From Gary... The greatest

Yesterday, I did something that I have not done in decades, something stupid; I locked myself out of my house and didn't even have my cell phone with me.  Worse than that, there was an activity of some sort at the clubhouse, so I had to go to five of my neighbors homes before I found one at home.  When I finally gained access to a phone, I just couldn't get though to anyone- answering machines, all.  Later, one of my daughters came to the rescue and as she was leaving, she said jokingly, something like- Aren't I just the best daughter ever?  So, it is with no surprise that I seemed to connect with the picture at the top.  I especially like it because it has a little twist thrown in by the MOM.  Makes me feel right at home, because my wife Linda has been ZINGING ME FOR ABOUT 50 YEARS NOW.  After all this, it is but a very small detour to the follow passage of Scripture...

Luke, Chapter 22

 24 There arose also a contention among them, which of them was considered to be greatest.  25 He said to them, “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’   26  But not so with you. But one who is the greater among you, let him become as the younger, and one who is governing, as one who serves.   27  For who is greater, one who sits at the table, or one who serves? Isn’t it he who sits at the table? But I am in your midst as one who serves.

Humility: easy to understand and hard to do.  Jesus served.  So should we.  Let God be the judge of whether or not we have been successful in our efforts.  Just follow our Savior the best you can and forget about others.  Again, easy to say- and hard to do.  Just try- you will be glad you did!!!

PS.  Thanks for coming over, YOU are a wonderful daughter!!!

From Jim McGuiggan... In defense of singleness

In defense of singleness

1 Corinthians 7 begins with "it is good for a man not to marry" (NIV). Is this the claim of some Corinthians?

Very possibly, because in other places it seems clear that he quotes a Corinthian proposal only to take issue with it (maybe 6:12 illustrates that). It could be that some fellows thought asceticism was the best option so that when it came to marriage they were saying: "Leave it alone!" This is the prevailing view among commentators.

And does Paul oppose that alleged Corinthian proposal? It's generally held that Paul takes pains to expose this ascetic view of things but if he opposes the proposal as stated he goes about it in a very strange way.

Look, suppose some ascetic type Corinthians with a little flavour of Platonism say, "It's good for a man not to marry." Suppose Paul wants to deny that proposal because it has some sinister elements in it, what will he say? We would probably expect him to mount a robust defence of marriage over against celibacy but that's not what what we find. Whatever we think he might have said we know what he actually didsay.

Corinthians say, "It is good not to marry" and Paul says, "it is good not to marry" (7:8). He agrees with the proposal. Again in 7:26 he agrees with 7:1 and advises virgins, "it is good not to marry." He goes on to say—in light of specific conditions and general considerations—that those who abstain from marriage are doing the right, even better, thing (7:26-40).

Instead of opposing celibacy so much of chapter 7 says that it's good "to be alone." It’s good for widows and widowers not to marry (7:8). He doesn't only say that they will have less trouble, he says it is "good" for them not to marry (7:8). Certainly he qualifies his opinions that celibacy is good. If a person has serious difficulty maintaining a chaste celibacy then marrying is the better way to go (7:2,9 and see 38) but aside from that he argues in favour of the opening proposal.

Maybe the opening proposal isn’t the word of an ascetic; maybe it’s Paul’s counter proposal. It could be that some were saying that in light of Genesis 2:18 it isn’t good for a person to be unmarried and Paul was saying, "Yes it is!" And if you add the prevalence of fornication there would be good reason for some Jewish members to harangue people with Genesis 2:18. Maybe some were saying with deep conviction that it is not good for a man to be single, that it is a Christian duty to marry. (For the majority of ancient Jews this was normative and while Greeks had their "evil matter" notions floating around there were still those like Demosthenes who insisted that men should marry to raise and guide families and use courtesans for pleasure. We hear of festal gatherings where unmarried men were pelted with rotten fruit and other things for being unmarried.)

If we take the view that there was a strong element in the Corinthian church that was vigorously proposing marriage as a bit more than normative then Paul’s talk about "the good" of singleness makes perfect sense.

