckily, the man inspired to write these scriptures was also never married. So I feel I am qualified to speak on his texts.

What do the Original Audience know, that we may not? I have said it a few times – there are a few books in the Bible which REQUIRE knowledge of their historical culture in order to understand what the writer was saying. This book is one of them. If you do not know, it begins to appear that the Bible contradicts itself (which it never does) and when we apply the right answer to the wrong question – it is not the right answer.
First of all, verse one begins with: “Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me”. This gives us 2 points to discuss.
One is that they wrote Him with a question or questions and up to this point Paul has only addressed the issues he discussed with the letter carrier from Chloe’s house.
The second is: what did they write him about? This can be a big problem for us if we guess wrong as to what the question is. We know it has to do with marriage, because the response has to do with marriage. But we will never know exactly – that document did not survive time, and if it did, we have not found and verified it yet.
What did survive is a large number of writings from the time period which included laws, customs documented types of marriages….. It was from the Roman governmental documents that the USA government was modeled after. So we know there were a lot of components of their society we can understand and learn about. Like marriage
I already spilled the beans that there were legal ceremonial marriages (1) with expensive fees to pay to the Roman government for a legal marriage. There were common law marriages (2) and groups like non-wealthy Jews had their religious ceremony and just lived together as husband and wife for a year before the government would give them the ‘legal’ status. A third type of marriage was a debt payment marriage (3) – when a man owed a debt he could pay it by giving his daughter to the man he owes. His daughter would stay with the man as a wife for the required time until the debt was paid off then she could return to her father and he could let her marry for love or whatever. This was a legally recognized form of marriage and called marriage. And sometimes the man was already married to a wife and He was considered married to his first wife – but the marriage law covered the girl paying her father’s debt in order to prevent her from being exploited, ironically. So their system wasn’t perfect. Another was a type of marriage imposed on slaves (4) – slaves were not usually treated as slaves in early American history were recorded as being treated. Slaves had rights and small payments and were able to marry for love in type one or type two marriages. However their owner’s desires trumped their rights. So if he had a few male and female slaves and he wanted more slaves without buying them, he could essentially breed his slaves even if they were married to someone else. A slave marriage for breeding purposes usually last for one year and was covered by a legal marriage law (again) to prevent them from being exploited. (again, ironic) Another type of marriage was a temple marriage as part of the rituals in worship f certain gods and goddesses. And these marriages were usually temporary and covered by certain laws and many times were not freewill. And a few more each getting more perverse, including same sex marriages with a breeding clause and one including forcing children into marriage but honestly they seemingly legalized sex trafficking so we will not get into the detail. Yes, in some ways the Roman world was worse than our world. However these were “normal” and no one batted an eye. The law covered them so they wouldn’t be exploited so no one was fighting for their rights. (Seriously, the law covering an exploitation so it wouldn’t be further exploited is laughable.)
So when someone in Corinth speaks of marriage they could be speaking of any of these. The people discussing would know which type each situation had, so there was no need to differentiate. I do not know about you – but without knowing the question, or the people, or the situation, I cannot read this chapter in full confidence I know what’s what. But I can say I have full confidence in my Lord’s ability to give revelation to understand and take this all in context the way Paul intended it.

“¹ Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me:
It is good for a man not to touch a woman. ²Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. ³Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. ⁴The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. ⁵Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.“

If I was to guess – the question is something like what is a Christian marriage supposed to look like. Paul says it is ok to be single. It is ok to be married. So I ought to speak to singleness for a moment. Because much of the church pushes marriage. When you are as old as me, and past child bearing years, and never married – you’d think they would give up on me and drop it. But no. Every time the women get together they ask when will I look for a husband. Paul says it is fine not to.
But also, if you do… this is what it should look like, without body autonomy.

Can we speak of “My body, My choice?” In relation to the folks who are anti-vaccine many have given their bodies over the God to be the Temple. These are His body, His temple and I completely understand the concept that the ‘vax’ is a weapon attacking it in the spirit. It is not a flesh and blood battle or understanding.
In relation to the women using it as a fight against the pro-life, there is a glaring flaw. That mass inside them was created by God, may have a different blood type and hair color and has its own DNA and is NOT their body.
In relation to reality – body autonomy is not really a thing. Verse 5 points out the biggest human flaw when it comes to sex – we lack self-control. And one who denies it has either never been tempted or is a liar. Heck, sometimes pure people have sinful sex dreams, completely out of their control, because the draw it that powerful. If we die to self, we lose body autonomy to Christ and we belong to Him – and in a Godly marriage to our spouse as well. If we live to the lusts of our flesh, unsurrendered to God, then we still lose any autonomy to the enemy because without the Lord’s protection we become slaves to sin and corruption.
So when I hear people get made about Paul asking spouses to surrender their bodies to each other I immediately know that body is owned by the enemy – because God not only shares, he designed that sharing and communion to be powerful. Who is your body surrendered to?
People might be surprised at how well another person can care for you if you surrender to their care – especially if it is your spouse, who loves you.

“⁶But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment. ⁷For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that. ⁸But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; ⁹but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”
Paul is NOT speaking against the ‘be fruitful and multiply’ scriptures. Paul was encouraging the singles. You see, it is well know there were more males than females in the Roman world. Because female children were often taken out into the wilderness and left for dead. If you had a male child, you had an heir, you had a worker to help, you have a soldier sending home financial compensation, you had another vote, you had increased your presence and you had respect. If you had women, they helped in the home but nothing else contributed, in their eyes. Soon there was an imbalance. Soon men are taking child brides because lack of adults or other men. Paul is speaking to a social issue. God still wants us to marry and be fruitful. But do not be in bondage to the idea. Our modern world does not have an imbalance, but my church doesn’t have any single men my age. Here is the thing, do not sweat it – if you can be single, and I can, then do not be pressured to find a spouse, any spouse potentially marrying the wrong one.
Wait – is there a wrong one and a right one? Today is not the day to get into that. But if you are just marrying to get married… make sure you are equally yoked and in agreement on major things or it is the wrong one.

