A Priest Ought to Preserve Knowledge

Malachi 2: 7 "For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction--because he is the messenger of the LORD Almighty." NLT

Lord,
This is an admonition to me as a priest of Yours.  Fellow Christians and the world ought to be able to come to us true believers for pure knowledge and instruction from Your Word.  However; for us to be able to speak it, I have to KNOW it and live it.  If I half-know, I can lead someone else astray instead of to You.
You have promised in Your Word that the Holy Spirit will lead me into ALL truth, He is the author and finisher of my faith, and I have the mind of Christ.  I have no excuses.  All believers are messengers from You as You have commanded that we obey the Great Commission.  The choice to obey is mine, but that does not change the command, or the discipline that I can expect if I choose to disobey.

Lord, help be to be salt and light every day and to be able to speak the truth to all.

Life and Peace Requires Reverence for God's Name

Malachi 2: 4-6 "Then at last you will know it was I who sent you this warning so that my covenant with the Levites can continue," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "The purpose of my covenant with the Levites was to bring life and peace, and that is what I gave them. This required reverence from them, and they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name.  They passed on to the people the truth of the instructions they received from me. They did not lie or cheat; they walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin." NLT

 Sweet Lord,
      Your plan is always the best for us.  Your plan for them and us is life and peace.  You even went so far as to come to us as Emmanuel in human form to: love, teach, bless, heal, and be the perfect Sacrificial Lamb for all mankind!  You gave Your life for us so that we may not only have eternal life with You, but also an abundant life here.  You give the peace that passes all understanding if we allow it.

      As one of Your priests in this age, You long for, "they greatly revered me and stood in awe of my name. They passed on to the people the truth of the instructions they received from me. They did not lie or cheat; they walked with me, living good and righteous lives, and they turned many from lives of sin." to be true of all Christians and me. 

      Lord, have I failed to be the priestess You have asked me to be?  Has Your church as a whole failed You in America?  There is so much evil in our country.  I am very fortunate that I have righteous pastors and teachers at our church and at Liberty University where you have blessed me to work, who teach and live the truth.  I want to be a blessing to You and to all with whom I come in contact.  Help me, Lord!  Help all of us who claim Your name to be like Levites were at first.

I Must Make Up My Mind to Honor God's Name

Malachi 2:1-2 ""Listen, you priests—this command is for you!  Listen to me and make up your minds to honor my name," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "or I will bring a terrible curse against you. I will curse even the blessings you receive. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you have not taken my warning to heart. I will punish your descendants and splatter your faces with the manure from your festival sacrifices, and I will throw you on the manure pile." NLT

      O Lord, what a horrific picture!  As a mother and grandmother, I cannot imagine what that must have been like to hear about your children and grandchildren!  And yet, nothing changed. They would not repent and so you were silent until You sent John.
      Israel's priests were going through the motions of the rituals, but their hearts were not in their sacrifices.  You had blessed them so richly by bringing them out of captivity and back into their native land, yet it had not taken long for them to revert back to the very ways that had sent them away in the first place.
      In reading the Intertestamental history, I see that the High Priesthood had become very corrupt.  High priests were elected by their peers or appointed by the pagan rulers and became a political office instead of a rightful priesthood.  They were put in charge of armies, and at one point there was a civil war between the Pharisees and Sadducees!  Jews fighting Jews over territory.
Because of the desecration of the temple by Antiochus IV, when Jehovah was to be called Zeus and pigs were made to be offered on the temple altars, it is no small wonder that You were charged with blasphemy and was going to be stoned when he said that he would destroy the temple and build another not made by hands.  It is also not surprising that the Pharisees had made up over 600 laws not found in Leviticus that the Jews had to follow to be "good Jews"!  And yet, they lived in dark silence with no prophet to tell them what You wanted them to know because of their stiff-neckedness and hard hearts.  They practiced ritual without reality.  In our age, some do the same thing.
     Sweet Lord, You brought me out of the darkness of my life into Your blessed light; out of captivity of my own sin into freedom to be Your bond slave to enjoy Your blessings in my life.  All You ask of me is loving obedience to Your commands.  You will never accept lip service or service done for You or others out of a sense of obligation or to gain praise for myself.
      You cursed Israel's blessings and were silent for 400 years because, although they were Your chosen people, their hearts were far from you.  And yet, You found Mary and Joseph in all of that mess!  Lord, keep my heart on fire for You all the days of my life that I may serve you with a whole heart!

Do I Honor the Lord As Those In Other Countries Do?

Malachi 1:11-14 "But my name is honored  by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies.  "But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it's all right to defile the Lord's table.  You say, 'It's too hard to serve the LORD,' and you turn up your noses at my commands," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "Think of it! Animals that are stolen and crippled and sick are being presented as offerings! Should I accept from you such offerings as these?" asks the LORD."Cursed is the cheat who promises to give a fine ram from his flock but then sacrifices a defective one to the Lord. For I am a great king," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "and my name is feared among the nations!" NLT

      Oh, Dear Lord!  Could this be said of American Christians as well?  Although we do not offer animal sacrifices in Christianity, we do give offerings of our time, talent, and treasure.  The Lord's Table for some has become so routine that they partake of it unworthily, just as they did in Paul's day.  Before I was saved, I did out of ignorance, how much more now the would You be dishonored if I did now?
      I know there are underground churches in persecuted countries who worship You more fervently and see the need to obey Your commands much more than we are here.  Lord, may revival begin with me and my house as we serve You with wholehearted humble gratitude for what you have done for us, and that we would be willing to give You our very best always.