7:3-5 is parenthetical and 7:6 takes up his remarks in 1-2 so I think we should read it this way. "It is good for a person not to marry but because of the prevalence of fornication let each man have his own wife and she her own husband [3-5] but this I say as a concession, not as a command."

What goes on within the marriage union if two people have decided on that is not the concession. They are one flesh and should treat one another in that fashion (7:3-5). To avoid fornication each one is to have his/her own husband/wife. This he says using an imperative but so that he won’t be misunderstood he returns to say he is not commanding marriage because, the truth is, he would rather that everyone was like himself (7:7). He was single and chaste and would be pleased if everyone could be like that (for reasons he would outline later) but he recognized that God hasn’t gifted everyone for that. But he does see singleness as a gift and insists that one who exercises that gift as unto God is doing a good thing.

Christians may not feel as strongly about marriage as most ancient Jews who thought it was normative and thought it strange that a person might not want to marry. But the currents that run in our Western culture encourage us to muse about unmarried people and wonder if there isn’t some homosexual leaning there. I would suppose (though I’ve taken no census) that the very idea that someone might freely choose singleness would seem strange. And if they chose it as an expression of their submission to God in Christ that would be thought to be even stranger. But it’s time we looked at these people and thanked God for them. Whatever else is true they're not inferior to us old married people. I think Paul said, "It is good for a person not to marry."

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... The Problem With Riches

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                   The Problem With Riches (10:17-27)

INTRODUCTION

1. In our text, we read of a rich man who was so right, yet wrong...
   a. He came to the right person - Mk 10:17
      1) He came to Jesus
      2) Who could tell Him the way to eternal life
   b. He asked the right questions - Mk 10:17
      1) "What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"
      2) "What do I still lack?" - cf. Mt 19:20
   c. He certainly received the right answers - Mk 10:19-21
      1) "...if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments"
         (suitable for one living under the OT covenant) - cf. Mt 19:17-19
      2) "If you want to be perfect, go, sell...give to the poor...and
         come, follow Me" (fitting for one who would become a disciple
         and follow Jesus during His ministry) - cf. Mt 19:21
   d. But in the end, he made the wrong decision - Mk 10:22
      1) He went away sorrowful
      2) For he had great possessions

2. As the rich man went away sadly, Jesus told His disciples about the
   difficulty of riches...
   a. It is hard for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of
      God - Mk 10:23-24
   b. It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle - Mk 10:25

3. What is it about being rich that makes salvation so difficult...?
   a. Are we aware of the dangers of riches?
   b. Do we have the proper attitudes toward wealth, whether rich or
      poor?

[Let's first consider...]

I. THE PROBLEM WITH RICHES

   A. THE ABSORBING INTEREST OF RICHES...
      1. Riches do not satisfy, and we foolishly think that simply more
         riches will bring satisfaction - cf. Ec 1:8; 5:10
      2. With riches comes the preoccupation with them:  how to use,
         maintain, store, etc.
      -- Like a black hole, the accumulation of riches can absorb what
         time and energy we have so that we have little for anything
         else (such as family, church, the Lord)

   B. THE DECEITFUL PROMISE OF RICHES...
      1. Jesus warned about the deceitfulness of riches - Mk 4:19
      2. Riches promise much, but really offer little in return
         a. They can easily disappear, rust, or be stolen - Pr 23:5; Mt 6:19
         b. They cannot buy one's salvation - Ps 49:6-9,16-20
         c. Neither can they protect one from God's wrath - Zep 1:18
      -- Riches can deceive one into thinking they are in need of
         nothing; the parable of the rich fool illustrates the folly of
         such thinking - Lk 12:16-21

   C. THE FOOLISH PRIDE OF RICHES...
      1. Wealth tends to promote a sense of arrogance and pride - cf.
         Deu 8:11-17
      2. It was such pride that was the downfall of Sodom and Israel
         - Eze 16:49-50; Hos 13:4-6
      -- Blinded by such pride, one will not seek God - Ps 10:4

