1/2/13

The talk


Sex; for a Christian this can be an awkward topic!!!  When I saw "The Talk" above, I immediately liked it. The sensitive, relevant, tactful handling of this topic was refreshing!!!  Learning about sex from the graffiti on bathroom walls or the crude descriptions of pre-adolescent peers, cheapens future relationships and fosters pre-martial sex.  Without sex, none of us would be here, so, it is necessary for the continuance of the species.  However, it should be handled with respect and understanding.  Paul refers to it in this way...

1 Thessalonians, Chapter 4
  1 Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, that you abound more and more.  2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.  3 For this is the will of God: your sanctification, that you abstain from sexual immorality,  4 that each one of you know how to possess himself of his own vessel in sanctification and honor,  5 not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know God; 

First, there is nothing wrong with sex!!!  God designed our bodies to produce offspring!!!  Child rearing is a process that involves love and nurturing at every phase, including conception!!!!  Sex without sexual immorality is a must for Christians.  Purity of mind and what happens in our lives sexually is necessary for us to be sanctified to God.  How you handle your sexual life is your business, but whatever you do, consider God's will for your life.  Hopefully, your actions will send the right message to God, your spouse and your children!!!! 

Bible Reading, Jan. 2


Jan. 2
Genesis 2

Gen 2:1 The heavens and the earth were finished, and all their vast array.
Gen 2:2 On the seventh day God finished his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.
Gen 2:3 God blessed the seventh day, and made it holy, because he rested in it from all his work which he had created and made.
Gen 2:4 This is the history of the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Yahweh God made the earth and the heavens.
Gen 2:5 No plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for Yahweh God had not caused it to rain on the earth. There was not a man to till the ground,
Gen 2:6 but a mist went up from the earth, and watered the whole surface of the ground.
Gen 2:7 Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Gen 2:8 Yahweh God planted a garden eastward, in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed.
Gen 2:9 Out of the ground Yahweh God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the middle of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Gen 2:10 A river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it was parted, and became four heads.
Gen 2:11 The name of the first is Pishon: this is the one which flows through the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold;
Gen 2:12 and the gold of that land is good. There is aromatic resin and the onyx stone.
Gen 2:13 The name of the second river is Gihon: the same river that flows through the whole land of Cush.
Gen 2:14 The name of the third river is Hiddekel: this is the one which flows in front of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.
Gen 2:15 Yahweh God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
Gen 2:16 Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;
Gen 2:17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die."
Gen 2:18 Yahweh God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."
Gen 2:19 Out of the ground Yahweh God formed every animal of the field, and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.
Gen 2:20 The man gave names to all livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field; but for man there was not found a helper suitable for him.
Gen 2:21 Yahweh God caused a deep sleep to fall on the man, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.
Gen 2:22 He made the rib, which Yahweh God had taken from the man, into a woman, and brought her to the man.
Gen 2:23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."
Gen 2:24 Therefore a man will leave his father and his mother, and will join with his wife, and they will be one flesh.
Gen 2:25 They were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Ecclesiastes, Counsel For Balanced Living, Mark Copeland

                       "THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES"

                 Counsel For Balanced Living (7:15-29)

INTRODUCTION

1. In our previous study (7:1-14), the Preacher provided counsel for a
   better life...
   a. Honor is better than luxury
   b. Your deathday is better than your birthday
   c. A funeral is better than a party
   d. The end is better than the beginning
   e. Patience is better than pride
   f. The present is better than the past
   g. Wisdom is better than wealth
   h. Resignation is better than indignation
   -- Such counsel is designed to make the best of life, especially
      since life "under the sun" is vanity

2. As we consider the latter half of chapter seven...
   a. There are rather challenging and difficult statements
   b. Which should be understood in their context, and the context of
      the Bible as a whole
 
[It appears the Preacher is counseling against extremism, especially in
the first section, where we find advice to...]