"I am not pleased with you," says the LORD

Malachi 1:9-10 "Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"--says the LORD Almighty." NIV
 "How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "and I will not accept your offerings." NLT

      Oh, Lord!  Is this where Your church is today in America?  There are of course some "Hot Spots" where believers follow hard after You and live it everyday, but as a whole isYour church is lukewarm or ice cold altogether?  We complain that our religious liberties are being taken away, but if we offer our Governmental leaders the same type of "sacrifice" that we offer You, why would they ever want to change things and listen to us?
      As "Christians" we are a sinful nation.  I spoke to two young ladies yesterday who were from the very area where the Pilgrims landed and where the first Great Awakening happened in New England.  They told me that the area is ice cold as far as Christianity is concerned.  And yet when the census was taken, that whole area looked like a red hot spot of folks who call themselves Evangelical Christians.
      Like Daniel, Lord, I ask that You forgive our sins as a nation and bring us back to being a Christian Nation under God.  Our sins are great, Lord: selfishness, greed, envy, lasciviousness, discontentment, complaining, adultery, divorce, pornography, abuse and lawlessness of every kind, total disregard for You and disobedient to Your Word.  Lord, we need forgiveness, repentence and healing!  WE NEED REVIVAL and another Great Awakening!  Until we are willing to confess and repent as a Church, we can ask nothing of You and deserve the same discipline You gave to Israel in the time of Daniel!
      As we prepare for the celebration of Christmas You are totally lost in the celebration and it is supposed to be a celebration of Your Birth!  Instead, it has become a nation wide celebration of secular materialism , glitz, and glamour.  Oh Lord, please forgive us!

Do I Offer Dishonorable Sacrifices?

Malachi 1: 6c-9"But you ask, 'How have we ever shown contempt for your name?'  "You have shown contempt by offering defiled sacrifices on my altar. "Then you ask, 'How have we defiled the sacrifices? ' "You defile them by saying the altar of the LORD deserves no respect. When you give blind animals as sacrifices, isn't that wrong? And isn't it wrong to offer animals that are crippled and diseased? Try giving gifts like that to your governor, and see how pleased he is!" says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "Go ahead, beg God to be merciful to you! But when you bring that kind of offering, why should he show you any favor at all?" asks the LORD of Heaven's Armies."

Sweet Lord,
What kind of sacrifices am I bringing to you in my life?  Am I willing to sacrifice my time, talent and treasure to the point of being seen as an acceptable sacrifice, or am Ioffering You my leftovers?  These are quite hard questions for me to answer right now.  I want to offer You the very BEST always.  I believe I do in my work at school, and my work at home...doing all as unto You.  But I wonder about my "inside" life.
Lord, search me and know my heart.  Reveal to me the sins I need to confess and of which I need to repent.  Please, Lord!  I want to please You in EVERY WAY!

Contempt or Honor?

Malachi 1:6 a-b  "The LORD of Heaven's Armies (Almighty) says to the priests: "A son honors his father, and a servant respects his master. If I am your father and master, where are the honor and respect I deserve? You have (despised) shown contempt for my name!" NLT

      Sweet Lord!  I know that this was written to Israel's priests; but as an adopted child, willing servant, priestess, and saint today so much more would this apply to me!  Lord, I do not want to despise or show contempt for Your name!  You are due all honor and obedience with a willing heart because of what You have, in love, done for me!  You are my Father and Master and ALL honor is due You!
      Lord, please forgive me for the times I have ignored You, been disobedient, and have not shown You the honor You are due.

Malachi- Truth for Today

Malachi 1:1-5  "This is the message that the LORD gave to Israel through the prophet Malachi.  "I have always loved you," says the LORD. But you retort, "Really? How have you loved us?" And the LORD replies, "This is how I showed my love for you: I loved your ancestor Jacob, but I rejected his brother, Esau, and devastated his hill country. I turned Esau's inheritance into a desert for jackals."  Esau's descendants in Edom may say, "We have been shattered, but we will rebuild the ruins." But the LORD of Heaven's Armies replies, "They may try to rebuild, but I will demolish them again. Their country will be known as 'The Land of Wickedness,' and their people will be called 'The People with Whom the LORD Is Forever Angry.' When you see the destruction for yourselves, you will say, 'Truly, the LORD's greatness reaches far beyond Israel's borders!'"

      Lord, how true this is even today!  The conflict between Muslims and Christian/Jews still rages.  The conflict is so great in Jordan and Syria right now that many thousands of Christians have either fled as refugees, been imprisoned, or have been martyred for their faith.  Allah, their false god requires that we all be eliminated. 
      He is not the God of love and pease that we serve.  Even at the time this was written, You knew You would be the Living Sacrifice for their sins as well as the sins of those who would come to love You as Savior and Lord.
      Lord, they do not realize they are following a false god who will lead them to Hell and destruction.  They are being deceived by the enemy of their souls and need You to open their eyes to the truth.

Building or Destroying?

Proverbs 14:1 "A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands."

      Dear Lord,  It has been awhile since I had time to post anything.  This verse has been resonnating in my heart for while now.  Unfortunately, I have seen quite a bit of home tearing down as I deal with students, parents, and friends.  There are so many, Lord, who claim to know You, but when these women open their mouths about their husbands and children, one has to wonder.
      Our Pastor once said that if there was "dirty laundry" in his family no one would ever know about it because it had no business being outside the home.  We see it in movies, on TV shows, and in the lives of those with whom we rub elbows.
      Lord, I have been one of them in the past, and saw the devastation it caused.  Our homes should be a haven of refuge, not a battleground where loved ones are wounded, sometimes beyond repair.  I want to be in the home building business...not in the demolition business.  Help me and those who might read this, Lord, to never say anything negative about their spouses, children, or grandchildren or other family members.  If there is correction needed, may it not be done in anger, but laced with grace speaking the truth in love so as to cause decipleship.
      I love You, Lord and want the very best for my family.  Help me, and other wives and mothers to be builders too.

Widows Free to Marry

1 Corinthians 7:39-40 "A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if he loves the Lord.  But in my opinion it would be better for her to stay single, and I think I am giving you counsel from God's Spirit when I say this." NLT

      Lord, thank You for the wonderful husband you have given me and for our 41 years together.
I know in Paul's time and culture things were much different for a woman.  If she was widowed with children, her children were bound to care for her.  If she was childless, it fell to the church to care for her.  She could not just get a job and provide for herself.
      If she was young with small children, it was better for her to re-marry than to stay single simply for provision sake.  The Law required her husband's brother (if he had one) to marry her if she was childless to carry on her husband's name.
      It is very different for us.  If a husband dies, a woman can work, get survivor's benefits from Social Security, be on welfare and get food stamps and medicaid for health insurance for her children.  The church has little to do with providing as it should.
      If statistics prove true, I will be a widow at some point in my life.  I do have children who love me and would provide for me, and I would be eligible for the Survivor's benefits.  I could continue to work depending on the time frame and my health.  I know I would be free to re-marry, but do not believe I would because I want to serve You with as much time as I have.  I believe that is what Paul is saying here about "being better off to stay single".  However; I am in my "Senior" years.  Your plan would be best for each widow in her circumstance.
      We have several widows at our church and they serve You with all of their free time.  Some are still working, some not, but they have chosen not to re-marry.

