November 13, 2013

Six Things Pornography Users Do Not Want

XXX key

Pornography is a huge problem in our society. Many Christians have even fallen prey to it despite Jesus’ plain warning:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell” (Matthew 5:27-29).

Many believe pornography is harmless (or they simply refuse to admit to understanding how destructive it is). But Jesus said that lusting after someone is so destructive that one ought to be willing to go to extreme measures to remove the opportunity to lust. This is the primary problem with pornography – lust.

However, one can be guilty of lust without ever viewing pornography. While it is true that sin is committed anytime one lusts after someone, pornography is particularly dangerous. There are reasons why people choose to feed their lust in this way. It is because there are certain things that pornography users do not want. We will notice six of these in this article.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , , , ,
August 27, 2013

Audio: Growing Number of Single Moms Who Have Never Married

God designed marriage to be between a man and a woman, and that children would be born in this relationship. Our society has long been perverting God’s plan for marriage and the home. The statistic below is a recent example of this.

Since 1960, the number of single mothers who have never married has risen from 4% to 44% (Pew Research Center report). Why are so many children being born out of wedlock? The statistics reveal some sad truths about society. This lesson examines the reasons for this sharp increase and what the Scriptures have to say about them.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: Audio Tagged With: , , , , , ,
May 6, 2013

The Application of Wisdom: Teachings About Women (Part 2)

Notes on Proverbs

After considering the warnings about the adulteress, we turn our attention to the excellent wife who is commended to us in the book of Proverbs. There are two basic points that are addressed: the blessings and the character of the excellent wife.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: Proverbs Study Tagged With: , ,
October 31, 2012

“Eunuchs for the Sake of the Kingdom of Heaven” (10/31)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Matthew 19; Mark 10.

After Jesus explained that there was no lawful cause other than fornication for one to put away his spouse and that one’s subsequent marriage would constitute adultery (Matthew 19:9), His disciples concluded that it would be better not to marry.

“The disciples said to Him, ‘If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry.’ But He said to them, ‘Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given. For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it’” (Matthew 19:10-12).

Eunuchs were familiar to the people of that time. They were “emasculated men” (ISBE) who would, therefore, be unable to engage in the “one flesh” relationship that Jesus spoke of as being part of marriage (Matthew 19:5).
Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: , ,
October 17, 2012

Marrying Another Man’s Wife (10/17)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9:1-17.

Many today have a casual attitude toward the institution of marriage. As a result, there are many divorces in our society. These divorced persons often end up marrying someone else. This is seen by many as normal and acceptable. Yet John the Baptist opposed such unlawful remarriages even though it ended up costing him his life.

“For Herod himself had sent and had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’ Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death and could not do so” (Mark 6:17-19).

Though many today recognize the tragedy of divorce, once the initial damage is done, they believe that the slate is wiped clean and the divorced person – regardless of the cause of the divorce – is free to remarry whomever he/she chooses. Yet this is not what the Scriptures teach.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: ,
September 27, 2012

Adulterous Marriages

Wedding Rings

One of the consequences of the high divorce rate in our society is the number of adulterous marriages. These are unlawful unions in which at least one person is still bound to their original mate. Of course, when we discuss adulterous marriages, we must have the law of God in mind. To the state, there is no such thing as an adulterous marriage – only marriage. Once a couple is legally divorced, subsequent marriages are unconditionally legitimate in the eyes of the state. In this study, we will not be discussing civil laws about marriage and divorce. Instead, we will be looking at what the Scriptures teach about adulterous marriages.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: , , , ,
June 2, 2012

A Lily Among the Thorns (6/2)

Thought from today’s Bible reading from Song of Solomon 1-8.

“I am the rose of Sharon, the lily of the valleys.”

“Like a lily among the thorns, so is my darling among the maidens” (Song of Solomon 2:1-2).

We occasionally hear Jesus referred to as the rose of Sharon or the lily of the valley. The description of the bridegroom and his beloved in Song of Solomon is seen by some as an allegory describing Christ and His bride, the church. Ironically, these verses that have been used to describe Jesus are not referring to the bridegroom, but the bride. While there may be some statements that could be stretched so as to make a parallel with Christ and the church, Song of Solomon is simply a description of the love a couple has for one another – before and after marriage.
Continue Reading

Filed Under: SERIES: Daily Notes & Observations Tagged With: