Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

Do you DESPISE the Church of God?  It means to look down on someone or something to DEVALUE it.  You might be doing so to the Church of God if you:

• think it is an OPTIONAL Church
• Think it is a VIRTUAL Church
• Think it is an ACADEMIC Church
• Think it is an IMAGINARY Church
• Don't think about it at ALL
• Think it is an UNACCOUNTABL Church
• Think it is a FORGETFUL Church
• Think it is an ISOLATED Church
• Think it is mostly a ME Church

Here are some laser beam questions: Do you GO to church? If so, does the church GO WITH YOU? Please listen and assess with me for 7 minutes.  Then subscribe on Audible, Spotify, Google podcasts or bewithme.us if you'd like it sent daily.  Yes, please share, post, retweet.

There is a way for wives to adorn themselves that makes God look good; makes their husband look good; makes themselves look good and makes marriage look good.  It is headship.

Granted, people have understood this wrongly and modeled it even worse.  Husbands also get this wrong, if they abuse or abdicate their headship. But fortunately those are not the heads we are to look to: it is CHRIST.  He did this first to help us understand that VALUE is not determined by ROLE.  

Getting headship right makes God look good.  It makes wives look good.  It makes husbands and marriage itself look good. Listen 7 minutes here and work towards first UNDERSTANDING Biblical headship in marriage.  Then follow Christ in living it out.  It is YOUR GLORY.  Please visit bewithme.us    That is a website for this podcast and blurb that can  give it to you every day.

For some, this is the most difficult part of the whole Bible.  Headship-Authority-Submission-Order-Following-Leading-Care-Provision can make men or women BRISTLE.

We can do this area WRONG.  The Corinthians did. We can disgrace ourselves, declare ourselves inaccurately independent, and can say, "I WON'T" to the teaching.  We can abdicate our position, abuse the authority, and deny our identity.  There is lots to do wrong.

Everybody is in and under authority.  Even Jesus(mind blown with this concept).  He knows this is an area of particular difficulty for humans, so He models and leads the way.  We are benefitted by the truths here, God's design, the pattern of care, and the adorning of doing this right.  

Look with me at God's image bearers, men, today. Not abdicating. not forgetting. not denying. not disgracing. not independent. not contentious.  Bewithme.us.  Share on FB. subscribe at [email protected].  Listen on Google podcasts for 7 minutes when you eat your eggs.

To "give God GLORY" means to give Him WEIGHT. To make Him heavy or significant.  Let Him be a heavy influence on your thoughts and actions.  Today's passage is a great example of letting the main thing, THE WEIGHT OF GOD, be the #1 priority.

Priority #2 is people.  Life is hard enough, and the spiritual life is hard enough, without you purposefully "sticking your thumb in the eye of the conscience" of those around you. 

Priority #3 is yourself.

Great question today: "Why should MY liberty be determined by another's conscience?" A: because that is what love is.  God gave weight to YOU.  He made YOU a priority and rescued you.  So...we best give HIM weight and give other people, that He LOVES, weight too.

I love hanging out with "Recovering Alcoholics." They don't refer to themselves as having reached an endpoint of "Being Recovered." They know how to FLEE. There is in this group a real humility, gratefulness, and an appreciation of their other brethren.  It is a real fellowship.

In other words, it is very similar to saved Christians.  They also are humble, appreciative and in the same boat of dependence with each other.  They realize the power of God and also the power of sin. They know how to flee.

The picture today that reminds me of my alcoholic friends in recovery is Christians at the Lord's table of communion.  Nobody there is proud, powerful or important.  Every person there has been rescued, and has a remembrance of needing to be rescued. Every person there is grateful for getting more than they deserved.  Every person there feels a bond with their fellows around them that they too have had something profound happen to them that is way above their pay grade.

Honor the alcoholics and all those in recovery  from sin or addiction today.  Share this blog, podcast, instagram or FB post.  bewithme.us apple podcasts [email protected]

If you are feeling tempted and overwhelmed, this 7 minute podcast is for you.  If you are wondering exactly how to stand up under temptation, please listen.  If you wonder where God is during the hard times, then you have come to the right passage.

You are NOT alone during temptation.  You are not the first to be seized by this temptation. God is not the SOURCE of temptation, but He is the SOLUTION.  He is faithful.  For some reason, He has chosen to ALLOW temptation up to an endurable level (with His help). He always provides a moral escape hatch to every temptation.  God is faithful.  He is allowing temptation, but not allowing it to overtake you.

This is one of the most real-world, rubber-meets-the-road truths of the Bible.  I am glad you are here.  Listen to the podcast and subscribe at bewithme.us

Some crazy violent stuff happens in the Old Testament. I wonder why? Two conclusions can be drawn: 
The first is, "I don't like the God of the Old Testament."  You'd be in good company, as the people of God were in an almost constant state of rebellion towards Him back then in real time. This demonstrates an accusation against God's actions, character and sovereignty. 

The second is, "I want to understand, appreciate and take the warnings of the OT into my life now so I don't make the same mistakes as they did.  I want to understand the revelation of God.  I want to love the revelation of God."  We find out that the crazy of the OT is for a purpose: for US to heed it as a warning.  The discipline of the OT is written as an example for us.  It serves to help us not make the same mistakes.

If you don't like some of the stuff in the Bible, either God's actions, character and sovereignty is wrong, or you are wrong in your understanding, application and appreciation of them.  I think I know which one.  Share, send subscribe bewithme.us or [email protected]

Am I desiring evil like the people of the Old Testament?
Is God pleased?
Does God even have the right to ask these questions?
What do the examples of the Old Testament do for us today?
What about the violence and catastrophes of the people of God?

As you suspected, the letter to the Corinthians addresses all of these issues in chapter 10.  

Join me in reading this little blog, but really join me for the podcast.  It is 7 minutes and serves to whet your appetite as a spiritual snack.  Most listen first thing.  Many send a comment.  The most faithful gloriously grumble when it is a bit late. ;-).  Try to attach the listen to a solid part of your morning.  It is called HABIT STACKING.  So maybe with your cereal, or in the car, or in the shower, or with your coffee.  You have 7 minutes.  I'd be honored to share it with you. bewithme.us is the link to make it daily.  Consider that please.

Because everything is at stake, some discipline is best applied.  That is, a dose of discipline will keep a person from being disqualified.  Think of this: self-control is one of the ingredients that keeps you on the playing field of Christianity.  

Our bodily desires can run amok without self-command.  If you do not know which could be your downfall, just ask those around you.  A few to consider might be eating, drinking, stewardship of priorities, what you put before your eyes, sexual behavior, sexual thinking, the tongue, entrusting, your treasure and time.

We are all in a multi-pronged disciplining effort because we value the PRIZE of witness.  At least we should be. Start with, "say NO! to your body at least once a day."  Let us not become disqualified by failure to identify and exercise self control.  Start by subscribing for a daily email of this podcast at bewithme.us.   ;-) 

People are the prize.  Winning people is the reward. They are worth using all means to first GAIN A HEARING, so as to second, WIN them to Christ.

This is an active effort; this is strategic; this is done with insight and understanding; and it is done with the goal in mind.

Paul demonstrates this towards the financially judgmental, the Jews, the non-Jews and the weak group.  It really could apply to any group.

There is a challenge today to be like Paul in our strategically, sacrificially engaging with a person or people group. He calls us to make every effort in their behalf.  Sharing the blessings of being a Christian is worth using all the means at our disposal.  Who is on your heart today to win?  Use bewithme.us or this podcast as a tool.  It is a means at your disposal.  I'd be honored if you use it as such.  In that light, I'll see you tomorrow or on Google Podcasts.