Coming to the Still Waters

It has been 4 years and I have continued to keep up with my nutritional health journey to be cancer free.  I am actively and daily making choices that I rest upon as my medicine for the rest of my life.  One help along the road is a man who has the website www.chrisbeatcancer.com that had a similar story to my own.  This is a great video to speak to what it takes to change course for your health. Adam

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 10:23-33, which read, v.23, 24 - All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable.  All things are lawful but not all things edify.  Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor. Paul gives us this lesson again about making sure that we have knowledge that is married with love.  Knowledge alone leads to arrogance but that knowledge married with love for the other brings great edification to all.  We must seek to do what edifies rather than just what we want to do because we have the right to do what we want to do.  We also must seek to be continually thinking of our neighbor in light of the Lord.  If we are thinking of them in light of eternity then we will do what is best for both because we will be following through on those two greatest commandments of loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves.   v.25, 26 - Eat any...

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 10:14-22, which read,   v.14-16 - Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.  I speak to wise men; you judge what I say.  Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ?  Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? Paul starts off with the simple instruction to the Christians in Corinth and to us that when it comes to idolatry, flee baby flee.  This is the same instruction that he gives with the topic of sexual immorality.  These are two areas that we don't debate or play around with, we flee from them.  Paul is also asking us to inspect what he is saying by who is saying it.   Paul opens up a conversation using the practice of communion or the Lord's or Last Supper given to His disciples in the Upper Room.  The cup of blessing is the third cup of the Passover meal that Jesus raised and forever changed what we remember now.  It was the E...

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 10:6-13, which read,   v.6 - Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. In our last study, Paul brought up the Biblical example of the Exodus to the Christians in Corinth.  The Israelites being delivered by God from the Egyptians were given so much from God but they rejected full devotion and wanted the old life.  They were disqualified from going into the Promise Land.  The Christians in Corinth had been delivered from the sin of the world and God had given them so much but they were acting on the old life.  Sin had crept into the church and they were disqualified to partake in the spreading of the gospel in the state they were in.  Paul will now bring out some specific examples to show them how history is repeating itself between the Israelites and themselves.   v.7, 8 - Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, "The pe...

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 10:1-5, which read,   v.1-4 For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. We approach a new chapter in this letter to the church in Corinth.  Paul has been pointing out where the church has gone astray and allowed sin to crept into the church.  He has been pointing them back to the Bible and the following of God's ways rather than the ways of the world.  Now comes a new chapter with a new illustration from their past to show an example of what happens when we allow pride and discarding of God's words to rule our lives.   Paul does not want them to be unaware of the condition that they are in.  In the last ...

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, which read,   v.24 - Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may win. When we read this verse we need to remember what Paul is talking about it.  He has been talking about the spread of the gospel and aiding in the efforts of spreading the gospel.  In a normal race, all run but only one gets the gold medal.  All put forth the effort but only stands on the top podium. With the spread of the gospel and aiding it we are to be determined as a runner to win the prize.  We know that with Christ there is not one winner but all win who seek and serve Him but that fact shouldn't lower our determination to run hard in the direction of His calling. v.25 - Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things.  They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we are an imperishable. If you want to win th...

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, which read,   v.19 - For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. It is by the blood of Jesus Christ that Paul has been saved.  It has not been by himself or any other man, he is free because of Jesus.  Because of that freedom, Paul made a choice to set aside all, even the support of man, to enslave himself to reaching others with the gospel of Jesus Christ.  In his circumstance which is in the context of this passage was to support himself so that he would not burden those who needed to hear the word about Jesus. He has been instructing those who have accepted the gospel through this compulsion given to him by God to come to them with Jesus to support those who are doing the same thing so that the gospel can go further.  He has been telling the Christians of the Corinthian church to put their resources in these areas.   v.20-22 - To the Jews I beca...