   D. THE HARDENING SELFISHNESS OF RICHES...
      1. The wealthy, while in a position to help others, often close
         their hearts to the cry of the poor
      2. This was one of Israel's sins - Am 2:6; 5:11-12; 8:4-6
      -- Abusing the poor to make money, failing to respond to their
         cries for justice, interested more in money than the welfare of
         the poor, such are the problems that often afflict the rich

[Certainly not all who are rich are guilty of such things.  Some of the
most godly people in the Bible were rich (Job, Abraham, Joseph, David,
Solomon, Barnabas, Philemon, Lydia).  But these are reasons why it is so
hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.  If they let mammon
become their god, they will not be willing to serve the true God! (cf.
Mt 6:24)  From what we have seen about the danger of wealth, let's now
draw some...]

II. LESSONS GLEANED FROM THE PROBLEM OF RICHES

   A. THE FOLLY OF COVETOUSNESS...
      1. Why be so anxious to be rich, when riches might prove to be a
         curse for us?
      2. Besides, covetousness is viewed by God as a form of idolatry
         - Ep 5:5; Col 3:5
      3. It not a sin to be rich, but the desire to be rich is wrong
         a. Those who desire to be rich will fall into temptation, and
            not go unpunished - 1Ti 6:9; Pr 28:20
         b. The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil - 1Ti 6:10
            1) For which some have strayed from the faith
            2) And suffered many sorrows
      -- Beware of covetousness! - Lk 12:15

   B. THE DUTY OF CONTENTMENT...
      1. Contentment along with godliness is true wealth - 1Ti 6:6-7
         a. "He is richest who is content with the least." - Socrates
         b. "Contentment comes not so much from great wealth as from few
            wants" - Croft M. Pentz (The Complete Book of Zingers)
      2. Contentment is a virtue that is learned - e.g., Php 4:11-12
         a. By having a proper perspective on life - 1Ti 6:7
            1) "You can't take it with you"
            2) Ever see a hearse pulling a U-Haul trailer?
         b. By understanding what is truly essential in life - 1Ti 6:8
            1) Food and clothing...anything more is a luxury
            2) Realizing this, we will appreciate how blessed we are!
      -- Learn to be content! - He 13:5

   C. THE NEED FOR SYMPATHY FOR THE RICH...
      1. Jesus loved the rich young ruler - Mk 10:21
         a. We should certainly love those who are rich
         b. We should not be envious, nor despise them
      2. If the rich are overcome by their riches, we should remember...
         a. That the desire to be rich affects both the rich and those
            who want to be rich
         b. That the rich face many temptations that the poor do not
      -- The rich are in need of salvation as much as the poorest
         beggar! - Ro 3:23; 6:23

   D. FAITH IN THE POWER OF GOD...
      1. Though it is hard for a rich person to be saved, it is not
         impossible - Mk 10:23-27
         a. No one can save themselves, whether rich or poor
         b. But God can save the rich by His own power, through the
            gospel - Ro 1:16-17
      2. There were many rich people who became Jesus' disciples
         a. Those that supported Him during His earthly ministry - Lk 8:1-3
         b. Others such as Zacchaeus, Matthew, Barnabas, Lydia, Aquila
            and Priscilla, Gaius, Philemon
         c. Such people used their riches in service to God and others
            - cf. 1Ti 6:17-19
      3. Therefore...
         a. The rich should have the gospel preached to them
         b. We should pray for the rich
         c. We should rejoice greatly that there are rich men and women
            in the kingdom of God
      -- With God, nothing is impossible! - Mk 10:27

CONCLUSION

1. The issue of wealth is often one of contention...
   a. The poor are often envious of the rich
   b. The rich often despise the poor

2. But riches and poverty both have their difficulties...
   a. Wealth can one make one arrogant, less receptive to the gospel and
      the kingdom
   b. Poverty can make one bitter, filled with envy of others

3. Whether rich or poor, all should be aware...
   a. Of our need for salvation that comes only by the grace of God
   b. That we can share together in the riches of salvation

Have you become an heir to the "unsearchable riches of Christ"...? - Ep
3:8

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011