Now, Paul is about to lay out some rules on divorce in Roman society in the body of believers. Did God change His laws and rules on divorce? No. God’s perfect will is that we consult Him first before marriage and that we never divorce. But God knows how stiff necked humans are and left a way for a Biblical divorce.

“¹⁰Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. ¹¹But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.”

In Roman society a woman must be married or under her Father in order to do certain things and go certain places. A divorced woman and a widow were restricted and could not do everything they needed to do to survive. Widows with adult children had them care for her, getting her things she needed from places she could not go. But widows with small children had to find a kind neighbor or friend to help. Or needed to have the money to pay someone to do it. So the original divorce laws stay in place – but to act like a Christian – if you must separate, do not divorce her and let her keep the benefits from society from being married. These married women rights were so important, they even gave them to the sex trafficked ‘wives’ and such. You see it was easier to make a million marriage laws than to give women inalienable rights. It is the Christian thing, not to take them away again after a marriage doesn’t work out.

“¹²But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. ¹³And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. ¹⁴For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. ¹⁵But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace. ¹⁶For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?”

It is very hard to be married to a believer of you aren’t one. We say things that sound scary and cult like if you aren’t familiar, like drinking Christ’s blood. Which is meant as a poetic symbol to edify us.
I used to work as a divorce paralegal. A man came in and he and his wife were separated and it was time to finish the task. It was a sad day. He and his wife attended the church I grew up in for a while. She was a believer, and he tried – for her. And they tried to stay married – valiantly tried. It is hard. Obviously as complex as humans and their emotions are, there was so much more going on besides different beliefs. It was sad, he cried when it was final. I suggested he talk to God about it and this time be a believer for himself and not for her.
Paul seemed to understand this and was encouraging people to stay with it and fight the good fight for their soul! No soul left behind, style.

“¹⁷But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches. ¹⁸Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. ¹⁹Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters. ²⁰Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called.”

We get caught up in the emotions of marriage and forget the point. The point is souls. Your husband’s or wife’s soul is important, pray fervently for them. It is literally a married person’s spiritual Job to pray and take authority over evil and cover them with the blood. IT IS YOUR JOB.
It is no wonder, that the idea of callings and giftings could be points of contention in a marriage and if you have a gift, you should not put it away for your spouse. But Paul also broadens the scope so it can be applied to everyone.
If I am called to teach, I may not have the gift of interpreting dreams (not a 5 fold ministry gift, but I am going to use it because this came up recently). I had a crazy dream. I do that often. I also went to school for art and loved classed on images meanings in society and image interpretations. So I can usually interpret my own dreams as well as others fairly easily. BUT it is not my gifting with God… and when I had a dream with new images I had to seek help from someone in the body with that gift. I do not go out of my way to interpret dreams – I stay in my lane. This is what Paul speaks of. We all can do a lot of things – but stay on the lane of who you were called to be.

“²¹Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. ²²For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave.”

Now, Paul speaks to the slaves – my heart breaks for them. Just using statistical probability and the nature of Corinth and temples, it is highly probable that up to 35 to 40% of their congregation were slaves/servants. And of that population it is highly probable that half of them were slaves to the various temples in the city. Imagine needed that kind of deliverance.
Paul says a small thing that shine a light on another big problem in the Roman society. In verse 21: “If you can be made free”. You see first of all – slaves were paid servants, unlike black history in the USA (where some were paid and some were not). And women often earned enough to buy their freedom (men seldom earned enough), but the women would stay – why? Because without a husband or owner they had no rights. The status of slave was better than being free. This is a huge ask – to ask them to use their means to freedom, because without a solid support system – it is a death sentence. And that support system was NOT yet in place, obviously – or Paul would have no need to write these things.

Now Paul flips and says the converse

“²³You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. ²⁴Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called.”

Apparently there were some who Paul thought would take what he said and go to the other extreme or maybe were already going to the other extreme to want to sell themselves into slavery in order to be Christ’s freeman. So Paul wisely nips it in the bud.

This next section Paul speaks to the singles, the widows, the unmarried:

“²⁵Now concerning virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy. ²⁶I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress—that it is good for a man to remain as he is: ²⁷Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. ²⁸But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you.”

We are chest deep in verses quoted out of context and running amuck putting our teens and young adults in bondages that are not of God. That was not to just virgins, but if they lost their virginity Paul was not going to call then out – they have been forgiven and God sees them fresh – so does Paul.
“Good because of the present distress” what is he talking about? He is talking about the lack of women. Do we currently lack in men or women? No. so again – he is trying to encourage men of his time and he is not saying we should not be fruitful and multiply. We are to occupy until he returns. And don’t put singleness onto someone or encourage a single person this way.

“²⁹But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, ³⁰those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, ³¹and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.”

Paul is still encouraging the singles – time is short focus on God, Kingdom building and Heaven. Don’t focus on systems of this world like marriage and money. These men needed hope and focus.

“³²But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. ³³But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife. ³⁴There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. ³⁵And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.”