Today's verses 1 Corinthians 9:15-18, which read,   v.15 - But I have used none of these things.  And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one. The Christians in Corinth have been stingy with the resources that God has given them to turn around and support those who are spiritually feeding them.  Paul is pointing out from Scripture that this action is wrong.  Even though Paul did not ask for any support, he could have and had Biblical support to do so.  He chose not to but it is not that he didn't preach and teach that they were to follow this Biblical principle. Paul starts this paragraph by saying that he is not writing this to now get compensation for what he did.  If that was the case, then Paul's speaking about what he did and why he did it would make him out to be a hypocrite.  He would rather die than be a...

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 9:8-14, which read,   v.8, 9 - I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I?  Or does not the Law also say these things?  For it is written in the Law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing."  God is not concerned about oxen is He?   This is the chapter of questions.  Paul uses this technique to help the Corinthian Christians question the next thing that had crept into the church, the love of money.  Even though Paul didn't ask for resources when he was there, it did not negate that they should support those who spiritually feed them.  He had every Biblical right to ask for help or receive help from them but didn't for their sakes in the beginning years of the church. Paul brings them to this opinion not being an opinion because it comes not from human judgment but from the Bible.  The ox is working the threshing floor and you want to keep him going...

Today's verses 1 Corinthians 9:1-7, which read,   v.1, 2 - Am I not free?  Am I not an apostle?  Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?  Are you not my work in the Lord?  If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. Paul has been writing to the Christians in Corinth about issues that have crept into the church.  The first was disunity and the creation of groups based on the pride of following an earthly leader.  The second was not dealing with known sin in the church and actually boasting that it is okay.  The third was solving conflicts in the church with fellow Christians by suing them in the world's court system instead of seeking resolution through God's word.  The fourth was the sexual sins and marriage issues.  The fifth was the matter of being content in the station in life that one is in.  The sixth focused on Christians causing Christians to stumble ...

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 8:7-13, which read,   v.7 - However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. Yesterday Paul gave us the knowledge part of the discussion about "things sacrificed to idols" in verse 1.  The knowledge is that there is only one God and all those other things are just things.  Now Paul gives us and the Christians in the Corinthian church the love part of the discussion.  As a reminder, knowledge without love leads to us being arrogant but knowledge with love leads us to edification. Paul is telling the Christians that not all have the knowledge that God is the only god.  They are new converts who are going from worshiping many gods to the worship of the one and only God.  The effects of the world are still strong upon their lives.  They were being transformed by God but it ...

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, which read,   v.4 - Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that there is no such thing as an idol in the world, and that there is no God but one. Our last time Paul gave us the new subject to be informed on along with the Christians in the Corinthian church, "things sacrificed to idols" in verse 1.  He also gave us a Scriptural principle to follow when discussing and acting out in accordance to this subject and that is that knowledge without love can make one arrogant and edification is lost.  You may win the battle with your knowledge but you have lost the war of that person being edified and knowing God through you in this situation. The knowledge part of the equation is the fact that there really are no such things as idols to other gods because there is no other God than God Himself.  All other false gods are just that false and something other than God.   v.5, 6 ...

Here is Joshua Lawrence - Anna & Phil's little one... All are well, just the grandparents are a little sleep deprived at the moment...God is good!!!!

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 8:1-3, which read,   v.1 - Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge.  Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. Paul has moved onto a new subject, the things that have been sacrificed to idols.  The subject is given but Paul is going to give an overarching principle to guide his thoughts before speaking of it. The Corinthians believed in many gods.  Much meat was sacrificed to these false gods to appease them.  The thought was that if you eat meat sacrificed to these false gods then the spirit of the false god could enter you and attach themselves to you.  Like the issue of sexual sin being rampant in the culture that the Christians in Corinth lived in, so was the focus on false gods.  They were saturated in it, they were everywhere.  Mature Christians would have knowledge that these things were false.  The god was false.  The meat sacrificed t...

