Hot and Steamy Marriage

1 Corinthians 7:3
Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

Some of you only viewed this devotion today because of the title. It brought you in like flies to garbage. Maybe you thought I was going to talk about my marriage and my hot wife. Well, you're right! (Pray for me, Patti ain't liking this one...)

Throughout my day I receive many phone calls or texts. I have certain ringtones and sounds for different people. This way I know if it is important or not just by the sound that I have placed on those people calling. Well my wife's ringtone is "Let's Get it On". There are no words in it, just the music at the beginning. When this happens to go off while I'm around others, people automatically say, "Is that your wife calling?" Sometimes I want to say, "Nope, my girlfriend" just to get them stirred up. But I always answer with, "Yep, that's my smoking hot wife. Wonder what she's wanting to cook up?"

Now before you choke on your morning coffee or doughnut please get your head out of the gutter. I'm not talking about intimacy, but benevolence. Our scripture says let the husband "render" unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. Render is a cooking term that means to melt something down or mix together in heat to bring out the flavor of something. Benevolence is a nice act or gesture of love and appreciation to someone.

It's cooking up love! I try my best to describe the beauty that I see in my wife to her at times. Almost like putting something on the stove and rendering it down to the good that is in it. Some of you may ask me why I get things cooking in my marriage... the scripture tells us why. "Render unto the wife DUE benevolence." She has it coming to her, she is due it. Men, get to cooking! Wives, stir up some love and benevolence for your husband, he's due it.

Maybe, just maybe our marriages would last longer and be more impactful of the Gospel of Jesus if we gave one another the "due benevolence" that is needed. You ask how? The same way you give Christ Jesus the due benevolence that is due unto Him. I gotta go... my phone is ringing.

Jesus Loved Martha

John 11:5

Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

Did you ever do the "He Loves me, he loves me not" with the flowers when you were young?  How much torture we put ourselves through as children trying to figure out if people loved us or not. Over and over we would put this theory to the test. If it didn't work in our favor, we would just pick another flower. 

Just a few verses ago, Martha was working in the kitchen and Jesus told her she was cumbered (distracted) by many things. You see her sister Mary was worshipping at the feet of Jesus and Martha was laboring in the kitchen. Jesus talked with her about the one thing needful in her life, which was worship. I wonder if Martha felt like she had left the Savior down?  I wonder how she felt when she realized what she was missing out on?  Do you think she ever felt like the Savior was disappointed in her, or maybe even questioned if His love was still the same? I'm sure at some time or another we have all felt this way. 

A problem I see, is this same formula being used in the church today. People come to know Christ, fall and commit sin, then look for flowers to see if He still loves them. People will pick off (dissect their actions, life and decisions) petal by petal, questioning the love of Jesus for them. Let me reassure you on this... He loved, loves, and will love you!  He loved you before you became a Christian. He loves you with an eternal love. Put down the flowers!  

Did you notice something in the scripture this morning?  Mary was called out for choosing the needful "good part" in our other scripture. But in this mornings scripture the word of God notes that "Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus". I find it so loving of God to note the name Martha and referenced the other sister. Maybe, just maybe it's because he wanted Martha to put down the flower theory and know that He loves her. Just like He loves you!

Go-Pro Hero

Matthew 23:5-12

But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

A phylactery is a small wooden box worn by Jewish rabbis upon their foreheads or hands. Inside it contains a scroll of scripture. The scripture written tells them to "write the word upon their forehead and upon their hands". Meaning to keep God's word in its place and priority. 

In Jesus' day, the Pharisees took it to another level. They began to make these boxes larger and larger. Being seen of men was their objective. They wanted the recognition and prestige. 

Just the other night me and my family were watching the Bible series that the History Channel put out. A Jewish rabbi came across the screen and my son asked, "What's that? A GoPro?"  Hahaha. (If you don't know what a GoPro is, it is a camera that bike riders, skateboarders, extreme sports people wear on their heads). I couldn't stop laughing about it. Because it seemed so silly, but became so true. 

The slogan for the GoPro is... "Be A Hero". See the Pharisees wanted to be the heroes. They couldn't stand for anyone to receive praise but them. This should not be found in the life of a Christian. As Christians, we should desire all praise to go unto Jesus. 

Jesus, and only Jesus, is our hero!  He is worthy of our praise. He is also deserving of our praise. We should mimic Him. 