No – not to be nuns and celibate. Paul is encouraging this specific situation. But, let me tell you – I am single and LOVE that I answer to no one but my Lord! And I cannot imagine how another person can fit into this. And I do not want to compromise my time with Jesus. This is a good encouragement to singles to stop focusing on what they don’t have (like a spouse) and focus on what they do have: unlimited time focused on Jesus! Which is awesome without a husband and kids to distract you.

“³⁶But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin; let them marry. ³⁷Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so determined in his heart that he will keep his virgin, does well. ³⁸So then he who gives her in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better.”

Ok – a little bit to unpack here. His virgin means his daughter, or maybe a women he owns (as young woman who were unmarried often sold themselves into slavery just to have the covering and the rights and the owner could sell her into marriage, not a breeding slave marriage but a civil ceremonial marriage. It was a business deal, because women were few – men would buy them to marry. It is better, Paul says to keep her then to sell her into marriage.

“³⁹A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. ⁴⁰But she is happier if she remains as she is, according to my judgment—and I think I also have the Spirit of God.”

The whole point of this is to make sure the women are protected and cared for. That they and everyone is encouraged to serve God. Paul doesn’t want to see them exploited – and is subtly calling out the corruption and exploitation of the evil treatment of marriage and woman.

I hope putting the letter back into time helps you understand it better – and then draw from it, what is still applicable to you today.

***

Thank you for reading in 2022 – a Year of Wisdom and Salvation
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

24 May 202223 May 2022

God’s Children, We are His – 5-24-22

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” 1 Corinthians 6:19 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

BIBLE READING:

Today’s reading is the Book of First Corinthians chapter 6 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

Do Not Sue the Brethren

6 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? ²Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? ³Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? ⁴If then you have ^[a]judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? ⁵I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? ⁶But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!

⁷Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? ⁸No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! ⁹Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor ^[b]homosexuals, nor ^[c]sodomites, ¹⁰nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were ^[d]sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

Glorify God in Body and Spirit

¹²All things are lawful for me, but all things are not ^[e]helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of ^[f]any. ¹³Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.

¹⁵Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! ¹⁶Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” ¹⁷But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

¹⁸Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. ¹⁹Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ²⁰For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body ^[g]and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Footnotes

1 Corinthians 6:4 courts
1 Corinthians 6:9 catamites, those submitting to homosexuals
1 Corinthians 6:9 male homosexuals
1 Corinthians 6:11 set apart
1 Corinthians 6:12 profitable
1 Corinthians 6:12 Or anything
1 Corinthians 6:20 NU omits the rest of v. 20.

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

John 20:31- “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

STUDY/DEVOTIONAL:

This chapter is really a continuation of yesterday’s ideas in a broader understanding of the root problems facing this church. And this church is the church of Corinth – a very modernized ancient city that is extremely similar to the social and moral condition of our modern world.

The problem is first, they forgot who they are and divided themselves. They forgot who they are and that they are the temple. They forgot who they are and forgot to guard against wokeness and compromise. And they forgot who they are – children and heirs to the MOST HIGH GOD. They took their eyes off God and looked at each other and divisions, tolerance, and strife happened.
In a world where their court system was very much like today (back then it was very theatre to watch a court case and as Mr. Depp and Ms. Heard have proven – the world still loves the theatrics of court). Every case could potentially be a public spectacle like Depp v. Heard (or like the old Jerry Springer Show). Potentially the fame or notoriety could give a dopamine rush like none other. But if believers participate in this circus – what does it do to their testimony. It is like winning the battle to learn you lost the war. It’s like spending $100 to save a penny. It’s like God is love and inside of me, while punching someone repeatedly in the face – either God is not love or God is not inside of you and no bloody beaten face wants to stick around to find out which.

“¹Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?”

Roughly translated: Huge Sigh and then – ‘there is so much to unpack here. How can I say this so you understand? This behavior is beneath us. Rise up and act like a Christian.’

“²Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? ³Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? ⁴If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge?”

Ironically when pride come into your heart and mind, instead of rising up in God’s hand, instead of being built on a rock unshakable, instead of being in full understanding of who God says you are in Him, and instead of meeting the high standards of heaven, people stoop to the lows and depravity of this world. We forget who we are and to come out from among them. Paul address who we are in Christ in many of his letters.

“⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:4-10 NKJV

When addressing the church in Ephesus, Paul uses present tense “made us sit” or seated in Heavenly Places – outside of time, space or circumstance. Before the Lord looses us to do great exploits – shouldn’t we first learn who we are in Him and STAND FIRM in that?! We all fail to hold our position and authority from time to time – and worse yet, sometimes we get so excited about it pride in it might begin to pop up and that is dangerous. God takes people down a notch very quickly, when He is not glorified in that fact that He lifted us up.

So it was to the Christians at Corinth’s shame that they did not understand who they were In Him and how terribly the example and witness is to air their dirty laundry in the theatre.

“⁵I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? ⁶But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!”

AS you really study and get to know Paul – you can tell he is getting very emotional about this – there is a lot to unpack. These Corinthians do not make small little mistakes when they err – they make huge complex messes when they goof up! Sometimes I feel this is me! It really could be any of us.

“⁷Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?”