Fix Your Thoughts

Philippians 4:8 "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

      Lord, thank You for this verse!  We are in the month of Thanksgiving, and a lot of folks are putting on their social media one thing a day that they are thankful for.  This is great because it nudges us to do what we should be doing all year through all day long.
      The enemy and our flesh would urge us to dwell on the negative...the wrong things that are happening in our country and in the world, and what we do not have.  In the time this was written, Christians were under severe persecution.  In the USA, our persecution has started.  But, for the most part, our lives are easy and we are rich compared to the rest of the world.  And yet, complaints and ingratitude abound on every side within the Family.  I have unfortunately been guilty of that myself, and I ask Your forgiveness!
      Lord, You are so very gracious and merciful to me.  I have a job, food, clothing, shelter, heat and even air conditioning!  I have a car to drive and money to put gas in it, extra funds to use for medical expenses, we have not only a telephone in the house but I have a cell phone and a computer in the house, a TV, radio, and we get the newspaper!
      Lord, You provide us with wildlife of various sorts in the yard, the beauty of Your creation all around, and marvelous sunrises and sunsets to delight us, and help from students and the church to help with yard work.
Lord, we are SO very blessed!  Thank You!  Help me to catch the complaint before it becomes a real thought so I can praise You and thank You instead!

Characteristics of a Lukewarm Christian

Francis Chan has written a wonderful little book called Crazy Love.  Because I lend my books to others, I wanted to write these done in a permanent fashion so I could go back and look at them again even if I didn't have the book.

1. Attend Church only because it is expected of them-Isaiah 29:13
2. Give money to the church or charity only if it won't affect their standard of living-1 Chron. 21:24; Luke 21:1-4
3. Choose what is popular over what is right in a conflict-Luke 6:26; Rev 3:1
4. Don't want to be saved from their sins, only its penalty- John 10:10; Romans 6:1-2
5. Are moved but not changed- James 1:22; 4:17; Matthew 21:28-31
6. Rarely share their faith with anyone- Matthew 10:32-33
7. Gauge their goodness or morality by comparing themselves with the secular world- Luke 18:11-12
8. Say they love Jesus and he is a part of their lives, but only a part-Luke 9:57-62
9. Love God, but not with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength- Matthew 22:37-38
10. Love others, but do not seek to love them as much as they love themselves- Matthew 5:43-47; Luke 14:12-14
11. Will serve others as long as it does not infringe on them too much- Luke 18:21-25
12. Think about life on earth more than eternity in heaven- Phil 3:18-20; Col 3:2
13. Are thankful for the luxuries and comforts but rarely consider trying as much as possible to give to the poor- Matt 25:34-40
14. Do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling guilty- 1 Chron 29:14; Matt 13:44-46
15. Are continually concerned with playing it safe: they are slaves to the god of control- 1 Tim:17-18; Matt10:28
16. Feel secure because they attend church and have done the religious “stuff”- Matt 7:21; Amos 6:1
17. Do not live by faith, their lives are structured and they do not have to-Luke 12:16-21; Hebrews 11
18. Equate their partially sanctified lives with holiness, but could not be more wrong- Matt 23:25-28

Lord, keep me from being lukewarm!

Undivided Devotion to the Lord

1 Corinthians 7:33 "I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord."

Dear Lord,
      Thank You for having Francis Chan write the book "Crazy Love"!  In one of his chapters, he  describes the characteristics of a a"Lukewarm Christian."  Through this book, I have seen that I am half-hearted in some areas of my devotion to You.

• Give money to the church or charity only if  it won't affect my standard of living.

      Lord, I must confess that with all of the bills we have, it is hard to find money to give to You.  Help me, Lord, to trust You enough to give You what is Yours first and then let You help with the rest.

• Rarely share their faith with anyone. 

      Lord, I spend all of my time around saved people at home, at work, with immediate family.  I have shared my faith with my extended family, but they are either lukewarm and want it that way, or they are not interested at all.

      At church, we are reading Randy Alcorn's book "The Treasure Principle" too, and he addresses the same things.   Lord, I love You so much!  Why are these two areas so hard to overcome?  You have given me much more than I ever need, and I realize that at any time, it can all be taken away like the folks in NY City discovered when "Sandy" hit, and we felt in late June and early July this year with the derecho.  This world is not my home, and it is foolish to think that I will have ease all the days of my life.  I must totally rely on You for every need...not want.  I need to make my wants few so I can be a Your Kingdom Builder. Help me, Lord!

     

Divided Intersts- Proper Priorities

1 Corinthians 7:32b-34 "An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs--how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world--how he can please his wife-- and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world--how she can please her husband."

      Lord, I see in these verses Paul is not saying there is something wrong with being married.  What he is bringing to light is, "To whom is your first devotion?".  A married man or woman can put their spouse before their devotion to You if they are not careful and diligent.  A single devotee would not, or should not, have that issue.
      Our first priority must be devotion to You, then to spouse, then to family, then to church, and then to others, then everything else falls in behind...including work.  I must admit to You Lord, that there have been a few times in past years, when it was mandated that we stay late on a night to work,  I chose Wednesday night when I should have been at choir (my only present church ministry) so as not to be away two nights in a week leaving my husband alone all day and evening.  If we were able to minister together, that would be different, but we cannot now because of his physical condition.
      On those nights, my first priority (You) becomes my last, my last priority (Work) becomes second, because of  my second priority (My husband).  I were not married with children, that would not be an issue.  But now that I am happily with both, the schedules are harder to juggle.  My husband has never told me not to fulfill either obligation, but in deference to him, I choose.  I am deeply committed to him out of love and concern, as I should be, and want to please him. 
      Lord, I am glad that my "work" is also a ministry to Your children, and on those nights or Saturdays, I am still serving You. 

Keep Focused on the Important

1 Corinthians 25-32a "But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.  I would like you to be free from concern."

