Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

Paul makes a great argument about paying pastors.  It is through. It is long. It is unassailable.

When he is through, he trashes his own logic and says he is not going to EXERCISE A RIGHT THAT HE HAS EARNED.  This is on theme for other topics he has addressed, specifically marriage and eating. 

His purpose is to give the GOSPEL the highest priority in his life.  That is, if claiming a salary might stand in the way of his Christian witness, he just won't take a salary.  If the exercising of the financial rights of a pastor causes the Corinthians to stumble, then he just won't claim those rights. 

It is all for a wonderful purpose.  If you want to hear more about what that purpose is exactly, then stay tuned for tomorrow's podcast by subscribing at bewithme.us or your podcast provider.

We can DEVOUR people by the way we DEVOUR food.  Those who are knowledgeable must be very careful in the application of their knowledge. At risk is people, weaker people;  Brothers and sisters that can be destroyed and led into unnecessary sin.

Let's vow for the people we walk with.  Let's prioritize men and women more than our being "right" in our knowledge.  Good theology is humble because it includes people. Theology is the study of God.  God has chosen to include us people in relationship with Himself.  Don't forget it.  Live like it. Be eager to limit our "liberties" so that we aid our brethren.  Good theology embraces the PEOPLE that God has EMBRACED, even the weak ones.

Please share this blog, and especially the 7 minute podcast with those people around you.  Like, share, send, re-tweet, etc.  subscribe at bewithme.us or request at [email protected]

Our response to areas of liberty should be informed by LOVE.  LET LOVE LEAD is not a bad way to understand the ending point.

The topic of the day is food and idols.

Before we get into it, we take a 40,000 foot view of God's relationship with us.  That is, don't go pontificating about what we might EAT before standing in AWE that GOD KNOWS US. It will cause us pause.  We'll "put our hand over our mouth" in humbleness.  We'll see our own DEBT replaced by RICHES. We will remember that we were STUCK in sin and personally needed to be rescued.  Once we get our heads around our position, THEN WE ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE to start negotiating this topic of food and idols.

Then, we will show the right care and priority of the souls that Jesus showed the right care and priority for.  Bewithme.us subscribe and share and re-tweet and invite. Remember, this is GOOD news.  Act accordingly.

You gotta love the Bible in what it specifically addresses. Today, there is a rousing endorsement for the attraction, yes the sexual attraction of a not yet married couple.  So what about the sexual attraction of an engaged couple?

Engagement is a commitment to being committed. 
Marriage IS the commitment.  It comes with certain responsibilities of care, as the borders of one's world expand to include another person.  And, it comes with certain RIGHTS and authority with regard to another person's body.  That is why you can be naked and Unashamed.  

The appropriate control of passions that are not given for expression during engagement are how a couple builds TRUST and proves TRUST.  During early relationships, an appropriate question to ask is: "Can I trust you in a (sexually) difficult situation?" This builds trust for AFTER marriage, as likely, it won't be the last sexually difficult situation that a person is ever faced with.

The glorious answer from the Bible is STRONG PASSIONS = SHORT ENGAGEMENTS.  Move the Marriage up rather than move up the sexual intimacy before the marriage.  Move up the commitment rather than move up the rights of that commitment before the commitment. bewithme.us  7 minute listen every day.  

Paul makes the charge that we should be living single-heartedly, whether we are married or single.  He wants us to be a little less of a divided heart or distracted.  

There is an endorsement of both singleness or being married.  But keep in mind, the time is short, and that effects our relationship with spouses, emotions, stuff and the world.

Let's laser beam our attention on being anxious on the things of the Lord, or, "How can I please the Lord?" with my body, my actions, my thoughts, and my words.  May this spill over into relationships, romance, work and leisure.  Please the Lord by subscribing at bewithme.us or on apple podcasts.

The New Testament condemns earthly slavery.  The New Testament LOVES spiritual slavery.  It is a concept we best understand, for it is a common theme. The Greek word is doulos, and is better translated BONDSERVANT.