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 7:36-40, which reads,   v.36 - But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly toward his virgin daughter, if she is past her youth, and if it must be so, let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let her marry.  Okay, as we continue our study in the book of 1 Corinthians we come across practices of the day that Paul is speaking to.  Some maybe hard to understand but let's try to step into the time of the Corinthians.  Paul is a cheerleader for being single and holy for the purpose of the spread of the gospel just as he is. Apparently there are fathers of daughters who have never been married, i.e. virgins, who the fathers have dedicated to the Lord.  A vow was taken or given much like the Nazarite vow of the Bible of young men.  The daughter is past her youth, so she is of child bearing age.  The father has taken on the responsibility of caring and providing for her as a single woman in the d...

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 7:32-35, which read,   v.32-34 - But I want you to be free from concern.  One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his interests are divided.  The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. Paul is continuing his instruction on being holy before the Lord in whatever marital status you are in.  He is a cheerleader for those who are single, never married and those who find themselves single from divorce or single because of the death of a spouse.  He is cheer-leading that if you are in that position you have a great opportunity to have your full devotion on the Lord and serving Him....

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 7:25-31, which read,   v.25, 26 - Now concerning virgins I have no command of the Lord, but I give an opinion as one who by the mercy of the Lord is trustworthy.  I think then that this is good in view of the present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is. Paul has went from speaking to those who are married, divorced, or widowed to the virgins who have never been married and also have kept themselves pure before the Lord.  What Paul tells them is from him who has been trustworthy to God in answering and following God's call of salvation on his life.  Because the Bible is written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, what is given is of God through his servant Paul. His opinion or advice which is now in the canon of Scripture is for the virgins to be content the way they are and especially because of the upcoming persecutions to those who hold the Christian faith.  To remain single and serve t...

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 7:21-24, which read,   v.21, 22 - Were you called while a slave?  Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that.  For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord's freedman; likewise he who was called while free is Christ's slave. Paul has been talking to us and to the Christians in Corinth about being content.  We are to be content if we find ourselves single, never married, single because of death, or single because of divorce.  We are to be content if we are married to another Christian or answer the call of Christ after marriage and now married to an unbeliever.  Our contentment is to live holy lives in the status we are in.  We are also to be content if we are a Jew or a Gentile and not try to become one or the other but simply a follower of Christ. Now Paul brings up the positions of status between the slave and the free man.  Paul is not advo...

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 7:17-20, which read,   v.17 - Only, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each, in this manner let him walk.  And so I direct all the churches. Paul is bringing up to the Christians in Corinth the issue of contentment.  In context to what he has been writing about it is related to the box we might fill out on any governmental form.  If you are single, never married then be content in the Lord.  If you are single now because of a death or because of a divorce because of adultery or desertion of an unbelieving spouse then be content in the Lord.  If you are married to a Christian spouse or married to a spouse who does not believe then be content in the Lord. To be content in the Lord is to walk in His ways no matter the situation you find yourself in.  The situations may change and they do but your following of Christ's example and His words do not.  I am content that I have som...

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 7:10-16, which read,   v.10, 11 - But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife.   Paul is going to get into some pretty specific instructions to the Christians in Corinth and to us in the church.  These first verses are talking to married couples who are Christians.  He will make the distinction later about those who are not Christians.  So to the Christian couples, here is the instruction that is given right from the Lord.  If you are a Christian couple who are married then you are not to divorce except for adultery that is given by the Lord in Matthew 5:31, 32.  If you do divorce for something other than adultery then you are to remain unmarried so that reconciliation can take place.  If you think ...

Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 7:6-9, which read,   v.6, 7 - But this I say by way of concession, not of command.  Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am.  However, each man has his own gift from God, one in this manner, and another in that. Paul is writing to the Christians in Corinth about being holy with an "h" single and holy married.  If you are single then your life should be a beacon for God and if you are married then your life should be also a beacon for God.  For Paul, the gospel is so important that no matter if you are married or if you are single it is to be the focus and supported by whatever box you fill in on the form, single or married. Paul is single and serving the Lord and he is encouraging others to be the same because of the spread of the gospel.  He is able to go more easily the corners of the world because he does not have commitments of married life.  He is not trying to pit one status over anoth...