1 Corinthians 8:4 (KJV) We Know

1 Corinthians 8:4 (KJV)

As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.

 

How does Paul know this? 

· Because he met Jesus personally, literally, on the road to Damascus. 

·  Because he spoke to Him with his own mouth. 

·  Because he heard Jesus with his own ears. 

Interestingly, there were others there. The Bible says they heard a voice but saw no man.[1] Same place, same event; different experience, different outcome. Paul knew the true and living God because he had met the true and living God. He spent the rest of his life trying to introduce others to Him.

 

We who know God know because we have met Him. Others may hear the same words, go to the same places, and experience the same events as we who know, and come away not knowing. Their lack of knowledge, they believe, is proof that we do not know what we say we know. But we who know, know.

 

·       God has spoken to us. 

·       The Holy Spirit has witnessed to our spirit. 

·     The Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed and saved us. 

We who know, know. 

 

There is none other God but one.

 

#OneTrueGod  #PersonalEncounter  #KnowTheTruth  #PaulAndJesus  #FaithAndExperience

We Know: The Certainty of Faith

 

---

[1] Acts 9:7 (KJV)

And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

Call to Action

• Have you had a personal encounter with God that affirmed your faith?

• If you have not yet experienced the true and living God, take a step of faith today.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6400 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

1 Corinthians 8:4 (KJV) We Know

1 Corinthians 7:16 (KJV) Faith in Marriage

1 Corinthians 7:16 (KJV)

For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

 

The corruption of the flesh is such that the best of us struggle in our relationships—including the relationship of marriage. The possible scenarios Paul describes include:

 

- A Christian man married to a Christian woman

- A Christian woman married to an unbelieving man

- A Christian man married to an unbelieving woman

 

There is another possibility, but this passage does not address it:

 

- An unbeliever married to an unbeliever.

 

In some cases, the believer may have converted after marriage. Challenges occur whenever one spouse comes to trust Christ, but the other does not. Marriage is difficult enough without this struggle, so much so that the Apostle says it’s better not to marry.

 

What about those struggles within the marriage? Verse 16 answers the question: if we would be willing to receive it, obey the Word of God in the prayer that God will save the unbelieving member of the marriage. Or else obey in the prayer that God will save the children in the family.

 

The reality I have witnessed is that too many Christians are too little concerned about souls and put too little faith in the Lord to save souls.

 

Who knows what God might do if we, as His children, observed the “all things whatsoever” Christ has commanded?[1] Who knows what differences this would make in the home, in the marriage, in our children, in our community, in our country, yea, in our world?

 

Would more souls be saved?

Would we care?

 

#MarriageChallenges #FaithInMarriage #SaveSouls #ChristianMarriage #ObeyGodsWord

Faith in Marriage: Trusting God to Save the Unbelieving

 

---

[1] Matthew 28:20 (KJV)

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Call to Action

• Would you commit to praying for the salvation of souls, starting with those closest to you?

• Make a difference in our homes, our communities, and our world by living out the "all things whatsoever" Christ has commanded.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6400 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

1 Corinthians 7:16 (KJV) Faith in Marriage

1 Corinthians 6:8 (KJV) Deconstructing Faith

1 Corinthians 6:8 (KJV)

Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.

 

One of the most challenging issues, I think, in Christianity is that Christians are still as sinful as they were before they were saved. It’s shameful; we are instructed to mortify those tendencies, and we are taught that we have the means to do so through the Holy Spirit. The fact remains: sometimes we do wrong, we defraud, and we often do it to our fellow Christians.

 

Christians are broken. Whenever Christians band into local churches, we can be assured that those churches will be as broken as the members of the church.

 

Now, the current tendency is to attack the faith, attack churches, attack Christianity, attack Christ. 

·  We have those who claim to be deconstructing the faith. 

· We have others who claim to be Christians but reject church membership and participation of any sort. 

· We have some who maybe continue to attend church but make no bones about being a genuine headache—complaining, gossiping, questioning—balking at every suggestion toward godliness.

 

The answer, of course, is not to ignore this brokenness but neither is it to reject the very institution Christ built. The answer is to trust the Lord with His work and to follow the conviction of the Holy Ghost concerning the brokenness we experience personally.

 

If every child of God would take seriously the call to mortify the deeds of the flesh in his own body and trust the Lord to do the same in others in the church, our churches would be so much better—never perfect—none of us are, but so much better.

 

#ChristianLife #SpiritualGrowth #ChurchCommunity #FaithJourney #HolySpirit

Deconstructing Faith: Imperfect People, Imperfect Churches

 

Call to Action

• Ask yourself: Am I actively mortifying the deeds of the flesh and encouraging others in my church to do the same?

