THE CROSS AND CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE(PART 1)

1 Corinthians 7:1-24
1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman."
2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband.
4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
6 Now as a concession, not a command, I say this.
7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am.
9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10 To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband
11 (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.
12 To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.
13 If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him.
14 For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
15 But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.
16 For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
Live as You Are Called
17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.
18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision.
19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.
20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called.
21 Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.)
22 For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ.
23 You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.
24 So, brothers,in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.


Good questions about sexual temptation…

Should I get married and risk the temptation
of adultery?
Should I stay single and risk the temptation
of fornication?
Should I continue to have sexual relations with
my spouse?
Should I continue in a marriage relationship that isn't ideal?

Biblical answers regarding marriage…

Monogamous, heterosexual marriage is a safeguard against
sexual immorality. (1 Corinthians 7:2, 9)
Get married for proclamation. (cf. Ephesians 5:22-32)
Get married for procreation. (cf. Genesis 1:28)
Get married for partnership. (cf. Genesis 2:18;
Ephesians 5:25-27; 1 Peter 3:7)
Get married for pleasure. (cf. Song of Solomon;
Proverbs 5:15-19; Hebrews 13:5)
Get married for purity. (1 Corinthians 7:2, 9)
The delightful duty of sex within monogamous,
heterosexual marriage is a safeguard against sexual immorality.
(1 Corinthians 7:3-5)
Pay your debt.
Pay your debt gladly.
Pay your debt spiritually.
Pay your debt frequently.
Pay your debt passionately.
The delightful duty of sex within monogamous, heterosexual marriage
is a safeguard against sexual immorality for those to whom it has been
given. (1 Corinthians 7:6-8)
Explore God’s grace in your life seriously.
Express thanksgiving to God frequently.

Thanks pastor Jim!

“THE CROSS AND CHRISTIAN SEXUALITY (PART 2)”

Thanks Pastor David!

1 Corinthians 6:12-20
12"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything.
13"Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food"--and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!
16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two will become one flesh."
17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.


The central exhortation: Flee sexual immorality. (6:18)
The biblical clarification: Flee sexual activity outside of marriage
between a man and a woman.

Supreme Court Reaction…
It is good to be grieved…about the degradation (and supposed redefinition)
of marriage. (Gen. 2:24; Eph. 5:22-33)
It is right to be concerned…about religious liberty in our country.
(Mat. 22:21; Acts 4:18-20; Rom. 13:1-7)
It is imperative to be loving…toward our gay and lesbian friends and
neighbors. (Gen. 1:26-28; Mat. 22:37-39; 2 Pet. 3:9)
It is wise to be confident…in the resiliency of marriage, in the opportunity for
the gospel, and in the sovereignty of our God. (Mat. 19:4-6; Eph. 5:22-33; Rev. 19:1-10)

Clear Sexual Prohibitions…
No sex outside of marriage. (Exodus 20:14; Lev. 20:10; Prov. 6:28-32;
Mat. 19:17-18; Rom. 13:9; Heb. 13:4)
No sexual worship. (Deut. 23:17; Ex. 32:2-6; 1 Cor. 10:8)
No sexual prostitution (Lev. 19:29; Deut. 23:18; Prov. 6:25-26) or
violence. (Ez. 45:9; 1 Cor. 13:4-5; Eph. 5:25)
No homosexual activity. (Lev. 18:22; Rom. 1:26)
No sex with animals (Lev. 18:23-24; 20:15-16), relatives (Lev. 18:6; 1 Cor. 5:1-2),
or children. (Mat. 18:5-6)
No sexual lust… having wrong sexual desires for others.
(Mat. 5:28; Ex. 20:14-17; 2 Pet. 2:14)
No sexual immodesty… provoking wrong sexual desires in others.
(Rom. 14:21; 1 Tim. 2:9-10)
No sexual allurement (including inappropriate emotional attachment)
outside of marriage. (Prov. 4:23; 5:1-23; 7:1-27)
No sexual looking (Gen. 9:22-24; Job 31:1-4; Mat. 5:27-29) or
touching (Deut. 25:11-12; Heb. 13:4) outside of marriage.
No entertaining ourselves with or joking around about sex outside
of marriage. (Eph. 5:3-12)

