The purpose of Matthew 19:9 was the protection of the marriage institution. Sandwiched between a discussion of the permanence of marriage using the “one flesh” words from Genesis 2:24 and a discussion about eunuchs, the passage is rather obviously about physical acts of fornication on the part of a spouse, that give the only reason accepted by God for exiting a marriage and entering another.  When we say that the viewing of pornography is porneia–that it constitutes adultery– thus allowing for the spouse of the viewer to be free from the marriage bond and remarry another, we cheapen the institution God was protecting in the passage. Further, if the temporal consequence of lust-in-the-heart is freedom to dissolve my marriage, then the temporal consequence of hatred in my heart is the same consequence that’s due to a literal murderer (same context as “whoso looks on a woman to lust” in Matthew 5 and then in 1 John 3:15). In other words, if the pairing of Matthew 5:28 and Matthew 19:9 give license for a spouse who is guilty of lust to be divorced for adultery, then the pairing of Matthew 5:21,22 and 1 John 3:15, surely would subject the man with a heart of hatred to the same consequence as if he were a literal murderer.

The big problem in both of these scenarios is the ambiguity of the thought processes described. When does one cross the line into hatred? Can any woman reading say she is absolutely sure she has not ever hated anyone? Would I then say I might be a murderer, but I’m not sure. It’s easy for us to see that a literal murderer is not the same in every respect as one who has committed the sin of actually killing someone. in a similar way, the lust of the heart is a sin having various degrees. Which man could say he is certain that he has never had a lustful thought about anyone?

If “sexual immorality” in Matthew 19:9 indeed does include any act of immorality that is of a sexual nature (not just physical sexual activity), I would, as a woman, need to be very careful to be able to assert that I had never stepped outside the boundaries of purity in my dress, my language, my overtures, etc…for, if I have erred in any of these ways, my husband could certainly put me away, for those “acts of immorality” that are most definitely in the arena of sexuality.

God put Matthew 19:9 in our Bibles to protect our marriages. If Matthew 19:9 is an effective door of exit for anyone whose husband has ever committed the sin of lust, then may the most conscientious of our godly men, be at risk of losing their marriages because of some lingering glance or lust of the heart? Could the homes of our congregations be destroyed in wholesale fashion, without displeasing God in the “putting away” of husbands who have, at one point or another, been guilty of  impure thoughts or momentary lust of the heart?

This argument that Matthew 19:9 and Matthew 5:28 make for an acceptable (to God) reason for divorce and remarriage is fallacious and extremely destructive to our families and the kingdom. “Sexual immorality” is an unfortunate translation of “porneia”.

I recommend this article for your consideration. It is deeply rooted in Scripture and in wisdom from above that is pure and peaceable (James 3:17).

 https://christiancourier.com/articles/is-lust-fornication?fbclid=IwAR3OJ6Xa8pIC4uFtnU19zqMaXWwhr4uj2nfkKJqsLJTN_ApkOdNDHOAHR4s

Pornography is an awful sin and it is doing just about as much damage as any tool the devil has at hand to destroy our next elders, our marriages, our innocent sons and our congregations. It must not be ignored because it is a spiritual malignancy that quickly grows to stage 4. But it is not the porneia of Matthew 19:9.

Cindy Colley

Exodus 32:6 “Then, they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.”

Early morning routines vary with the individual. Mine includes brushing my teeth, making the bed, and sipping on coffee. But topping all our lists should be a quiet time with our Heavenly Father. If we need a reminder of its importance, take a glimpse into scripture at the woes of the Israelites. Their story reveals what happens when our focus turns elsewhere.

Witnessing the plagues of Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea filled Israel with undeniable faith in the Great I Am. Yet, a few chapters later, we are astonished as their memory of a great God dissolved. With Moses delayed on Mt. Sinai, Israel “turned aside quickly” from God and diverted their focus to fear. Gathering up precious gold, they convinced Aaron to fashion a god “to go before” them. Oh, how quickly replaced was the God who had not only gone before them, but also behind them and surrounded them with His mighty protection.

Sadly, Exodus 32 portrays Israel as excited to worship their man-made god. In place of honor to the Creator of the Universe, they turned to worship the very items He created, rising early to bow down to an idol of gold, satisfy their hunger, and play. The heart of their loving and protective God must have torn asunder as the echoes of their celebration and the aroma of their sacrifices rose from the camp. Have no doubt, their choice to focus on self rather than God brought them much difficulty.