Philippians 2:7-11

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Listening and Living in His Law

Proverbs 28:9
He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.

God has given us His law. Now some would say that it is a law hard to keep and grevious and others would say His law is gracious that guides and governs our lives.

The law of God is first of all pure and holy. Pure to the point that it is the only real truth for our lives. We spend so much of our time searching for the truth and it is found in the law of God. David said that God's Word was the truth and he rejoiced in reading it.

God's Word is holy! Holiness is a lost word among the world today and sadly even with Christians. God's law demands holiness. Holiness is righteous living. Knowing that God's Word is right and living according to its teaching is striving for holiness. You may think it is being perfect and always being the best but it is our striving for holiness that we need. How can we accomplish this difficult task? Living in the law of God.

Now before you leave for the day this morning please understand that I'm not talking about being a legalistic lawyer for God or the soul patrol. I'm speaking about you living according to God's Word.

Could you imagine God not answering or hearing your prayer because you aren't following Him? God desires for us to follow His Word and live by His law.

Just Thinking

Psalms 119:59

I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.

Sometimes we need to stop and think about things. We should look BACK and see where we have come from. We should to AT where we are right now. See if anything has changed for the better or gotten worse. Then we should look FORWARD. Look at where we need to be in the days ahead. 

David tells us that he was thinking about his ways. Can you take the time this morning, before you do anything else, to evaluate your life? To sit for a moment and take an inventory?  Please just try it for 5 minutes. That's not much time. While you're thinking on your ways, ask yourself these questions. 

Looking Back...

  - What did I do right? Keep those things

  - What did I do wrong? Let those things fall away

  - What did God bring me through?

Looking At...

  - Where is my relationship with Christ right now?

  - What am I doing right?

  - What am I doing wrong?

Looking Forward...

  - Where do I want my relationship to go with Jesus?

  - What can I do right?

  - What can help me to stay away from wrong?

After David thought on his ways, he did the only thing he knew to do, which was/is the best thing we could ever do. He turned to the testimonies (The Word) of God. As you look back, look to His a Word for forgiveness. As you look at, Look to His Word for direction. And as you look forward, look to His Word for his will.  

Think about it...

Alone With God

Genesis 32:24

And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

Our biggest fear sometimes is being left alone. Especially when firey trials come our way. But have you ever given thought to the fact that God may be doing something great in your life?  Through the greatest temperatures and pressures, we have our most beautiful diamonds. Through the furnace fires we create the purest of gold and silver. 

Do you ever feel singled out?  Like you are the only one going through something?  Maybe it's our God trying His best to get you alone. 

Look at what happened with Jacob when he got alone with God. Some say, that he was hurt by God and never the same. That is partially right. He was never the same again. 

Have you taken time to get alone with God today?  Have you found the desire to be alone with our great a God?  Don't let go because it gets difficult, Hang on!  Keep wrestling with God. 

Call Thy Husband

John 4:16
Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

What could have been wrong with this statement? Why would this statement make this woman crawfish backwards? It's because Jesus was speaking about more than a so-called husband. He was addressing this woman and her sin. In actuality He was asking this woman to bring her sin. No, her husband wasn't sin, although he was living in sin. Jesus was addressing the heart and sin of this woman.

If you can go back this morning and read the whole chapter you will see that there is an automatic division from the beginning. Jesus was "the Jew" and the woman was "the Samaritan". So from the beginning there was a division. Not because of Jesus, but because of the Jews and Samaritans. Then the conversation moves from her thinking that He is just a Jew to her referring to Him as "Sir". But then Jesus went and done something like this. He brought up her sinful life. How dare He do such a thing! We must bring our sin to Him for the forgiveness and salvation that we need. If we don't address the sin, then we cannot receive the living water.

When this command was given by Jesus the conversation took a nose dive. She quickly went back to the Jew/Samaritan debate. She told Him that her people says we should worship in this mountain but the Jews say we should worship in Jerusalem. Trying to divert the command of bringing her sin.

This morning, and every morning, don't get caught in the diversions of the flesh. All of that is smoke and mirrors. It is just an avoidance of the true matter at hand. Her worship would have been in vain if she had done it on Mt. Gerizim with the Samaritans or with the Jews in Jerusalem because she never confronted her sin, nor believed upon Christ.