Conscience

Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God...  1 Corinthians 10:32

Give no offense my brothers and sisters. Paul says in the next verse do this not for your own profit, but for many, that they may be saved. Paul says He has become all things to all men. Talk about sacrifice! Have we done this? Are we doing this? This verse is in reference to eating food sacrificed to idols. Paul quotes Psalm 24:1, "the earth is the LORD'S, and all it's fullness." Paul says, eat whatever you find in the market, it doesn't matter where it came from. You are free! Will you again be set in chains by laws? If someone says to you however, "that was sacrificed to idols", then don't eat it for conscience sake. Not your own conscience however, why should your liberty be judged by another mans conscience. To the person who does not understand your freedom, don't eat it! Bless this person. Love this person! That he or she may be saved and rushed into the Kingdom of God. Those who call themselves Christians: stop offending other people!!!! You are arrogant. You are puffed up. You build up walls that divide the world and turn hearts away from the Lord Jesus. Shame on you. Let it never be that a Christ follower offends another. Christians are to be servants of all men. Jesus washed our feet and what does He say, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet." John 13:14

Now, hear what I am saying. You and I are not to offend anyone. Jesus is already a stumbling block, and His words convict and offend. We are not to offend by putting ourselves above others. In every area of life, make yourself lower than another, that you may honor that person, and he or she may be saved.

Why are we to believe and follow this teaching of Paul?

"Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ." 1 Corinthians 10:33

Come Holy Spirit. Give us Your humility.

Hope

Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging.  And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 
Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 
So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 
He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.” 
Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Luke 18:35-43

If there is one thing this passage screams it is hope. Put yourself in the position of the blind man, perhaps you already feel this way today. No hope. Blind. Looked down on. People telling you to be quiet. 

Jesus hears your cry! He wants to heal you of your burdens. Come to me and find rest, Jesus says. Begin to cry out to Him, and see if He doesn't move your circumstances. Have faith though. His ways are not our ways. Have patience for His timing. The bible says that a man without faith is a like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

We see Jesus commands the man to be brought near. Jesus asks what the man wants Him to do for him. 'Lord, that I may receive my sight.' What happens next is very interesting. Jesus tells the man to receive his sight, because his faith has made him well. The man believed! Jesus says 'your faith has made you well.' (emphasis mine) Jesus takes no claim for the miracle. Wow. 

Read the last verse again. When Jesus gives us a new hope, the people praise God. Let us use our hope from Him to help others. All glory to God in every situation! All praise belongs to You Abba.

 

Keep believing for your miracle!

Amen.

Marriage

Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and also likewise the wife to her husband. The 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. 1 Corinthians 7:3-4

My heart is heavy over the state of marriage in today's society. There is so much independence desired from both sexes. Both male and female are refusing to lay down their lives. Let me begin by saying that this laying down of ones life cannot be comprehended outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus is to be the foundation of every building, the lifelong institution of marriage cannot be lived out in joy unless this truth is realized. Jesus literally laid down His life in order to bring all who are called by God back into relationship with Himself. In this same way marriage reflects this action of two people laying down their lives for each other. But again, this can't happen unless the individuals in marriage are laying down their lives to Jesus. Then, and only then, will the love of Jesus be able to fill the marriage and cause both individuals to joyfully lay down their lives in order to serve one another, just as Christ comes and serves us.

Becoming one. 

So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. -Ephesians 5:28-32 


Paul is reaffirming Genesis 2:24 in these verses. This is a mystery indeed, but Paul says that he speaks concerning Christ and the church. Jesus gave his life for the church, therefore we can say 'we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.' In this same sense, in marriage as a whole, two people become one flesh. This is clearly seen in the gift of children. One person coming from two separate people. Quite a mystery indeed. But quite wonderful as well. From this revelation, we can move on to 'no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it'. If we hated our own flesh, how strange would that be? Such a person would be labelled a lunatic. Is this not what marriage is ultimately confined to outside of understanding of Jesus and His love for the church? Sadly, yes. 


God who is Love- captivate us and let us see Your love. Change our understanding of marriage. Let us see the fields of joy you prepare for us to run through with the one we love.