Honor to the soldier, and the sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country’s cause. Honor also the citizen who cares for his brother in the field, and serves best he can, the same cause—honor to him, only less than him, who braves, for the common good, the storms of Heaven and the storm of the battle! Source; Abraham Lincoln, December 2, 1863.
Tag: honor
The Spiritual Mystery of Sex! 1 Corinthians 6—–
The Greeks invented athletic contests and held them in honor of their gods! The Isthmus games were held every two years at the Isthmus of Corinth. The ancient Olympics were begun in 700 B.C. in honor of Zeus. No women were allowed to watch the games and only Greek nationals were allowed to participate. Corinth was a beautiful place in southern Greece with ocean on both sides. It was a major trade route with lots of wealthy people living there. The population had a lot of retired Roman military leaders living there so it was a secure place. It was a thriving place! It was also a sexually broken place with 1000 prostitutes in their temples. The poor got wealthy there! Quick money was to be made in Corinth. God created sex and it is one of his best idea’s! Next to Salvation He has never come up with a better idea! The problem is the world has perverted a great idea. There are over 430 million pornography sites on the internet! It is the most viewed topic on the internet. It has devastating effects on relationships. The world’s question about sex is, “How can I have better sex with more people?” This was Corinth and the world we live in today. What should be the question about sex in the Church? How can I Glorify God with my sexuality? 1 Corinthians 6:18. Flee sexual immorality! God designed sex to be used in the marriage covenant. The purpose of children is to raise righteous seed to counter the unrighteous seed in the earth. God’s design for marriage is beautiful! People do not like to hear wait until marriage. The city slogan in Corinth and even in America today is I will do what I want with whom I want where I want and when I want! People in Corinth would ask an immoral person the following question? Have you been Corinthinized? Have you been Americanized? Porn devastates the Church! The body is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord! Our bodies are members of Christ’s Body! The world says it does not matter what you do with your body? Is it your body or His? The cultural teachers in America say you can do what you want? No boundaries! Choices do not matter? Christ took on a human body. His human body was Crucified on a Cross. He was resurrected in a human body. Christ gave dignity to the human body! What we do with our body does have consequences! Good or bad! If Christ lives in your body can you unite Him with a prostitute? The two become one flesh! Sex has a spiritual and a physical dimension. You cannot have one without the other! You save yourself for marriage not as a consequence but as a Gift from God. Matthew 19:5-6. Leave your father and mother and become one flesh. Parents this is the only way you get grandchildren! No longer two but one. God joins two together as one in spirit and flesh. You are welded together. Do not be unequally yoked. Let no man separate what God has joined together! The powers of hell cannot separate us. Many do not wait? If so start over. Today start over. Anyone who comes to Christ is given a second chance! Sexual sin is commited against your own body. A little like suicide. Stand firm and flee sexual immorality! Turn and run! Run away from sin and run towards God! Psalm 101:2. Set your eyes on no vile thing! There are thousands of ads everyday promoting products with sex! David’s sin with Bathsheba began with wandering eyes! Stay focused on God! Do you notice the word, “Bath”, in her name? An idol replaces the true worship of God. Since in creation the woman was taken from the man it is easy for men to worship the woman which is self worship! It can become idol worship and replace the true Worship of God! There is a fine line here and we have to discern. I love my wife best when I love God! Take inventory! Do you need a warehouse to store all your idol’s? Your body is the Temple of The Holy Spirit! Honor God with your body! We are not our own but have been bought with a price! We serve one true God in one Temple who lives in us! The Greeks temple was aphroditis and their 1000 prostitutes! Corinth also had a slave culture. It included more than just sex slaves. Paul did not endorse slavery! In the Greek culture slaves were indentured servants! When a slave escaped and got captured he was turned over to a worse master. If you try to escape God your are turned over to the King of slave masters who is Satan! Christ has freed you from slavery! Jesus is not a cruel slave master but became a slave for you and laid down His life for you! Honor God with your body! It is personal to God what we do with our bodies. Why? We belong to Him! If you come into my house with mud and manure on your shoes I will get upset! I belong to Christ! My children belong to Christ! My family belongs to Christ! Our bodies belong to Christ and what we do with our bodies is very important! Source; Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Message given on Sunday, February 9, 2014.
The Respectful Are Respected! 1 Timothy 5:1-4
Instructions from God for a good outcome in your life! Respect elders. Encourage elders. Treat the younger as your brothers and sisters. Care for widows. What happens inside our homes counts! Important! The Christian home is the alternative community that is opposite to the dark, broken dysfunctional world that we live in. Politicians just reflect our broken culture. Church should be different. Debt free and living for others! Live more responsible with more to give away! Problem is the world does not see us any different from them. Just reminds them of themselves and what they hate. We must reinvent a new way of living. When the Church lives most unlike the world it has it’s greatest impact of reaching the world for Christ. Honor those in front of us. The older are farther along and have met things we have not. Wisdom comes from God and through time! Remember the word time means “to honor.” Old is gold. American culture spends between 90-100 Billion dollars each year for anti-aging gimmicks. Hopeless and expensive ways to try to stay young. The Bible teaches that grey hair is a gift from God. The elderly have great opportunities to help the younger. Many of the young today do not know how to ask questions. Be responsible to help widows. Seek out widows in need. John 19:25-27. Take care of your mother. With all the suffering and pain of the Cross and near death Jesus thought about his mother. A disciple took her from the execution place to care for her in his home. Why did not James take care of her? Mary was also his mother. If you read Acts Chapter 12 you will see James was killed a short time later. Joseph her husband had already passed away. Mary was vulnerable and Jesus saw it. John was the older disciple. Take care of a widow not related to you. James 1:27. Pure religion is to take care of widows and orphans and to keep your heart pure. Be family for them. Do 3 things. Find a widow. Look for them. Find, love and serve them. If you do you will come back here one year later and be a changed person. Joy and peace will enter into you. Honor your parents. Repay your parents. Practice your religion. Look not at them as a burden. Ask them how you can help them. Problem is not all parents are honorable. You could have had dysfunctional and abusive parents. Romans 12:17-18. Repay evil for evil? No! Do not become who you hate! Live at peace with everyone. Forgive. Break the cycle of family violence. Honor parents who are not honorable. Ephesians 6:2. Honor your Father and Mother and life will go well with you. The peace of God will accompany obedience. As a parent myself I do not always get it right. Neither will you. You get one shot in life at parenting. Parents work hard and then kids are gone. When we forgive we give away what we get back. Parents do the best they can at the time. Would we do differently if we could do over again? Yes. God gives us His Grace! Source; Pastor Brady Boyd, New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Message given on Sunday, October 13, 2013. Thankyou. James and Hamsa Sasse. GodWhoisGod.com