This unfortunate chapter in the life of Israel leaves us shaking our heads in disbelief as their abominable deception leaps off the pages of scripture. Yet, the take-away from this story requires us some painful soul-searching: Are we guilty of the same?  What is our priority; rising and play or rising to pray?

As the sunrise greets our day, is communion with the Great I Am our first conversation? Or do we, like Israel, replace trust in God with trust in self, with no desire to approach the Father? If so, have we fashioned ourselves as our own idols and bowed down to our own paths, offering God no recognition and honor?

Launching the morning void of God and centering our every thought around the excitement of our day, we too, may discover a day filled with difficulties, for that is how the misplaced priorities of Israel played out. Perhaps rising first to pray and commune with the Great I Am will fill us with a peace and strength not found when we rise first to play.

Father God, forgive our sinful priorities when we rise to play before we stop to pray.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

I love Jesus in every way.

I love Jesus more and more each day.

Jesus is my Savior and Guide.

He always walks close to my side.

Without Jesus I would be lost and alone.

Without Him I would be forever on my own.

He keeps me from going astray.

He watches over me night and day.

Thank you Jesus for all that You do.

For making me happy when I feel blue.

For helping me always to stay strong;

When sometimes life seems to go wrong.

1 Thess 5:18 – in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to you-ward.

Debora Robbins

Doubtless, many of you did what I did last Saturday morning and watched the coronation of King Charles III. The event gave true meaning to the term “pomp and circumstance.”

It was so interesting to hear the references to Scripture as the formal part of the coronation proceeded. The Bible was proclaimed as the most important book in the world, and many references were made to passages from it.

As I watched, I couldn’t help remembering the preceding events to this day. There was a marriage, an affair, a divorce, other marriages, two deaths, a defection, and now a coronation. In between was a lot of drama. Through it all, there was sin, plain and simple.

The coronation reminded me of the kings of the divided kingdom. King after king took the thrones of Israel and Judah. King after king sinned against God. Even in the New Testament we read about the sinfulness of several kings who wore the name of Herod. They married, had affairs, divorced, remarried, and claimed to be adhering to the Jewish laws. They even committed murder for what they deemed to be a logical way to handle things. King Herod Agrippa came the closest to changing as he gave attention to Paul’s story of his conversion. So far as we know, he never took that step.

True royalty rests in one place—heaven. That is the kingdom we want to inhabit. The beatitudes in Matthew 5 lay out a plan for true royalty, those that will be a part of the kingdom. It is the person that is poor in spirit, meek, merciful, pure in heart, peacemaker, and someone who hungers and thirsts for righteousness. That hunger and thirst can’t help but lead to obedience.

John relates Jesus’  own promise to His disciples about heaven. He says “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”

We know this earthly home is not our real home. Paul told the Philippians that our citizenship is in heaven; and we are waiting for our Savior, Jesus. He will change these earthly bodies into a glorious body like His. His followers will have a spiritual robe and crown, and we will be a part of the royal family of God. According to Peter, our inheritance will be “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.”

When the apostle John was allowed to see into heaven, he declared that everything was new. There God will wipe away all tears; there will be no death; there will be no mourning or crying; there will be no pain (Revelation 21).What a joy it will be to have a new body in a new kingdom and be free of the temptations, pain, and cares of the world.

In chapter 22, John reveals that those with clean robes will have the right to the tree of life and can enter the gates to the kingdom. Those that won’t have a place in the kingdom of God will be “sorcerers, and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” I don’t want to be one of those.

The pomp and circumstance of position, horse-drawn carriages, fancy attire, military presence, and huge numbers of fans cannot compare with the return of our Lord. An angel told the eleven gazing into the sky when Jesus ascended into heaven in Acts 1 that Jesus would return in the same way He left. John affirms this in Revelation 1. “Behold he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him”. Now that’s the appearance of a true king.

Sandra Oliver

Jephthah was illegitimate, and therefore not entitled under the LAW of MOSES to inherit his father’s property.Judges 11:1-2

11 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valour, and he was the son of an harlot: and Gilead begat Jephthah.

2 And Gilead’s wife bare him sons; and his wife’s sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah, and said unto him, Thou shalt not inherit in our father’s house; for thou art the son of a strange woman.