     Oh, Lord, these words could not be more for today if You had someone write it now!  These verses fall in the middle of Paul re-iterating what he basically said before about being willing to stay as you were when you received Christ as Savior.  Then You put these in the middle.
     Pastor Carl has been asking us to pray for the vision of our church and we have been reading Randy Alcorn's book "The Treasure Principle".  Lord, our society has such a materialistic, entitlement, discontented mentality.  We are so earthly minded...living and thinking that life will continue on as it is or will get better. You promise neither, Lord.  In fact as this was true 2000 years ago, it has intensified to our present time.  We are longing for what we don't have, wishing we didn't have what we do, wishing our circumstances would change, or praying that they don't.
      Lord, I know Your return is nigh.  Please, Lord, help me to live a contented, spiritually vibrant life in whatever situation in which I find myself; keeping my eyes on You and Your goal for my life.  Lord, I thank You for everything You have given and also withheld from me, as You know what is best for me.  I want to live free from concern!

Proverbs Interlude

Proverbs 14:
22b  "But those who plan what is good find  love and faithfulness."
23a  "All hard work brings a profit"
24a  "The wealth of the wise is their crown"
26 "He who fears the LORD has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge."
27 "The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death."

      Lord, for these past few days, You and I have been talking about these verses as the Plyter family is experiencing triumphs and also trials.  Our boys work so hard, Lord and are upright.  You bless as You see fit and in different ways.
For Lance, Your wealth is in his salvation, a wife who loves him wholeheartedly, a heart for people, his ministry to the church, and a job he can do.  His trial is finances and his health.
For Jeff, Your wealth is in his salvation, a wife who loves him wholeheartedly, a houseful of girls, financially through his job, and his ministry is to those with whom he works.  His trials now are in re-locating and all that goes with that.
For Tom, Your wealth is in his salvation, a wife who loves him wholeheartedly, a houseful of boys and a girl, a voice with which to sing praises,  a ministry with the youth at his church, and his job.  His trials are with finances and his health.
For Dick, Your wealth is in his salvation, a wife who loves him wholeheartedly, a family that adores him and an uncanny ability to provide for pennies on the dollar to stretch what You have given.  His trials are his health and daily pain.
For me, Lord, Your wealth is in my salvation, my beloved faithful husband, my family,  my voice to sing praises, and a heart for others and my job/ministry with the college students at Liberty U.  My trial is some pain, and wanting to be with family more than I get a chance to be.
      Lord, You have given so much to us.  In this month of focusing on gratitude, I praise and thank You for who You are, as well as what You do for us on a daily basis. We are so unworthy, and You are go gracious.  How can I ever thank You enough?

Be Content With What I am Until God Says Differently

1 Corinthians 7: 20, 24 "Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you. Each of you, dear brothers and sisters,  should remain as you were when God first called you."

      Dearest Lord and Savior,
       In our culture there is so much discontentment even among Christians.   We live in the "If only" and the "But if I could only" mentality.  Those who are single want to be married and have children to raise in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
     Those who are married wish to be single so they can go at a moment's notice to the mission field or devote more time to Your service in church.  Those who are saved while working in a non-Christian environment where you placed them to be salt and light long to work in a Christian institution to minister to the Saints.  Those who work in a Christian institution feel they ought to be out in the world being salt and light instead of simply ministering to fellow Family members.
      I believe what You are saying here is to bloom where You have planted me and don't try to go or be something You have not intended for me.
      I think of the disciples and Mary.  You called some from their fishing business, thought there was certainly nothing wrong with fishing for a living; one from government work, which done in purity would not have been a problem.  Then You called Mary out of prostitution to follow You and leave that.
     It is Your calling that makes the difference in our lives, not our ambitions.  I know I am called to minister to Your young people at Liberty University.  You have made that very plain to me by what You do in their lives.  You have also called me to help lead in Your worship by being in the choir at my church, and to write this commentary on Your word and put it out on the Internet to be a blessing to others.  Maybe You are using it in the loves of unbelievers to help bring them to You.  I do not know and that is entirely up to You.  This is Yours, not mine.
      Thank You, Lord, that I can rest in Your plan for my life and to be content with whatever that is.

Free to Be Slaves of Christ

1 Corinthians 7:21-23 "Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you--although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men."

Lord, I once was free, but I have been bought with the price of Your precious blood.  I am now a willing slave who longs to do the will of my sweet Master.  I am but a manager over what You have given me.  Lord, help me to manage well and not lose sight of who all of this belongs to.

The Tempasts and Shelter

Isaiah 4:6
 "There will be a booth for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain."
25:4
 "For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat; for the breath of the ruthless is like a storm against a wall,"
Psalm 27:5
"For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock."
55:8
"I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest."
61:4
"Let me dwell in your tent forever! Let me take refuge under the shelter of your wings! Selah"
91:1
"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty."

      Lord, You have given us so many promises about being our shelter in the storms of life.  As hurricane Sandy bears down on the East Coast today and tomorrow, may You be merciful to those folks who live in  that area.  This is the second hurricane is 2 years to hit the Northeast harder than the traditional places in the South.  I know You have believers in those states and in DC, but it seems that the majority there have turned their back on You and Your word.  Lord, those who have do not have the hope believers have of either protection here or deliverance forever with You.  I long for them to come to the truth, to turn from their wickedness, perversion and human pride in themselves and come to the foot of the cross for forgiveness and salvation.
      Dearest Lord, our nation does not deserve Your protection anymore because our national sin is very great.  Lord, may we all see the need for repentance and another Great Awakening that will not be localized in one state , tow, or village, but all over our blessed land before it is too late for us like it was for Israeal so many times in her past.
Lord, have mercy on us all!

The Important Thing is to Keep God's Commandments

1 Corinthians 7:18-19 "For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it. And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now. For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God's commandments." NLT

      Lord, thank You again for Your wisdom!  We believers can, if we are not vigilant, get so easily distracted by the enemy.  He will choose whatever will work in a body of believers to divide and destroy the unity, fellowship, and communion with You.  He says that it is the outward and the works that earn Your favor when what You really want is simple obedience to Your commands to love others as You have loved us, and to stand for what is right and true.
     The principle You give is that we come to You in whatever condition we are and then You change the heart and mind.  I realize it is impossible for a man to become uncircumcised if he has been circumcised, and I think that's why You used that analogy.  Circumcision had so much history and meaning behind it for the Jews.  But had no meaning whatever for the Gentile.  Some were saying that one had to "become a Jew" to be saved.  Others were saying one had to "become a Gentile" to be saved because the Law had no meaning anymore.  Neither was correct.
      As Christians, it is the condition of the heart, not the body that takes precedence.  Do we present our bodies as a living sacrifice to You as it is the temple of the Holy Spirit or not? That is the question.  The heart must be totally devoted to God in purity and holiness, sanctified and set apart for Your use.  If after salvation we choose to deface and desecrate that temple to yield to the trends of the world, You hold us accountable for that sin.  But if we repent and, "If we confess our sin, He is faithful to forgive our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. " 1 John 1:9  The defaced "body" may not be able to become as it was, but You see the heart within.