The concept is that the believer is indebted to our new Master.  He has paid with precious coin of His blood to purchase us.  We are not our own.  We have been bought with a high price.  We have a liability to the Lord which cannot be repaid, cannot be escaped and cannot be earned.

Remember, we have the best Lord.  He has done everything for our good.  He wants us to conceptually regard ourselves as spiritual bondservants.  So, in this way, Christianity is a call TO SLAVERY, to bondservice.  Join me for 7 minutes of slavery and then another 7 minutes tomorrow at bewithme.us or Google podcasts.

A faithful, enduring marriage is a witness and example.

• First, it is a witness to yourself.
• Second, it is a witness to the world.  Marriage is the only gospel some will ever read.
• Third, it is a witness to an unbelieving spouse.  If you have an unbelieving spouse, it means that a great miracle has happened in your marriage.  That is, it means that YOU have had God come down and give you belief/faith/salvation/all that good stuff. What is to prevent God from blessing your marriage, in the same way, a SECOND TIME? Nothing.

His charge is for the permanence of marriage.  Why? Because the lightening of salvation may strike twice in the same marriage.  So meantime, hang in there with an unbelieving spouse.  How do you know if you won't be involved in the salvation of another human being, particularly the one you live in a committed, permanent, enduring marriage?  Stand by.  Spiritual lightening may strike twice.  Meantime, go to bewithme.us or Spotify and subscribe so 7 minutes of another topic may come your way tomorrow morning.  I am so grateful for each of those minutes you have shared here.

If we are to flee sexual immorality, then we are to RUN TO the sexual oasis of marriage.

The picture is one of equality, reciprocity, dependence, and framed by a realistic world of temptation out there.  The call is to exclusivity, covenant, and to a generosity among husband and wife. 

At marriage, there is a transfer of bodily RIGHTS and bodily AUTHORITY from one person to another.  This, when done correctly, will result in particular care of those great gifts so given.

May this be a call to better protect, make more permanent, enforce the exclusivity, and responsibly steward the gift of the sexual oasis of marriage.  Subscribe at bewithme.us or write at [email protected] or on your podcast provider for a daily blog and podcast.  Please share like and spread this sexual good news.

The Corinthians are either ignorant or are choosing to ignore the Lord's truths about sex.  They probably first "forgot" that "YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN, you were bought with a price." 
Therefore, they forgot their stewardship of their bodies in light of God's ultimate ownership of them.

I know few who have done their "zipper-life" well.  I know NONE who have done it perfectly. Chose with me today to yield eyes, bodies, zippers, and minds to the truths of the Scripture.  If you do, there will be the prevention of all kinds of ruin.  If I am not my own, then perhaps the Lord will help me here to yield and even just agree with Him.

Thanks for being courageous enough to listen for 7 minutes.  Subscribe at bewithme.us for another dose of blog and podcast tomorrow.  May this be a blessing for you.

Remember just one thing today: You are NOT your own. It will ring in your head and your heart and your hands.  If it is true, it effects everything.
 
There is popular political slogan today, “My body, my choice.”  With all due respect, There is only one problem with it, however, and that is that it IS NOT TRUE.  Actually ½ of it IS true: that we do indeed have a choice.  The 1/2 that is NOT true is the meat of the passage today. We have a body, but it is not ours. A better slogan would be, “His body, my choice.”  As you see, it is beginning to effect everything.
 
You are NOT your own say the Scriptures. Here are three reasons why you are not your own.
You are NOT your own because He has PURCHASED you. He paid with the most precious coin because He values you most highly.
You are NOT your own because of RESIDENCE.  The Ultimate Visitor has come to our house, our body, so things are going to be different.
You are NOT your own because of CREATION.  He invented you. He produced you. He sustains you.  This comes with certain rights.  
 
Let’s get this straight.  You are NOT your own. It is indeed your choice but it is not your body.  This effects everything.  Please subscribe for a reliable, daily podcast. Share on Facebook. Retweet on twitter.  Share on Instagram with all your friends.