Hard truths there. Let’s use an example from my life, where I (thankfully) did something right. I have a friend who literally made 3 times my salary and had a second income earner in her house (aka her husband). They are believers. They were trying to buy a house and had a baby on the way and needed room for the kid. The problem was, they were $3000 plus short in liquid assets. There was nothing left to shift, move, shuffle, or sell when they tried to free up somethings to come up with the down payment. It looked as if their lives were going to get cramped and complicated really soon. I had the money in the bank – it was my emergency fund, it took me years to save that. It was no small amount as a single mom making well under half the national average for the job (small town where everyone’s pay is less). But I had it and that dear sister needed it and she could easily afford to pay me back a little at a time. To this day there has never even been an attempt to pay it back. I was advised to take her to court.

I asked when she thought she would start repaying and soon there was drama from her and she developed deceptive behavior and we had a complete decline in our friendship. Well, I learned she had a few bad situations and was not going to be able to pay me back as we agreed. She could have paid a little less at a time. But her coping skills were obviously too immature. So I gave the money to God – she needs to pay HIM back and I forgave her. She moved away when the bank foreclosed on her property – to a different state and a different corner of the country. When they come back to visit – I get together and spend time with them. And we never discuss it.
You see her behavior was already reflecting badly on Christians. These are some of the reasons Christian are called hypocrites and worst that sinners – it also make us less trust worthy. I learned these things when I was young and even though I was not serving God like I should have at that time – it was the right thing to do and let God handle it. (Also, fair to note that I forgave, but I did not forget – she’ll never get money from me again unless God steps in and tells me I must.) Also it was right NOT to take it to court and make a huge circus out of it.

“⁸No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren!”

And then Paul reveals this! You see the readers knew there was deceptive behavior going on and Paul waited until he unpacked the first part to then reveal the deeper offense.

“^9aDo you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived.”

Paul is literally scaring the Hell out of them! He is threatening them with Hell – oh yeah, Paul is not playing! Here is the awful truth.
And you say – But salvation and heaven are a free gift, we do not need to behave righteous or do righteous things to get there. Those are great truths but not related to this point – even though we wish it were.
God saves us, then we enter into a relationship with him and he slowly grows us while we develop our relationship with him. So we get the gift for free but we maintain it through submissive obedience. Sounds like we get the short end of the stick, if we forget who this makes us – more than conquerors, declared righteous in the Blood of Christ, seated with Him in Glory, and a Child of God! It is definitely a lopsided relationship – we get ALL the stuff and he gets us mess makers and glory.

“⁹Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”
Paul pulls back and reminds them of where they came from and what God has done for them! HUGE! Paul reminds them of who they are in Jesus – washed a free!

But doesn’t that ALWAYS lead back to these Jew’s verses Gentile’s dietary needs at church gatherings. And since Church was held almost daily – and quite frankly we like to eat what we like to eat – this was a topic and resolve often discussed. However, on the basis that it is a familiar discussion, Paul actually, this time, uses it to make a simile to the body and its functions – because if we remember the context we are talking about division and their version of woke-ism in relation to accepting a particularly scandalous open sexual sin.

“¹²All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. ¹³Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.”

This literally lays the food discussion parallel next to the sexual immorality discussion, point by point. Although we do not know for sure what the question is – it is speculated that the above named court case included some sort of being cheated AND it has to do with sexual immorality. Further speculation regarding the time period – maybe it was a slave issue. Although we do not know for sure. We DO know Corinth was a sexually charged city – with many temples to false gods which required a sexual offering.

“¹⁵Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! ¹⁶Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” ¹⁷But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”

Paul is the author of the idea that all the believers united are the Body of Christ and explains it in great detail in chapter 12 – soon we will cover it. And here we see that metaphor beginning to take shape. So it is correct to look at this in a personal perspective (my body) as well as look at it in a corporate perspective (the body of Christ). I am the temple and the body of Christ is the church.

“¹⁸Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.”

Just going to pause here, as Paul must have. He says it’s a sin against ourselves – and it is true. Anyone who has ever fallen into adultery or fornication knows your body feels dirty and shamed. However, Paul’s mind circles back to earlier when he called us a temple! You see in Jewish teachings symbols are strong and important and the revelation that we are the third temple (and amazingly the second temple hasn’t yet fallen when Paul gets this download and starts teaching it) and it completes the symbolism of the temple throughout holy texts. And so his mind is trained to circle back:

“¹⁹Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ²⁰For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

And right there – those two verses… I could literally write a book in order to unpack them! Push aside the milk – let’s get a little meat! Lord give us revelation!

First The Temple. Maybe someday I will write a book on that. There may be books written about the subject. And I doubt anyone would want to read about it except me. I digress.
Eden, The Garden, is the first architype of the temple – not the 1^st temple, but the first architype. The function of the temple was a place that was to remain pure and God could come to earth to commune with man. Then man had to travel, in obedience and guided by God to places God prepared to meet man – like Job and his friend meeting to pray and discuss Job’s situation, or like Methuselah who took walk with God, or like Noah was in prayerful place and received the ark download and recorded sacrifices to God, or like Abraham who also practiced sacrifices in the holy place set aside for meeting God, and so on. Until Moses went to the place to meet God (a mountain top) and God said, I want to be closer to my people because God ALWAYs was trying to restore his perfect Eden experience that we were created for. So Tabernacles became the second architype.
And before I give you the full outline of the book and lay out the parts and symbols side by side and how they applied in every temple and architype…. Let us get back to Paul’s revelation here.
Paul grabs ONE of the thousands of parallel details of the temples (and architypes) which is that is belongs to God and not to man.