Common Practical Questions…
How far is too far between a single man and a single woman?
Three God-ordained categories…
The neighbor relationship: sexual activity prohibited.
(Lk. 10:25-37; 1 Cor. 7:7-9)
The family relationship: sexual activity prohibited.
(Lev. 18:6; 1 Tim. 5:1-2).
The marriage relationship: sexual activity commanded. (1 Cor. 7:1-5)
One God-glorifying conclusion…
Regardless of whether you are single or married, flee any and
all sexual activity outside of marriage. (1 Cor. 6:18-20; 1 Thess. 4:3-8)
What about masturbation? (Gal. 5:24; Rom. 13:14)
God designed sex to be relational; masturbation is lustful.
God designed sex to be covenantal; masturbation is non-committal.
God designed sex to be intimate; masturbation is superficial.
God designed sex to be fruitful; masturbation is fruitless.
God designed sex to be selfless; masturbation is self-centered.
God designed sex as a complex union; masturbation involves personal
isolation.
God designed sex as a complementary heterosexual act; masturbation is a
personal homosexual act.
How do I fight pornography?

Final Gospel Exhortations…
Repent of (and run from) any and all sexual activity outside of
marriage. (1 Cor. 6:18)
Rejoice in (and run to) sexual activity in marriage. (1 Cor. 7:1-5)
Receive today (and rest in) the forgiveness and freedom, hope and
healing that are found in Christ alone.

The Sweetness of the Gospel

Acts 17:23-31
23 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man,
25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.
26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,
27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,
28 for "'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, "'For we are indeed his offspring.' 
29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."

If ever you need to present the gospel in a short span of time, Acts 17 is a perfect choice! It states who God is, that man is in need of repentance, that God has set a time limit on your life, that at the end of that life you will face judgement and that God raised Christ from the dead and appointed Him as righteous judge!

The People Under the Overpass

How many times have I passed them? They sit quietly in their dirty clothes in the only home they know, under the overpass, watching the world go by and we never even notice them. How sad, that in our busy and hectic lives, we often miss God speaking,  "FEED MY SHEEP"! But what does that mean, feed my sheep? Is it a physical or spiritual call or both? It is ever so clear in God's written word that it is both a physical and spiritual call.

Spiritual call:

Acts 26:18
to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

Luke 18:18-19
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 

Physical call:

Matthew 25:35-36
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.'

James 2:15-16

15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?

Hebrews 13:1-3
1 Let brotherly love continue.


2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
3 Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.




Lord, forgive our hearts when we are blind to what should be so clear! Lord, I pray for the homeless who reside in the places we ignore. Bless them, give them courage as they wait on us to open our hearts and eyes! Amen

THE GOSPEL AND PORNOGRAPHY

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh,
Which wage war against your soul.
1 Peter 2:11

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh.
For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God,
and take every thought captive to obey Christ…
2 Corinthians 10:3-5

The Character of God

Cultivate unshakeable zeal for the glory of God’s name. (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17; 1 Pet. 4:11; 2 Sam. 12:10-14;
Mat. 6:9-10)
Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Acknowledge your sexual drive as a good gift from a gracious God. (Gen. 2:24-25; Prov. 5:18-20; 1 Cor. 7:3-5;
Gen. 39:7-9)
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife,
and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked
and were not ashamed.
Genesis 2:24-25

The Sinfulness of Man

Run from every temptation, knowing that one sin is enough to warrant infinite damnation. (Rom. 5:12-21;
1 Cor. 6:18-20; Rom. 13:14; Job 31:1)
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body,
but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you,
whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.
So glorify God in your body.”
1 Corinthians 6:18-20
Guard yourself with godly friendships and gospel accountability. (Heb. 3:12-13; 10:24-25)
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart,
leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day,
as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Hebrews 3:12-13