• What step will you take this week to trust the Lord with His work in your life and within your church?

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6400 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

1 Corinthians 6:8 (KJV) Deconstructing Faith

Genesis 4:16 (KJV) From Eden to Eternity

 

Genesis 4:16 (KJV)

And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

 

As I read this my mind went to Psalms 139:7 (KJV)

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?

 

David’s conclusion was that there is no place a man can go to escape the presence of God. But then David did not want to. My conclusion, then, is that escaping the presence of the Lord is a matter of the soul and spirit. If one feels alone, away from God, it is his own doing. Conversely, if one wishes to enter into the presence of the Lord, He is there all the time.

 

The atheist will argue to the Christian that the burden to prove God is ours. They believe that since they can’t see God, then for us to claim God exists is our problem. 

 

The fact is, 

I see God every day, everywhere. 

All I have to do is open my eyes. He is everywhere. I see Him in the mountains and rivers. I see Him in the cycles of nature. I see Him in the complexity of life.

 

I hear God every time I listen. 

The wind, the words of others, the thoughts of the spirit, the Word of God all speak to me of the Lord.  

 

I benefit from God every day. 

He answers prayer. He guides my decisions. He meets my needs. He protects me.  

 

The atheist sees, hears, and experiences the very same things. "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:45, KJV). He sees, but he chooses not to see God. He hears, but he chooses not to hear God. He benefits, but he chooses not to give God the glory.  

 

·    Cain went out from the presence of the Lord.  

·   David never could leave the presence of the Lord.  

 

God is always present. It’s a matter of choice whether we acknowledge Him.

 

#PresenceOfGod #SeeingGodEverywhere #DivineGuidance #FaithAndChoice #GodInNature

From Eden to Eternity: God's Presence Everyday

 

Call to Action

• How have you experienced the presence of God in your daily life?

• Let’s choose to live in constant awareness and gratitude for His unending presence.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6400 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Genesis 4:16 (KJV) From Eden to Eternity

Genesis 3:11 (KJV) Who Told Thee?

Genesis 3:11 (KJV)

And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

 

There are two questions in this verse:

·       Who told thee that thou wast naked? and

·       Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

 

The second question answers the first. Here’s the thing about sin, it is its own worst enemy. It is impossible to sin without being smitten in the conscience. It’s true that, with abuse - the repeated committing of a sin, the conscience can become seared.[1] It is also true for the conscience to become defiled.[2] But barring these, the first one to “tell on us” when we sin is our conscience. 

 

Satan is the accuser of the brethren.[3] There is no question he is active on this account. He was certainly present in the temptation to sin in the first place. He deceived Eve into the original sin. 

 

But it’s our conscience that convicts us first.[4]

 

They never did answer the “Who told you” question, and they deflected on the “Hast thou eaten?” question. No one, so far as we see in this text, confessed, “I ate of the tree you told me not to eat.” It’s moot because it’s too late, but I wonder if the outcome would have been different if they had. 

 

I suppose that whenever our conscience convicts us, we could hide our guilt, cover our shame, or make an excuse. The straightest, most direct path to a pure conscience is to confess our sin to the Lord.

1 John 1:9 (KJV)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

#Genesis311 #ConscienceConviction #SinAndConfession #BiblicalTruth #FaithfulForgiveness

Who Told Thee? The Role of Conscience in Sin

---

[1] 1 Timothy 4:2 (KJV) 

Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

[2] Titus 1:15 (KJV) 

Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

[3] Revelation 12:10 (KJV)

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.

[4] John 8:9 (KJV) 

And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

Call to Action

• Have you ever felt the weight of your conscience convicting you of something? Don't ignore it

• Share your experience or a prayer request in the comments.

👉 Join our community in studying God’s Word and strengthening your faith.

To my readers:

Thank you! It is a great joy to me to know you read the thoughts and lessons God has given me in His word. I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to leave comments.

For this and, more than 6400 earlier Daily Visits with God, visit https://mckenzie-visit-with-god.blogspot.com. There you will find daily visits going back to 2005.

If you have been blessed by this blog, please subscribe to my feed and share it with others.

For more resources from Pastor Marvin McKenzie visit http://puyallupbaptistchurch.com.

My books, and other resources, are available at:
https://marvinmckenzie.org

Join me at Daily Visits with God Podcast
https://marvinmckenzie.substack.com/

Merch at my Teespring store https://macz.creator-spring.com/
Be a witness with hats, mugs, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and more

Let’s have coffee?
The link to Ko-fi  is an opportunity to support this effort to reach a world of souls with the Word of God. I would appreciate any gift you can give. 

Genesis 2:1-2 (KJV) Sabbath or Sunday