Which leads to the second POWERFUL idea that comes from the word of God here – we belong to God and not to man, because we were bought with a price. If those terms are old news in your mind – rebuke your mind for being asleep. Give no room to the enemy. This is one of the sharpest swords I have encounter in the Bible.
It speaks to man about his created purpose (Psalms 139).
It speaks to the enemy – marking us as untouchable. The storm brews around us but doesn’t touch us. And that which does touch us it only God and His pruning – because He is ours and we are His. No one can touch us. But if we are literally sleeping with the enemy – how are we God’s? Sin separates us from God – so how can we be the temple? How can we be touched, except we open the door and let it in?

As you can see these are deep – and I can make points and pull out a million verses about our ownership and relationship. Back when we studied Romans and died to self, we gave ourselves in full surrender to God. He has every right to do whatever he wants with us. There are no take-back. All in.

And if we each are God’s circle back to a public theatre court case – that must mock God terribly! What a horrible sight in the spirit. We cannot touch the Lords property in court! And we cannot be touched! Except for the fact that they opened the door and kicked God out to make a joke of themselves. Go ahead and reread it from God’s perspective.

And finally there is a few modern problems that land here in this discussion of all is legal but not wise if I am not my own. These include major body mods for evil, gender dysphoria procedures, abortions, and drug use (both pharmaceutical like vaccines, Adderall, and other chemical treatments as well as marijuana, alcohol, and illegal drugs – not an all-inclusive list). Because if you are a pure and holy temple… no parting inside yourself, no deforming yourself, no sins against yourself – because you do not belong to you.

There is a lot here to think about and have revealed. Think about today’s reading during the course of your day and ask God for insights and deep revelation and realizations!

***

Thank you for reading in 2022 – a Year of Wisdom and Salvation
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

23 May 202222 May 2022

Protect Yourself and the Body of Christ – 5-23-22

“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” 1 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

BIBLE READING:

Today’s reading is the Book of First Corinthians chapter 5 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

Immorality Defiles the Church

5 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even ^[a]named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! ²And you are ^[b]puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. ³For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. ⁴In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁵deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord ^[c]Jesus.

⁶Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? ⁷Therefore ^[d]purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed ^[e]for us. ⁸Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Immorality Must Be Judged

⁹I wrote to you in my epistle not to ^[f]keep company with sexually immoral people. ¹⁰Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. ¹¹But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.

¹²For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? ¹³But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”

Footnotes

1 Corinthians 5:1 NU omits named
1 Corinthians 5:2 arrogant
1 Corinthians 5:5 NU omits Jesus
1 Corinthians 5:7 clean out
1 Corinthians 5:7 NU omits for us
1 Corinthians 5:9 associate

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

John 20:31- “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

STUDY/DEVOTIONAL:

I hope you had a blessed and beautiful weekend!
I hope you came hungry – we have a short chapter to read today but it is juice meat for those ready to hear from God!!

Last chapter began a transition in topics. We spent lots of time talking about division and denominations, giving us insight on how to repent and not take part in such nonsense as well as insight on how to pray for our local churches and fellow believers. We must ask ourselves, if our every action and thought is kingdom unity minded or not. Are we being in the best interest of God’s kingdom plan.

I understand why man made this chapter include only this, not in context with the rest of the book (no overlap in thought, as we begin. It starts with difficult words and ends with difficult words. Recall Paul’s threat to show up as a disciplinarian – well, here is a taste.

Paul heard from Chloe’s people about the division – He also heard about a man in their church who as openly having an affair with his father’s wife (I hope it was his step mother and not his mother – but either way… ewww!) If that happened in my local church, I would not even be able to look at them again! But Corinth was a pretty woke city. All the temples to false gods and Greek philosophy constantly trying to seep into the church becomes a constant fight back by the true believers who are awake and not woke!
Yes, I am applying modern terms – because the SAME thing is happening in the modern church!!! It is not a man with his stepmom, necessarily. The exact sin is not the point. Paul never even says the sin is as much of a problem as: THE REAL PROBLEM is the TOLLERANCE for the sin. And this, I know, is a fine line – so let God reveal it to you. The sin is being “woke” – the sin is not loving and accepting a sinner and leading them to Christ and being a Godly example.
Another thing we need to know, in order to understand this passage, is the structure of the church then verses the structure of the church today. You see, back then – church was only believers, making a dish to share and meeting together and sitting and laying around listening to one of the teach while eating and children playing. Then discussing the teaching to ensure everyone understood it. It was truly a body of believers and very few infiltrators. These believer WENT OUT, behaved like Christians, preached Jesus, made disciples and THEN brought them into the fold. The modern church brings in their unsaved friends and family expecting the preacher to reach them where we failed – we intentionally bring in infiltrators. We welcome in witches and warlocks and Satanist and the demon possessed. How will they hear if we do not bring them in? Our out reaches consist of tables set up at fair and flyer and advertisements to COME hear the good news of Jesus. Less of an “outreach” and more of a “drag in”. And how will they ever learn the good news unless they come in? Do changes need to be made in the formulas of the modern church and do we need to get back to SOME of the old practices? YES! All? It is not going to happen until we are forced back into hiding.
So now that we know the situation Paul is speaking to and the behaviors of the early church we can red this chapter and gain the real insight.

“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife! ²And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.”