Jephthah was the ninth Judge of Israel. He was born an illegitimate child, but judged over Israel for a period of six years (Judges 12:7). He is listed in the Book of Hebrews as one of the heroes of faith (Heb. 11:32). After his death, he was buried in a city of Gilead. Read Jephthah’s story in Judges, chapter 11, and chap. 12:1-7. The Heavenly Father used him in spite of his birth.

I am not sure how we can know these children are illegitimate. It requires deeper study.
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Illegitimate_Children/

Other Examples of illegitimate children:

Deuteronomy 23:2 “A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord.”

Hebrews 12:8 “But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”

Jephthah escapes the violence of his half-brothers; lives in the land of Tob

Judges 11:3

3 Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.

Recalled from the land of Tob by the elders of Gilead

Judges 11:5

5 And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:

Jephthah was made captain of the army and head of land of Gilead

Judges 11:5-11

5 And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob:

6 And they said unto Jephthah, Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.

7 And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father’s house? and why are ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?

8 And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us, and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.

Beth Johnson

Chennai Teacher Training School

Women’s Studies

Muliebral Viewpoint

Articles and Books by Beth Johnson

It’s a rich and busy time of life when you’re raising teens. Girls can be more challenging than boys. If you’re doing girls right now, that assessment is not a news flash. Hormones, emotions, temptations of today and peer dependence/comparisons are all a part of the day-to-day challenges of parenting teen girls. One of the most rewarding projects for our daughter was her participation in planning a girls’ day hosted by our congregation, but opened up to community teen girls. Moms in our community loved this opportunity to have somebody else tell their girls what they had been trying to tell them at home—about respect, purity, hard work and perseverance.

Here are some quick guidelines you plan:

1. Get permission from your elders and a budget, so you can pay your speaker and buy supplies.
2. Find a speaker who is sound, wise and relatable and engage her for your planned date.
3. Come up with about three themes that the girls will like and let them pick. Try to think of whimsical lines from the culture that could have deep spiritual applications. Some popular ones have been “Whatever” (from Phil. 4:8 —we used flower-power 70’s decor), “Don’t Kiss Toads” (We used cute frogs), F.R.O.G. (Fully Respecting our God), and “Someday My Prince Will Come” (princess decor). You get the idea.
4. Plan a schedule for the day. Include time for a group game (preferably related to your theme), time for singing, time for two 45 minute lessons from your speaker, time for a question and answer session with the speaker, and time for a fun meal.
5. Gather supplies: folders or notebooks with pockets, pens, cute favors, t-shirts with the theme on them for your planning team. Parents are always happy to buy these.
6. Enlist the helpers. Make sure teen girls get to read scripture and lead singing, introduce your speaker, run a registration table and run any tech for Powerpoint presentations, and decorate, etc…
7. Choose songs and scriptures that go with your theme.
8. Let the girls plan and prepare the menu. If they want to buy sandwich bags from Chik-Fila or pizza, collect money from donors within the church and let them go with it. Let THEM do the work. They grow more when they are invested. If you are cooking, let THEM do that, too.
9. Have them buy and/make gifts for the visitors or for those who win the games, etc…
10. Let them design flyers, bulletin boards and emails to get the word out to area congregations and to girls in the community.
11. On the week of the event, gather at the building for any cleaning, for pizza and for decorating/cooking. Try to make this fun!
12. Make sure you talk to the planners ahead of time about what to wear. The t-shirts you designed are great, but stress your requirements for modesty prior to the day. Stress the need to be friendly and sit with people who are visitors.
13. For Q and A, have everyone write something on an index card and place it in the question box. They can choose between a favorite verse or words of encouragement or a question. This way, those with questions will feel more at ease putting a card in the box. Don’t skip this most important part. Anonymous questions target the real needs.
14. At lunch, have fun  theme-related music playing in the background, if possible.
15. Take lots of pictures. Maybe even include a photo booth. Make memories!
16. Follow-up after the day with letters to all visitors. Let the girls write the letters (Get those addresses at the registration table) Thank them for coming and include a good tract for teen girls in this correspondence.

    Cindy Colley

II Corinthians 12:9 “Each time He said, ‘My grace is all you need.  My power works best in weakness.’  So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”

We have all experienced days that cause heart palpitations and migraine headaches. Maybe it began with sleeping through the alarm. On the furious trek to work, every traffic signal turned red simply out of spite. Perhaps you arrived late to work, unprepared for your morning meeting, but just in time to witness the final doughnut being snatched up. (Arghh!  Hungry now till noon!) What a dreadful day! Sound familiar?