The Important Thing is to Keep God's Commandments

1 Corinthians 7:18-19 "For instance, a man who was circumcised before he became a believer should not try to reverse it. And the man who was uncircumcised when he became a believer should not be circumcised now. For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God's commandments." NLT

      Lord, thank You again for Your wisdom!  We believers can, if we are not vigilant, get so easily distracted by the enemy.  He will choose whatever will work in a body of believers to divide and destroy the unity, fellowship, and communion with You.  He says that it is the outward and the works that earn Your favor when what You really want is simple obedience to Your commands to love others as You have loved us, and to stand for what is right and true.
     The principle You give is that we come to You in whatever condition we are and then You change the heart and mind.  I realize it is impossible for a man to become uncircumcised if he has been circumcised, and I think that's why You used that analogy.  Circumcision had so much history and meaning behind it for the Jews.  But had no meaning whatever for the Gentile.  Some were saying that one had to "become a Jew" to be saved.  Others were saying one had to "become a Gentile" to be saved because the Law had no meaning anymore.  Neither was correct.
      As Christians, it is the condition of the heart, not the body that takes precedence.  Do we present our bodies as a living sacrifice to You as it is the temple of the Holy Spirit or not? That is the question.  The heart must be totally devoted to God in purity and holiness, sanctified and set apart for Your use.  If after salvation we choose to deface and desecrate that temple to yield to the trends of the world, You hold us accountable for that sin.  But if we repent and, "If we confess our sin, He is faithful to forgive our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. " 1 John 1:9  The defaced "body" may not be able to become as it was, but You see the heart within.
Hallelujah!  What a sweet loving Savior You are!

Wherever You are Be all There!

1 Corinthians 7:15-17 "(But if the husband or wife who isn't a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the Christian husband or wife  is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you  to live in peace.) Don't you wives realize that your husbands might be saved because of you? And don't you husbands realize that your wives might be saved because of you? Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches."

      Dearest Lord, apparently the Corinthian church was ready to start making wholesale radical changes without first really thinking things through.  You are such a sensible God!  Saving a marriage and making it work is all important to You, but so is sole devotion to You from a believer.  If the unbeliever in the union is trying to force the other to denounce You, then the spouse is to let them go.
      In our vernacular I believe Paul is telling them and us:
      "Look, let's not go nuts here folks.  If you are married and one of you becomes a believer and the other is OK with that, stay together.  The believer may win the other to Christ!  It is important to live in peace together.  However; if the unbeliever can't handle the new found faith you are living out in love before them and wants you to denounce Christ or they will leave...let them go.  The Lord will not hold you accountable for their actions, their sin is their own.
     Neither being single or married is a problem.  Both are acceptable to God.  Sex in itself is not a bad thing, but it is sanctioned only in the marriage bond.  So, if you want to get married just so you can have sex, that's a very bad idea and is wrong. But if you and the other are in love and want to get married, do so because it is better to marry than to burn in lust  for one another.  If you are single, and are self controlled, stay that way so you can serve the Lord unfettered by the cares that come with spouse and family."
      Lord, thank You for being all wise and for sharing Your plan and mind with us!  May we live it out in our daily lives so we can be a blessing to You and to others!

I have all I need—and more!

Philippians 4:18-19 "At the moment I have all I need—and more! I am generously supplied with the gifts you sent me with Epaphroditus. They are a sweet-smelling sacrifice that is acceptable and pleasing to God. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus."

      Lord, today, I want to praise You!  Paul wrote this about the gifts given to him by believers when he was in need.  Lord, I want to express here that You are still in the business of providing for needs of your kids.
      You provided in so many ways these past few days. 

1. We were able to go see Jeff and family because You gave mercy and worked in the hearts of my supervisors giving me a half day off Friday when it was Parent Weekend and we would be short staffed. 
2. You provided gas gift cards to help pay for the trip.
3. I was able to buy a new cell phone to replace my broken one  for only $15.
4. Even though we had had to pay for more medications than usual because of Dick's illness, I was able to get 40 cents off a gallon at Kroger to fill our car before the trip because of it.
5. Friday we had beautiful weather and you cleared the way of lots of traffic for one of the most pleasant trips  we have made there.
6. Dick was able to actually drive the whole way!
7. There was a time when we were wondering about traffic on Rt 64 so called Cindy (on my new phone!).  We were wondering if it would be better to go "the old way" that would take us across the James River Bridge or to take 64.  We decided to call the kids to ask them.  Thank You, Lord, for the phone!  They had just been talking hoping we would not try to come the old way because of construction on the bridge and traffic was backed up for miles.
8. When we arrived, we got to see the Legg family again because they had been delayed because of  traffic bringing the girls home from a sleepover.
9. We had a nice laid back weekend because Cindy was doing a garage sale and we hung out at home just spending time together outdoors.
10. You provided great meals and a way for us to help share in a belated birthday for Cindy.
11. I was there to help with dishes and some baking that needed to be done.
12. Through their generosity, You provided a half peck of apples and real maple syrup for us.  These things certainly were not needs, Lord, but were part of the "So much more!"
13. We had a good trip home in beautiful weather with only one place where there was bad traffic.
14. When we arrived home, we found a big box of groceries on our front porch with a note that read "Dear Richard and Timi, Love God" hanging on the front.  Lords, we know this was from You because the things in it were  things no one else would know our preference: Orville's mini bags of popcorn (the only kind Dick really likes), Libby pumpkin, Fruit and Cream Oatmeal (the only kind Dick will eat) Jiffy corn muffin mix (the kind I really like) coffee creamer, Cheerios, instant mashed potatoes, brown sugar, flour, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, peanut butter, a butternut squash, and a can of CASHEWS to boot!  These were part of the "So much more!" Thank You!
15. The sweet adopted daughter that took care of our cat for us even brought Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts for me.
16. When we opened the mail, my check for Christmas Club was there too!
17. Dick struggled physically through the weekend, but gave him times of fun and laughter and most of all company! Thank You, Lord for all of Your gracious gifts to us!

