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For I know the plans I have for you,declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jer 29:11 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for collecting daily manna), make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Sunday, February 26, 2017
Today's Passage : Subject :Food Sacrificed to Idols Bible Verse :1 Corinthians 8:4-13 (ESV) "So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall. " Message:
The early Christians had a problem: they could not worship any God but God, and specifically not an idol, according to the Ten Commandments. But they were often put in the position of wanting to eat meat that had been sacrificed to an idol. For example, such meat was often less expensive, or they might eat at the house of a friend or in a restaurant where it was served. (Food sacrificed to idols was generally divided up three ways: part was burned up, part was returned to the person who offered it, and part given to the priest. Either of the latter two might then resell it for cash.)
Paul's solution was simple. Sacrifice of meat to an idol was simply meaningless. The meat was not cursed and it was not blessed, and eating such meat was just like eating any other meat. (This is very different from participating in a feast to an idol. 1 Corinthians 10:14.)
He gave one very important warning, however; they should be very careful that nobody got the wrong impression. He was concerned that a person might see them eating such meat, and think that they were endorsing the sacrifice or in some way connected to worship of the idol.
There are many similar situations in modern-day life. We might find ourselves watching a movie or television show, or reading a book, full of blasphemy, lewdness, materialism, or other unchristian behavior. In fact, if you turn on the television set, you are pretty much guaranteed to see both subtle and outright anti-Christian messages. You might be at a meeting or social gathering where language is used, or jokes are told, that you believe sacrilegious.
Can we be in such places without endorsing them? Paul seems to say yes; and, in fact, unless you move to a convent you would have a hard time navigating life without being an audience to such things.
But Paul also teaches that we should not tolerate such things if there is a chance that our tolerance will be a stumbling block to another person. We are to adopt the other person's more restrictive viewpoint. So, if we are at a movie with a friend and he finds it objectionable, we should not argue with him; we must tear ourselves away, no matter how much we are enjoying it.
Meditation : Prayer : Now unto him that is able to keep me from falling, and to present me faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen |
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