I. DO THINGS IN MODERATION (7:15-22)

   A. EXTREMES CAN CREATE PROBLEMS...
      1. One of life's vanities is that the righteous don't always
         prosper, nor do the wicked always suffer - 7:15
         a. Here the Preacher saw that which Job's friends did not 
            1) They reasoned that righteous never suffer, only the
               wicked - cf. Job 4:7-8
            2) Yet Job, like the Preacher, knew that was not always the
               case - cf. Job 21:7-9
         b. Of course, both Job and the Preacher knew the ultimate end
            of the wicked
            1) The wicked are reserved for the day of doom and wrath
               - Job 21:30
            2) It will be well for those who fear God - Ec 8:12-13
      2. One should avoid extremism in seeking to be righteous and wise
         - 7:16
         a. There is a righteousness to be avoided (i.e., "self-
            righteousness")
            1) Righteousness born of pride and arrogance - e.g., Lk 18:
               10-14
            2) The Pharisees were a classic case of being "overly 
               righteous" - cf. Mt 23:1-33
         b. There is also a wisdom to be avoided
            1) Wisdom of this world - cf. 1Co 3:18-20
            2) It too is born out of pride and arrogance 
      3. One should also avoid extremism in wickedness and foolishness
         - 7:17
         a. Not that "a little wickedness and folly" is ever acceptable
            to God!
         b. But God may be longsuffering and provide opportunity to
            repent for some - 2Pe 3:9
         c. While His anger and wrath might be moved to cut off those
            who arrogantly and openly despise Him - e.g., Ac 12:21-23

   B. DON'T REFRAIN FROM TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND WISDOM...
      1. One should still fear God - 7:18
         a. Understanding the dangers of extremism is important
         b. But the fear of God remains the key to true knowledge and
            pleasing God - cf. Pr 1:7; Ec 8:12
      2. Wisdom does have its place - 7:19
         a. Better than ten rulers (or mighty men) of a city!
         b. Better than strength - cf. Ec 9:13-18
      3. Yet no one is perfect - 7:20
         a. Even as the Psalmist declared - Ps 14:1-3
         b. As the apostle Paul taught - Ro 3:21

   C. DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING PEOPLE SAY...
      1. You may sometimes hear others say bad things about you - 7:21
      2. You have said things that were unkind about others - 7:22
      -- So don't take what you hear too seriously (i.e., don't be so
         "righteously" indignant)

[The sense of this section seems to be one of being "balanced", not
over-reacting that you overshoot your true goal, which is to please
God.  Along the same vein, one should also remember that as valuable as
wisdom may be...]

II. WISDOM ALONE IS NOT THE ANSWER (7:23-29)

   A. SOME QUESTIONS WISDOM CAN'T ANSWER...
      1. The preacher had proved some things by wisdom - 7:23a
      2. But others things were too deep and far off - 7:23-24; cf.
         Isa 55:8,9

   B. A WICKED WOMAN IS CERTAINLY TO BE AVOIDED...
      1. He applied his heart to know wisdom and folly - 7:25
      2. What he found more bitter than death was the wicked woman 
         - 7:26; cf. Pr 5:3-5; 7:21-27

   C. GOOD PEOPLE ARE HARD TO FIND...
      1. Seeking for a good man, he found only one in a thousand 
         - 7:27-28a; cf. Ps 12:1
      2. A good woman was even rarer - 7:28b
         a. Perhaps the Preacher (Solomon) was reflecting upon his
            experience with his 700 wives and 300 concubines; certainly
            not a good sampling! - cf. 1Ki 11:1-3
         b. Even King Lemuel thought a good woman was hard to find 
            - Pr 31:10-ff
      3. Of course, the problem is not with God...
         a. He made man upright - 7:29a
         b. But they have gone after many evil things - 7:29b; cf.
            Jer 4:22

CONCLUSION

1. Man's pride tends to propel him to go to extremes...
   a. Those not content to obey His Word often seek out many sinful
      deeds
   b. Even those seeking righteousness can go too far (e.g., where
      "righteous indignation" becomes "self-righteous indignation")

2. Of course, the solution is not to refrain from righteousness and
   wisdom...
   a. But to seek after it humbly - cf. Mt 5:3-6
   b. And to apply gentleness, patience, and humility in all things,
      even toward those who are opposing God! - cf. 2Ti 2:24-25; 1 Pe
      3:1-4

Such I believe is consistent with the Preacher's "Counsel For A
Balanced Life", and which if followed, helps any man or woman be that
"one in a thousand"...