Christian Chat

Hi @heartathome , @DownMoreThanUp , @Appleblossom , @ENKELI , @tyme , @MissGremlin , @Shaz51 , @REDLINEZ750 ,

I Corinthians 7 (followed by I Corinthians 8 and 9)

- Paul's teaching on marriage - for those who are married and on whether to get married.

- Let each one live their life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called them e.g. circumcision/uncircumcision, slave/free.

I Corinthians 8

- Paul's teaching on whether to eat food offered to idols.

- Idols are nothing - nothing wrong with the food - free to eat.

- But, need to always remember weaker Christians coming out of that lifestyle - eating may trip them up.

- "Therefore, if food causes my brother or sister to fall, I will never again eat meat, so that I won't cause my brother or sister to fall."

I Corinthians 9

- Paul's authority as an apostle.

- Those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel.

- But Paul chooses to support himself and offer the good news free of charge.

- Paul makes himself a slave to everyone in order to win more people e.g a Jew to Jews, one under the law to those under the law, one without the law to those without the law, weak to those who are weak.

- Athlete example. Disciplining the body for a prize. Christians exercising self-control for an imperishable crown.

Like an athlete training for the Olympics, Paul's whole life is devoted to spreading Christ. We should hold Paul in very high regard.

@Realness "We should hold Paul in very high regard."

i couldn't agree more! Years ago before the wall of hostility inside my heart spiritually became clear to me after reading 1 Corinthians 2::5-16 i had misunderstood everything. i had for many years ruthlessly persecuted myself in wrong, cruelly dividing myself against myself 'righteous - unrighteous' as taught by religion, not God's word in Spirit the Spirit of graceful love and truth, rather than bringing myself stuck with wrong to Jesus.

@AuntGlow @tyme @Appleblossom @Bunniekins @ENKELI

Paul open my eyes first to reading The Word in Spirit and not past the doctrines i had held so dear, for i had been brought up with them the religion i was born into.

Once i met Jesus The Living Word inside not only as the one who took that dividing wall away inside my heart, but who saved me from the many wrongs hurting me in real life. For His Word in Spirit brought me faith in God's love, even while suicidally depressed about to end my life all these years ago. i will never ever forget the day He met me down there in my pit. Even thought it took me more than 3 years to climb out. It was Jesus who rebuild my mind and ability to suffer depressive bouts with dignity instead of cast down as been.

Forsaking the Pit

As I climb over the rim, I clearly see;
involuntarily I shudder at the sight in me:
down without a bottom lies the pit below,
yes, this fiery hole within me on full show!

Hear voices of darkness pressing hard on me,
speaking guilt, shame, distrust, violence to see;
all together pushing, yes, pressing me down deep,
resisting my climb to the top so steep.

See those guilty feelings still tug at my feet;
I can feel flames searing where my toes they meet,
electrifying my soul, no mercy on show.
Why ever did I take this hell-hole in tow?

Above me the Light, Jesus, the Truth so high!
How long before I meet with Him in the sky?
He knows I will come after Him without a doubt,
for true nourishing goodness is what He is all about.

My bloodied fingers scraped upon the rock ”
for how many years did those hard places mock?
Those stony places in my very being,
those fiery stones of my own seeing!

I climbed after the Light right above me,
the only truth that truly leaves me be.
Never will I stop seeking after the Light,
for Jesus Christ is my very soul's delight!

Soon the resting place of my enemy,
the bottomless pit, shall forever be”
for those without any love or grace,
for those whose lies made this place.

This is very much how Jesus met me down deep.

@DownMoreThanUp

I am glad you are finding more wholeness for your soul.

I have a good busy couple of days, but it is good to log on and see posts from friends. Thank you

@Realness @AuntGlow @Bunniekins @tyme @heartathome @ENKELI

Hi @heartathome , @DownMoreThanUp , @Appleblossom , @ENKELI , @tyme , @Shaz51 , @MissGremlin , @REDLINEZ750 ,

I Corinthians 10 (and I Corinthians 11 following)

- Paul remembers the Israelites escaping Egypt - "our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea, and all were baptised into Moses in the cloud and the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food ... and drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ."

- Nevertheless God was not pleased with most of them - because of idolatry, sexual immorality, testing the Lord, complaining against the Lord.

- So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall.

- No temptation has come upon you except what is common to humanity. But God is faithful; He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it.

- Flee from idolatry.

- We who are many, are one body in Christ.

- You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot share in the Lord's table and the table of demons.

- Don't provoke the Lord to jealousy.

- No one is to seek his own good, but the good of the other person.

- Okay to eat food - don't ask where food comes from, but if someone talks about food coming from idol worship don't partake.

- Do everything for the glory of God.

- Give no offence - seek the benefit of many - so that they may be saved.

I Corinthians 11

- Imitate me as I imitate Christ.

- Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of woman, and God is the head of Christ - Paul's teaching about head coverings.

- Criticism of how the Corinthians were worshipping and partaking in the Lord's Supper.

- "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me."

- "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

- Must eat the bread and drink the cup of the Lord in a worthy manner.

- Examine yourself.

- For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body of Christ eats and drinks judgement in himself.