Today Paul hits right to the point! It is not all sexual immorality (although all is a sin). We must remember that in attendance are believer who are sex slaves, even slaves in pagan temples – they cannot help their participation in sexual immorality and beg God for forgiveness and mercy. Paul is not speaking to ALL.
Also, Paul is not speaking to the new believer who has come in with a complicated situation and is actively working to be free from or in a pre-common law marriage. (What is that? In those days we have documented records of 7 different types of legal marriages, whereas in the USA we have two: common law and ceremonial. Many people then could not afford a ceremonial wedding and just moved in together, because after one year they received the legal benefits of being married. In the USA it is 7 years of living together, in most states, and difficult to prove in court, for any legal benefits. So Paul wasn’t speaking to the new believer who was living as husband and wife with the intent of being legally husband and wife – there is nothing in the Bible telling them to separate until they could afford an expensive Roman wedding. ALSO – most traditional Jewish weddings, that did not also follow the Roman ceremony and associated fees, were NOT considered legal by the government until they lived together for a year. That would be the pre-common law marriage period.) There are cultural nuances that were understood by the reader of the time – and confused by our lack of knowledge.
However – an affair with your stepmom (Please God, let it be his stepmom and not his mother!) was something even worse than what the word was doing!

“³For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed. ⁴In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, ⁵deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

Tough LOVE. Emphasis on LOVE. These idiots in Corinth (who Paul loved dearly) were puffed up, bragging (verse 2) that they were so woke as t accept the sinner and hate the sin – but they were literally tolerating it and this man and his maternal figure were able to reap the benefits of being a believer, without dying to their flesh.
Time for another cultural history lesson. There were certain benefit to being Jewish, like participation in the temple retirement system and acceptance and belonging at the temple. There were certain benefits of being Roman, as we see Paul exploit these laws for preferential treatment and the furtherance of the gospel. Well, true to the cultural norm – the Christian set up a believer’s retirement system reflecting the Temple’s system, therefore requiring a tithe (because it was scriptural) and it paid into the system. This system helped with EVERY need, not just retirement. Your business had a slow month – they helped. You had any need, they helped. The orphan, the homeless, the delivered addict, the widow, the abandoned… they helped. Not to mention the meals, fellowship and community support. These people lived like family. I see people from my church at least once a week, at church, and occasionally once or twice in between Sundays. These people lived a lifestyle of support and open doors.

This close level of fellowship with sin – especially one so seemingly demonic – will dull the senses and corrupt even the strongest believer! You can cast the demon out, but it seems he would just invite it back, because it seems this man wants this – the only answer is tough love. LOVE again being the operative word.

PLEASE, for the LOVE OF GOD!!! I PRAY – you never confuse this for the manipulative form of tough love that started to be preached from the pulpit in the late 80’s, maybe earlier. This is NOT to manipulate this man into coming back, although it is in hopes of restoration. You do you somewhere else, is also not a threat or out of anger that they choose sin. Such a tight rope act here, I know. But in the wrong spirit it pushes people further from God and in the right spirit, God’s love draws them back. It must be LOVE. (More on that in a couple chapters.)

“⁶Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?”

Not good, dude! Not cool! – What isn’t good? The sinner? He is NOT even remotely addressing the sinner! He says above that he judged it as sin…. but what is the sin? The SIN, the NOT GOOD BEHAVIOR is not a finger at the man and maternal figure – instead it is a finger pointing at the body or Christ for the compromise of tolerating sin in the name of being “woke”.
For example, I accept the LGBT community (including all the additional letters and the + sign) – meaning I accept the people. I hurt for them. They are bound an many possessed and when they say they are born that way (yes we are all born sinners under the curse) or they cannot help it – it is very true. Because they are bound to a lie they cannot break or possessed by a demon they cannot cast out by themselves. It is heartbreaking. And when trying to love them, you never know if you are speaking to them or a demon (unless God reveals it). And this kind of demon DOES NOT come out easily, and will not if the person isn’t willing to be free. It makes them nearly unreachable, except thought the word which can pierce deeply in there and grace that can transform anything and prepare it to be ready to be free. I have a few “friends” (more like acquaintances) who fall into this category. I am always here for them. I pray for them and witness to them. But they are not a part of my daily life and fellowship. They do not get to corrupt me. But also – they are trying to pretend they are a believer either, so there is not spirit of false religion creeping in with ‘em.

“⁷Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. ⁸Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

AGAIN – be ever so careful of your tough love – that it be love and not malice, wickedness or manipulation and that it is sincere and true. (Again, more on that love in a few chapters)

Meanwhile:
“⁹I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. ¹⁰Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.”

You’d have to be in heaven in order to avoid and never be near someone who was sexually immoral in the city of Corinth! Yeah, this city was that bad! Besides, how do you reach these people if you avoid them like it’s a 2020 lock-down! Heck no! We love them into the body! We do what Jesus did with the prostitutes and tax collectors. So if you did NOT understand the nuances of the Roman culture of the time period, at least if you keep scriptures in context you would know that the above doesn’t mean get into a 2020 lock-down or social distancing routine and not reach them for Christ. Oh man!! Christ CAME for these very ones!

BUT here is it all summarized:
“ ¹¹But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.”