The Character of Christ
Contemplate the price Christ paid for your purity. See Him writhing on a cross in agony. Fight tempting images with
that image. (1 Pet. 1:13-19; Titus 2:11-14; Heb. 10:26-29; 1 Cor. 6:15-17)
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?
Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute?
Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her?
For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.”
But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
1 Corinthians 6:15-17

Consider the compassion Christ has for the souls of men and women. Love and pray for them; don’t exploit and abuse
them. (Mat. 9:36; Jn. 5:28-29; 2 Cor. 5:16)
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them,
because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
Matthew 9:36

The Necessity of Faith
Believe that God is for you…and knows what is best for you. (Ps. 34:8-10; 84:11-12; Rom. 8:32; Mk. 10:29-30;
1 Cor. 6:13)
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.
Psalm 34:8-10
Memorize and meditate on Scripture. (Ps. 119:9-11; Ps. 1:1-2; 1 Jn. 2:14)
How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.
With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Psalm 119:9-11

The Urgency of Eternity
Ponder the eternal danger and destruction associated with sexual sin. (Mt. 5:27-20; Mk. 9:43-48; 1 Cor. 6:9-10;
Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5-6; Jude 1:7; Rev. 21:8; Rev. 22:14-15)
You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.”
But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent
has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin,
tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members
than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin,
cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members
than that your whole body go into hell.
Matthew 5:27-30

Ponder the eternal delight and joy associated with future salvation. (Ps. 16:11; 73:25-26; Phil. 3:12-21; Rev. 19:1-8)
Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude,
like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder,
crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen,
bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
Revelation 19:6-8

“THE CROSS AND CHRISTIAN SEXUALITY (PART 1)”

1 Corinthians 6:9-20
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Flee Sexual Immorality
12"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything.
13"Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food"--and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!
16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two will become one flesh."
17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
18 Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.


The central exhortation: Flee sexual immorality. (6:18)
The biblical clarification: Flee sexual activity outside of marriage
between a man and a woman.

The Character of God...
God has created our bodies for His ultimate glory. (6:13, 20)
God has designed our bodies for our eternal good. (6:12-14)
Sex is relational. (Gen. 2:24; Prov. 5:3-10)
Sex is covenantal. (Prov. 5:15-20; Mal. 2:14)
Sex is intimate...it is obviously physical, yet deeply spiritual.
(Gen. 4:1; Eph. 5:22-23)
Sex is selfless. (Eph. 5:28-31; 1 Cor. 7:3-4)
Sex is complex...it involves the mind, the body, and the soul.
(6:13-15; Mt. 5:28; 2 Cor. 6:14)
Sex is complementary...when it comes to both gender and kind.
(Gen. 2:18-24; Lev. 18:22-23; Rom. 1:26-27)

The Sinfulness of Man...
Sin disorders our hearts. (Rom. 1:18-21)
We exchange God’s pattern for our preferences. (Prov. 14:12)
We exchange God’s praise for our pleasures. (1 Pet. 2:11)
We are all born with a heart of pride. (Gen. 8:21; Ps. 51:5)
We are all bent toward sexual deviation. (1 Thess. 4:3-8)
Sin disorders our thoughts. (Rom. 1:21-25)
We exchange God’s Word for our experience. (Rom. 8:5-8)
We exchange truth for tolerance. (John 8:31-36)
Sin disorders our desires. (Rom. 1:24-27)
We exchange sexual responsibility for supposed rights. (Rom. 6:1-4)
We exchange what Scripture says about our desires for what
science says about our desires. (Gal. 5:16-21)
Improper sexual desire is immoral, not inevitable. (Eph. 5:3-5)
Sin disorders our actions. (Rom. 1:28-32)
We exchange moral obligations for natural explanations. (Rom. 2:14-16)
Causation does not mean justification. (Gen. 4:6-7)
We don’t always choose our temptations, but we do always choose
our reactions. (1 Cor. 10:13)