One of my favourite images of God's care is the "cloud in the day/fire at night" that lead the Israelites during their wanderings after escaping Egypt and then wanderings in the desert. There was no doubt where God wanted them. Sometimes the cloud/fire stayed a few days, sometimes months.

The other powerful thing mentioned at the beginning of I Corinthians 10 is that it was the Christ part of God that performed the miracles and provided the care at that time. It took many readings of the Bible before I picked this up and was able to remember it.

There is also a powerful promise in I Corinthians 10: God is faithful; He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way out so that you may be able to bear it. God knows us intimately. He knows what we can cope with. He will provide a means of escape.

Hi @ENKELI ,

Just a quick message to let you know that we're missing you.

I hope the Easter trip away with your Mum and brothers went well.

Hoping all is okay and you're busy with your studies.

Hi @DownMoreThanUp ,

Sorry if I offended you. I know Paul's teachings can be controversial and some of them are no longer culturally relevant.

I guess what I was thinking about was Paul's commitment compared with mine own. I think he really could compare his life to that of an athlete preparing for the Olympics.

I am much more dependent on God's grace. I am weak. I am not worthy to be a teacher. While I am totally dependent on reading God's Word I don't do a good job of putting things in practice. Even when I was at Church each week and looked a better Christian I think there was a large ego part to it. Now with illness and medication I am slowly working out a different type of Christian life - one that fails many of Paul's lists and teaching - but where Christ is nearer than before.

Yes, you're right - better to always hold up Christ and remember Paul was human.

Hi @Appleblossom ,

It's always good to see your posts here!

I'm glad you had a good couple of days.

When reading posts in different threads I saw you did some sort of comedy act. Like a stand up comedian? Around musical instruments? If you want to I would love to hear more about it. How very courageous! Would you do it again?

Hi @heartathome ,

Just missing you on this thread.

Will respond soon on the other thread but if you want to please continue adding your inspirational verses here. They make a difference. But only if you have time.

Hi @tyme ,

Hope things are going okay for you.

Thanks for your contributions to this thread. I know you are super busy all other the forums.

@Realness No i did not take offence i agreed with your conclusion. Paul is my favourite Apostle when it comes to sharing the gospel of salvation. He opened my eyes. A lot of my life i was similar to you in that it was about me and about doing. Yet such thinking stemmed back out of my childhood.

@Appleblossom @AuntGlow @tyme @Bunniekins

i even wrote a poem about my demise a selfish believer, for i certainly have been as well.

My rewrite on Daniel 7. i don't think i shared this one yet.

This poem speaks of the “goats” not only as people or kingdoms of the world, but as forces within the human heart — born from lies that separate us from love, and sustained by a false sense of self.

Goats Ruling Lies Within (Daniel 7:1-14)

Oh you he-goats — so strong and cruel,
To dominate and devour your rule
What kingdoms rise beneath your hand,
While others fall at your demand. (Daniel 7:1-3)

Let us name you, bring you to light,
So all may see what hides in the night
“For truth revealed breaks hidden chains,
And frees the soul from inward pains. (Matthew 6:23)

You — lying tongue, so bold, so sly,
Denying truth when it draws nigh
polluting conscience wrong to obey.
And lead the heart from light to grey. (Daniel 7:4)

You — loveless voice, so cold, so near,
Whispering emptiness and fear
Cutting us off from what is true,
Till love no longer carries through. (Daniel 7:5)

For lies have cut us from our birth in love,
And left a hunger deep within
So we grasp and take what’s never enough,
And call it life, though bound in sin. (1 John 4:1)

This hunger drives the greedy eye,
To claim and hold, to never cease
Yet all it gains still leaves us dry,
And robs the soul of lasting peace. (Daniel 7:6)

And so we strive, ever taking more control,
To shape our reality so we can meet our need
Yet in this grasping control of our soul,
We plant again the very selfsame seed. (Matthew 16:25)

You — greedy eye, never getting your fill,
Consuming all to be had yet empty still
What once was good in me now fades away,
For all my joy is lost to endless sway. (Proverbs 1:19)

And so comes the Dragon — the voice of blame,
The Accuser bringing us our guilt and shame
Binding life and mind with chains unseen,
Where self-judgement burns who we have been. (Daniel 7:7)

A guilty conscience rules power to the lie,
for our buried truth will always place us nigh.
Sadly rather than returning to live by grace,
sin has us hide behind false identity's face. (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12)

(Lament)

Oh lawless pride's hot air inflating “I”,
claiming the throne and reaching so high
Proclaiming that big ‘I’ as god and king,
While death is all such rule will bring. (Daniel 7:8)

For in this self we lose the right way,
The truth of self we with lies betrayed
Where imprisoned a life so very untrue,
we cut off the very love we once knew. (Jeremiah 50:6)

(Conclusion)

Yet untrue rule will not always remain,
For Kingdom Come will break the chain
When truth appears and light is known,
These shadows lose their borrowed throne. (Daniel 7:9-11)

For when Christ comes — His light made clear,
No lie can stand, no darkness remain near
And all these voices will soon fade away,
Before the rising of His glorious day. (Daniel 7:13-14)

The goats who ruled through fear and pride,
Will fall in us as our truth is purified
For with love restored, and falsehood gone,
God shows who we have been in Christ all along. (John 8:32)

it was the day my big went down the gurgle. It was very painful at the time but taught me some really valuable lessons.