      For those others who may ever read this, in the same way God provided for us, he will provide for you as well.  He is FAITHFUL!

Marriage- Stay With It!

1 Corinthians 12-14 "Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a Christian man  has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her. And if a Christian woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. For the Christian wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the Christian husband  brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy." NLT

   Oh, Lord!  I am so very glad these verses are here.  In another passage, You tell us not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers.  When I trusted You as Savior and Lord, my husband did not for another 3 and a half years.  A divorce would have been devastating not only to me and the children, but also to him because it was through our witness that he trusted You as well.
      In the ESV and the NIV the last sentence reads, "Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy."  I know that the families and spouses receive the extension and benefits of a family member living out the Christian life as they ought to; but know that one cannot gain salvation simply because their mate or parent is saved.  Each has to choose for themselves.  The word holy here does not mean redeemed, it means purified.
      I can say from experience, Lord, that my boys and husband were not purified the moment I got saved.  My oldest trusted You shortly after I did.  But as I learned from You and taught them Your ways, they became more so.  Thank You for how You work in a family, Lord.  You certainly are the only good and gracious God and Your plan is the very best!

Once Married- Stay Married

1 Corinthians 7:10-11 "But for those who are married, I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else be reconciled to him. And the husband must not leave his wife." NLT
"To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.  But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife." NIV

      Well, Lord, You can't be more clear than that!
There is no room for:
But they don't make me happy anymore.
But they they don't fulfill my needs anymore.
But I have found someone else who fulfills my needs better then they do.
But they don't show me the kindness and compassion I need as they once did.
But I just don't feel love for them anymore.
But I just don't have time for them anymore/ They just don't have time for me anymore.
But our love life has grown stale and unexciting so I need to find someone new.
But I am lonely and they never seem to be around.  They are always doing something away from home.
But I can't hack all of the noise and commotion with all of the kids at home.
But I can't deal with my spouse's  (child's) sickness anymore.

      One man one woman together for life..."For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health, keeping only unto you til death us do part."  We say that at the altar in that starry eyed dreamy, expectant new passionate moment as a VOW---a COVENANT, before You and before others (or at least they used to).  And in that moment we mean it. 
      But as time changes, life happens and the initial passion fades into sameness,  the enemy is all too willing to step in and offer alternative distractions making us discontent, causing unresolved strife, unrealized expectations, distractions, and all too willing others in close proximity.
      Lord, guard our hearts!  Keep our vow ever before Your married children.  You have not promised us an easy road or a bed of roses.  But you, through Your Holy Spirit, have given us all we need to fulfill that vow and asll of Your other commands.
You give us grace and mercy and we are to give them to our spouses.
You give us unconditional love and longsuffering and we are to give them to our spouses.
You give us forgiveness and refuse to remember our confessed sins, and we are to give that to our spouses.
You are faithful to us and we are to be faithful to our spouses.
You keep Your promises and covenants with us and we are to keep them with our spouses.
PERIOD!  END OF DISCUSSION!
     Lord, I pray for all of Your married children, that You would keep us all ever mindful of our covenant to each other and to You.  The our "Selves" would be buried and we would all live to fulfill the needs of the other in lovingkindness; loving them as You love us.
      For all those yet to marry, I pray that they would choose their mates based on their faithfulness and love for You, their character, unselfishness, and integrity instead of looks, prestige, riches or prowess.

To Marry or Not to Marry...That is the Question

1 Corinthians 7:8-9 " So I say to those who aren't married and to widows—it's better to stay unmarried, just as I am.  But if they can't control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It's better to marry than to burn with lust."

      Lord, I praise You this morning for your faithfulness to me,   You have remained faithful; through times of plenty and times of need.  You have provided numerous great teachers of Your Word both in person and in print.   I am truly blessed!
      I does pain me that at a time in history when Your Word is more easily accessible than ever before to most of the industrialized world  via print, internet, phone, TV and radio that there are so many that are still ignorant of it.  You definitely use those mediums, but Your primary way You want us to share is one on one, face to face.    But because of these same mediums, there are distractions placed there by the enemy to keep Your people from touching the lives of those around them.  We live in a "virtual" world and there is so much junk out there.  Lord, keep me mindful of how I use the time You have given me.  I know it is short, as it for all of us, and I want to use it for Your glory!
      Even today, I used my Bible in print, accessed it on the internet in several different versions, and am using this blog to hopefully minister to others by typing out what You show me about You each day.  I have access to Concordance, the Lexicon, and other study materials and devotionals with a few key strokes.  Lord, I don't know how You will use this, but do so for Your glory.
      Paul again recommends singleness over marriage I believe because of the ties that might bind one from being available to serve.  There are young ladies I meet with that desperately want a child and to be married.  They are so very young.  You have guided me to tell each one to set their minds on things above, to take this time in their lives when they have no obligations to anyone to go on mission trips, to serve in the churches, to explore the world they live in and to share their faith unabashed.  Once married with children, their lives will take on a whole new dimension and their time will no longer be their own.
      But, if they are so intent on having a child that they would commit fornication, then I recommend that they marry first.

Concession or Command?

1 Corinthians 7:6-7 "I say this as a concession, not as a command. But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another."

      Precious Lord, I must admit that I am puzzled by Paul's first statement.  Before this I have learned that:
I am not my own, but have been bought with the price of Your precious blood.
I am never to commit adultery.
I am to be submissive to my husband.
I am to love others as I love myself.
I have, at the point of marriage, given authority of my body over to my husband.
My marriage is a picture of You and Your bride, the church.
We are to be fruitful and multiply.
Here Paul seems to be negating the importance of marriage; that it is only a concession because humans cannot control their sexual urges.  For him to say that faithfulness and unselfishness of one's own body in a marriage is only a concession not a command seems to be contradictory with Your other commands for married folks.
      Lord, celibacy and singleness are gifts from You...if I am correct in understanding what I am reading.  Paul evidently had no family.  Was he an only child of since deceased parents?  Before his conversion, he was single and followed hard after Judaism,  After his conversion on the road to Damascus, he followed You with a singleness of passion to spread the Gospel to the world.  Did the gift you gave include a physical gift so he would have no desire for a woman?  Or was it a very strong sense of purpose that overshadowed all normal physical male urges that gave him the power to say,  "No!" to what urges he might have?
      I understand that Paul is wishing that we all were like him in being single and single-minded so we would be able to follow hard after You and travel the world spreading the Gospel without encumbrances of spouses and family that have to be considered and can distract.  I do not believe he is speaking specifically that singles should never consider getting married and having a family.  If that were true Christianity might die out altogether.
      Lord, I want to correctly understand.  Please teach me the truth of these passages.

