1 Corinthians 7

I was reading 1 Corinthians 7 for a my daily Bible reading. I noticed Paul was not advocating the statement about not have sexual relations with a women.

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 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. 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. (1 Corinthians 7:1-5, ESV)

Verse 1 says, "Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: 'It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.' " Paul received a letter where the people of Corinth must have said something about not having sex, married or unmarried. Paul will refute that statement over the next 4 verses.

I noticed that this because Paul says "but" to start verse 2. But is a contrasting word. What is really saying that it is better for husband and wife to have sex because it will help them to not have sexual sins. Paul starts this off with, "because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband." Corinth would be like Las Vegas today. Sexual sin was a normal everyday event. The main temple was to Aphrodite, the goddess of love. There was lots of temple prostitution in Corinth. It seems that the Church in Corinth said for no one can have sex. So Paul said no, men needs one wife and women need only their husband.

Paul in verse 3 and 4 tells men and women to give to their spouse their conjugal rights. Basically they should fulfill their duties to have sex.  The reason is that they do not control their bodies but the other member does.

Verse 5 then tells us that there can be a small amount of time to have sexual relations with your spouse. That time should be a time of prayer lest the devil temps the members with sexual immorality. It also is based on an agreeable amount of time by both parties, not because one is mad at the other.

It seems to say that married people should have sex when there is a desire to be intimate with each other. The neglecting of this desire can cause one or both members to sin in sexual immorality.  When it is neglected, it should be done for a short period of time and there needs to be an agreement. 

Now, this does not include single people. They are not to engage in sex because it was designed by God for the use in marriage. If they have having problems with lust, they need to get married (1 Cor.7:9).

Only by God's Sovereign Will

This past week has been one that only God could have orchestrated. I went to Capitol Hill Baptist Church (CHBC) in Washington D.C. for the morning service.  I got their at what I though was a good time and I was wrong. The only seats open were in the balcony and behind the pulpit. The service was amazing. There was lots of prayers and the songs were just Christ-centered. They were old hymns but there were some newer songs. The sermon was gospel-centered and the gospel was proclaimed. It was just a big encouragement to seat through.

After the service, the gentlemen seating next to me asked who I was. He saw my face and told me his name was Scott. I then said his full name and then he realized that we have meet before. We did meet the first time I was at CHBC in February. He asked if I had any plans for the day. I told him that my plans were to visit the National Mall and walk around (I thought about witnessing to people also). He invited me to lunch. We had lunch a the Eastern Market, which is only a couple of block from CHBC. We had a delightful time. We encouraged each other as I talked a little about what God had thought me through my deployment, especially James 4:6. We found out that we had lot in common with what we are dealing with in our lives.

After our talk, I would go on to the National Mall and he would meet with a member of CHBC. I would continue to think about the chat and the sermon. I would also attend the night service and be blessed with even more prayer and communion. It was just an amazing day in God's presence.

This happened because of God. CHBC is a larger church and I would have never seen Scott again unless God ordained the meeting, which he did. To God be all the glory.

Praying to God

"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." John 15:7

A quick study of this passage might help us to understand this as it caught my attention. I have heard that all we need to do is pray about it and God will answer our prayers. This verse seems to says otherwise. Lets begin at the word abide. It is the Greek word menō, it means to remain or abide in reference to a place, a time, or a condition. In this case, it is used in reference of a place. This place is Jesus as describe by the speaker which is Christ. Abide is also used to describe where Jesus' words in us. Again, it is reference to a place by the in and the subject is the Disciples.

Lets go back to the beginning of the verse and talk about the word "if." This verse is an if/then conditional statement. The condition is the abiding in Christ and Christ's words abiding in us. Then part is that he will do what ever we asked.

Let looks at the verse as a whole in context. Jesus has just describe that the Disciples are a branch on the vine and Jesus is that vine. Everyone that is not attached to the vine will parish but those who remain will bear much. Verse 8 also gives us clarification of why God will answer our prayers. God answers our prayers for His glory.

So when Jesus tells His Disciples that He will do anything they ask, it is because they are remaining in His teaching. The Disciples desires are to be the same desires of Jesus. John would later clarify in 1 John 5:14, saying "(a)nd this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us." (emphasis is mine) So our prayers should not be "Jesus, I need an A on this test." Instead, it should be something that He has or ordained according to His plan a purpose. Our prayers should be to help the advancement of the Gospel by praying to God that He will do something to glorify His name and not ours. We need to be reading His words, as written in the Bible, to understand His desires and purpose so that he can rightly pray so that God is glorified by His works.

Where has All the Joy Gone?

That is the question of as of right now. I just do not have joy in my life right now. I have nothing to look forward to as of right now. That and the fact that I have not made any friends. I get that we joke because we like. But what they do not understand that I have not many of those friends that joke b/c they care continue to be friends. What hurts the most is that no of them care. I guess why would they. They have lives to look forward to and all I have is an empty apartment with only me inside of it. I guess it makes it hard when joy is not an emotion that I have come to know. That is one fruit of the Spirit that I lack in, a lot. I can see myself working some job somewhere living there is still no one around.

Not having joy has been a major part in my life. There has been seasons but not having joy has been the most part. I look at today, most people would be happy if they were complimented at doing their job, will not this guy. How can I be complimented on a job that I required to know how to do?