OUCH!
Let’s bring this up into our modern culture and out of these Greek homes where church and family were synonyms. This means, if a member of the church is outwardly participating in any of these sins, they should be taken aside in private and offered the opportunity to publicly repent and be restored, or to no longer be members AND asked to leave and not return until they are ready to publicly show their repentance. Now what if they come to church and are not members? Then they should be taken aside in private, and be offered the opportunity to repent publicly and be restored, or asked to not come back until they are ready to show publicly they have repented so they can be restored.
Let’s use me and a loose example – although I was never asked to leave nor did I lose my membership, I had left during a church split and publicly sinned. When I returned to the Lord – I did not go home to my home church. I attended another church until God had built me up and prepared me. Because when I first returned, I was fragile and needed to be protected from what I would face. When God called me home – I had to walk in and show them, I was indeed serving the Lord and had been for a while. This wasn’t me coming back and it wasn’t like I hadn’t been serving him for a while and wasn’t going to leave again. I had to show publicly I had repented. As part of this process – I had to become a member all over again, even though by the Bylaws of the governing denomination it was unnecessary (and literally meant as malice and to insult me). I became a remember, humbly – and asked for NO membership ceremony or acknowledgement, mostly for their sakes before the Lord. The Pastor’s sake and those who followed this guidance ignorantly not discerning the principality at play. But the “Angry Demon” who is unhappy I have returned. Yes – I came back to a battle. These same forces say I am not sick, but backslidden and that is why I haven’t been in attendance. I came back to a battle. But the way to win the battle is through my testimony, by the blood of the lamb and loving not my life – in other words, I shut up and let God fight my battles. The point is, and was the only right things about this situation – that I must return humbly and show I have repented. Which is interesting – because God told me to come home and show myself to those of my past, to let them know I am serving Him, so they do not keep praying for me.

Now – all the what if’s:
What if it’s a new believer but the second person in the immoral (by modern standards) is not becoming a believer – and they are praying for and trying to reach their partner? They need to be counseled to separate – we all know it may take a couple months. Let grace work and pray it through. And what if the second person also comes to Christ? They should be advised to go to marriage counseling and get married (separate if they can while planning a quick wedding) so they do not fall into sin.

What if a normally content believer, catches a moment of the “I wants” seeing the things they do not have and forgetting what lot God has given them? I have fallen temporarily into the “I wants”; we all have. Do we excommunicate them for a little slip-up? NO! Again we provide council and prayer and support and a reminder of all the verses on contentment, God’s provisions and giving! Do not let a believer slip away if you can help it!

What if a believer starts to take their eyes off Christ and other things become more important. Like, they choose a seat in the sanctuary where they can keep an eye on their car. Or they begin to skip church to work, because work is more important. Do we hand them over to their lusts and idolatry? Or do we first council them in private. Do we preach it from the pulpit, but never handle it directly – or do we disciple and work with grace so God is glorified – turning a mess into a message for other and a test into a testimony! Hello?

What if, we are at a wedding and the bride’s mother is overcome with joy and celebration, and the adrenaline mixed with the wine from the toast is just a little too much for the teetotaler – and she finds herself drunk!?! Are we going to cast her away as a drunkard?! Are we going to start a rumor mill, I mean prayer chain, to “free her from her drinking”?! or shall we extend grace and take notice that she never touches the stuff.

Now – a reviler or an extortioner is a bit more difficult to slip up and accidently slip into. These are a bit more black and white. Because a reviler, by definition is a repeat offender and NO ONE wants to be around someone who might extort you, not even once!

So – let grace and love guide you, seek restoration – but do not permit yourself to be in a situation where you become complacent, accepting of sin, compromising, lukewarm, permissive, or worse, corrupted and sliding away yourself. And for the LOVE of GOD – DO NOT BECOME “WOKE”!

“¹²For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? ¹³But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”

Paul’s final point is a great one! AND he is NOT saying not to judge after he just told you how to judge and preserve the flock. Paul is NOT telling us to judge and be critical of sinner in the world – it is God’s love that draws them and we love the sinner and hate the sin.

As we read in Romans – God judges. God drops His wrath as He knows is best. So when God opens the world to swallow the sinner (like he did in the book of Exodus) do not be standing next to that sinner or you’ll be swallowed up to.
Do not be the one falsely accusing a brother either- or you might find yourself carrying Shadrach Meshach and Abednego to the fire – and that fire shall consume you.
Be warned – avoid the judgments not meant for you.

And mostly protect each other, in grace – in prayer – in fighting the spiritual battle to protect and restore our brothers and sisters. Be warry of compromise and do not tie yourself to other’s sins. Speak the word against it but fight for the soul!
Recently – as in, I was just interrupted, with a lady asking for prayer. She and her husband are retired from a 5 fold ministry and with some sliding because of trauma, the enemy has set up a strong hold and if manifesting drama. I prayed and spoke the word. You all know me – the pure word, in context, is my weapon. She replied with a rebuke (in all caps too) telling me the word is insensitive and ineffective. I can only laugh at the manifestation. And I thought I should tell you all, so you understand – new times, God is doing a new thing, greater things. If Jesus can heal someone without being there. MY HOLY SPIRIT FIRE PRAYER can reach heaven and pour fire down over here and burn off the fingerprints from the enemy trying to touch the Lord’s anointed! The Lord is recalling my sister out of retirement into a HOTTER, fiery ministry as a demon slayer! (ok caster outter – cause we can’t slay them.) She shall never me the same (Please agree in the spirit in the name of Jesus on behalf of her soul!) I do not know her, but I not my husband, My savior, My deliverer – JESUS – sacrificed himself and bought her with His blood. Not today satan! NOT TODAY. Our sister’s name is Kathy – we love her, we don’t let her fall, and we all in agreement shall follow up in prayer for her freedom from this demonic attack! Thank you for praying with me.
This passage is NOT about more division after almost 4 chapters speaking against division. It is about love. The Man and Maternal figure needed to be loved enough to be told what they did was wrong. Not it off or not here.
There is a difference between exhortation and extortion – so when tough love is needed, make sure love is the operative word.