Unity or Destruction in a Marriage

1 Corinthians 7:4-5 "The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control." NIV
"The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won't be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control." NLT

      Lord, I have to be honest with You.  There were times when I thought, humanly speaking, that it was weird that You chose an unmarried man with no children to write the two largest passages in the New Testament on marriage and family.  But again, I must admit that You are the expert and it does not matter who You choose to write Your thoughts.  There are folks in our churches (and the skeptics outside them) that say that these passages and teaching from unmarried Bible teachers like Nancy DeMoss should be taken with a pound of salt because they never have lived that life.  These naysayers do not understand that it is YOU who are teaching through them.  You not only made us, but give us Your owner's manual!
      You, through Paul, are establishing the boundaries for Your creation with our best interest in mind because You love us so much.  At the time Paul wrote this, there were Greeks in the church who felt that all sex was immoral so were abstaining within the marriage bond.  On the other side, because immorality was so prevalent in the Corinthian culture, there were those who were married who did not see sex outside of marriage as a real issue.
      My Life Application Bible has a note: "Married couples have a responsibility to care for one another.  Spiritually, our bodies belong to God when we become Christians because of the blood of Christ for us.  Physically, our bodies belong to our spouses (in the marriage union) because God designed marriage so that, through the union of husband and wife, the two would become one flesh."
      Satan's plan has always been to divide and destroy everything You have made, and to rebel against everything You have commanded when it comes to humans, and especially when it comes to humans that belong to You!  There is no better way to destroy than to attack the family unit, and he knows that.  He started in the Garden of Eden!
      Lord, our families are under severe attack still.  I especially feel for our military families.  Now that females are allowed in the military on an ever widening basis, separation because of deployments or temporary duty assignments wreak havoc.   Not only are couples separated, but the opposite sex is in very close proximity far away from home.  I am sure the temptation is very great and the stalwart abstainers are mocked.  We see the rubble everywhere. Husbands and wives on either side await the homecoming of their spouse with anticipation and are met with , " I found I don't need you and have found someone else who can be here for me." 
      Sometimes it is money that drives the wedge.  In this case the separation is voluntary.  Husband or wives leave for a foreign country that is too hostile to take the family or away from home in the states, presumably for a short time because the money is  better, and then find someone there and decide to stay, serving thier spouse divorce papers.
      Lord, I am so glad that my two boys who served and were subject to deployments and training away from family stayed true to their spouses and families!  Thank You for answered prayer in their lives!  I pray for all those Christians who faithfully serve all over the world, and for all of Your children in our churches that You would keep them mindful of these verses and faithful to them and to their spouses so Your church can really be salt and light in this wicked and perverse generation!

God's Plan for Sex

1 Corinthians 7:1-3  "Now regarding the questions you asked in your letter. Yes, it is good to abstain from sexual relations. (Greek says "it is good for a man not to touch a woman")  But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. The husband should fulfill his wife's sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband's needs." NLT

1 Corinthians 1,3 " Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband."NIV

      Lord, some might say that verse one contradicts with Your command to us to be fruitful and multiply.  I think what Paul is saying here is it is good not to have divided loyalties. You created human beings with emotional and physical needs and called it very good.  You also instituted marriage to make those same things holy.  You made sex to be a ONE flesh act within the bonds of marriage.  Outside that marriage bond, whomever one might unite with in that way becomes "one flesh" with that partner too.
      When base needs are acted upon outside of Your directive commands it is sin against You and hurtful for us.  The reason You call fornication and adultery sin is because it is harmful to us and destroys the picture of Your relationship with Your church.  In our secular culture folks see this as old fashioned, archaic, bigoted and  restrictive.
      There has been a sentence thrown around in derision or as a very bad joke: "Not tonight, Honey, I have a headache."  This is always being aimed at the wife who does not want to fulfill her husband's sexual need or want.  The fact is that each partner might say something of this sort to the other depending on the circumstances.  You are saying that we are never to withhold ourselves from our spouse as a punishment in anger or bitterness.  There are sometimes when the reason is valid. (sickness, grief, obligations that cannot be put off).  In those cases ,"Love is not self seeking," would certainly come into play.
      Lord, anytime we stray from Your perfect plans we suffer.  The infidelity rate, fornication and co-habitation rate is at an all time high in the United States.  You say here that unless a person is married, they should remain celibate.  If they are married, they need to stay within the bounds of that marriage and not use sex as a weapon against the spouse.  You make it very plain and easy to understand.  There is none who can give excuse.

Why Sin Against Myself?

1 Corinthians 6:18 "Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body."

      Sweet Lord, I wish this verse had been drilled into my brain as a child at home and in our culture so in my adolescent and early twenty years I would have had a rock solid basis to say no to myself and my youthful lust and to say no when pressure was applied to conform to the world at that time.  And Lord, the climate is so much more loose and permissive than it ever was back then.  We need to protect our, our children's, and grandchildren's minds and hearts by seeing, and helping them see, the reality of this.
      Sexually transmitted disease (STD) would not be a factor in world, there would be no need for the vaccine that is now being pushed onto children against certain types, there would  be no need to fight about whether to give free contraceptives to our students in middle and high school.  Abstinence teaching is coming back, but it is slow and is coming against a lot of resistance even though the stats prove the detriment of promiscuity on not only the body, but also the minds of those who participate. 
      I believe the lie of evolutionary thinking promotes this type of behavior: We are mere animals after all and have no soul, no eternity to embrace or fear, and there certainly is no Master Creator that would hold anyone accountable for their actions.  Therefore the body is just a shell to house our brains and innards.  With that type of thinking, there is no real reason to abstain except for medical reasons.  You, Lord, know that is never enough reason.  We know that STD's, drug abuse, smoking, and alcohol can be killers, but folks do it anyway because the enemy whispers to us that those things will never happen to us just to someone else.  There has to be a higher reason!
      Lord, we need Your intervention in a big way to bring revival to our country and to the world.  I know we are more in the end times if not simply because of time passage, because of what we see happening in the world as a whole.  Even so, Lord Jesus, quickly come!