Look at the apostle Paul. He had his share of troubled days and outlines these in 2 Corinthians 11. Paul was stoned, endured multiple imprisonments and beatings, experienced numerous shipwrecks, felt hunger and thirst, lived through dangers in the wilderness, dangers from robbers, dangers in the city, and dangers from false believers.

Paul never considered these events negatively. Instead, because of where Paul placed his focus, he found glory in disaster.

Most likely you are familiar with the following saying:

            Two men looked through prison bars.  One saw the mud, the other, the stars. 

Surely, Paul spent many hours gazing through a small window while imprisoned, if indeed he had one. If so, Paul’s view would have been quite limited. Paul could have looked down at the mud and fixated on his unfair circumstances. However, he chose to look up, and in doing so proved our focus dictates our usefulness in God’s Kingdom.

So, how did Paul’s upward focus bring glory to God even in his imprisoned state?

Paul wrote:  His letters to the churches encouraged and guided not only the first century church but reach us today.

Paul witnessed:  When visitors arrived to encourage Paul, he turned the visit into an opportunity to witness of a rich life in Christ.

Paul persevered: Most prisoners would be tempted to put their lives on hold, but not Paul. He redirected his attention to a different audience: his captors. Paul demonstrated to them the redemptive love of Jesus, and many believed.

How do we allow life to dictate our calling? Like Paul, do we use all our circumstances, good and bad, to the glory of God? Do we, like Paul take pleasure in infirmities, persecutions, and distresses, allowing God to showcase His amazing power through us?

Be prepared. Life will present days of misfortune. There will be times when words of misunderstanding, jealousy, and anger from friends sting us. We may feel defeated during family chaos. Perhaps our marriages, our friendships, or our jobs seem hopeless. Health issues may rob our lifestyle and leave us drowning in unpaid bills. Whatever our trials, remember the importance of an upward focus. We have a loving Father who is strongest when we are weakest. It is upon Him our focus must remain.

Father God, help us live mightily through Your strength, even at our weakest point.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

While absentmindedly scrolling social media, amongst the barrage of new babies, vacations in paradise, and ballpark homeruns, I ran across a video. Its title stated, This Cake Hack is Life-Changing. Thinking how a new and clever way to make a cake rarely surfaced, I clicked on the video in anticipation of something that would amaze me and change my life. However, what I viewed proved to be a messy cooking process with expensive ingredients and far too time consuming considering how long it takes my family to devour cake.

Disappointed in the video, my mind switched to the true life-changer:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”  

A life in Christ never disappoints and never fails to transform us. When wrapped in Christ’s love, surrounded by His arms of protection, and anxiously following His call, ALL THINGS become new.

Long before social media, Zacchaeus experienced a Jesus-hack! This “wee little man” sought the Savior, setting aside all dignity for a tree-top encounter that proved life-changing. After meeting Jesus, wealthy Zacchaeus joyfully committed his money, his occupation, and his reputation to the Savior. When he invited the compassion and goodness of Jesus into his life, he was a changed man. If the rest of his story be told, most likely Zacchaeus transformed the lives of those he encountered from that day forward.

Zacchaeus uncovered a valuable truth that day: We cannot be who God has called us to be if we stay right where we are. Replacing our vision of self with God’s vision of us, changes the way we love, alters the amount of patience we extend, and places an overflowing amount of forgiveness within our hearts.

Those who come to know Christ will be changed. So, Sisters if you seek transformation today, I suggest you not waste your time viewing the cake video. Instead, spend time with your Savior.

Father God, we praise you for the transformation you alone can provide in our lives.

Blessings,

Rita Cochrane

I have taught the life of Christ for many years to my Bible classes. The stories are so familiar to me, and they are so real. They are real because I made a trip to Israel many years ago, and the things I saw on that trip made the stories of the Gospels come to life in my mind. When I teach the stories that take place on or around the Sea of Galilee, I remember the feeling of being on a boat in the middle of that body of water or eating a meal beside it. I can close my eyes and see it and remember the beauty of it.

Each parable, each miracle, each sermon, and each event leave me wanting to return to see and learn more. Though that is probably not going to happen—the going back—at least I can still bring those images to mind.