The Sufficiency of Christ...
Jesus has purchased our bodies with His blood. (6:20)
Jesus has united our bodies with His body. (6:15-17)

The Necessity of Faith...
Turn from your sin and yourself. (6:12-14)
We are free from bodily sin that harms so deeply, controls
so quickly, and devastates so painfully.
Trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. (6:18-20)
We are free to enjoy His great purpose for our bodies as we exalt His great glory with our bodies.

The Urgency of Eternity...
According to the sure judgment of God, unrepentant sexual sin leads to hell. (6:9-10; Mat. 5:27-29; Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:5; Jude 1:7; Rev. 21:8)
Only by the sheer grace of Christ, humbly repentant sinners enter into heaven. (6:11; Rev. 21:6-7)

Thanks pastor David!

I Have Decided To Follow Jesus

What a heart wrenching story behind this beautiful song! But, oh the joy that Christ alone can bring through suffering! And what a mighty harvest is the Lord's when we lay down our lives before His throne of grace!

The story of the song is covered in the Book by Dr. P.P. Job and Indian preacher in His book “Why God Why” 

An excerpt from the book is given below:About 150 years ago, there was a great revival in Wales, England. As a result of this, many missionaries came from England and Germany to North-East India to spread the Gospel. At the time, north-east India was not divided into many states as it is today. The region was known as Assam and comprised hundreds of tribes. The tribal communities were quite primitive and aggressive by nature. The tribals were also called head-hunters because of a social custom which required the male members of the community to collect as many heads as possible. A man’s strength and ability to protect his wife was assessed by the number of heads he had collected. Therefore, a youth of marriageable age would try and collect as many heads as possible and hang them on the walls of his house. The more heads a man had, the more eligible he was considered. Into this hostile and aggressive community, came a group of Welsh missionaries spreading the message of love, peace and hope of Jesus Christ. Naturally, they were not welcomed. One Welsh missionary succeeded in converting a man, his wife, and two children. This man’s faith proved contagious and many villagers began to accept Christianity. Angry, the village chief summoned all the villagers. He then called the family who had first converted to renounce their faith in public or face execution. Moved by the Holy Spirit, the man instantly composed a song which became famous down the years. He sang:

I have decided to follow Jesus. (3 times)

No turning back, no turning back.

Enraged at the refusal of the man, the chief ordered his archers to arrow down the two children. As both boys lay twitching on the floor, the chief asked, “Will you deny your faith? You have lost both your children. You will lose your wife too.”

But the man sang these words in reply:

Though no one joins me, still I will follow. (3 times)

No turning back, no turning back.

The chief was beside himself with fury and ordered his wife to be arrowed down. In a moment she joined her two children in death. Now he asked for the last time, “I will give you one more opportunity to deny your faith and live.”

In the face of death the man sang the final memorable lines:

The cross before me, the world behind me. (3 times)

No turning back, no turning back.

He was shot dead like the rest of his family. But with their deaths, a miracle took place. The chief who had ordered the killings was moved by the faith of the man. He wondered, “Why should this man, his wife and two children die for a Man who lived in a far-away land on another continent some 2,000 years ago? There must be some supernatural power behind the family, and I too want that supernatural power.”

In a spontaneous confession of faith, he declared, “I too belong to Jesus Christ!” When the crowd heard this from the mouth of their chief, the whole village accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. This is the power of [God in] demonstration.

Thanks to Rachel at Christian Mommies!

"Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They keep saying to those who despise Me, 'The Lord says: You will have peace.' And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, 'No harm will come to you.'" Jeremiah 23:16-17

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man 

serve me, him will [my] Father honour. (Joh 12:24-26)