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Thank you for reading in 2022 – a Year of Wisdom and Salvation
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

22 May 202221 May 2022

WEEKEND READING – 5-22-22

“So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off, And remain in the wilderness. Selah” Psalm 55:6-7 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

BIBLE READING:

Today’s reading is the Book of Psalms chapters 52- 56 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

The End of the Wicked and the Peace of the Godly

To the Chief Musician. A ^[a]Contemplation of David when Doeg the Edomite went and told Saul, and said to him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.”

52 Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?
The goodness of God endures continually.
²Your tongue devises destruction,
Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
³You love evil more than good,
Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah
⁴You love all devouring words,
You deceitful tongue.

⁵God shall likewise destroy you forever;
He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place,
And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
⁶The righteous also shall see and fear,
And shall laugh at him, saying,
⁷“Here is the man who did not make God his strength,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
And strengthened himself in his ^[b]wickedness.”

⁸But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever.
⁹I will praise You forever,
Because You have done it;
And in the presence of Your saints
I will wait on Your name, for it ^[c]is good.

Folly of the Godless, and the Restoration of Israel

To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath.” A ^[d]Contemplation of David.

53 The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity;
There is none who does good.

²God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
³Every one of them has turned aside;
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.

⁴Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call upon God?
⁵There they are in great fear
Where no fear was,
For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you;
You have put them to shame,
Because God has despised them.

⁶Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When God brings back ^[e]the captivity of His people,
Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

Answered Prayer for Deliverance from Adversaries

To the Chief Musician. With ^[f]stringed instruments. A ^[g]Contemplation of David when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding with us?”

54 Save me, O God, by Your name,
And vindicate me by Your strength.
²Hear my prayer, O God;
Give ear to the words of my mouth.
³For strangers have risen up against me,
And oppressors have sought after my life;
They have not set God before them. Selah

⁴Behold, God is my helper;
The Lord is with those who ^[h]uphold my life.
⁵He will repay my enemies for their evil.
^[i]Cut them off in Your ^[j]truth.

⁶I will freely sacrifice to You;
I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good.
⁷For He has delivered me out of all trouble;
And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.

Trust in God Concerning the Treachery of Friends

To the Chief Musician. With ^[k]stringed instruments. A ^[l]Contemplation of David.

55 Give ear to my prayer, O God,
And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.
²Attend to me, and hear me;
I am^[m] restless in my complaint, and moan noisily,
³Because of the voice of the enemy,
Because of the oppression of the wicked;
For they bring down trouble upon me,
And in wrath they hate me.

⁴My heart is severely pained within me,
And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
⁵Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me,
And horror has overwhelmed me.
⁶So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and be at rest.
⁷Indeed, I would wander far off,
And remain in the wilderness. Selah
⁸I would hasten my escape
From the windy storm and tempest.”

⁹Destroy, O Lord, and divide their ^[n]tongues,
For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
¹⁰Day and night they go around it on its walls;
Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it.
¹¹Destruction is in its midst;
Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.

¹²For it is not an enemy who reproaches me;
Then I could bear it.
Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me;
Then I could hide from him.
¹³But it was you, a man my equal,
My companion and my acquaintance.
¹⁴We took sweet counsel together,
And walked to the house of God in the throng.

¹⁵Let death seize them;
Let them go down alive into ^[o]hell,
For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.

¹⁶As for me, I will call upon God,
And the Lord shall save me.
¹⁷Evening and morning and at noon
I will pray, and cry aloud,
And He shall hear my voice.
¹⁸He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me,
For there were many against me.
¹⁹God will hear, and afflict them,
Even He who abides from of old. Selah
Because they do not change,
Therefore they do not fear God.

²⁰He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him;
He has broken his ^[p]covenant.
²¹The words of his mouth were smoother than butter,
But war was in his heart;
His words were softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn swords.

²²Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be ^[q]moved.

²³But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction;
Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days;
But I will trust in You.

Prayer for Relief from Tormentors

To the Chief Musician. Set to ^[r]“The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.” A Michtam of David when the Philistines captured him in Gath.

56 Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up;
Fighting all day he oppresses me.
²My enemies would hound me all day,
For there are many who fight against me, O Most High.

³Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
⁴In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?

⁵All day they twist my words;
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
⁶They gather together,
They hide, they mark my steps,
When they lie in wait for my life.
⁷Shall they escape by iniquity?
In anger cast down the peoples, O God!

⁸You number my wanderings;
Put my tears into Your bottle;
Are they not in Your book?
⁹When I cry out to You,
Then my enemies will turn back;
This I know, because God is for me.
¹⁰In God (I will praise His word),
In the Lord (I will praise His word),
¹¹In God I have put my trust;
I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?

¹²Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God;
I will render praises to You,
¹³For You have delivered my soul from death.
Have You not kept my feet from falling,
That I may walk before God
In the light of the living?

Footnotes

Psalm 52:1 Heb. Maschil
Psalm 52:7 Lit. desire, in evil sense
Psalm 52:9 Or has a good reputation
Psalm 53:1 Heb. Maschil
Psalm 53:6 Or His captive people
Psalm 54:1 Heb. neginoth
Psalm 54:1 Heb. Maschil
Psalm 54:4 sustain my soul
Psalm 54:5 Destroy them
Psalm 54:5 Or faithfulness
Psalm 55:1 Heb. neginoth
Psalm 55:1 Heb. Maschil
Psalm 55:2 wander
Psalm 55:9 speech, their counsel
Psalm 55:15 Or Sheol
Psalm 55:20 treaty
Psalm 55:22 shaken
Psalm 56:1 Heb. Jonath Elem Rechokim

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

John 20:31- “but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”

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Thank you for reading in 2022 – a Year of Wisdom and Salvation
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!