There is one story that I always tell my students that leaves me wondering and sad. It is the story of the rich young ruler. We find the story in Matthew 19 where Jesus has been praying for little children. He touched them and declared that “of such is the kingdom of heaven.”

Then a young man came to Him and wanted to know what good thing he needed to do to go to heaven. Jesus replied that he should obey the commandments, and the young man wanted Jesus to name them; in other words, tell him exactly what he needed to do. So, Jesus did. He said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man, apparently very proud of himself, declared that he had done all of these. So, now he wants to know, “What do I still lack?” Jesus’ answer is clear. “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Here we have a young man who is obviously a good person. His reasoning behind the keeping of the commandments may have been faulty, because it appears that he was keeping the laws just to go to heaven. Jesus requires more. He told the young man that if he really wanted to be perfect or complete, he must sell his possessions and give the money away–to the poor. That obviously did not make him happy. It seems that he was checking to see if Jesus had any new command that would be necessary in order for him to be saved. Jesus wanted him to obey the commandments, imitate His example, and to go with Him.

Notice some things about the outcome of this story. Jesus did not bargain with the young man. He didn’t say, “You’ve done enough. You are a good person, and you don’t need to do anything else. Your money will help us out.” That is not what happened. There was a set price, and there could be no compromise.

Jesus did not run after him. He allowed the young man to walk away. He had nothing more to offer him, just treasure in heaven. Since the young man was unwilling to comply with the remaining requirements, Jesus could not help him.

John records a conversation Jesus had with the Jews about being the bread of life. In verses 52-66, Jesus told them that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood. He was not, of course, telling them to literally do this; this would have been repulsive as well as sinful to the Jews. Jesus used this to show that they must be partakers of His teaching and His mission. Later, baptism put them and puts us today into His death; and the Lord’s Supper is commanded to remember His suffering and death by eating bread and drinking the fruit of the vine in remembrance of Him.

One other point to consider in this story. Jesus does not draw someone into Him and then raise the price. He makes the total cost clear from the beginning. He did that with this young man, and He does it with us. He makes the cost clear in John 6. Eternal life will come to those who follow Him and obey His commandments. We can’t leave something out because we don’t like it or disagree with it. If we do, then we are just like the rich young ruler. We must obey all the commandments.

If someone is teaching a version of Christianity that has no cost, no commitment, no requirements, then it is worthless. Jesus says that we have to leave family, comfort, possessions, even everything to serve Him. The reward will be eternal life. Is that worth paying the price?

Sandra Oliver

The number one reason to start a flower garden is the joy it can bring. Not many gardeners bring many flowers inside as cut flowers in vases, myself included; although that is certainly a joyful activity. During the blazing heat of summer, the daylilies, gladiolus, and crinums seem to make the flowerbeds sing!

Day by day new blooms — even the ones we forgot we planted — unfold and make the heart skip a beat. It is so reminiscent of God’s daily blessings of both physical and spiritual nature that we are naturally prompted to whisper a prayer of thanks to our Father.

But these are not the only beds where there is singing!

“Let the godly ones exult in glory; Let them sing for joy upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth” (Psalm 149:5-6a, NASB).

When was the last time you went to bed really filled with joy? We can take a lesson from those daylilies! We have much to be joyful about. God has “blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).

Why concentrate on the brambles and weeds while the garden is bursting with color, and seemingly with song? Why allow our thoughts as we lie down at night to go to our failures and sorrows instead of all the gloriously beautiful moments of the day?

You say your life or your visage is not as beautiful as your flowerbeds? Think again. The previous verse gives you reason to see beauty in yourself as God sees it.

“For the Lord takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation” (Psalm 149:4).

Oh, but salvation really does beautify a life! Not just salvation from our mundane physical woes, but salvation from the weight and the consequences of constantly “missing the mark.” Winning the lottery might save us from the first (theoretically) but only Christ Jesus can do the latter.

And he does not leave us in the weeds on how to access this salvation, either.

Unless you’ve done worse things than what Peter accused this crowd of doing (crucifying the son of God), we have a prescription here:

“Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38).

As you beautify your garden with perennial plants that will sing in their beds every year, beautify your life with the free gift of salvation, and do some of your own joyful singing in your bed!

Christine (Tina) Berglund