Those Joined to the Lord Are One Spirit with Him

1 Corinthians 6: 16-17 "And don't you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, "The two are united into one." (Genesis 2:24) But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him." NLT

      Lord, Your design for us is so awesome!  I am joined in Spirit with You! Unimaginable!  You, the Creator of all that is, Holy God Almighty, Judge, Ruler, King of Kings and Lord of Lords chooses to be united with me, a lowly creature You created, and died to save me from my miserable destiny and future!
      Since my salvation that day, when I understood for the first time that Your Spirit now abides in me and that when two or more are gathered You are in the midst, You revolutionized my thinking.  I would remind my children of that often, especially when they were going to be alone in the house in their dating years, and You have led me to share that with countless young college students.
      Lord, if only THIS message could be spread abroad in our culture where multiple sex partners is seen as no big deal anymore.  I know from prior experience, before marriage and salvation, the truth of the devastation it can cause to a person, and sadly it still happens even within the folks in our churches.
      There is an awesome accountability that occurs when we "Family" members actually take this to heart and believe it...when we SEE You in our daily walk...not just know it in the back of our minds somewhere.  Do I still forget sometimes?  Lord, You know I do and Your Spirit convicts me of that.  I certainly am not perfect and will not be until You take me to be with You.  This earth is not heaven yet.  How I long for Your return for Your church, Lord.  I know it is ONLY because of Your lovingkindness for the unsaved that You tarry.  You do not delight in our struggles, trials, and persecutions...It was not what You had created us to be in the beginning.

Am I Joined With a Prostitute?

1 Corinthians 6:15b "Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never!"

   Lord, I know Paul is speaking of the physical  union here, but it also applies to the spiritual part of me as well. 
    NO!  We should never defile the marriage bed, before or after marriage.  That means physically, mentally, or in our heart of hearts.  You command ONE man and One woman to unite for LIFE!  Proverbs 31 says that a virtuous woman does good to her husband ALL the days of her life...not just after she is wed to him.
    Once I became one with You as Your Spiritual Bride I am not to look to other gods to fulfill my need.  I am not to prostitute my soul with the world and all of its distractions and allure; whether it be for fame, fortune, power, prestige, or even recreation.  (Not that Christians are not to have fun.  We sure do as a Family!) 
    But even when "fun" becomes an obsession or such a distraction that You are lost in the mix, it can be prostitution too. ( Maybe it is TV, Facebook, I phones, recreational reading of Christian romance novels for us ladies, or following and playing sports for the guys.)

     Lord and Heavenly Father, keep me ever close to You!  I never want to be so distracted that my love for You is diminished and certainly do not want to "join" my heart with another god of any kind!  Lord, I need Your protection in my heart and mind.  Remind me when I even START to stray.

Our Bodies are the Lord's

1 Corinthians 6:13-15a "You say, "Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food." (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can't say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.  Don't you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ?"

      Dearest Lord and Savior, I praise You for Your wisdom that far supersedes our own.   When this was written, there was a belief that the body was simply the shell where the soul and spirit lived, so it really didn't matter what you did with the body.  Here You address the fallacy of that thinking.  In their culture, sexual immorality was a form of worship to a false god.
      As the Bride of Christ,  we are to be a bride without spot or wrinkle, pure and holy.  Just as sexual immorality is wrong in a marriage (Hebrews  13:6 Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.),  our bodies belong to You.  You resurrect us just as by God's power You were resurrected.  Just as a bride's body belongs to her husband, our bodies belong to You!  God raised all of You, body, soul, and spirit, and He will do the same with us!  We are not our own anymore to do with as our sinful flesh would dictate.
      Lord, before You saved me, I had been sexually immoral.  Once I was literally married to my husband and figuratively married to You, that particular sin of the flesh lost its allure.  Thank You, Lord!  I love You and love my dear husband so much, even the thought of those sins disgust me.  Thank You for Your protection in that area of my thinking.
      I still have others that I do not yet have victory over, and You are working on those.

Permissible But Not Profitable

1 Corinthians 6:12 ""Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything."

      Lord, I praise and thank You for inspiring Paul to write this because this discussion still goes on in Your church today. Legalism is as evil as Liberalism.  In Corinth some Christians must have felt that since You paid the price for their sins and they now had their "Hell Insurance" and their "Ticket to Heaven", that they could live as they wanted and engage in things that in the Old Testament were against the Law; or they were engaged in things that are not clearly addressed in Scripture.  Whatever the case; through Paul, You were correcting this type of errant thinking.  We are to avoid even the appearance of evil for the sake of the Gospel.
      A good examples for our time might be:

• No food is considered "unclean"- but eating nothing but sweets can kill the body- it is not unlawful but it is not beneficial.
• Exercise is good in moderation- but in excess can kill the body and become an addiction and idol-it is not unlawful but it is not beneficial.
• Hobbies certainly are not in themselves evil- but in excess can replace devotion to God and family- it is not unlawful but it is not beneficial.
• Sports can be healthy and fun- but they can become an idol in themselves taking away devotion to God and family-they are not unlawful but in excess are not beneficial.
• Computers and he Internet can be a blessing-but addiction to Social media, shopping, and the evil found there may not be illegal or addressed specifically in Scripture (Except Pornography and Gambling) -but it can become an idol and is certainly not beneficial.
• Shopping is not forbidden in Scripture and is necessary to buy food and clothing- but overspending and being mastered by  it is not unlawful but it is not beneficial..
• The Scripture does not directly address addiction to drugs including Nicotine, Caffeine, or the illicit and prescription type- but even the unsaved world knows the dangers of those addictions.
• Attaining knowledge certainly not forbidden, but attaining knowledge for knowledge sake is not unlawful but it is not beneficial.

      Paul states that he will not be mastered by anything.  I might be so bold interject "except the mercy, grace, and love of THE Master! "  Anything else that might master me I need to avoid.  Lord, I want You and ONLY YOU to master my mind, heart, and, life!