I do not even know where this is going but I am going to end it with that. I guess the bottom line is that I am miserable in my current stage of life.

Who is this amazing spectacle of woe and torture?

This is from a e-mail I get daily called Grace Gems. It features quotes from old died guys whose theology can not change. This quote is by Samuel Davies.

"Christ died for the ungodly!" Romans 5:6

In the cross of Christ--God's hatred to sin is manifested in the most striking light! The evil of sin is exposed in the most dreadful colors! Now it appears, that such is the divine hatred against all sin, that God can by no means forgive sin, without punishment; and that all the infinite benevolence of His nature towards His creatures cannot prevail upon Him to pardon the least sin--without an adequate satisfaction.

Nay, now it appears that when so malignant and abominable a thing is but imputed to His dear Son, His co-equal, His darling, His favorite--that even He could not escape unpunished--but was made a monument of vindictive justice, to all worlds!

What can more strongly expose the evil of sin--than the cross of Christ? Sin is such an intolerably malignant and abominable thing, that even a God of infinite mercy and grace--cannot let the least instance of it pass unpunished!

It was not a small thing that could arm God's justice against the Son of His love. Though He was perfectly innocent in Himself--yet when He was made sin for us--God spared not His own Son--but delivered Him up unto death--the shameful, tormenting, and accursed death of the cross!

Go, you fools, who make a mock at sin! Go and learn its malignity and demerit--at the cross of Jesus!

WHO is it that hangs there writhing in the agonies of death--His hands and feet pierced with nails, His side with a spear, His face bruised with blows, and drenched with tears and blood, His heart melting like wax, His whole frame racked and disjointed; forsaken by His friends, and even by His Father; tempted by devils, and insulted by men? Who is this amazing spectacle of woe and torture? It is Jesus, the eternal Word of God; His Elect, in whom His soul delights; His beloved Son, in whom He is well pleased!

And WHAT has He done? He did no wickedness; He knew no sin--but was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. And WHY then, all these dreadful sufferings from heaven, earth, and hell? Why, He only stood in the law-place of sinners; He only received their sin by imputation. And you see what it has brought upon Him! You see how low it has reduced Him! What a horrid evil must that be--which has such tremendous consequences, even upon the Darling of heaven!

Oh! what still more dreadful havoc would SIN have made, if it had been punished upon the sinner himself in his own person! Surely all the various miseries which have been inflicted upon our guilty world in all ages, and even all the punishments of hell--do not so loudly proclaim the terrible desert and malignity of sin--as the cross of Christ!

The infinite malignity of sin, and God's hatred to it, appear nowhere in so striking and dreadful a light--as in the cross of Christ! Let a reasonable creature take but one serious view of that cross, and surely he must ever after tremble at the thought of the least sin!

I Sometimes Wonder if I am Called to be Single

This thought just drop into my head while at work today. I had a guy ask me if I had a girlfriend, obvious answer was no. (I guess the answer is obvious if you know me but my lack of social skills proves very well that answer.) He asked me if I like girls. That the question if I am a homosexual or not. I answered yes but I have not desire at this time for a wife. That had me thinking while chilaxing in the pool here in the waterless beach. I am called to remain single or will I be someone who marries late. In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul gives us his take on the issue. If you desire to be married, then get married but you have not the desire, then remain single as I am single ( a Mike paraphrase). I often think about it would be nice to have a wife but that it is not something I desire. I guess there are times that I feel the desire more, but that is usually when I am around people that seem to be happy with others, i.e. weddings and family gatherings. I am sure that something might happen but that is not my desire but it does get me thinking. If I do not get married, that throws me out of any pastoral leadership roles according to scripture. That might even include leading a college ministry. I am just really confessed about what I need to be working towards or where is God leading me. That is probably sin in my life that I need to mortify. I guess that makes me lean more on God to show me the little but of path that He allows me to see. I actually feel like I need to just repent til the cows come home.

I guess pray is in need for this. I guess prayer to mortify the sin in my life and to seek God's counsel in the Bible. I do know that God wants me to be obedient to His word, and that is where I will start.

This is not how the post was going to go but this is where God lead it.

I'm hot 'cause I deployed, you ain't cause your not!

Just some thoughts as I take some time off from work. I am not allowed to disclose where I am at but it is hot. I am thinking about going to do some swimming today to tan my white legs a little. The base is not all bad. There is a lot of sand and rocks. Most things are open 24/7 so it helps to pass time. I am actually sitting outside of a coffee shop right now. (that brings to the point that I have not had any caffeine while here) Work is okay. I feel a little like an outcast because I just do not care to talk about what others want to talk about. I have no desire to talk about women (as an object) and movies that show softcore porn. There are videos on the intranet that show the disgrace that I have been dealing with myself. I have not watched and actually get discussed.

The actually work is not all bad. I work a couple of jets a night and have a bit of down time. It has not all been a grand I as like but hey I work on airplanes.

Spiritual has been hard. I have been typing a 14pg outline of the Gospel of John. I would like to have more time to read and mediate on the book. I just did not have the time while at Liberty and even less time here in the Middle East. I have a commentary to write on 2 Timothy 3 and 4 that I get all summer to write. I am also going to read some books also during the remaining time. I might try to attend some Bible Study at the Chapel and also start attending Chapel. There is only one service that I am able to attend. It happens to be a Saturday night.

Thanks for reading and take care